Gilbert M. Stack's Blog, page 14

March to Other World Day 9 The Black Company by Glen Cook

March to Other World Day 9 The Black Company by Glen Cook

Glen Cook’s The Black Company is one of the classic fantasy warfare series of all time. I started reading the novels when it became a Science Fiction Book Club pick when I was an undergraduate. I read it and so did all of my friends and I continued reading the whole series as they were published.

 

So, it’s with some surprise that I only noticed in a recent reading that Cook carefully makes most of the major battles in the opening novel happen off screen. Let me say that again, it’s only in the final substantial chapter (the actual last chapter is more like an epilogue) that we see firsthand a major battle—which is strange for a book about a military company who is fighting throughout the novel. Most of the rest of the book focuses on the narrator, Croaker, and a few of his fellow members of the company acting more like a special operations force to frustrate the enemy.

 

The novel is broken into seven chapters, the first six of which read like short stories braided together with the last being the aforementioned epilogue. These stories tell of the last of the Free Companies of Khatovar—a four-hundred-year-old mercenary band which has kept its high standards of discipline and competence even as it falls into hard times. At the start of the story, they are under contract to a ruler who has managed to turn all of his people and his own army against him. Desperate not to go down with him, the Company betrays its principles, allowing the ruler to be assassinated, and signs a new contract with a dark wizard called Soulcatcher who is in service to the Lady, despot of a northern empire.

 

The Lady is fending off a civil war. On her side are ten dark wizards called the Taken—they were the baddest of the bad until the Lady’s husband, the Dominator, possessed them and forced them to his side. The Lady, the Taken, and the Dominator were defeated two centuries earlier by a mythical figure called The White Rose who, unable to kill them, trapped them. The prison held for centuries until a fool accidentally released the Lady and the Taken reigniting her dark reign.

 

Over the course of the novel, it becomes clear that many of the Taken are acting against the Lady’s interests in the war in their own efforts to release the still-imprisoned Dominator and restore him to power. Despite remarkable feats by the Black Company, the Lady’s forces continued to be pushed back toward a final stand. The challenge for the Company is the recognition that all sides (rebel, Lady, and Dominator) represent evil and despotism with no “good” actors for the Company to support. So, they stick to their contract even though it’s not clear they should.

 

This is a solid novel with remarkable over-the-top magics adding color to the story, but not detracting from the very human interactions as the soldiers of the Black Company try to find their way.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Chronicles-Bla...

 

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March to Other Worlds Day 8 The Hunter and the Sorcerer by Chris L. Adams

March to Other Worlds Day 8 The Hunter and the Sorcerer by Chris L. Adams

As we enter the second week of the March, I’m excited to turn to the work of Chris L. Adams who took his love of grand adventure stories and poured it into a short novel that plays homage to the old masters while producing a thoroughly modern tale.

 

Bru the Hunter’s whole life is falling apart. Gla, the worthless fire-feeder, has just tricked the tribe into thinking he killed Tysk, the mighty tiger, and now Bru’s love Oona is to be married to Gla. To make matters worse, when Bru objects, the tribe turns on him. Outcast, Bru doesn’t think things could possibly get worse, but he is about to discover just how wrong a hunter can be.

 

Kidnapped by an alien creature from an extraordinarily advanced society, Bru will be tortured into becoming something radically different than he began—an extraordinarily intelligent well-educated man. And that is where this story truly begins for to return to his people and the woman he loves, Bru is going to have to go head to head with the galaxy’s most advanced civilization. They haven’t got a chance!

 

I found a lot more in this novel than the simple adventure story I thought I was reading. So, brace yourself! While there’s plenty of adventure, you’ll also find heaping helpings of culture clash, hypocrisy and prejudice, and ultimately, you’ll be forced to think about what it means to be human.

 

I’d also like to point out that the multi-talented Adams painted the cover to this novel himself—but did the idea for the novel come first or the painting? With someone as creative as Adams, even he might not know the answer.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Hunter-Sorcere...

 

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March to Other Worlds Day 7 Killer Chromosomes by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir

March to Other Worlds Day 7 Killer Chromosomes by Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir

In 1971, Warren Murphy and Richard Sapir created The Destroyer, one of the most interesting adventure universes in literature today. On the surface, it is our planet, but secretly it is also the world of the Glorious House of Sinanju, a five thousand year old Korean House of Assassins who have mastered the Sun Source from which all martial arts are derived (they are pale copies of Sinanju). The books (and there are 150 of them now plus a spinoff series) focus on the current reigning master, Chiun, and his pupil, the embarrassingly (at least to Chiun) white orphan, Remo. Together, they save America (and sometimes the world) just about every novel while working for the ultra-secret U.S. spy organization called, CURE, run by the dour ex-OSS agent, Harold Smith.

