Thursday, July 31, 2008
Little Brother by Cory Doctorow
Terrorists can attack open society, but governments can abolish it. (WWW2.Piratepartiet.se/the_pirate_party)
This book was read due to my Newspaper Advisor, Mr.Ferrell, getting an advanced copy so that we could do a review on it. His words were, " Want to read something 'real'?" I feel this was a direct attack on my prefered literature, but will overlook this for now.
Little Brother follows Marcus, a 17 year old senior in San Francisco chaffing under constant surveillance of the school system. So, when the school isn't watching he becomes W1n5t0n, figuring out how to evade the newest security measures that have been put into effect. From putting rocks in his shoes to avoid gait recognition to nuking the tracking cards on his library books, he's got it covered.
He is with three of his friends in downtown San Francisco when the worst happens. A mushroom cloud rises over the ruins of Bay Bridge as people trample each other trying to get away from the destruction. Terrorists have bombed California. In the aftermath that follows Marcus and his friends find themselves prisoners. When he refuses to let his captors have access to his phone and computer passwords he is tortured and humiliated for answers that he doesn't even know. No, not by Al-Qaeda or political extremist. Marcus has been taken into the custody of the Department of Homeland Security. A week later he is released. " But from now on, you belong to us. We will be watching you. We'll be waiting for you to make a misstep. Do you understand that we can watch you closely, all the time?"
Outraged and afraid of what the government is becoming Marcus does the only thing he can. He starts a revolution. A secret one. Using his Xbox he makes a spy proof system that even the government can't crack. He also earns the following of other kids like him who don't want to be watched. So starts the underground revolution of Xnetters.
Little Brother a great read steeped in American Culture --odd considering Doctorow's Canadian--. It's the hippie movement and 1984 both applied to a more technological world. You'll be able to recognize allusions to Emma Goldman and other heroes of the 60's and 70's. Not to mention the "Don't trust anyone over 25" slogan floating around throughout the book. Don't let the Orwell influence dissuade anyone from reading it, though. It's fast paced and directed at a teen audience so you're not going to be bored half way through. Just take into account that this is a book of science-fiction and shouldn't be taken seriously...yet. It could easily double as a handbook for the paranoid, but even you less paranoia prone guys will probably enjoy it for the different gadgets Cory Doctorow introduces. So, unless you absolutely can't stand conspiracy theories this is a must read.
This was indeed a good book that I can recommend without shame that you read. I didn't like that how much of the technological stuff went WAY over my head, but that may be due to my lack of technological savvy-ness. (Not to mention it's mostly speculative technology to match the speculative fiction.)
When reading this you might want to keep in mind who it was written by. Cory Doctorow has some slightly extremist views on things. So, take the book with a grain of salt. Much like you would our pessimistic friend, Mr.Orwell. Doctorow has definitely made his mark on the speculative fiction genre. A large gaping mark of awesomeness!
Terrorists can attack open society, but governments can abolish it. (WWW2.Piratepartiet.se/the_pirate_party)
This book was read due to my Newspaper Advisor, Mr.Ferrell, getting an advanced copy so that we could do a review on it. His words were, " Want to read something 'real'?" I feel this was a direct attack on my prefered literature, but will overlook this for now.
Little Brother follows Marcus, a 17 year old senior in San Francisco chaffing under constant surveillance of the school system. So, when the school isn't watching he becomes W1n5t0n, figuring out how to evade the newest security measures that have been put into effect. From putting rocks in his shoes to avoid gait recognition to nuking the tracking cards on his library books, he's got it covered.
He is with three of his friends in downtown San Francisco when the worst happens. A mushroom cloud rises over the ruins of Bay Bridge as people trample each other trying to get away from the destruction. Terrorists have bombed California. In the aftermath that follows Marcus and his friends find themselves prisoners. When he refuses to let his captors have access to his phone and computer passwords he is tortured and humiliated for answers that he doesn't even know. No, not by Al-Qaeda or political extremist. Marcus has been taken into the custody of the Department of Homeland Security. A week later he is released. " But from now on, you belong to us. We will be watching you. We'll be waiting for you to make a misstep. Do you understand that we can watch you closely, all the time?"
Outraged and afraid of what the government is becoming Marcus does the only thing he can. He starts a revolution. A secret one. Using his Xbox he makes a spy proof system that even the government can't crack. He also earns the following of other kids like him who don't want to be watched. So starts the underground revolution of Xnetters.
Little Brother a great read steeped in American Culture --odd considering Doctorow's Canadian--. It's the hippie movement and 1984 both applied to a more technological world. You'll be able to recognize allusions to Emma Goldman and other heroes of the 60's and 70's. Not to mention the "Don't trust anyone over 25" slogan floating around throughout the book. Don't let the Orwell influence dissuade anyone from reading it, though. It's fast paced and directed at a teen audience so you're not going to be bored half way through. Just take into account that this is a book of science-fiction and shouldn't be taken seriously...yet. It could easily double as a handbook for the paranoid, but even you less paranoia prone guys will probably enjoy it for the different gadgets Cory Doctorow introduces. So, unless you absolutely can't stand conspiracy theories this is a must read.
This was indeed a good book that I can recommend without shame that you read. I didn't like that how much of the technological stuff went WAY over my head, but that may be due to my lack of technological savvy-ness. (Not to mention it's mostly speculative technology to match the speculative fiction.)
