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elizafiedler's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jonie_rich's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
couldbestephen's review against another edition
3.0
There’s something strangely comforting about classic science fiction. Most of the time, the technology and linguistic choices for “the future” don’t age well, there’s some “problematic” content that makes you wonder if it’s just a product of its time or if it wasn’t ok even then, and wow, the cover art for the books is… imaginative. But generally the stories are solidly written, the characters are three dimensional, and the world makes sense.
This collection of short stories sets the stage for the rest of the Talents Saga. It gave me similar vibes to Asimov’s Foundation, with the characters of Henry Darrow and Daffyd op Owen acting as the Hari Seldon of their series, all trying to establish a base for their people (Seldon and his Foundation, Darrow and Owen their Center). I did enjoy Pegasus more than Foundation. The characters are much more fleshed out and I actually cared what happened in the story. The politics feels incredibly real, the powers are “reasonable”, it’s just a solid science fiction entry all around.
On reread, finding the problematic elements is disappointing. There are moments of ableism (one character is mentally handicapped and his description is incredibly outdated), racism (a Roma character who gains powers becomes a thief, ethnicities in Jerhattan are… strangely handled?), and sexism (a lot of the female characters here only exist to please their generally older male counter parts… Anne, what we’re you doing there??). It bothered me enough that I couldn’t really rate this higher than 3 stars.
Book still holds up, but rereading with awareness of social issues does sour it a little.
This collection of short stories sets the stage for the rest of the Talents Saga. It gave me similar vibes to Asimov’s Foundation, with the characters of Henry Darrow and Daffyd op Owen acting as the Hari Seldon of their series, all trying to establish a base for their people (Seldon and his Foundation, Darrow and Owen their Center). I did enjoy Pegasus more than Foundation. The characters are much more fleshed out and I actually cared what happened in the story. The politics feels incredibly real, the powers are “reasonable”, it’s just a solid science fiction entry all around.
On reread, finding the problematic elements is disappointing. There are moments of ableism (one character is mentally handicapped and his description is incredibly outdated), racism (a Roma character who gains powers becomes a thief, ethnicities in Jerhattan are… strangely handled?), and sexism (a lot of the female characters here only exist to please their generally older male counter parts… Anne, what we’re you doing there??). It bothered me enough that I couldn’t really rate this higher than 3 stars.
Book still holds up, but rereading with awareness of social issues does sour it a little.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, and Sexism
jacalata's review against another edition
3.0
The book itself is probably only average, but I'm a big fan of it as the first (chronological) book in the universe.
lilithdaine's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
felinity's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
I was rereading the Talent series in chronological order, just for a change, and found I appreciated them even more that way. Watching the creation of a new industry, the social and occasionally political problems they faced, and the development of all types of Talent, along with the individuals they discovered along the way, keeps the pages turning.
iffer's review against another edition
3.0
I don't know about more recent editions of To Ride Pegasus, but the cover of the 1973 mass market paperback is incredibly misleading. The cover makes it look like some cheesy fantasy novel while the back makes it sound like a mail-order-bride romance or something. In actuality, To Ride Pegasus is a surprisingly good collection of speculative short stories about the difficulties that would arise in legitimizing psychic powers after they have been proven scientifically, and the social/political problems that would occur in a society distrustful of a powerful minority. The world of To Ride Pegasus is an interesting near-future in which people's basic needs, food, clothing, housing and even entertainment channels, are met, but in which the possibility is still present for explosive discontent. Although To Ride Pegasus lays the groundwork for Anne McCaffrey's Talent novels, beginning with The Rowan, the short stories contained within it are speculative and more cerebral than the later series, and less space opera.
justytoo's review against another edition
5.0
Reading this book is like watching Classic Star Trek, you can see what the world was like when it was written but still love the vision of the future that is shown. Some of the attitudes in the book may be dated but the world is easy to slip into and I enjoyed visiting it again.
sdurr's review against another edition
4.0
A collection of science fiction short stories about people with psychic (psi) powers that could be measured and trained. It's not just fantasy!
Again, I'm re-reading books from long ago that I've enjoyed, one of my favorite relaxing summer reading habits. This is my Anne McCaffrey summer. The further back I go since I last read them, the more I get from these re-reads.
This group of stories chronicles the birth and growing pains of the Research and Training Center for protecting Talents and using their gifts for all humanity. Legal and political woes drive the plot but there are also personal struggles and characters I care about.
Again, I'm re-reading books from long ago that I've enjoyed, one of my favorite relaxing summer reading habits. This is my Anne McCaffrey summer. The further back I go since I last read them, the more I get from these re-reads.
This group of stories chronicles the birth and growing pains of the Research and Training Center for protecting Talents and using their gifts for all humanity. Legal and political woes drive the plot but there are also personal struggles and characters I care about.