book data
359 ratings, 4.20 average rating, 30 reviews
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published
December 15th 1999
(first published 1977)
by Tor Science Fiction
binding
Mass Market Paperback, 224 pages
setting
Unknown
isbn
0812572270
(isbn13: 9780812572278)
description
Callahan's Place is the neighborhood tavern to all of time and space, where the regulars are anything but. Pull up a chair, grab a glass of your favor...more
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| The Wonder of Spider Robinson | 2 | 5 | 01/04/2008 06:15PM |
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 420)
Reading the Callahan's books is like sitting down for a cup of (Irish) coffee with old friends to me. Everyone needs a little Callahan's in their life. "Shared pain is lessened; shared joy is increased; thus do we refute entropy."
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Read in July, 2008
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Callahan's Crosstime Saloon offers an entertaining demonstration of folk (ie: the author) coming to terms with the state of the world at the end of the 1960s, as most evidenced by the second story "The Time Traveler". Wikipedia sums up my observations quite well: "Robinson's stance may be described as humanistic and humorous. He has frequently encouraged a positive attitude towards world issues, claiming that a pessimistic world view will ...more
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These short stories, all tied together with a common place/cast, make you feel like maybe human beings aren't such cruel animals after all. Opening the first several Callahan books feels like a refreshing visit with old friends. You know them, and their quirks, and that if they're involved with a situation they will do whatever they can to make it better. These are good people. The in last couple of books the formula gets a little bit stale, but they are still enjoyable.
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Imagine Cheers if it had a bit more a sci-fi bent, weird aliens and science parables as well as all the things that show had to say about the human condition. That's Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, a strange, hilarious and often touching setting for Robinson's short stories. All of his Callahan's books are good, but the first one is the best.
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Read in January, 2000
recommends it for:
everyone
OMG -- there's no better way to understand Spider Robinson than to read this book. Read the entire series, in order, starting with this one. The friends and soon-to-be friends who gather at this saloon are like no others anywhere! Everything written by Spider Robinson is unique and exceptional.
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Read in January, 2003
I love the story of the author for starters- as he wrote his way from nighttime sewer security guard to full time author.
Robinson encapsulates everything I enjoy about good prose from story to story and in the process brings you into a great world where you feel comfortable and look forward to hearing/reading them.
The characters are clever and genuinely made me laugh out loud. However you may feel about science fiction, there are numerous tugs at your heart strings and th...more
Robinson encapsulates everything I enjoy about good prose from story to story and in the process brings you into a great world where you feel comfortable and look forward to hearing/reading them.
The characters are clever and genuinely made me laugh out loud. However you may feel about science fiction, there are numerous tugs at your heart strings and th...more
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Enjoy a well written story? Enjoy a good pun? Then pour yourself a God's Blessing (that's Irish coffee to most of the world) and pull up a chair and read anything in this series of books by Spider Robinson. He creates characters you can laugh at, laugh with, love, care and even cry about. If you're choking on mediocre prose then pick up any of the Callahan books and let Robinson perform the Heinlein Mick Maneuver on you.
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Read in March, 2008
This book was ok, if you like puns. I have to say the hippy-ass 'everyone should love everyone' moral of every story got to be a little much; it would have been better if most every problem didn't require a deus-ex-machina to resolve. It is, in fact, amazing how many stories did require resolution through outside circumstances, and how few actually were resolved by people "just loving one another."
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Read in January, 2002
I received this from a friend after an enthusiastic recommendation. Robinson's stories, however, didn't have a big impact on me. I had trouble caring about the bar or its patrons, and believing that so many pivotal events could take place in a mundane setting. The writing is good, though, and I can see why some people swear by these stories.
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recommends it for:
Brandy, Tim, Lizzie
everyone needs to read the first five 'Callahan' books (and then stop). Must have at least a tolerance for puns, and you might have to slog through the first book, but as a 'trilogy' the first three make a great series, and are quick reads. The two books about Callahan's wife are pretty darn good too.
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Read in October, 2008
A friend referred this to me as a must read classic. I hadn't heard of it before but it's pretty good so far. Great little humanistic stories about a pub and various characters that reside there and others that pass through. All the while teaching each other about what it means to be human.
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recommends it for:
SF fans
Wonderful group of stories about one strange bar where patrons stand up and tell stories. Rest assured these won't be the usual bar stories. Full of humor(the author has a real bent for the pun, something I've always admired but never been good at).
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Read in April, 2007
recommends it for:
Anyone who enjoyed "Cheers" and doesn't mind aliens in their novels
The other day, after a rough day at work, I needed something easy to read that didn't require too much brain power. This book jumped off my shelf and into my hands--perfect! It ended up to be better (slightly deeper) than I expected. Just what I needed!
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Back when everyone I knew was raving about this book, I didn't understand the appeal. So I read it. I still don't understand the appeal. Dated, but not in a way that inspires nostalgia, and formulaic, but not in a way that's fun. Trite.
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Read in June, 2005
I grew and tempered myself by reading this book and his other books in that I moved beyond my conservative 'G' rating and found it was ok to read something funny, intellectual, sci-fi and appreciate another's crass expression.
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Read in January, 2004
This book was awesome. It contains one of the best lines ever. The author was describing a larger curvaceous woman. The description said "She was a large woman, but none of it was extra". This was a great funny sf novel.
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Read in January, 1988
Regulars at Callahan's include a talking dog, several extraterrestrials and time-travelers, a vampire, a couple of Irish mythological beings, and an obscenity-spewing parrot. The stories make heavy use of puns.
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this may be my favorite book of all time. it's a collection of short stories that are best read as a compilation.
callahan's is the kind of bar that cures people/aliens of their need to drink.
callahan's is the kind of bar that cures people/aliens of their need to drink.
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Read in August, 2008
recommended to Gina by:
Saw it in the Library Catalog.recommends it for: SF Fans
Didn’t really know what to expect with this book but I was pleasantly surprised. I found it fun and enjoyable to read and will be looking for other books by Spider Robinson.
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Has a copy to sell/swap
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Read in May, 2007
recommended to Mystique by:
VQrecommends it for: Sci-Fi Lovers who need personality in their lit
This book was my constant companion as I recovered from a ruptured aorta in Italy. I had only 2 books written in English, and this was one. As a consequence, I love it very much. :D
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