Sarah Chorn's Blog, page 67

Guardians of the Galaxy: An Exploration of Groot and Drax

I am not a big movie watcher. In fact, I do just about anything I possibly can to avoid watching movies. However, my three-year-old enjoys watching movies on the occasion, so I usually suffer through them with her. Her current obsession in Guardians of the Galaxy, a movie I watched in theaters with absolutely no expectations as to the quality, and left the theater in love.

My daughter loves watching this show. She loves Rocket Raccoon and Groot, and dances to the music. This is one of those shows that I don’t really mind her enjoying, because it’s fun, and a lot of it probably goes over her head. However, in this day and age, I enjoy it when my daughter gets behind a worthy hero, and can enjoy a movie that the entire family can enjoy as well (you parents will understand the value of movies like that).

This morning my daughter woke me up nice and early. She was coloring and I was cleaning the kitchen with Guardians of the Galaxy playing in the background when it hit me. This movie is a lot of things – lighthearted, funny, enlightening, and exciting – but it’s also a fantastic exploration of disability.

Part of the draw of this movie is that it features a band of mercenaries who are banding together for reasons of their own. They are all antiheroes in some way, shape or form, and I’m a huge sucker for the antihero. I find it incredibly refreshing that these people are doing what they are doing for their own reasons rather than, “for the greater good.”

However, a good chunk of why I enjoy this movie so much is how language and communication is dealt with. From Drax, who is completely literal in a world where being literal all the time is a huge disadvantage, to the infamous Groot, who is only capable of saying, “I am Groot.” Those words, in that order. To keep this post from reaching novel length, I will focus on Groot and Drax, though I will at a later date probably write another article about Rocket Raccoon, Gamora, and Nebula.

Groot is fascinating for many reasons, but his limited vocabulary is probably one of the most interesting juxtapositions I’ve seen in a movie in a while. Groot is often misunderstood. People around him get frustrated; don’t understand what he’s actually saying with his limited vocabulary, which is probably just a fraction of how frustrated Groot feels by being constantly misunderstood or shrugged off. There’s a fantastic tug-and-pull that happens throughout the movie with Groot and his relationships as people learn how he communicates, and start to see the actual value in him as an individual, and stop putting so much stress on the words he uses.

While many people will probably see Groot as some form of comic relief, the truth is he’s a very powerful character that shows just how profound language can be when language isn’t used the way people expect it to be used. Groot is incredibly limited with communication. His friend Rocket Raccoon has the greatest understanding of Groot’s subtle nonverbal and verbal cues, often “translating” what Groot is actually saying for everyone else. While it takes time, slowly the group realizes that the size of a person’s vocabulary doesn’t impact their actual ability in any way, and Groot becomes the cornerstone of the team.

There are a lot of people in our own world who are similarly limited with vocabulary and communication. Until Groot hit the silver screen, it was rare to see a powerful, loveable, unforgettable character with similar language restrictions as a valuable cornerstone in a band of heroes. In fact, Groot is a powerful character for all of us, as he bridges the gap between science fiction, imagination, and our own world. He shows us just how extraordinary nonverbal communication can be while highlighting the fact that limited language skills doesn’t negatively impact a person’s value in society, with friends, and with family.

Groot’s understanding of the world around him, his place in it, and complex relationships is awe-inspiring. He’s often the level-headed individual in the group, the glue that keeps them all together and focused on the moral goodness of their goal, something a group of mercenaries desperately needs. His loyalty is staggering, and the depth of his emotion is impressive. His heart is as big as the galaxy that he lives in, and while he’s capable of shocking feats of violence, the tender moments, like when he gives a young girl a flower, show that Groot might not be able to say much, but he’s incredibly deep, and delightfully layered. His actions say more than words ever could, and in that regard he is extremely eloquent. Really, that’s all that matters.

Groot is an incredibly powerful character who can kindly educate those of us who might not understand. Others who might struggle with similar issues can feel empowered and relate to him in a way that’s rare for popular culture. Groot gives us a tiny, but powerful, insight into the power of communication, often overlooked nonverbal cues, and the struggle an individual faces as he or she tries to be understood in a world where words are valued more than those nonverbal and tonal cues that so many rely on. Most importantly, Groot is so much more than those three words “I am Groot,” so much so, that those words start becoming a symbol for everything that makes him who he is.

Drax is another character that really fascinates me, probably because he reminds me of my brother in a lot of ways. Drax is completely literal in a world where being completely literal is a huge disadvantage. We don’t really realize how many metaphors we use until someone like Drax enters the show. Drax has an extensive vocabulary, and a broad understanding of the bigger picture while he often misses small details. He also has a tendency to not see the import of many of those small details that he does catch, or assign either no emotion, or an “awkward” emotion to them – like when he laughs uproariously at the spaceships blowing up all around him while everyone else is obviously worried. He uses numerous impressive words to say the same thing, but lacks any form of subtlety, as evidenced when he’s trying to give his friends a compliment but ends up offending them instead, calling Gamora a whore, and Groot a “big dumb tree” while the overarching sentiment is actually heartfelt.

Despite the details and social cues that he misses, Drax has a well-developed emotional and logical understanding of the world he lives in. These two different sides of him often balance out to allow him to function pretty normally in the world he has to navigate through, but there are moments where it’s obvious that he’s understanding and processing things a little differently. The end result is the same, and the logical thought process is deep and astounding, but the steps to get from point A to point Z are often processed and executed differently than his companions would expect.

I have seen quite a few comparisons between Drax and autism online, and while that comparison holds, it’s important to note that a lot of people have a similar perception and understanding of the world as Drax without being autistic. My brother, for example, is not autistic, but he has neurodevelopment issues which causes him to function and understand in incredibly similar ways to Drax. Drax is a very empowering character for someone like my brother, who can watch him in a movie, relate to him completely, and feel empowered and valued by seeing a celebrated character with such a similar way of navigating the world as him.

Drax and Groot do wonderful things towards breaking down the stigma and misunderstandings surrounding people who might perceive, and communicate differently. Guardians of the Galaxy shows how powerful and unforgettable these diverse characters can be, while also showing how frustrating it can be to live in a world where your understanding, perception, and ability to communicate can be different than what is considered “normal.”

