After recieving a Pulitzer Prize for A Confederacy of Dunces, John Toole's The Neon Bible was published in 1989. At the age of 16 he was writing this book for a literary contest.

In a small, southern town in Mississippi lived a boy named David. He spent most of his time taking walks and following around his Aunt Mae. He grew up relying on her thoughts and opinions which later conflicted when she wasn't around.

The town was so consumed with the politics of the church and they forgot the real meaning. As a boy, he was ridiculed for not being a part of the church because his Poppa didn't pay the dues. David could see the light of the neon bible shinning bright from his home. To him the bible was a symbol of God fearing neighbors. From page to page we learn his thoughts and feelings about life, love, and religous views. David's thoughts and feelings conflicted with his inner-self and surroundings.

As a young writter Toole wrote an easy to read, but yet descriptive novel. Throughout the book he uses flashbacks, similes, and metaphors. The book had a constant flow that made it enjoyable.

There is no doubt in my mind that John Kennedy Toole was a colossal genius. "A Confederacy of Dunces" is one of my all-time favourite books (and steadily makes its way up the list each time I re-read it), a rambunctious, comic masterpiece on a par with "Tristram Shandy".

While "Neon Bible" could not be more different from "A Confederacy of Dunces", it is for all that something of a treasure.

I think of it like this: "A Confederacy of Dunces" is a city novel (specifically, a New Orleans novel). "Neon Bible" is a country novel. The foot has been taken off the accelerator. The pace has gone slack. You get time to smell the coffee, look up at the birds in the trees, float downstream on Huck Finn's raft. All that.

The narrator of "Neon Bible" (like John Kennedy Toole at the time of writing, funnily enough) is a kid. He watches various lives fall apart. He attempts to become an adult (he attempts to reconcile himself to adult activity and develop adult understanding), and he fails and he runs away.

In lots of ways, "Neon Bible" is like a bird that settles, to your surprise, on your hand. Only you are clumsy (you are Lenny from "Of Mice and Men"). You crush the pretty bird and the end of the book is (quite remarkably, and out of nowhere) the bloody remnants of all those organs and bones crushed between your fingers.

You never see it coming. The book reads like a painting. It's so beautiful (and you ask yourself: how did a sixteen year old write this?) you want to touch it, only when you do, the paint gets all over your hands. Everything is ruined. By which I mean to say that it isn't until the end that you realise the peace that pervades the book is - like the little bird in your hand - fragile and easily lost.

The Neon Bible tells of one boy's struggle to grow up in small-town America during the war years. It paints a picture of a small, claustrophobic world oppressed by narrow religious bigotry that eventually leads the story-teller to find the courage to make decisions that would change his life.

A tender, nostalgic, powerful novel written simply but effectively, The Neon Bible evokes emotions that are communicated in clean, direct prose. John Kennedy Toole wrote this book when he was only sixteen. He followed it years later by A Confederacy of Dunces, which was to win him a posthumous Pulitzer Prize. Though I don't believe The Neon Bible can match his brilliant second book, it is still an amazing achievement for a sixteen year old, and clearly demonstrates the true loss suffered by the literary world upon Toole's premature death in 1969.

Most writers, even those who have been writing for years with a modicum of success, would dearly like to be able to pen a novel as powerfully effective as The Neon Bible. It many ways, it makes me think of John Grisham's attempt to break out of the mould when he wrote 'A Painted House'. The difference is that Toole touches numerous raw nerves that Grisham does not. (In fairness, Toole could probably never have handled courtroom drama like Grisham!).

If, like me, you enjoy reading books that cover a broad spectrum of topics, The Neon Bible should most definitely be on your book shelf.

After four years of college, I could no longer run from chemistry. After numerous drops from the class, I finally found a chemistry book which is easy to understand. This book has every example problem you could think of. Every chapter gives you a good introduction, then cuts strait to the points every novice chemistry student should know to pass a general college level class. I do suggest a run through of chemistry in high school before stepping up to this book. I would have liked to have seen a book accompany the text which shows the drawn out ways to answer the review questions at the end of every chapter. Other than that this book is very down to earth and easy to follow.

