As a long time admirer of English science fiction writer Peter F. Hamilton, I try to keep up with his work as best I can. The problem is that with all of the books I have to read for SFSNNJ events, I have found myself falling behind. Why am I telling you this? Well, mainly it is to explain why I am reviewing an older book instead of a newer one, but it is also an attempt to give you a bit of background to this particular review.
Now, a little bit of background about the book. To start off with, The Dreaming Void is a second series set in the Commonwealth Universe. While you do not need to have read Misspent Youth, Pandora's Star, or Judas Unchained, they will help to enrich the story if you have the time to read them. All of the technology, philosophy, and history of those books is handled in The Dreaming Void as commonplace (i.e. it is a fact of life and handled through conversational exposition rather than tedious info-dumps). Still, I highly recommend reading them as they will definitely give a depth of philosophical and historical content to the events chronicled in this book.
Moving along to The Dreaming Void itself, here we have an excellent example of why I love Peter Hamilton. Brilliantly written, with a panoply of distinctive and interesting characters, The Dreaming Void picks up 1200 years after the conclusion of Judas Unchained. In this time, humanity has begun to transcend into post-physical status (if you are unfamiliar with the concept of transhumanism or the Singularity, let me know and I will devote an article to it at some point), and have been studying the universe for quite some time. In the midst of all of this, a researcher named Inigo, who was assigned to Centurion Station and is watching a bizarre phenomena called the Void at the center of the Milky Way slowly expand and swallow stars, begins dreaming of life forms inside of the Void. After sharing his experiences through networked neural processors called the gaianet, a religion springs up with the desire to enter the Void and join the humans already there in their blissful existence. When Inigo disappears, and the religion starts to prepare for its pilgrimage into the Void, agents from around human and non-human space begin their attempts to stop it, for they fear this Pilgrimage will trigger a cataclysmic expansion of the Void, causing it to devour most of the Milky Way.
What makes this book so great is its massive complexity. Characters both inside and outside of the Void are separated by vasts gulfs of space, society, and philosophy, so as we progress find ourselves confronted with an almost prismatic array of diversity, with every character being equally memorable and understandable. One complaint I have in this book is that there is no clear cut 'villain' presented (with the exception of the Cat, who is just a plain old vanilla sociopath following orders). Realistically, you can understand and sympathize with all of the groups and characters in the story, and though the Living Dream's leadership and the Accelerator Faction of A.N.A. seem like they could be the 'bad guys', their motives are not in any way 'evil' and their methods are no less distasteful than the agents of other factions. I suspect that as the story evolves in books two and three we will have a real villain to contend with, however The Dreaming Void is effective as it stands without the presence of a major foil.
THAC0: 9
While this is an intelligent and exciting book, with a lot of character development and action, it does require a great deal of patience and a desire to trek along for the long haul. Those who love Hard Science Fiction will love the technological aspects of the story, but even if that is not quite your thing, the characters and action will keep your interest, as will the mystery and exploration.
Showing posts with label Science Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science Fiction. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Monday, May 18, 2009
Regenesis by CJ Cherryh
Many years ago I read a little book by author CJ Cherryh. This book was about growing up as the clone of a really famous person who had recently died. Sadly for our young clone, she was being raised in the grand tradition of The Boys From Brazil, and everything that happened to her predecessor was re-enacted upon her in excruciating detail in an attempt to recreate the original's personality in a new body. The book was Cyteen, and the experiment was a great success, but the story did not end there: twenty-one years later, we have a sequel to the Hugo award winning novel.
Regenesis starts us off mere weeks after the close of Cyteen, and for those of us who plowed through Cyteen more than a decade ago, this is an issue that may be a bit of a sticking point. At any rate, the story picks up with Ari II, the clone of the brilliant scientist, Ariane Emory, consolidating power and trying to discover who her friends and enemies are in a mish-mash of personal and professional politics that for an almost dizzying web around her. While this may sound like it is going to be a confusing labyrinth, rest assured, Ms Cherryh will deftly guide you through the tangled skein of alliances surrounding the prodigy and her coterie, and we can watch as Ari II and her friends slowly uncover the plots against Reseune with great interest. What is more intriguing still though, is the primary plot: Ari II must do all this while still trying to find the real mastermind behind the plot to kill Ari I.
I know what you are thinking: Hold the phone, didn't they solve that little mystery at the end of Cyteen? Well, apparently they were wrong, communism is just a red herring and the Sandman killed Uncle Ben by accident. Actually, it really isn't as bad as you think: Dennys Nye is still guilty, though not as guilty as originally thought, it's just that there is a larger conspiracy running in the background, and the military is to blame. Yes, that's right, the military is attempting to do some social engineering of their own by manipulating everyone into their own schemes of political and social control of the Union.
At this point, I bet that you are thinking that I must really have disliked this book, and herein lies the rub: as convoluted and unbelievable as the things I have just described will likely sound, in this book they really work! I have to hand it to Cherryh, I was turning every page, eager to find out more. When taken out of the context of the story, these events seem byzantine and woefully far-fetched as behavioral and social patterns, but Cherryh takes the threads and binds them together like a master weaver working a loom to produce a rich tapestry of character study, because that is what Regenesis really is at its heart.
THAC0: 15
This is a dense and difficult book, but well worth the effort that reading it entails. If you didn't read Cyteen you can likely get through Regenesis, but it is going to be rough going. This is not for the novice Science Fiction reader at all.
Regenesis starts us off mere weeks after the close of Cyteen, and for those of us who plowed through Cyteen more than a decade ago, this is an issue that may be a bit of a sticking point. At any rate, the story picks up with Ari II, the clone of the brilliant scientist, Ariane Emory, consolidating power and trying to discover who her friends and enemies are in a mish-mash of personal and professional politics that for an almost dizzying web around her. While this may sound like it is going to be a confusing labyrinth, rest assured, Ms Cherryh will deftly guide you through the tangled skein of alliances surrounding the prodigy and her coterie, and we can watch as Ari II and her friends slowly uncover the plots against Reseune with great interest. What is more intriguing still though, is the primary plot: Ari II must do all this while still trying to find the real mastermind behind the plot to kill Ari I.
I know what you are thinking: Hold the phone, didn't they solve that little mystery at the end of Cyteen? Well, apparently they were wrong, communism is just a red herring and the Sandman killed Uncle Ben by accident. Actually, it really isn't as bad as you think: Dennys Nye is still guilty, though not as guilty as originally thought, it's just that there is a larger conspiracy running in the background, and the military is to blame. Yes, that's right, the military is attempting to do some social engineering of their own by manipulating everyone into their own schemes of political and social control of the Union.
At this point, I bet that you are thinking that I must really have disliked this book, and herein lies the rub: as convoluted and unbelievable as the things I have just described will likely sound, in this book they really work! I have to hand it to Cherryh, I was turning every page, eager to find out more. When taken out of the context of the story, these events seem byzantine and woefully far-fetched as behavioral and social patterns, but Cherryh takes the threads and binds them together like a master weaver working a loom to produce a rich tapestry of character study, because that is what Regenesis really is at its heart.
THAC0: 15
This is a dense and difficult book, but well worth the effort that reading it entails. If you didn't read Cyteen you can likely get through Regenesis, but it is going to be rough going. This is not for the novice Science Fiction reader at all.
Saturday, May 9, 2009
Kethani by Eric Brown
It is a rare thing these days to find a science fiction novel that does not, at its heart, contain something sinister or subtly horrible about the unknown. Most science fiction these days focuses either on interstellar war, alien occupation of Earth, or vast conspiracies to enslave man or destroy the fundamental human spirit of adventure. With the melding of mystery and suspense tropes into mainstream science fiction, the genre has become at once becme a darker and more suspect place than at any time in its past. That is, until recently.
I must admit that I had never heard of Eric Brown before picking up his novels Helix and Kethani about two weeks ago. They seemed interesting and what few reviews were quoted on the cover seemed respectable rather than the normal hodgepodge of writer testimonials seen on most paperbacks, and so I decided to pick both books up. I read Helix first and found it entertaining, enjoyable, and imaginative, but generally typical of the type of action story made popular by Arthur C. Clark in Rama (though I think that Helix is a far more ambitious concept and a better book for it). When I picked up Kethani, though, I prepared myself for more of the same, but what I found was far more interesting.
Imagine, if you will, a world where an alien race has mysteriously appeared on Earth to give the human race functional immortality and the keys to life among the stars. Now imagine seeing the changes wrought by that action written across twenty years and seen through the eyes of common folk living out on the moors of Yorkshire in England. OK, now that you have that firmly in mind, imagine a series of individual stories told by members of a group of men and women who meet every Tuesday at the local pub to discuss life, the Kethani, death, ressurection, and their own personal stories of the world as it evolved.
This is far from the simple story one would suppose, however. No, there are no sinister evil plots, the resurrection technology does not turn folks into soylent green, there are no horrors from beyond, people are not experimented on or coerced into doing anything, and no, it is not a cook book. What complicates the story is what complicates common, ordinary, everyday folks: life, love, death, and decisions. The story is filled with personal anecdotes about a race coming of age and coming to grips with the changes engendered by the Kethani's gift. There is suspense in each story, but it is a suspense born of hopefulness rather than fear. Even the two great mystery stories in the book are less whodunnits and more along the lines of how do people cope with life and death in a world with immortality by proxy for those who choose to avail themselves of it.
430 pages of deep thought, philosophy, and high concept science fiction await you if you pick up Eric Brown's Kethani, and if that sort of thing appeals to you as much as it did to me, then I highly recommend that you grab a copy and gobble it up.
THAC0: 10
While this is a great book, not everyone will enjoy the stories, and the lack of action, adventure, or suspense really make this more a story for fans of philosophy, character development, and secular humanism than anything else.
