Science Fiction Times

Foundation and Empire, Group Read Part 1

2012-01-30T22:13:00.000-05:00

I am behind schedule for the first section of the group read of “Foundation and Empire”. Hopefully, I will be able to finish the book this week and be ready for the Sunday posting that wraps up this read. Please take the time to read the rest of the groups comments. I will be leaving comments on their sites this week.

1.      In the opening chapters of Foundation and Empire we get to see things from the Imperial side. What are your thoughts on this part of the book? Were you surprised to find parts of the Galactic Empire that still seemed to be thriving?  Yes. Based on the events that occurred in “Foundation” it seemed like the Empire was pretty much finished. The direction the series was taking implied that the second book would be an after the fall of the Empire story. When I first read this book in the seventies, I thought the Empire would be a fond memory that would have become romanticized by the time of the second book. From the opening section of “Foundation and Empire” Asimov makes it obvious that this is a last ditch effort by the Empire to take control and prove Seldon wrong. It was a good direction to take with the story by giving us the Empire’s point of view. This makes the Foundation seem more mysterious.

2. The examination of psychohistory continues in this book. What are your thoughts about the statement that was made: "Seldon's laws help those who help themselves" in light of our previous discussions about Seldon, his predictions, and the interaction of the individuals that we are exposed to in the story?  Seldon’s predictions give the general overview of what will happen. Asimov has stressed that Seldon was not able to predict an individual’s actions. What this does is show the situation and the outcome. It leaves the door open for individuals to step up and fill a role in the Plan. Which individual will fulfill that role? Seldon had no clue. What he was able to predict was that an individual will perform the action that needs done. So I have no problem with the comment “Seldon’s laws help those who help themselves”. The person who fills the role will be helping themselves.

3. How do you feel about Devers, Barr and Bel Riose? Did you like this section of the book and/or these characters? Was there anything about their stories that stood out to you, entertained you, annoyed you?  I thought it was an interesting change of pace for the story. Bel Riose, which seems like a different version of grand dios, is a fascinating focal point. How many stories have we read where a young military man with old school passions rises through the ranks to save humanity? The Good Doctor threw in the twist that he was doomed from the start. Barr was obviously heavily influenced by his family’s previous interaction with the Foundation. I liked it when Asimov ties this story in to events that happened in “Foundation”. Devers reactions are classic. The way he is not even worried about an invasion from the old Empire caught Riose off guard. Devers comments about the Traders being even better off if the Empire conquers the Foundation had to work on Riose’s mind. I will finish answering this question next week. The part of the story I am at now is where Devers and Barr are talking in their living quarters.

4. Perhaps continuing from Question 2, do you agree or disagree, and what are your thoughts on, Barr's devotion to Seldon and his belief that the "dead hand of Seldon" was guiding the events that led up to Riose's undoing.  After the events of the first book, it became apparent to Barr’s world that the Foundation was an unstoppable force. No matter what they would do, the Foundation could calmly counter it and end up on top of the situation. So, rather than fighting a force they could not comprehend, his family chose to embrace it. Too many people end up spending their life opposing something that they can never defeat. Barr is a realist.

Later this year, I will be doing a “Dominic Flandry” reading project. It will be interesting to see how this fall of the Empire compares to Poul Anderson’s fall of the empire. I will be announcing it ahead of time if anyone wants to join me.

What do you get if you cross Silverberg's Hawksbill Station with the Wild West?

2012-01-24T22:02:00.001-05:00

Justin Gray and Jimmy Palmiotti have made a name for themselves on DC’s Jonah Hex title (now called All-Star Western). Their brand of hard hitting, pulp style westerns is perfect for that book. The way the duo are able to write stories filled with great characterization and fast paced plots that tell a complete story in one issue is amazing. Because of their work on Jonah Hex, I could not wait to read this one shot from Image.

Our lead character is a hit man when the story opens. He takes down various gang members. Eventually, they are able to track him down and take revenge. The government offers to put him in the new witness protection program in exchange for him helping them arrest some of the gang leaders. He is skeptical that the government can protect him until he is shown the secret of the newly developed protection program. They have discovered the secret of time travel. The only catch is that it is a one way trip to the old west. He takes their offer and begins his new life.

The criminals he put away eventually escape, invade the time travel institute and go after him to get their revenge. The plan is to kill him and take over the west with their modern weaponry. Unknown to them, the government retakes the institute and sends back a team to wipe out anyone from the future so that the past will not be contaminated. A blood bath ensues between our hero, the mob, and the government troops.

Jim Daly does a great job of bringing the story to life. This is the first time I have seen his work and I will be looking for his art in the future.

Trailblazer is a fun, action packed story that is well worth the effort. Track it down and experience a pulp style read.

A Story with 18 Writers

2012-01-23T21:55:00.003-05:00

In 1932, the first fanzine devoted to science fiction debuted. Four editors, 3 were 15-17 years old, started "The Time Traveller". Mort Weisinger and Julius Swartz would become science fiction agents and later editors for DC Comics. Forrest J. Ackerman went on to a long career with "Famous Monsters", "Perry Rhodan", and others. Allen Glasser is the one that I am not familiar with. Later, the fanzine would become "The Science Fiction Digest" and "Fantasy Magazine".

One of the stunts the magazines used to do was the round robin story. When I was recently on the Sony Ereader site, I spotted a novelette with multiple authors. It turned out to be one that the editor of a magazine had commissioned. It consisted of 5 chapters, each written by a different author. The authors of “The Covenent” consisted of Poul Anderson, Isaac Asimov, Robert Sheckley, Murray Leinster, and Robert Bloch. There was a certain appeal to doing this type of story. How would Robert Bloch finish a story begun by Poul Anderson? Would the difference in writing styles ruin the experience for the reader? I am sure it depended on the story. “Cosmos” was a classic pulp story. Just by looking at the chapter titles, you can tell that it will be a fast paced story. Anyone who likes exciting fast paced storytelling with space battles, alien armadas, and planets destroyed as only Edmond Hamilton can do should make the effort to track down this serial. Today, each of these chapters would be a novel that would be 500-700 pages long. The way Palmer plotted this story, the author had to keep moving or they would get run over.

The first time I read one of this type of story was in the back of the “Perry Rhodan” series. Forry Ackerman reprinted, one chapter per book, a round robin serial called “Cosmos”. It originally appeared in “Science Fiction Digest” and “Fantasy Magazine” as an insert.

"Cosmos Serial" -
(plotted by Raymond A. Palmer)
1. Ralph Milne Farley "Faster Than Light"
2. David H. Keller "The Emigrants"
3. Arthur J. Burks "Callisto's Children"
4. Bob Olsen "The Murderer From Mars"
6. John W. Campbell "Interference on Luna"
7. Francis Flagg "Son of the Trident"
8. Otis Adelbert Kline & E. Hoffmann Price"Volunteers From Venus"
9. Abner J. Gelula "Menace of the Automaton"
10. Raymond A. Palmer (as Rae Winters) "The Return to Venus"
11. A. Merritt "The Last Poet & The Wrongness of Space"
12. J. Harvey Haggard "At the Crater's Core"
13. E. E. "Doc" Smith "Course Perilous!"
14. P. Schuyler Miller "The Fate of the Neptunians"
15. Lloyd Arthur Eshbach "The Horde of Elo Hava"
16. Eando Binder "Lost in Alien Dimensions"
17. Edmond Hamilton "Armageddon in Space"

In 1935, “Fantasy Magazine” published another round robin story that combined “science fiction and weird fantasy”. I have never had the pleasure of reading this one.

"The Challenge from Beyond"

SF PART:
Stanley G. Weinbaum
Donald Wandrei
Edward E. Smith
Harl Vincent
Murray Leinster

FANTASY PART:
H.P. Lovecraft
Robert E. Howard
C.L. Moore
A. Merritt
Frank Belknap Long

As you look at the line up for each of these serials it is hard to imagine what this would look like today. Just imagine a story that would follow “The Challenge from Beyond” format.

SF Part:
Alastair Reynolds
John Scalzi
Kim Stanley Robinson
Peter Hamilton
Jack McDevitt

Fantasy Part:
China Mieville
Brandon Sanderson
George R. R. Martin
Joe Abercrombie
Michael Moorcock

The possibilities boggle the mind. I would personally like to see some publisher try this experiment again.

A Fellow Citizen of the Galaxy

2012-01-19T07:45:00.002-05:00

Robert “Bob” Sabella. The first time I saw the name was in Richard Geis’ classic fanzine “Science Fiction Review”. Bob was one of the regular reviewers. At the time, he was one of the few contributors who was not a professional science fiction writer. Unfortunately, “Science Fiction Review” came to an end and Bob’s name disappeared from my world.

Jump forward to many years later when I started this little science fiction blog. As I started posting more often I became aware of other bloggers. One of the sites that immediately caught my attention was “Visions of Paradise”. The person behind “VoP” and I seemed to have very similar tastes in science fiction. We started regularly leaving comments on each other’s blog. We both started to enter the field through the Tom Swift Jr. series. Both of us read juveniles from the old Winston series. When we became more interested in the field, we started subscribing to “Galaxy” and “Worlds of IF”. The more we had conversations, the more we found in common. Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover? Check. The Amber books of Roger Zelazny? Check. Poul Anderson’s various series? Check. Known Space by Larry Niven? Check. The list goes on and on. It even extended into some of our musical favorites. Paul McCartney and Pink Floyd are on both of our playlists.

Last year’s vacations were almost scary. We went to Myrtle Beach last year. Guess where Bob and his wife went the next month? Yep. Neither knew that the other was going to Myrtle Beach until after his return.

I got to the point where I automatically added a book to my list based on his recommendation. In November, Bob reviewed Jack McDevitt’s collection “Standard Candles”. I left a comment. Bob posted on a weekly basis. After the McDevitt review, the posts stopped. Bob quit leaving comments on my posts. This morning I decided to check out the efanzine site where he did a monthly zine version of “Visions of Paradise” to see if he had posted a new one. The comment at the top sent chills down my back.

“I'm sad to report that Bob Sabella died on December 3rd, 2011.”

It just goes to show that friendship can develop even if you don’t actually meet the person face-to-face. I always thought we had plenty of time to meet at a science fiction convention. It turns out that we didn’t have that time. But, based on our many emails/comments, I will always remember Bob as one of my friends.

Will this affect my blogging? Yes. I plan on a semi-regular basis to read books that I talked about with Bob. “Standard Candles” is now near the top of my list. Robert Silverberg’s “Alpha” anthologies was one of his favorites. Expect to see reviews of them. I will definitely have a link back to his reviews. As long as I am blogging, Bob’s name will be remembered. Another commitment I am making is that I will take the time to comment on other people’s blogs. Bob took the time to comment on mine. The least I can do is “pass it on”.

The last couple of paragraphs sound depressing. Although I am sad that I will not be hearing from Bob again, I want to celebrate his life. One of the amazing benefits of the internet is that his blog will be available for our reading. Take the time to go read “Visions of Paradise”. Go to the efanzine site and read the pdf files of the monthly “Visions of Paradise”. Reading them will introduce you to Bob and show you how much he loved science fiction. As long as we have fans with his passion for the field, science fiction will have a great future.

Worlds Without End Grand Master Reading Challenge

2012-01-18T20:43:00.000-05:00

Okay, Carl has done it again. He keeps finding more challenges that I can't resist. Worlds Without End is hosting a reading challenge where you read one book each from 12 different grand masters. Stop over and check it out. It will be fun reading books by classic authors.

1. Foundation by Isaac Asimov

The Foundation Group Read Part 2 of 2

2012-01-18T20:05:00.002-05:00

So the great "Foundation" Group Read, hosted by Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings, has come to an end. It was fun getting to revisit one of my favorite classics. Carl has decided to keep the Asimov Group Read going by continuing on with "Foundation&Empire" and "Second Foundation".

Hari Seldon was the first character in the book that we got to spend any significant time with. What are your thoughts on the grand finale of his plotting, scheming and maneuvering to get the Foundation through to the next Seldon crisis?
I like the way the Foundation is determining if it is a Seldon Crisis. The solutions are adaptable to the problem they are confronting. Hari has put them into a position where they have to decide what is the right thing to do. So far the Foundation has used religion and trade to maintain their position of power. What will be the next tool they will use? I am not telling.

What are your thoughts on the way in which control/manipulation to achieve Foundation ends began to shift with The Traders? I appreciate what Asimov has done. Just like in the real world, what works for one generation does not necessarily work for the next generation. Sometimes it works, usually it needs modified.

One of the interesting things about Seldon's psychohistory is how much one man can actually affect it. In Foundation we see characters like Hardin and Mallow as key figures for positioning things just right to work towards Seldon's later predictions. Do you see this as a contradiction to what Seldon said about psychohistory at the beginning of our story or part of an overall plan?
It does appear to be a contradiction. Seldon liked to point out how he could only predict and influence large groups. Psychohistory cannot be micromanaged to predict what individuals will do. But, like what happened in the Roman Empire, individuals are somewhat a product of the culture. Asimov was not shy about saying how this work was based on the history of the Roman Empire. When you read about it, the people living at the time (and historians since then) thought it was too big to be manipulated by a single individual. But many times, the individual appeared to be steering the Empire. Was this actually the case? Or was it a situation where the individual was really the product of the culture and just happened to be the person who most reflected what was going on in the Empire at that time. So in effect, the Empire raised the individual to reflect what it wanted. Compare it to one of our previous group reads-Dune by Frank Herbert. Would Paul have been able to go in and take the Freemen down a drastically different path? No. They followed him because he fulfilled their prophecies. Hari Seldon is the Muad’dib of the Foundation series. Where Muad’dib took control by using war and the jihad, Hari uses behind the scenes political/psychological manipulation. War was the language of Dune. Psychohistory is the language of Foundation. Both are the perfect product of the world they end up controlling. Based on this comparison I would have to say that the world of Dune controlled Paul Muad’dib similar to the way that psychohistory controlled Hari Seldon. Both would have failed if they switched places.

Did you see similarities or differences between the way in which Salvador Hardin and Hober Mallow operated and what are your thoughts about this final section of Foundation?
They parallel each other. Both use the methods that they are familiar with to preserve the Foundation.

