Red Thunder
by John Varley
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Book Summary Information
Author: John VarleyEdition: Mass Market Paperback
Audio: English (Unknown); English (Original Language); English (Published)
Published: 2004-04-27
ISBN: 0441011624
Number of pages: 416
Publisher: Ace
Book Reviews of Red Thunder
Book Review: "Inner-city Swiss Family Robinson Goes To Mars"
Summary: 3 Stars
This book somehow pulls off the feat of being fun to read and compelling, while being simultaneously weak and (to a longtime Varley fan) disappointing.
In fact, I have a theory: Varley deliberately wrote this with the intention of having it made into a movie, to be picked up by either Disney or Spielberg. Either that, or he's trying to amuse his kids or something.
Varley has a stellar track record. "Steel Beach" rocked the house. "The Golden Globe" was terrific. His short stories are sublime. This book, however, is a speedbump. It has an unremarkable protagonist, a plucky group of friends that seem designed by corporate committee, and a feel-good atmosphere that's too whimisical to be taken seriously and is incapable of providing suspense.
It had nice touches here and there, but not enough to save the sauce. It's sprinkled with structure and cognition flaws, and the final quarter felt extremely rushed. He put so much work into the development, but once the spaceship left the ground -- the place where the story should get *really* interesting -- it became a blur, like watching the landscape from a moving train.
Still, it was fun to read, in spite of its weaknesses. Although he frequently went too far in order to make a joke, which was distracting. So if you're into bubblegum, and if you're not expecting a science-fiction masterpiece, then you'll probably have a great time.
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