Bradbury Memories

When I read that Ray Bradbury had passed away, it struck home how the face of science fiction has changed since I first started reading it.  When I began reading in the genre, the big writers were Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke, and Robert Heinlein.  Ray Bradbury was in what I would consider the second tier.  Does that mean he was not as good of a writer as the big three?  No.  He did not make the transition to writing novels that they did.  Most of Bradbury’s output was in the short fiction category.  He was writing very little in the field by the 70s.  I remember reading and enjoying “The Martian Chronicles”, “S is for Space” and “R is for Rocket”.  Why did I read those but not the other collections/novels he wrote?  Because they were in the local library and the second factor was the titles.  I have always leaned towards stories that take place in space or on other planets.  Titles containing words like Martian, Space, and Rocket jumped out at me.  They instantly drew my attention.  That is one of the reasons I read the Winston series with their rocket ship logo.  When you are in junior high school and don’t know much about the field, you have to find something to narrow down the list of what you want to read. 

Summer Reading List

Carl (Stainless Steel Droppings) posted about "Diving Into Summer".  I decided to do a short Summer Reading List along with him.

Sign of the Unicorn by Roger Zelazny

The third in the Amber series.  I started and stopped reading this a couple of times not because I did not like it but other things took priority.  I am currently reading it before I read anything else.  This was my first Zelazny book.

The Pride of Chanur by C. J. Cherryh

Based on the recommendation of the late Bob Sabella (“Visions of Paradise”) I decided to read a C. J. Cherryh novel.  I remember reading her first two novels (“Gate of Ivrel” and “Brothers of Earth”) when they were first published by DAW Books.  After that I eagerly devoured “The Faded Sun:  Kesrith” as it was serialized in Galaxy SF.  After that, I forgot about her.  Sure, I would think about reading more of her work when I would see an award nomination but for some reason I never got around to it.  Cherryh was one of Bob’s favorite authors.  He and I had very similar tastes in science fiction so when I was looking for a good science fiction book to sink my teeth into, I picked up “The Pride of Chanur”.  If I liked it, I could go ahead and read the other four books in the series.  Well, I will definitely be reading the next four novels (“Chanur’s Venture”, “The Kif Strike Back”, “Chanur’s Homecoming”, “Chanur’s Legacy”).


From interviews I have read, Cherryh wrote this as her universe’s version of a “Star Wars” adventure.  She captures the fast paced adventure story aspect while adding more characterization and science that seems more realistic.  The main character is Pyanfar Chanur, the captain of “The Pride of Chanur”.  When a strange alien stows away on her ship, we find out that this is humanities first encounter with the main universe.  Chanur’s troubles begin when she gives asylum to the human.  The backbone of this universe is the Compact.  It established the foundations for trading between races.  Each race determines its own laws within its domain but peace is kept on the space stations that serve as the commerce centers.  Being the first to set up relations with a new race is a major boon.  Unfortunately for humanity, the Kif was their first contact.  The human ship was destroyed and only one member of the crew survived.  When the Kif docked at Meetpoint Station, the human took the opportunity to escape.  Pyanfar realizes what is going on and escapes with the human.  Since this is the first meeting, the two races cannot understand each other’s language.  Part of the back story is spent working on a translator which becomes a powerful bargaining tool. 


Cherryh incorporates space battles, turmoil on the home planet, deals between various races and much more into this excellent novel.  Without sticking in infodumps, she reveals the background of this universe to the reader.  Even though this book tells a complete story, the ending sets up the future of this series.  I can’t wait to read the next book.

Fool Moon by Jim Butcher

“Fool Moon” is the second book in the Dresden Files series.  I enjoyed the first book (“Storm Front”) and decided to read this one for Carl’s “Once Upon a Time Challenge”.


Any time I pick up a fantasy book with the word “Moon” in the title it automatically makes me think of werewolves.  It was done intentionally by the author.  In this case, Harry Dresden-wizard for hire- is called in to help the police with what appears to be a murder committed by a werewolf.  Many of the characters from the first book are in this one.  Butcher includes a gang of werewolves for our heroes to fight.  He also reveals that there are more than one type of werewolf.  I found the different types to be an interesting addition.  Most stories I have read only have one way of becoming a werewolf.  I did not check up on it but it appears to me that Butcher researched various legends about how they came into being. 


Butcher knows how to write a page turner.  The action and revelations keep your interest.  The combination of the classic crime noir detective with the fantasy element makes for a different reading experience.  If you like wizards in the modern day and detective stories, this is the perfect book for you.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine 101 & 102 "Emissary"

Summary


Star Trek:  The Next Generation presented a two part classic story called “The Best of Both Worlds"  It showed how Captain Picard was kidnapped by the Borg and turned into one of their own.  He led the attack on the Federation at Wolf 465.  Many Federation ships were lost in that battle.  Little did we know that it would provide one of the storylines that would turn into Deep Space Nine.
In that battle, Benjamin Sisko lost his wife.  He managed to survive along with his son.  The scars would stay with him the rest of his life.  He also carried a hatred for Captain Picard since he led the attack.  Picard was not in control of his actions but that did not change things in Sisko’s eyes.  Unlike the crew of the Enterprise, we are immediately shown that this crew would be different.  Many of them carry the scars of their lives before coming to the station.  Some would not like each other.  Many times they disagreed over what to do.  The interaction between Sisko and Picard demonstrates that things are not going to go smoothly in the DS9 universe.

The Rifleman in Space: A Return to Deep Space Nine

Over the years, I have watched many good and some not-so-good science fiction television shows. Among my favorites are the various Star Trek shows (some I enjoyed more than others but I liked all of the various series), Babylon 5, Battlestar Galactica (new series), Doctor Who, Torchwood and others. But, my personal favorite has always been Star Trek: Deep Space 9. It appeared on our local CBS station at 11:30 PM on Saturday nights. The rest of the family was in bed and I would settle in to watch the show.



In recent years, I have faithfully watched numerous shows but DS9 still holds a special place in my heart. So I thought, why not go back, re-watch the episodes, and review them here? My plan is to post a review on each Saturday. I am also reading the “Star Trek Deep Space Nine Companion” by Terry J. Erdmann and Paula M. Block. It provides interesting behind the scenes insights.

Poul Anderson, Jim Baen, and Worlds of IF

My first subscription to a science fiction magazine began with the August 1974 issue of Galaxy.  Beginning in September of that year, my short lived (due to cancellation) subscription to its sister magazine Worlds of IF.  Both were edited by Jim Baen who quickly became my favorite editor at the time.  Through yard sales and flea markets I was able to collect other issues of both magazines.  I am still slowly filling in the gaps.