Yes, this is a re-release of previously published material, but good luck finding it anywhere else! It took 3 years for Amazon to come up with a used copy of Antinomy for me, and when they did, they wanted $27.00 for it (paperback) and no I didn't buy it. And I have yet to see it in any used book store. Moreover, without your support, authors like Spider Robinson will find it increasingly difficult to stay in business.

And THIS book is WONDERFUL, and worth every penny. I am having trouble thinking of a single instance in which Spider Robinson has ever published a clunker, and some of the stories in this book are among his best, IMO. Melancholy Elephants, Antinomy, Satan's Children, Apogee, and True Minds are among my favorites in the book (I've yet to read the last two). As always, Spider's writing is sensitive, thoughtful, and very, very human, just like the author himself. Strongly influenced by the work and life of Ted Sturgeon (whose work is also a must-read if you haven't yet) his stories are sometimes poignant, sometimes hilarious, and always a good read. Buy one for yourself, and three to give away.

Here is a collection of short stories by Spider Robinson that have nothing to do with Callahan's Saloon. This is the second of his short story collections without the Irishman's bar. And is as good as the first. Where the first short story book, User Friendly, gave the reader the warm fuzzies wrapped around great SF stories, this book puts the reader on a roller coaster of emotions. From the depressing to the thoughtful, from the punny to the erotic, By Any Other Name, is a book to read. A word of warning, from me, and somewhat from Mr. Robinson, the stories are mixed in a way that there is generally one happy story, then one depressing one. Read a depressing one, then a happy one. You'll end up liking yourself better!

True, this is a collection of Spider's older work, but those works are out of print. People who shop at used bookstores, instead of paying the extra money (when they can afford to) will put authors out of work. OK, business lecture is over. On to the review

All of the stories in the collection are excellent, but some stand out more than others. The title piece, which incidentally is at the end of the book, _By Any Other Name_, has a protagonist who has descended into the ruins of a post apocalyptic NYC to kill a mad scientist responsible for a plague that killed off most of man kind. In true Spider Robinson style, the base concepts of revenge, killing, fear and who is or isn't one's enemy come ot the forefront. The science takes a back seat to the moral dilemmas, which are deep, and meaningful to anyone at any time.

The rest of the stories share that style. They ask us to question our emotions and our values by presenting people who are forced to do so through such plot devices as a drug that addicts people to tell the truth, perpetual copyrights, and a host of other causes that have unforeseen effects. It is his ability to ask those questions that separates Spider Robinson from so many other Science Fiction authors who craft good stories, but never made me *think* about the deeper things.

For those people out there who agree with the first part of my review on supporting authors by buying their books and not getting a cheaper copy at a used bookstore, try checking out http://www.spiderrobinson.com, and following the amazon dot com link back to here. That way you not only support Spider by buying his book, but also by his amazon dot com affiliate site.

I first read Callahan's Crosstime Saloon back in college, like the early 80's so I've been a fan for quite awhile. I really enjoyed that book, and also each of the subsequent Callahan books Robinson has put out over the last 20 years.

This is not at the same level of quality and originality that the earlier books were. The Callahan Touch felt like he's really writing for his die-hard fans who are easier and more lenient on the rough spots. Would someone "get this" if they happened to find a copy at the library? Would it stand on its own? It's sort of like all those Star Trek paperbacks they've written over the last decade, if you love the characters, you love being able to keep reading about them, even in a sub-par tale. This book is where the series starts to be about a cult rather than simply telling a story about a unique group of people. They are starting to be larger and better than life. The blur between fictional characters and events, and the desire to have them exist in real life gets a little fuzzed. (Callahan's Key will take it even further down this path.) . Look, I love the stories but I'm not converting to a religion. What is the old saying? "It is the story, and not the teller"? I don't care if Spider is a cool guy or not, I just want a good story to read and maybe think about. Spider seems to have begun to be in it for the money. Not a bad thing at all, it's just it was so much more fun when it was about just the story.

But, who really cares? I'm critical because I expect a lot based on the enjoyment I've had with this group of characters over the years. This is, as always, a clever, fun, witty, and enjoyable read. If you've read Robinson before, you will enjoy the Callahan Touch and know he has better stuff out there. If this is your first one, find his earlier stuff now. You're in for a treat!

