Tantalus Zero

Rating:
Summary: Sex, Torture, and Bioweapons is not "Anti-Government"
Review: I can see how Tantalus Zero has some decadence--drinking, sex, cynicism and et cetera, and this all takes place on a government installation, but that is not "anti-government". This book will never make a bestseller list, and that's too bad:(

Let me back up--Marshall Moore was on TV last Spring. I looked for the book, but it didn't come out until this Fall. I had forgotten about it, saw it in a used bin and gave it a read. Glad I did. The whole book centers on a base in Antarctica, (which gets a real good treatment in and of itself), where a doctor suspects some less-than-pure motives of his senior officers (a Navy book)--the build-up is fairly tight, and despite some medical jargon (Moore is a doctor himself) is quite interesting and funny. The pay off for me was the second half of the book, and you realize the importance of the first ten chapters. Every character in the book is completely realized, unlike a lot of characters in commercial books, and this makes the finale pack a real punch. Other people in other reviews say the book has an anti-government connotation, but I don't think so. I think you have to understand that every writer telling a story, is not trying to make some statement about the current political climate. Some writers just want to tell a good story with government employees immersed in sex and torture and biological weapons...this qualifies!

Rating:
Summary: Isn't This Guy Military?
Review: I got a hold of an advanced copy from the radio,and this is the most anti-military military book I've ever read. I give it 4 stars for originality, great action, and general cleverness, but if you want a by the numbers thriller, like was said, get a Kellerman novel or something like that. I'm not sure if there is a genre for literary action novels, but this would be the first--alot of Oscar Wilde in this. Also, anyone who is thinking of going to Antarctica will definitely like this book. Don't pack light. The description of the isolated continent, and the hero's life or death chase in those conditions makes for a great read. I ask if this guy is military because it says so on the back cover, yet there are alot of backhanded shots at the government in general. But then again, it's fiction. Look forward to the next one, if the market will tolerate books so difficult to classify. Bravo all the same.

Rating:
Summary: Strong smart book.
Review: I read a variety of stuff and heard about Marshall Moore through a friend and then again saw him on Canadian Television (we get these stations up North), and the book was supposedly pretty good. I was expecting a Clancy-like book that was more plot-driven, with more superficial and mechanical characters that do their jobs simply for the sake of a smooth story (which makes for great reading sometimes). But Tantalus Zero was completely different and that was what made it a unique read. Characters step to the front here. Stefan Falconer is a great hero because he's such a mixture of good and evil, almost unbelievably at times. And that is really what the book is like, very poetic moments that you don't expect in an action book, but then great action, suspense, and really sharp wit. I found it a very smooth and smart book, a little subversive too. And the characters-Stefan the surgeon, Loren the engineer, and Bernardo the politic executive officer of the Antarctic station stick with you-you like these guys enough to forgive a few holes that I identified in the plot. (The other weakness-female supporting characters who are thin and stereotypical). Dr. Moore--make your female leads as good as your male leads! I recommend this book, it's a fast easy read, with beautiful renderings of Antarctica, but if you're only looking for a by-the-numbers thriller, this book might not be for you. 4.5 stars.

Rating:
Summary: Unique. Recommended.
Review: Tantalus Zero is unique and great for what it is. It's not an action book, or a Tom Clancy book, or a medical thriller for that matter. To me, it was more about a man, who happened to be in Antarctica, who happened to have a hell of a past, and who happened to tangle himself in something very deep and dark and secret. Entertaining. It struck me as a character book, and not a plot book, though these are not mutually exclusive. Since the female characters were mentioned previously, I must put in that the book to me was not really about them, and therefore they don't have to be incredibly complex, though it would have added another level. Perhaps, it is that the women Stefan is involved with in the book are treated with a subtle but detectable scorn. Now is this the author's scorn coming through, or is this just who Stefan Falconer is as a man? If I do recall, he was done wrong by his ex-wife, and that's part of the reason he ended up in Antarctica! Any ideas?

Rating:
Summary: Tantalus Zero
Review: This was a really enjoyable book to read.It was well written, action packed,and the plot was excellent. I loved the principal character- Falconer. I felt like I was right there in Antartica. I await Moore's next novel and look forward to reading more about Dr.Stephon Falconer.

Rating:
Summary: A must read!
Review: What do you get when you mix a fast paced drama and government conspiracy with a medical thriller sprinkled with murder,intrigue and set in the Antarctic? Tantalus Zero!
I knew this book had my attention when I would "find" time during my busy day to read '...just a few more pages'.
Excellent character and plot development. The main character, Stefan Falconer, is so very real and the kind of guy that one looks forward to meeting again-sequel?.
BRAVO Marshall!