Acts of Conscience

by William Barton

Book Overview

When space construction worker Gaetan du Cheyne visits the planet Green Heaven, he discovers a fascinating ecosystem whose intelligent life forms are being hunted for sport and exported as slaves by... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0446672513
• ISBN13: 9780446672511
• Release Date: January 1997
• Publisher: Warner Books (NY)
• Length: 416 Pages
• Weight: 1.10 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.0" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

VERY FINE SCIENCE FICTION

ACTS OF CONSCIENCE by William Barton is another great novel by this writer, and I have read several of his, and he pulls no punches in his themes and styles. He is definitely my favorite science fiction author, easily surpassing 'greats' such as A.C. Clarke and his outdated space operas. Barton's novels dwell on the human condition and sexuality is not shortchanged or covered up or glossed over, as with most other authors. My favorite saying is: THE UNIVERSE DOES'NT CARE WHAT YOU THINK" seems to me to be a strong undercurrent in Barton's novels {and in ones he co-authors}. Don't read this book if ideas contrary to what you may have grown up with may offend you!

Definitely an intruiging though odd book

This was the first book by William Barton I read -- and the back most definitely did not prepare me for the sexual content. I took a break of a day or two sometimes from the book due to the character of the narrator etc. It wasn't as bad as Alpha Centauri in that respect (I pity Genny of that book) but even so it shocked me.However, once I got past the amount of erotica in the book, the philosophical notions and Barton's views on the human future got me. Less optimistic than many writers, but maybe more honest that most because of that. Barton created a masterpiece with this book: Gaetan is entirely human, often disturbingly so. All you really need to know about Barton is that I read MORE of his works after reading this one -- the philosophy, combined with the sense that the characters are real, drew me into his books, even though there are few people I would reccomend them to, sadly enough. I know it's said that humans think of sex every minute or so, but do the characters in his novels have to THAT often?! Maybe they do in order to be fully "human" (a fact that says a lot about humanity in itself)but the only thing I would wish for would be a little less erotica in his writing.

Simply excellent.

Barton ranks as my favorite all time sci-fi (and sci-fantasy) author

Postmodern Space Opera by an Emerging Talent

William Barton is quickly positioning himself as one of the most thoughtful and insightful science-fiction writers. Too bad so many have failed to notice. His newest work, which like his previous works and works in collaboration with Michael Cappobianco, plums all of science-fiction as a literary canvass. The protagonist recalls the work of "doc" Smith, the aliens are created as references to some of the best SF of the 1970s and '80s. Barton's skill lies in using references to the SF canon to add a polyphonic understanding of the narrative. He is quickly becoming a "must" read for any student of science-fiction in the late 1990s, being far more "freaky" than most so-called cyberauthors, and maintaining a clearly indepth knowledge of science that they seem to lack. Fantastic stuff, but NOT brain candy.

great dark science fiction. read it!

This is what science fiction is all about. The world is not a very nice place. People are morons. Is this going to change even in the far future? According to William Barton, definately not. This book shows in typical Barton fashion, the horrific acts that mankind is capable of performing - and performing with trivial abandon. It reminds us that despite all the "technology" we have, we are still responsible for our own actions - the actions that we take deliberately, or the action that we take through in-action, as is the case for our _hero_ in "Acts of Conscience" for much of the book. He frustratingly plays the role of real person with real human needs and drives caught in circumstances beyond what most people are capable of dealing with. In circumstance where your cliche'd, happy fantasy tail would call for a hero, our character shows up and refeshingly behaves like a real person - sometimes even a jerk. This is a book that grabs you, and throws images into your face from the true heart of humanity. You may not like what you see, but you must applaud Barton for showing it to you.