Day 15: The Foundation Trilogy by Isaac Asimov

The seminal work of one of the greatest science fiction writers of all time. This is his opus magnum, the rival of his “I, Robot” works, and the foundational work in SF literature for the past sixty years. The books explore the fleeting, yet heroic lives of the people of the Foundation, an organization charged with reducing the anarchy and chaos in a galaxy after the decline and fall of the Galactic Empire to a thousand years instead of thirty and usher in the rise of a Second Empire. The books are classics and the ideas and concepts are thrilling to envision. The Foundation Trilogy proves that Asimov and science-fiction are not mutually exclusive.

Book Review: Blockade Billy by Stephen King

Stephen King shows off his undying adoration for baseball in this sports novella. Written in the voice of a retired third-base coach, King demonstrates his mastery of storytelling, and his ingenuity with narrative and style. This is the macabre tale of the tragic William Blakely, who might have become the greatest baseball player, but has since been erased from the record books. The story drips of suspense, as natural for a King story, but unnaturally for King, the novella is substantially short. Perhaps because of its length, it is straightforward, though decently wrought. As a fan of the game, King evokes nostalgia for the way baseball was played in the fifties. “Blockade Billy” is probably a novella best enjoyed by Constant Readers of Stephen King or fans of the sport in general. However, what this story wins in style, it lacks in substance. The joy of being sweet and short also makes “Blockade Billy” relatively depthless in comparison to his weightier selection of works. New readers may want to immerse themselves in his classics before enjoying this treat.

The companion short story, “Morality,” is reminiscent of King’s short story masterpieces. It is a character study of a married couple with financial difficulties faced with a terrible opportunity. From reading his autobiographical work, “On Writing,” Chad Callahan’s teaching career and attempts to write a book seem to be taken directly out of King’s own past, another case of art imitating life. As I read, what kept popping up in the back of my head was that Twilight Zone episode, “Button, Button”, which might have been an influence. The moral dilemma is sufficiently engaging to surpass the titular story in entertainment.

Book Review: The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Audrey Niffenegger’s novel about a romance between Henry DeTamble and Clare Abshire is not particularly original. It’s been done a thousand times before. What makes Niffenegger’s version of boy meets girl is the backdrop of time travel that she involves to articulate certain aspects of their relationship. Henry, you see, is a time traveler, but he isn’t like Hiro Nakamura from “Heroes” or H.G. Well’s unnamed time traveler. Henry has a genetic mutation that causes him to travel through time against his will. When he disappears he takes nothing with him, not even the fillings in his teeth. He is drawn to certain places, however, like the accident scene where his mother died. Another place is the meadow behind Clare’s house, where she meets him for the first time at the age of six, when he’s already 36.

The time travel motif serves many purposes in the story. It serves as a metaphor for couples that have to live with a handicap or disease. They shape their lives and their relationships around it. They live with it, just as Clare has to live, however agonizing it might be, with being the one left behind. The storyline deals with the consequences seamlessly and the exploration of their lives from each of their perspectives easily lends “The Time Traveler’s Wife” a seamless realism. When Henry first meets Clare from his perspective, she’s already an adult and she’s known him for years, but he’s completely at a loss as to who she is.

The rest is simply the rest of their lives and the layers of complex connections that weave through them and the people that populate their world. The characters are realistic and the anguish they feel is poignant. Underneath the clever writing is a deeper question pertaining to determinism and free will. Is Henry, having been to the future, able to choose differently in his past? Does Clare, knowing the future, have some control over actions she creates in her present? 

Niffenegger handles expressions of loss and enduring time with deft, meaningful prose. She’s a great writer and this is one of the best debut novels I’ve read in a while. It’s a great piece of literature that easily lends itself for comparison to other works. Clare is likened to Penelope from the “Odyssey,” a comparison noted by critics and other reviewers. Henry, on the other hand, seems inspired by Billy Pilgrim from “Slaughterhouse-Five” by Kurt Vonnegut. If you like this one, I really recommend reading “Slaughterhouse-Five” too.

Day 14: Immoral by Brian Freeman

“Immoral” is a fast-paced, racy, hypersexual mystery novel. I liked it a lot. The characters were realistic and likable; the setting was gorgeously articulate, and the pacing was superb. I think the characters might have suffered from all being beautiful, because I don’t remember a single ugly one among them. If you want a quick, good read to digest, I definitely recommend this first standalone novel in a series by Brian Freeman.

Day 13: Pattern Recognition by William Gibson

 

“Pattern Recognition” gives a tantalizing look into the modern landscape of media and culture, and our fascination with entertainment mediums. Gibson delivers a masterful story that proves he has not only an intuitive grasp of the future of mankind, but an acute awareness of the present-day as it unfolds. This is definitely a must-read for any William Gibson fan.

