I'm glad to have bumped across your review - I read The Forge of God earlier this year because I was looking for more sci-fi around the dark forest theory, and I read that Greg Bear's work was an inspiration for Cixin Liu's Three-Body Problem which I really enjoyed. I then discovered Fred Saberhagen's Berseker series and I think it might be worth a read for you - I don't know if I'd say it was bleak but I think the stakes of the story are. I've only read the first two so far, Berseker (1967) and Brother Assassin (1969), but I think the ideas were awesome - Berseker is made up of a bunch of short stories that kinda weave to form a novel, and it had two or three really good sections that have kept me thinking about it. There were several times reading both that I found myself going "ah, that's where Greg Bear got it from", and there were parts that also reminded me a lot of The Three-Body Problem. If you want really really bleak, my favourite book is Child of God by Cormac McCarthy, and basically every Cormac McCarthy novel is terribly bleak, lol.
I didn't realise that Greg Bear was an inspiration for Cixin Liu, makes a lot of sense! I have a review up for the first Beserker book actually! I thought a couple stories were a bit weak but overall really enjoyed them! I havnt picked up book 2 as it's quite pricey online and Ive yet to stumble across it in any stores around me, but I'm still keeping an eye out for it! I need to read some Cormac McCarty, I have Child of God on my shelf actually, I shall bump it up my TBR. Thanks so much for watching and a great comment!
It's been years since I read a GREG BEAR novel, but I can't argue with your review and your impressions so far. I read a bunch of his books when they came out, and I think BLOOD MUSIC, EON, and MOVING MARS of his sci-fi, and SONGS OF EARTH AND POWER of his fantasy/sci-fi would be what Id recommend. And I will give him a thumbs up for a good novel trying to tie ASIMOV's FOUNDATION and ROBOT's series together. It was called FOUNDATION AND CHAOS. Bear, along with Gregory Bedford, and David Brin were commissioned to do a trilogy weaving the stories together, and I think BEAR and BRIN wrapped up the trilogy nicely (BENFORD's writing leaves me cold for some reason). The other GREG BEAR novel worth a shout, is ROGUE PLANET, which is a Star Wars novel set between the time of PHANTOM MENACE and ATTACK OF THE CLONES. It did a far better job of getting me to sympathise with Anakin than either those films did. Since you've already read FORGE OF GOD, than I guess you should read ANVIL OF STARS to finish the overall story, but my vague memory is that it left me a bit underwhelmed overall, while also having some amazing ideas and set pieces.
I have Blood Music, Anvil of Stars and Eon sitting on the shelf. I am definitely going to read Anvil of Stars, I was going to do a read along for it, but it doesn't have chapters so it would be a hard to format. I am about half way through Asimov's Robot series, planning to continue to Foundation afterwards, I did not know about the connecting trilogy I will have to check them out. Thanks for your comment!
Blood Music is the only Greg Bear book I read. It was very good, with story arc I enjoyed and resolution I did not expect. I recommend it. But again, like your complaint here, characters are flat. Crazy things happen to them and I’m in no way emotionally affected by it.
Yeah, I suspect Greg Bear is an ideas and events sort of writer rather than characters, which is fine, I like both styles. I've heard Blood Music is his best, I'm almost saving it for my last Greg Bear, as I don't want to compare the rest of his work to his best haha
Your issues with the tone not being as bleak as you might want/expect is what makes me want to read it. I can't do bleak right now because *gestures at world* but if it's more adventure I'm in. I really loved 'Songs of Earth and Power' and 'Eon' by Greg Bear. SoEaP in particular is a favourite to reread for me. I've read the short story Blood Music but not the novel yet. The short story is very disturbing. Probably don't read it while you're sick lol.
Yeah I get that, I wouldn't say this is a happy book, but its not super bleak and depressing, at least I didn't think so. I hadn't heard of Songs of Earth and Power, I might add it to my Bear reading list! Thanks!
You are probably the only person I've seen online that has mentioned SONGS OF EARTH AND POWER. Such a good book. Don't understand why it has been forgotten. And EON is another that I thought was great intriguing sci-fi. FORGE OF GOD, and ANVIL OF STARS I remember as decent reads with some great ideas, but somewhat underwhelming in comparison to his other stuff (and there are some kinda questionable things in ANIVL OF STARS as well).
