science fiction

Glory Road - Robert A. Heinlein Book Review

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"Glory Road"
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Review Summary


Tor, Oct 2004, 24.95, 320 pp.
ISBN: 0765306913

After spending time being shot at in Viet Nam, former soldier E. C. "Scar" Gordon rests and recuperates on the French Riviera. After being shook up by seeing the most beautiful woman he ever seen, Scar answers a strange ad for employment in which some of the perquisite skills are courage, perfect health, and willingness to travel. Intrigued and needing work, Scar answers the weird ad.

The employer turns out to be the woman from the beach. After struggling with her name, Scar calls her Star while she calls him O-scar. The job is to protect her as she searches universes for the Egg of the Phoenix. Oscar accepts the assignment as he has no family that will miss him; the pay is great and a chance to see exotic locations while accompanying a gorgeous woman who claims she is the empress of twenty universes. Oscar will battle dragons and ogres.

Harriet Klausner

Harriet Klausner, Resident Scholar

The easiest way to describe "Glory Road" is as a fantasy book for the first half, science fiction for the second. Oscar, the main character, is selected as a "champion" by a beautiful woman, and finds himself in a fantasy world, acting as her warrior/bodyguard. He learns about himself in the ensuing journey, and much about societies and how he fits in.
Kim Marks, Resident Scholar

Heinlein's venture outside of SF and into the world of Fantasy! A typical Heinlein story of a strong male hero that rescues a damsel indestress, then finds out that the damsel is the stronger of the two. A fun read with lots of action and some humor.
Walt, Resident Scholar

An unusual Heinlein book, basicly not sf. Well written as always. As a fencer myself I enjoyed his descriptions of fencing matches.
Philip A. Petmecky, Resident Scholar

A very long-lived Queen (who looks young) recruits a guy into retrieving a magical artifact for her that's held by magical beasts. She and the guy and her assistant go together on a road trip.
Steve, Resident Scholar


Detailed literary breakdown of Glory Road
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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Book
Descript. of chases or violence - 10%
planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzles/motives - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 40%
Descript. of society, phenomena (tech), places - 10%




Tone of book - suspenseful (sophisticated fear)
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - part earth & part fantasy world
Explore/1st contact/ enviro story Yes
Plotlets: - roaming fantasy world, battling hostile monsters
Romance Yes
Romance plotlets: - destined love (dream or prediction)
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - warrior/knight
Age: - 20's-30's
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
How sensitive is this character? - sensitive to others' feelings
Intelligence - Very much smarter than other characters
Physique - very athletic

Main Adversary
Identity: - none
Profession/status: - mage/magician
How sensitive is this character? - hard edged
Sense of humor - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
Terrain - Jungle - Mountains - Forests
Earth setting: - during "Tolkien" (fairytime) times
A substantial portion of this book takes place on a non-Earth planetary body: - humans in a primitive/fantasy society
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Planet outside solar system? Yes

Style
Person? - mostly 1st
Accounts of torture and death? - moderately detailed references to deaths
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - vague references only
How much dialogue? - significantly more dialog than descript - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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Note: the views expressed here are only those of the reviewer(s).
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