Perhaps what impresses me most is that, other than a few places online, the fact that Groot and Drax are fantastic commentary regarding the differently abled in our own society is largely overlooked by viewers. In fact, unless you set out looking for that sort of thing, it’s probably missed. That might sound like a negative, but it really is a positive. Think of it this way: The creators of the movie did such a great job at making characters who are not defined, and in fact transcend, all of those things that could so easily have held them back. We are more than the sum of our parts. Groot is not three words. Drax is not an inability to understand metaphors, and Guardians of the Galaxy shows that perfectly. I am more than my degenerative disorder. My brother is more than his wheelchair, spina bifida, and a neurodevelopment issue. Neither Groot nor Drax are any less capable of being heroes and saving a galaxy because they might understand or communicate differently.

We need more of that in our movies and books. We need more characters who aren’t defined by their different abilities, but transcend all of that. It’s so empowering and important for people to read books and watch movies full of characters that are so real that the fact that they might not completely fit into those arbitrary standards that society has decided is “normal” doesn’t matter.

And that’s what Groot and Drax do so well – they show us that anyone and everyone can be a hero.

The Epic Best Books of 2014 List

I know I said I’d wait until January to write this list, but December 31 is close enough. I’m doing it a little different this year. I read so many books in 2014 (I’m at 204 right now), instead of doing a top ten thing, I’m breaking it down by SFF subgenre (as much as I can before I drive myself crazy). I tend to lump books into categories that might not make sense to anyone but me, so enjoy the glimpse into my odd thought process. Also, I’ve tried to only put up books I’ve reviewed, but in some rare cases (one, actually)  I haven’t managed to review the book yet. Sorry. The Honorable Mention category is full of books that I thought of after I wrote my list and thought they needed a mention.

Hold onto your hats, kids. Here we go!

(Note: I know as soon as I post this I’ll think of a million other books to add. This took me so long I’m just about crosseyed, so I apologize for all of those worthy books I overlooked. My brain is fried. Due to the fried brain thing, I’m pretty sure I was repetitive with some of paragraphs I wrote about the books… Oh well. I’m sure you’ll forgive me. I can only be so clever before my creativity shuts off and demands a rest.)

Best Social Science Fiction

3. Afterparty – Daryl Gregory

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Set in a plausible near future, Afterparty has everything I want my social science fiction books to have. Tight writing, a future that feels real, and a thought-provoking premise. Add in a realistic and incredibly insightful view into things like addiction, and all the things that personally, interpersonally, and socially comes with drugs, and you have one fast-paced, hard-to-put-down, impossible to forget novel.

2. Binary – Stephanie Saulter

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Binary is the second book in a series that has absolutely blown me away to the point where I can’t stop thinking about it. Another book set in a near future, where a supervirus ravaged the world, Binary explores the tug and pull of social ties, how humanity deals with differences, and so much more. Featured heavily in this series is the important theme of differently abled – note, not disabled, but differently abled. Talented, misunderstood people who are fighting for equality. It’s a book that made me think, and made me feel intensely.

1. Lock In – John Scalzi

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I really said everything I need to say in my reviewish thing I linked above. Lock In isn’t just a fantastic (if somewhat predictable) mystery. It’s an exploration of disability and ability, how we relate to each other, what makes us human, and so much more. Speculative fiction needs more books like this taking up room on its shelves, and I applaud Scalzi for not just writing such a thoughtful, fantastic exploration of a topic that doesn’t get the attention it deserves, but for doing it with such grace, integrity, intelligence and poise, as well as doing it in such a captivating way.

Best Science Fiction

3. The Abyss Beyond Dreams – Peter F. Hamilton

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This book will probably bounce off of some Hamilton fans because it’s a lot different than what you’ll expect from this author. There isn’t much space travel, and there’s a lot of politics in a world that lacks quite a bit in the way of science fiction. However, it really shows how Hamilton excels at the subtlety, the details, and the politics. Remarkable characters, and a plot with plenty of twists and turns, this book has the potential to wow you, despite how different it is from what you’re probably expecting. I do recommend reading the other Void books before hitting this one. It is absolutely necessary to know what happened before to understand what is happening here.

2. The Martian – Andy Weir

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I didn’t want to read this book, for all the reasons I state in my review, but man am I glad I did. The Martian is one of those books that proves why assuming things about books is dumb. Absolutely amazing writing, spot-on science (a lot of which I never really grasped fully but didn’t care one bit that I didn’t completely understand it) and one of the most tense, atmospheric plots and fantastic world building, The Marian does everything right. Mark my words, this will be a movie someday soon.

1. The Three Body Problem – Cixin Liu

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I didn’t want to read this book. I try to avoid translations due to some bad experiences in the past, but I’m also really sick of western settings, and I’ve heard trusted people rave about this one. I gave it a try, and wow. Part social scifi, part historical, part hard science fiction, all brilliant writing, fantastic world building, and absolutely, incredibly compelling and fantastically thought provoking. I drowned in this book, and I loved doing it. I can’t wait for the rest of the series. It might take me another read to fully grasp some of the finer points, but that’s okay. It’s a book that I won’t get tired of re-reading.

Contemporary

3. Cursed Moon – Jaye Wells

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Dark and edgy, Cursed Moon is the second book in an urban fantasy series that I absolutely fell in love with. The city of Babylon is intricately crafted, and the police work is realistic to the world that Wells has created. Cursed Moon ups the ante a bit. It’s darker, a bit more uncomfortable than the previous book, but it also shines brighter. Less time is spent on building the foundation, and more time is spent on the plot, and all those details I love so much. Cursed Moon shows what Wells is capable of.

2. Sleeping Late on Judgement Day – Tad Williams

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This is the last book in the Bobby Dollar series, and man is it a good one. In fact, I think it’s probably my favorite book in the series. Bobby Dollar has come a long way, and so has the world. Williams obviously has fun writing this series, and that’s part of what makes it so incredibly addicting. It’s a perfect balance of dark and light, with a character that is so messed up and flawed you can’t help but love him, thrown in a bag with Tad’s incredible writing and shaken well. Each book can be read alone, but you’ll appreciate it more if you start with the first one, and move through to this.

