price：$44.49
Square Soft
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Track list) 『Disc One (53:44) 1) Eternally Good Harvest 3:05 2) Hermit's Library - Daguerreo 4:19 3) The Place I'll Return to Someday 3:14 4) Vamo' alla flamenco 3:00 5) Frontier Village of Dali 4:52 6) Soulless Village, Bran Bal 4:27 7) Dissipating Sorrow 3:44 8) You're Not Alone! 4:03 9) Two Unstealable Hearts ~ Behind the Door 3:58 10) Rose of May 3:50 11) Treno, the Sleepless City 2:41 12) Unreachable Desire 4:30 13) Final Battle 4:29 14) Melodies of Life 3:32 』
(Amazing) 『This cd is incredible. Everything about this cd rocks. It has all my moods built right into the cd. When im sad i listen to Passing Sorrow and Frontier Village Dali, when i am happy i play Ethernal Harvest, and when i get angry i play The Final Battle. I am actually listening to Frontier Village Dali as we speak. Good Stuff』 『Japanese album featuring music from 'Final Fantasy IX' the enormously popular PlayStation game, beautifully re-arranged for piano. The production was composed&supervised by Nobuo Uematsu. Arranged by Shiro Hamaguchi. Piano performed by Louis Leerinka. Includes a piano-instrumental version of the FF9 main theme 'Melodies of Life' (Emiko Shiratori song). 2004.』 『Piano Versions of the Music Written for 'final Fantasy Ix'. Produced by Nobuo Uematsu, Arranged by Shiro Hamaguchi, with Pianist Louis Leerink.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A MUST HAVE.........5 STARS - BEAUTIFUL MUSIC) 『TERRA or TINA is just enough to buy the cd. Actually, I started playing the piano for 3 reasons:
-Terra (piano version)(INCLUDED IN THE CD) --- Final Fantasy VI -To Zanarkand --- Final Fantasy X -Greensleeves --- Xenosaga Episode I, OST
If you listen to them you will end up taking piano lessons like me...give them a try.』
(Not the perfect Final Fantasy VI arranged soundtrack, but a worthy one.) 『Final Fantasy VI Grand Finale holds the distinctions of being based on the greatest video game soundtrack ever and of being my first arranged game soundtrack. So this disc has high expectations to live up to. About half of its tracks I am totally satisfied with the way they were done. A few follow their original game versions rather closely and sound terrific performed by real instruments. In others the arrangements vary slightly from the originals, but the changes follow the spirit of the OSV closely. I'm especially happy with the excellent version of the game's opening theme.
However, there's a slightly different story to other tracks on the CD. In some arrangements there are small changes that hurt an entire piece. For example, an otherwise perfect rendition of Relm's theme is ruined for me by blaring bagpipes. Others have changes that make them considerably different from the original versions. One example would be "Gau", which although a nice arrangement in its own right, doesn't posess the eye-watering quality of the original.
Most Final Fantasy fans will probably feel that this CD doesn't live up to the original soundtrack it is based on. Of course, many Final Fantasy fans - myself included - feel that the original soundtrack is one of the greatest musical achievements ever. A hard label to live up to. I must credit the arrangers for having a cinematic vision when they went about embellishing these compositions. I remember when I first got the CD, listening intently and envisioning the characters moving through my own little Final Fantasy movie as the music progressed. Fond memories, to be sure. So while this CD may not be the dream Final Fantasy VI arranged collection, it is nonetheless an interesting and entertaining one which fans should be hesitant to miss. 』
(Midi in the flesh.) 『The piano collections of Nobuo Uematsu's series of Final Fantasy scores have proven to be just what the doctor ordered, considering that he was creating such spectacular music for such a "lowly" medium as the 'video game' before there was even a moderate respect for the art. Better yet, there was a far less than moderate respect for 'scores' to video games at the time. Considering the severely limited sound capabilities of the Super Nintendo, Uematsu's masterful compositions were not given their proper representation with what the current technology had to offer. But, even with such restrictions, Uematsu's music was no less than engaging. It makes perfect sense that his music should finally be played acoustically to help the other half realize the significance of his work, to spell it out for them. And, this collection is no exception. Final Fantasy VI still stands out as the greatest of the series, and Uematsu's score is perhaps his most profound. With all of these collections, one who has heard the original scores cannot help but think that some of the pieces have been belatedly embellished to the point that they digress from their original forms, and therefore the original score, but the ones that remain faithful are well worth the time and/or purchase. "The Mystic Forest" and "Coin Song" are what appeal to me the most. The both of these titles are more beautiful and haunting to me as I'd realized they had the potential to be. Just gorgeous. "Celes", "Mystery Train", and "Waltz de Chocobo" are also well worth mentioning. If you are already familiar with this or any of Uematsu's other Final Fantasy scores (as I am), you are already prejudiced towards this release, and so forth. If you are new to his music, I can comfortably recommend that you know of this man. Who knows? You may have have been missing something.』
(Good, but not Uematsu's best) 『Spinach Rag is probably one of the very best piano peices Uematsu has written. That song alone is worth the purchase of this CD.
The problem though is that there are a number of other songs on this CD that really aren't very good at all, like Stragus&Johnny C Bad. Cefca (or Kefka as was the translation in America) OST (original Sound Track) was probably my favorite song of the Final Fantasy series, but this piano version, like the Orchestral Version on Grand Finale was just a letdown and did no justice to how great the song really could be.
On the other hand, Gau, Spinach Rag, and Kids Run Through the City Corner, more than make up for the CD's shortcomings, and on the whole the album is pretty good. Coin Song is nice, if simple and slow. Same goes for Tina. Celes is a pretty darned good song, but if you really want a good version of this song the piano version is not the one to focus on. Listen to the 23 minute Dream Oath Opera, and focus on Aria Di Mezzo Caratere (or however that's spelled) song within that Opera. There is a slightly remixed version of that song on the Grand Finale CD that I would highly recommend over this version of the song.
