Book Description
Stockbroker Dan Gelder, age sixty, has a posh Fifth Avenue address, is two years a widower, and remains faithful to his deceased wife. Numbed by grief, he is annoyed by the attentions of the women introduced to him by friends. Then he meets Violet Finkel, Susan Klein, Myra Cox, and Tatiana Andrevsky. Violet tempts him with limitless luxury and profound affection, which he discovers on a journey with her to Jerusalem. But plumpish, pretty Susan offers him cookies in her kitchen. Myra, an activist dedicated to the cause — and jewelry — of Native Americans, tests the strength of his lower back. Exotic Tatiana weds beauty to mystery, and grace to pride, as she strives to overcome a Russian immigrant’s poverty for herself and her young son. Meanwhile, Dan’s son, Eric, is facing bankruptcy, which Dan can handle more readily than Eric’s marriage proposal to the gorgeous shiksa Carol Hoffman. Forced to examine this unexpected crisis in terms of his own faith and his Jewish heritage, Dan finds that more than his libido has been renewed.
This comic, yet wise, delightful novel views the follies and fallibilities of romance at a certain age — serving up love deliciously, with noodles.
Customer Reviews:
Downright painful.......2007-06-27
As they say in Yiddish: Oye Vey. This book is painful.
I was so hopeful too: Great concept (romance in the 60+ crowd), interesting setting (NYC upper society). But the only thing that held it together was one cliche after another!
I don't understand how this book got through the entire New York agent/publishing scene (not to mention, apparently, an extended network of family and friends who critiqued it for him) -- and the writer still couldn't come up with even one original analogy or description in the entire manuscript!
Really. The writing is that bad. And that's not even mentioning the wooden characters, the stiff dialogue, the forced plotline. It was so bad, I left it on the plane when I landed!
funny and poignant.......2007-03-23
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and found it funny and perceptive. The author (a first time author at 65, no less) drew characters with real personality, and I was touched by the depth of feeling that Dan, the protagonist, continued to feel for his late wife, as well as for the loss he felt when his only son announced his plans to marry out of the faith. Though a couple of the characters' voices were a bit unrealistic, it didn't detract from the enjoyment I had watching Dan figure out how to live out the last decades of his life, and which woman to choose as his companion. I would certainly read another book of his. -- Judy Gruen, author, "The Women's Daily Irony Supplement," [...]
Love with Noodles:An Amorous Widower's Tale.......2007-01-09
This book was delightful. You don't often read about men who lose their
mates..it's usually about women who lose their husbands. Enjoyed this book
enough to send it to a friend in Dallas.
Disappointing Ending.......2006-05-01
I enjoyed Harry Freund's "Love with Noodles" for about 90% of the book. It was interesting to read about a widower dealing with getting on with his life. It has some very funny moments.
However, in the end he chose a new woman that he had nothing in common with, her only asset was that she was very beautiful. It so played into what a man thinks is important. Violet, another character in the book, was so much more interesting, as religious as he - or more, his age, his circle of friends, financially stable and HAD PERSONALITY. He would have never been bored with Violet. Mr. Freund didn't tell us any attributes of Tatiana, other than she was beautiful. She was poor, had a young son. They had nothing in common and the author didn't give us one interesting conversation between the two of them. Only that she was beautiful. Dan (mid 60's) readily admits that he will have to work the rest of his life and could not retire if he chose Tatiana.
So why did he chose her? I kept hoping he would come to his senses. But he didn't. He chose beauty over everything else. He thought hard about it, but in the end went for the younger, beautiful woman and left Violet to fend for herself.
It made me sad. Violet and Dan would have been together forever; Tatiana and Dan will last 10 years max.
Too bad - this could have ended better.
If You Like This Kind of Thing..........2005-12-28
What a disappointment. The idea is good, the characters presentable, but the writing- I would say it's on a high school level but that would be insulting intelligent high schoolers. This said, if you want to read middle-aged chick lit that's told from the male's point of view, this one's for you.
Book Description
Byron Stratford, Duke of Raeburn, walks in shadow. Spoken of only in whispers, he lives alone in his crumbling manor, a cold, enigmatic recluse who does not abide visitors, lest they discover his secret shame.This is the man Lady Victoria Wakefield must confront to save her family. Little does she suspect that she will emerge from her journey as his shining sun-or that their passion will be the only defense against the true darkness threatening to destroy them both.
Customer Reviews:
Debut Novel? What a Beginning! .......2006-02-15
Lydia Joyce's THE VEIL OF NIGHT is a story marked with emotion, personal conflict, and mystery. And for good measure, the author throws in intelligence, maturity, and wit. Now that's not a bad combination for a debut novel.
Lady Victoria Wakefield hides beneath a protective shield. She lives her life behind ugly clothes and a cold smile. She sits on the sidelines and watches the world move around her. Victoria Wakefield is a cool, collected spinster. Perhaps, her life is dull and unexciting, but it will never disappoint her!