*Note: I am grading things based on the old system of 'To Hit Armor Class 0' or THAC0 from the old Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. The idea is that the lower the number, the lower you need to roll to score a hit. In terms of my grade, the THAC0 is the number I believe, on a scale of 1-20, that I think this will be a hit with you, the reader. 1 means that I think that pretty much everyone will love this book/movie/show and 20 means that almost nobody will like it.
Tune in tomorrow when I review Helix, and keep your eyes open as I try to actually provide reviews all week long (after all, I have read a lot of books since January).
I must admit that I had never heard of Eric Brown before picking up his novels Helix and Kethani about two weeks ago. They seemed interesting and what few reviews were quoted on the cover seemed respectable rather than the normal hodgepodge of writer testimonials seen on most paperbacks, and so I decided to pick both books up. I read Helix first and found it entertaining, enjoyable, and imaginative, but generally typical of the type of action story made popular by Arthur C. Clark in Rama (though I think that Helix is a far more ambitious concept and a better book for it). When I picked up Kethani, though, I prepared myself for more of the same, but what I found was far more interesting.
Imagine, if you will, a world where an alien race has mysteriously appeared on Earth to give the human race functional immortality and the keys to life among the stars. Now imagine seeing the changes wrought by that action written across twenty years and seen through the eyes of common folk living out on the moors of Yorkshire in England. OK, now that you have that firmly in mind, imagine a series of individual stories told by members of a group of men and women who meet every Tuesday at the local pub to discuss life, the Kethani, death, ressurection, and their own personal stories of the world as it evolved.
This is far from the simple story one would suppose, however. No, there are no sinister evil plots, the resurrection technology does not turn folks into soylent green, there are no horrors from beyond, people are not experimented on or coerced into doing anything, and no, it is not a cook book. What complicates the story is what complicates common, ordinary, everyday folks: life, love, death, and decisions. The story is filled with personal anecdotes about a race coming of age and coming to grips with the changes engendered by the Kethani's gift. There is suspense in each story, but it is a suspense born of hopefulness rather than fear. Even the two great mystery stories in the book are less whodunnits and more along the lines of how do people cope with life and death in a world with immortality by proxy for those who choose to avail themselves of it.
430 pages of deep thought, philosophy, and high concept science fiction await you if you pick up Eric Brown's Kethani, and if that sort of thing appeals to you as much as it did to me, then I highly recommend that you grab a copy and gobble it up.
THAC0: 10
While this is a great book, not everyone will enjoy the stories, and the lack of action, adventure, or suspense really make this more a story for fans of philosophy, character development, and secular humanism than anything else.
*Note: I am grading things based on the old system of 'To Hit Armor Class 0' or THAC0 from the old Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. The idea is that the lower the number, the lower you need to roll to score a hit. In terms of my grade, the THAC0 is the number I believe, on a scale of 1-20, that I think this will be a hit with you, the reader. 1 means that I think that pretty much everyone will love this book/movie/show and 20 means that almost nobody will like it.
Tune in tomorrow when I review Helix, and keep your eyes open as I try to actually provide reviews all week long (after all, I have read a lot of books since January).
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Review: Event by David Lynn Goleman
First, I apologize for the late posting of this, normal work excuse to follow.
When I see a tale set in modern times with a strong conspiracy-theory backdrop, I generally roll my eyes and await the trite and overdone Black Helicopter/Evil Government Cover-up/Waco/Ruby Ridge ranting that is endemic to the genre of speculative fiction. Luckily for me, this particular book is not done in that vein. At all. In fact, Event, attempts to humanize and explain why some of these things need to be taken care of with discretion. Don't think that David Lynn Goleman is going to handle you with kid gloves, though, because this is an author who likes to sucker-punch the reader with great surprises and really amazing ideas.
The first question that you are likely to ask is, "What is Todd talking about?" Well, I am talking about the first book in the Event Group series by David Lynn Goleman. This first story is a traditional series opener that sets the scene and the stage for the upcoming drama by throwing the new guy in the group into the deep end of the pool. Anyone who has seen a TV series on the SciFi channel (Sanctuary, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Farscape, Strangeworld, etc) is familiar with this formula and knows how it goes. Luckily, Mr. Goleman has seen those shows too, and knows that we knows how this is supposed to play out, so he tries to have fun with it and make it entertaining. Thankfully, he succeeds. The SciFi channel wishes it could put together a show so thoroughly engrossing as this book was.
At any rate, what about the story? The novel Event takes place in contemporary times and features characters who work for a secret department in the US Government, Department 5656, which is (on paper) an adjunct to the national archives. The real task of Department 5656 is the acquisition of artifacts and the learning of history on a grand scale so we can avoid that fate warned of by Santa Ana. From Noah's Ark to the corpse of King Arthur, the Event Group, as Dept 5656 is known, collects it all; sending super-scientists and US Armed Forces Special Ops teams on globe-trotting adventures. According to the leaders of the Group, no other nation has the same kind of set-up, and one of the tasks of the Group is not only to preserve these ancient relics, but to learn from them and study them, keeping them secret if they may cause too great an uproar in modern society.
Of course, all this leads us to one of their finds that 'got away': the debris and alien artifats from Roswell, NM! Sorry, no real spoiler here, the book starts of with the stealing of the Roswell artifacts from the Event Group team in 1947. The question is: what does that have to do with the plot of the book? Well, history has a way of repeating itself, and apparently the crash at Roswell was no mere accident, but the opening shot in a planned invasion. The original crash is replicated by the aliens in exact detail, with the sole deviation that a wing of US Navy F-14's open fire on one of the two flying saucers, causing both to crash. What happens next is a fast-paced, high impact thrill ride that will leave you gasping for breath at the end of each chapter.
If you are looking for a book with good solid science, action, adventure, monsters, depraved aliens, friendly aliens, more monsters, gun battles, car chases, espionage, big monsters, assassinations, strip clubs, archeology, spelunking, fighter planes, high tech gadgets, more nifty science, and more monsters, then this is the book for you. If you don't like those things, then perhaps I could recommend something a bit tamer.
THAC0: 5
*Note: I am grading things based on the old system of 'To Hit Armor Class 0' or THAC0. The idea is that the lower the number, the better this is at being an actual hit in terms of game mechanics. In terms of my grade, the THAC0 is the number is believe on a scale of 1-20 that I think this will be a hit with you, the reader. 1 means that I think that pretty much everyone will love this book/movie/show and 20 means that almost nobody will like it.
When I see a tale set in modern times with a strong conspiracy-theory backdrop, I generally roll my eyes and await the trite and overdone Black Helicopter/Evil Government Cover-up/Waco/Ruby Ridge ranting that is endemic to the genre of speculative fiction. Luckily for me, this particular book is not done in that vein. At all. In fact, Event, attempts to humanize and explain why some of these things need to be taken care of with discretion. Don't think that David Lynn Goleman is going to handle you with kid gloves, though, because this is an author who likes to sucker-punch the reader with great surprises and really amazing ideas.
The first question that you are likely to ask is, "What is Todd talking about?" Well, I am talking about the first book in the Event Group series by David Lynn Goleman. This first story is a traditional series opener that sets the scene and the stage for the upcoming drama by throwing the new guy in the group into the deep end of the pool. Anyone who has seen a TV series on the SciFi channel (Sanctuary, Stargate SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, Farscape, Strangeworld, etc) is familiar with this formula and knows how it goes. Luckily, Mr. Goleman has seen those shows too, and knows that we knows how this is supposed to play out, so he tries to have fun with it and make it entertaining. Thankfully, he succeeds. The SciFi channel wishes it could put together a show so thoroughly engrossing as this book was.
At any rate, what about the story? The novel Event takes place in contemporary times and features characters who work for a secret department in the US Government, Department 5656, which is (on paper) an adjunct to the national archives. The real task of Department 5656 is the acquisition of artifacts and the learning of history on a grand scale so we can avoid that fate warned of by Santa Ana. From Noah's Ark to the corpse of King Arthur, the Event Group, as Dept 5656 is known, collects it all; sending super-scientists and US Armed Forces Special Ops teams on globe-trotting adventures. According to the leaders of the Group, no other nation has the same kind of set-up, and one of the tasks of the Group is not only to preserve these ancient relics, but to learn from them and study them, keeping them secret if they may cause too great an uproar in modern society.
Of course, all this leads us to one of their finds that 'got away': the debris and alien artifats from Roswell, NM! Sorry, no real spoiler here, the book starts of with the stealing of the Roswell artifacts from the Event Group team in 1947. The question is: what does that have to do with the plot of the book? Well, history has a way of repeating itself, and apparently the crash at Roswell was no mere accident, but the opening shot in a planned invasion. The original crash is replicated by the aliens in exact detail, with the sole deviation that a wing of US Navy F-14's open fire on one of the two flying saucers, causing both to crash. What happens next is a fast-paced, high impact thrill ride that will leave you gasping for breath at the end of each chapter.
If you are looking for a book with good solid science, action, adventure, monsters, depraved aliens, friendly aliens, more monsters, gun battles, car chases, espionage, big monsters, assassinations, strip clubs, archeology, spelunking, fighter planes, high tech gadgets, more nifty science, and more monsters, then this is the book for you. If you don't like those things, then perhaps I could recommend something a bit tamer.
THAC0: 5
*Note: I am grading things based on the old system of 'To Hit Armor Class 0' or THAC0. The idea is that the lower the number, the better this is at being an actual hit in terms of game mechanics. In terms of my grade, the THAC0 is the number is believe on a scale of 1-20 that I think this will be a hit with you, the reader. 1 means that I think that pretty much everyone will love this book/movie/show and 20 means that almost nobody will like it.
Monday, March 24, 2008
Dread Empire's Fall
OK, it has been a while since i actually did a three update week, but I swear that I am going to get back into the habit of doing this the right way.