All in all, if you love the work of Uematsu, like listening to simple, but pretty piano songs, or are a fan of Final Fantasy this is a CD that is actually worth the money to buy. But perhaps you should pick up Grand Finale, Celtic Moon, FITHOS LUSEC WICOS VINOSEC, Final Fantasy 7's or 9's piano soundtracks, or Uematsu's Symphonic Suite first, as all are much more impressive works than this selection.』
(WOW is all!) 『Like I said WOW this ff piano collection is probably my favorite of all time and the game too! If you've played the game you will be astonished at the closeness the piano pieces have to the original sound from the snes. Every piece in the album is excellent! This one is defintely a keeper!』 『Japan exclusive video game soundtrack. Universal. 2004.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Wonderful) 『This brings back memories. One of the biggest reasons of success in the Final Fantasy series was the music, and this game Final Fantasy 6 (FF3 in USA) has above and beyond the greatest soundtrack out of all of them. None of these are Midis, they are all the original music themselves. A great buy.』
(A Great Set of Music) 『The music was very beautifully written, making it easy to become part of the music at times. The love themes are very heartfelt and perhaps the most touching of them was Aria Di Mezzo Carattere on Disk 2. I found certain songs such as Techno de Chocobo to be a little rough on the ears, but it is the only techno song in the entiire set(also on disk 2). The music is entirely instrumental, therefore sometimes a bit lengthy and othertimes fairly short. The longest song is the ending theme(counted at 21 minutes, 35 seconds. It is a blend of all the music in the entire set, but still good if one enjoys instrumental movements. Overall, a great set. I'd recommned it.』
(It Really is the Best Final Fantasy Soundtrack) 『Even in the year 2006, Nobuo Uematsu's score to Final Fantasy VI is regarded by fans as his best music score to the Final Fantasy series. Forget that Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX and X are out there, fans are still coming to the FFVI soundtrack and listening to it as if it's modern day music. Is it say... Beethoven's 9th Symphony? Indeed, it is not, but as far as video games go, Final Fantasy VI has a music soundtrack that is worthy of praise and fame.
Final Fantasy VI was a game on the Super Nintendo. Originally released int he states as Final Fantasy III, gamers were imediately blown away by its memorable characters and storyline along with it's complex, insane, kill-for-sport main villian, Kefka. Final Fantasy VI has a large cult following. Long time Final Fantasy fans regard Final Fantasy VI as the best one in the series (a shock to those who keep blabbering Final Fantasy VII is the best). Yet what really compliments Final Fantasy VI and Nobuo Uematsu is the soundtrack to the game. Composed for the Super Nintendo, you won't hear anything quite as good as what you'll hear on a playstation (the Super Nintendo simply wasn't capbale of such), but you'll still find a few goods songs that not only make you feel good and remember the game, but that you'll want to listen to for the sake of listening to them. You don't have to be a Final Fantasy fan to enjoy the music, just a music lover.
There are plenty of memorable tracks. From Kefka's theme all the way on down to the classic ending prelude that's played in just about every Final Fantasy game. However, of all of Final Fantasy VI's tracks, the best of the lot is without a doubt the opera smash Aria Di Mezzo Carattere. The music of Aria Di Mezzo Carattere is often remembered as the music to the opera scene, spotted by many Final Fantasy fans to be one of the most memorable moments in Final Fantasy history (perhaps even video game history itself). This track quickly makes you forget that you are listening to the music of a Super Nintendo game, and you'll think you really are listening to Symphony.
I will agree with those who say that the Final Fantasy VI soundtrack is the best. Remember, this is a soundtrack for a game on the dated Super Nintendo, and it still sounds good, even in this day and age. This is Nobuo Uematsu's crowning achievement in Final Fantasy!』
(Could be the best) 『This soundtrack is probably my favorite right next to FF7. To me it's hard to tell which one is better. They are both my fav at the time of their release. FFVI is the best SNES release and FF7 is the best PS release. Both have just extremely beautiful music. If you like Final Fantasy you will absolutely love the soundtracks. GET IT NOW!!!』
(How could anyone *not* say it's the best?) 『There is a group of fans that absolutely worship this score and I must admit that I am one of them. If I were to be stranded on a desert island with nothing but five soundtracks that I could choose, this would most definitely be one. Nobuo Uematsu transcended all that seemed possible and created a score of boundless and adventurous spirit that has yet to be topped in the videogame music world.
The Final Fantasy series has certainly had its recent ups and downs, but without a doubt in my mind, the sixth installment is the pinnacle of FF music, and indeed game music thus far. Years ago, when I was in fifth grade, the unforgettable Final Fantasy IV was released, which was my first true introduction into the wonders of game music. It wasn't until a couple of years later that I played part six. While IV impressed me by its almost orchestral sound system (at least I thought so at the time), VI completely blew me away with its incredible traditional arrangements and its knack for unhampered thematic progression.
This leads me to acknowledge this soundtrack's best feature: I've yet to hear one soundtrack from a videogame or a movie that contains so many memorable themes. There are so many great melodies rolled into one neat little package that it makes it nearly impossible to pick out a favorite. There are a couple throwaway tracks, but who cares? There's so much great stuff here that the bad is completely overshadowed and ultimately overlooked. I will admit that this is much darker than its predecessors, but I believe that this is simply a direct turn into musical maturity. The previous FF scores may have been lighthearted, and therefore fun to listen to, but one can hardly make any argument that they were "matureE though I hold them dear to my heart as well. This particular score fits the game like a glove and enhances its emotional impact at least tenfold, yet it still contains a bit of that humorous Uematsu charm that we all know and love. And it is still lighthearted compared to FFVII that was to follow.