1. Tainted Blood – M.L. Brennan

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Hands down, this is my favorite book in Brennan’s series so far. Her writing just gets better and better. The characters make me laugh out loud (which is rare for me when I read), the mystery kept me guessing and surprised, and the continual growth of the characters and their relationships enchanted me. However, what really gets me the most is the mythology that Brennan builds off of. She never seems to choose the typical urban fantasy types of supernaturals, instead she infuses her world with global cultures and it pays off in a myriad of ways. Tainted Blood amazed me. Start with the first book in the series, and work your way to this one. You won’t regret it.

Dark Contemporary

3. The Heart Does Not Grow Back – Fred Venturini

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This book has flown under the radar, and it really shouldn’t. This is a modern day superhero tale – what makes some people great, and what breaks them. The moral lines are blurred, and the ambiguous quality of this book makes it have a much larger impact than I expected. Venturini is a hell of an author, and though this book is incredibly dark, it’s also full of compassion, and self discovery. Shocking, raw, and one hell of a journey, this book is a must read.

2. Sparrow Hill Road – Seanan McGuire

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I’m not big on ghost stories. Let me say that right now. I generally don’t care. However, Sparrow Hill Road is enough of a twist on the ghost story that it absorbed me, and just about made me obsessed. McGuire’s writing is amazing, and the twist on this ghost story makes it unforgettable. Don’t write off ghost stories – at least, don’t write off this one. Love, loyalty, heartbreak, and fantastic mythology – Sparrow Hill Road has it all.

1. Pretty Little Dead Girls – Mercedes Murdock Yardley

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There really isn’t anything I can say here that I haven’t already said. This is the first book I’ve read by Yardley, and it certainly won’t be the last. The writing is fantastic, the narrative is different but unique, and the storyline is a perfect blend of innocence and darkness. This one stuck with me, a true gem that deserves all of the praise it can get.

Historical Fantasy

3. The Seat of Magic – J. Kathleen Cheney 

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The Seat of Magic is the second book in a series that I absolutely love. The supernatural creatures and people are real and rare to find in fantasy books. The mythology they are based on has been finely researched and the book is perfectly crafted. The writing is stunning, and the unique historical Portuguese setting puts the cherry on top of the sundae. You’ll want to start with book one, but you won’t mind. This series is getting better and better, and it’s absolutely refreshing because it’s truly one of a kind.

2. Arcanum – Simon Morden

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Unicorns, magic, politics, religion, and middle ages Europe. What could possibly be better than that? This book is long, and epic in just about every way, full of a nice blend of fantasy and actual history. You’ll learn something, and enjoy the imagination at the same time. Morden is a practiced writer, and the book is nearly flawless due to it and shockingly intricate.

1. Dreamer’s Pool – Juliet Marillier

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All you have to say is Ireland and I’m there. Stunning, poetic writing, diverse characters with unique voice, and IRELAND. I really don’t need to say anything more than that.

Sword and Sorcery

3. Iron Age – Angus Watson

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This really could fit in the historical category as well as here. Iron Age seemed to bounce off of a lot of people, but it really worked for me. I loved the history, and I loved the magic, and I loved the carnage, the battles, and the dirty realism of the whole period. The sense of adventure and the quest aspect of it is why I lumped it into Sword and Sorcery. Watson is a fantastic author, The plot takes off at a fast clip, and Watson really doesn’t make anything prettier than it probably was. The magic is subtle but powerful, and the swords are sharp and draw lots of blood. I couldn’t ask for more.

2. The Barrow – Mark Smylie

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The Barrow is raw, dirty, X-Rated and fantastic. It reminds me of a Dungeons and Dragons quest on some sort of drug. Everyone is flawed, which is half of what charmed me so much. The plot is fast moving, the world is stunningly realized, and the grit is, well, gritty. This is a book you won’t want to read if you don’t enjoy sex and violence, but if that sort of thing doesn’t bother you, do yourself a favor and check this one out. It’s not just the traditional quest plot. It’s so much more.

1. Traitor’s Blade – Sebasien de Castell

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Traitor’s Blade is one of the books I’m most pleased that I read this year. This is another one of those traditional group of people on a quest books, but the world and politics are so deftly crafted I couldn’t put them down, and the narrative voice is stunningly memorable. de Castell is an insanely talented author. If you haven’t read this book yet, why not? I can’t wait for the next one.

Epic Fantasy

3. Prince of Fools – Mark Lawrence

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Prince of Fools is set in the same world as Jorg, but this isn’t Jorg. Jalen is a much lighter, brighter character, but he’s also completely aware of his flaws, and that’s part of what is so damn charming about him. The book is dark, as all of Lawrence’s seem to be, but it’s also probably a bit easier for some readers to digest because of the main character’s “brighter” voice. Don’t worry, though. The world is still sprawling. The plot is just as impressively vast, and the characters are just deep and remarkable. I’m starting to believe that Lawrence can do no wrong.

2. Steles of the Sky – Elizabeth Bear

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This is the last book in a trilogy that I’m really sad to let go of. There’s something about Bear’s sprawling world, shocking cast of characters, and incredible talent with the written word that made this one work in every possible way. Steles of the Sky needs to be read after the other two books in the series, but in my humble opinion, this is some of her best work. It was painful to read that last page. I didn’t want to say goodbye.

1. The Mirror Empire – Kameron Hurley

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I don’t even know. I think I’ll have to read this book again to grasp the whole thing, but all I really need to say is that Kameron Hurley has one hell of an impressive mind in that head of hers. This book gracefully challenges all sorts of tropes, social ideas, and… god, it just does everything I didn’t expect it to do, and brought an incredible plot along with it. Is it for everyone? No. This book requires some effort, and I think you’ll need to be in the right mood to read it, but if you’re in that mood, wow. Prepare to be impressed.

Horror

3. The Three – Sarah Lotz

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The Three is a book about a global tragedy, and the impact it has on society, told not from the main perspectives of people involved, but told from the perspectives of all sorts of people around the incidents. I don’t even know if that makes sense, but it’s told in one of the most unique fashions I’ve ever read, and it really worked for me. It didn’t scare me, per se, but it did make me wonder and it weirded me out. The execution was very effective, and the story was absolutely gripping in a sort of Stephen King way.

