Psychlone [Import] [Paperback]

Greg Bear (Author)

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Gollancz; New Ed edition (1993)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0575056215
• ISBN-13: 978-0575056213
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)

More About the Author

Greg Bear is the author of more than thirty books, spanning thrillers, science fiction, and fantasy, including Blood Music, Eon, The Forge of God, Darwin's Radio, City at the End of Time, and Hull Zero Three. His books have won numerous international prizes, have been translated into more than twenty-two languages, and have sold millions of copies worldwide. Over the last twenty-eight years, he has also served as a consultant for NASA, the U.S. Army, the State Department, the International Food Protection Association, and Homeland Security on matters ranging from privatizing space to food safety, the frontiers of microbiology and genetics, and biological security.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Get the REAL message, June 21, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Psychlone (Paperback)

I can't understand the bad reviews. This book is important, not for the surface plot, but for the REALLY creepy idea that Bear purports - that mankind has become so powerful that we can now kill souls. This power has been ursurped from God (or whatever name you prefer) and we now face the consequences. This idea gave me the whillies. What a horrific thought. I am a reader of scifi, horror, etc., and this is the first time I ever came across this idea. Read it with an open mind and consider the possibilities.

5 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Why all the bad reviews?, May 2, 2000

By 

jasenao (Dothan, Alabama, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psychlone (Mass Market Paperback)

I got Psychlone real cheap at the library a few years ago and I thought it was cool. I always like reading sci-fi and things to do with weather and Psychlone is a good sci-fi book to read. I thought the freezing of the lynx and how the storm made a huge rock figure that looked like a huge pig was awesome. Psychlone has a lot of good suspense in it and all the stories will keep you wanting to read on to see what happens next.

Don't listen to them other reviews, this is a good book and it's well worth its price.

2.0 out of 5 stars Lack of focus leaves this reader confused and disinterested, October 28, 2010

By 

Dave Deubler (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Psychlone (Paperback)

A mysterious force plays havoc in a remote community in this sci-fi/fantasy by Greg Bear. The opening section deals with a ghostly presence that draws energy from around an isolated cabin, freezing whatever life it finds; and in itself, this isn't a bad story, if only Bear had stopped there. But after that, the plot becomes increasing disjointed, with too many characters, many of whom don't survive long enough for us to get to know them. And who is the protagonist? Fowler? Or Jacobs? Or tiny Tim? And what real purpose do all these characters serve? This reviewer found it hard to care about any of them.

Bear's facile prose always makes for easy reading, and the short chapters make it convenient if you like to read in small bites, but when all's said and done, the plot is very shaky (almost insubstantial) the characters are wooden and wholly forgettable, and nothing really gels. There's a germ of an idea here about the souls of POW's killed by the atomic bomb during WWII, but instead of logically developing this concept, Bear relies on the sheer horror of it, which ultimately fails. Kind of like this whole novel.

If you're looking for something by Greg Bear, this reviewer suggests "Eon" instead; while not a perfect book, it has plenty of interesting ideas and holds together quite a bit better.