When reading this you might want to keep in mind who it was written by. Cory Doctorow has some slightly extremist views on things. So, take the book with a grain of salt. Much like you would our pessimistic friend, Mr.Orwell. Doctorow has definitely made his mark on the speculative fiction genre. A large gaping mark of awesomeness!
Honestly, I never intended to write this post, but the reading of Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy was so painful, I found I couldn't move on to writing other reviews without blowing some hot air in his general direction.
I think a summary of the plot is rather unnecessary. This was a pretty well known series even before it hit mainstream with the making of the film The Golden Compass, which is of course based off the first book in the trilogy, of the same title. A book which I did enjoy. I found it to be a fun, imaginative, gripping tale. I liked Pullman's execution in setting up and fleshening out his alternate-reality Oxford. It was fantasy that wasn't utterly out-of-this-world, but that still retained a certain foreign flavor. I liked his development of the protagonist, Lyra, and the cast of characters that surrounds her. I enjoyed the pacing and the basic plot. And even though his dialogue tends to run on the awkward side, I found the book to be well written overall, with a sort of snarky edge to it that was entertaining. I enjoyed it on the whole and looked forward to the sequel.
And then I actually read the sequel (The Subtle Knife), and I almost lost all interest in reading the final installment. Here's why:
Will, the second protagonist introduced to the series, is possibly the most stale, insipid, Gary-Stue character that I have encountered in a very, very long time. For those who are possibly less nerdy than me, and need some clarification as to what a "Gary-Stue" is, I'll tell you. A "Gary-Stue" is the male version of a "Mary-Sue," a title given to characters who are as one-dimensional as it gets -- characters who are too perfect to be believable, with absolutely no character flaws besides a few token quirks to make them seem human; characters whose innate goodness and bravery enables them to inevitably overcome all the odds and obsticles thrown at them throughout the story; characters whose motives for getting embroiled in the plot are always righteous, and even if they should perhaps make some fatal error in judgement in the heat of a plot-charged moment (in the author's pathetic attempt at trying to create the illusion of a character with depth), well, that error is always completely justified given the extenuating circumstances and is in no way to be held against them.
Will is the perfect example of a Gary-Stue (right up there with Scott Summers and Jean Gray from X-Men). He's the pure, noble, socially outcast boy who's only trying to protect his ailing mother and find his MIA father.
He is, in a word, boring. Boring and horrendously under-developed. Lyra, at least, was interesting. She had character flaws, she didn't always make smart choices, and there were passages where I wasn't even certain how much I liked her anymore. But those flaws made her human. They fleshened her out. And even in the midst of them, there was something about her that was charming and relatable. Will, on the other hand, is flat and stoic and in no way reminiscent of the twelve-year old boy he's supposed to be. And the worst part? He essentially replaces Lyra as the protagonist.
Aside from this character malfunctioning, The Subtle Knife put me off more slightly in its blatant and often overpowering anti-church themes. While these themes were also evident in the first book, they didn't particularly bother me because they were themes that were a natural progression of the plot. They were essential to the integrity of the story. Something would have felt off had they not been there. And besides that, they were at least a bit more understated and subtle. The second book takes all that understatement and magnifies it to a point that almost compromises the story in an effort to push forward and be heard. Pullman's skill as a recantour is what saved him, because while all this was vaguely irritating, the story was interesting enough that I picked up the final book, The Amber Spyglass, in order to see how it all turned out.
If The Subtle Knife pushed Pullman's anti-church sentiment out of the understated end of the pool, the final book in the trilogy shoves it right into the "in the name of all things holy, I GET YOUR FREAKING POINT ALREADY" end. It moves from subtle, to blatant, to bashing you over the head with its insistence. It becomes more of a nuisance and a distraction from the plot than a natural evolution of it. THAT is why it's so incredibly annoying. My irritation with the series does not merely stem from the fact that I'm a Christian and Pullman is essentially dumping all over my personal beliefs. I would be lying if I said that my Christianity wasn't influencing my opinion at all, because it surely does. But my irritation stems more from artistic grounds than from religious. As a reader and an (admittedly) amateur writer, I felt that the anti-church themes were overridng the plot. It was interfering with it rather than aiding it.
Before I go on, I want to clarify: no, I don't think there's anything wrong with infusing a message, or a question, or a philosophical idea into a story. In fact, I think many of the best books do. But what those "best books" did that The Amber Spyglass didn't was to infuse those philosophical ideas gracefully as an over-arching theme. Rather than manipulating the story at every turn in order to maximize (yet again) the apperance and impact of the message, the "best books" allow that message to naturally evolve with the story -- they allow it to become the fruit of the plot. The Amber Spyglass (and much of The Subtle Knife) seemed to me to do the former rather than the latter.
The Golden Compass is a good example of allowing personal politics and philosophical ideas to guide a story without it becoming overpowering. Pullman's anti-church-ness was certainly there, but not to the point of being a distraction from the unfolding of the story. The Amber Spyglass, however, is exactly the opposite. The author's tool in telling a story with a philosophical gem became his soap box, and it was not something I particularly cared to have shoved down my throat.
(Subltety, Mr. Pullman, subltety. It works wonders. Put some trust in the intelligence of your readers and their ability to pick up on your ideas.)
