Rolling Thunder

I used to be a big John Varley fan, but am now pretty disappointed. Some of the older books are very good, and its obvious he greatly amires Heinlein. Personally, I dont understand the infatuation with RH, as the guy writes the same stories over and over, but what the heck, Im sure there are some good reasons, and the guy is practically a god in the sci-fi pantheon. The protagnist is an 18 year old cadet in the Martian Navy. Only shes 18 going on about 40 in her understanding of the world. Seriously, if human 18 year olds were this worldly and understanding that would be truly amzing. So while this is hard sci-fi, and that by definition stretches the bounds of practicality, it seems that only the Garcia-Strickland and Broussard clans are born of such stock, and the remainder of humanity is much more average (or worse - there are some good parts like when Poddy discourages a vapid Earthie from emmigrating to Mars). There are also some parts, especially towards the end of the book where it looks like Varley just got tired of writing or something. There are several plot lines or story arcs that end more or less abruptly, and he just sums up what happened. This is the kind of stuff I expect in excessively complicated stories (Robert Jordan), or very long movies. But an average length paperback? What happened there? Did he run into some kind of deadline from an advance or contract? Varleys books are definitely written for adults, complete with adult language, themes, sex, violence, and all the details you can imagine. For the most part I regards this as a good thing because so much of life and civilization is not rated PG-13. I wouldnt call this the worst ever or even a waste of money, but John Varley has written some *much* better novels and short stories than Rolling Thunder.

I was looking forward to reading this title after having enjoyed the previous two titles in the series so much. Unfortunately I was somewhat disapointed with the whole book. I found it difficult to get into the viewpoint of a young woman telling the story and basically whining and complaining through the first half. The book undulates, rather than rolls and there is very little thunder. Maybe in the crash scene but that is about it. So many great ideas, from the black spheres, to compressors, even the creatures on the Jovian moon are not fleshed out. There are too many long passages giving mind numbing details about minor aspects of Jovian moons and other solar bodies. The action and adventure that made the first two such a rollicking ride are missing. The new character is far less interesting and even the original ones are played down. Its obvious that there is a fourth book planned but I will probably not be along for the ride.

I really liked the first two volumes in this series. I almost always finish books but I didnt finish this one. Its slow and the heroine is really annoying. I also didnt like the author lecturing on current political issues. I read SF to get away from those... Varley writes great short stories, Id recommend his collections without hesitation. The original Red Thunder was refreshing. This installment is just weak.

Quite fun. An old favorite.

NOTE: Closer to 3.5 stars. I am really hoping that John Varleys best writing is not behind him, as he is by far my favorite author. There are only three or four writers who I will read more than once, and Varley tops that list (though not with this trilogy). To be blunt, I thought the entire trilogy was good. I liked it. The stories and characters - especially Jubal and Travis - are interesting. That being said, it isnt nearly as good as his past works such as Demon, Steel Beach, The Golden Globe, The Ophiuchi (sp?) Hotline and Millenium. Those books were nothing short of amazing. Every line seemed carefully crafted to evoke and emotional response. The stories were deep and meaningful. The characters came alive. Frequently, he made me laugh my ass off. This trilogy didnt do that nearly so much for me. I had heard somewhere that he might do another story in the world of Steel Beach / Golden Globe. That would be awesome, if he can recapture that same style of writing again. Regardless of what John writes, I will read it, because it is still very good. So, John, if you are reading this, please know that I am still one of your biggest fans.

This is the third book in Varleys ongoing tribute to Robert Heinleins juveniles. Its not the best (thats the first) and not the worst (thats the second one) but its solid Varley - playful and joking, yet deadly serious.

I loved the character/narrator Podkayne. She is a fine addition to the series, maybe my favorite narrator. But there were some significant flaws in the story, in my opinion. There is one person who should be dead, but shows up alive, it seems primarily to give him a better smackdown. The explanation as to his being alive seemed very, very weak (as in, soap opera fans would be shaking their heads). Also, the romance seems contrived, like the author decided after writing book two to move the character that direction, then had to walk back almost everything hed said about the character in the prior books. Final quibble, Im not sure what I think about the driving event. There seemed to be a lot of convenience in the areas of both timing and abilities, (They are too big to be aware of us but constantly cause minor equipment failures.) as well as unresolved red herrings that only function, it seems, to move the plot. But still a good read and follow-up to the first two. And I especially enjoyed the Heinlein titles Easter-Egg hunt at the end of the book.

Quite enjoyed it; the writing reminds me of Heinlein’s although the author’s many references to some of Heinlien’s books and characters might be influencing my judgement. You can probably tell I loved Heinlein’s books and stories while growing up and as a young adult, and I like this writing, too...

This third book in the series continues the saga of an intertwined martian family. The story moves quickly between Earth, Mars, and the moons of Jupiter. John Varley spins a tale that makes this book hard to set down. One can only hope that the story will continue rolling on.

Rolling Thunder the new novel by John Varley, tells the story of Podkayne, a Martian Naval Officer and singer extraordinaire. Varley, three time winner of the Hugo award and two time winner of the Nebula award, continues to tell stories full of strong female characters, and twisting, curving plots. Podkayne is the daughter and granddaughter of some of his characters from previous novels, and her story continues the tale of the exploration of our solar system in the not too distant future. Podkayne is just trying to get through her required service in the Martian Navy. What she really wants to be is a singer. When an opportunity to perform her music for the Navy on Europa ((one of Jupiters moons) is offered, she snatches up the chance. Her story seems simple, prosaic even (at least, as much as it can be for a good-looking nineteen year old), until she encounters Europas freckles. After that, her life takes a drastic turn, culminating the revelation of just what the Rolling Thunder really is, and what it means for her family. Varley has Podkayne tell the story memoir style, reliving her past by writing events from her perspective. So its a historical account of fictional events from one persons perspective. Its a unique way to tell a fiction story. Varleys story mirrors much of Heinleins works in style and content. Like Heinlein, he uses free societies and free love (with some rather explicit sex) in his stories, so this work is solely for adult reading. Rolling Thunder is a fast reading novel that packs a great deal into a few pages. Varley can get as much into his three hundred pages as other authors do in five hundred. It is a novel that takes many unexpected twists and turns, and its ending is both surprising and an excellent set up for more John Varley novels to come. I recommend this novel to adults who enjoy Heinlein, near space SF, or character driven plots.