In To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip José Farmer introduces readers to the awesome Riverworld, a planet that had been carved into one larg...
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Nov 22, 2010
Keely
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As in the first book, Farmer bites off more than he can chew. By using real individuals and cultures from history as his fodder, Farmer invites close inspection by readers familiar with (and fond of) those characters and cultures.
His protagonist is an unfunny Mark Twain, whose occasional spoutings lack the vitriol for which Twain is renowned. Farmer seems to take direct quotes (often from Twain's books) and place them awkwardly into the conversation, which only makes conspicuous how More...
His protagonist is an unfunny Mark Twain, whose occasional spoutings lack the vitriol for which Twain is renowned. Farmer seems to take direct quotes (often from Twain's books) and place them awkwardly into the conversation, which only makes conspicuous how More...
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Jul 07, 2009
Bren
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Whereas To Your Scattered Bodies Go was pure sci-fi adventure, The Fabulous Riverboat gives its focus to sci-fi action.
The second of five novels delving into Philip José Gardner's fantastic Riverworld saga, The reader follows the exploits of Samuel "Mark Twain" Clemens. Tortured by fleeting images of his late wife Olivia and plagued with the darkness grimly masked by the humourist's façade, Clemens becomes the leader of a group of displaced residents late of planet Earth. More...
The second of five novels delving into Philip José Gardner's fantastic Riverworld saga, The reader follows the exploits of Samuel "Mark Twain" Clemens. Tortured by fleeting images of his late wife Olivia and plagued with the darkness grimly masked by the humourist's façade, Clemens becomes the leader of a group of displaced residents late of planet Earth. More...
Sep 01, 2011
Lee
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This was better then the first book. I thought PJF had probably developed as a writer a lot more when he wrote this and I didn't find it as clunky as To your scattered bodies go. I had fond memories of this instalment as Sam Clemens(Mark Twain) reluctantly teams up with King John(yes, the dastardly lion in the disney film Robin Hood) to build a Riverboat to travel to the headwaters of the Riverworld. Although I enjoyed it a littel more I didn't think it was great, there are still no lead female
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Dec 12, 2011
Tim
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The book itself is good. It's part of a series that is a single story, so the ending isn't the end, and therefore somewhat unsatisfying. I assume that will resolve itself as I finish the series.
<Rant>
But I've been meaning to rant about 'introductions' for quite some time now, and the introduction to this edition had everything I dislike about 'introductions'. For starters, do publishers really think readers of popular fiction care to read the comments of some random stran More...
<Rant>
But I've been meaning to rant about 'introductions' for quite some time now, and the introduction to this edition had everything I dislike about 'introductions'. For starters, do publishers really think readers of popular fiction care to read the comments of some random stran More...
Jun 26, 2011
John
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I checked this out from the library, and I'm glad I didn't purchase it. The edition I checked out was an omnibus of the first two books of the Riverworld series.
My feeling is these books are like, "Wouldn't it be really cool if..." all the interesting characters of history were all living and ran into each other. And, yes, it's cool to think about, but it's not something you can base a novel on. It's more like a dinner party idea. Though, I've never been to that kind of dinne More...
My feeling is these books are like, "Wouldn't it be really cool if..." all the interesting characters of history were all living and ran into each other. And, yes, it's cool to think about, but it's not something you can base a novel on. It's more like a dinner party idea. Though, I've never been to that kind of dinne More...
Jul 11, 2011
Silvio
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I've read only the books of this series that were in my hometown library. I consider them a truly awe-inspiring idea marred by truly awkward writing. I did not go back for the others until long after reading this. The awe-inspiring idea I mentioned: people from all periods of history and all over the world are somehow resurrected in a sort of paradise, by the banks of an enormous river on an unknown planet. By the time this book opens they've quickly gone back to killing each other. If you die o
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Mar 06, 2010
Raj
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After being completely captivated by To Your Scattered Bodies Go, it took me ages to find the rest of the series (in fact, I managed to acquire the books in reverse order, only getting The Fabulous Riverboat at Christmas). This book leaves the protagonist of volume one, Sir Richard Burton, and follows Samuel Clemens and his dream of building a magnificent riverboat in which he will travel to the headwaters of the River and find the mysterious Ethicals who resurrected Humanity on this world.
