Baron Of Hell

I tried reading this book way back when but couldn't get into it. I think it was raping. However, now that I'm older and now what is coming I'm thinking about giving it a second chance. I'm thinking I might have focused to much on negative stuff and might have missed the bigger picture the book was trying to paint.

Any way what do you think of the book? I dropped it around the part where he had to rape his wife in order for her to respect him or something.

Lastyear

Its Piers Anthony. one of the crappiest SF writers of all time. Read something by a better writer. What makes Anthony so maddening is that he actually wrote a couple decent books early on in his career. Give Iain M. Banks or Dan Simmons(Hyperion) a go.

Nick Danger

The first book of Bio of a Space Tyrant is all about rape. Anthony makes it as horrific as he can. It was unpleasant reading. The second book is about this (Mexican) kid's rise from an illegal immigrant farm worker to Admiral in the (US Armed Forces). It was kind of fun. The third book is about his campaign to become president of the (US). There were some good bits of political satire in there. Then he takes power in a plausible military coup. After that, it got pretty dreary. The last two books are about his life as president for life of (the US). His mental deterioration is shown by his declaring rape a misdemeanor and lowering the age of consent to 10. Nothing got resolved in a pleasing manner.

If you want to read the books, just read numbers 2 and 3.

Not only is Piers Anthony a lazy writer, but his books really give me the feeling that he would make my skin crawl if I met him in person. There was a creepy, misogynist, nasty vibe in all the books I read in the 80s.

DeputyDave

It's funny. I just found a copy of Bio laying around at work the other week. I remember liking it as a teenager, but couldn't get through even the first chapter now. I used to like Anthony (again as a teenager) but I consider him crap, now. Bio is like a Sci-fi version of Goosebumps or some other young adult book featuring a dozen graphic rapes.

My personal recommendation if you are looking for GOOD sci-fi in a similar vein is David Feintuch's Hope Series. Very similar premise in that it follows the life/ career on a teen to adult in a military/sci-f setting over the course of several books.

I seriously can't recomend it enough. 1000% better than the Bio series.

mgbfan

Tried to read one of his books years ago. Didn't last 50 pages. Awful.

I'll add Peter F. Hamilton to the list. Similar to Banks in some ways.

GreenMonkey

If you're going to read some Piers Anthony, stick with the Incarnations of Immortality which are pretty good (esp. the Incarnation of Evil book). Not for the intensely Christian-religious types though, for sure.

I have a soft spot for the Apprentice Adept books as well.

Baron Of Hell

Yeah the Incarnations of Immortality was really good. I was thinking of reading it again. I thought Wielding a Red Sword was the best. Got to love a guy that gets kicked out of hell because it looked like he would take over.