Customer Reviews

Worldmakers: SF Adventures in Terraforming

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Terraforming...creating a living world from a dead one. What a
grand, mind-blowing concept! And, it ought to have that effect
on one's outlook.

But, reading these timid, tepid, boring stories of people nominally in the process of making new worlds, one is tempted to ask "why bother?"

If it was the intent of the editor to choose only such UN-inspiring works to demonstrate terraforming, I would say "hidden agenda"; if, however, these represent the very zenith of sci-fi thought on the subject of terraforming, then I would say, shame on sci-fi!

For me, terraforming DOES stir the blood, so I only experienced the tedium and lack of vision that this collection engendered; it in no way blunted my enthusiasm.

To catch the vision of terraforming, may I suggest:
"New Earths", James Oberg;
"Terraforing", Martyn Fogg;
"The Millennial Project", Marshall T. Savage;
"Entering Space", Robert Zubrin;
"The Case for Mars", also Zubrin;
you get the idea. THESE will give you a mental and emotional jolt that is hard to describe ("Wow! We really could make earth-like worlds, for people to live on!")

If you really must read this book, borrow a copy from someone, get it on loan from your local library, or buy it USED; otherwise, save your money.