Recently I had the opportunity to read through the current three novels of Walter John Williams' Science Fiction series Dread Empire's Fall. These books have been winking at me from the shelves of teh Science Fiction section for a while now, but I have been hesitant to pick them up, if only becuase I did not want to fall into another giant SF series. Luckily for me, I bought the first two books at Borders in Wayne during their store closing sale.
The series takes place about ten thousand years from now. Humans and several alien species have been living under the rule of an alien species calle the Shaa for milennia. Any sources of innovation and free thought have been ruthlessly suppressed for generations, and the Shaa have employed horrific weapons to ensure the continued obedience and loyalty of their servant species. Over the Empire's 12,000 years, the ideals of the Shaa, as embodied in a document of law called the Praxis, have become the ideals of the client species. Unfortunately, the last of the Shaa has decided to end its immortal life (presumably the rest of the Shaa had done so over the course of time leading up to this point).
The problem is that the Empire is kind of like a bonsai tree, and has been shaped and molded to the specifications of the Shaa over many generations. The vacuum of power left behind by the last Shaa has been filled by the bureaucratic Convocation of Peers, who rule as any collective would. one of the client races, the Naxids, decides that it is up to them to restore a proper heirarcy with one species on top, taking the place of the Shaa in the Empire. As they were the first conquered species, the Naxids decide that they are best equipped to run the Empire.
This series follows the course of the Rebellion of the Naxids and the careers of several very interesting characters. All of the story is told following the exploits of Gareth Martinez, younger son of a very welathy, but not prestigious family of Peers from the Empire's furthest provinces, and his on-again off-again lover Caoline, Lady Sula, last survivor of the high ranking Sula clan, whose Peerage is second only to two or three other families of humans. The rub is that Sula is not quite whom she says she is, and Gareth is an overly romantic fellow who does not understand the problems that the Lady Sula seems to have with their relationship. Set against the backdrop of this vast war (which is the first war ever fought between fleet of similar technology as well as the first combat that the fleet has seen in over 1000 years), the romance, politics, and interpersonal maneuvering make this series really stand out.
Throughout the series we watch as the political wrangling of the Convocation, which is attempting to run the war themselves, and whose armchair general practices lead the Empire into blunder after blunder, and we can see exactly how the galaxy has come to this dreadful pass. Through the techings of the Praxis, everyone knows that one the tried and true ideas of old are worthwhile and practicable, and thus the tactical innovations practiced by Lord Martinez and Lady Sula are looked at with disdain as being one step short of heresy. It is interesting to watch as the political interplay unfolds in the story, and how the characters are treated by an Empire that should be very grateful to have their service.
I tore through these books very quickly, and that is a testament to how much I enjoyed them as well as the ease and accessability of the writing. Walter John Williams has done an excellent job, and I look forward to reading some of his other works when I have some more time.
Monday, February 18, 2008
Top Ten Science Fiction Romances
Romance Month continues with the SFSNNJ, and to continue to promote this fun and exciting topic. Today I will be listing the best romantic couples in the realms of Science Fiction. These are characters that define true love and romance, and show love in a new and exciting light.
10 - Staffa kar Therma & Chrysla - Trained to be the ultimate defender of his homeworld, and conditioned with psychological triggers, Staffa kar Therma was to be the greatest general of his day. That was, until he fell so in love with his psychological programmer, Chrysla. When he was told of her death, Staffa went mad and left his homeworld, eventually returning as a conqueror (Requiem for the Conqueror by W. Michael Gear & Kathleen O'Neil Gear). Unfortunately, Chrysla was not dead, and Staffa is told that he has killed her during the battle, precipitating another bloody rampage and a journey of self-discovery. Staffa and Chrysla's doomed love is all the more potent for the disasters it creates.
9 - Hilfy Chanur & Tully - Hilfy Chanur, neice of Pyanfar Chanur, Captain of the merchant vessel Chanur's Legacy fell in love with their human refugee, Tully, during their long captivity and torture at the hands of the vile Kif, Akkiktimakt. Though this love could never be requited (mainly due to the difference between the Human and Hani species) it was a source of much angst and anguish betwixt the two (Pride of Chanur, Chanur's Venture, Kif Strike Back, Chanur's Homecomingby C.J. Cherryh).
8 - Captain Laurent Zai & Nara Oxham - They say that opposites attract, and nowhere is that more evident than in the unlikely love affair between Capatin Laurent Zai and Nara Oxham in The Risen Empire by Scott Westerfeld. Although divided by all conceivable divides (politics, religion, and personality), their love flourishes and grows, even in the icy depths of Nara's Antarctic home.
7 - Phaethon Prime Rhadamanth & Daphne Tercius Semi-Radamanth - Driven mad by his love for Daphne, Phaethon is sentenced to having his memories redacted to such an extreme state that he can no longer be sure of who and what he is. In the end, he learns that his love for the real Daphne has been overshadowed by his love for a specially designed AI of Daphne, which is who he truly loves, though he thinks that it is the original that he fell in love with. A truly strange set of affairs. (The Gold Age, The Phoenix Exultant, The Golden Transcendance by John C. Wright)
6 - Han Solo & Leia Organa - The greatest romance in the Star Wars universe is that between Han and Leia (in spite of what people think, Anakin is a stalker and Padme is a co-dependant girlfriend). Even Carbon Freezing cannot keep these lovebirds apart, and their love stands as a testament of their times.
5 - Duncar Reever & Cherijo Grey Veil - No greater love hath a man than that he lay down his life for another, and in this series by S.L. Vielh we witness Duncan placing himself in harms way again, and again, and again, and again. This is especially impressive considering his wife is nearly immortal and regenerates faster than most people heal little scrapes and boo-boos. Romance oozes from the pages of this wonderful medical series. (Stardoc, Beyond Varellan, Shockball, etc.)
4 - Captain James T. Kirk & U.S.S. Enterprise - 'Nuff said. This one needs no explanations. No green princess or beautiful scientist will ever compete with Jim Kirk's love of his starship.
3 - Sauscony "Soz" Valdoria & Jaibriol II - When Catherine Asaro introduced us to this doomed couple in Primary Inversion, we knew that we were onto something special. Their love for each other transcended the bounds of war and hatred between their Empires and found unity in purpose and hope on a small backwater. One could only wish the best for them in spite of the obvious problems that they would encounter.
2 - Owen Deathstalker & Hazel D'ark - When a man loves a woman he does what he can for her whenever he can. Owen and Hazel have a great reciprocal relationship, and have saved each others' bacon more times than anyone could keep track of. The problem is that when Hazel believes Owen to have died, she uses her maze enhanced super-powers to begin the destruction of the universe becoming... Well, that is a story for another time. (Deathstalker, Deathstalker Rebellion, Deathstalker War, Deathstalker Honor, Deathstalker Destiny, Deathstalker Legacy, Deathstalker Return, Deathstalker Coda by Simon R. Green)
1 - Paul 'Muad'dib' Atreides & Chani Liet-Kynes - Another couple that needs no introduction: Paul and Chani are the clock by which Science Fiction romances are set. Dune by Frank Herbert showed us a love that pushed the boundaries of space and time, and would only come to be tested and resolved over and over again.
10 - Staffa kar Therma & Chrysla - Trained to be the ultimate defender of his homeworld, and conditioned with psychological triggers, Staffa kar Therma was to be the greatest general of his day. That was, until he fell so in love with his psychological programmer, Chrysla. When he was told of her death, Staffa went mad and left his homeworld, eventually returning as a conqueror (Requiem for the Conqueror by W. Michael Gear & Kathleen O'Neil Gear). Unfortunately, Chrysla was not dead, and Staffa is told that he has killed her during the battle, precipitating another bloody rampage and a journey of self-discovery. Staffa and Chrysla's doomed love is all the more potent for the disasters it creates.
9 - Hilfy Chanur & Tully - Hilfy Chanur, neice of Pyanfar Chanur, Captain of the merchant vessel Chanur's Legacy fell in love with their human refugee, Tully, during their long captivity and torture at the hands of the vile Kif, Akkiktimakt. Though this love could never be requited (mainly due to the difference between the Human and Hani species) it was a source of much angst and anguish betwixt the two (Pride of Chanur, Chanur's Venture, Kif Strike Back, Chanur's Homecomingby C.J. Cherryh).
8 - Captain Laurent Zai & Nara Oxham - They say that opposites attract, and nowhere is that more evident than in the unlikely love affair between Capatin Laurent Zai and Nara Oxham in The Risen Empire by Scott Westerfeld. Although divided by all conceivable divides (politics, religion, and personality), their love flourishes and grows, even in the icy depths of Nara's Antarctic home.
7 - Phaethon Prime Rhadamanth & Daphne Tercius Semi-Radamanth - Driven mad by his love for Daphne, Phaethon is sentenced to having his memories redacted to such an extreme state that he can no longer be sure of who and what he is. In the end, he learns that his love for the real Daphne has been overshadowed by his love for a specially designed AI of Daphne, which is who he truly loves, though he thinks that it is the original that he fell in love with. A truly strange set of affairs. (The Gold Age, The Phoenix Exultant, The Golden Transcendance by John C. Wright)
6 - Han Solo & Leia Organa - The greatest romance in the Star Wars universe is that between Han and Leia (in spite of what people think, Anakin is a stalker and Padme is a co-dependant girlfriend). Even Carbon Freezing cannot keep these lovebirds apart, and their love stands as a testament of their times.
5 - Duncar Reever & Cherijo Grey Veil - No greater love hath a man than that he lay down his life for another, and in this series by S.L. Vielh we witness Duncan placing himself in harms way again, and again, and again, and again. This is especially impressive considering his wife is nearly immortal and regenerates faster than most people heal little scrapes and boo-boos. Romance oozes from the pages of this wonderful medical series. (Stardoc, Beyond Varellan, Shockball, etc.)
