Grasping for the Wind

Book Review: Phytosphere by Scott Mackay

* Genre: Science Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction
* ISBN: 0451461584
* ISBN-13: 9780451461582
* Format: Mass Market Paperback, 376pp
* Publisher: Penguin Group (ROC)
* Pub. Date: June 2007

Scott Mackay likes to write about the intersection of different cultures, about the way that when two alien ways of thinking meet, good can happen, but more often one or another culture is warped from its comfortable position. In the first novel of his I read, Tides, two species of intelligent beings encountered one another on an alien world. In Phytosphere, Mackay continues to write about the intersections of cultures, but this time much closer to home.

Mankind has made it to the inner planets. Mercury, Mars and the Moon have all been settled and, if not tamed, at least pose little threat anymore. But then an interstellar alien race arrives seeking to immigrate to the fair planet all humans originate from, Earth. When it is found that humanity and their alien visitors cannot reach an accord that would allow the Tarsalans to emigrate, they respond by placing a shroud – the phytosphere - over the earth. Doing so causes the planet to cool and plants to die. The fate of earth rests in the hands of two scientist brothers. One, an acknowledged genius and political animal is trapped on earth, but has all the resources of humanity at his command. The other, a former alcoholic trapped on the moon with scant resources and separated from his family. Each brother works to end the plight of the phytosphere and in so doing learns a lot about the value of success, family, and honor.

Mackay continues to astound in his writing. What seems like a simple (even simplistic) plot at the outset turns into something much greater. Phytosphere is a look at the human condition, particularly our ability to choose right and wrong. Mackay’s writing is meticulous, never wasting words and always keeping the action and introspection at the right levels. Phytosphere is an action-adventure story, but it also asks provocative questions about the human psyche and interpersonal relationships.

Phytosphere is almost two books in one. The first, which follows events on earth, is a doomsday scenario reminiscent of Pat Frank’s Alas Babylon that evokes the emptiness and loneliness of Richard Matheson’s I am Legend. The second book is a near space exploration novel something much like John Varley or Ben Bova might write. Mackay then weaves these two together to create a story that causes the reader to get wrapped up in the story.

And the science of his story is quite interesting. Mackay again uses oceanography, as in Tides but in this case, he makes a connection between astronomy, physics, and oceanography, that results in a final solution that is plausible while still full of adventure.

Neil and Gerry Thorndike are flawed men, capable of great things. One suffers from a physiological problem, resulting in an inability to trust himself. The other, an inordinate pride in himself that is soon broken by the events surrounding him. And Glenda, Gerry’s wife becomes the true heroine of the hour, as she alone and without her husband, manages to save his family from the banditry and lawlessness brought on by eternal night under the phytosphere.

This novel was not as enjoyable as Tides. In part, that is due to the recent glut in science fiction movies and books of apocalyptic fiction either new or revived. Scott Mackay’s novel, for all that it is a good one, is likely to be lost in the shuffle. It is also in part due to the fact that the novel does seem to be two separate novels. Yes, they are interwoven expertly, but even though we identify with Glenda and Gerry as people, I think Phytosphere fails to makes us care for them as a couple. The same for Neil and Gerry. Although individually their stories are poignant and powerful, the brotherly connection is only partly illuminated, making the final few scenes resonate with less power. They are still gut wrenching and will keep your eyes peering at the pages to be sure; they just don’t have quite the emotional punch they could have.

But that is simply this reviewers reaction, if I had said nothing, it probably would have passed unnoticed by you the reader. If you like reading stories of humanity’s triumph over doomsday scenarios but that do it with a personal touch, so that we get wrapped up in the survival of the characters just as much as the survival of the species, than Phytosphere is a novel you will enjoy very much.

If you have not yet read any Scott Mackay, I suggest you do so as fast as you can. His stories are superb. The only other 21st century science fiction writer I have enjoyed reading this much is Orson Scott Card, and while comparing Mackay’s novels to his would be unfair and a bit of a false comparison, I can say with certainty that in his own way Mackay’s novels are as much about the human condition as Card’s. You absolutely must read Scott Mackay’s science fiction novels.

Book Review: Iron Man - Beneath the Armor by Andy Mangels

* Genre: Nonfiction, Media Tie-In, Graphic Novels
* ISBN: 0345506154
* ISBN-13: 9780345506153
* Format: Paperback, 224pp
* Publisher: Del Rey
* Pub. Date: April 2008

Sometimes reading about fictional characters can be almost as fun as reading the stories themselves. If this were not the case, there would be no controversy of the Harry Potter encyclopedia that J. K. Rowling hates so much. There would be no need to have a Star Trek or Star Wars encyclopedia (both of which I read cover to cover in high school, thrice). Such nonfiction works add to the experience of a book or series we enjoyed immensely - be on the look out for a biography of Robert Jordan in the coming years, mark my words – and nothing jump starts this phenomenon better than the movie industry.

So with the immensely successful release of the Iron Man movie a couple of weeks ago, you are certain to be able to walk into your local bookstore and find several re-printings and new volumes on this rather iconic character. Publisher Del Rey and Author Andy Mangels’ contribution is Iron Man: Beneath the Armor a retrospective look at the comic book hero from his inception up to the recent release of his first live action film, starring Robert Downey Jr.

Thoroughly researched, Mangels’ book takes us all the way back to Iron Man’s first appearance in Tales of Suspense, and looks at creator Stan Lee’s influences. From there the reader progresses through the birth of Iron Man’s own comic, the constantly shifting roles that Tony Stark/Iron Man play in the Marvel Universe. Much of this story is told from interviews that the artists and writers had given over the years, and Iron Man’s story comes to light through the eyes of his creators. Mangels then brings all of these interviews together to show the recurring theme of the Iron Man character, the concept of an ordinary man doing ordinary things. Page after page this comes through, and yet all the while we learn the strange and convoluted history of Iron Man.

Anyone familiar with the comic book hero will know that his story is one of the most complex in the Marvel universe. His comic book was killed and brought back numerous times, had occasions where only four books were produced in a year, and even grew from a more kid-friendly character to an angst and guilt ridden adult one. Mangels skillfully shows all the various incarnations of Iron Man and deftly explains the whys and wherefores of the various directions the Iron Man comic has taken.

I had always wondered why comic book characters would appear in other comics, or would have side stories unrelated to the original. Ever wonder why the TV character you loved to watch as a kid bares only superficial resemblance to the character of today? Or why Iron Man’s back story changed so many times? This all is explained in Iron Man: Beneath the Armor in an engaging manner. Even those readers unfamiliar with the comic will learn about how the comic book industry works in this work. But Mangels doesn’t bog the reader down in excessive facts.

This glossy, full color book does have some difficulties. Some of the quotes that Mangels’ chooses to help us understand the character of Tony Stark/Iron Man can tend to keep ringing the same bell, even when coming from different people. This can feel repetitious. The watermarking that the book uses can also be distracting. Some of the text is overlaid on top of a picture or design, but the designs were not made subtle enough, resulting in some of the words fading into the background. This causes the reader to have to peer closely at the words, causing an uncomfortable squint, which hurts after a while.

Iron Man: Beneath the Armor also has extensive character profiles (almost a full quarter of the book) which are very helpful, especially in understanding the evolutions of the characters. Anyone researching the characters will find these useful. They are also just fun to read, much like when we read a biography of a famous celebrity. We feel closer to the character and that much more connected to their story.

As a supplement to the movie, Iron Man: Beneath the Armor is superb. As a work in its own right, it is extremely helpful in understanding the comic book industry by examining the permutations of the character of Iron Man. All Iron Man fans need to add it to their library, collectors should use it as a resource for identifying missing issues, artists will learn about the re-envisioning common to comic books, and writers will learn about how even the most established character can be taken in new directions. I highly recommend Iron Man: Beneath the Armor by Andy Mangels as a visual and intellectual feast.

Book Review: Breach the Hull by Mike McPhail

* Genre: Military Science Fiction. Short Stories
* ISBN: 1892669439
* ISBN-13: 9781892669438
* Format: Paperback, 232pp
* Publisher: Marietta Publishing
* Pub. Date: November 2007

Since the publication of Robert Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, stories about the soldiers who fight the wars in space have had an enduring popularity among science fiction fans. Of late, though, its popularity has waned with the rise of fantasy, steampunk, and urban fantasy novels. Editor Mike McPhail has attempted to revive this sub-genre with the publication of his collection entitled Breach the Hull. Collecting 16 tales of military SF, Breach the Hull does a good job of covering the spectrum of military style SF, while only including three previously published tales.

There are two stories by veteran writer Jack McDevitt, “Cryptic” and “Black to Move”. “Cryptic” tells a modern story of the SETI project and the need to question just what we might encounter out there if we are not careful. Continuing in that vein, “Black to Move” mixes chess and war, and left a cold feeling in my heart with its chilling ending. Both stories are very well-written and their inclusion makes this anthology extremely strong. Even though both have been previously published, they are hard to find, and are an excellent introduction to an SF writer everyone should read.

John C. Wright, another excellent SF author has two stories in this anthology. The first, “Peter Power Armor” is a new story for this anthology. “Peter Power Armor” is about a child’s toy in a man’s war, and the salvation it can bring. This story was heartwrenching. “Forgotten Causes” is a story about a weapon and a man, but a planet destroying weapon of an unusual nature. I would vey much like to read more stories of Marshall Lamech. Wright’s stories had well integrated themes of heroism and revenge and would make anyone want to find more stories by Wright.

Mike McPhail’s own contribution to the anthology, “Wayward Child”, is actually the one least liked. It was disconnected and vague. It tried to tell the story of a soldier on the ground, and the sacrifice one makes for a comrade. McPhail’s protagonist simply did not generate empathy, and the final conclusion of “change” was too vague to be of use in defining the character’s future.

“Not One Word” by James Daniel Ross is a spy story. The protagonist is on the run with some sensitive information, and the reader will experience the thrill of the chase as he runs from his pursuers. Ross’s story brings the thrill of excitement by telling an action packed tale. It is actually part of lager world he has developed, so you I recommend you visit his website to learn more.

“In the Dying Light” by Danielle Ackley-McPhail was one of my favorite stories of Breach the Hull. An Alien style horror tale, it is about the dangers of the strange uncharted regions of space. Ackley-McPhail builds tension well, and by the end you may find yourself gripped in the cold sweats of fear.

James Chambers' “Killer Eye” explores the reasons that some go to war. For his protagonist, it is revenge for a family killed. Bringing to mind the close confines of spaceships and the sometimes lonely life on would expect in such situations, Chambers' story find enemies both within and without in a wartime situation. Well-conceived, “Killer Eye” shows why and us-versus-them mentality can bring about solidarity.

“Compartment Alpha”, by Jeffrey Lyman, is an epic space battle. Each ship fires on another, and eventually one is destroyed, but the true heroes never stop fighting. Lyman brings the bravery of soldiers to the forefront, and envisions what happens to the survivors of those huge spaceships after they go silent.

John Hemry’s “Dead End” looks at the diplomatic side of military SF. Sometimes our understanding of the enemy is too clouded by our own perceptions. Hemry’s tale really drives that point home, and you will look at our own conflicts a bit differently after reading “Dead End”.

Bud Sparhawk’s “Broadside” wants to point out the colossal waste in life and potential in war. By describing a battle instigated for reasons of trade, Sparhawk makes allusions to the Gulf War and the current conflict in Iraq. Although the story was politicized, it’s still worth a read. Sparhawk’s second story “Alliances” is a pirate tale, a story of rebellion against a ruling empire. And sometimes rebellion makes for strange bedfellows.

Making allusions to Shakespeare throughout, Lawrence M. Schoen’s “Thresher” is another pirate tale. Although not really a military SF story, I can see why the editor included it in this anthology. Schoen’s paean to Shakespeare in this tale piques the interest. Schoen’s story is a worthwhile addition.

“Dereliction of Duty” is an admixture of zombie fantasy and military SF. Sometimes fear can overrule even the best of soldiers, but if one person stands up and does what is right, many innocents can be spared. Patrick Thomas adds urban fantasy elements to an older genre, and out pops an inventive little story.

“Perspective” by Tony Ruggiero is another urban fantasy/military SF mix, and gives a sci-fi explanation to our own myths about vampiric beings. I truly was surprised by its ending. Sometimes our change in perspective makes us see things in a whole new light.

C. J. Henderson closes out the collection with a humorous tale called “Shore Leave”. As you can imagine, the story is about a couple of gregarious soldiers who do the right thing when an unusual situation presents itself. The story was a good one to end with, as it allows the anthology to end on a high note.

McPhail’s editing is superb. Breach the Hull is full of excellent stories, no two of which are the same. While similar themes crop up throughout, each writer has managed to take the subgenre and make it his own. McPhail, a graphic designer as well as editor, has given each story an opening illustration that heightened the sense of military splendor and pageantry. I highly recommend this little known anthology for all SF enthusiasts.

Book Review: Rolling Thunder by John Varley

# Genre: Science Fiction
# ISBN: 0441015638
# ISBN-13: 9780441015634
# Format: Hardcover, 352pp
# Publisher: Penguin Group (ACE)
# Pub. Date: March 2008

Rolling Thunder the new novel by John Varley, tells the story of Podkayne, a Martian Naval Officer and singer extraordinaire. Varley, three time winner of the Hugo award and two time winner of the Nebula award, continues to tell stories full of strong female characters, and twisting, curving plots.

Podkayne is the daughter and granddaughter of some of his characters from previous novels, and her story continues the tale of the exploration of our solar system in the not too distant future. Podkayne is just trying to get through her required service in the Martian Navy. What she really wants to be is a singer. When an opportunity to perform her music for the Navy on Europa ((one of Jupiter’s moons) is offered, she snatches up the chance. Her story seems simple, prosaic even (at least, as much as it can be for a good-looking nineteen year old), until she encounters Europa’s “freckles”. After that, her life takes a drastic turn, culminating the revelation of just what the “Rolling Thunder” really is, and what it means for her family.

Varley is continuing a story he has told in other novels, but Rolling Thunder is so well-written, and the past so deftly inserted into the narrative, that the reader has no need to read the previous novels to enjoy this one. Podkayne’s story is her own, and while it meshes with the previous novels (and fans of John Varley will be surprised at some of the occurrences), it is not reliant on it. Varley has Podkayne tell the story memoir style, reliving her past by writing events from her perspective. So it’s a historical account of fictional events from one person’s perspective. It’s a unique way to tell a fiction story.

Varley uses a great deal of hard science in his story. A great deal of the tale takes place on planets, and various facts about the planets and planetoids of the solar system come to light throughout the course of the story. Varley also introduces alien life (they think) but doesn’t fall into the SF trope of making it easily comprehensible to humanity. Rather, he makes it alien and strange. That incomprehensibility makes the story have a different flavor from the average SF tale.

The story, told from Podkayne’s perspective only, and relies a lot on character The reason is this; although the story has plenty of action, lots of science, and a good narrative, the truth is that even though earth (and space) shattering events occur, there is little a singer can do about it. Podkayne is not a heroine who suddenly finds herself able to save the world just because of dire circumstances. She is just a girl attempting to live her life in a solar system gone mad. The reader will come to love Podkayne’s story, as she is both enviable and pitiable at the same time, and the ebb and flow of the two emotions in the narrative will keep you reading Rolling Thunder.

Varley’s story mirrors much of Heinlein’s works in style and content. Like Heinlein, he uses free societies and free love (with some rather explicit sex) in his stories, so this work is solely for adult reading. Varley goes a bit over the top with the amount of sex he has in the novel, even if it is logical for the culture he has set up, and people who would be offended by it should skip this work altogether. Some readers might think that Varley’s politics are coming through in the early pages of the book, but it makes more sense that given the assumptions and cultures the Varley is presenting, that the thoughts really are Podkayne’s, not an author with an agenda.

Rolling Thunder is a fast reading novel that packs a great deal into a few pages. Varley can get as much into his three hundred pages as other authors do in five hundred. It is a novel that takes many unexpected twists and turns, and its ending is both surprising and an excellent set up for more John Varley novels to come. I recommend this novel to adults who enjoy Heinlein, near space SF, or character driven plots.

E-Zine Review: Flash Fiction Online

Flash Fiction Online is a brand new e-zine, edited by Jake Freivald, which publishes fiction of 1,000 or fewer words. They began publication in December of 2007. But even though they are a young e-zine (with possible print anthologies on the horizon) their commitment to meet the SFWA guidelines for being a professional market, results in Flash Fiction Online publishing work by some known authors, such has James Van Pelt, Carl Frederick, and Bruce Holland Rogers, that really doesn’t have place in other short fiction magazines due to the extremely short length of the stories.

Now, some of you reading this review are probably skeptical about the ability of any author, no matter how good a writer, to tell an entire story in under 1,000 words. I was until I read the April Issue of Flash Fiction Online. In the span of twenty minutes, my preconceived notions about story were challenged, and I was able to read five great stories. And each one took no longer to read than the average blog post.

Readable online in either HTML or PDF format, these stories are laid out clearly, in a readable format, with clever and excellent illustrations by R.W. Ware (who, by the way, is also a tattoo artist) to add to the panache of the e-zine. Additionally, each story has a short bio on the author, with a clever author photo that I think underscores the whole concept of the fiction being “flash” in nature. The entire site is very polished and professional, and even is set up with an RSS feed to allow readers ease of access to the stories.

In the April issue of Flash Fiction Online, Freivald collected five stories that were humorous in their content, playing on the fact that this month begins with April Fool’s Day.

“The Dyslexicon”, by Carl Frederick is a story written about a dyslexic robot that can’t fulfill his function due to his dyslexia. The story is populated by spoonerisms, homographs, and misspellings. In way, this story is both funny and sad, as it allows the reader to get a glimpse into the world of dyslexia sufferers. But it isn’t preachy, just funny. Sometimes the word equivalencies are hard to discern, and Fredrick might have done better to only play around with the words most obviously incorrect to readers.

“How Not To Stage a Play in the Aftermath of a Zombie Apocalypse” by Kurt Bachard wonders what life would be like after a zombie apocalypse in the world of the theatre. A “woe is me” type of story, it says an awful lot while using a true economy of words. In keeping with the economy of words, Bachard’s explanation of the directors special situation and retention of his humanity might have been better integrated into the narrative, rather than being separate paragraph. It is out of place and makes the narrative slightly choppy. Any theatergoer or amateur thespian will enjoy Bachard’s wry humor about the world of the stage.

“Call of the Wild, Line Three” by Dalton Keane was the funniest of the five. The idea of stockbrokers as a pack of wolves is apt and funny. Keane has transposed the hierarchy of the animal kingdom onto the world of business, and it results in a hilarious story. Of the five, this one was the only one that made me laugh out loud.

“Fast Living” by Hank Quense, while only a quarter of a page in length tells a story that (no insult intended) is like stories you read in the Reader’s Digest humor sections. The story may be short, but the punch line brings a smile to your face. It's a type of story called a Feghoot.

“Quiet Please” by Kevin Scott is a reprint of a classic story that qualifies as flash fiction, but that is now in the public domain. Each issue of Flash Fiction Online includes on of these classic reprint stories, many of them from authors that are obscure. “Quiet Please” was probably the most difficult of the stories to read, and I had to read it twice in order to get why the story ended the way it did. Once I did, I thought it a neat, quirky story about language barriers from the November 1961 issue of Word of If.

Flash Fiction Online is one of the few e-zines I plan to read regularly. The length of the stories makes it ideal for reading on the small screens of internet capable cell phones, iPhones, and any PDF capable eBook reader.

Additionally, Freivald is not overambitious, and doesn’t try to print every story he receives. This allows the reader to get a few good stories at the beginning of each month, but without having to sift through a lot of stories to find ones that interest them. Plus, you don’t have to wait overlong to get new stories (and a few articles) since publication is monthly. Lots of e-zines publish either bimonthly or quarterly, and it is often easy to forget check them. Flash Fiction Online has made that easy. I hope they are able to stay in business, as their unique style of fiction is a breath of fresh air, in the overburdened Internet.

With the easy to use RSS feed, I can read these short stories at the office on my coffee breaks. They only take five minutes or less to read, no matter your speed, and you can step back into your office work not feeling guilty about taking your employers time, but with the smile and feeling of refreshment that fiction lusually brings to your face.