Disappointments and rejection are exactly what Byron Stratford, the Duke of Raeburn, expects from life. Personal letdowns make his existence miserable. Strange and mysterious rumors surround Raeburn. He purposely adds to the furor. Eccentric hours, exaggerated clothing, libertine parties, and a succession of mistresses have kept the stories current and circulating. It is evident the strange, unapproachable Duke of Raeburn fiendishly revels behind the scandalous hoopla.
Lydia Joyce takes Byron Stratford and Victoria Wakefield and convinces her reader they are indeed soul mates! THE VEIL OF NIGHT is their out-of-the-ordinary courtship. It is a melodramatic offering, yet it is neither exaggeratedly emotional nor sickeningly sentimental. It is dark and compelling, perhaps a little too psychological, perhaps a little too gothic. It is definitely not a feel good romance, yet it is riveting!
Grade: B+
MaryGrace Meloche.
Gorgeous debut novel! Adult lovers, by an author in love with language........2005-11-01
An enviable beginning. I see some less than favorable reviews here, and while loving or loathing a writer's style is no more an exact science than any other relationship, I disagree adamantly with the notion that touching a nose instead of a breast isn't erotic. In the right hands, tying shoelaces can be erotic. The fact that the love scenes veer away from a well-worn path is one of my favorite things about this book. Not to worry; her breasts aren't neglected. He just takes his time getting there, by the scenic route.
The set-up seems typical at first: a woman is blackmailed into having a sexual affair by a man seeking revenge against her brother. Of course they'll fall in love, after fighting to quell their growing vulnerability to each other. The suspense is in how they find their way from sex to love. Secrets are revealed, emotional barriers are breached, and layers of character are peeled away in a long, slow, emotional strip-tease.
Victoria is a beautifully complicated version of a staple romance character: a wanton in old maid's clothing, hiding her true nature to protect her heart. She plays along with the role of indignant blackmail victim, but it's not as if she'd be left destitute if she refused Byron's shocking proposal. She enters into the bargain willingly, sacrificing pride for for the chance to explore her sexuality after years of self-imposed repression.
Byron is more true to type: the wounded male whose casual cruelty is thin armor against the pain of rejection. His secret doesn't take an Einstein to figure out, either. But if he's not the most original hero on the bookshelf, he makes up for it in bed. He's also a worthwhile verbal sparring partner for Victoria, who is a mistress of the sly rejoinder.
"Veil of Night" is like bittersweet chocolate. Delicious, dark, and rich enough to savor a chapter at a time. In a Hershey Bar world, this author is a welcome change. Not for everyone, perhaps. But how much fun would that be?
SPOILER Territory Ahead. Proceed With Caution...
Wow. I can't say for certain, but I suspect that the final paragraphs make romance-novel history. I'm being careful not to give anything away here, so forgive me if I make it sound like there's a huge shock at the end. That isn't the case. It's simply true-to-life. A serving of reality on the banquet table of happily-ever-after.
I'm always grateful when an author trusts her readers that way.
P.S. Speaking of banquets, watch for the "peach crumble" scene. Byron can serve dessert at my house anytime.
The honest truth - a review .......2005-07-13
I don't want to be too hard on anyone's debut novel -- after all, we all gotta start somewhere, and writing well is one tough job. That being said, this debut novel shows some promise, but doesn't deliver in terms of having a consistently interesting plot and characters acting from believeable motivations.
Some of the writing is simply laughable; just so over-done. Really, the author's editor was lying down on the job. For instance, there's a line in the first couple of chapters that particularly sticks in my head -- the hero & heroine are eating dinner and he reaches over and "touched her nose with delicate inquisitiveness". I just about gave up on the book right there. Not to mention the physical impossibility of reaching over a Victorian dining table and being able to touch anyone delicately...the whole line just made me laugh out loud. Her NOSE? I could maybe see a man touching a woman's BREAST with "delicate inquisitiveness", but...well, maybe I shouldn't go there!!
Spoiler: The author does show imagination in making the hero genuinely afflicted by an incurable disease that makes it impossible for him to experience sunlight. But that's the only original thing about the man. I've met this tall, dark, unhappy, brawny-shouldered, lean-waisted, sensual man in other romance novels, many, many times; aside from his illness, there's nothing FRESH about him. I did appreciate that both the hero & heroine are in their early thirties -- it's nice, for once, to read about mature people working out their romantic relationship, instead of the usual 18 year old virgin & 30 year old rakehell.
But I just didn't feel that interested in Victoria or Byron; didn't really get pulled into their story. I didn't feel that Victoria's past, once revealed, was especially compelling, or that her character was anything above & beyond the typical romance novel heroine, aside from not being a virgin. She didn't have a love affair, as such; she had an itch that she scratched, but then her fiance died. And she wasn't all that upset by that loss, or by the loss of the child that could have come from that union. Because SHE didn't seem to care, I didn't care either. I could feel the author TRYING to make me care, but the trying didn't succeed. Byron, to give the author some credit, was a more interesting character, but that was because of his illness, not because he personally was anything different than the usual romance-novel hero.
