Rolling Thunder

Lots of old school action , interesting characters , and a wonderful job of world building . Harkens back to the old days of R. A Heinlein .

I cant say Im a John Varley fan based on this book and the previous two in the series. The biggest problem is that the plot feels lazy. You can tell that when he sat down to write this, there were moments when he thought to himself: Eh, I dont really want to research that, or, I dont have the energy to explain how the character developed here. And then at the very end, youve got all (and I repeat *all) of the main plot points still unexplained and you get a lazy I dont know answer to all of them. The result is that the characters dont develop the way they could, and you could care less about them. The result is that it feels less like a sci-fi and more like a dry historical document with a replaceable sci-fi backdrop.

Rolling Thunder the new novel by John Varley, tells the story of Podkayne, a Martian Naval Officer and singer extraordinaire. Varley, three time winner of the Hugo award and two time winner of the Nebula award, continues to tell stories full of strong female characters, and twisting, curving plots. Podkayne is the daughter and granddaughter of some of his characters from previous novels, and her story continues the tale of the exploration of our solar system in the not too distant future. Podkayne is just trying to get through her required service in the Martian Navy. What she really wants to be is a singer. When an opportunity to perform her music for the Navy on Europa ((one of Jupiters moons) is offered, she snatches up the chance. Her story seems simple, prosaic even (at least, as much as it can be for a good-looking nineteen year old), until she encounters Europas freckles. After that, her life takes a drastic turn, culminating the revelation of just what the Rolling Thunder really is, and what it means for her family. Varley has Podkayne tell the story memoir style, reliving her past by writing events from her perspective. So its a historical account of fictional events from one persons perspective. Its a unique way to tell a fiction story. Varleys story mirrors much of Heinleins works in style and content. Like Heinlein, he uses free societies and free love (with some rather explicit sex) in his stories, so this work is solely for adult reading. Rolling Thunder is a fast reading novel that packs a great deal into a few pages. Varley can get as much into his three hundred pages as other authors do in five hundred. It is a novel that takes many unexpected twists and turns, and its ending is both surprising and an excellent set up for more John Varley novels to come. I recommend this novel to adults who enjoy Heinlein, near space SF, or character driven plots.

The entire series is a deliberate homage to Heinlein. The character names are taken from some of Heinleins best known works, and the voice is unlike anything Varleys ever written (or at least published) before. In Rolling Thunder, the homage becomes, if anything, even more obvious. For starters, the protagonist is Podkayne of Mars. By the last chapter, were finding a Heinlein book title sprinkled in every page or so. In the hands of a lesser writer, this would be nothing more than a gimmick. Fortunately, Varley has talent to spare, and pulls it off effortlessly. The characters are a little thin, true, but the action more than makes up for it. A very enjoyable read.

had other books from this series

This book is the third book in a series that started with an unlikely group of people, including a Cajun ex-astronaut and his genius brother, who beat the Chinese in being the first humans on Mars, using a radical new technology even its inventor doesnt fully understand. Lieutenant Patricia Kelly Elizabeth Podkayne Strickland-Garcia-Redmond, a third-generation member of the Martian pioneer family, narrates the story. She goes by only one of her many names, Podkayne. She says shes never read Robert A. Heinleins Podkayne of Mars because she doesnt care much for science fiction. Shes 18 as the book begins, a third-generation Martian whose grandparents were among the first to reach Mars. Shes in the Music, Arts and Drama Division of the Martian Navy, and as the book opens, shes enduring Earth gravity (Mars has a gravity thats 38% of Earths) in Pismo Beach, California weeding out people who want to emigrate to Mars. But soon Podkaynes on her way back to Mars because her great-grandmother, close to dying, has elected to go into a time-suspending bubble. After her extended family sees off their matriarch, Podkayne heads off to Europa, one of Jupiters moons to entertain Martian Navy personnel and scientists there and at other scientific outposts in the Jovian system. Shes a singer/songwriter/composer, and teams up with other musicians in Podkayne and the Pod People. It seems a safe enough, and even creative, way to spend her mandatory time in the service. Safe, that is, until shes in the wrong place at the wrong time. John Varley uses the breezy, informal and often humorous style of Podkayne to tell of sweeping events that shape the history of Earth and Mars. Its a troubled history, and global warming on Earth turns out to be only part of the trouble. Podkayne is very articulate, but shes no rocket scientist, so things get explained pretty much in laymans terms. Shes an entertainer, and events propel her to the heights of fame, something Varley appears to have learned a lot about during his years in Hollywood. Podkaynes journey through the part of her life told in the book takes several unexpected turns, eventually taking her further than shed ever imagined.

Varley continues to channel Heinlein, and may well be the best alive in this genre of space adventure. Highly reccomended.

Listening to the audiobook version of the novel. Its very distracting to have a male narrator for a book that is mainly female characters. The narrator is the same person that preformed the first two books - which was fine since most of the characters were male in those novels. Im sorry, but he just does not sound anything like an 18 year old girl to me - just a guy pretending to be a girl. The story itself - its a bit different than the previous two books in the series. Too much of a travel-log IMO.

Book number three of a four book space opera young adult series. I read the well printed and well bound MMPB published by Ace in 2009 that I bought used on Amazon since my books are packed in the garage and the book is out of print. This is my third or fourth reread of this book. I have a new copy of the fourth book in the series that I am reading now. Each one of the Thunder and Lighting books highlights a new generation in the connected families since the first generation of the connected families in the first book. This book specifically covers Patricia Kelly Elizabeth Podkayne Strickland-Gracia-Redmond, the first member of the third generation who goes by Podkayne. BTW, Podkayne reads Heinleins Podkayne of Mars book and calls Heinlein a crazy old man. And yes, there are serious Heinlein fanboy comments all throughout the series as Varley is very heavily influenced by Robert Heinlein. Podkayne is born and raised on Mars, a Martian. After all, two of her grandparents were part of the first five people to step foot on Mars on the first bubble drive spaceship. By the time she is an adult, there are over million people living on Mars. At the beginning of the book, Podkayne is a lieutenant JG, serving her mandatory two years in the Martian Navy. She is currently serving that duty in California on Earth as a local embassy officer. And then she recalled to Mars since her great-grandmother has an untreatable medical condition and is going into a stasis bubble until such time that a treatment is available. My previous review of this book: Book number three of a four book space opera series. This is my second or third reread of this book, the sequel to the sequel of one of my top ten all time favorite books. BTW, I would characterize this book as young adult SF but not juvenile SF. I get the feeling that there will not be a fifth book in the series as Varley seems to be a movie reviewer nowadays. Varley reduces the Earth population from billions to millions in this book. I wonder where they all went ? (sarcasm) I need a squeezer generator ! John Varley has an active website.

Old friends and new are found in this volume. Traveling the stars, singing the hits of past present and future. Loving, living, defending, prepping, and continuing the race. Diaspora can be a good thing.