As I said, Pullman can definitely write prose. The series was imaginative if nothing else, and there were parts peppered throughout that I enjoyed. But his choice in a male protagonist needs a major overhaul, and his story fell victim to his politics.
I think a summary of the plot is rather unnecessary. This was a pretty well known series even before it hit mainstream with the making of the film The Golden Compass, which is of course based off the first book in the trilogy, of the same title. A book which I did enjoy. I found it to be a fun, imaginative, gripping tale. I liked Pullman's execution in setting up and fleshening out his alternate-reality Oxford. It was fantasy that wasn't utterly out-of-this-world, but that still retained a certain foreign flavor. I liked his development of the protagonist, Lyra, and the cast of characters that surrounds her. I enjoyed the pacing and the basic plot. And even though his dialogue tends to run on the awkward side, I found the book to be well written overall, with a sort of snarky edge to it that was entertaining. I enjoyed it on the whole and looked forward to the sequel.
And then I actually read the sequel (The Subtle Knife), and I almost lost all interest in reading the final installment. Here's why:
Will, the second protagonist introduced to the series, is possibly the most stale, insipid, Gary-Stue character that I have encountered in a very, very long time. For those who are possibly less nerdy than me, and need some clarification as to what a "Gary-Stue" is, I'll tell you. A "Gary-Stue" is the male version of a "Mary-Sue," a title given to characters who are as one-dimensional as it gets -- characters who are too perfect to be believable, with absolutely no character flaws besides a few token quirks to make them seem human; characters whose innate goodness and bravery enables them to inevitably overcome all the odds and obsticles thrown at them throughout the story; characters whose motives for getting embroiled in the plot are always righteous, and even if they should perhaps make some fatal error in judgement in the heat of a plot-charged moment (in the author's pathetic attempt at trying to create the illusion of a character with depth), well, that error is always completely justified given the extenuating circumstances and is in no way to be held against them.
Will is the perfect example of a Gary-Stue (right up there with Scott Summers and Jean Gray from X-Men). He's the pure, noble, socially outcast boy who's only trying to protect his ailing mother and find his MIA father.
He is, in a word, boring. Boring and horrendously under-developed. Lyra, at least, was interesting. She had character flaws, she didn't always make smart choices, and there were passages where I wasn't even certain how much I liked her anymore. But those flaws made her human. They fleshened her out. And even in the midst of them, there was something about her that was charming and relatable. Will, on the other hand, is flat and stoic and in no way reminiscent of the twelve-year old boy he's supposed to be. And the worst part? He essentially replaces Lyra as the protagonist.
Aside from this character malfunctioning, The Subtle Knife put me off more slightly in its blatant and often overpowering anti-church themes. While these themes were also evident in the first book, they didn't particularly bother me because they were themes that were a natural progression of the plot. They were essential to the integrity of the story. Something would have felt off had they not been there. And besides that, they were at least a bit more understated and subtle. The second book takes all that understatement and magnifies it to a point that almost compromises the story in an effort to push forward and be heard. Pullman's skill as a recantour is what saved him, because while all this was vaguely irritating, the story was interesting enough that I picked up the final book, The Amber Spyglass, in order to see how it all turned out.
If The Subtle Knife pushed Pullman's anti-church sentiment out of the understated end of the pool, the final book in the trilogy shoves it right into the "in the name of all things holy, I GET YOUR FREAKING POINT ALREADY" end. It moves from subtle, to blatant, to bashing you over the head with its insistence. It becomes more of a nuisance and a distraction from the plot than a natural evolution of it. THAT is why it's so incredibly annoying. My irritation with the series does not merely stem from the fact that I'm a Christian and Pullman is essentially dumping all over my personal beliefs. I would be lying if I said that my Christianity wasn't influencing my opinion at all, because it surely does. But my irritation stems more from artistic grounds than from religious. As a reader and an (admittedly) amateur writer, I felt that the anti-church themes were overridng the plot. It was interfering with it rather than aiding it.
Before I go on, I want to clarify: no, I don't think there's anything wrong with infusing a message, or a question, or a philosophical idea into a story. In fact, I think many of the best books do. But what those "best books" did that The Amber Spyglass didn't was to infuse those philosophical ideas gracefully as an over-arching theme. Rather than manipulating the story at every turn in order to maximize (yet again) the apperance and impact of the message, the "best books" allow that message to naturally evolve with the story -- they allow it to become the fruit of the plot. The Amber Spyglass (and much of The Subtle Knife) seemed to me to do the former rather than the latter.
The Golden Compass is a good example of allowing personal politics and philosophical ideas to guide a story without it becoming overpowering. Pullman's anti-church-ness was certainly there, but not to the point of being a distraction from the unfolding of the story. The Amber Spyglass, however, is exactly the opposite. The author's tool in telling a story with a philosophical gem became his soap box, and it was not something I particularly cared to have shoved down my throat.
(Subltety, Mr. Pullman, subltety. It works wonders. Put some trust in the intelligence of your readers and their ability to pick up on your ideas.)
