Steel Beach

i JUST wanted to add that writing a woman who changes into a man has already been done in UNDERGROUND COMICS. :WIMMEN'S COMIX." AND it was done for a very practical reason.

"Steel Beach" was my first introduction into Varley's "Eight Worlds" universe (although he claims that this book technically does not belong in that series because of several timeline inconsistencies, come on, we all know it for what it is). The action in this book takes place much earlier than most of his "Eight Worlds" short stories, right at the Bicentennial celebration of mankind's eviction from Earth. Denied their own... Read Full Review

More than one of my friends has picked up "Steel Beach" on my recommendation, soon after asked me what on Earth I was thinking, and then soon after that told me it was one of the best books they've ever read.Some people may initially find John Varley a challenging writer, if only because he doesn't flinch at thinking about how sexual mores will change along with science fiction staples as bio-engineering, space colonies and... Read Full Review

This is the first review i've ever bothered to write here.I've noticed no matter how bad a book is there's someone who just dosen't understand why.I've always laughed..until now.I loved this book.Most of the criticism seems to focus on the setting being ripped off from Heinlein;but seeing that there are entire SF series based on other writer's worlds why not Heinlein's as well?It's certainly more worthy then some others I've... Read Full Review

One of the best hard-science fiction novels of all time, one that does something most of that genre fails to do: tell a story about human beings.Hildy Johnson and his/her world is involving, recongnizable without being mundane, and the story is thus all the more exciting.Moreso than even the world of Varley's "Titan"/"Wizard"/"Demon" trilogy, this is a world I'd like to visit.While Varley has his fetishes -- freaky future... Read Full Review