This was another book club selection that I would not have picked up on my own; mostly because I am not much of a graphic novel type. However, in this...moreThis was another book club selection that I would not have picked up on my own; mostly because I am not much of a graphic novel type. However, in this case, I was actually surprised that I liked it at all. The book is actually 12 comic books mashed together with some filler text that provided some back-story. The general concept was that what we would commonly refer to as super heroes actually became a fashion for awhile ... and they were seen as what they really were ... masked vigilantes. The premise opens up a very interesting debate on how government should work and what should happen when it fails to protect the governed. The American West (and to some extent, the South) has a significant history in vigilantism, so it was pretty easy to see this world as possible ...
And it was an extremely dark and unpleasant world. I didn't much care for the apparent fascination with blood in the frequent depictations of violence within the story, but I could accept them given the dark tenor of the plot. A few heroes even had intriguing character flaws, but the format didn't really allow us to explore them very deeply. There was a touch on predestination using Dr. Manhattan as the foil that was actually very well done; however, the scene on Mars was almost entirely superfluous IMHO and should have been dumped. Others may argue that is was a component of illustrated Dr. Manhattan's inhumanness (or at the very least, his isolation from humanity), but I thought that had already been accomplished when he left Earth.
Finally there was the story within a story provided by a character whose sole purpose was to read another comic book within THIS comic book and presented a storyline that was apparently supposed to shadow (or foreshadow) how this story would end ... and I must say that the two stories were tenuously linked at best and the ended of the main plot was singularly unsatisfying while the ending of the black freighter story was relatively predictable. All in all it didn't add as much to the story as it should have.(less)
I read this purely on the fact that is was the selection of the month for the club. To be honest, it is not something that I would have picked up myse...moreI read this purely on the fact that is was the selection of the month for the club. To be honest, it is not something that I would have picked up myself despite the award of a Pulitzer Prize.
I didn't like it. Sure, I recognized the sparse writing style which lent an artsy feel to the prose (and was probably what earned it the Pulitzer and is why I give it 2 stars instead of 1), but the book was an ordeal from start to finish. It had no purpose what so ever except to make the reader feel like they were in a post-apocalyptic world where hope had been completely extinguished … and it worked. Ultimately that is what doomed the book with me … at the end I sat back and simply asked a very basic question … So? Was there a message? Maybe … life goes on? Egads, even the interminable “and so it goes” from slaughter house five was better then this drekk. What about the relationship between the father and the son? Was it really love, so was it simple a reason to continue? I don’t really know, but I suspect that there really was not as much there as it would seem. The boy’s existence was simply an enabler for the father’s continued existence. Neither character showed any character development over some 287 pages so what really was the point of the story?
I have happily traded this book away on book mooch.com(less)
It would have been hard for me to hate this story as I am a sucker for Dragons. I am also a former tall-ship sailor, so the initial 19th century naval...moreIt would have been hard for me to hate this story as I am a sucker for Dragons. I am also a former tall-ship sailor, so the initial 19th century naval setting of the story (aka Master and Commander style) only added to my enjoyment … provided I suspend a fair amount of disbelief in how much can actually fit on a dragon (think heavily lift helicopter with everything inside sprawled into slings underneath and tents topside). In fact, even the aerial combat was difficult to imagine realistically, so I didn’t even try.
There are two main character here … a human rider, formerly a respected naval officer complete with the snootiness of British upper crust society who frequently and painfully recounts how he has sacrificed what little respect was due him to serve his country as a dragon rider. Other then a grudging respect for his uncompromising morality, he was a total ass; however, Laurence was actually competent and relatively in his dealings with regard to his superiors and subordinates, so I could live with him. The star of the story here was definitely the dragons … or more specifically, Temeraire (his dragon). The author actually developed the draconic personalities well and the growing relationship between rider and dragon fun to explore on multiple fronts.(less)
This book comes across as a highly formulaic effort for a basic fantasy story. If you have been around the block once or twice, you will recognized mu...moreThis book comes across as a highly formulaic effort for a basic fantasy story. If you have been around the block once or twice, you will recognized much of it. As one book club reader put it ...
