The Remnant, Georgia Flosi, Acorn Publishing, 2001
FBI Agent Shari Rigel keeps a very close watch on a religious cult located somewhere in the wilds of Alaska. Known as The Remnant, they are led by a man named Brother Will. It's a place where families are split up, and all new members are required to sign over all their worldly assets to Brother Will. Despite this, he manages to stay just on the right side of the law.
Rigel has good reason for her near-obsession with Brother Will. As a child, she and her brother, Andy, were the only survivors of Jonestown in Guyana, when over 800 people killed themselves at the behest of Rev. Jim Jones. Shari knows something about religious cults, from the inside.
She discovers that Brother Will has his own mass suicide plan, with the intention of making it look like the FBI again got trigger happy. Meantime, on the inside, Maya Webster secretly gets her daughter, Crystal, out of The Remnant and away from Brother Will. It's bad enough that Crystal is about to have Brother Will's baby. The proverbial last straw is that Brother Will plans to make Crystal his fifth wife. Crystal is 12 years old.
Maya agrees to lead Shari back inside, to save as many children as possible, before the FBI fulfills its part of Brother Will's "prophecy." Shari's single-minded pursuit of Brother Will leads to the deaths of 17 children, trained to throw themselves on live grenades when the end comes. Shari is officially cleared of blame in their deaths, but considers herself responsible.
For anyone who has a family member involved in a religious cult, or anyone who has recently left a cult, this is an obvious must read. It feels like the author knows more than the average person about cults. For everyone else, this is an interesting and well done page turner that is very plausible, and is very much recommended.
Friday, August 31, 2012
Shall We Gather at the Garden?
Shall We Gather at the Garden?, Kevin L. Donihe, Eraserhead Press, 2001
This novel is in three parts. The first is about a man who joins a group of circus midgets as they market a brand new consumer drink called Bottled Barbed Chains. Drink it, and chains come out of your throat, but in a non-fatal way. With proper marketing, everyone will want to have chains hanging from their throats. They get a famous sports star to endorse the drink, but something goes wrong during the live commercial. The chains spring from his throat in a very fatal way, and he dies on live TV.
The second part of the novel concerns Mark Anders, the author of the first part. It was published as a romance (even though there is no romance in it) and the book quickly became a national obsession. People are so enthralled with the story that they read while walking down the street, and walk right into traffic. Others read while driving, with obvious consequences. Anders is not able to go out in public at all, because his residence is constantly surrounded by people who treat him practically as a god.
The third part concerns a couple of early 20s, mall food court employee types. After a particularly heinous day, dealing with Mark Anders Day at the mall (which includes Anders fans dressed as clowns), they relax with some particularly good marijuana. They start dancing, and suddenly find themselves several million years in the future. Their arrival had been foretold by Scripture, and the two find themselves as part of the only church that's left, the Church of the Byrds. Among its sacred relics are the bones of Stephen Stills and letters written by David Crosby. Things move right along, until the Church of Lionel Richie sets up shop nearby. A life-or-death battle ensures as the Byrdites feel that they are heathens who must be converted or eliminated.
I'm not sure if this is intended as satire or not, but it is certainly the strangest novel I have ever read. Think William S. Burroughs or Philip Dick (one of the author's inspirations) after the ingestion of large amounts of narcotics when reading this book. Not just an open mind, but a very open mind is needed, so it is not for everyone. For those who want a mind-blowing story, you won't do much better than this. It's really worth reading.
This novel is in three parts. The first is about a man who joins a group of circus midgets as they market a brand new consumer drink called Bottled Barbed Chains. Drink it, and chains come out of your throat, but in a non-fatal way. With proper marketing, everyone will want to have chains hanging from their throats. They get a famous sports star to endorse the drink, but something goes wrong during the live commercial. The chains spring from his throat in a very fatal way, and he dies on live TV.
The second part of the novel concerns Mark Anders, the author of the first part. It was published as a romance (even though there is no romance in it) and the book quickly became a national obsession. People are so enthralled with the story that they read while walking down the street, and walk right into traffic. Others read while driving, with obvious consequences. Anders is not able to go out in public at all, because his residence is constantly surrounded by people who treat him practically as a god.
The third part concerns a couple of early 20s, mall food court employee types. After a particularly heinous day, dealing with Mark Anders Day at the mall (which includes Anders fans dressed as clowns), they relax with some particularly good marijuana. They start dancing, and suddenly find themselves several million years in the future. Their arrival had been foretold by Scripture, and the two find themselves as part of the only church that's left, the Church of the Byrds. Among its sacred relics are the bones of Stephen Stills and letters written by David Crosby. Things move right along, until the Church of Lionel Richie sets up shop nearby. A life-or-death battle ensures as the Byrdites feel that they are heathens who must be converted or eliminated.
I'm not sure if this is intended as satire or not, but it is certainly the strangest novel I have ever read. Think William S. Burroughs or Philip Dick (one of the author's inspirations) after the ingestion of large amounts of narcotics when reading this book. Not just an open mind, but a very open mind is needed, so it is not for everyone. For those who want a mind-blowing story, you won't do much better than this. It's really worth reading.