Jake Freivald and Flash Fiction Online are providing an excellent service to all fans of short fiction, and I encourage you to take advantage of it.

Artwork © 2008, R. W. Ware

Book Review: Infoquake by David Louis Edelman

* Genre: Science Fiction, Thriller
* ISBN: 1591024420
* ISBN-13: 9781591024422
* Format: Paperback, 421pp
* Publisher: Pyr
* Pub. Date: July 2006
* Series: Jump 225 Trilogy
* Read Chapters 1-7

Those men and women who don’t read the business pages of the newspaper or subscribe to Forbes and The Economist are unaware of just how exciting the business world can be. Many people see it as dry, dusty stuff – kind of like all the memorization of dates and places your teacher required of you in grade school. But the reality is far different. Scandals like the Enron debacle, advice from such folks as Warren Buffet, and tales of good works by people like Bill Gates make it into these pages. Yet very few have tried to novelize this exciting field. Anthony Trollope did it with The Way We Live Now but few others have made the attempt, except to demonize it.

David Louis Edelman has recreated the excitement of the world of business in his science fiction novel, Infoquake the first in the Jump 225 trilogy. Set in a far future, where the old nation states no longer exist and all technology is more related to biology than mechanics, Infoquake tells the tale of Natch, a master programmer and CEO of his own business. Natch is skilled, shrewd, and often unscrupulous. These are traits that serve him well in the laissez-faire world in which his business operates. When he is given a business opportunity he can’t pass up he find himself plunged into a political, scientific and economic war with his competitors, the government, and even his own partner.

Edelman has succeeded in making the world of the corporate boardroom into an adventure filled narrative. What John Grisham has done with the legal thriller, Edelman has done with business. Drawing on his experiences in marketing and computer programming, Edelman has created a very thorough world, consistent and detailed. (A small portion of the book is appendices explaining the political and social structures of this trilogy, and more information on the setting of the Jump 225 trilogy can be found at Edelman’s website.)

Natch is a compelling and interesting character, enigmatic and intelligent, yet troubled and in some ways aimless. He is driven by the need to succeed, the need to vanquish his opponents, but he doesn’t really know why. Edelman uses the juxtaposition of success without true direction to create Natch the character. But as the novel progresses, we learn that when Natch is given purpose, he goes all out, and when the new technology of MultiReal is placed in his hands, he does all he can to make it a success.

The unfortunate part of Infoquake is that is part of a larger trilogy, and so ends well but without any true resolution. When the story ends, Natch is actually in more trouble than when he began and the reader will have to wait for the release of the second novel MultiReal to really find out what will happen.

Some readers will find the technology of Infoquake hard to understand (hence the appendices) and it took me a while to figure out what the technology of MultiReal could do. And Edelman does not really explain the difference between the philosophy of his world (which is human-centric) and ours (which he claims is machine-centric). Both relied on machines, and I didn’t really see the difference between Edelman’s version and our own.

As a businessman myself, I understood the excitement and action in the need to coordinate different factors (like marketing, competition, timing, etc.) in creating a product, but some readers may find that less than compelling. But for those readers, there is the constant shadow of government force hanging over Natch’s head to add excitement to the tale, as well as, the race against the clock, since Natch and his team are forced to create a product out of whole cloth in just under three days, something that is plenty exciting enough.

Infoquake is well-written and well-cadenced. The climax is fulfilling and exciting, yet it is only a speech, and a marketing one at that. Edelman has so well woven the elements of his plot together that Natch’s simple speech has a much power and excitement to it as another science fiction story’s destruction of a spaceship or a fantasy’s evil overlord dying hideously at the hands of a hero. That takes skill to write, and Edelman has it in spades. I highly recommend this novel.

Book Review: The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells

* Genre: Steampunk, Fantasy
* ISBN: 0380788144
* ISBN-13: 9780380788149
* Format: Mass Market Paperback, 544pp
* Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers (Eos)
* Pub. Date: July 1999

Nicholas Valiarde is a young man bent on revenge. His adoptive father was executed for the horrendous crime of necromancy through the machinations of a crime lord in the Il-Rien city of Vienne. Since that time Valiarde, under the pseudonym Donatien, has been subverting the crime underworld to his own ends to take revenge on his father’s murderer. But Valiarde is forced to turn away from thoughts of revenge when bodies begin to turn up and they appear to have been used for necromantic magic. Further incensed by the fact that Nicholas’ foster father’s inventions seem to have been used to assist the evil necromancer and his cronies, Nicholas uses his wealth and influence to root out the evil sorcerer.

Set in a lush and vivid Victorian fantasy world, Martha Wells' novel, The Death of the Necromancer is a 1998 Nebula Nominee and the quintessential steampunk novel. Although /I have never liked the title of this subgenre, Wells’ novel does fit it. Vienne is very Victorian in setting, with carriages, underground trains, guns and other such items of that strange age, but with sorcery, the realm of faerie and strange doings mixed in. In a lot of ways, Vienne reminds me of London, with close knit streets, sharp divisions between upper and lower classes, and a criminal underworld unsurpassed in its evil.

Nicholas is a compelling character. Except for a few side forays into events surrounding his female companion Madeline, the story is told entirely from his point of view. Nicholas has also surrounded himself with an oddball cast of characters, from the actress who rejects her magical heritage, to the safecracker, to the not-so-disreputable former cavalryman. Add in some interesting enemies, including a spiritualist and a detective/doctor duo reminiscent of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson and you get some interesting characterization.

Wells style of writing will seem a little odd. Although her prose is full of action, it is also wordy and has lots of commas and conjunctions, creating long sentences that slow the pace of the tale down considerably. Add in exquisite descriptions of the myriad settings and you get a slow-moving novel. But the descriptions are carefully written and not overdone, so while the tale has a slow cadence leading up to the climatic flourish, The Death of the Necromancer is not a tale that will bog the reader down. And yet, for all the description and wordiness of the tale, the action never lets up.

Nicholas and company move from one problem to the next, and Wells weaves several plots together, sometimes bringing in new information from unlikely sources, and creating events the reader would not have expected. For instance, in a mundane piece of foreshadowing, Nicholas’ birth family is mentioned. In the course of a normal novel, this would be an interesting fact, but only essential to the plot if it where a case of pig farmer turning king. Not so in this story. Wells then makes Nicholas’ family background a significant turning point much later in the book, a thing which leaves his life hanging in the balance.

Where the novel fails is in partly in Wells writing style, and partly in the rather unexceptional ending to both of Nicholas’ problems. Wells writes in such a way that I found myself easily distracted from her book even though I wanted to keep reading to find out what was to happen next. At times, my eyes would pass over a section of the novel, and I wouldn’t be able to remember what I just read. Not because nothing was happening, but because the way Wells writes requires more attention than the average mindless story. I found the ending to both of Nicholas’ problems to be rather anticlimactic. The final confrontation with the necromancer by Nicholas and Madeline didn’t really seem like much of a triumph and Nicholas final confrontation with his nemesis and father’s killer is was rather ho-hum to my mind. Others will likely disagree.

Even if I didn’t enjoy the ending overmuch, I did enjoy the ride. The Death of the Necromancer has so many plot twistings and turnings, and such interesting characters; it is easy to see why this novel made it on the Nebula ballot. I do recommend this novel for all readers who enjoyed Jonathan Barnes The Somnambulist or Gregory Maguire’s’ Wicked. Like those books, The Death of the Necromancer will appeal to those folks who like the blending of magic and technology that is so much a part of the steampunk subgenre.

I recommend it as a book that is out of the ordinary and unusually creative. If you are looking for something outside the traditional tropes of fantasy, Martha Wells The Death of the Necromancer is a good place to start.

Book Review: Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

* Genre: Science Fiction, Romance, Humor
* ISBN: 0441015999
* ISBN-13: 9780441015993
* Format: Mass Market Paperback, 320pp
* Publisher: Penguin Group (ACE)
* Pub. Date: February 2008

Grimspace by Ann Aguirre is one of those novels that you thoroughly enjoy reading. You wouldn’t tell serious fans of speculative fiction that you did, but you would spend an entire evening devouring it anyway. Billed as “romantic science fiction” by its author, Grimspace tells the tale of Sirantha Jax, a woman with the genetic ability to move ships through grimspace, a hyperspace equivalent. The story begins with Jax being held by her superiors for a crime she doesn’t remember committing, a crime that killed nearly a hundred people, many of them senior diplomats. In walks March, a rouge agent who is looking to recruit people who can move through grimspace. Casting fate to the wind, Jax escapes with him, setting her on a collision course with the Corp (her former employers), a company that holds the monopoly on grimspace transport.

Tightly woven and moving at breakneck speed from page one, Grimspace is funny and fun. Aguirre writes a novel that would translate onto the big screen as a romantic comedy. March and Jax’s relationship has echoes of the Han and Leia relationship in Star Wars. While they begin their relationship hating one another, through a series of circumstances out of their control, a romantic relationship is built. It is a classic story of two people hating each other only to find they truly love each other when their relationship is really put to the test.

The story is told entirely from Jax’s point of view, and the internal monologues that Aguirre gives her heroine are absolutely hilarious. From the beginning of the novel till things get rather serious towards the end, I found myself smiling at Jax’s reactions and comments to the events unfolding around her. Like Elizabeth Bennett’s thoughts on Mr. Darcy in Pride on Prejudice, Jax’s comments on March and the other characters have a wry wit and humor.

The pacing and the humor of the story allow the reader to gloss over a lot of its faults. For instance, Aguirre fails to explain how a society as advanced as the one she has created is unable to isolate the genetic component necessary to create people who can travel through grimspace. This inability is important to the plot, but Aguirre failed to make me believe that such a thing would not be possible. (Though perhaps this may be answered in the sequel, Wanderlust, due out in September of this year.)

Aguirre is also writing a novel that owes a debt to the bodice-rippers of the romance genre. There is one very explicit sex scene (I’m always uncomfortable with this, but it was easy enough to gloss over). Additionally, since it is a novel centered on romance, many of the interactions and actions of the characters have something to do with love and romance. One character lost her female lover, another (evil) character uses women, and of course there is the sexual tension between Jax and March.

Where the novel succeeds is in creating a fun, action filled story that I would imagine would translate well to the big screen. It has all the elements of an action movie. The heroine is broken but is also extremely strong-willed and gifted. She is no weak woman to be pushed around by a stronger man. The action is almost non-stop, and the characters move from one danger to another, with each successive danger being more and more difficult to survive. And finally, the climax is satisfying, as the evil people get their come-uppings and the heroes ultimately triumph.

Grimspace is the novel you have on your shelf when you need a little excitement, a little romance, but don’t want to work to hard to enjoy it. With the caveat that this is a romance novel in every sense of what that genre has come to mean, I recommend it as an exciting story of humor and action.

Grimspace is just pure entertainment, and anyone looking for a novel of depth or philosophy would do well to avoid it. But if you need a no-brainer novel with a funny and appealing heroine, Grimspace will give you what you are looking for.

Christianity in Space: An Interview with Chris Walley

Chris Walley is the author of The Lamb Among the Stars a series set in the far future that has a unique setting. His novel discusses good and evil within the context of Christian understanding, something very unlike its contemporaries. Walley was kind enough to answer of a few of my questions about his series, his life as a geologist, and the relationship between science and faith. (You can read my review of his first book here.)

Grasping for the Wind: Tell us a little bit about the genesis of your speculative fiction trilogy, The Lamb Among the Stars. Where did the idea come from?

Chris Walley: I was converted into a Christianity of the sort of reformed tradition that took the Puritans seriously. I was intrigued that many of them held the view that there would be a great and long time of blessing before the End came. As I thought about that the question came to me ‘what it would be like to be at the end of such a Golden Age?’ At the time, I was working in Beirut during the civil war and issues of good and evil were brutally on the agenda. Finally one day, I had this image of my hero walking across the wintery landscape of a made world and things started to come together. But it’s been a long haul!

GFTW: Christians writing science fiction is a rare thing. Why do you think this is?

CW: I don't think it should be a rare thing, but I agree it seems to be. I am very concerned that, unlike our ancestors, many Christians have rather given up on any sort of future. Indeed, there is a slightly despairing mood around that basically says ‘all we need to do is hang on until the Rapture’. Well the end may be imminent – I will be delighted to be wrong – but my reading of Scripture is that we are to prepare for the long haul. We have also become scared of science. Shame on us!

GFTW: On the blog Speculative Faith, you have claimed that science can do a great job in explaining spiritual matters. How is this so?

CW: I think there are several reasons why science is of help. The first is that even if they do not understand science (how many of us can explain the principles on which a cellphone, GPS or even an aircraft operate?) people acknowledge that it must be true because it works. In doing so the great agnostic argument ‘I cannot believe in your God because I cannot understand him’ is undermined. The second reason is that the world revealed by science is very complex and very strange. After you have read anything of modern physics the doctrine of the Trinity or predestination seems far less problematic. A third and related reason is that science is enormously humbling.

GFTW: You are a geologist and teacher by trade. Why did you feel called to study what we here in the US often call “Rocks for Jocks”?

CW: Actually, I never felt ‘called’ to study geology. I was not a Christian when I became a geologist, but despite my repeated attempts to be called to the other things (I am quite open to becoming a successful full-time writer!) God has seen fit to keep me in the rock world. There are actually a lot of parallels between geology and writing fiction. To examine a sequence of dull, dusty rocks and conjure up from that some ancient world of steamy swamps and vanished ecosystems is a considerable exercise of imagination.

GFTW: Your science fiction novel The Shadow and Night is deeply philosophical rather than action intensive. Why did you spend so much time exploring the philosophical implications of the entrance of evil into Farholme society?

CW: I hope the ‘deeply philosophical’ isn’t too off-putting! The action increases in the series and by the time we get to the The Infinite Day any philosophy or theology is largely discussed while the characters are either running or reloading. But I am unrepentant about taking time to set the stage in the first volume. One of the problems of the world that we live in is that we have become utterly blasé about evil. We assume that it is normal and it has lost its shock value. What I have tried to do is paint innocence first so that the true nature of evil is made clearer. It is long-felt belief of mine that by relegating evil to truly monstrous men and women doing appalling acts of bloodshed we overlooked the fact that the vast majority of evil is quite undramatic but equally damning.

GFTW: Merral is both deeply flawed and truly heroic. Was his character modeled on anyone in particular?

CW: Merral’s weaknesses are my own; Merral’s heroism is imagined! I have however tried to make him very much an Everyman; a figure that we can all identify with. What is, I think, particularly compelling about Merral is that this is a man who we first meet in a state of innocence who is forced to become the greatest warrior of his age. He never quite loses the horror of having blood on his hands.

GFTW: Why did you have Merral be so dependent on outside help (i.e. Vero, Anya, Perena, the angel of the Lord) for success?

CW: Another fascinating question! Let me suggest two reasons. One of the problems of action novels is that we tend to create heroes with such mighty abilities that they do not need grace. I can't identify with such people and I'm not sure your readers can either. As an aside, they are not actually very interesting creatures. A second reason is the terrible subtlety of evil; how concentrating on a spectacular external evil may cause us to overlook the no less deadly evil within us. Merral’s greatest enemy is always himself.

GFTW: Did you find it difficult to mesh the science (which is based in what we know in 2008) of the Made Worlds with the Christian culture of the Assembly when you were writing?

CW: Handling advanced science is very difficult. I first started drafting ideas for the first novel 20 years ago, and some of the technology I dreamed of then is now available in the shops today! I have actually largely minimised science innovations; one of the great emphases of the Assembly is that it has a great deal of caution about science and technology. Someone has commented that the Assembly are the ‘Amish in Space’; it's not entirely true, but there is something in it. So other than travel between stars through Gates and gravity modification there is very little that is new in the Assembly technology. However as readers soon find out, there are other cultures about who have no such limits.

GFTW: What can you tell us about how the story progresses in The Dark Foundations and The Infinite Day?

CW: Well I'm not going to give you any plot spoilers, but rest assured that soon enough the action comes fast and furious. There is also a progressive escalation of scale. We start off in a quiet, cosy rural world where nothing has happened and we end up with bloody battles in a war that involves a trillion people and a distance of 600 light years. Someone made the off-the-cuff comment that he thought the series was as if C. S. Lewis had written Star Wars. It’s a bizarre thought, but I take it as a compliment and a reflection on the scale of what happens. What I can promise is that evil is defeated but it is not defeated easily. A price is paid.

GFTW: What speculative fiction novels would you recommend other than Tolkien or Lewis?

CW: Ah, here you have embarrassed me! Because I had always had to squeeze my writing into my spare time I have not read as much as I should of late. Where I have read fantasy recently, I have been rather disappointed. Modern British fantasy, for instance, tends to be either dark and gloomy. That’s partly why I write my own tales! I've promised myself that some day I will go into my local bookshop and buy a great pile of speculative fiction. But in the past I’ve enjoyed both Arthur C. Clarke and Asimov – his Foundation trilogy in particular is a great story and probably a subtle influence on my own works.

GFTW: Any parting thoughts?

CW: Only to say that I'm grateful for all the questions. Writing is a lonely pastime, and sometimes you need external questions to make you think about what you're actually doing and trying to achieve. Oh and if anybody reads the books and wants to comment or contact me they can get me either on what is now becoming a pretty well populated facebook fan site [http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2216305373] or via my own website [www.chriswalley.net].

This interview is part of the February 2008 CSFF Blog Tour. Other participants include:

Brandon Barr; Jim Black; Justin Boyer; Grace Bridges; Jackie Castle; Carol Bruce Collett ; Valerie Comer; CSFF Blog Tour; Gene Curtis; D. G. D. Davidson; Chris Deanne; Janey DeMeo; Jeff Draper; April Erwin; Marcus Goodyear; Rebecca Grabill ; Jill Hart; Katie Hart; Michael Heald; Timothy Hicks; Christopher Hopper; Heather R. Hunt; Jason Joyner; Kait; Carol Keen; Mike Lynch; Margaret; Rachel Marks; Shannon McNear; Melissa Meeks; Rebecca LuElla Miller; Mirtika or Mir's Here; Pamela Morrisson; Eve Nielsen; John W. Otte; John Ottinger; Deena Peterson; Rachelle; Steve Rice; Ashley Rutherford; Chawna Schroeder; James Somers; Rachelle Sperling; Donna Swanson; Steve Trower; Speculative Faith; Robert Treskillard; Jason Waguespac; Laura Williams; Timothy Wise

Book Review: The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley

* Genre: Science Fiction
* ISBN: 1414313276
* ISBN-13: 9781414313276
* Format: Hardcover, 640pp
* Publisher: Tyndale House Publishers
* Pub. Date: October 2006
* Series: The Lamb Among the Stars
* Read the First Chapter
* Read an interview with Chris Walley

AMAZING! There is simply no other word to describe Chris Walley’s speculative fiction novel The Shadow and Night. I just could not put this one down. Actually a combination of two books previously published, The Shadow and Night is the first novel in a three part trilogy called the Lamb Among the Stars (originally published in four volumes). Walley spent many years perfecting this series, and his efforts have born fruit in this grand space opera.

In The Shadow and Night mankind has reached the stars. But he has found that only Earth supports any life beyond the minutest of single-celled organisms. Yet man has learned to make worlds suitable for his own life. Due to what is know as the Great Intervention (a spiritual revival of humanity in which all come to a saving faith in Jesus Christ) a great peace has existed for eleven centuries. During this time, Earth and all the many Made Worlds have prospered so that mankind serves one another in peace and love, and evil (as we know it) is a thing of the past. On the far edge of the universe, the Made World Farholme has only just begun its young life.

Merral is a young forester on the Made World of Farholme. In the course of his duties, he comes across some very strange occurrences. Strange, alien beasts are seen on the surface of Farholme, and human beings begin to act strangely, cruelly toward each other, shattering the peace that has existed for millennia. And then the unthinkable happens, and contact with the other worlds is lost. Merral is forced to a take on the mantle of leader, a title for which he is gifted but that he despairs to take.