As I said, Pullman can definitely write prose. The series was imaginative if nothing else, and there were parts peppered throughout that I enjoyed. But his choice in a male protagonist needs a major overhaul, and his story fell victim to his politics.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
That Hideous Strength, the final installment in the trilogy which began with Out of the Silent Planet, finds Earth occupied by the enemy. The stage has been set for a decisive move in the war that's been brewing since the fall of Eden. New players are brought to the scene -- newlyweds Mark and Jane Studdock, who become embroiled in a war they knew nothing about and find themselves on opposite ends of the battlefield. Mark gets involved with the mysterious NICE institution, headed by the very enemies Ransom faced on Venus, whose sole purpose is the "reconditioning" of society through science and technology. Jane, on the other hand, finds herself suffering strange, almost prophetic dreams and meeting strange people, the strangest by far the mysterious man known as The Directer -- or Ransom to his friends and associates. He, and the group of people he has gathered to his side, must fight all that the NICE stands for in order to protect the future of humanity. But what is this about a secret weapon? And what has it to do with the clouded legend of Merlin?
The war has begun and Earth stands in the balance. Can Ransom tip the scale against the mighty NICE?
"But if men by enginry and natural philosophy learn to fly into the Heavens, and come, in the flesh, among the heavenly powers and trouble them, He has not forbidden the Powers to react. For all this is within the natural order. A wicked man did learn to do so. He came flying, by a subtle engine, to where Mars dwells in Heaven and to where Venus dwells, and took me with him as a captive. And there I spoke with the true Oyéresu face to face... And so the wicked man had brought about, even as Judas brought about, the thing he least intended... The Hideous Strength holds all this Earth in its fist to squeeze as it wishes. But for their one mistake, there would be no hope left. If of their own evil will they had not broken the frontier and let in the celestial Powers, this would be their moment of victory. Their own strength has betrayed them. They have gone to the gods who would not have come to them, and pulled down Deep Heaven on their heads."
That Hideous Strength is a climactic finish to the Out of the Silent Planet trilogy. Far more action packed than either of the previous two books, it deals with themes a bit closer to home. Rather than focusing on an alien race, this book zeroes in on Earth and the people we are all of us familiar with -- the greedy, the scared, the power-hungry, the kind, the lonely, the apathetic. That which makes up our world, that which motivates us, and, more narrowly, the conflict that even to this day resonates in our society -- the conflict between technology and nature, between science and the things that science seeks to overturn.
Lewis' writing is fast-paced and witty, with a sarcastic edge to it that seems particular to this book in the trilogy. The cast of characters increases and adds extra flavor for those who crave a bit more dialogue and human-to-human interaction rather than reflection and human-to-alien contact. While some of these characters lack the development and depth one would like to see, the majority of them are vivid and fairly well-rounded.
My only caution is this: patience. The book begins with Mark and Jane Studdock, and unfolds very much from their perspective. Ransom does play an important role, but not as large of a role as in the previous books. He becomes almost a supporting character rather than the main protagonist. The first time I read the book through I did become a bit impatient with the setup in my eagerness to see Dr. Ransom and what his plans were in the face of this conflict. However, Lewis sets the tone in such a way that the readers really care about what happens to the new characters even while they might yearn for the familiar face of Ransom. Give the new guys a chance, because as characters they certainly deliver.
Definitely one of my favorite books in the trilogy. I give it two (no, three) thumbs-up, and my hearty recommendation.
The war has begun and Earth stands in the balance. Can Ransom tip the scale against the mighty NICE?
"But if men by enginry and natural philosophy learn to fly into the Heavens, and come, in the flesh, among the heavenly powers and trouble them, He has not forbidden the Powers to react. For all this is within the natural order. A wicked man did learn to do so. He came flying, by a subtle engine, to where Mars dwells in Heaven and to where Venus dwells, and took me with him as a captive. And there I spoke with the true Oyéresu face to face... And so the wicked man had brought about, even as Judas brought about, the thing he least intended... The Hideous Strength holds all this Earth in its fist to squeeze as it wishes. But for their one mistake, there would be no hope left. If of their own evil will they had not broken the frontier and let in the celestial Powers, this would be their moment of victory. Their own strength has betrayed them. They have gone to the gods who would not have come to them, and pulled down Deep Heaven on their heads."
That Hideous Strength is a climactic finish to the Out of the Silent Planet trilogy. Far more action packed than either of the previous two books, it deals with themes a bit closer to home. Rather than focusing on an alien race, this book zeroes in on Earth and the people we are all of us familiar with -- the greedy, the scared, the power-hungry, the kind, the lonely, the apathetic. That which makes up our world, that which motivates us, and, more narrowly, the conflict that even to this day resonates in our society -- the conflict between technology and nature, between science and the things that science seeks to overturn.
Lewis' writing is fast-paced and witty, with a sarcastic edge to it that seems particular to this book in the trilogy. The cast of characters increases and adds extra flavor for those who crave a bit more dialogue and human-to-human interaction rather than reflection and human-to-alien contact. While some of these characters lack the development and depth one would like to see, the majority of them are vivid and fairly well-rounded.
My only caution is this: patience. The book begins with Mark and Jane Studdock, and unfolds very much from their perspective. Ransom does play an important role, but not as large of a role as in the previous books. He becomes almost a supporting character rather than the main protagonist. The first time I read the book through I did become a bit impatient with the setup in my eagerness to see Dr. Ransom and what his plans were in the face of this conflict. However, Lewis sets the tone in such a way that the readers really care about what happens to the new characters even while they might yearn for the familiar face of Ransom. Give the new guys a chance, because as characters they certainly deliver.