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling
Dumbing Us Down: The Hidden Curriculum of Compulsory Schooling, John Taylor Gatto, New Society Publishers, 2002
These days, it is popular to assert that American education is "broken," and that school vouchers, or a national curriculum or year-round schooling is the answer. The author, a teacher for more than 30 years, and winner of the New York City and New York State Teacher of the Year awards, asserts that American education actually works perfectly for what it was designed to do. It was designed to ensure a docile, malleable workforce to meet the growing needs of corporate capitalism. It ensures a workforce that will rely on corporate institutions for their income, stimulation and self-esteem and will learn to find meaning in their lives solely in the production and consumption of material goods.
The average teacher teaches seven things: confusion (everything is taught out of context), class position (if a child starts in the lower class, they can forget about ever moving up to a higher class), indifference (having to move from class to class when the bell rings, nothing is worth finishing, so why care about anything?), emotional dependency (using prizes, stars and disgraces, children surrender their will to the chain of command), intellectual dependency (wait for other people, better trained than ourselves, to give our lives meaning), provisional self-esteem (the lesson of grades and report cards is that children should rely on the evaluation of certified officials, not themselves or their parents. People need to be told what they are worth), and that one can't hide (homework is a type of surveillance to keep kids from doing any unauthorized learning, from a parent or someone in the neighborhood).
American education doesn't need "fixing," it needs a complete overhaul. The emphasis should be on self-knowledge. A child should be placed in an unguided setting (alone) and given a problem to solve. Children from an early age need to be trusted with independent study away from school. Community service will give children a dose of real-world responsibility, along with teaching them to act unselfishly. Warehousing children for several years, and asking nothing in return, is not the way to do it.
Wow. This easily reaches the level of Must Read. It's recommended for parents of school-age children (perhaps this is why your child is struggling in school), for young people who haven't been totally squashed by "the system," and for people in the education field (the book criticizes the education system, not the people in it). It is very highly recommended.
These days, it is popular to assert that American education is "broken," and that school vouchers, or a national curriculum or year-round schooling is the answer. The author, a teacher for more than 30 years, and winner of the New York City and New York State Teacher of the Year awards, asserts that American education actually works perfectly for what it was designed to do. It was designed to ensure a docile, malleable workforce to meet the growing needs of corporate capitalism. It ensures a workforce that will rely on corporate institutions for their income, stimulation and self-esteem and will learn to find meaning in their lives solely in the production and consumption of material goods.
The average teacher teaches seven things: confusion (everything is taught out of context), class position (if a child starts in the lower class, they can forget about ever moving up to a higher class), indifference (having to move from class to class when the bell rings, nothing is worth finishing, so why care about anything?), emotional dependency (using prizes, stars and disgraces, children surrender their will to the chain of command), intellectual dependency (wait for other people, better trained than ourselves, to give our lives meaning), provisional self-esteem (the lesson of grades and report cards is that children should rely on the evaluation of certified officials, not themselves or their parents. People need to be told what they are worth), and that one can't hide (homework is a type of surveillance to keep kids from doing any unauthorized learning, from a parent or someone in the neighborhood).
American education doesn't need "fixing," it needs a complete overhaul. The emphasis should be on self-knowledge. A child should be placed in an unguided setting (alone) and given a problem to solve. Children from an early age need to be trusted with independent study away from school. Community service will give children a dose of real-world responsibility, along with teaching them to act unselfishly. Warehousing children for several years, and asking nothing in return, is not the way to do it.
Wow. This easily reaches the level of Must Read. It's recommended for parents of school-age children (perhaps this is why your child is struggling in school), for young people who haven't been totally squashed by "the system," and for people in the education field (the book criticizes the education system, not the people in it). It is very highly recommended.
Voices
Voices, Edward Bonadio, Writer's Club Press, 2001
In this modern tale of good and evil, Jake Haley is a reclusive loner living in present-day Oakland. His soul has become easy pickings for an evil that needs him to do the dirty work, through voices coming from his beloved TV set. After he lets the evil take him over, Jake's new job is to kill Wilson, the mayor of Oakland, so that Cameron Parker, the vice Mayor and another of the entity's minions, can take over and run the city the "right" way. Several years ago, as a prosecutor, Wilson put away Billy Martin, a notorious serial killer and another of the entity's minions. With Parker in the Mayor's Office, Martin will have a better chance of escaping from police custody.
Jake almost succeeds in his quest to kill the Mayor. He sets up a bomb inside a hotel ballroom where the Mayor is to appear. A lot of people die, but not the Mayor. Later, he sets up several bombs inside a school gymnasium just before another appearance by the Mayor, but is stopped by the police.
Jake isn't the only one hearing voices. Oakland police detective Lea Moore is a rising star in the Department. She starts hearing voices, mostly that of Jimmy, her late partner and ex-lover. She still feels responsible for his needless death a couple of years earlier. Through solid police work, she and Arlis, her partner, get to Haley just before he is to set off the bombs in the school gymnasium. In police custody, Haley fingers Cameron Parker, just before the entity is exorcised out of him by Father Rojas, a local priest suffering a crisis of faith and who has also been hearing voices. Lea and Arlis have words with Parker, just before Parker kills Arlis and Lea kills Parker. With the entity, named Matzorgein, defeated and with the immediate danger to the city gone, the story ends, right? Several years later, in another city, Matzorgein lets Lea know that it is about to have the last laugh.
