- Paperback: 256 pages
- Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton Ltd; paperback / softback edition (1 Oct 1989)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0450511898
- ISBN-13: 978-0450511899
- Product Dimensions: 21 x 13.4 x 3 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 210,839 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
The Long Habit of Living
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Product Description
Product Description
An adventure novel from the author of "Tool of the Trade" and the collection of short stories "Dealing in Futures".
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book starts slowly, and for over 100 pages, there's far more science fiction and socio-economic postulating than action. But Haldeman writes such stuff so well that his ideas and theories are more than enough to keep you interested until a brutal assassination grips you tight and won't let go until the conclusion.
Haldeman's strength as a sci-fi writer has always been his ability to show you stuff that it genuinely possible, and the big theme here is the prolonging of life infinitely by medical means. As usual this subject has been thoroughly considered by the author, and all the 'what ifs' are postulated within the pages of the book. As a bonus we also get to chew on the concepts of the afore mentioned plutocracy this could cause, space travel as a preserve of the super-rich, early space colonisation, and delightfully, the possibility of immortality not in one's own body, but as a Turing algorithm in a computer.
Haldeman's strength as a sci-fi writer has always been his ability to show you stuff that it genuinely possible, and the big theme here is the prolonging of life infinitely by medical means. As usual this subject has been thoroughly considered by the author, and all the 'what ifs' are postulated within the pages of the book. As a bonus we also get to chew on the concepts of the afore mentioned plutocracy this could cause, space travel as a preserve of the super-rich, early space colonisation, and delightfully, the possibility of immortality not in one's own body, but as a Turing algorithm in a computer.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
For all Haldeman fans - I nearly bought this before realising it is in fact Old Twentieth under a different title. Get it if you haven't read it already, it's fine vintage Haldeman: a thriller which depends on a witty skilful Sci Fi background. In the near future, the Stileman Foundation controls rejuvenation for those capable of paying not less than a million bucks and all other total assets, every ten years. The oldest living immortal Dallas Barr tangles with a group of his fellows intent on world-domination, and has to flee for his life as far as the asteroid belt with his Turing Machine friend Eric and Italian lover Maria. Maria is near the end of her current treatment and has secretly decided not to rejuvenate this time around. When she and Dallas meet and rekindle their affair, then go on the run, she changes her mind, but the clock is ticking. The asteroid belt is a Larry Niven-style anarchist state (you keep feeling our heroes will run into Gil the ARM in one of those bars). The sketch of a criminal Florida becomes familiar in Haldeman's later work: novel designer drugs, legalised assassinations, plastic surgery, smugglers as a legit society. The ending is a bit perfunctory - though this is not nearly as much of a drawback here as it is in his most recent stuff. Dallas and Maria are clearly drawn adults, with touches of genuine character, the dialogue snaps and the satire on tabloid trends is neatly done. It's very like Tool of the Trade (which has a better ending), and The Coming (which has a more disappointing one): but the build-up and characters are most satisfying here.
Format:Hardcover
Not a bad take on the interesting idea of human immortality. Robert Heinlein does it better in 'Time Enough For Love' but having said that I like Joe Haldeman's writing style- its very readable and eminently more modern than Heinlein's which can be a little pedantic and plodding.
His best work was 'Mindbridge' and 'The Forever war' but this was still an ejoyable read. Would recommend.
His best work was 'Mindbridge' and 'The Forever war' but this was still an ejoyable read. Would recommend.
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