Definitely one of my favorite books in the trilogy. I give it two (no, three) thumbs-up, and my hearty recommendation.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Perelandra, the second book in the sci-fi trilogy which began with Out of the Silent Planet, is a surprising read. It's Lewis at his darkest, and when read with a fair eye and open mind, it presents the reader with a moral and philosophical dilemma which can do nothing but force its way into serious consideration.
Dr. Elwin Ransom's return to earth did not end his relationships with other planets. This time he has been called to far-away planet Venus, known as Perelandra to its inhabitants, by his God in order to put a stop to a force that seeks to corrupt it in the same way earth was corrupted by the fall of Eden. Ransom finds himself alone on yet another strange planet, with nothing but his knowledge of the Old Solar language and his tenacity to help him. Against what? The return of his old colleague, Weston. Or at least, that's what he used to be. But Weston finds himself keeping strange company, and they have a vested interest in the fate of Perelandra. It's one middle-aged scholar against another, and the purity of this world lies in the balance.
""So you mean to try strength," it said in English, speaking thick.
"Put down that bird," said Ransom.
"But that is very foolish," said the Un-man. "Do you not know who I am?"
"I know what you are," said Ransom. "Which of them doesn't matter."
"And you think, little one," it answered, "that you can fight with me? You think He will help you, perhaps? Many thought that. I've known Him longer than you, little one. They all think He's going to help them -- till they come to their senses screaming recantations too late in the middle of the fire, mouldering in concentration camps, writhing under saws, jibbering in mad-houses, or nailed on to crosses. Could He help Himself?" -- and the creature suddenly threw back its head and cried in a voice so loud that it seemed the golden sky-roof must break, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani."
And the moment it had done so, Ransom felt certain that the sounds it had made were perfect Aramaic of the First Century. The Un-man was not quoting; it was remembering. These were the very words spoken from the Cross, treasured through all those years in the burning memory of the outcast creature which had heard them, and now brought forward in hideous parody...
In Perelandra, Lewis unfolds for us not only the thoughtfully compelling sequel to Out of the Silent Planet; he also leaves us questions concerned with darker things, questions which may have no immediate answers. But they are questions worth considering, and Lewis brings them to life with his insightful writing.
All the warnings which applied to Out of the Silent Planet apply here, with one addendum: the themes in this book do have darker strains than those of the previous. Lewis deals with them quite thoughtfully, and in many places they're subtle, but some of the imagery he creates and the questions he raises are difficult and, in places, disturbing.
However, this book is certainly worth the read. It's a stunning continuation of the trilogy and reminds the reader just why Lewis' writing has remained so compelling throughout the years.
Dr. Elwin Ransom's return to earth did not end his relationships with other planets. This time he has been called to far-away planet Venus, known as Perelandra to its inhabitants, by his God in order to put a stop to a force that seeks to corrupt it in the same way earth was corrupted by the fall of Eden. Ransom finds himself alone on yet another strange planet, with nothing but his knowledge of the Old Solar language and his tenacity to help him. Against what? The return of his old colleague, Weston. Or at least, that's what he used to be. But Weston finds himself keeping strange company, and they have a vested interest in the fate of Perelandra. It's one middle-aged scholar against another, and the purity of this world lies in the balance.
""So you mean to try strength," it said in English, speaking thick.
"Put down that bird," said Ransom.
"But that is very foolish," said the Un-man. "Do you not know who I am?"
"I know what you are," said Ransom. "Which of them doesn't matter."
"And you think, little one," it answered, "that you can fight with me? You think He will help you, perhaps? Many thought that. I've known Him longer than you, little one. They all think He's going to help them -- till they come to their senses screaming recantations too late in the middle of the fire, mouldering in concentration camps, writhing under saws, jibbering in mad-houses, or nailed on to crosses. Could He help Himself?" -- and the creature suddenly threw back its head and cried in a voice so loud that it seemed the golden sky-roof must break, "Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani."
And the moment it had done so, Ransom felt certain that the sounds it had made were perfect Aramaic of the First Century. The Un-man was not quoting; it was remembering. These were the very words spoken from the Cross, treasured through all those years in the burning memory of the outcast creature which had heard them, and now brought forward in hideous parody...
In Perelandra, Lewis unfolds for us not only the thoughtfully compelling sequel to Out of the Silent Planet; he also leaves us questions concerned with darker things, questions which may have no immediate answers. But they are questions worth considering, and Lewis brings them to life with his insightful writing.
All the warnings which applied to Out of the Silent Planet apply here, with one addendum: the themes in this book do have darker strains than those of the previous. Lewis deals with them quite thoughtfully, and in many places they're subtle, but some of the imagery he creates and the questions he raises are difficult and, in places, disturbing.
However, this book is certainly worth the read. It's a stunning continuation of the trilogy and reminds the reader just why Lewis' writing has remained so compelling throughout the years.
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Looking Glass Wars by Frank Beddor
Okay, the characters are static, the action scenes are crap, and it's completely unbelievable...Still, it was so good it took me less than a day to read it. Have I mentioned I'm a sucker for fantasy?
While reading it you feel like you're sitting in the cinema. Have you ever read a book like that before? It's like the author wrote it because they eventually wanted it to be a screen play. So you really don't get in depth with any of the character's feelings. You just get these nice flat people whose reactions are always the same.
Alice is unsure. Hatter Madigan is stoic. Bibwit Harte is scholarly. Dodge is out for revenge.