The Shadow and Night is told entirely from Merral’s perspective. Merral’s inner struggles and outward failures and successes become our own. Walley has excellently crafted a man of great ability but who is flawed at his very core. This is a character anyone with the least humility can identify as themselves. He is a man who understands evil as a concept, but when forced to experience it firsthand, almost crumples under the strain. Merral is an exceptionally compelling character, and I read on mostly because I wanted to know how Merral would deal with the philosophical and physical conundrums Walley forces him to experience.

The novel is long at over 600 pages so reading it is not for the faint of heart. Walley has also chosen to build a slow tension for his story, rather than leaping from action sequence to action sequence. I think some readers might find this dull, although his character study was so intense and engrossing, that I didn’t feel the loss. He takes time to ponder the effect of events on his characters, and to have them grapple and wrestle with philosophy, although in a practical way. For instance, when faced with evil, at what point should a person fight against it, and at what point is diplomacy in order? When confronted with temptations, how should a person react? These are struggles Merral goes through, and to a lesser extent his supporting characters, but it is Merral who we most identify with.

As I have said, there is little action in the story. The story takes place on the planet of Farholme (in a sense reminding me of the way Dune takes place on only one planet) and has little space action. There are three big action sequences, so readers look for epic space battles or hand to hand combat will be disappointed. The Shadow and Night is about the battle between good and evil, mostly within yourself, especially in the face of evil circumstances. It is this that drives the plot. The slow build of the tension only makes the final confrontation all the more epic.

There are some predictable elements. There is an obvious set-up for a particular character to be killed, but I still felt the loss. Walley also overuses the word “suddenly”. As I would read the sentences with the word in it, I felt that many times he could have done without and have been just as effective in communicating his point, sometimes even more so. Some of the early dialogue is a bit wooden, but as the characters deepen from two dimensions to three during the narrative, this feeling disappears.

Some readers will also take exception at the explicitly Christian nature of the novel. Walley creates a setting in which all people believe in the Christian view of Heaven and Hell, and believe in the salvation offered by Jesus Christ. The setting is based in a Christian postmillennial view of history, but the novel is not proselytizing in any way. (For more on the belief system he uses, check out “Puritans in Space”.) Walley himself stated “the purpose of this book is not to open a theological debate nor engage in ‘fictionalized theology’; it is simply to sue this as a setting for a grand tale.” (from an accompanying letter to the book) And I think that he has truly fulfilled that goal. In its way, this novel is no more proselytizing than any book written by a secularist or agnostic. It is simply a narrative that uses one of the great beliefs of our day to create a setting and story set far into the future.

Walley, a geologist and teacher, also weaves great science into the story. His machines are believable, and the science behind them solid. The Shadow and Night weaves religion and science together so that there is continuity between the two. With the culture he has set up, the scientific feats of Farholme make sense. He is also very descriptive, drawing on his Welsh heritage to write a novel as filled with description as the sagas of the ancient Celts. Although perhaps not as poetic as those sagas, his writing shows a love of the land and nature.

This is a not a fast paced novel by any means. Yet, I couldn’t put it down. I sped through the pages, desperate to find out what was to happen to Merral and Vero, Anya and Perena. Walley builds the tension so slowly and subtly, it is like reading a John Grisham thriller. When the final culmination of events came, I was literally sitting upright on the edge of my seat. I highly recommend this novel. The Shadow and Night is a literary speculative fiction novel, and needs to be read by anyone trying to understand “the need to fight evil without becoming evil” (from an accompanying letter to the book). The Shadow and Night is a tale that fans of authors like George R. R. Martin, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Frank Herbert are sure to enjoy, if not agree with philosophically. This book is a must read for all science fiction fans.

This review is part of the February 2008 CSFF Blog Tour. Other participants include:

Brandon Barr; Jim Black; Justin Boyer; Grace Bridges; Jackie Castle; Carol Bruce Collett ; Valerie Comer; CSFF Blog Tour; Gene Curtis; D. G. D. Davidson; Chris Deanne; Janey DeMeo; Jeff Draper; April Erwin; Marcus Goodyear; Rebecca Grabill ; Jill Hart; Katie Hart; Michael Heald; Timothy Hicks; Christopher Hopper; Heather R. Hunt; Jason Joyner; Kait; Carol Keen; Mike Lynch; Margaret; Rachel Marks; Shannon McNear; Melissa Meeks; Rebecca LuElla Miller; Mirtika or Mir's Here; Pamela Morrisson; Eve Nielsen; John W. Otte; John Ottinger; Deena Peterson; Rachelle; Steve Rice; Ashley Rutherford; Chawna Schroeder; James Somers; Rachelle Sperling; Donna Swanson; Steve Trower; Speculative Faith; Robert Treskillard; Jason Waguespac; Laura Williams; Timothy Wise

Book Review: Wastelands - Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams

* Science Fiction, Post Apocalyptic Fiction
* ISBN: 1597801054
* ISBN-13: 9781597801058
* Format: Paperback, 352pp
* Publisher: Night Shade Books
* Pub. Date: January 2008

Man has always been fascinated with death. From Plato’s lauding of Socrates’ death to modern experiences of the “white light and tunnel”, humans have always wondered at death. And this same dread fascination includes the death of Earth itself. Through warfare, natural disaster, neglect, or religious experience, humanity has predicted the end since recorded history, and in many forms. Post apocalyptic SF is the fictional descendant of the Book of Revelation or Nostradamus’ predictions. It speculates about what life would be like for survivors of a cataclysm that rocks the Earth, changing the very fundamental nature of society. And we, as readers, read on with dread horror at what unfolds, for we know ourselves, and that we can be capable of deeds both heroic and ghastly.

John Joseph Adams has collected some of the greatest post apocalyptic SF from the last twenty years, from some of the greatest speculative fiction talents, all in Wastelands: Stories of The Apocalypse. Many of the stories have garnered awards like Nebula’s or Hugo’s or Locus’. Many more have been nominated or their writers have for other work. You cannot be disappointed by this collection, because the work evidenced here is some of the best story telling science fiction has to offer.

The very first story is a doozy, coming from the mind of horror fiction writer, Stephen King. King spins a tale entitled “The End of the Whole Mess” wherein a genius of uncharted proportions turns his mind to the problem of human violence. But passivity has a consequence, as the protagonist discovers. His story is unique from most of the others in this anthology in that it approaches the apocalypse from the untainted side. Most of the other stories in the volume look at what happens after the world ends, but King writes with his exceptional prose the tale of the end through the catalyst of that end.

Orson Scott Card explores his own religion of Mormonism in “Salvage”. His protagonist, Deaver, seeks wealth in drowned Salt Lake City. But the story is really about how faith and reliance on one another, with hope, allows people to bring about a rebuilding of civilization. This is one of the first stories in the “Mormon Sea” series by Card.

“The People of Sand and Slag” by Paolo Bacigalupi is a strange one. Earth has become a hostile environment, but man has adapted through the use of technology, so much so that he can survive by eating radioactive rock. Without the need for animal meat, humans have left them to become extinct in the hostile world. But when three humans come across a dog, their humanity seems to return. This is a sad story about humanity’s ability for empathy and what would be lost without it.

“Bread and Bombs” is truly horrifying. It is Mary Rickert’s response to the events of 9/ll and our subsequent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Her ability to make something as innocent as snow into something horrifying and then make it a metaphor for the surprise ending was compelling. I’m not sure what point she was making, but it was still a tale both prosaic and chilling all at once.

Jonathan Lethem has a dislike of VR technology. In “How We Got into Town and Out Again” he explores what place VR would have after an apocalypse. The story is really a denouncement of those who would escape reality, and those who would profit from that desire.

“Dark, Dark Were the Tunnels” applies evolutionary theory to an apocalypse. How different would men be if some survived offworld from a worldwide cataclysm and some survived underground, but were separated by centuries? Would they be able to communicate or work together? George R. R. Martin’s conclusions are sad, and remind me of colonialism in Africa, and the thoughts the conquerors must have had over about those they conquered who looked so different and seemed so primitive.

In a short and hopeful story, Tobias Buckell explores a technology that is little more than a hobby now, land sailing. “Waiting for the Zephyr” was a good story, but I felt that it was too short, and was more the seed of a story than a complete one. I like Buckell’s writing a lot, but was disappointed by this one.

In “Never Despair” by Jack McDevitt one of the great leaders of history appears to one of the survivors of a cataclysm. In a clever weaving of leader’s statements and the reactions of the protagonist, McDevitt reminds us that hope will be our greatest asset in the wake of apocalypse.

With his characteristic black humor, Cory Doctorow explores his own career in “When Sysadmins Ruled the Earth”. Doctorow’s story pokes fun at geekdom, and at a strange and bizarre culture of those people who keep the internet flowing. There is a lot of techie speak that is part of the story, but Doctorow both humanizes and ridicules the scions of the Internet Age. Funny and sad all in on go.

In “The Last of the O-Forms” James Van Pelt finds that when the abnormal is normal, then normal becomes a thing of wonder and fascination. Using a traveling circus as his setting, Van Pelt reflects on what humanity takes for granted.

“Still Life with Apocalypse” is the shortest story in the anthology. At two pages, Richard Kadrey’s story provides a picture of life for those left to clean up the world. A tale reliant on visual imagery, it is a painting of a moment in time.

Catherine Wells creates a neo-Arthurian story in “Artie’s Angels”. Although a little heavy-handed in its metaphor, it is still compelling and in a way celebrates the need for legend and the idea that a hero’s death can be more world-changing than his life. It also delves into the effect on the poor that a mass exodus from a dying planet would have. People live in bubbles due to the radiation outside, and different sectors of the bubble are richer or poorer, with the rich able to get off planet. In a way, this is a look at the modern cityscape with its slums and its suburban areas all cordoned off, each from the other.

The only story not previously published elsewhere, Jerry Oltion’s “Judgment Passed” is an anti religious screed. When a colony mission returns to earth to find that everyone has been raptured by Jesus, the leftovers struggle with whether to curse God and move on, or ask him to take them too. Oltion’s villain is essentially a religious zealot and his heroes’ agnostics. But I think his story backfires, because his heroes end up seeming shallow and selfish where he was trying to make them seem pragmatic and intelligent.

This was the first time I had read any of Gene Wolfe’s work, and I have to say that I enjoyed it. In “Mute”, Only two children are left at the end of the world. This one defies description and simply must be read; even then it probably won’t make any sense. But it is still well-sculpted.

Nancy Kress explores identity in “Inertia”. A horrible disfiguring plague causes governments to intern the victims into ghettos. Expecting them to devolve into violence, they are surprised when they create sustainable societies. A rouge group of scientists finds out why. Kress wonders at just what it might take for man to live peaceably with each other.

“And the Deep Blue Sea” has a word that comes before it in English idiom. If you know it, you’ll have a leg up in enjoying this tale. Elizabeth Bear’s story of a mail courier who is forced to choose between saving her own hide and that of an entire city is a sort of post apocalyptic Faust.

“Speech Sounds” has the most horrifying apocalyptic event of the entire anthology to my mind. Octavia E. Butler’s humanity has lost the ability to communicate through speech, and are forced to rely and hand gestures. Add to that brain damage that makes males more primal, and women to lose their memory, and what you have is a truly frightening tale. But this one ends on a hopeful note, as many of the other stories in this anthology do not.

Carol Emshwiller wrote “Killers” as a follow-through to what we have been told about the war in Iraq. It thinks about what might happen if the war were to move to our shores. Yet really, it is more about feminine jealousy than anything else. In Emshwiller’s world, most men are dead or insane from the sights of war, so good men are in short supply. If a woman were able to redeem one of these men, and then have him stolen from her, how might she react?

For those looking for a Mad Max type story, Neal Barrett Jr.’s “Ginny Sweethips Flying Circus” provides the action adventure element of post apocalyptic SF such fans are looking for. An interesting story with some interesting and unexpected plot twists, this one was just fun to read without being heavily philosophical.

Dale Bailey wonders why everyone at “The End of The World as We Know It” is always trying to rebuild civilization. A satire of the genre of post apocalyptic SF, Bailey’s story is both a review of some of the favorites we all know and love, and a close look at our sick fascination with the end of the world.

David Grigg simply looks at the effect that a catastrophe would have on artists in “A Song Before Sunset”. Since culture not longer exists, what would musicians, painters, and dramatists do? Grigg’s effects are saddening.

“Episode Seven: Last Stand Against the Pack in the Kingdom of the Purple Flowers” is John Langan’s response to Dale Bailey’s giving up mentality in his story in this anthology. Langan’s protagonists fight desperately for their life, and seek the ability to find peace and solitude where they can rebuild. Unfortunately, they are being hunted, but ingenuity wins out in the end. This was a good story to wrap the anthology with, as it ends on a hopeful note, believing that man would strive on in the wake of apocalypse.

Wastelands is an exceptional anthology. In scope and vision it can only be compared to Harlan Ellison’s Dangerous Visions. Like that famed anthology, Wastelands collects some of the best stories of a genre, each with an introduction by the editor that sets the stage for the events that unfold. The stories are full of depth, but are also so well crafted that they are not preachy. None of the stories will disappoint the reader who picks up this anthology.

John Joseph Adams has also gone a step further to give the reader a listing of some of the post apocalyptic science fiction novels we should read, if we enjoy the genre. Coupled with his introduction and the pre-story intros, the reader finds a well-crafted argument for why this subgenre of science fiction is one of the best for exploring the human condition.

I highly recommend this anthology for anyone who enjoys reading anything. A lot of these authors I had not read before and I now want to seek out their novels at the bookstore. Each story is unique, and while all share the same basic frame, each writer has been able to pull a completely different conclusion about or assessment of humanity. Some are chilling while others are hopeful, but each will show the reader a facet of himself or herself if they are willing to see it. Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse is the best anthology of any kind I have read to date.

Read my interview with John Joseph Adams.

Book Review: Hunter's Run by George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois and Daniel Abraham

* Genre: Science Fiction, Survival Story
* ISBN: 006137329X
* ISBN-13: 9780061373299
* Format: Hardcover, 320pp
* Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
* Pub. Date: January 2008

Know Thyself. Two words to strike fear into the hearts of many. If we really looked at who we are, would we really like what we see? And could we remake ourselves into something better?

In Hunter’s Run, a collaborative science fiction novel by George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois and Daniel Abraham, the protagonist is forced to answer just that question, but in a unique way. Ramon Espejo is a prospector on a recently colonized world. It’s a rough life, but Ramon prefers it to the cramped humanity of the towns. But on a prospecting trip, Ramon uncovers a lost, alien, space faring civilization, hiding from all the others. Trapped by them, he is forced to use his knowledge of the wilds to find another man who has escaped the alien's clutches. But that man is more and less than Ramon thinks, and as he and his alien captor seek the escapee, Ramon is forced to learn more about himself than any man would care to.

With such brilliant writing talents as George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, and Daniel Abraham working in concert, you will already know that this story is unlikely to disappoint. And it does not. The story is a survival story of amazing proportions, with not one or two but several significant twists that kept me guessing the ending till the very last page. Some readers will already know one of the plot twists, if they have read “Shadow Twin”, a short story which was the seed of this novel.

The three authors have worked hard to make this story something more than the sum of its parts. Although in a few places, there are a few “tells” (like in poker) of the fact that three authors were working on it, the narrative is cohesive and the characterization consistent. Most readers will not notice it, and once the pace of the story picked up, I was so lost in it that I failed to notice them anymore.

The story has an analogue in such novels as Jack London’s White Fang or Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn. Like them, Hunter’s Run is about a man (or boy) facing insurmountable odds through which he learns a great deal about himself, although in this story it is on an alien world full of dangers and the constant shadow of Ramon’s alien captor over his shoulder. There are so many conflicts to solve within the story that the conclusion comes as quite an amazing feat of the writing craft. This novel will be enjoyed by fans of the authors as well as anyone who enjoys survival stories. It is a deep and honest look at the human condition from both outside and inside the species. Although the novel is told entirely from one point of view, the conversations between Ramon and the alien provide entertaining and frightening looks at just how strange we are.

It is also a character study, a look at Ramon Espejo the man. Ramon becomes a man that the reader will envy and pity all in one thought. And yet, Ramon is us, a whirlwind of conflicting thoughts, desires, and actions. The hero Ramon’s introspection is not self-pitying, but a self realization, and as he courses back towards human civilization he finds that he doesn’t like himself very much. I saw myself in Ramon, and yet I didn’t. Such juxtaposition makes for a compelling character. Ramon comes to know himself, and in that he finds redemption.

George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, and Daniel Abraham's collaborative novel Hunter’s Run as an exceptional work. I gorged myself on its words, and had to force myself to go to put it down and go to bed. You will not be disappointed by this novel, nor will you be bored by its twists and unexpected turns. Hunter’s Run is a look into what it means to be human, through the eyes of a self-imposed outcast. Don’t let this novel pass you by.

Christian UFOlogist?

Interesting discussion going on over at Worldmagblog, where writer Lynn Vincent discusses her encounter with a UFO and her Christian beliefs. The top comment also has a link to a lecture by a self identified Christian UFOlogist named Michael Heiser who is also a credible academic and author of a novel about Area 51, UFO's and the like called The Facade.

This has kind of been on my mind lately because I am currently reading The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley, an explicitly Christian science fiction novel set eleven thousand years in the future, which so far is absolutely engrossing. Nice to know others struggle with such strange things. After all, how does a Christian write about alien races or genetic science without seeming to be anti-science?

Home Theaters with SciFi Bling

Eos Books blog pointed me to this awesome list (with pictures) of some of the geekiest home theaters. Each has a theme, most of them scifi or adventure related.

Slaughterhouse-Five, The Stage Play

Slaughterhouse-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut is a stage play. I had no idea. I picked up a copy of the novel for fifty cents at a garage sale a while back, just after Vonnegut died, becasue I had never read anything be him before. But if his work is being made into a stage play, then maybe I ought to read it sooner rather than later.

Book Review: Tides by Scott Mackay

* Genre: Science Fiction, Lost Civilization, High Seas Adventure
* ISBN: 1591023343
* ISBN-13: 9781591023340
* Format: Hardcover, 340pp
* Publisher: PYR
* Pub. Date: November 2005

In Situation Ethics, Joseph Fletcher argued that moral principles can be cast aside in certain situations if agape love was best served. In essence, this is applied by many to say that the ends do justify the means. This is a philosophical concept often wrestled with in fantasy and science fiction literature. Science Fiction especially wonders at the effects of such ethics on a person, if the ends justifies the means in serving a greater good, especially if it means breaking the laws of the state or culture, or even a personal or religious morality.

Hab Miquay is just such a person in Tides by Scott Mackay. An explorer on the order of Columbus, Magellan, Cook, or Shackleton, Hab is a man trapped by a moral system that he feels is suffocating his world. All of his fellow men on the verdant but isolate continent of Paras live by the 28 Rules of the Formulary. The Formulary’s highest goal is honesty, and its rules ensure that all men are forced to be honest, even if they do so by prevarication, obfuscation, or other such methods. But never is a man allowed to lie, or at least to be caught at it. If he is, that man is forced to the penitentiary Island of Liars to live out his days scrabbling to survive on volcanic rock and ash.

When Hab learns that his continent may not be as isolated as was once thought, he is forced to confront the system of honesty head on. The collision nearly breaks him, but circumstances teach him something of subjugating one’s own morality for a greater good, when he meets a member of a species whose greatest virtue is falsehood.

A science fiction novel comparable in feel to George R. R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle’s Windhaven, Tides is a high seas adventure story. The tides are massive waves hundreds of feet high that keep the people of Paras locked onto their continent. Hab believes, through recent scientific discovery, that a metal rich (Paras is metal poor, although agriculturally rich) continent exists on the other side of their world. Forced by circumstance to resort to lying in order to fulfill his dream, Hab goes in search of this other continent. But what he finds is a sentient reptilian species scrabbling for survival on a tiny and barren continent called Ortok by its inhabitants. This species has perfected lying to an art, and here Hab learns the consequences of a lie while also learning its practical usefulness.

The story is about really about two competing cultures, one naively honest, the other brutally dishonest, that clash after Hab’s overwhelming desire for power over the tides, and his need to seek new things. It is also about the personal struggle of Hab, a he goes from an honest person, to one devious and sneaky, all in the name of a greater good. In the end, this novel is an argument for the ends justifying the means.

