Doug Lewars's Blog, page 59
December 15, 2017
The Sellout
The Sellout by Paul BeattyMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
*** Possible Spoilers ***
This book is the winner of the Man Booker Prize, one of the most prestigious prizes in literature. I'm currently reading my way through a wide selection of literary prize winners over the past two years to test a hypothesis. I came across a blog article that stated that literary prizes are given out only to books that enshrine the principles of social-justice thought, as defined by critical theory. While I haven't read enough works to either accept or refute the hypothesis, I can say that this particular book certainly meets the criteria. It is strongly anti-status-quo, anti-North-American-Society and anti white. That said, it is absolutely hilarious. The author has an acerbic wit and is a master at satire. However I find myself questioning the validity of this entry for the award. According to the Man Booker website, the prize is awarded "to the author of the best (in the opinion of the judges) eligible novel". This isn't a novel. Novels have plots. This doesn't. It's almost like a series of themed blog entries. Each chapter seems like a separate post. True the author focuses on the experiences of black people in North America but that's as far as it goes. Perhaps the book might be described as a series of vignettes, pointed observations regarding how blacks are treated. But it isn't a novel.
That said, I enjoyed it thoroughly. Perhaps I wasn't supposed to. Perhaps I was supposed to hang my head in white liberal angst. Instead I found myself laughing freely as the protagonist seeks to improve the lot of black people living in his neighborhood by reinstating segregation and slavery. It's a wild ride as the author pokes fun at whites, liberals of all shades, and black people. I'd have some doubts about recommending it to those who are properly politically correct but for anyone with a sense of humor this is a terrific book.
View all my reviews
December 6, 2017
All The Birds in The Sky
All the Birds in the Sky by Charlie Jane AndersMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
*** Possible Spoilers ***
This book won an award. I'm not entirely certain that it should have won an award but it did. I think they may have given it the award because this is one of the few books that has ever attempted to blend Science Fiction and Fantasy.
Basically the theme is that no matter how much chaos there is in the world and no matter the degree to which life and civilization is trembling on the brink, a good AI system coupled with a bit of magic can fix it ... well, maybe.
Technology is threatening to destroy the world. Magic is threatening to destroy the world. Blend them together and the world suddenly has a future. In addition, love conquers all. That's not bad for one book. Admittedly the ending is a little ambiguous. Things are supposed to be on the cusp of being saved but we don't know that they will be. Maybe the whole thing will blue-screen.
Anyway I think the book is fun to read. I've read better. I've read worse. I certainly don't regret the time I've invested in reading it so that's something. Plus it's educational as well. I now know not to believe everything a bird tells me. They don't necessarily lie. It's just that they do have ... well, bird brains.
I read some criticism that the dialogue was stilted. There is some truth to that but the main characters are fairly well done. The supporting characters seem to be placeholders. There are two sets of parents who are unbelievable and the bullies in the school are two-dimensional. Also there is one individual introduced early in the story who receives an impressive build-up and then amounts to nothing more than a plot device.
Certainly this book is not without its faults. It might be classified as Young-Adult except for the sex scene but I suppose that the author figured that anyone over the age of ten probably knows more about sex than their parents so she threw it in. The trouble with sex scenes is that they're hard to write without making them boring and, while this author did her best, those were a few pages you can just bleep over without losing anything of significance.
The highlight of the entire book for me was the riddle - not the one the tree asks but the one that Laurence asks. Anyway if you like both science fiction and fantasy and don't mind a few two-dimensional characters then this is a pretty good book.
View all my reviews
December 3, 2017
Do Not Say We Have Nothing
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine ThienMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
*** Possible Spoilers ***
I read this book cover to cover and I've rated it five stars; yet frankly I'm not sure whether I liked it or not. Certainly the author writes well. This is prose that is almost like poetry and very relaxing. However the plots moves slowly - painfully slowly at times. About the narrator who is the most interesting character we learn practically nothing. Instead the book is a long series of flashbacks telling the story of a family that was closely related to hers (not blood related) and how their daughter eventually managed to wind up living and influencing the narrator for a time and then vanishing.
