From rec.arts.sf.reviews Sun Sep 3 15:24:10 2000 Path: news.ifm.liu.se!news.ida.liu.se!newsfeed.sunet.se!news01.sunet.se!news.kth.se!uio.no!news.tele.dk!4.1.16.34!cpk-news-hub1.bbnplanet.com!news.gtei.net!newsfeed.cwix.com!bloom-beacon.mit.edu!senator-bedfellow.mit.edu!dreaderd!not-for-mail Sender: wex@deepspace.media.mit.edu From: aahz@netcom.com (Aahz Maruch) Newsgroups: rec.arts.sf.reviews Subject: Review: _Cyborg_, by Martin Caidin Followup-To: rec.arts.sf.written Approved: wex@media.mit.edu Organization: The Cat & Dragon Reply-To: aahz@pobox.com Date: 28 Aug 2000 14:59:28 -0400 Message-ID: X-Newsreader: Gnus v5.7/Emacs 20.4 Lines: 49 NNTP-Posting-Host: deepspace.media.mit.edu X-Trace: dreaderd 967489169 9429 18.85.23.65 Xref: news.ifm.liu.se rec.arts.sf.reviews:2782 _Cyborg_, by Martin Caidin Review Copyright 2000 Aahz Mention the 1970s TV show _The Six Million Dollar Man_, and the reaction is likely to be some combination of risibility and contempt. What many people don't know is that the TV show was based on the novel _Cyborg_, by Martin Caidin -- and _Cyborg_ is *not* a fit subject for humor. Technically, _Cyborg_ is quite possibly more properly labeled a "techno thriller," like many of Tom Clancy's works, rather than a work of science fiction. This is particularly evident in the use of a political background that hews closely to what existed in the early 1970s. This makes _Cyborg_ seem rather dated in many ways. At the same time, Caidin was very, very careful to follow in the footsteps of the hard science fiction masters. Unlike _The Andromeda Strain_, _Cyborg_ contains nothing to raise any eyebrows over its theoretical feasibility. However, almost thirty years later, much of the technology described still is not available. The disjunct between the political and technological background does lead to some whiplash of the brain. A good example contrasting the book with the TV show is the treatment of the eye: in the TV show, it's a Super Eye with telescopic lens that sends images directly to Austin's brain. In the book, it's a mechanical eye with no neural linkage -- it's hooked to the muscles so it looks like a real eye, but it only contains a tiny camera with a film cartridge. Overall, _Cyborg_ is not a particularly outstanding piece of writing. But if you like thrillers, you're almost certain to enjoy it, and you'll be amazed at just how good the science is. NOTE: _Cyborg_ is out of print, but there were at least two print runs, probably due to the TV series. It seems to be reasonably easy to find on used book web sites. There are also mentions of two follow-on books that I have not read, _Cyborg #2: Operation Nuke_ and _Cyborg IV_. The third book does not seem to exist. %A Caidin, Martin %T Cyborg %I Warner Paperback Library %D 1972 %G Library of Congress Catalog Number 73-183758 %P 318pp %O Paperback, out of print --- Aahz (Copyright 2000 by aahz@pobox.com) Androgynous poly kinky vanilla queer het <*> http://www.rahul.net/aahz/ Hugs and backrubs -- I break Rule 6 Gun-toting Naderite / socialized medicine libertarian