Reviews of books by William Barton and Michael Capobianco
IRIS
"Iris is a novel of towering and daunting ambition...a virtually perfect blend
of diamondhard scientific extrapolation and stylistically brilliant narrative. It recalls the finest of pre-pseudonym-revelation Tiptree; the fearless inventiveness of pre-Titan Varley; the wide-eyed plunge into emotional abysses of Delany's Dhalgren; and the careful attention to all regions of the cultural spectrum of the best of Gibson and Sterling. Yet Iris is a book uniquely the authors'...if this kind of thing turns you on, as it does me, then you will find this novel an endless feast of constant delight."
-Stephen P. Brown, Science
Fiction Eye
"Foundation books certainly showed editorial acumen in acquiring Iris...Surely, one of the thrills of editing is discovering something like this...Seldom do you get a rendering of a more or less solar-system wide civilization as detailed, dense, well worked-out, and solid as this, and less often still with this level of characterological depth...It's reminiscent of Samuel R. Delaney at his best--Nova, Babel-17, Stars in My Pocket Like Grains of Sand with an interesting story line worked in.
-Norman Spinrad, Asimov's
"[Iris] is primarily striking for the intense directness of the prose and for the capacity of the authors to address in that prose both matters of science (which might be expected in a hard-sf novel) and matters of character, for the cast is deeply memorable."
-The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction
Iris [is] a first novel that promises much for the authors' futures.
-Tom Easton, Analog
FELLOW TRAVELER
"Fellow Traveler's ending has a breathless grandeur that will thrill to their toes all SF readers whose loyalties are to the species rather than to any specific nation." ALPHA CENTAURI
"Alpha Centauri is... a rich and absorbing odyssey
through both deep space and the dark territories of the human
heart. It's jam-packed with strange vistas, intriguing ideas and
stylish writing... I couldn't put this book down." "Brilliant extrapolations and dazzling speculations." "...the hard sf here is beautifully done, including a breathtaking ride on a storm-tossedalien ocean at two Gs, and an ancient race, complete with cosmology, restored through virtual technology--grand stuff, but Heinlein is rolling in his grave." WHITE LIGHT
"White Light is a complex and ambitious novel...the most impressive novel yet from Barton and Capobianco. With enthusiasm and intensity, they balance serious questions about human nature with complex scientific ideas." "Not since Larry Niven and Jerry Pournell has there been such a happy result of collaboration... White Light is a literary treasure... offering readers a throughly enjoyable time." "...a smart exploration of the concept of heaven, is consistently interesting. A rich, intelligent tale well worth reading." "Stunningly imaginitive."
-Tom Easton, Analog
"Read Fellow Traveler to find out what is wrong with the space program--then write your congressman!"
-John J. Pierce, Rave Reviews
-Curt Wohleber, Sci-Fi Weekly
-Kirkus Reviews
-Booklist
-Preston Grassman, Locus
-Michael Wolff, Starlog
-David Pitt, Booklist
-Kirkus Reviews