Chris wrote: "When I read it, I thought of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser"
To which I would readily agree. Two altruistic thieves (it is fantasy after all); a big hulk of a fighter/swordsman complimented by a small, wiry side-kick. The former an unstoppable combatant juxtaposed against the talented shadow (and true thief of the pair). The word play between these two protagonists is really what made the book for me … and what initially drew me into the story to begin with (I read the free online excerpts). The rest was fairly predictable … at least I though it was. I was interested enough in the story to buy the sequel for the kindle and stormed through that as well (much better story actually) where I discovered that the author had really used a lot of the predictable storyline to hide a few twists of his own that were also quite fun (like an ancient wizard who is either an infamous evil or great champion (all we really know is that our heroes needed his help) … we find at a bit more about this in Avempartha. This also sets up an imperial church as a potential bad guy (without trying to hide any moral judgment about what is clearly modeled off the roman catholic church … everybody‘s favorite whipping boy these days). There were also a few unique fantasy concepts here that I found very interesting.
The story lost points in two places … for the most part, the author does a good job of not over-explaining things that happen in the story; however, the addition to the party of a monk with a photographic memory with the better part of the history of the world in his head was an obvious device for info-dumps; to which the author was not completely immune. Although the character was somewhat endearing (if fairly sappy), I would have like to seen a bit more skill weaving into the story and having the other characters discover/reveal smaller pieces. Finally the ending was less then satisfying for me … it seemed to rush through a good portion of it and did not appear to be as well thought out as the rest of the story (perhaps my inner engineer just could not suspend enough disbelief to buy into the whole tower scene). Still … this was a most excellent debut (I am already waiting to get book 3 of 6 in the series … it doesn’t get much better then that :-)(less)
This review has been a LONG time coming. The book was really hard to peg correctly. On one hand, it reads like an American Western … on the other hand...moreThis review has been a LONG time coming. The book was really hard to peg correctly. On one hand, it reads like an American Western … on the other hand, it makes a REALLY bad Western. On one hand it reads like an epic fantasy … a really BAD epic fantasy. On one hand it is a post-apocalyptic story … one that remains mysterious and unexplained. There are also some minor elements from Mr. Kings side of the tracks (horror) … and of course, I have seen better from him on that score as well (and I am not exactly a King fan). You get the picture. What it does is set up the world in which the remaining novels are set … and it presents enough of an interesting story to draw you into the sequels, which are reportedly a little better.
The book comes across more like a series of short stories (which count against it in my book as I don’t typically like short stories). Not surprisingly, I discovered after the fact that was actually what it was originally published as (so the feel bleeds through). Basically we follow the gunslinger who pursues the man in black through a wasted land. Along the way, we have several different encounters that fill-in a little more about what the world was like in the past and why the man in black is the bad guy (although I believe more needs to be said as even in the end, I couldn’t be sure who really was the bad guy … so harsh was the world from which the gunslinger comes). Finally at the end, we have what appears to be some resolution between the two antagonists, but the outcome doesn’t really make any sense and leaves the ending more undefined then anything else.
I will give the next story a try … but if they story doesn’t improve from here, I am done with the series. (less)
This book was billed as a classic 'Steam Punk' story that helped define the genre ... the only problem here was that there was NO steam [tech:] and th...moreThis book was billed as a classic 'Steam Punk' story that helped define the genre ... the only problem here was that there was NO steam [tech:] and there was little or no punk either. In fact, the only way it fits here would be to credit the time period as Victorian (IMHO a useless expansion of the term), before mixing in a tremendous amount of magic in what should be more honestly billed as a time-travel fantasy. That said … it WAS a pretty decent time-travel story :)
The story opens with a magical spell gone wrong which tears holes [gates:] in the time-continuum which serves of the principle mechanism for the subsequent time-travel activities. Powers does a masterful job of weaving two intriguing plotlines … one from the future 20th century and one based in the host 19th century … both of which revolve around the protagonist, one Brendan Doyle, a mediocre 20th century scholar specializing in an obscure 19th century poet (whom he hopes to meet). Not long into the tale, Doyle becomes stranded in the past where he struggles to survive in the dark underworld of London beggars while avoiding capture by the local gypsies who fear he may upset their own schemes. Along the way we are introduced to a system of magic that is at once extremely limited when in connection with the earth and tremendously powerful (the ability to make a virtual army of homunculi, or ka’s, is really over the top IMHO). Stir in a body snatching werewolf, an Egyptian god or two, a secret society, a few elemental spirits, and the real story behind the Punch and Judy puppets for an entertaining mix of odds and ends that keep your interest as the mysteries unfold. The main problem with the story is that Powers touches so many things without really going into much detail … making it hard to leave any lasting impression. (less)
I seem to be hit-or-miss with Heinlein. I have read and enjoyed Starship Troopers and The Glory Road; however I couldn't finish Job: A Comedy of Justi...moreI seem to be hit-or-miss with Heinlein. I have read and enjoyed Starship Troopers and The Glory Road; however I couldn't finish Job: A Comedy of Justice and was not impressed with Stranger in a Strange Land (SISL) ... It is simply NOT good Science-Fiction (even if it is a fair piece of satire).