I'd really love to see Spider write one more fun, old-style Callahan novel. I'd hate to have Spider become like Bob Hope, famous for doing something no one remembers anymore, just that he's famous for being famous.

I seem to have started in the middle of this series. First, I read Callahan's Legacy because it was the only one my library had. Then, I found this book in my local used bookstore. So, not only am I out of order, but I'm reading backwards.

But I don't really think that matters. I'm still really enjoying this series from Spider Robinson--the stories of a bunch of really strange folks that hang around a bar, whether the proprietor is the titular Mike Callahan or the narrator Jake Stonebender.

The plot is negligible, when it exists. The main draw is all the varied characters and their wild personalities and how they interact with one another.

Beware, however, the puns come fast and furious. But, if, like me, you think playing with words is the highest form of humor, then pull up a stool because here is a place where "shared pain is lessened, shared joy is increased."

This book had me laughing all of the way through with it's wacky characters and hilarious puns.

Perhaps the most annoying aspect of reading any Spider Robinson book, including this one, is witnessing the author's total failure to understand what makes human beings tick, in spite of obvious effort to do so.

This book contains a chapter which formerly appeared as a short story, in which a character describes how she was raped by her father as a child. Elsewhere, in another book, Robinson remarks that the rape story was told to him "verbatim" by the actual victim, whom he would love to hear from if she's out there somewhere. That fictionalizing her childhood trauma for the entertainment of his readers isn't the best way to get in touch doesn't seem to occur to him.

This is one of those sci-fi books that isn't overtly about futuristic hardware, but rather is set in the not-so-distant future and concerns amplified versions of germane social issues from today. As a result, the character development and social aspects of the plot are more prominently featured. Due to its slow start, I was worried that this book might not pass my 100-page test (in which I abandon a book after 100 pages if I am not into it), but I found it slowly growing on me until I was committed to finding out what happened in the end. The ending has a nice twist to boot.

Reaching the ultimate 'high' has been the goal of a considerable portion of the human race for a very long time. The methods used to try to reach that point have ranged from an incredible variety of mind-altering drugs to deep meditation to self-induced hypnotic trances. So when a new way of reaching that high comes along, direct electrical stimulation of the mind's pleasure center via a surgical implant and a small external device, is it any wonder that a significant number of people would jump for it? And once connected, that there would be some who desire its pleasurable effects so much that they would die happy remaining connected while their bodies waste away from dehydration and starvation?

From this beginning idea (which has also been the subject of treatments by authors such as Larry Niven), Spider goes not just one, but several steps further. Seeing that this technology is just the beginning of deep research into how the mind and memory really work, he envisions that it would eventually lead to knowledge of how to erase selective memories, how to index and store them, and eventually how to transfer them from one person to another.

The story is wrapped around this idea, beginning from Joe, a man missing some of his own memories and totally hidden from society's identification systems, finding Karen, nearly dead, hooked to one of these pleasure tasps, and his slow succoring of her back to health. When they go on a crusade to destroy the maker of such hideously addictive devices, they stumble across information leading them to believe there is one man who controls not just these devices, but has the power to erase a person's memories at will, a power so immense, and so impossible to trace, that he can do anything he desires. As a parallel track, we follow the story of Norman, an assistant professor whose life is falling apart, from his marriage to his job, whose older sister mysteriously disappears one day, and his search for her. Spider does a good job of tying together these disparate threads, with a conclusion that may seem a little over-dramatic but which drives home his thematic points.

His themes deal with just how absolute power may not corrupt, but instead ennoble, but with an under-text of 'end justifying the means'; of a possible goal of really being able to understand how someone else feels by actually 'reading' their thoughts; of identity and right to privacy; of when and to whom loyalty should be given; and 'Chinese' obligations. Some of his thoughts on these subjects seemed a little facile to me, not completely thought through or all consequences investigated, but they are all, within the context of this story, very thought provoking.