The basis for this soundtrack is generally carried by the Wagnerian technique of leitmotif, or character theme, which you may or may not know, was also the basis for John WilliamsEStar Wars scores. Though Wagner pioneered this technique, Nobuo, in my opinion, maximizes it to the fullest extent, surpassing Wagner entirely. There is a theme for every character and many of these receive a secondary arrangement such as "Coin SongEfor Edgar and Sabin and "Forever RachelEforLocke. Many of these character themes sound traditional, and then there are some that take other routes. "ShadowE for example, sounds as if it came straight out of an Ennio Morriconne spaghetti western soundtrack. While not easy to pick out a favorite, I can say what I don't like. I never cared for the Ghestal/Empire theme that is used in several militaristic tracks, and I've always found Strago's theme to be particularly annoying. Overall though, the character themes form a set of thoroughly entertaining and endearing melodies. More great tracks include the second overworld theme "Searching for Friends,Ewhich is similar to Terra's overworld theme but seems a bit more thoughtful and stirring. "Devil's LabEis certainly a fun listen, and "The Fierce BattleEsounds absolutely ferocious - I believe it to be the second best battle theme in the series right after "Dancing MadEon thesame CD!
One cannot write a review for FFVI OST without mentioning the immortal opera sequence. This also sounds as if Wagner inspired it, as it nearly matches his style. I've never been one to care for opera, but no one can deny that this is just incredible. Once the intro hits the forefront, you are immediately drawn in by its raw power, and the cinematic sequences that follow are just incredible. The best track in the opera sequence is probably the famous "Aria Di Mezzo CarattereEversion of CelesEtheme, which is one of the most praised tracks in FF history.
If you're looking for the perfect score, then you won't find it here because if it's perfection you're searching for, you're never going to be satisfied. There is no such thing as perfect! If I really have to demand it, then the one thing that irks me the most about the soundtrack actually has little to do with the composition itself, but rather the CD release. I just wish that the ending theme had been split into two tracks. It seems kind of ridiculous to stick all twenty-one minutes into one track when it contains two very separate compositions. Even so, I really shouldn't complain, considering I believe this to be the second greatest piece of music ever composed, just behind the "PrestoEmovement from Beethoven's ninth symphony. My personal favorite section is the *hugely* bombastic arrangement of Setzer's theme which kicks off as the end credits begin to roll. Combined with the ingenious "Dancing MadEthat comes just prior, I'd say the two conclusive tracks of Final Fantasy VImake for the most enthralling forty solid minutes of music *ever*, and I don't see how it's possible to not view it as such.
As a whole, this, my favorite game soundtrack, makes a timelessly inspiring listen, leaving its own niche in the souls of those who hear it. I recommend it wholeheartedly. Honestly, I don't know how anyone could think that any other game soundtrack out there today could top it. The future may hold a soundtrack that I like better, but until then, Final Fantasy VI Original Sound Version will be the game score by which I judge all others.
』 『Japanese pressing. 3 cd set. 61 tracks. Universal. 2004.』
『In the early 1600's, the Manchurians have assumed sovereignty and established the Ching Dynasty. A highly oppressive reign thus began. To fight against the brutality of the new government and save the innocent, seven unlikely heroes gathered together and became the Seven Swords. Each sword carries its own character: The Transience Sword, The Dragon Sword, The Heaven's Fall Sword, The Unlearn Sword, The Deity Sword, The Celestial Beam Sword, and The Star Chasers Sword.』
price：$4.99
Adv Films
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Phase 6 of "Final Fantasy", a nice collection of anime.) 『I had to purchase the next phase to keep my collection going. Artwork getting better.』
(Interesting beginning, get more interesting moving forward, disappointing ending) 『I have been a Final Fantasy fan since version 1 of the game came out for the NES. I played through all the other FF games and loved each and one of them. Just because they are amazing developing games, it does not mean that they would do well developing movies or anime.
I got the movies through Netflix so I can watch them with my kids when I get home from work and relax. In the beginning of the story, it gave some scenes of war and destruction. The startoff was slow and have some mysteries like who is the adult woman hanging around with the two kids and who is the man with tha ma gun that always seems to show up when they are in trouble. It is very interesting to see what kind of summon comes out of the ma gun on pretty much every single episode, but the summoning takes like 10 minutes. Most of the creatures seems to be from FF7.
As the series go on, it reveal more information about some of the main characters. Toward the end, the plot is revealed but yet the end is disappointing because the watchers are wondered "what happened". It is like going to a roller coaster ride where right toward the end, it just stop and everybody get off.
I originally got the first DVD from the Block Buster bargain bin, and that should have been a flag that this is not really that good. Watch it if you have time to kill, otherwise you might be better off watching other anime like Full Metal Alchemists, Kenshin, etc.
