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Piers Anthony
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Clifford A. Pickover
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Spider Legs Kindle Edition

by Piers Anthony (Author), Clifford A. Pickover (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 26 ratings
An ecological disaster spawns an eight-legged sea monster in this collaboration between the science fiction author and acclaimed nonfiction writer.

Millions of readers have enjoyed the books of Piers Anthony, including (but certainly not limited to) his undeniably popular Xanth and Blue Adept series. Now, in collaboration with celebrated nonfiction author Clifford A. Pickover, he brings us a disturbing tale of our own world, and the strange creatures with whom we share it. 
 
It is said, and truly, that there are more things under heaven and earth than there are almost anywhere else; true as well that many of them lurk, unsuspected, far below the surface of the planet’s ocean. For thousands of years, mankind has simultaneously trusted in the sea’s proverbial generosity and used it as a dumping ground, trusting that in its vastness his garbage will be swallowed up and forgotten. But that was never really true. And now, in an age when the overcrowded Earth swarms with hungry inhabitants whose waste chokes even the sea, whose greedy demands overtax its seemingly endless bounty, strange things are born in the ocean’s deeps—strange things that the ocean throws back upon the land. 
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  1. Print length
    331 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy
  4. Publication date
    July 1, 2014
  5. File size
    4.0 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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Editorial Reviews

From Kirkus Reviews

Man-made monster yarn written by nonfiction author Pickover and rewritten by Anthony (Faun and Games, p. 1167, etc.) into a school-of-absurdism ecological rant. In the waters off Newfoundland--an island where, according to the authors at least, all four seasons occur simultaneously, and drunken Dutch dwarfs are a notable feature of the population--a sea spider the size of an elephant attacks a boat, ripping a woman to shreds and driving her husband insane. Visiting St. John's, luckily, is Harvard invertebrate-expert Nathan Smallwood, who'll team up with some of the locals--cop Natalie Sheppard, fisheries officer Elmo Samuels-- to investigate. Also on the scene is Elmo's irascible sister Martha, proprietor of a tropical fish store, karate black belt, biology whiz, and secret hater of humanity. Martha and Elmo look scary, having inherited their father's abnormally long teeth and fingers. Anyway, Martha has genetically engineered the giant sea spider as a predator to reduce the human population. Nathan and Natalie take a ferry trip to try to capture the creature, with mayhem the predictable outcome. Meanwhile, cross-country skiers set off despite the absence of snow; more ludicrously still, Elmo (father's name Elmo) was born in Milan, while Martha (Jewish father Ismar) hails from Silesia; other inconsistencies abound. Some promising characters blundering around in a madhouse: a showcase of what goes wrong when writers, editors, and publishers sleepwalk through production. -- Copyright ©1997, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.

From the Publisher

"Quite a change of pace for Anthony.... The characters are sketched in skillfully, but from the outset we know this is going to be mainly about suspense." --Science Fiction Chronicle

"Bucky fuller thought big, Arthur C. Clarke thinks big, but Cliff Pickover outdoes them both." --Wired

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00KLOY1RI
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Open Road Media Sci-Fi & Fantasy; 1st edition (July 1, 2014)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 1, 2014
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4.0 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 331 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.0 4.0 out of 5 stars 26 ratings

About the authors

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  1. Piers Anthony

    Piers Anthony

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    Piers Anthony is one of the world's most popular fantasy authors, and a New York Times bestseller twenty-one times over. His Xanth novels have been read and loved by millions of readers around the world, and he daily receives hundreds of letters from his devoted fans.In addition to the Xanth series, Anthony is the author of many other best-selling works. Piers Anthony lives in Inverness, Florida.

    See more on the author's page
  2. Clifford A. Pickover

    Clifford A. Pickover

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    From my publisher:

    Clifford A. Pickover received his Ph.D. from Yale University and is the author of over 30 books on such topics as computers and creativity, art, mathematics, black holes, religion, human behavior and intelligence, time travel, alien life, and science fiction.

    Pickover is a prolific inventor with dozens of patents, is the associate editor for several journals, the author of colorful puzzle calendars, and puzzle contributor to magazines geared to children and adults.

    WIRED magazine writes, "Bucky Fuller thought big, Arthur C. Clarke thinks big, but Cliff Pickover outdoes them both." According to The Los Angeles Times, "Pickover has published nearly a book a year in which he stretches the limits of computers, art and thought."

    The Christian Science Monitor writes, "Pickover inspires a new generation of da Vincis to build unknown flying machines and create new Mona Lisas." Pickover's computer graphics have been featured on the cover of many popular magazines and on TV shows.

