[intensityxx]

I really enjoyed hearing John Barnes speak at WorldCon this year. Now this month's issue of Locus features a fascinating article he wrote. I want to read his work, but he seems to be writing 4 series, more or less concurrently:

A Million Open Door Series (Giraut)
The Century Next Door (Meme Wars)
Timeline Wars (all in 1997)
Timeraider (all in 1992)

Are there any readers here who might be able to offer a description or characterization of each of the series, in order to help us decide which entry point interests us most?

[Archren]

Well, I'm only familiar with the Giraut series, and for that I'm only familiar with the beginning and end of it. So "A Million Open Doors" was interesting: it dealt with some post-communist economics, some feminism, competing cultural systems, set up a universe that could easily support a bazillion stories. Giraut is a sympathetic main character, if a little passive at times. Now, it Analog there have been a bunch of these stories in the last year or so, and Barnes' themes have completely changed from the old days, and Giraut is now an old hand. Now there's more about AIs, singularities and internal rebellions. "The Little White Nerves Went Last" was one of the most intense short stories (novella, I think) that I read last year.

So anyway, at least for that series I can recommend him wholeheartedly.

[Beleg]

I have read the novel Orbital Resonance - part one of The Century Next Door series. The concept behind was novel was extremely intruiging, basically a self-sufficent space station orbiting the earth after the earth has been ravaged and drained off by the humans has to fend for itself. Lots of social conditioning, gender politics, coming-of-age conflicts with shades of Ender's Game. The novel manages to deliver on its premise - for the first 2/3rd of the story. Even though the quality drops off at the end, I still found it a highly enjoyable read.

I'll recommend it enthusiastically.