』
(The Final Fatasy Games Maybe Great Bud Sadly This Anime Isn't) 『I bought this set during the X-mas sale online and for $20 dollars I felt it was an o.k. price but after seeing the series through I feel I'm now going to sale this to a movie store. I know the series focused mostly on the two children trying to find their parents but I also thought there would either be some cameos from characters of the games are have some references to the game worlds, sadly there was neither and the animation while not horrible wasn't anything to be proud of either. The voice actors for the Japanese cast did do a great job for their character roles sadly the dubbed English voice cast while not the worst of the lot leave a lot to be desired. Also again with some anime you just don't really feel any empathy for most of these characters, if one was killed or hurt so what? The storyline itself isn't to bad and if you've never played the games and are looking for a unique anime here's a decent one, but if you have played the game and are looking for some kid of reference to the games or game characters you'll be sadly disappointed. So at the end is this series worth getting will that's up to the person themselves, if you're looking for a fantasy anime with magical battles this might pique your interest, but if you're a longtime Fina Fantasy gamer you most likely want to just pass this series over....』
(Found It) 『I had been looking for this disc every where. I couldn't find it on any of the more famous anime vendor websites, nor could I find it in any of my local anime stores. I can't believe that I was able to find this Disc on amazon.com. I happened upon it by chance while searching for other Final Fantasy products and now this will be the first place I look if I ever need a DVD.』
(Don't look for the Game Series in this series...) 『I understand what people have been saying about it not being what they expected. Expectations greatly influence how we perceive products to be. However, this series is incredible. Though it is sometimes cheesy, it manages to have just that right amount to make it wonderful. The music is great, and the characters hilarious. There is not much in common with the FF game series, but when you take this as a separate whole, it doesn't matter. This series is fun, entertaining, appropriate for all ages, and great, as long as you aren't expecting another "Advent Children" out of this.』 『Twelve-year-old twins Ai and Yu Hayakawa take a mysterious subway to Wonderland to look for their missing scientist-parents. Wonderland is a hostile place, ruled by the petulant Earl Tyrant and his assorted hench-creatures. Ai and Yu are attacked by monsters and saved first by Lisa, a practitioner of the "Kigen Arts," then repeatedly by the taciturn, gun-totting Kaze. The first episodes are cluttered with characters who appear briefly then vanish. Although Ai, Yu, and Lisa do a lot of traveling, the series doesn't really go anywhere: the filmmakers seem more interested in showcasing the elaborate CG effects at their disposal than in coherent storytelling. The effects are very flashy, but they never meld satisfactorily with the drawn animation. Based on the popular videogame franchise,Unlimitedborrows from Matsumoto'sGalaxy Expressand Miyazawa'sGalactic Railroad, but offers none of their mystery and magic. (Rated 12 and older: violence, tobacco use)--Charles Solomon』 『Studio: Adv Films Release Date: 10/28/2003 Run time: 100 minutes』
『Kakashi Hatake ( ,Hatake Kakashi?) is the leader of Team 7 and the sensei of Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura. Kishimoto had originally intended for Kakashi to be introduced earlier in the series than he actually was, and created him as an easygoing person that would be able to keep the members of Team 7 in check.[8] Kakashi treats his leadership position with a detached manner, and is consistently late to meetings as a result. In a gaiden on Kakashi's past, this is shown to be the result of an incident in which he witnessed the death of one of his teammates, Obito Uchiha, who gave Kakashi his Sharingan eye and imparted many of his habits, including his tardiness.[23] With Obito's Sharingan, Kakashi has amassed a reputation as a skilled and powerful ninja, earning the moniker "Copy Ninja Kakashi" ( ,Kop Ninja no Kakashi?).[24] Although he mentors all three members of Team 7 early in the series, he particularly concentrates on training Sasuke as the series continues, teaching him his Chidori technique; however, he is unable to prevent Sasuke from leaving the village to seek Orochimaru for greater power.』
『 Following on the heels of the best-selling first series, the characters of Final Fantasy VII have been made into highly articulated Play Arts Action Figures based on their original Playstation game likenesses! Relive the legendary conflicts of the band of heroes defending Gaia from Shinra and the forces of SOLDIER! Collect all four characters in VOLUME 2: 』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Cool Accessory for the Naruto fan) 『This scully/beanie was not flashy or too animated. It was ideal for my 10 year old nephew who loves Naruto, but dresses in basic neutral colors. Doesn't look cheap/cheesy either for a kid's beanie. He also mentioned it was pretty warm.』 『Anime beanie from the hit anime Naruto! This super cool beanie features Shuriken weapons One size fits most.』
『The Master Creatures figures are a brand new series of collectible PVC figures depicting the awesome gods and creatures encountered and summoned by the heroes in the many games of the Final Fantasy franchise. With the release of the amazing Final Fantasy VII: Advent Children film, and the recently announced Fall '06 release of the next installment in the game series, Final Fantasy XII, interest in the monsters of the FF world is higher than ever before! There are a larger 'Master' scale of the creatures, with most of the figures standing over 6' tall (and many with impressive wingspans). Each sculpture has astonishing detail and an exciting base, with many parts cast in translucent material.』
price：$16.95
Eden Studios
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Last call for Brains! Last call...) 『Lowder has done it again with this last book in his trio of Zombie anthologies. Beginning with The Book Of All Flesh, continuing with The Book Of More Flesh, and finally completing with this stellar collection, The Book Of Final Flesh. Many of the talented authors from the previous two collections are back, with more of their brilliant and inspired writings of the new age of zombies. No tired old tales here, each story is a fresh new look at the living dead, running the gamut from humor to terror with flavorful enthusiasm.
Scott Nicholson is back, with `You'll Never Walk Alone', a haunting tale of a child's loneliness in his sequestered life with his father, John Sullivan's `Relapse' brings medical wonder cures out for display, Sarah A. Hoyt's romantic `The Blonde' brings a touch of fantasy to the undead, Tim Waggoner's `Provider' takes Zombie family lifestyles to a new level, Andy Vetromile takes a couple of cold mobster hitmen and tasks them with walking corpses in `If A Job's Worth Doing', Ed Greenwood's `The Secret In The Cellar' is a stunningly bizarre medical thriller, Steve Melisi takes love where it shouldn't go in `Christine's World', Mike Cole combines zombies with fantastically strange creatures over an African plain in `Shouting Down The Moon', and Christine Morgan rises to mention once again with `Seven Brains, Ten Minutes', a tale of deception amongst the undead.
Other authors to be mentioned are Joe Murphy, Lee Thomas, Kealan Patrick Burke, Mark McLaughlin, Kristine Dikeman, Lucien Soulban, Roland J. Green, Joseph M. Nassise, Pete D. Manison, Scott Reilly, Barry Hollander, Paul E. Martens, Paul G. Tremblay, Jonathan Petersen, and Scott Edelman.
Twenty-four new tales of Zombies run amok, stalking our quiet streets and hunting our brains. From Earth to Space, from past to present, and on into the future of humanity, the Zombies shuffle through the pages of this lovely collection with deadly intent. If you are a Zombie lover, this is a must have addition to your collection. Enjoy! 』 『From the battle-torn skies over World War I France to the corridors of alien prisoner-of-war satellites, the opium dens of exotic Victorian Shanghai to the living rooms of suburban America, the zombies rise up. Some crave revenge. Others hunger for the brains of the living. All are driven by desires they can neither control nor understand...
Edited by James Lowder, The Book of Final Flesh presents more than twenty tales of the living dead, original works by such notable scribes of the weird and fantastic as: Sarah A Hoyt Roland Green Joseph Nassise Tim Waggoner Pete D. Manison Lucien Soulban and many more....
