Customer Reviews (1)

Not Free SF Reader
Another collection of Saberhagen Berserker stories.The third of these, 'Brother Berserker' takes a different approach.Somewhat more Poul Anderson, if you like, as time agents intervene over the years to protect an historical figure that is important in the Berserker conflict.

Pretty reasonable quality, this group.

Berserker Attack : MASQUE OF THE RED SHIFT - Fred Saberhagen
Berserker Attack : IN THE TEMPLE OF MARS - Fred Saberhagen
Berserker Attack : BROTHER BERSERKER - Fred Saberhagen
Berserker Attack : SMASHER - Fred Saberhagen


Big star leadership freeze out massacre revival.

3.5 out of 5


Big new ships and Berserker cults.

3.5 out of 5


Anti-Berserker time agent operation death.

3 out of 5


Space battle watchers get some personal action.

3.5 out of 5 ... Read more

Product Description
cclaimed author Fred Saberhagen continues his widely popular and influential Berserker Series, a chronicle of war between humanity and the terrifying race of sentient machines bent on death and destruction. Pilot Harry Silver's name is known throughout the galaxy and that notoriety does not always work in his favor. While he has defeated his share of Berserkers, he has also stolen a powerful weapon from the Space Force, making him a fugitive from the life he once knew. Looking for an adventure, and not one to turn down a lot of cash, Harry agrees to bring a passenger aboard his ship. That passenger is Lily, a woman on a quest to rescue her husband. It won't be easy, as Lily's husband has joined a secretive religious cult on Maracanda, an almost-planet lodged between a shifting black hole and a neutron star. The landscape of Maracanda is treacherous, so too may be the people around Harry Silver. For as the search for Lily's husband widens, Harry finds himself investigating a deeper mystery. And as always, there is the threat of death from above, in the path of a machine whose only intent is to kill. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Very full of surprises
This is the first berserker novel I have read in several years.I found it quite entertaining, largely for the quite extraordinary stellar system, which consists of a black hole, a neutron star "pulsar," and a "habitable body" called Maracanda.This place is NOT a planet, as several characters keep repeating almost as a mantra.

The concept -- for the sake of entertainment at least -- is that the gravitational distortions of massive objects in a tight orbit have created weirdness on the habitable portion of Maracanda.Traveling around or adventuring on Maracanda is quite an experience of time and space dilation.

The characterization is not very deep for the most part, although the protagonist Harry came to life pretty well for me.He is part rogue and part "the last honest man."There's a kind of love linkage in the character of Lily, although the author never really has time or room to build this into too much.Really, Harry's first love is his intelligent ship, the Witch.The ship is actually a better developed character than some of the characters.

As a very "fun read," I give this book pretty good marks.As for quality, I think the author succeeded in creating an imaginary place that is -- ta ta! -- ORIGINAL and that keeps you guessing.

The berserkers are a fun concept -- a bit like the Cylons in Battlestar Galactica or the "replicators" in SG-1.In short, legion of self-replicating robots with the gone-wrong mission imperative of exterminating all life.These are not original, but they make pretty good -- and scary -- villains.Because in the war with the berserkers, it appears mankind is LOSING . . .

If you want a fun read that keeps you turning pages, and some very original ideas spun off of Einstein's relativity and astrophysics -- I think you will like this.It is not "War and Peace" but it is fun -- and good of its kind.

Tedious and meandering
Years ago, Saberhagen published a series of short stories on berserkers which collectively became classics. Since then, his productivity on this idea has slowed. But he recently released this book.

Sadly disappointing compared to his earlier work. Part of the reason may have been that his short stories intrinsically had to have tighter focus. Here, the plot meanders over a zany unearthly landscape. Perhaps Saberhagen was trying to show his ability in fashioning a truly bizarre arena. But it was hard to identify with any of the characters.

Though the main character shows some potential. Akin to the Stainless Steel Rat, Slippy Jim diGriz, in Harry Harrison's novels.

More to the point, people who read Berserker novels want to see descriptions of actions against the Berserkers. Not the tedious shilly shallying of this book.

Saberhagen is capable of far better than this sloppy rendition.

Not the best in the Berserker series
Fred Saberhagen is widely acknowledged as one of science fiction's foremost masters of military science fiction, especially with his acclaimed "Berserker" series. However, "Berserker's Star" is the worst installment I have seen so far, coming across as a poorly written "Star Trek" novel, than another exciting tome in Saberhagen's series. His two protagonists, Harry, the irascible merchant ship captain, and Lily, his passenger, didn't garner much enthusiasm or interest in either character from me. If you are a fan of Saberhagen's work, I would recommend skipping this novel and reading instead, his earlier, critically acclaimed works.

Maracanda was a dangerous place...
An almost-planet, trapped between a black hole and a neutron star, this is the last place youi would think Harry
Silver would end up at.But being on the run from the Space Force makes for an interesting life and, as he is always looking for more adventure, he agrees to take some passengers to this world.
Little did he know he would have to deal with the Space Force, drug smugglers, missing persons and, of course, berserkers.
366 pages, very focused, much better than the last few Berserker books.Still, I would of liked more berserkers.

