Dr. Sarah Halifax decoded the first-ever radio transmission received from aliens. Thirty-eight years later, a second message is received and Sarah,...
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Mar 29, 2009
Ceridwen
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So, this book was like going a second date with someone, even though the first date wasn't that great. I mean, he was kind of a tool, but not so much of a tool that it send me scrambling out the bathroom window before the entrees arrived. He clearly flosses, but it's hard to say whether that's a good thing or not. Not that I kissed him, because he might yet reveal he's super into Ayn Rand or just took a seminar on Pyramid Power.
Anyway, here we are on the second date, and it turns ou More...
Anyway, here we are on the second date, and it turns ou More...
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Sep 24, 2008
Sandi
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About halfway through "Rollback" by Robert J. Sawyer, I had a scathing review all ready to go. I hated the first half. There were way too many brand names used. There were way too many Star Trek references. There was this horribly long exposition about the movie "Contact" starring Jodie Foster. The couple around whom the story centers were born a year before me and I had a hard time relating to their thought processes. If I were reminiscing about a pizza dinner from 40
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Apr 08, 2008
Roger
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This book is up for the Best Novel Hugo this year and it deserves it, although I'll reserve final judgment on that until I've read the other four in the category. It is a STRONG contender, though.
The year is 2048. Sarah Halifax, a SETI researcher, who cracked the first alien transmission to earth in 2009 and who helped craft the reply, is 87 and living in quiet retirement. On her 60th wedding anniversary, the aliens have responded with an encrypted message. A wealthy industrialist, c More...
The year is 2048. Sarah Halifax, a SETI researcher, who cracked the first alien transmission to earth in 2009 and who helped craft the reply, is 87 and living in quiet retirement. On her 60th wedding anniversary, the aliens have responded with an encrypted message. A wealthy industrialist, c More...
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Mar 14, 2008
The other John
rated it: 
An interesting tale about an 87-year-old man who receives the "gift" of rejuvenation. The biggest problem was that it really wasn't intended for him. The year is 2048. Thirty-eight years earlier, Earth had received the first ever radio transmission from another world. Many folks puzzled over the message, trying to figure it out, but it was Dr. Sarah Halifax who made the breakthrough and allowed Earth to understand the message and respond. Now the second message has arrived and the main
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Mar 09, 2008
Heather
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this is an extremely character-driven book, to the degree that i wished for a little less dialogue. and certainly less posturing or lecturing, because boy is this book full of discussions where people preach the merits of this position or that. the fact that i shared some of his characters' beliefs? maybe that made it worse, i don't know. but it seemed heavy-handed.
there are some cool ideas, but the particular way he blended pop culture references in was somehow annoying rather than More...
there are some cool ideas, but the particular way he blended pop culture references in was somehow annoying rather than More...
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Jul 16, 2008
Kim
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This book was a fun, easy read. Nominally sci-fi, it reads more like mainstream fiction. True, there are aliens, but they are 18.8 light years away. This book is about ethics. SETI finally recieved a radio message from the stars in 2009. Sarah was integral to decoding that message then, at age 49, and sending Earth's reply. Now in 2047, we've finally received a reply that nobody can figure out. Sarah, unfortunately, is in her late 80's now and knocking on death's door. But a super-rich S
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Jul 21, 2008
Jason
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(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted here illegally.)
Regular readers know that July has been somewhat of a special month for me, in that I was accidentally able to get ahold of eight out of the twelve science-fiction novels nominated this year for either the Hugo or Philip K Dick award, and have been reviewing all of them here throughout the More...
Regular readers know that July has been somewhat of a special month for me, in that I was accidentally able to get ahold of eight out of the twelve science-fiction novels nominated this year for either the Hugo or Philip K Dick award, and have been reviewing all of them here throughout the More...
