#########################################################################
I reserve the right to omit letters from the mailbag if I feel they don't
really contribute anything such as new ideas or new recommendations or
(most commonly) they make recommendations for books I've already read or
refuse to read until they're all out in paperback (i.e. Jordan).
Large .sig's deleted for my own sanity.

When appropriate, I have summarized my response to the letter by quoting
myself on lines prefaced by "##".  I hope this is clear.  Also, please
contact me if you would like your letter to be left off of this page.
Sometimes, I've inserted editorial comments in [].
#########################################################################
From: John Simpson 
Date: Thu, 27 Oct 94 13:40:04 GMT
Subject: Book Reviews

Doug,

I've just discovered your book reviews at:
    http://personal.tcu.edu/~ingram/books.html

Thanks for taking the effort to write these and then be so generous to share
them with everyone else out here on the 'net. I've just started reading the
Terry Pratchett Discworld series and having just finished Wryd Sisters must
agree with your opinion that it was "plodding" compared to the rest. However,
since I borrow rather then buy the books I'll continue reading the series
although he writes at a prolific rate so I hope I eventually catch-up !!

I also want to recommend the Scottish author : Iain Banks; he writes both
general fiction and science-fiction (under the name Iain M. Banks). Some of
his stories are VERY strange but "Consider Phlebas", "The Player Of Games", 
and "Use Of Weapons" can be highly recommended.

- John.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Robert Devereaux 
Date: Thu, 01 Dec 1994 13:26:51 MST
Subject: Book suggestion :^)

Hi, Doug,

I found your WWW page today, thanks to your message.  Great job indeed &
thanks for providing this service.

Book suggestion?  DEADWEIGHT, my first novel, a Dell/Abyss horror novel 
from March 1994 & still orderable if not stocked.  Mix of a Kingish sort 
of plot with the graphic presentation of the splatpack, plus of course 
what I think is my own unique voice.

If you want to see my bio & a short story originally published in Weird
Tales, Spring 1993, check out Casey Hopkins' horror web page at:

   http://www.ee.pdx.edu/~caseyh/horror/horror.html

Best,
--
Robert Devereaux
bobdev@fc.hp.com
Fort Collins, CO
(303) 229-3423

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: "avedon@leland.stanford.edu" 
Date: Tue, 13 Dec 1994 10:41:52 -0800
Subject: Your WWW Books Page

Just wanted to say hi, and mention that I enjoyed your Books Page.
I followed the URL on your Weber review for rec.arts.sf.reviews.

My SO and I share your taste in authors to quite a degree, although
we split across a few:  I like Clancy, she reads King and Simmons.
We are both raving Weber fans.

By way of suggestions, I thought Vernor Vinge's Fire Upon the Deep
was exceptionally entertaining, particularly for anyone on Internet.  
It's far superior to the, IMHO, highly overrated Snowcrash.  

If you're into Trek, the best Trek novel I've ever read (with the
possible exception of John M. Ford's Final Reflection - I'm a 
Klingon-o-phile of sorts) is Barbara Hambly's Crossroad.  It's
actually gritty.

-- Roger

p.s.  This mail probably echoed in various unfinished forms several 
times.  Thank my cats!  

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: paisley@bilbo.suite.com (Theo Petersen)
Date: Tue, 10 Jan 95 15:17:39 -0600
Subject: Gene Wolve reviews

I like your book review page!  Thanks for making it public.

You haven't much to say about Gene Wolfe, but I'm glad you avoided the  
frequent r.a.sf statement that he couldn't write his way out of a paper bag.  
Like Donaldson, for most readers he's either a hit or a miss.  I don't have  
enough of a literary criticism background to say easily just what the hell he  
is trying to *do* in his stories, but it's almost as if he's more interested  
in the state of the characters than the action of the story.  I always seem to  
discover the plot of a Wolfe novel is a side-effect; the characters usually  
haven't much of an idea what's going on.

If you should happen to find a copy of _Peace_ by G.W., I suggest you give it  
a try; it's short and serves as a good example of what I'm stumbling to  
describe.  Easier to find is _A Soldier in the Mist_, set in the wars of the  
Greek city-states, about a prisoner of war whose head injuries result in him  
not remembering anything beyond the previous 12 hours.  There was a sequel  
which wasn't quite as good, _A Soldier of Arete_.

By the way, I agree with you about _Free Live Free_; I think it was a complete  
muddle, and Wolfe tossed in an ending to get it over with.

..Theo

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: robert@bookwire2.bookwire.com
Date: Thu, 12 Jan 1995 13:16:34 -0500
Subject: Doug's Library/BookWire

Your Home Page will be featured as a link on the new BookWire Home Page.  
BookWire is an online service for those interested in the publishing 
business.

We would be most appreciative if you would browse our WWW site and add a 
link to our Home Page to your site. Our address is:
http://www.bookwire.com

Thank you.
Robert Pierosh

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: swart@POINCARE.CIMS.NYU.EDU (Pieter Swart)
Date: Sat, 11 Feb 95 11:54:45 EST
Subject: your sf review page

Hi Doug, thanks for some super reviews. Now I have quite a few 
books  I can't wait to check out.

Looking through your list, I missed Mervyn Peake's "The Gormenghast
Trilogy". I thought it surpassed Tolkien & Donaldson in its vivid style & 
selfcontainedness. 

Best
Pieter Swart     

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: craig@phobos.ME.Berkeley.EDU (Craig Smith)
Date: Tue, 21 Feb 1995 16:15:28 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Thanks

I really enjoyed reading comments on the books you have read.
I got caught by Robert Jordan with the Wheel of Time series.  I
think you've got the right idea there.  I read the first five books 
in about five days, then came to a grinding halt unwilling to spend the
$25 on the next one.  Damn it.

	I like Heinlein.  You haven't read Stranger in a Strange Land?
The Moon is a Harsh Mistress?  I agree that The Cat Who Walks through 
Walls is a crappy book, but don't base your opinion of Heinlein on
that one.  Try 'Time Enough for Love'.  

	Another suggestion, not sure if it is part of the Mission:Earth
series, I really enjoyed 'Battlefield Earth' by Hubbard.

	They are both really long, but I liked them when I read them.


Thanks again.

	Craig

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: amanda.wells@stonebow.otago.ac.nz (Amanda Wells)
Date: Sun, 5 Mar 1995 16:21:21 -0500
Subject: sf reviews

Why don't you have Sheri S Tepper on your list?, she's great!

*    Amanda Wells                                   *
*    Address:  amanda.wells@stonebow.otago.ac.nz    *
*    =8^)                                           *

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Brian Scholl 
Date: Sun, 5 Mar 95 6:49:00 EST
Subject: Random sf/f suggestions...

Hi Doug--

I was procrastinating with a vengeance last night, and happened across 
your web site full of sf/f reviews.  We seem to have remarkably similar 
taste in books, so I'll offer some suggestions, before I head off to 
sleep:

1. My favorite author is also Donaldson.  I admire your patience in
    waiting for the complete Gap Cycle to come out in paperback. 
    Alas, I was too weak, and was forced to buy all the hardcovers!
    
2. Make sure to read David Brin's "Glory Season", now that it's out
    in PB.  It doesn't top "Earth", but it explores a bunch of
    neato ideas, and is worth reading if only for the afterword.
    
3. Perhaps my strongest suggestion concerns Jack Chalker.  I certainly
    agree that the "Rings of the Master" series is mediocre at best 
    (although I rather liked the first volume), but some of his other 
    series are just fantastic.  (For a long time, he and SRD were my 
    favorite authors.)  His writing never has any real depth in the way 
    that, say, Orson Scott Card's books have, but his plots are always 
    quite enjoyable.  His best series, IMHO, is "The Four Lords of the 
    Diamond".
    
4. Perhaps my other stongest suggestion concerns the book "Snow Crash" 
    by Neal Stephenson, which is painfully absent from your list.  It is 
    written in the spirit of "Neuromancer", but is better in every way, 
    and is entirely original and refreshing.  If I ignore SRD's "Gap"
    books, it is probably the best book I read in 1994.
    
5. Do get around to reading Arthur C. Clarke's "Rama" books.  The second 
    volume, "Rama II", is definitely in my best-books-I've-ever-read 
    club.
    
6. Finally, I think you'll like Orson Scott Card's newest "Homecoming" 
    series, although they're not all out yet.
    
As for me, I'll be sure to pick up some of Dan Simmons' novels.  I've never
heard of him...

Have a nice day,

Brian Scholl  (scholl@ruccs.rutgers.edu)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Jehovah-1 
Date: Tue, 7 Mar 1995 20:14:04 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Brust

	I hope this piece of mail isn't an intrusion, but I came upon your Home 
Page completely by accident this evening, and I must say that I was very 
impressed!  Your Myst page and book reviews, in particular, caught my eye.
	I, too, am a big fan of Steven Brust, P.J.F. (whatever that 
stands for) and I noticed that you hadn't listed _Broke Down Palace_, an 
earlier work by Brust.  The novel is strange in a lot of ways, but I can 
see the roots of Dragaera in it.  You should read it, I think.
	Thank you for the book list.  I read straight through it, and am 
excited about several of the books I saw listed (many of the series' I 
had already read).
	And as for Jordan, I know you said you don't read any series 
until it is all out in paperback...but MAKE AN EXCEPTION!  These are BY 
FAR the finest fantasy books I have EVER read...and I am a HUGE Tolkien fan.
	I know what it is like to wait for books, and why you don't want to 
though.  I am stuck.  My mother brought me _Eye of the World_ when it 
first came  out, and since then, I have been a slave to publishing 
schedules.  (Luckily I use this as an excuse, and have guilted my mother 
into buying most of them for me in hardback only days after they are 
released).  I went through _The Lord of Chaos_ in about 30 hours, and it 
is a hefty book.
	Thank you again for your page, it is bookmarked!

		JHVH-1 (toliverp@pcificu.edu)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: smhenry@vt.edu (Steve Henry)
Date: Tue, 21 Mar 95 03:28:03 GMT
Subject: Re: Sci Fi Book Reviews on WWW

I checked out your page and I think its great.  I noticed that you hadn't read 
one of my favorite sci fi authors - Ben Bova. I might suggest Voyagers, Mars, 
or Cyberbooks.

| smhenry@vt.edu                   73's KE4IMK               Virginia Tech |
| Steven M. Henry	     Cleveland Sports Fanatic	        Go Hokies! |
| ftp: succeed.ee.vt.edu /pub/smhenry					   |
| www: http://succeed.ee.vt.edu/smhenry/smhenry.html                       |

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Aaron DaMommio 
Date: Thu, 23 Mar 95 12:00:35 -0600
Subject: Your personal page

Thanks for the tip...I traveled from there to your book reviews.   
Some good stuff there...I agree with your opinion of the Dune books,  
by the way; I think their quality plots more like a parabola than a  
slope.

Have you read Brin's Uplift books?  Great stuff there.

I can recommend "Mother of Storms" (can't remember the author).  It's  
about a lot of things, but centers around a bombing of the arctic  
that sets up conditions for a tremendous series of hurricanes.  It's  
got a lot of great speculative technology, and interesting  
characters.

--Aaron

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: alan williams 
Date: Thu, 13 Apr 1995 18:26:43 -0500 (CDT)
Subject: sf reviews/ratings

Hi Doug,
        I just stopped by your web page while waiting for a long
document to print out. I haven't had an extensive look yet, but
I must say, some of your opinions strike me as perverse. Varley's
Titan trilogy getting 5/3/3?  Are you *nuts*???  You gave ratings
almost as bad to Gibson's cyberpunk stuff and Wolfe's Book of the
New Sun, while bestowing a (relatively) glowing 8 out of 10 to
Jurassic Park. 
     You're perfectly entitled to your opinions, of course, and
I respect your willingness to fly in the face of conventional
opinion. But that conventional opinion - just like the opinion
that generally puts Pablo Picasso a few rungs above Chuck Schultz -
is not *entirely* without foundation.
     All I can say is, you have very strange tastes. (Thank god you
didn't review any of Sam Delany's stuff - I probably would have a
coronary.... :)
                   
     Just thought I'd throw in my two cents.
                      
                                alan williams  
           
## [Ed. note:  To be fair, I responded that Mr. Williams should really
##             read the complete review of Varley's trilogy.  His email
##             message is a case study in why one should never trust 
##             book opinions that are distilled into a single number,
##             not even when it's my number.  :)  ]

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Olin Workstation #16 
Date: Mon, 24 Apr 95 00:17:02 -700
Subject: Book Reviews

Great job your doing on the book reviews.  
I am looking forward to getting into Bear and Vinge.
Suggestions for further reading include Sheri S. Tepper 
(all of her novels are excellent, try  Grass or A Plague of 
Angels), L.E. Modesitt Jr. (his Recluse series is great and 
you don't really have to read them in any particular order), 
David Brin's Uplift Books are amazing, and Weis and 
Hickman's Deathgate Series.  I won't say a thing about 
Jordan.
  Once again great job.
   Douglas Woodbury 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Lawrence Watt-Evans 
Date: Tue, 9 May 1995 12:31:34 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Fan mail

Hey, thanks for sending the review -- I'd missed that one.  Much appreciated.

The only part I'm not thrilled with is the description of me as a 
grizzled old-timer; I'm all of forty.  Not that you had any way of 
knowing that.  And I do like being seen as a storyteller.

I'd never thought of those others as professorial, though -- maybe 
because my father really WAS a professor...

Well, anyway, thanks.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: "Bryan J. Rice" 
Date: Wed, 17 May 1995 01:33:06 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: WWW Page

Doug,

I've really enjoyed your WWW page, "Doug's Library."  I share your 
opinion of Donaldson (he is my favorite author).  In your review of _The 
Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever_ you make reference to "the 
Covenant discussions on the net."  I was wondering what they were about 
and if you knew of a way for me to go back and read some of the dialogue.  

