Previous SFF Author: Ashley Poston
(1933-2017)
Jerry Pournelle is a journalist and science fiction writer. He served in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, then earned a master’s degree in psychology and a Ph.D. in political Science. Jerry Pournelle has been involved in developments in the aerospace industry. In 1973 he served as president of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America. Here’s Jerry Pournelle’s blog.
The Mote in God’s Eye by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
The Mote in God’s Eye, co-written by frequent collaborators Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle, is a classic First Contact science fiction story which Robert A. Heinlein called “possibly the finest science fiction novel I have ever read.” The story takes place in 3017 AD in the future of Jerry Pournelle’s CODOMINION universe (though it’s not necessary to have read any of those books to enjoy The Mote in God’s Eye).
Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Jerry Pournelle, Larry Niven | Audio | SFF Reviews | 5 comments |
The Gripping Hand by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
The Gripping Hand (1993) is Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle’s sequel to their popular 1974 novel The Mote in God’s Eye, which you probably want to read first. This review will have a couple of spoilers for The Mote in God’s Eye.
Recall that by the year 3017 AD, humans had designed the Alderson Drive — an interstellar transporter which allowed them to jump out of our galaxy to colonize different star systems.
Kat Hooper and Tadiana Jones´s rating: 1 | Jerry Pournelle, Larry Niven | Audio | SFF Reviews | 2 comments |
Lucifer’s Hammer by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle
When bored millionaire Tim Hamner discovers a new comet, he’s excited to finally accomplish something without the help of his family. Harvey Randall, who’s producing a TV documentary about the comet, expects his show to be wildly popular. And the American and Russian astronauts who are chosen to study the comet are proud to be chosen for such an important international mission.
All the experts said there was no way the Hamner comet would hit the Earth. But there are always plenty of people who are ready to panic — the type who start hoarding guns,
Kat Hooper´s rating: 3.5 | Jerry Pournelle, Larry Niven | Audio | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Janissaries by Jerry Pournelle
Captain Rick Galloway and the soldiers he commands were surrounded by hostile enemies when the flying saucer arrived and offered them a way out of certain death. They had to take it. Now they’re on a planet called Tran where they’re expected to oversee the growth and harvest of a marijuana-like plant which their alien “saviors” collect and distribute on the black market when it ripens every 600 years. A human woman named Gwen has also been dumped on the planet after her boyfriend, who was working for the aliens,
Kat Hooper´s rating: 3 | Jerry Pournelle | Audio | SFF Reviews | 3 comments |
Clan and Crown by Jerry Pournelle
In this second installment of Jerry Pournelle’s JANISSARIES series, the modern American military unit that was abducted by aliens and deposited on the planet Tran to oversee the harvest of psychedelic drugs for alien drug dealers is still trying to get the planet under control so they can focus on their horticultural task. Though they accomplished a lot in the first book, Janissaries, things have gotten even more complicated (politically) and they make very little progress (at least that we see) with their main goal in Clan and Crown.
Kat Hooper´s rating: 3 | Jerry Pournelle | Audio | SFF Reviews | no comments |
Storms of Victory by Jerry Pournelle
Storms of Victory, the third book in Jerry Pournelle’s JANISSARIES series, begins with a wedding and a war council, two events that epitomize Rick Galloway’s interactions on the planet Tran so far — making allies and subduing enemies. Even as he solidifies one alliance with a marriage, the mood of the festive occasion is dampened by rumors of impending political and religious conflict. Besides his known allies and enemies, Rick is soon dealing with traitors, assassins, kidnappers, and teenage ninjas.
Kat Hooper´s rating: 3 | Jerry Pournelle | Audio | SFF Reviews | 1 comment |
Previous SFF Author: Ashley Poston
I might say "formulaic" actually.
Your review made me curious, so I looked this book up. Sure enough: Tor. Tor seems to specialize in these…
It's a tightrope act for sure.
[…] Stuart (2 December 2015). “Roadside Picnic: Russian SF classic with parallels to Vandermeer’s Area X | Fantasy Lit…. fantasyliterature.com. Retrieved 8 […]
yes, I mean, there are certainly lots of good sci-fi/fantasy novellas out there, so they aren't impossible to do, but…