Jul 02, 2008
John
rated it:
This book has a fascinating premise: An astronomer decodes a message from an alien race who live on a planet 18 light years away. She sends a reply and 36 years in the future another message is received. However, she is now in her 80s. A rich supporter of scientific efforts to contact alien species offers to fund a "rollback": give the astronomer her youth again so she can continue to communicate with the alien species (at one point, someone says she is their penpal). She will only hav
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Jun 07, 2008
Capitu
rated it: 
Someone in my bookclub suggested this book, and as far as books for bookclubs, this one should generate very interesting discussions when we do meet. To be fair to Robert J. Sawyer, it already has created an array of discussions around the kitchen table with my husband and kids. But, in many ways I feel it was not executed with the mastery it deserved. The author utilizes dialogue as a form of explaining ideas to no end, making the reading a bit tiring. The ending is too nice and the charac
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Dec 17, 2009
Jack
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A sweet little confection. The book is all set up to work through the philosophical implications of a radical life-extending medical treatment so expensive that only a handful of people on earth can afford it. Thrown into the mix are marital infidelity, the death of a longtime partner, and an alien radio transmission that amounts to a survey on species ethics.
This is a fun read, though the treatment of these topics turns out to be a bit shallow. Sawyer has lots of good and interestin More...
This is a fun read, though the treatment of these topics turns out to be a bit shallow. Sawyer has lots of good and interestin More...
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Nov 20, 2011
Lori L
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Robert J. Sawyer expertly explores ethical dilemmas and alien contact in his intelligent, highly readable novel Rollback. It is 2048. Astronomer Sarah Halifax, who had been one of the leading astronomers at SETI and the one person who translated the first message from the Draconians in 2009, is now 87. When the Draconians send an encrypted reply, wealthy industrialist Cody McGavin offers Sarah a rollback - a rejuvenation procedure that will result in her being like a 25 year old physically - so
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Jun 28, 2011
Don
rated it:
From my Newsletter #15
http://home.comcast.net/~viecelli/newsle...
The first two novels are called “Rollback” and “Flashforward” by Robert J. Sawyer. The author lives in Ontario, Canada and has won just about every science fiction award there is. “Rollback” deals with the first-ever radio transmission received from aliens thirty-eight years ago. Then a second transmission is received and the woman who decoded the first transmission, who is now eighty-seven years old, is asked to More...
http://home.comcast.net/~viecelli/newsle...
The first two novels are called “Rollback” and “Flashforward” by Robert J. Sawyer. The author lives in Ontario, Canada and has won just about every science fiction award there is. “Rollback” deals with the first-ever radio transmission received from aliens thirty-eight years ago. Then a second transmission is received and the woman who decoded the first transmission, who is now eighty-seven years old, is asked to More...
Apr 01, 2011
Julka
rated it:
Tak naprawdę to science-fiction to tutaj jest jak na lekarstwo. Większość to powieść obyczajowa. Ludzkość doszła do etapu, kiedy starość nie musi być zmierzchem życia. Dzięki nowoczesnej technologii (i znacznej gotówce) można "odmłodzić" ludzki organizm. Taki proces przechodzi starsze małżeństwo. Pani Sarah jest naukowcem, który brał czynny udział w przekazaniu pierwszego radiowego komunikatu do potencjalnych istot pozaziemskich. Teraz przychodzi odpowiedź i to Sarah musi na nią odpowi
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Oct 28, 2010
Silver Thistle
rated it:
I really do like Mr Sawyer's books, but the 'formula' is getting tiresome. It's not a plot formula that leaves me weary - it's the pacing.
I always think the premise sounds great. Always. I can't wait to start and the first part is great and fairly rips along, forcing me to spin through the pages. Then around the middle it all drops a gear and starts flagging as it reaches towards the conclusion. However, I plow on to the ending and it starts to pick up again, but only briefly because More...