Day 12: Game of Thrones by George RR Martin

         I know I haven’t been very consistent with this “book recommendation a day” routine that I’ve been trying to accomplish, but it was a doomed endeavour from the start. At least I do it sporadically. Today, however, I want to recommend Martin’s “Game of Thrones,” which is utterly and unquestionably fantastic. I’ve only very recently started dabbling in his works, but his fantasy epic is monumental and staggering. The breadth and depth of his stories and intricate plotlines dwarfs anything else I’ve ever read in fiction, let alone the genre.

            George RR Martin is famous for developing gritty, realistic fantasy that minimizes fantasy (at least in the first novel) and emphasize the stark reality of medieval times and the different shades of humanity in his characters. This is definitely a must-read for readers interested in dark, epic, realistic fantasy.

Day 11: Peter Pan and Wendy by JM Barrie

J.M. Barrie’s work tells the iconic story of Peter Pan, a mischevious young boy who can fly, Wendy Darling and her brothers, the Lost Boys, Tinker Bell, Tiger Lily, the pirate Captain Hook, and their adventures and interactions on the island of Neverland. The story was first portrayed in a play in 1904 before being adapted into a novel in 1911. Because Barrie continued to revise portions of the play for years, the novel only tells one version.

“Peter Pan and Wendy” is a wonderful story in the vein of “Alice in Wonderland” and “The Little Prince”. Barrie has crafted unforgettable characters, a beloved story, and world that transcends the imagination. His story continues to impress, awe, and touch readers. This is undoubtedly one of my favorite childhood stories, even though I first read it rather late in my childhood.

The version in the image above is one produced by the Folio Society. This is perhaps, short of a first edition, one of the best copies available. As expensive as it is, the artwork is stunning, the binding and development gorgeous. So if you find it somewhere, pull out your wallets.

Day 10: Vanishing and other stories by Deborah Willis

An intricately woven collection of short stories, Willis portrays a whole canvas of human lives, and all their entangled interactions. A recurring motif appears to be the complexities in the relationship between siblings and families. I was introduced to Deborah Willis’ book in a literature course in college. I enjoyed her stories, the brush of her writing, and the depth of her content. Fortunately, I was able to find myself a signed copy. She’s also a local author in Victoria, where I live.

According to Alice Munro, “the emotional range and depth of these stories, the clarity and deftness is astonishing,” while the Canada Council for the Arts calls Vanishing and other stories a book that “startles, exhilarate and radiate with piercing insights.”

Day 9: The Killing Floor by Lee Child

The first novel in Child’s brilliant collection of novels about an ex-military police named Jack Reacher, who left the army to travel and explore the American landscape, tied to no one and nothing. He carries his toothbrush and his wallet and the clothes on his back. Stephen King loves this series almost as much as I do. It is pure escapism and man-fiction. You’ll get hooked on this series, trust me.

Day 8: Neuromancer by William Gibson

Gibson’s debut novel is a revolutionary work that epitomizes futuristic science fiction. His vision of the future is more vivid, gritty, and realized than cinematic Star Wars. “Neuromancer” is the winner of the Hugo, Nebula, and Philip K. Dick Awards. It absolutely permeated the collective consciousness of western culture in such a seamless manner that we don’t even know the origins were from here. Interesting side note, a porn star in the 90s, created a porn parody of “Neuromancer.” Just saying…

Day 7: Still Alice by Lisa Genova

This debut novel absorbs the author’s years of experience to mould a realistic portrayal of a heartbreaking disease. The process of mental deterioration bewilders Alice and will change the way you view your life. I came away from this book thinking about my years ahead and dreading the possibility that it could all slip away from me like sand in a sieve.

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

This is a terrific and terrifying tour-de-force in the vast plains of culture, mystery, and journalism. Larsson’s first novel in the Millennium Trilogy is a stunning tale of an age-old mystery and an investigation into the bowels of corruption and intrigue that permeate a wealthy Swedish family. I found the novel slow to get rolling. It takes such a considerable amount of time for the characters to move along that I’m reminded of how it feels to wake up in the morning: the long lethargic stretch, followed by a pause, and then a slow staggering out of the bedroom. I won’t spoil any details, except to say that financial journalist Mikael Blomkvist is convinced to take on a job by Henrik Vanger to ghostwrite his autobiography and solve the locked-room on an island mystery of the disappearance of his niece, Harriet Vanger in the sixties. He is teamed up with the antisocial, problematic, and unquestionably brilliant hacker Lisbeth Salander, the girl with the dragon tattoo.