Would you have been content as a reader back then with how everything played out? Any final thoughts on the story as a whole, its structure, what it did or did not accomplish, how it worked for you, etc?
This is one of my favorite books. It hooked me on Asimov. I would have been very disappointed if I thought this was the end of the story. Fortunately, “Foundation and Empire” and “Second Foundation” were prominently displayed with “Foundation” when I discovered it. I can’t describe the excitement I felt when the Good Doctor announced that “Foundation’s Edge” would be published. But that is a story for another time. Other authors have leaped up my list of personal favorites but Isaac Asimov has stayed in my top 2-3 authors since the first time I read his work. I can’t imagine anything changing that at this point in my life.

Click here for Part 1

Comic Book Focus: Superstar: As Seen on TV

2012-01-18T00:07:00.001-05:00

Writer: Kurt Busiek

Penciller: Stuart Immonen

Inker: Wade Von Grawbadger

For a short time, some writers and artists banded together to create the Gorilla Comics line. Among the creators were Mark Waid, Barry Kitson, Kurt Busiek, Stuart Immomen, Karl Kessel, and others. I really liked what they produced. Unfortunately, due to various circumstances, it did not last. One of the titles that I missed was Superstar: As Seen on TV by Busiek and Immomen. Their Shockrockets was a great title that I enjoyed.

Superstar is the story of a hero whose powers increase with his popularity. Even though he does not necessarily want to be in the limelight, he has to put in public appearances, etc. to keep his power supply replenished. This one shot establishes the character, his supporting cast, the rogues gallery, and his world. It may be a one shot, but you come away feeling like you have read this character for a long time. Busiek is a master at characterization. Although Superstar takes place in a bitter hypocritical world, Busiek brings out the core concepts of the classic super hero. The best comparison I can give is a Peter Parker/Spider-Man type character in the original Booster Gold series. Most of the characters are self-centered and are looking to make a fortune but the main character has a passion for doing the right thing and helping others that is refreshing to read about. I would love to see this character be brought back for a regular series. Of course he defeats the villain at the end but suffers many personal defeats once the battle is over. The last two pages could have shown a depressed victimized hero but Busiek took it a different direction and shows that no matter what the circumstances are, a hero can keep a positive attitude in the face of adversity.

The storytelling methods he employs are similar to his Astro City title. The main difference is he shows a little more of the hero/villain battles.

Stuart Immomen and Wade Grawbarger turn in some great art. It is a perfect combination of realistic and classic super hero art. It is the same style they used in the Shockrockets book.

My only complaint about the title was that we only every saw one issue. I hope that someday the creators will return to follow the further adventures of Superstar.

Highly recommended.

Comic Book Focus: Teen Titans: Games

2012-01-13T21:35:00.001-05:00

Writer: Marv Wolfman
Penciller: George Perez
Inkers: Mike Perkins and Al Vey

How many times do you hear comments like “this (fill in the name) was decades in the making”? In this instance, it is true. Many years ago, Marv Wolfman and George Perez rebooted a cancelled title called the Teen Titans. The outstanding combination of writing and art took the title all of the way to the top. Fans debated whether Teen Titans or the X-Men were the better title. At the time, Chris Claremont and John Byrne were on their legendary run on X-Men. Which title was better? For me it depended on which one I was reading when asked the question.

Like all good things, after a few years the Wolfman/Perez team split up. Perez went on to other books while Wolfman continued the title with other artists. Rumors soon emerged that the team was working on a graphic novel. With all of the other work they were doing, it would probably take a year. Maybe two. Now, twenty some years later the much anticipated graphic novel was published.

The duo managed to capture the flavor of their classic run. While it is not the best Titans story ever, it is very good. Perez’s art is still top notch. Even with the presence of two different inkers, it looks consistently excellent. Wolfman’s story is a good one. He brings King Faraday back into the mix with the mystery of a terrorist who is killing people and leaving riddles for Faraday. As the mystery grows and the death count rises, the Titans attempt to stop the insanity. The mystery is eventually solved.

The story sets up a new status quo for the Titans. Wolfman and Perez planted the seeds for future storylines that I would have liked to see continued. From the sounds of it, fans will have to be content with this one. It doesn’t look like the creators will be returning to follow it up.

As for me, this one will go into my box of Titans comics. At some point I plan on going back and re-reading the series with the first Wolfman/Perez issue. Even if we don’t get any more Titans stories from Marv and George, I want to thank them for all of the reading pleasure they have given to me. If I see them at a convention, I know I will be thanking them for their efforts.

Enterprise: Stardust by K. H. Scheer

2012-01-12T17:00:00.000-05:00

We all have guilty pleasures. Some people hide them. Me, I put it out there to show others that every book is liked by someone. But I am getting ahead of myself. Let's go back to the early days of my life long love affair with science fiction...

When I first got the science fiction bug, I was picking up every book I could find that looked even remotely like it belonged in the genre. Some of the books were from the library. Others were ones I bought in stores. One of the malls we visited had a J. C. Penney's store. If you go to one today, you won't find any book shelves. At that time, at least in our store, they had a few racks of books. And one of the sections was devoted to science fiction. This is where my first copies of the original Foundation trilogy came from.

Another town we regularly visited had a department store called Weston's. For those of you who read my post about DAW Books, this was my source. They seemed to carry all of the DAW publications. That store introduced me to the Elric books by Michael Moorcock, "The Man With a Thousand Names" by A. E. Van Vogt, the various Dorsai books of Gordon R. Dickson, Mark Geston's "Siege of Wonder", Cap Kennedy, Dumarest of Terra, and many others. And this leads me to the third place I could buy books.

It was a local newstand called "The Village News". They had two spinner racks of paperbacks. One was devoted to westerns, the other to science fiction. It was always filled with the new Signet and Ace books. On Friday evening, our family would go to town to do the banking, pick up groceries, and let me go to the news stand to pick out a new book or two. At that time, Signet was putting out Poul Anderson's Dominic Flandry series. I was excited to pick up his "The Rebel Worlds" and "A Circus of Hells". Earlier I had started subscribing to the Galaxy, Worlds of IF, and Analog magazines. One of my favorites from Worlds of IF was a two part serial called "A Knight of Ghosts and Shadows". It was one of the final Flandry stories. I plan on devoting a month to re-reading the Flandry series later this year. When I finished reading them, I went in search of another science fiction series. That is when I stumbled upon a book called "The Giant's Partner" by Clark Darlton. It was listed as Perry Rhodan number 31. Perry Rhodan was a massive German pulp series that was being translated into English. The German novels (more like a novella today) appeared on a weekly basis. It did not take long for my one science fiction reading friend and I to pick up the first 30 books. We stayed with the series until Ace (and then Master Publications) quit publishing them.

And that brings me to "Enterprise: Stardust" by K. H. Scheer. Scheer, along with Walter Ernsting (who mostly wrote under the name of Clark Darlton) started the series and wrote the overall plotlines. Many other authors joined the team. Names such as Kurt Mahr, Kurt Brand, W. W. Shols, and many others wrote individual stories. Story arcs would last anywhere from 30 to hundreds of issues. Are they classic science fiction? No. Do many fans dislike them? Yes. I decided to go back and re-read my collection and you know what? I still enjoy them for what they are. Perry Rhodan is an amazing pulp style achievement that has lasted for thousands of stories and continues to be published in many countries today. I would recommend them to fans of pulp style stories.

In "Enterprise: Stardust" we are introduced to some characters that would become mainstays of the series. Keep in mind that this story appeared in 1961. Perry Rhodan is leading the first American manned flight to the moon. At the same time, the Chinese are trying to beat them. Perry, Reginald Bell, and the rest of the team spot something as they approach the moon. Their ship, the Stardust of the title, is shot down. The crew suspect that the Chinese got their first and opened fire on their ship. It turns out that the Chinese ship malfunctioned on take off and exploded (similar to the Challenger space shuttle disaster). So who shot them down? That is the mystery. The solution will eventually unite a troubled Earth under a world wide government, the secret of Atlantis, lead to exploring Venus, a quest for the secret of immortality, clashes with many alien races, a clash with the Arkonide Imperium, and that is all in the first 30 some books. After that, the series keeps expanding with numerous spin off series. Perry is destined to bring peace to the galaxy but at a great personal cost. This appealed to my teenage mind. The series has it's ups and downs but if you enjoy reading an adventure filled , arc driven, series this one is for you. Is it the deepest, best written series? Not even close but sometimes it is enough to cut loose and just have fun. I am anxious to get through the first couple of books and relive the adventure as the space opera kicks into high gear.

Foundation Group Read Part 1 (of 2)

2012-01-09T21:41:00.001-05:00

Welcome to part one of the Foundation group read being hosted by Carl of Stainless Steel Droppings. Click here to see what the others have to say about Foundation. This is the cover of my first copy of Foundation.

For the purpose of satisfying curiosity, is this your first time reading Foundation or have you read it before?

I think this is my third time to read it. The original Foundation Trilogy (Foundation, Foundation and Empire, Second Foundation) was one of my early science fiction reading experiences way back in the early to middle 1970s. It helped cement Asimov as one of my favorite authors. I don’t hide the fact that he is still one of my favorites. One of my fondest memories is listening to a lecture the “Good Doctor” gave at Penn State.

For those who have read it before, how has it held up to your memory/feelings about previous reads?

I still enjoy this book. Each time I read it I discover something different.

What are your thoughts about the structure of the novel thus far? (I am referring to the brief glimpses of different parts of the history of the Foundation with big time gaps between events in the novel)

The structure is somewhat unique in science fiction. Asimov, as he has stated in many different articles, was inspired by reading Edward Gibbon’s “The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire”. Out of necessity, when you are writing the history of an empire, the author has to write about numerous periods over a long time span. By copying this structure, Asimov gives the reader the impression that they are reading about the history of an empire. If he followed one character per book, the first book would have been a five novel series. It would make for a decompressed story that would not have the same impact. Another writer commented, in a work on Asimov, that he was also influenced by reading the Old Testament books of the Bible. Many parallels can be drawn between the Foundation story and the journey of the Israelites in the Old Testament. The structure of the story also supports this idea.

What, if anything, is holding your interest thus far, what are you enjoying about Foundation?

I am fascinated by how the individuals of each era are going to handle each crisis. Another part that holds my interest is what is revealed by Hari Seldon each time he appears.

What, if anything, are you not enjoying about Foundation?

Nothing. This is one of my favorite books.

You may have covered this in answering the other questions, but if not, what are your thoughts/feelings about the Galactic Empire. Is it a practical thing to have a galaxy spanning government? Can you imagine such a thing and do you think it would work?

I find it hard to believe that it could function. It seems like something that would collapse under it’s own weight. On the other hand, they are interesting to read about. Some of the others I have enjoyed reading are the Terran Empire of the Dominic Flandry series, the Empire of the Dune books, E. E. “Doc” Smith’s empires, and a pulp like favorite of mine was the Arkonide Imperium of Perry Rhodan fame.

What are your thoughts on Hardin's creation of a religious system in which to house scientific ideas and technology while keeping the users of that science and technology in the dark?

This was a stroke of genius. What a perfect way to build in a system to protect yourself. A similar system was used during the Dark Ages in Europe.

Speculative Fiction Challenge 2012

2012-01-06T20:39:00.002-05:00

I will be participating in the Speculative Fiction Challenge 2012 at the "In Nirvana" level.

1. Cloud Permutations by Lavie Tidhar
2. Enterprise: Stardust by K. H. Scheer
3. Foundation by Isaac Asimov, Part 1, Part 2

The Dystopia 2012 Challenge

2012-01-05T16:45:00.000-05:00

The Dystopia 2012 Challenge includes all forms of future disaster stories (post apocalypse, ecotopia, etc). It can be short stories, novels, or graphic novels. My reads will be posted on this page.

Comic Book Focus: Alpha Flight Vol. 1

2012-01-05T05:49:00.000-05:00

Alpha Flight Volume 1
Writers: Greg Pak and Fred Van Lente
Pencillers: Ben Oliver(.1 issue) and Dale Eaglesham (issues 1-4)
Inker: Andrew Hennessy
Issues Collected: .1, 1-4
Tentative Publishing Date: Jan. 11, 2012

During "The Chaos War" crossover, the dead members of Alpha Flight returned to life. Alpha Flight is reunited as Canada's super team. When the "Fear Itself" event hits Canada's shores, the people panic and turn to the newly elected Prime Minister Cody for guidance. Cody turns the people against Alpha Flight. One of their own betray them and label the team as traitors. Can Alpha Flight survive when their nation is hunting them down?

Pak and Van Lente have crafted a very interesting story. Every time it seems like Alpha Flight is making progress, they hit them with a new twist.

Eaglesham is one of my favorite pencillers in the business today. He embraces traditional comic art and takes it to a new level. It has been fun watching him progress from his work on Batman and Justice Society through the Fantastic Four and this title. I look forward to his next project.

The only downside to this is that the series was cancelled with the eighth issue. Pick up this collection and the following one. It is a fun super hero title that deserved more attention.

Cloud Permutations by Lavie Tidhar

2012-01-02T22:50:00.000-05:00

From the author's website...The world of Heven was populated, centuries ago, by Melanesian settlers from distant Earth. It is a peaceful, quiet world – yet it harbours ancient secrets.

Kai just wants to fly. But flying is the one thing forbidden on Heven – a world dominated by the mysterious, ever present clouds in the skies. What do they hide? For Kai, finding the answer might mean his death – but how far will you go to realise your dreams?

Set against the breathtaking vista of a world filled with mystery and magic, Cloud Permutations is a planetary romance with a unique South Pacific flavour, filled with mythic monsters, ancient alien artefacts, floating islands and a quest to find a legendary tower… whatever the cost.

"Cloud Permutations" lives up to the hype. I found myself caught up in the world from the start. It is a short book so it does not take long to read. "Planetary romance" is a classic form in science fiction. It describes a rousing adventure on another world. One of the old school authors of this genre was Leigh Brackett with her Eric John Stark adventures. I hope to read and review some of her work later this year. Tidhar does a solid job of settling up the mystery. You won't want to put this down once you start reading it.

While reading this story, I was taken back to 1976 and an issue of Analog that came in the mail. That issue featured a novella by George R. R. Martin and Lisa Tuttle that was called "The Storms of Windhaven". It was later expanded into a novel. The combination of Martin and Tuttle's styles hooked me with the first page. Both stories deal with someone who wants to fly on an alien world.

The two stories are different (Tidhar's stylistically is closer to a Cordwainer Smith tale) but both are excellent. Maybe more writers need to explore this type of planetary romance.

Highly recommended.

