Book Description
"A generous, patient, wry and intelligent voice....[that] suggests not just a writer who can seduce us through beautiful language and unfailing humor. We also encounter a writer who has the power to shock and frighten us, to astound and anger and unsettle us....In short, his is a voice for which one should feel not only affection but admiration." --Neil Gordon, New York Times Book ReviewSelection, Summer Reading, New York Times Book ReviewIn 1971, nineteen citizens of Excelsior in South Africa's white-ruled Free State were charged with breaking apartheid's Immorality Act, which forbade sex between blacks and whites. Taking this case as raw material for his alchemic imagination, Zakes Mda tells the story of one irrepressible fallen madonna, Niki, and her family, at the heart of the scandal.
Customer Reviews:
Reality's Rich Colours.......2005-09-18
Fiction does not always facilitate or augment the understanding of complex realities of time and place. Zakes Mda, however, has achieved this mixture admirably in this novel of his native South Africa. The political events of pre- and post-Apartheid periods take a central place in the story. Yet he manages to avoid being overly heavy on facts and details as he builds the narrative around the impact of one specific event and its aftermath on one small community, Excelsior. He captures the essence of life under Apartheid and the difficulties awaiting all when the regime ends. Old prejudices and tensions remain and the transition to the new SA adds new challenges and conflicts, including among the black political leadership.
Mda uses the 1971 case of the Excelsior 19 as the focus of the first part of his account. A group of white men and black women were charged with violation of the Immorality Act that prohibits intimate relations across race lines. The primary character is Niki, one of the Excelsior 19 women, whose life story is a symbol for this time and place. As a naïve, pretty 18 year old, she attracts the attention of a white Afrikaner who assaults her and keeps pursuing her. Escape into marriage is some protection and also results in her confidence growing. Life is good with a husband and her son, Viliki. Never questioning her role as a servant and second class citizen, a humiliating incident with her white woman boss changes all that.
Her rage leads her to take revenge. Realizing her power as a black beauty and the hold it has over white Afrikaners, she applies it deliberately. The mixed-race daughter Popi is evidence of the hushed-up relationship. Despite the indisputable evidence of children like Popi, the charges against the Excelsior 19 are withdrawn. Still, those implicated and their families have to somehow work out their lives and their various relationships: within families, among neighbours, between Afrikaners, English and Blacks and Coloured. Niki and her children also suffer the consequences. As the narrative of their lives continues, the focus shifts to Popi and her extraordinary beauty. Her features increasingly reveal her parentage to everybody in the community. In the new SA she can play an important role in the community despite the continuing suspicions against mixed race people, who are "not black enough".
Mda does an excellent job of bringing diverse individuals to life. We see them from different angles, we empathize with them and comprehend them as part of a larger reality being is being played out. Nothing is black and white (excuse the pun!), nobody is all "good" or all "bad". Mda acknowledges that Afrikaners maintain their dreams of returning to power and depicts realistically the political conflicts within the black leadership. He introduces two kinds of observers to the novel: Father Claerhout, the Belgian priest-artist living in the region and a knowledgeable "we" narrator. The "trinity" (man, Father, painter), as the Father is referred to, is fascinated by black "madonnas" who sit for him in all their nude loveliness and grace. Niki becomes a preferred subject, mainly because of beautiful young Popi.
The chapters open with the description of one of the trinity's paintings. They create an imaginary world with blue or purple madonnas in lush robes or naked, sitting in yellow corn fields, among surreal bright sunflowers or surrounded by pink and white star like blossoms. The child of the heavy-set full-breasted Madonna is of a lighter shade of brown and with delicate features. Sometimes other elements are added, creating portraits of life in the rural community. Semi-abstract and dreamlike, the paintings are reminiscent of van Gogh. They are always a lead in to the chapter and often the protagonists literally walk off the canvas. The transition between bold imagination and reality is fluid. We, the reader, follow with curiosity and emotion. To complement the trinity's visions, the "we" observer steps in to reflect on people and events. Assumed to be witnesses of Popi's generation, they follow her closely and comment in particular on the attention and mixed feelings she draws in the community. Sometimes critics, sometimes voyeurs, they establish the connections between the paintings and the reality of this microcosm that represents South Africa.
Mda's novel is wide-ranging and multifaceted. While it moves fast through time and events, it allows pauses to ponder scenes and portraits of life and invites reflection of decisive historical events in modern South Africa. You will come away enriched and keen to read more by this remarkable author. [Friederike Knabe]
IT IS NOT SO BLACK AND WHITE..........2004-12-28
South African writer Zakes Mda takes the notorious "Immorality Act" of South Africa's apartheid history, as well as a true event in South African history, which flowed from a violation of this law, and loosely weaves a fictionalized tale that will keep the reader turning the pages of this thematically complex book.
