Product Description
Ex-investigative reporter Dan Kettering watches the Martian telecast showing the aircraft crash that killed someone close to him: his brother.The police convince Dan to get back in the news business, but not as a reporter. This time around he's got a new face, a new name, and he's a driver. Dan resisted the police at first, but one factor changes his mind. The crash that killed his brother wasn't necessarily an accident. His undercover assignment puts him close to Janet Vincent, one of the reporters on the team that uncannily seems to reach almost every disaster scene before their competition. ... Read more

Product Description
DEEP QUARRY, by John E. Stith Trade paperback, 156 pages, $15.99 ISBN: 1-58715-707-1In Deep Quarry, Stith once again successfully combines mystery with hard science fiction. Ben Takent is a private eye on a hot, dusty world at the edge of the civilized galaxy. When he's asked to find out who is stealing artifacts from a 10,000-year old archaeological dig in the desert, he reluctantly takes the case. After it becomes clear that the artifacts are pointing to an ancient alien spacecraft, the stakes in the case go up -- way up. Winner of the Colorado Authors' League Top Hand Award. ... Read more

Product Description
A Nebula-Award finalist, showcasing suspense and dangerin a slow-light environment.From the author of MANHATTAN TRANSFERand others.Aboard the hyperspace liner Redshift, the first sign oftrouble is the apparent suicide of a passenger.When first officerJason Kraft discovers that she was murdered, Kraft wants to knowwhy. Before long, a desperate group of people tries to use thehyperspace craft for their evil purposes, and Kraft is the only personin their way.

From the PASSENGER GUIDE.WARNING: Read This Guide Before Boarding the Redshift.

The environment aboard a hyperspace craft is quite safe as long as youare careful.The management reminds you that the speed of light onboard this craft is ten meters per second, or about 30 million timesslower than what you are used to.This means you will frequentlyencounter relativistic effects and optical illusions... ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Great read, intriguing physics
The relativistic setting is well-thought-out and truly fascinating, and the story is a page-turner.Highly recommended!

A neat excursion into relativistic space travel
This is a book that I first read over ten years ago. The story and the physics intrigued me and I've never forgotten it. Recently I decided to reread it and discovered that I'd given my copy to someone. I bought this copy and was pleased to see how well the story has held up. Not your typical space opera. A good read.

Whatever happened to John E. Stith?
I finished reading Redshift Rendezvous, by John E. Stith, last night. I needed a little light reading filler, and this book provided that. I first read this book back in the summer of 1992, when I was living and working in Ottawa as a co-op student. John E. Stith's science fiction writing style is pretty good, with engaging characters, and thoughtful science fiction themes and concepts. This novel is a sci-fi/action/mystery story, set mostly in space aboard a spacecraft traveling through hpyerspace.

Reading this book left me wondering, is John E. Stith still with us? After this novel, Stith penned a few others, including the wonderful Manhattan Transfer. Then, he seemed to just stop. I did a little digging, and it seems like he's still with us. So, either he's stopped writing, or his publishers have dropped him. Either way, it's our loss.

a great read
A good, solid plot, interesting characters, and believable science work together to make this one of those books I keep coming back to. Definitely worth a look.

Real Sci-Fi
Many of today's so called Sci-Fi authors don't really write Sci-Fi, they write Fantasy. When you go to your book store's Science Fiction section you see a lot of Unicorns and Barbarians, but few hard science fiction works. For those of you who grew up on 50's classics, and Analog magazine in the sixties and seventies, John Stith delivers the right stuff. And ex NORAD scientist, his works feature a solid but speculative physics. The emphasis is in reality, not the melodrama of the predominant Sci-Fi you find. And Stith is a funny guy, if his characters aren't having hilarious exchanges with intelligent appliances or aliens, there is a dry humor at work in the events.

REDSHIFT RENSEZVOUS is an intense story with wondrous technology and it's implications. I've read another review here saying that this book is similar to Alistair MacLeans "Golden Rendezvous." This is like saying that because two works share genre conventions, that it is the same. All fiction uses elements from other works, it is the execution of those conventions and devices that make the work new.

