The stories, though cute, could have had a bit more humor. I thought they had a sort of dull sheen to the characters, more fuzzy in concept than what would really satisfy the reader. The Dean should take a lesson from A.C. Doyle on how he described the private dick, Sherlock Holmes. Amos should be given a more sharply delineated character, especialy in a short story omnibus like this one. I thought F.P. Wilson's short stories had more versatility (The Barrens and Others) than Dean; and Joe Lansdale's tales can kick Dean's characters and humor flat in a New York second.

Well, the ONLY book I ever stole actually. As an extra on the a TV set that was supposed to be a Sci Fi convention I slipped this book into my backpack on camera to be funny... Amos ended up coming home with me. I loved reading this book. It's a collection of short stories revolving around Amos Mallone, whom some call mad. (He's not really mad. He just knows a lot that normal people don't, he seems, to them, to be so.) Amos is a Mountain Man in the days when such men were growing rare. Amos' ability to handle the other worldly problems with style and know-how over brute force and hocus-pocus makes this a great book for people who play the RPG "Deadlands". (The first story/chapter where Amos takes care of a problem much like "Portrait of a Hero" in "Once upon a Time : A Treasury of Modern Fairy Tales" is a good example of Amos' way of thinking and sets the tone for the rest of the book nicely.)

This is a terrific read - funny, action-packed, and a stretch for the imagination! My 80+ year old dad (avid Louis L'Amour fan) loved it! I'm a long-time science fiction fan and I loved it too. Mad Amos is addictive - he reminds me of Lazarus Long in some ways.

The End Of The Matter picks up just after where Orphan Star leaves off. Flinx, now owner of a space ship, returns to Moth to continue his search for his lineage. After a few of those events that Flinx always finds himself in the middle of, he ends up with a new pet, a strange alien named Ab. Flinx, Ab and Pip then head off to another world in search of a man who bid on Flinx when he was a child slave. That man, Skua September (fresh from the Icerigger trilogy), saves Flinx just in time for his friend Tse-Mallory and Tru to show up in search of Ab (of all things, amazing coincidence). At any rate, it gets a little far-fetched as Ab eventually saves several populated planets from being sucked into a black hole (of sorts). Still, this is solid SciFi adventure and worth a read as part of the larger Flinx series.

This book is in my favorite series of sci-fi stories. Flinx and Pip. As with the rest of the series it has a great story, with a good mix of Plot, Charicter developement, and technology. In this story, flinx finds out about his past... and why he cant find out more. to find out what he finds out, I would suggest reading the book- YOU WON'T REGRET IT!!!

Flinx meets Skua September (famous pirate/hero character from Foster's Icerigger series) and wind up in a fast paced adventure that puts them on a course of destruction. They wind up saving the galaxy after an incredible series of adventures! I loved it! My two favorite Foster characters in one adventure after another! What more could a Foster SF fan ask for!

The duology of the first two books in the Spellsinger series, "Spellsinger" and "Hour of the Gate", by far eclipses the rest of the series. This book, with its stirring love stories, fantastic sights, wonderful characters, and epochal war, deserves to be counted as one of the classics of science fiction. And how many books count as their main characters a Brooklyn bat and a talking otter

I recently decided to rekindle my LOVE for Alan Dean Foster's Spellsinger series and have been blasted back 20 years to when I first read them!! It took me on a wonderful adventure as a teen and has taken me back on that journey again. This is an AWESOME trilogy and I would HIGHLY recommend it to anybody who would enjoy a fun, easy reading series with interesting places that only Foster could paint a picture of in your mind!! You'll find yourself cheering for Jon-Tom and Crying for Talea. I actually called out "Falameezar" when he returned!!! (You'll have to read the book)

If you don't have time for all 6 Spellsingers (sorry, I don't consider books 7-8 part of the trilogy) DON'T miss the chance to at least read the 1st (Spellsinger) to meet the characters and this one to enjoy the war, as only Foster could tell!!

Believe me, once you read the first 2, you'll want to keep going, to see what other adventures Jon-Tom and Mudge embark on! THEY ARE A BLAST!!!

Beyond doubt the best of Foster's Spellsinger Series. It brings together some of the most memorable characters you could hope to meet in any Science fiction or fantasy novel and mixes them all together in a story that takes your breath away.

Magic and mayhem,fire-breathing marxist dragons and a voyage into the very mouth of hell itself lead you gently (!) toward a finaly that culminates with an almighty war.

