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.