The "Immorality Act" was legislated to prevent miscegenation and ensure the purity of the races. In 1971, in the Orange Free State of South Africa, nineteen of its citizens, both white and black, were arrested for violating this law. The fictionalization of this event serves to contrast the old Afrikaner minority dominated South Africa in which apartheid was the law, and the new South Africa in which blacks are now the ruling majority. The author takes the reader through the transition from the old to the new South Africa through the fictionalization of the then notorious violation of the "Immorality Act".
Niki, one of the main protagonists, is an under-educated black woman living in white Afrikaner dominated South Africa in the township of Excelsior. She lives a life that is regulated by apartheid. She lives in substandard housing, works for Afrikaners for subsistence wages, and is at the beck and call of her employer. Moreover, she is easy prey for those Afrikaners who, despite the "Immorality Act", would forcibly subject her sexually. When her employer's wife forces her to submit to a humiliating invasion of her privacy, Niki fights back the only way she knows how, through the sexual enslavement of this woman's husband, her employer.
When she, along with a number of other native black women give birth to children that are clearly of mixed racial parentage, trouble ensues, and arrests under the "Immorality Act" are made of both male Afrikaners and native black women, of whom Niki is one, causing great scandal in the township. This incident is to leave a great mark on Niki's family, as it ensures the demise of her relationship with her husband, Pule, a miner whose irregular visits home, coupled with bouts of domestic violence, contribute to their estrangement. It affects her son, Viliki, who grows up rebellious, a political activist seeking to wrest political control of South Africa from the Afrikaners. It also affects Popi, the beautiful child of her illicit tryst with her employer, who forever seems to be in denial of her mixed race heritage. The book is not only about Niki's travails in white Afrikaner dominated South Africa under apartheid, it is also about Viliki's and Popi's coming of age in a post-apartheid South Africa in transition.
As the old Afrikaner rule in South Africa gives way to the new black majority rule in South Africa, one begins to realize that the issue is not so black and white. It boils down to power, who has it, and who has not. This is ultimately a story about those who are just trying to live their lives as best they can, as South Africa tries to reconcile its past with its present, while looking forward towards a more hopeful future.
"The sky was bereft of stars.".......2004-03-27
In sensuous, intensely visual language, author Mda depicts the life of Niki, a black South African, showing her day-to-day struggles to survive under apartheid and raise her children, but he also depicts Fr. Frans Claerhout's idealized vision of her in his paintings--as a colorful Madonna figure, the mother of children who will eventually change the world. Niki has posed for many of Fr. Claerhout's paintings, a job which has helped her to feed her black son and her half-white daughter, even though she has often had to walk thirty-five kilometers to his studio in order to pose. Niki's story, from her teen years to old age, becomes the story of South Africa itself during the last half of the 20th century, a novel told from the perspective of a black author, and quite unlike the novels of Alan Paton, Nadine Gordimer, and J. M. Coetzee, though they cover the same time period.
Excelsior, the township in which Niki lives, is almost entirely black, yet all power in government and business rests in white hands. Without resorting to melodrama or clichés, the author shows in incident after incident, how black women are regarded as chattel, regularly harassed and even raped by their white bosses, town officials, judges, and even clergymen. Yet Niki never yields to self-pity, even when she and eighteen other women and the men who have used them are put on trial for violating the Immorality Act, a violation which has produced Niki's daughter Popi. Imperfect, sometimes angry, and often calculating, Niki comes alive as a woman determined to hang on to her pride, using the only power she has, her sexual power, to control those who would control her.
Vivid scenes of South African life from the 1970s to the present bring Niki and her children to life. As the children grow and become deeply involved in political movements, Mda gives us a clear-eyed picture of South Africa's transition from a restrictive, white-ruled government to a democratically elected government with room for both races. The black people here are real, not idealized, people with hopes, dreams, and strategies for survival, and they evoke enormous sympathy from the reader, especially as their personal limitations and faults become clear. Concentrating less on the national violence and battles for survival, and more on the individual conflicts of people in Excelsior, many of whom the reader has come to like and respect, he presents complex issues in a clear, uncomplicated narrative which throbs with life and offers both hope and caution for the future. Mary Whipple
Remarkable, stunning,-brilliant. A "must read" novel........2004-03-24
The publishing of his second novel, The Madonna of Excelsior : A Novel, establishes Zakes Mda as a bright new star of international literature. This novel, like his first, deals with African society?s attempts to deal with the struggle between tradition and modernity in contemporary Africa.
The basis of the novel is an actual event. In 1971 19 citizens of a village in Orange Free State were arrested for violating the Immorality Act in South Africa. Their crime? Interracial sex.
The book is a fictional accounting of the subsequent lives of those caught up in this incident.
