The Sky People

I remember visiting my grandparents as a kid and discovering the stash of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Venus and Mars books. They were an absolute blast to read, and I gobbled them up. Now Stirling promises a good ole fashioned yarn in the spirit of those books and thankfully delivers in spades. It's a great combination of pulp adventure, updated science fiction, and alternative history. True, Stirling does use a number of character and plot cliches (beautiful native princess for instance), but they are simply updated versions of the pulp-era stereotypes, which is in fact the whole point of the book. Don't read this book expecting mind-blowing characterization. Instead expect a fun "what if" adventure novel in the pulp tradition that explores a well thought out and conceived world.

I generally like Mr. Stirlings books. I've enjoyed very much the Island in the Ocean of Time series (any more coming mr. Stirling?), I liked the older Draka series as well and of course the new series starting with Dies the Fire (and their link with the island series). But this book did even more for me. Since my teen years in the '70s I enjoyed SF, mainly those considered the big names as Heinlein, Asimov, Vance, ..., but I equally enjoyed the books (and genius) from Robert E. Howard, Lin Carter, Sprague de Camp and especially the ones of E.R. Burroughs. Many were the moments that I (re)read with a lot of pleasure the Barsoom stories or the moon-men books. And Stirling has not only dedicated this new work to these great masters, he has masterly achieved to capture the special athmosphere of the originals. Extremely well done, so much so, that immediately following this book I restarted on Burroughs Pellucidar stories! Mr. Stirling I hope we will see many more from you! I'm certainly eagerly awaiting the next Mars story!

Forget Harry Turtledove! When S.M. Stirling is at the top of his form, the lawyer/historian turned author is unbeatable in Alternate History sub-genre SF! THE SKY PEOPLE is such a book, giving promise of a series that will be at least as good as the Island in the Sea of Time Series! The plot centers on the premise that Venus and Mars are habitable and inhabited by Terran species, including man. When this is discovered on Earth, it triggers a US-USSR space race that results in each bloc with a Venusian colony. Now the Eastern Bloc shuttle is down, 6000 miles from base, and can only be aided by the airship from Jamestown base. There ensues a ripping adventure, full of wild species, a love triangle, a traitor, and plenty of action. Those who enjoy S.M. Stirling will expect well-done flora and fauna, a multi-cultural and non-sexist plot-line, plenty of buffed out protagonists, and lots of action. As usual, there is just a hint of deus-ex-machina, but not too much. For those who haven't read Stirling before, this is a great place to start. New reader or old hand, buy this book and get reading! A real page turner!

S. M. Stirling never fails to entertain, and "The Sky People" is definitely his best novel to date. It is a wonderfully realistic alternate-historical portrayal of 'the Space Race' and 'Cold War'--which in themselves would make a great premise for a novel, but Stirling goes much further. The colorful and quirky Solar System of old pulp science fiction novels is featured with the well populated Venus many of us would have loved to have seen. Earthlike dinosaurs, sabretooths and Neanderthal-like beastmen abound, forming the mystery of the plot as the protagonist investigates, while enemy Russian agents turn up at every turn. The plot is fast moving, characters are colorful and interesting, and the humor is spot on. It is a bit of Mad Magazine's "Spy vs. Spy" crossed over with authors Ben Bova and Joe Haldeman, and humorist Robin Williams thrown into the mix. A Highly Recommended novel which will keep you thinking, and grinning.

Science fiction readers of a certain age remember those stories written before the 60s where Venus was covered with jungles, teaming with life. Alas, modern space probes discovered instead a hell world, choking in a sulferous atmosphere with temperatures of near nine hundred degrees. Steve Stirling imagines a Venus as it should have been, with the jungles, the teaming life (including dinosaours!), and human space explorers. A space race such as people could only dream about is on, with America and the British Commonwealth on one side, the Soviet Bloc on the other. A US/British expedition is sent forth to rescue the crew of a crashed Soviet space ship. An adventure begins such as we have not seen since the first Mariners and Veneras ruined things for us. Enjoy.