4 - Captain James T. Kirk & U.S.S. Enterprise - 'Nuff said. This one needs no explanations. No green princess or beautiful scientist will ever compete with Jim Kirk's love of his starship.
3 - Sauscony "Soz" Valdoria & Jaibriol II - When Catherine Asaro introduced us to this doomed couple in Primary Inversion, we knew that we were onto something special. Their love for each other transcended the bounds of war and hatred between their Empires and found unity in purpose and hope on a small backwater. One could only wish the best for them in spite of the obvious problems that they would encounter.
2 - Owen Deathstalker & Hazel D'ark - When a man loves a woman he does what he can for her whenever he can. Owen and Hazel have a great reciprocal relationship, and have saved each others' bacon more times than anyone could keep track of. The problem is that when Hazel believes Owen to have died, she uses her maze enhanced super-powers to begin the destruction of the universe becoming... Well, that is a story for another time. (Deathstalker, Deathstalker Rebellion, Deathstalker War, Deathstalker Honor, Deathstalker Destiny, Deathstalker Legacy, Deathstalker Return, Deathstalker Coda by Simon R. Green)
1 - Paul 'Muad'dib' Atreides & Chani Liet-Kynes - Another couple that needs no introduction: Paul and Chani are the clock by which Science Fiction romances are set. Dune by Frank Herbert showed us a love that pushed the boundaries of space and time, and would only come to be tested and resolved over and over again.
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Da Gears
OK, so this in keeping with this month's theme of Romance in Science Fiction, Tripping the Write Fantastic will be covering the works of the notable writing couple of W. Michael Gear and Kathleen O'Neil Gear. As a prelude and preview for next weeks discussion, I have decided to spend some time here on the blog reviewing some of my favorite books by the Gears.
The Anasazi Mysteries: Although not, strictly speaking, science fiction or fantasy, this series is notable as a magnificent mystery told in two different parts. That's right, there are actually two concurrent mysteries going on in each of the books, one ancient and one modern, as archeologists Dusty Stewart and Maureen Cole unearth relic of the past and try to make sense of a horror story unfolding before their eyes. Meanwhile, 800 years before, Catkin, Browser, and Stone Ghost try to unravel the fresh mystery of bad spirits and murder in their tribe. Brilliant work all around, with a heart stopping climax in The Summoning God.
Forbidden Borders: This trilogy of stories opens an obviously far future humanity that is trapped in a rather limited section of space. Walled off by strange super-beings, these humans have fought war after war until only two super-powers and one major mercenary commander remain. The series is amazing in its scope and detail, and was the first set of Gear books I ever read. To this day it remains a favorite.
Starstrike: The nations of a pitiful backwater planet called Earth find themselves drafted by pacifistic aliens to fight an aggressive foewho apparently does not know that war is about to be declared on them. Every nation must send its best unit to work together with the Ahimsa to end the threat. Though the political scene is admittedly dated, it is still a fun story, and, for those of us who were alive at the time, will recall us to the height of the Cold War and its paranoia.
People of Spider: OK, now imagine a future where most of humanity lives either on Space Stations or Planets. Now imagine that the space stations are ruled by Managers, vastly powerful space-adapted humans with immense brain power capable of running the star-spanning space empire. Now imagine that they run into spiritual psychics descended from Navajo who were stranded on a small world by the last prison ships of the Soviet Empire of the 21st Century. Fun, huh? It gets better, and weirder.
These are a few of my favorite series by the Gears, and I hope that you pick them up and enjoy them too!
The Anasazi Mysteries: Although not, strictly speaking, science fiction or fantasy, this series is notable as a magnificent mystery told in two different parts. That's right, there are actually two concurrent mysteries going on in each of the books, one ancient and one modern, as archeologists Dusty Stewart and Maureen Cole unearth relic of the past and try to make sense of a horror story unfolding before their eyes. Meanwhile, 800 years before, Catkin, Browser, and Stone Ghost try to unravel the fresh mystery of bad spirits and murder in their tribe. Brilliant work all around, with a heart stopping climax in The Summoning God.
Forbidden Borders: This trilogy of stories opens an obviously far future humanity that is trapped in a rather limited section of space. Walled off by strange super-beings, these humans have fought war after war until only two super-powers and one major mercenary commander remain. The series is amazing in its scope and detail, and was the first set of Gear books I ever read. To this day it remains a favorite.
Starstrike: The nations of a pitiful backwater planet called Earth find themselves drafted by pacifistic aliens to fight an aggressive foewho apparently does not know that war is about to be declared on them. Every nation must send its best unit to work together with the Ahimsa to end the threat. Though the political scene is admittedly dated, it is still a fun story, and, for those of us who were alive at the time, will recall us to the height of the Cold War and its paranoia.
People of Spider: OK, now imagine a future where most of humanity lives either on Space Stations or Planets. Now imagine that the space stations are ruled by Managers, vastly powerful space-adapted humans with immense brain power capable of running the star-spanning space empire. Now imagine that they run into spiritual psychics descended from Navajo who were stranded on a small world by the last prison ships of the Soviet Empire of the 21st Century. Fun, huh? It gets better, and weirder.
These are a few of my favorite series by the Gears, and I hope that you pick them up and enjoy them too!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Top Ten Writing Teams
February is Romance month at the SFSNNJ, and to celebrate I am going to do a top ten list of the best pairs ever in the writing field! Socrates defined love in many terms, and some of these couples are romantic, some are familial, and some are the love of friendship.
10) Lily and Dash: Yes, Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman. They were a great couple and brought us some of the greatest mystery stories, and that is that!
9) Stephen and Dal Perry: Not a romantic couple, but a great father/daughter team who have separately brought us some fantastic SF novels, and are now collaborating on a number of other projects. Check out The Gangster Conspiracy if you don't believe me.
8) Susan Cooper and Hume Cronyn: Although they have many collaborated on stage plays, this husband/wife team is responsible separately for a number of great SF items. Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series is still a classic, and Hume Cronyn's roles in Batteries Not Included and Cocoon rate up there as great science fiction films.
7) Verner and Joan Vinge: Although they have never actively worked on the same project together, this husband and wife team have separately brought us some amazing Science Fiction stories. Check out Joan's Winter Queen and Vernor's A Fire Upon the Deepas great examples of this couple's talent.
6) Frank and Brian Herbert: This father/son duo worked together to bring us the later books in the Dune series, and Brian later completed his father's grand vision of work. Each worked separately on the Dune series but it was truly a generational labor of love.
5) J.R.R. and Christopher Tolkien: Another pair filled with familial love, Christopher Tolkien continues to edit and work on his father's work. As a side note: I personally dislike the way Christopher Tolkien handles J.R.R.'s works, but there is no doubting that the Chris Tolkien editions are valid.
4) David & Leigh Eddings: This couple made high fantasy soar far above the clouds with their epic series and stories. From the Belgariad to their recent Elder Gods series, this husband and wife team know how to tell a great story. I highly recommend both the Elenium series and the stand alone novel The Redemption of Althalus.
3) Chris Bunch and Alan Cole: One of the best writing teams in the history of Science Fiction, these two friends collaborated on everything from episodes of Quincy MD to pornography to some of the best loved SF and Fantasy adventure series ever. From The Far Kingdoms to the realm of the Eternal Emperor in Sten, Bunch and Cole have created some true classics of adventure SF.
2) David Weber and John Ringo: another pair of good friends writing great stories. These two cannot work together often enough for me. Though their output is infrequent, it is always worth the wait. Separately they are great writers, and together they are a juggernaut. I dare you to read March Upcountry and disagree with me.
1) W. Michael & Kathleen O'Neal Gear: This husband and wife are the featured writers for this month's Tripping the Write Fantastic, and they are a fabulous team. From historicals to mystery, fantasy to Science Fiction, these two represent the best that the genre has to offer. Pick up a copy of Requiem for the Conqueror and tell me I am wrong. Try reading the People of Spider and tell me that it is not brilliantly written and ingeniously imaginative.
I guarantee you will love these two writers and all of their works from The Bone Walker to Raising Abel to Dark Inheritance.
10) Lily and Dash: Yes, Dashiell Hammett and Lillian Hellman. They were a great couple and brought us some of the greatest mystery stories, and that is that!
9) Stephen and Dal Perry: Not a romantic couple, but a great father/daughter team who have separately brought us some fantastic SF novels, and are now collaborating on a number of other projects. Check out The Gangster Conspiracy if you don't believe me.
8) Susan Cooper and Hume Cronyn: Although they have many collaborated on stage plays, this husband/wife team is responsible separately for a number of great SF items. Susan Cooper's Dark is Rising series is still a classic, and Hume Cronyn's roles in Batteries Not Included and Cocoon rate up there as great science fiction films.
7) Verner and Joan Vinge: Although they have never actively worked on the same project together, this husband and wife team have separately brought us some amazing Science Fiction stories. Check out Joan's Winter Queen and Vernor's A Fire Upon the Deepas great examples of this couple's talent.
6) Frank and Brian Herbert: This father/son duo worked together to bring us the later books in the Dune series, and Brian later completed his father's grand vision of work. Each worked separately on the Dune series but it was truly a generational labor of love.
5) J.R.R. and Christopher Tolkien: Another pair filled with familial love, Christopher Tolkien continues to edit and work on his father's work. As a side note: I personally dislike the way Christopher Tolkien handles J.R.R.'s works, but there is no doubting that the Chris Tolkien editions are valid.
4) David & Leigh Eddings: This couple made high fantasy soar far above the clouds with their epic series and stories. From the Belgariad to their recent Elder Gods series, this husband and wife team know how to tell a great story. I highly recommend both the Elenium series and the stand alone novel The Redemption of Althalus.
3) Chris Bunch and Alan Cole: One of the best writing teams in the history of Science Fiction, these two friends collaborated on everything from episodes of Quincy MD to pornography to some of the best loved SF and Fantasy adventure series ever. From The Far Kingdoms to the realm of the Eternal Emperor in Sten, Bunch and Cole have created some true classics of adventure SF.