Saberhagen Coasting
Berserker's Star reads like a first draft and is badly in need of some editing.The plot drags through the first half of the book, and, even when it does pick up, it is convoluted and confused.The characters are not well-developed, and are, on the whole, rather uninteresting.Kul is an exception, but still he gets tedious.With only a brief role, General Pike may have been the best of the bunch.I grew all too tired of them.The story line is interesting, but hardly sufficient to hold this together.Still, I think that there is a great book in here that is fighting to get out, probably at about half the length.I read many of the books in this series years ago, and my recollection is that they were well-paced.It appears that established authors, like Saberhagen, don't feel compelled to really put in the kind of work necessary to create polished jewels, but are content with producing only rough cut stones, and coast on their name.Saberhagen has followed in the footsteps of Roger Zelazny and Tony Hillerman, to name a couple, who have failed to maintain the same level of storytelling as they had in their early works. ... Read more

Product Description
A seance held in an aristocratic London home goes horribly awry when one of the undead nosferatu appear. The resulting chaos leaves one of the fraudulent spiritualists dead, Sherlock Holmes missing, and Dr. Watson alone and mystified. With time running out, Watson has no choice but to summon the only one who might be able to help--Holmes' vampire cousin, Prince Dracula. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Fantastic! Vintage Saberhagen
Fred Saberhagen is a master storyteller. His Dracula series is as impressive as his Berserker and Swords series. Definitely a must-read....but so are all Fred's books.

Seance for a Vampire
Not the greatest book in the series.Liked later ones much better.

Sherlock Holmes and Dracula?
Not only do Dracula, Sherlock Holmes, and Rasputin manage to show up in the same novel, but Saberhagen unconvincingly proposes that Holmes and Dracula are cousins. The novel is not tightly constructed enough in some respects for my tastes, and in other places details I would like to have known more about are not explored. The story is told from the perspective of both Dr. Watson and Dracula and switches back and forth. Also, it is easy to guess what happened in the case of the drowned girl (the 'mystery' part of the novel). It shouldn't require the legendary sleuth Sherlock Holmes to figure it out.

A bit farfetched
I really hate to say this, because I've never given anyone less than four stars, but I wasn't really impressed with this book.I found it a bit farfetched that Dracula was related to Holmes, and it added many complicating elements to the story.But overall, it was a decent book, and certainly not the worst I've ever read.I suppose if you're really into vampires and such like that you might be interested, but I don't believe in the supernatural (unless you count God) and I don't think that Holmes would either.

Not Saberhagen's best, but still worthy
I bought this book because I was blown away by his alternative telling of 'Frankenstein' (which appears, tragically, to be out of print.)It didn't live up to my first taste of Saberhagen, and so disappointed me.... but asa representative of the vampire and Holmesian genres, it's an originalentry and a pleasant light read. ... Read more

Product Description
Tor's edition of this classic horror story will accompany the Francis Ford Coppola film Mary Shelley's Frankenstein--a major motion picture release scheduled for Christmas 1994, starring Robert DeNiro. At last, the world's most famous monster tells his own story of his creation. Reissue. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Hear the monster's side of the story, very well written
There are many stories that have used the Frankenstein electrical reanimation plot, no matter how unbelievable. This is very well written, as a journal by the monster himself. This is definitely one for those books you will have trouble putting down.An Extra note: There is a reference that the Francis Ford Coppola movie was based on Saberhagen's book but it is not; it is true to the original of Mary Shelley ... Read more

Product Description
Valdemar, an artless grape grower in search of the perfect woman, is led by Wayfinder, Sword of Wisdom--one of the Twelve Swords of Power--into a battle against the world's most infamous wizard. Reprint. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Unsatisfying
None of the many characters is given more than a few pages for the reader to get to know them, and the result is that the successes or failures of their individual quests ends up not having very much impact.There is alsoa disturbing story line involving a female character who is turned into themental equivalent of a child and then bedded and wedded by a hero(?) whoapparently isn't bothered by the fact that she's still sucking her thumb. Definitely not my cup of tea. ... Read more

Product Description
The Berserkers, a race of machines bent on destroying all organic life, have developed a new trick: Berserker units that can pass for human-created androids.As a showdown with the Berserkers draws near, Spacer Sebastian Gift and his fellow crew members must be ready to battle an enemy capable of impersonating one of their own.And if they fail, it will be the beginning of the end. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (20)

A Poor Rewrite of the Battle of Midway
Many good science fiction stories have had plots inspired to a greater or lesser degree by historial events and the fact that Saberhagen has made the primary plot line of this book a re-write of the World War II Battle of Midway is not, in itself a problem. The repetitive, uninventive, ham-handed way in which he has done so, however, makes for a very poor novel of any type, let alone science fiction.Much of the pre-battle strategic description, as well as the actual battle tactical descriptions, could have been taken verbatim from a documentary script about the Battle of Midway, or from something like Prangle's non-fiction history on the topic.

Instead of Midway, an atol in the Pacific Ocean, we have Fifty-Fifty, and atol in the mostly void of the Gulf of Repose (the space between two spiral arms of the galaxy). Instead of the aircraft carriers Hornet and Enterprise, we have the Carriers Stinger and Venture.Instead of the surprise Japanese attack six months previously on Pearl Harbor naval base next to Oahu, we have a surprise Berserker attach on the Space Forces base Diamond on the planet Uhao (Oahu spelled backwards, and remember that Diamond Head is on the opposite side of Oahu from Pearl Harbor).Instead of Admiral Spruance we get Admiral Naguance; instead of Admiral Halsey in hospital with a skin disease, we get Admiral Yeslay in hospital with a skin disease. And on and on, even to the numerical designations of the squadrons attacking the Berserker Carriers and the lone survivor observing from the "water." At times, Saberhagen even describes piloted war machines as aircraft. I wonder if the first draft might not have been a real description of the Midway event, followed by a poorly executed word processor search-and-replace activity.

Did Saberhagen write this on a dare to show that anything Berserker would sell? Was the publisher so sure of a sale that editing was not worth the trouble?

Certainly, buying is not worth the money, in my opinion. Borrow it from a libtary, if any still have a copy.I got my copy as a disaccessioned copy from a library sale at $0.90, and am not really sure even that was a good price for this.

