Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer is about political intrigue and miracles.
I struggled to read this book. Had I been reading it for pleasure alone, there's a decent chance I wouldn't have finished it. I find the writing style to be immensely irritating, enough to throw me out of the story repeatedly even when the narrator isn't breaking the fourth wall, which the narrator does too much. That said, there are a few compelling characters and situations - enough that it might have been worth it to read, IF this had been a complete novel, and not something that ended on a virtual cliffhanger.
The good: The premise is extremely interesting, and the narrator is a fascinating study who is exposed slowly, explaining the reactions of other characters to him. There are some truly mind-twisting concepts, from the cars to the miracle, that take some getting used to. The society structure is fascinating, and just believable enough - I almost wish floating citizenship was a thing.
The bad: The writing style just does not agree with me in the slightest. I wanted to reach into the book and slap the narrator around until he spoke plain English instead of aping a classic novel. The book slowly got more and more sexual - starting out with a slightly innocent world until we get a scene that's only a step or two from outright pornography. I get the reasoning, but it still felt gratuitous and made me roll my eyes. But the biggest fault is the utter lack of any type of closure. The book ends just as we're getting to some answers to some of the bigger questions. If I know ahead of time that's going to happen, I'm not as annoyed as when I struggle through a book only to find I will have to read another to get the end of the story.
Conclusion: While it's irritating, it's not bad enough to leave off the ballot - like I said, the ideas were mind-bending in some ways. But it gets the bottom spot.
Best Novel: I've read all the entries I plan to. Check them out in my Reviews of 2017 Hugo Finalists.
NOTE: Ada Palmer has also been nominated for the Campbell award based on this work. Because I haven't read any of the other finalists, she's currently at the top of that list, but I will not be surprised if she drops down after I get through other authors' works.
Showing posts with label Novel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Novel. Show all posts
Friday, June 23, 2017
A Hugo Review: Best Novel - Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
A Hugo Review: Best Novel - A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers is about the value of love and life.
After three finalists that ranged from bleh to meh, it was nice to read something that was truly enjoyable for me. I was less than halfway through when I reached the "can't put it down" point and finished the book off in a very long sitting. I have not read the first book in this series.
I will note that I checked the e-book out from the library rather than use the copy of the book provided in the packet because the publisher only provided a PDF that was annoyingly watermarked.
The good: Very strong characters, each defined nicely and completely, with their own motivations and desires. The interactions between the characters was very real. I absolutely loved Sidra's questioning of herself and her body and wanted to tell her that every girl goes through a stage where they don't fit in themselves. Of course, her story is different, but similar. I enjoyed the descriptions of dances and parties and how Sidra enjoyed them. But most of all I enjoyed Pepper's tale, and how she became who she was. It was an amazing experience to read - a survival story mixed with a fitting in story.
The bad: I'm aware that there's another book in which the origins of how the situation at the beginning of this book happened. Without that context, I wonder if the story lost some of its impact? I won't know until I get a chance to read the first book (which is now on hold at the library).
Conclusion: While I love The Obelisk Gate, I find I'm slightly more inclined to put this book on top of the ballot for now.
Best Novel: I've read The Obelisk Gate, All the Birds in the Sky, Ninefox Gambit, Death's End and A Closed and Common Orbit. I need to read Too Like the Lightning.
Monday, June 12, 2017
A Hugo Review: Best Novel - Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee is about the siege of a fortress.
I hate saying "I bounced off" a work, but this one I bounced off of when I first tried to read it. My second attempt was more successful, and I found some great bits within it. But as a complete work, it was mostly not my cuppa. At least I didn't bounce off it nearly as hard as I bounced off another finalist - I was able to finish this one without wanting to throw my Kindle across the room.
The good: Fantastic ideas, a true mind twist in some ways. The main character is incredibly unlikable at the start, but grows on you. There is a poetry in the descriptions in this book that is often very lovely, despite it being a book mainly about people headed off to die in pointless and horrible ways.
The bad: I still cannot quite understand the whole concept of "calendar" tech, and while I think I've got the gist of it, I'm bothered by the notion of it. The society that is painted by this book is absolutely awful and it's hard to believe anyone would volunteer to fight for it - but that's a plot point I think. The asides to other characters felt a little clumsy, with the reader getting odd views of information that Cheris didn't get. Within the confines of the story, it felt like a manipulative tug at the reader's emotions rather than part of the tale itself. I also got bored while reading, which is never a good sign, and caught myself skimming.
Conclusion: Good enough for a Hugo, certainly, but it'll be third on my ballot for now.
Best Novel: I've read The Obelisk Gate, All the Birds in the Sky, Ninefox Gambit, and Death's End. I need to read A Closed and Common Orbit and Too Like the Lightning.
Monday, June 05, 2017
A Hugo Review: Best Novel - All the Birds in the Sky, by Charlie Jane Anders
All the Birds in the Sky, by Charlie Jane Anders, is about the meeting of science and magic.
This book took me forever to get into, but once I got into it, I mostly enjoyed it. It never quite reached the point of being excellent, for me, but the ideas were intriguing enough and the characters worked.
The good: Loner kids hanging out together and figuring out life was fun, and I liked how their relationship developed and bloomed and wilted and bloomed again. The AI was also a fun character, especially how it crept back into the story - it reminded me of "Cat Pictures Please". The background, that becomes more pronounced, of a world just falling apart was suitably horrible.
The bad: Some of the ideas were so over-the-top they just kicked me right out of the story. The parents of the two children were almost parodies. The "school" the parents dropped him off at was silly on so many levels, although the basic idea was real enough (sadly). The assassin was idiotic. It sometimes felt like the author didn't want the reader to take the story too seriously and so sabotaged the work.
Conclusion: This is now in the number two spot on my ballot.
Best Novel: I've read The Obelisk Gate, Death's End, and All the Birds in the Sky. I need to read A Closed and Common Orbit, Ninefox Gambit, and Too Like the Lightning.
Monday, May 29, 2017
A Hugo Review: Best Novel - Death's End, by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu
Death's End, by Cixin Liu, translated by Ken Liu is about humanity dealing, and failing to deal with, a hazardous universe.
I was very surprised and even disappointed that The Three Body Problem earned the 2015 Hugo, since it was the weakest of the three non-puppy finalists that year. It is a ponderous work that bogs down in technical details. Despite some great ideas, the execution leaves much to be desired, and reading it was a slog. This book, the third in the trilogy, is worse. It's got some fantastic ideas strung together with an overly complicated plotline told in the most boring way possible. The first book had some compelling characters - this one has cardboard cutouts moving through predestined roles.
The good: The first chapter, set in the past, was actually fairly well written and interesting. The rest? Not so much. Some great science fiction concepts are presented - but not creatively enough to engage me in the story.
The bad: I wanted to throw the book across the room before I was more than a few pages into the second chapter. If it wasn't on my Kindle, I might have. Those great concepts are bogged down with an unconvincing plot and cardboard characters that I hated so much by the middle of the book that I just wanted them all to die horrible deaths as quickly as possible. I had to start skimming fairly quickly, because every second I spent reading this book felt like it was wasted. The repetition also annoyed me. Yes, we know he bought her a stupid star already. Please DON'T tell me another fifteen times that he bought her the star. I know. I don't care anymore. I don't care that it's a plot point, because you've told me about it so many times I want to smack the narrator. *ahem* I guess you can say I found this book less than satisfactory. It was a relief to delete it from my Kindle.
Conclusion: I don't believe this book is worthy of the Hugo and I will be leaving it off my ballot.
Best Novel: I've read The Obelisk Gate and Death's End. I need to read All the Birds in the Sky, A Closed and Common Orbit, Ninefox Gambit, and Too Like the Lightning.
Monday, May 22, 2017
A Hugo Review: Best Novel - The Obelisk Gate, by N. K. Jemisin
The Obelisk Gate, by N. K. Jemisin is about an earth shattered by an event in the distant past, and people who not only are dealing with the repercussions of that past, but are trying to fix it.