It appears that the author's theme is that 'not everything will pass'; nevertheless, everything and everyone in the book is ephemeral - there for the moment and then washed away either by choice or by historical inevitability.
Character development is a large part of the story and yet they seldom seem to change. Sometimes one would like to reach out and grab Sparrow, Ai-ming, and Zhuli and shake them into some form of rational thinking. These are characters who stand around thinking deep introspective thoughts when the world is collapsing around their ears. It doesn't take all that much deep thought to figure out that if someone is shooting at you it's a really good idea to go in the opposite direction - quickly. As a result, while they are likeable, they really aren't believable.
The setting for this story is Mainland China starting with the Great Leap Forward through the Cultural Revolution and traveling forward in time all the way to the Tiananmen Square Massacre which, the author points out, was a bit of a misnomer since much of the killing occurred in areas somewhat removed from the square, and even in cities and towns outside of Beijing. It illustrates how the craving for power can result in a single-minded ideology that will ruthlessly crush any and all opposition. I doubt very much that Madeleine Thien would be particularly welcome in China after writing this novel.
I can recommend this novel but with a few caveats. If you don't like slow plot development then stay away. Also I found many of the characters difficult to understand coming as I do from a western perspective. Possibly if I had relatives in China it might make a big difference. Also many of the characters play or write music so if you don't like a bit of musical terminology or if you dislike classical music then this book probably isn't for you. Still, I found it fascinating. I still don't know if I liked it or not but, like an ear-worm, it continues to stay in my mind.
View all my reviews
November 25, 2017
The Haunted Book
The Haunted Book by Jeremy DysonMy rating: 3 of 5 stars
*** Possible Spoilers ***
This book contains a number of stories with a theme of the supernatural - ghosts primarily - and they're well-written and quite enjoyable. That's the good news. Unfortunately, in an attempt to create an atmosphere of scariness, the author prefixes his stories with a certain amount of commentary. He attempts to blend anecdote with the story and it doesn't work. For example, he suggests that the stories are being written to flesh out a series of anecdotes and that he traveled to the various story settings to get a feel for what was required in the story itself. Needless to say he attempts to create the sensation that perhaps something is just a little strange in the real world. However the result is a book that is part travelogue and part ghost stories. The ghost stores are entertaining. The travelogue is boring. In addition, he attempts to add verisimilitude by publishing a book within his book which, by itself, wouldn't be so bad except he finds it necessary to use graphic title pages and the occasional font that isn't easy to read.
I do recommend the ghost stories but you can just skip over everything in italics and the entire last section. The last section is supposed to be from an old manuscript and the page backgrounds are grey. The very last section of the book is black with white lettering in which he attempts to create the illusion that the book and the reader have merged during the reading. This section is just plain boring. So you might want to pick up this book and read the stories but I'd guess that about 50% can be skipped without any loss.
View all my reviews
November 24, 2017
What The Hell Did I Just Read
What the Hell Did I Just Read by David WongMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
*** Possible Spoilers ***
I would classify this book as a romp. I don't see that as an official genre but it probably should be. It's a variation on melodrama - a form that was generally employed in movies in the early 1900's. Basically the heroine - or in this case heroine and two heroes - stumbles from one crises to the next being saved at the last minute by someone or something. Here we have an alien invasion from ... somewhere - possibly another dimension - that takes the form of a thing that is attempting to breed and deposit its offspring on Earth. They arrive in the form of larvae that have the ability to alter human thinking. So, for example, a couple who are childless will 'remember' having and raising a child and that the child has been abducted. Eventually they will find it but they actually discover is a larva that feeds off them but is able to maintain their viability even as significant body parts are consumed. These larvae are almost unkillable but it turns out that this is a good thing for reasons I won't divulge. Nevertheless, in proper fantasy fashion, the fate of the planet and possibly the universe hangs in the balance.
The principle characters are young, largely aimless, and drug users. Think Animal House to get a general idea. They're moderately likeable and have the characteristic that they're the only ones in the community capable of detecting these and other supernatural critters. On the other side of the coin are a group of government people - black suits, black sunglasses, bad attitudes, pretty much indestructible but sort of on the same side. The two groups are sometimes at odds and sometime work together.