And who ever thought of ending a romance novel with the heroine's telling the hero she has her period? (And he still suggests they make love...EWWW.) Sure, they end up together, but...EWWW. NOT exactly a HAPPY ending, in my opinion.
There was also the most annoying element in this novel: the servants of the hero (who lives on an estate in Yorkshire) use the word "thoo" for "you". This pronunciation may be a part of Yorkshire speech patterns but it was mighty annoying in print. "Thoo must..." "Thoo are..."
As for the sensual scenes -- well, to each his own, but they didn't do anything for me. The peach crumble scene, which seems to have been a big hit with some readers, seemed clumsily written, not sensual at all. Again, I could feel the author was TRYING so very hard, but she just didn't have the writing ability to CREATE sensuality; a necessity in a good romance novel.
2 stars for some different elements: the imaginative twist of giving the hero an incurable disease, and making the hero & heroine over thirty, but frankly, I was skimming through the book & frankly bored before the end. Better luck with the author's sophmore effort?
captivating beginning, but middle to end was a big let-down.......2005-07-12
this book started strong with some wonderfully descriptive first few chapters, but soon the captivating, almost gothic setting wasn't enough to sustain the story. Victoria's a surprisingly un-likeable, stiff, churlish and nasty-for-the-sake-of-it protagonist who never really warmed up or had any true introspection. She calls Byron out every second for all of his insecurities and faults, but remains tediously blind to her own right to the very end (and the most ironic part of that is that she is the one who needs the personality overhaul, not Byron--who at least had manners and a shred of self-esteem.) by the middle of the book, i was doubting these two had a prayer, and as it went on, i just didn't feel any of the overwhelming sensuality between them the author kept trying to sell me on. i'd pass on this one.
For those of you who Love Phantom of the Opera.........2005-06-10
Here is a book with the mood..the sensuality..the passion and a most satisfying ending! Ms. Joyce is amazing!! I cannot wait for her next novel!
Average customer rating:
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The Veil of Night
Lydia Joyce
Manufacturer: Signet
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GTBUOU |
Customer Reviews:
Islamic World in the Dark Ages Setting.......2002-11-29
Probably the best book for the Dark Ages setting thus far, this Year of the Scarab release focuses on the Islamic world in the context of Dark Ages: Vampire. After opening up with a short fiction of a vampire's meeting with Mohammad, and another short fiction focusing on a the lengths that ashipu (Middle Eastern vampire magicians) must go to, we get to an excellent introduction. The introduction explains what the book is an isn't, as well as giving us a lot of useful books, magazines and websites to visit concerning the real history of the Islamic world. Remember that while the west was in the "dark ages", the Islamic world was experiencing a golden age of science and learning. There is also a lexicon of Arabic and Islamic terms that are used in the book, and more specifically the context they hold in the game.
The first chapter covers the history of Islam, giving a biography of the Prophet Mohammad, as well as a historical account of the spread of Islam across the Middle East and North Africa. The second chapter continues by giving a look at Islamic beliefs and practices, both from mortal and vampiric perspectives. The most interesting part here is a description of the Ashirra sect, a brotherhood of Islamic vampires who seek to redeem themselves. Very good for Storytellers and players alike, as this section is almost essential for understanding how and why the Ashirra work.
The next section is a bit of IC stuff, written by an Assamite vizier as he travels from al-Andalus across north Africa to Arabia and the Holy Land, and from there to Baghdad, Persia and finally disappearing in the east, killed by some unknown force. Think something like the vampiric equivalent to ibn Batutta. At the end are a bunch of profiles of NPCs he met along the way. Almost all of the NPCs are interesting and unique, and can easily be placed in a chronicle. The next chapter covers the various clans (all called by their Arabic names) in the Middle East, and things are quite different. As would be expected, the Assamites and Setites are dominant, but the Brujah, Nosferatu, Gangrel, Ravnos and Lasombra are also quite influencial. Indeed, all western clans (save the Tzimisce and Tremere; the Ventrue are also rare being represented only by a small Arabian bloodline) are represented to some degree, along with three bloodlines: the Salubri, Baali and Laibon.
Some of the alternate takes on the various clans are quite interesting. For instance, the conflict between the animalistic hunters and monsters of clan Nosferatu (called Mutasharid) and the peaceful Nosferatu who have adopted Islam (known as the Hajj). Indeed, the Hajj are one of the leading groups in the Ashirra. Or the Lasombra, many of whom are devout Muslims and who are treated with respect and honor. All in all, its a pretty cool section. In the end, it also gives some descriptions of Paths followed by the Ashirr and how they differ from western paths. For instance, Path of the Bedouin becomes Tariq el-Bedouin, and is focused more on living a simple, nomadic lifestyle than becoming an animal. Special attention is paid to the Path of Blood (Tariq el-Haqim) given the prominence of the Assamites in these regions.
