Peter D. Tillman

Cliche' city. Disappointing, April 27 2004

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Picked this one up on a whim, based on cover blurbs & laudatory comments here. Has moments, and the descriptions of Peru in the 50's are interesting -- but the characters are thin, and the dialogue is just awful -- one bad cliche' after another. I can't say if the cliche's are the author's or the translators, but this one wasn't for me. I gave up about halfway through. Caveat lector....

Cheers -- Pete Tillman

Excellent time-travel California smartass tragicomic SF., April 25 2004

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I thought the Chumash characters were particularly well done, very
*California* -- one of the the Humashup tycoons even has a
personal shaman. I don't know enough about the Chumash --
indeed, almost nothing -- to judge Baker's fidelity-to-history, but I
expect she's a trustworthy guide -- (but I do recall picking up
some very odd notions about science and history from voraciously
naive childhood reading, so comments from the Chumash-history

literate are welcome.) I'm pretty sure coastal California culture has
featured wealth, ostentation, flash & showmanship for at least a
thousand years.... and, yes,… Read more

Weakest "Joe Grey" yet. A "C" book., April 24 2004

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EVIL , the ninth Joe Grey, is readable, but weak and implausible. As in many long-running series, my willing suspension of disbelief suffered from the shear quantity of mayhem that happens to Our Heroes and their pals. Plus this one has a confused mishmash of plotlines. Has moments, but Murphy needs a fresh start, I guess.

Note that the first 4 or 5 Joe Greys are delightful. Just don't start here.

Happy reading!
Pete Tillman