    His web site, Pickover.Com, has received millions of visits. His Blog RealityCarnival.Com is one of his most popular sites.

    See more on the author's page
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Customer reviews

4 out of 5 stars
26 global ratings

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Top reviews from the United States

  • Steve
    5.0 out of 5 stars Starts of great and only gets better!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    As a biology graduate student studying sea spiders (or pycnogonids), I am a huge fan of science fiction and monster movies, but this was the first science fiction novel I have ever finished. The science and compelling story line really had me hooked from the first description of the sea spider and its emotions. The suspense and entertainment this book provides makes it an excellent choice for anyone interested in the genre. There truly are not enough books based on weird and obscure sea creatures.
    6 people found this helpful
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  • Ellen Kozisek
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good Book!
    Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 1998
    An Excellent, enjoyable book. While I thought the environmentalism message was a little over the top, it didn't stop me from enjoying the book. Not only is there plenty of action, but some interesting interpersonal interaction between the characters as well. I enjoyed the love story between Nathan and Natalie, and appreciated the lack of graphic details in the love scene.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • HappyKat
    5.0 out of 5 stars Gets off to a good start early on
    Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    After a little "story line setup" it gets right into the horror of the creature. I haven't finished the book yet but I am sure I will enjoy the rest of it as much as I have enjoyed what I have already read.
    One person found this helpful
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  • cjilly
    3.0 out of 5 stars ok but not the best
    Reviewed in the United States on January 11, 2000
    This book is ok if you like to read because it is very dull for the first 100 pages. It was boring in the beginning because the author just talked about every little detail, most were not important.The beginning and end were very interesting because it involves many battles with the enemy. This book is about a woman who loves fish, she hates humans though because they are destroying the earth. Her name is Martha. She conducts experiments to make a large sea spider known as a psychonid. The spider was supposed to be the first of many of its kind to keep humans away from the coasts by killing them. A group of humans try to stop the giant spider from killing. Since this book contains so much detail you will feel very accustomed to the characters. As they battle with the monster. At times it was difficult to read so I recommend it to ages 15+.
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  • Amazon Customer
    1.0 out of 5 stars One Star
    Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2016
    Verified Purchase
    :(
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  • Zippy bomb
    5.0 out of 5 stars Must rad
    Reviewed in the United States on February 12, 2011
    The best monster book I have ever read. Very graphic, do not read if you have a weak stomach. An amazing story with complex characters making it hard to put down the book. The fact that this could actually be possible makes it even scarier. If you are into monster books you MUST buy this.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Emily Rosen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Strange, Absurd, Excellent
    Reviewed in the United States on April 6, 2002
    I read Spider Legs on the recommendation of a friend. I enjoyed it quite a bit. It seems to me that some of the other reviewers did not resonate with the quirky characters and strange situations as much as I did. The visual aspect of the book was compelling -- the setting, the monstrous spider, and so forth. If you like scary tales, sea tales, plots with some absurdity, genetic engineering, marine biology, a little romance, Benchley tales, and a host of unusual characters -- then this book is for you. But you have to keep an open mind to the oddness of the whole story.
    The plot revolves around sea spiders (pycnogonids) that are terrorizing a community in New Foundland, Canada. One of the lead characters is Martha, who has various genetic defects and is also a martial arts expert. The descriptions of the creature are unbeatable. Just keep an open mind and move with it. Enjoy the zany parts and the scary parts, and open your mind to absurdity -- and don't try to overanalyze the composite structure. Do this, and you'll love this book. It is definitely worth reading.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Prime Customer
    1.0 out of 5 stars The truth about this book
    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2008
    It is very rare that I read a book and think to myself, "I could write something better than this." Spider's Legs may be the exception. I made the mistake of picking up this book because I was duped into thinking that Piers Anthony wrote it because he is listed as an author. Piers Anthony (who is an excellent writer) had the poor judgement to put his name on this monstrosity. I'm not sure what possessed him to do this beyond perhaps a feeling of pity for the actual author Clifford Pickover, but he did himself a great disservice in associating his name to this 'book'.

    For those of you who refer to this book as 'quirky' or 'different' etc. I think even this is potentially giving Spider's Legs praise that it doesn't deserve. The plot contradicts itself regularly, as if someone wrote it once, without ever checking to see if it made sense. The characters have absolutely no depth, and the 'decisions' each character makes in the book make no sense at all.

    I'm not one who makes a point of writing book reviews, but in this case I had to make an exception in the hopes that it would warn others away from this tragic attempt at fiction.

    Piers Anthony shame on you for putting your good name towards such an incredibly poor book, I hope the royalties were worth it.

    This is without question the worst book I have ever had the misfortune to read.
    One person found this helpful
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