Editor James Lowder previously helmed the successful anthologies Realms of Valor and Realms of Infamy, and is known to readers for his own best-selling dark fantasy novels Knight of the Black Rose and Prince of Lies.』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Scraping along the slide's decline) 『You don't so much read a Gene Wolfe novel as unravel it and hope that you're putting the strands together in the right order, because he sure isn't giving you any help. Even if you're wrong (and quite possibly you are) when you come to the end of it feeling like your brain has been put through the wringer by a master and that whatever revelations you think you might have uncovered are just as valid as the ones that might actually exist, if they indeed do. The true nature of his novel might be that of a crystal rolling down a flight of stairs and past a crowd, so that every person seeing it go by will view a different sight in each moving facet and believe that memory to be real.
This novel comes at the end of the "Short Sun" trilogy and also comes at the end of a run that includes the groundbreaking "New Sun" and the simultaneously exhausting and exhilerating "Long Sun" series, so here we have both a finish and a culmination. I don't think I'm revealing anything by noting that nothing is ever concretely explained, that Wolfe suggests with shadows and negative space, that what isn't shown is just as vital as what we're witness to, the gaps between conversations, the difference between who you're talking to versus who you think you're talking to, the order in which events unfold, relentlessly linear and completely out of order.
In a way this is still Horn's story, he narrates parts of it and the focus is still nominally on his search for Patera Silk. But the view expands and the narrative constantly morphs and becomes more ornate, as Horn shifts to Blue and to the Whorl and even to long lost Urth, meeting old friends and new ones and becoming involved in events that seem to have nothing to do with his quest, until all the details pile up and everything interrelates. The pace of the book is steady, the prose cool and the narrative seemingly straightforward until you notice all the questions that aren't getting answered, or that the answers are coming just out of view, or out of reach. People are who they are and at the same time someone else. Horn is Horn, unless he's Silk or maybe one has replaced the other and we were just never informed. Everything is as solid as a dream, floating through environments at once bizarre and grounded.
All of this would seem very elusive and pretentious (and may seem that way to some . . . if you like your SF with spaceships and lacking subtext, this may not be your thing) if Wolfe didn't have such control over his story. Even when you don't have the slighest idea where a seeming digression is going or whether the latest revelation is simply a sleight of hand, you get the sense that Wolfe knows at all times what he's doing and that makes all the difference. You can read all three series back to back to back and come up with your own conclusions, and quite possibly read them again to find new wrinkles in what you suspected you knew. That's the gift and frustration of them. Wolfe shows you where to look, but the glass is tinted and perhaps bent, and what you see may not be what's actually there, it may have happened on the opposite periphery, while you were distracted. You care about Horn, even when you can't define his final shape. It's not for everyone, but SF, and literature in general, are better for it having existed in the first place.』
(A double-edged sword: rewards and frustrations of Wolfe's Sun series) 『I've finally finished reading the last of Wolfe's twelve Sun books. I've been waiting until I finished them all before writing a review, since they stand as one monumental, labyrinthine sf/fantasy epic adventure (although the New Sun books could be read by themselves). Here's what someone considering reading these books should know, in my view. The series is uniquely both rewarding and frustrating. The rewards come from Wolfe's unique genius at creating complex, mysterious narratives. The characters are well-realized, although it's hard to form strong emotional attachments to them, especially in the Short Sun trilogy, because of the disjointed narrative. This isn't to say, though, that I didn't feel for the main characters and was sad when it was over. For anyone who doubts that these books bear all sorts of interpretation, see the discussion forum at: www.urth.net/urth/ . There are many spoilers in those discussions, so don't visit that internet site unless you've read all the Sun books or are willing to read spoilers.
But the series is also frustrating--especially the Short Sun and Long Sun books, because of Wolfe's austere approach to telling the story. Instead of holding the reader's hand, Wolfe unfolds the plot in a perfectly concrete way, never breaking from the narrators' perspectives. Moreover, there's some Christian subtext to Wolfe's approach. I'm not talking about the Christian themes, but about Wolfe's penchant for immersing the reader in the details of drawn-out, relatively unimportant scenes, while passing over crucial revelations in the story very quickly, counting on the reader's alertness so that the reader doesn't entirely miss them. This style of writing sets up symbols of a kind of platonic dualism in the books. There's the material world which is a mere shadow of the spiritual, immaterial world. The concrete details in the story are like the shadows of the material world in which a person can get lost, while the important moments in the text are like glimmers of a hidden, spiritual world which only a willing, attentive person can perceive. The upshot is that there are pacing problems in some of the Sun books. The New Sun books have the least problems in this regard, and the most action.
But it's not necessarily a fault if the Sun books don't provide the cheap thrills of an average space opera. Fans of the far-future, dying-sun subgenre of sf/fantasy should certainly read the Sun series, but so should those who are intrigued by Wolfe's unique writing skills. Many weird things happen in the story, but they don't seem weird because of the lack of editorializing on Wolfe's part; I mean that the whole story is told from the narrators' perspective, and the narrators and the other characters don't often regard the events as weird, since the characters are part of these far-future, alien worlds, and Wolfe is a master of writing from his characters' perspectives. Again, this is a double-edged sword, since the reader has no author-given guideposts or formulaic structure as crutches. Instead, there's a wealth of details which hang together, making up an unbelievably complicated, intellectually dizzying set of adventures. 』
(True 21st Century Literature) 『It has taken me about 3 years to get through the books of the Long and Short Sun by Gene Wolfe. Just finished Return to the Whorl and was totally blown away. There are other reviewers here at Amazon, who have made convincingly cogent arguments in favor of this magnum opus of Mr. Wolfe's. Of which, I would equal to James Joyce's Ullyses or even Homer's Odyssey but on a much more cosmic and grander scale. The saga starts out with Patera Silk a priest, who serves the gods of mainframe. The question of who are the gods and the instrumentality that enables them ends with a wonderful character, Horn. The conclusion sadly ends in this final Volume of the Book of the Short Sun. The odyssey is complex yet coherent. The questions asked were many. The answers were clear and subtle at the same time. A wonderfully personal work that is well written and honest. The book bears repeated reading and will be a Classic for years to come. As one reviewer aptly put it. Good Fishing! Good Fishing! Good Fishing!!!』
(Challenging--but as brilliant as it gets) 『NOTE: This review is for all three books comprising The Book of the Short Sun
WHY YOU SHOULD READ THIS:
The Book of the Short Sun will be one of the finest reading experiences of your life... if you can get through the thing. The difficulty in extracting those rewards out of the text is considerable and not to be lightly discounted. Reading these books will require supreme effort. Willing readers will have to be intensely interested with how individuals relate to historical and semi-mythical figures, religion, and their own personality as influenced by these themes. These books are about as far as you can get from the popular concept of "space opera" and thrilling, "page-turning" fiction. An analogy to Moby Dick is probably very appropriate as that work due to the very slow pacing, the introspection, and the great literary symbols stomping through the setting reified and alive. Any scholar of literature should be deeply fascinated by these books.