The focus of the story, the ?Madonna? of the title is Popi, a young lady who represents the issue of one of these sexual encounters. She is called ?colored? by polite society and far ruder things by most others. Her life transverses the crossover from white apartheid rule to black native African rule and she fit in neither world, being ?to black for the apartheid regime and to white for the African regime?.
Most of the figures in this novel emerge as people deserving, if not of sympathy, at least of understanding. It is one of the strengths of the book that Mda?s politics?if he has any?are entirely absent from the narrative. This is a book about people and their experiences, not a vehicle for political rhetoric. Not that the tragedies of the political situation in South Africa don?t emerge?they most surely do. They do so within the context of the story, however.
In the end the villains in contemporary South Africa are not the apartheid enforcers who instigate the action with their contemptible raid, nor those caught up in it, or even those who discriminate against these people. The villains are those, former opposition leaders resisting the injustice and corruption of apartheid, who now are the legislators, town councilors and such, who allocate jobs, housing, favors and the like to themselves, their wives, girlfriends, family and cronies. All of those who, assuring that everything would change under a regime, instead ensured that nothing in fact would be any different for those without power.
In the end this is a book about people, stuck in an uncomfortable middle, despised by the old guard in their time, despised by the new guard in the present, trying as best they can to come to terms with their pasts, present and futures. It is a singularly insightful and moving tale.
The Madonna of Excelsior is one of the best books I?ve read in years. It?s definitely a ?must read? book.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Literator, published by Thomson Gale on April 1, 2006. The length of the article is 7701 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: The collective voice in The Madonna of Excelsior: narrating transformative possibilities/ Die kollektiewe stem in The Madonna of Excelsior: die beskrywing van transformatiewe moontlikhede.
Author: N.S. Zulu
Publication:
Literator (Magazine/Journal)
Date: April 1, 2006
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 27
Issue: 1
Page: 107(20)
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Journal of Literary Studies, published by Literator Society of South Africa on June 1, 2004. The length of the article is 3777 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: De-scribing the centre: satiric and postcolonial strategies in The Madonna of Excelsior *.(Critical Essay)
Author: Ralph Goodman
Publication:
Journal of Literary Studies (Refereed)
Date: June 1, 2004
Publisher: Literator Society of South Africa
Volume: 20
Page: 62(9)
Article Type: Critical Essay
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Customer Reviews:
A chance of a lifetime...........2006-06-09
This book constists of three beautifully told tales of three friends who look out for each other.
The Pirate.... When Katherine Inskip, a romance writer, finds herself on an island for one months vacation she blames it on her two best friends who are also writers.The island used to be owned by a pirate who happens to currently be owend by one his decendant, Jared Hawthorne. Kate is going to actually live one of her books when she gets together with this local pirate.
The Adventurer.... Sarah Felltwood is a adventure writer, and for on of her books she uses Gidion Traces's articles as a source. After a few months of writing each other, Sarah wants to meet Mr. Trace, to see if he can help her on one of her own treasure hunts.
The Cowboy... When Margaret Lark returned home, from her best friend Sarah 's wedding, she finds an old flame sitting in her living room. Rage Cassidy wants to rekindel the love that they had a year past. And in order to get his dear Maggie to cooperate he blackmails her into going to his ranch in Arizona, to convince her that he's changed and wants another chance.
I loved all three of these stories. Each of these three friends found that love will happen when your not expecting it.
Average customer rating:
|
Cowboy Pirate
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 General | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: B000I0RSPC |
Book Description
I am a Cowboy Pirate,Riding the ocean plains.I sit in my saddle, set my sails,And firmly grip the reins.
-from Cowboy Pirate
A young boy imagines that he is a Cowboy Pirate. With his big black horse and small sailing boat he rides the ocean plains to lasso stray whales. A Cowboy Parrot and Pirate Bear help him hunt for hidden treasure, catch rainbows and beat a march for heroes. It is a fine life being a Cowboy Pirate.
Delving into the imagination of a child at play, Cowboy Pirate is a captivating new picture book from best-selling author/illustrator Bruce Whatley.
Bruce Whatley is the author of I Wanna Be Famous, Wait! No Paint and Little White Dogs Can't Jump.