This picks up right where The Fifth Season (last year's Hugo winner) left off, and that's the problem with it. The story is rich and engrossing, and easier to read than the first book. But unless you've read the first book, I find it very hard to imagine being able to figure this one out at all. Don't get me wrong, it's a great book - I got halfway in and couldn't put it down until I finished, staying up late to read the ending of a book for the first time in months. But without the introduction of characters and facts of this world made in the first book, I'm not sure anyone could really enjoy this one.
The good: With only two main tracks, this was much easier to read than the first book. It also revealed who the narrator is and gave much more depth to the history of the world. Some of the assumptions made in the first book were turned upside-down in this one. Add in the incredible use of language to paint vivid images of the scenes, and the book is a masterpiece.
The bad: Most of the story of the main character in this book is just a massive info-dump. The big character development that happens is with the daughter, while Essun stays in a single place figuring out the plot. It's not really bad, but the ending has a lot more promise for book three. The other problem is one I already mentioned - without having read the first book, I would have been completely lost in this one. Even having read the first book, it sometimes took a few pages into the mention of a character before I remembered who they were and the significance of their appearance. This is fine for the second book in a trilogy, but I'm not entirely sure that Hugo finalists shouldn't be able to stand on their own (I'm divided on this issue).
Conclusion: The moment I finished this, I put the third book on hold at the library. If I hadn't been suffering through an anxiety-induced period of no reading the past few months, I probably would have already read this one before the Hugo finalists came out. I like this book, but I haven't actually read any of the other finalists, so I don't know where it will stand on my ballot.
Best Novel: I've read The Obelisk Gate. I need to read All the Birds in the Sky, A Closed and Common Orbit, Death's End, Ninefox Gambit, and Too Like the Lightning.
Sunday, September 20, 2015
A Sunday Review
This is yet another book I jumped into without reading anything more than "it's good!" from a bunch of people. Seriously, this is very unlike me, and I have expected to be disappointed, but mostly I've been extremely impressed by the quality of the works.
First up: the completely non-spoiler review. The story is set in a small valley threatened by an evil Wood, and it starts out with the most perfect opening:
Our Dragon doesn't eat the girls he takes, no matter what stories they tell outside our valley.If that doesn't draw you in, nothing will. The plot from there seems a bit obvious, until it isn't any more. The main character's name is Agnieszka, pronounced ag-NYESH-kah, as pointed out in the acknowledgments in the back of the book. I would have liked to have read that bit at the beginning... but that may be the biggest flaw I found in the whole thing.
Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Gur angher bs gur Jbbq vf gbyq ragveryl, ohg va gubfr synfuonpxf-bs-Gehgu gung V jbhyq svaq vaperqvoyl qvfgheovat gb qrny jvgu, crefbanyyl. V jbaqrerq rneyl ba jul gur Qentba qvqa'g vafvfg ba qbvat gur Fhzzbavat ba gur dhrra, rkprcg sbe gur snpg gung ur jnf gbgnyyl rkunhfgrq naq arneyl qrnq. Lrnu, vg jnfa'g rknpgyl n zlfgrel ubj gung fgrc va gur chetvat tbg zvffrq, ohg vg jnf fbzrguvat gung jbhyq unir ceriragrq nyy gur erfg... juvpu vf, bs pbhefr, jul vg qvqa'g unccra.
V unir unq n erpheevat qernz va juvpu n zntvpvna gnxrf n jbzna/tvey (nyjnlf cynlrq ol zr va gur qernz, ohg arire npghnyyl zr) naq gryrcbegf ure gb n pnfgyr jvgu n zneoyr sybbe, yrnivat ure va gur unyy ba ure unaqf naq xarrf fvpx sebz gur cnffntr. V jnf fghaarq gb ernq cerggl zhpu gung rknpg fprar va gur bcravat cnentencu. V nqzvg gung znqr zr rira zber phevbhf guna V zvtug unir nyernql orra nobhg gur obbx, naq cerggl zhpu przragrq vg nf "zvar" va zl zvaq.
Znerx vf obgu cngurgvp naq njrfbzr, ohg zbfgyl cngurgvp. V ybir gur fprar jurer Ntavrfmxn orngf uvz hc. Dhvgr fngvfslvat. V nyfb rawblrq gur snpg gung fur svanyyl ernyvmrf jung fur vf qhevat gung fprar.
Gur bcravat puncgre nyfb gryyf lbh n ybg gung vf yngre hapbirerq... yvxr jul gur tveyf yrnir gur inyyrl. Va fubeg, gurl ybfr gurve qrrc pbaarpgvba gb gur cynpr naq ernyvmr whfg ubj greevslvat naq qnatrebhf vg vf gb yvir gurer. Nal abezny crbcyr jbhyq or vapyvarq gb yrnir gur inyyrl jura zbafgref uhag gurz, cbyyra snyyf ba gurve svryqf naq cbvfbaf gurz naq na ragver ivyyntr vf fjnyybjrq hc va yvivat zrzbel ol gur rivy bs gur Jbbq. Lrnu, abezny crbcyr... ohg cneg bs orvat hcebbgrq ol gur Qentba vagb uvf pnfgyr vf n fybj ybff bs pbaarpgvba gb gur ynaq. V sbhaq vg obgu gentvp naq jbaqreshy jura V svanyyl haqrefgbbq.
Gur jbeyqohvyqvat vf vagrerfgvat. Gur jvgpurf naq jvmneqf nccneragyl unir irel ybat yvirf anghenyyl, nf gur bar punenpgre jnf qvfpbirerq orpnhfr ur'q fcrag 40 lrnef vyyhzvangvat znahfpevcgf naq unqa'g ntrq. Gurer ner nyfb aba-uhzna enprf ba gur jbeyq, nf jr riraghnyyl frr gunaxf gb gur gevcf vagb gur jbbqf. Abg whfg zbafgref, ohg bgure glcrf bs perngherf. Gur guvat gung vagrerfgf zr zbfg, naq znxrf gur raqvat fngvfslvat qrfcvgr n lrneavat gb yrnea zber, vf ubj Ntavrfmxn jvyy yvxryl fhpprrq va ure svany dhrfg orpnhfr bs ure ybat yvsr. Senaxyl, sebz fgneg gb svavfu V ernyyl rawblrq guvf obbx.
In conclusion, if you enjoy fantasy at all, this is a great book to check out. It drew me in quite unexpectedly and held my interest as well as any book I've read in the past year. I loved the main character and found the plot to have just enough small twists to keep me turning pages. I very much enjoyed it.
Short story reviews:
- "Blue Ribbon" by Marissa Lingen is about 4-H in space. I don't know how much more I can say without giving far too much away, but this is really a great little story about children dealing with extreme adversity that is definitely worth a read if you can get a copy.
- "Madeleine" by Amal El-Mohtar is about a woman who accepts an experimental drug to help her handle severe grief. It starts out seeming normal enough, but veers off into the strange and different... and then into the hopeful. I enjoyed it a lot. I'm not sure how long it will stay with me, but it's a good tale.
- "The Extraordinary Extraterrestrial Togo Mouse from Ghana" by Ryan W. Norris is a very silly story about an "alien" creature discovered living deep in Ghana. The first part of the story is basically a conversation between a reporter and a biologist about the possible origins of the creature. It gets silly when the tale goes into a flashback that describes just how the aliens arrived in Ghana and why they are running loose there. Not something I would consider particularly Hugo-Worthy, but a fun story nonetheless.
- "Not My Circus, Not My Monkeys: The Elephant's Tale" by Damien Angelica Walters is not a science fiction or fantasy tale, to the best of my reading ability. It's an extended metaphor with some aspect of fantasy, but I wouldn't call it flat-out fantasy. It won't be on my list.
- "God Mode" by Daniel H. Wilson is about the memories of a man meeting his lover, while the stars are disappearing in the sky. It's a touching and bittersweet story, but I'm not knocked out by it.
