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Red Thunder (Paperback)

by John Varley (Author) "I ALWAYS THOUGHT the VentureStar looked like a tombstone ..." (more)
3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
List Price: CDN$ 10.99
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Product Description

From Amazon.com

Debuting in 1974, John Varley became the decade's freshest, most exciting, and most important new science fiction author. He dominated the Seventies with numerous stories and two novels, set mostly in his Eight Worlds future history. By 1984 he had won three Hugo Awards and two Nebula Awards. Yet his output dwindled through the 1980s, and in the 1990s he released only two novels, Steel Beach and The Golden Globe, a pair of Eight Worlds books that received tepid responses.

Fans who feared Varley was devolving into another Robert A. Heinlein imitator may have mixed reactions to Red Thunder, Varley's first novel of the new millennium. Part of SF's turn-of-the-century trend of "Mars novels," but not part of Varley's Eight Worlds series, Red Thunder reads a lot like a Heinlein juvenile novel, if Heinlein were alive and writing juveniles in 2003. Varley's paying tribute to the Master's juveniles, especially Rocket Ship Galileo and Red Planet (and also, more subtly, to the ending of Alfred Bester's novel The Stars My Destination). Though Varley is working with decades-old tropes and is not in his full wildly-imaginative 1970s mode, Red Thunder is an enjoyable SF novel that should win back many disgruntled fans and gain him a new generation of admirers. --Cynthia Ward --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Publishers Weekly

And the heart-pounding space race is on! When a Chinese spacecraft, Heavenly Harmony, threatens to land on Mars a few days before the U.S. shuttle vehicle Ares Seven, washed-up ex-astronaut Travis Broussard, his brilliant but unconventional cousin, Jubal, and four kids from Florida decide to build their own private spaceship, Red Thunder, and get there first in this riveting SF thriller from Hugo and Nebula award winner Varley. Jubal has invented an amazing new power source, the Squeezer, which provides enough thrust to get them to Mars in a mere three days. While the Chinese and other Americans head to Mars the long way, the team works feverishly to build a spaceworthy craft, because although they all want Americans to land on Mars first, a more pressing reason for their visit to the red planet arises. Jubal has discovered a potentially disastrous design flaw in Ares Seven, which has Travis's ex-wife aboard. With a plausible cover story, a lot of help and a raided trust fund, Red Thunder gets built. Will its creators evade the feds who keep nosing around? Will they launch? Will they beat the Chinese to Mars? Can they save Ares Seven? Do you have to ask? In the end, they put their lives on the line, proving that Everyman can be a hero, too. With hilarious, well-drawn characters, extraordinary situations presented plausibly, plus exciting action and adventure, this book should do thunderously well.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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I ALWAYS THOUGHT the VentureStar looked like a tombstone. Read the first page
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Customer Reviews

41 Reviews
5 star:
 (15)
4 star:
 (13)
3 star:
 (1)
2 star:
 (4)
1 star:
 (8)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
3.6 out of 5 stars (41 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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1.0 out of 5 stars Wasted my money, Aug 31 2005
By Jed Sutherland (Victoria, British Columbia Canada) - See all my reviews
Grabbing this book off the shelf, I was smacking my lips in anticipation of a great plot, interesting science and imaginative details. Instead, I got the worst of Heinlein's work.

I appreciated H's books when I was 12 and still believed in the power of the individual to move mountains. Events of the last 40 years have proved this to be unrealistic and I've gotten very cynical in all that time.

A lot of H's books were aimed at children. I've grown up and I resent being handed this watered down gruel by Varley, whose work I've always respected.

I didn't even finish this book. I got tired of reading the cajun patois voiced by many of the characters. It sounded hokey and unreal. I didn't like the fact that everyone has baggage that they're struggling against; in this story, it doesn't make them very interesting people.

Every creative person gets tired of doing the same old, same old. I understand that Varley might have wanted to branch out and do a very different style of story. But this book is a major flop. I'm appalled that neither he nor his publisher have so little respect for his fans.