Following this is the juicy chapter, chock full of everything you need to know to run a Cainite in the region. Aside from information on the different cultures and groups (such as Berbers, Moors, Kurds and so forth) and Arabic naming conventions, there are also some sample concepts and such. Some new Merits and Flaws, specific to the setting are given, along with new Traits and even a new Animalism power (used many by vampires to create animal ghouls out of animals that drink from isolated desert oasis). There is a great deal of information on Sihr, faith based blood magic used by the Hajj. A couple paths and rituals and not much else. Given that its specific to the Hajj and maybe a few Assamite sorcerers, I guess not too much detail is needed. And theres also some systems for situations Ashirra are likely to get into as well.
And then there is the next chapter, Damascus by Night, which gives an entire ready-to-run plot focusing on the secret corrutpion in the city of Damascus. The chapter gives a pretty nice amount of information about the city of Damascus, as well as the Ashirra in the city and how many of them have been subverted by the Baali. Character profiles of major characters are also given, so everything is already set up for you to run it. This ties in nicely with the closing chapter, which focuses on various supernatural threats that Ashirra are likely to face in the night. Information on mortal dangers (like crusaders and the Knights Templar and Islamic monster hunters) is presented, alongside bits about jackal-blooded Lupines (and other shapeshifters), wizards (primarily Ahl-i-Batin and Taftani, but also Knights Templar, Hebrew qabbalists and tribal shaman), ghosts, mummies, djinn and even mysterious eastern "Kindred" from the White Tiger Court...
Over all, this is an excellent book. I strongly recommend it to anyone intending to run a Dark Ages game, or even a game set in the Mid-East in general. The Ashirra sect supposedly survives to the modern era, though little information is given on it outside brief references in a couple other books. More information on the future of the Ashirra sect would have been appreciated. Nonetheless, this is an excellent book and well worth buying.
Good read........2001-04-20
This is a great historical geopolitical look at the Middle East of the Dark Ages for Vampire. White Wolf does a good job of showing us the Kindred of the Middle East who have been influneced by living in the geographic center of 3 major world religions. The impact of the faiths is obvious in all of the clans. White Wold has taken pains to accurately reflect the culture of the times and superimpose it onto the likely reactions of supernaturals. If you play Vampire: Dark Ages and wish to have a religious themed game or an exotic setting then this is the book for you.
Average customer rating:
- Cherryh's best?
- Schemes, Manipulations, Enemies, Friends, and Family
- Title Does Not Stand For `Cybernetic Teenager', Or Does...
- An amazing first experience with this writer
- Got halfway through, didn't bother to finish it.
|
Cyteen
C.J. Cherryh
Manufacturer: Aspect
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Cherryh, C.J.
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ASIN: 0446671274 |
Amazon.com
Genetic manipulation, murder, intrigue and politics are just part of the story of a young scientist in this substantial book. C. J. Cherryh, who won the 1989 Hugo Award for this novel, following on her Hugo Award-winning Downbelow Station, offers another ambitious work. A geneticist is murdered by an adviser, but the scientist is replicated in the lab, leaving a prodigy who attempts to chart a different fate. The book is intense and complex yet always presented with the flow of true storytelling.
Book Description
Genetic manipulation, murder, intrigue and politics are just part of the story of a young scientist in this substantial book. C. J. Cherryh, who won the 1989 Hugo Award for this novel, following on her Hugo Award-winning Downbelow Station, offers another ambitious work.A geneticist is murdered by an adviser, but the scientist is replicated in the lab, leaving a prodigy who attempts to chart a different fate. The book is intense and complex yet always presented with the flow of true storytelling.
Customer Reviews:
Cherryh's best?.......2007-06-21
Understanding the experience of consciousness is increasingly starting to be recognized as something that today's science somehow both needs to address - yet doesn't know how or where to start. Before consciousness, however, there is the basic construction of the psyche. That's probably the core theme of this admittedly many-themed book.
By analogy with the idea of Philosopher-Kings in ancient times, Ariane Emory (the central character) is a kind of Scientist-Genius-Queen - despite operating in a complicated multi-star-system, and many-factioned, democracy. She is the head of the major scientific-industrial complex (Reseune) that produces azi - human beings who are both genetically and psychologically programmed for specific societal roles, in contrast to 'born men', who's genetic makeup is relatively random, and who learn from the 'flux' of everyday experience. Largely as a result, she is almost guaranteed to be the head of the Science faction, and hence a crucial member of the Council of Worlds.
