Rings of Tantalus

I read these books as a youth, and loved them. Now they're still great fun to read and there's even one I never had the opportunity read back then. Though our technology has advance considerable since the 1970's, when these were written, much of Avery's imagined technology of the 2070's (with the exception of velcro) is still just beyond our reach today. Although, who knows, faster-than-light travel just might happen in the next 60 years or so, provided we don't self destruct first. Besides the great sci-fi story telling, reminiscent of the Jules Vern and HG Welles classics, Avery instills in his nonconformist band of Expendables the strengths and frailties that define the human condition together with liberal doses of humor and sexuality. The adventures these unlikely heroes face in the often gruesome and brutal struggles required of them to prove distant planets for human colonization are so riveting, if you're not careful, you might finish one of these books in a day. But take heart; there are four of these gems, that is, if you can find them. Lucky me! I DID!

THIS SERIES IS ONLY 4 BOOKS I KNOW OF BUT OH SO GOOD.FUTURISTIC EXPLORATION OF PLANETS FOR COLONIZATION USING WASHED OUT MILITARY AND CONS .ALL 4 BOOKS FROM THIS SERIES WOULD MAKE GREAT MOVIE SCREENPLAYS.LOTS OF HUMOR,GORE,ACTION,INTRIGUE AND JUST PLAIN EXCITEMENT .CONRAD THE LEADER IS A LOVABLE BASTARD.HARD BUT IT'S PART OF THE JOB.MY FAVE IS KURT KWANGO A NIGERIAN/GERMAN MIX .HE'S IN MY TOP 10 OF ALL TIME FICTIONAL CHARACTERS.QUIRKY,SUPER SMART,ATHLETIC AND A LOOSE PISTOL HE'S THE MAN.LOTS OF STUFF IN THE SERIES I THINK IS AHEAD OF IT'S TIME LIKE VERNE.FOR EXAMPLE THE EXO-SKELETONS THEY USE (WHICH KWANGO EXCELS AT).THE MOVIE ALIENS USES A SMALLER MODIFIED VERSION OF THE SAME IDEA. I ALSO LOVE THE ROBOTS THAT SUPPLEMENT THE TEAM MATTHEW,MARK,LUKE...YOU GET THE IDEA.THEIR INTERACTION WITH CONRAD ESPECIALLY IS CLASSIC.I THANK MY MOM EVERY DAY FOR GIVING ME THIS BOOK BACK WHEN I WAS A TEEN.