Customer Reviews

The Long Run (Limited Edition)

5 star:		(32)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This novel quickly sucks you in with its richly imagined, plausible but ever-so-slightly off kilter alternate "future history". This is the second novel in the "Tales of the Continuing Time" and follows a young, gene-modified thief named Trent as he emerges from a comfortable coccoon of technology and close friendships to the bigger, badder world around him. The sweep and vista of the novel grow with the character as you begin to discover that he's not just a VERY smart near-future hacker, but one of two remaining genetically engineered humans that are quite simply homo superior.

The back-story for this novel is what really makes it unique. It helps if you've read the previous novel (Emerald Eyes) but it's not required since Moran fills in more than enough detail to keep you up to speed. The alternate future where a reorganized United Nations overcomes and occupies America (think the West Bank writ really, really large) and has to contend with a dozen different species of American "terrorists" rings very true, especially considering how the real world has turned out (think 9/11)...

It's fast paced and eventful, and all in all, it leaves you breathless and wanting more...luckily the author has written one more book in this series -- The Last Dancer. Read Emerald Eyes and then RUN out and buy the next novel.

I never write reviews, but for this book I make an exception. This is the best science fiction story I have ever read. I'm not going to describe how wonderful this book is because I do not have the time to do it properly. I have read a good deal of science fiction, but am usually disappointed by anything other than the classic masters, such as Azimov, Heinlein, Clarke, and Niven. Suffice it to say that I've read The Long Run over and over again, along with Emerald Eyes and The Last Dancer, which precede and follow The Long Run respectively. Together, they relate a fantastic tale of Continuing Time, a truly imaginative universe. I checked out the paperback edition from the library when I was younger based solely on the cover. The luckiest reading choice I've ever made. I read those three books about every other year for years. I no longer have my copies because I gave them to a wayward youth with the hopes that he might see the value of reading and return to school. I do not know what became of him, but I have sorely missed my books. Every time I looked for science fiction, I checked to see if Moran has written anything new. I was crestfallen when I learned that he had stopped writing.

Recently, I have been combing Amazon for good science fiction for my Kindle, unsuccessfully. Time and again my expeditions were unsuccessful. With a glimmer of hope I searched for Moran's books, but to no avail. Imagine my joy when I checked today and found Emerald Eyes and The Long Run available on the Kindle! I immediately purchased them and The Big Boost. I will buy The Last Dancer as soon as it is available. I also noticed that he has a new book: A Freeway in My Backyard! I purchased that as well. I do hope he writes yet more!

This book blew me away. Daniel Keys Moran had been recommended to me by a friend, who had only read The Last Dancer because the the rarity of the books. I had also seen his books pop up on "The top 100 SciFi" lists on the Internet. So I tried looking for his books with no luck. Then I found them on an Internet auction site. I paid top dollar for used paperback editions, and lost a few auctions because the price got too high.

I read Armageddon Blues, and was disappointed. The writing style was a little rough. It started out good, but either the book went down the tube, or I started to lose interest. Because of my disappointment, I didn't read any of his other books for a while. Then I decided to read Emerald Eyes. The writing was again a little rough for about 100 pages, and then it started to get good. Now that was a good book. I thought to myself, "he can't top that." I went ahead and read The Long Run. Wow. Again, the first part of the book was a little slow, but it was a better beginning than Emerald Eyes. Many of the characters that were briefly introduced in Emerald Eyes were full blown and developed in The Long Run. I've read books before that were hard to put down, but this one was the hardest. I don't think I've ever read a book that got my heart beating in anticipation like this one did. This is one of the best books I've ever read.

I'm looking forward to reading The Last Dancer, and anxiously await any books that follow. I don't know why the author or publisher are taking so long for the other books to come out, but once they're out there where people can buy them, they'll start making a lot of money.

I picked this book up as I was heading off for college, hoping for something to keep me entertained on the long flight. Little did I know...

Some of the technology and future events foreshadowed may seem dated in the second decade of the 21st Century and over 20 years after the initial publication, but Moran foresaw the ubiquity of handheld computers (think smartphones). Moran creates a fascinating future -- one where the United Nations succeeds uniting the Earth under one banner, as the potential for humanity to wipe itself out through nuclear/biological/chemical warfare was too great. In the previous book, Emerald Eyes (Tales of the Continuing Time), we learned that the UN Peacekeeping Force attempted to genetically engineer supersoldiers, but ended up with a race of true telepaths; the last surviving member -- Trent Castnaveras, the only non-telepath of the family -- escaped the destruction of the telepaths and hides out in the Fringe, making a living as a contract thief at the opening of The Long Run.

Old wounds are reopened, old friends and enemies resurface, and Trent embarks on a journey that pits him against the best and brightest of the PKF and cements his place in the history of the Continuing Time.

I must have re-read this book well over a dozen times. I've loaned copies out to friends and never gotten them back. I'm glad to see them back "in print" as eBooks, and look forward to Moran publishing new stories.

This is a great sci-fi story. I read on DKM's website that a deal has been signed to re-release the books in the Continuing-Time series. If you can, pick these books up! Start with Emerald Eyes, it sets the ground work for the series, but definitely read The Long Run. Trent is seriously a character with mythic potential, in the same vein as Conan, James Bond, or Sherlock Holmes, and Moran has a solid grasp of where this story is heading.

I found this lying around in the break room where i work. 24 hours later i'd finished it. What a detailed and deliteful tale! Aside from some minor stumbling plot points the text read itself. the information was densely packed yet immediatly readable. Its been a long time since i've enjoyed a sci-fi book this much. So i came online to find other books. only to find that they are out of print...if you can find copies of this book, read them..then hunger for the others as i do.

This book has been one of my favorites since the day I read it, I must of read it five times since and its still top 10. As of this writing I think I own four copies of the mass market paper back as well as a digital copy. If you are into near future science fiction or just plain awesome books this is a worthy read and well worth cost. The other two books in the series are also excellent but this is the Empire of the series, a truly amazing novel.

This book and the sequel, "The last dancer" should not be missed. I rate Moran as The no. 1 sci-fi writer and wish more of the series was lined up for publication. A chase features at the heart of the Long Run and I expected the pace and tension to falter - wrong! The large cast of characters is finely detailed and the depiction of the future both visionary and well-grounded technically. Add in the element of mystery and these two books cannot fail to please. The prequel "Emerald Eyes" adds more background but doesn't quite reach the standard of "The Long Run" and "The Last Dancer" in my opinion, although it's still a good book, just not as fleshed out as its sequels.

The 3rd book in the series (Armageddon Blues being first followed by Emerald Eyes, The Long Run and the latest book, The last Dancer) is AWESOME! I have been hunting another copy of it for 7 years now! An intricate plot that moves at a good pace, well developed charactors, and believeable, easily explained science combine to produce one VERY good read! Daniel Keys Moran is to Sci-Fi what Tom Clancy is to Spy novels!

This is simply the best SF book I have read. In fact, I have re-read it many times. So many times the book is now in deplorable condition. If you want an entertaining, thought provoking, action packed and overall rousing good yarn, read The Long Run. The book is SO good one wonders where the author has been hiding all these years since. Come on Daniel, publish more. Publishers - call this man and beg him to create more!