I also have a suggestion for you.  Julian May has written quite a number 
of SF books involving humans with "metapsychic" abilities.  The works are 
in three series, with the third (and final?) series two-thirds 
completed.  The titles follow.  Each series is interconnected, but the 
first series is sufficiently stand-alone that I don't believe your 
restriction about "waiting 'til everything's out in paperback" applies.  

    The Saga of the Pliocene Exile Tetralogy
        The Many-Coloured Land [1981]
        The Golden Torc [1982]
        The Nonborn King [1983]
        The Adversary [1984]

        (companion work: A Pliocene Companion [1984] [Non-fiction])

    Intervention [1987] [split into:]
        The Surveilance [1988]
        The Metaconcert [1989]

    The Milieu Trilogy
        Jack the Bodiless [199?]
        Diamond Mask [199?]
        Magnificat [awaited]

Anyway, I enjoyed many of the characters and her system of
"metafaculties."  Hope you read and enjoy them.

--Bryan

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Michael LEWIS 
Date: 17 May 1995 10:03:00 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Stuff from your page of book reviews

1)  Are there really five more books in the Lankhmar series after the first
six?  I've never seen any more...

2)  Ron Luciano's third book is called "The Fall of the Roman Umpire".

3)  You should try a little more of L. Sprague de Camp's work--the Enchanter
stuff isn't his best.  There is a fairly early series of his--hard to find,
and not made easier by my inability to remember the first book (the
second is "The Clocks of Iraz", and the third is "The Unbeheaded King")--
that reminds me a lot of Lawrence Watt-Evans.

4)  Have you seen/read "Ties of Blood and Silver" by Joel Rosenberg?  I
didn't like it as much as the first few books of the Guardians series,
but it's not bad...

5)  Philip K. Dick is also a very good author, although quite difficult to
find in bookstores for a reasonable price (his current editions are all
trade paperbacks for $10 each, but you can find a lot of it in libraries).
If you didn't know, he's the guy who wrote the book Bladerunner was based on.

- Mike

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Michael LEWIS 
Date: 17 May 1995 10:09:00 -0800 (PST)
Subject: (also from your reviews)

While poking around further in different parts of the Web, I discovered that
the first book of that de Camp series is "The Goblin Tower".  You really
should read them...if you can find them.

- Mike

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: "Ogden, Marcus" 
Date: Mon, 29 May 95 19:30:00 PDT
Subject: SF suggestions

Hi Doug,

Just spent most of an afternoon combing your WWW page. I'll certainly chase 
up some of your suggestions!

Meanwhile, here are a couple of mine:

1)  You asked which Pratchett books were the best: IMHO, "Guards! Guards!" 
and "Pyramids" were where Pratchett hit his peak. I agree "Wyrd Sisters" 
(and several follow-up witch books) were weaker, but definitely read these 
two.

2)  If you read people like King and Simmons, you should definitely read 
some of H.P. Lovecraft's short stories. Lovecraft wrote in the twenties and 
thirties but his stuff is still very readable, and King cites him as his 
biggest influence as a writer. His most interesting work is the "Cthulhu 
Mythos" stories (which have become popular again recently through the "Call 
Of Cthulhu" RPG) which certainly qualify as SF. "The Shadow Out Of Time" and 
"The Thing On The Doorstep" are my favourites along with "The Call Of 
Cthulhu", "The Rats In The Walls", and others.

All the best,

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Lorelei Lee 
Date: Thu, 01 Jun 95 12:09:09 -0400
Subject: (no subject)

Doug,
Your page is great- I only have one thing to say- before you judge Robert
Heinlein's The Cat Who Walks Through Walls, at least read Time Enough For Love,
The Number of the Beast, and To Sail Beyond the Sunset- and Methusalah's (sic)
Children, too, if you can stomach it. They were meant to be read in order, with
The Cat... after (I believe)  the sequence of Methusalah (sic), Time..., and
The Number..., with To Sail Beyond the Sunset last, being his final book. The
Cat.. may not stand alone very well, but there is a huge interconnection with
these books... die-hard Heinlein fans will find things in The Cat.. that they
won't find anywhere else. But it and Friday are often judged to be two of his
worst adult novels.. and rightly so, he freely admitted that they were mostly
written for the money, although I admit this is true of all his books (in fact
most people's books.) I hope to see your opinion on some of the better Heinlein
books- thank you for listening to a neurotic netscape fanatic/Heinlein fanatic
who just can't help herself.

					Lorelei Lee
 					(brownl2@rpi.edu)
    					http://www.rpi.edu/~brownl2/index.html

P.S. I have a link to your page on mine; It is now on my new links page but
will soon be classified under books in my bookmarks directory. :)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Tom Hiley 
Date:         Fri, 02 Jun 95 10:48:37 CDT
Subject:      Looking for book

I've been trying to learn more information about a science-fiction book that my
dad read sometime in the 60's.  He's told me it's one of the best he's ever
read, and recommends it very highly, but I can't find it anywhere.  Its
title is _They All Died At Breakaway Station_.  Unfortunately, he doesn't
know the author's name.  After I found your exceptional Web Site, I thought
you might have heard of this book.  Is there anything you can tell me about it?
Thanks a lot,

Tom Hiley
tshiley%samford.bitnet@uga.cc.uga.edu

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Tom Hiley 
Date:         Wed, 07 Jun 95 08:55:05 CDT
Subject:      Vampire$ movie

First off, let me say thanks a million for your review of Vampire$.  If I
hadn't seen it, I never would have picked the book up (I'm almost finished
with it now, and it's great).  I just thought you'd be interested to know that
the current issue of Cinescape magazine mentions that there is a movie in
development called "Vampires" (no dollar sign) and the description it gives for
it looks very much like it is in fact based on Steakley's book.  It says
something like, "A high-tech group of mercenaries battle vampires for the
Vatican."  I think the book reads very cinematically, and if this movie is
really what I think it is, I'd be the first in line to see it.  Thanks again,

Tom Hiley 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Jim Wagner 
Date: Fri, 09 Jun 95 13:53:59 -0700
Subject: Doug's Sci-Fi Reviews

Dear Doug,

Thanks and congratulations on such a fine collection of book reviews!  
Reading your book reviews has considerably lengthened my "to read" list 
:).

My recommendations:
- "Snow Crash" by Neal Stephenson, as suggested by at least one other 
respondent. I highly recommend it.  I was surprised not to find it there, 
particularly since you plodded through the four similar (but inferior) 
Gibson works.  Unequivocably the most enjoyable book I've read in the 
past two years.
- the Arthur C. Clarke "Rama" series. When the first was written there 
was no plan for a sequel. That may also be true for the second volume. By 
sticking to your plan of reading the series more-or-less together, you 
will probably enjoy them more than many of us who've waited years between 
volumes.
- "Interface" by Stephen Bury which is an excellent combination of 
biotechnology, politics, and suspense in the Crichton genre.
- "Dragon Tears" and "Lightning" by Dean Koontz - The same people who 
poo-poo Stephen King are probably unkind to Koontz; however, since you 
enjoy King you will like Koontz's best stuff.  I have read at least six 
of his books and enjoyed those two the most.  If you like them, consider 
"Watchers" and "Mr. Murder." Beyond that, his storylines seem to get 
repetitive.

Regards,
Jim Wagner
Ann Arbor, MI

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: nmyerson@iserver.interse.com
Date: Sun, 11 Jun 1995 21:58:57 -0700
Subject: Simmons

	Simmons used to be my favorite author. My friend recommended him about
five years ago and I went right through Carrion Comfort, which I think is his 
best book. Yes, better than Hyperion. The way the plot forms is fantastic. 
Anyway, what makes him drop in my though is his new book Fires of Eden or 
something of that nature (i got it from the library, so don't remember the 
name). It was not excrutiating painful to read, but didn't even have any 
depth.
	Even if you are a big fan of Simmons, do NOT read this book, it can 
only waste your time and ruin your image of him.
	
	By the way one of my favorite short stories is Vanni Fucci is Alive 
and Well and Living in Hell by Simmons.

	Otherwise great list. One question though, you have many of Brust's 
books in your top twenty, but you say you don't recommend the series too 
highly. Is this an error.

	Thanks for the advice, nice job.
	neal

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: ewayne@mail.pittstate.edu (Earl W. Lee)
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 1995 08:36:03 +22310353 (CDT)
Subject: review from Technomancer (fwd)

I thought you might be interested in this.  _Drakulya_ is a novel based
on the idea of vampires as psychic parasites that move from body to
body, as in the SF novel _The Madness Season_ by C.S. Friedman.  I am
currently working on a screenplay of _D._ and (with K. DeGrave) a novel
about time-travel, called _Slipstream_.  For more reviews of _Drakulya_
visit my home page at:

http://www.pittstate.edu/~ewayne/books.html

Thanks!  Earl Lee

Forwarded message:
> 
> The Sci-Fi magazine _Technomancer_ can be viewed at:
> 	http://timon.sir.arizona.edu/techno

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: ramsey@desperado.sp.trw.com (Scott Ramsey)
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 95 18:29:55 PDT
Subject: Book Reviews

I enjoyed reading your page very much - got some great suggestions. I am
glad to see another Brust fan in the making. I was surprised you had only
read Zelazny's Amber series (he is one of my favorite authors and is
supposed to be a strong influence on Brust). Zelazny novels that you may
like more than Amber are 'This Immortal' (hard to find), 'Roadmarks' and
'Isle of the Dead' which are all reminiscent of Vlad Taltos in one way or
another. I also respected 'Lord of Light' but found it was not as 'fun'
as the other ones I mentioned.

-Scott
ramsey@desperado.sp.trw.com

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: "Gary Reents" 
Date:          Sun, 18 Jun 1995 18:54:46 +0000
Subject:       Library Page

  Hi, Doug

I was just surfing and did a Webcrawer search on Brust and your 
Library page was listed in the hit list. I wanted post a line or 
two,to tell you that I really enjoyed the page.

I was particulary pleased that you also like Steakley. Do you know if 
he has published anything since Vampire$. I've been keeping an eagle 
eye out for his books and have been keeping an ey on the publishers 
pages and gophers, but I haven't seen anything. I thought Armor in
particular was a topnotch book.

Brust is my favorite author, but Glen  Cook is a close second. I love the 
Garrett files and the Black Company books. I understand that he will 
be coming out with The Glittering Stone if GM shuts down for 
retooling like expected. 

Anyway, just wanted to drop a line to say thanks for the effort on 
the page. I'll be watching with interest for the Brust page.

Take care
Gary

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: nmyerson@iserver.interse.com
Subject: Gilden-fire

i started reading the tom covenent stuff, and is there a fourth book to the 
first series? I figure that since he was your favorite author you would know. 
I saw a listing of Gilden-fire in the first series. What is this?

thanks,
neal

##I responded:
##
##To: nmyerson@iserver.interse.com
##Subject: Re: Gilden-fire
## 
##Gilden-Fire is a short-story/outtake from "The Illearth War" describing
##part of the journey of Hyrim and Shetra through the Sarangrave Flat.
##This entire story was cut (for reasons Donaldson explains in the intro
##to Gilden-Fire) and assimilated into the chapter "Korik's Tale", in
##which Korik (or maybe it was "Runnik's Tale"...the first of the two)
##tells Covenant about the Lurker of the Sarangrave and so forth.     
## 
##Doug
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Bruce Levine 
Date: Tue, 20 Jun 1995 14:33:39 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: reviews

Do you review novels published on the internet?  If you do, I have an 
unusual fantasy quest novel at New badger Books I'd like to send you.

Bruce Levine
Blevine@crl.com  "Lost in cyberspace"

## I'll happily accept review copies of books, but I can't promise that
## I will read them.  My reading time is precious to me, so I'm very picky
## about diving into completely unexplored territory without some good
## recommendations.  In fact, this is largely the reason I designed my
## book reviews page, to get feedback and pointers to new books.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Sophie Kaniouris 
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 95 15:40:42 -500
Subject: Donaldson...

Hi Doug,
    Love your web pages. They are way helpful when I'm stuck for 
what to read next. I'm trying to find information about Stephen 
Donaldson (the best writer on the planet!!), do you know of 
any home pages dedicated to him or any other info in web land.
I did a search on him and came up with your page (which I was 
eternally thankful for) and an interview he did a while ago, anything
else you could pass on would be appreciated.
    Thanks in advance.
       
## I know of no Donaldson home pages, but a great place to look for
## more Covenant-related material would be Karen Wyn Fonstad's "The
## Atlas of the Land".  

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Kirk Reeves 
Date: Fri, 23 Jun 95 22:32:02 -0700
Subject: Book Review

Doug,

    I greatly enjoyed your review page.  I scaned your book rankings and 
found that I shared a great many of your views.  I want to recommend 
three books to you that I have found excepional.

Emerald Eyes - Daniel Keys Moran
The Long Run - Daniel Keys Moran
The Last Dancer - Daniel Keys Moran

If you ever get a chance to read them don't pass it up.

          Glad to see you on the net,

          Kirk Reeves 
          (http://www.kde.state.ky.us:8080/kreeves/index.html)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Dan Swartzendruber 
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 95 13:06:50 -0400
Subject: Re: Review of _The_Guns_of_the_South by Harry Turtledove

I loved this book too!  Of course, I love alternate-history SF,
since I'm a big SF reader *and* a history buff (particularly
military history).  If you haven't heard it, I was at a panel
on alternate-history at a Worldcon a couple of years back, and
Harry explained where he got the idea from for this book.
Basically, he'd been in a bitch session with another author about
the perversions perpetrated on authors by cover artists.  The
other author was complaining that the cover for his/her book not
only bore no relation to the contents, but was as anachronistic
as Robert E Lee holding an Uzi.  Harry laughed dutifully and
walked away.  He couldn't get the image out of his mind, and
started wondering "how on Earth that could plausibly happen".

