Arthur C. Clarke's Venus Prime 4

Venus Prime #4

by Paul Preuss, Arthur C. Clarke

Her code name is Sparta. Her beauty veils a mysterious past and abilities of superhuman dimension -- the product of advanced biotechnology.

World-renowned professor J.Q.R. Forster's expedition to Jupiter's moon has not proven uneventful. In a furious blaze of ice-geysers, the moon's surface rips off to reveal an ancient alien world-ship.

But when the world-ship suddenly hurtles through space toward a black hole, Sparta must find out why, and soon, from a mysterious alien from an unknowable culture, little knowing that what is about to unfold will determine the future of Earth. As the alien ship charts its ancient course, the scheming Sir Randolph Mays and Sparta unwittingly head for their final battle through the eons in the midst of an ancient galactic civil war.

This star-spanning adventure brings together the genius of Arthur C. Clarke and the talents of distinguished science-fiction writer Paul Preuss.

Genres: Science Fiction, Fiction, Ebooks, Fantasy, Thriller, Science Fiction Fantasy, Hard Science Fiction

294 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1971

About the author

Paul Preuss is an American writer of science fiction and science articles, who also works as science consultant for film companies. He is the author of numerous stand-alone novels as well as novels in Arthur C. Clarke's Venus Prime series, based upon incidents, characters, and places from Clarke's short stories. (source: wikipedia)

Reviews

[Benjamin Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the fourth novel in the Venus Prime series, a set of books that expand on Arthur C. Clark’s short stories. This one finds our hero Sparta, a beautiful and mysterious woman with advanced abilities due to advanced biotech engineering, recovering from her recent Mars mission in what is supposed to be some R&R time. But it seems the “Free Spirit”, the arch enemies for the series, have infiltrated the Space Board and Sparta must investigate. Tied up in all this intrigue is the first manned mission to Jupiter which Sparta fears has been corrupted by the influence of the Free Spirit cult.

Mixed in with the fun space adventure plot of this book is a pretty detailed hard science look at what a manned mission to the massive atmosphere of Jupiter might look like. Plenty of technobabble is included here that might turn some readers off but I thoroughly enjoyed it.

[Gregoire · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mea Culpa J'ai eu le tort de lire cet épisode avant les autres ce que je déconseille car les différents organismes et protagonistes sont difficiles à comprendre sans avoir lu leur passé bien que l'auteur y fasse allusions

Comme toujours avec Clarke, on touche à une multitude de concepts passionnants sans s'y attarder A la place, on doit résoudre un imbroglio politique et sociétal !!! à qui profite le crime et quelle organisation défend le bien ????

Reste la plongée sur Jupiter, une évocation très visuelle et très bien rendue On s'y croirait ... K SAGAN évoquait, dans Cosmos, la possibilité d'une vie de ce type ce qui fait qu'on y croit (on retrouve le même thème des mantas jupitériennes dans Manta's Gift de T. ZAHN)

Paru dans les années 70, question style et personnages, cela a vieilli mais reste un ouvrage qui cherche à réunir dans un seul univers tous les concepts de SF : élévation, AI, ET, explorations scientifiques, questions philosophiques etc etc C'est un peu fastidieux par moment mais cela mérite tout de même 3 étoiles

[Jack Pramitte · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful trip into the clouds of Jupiter.

[Bill Cooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Other 4 and 5 star reviewers have given copious details of this six part series to which i won’t attempt to add. There are many other wonderfully detailed reviews.

I will say that this amalgamation of Arthur C Clarke’s original individual stories, woven into a much longer 6 volume mystery / Sci-Fi tale by Paul Preuss is exceptionally well executed.

In particular for volume 4, there is a very nice twist, about 3/4 of the way through, that resets the way the last several pages of volume 3 seem to have left the story. I liked it. It had me flipping back through the last pages of each chapter in #4 until I realized it was the very ending of #3 that was “upset”. Totally unexpected and nicely changes where I THOUGHT volume 3 had left me (which wasn’t a comfortable place).

I like this series of 6 books a lot and vaguely remember reading them 20+ years ago. I only remembered that I LIKED the books and the main character (Sparta) a lot, but the story details had faded. Rereading this series and recapturing all of the puzzle piece details is extremely satisfying.

‘Nuff said. I am continuing on to Venus Prime volume 5 after a short meander to a different genre for a one book side-track.

