An Image of Voices

The Windhover Tapes #1

by Warren C. Norwood

Journey across the wide reaches of space with a roving diplomat General Manley and his sentient starship Windhover, into danger and adventure in a half-dozen far-flung alien worlds. Wildly imaginative, picaresque, and poignant, An Image of Voices is the first in a spellbinding new series of a man on a pilgrimage in search of himself.

Genres: Science Fiction, Science Fiction Fantasy, Fiction

211 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1982

About the author

Member of Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, author of 13 published novels, including 3 series and various individual books. Taught writing at Weatherford College, Texas. See also: http://www.sf-encyclopedia.com/entry/...

Reviews

[Tac Anderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting approach. Told through journal entries, in some ways this muted the tension of the situations described in the book because you know the antagonist had to survive to write them and it had the effect of removing the reader from the immediacy of the situation, but it added a nuance and intimacy as well. The views in the book are a little dated but also fairly progressive for the genre and time.

[Tom Griffiths · Rating 2 out of 5]

I disliked this style so very much. The story might be good, but it is lost within the author's quest to be different. Give it a whirl if you want but I was sorely disappointed.

[James · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pros: Norwood creates a widely varied universe filled with strange and interesting intelligent species, and explores the complexities of how such unusual beings would interact with and resolve conflict with each other and a large 20th century Earth style government bureaucracy called the Fed.

Cons: Because the novel is written in the form of a journal I felt like I was missing out on the full drama of what should have been really intense moments, and I never really felt personally involved with the story. There is a lot of poetry, as the main character takes it upon himself (for reasons that confuse me) to compose, translate, and research poems wherever he goes and whatever he is doing. I found this uninteresting. Also, I wasn't a fan of the love triangle that develops throughout the book.

Conclusion: I'm happy to have read this book, though I feel like it could have been more.

[Mary · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this many years ago and was never sufficiently pulled in to finish the series and, yet, I still remember this book. I think the mystery of who Gerard was before his memories were wiped makes me keep wondering. But the balance of humor and action never quite gelled for me.

[Kathy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think the diary/journal format was a big turnoff for me. Overall, an interesting idea about a man trying to remember memories that his employer wiped to piece together part of his past. The execution of the story was just not enough to really engage me in Gerard's life.

[Little Timmy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read several of this author's books and enjoyed them alot. This is the first book he wrote and while not as good as some of the later ones it's still a good SiFi read. Norwood does a very goods job of using various alien species and their cultures in his stories. Recommended

[boonduck · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't nail down what's great about this book, but it is.