Customer Reviews

Dead Heat

5 star:		(33)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(17)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Have you wanted details on how to train a dragon? Wondered how and why Harper Hall got started? Thought about the implications of all male riders? In short, if you've read and loved some of the Pern novels, you'll enjoy this one for all the questions it answers. At the same time, though, it lacks any single really interesting central character or plot. One can hope that the author will write another book in the same era - greater acquaintance with some of the same people would help. The era is 200 years after Dragonsdawn. The next threadfall is approaching. There's some problems with convincing people to prepare that are nothing but a rehash of the original stories. The interest here lies in the fact that this is a society that still remembers they came from earth. Even though they have flying dragons, the last airplane is mothballed in a museum. This is a society that has struggled to nurture its few remaining computers and during the novel, the last one breaks down forever. Decisions have to be made. Herein lies the interest of the book. You see a society in transition, having to make very difficult decisions. Overriding all, the need to make sure the information about the 250 years cycle of threads will be passed down to succeeding generations. As the characters agonize over these problems, one sees the society of Pern we all know from the other novels take shape. All this makes fascinating reading along with the details of how the young dragonets are raised. If only a really vivid personality or two had been put in and/or a really interesting plotline this would have been one of her best instead of merely interesting. Needless to say, this is not a book for someone who is unfamiliar with the Pern stories. It's simply an enjoyable read that fills in a great many gaps.

It has been two hundred years since the last Threadfall on Pern and there is no one alive who remembers the deadly silver thread and its first horrific onslaught - except for the dragonriders. For two centuries they have been faithfully practicing the manuevers that Sean O'Connell, the first Weryleader, had developed to most effectively fight Thread. Now the signs of Threadfall are appearing: violent winter storms & volcanic eruptions, as well as other, more subtle signs. But one stubborn Lord Holder, Chalkin of Bitra, refuses to believe the signs. He also refuses to let his people prepare for Threadfall or to let dragonriders patrol his holdings. The Lord Holders must band together and find a way to deal with Chalkin before it is too late...

But, of course, Chalkin is not the only person who is causing problems. Clisser, who is in charge of teaching, is forced to deal with Pern's slowly dying technology. Most of the computers are already dead and unrepairable. Students and parents are rebelling at learning "useless" information, such as wars fought on old Terran and other alien information. Clisser and his fellow teachers must make the tough decision as to curriculum changes - do they begin teaching at the beginning of Pern's history and focus on the here and now or do they continue to teach their students to try and see beyond their own planet? Artist Iantine is caught up in Chalkin's evil wake when he accepted Chalkin's patronage and agreed to paint portraits of his children and his wife. Little did Iantine realize that Chalkin would not be satisfied with any portrait that he made and that he would be forced to pay for food and lodging while staying in Chalkin's home. When he was finally able to escape, he recorded the horrific circumstances of Chalkin's luckless people and forced the Lord Holder's council to realize that Chalkin was not doing his duty. K'vin is the new Weyrleader of Telgar Weyr and is uncertain as to his relationship with the Weyrwoman, Zulaya, who is older than he and much more experienced. As the newest Weyrleader, K'vin is determined to have Telgar put in a good showing at the first Threadfall. If only he could get brave fools like P'tero to stop taking foolish risks to show off for their lovers!

At first, when I started reading Dragonseye, I assumed it was just like Dragonflight - no one believes Thread will fall anymore, it is up to the heroic dragonriders to save everyone, etc., but I was pleasantly surprised by the subtle - but critical - differences. For one thing, Pern still has much of its technology intact at this point and people still remember the first settlers of Pern and why they came to the out of the way planet. They still have computers, pianos, solar panels, etc., and can repair much of what they have. This book covered the tough decisions as to what to pass on to future generations and how and the teaching ballads were born. They also wanted to create something more concrete to warn future Pernese that Thread was coming so they created the Star Stones. The Lord Holders were forced to look at the constitution of Pern and to make a decision regarding Chalkin and realize that lineage wasn't enough. It was also interesting to see the language start to shift into what is more recognizable in Dragonflight as the people of Pern start to use the word 'turn' for 'year', etc. Anyway, the story is familiar, but the characters contained are fresh and new and I greatly enjoyed this midway point between the original settlers and the time of F'lar and Lessa. I particularly enjoyed learning about the artists and found Iantine to be one of my favorite characters in the series. I know that other people have rated this book poorly, but I really enjoyed it and recommend it to other readers who have enjoyed the Pern series.

