# Sci Fi author Greg Bear **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [April 7, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586 "2014-04-07T22:23:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/1 "2014-04-07T22:23:36Z")
Are all of his books as good as Moving Mars? In looking at his Amazon listings , I don’t remember reading his other books, although I very well may have in my heavy sci fi reading days in the past. ---
**Author:** ![OneCentStamp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/13edae/32.png) [@OneCentStamp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OneCentStamp)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/2 "2014-04-07T22:29:02Z")
My only experience with Greg Bear is the first book of _The Mongoliad_, co-written with Neal Stephenson. It’s my least favorite of the seven or eight Stephenson books I’ve read. I don’t know if it was just a lackluster effort for both guys, or it’s Bear’s influence that I’m detecting and not liking. In hindsight, this was not a terribly helpful post. Um…bump? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/3 "2014-04-07T22:55:58Z")
The Mongoliad was as good as a book written by committee could ever be (ie, bad). I don’t lay the blame at any one participant’s feet, I mean, except all of them for dreaming up such an obviously dumbass project. Greg Bear’s novel Darwin’s Radio won the Nebula for Best Novel in 2000. He’s generally well regarded. ---
**Author:** ![jimbuff314](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c57346/32.png) [@jimbuff314](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jimbuff314)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 11:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/4 "2014-04-07T23:18:06Z")
I’ve read several of Greg Bear’s books and enjoyed them all. (I actively seek them out at used bookstores) About as close as I can come to quantifying “as good as _Moving Mars_”. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [April 7, 2014, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/5 "2014-04-07T23:25:30Z")
I think he’s reliably good; at least I’ve never been disappointed. But it’s been a while since I read any of his stuff, so I can’t make specific recommendations. I too thought that Moving Mars was very good; I have also read Eon, Eternity, and Blood Music, and enjoyed all of them. I have not read any of his Halo books, nor anything since 2007 or so. ---
**Author:** ![Elemenopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b5e925/32.png) [@Elemenopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elemenopy)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 11:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/6 "2014-04-08T11:53:00Z")
It’s been a while, but I really enjoyed Darwin’s Radio. The sequel, not so much. The dialog/interpersonal relationship depiction is somewhat naive, as I recall, but that’s not unusual in the genre. I’ll still recommend it, since the premise is quite fun and thought-provoking, and the action is enjoyable. I’m pretty sure I enjoyed Vitals when I was reading it, in the same way as above, but I don’t remember as much about it. If it’s the book I’m thinking about, there is a neat bit incorporating the fabled Cold War Russian research into reviving canines and such. I’m going to have to reread this one. ---
**Author:** ![tullsterx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e9bcb4/32.png) [@tullsterx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tullsterx)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/7 "2014-04-08T18:14:38Z")
I didn’t care for Darwin’s Radio. . . the story just didn’t grab me. But, I read one of his early books, **Eon** , back in 1985 and I thought that was excellent. A really great work of science fiction with some really compelling and original ideas. ---
**Author:** ![Terr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/839c29/32.png) [@Terr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terr)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/8 "2014-04-08T18:24:59Z")
> [@OneCentStamp](#): > > My only experience with Greg Bear is the first book of _The Mongoliad_, co-written with Neal Stephenson. It’s my least favorite of the seven or eight Stephenson books I’ve read. Not to hijack the thread, but Neal Stephenson is an enigma. Two pretty much ignored first books. Two amazing genre-setting books after (Snow Crash and Diamond Age). Downhill ever since, with Reamde being really the bottom of the barrel hack. It’s like Snow Crash and Diamond Age were written by someone else. ---
**Author:** ![GargoyleWB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gargoylewb/32/199_2.png) [@GargoyleWB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GargoyleWB)\ **Post date:** [April 8, 2014, 6:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/9 "2014-04-08T18:38:39Z")
Having read The Way series and the Forge of God (and sequel), I’d characterize Bear as having wonderful speculative and futurist ideas, but his plotting and character construction is often clunky. Within a book, his narrative voice seems to drift around randomly between hard-sciencey analytical and space opera at a whim, and his characters feel more like they were generated from a spreadsheet library of personality attributes rather than being organically created, which I find distracting. In short, great concepts and adventures, but the authorial puppet-strings are too visible. edit: Looking at his list of works, I realize I’ve started Queen of Angels twice over the years, and never made it past the first couple of chapters, it just didn’t hook me. ---
