http://retinal.dehy.de/docs/ 2026-05-10T01:11:19+02:00 http://retinal.dehy.de/docs/ http://retinal.dehy.de/docs/lib/tpl/minimal/images/favicon.ico text/html 2021-05-09T23:13:55+02:00 http://retinal.dehy.de/docs/doku.php?id=miscellaneous:books:future_adventures:europa&rev=1620594835&do=diff Styx The author seems to feel that bowdlerising is a good thing, and has therefore replaced standard expletives in speech or thought throughout the book with the word "styx". This is almost as irritating as the frequent occurrences of "dove", not as a bird, but as the American past tense of "dive" (and, given that the story takes place almost exclusively under water, diving is a common activity). text/html 2022-04-13T16:53:44+02:00 http://retinal.dehy.de/docs/doku.php?id=miscellaneous:books:future_adventures:exodus&rev=1649861624&do=diff The background and plot of this story are ridiculous. An official hit is placed on a character who is then allowed to freely walk around the city and take out his enemies as he wishes. The characters are completely implausible - people behave in ways totally inappropriate to their position or described background. text/html 2021-05-19T00:24:36+02:00 http://retinal.dehy.de/docs/doku.php?id=miscellaneous:books:future_adventures:few_are_chosen&rev=1621376676&do=diff Chapter One On the first page, this book introduces itself as "K'Barthan Series, Book 1". Chapter one consists of the words "K'Barthan Series:Part 2 excerpt". That's it - that's the entirety of chapter one. Not an auspicious start, methinks. Chapters Two to Thirteen Chapter two contains sentences, and so do the chapters following, so that at least is an improvement. It's a lightweight story, and the author clearly has a sense of humour which in no way tallies with mine. text/html 2021-08-29T23:28:49+02:00 http://retinal.dehy.de/docs/doku.php?id=miscellaneous:books:future_adventures:generation&rev=1630272529&do=diff Not a bad story at all (especially within this collection), although it does end irritatingly abruptly, and the author clearly has a bit of confusion between "infected" and "infested", which should have been easily picked up by an editor or proofreader. text/html 2021-04-12T17:14:14+02:00 http://retinal.dehy.de/docs/doku.php?id=miscellaneous:books:future_adventures:the_ares_weapon&rev=1618240454&do=diff ---------- Go up Return to main index. text/html 2022-01-19T21:03:10+02:00 http://retinal.dehy.de/docs/doku.php?id=miscellaneous:books:future_adventures:the_girl_who_twisted_fate_s_arm&rev=1642622590&do=diff Allow me to make a little introduction: Author, this is Proof-reader; Proof-reader, please meet Author, who is desperately in need of you. Oh, and Author, a little later I'll introduce you to Editor, but I think it's a bit too early for that just yet. text/html 2021-06-15T20:48:22+02:00 http://retinal.dehy.de/docs/doku.php?id=miscellaneous:books:future_adventures:the_truth_beyond_the_sky&rev=1623782902&do=diff This is by far the best-written of the stories in this collection so far, especially if you like epic space-opera science fiction with no character background and little development, and none of that tedious pseudo-scientific terminology attempting to explain how anything might actually work, such as you find in the works of authors like Aldiss, Asimov, Clarke, Heinlein, Niven, Pohl, Silverberg or Zelazny, amongst others. text/html 2021-05-19T00:26:41+02:00 http://retinal.dehy.de/docs/doku.php?id=miscellaneous:books:future_adventures:watcher_s_web&rev=1621376801&do=diff The book gets off to a very confusing start, with no backstory, no explanation of who the major character is (or any of the others, for that matter). This continues for quite some time, until finally (well over half-way through the book), one of the other characters (who has been around from the very beginning) reveals some information about who and where they both are.