Definitely an intruiging though odd book
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This was the first book by William Barton I read -- and the back most definitely did not prepare me for the sexual content. I took a break of a day or two sometimes from the book due to the character of the narrator etc. It wasn't as bad as Alpha Centauri in that respect (I pity Genny of that book) but even so it shocked me. However, once I got past the amount of erotica in the book, the philosophical notions and Barton's views on the human future got me. Less optimistic than many writers, but maybe more honest that most because of that. Barton created a masterpiece with this book: Gaetan is entirely human, often disturbingly so. All you really need to know about Barton is that I read MORE of his works after reading this one -- the philosophy, combined with the sense that the characters are real, drew me into his books, even though there are few people I would reccomend them to, sadly enough. I know it's said that humans think of sex every minute or so, but do the characters in his novels have to THAT often?! Maybe they do in order to be fully "human" (a fact that says a lot about humanity in itself)but the only thing I would wish for would be a little less erotica in his writing.
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Simply excellent.
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Barton ranks as my favorite all time sci-fi (and sci-fantasy) author.
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Oedipus in space
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The plot deals with humans' lack of concern for other species and worlds. It deals with the rape of worlds much like we're doing to Earth. The author deals with the main characters sexual problems with seemed to me more of an excuse to get a lot of sex scenes in. I like the alien characters he portrays. You wish our race could be more like them. He gives the aliens the more humane traits and the humans the more self-serving traits. The author seems to be trying to say a lot about the environment and human nature, but nothing that hasn't already been beaten into the ground it the stereotypical fashion. I liked the premise of the plot, but the main character sexual hang-ups distracted me. The story ended weakly with you wishing for the alternative ending, especially as the humans were cast as the evil character.
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macho and puerile
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Other readers have praised the dystopian world painted by Barton and his odious protagonist. Was onyone else repelled by the protagonist's phallocentric narcissism and the general crudity of Barton's rendering of his internal monologues? For me, the imaginative concept was unable to conquer my disgust with the character and the general odor of testosterone. I began to dislike Barton as much as his creation; this has certainly put me off reading anything else by him.
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great dark science fiction. read it!
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This is what science fiction is all about. The world is not a very nice place. People are morons. Is this going to change even in the far future? According to William Barton, definately not. This book shows in typical Barton fashion, the horrific acts that mankind is capable of performing - and performing with trivial abandon. It reminds us that despite all the "technology" we have, we are still responsible for our own actions - the actions that we take deliberately, or the action that we take through in-action, as is the case for our _hero_ in "Acts of Conscience" for much of the book. He frustratingly plays the role of real person with real human needs and drives caught in circumstances beyond what most people are capable of dealing with. In circumstance where your cliche'd, happy fantasy tail would call for a hero, our character shows up and refeshingly behaves like a real person - sometimes even a jerk. This is a book that grabs you, and throws images into your face from the true heart of humanity. You may not like what you see, but you must applaud Barton for showing it to you.
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