Here's some quick comments by Peter C. Weinstock...
Thoughts on "Manhattan Transfer" (spoilers avoided):
Too many sf novels start off slow and plodding, as the author tries to
build the foundation around which the story and science will flesh out.
I thought Stith did a nice job avoiding this kind of boring intro, by
getting to the "transfer" itself, and introducing the characters by
showing the city's abduction from their various points of view. The fact
that the story is set only about 3 decades in the future certainly made
this process easier.
The way computer technology has been progressing, however, I had a little trouble believing how little day-to-day life has changed in 2030 or whatever year it was. About the only future gadget in Manhattan I can recall is the optical camera device...also, Abby is dismayed at how her portable computer is equipped with "only" a handful of gigabytes of storage, which she expected would be used up is short order...I don't think I've ever read a sf story set more than a decade in the future in which so little has changed. This doesn't really detract from the story, but I just found it kind of odd.
Overall I thought "Transfer" was a great read. The central story was really original and enjoyable, and I thought Stith paced things really well. While the frenetic opening seemed kind of like an Independence Day 2, the middle sections reminded me of Clarke's "Rendezvous With Rama," as the team tunneled underground, stopping through the different alien cities. The exploration of the "dead" city building, and the revelation of what happened to its inhabitants and why, was both fascinating and sad. And though I mostly liked the ending- I don't want to spoil anything - I think back at the middle portions of the book and have a hard time reconciling how they got from here to there in so short a span of time.
There were some other things I didn't care for- I swear I've gotten to know the Matt character a hundred times in previous stories, and that Lucky/Benny storyline had zero relevance to the outcome- but in all I'd rank "Manhattan Transfer" up in the top 10% of all sf novels I've read to date. As I said, it was a great read.
Pete
This is one of my FAVORITE books ever. I love SF like this, and I could read this novel over and over without getting bored. If life were fair, I'd get this much fun out of every novel that I read. In reality, though, I only get a book this good once in a while.
It's a fantastic, "sense of wonder" novel that reminds me of the only Rama thing I've read (the "Bright Messengers" thing that Gentry Lee never has finished). The writing is adequate, but never too frilly or technical that it requires special taste. Stith delivers the goods, and I guarantee this: no matter what type of SF or fantasy you enjoy most, you will love this one. Buy it at once!
How's that for a conservative review? I once wrote a fan email to John Stith, and he replied the next day. Only ever wrote one other fan email, so that gives you an idea how much I liked this one.
Bryan