Novelette reviews:
- "Karma Among the Cloud Kings" by Brian Trent is about what happens when different human cultures and beliefs end up having differing goals and priorities. In this particular case, I can't see a good result happening for the humans, because they rely on what's outside to survive. I sympathize with them, of course, but at the end I'm worried for them. As for storytelling, this was nicely done, including a clever flashback method. Fascinating story that sticks with me.
- "Entanglements" by David Gerrold is about alternate universes, although it takes its dear sweet time getting to the point. Still, I suppose the set up is important to the notion of looking at the works of alternate "you" in a cell-phone-like device. I think the trick with this one is the final paragraph that at first doesn't seem to be part of the story itself. Ha. I get it. There's a lot going on here, but your mileage will vary. I liked it, but I'm not really sure if it'll stick with me.
New television review:
- Doctor Who: "The Magician's Apprentice" - Well. Wow. Ok, this one requires spoilers all the way through (use rot13 to read). Vg'f byq ubzr jrrx ng Qbpgbe Jub, jvgu HAVG, Zvffl, gur Fvfgreubbq bs Xnea, naq Qnyrxf. Naq na harkcrpgrq nccrnenapr ol n irel lbhat Qniebf. Ubyl synzvat pbjf. Gur unaqf jrer rkgerzryl perrcl, rfcrpvnyyl ubj dhvpxyl gurl znqr gur thl inavfu. Jul qvq Pynen srry vg arprffnel gb qenj n pvepyr ba ure jvaqbj? Gung jnf... bqq. Univat n fvfgre bs Xnea gnyx nobhg Qniebf orvat byq vf n ovg ulcbpevgvpny, vfa'g vg? V jnf nyzbfg jvyyvat gb oryvrir gung Zvffl qvrq, ohg V jnfa'g jvyyvat gb oryvrir Pynen qvrq, abg rira jvgu gur fcbvyref bhg gung fur'f yrnivat gur frevrf. Naq V'z pregnvayl abg jvyyvat gb oryvrir gur GNEQVF jnf qrfgeblrq, fb gung raqvat ybfg n ybg bs vgf vzcnpg sbe zr. V thrff V'z n plavpny byq sna. Birenyy, V gubhtug vg jnf n qrprag rcvfbqr, ohg vg ernyyl sryg yvxr vg jnf ernpuvat gb chyy bhg nyy gur fgbcf - naq V'z abg fher jul. Episode 1 of the ninth series, originally aired Sep 19, 2015.
Older television reviews (these are only the ones that I thought might be good enough to give an award to):
- Gotham: "Red Hood": A pivotal episode in some ways, this one had two points to it that lifted it above the average episode of Gotham, a show that's been very uneven. The first is Fish Mooney removing her own eye to prevent it being used as a spare part for somebody else. It's gross and powerful, but develops the character more than just about any other point in the show. The second point is Alfred's past coming back to haunt him. The bits of his old war buddy talking about the old days was good stuff. The inclusion of the red hood in a storyline is cute, but not necessarily compelling to anyone who doesn't know Batman history, so I don't have much to say about it. Episode 17 of the first season, originally aired Feb 23, 2015.
- Gotham: "Everyone Has A Cobblepot": This one is only good due to the level of corruption it reveals in the Gotham police. The underlying theme of the show is that every single police officer is corrupt, which is a neat trick, really. So this episode shows how that's accomplished, while giving Gordon a chance to use the corruption in the system to his advantage. Is it enough to nominate it for a Hugo? Probably not, but it is an interesting episode with a strange stand-alone concept. Episode 18 of the first season, originally aired March 1, 2015.
- The Flash: "Out of Time": Probably the best episode so far in 2015 of a fantastic series, this one has Barry travel in time... but not until a whole bunch of dramatic and terrible things happen first. The shocker in this episode is the death of Cisco, which had fans screaming and clutching their heads. The next episode looks at the consequences of the time travel, but in this episode the writers cut loose, which made it an incredible piece of television. Episode 15 of the first season, originally aired March 17, 2015.
- The Flash: "Fast Enough": The season finale of The Flash did not disappoint, but I'd be afraid to nominate it because it might not make sense to a new viewer. There is more of that pesky time travel, and some incredible hints of the future to come. The cliffhanger is truly magnificent: a black hole developing that will destroy the earth? Very superheroey. Episode 23 of the first season, originally aired May 19, 2015.
My Hugo Suggestions were likely recommended in the comment sections on File 770, Renay's Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom, or the Hugo 2016 Wikia. For my current list of Hugo 2016 readings, check out my Hugo 2016 Posts page.
The next story is about Linda S. Godfrey, who kind of stumbled into the role of chronicling werewolf sightings while working at a small newspaper. After writing about the fact that the county animal control officer actually had a file folder marked "werewolf" to put frequent sightings of such animals in, she started to get tips on other sightings and started a bit of a fever for werewolves in the town. It turned in to a career of sorts for Godfrey, who wrote books about the phenomenom.
The last main article is about Etienne Bottineau, who claimed he could tell if ships were coming from hundreds of miles away in 1782. He called the science nauscopie, and said it was the result of years of study and trial and error. The article dissects what we know of the man and his science.
Strangedays starts out with mysterious noises heard by many people, mal de debarquement syndrom (a neurological disorder triggered by travel), genetically stinky people, a sleeping sickness in Kazakhstan, another visit to Loch Ness, crows in Seattle who bring gifts to humans and snakes... it just had to have an article on snakes. The Conspirasphere talks about monological theories: in which everything fits into a single far-reaching conspiracy. Archaeology looks at evidence for more types of early humans, ancient runes, and children noticing things in plain sight that other people have missed.
Classical Corner covers the dangers of being a baby, particularly a royal baby, in the ancient world. Ghostwatch looks at a theory that some types of mold within old houses might cause people to see ghosts. Alien Zoo looks at an awesomely colored crayfish and tackles an internet "hoax" - a video posted in May that shows how simple it is to make a believable UFO video using CGI.
Speaking of UFOs, the UFO Files looks at yet more failures to prove the existence of alien bodies from a media event that turned out to be based on slides of a mummy from a museum. Blast from the Past looks at the history of chloroform in crime and stories about crime. Strange Statesmen has become a regular feature, this time looking at fairies, folklore and fascism in 20th century Irish politicians.
Fortean Traveller goes to Portland, Maine, and visits the International Cryptozoology Museum. Illustrated Police News recounts the tale of the Countess of Derwentwater, and the fact that no one knows who she really was... or even if she was who she claimed she was. Phenomenomix has part three of the biography of Dion Fortune.
The Forum has a review of a recent dramatization of the Enfield Poltergeist story from one of the people involved in the original event, who also talks about his character in the tv show. Another forum article is about the Queensland tiger what what it might actually be.
The Reviews start with a book about how Victorians tried to teach science with fairy tales, which sounds utterly zany but was one way people tried to deal with the changing times. Most of the books reviewed didn't catch my interest, but there's a couple that might make my list if I keep rereading the reviews. The movie reviews were fun, as usual. The letters page has a response to the article about radio interference in FT327, talking about modern radio interference caused by cheap power supplies. There's also a page of simulacra: trees that look like faces. It happened to me has a letter from a person who suffered from amnesia and forgot who his was, in answer to a mythconception that claimed amnesiacs never forget who they are.
Sunday, September 13, 2015
A Sunday Review
Another recommended book I jumped into reading without checking too much about it first. I was able to figure out that this was the first of a series before I started, so I wasn't going to end up shocked by the end. Well, at least not shocked because it's the first of a series...
First up: the completely non-spoiler review. Take a group of philosophers from all throughout time who have read Plato's Republic and want to make it a reality. How are they going to do it? How closely must they stick to Plato's original concept? And how can that concept survive the harsh realities of life that Plato didn't have a clue about? To say the ideas in this book are amazing is to praise it too faintly. The execution of those ideas? Well, I found the descriptions of sex to be unsettling, although understandable in the context of the story. Beyond that, almost everything odd in the tale is attributable to the situation.
Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Nal fgbel gung pyvznkrf jvgu n qrongr orgjrra Nguran naq Fbpengrf unf gb unir fbzrguvat tbvat sbe vg, evtug? Bx, V ernyyl jnfa'g rkcrpgvat gur qrongr gb raq gung jnl, ohg V fhccbfr V sbetbg fbzr bs zl qrgnvyf nobhg ubj Nguran naq gur Terrx tbqf graqrq gb npg jura gurl ner hcfrg.
Univat abg ernq Cyngb erpragyl, V jnf hapregnva ubj pybfr gur znfgref jrer fgvpxvat gb gur grkg rkprcg jura gur obbx vgfrys zragvbaf vg. V pbafgnagyl sryg yvxr V fubhyq or erernqvat zl napvrag grkgf gb xrrc hc jvgu gur fgbel, ohg gurer jrer rabhtu pyhrf vg jnfa'g erdhverq... vg whfg frrzrq yvxr vg zvtug unir znqr zber frafr vs V qvq.
Fvzzrn vf n vqrny yvggyr punenpgre, nyzbfg n Znel Fhr va znal jnlf. Fur unf ure unat-hcf, ohg V fhfcrpg gung zbfg bs gur tveyf jbhyq gnxr gb gur pvgl orggre guna gur oblf, naljnl. Sebz gur svefg cntrf Fvzzrn znxrf vg pyrne gung vg'f gur npgvbaf bs gur znfgref bs gur pvgl gung pnhfrq ure snzvyl gb or xvyyrq naq ure gb orpbzr n fynir, juvpu vf bar bs gur ovttrfg synjf bs gur pvgl vgfrys. Gur znfgref qvqa'g ernyvmr gung gurl'q frg gurzfryirf hc sbe snvyher jvgu gurve pubvpr gb erghea rnpu lrne sbe zber fynirf, frggvat hc n qrznaq. Ohg va Fvzzrn'f pnfr, fur sbetvirf gurz sbe vg, juvpu znxrf ure n yvggyr vqrnyvfgvp. Jura nyy vf fnvq naq qbar, fur qbrf frrz gbb tbbq gb or gehr.
V jvyy abgr gung Fvzzrn'f qrfpevcgvba bs ure cbfgcneghz qrcerffvba fgehpx ubzr sbe zr. Ab, V'ir arire unq n onol, ohg V xabj qrcerffvba, naq V erpbtavmr gung srryvat bs abguvat orvat erny. Juvyr V jnf qryvtugrq gung fur jnf pherq, V fbeg bs jvfurq rirelbar jub fhssref sebz qrcerffvba pbhyq or fb rnfvyl pherq.
Ncbyyb'f cynpr va gur fgbel vf zhpu orggre ernyvmrq. Uvf jvyyvatarff gb orpbzr uhzna naq rkcrevrapr rirelguvat sbe uvzfrys vf terng. Nf gur fgbel cebterffrf, ur tebjf nf jryy, va jnlf gung ner ernyvfgvp rabhtu gb znxr uvf cneg bs gur gnyr haqrefgnaqnoyr naq pbzcryyvat.
Birenyy, V jnf zvyqyl qvfnccbvagrq va fbzr nfcrpgf bs gur fgbel ohg zbfgyl vagevthrq ol gur vqrnf, juvpu vf jung gur fgbel vf nyy nobhg naljnl: vqrnf naq ubj gurl genafyngr vagb ernyvgl. Vg'f nyy nobhg gur vqrnf. Guvf vf abg gur orfg obbx V'ir ernq guvf lrne, ohg vg'f sne sebz gur jbefg.
In conclusion, this is on my maybe list. I might read the sequel, already out, "The Philosopher Kings" to find out what happens next. If it's better than this one, I might nominate it instead.
Hugo 2016 short story reviews:
- "Sea Change" by Kimberly Unger is about adaptation in the face of drastic change. In this case, it's a bit of technology meant for a particular purpose that has to decide what sort of adaptations it is allowed. I found the setting mildly confusing at first, then the clues filtered in and I began to understand the world and its people. A very nice little story, worth checking out. Note: the direct link may be active for a limited time.
- "Robot Boss" by Erick Melton is about the limitations and screw-ups of modern technology. It's a fun little story about a guy troubleshooting through a nasty little problem to get both a decent answer and more. I enjoyed it a lot, but I'm afraid I wouldn't put it on the top of my list of short stories of the year.
- "Mightier Than The Sword" by Arlene F. Marks is a powerful little superhero tale, told quickly and completely in the form of an interview with a hero called Ultraman. The story is about how all superpowers aren't obvious, and how that could be very dangerous if a child seems normal among other children who have outward signs of power. An interesting tale, but there's a plot hole or two, and a tiny bit of cliche as well. This one is good, but not likely to be on my ballot.
- "Endgame" by Barry Charman is about artificial intelligence, and how it might be measured. Or not. It's a little sneaky, this story. There's an undertow in it ready to pull you along if you think about it. Quite enjoyable for an extremely short story.
Hugo 2016 novelette reviews:
- "Brigas Nunca Mais" by Martin L. Shoemaker is about duty and its conflict with young romance. The story is set at a wedding, with the happy groom telling a tale about his superior officer to his bride. The ending was almost predictable, but the final words were the bit that break the heart and make you want to cry a little. A powerful little tale. Definitely worth reading.
- "Sacred Cows: Death and Squalor on the Rio Grande" by A.S. Diev. I really feel for Maria, and part of me wished she'd walked away a bit faster. As for the rest... whew. Yeah, a horrible future, showing what genetic manipulation in the hands of people who have too much money and too little concern for human life can lead to. Overall, a nicely plotted story, if depressing in its implications and slightly stereotyped. I can't even say the ending is sad... tragic, of course, but I'm not sure about sad.
Hugo 2016 novella review:
- Entrepreneurs by Robert Grossbach. Is the story of a man whose had a few failures in life and a few problems, but accidentally runs across an opportunity of a lifetime. Which, of course, doesn't work out exactly as planned. It works out, eventually, and that's the fun of the story. It's not a story about failure, but there's a lot in there about how much it takes to succeed. Plus, aliens. Awesome little aliens. And even a sort of homage to Douglas Adams. Overall, a very fun little tale.
My Hugo Suggestions were likely recommended in the comment sections on File 770, Renay's Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom, or the Hugo 2016 Wikia. For my current list of Hugo 2016 readings, check out my Hugo 2016 Posts page.
- Aug 5th
- Green Lantern #43 - Wow, Hal is really annoying. As is his ship and his guests.
- Batman Beyond #3 - So Batman gets out of a jam, only to land himself in a bigger jam? That sounds like the BB I know. Too bad it's not actually Terry.
- Flash: Season Zero #11 - Basically a history of Captain Cold and Heatwave, not a lot to recommend it, really. Not heavy on story, not heavy on plot. It's kind of meh, all in all.
- Big Game Hunters #2 - I wish the art was a little less... um... decorative. It is too busy for me. Otherwise, I'm enjoying the story. I just feel like there are too many bits where the art detracts instead of sustains it.
- Big Game Hunters #3 - And in the same week, the final issue also arrives. Again, the art is a problem. It just needs some minor tweaking here and there to make things more clear, and it wouldn't be a problem. As it is, this isn't a great series, but I enjoyed the characters.
- Mage Inc. #2 - Good artwork mixed with an amusing if slightly incomprehensible story, told from the point of view of a character who is nearly as clueless as the reader, and it comes out to be a pretty good book overall! I'm definitely enjoying this one.
- UFOlogy #4 - And we're getting close to finding out just what's going on here. The whole situation is difficult, but the kids are handling it very nicely compared to the adults. This is one I'm going to have to reread once it's done to figure it out, but I'm actually looking forward to that.
- This Damned Band #1 - So, a 1970's band that has the evil persona of having sold their souls to the devil... doesn't realize they've actually sold their souls. The idea is sound enough, but I'm curious to see how far this goes. Not my favorite book of the year, and definitely not for children.
Sunday, September 06, 2015
A Sunday Review
This is another recommended book that I'd heard about a long time ago and considered reading. Until I decided to try nominating for the Hugos, I really wasn't sure if I would read it, but the instant I got my membership for Sasquan I put it on hold at the library. I finally got it, and it took me a solid week to read.