This is a fast paced and humorous book but don't look for any deep character insights or analysis of complex issues. This book is written for fun and it achieves that objective. Occasionally the author manages to slip in a dig at things like Internet Service Providers and they add to the story. Overall I enjoyed the book. I've encountered authors who could make me laugh more than this one but it was pretty good and well worth reading.
View all my reviews
November 22, 2017
Wham! Bam! Pow! Slam! - New E-novel
Wham! Bam! Pow! Slam
What would happen if a group of Superheroes and Super Villains were to suddenly have their jobs off-shored to India? IAA (International Authority Management) Corp. and Villainy Corporation need to cut costs so they fire their existing staff and proceed to hire individuals in New Delhi – at a tiny fraction of the cost of course. But can these new hires handle the new culture and highly technical – not to mention exceedingly dangerous – equipment that is used both to commit and control crime? And what of the former employees? Suddenly they find themselves out of work and having to go to an Outplacement company in order to learn an entirely new set of skills needed for landing a job. Can these men and women who have dedicated their working lives to super heroism and super villainy possibly find new careers in a tight job market? Have a look and find out!
What would happen if a group of Superheroes and Super Villains were to suddenly have their jobs off-shored to India? IAA (International Authority Management) Corp. and Villainy Corporation need to cut costs so they fire their existing staff and proceed to hire individuals in New Delhi – at a tiny fraction of the cost of course. But can these new hires handle the new culture and highly technical – not to mention exceedingly dangerous – equipment that is used both to commit and control crime? And what of the former employees? Suddenly they find themselves out of work and having to go to an Outplacement company in order to learn an entirely new set of skills needed for landing a job. Can these men and women who have dedicated their working lives to super heroism and super villainy possibly find new careers in a tight job market? Have a look and find out!
November 5, 2017
New Book Published! Hot off the ... e-press?
Do Not Disturb Sleeping Gods
An aggressive and power-hungry witch has allied herself and her coven with the Dark Elves and together they seek to raise a God. But can they control it? The guardians think not and request Janet and her team to assist another Guardian led team in stopping her. And if they fail? An unconstrained deity is capable of destroying all life on Earth – and possibly destroying the Mid-world as well.
"It’s our job to meld everyone into a team in order to defeat the witch.”
Kurt frowned, “Can we do that?”
“We really have no choice. There’s none of us that can go one-on-one with her. She’ll be backed by the power of her entire coven. We haven’t learned how to combine our magic so our only alternative is to work together. You need to figure out how to defeat her. Then you need to deploy us in such a way that we can execute your plan.”
“Suppose she’s just too tough? I mean suppose she has so much power that we just can’t compete - team or no team?”
“Then we’re dead.”
Kurt looked at her waiting for a follow-up that never came. Slowly the full realization of what she said sunk in. Either they worked as a team and found a way of defeating their opponent or their lives along with everyone else’s would be extinguished.
This is the third book in the Mid-world series. The first is Betwixt and Between in which we meet Jerry – who through accident – and Lynn – who through murder, find themselves between the world of the living and the final world to which humans eventually transition and about which nothing is known. They face more than a few dangers but find friends as well. The second book is Harsh Magic in a Frozen Land and the team is sent to the far north where the magic of the Winter Elves is at risk of falling into the hands of a truly dangerous individual.
An aggressive and power-hungry witch has allied herself and her coven with the Dark Elves and together they seek to raise a God. But can they control it? The guardians think not and request Janet and her team to assist another Guardian led team in stopping her. And if they fail? An unconstrained deity is capable of destroying all life on Earth – and possibly destroying the Mid-world as well.
"It’s our job to meld everyone into a team in order to defeat the witch.”
Kurt frowned, “Can we do that?”
“We really have no choice. There’s none of us that can go one-on-one with her. She’ll be backed by the power of her entire coven. We haven’t learned how to combine our magic so our only alternative is to work together. You need to figure out how to defeat her. Then you need to deploy us in such a way that we can execute your plan.”