She is also a (literally certified) genius in her own right, but her primary interests have developed from psychogenesis (the creation of minds that is the central technology of Reseune) to sociogenesis (the creation and maintenance of societies). In particular, her concern over the increasing rate of expansion to ever-further-out star systems - and the resultant possibility for irreparable cultural and psychological fragmentation within 'humanity' - has pushed her into a series of long-term experiments that she knows she won't live long enough to finish (despite being on a longevity technology known as 'rejuv'). As a result, she initiates a program to clone herself, with the hope and expectation that her clone will be able to complete these programs.
Previous experiments with cloning geniuses have resulted in spectacular failures. It's not sufficient to clone the geneset, it is also necessary to re-create enough of the specific 'psychset' - the general environment, specific people and their influences, and especially significant events.
Such is the background for the events against which Cyteen unfolds, although we only become aware of it as the story develops. However, before everything is ready, Ariane is murdered in one of the Reseune labs. It has to be by an insider, and fortunately there is a readily available patsy, Jordan Warwick, another of the certified geniuses, who Ariane has previously manipulated into producing a genetic (although not a psychological) clone - Justin.
Jordan maintains his innocence, but is nevertheless exiled to a lab on another continent of Cyteen. As a 'Special' (which is what they call the certified geniuses) he has an extreme analogy of diplomatic immunity, which means that the regular laws don't apply to him. But he has maintained contacts with dissident political groups, some of which have extremist factions that engage in terrorist acts - so he is deemed an extreme security risk.
The other primary character (although there are many other important and interesting secondary characters) is Grant - Justin's childhood companion (and adult lover). Grant is an 'alpha-class' azi. The alpha-class azis are the most 'functional' of the azi classes. They come as close to 'born-men' as azis can get, but they are still primarily the result of elaborate psychological programming.
As it happens, both Justin and Grant are psychset designers. The fact that Grant is also azi gives him particular insight into certain kinds of problems in psychset design. In addition, he also has access to his own psychset programming, which creates some interesting issues in terms of his struggles with having to learn how to deal with 'flux-learning' for the situations which he increasingly encounters for which there is no pre-programmed learning ('tape').
Anyway, Ariane's death initiates her cloning program, along with a kind of 'regency' in which her 'uncles' (Giraud and Dennis) take over the running of Reseune (including the investigation into her death, the exiling of Jordan Warwick, and the political positions she held). They also run the cloning program - which not only requires controlling young Ari's environment, but also cloning her personal bodyguards, Caitlin and Florian - high-level azi who are programmed for extreme loyalty to Ari.
As young Ari grows up, she ends up encountering a program left by her predecessor to guide her through a wide variety of situations that the elder Ari had foreseen. This starts to give here considerable independence - at least within Reseune, although her very existence has been kept a closely guarded secret from the rest of the world.
She also starts to discover that her predecessor was in many ways a manipulative tyrant who performed sadistic - but apparently carefully designed - 'interventions' on both Justin and Grant that were intended to focus their attention on her and her world. The repercussions of these interventions create major complications for young Ari as she attempts to figure out how to not only survive the intensely political environment within Reseune, but how to deal with the long-term sociological problems that her predecessor was trying to deal with, and to develop the external political power necessary to see those programs / experiments through to completion.
This might seem like a lot to put in a book, but it barely scratches the surface of what is going on in Cyteen. Cherryh has an interesting way of writing in a kind of 'stream-of-consciousness' style that keeps the action moving along - sometimes at an almost breathless pace, and she uses it to full effect in this truly 'epic' novel. There are many twists and turns as the various plots develop, including a rather surprising ending.
When I first read Cyteen it was after reading 'Downbelow Station' and 'Forty Thousand in Gehenna', two earlier novels in Cherryh's 'Merchanter Universe'. My recent re-reading started with Cyteen, which casts considerable light on those earlier works - especially Gehenna (which turns out in Cyteen to have been a hastily put together 'wartime experiment' which Ariane intended as a kind of 'canary-in-the-coal-mine' for the evolution of the larger society, and especially for some of the 'deep-sets' in the azi programming).
A particularly interesting issue that surfaces in Cyteen is that Ari built a core 'failsafe' into the programming for the Gehenna azi. It said, in effect, 'this is your world, take care of it and survive, and teach your children what is important'. It would take effect if the colony failed, the born-men died off, and there was no more 'tape'. One of the particular long-term implications here is the fact that a term such as 'world' is highly subject to 'semantic drift' over time - and hence the unpredictability of what future generations of Gehennans might interpret as 'their world', not to mention the other terms such as 'important', 'survive', and so on. Re-reading Gehenna with this awareness is a particularly interesting experience!
So is this Cherryh's 'best' work? I think its only serious competitor is the Chanur series, which certainly rivals - and perhaps even surpasses - Cyteen in epic scope and complexity. Chanur also has a bunch of characters who are ultimately more 'engaging' and likeable than most of the characters in Cyteen. Nevertheless, the core logic underlying Cyteen, and its role in tying the whole 'Merchanter Universe' series together - not to mention the fascination of the whole 'cloning' premise - make me inclined to give it the edge.