2) David Weber and John Ringo: another pair of good friends writing great stories. These two cannot work together often enough for me. Though their output is infrequent, it is always worth the wait. Separately they are great writers, and together they are a juggernaut. I dare you to read March Upcountry and disagree with me.
1) W. Michael & Kathleen O'Neal Gear: This husband and wife are the featured writers for this month's Tripping the Write Fantastic, and they are a fabulous team. From historicals to mystery, fantasy to Science Fiction, these two represent the best that the genre has to offer. Pick up a copy of Requiem for the Conqueror and tell me I am wrong. Try reading the People of Spider and tell me that it is not brilliantly written and ingeniously imaginative.
I guarantee you will love these two writers and all of their works from The Bone Walker to Raising Abel to Dark Inheritance.
Wednesday, January 30, 2008
It's not natural...
Charles Stross, Jaspar Fforde, Peter Hamilton, Hal Duncan, Ken MacLeod, Ian M. Banks, and so many other great notable British Science Fiction writers have produced some of the best examples of SF in the last few years, in many cases redefining the genre and shattering expectations. Most notable among these illustrious names is Simon R. Green, the author responsible for such magnificent characters as Owen Deathstalker, Hawk & Fisher, and now John Taylor. In this post I will review Simon's latest novel, Unnatural Inquirer, which follows the exploits of John Taylor in the Nightside.
As this is a continuing series, it is very helpful to understand the nature of the setting first and foremost. The Nightside is a secret, magical city deep within the rotten heart of London (and yes, that is a stock phrase from the series). While it is always 3AM in the Nightside, time passes normally (at least one presumes it does) outside the borders of this fantastic city. Available here are the fruits of every sin, vice, and perversion, as well as magic, mystery, gods and goddesses, tropes, myths, legends, horrors from beyond, and monsters too dreadful to imagine. Sounds like fun right?
Enter John Taylor. For those of us who have been following his career from the beginning (Something From the Nightside, Ace Books 2003), we know that John Taylor is a man with a gift: he can find things. This makes him a pretty good private detective, and a nasty force to be reckoned with. John Taylor is a good man in a pretty vicious world, and in the Nightside even the best men most be hard and horrible on occasion.
OK, so now that we know what the background is, let's look at the story of the Unnatural Inquirer. As the name suggests, the story is centered around a Nightside tabloid of the same name. This particular rag has hired our intrepid hero to locate a fellow named Pen Donovan, who has allegedly made a recording of a transmission from the afterlife. This is notable in that nobody (even the gods and goddesses on the Street of the Gods) knows what, if anything, happens when you shuffle off the mortal coil. The higher and lower planes are a complete mystery (and yes, the pagan gods are inferior to the God/Devil in these stories though they are more powerful because the God/Devil are not allowed to interfere directly in the world due to a detent while the pagan gods can do as they please). When Taylor is hired, he is saddled with the unfortunate side-kick Bettie Divine, demon girl reporter, who is looking for trash to scoop for her paper as well as followng the main story wherever it leads. Chaos ensues.
Now, for those of us who love a great detective story, this is a fantastic example of Chandlerian noir if ever there was one. The thing that makes this series (in general) and this book (in particular) stand out is the supernatural element. This element is pervasive in some other series (Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Charlain Harris' Dead in Dixie series, and Mark del Franco's Unshapely Things/Unquiet Dreams), but in the Nightside, this magic takes on a whole new tenor. While Green's universe owes a lot of its style to Lovecraft, his fast-talking, affable characters and witty dialog hum along providing a depth that even the great HP himself would envy. These books are easily accessible, and they all contain a certain number of twinge inducing scenes. Unnatural Inquirer has all the elements of a great detective story as well as all the makings of both classical and surreal horror, and science fiction.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Note: although this is a part of an over-arching series, it is fully capable of standing on its own.
As this is a continuing series, it is very helpful to understand the nature of the setting first and foremost. The Nightside is a secret, magical city deep within the rotten heart of London (and yes, that is a stock phrase from the series). While it is always 3AM in the Nightside, time passes normally (at least one presumes it does) outside the borders of this fantastic city. Available here are the fruits of every sin, vice, and perversion, as well as magic, mystery, gods and goddesses, tropes, myths, legends, horrors from beyond, and monsters too dreadful to imagine. Sounds like fun right?
Enter John Taylor. For those of us who have been following his career from the beginning (Something From the Nightside, Ace Books 2003), we know that John Taylor is a man with a gift: he can find things. This makes him a pretty good private detective, and a nasty force to be reckoned with. John Taylor is a good man in a pretty vicious world, and in the Nightside even the best men most be hard and horrible on occasion.
OK, so now that we know what the background is, let's look at the story of the Unnatural Inquirer. As the name suggests, the story is centered around a Nightside tabloid of the same name. This particular rag has hired our intrepid hero to locate a fellow named Pen Donovan, who has allegedly made a recording of a transmission from the afterlife. This is notable in that nobody (even the gods and goddesses on the Street of the Gods) knows what, if anything, happens when you shuffle off the mortal coil. The higher and lower planes are a complete mystery (and yes, the pagan gods are inferior to the God/Devil in these stories though they are more powerful because the God/Devil are not allowed to interfere directly in the world due to a detent while the pagan gods can do as they please). When Taylor is hired, he is saddled with the unfortunate side-kick Bettie Divine, demon girl reporter, who is looking for trash to scoop for her paper as well as followng the main story wherever it leads. Chaos ensues.
Now, for those of us who love a great detective story, this is a fantastic example of Chandlerian noir if ever there was one. The thing that makes this series (in general) and this book (in particular) stand out is the supernatural element. This element is pervasive in some other series (Jim Butcher's Dresden Files, Charlain Harris' Dead in Dixie series, and Mark del Franco's Unshapely Things/Unquiet Dreams), but in the Nightside, this magic takes on a whole new tenor. While Green's universe owes a lot of its style to Lovecraft, his fast-talking, affable characters and witty dialog hum along providing a depth that even the great HP himself would envy. These books are easily accessible, and they all contain a certain number of twinge inducing scenes. Unnatural Inquirer has all the elements of a great detective story as well as all the makings of both classical and surreal horror, and science fiction.
Rating: 8 out of 10
Note: although this is a part of an over-arching series, it is fully capable of standing on its own.
Monday, January 28, 2008
Top Ten Space Operas
OK, well I am back, finally. For those who were wondering where I had gone, it is a combination of work, moving, and my father being in and out of the hospital. Now that life has stabilized, I can get back to the important stuff, like updating this blog on a regular basis.
Today is Monday, and that means that is time for a Todd's Top Ten list. This week, as the SFSNNJ's Multi-media month draws to a close, we turn our attention to the exciting realm of Space Operas. Whether in print or on screen, the Space Opera is a staple of the genre. Let us look at the best of the best...
10) John Grimes: These venerable stories by A. Bertram Chandler are a load of fun, and the future life of John Grimes, and his career in the galaxy at large, are a joy for readers of all ages. When reading these great works, it is very apparent that many of the great explorer characters of the genre owe a great deal to John Grimes, and that this prototype of the Hornblower in Space concept still stands on his own after all this time.
9) McCade for Hire: Bounty hunter Sam McCade is a mercenary bringing law to a lawless universe in this fantastic far future realm by William C. Dietz. McCade is quite possibly the most intelligent and fantastic character to grace the lower levels of society. Brilliantly written, and with a framework that makes sense for the inclusion of a bounty hunter, the McCade series stands out as one of the best thought out space operas in the genre.
8) The Pride of Chanur: It is very hard to write realistic aliens, but CJ Cherryh has made her career on the backs of the truly alien. The Pride of Chanur series follows the crew of a Hani (feline aliens) merchant ship in a region known as Compact Space. The neat thing is that this is a first contact story from the aliens' point of view, and the narrative is not told from the perspective of the only human character (Tully) but rather from the view of Pyanfar Chanur, captain of the ship. The aliens are very well drawn and the action is fantastic.
7) The Lensmen Series: E.E. "Doc" Smith is widely recognized as one of the founding fathers of modern Science Fiction and the Space Opera, and the Lensmen series remains a beloved classic for many reasons. High adventure and great characters are the hallmarks of this sweeping series, and those who have not read the books, should add them to their must read lists.
6) Sten: From the death of his family in the first book to his rebellion at the end of the series, the Mantis Team leader Sten has been a fantastic example of Space Opera if ever there was one. Chris Bunch and Alan Cole brought us this magnificent series (which was recently republished, by the way), and the amazing stories of Sten and his companions would make Ethan Hunt and James Bond turn green with envy.
5) The Prince: The planet Sparta may be the one hope for a renewed humanity as the current interstellar government collapses. The Prince follows a mercenary company hired by some very smart people to protect the world of Sparta and ensure that they will be able to pick up the pieces when the government finally does collapse. Jerry Pournelle and S.M. Stirling collaborate for a great storyline.
4) Night's Dawn/Confederacy: Peter Hamilton tells a Space Opera like no other. This one includes possession by the souls of the dead in a far future universe, and the scale of the story is nothing short of epic. It is really quite amazing what you can do with all the dead men of history to work with.
3) Honor Harrington: David Weber's iconic Captain Honor Harrington is one of the most widely read characters in the SF Genre. The Honor-verse (Harrington fan slang for the universe that the stories take place in) has been written about by many authors in the various short story collections, and in 10 novels by Mr. Weber himself. If you go to any bookstore you are likely to see 2-3 shelves of Weber's books, and much of that will be Honor Harrington's stories.
2) The Uplift Series: David Brin's seminal works on the life of humanity in a great, ancient intergalactic civilization features Earth in the role of minor backwater in the seas of galactic politicking. Startide Rising is one of the greatest works of SF ever produced, and the whole series rides a wave of excitement and exploration from beginning to end. Highly recommended.