WHY YOU SHOULD PASS:
There is no shame in not reading these books. They are terribly difficult and an exercise in stamina though we feel most people should at least try once. If you have attempted Shakespeare and been turned back because of the language; if you have attempted Moby Dick or novels by Henry James only to be turned away by the lack of progression in the plot; if you have attempted James Joyce's Ulysses but been baffled by the interior monologue, then Short Sun is probably going to daunt you as well. But we feel the rewards of this book are equal to those giants in literature. (...)』
(A powerful capstone) 『Every work of Gene Wolfe's that I read further increase my admiration of his writing. _The Book of the Short Sun_ (I feel the three volumes are best read as a single novel) is easily the most thought provoking piece of fiction I have read in years. RETURN does not explicitly answer many of the questions that have been raised throughout the trilogy, but the questions themselves are what is important. Even direct statements from Horn (the narrator) are often nothing more that guesses or even self deception. This book doesn't simply tell a story. What it does is provide half of a conversation. If there are answers, then they are for readers to determine for themselves. If this sounds needlessly philisophical, I can only say that I am still fresh from turning the last page of this extraordinary work and under it's spell. Within the next year or so I plan to set aside a large chunk of my free time to re-read all of the "Sun" books (The Book of the New Sun, The Urth of the New Sun, The Book of the Long Sun, and The Book of the Short Sun) to give myself the full impact of the entire sequence. Anyone who looks down on the genre of science fiction need look no further that the works of Gene Wolfe to have their preconceptions blown away.』 『Gene Wolfe'sReturn to the Whorlis the third volume, afterOn Blue's WatersandIn Green's Jungles, of his ambitious SF trilogy The Book of the Short Sun . . . It is again narrated by Horn, who has embarked on a quest in search of the heroic leader Patera Silk. Horn has traveled from his home on the planet Blue, reached the mysterious planet Green, and visited the great starship, the Whorl and even, somehow, the distant planet Urth. But Horn's identity has become ambiguous, a complex question embedded in the story, whose telling is itself complex, shifting from place to place, present to past. Perhaps Horn and Silk are now one being.Return to the Whorlbrings Wolfe's major new fiction, The Book of the Short Sun, to a strange and seductive climax. 』
price：$20.99
Orb Books
Usually ships in 24 hours Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (A challenging, but worthwhile read) 『First, a word of warning. The paperback version of this book is in VERY small print. As I understand from an interview I heard with the author, this had something to do with shrinking down the hard cover version. It's going to be very challenging for those who require decent sized print.
That aside, I have long considered The Final Encyclopedia the pinnacle book of Dickson's Dorsai collection. It isn't an easy, quick read, though.
The earlier books were much less intellectually challenging than this one. They tend to be more about the external action, while this one has a strong internal focus. If you are a fan of the military elements of books like The Tactics of Mistake, then Encyclopedia might not be your cup of tea. If, however, you are interested in the sociological developments and evolution Dickson has developed over the previous Dorsia stories (chronologically starting with Necromancer), and enjoy books that make you think, then you'll probably enjoy Encyclopedia a great deal. To my mind, it is comparable to Frank Herbert's Dune series.』
(A very good read for those that like sci.fi rather than pure fantasy) 『I first read Dickson's work, Dorsai !, in 1977 and the periodically picked up the Childe Cycle books which is the series that essentially culminates in "The Final Encyclopedia". Specifically :
The Genetic General (1960) Necromancer (1962 Warrior (1965) Soldier, Ask Not (1967) Tactics of Mistake (1971) The Spirit of Dorsai (1979) Lost Dorsai (1980) The Final Encyclopedia (1984)
I prefer these older sci.fi. books to the current crop of fantasy works that ever Dickson indulged in during his later years (Dragon Knight Series). I suppose there's precious little difference between dragons and spaceships however I haven't read any factual accounts of anyone riding a dragon in the 20th or 21st centuries. Note that these books aren't particularly deep and make for a good restful read when you have the time.』
(A worthy conclusion to the Childe Cycle) 『Gordon Dickson's The Final Encyclopedia is a fitting conclusion to a top-notch science fiction series. It tells the story of Hal Mayne, who as an infant was found deserted in a spaceship among the stars. He was raised by tutors representing the three cultural"splinters"from Dickson's future world - the military Dorsai, the fanatically religious Friendlies and the mystic Exotics. In a superficial sense, Mayne draws upon his experience with all three groups to battle an opposing group (the Others) for mankind's future. That being said... The book is much deeper on many levels. In it, Dickson pays tribute to each of mankind's splinters and demonstrates the worthiness of each group. The Dorsai, of course, are lionized as honorable and unbeatable warriors. The Friendlies are praised for their stalwart and unshakeable faith and their willingness to endure any ordeal without flinching in service of that faith. The Exotics are valued for seeking mankind's continued development in intellectual and paranormal areas. In Dickson's world, Mayne journeys to each of the splinter cultures and begins to realize his purpose is to ensure mankind's continued development as a culture. Opposing him are the Others, another group of humans whose heritage is drawn from a combination of the splinter cultures. The others are led by Bleys Ahrens, who sees a future in which the Others serve as a ruling class to the lesser members of mankind. During his journeys, Mayne runs into members of each splinter culture who represent the best of that culture. For the Dorsai, it's Amanda Morgan; for the Friendlies, it's Rukh Tamani, the charismatic freedom fighter; and for the Exotics, it's Amid. Thanks to his unique upbringing by members of each group, Mayne is accepted by each group and comes to realize mankind must bring its splintered self back together if it is to develop and survive. People who read this book expecting a strictly military sci-fi work will be disappointed. Yes, there is action in the story...no, it's not another"Dorsai"or"Tactics of Mistake."It's the conclusion Dickson's series pointed to since its inception - where are these pivotal historic soldiers taking us? In The Final Encyclopedia, mankind has reached the point where it can bring its splintered self back together and consciously guide its own development or it can fall into stagnation and slowly die. While it's a stand-alone book, I recommend readers first turn the pages of the rest of the Childe Cycle books before taking on The (685 page) Final Encyclopedia.』