2. The Shining Girls – Lauren Beukes

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Lauren Beukes managed to weird me out, which is very hard to do. In fact, I don’t typically like to read horror because it usually leaves me wondering at which point I was supposed to be scared. This one didn’t really scare me, but it gave me uncomfortable dreams and occupied a lot of my thoughts. Weird and creepy, fantastic world world building and characters that get right into your mind, this book is part horror and part psychological masterpiece. Color me impressed.

1. The Girl with All the Gifts – M.R. Carey

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I don’t know what to say about this one that won’t give important parts of it away, so I’ll just leave a few small thoughts. Fantastic writing. Thought provoking plot, and finally, wow.

Young Adult 

3. While We Run – Karen Healey

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Social science fiction with young adult characters forced to make adult decisions. While We Run is the second book in a series, and it leaves readers plenty to think about, from global warming, to mass migrations, cryogenic freezing, and the role of government in individual lives. While We Run has it all, with a dash of romantic tension to make everything that much more exciting. This is a young adult book that can easily appeal to a wide age range of readers, and is really worth reading if you’re into social issues like that. Start with When We Wake.

2. The Accidental Highwayman – Ben Tripp

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I didn’t want to read this, and then I got the book in the mail and decided to give it a chance. The blurb says it’s like The Princess Bride, and it is. Enchanting, with a fairytale quality that really pushes it over the edge, and some wonderful world building. Tripp is a great author as well as illustrator, and the pictures throughout the book are a lot of fun and add a new dimension to the novel that made it a lot of fun, but helped me picture things as well. Bonus, the footnotes are educational without being oppressive, and the book is generally just a lot of fun.

1. Blightborn – Chuck Wendig

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This is the only book on my list I haven’t reviewed yet, because I just finished it. Honestly, Wendig really shocked me with his foray into YA. This series is billed as young adult, but the themes are adult enough to appeal to those of us who aren’t YA anymore. There’s a lot of tension, plenty of action, and Wendig subtly and skillfully deals with issues like social class, disability, and relationships wonderfully.Start with Under the Empyrean Sky and move to this one. The third book will be out in 2015. This is another series I’ll be sad to say goodbye to. It’s epic in every conceivable way, and packs one hell of a punch.

Honorable Mentions

The Goblin Emperor – Katherine Addison

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The Goblin Emperor is more of a coming of age tale than anything else, but honestly, hands down, this is some of the best writing I’ve read this year. The plot is fantastic, subtle, slow moving, but beautiful and artistic. The characters are some of the most skillfully crafted I’ve ever read, but it’s the prose that really did it for me. Honestly, some of the most artistic, skillful writing I’ve read in a long time. This is one of those books I’d read just to enjoy the prose, but thankfully the plot is just as impressive as the prose.

City of Stairs – Robert Jackson Bennett

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This is another book that makes me want to throw my hands up and say, “Just read the damn thing already.” Bennett hasn’t ever disappointed me, and if it’s possible, each book is better than his last. This is easily his best work. It’s his first book set in a secondary world, and it’s so well written, fantastically crafted and absolutely impossible to put down. This is a masterpiece in every respect.

Fool’s Assassin – Robin Hobb

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Robin Hobb is a very celebrated author, but I was really reluctant to read her spinoff to one of my favorite series. I shouldn’t have been. This book was one of the highlights of my year. No one can create a character like Hobb. Her older characters were just as interesting as her new ones. While most of the book is filling in gaps, detailing daily life and the such, somehow Hobb makes that just as interesting as any sword fight ever would be. I don’t know how she does it. Robin Hobb could writing a shopping list and I’d probably be riveted by it. The woman can do no wrong.

Dust and Light – Carol Berg

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Carol Berg is one of my favorite authors. She’s also incredibly sweet, which makes me doubly happy to add her to this list. Dust and Light is part politics, part personal and family struggle. She has a way with writing downtrodden, rather tortured characters that absolutely mesmerizes me, and this book is no different. However, Berg is also one of the most sensual authors I can think of. Her books are packed with sensation, magic, detail, and layers. I can’t put them down, or stop thinking about them. This one didn’t disappoint. The magic is unique in a way that only Berg can manage, the so is the world. Her characters are just as tortured, and their voices are just as memorable. Well worth reading. This one was absolutely delightful.

Special Needs in Strange Worlds – A Look Back at 2014

Please wander over to SF Signal and check out my recap of this year, as well as the top 10 posts of 2014. Special Needs in Strange Worlds has been the delight of my year, and I’m really, really excited about what happened with it, and where it is (hopefully) going.

In other news, Jim C. Hines gave my column a shout-out on his website. That absolutely made my day!

Under the Empyrean Sky – Chuck Wendig

About the Book

Corn is king in the Heartland, and Cael McAvoy has had enough of it. It’s the only crop the Empyrean government allows the people of the Heartland to grow? And the genetically modified strain is so aggressive that it takes everything the Heartlanders have just to control it. As captain of the Big Sky Scavengers, Cael and his crew sail their rickety ship over the corn day after day, scavenging for valuables, trying to earn much-needed ace notes for their families. But Cael’s tired of surviving life on the ground while the Empyrean elite drift by above in their extravagant sky flotillas. He’s sick of the mayor’s son besting Cael’s crew in the scavenging game. And he’s worried about losing Gwennie? his first mate and the love of his life? forever when their government-chosen spouses are revealed. But most of all, Cael is angry? angry that their lot in life will never get better and that his father doesn’t seem upset about any of it. Cael’s ready to make his own luck . . . even if it means bringing down the wrath of the Empyrean elite and changing life in the Heartland forever.

354 pages (Hardcover)

Published on July 30, 2013

Published by Skyscape

Author’s webpage

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—

I’m going to lay some brutal honesty on you guys.

I had just about no desire to ever read a young adult book written by Chuck Wendig.

I know that’s the rudest thing I’ve ever said, but I’m saying it to give you some context. I’m not a huge fan of young adult books in the first place. However, the thing that really held me back was the fact that I couldn’t picture the mind that created Miriam Black being able to swing into young adult. I thought the book would pay for it, and Wendig is one of my absolute favorite authors and I never really wanted to read a book I was sure I wouldn’t like.

And I’m telling you right now that I was wrong, and I should never have been reluctant to read Under the Empyrean Sky.