 

After the first few books, the series took a turn away from strait Executioner style action and began to place science fiction elements into the series. One of the most successful of these insertions comes in book 32, Killer Chromosomes, in which scientist Sheila Feinberg recklessly combines several experimental DNA solutions in an attempt to prove how safe they are and turns herself into a sort of weretiger driven with a need to hunt and kill humans. Remo is sent out to find the beast and makes a critical mistake which leads to Feinberg almost killing him. He’s still good enough that he drives Feinberg off, but the shock to his system knocks him out of his Sinanju training (something Chiun describes as an amnesia of the body rather than the mind) and he begins sinking back into his ordinary human state—smoking cigarettes, eating meat, and plunging into a terrible depression.

 

Feinberg, meanwhile, is so impressed by Remo’s physical skills that she becomes obsessed with capturing him as a stud for a future race of tiger creatures. It’s not completely clear why she feels the need to do this, because she also begins forcing regular humans to imbibe her tiger formula turning them into werebeasts like her—creatures that begin hunting Remo.

 

While all of this is happening, Harold Smith makes several mistakes which cause President Jimmy Carter to lose faith in him—so much so that he tries to shut CURE down because Remo isn’t reporting in anymore. It’s tense and exciting from the first page to the last.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Killer-Chromos...

 

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March to Other Worlds Day 6: Spiderman: The Darkest Hours by Jim Butcher

March to Other Worlds Day 6: Spiderman: The Darkest Hours by Jim Butcher

Superheroes form an important part of the March to Other Worlds and one of the most recognizable superhero universes is that of Marvel Comics and Spiderman is probably their premier character. I have to admit that I love Spiderman. I’ve read his comics off and on since the summer between third and fourth grade. Even before that, I watched the original cartoon series and have seen a great many of the ones that have come after that. I’ve seen many of the movies and read at least two dozen novels (probably many more) focused on the character. So, it’s with some authority that I say Jim Butcher’s The Darkest Hours is one of the best Spiderman books out there.

 

First off, Butcher gets the key Spiderman elements right—action, banter, and sense of responsibility. His Spiderman feels like Spiderman from moment one. He’s selfless, he’s heroic, and he’s smart.

 

Second, Butcher utilizes Peter Parker very well by giving him a problem that Spiderman can’t solve for him. Then he gives Mary Jane a similar problem—something Peter wants to assist with, but can’t solve by spinning webs or climbing walls. These problems distract Spiderman at critical times to the good of the story.

 

Butcher also does more with the Rhino than any author I’ve yet encountered. I’ve always like the villain, but Butcher made me like the man behind the villain even more. Add to that, he doesn’t ignore the fact that NYC is full of superheroes who might be expected to help Spiderman with his problems.

 

Finally, and I think most importantly in a superhero novel, Butcher presents a trio of supervillains who are truly fearsome—an excellent threat for Spiderman from start to finish.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Spider-Man-Dar...

 

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March to Other Worlds Day 5: Shards of Light by William L. Hahn

March to Other Worlds Day 5: Shards of Light by William L. Hahn

Fantasy literature is the heart of the March to Other Worlds and one of my favorite fantasy series of all time is William L. Hahn’s phenomenal Shards of Light. These four-books are set in and around the city of Cryssigens as it confronts a crisis of leadership. The emperor, whom the city reluctantly serves, has just been overthrown and replaced by a dwarven adventurer whom no elf wants to follow. To make matters worse, the new emperor had the utter gall to conclusively demonstrate that the former Overlord of the city was secretly leading a cult of demon worshippers. Now it’s time to pick a new Overlord who will determine whether or not the city will rediscover its peace and stability or erupt into chaos in a futile effort to gain its independence.

 

These four books are simply wonderfully constructed. Each of the first three books focuses upon a different main character and each is told in a unique and distinctive voice. Captain Justin, a military commander opens the series in The Ring and the Flag on a mission to represent the new emperor for the election in Cryssigens. In the second book, Fencing Reputation, Feldspar, the adrenalin-crazed stealthic (and one of my favorite characters in all of fantasy literature) is hired to locate and steal a powerful magical item which could sway the election. The third book, Perilous Embraces, chronicles the efforts of the mysterious priestess, Altieri’s, efforts to keep her city from breaking into civil unrest. And finally, in the powerful conclusion, Shards of Light, the actions of all three characters will determine the fate of this important sector of the empire.

