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Author John Barnes booklist (click here)

Book Review By Lowell Berman
Candle by John Barnes

The main character hunts down using high tech equipment a man that has unplugged from a colllectivist net that uses technology to control your thoughts and emotions. The hunter becomes a captive of the hunted. And his prey must decide what to do with him.


Plot & Themes
Tone of book - very upbeat -
FANTASY or SCIENCE FICTION? - science fiction story
Spying & Investigations Yes
What is main char. doing? - rescue mission/escape from confinement
Repressive society story Yes
Repressive because:
magical powers:
Inner Struggle Yes
Plotlet: - - - coping with mental/magical powers - change of heart
Adversaries are… -
Lifeform altered? Yes
Kind of alteration:
Is this an adult or child's book? - Adult or Young Adult Book
Cultural problems, alien culture Yes
Culture clash- - one person from different culture of other persons
Who's a slave/repressed? - humans are slaves of other humans

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status:
Age: - 40's-50's
Really unusual traits?

Main Adversary
Identity: - Male
Age: - 40's-50's
Profession/status:
How much of work is main antagonist actually present in: - a moderate amount
How sensitive is this character?
Sense of humor - Cynical sense of humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters

Setting
Earth setting: - near future (later in 21st century) - -
Takes place on Earth? Yes

Writing Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
scientific jargon? (SF only) - an average amount of scientific explanation
Sex in book? Yes
What kind of sex: - rape/molest (yeech!)
How much dialogue? - roughly even amounts of descript and dialog
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