#include 

Dan S.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Molly
Date: Tue, 27 Jun 95 20:28:38 -700
Subject: Book Reviews.

   Hi. I'm sorry to bother you - you needn't pay much attention to this if
you're busy. I just completed reading your list of book reviews and I know
of a fantasy series that you may like if you haven't already read it.

Judith Tarr
Book I.   The Hall of the Mountain King
Book II.  The Lady of Han-Gilan
Book III. A Fall of Princes (the best book by far of the series)

  If you have some time they may be of interest to you.

  -Molly

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: yum 
Date: Sat, 01 Jul 1995 16:41:45 +0800
Subject: Steven Brust

I was perusing through your book reviews and you convinced me to start 
reading the Steven Brust serieses... but I'm curious to know which 
series to start with: The Khaavren Romances or the Vlad Taltos Books... 
or does it not matter?  TIA

Youshik Um                                              Pomona College
yum@pomona.edu                                   http://www.pomona.edu

## I suggest starting with Jhereg, Yendi, etc., then you'll have a good
## background and will be able to better appreciate the history that
## is laid out in Khaavren.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: jost@itd.nrl.navy.mil (Patrick Jost)
Date: Wed, 28 Jun 95 20:51:47 EDT
Subject: Re: Review of _The_Guns_of_the_South by Harry Turtledove

Good review...and you left out the big spoiler. But since my mom
was S. African, I knew what AWB was right away...and I'm glad
HT managed to show the AWB for the horrible bunch of monsters
that they are.

BTW, all seems to be going well in S. Africa, I have an email 
pen pal there, she's in politics, there is some instability
but not the Swartgevaar (peril caused by blacks) that the AWB
predicted.

Patrick

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From nmyerson@iserver.interse.com Fri Jun 30 18:59:03 1995
Date: Fri, 30 Jun 1995 18:58:59 -0700
Subject: one more question

welli cruised through the first covenant series, and i found a great book 
store that has all of the black company except one, Silver Spike. Why on the 
covers of the books does it leave this one out. For example each book says The 
X Chronicles of the Black Company or something like that, i don't have them 
with me. anyway The White Rose is the third and the cover of Shadow Games says 
it the Fifth.

and why is that Silver Spike is the only one of the series i can't find. are 
these two mysterious events related.

the other day i was reminded of a fantstic book, The Neverending Story, Ya, ya 
i know the movie was as exciting tying your shows, but the book is truly 
amazing. it is by some guy name Ende. the book is original in dutch or some 
language over there and  is only in a paperback version that costs 12 dollars. 
but get it.

neal

## The Silver Spike is actually a side-story involving Raven set in the
## same world as The Black Company.  It's quite good.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
## The letter that follows is a response from David Brin to my
## request to purchase "Glory Season" directly from him as part
## of the "Basement Full of Books" program.  Unfortunately, just
## after this email exchange, I found an excellent condition
## hardback version of the book for $4 at a Barnes & Noble
## bookstore bargain table.  Couldn't pass that up.

From brin@XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Fri Jul  7 01:14:45 1995
Date: Fri, 7 Jul 1995 01:14:32 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: Glory Season (purchase by mail)

Hi... thanks for the reference.  Though I'm 2400 baud,
I'll try to look up your site.  MSG follows...

Hello!    Just got your query about my hardcover titles
available by direct sale.  Currently available --
 
EA -- $ 20.00
GLORY SEASON  -- $22.00 
 
(Although less expensive, EARTH was printed on acid-free,
recycled paper, with sewn bindings, a truly lovely edition.
GLORY SEASON comes on acid free paper.  It cost me more to buy)
 
Special collectable editions of Earth (leather) and Otherness
(the rare hardcover) may also be available to collectors.
 
ALSO please include a self addressed, padded envelope with  
$4.10 postage on it.  EARTH measures just under 7x10x3 inches.  
I'll send it soon thereafter.  If you have a special request for 
the signature, please enclose it, as well.
 
[Address deleted by request of Mr. Brin]
(Note --please keep the address confidential.  I trust the sort of 
folks who browse Basement Fulla Books to be fairly responsible.)   
 
Peace and good luck...  David Brin

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From 73443.1626@compuserve.com Fri Jul 14 05:24:14 1995
Date: Fri, 14 Jul 1995 08:21:54 -0400
Subject: BOOK REVIEW SITE???

Doug -

     I appreciate your insights and work towards sharing good reading
lists with everyone.

    Now, have you any idea where on the Internet I can find a collection
of general fiction book reviews?  Say, best sellers and all award winners
for the past five years?  Something online like BOOK REVIEW DIGEST,
MAGILL BOOK REVIEWS, or back issues of LIBRARY JOURNAL would
be an excellent start.  I've spent hours webbing, but cannot seem to
find any promising leads yet.

   How about access into a university library that keeps something like
those online via CDROM?  

     I sure will appreciate any leads you might be able to give me.

     Thanks much.

Tom Veerkamp

## I suggest IBIC as a good place to start.  You can get there from
## my list of book links (see the end of the book reviews page).
## I told Mr. Veerkamp that he could probably find what he wanted 
## within 3 links (sort of tongue-in-cheek knowing full well how
## exponentials work on the Web.  :)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From dspencer@WPI.EDU Mon Jul 17 08:50:05 1995
Date: Mon, 17 Jul 95 11:50:01 -0400
Subject: Your Library

Your library page is very impressive.

I thought I'd suggest something:  your Harry Harrison section is
missing one of the best speculative fiction series I've ever
read, IMO.

They are all out in paperback, I forget all the names but the first one is
West of Eden, and there's Winter in Eden, and another as well, but I
can't recall the title.

They are based on the question: What would have happened if the Dinosaurs
evolved into intelligence instead of the humans, and the humans were nothing
but a savage bunch of primates under the Dinosaur's dominion?

Very good stuff.

Just in general recommendations for stuff to read, Marion Zimmer Bradley's
Mists of Avalon is excellent (the prequel, The Forest House, was just released
but I didn't like it was much).  Mists of Avalon is basically the story of
King Arthur and Camelot, retold from the view of the women in the story,
with a very strong pro-pagan flavor.  Very interesting.

Hrm--what else to say.  Oh yes, I'm not sure Mummy belongs in the vampire
chronicles. Not sure if the mayfair witches stories are up your alley or
not, but I liked them alot.

I'd also recommend the Alvin Maker series by Orscon Scott Card if you
like his stuff at all--speculation set in early 19th century America where
magic is real (i.e. hexes, indian magic, etc).

As for Asimov--I'm surprised you hated Nemesis so much.  I mean it wasn't
spectacular, but it wasn't _that_ bad :)  Oh well. 

Hrm--don't know what else to say, except that your taste in fiction seems
to closely parallel mine which is nice to find :) I too love King and Clancy
almost as much as Donaldson and Tolkien, and I too think Ender's Game is
Card's best work, etc.  I'm currently reading the newly released Anne Rice
vampire book, so that's not quite up your alley--but I just finished the
riftwar series and loved it.

Oh well--glad I stumbled onto your page :)

-Dave

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From Dale_Ogden_at_RI__ANA__CC4@ccmail.anatcp.rockwell.com Tue Jul 18 08:26:46 1995
Date: Tue, 18 Jul 95 08:25:20 PST
Subject: books you might want to read

     I just recently found your homepage in the web.  In reading through 
     your reviews, I found that I agreed with your views quite a few times. 
     
     I noticed there were no reviews of books by L.E. Modisett, Jr.  
     Specifically The Magic of Recluse, The Towers of Sunset and The Magic 
     Engineer.  These three books are all related but not tightly.  Of the 
     three I recommend you read The Magic of Recluse as I enjoyed it very 
     much.
     
     Dale Ogden
     fdogden@earthlink.net

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From nmyerson@iserver.interse.com Mon Jul 24 14:17:21 1995
Subject: Glen Cook psuedo news group

It is located at:

http://sf.www.lysator.liu.se/sf_archive/sf-texts/authors/C/Cook,Glen

also i wrote to tor and they said that the glittering stone is a three book 
series and the first has already been written. it will be due out in hardback 
in may 1996. so if i understand you correctly, you wont be reading this series 
for 4-5 five years. i feel sorry for you, but can i recommend a visit to you r 
public library at that time. 

anyways i just want to add that i gave your link to my friend and he kind of 
agrees with you. our, we like the same books top three are:

ender's game
carrion comfort
neverending story (yes, it is excellent)

a lot of people like the first two, but wont give neverending story a chance. 
try it, you wont be sorry.

neal

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From andys@simba.lakeside.sea.wa.us Sat Jul 29 17:15:49 1995

I love your page, with all the reviews.  I have a few things to point 
out, however.  First of all, Anne Rice's The Mummy is not the fourth 
book in The Vampire Chronicles, It's a stand alone (although she is 
planning a sequel).  The 4th Vampire book is called The Tale of the Body 
Thief, the 5th is Memnoch the Devil.  Both were fairly good, IMHO the 
second (Vampire Lestat) was Anne Rice's best.
Also, Jennifer Roberson has written several non-Cheysuli books, they're 
fairly good.  It's the Sword Dancer Series (I think there's 4 -- I'm not 
sure).
I've read every Stephen Brust I could get my hands on, and liked most of 
them.  The only one I didn't take to very well was the one about the 4 
brothers & the taltos horse.  The Gypsy was his best, IMHO.  Stephen R 
Donaldson's Thomas Covenent books I've read several times over, each.  I 
think I prefer the original three, but they're all great.  He's got an 
incredible understanding of the human condition.

Cool page...

alex shepard
acidic@u.washington.edu

BTW, have you read any 'cyberpunk' authors?  ie William 
Gibson, Bruce Sterling.  Very highly recommended, indeed.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From dawks@best.com Sun Jul 30 22:03:46 1995
Subject: Interesting web page

Hi,

been looking at your web page re book reviews. Given me a lot of good 
ideas for some new reading. Thought in return i'd mention a set of books 
that hooked me completely. It's a sort of gothic fantasy, although not 
really; can't place it against anything, but it tells of an invented 
"world" in the spirit of Dune or Lord of the Rings: It's the Gormenghast 
trilogy by Mervyn Peake (Titus Groan, Gormenghast, Titus Alone). First 
two are startling, but i believe he became mentally ill while writing the 
third, and it sort of shows. Apologies if you've already read them.

phil.

The world is divided into two sorts of people: those that believe the
world is divided into two sorts of people, and those that don't.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From perryw@coral.viper.net Sun Aug  6 15:57:40 1995
Subject: simon hawke

I realy enjoy your reviews and listings though I don't always agree.
 
I noticed that you did not list any of Simon Hawke's "Wizard of ...." books. 
I highly recommend them. They are set in the future where civilization is on 
the skids, then Merlin of Camalot fame reawakes and brings back magic. The 
entire society is now based on the workings of magic. 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: George Kalogridis 
Date: Sun, 20 Aug 95 10:05:53 -0700
Subject: Book Reviews

Hi, Doug.  I've enjoyed browsing through your library and reviews.
I'm a voracious reader of fantasy and sf myself.

Would you be interested in receiving free copies of my two dark hardcover 
fantasies, COVENANT WITH THE VAMPIRE: The Diaries of the Family Dracul, 
and CHILDREN OF THE VAMPIRE:TDFD, for review (if you can ever find time, 
of course, given all the other interests your page indicates you pursue)? 
COVENANT was published last October in hc, and CHILDREN is scheduled for 
this October (I can get you a bound galley).

Let me know...

Whatever your reply, thanks for maintaining the great on-line resources 
for us bibliophiles.

Jeanne Kalogridis

(P.S.  Being lazy, I happened to web-browse while my husband had logged 
on using his account.  *My* e-mail address is jmkalo@west.net.)

## I have since responded positively and received said review copies
## in the mail.  I will probably read these within the coming month
## or two.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: E.OMara@uws.edu.au (Edward O'Mara)
Date: Tue, 22 Aug 1995 12:29:03 +1000
Subject: Favourite Authors - Fiction & Sci-Fi

Dear Doug?
I eat fiction and sci fi books. I've read all of Donaldson, Brust & Simmons
and loved them. It seems you have a penchant for the dungeons and dragons
genre. Surprisingly none of my three favourite authors appeared in your
author index of book reviews. These are 1. James Clavell, 2. Philip J.
Farmer and 3. Julian May.
Clavell paints panoramic adventures based in Asia, Japan, Hong Kong and Iran
Have you read Shogun, Noble House, King Rat, Whirlwind? Most are really long
stand-alone historical fiction books. Farmer is famous for his Riverworld
series - a mega read (a FOUR book Trilogy - he needed 2 books to write part
3!) He is very imaginative - a creator of worlds. Julian May puts out a
fairly good sized novel as well. Get hold of her Golden Torc, Many Coloured
land Series. It all about a galactic civilisation, and humans with
psycho-kinetic powers who travel back six million years into our past. It
has prequels and sequels titled Intervention and Jack the Bodiless. I
haven't included all their titles and some may be incorrect. It's been years
since I read their stuff in some cases. Some of Farmer's short books which
he wrote early on are imaginative-weird-crap but most of his stuff is great.
Regards
Eddie

*****************************************************
     Edward O'Mara                                 
     UWS Macarthur                                 
     PO Box 555                                    
     Campbelltown  NSW  2560                       
     Australia                                      

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: pjmiller@pcug.org.au (Paul Miller)
Date: Wed, 23 Aug 1995 11:15:17 +1000
Subject: Stephen Donaldson

Congratulations on setting up this homepage for the chronicles. I had been
looking for one for a while.  I am also a great fan of Donaldson, the
Chronicles, and the Gap series.  I think the Gap series is fabulous.  
I tried to get onto the Donaldson home page, but it give me a 404 not found.
Do you know how I could find more about him?  
The Chronicles did have a profound effect on me ( and my brother as well! ),
and I agree that rereading them all the time gives me a new insight on
something I might have missed before. A magnificent acheivement isn't it?
I also found the Mordant's Need and Gap series magnificent, very original
and it just proves how good Donaldson's imagination is.
I am just about dying to wait for the final book of the Gap series to come out!
Catch you later.
From Mark in Canberra, Australia.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From JERFLICK@KUHUB.CC.UKANS.EDU Thu Aug 24 19:53:53 1995
Subject: suggestions

A couple of authors that u might find int. are robert jordan and michael w. gearjordan:  wheel of time series not yet complete, yet well worth reading in their own right, 7th of an unanounced number, thought to be 9-12.
gear:  am through 2/3 on two of his series, am planing on ordering the last 2, 
my bookstore continuely caries the first two but not the 3rds.
sorry about the shortness, need to get a decent mail program
jer

## What is it about Jordan fans, anyway?

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: sam@peta.ee.cornell.edu (Samuel Lin)
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 95 18:19:40 EDT"
Subject: Doug's library

Dear Doug Ingram,

I'was browsing through your book reviews and saw your Backlash / 
The Beauty Myth reviews.