Some weaknesses, but underrated . . . .
Looking at so many of the other customer reviews here, with one star or two out of five, I believe the book has been underrated.

True, the book has weaknesses, but the final 75 pages are excellent, even brilliant.However, in the opening two-thirds of the book the narrative goes so flat I had to go over to speed reading mode to just get through some of it.Naturally, readers who just get bored to death and quit are never going to reach those final chapters.

In the final 75 pages or so, Fred Saberhagen stacks up with David Weber and David Drake as a master of future war.

I thought I was so clever, recognizing the Battle of Midway (WW II) as re-described in Fred Saberhagen's novel.Now I get to Amazon reviews, and see that almost every reviewer has picked up the identical parallel.

Final remark -- the Berserker novels by Fred S. are very uneven.I reviewed one and gave it about 5 stars as simply EXCELLENT.A different one I just panned as dull, whacko, and without any ending.It just stopped in the middle.

Some of these Berserker novels are excellent, but a few are real dogs.Sadly, I suspect that the author is just out for the bucks.By now he is a "big name," so just dumps out anything, whether it is decent or just junk.He doesn't care, as long as he gets the check.The editors at the publishing house don't care either.He is riding on his reputation, and they know he can still sell some to the poor saps who believe in him.

Bear in mind, SOME of these berserker novels are really good.Hard for someone starting into them to know which ones, though.

Fred, get an editor... PLEASE! (sobbing)
The tautly-written opening scene is well-deserving of the novel's title, but its ever-increasing redundancies eventually decay into a fragmented, non-sequential narrative toward the end of the book.Unfortunately, that turn of events hopelessly distracted this reader from what could have been wonderful character development, and lessened the impact of two characters' unexpected sacrifices.

I found the name of the planet Uhao interesting and different, until I realized that it was merely "Oahu" spelled backwards.Only in Chapter 28 was the "familiar name letter reversal" ploy *really* annoying, when Saberhagen tossed off Nodrog (Gordon), Adnilem (Melinda), and Egroeg (George) inside of 3 paragraphs.

I first noticed Saberhagen becoming redundant in "Berserker Kill" (1993), but it was painfully obvious in "Berserker Fury."While his early Berserker stories are well-crafted and crisply written, this novel is not.If Fred's succeeding Berserker novels are written this poorly, I'm strongly tempted not read any further in the series.In the end, the foreshadowing isn't followed through to its full potential, which is just plain disappointing to the reader.

In brief, at this point in his writing career (1997), Fred Saberhagen is in dire need of an editor who understands science fiction *and* literature, and would be able to gently shepherd him back to excellence again."Sadder still to watch it die/Than never to have known it." --Rush, "Losing It," _Signals_

The pain, the pain...
You may or may not be annoyed that Saberhagen is lifting much of his plot from WWII- let's face it, Jerry Pournelle and many others are guilty of the same crime.What is more frustrating here is the author's stunted, wooden writing style.Often, he finds it necessary to repeat the same facts over and over again, as if he's straining to fill up space.Plot and characters aside, the actual use of the language itself is so frustrating that the book is unreadable.

Sorry I bought this.
I have hear good things about the berserker series and was hoping that thereviews were wrong.How *wrong* I was.This book is terrible. It iswritten in a detached, all-knowing, third-person perspective, with almostno character development.

In fact you don't find out much of anythingabout the characters till the last 1/4 of the book.Nothing is everexplained, it reads like a bad enclyopedia.This book not even worth theshipping I paid for it. ... Read more

Product Description
Count Dracula tells his own version of his fateful journey to England in 1891, presenting a surprising revision to the well-known tale. Original. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (24)

He Lives!!!!
This book is fantastic.Especially for those of us who always knew that Dracula never died.His side of the story was long over due.A very refreshing work from this often misunderstood being.He Lives!!!!

The Dracula Tape
As with Seance for a Vampire, it it lacking.Poor structure, sad character development.Didn't hold my interest.

Sympathy for...Who?
Saberhagen does an excellent job of providing the 'other' side of Stoker's Dracula. Concise, yet deep, this book reveals a side of Dracula that we always suspected was there, but Van Helsing's passionate prejudice wouldn't let us believe in. I heartily recommend this book to all vampire afcionados.

Dracula Exonerated!
I didn't want to like this book; I didn't want to think of Dracula as a person in his own right who had been deeply sullied by Harker and Van Helsing. Yet that's what happened by the time I finished reading this great book. If you read it without having read "Dracula," by Bram Stoker, you'll miss an awful lot of inuendos. I would definitely read Stoker's book first if you haven't already. Then read Saberhagen's book and be prepared to be highly entertained. What a marvelous sense of humor Saberhagen's Dracula has. I loved the way he sardonically ridicules Van Helsing. By the time you finish this book, you'll have a refreshing new viewpoint of what actually happened, for Saberhagen follows the events of Stoker's book quite closely. And all from Dracula's viewpoint. Highly recommended.