(Most satisifying book in the series yet) 『I do have to say that there's really no reason for this novel to be split into two somewhat pricy volumes . . . the original paperback was published in one large volume so it's not like it's impossible. But whatever. This is by far the largest volume in the Childe Cycle, for good reason, because it seems that mostly everything in the series has been leading up to this volume. When last we left Donal Graeham had basically sorted out all the Cultures and brought some semblance to peace. Now the story takes place quite a while later and things are rapidly falling apart. Another quasi-Culture called the Others, led by Bleys Ahern, are taking over everything and threatening to thrust the entire human race into a period of stagnation from which it will never recover. For some reason Bleys and company are searching for a young man named Hal Mayne, who was raised on Old Earth by people from all three major cultures. When he finds he has to leave Earth suddenly, things start to get interesting. Dickson really takes the time to stretch things out to epic length here and this is probably the most in depth look at the working of his little future history that we have seen yet. By giving the series its first major challenge (and indeed it's a point he's been trying to make throughout the other books, just now he's putting a physical sense to it) he adds a sense of drama and reality to it. All his skills here are at their peak . . . his characterizations are excellent (men and women, for once the latter are better than ciphers), his descriptions of the worlds are detailed and focused, his discussion of philosophy is more or less interesting and the story moves along quickly enough. Some of his most evocative scenes are in here, especially when it echoes earlier scenes, such as the extended sequence when Hal visits the old Graeham house and sees the graves of all the old characters (Donal, Kensie, Ian, etc), all of which have died years and years before the book even started. It really gives the reader a sense of the scope of the series. Finally, the Final Encyclopedia, a minor thread that has been threatening to become a major part of the saga, takes center stage. The book is probably longer than it needs to be, although as I mentioned Dickson does keep things moving and since it follows Hal throughout the plot probably isn't as complex as it could be. Also the ending is a bit on the anti-climatic side, especially when you realize you've read over seven hundred pages to get to this point. But this is a crucial part of the Cycle and makes me curious as to what will happen next. The other books, hit or miss that they were, really were only prelude to this volume and it's nice to see Dickson's writing explode in what we see here, juggling all the characters and places and themes with the ease of a master. Based on what I've read so far I'd place it above Heinlein's Future Histories but it's not as gripping as Asimov's Foundation, which was brilliant and effortless. But this is pretty good too and SF fans should get acquainted with this near classic, which isn't spoken about as much as those other histories. But it ranks up there, easily.』
(For 700 pages it worth the read!!) 『First I would like to say my deepest respects to the late Gordon R Dickson who passed away in 2001. He was a great author who created the whole splinter cultures of the spectaular universe that he had created. After reading Young Bleys, I had to know who this Hal Mayne was. To my surprise I see why Hal Mayne was a vital piece to the whole Dorsai, Exoctic and Friendly universe. His nemesis Bleys was a powerful (Other) individual and Hal Mayne was his equal. I think others may feel that read this book may be slow and detailed on some parts that could of been omitted but I feel alot of detailed aspects of Hal Mayne, I think, were interesting and crucial if you wanted to understand his character. The story starts out with Hal Mayne witnessing the deaths of his mentors and running away from the killers. While reading you'll see him growing from a boy to a man that he was destined to be. Gordon R Dickson is a great story teller with great ideas. I feel alot authors out there have great ideas but doesn't know how to tell a story or know how to tell a story but doesn't have great ideas. Sadly Gordon R dickson will be missed in my eyes. This book will always be a treasure to me!』 『The Childe Cycle, also known as the Dorsai series, is Gordon R. Dickson's future history of humankind and its ultimate destiny. Now one of its central novels return to print in a two-volume corrected edition.
InThe Final Encyclopediathe human race is split into three Splinter cultures: the Friendlies, fanatic in their faith; the truth-seeking Exotics; and the warrior Dorsai. But now humanity is threatened by the power-hungry Others, whose triumph would end all human progress.
Hal Mayne is an orphan who was raised by three tutors: an Exotic, a Friendly, and a Dorsai. He is the only human capable of uniting humanity against the Others. But only if he is willing to accept his terrifying destiny...as savior of mankind.
A towering landmark of future history,The Final Encyclopediais a novel every SF fan needs to own. 』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (FF-XI the best videogame online) 『I'm playing FFs for years and this version is 1 of the most popular that I played in my life, all you need to start it is a lot of patience to get Lv 75 then all the jobs will be easy for you』
(Addictive) 『A must-have expansion pack if you want to keep playing FFXI. All the cool kids are hanging out in the new areas. And there's a LOT of content in the new areas.
But do you really want to spend so many hours of your life making a fake avatar more powerful when you could be improving you real world self instead?』
(Final Fantasy XI expansion Treasures of Aht Urgan) 『The best thing about this expansion pack are the 3 new job classes which bring back the game. The second best are the new areas that give way better experience points then before. It's a great expansion pack if you are into playing XI.』
(Final Fantasy XI Upgrade) 『Final Fantasy is one of the best online games available at the moment and my family spend many hours fighting and making friends all over the world.』
(Outstanding Game) 『I have played all the games in the Final Fantasy series and this is, by far, the greatest of them all. The online community of players assist you while you pursue your characters growth and success. Good story line and outstanding graphics.
