The SF Site: Featured Reviews Archive

The reviews are sorted alphabetically by authors' last name -- one or more pages for each letter (plus one for Mc). All but some recent reviews are listed here. Links to those reviews appear on the Recent Feature Review Page.

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Primary Ignition by Allen Steele
reviewed by Steven H Silver
As the twentieth century gave way to the twenty-first century, Allen Steele wrote a series of essays for Absolute Magnitude and Artemis magazines. Initially set to be looks at science fiction and space exploration, the Absolute Magnitude columns, published under the title "Primary Ignition" gave way to more general topics, which led to the series in Artemis, which would remain focused on space exploration. These essays, along with a few others, have been collected in the book.

River Horses by Allen Steele
reviewed by Steven H Silver
On a frontier world, like Coyote, banishment can be a death penalty. Two ruffians, Marie Montero and her lover, Lars Thompson find themselves exiled from their community after they can't make the transition from Rebellion to peacetime. Rather than a permanent exile, however, they are tasked with exploring the planet, still widely unknown, and reporting back via radio every couple of days. To increase their chance of survival, a savant, Manuel Castro, is sent along with them.

American Beauty by Allen Steele
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Demonstrating his versatility in this collection, not only does the author provide the reader with hard science fiction stories, but he also incorporates humor in many of the stories, beginning with the Hugo-nominated "Agape Among the Robots" and continuing through "Tom Swift and His Humongous Mechanical Dude."

Coyote by Allen Steele
reviewed by Cindy Lynn Speer
By the year 2070, the United States has become transformed; becoming so mired in politics and repression that the ideals it was based on have been twisted unrecognizably. The elite, hoping for an even better life, have built a ship called The Alabama, and imprisoned the scientists who created it with the other political prisoners. This does not sit well with Captain Robert E. Lee, who, with a band of like-minded people, steal the ship and take the prisoners and a few guards with them. In cold sleep, they hurtle through space, to a new planet called Coyote, where they will try and establish a new life for themselves.

Oceanspace by Allen Steele
reviewed by Greg L. Johnson
Sea exploration has progressed to the point where companies mine volcanic ocean vents both for minerals and for the bacteria that live in conditions of extreme heat and pressure. Joe is picking up material accumulated by the mining robots when he encounters what seems to be a huge living creature. This brings to the scene a research scientist with an interest in sea monsters.

A King of Infinite Space by Allen Steele
reviewed by Rich Horton
It begins with Alec Tucker, the spoiled rich kid narrator, attending a concert in St. Louis in 1995. The next chapter opens with Alec awakening 100 years in the future -- his father had paid for him to have his head frozen for future revival.

A King of Infinite Space by Allen Steele
reviewed by Steven H Silver
Set in Steele's famously detailed future history, this book is much more pessimistic than his earlier efforts. It draws on events which occur in Clarke County, Space and the novella The Weight. But it may be a good starting point for readers of his future history.

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