This book is very well written, with helpful diagrams and detailed examples. It is easy to understand and text and with this book it is truly not hard to understand chemistry and do well. I easily got an A in Chemistry I and I believe that everyone who failed the class simply didn't look over the book or their notes after class. It certainly wasn't the fault of the professor or the text- both explained chemistry very well.

This is a very good text book. It has many colorful pictures to keep my interest when I was reading it along my course. Generally, it is well written and easy to understand.

Goldfinger was Ian Fleming's 9th James Bond novel and admitedly, it is not one of the stronger entries. Indeed, Goldfinger is one of those rare cases where the film made from the book is actually better than the book itself. The book's plot finds James Bond investigating the gold-obsessed Auric Goldfinger. The case starts largely as a lark for Bond but eventually involves Bond in a bizarre plot to rob Fort Knox. As opposed to Fleming's best works, Goldfinger's plot often feels as if Fleming made it up as he went along and the book's final set piece and conclusion comes across as rushed and just a little bit lazy. In fact, upon reflection, it becomes apparent that most of the book's twists and turns come less from any cunning on Goldfinger's part and more from James Bond simply making a series of stupid mistakes.

That said, it should also be remembered that Ian Fleming was, even at his most uninspired, a far better writer than most of his contemporaries. As such, even subpar Fleming is usually more entertaining than the best of what other writers are capable of. Especially in its opening chapters, Goldfinger has its moments of true wit and it certainly is enjoyable to follow Bond as he subtly manipulates the man's vanity. While this book doesn't feature Fleming's usual strong cast of quirky supporting characters, both Bond and Goldfinger are strong and memorable enemies. While Bond himself comes across as a bit more ruthless than usual (at times seeming to be an almost borderline sociopath), Auric Goldfinger stands as one of Fleming's strongest creations. Incredibly childish at times while still being fully (and credibly) capable of amassing the world's largest fortune, Goldfinger is indeed a worthy villian and, even if his plan disappoints, the man never does. The book is worth a read just for the chance to appreciate the skill with which Fleming creates a villian who, otherwise, could have been a harmless cartoon. As well, any book that features a character named Pussy Galore can't be all bad.

In the end, Goldfinger is lesser Bond but it is a Bond book nonetheless and those who are familiar with Fleming's work will find much to enjoy. (Those with the right sense of humor will certainly find some amusement in Fleming's theory that lesbianism is the result of women getting the right to vote.) Goldfinger is not the type of book that should serve as anyone's introduction to Ian Fleming's Bond. Certainly, both were capable of more than Goldfinger would (at first) indicate. But with its flaws come several pleasures and it is a must for fans of the literary Bond.

This book was far ahead of its time, ignored for the most part after its initial publication, but selling in the millions after the film's release almost a decade later. Give Fleming credit for enormous creative powers in dreaming up a story that, with its castrating laser beams, deadly Korean bodyguards, obese villains and beautiful women, resonated deeply in the darkness of a movie theater. But Fleming's role in helping create modern blockbuster entertainment is only part of the story. The James Bond books as a series are much darker than the films, and "Goldfinger" is no exception, but it's filled with descriptive prose that's among the best of the post-WWII era. Returning to this book after fifteen years confirms an earlier impression that one is dealing with more than a competent thriller-writer here. Though steeped in the Cold War era, and filled with fantastic plot contrivances, Fleming had a keen eye for irony, humor, and the truthful human observation. JFK, while President of the U.S., declared Ian Fleming his favorite author. In fact, as time goes on, Ian Fleming's gifts shine brighter than ever, remaining to be discovered by a new generation of readers.

I admit that that "Goldfinger" was the first Bond (Fleming-authored or not) that I have read. Susbsequent to reading it, though, I have plans for the reading of many more. I presume that as you are looking at this book, you have probably seen the 1964 film of the same. As with the majority of filmic adaptations, the book differs somewhat...and, again as with most things, I am convinced that the book is probably better.