I haven't read these books, but I would like to recommend another 
feminist book I recently read:
_Who Stole Feminism?_  by Christina Hoff Sommers.

Before I began college, I would have had no problem labling myself 
a feminist. I consider my views moderate/liberal. 

In college though I meet a number of women feminist, and their 
attitutes really irritated me.  They always seemed to be angry, 
resentful, and self rightous. ( "Men are barbaric, Men are jerks...")

I've always supported equal opportunities, but I was immediately 
turned off by this style of feminism.  

Sommers' book is a sharp and incisive criticism of the Faludi, MacKinnon,.. 
style feminism.  Sommers' accounts of some of their behaviors and tactics 
are absolutely appalling.  Sommers has been criticised as being 
"a radical right winger", but as a strong anti-fundamentalist, I found
Sommers' criticisms to be extremely penetrating and on-target. 
(One of her harshes attacks is on "the unholy alliance of gender 
feminists and the radical right to oppose pornography")
Except for a few instances, all of them minor, I generally agreed
with her analysis.  ( A response to her critics has been posted at
http://www.pitt.edu/~dxdst6/csommers.html)

It seems that there is a wave of counter-feminism books coming out.
Some I've seen in the bookstores (haven't read) The New Victorians, 
Professing Feminism, Defending Pornography (don't remember the authors).

I  would certainly be in terested in your thoughts/reviews of these books.

Samuel Lin

PS.  Good luck on jobs.
        I'm a physics bailed and switched to EE grad student.
        You're not kidding that the job market is tough.
        (Endless postdocs, >500 applicants for a job opening...)
        I know physicists a whole lot smarter than I am who aren't
        finding jobs. I'm just not that brave!!

## Hmmm.  Not too sure I want to read a recommendation based upon
## political grounds rather than quality judgements, esp. from someone
## who seems to want to generalize feminists as being male-bashers.
## Nevertheless, I have an open mind.  I read through the WWW site,
## and found a couple of really silly and obviously untrue statements
## by Sommers (see http://www.pitt.edu/~dxdst6/AAUW2.txt and the
## quote at the end of the first paragraph...NOBODY but NOBODY speaks
## like this...for an example).  She doesn't really strike me as
## credible.  I'm sure there are other feminism books out there with
## alternate viewpoints from Faludi/Wolf.  I would appreciate
## recommendations.  Right now, I'm not inclined to seek out Sommers.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
Date: Sat, 2 Sep 1995 15:46:59 +1000 (EST)
Subject: Thomas Covenant

Dear Mr Ingram, 

I have just found your summary/review of the Thomas Covenant books on the 
NET.

Ye Ha...! Just what Ive been looking for.

Ive been after a simple summary and review that agrees with my thoughts 
and feelings on these books for a long time. 

I have always struggled with explaining these books while trying to 
recommend them to my friends. My ability to describe and comment is not 
too good. All I have to do now is show them your article!. 

Thankyou very much.

From another Stephen R Donaldson fan.

## Nothing quite like preaching to the choir!  :)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From login@crucible.inmind.com Mon Sep  4 10:33:49 1995
Date: Mon, 04 Sep 95 13:22:14 -700
Subject: Glen Cooks

I've just read your Black Company series (Glen Cook) review, and
saw that you mentioned that the Glittering Stone was broken up
into three parts, the first two of which are released.  Did I
read that right?  That's the second time I've heard mention of
The Glittering Stone being broken into 3 books, but I've been
unable to find any of them anywhere!  Think you could send me
the publisher of them, or any other info you have?  Cook's books
are the greatest, and I'd hate to be unable to conclude the
series because the books are hard to find.

While speaking of the difficulty of finding Cook's books, do you
know where I could get a hold on some Dread Empire books?  I
have the 2nd and 3rd, and a friend has the 5th.  Ill Fate is
available through the publisher, but I can't find any others.

Have you read anything else by him, outside of these two series?
The Garrett series is excellent (if your books are printed
right!).  I've read all but three.  The order they're read in
makes little difference in the plots.

The best I've read by him were The Tower of Fear, The Silver
Spike, and perhaps the Swordbearer.  Check them out... Intrigue
galore.  Tower of Fear can be a pain at first because you have
to keep switching back to the title page to see the cast of
characters for things to make sense.  Hmm.. I think I've babbled
on enough about Cook.  :)  Let me know if you'd like to swap
titles.  

Thanks,
Brian Salomon
salomon@acavax.lyncburg.edu (not the @inmind address!)

## I haven't heard this "Stone" rumor, but I don't really pay attention.
## I stopped looking for news on this series about 4 years ago.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Naomi Kalmus 
Date: Tue, 05 Sep 95 14:14:14 -700

I'm anxious to read your review of Downbelow Station, since i couldn't get 
interested enough to finish it.  Try a new series by Margaret Wies (sp?).  
Its got a Star Wars "feel" to it.  Good light reading.  Stephen Donaldson's 
series that starts with The Real Story is quite interesting and quite 
different from his other stuff.  Its more traditional sci-fi on the surface.  
His discussion about the series and how it was inspired by a Vagner series 
of operas is very interesting. 

The series is the Star of the Guardian series.  So far its four books long.

## I started "Downbelow Station" once and then put it down for some
## reason I can't recall.  Looks like it has "name-itis", but I'll give
## it another chance.  I mean, it's a Hugo winner, right?  Then again,
## I thought the same thing about Willis' "Doomsday Book" and was wrong.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: jason@sentex.net (N. Jason Kleinbub)
Date: Thu, 07 Sep 1995 09:59:45 -0400

Not that I think it is my place to bring this up ... but
I was browsing your Web page and I noticed that you are missing 
"the SUN the MOON and the STARS" by Steven Brust.
Published by ACE in '87 Hardcover, '88 paperback.

In which, 

"Once upon a time, there was a kingdom
that lived in darkness, for the Sun, the Moon, 
and the Stars were hidden in a box...which
was hidden in a sow's belly...which was
hidden in a troll's cave...which was surely
hidden at the end of the world.  And...

Once upon a time, there was a 
struggling young painter who also lived 
in darkness, and-like the hero of that
Hungarian folktale-was the beginning his
most perilous quest.  Shooting for the Moon.
And the Sun.  And the Stars..."

Although, I did not particularily enjoy this
book, you may.  We disagree about "To Reign
in Hell" so who knows.

Just for your information.

NJK

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
X-Personal_Name: Mike McCullough
From rbe@spl.lib.wa.us Thu Sep  7 10:43:23 1995

Try reading Eye Contact by Stephen Collins.  

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Cynthia Chewter 
Date: Sat, 09 Sep 95 12:27:14 -700

Just finished Kay's new book the other day. [Lions of Al-Rassan]
It's an epic fantasy of two religions - the Jaddites and the
Asharites - who occupy and vie for control over a peninsula.
The culture and time period are similar to the Spanish
renaissance.  Three main characters are: Ammar (warrior of
Al-Rassan, the civilized city centre of the South), Rodrigo
(warrior of the northern Jaddites in Esperana, a horse rearing
people of the plains) and Jehane, a Kindath (similar to Jewish)
physician in Al-Rassan who loves both warriors.

It wasn't a bad read by any means but it wasn't Tigana by a
long shot either.  The characters were not quite up to Kay's
usual standards - a little too cardboard & obvious - nor was
the culture or land one interesting enough to support another
book.  Ok, it was violent in the extreme and there was a tension
asking who, really are the civilized ones here? but in the end,
its been done better elsewhere.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: BUZZY58485@aol.com
Date: Sun, 10 Sep 1995 22:20:19 -0400

Try "Mustapha and His Wise Dog" by Esther Friesner.   I've never been
disappointed
with anything written by Spider Robinson.  R.A. MacAvoy wrote a series of
books, the first of which was "Damiano."  She also wrote one entitled "Tea
With the Black Dragon"
that was excellent.  This is the first time I have travelled to your site,
and I was pleased to see that you have read Glenn Cook's Dread Empire series.
 I am missing one of the books. Never could find it.    

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Frank Koren 
Date: Mon, 11 Sep 95 10:48:35 -0700

Congratulations on a wonderful collection.
I have decided to add your link to my own library.
You will find it at
http://vaxxine.com/koren/books.html
Any recommendations regarding books containing time travel?
My personal recommendation for you would be "The Witching Hour" by
Anne Rice.

Regards,

Doris

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Robert West 
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 95 16:27:52 -0700

from your page, at least at a quick glance:

LEGACY by Greg Bear --- his new novel, set in the same universe 
as eon and eternity but not really related to them. Interesting 
story about the problems of settling a new planet, reminded me 
in some ways of OMNIVORE by Piers Anthony (written by him back 
in the days when he could still write serious fiction).

THE PRACTICE EFFECT by David Brin ---- light science fiction, 
with an amusing twist, and an entertaining tale.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Matthew Ross Davis 
Date: Fri, 15 Sep 95 14:22:09 0400

Eco's "How to Travel with a Salmon & Other Essays" is now out 
on paperback. You should definitely check it out...it's making 
me laugh out loud on the subway. Have you read his other 
novel, The Island of the Day Before? I haven't heard anything 
about it, so I don't know if it's any good. But it's Eco, so 
what more can be said.

Matthew Ross Davis, WWW Design and Editing
Quantum Research Corporation
mdavis@qrc.com, (301) 657-3070
http://muon.qrc.com/mdavis/mdavis.html

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Steveland@aol.com
Date: Sat, 16 Sep 1995 15:36:44 -0400

Hi Doug,

I love your pages, but I must say, "How J of you!"  ;)

I'm an INFP, so we do have quite a bit in common.  I agree with your theory
that personality type has a lot to do with taste in reading.   Here are some
of my thoughts about the matter.  They are mostly gross generalizations, but
still....

I suspect the E/I scale has a lot to do with whether someone reads a lot, the
I's reading more, on the average, than the E's.  

What kinds of books someone enjoys is strongly influenced by the S/N scale.
 N's, like us, enjoy fantasy, intricate plots, imaginative, creative works.
 It's hard to say what S's like; how-to books, I suppose (joking again).

For example, take mystery and detective novels.  I'd guess that S's enjoy
more the detective novel, where there's not so much of a puzzle to be solved
as a relatively straightforward story of detective work.  And that N's prefer
a mystery in the Agatha Christie tradition.

I don't have any strong ideas about the T/F scale and reading.

About J/P, my theory here has to do with which parts of a story we like best:
J's liking the ending, and P's prefering the set up.  P's like it when
characters set out on a journey, J's like it when they arrive.

Well that's all for now.  Thanks for a wonderful time spent poking around on
your pages and links.

Take care,
Eugene

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Michael B Sachs 
Date: Tue, 19 Sep 1995 15:37:59 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Covenant

Mr. Ingram,

I just ran across your review of the Chronicles of Thomas Covenant on the 
World Wide Web, and was excited to see that there was somebody still 
writing about this series.

I first read the Chronicles about ten years ago while still in high 
school, and certainly enjoyed the stories.  However, back then, I 
probably had different perceptions about the characters.  Well, namely, I 
thought Covenant was whiny.

Anyway, I'm now rereading the Chronicles for the third time, and I now 
consider the Chronicles one of my favorite Chronicles of all time.  

I'd like to write more and ask you a few questions, but I don't want to 
write a novel or something if I'm not even sure you're still at this 
E-mail address.  So, if you have time, please drop a note and maybe we can
talk about the books a little bit.

Thanks!

Mike

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: wils@ozemail.com.au
Date: Fri, 22 Sep 1995 21:42:45 +1000

I recommend that you should review the book The Day of the Jackal by Frederick 
Forsyth because I thought it was an exciting book!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Chin-Tung Chen 
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 95 21:46:59 -400
Subject: Books that you should read.