Journey along with Jon-Tom, Mudge, Talea and others as they are forced to take a journey from which they may not return!

Despite being part of the Spellsinger series, this novel could quite possibly be a book unto it own. Enough action and adventure to fill any palatte, this is one book you MUST read.

At one time (circa the 1970s when this novel was written) Humans had hunted the sea dwelling mammals to near extinction. When other worlds had been discovered they were given a planet of their own, Cachalot (shades of Camelot?), to colonize and live on unmolested. However humans are now colonizing the planet and rogue warrior whales seem to be attacking and destroying the floating cities. Recommended.

First read this when I was about 8... borrowed it outta my older sister's collection when she was babysitting and I was BORED. Forgot the author, forgot the title, remembered only that it was about a water world mostly inhabited by whales that were destroying cities. Found it again over a decade later and realized why it had stuck with me for SO long (the plot, obviously nothing else stuck)... it is a GOOD book. One of the very rare books that I've had to locate and buy multiple copies of... I keep wearing it out.

Typical Foster storyboard with some weird characters and animals, a lovestory, a tough woman, a world to safe ....... but a great book to read. Nevertheless, I think its not suitable for "Commenwealth" beginners. Own it since years and have read it many times.

I read this book in mostly to find out what happened after the first installment. It was decent, but I find the author's generalizations of humanity unrealistic. Sure, we may fight constantly, but any casual glance could tell you that we can do more than make war.
He's written better, but it was still a nice read.

The Amplitur had finally found a way of limiting the advancing Human Weave alliance, by creating an elite unit to match their Human counterpart, dispite the Ampliturs success, their plan backfires into something truely frightening. I enjoyed reading this story, the characters felt real, I wonder how would a Nazi officer feel if he found out that he was Jewish, and that other officers in his company were Jewish as well?? Mr fosters one hell of a writer, I thought A call to arms was the best in the series but this comes a close second, I eagerly await the next exciting installment!!!

THE FALSE MIRROR PUT HUMANS AND ALIENS TOGETHER AT LAST AGAINST OTHER ALIENS. THE WAR CONSISTED OF EVERYTHING, AIR COMBAT, GROUND WAR, REACON. EVERYTHING A REAL WAR WOULD HAVE ALAN DEAN FOSTER HAS FINALLY PUT INTO A REALISTIC BOOK. FIRST OF ALL IT TELLS OF TEH YOUNG BOYS LIFE (NOT TO MUCH) THEN IT TELLS ABOUT HIS TRAINING. AND IT'S NOTHING SPECIAL, THEY DON'T HAVE EXTRMELY HIGH TECH WEAPONS THAT ARE IMPOSSIBLE AND COULD EASILY DEFEAT THE ENEMY WITH A MATTER OF MOMENTS WHEN THE WAR WAS DECLARED. IT IS ONLY THE SECOND PART OF A THREE BOOK SERIES AND I MEAN TO READ THE THIRD AND IF IT'S ANYTHING LIKE THE SECOND I PLAN ON HAVING QUITE A READING TIME. I GIVE IT TWO THUMBS UP

Synopsis: An archaeologist discovers a recipe for a drink that allows him to see creatures (Interlopers) from another dimension that feed on human misery. They are everywhere and people get infected by touching some natural substance that has an Interloper in it. Since they feed on misery, they try to make people feel as bad as possible. Thus they are the root of all human misery and evil. The main character sets out on a quest to find a cure for those who are infected.

This book isn't too bad. It isn't the kind of book I would read again in the future but it was somewhat interesting. Some things in the book just don't add up, so you have to suspend belief sometimes (like when you're watching most movies). For instance, if these Interlopers are everywhere then why isn't everyone infected from the time they are babies? The story kind of reminds me of something Stephen King would think up except it doesn't take place in a small town in Maine. It seems more like horror than sci-fi. The writing is pretty good except I frequently found myself scanning over pages looking for substance amongst the fluff. On a good note, the book wasn't predictable. Most of the time I couldn't tell where the story would go next.

I give it three stars because IMHO I think it's average (which isn't to say it's bad).

Alan Dean Foster gives explains why misery and suffering exists. It is the fault of the Interlopers, beings from another dimension who exist by feeding off misery and evil itself. The main character drinks a solution that allows him to see these creatures, and the story takes off. The story line is fast-paced and will keep you turning page after page. I would classify this as a Sci-Fi/Horror.