The book is divided into five (5) parts ...
Part One [His Maculate Origin] was a good Sci-Fi plot that I actually enjoyed ... the premise being that of a lost human boy raised by non-humans (in this case Martians) along the lines of Tarzan of the Apes and The Jungle Book (which is thought to have been his original inspiration for the story). Next to nothing is actually revealed about Valentine Michael (Mike) Smith's time with his adoptive people, but the story keeps humming along with a little political intrigue and mystery. Unfortunately the plot begins to sink after this until it practically disappears by the end. The koolest concept here has to be the 'Fair Witness' characters ... A very limited version of human machine proxies that could easily be the precursor to the better developed Mentats of the Dune saga.
Part Two [His Preposterous Heritage] introduces what is arguably the true main character in the story and Heinlein's alter ego, Jubal Harshaw, who proceeds to introduce 'Mike' to all the ills of human society. This wasn't all that bad a satire actually, even when Jubal waxes on the sermon a bit too much (it had the feel of watching re-runs of "Abbott and Costello', 'I Love Lucy' or 'The Dick Van Dyke Show.') Mike really takes a back seat here so that Jubal can pontificate at will, but the humor of it all was still mildly entertaining. Presumably Jubal's female secretaries provide the strong gender examples that Heinlein is noted for ... They are also incredibly shallow and boring (or as presented in one discussion thread ... They differ by a haircut). There is absolutely NO character development for anybody except Mike from here on out; and as far a Mikey is concerned, all of his character development happens all at once as he is 'wondrously converted from Tarzan/Mogli into the next Messiah of humanity. We also get two main plot items ... The term 'grok' which became a cult classic in the late 60's and the revelation that Mike has a super power to go with his naiveté that just about blows any plot discipline out of the water for the remainder of the story.
"Thou Art G-d" saith the Man from Mars ...
The rest is a complete Grokk.
Part Three [His Eccentric Education] was an attempt to develop Mike a little further so that he learns the 'art of the con' that is apparently required to make a go of any religion. Mike needs this, because he wants to harness such shams to 'trick' humans into accepting his rather dubious views on human society (which social change has now exposed as mildly sexist and homophobic).
Part Four [His Scandalous Career] Here is where Jubal comes back on stage in order whip the reader with guilt to make it easier to accept Heinlein's free love society. That is really all that you find here. We get such gems as: "I can at least see the beauty of Mike's attempt to devise an ideal human ethic and applaud his recognition that such a code must be founded on ideal sexual behavior ..." Really? Even if accepted as true, Heinlein completely FAILS to explore this concept other then to say that it is obviously good. To support his claim, he gives us a voyeuristic look into his 'Nest' (aka Harem) where such physical contact is open, natural and without jealousy BECAUSE everyone is an equally great looking sex god following the true path to happiness. The problem? We the reader get NO insight into how Mike's disciples change their thinking. They just do ... Possibly because they now see the inherent 'rightness' of the concept once it is properly explained to them (the only instance we get of that is between Jubal and Ben Caxton and that is left unresolved at the end of the encounter).