Short Story Sunday - A Classic by Philip Jose Farmer

2012-01-01T17:10:00.000-05:00

As the new year begins, I decided to start one of my old favorites from my early years of reading-"The Sliced-Crosswise Only-On-Tuesday World" by Philip Jose Farmer. I remember reading it in Terry Carr's "The Best Science Fiction of the Year #1" in 1976. Some of my best reading experiences were the various "Best of..." and "World's Best SF" series. I plan on revisiting some of those this year.

"TSCOOTW" is one of Farmer's classic stories. The world is suffering from overpopulation. A scientist discovers a way to put people into suspended animation. So the government lets the populace be awake for one day a week. Our protagonist is a Tuesday person. At the end of the day, he goes into suspended animation until the next Tuesday. Life is good until the day he sees one of the Wednesday people who lives in his apartment building. He falls in love at first sight. As he learns more about he, he continues to become obsessed with meeting her. This story follows his quest to switch to Wednesday.

After all of these years, I still enjoyed this story. Highly recommended as a Farmer classic.

Looking to the Future....

2011-12-26T18:00:00.000-05:00

As I review my blogging in 2011 and make plans for 2012, a few changes will occur.

The major change will be the closing down of my Comic Book Focus blog. I am bringing my graphic novel reviews back to this blog. I love reading comics and will continue to review them as part of Science Fiction Times.

Another change will be more commentary/history articles. I am planning on more articles focusing on writers and artists. I also plan on writing more about the history of the field and commentaries about the future of science fiction.

Tentative Schedule
Sunday: Short Story Reviews
Tuesday: Novel/Book Reviews
Friday: Graphic Novel Reviews
Saturday: Television/Movie Reviews

As I finish commentaries, etc. I plan on fitting them around the regular reviews.

The 2012 Graphic Novels Challenge

2011-12-25T23:40:00.004-05:00

I signed up for the "The 2012 Graphic Novels Challenge". Beginning in January, I will keep this list updated with my progress.

1. Alpha Flight Vol. 1
2. Teen Titans: Games
3. Superstar: As Seen on TV
4. Trailblazer

Y: The Last Man Vol. 1: Unmanned, Zenith Book 1: Tygers, Fantastic Four 1234, Batwoman Vol. 1: Elegy

2011-12-25T23:34:00.001-05:00

Writer: Brian K. Vaughn
Penciller: Pia Guerra
Inker: Jose Marzan, Jr.
Collects issues 1-5
Title: Unmanned

In the summer of 2002, a plague of unknown origin destroyed everything containing a Y chromosome with the exception of one young man and his pet monkey. The "gendercide" instantaneously exterminated 48% of the global population, or approximately 2.9 billion men.

Now, aided by the mysterious Agent 355, the last human male Yorick Brown must contend with dangerous extremists, a hoped for reunion with a girlfriend on the other side of the globe, and the search for exactly why he's the only man to survive.

Brian K. Vaughn has set up a very interesting world in this series. The reader is learning about it as Yorick tries to figure out what happened. The viewpoint cuts to others at times to present the various possibilities. The mystery is that, at least at this point in the story, the characters are not exactly sure who caused the death of the men.

Yorik is not a common name. The best known use of it was in Shakespeare's Hamlet when Hamlet exhumed the skull of Yorick. Yorick was a court jester whose skull shows that death is unavoidable.

Another modern usage of Yorik is in the Star Wars: New Jedi Order series. In this series, the Yuuzhan Vong use the mighty yorik-trema to attack. The yorik-trema is a bio-engineered transport vessel.

If the reader were to combine those definitions, it would imply that Yorik Brown is a light hearted man but that death is inevitable for him. He would also be the bio-engineered system used to transport the plague. I will be curious to see if any of this proves to be the case.

In the new world, Yorik's mother is the president of the United States. Yorik undertakes a journey to join up with his her. The problem is that any surviving man will be a target for the radical extremists. So Yorik puts on a cloak and a gas mask to cover his identity. Along the way Yorik runs into many obstacles. Vaughn does a good job of imagining what the new world would be like. The classic journey for the hero is a good way of driving the story.

The other situation that Vaughn establishes is that Yorik’s girlfriend is in Australia. In the manner of the classic quest story the author sends Yorik on a double quest. First he will travel to Washington D.C. to find his mother. Then he plans on traveling to Australia to reunite with his girlfriend. Vaughn has patterned the tale on the classic after the disaster quest story. It is in the same genre as “Damnation Alley” by Roger Zelazny, “On the Beach” by Nevil Shute, “Earth Abides” by George Stewart, the many novels of J. G. Ballard, “A Canticle for Leibowitz” by Walter Miller, and Kirkman’s “Walking Dead”.

The art by Pia Guerra and Jose Marzan, Jr. does not get in the way of the story. It is very reminiscent of Chas Truog's art in Grant Morrison's “Animal Man”. The panel designs are very basic old school comic book art. Do not expect the detail or innovative layouts of someone like George Perez. The art tells the story. In this day and age, that is something that many artists forget. At times the artists did not use sequential storytelling. In those instances the eye is led to follow the action in the wrong direction. The action of a character leads the reader’s eyes to the left. Unfortunately, this is on the left side of the page so the only option is to read to the right. With some slight repositioning of the action, the story would flow much better. I get the impression that many of the current artists need to spend more time studying “Comics and Sequential Art” by Will Eisner. It is a classic text that shows you how to design your pages to use the art to help with the flow of the story. Guerra does a better job than many of today’s artists with the storytelling. With a little more attention to the sequential storytelling, the art would be raised to the next level. In general the artists do an acceptable job.

Overall this is a very good start to a series. If you are looking for story driven comics, this is the book for you. I found myself interested in learning more about the changes to our world. The initial mysteries held my interest. I will be reading the other volumes in this series.

Recommended.

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artist: Steve Yeowell

Zenith is one of the "Holy Grail" books for me. It has only appeared in collected form in England. Some imported copies have appeared but I always seem to miss them at conventions. I finally managed to track them down and they were definitely worth the search.

"Zenith Book 1" is another great Morrison read. The story begins with the showdown between the British superhero "Maximan" and the Nazi superhero "Masterman" at the end of World War II. Maximan is overly confident and Masterman easily beats him. At this time, the Americans drop the atomic bomb on the duo bringing an end to the conflict.

Back in England, their scientists use the procedure to create a super team called Cloud 9. Cloud 9 become the darlings of the 60s. Two of them end up together and become parents to the first of the next generation of heros-Zenith. Unfortunately for them, Zenith is only interested in partying and his music career. He does enough heroic acts to help further his career.

Unknown to the winners of WWII, a secret cult survived the war. They are followers of "The Many Angled Ones" who were the real power behind Masterman. As their plot unfolds, Zenith is forced into teaming up with the remaining members of Cloud 9 to take on the new Masterman and his masters.

This is a well thought out, tightly plotted, mystery filled story that is another example of why Morrison is one of my favorite comic book writers.

Highly recommended.

Writer: Grant Morrison

Artist: Jae Lee

The art by Jae Lee was a disappointment. It was not in the same class as his work on "The Inhumans". At times it looked good but overall it was sloppy. Sometimes it was hard to tell who the characters were. A more consistent art job would have helped the story.

Grant Morrison's story had flashes of brilliance but was not his best work. The concept of Doctor Doom being the bad part of Reed Richard's mind brought to life was intriguing. In Doom's mind, this makes Reed the biggest villain in the world. It absolves him of blame. All of the atrocities performed by Doctor Doom are actually Reed's fault. It is an interesting look into a fantasy created by a madman.

Doctor Doom's plot fell apart too easily at the end. "1 2 3 4" is a decent Fantastic Four story but there are many that are much better.

Writer: Greg Rucka

Artist: J. H. Williams

From Goodreads...
A new era begins as Batwoman is unleashed on Gotham City! Marked by the blood-red bat emblem, Kate Kane is a soldier fighting her own private war - one that began years ago and haunts her every waking moment. In this first tale, Batwoman battles a madwoman known only as Alice, inspired by Alice in Wonderland, who sees her life as a fairy tale and everyone around her as expendable extras!

Batwoman must stop Alice from unleashing a toxic death cloud over all of Gotham City -- but Alice has more up her sleeve than just poison, and Batwoman's life will never ever be the same again.

Also, witness the origin of Batwoman in the shocking and tragic story "Go," in which young Kate Kane and her family are kidnapped by terrorists, and Kate's life - and the lives of her family - will never be the same!

Sometimes a series happens that you hear a lot of good press about but, for one reason or another, never read until later. This is such a series.

Greg Rucka is at the top of his game with this book. He is one of the best at writing street level characters. As Rucka reveals Kate's background, it is believable. Her training in the military and the support of her father helps to give us a rich, fully realized character. And the anatagonist of the series, Alice, is a perfect foil for Batwoman. Rucka obviously put a lot of thought and planning in the development of this series.

Batwoman is a showcase of J. H. Williams' innovative layouts and panel designs. The bat motif is in the design of many pages. The non-standard panel designs help to pull the reader into the story. It is almost like the character Alice has influenced the thoughts of the artist. If Williams ever goes to Marvel Comics, I would hope they would bring back the old "Master of Kung Fu" series. His layouts are similar to the work done by Paul Gulacy and Gene Day on that series.

The Rucka/Williams team was perfect on this title. I hope that Williams is able to continue the quality in the new series. Rucka has left for Marvel so he will not be scripting it.

Highly recommended.

2012 Sci-Fi Reader Challenge

2011-12-23T09:05:00.001-05:00

A slightly different challenge is the "2012 Sci-Fi Reader Challenge". In this one, you are challenged to read books from various different subsets of science fiction. Listed below are my planned books to read. This list is subject to change.

YA SF
Have Spacesuit-Will Travel by Robert Heinlein

Adult SF
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

Hugo Winner
The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov

Classic (pre 1950s)
The Girl in the Golden Atom by Ray Cummings

Modern Classic (1951-1992)
Foundation by Isaac Asimov

Steampunk
The Warlord of the Air by Michael Moorcock

Robots/Cyborgs/Androids
The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov

Spaceships/Aliens
Halcyon Drift by Brian Stableford

Time Travel/Alt History/Parallel Universe
The Walls of the Universe by Paul Melko

Apocalyptic/Dystopia/Utopia
The Inverted World by Christopher Priest

Cyberpunk
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick

Mad Scientists/Genetic Testing/Environmental Disaster

The Vintage Science Fiction Month

2011-12-23T08:57:00.003-05:00

Over on The Little Red Reviewer site, she is hosting "The Vintage Science Fiction Month not a Challenge". It is all about science fiction published before 1979. This was the science fiction that I grew up reading. It will take place during the month of January so it is a perfect team up with "The 2012 Science Fiction Experience". Listed below are the books I plan on reading but are subject to change.

1. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
2. Demon Princes 1: Star King by Jack Vance
3. Demon Princes 2: The Killing Machine by Jack Vance
4. Demon Princes 3: The Palace of Love by Jack Vance

Actual Reads:

1. Enterprise: Stardust by K. H. Scheer
2. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
3. The Story with 18 Writers

2012 Science Fiction Experience

2011-12-22T08:39:00.006-05:00

The challenge I automatically sign up for is Carl's "The 2012 Science Fiction Experience". Year in, year out, this is one of my favorites. There are no requirements except to read and write about science fiction. I am listing the books I think I will read for this experience. As I complete them I will add the link to the review. As I am reading, some of these might drop off the list and be replaced by others.

1. Short Story Sunday-A Classic by Philip Jose Farmer
2. Cloud Permutations by Lavie Tidhar
3. Enterprise: Stardust by K. H. Scheer
4. Foundation by Isaac Asimov
5. The Story with 18 Writers
6. What do you get if you cross Silverberg's Hawksbill Station with the Wild West?

Foundation by Isaac Asimov
Demon Princes 1: Star King by Jack Vance
Demon Princes 2: The Killing Machine by Jack Vance
Demon Princes 3: The Palace of Love by Jack Vance
Demon Princes 4: The Face by Jack Vance
Demon Princes 5: The Book of Dreams by Jack Vance
Dumarest 1: The Winds of Gath by E. C. Tubb
Hooded Swan 1: Halcyon Drift by Brian Stableford
The Day of Their Return by Poul Anderson
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert

Short Story Sunday - The Good Doctor Rebounds

2011-12-11T16:24:00.002-05:00

Last Sunday's short story offering was a rare disappointment for me. Isaac Asimov's "Button, Button" was one of his few stories that I did not care for. This week the Good Doctor bounces back with two fun stories.

"The Monkey's Finger" by Isaac Asimov

First Publication: Startling Stories, February 1953

Another good Asimov short story appeared behind this classic Ed Emshwiller cover. It is loosely based on a discussion between the Good Doctor and editor Horace Gold.

A science fiction writer crafts what he thinks is a good story. His editor disagrees. In an effort to change the editor's mind, he takes him to a scientist who has developed a way of determining if a story is well written. It involves a monkey, surgery, and a typewriter. To tell any more of the plot would reveal too much. The main theme deals with the difference between technically correct writing and writing with emotion. I found this to be another very entertaining story. It is definitely worth reading.

Among the other authors appearing in this issue were Fletcher Pratt, Philip Jose Farmer, and Damon Knight. The letter column featured many names that are well known to fans of classic science fiction (John Brunner, Poul Anderson, and Richard E. Geis).

"Everest" by Isaac Asimov

First Publication: Universe Science Fiction, December 1953

Asimov tells an interesting tale about the background of this story in his "Buy Jupiter and Other Stories" collection. According to him, editor Bea Mahaffey was one of the best looking women that he ever met. He stopped in to see her at her office one day. Mahaffey asked why he didn't bring a story for her. Asimov pulled up a chair, grabbed a typewriter and wrote this one while sitting in her office.

The story is a fun short story about why no one had been able to climb Mount Everest. She liked it and bought it on the spot. He took her out to eat with the money he made from the sale. Despite his best efforts, that was the end of the night.

The irony of it was that this took place in February 1953. Later that year, before the story was published, the first team managed to climb the mountain and disproved Asimov's story.

Other writers in this issue included Otto Binder, Poul Anderson, Gordon Dickson, and L. Sprague De Camp.

NIU Libraries acquires papers of Chicago-born sci-fi writer Fred Saberhagen

2011-12-07T05:00:00.002-05:00

The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections has acquired the first installment of the papers of Chicago-born author Fred Saberhagen, a best-selling science fiction writer whose works broke new ground in the genre.