There you are character wise. But the ideas...The mirror system (The Continuum) which is tantamount to sky diving while on shrooms. The Cheshire cat is a part human assassin. Beddor is taking a young children's book and turned it into a violent, bloody, action filled book for everyone who isn't a young child. Bravo, Mr.Beddor. I applaud your ideas if not your characters.
With the exception of Hatter Madigan who is just freak to the awesome. I leave you with a quote from the book.
"No amount of Millinery training could have prepared Hatter for getting sucked through the Pool of Tears. Having somersaulted out of a puddle and landed on his feet with the agility of...well, of a cat, he let his instinct for self-protection take over. His backpack sprouted its usual array of weaponry. His steel bracelets popped open and spun in propeller-like action. He reached for his top hat but it was gone, which was bad news. Really bad news. The top hat was his signature weapon, the one he had worked the hardest to master. And he was probably going to need it, judging by the shocked and alarmed faces all around him. He had emerged from the exit portal in Paris,France, 1859, and found himself standing in the middle of a wide thoroughfare known as the Champs-Elyse`es."
"Who was this strangely attired man with knives and over-sized corkscrews jutting out of his backpack and rotary blades on his wrists?"
So, I recommend this to other suckers for fantasy and definitely to those who enjoy Alice in Wonderland.
Okay, the characters are static, the action scenes are crap, and it's completely unbelievable...Still, it was so good it took me less than a day to read it. Have I mentioned I'm a sucker for fantasy?
While reading it you feel like you're sitting in the cinema. Have you ever read a book like that before? It's like the author wrote it because they eventually wanted it to be a screen play. So you really don't get in depth with any of the character's feelings. You just get these nice flat people whose reactions are always the same.
Alice is unsure. Hatter Madigan is stoic. Bibwit Harte is scholarly. Dodge is out for revenge.
There you are character wise. But the ideas...The mirror system (The Continuum) which is tantamount to sky diving while on shrooms. The Cheshire cat is a part human assassin. Beddor is taking a young children's book and turned it into a violent, bloody, action filled book for everyone who isn't a young child. Bravo, Mr.Beddor. I applaud your ideas if not your characters.
With the exception of Hatter Madigan who is just freak to the awesome. I leave you with a quote from the book.
"No amount of Millinery training could have prepared Hatter for getting sucked through the Pool of Tears. Having somersaulted out of a puddle and landed on his feet with the agility of...well, of a cat, he let his instinct for self-protection take over. His backpack sprouted its usual array of weaponry. His steel bracelets popped open and spun in propeller-like action. He reached for his top hat but it was gone, which was bad news. Really bad news. The top hat was his signature weapon, the one he had worked the hardest to master. And he was probably going to need it, judging by the shocked and alarmed faces all around him. He had emerged from the exit portal in Paris,France, 1859, and found himself standing in the middle of a wide thoroughfare known as the Champs-Elyse`es."
"Who was this strangely attired man with knives and over-sized corkscrews jutting out of his backpack and rotary blades on his wrists?"
So, I recommend this to other suckers for fantasy and definitely to those who enjoy Alice in Wonderland.
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Fahrenheit 451. The temperature at which books catch fire.
Guy Montag spends his life in happy oblivion. There's no reason not to thanks to the American way of living. Reality TV, fast cars, propaganda, sleeping pills/drugs. Everything to keep you oblivious right at your fingertips.
Then Guy meets Clarisse. A seventeen-year-old girl who turns his life upside down by talking to him. She looks at the stars she tastes the rain. What is this strange girl who makes him think about life? With just a few innocent actions she causes Guy to question everything.
Written more than fifty years ago this book is set in a disturbingly familiar setting. You guessed it. Bradbury manages to hit what society was coming to right on the head. In the future no one reads anymore. Because people don't read the government decides to take one step further and burn objectionable books. The Bible, Thoreau, Poe, Hamlet...all burned by the fireman. No outcry is made because only a few are left that love books.
This isn't your average dystopian about cencorship, but something that hits much closer to home. That one day reading and analytical thinking will be cast aside. Killing and violence are taken in stride because television and radios have desensitized the public.
What is to be feared more? The governments censorship or the people not caring?
It creeped me out how close to reality this book comes. If it doesn't creep you out then you're probably pro-violence and anti-knowledge. ;) If your new to dystopians then this would be a great one to pick up. Both a good read and thought provoking.
Fahrenheit 451. The temperature at which books catch fire.
Guy Montag spends his life in happy oblivion. There's no reason not to thanks to the American way of living. Reality TV, fast cars, propaganda, sleeping pills/drugs. Everything to keep you oblivious right at your fingertips.
Then Guy meets Clarisse. A seventeen-year-old girl who turns his life upside down by talking to him. She looks at the stars she tastes the rain. What is this strange girl who makes him think about life? With just a few innocent actions she causes Guy to question everything.
Written more than fifty years ago this book is set in a disturbingly familiar setting. You guessed it. Bradbury manages to hit what society was coming to right on the head. In the future no one reads anymore. Because people don't read the government decides to take one step further and burn objectionable books. The Bible, Thoreau, Poe, Hamlet...all burned by the fireman. No outcry is made because only a few are left that love books.