Part Five [His Happy Destiny] After such a stinging rebuke of Christianity (specifically) earlier in the story, it seems surprising the Heinlein would so blatantly force the 'Passion of Christ' upon his protagonist here; and with very little rationale other then some need to highlight one of his more hypocritical definitions of 'grok' that includes consuming the physical body of a person in order to truly know him. Add to this a complete moral bankrupcy where it is okay to cheat, steal and kill as needed and I do not see any appeal what so ever to Heinlein's proposed utopia. Sure ... I get the fact that the story is not supposed to be realistic (it is supposed to be satire) and that it was not intended to be a guide to a practical utopia, but that just doesn't save the later half of the story from being so preachy and simpleminded that it not only obscures the "important questions" about contemporary social mores (specifically sex and religion), it actually fails to entertain with its long-winded monologs defending the 'rightness' of the title character's views on the subjects. While Heinlein may not have intended to provide convenient answers to the questions he thought he was raising, that is in fact what he did, displaying a remarkable ignorance of basic human psychology that ultimately dooms his 'social commentary' to failure.(less)
Selected as the Theme of the Month for the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Club, I really didn't think that I would like this book much and was mentally prepared...moreSelected as the Theme of the Month for the Sci-Fi/Fantasy Book Club, I really didn't think that I would like this book much and was mentally prepared to put it aside; fortunately, it was short and actually quite fun (that pleasant surprise was worth an extra star here). Although the story brings together many of the Victorian horror villains (similar to "The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen"), the true protagonists were really their animal companions as they 'traded' clues about this ultimate game within a diary or journal style narration. The fun was in trying to match up who everybody was with where they fit in the game while at the same time trying to figure out the rules of the game itself ... Suspension of Disbelief really is your friend here; you really need to be able to relax and let go a fair amount of rational thinking to truly enjoy it.(less)
I read this over the weekend expecting a quick, pulp fiction read; surprisingly it was not. I found it to be a very good mystery book with a gritty pr...moreI read this over the weekend expecting a quick, pulp fiction read; surprisingly it was not. I found it to be a very good mystery book with a gritty protagonist who just happens to be a very powerful (if somewhat rebellious) wizard. Of course, there were a few sardonic situations that were darkly humorous, but that really did add to the developing tension in the story. In addition, the system of magic used was very well developed and would be at home in any occult thriller ... In fact, I frequently found myself nodding at some descriptive line of text thinking that it made perfect sense. On the down-side ... I pretty much figured out the who-done-it early on (there were too few characters to choose from really), but there were enough surprises after that to keep it interesting. I am looking forward to the next book in the series ...(less)
I really enjoyed the quality of the narration; Mr. Davis does an excellent job rendering the voices of the various character...moreNarrated by Jonathan Davis
I really enjoyed the quality of the narration; Mr. Davis does an excellent job rendering the voices of the various characters within the story.
This was a fun read for the most part ... although the heavy exploitation of various stereo-types might be offensive to some, it really is the key to most of the humor in the story; at least Mr. Stephenson is an equal opportunity satirist in creating his dystopian society. The story pokes fun at corporate franchises, Christians (Orthodox Russians, Catholics and evangelists), the feds, the mafia, Columbian drug cartels, pizza delivery drivers, skateboard couriers, gated communities (burbclaves), apartheid, Alaskan red-necks, and a host of others. The characters themselves are very shallow and underdeveloped, though most are still memorable none the less.
This central plot merges ancient Sumerian mythology as alternate history with computer technology to construct an idea that humans have a basic or innate language ability that was 'hard coded' into our brain. This direct neural wiring left humans vulnerable to a memetic or 'meta virus' that basically turns humans into automatons. Stephenson uses a series of interactions (info-dumps) with a database AI (The Librarian) to introduce reader to the concepts needed to fully appreciate the plot climax. Unfortunately this is where Stephenson starts to lose his way (and a star) while the satire becomes less skillful and the story displays more violence (needlessly so in some cases). The strange introduction of teenage sex with a much older and very violent male antagonist toward the end of the book really detracted from the story as a whole. Finally, the conclusion seemed confused and somewhat aimless and unsatisfying by the end (Where was Raven's kaboom!).(less)
