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erickibler4's review against another edition
4.0
A fast-paced science fiction adventure loosely based on The Count of Monte Cristo.
It starts with a future where people have learned how to "jaunte", or teleport, by using the unlocked potential of their minds. Earth has colonized the planets of the solar system, and conflict has developed between the inner and outer worlds.
Enter simple, working-class Gully Foyle, who finds himself stranded in space in a wrecked ship with dwindling rations and air. Suddenly another ship approaches. Although he knows the other ship has seen his signal, it passes him by, leaving him to die. Gully nevertheless saves himself and vows to have his revenge against whoever decided to leave him in space.
Gully is single-minded and has no scruples in hunting his prey. He uses and discards allies (usually women). Starting out as a simple worker, he eventually educates himself and assumes the identity of a successful circus impressario. Like Edmond Dantes, he is more of a force of nature than a person. Alert: Foyle exhibits a high degree of misogyny, although the women he partners with are portrayed as smart and resourceful.
But other forces conspire to rehumanize him. The reader is left to decide whether he redeems himself.
Four fifths of the book is a slam-bang pulpy adventure, but the last fifth gets a bit grandiose and preachy, somewhat dampening my enjoyment. Still, this book is one of the classics of science fiction for a reason. The action and settings are exciting and surprising. I hovered between giving it three or four stars, but settled on four.
It starts with a future where people have learned how to "jaunte", or teleport, by using the unlocked potential of their minds. Earth has colonized the planets of the solar system, and conflict has developed between the inner and outer worlds.
Enter simple, working-class Gully Foyle, who finds himself stranded in space in a wrecked ship with dwindling rations and air. Suddenly another ship approaches. Although he knows the other ship has seen his signal, it passes him by, leaving him to die. Gully nevertheless saves himself and vows to have his revenge against whoever decided to leave him in space.
Gully is single-minded and has no scruples in hunting his prey. He uses and discards allies (usually women). Starting out as a simple worker, he eventually educates himself and assumes the identity of a successful circus impressario. Like Edmond Dantes, he is more of a force of nature than a person. Alert: Foyle exhibits a high degree of misogyny, although the women he partners with are portrayed as smart and resourceful.
But other forces conspire to rehumanize him. The reader is left to decide whether he redeems himself.
Four fifths of the book is a slam-bang pulpy adventure, but the last fifth gets a bit grandiose and preachy, somewhat dampening my enjoyment. Still, this book is one of the classics of science fiction for a reason. The action and settings are exciting and surprising. I hovered between giving it three or four stars, but settled on four.
oakes's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
zubers's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
I don’t know how to rate this. The characters were all…bad? It felt like the women were badly written and the men were also flat/terrible but on purpose. It kind of read like Snow Crash in that it had a plot but also had to quickly explain the technologies & culture of the future. Interesting thoughts in here, interesting ending - feels like a book that’s kind of all about the ending. I was reading it quickly as the mystery did intrigue me.
Okay how about a 2.5? Apparently it was a big deal for sci fi? I did read it because it was mentioned in an interview with SA Corey. And I definitely could see its influence on The Expanse series.
Okay how about a 2.5? Apparently it was a big deal for sci fi? I did read it because it was mentioned in an interview with SA Corey. And I definitely could see its influence on The Expanse series.
Content Warnings
Minor: Genocide and Rape
idkwnisu's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
hjswinford's review against another edition
4.0
This novel had a lot of really interesting components! I loved going in the idea of a sci-fi retelling of Count of Monte Cristo, but as it turns out this version of Dantes is a complete asshole and no amount of unfair treatment or persecution was ever going to put him in his place.
jadelaporte's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape, Sexism, and Sexual assault
Minor: Racial slurs
madfil's review against another edition
1.0
(10 November, 2022)
Another book that made me happy I am able to read at warp speed when needed.
Awful, sexist and stupid, not much of this was any good. The one thing I liked was the space jumps, . A prototypical Sci-Fi novel that evidently influenced many an author (Dan Simmons and his excellent '[b:Hyperion|77566|Hyperion (Hyperion Cantos, #1)|Dan Simmons|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405546838l/77566._SY75_.jpg|1383900]' series comes to mind) but its execution seemed half-assed and was highly uneven. Great ideas but poorly written, good story but riddled with maddeningly dated prejudices, et cetera...
The writing, the dialogue, the characters, the ending: a mess of a classic.
Another book that made me happy I am able to read at warp speed when needed.
Awful, sexist and stupid, not much of this was any good. The one thing I liked was the space
Spoiler
and timeSpoiler
'cause really, if you can do one you can do the other - if Einstein was right, that isThe writing, the dialogue, the characters, the ending: a mess of a classic.
theleafencounter's review against another edition
5.0
4.4 to be exact, but I will give it 5 star because it really is such a great read and I want more of you sci-fi nerds to read it. Almost a five star for me, it was lacking just a few of my subjective preferences to be a full fledged “5 star club” member.. The biggest preference being - emotional impact. I know it’s not everyone’s measure for rating a book, but although this is really a masterpiece and you should read it if you like sci-fi (if only for education), it lacked that emotional impact for me to be on the top.