Amazon.com
This is a superb collection of stories from Peter Hamilton, set in the same universe as his excellent, bestselling epics Reality Dysfunction (Emergence and Expansion) and The Neutronium Alchemist (Consolidation and Conflict). It's hard to pick favorites here, because every one of the stories is superbly plotted, exciting, and full of fresh ideas. The novella "A Second Chance at Eden" is a classic detective story with unpredictable twists and turns. "Escape Route," which also appeared in The Year's Best Science Fiction, marks the reappearance of the starship Lady Macbeth and her crew, who must figure out a xenoc relic before they run afoul of some heavies. Hamilton favorites like bitek, affinity genes, xenocs, and Edenists are threaded throughout the collection, weaving detail into the epic tapestry of his universe. A Second Chance at Eden is perfect for Hamilton aficionados and novices alike. --Therese Littleton
Book Description
This is a superb collection of stories from Peter Hamilton, set in the same universe as his excellent, bestselling epics Reality Dysfunction (Emergence and Expansion) and The Neutronium Alchemist (Consolidation and Conflict). It's hard to pick favorites here, because every one of the stories is superbly plotted, exciting, and full of fresh ideas. The novella "A Second Chance at Eden" is a classic detective story with unpredictable twists and turns. "Escape Route," which also appeared in The Year's Best Science Fiction, marks the reappearance of the starship Lady Macbeth and her crew, who must figure out a xenoc relic before they run afoul of some heavies. Hamilton favorites like bitek, affinity genes, xenocs, and Edenists are threaded throughout the collection, weaving detail into the epic tapestry of his universe. A Second Chance at Eden is perfect for Hamilton aficionados and novices alike. --Therese Littleton
Download Description
For new readers of Peter Hamilton, A Second Chance at Eden is a great introduction into the universe of The Reality Dysfunction. For previous readers of The Reality Dysfunction and The Neutronium Alchemist, these stories will keep them happy and eager as they await the final volume of the trilogy, The Naked God.A Second Chance at Eden contains seven stories chronicling the history of the Confederation leading up to the time of Joshua Calvert and Quinn Dexter. They include an explanation in "Escape Route" of why the ship The Lady MacBeth was so beaten up when first seen in The Reality Dysfunction, and further exploration into the affinity technology and its potential in "Sonnie's Edge." Bestselling writer Peter F. Hamilton covers a lot of ground, from challenging his readers with the whodunit novella "A Second Chance at Eden" to the thoughtful, speculative fiction in "The Lives and Loves of Tiarella Rose."
Customer Reviews:
The most hard sci-fi bang-for-the-bucks ever seen in one book.......2006-02-07
Hi,
[Please excuse my tendency to be a little "obscure" when talking about the content of Hamiltons books, this because I hate "spoilers" myself, and thus try very hard not to mention anything that might be considered as such.]
I completely fail to understand why people tend to give this book such low star-ratings, nor why it achieves such a poor sales-rank on Amazon (unless the latter has to do with the book apparantly being out of print, or at least unavailable through Amazon, for how long I don't know?)
In my humble opinion (slightly backed up by the fact that I own some 200+ sci-fi books, most of which I have read several times, and a similar sized collection of other fictional litterature), this is one of the definitive hard sci-fi works of all time, and definitly THE ultimate, single-author collection of short-stories I've ever read.
Yes, I will admit that Hamilton displays a sad tendency to dwell on the (often rather odd-matched, and always larger-than-life, litterally and otherwise) sexual relationships of his main characters. I remember finding this oddly "refreshing" at first (always interesting to hear a good sci-fi writers imaginative views on future sexual practices and "-technologies", since so many writers default to following the Hollywood tradition of leaving such things merely hinted at or often completely unmentioned), but as the same theme is repeated in so many of his works, it DOES tend to become a little boring (verging on the annoying in some titles, although personally I would not count "A Second Chance at Eden" amongst the worst). On the other hand, I'm male, and getting ever older and grimmer in my outlook, so who am I to protest about Hamilton letting me read about such characters not only being heros and such in a techno-freaks utopia, but even getting their wildest, wettest dreams realised?
However, I consider these side-comments on the sex-life of the main characters a minor inconvinience (if any) at most, after all, it's not as if he spends THAT many words on the subject, certainly not relative to the general length of his tomes of exquisite space-opera. I have certainly had to make bigger "allowances" to get well through a number of other, otherwise excellent and much acclaimed, sci-fi works. Try reading any robot-story by Asimov, for instance - Now there is an excercise in "selective reading" for you, be it due the aged (and long since disproven or surpassed) concepts of the involved technology or just Asimovs rather peculiar view on the human psyche.
I find that this, and whatever other minor "oddities" that Hamilton might exhibit in his authorship, is more than compensated for by his wonderful imagination and descriptive, yet not too technical, style (though personally I can't get enough of the tech-stuff, which is why I enjoy reading Niven and Banks just as much as Hamilton).
Specifically, I consider the title-story of this collection of short-stories, "Return to Eden", to be Hamiltons ultimate masterpiece (at least if you take into account the limited number of words in this short-story, compared to most of his other work), and possibly one of the best specimens of hard sci-fi ever written (at least in this format). Rarely have so many novel and utterly exciting and mesmerising concepts of future technology and human society been so expertly presented in a wrapping of a good oldfashioned "locked room" murder mystery.
