- Paperback: 304 pages
- Publisher: Weidenfeld Military; 1st printing edition (10 Jun 1993)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 1857980832
- ISBN-13: 978-1857980837
- Product Dimensions: 23 x 15.2 x 2.8 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 2,054,829 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Review
"The latest galaxy-spanner by one of Heinlein's spiritual descendents." --"Science Fiction Age"
"A thoroughly entertaining book." --"The West Coast Review of Books"
"John Barnes's "A Million Open Doors" takes a venerable theme of classic SF--the reintegration of far-flung colony worlds into a newly resurgent human culture--and enlivens it with such zest, narrative energy and critical intelligence that readers across a wide spectrum of tastes will be charmed." --"The Washington Post"
"John Barnes knows how to make readers care...Barnes combines philosophical speculation, high-speed action, and character development in a way that is the hallmark of a master, and "A Million Open Doors" is his most successful work to date." --"Los Angeles Reader"
"John Barnes convinces. He may well be the new writer on whom the mantle of Robert Heinlein falls." --Poul Anderson
"With this book, Barnes emerges as a name to watch in SF." --"Booklist"
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
"A thoroughly entertaining book." --"The West Coast Review of Books"
"John Barnes's "A Million Open Doors" takes a venerable theme of classic SF--the reintegration of far-flung colony worlds into a newly resurgent human culture--and enlivens it with such zest, narrative energy and critical intelligence that readers across a wide spectrum of tastes will be charmed." --"The Washington Post"
"John Barnes knows how to make readers care...Barnes combines philosophical speculation, high-speed action, and character development in a way that is the hallmark of a master, and "A Million Open Doors" is his most successful work to date." --"Los Angeles Reader"
"John Barnes convinces. He may well be the new writer on whom the mantle of Robert Heinlein falls." --Poul Anderson
"With this book, Barnes emerges as a name to watch in SF." --"Booklist"
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
Product Description
At the furthest reaches of the Thousand Cultures - 31 solar systems of planetary colonization - is Nou Occitan, a world shaped by romantic troubadour culture. Instantaneous travel takes one of their young men to the dark world of Caledony where he finds unknown values.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
Format:Paperback
Humanity has spread across the stars. Different societies are suddenly being reunited by the 'springer', instantaneous transport. Giraut, from the troubadour/bohemian-like New Occitan is given to art, duels, and passionate love affairs. Discovering his lover is unfaithful he impulsively exiles himself to Caledony, on planet Nansen. Caledony glorifies reason, hard work and conformity. As Caledony struggles under the shock of change Giraut must find new values, strength and heroism.
Superb, although I suppose the author could have fleshed it out even more and made it even better. I like the way Giraut seems sensible at first, then is gradually revealed to have been a rather immature young man, product of Nou Occitan's violent and artistic society. He takes on a more mature understanding in Caledony. Caledony is a great creation of a boring, hard work, money based society. He also sends up religion (i.e. rationalism) and hypocrisy. The innate desire of people to be artistic, individual and democratic shines through. Caledony is a kind of spoof on capitalism, but also on organised socialism.
Superb, although I suppose the author could have fleshed it out even more and made it even better. I like the way Giraut seems sensible at first, then is gradually revealed to have been a rather immature young man, product of Nou Occitan's violent and artistic society. He takes on a more mature understanding in Caledony. Caledony is a great creation of a boring, hard work, money based society. He also sends up religion (i.e. rationalism) and hypocrisy. The innate desire of people to be artistic, individual and democratic shines through. Caledony is a kind of spoof on capitalism, but also on organised socialism.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
20 reviews
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
A Million Open Doors
10 Jun 2000
Format:Paperback
I'd recommend to anyone who feels like reading older-feeling hard sci-fi novel that is still modern enough for one to not be embarassed by the author referring to events of the late 20th century that obviously never happened. One review on the actual book cover calls Barnes "one of Heinlein's spiritual descendents" and that review is very accurate. I also saw another review here on Amazon.com that called this a "cultural sci-fi novel." All true. Barnes does something very rare among modern sci-fi writers (that I have seen, I must admit I haven't had time to read a lot recently)...he makes a story based on cultures interesting and truly engrossing.
When I was reading the book I couldn't decide when it was written. It feels like a 50's era sci-fi novel because so much importance is placed on the culture. But then there would be a reference to a technological idea that was obvious very current (such as "growing" buildings using nanomachines). I guess the true beauty of this novel is the refreshing way that technology--while believable and realistic enough--is not the centerpiece, instead it supports and compliments the plot. Very refreshing to read a novel about the integration of technology and culture that doesn't spend time belaboring the internet and information technology.
Finally, a quick plug for Amazon.com. Although I did buy this book at my local Barnes & Nobles store, their Internet site was clueless on John Barnes. Glad to see that Amazon.com has a better selection so I can explore other works by this author. I can't wait to do so (apparently there is now a sequel to "A Million Open Doors").
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
Heinlein who?
14 April 1998
Format:Paperback
Much has been made of the similarities between Heinlein and Barnes, at least it seems to me. Most copies of the paperback I've seen have some reviewer or other touting Barnes as the "new Heinlein" which I think can be misleading. Much of what Heinlein did was similar, granted, but Heinlein tended to take more of a . . . shall we say radical bent toward his topics, which put off more than one reader. The difference between Barnes and Heinlein is that while a typical Heinlein book had revolution plastered all over it (and at his best the man was good enough to keep it from being distracting), the work of John Barnes, and especially of A Million Open Doors is more of a quiet, understated revolution. Instead of hitting the reader over the head with it, Barnes takes us through the tale of a boy finally learning to be a man on a world totally unlike his own. In the process he shows us both worlds and shows us what is wrong with those worlds and why. In this way, I think Barnes can make readers think without forcing them to think, which seems more like Ursula K. Le Guin than Heinlein. Either way, from this book it's clear that Barnes, while maintaining some vestiges of both Heinlein and Le Guin, is quickly on his way to becoming neither of them, instead he is becoming the next John Barnes. That's revolution enough.
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
A "cultural SF" novel
3 Jun 2000
Format:Paperback
A Million Open Doors is a well-crafted "cultural science fiction" novel in the vein of Jack Vance. The protagonist Giraut is a young epee-wielding "jovent" from Nou Occitan. Jovent culture apparently lies somewhere between that of 18th century aristocracy and that of Alex and his droog buddies in A Clockwork Orange.
Dissatisfied and dishonored, Giraut leaves his world through a "springer" (an instant teleportation device) to become an Ambassador for the Thousand Cultures. The world on which he lands contains two polar cultures: Caledon, where money becomes a holy arbiter of value, and austere St. Michael. Both cultures are deeply religious and theocratic although opposite in just about every other respect.
When the springers come for the first time to each of the Thousand Worlds, a "Connect depression" ensues. Giraut and the other ambassadors are there to help Caledon and St. Michael re-enter interstellar human culture ... but it turns out to be a challenge.
A Million Open Doors doesn't have a well-defined linear plot, per se. At the least, it is a coming-of-age story for Giraut, who grows out of his jovent ways as the story progresses. If you like atmospheric science fiction with interesting scenery and well-developed characters, you should find this book to your liking.
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