The Saberhagen papers, with several more installments to come, are a gift to the university from the author’s widow, Joan Spicci Saberhagen.

NIU's Lynne M. Thomas with the first installment of author Fred Saberhagen's papers.

“Fred Saberhagen is very well known in the field of science fiction and fantasy literature,” said Lynne M. Thomas, curator of Rare Books and Special Collections for NIU Libraries.

“He is perhaps best known for the Berserker novels, a series of books about interstellar ruthless killer machines that predate the ‘Terminator’ films by 20 years,” Thomas added. “His Dracula sequence of novels, beginning with ‘The Vampire Tape,’ tells Bram Stoker’s Dracula from the vampire’s point of view and was published a year before Anne Rice’s ‘Interview with the Vampire.’ ”

An author’s papers generally include materials that document his or her life as a writer and include anything from drafts of short stories and novels to critiqued manuscripts and final submissions.

“I’m quite pleased knowing Fred’s papers will be valued and well cared for at NIU,” Joan Spicci Saberhagen said, noting that many of her husband’s works were set in the Chicago area. She spent more than a year communicating with University Libraries staff before selecting NIU for the donation.

“The campus visit sealed the deal,” she said. “The archival staff impressed me with their professionalism, congeniality and knowledge of the science fiction field. You have a treasure in Lynne Thomas.”

Fred Saberhagen

Fred Saberhagen was born in Chicago, graduated from Lane Technical High School, served in the Air Force and worked for Motorola Corp. and Encyclopedia Britannica before moving in the mid-1970s to Albuquerque, N.M., where he worked as a full-time freelance writer.

He died in 2007 after a prolific writing career, publishing 60 novels and numerous short stories, in addition to editing anthologies and collections.

His extensive fiction career began with publishing his first short stories in “If” and “Galaxy” magazines in the early 1960s. Those magazines, along with other science fiction and fantasy pulp magazines dating back to the 1920s, are included in the University Libraries’ collection.

Thomas said Saberhagen’s papers consist of more than 20 boxes of materials and will be the “crown jewel” of the library’s science fiction and fantasy collection. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America, a professional organization for authors, designated NIU as a depository in 1979.

Collecting archival papers began in earnest in 2005.

“The latest gift provides a core representation of science fiction and fantasy literature in the 1960s through the 1990s, from a truly popular and groundbreaking author,” Thomas said. “Our collection is relatively new, and he becomes our earliest published author. Many of the other writers in our archives are still active and were influenced by Saberhagen’s work, so it’s deeply satisfying to have their collective contributions to the field housed together.”

NIU’s science fiction and fantasy writers collection includes the papers of more than 50 authors, many of them award-winning.

The list includes Alma Alexander, Eleanor Arnason, Robert Asprin, Kage Baker, Elizabeth Bear,Donald J. Bingle, Alex Bledsoe, Tobias Buckell, Richard Chwedyk, Pamela Dean, Lori Devoti, L. Timmel Duchamp, Carol Emshwiller, Philip Jose Farmer, Eric Flint, Merrie Haskell, Jim C. Hines,Douglas Hulick, John Klima, Mary Robinette Kowal, E.E. Knight, Ted Kosmatka and Naomi Kritzer.

Others include Catherine Lundoff, Elise Matthesen, Kelly McCullough, Jack McDevitt, Sarah Monette, Lyda Morehouse, Jaime Lee Moyer, Pat Murphy, Sean Michael Murphy, Nnedi Okorafor, Rebecca Ore, Jody Lynn Nye, Tamora Pierce, Tim Pratt, Cherie Priest, Sarah Prineas, Cat Rambo, Mark Rich and Margaret Ronald.

Rounding out the group are Heather Shaw, Nisi Shawl, Will Shetterly, Sharon Shinn, Steven H Silver,Kristine Smith, Bud Sparhawk, Jennifer Stevenson, Caroline Stevermer, Catherynne Valente, David Weber and Patricia Wrede.

The library’s Rare Books and Special Collections department also holds the 20th World Science Fiction Convention Collection, a collection of correspondence related to the 1962 WorldCon.

Many of these collections are fully processed and available to researchers. Once processed, the Saberhagen papers will also be made available.

In all, Rare Books and Special Collections holds more than 125,000 volumes. This includes research-level collections of popular literature and culture in the United States from the 19th century forward, emphasizing dime novels, comic books and children’s fiction, as well as the science fiction and fantasy genre.

The extensive teaching collections promote exploration from the beginnings of the technology of writing to the present. Materials held in RBSC are available to members of the NIU community and the general public for consultation from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.

Classes routinely meet in RBSC for hands-on practical learning.

For more information, call (815) 753-0255 or email lmthomas@niu.edu.

Quartet & Triptych by Matthew Hughes

2011-12-06T11:28:00.002-05:00

Let me begin with a little background concerning my taste in stories. I enjoy a good caper novel or movie. That is important when discussing this story. I am also a Jack Vance fan. The first novel of the Demon Prince series ("Star King") hooked me as a fan. I remember the disappointment when I read further into the series but could not find all of the books. Later, DAW Books reprinted the series and had Vance finish it. I never read the final 2 novels. The upcoming Science Fiction Experience 2012 might be a good time to re-read the early books and finish reading the rest of the series. In the words of Peter David, "But I Digress...".

Getting back to the novel at hand. This was one that I was supposed to review for the now defunct "Walker of Worlds" site. Mark gave me three books that I never finished writing the reviews. One of my goals for December is to get these written. So consider this an epilog to a much missed review site.

Matthew Hughes has been named the heir apparent to Jack Vance. His style of writing, the names of the characters, and the exotic locals back this up. Case in point: The main character in "Quartet & Triptych" is master thief Luff Imbrey. Luff is planning to steal one of the rare eidolons left behind when the alien Iphigenza race committed ritual suicide. Unfortunately for Luff, it is located in a mutable maze that a nobleman had build to torture his enemies. So he decides to "liberate" the life mask of a noblewoman who knows how to navigate the maze. The life mask is an intriguing creation. It traps the essence of the person in a mask that, when put on by another, allows them to speak to the wearer of the mask. The noblewoman strikes a slightly different deal with Luff. It is one that proves to be much more lucrative. Luff develops the perfect plan that, in the style of the classic caper novel, falls apart. This short novel tells the story of what happens to the duo as they try to salvage their plan.

Did I like the novel? Yes and no. Hughes is very talented when it comes to innovative concepts and descriptions. His characters are interesting. But I thought that the plot tended to drift too much for such a short novel. If it had been more focused, I would have liked it more. As it is, I think this is an interesting failure. Looking at other peoples' reviews on Goodreads.com, I find myself in the minority. Sometimes, a story does not connect with every reader. I am one of the few that was disappointed with this story. Based on what I read here, I will give Matthew Hughes' work another try. I saw enough to interest me in giving this author a second chance.

Short Story Sunday - A Rare Miss for the Good Doctor

2011-12-04T23:18:00.001-05:00

"Button, Button" by Isaac Asimov

First Publication: Startling Stories, January 1953

It is rare for me to find an Asimov story that misses the mark for me. This is one of those incidents.

The plot is solid enough. A lawyer is approached by his uncle who has invented a flute that can be played by the power of the mind. When he tried to get a company to start producing them, his invention is turned into a weapon. Now he wants to raise the money to make his own plant that will put his musical instrument on the market. The lawyer comes up with a plan but fails to take one thing into account.

The thing that ruined the story for me was the dialect Asimov chose for the uncle. He is an immigrant who speaks broken English. I have no problem with his background but the way he writes the dialog took me out of the story.

As you can see from the cover, Asimov was not the featured author on this cover. A quick look at the table of contents shows many other name authors of that time: Damon Knight, Murray Leinster, James Gunn, and Jack Vance. There is even an essay written by Marion Zimmer Bradley.

Skip this one and read the many other short works by Asimov. He has written many classics that should be read by fans today.

Short Story Sunday - A Double Dose of Asimov

2011-11-26T23:38:00.001-05:00

As the year winds down I am starting to think ahead to next year and Carl's SF Experience. To get ready for it, I began reading Asimov's "Buy Jupiter and Other Stories".

"Day of the Hunters" by Isaac Asimov
First Publication: Future (Combined with Science Fiction Stories), November 1950

"Day of the Hunters" uses an old plot of having one person tell a group a strange story. Asimov used it in his mystery series "The Black Widowers". A couple of the more famous science fictional uses of this story structure was Spider Robinson's "Callahan's Bar" series and Larry Niven's "Draco's Tavern".

This time around, Asimov uses it to tell the tale of what happened to the dinosaurs. A strange man claims to be a time traveler who went back to see what happened and narrowly escaped to the time of the story.

It was a fun story that I recommend to the reader.

"Shah Guido G" by Isaac Asimov
First Publication: Marvel Science Fiction, November 1951

Although it is not classic Asimov, this is an amazing story for what the author fits into this short number of pages. Asimov covers a future Earth, an island city that floats in the sky, a revolt of the lower class, and the results of the revolt. At the same time, he makes you care for the main character.

Recommended, even though it has a corny ending.

Re-reading Asimov brings back my love for the short story. I think that more writers need to study Asimov. I heard in a recent podcast that Kim Stanley Robinson is a big fan of Asimov's and wishes that he would return to prominence in the field. In recent years, it seems that Asimov is slipping out of the fan's eye.

The Return of Short Story Sunday

2011-11-13T16:48:00.000-05:00

Welcome back to the return of Short Story Sunday. I have missed reading short fiction so I will try to do at least 1 short story per week.

"The George Business" by Roger Zelazny
First publication was in Orson Scott Card's "Dragons of Light" anthology in 1980.

"The George Business" is an entertaining, very short, work by Zelazny. A knight and a dragon enter into a mutually beneficial agreement. To say anything else about the plot would ruin the story. Zelazny has written many great short works but this is not what I would consider a classic. Still it is a fun story to read and won't take the reader very long to finish it. Recommended.

"The Birch Clump Cylinder" by Clifford D. Simak
Clifford D. Simak has written many great science fiction stories beginning in 1931 and continuing through the 1980s (he passed away in 1988). I remember enjoying his "City" and "Way Station" in my younger days. In the 1970s, Judy-Lynn del Rey started publishing the "Stellar" series of anthologies as a tribute to Fred Pohl's classic "Star" anthologies. I liked both Pohl's and del Rey's anthologies when I read them in the seventies. This year I have re-collected the "Stellar" series and began re-reading it to see how it held up to the test of time.
"The Birch Clump Cylinder" was the opening story in the first collection. It is competently written but seems to be lacking the magic I found in Simak's earlier work. It had the format of a classic SF story with a strange object appearing and a group trying to determine how it works. Unfortunately Simak did not put much effort into developing the characters. Hopefully the rest of the series holds up better.

DMZ Vol. 1: On the Ground by Brian Wood and Riccardo Burchielli

2011-11-02T05:10:00.000-04:00

DMZ, Vol. 1: On the Ground by Brian Wood

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

From Goodreads...
From indie comics icon Brian Wood (Demo, Channel Zero, GLOBAL FREQUENCY) and up-and-coming Italian artist Riccardo Burchielli (John Doe) comes the first volume of DMZ, collecting the first 5 issues of the series about the ultimate embedded war journalist trapped in a most unlikely war zone: the streets of New York City.

In the near future, America's worst nightmare has come true. With military adventurism overseas bogging down the Army and National Guard, the U.S. government mistakenly neglects the very real threat of anti-establishment militias scattered across the 50 states. Like a sleeping giant, Middle America rises up and violently pushes its way to the shining seas, coming to a standstill at the line in the sand — Manhattan or, as the world now knows it, the DMZ.

Matty Roth, a naïve young man and aspiring photojournalist, lands a dream gig following a veteran war journalist into the heart of the DMZ. Things soon go terribly wrong, and Matty finds himself lost and alone in a world he's only seen on television. There, he is faced with a choice: try to find a way off the island, or make his career with an assignment most journalists would kill for. But can he survive in a war zone long enough to report the truth?

Collects issues 1-5.

This is the first time I have read any of Brian Wood's work. It won't be the last.

Wood has mastered how to set up a new series. The reader is introduced to the new status quote in short order. Wood is able to pull you into this new world and make it seem very realistic. In addition to establishing the environment, he does a very good job with the characterization. The various characters seem like people you know. They might act differently than the average person in our world but that is only because of the situation. Living in a war zone forces the inhabitants to make choices. Wood is a writer I will be looking out for in the future. First up for me will be picking up the rest of the collections in this series.

Burchielli's art is a perfect fit for this type of story. He is good at drawing the various equipment and backgrounds. His helicopters are especially good. The people in the story do not look like carbon copies of each other. He manages to give each person a distinctive look.

Highly recommended.

View all my reviews

Shambling Towards Hiroshima by James Morrow

2011-10-31T05:15:00.000-04:00

Shambling Towards Hiroshima by James K. Morrow

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

In an alternate world, the Americans' work on a project to create biological weapons to end World War II. The creatures are living versions of Godzilla who will be released near enemy cities to invade and destroy without the loss of American troops. A Japanese delegation is coming for a demonstration and that is when things go wrong. An actor is approached about starring as one of the creatures in the demonstration. This is his story.

When I read about this book, it sounded like a fascinating short novel. Unfortunately I found the story to be lackluster. The best part of the book is the basic concept. The execution left something to be desired. While Morrow shows that he can write, it seems like he did not put much effort into the characters. Most of the characters are sterotypes who do nothing to change my opinion of them.

The worst part of the book, in my opinion, was the ending. Morrow uses most of the end of the book to get on his soapbox and preach about the evils of war. Based on the glimpses I saw in this book, and what I have heard from others, Morrow could has been more subtle with his approach. If he had made the same arguments appear as a natural part of the story, it would have made a better ending.

I will give Morrow another try at a later date.

View all my reviews

A Trip to the Bookstore

2011-10-10T19:53:00.000-04:00

It's like Christmas morning when I get to visit a used bookstore with some old science fiction books. Today was one of those days.

The first thing I look for is the old Ace Doubles. I cannot resist these. I love the length of the stories, you get two stories, and two covers. What is not to like about these?

I liked both covers but prefer the Kelly Freas one for "Beyond Capella" over Jack Gaughan's "The Electric Sword-Swallowers". "Beyond Capella" also has the edge based on the cover summary of the story.