The novel is extremely well written, and I devoured its 350 pages in a single sitting. The novel is paced well and reminds me a lot of Jon Krakauer’s nonfiction survival stories. Although the action itself slows down, the events do not, and Hab is constantly reacting to a new set of stimuli. The reader will not be bored when reading this novel.

Although Jara, Hab’s love interest, is often described as beautiful and intelligent, the first is evident from the descriptions but the second is not. She has little dialogue and few actions that aren't also performed by another character as well. In Tides Jara is nothing more than a foil for Hab. In order to create love interest in the story, as well as a positive personal motivation (i.e. Jara’s rescue from the Ortokians) instead of the negative one of revenge for the killing of his little brother. Love, in fiction, usually carries a character much farther as a motivation than revenge, except for a few notable exceptions like The Count of Monte Cristo. Jara has little to say and few actions in the story and while she is a needed character and element in the story, Mackay did a poor job in making her more than a pretty face.

As well, some readers might find the choppy nature of Mackay’s writing to be hard to follow. Here is a sample from the first paragraph of the seventh chapter. “Hab sat in the back of the wagon, a prisoner. No windows, not even a grate for ventilation in the roof. The only light came from an oil lamp. The air smelled of human sweat. The guard with the beard stared at him. The man's eyes were blank. He showed no interest in anything.“ (page 69) As you can read, Mackay likes to use short, clipped sentences. This is not necessarily a bad thing, and the reader will get used to it, especially later in Tides, when the style only heightens the feelings of panic, danger and suspense.

Tides was a great deal of fun to read. Mackay brilliantly weaves science fiction, a survival story, and high seas adventure together. And yet, at the same time, he addresses the themes of honesty and dishonesty, of pragmatism and the moral code, and the subtle war between them. Hab Miquay becomes a character who is as deeply human as all of us, and whose flaws are very much our own. He, like many of us, is forced to determine if the ends justify the means. If you pass this novel up, you will have missed what I think is one of the best novels of speculative fiction currently in print.

Another interview of mine posted at SF Crowsnest

My interview with John Joseph Adams, slush editor at The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction has been re-published in this month's SF Crowsnest.

A professor from my tiny alma mater writes a dystopic SF novel

According to my good friend Irresponsible Journalism, a professor who was recently added to the staff of our alma mater, Covenant College, has published a science fiction novel with Xulon Press (a POD Publisher) called The Dreamers of Allianz.

The publisher summarizes the book this way:

"In the aftermath of the Great Digital Meltdown, human culture has been politically and technologically reinvented. The world’s population now stands divided between a fast growing Cognit implanted majority and a nonimplanted minority – respectively, the privileged and the excluded. For the followers of The Name, this means struggling against the evil Allianz Federation and the great deception of its popular dream-based metaphysical teachings, the Path of Transcienz. In the American South, members of a worldwide, faith-based Resistance movement have attracted the wrath of the Allianz leadership. Meanwhile, another type of dreaming – among non-implanted children – threatens the future of the entire Federation. As repression against enemies of the Allianz Code increases, the worldwide Resistance is forced to strategically move underground. Great peril and amazing hope collide in this gripping novel about the global underground Church decades in the future, during a time when non-conformity with the world system means persecution and risking everything for the glory of The Name."

Read a student review here.

You can purchase the book at the college's bookstore The Tuck Shoppe, for cheaper than at the Xulon website if you are interested.

I will be reading it and reviewing it in the near future.

A Year of Reading 2008

This is a continually updated list of all the books I have read in the year 2008. Links are to reviews I have written for some of these books. You can also look at my list for 2007.

January February March April May June
July August September October November December

January

Series 65: Uniform Investment Adviser Law Exam Manual by Kaplan Financial
The Prodigal Troll by Charles Coleman Finlay
Instant Knowledge by the editors at mental_floss
The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes
In The Beginning by the editors at mental_floss
Eberron: Bound by Iron by Edward Bolme
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
Bash Down the Door and Slice Open the Badguy edited by W. H. Horner
Hunter's Run by George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois and Daniel Abraham
A Bit of Madness by Emmanuel Civiello and Thomas Mosdi
Goblin Hero by Jim C. Hines
The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley
Dragon Outcast by E. E. Knight

February

Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams
Breach the Hull edited by Mike McPhail
Confessor by Terry Goodkind
Blood Ties by Pamela Freeman
Sojourn Volume 6: The Bezerker's Tale by Ian Edgington and Greg Land
Forgotten Realms: Neversfall by Ed Gentry
Infoquake by David Louis Edelman
The Golden Cord by Paul Genesse
Grimspace by Ann Aguirre

March

The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells
Madhouse by Rob Thurman
The Dead Guy Interviews by Michael Stusser
The Hidden City by Michelle West
Klassic Koalas: Ancient Aboriginal Tales in New Retellings by Lee Barwood
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
Growingold with B. C. by Johnny Hart

April

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Small Favor by Jim Butcher
Heroes Adrift by Moira J. Moore
Misspelled edited by Jule E. Czerneda
Flash Fiction Online, April 2008 edited by Jake Freivald
Rolling Thunder by John Varley
Empress by Karen Miller
Phytosphere by Scott Mackay
Goblin War by Jim C. Hines
Return of the Sword edited by Jason M. Waltz

May

Shadowmarch by Tad Williams
Forgotten Realms: Obsidian Ridge by Jess Lebow
Iron Man: Beneath the Armor by Andy Mangels
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
Bloodheir by Brian Ruckley
The Martian General's Daughter by Theodore Judson
The Four Forges by Jenna Rhodes
Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan

June

A Darkness Forged in Fire by Chris Evans
Wizards edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois

July

August

September

October

November

December

January February March April May June
July August September October November December

A Year of Reading 2007

The Year is Done! I hope you had a great one and have high hopes for 2008. Below is a list of all the books I read in 2007 (I like to keep track because I am just that hyper-organized). The final five have reviews written that I just haven't posted because every review deserves a suitable amount of time at the top of the blog. You will see them in January of 2008.

January February March April May June
July August September October November December

January

Tuf Voyaging by George R. R. Martin
Condensed Knowledge by the editors at mental_floss
Crown of Stars by Kate Elliott
In the Ruins by Kate Elliott
Gifts by Ursula K. Le Guin
Changing Planes by Ursula K. Le Guin
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
The Ladies of Grace Adieu by Susanna Clarke
Monks and Mystics by Mindy and Brandon Withrow
Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire by Simon Winchester
Dying of the Light by George R. R. Martin
Life@Work by John Maxwell
The Children of Men by P.D. James
Forgotten Realms: Frostfell by Mark Sehestedt
The Druids by Peter Berresford Ellis

February

The Magic of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Forgotten Realms: Sacrifice of the Widow by Lisa Smedman
Dragon Champion by E. E. Knight
Forgotten Realms: Double Diamond Triangle Saga by Various Authors
Outwitting History by Aaron Lansky
Forbidden Knowledge by the editors at mental_floss

March

Three Blind Mice and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
Witness for the Prosecution and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
Rome 2006 by Rick Steves
Supplement to the Italian Dictionary by Bruno Munari
Keats and Italy by Various Authors
The Last Sin Eater by Francine Rivers
Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
Night by Elie Wiesel
Dachshunds for Dummies by Eve Adamson
Legend by David Gemmell
Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe by James M. Ward

April

Forgotten Realms: Depths of Madness by Erik Scott de Bie
The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Shakespeare's Kings by John Julius Norwich
On Becoming a Leader by Warren Bennis
The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain
Black Gate: Issue 10 Spring 2007 by John O'Neill (ed.) and Howard Andrew Jones (ed.)
Forgotten Realms - Unclean: The Haunted Lands, Book I by Richard Lee Byers

May

Dragon Avenger by E. E. Knight
Eldest by Christopher Paolini
Scatterbrained by the editors at Mental_Floss
The Prestige by Christopher Priest
Real Estate Finance for Investment Properties by Steve Berges
The Clerk's Tale by Margaret Frazer
The Bastard's Tale by Margaret Frazer
The Hunter's Tale by Margaret Frazer
Forgotten Realms - The Gossamer Plain: The Empyrean Odyssey Book 1 by Thomas M. Reid
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
The King's Buccaneer by Raymond E. Fiest
The King Beyond the Gate by David Gemmell
The Unhandsome Prince by John Moore
A Fate Worse than Dragons by John Moore
Maskerade by Terry Pratchett
The Truth by Terry Pratchett
Carpe Jugulum by Terry Pratchett

June

Interesting Times by Terry Pratchett
The Fifth Elephant by Terry Pratchett
Coraline by Neil Gaiman
Night Watch by Terry Pratchett
Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
The Restorer by Sharon Hinck
Another Fine Myth/Myth Conceptions by Robert Asprin
American Gods by Neil Gaiman
Father of Dragons by L. B. Graham

July

Black History Through Blue Eyes: The Debt the World Owes to Africa by James Seymour
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Forgotten Realms: Scream of Stone, The Watercourse Trilogy Book III by Philip Athans
The Case of the Missing Books by Ian Sansom
Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Lud-in-the-Mist by Hope Mirrlees
Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
The Widow's Tale by Margaret Frazer
A Rhyming History of Britain by James Muirden, David Eccles (Illustrator)

August

More Than A Hobby by David Green
Real Estate Investment Trusts: Structure, Performance, and Investment Opportunities by Su Han Chan, John Erickson, Ko Wang
Tipperary: A Novel by Frank Delaney
Explorer's House: National Geographic and the World It Made by Robert M. Poole
Forgotten Realms: The Howling Delve by Jaleigh Johnson
A Life Well Spent: The Eternal Rewards of Investing Yourself and Your Money in Your Family by Russ Crosson
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
The Telling by Ursula K. Le Guin

September

Black Gate Issue #11 by John O'Neill (ed.)
The Surrogates by Robert Venditti, Brett Weldele
Shadowstorm by Paul S. Kemp
Forgotten Realms: Swords of Dragonfire by Ed Greenwood
Forgotten Realms: Shadowstorm by Paul S. Kemp
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Honored Enemy by Raymond E. Feist and William R. Fortschen
Murder in LaMut by Raymond E. Feist and Joel Rosenberg
Forgotten Realms: Storm of the Dead by Lisa Smedman
The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What it Means for All of Us by Robyn Meredith
The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller
Union of Renegades by Tracy Falbe
Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley

October

Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell
The Sagittarius Command by R. M. Meluch
The Summoner by Gail Z. Martin
Making Money by Terry Pratchett
Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell
Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines

November

Scarlet by Stephen R. Lawhead
The Princes of the Golden Cage by Nathalie Mallet
Green Rider by Kristen Britain
The Phoenix Unchained by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
Forgotten Realms: Stardeep by Bruce Cordell
The Awakened Mage by Karen Miller
Forgotten Realms: The Orc King by R. A. Salvatore
Ragamuffin by Tobias Buckell
A Prayer for the Damned by Peter Tremayne
The Blue Haired Bombshell by John Zakour
Hedge Hunters by Katherine Burton
Sails and Sorcery: Tales of Nautical Fantasy edited by W. H. Horner
Shimmer, The Pirate Issue edited by John Joseph Adams

December

Eberron: The Orb of Xoriat by Edward Bolme
Sojourn: The Sorcerer's Tale by Ian Edgington and Greg Land
Across the Face of the World by Russell Kirkpatrick
Forgotten Realms: Crypt of the Moaning Diamond by Rosemary Jones
Fellowship Fantastic by Martin H. Greenberg and Kerrie Hughes
Genetopia by Keith Brooke
The Tales of the Last War edited by Mark Sehestedt
Bad A** Faeries edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail
Robin Hood and the Beasts of Sherwood by Clayton Emery
Tides by Scott Mackay
Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet

January February March April May June
July August September October November December

Book Review: Genetopia by Keith Brooke

* Genre: Science Fiction
* ISBN: 1591023335
* ISBN-13: 9781591023333
* Format: Hardcover, 305pp
* Publisher: PYR
* Pub. Date: February 2006

With elements of The Island of Dr. Moreau, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, and the philosophical underpinnings of a Robert Heinlein novel, Genetopia, by Keith Brooke, explores what it is to be human in a world devolved from its present state.

In Brooke’s future Earth, mankind has fallen from its high technological state into a tribal culture more controlled by the technology it created than controlling it. The advent of nanotechnology and the proliferation of genetic modification at some point in the distant past led to the creation of two races of humans. There are the “True” humans, who maintain all the proper genetic characteristics (although this is subject to change at any moment from the harsh environment) and the Mutts, a subhuman race kept as slave labor. The mutts are genetically incapable of acting out against the True, and so have become the True’s servants and slaves. The setting of Genetopia is hostile to the True. They cannot eat anything wild, must protect against the sun and be very careful of changing fevers for fear of the “changing vectors” that might cause them to become Lost (True humans turned mutt).

Flint and Amberline are two True humans in a village and clan renowned for its application of the “changing vectors” for the betterment of True mankind through the subjugation of the mutts who emerge from the changing vats. Brother and sister, they had always been close, especially because their parents were brutal and selfish and treated both of them poorly. Amberline once suffered the changing fever as a child that left her changed, giving her tan eye color, but was still considered one of the true, and so was not cast out. But when Amber disappears, Flint sets out on a journey to find her and in the process finds out more about his world and himself, not all of it pretty.

Brooke has taken technology we know of now (nanotech and gene manipulation) and taken it to its logical conclusion, assuming a declining civilization. But is that civilization truly declining? Or is it just changing into something different? Brooke makes it clear that True humans have much to fear from the planet on which they live, but that the Mutts, who vastly outnumber the True, have very little to fear. Brooke explores the concept of change as agent for good at cultural and personal levels throughout Flint’s search for Amberline, and the interplay of the separate societies of the Mutts and True.

You may have thought it odd that this review compared Genetopia to Uncle Tom’s Cabin. But after you have read it, you won’t think it so odd. The Mutts live in slavery akin to that propagated by the African Slave trade. Brooke goes out of his way to make sure the reader understands just how debased the mutts are by the True humans. Brooke highlights, much as Harriet Beecher Stowe did, just how much humanity can hurt its own species, so long as they appear to be different. When wild Mutts fight back against the True, Brooke’s depictions of the True’s reactions show the gamut of emotions that can lead one people to put another into bondage and keep them there.

Flint’s character and personality go through several changes as he searches for Amberline. His character is the thrust of the story and it is his personal struggle with the effects of a changed world that really drives the plot forward. But Amberline’s story is told as well, albeit in a creative way. Except for the final few chapters, we never get inside the mind of Amberline, but are always told her story from an outside observer’s point of view. I hadn’t thought that this would work well, but Brooke manages to make the telling of Amberline’s story just as compelling as the personal insights and reactions of Flint. As the two characters spin around each other, narrowly missing finding one another on several occasions, the reader will feel the anguish of the close calls. Brooke gives Flint a real heart of glass, ready to shatter at any moment under the ache of survival and his desire to find his younger sister. And Amber has a heart as bold as brass, strong and courageous, set on her own survival, even after an irrevocable change occurs in her life, rendering her unable to return to the life of the True.

Brooke’s story has some sex scenes and contains some judicious use of swearing. However, the sex portrayed is, in all but one case, really designed to show just how far humanity had devolved from its high and lofty state. Most of the sexual scenes are bestial, or selfish, or outright rape. So it is appropriate to the story, and no worse than the average R rated movie, but I wouldn’t recommend this book to just anyone, and would keep it out of the hands of children not yet prepared to read such material. For adults, the scenes are more likely to engender horror or disgust, as was most likely Brooke’s intent.

Although some fights occur, Brooke makes his characters to deal more with the aftermath of such situations, rather than enjoy the fight itself. Most of the action comes from placing his characters in mortal danger from which they can only escape by cunning rather than force. For the most part, the fight scenes are left to the reader’s imagination, with only a little guidance as to the details.

Some readers may find that Brooke has a tendency to overtly state what he is trying to convey in the story. Rather than layer the theme in subtlety, Brooke has instead opted to simply have his characters think, say, or feel exactly what he is trying to teach. The story might seem a little preachy to some readers, spending more time on trying to teach the reader something about change than to tell a story. But this is not a thinly veiled social commentary. It is a good story, simple, and written in tightly packed scenes that come from Brooke’s skill as a short story writer. Each scene is powerful in its own right, and each chapter tells a mini-story, and the whole makes an enjoyable novel. Like most short story writers, Brooke is writing with economy, not using many words to relate the narrative, but rather striking right to the heart of the issue.

Genetopia is well-written, asks good questions, and provides an unusual answer. The resolution is heartwarming and sad all at once, and wraps up the story in an unexpected way. Like Heinlein and other science fiction authors, Brooke is asking questions about the nature of humanity and the role science plays in defining that humanity in the future. In Brooke’s vision, science has changed us into something different, not better, nor worse, only different. Flint and Amberline are compelling characters, and their journeys take quite a few unexpected twists. Brooke has written a tight, interesting, and unusual novel in Genetopia that I recommend as a good read for those who want to explore the nature of humanity and for those readers interested in the lost civilizations style science fiction.

Sly Mongoose Trailer with Sound

It is amazing what a little music can do to beef up the effect of images.

Book Reviews by Title

These are the my book reviews, categorized alphabetically by the title. (Click here for categorization by author.) "The" doesn't count towards the title.

You can also subscribe to an RSS feed of my reviews at librarything.