As far as I remember, it is only in this story, that Hamilton thoroughly explains the technology behind the living, thinking bio-tech habitats that otherwise feature so prominently in many of his works, as he takes us along for a grand tour of many of the habitats facilities during the course of the storyline. It is also here that we get to learn quite a lot about the "implant technology", used and explored in various forms throughout his books, in particular how it came to be, and with a few "twists" as to how the technology is used, that are unique to (or at least introduced in) this story.
Also the first story in the book, "Sonnys Edge", is one I hold dear, for two simple reasons aside from Hamiltons never failing ability to captivate from page one and throughout: The original (and quite ammusing) main concept on which the entire story builds, and the completely unexpected "twist" at the very end (where we discover just what it is that is "Sonnys", the main characters, "Edge" over her fellow competitors in the wonderful and awsome full-contact sport called "Beastie Baiting").
Even if all the remainding short-stories in this collection were complete junk, which they aren't and far from it, I would still rate this book with 5 stars, as each of the two stories mentioned above deserves 5 stars all by themselves (effectivly making this a 10 star collection!)
I would (and have) STRONGLY recommend(ed) this book to anyone new to (or entering) either the sci-fi scene in general, or to hard sci-fi or Peter F. Hamilton specifically. Start by reading "Return to Eden", then proceed with "Sonnys Edge". If you like it so far, you will LOVE most of the larger books and trilogies he's written, even if you might find the remainder of the stories in this particular book a bit below par.
Together with Iain M. Banks and Larry Niven, and the "great old ones", Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke et.al. I place Peter F. Hamilton among the elite of the hard sci-fi scene.
Anonymous.
Good Stories With One Great Story (with one caveat).......2005-02-26
First, the good part.
This is a great collection of stories, some ok, most good, and the novella of the same title as the collection (Second Chance at Eden) being a truly great story.
As you can read from other reviews, these stories are told in the same universe as the _Night's Dawn_ trilogy, but also serve as introduction of various concepts that will be introduced in _Night's Dawn_. So it's a great way to ease yourself info the series, or to try out Peter Hamilton's writing style and see if you like him before you plunge into the massive 6 book "trilogy." If you like this collection, you'll certainly like his later series. This is somewhat different from my reaction to reading Hamilton's _Mindstar_ stories where the writing was very different, with excruciating details of every incident, plodding story line and unlikeable characters. Unlike the _Mindstar_ writing, most of the stories move at a fast pace and great concepts are introduced and explored.
Second, the ok part.
There are some weaker stories in the bunch, like the _New Days Old Times_ which struck me as a social lecture on intolerance rather than being a good story, parts of _Candy Buds_ and _Deathday_ where there was way too much emphasis on getting to the point and exploration of a character that we don't like (sort of like _Mindstar_...), but these are more than made up for the gripping stories and mind-expanding ideas shown in _Sonnie's Edge_, _The Lives and Loves of Tiarella Rose_, _Escape Route_ and finally, clearly the best of the lot, _A Second Chance at Eden_. If anything, you should get the collection just to read that one story which takes up about half the book.
You have to judge Hamilton by the _Second Chance_ story. If you don't like that, you probably won't like the rest of the Hamilton corpus. If you love it, then it's a good sign that you should try out Hamilton's other writings.
Lastly, the not-so-good part (and thus the 4 stars).
One bizarre thing I have noticed with some of his short stories and his novels is that he has a recurring pattern of portraying an oldish man who is tired, world-weary, somewhat cynical, sometimes sarcastic (imagine Humphrey Bogart), meeting a young (sometimes very young) extraordinarily (as Hamilton tells it) beautiful woman who is immediately and unexplicably drawn to him, often leading to instance sex (like in five minutes of meeting him). Sure, this may happen, but it happens concistently, often, and with the same type of characters over and over again. For example, the Greg Mandel character in _Mindstar Rising_ novel, Chief Parfitt and Hoi Yin (Wing-Tsit Chong's assistant) in _A Second Chance at Eden_, Laurus (the main villain) who has a penchant for young women in _Candy Buds_, Eason who uses the interesting plot development to woo the young woman in _The Lives and Loves of Tiarella Rosa_ since her mother is "too old".
What is up with that?
One or two times is ok, or if they're different each time that's ok too. But no, it's the same type of characters, same situation over and over and over again, ad nauseum. It's distracting and verges on disturbing. Even though these aren't major parts of the story or the plot in most cases, and it's more than made up for the rest of the great story line, I still wish I didn't have to get distracted in the middle of the story and think, "huh, this is weird - that's the 100-th time that Hamilton is writing about the old, cynical, world-weary character (or the author himself) having an interest in younger women and the younger woman just inexplicably having sex with him instantly upon meeting him, without having any explanation, motive or attraction."
I wouldn't mind if the relationships were realistic, but they're not, and just bizarre or cardboard at best. Maybe the author needs to grow up or something.