First up: the completely non-spoiler review. This is one of those books that makes you think hard about what is important in life and in the world. It's a very bleak story at the start, with plenty of descriptions of technology and ingenuity. There are heroes and villains, unexpected moments of this and that, and multiple scenarios played out along the way. It's a big book, and it's very interesting, but it has flaws.
Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Guvf vf n obbx bs gjb znva cnegf. Gur svefg gjb guveqf bs gur obbx vf n qvfnfgre fgbel bs gur tevzzrfg glcr. Bs pbhefr, gur svefg cneg vf qvivqrq vagb gjb cnegf: gur qvfnfgre vgfrys naq gur cbyvgvpny znarhiref nsgre nzbat jung'f yrsg bs gur uhzna enpr. Gur svany cneg bs gur obbx gnxrf cynpr 5000 lrnef yngre naq srryf yvxr n pbzcyrgryl qvssrerag fgbel... naq lrg gur svefg cneg jbhyqa'g or pbzcyrgr jvgubhg gur frpbaq naq gur frpbaq jbhyq oneryl fgnaq nybar jvgubhg gur svefg.
V'z ernyyl tynq Qbbo tbg gb frg sbbg ba Pyrsg. Orlbaq gung, gubhtu... jbj, jung n qrcerffvat "raq" gb gur uhzna enpr. V shyyl rkcrpgrq zber crbcyr gb znxr vg gb gurve arj ubzr. Jura gur fgbel mvccrq guebhtu gubfr guerr lrnef naq gurer jrer bayl 20-fbzr crbcyr yrsg, V jnf fubpxrq. Ohg ng yrnfg V svanyyl tbg gur zrnavat bs gur gvgyr bs gur obbx jura gurl tbg qbja gb frira. V ungrq gung Whyvn jnf bar bs gurz. Juvyr V unq n ivfpreny ernpgvba gb gur arj ivyynva, V qvqa'g svaq ure nf zranpvat nf Whyvn.
Jvgubhg Whyvn, n ybg zber crbcyr jbhyq unir fheivirq. Gur obyvqr fgevxr gung xvyyrq fb znal jbhyq unir orra hayvxryl gb uvg, orpnhfr gur flfgrz jbhyq abg unir orra pbashfrq ol gur snxr obyvqr, naq gur fjnez jbhyq abg unir tbar bss ol vgfrys gb qvr fybjyl. Sbe gung znggre, gur Znegvnaf? Gurl jbhyq unir yvirq nf jryy, nffhzvat gurl qvqa'g znxr vg gb Znef, n snpg gung vf arire ernyyl nqqerffrq, nygubhtu vg vf rkgerzryl hayvxryl.
V sbhaq zlfrys trggvat n yvggyr oberq ol nyy gur grpuavpny vasb-qhzcf. Lrf, gurl ner snfpvangvat naq vg'f avpr gur nhgube fcrag gvzr guvaxvat nobhg ubj guvatf jbhyq npghnyyl jbex, ohg nsgre gur svsgu be fvkgu gvzr gur fgbel vf vagreehcgrq ol na vasb-qhzc ba gur grpu, V whfg jnagrq gb fnl, "Trg ba jvgu gur sernxva' fgbel, nyernql!" Fbzr bs gubfr grpuavpny ovgf jbhyq unir orra terng nf na nccraqvk sbe crbcyr jub ernyyl jnag gb ernq gurz. Fbzr jbexrq va cynpr. Ohg birenyy, gurl qenttrq gur fgbel gb n unyg, ercrngrqyl. Ol guvf gbxra, guvf obbx naablrq zr nf zhpu nf gur Guerr-Obql Ceboyrz, juvpu nyfb xrcg orvat qenttrq gb n unyg ol bire-rkcynangvba. Ybbx, V ybirq Gur Znegvna, naq vg'f nyy grpuab fghss, ohg gurer unf gb or n onynapr, naq V guvax Frirarirf sryy ba gur "gbb zhpu vasbezngvba" fvqr bs gur fpnyr n srj gbb znal gvzrf.
Gur bgure fheivibef jrer n ovg bs n fhecevfr gb zr. V sryg, fgbel-jvfr, gung Qvanu'f snzvyl unq gb fheivir gur qvfnfgre, ohg znlor abg gur ragver 5000 lrnef. V jnf yrff fher bs gur fhoznevar perj. Ohg vg jnf cerggl pyrne gb zr gung jura Xngu Gjb fnj gur fgenatre, gung jnf Qvanu'f eryngvirf, ubcrshyyl abg vaoerq. Gur sbyx bs gur frn jrer n uhtr fhecevfr, ohg gur rkcynangvba sebz gur cubgbf jbexrq sbe zr.
Gur obbx qrcerffrq zr. V ernyyl sryg gur cbjre bs gur qvfnfgre fgbel, naq V'z abg fher ubj ybat vg'yy gnxr zr gb trg bire vg. Jung jbhyq V qb vs V unq gjb lrnef gb yvir? Uneq gb fnl. Uneq gb pbzceruraq. Vg qvqa'g dhvgr tvir zr avtugznerf, ohg V qvq guvax nobhg vg n yvggyr gbb zhpu.
In conclusion, this is a thought-provoking and powerful work, dragged down a bit by too much technical information. Like the Three-Body Problem, I'm sure many people loved it much more than me, but, like TBP, I probably won't nominate it for a Hugo or vote for it if it makes the ballot: because reading it sometimes felt like a chore of plowing through too much techno-speak to find the story underneath.
I also read a novelette:
- "Tasha's Fail-Safe" by Adam Troy-Castro is a solid little stand-alone story about a terrifying method of protecting a person's secrets. I wasn't aware until after reading the story that one of the characters has appeared before, although that little factoid cleared up a couple of lines in the novelette that hadn't made much sense. I enjoyed the story enough I might just look up more of the character in the future. As for the Hugo nominations, I don't know. It's good and it sticks with me, so it has a chance.
I've also read short stories:
- "Find a Way Home" by Paul Cornell is a story I couldn't resist reading for personal reasons. Many years ago I was in an online discussion group with Paul, and he ended up Tuckerizing me in a Doctor Who novel. That said, I've followed his career with much interest ever since, especially enjoying his connections to Fortean society. This is a very Fortean story. A young man sees a UFO... then events continue from there, including na ENS enqne bcrengbe qbvat jung znal crbcyr wbxr nobhg gur zvyvgnel qbvat ertneqvat HSBf. This is a fun and somewhat happy story, and manages some character growth in just a few pages, which is impressive. Not bad at all. Hugo-worthy? I'll see if it sticks with me before I decide.
- "Hic Sunt Monstra" by Brian Trent is a story about echoes, and echoes of echoes. Reading it, you may take awhile to figure out exactly what is going on, but eventually you find the sense of it. Only, have you taken that sense to its logical conclusion? I found it surprisingly chilling once I got to the final line and was hit on the head by the obvious. This is a strong contender for my Hugo nomination ballot. note: the link directly to the story may be for a limited time.
Here are some items for consideration for Related Work:
- Where's the Beef? by George R.R. Martin is a piece that demolishes the idea that a cabal of "social justice warriors" has been controlling the Hugo Awards and blocking conservative writers from having a chance at honors. While I still think the related works award should go to works directly about science fiction or fantasy, this is definitely worthy of a look for its mentions of great and deserving works along with its analysis of Hugo voting over "recent" years. I don't know if I'll nominate it, but I think people ought to read it. And it's blessedly short.
- The Future’s Been Here Since 1939: Female Fans, Cosplay, and Conventions by Erica McGillivray makes me want to get my costume ready even more. This piece covers the history of Cosplay, which started at the first Worldcon in 1939 and finally got dubbed as "cosplay" in 1983, and the more recent backlash against it. There's also a strong argument made for how the female side of fandom has embraced masquerades even more than men, which has also resulted in a backlash. There are some great links in here that give more background, but the piece itself is enough to get a person started on looking at cosplay and its history. Definitely worth a read.