The Count Tells All
Bram Stoker wrote Dracula as a series of mostly diary entries and correspondence between characters. One of the few characters who apparently didn't keep a diary was the Count himself. Therefore, the reader never gets Dracula's point of view.
In The Dracula Tape, Fred Saberhagen rectifies this omission. The premise is great: Dracula is alive (unalive?) and well in the 1970s (when the book was first published), and has decided that it's time to tell the world What Really Happened. So he discovers the whereabouts of one of the descendants of Jonathan and Mina Harker, makes sure he has a tape player handy, and begins to tell him, and us, his story.
The tale he spins makes a few things clear. For example:
What was really wrapped in the bundle Jonathan saw Dracula bring his three brides?
What really happened to the captain and crew of the Czarina Catherine?
Why did Dracula change Lucy into a vampire?
Why did Dracula kill Renfield?
And finally, Why has Dracula chosen this time to tell his story? (The answer to that question is revealed at the end of the book; I'll not divulge it here!)
Dracula's voice is full of humor and wit, but also of sarcasm and occasional contempt, especially for Van Helsing, "the imbecile."
Since The Dracula Tape is essentially a retelling of Stoker's novel, I would recommend reading Stoker first, if you haven't already done so.
I bought my copy of The Dracula Tape years ago when I saw it on a stand at the supermarket. The blurb said something like "The truth behind the events so shamefully misrepresented by Bram Stoker", and I knew I just had to have it. It's been one of my favorite books ever since!
... Read more

Product Description

Customer Reviews (13)

If you like the "Swords" series, then read this.
I own all of the The Complete Book of Swords, The lost swords: The first triad, The Lost Swords: The Second Triad - The Complete Book of Lost Swords: Farslayer's Story, Coinspinner's Story, Mindsword's Story, The Lost Swords: Endgame series books and the Empire of the East (Bks. 1-3: The Broken Lands, The Black Mountains, and Ardneh's World) books and enjoy them (some better than others), so I was happy to hear about Mr. Saberhagen writing a book linking his "Empire of the East" with his "Swords" series.After having read this book, I do have to say that I'm glad that this book was written, but it seems that it might could have been better done in another trilogy somewhat like the "Empire of the East" trilogy.The ending of this book also, as other reviewers have written, was not the best either, and it probably could have been done better.All-in-all, I would recommend that if you have already read "The Empire of the East" and enjoyed it, then go right ahead and read this book.If you have read the "Swords" books, then read "The Empire of the East" first, before reading this book.If you've already read "The Empire of the East", and you didn't care for it, then I wouldn't recommend this book to you.

not the best of this series
I am a big fan of Empire of the East and the Sword series. I have read them many times and came across Ardnehs Sword by accident in the book store.

Ardnehs Sword was mediocre. I enjoy reading Saberhagens style and overall enjoyed the book. But what was the point? There was so much more that could have been done with this book that transitioned between Empire and the Sword series...I just don't see what value was added with Ardnehs Sword.

If you are a fan of the series, buy it, enjoy it. But don't set your expectations too high.

Spoiler - honestly it could be summed up in a sentence or two. Rolfs descendent finds leftover technology that creates the Gods out of random humans. That pretty much sums it up.

Crap
I bought this book because I liked Saberhagen's Empire of the East. However, this book could not be more different. I had to check to make sure that it was by the same author, and not some third party spinoff. Imagine if a senile Tolkien made a sequel to The Lord of the Rings that was aimed at ten year old children. This book is like that, but even worse. After reading this I'm now trying to forget as much about this book as possible: do yourself a favor and don't buy it in the first place.

Not as good as Empire of the East, but was good never the less.
Before I read Ardneh's Sword, I read Empire of the East again, about 20 years after I first read Empire.I enjoyed the reread of Empire more than my first read of Ardneh's Sword, but Ardneh's Sword is still a good book even though it does not live up to Empire, which is Saberhagen's best.

The pace of the book's action is good, and Saberhagen is as skilled as ever when it comes to creating good characters that are real to the reader.

I would recommend anyone who has not read either Empire of the East or Ardneh's Sword to read Empire first, then move on to the Sword second.

Out of place in the Empire/Sowrds world
If you are an avid fan of the Empire of the East and the Book of Swords legacy, you will be greatly disappointed in this book. I had just finished rereading the Empire/Swords books when I got this one. I was excited to get this since it had been so many years since The Last Book of Swords (Shieldbreaker) was published.I was hoping this book would give insight into what had occurred between the Empire and Swords periods and maybe it would shed some light on who the Emperor actually is.

After reading it, I was disappointed...so I read it again, thinking I had missed something...I hadn't. The book was just completely out of character from the other series and in reality could have been written by someone else not that familiar with the previous books. The book itself isn't bad, but if you have read the other books, don't expect it to fit in well with those.

I am a little hesitant to get Saberhagens Book of Gods series because I don't want to taint the Empire series, as I hear they may take place in the same universe. If they are anything like Ardnehs Sword, I am sure they will be disappointing as well. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Awesome fantasy trilogy
The three Book of Swords are a terrific trilogy; it is Fred Saberhagen at his best. I actually thought this trilogy is better than Empire of the East. For those who haven't heard of this trilogy, the basic plot is as follows: the gods have made twelve incredibly powerful swords and given them to human beings as part of a grand Game. The game turns out to be more than the gods reckoned, though, as the Swords have the capability to kill them as well. I highly recommend this series to any lover of fantasy.

An excellent book
This book is about a dozen swords with unique special powers forged by the god Vulcan. The swords were then scattered across the world. Mark, the main character with a somewhat unknow background is the one who figures out most of the swords and eventually finds more out about his background and patronage. While this is not your typical fanatasy book with in depth character development, it is a book of many individuals and thier stories with each of the twelve swords. An excellent read for a tale of how powerfull artifacts alter peoples lives.

Not That Great
This book followed the footsteps of Mark, a young man whose father helped the god Vulcan make 12 magical swords. The swords were intended to be part of a game that the gods set up. However, the gods miscalculated how powerful the swords were and the power that ordinary humans had. Mark could be an interesting character, but lacks real depth and development. The story is really about the swords.