“Suppose she’s just too tough? I mean suppose she has so much power that we just can’t compete - team or no team?”
“Then we’re dead.”
Kurt looked at her waiting for a follow-up that never came. Slowly the full realization of what she said sunk in. Either they worked as a team and found a way of defeating their opponent or their lives along with everyone else’s would be extinguished.
This is the third book in the Mid-world series. The first is Betwixt and Between in which we meet Jerry – who through accident – and Lynn – who through murder, find themselves between the world of the living and the final world to which humans eventually transition and about which nothing is known. They face more than a few dangers but find friends as well. The second book is Harsh Magic in a Frozen Land and the team is sent to the far north where the magic of the Winter Elves is at risk of falling into the hands of a truly dangerous individual.
November 3, 2017
The Fall and Riseof Gordon Coopinger
The Fall and Rise of Gordon Coppinger by David NobbsMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
*** Possible Spoilers ***
This was a modern variation on the Gatsby tale but focused primarily on the wealthy individual itself as opposed to someone on the periphery. I came across it when I was using Goodreads list of books that relates to a specific search. So I searched for Tom Sharpe - my favorite author but very, very dark comedy - selected one of his books at random and then checked what else people liked that might be similar. This isn't as humorous as Sharpe's material but I did have a couple of chuckles throughout the course of the book. Basically it's the story of a wealthy narcissist who find himself, much to his surprise, beginning to notice and empathize with other people. In the end his world falls apart but he doesn't seem to mind much. I can't say that this is brilliant comedy but I enjoyed it and I can recommend it to others - perhaps older readers.
View all my reviews
October 31, 2017
Halloween Story - You Never Can Tell
You Never Can Tell - by Doug Lewars - Copyright 2017
“Where’s the cereal bars?!” called out Ellen Sharpe, “Oh right. They’re on the table. Okay, John, now don’t take Jim and Betty far. The weather forecast said there might be rain and I don’t want the kids soaked when they come home. It’s chilly and they might come down with something.”
John was Ellen’s husband. Jim and Betty were their two children aged nine and eleven respectively.
“We don’t need Dad to come with us,” protested Betty, “We’re old enough to go by ourselves. There’s a bunch of kids on the street. We can go with them.”
“Don’t be silly,” replied Ellen, “It’s dangerous out there. You never know who might be around. There are some people who take advantage of Halloween to … well, never mind. It’s just too dangerous.”
“But we’re not little kids anymore.”
“You’ll go with your father or you won’t go at all!” When Ellen raised her voice several decibels and the better part of an octave Betty knew that there was no reasoning with her and that she and her brother would have to go trick or treating with their father tagging along – just like the five-year-olds.
“Now,” continued Ellen, “Just around the block. I don’t want you going any farther.”
“But,” protested Jim, “we won’t get much candy if we just go round our block.”
“Candy’s not healthy for you so it doesn’t matter,” shot back Ellen.
Betty sighed, “Let’s go Jim. It doesn’t matter. She’ll pick it over anyway.”
Ellen looked up sharply, “Of course I’ll pick it over. It’s not safe you know. And I don’t want any candy eaten while you’re out there! John, you watch them for that! Sugar is not healthy. You mustn’t eat much of it. I’m your mother and I’ll decide what you will and will not eat.”
“Now John, don’t go to the house on the corner. The people who live there are … well, I’m not sure they’re clean. The kids might pick up something there. Be careful. Watch for the cars. Don’t cross the street. Don’t let the kids go into any houses. In fact, I don’t want you to just wait on the road. Go up to the door with them. You never can tell.”
The three left and Ellen hurried into the kitchen to start the dishwasher. Halloween, she thought, was such a pain. She’d had to hurry home from work and the traffic was murder. Not only that but she’d left a report half-finished and she knew she’d be hard pressed to have it perfected and ready by the eleven-thirty meeting with the client. For one second she flirted with the idea of pushing the meeting back by a day but then cancelled the thought. If she did that she’d be unable to stay on top of the three projects with which she was involved. Supper had been rushed – she’d been almost tempted to get take-out but the quality of the food – well you never knew what might be in it and the grease alone was enough to cause a heart attack. There was the sound of the doorbell ringing. Hurrying from the kitchen she grabbed up a handful of treats – wholesome and nutritious every one – and distributed them to the two ghosts, the fairy princess and the batman one of whose bat ears had fallen off.