1) Deathstalker: Simon R. Green is probably the best writer out there, and the strange far future of the Empire of Humanity showcases the best of his talent. Majestic prose and sparkling dialog bring this story to life as we follow the exploits of Owne Deathstalker and a rag-tag band of rebels and super-humans in their bid to overthrow the Empress Lionstone XIV. Wonderful is the only way I can describe this series, and there is not enough praise in the universe to lavish on it. Read these!
Today is Monday, and that means that is time for a Todd's Top Ten list. This week, as the SFSNNJ's Multi-media month draws to a close, we turn our attention to the exciting realm of Space Operas. Whether in print or on screen, the Space Opera is a staple of the genre. Let us look at the best of the best...
10) John Grimes: These venerable stories by A. Bertram Chandler are a load of fun, and the future life of John Grimes, and his career in the galaxy at large, are a joy for readers of all ages. When reading these great works, it is very apparent that many of the great explorer characters of the genre owe a great deal to John Grimes, and that this prototype of the Hornblower in Space concept still stands on his own after all this time.
9) McCade for Hire: Bounty hunter Sam McCade is a mercenary bringing law to a lawless universe in this fantastic far future realm by William C. Dietz. McCade is quite possibly the most intelligent and fantastic character to grace the lower levels of society. Brilliantly written, and with a framework that makes sense for the inclusion of a bounty hunter, the McCade series stands out as one of the best thought out space operas in the genre.
8) The Pride of Chanur: It is very hard to write realistic aliens, but CJ Cherryh has made her career on the backs of the truly alien. The Pride of Chanur series follows the crew of a Hani (feline aliens) merchant ship in a region known as Compact Space. The neat thing is that this is a first contact story from the aliens' point of view, and the narrative is not told from the perspective of the only human character (Tully) but rather from the view of Pyanfar Chanur, captain of the ship. The aliens are very well drawn and the action is fantastic.
7) The Lensmen Series: E.E. "Doc" Smith is widely recognized as one of the founding fathers of modern Science Fiction and the Space Opera, and the Lensmen series remains a beloved classic for many reasons. High adventure and great characters are the hallmarks of this sweeping series, and those who have not read the books, should add them to their must read lists.
6) Sten: From the death of his family in the first book to his rebellion at the end of the series, the Mantis Team leader Sten has been a fantastic example of Space Opera if ever there was one. Chris Bunch and Alan Cole brought us this magnificent series (which was recently republished, by the way), and the amazing stories of Sten and his companions would make Ethan Hunt and James Bond turn green with envy.
5) The Prince: The planet Sparta may be the one hope for a renewed humanity as the current interstellar government collapses. The Prince follows a mercenary company hired by some very smart people to protect the world of Sparta and ensure that they will be able to pick up the pieces when the government finally does collapse. Jerry Pournelle and S.M. Stirling collaborate for a great storyline.
4) Night's Dawn/Confederacy: Peter Hamilton tells a Space Opera like no other. This one includes possession by the souls of the dead in a far future universe, and the scale of the story is nothing short of epic. It is really quite amazing what you can do with all the dead men of history to work with.
3) Honor Harrington: David Weber's iconic Captain Honor Harrington is one of the most widely read characters in the SF Genre. The Honor-verse (Harrington fan slang for the universe that the stories take place in) has been written about by many authors in the various short story collections, and in 10 novels by Mr. Weber himself. If you go to any bookstore you are likely to see 2-3 shelves of Weber's books, and much of that will be Honor Harrington's stories.
2) The Uplift Series: David Brin's seminal works on the life of humanity in a great, ancient intergalactic civilization features Earth in the role of minor backwater in the seas of galactic politicking. Startide Rising is one of the greatest works of SF ever produced, and the whole series rides a wave of excitement and exploration from beginning to end. Highly recommended.
1) Deathstalker: Simon R. Green is probably the best writer out there, and the strange far future of the Empire of Humanity showcases the best of his talent. Majestic prose and sparkling dialog bring this story to life as we follow the exploits of Owne Deathstalker and a rag-tag band of rebels and super-humans in their bid to overthrow the Empress Lionstone XIV. Wonderful is the only way I can describe this series, and there is not enough praise in the universe to lavish on it. Read these!
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Top Ten Best Philosophical Science Fiction Stories
This week, the SFSNNJ's feature events are Themes of the Fantastic, and the topic is Philosophy and Science Fiction. While I know that our wonderful moderators, Steve Spinosa and Bill Wagner, will do a bang-up job, I wanted to throw a few ideas around before the meeting anyway:
10) Iron Sunrise by Charles Stross - examines a culture completely devoted to Nietzche. A brilliantly written story with great characters (as only Charles Stross can do), Iron Sunrise explores a future where pseudo-Nazis are trying to take over the universe in secret in the hopes that the one true ubermensch, the Unborn God, will create the ultimate peace for them. Great concepts and a wonderful tale.
9) Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan - are you really you if you are wearing a different body? Morgan examines the concept of sleeved mentalities in this far future series. The initial story, Altered Carbon, shows us that in spite of everything else, Takeshi Kovacs is a UN Envoy, no matter whose sleeve (i.e. body) he is wearing. It is an interesting examination on the morality of killing when a cortical memory stack will still contain the base 'soul' of the sleeve.
8) Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh - Amazing philosophical debate about the idea of cloning. The great ethical debate in the story centers around a clone who is being made to undergo all of the same stresses and experiences as the original in the hopes of recreating the original completely. While some decry this as a far-future version of The Boys from Brazil, the truth is that this story actually argues the point instead of using it merely as a plot vehicle.
7) Maximum Light by Nancy Kress - This bleak look at a barren and sterile future shows us a new argument to look into. Is it morally justified to castrate a homosexual in order to harvest his sperm in order to ensure the propagation of the species? The despicable act is explored in all its torrid thoughtfulness, and eventually the characters must choose between exigence and morality.
6) Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner - Granted, this cautionary tale of overpopulation and belligerent, chest-thumping nationalism is a bit dated, but the core concept: is it justifiable to kill a man who will give your enemies an advantage, is still there. Brunner looks at the morality of the espionage and assassination culture of international politics, and presents a great moral and ethical problem for the character.
5) The Stone Canal by Ken MacLeod - When is revenge enough? When has it gone too far? This story revolves around that ethical debate, while providing us with a somewhat gritty utopia of a society built around communism and Maslow's hierarchy of needs. MacLeod gives us a great look into the pros and cons of his little universe, as well as a superlative story of vengeance and hatred spanned several centuries.
4) The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks - If might makes right, what does it mean when the villains don't use physical force to coerce their victims? Enter the world of Harlequins and Travelers and find out what the counter-culture is really fighting against, and watch as the debate over the concept of a super-panopticon rages across the text of the story.
3) The Golden Age by John C. Wright - Is it ethical to completely redact a man's memories and impose a death penalty upon him should he try to restore them? What if your redactions are so thorough that he does not know why he has missing memories, only that he has missing memories? Is that character justified in taking any and all steps to restore balance even when told that he might risk his life in doing so? Read it and find out.
2) Kingdom of Cages by Sarah Zettel - Like the Nancy Kress story Maximum Light, this story deals with the ethical conundrum of the rights of a few versus the survival of the species. The question is really more pointed here, though, as human colonies are being destroyed by plague and worse, all because humans were irresponsible in not trying to understand the environments of colony worlds before making colonies there. Brilliant story, well told, and ethically perplexing.
1) Dune by Frank Herbert - Granted, Dune is my favorite novel of all time, but the ethical implications of prescience are explored with quite a bit of depth here. Does Paul Atreides have a moral imperative to shape the future of the known universe, or is this merely hubris on his part?
10) Iron Sunrise by Charles Stross - examines a culture completely devoted to Nietzche. A brilliantly written story with great characters (as only Charles Stross can do), Iron Sunrise explores a future where pseudo-Nazis are trying to take over the universe in secret in the hopes that the one true ubermensch, the Unborn God, will create the ultimate peace for them. Great concepts and a wonderful tale.
9) Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan - are you really you if you are wearing a different body? Morgan examines the concept of sleeved mentalities in this far future series. The initial story, Altered Carbon, shows us that in spite of everything else, Takeshi Kovacs is a UN Envoy, no matter whose sleeve (i.e. body) he is wearing. It is an interesting examination on the morality of killing when a cortical memory stack will still contain the base 'soul' of the sleeve.
8) Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh - Amazing philosophical debate about the idea of cloning. The great ethical debate in the story centers around a clone who is being made to undergo all of the same stresses and experiences as the original in the hopes of recreating the original completely. While some decry this as a far-future version of The Boys from Brazil, the truth is that this story actually argues the point instead of using it merely as a plot vehicle.
7) Maximum Light by Nancy Kress - This bleak look at a barren and sterile future shows us a new argument to look into. Is it morally justified to castrate a homosexual in order to harvest his sperm in order to ensure the propagation of the species? The despicable act is explored in all its torrid thoughtfulness, and eventually the characters must choose between exigence and morality.
6) Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner - Granted, this cautionary tale of overpopulation and belligerent, chest-thumping nationalism is a bit dated, but the core concept: is it justifiable to kill a man who will give your enemies an advantage, is still there. Brunner looks at the morality of the espionage and assassination culture of international politics, and presents a great moral and ethical problem for the character.
5) The Stone Canal by Ken MacLeod - When is revenge enough? When has it gone too far? This story revolves around that ethical debate, while providing us with a somewhat gritty utopia of a society built around communism and Maslow's hierarchy of needs. MacLeod gives us a great look into the pros and cons of his little universe, as well as a superlative story of vengeance and hatred spanned several centuries.