There are three books in this one, but they don't really flow together. They stories are chronological and do make sense, but there is a lot of repetition and not a whole lot of characterization or smooth plot development. The end of the last book leaves many loose ends and doesn't provide anything resembling a sense of satisfaction with a book well written and worth reading. I was very glad that I had borrowed and not bought this book. ... Read more

Product Description
          Best-selling author  Fred Saberhagen created three popular series: his Berserker stories and novels telling of the endless war of humans and their alien allies against the Berserkers, gigantic robot battleships programmed by an unknown extinct race to destory all life in the galaxy; his high fantasy Lost Swords series; and his Dracula series, the first novels to tell a story from the vampire’s point of view. In a book that will be irresistible for the thousands of Saberhagen fans, all three series are represented here, as well as gems from his other series, including his first-published story and his last-written story, marking the endpoints of a remarkable writer’s remarkable career that spanned more than four decades As Joan Spicci Saberhagen writes in her foreword, “Even Fred’s most ardent fans will have a fresh look at his talents. Whatever the setting, Fred’s stories provide fast moving action and a thought-provoking theme.” ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Saberhagen retrospective perfect for any fan of his overall works
Fred Saberhagen's OF BERSERKERS, SWORDS & VAMPIRES provides a Saberhagen retrospective perfect for any fan of his overall works, whether it be his Berserker series of chaos and destruction, his 'Swords and Lost Swords' fantasy adventures, or his Dracula series. This retrospective presents short stories from all three series in a fine survey spanning some four decades of his varied productions.

A Saberhagen Retrospective
Of Berserkers, Swords & Vampires (2009) is a retrospective collection of speculative fiction.This volume contains eleven short stories, an excerpt from a novel, and an introduction from another collection.

FIRST STORIES

. The Long Way Home (Galaxy, 1961) is about a group of people who walked home.

. Volume PAA-PYX (Galaxy, 1961) explains of the use and treatment of a mental condition.

SCIENCE FICTION - General

. To Mark the Year on Azlaroc (Science Fiction Discoveries, 1976) tells of a man who lost his lover to a space anomaly.

. Martha (Amazing, 1976) shows the dangers of giving a layperson access to an advanced computer.

. Planeteer (Galaxy, 1961) relates the trials of a scout craft dealing with a first contact situation.

SWORDS

. Blind Man's Blade (An Armory of Blades, 1995) postulates another way that the Game of Swords could have been played.

BERSERKERS

. BERSERKER, the Introduction (1967) is a general exposition on the Berserkers.It was first published with the original collection of Berserker stories.

. Stone Place (If, 1965) displays the unity forged by the High Commander within the human forces fighting the berserker fleet.

. The Bad Machines (The Williamson Effect, 1996) confronts the humans with TWO forms of malevolent mechanisms.

GODS - Myth

. White Bull (Fantastic, 1976) provides an alternative view of the Minotaur, proving that education must be interactive.

VAMPIRE STORIES

. THE DRACULA TAPE--An Excerpt (1975) depicts the meeting of Dracula and Jonathan Harker from the viewpoint of the Count.

. Box Number Fifty (Dracula in London, 2001) recounts the involvement of an older child and her brother with Dracula.

. A Drop of Something Special in the Blood (Emerald Magic, 2004) discloses the encounters between a famous man and a vampire.

These stories are mostly lesser known works in the author's major series;why reprint stories that have already been printed many times.Although familiar with most of the author's novels, I have read only a few of his short stories.So I recognize only two of these pieces.

My first experience with this author's works was a Berserker story in Worlds of If.I continued to read these tales and then bought the collection when it was published.Later, I read the Empire of the East and the Swords novels that derived from it.I read Coils and The Black Throne.But I only read a couple of the Gods novel and have not yet read the Dracula novels that are collecting dust in my archives.

I currently own fifty-eight works by this author, including this one.I have read most of them, with the exception of the Dracula novels.It would be an understatement to say that I have enjoyed reading these works, but I have long since gone on to other authors.So this work reminded me of an old favorite.

I have one objection to the selections in this collection.I believe that the best of his works were the Empire of the East tales, yet they are not represented in this retrospective.Despite the heroic nature of the tales, the Empire of the East stories even included moments of humor.

Maybe the author did too good of a job in concluding that series.The later Swords novels were set in the same universe, but never had quite the same magical feel.That series was imaginative and exciting, a true pleasure to read and reread.

Highly recommended for Saberhagen fans and for anyone else who has not yet enjoyed his works.

-Arthur W. Jordin ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Not Free SF Reader
A shot at a shared-world Berserker anthology, with some notable SF writers taking a crack at a range of different types of stories involving these badlife hating metal monsters.The pick of this lot is the first Donalson tale.

Each story has a linking piece preceding it by the editor, who is of course the author of all the other Berserker material.

Berserker Base : What Makes Us Human - Stephen R. Donaldson
Berserker Base : With Friends Like These - Connie Willis
Berserker Base : Itself Surprised - Roger Zelazny
Berserker Base : Deathwomb - Poul Anderson
Berserker Base : Pilots of the Twilight - Edward Bryant
Berserker Base : A Teardrop Falls - Larry Niven


Berserker freeze out

4 out of 5


Marriages hassles and Berserker around.

3 out of 5


Busted berserker bit deal.

3.5 out of 5


Berserker planet trade deal.

3 out of 5


Runagate PereSnik't 'Reen boojum.

3 out of 5


Berserker fortress upload takeover return revenge.

3.5 out of 5




3.5 out of 5

Read More Than One Novel by One.
I can call this novel a link among the science fiction novel's. It is full of fantastic events and very interesting. You can travel through the worlds from one galaxy to another, and take part in a war between the human kind and robots, one of the human dreams'. After Reading This book I ask this question again from myself: Is that true, Can robots disturb human's bright technology?

