From Publishers WeeklyTetsuo Hanavi may hold the noncombatant rank of inspector-general in the Mercenary Corps of the Israeli-descended planet Metzanda, but his real job is something closer to hitman. Along with his uncle, disgraced ex-Gen. Shimon Bar-El, Tetsuo here becomes involved in two of his government's campaigns. To establish the pair's powers, Rosenberg shows how their cleverness and ruthlessness clear up the first assignment in puzzlingly short order. The second, however, gets so tangled in obscure future politics that it seems just as pointless. Rosenberg's interesting idea of combining the mysticism of oriental martial arts with pragmatic sabra toughness is as undeveloped as the stock characters and the unexamined romanticism of arms and man. Copyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library JournalTo maintain the integrity of their reputation as the galaxy's mercenary elite, the soldiers of the barren world of Metzada adhere to a rigid code of loyalty and honor reminiscent of their Jewish-Israeli ancestors. When a veteran soldier apparently betrays the code, it becomes the ongoing task of his nephew to terminate himif he can. With the same gritty realism found in Emile and the Dutchman , this delivers fact-paced sf action-adventure with a refreshing twist. For sf collections. JCCopyright 1988 Reed Business Information, Inc. Views: 48
The story begins by introducing Paks as a headstrong girl of 18, who leaves her home in Three Firs (fleeing a marriage arranged by her father) to join a mercenary company and through her journeys and hardships comes to realize that she has been gifted as a paladin, if in a rather non-traditional way. Views: 48
With their penetrating psychological insight and their emphasis on human dignity, respect and forgiveness, Dostoyevsky's early short stories contain the seeds of the themes that came to his major novels. Poor Folk, the author's first great literary triumph, is the story of a tragic relationship between an impoverished copy clerk and a young seamstress, told through their passionate letters to each other. In The Landlady Dostoyevsky portrays a dreamer hero who is captivated by a curious couple and becomes their lodger. Mr Prokharchin, inspired by a true story, is a sly comedy centring on an eccentric miser, and Polzunkov is a powerful character sketch which, in common with the other tales in this volume, questions the very nature of existence. Views: 47
The *Ascension Factor* is the conclusion to Frank Herbert's 'Pandora Sequence'
Set twenty-five years after *The Lazarus Effect,* this final book in the *Destination: Void* collaboration between Frank Herbert and Bill Ransom concludes the story of the planet Pandora.
Pandora's humans have been recovering land from its raging seas at an accelerated pace since *The Lazarus Effect*. The great kelp of the seas, sentient but electronically manipulated by humans, buffers Pandora's wild currents to restore land and facilitate the booming sea trade. New settlements rise overnight, but children starve in their shadows. An orbiting assembly station is near completion of Project Voidship, which is the hope of many for finding a better world. Pandora is under the fist of an ambitious clone from hibernation called the Director, who rules with a sadistic security force led by the assassin Spider Nevi. Small resistance groups have had little effect on his absolute power. The Director controls the transportation of foodstuffs; uprisings are punished with starvation.
The resistance fighters' main hope is Crista Galli, a woman believed by some to be the child of God. Crista pools her talents with Dwarf MacIntosh, Beatriz Tatoosh, and Rico LaPush to transcend the barriers between the different species and overthrow the Director and the sinister cabal with which he rules. Views: 47
From The Inside FlapIn this exciting collection of short stories, Louis L'Amour, the legendary voice of the American West, celebrates the unique breed of men who worked the great cattle ranches. Men like Dan Regan, who refused to surrender when trouble came -- Con Fargo, who would fight for what was his--despite the odds -- Rowdy Horn, a small-time rancher with big-time dreams -- Tandy Thayer, too loyal to forget a friend ... Bill Carey, who might have fallen low, but not low enough to let the likes of Tabat Ryerson ride off with a woman like Jane Conway -- and in the classic title story, Danny Lonigan, a hard rider who faced a group of rustlers without fear--or mercy. About The AuthorOur foremost storyteller of the authentic West, Louis L’Amour has thrilled a nation by chronicling the adventures of the brave men and women who settled the American frontier. There are more than 300 million copies of his books in print around the world. Views: 46
"DON'T THINK YOU CAN COME SNEAKING BACK HERE IF YOU ARE EVER OUT OF A JOB!"Florina's father was furious when, after a lifetime of drudgery, she finally developed the courage to rebel. But there was no danger of her returning home. Florina loved her new job as cook in the household of eminent consultant William Sedley. And it wasn't long before she realized that she loved her employer, too. But she had no chance of attracting his attention when he was engaged to the glamorous Wanda! Views: 45
The sequel to "Becoming Alien". Views: 44
Deliverance is the story of Georgie Bagshawe, a gentle, inoffensive young man brought up in an orphanage, who inherits his Aunt Butters's shop. From humble beginnings he becomes prosperous and respected until he makes an unwise marriage with Grace. Slowly he is crushed, put upon and goaded, while all he has inherited is filched away from him. Yet all this he would have borne but for a chance meeting with Ruth in a teashop when he suddenly realizes how desperate his marriage predicament has become. And when, over and above this, Grace keeps him from sharing the last hours of his Uncle Eddie, hatred takes the place of mere dislike, and the path to danger is uncovered. At which point the story turns with an unexpected twist... Views: 44
Originally published in 1988, Anthony Storr's enlightening meditation on the creative individual's need for solitude has become a classic.
Solitude was seminal in challenging the established belief that "interpersonal relationships of an intimate kind are the chief, if not the only, source of human happiness." Indeed, most self-help literature still places relationships at the center of human existence. Lucid and lyrical, Storr's book cites numerous examples of brilliant scholars and artists -- from Beethoven and Kant to Anne Sexton and Beatrix Potter -- to demonstrate that solitude ranks alongside relationships in its impact on an individual's well-being and productivity, as well as on society's progress and health. But solitary activity is essential not only for geniuses, says Storr; the average person, too, is enriched by spending time alone.
For fifteen years, readers have found inspiration and renewal in Storr's erudite, compassionate vision of human experience. Views: 44
When Henry was a child, something terrible happened in the woods behind
his home, something so shocking he could only express his grief by
drawing pictures of what he had witnessed. Eventually Henry's mind
blocked out the bad memories, but he continued to draw, often at night
by the light of the moon.Twenty years later, Henry makes his
living by painting his disturbing works of art. He loves his wife and
his son and life couldn't be better... except there's something not
quite right about the old stone farmhouse his family now calls home.
There's something strange living in the cramped cellar, in the maze of
pipes that feed the ancient steam boiler. A winter storm is
brewing and soon Henry will learn the true nature of the monster waiting
for him down in the darkness. He will battle this demon and, in the
process, he may discover what really happened when he was a child and
why, in times of trouble, he thinks: I paint against the darkness. But
will Henry learn the truth in time to avoid the terrible fate awaiting
him... or will the thing in the cellar get him and his family first? Views: 44
Frank and Joe Hardy are drawn into a tangled web of danger when they are called in to investigate mysterious accidents plaguing a college football star. Views: 43