Message-ID: <563@topaz.ARPA>
Date: Fri, 8-Feb-85 23:31:52 EST
Article-I.D.: topaz.563
Posted: Fri Feb  8 23:31:52 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 10-Feb-85 06:13:00 EST
Sender: daemon@topaz.ARPA
Organization: Rutgers Univ., New Brunswick, N.J.
Lines: 69

From: Alan R. Katz 

Kevin O'Donnell, a relativly new author, has come out with 5 books that I know
of.  I have read four of these and greatly enjoyed them.  A short review
of the four I read follows, I recommend them all.


	"LAVA", "REEFS", "CAVERNS" (3 books),  The Journeys of McGill
	Feighan  (Berkley)

		These 3 books cover the adventures of McGill Feighan,
		a Flinger (ie a teleporter) from birth.  In the first
		book, he is swallowed by a giant gastropod creature 
		supposedly sent by the Far Being Retzglaran.  At age
		5, he becomes a Flinger, and at 17 enters the Flinger
		academy, where he is trained in teleporting.  Meanwhile,
		an intersteller crime Mafia type organization, called
		The Organization, decides to capture Feighan, mainly
		because they have dealt with the work of the Far Being
		Retzglaran before.  Although no one seems to know anything
		about the Far Being, he usually causes lots of trouble
		for the Organization.

		The rest of the books deal with Feighans career as a Flinger,
		and his quest to find the Far Being to find out why he
		was swallowed by the Gastropod, and what his life is all
		about.  The series is fairly humorous, but with a serious
		plot line.  It is pretty entertainting.  I especially liked
		the teleporting aspects (there really don't seem to really
		be very many teleport stories around).

	"ORA:CLE"  (Berkley)

		ORA:CLE stands for Opinions, Research, Advice: Computer
		Linked Experts.  If you want information, and are willing
		to pay, ORA:CLE can help with its network of Experts, linked
		by computer (through an implant allowing direct contact with
		the brain).  The story centers around Ale Elatey, a CLE on
		Oriental History, who is almost murdered more than once.  It
		turns out that many of the CLE's have died under mysterious
		circumstances.

		Meanwhile (the book takes place 100 years from now) in this
		future history, the Dacs, huge winged creatures, have invaded
		the Earth.  We do not have the power to stop them, but they
		have not succeeded yet either.  There is currently a ceasefire
		in effect, but the Dacs fly around and attack anyone out
		in the open.  Thus people have "Dac Alarms" which alert
		you of approaching Dacs and warn you to get indoors.  
		standard phrase used is "Do be careful" (as in the news
		service notice:  "This update has been provided as a 
		public service by all data management corporations 
		participating in NEWSBANK/MC....To see the headlines of the 
		day's other news stories, simply scroll your screen up.
		Thank you, and do be careful.")

		Anyway the background of the story, with the Dac invasion,
		matter transmitters, Computer linked experts, etc. is very
		interesting.  I thought the ending of the story was
		a little weak, but on the whole well worth reading.


If you're looking for something new to read, try these.

Thank you, and Do be Careful...

		Alan

-------

Message-ID: <930@ut-sally.UUCP>
Date: Sat, 9-Feb-85 12:42:54 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-sally.930
Posted: Sat Feb  9 12:42:54 1985
Date-Received: Mon, 11-Feb-85 03:55:15 EST
References: <563@topaz.ARPA>
Reply-To: ivan@ut-sally.UUCP (Ivan M. Milman)
Organization: U. Texas CS Dept., Austin, Texas
Lines: 16
Summary: Review of Mayflies 


     Another excellent book by Kevin O'Donnell is "Mayflies".   I won't spoil itfor you (much!) except to say that it is the most interesting book on the       man-machine interface that I've read in a long time, and is just plain old      terrific SF.

                         Enjoy,
                                ivan

-- 

 
                     Ivan Milman

                     ARPA: ivan@ut-sally.ARPA  
                     USENET:  {ihnp4,seismo,ctvax}!ut-sally!ivan
                     Bell:  (512)471-4760
      
           "Stop making sense?!  Heck, I've never even started!"

Message-ID: <1337@ut-ngp.UUCP>
Date: Sun, 17-Feb-85 13:18:46 EST
Article-I.D.: ut-ngp.1337
Posted: Sun Feb 17 13:18:46 1985
Date-Received: Tue, 19-Feb-85 06:55:21 EST
References: <3935@ucla-cs.ARPA>
Organization: U.Texas Physics Department; Austin, Texas
Lines: 33

Come again?

> From: @RUTGERS.ARPA:KATZ@USC-ISIF.ARPA
> Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
> Subject: Kevin O'Donnell
> Message-ID: <3935@ucla-cs.ARPA>
> Date: Fri, 15-Feb-85 14:30:02 CST
> 
> From: Alan R. Katz 
				.
				.
				.
				.
> of the four I read follows, I recommend them all.
> 
> 	"LAVA", "REEFS", "CAVERNS" (3 books),  The Journeys of McGill
> 	Feighan  (Berkley)
> 
> 		These 3 books cover the adventures of McGill Feighan,
> 		a Flinger (ie wineries now in Washington with ten scheduled
> to be added in 1985.
> 
>      The North Coast Counties of California  fared  somewhat  better  than  the
> Northwest. They had a record wet Spring, but then a very rapid  growing  season
> for the rest of the Summer with temperatures well above normal. Napa County was
-- 

                                           John L. Templer
                                     University of Texas at Austin

    {allegra,gatech,seismo!ut-sally,vortex}!ut-ngp!lindley

                 "Gongo Bunnies movin' in,