A rare find
If you love the Berserker stories, then this is a very rare find.Especially if you love stories by Roger Zelazny or Larry Niven ... Read more

Product Description
Young Kasimir was the custodian of Stonecutter, the sword which could hew mountains or diamonds with equal ease. But now, Stonecutter has been stolen, and Kasimir must recover it before it causes irrevocable damage. "An entertainment of high order."--Publishers Weekly. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Dissapointing thriller wannabe
Having picked up this book after (actually while) reading the First (that should have remained the only) Swords Trilogy I must admit that my expectations were a bit high - afterall, The Stonecutter's story is nothing but a spin-off. However, this book not only doesn't measure up to the first three, it is simply poorly written. In more than a few places in the text the characters refer to the events in exactly the same words as the author himself, not a dozen lines before. Usually economical writing style of Saberhagen deteriorates to the level of a comics book. The story itself has nothing of the grand scale of the First Swords setting - having read these back to back you are bound to have an attack of claustrophobia. Instead it centers on the recovery of the stolen Sword with all usual trimmings of the Sherlock Holmes story, sans the thrill. Moreover, the Magistrate himself looks like a homage (or a rip-off) to the venerable creation of Sir Conan Doyle, with Dr. Kasimir filling the niche of his sidekick, Dr. Watson. Injection of utterly modern political twist in the form of some Steppe democrat (imprisoned for his attempt to institute local councils in his native prairies) makes the entire novel even less readable. "Clues" are so plain and abundant, that the only way to make this book more predictable would be to put the last chapter in the beginning of it... Overall, it's a hastily written (and apparently never proof-read) bad political whodunit which just happens to have a Sword in it.

Stonecutter cuts the best out of Fred Saberhagen
This was a swell book.I enjoyed the way it fell together.Even though the red temple was a little much, I still give it a five star review.This book had twists, and kept you yearning for more.Wen Chang was a great character, but Kasimir was better.If you want a good book to read on the weekend, pick this one up, because you're in store for a great book.Fred Saberhagen shines in this great story of the quest to find Stonecutter.

Slightly improved
'Stonecutter's Story' is better than the previous two 'Swords' books.The plot is more interesting and Saberhagen uses more dialogue to move the story along, but in the end, it's just as pointless as the first two.Thegood guys will prevail no matter how imposing the opponent. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1792, Philip Radcliffe, the bastard son of Benjamin Franklin, comes to France to deliver a letter to Thomas Paine--only to get caught up in a conflict far more horrifying than the Revolution.By foiling a powerful vampire's attempt at fratricide, Radcliffe dooms himself and his descendants to suffer the vampire's eternal vengeance.

In present day, Philip and June Radcliffe are kidnapped on their honeymoon. Their captor, a mysterious Mr. Graves, swears that he aims to protect them. Yet as the thrilling story unfolds, involving Napoleon, the Marquis de Sade, and the Scarlet Pimpernel, as well as Jerry Cruncher and Detective Dupin, the young couple refuses to believe him--a mistake that is certain to cost them their lives.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

Saberhagen Writes Excellantly!
I have read and re-read all of Saberhagen's books in the Dracula series, and this book, along with exceptional The Dracula Tapes, are easily my favorites.Saberhagen brilliantly paints a truly loathsome character in Radu, Vlad Dracula's sadistic little brother.But one HAS TO READ *ALL* THE BOOKS IN THE SERIES TO GET THE FULL ENJOYMENT FROM THIS NOVEL!It stands alone, as a great novel, but, trust me, you'll understand more if you've read the other books in the series.It may not be the most well-edited book, but it is full of well-researched history, as are the other novels in this series, and a delightful humor.

Saberhagen weaves all sorts of figures in history into this novel, such as the Marquis de Sade, a "friend" of Radu, and The Scarlet Pimpernel.This is a enchanting and innovative tale, particularly how they manage to save the Philip Radcliffe in the time of the French Revolution.I HIGHLY recommend this book to anyone that loves history, or even vampires.And read the other books in The Dracula Series, too, including the soon-to-come A Coldness in the Blood!

And I thought Anne Rice's new stuff was bad...
I, too, was intrigued by the idea of a vampire story set amongst one of my favorite historical periods, the French Revolution. What I got was a very poorly plotted story full of inconsequential characters that doesn't really start to get anywhere until exactly halfway through when we are finally introduced to the character whose actions are the very reason this story is happening in the first place. Historical personages are thrown in so half assed I almost feel embarrased for them. I haven't read any of Saberhagen's other Dracula books, and I'm sorry to say I'm in no great hurry to do so.

A confusing disappointment
The first book of Saberhagen's Dracula series, _The Dracula Tapes_, was a great read; the tale of Dracula, lifted from Bram Stoker's famous book, as told by the Count himself, and oh, had he been misunderstood. Further books on the series never quite lived up to the first one, but were reasonably good reads...

Until this one. "A Sharpness on the Neck" is very disappointing. The premise itself is on par with other books on the series: bound by his honor, Vlad Dracula must protect a descendant of a friend from a murderous vampire, Vlad's brother Radu. In the process, the descendant is introduced to the world of vampires, and we are to get to know some other part of Vlad's story; this time, the period in the final decades of the eighteenth century, during the French Revolution, and more specifically, the Terror.

Unfortunately, the book never quite lives up to the reasonable premise. The narration bounces back and forth between first person and third person, often without the benefit of a break to indicate a change has occurred. Although some characters are meant to be in disguise, their right name pops back and forth at inopportune moments. The narration is overly confusing, the plotting badly done. Having spent some time in the previous books on the series "explaining" that the invitation requirement for a vampire to enter a dwelling has more to do with a psychological hangup on Vlad's part than the nature of vampirism, this is entirely discarded in this book in favor of the traditional meaning.

The book is unpolished, rushed, and poorly written.