Required reading for Hamilton fans. 4.5 stars.......2003-12-29
This collection, a mix of new and reprint stories, is set in his
"Night's Dawn" universe. The stories collectively form something
of a prequel to the Reality Dysfunction, and Hamilton presents a
detailed future-history timeline as interstitial material.
The core of the book is the previously-unpublished title novella, a
twisty murder-mystery/police-procedural set in the first Edenist
bitek habitat, a He(3)-mining outfit in orbit around Jupiter. The
protagonist, a tough, competent corporate cop with a shaky
marriage, is straight out of Greg Egan or Ed McBain. The setting is
nicely-extrapolated nearish-term hard-SF -- not a dead-demonic
possession in sight, thank heavens. I found it cleaner & more
plausible than his "Greg Mandel" sf-mysteries. Highly
recommended.
The other stories range from excellent (Tiarella Rosa, Escape Route)
down to a couple Hamilton might better have left in the trunk.
All feature his trademarks: a glossy, hi-tech future, larger-than-life
characters, lots of sex & violence. It's interesting to see Hamilton
working at shorter lengths, and US readers are unlikely to have
seen these stories before, except perhaps "Escape Route", reprinted
in the Dozois Year's Best for 1997
Happy reading!
Pete Tillman
Terrific Sci Fi Collection.......2003-11-23
I'm so pleased that I came across this book. Quite by accident, I've been introduced to Peter F. Hamilton's work, and if the rest of his material is this good, I guarantee I'll be reading it all. I disagree entirely with the reviewers who claim that a reader has to know Hamilton's six volume trilogy (!) Night's Dawn to get maximum pleasure out of the stories--in the foreward Hamilton says that some of these stories predate the concept of the trilogy, and one of them (Candy Buds) even gave rise to it. I certainly had no trouble knowing where I was, thanks to the time lines provided by Hamilton, and each of the stories seemed admirably self-contained in terms of the necessary plot points.
To the stories themselves--there's an excellent mix here, some mostly snapshots, others quite long and detailed. Some deal with an individual at a time of personal crisis (Deathday, which owes much to Ray Bradbury's Mars is Heaven), others concern paradigm shifts for the entire Human civilization (A Second Chance at Eden, a truly beautifully written and plotted story). Hamilton is at the gentler side of hard sci-fi. While his stories all contain technology far beyond our current grasp, there's no necessity for a Ph.D. to understand it. He's much less demanding than Greg Bear in his most substantial works. Indeed, the technology is mostly there for the context, and the stories are primarily about human motivations rather than fun sci-fi toys. For the most part this isn't escapest space opera at all, but a keen examination of man's condition. And like the best literature, it's so well written that the reader is mostly unaware that this is the case--the sole exception being New Days Old Times, which is a bit more obvious in its message. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this collection, and I look forward to the delivery of my copy of the first volume of Night's Dawn, which I ordered even before finishing this book!
Good supplement to "Night's Dawn" trilogy.......2002-11-10
This book is basically a supplementary text to the well-known "Night's Dawn" trilogy of books. Unlike "The Confederation Handbook", this book is actually a series of stories rather than just a set of facts and figures detailing the Future History that Hamilton has established. Many of the stories here are pretty weak on their own but they do fit into the overall history and what they serve to do is provide a backdrop for the technology of the Future History at various points within it. In most cases it is very hard to get into the characters per se but rather you just come to understand the future, the technology it holds, and maybe a little of the various political undercurrents that exist. The two most fleshed out stories are probably "A Second Chance at Eden" (from which the book derives its title) and "Escape Route". Here you have longer stories with characters that you can identify with and care about to a greater extent than the other stories while also learning quite a bit about the future.
All in all, I recommend the book whether you have already read "Night's Dawn" (although do not expect the same depth and detail) or before you have read "Night's Dawn") to provide a little background and ease you into the technology concepts that Hamilton puts forth. I give it five stars simply because it really does not detract from the series itself and it certainly does add to it in terms of providing different viewpoints into the future that Hamilton has created.
Average customer rating:
- Completely unbelievable and an insult to religious men everywhere.
- I can't believe I finished this piece of ...
- Food for the Romantic Gods
- Not Tempting Enough!