From Goodreads...Planets are for leaving.
That's an old saying in the Explorers. But for every Explorer there is somewhere a planet he will not leave. For some, the cause is love. For others, the desire to give up the strange roving life of the star wanderers who live outside of planet-time. Even for the ones who love the metal ships that are their only home there is still a planet waiting, a planet that will hold them forever - in the final clasp of death. But until then, life is adventure and wonders undreamed of by mere planet dwellers, an Endless Universe of the unknown.
A very interesting science fiction novel by the author of the Darkover series.

Cuckoo was coming. No one knew what it was-but everyone knew it was trouble.
Designated Object Lambda when it first appeared on the fringes of the galaxy, 20,000 light-years away, it was traveling at one-sixth the speed of light.
The astrophysicists said it was vast...light...and had the potential for utter desctruction. So an existing space probe was reoriented to intercept, it was staffed with replicates of both humans and aliens.
Then the space probe began to leak radiation...

David Mattingly's wrap around cover tells an interesting story. I never tried any of the books in the Saga of Cuckoo series.

From Goodreads...All alone: an idiot boy, a runaway girl, a severely retarded baby, and twin girls with a vocabulary of two words between them. Yet once they are mysteriously drawn together this collection of misfits becomes something very, very different from the rest of humanity. This intensely written and moving novel is an extraordinary vision of humanity's next step.

I have enjoyed many of Sturgeon's short stories but never tried this novel length work.

Contents include: The Velvet Glove by Harry Harrison / Road To Nightfall by Robert Silverberg / The Robot Who Wanted To Know by Felix Boyd / The Golden Pyramid by Sam Moscowitz / Title Fight by William Campbell Gault / My Father, The Cat by Henry Slesar / The Amazing Mrs. Mimms by David C. Knight / Mex by Larry M. Harris / Exile From Space by Judith Merril / A Thing of Custom by L. Sprague de Camp / Sit By The Fire by Myrle Benedict / Fall of Knight by A. Bertram Chandler / In Lonely Lands by Harlan Ellison / A Way Of Life by Robert Bloch / The Muted Horn by Dorothy Salisbury Davis / The Bounty Hunter byt Avram Davidson / The Pacifist by Arthur C. Clarke / She Only Goes Out at Nigtht by William Tenn / First Law by Isaac Asimov / The Day Will Come by Vithaldas O'Quinn.

In addition to Ace Doubles, I have trouble resisting old anthologies. A glance at the table of contents shows many classic writers.

From Goodreads...The Morts were turning up all over Aeolis, the Eden-like planet named for the unexpectedwinds which sprang up from nowhere and swiftly faded away. But unlike the winds, the Morts didn't just fade away. These unidentifiable corpses - which on closer examination proved far from human - posed a bizarre threat to human control of Aeolis. So the Serviceship Halcyon XLV was dispatched to the planet to solve the secret of the Morts, a secret whispered by the winds every day - a secret older than mankind, which could spell the end of human life on the planet...

R. M. Meluch is an author I always thought of trying but never did. This is the first book in the two book "Wind" series.

Summertide by Charles Sheffield

2011-10-09T16:39:00.000-04:00

Charles Sheffield first appeared on the science fiction scene in 1977. I read many of his short works in numerous magazines including Analog, Galaxy, Destinies, Amazing and others. He produced quality traditional science fiction stories. In spite of liking his short fiction, I never picked up any of his novels.

Before we went to the beach this summer, I wanted to pick up a paperback book. I did not want to take my e-reader to the ocean. While looking over the books at a used book store, I spotted this one. Seeing it brought back memories of reading his short fiction. So I decided to pick it up and see if his novel length work was as good as I remember his short fiction.

From Goodreads...It was just before Summertide, the time when the twin planets, Opal and Quake, would orbit closest to their sun, subjecting both - but Quake in particular - to vast tidal forces. And it was to be the most violent Summertide ever, due to the Grand Conjunction of the system's stars and planets, something that happened only every 350,000 years. Access to the unstable Quake was supposed to be prohibited, but some very insistent travelers were determined to make the trip. Professor Darya Lang, who had made a career studying artifacts left by the long-vanished aliens called the Builders, had a hunch that during this unusal Summertide she might find the Builders themselves. Louis Nenda and the Cecropian Atvar H'sial had their own interests in Quake, and would do anything to get there. And Councilor Julius Graves was hunting murderers — if they were hiding on Quake, he needed no one's permission to search for them.

Planetary Administrators Hans Rebka and Max Perry had no choice but to go to Quake themselves — risking their lives to protect the others — and to learn, just maybe, the secret of Summertide and the Builders . . .

"A well-made puzzle story in the manner of Arthur C. Clarke's Rama books." - The New York Times.

"Summertide" was a great old school story. At times it reminded me of a Larry Niven story with the concepts. The mystery of the Builders and the artifacts they left behind are an intriguing back drop for this series. Sheffield reveals enough to keep you interested. This is classic storytelling. He sets up a complete novel while weaving enough into the background that makes you anxious to read the next book in the series. In many series, the author seems to just stop the story and make you pick up the rest of the books to get a complete story. Sheffield won me over by making sure that he supplies a complete story while setting the stage for future novels.

One of the things that surprised me was the characterization. Sheffield did an above average job of making the characters real. Some of the characters are stock sf types but most are fully developed.

The Barclay Shaw cover deserves mention. Shaw does a fantastic job of showing the planet in turmoil with the ship above it. It captures the spirit of the story.

I would put "Summertide" in the same class as the works of Poul Anderson. Both authors are working with similar themes. Fans of Anderson's work will enjoy this novel. And you will definitely be looking for the rest of the series.

Sheffield is now on my "must read" list. Fortunately he wrote many novels (approximately 50) before his death in 2002. My one regret is that I did not read his novels as the appeared.

Storm Front Group Read, Part 1

2011-09-19T22:35:00.000-04:00

It's time for Carl's R.I.P. Challenge VI. One of the novels he is doing a group read for is Jim Butcher's "Storm Front". It is a novel I have read, and enjoyed, before. I liked it enough that I wanted to participate so I am re-reading it.

Following the page break are my answers to the first set of questions.

1. What are your first impressions of our main character, Harry Dresden?

I could not help but draw comparisons between Harry Dresden and Harry Potter. I have not read any of the Potter books but have watched the movies. Eventually, I plan on reading J. K. Rowling’s series.

Some of the similarities:
1. Dresden and Potter are both wizards.
2. Both interact with the modern world. The main difference here is that Potter spends a lot of time at Hogwarts while Dresden is in the city.
3. Both are facing an evil force that they do not understand.
4. Both are involved with a council that watches over the wizards.
5. Both characters will do what they feel is necessary whether or not they are obeying the rules.

Does this mean that one is a copy of the other? Definitely not. The Dresden Files features the journey of an adult wizard while Potter focuses on the heroes journey from youth through adulthood.

The other character who bears some similarity to Dresden is Marvel Comics’ Dr. Strange. The main similarity is the city dweller who solves magical mysteries and battles evil.

The storytelling and atmosphere is reminiscent of the writing of Roger Zelazny. This is high praise as not many authors can successfully combine the fantastic with the noir storytelling style. It puts Butcher in the running for my favorite current fantasy writer.
Harry is a classic character who will be fun to follow as the series progresses. I look forward to reading all of the Dresden Files.

2. In the first section of the book we are introduced to a large cast of characters. Some in support of our main character and others who are involved in the multiple investigations with agendas unknown to us. Are there any of these characters who stood out to you?

The White Council is the one that intrigues me the most. I thought all of the characters were interesting but I want to learn more about the Council.

3. Did you ever watch the Syfy channel’s Dresden Files TV adaption? If so did it effect how you approached the novel? Were there positive and/or negative differences that stood out to you?

I watched one of the episodes but it was not enough to keep me interested. At some point I will probably watch the rest.

4. Any thoughts on Jim Butcher’s magic system, Harry’s Watcher, and/or the White Council?

I like a magic system where the character has to work. In too many novels, anyone can do magic with no consequences.

5.Lastly, any guess on where Dresden’s multiple plot threads will lead and/or any favorite scenes in the first section of the book?

The Bianca/Harry confrontation has to be a favorite. Butcher keeps the reader on the edge of his seat during this scene. I can’t wait to see how it continues.

Anatomy of Wonder by Neil Barron

2011-08-16T01:21:00.003-04:00

In addition to reading science fiction, I love reading non-fiction books about the field. This includes various histories of the field (such as Mike Ashley's histories of the sf magazines), biographies (Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, and others), interviews (Charles Platt's Dreammakers) and overview/reviews books like Neil Barron's seminal work-Anatomy of Wonder.

Is Barron's book worth tracking down? Let's take a look and see.

I have kept my eyes open for this book for a long time. Earlier this year I finally received a copy of the third edition. It is now up to the fifth edition. With each edition the authors expand the scope of the work.

As you read this book you will gain a understanding of some of the history of science fiction. A reading of the reviews of numerous books (the latest edition contains reviews of over 1400 books) will give you a very short idea of what the novel is about and also recommend other books you might like. This is not a collection of in-depth reviews. Based on the length of this book, I cannot begin to imagine how long it would be if the authors did a long review of each of the novels that are summarized. In a work like this, the short review is the only chance you have of keeping it from growing into an encyclopedia.

The writing style is easily understood by the average reader. The subject matter and amount of work allow this to also be used by other researchers.

I would have loved to read this book when I first became involved with the field. It gives a short review/summary of numerous books listed by author. Is the list comprehensive? While no two fans will agree on what should be on the list it does a solid job of giving the researcher or reader a starting point.

I spent many hours leafing through the book and reading random entries. In the end I wound up reading all of it. If you know a serious fan, I would definitely recommend this book for them. If nothing else, a glance through the reviews will either introduce you to unfamiliar writers or remind you of ones that you may have forgotten.

Highly recommended.

The Patterns of Chaos by Colin Kapp

2011-08-10T01:09:00.000-04:00

In the uncertain shadows against a broken wall the figure of a young man lay in foetal position, only partially aware of the devastation which raged around him. Such consciousness as he bore was almost entirely consumed by a battle of equally desperate proportions deep within his skull.
From Goodreads.

Patterns of Chaos was originally published in three parts in Worlds of IF in 1972. It was serialized in three parts. One of my favorite stories in the classic science fiction magazine was another Kapp story. It was called "Mephisto and the Ion Explorer" from one of the last issues of that magazine. I can't tell you what the story was about anymore but it remains in my memories as one of my favorite stories of that time. I plan on reading it again.

How does "The Patterns of Chaos" hold up over time? Click on "Read More" to find out.

One of the things that really stood out to me was the similarities between this novel and the New Space Opera movement. It becomes obvious that writers like Alastair Reynolds have been influenced by this story or at least by ones similar to this.

The fake personality implanted over a spy's real one is used in Reynolds' "Revelation Space". The spy is sent to infiltrate what appears to be a superior enemy. Forces have been put into motion in the distant past that will culminate in the time of the novel. Even the method of communication with the spy is very familiar when you look at both novels.

Of course Reynolds' novel is much longer and has more room to flesh out the story. He also includes more of a horror take to his story. As I read more of the New Space Opera movement I will be curious to see if the themes of this novel resonate through out the other writers' stories.

Getting back to the story at hand, I was impressed by the way that Kapp developed the chaos science. He gave logical explanations for the theories behind this new "science".

Overall the dialogue was handled very well. On a few occasions, Kapp strayed from the dialogue that was established earlier for the characters. Fortunately it was only for a very short spell and he was able to get back on track for the rest of the story.

I would recommend this novel to fans of space opera in particular and science fiction in general. "The Patterns of Chaos" is an intelligently written story that deserves to be brought back from obscurity.

Catching Up on Comics-Adventures in Canada and on Other Worlds

2011-07-30T01:35:00.001-04:00

I am planning on putting up short reviews of the comic books I read each week. Sometimes the comics will be new ones and other times they will be ones that have been on my "to be read" stack. This week's reviews include...

Alpha Flight #.1
Hulk #34

The picture to the left is promotional art of Alpha Flight by John Byrne.

Alpha Flight .1
Marvel Comics
Writers: Greg Pak & Fred Van Lente
Artists: Ben Oliver & Dan Green
Colorist: Frank Martin

1979. I was in college and it was a great time to be an X-Men fan. The legendary Chris Claremont/John Byrne run was in full swing. In issue #120 a new team was introduced. That team was Alpha Flight. It was created to be similar to Canada's answer to the Avengers. After the traditional battle between the X-Men and Alpha Flight, fans clamored for more. Marvel complied and asked John Byrne to write and draw the book. The only problem was that the characters were created to only appear in the one story. Byrne did a great job of filling in the background on the fly. Many of the members ended up dying over the years but they returned in a recent Marvel event book. This is the introduction to the latest version of Alpha Flight. The advantage it has is that the original members are in this version.

The art is solid but suffers from looking like the characters pose for each shot. I prefer the more traditional comic art that favors movement over the photo realistic shots.

The story by Pak and Van Lente is the main selling point of this issue. They do a solid job of showing the team in action, catching you up on the characters without slowing the story down, and introducing the opposition for the first arc. I call it "opposition" instead of enemy because their opponents appear to be opposed to the political direction that Canada is heading. And they consist of former trainees from Beta Flight (the minor league version of Alpha Flight). While it is not a classic, I would recommend giving this title a shot.

Hulk #34

Marvel Comics

Writer: Jeff Parker

Artist: Carlo Pagulayan

Inker: Danny Miki

Colorist: Jesus Aburtov

Bruce Banner appears to have set events in motion that strand the Red Hulk on an alien world. He is captured, brain controlled through an alien plant, and put into an arena battle to the death. This is a retelling of the excellent "Planet Hulk" story with the Red Hulk in the lead role. The original story featured the green Hulk.

Parker does a good job of making the Red Hulk relive this adventure without making it an exact copy. The red Hulk has been one of the best books on the market since Parker became the writer. This continues to build his reputation as one of the best Hulk writers.

Pagulayan and Miki make a fantastic art team. I hope that Marvel puts them together on a future project. Pagulayan was the artist on the "Planet Hulk" story and uses similar designs for this story. He invokes the feel of the original. Pagulayan draws in a more traditional classic comic style. He is one of the best in the field today. You feel the power and movement in his drawings.

Highly recommended.

Dune by Frank Herbert

2011-07-25T05:00:00.002-04:00

During the last three weeks, I have been participating in a group read of Frank Herbert's classic novel. Here are links to those posts:

Week 1
Week 2
Week 3

What are my overall thoughts about the book? Just click on "Read More" to find out...