 

It’s a truly wonderful adventure.

 

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B087T6DL23?...

 

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March to Other Worlds Day 3 Steel Gray Eyes by Gilbert M. Stack

March to Other Worlds Day 3 Steel Gray Eyes by Gilbert M. Stack

For the third day of the March to Other Worlds, I would like to introduce one of my own stories, Steel Gray Eyes. The book focuses on one of the main characters of my Winterhaven series, Willem Lord Tavistock, the most respected knight in the land and a master of sword and lance without true peers. Yet, men do not start out universally respected and we know from conversations in Winterhaven that Willem almost didn’t become Lord Tavistock at all. I had long wanted to tell that story and in doing so give the reader a glimpse into the duchy a generation before all hell hits the fan and an epic fantasy adventure begins.

 

And so, I give you Steel Gray Eyes, the story of Willem of Tavistock, a young man with great technical skills but little experience to guide him in the use of his talents. While far from his home, he learns that his father has died in an accident and that his uncle has claimed the lordship of Tavistock. Old enemies and new sense weakness and are raiding his territory. Everything his ancestors have spent centuries putting together is about to be torn apart. To save the honor of generations of Tavistocks, Willem must claim his family patrimony. Standing against him are every greedy and faithless man in the honor. The only support he can find are his two teachers, his naked sword, and a pair of Steel Gray Eyes.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Steel-Gray-Eye...

 

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March to Other Worlds Day 2 Godzilla vs. Kong by Greg Keyes

March to Other Worlds Day 2 Godzilla vs. Kong by Greg Keyes

For the second day of the  I’d like to venture into the territory of the kaiju—gigantic monsters whose very size makes them uncontrollable forces of nature. I read today’s book on a whim. I March to Other Worlds have not seen the movie, or any of the recent Godzilla and Kong movies except for Skull Island which I enjoyed very much. Frankly, I was not expecting very much from this novelization, but I am happy to say, that there is an awful lot here. This is a very well thought out book with a great premise and incredible fight scenes. It also offers the nostalgic joy of showing off not only Godzilla and King Kong but also Mechagodzilla. As if that isn’t awesome enough, the Hollow Earth theory is introduced and actualized. If you love monster movies or the old adventure classics, this book is just packed with material you will enjoy.

 

The basic plot is that Godzilla has successfully trounced the three headed Ghidorah and exerted his supremacy over the other titans and then disappeared for several years. He has become popularly viewed as a defender of humanity and scientists have noticed that since the titans arose ecological disasters like global warming and climate change have begun to reverse. But while most of the planet is sighing with relief, certain mega corporations continue to secretly (and some not so secretly) study the titans in an effort to make profitable scientific advancements. When Godzilla suddenly reappears and attacks a Florida city for no discernable reason, public opinion turns on him and supports a corporate madman who has publicly sworn he will destroy Godzilla. (That this madman also happens to own the corporate buildings Godzilla smashed doesn’t seem to raise the skepticism of almost anyone.)

 

The rest of the novel is an attempt by governments and corporations to figure out how to destroy Godzilla while three people try and figure out why Godzilla attacked Florida in the first place. The “destroy Godzilla” plan involves King Kong whose island’s ecology has been destroyed by humans. It also involves the Hollow Earth theory and a search for the origins of the titans and possibly all life on earth. The “find out why Godzilla attacked” group involves a lot of unrealistic cloak and dagger spying by two kids and a crazed podcaster—but this is a monster movie. It seems like fifteen-year-olds running around to save the day requires a much smaller suspension of disbelief than the monsters themselves do.

 

And what amazing monsters they are. King Kong and Godzilla are awesome. And they get two very big battles against each other, the best of which involves Kong leaping from battleship to aircraft carrier trying to get at Godzilla without drowning in the ocean. And the final battle—totally predictable by anyone who gives the matter five seconds of thought, was also outstanding.

 

This book was so much fun that I had to immediately go read the first novel in the series (which was also wonderful) and I hope that the producers will be making others.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Godzilla-vs-Ko...

 

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March to Other Worlds Day 1 Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

March to Other Worlds Day 1 Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs

Welcome to the March to Other Worlds 2023, my annual look at some of the great science fiction and fantasy series, plus a few gems that really bring their audience out of today and ground them firmly in a new reality. For Day 1, I’ve chosen one of the all-time great adventure stories to set the tone for the March, Edgar Rice Burrough’s Tarzan of the Apes.

