Others: Positive First in a quintessential hard-science fiction adventure, Hugo Award-winning author Vernor Vinge's The Peace War follows a scientist determined to put an end to the militarization of his greatest invention--and of the government behind it. The Peace Authority conquered the world with a weapon that never should have been a weapon--the "bobble," a spherical force-field impenetrable by any force known to mankind. Encasing governmental installations and military bases in bobbles, the Authority becomes virtually omnipotent. But they've never caught Paul Hoehler, the maverick who invented the technology, and who has been working quietly for decades to develop a way to defeat the Authority. With the help of an underground network of determined, independent scientists and a teenager who may be the apprentice genius he's needed for so long, he will shake the world.
Genres: science fiction
Lists: …
Stanisław Lem
1967 · 221 pages · 3 reviews
Others: NeutralReads initially like the sort of traditional science fiction you might see on TV - rocket lands on foreign planet, sends out teams to discover what gives. what follows is a gripping scientific detective story as we learn the terrible secrets of a past race, and Lem takes us on a journey of wonder and awe. Reminiscent of the final passages of HG Wells' Time Machine as the author shows us beings and worlds we could never imagine. I've read this several times and will read it again and you should too.
What made the match, strongest first
Vernor Vinge
1984 · 314 pages · 1 review
Others: Positive"A marvellous mixture of hard-science SF and sword-and-sorcery imagery.... You wish the author were present so you could applaud." - Analog
What made the match, strongest first
Edward E. Smith
1950 · 255 pages · 3 reviews
Others: Overwhelmingly negativeFrom back cover of Jove/HBJ paperback February 1979: terror from space The pirates of Boskone raided at will, menacing the whole structure of interstellar civilization. Masterminded by a super-scientist, their fleets outgunned even the mighty space cruisers of the Galactic Patrol. When lensman Kim Kinnison of the Patrol found the secret Boskonian base, it was impregnable to outside attack. But a single infiltrator might penetrate its defenses -- if he wanted to take on million-to-one odds! Kinnison took them -- with the future of the civilized Universe riding on his shoulders!
What made the match, strongest first
Vernor Vinge
1986 · 279 pages · 3 reviews
Others: PositiveFrom the back cover: "In The Peace War Vernor Vinge introduced the technology of bobbles, creating spheres where time stands still while minutes, years, or eons pass by outside. Originally used to counter the nucler threat, then to enforce an oppressive government, they don't really come into their own until the century after the Peace War. What better means for one-way time travel? With the bobble plus longevity treatments, human achievements would seem to have no limits... You can hardly turn the pages fast enough... (Marooned in Realtime) is a winner." -- Locus
What made the match, strongest first
Philip K. Dick
1964 · 228 pages · 2 reviews
Others: MixedClans of the Alphane Moon is a 1964 science fiction novel by American writer Philip K. Dick. It is based on his 1954 short story "Shell Game", first published in Galaxy Science Fiction magazine. War between Earth and insectoid-dominated Alpha III ended over a decade ago. (According to the novel, "Alphane" refers to the nearest star to our own system, Alpha Centauri). Some years after the end of hostilities, Earth intends to secure its now independent colony in the Alphane system, Alpha III M2. As a former satellite-based global psychiatric institution for colonists on other Alphane system worlds unable to cope with the stresses of colonisation, the inhabitants of Alpha III M2 have lived peacefully for years. But, under the pretence of a medical mission, Earth intends to take their colony back.
What made the match, strongest first
Robert L. Forward
1980 · 327 pages · 1 review
Others: PositiveIn a moving story of sacrifice and triumph, human scientists establish a relationship with intelligent lifeforms--the cheela--living on Dragon's Egg, a neutron star where one Earth hour is equivalent to hundreds of their years. The cheela culturally evolve from savagery to the discovery of science, and for a brief time, men are their diligent teachers . . .
What made the match, strongest first
Loved itI really like this book, actually. I think the real-time books are at least on a par with the Zones of Thought books, which are much more famous. and he wrote these earlier. This is book 1, followed by Marooned in Real Time, solid like techno-thriller stuff about big domes that trap people inside in time... it's good.