First off I want to urge everyone to participate in the group reads at Stainless Steel Droppings. This focused group reading where we consider the same questions each week was one of the best reading experiences. I learned a lot by seeing how the various participants viewed each section. Many times each of us would pick up on different parts of the narrative.

I loved this book when I read it the first time. I am not sure of the exact year but it was sometime in the mid 1970s. What did I like about it? The classic hero's quest appealed to me. As a teenager, I could sympathize with the transition that Paul was going through. Granted, his change was much more traumatic. Mine was the changes that everyone goes through as we move towards adulthood.

The epic battles, the sandworms, the behind the scenes politics all captured my imagination. But now I realize that I missed out on much of the best writing done by Herbert. Upon re-reading the book at this point in my life (50 years old), I discovered the depth that was just under the surface of the epic story line. Herbert's use of mythology and religion adds many layers that my teenage mind missed out on. I have a feeling that every time I re-read this story I will discover many more layers. This is a book that should be read by every fan. It deserves to be on every "Best of SF" list.

I definitely plan on revisiting the next book - "Dune Messiah"- in the near future.

Dune Group Read, Round 3

2011-07-23T01:47:00.000-04:00

In addition to the answers to questions about the third section of the classic science fiction novel-Dune-I decided to include images of some of the covers you do not normally see for the book. The Analog cover for "The Prophet of Dune" count. This was the second half of the magazine serialization of the novel.

On Monday, I will be posting a look back at the group read and my overall review of the book.

To read the answers of other members of the group read click here Stainless Steel Droppings.

Spoiler Alert!

1. What was your reaction to finally learning the identity of Princess Irulan? Do you think that her convention added to the story? I was very surprised the first time I read this book back in the 1970s. The excerpts from her writings were helpful at filling in information that you might miss out on. It is interesting to see how the survivors look back at their leaders after a war. If the Emperor had managed to stop Paul, the histories by Princess Irulan would have revealed a drastically different story.

2. Where you satisfied with the ending? I liked the ending. Herbert had to have Paul succeed after the epic battle. I thought it was an interesting twist that Paul could not see his death in his visions of the possible futures. Because of this vision blindness, the reader was not sure if Paul would survive the end of the book. It was obvious that Paul's plans would succeed whether or not he lived. It reminds me of the account in the Bible where the disciple Paul was threatened with death for preaching his message. He said if he died, he would get to go live with his savior. If they left him live, he would continue to preach. Either option was a victory. Paul Atreides plans would be implemented either way. So in this respect, and in addition to having the same name, this paralleled the disciple Paul.

3. On both Arrakis and Salusa Secundus, ecology plays a major role in shaping both characters and the story itself. Was this convincing? Do you think that Paul would have gone through with his threat to destroy the spice, knowing what it would mean for Arrakis? I think that the ecology and it's effect on the natives was one of the best developed parts of the background. Herbert convinced me. If necessary Paul would have destroyed the spice. I believe that he would have kept a secret source in the heart of the desert that only the Fremen could access. I also think that he knew the Guild would never risk the loss of the spice. Paul was very safe in threatening to destroy the spice.

4. Both Leto and Paul made their decisions on marriage for political reasons. Do you agree with their choices? As a reader, you want to see the Paul and Chani get married. At different times it seemed that you wanted Jessica to marry Leto. Unfortunately, royalty does not always have this option. At least in the world of "Dune", the concubine seemed like the actual wife while the wife was just a political pawn. Paul had to marry Irulan to be able to lay claim to the throne and take control of the Great Houses. While I might not agree with their choices, Paul and Leto made the only realistic choices available to them.

5. What was your favorite part in this section of the book? This is possibly the hardest question to answer. I will go with the action spectacular answer. I favorite, at this time, was the section where the Fremen stormed the Emperor's stronghold on the backs of the worms. It is always fun to see the over-cocky Sardaukar realize that they are hopelessly overmatched. It is similar to the end of "Star Wars" when the Death Star is taken down.

6. One of the things I noticed in the discussions last week was Herbert's use of the word "jihad". What do you think of Herbert's message about religion and politics? Not everyone will agree with me but I thought Herbert created the best blending of political intrigue, religion, ecology, and classic hero myth possible. This is one of the very few novels that was considered a classic when it first appeared and is still on the classic list 51 years later. The addition of the religious aspect gave greater depth to what could have a traditional science fiction adventure novel.

Dune Group Read, Round 2

2011-07-19T19:18:00.001-04:00

Part two of our group read of "Dune" reaches the section where things really (pardon the pun) heat up. The Harkonnens' plan kicks into high gear as Duke Leto is betrayed while Jessica and Paul go out into the desert. Will Paul fulfill his destiny and become the savior of Arrakis?

Warning, spoilers are heading your way...after the page break...

Was Liet's identity a surprise? Who do you think he really works for? I will skip these questions because I have read the book many times.

What do you think of the Fremen culture? is this a culture you think you'd enjoy spending some time with?  I find myself agreeing with Carl at Stainless Steel Droppings. The fall is my favorite time of the year. Any evening when I can walk outside and feel a slight chill in the air is a good one. I love watching the leaves turn colors in our area.  It doesn't get better than a crisp clear night in the fall. As much as I respect the Fremen and their culture I do not believe that I would do very well in an environment that is all desert. Like Carl I am not prepared for the kind of life the Fremen lead. It is fun to dream about being one of the Fremen but then reality sets in and I remember that I am sitting in an air conditioned room typing on a laptop. I do not believe this is a good training ground for their style of life.

What do you think of Count Fenring's unusual verbal mannerisms?  I found the Count to be one of my least favorite characters in the story. I could have done without his mannerisms. This was a case of the concept being better than the execution.
This is a far future empire with very little in the way of computerization. Information is often passed down orally, and schools (such as the Mentats and the Bene Gesserit) have formed to train young people in memorization and information processing.  What are you thoughts on a scifi story that is very "low-tech"? Does that sound like a feasable future? a ridiculous one? I liked the idea. The memorization system serves the Israelites well in the past. They managed to pass their history down through numerous generations. It is logical that this tradition would be utilized on a world like Arrakis. It becomes obvious in the early parts of this story that technology does not function on this world. I think that the "low-tech" approach helps keep the story from feeling dated.

If you found the beginning of the book tough to get into, do you find that you're having an easier time with the middle portion, now that all the "set-up" is complete? In my case, I had no problem getting through the beginning of the book. I do believe the second part is more exciting.

The center portion of the book is still pretty dialog heavy, but what I've noticed is the subtlety of the dialog. Things left unsaid are often more important than things that are said. What do you think of that as a stylistic choice? does it make the dialog more interesting? less interesting? People probably get tired of hearing me say it, Herbert is on my short list of all time favorite writers. I find his stories fascinating, thought provoking, and exciting page turners at the same time. Reading a Herbert story is an experience. The unsaid things make you pay attention to even the smallest details. Herbert makes it worthwhile.

Dune was written in the 60's. Does it feel dated to you? How does it compare, writing style-wise, to more contemporary science fiction you've read? I recently had a discussion about this with my good friend, Terry Kissinger. You do not see many authors write in the style of Herbert. He just finished reading "Th Windup Girl" by Paolo Bagicalupi. Frank Herbert is one of Terry's favorite authors. He pointed out that Bagicalupi uses some of the same techniques as Herbert. One of the most obvious was the use of internal dialogue. I need to get around to reading "The Windup Girl" so I can compare the style of both books. Because Herbert's style is not common in today's world, it appears more innovative. I am a big fan of Herbert's work.

Torchwood Miracle Day Episode 1: The New World

2011-07-15T00:22:00.000-04:00

What if one day the world woke up to find out that no one would every die? At first this sounds like a blessing...a miracle. Then the realization sinks in. How long can the world survive with the exploding population (approximately 300,000 people die each day)? What about the people who are mutilated? What at first seems like a miracle suddenly becomes a curse...

Russell T. Davies did a fantastic job of bringing Doctor Who back to life in 2005. Although he has his shortcomings as a writer, he strengths far out weigh them. As we found out from his Doctor Who days, he can come up with some fascinating story ideas. His skill with characterization is rarely matched by other writers.

In the hands of most writers, "Miracle Day" would be shown as a great boon to mankind. Davies decides to introduce the concept through the execution of a pedophile. When he is injected with the poison, he goes into convulsions but does not die. Later Davies shows us what happens when a suicide bomber explodes but does not die. Another character takes some steel rods through the chest and spends the rest of the show taking pain killers. Davies goes to great lengths to show the negative side effects to immortality.

As usual with a Davies script, many character moments stand out. Bill Pullman stands out with his portrayal of the pedophile. The way he looks at you can give you chills. One of my favorite moments is when Gwen (Eve Myles) Cooper announces that "we are Torchwood" as she takes out a helicopter with a rocket launcher. And what kind of episode would it be without Captain Jack (John Barrowman) Harkness and his snarky comments and expressions. Davies even includes a picture that refers back to the first appearance of the Captain in Doctor Who.

Is this the same as the BBC produced Torchwood? No. The addition of Starz puts more money in the budget. It also adds more American characters to the mix and ramps up the action. The shoot out between our heroes in the jeep and the bad guys in the helicopter showcase the action flick influence.

Overall, I think Davies did a good job of balancing the mix of the British and American teams, the old fans and new ones, and combining a British type show with the American version. I will be anxiously watching the next episode. At this point we have no idea how the "miracle" occurred. And the mystery of Captain Jack's problem is a major concern. I hope this finds the audience to keep the show going. I know I will be recommending it to my friends.

Dune Group Read, Round 1

2011-07-10T01:36:00.000-04:00

Carl (at Stainless Steel Droppings) has put Dune on his reading list each year. And every year he has not read it. This year he is involved with a group reading of the book over a three week period. I was considering re-reading this classic and thought it was a good time to join in. Each week I, and many others who have joined in, will answer questions about that week's section.

If you have not read the book be aware that the questions and answers will contain spoilers.

1. Did you see anything in this first section of the book that either you hadn't seen before or that you had forgotten about, anything that stood out to you?

The thing that stood out most was the timelessness of Herbert's writing. I have read this novel in the past and loved it. It is one of my all time favorite books. One of my fears in returning to it was that it would not hold up to the passage of time. I was afraid that the storytelling would seem dated. Herbert captured my attention with the opening pages. Although the story contains a lot of dialogue and introspective thoughts, the combination of intrigue and short chapters keep the story moving at a rapid pace.

The thing that I forgot was the way Herbert keeps the Baron just out of sight. He always seems to be in the shadows. This makes him more menacing.

2. What did you think about the plot device of the early revelation that Yueh was to be the traitor?

I thought Herbert made a huge mistake in revealing that Yueh was the traitor at the beginning. Surely it would be more suspenseful not knowing who was the traitor. I have to give him credit. It is like the one episode of the television show "How I Met Your Mother". Two of the characters (Barney and Marshall) have a "slap bet". Marshall will get to slap Barney whenever he wants. He feels bad for two of the other characters (Ted and Robin) and gives the slap to them. The whole show revolves around the slap being passed back and forth. Barney almost goes off the deep end because he does not know who will slap him. It is similar in this story. In "Dune" we know Yueh is the traitor but the rest of the cast does not. They know that a traitor is in their midst. The suspense is in watching the Atreides try to solve the mystery. In the end I had to admit that this was a great twist to the plot.

3. What was your favorite part of this first section? Which character(s) do you find most interesting and why?

Like Carl, my favorite scene in the first section was the dinner. I really enjoy reading the various discussions that took place in this part.

Paul is my favorite character in part one. The mixture of suspecting that he is special while still being a not quite adult makes for a very interesting character. He is obviously gifted in many ways. The way his training kicks in when the death trap is sprung in his new bedroom shows that he is not an average boy his age.

4. Did the revelation about the Harkonnen surprise you?

The first time I read that Lady Jessica was the Baron's daughter I was stunned. This time I knew it was coming. Herbert set up a classic twist with this revelation.

5. Finally, please share some overall thoughts on this first section of the book. Are you finding it difficult to follow? Easy to understand? Engaging? Boring? Just share what you are thinking thus far.

The first section reinforces my opinion of the book. Herbert is a master at writing a scene that is full of dialogue and thoughts but keeps you reading at a furious pace. I think that the short chapters and changing viewpoints help to keep the story moving. I cannot wait to get to the next part of the story. This is a rare case of a long story that seems to be fast paced. It never seemed like I had read for very long until I looked at the clock and realized that I had read more than I thought.

The Beginnings of Amber (a Roger Zelazny Tale)

2011-07-05T22:55:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time, Roger Zelazny came up with an idea for a new short story. In it a being had the ability to create parallel worlds. When he did this he could guide the process into making changes that suited him. His race could travel between the worlds. They are stronger than the beings they create. At the start of the story, he would awaken on one of the worlds. From there Zelazny weaves a story of betrayal and a quest for freedom.

Fans of Zelazny’s work will recognize this as the basic plot behind the Chronicles of Amber (my reviews of the first two books can be read at Nine Princes in Amber and The Guns of Avalon). But the Amber series was not Zelazny’s first attempt at writing this story. The first one is called “Love is an Imaginary Number”. Having read the Amber novels before I discovered this story, it seems like it is full of ideas that are never developed. The short story form did not give Zelazny time to explore all of the concepts he introduces. Fortunately for us, he went on to develop them in a series of novels.

“Love is an Imaginary Number” is an interesting piece of history. Fans of Roger Zelazny should invest the small amount of time it takes to find and read this story. I look at it as an alternate universe version of Corwin. Based on the principles of the Amber series, it could be a story of Corwin that fits into the Amber Chronicles. Although the details do not match up with the novels, it is possible that the main character is not being completely truthful.

Either way, I am glad I read this tale. Any time I get the opportunity to read a new “Amber” story, I will take it.

Recommended.

A Fine and Private Place by Peter S. Beagle

2011-07-05T00:01:00.002-04:00

From Goodreads...
Conversing in a mausoleum with the dead, an eccentric recluse is tugged back into the world by a pair of ghostly lovers bearing an extraordinary gift—the final chance for his own happiness. When challenged by a faithless wife and aided by a talking raven, the lives of the living and the dead may be renewed by courage and passion, but only if not belatedly. Told with an elegiac wisdom, this delightful tale of magic and otherworldly love is a timeless work of fantasy imbued with hope and wonder.

