- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Voyager; New Ed edition (5 Jun 2000)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0006510787
- ISBN-13: 978-0006510789
- Product Dimensions: 17.4 x 11 x 1.6 cm
- Average Customer Review: 3.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 778,586 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Amazon.co.uk Review
Kim Stanley Robinson, justly famous for his science fiction, has created a mesmerizing fantasy work in A Short, Sharp Shock. Each brief chapter (with evocative titles such as "Beauty Is the Promise of Happiness") explores a little further along the path of the amnesiac protagonist, Thel. Thel finds himself on an amazing world, which has just one narrow ridge of land encircling the globe, with endless ocean on either side. And Thel is on a quest, searching for the woman who was with him when he first awakened, but who was taken by the murderous spine kings. In his travels along the ribbon of land, Thel encounters exotic local peoples and their legends of the origin of the world, and learns more about his companions and himself. Robinson's imagination is far-ranging and he has a pointed way with words: in a scene where Thel is slowly pushed through a magical mirror, Robinson's evocation of pain is unforgettable. A Short, Sharp Shock is guaranteed to haunt the reader for a long time. --Blaise Selby
Review
‘IF I HAD TO CHOOSE ONE WRITER WHOSE WORK WILL SET THE STANDARD FOR SCIENCE FICTION IN THE FUTURE, IT WOULD BE KIM STANLEY ROBINSON’
NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Pure poetry!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Short, Sharp Shock (Paperback)
While what the other reviewer posted might technically be true, I think that they have missed the point a bit. It's not meant to be read as a straight novel; it's an experiment, a reverie about the nature of humanity and memory. As such, it succeeds very well - the prose shimmers with beauty and bizarre images. The main character is also very well drawn, although the others are perhaps slightly nebulous. In short, if you're expecting a nice neat plot with no room for imagination or poetry, you might be better off elsewhere.
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful, inspiring and unique...,
This review is from: Short, Sharp Shock (Paperback)
This is the best book K.S.Robinson has ever written (good though Red Mars and Antarctica were). It is also one of the best books I have ever read. It is also unlike any other book I've read (and I've read it four times).
It is pointless trying to explain or summarise the story, except that for me, from the first page to the last, it is essentially a metaphor on life. I only came to this conclusion after reading it twice, but since then this book has fascinated me. This is a short book that leaves as many questions unanswered as it provokes. Keep an open mind and don't be afraid to read it more than once. It is wonderful and brilliant!
5.0 out of 5 stars
A dream,
By Bookish (UK) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Short, Sharp Shock (Paperback)
I'm a big fan of Kim Stanley Robinson, so it's odd that this is my favourite of all his books, because it's the least representative. I can understand why people are baffled and say it sucks. But there are elements of Robinson's mystical leanings in most of his works. Even the hard science ones like the Mars trilogy - there he suddenly went off on a tangent about the Dalai Lama's soul wandering the bardo looking for a rebirth opportunity. At first my mind was busy trying to make a plot of this book but in the end I relaxed and just went with the flow. It's a beautiful little tale, strange and stranger.
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