I am a big fan of the House of Mouse, so the title really intrigued me; what's not to like about the Magic Kingdom? In truth , the story centered arou...moreI am a big fan of the House of Mouse, so the title really intrigued me; what's not to like about the Magic Kingdom? In truth , the story centered around 2 attractions (Hall of Presidents and the Haunted Mansion) with a brief mention of a 3rd (Pirates of the Caribbean ... My favorite) as the back drop to a story of power and greed that should have no place in a [post scarcity] society where all of our needs are taken care of and old fashioned money doesn't define power anymore. True wealth (power) is now defined by reputation ... Where public respect for what you are doing gives you "Whuffie" (street creed or political capital) that helps you accomplish things in the future. This is a lot like how bloggers work; readers vote on how much they liked or respected a particular article, which then helps increase its visibility and subsequently a bloggers audience giving the blogger greater power to influence society; not surprisingly, Cory Doctorow got his start as a blogger. Doctorow was not the first person to talk about a reputation economy, but his was the first pure portrayal of such that got me thinking about how it would truly work ... Or not. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
The second major theme of the story was more post [or trans] humanism. The new 'Bitchin Society (aka BS) is based upon the surreal assumption that we can effectively eliminate the supply constraint (curve) on our economy and thereby get whatever we need in any quality needed ... Including artificial extensions on life itself. Doctorow does this with a combination of information technology (or personal backups) and cloning technology (to provide a custom platform into which your backup can be restored). This concept is taken to an extreme where clones are destroyed and backups restored to a new clone simply as a common way to avoid the inconvenience of a boredom while traveling long distances or the effects of the common cold. Now comes the question ... What exactly is a human? Can our essential self be so defined that a backup is even possible? What happens if the previous clone is not destroyed and you now have two persons with the same starting consciousness that now have two different experiences? Are they now two different people? Doctorow doesn't really answer these questions well, but you can see his characters struggling with the answers enough to start thinking on your own.(less)
This is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ... only for Fantasy. The two main, hapless characters lurch from scene to scene (or storyline to storyli...moreThis is The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy ... only for Fantasy. The two main, hapless characters lurch from scene to scene (or storyline to storyline) in what might be considered a classic epic ... If the scenes actually had anything in common other then the main characters. Along the way, Prachett humorously substitutes magic for science, frequently with the intent to play with our perceptions and fantasy stereotypes, while we explore the Disk World in his first novel of the series. It was high entertainment, despite the rough transitions between what could arguably be 4 smaller stories within the book ... And it boasts a cliff-hanger ending that was rather annoying for somebody who likes each book to stand on their own as much as possible (at least have some closure to the plot). About the only thing I took away from the book was a rather interesting treatment of dragons ... Otherwise it seemed to be primarily a spoof on existing fantasy conventions, albeit done very well with obvious talent ... Along the lines of the Myth Series by Robert Asprin, although he started better and lost his way where Prachett is rumored to have gotten much better with his later books. (less)
I saw Bladerunner when it came out and knowing that it was based upon this story, and not really enjoying the movie much, I didn't pick up the book un...moreI saw Bladerunner when it came out and knowing that it was based upon this story, and not really enjoying the movie much, I didn't pick up the book until it became a Book Club selection; hearing that the book was significantly different then the movie helped. While it was not a 'fun' book, I did enjoy many of the concepts PKD started to explore in the story ... especially now given how far science has come in explaining how the human 'machine' works (and fails). Asimov's I, Robot does a better job here; however, PKD introduces a few additional concepts that Asimov does not ... Such as the role of religion (Mercerism) in shaping and defining society. There is also a fairly rigid caste system among humans, with androids (some obviously more capable in some way to humans) at the bottom of that. What I found very interesting was the use of empathy to distinguish between human and inhuman ... Yet some of the worst behavior in the book came from humans. Apparently just because we are capable of empathy doesn't mean we always used it ...(less)
I read the book, then watched the BBC series and I must say that I liked the series a little better. It seems that this story really does better with...moreI read the book, then watched the BBC series and I must say that I liked the series a little better. It seems that this story really does better with the visuals then the bare text.
The basic plot has an Alice in Wonderland quality with typical, understated British humor. The main character, Richard Mayhew, begins the story as a listless man who, despite having the 'good-life' finds something lacking in his existence. A chance encounter with one of the denizens of 'London Below' (Lady Door) pulls him into a shadowy and magical world that coexists with, and is invisible to, our real "London Above.' What follows is a typical journey of self-discovery ... Only Richard doesn't really stop being a putz until the end.