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

A

A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah
A Rhyming History of Britain by James Muirden (author) and David Eccles (illustrator)
Across the Face of the World by Russell Kirkpatrick
Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank
Are Women Human? by Dorothy Sayers
Auralia's Colors by Jeffrey Overstreet
The Awakened Mage by Karen Miller

B

Bad-A** Faeries edited by Danielle Ackley-McPhail (et al.)
Badger's Moon by Peter Tremayne
Bash Down the Door and Slice Open the Badguy edited by W. H. Horner
Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie
Beyond the Summerland by L. B. Graham
Breach the Hull edited by Mike McPhail
A Bit of Madness by Emmanuel Civiello and Thomas Mosdi
Black Gate: Issue #11 edited by John O'Neill
Black History Through Blue Eyes: The Debt the World Owes to Africa by James Seymour
The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie
Bloodheir by Brain Ruckley
Blood Ties by Pamela Freedman
The Blue-Haired Bombshell by John Zakour

C

The Children of Men by P. D. James
The Clerk's Tale by Margaret Frazer
Confessor by Terry Goodkind
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt
The Crown of Stars Series by Kate Elliott
Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell
Condensed Knowledge by the editors of mental_floss

D

Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison
The Dead Guy Interviews by Michael Stusser
The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells
Dragon Champion by E. E. Knight
Dragon Outcast
The Druids by Peter Berresford Ellis
Dying of the Light by George R. R. Martin

E

Eberron: Bound by Iron by Edward Bolme
Eberron: The Orb of Xoriat by Edward Bolme
Eberron: The Tales of the Last War by Mark Sehestedt
The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What it Means for All of Us by Robyn Meredith
Empress by Karen Miller
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Explorer's House: National Geographic and the World It Made by Robert M. Poole

F

Fast Food Nation by Eric Schlosser
Fellowship Fantastic by Martin H. Greenberg and Kerrie Hughes
The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman
Flash Fiction Online, April 2008 edited by Jake Freivald
Forgotten Realms: The City of Splendors by Elaine Cunningham and Ed Greenwood
Forgotten Realms: Crypt of the Moaning Diamond by Rosemary Jones
Forgotten Realms: The Gossamer Plain by Thomas M. Reid
Forgotten Realms: The Howling Delve by Jaleigh Johnson
Forgotten Realms: Obsidian Ridge by Jess Lebow
Forgotten Realms: The Orc King by R. A. Salvatore
Forgotten Realms: Road of the Patriarch by R. A . Salvatore
Forgotten Realms: Shadowstorm by Paul S. Kemp
Forgotten Realms: Stardeep by Bruce Cordell
Forgotten Realms: Swords of Dragonfire by Ed Greenwood
Forgotten Realms: Unclean by Richard Lee Byers

G

Genetopia by Keith Brooke
The Gift of Pain by Paul Brand and Philip Yancey
Glory Road by Robert Heinlein
Green Rider by Kristen Britain
Goblin Hero by Jim C. Hines
Goblin Quest by Jim C. Hines
Goblin War by Jim C. Hines
The Golden Cord by Paul Genesse
Grimspace by Ann Aguirre
Growingold with B.C. by Johnny Hart

H

Hedge Hunters by Katherine Burton
Henry V (Classical Comics Edition) by William Shakespeare
Heroes Adrift by Moira J. Moore
The Hidden City by Michelle West
Honored Enemy by Raymond E. Feist and William R. Fortschen
Hood by Stephen Lawhead
Hunter's Run by George R. R. Martin, Gardner Dozois, and Daniel Abraham

I

Infoquake by David Louis Edelman
The Innocents Abroad by Mark Twain
The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller
Iron Man: Beneath the Armor by Andy Mangels

J

J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter
The Junior Books by Dave Ramsey

K

Klasssic Koalas: Ancient Aboriginal Tales in New Retellings by Lee Barwood
Knife of Dreams by Robert Jordan
The Know-It-All by A. J. Jacobs

L

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
Legend by David Gemmell
The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
Life@Work by John C. Maxwell

M

Madhouse by Rob Thurman
Magician by Raymond E. Feist
The Magic of Recluce by L. E. Moedesitt Jr.
Making Money by Terry Pratchett
Master of Souls by Peter Tremayne
The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards
Midnight Never Come by Marie Brennan
Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe by James M. Ward
Misspelled edited by Julie E. Czerneda
Monks and Mystics by Mindy and Brandon Withrow
Moon Gate by David Weldon and William Proctor
More Than A Hobby by David Green
The Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson
Murder in LaMut by Raymond E. Feist and Joel Rosenberg

N

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss
Night by Elie Wiesel
The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

O

On Becoming A Leader by Warren Bennis
Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire by Simon Winchester
Outwitting History by Aaron Lansky

P

Phantom by Terry Goodkind
The Pendragon Cycle by Stephen Lawhead
The Phoenix Unchained by Mercedes Lackey and James Mallory
Phytosphere by Scott Mackay
Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder
The Prestige by Christopher Priest
The Princes of the Golden Cage by Nathalie Mallet
The Prodigal Troll by Charles Coleman Finlay

Q

R

Ragamuffin by Tobias Buckell
Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
The Restorer by Sharon Hinck
Return of the Sword edited by Jason M. Waltz
The Rick Steves' Travel Guide Series by Rick Steves
The Road by Cormac McCarthy
Robin Hood and the Beasts of Sherwood by Clayton Emery
Rolling Thunder by John Varley

S

The Sagittarius Command by R. M. Meluch
Sails and Sorcery: Tales of Nautical Fantasy edited by W. H. Horner
Scarlet by Stephen Lawhead
Shadow in the Deep by L. B. Graham
The Shadow and Night by Chris Walley
Shadowmarch by Tad Williams
Shakespeare's Kings by John Julius Norwich
Shimmer, The Pirate Issue edited by John Joseph Adams
Small Favor by Jim Butcher
Smoke in the Wind by Peter Tremayne
Sojourn: The Bezerker's Tale by Ian Edgington and Greg Land
Sojourn: The Sorcerer's Tale by Ian Edgington and Greg Land
The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes
The Summoner by Gail Z. Martin
The Surrogates, Vol. 1 by Robert Venditti

T

Teacher Man by Frank McCourt
Thud! by Terry Pratchett
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield
Tides by Scott Mackay
Tipperary: A Novel by Frank Delaney
The Treasure Principle by Randy Alcorn
The Truth by Terry Pratchett

U

Union of Renegades by Tracy Falbe

V

W

Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse edited by John Joseph Adams
Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell
Winterbirth by Brian Ruckley

X

Y

Z

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Sly Mongoose Trailer

Tobias Buckell has put together a trailer for his new novel Sly Mongoose No sound yet because he hasn't found the right non copyrighted music, but still fun to watch. He is looking for suggestions of music to use.

GFTW's Favorite Reads of 2007

Well, all, time for my first ever favorite reads of the year. In 2007, I read a lot of books (and since it ain't over yet, will read several more).

This is not a list of books published in 2007, but rather a list of favorite books I read this year. After all, truly great books are good no matter when you read them. Books are listed in no particular order of importance as they are all worth reading. Find the reviews here.

1. Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe by James M. Ward - how can you not like an 18th century based fantasy world with sailing ships made out of sea dragons?

2. Dragon Champion by E. E. Knight -A revival of the dragon in fantasy novels. Proof that dragons are not overdone or tropes in fantasy, but still have a lot left to give reader and writer.

3. Father of Dragons by L. B. Graham - A little known author, his story is both Christian allegory and great narrative. This is book four in a series that begins with Beyond the Summerland. Also great reading for the youths in your life.

4. American Gods by Neil Gaiman - Need I say more?

5. The Surrogates by Robert Venditti - the only graphic novel on this list, it has already been optioned for a movie starring Bruce Willis and was one of the most unusual stories I read this year.

6. The Blade Itself by Joe Abercrombie - My post about the use of swearing in fantasy and science fiction was prompted by this novel and the discussion it created really put me on the internet map. Not only that, it is just a great novel that needs to be read by everyone. A funny and pithy novel, you won't regret reading it.

7. Shadowstorm by Paul S. Kemp - Giving shared world fiction validity as literature is Paul S. Kemp, and his novel about competing powers, the nature of people, and the forms of evil shows the naysayers just how wrong they are. This is the second novel in a series encompassing these themes.

8. The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller - a brand new voice in the US market, Karen's books came at just the right time for me, and while flawed, were a great read.

9. Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell - Great author, great story, original thinking and approach to SF.

10. Children of Men by P.D. James - The seminal novel about humanity and reproduction. Not matter your opinion about abortion and/or the choice vs. life this is a must read. Don't see the movie, it sucks.

This year saw a lot of change for this blog. Around about October, it really found its voice as a fantasy and science fiction review blog, and I can honestly say, I haven't had so much fun with a hobby, ever. Meeting all the great authors, the other blogger reviewers, and building relationships with publishers has been some of the most rewarding "work" I have ever done. Thanks to all of you who read and support this blog!

Wayfarer's Journal

Wayfarer’s Journal is a new webzine that focuses specifically on developing "a venue to publish and review science fiction with a spiritual dimension." There will be no fantasy published by this 'zine.

But Wayfarer's Journal is not message oriented, according to the site. "Nobody's going to "preach at you" or hit you over the head with a Bible." says Terri Main, the founder and editor. While this is true for the most part, the site has a heavy emphasis towards the Christian faith and its non-fiction articles are obviously Christian even if the stories are more subtle. There is also an obvious altar call in the section called "Beyond Infinity". While these are not bad things in themselves, authors looking for places to submit their work ought to know that what Wayfarer's Journal is looking for are Christian science fiction stories, poetry and nonfiction.

Included in their issues are poetry, short stories, novellas, reviews, essays, and industry news. They pay reasonably well for submissions.

The site itself is very new and lacks any real sort of graphic appeal. It is mostly black and white with a header graphic is nice but is slightly busy. A lot of the text in their posts is too long for the container it is in and either runs over into the background, or the borders stop and the white page and gray background run into each other, making it look a bit unprofessional.

Some of the links are broken (the one to the story Memories in particular), so I was not able to even view all of the stories. Additionally, of the stories I was able to view, some of them were posted in different fonts than others. This was probably due to different lengths for the story, but the lack of consistency in font size between stories is a detriment to the readability of the site.

This is a very young site. (At the moment, there are only 4 stories, two poems, one review, and two nonfiction articles.) They are open to submissions, so if you have that strange story none of the big boys will take, you might try here.

Ultimately, this new webzine is trying to meld together science fiction and the Christian faith. There are honest arguments as to whether that is even possible, but at least they are making go of it. I think that for all their assurances that they are not "message-oriented" that in trying to do what they are doing, it is unavoidable to be message oriented. Especially when you include the three steps to Christian salvation as one of your header links.

You might find this site of interest as either a writer or a reader. I'm not sure that another Christian SF webzine is necessary when Ray Gun Revival and The Sword Review have been fulfilling the need well along with several others. Still, it is another venue for writers to publish in, which can be a good thing, and it wants to add a spiritual dimension to science fiction, which in this growing age of faith as a motivator to good and evil, is also a good thing.

We will need to watch and see how this new webzine grows, in the meantime, take a look at Wayfarer's Journal, just for fun.

This review is a part of the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Blog Tour. Other bloggers on this month's tour are:

Brandon Barr Jim Black Justin Boyer Grace Bridges Amy Browning Jackie Castle Carol Bruce Collett Valerie Comer CSFF Blog Tour D. G. D. Davidson Chris Deanne Jeff Draper April Erwin Marcus Goodyear Andrea Graham Jill Hart Katie Hart Michael Heald Jason Joyner Kait Carol Keen Mike Lynch Margaret Rachel Marks Melissa Meeks Rebecca LuElla Miller Mirtika or Mir's Here John W. Otte John Ottinger Rachelle Steve Rice Cheryl Russel Ashley Rutherford Hanna Sandvig James Somers Steve Trower Speculative Faith Jason Waguespac Laura Williams Timothy Wise

Presidential Candidates reading Science Fiction?

Neil Gaiman posted this link over at his blog where a NY Times writer suggests to the presidential candidates the science fiction they should read. It is nonpartisan funny.

Book Review: The Blue-Haired Bombshell by John Zakour

* Genre: Mystery, Humor, Science Fiction
* ISBN: 075640455X
* ISBN-13: 9780756404550
* Format: Mass Market Paperback, 368pp
* Publisher: Penguin Group (DAW)
* Pub. Date: December 4, 2007

Sometimes, in these cold winter months, you just want to curl up on the couch with a book that will make you smile. May I suggest that if you are feeling the need, that you pick up John Zakour’s The Blue-Haired Bombshell? All right, I know, the title makes you cringe. It sounds like one of those bad stories from the pulp age of SF. You know, the ones with buxom babes, lots of sword fights and not a whole lot of character depth? Well, The Blue-Haired Bombshell is kinda like that in style and feel. Zakour has intentionally tried to recreate that effect. In fact, Zakour's novels even use old 1940s style layouts and illustrations for the cover, giving them that pulp novel feel.

Zakour brings to the fore everything we loved about the pulp age of SF and mixes it with everything that was great about the old noir mystery’s in his novels. The main character, Zachary Nixon Johnson (poor guy, what a name) is the very last private detective on Earth, and unfortunately for him, he is actually pretty good at it. In four previous novels, he has successfully saved the world several times, usually from an Austin Powers style madman (or should I say, madwoman?) Almost all of the characters that surround Zach in this first person novel are women, all gorgeous, and all way more powerful than the average joe or jane. Psionic powers have come to the fore in the world Zakour paints, as well as the powerful role of genetics. The end result is superwomen whose power has gone just a bit to their heads. One woman thinks she is a superhero, another lives in a fairy tale realm of her own imagining, except she can make it exist, and even Zach’s secretary is a super powerful psionic able to move objects with her mind or read people’s thoughts.

The Blue-Haired Bombshell is another of Zach’s world saving escapades. In this case, several important members of the World Council have been slaughtered and it is believed that one of their bodyguards committed the crime. Zach, who had personal knowledge of both the accused and one of the victims, knows this isn’t true. He suspects a plot by the Moon (or Moonies as they are called, all of whom are of Asian descent, hmmm). The moon has been suing for its freedom from Earth, and Zach thinks that the World Council members were killed for their opposition to the Moon’s freedom. He then embarks on a zany mystery with the supercomputer implanted in his mind HARV, the extremely perky gun GUS, and psionic Carol, his secretary.

Zakour has done a good job of giving the reader a humorous science fiction novel. What Terry Pratchett has done in using fantasy to satirize culture and the genre of fantasy, Zakour has done with science fiction. While the writing is perhaps not on par with Pratchett, the humor is close. The story is non stop action, as Zach bounces from one near death experience to another, all the while finding the clues that lead to the real culprit. I enjoyed it as great escapism for a cold and yucky Saturday.

Zakour is especially good with language and wit. Instead of the standard “god” or “damn” for curse words, he instead chooses to use “Gates” and “DOS” respectively. That’s pretty clever and geeks everywhere will get a kick out of it. The story is also rife with puns, alliterations, and funny acronyms. To tell you them would ruin the humor, but trust me, you will like them.

Of course, this is just a simple story, and anyone looking for high literature or some epic space opera would do well to steer clear. Zakour’s novel is simply ridiculous in content and plot. You will need to be looking for something to laugh at and with if you want to enjoy this book. And The Blue-Haired Bombshell has its flaws. Some of the humor Zakour attempts falls rather flat, or can even be described as offensive. But these are few and far between. It also could be difficult to follow the conversation when several people were speaking in Zach’s mind at once (although this does also add some humor to the story). His descriptions of the surroundings are sparse when action is occurring, so sometimes it can be difficult to place people in relation to each other in your mind’s eye. Women might find it somewhat offensive, as all the female characters are buxom and beautiful. Yet they are strong, stronger than Zach, and he must rely on their skills ultimately to save the world.

But really, don’t go looking for anything deep or meaningful in the story. Just relax and let your eyes coast over the page. Humor is the best medicine, so they say, and The Blue-Haired Bombshell is sure to make you smile just a little bit.

The Blue-Haired Bombshell is one of those guilty little pleasures we all need at the end of a long day. So take your eyes off the computer screen for a few hours, let your Jedi rest his sword arm, and pick up The Blue-Haired Bombshell.

Book Review: Ragamuffin by Tobias Buckell

* Genre: Science Fiction
* ISBN: 0765315076
* ISBN-13: 9780765315076
* Format: Hardcover, 320pp
* Publisher: Doherty, Tom Associates, LLC
* Pub. Date: June 2007

With Crystal Rain, Tobias Buckell broke onto the speculative fiction scene with a bang. The blogosphere just ate him up, giving his Caribbean based science fiction novels rave reviews. In Ragamuffin, Buckell has upped the ante. A Sci Fi Channel Essential Book, Ragamuffin returns to the universe in which Crystal Rain is set. But whereas Crystal Rain’s story takes place entirely on one planet, Ragamuffin expands into the worlds of the not-so-Benevolent Satrapy.

Ragamuffin follows the character of Natasha, a woman who was sent from one of the human controlled worlds (all of which are cut off from contact due to the destruction of their wormholes by the Satrapy) to be a terrorist. Her job is to tap into the lamina, a sort of very advanced internet, and take it over by promulgating and copying her mind. Unfortunately for her, the right opportunity hasn’t arisen, and the Satrapy has gotten wind of her existence. On the run, she turns to the Raga, the remnants of humanity within the Satrapy’s worlds. Meanwhile, Pepper and John deBrun are dealing with an incursion of Teotl into Nanagada from the Spindle, the closed wormhole leading to the Teotl homeworld. All of these characters are on a collision course with each other, and the fate of humanity is at stake.

In the world of Buckell’s imagining, humans are not the dominant race, but are in fact subservient to a mind controlling race called the Satrapy. This results in a tension based on racial factors somewhat reminiscent of Babylon 5. From their lowly position at the bottom of the racial totem pole, humanity has only recently regained the ability to think and do for themselves. Yet there are humans who serve the Satrapy, and when these humans seek to destroy the rogue elements of humanity in the ailing Raga, Natasha steps to the plate.

While humanity as subservient race is not a new concept in science fiction, (think Titan A.E.) Buckell continues to give his characters and story a Caribbean flavor. The Caribbean is truly a hodgepodge of cultures, and Buckell taps that to create a believable universe filled with varying species of intelligent creatures. The antagonism between the species, and between those who support their own species versus those who willingly serve the very species destroying them, drives a great deal of the narrative.

Of particular interest in Ragamuffin was one particular fight scene. Natasha and her companions are forced to traverse the length of a space station in weightlessness while being shot at. The entire scene takes a very long time and is the most fun fight scene I have read in a long time. I really felt the suspense and the fear of the characters as they wondered whether they were going to survive. I gritted my teeth as Natasha did her best to keep herself and her companions alive. For that scene alone the entire novel is worth reading. And of course, the epic space battle at the end of the story, where several different organizations are fighting one another is so complex and action packed that I was flush with excitement.

Buckell has claimed that Ragamuffin is a stand alone novel. I disagree. I think that without having read Crystal Rain, I would have been at a bit of a loss to understand the actions of certain characters, particularly John deBrun and Pepper. However, it is possible to read Ragamuffin without reading Crystal Rain, as there is a bare bones summary of the first novel that will allow the reader to enjoy Ragamuffin. But I think that reading Crystal Rain will give the reader a better sense of Ragamuffin in particular the characters of John deBrun and Pepper, and give a better understanding of the antagonism towards the Teotl which is hard to get by just reading Ragamuffin. And while the epic space battle at the end is exhilarating, it can be difficult to follow the narrative due to the great number of elements that are part of the story. Still, it should not be a deterrent to reading the novel.

I continue to recommend Tobias Buckell as an author extraordinaire. His novels are lively, exciting, and original. Ragamuffin continues in the grand tradition of Crystal Rain. Put these novels on your Christmas list this year.

Review of Axis by Robert Charles Wilson at B&N

Barnes and Noble.com has a Paul Di Filippo review of Axis by Robert Charles Wilson. An excerpt:

In his new book, Axis-the first of two planned sequels to Spin, and hence that innately awkward creature known as "the middle book of a trilogy"-Wilson veers much more heavily toward pure science fiction. It's not that he neglects the virtues and charms of psychological realism. Far from it, since his characterizations and his observations about eternal human verities remain luminous, as does his prose. But by the very nature of the new book's different venue and the futuristic events underway, the focus shifts away from a certain comfort zone beloved by readers of mainstream fiction. The result is a novel that feels like both a logical and valid extension of Spin, but also a lateral jump deeper into genre waters.

Greenwood Publishing Group - Literary Criticism

In my web meanderings, I came across an interesting website. Greenwood Press publishes books of all genres and stripes, but the primary focus of all of them is to produce reference titles for libraries. As stated on their website:

The Greenwood Publishing Group is one of the world's leading publishers of reference titles, academic and general interest books, texts, books for librarians and other professionals, and electronic resources. With over 18,000 titles in print, GPG publishes some 1,000 books each year, many of which are recognized with annual awards from Choice, Library Journal, the American Library Association, and other scholarly and professional organizations.

But the best part for all the fantasy and science fiction critics out there is that they have a whole section devoted to literary criticism of authors, the genres, and comparative studies.

Now, because these are reference titles meant to last a while, they are rather hefty in price. (One book, the Greenwood Encyclopedia of Fantasy and Science Fiction costs $394.) Yet, this is a good jumping off point for those looking for literary criticism of the genre that is hard to find on bookshelves. (They also have UK pricing, by the way.)

I was particularly interested in Fantastic Literature: a Critical Reader that traces literary criticism of fantasy and scifi all the way back to Plato!

Again, the primary focus of these volumes is for libraries and classroom settings. But if you are looking for literary criticism on fantasy and science fiction, this will at least give you some titles to look for from a reputable publisher.

And of course, there is also this useful Amazon.com list. Or this one (which includes some of the Greenwood publications).

Book Review: Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell

Genre: Science Fiction
ISBN: 0765350904
ISBN-13: 9780765350909
Format: Mass Market Paperback, 384pp
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates, LLC (TOR)
Pub. Date: May 2007

Imagine yourself in the Caribbean. Think of the sandy beaches, the blue of the ocean, and the jungle filled with palm trees. Think of the people, and their funny pidgin English, varicolored skin, and laid back attitudes. Now transplant the scene in your mind to a far away planet that is exactly like what you are picturing, except that most technology has been lost. It is a pleasant scene with a dastardly twist. Caribbean-born author Tobias Buckell has taken the tropic of our dreams and turned it into a place fraught with peril in his science fiction debut, Crystal Rain.