[B. Barceló · Rating 3 out of 5]

Este libro me ha dejado con un sabor agridulce.
A lo largo de toda la historia los personajes principales han sufrido un cambio extremo y sin una explicación racional. En el anterior Blake y Sparta se preocupaban uno por otro e incluso en el principio de este tomo se querían, pero luego nos encontramos con que se separan y ya no quieren saber nada uno del otro. Es más, luego Sparta (una drogadicta que ya no siente nada por nadie) intenta matar al propio Blake.
Toda esta parte del libro es algo caótica. Incluso el motín a bordo de la Garuda está explicado de una manera sumamente extraña. Parece como si el autor hubiera estado lanzando varias ideas sin tener claro cómo unirlas.

A pesar de ello, toda la parte de la expedición a Júpiter es muy interesante, haciéndote leer con ansias para saber qué encontrará Falcon en ese mundo. El final nos invita a leer la siguiente novela pues aún quedan muchos misterios que resolver y puede que con los nuevos personajes y la nueva aventura que se está gestando comprendamos finalmente muchos puntos de esta saga.

[Stephen Simpson · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had been enjoying this series more than I expected (or wanted to), but this one was a sharp left turn straight into the crapper.

Almost all of what made the previous books appealing is missing here. Instead of a good mix of action, sci-fi, and intrigue, punctuated with good dialogue and credible character interactions, this is just a tedious slog. There are a few "bursts" of action, but a lot of rambling narrative interludes and the entire story was just soporific for me. What's worse, the author largely tore down the interesting heroine he'd created in the prior books in the series, not so much humanizing her (as being flawed) as undermining a lot of what made her compelling and interesting.

[Tomasz · Rating 2 out of 5]

So, yeah, I guess this will be a Ludlum-in-space thing until the very end. Sparta is gradually deprived of her augmentations, which might make the plot more interesting (instead of "Supergirl bops baddies" laziness), but in this instalment she also gets shunted to a sideline for a large part of the novel. Strange move, that, as if the author forgot she's the protagonist.
In addition, the worldbuilding creaks. Clarke's stories weren't a homogenous scaffolding, so the decision to hold on to them results in more and more cracks appearing in the construction.

[S D Lawrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The series moved up a gear after book 3. ACC,s A meeting with Medusa, when I read it so many years ago, was the story that and ignited my imagination and began a lifelong enjoyment of science fiction. The descriptions still get to me to this day. This was a good reimagination of that story.

[Jon · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Why do you want to go to Jupiter?"
"As Springer said when he lifted for Pluto, 'because it's there.'"
"Thanks, I'm sure. And now that we've got that out of the way... what's the real reason?"

[toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Keep the stories coming. Book 3 is just as good as number 1. Keep on reading.

[Jan Jaap]

306 p!

[Cheryl]

DDA owns and gives five stars.

[Piotr Poreda · Rating 3 out of 5]

Większość nie powala, niektóre dość sztampowe, albo po prostu nudnawe, ale dla trzech (Droga przez ciemność, Wiatr od słońca ❤️ i tytułowe Spotkanie z meduzą) warto wziąć do ręki.

[Paul Jacob · Rating 5 out of 5]

The novel series cranks up into full throttle as main charachters attempt to put the pieces to the puzzle and save the world from the power driven cult known as The Free Spirits. This book in particular was such an exciting read, and I really loved it.

[Paul Darcy · Rating 3 out of 5]

by Paul Preuss, published in 1990.

This is the fourth in the Arthur C. Clarke’s Venus Prime series based off of (Arthur C. Clarke’s short work entitled “Medusa”), but not written by Arthur C. Clarke at all but rather Paul Preuss.

But don’t let that stop you from reading it, just be aware that the author is Paul Preuss and you will be okay. This is not an easy book to follow though and should only be read after completing the first three in the series - if you don’t you will be even more confused than if you did.

A lot happens in this novel, but it is (at least it was to me) not very satisfying. Sparta or Ellen or Linda (choose your protagonist’s name now as all three seem to be in use in this volume) is a guest of the Space Board as she recovers from her Mars mishap, but the Space Board is corrupt and this, you just know, will lead to events which can not be good.

Long story short - fanatics are going to screw with the mission to Jupiter and Sparta goes undercover, as well as Blake her love interest, to make sure the fanatics are foiled. Sounds straight forward, but it is not. And what is revealed around, and actually in the atmosphere of, Jupiter is nothing short of astounding. The setup just begs for more answers and I’m sure we will get them in volumes 5 and 6.

The story jumps around a bit too which maybe makes it a little harder to follow and there is a jump of two years at one point to get into the heart of the Jupiter adventure. I almost found this one two stories in one with the pre-Jupiter stuff and then the Jupiter stuff.