Final word: IF YOU LIKE GOOD'OL SCIENCE FICTION, TIGHT PLOTS, INTERESTING PREMISES, BUY JOHN STITH. Another of his books MANHATTAN TRANSFER is soon to be made into a blockbuster movie. ... Read more

Product Description
Synopsis: It's early in the new millennium, and the outer reaches of our solar system have been explored. Vast orbital stations the size of middle-sized countries dot the system, filled with thriving colonies. Mankind has grown to fill the void and is poised to colonize the stars. The universe seems to be a stable, comfortable place - and the only voices to echo through space have been human.
Until now.
A fast-moving entity the size of a small moon has entered our solar system. Is it a ship? A new life form? An alien probe sent to destroy other sentient races?
Lieutenant Commander Alis Mary Nussem is one of the humans who will go forth to discover what this mystery is. Disfigured in a devastating ship accident, more machine than woman, Nussem agrees to the dangerous mission. She is eager to make a difference and somehow reclaim the humanity that she lost.
What she doesn't bargain for is the sudden appearance of Lieutenant Karl Stanton, a man whose life seems to resemble Job's - and who was directly responsible for the accident that nearly killed Nussem. These two very different people will be thrown together on an odyssey that will force them to reevaluate the rules that they have lived by all their lives.
And what they find will change mankind's universe forever....

"A taut, solidly written adventure with well-handled character interactions...this is his best outing so far." -- Kirkus Reviews

"[Stith] has always had a real talent for describing bizarre environments...will offer fans of hard SF much to satisfy their sense of wonder." -- Publishers Weekly

"John Stith is among the finest writers of hard science fiction in the world. ... In what can best be described as 'The Six-Million Dollar Woman' meets 'Rendezvous with Rama,' Stith will keep you turning the pages as he reveals the marvels of an alien 'moonscape.'" -- Rocky Mountain News

"vividly imagined, from the big opening scenes of the shuttle-habitat collision, to the descriptions of the medical procedures used to save Alis's life, to the small details of working (and being injured) in spacesuits." -- Locus
Amazon.com Review
Alis Mary Nussem had a promising career aboard space stationTokyan. But when a shuttle accidentally rammed the station, it damagedmuch of her body and took away any chance she had at a normallife. Now as much machine as woman, Alis has sought isolation fromhumanity by taking remote assignments on the fringes of the solarsystem. Her strategy backfires when a new assignment brings her aboardthe Ranger, a ship whose crew includes the Tokyan shuttlepilot. But personal conflicts fall by the wayside as the Rangerdiscovers what appears to be an alien ship. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Finally Original Thought Without Excessive Flash
This was a book I randomly picked up due to its cheap price and not having something to read at the moment.Rarely do I get such an amazing surprise as this.

Having been an avid reader of Feist, Niven, Anthony, Pavolini, Ashimov, etc., I was amazed to find such an unknown author have such a work of art.You start out cringing (especially if you read the book preview on the back), and then feeling the pain and anguish of the main character.

As the story progresses you can see the struggle for a beautiful woman who has partially become a cyborg, deal with her trials, then have to overcome the worst of them to work with the cause of her trauma.

While she, he, and several others try to comprehend the mystery that is rapidly approaching earth, she learns to appreciate he special repairs, as well as forgive.

While I agree with other reviewers that there are many hints as to what the planetoid is throughout the book, there are also many reasons given to doubt that speculation.In the end many of the answers are given, but many more questions are raised which could have been (and maybe still could be), brought up in subsequent books or prequils.

I found this truly to be a diamond in the rough.My only wish is that there was more such as this from this author.

Nice concept, but poor execution
Starts out fairly strong, establishing the two main characters reasonably well, but flounders as the alien lifecraft is explored.Once inside it, the descriptions and action, what little there is of it, are tiringly repititious and uninspired.Loose ends of the story are left untied, and I wound up feeling that my reading time had been a bit wasted.May appeal to some readers, but I cannot honestly recommend it.

More fun than pulling teeth... almost
While the book presents a couple of interesting ideas, it is, overall slow and very drawn-out. The plot goes nowhere, with the characters (most of which you won't be able to stand) literally going around in circles time after time after boring time. Perhaps the most dissappointig part, though, is that after you've read through all the drudgery, you expect the ending to resolve some of the things that happened and questions that came up along the way. Does it? No..... It just kind of .... stops.If you're looking for a boring, go-nowhere attempt at sci-fi, then this is the book for you.