It's perhaps inevitable that many of the future technology projections come across as a bit dated at this point. For example, the elder Ari's program to help young Ari comes out in all text, whereas a modern version would almost certainly incorporate multimedia. But these are just quibbles that don't seriously detract from the brilliance of the remarkable vision underlying this exceptional novel.
Schemes, Manipulations, Enemies, Friends, and Family.......2007-02-19
This book is a psychological mind-bender set in the not-so (and yet very) distant future. I am not finished with it, but I would just like to ward away the Sci-Fi kids who just want Enterprise battle sequences. YOU WON'T FIND IT HERE -- go back to your Star Wars books. This is intrigue, layers of schemes, and political traps. There is much drama and innuendo. I think it reads well, once you grab hold of the terminology and time frame. Yes, some concepts are quite dated, especially the usage of Tapes, however, it can be overlooked through substitution. Nostradamus couldn't describe his visions except through words that he knew.
Title Does Not Stand For `Cybernetic Teenager', Or Does..........2006-08-23
Cyteen is the 1989 Hugo Award Winner. Cyteen is the capital planet of the Union, a totalitarian group of planets and space stations originally founded by colonists from Earth, but which eventually broke away from and fought a war with. Many of these events are portrayed in Cherryh's novel Downbelow Station, which itself won the 1981 Hugo Award, and which I thought was one of the top five SF novels at the time I read it. Cyteen, although in the same `universe' as Downbelow Station, is different in feel, and utitlizes more of the aspects of scientific events that occurred in the 1980's such as genetic manipulation rather than all out space war, so it need not be considered a sequel.
An amazing first experience with this writer.......2005-11-08
Have been reading science fiction for over 20yrs now (wow, how they fly). This book was one of the best and most human stories I have come across. I recommend it to any real sci fi fan. If you find that it's abundance bothers you, simply skim over the political expressiveness of the book, and enjoy everything else it has to offer.
My test for the quality of a book - can I start another one straight away? The longer the period, within which I cannot pick up a new book, the better the one just read. After Cyteen, I will have to wait for quite a while!
And last - is there a sequel?
Got halfway through, didn't bother to finish it........2005-07-30
50 pages into the book, I had well over three dozen names, a half dozen factions, still nothing in the way of plot or character development to help tie it all together.
It didn't get much better from there.
This is more of a political intruigue book than anything else. And not in the good sense of Dune or the Foundation novels. No, this reads like CSPAN with color commentary: committees, legislative bodies, back-room negotiations, press releases, and stock market updates.
Must have been a bad year for the Hugo selection committee.
Newsday
A compelling heroine...a future as detailed as that of Herbert's Dune...and finely orchestrated suspense right up to the end. Strongly recommended.
Book Description
A compelling heroine...a future as detailed as that of Herbert's Dune...and finely orchestrated suspense right up to the end.Strongly recommended.
Customer Reviews:
Last of the Cyteen Trilogy.......2000-04-05
The culmination of books one and two,' The Betrayl' and 'The Rebirth', the Vindication finally wraps up the saga and all the loose ends and potetials that Cherryth has so wickedly created. A lesser author would lose you with the complexity of the characters and the plot and the world, but Cherryth just manages to capture your mind, suck it into the book, and hold it hostage until the thing is done. WARNING, do not start reading this book before a work day. Or, any of Cherryth's. Start on friday night, so that you will have plenty of time or you might end up in a lot of trouble. By the end of this book, you will want to re-read all the alliance books just to reexperience the saga now that Union has been made real to you.
As a public service announcement, the other books loosely in the order written is 'Merchenter's Luck', 'DownBelow Station', 'Forty Thousand in Gehenna', 'RimRunner', and 'Tripoint'.
...glimpses the future, food for thought........1997-03-05
I enjoyed all three books of the Cyteen trilogy, and Vindication was an excellent conclusion to the series.
Besides good character development, the book vividly describes a society and future for the human race that is credible and believable.
Human cloning is possible today. In the future of "Cyteen", human cloning techniques have developed to the point that copies of people can be produced and raised so that the copies, in effect are the original people, down to their memories, feeling and reactions to specific stimuli.
Ari Emory, the clone, political leader of Union, lives to
take revenge on those who assasinated her original. Quite a concept, and carried out brilliantly by Cherryh, one of the finest writers of fiction I have ever read.
Dan Kardas
A book you that every SF fan should have read!.......1996-01-12
Daniel Spichtinger
Cherryh manages to create a highly complex universe. Many details of the plot refer to other novels (e.g. to Downbelow Station). Anybody who has read other works by Cherryh will enjoy these cross references.
But the book is also delightful because of its thrilling story, intriguing characters and the dense athmosphere Cherryh creates.
Reading the Cyteen novels is one of the most pleasent experiences I ever had (at least with books).