Under the Empyrean Sky is an interesting mix of steampunk, scifi, dystopian, and emotional angst. There are a lot of interesting elements in this novel, and Wendig somehow manages to smash them together so they work, rather than make the book feel disjointed and too busy. In fact, the plot is simplified a little bit to make room for the world building and complex elements, but it works.

Most of the book follows the story of Cael, a down on his luck scavenger with some rather tropy feeling enemies, like Boyland Barnes Jr. Cael’s father isn’t much to write about, and his sister makes a brief appearance so I couldn’t really get a pin on her. He has an illicit affair from which springs much angst, which also feels kind of tropey.

And I know that all sounds horrible. Who likes a trope, right, much less so many of them.

However, that’s part of what absolutely enchanted me with Under the Empyrean Sky. It starts out feeling like something you’d expect it to feel like in just about every aspect, and then Wendig slowly adds depth and subtlety to the characters, the world and the plot. Cael stops being the boy who tries too hard, and you start seeing his flaws and the things that make him human and slightly annoying. His father gets the tables turned on him pretty fast, and readers quickly realize he’s not really a deadbeat, or lackluster wallpaper anymore, but someone far more impressive than you expect. Boyland Barnes never really stops being a jerk, but readers will start seeing some of what made him that way, and you’ll start feeling some sympathy. Cael’s romance stops being so romantic, which makes the introduction of the triangular romantic angst more tolerable and far less eye-rollish than I expected.

Yes, Under the Empyrean Sky starts tropey, but what I’m saying is that works, because Wendig quickly takes all of those tropes that ease you into a comfortable tale, and turns them on their heads. The world stops being overwhelmingly dystopian, and Wendig weaves in those elements that makes it truly unique, from some Sci-Fi technology, to the corn that seems to have its own sentient personality, to the Blight, and the social class issues that play a huge role in the novel without being oppressive. The characters aren’t cardboard cutouts of characters I’ve read a hundred times before, but they are complex and multifaceted, with flaws and strengths. They make good choices and dumb ones, and their backgrounds play into who they are and who they are becoming. The conflict is slightly obvious, but it ends on such a note where it’s easy to see how that is going to be just as complex and surprising as everything else.

I should also state that this book is obviously a setup for what comes next in the series, and the ending shows that, while things might go the way you expect, the rest of the series won’t. In fact, the time Wendig took to set up things so intricately in this book will pay off with the rest of the series. He has freed up a lot of time to focus on the characters, the politics, and the mixing and merging of two very different worlds, which really is where all the compelling elements lie.

If you can’t tell, the thing that really delighted me about Under the Empyrean Sky was its masterful execution. Wendig used all of his wiles to present his readers with a book that is easy to warm up to and feel comfortable with. And then he takes it and twists it. Wendig throws you down the rabbit hole, turns the tables and then makes it obvious that whatever you thought this book was, it’s far more complex, layered, and thought provoking than you expected.

I went into this novel expecting to read a delightful little romp about a bunch of angsty teenagers who walk through a lot of corn, and I got something else entirely. Under the Empyrean Sky has incredible world building, fantastic characters, an addicting plot. Furthermore, it’s packed full of thought provoking themes that deal with sexuality, diversity, acceptance, and social class with poise and maturity. This book is the kind of young adult novel that I love, and Wendig is a master craftsman.

Here’s some more honesty for you guys:

I usually simmer about a month between books in a series. It lets me digest, and helps me not get sick of the series (I suffer from that, I hate to admit). I approach each book with fresh eyes when I take a break. I couldn’t do that with this one. I’m already halfway through Blightborn because I just couldn’t let myself stop. That’s something I never, in a million years thought I’d ever say about a young adult book or series.

 

5/5 stars

Nexus – Ramez Naam

About the Book

Mankind gets an upgrade

In the near future, the experimental nano-drug Nexus can link human together, mind to mind. There are some who want to improve it. There are some who want to eradicate it. And there are others who just want to exploit it.

When a young scientist is caught improving Nexus, he’s thrust over his head into a world of danger and international espionage – for there is far more at stake than anyone realizes.

From the halls of academe to the halls of power, from the headquarters of an elite US agency in Washington DC to a secret lab beneath a top university in Shanghai, from the underground parties of San Francisco to the illegal biotech markets of Bangkok, from an international neuroscience conference to a remote monastery in the mountains of Thailand – Nexus is a thrill ride through a future on the brink of explosion.

460 pages (paperback)

Published on December 18, 2012

Published by Angry Robot

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

—

This year I learned that social SciFi is one of my favorite (sub?) genres. I can’t seem to get enough of the stuff, and when it’s done well, I can’t stop thinking about it. Books that take place in the near future and deal with our various social issues and evolutions seem to be the thing that gets me going.

Nexus is a book that I really should have been aware of when it came out, but I wasn’t. I ran across it randomly at the library and kind of kicked myself for not reading it sooner. Nexus deals with all the things that I really enjoy. It’s political, deals with drugs, human evolution, the merging of humanity and technology, underground markets, and all of the societal pressures that all of that entails.

The book follows the trail of a few specific characters, each coming at the mystery/plot from different, very justifiable angles. The different perspectives regarding Nexus, and its impact on politics and social structures are probably the most interesting part of the book, and Naam works with these different backgrounds and perspectives perfectly.

The world is a huge, diverse place, and everyone has a story. While readers will like some characters more than others, Naam’s use of these powerful and diverse perspectives makes the book stronger, and will cause readers to be more emotionally invested. Furthermore, it strips Nexus from having strict blacks and whites in aspects of morality.

I love books that deal with moral gray areas, and this one does in big, impressive ways. This moral gray-ness makes the book incredibly thought provoking. It’s easy to see how numerous people from numerous backgrounds and cultures to deal with the social changes and pressures that Nexus would bring, and it made me wonder where our world is going, and just how I, or “we” would deal with a drug like Nexus hitting the market.

The book moves forward at a fast clip, and the mystery is interesting, and rather compelling, but it’s all the stuff I mentioned above that really made Nexus sing. However, this is also where I found the biggest flaws in the book. There are some leaps of logic, some obvious moves, some of the characters felt more like sketches at certain points. The world building and the futurist elements are vastly more engaging and well done that the actual plot. Thankfully those fantastic aspects are also so easy to pay attention to, and think about, and it tends to mask the rather ho-hum parts of the plot and the fact that the book is rather unbalanced as a whole.

