Story - Author(s) - Description
"Prologue" - George R. R. Martin - Introduces Dr. Tachyon and Xenovirus Takis-A.
"Thirty Minutes Over Broadway!" - Howard Waldrop - Introduces Jetboy and his failed attempt to prevent the release of Xenovirus Takis-A.
"The Sleeper" - Roger Zelazny - Introduces Croyd Crenson, "the Sleeper".
"Witness" - Walter Jon Williams - Introduces Golden Boy and the Four Aces.
"Degradation Rites" - Melinda M. Snodgrass - Details Dr. Tachyon's dark years after the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings.
"Shell Games" - George R. R. Martin - Introduces the Great and Powerful Turtle.
"The Long, Dark Night of Fortunato" - Lewis Shiner - Introduces Fortunato and the Masonic conspiracy that will influence the plot of the next two books in the series.
"Transfigurations" - Victor Milán - Introduces Mark Meadows, aka Captain Trips.
"Down Deep" - Edward Bryant
Leanne C. Harper - Introduces Rosemary Muldoon, "Sewer" Jack Robicheaux and Bagabond. Sets up the mob storyline that will come to fruition in later books.
"Strings" - Stephen Leigh - Introduces Puppetman and Gimli and sets up the political plot threads that will play out in later books.
"Comes a Hunter" - John J. Miller - Introduces Yeoman and Chrysalis and sets up the Asian gang plot threads.
"Epilogue: Third Generation" - Walter Jon Williams - Introduces Kid Dinosaur.

"Pennies from Hell" by Lewis Shiner
"Unto the Sixth Generation: Prologue" by Walter Jon Williams
"Ashes to Ashes" by Roger Zelazny
"Unto the Sixth Generation: Part One" by Walter Jon Williams
"Unto the Sixth Generation: Part Two" by Walter Jon Williams
"If Looks Could Kill" by Walton Simons
"Unto the Sixth Generation: Epilogue" by Walter Jon Williams
"Winter’s Chill" by George R. R. Martin
"Relative Difficulties" by Melinda M. Snodgrass
"With a Little Help From His Friends" by Victor Milan
"By Lost Ways" by Pat Cadigan
"Mr. Koyama’s Comet" by Walter Jon Williams
"Half Past Dead" by John J. Miller

I quite enjoyed the Dune prequels by Brian Herbert and Kevin Anderson. Ironically, however, I was left a bit flat by the original "Dune".

It was very clever and obviously laid all the complex, rich groundwork for the Dune universe, but I found the character development a bit shallow and unfortunate inconsistencies in continuity with the prequel books (obviously not a criticism of this book) tended to interrupt my suspension of disbelief.

I have the following 5 books in this series, but I am not sure if I will get back into the Dune universe for a while.

Case’s chrome skeleton and transucent flesh tripping on Betaphenethylamine. An AI controlled microlite glider decapitating a Turing agent on the Freeside archipelago. Molly the street samurai with inset mirror lenses for eyes and extendible razor fingertips. The Dixie flatline, a dead hacker’s consciousness with a spine twisting laugh.

This book defines Cyberpunk for me and is a masterpiece in it’s own right.

Systematically and thoroughly makes the argument for the overriding impact of environment factors on the rate of technological development of the variety of human cultures in the last 13,000 years. This book clearly and eloquently debunks the common, subconsciously or consciously, held misconception that the pre-eminence of western culture in technology and innovation is a result of some genetic superiority.

The book summarises by presenting four major environmental factors for different rates of technological development in post Pleostine mankind:

1. Density and variety of naturally occurring fauna and flora.

2. Ease of intra continental diffusion of ideas and technology. Significance of Eurasia's east west axis vs America and Africa’s north south axis.

3. Ease of inter continental diffusion of ideas and technology.

4. Size and potential population differences between the continents.

These four factors having a crucial impact on the tendency for human groups to adopt food producing societies (as opposed to hunter gatherer societies) and subsequently gain the benefits of a sedentary existence, increased population potential, potential for non-food producing specialists (like scribes, bureaucrats, professional soldiers, etc).

Because of the auto-catalytic nature of technology in human society these environmental factors have been compounded over the last 13,000 years to the point were we can see such a difference in the wealth of technology developed on each of the major continents.

WikiPedia Entry

Written by Edward Bryant, Leanne C. Harper, George R. R. Martin, John J. Miller, Lewis Shiner, Walton Simons, Melinda M. Snodgrass.

Rydell got his bag of cornflakes out of the cupboard and carefully unrolled it. About enough for a bowl. He opened the fridge and took out a plastic, snap-top, liter container with a strip of masking-tape across the side. He'd written MILK EXPERIMENT on the masking-tape with a heavy marker.

'What's that?' Hernandez asked.

'Milk.'

'Why's it say "experiment"?'

'So nobody'll drink it.

Even better the second time round. HBP has eclipsed The Prisoner of Azkaban as my favourite book in the series.

Now I just have to distract myself with something else so I don't wander morosely through HP forums for the next two years waiting for the grand finale to come out.

Voyage of the Sophie

The sound that woke him in the middle watch: a low cry mounting by quarter tones or less and increasing in volume to a howling shriek, then a quick series of spoken or chanted words, the mounting cry again and the shriek - the Irish men of the crew waking James Dillon, stretched there with a cross in his hands and lanterns at his head and his feet.

Voyage of the PolyChrest
Voyage of the Lively

If you anoint them with the vile decoction we drink and wash in, of course they wilt. You must send ashore for some rain-water; and at that rate of watering, some aquatic plants.

...

An intolerably tedious description of Miss Williams, whom Stephen knew a good deal better than Captain Aubrey - her appearance, virtues. 'So direct - straightforward - nothing hole in the corner, if you understand me -no damned purser's tricks - must not swear, however, - like a 32 Iber.' Could he really have likened Sophie to a thirty-two pounder? It was quite possible.

Voyage of the Lively
Voyage of the Surprise



Stephen looked sharply round, saw the decanter, smelt to the sloth, and cried, 'Jack, you have debauched my sloth.'

...

"Nymphs, forsooth. If they were nymphs, they must have had their being in a tolerably rank and stagnant pool"