Alan Dean Foster, a prolific science fiction writer who is always on target takes on alien invasion with an entirely new twist. Just imagine if secretive, unworldly characters from another dimension were the real cause of a whole list of ills, from headaches to world wars. Just because they were hungry!

When student archeologists Cody Westcott and Kelli Alwydd discover a secret cache of Chachapoyan artifacts in an ancient Peruvian mountain site, they know that this is the discovery of a lifetime. What they don't realize is that they have also found the key to a trans-dimensional invasion of eerie creatures that feed on the anguish and pain of human beings. When they return to the States Cody begins the translation of the difficult Chachapoyan hieroglyphics

He finds a recipe for a tincture whose purpose he cannot divine. When he has the potion made up he discovers that it has permanently altered his sight so that he can see these invisible invaders. They are horrific looking and lurk in all kinds of natural objects, such as rocks, plants, even the ground itself, waiting for an opportunity to infest a human. When Cody tries to stop several attacks he initiates a personal war with the alien Interlopers that he cannot hope to win. Not only must Cody avoid contact with any infected material, he must hide from victims of the Interlopers who fall under their control.

Unable to stop Cody, the Interlopers attack Kelli, now his wife. Cody finds her unconscious, struggling for her life in a hospital. He must start a desperate search for help if he is to have any hope of saving Kelli. That help comes from unexpected sources, and Cody finds that he must help save the world if he wants to save Kelli's life and sanity.

"Interlopers" is written in the same style as many of Foster's long list of successful science adventure tales, from "Glory Lane" to "Jed the Dead." His style is light and entertaining, and is easily accessible to all age groups. He has a host of interesting characters and mixes well researched facts with creative interpretations. Not only do I like "Interlopers" as a great read, I appreciate its positive belief in human nature. Something that is often lacking in today's fiction.

The best way to approach this novel is not as a science fiction story but as a police procedural. Alan Dean Foster, one of the unappreciated lights in the SF pantheon, has crafted a cop drama with the distinguishing characteristic of being set about a century in the future. Technology has advanced, borders have changed, demands on individuals are different â€" but human nature, including criminal nature, is the same as it ever was.

Readers should also be aware that this book appears to be the beginning of a series. Two characters are introduced with obvious intent for a later payoff that doesn't come in this novel. The point plainly is to have our hero, Inspector Angel Cardenas, owing favors to somebody in a future book. Even the characters of Cardenas and his partner, Rudy Hyaki, are plainly meant to be repeatable in the best Sherlock Holmes style.

The book is peppered with future slang so thick that there's a glossary at the back. In some books this is distracting, but because most of the slang has its roots in words we're familiar with, it only serves in this case to deepen the realism of the setting. Don't be flustered by jargon; if you need to look it up, do so, but remember, it's all part of the story.

Not everyone will like this title. There are a number of gun battles, which are likely to alienate some people who are opposed to violence, and which are painted in rather broad strokes. The ending isn't completely unsatisfying, as though Foster wasn't sure what to do with all the plot points he wound up, but it does tie up this one novel well while leaving the possibility (probability) of sequels available. Still, there is more good about this novel then bad, and curious or adventurous readers will be well rewarded.

A good read for fans of both genres, a possible benchmark for the hybrid of two genres, this book is a worthy purchase. Foster is a strong writer, and this is a strong book

It takes a very mature author to be able to turn out a bit of work as well polished as this one is, while at the same time mixing such different ideas.

"Angel" is a detective, a civil servant, who seems like he was transported out of some Spillane type detective novel or maybe even a Gothic. But he exists in a future world, at home with the technological gadgets and hip speech of that age. And Foster creates a whole new language for this fictional era, and it all hangs together. Like Burgess' Clockwork Orange but not that mean. Most of the time you don't have to refer to the glossary to figure out what is meant because the context is so well crafted.

There's a murder mystery here that is not too hard to figure out, but twisty enough to keep the story interesting. If I had been totally surprised at the end I would have given it one more star. As it is, this is a great book to take to the beach or on an airplane flight.

