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Title: Mirage : Isaac Asimov's Robot Mystery by Mark W. Tiedemann ISBN: 0-7434-7523-2 Publisher: I Books Pub. Date: 01 December, 2003 Format: Paperback Volumes: 1 List Price(USD): $7.99 |
Average Customer Rating: 4.3 (10 reviews)
Rating: 4
Summary: Yet Another Robot Novel...
Comment: The Asimov universe has been respectfully added to since his untimely death - first there were the Robot City novels, then came the new Robot novels by Allen and then the Second Foundation Trilogy. And now this, a new Robot novel. In truth, while there have been some dissappointments, most of the new novels set in Asimov's universe have been fairly good. As is this offering.
In Mirage, the author does a very good job capturing the sense of mystery Asimov used in his own novels. He also shows a good grasp of Asimov's ideas and universe.
What is surprising to me is the fact that no history is mentioned about the main characters who spent 6 novels together in the Robot City chronicles. Nor is any indication given as to when this story fits into the Asimov timeline - while the reader can certainly guess, the author could have thrown the reader some sort of lifeline from the original Asimov books to let us know what else was going on.
At any rate, its an interesting read. Very nice to see that the spirit of Asimov is well remembered and appreciated.
Rating: 5
Summary: A Surprisingly Good Addition
Comment: I read Mark Tiedemann's COMPASS REACH and was blown away by his ability to do terrific characterization in the context of a full-blown space adventure. I was almost disappointed to discover that he had written books in someone else's universe, but I gave MIRAGE a shot and I'm glad I did! All his strengths are here, breathing life into what I'd come to see as a dry, been-there-done-that franchise. Proves that a good idea can always be done a bit better if a good writer is given a chance to reimagine the whole thing.
MIRAGE is an espionage thriller that toys with a frankenstein idea. When the climax comes, teh possibility of a really cliche ending is avoided by following logic--like Asimov would have done!--and sticking to the possibilities in the characters themselves.
Great characters (he even made Derec Avery and Ariel Burgess more interesting!) and a great plot, with impressive speculation to boot. What more can you want from a science fiction novel?
Tiedemann's "original" novels are better, but MIRAGE turned out to be a really good introduction to a fine writer. FIVE STARS!
Rating: 3
Summary: Mirage: Fails to Excite
Comment: When a prolific and profitable author like Isaac Asimov dies, his publishers do not believe that his death ought to mark the end of the publishing gravy train. After Asimov's death, his Foundation and Robot universes were novelized again by several writers, most notably David Brin, Gregory Benford, Roger MacBride Allen, and now most recently with Mark Tiedemann with MIRAGE. It is not overly difficult to duplicate the style of Asimov; it is his substance that remains elusive. Tiedemann writes of the robotic future of earth that had not yet morphed into a galactic empire. This empire is staunchly anti-robotic, with much opposition coming from decadent Spacer worlds that require robots to maintain their own self-loathing existences. On earth, a number of humans and Spacers are assassinated by unknown assailants, throwing into jeopardy a major treaty between earth and the Spacer worlds. The problem with Tiedemann is that his characters speak with the Asimovian twang but lack its inner emotional resonance. Tiedemann seems unclear as to who his protagonist should be. Instead he divides center stage between Special Agent Mia Daventri and roboticist Derec Avery, neither of whom is sufficiently interesting to involve the reader. Nowhere in MIRAGE does Tiedemann cause the reader to care about an increasingly volatile symbiotic relationship between man and robot. Roger MacBride Allen was far more successfull in his trilogy of Asimov inspired robot novels. If the reader wants to get further involved in a post Asimovian universe of conflict between man and robot, then this reader has little choice but to hope that writers like Tiedemann learn their craft well enough to make him care about how humans interact with both altered humans and robots. The real test of any novel lies in its ability to cause the reader to think of it long after he closes the flyleaf. Sadly, MIRAGE failed to deliver.
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Title: Chimera: Isaac Asimov's Robot Mystery by Mark W. Tiedemann ISBN: 0743412974 Publisher: I Books Pub. Date: 03 April, 2001 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Aurora : An Isaac Asimov Robot Mystery by Mark W. Tiedemann ISBN: 0743444604 Publisher: I Books Pub. Date: 01 April, 2002 List Price(USD): $14.95 |
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Title: Isaac Asimov's Caliban by Roger MacBride Allen ISBN: 1857981685 Publisher: Orion Publishing Group Pub. Date: 05 May, 1994 List Price(USD): $16.95 |
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Title: Isaac Asimov's Inferno (Caliban Trilogy) by Roger MacBride Allen ISBN: 0441005144 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: 01 March, 1998 List Price(USD): $5.99 |
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Title: Isaac Asimov's Utopia (Caliban Series , Vol 3) by Roger MacBride Allen, Isaac Asimov ISBN: 0441002455 Publisher: Ace Books Pub. Date: 01 November, 1996 List Price(USD): $13.00 |
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