- Romantic, Humorous, Entertaining,
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Tempest in Eden (Second Chance at Love, No 164)
Sandra Brown
Manufacturer: Jove Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Brown, Sandra
| ( B )
| Authors, A-Z
| Romance
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Paperback
| Brown, Sandra
| ( B )
| Authors, A-Z
| Romance
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| Books
General
| Contemporary
| Romance
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Regency
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Temptation's Kiss
ASIN: 0515075795 |
Customer Reviews:
Completely unbelievable and an insult to religious men everywhere. .......2007-07-20
I actually liked the premise of the plot, but early on I realized this book was headed in the wrong direction. Shay acts like a spoiled child, lacking respect for other people's values, and who is completely unwilling to compromise her values - but expects a devoutly religious man to do just that. I didn't even like her very much. Ian (the minister), acts entirely out of character in many of the scenes, and continually - and casually - puts them into situations (which he would/should know better!!) that are only going to lead to "trouble". And what "trouble" there is in the book is not "loving" at all - it's just base lust, and not very well written either. (Don't get me wrong, that's why a big reason I read this genre, but don't try to pawn it off as real love or even some "spiritual" magnet that pulls them together...)
The banter is unoriginal and gives the impression of a contrived scene in a sitcom - not-so-witty cliche line. end scene.
I only finished it to see if the ending redeemed itself. It didn't.
I can't believe I finished this piece of ..........2006-04-19
Nude model Shay is up for the weekend to meet her mom's new husband and step brother. She walks in on said brother in law as he is naked emerging from the shower. Does she allow him privacy? No, she hangs out to make him even more embarrassed. Once she learns that her new brother is a man of cloth, she sets about spending the entire weekend trying to tempt him. Never mind that for all intents and purposes, he ignores her, making her more petulant and determined. And she is supposed to be 30.
When the weekend turns into a bust (a drunk and naked Shay climbs naked into Ian's bed and not realizing that he isn't dreaming, he starts fondling her), both go their separate ways. Then manage to hook up down the road when he realizes she is a temptation he cannot resist. But can a sexually unrepressed nude model find happiness with a conservative minister?
Trite dialog, an implausible love story, it has all the makings of really bad romance novel that was reissued due to the author's later popularity (the fact that it was published under a name says it all)! How Brown can be proud of such a horribly badly written story is beyond me - better to leave this one on the shelf of your local library.
Food for the Romantic Gods.......2005-11-28
Eureka!
This true Romantic has found the mother load..It's food for the Romantic Gods!
QUESTION: what's more precious than all the Gold in Fort Knoxs' ...?!
ANSWER: a True to life love story, that you can sink your teeth into & enjoy each delectable,delicious tasty morsel bite...yummieee!
Tempest in Eden by Sandra Brown is a gold mine of love you'll forever cherish.
Wow talk about SIN-suality at it's best, I like the Hero (Ian)truly his character spoke volumes oppose to the person he is and was. Especially,when you think of the old adage NEVER JUDGE A BOOK By it's Cover! Can you say HOTTIE...a lover likes to no other...pleazze to me it was even a bigger turn on that he was a man of the cloth so to speak(teehee!)Nor did it take away from the story that the setting was of a another time or age...heyyy that made it all the Better for this Romantic!
What a guy!!! I must admit the beginning of the story did throw me for a loop but this READ is a keepsake. I love how Ms. Brown handle the two lovers head on, in this love story...I'm sooo glad she didn't choke-up or shy away from telling it like it is!
Superbly &wonderful was this classy story told.
Most of all Ms. Brown was True to the feelings of how a man &woman should feel regardless of religion or back ground., with matters of true love are in the mix. I got such a FEEL GOOD feeling ,when Shay...(I love that name!) found herself and grew. You go girl...NOW...that's what I'm talking about...yesss!
I read this Love story twice,and I promise you it wont be my last !!!
THANKS Ms. Brown for the sweet & tasty lovely treat for it fed my fires,passions & desires most complete!
susieQ
Not Tempting Enough!.......2005-05-14
What do you get when you cross a nude model and a minister? If you're Sandra Brown, you turn it into a love story. I enjoyed the roller coaster ride with Shay Morrison and Ian Douglas in this book. Somewhat typical of a romance novel from the early 1980's, but as with most of Sandra Brown's books, there are a few twists and turns along the way.
TEMPEST IN EDEN is an enjoyable way to spend a few hours, but don't pick it up if you want to be captured in a story and not be able to put it down. This one definitely won't interfere with your schedule!
Romantic, Humorous, Entertaining,.......2004-04-09
I ran across this book as I was restocking my home library and remembered how good this story was so I had to read it again. Happy that I did. It was even better than I remembered!
Product Description
Complete set of five books, all UK editions (the true firsts).