Most of the books I read are science fiction but on occasion I like to pick up a fantasy book. "A Fine and Private Place" was my latest and it is an amazing read. The various love, and life, stories are very touching. With the death of my mother this year the themes of love, life, and death have weighed heavily on my mind. Stories like this one help me to get in touch with my thoughts on these subjects. I believe this will be one of the books I return to in the future. The death of loved ones is something that we all have to deal with at some point in our lives. I would be curious as to whether the author was dealing with such a loss when he wrote this novel.

It features some of the best character studies I have seen. By the time you finish the story, it seems like the characters are people you have known for a long time. You will remember them long after you read this book.

In some ways, I can see where Neil Gaiman must have been influenced by the writing of Peter S. Beagle. The character development and themes are many of the ones explored by Gaiman in his writing career. One of his most popular characters from the Sandman comic series was Death. She would be right at home in this novel.

It is hard to describe this book without giving the story away. If you like plot driven books, stay away from this one. If fantastically developed characters trapped between love and death appeal to you, this is a nearly perfect book. One of the most amazing things about it is the author was only 19 when he wrote it. How he could gain such insight into people at that young of an age is beyond me.

Classic Doctor Who: Season 1: Episode 1: An Unearthly Child Part 1

2011-07-04T00:20:00.001-04:00

As readers of this blog can see, I am a big fan of Doctor Who. I have watched, and will be reviewing, all of the "new" series. My interest in the classic episodes has grown. I decided to go back to the beginning of Doctor Who (first broadcast on November 23, 1963).

"An Unearthly Child" starts in an alley. We see that the T.A.R.D.I.S. is there. Later, two teachers are discussing a student named Susan. Susan is amazingly intelligent in some respects but does not know some of the basic facts of life. She lives with her grandfather. The teachers follow her home only to find the T.A.R.D.I.S. They make their way aboard only to find that her grandfather is the Doctor.

What becomes quickly apparent with this incarnation of the Doctor is his lack of patience with humanity. He comes off as more severe. He is very critical of his granddaughter's love of humanity. In the new Doctor Who revival (beginning in 2005) the Doctor loves mankind. I would imagine that we will see this develop as the series progresses. One of my favorite parts of this series is the way each incarnation of the Doctor adds different aspects to the story. Another obvious thing with the William Hartnell Doctor is the age. He appears to be an older gentleman and that fits the grandfather role he plays in this one.

Carole Ann Ford plays the role of the Doctor's granddaughter (Susan Foreman) to perfection in this episode. She rattles off some complicated formulas then turns around and does not know if the metric system is in use. It is not revealed, at least in this episode, who her parents are. We also do not find out the identity of her grandmother.

On a curious aside, the musician Susan is listening to is named "John Smith". "John Smith" is the name taken by the tenth Doctor in the two part story called "Human Nature/The Family of Blood".

It was a great start to the classic Doctor Who. "An Unearthly Child" is definitely worth watching.

Transformers: Dark Side of the Moon

2011-07-01T01:07:00.002-04:00

The first Transformers movie was a commercial success. At the same time it was not as well received by the critics.

Since it did well at the box office, a second Transformers movie appeared (Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen). While it did not make the money the first movie did, "Revenge of the Fallen" was a box office success. If the critics disliked the first movie they hated the second. Even the stars of the movie complained about this one.

Which now brings us to a third Transformers movie "Dark of the Moon" (does everyone else keep wanting to call it "Dark Side of the Moon"?). Already the critics are panning this film but it shot to the front of the pack while grossing $32.7 million dollars on its opening day. In this summer of many big movies, "Dark of the Moon" might end up as the biggest money maker.

One thing we know for certain, as long as it keeps packing the movie theaters Michael Bay will continue to crank out these action packed, amazing special effect filled spectacles with no (or very little) stories. They are fun to watch but do not expect your mind to be challenged.

The Guns of Avalon by Roger Zelazny

2011-06-27T23:15:00.001-04:00

The Guns of Avalon is the second book in the Amber Chronicles. My review of the first book, Nine Princes in Amber, can be found by clicking here.

Part two of the original Chronicles of Amber is a good continuation of the classic “Nine Princes in Amber”. Corwin’s story follows his journey to Avalon, a shadow realm that he once ruled. Many years have passed since he left and now he is remembered as a demon prince. People do not named their children after this ruler from the past. He pretends to be someone else. He meets up with and befriends a soldier from his old army. Another one of the main characters is Dara (the granddaughter of one of Corwin’s brothers). Dara is a kindred spirit to Corwin. He sees many of his traits in her. All she wants to do is go to Amber, walk the Pattern, and gain the abilities that her family possesses.

Guns cannot fire in Amber. What Corwin’s family does not know is that a substance in Avalon can be used as gunpowder in Amber. Corwin plans to build and arm a group of soldiers who will help him take out his brother Eric. Corwin can then take the throne.

The problems this time around are presented by the Black Road. It is a gateway that allows demons to enter Avalon.

The Guns of Avalon was very good but it was a step down from the first story. Part of that is due to the first book introducing many new ideas. The second book in a series always suffers in comparison.

Zelazny does plant some clues to the true identity of some of the characters. I missed them the first time I read the series but, in retrospect, one of the clues is definitely in the book. He draws on his love of Raymond Chandler’s mysteries with the clue about his missing father. Zelazny continues to write this as a pulp noir type of story. Corwin narrates “The Guns of Avalon” in a style that is reminiscent of Chandler. He also uses similar pulp tools to keep the action moving to drive the story to it’s conclusion.

Another author who wrote a similar type fantasy series is Michael Moorcock with his Eternal Champion series. It also features parallel worlds and a battle between order and chaos. I am considering re-reading and reviewing at least some of the arcs in his series when I am done with the Amber books. In the seventies, the Elric books were second only to the Amber books in my opinion.

Is this the end of Corwin’s tale? No. Three more books continue the quest to answer many of the questions left at the end of this book. What happened to Oberon(Corwin’s father)? Will Corwin be able to stop the demon creatures’ invasion? What really happened to Brand? Will Corwin be able to unite Amber and find a way to stop the forces of Chaos? Books three through five address these questions. Corwin’s son, Merlin, is the focus of books six through ten. I also plan on reviewing the short stories that Zelazny wrote in this universe.

Next up on my Amber reading list will be “Sign of the Unicorn”. This was my introduction to the writing of Roger Zelazny. I originally read it as a serial in the Jim Baen edited Galaxy Magazine.

On Other Sites....

2011-06-26T15:55:00.000-04:00

New latest contribution to Grasping for the Wind appeared today. It is called "Larry Niven and the History of Green Lantern". In addition to Larry Niven's contribution to the Green Lantern mythos, I also talk about E. E. "Doc" Smith's Lensmen series.

Take a moment and visit this fine site. I want to thank John Ottinger for the opportunity to write a monthly article for him.

New Space Opera?

2011-06-24T23:03:00.000-04:00

Since the first rumblings came out of the British science fiction magazine Interzone, I have been curious about the New Space Opera movement. The phrase “space opera” holds many different meanings to various people. Would the New Space Opera be different than the old? What promise did it hold for the field? Where did it come from?

In the early years of my science fiction reading, I heard about the legendary authors. Names like E. E. “Doc” Smith, Edmond Hamilton, John W. Campbell Jr., Jack Williamson, and many others were always being mentioned. My heart skipped a beat the first time I saw one of the classic book reprints. It was “Children of the Lens” by E. E. “Doc” Smith. This edition featured a psychedelic vision of a spaceship exploding through a bizarre region of space. To be honest, the cover meant little to me. I was excited to finally get my hands on a Lensmen book. Even though it was a later book in the series, I had no trouble following the story. Smith hooked me with the opening chapter. Did the story have it’s problems? It sure did. The characters were mostly cardboard cutouts. No moral ambiguity existed in this series. Good guys stayed good. Bad guys became cannon fodder. The heroes were always right. But something caught my interest. Part of it was the fast paced action. The other was the big concepts being thrown at you so fast that the reader did not have time to think about whether or not it was logical. The sense of optimism was all through the book. Then science fiction started growing up. Writers wanted to take the stories in a more literary direction. The stories started looking inward instead of to outer space.

Many fine stories were written during this time (known as the New Wave). Some writers adapted. Robert Silverberg went from being one of the average writers to being one of the best in the field. According to what I have read, this happened when Fred Pohl became an editor and made a deal with Silverberg. But that is a story for another day.

Getting back to the subject at hand, I think that the New Space Opera movement is a blending of the two phases of science fiction with some parts of the horror writers’ handbook thrown in. Based on the Alastair Reynolds stories I have read, it appears that he is trying to combine the writing style of a Robert Silverberg with the concepts of E. E. “Doc” Smith. The combination creates something that is different from either of the other writers. The horror aspect comes into the picture with the level of suspense and the fear of the unknown that fills the pages of “Revelation Space”. The other fear aspect that plays into these stories seems to be the fear of loosing one’s humanity. In many of the reviews I have read of other New Space Opera books, it seems that the conflict between machines (or machine enhanced humans) and the biological based beings is at the heart of the conflict. Iain Banks’ Culture series is based on this idea.

Is New Space Opera really new or has it been around for longer than it usually gets credit? One of the books that inspired the movement is “The Centauri Device” by M. John Harrison. It appeared first appeared in 1975. This is on my review list for this year. I want to read the book that is credited with inspiring this movement. Personally, I think an older book can be part of it’s history.

I think that “Dune” by Frank Herbert also looks like part of the inspiration. The pilots of the spaceships have become mutated creatures that are in a similar vein to the captain of the ship in “Revelation Space”. The “Dune” pilots are different forms of mutations but they appear to be headed in a similar, non-human direction. Although “Dune” is a classic space adventure, Herbert devotes much of the book to the inner space journey of Paul. The horror elements arise when the sandworms appear and when Paul is tested by the Bene Gesserit. So we now have a classic planetary revolution combined with New Wave retrospection and elements of suspense. It sounds like the New Space Opera to me.

In my opinion, this form of space opera has been around longer than most people realize. I would consider it a new movement since this group of mainly British writers are focused on writing this type of story.

"Devil Car" by Roger Zelazny

2011-06-17T00:04:00.000-04:00

In 1965, Galaxy was under the editorship of Frederik Pohl. Pohl would be remembered as one of the best magazine editors of all time. At this time, Roger Zelazny did not get his name on the cover. He was just starting to become a great writer. Other Zelazny stories that appeared in 1965 were classics such as "The Doors of His Face, the Lamps of His Mouth", "He Who Shapes", "And Call Me Conrad", and "The Furies". This was the beginning of the best years of Zelazny's short fiction writing career.

"Devil Car" was the first in what ended up being a two story series. Sam Murdock lives in a future America where true "smart" cars are common. Unfortunately for the humans, some of the cars rebel and are fighting for their freedom. Wild bands of cars raid fuel depots and attack defenseless cars on the roads. Devil Car is the leader of a rebel group that lives in the desert. It killed Sam's brother so he had a death car built to destroy it. Now Sam and the death car (named Jenny) are on the hunt to track down Devil Car and take revenge on it. But no one knows why cars go wild. Will Devil Car be able to lure Jenny into joining his group? Or will she stay loyal to Sam and kill Devil Car?

It is a touching story about a man and his car. This is a theme that is one of Zelazny's favorites. He would return to "man and vehicle" stories in the future. One of the best know is his novel "Roadmarks".

Highly recommended. "Devil Car" is part of the group of very good short stories by Zelazny. While not as memorable as some of the others, it is very good.

WE3 by Grant Morrison and Frank Quitely

2011-06-16T00:00:00.002-04:00

Many things have been said about Grant Morrison's writing. He is known as a genius who is so in love with all the crazy ideas in his head that he forgets to make it understandable to the average reader. In some cases the reader has to read one of his stories 3 or 4 times before they start understanding the story. For that reason some fans will not read his books. I am of the group who feels anything that Morrison writes is an automatic buy.

WE3 is one of Morrison's most accessible stories. It is a good one to introduce to a new reader. Morrison and Quitely have done their version of the "Homeward Bound" type movie. This is the story of a dog, a cat, and a rabbit who only want to go home. With Morrison involved, the story is not quite that simple. In this situation, the animals are part of a weapon's project developed by the military. When they decide it is time to shut them down, the trio tries to find the legendary place of safety that is called home. Unfortunately for them the military unleashes Weapon 4. It's mission is to destroy Weapon 3. It is almost impossible to not sympathize with Weapon 3 as these cute animals in cybernetic war suits try to find sanctuary.

I do not want to forget the art by Frank Quitely. He makes the animals sympathetic even when they are killing people. The expressions he draws on the animals' faces is unparalleled. Quitely is also a master at depicting an amazing degree of detail on the action scenes. Numerous bullets are flying at their target and it looks like you can see every one.

Fans of great character work or military science fiction will like this book.

Highly recommended.

"Scales" by Alastair Reynolds

2011-06-10T14:37:00.000-04:00

It is hard to believe that Reynolds started having his stories published in 1990. I still think of him as a newer writer. "Scales" first appeared in 2009 as part of the Guardian Books Podcast. It was reprinted in Lightspeed Magazine's May 2011 issue.

This is the first military fiction written by Reynolds that I remember. When I finished it I thought of similar themes from Robert Heinlein's "Starship Troopers" and Joe Haldeman's "The Forever War". Somehow Reynolds was able to fit many big ideas including humanity at war with an alien race, the evolution of humanity, the life of a soldier, and it all happened in a short story. Usually Reynolds receives credit for his novels but I think he is a master of the short form. This stand alone story deserves to be recognized. I plan on checking out more of his short fiction. This is the second of his short stories I have read and both were very good.

Highly recommended. Not enough room to develop the characterization but the ideas and plot carry it at this short length.

"Auto-da-Fe" by Roger Zelazny

2011-05-30T22:24:00.001-04:00

Auto-da-Fe by Roger Zelazny
Dangerous Visions, 1967

From Wikipedia: An auto-da-fe was the ritual of public penance of comdemned heretics by the Spanish Inquisition. The most common form was burning at the stake.

Zelazny envisions a world where men challenge cars in a futuristic version of bullfighting. The bullfighter comes back after dying twice to enter the ring for a third round of fights. How did he return after dying two times? The author never explains. Based on the descriptions it sounds like some bionic parts might have been used to repair his body but that is strictly my thought on the subject. I do not have proof that is what happened.

The ending is when "auto-da-fe" comes into play.

I rate this as middle Zelazny. It is not one of his best stories but is still very interesting. I did not feel a connection with the main character. I think it could have been helped with more pages to flesh him out.