This isn't your average dystopian about cencorship, but something that hits much closer to home. That one day reading and analytical thinking will be cast aside. Killing and violence are taken in stride because television and radios have desensitized the public.
What is to be feared more? The governments censorship or the people not caring?
It creeped me out how close to reality this book comes. If it doesn't creep you out then you're probably pro-violence and anti-knowledge. ;) If your new to dystopians then this would be a great one to pick up. Both a good read and thought provoking.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Robin McKinley is an AMAZING fantasy author. I've been hero-worshipping her since I was eleven starting with the book The Blue Sword. Stay tuned for more of her reviews. I won't be able to stop myself.
Deerskin by Robin McKinley
McKinley has often reworked and improved upon fairy tales and she doesn't fail us this time. This is her take on Grimm's "Allerleirauh". I think you can safely say it's her darkest work, so beware. If you're looking for something cheery continue on your quest.
Princess Lissar is the overlooked daughter of two perfect monarchs. Her mother not only perfect, but the most beautiful woman in seven kingdoms. So she spends her days a neglected shadow, her only friend a nurse-maid. When her mother dies she doesn't cry because she never knew her. She is the only one. The king and kingdom both are crushed by the death. For them it is the end of their world. For the king it is the loss of any love. The queen's last words put an end to any chance he had of future happiness.
" 'Yes,' said the queen, and held up her free hand to silence him: or rather lifted her fingers for a moment from their place on her coverlet, for she had little strength left for movement. 'I want you to promise me this: that you will only marry someone as beautiful as I--was,' she said, 'so that you will not always be comparing the poor girl to me in your memory, and be cruel to her for it.' There was a strange tone in the queen's voice; were it not so sad an occasion and were not she so weak, it might have been thought that the tone was one of triumph."
Impossible task. There is no one more beautiful than his wife. She was famous for being the most attractive woman in seven kingdoms. So he sits, he mourns, he has no one to love. For the first time in his life he looks at his daughter, Lissar. A girl grown from stumbling awkwardness into a rare beauty. One could say that she is almost as beautiful as her mother.
It's a story of being broken and surviving. Horror, love, and new beginnings wrapped up in a well written parchment package. But don't let my mediocre reviewing turn you off it. I recommend it highly to fantasy lovers. It is well worth the read.
"Allerleirauh"
Deerskin by Robin McKinley
McKinley has often reworked and improved upon fairy tales and she doesn't fail us this time. This is her take on Grimm's "Allerleirauh". I think you can safely say it's her darkest work, so beware. If you're looking for something cheery continue on your quest.
Princess Lissar is the overlooked daughter of two perfect monarchs. Her mother not only perfect, but the most beautiful woman in seven kingdoms. So she spends her days a neglected shadow, her only friend a nurse-maid. When her mother dies she doesn't cry because she never knew her. She is the only one. The king and kingdom both are crushed by the death. For them it is the end of their world. For the king it is the loss of any love. The queen's last words put an end to any chance he had of future happiness.
" 'Yes,' said the queen, and held up her free hand to silence him: or rather lifted her fingers for a moment from their place on her coverlet, for she had little strength left for movement. 'I want you to promise me this: that you will only marry someone as beautiful as I--was,' she said, 'so that you will not always be comparing the poor girl to me in your memory, and be cruel to her for it.' There was a strange tone in the queen's voice; were it not so sad an occasion and were not she so weak, it might have been thought that the tone was one of triumph."
Impossible task. There is no one more beautiful than his wife. She was famous for being the most attractive woman in seven kingdoms. So he sits, he mourns, he has no one to love. For the first time in his life he looks at his daughter, Lissar. A girl grown from stumbling awkwardness into a rare beauty. One could say that she is almost as beautiful as her mother.
It's a story of being broken and surviving. Horror, love, and new beginnings wrapped up in a well written parchment package. But don't let my mediocre reviewing turn you off it. I recommend it highly to fantasy lovers. It is well worth the read.
"Allerleirauh"
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Most people have heard of C.S. Lewis. After the Narnia series met with extraordinary acclaim, Lewis practically became a household name. However, most who have dipped their toes into the pool of Lewis' work by way of the Narnia series don't realize that Narnia was not Lewis' only venture into the fantasy world. He wrote many fantasy/sci-fi short stories (that can usually be found in Lewis anthologies), and, in fact, he wrote an entire sci-fi trilogy.
Out of the Silent Planet is the first book in the trilogy, and it opens with Dr. Elwin Ransom, middle-aged philologist and Cambridge scholar, traveling the English countryside on foot as part of a walking tour of England. Alone and in the middle of the night, Ransom blunders upon two former colleagues living in a country cottage. This seemingly innocuous reunion soon turns sour, and before he knows it, Ransom is kidnapped, bundled onto a spaceship, and finds himself hurdling through deep space towards an unknown planet, for a reason his captors refuse to disclose.
Once the three scholars have landed on this planet, Ransom seizes his chance and escapes into the wilds of a world which he knows nothing about, with no rations and no notion of how to get back to earth.
Quite unlike most sci-fi novels, this book offers a richly written, unique perspective on the idea of interplanetary travel, and just what deep space, or "Deep Heaven" would be like. It focuses on the characters, the planet, and the planet's inhabitants rather than on machinery and the technology which brought the characters to that planet, which I found a refreshing deviation from most sci-fi. Also unlike most books of this genre, Out of the Silent Planet doesn't take the hostility and maliciousness of the aliens to be a given. It focuses rather on the alien peoples as a race and the possible similarities between the alien race and humanity. Indeed, in truly Lewis fashion, this perspective of the alien race provides us with a lens through which to view our own race. What major differences between the two races that Lewis does include are written in a fresh way. It's a nice change from George Orwell style sci-fi.