Average customer rating:
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Savage Eden (Second Chance at Love, No. 79)
Diane Crawford
Manufacturer: Jove Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Contemporary
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ASIN: 0515066907 |
Average customer rating:
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A Second Chance at Eden
Peter F. Hamilton
Manufacturer: MacMillian
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Short Stories
| Literature & Fiction
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Fantasy
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ASIN: 0333741250 |
Average customer rating:
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Second Chance at Eden, A
Manufacturer: MacMillan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000HKKFNK |
Average customer rating:
- great scientifically based book for everyone
- Heart warming book
- Moving and informative
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The Healing Power of Faith: How Belief and Prayer Can Help You Triumph Over Disease
Harold Koenig , and
Malcolm McConnell
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Healing
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Accessories:
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RESPeRATE Blood Pressure Lowering Device
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Airborne Effervescent Health Formula, Original Orange, 10 Tablets (Pack of 3)
ASIN: 0684852977 |
Amazon.com
What is the connection between religious belief and health? Does that connection have to be taken on faith, or is there scientific proof? Harold Koenig, M.D., author of The Healing Power of Faith, has devoted his career to examining scientifically the healing powers of religious belief. He directs Duke University's Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and Health, the first research facility in the world to study how religious faith affects believers' physical and emotional health. This center's research has led to more than 70 data-based, peer-reviewed papers published in medical and scientific journals. Some of the findings include:
- People with strong faith who suffer from physical illness have significantly better health outcomes than less religious people.
- People who attend religious services regularly have stronger immune systems and lower stress than their less religious counterparts.
- Religious faith seems to protect the elderly from cardiovascular disease and cancer.
- Religious patients recover from hip fractures and open-heart surgeries better than nonreligious patients.
The Healing Power of Faith is inspiring and far from dry, filled with many absorbing case studies that show how people suffering from alcoholism, depression, anxiety, polio, drug addiction, heart disease, and many other medical problems manage to turn their lives and health around through religious belief. --Joan Price
Book Description
An infirm, lifetime alcoholic suddenly becomes sober and strong. A patient undergoing open-heart surgery amazes the doctors with a speedy convalescence. A cancer patient given only a few months to live defies the predictions. What accounts for such remarkable recoveries? Is it miracle or medicine?
In this extraordinary book, Dr. Harold G. Koenig presents groundbreaking scientific evidence that provides answers to these puzzling medical mysteries. You will read about the pioneering study that found nonreligious patients with heart disease to be three times more likely to die following surgery than their religious counterparts. You'll learn why saying prayers regularly can be as effective as taking medicine, and why prayer and medicine together are such a potent combination.
Here you will meet the unforgettable patients who taught the doctors so much as they triumph over life-threatening disease, heartbreaking marital problems, dangerous addiction, and more. With simple, practical methods for harnessing the power of faith, this potentially lifesaving book provides an astonishing and immensely effective strategy for healing.
Customer Reviews:
great scientifically based book for everyone.......2002-11-24
This book explores the healing aspects of faith in terms of scientific evidence. As the director of Duke University's Center for the Study of Religion/Spirituality and Health, the author, Dr. Harold Koenig, has become an expert in this discipline and shares everything he has learned in this very fascinating and informative book. Through his medical background and through fifteen years of dedicated research and after over 50 research studies Koenig provides a strong argument for the healing power of faith. From the very start, it is made clear that this is not a book claiming the miracles of God but rather is a book "concerned with concrete data" to "investigate the therapeutic or healing power of people's religious faith." Some of the findings from this data are that people who have a strong faith have healthier lifestyles possibly due to religions encouragement of proper and healthy conduct. Religious people also cope well with stress, are less likely to be depressed and hospitalized than their non-religious counterparts, have a stronger immune system, and live longer. Other important research, conducted by people other than Koenig's team, are included in this book as well. This book is quite comprehensive in its review of all the literature out there on the healing power of faith.
The book is filled with poignant personal stories that help illustrate the scientific findings. The stories are of depression, alcoholism, cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other medical conditions. One such story is of Morty, a man who had been walking around with an blood alcohol level of 3.5. Morty was delivered to a detoxication unit where he stopped drinking on the first day of arrival and had an almost painless physical withdrawal from alcohol because he believed in the grace of God. Each story is as heartwarming and as inspiring as the one before. I loved how these stories were so smoothly used in adjunct with the scientific findings. It is definitely an effective blend of real life to which we all can relate and science from which we all can learn.
Another great thing about this book is that at the very end it offers suggestions to how one can benefit from the Power of faith. It is separated into three different parts: 1) if you are already religious, 2) if you are not religious, and 3) if you simply are not yet ready to consider religion. This is very nice because it offers suggestions for everyone not only those who are religious and are already benefiting.
A definite plus to this book is that is it easy reading. Although it deals with real scientific research the entire book is very readable. One does not get bored with scientific jargon. In fact the book is very engaging and I finished it in one night. I definitely recommend this book for anyone who is interested in this subject. We all can learn from it, religious people and atheists alike.
Heart warming book.......1999-08-21
Heart warming book that beautifully combines scientific data with personal stories. Koenig writes well, keeps your interest, and brings medical research to an understandable level. His point is clear--faith is good for your health.
Moving and informative.......1999-03-18
A fascinating book that kept my attention throughout. Nice blend of personal stories that illustrate some remarkable research. Recommend highly.
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