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
Amazon.com
The first part of C.J. Cherryh's award-winning triad introduces the planet and complex politics of Cyteen, part of the Alliance/Union universe. Resources are limited and the scientific compound of Reseune, which produces computer-trained clones called azis, is a major power center. Reseune's lead scientist, the fierce and cruel Dr. Ariane Emory, has dominated Cyteen's political scene for decades. When she is assassinated, Reseune officials railroad a suspect and then experiment by creating a personal duplicate of Ariane. The bad news is, a clone isn't good enough. They want to recreate Dr. Emory's mind as well, and devise an artificial life for the little Ariane who'll be raised just like the original.
Customer Reviews:
Gripping novel of the hidden enemy.......2000-04-05
This book was especially gripping because the Union and Resune had appeared as a shadowy inhuman enemy in the Earth/Alliance/Union books where the merchanters alliance formed as a defense to being ground between the two powers of Earth and Union. Coming out of a vacumn that was only slightly touched by 'Forty Thousand in Gehenna' the Cyteen books suddenly brought to life an all too human Union, that has found a different way to survival in the stars.
In the betrayal, Ariane Emory's planned clone is brought to life after the assasination of the brilliant but somewhat twisted scientist that had a major part in the eugenics that keeps Union alive. The small Ari is but a minor character in this book, featuring Justin Warrick and his 'brother' the clone Grant. More interestingly, Justin Warrick suffered at the hands of Ariane Emory and you see his own struggle not to let the past poison his life, the child, or the suspicions of others destroy his own too fragile family.
It is a fast change from 'Union the Evil Ghost' to a fast dip into the world of Cyteen and a feeling of kinship with the beleagured people that struggle for survival there. A world not of evil, but like others, a mixture of people trying to survive. Better, this book was rapidly sequaled by parts 2 and 3, the rebirth, and the vindication.
Average customer rating:
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CYTEEN
C.J. Cherryh
Manufacturer: Warner Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000P0XELC |
Average customer rating:
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Cyteen
C. J. Cherryh
Manufacturer: SOLD
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000OOVZTM |
Amazon.com
The spying, brainwashing, training tapes, and coercion run amok at Reseune, the city-sized laboratory on Cyteen where almost-human azi are grown and trained. Warped young scientist Justin and his azi, Grant, depend on each other for support. Little Ari Emory depends on her own azi: nursemaid Nellie and bodyguards Florian and Caitlin. In Cyteen: The Rebirth, the second part of the Cyteen trilogy, Ari learns why her life has been more unusual than some and why her mother was whisked away when she was 7 years old. She is a clone; and as if that weren't enough, her whole life is a laboratory experiment, an attempt to recreate the keen mind and cruel personality of the original Ariane Emory by recreating her past in Ari's present. As she grows older and wiser, Ari battles with her politically-minded relatives, Reseune powers-that-be, her responsibility to her azi, and plain old teenaged angst.
Book Description
The spying, brainwashing, training tapes, and coercion run amok at Reseune, the city-sized laboratory on Cyteen where almost-human azi are grown and trained. Warped young scientist Justin and his azi, Grant, depend on each other for support. Little Ari Emory depends on her own azi: nursemaid Nellie and bodyguards Florian and Caitlin. In Cyteen: The Rebirth, the second part of the Cyteen trilogy, Ari learns why her life has been more unusual than some and why her mother was whisked away when she was 7 years old. She is a clone; and as if that weren't enough, her whole life is a laboratory experiment, an attempt to recreate the keen mind and cruel personality of the original Ariane Emory by recreating her past in Ari's present. As she grows older and wiser, Ari battles with her politically-minded relatives, Reseune powers-that-be, her responsibility to her azi, and plain old teenaged angst.
Customer Reviews:
Part Two of Cyteen.......2000-04-05
With 'Rebirth' the Cyteen saga continues only this time with more by the cloned child, Ari Emory. As is appropriate, she was far too young in the first book, 'The Betrayl'. It would be difficult to get the full scope of this book without reading the first one but better than not reading it at all. Book Two carries you between the whole political world and the reasons behind the creation of Ari Emory, to the formitive years of Ari herself. If you couldn't get book three EITHER, it would really be a waste, because this is definitely a bridge-book. Priceless though, for it is by following Ari's developement in book two that we understand the powerful character created in book three. And secondly, it brings through the eyes of a growing child the world that is Cyteen, where all that seems strange to us is assimilated as merely part of her world. It is a refreshing way to consume the reality of a new universe the Cherryth does so well. For not only does Cherryth bring to life new worlds with an intricate detail that leads one to question if Cherryth has actually traveled there, and not written them, but winds them around deep characters and convuluted plots that keep even the most jaded readers of science fiction spellbound.
