Most Helpful Customer Reviews
|
|
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Callahan's Key is a trip!, 8 April 2001
The US orbiting defense system is bombarded by a freakish cluster of natural phenomena; its target is not just the US or the Earth: it is total & only one man can stop the devastation. Unfortunately he is unavailable so the job falls to bar owner Jake Stonebender & his wife Zoey with their superintelligent toddler Erin.In a risable blend of good science fiction & bad puns this is the saga of a caravan of busses replete with ex-hippies & freaks; drugs; rock'n'roll; Robert Heinlein's wandering cat; a converted cop; a whorehouse parrot & the much misunderstood genius-inventor Nikola Tesla, our hero rumbles off to the rescue. If you want many hours of thoroughly enjoyable reading I encourage you to scratch around in the musty shelves of your library, amazon.com or wherever you might buy his award-winning works. They are literally unforgettable. Do check out Associate Reviewer David's other SF picks.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
 
|
|
|
|
|
|
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
More Danger, Less Fun, 18 Nov 2003
Spider Robinson's Callahan's Key continues the story of Jake Stonebender, bartender extraordinaire, and all of his wild and wacky patrons, who this time are called upon to do no less than save the entire universe from destruction. But this one is not as wacky as some his previous efforts, and also not as funny (total number of puns in this work is down by at least 50% from prior pieces of this ongoing saga). As the punning is one of the major attractions of this series, this is a serious detriment.And I didn't get as emotionally attached to the characters and their problems in this one. Often his characters, in their more serious moments, provide a fine illumination of the problems all humanity faces, and by being recognizable people (as strange as they are), forces the reader to accept these insights as having a certain level of validity. But the characters in this book seemed a little thin, going through their motions, but without the underlying touches that would make them a part of the reader's world, that turn them into the person you met last week. Still a fun read, and a nice addition to the one the longest running 'bar' gags ever, but not up to the earlier stories level of insight and hilarity. --- Reviewed by Patrick Shepherd (hyperpat)
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great addition to the Callahan's saga, 24 Mar 2001
In my opinion, better than the last Callahan's and damn good book. All our friends, facing fascinating things which never faze them. This one I thought was particularly well done -- Although not back to the original Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, with wierd folks just wandering in to the bar, here.. Jake goes mobile and the convoy he creates is strangely reminiscent of his description of Western Nova Scota - but that's what you get when your favorite author is still 90% hipppy. This book offers a lot, it has some healing, some punning, some traveling, some telepathy and some universe saving.. but not more than 2 or 3 new commers and no delving into their respective stories - Recommended for fans of Spider who have read the previous Callahan's books.. you might get a bit lost or wierded out if you havn't read any of the other Callahan's books.. and some things might just not make sense even if you have an especially high ability to suspend your disbelief. On a side note I'd still like to buy the author and his wife a beer sometime and now for some reason.. I'd like to visit Key West - enjoy!
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews
|
by S. Robinson
by Spider Robinson
by Spider Robinson
by SPIDER ROBINSON
by Spider Robinson
