It was great to finally have Book's mysterious backstory, though I doubt it ever could've lived up to expectations. Still, it left me with two questi...moreIt was great to finally have Book's mysterious backstory, though I doubt it ever could've lived up to expectations. Still, it left me with two questions: why the Alliance gave him medical aid; and why he left Serenity. The latter was explained in another graphic novel but doesn't jive with what I learned here, IMHO. Still, a great tale, cleverly told.(less)
Set in a post-apocalyptic United States, 24 teenagers have been sent into the wilderness with the understanding only one can come home. Who will win ...moreSet in a post-apocalyptic United States, 24 teenagers have been sent into the wilderness with the understanding only one can come home. Who will win this fight to the finish?
I enjoyed this variation on "The Most Dangerous Game", but since it's technically a young adult novel, it doesn't go much into the politics of the nation that would sentence children to the death. I felt that this government was the real enemy, and that the children should find fighting each other abhorrent and short-sighted. Yet perhaps because they were raised in preparation for The Hunger Games, they pursue each other with abandon. Maybe the next two books in the trilogy address larger issues.
I'm not quite sure if this book can be classified as science fiction, as it features even less technology than we're accustomed to today. (less)
Most humor books are lost on me, especially those written by stand-up comedians who think that their delivered lines will work just as well in the wri...moreMost humor books are lost on me, especially those written by stand-up comedians who think that their delivered lines will work just as well in the written medium without any translation. Not so with this book. Although I've already finished grad school, and it was only a part-time program at that, I could totally appreciate the rigors the author describes. His sarcastic, dry, and pessimistic world view was perfectly in line with the trials of higher education. How can you not appreciate a book that has a prologue, preface, forward, AND introduction? It's a wonder he didn't also increase the margins and font sizes to make his writing seem longer. (Come on, you know you've done it, too!)(less)
"Rise Like Lions" ties together the many short stories, novels, and DS9 tie-ins that have been set in the Mirror Universe over the past few ...more"Rise Like Lions" ties together the many short stories, novels, and DS9 tie-ins that have been set in the Mirror Universe over the past few years. Some of the details I'd forgotten, but this book did a good job bringing me up to speed.
My only concern was that this seemed more like "just" an alternate universe than a mirror one. I always saw the Mirror Universe as a place where evil triumphed, but the characters and their personalities in this book were too similar to the Prime universe. The final chapter especially didn't show as much variation as it had the potential to.
But still a fun tale with some very moving moments.(less)
I'd never read anything by John Scalzi, who comes highly recommended, so I chose to start with Old Man's War, which proved an easy and entertaining en...moreI'd never read anything by John Scalzi, who comes highly recommended, so I chose to start with Old Man's War, which proved an easy and entertaining entry point for his brand of science fiction and character development.
In the future, life on Earth looks pretty similar to today — but one enterprising company has perfected and privatized interstellar travel. The only way to leave Earth is through them, and they don't let you or your messages ever come back. Plus, you have to join their militia — and the minimum age to do so is 75.
So when the elderly John faces life as a widower, does he stay on Earth, get old, and die... or does he say goodbye to everyone and everything he's ever known and leave for the stars, in the hope that, among this company's impressive technology, is the way to make a 75-year-old body into fighting form again?
It'd be a short book if John chose the former. Instead, readers get to follow along as he seeks out new life and new civilizations — and kills them. Apparently, habitable real estate is tough to come by, and humanity is vying against several competing races to colonize them. John, a former graphic designer, is introduced to a military life with a very high fatality rate, where friends come, go, and are replaced. He handles all this change rather smoothly, cramming a lot of material into one book. But the best parts aren't the technology, but the dialogue. Other characters come to life in unexpected ways, whether it's during demanding battle scenes or off-time in the lounge.
One oversight bothered me: it was acknowledged, but never addressed why, that humanity's sole interaction with alien races is combative and not diplomatic. But I didn't discover until the last page that this book is the first in a trilogy. Perhaps future installments will expand on this relationship.