Average customer rating:
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CYTEEN
C.J. Cherryh
Manufacturer: Publisher Unknown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WQZNVI |
Average customer rating:
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Cyteen
Manufacturer: Questar
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
| Adventure
| Alternate History
| Anthologies
| General
| Graphic Novels
| High Tech
| History & Criticism
| Series
| Short Stories
| Space Opera
ASIN: 999277441X |
Book Description
In uncertain times, here is a celebration of humanity—
and the eternal truths shared by all religions.
Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam: the world’s religions all seem to ask that their followers seek different paths to enlightenment. Yet beneath the seeming differences lies a pool of universal truth. Oneness collects these beliefs together in one volume, in the actual words of each religion’s scriptures. These universal principles—The Golden Rule . . . Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother . . . Heaven Is Within . . . As We Sow, We Shall Reap . . . Judge Not . . . God Is Love, and others—guide us to inner peace, and allow us to achieve spiritual richness. Oneness is a gift of love.
Customer Reviews:
A Much Needed Book--Especially For Our Times.......2007-03-12
My daughter gave me one of the first copies of Oneness by Jeffrey Moses, many years ago, for my birthday. It was one of the most profound books I had ever read, showing me that all the great religions have similar views about the really IMPORTANT issues in life. I have since gone into ministry and consider these "golden strands" that run through all major religions to be the major guides for living. Since that first edition, Jeffrey Moses has added many more similarities among the major religions in his subsequent editions. Recently, I decided to buy a copy of his newest edition for each one of my children and several of my closest friends. I have also recommended it to many more, feeling this book could bring great healing to these troubled, vastly divided times that we live in today, by emphasizing the "oneness" of all people.
Insightful and powerful, but format more suitable for bathroom reading.......2006-03-28
This book represnts an effort to look at the philosophies and creeds that unite humanity. It demonstrates the humanistic unity amongst religions, which is a powerful message that we could all benefit from appreciating. Through looking at sacred texts on the golden rule, love, peace, and other ideals, the author celebrates and shows enormous respect for all of the major religions.
My one complaint is that there are no citations whatsover other than to mention the religion from which the source is from. For example, the author will cite something as "from Christianity" or "from Islam", but will make no mention of where in the Bible or Koran this belief is derived. I appreciate the snippet-like approach to some degree, but from an academic standpoint, the lack of citatations to direct one further or to help understand the context prevents me from taking the effort very seriously.
It's a good read, but the format does not do the texts justice. The impression I get is that the author wishes for us to appreciate religion as a casual museum patron might view a painting; that is, to appreciate it's beauty and virtue, but with no encouragement to really experience it--scholarly or personally--beyond that.
Oneness.......2003-06-11
This book is a blessing. One Saturday, exactly two years to the day after my daughter died, I walked into a bookstore looking for something. I had and have been on a spiritual journey since her death and I was in sad shape when I entered the store with my other two children. A number of years ago I had read a quote about the Golden Rule and how different religions all expressed it in slightly different ways but didn't realize and didn't really care that it was from a book. Lately though I had been thinking about it over and over and about how all religions are really from the same root. These thoughts had consumed me, especially since for the past two years I have been reading a lot of literature of the different religions. At any rate, that Saturday, almost exactly two years to the hour after she died, I walked into that bookstore. At once I knew there was a book in there I was supposed to have and that I would be led to it. I searched for probably ten minutes in different sections but when I picked up this book I knew immediately that it was the book I was supposed to buy. The quote that I had remembered and lately had constantly thought about was in there. It let me know that I was watched over and was being led to answers on religions that I was on a search for. This book showed me that my belief was correct, that all religions in their major teachings are essentially alike. If you read this book you can't help but come to the conclusion that differences in religion are minor compared to the major teachings they share. I highly recommend this book to anyone of any religion.
no small wonder.......2003-06-10
a nice little book that makes for a good companion to "From Terrorism to World Peace" by Meister. What promotes the unitive forces of religion is what the world desperately needs these days. Books like this one help lead the way.
Universal principles of life.......2003-02-12
Every now and then a book comes along that reminds us of the most important truth. Mainly, that when you get right down to it, we are all ONE. This is a book for resolving conflict and building respect, compassion and understanding. Mr. Moses has done a superb job of choosing categories and classifying the different religious statements. This is a great book for a Comparative Religions class or maybe a seminar on Oneness or Pluralism, or just for that late night inspirational read!
Books:
- Malvinas: La Ultima Batalla De La Tercera Guerra Mundial/The Last Battle of the Third World War
- Mangaka America: Manga by America's Hottest Artists
- Mating: A Novel
- May You Be the Mother of a Hundred Sons: A Journey Among the Women of India
- McSweeney's Issue 20 (Mcsweeney's Quarterly Concern)
- Memed, My Hawk
- Memento Mori
- Men in the Sun and Other Palestinian Stories
- Miguel Street
- Miramar
Books Index
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- A Simple Monk: Writings on His Holiness the Dalai Lama
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The First Desire
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