Joe, Karen, and Norman are all very well realized characters, in many ways very reminiscent of some of Robert Heinlein's character types, which is not surprising as Spider honors Heinlein as one of his main mentors. These characters have strength, intelligence, and inner integrity; character traits that are rarely seen in many modern novels.

A good read, a few surprising twists along the way, but perhaps not a deep enough delve into the ethical and philosophical questions he raises to really make this an outstanding novel.

Amigo-I too/also think the "truth" can be agreed on. Give Thanks 4/that! And I have allways remembered that version of Monday PM class that had that "dose"--Initials taken OUT! I'm not 2/sure I wanna know anything about DMT-but I'm gettin vexed with all the food gettin dosed with canola oil. It's 2/close to mustard gas in your "lower". Kinda freightening the way square world stuffs your gut to weaken you-that just can't be defended. BRO.{OUT!}

I've got somebody I'd like you to meet. Reader, this is Stephen Gaskin; Stephen, this is Reader.

Stephen Gaskin is, among other things, one of the founders of The Farm (which is about the only big hippie commune that turns out to have been built to last) and an activist for cannabis legalization. He's usually billed as a "hippie spiritual teacher," which means that listening to him has the power to knock your mind loose from your brain.

And that should clue you in that this book -- originally published in 1980 and republished here with a new foreword by Stephen and a new introduction by Spider Robinson -- is _not_, despite its title, about dope. Stephen himself will tell you that dope is just one means among others and that all of this stuff can be approached in other ways. As for dope itself, Alan Watts and Baba Ram Dass used to say that when you've gotten the message, you should hang up the phone.

If you're worried about the drugs, you should be aware that for the most part the only drugs involved here are cannabis and LSD (plus an occasional bit of peyote and one or two others). Moreover, the book includes lots of cautionary tales about bad trips. And it's not _at all_ about (what I regard as) the really dangerous drugs. (These distinctions are important, especially during today's indiscriminate "war on drugs." Being "anti-drug" is roughly equivalent to being "pro-food.")

So what _is_ the book about? It's about consciousness and religion and getting telepathic, and it's about some things that happened during some of Stephen's trips that hipped him to all of that stuff. More prosaically, it's a transcription of some oral history about the late '60s as delivered in Stephen's unique voice.

You'll like Stephen. And I wasn't kidding when I said he can knock your mind loose from your brain.

The _way_ he tells his stories is as important as the stories themselves. You can read a couple of sample pages and see what I mean; the whole book is like that. He talks from inside the experiences he describes, and these transcriptions make them real for you too, just as if he were sitting there talking to you. He's also pretty self-critical in what he makes of these experiences; pay close attention to his opinions about how hallucinations work and in what sense(s) they may be "real."

Anyway, when you read one of his amazing dope tales, you may find that you've picked up a contact high from Stephen and that you, too, can sometimes see the subconscious on people. If enough of us did this sort of vicarious tripping, it might help us to get telepathic even without taking dope ourselves. That would be a good thing, wouldn't it?

If (like me) you're also a Spider Robinson fan, you'll enjoy his short introduction, which deals with both the significance and the failures of hippie ideals. (Stephen has shown up, sometimes disguised, in several of Spider's books.) And vice versa: if you like this book, you'll probably enjoy Spider's fiction as well.

I was wondering, did you read the title before buying the book?

Excelent book about spiders for the young. Pictures are wonderful. This book is truely for young readers interested in spiders. Keeps them interested without boring them.

I'm a Callahan fan and very much a Spider fan, but this book left me fairly disturbed. It's written as a collection of short stories featuring Maureen, a street hooker who's lucky enough to join Lady Sally's house (where I, for one, would love to work, and I never thought I'd say that about a brothel). I love the atmosphere, and I loved being back in it.

However, the villains in this book got to me a lot more than Spider's villains usually do. Two of them in particular seemed so utterly amoral that it really bothered me to read about them -- maybe I was just empathizing too much with the main characters -- and the solutions to their problems didn't really fix anything other than to get the main characters out of their immediate jam. Spider usually does much better than this at conflict resolution. Usually, at the end of one of his books, I'm glowing, and really hopeful and happy about the possibilities of the human race. At the end of this one, I was just glad I don't know anyone like Tony Donuts.