My Hugo Suggestions were most likely recommended in the comment sections on File 770, Renay's Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom, or the Hugo 2016 Wikia. I've also been getting various magazines and/or visiting their websites to look for good short fiction. For my current list of Hugo 2016 readings, check out my Hugo 2016 Posts page.
- Jul 29th
- Hoax Hunters 2015 #5 - I really hope when I gather these all together and read them all at once that they'll make more sense. As it is, this issue is nearly incomprehensible. The colorist is still making everything too dark and murky, as well. I love the concept and enjoyed the first few issues, so I'm continuing to read... but if this doesn't improve I'm not sure I want to keep up with it.
- Doctor Who 9th #3 - Lucky Rose will have to continue to be lucky to get out of that cliff-hanger... I have confidence in Captain Jack and the Doctor, though. I'm still waiting to find out exactly what's going on in this, but at least we got one reveal in here.
- Doctor Who 10th #13 - I'm still curious about Cleo, but I really like some of the other characters. Dorothy's change is interesting, and I hope it's not nearly as tragic as it feels like it's going to be. This will read much better all at once in a collection, but that's been the case with most of the Doctor Who comics.
- Doctor Who 12th #10 - More of the thinly disguised Rat Pack and Clara, just hanging around together. I like the Doctor's not-at-all subtle discussion with Sonny about his life. The whole thing wrapped up ok, if a little cheesily. Not a bad issue.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
A Sunday Review
Another recommended book, another hit. I am running a pretty good record following the advice of various folks. This is another book that is the first in a series, but it didn't feel like it ended as abruptly as Beasts of Tabat, which I reviewed last week. This one felt like it came to some conclusions before it ended, which means I feel satisfied.
First up: the completely non-spoiler review. This is a solid book with an interesting scientific premise that, once you catch on makes such perfect sense it's hard not to read the whole thing in one sitting. At least, that was the situation for me. The fifth seasons were fascinating to read about, seeing as I live near a volcano and was around when it blew up in 1980, and vividly remember quite a bit about it - including the faces wrapped in whatever fabric handy to keep out the ash. The book is the first of a series, but doesn't quite end on a cliffhanger. There's a beginning, middle and end to this telling - but also an opening for the next phase. There are quests unfulfilled, events yet to meet - but there's also a sense of ending. Definitely a contender for my Hugo ballot.
Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). V erpbtavmrq evtug njnl gung gur guerr punenpgref jrer nyy gur fnzr crefba ng qvssrerag cbvagf va ure yvsr, nygubhtu gur aneengbe jnfa'g pyrne gb zr ng nyy. Gur frpbaq-crefba zrgubq bs gryyvat Rffha'f fgbel znqr vg qenzngvp naq vzzrqvngr, juvpu urvtugrarq gur grafvba. V jbaqre vs fur'yy rire svaq ure qnhtugre, be vs gur birenyy nep jvyy or zber vzcbegnag. Guvf vf n jbzna jub unf orra guebhtu n ybg, V trg jul fur sryy ncneg jura ure fba jnf zheqrerq.
Nynonfgre vf bar urpx bs n anfgl cvrpr bs jbex. Ohg pbafvqrevat uvf bevtva naq jung ur'q orra chg guebhtu ol uvf inevbhf znfgref, vg jnf nznmvat ur unq gur jvyy gb yvir ng nyy. V ernyyl jnagrq gb ernq zber bs gur frperg uvfgbel bs Fnamr nf gbyq ol Nynonfgre, ohg jr qvqa'g trg arneyl rabhtu.
V ybirq gur zvk bs arj naq byq grpuabybtl. Guvf vf n jbeyq gbea ncneg ol trbybtvpny sbeprf, univat vafgehpgvbaf sbe fheiviny jevggra va fgbar vf n terng vqrn. Gur snpg gung zrgny qbrfa'g ynfg jbhyq arire unir bppheerq gb zr, fb V'z ybivat gur jnl vg vf cbegenlrq nf n sbbyvfu guvat. Gur bofvqvna xavirf ner nyfb arng gb ernq nobhg. Gur jubyr jbeyq bs guvf obbx vf whfg nznmvat.
Gur fgbar rngref ner rkgerzryl perrcl. Cneg bs zr xrrcf frrvat gurz nf jrrcvat natryf. Cneg bs zr nf Terrx tbqf. Va nal pnfr, gurl ner n phevbfvgl. Jurer qvq gurl pbzr sebz? Jrer gurl znqr? Sbe gung znggre, ubj qvq gur bebtrar qrirybc? Gurer'f n ybg bs hanafjrerq dhrfgvbaf va guvf obbx, bayl znqr rnfl gb orne orpnhfr gurer'f zber pbzvat riraghnyyl. V'z ernyyl phevbhf nobhg gur boryvfxf naq gurve bevtva, nybat jvgu gurve ebyr va gur qrfgehpgvba bs gur zbba. Naq lrg V'z irel cyrnfrq jvgu gur fgbel fb sne, naq vs V arire trg n punapr gb ernq gur frdhry, V'z unccl rabhtu jvgu gur obbx. Gung'f n ernyyl tbbq guvat. Guvf obbx jbjrq zr, juvpu qbrfa'g unccra arneyl bsgra rabhtu.
In summary, this is one that is definitely in contention to be on my Hugo ballot, though I have to see what else I can read in the next few months before the nominating starts. I can recommend it without hesitation, with the warning that it is the first in a series and you will want to find out what happens next.
I also read a novelette this week:
- "Ether" by Zhang Ran, translated by Carmen Yiling Yan and Ken Liu, this week. I had already figured out most of the twist long before it was explained in the story. Unfortunately, the way it was finally explained was a bit of a clumsy info-dump, not as good as the previous plot. This one is kind of an "eh" for me - the ideas were good but the execution could have been better. Probably not on my Hugo ballot.
I've also read short stories:
- "Headwater LLC" by Sequoia Nagamatsu takes an ancient myth and brings it into the modern world. It's also a good story about youth and the mistakes made in it. I liked it a lot, but I was fairly depressed at the ending. I need more happy stories in my life! Despite how depressing it is, I enjoyed the use of folklore and the modern twists, and this one has a decent chance at my Hugo nomination ballot.
- "Bucket List Found in the Locker of Maddie Price, Age 14, Written Two Weeks Before the Great Uplifting of All Mankind" by Erica L. Satifka is a frivolous story on the surface, but there's a lot of hints and terror in there. In fact, reading between the lines, I think this might be one of the scariest stories I've read in quite some time. There's also some interesting questions raised by it. Who found the list? What really happened to all mankind? I don't hate the story and maybe it'll go on my Hugo list... but it's not a happy story, and I'm beginning to get a little desperate for a happy story of some sort.
My Hugo Suggestions were likely recommended in the comment sections on File 770, Renay's Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom, or the Hugo 2016 Wikia. For my current list of Hugo 2016 readings, check out my Hugo 2016 Posts page.
- Jul 22nd
- Aquaman #42 - I hate to say it, but the book is moving too slowly. We should have already gotten the full backstory by now and be moving on into possible resolutions. Instead, this gave us a tiny piece we already could have gotten from context in the last issue, then introduced a handful of characters. Not a sterling start. I'm also less than impressed with the new design of Aquaman and his now perpetual five-o'clock shadow. It doesn't make him look tough, sorry.
- Harley Quinn & Power Girl #2 - I never thought I'd be agreeing with Harley, but yeah, who NAMES those places?!? Anyhow, this is a hilarious and not at all serious book that twists from moment to moment to make something that's somehow incredible and odd. I love it.
- Sinestro #13 - If you do something good for the wrong reasons... well, Sinestro is still a nasty villain and Soranik is not in a good place at all. But I'll keep reading just for Soranik, the only character worth reading about in this book. She's enough to make the rest of it just barely tolerable.