Two kinds of people might enjoy this book: Pern addicts and cultural anthropologists who happen to be sci fi fans. This book is interesting in that it explains how the Pernese went from technology-proficient, star-roaming people to pseudo-mediavelists. The Star Stones, teaching songs, what happened to computers etc., it's all here. AND it's pretty cool. Problem is the plot that's sooo reminiscent of "Dragonflight" (disgruntled lords are antsy 'cause they think Thread will never fall again and dragonriders are a strain on resources--why is this always the case, anyway?), and the average characters. Chalkin could be a watered-down ancestor of Fax or Meron, and Zuleya and K'vin just have nothing on F'lar, Lessa, Moreta, or any of the other prominent Weyrfolk. The conflict is resolved quite easily...but, hell, I AM into cultural development and the like, so I got a kick out of learning the origin of all these traditions. Anyway, it's worth the read but won't put you in a euphoric state.

For those who are confused, this book takes place 257 years after LANDING. That is to say, about 230 years after the events in Dragonsdawn, and about 2000 years BEFORE the events of the main books (Dragonflight, Dragonquest, Dragonsong, yadda yadda). It's mainly there for two reasons: to show how the Teaching Ballands and the Finger Rocks were made, and to give you a little view of what it was like to gear up for the start of a Pass when everyone was ready for it (not like in the main books, where no one believed). That's why it was called "Red Star Rising" in Britain -- I think that's a better name for it. It's coming, and they're getting ready.

Now, as for the question: is the book good? No, not really. It's sort of dull. Which is not to say that you won't enjoy it, if you're a Pern fan. But it's the main plotlines of the other books (put-upon young woman escapes a domineering family, mean Lord Holder doesn't believe in Thread, brilliant leaders come up with A Plan Just in Time) all sort of mixed up and redistributed. There are too many characters to get really involved in any of them. [There were lots of characters in Dragonsdawn, too, but somehow there she supported them well.] The plot is thin; it's supposed to tell the story of how certain things came into being, and it seems that what happened was, someone decided to make them. Um. Is that a STORY?

Despite all this, it's still Pern, and for those crazy Pern-ys out there, you can't help it. It's good to read just as some more insight into Pern and life there. Buy it used, or borrow it from a friend or something -- once through is enough.

In this book, Dragonseye (aka Red Star Rising, the Second Chronicle of Pern), you meet up with familiar attitudes. Close to the second pass (about 250 years after the colonists landed) Chalkin, a Lord Holder of Brita Hold, is abusing his responsibility to his hold and refuses to prepare for Threadfall. The Weyrleaders and many other holders are trying to do what they can to overrun his authority. Unfortunately you need a unanimous vote to impeach a Lord Holder, and some don't believe the stories. Artist Iantine may offer a solution, but can they save Brita Hold in time?

This book answers some questions like:
Where did the firelizards go? And why don't the people still have them, since the colonists had them?
When did computers disappear and why?
Why didn't the people go and find AVIAS after the dust had settled?
How did the Star Stones get to be?
When and why did the teaching methods go from teachers to harpers?

If you are looking for old and familiar characters, you will be disappointed. I would recommend starting with a book that is later on in time, so you will get familiar faces and characters that you will see over and over again, not like the one time only characters in this book. The first book anyone should read is Dragonsflight.

I expected this book to be better. I recently re-read the Dragonsinger trilogy, and was pleasantly surprised by the fact that I really liked them--even though I had read them before, and even though they seemed directed toward a younger audience. So, I picked up Dragonseye hoping to get reacquainted with Pern again.

