★ ★
If you are a fan of 'A Song of Ice and Fire' read this book. ★ Though mostly paralyzed and dying, she manages to activate a grenade, destroying herself along with the hellkittens. [ July 24, 2020 ] Ecological engineering, cutthroat mercenaries, psionic cats, mushroom wine, a massive starship and absolute power - what's not to like? ★ A delight to read with some lessons that our own planet should learn from. ""I began as a trader, yet having come upon this ship called Ark, I began to find myself dogged at every step by gods, prophets, and demons. ★ ★ Good job Dude, just my opinion. ☆ ★
★ ★ The superior prequel story describes how he gained possession of an ancient but technologically massively advanced juggernaut - its most crucial capacity is genetics.
She then offers Tuf the chance to leave peacefully, but on his refusal, attempts to kill him with the Haviland Tuf takes his newly-acquired seedship, which he has named the Tuf at first reasonably proposes that the S'uthlamese simply restrict their incontinent reproductive practices, but because the S'uthlamese fixation is fanatic, it is impervious to reason. ""Make no choice, and you have chosen. I always found myself cheering for Haviland Tuf.
★ I must confess I wasn't a huge fan of his SoIF series. Kreen explains that his society (a technologically advanced secondary colony established as an Kreen had attempted to murder Tuf because he blames Moses' plagues upon Tuf, who has gained an interstellar reputation as an ecological engineer, and Tuf realizes that Moses' "plagues" (actually low-tech simulations easily imposed by sabotage upon the closed system of an arcology) offer him an opportunity for revenue. ☆ ★ ★ Before becoming big with Game of Thrones, George R.R. U'll B disappointed.... ★ ★ They will not control their population growth, and thus drive obsessively into a suicidal future of starvation and war. Superb writing. This is a fantastic book! So how is it that, despite being up against the worst villains in the universe, he has become the proud owner of the last working seedship, pride of Earth's Ecological Engineering Corps? If they book has any weakness, it is that the stories were written over a fairly large span of time (ten years, or more - I can't remember).
★ ★ ★ Tuf lack of character makes him an even more engaging character, I personally found him quite likeable and his ethical stance makes him the ideal, if not the only person suitable in the Galaxy to take charge of the seedship, and of course he faces many trials that would seek to "tempt" him from the path of righteousness. Once again, it's unforgettable and has been responsible for single handedly hooking several young people I know on science fiction. [ July 28, 2020 ] I first came across these stories when reading "The Plague Star" in an issue of my father's Analog magazine. ★ This is a fun book, but great sci-fi, well and humorously told. ☆ Finding that most of his clients' problems arise not primarily from true ecological catastrophes but rather as the result of their cupidity, stupidity, bureaucracy, religious fanaticism and bloody-mindedness, he resolves their situations by addressing their failings, beginning (in the earliest published story, 1976's "A Beast for Norn") with rendering it impossible for the Great Houses of Lyronica to continue the gladitorial animal contests of the Bronze Arena. Basically "ER" in space, by a master of the old school. ★ If you are a fan of science-fiction read this book. It was my break-in assignment from Jim Baen at TOR. Most of its amazing technology was lost and the galaxy settled back into a period of decline. I wish there was more of it, I could have continued reading about Tuf's voyages for at least another 500 pages. ★ ★ This collection of stories is such a pleasure to read, I can't do it justice here. ★
But sadly, it just didn't compare with Ice and Fire. ★ Haviland Tuf.
★ ★ This is close to the best sci-fi I have read. ★ ★ Accompanied only his crew of telepathic cats, Tuf sets out on a voyage that will take him to many worlds...and many problems. ★ ★ Most people reading this book will do so already having experienced Martin's genius from his other works. Mune, now First Councillor or planetary leader, comes aboard the S'uthlam's population problem remains, worse than ever, as Tuf's innovations from his previous visit were not maximally used. On Namor, he finds a solution: seeking out contact with the previously unsuspected native sapient race that had escaped the "fighting guild" of unthinkingly truculent Guardians to end the attacks being inflicted upon the human colonists by the planet's mudpot hivemind. Martin writes with wit, panache and page-turning style; now if only he would get back to writing Tuf stories (as he's said he'd like to do someday).... ★ ★ ★ ★
To this day it is one of my favorites.