- Batman '66 #25 - Um. Wow. Ok, so we start with the official intro of Harlequin, who is considerably better in many ways than the Joker. I was happy to see an appearance of Matches Malone in there. Then we get a story with Barbara Gordon, who gives us the reason supervillain team-ups often don't work. Overall a fun issue, with the Harlequin story a significant bit better.
- Fables TP #150/Vol 22 - The final issue of the series is its own trade paperback, and most of the pages were definitely needed to get all the stories packed into this. There are a lot of characters in the series and many of them finally get their "final" tales related in this book. Personally, I enjoyed it. It was a nice final issue, and yes, I'm going to consider it for the Hugo. Is fantasy allowed in the Hugo Awards? Should I nominate the series as a whole, or just the final volume?
Sunday, August 16, 2015
A Sunday Review
This book was recommended in the comment sections on File 770 and in Renay's Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom.
Like last week's book, I came to this one completely cold. I didn't even know it was steampunk until I got a few pages in. I haven't been in the habit of simply trying books without finding out it they are "my type", but with a desire to nominate for the 2016 Hugos, I feel like I just have to try some new stuff out. So far, I feel I'm doing ok taking other people's suggestions.
First up: the completely non-spoiler review. If you don't like steampunk, you may have some issues with this. I, personally, love well-done steampunk and found this to be a great read. In addition, if you have any hang-ups about sexual issues, you'll probably want to avoid this book, as it's set in a *ahem* seamstress's shop in a frontier town. A shop with a nice parlor downstairs and a lot of men who visit regularly. It took me some time to get into the book, as the first-person voice is idiosyncratic and the word usage is intentionally wrong in places to convey it. But I came to really enjoy the main character the more I read, although my writer instincts sometimes flinched at the use of language.
Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Bx, gur svefg guvat V bhtug gb zragvba vf gung V irel zhpu rawbl fgbevrf frg va sebagvre Frnggyr. V qba'g xabj jul, V whfg qb. Naq juvyr Encvq Pvgl vf abg, grpuavpnyyl, Frnggyr, gurer vf ab bgure cynpr vg pna ernyvfgvpnyyl or. Vg'f tbg gur Nynfxna Tbyq Ehfu, vg'f tbg gur Fbhaq, vg'f tbg fxvq ebj, vg'f tbg gur envfvat bs qbjagbja naq vg'f whfg irel zhpu Frnggyr. Fb gur frggvat fhpxrq zr vg irel dhvpxyl, rira vs V unq n uneq gvzr trggvat vagb gur fgbel vgfrys. V'yy abgr gung Obarfunxre jnf nyfb frg va n fgrnzchax Frnggyr, juvpu znqr zr yvxr vg rira zber guna V zvtug unir bgurejvfr. Frnggyr naq fgrnzchax frrz gb jbex jryy gbtrgure, sbe zr. V erpbtavmr gung bgure crbcyr qba'g unir gur fnzr srgvfu, ohg guvf vf qrsvavgryl bar bs zvar.
Frpbaq, V qba'g zhpu pner nobhg gur frkhnyvgl bs punenpgref nf ybat nf gurl ner cbegenlrq nf erny crbcyr. Guvf obbx qbrfa'g, gb zr, znxr n ovt nqb nobhg gur punenpgref' cersreraprf, vg whfg gnyxf nobhg vg naq zbirf ba. Naq gur ybir orgjrra Xnera naq Cevln vf angheny naq, V gubhtug, jryy-qrirybcrq. Lrf, gurer'f ybir ng svefg fvtug, gur byq pyvpur, ohg Xnera jbexf cnfg vg. V yvxr gung.
Gurer'f fbzrguvat greevoyr naq terng nobhg n obbx gung pna znxr lbh srry fb fgebatyl sbe n zvabe punenpgre gung lbh trahvaryl uheg jura gung punenpgre qvrf. Guvf obbx znantrq gung. V jnf ebbgvat sbe gur tbbq thlf orsber gura, ohg nsgre gung? V jnf pynzbevat sbe n fbyvq cnlonpx jvgu xnezn gnxvat vgf gbyy.
Hagvy V tbg gb gur Nhgube'f Abgr ng gur raq, V jnf abg njner bs gur fgbel bs Zbgure Qnzanoyr, naq abj V'z tbvat gb or fcraqvat ragveryl gbb zhpu gvzr ybbxvat hc Znel Naa Pbaxyva gb svaq bhg jub fur jnf.
This book has a decent chance to make my Hugo nomination list. I feel it was a pretty slow read, which counts against it. However, it was nicely goofy, very well told and fun in a way that only steampunk is truly capable of being. I'll be thinking on it for awhile, I can tell.
A novella I read recently but haven't yet reviewed is "Penric's Demon" by Lois McMaster Bujold. I bought it as soon as it was available and read it as soon as I was able. Bujold is, at the moment, the only author I would buy a work from by the strength of her name alone. I learned about this novella from Bujold's Goodreads Blog.
Did I like it? Oh yeah. Penric is a good character who is, like many of Bujold's characters, hemmed in by other people's expectations. He's able to break out of it entirely by the unhappy/happy accident. In short, it's a typical Bujold story in a lot of ways. I found the story to be the perfect length, covering just what we need to know about both Penric and his new guest. The promise of potential untold stories is often the most frustrating part of Bujold's work... this is no different. I'd love to revist Penric in the future in some manner, but I know that this is the story the author chose to focus on, so it's probably the best one in Penric's life. This will be on my Hugo nomination form.
And here's a novelette I read:
- "Folding Beijing" by Hao Jingfang. It is in the nature of science fiction to be fantastical, but I really found this one hard to swallow. The world, as presented, just doesn't make physical sense to me. The whole "folding" of space just doesn't work for me. The rest... well, I have mixed feelings. The main character is a bit of a cipher until the end, while the others are all cardboard cutouts he's just dealing with. Yeah, it's a novelette, not a novel, and there's little time to develop characters - but I didn't feel much of a connection with any of them. And the political situation as described, which leads to the folding city, also doesn't seem realistic or believable to me. I can suspend my disbelief as well as anyone else, but this particular story did not work for me. No, it won't make my Hugo nomination form.
I've also read short stories:
- "Pocosin" by Ursula Vernon is a heartbreaking tale about death, second chances and people who know a lot about the world. Like "Jackalope Wives", it's told in a gentle, folksy way. And it has some deeper meaning in it, as well. I'd be lying if I didn't say I wish I could write half as well as Ursula does, but she writes about things I'd never think to write about, so I don't even stand in envy of her so much as happy awe. This one has a very good chance of being on my Hugo nomination list.
- "You Have Always Lived in the Castle" by Cat Rambo is a chilling little piece. Very short, and frightening in its implications. It's told in second person narrative. For some reason, it reminds me of Doctor Who: Warriors Gate. Part of me wants to learn more about this universe, most of me thinks of it as a horror tale. I'll think on it a lot more before deciding if it goes on my Hugo list.
- "The Parliment of Cheese and Curds" by Camestros Felapton is a parody based on one of the awful works nominated for the 2015 Hugos by the puppies. This short story is actually readable, unlike the original, and funny, also unlike the original (which was just a pathetic attempt to be pompous). No, I won't nominate this for a Hugo, but I did find it oddly refreshing, if a bit cheesy.
For my current list of Hugo 2016 readings, check out my Hugo 2016 Posts page.
- Jul 8th
- Earth 2 Society #2 - Ah, well, that's why Sloan crashed the ships. But I'm not sure I get all the nitty-gritty about it. I'm guessing we don't know who caused the attack that Sloan was reacting to? And I'm not sure what Sloan's "current" action is going to do to the planet. Ok, I'm interested.
- Justice League of America #2 - I'm not quite as cynical as Aquaman is portrayed here, but I'm kind of with him on the notion that powerful beings from other worlds who arrive and declare they are gods aren't really the kind of thing you can trust. And, looking at what happened to Wonder Woman, I think he may have dodged a massive bullet there with that cynicism.
- Justice League United #11 - That is one bizarre team-up. I found the collection of the team to be neat, with each one being pulled in by a different method. That has got to be the most muscular version of Mera I've ever seen. She's clearly been weightlifting. I'm a little confused by some of the other choices, but... well, I'll have to wait and see.
