The Inside Scoop on Gaming

It's a mystery! It's modern fiction! It's science fiction! Ohmygosh, I liked it!

Usually, I fear and loathe RPG novels. Generally, these tend to be someone's pet campaign splashed onto paper, so I was a bit apprehensive about reading this. On the other hand, it was from Atlas, one of the more experimental of good game houses. So, one summer night, I picked it up to read a few chapters.

I regretting having to go to work the next day, as it meant I couldn't finish the book for a whole 9 hours! Once home, I leapt back to it and devoured a few more chapters. Do you get the idea that I liked it?

Perhaps the best part was that you didn't have to know the "On the Edge" universe in order to enjoy it. The characters were drawn out, self-complete. The plot itself unfolded gracefully.

It was vagually "Snow Crash"esque in terms of style and structure, starting with one main character but tracking several other characters, from their own points of view, throughout the book. The characters interact in different combinations throughout the book, then come together at the close.

The plot is about either:

the nature of God
why people kill themselves
what family means
the validity of drug-induced experience
the purpose of human existence

or perhaps a few other things. While not preachy or deep, it managed to get a lot of neat concepts across. The setting of Al Amaja was bright and witty, and totally believable. It was an enjoyable read, yet it also built to something.

Alas, the only weak point was the ending. It seemed a bit rushed. and it left some things hanging, including a major point or two. Perhaps the point was to let the reader decide the issues for themself, but I'm a lazy reader and not up to the task. So it was particularly bittersweet that the book had to end.

A good book, kept from greatness only by the ending. I recommend it highly, and hope it gets the exposure it deserves.

Style: 5 (Excellent!)
Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Pierced Heart
Author: Robin Laws Category: other (book) Company/Publisher: Atlas Games Reviewed by Sandy Antunes on 07/30/97. Genre tags: none	It's a mystery! It's modern fiction! It's science fiction! Ohmygosh, I liked it! Usually, I fear and loathe RPG novels. Generally, these tend to be someone's pet campaign splashed onto paper, so I was a bit apprehensive about reading this. On the other hand, it was from Atlas, one of the more experimental of good game houses. So, one summer night, I picked it up to read a few chapters. I regretting having to go to work the next day, as it meant I couldn't finish the book for a whole 9 hours! Once home, I leapt back to it and devoured a few more chapters. Do you get the idea that I liked it? Perhaps the best part was that you didn't have to know the "On the Edge" universe in order to enjoy it. The characters were drawn out, self-complete. The plot itself unfolded gracefully. It was vagually "Snow Crash"esque in terms of style and structure, starting with one main character but tracking several other characters, from their own points of view, throughout the book. The characters interact in different combinations throughout the book, then come together at the close. The plot is about either: the nature of God why people kill themselves what family means the validity of drug-induced experience the purpose of human existence or perhaps a few other things. While not preachy or deep, it managed to get a lot of neat concepts across. The setting of Al Amaja was bright and witty, and totally believable. It was an enjoyable read, yet it also built to something. Alas, the only weak point was the ending. It seemed a bit rushed. and it left some things hanging, including a major point or two. Perhaps the point was to let the reader decide the issues for themself, but I'm a lazy reader and not up to the task. So it was particularly bittersweet that the book had to end. A good book, kept from greatness only by the ending. I recommend it highly, and hope it gets the exposure it deserves. Style: 5 (Excellent!) Substance: 4 (Meaty)

Pierced Heart