So my next thought was "What kind of Arthur Conan Doyle book is THIS?". Well it's a Sherlock Holmes story. The name didn't ring any bells (and yes, I have read ALL the Holmes stories). This must have been some '50's pulp re-print with this ridiculous cover. The story is not typical Holmes but quite satisfying.
Rating - *** (The Complete Sherlock Holmes earns a *****)
Think Keith Laumer's Retief series with a bit of Indiana Jones thrown. Then make him their slightly incompetent cousin. That's Hal Spacejock. And the book was great fun. With a beat up out dated robot and a long suffering navigation computer (both of whom are brighter than he is) Hal rocks his way through some adventures that will keep you reading right through to the end. Even better it's the first book in a series. Looking for some fun and funny science fiction? Check out Hal Spacejock.
Rating - ****
The Game Players of Titan - Philip K. Dick - Here's a book by one of the classic writers that is cherished mostly by the cognoscenti. For most people it's the "Oh, he's the guy who wrote the story they made BladeRunner out of, right?" Right. And if that's all you know about him you should grab this book and start reading. The story takes place on an Earth whose population has been devastated by a weapon that hinders humans ability to breed. Add in a war with the denizens of Titan (which we lost) and a new culture that surrounds a game called "Bluff". It's a fascinatingly different situation and Dick gets the most out of it.
Rating - ***
Solis - A.A. Attanasio - Got this is as a monthly free book from the folks over at Baen. The story follows one of the few folks from our century who chose cryogenic suspension (freezing your body or in this case just the brain till the world can restore you to life). Mr Charlie ends up being the pawn in a high stakes game in a distant future. Will he get the opportunity to return to life as he expected or will his brain be chopped up into "wetware" to operate machinery? I'll admit that I started this book once, bailed on it and then tried again. The beginning is a little odd (it reminds me of some of the experimental sci-fi stuff of the late '60s and early '70s that I always disliked). The rest of the book isn't like that at all and it will all make sense. Worth the read without a doubt.
Rating - ****
The Deputy by Victor Gischler - Toby Sawyer may just be the dumbest part time deputy in Oklahoma. He may also be the luckiest. But the story is interesting and you do honestly come to care for Toby. I'm really torn on this book. The situations that Toby escapes from are simply ludicrous. He manages it by killing pretty much everyone in sight. He makes every bad decision possible. Here's a spoiler - any time Toby has to make a decision you can safely assume he'll make the wrong one. Every. Single. Time. And the ending might barely be possible but it's so unlikely that it stretches credulity. The writing is not bad so I'll let it just barely sneak to it's rating.
Rating - **
Star Surgeon by Alan Edward Nourse - This is the kind of book that a lot of people dismiss because it's part of the "juvenile" sub-genre. While I won't say I like all of that group there is a lot that is quite enjoyable. And this story of the future of medicine, planet Earth and confederation of races is a fun read. Nourse is one of those authors that most people don't know. He was a medical doctor and produced a fair sized career of writing. The movie Bladerunner took its subject from Philip K. Dick but took its title from a Nourse novel. If you're a Heinlein fan check the dedication in Farnham's Freedhold, it's to Nourse. So a fun read from an interesting author. Good stuff.
Rating - ***
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