 

My earliest memories of Tarzan are black and white movies starring Johnny Weissmuller that were rerun every Sunday morning. Weismuller was great in these movies, but if you read this book, you’ll have serious doubts as to whether he was really playing Tarzan. He had the physique right, and he was convincing in the water and mostly believable in the jungle. The problem is that he couldn’t speak English and Tarzan has a tremendous fluency with languages. You see, aside from being the perfect physical specimen of humanity, Tarzan is a super genius. He learned the primal language of the apes as a toddler, and as a child taught himself to read English by looking at picture books he found in his parents’ treehouse. Think about that for a moment. He was so intelligent that he taught himself to read a language he didn’t know by looking at a schoolbook designed for first graders. Later, he will learn to speak French, still before learning to physically speak English. And by the end of the book, he is fluent in three languages. He is by any standard amazing.

 

What’s also amazing is how good this novel is. It was originally published in 1912 but today still reads like a consummate adventure story. It’s engaging, there’s genuine tension, and the characters are all three dimensional even if some don’t initially appear to be. There are even some genuinely humorous scenes. And Jane Porter, one of the most famous love interests in the history of literature, comes off as a credible young woman in this first novel—with evidence of the spirit that will turn her into a heroine in later books.

 

I tend to think of this series as in the fantasy genre. Burroughs’ Africa is a world of the imagination, rather than an historically accurate place. Setting it in the realm of fantasy prevents any of those weaknesses from interfering with the story.

 

I can’t end the review without mentioning the brilliant (if controversial) conclusion to this book. Jane makes one of the stupidest mistakes in all of literature, getting herself freed from one loveless marriage engagement and immediately agreeing to another one even though she is actually in love in with Tarzan. Fans were understandably horrified by the unhappy ending, but Burroughs understood two important things that fans weren’t considering. This was a chance to demonstrate both the strength of Tarzan’s love for Jane and his extraordinary character. It also set the stage for an excellent sequel.

 

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...

 

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The Berets by W.E.B. Griffin

The Berets by W.E.B. Griffin

Griffin gets his groove back with the fifth book in the Brotherhood of War series as we continue to follow the careers of the characters he established in the very first book, as well as continuing with some newer characters. All of the characters connect to the major plotline regarding the continuing effort to establish the Green Berets and efforts by many in army leadership to kill the program and turn the Berets into paratroopers.

 

Let’s be honest, there’s still too much soap opera romance in this tale. Every young military man (and many of the older ones) appears to think only of getting into bed with the object of their current crush and then marrying her. That may or may not be realistic, but since it didn’t always strengthen the story, it wasn’t always a good thing.

 

The best storyline was a very interesting bullying problem in which a sadistic drill sergeant went after a recruit and crossed way over the line. He ambushes the recruit and hurts him, but the recruit still puts the sergeant in the hospital—where the sergeant promptly gets the recruit arrested even though the sergeant (and the reader) know he was only defending himself. The tension here was great and I resented it every time Griffin left it to keep up with his other plots. It shows the military justice system in an unattractive light, and, of course, lets Griffin show his heroes battling for justice.

 

A lot happens in this one—including a shocking death. I hope that Griffin can maintain this level of storytelling for the rest of the series.

 

Slip by Michael Pogach

Slip by Michael Pogach

This is an interesting mystery about a young woman (Byron) who returns home to claim her estate when her estranged father dies. Right from moment one, things in her hometown are odd. Her father’s best friend and executor is a special kind of jerk who appears to enjoy needling (in an unkind way) his friend’s daughter. He also appears to be the major beneficiary of the will and even though much that is left in the house is Byron’s, he insists on having her visits chaperoned.

 

Byron, however, is not interested in her inheritance so much as she’s interested in trying to learn more about her dead mother. Except…she begins to uncover evidence that her mother didn’t die when her father says she did and appears to have committed herself to an insane asylum. What’s more, she finally figures out that her best friend growing up (the only person in town she stayed in touch with) is missing. She tries to investigate her friend’s disappearance on top of trying to figure out what happened to her mom and (unsurprisingly for a mystery of this nature) the two things might be connected despite being some 25 or so years separated in time.

 

The actual mystery is frankly very good. The big weakness in the novel is Byron, herself. While it is easy to sympathize with her frustrations and her desire to learn what happened, she herself is not very likable. Her bitterness over her past is understandable, but coupled with her utter stupidity, I never warmed to her as a heroine. The huge chip on her shoulder is too big an obstacle to overcome.

 

I should also mention that Byron has a minor psychic power to occasionally catch glimpses of the past or future. It’s not enough to make this feel like a genuinely paranormal book, but it is enough to let the author fill in some details of the past that he probably couldn’t have told us any other way.