Science SF
If you enjoy your SF within the realm of possibility rather than fantasy, you'll enjoy John E. Stith's books.In the same category as Clarke.

Not as Hard as it looks
Stith provides a perfect reason to chafe against categories like"hard" and "soft" SF. While he does a craftsmanlike jobof producing an adequately bewildering alien environment, it all seemsrather cursory and unengaging. The real reward here is theunusually-developed characters, who interact with a humanity, equallychildish and compassionate, that is often lost in more "ennobled"works. Giving the book three stars is almost arbitrary. As pure sciencefiction, it falls flat. As a character study, it just might havesomething... ... Read more

Product Description
First published in 1984 by Ace Books, Scapescope is John E. Stith's first novel.

Aided by a device that provides glimpses of the future, Mike Cavantalo, a loyal government employee, learns that soon he will be on the list of known political criminals.

The lighter side of 1984. ... Read more

Product Description
ALL FOR NAUGHT collects a novella and a novelette: "Naught for Hire" and "Naught Again.""Naught for Hire" is a quirky, action-packed, comedy set just a few years from now. Nick Naught, private eye, walks down some strange mean streets as he tries to stay ahead of the killers on his tail and tries to cope in a world where all the irritations we have with technology are magnified. Gadgets act up in big ways, including voice operated machines that talk back to people.Nick Naught winds up on a hit list, but he doesn't even realize it at first, because the "accidents" are so much like his normal hazardous life. Annette Taylor, Nick's former lover, shows up in his office shortly after she runs into trouble too. "Naught Again" follows Nick's adventures as he looks into trouble at the local cryogenics lab.ALL FOR NAUGHT satirizes the daily frustrations with malfunctioning technology, devices that always seems to fail right when we need them most, and machinery that must have been designed by committee. It lampoons everything from pompous lawyers and the IRS to digital watches and endless lines at the drivers license bureau. It's filled with laugh-out-loud situations that everyone can identify with. Dilbert could relate. ... Read more

Product Description
Imagine what it must be like to be Cal Donley.He regained consciousness on the orbital colony Daedalus.It's a beautiful place, home for more than a million people, but Cal doesn't remember leaving Earth.In fact, he can't remember his name or most of the past dozen years.


What disaster has stripped away so much of his memory?Why?And what about the dried blood on his hands?


"In the realm of novels, John E. Stith's Memory Blank...is a good solid mystery, a good adventure, and even a good science-fiction novel--all between one set of covers."-- STARLOG ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Explores memory, mind, and self in action format
I believe that this is Stith's best (haven't read 'Reckoning Infinity' or 'Scapescope').Protagonist is an individual living in an O'Neil type habitat who has undergone a procedure that rmoves memories of personal past for the previous several years.The rest of the book is the story of regaining his memory with the help of a cleverly written AI, and, of course, foiling a plot to end civilization as we know it. I really like Stith's writing; his characters are not necessarily the deepest, most convoluted personalities you could concoct, but they are very engaging.His writing, combined with an inventive plot, and the exploration of what memory is and how it relates to ego make this a very enjoyable novel. The worst thing about it is that it is out of print. ... Read more

Product Description
Undercover agent goes to high school reunion on distant planet and finds his old flame in trouble. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

all the usual Stithisms but not one of his best
Reunion on Neverend is readable, but no more.Stith's continuing interest in nice-guy masculinity and female neurosis produces one of his less successful romances, while the science fiction seems incidental, the actionis average, and the humor is more juvenile than clever.Stith is a decentwriter: for more interesting plot and more involving characters, try MemoryBlank or Death Tolls. ... Read more

Product Description
This digital document, covering the life and work of John E(dward) Stith, is an entry from Contemporary Authors, a reference volume published by Thompson Gale. The length of the entry is 521 words. The page length listed above is based on a typical 300-word page. Although the exact content of each entry from this volume can vary, typical entries include the following information:

• Place and date of birth and death (if deceased)
• Family members
• Education
• Professional associations and honors
• Employment
• Writings, including books and periodicals
• A description of the author's work
• References to further readings about the author

Customer Reviews (21)