Overall, I found Old Man's War fun and easy read that would make me receptive to its sequels.(less)
The twins are the villains in this installment, but really, the story's shift from action to romance is significant here. This one didn't do much for...moreThe twins are the villains in this installment, but really, the story's shift from action to romance is significant here. This one didn't do much for me, feeling a bit more like a soap opera than before.(less)
Interesting — even though the details of the film's fight between Ramona and Roxie were lifted from the book's fight between Ramona and Envy, Roxie is...moreInteresting — even though the details of the film's fight between Ramona and Roxie were lifted from the book's fight between Ramona and Envy, Roxie is still a character in the book. In fact, it's in this fight that Scott gains "the power of love", earning him a sword.
More important, it's only in this fourth volume that I'm realizing how much more the romance and relationships between all the characters is the true story. The film portrayed Scott Pilgrim as more of an action movie, but in the source material, the fights are ancillary to the maturation of the characters. Here's where we see significant time spent on Scott getting a job, finding an apartment, and earning Ramona's love. Who knew?
Mad props for the subspace purse, from which Ramona previously pulled a sledgehammer, also fitting her boyfriend.(less)
Wow! Now here's a book that's almost nothing like the movie. When Scott starts fighting vegan Todd in the alleyway, they take a break and reconvene ...moreWow! Now here's a book that's almost nothing like the movie. When Scott starts fighting vegan Todd in the alleyway, they take a break and reconvene later that week for a race through a department store. The woman Ramona fights isn't Roxie, but musician Envy Adams — not one of her exes at all! And Ramona's line to Gideon from the movie, "Let's both be girls?" Here, Envy says that to Todd when she realizes he's cheating on her.
I marvel at the screenplay author's ability to adapt personalities and lines from the book into entirely new circumstances in the film.
Given that there is no Roxie, and that Ramona has clearly stated she has "seven evil ex-boyfriends" (as opposed to the film, where she always corrected such statements to the vaguer "seven evil exes"), I have to wonder: who takes Roxie's place in the books?
Wow -- the movie really diverges from the book in this volume. The original graphic novel has plenty more backstory and completely different encounte...moreWow -- the movie really diverges from the book in this volume. The original graphic novel has plenty more backstory and completely different encounters between Scott and Lucas Lee, as well as a fight between Ramona and Knives, which in the film didn't come until the climax.(less)
This B&W graphic novel collects the first several issues of the early 1980s comic book "Concrete", about a political speechwriter whose brai...moreThis B&W graphic novel collects the first several issues of the early 1980s comic book "Concrete", about a political speechwriter whose brain is transplanted into an impenetrable body by aliens. Freed from military directives, Concrete sets out to explore the world and do the things he was always afraid or unable to do before. It's a refreshing change from the typical superhero approach and one that feels like it was written as a reflection of, not contemporary to, the Eighties.
When I first started the book, I felt like I'd come in on the middle of the story, and that the trade paperback must've omitted some origin story. As it turns out, all that is revealed by the end of the book.
Genly Ai has made First Contact with an alien race and, after working within a single country's government for two years, is ready to invite them into...moreGenly Ai has made First Contact with an alien race and, after working within a single country's government for two years, is ready to invite them into an analogue of the Federation. But the world is playing politics, and he has become a pawn.
Le Guin's writing style is rather dry, with lots of factual observations and commas and semicolons. It was hard for me to get a sense for the characters or what they were feeling. The book was dichotomous, focusing first on politics and then on a glacial expedition; this shift produced an inconsistent experience for me. I was left wondering why this title was on NPR's top 100 fantasy & sci-fi books of all time.(less)
I loved how the protagonist reflected on his past adventures, creating a context into which to grow within this tale. There were moments near the end...moreI loved how the protagonist reflected on his past adventures, creating a context into which to grow within this tale. There were moments near the end when my heart was beating faster, waiting to see what he would do next. Unfortunately, the book ended badly, keeping it from a five-star review.(less)
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