It seems that the book is merely an excuse for Saberhagen to make inside jokes and references to other classic literature and history about the period. Percy Blakeney (better known as The Scarlet Pimpernel) makes a useless background appearance. So do the main characters from Dickens' _A Tale of Two Cities_. Superfluous references to a young Auguste Dupin, Madame Toussaud, and others, pepper the book. But rather than being clever, they are tiresome, cumbersome, and silly. Not recommended.

He just doesn't seem to get anywhere...
Including this one, I've read three of Saberhagen's Dracula books, waiting for some moment when I feel as if the series (or just one of the individual books) has achieved some kind of point or relevance. Hasn't happened.

Saberhagen's writing is sluggish, heavy on irrelevant action (or rather non-action), without offering much of interest in return. Though he previously managed an almost engaging Sherlock Holmes, his characters here are paper-thin, and some lapse at times into fairly unsavory behavior.

Technically he's not a bad writer, but I have a feeling as if he's been persisting for years in a subject that is out of his element. There are far more intuitive and capable writers of vampire fiction, especially when it comes to "good" vampires. (I highly recommend P. N. Elrod as one who excels in the field.)

Another, personal issue. I happen to enjoy well-written vampire protagonists as much as anyone--but I'm a big fan of Bram Stoker's vampire hunter Van Helsing, and when modern authors base their works on Stoker's, I'm always dismayed to find that character maligned. Saberhagen has had a habit of doing so... though admittedly no worse than many other writers who romanticize vampires.

At any rate, this is probably the last of Saberhagen's books that I'm going to bother with.

Two of my favorite subjects
As a fan of most fiction related to the French Revolution and as a seeker of the perfect Dracula, I was pleasantly surprised that a book I was drawn to more by the guillotine than the vampires may wind up leading me to my answer.I may be at somewhat of an advantage, already being familiar with the historical references and other literary characters, but I find this to be a highly skilled connection of different worlds of fact and fiction.I am highly dissapointed that several books in the series seem to be out of print, although I know they will not share the setting that attracted my attention. ... Read more

Product Description
aster storyteller Fred Saberhagen continues his bestselling Berserker-® series, detailing humanity's war with the dreaded Juggernaut-like machines programmed to destroy all life in the galaxy. In the Twin Worlds of Prairie and Timber, Plentpotiary Gregor is determined to serve his government. Even if it means executing innocent Huvean hostages, invaders from another planet. Even when Gregor's granddaughter Luon is in love with Reggie, a Huvean. But now Berserkers are threatening the Twin Worlds, capturing the planets' President and reprogramming his brain to suit their violent agenda. And only the Huveans, in a desperate reprieve, can save the Twin Worlds' populace from annihilation. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Disappointing
Earlier books in this series had led me to expect much more than this installment delivered. Sadly, it reads like the work of someone who has run out of new ideas, and is milking the old ones for all they're worth.

We don't really learn anything new about the berserkers. We don't care much about the characters. There's precious little science in this science fiction. And the book itself could probably have been 10 percent shorter if Saberhagen's characters could just stop using his made-up swear word (it's "motherless").

Out of respect for earlier books in the series I finished reading this one, but I can't see myself picking up another. If you enjoyed the berserker books do yourself a favor and skip this one, and leave those pleasant memories intact.

Berserkers Deserve Better
Berserkers are among the archtypical monsters of science-fiction.They are machines capable of self-replication and self-
repair that exist for no other purpose than to eliminate life, which of course has predictable consequences when said machines encounter humanity.The Berserker represents several common themes of science fiction--the potential danger of artificial intelligence, the wisdom of unleashing the ultimate weapon, the unknown dangers of space, parallells between artificial and natural intelligences, etc.Unfortunately, none of these ideas are explored in this book.The original stories were great, but Berserker Prime doesn't come close to delivering on its promise.

first contact with the Berkserkers
This would be called a prequel, going back to the situation briefly sketched by the Carmpam first historial in the linking material in the first collection of Berserker stories.Mankind has spread to the stars, and two star systems are on the brink of war.And a Berkserker shows up. Having been a Saberhagen fan since my first delireous reading of Changeling Earth (part of Empire of the East), and still remembering my first discovery of his Berserker stories with pleasure. And I liked this one. I enjoyed seeing Hemphill as a cadet, a fascinating character who appeared in three of the original tales.And I especially like Saberhagen's wry use of Asimov's Three Laws set against the presence of the murderous berkserkers.

Total Disappointment
Having grown up reading both Saberhagen's Berserker series and Swords series I was excited to see that the Master had put out yet another Berserker novel. That was where the excitement ended.

This book is beyond bad. It is terrible. I forced myself to finish reading it, desperately hoping that some twist of plot would make the effort worthwhile. There was none.

Flat characters. Full of clichés. Bad stereotypes. Limited plotline. Overall, shallow and uninteresting. But it gets worse - there is one characters that is obviously supposed to be Saberhagen himself.

Like the pro athlete that we watch achieve greatness then stay in the game past their prime and fall quickly below mediocrity before our eyes, I only wish that Mr Saberhagen had walked away from the keyboard years ago so that we could remember him going out with a bang, not this flat fizzle.

solid but typical Berserkertale
The inhabitants of the twin planets Prairie and Timber feel euphoric having defeated the Huvean invasion.However, as Plenitpotenary Gregor prepares to have the Huvean prisoners executed over the objection of his granddaughter Luon who loves a Huvean, the Berserkers invade the twin-planets.

The Twins do not know much about these robots except that they are ancient construct killing machines.Ironically, only the Huvean might be able to stop the raiders, but they are prisoners with death awaiting them.Will the Plenitpotenary negotiate life for life or will he remain stubborn in face of the Berserker assault that means with no help certain Twin pandemic genocide?