I think in the end I'll say this: Read it once, then go read Lady Slings the Booze instead. That one is worth a re-read, but I don't think this one is.

What if there was a brothel where the employees were treated like artists instead of meat for hire? Where the clients might come just for conversation and a place to relax in a friendly, convivial atmosphere? Where the House is clean, laid out for comfort, and specially designed to handle everyone's own variant of what they desire most in sex? Where the emphasis is on satisfying the psychological needs of everyone, clients and employees, not just the physical ones?

That place exists, somewhere just across the river from the UN building, peopled by a very living set of characters. Lady Sally, proprietress, has some very demanding standards for her employees and just as stiff a set for her customers, though that doesn't mean that talking dogs, cross-dressing multi-millionaires, con men, and KGB spies can't get in. And the Lady has a very empathic heart, picking up a street hooker in dire straits and turning her into a woman that anyone would love to be around. Maureen was that poor woman, and this book is a set of experiences that she has as an employee of the House. Each of the episodes reads like a fairly long short story, including the incident of the incredibly potent man, the lady whose every word is an absolute command to all those in hearing distance, the gorilla gangster, best known for poking donut holes in a certain part of a man's anatomy, who finds out just what friends are good for.

Spider laces each of these stories with his patented brand of humor, from some truly groan-inducing puns to absolutely howling, fall-on-the-floor gags. Shining throughout these stories is his attitude that people are good, and good people go out of their way to help those in trouble. Heart-warming, touching, and yet there is some definite food for thought here. Our society delegates those who engage in sex-for-hire to the very bottom of the social ladder ands treats sex as a given ability rather than an art form than can get better with practice and training, which seems to be a very odd attitude towards an action that is not only necessary but can be one of the most fulfilling exercises of any person's life. Spider shows, by his emphasis on the positive, just why this attitude does not make sense, and just how much it costs in unnecessary human misery.

The stories here are only distantly related to Spider's Callahan's Bar series and can be read with full enjoyment without any knowledge of the other books, even though Mike Callahan is Lady Sally's husband, as here he only makes a few cameo appearances. Though if you find you enjoy this book, then you should certainly try some of the Bar series for some more romps through Spider's wacky, macabre, humor-filled, and endearing universe.

Although this book revolves around the actions in a brothel, Spider never gets graphic in his depiction of the happenings therein, though the subject matter does preclude handing this to pre-pubescent children. But the theme of this book is such that a mature teen-ager really should read this, and see what can be, rather than the dismal reality of what is.

--- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)

If you treat this book not as a novel, but as a collection of short stories on a recurring theme with recurring characters, it works much better. As a complete novel, though, Spider lacks a cohesive plot.

The story of the Lady Callahan, wife of the legendary Mike Callahan and time-traveller, is by turns thoughtful and hilarious. Spider makes a whorehouse sound like a great place to spend an afternoon, and an even better place to live out your career. The chapters (that is, the individual stories) tell of grand stories of the exploits of the employees and patrons of Lady Sally's House.

Ever think that a book about a whorehouse couldn't have a happy ending? Think again.

Fans of humourous science fiction will likely enjoy this addition to Spider's popular series of books about Mike and Sally Callahan. For someone who has never read any of Spider's work, "Time Travellers Strictly Cash" is a better introduction to the series. Alternately, the short story collection "User Friendly" shows some of Spider's best non-Callahan work.

IT COULD HAVE BEEN A GOOD BOOK WITH A LOT MORE IMAGINATION PUT INTO IT.....IT'S JUST SO....BORING.

For anyone that has a love of space and Earth itself, this a dream come true to read. The storyline is truly compelling, and the philosophies are enlightening. I was 15 when I first read this book, and was so touched by it that I was dreaming about it at night, and began looking up any organizations that were trying to achieve something like "TopStep". A great book, anytime.

I have never read Stardance so I am not comparing it to Starseed. I really injoyed this book. I couldnt keep it down. Im an avid book reader and this one is now one of my faviorits! I loved the way that the author told the story as if she were Morgan McLeod. I liked the use of zen in the book it was intresting to find out more about another cluture while reading an intresting book. I am really looking foward to reading Stardance now.