I also admit to having been on a quest to find my idea of the quintessential piece of summer reading. This might well be it: it's paced well, the characterisation is non-existent, but then this book is clearly the literary doppelgänger of the popcorn movie...absence of character development should be taken in stride...and Mr. Fleming's prose is both slightly ornate and, er, quirky. If you're looking for a book to expand your mind, pass on this...if you're looking for something escapist, this certainly should serve you very nicely. Great fun. Recommended.

Yes, Sean Connery looks bored in his fifth outing as James Bond. Yes, the evil plot hatched by the bad guys this time around seems more silly than frightening. Yes, the long-awaited debut of Blofeld (Donald Pleasance) may have clashed with your preconceived notion of what he really looked like. Yes, that scene where a car is tossed into the ocean by a giant magnet is a howler. Yet, despite all its flaws, You Only Live Twice is remarkably entertaining! Call it the guilty pleasure of the franchise! Whether it's watching Bond dropping mini-parachute bombs on pursuing helicopters or watching an army of ninjas storm a hollowed-out volcano, you just can't turn away from the screen. Part of the film's effectiveness has to be attributed to the supporting cast. Although Connery seems uninspired through most of the film, Akiko Wakabayashi, Mie Hama, Tetsuro Tamba, and Karin Dor all infuse the film with a zany charm. Throw into the equation beautiful cinematography by Freddie Young, a great musical score by John Barry, grand production design by Ken Adams, and a semi-catchy title tune by Nancy Sinatra and you get a Bond film ranked in the second-tier of the series in terms of quality. While certainly a far cry from the intrigue and suspense of From Russia With Love, You Only Live Twice still distinguishes itself enough to put a goofy smile on your face every time you think of it.

After four excellent Bond films comes Connery's 5th effort You Only Live Twice. Twice is possibly Connery's worst Bond film, yet it contains things previous OO7 films or Diamonds Are Forever lacked or had less of. YOLT has spectacular Oriental sets by Ken Adam, the most action of any Connery film (dock gunfight, space capsule hijack, car chase, helicopter battle, building fight, gunfight in Blofeld's crater), an ingenious idea for SPECTRE's headquarters (an inactive volcano crater), great costumes, the first appearance of SPECTRE No.1, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (played fairly well by Donald Pleasence), stunning cinematography, and an excellent pre-title (our hero faking his own death) However, this is not the best Connery pre-title it is edged out by two other pre-titles in Diamonds Are Forever and the best, Thunderball. Though Twice has some good things, it has some nagging faults, one of which is Connery's slightly wooden performance. The others are lack of good crisis situations, the script by Roald Dahl, and the killing of Aki. However, the worst thing is that Twice has so much potential with things like the Oriental setting, Sean Connery, Ernst Stavro Blofeld and SPECTRE, great girls, beautiful cinmatography and costumes, lots of good action, a good pre-title, and a bit weak yet original plot. But for some odd reason, Twice is considered by some to be the worst official Connery film, including myself.

Released in 1967, You Only Live Twice marked the fifth appearance of Sean Connery who had announced he was retiring from the role that made him famous in the first place five years earlier ( he would later return in Diamonds are Forever). The plot has Bond going to Japan where he must stop his arch nemisis Ernest Stavro Blofeld from starting another World War between the superpowers. YOLT has the best pre-title sequence where we see our hero faking his own death. YOLT has some breath-taking action scenes such as the little-Nellie chase sequence, the dock fight and the grand finale in Blofeld's secret base in the crater of a volcano. YOLT set the standard for the following Bond sequels in the way it had such elabrarate sets. Also this the first time we see the face of sinister criminal mastermind Blofeld.