Crystal Rain tells the story of John deBrun (through multiple points of view), a man who has lost his memory, yet retains an exceptional ability to create maps in his mind. A family man, deBrun uses his skill to be an exceptional fisherman. But fate has more in store. The Azteca, a fierce race of people who have returned to the blood sacrifice of the Aztecs of old Earth history, have come over the mountains, bent on seeking the subjugation of the peaceful Nanagadans. Separated from his family, deBrun must go on a quest to the far north to seek the Ma Wi Jung and the return of his memories, in order to save his land, and get his revenge on the Azteca. In the midst of this, there is something going on between the gods of the humans, the Teotl and the Loa, physical gods worshiped by most of the humans. Their machinations provide a third twist to the story, with the enigma of Pepper providing a fourth.

Buckell’s story blended just the right amounts of adventure, mystery, and emotion to create a fast-paced and exciting story. The lost mysteries of the old-fathers (of which John deBrun’s quest to find the real driving force behind the plot) bring the reader into a world both familiar and eerily strange. Buckell creates a believable setting for a civilization whose grand technologies were lost. Unlike other speculative novels of the same type, Buckell’s technologies are logical and appropriate for the time period in which he sets the story, four hundred years after the loss of technology sent them back to an earlier culture. Airships exist, but they are dirigibles, and steam power is also in use. Guns also continue, but are limited. Farming and fishing are primary trades for the people. These technologies make sense in a world that once had them, but lost them due to catastrophe. The knowledge remained to some extent, and so engineering feats were possible, but they were limited in scope.

The characters of Crystal Rain are fascinating. Buckell has used his own Caribbean background to give his characters a pidgin English language that makes sense. Some readers will find it choppy and difficult, especially when pronouns are used in odd places, or sentence structure seems illogical to what we were taught in school. But unlike other authors, Buckell’s pidgin is consistent, and follows a pattern. Other times when I have read authors who tried to give their science fiction characters a pidgin language, it never really seemed consistent or logical. Buckell has simply used an existing one he knows, and placed it in the story. As I said, some readers will find this difficult. It took me a small time to see the logical nature of the speech. When John (who speaks standard English) speaks to a character who speaks pidgin, it can be difficult for the reader to make the transition back and forth, or from in the same way from dialogue to description. But after a few of the short chapters, the reader will be able to move past it, and come to enjoy the unique nature given to the dialogue by the use of the pidgin.

The novel is rife with spelling errors outside of the dialogue. Within the dialogue, it makes sense for some words to be condensed or spelled differently. Pidgin is always a move toward simplification of the language, not a complication. (Phone texting is a similar sort pidgin or simplification of English.) But the spelling errors occur in the descriptive portions of the novel, even in some key names and places. This caused me some confusion, and was a bit jarring as I read. I had to turn the page back a couple of times to see where the mistake had been made, just so I could be sure I understood what was supposed to be going on.

Crystal Rain is a strong debut. Tobias Buckell has taken the lost civilization genre of science fiction and created a wonderful story. The characters are mysterious and compelling, and John deBrun cuts a dashing and heroic figure whose own personal worries give the reader an emotional connection. But the characters are not deeply emotional. There is some philosophical discussion, but it is mostly surface level. Mostly, this story is an adventure story, with a mystery of space and time providing cohesion to the plot.

This novel is strong on action, and deeply mired in suspense and mystery. Crystal Rain is a rousing story of adventure, and speculative fiction readers shouldn’t miss it.

Book Review: The Sagittarius Command by R. M. Meluch

Genre: Science Fiction
ISBN: 0756404576
ISBN-13: 9780756404574
Format: Hardcover, 384pp
Publisher: DAW Books
Pub. Date: November 06, 2007
Series: Tour of the Merrimack Series, #3

John Farragut and the U.S.S. Merrimack are back in The Sagittarius Command, the latest novel from R.M. Meluch. Having forced the Palatine Empire (a neo-Roman space empire) into submission, Farragut must now lead their combined forces against the Hive, a space faring species that eats everything organic in its path. Whole worlds have already been destroyed. When it is discovered that the Hive has reached near space (very close to both Earth and the Roman homeworlds) it is up to Farragut and his crew, along with some reluctant Romans, to ferret out the source of the Hive and destroy it. But there are several complications along the way, not the least of which is the Hive itself.

Meluch has brought together a Star Trek problem solving style and Robert Heinlein grittiness to create The Sagittarius Command. The plot is fast paced and humorous, allowing the reader to read rapidly through the story. The primary character is John Farragut, captain of the U.S.S. Merrimack, but Meluch has created a lot of other interesting characters like TR Steele, Kerry Blue, Augustus the patterner, and Herius Asinius. No one character steals the show, although all are driven to great heights of valor by the perseverance and doggedness of Farragut.

I mentioned the Star Trek problem solving style. By that I mean that Meluch uses a dash of what is known in the twenty-first century mixed with a little hopefulness and forward-looking to create a space faring humanity that has a technology that is believable and creative. In Star Trek, while the tools of the trade were far advanced, the solutions were to problems were often a complex mix of human ingenuity, the tools of the trade, and a fair bit of luck. Scotty cobbled together engineering marvels at the behest of Kirk, just as Farragut’s engineer does for him. In that way, the Merrimack novels will appeal to fans of Star Trek who enjoyed the last minute engineering salvations that were so much a part of the show.

Yet the story has a level of Heinleinian grittiness. Meluch realizes that she is writing about soldiers, particularly American soldiers. (The USA still exists in this future space and is the leader of Earth militarily, as evidenced by the Merrimack’s U.S.S designation). Much like in Robert Heinlein’s novel Starship Troopers, the soldiers of Merrimack are swearing, live by the seat of you pants, brash people, trained to fight and kill without hesitation. This creates an interesting situation when two empires formerly at war (the US and the Palatines) are forced into close contact with one another. Soldiers are not known for their forgiveness. Meluch makes the grunts human, using them as primary characters in the narrative. TR Steele and Kerry Blue provide both comedic relief and significant plot twists. The soldiers depicted by Meluch are the real thing, not caricatures or thrust only into supporting roles. In this way Meluch steps away from Star Trek (where crewman #1 so often is killed when the away team reaches the planet) and adds some of the Heinlein grit by making us invest ourselves in characters whose lives are at stake on daily basis.

But unlike Heinlein, there is no deeper search for meaning, or an attempt to philosophize. Meluch is depicting valor in the face of overwhelming odds, showing bravery in unexpected places, and moving sword and sorcery writing into the far reaches of space. Using short, clipped sentences, Meluch provides a heart pounding thrill ride that is so often claimed but rarely ever delivered. The action is almost non-stop, the interactions but between characters dosed with the right amount of seriousness and levity, and the celebration of valor cosmic.

Some readers may find the clipped sentences annoying. Meluch often drops pronouns or leading words from the beginnings of sentences, sometimes leaving the reader wondering who the sentence is talking about or referring to. However, I think that it adds a lot to the pacing and feel of the story. Some of the subplots are random and crop up in strange places in the story arc. For instance, the subplot of the Heraclid seems an unnecessary (though interesting) addition to the story, which adds no value other than a sense of mystery that already existed in the plot. Some readers may also find the climactic solution a little unsatisfying, and the set up for the next novel a bit obvious and disappointing, especially after what had come before.

Fans of Star Trek and Heinlein alike will enjoy the story. Because Meluch provides enough background without getting too deep into prior novels, a reader can pick up this book without having read the first two, and still enjoy it. This was true for me. I had not read the first two books, but now I’d like to go back and read about the genesis of Farragut and the men and women of the Merrimack, having enjoyed this space epic so much. While you will become invested in the story and the characters, your emotions will not be toyed with, nor will any great philosophy be preached at you. R. M. Meluch tells a great story of space warfare and the triumph of the human spirit against insurmountable odds in The Sagittarius Command.

Some Publisher Links

I have added links under the Author Links Header. I have added some of the major sci-fi / fantasy publishers as well as those comic book / graphic novel publishers whose publications I enjoy reading. But you can see the list below too.

Publishers of Books

Orbit

DAW

TOR / FORGE

Wildside Press

Pyr

EOS / HarperCollins

Del Rey

Bantam Dell / Spectra Pulse

ROC / ACE / Penguin Group USA

Publishers of Comics

Dabel Brothers

Devil's Due Publishing

Wizards of the Coast

Checker BPG

Top Shelf Comix

Posted by John at 01:15 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack | Posted to Blogging | Fantasy | Graphic Novels | Science Fiction
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On the Use of Swearing in Fantasy and Speculative Fiction

This post is likely to raise some hackles. I debated within my mind whether to put it up. I finally decided that I needed help in thinking this through, and so I appeal to you.

I’d like to discuss with my readers the role of cursing/foul language/swear words in fantasy fiction. I really don’t want to address it generally, as others more qualified than I have done so, and I believe that for other genres, this area is murkier. I know that this is really a matter of personal tolerance for the words or personal preference, but what I would like to do is state my thoughts, explain why I feel this way, and garner your comments on the subject. I’ll admit at the beginning that I am conflicted about this. I have certain Christian beliefs, and a lot of this stems from my inner conflict over enjoying fantasy books that use swearing, but that are otherwise well-written, such as the recently released books by Joe Abercrombie, The Blade Itself (my review), or The Innocent Mage by Karen Miller.

Let me first say that I know that different people have different tolerances, and that the author has the right, nay the duty, to write as he wants and for his target audience. However, there will always be that person in the audience (i.e., me) uncomfortable with certain words or phrases. For purposes of this post, I will use the first letter or letter and blank spaces to denote certain words. (I don’t want the crawlers to pick it up.)

I love fantasy fiction. I have loved it since I was very young and I picked up that first Arthurian fantasy. From there I progressed to epic fantasy, into science fiction, dabbled in some urban fantasy, and have settled on epic and sword and sorcery as my favorite types. Most of the time, these books contain little to no foul language of any kind, not even fanciful, made-up words.

Foul language/swear words and curses are different to my mind. Curses are usally the taking of a god’s name in vain. Curses I see as creative parts of world-building, and are usually in the case of made-up deities. (Forgotten Realms readers will be familiar with curses about Tymora or Mystra.) Neil Gaiman even used this to clever effect in American Gods by having the gods curse on themselves. So, to me, it is acceptable to use a fake deity’s name in vain. This makes sense for an author to do, since some young readers will read these books, and parents will ignore deity curses (other than those of real religions) where they would not ignore d—n or f—k. My belief is that taking a false god’s name in vain allows the author the freedom to come up with creative curses without causing offense. The only line crossing I see between this and swearing is when words like “teats” or other body parts are used.

Swearing, using words like d—n and f—k or b—ch, and c—nt, are offensive to me as a reader. I’ve never made any secret of the fact that I am a Christian, and so my worldview on right and wrong stems from that. But I also like to think of myself as a postmodernist, willing to accept that my values are not necessarily the values of others. I say this only show that while I am a Christian, and there are certain elements within Christianity that read the Ten Commandments and the Bible to include curses and swearing as sins, I view this differently. I understand that the actual words used change from culture to culture and that it is the intent that should be judged not the particular words. Simply put, I believe that cursing and swearing are wrong in their purpose, although I have no problem with the actual words.

However, I have grown up in a Judeo-Christian, Western culture, as most native English speakers have. So within our culture, we have specific words designed to evoke swearing, such as those listed above. I dislike these not for the words themselves, but their intent and the fact that they are in fact our culture’s foul language/swear words. If I were in a different time and place, different words might be offensive to me, but I live now, so I am addressing those words which are used for swearing now.

All right, now let’s move back into why I don’t like swear words/foul language in fantasy fiction in particular.

My primary reason is simple. Because of my background and beliefs, I am often jarred out of enjoyment of a book by particular swear words. While I can gloss over d—n and even b—ch, (I have been known to use those words in anger myself before, something I regret) I am always jarred out of my reading by the word f—k or c—t or some of the less common swear words. Other people might be jarred out of their reading by the words I gloss over. This, I think, is a result of rearing and personality. By jarring I mean that I will be in the flow of the story, and then be thrust back into the real world by the use of a very real and very modern swear word. Fantasy fiction, to me, especially epic or sword and sorcery style fantasy, is about creating another world, one that, while relevant to the culture in which it is published, is also otherworldly and something apart. Good may not always triumph, but the writer is able to tell his story without thrusting me back into the real world. I like to escape, and words that are quintessentially modern prevent that. This true even of non-swear words, but usually only when they come out in the conversation of characters.

My secondary reason is also simple. Young children do read books intended for adults, not matter what categorization or separation we provide to delineate them. Classifications of adult or young adult or children are useful for categorizing, but provide no protection for young minds. I began reading adult fiction at a very young age. (Probably third grade or so.) I had exhausted the children’s fiction, and much of it was babyish and little of it was fantasy. Therefore, I began reading books with very adult themes that I could easily check out at the library. I remember reading The King of YS by Poul Anderson, a story wherein a man has many wives, and his own daughter tries to sleep with him. (Which is, I know, the exact same story as the one about Lot and his daughters from the Bible. I know the Bible is rife with these kinds of stories. However, I did not encounter them in my Children’s Bible, and only tackled them in my teens, after I had already encountered sexuality and swearing elsewhere.) I was probably about 10 years old. The sex scenes were descriptive and used the words we are talking about here. So in essence, I fear some other child doing as I did, and encountering words (and images) that should not be in their vocabulary, were not taught by their parents, and are rare in polite society.

Thirdly, I feel that it is just lazy of the author. If you can’t say it another way, you aren’t really trying very hard. Sometimes it is appropriate, especially in urban fantasy or some of the other subgenres. I can even accept it more so in science fiction since those worlds are built on our own, and we swear with certain words. But it lacks creativity in my opinion.

Sometimes a fantasy novel will use made-up words to denote swearing. Ed Greenwood uses the word “tluin” as a swear word in the Forgotten Realms setting. In all honesty, I am conflicted about this. As an adult reader, I don’t have a problem, I can even think of it as creative, but if I heard a child of mine say it, what would I likely do? Probably punish him, since it is the intent I am punishing not the word itself. I’m reminded of the Friends episode where Ross and Monica made up arm gestures for the bird to try and fool their parents. Parents aren’t stupid, and if it were my kid, I would have caught on and punished the child for the intent, no matter the gesture or word. So should fantasy writers make up swear words? Truth is, I don’t know. I guess I can’t have it both ways. I can’t commend them for creative cursing and then condemn them for creative swearing.

There is another caveat. What if you are writing a book where the characters need to swear as part of their culture? Well, I think that’s okay, and the urban fantasy subgenre is likely to do so. Urban fantasy combines the elements of contemporary fiction and standard Tolkeinesque fantasy together. As a result, some characters are likely to swear, if the come from our modern era. That just makes sense. Overuse of swear words is unnecessary and the author will have to determine to what extent he can or should, but I can see why it is used.

Do I think a fantasy story should have no swearing in it? Yes, except in certain subgenres. Do I think it ruins the story completely? No, I can still enjoy it, but I don’t like the occasional jarring that occurs. Does my Christianity affect this? Yes, I’d be a liar if I didn’t say so. Am I something of a prude? Well, yes, most people would think so. But I still would like to think that my reasons are reasonable and something others not of my faith might agree with.

In all honesty though, I’m conflicted. It’s such a grey area, especially where an art like writing is concerned. Please do not think that I am saying a book is bad because of the use of swearing and/or foul language. There are many other factors that come into play in assessing a book, and this is just one of them, but to me it is one worth study.

Do any of ya’ll have an opinion?

Jules Verne, Prolific SF Writer

Some of the time, rather than find new authors to read, I like to go back to the roots of fantasy or science fiction (hence my recent reading of Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank). The Guardian has an interesting piece on that Frenchman, Jules Verne. Says the article:

Ask an Englishman to name a French writer of science fiction and he is likely to answer: Jules Verne (ask him to name another French writer of science fiction and he'll probably go 'that guy who wrote the book on which Planet of the Apes was based, him, you know, him, can't recall his name right now'). In fact France has a rich tradition of science fiction going all the way back to Cyrano de Bergerac in the 17th century and continuing without a break right up to the present day. We might wonder why an entire literary tradition has been shrunk, in the English imagination, to a single writer. We might also wonder why that writer's enormous output - more than 50 novels - has been reduced to a handful of titles: Journey to the Centre of the Earth (1864), Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (1869-70) and Around the World in Eighty Days (1872). Verne is famous today as the inventor of Phileas Fogg, and of Captain Nemo, and for little else. It's unfair, for not only did Verne write much more than this, he wrote much better.

The article makes several recommendations of further reading, including a Utopian adventure, and an Armegeddon/Deep Impact (the movies) type story.

You can read the rest of the story, as well as a short history of Verne's life and writing, here.

In Memoriam

Famed children's author and essayist Madeleine L'Engle died last week at age 88. Best known for A Wrinkle in Time, a children's science fiction book, she also wrote a great deal on the relationship of faith and art in Walking on Water: Reflections on Faith and Art.

“Why does anybody tell a story?” she once asked, even though she knew the answer.

“It does indeed have something to do with faith,” she said, “faith that the universe has meaning, that our little human lives are not irrelevant, that what we choose or say or do matters, matters cosmically.”

WOTC Discoveries

Wizards of the Coast is putting out a new line of fiction not dependent on their shared worlds. However, if you try to find it on the website, it is nigh on impossible. Elaine Cunningham was nice enough to post this link. Now we can finally see what WOTC has been talking about.

PS: They have also reopened to submissions, so if you are a writer, you might want to get in there.

Book Review: The Surrogates, Vol. 1 by Robert Venditti

Genre: Graphic Novels, Science Fiction
Authors: Robert Venditti, Brett Weldele
ISBN: 1891830872
Pub. Date: August 2006
Format: Paperback, 208pp
Publisher: Top Shelf Productions

“Life...Only Better,” says the slogan of VSI, maker of surrogates. And who wouldn’t want to improve their life, to make it better, or to make it what they had always dreamed it should be? Such is the basis for the science fiction graphic novel The Surrogates. Written by Robert Venditti, with art direction by Brett Weldele, this novel brings a unique take on the established rules of science fiction.

Set in Atlanta (now called the Central Georgia Metropolis) in the not too distant future, The Surrogates tells a tale of mystery, vigilantism, and politics. The Surrogates are robots who can mimic normal human life. Through the technology of Virtual Reality, people are able to stay home and use their mind, through headsets, to control their surrogates. These surrogates perform all functions outside of the home for most humans, and in most cases replace real human contact. The story is told from the point of view of Detective Harvey Greer, a battered policeman of the old school, the story moves from a simple property damage case into the search for the lightning wielding terrorist Steeplejack. In the meantime, Bible quoting religious cult leader Zaire Powell III (also known as the Prophet) leads his own charge against what he sees as the abomination of the surrogates.

The story is distinctly southern in character, yet filled with issues near and dear to our own hearts. Anyone raised in the south will find echoes of the civil rights movement in the rhetoric of the prophet. Greer is an everyman; a married man seeking a true life, not the false one provided by the surrogates, and Steeplejack’s enigmatic behavior and vigilantism is something we find ourselves cheering for towards the story’s end.

In addition to the standard panel by panel comic book style of other graphic novels, The Surrogates fills in back story by providing such things as a newscast transcript, an e-newsletter, promotion materials for the surrogate products, and an essay on the benefits of surrogacy. Each of these appeared at the end of the original comics and while not driving the plot forward, did help explain the world that Venditti and Weldele have created.

The art is gritty and dark. Very few color tones were used, and the artwork’s tenor adds greatly to the undercurrent in the story of the false life provided by the surrogates. I did not like the unfinished feel of the art, but it did enhance the tone of the book. I didn’t like the artwork mostly because I couldn’t tell the difference between the surrogates and real people (perhaps that was the intent), but at least in the case of Greer, it would have been helpful to have made the dichotomy between himself and his surrogate more obvious.

The future world created by Venditti has a great deal of potential. In creating the concept of the surrogate, Venditti has shown that even when race and gender are no longer factors in decisions, our innate prejudices still rise to the top. Additionally, remove race and gender as social factors, and you are left with religion. While the religion in The Surrogates is extreme and cultic Christianity, it could just has easily have been any other religion’s fanatics. For the location and time frame of the story, Christianity makes the most sense.