This was not a bad book. Well-written, with intriguing new characters and a return to the ever-fascinating Stardancers, it made for pleasant reading and gave me a few new things to think about.

Unfortunately, I'm still almost sorry that I read it.

I have to admit that I think the Robinsons would have been better off ending the Stardancer saga with _Starseed_, a story that has all of the virtues of this one with few of the vices. What are those vices, you may wonder? It's difficult to clarify them without spoiling the book, since many are tied into the ending, but I'll do my best.

Very little time is spent on familiar characters. What time is spent is regrettable, given the ultimate fate of those we see again. Certain elements of the plot did not seem resolved by the ending. (Why did all the miracles of nanotechnology happen? I for one was left wondering.) That ending seemed rushed, almost unbelievable, anticlimactic--I have faith enough in the authors to believe that it wasn't really a 'rabbit out of the hat' resolution (the sort in which something is pulled out of thin air to solve the characters' problems almost by magic, and just in time for the last page too), but it seemed very similar to one. And one of the themes I found most fascinating about the prior two Stardancer novels, the theme of choice and the willful surrender of humanity, was abolished here by the forcing of the issue.

In short, _Starmind_ would have made a far, far better book in my opinion if the ending had been different--or at least handled differently. I would still recommend that fans of the prior two books read it if they are curious about the ultimate destiny of their favorite characters; I would not, however, suggest that anyone begin the trilogy with this one.

First things first: If you're just discovering Spider Robinson, or this particular trio of books... this ain't the place to start. BUY it now (lest it go out of print, as Spider's books have an inexplicable and depressing tendancy to do), but put it away until you've read _Stardance_ and _Starseed_.

There, now that's out of the way. On with the review.

This book, especially in the context of the series, is a consistently entertaining, rewarding exploration of the themes that dominate the Robinsons' best work. Little stuff, like (in no particular order): love, sex, creativity, art, transcendence, home, commitment, and so forth. It says something about their abilities as a writing team that all this is unfolded through living, breathing characters that you quickly come to care deeply about . . . and want to find happiness (even if it's not at all clear that they will). Likable, intelligent characters have always been Spider's greatest strength, and this story is no exception. Whether or not the plot "works" for you is almost beside the point. Even if it doesn't, the characters and the ways in which they grow and change make the book worth reading.

This is *not* a trilogy in the conventional SF sense. The three books form distinct segments of a long arc, but they have independent casts (for the most part) with their own strengths and weaknesses. It's one of the delights of _Starmind_ that Rhea is clearly *not* a (literary) clone of Rain M'Cloud or Sharra Drummond, and that Rand is *not* just another Charlie Armstead.

One final note: The Robinsons may live in British Columbia, but in the scenes set in Provincetown, MA this Bay State expatriate could hear the surf, smell the salt, and taste the Portuguese sweet bread again. Craftsmanship even in places where most people won't notice it is a glorious thing.

The conclusion of the Stardance tril-- uh, series of three self-contained stories. The Zen material Spider and Jeanne explored in the first novel is so rich and mesmerizing that they can be forgiven for returning to it again and again. Starmind offers new insights about many different kinds of freedom -- intellectual, spiritual, physical and artistic. Spider and Jeanne also make a very good case against the world-is-going-to-hell pessimism of our ficton, arguing that real enlightenment, or at least a lightening-up, may be just around the corner. Still, as in Starseed, I was disappointed at how many of the previous plotlines seemed recycled from the original story without further exploration. Go buy it anyway -- reading anything Spider produces is like a NordicTrak for the imagination

since everyone always seems to be raving about spider robinson, i decided to give him another try. BIG mistake. the plot was juvenile. it was advanced in a mode that stretched beyond the ability to suspend disbelief (in fact, i thought that some of the things that happened must have been manipulated to lead the writers to find the protagonists. there could be no way these many coincidences and chance occurances could happen without being designed). the ending was a goody two-shoes piece of slop, that in no way satisfied. overall, a very poor piece of work. i am surprised that i managed to finish it.

