Customer Reviews

Godspeed

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

 

 

O.K. References to Treasure Island are valid to an extent. But that did not decrease my enjoyment of this book. It is very entertaining, told simply but effectively. There is plenty of suspense and action. Any criticisms I might have do not include boredom. I don't believe the story was written to explore any ground breaking ideas or to evoke powerful emotions. It is simply about adventure, told from the point of view of the most likely to experience adventure to the fullest. A kid. Don't have heavy expectations going in. Relax, and as you read remember how easy it was to appreciate adventure as a kid. In that context, this is an enjoyable break from heavy issues of adulthood.

This book is essential an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's to a science fiction setting. Instead of a pirate treasure, they are looking for an interstellar drive. There is a Long John Silver character, although he has benefitted from improvements in medical technology. It's not a bad read, but it's surprisingly shallow for someone of Sheffield's talents

Wonderful tale. I stayed up late finishing it. Did find it amusing that the back cover synopsis compared it to RLS's Kidnapped, when it's obviously mimicing Treasure Island. Captain Shaker was a very credible Long John Silver and Jay Hara as Jack Hawkins. Great pity that Sheffield has passed away. He was a very entertaining story teller.

I'm a huge fan of Charles Sheffield, and he doesn't disappoint with this story.

The plot is great. Two people discover a way to travel faster than light, but are told it is impossible even after they have the pictures to show it. They continue to pursue it anyway. Then aliens show up to warn the Earth about the dangers of experimenting with faster than lightspeed, claiming they spent 25 years traveling across the galaxy to warn Earth. The two smell fraud, but are thrown in jail before they can do anything about it.

The scientific ideas are good. The social ramifications are great. The twist on Aliens was really nice. And the dialogue and writing itself is excellent. I highly recommend this story to lovers of classic scifi.

This is a good no nonsense Science Fiction story. It's easy to read and is not filled up with nonsensical crap as in Ringworld or similiar novels. It's just honest believable science fiction.

This is a very well told story. It reminded me of the Robert Heinlein I read years ago. Great character development with the main characters, especially the protagonist. It was a quick read; very enjoyable.

This is one great book. It doesn't have a lot of science that some readers go for, but it is still a good story, and well written. You might have read this book before, but it was a classic, and not science fiction. I won't tell you what that book is, but if you read it you won't have a hard time guessing

A very well done takeoff of the RLS masterpiece with science used cleverly.

This is the first book I read by this author, and it is still my favorite. It combines mystery, adventure, and the coming-of-age of a character you really get to care about. Definitely recommended!

A good story that is also well written. Though it becomes readily obvious that it has strong ties to R.L. Stephenson's sea-faring classics, it remains an enjoyable read. Good for fledgeling sci-fi addicts and subway reading. Do it for the kid in you, read this one; you won't regret it.