Customer Reviews

The Burning Eye (Warworld, Book 1)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Jerry Pournelle, who was heavily influenced by the great H. Beam Piper and his Terro-Human Future History, devised his own future history that postulates the collapse of an interstellar empire into civil wars spanning centuries after the gene-engineered Sauron supermen decide to take over the mantle of civilization from the Empire of Man. The first book in the ``War World'' series introduces readers to Haven and for me the Poul Anderson story ``The Deserter'' is worth the price of admission. A very skillfully done story that really sets the stage for the death of the empire and how the planets and stars at the fringe are already feeling the pinch of interstellar trade being disrupted. ``The Toymaker'' is also a great short story here. Check this book out and I promise you that you won't be disappointed. A very good book here is followed by ``War World II: Death Head's Rebellion''

I first read this book years ago while in high school and thoroughly enjoyed it. The various authors involved are all writing about events on the marginal colony world of Haven as it, and most of war-torn human space, slides down into an apocalypse that (for most) ends with more of a whimper than a bang. Owing in part to colonial policies that favor the time-tested strategy of forced transportation for inconvenient persons and peoples on Earth, Haven is home to a wide range of cultures, religious fringe groups, and the like, all of whom must cope with not only the collapse of interstellar commerce but also invasion by remnants of one faction in the civil war that has wrecked human space.

The various stories in the collection are mostly very well done and very readable, with a mix of military science fiction and ethnographic sort of science fiction. Some familiarity with Pournelle's CoDominium setting is helpful for readers, but certainly not essential. Overall a highly engaging read, and highly recommended for anyone looking for well conceptualized, very readable science fiction.

This is a collection of short stories from different authors, all based on a common set of guidelines. Specifically, they all take place on the inhospitable planet of Haven, a world populated by strands of humanity scratching out new lives on the way out frontier. Intergalactic war isolates the planet and an escaping battle cruiser full of enemy aliens slams the door on it for good. There are driving stories here with characters that reappear in subsequent books and there are one-offs. I loved the Don Hawthorne story The Coming of the Eye. David Drake weighs in with a thoughtful piece on making beer, not war and John Dalmas even has an entry featuring the descendants of the Apaches. As with most collections, you'll like some stories more than others, but on the whole, this is a very enjoyable book that is certain to spark your imagination.

The first of many and a good read, J Pournelle was ahead of his time when he put together this book. Many of his and his coauthors stories and issues ring true today and fit well in the sci-fi genre. If you haven't read this one you need to to get the full flavor of the series

I feel that Jerry Pournelle had a great vision and wanted his vision put into sci-fi novels. This is book one of the whole series. This book was a good read and each story was written in thier own way by different authors. Honestly, I found some contridiction is the book but not enough to throw you off. I was surprise to find a story within the book written by Harry Turtledove. Now Harry Turtledove a known author, this must have be written before he became known. I wasn't excited by the book but if the book was written by one author I would of like it better. In my opinion, I feel that one author can truely project the true essence of a story.