London Below appears to be the stomping ground for our dreams and nightmares where everything is surreal ... It also brings to mind the homeless within our cities in that when were aren't ignoring them (ie. not invisible), it is not uncommon to see them displaying symptoms of mental illness (talking to other invisible persons, rats, etc.). Add this up with a touch of word play and you get a very humorous trip into what seems to be a mental breakdown, trapping Richard within his unconscious or primitive mind where he can discover and become the hero that was denied him in the real world. Gaiman never really exploits the potential questions which arise from his brief foray into insanity, but then I don't think this was intended to be that serious a story either ... It was supposed to be fun and I did enjoy it much like I enjoyed Monty Python's Holy Grail.(less)
This book was all about trade-offs. On the one hand, Martin introduces a fair amount of complex political intrigue and (what seemed like) realism in h...more This book was all about trade-offs. On the one hand, Martin introduces a fair amount of complex political intrigue and (what seemed like) realism in his world building gave it just enough grit to appear different then the standard epic (low) fantasy I had grown used to. In fact, some time later I read that Martin was quite pleased with the fact that just because a character was a 'good' guy, doesn't mean he will survive the story ... the only problem was that it really was difficult to find them. Jon Snow was perhaps the only individual I liked much at all, but his story seemed to be there to set him up for something much later. The nominal hero of the story was probably Eddard ... whose complete rigidity and lack of empathy really made him a detestable figure, despite his adherence to honor et. al. It was not until the War started that the story started to redeem itself ... And it did so admirably. The War of the Five Kings was the best part of the book; but even that drops a star because of the number and frequent changes of the various Points of View within (8 total POV across 3 major plotlines). This was THE most frustrating aspect of the book as every single switch made it real easy to put the book down and forget about it for awhile (at least until the later part of the book where I was more tempted to just skip ahead and ignore the crap in between ... Then maybe going back and reading the next POV/storyline parts. I did struggle through to the end though ... And the irritation faded enough that I purchased the next book in the series after finding the 4th in a yard sale for a quarter ... And it wasn't long before I encountered enough 'realism' and not enough 'idealism' to decide that this series wasn't as good as I had remembered. Parts of it was really fun; parts of it I really disliked and would have preferred to do without. I still haven't read past book two.(less)
Okay ... I am not a big fan of the fractured narrative style (jumping back and forth through time). That said … Vonnegut pulls it off better then most...moreOkay ... I am not a big fan of the fractured narrative style (jumping back and forth through time). That said … Vonnegut pulls it off better then most. I can't really say that I enjoyed it that much; however, it has been awhile since I have encountered the supporting pseudo-stream of consciousness writing style and I found it mildly entertaining … Vonnegut’s sardonic humor helped immensely here.
Of the story itself … the book is characterized as an anti-war book; however, I felt it had more of an amoral tone then anything (with the possible exception being his discussion with his sons concerning massacres). That is, it was more of an eye witness report then a heart felt condemnation, leaving the reader free to impose whatever moral framework desired so long as the factual events were not dismissed. In that respect, I found myself draw into the story with a rubbernecker’s morbid sense of curiosity where it was safe to look because I was not actually involved. This was where the fractured narrative style really helped; it allowed the reader to explore events that were obviously tragic without overwhelming the reader with an extended emotional response … Vonnegut would just barely touch the ‘dark-side’ before zooming away toward lighter faire. (less)
This was a GR Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Club Select and one that I had read while still in High School; it remains one of my favorites to this day (I...moreThis was a GR Sci-Fi & Fantasy Book Club Select and one that I had read while still in High School; it remains one of my favorites to this day (I liked it much better then the Lord of the Rings), although I chose not to reread it for the club discussion. The book is the first of an original trilogy; with a forth added much later that I have not yet read. Taken together, the entire quartet would probable equal the page count typically seen in a single novel today; to its benefit.
Le Guin packs a well constructed fantasy world, character development and a fair amount of action to keep the story moving along, leaving the tedious details to the readers imagination. EarthSea itself seemed designed for peoples with an intimate connection to the seas; something I had always fancied for myself growing upon around the boats and marinas of the Chesapeake Bay. From the beginning I was able to make the world of EarthSea my own. The people of EarthSea seemed to be a wonderful combination of exotic Pacific Islanders and barbarian Vikings, fitting right in with my independent study of ancient peoples mythology and migration (though I was more interested in the indo-europeans at the time). This gave the whole story the feel of ancient, oral tradition that was so fun to play with. The magic of EarthSea was my first introduction to the concept of naming, balance and sympathetic forces; to this day I believe it makes more sense then nearly any other system I have encountered (: if only it were really true :).