This was an interesting and intelligently written account of the life of a very strange but fascinating individual. It would be interesting, if he were alive today, to see if his lifestyle and thoughts would come across as acceptable and normal in todays world. He seemed to be a brave, athletic and intellectual person who may have been almost on the verge of some great magical and spiritual goals and discoveries, but never quite reaching those goals. Although some have labeled him 666 and the Beast, Crowley did not come across to me as being Beastly at all. He did strike me as being slightly insane, eccentric and very self absorbed. He started off in life with way too much time on his hands with his mind drifting off in too many directions in which most of us don't have the time or money to do; which does make his lifestyle difficult to relate to. The book seemed to drag on in places. His mountain climbing antics I found to be fascinating although stretched and drawn out. He was way out there; no doubt;... makes for interesting reading. Strange people are interesting to read about.

There are people who live... and there are people who LIVE. Aleister Crowley was clearly one of the latter. He indulged in sex and spirituality with the gusto of the greatest tantric, wrote with a passion and a flair for the english language matched by few, and has captured the imagination of numerous rebels from mainstream society. And nowhere- NOWHERE- is Crowley's story told better than in his own confessions, the tale of the poet, the mystic, the saint that had the audacity to claim the title of the Beast whose number is 666, the Lion of Light.

However, I will clarify my statement- although his autobiography is fascinating and rewarding, it's not something that you can finish in one or two sittings. It's the sort of book that you'll keep next to your bed for months with finishing, yet will felt driven to read on in Crowley's odyssey. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in modern Western spirituality, the world of Imperial Britain and it's quirkier characters, or Crowley and his religion, Thelema.

Regardless of other reviewers comments about Crowley's mountain-climbing adventures, and other travels, I thoroughly enjoyed every minute detail ! Obviously, his mountain climbing experiences and world travel helped him to develop his "Will," which enabled him to become the most famous Occultist in history. Every time I had a spare moment, I sat down with this "Autohagiography" and poured over the pages until I found myself in a delimma.....only 6 pages until it is finished. More ! More !

Two years ago, I would not have imagined I would be reviewing Crowley books. Most of the information about this man seems to have been written by people who took all the myths surrounding Crowley seriously, or preferred to inform the reading public of the Controversial / Tabloid exploits Crowley was *supposedly* involved with. However, despite various Occult Researchers' whimsical attitude toward truth vs. tabloid money-making rumors, this book reveals Crowley as a MAN, not a "Beast."

To read the Confessions is to read of a Poetic Young man, who happened to be born into a society Indoctrinated with ridiculous concepts that his level of Intelligence simply could not submit to. The Subversive, Slave-like religion of his birth pushed him to explore other fields of interest and to study Comparative Religion. Reading his autobiography, it is obvious that he was simply too intelligent to be kept down in the mire of "Because."

This man thought for himself and lived for himself--despite society's ridiculous posturing and false "morality."

Basically, Crowley "tells it like it is," instead of adopting the complacent, indoctrinated attitude of his era and contrymen.

There is very little "Occult" information in this book--in fact, he mostly writes about his Mountaineering, Poetry and World Travel throughout most of these "Confessions." The occult-related incidents often seem to be thrown-in as an after-thought, as-if he would much-rather be remembered as a Poet.

Personally, I learned quite a lot about Anthropology from this collection of Travels in India, China, South America, etc. It is such a shame that the intellectual level of society (or lack thereof) cannot comprehend Great Men. Crowley was extremely well-educated--therefore, it is unlikely that younger generations will comprehend even a fourth of the material in this autobiography. Well-read individuals will be thrilled to add the Confessions to their library !

Don't be frightened by propagandists and money-mongers--this book was written straight from the Horus' mouth and sets the record straight.

Published in 2001, Stephen Coonts' novel America is the 9th in the series starring his U.S. naval air hero Jake Grafton. We first met Lieutenant Grafton in the 1986 novel Flight of the Intruder as a carrier-based A-6 Intruder pilot in Vietnam. In subsequent novels, he has advanced in rank to now Admiral, moved to the Pentagon, & saved the United States (& the world) from increasingly evil villians & ever more technologically complex weapons.

