Andy's comments (member since Mar 31, 2009)

Andy's comments from the Beyond Reality group.

Kathi,

I think that Cordelia was concerned about the stability of Barrayar, and the life of the man she loves. She realizes that Aral's reputation is unearned and that he is a force for peace within the empire. Destabilizing Barrayar via civil war is bad for everyone including the Betans.

I really enjoyed The Road, I think my favorite would have to be Lucifer's HammerIt is similar to The Road and Earth Abides in that it mostly set immediatly after the "Disaster", but it also spends quite a bit of time in the period leading up to it.

I really liked this book from page 1 on. I really enjoyed the details of daily life and the way hopelessness and hope for the future constantly fought in Ish's mind.

I'd like to nominate the Elric series by Michael Moorcock. Elric of Melniboné is the first book.

Fantasy Nomination
I just purchased up "Steel Remains" by Richard Morgan. I'm really looking forward to reading it! here's a bit about it.


"An epic tale of gods and magic, betrayal and survival ... The Steel Remains will not disappoint. Morgan writes with an immediacy and frankness often hard to come by in fantasy, and his themes have great relevance to today's society. His portrayals of sex and violence are not for the squeamish reader, and his language is down-to-earth, but for those who prefer to have the sugar coating removed , THE STEEL REMAINS is a fantastic example of the modern fantasy genre." WATERSTONE'S BOOKS QUARTERLY "After five science-fiction novels that explored the seamier side of corporate machinations in grittily realised futures, Morgan turns his hand to classic fantasy. What remains constant is his flair for setting, complex political feuding, and strong characters forever on the outskirts of society. Ringil's character and his complex relations with those around him lift this novel far above the average." -- Eric Brown THE GUARDIAN "Morgan has taken traditional sword and sorcery tropes and given them a hard, contemporary kick. The antithesis of the cosy fairytale, this is one for big boys." -- Lisa Tuttle THE TIMES "It compels you to read on with its gritty, visceral writing and intelligent plot. It's tense and fascinatingly people and given that the follow ups will doubtless be tremendous, you're encouraged to jump on from the start. Just, ahem, steel yourself." -- Dave Bradley SFX "Richard Morgan's first foray into fantasy territory is, without a doubt, a grand success. Great characters in a great story are what drives all good books, and you get that here, with acres of bloody space for your imagination to gambol and play in. This is far, far better than any other fantasy you'll pick up this year." -- Guy Haley DEATHRAY.

SF Nomination
I was reorganizing my library last week and I came across a great classic book that I have wanted to nominate before, but never did. I'd like to nominate Triplanetary by E.E. Doc Smith as the July SF selection

Amazon.com Review
This is the first of E. E. "Doc" Smith's six Lensman books, and although it isn't as fast-paced as later Lensman novels, it sets the stage for what is perhaps the greatest space-opera saga ever told. Through a series of vignettes spanning millions of years, readers will learn how the titanic struggle between the good Arisians and the evil Eddorians first came to pass, and about how humanity was chosen (and bred) to assume the awesome power of the lens. A short foreword by science fiction scholar John Clute puts the entire series into perspective.

Hey! Andy here from the Yahoo group. I've been nosing around this site a bit and I think this is going to be a big improvement!