THERE ARE SEVERAL AUTHORS THAT I PERSONALLY
ENJOY AND THAT I THINK YOU WOULD TO. THE FIRST 
BEING DAVID GEMMELL WITH THE "DRENAI SAGAS".
SECOND, TAD WILLIAMS WITH "MEMORY, SORROW, AND THORN".
THIRD, MICHAEL STACKPOLE WITH "ONCE A HERO". HOPE
YOU ENJOY THESE AUTHOR LIKE I DID.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Ryan Phillips 
Date: Sat, 23 Sep 95 20:58:09 -0700
Subject: (no subject)

I highly reccammend Michael Chrichton's The Lost World. It is a 
wonderful book. This is a sequel to Jurrassis Park and is 1000 
times better than the origanal. The plot revolves around Ian 
Malcolm(the only returing character  besides Peter Dodgeson) 
and a couple other scientists who travel to an island to 
investigate rumers of living dinosaurs. Dodgeson goes also to 
steal dinosaur eggs. One of my favorite parts of the book is 
when Malcolm and Sarah Harding are in a trailer and a 
Tyrannosaur comes and trys to knock it over the edge of a 
cliff. Once again this is a wonderful book and is highly 
recommended.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
X-Personal_Name: Louise McGrath
From: lmcg@mail.msen.com

You have a great site. I found a lot of personal favorites.
A recommended list - not listed yet - from me would include

	John Crowley - Little Big
		     - The Deep
	John Gardner - The King's Indian ( a personal favorite )
	Wallace Stegner - Crossing To Safety
	Stanislaw Lem - Return From The Stars ( this reminded me of 
				Phases Of Gravity )
	Samuel Delany - Stars In My Pocket Like Grains Of Sand 
				( where oh where is the second half? )
I'd be interested in knowing what you thought.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Elizabeth_Bogner@harcourtbrace.com
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 95 15:45:59 EST
Subject: You don't know me but...

     I thought I would let you know that we (Harcourt Brace) will be 
     publishing Umberto Eco's new novel, THE ISLAND OF THE DAY BEFORE, on 
     Friday, October 13th, 1995.  I read the review you did of Foucault's 
     Pendulum and thought you would be interested.  It will be at 
     bookstores everywhere, I am sure.
     
     With hopes you will enjoy,
     Elizabeth

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Major5th@aol.com
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 1995 10:12:03 -0400
Subject: William Gibson

I read with interest your review of what you call William Gibson's
"Cyberpunk" series.  While of course literature is a question of taste, it's
hard to believe an obvious fan of hard SF like yourself could consider *any*
Gibson book "not well written."

Gibson is brilliant at painting pictures with words, using metaphors and
similes with a self-assurance and confidence rarely found in any genre of
novel.  His colorful descriptions pull the reader into a world saturated with
neon, rock 'n roll and surreal imagery.  Yeah, it's a bit hard to follow at
first, but ya gotta give it a chance.  Have you actually *read* all of the
books in this series??

I think one of Gibson's techniques is to give away only selected bits of
information, a little bit at a time, in order to keep the reader interested
in finding the next clue to what's going on.  It would be boring if he gave
away too much at once, sorta like those whodunnit shows on TV where they tell
ya who dun it in the first five minutes.

In summary, I feel (as do many of my sci-fi friends) that _Neuromancer_ and
its sequels rank among the top novels in the genre, from *any* era.  From
your list of authors, I infer that you lean a bit more toward the fantasy
side than the hard sf side, but you really should give these most excellent
works another chance.  Just check out the vivid imagery, not to mention the
intricate and involving plot twists.  I feel they're *extremely*
"well-written."

Late.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Michael B Sachs 
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 1995 15:32:13 -0400 (EDT)
Subject: Re: Covenant

Doug,

Well, I finished White Gold Wielder last Saturday night while I was 
getting over a cold, and I must say that I enjoyed the six books much 
better this time than ever before.  I read the series twice during high 
school, but I think now I can say that Thomas Covenant is one of my 
favorite fantasy characters ever.

You're right (in your review) about Donaldson's work not being for 
everyone.  When I tell people I'm reading a series about a guy who goes 
to a place called the "Land" and he doesn't want to be a hero and he 
complains a lot and he rapes this girl, and later he falls in love with 
his daughter, and everyone dies for him, and so on, they usually are 
turned off.  But, that's why I like Covenant.  It would be boring if we 
had a terrific guy from our world come to the Land.  It's only because of 
Covenant's different sides and textures that he's able to succeed.

I also appreciated that Donaldson was able to end both trilogies very 
successfully.  At the end of both trilogies, when Covenant has saved the 
Land with or without Avery, we are whisked away without seeing the Land 
rebuilt and without getting a chance to see the good that the Unbeliever 
has done.  I like this, because it's lets our imagination run away.  At 
the end of WGW, what will happen with Cail's search?  With the giants?  
With Sunder and Hollian and the Staff?  Will the Land ever be the same?  
Lately, I've been rereading some fantasy series, and I'm finding that 
these authors spin a terrific tale and then ... they can't end the 
freaking book.  The final confrontation comes 100 pages before the end of 
the book, and then this character has to marry, and that character has to 
marry, and then someone has kids, and that kid is named for the martyred 
hero who died during Book 1, and so on.  Donaldson ends the Covenant 
books with a quick period.  Allow the imagination to flow.

I'd like to talk more and ask some more questions to a fellow Covenant 
fan, so write back when you get a chance.

Mike Sachs

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Brian Galasso 
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 95 05:02:29 0600
Subject: Joel Rosenberg's Series

You are one of maybe 3 other people i've come across who've read this 
series. I've been ranting and raving about these books for years but 
nobody's paid any attention.

Your are completely correct in saying that the last few books were 
lacking in the action, intrigue, humor and interest of the others. 

Every time a new book in the series comes out i end up reading the 
entire series over again. That means what--6 or 7 times! Two years after 
his last release, every time i'm in a book store i check the R's just in 
case.The only other author that has ever had this impact on me is Tom 
Clancy.

thaks for your time

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Brian Galasso 
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 95 05:29:28 0600
Subject: Rosenberg again + Vampire stuff

Yeah, it's me again. I just browsed all the letters you've enclosed in 
your site. In regards to Jason and Karl Culliane along with Ahira & 
Algernon(sp?) the Dragon, Are we alone in the world??? I saw no mention 
of Rosenberg's books. I think only you and i read them. What a shame.

Also, i saw some mention about novels including vampires. While not 
being a A. Rice expert, I do know my way aroung the Brian Lumley 
Necromancer series. It's up to at least 6 books now and even gets into 
the second generation type a thing like Dragonlance.

It takes place in the present day for the most part. In short, vampires 
have been around for centuries. They come from a parallel univerise 
similar to earth (an entire novel takes place here--the best out of all 
of them!). They are parasites that invade and convert the human body 
into vampires. All the old myths mean nothing and there are some 
fantastic historical scenes. The protaginist can speak with the dead and 
gets roped into becoming a Vampire hunter.

It's character generation and development is great & so is it's dive 
into the history of vampires.

thanks again,
Brian

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Daniel Bach 
Date: Wed, 27 Sep 95 20:20:31 -0700
Subject: Books

Excellent Page.  I higkly suggest reading _Quarantine_ by Greg Egan.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Lisa Redwine 
Date: Fri, 29 Sep 95 13:27:42 -0700
Subject: Comments on Doug's Library (with some book recommendations)

Love the Library!  I don't always agree with you (how ANYONE prefer 
Donaldson to Eddings is beyond me), but I still enjoy reading your 
reviews.  

A few authors that you might want to try:

Elizabeth Moon -- The Deed of Paksenarrion (3 book series)

Mercedes Lackey -- Any of the Valdemar books.  The later ones are better 
(in my opinion) such as Arrows of the Queen, Arrows Flight, and Arrows 
Fall.

Anne McCaffrey -- Planet Pirate series.

Enjoy reading!

Lisa Redwine
(redwine@engr.msstate.edu)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: eiagm@eznet.net
Date:          Fri, 29 Sep 1995 17:39:04 +0000
Subject:       Donaldson

Hello Doug,
    I just read your web page about Stephen Donaldson's Covenant 
series.  I was impressed with your piece about the series because you 
very clearly pointed out some of the reasons many people have been 
unable to "get into" the books.  I have been a huge fan of 
Donaldson's ever since I read that series back when I was in 7th 
grade, and I too have read the books several times over because of 
their depth.  Unfortunately, I have not met many people who liked the 
books like I did, and I have always been frustrated by people's 
responses to them - "too slow", I hear a lot, "Covenant's such a 
whiner", etc.  
    I have read all of his other books as well, and I enjoy them very 
much, although I think the GAP series is the first one that rivals 
the Covenant books.  Anyway, I just wanted to say I liked your short 
piece there and that there are others out here that agree with you.

Mike Stover
eiagm@eznet.net

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Peaty 
Date: Mon, 02 Oct 95 22:44:03 -0400
Subject: (no subject)

If and when you have the time, read the other two Speculative 
History's by Harry Turtledove "In the balance" and "Tilting the 
Balance"  Almost as good as Guns of the South"  and to me a 
that's saying something.  I very much enjoyed them all.

Peat

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Chan Yue Kun 
Date: Thu, 05 Oct 95 00:56:54 -0500

Hi Doug,

It's a great pleasure to find your web site. I've just brought Eco's new
book - Island of the Day Before.
Wonder if you've got it. Are there any sites dedicated to Eco?
Hope to read your review soon.

YK

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: "Peterman, Jim" 
Date: Thu, 05 Oct 95 13:55:00 PDT
Subject: Covenant Review

Hi Doug!

I just read your review of the First and Second Chronicles of Thomas 
Covenant.  I felt you did an excellent job of grasping and communicating 
both the spirit of the story and the author's intent.

The very first fantasy book I ever read was Lord Foul's Bane.  After the 
first chapter, I was hooked.  I like to consider myself one of the world's 
greatest Donaldson fans - an illusion that is easily maintained in the 
literary wasteland of Northern Ontario.  People love to hate him; I just 
can't understand it.

Anyhow, to the point.  I have been purchasing the 'Gap' series.  There has 
been a special offer from the publisher of limited edition, signed, numbered 
copies of these books.  I was able to get the first three, but then Bantam 
closed its Canadian division.  I was unable to get the special edition of 
'Chaos and Order', and fear the value of the collection will really suffer 
unless it is complete.  My local bookstore has been of no help, despite 
their good intentions.  Do you know of a way I could contact SRD directly? 
 Does he have a public email address?

I appreciate any information you could pass my way.

BTW, did you know that he (or should that be He) published a previously 
removed section of 'The Illearth War'?  It is called 'Gilden Fire' and it 
details the doomed mission to succor the Seareach Giants.  If you need 
publishing information on it, email me back and I'll dig it out.

I bet there is another verrry interesting outtake somewhere from the same 
book.  Do you remember when Covenant went to see the Unfettered One who 
interprets dreams?  I would love to find out what happened there...you can 
bet Donaldson wrote it, but took it out because of the length of the book.

Thanks for your time, and 'be true'.

Jim Peterman
petermaj@cdrivea.canadorec.on.ca
jimbo@healthware.on.ca

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: chip_d_leo@usa.pipeline.com (Edward Moore)
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 1995 06:22:05 -0400

Yet another possibly useless letter to waste you're time... 
 
Although he doesn't go as much into the SF as he does horror, Robert
McCammon is an author I reccommend to everyone who used to like Stephen
King (of SK's last 5 books only 1 may have been worth reading).  But,
here's a list of RM's books for you (all in paperback): 
 
Baal 
Bethany's Sin 
Blue World 
Boy's Life 
Gone South 
Mine 
Mystery Walk 
The Night Boat 
Stinger 
Swan Song 
They Thirst 
Usher's Passing 
and, The Wolf's Hour 
 
I would suggest reading Swan's Song - a post nuclear war drama much in the
same vein as SK's The Stand - first, because if you don't like that one,
it's doubtful you'll like the others. 
 
                                                                - Chip 
 
PS  I love you're page, and will continue to stop by from time to time to
see what's new.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: James William Deen 
Date: Tue, 10 Oct 95 11:56:22 -0700
Subject: dropping a line

I wanted to agree, Stephen Donaldson is a god.  His world is 
engrossing and profound.  The main character does not need to be 
affiliated with (although I almost could) but read with an understanding
that he is the catalyst for the action.  I think his latest series is
only going to be enjoyed by a subset of those that could enjoy the 
TC series.  Covenent will give you a warm fuzzy in comparison to his
newest anti-hero.  Good-stuff!

I really only noted two startling absences in your library.
Tad Williams and Robert Jordan.  While Jordan's books are engrossing (I 
can't read his books while in school for fear of flunking) and just plain 
good.  Tad Williams books (Dragon Bone Chair...) is almost on par with 
Donaldson.  William's writing are to be experienced... The different 
characters have their own languages, accents, beliefs, and religions.  The 
complexity is impressive and realistic.  What Donaldson did for The Land, 
Williams has done for the societies and peoples of his trilogy.

 James (MUKTI) Deen                               Programmer Analyst
 Association of Former Students, TAMU

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: cjvacur@uswc.uswest.com (Craig Vacura)
Date: Wed, 11 Oct 95 10:50:04 MDT
Subject: Comments on some Sci-Fi 

Doug,

I stumbled onto your review page today and enjoyed comparing notes.  I
have a couple quick inputs for you now, but I'd like to come back with a
bigger comparison of our reviews.  Overall you and I (an INTJ) seem to
get the same impressions out of the books we've read.  Our reading lists
are very similar and I believe that is part of the similar psych.
theory.  Shared favorites include:  Brust, Card, Clancy, Tolkien, 
Donaldson (Covenant), Herbert (Dune, yes I read all of it).

Recommendations:

Alvin Maker Series from Orson Scott Card.  This is a very unique fantasy
about what early America would be like if the 'old wives tales', 
superstitions, and such were real.  I think this is one of his best  
creations if not his best work.  The only knock on this series is
that it seemed unfinished.  It is as if I know the characters have more
to do and it bothers me some that Card hasn't returned to them.

Tad Williams: Dragonbone Chair (?) series.  It is classically styled  
epic fantasy with darker shading.  He does a good job of developing and 
changing some of his characters over time particularly the primary hero.
It won't be a classic you'll discuss years later, but it's a great read.

A Classic?  Try Ann Rand's (sp) Atlas Shrugged.  It's inundated with
Intellectual/Conservative philosophy and I don't know how to classify
it.  One of the reasons it is so interesting is the timeframe it was
written and the timeframe it takes place, combined with the fact that it
was written by a woman, and how these factors affect the story, tech,
and logic.  I came away more impressed with the author than the book.

