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Review Date: 9/13/2009
Helpful Score: 2
This is an interesting book that I think exceeds his more recent and more honored titles such as 'Camouflage.'
Buying Time is about a future where life can be extended via a special medical procedure, but the technology is controlled by an organization that is outside the control of a government or other regulatory body. The organization ensures that population does not get out of control by limiting the use of the life extensions. They also have safeguards against very old people from getting too powerful over time.
Like many of Haldeman's other books, there's some gunplay in here and some great characters. If I were composing a list of classic Joe Haldeman books, Buying Time would be in the top three.
Buying Time is about a future where life can be extended via a special medical procedure, but the technology is controlled by an organization that is outside the control of a government or other regulatory body. The organization ensures that population does not get out of control by limiting the use of the life extensions. They also have safeguards against very old people from getting too powerful over time.
Like many of Haldeman's other books, there's some gunplay in here and some great characters. If I were composing a list of classic Joe Haldeman books, Buying Time would be in the top three.
Review Date: 9/13/2009
Helpful Score: 1
This is my favorite book by Frederik Pohl. It's more modern than his earlier works that dealt with capitalism and advertising. Well, I should be more specific. His earlier SF works were more about the current day issues set in the future. This is a larger-scale story that involves a lot of theoretical technologies and the implications of the effect they may have on society. He fits a lot in there, too. Cryogenic sleep figures prominently. He's also got a lot of stuff about overpopulation, though. It's out of print, so you can only get it second-hand nowadays.
My only complaint is that it finishes as if a second or third book were planned. Pohl probably won't get back to writing those stories, which is a disappointment. I think there's a lot to work with here.
My only complaint is that it finishes as if a second or third book were planned. Pohl probably won't get back to writing those stories, which is a disappointment. I think there's a lot to work with here.
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