                                 

I don’t know how much time Larsson spent developing the central mystery that envelops the life of Henrik Vanger, an obsession that totally eclipses everything else, but it is an intriguing one and tasteful in its execution. For Henrik, Harriet is dead, even if her body was never recovered, nor the method of her death proven. The questions that remain for him are: who, why, and how? Those questions are dissected in the novel through the eyes of Mikael, and later through his partner, Lisbeth. It was a treat to watch Larsson handle his characters, shaping them into realistic and distinct persons.

Larsson’s attention to detail is superb, the trait any mystery or thriller author requires. Needless to say, I was impressed by the level of detail and analysis that went into the investigation part of Harriet’s disappearance.

Like I said before, this book is somewhat slow. That is probably my only grievance, but it isn’t much of one at all. During my first read-through, it seemed to take countless pages before any real tension; any drama began to seep through the pages. In fact, Lisbeth and Mikael are on two wildly different and completely disconnected paths until quite late into the novel when Lisbeth helps tackle his case. The author also spends a lot of time giving exposition to relevant history and to a host of terminology and processes in the financial world and technology.

Though Larsson takes his time to build up the story, the suspense is gripping in the latter half of the novel. Larsson indeed breathes a potent vibrancy into his writing. Translated into English from Swedish, the prose retains some non-americanisms that ring in the ear. Just from reading aloud the dialogue and the supporting texts, the prose is decidedly euro-centric and quite refreshing. Most of the novels I’ve consumed are North American or English, and though I’m quite new to the game of Scandinavian thrillers, I have to say I like what I’ve read so far.

Book Review: Wobegon Boy by Garrison Keillor

Many readers, I suspect, read “Wobegon Boy” after cultivating a heartfelt endearment to Keillor’s radio show, “A Prairie Home Companion.” I found this novel in a thrift shop after the cover art caught my eye. It stood on my shelf for years before I finally came around to reading it last summer. “Wobegon Boy” chronicles the life and times of John Tollefson, who leaves Lake Wobegon to make a life for himself in Red Cliff, NY. He meets and falls in love with Alida Freeman, visits home, struggles to fulfill his dreams, and along the way we are treated to a cornucopia of tales about his ancestors and family.

Perhaps any other writer attempting this style would fail to capture the sepia-toned nostalgia and compelling absorption of Keillor’s structuring and frequent usage of tangential narratives, but Keillor never misses a beat. John’s fictional life is as familiar as any real person I’ve ever met and Keillor’s vision brings an abundance of color and dimension to the story John tells and, in turn, learns about his family. At over 300 pages, Keillor has crafted an entertaining, thoughtful, and wonderful story about life, love, romance, family, and history.

Keillor weaves parallels and contrasts seamlessly. For example, there are parallels between Alida’s historical research into a famous Norwegian and John’s anecdotes about Norwegian heritage; and his romanticism, a tad bit forward for a Lutheran, is familiar to how his father courted his mother, ‘I want to be next to you for the rest of my life’. John, despite escaping Lake Wobegon, never truly leaves it. He still entertains the notion, if only subconsciously and peripherally, that the folk back home will recognize his achievements. In fact, John still carries his Lutheran upbringing with him, and the Lake Wobegon ideals of his childhood never disappear from the palate of his adulthood.

Through our narrator, Keillor expresses insight into love, marriage, and the inadvertent silliness of being politically correct. In his benevolent way, Keillor addresses how the frictions of living together can diminish a romance. But neither the author, nor John, shy away from marriage. John wants nothing more than to marry Alida, who is skeptical of that old tradition, and fears it will sour their relationship. But the book offers a light of hope when Alida, despite her reservations, agrees to marry John, after realizing how much she love him; her advice is both practical and heartfelt: “Never get so angry at me that you can’t remember how it was today.”

This is a terrific novel from a master writer. I recommend this novel, not just to fans of “The Prairie Home Companion”, but to anyone who enjoys an absorbing, cozy read on how to deal with people and life itself.

Book Review: Final Crisis by Grant Morrison

First off, look at that cover. Just how striking is that? I predict it’ll be quite memorable in twenty or thirty years. Of course, the stance itself is an allusion to “Crisis on Infinite Earths” where Superman is carrying Supergirl’s dead body. Only now it’s one of his dearest friends in his arms.

There are times when the whole interrelated aspect of the DC Universe appearing in the pages of “Final Crisis” works for me. It’s breathtaking in its scope, certainly, but at times it seems too disorganized and chaotic. The ending itself is a throwback to a dozen characters from corners of DC Comics I have only the vaguest idea of. Also, there doesn’t seem to be very much direct action here. “Final Crisis” is an exercise of tone, setting, and atmosphere. There is little room in the cramped pages for an exploration of the more traditional, and perhaps integral, aspects: characters and plot.