4) The Traveler by John Twelve Hawks - If might makes right, what does it mean when the villains don't use physical force to coerce their victims? Enter the world of Harlequins and Travelers and find out what the counter-culture is really fighting against, and watch as the debate over the concept of a super-panopticon rages across the text of the story.
3) The Golden Age by John C. Wright - Is it ethical to completely redact a man's memories and impose a death penalty upon him should he try to restore them? What if your redactions are so thorough that he does not know why he has missing memories, only that he has missing memories? Is that character justified in taking any and all steps to restore balance even when told that he might risk his life in doing so? Read it and find out.
2) Kingdom of Cages by Sarah Zettel - Like the Nancy Kress story Maximum Light, this story deals with the ethical conundrum of the rights of a few versus the survival of the species. The question is really more pointed here, though, as human colonies are being destroyed by plague and worse, all because humans were irresponsible in not trying to understand the environments of colony worlds before making colonies there. Brilliant story, well told, and ethically perplexing.
1) Dune by Frank Herbert - Granted, Dune is my favorite novel of all time, but the ethical implications of prescience are explored with quite a bit of depth here. Does Paul Atreides have a moral imperative to shape the future of the known universe, or is this merely hubris on his part?
Monday, November 19, 2007
Top 10 Books Every Kid Should Read
Since this week is Tripping the Write Fantastic's last session for 2007, I felt it fitting to do my Todd's Top Ten list based on the subject matter we will be discussing. Tomorrow we will discuss Susan Cooper, one of the greatest Young Adult writers of the 20th century, and so I felt it important to give everyone a look at the 10 greatest genre novels for young people. Here we go:
10) Tuck Everlasting - A young girl befriends a family of immortals in this strange coming of age story. The story is well told and interesting, and we learn the truth as to why immortality isn't more widespread. The ending is bittersweet at best, but the point of the story is well taken: respect the privacy of those around you.
9) I, Robot - Isaac Asimov tells a series of brilliant stories of robots not functioning properly. The idea that simple programming errors can cause different types of aberrant robot behavior is an interesting one, and is a great aid for kids looking at why people behave differently. Also, robots are cool.
8) The John Grimes Series: This venerable Science Fiction series was a gateway drug for many current fans. A. Bertram Chandler writes a great series of stories designed to make every boy feel like they can conquer the universe, just like Lieutenant Grimes.
7) Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser: Say what you like about Fritz Leiber, he sure got this sword and sorcery duo right. Since their creation this indomitable pair have been copied, mimicked, and parodied (they even have a role play game setting under their belts), proving that they are still a force to be reckoned with.
6) The Sword of Shannara Trilogy: Alanon the Druid and the Shannarah family battle demons, evil druids, warlocks, brigands, rebels, and more. The Elfstones of Shannara remains among the best of the series, but they are all fantastic books.
5) The Chronicles of Narnia: Forget the movie, go read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for yourself! My personal favorite in the series is The Voyage of the Dawntreader, but these books are all really well written. There is religious symbolism wrought into the story, but it can be easily ignored if you don't want to bother with it.
4) John Carter of Mars: Edgar Rice Burroughs weaves a masterful story of a Civil War officer catapulted to Barsoom (Mars) through mystical means. A great series of stories for kids of all ages, Burroughs sense of wonder and excitement over Barsoom plays well, even to modern audiences.
3) The Lord of the Rings: I doubt that an explanation is needed for this classic tale of swords, sorcery, elves, and Hobbits, but in case you had not heard, this is a great series of novels. Tolkien uses his brilliant world building skills to craft the history of th last great age of Middle Earth in a way that everyone can enjoy.
2) The Flying Sorcerers: Despite the title, the story is actually about a scientist who has crash-landed on a primitive world. Said man of science must use his knowledge and skills to get off the planet, and hijinx ensure. Told from the point of view of the primitive shaman, who calls the sorcerer "Purple" because that is what his name sounds like in the native tongue, this is a classic work for kids by David Gerrold.
1) The Prydain Chronicles: Lloyd Alexander at the top of his game, 'nuff said.
10) Tuck Everlasting - A young girl befriends a family of immortals in this strange coming of age story. The story is well told and interesting, and we learn the truth as to why immortality isn't more widespread. The ending is bittersweet at best, but the point of the story is well taken: respect the privacy of those around you.
9) I, Robot - Isaac Asimov tells a series of brilliant stories of robots not functioning properly. The idea that simple programming errors can cause different types of aberrant robot behavior is an interesting one, and is a great aid for kids looking at why people behave differently. Also, robots are cool.
8) The John Grimes Series: This venerable Science Fiction series was a gateway drug for many current fans. A. Bertram Chandler writes a great series of stories designed to make every boy feel like they can conquer the universe, just like Lieutenant Grimes.
7) Fafhrd & the Gray Mouser: Say what you like about Fritz Leiber, he sure got this sword and sorcery duo right. Since their creation this indomitable pair have been copied, mimicked, and parodied (they even have a role play game setting under their belts), proving that they are still a force to be reckoned with.
6) The Sword of Shannara Trilogy: Alanon the Druid and the Shannarah family battle demons, evil druids, warlocks, brigands, rebels, and more. The Elfstones of Shannara remains among the best of the series, but they are all fantastic books.
5) The Chronicles of Narnia: Forget the movie, go read The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe for yourself! My personal favorite in the series is The Voyage of the Dawntreader, but these books are all really well written. There is religious symbolism wrought into the story, but it can be easily ignored if you don't want to bother with it.
4) John Carter of Mars: Edgar Rice Burroughs weaves a masterful story of a Civil War officer catapulted to Barsoom (Mars) through mystical means. A great series of stories for kids of all ages, Burroughs sense of wonder and excitement over Barsoom plays well, even to modern audiences.
3) The Lord of the Rings: I doubt that an explanation is needed for this classic tale of swords, sorcery, elves, and Hobbits, but in case you had not heard, this is a great series of novels. Tolkien uses his brilliant world building skills to craft the history of th last great age of Middle Earth in a way that everyone can enjoy.
2) The Flying Sorcerers: Despite the title, the story is actually about a scientist who has crash-landed on a primitive world. Said man of science must use his knowledge and skills to get off the planet, and hijinx ensure. Told from the point of view of the primitive shaman, who calls the sorcerer "Purple" because that is what his name sounds like in the native tongue, this is a classic work for kids by David Gerrold.
1) The Prydain Chronicles: Lloyd Alexander at the top of his game, 'nuff said.
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
What is Odyssey 5?
Apparently I was the only person who ever watched this show when it originally aired on Showtime several years ago. This was a great show then, and I think that it is still pretty good and very gripping. The question is: why did it die so quickly?
The answer, my friends, is really quite simple: no market would pick it up. Odyssey 5 was fairly inexpensive to produce, however Showtime was completely unable to sell this for syndication as it had successfully done with The Outer Limits, Dead Man's Gun, and Stargate SG-1. In addition, the branding of the Showtime Sci-Fi Friday was already falling apart by that time as the Sci-Fi channel picked up The Outer Limits and was already making noises about taking over SG-1. This failure is what lead to the cancellation of a promising, and very interesting show.
Like Total Recall 2070 before it, Odyssey 5 showed us that the imagination was no boundary for the inventive and clever folks at Showtime. Smartly written, with a great cast and good direction, this show had all the ingredients for another mega hit. Why, then, would nobody pick up the hot potato? The answer: language.
This show was written at a time when The Sopranos and Queer as Folk were highlighting the fact that swearing on cable was A-OK by the viewers. The problem is that this show needed the influx of cash that would come from syndication on Fox or UPN, and without it, even the small production costs of a show like Odyssey 5 could not be funded out of pocket indefinitely.
We should learn a great big lesson from this: cussing is OK if you do not need to sell the show to networks, but it will kill your show if you need the cash.
Thankfully, I will get to watch my old friends from the shuttle Odyssey ever Friday for the next few weeks.
The answer, my friends, is really quite simple: no market would pick it up. Odyssey 5 was fairly inexpensive to produce, however Showtime was completely unable to sell this for syndication as it had successfully done with The Outer Limits, Dead Man's Gun, and Stargate SG-1. In addition, the branding of the Showtime Sci-Fi Friday was already falling apart by that time as the Sci-Fi channel picked up The Outer Limits and was already making noises about taking over SG-1. This failure is what lead to the cancellation of a promising, and very interesting show.
Like Total Recall 2070 before it, Odyssey 5 showed us that the imagination was no boundary for the inventive and clever folks at Showtime. Smartly written, with a great cast and good direction, this show had all the ingredients for another mega hit. Why, then, would nobody pick up the hot potato? The answer: language.
This show was written at a time when The Sopranos and Queer as Folk were highlighting the fact that swearing on cable was A-OK by the viewers. The problem is that this show needed the influx of cash that would come from syndication on Fox or UPN, and without it, even the small production costs of a show like Odyssey 5 could not be funded out of pocket indefinitely.
We should learn a great big lesson from this: cussing is OK if you do not need to sell the show to networks, but it will kill your show if you need the cash.
Thankfully, I will get to watch my old friends from the shuttle Odyssey ever Friday for the next few weeks.
Monday, October 22, 2007
Top ten Science Fiction Horror Films
OK, I know that you have been wondering what happened to me, and where I have been, but frankly work has been so busy that I have not had time to post. For this I apologize, and hope to get back on track with at least one post a week. I hope. Maybe.
In honor of my favorite holiday I thought I would post a list of what I feel are the best of the Science Fiction Horror films. These are not classic horror films, but movies that use science instead of paranormal or supernatural explanations to scare the heck out of us. Fortunately foe you these are films, not books, so the write ups will be fairly short. The list will count down to what I consider the #1 Science Fiction Horror film of all time.
