false 1697491 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1697491 9 830499 1954 A Mirror for Observers total:20|5:5|4:7|3:7|2:1|1:0| 20 76 43 3 155249 3.63 113 20 8025283 565673 1117691 0312943059 9780312943059 1 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1117691.A_Mirror_for_Observers 4.00 1 1954 0 0 false Sun Oct 21 10:44:23 -0700 2007 Sun Oct 21 10:44:23 -0700 2007 http://nhw.livejournal.com/475867.html[return][return]First published in 1954, set in 1963 and 1972, so as usual we can be slightly amused about predictions made about the future which is now the past. But actually this is a rather gripping book. There is a small group of Secret Guardians keeping wa...more...]]> 65963304 974210 2497663 035239501X 9780352395016 1 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2497663.A_Mirror_for_Observers 4.00 2 Martians arrived 30,000 years ago, exiles from a dying planet. Seeing human society wasn't ready for contact with another race, they built homes underground & undersea, waiting for humanity to grow up. They send out Observers to monitor & occasionally help direct humans towards a more ethical civilization. Some despair of humanity--one of their undersea cities was located at Bikini atoll--& plan to wipe it out so they can have Earth for themselves. The conflict between one of these Abdicators & an Observer is the upper level conflict of the novel.
The one both parties focus on, Angelo, is a prodigy of twelve, a budding artist & philosopher, one who's likely to move society towards a more peaceful, introspective & accepting culture. But Angelo's entering puberty & wants to be accepted by his peers. His 10-year old girlfriend Sharon shows signs of becoming a world-class pianist. How both Observer & Abdicator meddle in their lives, how they grow & change, & the effect on humanity as a whole forms the main part of the book.
Sharon & Angelo's characters are superbly drawn. It's impossible not to become deeply involved with them. What happens may reduce you to tears. The character of the Observer also slips into your heart. Changes in his outlook make for a bitter yet exalting comment on what is right & wrong with humans. This is typical of Pangborn. His work is oriented towards people, not gadgets or theories. Here it's presented almost perfectly.
Aspects of his envisioned future will seem dated or off the mark, but none seriously impact the focus. This is literature in the best sense, a book that will uplift, entertain & force a reexamination of your worldview.--Patrick Shepherd (edited)]]> 1954 4 0 false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 1986 Mon Aug 03 00:21:56 -0700 2009 Mon Aug 03 00:24:08 -0700 2009 1 45294653 1979531 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 15 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 5 0 false Tue Feb 03 15:41:20 -0800 2009 Mon Apr 27 14:37:46 -0700 2009 79275233 2989783 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 5 0 false Sun Nov 29 02:38:01 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 29 02:38:01 -0800 2009 77913730 2378805 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 4 0 false Sun Nov 15 19:31:45 -0800 2009 Sun Nov 15 19:31:45 -0800 2009 75648907 2786387 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 4 0 false Sun Oct 25 00:26:47 -0700 2009 Sun Oct 25 00:26:47 -0700 2009 75604407 1299290 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 5 0 false Sat Oct 24 13:41:41 -0700 2009 Sat Oct 24 13:41:41 -0700 2009 73832771 618735 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 0 0 false Thu Oct 08 01:53:56 -0700 2009 Thu Oct 08 01:53:56 -0700 2009 70080730 155411 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 0 0 false Fri Sep 04 15:32:00 -0700 2009 Fri Sep 04 15:32:00 -0700 2009 68845725 2656339 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 3 0 false Tue Aug 25 11:55:08 -0700 2009 Tue Aug 25 11:55:08 -0700 2009 63463256 1109068 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 3 0 false Sat Jun 01 00:00:00 -0700 1991 Tue Jul 14 11:49:59 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 14 11:51:07 -0700 2009 63452959 2521968 3077987 044010064X 9780440100645 0 http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-111x148.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/images/nocover-60x80.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3077987.A_Mirror_for_Observers 4.00 1 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 0 0 false Tue Jul 14 10:49:25 -0700 2009 Tue Jul 14 10:49:25 -0700 2009 61566021 2127145 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 0 0 false Mon Jun 29 18:13:13 -0700 2009 Mon Jun 29 18:13:13 -0700 2009 57075764 2296882 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 0 0 false Sat May 23 12:41:05 -0700 2009 Sat May 23 12:41:05 -0700 2009 52822252 1891667 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 0 0 false Wed Apr 15 15:55:04 -0700 2009 Wed Apr 15 15:55:04 -0700 2009 51083366 1426013 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 0 0 false Tue Mar 31 17:10:05 -0700 2009 Tue Mar 31 17:10:05 -0700 2009 50843162 2114521 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 0 0 false Sun Mar 29 15:31:50 -0700 2009 Sun Mar 29 15:31:58 -0700 2009 49794154 2137939 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 3 0 false Thu Mar 19 13:26:51 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 19 13:26:51 -0700 2009 49778513 71393 1697491 1 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515m/1697491.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1187061515s/1697491.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1697491.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.80 20 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 0 0 false Thu Mar 19 10:52:22 -0700 2009 Thu Mar 19 10:52:22 -0700 2009 46231720 2024776 844973 1882968298 9781882968299 0 http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178845572m/844973.jpg http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1178845572s/844973.jpg http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/844973.A_Mirror_for_Observers 3.00 1 It started as a contest of wills, waged between two opposing Martians for the soul of a single human child. Before the end, it threatened all life on both Earth & Mars.

Cover art by Richard Powers.]]> 1954 0 0 false Fri Feb 13 08:18:56 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 13 08:18:56 -0800 2009 8 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=1697491