When I first encountered the main character, SparrowHawk, I didn't like him very much; and, even as a young teen myself, I couldn't really identify with him. Fortunately he had a few things going for him ... He wasn't particularly evil or bad, just overly arrogant, willful, and still relatively naïve (unlike protagonists who shall remain nameless but whose initials are Thomas Covenant and Richard Cypher-Rahl) and he actually develops to overcome much what makes me dislike him by the end ... Truly a hero's journey.(less)
I read the ‘Dune’ trilogy as a young teenager without knowing what to expect (before it obtained the level of fandom it now enjoys); it was one of the...moreI read the ‘Dune’ trilogy as a young teenager without knowing what to expect (before it obtained the level of fandom it now enjoys); it was one of the few great stories which helped establish my initial reading addiction. I immediately identified with the main protagonist, Paul Atreides, as he struggled to overcome tremendous adversity to reach his destiny ... his was the traditional ‘Hero’s Journey’ that forms the main plotline of the story. The most interesting aspect at this time was Paul’s Mentat (human computer) training ... which would morph into a pseudo-transhuman philosophy popularized by one of my favorite TV characters – Mr. Spock.
But there is more ... I reread Dune as a young (and better read) adult and I really appreciated that the author didn’t feel the need to spoon-feed the reader; he trusts us enough to figure it all out (with difficulty perhaps, but successful none-the-less). I started to use story elements to explore ideas outside of Dune ... such as the curious luddite aversion to [some] technology. This brought a new understanding of the power of creation and the responsibility of the creator. I grew fascinated by the very convincing religious concepts within the messianic/eugenic sub-plots, leading me toward further study (and acceptance of) of other religions (specifically Islam and Zen) and comparative mythology (popularized by Dr. Joseph Campbell). I even looked at the formation of the Freman society by the harsh conditions of the desert as a mini-Darwinian theme that would be duplicated in many of the Sci-Fi/Fantasy books I read after.
Every time I reread ‘Dune’ I find more to think about: ethics, politics, ecology, fanaticism, addiction, technology, etc. Frank Herbert has built a complex and enduring world which survives quite well outside his original stories; it is this world that inexorably pulls me into many of the lesser quality stories that continues to fill out Herbert’s universe based upon his surviving notes. Every time I come back to this world, I like it more then before. (less)
I first read Ender's Game the same year it was published; I was a marginally successful junior in a US Service Academy at the time, and well on my way...moreI first read Ender's Game the same year it was published; I was a marginally successful junior in a US Service Academy at the time, and well on my way to forming my current negative opinion about how such works. What ever other critiques readers might have about Card's story here, IMHO he nailed the military training environment, complete with psychological manipulation and Machiavellian intrigue. I am not surprised to hear rumors that Ender's Game might even be promoted by the military training establishment. Even before this book was published, my training cadre made no secret of how they were using 'significant emotional events' to reshape our personalities to conform to the expected standard ... Much like Graft attempts to manipulate encounters for Ender at the Battle School. This was made slightly more difficult after hazing became illegal; it didn't actually eliminate it, just moved it into the shadows. Needless to say, my first encounter with the book evoked a very strong affinity with the protagonist. First cut gets 5 stars.
Another significant concept Card presented in the story was that such a system inevitably fails ... As in it doesn't predictably (limited correlation) create your top military commanders during war time and can in fact hinder their development. Unfortunately I don't believe Card's solution is very realistic. Throwing away the rulebook in order to foster social isolation and constant exposure to violence at an early age does not create individuals who are strong, independent leaders ... It creates sociopaths. Fortunately Card seems to have a knack for knowing when he may have pushed too hard, as Ender immediately becomes overwhelmed with angst about his actions. About the only benefit I get from these rather irritating episodes is an opportunity to expose ethical talking points (which I took advantage of when I re-read the book with my preteen). Several critics seem to believe that they know which side Card comes down on these issues (e.g. Is Xenocide always evil? ... Is it ever necessary?) ... Strangely enough, there is little unanimity among them (I actually think Card leaves it up in the air for each reader to think about). There are other areas in the story that I could pick apart, in fact an army of critics have already done so (and to some extent they have valid points); however, I still find the over all story to be an excellent starting point for talking about how we go about determining ethical behavior, both within our society and in response to a potential foreign encounter.(less)
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