Fair warning: It can take over your life if you are not careful.』 『Expansion Pack; Requires Final Fantasy XI
Final Fantasy XI: Treasures of Aht Urhgan is a massively multiplayer online role-playing game. Enjoy a new world to explore as you tour the world of Vana'Diel. New jobs, new monsters, new realms and even new magic are all waiting for you! All-new system enhancements enrich gameplay in a variety of ways』
Core2Duoノートレビュー 's review (Simply addicting) 『Great game if you don't want to deal with all the stupid little kids shouting all day, getting your body camped for 3 hours straight and finding out that you wasted 800 hours getting all the epic gears only to find out that they're worthless now that the newest expansion just came out.
Even greater version to come out as FFIX (FF 14)』
(Worth The $13/Month!!!) 『Okay i was reading lots of review of this game and heard alot of false comments and statements that i want to clear up! Ive been playing Final Fantasy XI for about 9 months now, so I may know a lot more then people that play it for 2 months and give up, and write a crapy review about the game. Im in love with this game and its highly addicted, i all ways look forward to coming home to play FFXI. So here it goes.
First of... ~This game does take alot of commitment to play, i usually devote about 2 to 8 hours into the game. If i have 30 minutes to 1 hour to spare i wont even bothering getting on because i wont get anything done, unless im just getting on to screw around like PvP or Farm, but leveling up wise, you have to devote lots of time, this is the ONLY down side of the game.
Second... ~There is LOTS of Mob Grinding and fighting with parties between Lvls 10 to 60ish, but this greatly depends on you job class. Getting to lvl 10 is the worst, very boring and takes me about 3 days of about 3 hours a day, so thats about 10 hours. but its worth it becuase then you get to start fighting in parties! Partying is lots of fun and there is many Do'ss and Dont's, again depending on your job class. It does take a while to form a party, and this also depends on your job class and the time of day. Partying involves lots of strategy and if one person does something wrong, it could cost everyone. Partying is one of my favortie parts of the game, but can get a little boring after a while.
Next... ~You usually dont start doing quests until level 30 unless your 20 getting your chocobo, which does not take 5 to 6 hours!!! It takes an easy 4 hours but all you have to do is feed the chocobo one grass, turn off the game and wait an hour, turn it back on and feed another grass until you do four of them, so its not that bad. And this is the ONLY quest that is a pain, that i have done soo far.
Last ~Now this game isnt for everyone, like i said you must devote a lot of time into the game, but if you can do that, you will be hooked! If you have played runescape(i did for about 2 years until the gay updates recently, then i switched to this game) but it taks millions of exp to get a skill to lvl 99, but in Final Fantasy it is pretty consistent, it takes you exactly 837550 exp to get to lvl 75 from lvl 1, but you also need a sub job to lvl 37 which is about 150,00 exp, so all together is about 990,000 exp, just about 1 million, not that bad compared to a couple million on runescape, so getting to lvl 75 with a sub of 37 is obtainable by the average human being with a life, just may take a little bit, but usually it takes anywhere from 6 months to 12 months to reach that, this greatly depends on the time you play, your job, and a little bit of luck(to get into good parties)
So thats my review from a some what expierenced player, if anything on here is not true, please let me know.
~Nick』
(its final fantasy) 『well, what else can i say, it's final fantasy xi, it is challenging. I like it, what else can i say?』
(OK but not that great) 『One of my friends started playing this and I thought I would give it a try. This isn't a bad game, there are just some things that were really frustrating about it. I played it for about a month and cancelled it before I was billed the first time because I didn't think I would be playing it much.
I like FF but I haven't played it for a while and am not a really big fan, so if you are a big FF you might like it more than I did.
First of all, this game has a steep learning curve. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, but you aren't going to jump in and be an expert after a couple days. It doesn't help that the manual is in a pdf file rather than an actual book you can look at while you play. Maybe I missed it but things such as fame really isn't explained that well if at all. I liked it myself in that it was challeneging, but my friend didn't.
The interface is in my opinion made more for a console controller than a computer. That being said, even using a controller the interface is in my opinion pretty hamfisted. I played a warrior and if I wanted to taunt I had to go through 3 menus, and then taunt the npc. You can create a macro to do this for you, but in my opinion you shouldn't have to write macros to do things like that.
I don't like the application you need to go through to get into the game. It is where you register the game and expansions (along with other games made by the publisher), and you can add friends, send messages and stuff like that. If I click on the FFXI icon I wish it would just take me to the login screen instead of having to go through all that every time I want to play. This is kind of nitpicky I guess, but it just got old after a while.
You also need to download addons to do things that should be included in the game. You need to manually sort your loot items all the time because it doesn't autostack, and looting in general is another menu intensive process. You also can't alt-tab out of the game to look stuff up on the net, it will kick you out of the game and give you an error if you try it. Like I said these issues are made better through addons, but I don't think you should have to install addons for essential things like these. I really wish the would rehaul the interface, it looks like it hasn't been touched since the game came out.
OK, those were all the bad things. The things I liked about it was that it is a lot different than the newer MMORPGs out there, which I think it a good thing. It was really fun to be in a group, and most of them turned out to work good together. Ultimately when my friend stopped playing there just wasn't enough there to keep me.』
(Interested.) 『I had saw some friends of mine playing this one night and got real interested. So I bought my own copy of the set, and got it installed. I've enjoyed this game quite a bit-- I'm used to the play style of World of Warcraft so this was a nice change-- even though it's very different than WoW is, it has its own nice quirks about it. I gave it 4 out of 5 only because some of the game play was a little redundant.』 『FF XI: The Vana'diel Collect』
The scallop of large satisfactory ! northern countries and - [ of how much ] botan shrimp are ! tightly.
getting to know the technique of motorbike expensive sale -- Ta -- if -- -
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