I will list some pros and cons for the general reading “audience”. That being said, I’m fine with those as I always have the context in my mind, as well as having the understaning of the times/era the book was written in. So take what you want from it.
This is classical sci-fi book exploring classical sci-fi themes and ideas (identity, humanity, morality, impact of technology, religion..) Nothning to write home about, BUT if you like that kind of stories, it will be great. That being said, it is somewhat a sci-fi version of Count of Monte Christo blended with Neuromancer (the cyberpunk elements are in the book mostly for esthetics, since the term cyberpunk didn’t even exist). It is a revenge story set in a futuristic cold war Solar system with Cyberpunk esthetics (it feels like that). Despite being written in the 50s, it feels verry modern with its writing style: it is very cinematic and it is not too dense a read as its cyberpunk successor (I’m looking at you Neuromancer).
Those were the pros, as well as a short summary of what you should expect.
Some readers will be turned off because of:
•somewhat dated depiction of women, despite few good characters (although realistic for the story of the book, could also be social commentary or just the sign of the times)
•not very likable main character (although he is written masterfully for his purpose in the book and its general idea) who is also one of the reasons for the dated depiction od women
•some readers will find the structure not too conventional: it has chapters and it has beggining, middle and end, BUT it has that pulpy feel to it like a story was beeing written in pieces (such were the days od sci-fi magazines)
•although not too dense and not too complicated story, this is not what you would call a light read, it is pretty grim
..and those were “the cons”, but I’m sure sime will find the reasons to read the book in those as well as not too.
„Faith in faith' - he answered himself. 'It isn't necessary to have something to believe in. It's only necessary to believe that somewhere there's something worthy of belief.“
I will list some pros and cons for the general reading “audience”. That being said, I’m fine with those as I always have the context in my mind, as well as having the understaning of the times/era the book was written in. So take what you want from it.
This is classical sci-fi book exploring classical sci-fi themes and ideas (identity, humanity, morality, impact of technology, religion..) Nothning to write home about, BUT if you like that kind of stories, it will be great. That being said, it is somewhat a sci-fi version of Count of Monte Christo blended with Neuromancer (the cyberpunk elements are in the book mostly for esthetics, since the term cyberpunk didn’t even exist). It is a revenge story set in a futuristic cold war Solar system with Cyberpunk esthetics (it feels like that). Despite being written in the 50s, it feels verry modern with its writing style: it is very cinematic and it is not too dense a read as its cyberpunk successor (I’m looking at you Neuromancer).
Those were the pros, as well as a short summary of what you should expect.
Some readers will be turned off because of:
•somewhat dated depiction of women, despite few good characters (although realistic for the story of the book, could also be social commentary or just the sign of the times)
•not very likable main character (although he is written masterfully for his purpose in the book and its general idea) who is also one of the reasons for the dated depiction od women
•some readers will find the structure not too conventional: it has chapters and it has beggining, middle and end, BUT it has that pulpy feel to it like a story was beeing written in pieces (such were the days od sci-fi magazines)
•although not too dense and not too complicated story, this is not what you would call a light read, it is pretty grim
..and those were “the cons”, but I’m sure sime will find the reasons to read the book in those as well as not too.
„Faith in faith' - he answered himself. 'It isn't necessary to have something to believe in. It's only necessary to believe that somewhere there's something worthy of belief.“
jplayjames's review against another edition
2.0
Some good ideas, and I can get behind a picaresque, I can allow for something being a product of its times, all that - but at the end of the day that's a lot of rape just for the purposes of making you understand that this is a depraved future/the main character is evil.
My version had a preamble written by Gaiman in the 1990s, about his first reading in the 1970s, about how well a book from the 1950s had held up. I am aware that it is now longer since the introduction was written than any other gap in that timeline. But I have to keep reminding myself consciously of that because yeah, I feel like the female characters are even more flimsy than most of the pretty one-dimensional male ones, a lot more there tobe abused and have a bunch of their motivations based on whichever man they most recently fell in love with.
Like, the conceit was really good. Some of the ideas and setting were good. But I just don't think this has held up.
My version had a preamble written by Gaiman in the 1990s, about his first reading in the 1970s, about how well a book from the 1950s had held up. I am aware that it is now longer since the introduction was written than any other gap in that timeline. But I have to keep reminding myself consciously of that because yeah, I feel like the female characters are even more flimsy than most of the pretty one-dimensional male ones, a lot more there to
Like, the conceit was really good. Some of the ideas and setting were good. But I just don't think this has held up.