I also found it daring to set the story in Georgia rather than the traditional big cities of New York, Los Angeles, or Chicago. Those cities have been used often, their unique cultures explored through science fiction. Science fiction has failed to tap into the strange and unique culture that is the Southern States. In doing so, The Surrogates has broken new ground. The story has found ample material for evaluating existing culture, and challenging our preconceptions.

The Surrogates is a fine graphic novel, and I hope that Venditti continues to write in this world. I recommend this book to all science fiction fans, cultural theorists, and comic book fans. The artwork is provocative, the story compelling, and the setting unique.

Book Review: Alas, Babylon by Pat Frank

Genre: Science Fiction, Apocalyptic Fiction
Pub. Date: July 2005
Format: Paperback, 352pp
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers
Forward by David Brin

In 1959, the world stood on the brink of disaster. The Cold War was at its height, the arms race was escalating, and the US was trailing behind in the space race. Enter Pat Frank and his novel Alas, Babylon. Written in that crucial year, Frank dared to ask the question that no one wanted to ask but everyone feared the answer to; What if nuclear war occurred? In 1959, this was a very real possibility, and Frank’s willingness to ask the question, and military expertise caused his apocalyptic fiction to sell very well, making it an instant science fiction classic.

The story takes place in the small Central Florida town of Fort Repose. Ideally located, when the nuclear bombs strike Orlando and Tampa, its particular geography spares it harm from any of the fallout. Randy Bragg, descendant of the town’s founder, ne’er do well, and ladies man, finds himself in charge of securing the safety of the town, both from external and internal forces.

Pat Frank took the title of the book from Revelation. Alas, Babylon refers to the utter and complete destruction of that hedonistic society so well known in the time of the Old and New Testaments. In this case, Babylon is a metaphor for both the United States and its rival, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. In their pursuit of power over each other, the world is very nearly destroyed.

Alas, Babylon tried to wake up its readers to the reality of the political and cultural implications of the arms race. Should nuclear war occur, life would go on, but be vastly different from what had come before. Sexism and racism would become non-existent, laws would lose meaning, and culture (art, music, theatre) would be subsumed in the need simply to survive.

Unlike other apocalyptic fiction written around the same time, Alas, Babylon is actually hopeful. The story ends on a high note as civilization begins to rebuild itself. Whereas books like Cormac McCarthy’s The Road, or William Golding’s Lord of the Flies have man revert to barbarism in the event of tragedy, Alas, Babylon sees hope in the indomitable human spirit, and in man’s faith in himself.

Typical of science fiction writes of the time, Pat Frank is a humanist, a believer in the ultimate goodness of man. Randy Bragg, the hero, steps up and becomes a leader, a man who relies on his wits and strength to pull his family and friends through the crisis. And always, there is the hope that they will and can survive in their own strength.

This novel is fascinating to read. It provides insight into the thinking of the boomer generation, as well as being a novel whose theme of hope resonates even today. Whereas Frank saw nuclear holocaust as the great tragedy, some might see the rise of religious fundamentalism or global warming as the great threat of our generation. But Frank saw past that. Alas, Babylon’s story of hope and rebuilding from the ashes shows the reader that no matter the tragedy, man will seek order in the chaos, rather than revert to barbarism.

Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror in the public domain

Strapped for cash? Check out these sites for public domain science fiction, fantasy, and horror stories. Murray Leinster, Cory Doctorow, Edwin Abbott, Victor Appleton, Jules Verne, H.G. Wells, L. Frank Baum, Lord Dunsany and Andre Norton are just a few of the choices. Of course, this can never replace paper books, but when you need reading material who can complain?

Categories:

The Baen Free Library

Thunderchild Books Out of Copyright

Fantasy

Science Fiction

Precursors of Science Fiction

Horror

A couple of links from Castle Fiction

Individuals:

Union of Renegades by Tracy Falbe

Setisia

Fan Fiction/Short Stories

Elfwood: The Wyvern's Library

The Sword Review

Dragons, Knights, and Angels

Or if you prefer audio check out:

LibroVox

Sffaudio

Of course, if paper is what you need, you could get it published here.

If you have other suggestions that should be included in this list, put 'em in the comments and I will add them promptly.

Bradbury's 451

The New York Times has an article on Ray Bradbury's effect and influence in Science Fiction and beyond.

Yesterday's Tomorrows

Locus has published online Graham Sleight's article on Robert Heinlein, of whom he says "he wasn't a writer but a prophet."

It's not difficult to imagine that as a piece of self-description. Rereading Heinlein's stories now in conjunction with those of his contemporaries in Astounding — "Doc" Smith, say — is to be struck by how much he was in command, right from the start. He somehow found, or brought into being, a language for describing the future so much more sophisticated than anything else that had been seen. How could you not pledge allegiance to it? Watching his emergence in those first few stories must have been like seeing an adult walking into a room full of children.

It's a good essay, and will introduce you to the must reads of Heinlein's career.

Hidden Sky

Ursula K. LeGuin's short story "The Masters" has been adapted into a Chamber Opera.

From the website: The world as we know it is no more. In its place, a society exists where math, science and the thirst for the unknown have been forbidden by the government and forgotten by the populace.

And of course, if you are a writer, LeGuin's thoughts on writing are very helpful.

iPhone...my novel?

Now this is an interesting way to write a science fiction novel. I like the irony of using new technology to write a novel about new technology. Or rather using technology in a way no one else would bother, due to the inherent difficulties. Too bad I can't read Italian. (HT:Worldmagblog)

Book Review: Dangerous Visions edited by Harlan Ellison

Title: Dangerous Visions
Author: Harlan Ellison (ed.)
Publish Date: 2002
Personal Rating: 3.5/5

Dangerous Visions, edited by premier sci-fi author Harlan Ellison, is the 1967 anthology of some of the most interesting and strange science fiction ever published. Several of the short stories went on to win Hugo and/or Nebula awards, among other lesser prizes.

Collected at the cusp of the Vietnam War, the end of legally sanctioned segregation, and the growing attacks on the traditional values of Americans (by their children), Dangerous Visions sought to revolutionize the science fiction genre in much the same way. The 33 stories collected by Ellison reflect the radically changing social landscape of the 1960s. From celebrations of drug culture, to praises of the new psychological methods, Dangerous Visions attempted to challenge the pulp magazine sanitized writing that had come before.

I picked up at a library book sale the 35th anniversary edition of this much lauded book. Several of the stories were fascinating, some were trash or so esoteric as to be impossible to understand, and the forwards and afterwards of each story (a rare thing in these days of letting stories stand on their own) provided insight into the socially tumultuous generation that was my father’s.

All of the stories attempt to challenge social conventions. This, of course, meant challenging the ideals of sex in marriage only, abortion as sin, education in the classical sense, religion as presented by Christianity, and the origin of evil. Humanism and Atheism as the new religions seems to be prevalent among the authors, but then that is to be expected of science fiction authors.

The stories are valuable in and of themselves as an insight into the times, and also as enjoyable reads. While “Riders of the Purple Wage” by Philip Jose Farmer (Hugo award winner) made little sense to me, that later story of “Shall the Dust Praise Thee?” by Damon Knight was able to challenge my thinking.

The delving in to sexuality of “If all Men Were Brothers, Would you Let One Marry Your Sister?” by Theodore Sturgeon asked a valid question for the sexually promiscuous age. “Gonna Roll Them Bones” by Fritz Leiber (Hugo and Nebula award winner) was frightening and stretching in its writing style and content, very different from the traditional science fiction stories.

Essentially most of the stories were good. Some tried to be too creative in writing style, and the form made its intent difficult to understand (except for those readers under the influence of drugs) and uninteresting to this reader.

Others did write about their Dangerous Visions in understandable ways, making their points clearly, and these I think have the most enduring value. Nonetheless, Ellison collected a truly unparalleled anthology of science fiction. No matter what your science fiction taste, this book will stretch you, (and, in my case, occasionally cause headaches). Some of the stories were scary or full of dark premonition, a few hopeful, but most just made this reader sit up and ask himself “what if?”

A list of the stories included can be found after the jump.

* Evensong by Lester del Rey
* Flies by Robert Silverberg
* The Day After the Day the Martians Came by Frederik Pohl
* Riders of the Purple Wage by Philip José Farmer (Hugo Award for best novella)
* The Malley System by Miriam Allen deFord
* A Toy for Juliette by Robert Bloch
* The Prowler in the City at the Edge of the World by Harlan Ellison
* The Night That All Time Broke Out by Brian W. Aldiss
* The Man Who Went to the Moon — Twice by Howard Rodman
* Faith of our Fathers by Philip K. Dick
* The Jigsaw Man by Larry Niven
* Gonna Roll the Bones by Fritz Leiber (Hugo and Nebula awards for Best Novelette)
* Lord Randy, My Son by Joe L. Hensley
* Eutopia by Poul Anderson
* Incident in Moderan and The Escaping by David R. Bunch
* The Doll-House by James Cross
* Sex and/or Mr. Morrison by Carol Emshwiller
* Shall the Dust Praise Thee? by Damon Knight
* If All Men Were Brothers, Would You Let One Marry Your Sister? by Theodore Sturgeon
* What Happened to Auguste Clarot? by Larry Eisenberg
* Ersatz by Henry Slesar
* Go, Go, Go, Said the Bird by Sonya Dorman
* The Happy Breed by John Sladek
* Encounter with a Hick by Jonathan Brand
* From the Government Printing Office by Kris Neville
* Land of the Great Horses by R. A. Lafferty
* The Recognition by J. G. Ballard
* Judas by John Brunner
* Test to Destruction by Keith Laumer
* Carcinoma Angels by Norman Spinrad
* Auto-da-Fé by Roger Zelazny
* Aye, and Gomorrah by Samuel R. Delany (Nebula Award for best short story, 1967)

Two Articles on Robert Heinlein

Two great articles at National Review on Robert Heinlein, author of Stranger in a Strange Land and Starship Troopers.

First, a transcript of Heinlein, in latter life a libertarian conservative, on Edward Murrow's 1950's radio show "This I Believe". "I am not going to talk about religious beliefs but about matters so obvious that it has gone out of style to mention them."

This article is being discussed at WORLDmagblog.

Secondly, John J. Miller's excellent piece in the same magazine. Unfortunately, a subscription is required to read the article.

"When Robert A. Heinlein opened his Colorado Springs newspaper on April 5, 1958, he read a full-page ad demanding that the Eisenhower administration stop testing nuclear weapons. The science-fiction author was flabbergasted....

Starship Troopers was published the next year, and it quickly became perhaps the most controversial sci-fi tale of all time. Critics labeled Heinlein everything from a Nazi to a racist. “The ‘Patrick Henry’ ad shocked ’em,” he wrote many years later. “Starship Troopers outraged ’em.”

What do you think? Did Stranger in a Strange Land or Starship Troopers have a great effect on you? Is Starship Troopers still relevant today, and especially in relation to the war in Iraq? If you have only seen the movie, please don't comment, the movie was extremely unfaithful and is nothing like the book.

Book Review: The Restorer by Sharon Hinck

Title: The Restorer
Author: Sharon Hinck
Genre: Fantasy, Science Fiction, Christian Fiction
Pub. Date: May 2007
Format: Paperback, 477pp
Publisher: NavPress Publishing Group

When reading fantasy books, I generally apply two arbitrary criteria that I have found useful in determining books I like. The first is I look for the willingness of the author to kill important characters, not secondary or briefly mentioned characters. I've always felt that to do so was brave and showed a willingness to push the story's limits rather than following a predictable course. The second is actually from Aristotle’s Poetics. Summarized, Aristotle says the primary character must be believable. In essence, the character must be more human than superhuman. No one wants to read about the perfect man doing great things (i.e. early Superman). No, the reader prefers the character to suffer and overcome those sufferings (whether external or internal) thus creating a true hero (i.e. Batman or Spider-man).

The Restorer, by Sharon Hinck, fails on the first criteria but fulfills the second. While no major characters are destroyed or killed in the novel, the author does manage to create a physically superhuman character whose inner struggles keep her human enough to make her sympathetic to the reader.

The story follows a standard plot line first made popular by Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and used by Stephen Lawhead in his Song of Albion trilogy. Someone from our world and time slips through a portal into an alternate universe. The world is similar to our own, but different enough to make the transition jarring. However, Hinck does through a wrench in by making the world technologically advanced and culturally tribal rather than the opposite. The opposite take is more common in science fiction. Allegorizing the story of Deborah in Judges, Hinck creates the story of a Restorer (Susan of Ridgeview Drive, soccer mom extraordinaire) whose purpose is to bring people back to a belief in the One and a return to following the laws given by Him. Susan finds herself to be the Restorer, a person not unlike the judges of the Old Testament.

The story is fun and interesting and stands up to my wife’s criterion for Christian novels. Her criterion is simple; if the Christian part of the novel is removed, is the book just like the others of its genre? The Restorer is so integrated with Scripture (both conceptually and in quote form) and a Biblical knowledge base that the book could not survive without it. While this does limit the audience (as does the character’s soccer mom status) it might find wide acceptance among the women who enjoy reading Christian novels.

Hinck’s writing is good although some of her plot is confusing. How the portal between worlds came to be is not explained till much later in the book and while the explanation is surprising, I found not knowing to be frustrating and distracting. The easy acceptance of Susan of the existence of alternate universes and her being in one is too ready and pat. I would have thought that she would have been more incredulous. Additonally, deus ex machina is not a sufficient explanation of the translation of a plastic sword into a real one. Finally, the ban on long-range weapons makes no sense. I understand its purpose as a plot device (the allegorizing of Judges and the historical record of the small backward nation of Israel’s fight against technological superpowers like Philistia and Canaan make this clear), but Hinck fails to explain how the guardians could hunt without the use of bows and arrows, even slingshots. Being limited to swords and daggers makes hunting near impossible, unless some unexplained and unmentioned device makes it possible.

However, most readers will gloss over these inconsistencies and enjoy the insights into Susan’s character and the careful weaving of Scripture into the narrative. Often, verses will be dropped into a novel to make it Christian, but it is jarring and out of sync with the rest of the story. Hinck is adept at making the words seem to flow smoothly and in showing the real power that Scripture has.

The odd admixture of science fiction and fantasy of the world building give the story an ethereal quality that adds greatly to its mood. The soul searching of Susan and the lack of any true evil character represent well the truth of the pervasiveness of sin.

I did find it difficult to get into until about chapter five. At that point questions start being answered and the story’s pace picks up. However, as a fantasy, The Restorer works well. As a Christian novel it works even better. While I think the audience is limited and leaves the male portion fantasy readership without a frame of reference, perhaps the sequel, The Restorer’s Son, will allow such readership (of which I am a part) to delve into the setting.

I recommend that Christian novel readers looking to step outside of the more common genres in such novels, and Christian fantasy lovers read this book. It is a good story, strong in morals, and epic fantasy lovers will enjoy it to some extent. However, it is best compared with Stephen Donaldson’s Chronicles of Thomas Covenant in the secular market rather than with Robert Jordan or Terry Brooks.

The Restorer is fun and engaging. Hinck has a gift for surprise and the plot never takes a predictable path. Susan of Ridgeview Drive is a hero whose inner struggles mirror our very own. Christians will understand the sanctification process better, and their own need to surrender much more deeply. Others will enjoy the fantasy elements and interesting world-building. Hinck’s foray into fantasy is a welcome addition to the growing canon of Christian speculative literature.

Sharon Hinck Wayne Thomas Batson Trish Anderson Brandon Barr Jim Black Justin Boyer Grace Bridges Amy Browning Jackie Castle Valerie Comer Karri Compton Frank Creed Lisa Cromwell CSFF Blog Tour Gene Curtis D. G. D. Davidson Chris Deanne Jeff Draper April Erwin Linda Gilmore Beth Goddard Marcus Goodyear Andrea Graham Russell Griffith Jill Hart Katie Hart Sherrie Hibbs Heather R. Hunt Becca Johnson Jason Joyner Kait Karen Dawn King Tina Kulesa Lost Genre Guild Rachel Marks Rebecca LuElla Miller Eve Nielsen John W. Otte John Ottinger Robin Parrish Rachelle Cheryl Russel Hanna Sandvig Chawna Schroeder Mirtika Schultz Steve Trower Speculative Faith Jason Waguespac Daniel I. Weaver

Book Review: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Road is a one sit read. I find it difficult to believe that anyone could possibly start reading this book and not continuously read it through to the end. Cormac McCarthy’s Pulitzer-prize winning book is so harrowing, and yet so hopeful, that as a reader turns the pages, he will not be able to stop.

The plot is simple. A father and son travel across a post-apocalyptic wasteland of ash and death. Following old maps, scrounging for tinned cans of food (as nothing grows anymore) and avoiding those humans who have turned to cannibalism in order to survive. The story follows them through their trial and travails. It is not a new plot, and has been used many times before.

But that is not what won the novel its awards. It is the relationship between man and boy that gathers these. The man is practical and utilitarian, the boy conscientious and caring. (Perhaps it is a metaphor for government by the people?) As the two face death, day by day, they find solace in one another’s company. This bond is strong and gets stronger as they face bandits and come close to starvation more than once.

The style of writing is, I believe, Faulknerian, in that punctuation is ignored. Quotation marks and apostrophes are particularly ignored. This can be off-putting to the reader, but move past it, as the work gets really good. The lack of punctuation works for the novel, adding a level of austerity and bleakness to the text. McCarthy’s writing in this way heightens the emotions of the reader and leads him/her to feel the ultimate despair of its characters.

And the despair is deep. It is only deepened in that, as the pair travel the road, the story only gets bleaker and the reader begins to wonder why they continue to travel. It seems the world has ended. Unlike in other post-apocalyptic novels, there is no idyll or paradise waiting just over the next hill. It makes you wonder just what the man and boy are hoping to find at the end of their journey.

Some critics have tried to turn this book into a metaphor on environmentalism. The world is ash and it was caused by some sort of holocaust. A holocaust powerful enough to keep wildlife from surviving, trees from growing, seeds from taking root, and turning the ocean into a gray morass. I can see where those critics get that idea. But the characters never dwell on the destruction, nor really comment on the world as it has become. Most of their conversation centers on death, survival, and the nature of God.

Rather than being a metaphor for environmentalism, I see this book as a metaphor of the search for God and the power of hope and love for one another. Perhaps that sounds like a platitude, but McCarthy has shown the depth to which these things affect us, and how all of our life is really a striving after purpose and hope.

Ultimately, the man finds his purpose in saving the boy and the boy in helping others even needier than him. More than once the man refers to the boy as a god, and it makes me wonder if the boy is a metaphor for Christ? He certainly displays similar traits. But honestly, that might be too much of a stretch.

If you attempt this book, realize that you will be depressed both during and some time after reading this book. When I walked away, I saw more clearly the beauty of what I had in my life. The cold hard world of The Road showed me the beauty of my own especially of the relationship I have to my beloved wife.

The Road is a moving, depressing, and simultaneously hopeful book. It is unlike any post apocalypse novel I have ever read, and it made me look at my world with more appreciative eyes. The book should be read, and I actually agree (surprisingly!) with the Pulitzer committee and all the reviewers who have so highly praised it. The Road is a work of literature greater than its genre.

Book Review: The Prestige by Christopher Priest

Part Fantasy. Part Science Fiction. Part History. Part Memoir. Part Horror. Part Mystery. And the list goes on. The Prestige, by Christopher Priest, belongs in all of these genres, and yet it really belongs in none of them. Winner of the World Fantasy Award, The Prestige is a complex and convoluted fantasy novel that is truly innovative.

A part of the urban fantasy subgenre of contemporary fantasy, The Prestige, tells the story of two illusionists of the early 1900s. For various reasons, these two magicians, of wholly different characters, have fallen into a feud, each trying to outdo the other on stage and in their personal lives. Alfred Borden is a magician of the old style, naturally gifted in magic, a stage magician who despises those who use magic tricks to pretend to real magical ability. Rupert Angier is a magician down on his luck that turns to pretending to be a spiritualist to make ends meet (although eventually he does make it to the stage). It is from this their feud stems, but it eventually goes way beyond that.

