spacecomics's review against another edition
5.0
For the first third of Threshold, I wasn't sure how much I was going to like it -- merely because I don't particularly like fantasy books, including magic or witchcraft; I prefer hard science fiction. However, as those elements appear in the novel, they are explained as the science or math of an alien universe, reminiscent of Heinlein's Glory Road (Heinlein's my favorite author). So I stuck with it, and was rewarded with a good 5-star science fiction (including hard sf) survival yarn worthy of comparison to The Martian, Tunnel In The Sky, First On Mars, etc. After navigating his crippled ship through countless small moons (think asteroid field) to a survivable crash landing, the protagonist braves the wilderness of an alien world throughout the remainder of the novel. Character development that's integral to the plot, and acceptable surprises, make what would have been good science fiction great science fiction. Recommended.
ncrabb's review
4.0
This was some of the most light-hearted swashbuckling fun I've had in a long time with a book. My recently deceased friend, J. R., turned me on to this guy's writing, and I'm equally saddened that he and I can't discuss this book and filled with Christmas-Eve-as-a-child anticipation that because of the successful mission of Jesus, the day isn't far off when we will be able to discuss it.
Peter Corry is the kind of guy people like AOC and her associates would reflexively hate. He's a 1980s-era super capitalist. He owns too many companies to count, and when the beautiful alien girl, a diminutive naked creature with tangerine-sized breasts, lands on his private island, he's in for the adventure of innumerable lifetimes.
She is Megan, and she is on a mission to save her planet, and by so doing, the entire galaxy. The problem is, her country is out of ideas as to how to make that happen. After an in-depth scan of the galaxy's populace, her leaders believe Peter has the pluck and the brains necessary to figure out a solution.
Predictably, the two mind meld, and that kind of telepathic and physical sex becomes a completely off-the-scale amazing experience for both of them. As their minds grow together, she presents him with the problem, and he works with her on the solution. Her familiar, a talking cat, is along to spice up the story a bit.
This is ridiculous fun fluffy science fiction as only Palmer can write it. It's what you read when you're looking for a reason to smile and a hero to root for during scores of sometimes-frenetic action-packed adventures. Palmer's world building is beyond vividly fantastic here. This is not deep-thinking stuff; this is just the kind of SF cotton candy that elevates your day and makes you wonder whether the sequel is out there somewhere in an accessible form. Yeah, it's a little '80s dated maybe, but don't read this if you are in the mood to over think a book. You're doing yourself a disservice that way. Just read it to have fun.
Peter Corry is the kind of guy people like AOC and her associates would reflexively hate. He's a 1980s-era super capitalist. He owns too many companies to count, and when the beautiful alien girl, a diminutive naked creature with tangerine-sized breasts, lands on his private island, he's in for the adventure of innumerable lifetimes.
She is Megan, and she is on a mission to save her planet, and by so doing, the entire galaxy. The problem is, her country is out of ideas as to how to make that happen. After an in-depth scan of the galaxy's populace, her leaders believe Peter has the pluck and the brains necessary to figure out a solution.
Predictably, the two mind meld, and that kind of telepathic and physical sex becomes a completely off-the-scale amazing experience for both of them. As their minds grow together, she presents him with the problem, and he works with her on the solution. Her familiar, a talking cat, is along to spice up the story a bit.
This is ridiculous fun fluffy science fiction as only Palmer can write it. It's what you read when you're looking for a reason to smile and a hero to root for during scores of sometimes-frenetic action-packed adventures. Palmer's world building is beyond vividly fantastic here. This is not deep-thinking stuff; this is just the kind of SF cotton candy that elevates your day and makes you wonder whether the sequel is out there somewhere in an accessible form. Yeah, it's a little '80s dated maybe, but don't read this if you are in the mood to over think a book. You're doing yourself a disservice that way. Just read it to have fun.
leons1701's review
3.0
Been years since I read this book, still annoyed that the sequel never appeared. Silly, cheesy Science Fantasy, but still kind of fun.
will_sargent's review
4.0
Man, I loved this book. It was cheesy as hell when I picked it up (in Norwich, mostly for the man riding a pterodactyl) and reading the first few pages -- naked girl and her cat proclaims to be space aliens to the multi-millionaire protagonist (who they reveal is precisely the ridiculously perfect human being he is because he's the end result of a thousand year long eugenics program, so that's alright then) and then fly the alien's planet where they get shot down and he's stranded naked at the wrong end of the planet surrounded by a huge variety of things that want to eat him.
So yeah, it's cheesecake. It's also remarkably effective cheesecake -- you never spend time worrying about whether this makes sense or not, because the author makes it clear this is a ride and lampshades the silliest bits of it (in the vein of Scalzi) while moving the plot along in some interesting ways.
The book was clearly planned out as the first in a series, but it stands alone well -- if you find it in a second hand bookstore or need a quick Kindle fix, this is entertaining without being mindnumbingly stupid.
So yeah, it's cheesecake. It's also remarkably effective cheesecake -- you never spend time worrying about whether this makes sense or not, because the author makes it clear this is a ride and lampshades the silliest bits of it (in the vein of Scalzi) while moving the plot along in some interesting ways.
The book was clearly planned out as the first in a series, but it stands alone well -- if you find it in a second hand bookstore or need a quick Kindle fix, this is entertaining without being mindnumbingly stupid.
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