Conference noted::sf

tlh, I think you would like Barbara Hambley's _Time_of_the_Dark_ (?)
also.  She is a good writer with some interesting ideas.  

I read the above novel recently, it is part one of a trilogy.  Unfortunately,
I can't find the second book (we got the third one, for what good that
does us).

Haven't read any recent science fiction that stands out lately.  _Prince_Ombra_
is the best book I've read in a long time, but that's fantasy.

				Barbara

I got all three of the "Time of the Dark" books at a WaldenBooks.  If you
live near Cambridge, try Wordsworth or the Science Fantasy Bookstore.  (I
picked up the trilogy after reading Ladies of Mandragyn; very entertaining
- I loved the humor.  (E.g. Pel's sons and the scene when Tella is being
rescued))  (Was that cryptic enough?)  ... Whew, I almost lost track of the
parenthesis; don't want people to think I have a LISP.

It was nice seeing a quote by C.J. Cherryh on Ladies of Mandragyn, since I
read my first Cherryh book because it had a favorable quote by Andre Norton.

					John

      Yeah, I do that too.  CJ Cherryh, Andre Norton, and MZ Bradley can often
convince me too buy a book that I might not have tried otherwise.

tlh

I've finished reading the Darwath Trilogy (i.e. Time of the Dark, etc.).
The plot:  In a world parallel to our own, a magic-based civilization has
been wrenched apart by "the rising of the Dark".  The Dark are underground-
dwelling creature who live on humans (where's the long pig?).  The wizard
Ingold Inglorion enters our world briefly and two people accidentally
accompany him back to his world.  The goal is to defeat the Dark (natch).
Characters:  Inglorion himself is fascinating; I'd love a book about his
life previous to this story.  The two people from our world grow in very
different ways; I like them a lot more by the end of the series than I
did at the start.  There are only a handful of other characters treated
in any detail.  There's the "warrior supreme", the "conniving bastard" and
the "fanatical Bishop".  But they each show enough depth to go beyond
being cardboard.

Style:  I think it's well written.  Occasionally, the "mood" scenes are
a trifle wordy, but most of the time Hambly conveys the terror which the
Dark inspires, quite effectively.  Conversations sound natural.  (And where
else, aside from Lovecraft, will you ever see the word "squamous" used?)

Comments:  I enjoyed the series quite a bit.  If you look at my reply for
when I said I had bought them, it will be apparent that I didn't waste
any time reading the whole thing.  What I liked most about it was that
the story starts out being about fighting off "ultimate evil" and gradually
transforms itself into a scientific mystery.  The clues are sprinkled
throughout the books, for why the Dark have risen and what can be done
about it but I was guessing right to the end.  Also, Hambly took what
could have been a depressing ending and made it cheerful by her handling
of the characters.

					John

   Well I finally found sll three of the books in the Darwath Trilogy.
(In Hawaii, of all places!)  They are: "the Time of the Dark", "The Walls
of Air" and "The Armies of Daylight".  

Micro review:  Rave!!

Mini review:  I read through all three books in about as many days.  Read 
as fast as I could cause I wanted to now what's gonna happen?!?  WHen I got
done I was bummed out cause I didn't want it to be over yet.

Review: I think this one is going to rank up there with Tolkien for me. 
That's *strong* praise coming from me.  I found the main characters wonderful
Never thought I'd feel sympathy for a biker character!  As someone else
mentioned, the characters grow, not always in nice ways, but once my sympathy
was gained, they never lost it.  
   The evils were really *nasty* and the glorious ones were fantastic. 
Something that I think is needed to evoke the "sense of grandeur" that I got
from Tolkien.  But at the same time, all the characters, good and bad, had 
their quirks.  Rudy, one of the heros, occasionally funks out from fear. 
Giovannin(sp?) the fanatic bishop, can respect and feel a common bond with 
Gil, (another hero, a PhD candidate from UCLA) as another "over educated 
female" even though Gil is allied with her worst enemies.  
   The plot has enough twist to really keep you guessing til the end.  As 
someone else mentioned, the eventual solving of "the great mystery" of the 
story, is actually quite scientific.  I think even some of you who don't 
ordinarily like Fantasy might like this.
   
Summary: Get these books.  Read them.

tlh

    Well Ladies of Mandrigyn isn't a single, I just got the second book
    called "Witches of somehing" also Silicon Mage is out.  I felt the
    author rushed to the end of the first book in the silicon mage series
    so I am not to favorable on that.  The way books are turned out
    by Hambly looks like we've got a new Anthony on our hands :-).
    
    Will report back on Witches when I have finished it...
    
    Joe

>     Well Ladies of Mandrigyn isn't a single, I just got the second book
>     called "Witches of somehing" also Silicon Mage is out.  I felt the

	"Witches of Wenshar"

I remember thinking they were both enjoyable, but beyond that I
don't remember much about them, so... call it a half-hearted
recommendation.

-- Cathy