Perhaps this book impressed me less than I first thought due to the unbalanced feel that I mentioned above. For such thought provoking world building and real future, some of the rather cartoonish character elements and predictable plot points left me a little underwhelmed in the scope of things. I’ve read some truly solid social science fiction this year, and while this does probably rank among them in many ways, it has its own set of problems.

What Nexus is based on is far and away incredible. It is sure to leave readers thinking important thoughts, and the vision of the future is shockingly believable and plausible. It is very unfortunate that the actual plot doesn’t match the world building. The characters did a great job at highlighting the different perspectives and stripping away any moral absolutes. With all these points of the book that just rocked so hard, I am hesitant to give Nexus an incredible rating. It just isn’t balanced, and that is felt.

Is Nexus worth reading? Absolutely. Are there problems? Unquestionably. However, it’s also thought provoking, well written, believable, and based on one of the more hauntingly believable futures I’ve ever read. That seemed to overwhelm anything else.

 

3/5 stars

A Huge THANK YOU to Chuck Wendig

All I have to say is….

This package floored me. Astounded me. Shocked me.

And it just proves, yet again, that this genre is full of some of the most amazing, intelligent, kind, talented people I’ve ever met.

Thank you, Chuck Wendig, for your incredible gift, and for, yet again, proving how fantastic you really are.

Wow.

Just wow.

(And yes, they are all autographed.)

Happy (insert whatever holiday you may or may not celebrate here), everyone!

2014 in Review

This isn’t a “best of” list. I’m waiting until January to do that.

Life:

2014 has been absolutely insane. One year ago my husband lost his job. He landed a dream job (thanks a ton to the helpful advice that we got through this website, and to all of you who helped us during that time. I’ll never forget it.) and has been working happily. I got a promotion at work, and while the shift just about kills me (I have to wake up at 4am), I love the job itself. Add to that another cancer round (my scan looks good but the tumor markers in my blood are bad, so we’re waiting to see where/when it surfaces next). Plus a total shoulder rebuild (surgery number 11 thanks to my joint disorder) complete with cadaver parts. It looks like the surgery didn’t actually work, which upsets me to a level I can’t put into words. All things health have been interesting and very stressful.

But, I refuse to let that define me. Sometimes I have to remind myself that more than others, but I won’t let it get me down. And, thankfully, my life contains a lot more than just health stuff. I have a beautiful daughter, a fantastic husband, and a job where i’m surrounded by people who always teach me something and make me laugh. Yes, I get frustrated and feel overwhelmed, but in the scope of things, life is so much more than…. that.

In things bookish: 

As of today I have read 195 books. I have high hopes of hitting 200 (a personal best) before January 1.

Special Needs in Strange Worlds on SF Signal has been an absolute delight, and one of the most humbling, profoundly touching things I have ever been part of. I love my column, but I’m shocked by how many people read my column, and how much it has enlightened me and impassioned me regarding the importance of disabilities in the genre. I want so desperately to become a stronger mouthpiece for this incredibly (and very wrongly) overlooked group and aspect of the genre. This is going to be a huge focus of mine next year.

Every year I give myself some bookish focuses. I think it’s pretty easy for readers to slip into niches and stay in their comfort zones. Being a reviewer, and being proud of the work I do in the genre, I think it is important for me to spread my horizons and honestly experience as much of this genre that I love as possible. So each year I set focus goals for myself where I focus on some areas of speculative fiction I don’t give enough attention. This year I focused on young adult and urban fantasy. I learned that yes, I am very picky regarding YA, and no, I genuinely don’t like most of it. I also learned that urban fantasy tends to be my lifeblood when I’m going through health drama, and I like it a lot more than I thought I did. I also respect it for its ability to detach me from reality when reality gets a little to heavy.

Somehow on Twitter I gained roughly 1,000 more followers in 2014. Most of you guys are probably bots, but the number astounds me and makes me very happy.

I was on five different podcasts ranging from one time, to however many times I’ve been on SF Signal. A few of the podcasts were people interviewing me, which was intimidating, surreal, and lots of fun. I love, love, love podcasting. It’s so nice to be able to actually talk to other people who love the genre as much as I do.

This year I also wrote some of the most popular things I’ve ever written in the history of ever. I’m rather amazed by the hits. The most popular post on Bookworm Blues in the history of anything I’ve ever written is:

I Am Not Broken: The Language of Disability

Followed by:

A Discussion of Disability in Lock In

This says a lot about my focus, and I’m sincerely hoping to write more things of this nature in the near future.

Upcoming in 2015

I have formed some sort of twisted alliance with Shaun Duke of The Skiffy and Fanty Show. Shaun will help me co-edit the very first Special Needs in Strange Worlds anthology. It will be published in 2015. I’m not sure when, but this thing is really happening, and I plan to start hard work on it after the holiday chaos dies down a bit.

I will continue my column on SF Signal. I’m always looking for content, so please hit me up if you have ideas or offers in that direction.

I’m going to be a panelist for the first time at a convention here in Utah. The convention is called LTUE, it happens every February. I will be on a panel talking about (drum roll, please) the importance of disabilities in speculative fiction. I’m very, very excited, and I sincerely hope that I can be on more panels, at more conventions in the future. (That’s a hint to all you convention organizers out there.) Furthermore, if health chaos doesn’t hit me again, I will absolutely be at WorldCon in Washington. If I can’t make it there, then I will 100% be at MileHi Con in Denver in October.

I want to continue branching out, on podcasts, and on websites, and in person at conventions, and other events. We’ll see where I get with that. I’m not good at promoting myself, and apparently that’s what you need to do if you want to do a lot of the stuff that I want to do.

My reading goals will be: 

Small Press

Older genre works (I’m thinking early 1980’s and earlier)

And that’s about all I have to say as of right now. I’ll be posting a “Best of” list in early January.