**Author:** ![DeptfordX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DeptfordX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeptfordX)\ **Post date:** [April 9, 2014, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/10 "2014-04-09T23:51:01Z")
Oh god, Stephenson’s the Baroque cycle. So many words, so much tedious page-turning. Except, occasionally, every 100 pages or so, an awesome fight or drama or historical info dump. And i keep reading damn it. ---
**Author:** ![Sam\_Stone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Sam\_Stone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sam_Stone)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 6:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/11 "2014-04-11T06:59:28Z")
It’s been a long time since I read Greg Bear, but _Blood Music_ is excellent, and was nominated for the Hugo, the Nebula, and the John W. Campbell award in the year it came out. In the original novelette form, it won the Hugo and the Nebula. So it’s really something a science fiction fan should read. In fact, I think I’ll go re-read it… Actually, lots of Bear’s books have been nominated for major awards. He’s a real awards magnet. Something about his successful mix of hard science fiction and more speculative stuff works well. His work usually has a lot of hard science, but doesn’t usually come across as space opera or simplistic. Some hard SF is terrible when it comes to characterization and plot complexity. Bear strives for something a little deeper, usually. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [April 11, 2014, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/12 "2014-04-11T14:53:36Z")
> [@DeptfordX](#): > > Oh god, Stephenson’s the Baroque cycle. So many words, so much tedious page-turning. Except, occasionally, every 100 pages or so, an awesome fight or drama or historical info dump. And i keep reading damn it. I must be in a minority. I found _Cryptonomicon_ and the _Baroque Cycle_ truly awesome, while his earlier scirnce fiction I merely liked - _Snow Crash_ and the _Diamond Age_. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2014, 2:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/13 "2014-04-12T02:29:49Z")
> [@Sam\_Stone](#): > > Actually, lots of Bear’s books have been nominated for major awards. He’s a real awards magnet. Something about his successful mix of hard science fiction and more speculative stuff works well. His work usually has a lot of hard science, but doesn’t usually come across as space opera or simplistic. Some hard SF is terrible when it comes to characterization and plot complexity. Bear strives for something a little deeper, usually. That was actually part of the appeal. I like hard sci fi, but I want some story to go along with it. That’s why I finally figured I have such a hard time with Kim Stanley Robinson. ---
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/14 "2017-06-27T18:00:36Z")
I’m bumping my own Zombie thread. There are two Eon books available from Greg Bear for the Kindle daily deals. Eon and Eternity, each for $1.99 Should I grab these for the low price? ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/15 "2017-06-27T18:36:37Z")
> [@dalej42](#): > > I’m bumping my own Zombie thread. There are two Eon books available from Greg Bear for the Kindle daily deals. Eon and Eternity, each for $1.99 > > Should I grab these for the low price? It’s up to you. I read **Eon** and didn’t care for it at all. Didn’t like **Darwin’s Radio** , either. After those, I didn’t feel very interested in trying Bear for another shot. But YMMV ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/16 "2017-06-27T20:16:50Z")
I love Greg Bear. FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/17 "2017-06-27T21:20:57Z")
Don’t all his book end with the destruction of the Earth? ---
**Author:** ![eburacum45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eburacum45/32/8690_2.png) [@eburacum45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eburacum45)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 9:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/18 "2017-06-27T21:28:52Z")
_The Forge of God_ certainly does; but it is a brilliant book, and includes a lot of hope, which is fulfilled in the sequence, _Anvil of Stars_. Both together would make a very good film or two. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/19 "2017-06-27T21:38:30Z")
> [@eburacum45](#): > > _The Forge of God_ certainly does; but it is a brilliant book, and includes a lot of hope, which is fulfilled in the sequence, _Anvil of Stars_. Both together would make a very good film or two. _Blood Music_ squicked me something fierce. ---
**Author:** ![MrDibble](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrdibble/32/114_2.png) [@MrDibble](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrDibble)\ **Post date:** [June 28, 2017, 8:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586/20 "2017-06-28T08:15:55Z")
> [@Hello\_Again](#): > > The Mongoliad was as good as a book written by committee could ever be (ie, bad). Counterpoint: _Good Omens_ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/sci-fi-author-greg-bear/685586.md?page=2)