Each story is told in the first person. It is here that the element of memoir comes in, as Borden and Angier each relates his story either as a memoir or diary, respectively. Borden’s story comes first, and it is from him that we get the shell of the story. Angier’s diary follows and it is from him that the questions raised in Borden’s memoir are answered, including the strange use of the pronoun “I”. Overarching this story is another frame, which involves two great-grandchildren of these men, whose lives were profoundly changed by Angier’s greatest illusion.

The story is complex and convoluted, although similar to the popular movie The Illusionist, it is in no real way comparable other than in their settings, and the main characters profession. Where The Illusionist is a love story, The Prestige is a fantasy, even a suspense novel. (In part these are comparable because The Prestige has also been made into a movie, which this reviewer has not seen.) The novel’s best comparison would be to the popular science fiction stories if the 1930’s and 1940’s, wherein a scientist discovers time travel or some new scientific device.

The book does not end as I would have liked. The story leading up to the climax is interesting and fascinating, the ongoing feud builds in interesting and creative ways, and the answers to THE NEW TRANSPORTED MAN (Borden’s trick) and IN A FLASH (Angier’s trick) are cleverly revealed. However, the overarching story of the descendents seems disconnected except superficially, and its climax is both anticlimactic and horrifying, making its tone seem out of place with the rest of the novel, which is more sedate and has more of a mystery or suspense feel to it, than horror. But then, mystery and horror are closely connected, as the genre of mystery was created by one of the best horror writers ever, Edgar Allen Poe. And a comparison between this book and the Tell-Tale Heart, would not be far astray.

I recommend this book be read by those who like Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Susanna Clarke. The history filled with magic plot line will appeal to Clarke’s readers. I recommend that those who like reading the old pulp magazines give The Prestige a shot also. If you like a good mystery and don’t mind a sort of incomplete ending you might like this book as well. I enjoyed it, although I was disappointed in the ending, but then, I like my books to feel like the story is complete, and this one will leave you wondering.

Electricity and Nikola Tesla are also important parts of the story, but if I tell you why, it would ruin the whole effect. See for yourself if you want to know.

Book Reviews by Author

These are my book reviews, categorized alphabetically by the author's last name. (Categorization by title is available here.)

You can also subscribe to an RSS feed of my reviews at librarything.

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

A

Abercrombie, Joe The Blade Itself; Before They Are Hanged
Abraham, Daniel Hunter's Run
Ackley-McPhail, Danielle (et al.) Bad-A** Faeries
Adams, John Joseph Shimmer, The Pirate Issue; Wastelands: Stories of the Apocalypse
Aguirre, Ann Grimspace
Alcorn, Randy The Treasure Principle

B

Barnes, Jonathan The Somnambulist
Barwood, Lee Klassic Koalas: Ancient Aboriginal Tales in New Retellings
Beah, Ishmael A Long Way Gone
Bennis, Warren On Becoming A Leader
Bolme, Edward Eberron: The Orb of Xoriat; Eberron: Bound by Iron
Brand, Paul The Gift of Pain
Brennan, Marie Midnight Never Come
Britain, Kristen Green Rider
Brooke, Keith Genetopia
Bryson, Bill The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid; The Mother Tongue
Buckell, Tobias Crystal Rain; Ragamuffin
Burton, Katherine Hedge Hunters
Butcher, Jim Small Favor
Byers, Richard Lee Forgotten Realms: Unclean

C

Carpenter, Humphrey J.R.R. Tolkien: A Biography
Chapman, Gary The Five Love Languages
Civiello, Emmanuel, A Bit of Madness
Cordell, Bruce Forgotten Realms: Stardeep
Cunningham, Elaine Forgotten Realms: The City of Splendors
Czerneda, Julie E. (ed.) Misspelled

D

Delaney, Frank Tipperary: A Novel
Dozois, Gardner Hunter's Run

E

Edelman, David Louis Infoquake
Edgington, Ian Sojourn: The Sorcerer's Tale; Sojourn: The Bezerker's Tale
Edwards, Kim The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Elliott, Kate The Crown of Stars Series
Ellis, Peter Berresford (see also Peter Tremayne) The Druids
Ellison, Harlan Dangerous Visions
Emery, Clayton Robin Hood and the Beasts of Sherwood

F

Falbe, Tracy Union of Renegades
Feist, Raymond E. Magician; Honored Enemy; Murder in LaMut
Finlay, Charles Coleman The Prodigal Troll
Forstchen, William R. Honored Enemy
Frank, Pat Alas, Babylon
Frazer, Margaret The Clerk's Tale
Freedman, Pamela Blood Ties
Freivald, Jake Falsh Fiction Online, April 2008

G

Gemmell, David Legend
Genesse, Paul The Golden Cord
Goodkind, Terry Phantom; Confessor
Graham, L.B. Shadow in the Deep; Beyond the Summerland
Green, David More Than A Hobby
Greenberg, Martin H. Fellowship Fantastic
Greenwood, Ed Forgotten Realms: The City of Splendors; Forgotten Realms: Swords of Dragonfire

H

Hart, Johnny Growingold with B.C.
Heinlein, Robert A. Glory Road
Hinck, Sharon The Restorer
Hines, Jim C. Goblin Quest; Goblin Hero; Goblin War
Horner, W. H. (ed.) Sails and Sorcery: Tales of Nautical Fantasy; Bash Down the Door and Slice Open the BadGuy
Hughes, Kerrie Fellowship Fantastic
Hunt, Stephen The Court of the Air

I

J

Jacobs, A.J. The Know-It-All
James, P.D. The Children of Men
Johnson, Jaleigh Forgotten Realms: The Howling Delve
Jones, Rosemary Forgotten Realms: Crypt of the Moaning Diamond
Jordan, Robert Knife of Dreams

K

Kemp, Paul S. Forgotten Realms: Shadowstorm
Kirkpatrick, Russell Across the Face of the World
Knight, E. E. Dragon Champion; Dragon Outcast

L

Lackey, Mercedes The Phoenix Unchained
Land, Greg Sojourn: The Sorcerer's Tale; Sojourn: The Bezerker's Tale
Lansky, Aaron Outwitting History
Lawhead, Stephen Hood; Scarlet; The Pendragon Cycle
Lebow, Jess Forgotten Realms: Obsidian Ridge
Le Guin, Ursula K. The Left Hand of Darkness

M

Mackay, Scott Tides; Phytosphere
Mallet, Nathalie The Princes of the Golden Cage
Mallory, James The Phoenix Unchained
Mangels, Andy Iron Man: Beneath the Armor
Martin, Gail Z. The Summoner
Martin, George R.R. Dying of the Light; Hunter's Run
Maxwell, John C. Life@Work
McCarthy, Cormac The Road
McCourt, Frank Teacher Man
McDonnell, Carole Wind Follower
McPhail, Mike (ed.) Breach the Hull
Meluch, R.M. The Sagittarius Command
Mental_floss Condensed Knowledge
Meredith, Robyn The Elephant and the Dragon: The Rise of India and China and What it Means for All of Us
Miller, Karen The Innocent Mage; The Awakened Mage; Empress
Moedesitt Jr., L.E. The Magic of Recluce
Moore, Moira J. Heroes Adrift
Mosdi, Thomas A Bit of Madness
Muirden, James & Eccles, David (Illustrator) A Rhyming History of Britain

N

Norwich, John Julius Shakespeare's Kings

O

O'Neill, John (ed.) Black Gate: Issue #11
Overstreet, Jeffrey Auralia's Colors

P

Paolini, Christopher Eragon
Poole, Robert M. Explorer's House: National Geographic and the World It Made
Pratchett, Terry Thud!; The Truth; Making Money
Priest, Christopher The Prestige
Proctor, William Moon Gate

Q

R

Ramsey, Dave The Junior Books
Reid, Thomas M. Forgotten Realms: The Gossamer Plain
Rivers, Francine Redeeming Love
Rosenberg, Joel Murder in LaMut
Rothfuss, Patrick The Name of the Wind
Ruckley, Brian Winterbirth; Bloodheir

S

Salvatore, R.A. Forgotten Realms: Road of the Patriarch; Forgotten Realms: The Orc King
Sayers, Dorothy Are Women Human?
Schlosser, Eric Fast Food Nation
Sehestedt, Mark (ed.) The Tales of the Last War
Setterfield, Diane The Thirteenth Tale
Seymour, James Black History Through Blue Eyes: The Debt the World Owes to Africa
Shakespeare, William Henry V (Classical Comics Edition)
Smith, Alexander McCall The No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency
Snyder, Maria V. Poison Study
Steves, Rick The Rick Steves' Travel Guide Series
Stusser, Michael The Dead Guy Interviews

T

Thurman, Rob Madhouse
Tremayne, Peter (see also Peter Ellis) Badger's Moon; Master of Souls; Smoke in the Wind
Twain, Mark The Innocents Abroad

U

V

Varley, John Rolling Thunder
Venditti, Robert The Surrogates, Vol. 1

W

Walley, Chris The Shadow and Night
Waltz, Jason M. (ed.) Return of the Sword
Ward, James M. Midshipwizard Halcyon Blithe
Weldon, David Moon Gate
Wells, Martha The Death of the Necromancer
West, Michelle The Hidden City
Wiesel, Elie Night
Williams, Tad Shadowmarch
Winchester, Simon Outposts: Journeys to the Surviving Relics of the British Empire
Withrow, Mindy and Brandon Monks and Mystics

X

Y

Yancey, Philip The Gift of Pain

Z

Zakour, John The Blue-Haired Bombshell

a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z

Book Review: Dying of the Light by George R. R. Martin

Author: George R. R. Martin
Genre: Science Fiction
Pub. Date: September 2004
Format: Paperback, 254pp
Publisher: Bantam Books

If an old flame (who, you believe, no longer has any interest in you) were to send a request for help, and you would have to travel three months through the deepest and remotest regions of space to a desolate world very near its death, would you go? Dirk t’Larien would. It is this premise that drives George R. R. Martin’s novel, Dying of the Light.

Famous for his Song of Ice and Fire Cycle, Martin is known for his ability to write detailed characters and setting, and the intricate weaves of his plots. Although considerably slimmer in its 224 pages than the Song of Ice and Fire with its (currently) four volumes, none of what makes George R. R. Martin notable is lost.

Dying of the Light tells the story of a man caught in a love triangle. Dirk returns to an old girlfriend (Gwen Delvano) to learn that she is married to another man. Her request for help seems odd to Dirk, but nonetheless his old loyalty and love drive him to assist her. But there is a peculiar twist (this kind of thing is what shows Martin’s genius), Gwen has married outside her own culture into one whose marriage habits and cultural beliefs are greatly out of sync with those of other planets. Her relationship to her husband is more of master and slave than lovers. Her husband also has a male partner, called a teyn, who is part and parcel of this family. In fact, the men’s bond is even stronger than Gwen’s with her husband. It is from this anti-female culture that Dirk must save Gwen.

Martin weaves amazing cultures in his writing. With pen to paper, he generates complete cultures that are both comprehensive and consistent. This fact is often blamed for his slow writing and lack of a great number of works, but then it is also what makes them worth reading.

Dying of the Light seeks to tell an interesting and active story, while also doing comprehensive world-building. Worlorn is a fragile place where cultures clash and things are not always as they seem.

There is nothing quite like this story out there. I fell into the story and became Dirk t'Larien. His story was my story and his fears hopes and dreams my own, for the brief space of time I spent on Worlorn.

The book is an enjoyable science fiction read. The characters are interesting, the plot twisted enough to keep a reader from desiring to put it down, and the setting is magnificently wrought. I highly recommend this book as an excellent read that is challenging, romantic, and fun.

Book Review: The Children of Men by P. D. James

Author: P.D. James
Genre: Science Fiction
Pub. Date: May 2006
Format: Paperback, 256pp
Publisher: Knopf Publishing Group
Edition Description: REPRINT

Unputdownable. Mesmerizing. Intriguing. Hopeful. It is these words that best describe the work that is P.D. James’s The Children of Men. Stepping out of genre (she is a mystery writer) but not out of skill, James has crafted a novel that is a Christian apologetic, a science fiction thriller, and a humanist manifesto. Seem contradictory to you? You’d be right. It is the contradiction that makes the novel so good, a potential classic.

Mankind has lost the ability to reproduce. The last children born, the Omegas, are now twenty-five years old. The race is dying slowly, but dying it is. Most of the world has fallen apart, but England still exists under the rulership of a dictator. It is a peaceful country where people wait to die, euthanasia of the old is commonplace, and criminals are exiled. In steps Theodore Faron, cousin to the Warden (dictator) of England. A dissident group tries to use his influence with the dictator to enact some reforms, but all this is put by the wayside when it is discovered that on of the dissidents, a social reject, is pregnant. Pursued for scientific study by a man they despise, the woman and her companions, including Faron run into the English countryside, now a wilderness of forests.

It is a compellingly fast-paced novel. What began as an attempt to read a few chapters before bed ended in a 1:30 bedtime and a finished novel. The reader will be unable to put this work down.

P.D. James’s Christian faith is very evident in the novel. Christian symbolism abounds, although the people, even the heroes, are frighteningly human. Faith and prayer are integral parts of the story. This then can be described as a Christian apologetic, a declaration of the need for faith in God, even in the most trying of times. The work will be called pro-life, and I am surprised, after treading it, that this book ever became a movie.

It is also a humanist manifesto, as it is humans who do the dirty work, humans who show their potential for good and evil, although ultimately it is the Christian God who works evil into good. Humanity’s last best hope is itself, and those social rejects such as the infirm, the damaged physically and mentally, who are our saviors.

This novel is stunning in the issues it tackles. Many of its fears are close to our own hearts, and we are left wondering whether or not this might indeed happen. Written in 1992, the timeline it uses will eventually make it outdated, but perhaps it will become like George Orwell’s 1984.

Do not approach this book a simply another science fiction book. See The Children of Men as a treatise on humanity, a look into the future at what our decisions to seek comfort and pleasure above all else may turn us into, even without such a major catastrophe as barrenness.

Book Review: Glory Road by Robert A. Heinlein

Author: Robert A. Heinlein
Genre: Science Fiction, Fantasy
Pub. Date: March 2006
Format: Paperback, 319pp
Publisher: Tor Books

Not to be confused with the movie of the same name, this Glory Road refers to the trials and tribulations of one Oscar Gordon, an American ex-soldier who finds himself on a journey with the most beautiful (and powerful) woman in twenty universes (although he never seems to know what is really going on).

Glory Road is one of Heinlein’s comedic works. Think Princess Bride meets Spaceballs and you will get the idea. Heinlein writes a swashbuckling tale that is part fantasy, part science fiction, and part cultural treatise. Written in 1963, Heinlein used Glory Road to poke fun at the culture around him. Ultimately, I would classify this work as a satire. Although most of Heinlein’s works are very serious, this one is not. It is a quick read that explores the sexual revolution just then dawning. A large portion of the book is given over to the discussion of sex and cultural values in relation to them.

Not a spectacular work, but one that is fun just to take to your favorite chair and laugh with. I giggled often as I read it. It is truly a writer at the top of his craft just having fun with language and the world that was changing rapidly around him.

I caveat my recommendation with the fact that sex is the primary topic of this work, and so is not for young readers. It is anything but tasteful, although it is not graphic.

Read this in between works of more serious nature, to allow you to laugh at the world so many find depressing.

Book Review: The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin

Author: Ursula K. Le Guin
Genre: Science Fiction
Pub. Date: July 2000
Format: Paperback, 320pp
Publisher: Ace Trade
Series: Hainish Series

“Light is the left hand of darkness.” There is yin and yang, some good, some evil in everything, no matter the outward appearance. This is the philosophy of The Left Hand of Darkness the Hugo and Nebula award-winning book by Ursula K. Le Guin. Originally released in 1969; I came across a reissue while browsing a Barnes and Noble.

As a fan of the Earthsea Cycle, I knew Le Guin’s writing to be odd, even eccentric, with high prose and philosophical meanderings woven into the plots. Her books feel like the old legends, the myths, sometime lacking description, sometimes with too much, but always telling a story.

The introduction written by Le Guin found in this reissue, states that science fiction is actually “descriptive not prescriptive”. She means that science fiction tells the story of what is, not what might be, although it may seem that way.

The Left Hand of Darkness relates the story of the planet Winter, a frigid planet populated by a separate race of humans that have evolved over millennia into androgynous people, neither fully male nor fully female but both in one body. Into this planet enters Genly Ai, a human like us, with separate gender. He has come to offer membership into a society of space-faring humans to the planet Winter.

The juxtaposition of types is prevalent throughout the novel. Along with gender there is politics (hints of the Cold War in the differences between Karhide and its opposite, one a monarchy, the other a bureaucracy like communism), cultural differences, and even the weather.

Ultimately, this book seeks to show that humanity, no matter its type, belongs as part of a whole. The development of the friendship between Ai and Estraven, through the suffering endured as the crossed the ice alone, shows that humanity should be able to reconcile its differences. Much of this book gives a glimpse into the era often just called “the 60’s” wherein civil rights, free love, and new philosophies gained much traction in our history. The Left Hand of Darkness fictionalizes these struggles for identity, for purpose and meaning by creating a world so opposite and yet so like our own that we cannot help but see the inherent qualities of man, no matter his race, creed, gender, or sexual orientation.

As to my own opinion, I think that in some ways, this book is an apologetic for atheism, New Age philosophies, and the civil rights movement of those who would prefer to choose their own gender. In this I cannot agree. I do not believe in the yin and yang of man, but rather in its total depravity. I support the uniqueness of humanity, its difference from the lower animals, but I attribute it not to ourselves, but to a higher power. It is good to seek equality, to understand and accept those different from ourselves, but not willy-nilly or without guidance from above. I will not, as this novel asks me to do, place culture or the idea of equality into the seat of God.

Beyond this, it is simply a well-woven story, enjoyable for that in its own right. Although I have taken it apart somewhat in this review, it need not be picked apart, although for any literate reader, its assumptions and assertions are clear, if one wishes to see them. Its challenges are good; its answers to them leave the reader with a vague sense of something missing, as if the story were not really complete.

I will recommend this book to you, dear reader, as an excellently crafted work of fiction. Do not accept its assumptions without forethought, and beware its overly simplistic answers. Learn its challenges, for we all face these, and understand the strength of friendships in its words, for we all need these.

Book Review: Moon Gate by David Weldon and William Proctor

Genre: Science Fiction, Christian Fiction
Authors: William Proctor, David J. Weldon
Format: Paperback, 324pp
Publisher: Thomas Nelson

Some books are just awful. Sometimes it’s the content (Val mentioned Meg Cabot’s Ready or Not as one of these types) or sometimes the writing. Other times, you can blame it on the publisher, although these are rarer.

Generally, I can finish bad books. No matter how stilted the writing, poor the content, or dull the plot, I can usually finish the entire text. Not this time.

I’ve been trying to read Moongate by William Proctor and David Weldon M.D. Collaborations are notoriously more difficult to write than standard novels, and since Weldon is a U.S. Congressman rather than a professional author I don’t expect much of him. However, Proctor is often hailed as the “Christian Tom Clancy” (oh yea, did I mention that this work is a Christian sci-fi novel?) but fails to live up to the hype.

Moongate follows a U.S. Congressman as he travels to the Moon to lead an expedition that will create an eternal energy source for earth, saving us from a reliance on fossil fuels. Not being a scientist, I cannot comment on whether nuclear fusion is possible, but the plot revolves on it. Meanwhile, the Russians are planning a mission within a mission, which (according to the dust jacket) has the potential to rip the fabric of heaven. I'm not sure if this is a n apocalypse book like Left Behind but I guess I would have to finish it to find that out, which I just cannot do.

The book fails in the latter of the two ways mentioned above. Its writing is stilted, hard to read, lacking flow, and in some cases nonsensical. Motivations for actions were difficult to find, and the characterization was mostly two-dimensional. The plot was then lost in the cringe I got every time I turned a page.

I have to be forthright, I put the book down after about 10 chapters (each of which are about 3 to 5 pages long, by the way) so I don’t know if the book eventually gets good. The plot seemed interesting and had not the writing been so stilted, I might have even finished it, maybe even enjoyed it.

It is unfortunate, as I like Congressman Weldon, and even lived in his constituency for nearly four years, but I cannot endorse this book as worth the time it takes to read.