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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
‘I don’t enjoy telling you these things. I’m doing it because I’m sure you know them already. You can’t face these facts because you would then have to admit that all this fighting and killing is for absolutely no purpose. If your population is dropping steadily, then your fight is nothing but a particularly bloody form of racial Suicide. You could leave this planet, but that would be admitting defeat. And I’m sure Pyrrans prefer death to defeat.’
I do like a pulp sci-fi and [a:Harry Harrison|16147|Harry Harrison|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1388851492p2/16147.jpg] is one of the best. Known for his [b:The Stainless Steel Rat|64394|The Stainless Steel Rat (Stainless Steel Rat, #4)|Harry Harrison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328073906l/64394._SY75_.jpg|824589] series, I have enjoyed many of his books, including [b:Homeworld|3616137|Homeworld (To the Stars, #1)|Harry Harrison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1218840563l/3616137._SY75_.jpg|697109], [b:The Man From P.I.G.|17285395|The Man From P.I.G.|Harry Harrison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1359154597l/17285395._SY75_.jpg|90082712], and [b:Make Room! Make Room!|16189189|Make Room! Make Room!|Harry Harrison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1354334527l/16189189._SY75_.jpg|639744], which was later adapted into the film Soylent Green.
In this Deathworld trilogy we meet Jason dinAlt, a intergalactic traveller who uses his Psi ability to win big at galactic casinos. While planning his next big score, Jason is approached by Kerk Pyrrus with an offer too good to refuse. To be bankrolled in order to win three thousand million credits. Anything over that he can keep for himself. Enough to never have to gamble again.
Kerk's story of a violent world where the local flora and fauna evolve to have more and more deadly ways of killing the human settlers intrigues Jason and he agrees to the scheme with one provision. Jason wants to visit Pyruss and see the planet for himself.
This was a really enjoyable read and I look forward to the next two books in the trilogy. Fast paced, shocking in places, and filled with social commentary, it is a must read for any sci-fi fans out there. 4 1/2 stars.
I do like a pulp sci-fi and [a:Harry Harrison|16147|Harry Harrison|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1388851492p2/16147.jpg] is one of the best. Known for his [b:The Stainless Steel Rat|64394|The Stainless Steel Rat (Stainless Steel Rat, #4)|Harry Harrison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1328073906l/64394._SY75_.jpg|824589] series, I have enjoyed many of his books, including [b:Homeworld|3616137|Homeworld (To the Stars, #1)|Harry Harrison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1218840563l/3616137._SY75_.jpg|697109], [b:The Man From P.I.G.|17285395|The Man From P.I.G.|Harry Harrison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1359154597l/17285395._SY75_.jpg|90082712], and [b:Make Room! Make Room!|16189189|Make Room! Make Room!|Harry Harrison|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1354334527l/16189189._SY75_.jpg|639744], which was later adapted into the film Soylent Green.
In this Deathworld trilogy we meet Jason dinAlt, a intergalactic traveller who uses his Psi ability to win big at galactic casinos. While planning his next big score, Jason is approached by Kerk Pyrrus with an offer too good to refuse. To be bankrolled in order to win three thousand million credits. Anything over that he can keep for himself. Enough to never have to gamble again.
Kerk's story of a violent world where the local flora and fauna evolve to have more and more deadly ways of killing the human settlers intrigues Jason and he agrees to the scheme with one provision. Jason wants to visit Pyruss and see the planet for himself.
This was a really enjoyable read and I look forward to the next two books in the trilogy. Fast paced, shocking in places, and filled with social commentary, it is a must read for any sci-fi fans out there. 4 1/2 stars.
adventurous
It's not bad. Good old time science fiction. I wouldn't think anyone under 30 would enjoy this all that much, but I have no problem with the "tech" involved.
The writing itself seemed a bit rough at times, sometimes hurrying through things too much, but I enjoyed the world and the characters (even if sometimes far fetched). I enjoyed it well enough that I'm going to read book 2, so there it is.
The writing itself seemed a bit rough at times, sometimes hurrying through things too much, but I enjoyed the world and the characters (even if sometimes far fetched). I enjoyed it well enough that I'm going to read book 2, so there it is.
Fantastic book, has been around 20 years since I last read it. It is short and quick but not a book you easily put down once started.
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
A short and entertaining adventure. It definitely has the pulpy kind of feel of it’s time and the characterisation is limited, yet it is smarter than it at first seems
Does James Cameron admit that this was highly influential in his work. Avatar essentially copied this exact plot.
3.5 stars - Metaphorosis Reviews
Jason din Alt is a gambler with a special touch. When Kerk, ambassador from Pyrrus, engages din Alt to multiply a small stake, things get complicated, and the pair flee to Pyrrus, which offers problems of its own.
It took me a long time to get to Deathworld, way back when. A friend of mine promoted the books, but he was partial to military SF (he was right about Dorsai) and Gor (I've never wanted to check). When I finally did get around to Harry Harrison, I was pleasantly surprised. The Deathworld wrist holster in particular stuck in my mind, for some reason.
On this return trip, I was even more pleasantly surprised to find that it holds up. Sure, it's a very 'manly' book, but it's pretty good regardless. Harrison sets up an interesting situation, and he doesn't opt for the easy answers. There's admittedly a lack of subtlety to it, and it gets pretty heavy-handed at the end, but it's still worthy adventure SF when you want some light reading.
Jason din Alt is a gambler with a special touch. When Kerk, ambassador from Pyrrus, engages din Alt to multiply a small stake, things get complicated, and the pair flee to Pyrrus, which offers problems of its own.
It took me a long time to get to Deathworld, way back when. A friend of mine promoted the books, but he was partial to military SF (he was right about Dorsai) and Gor (I've never wanted to check). When I finally did get around to Harry Harrison, I was pleasantly surprised. The Deathworld wrist holster in particular stuck in my mind, for some reason.
On this return trip, I was even more pleasantly surprised to find that it holds up. Sure, it's a very 'manly' book, but it's pretty good regardless. Harrison sets up an interesting situation, and he doesn't opt for the easy answers. There's admittedly a lack of subtlety to it, and it gets pretty heavy-handed at the end, but it's still worthy adventure SF when you want some light reading.
Sci-fi adventure in the pulp tradition. Like so many books in this vein, it features the "off-world guy travels to planet of primitive dummies and teaches them how to be all they can be." Between that and the psychic animal life, I have to wonder if this wasn't an inspiration for Cameron's Avatar. At any rate, an enjoyable pulp yarn.
It's weird seeing Harrison tackle a more traditional SF-riddle type novel. He does it well, and there are glimmers of the recognizable Harrison humor that put a crease in my young brain, but it's not what he does best.