Steven Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle:  Arthurian based series that ties just
about every British mythos into one story and throws in Atlantis to
boot.  This is one series I believe I will read again and that is rare
in the extreme, but I haven't thought through why yet.  It's not partic-
ularly enthralling, just a real good read.

Robert Jordan comment:  The mass of the series sneaks up on you.  It 
seems like he's stretching it for all it's worth and sort of pisses me
off.  But I won't quit because it's still too good.

Craig

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: John Davis 
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 1995 15:41:39 -0400
Subject: Doug's Library -- The Mail Bag
 
Doug- 
 
I don't even know if you can get a copy of Dennis L. McKiernan's Iron Tower
Trilogy (The Dark Tide, Shadows of Doom and The Darkest Day), and it's
follow up The Silver Call Duo logy (Trek to Kraggen-Cor and The Brega Path)
any more, but if you can, it's a pretty good read.  Strong believable
characters lead the way down a well travelled (and possibly over used)
path.  But, these characters make this trip worth it, even if you do end up
get the feeling you've seen everything along the way before. 
 
                                                -Chip

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From Winbooks@aol.com Wed Oct 18 06:04:33 1995
Subject: McKillip/The Book of Atrix Wolfe

I admit to being a die-hard McKillip fan....and I honestly feel this is her
best book.
Its not a large book but definitly not a quick read. Classic fantasy.
 
Dana
Windy Hill Books

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Randall Gann 
Date: Tue, 17 Oct 95 17:56:34 -0700
Subject: Your reviews

I was glad to see someone loved Enders Game.  This is the only book I've 
read twice.  I loved the Covenant series also.
 
Rama has a great ending that makes the whole book.
 
Recommended you may have read it and didn't like but.
"ME by Thomas B. Thomas"
 
I hope I got that right.  It's about an AI entity and his feelings it's 
quick and easy.
 
Thx for your page I enjoyed it.
Randy Gann

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From russellk@tiac.net Thu Oct 19 18:29:00 1995
Subject: Writing Skills
 
HI MY NAME IS RUSSELL AND I AM A YOUNG SCIENCE FICTION WRITER.I AM TRYING TO 
START A COMPANY OF WRITERS.BUT ACTUALLY WE HAVE ALREADY BEGUN.BUT WE HAVE 
ONLY 37 WRITERS WHO HAVE WRITTEN ONLY 62 BOOKS. NOW THAT MAY SEEM LIKE ALOT 
BUT ONLY 12 HAVE BEEN PUBLISHED(8 OF WHICH ARE MINE). WE NEED SOME TIPS FROM 
A FRENZIED SF READER LIKE YOURSELF.
 
PLEASE WRITE BACK WITH A FEW IDEAS PLEASE,
-RUSS- 

[Errr...no comment.]

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: chip_d_leo@usa.pipeline.com (Edward Moore)
Date: Sun, 15 Oct 1995 18:05:35 -0400
Subject: Doug's Library -- The Mail Bag
 
Doug- 
 
I don't even know if you can get a copy of Dennis L. McKiernan's Iron Tower
Trilogy (The Dark Tide, Shadows of Doom and The Darkest Day), and it's
follow up The Silver Call Duo logy (Trek to Kraggen-Cor and The Brega Path)
any more, but if you can, it's a pretty good read.  Strong believable
characters lead the way down a well travelled (and possibly over used)
path.  But, these characters make this trip worth it, even if you do end up
get the feeling you've seen everything along the way before. 
 
                                                -Chip
 
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From bath0011@FH-Karlsruhe.DE Mon Oct 23 18:30:24 1995
Subject: Recommendation: Head Crash, Bruce Bethke
 
Hello Doug,
 
I just found your books page while browsing for similar pages like
my own at http://www.fh-karlsruhe.de/~bath0011/buchtips_en.html
on Webcrawler. Your work is surely impressive! I'll have a better
look when I have more time on my hands :-)
 
Anyways, I thought I'd point out Head Crash by Bruce Bethke for
your reading pleasure. It's a bit in the vein of Snow Crash, but
less serious in it's approach. Still, if you list Asprin or 
Pratchett, you might like Bethke's offbeat humor. Head Crash might
not be the ultimate in funny cyberpunk, but it's a good start :-)
 
Cheers,
Thomas

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From LMHaskins@aol.com Mon Oct 23 19:40:05 1995
Subject: Clarke book
 
Glad you found Childhood's End. BTW, if you want a good selection of Clarke,
esp. his "hard" brand of s/f, try your local library for the out-of-print
stuff.
 
My favorite s/f book, and oddly compelling to a MYST fan, is _The City and
the Stars_.  Definitely something you'll want to read.  Then after that, you
should pick up _Against the Fall of NIght_, which is the book that is not the
prequel, but rather the first generation of TCATS.  He promised in TCATS that
he wouldn't write about the City again, but around  five or so years ago (?)
he did make a sequel to ATFON, which pales to TCATS, but I guess a lot of his
fans are on drugs or something.  And of course, since I have the ATFON sequel
in storage, I can't remember the name.
 
Anyway, please pick up TCATS.  And don't be put off by the first 3 or so
pages since that's not really part of the story (not much of a spoiler).
 There is a slight risk that it's out of print for now; better go to a large
bookstore.
 
Let me know if you get around to it.
 
Lloyd
(haskins@tsd.itg.ti.com)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From jwc925@cs.usask.ca Wed Oct 25 14:38:21 1995
Subject: Recomendation

Read a seven book series called "The Deat Gate Cycle" by Margeret Weis
and Tracy Hickman. If you enjoy Fanatsy it's a must read!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Dan Cash 
Subject: Excellent Sci Fi page, dude.
 
Hi Doug,I've gotta make this short. It won't be easy.
 
A quick compliment: Very nicely put together, sir! If you don't mind me 
asking, how many hours you got in this thing?
 
And a recomendation: Bone Dance, by Emma Bull. Similarities to Gibson 
(Neuromancer) and Persig (Zen & the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance), IMHO. 
I'd love to discuss or debate it, but I think I'm the only one that's 
read it. :-<. I think she's better than Gibson. It's hard core sci fi.
 
I found you through Csurfer. You guys are impressive. Any comments or 
advice about when I finally build my web page would be appreciated, lack 
of reply will cause no problem. I just wanted to say "Cool."
 
Dan

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Dave 
Date: Tue, 31 Oct 1995 20:22:44 -0800 (PST)
Subject: Covenant
 
Hello. I read/appreciated your www note about S.R. Donaldson. I was 
wondering why there's no mention of Mordant's Need, which I found to be 
better, although not near as deep.  I'm not particularly expecting a 
reply, so do so only if you have the time and will.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From J.MEGEVAND@TLP3CT.boat.bt.com Wed Nov  1 08:08:25 1995
Subject: Book recommendations
 
Doug,
 
If you liked 'Replay' you might also like 'Breakthrough'.  This is another book 
by Ken Grimwood which has as it's theme a type of time travel.
 
I am currently trying to search out a definitive list of his books.  If his 
others are as good as the two I have read then ..... there's some good reading
in store.
 
I saw that Alfred Beester was on your 'read' list.  Search out 'Tiger, Tiger' 
by him, its worth the effort (I think).
 
Also have you read 'The End of Eternity' by Robert Heinlan ?  I did not notice
it in your list (it might be there, I just did not notice it)
 
Regards,
 
John

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From jmr@STARSEND.COM Fri Nov  3 07:26:24 1995
Subject: Star Wars
 
Great Reviews at your site!!  Very entertaining.... and your pages are well
put together.  Since you're such a Star Wars fan, I wondered if you read the
parody of the original Star Wars trilogy.  It's called "The Star Dwarves
Travesty".  Pretty slapstick, funny stuff.  You can check it out at
http://www.starsend.com/authors/djr/creddjr.htm.  Thanks for the fun.
Javana Richardson, President
Optimum Solutions Interprise

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: cgilberg@.ieee.org (Claudio Gilberg)
Date: Fri, 03 Nov 1995 13:42:25 -0500
Subject: sci fi/fantasy books
 
        Doug,
 
        I would definately have to agree with you on the Stephen King books.
I usually buy his books the same day they came out.  However, I noticed you
didn't mention the Dark Tower Series.  Granted, the whole series isn't in
paperback yet but it might never be finished anyway.  Also, the Hyperion
books by Dan Simmons were as you say, Fabulous.
        I was also wondering what your aversion is to hardcover books.  I
personally like to have the hard covers more than paperbacks.  Do you have a
good source of knowing when certain books come out.  I know there are
varying places to look but is there one good link somewhere out there?  
        I'd recommend you read the Coldfire Trilogy by CS Friedman (provided
you like a small number of deep characters)  It raises some interesting
religious ideas as well as a different view of magic.  Tad Williams also has
a very involved series which culminates in TO GREEN ANGEL TOWER.  These
books are a lot deeper than some fantsy out there.
        I did notice you look deeper than face value at the stories.  A good
mix of character development, relationships as well as good detail can make
a book better than if you just look at the story.  I've seen many review by
people who don't bother to look between the lines at the lives of the
characters and what they go through.  
        Lastly, I have read the Wheel of Time books and thouroughly enjoyed
them but I think you are right in chastising the people who want to force
you to read it.  Trust me.  I wish I waited until they were all written.
                                                                Claudio Gilberg

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From random-public-user@deneb.sjca.edu Fri Nov  3 14:38:47 1995
Subject: Your incomplete SW timeline
 
Kind Sir, 
You appear to have quite a good chronology for the post-Return of the 
Jedi Star Wars universe.  However, I see a blaring error in which you 
have ommitted a story arch of great worth:  The Dark Hourse comics "Dark 
Empire" series.  You may not read comics, and while admittedly the 
second series left something to be desired, the first six issue series 
was incredible.  Moreover, it was accepted as fact in the Jedi Achademy 
books.  If you have not read this series, I suggest that you do; it's a 
good read.  If you cannot find it, it is also available on audio 
cassette.
Thank you for your attention, I would not want a fellow fan to be 
deprived of Dark Empire, nor for a timeline to be constructed ommitting 
it.
Corey J. Comstock, 
c-comstock@sjca.edu 

[My timeline really only mentions Bantam Spectra books, but since
 the Dark Empire series seems to be "canon" I'll have to go find it
 sometime and see what it's like.]

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Harry Comber 
Date: Sun, 05 Nov 95 01:09:45 -0800
Subject: Hugh Cook
 
I was sorry not to see Hugh Cook appear in your reviews. He has written a 
series "Chronicles of an age of darkness" that is very varied and witty, 
and I think some of the most original fantasy written.
Check it out!
Harry Comber.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From livct01@uwamail.westal.edu Mon Nov  6 17:14:26 1995 (Jennifer Mitchell)
Subject: Recommendation for a book for you to read
 
I would like to recommend that you read the book NIGHT by author Elie Wiesel.
This would help many history students such as myself out to be able to find 
an informative book review about this book.  Thank you for reading my 
suggestion.  Also the book is quite good.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Bruce Martin 
Date: Tue, 07 Nov 1995 23:13:39 -0500
Subject: Piers Anthony

There's a rather hilarious section on P. Anthony at 
the following URL;
 
http://rampages.onramp.net/~scottgl/index.htm
 
Bruce

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Guillaume Jay 
Date: Wed, 08 Nov 95 13:02:02 0100
Subject: Clancy - Debt Of Honour
 
I disagree with what you said of the ending of Debt of Honour. I like this
ending. Why ? Because all others Clancy's ending are nice, too nice, black and
white ones. Good boys are congratulated, bad boys are punished. And they are
really calm.  The ending of Debt of Honour is griping, not calm at all. That's
a good thing. The only bad thing I can see with it is that I will be very
surprised if there are a new Ryan novels. 
        BTW, do you know Barbara Hambly ? I really love her fantasy books, 
and I want to know if she's known in USA. 
-- 
Homepage : http://www.emi.u-bordeaux.fr/~jay/
"Good advice is something a man gives when he is too old to set a bad example".
        - La Rochefoucaud

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From Guillaume.Jay@emi.u-bordeaux.fr Tue Nov 14 01:48:57 1995
Subject: Re: Clancy - Debt Of Honour
> 
> The ending of DoH smelled like a contrivance to me, but that's just imho.
        It's sure I agree with you when you say "it lacked the foreshadowing".
Perhaps Clancy was really tired of Ryan, and so he wrote this ending like that, 
not in his classical manner, sure. But I like the thrill it gives. 
> I have read Hambly and reviewed one of her series on my page.
        Yes, I haven't seen it. I agree with you, and so I disagree with your fr
iend. But it's not "another series about a world being invaded by dark, shadowy,
 life-eating creatures". I was fearing it was that, and if the beginning is real
ly classic, the ending is not. That's what I like with Hambly, she doesn't write
 classic stories of good and bad fighting( Like Lord of the Rings ( but it was t
he first, so..), Shannara ( I only like the second one)m, Belgariad and too much
 fantasy books). I like her characters, too. But THe Darkwath trilogy is not the
 best thing she wrote, I believe.
I really must read Covenant by Donaldson. I read Mordaunt's need, and I like it,
 so ..
 I read too his sf series, and it was difficult at the beginning, but now I like
 it too.
        Could you ask some questions about Bio of A Space Tyran ? I've seen them
 for at least one year at my english bookshop, but I don't dare to buy them. Are
 they serious ? (i.e not like Xanth) Does it present Good Plot ? Should  I buy i
t, or rather try Katherine Kerr or Kay ?
        You've got the right attitude for Jordan. I wish I could have had the sa
me. But, hey, I bought the first, I like it, so I bought the five following. But
 I was thinking that the series was composed  only by six books ! Seems enough t
o me, hell, Lord of The rings is only  three. I was beginning the second when I 
learn there will be seven or eight books.. ( And I can't stop reading, because i
t's thrilling, and plots grow bigger at each book. I just hope I won't finish to
o nice.)
        Some comments :
- starship troopers : If Heinlein has no written books like Stranger in a Strang
e land, I would worry about him. The politics in/behind Starship Troopers are, f
or me, kind of disturbing. You can made books on future wars without make your r
eaders thinks you're were in love with your sergent ( I read this kind of commen
ts), by example try, by Joe Haldeman, a book called something like "The endless 
war" ( I'm not sure of the title, I just translated the french one). This book g
ot all the nice military techs I likes to read (and on of my reason to like Clan
cy), but it doesn't look like an army advertisement, IMHO.
- Dune : The first is the best, okay. But I don't think the Dune Messiah is the 
worth. I believe that in the strict Dune serie (Not the Bene Gesserit one) it 's
 the second best. I'm going to try to explain why, but it's going to be difficul
t ( as you already understand, English is not my first language). What I like in
 Dune messiah is the fight of Paul with his future. With his knowledge of the fu
ture, actually. There's the some kind of thing in The Wheel of Time, and I hope 
in the ends it will not disappoint me. Do you see what I mean ? Paul knows its f
uture, at least the possibility of it, and he must fight to find the best way. I
 know, I know, I'm not convincing, and I'm sorry for it. I like the two Bene Ges
serit books too, for the details of the B.G. But I don't like the two "gardeners
" characters.
 