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I'm glad to have bumped across your review - I read The Forge of God earlier this year because I was looking for more sci-fi around the dark forest theory, and I read that Greg Bear's work was an inspiration for Cixin Liu's Three-Body Problem which I really enjoyed.
I then discovered Fred Saberhagen's Berseker series and I think it might be worth a read for you - I don't know if I'd say it was bleak but I think the stakes of the story are.
I've only read the first two so far, Berseker (1967) and Brother Assassin (1969), but I think the ideas were awesome - Berseker is made up of a bunch of short stories that kinda weave to form a novel, and it had two or three really good sections that have kept me thinking about it.
There were several times reading both that I found myself going "ah, that's where Greg Bear got it from", and there were parts that also reminded me a lot of The Three-Body Problem.
If you want really really bleak, my favourite book is Child of God by Cormac McCarthy, and basically every Cormac McCarthy novel is terribly bleak, lol.
I didn't realise that Greg Bear was an inspiration for Cixin Liu, makes a lot of sense!
I have a review up for the first Beserker book actually! I thought a couple stories were a bit weak but overall really enjoyed them! I havnt picked up book 2 as it's quite pricey online and Ive yet to stumble across it in any stores around me, but I'm still keeping an eye out for it!
I need to read some Cormac McCarty, I have Child of God on my shelf actually, I shall bump it up my TBR.
Thanks so much for watching and a great comment!
It's been years since I read a GREG BEAR novel, but I can't argue with your review and your impressions so far. I read a bunch of his books when they came out, and I think BLOOD MUSIC, EON, and MOVING MARS of his sci-fi, and SONGS OF EARTH AND POWER of his fantasy/sci-fi would be what Id recommend.
And I will give him a thumbs up for a good novel trying to tie ASIMOV's FOUNDATION and ROBOT's series together. It was called FOUNDATION AND CHAOS. Bear, along with Gregory Bedford, and David Brin were commissioned to do a trilogy weaving the stories together, and I think BEAR and BRIN wrapped up the trilogy nicely (BENFORD's writing leaves me cold for some reason).
The other GREG BEAR novel worth a shout, is ROGUE PLANET, which is a Star Wars novel set between the time of PHANTOM MENACE and ATTACK OF THE CLONES. It did a far better job of getting me to sympathise with Anakin than either those films did.
Since you've already read FORGE OF GOD, than I guess you should read ANVIL OF STARS to finish the overall story, but my vague memory is that it left me a bit underwhelmed overall, while also having some amazing ideas and set pieces.
I have Blood Music, Anvil of Stars and Eon sitting on the shelf. I am definitely going to read Anvil of Stars, I was going to do a read along for it, but it doesn't have chapters so it would be a hard to format.
I am about half way through Asimov's Robot series, planning to continue to Foundation afterwards, I did not know about the connecting trilogy I will have to check them out.
Thanks for your comment!
Blood Music is the only Greg Bear book I read. It was very good, with story arc I enjoyed and resolution I did not expect. I recommend it.
But again, like your complaint here, characters are flat. Crazy things happen to them and I’m in no way emotionally affected by it.
Yeah, I suspect Greg Bear is an ideas and events sort of writer rather than characters, which is fine, I like both styles.
I've heard Blood Music is his best, I'm almost saving it for my last Greg Bear, as I don't want to compare the rest of his work to his best haha
Your issues with the tone not being as bleak as you might want/expect is what makes me want to read it. I can't do bleak right now because *gestures at world* but if it's more adventure I'm in.
I really loved 'Songs of Earth and Power' and 'Eon' by Greg Bear. SoEaP in particular is a favourite to reread for me. I've read the short story Blood Music but not the novel yet. The short story is very disturbing. Probably don't read it while you're sick lol.
Yeah I get that, I wouldn't say this is a happy book, but its not super bleak and depressing, at least I didn't think so. I hadn't heard of Songs of Earth and Power, I might add it to my Bear reading list! Thanks!
You are probably the only person I've seen online that has mentioned SONGS OF EARTH AND POWER. Such a good book. Don't understand why it has been forgotten. And EON is another that I thought was great intriguing sci-fi. FORGE OF GOD, and ANVIL OF STARS I remember as decent reads with some great ideas, but somewhat underwhelming in comparison to his other stuff (and there are some kinda questionable things in ANIVL OF STARS as well).