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Feb 24, 2011
Kat
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To Your Scattered Bodies Go, the first of Philip Jose Farmer’s Riverworld novels, was a fast-paced, highly creative, and extremely exciting story, so I was eager to continue the tale in the second novel, The Fabulous Riverboat. This part of the story of mankind’s resurrection onto a million-miles-long stretch of river valley focuses on Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) — one of the people who’ve been contacted by a traitor who hopes to use twelve special humans to disrupt the plans of the creatures (g
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Feb 06, 2012
Lauren
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Jan 22, 2011
Spuddie
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#2 in the Riverworld Saga. This book, the second in a sci-fi series that features a sort of repository for the dead--basically, everyone ever born on earth is resurrected in the Riverworld--focuses on Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain. His big dream on Earth was to build and captain a Riverboat, and now that he's basically got all eternity, he's determined to do it.
This life-after-death place isn't exactly what you'd call heaven, though--the same cliques, clans and territorial battles More...
This life-after-death place isn't exactly what you'd call heaven, though--the same cliques, clans and territorial battles More...
Jan 10, 2011
Sloweducation
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As many note, Farmer writes with pedestrian style. Even if the concept is a little stupid, it has enough comic book whizbang that the story occasionally manages to carry itself on plot alone. But a book does not live by plot alone. Farmer's choice of Mark Twain as his central character is unfortunate, because Farmer has no humor. Anyone who has ever read Mark Twain will not recognize him in this depiction. None of the other characters has any special interest either. Historical figures make brie
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Aug 10, 2011
Ensiform
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This one is a little better written than the first. Mark Twain and a prehistoric giant find a meteorite and built a vast metal boat, the only one on Riverworld. Still no women characters, and in my opinion, too many invented characters when he has the entirety of history to play with. The dialogue in this book is more realistic. Still, I think Farmer is one of those writers who is incapable of having characters speak in any way and with any mindset other than his, Farmer's, own. Thus there
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Apr 25, 2010
Amy
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This is why I so rarely start series books. The first book was great and the second book was awful. Farmer assumes that if everyone who ever lived was brought together on the same planet at the same time, everyone would constantly be fighting everyone out of sport and boredom. And, thus, Farmer created a very boring sequel to a great first book in the series. I just couldn't finish this. I was 100 pages from the end before I didn't care if Mark Twain ever managed to find all the raw materials to
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Oct 31, 2011
Benny
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This is the second book in the series but I don't own the first and decided not to purchase a new book for a series I couldn't be sure I'd want to read. It didn't feel too much like being thrust into a story that was already under way, with the book's protagonist, Samuel Clemens (more commonly known as Mark Twain), briefly explaining things that need recapping but not in the form of massive infodumps that feel like book recaps.
The Riverworld (named for the massive river that dominates More...
The Riverworld (named for the massive river that dominates More...
Aug 02, 2011
David
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Continuación de "A vuestros cuerpos dispersos", una vez gastada la sorpresa inicial hizo lo más sensato: cambiar el registro por completo. De la aventura y la exploración pasamos a política y gran proyecto, con un tono casi casi steampunk. Vamos conociendo más personajes que en teoría tendrán importancia en el final de la saga aunque algunos parezcan metidos a calzador y se eche en falta alguien más... normal. El criterio para elegirlos muy claro no está, desde luego. A ver como combin
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May 18, 2010
Jan
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The Riverworld provides an amazing setting for timeless, philosophical science fiction, and at the hands of it's creator (Farmer) there should be no doubts that each book in the series manages to refine this concept.
Therefore I was surprised to find this book to be a rather dull and uninspiring account of the building of the boat mentioned in the title. Farmer at least manages to create a both entertaining and sympathetic sidekick in Joe Miller, but on the whole, this novel lacks eve More...
Therefore I was surprised to find this book to be a rather dull and uninspiring account of the building of the boat mentioned in the title. Farmer at least manages to create a both entertaining and sympathetic sidekick in Joe Miller, but on the whole, this novel lacks eve More...
Jun 24, 2009
♥ Marlene♥
rated it:
Well this book was a bit of a disappointment to me. I loved book 1 but book 2 , I do not know, It seems to me it was more a war book. There were still scenes I thought interesting, like the relation ship between Sam and his earth wife and I liked The Big guy but hated the way he talked. It was hard for me to understood what he was saying, but overall I was just glad to end it.
I will give book 3 a try. I am reading it right now and glad to be back with Richard F. Burton to be honest. Maybe More...
I will give book 3 a try. I am reading it right now and glad to be back with Richard F. Burton to be honest. Maybe More...
Oct 10, 2011
Myles
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We exchange Richard Burton for Samuel Clemens and set the story a couple decades past "Resurrection Day", when all of humanity (and then some) who ever lived wake up naked on the shores of an impossibly long river.
Clemens, or Mark Twain, has a dream of finding iron. Riverworld seems to have been intentionally deprived of all natural resources with the exception of water and fish from the river and stands of trees along the banks and some quarryable stone. But Clemens wants More...