I really want to thank everyone who makes my time in this genre so incredible and invigorating. You guys challenge me, and keep me striving to understand and see the world in new, different, fantastic ways (and you succeed!). You make writing reviews so fun, and reading even more fun. 2014 has been so hard in so many ways, but despite how difficult it got, regardless of how broken I felt (and have been), I always knew I had a place to go where no one cared if I was falling apart, a place I could ignore the pressures tugging at me. I started this website to give myself a place to be excited about books and pretend people cared about my excitement. It’s insane to think that, almost five years later, there actually is a group of people out there who get just as excited as me and like to talk about these fantastic things I read about, think about, and experience.

You guys keep the fires of my passion for this genre hot and burning strong.

I can’t ever thank you enough.

Now, onward to 2015! 

Swords of Good Men – Snorri Kristjansson

About the Book

To Ulfar Thormodsson, the Viking town of Stenvik is the penultimate stop on a long journey in this riveting adventure of clashing Viking powers. Tasked with looking after his cousin after disgracing his father, he has traveled the world and now only wants to go home.

Stenvik is different: it contains the beautiful and tragic Lilja, who immediately captures Ulfar’s heart-–but Stenvik is also home to some very deadly men, who could break Ulfar in an instant.

King Olav is marching on Stenvik from the East, determined to bring the White Christ to the masses at the point of his sword, and a host of bloodthirsty raiders led by a mysterious woman are sailing from the north.

But Ulfar is about to learn that his enemies are not all outside the walls.

352 pages (hardcover)

Published on August 1, 2013

Published by Jo Fletcher Books

Author’s webpage

Buy the book

— 

Swords of Good Men is the first book in Snorri Kristjansson’s Valhalla Saga, an epic fantasy series based on Vikings, and all things Great White North. The magic is subtly woven into religion, and the world feels real and lived in, an important quality in any world. Furthermore, Kristjansson’s humor is woven throughout the book in subtle, yet fantastic ways.

Swords of Good Men is, at its heart, a siege story – a clashing of cultures and beliefs in a world that lots of people like to think they know a lot about, but really don’t know much about. While at its heart the plot is surprising, but fairly expected, it’s the details that really wowed me. (Those damn details. I’m such a sucker for them.)

The naming conventions aren’t so much “conventions” as actual names, which was welcome. In fact, that shows just what shined brightest about the world building. None of it felt made up or forced. In fact, it felt natural and real, from the names to the town, to the people who lived in the town, and the trials they faced. The small town of Stenvik comes to life, and is full of people with their own personalities, goals and desires. Some of them are jerks, some of them are wonderful, and all of them are delightful in their small town setting. While Kristjansson’s writing is strong and flowing, his short, sparse yet powerful descriptions work to highlight how these diverse personalities in a small northern town blazes to life and effect huge changes.

As I mentioned above, the plot is fairly typical – essentially it boils down to a weeklong attack on a town. However, it’s those small details I mentioned above that make it so memorable. Next to that, Kristjansson does some interesting things with perspective – things I thought I’d hate, but ended up enjoying. For example, he can go anywhere from a few paragraphs with one person, to a few pages, and the switches are often kind of random and sometimes unexpected.

That could easily make a book feel disjointed and clunky, but under Kristjansson’s manipulation, it’s those perspective switches that made a book that might have been “yet another book about a battle…” into something that is completely its own. Yes, it has those stereotypical elements, but these perspectives that Kristjansson often flashes onto and away from give the whole siege and conflict some absolutely fascinating depth it would have otherwise lacked. It works wonders at stripping away the “good side” and the “bad side” of the conflict. Cultural nuances (those details I so love) play a much larger role than they otherwise would, and with memorable characters on every imaginable side of the conflict in the book, readers will find sympathy in unexpected places.

Yet, Swords of Good Men have just about everything you’d want in an epic fantasy novel. There is some nobility, some poverty, and everything in between. There are gods, and different cultures, and religions clashing. While it has all of the things you’d expect to find in a novel twice its size, the fact that Kristjansson boils this entire epic saga (which is quite epic) down to the scope of one small village makes a lot of the epic-ness a lot easier to absorb and digest for readers. It’s epic, and grand, and huge, and sprawling, but it’s also boiled down to a manageable level that isn’t overwhelming. The focus cuts out a lot of the pork that can easily be found in other novels of this nature. Everything in Swords of Good Men matters, and it all works toward the goal that kristjansson has in sight.

It’s genius execution.

Perhaps what surprised me most is how juxtaposed this novel is. It’s soft and it’s hard, focusing on the roughest parts of the seedy human underbelly, like abuse and war and bloodshed, to the softest, like love, hope, warm desire, and personal growth. Mixed with the author’s wry humor, the balance between dark and light is just about perfect, and keeps this book from delving too far into almost oppressive grimdark or too far into the overly peppy and optimistic.

Swords of Good Men is an interesting blend of new and comfort fantasy. It’s an obvious setup for more to come, but not in a bad way. In fact, in Swords of Good Men, Kristjansson proves what he’s capable of (which is a lot). There are a lot of techniques he uses that have the ability to easily fail, but somehow Kristjansson makes it all work. In fact, he makes it work so well that he turns Swords of Good Men into an almost unforgettable Viking saga set in a world that is more real, textured and layered than expected, peppered with characters that will make you laugh, and feel strongly.

Swords of Good Men is a solid start to a dynamic series and proves that Kristjansson is a force in the genre to be reckoned with.

 

4/5 stars

The Flight of the Silvers – Daniel Price

About the Book

Without warning, the world comes to an end for Hannah and Amanda Given. The sky looms frigid white. The electricity falters. Airplanes everywhere crash to the ground. But the Givens are saved by mysterious strangers, three fearsome and beautiful beings who force a plain silver bracelet onto each sister’s wrist. Within moments, the sky comes down in a crushing sheet of light and everything around them is gone.

Shielded from the devastation by their silver adornments, the Givens suddenly find themselves elsewhere, a strange new Earth where restaurants move through the air like flying saucers and the fabric of time is manipulated by common household appliances.

Soon Hannah and Amanda are joined by four other survivors from their world—a mordant cartoonist, a shy teenage girl, a brilliant young Australian, and a troubled ex-prodigy. Hunted by enemies they never knew they had and afflicted with temporal abilities they never wanted, the sisters and their companions begin a cross-country journey to find the one man who can save them—before time runs out.