This is the third volume in the trilogy that started with Mind Killer and continued with Time Pressure (which are collected together in one volume as Deathkiller). However, the relationship is tenuous between this book and the other two, and for this particular work I'd actually recommend that you don't read the others prior, as I think it would negatively color your impression of this one.

Lifehouse represents a return to Spider's normal outrageous situations and punning humor, couched in a tale of two con artists, Paul and June, SMOFs (Secret Masters of Fandom), and time travelers. Early in the story the SMOFs (in this case, a husband and wife, Wally and Moira, who have been fans and known each other so long they are almost telepathic with each other) are presented with a wild tale by a midnight visitor who arrives with a bang, minus clothing, and claims to be a time traveler who has unfortunately missed his target date by a few years. Naturally, the 'time traveler' would like Wally and Moira to help in changing history just a little bit - ensuring that John Lennon does not get assassinated. Of course, the Wally and Moira are also Beatles fans, and off we go on a pretty wild romp through the ins and outs of multiple con games, time and other paradoxes, manhunts, and puzzle solving the old fashioned way, by thinking.

Along the way, Spider maintains a humorous undertone, as noted by chapter titles like "Grok and Roll" and sentences like "They left and locked the car, and, since it was late at night, crossed Point Grey Road on foot without the customary side effect of dying." But much of the story is a serious investigation into ethics, morals (can con-men have morals? Can ethics impose absolute restrictions on the actions of time travelers?), and individuality versus the 'Group Mind' that true telepathy would make possible. The characters come across as highly intelligent, personable, and believable people caught in situations that are only partially due to their own actions, but must (and can) rely on their own wits to save the day.

Readers who have never attended a science fiction convention or been seriously involved in SF fandom may miss some of Spider's underhanded references, and some of the specified technology will seem absolutely ancient (which is merely an indication of how fast computing technology is changing). But these are fairly minor quibbles with what is generally a very readable story, one that occasionally made me laugh out loud, always kept me grinning, and provided some good food for thought when finished.

This was the first Spider Robinson I've read, and I was quite impressed. I think it takes a courageous science fiction writer to write fiction about science fiction. The humor was a nice change of pace from so many other books which take themselves too seriously.

Don't get me wrong Spider Robinson is my favorite author but not even the warmth of Key West where this novel is set could warm me up to it.

This is a valuable lesson. Sometimes we must give up our fictional friends. Jake and his friends seem tired and need to rest. They have entertained us but now I feel like a guest at a party that has overstayed his welcome. Everbody is going through the motions but I just don't feel it.

One of the things I really didn't like is Jake and his crew's attitude of: "We are so clever Nod-Nod Wink-Wink." Everybody has some sort of power incuding his kid. It seems they are running into the same wall that Superman in the comics did. You make a character or a group of them so powerful you really have to strain to come up with a problem worthy of them.

In short this book seemed a bit to much by the numbers.

As much as I love the characters I hope this is the last I see of them. I will remember them fondly from prior books.

I've been reading Spider since my first-edition copy of Antinomy 20 years ago (which I still have). This book was, in a word: lame. Too much reliance on mind altering drugs and old formulas. The plot (if you want to call it one) is too formulaic. It takes Spider almost half the book to get them from New York to Key West, another quarter of the book to establish the new bar, and the last quarter to save the world. Where are the puns and character development that made the Callahan's Bar stories so much fun to read? Sorry, Spider. Even Ralph would call this one a dog.

Fans of Mike Callahan and Jake Stonebender and the rest of the crew will no doubt devour this latest installment, however new readers will be lost because of all of the in-jokes and references to past stories. All the more reason to buy ALL of the previous installments!

Callahan's Key, while bringing back all of our dear and lovable friends, left this reader wanting more. While everpresent, much of the crew from Callahan's Place and Mary's Place had only cameos in this story. Quite understandable, since the cast grows with every new installment, but it made me yearn for more of the short, poignant stories that originally captured our attention and pulled on our heartstrings.

This is not to say that this book is lacking in any respect. Spider Robinson is a genius and his works never never fail to entertain. You can't go wrong with this or any other of his stories.