I don’t want to reveal too much but let me just say Sparta goes off the deep end in deep space and leave it at that. She may be super-human, but the key here is the word human.

Overall I found it a worthwhile short adventure novel and the Jupiter section was really cool. A lot has been set up for the next two novels and I’m off to read number 5 already.

Worth finding at the bookstores or downloading the ebooks if you like mystery science fiction. It is no Asimov or Clarke, but it is pretty entertaining.

The six books in the Venus Prime series all written by Paul Preuss are:

Venus Prime 1: Breaking Strain
Venus Prime 2: Maelstrom
Venus Prime 3: Hide and Seek
Venus Prime 4: The Medusa Encounter
Venus Prime 5: Diamond Moon
Venus Prime 6: The Shining Ones

[Chris Devine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ok, 4th in the Venus Prime series and Ellen / Linda / Sparta is recovering from her emergency operation. Lots of intrigue already as the plot lines for the story start to take shape and more hints at her origins in the series' story arc.

Getting a little irritated though. I am only a couple of chapters in and I have already picked up a spelling mistake and an inconsistency in character descriptions. Some sloppy proofreading and editing which spoils my enjoyment, just a bit.

Whoa! Talk about a change in direction! Books 1 to 3 had a detective novel feel in a sci-fi environment while Ellen / Linda / Sparta tried to find her origins and who killed her parents. Book 4 takes a drunken lurch off the road as she becomes a hopeless junkie out for revenge while life is discovered in the clouds of Jupiter.

Based on Arthur C Clarke's A Meeting with Medusa

[Bryan]

Immenintly human after all: There are surprises galore in this latest in the Venus Prime series, among them revalations about the Commander, changes in Sparta's views on things, and the central surprise which would be rude to reveal.

As Preuss says in his notes after the novel's conclusion, this book is setting up more events in the future, while still being a good read when held alone. I'd read the first three Venus Prime books in one weekend, and then had to wait months for the fourth. Hopefully, the next books in the series will arrive more quickly, but if not, at least I know they will be well-written.

[Patrick Bender · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book seems nothing more than a stepping stone to the resolution of the series. Although there is some good discussion about what makes us human (at what point do we become cyborg, i.e.), mostly it was plodding and less than thrilling. I s disappointed in the main character's inability to manage the stresses of her situations and turn to drugs - not sure how she'll be able to meet future challenges that surely will be more difficult. Two more books in the series, but I'm not sure I'm as excited to read them as I once was.

[Claudio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lo malo de estos libros es que se basan en cuento anteriores de Clarke. Y si los has leído, se nota. Lo bueno es toda la historia de Sparta que se agrega a esas tramas. Y en este caso, me gustó bastante el giro de tuerca a la historia de la heroina, mostrando que no es la semidiosa que habían construido los otros 3 libros. Recomendable.

[Lord Humungus · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nothing memorable about this book (though the original short story was good), except for the cover. Was eventually able to get a print of Jim Burns' awesome artwork. Gave up on the series after this book failed to excite.

[Thomas Fackler · Rating 3 out of 5]

The mystery seems to have been resolved, but there's still one more book.... Finally getting the sense that this is about the pressures of being human and how those gradients push us individually and culturally.

[Scout Who · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn't enjoy it quite as much as the others I've read in the series, but I attribute that to having read the others so many years ago that I'm now unfamiliar with the characters and especially the storyline.

[Roxanne]

I have not read this book because I am trying to find the first in the series, and once I do I will beging reading through the books.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent Clarke scifi read. Stimulating and imaginitive. What happened to dreaming of science and space? Oh yeah, TV.

[Esteban]

nice point of view about cyborgs

interesting piece of psi-fi culture.

didnt read the 3 before so i was somtimes lost in story

7/10

[Grada (BoekenTrol)]

Received as a present for winning a sweepstakes.

[Jeff Rudisel · Rating 4 out of 5]

VENUS PRIME ARTHUR C. CLARKE
TIE-TOGETHER SERIES OF SIX CLARKE STORIES INTO NEW SERIES BY PREUSS.

[John Bravenec · Rating 2 out of 5]

Didn't like as much as previous books in series. Little revelation of characters and the newest character - who seems like he might reappear - doesn't get any development.

[Edwin Downward · Rating 4 out of 5]

An entertaining read written in the spirit of a master of Sci-Fi.

[Happycomfort · Rating 5 out of 5]

awesome series