18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of the best Sci Fi Series ever, October 25, 2003
Why Piers Anthony is primarily considered a fantasy author, I'll never know. I think that at least half of his greatest work is Sci-Fi, and this book is the beginning of one of his best series. Bio of a Space Tyrant (beginning with Refugee) is a great look at the rise of one person in a sea of chaos to the pinnacle of leadership.
In this book we learn of the main character's race for survival as he flees his home planet in a simple space pod along with 100 or so other refugees. This book is not for the prude -it deals with violent encounters and the need and drive for survival in the worst of human conditions.
I could not put this book down, and think the rest of the series lives up to its promise.
While obviously a lot of events in the book mirror some of the events and historical cold-war issues of our time, I found that a lot of the commentary was refreshing and thoughtful, and it reminded me of Robert E. Heinlein, who often proposed "harsh" solutions to mankind's problems -solutions that very well may have worked had we the will to implement them.
I found it to be a fantastic book, and when I got to the end I was truly surprised at the depth of what I had read. I had NOT expected the book to progress as it had.
Though out of print in the mass market paperback edition, I would say it would ABSOLUTELY be worth purchasing the trade paperback versions or purchasing the older ones used. A small price to pay for a series that may open up your mind to different ways at looking at the world, and to understanding in a fresh way the human machinations within.
If you liked this sci-fi excursion with Piers Anthony, I'd also recommend his 5 volume "Cluster" Series which is also amazing sci-fi (and even more imaginative), as well as his "Omnivore / Orn / Ox" series, and finally, and most especially, his Split Infinity series (which may be my favorite -but is only half sci-fi; the other half being pure fantasy). Really imaginative and compelling Science Fiction here.
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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Piers' best writing!, December 8, 2000
I loved the Bio of a Space Tyrant series. Refugee was one of the most affecting/haunting books I've ever read. It is not for the weak stomached. There is much violence in this book, but it's not about the violence it's about the human will to survive. The first four books in this series, Refugee, Mercenary, Politican and Executive are excellent page turners. The fifth Statesman is good but not quite the same level, a little anticlimatic. But don't miss out by not reading at least the first four!
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Hope Hubris--What a life, September 11, 2006
Here in the beginning, he's not much of anything really, just a kid who stood up for his sister. That one act begins a series of events that ultimately rock the entire solar system.
Here in the opening, Hope and his family are fleeing in a transport bubble with many other families. Beset by pirates, a multitude of times, the population within the bubble is dramatically reduced by the time they reach their destination.
REally a sad book, but it lays the foundation for what is to come. A series definitely worth reading. I've read it now over a dozen times over the last two decades.
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