10 - From Beyond - Strange adaptation of the H.P. Lovecraft story of the same name in which Crawford Tillinghast (Jeffrey Combs) plays a scientist whose research partner, Dr. Pretorius (Ted Sorel) has opened a gateway to another dimension through stimulation of the pineal gland which opens the thirs eye. In spite of the cheesy effects, this is a pretty scary film simply because of the intensity of the acting. The science is very sketchy, but internally consistent.
9 - Coma - This film scared the crap out of me when I was a kid. Imagine that Coma patients are being used for a horrifying experiment. Michael Douglas and Genevieve Bujold give stunning performances in this adaptation of the Robin Cook novel. This was also one of Michael Crichton's first film projects as writer and director (the prior was Westworld).
8 - Videodrome - Lots of people hate this movie (Ebert once stated that it was the least entertaining movie that he had ever seen), however the stellar performance of James Woods as he slowly succumbs to the grips of the subliminal message is fantastic. Possibly David Cronenberg's best film.
7 - Flatliners - Many are going to disagree that this is a horror film at all, but the fact of the matter is that this movie has all of the elements of a great horror story (the characters give themselves near death experiences in a scientific attempt to understand death and are subsequently haunted). The fact that there are some slight supernatural ideas in here might preclude the inclusion of this film, except for the fact that the supernatural ideas are exlined with at least an attempt at science.
6 - Strange Invaders - This is possibly the scariest alien invasion story ever, mainly because it only makes sense to the aliens themselves. There are great scenes of aliens 'storing' people and a few really horrific scenes wherein the aliens remove their human guises to reveal really grotesque faces beneath the human masks. Taught and suspenseful, a must see.
5 - Lifeforce - OK, so I am really treading on thin ice with this one. Based on the novel The Space Vampires, this film is about... vampires from space. Seriously, it covers the idea of a scientific basis for vampires and vampirism. Granted, it does not do it very well, but it is still scary as all get out.
4 - Phantoms - Dean Koontx is a great writer, and this was his first true horror novel. Luckily he got to write the screenplay for this film, which features a cast of Hollywood heavyweights (Peter O'Toole, Ben Afleck, Rose McGowan, Liev Schrieber, etc). Creepy and atmospheric, this is a great spine-tingler with a scientific bent.
3 - Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Nice, short, to the point, and truly frightening. This classic film has been remade several times, and they have all been great films. The concept of identity is fully and brutally explored in a film where nothing is quite what it seems.
2 - Alien - Most folks know of my love for the first film of this lucrative franchise. It is possibly the greatest monster movie of all times, with a combination of all the things that make any film great. Ridley Scott shows that he is one of the greatest directors of all time, and the cast is fantastic.
1 - Metropolis - Probably one of the 10 greatest films ever made, Fritz Lang's Metropolis is the ultimate showcase of scientific horror. When a young man becomes concerned over the differences between the 'thinkers' and the 'workers', and tries to bridge the gap, no good will come of it. Many have tried to remake this ultimate class struggle film, but ultimately it is perfect.
In honor of my favorite holiday I thought I would post a list of what I feel are the best of the Science Fiction Horror films. These are not classic horror films, but movies that use science instead of paranormal or supernatural explanations to scare the heck out of us. Fortunately foe you these are films, not books, so the write ups will be fairly short. The list will count down to what I consider the #1 Science Fiction Horror film of all time.
10 - From Beyond - Strange adaptation of the H.P. Lovecraft story of the same name in which Crawford Tillinghast (Jeffrey Combs) plays a scientist whose research partner, Dr. Pretorius (Ted Sorel) has opened a gateway to another dimension through stimulation of the pineal gland which opens the thirs eye. In spite of the cheesy effects, this is a pretty scary film simply because of the intensity of the acting. The science is very sketchy, but internally consistent.
9 - Coma - This film scared the crap out of me when I was a kid. Imagine that Coma patients are being used for a horrifying experiment. Michael Douglas and Genevieve Bujold give stunning performances in this adaptation of the Robin Cook novel. This was also one of Michael Crichton's first film projects as writer and director (the prior was Westworld).
8 - Videodrome - Lots of people hate this movie (Ebert once stated that it was the least entertaining movie that he had ever seen), however the stellar performance of James Woods as he slowly succumbs to the grips of the subliminal message is fantastic. Possibly David Cronenberg's best film.
7 - Flatliners - Many are going to disagree that this is a horror film at all, but the fact of the matter is that this movie has all of the elements of a great horror story (the characters give themselves near death experiences in a scientific attempt to understand death and are subsequently haunted). The fact that there are some slight supernatural ideas in here might preclude the inclusion of this film, except for the fact that the supernatural ideas are exlined with at least an attempt at science.
6 - Strange Invaders - This is possibly the scariest alien invasion story ever, mainly because it only makes sense to the aliens themselves. There are great scenes of aliens 'storing' people and a few really horrific scenes wherein the aliens remove their human guises to reveal really grotesque faces beneath the human masks. Taught and suspenseful, a must see.
5 - Lifeforce - OK, so I am really treading on thin ice with this one. Based on the novel The Space Vampires, this film is about... vampires from space. Seriously, it covers the idea of a scientific basis for vampires and vampirism. Granted, it does not do it very well, but it is still scary as all get out.
4 - Phantoms - Dean Koontx is a great writer, and this was his first true horror novel. Luckily he got to write the screenplay for this film, which features a cast of Hollywood heavyweights (Peter O'Toole, Ben Afleck, Rose McGowan, Liev Schrieber, etc). Creepy and atmospheric, this is a great spine-tingler with a scientific bent.
3 - Invasion of the Body Snatchers - Nice, short, to the point, and truly frightening. This classic film has been remade several times, and they have all been great films. The concept of identity is fully and brutally explored in a film where nothing is quite what it seems.
2 - Alien - Most folks know of my love for the first film of this lucrative franchise. It is possibly the greatest monster movie of all times, with a combination of all the things that make any film great. Ridley Scott shows that he is one of the greatest directors of all time, and the cast is fantastic.
1 - Metropolis - Probably one of the 10 greatest films ever made, Fritz Lang's Metropolis is the ultimate showcase of scientific horror. When a young man becomes concerned over the differences between the 'thinkers' and the 'workers', and tries to bridge the gap, no good will come of it. Many have tried to remake this ultimate class struggle film, but ultimately it is perfect.
Thursday, September 27, 2007
Vellum Review
I probably never would have picked up this book had it not been for the glaring orange spine winking at me from the shelf as I walked by. That's right, the book called to me, and like Reynard Carter, I had to possess it once I had read the first few paragraphs. I am glad that I picked up this masterwork from the shelf, and you will soon see why.
The strange tale of Vellum takes place across many times, and many realities, all of which feature the same cast of archetypal characters doing what they do best. One is immediately drawn to the quartet of friends described early in the story (Renard, Joey, Thomas, and Jack), and while one would assume that the story will be centered on Reynard, it is in fact the many faces of Thomas that we find at the center of the first part of the story (The Lost Deus of Sumer, and yes that is meant to be a play on the phrase the last days of summer). We see Thomas Messenger/Tommy/Tammuz/Dimuzi (etc) who is nicknamed Puck (because he is a lovable fairy) in such diverse roles as a somewhat repressed gay Irish soldier in the Great War, a 1970's gay love child, a gay biker, and a gay pixie (note spelling). His sister, Phreedom Messenger/Anna/Inana, is hoping to find her brother before the inevitable death scene unfolds in spite of her wishes. The first book is a strange retelling of the myth of Inanna in the underworld and her betrayal of her husband, the god Tammuz.
The second story, Evenfall Leaves, is a retelling of the myth of Prometheus, with Seamus Finnan, Phreedom and Tommy's mentor in the Last Deus of Sumer, in which the apocalypse is brought about by the angel Metatron's interrogation of Seamus. The story begins to feature the relationship of Jack and Puck/Thomas more and more, and is really brilliantly done.
One might normally expect to find a novel like this in the Fiction section of most book stores, what with its avant-garde writing, homosexual content, strange literary devices, and almost experimental tone, but thankfully somebody with sense elected to keep this in Science Fiction where it belongs. All in all Vellum and its sequel, Ink, have probably been the best works that I have read all year. Granted, they speak to me on multiple levels (being a gay SF fan), but I think that anyone can get something out of these magnificent pieces of literature.
The strange tale of Vellum takes place across many times, and many realities, all of which feature the same cast of archetypal characters doing what they do best. One is immediately drawn to the quartet of friends described early in the story (Renard, Joey, Thomas, and Jack), and while one would assume that the story will be centered on Reynard, it is in fact the many faces of Thomas that we find at the center of the first part of the story (The Lost Deus of Sumer, and yes that is meant to be a play on the phrase the last days of summer). We see Thomas Messenger/Tommy/Tammuz/Dimuzi (etc) who is nicknamed Puck (because he is a lovable fairy) in such diverse roles as a somewhat repressed gay Irish soldier in the Great War, a 1970's gay love child, a gay biker, and a gay pixie (note spelling). His sister, Phreedom Messenger/Anna/Inana, is hoping to find her brother before the inevitable death scene unfolds in spite of her wishes. The first book is a strange retelling of the myth of Inanna in the underworld and her betrayal of her husband, the god Tammuz.
The second story, Evenfall Leaves, is a retelling of the myth of Prometheus, with Seamus Finnan, Phreedom and Tommy's mentor in the Last Deus of Sumer, in which the apocalypse is brought about by the angel Metatron's interrogation of Seamus. The story begins to feature the relationship of Jack and Puck/Thomas more and more, and is really brilliantly done.
One might normally expect to find a novel like this in the Fiction section of most book stores, what with its avant-garde writing, homosexual content, strange literary devices, and almost experimental tone, but thankfully somebody with sense elected to keep this in Science Fiction where it belongs. All in all Vellum and its sequel, Ink, have probably been the best works that I have read all year. Granted, they speak to me on multiple levels (being a gay SF fan), but I think that anyone can get something out of these magnificent pieces of literature.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)