In this novel, the first U.S. SuperAegis space-based missile defense system satellite is hijacked at launch, crashing it into the eastern Atlantic for salvage by a European billionaire & the European space agency. A super-silent, ultra-sophisticated, U.S. nuclear submarine is stolen by Russian & German pirates who then fire "Flashlight" energy pulse Tomahawk cruise missiles at Washington, DC & New York City, frying all devices with integrated electronic circuits, in essence crippling those modern cities. These two events are linked, & it takes Jake Grafton, his loyal aide Toad Tarkington, their CIA operative buddy Tommy Carmellini, old friend Marine Commandant Flap Le Beau, & their wives to figure the situation out & then rectify it as usual.

Jake Grafton is a modern literary hero approaching Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan in stature (although Clancy's much longer books allow him to more deeply develop his character). I am a fan of both. My favorite Jake Grafton novels are the earlier ones in which the immediate tension of naval aerial combat & war itself is better communicated. They were also great books for becoming acquainted with the workings of miltary planes & aircraft carriers. The later novels have gotten more farfetched in terms of plot and weaponry. The novel America continues that recent trend, at times stretching believability. However, it is an enjoyable read, & Jake Grafton fans & other miltary literary buffs should not miss it.

After the dire 'Hong Kong' this is a vast improvement.
Jake Grafton investigates a submarine hijack that snowballs into a significant attack on the US with warheads that detonate an EMP pulses that melt down power capability.
Fast moving and with some interesting ideas this is a return to form for Coonts. This is not up in the Clancey league but it is an entertaining novel non the less. It would have been interesting to see more of a focus on the aftermath of the city meltdown (you get the impression that "and then everyone lived happily ever after") and the plot device towards the end that has some senior navy types (and assorted women) going all SAS to get the bad guys was a little weak!
While not perfect, still worthy of your time...

I had a great time reading this book, I actually had trouble putting it down. My only complaint was the last couple of chapters; seemed like things really slowed down. I got the feeling Coonts was in a hurry to end this story.

Returning once again in the 6th book by Ian Fleming, James Bond is back and he is on his way to battle the evil Dr. Julius No, who describes himself as a maniac. Dr. No is a 6 ft. tall, bald maniac who has claws instead of hands puts 007 up to one of his most dangerous and daring assignments ever.

007 has apparently survived the excrutiating death of being stabbed by the poison shoe of Rosa Klebb. He's back in action and more dangerous than ever. He is sent by M to Jamaica to discover what has happened regarding the dissapearance of SIS agant Strangways and his secretary. 007 soon discovers that somebody doesn't want him to find out why, after a poisonous centipede and poison fruit make their way to Bond's hotel room. the suspect is Dr. No who sells bird-dung on the mysterious island Crab Key. Bond teams himself with a local, called Quarrel and they sail to the island. 007 meets Honeychile Ryder from walking up onto the beach from the water. Together the three search the island, but Quarrel is killed and Bond and Honey are captured and sent to the headquarters of Dr. No. He then tells them that is a Soviet agent that is causing havoc to the USA military tests of their rockets. Dr. No is a sadistic maniac who is obsessed on how much the human body can take. He forces Bond to go through his death course filled with electric shocks, poisonous spiders, heat and a giant squid. Bond surprisingly survives and kills Dr. No by suffocating him under a large pile of bird dung. Bond then rescues Honey and they go to a vacation together.

Dr. No is one of the most thrilling, exciting and adventerous novels of Ian Fleming. It's filled with exotic villians, Dr. No, exciting girls, Honey Ryder and unstoppable excitement!

As most teenagers, I had my "Bond movies phase", renting and watching every movie from Sean Connery through Lazenby, Moore, Dalton and now Brosnan. Even so, I had never read one of Ian Fleming's books, prejudicialy dismissing them as childish and poorly written. After ten years, I found "Doctor No" in a used-books store, and since I made the mistake of thinking this was, like in the movies, the first book of the series, I bought it.