So it went. Children came and children went. Ellen smiled sweetly and oohed and awed over every costume. Will this charade never end she wondered to herself but maintained her cheeriest disposition at the door.
Two hours later it was over. John and the kids were home. Their bags of candy had been confiscated to be reviewed and the unacceptable treats removed. Jim was in bed and his sister was just finishing her homework. Why, oh why, Ellen thought, would any teacher be so stupid as to assign homework on Halloween but there it was and it had to be completed. John was downstairs watching television. Ellen had just about finished the lunches for tomorrow when the doorbell rang.
What sort of halfwit kid would be trick or treating at such a late hour wondered Ellen but she hurried to the door and opened it. There stood a little witch - black cape, pointed hat, the works. She was no more than five years old – possibly less thought Ellen. What sort of parents would allow their child to be out so late? She looked to the street and was horrified to realize that the child was alone. There were no parents or anyone else that she could see.
“Where’s your Mommy or Daddy?” asked Ellen using the syrupy voice she thought that young children liked. The child merely held open her bag for treats.
“Isn’t your Mommy and Daddy with you?” Ellen could see they were not. Clearly she’d have to notify the police and get them to contact Children’s Aid. “Well you just come inside and I’ll give you candy.”
The child took a step backwards and held up her wand as if it would protect her.
“Come on in little girl. You don’t want to be out there on such a cold dark night. I can give you candy and then we can get your Mommy and Daddy to come and give you a nice drive home.”
The child took another step backwards.
Ellen’s patience snapped. “Look. You get into this house right now! I can’t have you walking around outside by yourself. There are dangerous men – I mean people – who hurt little girls. Now, no more of this nonsense. You get in here!”
She hurried down the steps to grab the child. It was totally unacceptable that someone so young should be out by herself after dark – or any other time for that matter.
The girl was gone – not actually vanished – just two doors down the street and running as fast as she could go. Ellen watched her growing smaller in the distance. Oh well, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t as if Ellen didn’t have better things to do with her time than worry about some small girl. Turning away from the light that came from the door that remained open behind her, she began hopping along the walkway. One never knew when one might come across a tasty insect to eat.
“Where’s the cereal bars?!” called out Ellen Sharpe, “Oh right. They’re on the table. Okay, John, now don’t take Jim and Betty far. The weather forecast said there might be rain and I don’t want the kids soaked when they come home. It’s chilly and they might come down with something.”
John was Ellen’s husband. Jim and Betty were their two children aged nine and eleven respectively.
“We don’t need Dad to come with us,” protested Betty, “We’re old enough to go by ourselves. There’s a bunch of kids on the street. We can go with them.”
“Don’t be silly,” replied Ellen, “It’s dangerous out there. You never know who might be around. There are some people who take advantage of Halloween to … well, never mind. It’s just too dangerous.”
“But we’re not little kids anymore.”
“You’ll go with your father or you won’t go at all!” When Ellen raised her voice several decibels and the better part of an octave Betty knew that there was no reasoning with her and that she and her brother would have to go trick or treating with their father tagging along – just like the five-year-olds.
“Now,” continued Ellen, “Just around the block. I don’t want you going any farther.”
“But,” protested Jim, “we won’t get much candy if we just go round our block.”
“Candy’s not healthy for you so it doesn’t matter,” shot back Ellen.
Betty sighed, “Let’s go Jim. It doesn’t matter. She’ll pick it over anyway.”
Ellen looked up sharply, “Of course I’ll pick it over. It’s not safe you know. And I don’t want any candy eaten while you’re out there! John, you watch them for that! Sugar is not healthy. You mustn’t eat much of it. I’m your mother and I’ll decide what you will and will not eat.”