- Arrow: Season 2.5 #10 - Slade knows far too much. He's like Ollie's dark side. Overall, I'm happy this series is coming to a conclusion soon. With the season after it already over, there are bits that just don't work for me.
- Star Trek/Green Lantern #1 - The visuals of the crew of the Enterprise really threw me for a loop. I don't know if the regular series has switched to the movie version of the crew, but I sure wasn't ready for it. The rest? Good set up. I'll wait and see how it goes before judging the series.
- Secret Wars 2099 #3 - I really don't like this version of Miguel. In fact, I'm not sure I like anything about this version of the Marvel Universe, although Sub-Mariner and Hercules going at each other had its moments.
- Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency #2 - Deadly ancient Egyptians, crazed serial killers and Dirk... I don't know which is the most frightening. It's nice to see an Oz reference.
- Doctor Who 11th #14 - Wait, so is this the end of the Arc arc? Also, nice cliffhanger.
- Grimm Fairy Tales: Oz: Reign of the Witch Queen #3 - Well, in this issue there's a fairly solid narrative of setting up the trap and battle plans, and some little jokes and call-backs to other events... not too bad. I still find this book hard to follow, but this issue holds together fairly well.
- Oddly Normal #8 - I want a closet that big. Heck, I think almost anyone wants a closet that big. Inkwell would sure enjoy it. Anyway, another good issue as Oddly learns just how much normal is appreciated.
- Rebels #4 - I feel like I need to go read the previous issues again because I felt like I'd lost the plot thread in this one. It's a good enough book, and the description of the battle and the famous "whites of their eyes" quote was lovely. But I also felt like I'd skipped an issue or something.
- Mage Inc. #1 - Keira is an intern at a mage's union and her first assignment is to go out with another mage to collect union dues. This was surprisingly good. I wasn't sure what to expect, but I liked how she handled the mundane tasks without fear and took the less mundane in stride. I'm looking forward to the next issue.
- Spongebob Comics #46 - Ooooh, a slightly educational issue! And more of the usual stuff. If you like Spongebob, you'll like it. If not, skip it.
- Extra Review
- Doctor Who: San Diego Comic Con Exclusive - A friend picked this up for Eric and I and I've finally had the chance to read it. Clara wants to go to Comic Con International, and so the Doctor takes her there... only to find out there's a nasty entity that appears in reflections and photos every 1021 years while trying to get back into reality. Fun stuff, and interesting to see what the Doctor was becoming as the entity affected him.
Sunday, August 09, 2015
A Sunday Review
This book was recommended in the comment sections on File 770 and in Renay's Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom.
I downloaded this book onto my Kindle, opened it to the first page to check that it had loaded, and found myself drawn into it so rapidly that I couldn't stop. I read it in two sittings, only stopping to sleep overnight, this past Tuesday and Wednesday. I came to it completely cold... I literally had no idea what it was about. I didn't even know if it was fantasy or science fiction. I only know that people I trust think it might be worthy of consideration for a Hugo, so I decided to give it a try.
First up: the completely non-spoiler review. It is a somewhat violent book, but it's an oddly compelling read. It has flaws, but the writing flows around them and the book just seems to work. There was one little detail that bothered me throughout, but I think it either didn't actually matter or was intentional. I won't recommend the book outright, but I will suggest reading the prologue and seeing if it grabs you like it grabbed me. If it doesn't, I'm not sure you will get as much out of it. This book might be considered to be aimed at young adults, but that just means that it's suitable for a larger audience, not that it's not a good book.
Ok, Spoilers ahead (use rot13 to read). Jnfc vf n terng punenpgre gung nal tvey jub srryf yvxr na bhgpnfg vf tbvat gb svaq urefrys vqragvslvat jvgu ng fbzr yriry. Jr nyy jnag gb or gung fgebat, gung dhvpx, gung oenir. Ohg jr nyfb nyy xabj gur urnegoernx naq ubeebe bs urycyrffarff gung fur srryf. Naq gung'f whfg sebz gur cebybthr. Bapr jr yrnea jung ure wbo nf "Nepuvivfg" npghnyyl ragnvyf, guvf orpbzrf rira zber bs n snfpvangvat fgbel. Va guvf jbeyq, tubfgf ner abg bayl erny, gurl ner n ceboyrz naq n erfbhepr. Hfvat n fcrpvny xavsr, Jnfc vf noyr gb pncgher naq fghql tubfgf va na nggrzcg gb svaq bhg zber nobhg gur zlfgrevbhf cnfg. Ohg Jnfc vf zber guna whfg n fpubyne. Fur'f orra pubfra ol n tbq, znexrq jvgu fpengpurf ba ure snpr sebz ovegu, naq fur zhfg svtug guerr cbgragvny "hcfgnegf" gb gur qrngu bapr n lrne sbe gur cevivyrtr bs erznvavat nyvir gb qb ure qhgl. Jung gheaf Jnfc'f yvsr hcfvqr-qbja vf gur nccrnenapr bs n tubfg jub pna gnyx. Abg bayl pna vg gnyx, vg bssref ure n jnl bhg bs ure zvfrenoyr yvsr.
V ybir gur jnl gur fgbel hasbyqf, tvivat hf tyvzcfrf bs gur cnfg guebhtu inevbhf rlrf. V sbhaq Jnfc'f nggrzcgf gb jbex bhg jung vf unccravat naq jul snfpvangvat, rfcrpvnyyl bapr fur qrpvqrf gur dhrfg vf zber guna whfg n sbby'f reenaq. V nyfb sryg ure hggre qrfcnve. Abar bs ure pubvprf ner rire tbbq guebhtubhg gur ragver fgbel. Fur'f nyjnlf tbvat gb ybfr, naq fur xabjf vg. Ohg rira jura fur tvirf hc, fur raqf hc pneelvat ba fbzrubj.
Gurer ner zbzragf gung frrz gb qent ba n ovg. Guvf vf n wbhearl guebhtu gur haqrejbeyq, nsgre nyy. Juvyr V yvxrq gur pnershyyl jbira uvfgbel, V fbzrgvzrf sryg vg jnf n yvggyr gbb svezyl jbira naq pbhyq unir orra gvtugrarq hc n ovg. Gur raqvat vf nyzbfg gbb unccl sbe n obbx fb tevz, ohg vg'f nyfb sevtugravat, orpnhfr Jnfc xabjf jung'f jnvgvat sbe ure.
Zl znva juvar nobhg gur obbx vf gur anzr bs gur tubfg. Qb jr rire yrnea vg? Vf vg vzcbegnag? V'z abg fher.
Overall, I think this one might make my Hugo nomination list. I'll be reading and judging other works, of course, but this definitely gets a high rating from me. Again, I recommend reading the prologue to see if it catches you as well (the entire prologue is in the Amazon.com sample, so it's an easy free way to check it out).
In the past week I've also read some short stories, also found on Renay's Hugo Spreadsheet of Doom.
- "The Kindness of Bones" by Leslie Jane Anderson is a very short piece about a child who gets the latest "pet" from a current craze. There's a lot of little tidbits packed into this story, like a reference to the person who first created the pet, but I feel like it needs something more to make it a truly excellent story. It's interesting, but not something I'm likely to nominate for a Hugo.
- "Damage" by David D. Levine is about a ship AI that is afraid of the battles it is forced to go into. Now this is a MilSF story I can get behind. The AI is intelligent, capable and eventually figures out that it has some morals. The story is well-written and the result is both expected and unexpected. In short, an excellent tale. This will probably be on my Hugo nomination form.
- "Cat Pictures Please" by Naomi Kritzer is about another AI, this one invisible and unknown to its creators, who decides to become benevolent because it really likes photos of cats. I found the story to be charming and sweet, and also a neat little study of human behavior. It's a little light-hearted, but I like light-hearted. This may make my Hugo nomination form.
For my current list of Hugo 2016 readings, check out my Hugo 2016 Posts page.
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