In "Doctor No", James Bond, after a bad mission and spending some time in a hospital, is given a kind of "vacation mission" in Jamaica. He has to discover what happened to the local stationed british secret agent, who is reported missing. When Bond gets there, he is driven towards Crab Key, a misterious island owned by Julius No, a tall, bald maniac for privacy and who is hiding things from jamaican administration.

To my surprise (and showing I was wrong in my prejudices), Fleming is a good writer who can hold the reader's attention at most times. It's just a pity that I didn't begin the series with the first book, "Casino Royale", to see how Fleming developed his writing style, characters and plots while writing the books.
Other surprise was to compare Bond in the books with Bond in the movies. Bond in the books was more human and credible, even to the point of throwing up after moments of extreme tension. Other characters are interesting as well, like nature girl Honey Rider and Bond's friend Quarrell. I also liked to meet again characters like M and Q. Doctor No, though, as everything related to Crab Key island, is a little too fantastic for my taste, but, from the information I gathered, "Doctor No" is Fleming's most "exotic" and implausible book.

The important considerations are that Fleming can create good thrilling scenes, and that James Bond is a better character than I expected. I will surely look for "Casino Royale" and start the series in proper order.

Grade 8.8/10

Being a fan of the James Bond of the movies, I decided to go back to where Bond got his start--in Ian Fleming's novels. Doctor No is the third Bond novel I've read and thus far I think it's the best.

Bond is called to investigate the mysterious death of Strangways on the island of Jamaica. Upon arriving, Bond finds that Doctor No, the enigmatic owner of an island rich in guano, is behind the murder. As Bond investigates No's island with his Jamaican friend Quarrel, he encounters the beautiful Honey Rider and the dangers of dealing with Doctor No.

As I said before, this is so far my favorite of the Fleming Bond novels. The location is exotic and mysterious (Fleming probably chose it because he lived there), Bond is more ruthless than ever, and the thrills are plentiful. Honey Rider is more developed here than she is in the Dr. No movie, and the villain himself is much more sinister and menacing. The pace is much quicker than the other novels, with there being very few parts that drag. By modern standards Fleming is a racist and sexist but his dated descriptions and language don't remove from the story. Some claim the giant squid chapter was too much, but I thought it worked; that chapter was probably my favorite because it reminded me of Jules Verne and all the adventure novels of the past.

I had a few problems, though. The bird guano elements to the book really throw the pacing off and are kind of boring; I found myself skimming the pages when Fleming started describing them. The death of Doctor No is absurd and unintentionally funny; I wanted something more exciting than what Fleming gives us. The characters seem fond of going into really long monologues as well, which can be tiresome.

Overall, though, I had more fun with this novel than the other ones I've read. I'd give it a high recommendation just for its sheer fun. Somehow I can't help but play the James Bond Theme in my head while reading these books.

"In Defense of Space: 1999" might have been a better title for this book. I've been a fan of the show since I saw it in first run, when I was in my early 'teens. And I'm still a fan now (I bought the episode DVDs). I agree that many reviewers have unfairly "bashed" this show, perhaps because it did not fit the mould of other televised sci-fi. (Actually, I would class "Space: 1999" as fantasy or drama, but not as science fiction.)

Unfortunately, author Muir seems almost zealously (and tediously) determined to justify the show against all comers. Too much time is spent comparing "Space: 1999" to other shows, rather than praising it for itself. Gerry and Sylvia Anderson have produced some of the sexiest and most stylish sci-fi/fantasy on TV. They've got the "cool." And "Space: 1999" is one of their greatest.

If you are a fan, you will want to buy this book. It is worth the trip. It is a rare look at the creation and development of a popular show.