“Now John, don’t go to the house on the corner. The people who live there are … well, I’m not sure they’re clean. The kids might pick up something there. Be careful. Watch for the cars. Don’t cross the street. Don’t let the kids go into any houses. In fact, I don’t want you to just wait on the road. Go up to the door with them. You never can tell.”
The three left and Ellen hurried into the kitchen to start the dishwasher. Halloween, she thought, was such a pain. She’d had to hurry home from work and the traffic was murder. Not only that but she’d left a report half-finished and she knew she’d be hard pressed to have it perfected and ready by the eleven-thirty meeting with the client. For one second she flirted with the idea of pushing the meeting back by a day but then cancelled the thought. If she did that she’d be unable to stay on top of the three projects with which she was involved. Supper had been rushed – she’d been almost tempted to get take-out but the quality of the food – well you never knew what might be in it and the grease alone was enough to cause a heart attack. There was the sound of the doorbell ringing. Hurrying from the kitchen she grabbed up a handful of treats – wholesome and nutritious every one – and distributed them to the two ghosts, the fairy princess and the batman one of whose bat ears had fallen off.
So it went. Children came and children went. Ellen smiled sweetly and oohed and awed over every costume. Will this charade never end she wondered to herself but maintained her cheeriest disposition at the door.
Two hours later it was over. John and the kids were home. Their bags of candy had been confiscated to be reviewed and the unacceptable treats removed. Jim was in bed and his sister was just finishing her homework. Why, oh why, Ellen thought, would any teacher be so stupid as to assign homework on Halloween but there it was and it had to be completed. John was downstairs watching television. Ellen had just about finished the lunches for tomorrow when the doorbell rang.
What sort of halfwit kid would be trick or treating at such a late hour wondered Ellen but she hurried to the door and opened it. There stood a little witch - black cape, pointed hat, the works. She was no more than five years old – possibly less thought Ellen. What sort of parents would allow their child to be out so late? She looked to the street and was horrified to realize that the child was alone. There were no parents or anyone else that she could see.
“Where’s your Mommy or Daddy?” asked Ellen using the syrupy voice she thought that young children liked. The child merely held open her bag for treats.
“Isn’t your Mommy and Daddy with you?” Ellen could see they were not. Clearly she’d have to notify the police and get them to contact Children’s Aid. “Well you just come inside and I’ll give you candy.”
The child took a step backwards and held up her wand as if it would protect her.
“Come on in little girl. You don’t want to be out there on such a cold dark night. I can give you candy and then we can get your Mommy and Daddy to come and give you a nice drive home.”
The child took another step backwards.
Ellen’s patience snapped. “Look. You get into this house right now! I can’t have you walking around outside by yourself. There are dangerous men – I mean people – who hurt little girls. Now, no more of this nonsense. You get in here!”
She hurried down the steps to grab the child. It was totally unacceptable that someone so young should be out by herself after dark – or any other time for that matter.
The girl was gone – not actually vanished – just two doors down the street and running as fast as she could go. Ellen watched her growing smaller in the distance. Oh well, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t as if Ellen didn’t have better things to do with her time than worry about some small girl. Turning away from the light that came from the door that remained open behind her, she began hopping along the walkway. One never knew when one might come across a tasty insect to eat.
October 30, 2017
This Might Be Useful
This might be a useful idea for those who are writers who are not yet established. Some (maybe most) e-sites allow you to cut coupons whereby you can give away promotional copies of your e-books. You can pick up blank business cards at Walmart and probably at other stores (or, if you don’t have time to go out, you can use regular paper and then cut it into business card sizes after printing.) So you create a coupon at your site - it will likely have a code to be entered at checkout - print that code along with URL and accessing information on a business card and then on Halloween put it into the bags along with the candy. NOTE: This will not work if your material is targeted “For Mature Audiences Only”. This stuff has to be young-person friendly. Also it’s a waste of time giving it to very young children who probably can’t read but there’s a good chance that some of the kids coming to your door will be 8 and up and they might quite enjoy reading your work. Also it will promote reading which is always a good thing.