608 pages (hardcover)

Published on February 4, 2014

Published by Blue Rider Press

Author’s Webpage

Buy the book

This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

—

I had a love/hate relationship with The Flight of the Silvers. On the one hand, it’s tense and atmospheric with plenty of twists and turns to keep readers occupied. On the other hand, it just didn’t hit the mark for numerous reasons.

I struggle with books like this. I’ll be the first to admit it. If I can’t completely buy into the story, I’m probably not going to enjoy it as much as I should. It’s hard for an author to get me to buy into a tense thriller, especially if it’s set in our own world, or one very like it. If it’s not plausible, or explained well enough, I kind of turn off. Furthermore, even if I buy into it, it needs to be unique enough to keep me interested.

Essentially, The Flight of the Silvers might be a book that you feel like you’ve read (or watched) before. That’s part of the problem. While the plot is insanely enjoyable, and the potential for this to turn into a very powerful, very notable series is there, The Flight of the Silvers reminded me a bit of X-Men and LOST, with some tropey characters that needed a bit more development and some predictable plotlines that were liberally mixed into some thought-provoking elements.

The Flight of the Silvers is a nice mixture of done-before and unique to Daniel Price. In fact, as soon as I would start to sigh and turn off a bit, something would change and I’d get all sorts of excited again. Despite the issues that readers might run into with the things that I mentioned before, once the book gets going the world building gets considerably better, which makes the book more enjoyable.

In fact, that’s symptomatic of the book as a whole. After a really rough start, things start to iron out, and while I might not buy into parts of the book (for example, I think the characters accepted their situations way too easily), Price has a way with shrugging away these unbelievable or unexplainable things away. The better world building and the rather profound themes that the novel is built on become more obvious and engrossing as the novel progresses, which makes it easier to turn a blind eye to all the things that bothered me in the beginning.

In fact, before I knew it, I was finding myself rather absorbed and impressed with vast swaths of the book, and explaining away some of the issues I’ve picked on here. It’s the first book in a series, and it’s a huge one at that. First books in a series, and big first books, tend to suffer from issues. If some of the plot and character elements felt a little tired and lacked the umph that I was looking for, that’s okay. Much of the later plot and development of the world and plot made up for it.

The book is packed full of suspense and surprise. Things aren’t what they seem. In fact, Price spent quite a bit of time making his readers comfortable, introducing them to a book they might think they’ve read before, just to turn the tables and show them that this really isn’t that book at all. Yes, it can be predictable and tropey, but as you keep going, you’ll realize that maybe all of that was a setup for something surprising and more. Or maybe it wasn’t. I’m not sure yet, but I’ll check out the next book to see what happens.

The Flight of the Silvers is a long book, but it goes by pretty fast and is incredibly accessible despite its length. With the cranked up tension and the haunting atmosphere, this is a book that very well might keep you one-more-paging it all night. While I truly did enjoy this novel, I ended up lamenting all of the things that I mentioned above. I was left with an overwhelming feeling that this novel could have been something more, something that wowed me and impressed me in unexpected ways. As it was, I felt like this was a buildup. I am very anxious to see what happens next. The stage is set and this series has the potential to really become something completely unique and grabbing.

It just needs to break free from the ties that bind it.

 

3/5 stars

[Guest Post] Only Mostly Dead: A Return to Avery Cates by Jeff Somers

About the Author

Jeff Somers was born in Jersey City, New Jersey and regrets nothing. He is the author of the Avery Cates series of novels published by Orbit Books and The Ustari Cycle books Trickster and Fabricator (Pocket Books). He sold his first novel at age 16 to a tiny publisher in California which quickly went out of business and has spent the last two decades assuring potential publishers that this was a coincidence. Jeff publishes a zine called The Inner Swine and has also published a few dozen short stories; his story “Ringing the Changes” was selected for Best American Mystery Stories 2006, edited by Scott Turow and his story “Sift, Almost Invisible, Through” appeared in the anthology Crimes by Moonlight, published by Berkley Hardcover and edited by Charlaine Harris. His guitar playing is a plague upon his household and his lovely wife The Duchess is convinced he would wither and die if left to his own devices.

—

Only Mostly Dead: A Return to Avery Cates

When you write for a (terrible, poverty-ridden) living, there are always certain characters you come to love almost, but not quite, as much as you love life-giving whiskey. For me, Avery Cates is one of those characters. The story of Avery’s strange journey to publication has been told elsewhere, but the thumbnail remains impossible-sounding: First draft when I was 19 years old, fast forward 15 years and I ‛sold’ it to an Internet-only publisher with a strange business model and was assigned the amazing Lili Saintcrow as an editor, and when the publisher (inevitably) went out of business, Lili said, hey, this book is great can I show it to my editor? And then my agent called me up and demanded to know why I’d never shown her the manuscript, using hurtful language that stings to this day.

After five years and five books, I put Avery to bed and turned to other novels (Chum, We Are Not Good People) and other stories … but Avery never shut up. People always ask about a new Cates novel, and I always just shrugged and said mysterious things (to be fair, shrugging and saying mysterious things is how I handle most situations, and this tactic has landed me on twenty-four hours holds in psychiatric facilities more than once, which, I suppose, means I need a new tactic). But I always have ideas for Avery.

I think, for me, the main aspect of the universe Avery exists in, the fundamental truth of the whole place, is that Things Can Always Get Worse. That’s the guiding golden rule of Avery’s world, and it’s the basic rule I applied when plotting those stories out. Part of it was always an idea in the back of my head that violence is extremely limited for solving problems, and Avery’s entire toolbox is violence. I always tried to paint Avery as the most dangerous man in any room, but almost completely powerless in a larger context. And while his skills at murder and mayhem solve acute, immediate problems, they did nothing to stop the world’s inevitable slide into chaos and, in the final book of the series, nearly-sterile heat death.

Nearly.

But Avery wouldn’t shut up. And so I kept sketching out ideas for a new book, and a while ago I wrote a full-on opening sequence that turned out to be a pretty solid stand-alone story. And, seeing as it’s the holidays and I am somewhat sober, I thought, why not publish it. And so I did! It’s called The Shattered Gears and it gives a hint as to where Avery’s been and what he’s going to get up to.

But don’t get too excited. The Golden Rule remains things can always get worse.