        That's all. Thanks fo reading.
                -Guillaume
Homepage : http://www.emi.u-bordeaux.fr/~jay/
"You should never wear your best trouser when you go out to fight
for liberty and freedom"
        - Henry Ibson

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Naomi Kalmus 
Date: Thu, 09 Nov 95 17:23:57 -800
Subject: Re:robert jordan

Doug, I'm not writing to tell you to read Robert Jordan.  I have been reading
the first book in the Wheel of Time series and find it very frustrating to 
read. In some ways it reminds of reading Donaldson's Thomas Covenant series. 
There were times when I got very impatient with the pace and storyline of that
series. I often said I would read no more because it seemed to be dragging on 
without getting anywhere.  I am more than halfway through the first Robert 
Jordan book and I am experiencing the same feeling.  I'm not sure I'll finish
this book or try any others.  A colleague said the whole series is that way.  
Sounds like you either like this style or not.  I'm not sure yet.  If you did 
like that Donaldson series, you may like this one. I prefer Donaldson's more 
recent stuff, especially The Gap series.  Just my thoughts.   Naomi 

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: gerry@nris.msl.mt.gov (Gerry Daumiller)
Date: Thu, 9 Nov 95 19:07:39 MST
Subject: Web Stats Diatribe
 
I never knew that people considered the number of hits on their site to
be equivalent to the number of users, or that anyone really cared.
 
In any event, it turns out that my philosophy on WWW statistics is similar
to yours:  
 
I have always encouraged the html-folk at our site to include the text "icon"
in the path of all inlined images, and I do not count such files in our
statistics.  However, a large part of our service is providing images, which
I DO count as hits if they are not inlined.  For example, our most popular
page is:  http://nris.msl.mt.gov/gis/mtmaps.html,  which gets about 900 hits
per week.  There are 14 images that can be downloaded from this page, and
these generate approximately another 1100 hits per week.  If someone looks
at the main page and does not download anything else, that means they did
not find anything interesting there.  Our statistics page is at
http://nris.msl.mt.gov/stats/stats.html.
 
I really enjoy the stuff you put on the Web.  Your hotlist has been on my
hotlist for nearly a year.  I really wish I was keeping such good track of
which books I had read!!  Of your favorite writers, I frequently read David
Brin, Tom Clancy, Micheal Crichton, and David Bear.  I can't think of any
authors I like that you haven't tried.  I still read every Terry Pratchett
and Ann Rice book that comes out, but I agree that the old stuff is better.
"Cry to Heaven", an older Ann Rice book, is the equal to any of her vampire
novels.  "Impossible Things", an anthology of Connie Willis stories, is much
better than her "Doomsday Book".  "Glory Season", by David Brin, is not quite
as interesting as most of "Earth", but at least it doesn't fall to pieces at
the end.
 
Anyway, thanks for providing a great service!!
 
Gerry Daumiller
Helena, Montana
gerry@nris.msl.mt.gov
http://nris.msl.mt.gov/gis/gerry/gerry.html

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: rob pace 
Date: Thu, 09 Nov 95 20:13:07 0000
 
Like your reviews.  Thanks.
 
I thought about Piers Anthony's Aprentice Adept when I saw Arnold 
Schawtzeneger's (sp?) "The running man. "  I've always wondered if the 
screen-writer was inspired (if you can call it that) by the trilogy.
 
Anyway, keep up the reading!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Robert Bimson 
Date: Fri, 10 Nov 1995 18:16:38 -0500
Subject: The Alley by Robert A. Bimson
 
Doug,
         I like your stuff.  I have just finished reading 'The Alley'
 by Robert Bimson.  I really enjoyed it.  It seems that this author 
has found a way back to the times when reading was fun. 
 I think you should check it out.  I'd be very interested in what
 you think about it.  I'll be watching your reviews for this one.
                                                                                
      nuget

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: "Brian J. Hafner" 
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 1995 01:20:49 -0600
Subject: The Unbeliever
 
Mr. Ingram-
 
I just noticed your article (review) on the net concerning The Chronicles of
Thomas Covenant.  I too am very much a fan of Stephen R. Donaldson, and
would be most interested in finding some chat groups, newsgroups, etc
concerning the subject.  Please forward any if you know of them.
 
I was very pleased by your review of the novels.  Mr. Donaldson has a
singular style, and one I appreciate greatly.  I have read the series about
four or five times now in as many years.  I try, though failing this year,
to read them at least once a year.  As you mentioned, I find a new facet to
the story each time I read them.  If I may, I would offer an opinion.
 
I believe the reason many people dislike these books is because they hate
Covenant.  They hate him, not because they do NOT understand him, but
perhaps that they understand him all too well.  I believe many see
themselves in this 'anti-hero' and find it simply easier to distance
themselves from that.  I find a great deal of myself in Covenant, both good
and not so good.  I believe Mr. Donaldson's greatest acheivement is the
intensity of the emotions that these books produce.  Who out there could not
feel the intensity of Mhoram's demand as he and Tohrm made their way through
fire to quench Trell's desecration?  Who could not Saltheart's rage (and
consuming self-loathing) as he killed at the battle of Revelwood?  I have
never been so moved, nor do I believe I will ever be so again, as I was when
I first encountered the Land.
 
Sorry to take your time, but I wanted to lend my voice...

[This is commonly known as "preaching to the choir"  -Ed]
 
Thanks,
 
Brian Hafner
hafner@okstate.edu

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Christian Clarke <95153179@brookes.ac.uk>
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 95 22:29:16 -0800

Hi Doug...
 
I read with interest youre review of `The Chronicals of the Cheysuli'.  I 
enjoyed all eight books and I believe that Roberson has great potential.  
However, I do have a few comments about the books that did disappoint me.
 
A)    After the sixth book `Daughter Of The Lion', from then on I felt 
that books 7,8 were written in a different style.  It often made me think 
that another person was writing the last two books.
 
B)    Inconsistancy.  Roberson comments throughout all eight of the books 
that the Cheysuli/Ihlini are powerless before one another.  However, I 
have noticed in book seven, when `Aidan, was in Solinde and was joined by 
3 traveling Ihlini.  Yet Aidan was unaware of this fact.  And the Ihlini 
were able to use their magic.
 
Despite these minor snags with the books, I throughly enjoyed them, and 
hope to see Roberson writing again.  The boyhood of Finn and Duncan, the 
exile of Finn and Carillon.
 
Regards
 
Christian Clarke
 
Respect.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: HQFH58A@prodigy.com (MR BENJAMIN M BURACK)
Date: Sun, 12 Nov 1995 10:34:04 EST
Subject: Book Reccomendation

"The Lord of the Rings" by J.R.R. Tolkien is the best book I have 
ever read.  In fact, I know 16 people who have read it, and 12 of 
them agree that it is the best book ever written.
 
Ben Burack

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From kp6185a@auvm.american.edu Sun Nov 12 17:16:45 1995
 
I'm at college and away from my library, so your reviews rekindled fond 
memories of hours curled up reading many of my distant books.  However, 
I'm surprised that you haven't read W. Michael Gear.  He has written at 
leasttwo science fiction trilogies and to stand alone books.  All of 
them are good, but I highly recomend the stand alone book "The Artifact" 
as a starter point.  This book shows off his skill at intertwining 
exciting new science and its effects on the human psychy.  I find that 
his books read a lot like Brin's Uplift War serries.  I also recommend 
the newest of Joel Rosenberg's Guardian's of the Flame books.  I don't 
remember its title (my copy is 3000+ miles away in Alaska), but it came 
out in the last year.  In it we return to Walter Slovosky and Elgenon 
and all the other old characters, but best of all Andrea has life back 
in her. IT IS MUCH BETTER THAN NUMBERS 5 AND 6. Thanx again for your 
home page, it makes the abscense of my 300 paperbacks easier.
----Krista Park
                                kp6185a@american.edu

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: tropea@ctron.com (Daniel Tropea)
Date: Tue, 14 Nov 1995 12:31:41 -0500
Subject: A few questions
 
Hi Doug,
 
I enjoy your page but I am wondering if you or anyone else reads the Star Trek
novels. I am looking for some people to communicate with during my lunch hour
about these novels. I mainly read the Star Trek novels because (a) they are 
fun read granted not very supurb although (Peter David, Diane Duane and 
Diane Carey are the best ones) and (b) they are quick reads. With my schedule
I read novels that are quick to get through. I do read other novels in fact
I am halfway through the "Seeress of Kell" by Eddings and I thought that this
was a very fun series although the characters except for Beldin are idiots.
 
Dan Tropea
tropea@ctron.com

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: KC GUSTAFSON 
Date: Tue, 14 Nov 95 15:20:17 -500
Subject: Good new books!
 
Hey There! Good to see someone with an educated taste in SF!  What a relief. 
        Anyway, I noticed that you lack a certain British SF author that I have 
earned a particular liking for: Iain Bainks.  He also write fiction, under s sli
ghtly different name (I think he adds the initial 'M').  In any case his SF, mos
tly space operas, are genuinely fresh.  He has a fantastic writing style, and I 
have branched off into his 'normal' fiction as well.  A good first book would be
 "Against a Dark Background", or you could start his "Culture" trilogy with the 
book "Consider Phlebas" (a reference to a famous poem whose name eludes me at th
e moment).  The latter novel introduces 'the culture', a intergalactic society w
here humans (a few million) and AI's (a few billion) live together and essential
ly run everything.  It is s rather screwed up, yet very interesting, plot. Both 
are well worth the read.
        If you are in the mood for his 'normal' fiction, be prepared to be distu
rbed.  His first novel, "The Wasp Factory", had me shivering for a month.  All a
re stunning psychological thrillers/mystery type things that keep one riveted to
 the book until completed.  Well worth the while.
        Thank you for your time.  I highly recommend these books! Take a read an
d tell me what you think!
        Yr Fthfl Srvnt;  Kristian Gustafson

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: david jacobs 
Date: Thu, 16 Nov 1995 14:35:33 -0500
Subject: Books
 
Hello, I thought you would like to hear of a couple other 
great books that I have read. The Infinity Concerto by Greg 
Bear and it's sequel...The serpent Mage....if you can find 
these you are lucky they are treasures!
I also enjoy the Thomas Covenant Chronicles and I am glad I 
am not the only one.  Nobody I know likes them very much 
accept me.
   Anyway I hope you read these other books I told you 
about, and email me what you think.
                      Thanks
                            David B. Jacobs

[Actually, the two Bear books are a series I've reviewed and loved
 called "Songs of Earth and Power" -Ed]

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: KC GUSTAFSON 
Date: Thu, 16 Nov 95 17:36:33 EST
Subject: Something you have missed....
 
My dear Sir;
 
        I noticed you have a review for Terry Pratchett, and that is fine, for h
e is a good author.  What you have missed, however, is his collaboratoin with Ne
il Gaiman (?) called "Good Omens".  If there is a book that you are reading next
 IT MUST BE THIS ONE.  It is a story of Adam, the anti-christ, who was accidentl
y raised by a all-too normal British family, instead of under the care of the An
gel Aziraphel (a rather shy angel, much too goody-goody for the other angels- on
 duty on earth after screwing up the whole garden of eden thing) and the Demon C
rowley (a real dapper demon, who gets his communications from the devil via the 
Classic Queen tape in his car) [who have, much to their own dismay, spent 13 yea
rs raising an otherwise perfectly normal kid, now somewhat warped]. Other charac
ters include the four horse-people of the apocalypse (on motor-bikes), and sever
al witches and witch hunters.
        The plot develops as Adam slowly figures out that he is the anti-Christ,
 and must referee the apocalypse, a scant week away.  A lot of serious philosoph
ical ground is covered (I imagine coming from Neil Gaiman) yet it is un-put-down
ably funny- a real side splitter.  My brief description may give someone the imp
ression of a lampoon of the fantasy genre, but it is far from it.  Rather, it tr
anscribes human errors of judgement onto angels and demons, and in the ensuing c
omedy of errors, a rather deep plot evolves.  This is one of the top 5 books I h
ave read in recent years.  It is, I believe, widely available (in Canada at leas
t).  I cannot laud this book any more....
        Yr fthfl Srvnt;
        Kristian Gustafson
        Kingston, Ont, Canada
 
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Nathan Tabor 
Date: Thu, 16 Nov 95 16:38:51 -0800
Subject: Comments on books (obviously).
 
