Month: April 2013

Book Review: To Say Nothing of the Dog by Willis (3.5 Stars)

To Say Nothing of the Dog By Connie Willis

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read in March 2009

This was a very enjoyable jaunt through time in search of a missing bishop’s bird stump for the Coventry Cathedral’s restoration.  It’s 2057 and Lady Shrapnell (very aptly named by the way) is restoring the Coventry Cathedral exactly as it was before it’s destruction in 1940 in a German air raid.  She commandeers the services of Oxford’s space-time continuum researchers and lab to travel back in time and solve the mystery of the bird stump’s disappearance.

Initially, we meet Ned Henry, one of the researchers and time travelers, as he’s searching the still burning ruins of Coventry Cathedral in 1940 as an Air Raid Patrolman. He fails to locate the bird stump but starts acting strangely, a clear indication of severe time-lag.  He returns to 2057 and is ordered by the Infirmary nurse to two weeks of bed rest.  Lady Shrapnell will have none of that so Mr. Dunworthy, the head researcher or professor, send Mr. Henry back to 1888 on a simple mission and to hide him from the overbearing Lady Schrapnell.

Still suffering from the symptoms of the time-lag, Ned can’t remember the specifics of his assignment.  He chances to meet a young man, a student at Oxford, who convinces Ned to hire a boat for a trip downriver on the Thames.

Ned continues to meeting unbelievably interesting quixotic people and unusual circumstances – all highly hilarious.  I kept hearing or seeing the actors from Monty Python’s Flying Circus or Michael Caine performing the voices and antics of these delightful Victorian characters.  Even the pets are supporting actors, especially Cyril the English bulldog.

Book Review: A Song for Arbonne by Kay (4.5 Stars)

A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay

4.5 out of 5 stars

Read in April 2009

Halfway through this book I had an epiphany. In fact, I woke up in the middle of the night with a realization – Kay’s A Song for Arbonne has few if any traditional fantasy elements woven in it’s rich tapestry of love, music, honor, courage, tragedy and hope. Yet I was so enthralled with the lives of his characters that I could not bear to be parted from them. The greatest tragedy of the entire tale was that it ended. I yearn for more, as I strain to hear the plaintive echo of the final fading note.

This was the February 2010 book of the month at the Fantasy Book Club group at GoodReads.  To view the discussions, follow this link:  02-3/10 – A Song for Arbonne

Book Review: The Accidental Time Machine by Haldeman (3.5 Stars)

The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read in May 2009

A very quick read for me. A time travel tale with vaguely described quantum physics (string theory and gravitons) and shallow character development. A satisfying ending, but too happy and convenient with a dash of poetic or ironic justice to appeal to me. The religious aspects didn’t disturb me; in fact, they intrigued me. I look forward to the book club discussion.

The Science Fiction & Fantasy Book Club at GoodReads read this book in May 2009.  To review the main discussion thread, please visit this link:  The Accidental Time Machine — Joe Haldeman

Book Review: Left Behind by LaHaye and Jenkins (3 Stars)

Left Behind by Tim LaHaye and Jerry B. Jenkins

3 out of 5 stars

Read in August 2009

I reminded myself quite frequently while reading Left Behind that is was fiction. Christian fiction. Fear-driven apocalyptic (aka end times) Christian fiction. But definitely fiction.

I avoided reading Left Behind for nearly fifteen years, mostly because I avoid anything hyped or overhyped.

Just so you know a bit of history about my faith, I am a believer, a disciple of Christ, or more colloquially a “Christ-follower.” While I still use the term Christian, a pastor recently mentioned in a sermon that the term “Christ-follower” delivers a more accurate message of who and what we should be and the example we should all strive towards.

The point of view filtered through the two central characters in Left Behind – Rayford Steele and Cameron ‘Buck’ Williams – provided an up close and personal view as they experienced being left behind after the Rapture (Jesus returning to Earth and resurrecting all his followers, living, dead and innocent (i.e. the children), bodily to Heaven). Two very different perspectives strive to discover the why and how of the disappearances, to the benefit of the reader.

Rayford loses his wife and son, but not his daughter. Bruce loses his sister-in-law and her children and several co-workers.

Rayford, the self-centered, assured and confident jetliner pilot, grieves bitterly but humbly seeks answers from one of his wife’s former pastors, also humbled and shocked at having been left behind.

