All Reviews by Bill
See?
by Edward G. Robles
Ha, this is great! Quick and light reading, but you could ponder this for hours and hours afterward.
The Wailing Asteroid
by Murray Leinster
I found the writing style a little bit clumsy, and the wrap-up a bit hasty, but a generally enjoyable story otherwise.
Preliminary Specifications: Programmed Data Processor Model Three (PDP-3) October, 1960
by Digital Equipment Corporation
As a fan of "vintage computing", this is superb. As best as I can determine, the PDP-3 was never an actual product. A single one was built, and not by DEC. I wonder how this document fits into the history of PDP computers? This appears to be a genuine document, but I'm not any sort of exert to ascertain that. A good time-line of PDP's is at:
http://www.faqs.org/faqs/dec-faq/pdp8/
Seven Swords
by Michael E. Shea
Essentially a re-telling of "The Seven Samurai", this is a good page-tuner. I'm glad to see the writer has several other books released, seemingly all in the same universe, so I'll be sure to look into those as well.
The Book
by Hugh Perkins
Self-publishing is great, because you can skip the traditional channels. Unfortunately, some of the process of traditional publishing is very useful. In this case, it would have been highly beneficial for the author to have this professionally proof-read prior to publishing.
The Afterglow
by George Allan England
Third, and thankfully, last in the series. Significantly less enjoyable than the earlier two. Our hero is now approaching self-deification, while his "girl" simply tells him "without you, none of this would be possible". Of course, being the last "civilized" people on earth, that would be true in any event.
If this was not the conclusion to the series, I would have stopped reading at least half-way through, but I really (really) wanted to see how it all ended, and had to grit my teeth for this one.
Beyond The Great Oblivion
by George Allan England
Second in the series, picks up almost directly after the first book leaves off. This time, we learn that the dynamic duo are not the sole survivors of the presumably global catastrophe.
By now, the protagonist has grown to mythological proportions, with nothing impossible at his hands. A contemporary MacGyver if you will, who is starting to develop a touch of megalomania. "The girl" by now is reduced to a one-dimension paperdoll who's sole purpose is a sounding board for the protagonists monologues, and to stare adoringly at him.
Regardless of the distasteful treatment of those matters, if you can overlook that, it is still enjoyable.
The Last New Yorkers
by George Allan England
Only marred by some of the more blatant racist and sexist material; if you can overlook that, reading it as contemporary (i.e., 1911), it is fast and entertaining reading.
Adaptation
by Dallas McCord Reynolds
Set far in the future where social experiments need to bring long-lost space colonies to contemporary levels of technology. Written during the Cold War, this is ultimately an argument over which is better: capitalism or communism?
The Doomsman
by Van Tassel Sutphen
Interesting early example of post-apocalyptic fiction. Alternates between being enjoyable to dreadful. I think this is due to the writing style of the author, which is written in an almost poetic style with a very odd rhythm that makes it hard to scan.
The Panchronicon
by Harold Steele MacKaye
"Science fiction" in only the the broadest sense that it involves time-travel and alternate history. Lighthearted and surprisingly fun, makes it easy to overlook some of the consistencies.
The Day of the Nefilim
by David L. Major
There are some parts which feel sluggish, but overall a great book. The wrap-up was a little unsatisfactory, which makes one wonder if the author has a continuation in mind.
When the Sleeper Wakes
by H.G. Wells
An interesting premise to drive an otherwise boring story. Many jumbled and confusing scenes add to the overall dysfunction, and left this reader wishing this story would just end.
Flatland (illustrated version)
by Edwin A. Abbott
A tough nut, definitely not casual or light reading. The author makes a satire of class-based society using a geometrical context, and somehow, it works. You could probably read this several times continue to see new angles, if you'll excuse the pun!
The Secret of the Ninth Planet
by Donald A. Wollheim
If you start reading this as "sci-fi", you might be disappointed. So take this as a boys adventure novel, which happens to be set in space.
The Stars, My Brothers
by Edmond Hamilton
I understand a short story of this nature does not really lend to deep character development, but my word, every single character here is just plain annoying.
The Undersea Tube
by L. Taylor Hansen
Meh. It's so short, you could probably read it during television commercials, but you won't really take anything away from it. At best, it's an interesting study in early 20th century engineering and safety issues; it also has an earlier prediction of the Channel Tunnel, while certainly not the earliest, still interesting in that regards.
The Day Time Stopped Moving
by Bradner Buckner
Quick and fun story. What I consider to be classic pulp.
At the Mountains of Madness
by H.P. Lovecraft
This was written later in Lovecraft's career, and presents a mature introduction to the Cthulu mythos. I recommend this book as a first-read for anyone wanting to explore Lovecraft.
Agent to the Stars
by John Scalzi
I'm always hesitant to explore unknowns like this: an author's first work, self-published, and freely distributed? Sounds a little risky to me. Actually, don't let that push you away. This is a fun book to read, very much worth the time.
The Cosmic Expense Account
by C.M. Kornbluth
Quick and easy read, entertaining pretext with a humorous twist.
Neptune Crossing
by Jeffrey A. Carver
Fantastic book by a modern SF master. Awesome move to release these books for free.
The Infinite Sea
by Jeffrey A. Carver
A little bit slower than the first two books, but still excellent reading
The Man Who Came Early
by Poul William Anderson
Quick and entertaining reading. Not really deep in terms of issues, still you have to feel pity on the protagonist.
The Aliens
by Murray Leinster
Interesting study in first-contact scenarios, where things could and do go wrong. I bumped it down one star due to the awkward romance, which the story doesn't really need.
The Ultimate Weapon
by John W. Campbell, Jr.
Typical early SF pulp. Science is based on hugeness: thousands, millions and billions. The weapon of choice is the "ray". When Earth is invaded, the battle is lead by the eggheads in their labs. And topping it off is a hero named Buck. Skip it, unless you need help falling asleep.
City at World's End
by Edmond Hamilton
Grabs you from the opening paragraphs and keeps you going to the end, and then wanting more. I highly recommend this.
Stories of New Jersey
by Frank R. Stockton
This is an anecdotal history of New Jersey; not a dry tome of names and dates, but lively stories of some of the historical figures in New Jersey history: Molly Pitcher, Tempe Wick and of course George Washington.
Tom Swift and His Motor-Cycle
by Victor Appleton
These are good books. Quick and easy reads, and just plain fun. Keep in mind that these stories revolve around the technology of 100 years ago. For instance, you'll find references to steam-driven automobiles.
Candide
by Voltaire
Absolutely hilarious, in a strangely remote manner -- matter of fact, dark, cynical, and humanist, all at once; I love how all of the "dead" characters kept popping back into the story :)