Well, I found the book disjointed and boring. A little bit of the background information given in the book was interesting--for instance, learning that Harper Hall had evolved from a College. I thought the plot itself was weak, however. The whole Chalkin thing was boring and not at all emotionally involving, and I got really sick of all the fuss people made over the fact that Iantine could draw. Really, it wasn't like he was the only artist on the planet, or that the Pernese had forgotten all about drawing only to rediscover it with Iantine. None of the characters was really developed, and I can't say I cared about any of them.

If you want something more in depth, go for the Dragonriders series, or read the Harper trilogy, not this book. I'm sorry, I wanted to like it, but just thought it was lame.

As a side note, I generally liked the dragon books before they devolved into science fiction. I tend to zone out when it comes to all the bits about forgotten technology. I hadn't really realized this until I finished re-reading the Dragonsinger books. But after I read them, I discovered that I liked Pern a lot better when I thought it was a parallel or alter-universe rather than a lost colony of Earth. I vaguely remember losing interest in the White Dragon when it came to the part about exploring the forgotten past relics. I guess I'm just not a science fiction person.

Anyway, I'm sad to say I can't really recommend this book. Go (re)read some of the earlier books instead.

Dead Heat is a truck full of dynamite careening through
a narrow tunnel with land mines on either side. It is a
wild and violent ride, full of both brilliant and brutal
prose, but Del Stone, Jr., never lets the story get out of
control. I was never a big fan of Zombie movies but I loved
this book. The lead character, Hitch, IS a zombie, but a
zombie with a twist. He still has his intellect. He knows
what he's lost. And that makes all the difference in this
really excellent novel.

Dead Heat is Del Stone's first novel length work, but won't be his last. His characters are gritty, I'm still picking the grit out of my teeth, and believable, in that neo-futuristic biker-zombie sort of way.

And for those of you who aren't sure, yes, Del Stone posed for the art work and yes, that is his grin.

This book was better than The Dolphins of Pern, but not near as good as any of McCaffrey's earlier works. The main "bad guy", a Lord Chalkin of Bitra, seemed so stereotyped in the beginning I nearly threw away the book in disgust. And what is with all these other sensless characters? There was too much jumping aroung form character to character and I never really CARED about any of them. However, once you get past the first 80 or so pages, it begins to get more interesting, if you've read the others in the Dragonriders series. I say if because if you haven't,despite the introduction or preface or whatever she calls it in this one, you won't have a clue what is going on. But if you have read the other books, you may find it fascinating to hear about the creation of the Star Stones and Teaching Ballads. What I thought was good was the way McCaffrey showed us these people gradually losing thier technology, and the Earth terms that are replaced by Pernese ones in the later-timed books (ie some people said Turn, others said year, showing the transition from old to new). It's sort of an opposite of All the Weyrs (losing their technology and Earth heritage, instead of regaining it in All the Weyrs), and I thought THIS was the interesting part. If McCaffrey had remembered her old style of writing (ie given us decent characters), this could have been a masterpice. But it wasn't. Thought I do reccommend it to fans of Pern history and McCaffrey's skill at worldbuilding. One final comment: WHAT is with this new artist? What happened to my hero, Michael Whelan? Why does the dragon on the front look like a pig with wings? (Hmm..maybe he's trying to make a statement: Anne McCaffrey will lose her gift of characterization when pigs fly. I guess the cover IS appropriate. Sigh.

I thought Dragonseye was a superb book. A decendent of the first Fort wyerleaders (Sean and Sorka), K'vin has the dubious honor of being the Telgar Wyerleader at the start of the Second Pass. Also, a Lord Holder named Chalkin will not beleive that Thread will fall. This horrible Lord abuses his people (i.e. left to freeze, starve, high taxes)to no extent. I have no doubts this is where the dislike for Bitrans originated! It also follows the lives of a gifted painter and a green wyerling pair. It also shows the start of various traditions the Pernese take for granted. This book resembles the others of its elk, but it has its own spark to it. I strongly suggest this book to lovers of the Dragons of Pern!! :)