Clemens, or Mark Twain, has a dream of finding iron. Riverworld seems to have been intentionally deprived of all natural resources with the exception of water and fish from the river and stands of trees along the banks and some quarryable stone. But Clemens wants More...
Jul 16, 2008
Brett
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Book 2 of the Riverworld Saga introduces a host of fresh characters and represents some new plot threads for the series. Aside from cameos and the Mysterious Stranger, the individuals in Book 1 are generaly absent.
Although it is reasonably well written, I preferred To Your Scattered Bodies Go. I found the characters less intriguing although Farmer makes a greater effort to develop them. Farmer does a very credible job with the circular logic of paranoia between Sam and John as c More...
Although it is reasonably well written, I preferred To Your Scattered Bodies Go. I found the characters less intriguing although Farmer makes a greater effort to develop them. Farmer does a very credible job with the circular logic of paranoia between Sam and John as c More...
Jun 26, 2007
Kevin
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The Fabulous Riverboat. The second novel of Philip Jose Farmer's Riverworld saga begins roughly 20 years after the first book, To Our Scattered Bodies Go. People have adapted to the world reborn and harnessed as much technology that the Riverworld has to offer. The abundance of raw materials, species, minerals, and the ability to harness these gifts are in surplus on Earth. In Riverboat, the difficulty of technology is made disgustingly obvious. The stench of life and inherent evil of man ma
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Jan 12, 2011
Bradley
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The Riverworld was made for Sam Clemens. Perhaps he was simply a more sympathetic character than Richard Francis Burton. At any rate, this was a better book than the first, though again it seems like a pre-PC version of a game of Rise of Nations played in Farmer's head. More of the mystery of the Ethicals please and less of Farmer's bizarre take on race relations.
Jul 19, 2010
Yvensong
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I didn't enjoy this book as much as the first. Much of the creativity still remained, and there were some interesting plot lines, but the story mostly went from one battle scene or prepping-for-battle scene to another battle scene.
The Samuel Clemens character wasn't as interesting to follow as Burton was in the first novel, so maybe book 3 will be more fun once Burton is brought back in.
The Samuel Clemens character wasn't as interesting to follow as Burton was in the first novel, so maybe book 3 will be more fun once Burton is brought back in.
Feb 07, 2011
Chris
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Not bad, but not as good as the first in the Riverworld series. In this book, we follow Sam Clemens as he strives to keep together a tenuous agreement between nations so that he can complete his cherished riverboat. I was hoping for some travel up the river in this book, but most of it has to do with Clemens balancing competing interests as he rules his small kingdom.
Sep 22, 2010
D-day
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I fount the premise of the first book (To Your Scattered Bodies Go) interesting enough to continue the series even though it was poorly written, hoping to find some answers. This book is no better, and provided no answers- so I gave up. The poor writing just isn't enough to sustain my interest for two more books.
Oct 13, 2011
Jon
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I liked this as much as the first book. Although missing the presence of Sir Richard Burton, the presence of Sam Clemens and Joe Miller more than make up for it. The dastardly King John and Eric Bloodaxe make engaging villains.
Like the first novel, Farmer creates a believable and cohesive world.
Like the first novel, Farmer creates a believable and cohesive world.
Feb 26, 2009
CD
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My favorite book of the series both in content, and effectiveness of Farmer's style. Fascinating mixes of characters pop up, the 'Truth' of the Riverworld emerges as to resurrection and the first real evidence of a machine behind the whole fantastical reality is presented.
Jun 11, 2010
Anthony
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This second installment of the Riverworld series follows the ressurected Sam Clemens (aka Mark Twain) in his quest to build a riverboat. His goal is to travel upriver to discover the mysteries of the Riverworld. The premise of the series is interesting and full of promise. But the execution doesn't fully mine these possibilties. To have all of humanity resurected in some strange world, is a grand idea. But the focus of the plot is too small for me. It is an ok read, but gets a little monotono
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Jun 06, 2010
azdbackfan
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The second book of Farmer's Riverworld series. If Burton was in it at all, I don't recall. This book focused on Samuel Clemens (yes, that Mark Twain) and his efforts to find metal to build...you guessed it...a riverboat, presumably a fabulous one.
Aug 11, 2011
Mckinley
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Part two.Is this the way the series is going? Just another episode on yet another famous person working his way toward the end of the river based on the turn-agent of the beings who set up the whole planet? Didn't learn more about those beings.
Feb 25, 2009
Srochat
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The Riverworld series now switches its attention to Samuel Clemens (aka Mark Twain) who has found a rare iron deposit and a chance to build a true Riverboat ... if he can outfox his would-be partner, John Plantagenet.