Nevertheless, the story is wildly and momentously enjoyable. Morrison is an expert that creating a dark, gritty atmosphere and for filling a scene with tension and drama. He is a master of an epic scale, as seen when Dan Turpin succumbs to Darkseid’s influence coupled with his terrifying internal monologue and when Superman thunders back to Earth as the skies burn red to claim Batman’s corpse from Darkseid’s bunker.

Most issues end in a cliffhanger of sorts and they only add to the building tension that underlies the story. I only wish we could see more of the action that goes on instead of seeing two-or three panel snapshots and moving on. It’s like taking the 12-hour “Lord of the Rings” trilogy and clipping it into a single hour movie, beginning to end. It almost feels like a trailer.

But for any diehard DC Comics fan, I recommend reading “Final Crisis” and letting your mind (and some time for the reading to settle) decide how you feel about it. This was certainly a hit-and-miss for others, and my views seemed to fluctuate around for a while. I can understand the disgruntled views towards this book. Of the Crisis events, “Final Crisis” is not the best, but I think there is value in reading it and studying it to see just where DC is today and perhaps what tone their stories are going to take tomorrow. I could also argue that the other value in reading this is to evaluate the general ‘incoherence’ of “Final Crisis” and compare that to his other credited titles. Generally, I think this falls somewhere in the middle. “Batman RIP” is still a harder mess to follow.

I only write this review because I’m almost certain my opinions about it have settled down now. Oh and for anybody who liked Final Crisis, or are exploring the DC Universe, I recommend “Identity Crisis,” “Infinite Crisis,” Blackest Night,” “Final Crisis: Revelations,” and “Crisis on Infinite Earths” for material in the same vein. Read it in order of publication and you can see the evolution of the Crisis events since they launched their first one.

Book Review: The Elfstones of Shannara by Terry Brooks

“The Elfstones of Shannara” functions better than “Swords” in terms of showcasing Brooks personality and strengthening the differences between him and Tolkien. While this chapter in his fantasy saga does not pull Terry Brooks out of his predecessor’s shadow, it does take a step in the right direction. It seems strange, almost, reading a book decades after it’s published, and then reviewing it almost a year after. But the fact that I still recall most of the characters and most of the stepping stones that form its plot speak to my fondness for this story. Published in 1982, “Elfstones” expands the Shannara universe. While the first novel journeyed north, this one explores west, just as the next sequel, “Wishsong,” goes east.

The young Omsford hero is Wil, the grandson of Shea, whose journey to master the unpredictable, untamable, and immeasurable power of the Elfstones and escort Amberle Elessedil to the Ellcrys form the pivotal arc of the novel. Yet I would argue that the two Elessedils’ personal struggles are more worthy of attention. Over the course of the story, Amberle learns of the terrible sacrifice she has to make and through her, Brooks studies the age old balance between personal freedom and a far-reaching destiny. It is the choice all heroes have to make and of course Amberle emerges true, but the cost is dire and when Wil feels gut-wrenching despair at what is lost, so do we feel it; not because Brooks tells us to (I’m telling you to, dammit), but because we’ve all lost someone close to our hearts, or at least, we can imagine what that would be like.

In hindsight, I doubt Wil and Amberle ever entertained romantic feelings for one another. But their chemistry for one another and the intricacy of love that emerges from taking another being’s life and swearing to protect it with your own transcends romance. They were bound in life and I think Brooks nailed it honestly and perfectly.

The other significant hero in this narrative is Ander Elessedil. He is the younger, underwhelming Prince of the Elves. He has a strained relationship with his brother Arion, a close one with his niece Amberle, and an unfulfilled one with his father Eventine. The Elves serve as wardens of the Ellcrys, a magical seal over a prison dimension containing demons from the Age of Faerie. As the Ellcrys weakens and demons pour out, the Elves muster their armies for war. The battle is narrated fluently, as I’ve come to expect of Brooks. When Arion is killed in battle, Ander is thrust into a leadership position, and he forces himself to act as his brother would. Fake it till you make it, it would seem. Against the desperate mood of the war in the backdrop as slowly, but surely, their Elven forces lose ground and numbers, Arion becomes a capable military leader and a beacon of hope for his people. He develops a friendship with the formidable but kind Stee Jans, the leader of the Legion Free Corps, one of his few confidants.

The story is gripping, the characters memorable, the tone somber. Wil and Amberle’s harrowing flight is fraught with death and sorrow from beginning to end while Ander’s warfront captures the dark mood and desperate perspective of real-world combat. This is easily one of Terry Brooks’ darker novels and one of his finest additions to an epic universe in the multiverse of fantasy.

Brooks creates more fully-developed characters. His trademark characterization arc of having a doubtful, insecure character emerge heroic occurs once again. But I don’t say it with an ironic twist of the mouth. When it shows on the page, when the reader sees it coming, Brooks molds with care and deviates from the standard with certain characters, giving life to them without agonizing repetition.