Make Mine "MANHATTAN"!
Many years ago I read a review of "Manhattan Transfer" and decided that I wanted to read it.None of the stores that I went to on Long Island carried the book.Soon I forgot all about my quest.
Recently, I decided to try finding M.T. on Amazon.THERE IT WAS!!!!
It was a treat to finally read such an interesting and original story.Yes, it would make a GREAT movie!
The story is action packed right from the start.I enjoyed the characters and explorations into alien cities.
I agree that the "Goo" digging went on for way too long.Also, some technical explainations required a bit of skimming.The submissive alien commander seemed a bit too much, but hey, it's all FICTION!
Overall, I recommend M.T. for an exciting read!!!

Great concept and ideas, horrible execution.
A wonderful adventure idea, with great aliens and ideas.The real unsaid scifi element is how these wooden, cookie cutter characters end up in such a cool scifi premise.

-The government of the City of New York handles the crisis as if its simply another day at the office.(Though to be honest, with 9/11 we've actually seen Manhattan in an uproar - the book was published before then)

-Despite presumably having well over a million candidates from several New York universities, hospitals and research centers the Mayor chooses the first few people to show up as the expedition team to explore outside the city.

-Everyone (aliens included) obeys Matt the army Colonel without question.

-You are given no reference for time - the action in New York seems to stretch into weeks, but with the expedition it seems just a few days.

This book is worth one read, for the wonderfully thought out spaceship and alien races, but you won't be missing the characters.Also, be warned the plot is resolved within two pages of the end of the book.You never find out what happens when/if they are returned to earth nor find out what happened on earth in the meantime.

Starts off strong but.....
The beginning of 'Manhattan Transfer' presents the reader with an innovative concept right off the bat, setting up what could be quite an interesting book.Unfortunately, most of the book is about how the stereotypical characters traverse the "Grey goo."Chapter after chapter the author painstakingly describes the various ways the heroes can cut through and mold the "grey goo" holding the domed bubbles containing thecities.Stith could have taken this book in so many directions, but chose the route of boring.Even the aliens that stole Manhattan turned out to be friendly, boring, aliens willing to be bossed around by a pushy colonel Matt, which by the way is completely inconceivable.Why would an advanced race such as the "ARCHIES" allow Matt to basically call all the shots, after he blew up a portion of their ship?How quickly did Abby learn to decode and translate Archie speak in to Enlgish and vice-versa - all of two hours?This book is supposedly HARD SCIENCE FICTION, but comes off as soft as the grey goo.

Not worth your time
Manhattan Transfer is a poor mix of some reasonably good hard scifi ideas with nearly trivialized surroundings.I often thought of the movie Armageddon (which I did not like) while reading this book.Stith doesn't have the tear-jerking moments so prominent in Armageddon, but he certainly manages the Hollywood-style stereotyped characters, and the lack of depth with his science fiction.

Many of the problems with the book are obvious early on; after terrible happenings on the island of Manhattan, Stith describes many scenes where inhabitants look about them, and somehow see clearly what is happening on the city's horizons (and, no, the city is not leveled; all the buildings are still in place).Can you imagine, in Manhattan, of all places?The city's residents are amazingly controlled during this terror, another piece of simplification that just doesn't work.The book is full of such trivializations.Even when it looks as if it will go somewhere interesting, Stith always manages to reduce the story to something oversimplified and therefore dull and uninteresting.

Unless you like fast reads without much content (so why bother), for hugely better hard scifi, having some similarities to Manhattan Transfer (at least with the aliens), try Vernor Vinge's"A Deepness in the Sky".One of the other many better scifi writers to go to is Jack McDevitt.

Piognant scenes
Has the spirit of the Buck Rogers/Flash Gordon tales. But since the book came out, there is a poignant note for American readers. When Manhattan is captured by aliens and put inside a vast spaceship, with cities captured from other races, the humans go to the highest building to see these other cities. That building is one of those in the World Trade Center. And later, when our intrepid humans tunnel out to another alien city, they get their bearings by looking for the tallest towers of Manhattan.

If this book is even made into a movie, certain scenes will have to be altered from the book's. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Health
This was my first time using Amazon for school textbooks. I am very pleased. The purchased book came promptly and in the excellent condition promised. ... Read more