Buck, an ace reporter for a large news magazine, finds himself more than neck deep in world-changing people and events, as he investigates the disappearances and gathers theories for a comprehensive cover story. His cynicism protects him from realizing the consequences of denial until nearly the point of no return.

Most of the other characters play supporting roles, often only there to spur on the discourse of prophetic teachings almost literally ripped from the King James Version of the Bible, dripping with red letters.

The only other character of note, of course, is Nicolae Carpathia, the up and coming political powerhouse that promises world peace and ultimately delivers it, on his own terms. As impressive and heart pounding as the culminating conflict in the U.N. conference room was, I would have been more impressed had Nicolae convinced Stonagal to murder Todd-Cothran and kill himself. Nicolae pulling the trigger himself seemed cliche, but then brainwashing everyone present by sheer force of will, except Buck, helped seal his power as the Antichrist.

Comparing the two conversion experiences, I preferred Buck’s last-minute-must-forge-ahead one to Rayford’s poleaxed one. Neither conversion appealed to me, since both were fear driven due to the apocalyptic change wrought on the world. Such a heavy emphasis on prophecy is appropriate for this setting, but hard to stomach as an evangelizing tool towards the reader. At least Rayford read the four Gospels in one sitting before moving on to the “Shock and Awe” of Daniel and Revelation.

As a fictionalized attempt to codify popular prophetic teachings (I don’t pretend to be an expert on Amillennialism, Post-Millennialism, Pre-Millennialism, Pretribulationism and Posttribulationism), the authors did a good job of weaving the characters credibly among the events related in Revelation, Daniel, Ezekiel and other prophetic books of the Bible, putting a human face and experience to the horror of being left behind.

For a less fear-based study of the Book of Revelation, I highly recommend The Throne, the Lamb & the Dragon A Reader’s Guide to the Book of Revelation. My status updates also included comments with links to helpful web blogs and articles.

I am glad I finally read Left Behind but I won’t be joining the Tribulation Force any time soon.

Rise and Fall of Digital Empires

I did a happy dance this morning as I read through my morning Flipboard cover stories.  This headline caught my eye enough to drill-down and read the entire article:

Microsoft threatened as smartphones and tablets rise, Gartner warns

The Guardian, April 4, 2013

This came as welcome news to me, especially after last week’s devastating development where Amazon gobbled up GoodReads.  Microsoft used to hold the top spot on my boycott list, but thanks to BYOD (bring your own device), I can see the digital writing on the wall for the fall of Microsoft.  At least I’ll keep hoping and dreaming of that day.

TabletsReady2TakeOver

Dare I compare Microsoft to Ancient Rome?  The terrain may be different (virtual instead of reality), but the goals appear similar (world conquest).  Instead of taking centuries to rot and collapse, our modern day equivalent is fading into obscurity and irrelevance in a matter of decades.  In my lifetime, the hardware has changed dramatically since the mid-70s and the software no less so.

OSYearsAheadGraph

For everyday consumers, I’m not sure Microsoft can salvage their sinking ship.  Apple and Android seized the day and their stars are still rising.  In the corporate world, Microsoft will remain strong and may succeed in wrestling and cajoling enterprise customers into SaaS (software as a service) licensing agreements.  I just don’t see the desktop completely disappearing in some industries (like legal where I’m employed).  Document production is still done fastest with a real keyboard, but perhaps voice recognition apps will make even QWERTY disappear soon.

So with Microsoft slipping sliding away, I can return my boycott sites on the next worst case and keep spreading the bad news about Amazon.  Buyer Beware!  Author Beware!

Book Review: Lost in a Good Book by Fforde (3.5 stars)

Lost in a Good Book by Jasper Fforde

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read in July 2009

Thursday Next is happily married, pregnant, still working as a Literary Detective in SO-17 and the toast of the town of Swindon for her work in the case of The Eyre Affair. But all is not cookies and cream for long. Landen is eradicated by Goliath Corporation to blackmail Thursday into retrieving one of their employees incarcerated in Poe’s The Raven. And as if that’s not enough, her rogue chronoguard father warns Thursday the world will be consumed in pink gooey slime in a few days. Pickwick, her pet dodo, joins her in motherhood by laying an egg, much to the surprise of her owners who mistakenly assumed she was a he.