An interesting read but not one of Zelazny's best short stories. It appeared in Harlan Ellison's influential "Dangerous Visions" anthology but I do not consider it one of Zelazny's most influential stories.

The Roger Zelazny Project

2011-05-26T23:05:00.000-04:00

It is no secret that Roger Zelazny is one of my favorite writers. "Nine Princes in Amber" is one of the most read books in my collection. So I began an unofficial "Roger Zelazny Project". My goal is to eventually read (and in most cases re-read) all of his novels and short fiction. Coming up soon on this site will be reviews of "The Guns of Avalon" and a short story called "The George Business".

I am always on the lookout for Zelazny sites. One that stood out to me is Zelazny & Amber. As part of my tribute to an author who has given me many hours of reading pleasure, I volunteered to help out on the site. Starting today I will be writing summaries of his novels. You can go to the novel page by clicking here. My first summary is for "Nine Princes in Amber". I will post a message here as I do more of the summaries.

One of my favorite parts of the site is the "Encounters". Numerous people has left comments about their experiences with Zelazny. If you had any interaction with him, please leave a note on the site.

Grasping for the Wind

2011-05-26T22:44:00.001-04:00

John Ottinger put out the call for people who would want to do a monthly article for his blog "Grasping for the Wind". I proposed writing about the interaction between science fiction/fantasy and comic books. John accepted and I will now be appearing there on the 26th of each month. If John likes the articles, I will continue for the foreseeable future. If you like this idea, go to "Grasping for the Wind" and let John know.

Next month's article will focus on Larry Niven's contributions to the Green Lantern mythos.

The following articles appeared today.

GFTW Welcomes Jim Black!

Science Fiction and Graphic Storytelling

Doctor Who Season 6 Episode 3: The Curse of the Black Spot

2011-05-20T11:00:00.002-04:00

The TARDIS is marooned onboard a 17th-century pirate ship and the Doctor is soon being forced to walk the plank at gunpoint. But things are about to get much, much worse...

Beset by terror and cabin fever, the pirates have numerous superstitious explanations for the appearance of a mysterious Siren. The Doctor has other ideas but as every plan of escape is thwarted, he must win the trust of the implacable Captain Avery and uncover the truth behind the pirates' supernatural fears - and he must work quickly because some of his friends have already fallen under the Siren's spell...

(from the BBC site)

It's time for me to do some catching up. Another episode has aired since this one appeared.

It is obvious that "The Curse of the Black Spot" was done to help pull in fans of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" movie. Does that make this a bad episode? Not necessarily.

Any time a pirate gets cut, a black spot appears on their hand. Shortly thereafter the Siren manifests and takes the pirate. When the Doctor and his companions (Amy and Rory) arrives he knows that there has to be a logical explanation. Rory gets cut and the action kicks into high gear. Amy goes all out to become a pirate and try to save the boys. She does a good job with the action sequences.

"Curse" is a more traditional straight forward Doctor Who episode. Some fans will like it more than the two parter that opened the season. I liked this one but enjoyed the two parter more. The storytelling in it was challenging and demanded more from the viewer.

Once again the special effects are fantastic for a television series. This season has featured some of the best effects.

A solid episode that will be followed by "The Doctor's Wife" (the Neil Gaiman scripted story).

Daytripper by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba

2011-05-19T23:16:00.002-04:00

I kept hearing great things about this series published by Vertigo. Since I missed the first few issues, I decided to wait for the paperback collection to appear. It is a different comic book experience that should not be missed.

What is "Daytripper" about? It is the story of one man's life. At various times it focuses on his relations with his father, his best friend, his wife, and his son. It definitely is a story about the impact of loss and death on a person. Somehow the creators take all of this and make it a celebration of life. Just like in real life, the main character's life accumulates and combines all of the losses and gains we experience to make a whole person. After reading this book, you will be made to think about the relationships you have in your life. Appreciate them while you have the opportunity. As this story shows, your chances to interact with others are limited. Life and death intervenes when we least expect it.

In some respects it is a magic realism story, in others it seems like a day in the life story about a writer, and at times I can see the influence of the themes of Philip K. Dick.

When I read the first issue (or chapter if you are reading the collection) it seemed like a biographical story. It was very well written with art that supported the story with excellent graphics. This story could take place in the real world.

Then the second issue puzzled me by showing a character who died in the first story. How did this happen? It was not even addressed. Chapter two told a different biographical story.

This pattern was continued until the later issues when some magic realism was introduced. The dream sequences were naturally into the over all story.

Somewhere around chapter 7 I started questioning what was real for the main character. Reality seems to change with each chapter but somehow they all tie together. This was the Philip K. Dick portion of the story.

It might sound like an unusual mixture but it works. Congratulations to the creators. I will definitely be looking for more of their work.

Highly recommended.

Dorsai! by Gordon R. Dickson

2011-05-16T22:47:00.001-04:00

Earlier in the year I reviewed "Act of Creation" (one of the short stories in the Childe Cycle). Now it's time for the first novel I read in the series many years ago.

Throughout the Fourteen Worlds of humanity, no race is as feared and respected as the Dorsai. The ultimate warriors, they are known for their deadly rages, unbreakable honor, and fierce independence. No man rules the Dorsai, but their mastery of the art of war has made them the most valuable mercenaries in the known universe. Donal Graeme is Dorsai, taller and harder than any ordinary man. But he is different as well, with talents that amaze even his fellow Dorsai. And once he ventures out into the stars, the future will never be the same.

(from Goodreads).

I remember being very impressed with the story of Donal on my first reading. It was one of the first science fiction books I read. Now I can see problems with this story.

Donal is too perfect. Dickson writes him as a superman who does not make mistakes. Battles where his side has no hope are no problem for Donal. Experienced military men are transparent to him. He can almost read their minds. Early in the book, he is led into a trap. No problem. It takes very little effort from Donal to save the day and turn the tables on the people behind the trap.

Donal only has one weakness. He cannot deal with women. He treats women with contempt. There is no place in his world for them.

The story gets more interesting towards the end as Dickson reveals more of the philosophy of the series.

Does this mean that I do not like the Childe Cycle? No. I remember later books (especially "Soldier, Ask Not") as being very good. This is an early Dickson novel. As he hones his skills, he definitely improves. I will continue to re-read the books in this series.

Doctor Who Season 6 Episode 2: Day of the Moon

2011-05-03T23:00:00.000-04:00

The Doctor is locked in the perfect prison. Amy, Rory and River Song are being hunted across America by the FBI. Terrifyingly powerful aliens have invaded Earth. And it's about to get much, much worse.

In the stunning conclusion to the adventure that began with The Impossible Astronaut, the Doctor must mount a revolution to drive out the Silence. But he's got help in the form of President Nixon... and Neil Armstrong's foot.

(From the BBC site)

As much as I liked the season opener, this episode was even better. It contained the trademark horror that Steven Moffat has become known for.

The Silence are fantastic, seemingly unbeatable enemies. Like the Weeping Angels (another Moffat creation) are most deadly when you don't look at them. As soon as you take your eyes off of them, your memory of seeing them is erased. One of my favorite sequences in this episode is when Amy finds the Silence hanging like bats from the ceiling of the orphanage.

The Doctor's plan for defeating the Silence is a stroke of genius. I did not see that one until he reveals it at the end.

The Doctor's final conversation with Richard Nixon is great. The David Frost comment was a classic.

Even though Amy says that Rory is her true love, the way she looks at the Doctor seem to tell a different story. Only time will tell.

The prison built for the Doctor parallels the trap used in the season ending two parter from last year. I think this was Moffat's way of telling us that things were not the way they appeared.

Based on the very short flashbacks the Doctor saw, it looks like the Silence were first hinted at in three different episodes from last year. Leave it to Moffat to have plot lines crossing various seasons.

One of the most jaw dropping moments was the final scene in the alley. Someone besides the Doctor is regenerating. I can't wait to see how Moffat develops this story. He definitely has me hooked on this season.

If you are not watching this show you need to start. At least go back and watch the previous Moffat episodes and join the Doctor for an amazing ride this year.

Doctor Who Season 6 Episode 1: The Impossible Astronaut

2011-04-25T00:31:00.000-04:00

The Doctor is back in the biggest, most mind-blowing series opener ever. Amy, Rory and River also return for an adventure that combines humour, shocks for our heroes and one of the creepiest creatures they've ever encountered...

The Doctor is engaged on a quest that takes him from the visually stunning Utah desert to the White House where he's enlisted by President Nixon himself to assist enigmatic former-FBI agent Canton. His mission - save a terrified little girl from a mysterious spaceman.

Prepare for the return of the galaxy's greatest hero. Prepare for excitement. And prepare - if you can - for the Silence...

(From the BBC site)

The start of a new Doctor Who season is always one of the high points of my year. I have been a big fan of the Doctor since the reboot that began 6 years ago. I know that sometimes the show gets sentimental, sometimes the aliens seem hokey, and other times the stories can be silly but for the most part I have found something to enjoy in every episode. Many of my favorites were written by Steven Moffat. When the announcement was made that he was the new show runner beginning in season 5 (counting the seasons based on the new version of Doctor Who), I was excited. Although some were disappointed with his first season at the helm, I liked it. At some point in the future, I plan on going back and reviewing all of the "New Who" seasons. This episode shows that you need to re-watch some episodes to pick up on all of Moffat's clues.

I am sure that a visit back to River Song's previous appearances will help. Of particular interest is "Silence in the Library". It features River's first time on the show (depending on who she really is). With the big villain for this season being "The Silence", I am confident that the title is showing us that Moffat is connecting the episodes.

The Silence is an intriguing race. When you quit looking at them, they vanish from your memory. I can't wait to see how the Doctor counteracts this ability.

"The Impossible Astronaut" sets many plots in motion. Based on Moffat's history, some of the questions will be answered next week. Others will continue to develop during the season. A few will carry over until next season. And that is part of what I like about this series. All of the questions are not wrapped up by the end of the episode. I like the way Moffat builds the suspense and plots over each individual story but allows it to continue to build throughout the season.

For now, many people are speculating on the true identity of River Song. With the main companion named Amy Pond, fans are thinking that she is connected (River-Pond). Two theories seem to be taking the lead. One is that River is the future version of Amy. Another is that River is Amy's child. At this point I tend to side with River being Amy's daughter.

Even new fans can jump aboard with this episode. It can be enjoyed "as is" but many of the "Easter Eggs" planted by Moffat will only appear after you have watched the previous episodes.

Overall, it is an excellent start to a new season.

Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds

2011-04-11T21:49:00.000-04:00

New Space Opera has been an exciting development for me. Although many quality science fiction books have appeared in recent years, the field went through a time where the stories were internally focused. Philip K. Dick was one of the pioneers of this type of science fiction. Read his “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?”. The story is very tightly focused. It is one of my favorite novels. But, like most things in life, a steady diet of that type of fiction tends to overload my senses. I like to switch between the Philip K. Dick novels and the galactic adventures that dominated the field for many years. Some of my favorite early reading fiction experiences was the Lensman series by E. E. “Doc” Smith. Another was the classic multi-author serial “Cosmos”. Many of the old school space operas were not exactly high quality literature. But they did generate a level of excitement that George Lucas tapped in to when he filmed “Star Wars”. In response to the lack of epic stories, a new British invasion arrived. The New Space Opera movement was born.

I consider this the centerpiece of the new space opera sub-genre. Alastair Reynolds created a memorable novel with his first book. Reynolds included more ideas in this book than many authors put in a whole series. If I had to compare “Revelation Space” to existing fiction works I would say it is a mix of the grand epic of “Dune” with the wild imagination of H. P. Lovecraft. My only complaint is with the length. Being a fan of the shorter novels (practically novellas) of the past, I sometimes need to take a break when reading the massive novels of modern science fiction and fantasy. “Revelation Space” held my interest when I was reading but I tended to drift to other novels once I put it down. “Dune” was one of the rare novels that kept pulling me back in despite the amount of pages I still had to read. “Revelation Space” is a well written first novel that I would recommend to fans of new space opera. I can’t wait to read the future books in this series.

I am taking a break from this series to read one of his standalone novels (“House of Suns”). After that I plan on returning to this universe to check out “Chasm City”. If you want to sample this universe at a shorter length, try his “Great Wall of Mars”.

Short Story Sunday - April 10, 2011

2011-04-10T22:59:00.000-04:00

"A Fish Story" by Gene Wolfe

First Printing: Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, October/November 1999

One thing I can say is that Gene Wolfe's short fiction is always interesting. "A Fish Story" is a short work that leaves you wondering what really happened. Like most Wolfe stories, the narrator may be unreliable. While this is a lesser work, it is still worth reading. Wolfe is one of the current masters of the short form. I need to read some of his novel length work to see if I like this style in a long form.

The magazine this appeared in was the 50th anniversary issue of the Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. They always were able to stack the deck for the anniversary issues. In addition to this story, other authors featured here were Ursula K. LeGuin, Ray Bradbury, Harlan Ellison, Ron Goulart, Robert Silverberg, Theodore Sturgeon, Poul Anderson, Robert Sheckley, Howard Waldrop, Kate Wilhelm, Lucius Shepard, and others.

Rogue Moon by Algis Budrys

2011-04-05T17:27:00.000-04:00

"Rogue Moon" is one of the classic "big dumb object" stories. An alien artifact is discovered on the Moon. Anyone who enters the construct dies. How do you get around this problem? Enter Dr. Edward Hawks. Hawks has developed a matter transmitter. The astronauts on the Moonbase assemble the transmitter so new "explorers" can transport from the Earth to the Moon. The transmitter does not work quite like the transporters in Star Trek. In this book, the transmitter makes a duplicate that is assembled in the receiver by using materials on the Moon. The original stays in mental contact with the duplicate. So far when one of the duplicates enters the structure and is killed, the original goes insane. The solution to this problem is Al Barker.

The book follows the interaction between Barker, Hawks, and various other characters as Barker's duplicates make it further and further into the construct.

Budrys crafts a very interesting character study with this story. Most books you read feature characters that are easy to identify with. This one showcases very flawed, damaged people but Budrys' makes you want to learn more about them.

The exploration of the object is fascinating. One of my favorite sections is when a character compares man exploring the construct to a beetle that gets stuck in a soup can. We can never understand the creatures that made it or what it was created for. Too often we assume that we can understand everything that we find in the universe. Some mysteries are not meant to be solved.

Highly recommended.