Two thumbs up and three cheers for Muir's Exploring Space:1999. This is the reprint of the 1997 book by the author of Terror Television (which also has a chapter on Space:1999)and The Films of John Carpenter. This is a sturdy, utilitarian volume with some good photographs of Catherine Schell, two original illustrations, and a great text. Today, everybody from the New York Times to TV Guide is hailing Space:1999 as a lost masterpiece but in 1997 Muir's was the only voice in print supporting the series, - and we can be thankful for it. The book stands the test of time because Muir writes so well about the series' strength, and destroys many of the old arguments against the show through logic, reason,and with empirical evidence. He writes about how 1) the series is high-quality and 2)how it picks up on interesting film techniques to tell its stories and advance its themes. I don't agree with every episode review in the book, but Muir is consistent - preferring those with "film style" rather than solid, traditional stories. This is great, innovative reading, and well worth the price.

Being a fan of Space:1999 since its debut in 1975, I immediately bought this book to see what it was all about. Like the book Space:1999 - The Future Is Fantastic (which would come out some three years later), this book about the classic British science fiction series was well researched and exhaustively informative. Like Paul M. Sammon's book on the making of Blade Runner, John Kenneth Muir's book really captured every detail about the show. From the synopsis of all 48 episodes, to direct quotes of dialogue from the characters and interviews with various actors, actresses, behind the scenes personnel, and the creators Gerry and Sylvia Anderson, this book was a pure pleasure to read. Muir's comments and criticisms about each episode and the show in general were justifiable in some areas, and in others, not. However, his book on the show, and the information contained were muti-dimensional and layered. Like many fans of the show, Muir's writings clearly indicate that he too is a fan, and truly cares about this classic piece of science fiction. He also goes into detail about how strong a cult-fan following the show has, and why it was on for only two years. Especially the changes made between the first and second seasons.

If you enjoy Space:1999, then you will want to pick up a copy of this excellent and informative book. If you really enjoy Muir's book on this show, then you'll want to check out his book on another classic piece of science fiction and fantasy. A legendary space opera known as Battlestar Galactica.

I was quite intrigued to see where Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich had intended to go had further Stargate films been made. They have said on several occasions that the series (SG-1) has gone in an entirely different direction than their planned sequels would have. As a big fan of both the original film and the series, I was curious to see what was lost. (It has been stated that McCay worked from Devlin and Emmerich's "sequel" ideas to create this series of books.)

I can only hope that Devlin and Emmerich would have made a better film than this first book indicates.

McCay seems to have little interest in character development, at least among those on Abydos. What he does do in that department results in some major changes to already established characters. O'Neil (and the rest of his men from the film) have changed from Air Force officers to Marines. Kawalsky has been demoted from Lieutenant Colonel to a mere Lieutenant, and poor Feretti has been bumped from Lieutenant all the way down to Corporal. Daniel Jackson, whose sense of wonder and awkward charm made him such a memorable character, has been reduced to little more than an interpreter and English teacher. And the values and motivations of almost everyone who travels to Abydos via the Stargate are picked out in stark black and white, without much personality or humanity.

On the other hand, the goddess Hathor and her fellow would-be godlings are much more interesting. Their infighting and petty bickering in the face of Ra's mysterious disappearance are much more intriguing than the utterly predictable Earth-exploits-the-natives plot back on Abydos. On Tuat, McCay gives us a glimpse of Ra's empire, or at least the leadership thereof. We see some of it's former glory and the current decay, the result of centuries of apathy or decadence. (One must wonder what Ra and his underlings have been doing all these years, if not conquering new worlds to expand the empire.)

McCay suffers from a very telling lack of military knowledge, which is most apparent during his description of the climatic battle. In many places, he glosses over entire engagements with a few words, leaving the reader begging for more. His lack of military terminology does not seem to be a problem when describing Ra's fictional technology; but when dealing with the Earth forces, it's a bit difficult for someone with some military background to take.

All in all, this is not a bad story. If this is where Devlin and Emmerich were planning to take us with their sequels, it would have been an enjoyable journey. It's unfortunate that McCay seems just a bit lacking in his ability to translate that to print.

