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From: bs@faron.UUCP (Robert D. Silverman)
Newsgroups: net.sf-lovers
Subject: Re: Final Encyclopedia (Ugh)
Message-ID: <464@faron.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 7-Feb-86 07:36:26 EST
Article-I.D.: faron.464
Posted: Fri Feb  7 07:36:26 1986
Date-Received: Mon, 10-Feb-86 13:35:30 EST
References: <8602060104.AA28568@kim.berkeley.edu>
Organization: The MITRE Coporation, Bedford, MA
Lines: 23

> Encyclopedia salesmen have traditionally been a blight on humanity.  Gordon
> Dickson, author of the "Final Encyclopedia" is no exception.  Here's a book
> of encyclopedic length, printed in 7 point font, with as much plot, development,
> and satisfaction as a mediocre encyclopedia.  It shows interesting promise at
> the start, but collapses worse than the worst of recent Heinlein novels.  In
> short, a real loser of a book.
> 
> I highly disrecommend it.

I STRONGLY disagree. While the book is long and has a very detailed plot
it also has outstanding character development and such development usually 
takes quite a bit of time. In my opinion "Final Encyclopedia" is one of
the finest SF books ever written and ranks right with Dickson's other
masterpiece "Tactics of Mistake" The ending is in fact incomplete as several
have pointed out but it is an ongoing story and "Childe" is supposed to
complete it.
 

Of course we all are entitled to our own viewpoints.

"De Gustibus Non Disputandem"

Bob Silverman