Fans of the Berserker series will enjoy this solid but typical ninth book.The story line is fast-paced and filled with plenty of action and the usual Cecil DeMille-size cast.Though the valiant good guys without thought are willing to die for the Twin-Huvean cause, the Berserker robots are as malevolent as ever. An interesting underlying theme throughout the plot is Fred Saberhagan's Laws of Robotics: (1) a simple output is better generated by machine; (2) situations when values should determine outcomes, humanity needs to supersede computers.Though quite predictable as a normal Berserker entry, this still remains a prime space opera.

Harriet Klausner ... Read more

Product Description
A true history of mankind's battle with the forces of ultimate evil ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

have to disagree
I devoured all of the "Swords" novels.I read them about ten years ago and just recently re-read the entire series.Saberhagen does a wonderful job with weaving in and out the tales of all the swords and their powers.

Not much better than previous volume
Saberhagen does it again.Yet another boring, pedantic story with as little dialogue as possible.The dust jacket claims these are best-selling books so someone must like them.Not me. ... Read more

Product Description
A host of strange characters--Prince Nurat of Culm, the evil macrowizard Wood, Prince Adrian, and Trilby--become involved in a desperate struggle to possess a sword of chance known as Coinspinner. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Coinspinners story
This story is excellent. It is very well scprited and well told. It goes perfect with the other stories. ... Read more

Product Description
When the planet Sirgol is targeted for destruction by the Berserker war machines, who plan to travel through time to kill a pivotal scientist in history, Time Operative Derron Odegard becomes the world's only hope. Reprint. NYT. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Free SF Reader
You can find this, among other places, as part of the Baen omnibus 'Berserker Man', and Brother Assassin, a book also known as Brother Berserker, is available there in all three parts, but you will have to look under Berserker Man to find it.

If that isn't confusing, then this is a fixup novel, or a collection, depending on how you like to look at it, with the three parts corresponding to these three previously published magazine stories, as part one, part two, and part three, rather than the story titles.

This is the weakest of the Berserker collections, as in the main it is a time police type of story, removing the cold menace of the Berserker machines from a lot of it, making it most definitely not as interesting as the other stories.

Brother Assassin : Stone Man - Fred Saberhagen
Brother Assassin : The Winged Helmet - Fred Saberhagen
Brother Assassin : Brother Berserker [short story] - Fred Saberhagen

Berserkers really are no joke.

2.5 out of 5


Time Ops again has a protection from Berseker job to do, this time with a barbarian Chieftain.

3.5 out of 5


Anti-Berserker time agent operation death.

3 out of 5



2.5 out of 5

Berserkers in time
The planet Sirgol sits in a strange part of the space-time continuum, the only place in the universe where time travel is possible. And when the first Earth ship arrived, it was plunged 20,000 years into Sirgol's past, where the survivors became the first humans to live on the planet. And by the time the Berserkers arrived, Sirgol was a fully matured world with 400 million people which could assist Earth in its war against the enemies of life.

However, now the Berserkers are ready to use time travel against the humans of Sirgol, and it is up to Time Operations to thwart their plans. Lieutenant Derron Odegard is the man on the spot, and he will be intimately involved in the time war. But, the war will cost Odegard more than he expected, and take him farther than he ever thought.

I have always loved Fred Saberhagen's Berserker stories. To me, they are the quintessential villains, with no pity and no remorse. In this story, Mr. Saberhagen moves into new ground, pitting the Berserkers against humans in an alternate, but basically Earth equivalent, history. It's all here - the Neolithic, the late Roman Empire, and the Renaissance.

But, what did I think of the story? Well, it's not as blood-chilling as the other, pure science-fiction, Berserker stories I have read. But, I must say that I found it a very good read, a very interesting story. If you are a fan of good science-fiction, or time travel stories, or love the Berserkers, then this is a good book to read. I enjoyed it, and think that you will too!

Assassin lacks killer punch
Just as one expects from Fred Saberhagen, Brother Assassin is a quick, unstressful read.Assassin makes up for a glaring defect in its predecessor by focusing on one planet and having one character tie each story together; on the other hand, the Berserkers themselves leave little impression with the reader, the sense of menace from the first book is absent.While there is little negative to be said about the book (except, as another reviewer has noted, a blatent and disappointing chauvinistic remark near the end), there is little positive, either.It is competently written and holds the attention, but it is not likely to bring one hurrying back for a second read.

The 'UNDO' Command
Hiding in their bunkers beneath a blasted world, the inhabitants of Sirgol are still not defeated. They have a unique colony world; their civilization is as old as Earth's, since Sirgol is the only planet known wheretime-travel can happen, and the first colonists dropped back thousands ofyears. Now the berserker machines have found them, and almost beaten themby scouring off the surface of their world, but the Sirgolians still have achance as they fight the machines through the loops and bends of theirplanet's earthlike history. And on Sirgol, you can really go back and makeit not happen. Saberhagen's berserkers are always a scary concept, but herethey have a different side. It's a question critical to my own survival:how complicated can a machine be before it can be said to be 'alive?'

My favorite of the bunch
I've been a fan of Saberhagen for decades, his early Berserker books being his first I'd read.This one is by far the best I've read yet.

The story takes place on a planet where a type of radiation surrounding the planet makes time travel possible.Human explorers who first came to the planet were caught unawares, sent far into the past and de-evolved so that they had to advance all over again.

Now in the "present," they had learned to harness the radiation and look into the past and even travel there.

When the Berserkers, planet-sized doomsday machines from some long-forgotten intergalactic war whose prime directive is to destroy all life, arrive they are repelled by the planet's defenses.They then try to make use of the time travel to affect the planet's past.

The story starts kind of slowly, but soon has you in its grip so that you won't want to put it down.

Check it out. ... Read more