The only warnings I would provide before starting the book is that if you're not one for extensive description, you might want to read cautiously. Lewis, in creating this new world, often goes to great lengths in describing it. Generally this isn't an issue, as the description of the scenery flows well with the story, but it can be lengthy and somewhat slow in places. It's also good to keep in mind that Lewis was a Christian man, and most of his works reflect that. This book isn't what I would call "overtly" Christian, but it's not hard to see the Christian influence, and, indeed, the main character is a Christian. However, it's nothing like what one encounters in Narnia -- this series is NOT an allegory in any fashion.
Peppered with wit and wisdom and beautiful prose, this book is a definite must for any C.S. Lewis enthusiast, and a great starting place for those who are new to his work. The writing and the narrative are approachable and easy to pick up, while still managing to give the reader something to hang their hat on.
Out of the Silent Planet is the first book in the trilogy, and it opens with Dr. Elwin Ransom, middle-aged philologist and Cambridge scholar, traveling the English countryside on foot as part of a walking tour of England. Alone and in the middle of the night, Ransom blunders upon two former colleagues living in a country cottage. This seemingly innocuous reunion soon turns sour, and before he knows it, Ransom is kidnapped, bundled onto a spaceship, and finds himself hurdling through deep space towards an unknown planet, for a reason his captors refuse to disclose.
Once the three scholars have landed on this planet, Ransom seizes his chance and escapes into the wilds of a world which he knows nothing about, with no rations and no notion of how to get back to earth.
Quite unlike most sci-fi novels, this book offers a richly written, unique perspective on the idea of interplanetary travel, and just what deep space, or "Deep Heaven" would be like. It focuses on the characters, the planet, and the planet's inhabitants rather than on machinery and the technology which brought the characters to that planet, which I found a refreshing deviation from most sci-fi. Also unlike most books of this genre, Out of the Silent Planet doesn't take the hostility and maliciousness of the aliens to be a given. It focuses rather on the alien peoples as a race and the possible similarities between the alien race and humanity. Indeed, in truly Lewis fashion, this perspective of the alien race provides us with a lens through which to view our own race. What major differences between the two races that Lewis does include are written in a fresh way. It's a nice change from George Orwell style sci-fi.
The only warnings I would provide before starting the book is that if you're not one for extensive description, you might want to read cautiously. Lewis, in creating this new world, often goes to great lengths in describing it. Generally this isn't an issue, as the description of the scenery flows well with the story, but it can be lengthy and somewhat slow in places. It's also good to keep in mind that Lewis was a Christian man, and most of his works reflect that. This book isn't what I would call "overtly" Christian, but it's not hard to see the Christian influence, and, indeed, the main character is a Christian. However, it's nothing like what one encounters in Narnia -- this series is NOT an allegory in any fashion.
Peppered with wit and wisdom and beautiful prose, this book is a definite must for any C.S. Lewis enthusiast, and a great starting place for those who are new to his work. The writing and the narrative are approachable and easy to pick up, while still managing to give the reader something to hang their hat on.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
If this blog was a boat I'd be breaking a bottle of Cream Soda on it. (I'm pro-sober marine life.) Since it is not, I commence the beginning of glorious reviewing!
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Ever read a book and instinctively know that you're missing a lot of what's going on? That's what I thought. I had the feeling all the way through this book, but to be fair a lot of it's because the protagonist,Billy Pilgrim, "has come unstuck in time".
In Billy Pilgrim's life he had been a well-to-do optometrist, father of two, and POW during World War II. Then, abducted by aliens from Tramalfadore and kept in a zoo.
He keeps the abduction to himself until he gets conked on the head during a plane crash. After that he sets out into the world to share the philosophy of the four-dimensioned Tramalfadorians.
"The most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore was that when a operson dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive in the past, so it is very silly for people to cry at his funeral. All moments past, present, and future, always have existed, always will exist."
The way the book was written (sporadic and sans structure) it's hard to impart a time-line plot, but the themes are there. Free Will. Anti-War. Vonnegut imparts good lessons with satire and wit that will stick with you.
Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
Ever read a book and instinctively know that you're missing a lot of what's going on? That's what I thought. I had the feeling all the way through this book, but to be fair a lot of it's because the protagonist,Billy Pilgrim, "has come unstuck in time".
In Billy Pilgrim's life he had been a well-to-do optometrist, father of two, and POW during World War II. Then, abducted by aliens from Tramalfadore and kept in a zoo.
He keeps the abduction to himself until he gets conked on the head during a plane crash. After that he sets out into the world to share the philosophy of the four-dimensioned Tramalfadorians.
"The most important thing I learned on Tralfamadore was that when a operson dies he only appears to die. He is still very much alive in the past, so it is very silly for people to cry at his funeral. All moments past, present, and future, always have existed, always will exist."
The way the book was written (sporadic and sans structure) it's hard to impart a time-line plot, but the themes are there. Free Will. Anti-War. Vonnegut imparts good lessons with satire and wit that will stick with you.
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
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