Vous voulez voir cette page en français ? Cliquez ici.

1 used from CDN$ 38.06

Have one to sell? Sell yours here
 
 
Achilles' Choice
 
 

Achilles' Choice (Paperback)

by Larry Niven (Author), Steven Barnes (Author) "Jillian Shomer ran along the north edge of the quarry, toward a distant, silent ocean, into the dawning sun ..." (more)
2.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)

Available from these sellers.


1 used from CDN$ 38.06

Product Details


Product Description

From Publishers Weekly

The world of 2048 is ruled by a council of computer-enhanced, "linked" people, with new members chosen every four years through a competitive mental, physical and aesthetical Olympics. In training, contender Jillian Shomer debates whether to use a "boost" to enhance her chances. Nobody who has not boosted can prevail over anyone who has, at least in the physical contests, but those who use the boost and do not win will die within 10 years--only the link can counteract its effects and only a council member can be linked. Seeking to learn why the council would so allow the destruction of the majority of the world's finest youths, Jillian discovers unsavory aspects to her utopia. Then someone, or something, catches her spying. Niven and Barnes's ( The Descent of Anansi ) romance-like light fiction, with its predictable plot, loosely drawn characters and no more than a promise of a resolution, is, nevertheless, fun to read.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.


Ingram

The gods of Olympus offer Achilles a choice between a short, glorious life or a long, dull one, and although for him the choice was an easy one, his lover Jillian refuses to accept the ultimatum. Reprint. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
First Sentence
Jillian Shomer ran along the north edge of the quarry, toward a distant, silent ocean, into the dawning sun. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Excerpt | Back Cover
Search inside this book:

Tag this product

 (What's this?)
Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.
Your tags: Add your first tag
 

 

Customer Reviews

7 Reviews
5 star:
 (1)
4 star:    (0)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (2)
1 star:
 (3)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
2.1 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
Share your thoughts with other customers:
Most helpful customer reviews

 
1.0 out of 5 stars A swing and a miss, Jul 9 2004
By A Customer
Here's the deal, kids -- if you have never read any Larry Niven, go read almost anything else he has ever written or collaborated in writing or even done an introduction for. Do that, and the odds are really good that you'll wind up reading everything he's ever written, and find yourself haunting the bookstores and logging on to Amazon daily hoping he'll write something more for you.

Read this book last out of all the things he's written.

If you've already read everything else he's written, then you might as well read this and have that feeling of completion.

OK, it really isn't all that bad -- but Niven is a great writer, and other things he's done with Barnes have been very good (I have not read any solo efforts by Barnes)and so this one is just so TANJed disappointing.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
3.0 out of 5 stars Achilles Choice - Personal Choice, Jun 30 2001
By A Customer
This novel is about love, life and sport. Based on a future Olympics where not only physical perfection is required but also extreme intelligence. It is a story where the nobel prize is inspired by elite athletes, and practical meets theoretical. It is a story of choices. Choose wrong and you may die. Either way you need to be fully committed to your descisions. If you are going to aim high in life then this is where you would be.

Achilles Choice was a light but enjoyable read. I am looking forward to a sequel.

I would recommend this novel for the age group 8-22 years of age. If you are an older reader the predictability of the storyline may be discouraging.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)



 
1.0 out of 5 stars Don't bother, Jul 11 2000
By Elizabeth E. Nugent (Issaquah, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
This book reads like something out of a freshman creative writing class. The dialogue is stilted, the plot is predictable, and the characters are utterly flat.

Skip it - there are plenty of other good books by these authors.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)


Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
 
 
Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Don't bother with Achilles' Choice.
This story follows a young athlete as she trains for the new Olympics, which include intellectual competition and a de facto death sentence for the those who fail to take the... Read more
Published on April 1 1999

2.0 out of 5 stars Good idea, weak follow through
Reading Larry Niven's thoughts on the publishing world in "Playgrounds of the Mind" and "N Space" gives a good insight into why this book was published:... Read more
Published on Sep 3 1998

2.0 out of 5 stars Not Typical Niven
Larry Niven (and his co-authors) usually write something either memorable or entertaining. ACHILLES CHOICE is neither. The authors (three of them! Read more
Published on Aug 23 1998

5.0 out of 5 stars A classic tale of future sport mania and the athletes.
Achilles' Choice delves into a future evolution of the Olympics in which life is the ticket to enter. Read more
Published on April 27 1998 by M. Midzor

Only search this product's reviews



Look for similar items by category


Look for similar items by subject






i.e., each book must be in subject 1 AND subject 2 AND ...

Feedback


Your Recent History

 (What's this?)

After viewing product detail pages or search results, look here to find an easy way to navigate back to pages you are interested in.