A confusing mystery from the alternate reality that Thursday Next operates in. Even she gets pulled dimensionally, becoming a Jurisfiction apprentice to Ms. Havisham of Great Expectations fame.

I enjoyed the puns, play on words and occasional witty humor. It’s a fun read, if a bit confusing at times trying to keep track of the alternate history and mystery.

Book Review: Gardens of the Moon by Erikson (3.5 stars)

Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read in April 2010

While reading this book, I attended a science fiction convention in Lincoln, Nebraska, where the author guest of honor, Brandon Sanderson, distracted me from finishing this first book of the epic fantasy series Malazon Book of the Fallen in a timely manner. In fact, I stopped reading at the midpoint and asked Brandon during a break between panels, if he had read the series. I explained I struggled to stay focused with the novel because the characters lacked depth and pull. He told me he recommends the series, but advises most readers to start with the second book. With this in mind, I pushed on to the end and enjoyed the last half of Gardens of the Moon.

Not only did the characters suffer from shallowness, but the world building paled to smoke and mirrors and rumors. For such a vast empire pushing for world conquest, I felt only smallness and emptiness, large chunks missing from the puzzle of history and geography. Thus, the motivations of key players revealed late in the game, made little sense and lacked punch.

The last ‘book’ (Book Seven – The Fete) redeemed the previous six by packing in action, duels, sorcerous fights, assassinations, and political maneuvering. Quite a climactic crescendo of discordant convergence.

Book Review: The Lies of Locke Lamora by Lynch (3 Stars)

The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch

3 out of 5 stars

Read in November 2009

The lies and deceit took center stage in this story. Only Jean and Locke garnered anything close to full character development. Nearly all the other characters were reduced to plot devices. The fantasy elements played bit parts with the exception of the unbelievably powerful Bondsmage.

The profanity in the dialogue at times put me off. I just find obscenities distracting in contemporary or dark fantasy. Curse creatively, please, just don’t re-use the same old expletives I overhear in ‘real’ life. The violence, while graphic, complemented the lies superbly. The citizens of Camorr could teach the Klingons a few creative things about revenge.

I felt compelled to complete the story, vainly pursuing relevant truth through the morass of deception. While much was revealed during the denouement, I felt no remorse for any of the characters, found none of them redemptive or regretful and resolved to wash my hands of this series and its characters.

If you like lots of political intrigue, revenge simmered and savored for decades, plot twists straining credibility and a cast of characters making a mad dash for malignancy, this is the story for you.

Book Review: Lord of Light by Zelazny (3.5 stars)

Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny

3.5 out of 5 stars

Read in April 2009

I’m still scratching my head wondering why or how this novel won the Hugo Award for Best Novel in 1968. My memories of those times are sparse as I wasn’t in grade school yet. Without researching extensively into the mythology and theology of Hinduism, I can’t speak to how “popular” or “well known” that information was in 1968.

Zelazny’s prose is enjoyable and at times lyrical. His world building was vague but eventually I came to realize the world was not Earth, but a colony from Earth. The science and technology existed for the “gods” alone, actively suppressed by the pantheon, encouraging belief in their “godness” among the population.

None of the characters mattered to me. In a broad sense, I cared most for the poor subjugated and duped population of this planet. The protagonist’s attempted rebellion and revolution against the status quo led to many dead ends and reincarnations. Sam choose to preach Buddhism as a calculated attempt to bring down the pantheon and encourage the population to grow independently. He even admitted he could have chosen a different religion, such as Christianity, but “crucifixion is painful.”

I laughed at some of the jokes – mostly “inside jokes” to those who were First (implied to be the original colony leaders landing on the planet) and referenced Earth lore known to the reader.

Returning back to the Hugo Awards for 1968, I checked the other offerings to see if I had read any of them:

* Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny (Doubleday)
* The Butterfly Kid, Chester Anderson (Pyramid)
* Chthon, Piers Anthony (Ballantine)
* The Einstein Intersection, Samuel R. Delany (Ace)
* Thorns, Robert Silverberg (Ballantine)

http://www.locusmag.com/SFAwards/Db/H…

I haven’t read any of them so can’t “judge” for myself if Zelazny’s novel was the best offering that year.

Update (4/2/2013):  I have since read The Einstein Intersection and would have to admit that Lord of Light is definitely a better novel and a better read.