THE MOCKING PROGRAM by Alan Dean Foster
ASPECT, Warner Books, August 2002

It's just another corpse--murdered, stripped of valuable organs and blood, and left to rot. Except Inspector Angel Cardenas suspects something more. The corpse is too well dressed for his neighborhood. When a deep scan reveals the impossible--multiple identities, Cardenas sets off on a hunt for a murderer who has amassed a criminal empire in a near-future North America. As assassins close in on the wife and daughter of a gangster leader, Cardenas wrestles with keeping them alive--and to get a grip on why anyone would want to kill them so desperately.

Classic S.F. author Alan Dean Foster delivers a taunt near-future mystery. The politics, economics, slang, and science in THE MOCKING PROGRAM are logical extensions from today's world grounding the novel and making it approachable. Cardenas is both sympathetic and heroic, his empathic abilities adding rather than detracting from his essential humanity.

Foster's writing engages the reader, keeps the pages turning, and asks questions about the nature of life and probes the nature of the relationship between man and machine.

Very nice.

I have only read the first three books in this series so far, but I do plan to read the rest because I simply love the style. I have heard this series compared to anthony's xanth series, and having read that entire series (yes every single one so far published) I believe that it is a pretty good comparison, if only that Foster's humor is slightly different, as I have said before, I enjoyed this book emensely and the only reason it's not a 5 is that it is a little predictable

Alan Dean Foster is amazing yet again in this 2nd book in an amazing series. I have read every one in the series and can say without a doubt, it is in my top 5 of fantasy series. The story of a pre-law student, Jonathan Thomas Merriweather, sucked into an alternate dimention is thrust into a world of savages, sorcery, sex, and song. If you are a Xanth fan, this series is right up your alley. I would suggest buying the whole series at one time, to avoid having to hunt down the next one while itching to find out what happens next. Read it.

Where Jon-Tom has to figure out where his heart lies on certain issues (and on certain people) and nothing is quite what it seems!

The book was much better then the movie, but, like in the movie, they should never have killed off Newt or hicks, or Riply for that matter. I didn't understand why they felt the need to put one of those things inside her. in the last movie, she had nightmeres about it happening to her. It was an unjust thing to do to such a strong, surviving charracter. What's worse it only opened the door for Reserection. It was a good movie, but only braught the series down. For it's entertainment value, 3 was great, but it's one movie that I try to avoid watching.

Would you buy the book of the first Alien movie after watching it? Nope, me neither. But with this book things do change. Not because the movie is bad (though it was not; if you think the opposite, it may be time to refine your cinematique taste) but the story is so capturing and well told that you never regret your time and money spent at the bookstore.

Alien 3 is a bad movie, and is definitely the worst of the four. But the book is fantastic. It is much more in depth than the movie and easily explains everything that the movie didn't. This book is suspenseful to say the least. You won't be able to help yourself from reading on.

Let me start by saying that I actually rather like Spellsinger as an individual book. Most of what other people have said about it is true. My major objection is that it led me into a series that lasted far too long before I gave up on it - and I got nowhere near through the series. If you can read one book of a series and leave it at that, then go ahead and read Spellsinger, it's an entertaining funny read with great characters. On the other hand if you're like me, and tend to want to read all of a series, even if it goes downhill, don't get started with this one.

I have to disagree with a previous reviewer in one regard. I do think that the animals in the book are cute and funny. Granted, the animals act in realistic, sometimes noble, but more often crass ways. Part of the fun in this book is the sheer absurdness of the animals and the world at all.

I think you have to treat the book slightly humorously. I think humor was a great par of Mr. Foster's intent. The original cover has a bespectacled turtle on a boat with two humans and an otter. The turtle has drawers in his shell which open. I laughed quite hard the first time I looked at the cover. The hero gets to the fantasy world after smoking marijuana. The hero wins his battles and creates magic by playing and singing rock and roll.....BADLY.

A very fun book but also treat it as fun and not high fantasy.

The Spellsinger is the best of the series. It has all the things that make a great fantasy novel: the battle of good against evil, an unwilling hero who reaches within himself for his inner strength to overcome great adversity, lots of twists and turn before the conflict is finally resolved. What makes the Spellsinger different is Foster's use of common things (music, talking animals) to achieve these goals. I got the sense that the author has put a lot of himself into the main character of Jon Tom. The animals, as humans in animal form, have great personalities. There's none of the Disney cuteness about these creatures and that gives this book the spice it needs to keep it from becoming too contrived or too precious. I read this book when it first came out years ago and I re-read it periodically and recommend it to my friends. While The Spellsinger and all it's sequels will never be accused of being great "literachoor", you will enjoy reading it.