While there are some flaws (and mistakes)the book has a lot to offer. The characters of Jackson and O'Neil seem to be in-character and many of the new characters, such as Hathor and Walter Draven, are very interesting. For example, Walter Draven, of the UMC, is both greedy and forward, yet knows how far he can push people. Hathor wants power, but is realistic about what she can and can not do.
The book allows you a peek at Ra's decaying empire and the reality of having a Stargate to another world. The language barrier is still a problem, no short-cuts here, and Bill McCay does not plan to make it easy for any of the characters. Both Earth and Hathor wish to exploit the planet of Abydos, whose natives just want to be left alone.
The book does give hints and flashbacks of past events to help fill in the setting and give background on some of the 'evil' characters BUT not too much.
The best part is while the book can stand alone, it is the first of a five book series. If you overlook the small flaws the story is very solid.

This is a great book for those of you out there who, like myself, nearly died of curiosity at the end of Stargate. Questions like 'what about the other gods?' and even more importantly,(I thought, anyway)..'was Ra single?' ;) are answered. I was tempted to give this only 4 stars because of the absence of Ra,(an absolutely stunning villain embodied nicely by Jaye Davidson), but that wasn't really the author's fault (some jerk decided to vaporize him in the movie), so...heck, why not five?

There are a few holes here and there, such as the Stargate suddenly becoming gold instead of grey, and Barbara Shore transforming from a shy, 45 year old disaster to a blunt, prime-aged Texan man-izer (actually, that's in the second book), but all this is made up for by the introduction of a very, very cool new villain, and frequent flashbacks about things that happened among the gods (mostly Ra) back at the beginning of Egyptian civilization. Also, if you've done any research on Ancient Egypt and have a lot of background knowledge on the gods and goddesses, you'll find this book(series) especially interesting. There are a lot of references to actual Egyptian legends, and lots of other things you might find amusing. (like the fact that Hathor was actually a cow-headed goddess.)

I have to say this is one of the only series that has me sitting in the bad-guy's (or in this case, bad-girl's) cheering section. I know good always prevails over evil and everything, but I honestly hope that Hathor kicks all their heroic butts.

Based on the new James Bond film, Raymond Benson takes up on Bond once again. This time, the story really stays pretty straight with the movie, only providing a bit more than the film. It contains some background information of Elektra/Renard, and what happens in the past, etc., but it isn't too much. Unlike Tomorrow Never Dies:A Novel, TWINE is not adding much to the film. Basically, if you saw the film and you are a little wishy-washy on reading a Bond book or having to read the what you saw on film, you probably don't need to buy this. However, if you're an avid Bond fan or would still want to take up on a Bond book, it's still a good read. If you see the movie first, it becomes easier to imagine the scenes. Raymond Benson has written better Bond novels than this, however, so make your choice more warily.

I am on record as trashing High Time to Kill (see reviews for that book) along with vowing to wait for the Benson novels in paperback (if not used papaerback). Well, I bought this paperback new and would have paid for a hard cover of this story's quality. Benson is terrific on this novelization. I'm sure there is a lot of extra info that will clarify parts of the movie when I see it. The rumored "airhead" personality of Christmas Jones does not come through in the book and I was afraid that the return to "sexpot" Bond girls would send the modernized Bond into a tailspin. One especially bright point is the meatier role for M. I think Benson likes writing her and it shows. For fans who haven't followed every plot point posted on the web, I'm sure there will be more than a few surprises. The plot-Bond is assigned to bodyguard Elektra King, the daughter of a recently-assassinated oil magnate. Elektra has already been the target of kidnappers led by the villainous Renard, a terrorist who has no pain center. (Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think a "painless" killer was written into the Tomorrow Never Dies plot, but was scrapped after the novelizatioon had already been written) Great gadgets, great plot, great girls,a surprise development with M, and an atomic bomb stolen from a foremer Soviet Republic make for an exciting and riveting thriller.

I read the novelization of "Tomorrow Never Dies" before reading this. The thing I noticed with Benson is that in his novelizations he writes in third-person omniscent, allowing the reader to not only visualize everything, but know what the characters are thinking, which can obviously not be done in the movies. I had some of the movie before reading the book. After I read the book, however, I saw the movie and it made a lot more sense.