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1.0 out of 5 stars just terrible, Jun 19 2004
By A Customer
This review is from: Red Thunder (Hardcover)
I love Varley. His Titan trilogy stands as one of the finest works in all SF. That's why this is --so-- disappointing. As others have pointed out, this is vaguely reminiscent of Heinlein's juvenile SF, but it is not nearly as good. This isn't appropriate for juveniles and I don't even think they would find it interesting. The first half of the book is about the variously messed up lives of some uninteresting teenagers. The character development is poor, the dialog is wooden. The "washed up ex-astronaut" and the events that led to his disgrace are implausible and the "character" is very poorly developed. The novel is supposed to be filled with coon-ass cajuns from south Lousiana. Well, I grew up in New Orleans, and these characters are completely hollow, with no authenticity.

I can't recommend this book at all. Read Titan/Wizard/Demon or the short fiction by this author, but this book is one to avoid.

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2.0 out of 5 stars Derivative, Jun 10 2004
By R. Albin (Ann Arbor, Michigan United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   
The Amazon.com reviewer, Cynthia Ward, is almost correct that this novel is patterned on Robert Heinlein juvenile novels. This is a considerable understatement. This book is essentially an updated version of Heinlein's Rocket Ship Galileo. Strip away the contemporary window dressing and the story is that of a group of talented, and somewhat alienated teens, developing a space craft and beating opponents of America to another component of our solar system. This is Rocket Ship Galileo. Varley has also used several of Heinlein's typical plot devices. Many years ago, an intelligent critic commented that almost of Heinlein's heros are "practical men," intelligent and capable individuals with useful skills but usually not scientists or intellectuals. Several of his novels, notably the juvenile novels, are bildungsromans featuring the maturation of a practical man under the guidance of an older mentor. He used this device in some of his adult novels, including his best book, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, in which the maturing practical man is a sentient computer system. This plot device this the central instrument of character development in Red Thunder. Varley even imitates some of Heinlein's characteristic stylistic methods, including first person narration and the somewhat smart alecky tone of the narration. Varley is a competent writer and his prior books show that he is capable of considerable imagination. He can certainly do better than knockoffs like this.
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 		 Most recent customer reviews

1.0 out of 5 stars Not a Happy Camper
John Varley is one of my favorite authors. I like his work so much, I actually bought this book before reading the reviews here. That was a mistake. Read more
Published on May 29 2004 by David A. Lessnau

5.0 out of 5 stars Classic Heinlein
Classic '60's Heinlein, only more so. Anyone expecting anything else, need not apply. I couldn't put it down.
Published on May 16 2004 by Gary A. Crowell Sr.

5.0 out of 5 stars What an Entertaning Read!!!
I really enjoyed this book. It is the first book by Mr. Varley that I have ever read. It makes me want to go and check out some of his previous stuff. Read more
Published on May 11 2004

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow ! Wow ! Wow !
What a book ! I grew up on Heinlen juveniles, this is great addition to that section of science fiction. Read more
Published on May 9 2004 by Michael Lynn Mcguire

1.0 out of 5 stars What a waste!
Absolute unmitigated crap. A near-total waste of time. Complete drivel. John Varley owes me $7.99, plus tax.

Pardon the rant but I am SO disappointed in this book. Read more

Published on May 5 2004 by W. A. Edison

1.0 out of 5 stars Good writer, bad book
I got this book because I loved "Revelation Space" by the same author. I kept reading it because I thought something exciting would happen "soon". Read more
Published on Mar 22 2004 by Greger Wikstrand

5.0 out of 5 stars Great!
I read a lot of science fiction. This is a light hearted interesting book even for those who do not "like" scifi! Would be good for young adults as well. Fun to read.
Published on Feb 14 2004

2.0 out of 5 stars What Letdown!!
I absolutely LOVED Golden Globe - thought it one of the best tales to come along in quite a while. Therefore I was eagerly awaiting this book. Read more
Published on Feb 7 2004 by Avid Reader

4.0 out of 5 stars An Updated "Have Spacesuite..." - light, but quick and fun!
If you liked "Have Spacesuite Will Travel" when you were a kid, this is an updated version of the same basic story - kids going to outer space - with an updated... Read more
Published on Jan 2 2004 by Gal Bar-or

3.0 out of 5 stars Nice Heinlein-homage, but runs low on rocket-fuel
Rating: 3.5 stars

The first SF book John Varley ever read was Heinlein's RED PLANET. RED THUNDER is his tribute to RP, and ROCKET SHIP GALILEO, and HAVE SPACESUIT, WILL TRAVEL,... Read more

Published on Nov 10 2003 by Peter D. Tillman

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