I always think the premise sounds great. Always. I can't wait to start and the first part is great and fairly rips along, forcing me to spin through the pages. Then around the middle it all drops a gear and starts flagging as it reaches towards the conclusion. However, I plow on to the ending and it starts to pick up again, but only briefly because More...
Mar 10, 2010
April
rated it:
CBC radio's Between the Covers has produced Robert J Sawyer's Rollback as 25 short podcasts, approximatley 15 minutes long. Audiobook is a good format for this book as it allows you to background the story when it is a little less compelling. As many others have noted here, Rollback raises alot of interesting ethical questions within the structure of dialogue. Altogether, this is a charming read for scifi geeks, like myself. I enjoyed The Star Trek, Lost in Space and other scifi references, alon
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Nov 11, 2009
Noah
rated it:
As is always the case with Robert J. Sawyer, this was a quick read. Sucked me in from the first page, and thankfully kept me occupied through several hours of waiting rooms at doctor's offices. Sawyer seems to really love aliens that are really, really far away and coming up with indirect methods for them to communicate with them.
In some ways, this book reminded me a little too much of Factoring Humanity, though ultimately Rollback was a much better novel. It did feel a touch redu More...
In some ways, this book reminded me a little too much of Factoring Humanity, though ultimately Rollback was a much better novel. It did feel a touch redu More...
Feb 06, 2010
David
rated it:
In the last few months I commented on a few books that I felt the length and depth of character detail was too much for the book. I did not feel that way about Rollback. There's a lot of character material, but it's both integral to the story and nicely interwoven with the other threads of the novel.
It focuses on a married couple, Sarah and Don. Sarah is the SETI scientist who figured out the 2009 radio message received from a star system 19 light years away. It's now 2048 and th More...
It focuses on a married couple, Sarah and Don. Sarah is the SETI scientist who figured out the 2009 radio message received from a star system 19 light years away. It's now 2048 and th More...
Dec 09, 2009
Sisimka
rated it:
This was a weirdly constructed book. Sawyer came up with the brilliant idea of offering the 'rollback' proceedure to a long time married couple (60 year wedding anniversary) Sarah and Don Halifax. But it only takes for Don. He has to deal with not only becoming young again, in a society that has progressed past him - not unlike a life prisoner being released and finding he no longer knows the world - but with the widening gulf between himself and the love of his life. Sarah probably won't see
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May 20, 2010
Jamie
rated it:
First, what I liked:
The book had an interesting premise: it's about both first contact and aging (or the lack thereof - almost like time travel). Some of the concepts the explored about extra-terrestials were quite novel, blowing away some of the widely-held beliefs that were put in place by the likes of Carl Sagan.
However... there was a lot that I didn't care for in the book.
The first was the author's idea of what things might be like 30-40 years from now. I'm More...
The book had an interesting premise: it's about both first contact and aging (or the lack thereof - almost like time travel). Some of the concepts the explored about extra-terrestials were quite novel, blowing away some of the widely-held beliefs that were put in place by the likes of Carl Sagan.
However... there was a lot that I didn't care for in the book.
The first was the author's idea of what things might be like 30-40 years from now. I'm More...
Jan 03, 2010
Laurie
rated it:
I really enjoyed this book. I go through phases where I cannot stand to read anything but science fiction. Part of the reason for that is that science fiction is so often optimistic and the endings (if there is one!) are happy.
Having said that, reading Rollback was a treat. The book is a bit sexist, but with science fiction writing you frequently have to put up with that I fear. At least the women are often super smart so I appreciate that at least.
Some other reviewers c More...
Having said that, reading Rollback was a treat. The book is a bit sexist, but with science fiction writing you frequently have to put up with that I fear. At least the women are often super smart so I appreciate that at least.
Some other reviewers c More...
Dec 06, 2010
dtjunkie
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers.