Doug,
     I just loged on to your review page today for the first time. I was
impressed by the obvious time and effort you put into this page. I saw
that you recieved mail and after reading a few of the letters you have
recieved I decided to do the same.
     First I would like to say that I agree with most of the reviews you
have given. Also, you reviews have helped me decied to risk some books
that I have been debating for a while. I would also like to thank you for
that Star Wars time line. I have not read all of those books so I was
some what confused.
     I would also like to add a couple of recommendations, and second a
few.
 
Seconds:
    Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. You should also try Margaret's Ster
of the Guardians series. I is a very good SF trilogy with lots of
original material.
    Robert Jordan, I won't say anything accept that you will probably
have to wait at least another two or three years. From what I hear he is
working on the seventh book and may go as many as nine or ten.
  
Recommendations:
     R.A.Salvatore: He has an extensive series of nine books published by
TSR in the Forgotten Realms series. The first trilogy(The Ice Wind Dale
Trilogy) starts of a little weak (not much), but he ends up with a very
unique set of characters and a strong plot. If nothing else I have never
seen a writer who could do a better melee scene (not even Jordon, and he
is pretty damn good).
 
     Steven King: I would guess that your adhearing to your principle of
not starting a series until it is all out in paperback, but The Dark
Tower series is well worth reading. The only problem is that the first
three books took around fifteen years (most of that the first) and he has
not put another one out in the last four years.
 
     Orson Scott Card: the Memory of Earth series. I don't know if this
is to be a very long series. He has four out and I have yet to read that
last one. It is almost as good as Ender's Game though it is on a totaly
different wave length.
 
Thankyou for your time. I will write you again if I find anything truely
remarkable.
                                  An addicted reader,
                                  Nathan Tabor

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Joel Wachs 
Date: Fri, 17 Nov 95 12:17:41 -0800
 
Thanks for your recommendation about Brust.  I read the six available
Vlad books last weekend and am currently in the middle of "The Phoenix
Guards".
 
I found the environment of the Vlad books to be film noir-ish, where
authority is extremely distant and everyone seems caught up in events
beyond their control.  In addition, the close proximity between the
highest levels of society (the empress, nobles, etc.) and the lowest
(humans, Teckla, theives, assassins, etc.) reminded me of Dashiell
Hammett and Raymond Chandler.  (Since both of these authors works, "The
Maltese Falcon," "The Big Sleep," etc., were the basis for some of the
greatest film noir movies that should not be surprising.)
 
Once again, thanks.  I look forward to your future reviews and
recommendations.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: "a.l.valdis" 
Date: Sun, 19 Nov 95 22:50:38 -0800
 
I am afraid I am not able to recommend you some book. The
last I read was Jeffrey Noon=B4s "Pollen" and i was
dissapointed. I am writing to you to ask you a favor. I
need the name of the author who wrote the story "The 1000
names of God". I think it was Arthur C. Clarke, but I am
not sure and need the confirmation to quotate in an article
I am writing about IT and the risks of the information. Do
you thinmk you can help me or suggest another page with an
archive of titles of stories. I can=B4t rememer either in
which antologhy the story was published. Congratulations to
a very good page. Greetings and thanks in advance. Ana L.
Vald=E9s.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From jacobsd@achilles.tcsnet.net Mon Nov 20 06:51:07 1995
Subject: Re: Books
 
Thanks for the email.
    Thanks, I couldnt remeber what the original series was called.  I
really enjoyed the Thomas Covenant books, but it seems women dont
like the part where he rapes that girl in the first book.  Me I
understood what he was going through....I think a guy can relate more
to the story.   Anyway, I was wondering if you have any thoughts
about Vampire books.  Everyone seems to love Anne Rice, but I dont
really like her work, because she changed the rules of the Vampire
too much.  I like nthe classic Vampire tales, like Dracula.  Have you
read the Diaries of the Family Dracul series by Jeanne Kalodigris?
It is pretty cool and it seems to fit more into the classical vampire
scene.
 Well, I am at work....back to the grindstone!
                           See ya later.
    DAvid.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: "Kenneth W. Jennings, Jr." 
Date: Wed, 29 Nov 95 21:47:52 -0800
Subject: Hello from Singapore
 
Doug:
 
Hello from a fellow Husky residing in Singapore.  I ran across you page
while testing out a Secure Net Key that lets me escape from Oracle
internal network into the Web - at backbone speed and for free.  Net
access is expensive through the Sinagpore carriers.
 
I enjoyed seeing your reviews and found your eclectic tastes to be
similar to mine.  So I picked up some good recommendations for what to
read.  I've been working in Asia since 1980 and, even though I get back
to Seattle once a year, I have lost track of lots of new material. Never
heard of Tigana until I saw it in your list. Then it shows up as #3 on an
all-time hits list voted on by 900+ readers.  I hope I can find it here.
 
If you liked Heinlein's Past Through Tomorrow (Future History Series),
you should read his best works.  Most of the others on your list were
from his "weird" period, caused in part by a long term carotid artery
blockage that affected his brain.  Probably his best work is The Moon is
a Harsh Mistress.  Other works of equal quality to the future history
include Citizen of the Galaxay, Door into Summer, and Double Star.
Puppet Masters is good too, being the prototype for the many
"body-snatcher" type of movies/stories that came much later.  In my view
Heinlein, dispite some shortcomings is the best pure storyteller the
genre has known.  Scott Card is, perhaps, next, but not a pure SF writer
(I know Scott a little and he writes SF because there's a market for it).
 
Also, you MUST read the rest of the Rama series.  Like you, I found
Rendezvous fascinating but without sufficient closure.  In a way, that
first book is the Rama series what The Hobbit is the the Lord of the
Rings.  It introduces the Milieu.  The rest of the books combine high
adventure with some of the most poignant commentary on man's spiritual
self vs. his social self.  A mix of Lord of the Flies and Huck Finn, if
you will.
 
Anyway, I thought you'd get a kick out of knowing that your voice has
been heard way out here.  I look forward to reading some of the books
reviewed on your page.
 
Best regards,
Ken Jennings
(Oracle Asia/Pacific Division Legal Counsel, by the way)

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From: Scott Noot 
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 95 14:53:04 -800
Subject: Books to read
 
I really enjoyed the Drenai series by David Gemmel,a heroic
fantasy writer from Britain.  Waylander was good to.  His books
can be tough to find over here though.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Jonas Ramirez <95154906@vax1.dcu.ie>
Date: Fri, 01 Dec 1995 18:48:08 -0800
Subject: Books

  Hi there. Just writing to 'politely suggest' you to read
any book by Margaret Weis & Tracy Hickman. Maybe you have heard
about the 'Dragonlance' series, but I definitely think that
posterior books are much better: "Darksword" and "Rose of the
Prophet". But what I really recommend you to read if you have
time and you want to is: "The Death Gate Cycle" (7 volumes). All
seven volumes are available on paperback, so you should not have
anything against reading them (I do not like to wait months or
sometimes even more than a year for the sequel, either).
 
*** This is only a SUGGESTION, OK?, so I won't tell you twice.
It is just that you are missing the best authors (in my humble
opinion) since J.R.R. Tolkien ***

[I guess my Robert Jordan page may be a little to shrill?  :)  ]

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Crispin Roche 
Date: Sun, 03 Dec 95 21:56:02 -0800
Subject: Reccommended reading?

Hello,

  Just thought I'd give you a couple of my favourite scifi 
authors that don't seem to be in your library.

 Cordwainer Smith - The Instrumentality of Mankind & the 
Rediscovery of Man

 These are two sets of interleaved short stories chronicaling the 
future history of humanity and its relationship with a mutated 
semianimal/semihuman underrace. Although it doesn't sound to 
promising the stories are highly imaginative and, very rare, well 
written.

 Olaf Stapledon - Odd John

 A very dark story of an emerging superrace and their trials and 
experimentations. Stapledon was a philosopher who wrote about his 
philosphies in a series of novels of various genres. Odd John is 
his most "science  fictional".


Apart from these reccomendations I would like to say that I find 
your libarray very interesting and will certainly take the 
opportunity of perusing  it some more.

Best of luck
Crispin Roche

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: "Todd McMurry" 
Date:          Wed, 6 Dec 1995 10:27:16 +0000

To whom it may cocern, just a short note to recommend a couple of  
authors you might want to check out. First, Dennis L. McKerian(please 
excuse my spelling if incorrect), he wrote the Iron Tower trilogy. 
Second, L.E. Modesset, The Magic of Recluce, and four other books 
which link themselves to Recluce, but can be read seperate from the 
each other.  Last, Robert Jordan, he makes me mad that I have to wait 
so long between books, I almost have to re-read his books to update 
myself when his next one comes out.  I really think he is drawing out 
the Wheel of Time series.  Does he do this to make more money ?
                     Thanks for your Time

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: daz 
Date: Thu, 07 Dec 95 22:15:55 -0800
Subject: Thomas Covenant

I have just finished 'The Second Chronicles Of Thomas Covenant' and decided to 
search on 'him'. This is the first time i've come across this site and i 
have to say 
that i am impressed. I am just starting a new book 'Lyonesse' written by 
Jack Vance. 
It was recommended by a friend and I will drop you review of the book when I 
have finished it.

Thanks, Daz (daz@easynet.co.uk)

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Duet 
Date: Thu, 07 Dec 95 23:12:09 0000
Subject: author homepage

I thought you might be interested in this page.

Kevin J. Anderson has a homepage at
http://www.aimnet.com/~wordfire

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Lee Merritt 
Date: Sat, 09 Dec 95 00:46:42 -800
Subject: Library Reviews...

Hello,

I am basically just beginning my Web travels
and have finally gotten access through my Med School.
I have browsed your page and would like to make a humble suggestion
that you read a book by Samuel Shem titled "The House of God".
Briefly, a story about a Medical Intern at Mass. General hospital.
It is not overly burdened with medical terminology and is quite interesting.
I read it in one sitting before I ever went to Med School.  I noticed that
you seem to enjoy fantasy as I do and think that this work of fiction is 
worth your time.  It will be entertaining at any rate and I am curious as to 
what you think about the book.

In regard to Stephen R. Donaldson "Chronicals of Thomas COvenant;the Unbeliver"
I am a great Tolkien fan and found this to be equal in its scope and magnitude
a bit more of a "dark side" here but the strategy of Hile Troy and the 
interesting
characters make this a winner.  I also found the fact that the reader is never 
quite sure if the author is dreaming (post concussion syndrome) or if
these events are truly happening.

J.R.R.Tolkien
Not much to say other than his stuff is GREAT!  Even in the post-cold war era
of today.  I especially like his character developement in selected cases
as well as his overall message of tolerance as all creatues have their purpose
which one cannot always forsee (ie gollum and Gandalf).

ANyway, jsut my two cents on those authors.  Hope you'll try House of God.
Thank's for the great Myst page and Home Page.  Your work is appreciated.

Lee Merritt

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: 71554.204@compuserve.com
Date: Mon, 11 Dec 1995 21:38:44 -0500
Subject: Cool page, but you got your evolution wrong

Excellent page!  We share a lot of common authors and interests.  Found 
my way to your book reviews page via Myst page.  Also excellent material.
My only gripe is your cheap "evolutionary" shot at Limbaugh listeners. 
Generally, generalizations miss a large bulk of the truth.  Besides, those
of us from the conservative end of the spectrum would argue that we ARE
the result of historical natural selection !

Really, though excellent content, organization and presentation.  Proving
graphics do not necessarily make a great page.  Keep up the good work 
from a conservative SF fan.

[Ed. note:  To see what he's talking about, see my Robert Jordan page:
            http://personal.tcu.edu/~ingram/books/rjordan.html
            That's where the "evolutionary" comment can be found.  I
            thought my comment was both funny and true.  I still do.  ]

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: Robert Gasch 
Date: 13 Dec 95 15:12:35 
Subject: WWW Site - Thanks

Hi,

just spent an hour looking through your web site and found it very nice that 
you have a big collection of reviews to offer. I would have a few 
recommandations 
for you:

1) If you like big space operas, check out the "Skyark" and "Lensmen" series 
by E.E. Smith. They're quite old (pre-World War 2) and a bit moralistic at 
times, 
but make a for a good read that gives Clancy a run for his money.

2) If you like dark, mysterious books, see if you can find "The Golem" by 
Gustav Meyrink. It's obscure, it's dark, it's wonderful. I read it a few months 
ago (the original, in German) and was enthralled. It's got a way of visualizing 
things that's hypnotic.

3) If you like big battle series, check out Gerrold's "War against the Chtorr" 
series. It's not complete yet (books 1-4 are out, 5 should be out soon) , but 
it's n excellent read giving a new twist to the theme of alien invasions. Made 
me think differently about ecologies for which I treasure it. 

4) Also, I must warn you not to expect too much of the new Eco novel. I found 
it a bit disappointing. Defeniteley not up to "Focoult's Pendelum" which I 
found 
to be an intellectual Tour de Force. 

Greetings from rainy Holland
--> Robert

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%
From: William Squier 
Date: Sat, 16 Dec 95 11:16:54 0800

Hey there.  Was just cruising through your web site and figured I'd drop 
a note.

I really don't remember how I even got here, all I remember is that I 
started in Yahoo searching for book lists.  Eventually, I saw something 
that you had posted about the book "Replay" by Ken Grimwood.  Thank you, 
I thought I was the only person that had ever read this book.  I was 
lucky enough to find a copy in hardback in a used book store not long 
ago.  I've gone through 3 copies in paperback till I finally found the 
hardback copy.  Should last a few years.

Well, from reading the review you wrote for the sf.written group, looks 
like you feel as strongly about this book as I do.  I'm getting ready to