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Oct 09, 2009
Amber
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I was intrigued enough by the premise on the back of this book to buy it, but sadly it wasn't worth the money. It takes way too long for all the events described on the back of the book to actually happen and it's boring to wait for them to happen since you already know from the back of the book that they will happen. The book is set in 2048, was published in 2007, and yet the pop culture references within (Seinfeld, the movie Contact) already feel dated.
Once the "Rollback" More...
Once the "Rollback" More...
Jan 29, 2012
Betsy
rated it:
http://betsyda.com/randomdewey/2012/01/23/vuelta-atras/
Vuelta Atras, by Robert J. Sawyer. Translated into Spanish by Rafael Marin Trechera. Original title: Rollback.
In 2010, Dr. Sarah Halifax had been the first to decipher the alien signal from Sigma Draconis. Thanks to her work, a reply was sent by Earth but, because of the great distance involved, a second signal wasn’t expected from Sigma Draconis for almost forty years.
Now it’s 2048 and the second signal h More...
Vuelta Atras, by Robert J. Sawyer. Translated into Spanish by Rafael Marin Trechera. Original title: Rollback.
In 2010, Dr. Sarah Halifax had been the first to decipher the alien signal from Sigma Draconis. Thanks to her work, a reply was sent by Earth but, because of the great distance involved, a second signal wasn’t expected from Sigma Draconis for almost forty years.
Now it’s 2048 and the second signal h More...
Dec 02, 2011
Jean
rated it:
I don't usually read sci fi, but this one could make me a fan of the genre. It is a sweet, kind, and gentle sort of a book that probes deep philosophical questions. While almost a romance in parts, it is also quite cerebral and heady in others.
Basically, a scientist (Canadian!) in her thirties or forties decodes a message sent from an alien planet. By the time they have sent their reply and the answer has come back through the 18.8 lightyears that are between the two planets, she is in More...
Basically, a scientist (Canadian!) in her thirties or forties decodes a message sent from an alien planet. By the time they have sent their reply and the answer has come back through the 18.8 lightyears that are between the two planets, she is in More...
Aug 16, 2009
Geoffrey
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Jun 21, 2008
Diana
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When Dr. Sarah Halifax, working with SETI, figured out the first message received from an alien culture she was a fairly young woman. When the next message arrived 38 years laster she and her husband, retired tv
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Jan 03, 2011
Diane
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I'm becoming a fast fan of Robert J Sawyer and this book has certainly cemented the relationship. Amongst many other things, it explores the relationship between a couple married for 60 years and the stress on their relationship when the husband (Don Halifax) has his age physically rolled-back to age 25 (or thereabouts). Sarah Halifax (the wife) remains 87 years old after her rollback is unsuccessful.
Sawyer raises many angles to this complex issue. Such as how would Don's 50 year old c More...
Sawyer raises many angles to this complex issue. Such as how would Don's 50 year old c More...
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Sep 29, 2010
Max
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I really enjoyed this book - I read Flashforward recently and liked Sawyer's style of near-future sci-fi and this was no let-down. A story based around the SETI project and contact from alien life-forms, this novel could easily have ploughed on into the realms of the unbelievable, however Sawyer does a great job of animating the characters and bringing the fantastical to every-day life.
Don and Sarah are likeable characters and there is some hard-to-read ethical dilemmas presented when, afte More...
Don and Sarah are likeable characters and there is some hard-to-read ethical dilemmas presented when, afte More...
Aug 16, 2011
Steven
rated it:
This was a very enjoyable novel. The story is basically a character study of an old man suddenly blessed with youth while his wife of sixty years is still left an old woman. Interwoven with this is the story of messages from another star, and the impact that message has.
I was very very drawn to the protagonist, in particular, because I identify with him strongly. I'm a young widower; I have myself been young and energetic while I watched my wife wither and die, so the parallels are qui More...
I was very very drawn to the protagonist, in particular, because I identify with him strongly. I'm a young widower; I have myself been young and energetic while I watched my wife wither and die, so the parallels are qui More...
Dec 27, 2010
Kelly
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