Is it possible that evil people like Hitler are the latest vehicles for ancient forces that conspire to commit great evil? Is your neighbor simply not a nice person, or is the reason much more sinister?
This is much better than the average police story. It touches on a lot of things, and it's just plausible and spooky enough to keep the reader thinking after the book is finished. It's very much worth reading.
In this modern tale of good and evil, Jake Haley is a reclusive loner living in present-day Oakland. His soul has become easy pickings for an evil that needs him to do the dirty work, through voices coming from his beloved TV set. After he lets the evil take him over, Jake's new job is to kill Wilson, the mayor of Oakland, so that Cameron Parker, the vice Mayor and another of the entity's minions, can take over and run the city the "right" way. Several years ago, as a prosecutor, Wilson put away Billy Martin, a notorious serial killer and another of the entity's minions. With Parker in the Mayor's Office, Martin will have a better chance of escaping from police custody.
Jake almost succeeds in his quest to kill the Mayor. He sets up a bomb inside a hotel ballroom where the Mayor is to appear. A lot of people die, but not the Mayor. Later, he sets up several bombs inside a school gymnasium just before another appearance by the Mayor, but is stopped by the police.
Jake isn't the only one hearing voices. Oakland police detective Lea Moore is a rising star in the Department. She starts hearing voices, mostly that of Jimmy, her late partner and ex-lover. She still feels responsible for his needless death a couple of years earlier. Through solid police work, she and Arlis, her partner, get to Haley just before he is to set off the bombs in the school gymnasium. In police custody, Haley fingers Cameron Parker, just before the entity is exorcised out of him by Father Rojas, a local priest suffering a crisis of faith and who has also been hearing voices. Lea and Arlis have words with Parker, just before Parker kills Arlis and Lea kills Parker. With the entity, named Matzorgein, defeated and with the immediate danger to the city gone, the story ends, right? Several years later, in another city, Matzorgein lets Lea know that it is about to have the last laugh.
Is it possible that evil people like Hitler are the latest vehicles for ancient forces that conspire to commit great evil? Is your neighbor simply not a nice person, or is the reason much more sinister?
This is much better than the average police story. It touches on a lot of things, and it's just plausible and spooky enough to keep the reader thinking after the book is finished. It's very much worth reading.
Legend of the Rainbow Warrior
Legend of the Rainbow Warrior, Steven McFadden, Chiron Communications, 2001
According to many Native American traditions, when the Earth becomes very sick, people of all faiths and colors will rise up to face the challenges with caring, insight and honesty. Through a combination of storytelling and journalism, this book attempts to show how the Legend of the Rainbow Warriors matters right now.
The coming of the white man, and the near-elimination of the Indians, was not a surprise to Native Americans. Many tribes have some version of the following legend: Light-skinned people will come from the east in great canoes powered by huge white wings. They will talk of a new religion of love and kindness, but not all will live by it. Instead they will enslave and exploit the Red Nations. The Indians will offer mixed resistance and seem to lose their spirit. Their lives will be filled with poverty and misery. The Earth will be filled with deadly metals and liquids, the air will be filled with smoke and ash and birds and fish will die. At some point, Light will come from the east, and natives will begin to regain their pride and wisdom. Many others, white, yellow and black, will also realize that Earth gives us the food, water and other essentials for life. They will come together using only peaceful means, and teach everyone to respect Mother Earth. They will not have an easy time, but they will prevail.
Remember Harmonic Convergence back in 1987? It was more than just a New Age hippie festival. According to many Native American calendars, that date signaled the start of a worldwide transition phase lasting for 25 years. The question is: transition to what? Perhaps to the point where the Legend of the Rainbow Warrior comes true.
The description of Earth being very sick and polluted, with plants and animals dying in great numbers certainly sounds like present-day Earth. Keep an eye on December 2012, when this 25-year cycle is supposed to end.
This book cannot be dismissed as just New Age nonsense, though an openness to Native American spirituality would be a big help when reading it. I found it to be very plausible, easy to understand and well worth reading.
According to many Native American traditions, when the Earth becomes very sick, people of all faiths and colors will rise up to face the challenges with caring, insight and honesty. Through a combination of storytelling and journalism, this book attempts to show how the Legend of the Rainbow Warriors matters right now.
The coming of the white man, and the near-elimination of the Indians, was not a surprise to Native Americans. Many tribes have some version of the following legend: Light-skinned people will come from the east in great canoes powered by huge white wings. They will talk of a new religion of love and kindness, but not all will live by it. Instead they will enslave and exploit the Red Nations. The Indians will offer mixed resistance and seem to lose their spirit. Their lives will be filled with poverty and misery. The Earth will be filled with deadly metals and liquids, the air will be filled with smoke and ash and birds and fish will die. At some point, Light will come from the east, and natives will begin to regain their pride and wisdom. Many others, white, yellow and black, will also realize that Earth gives us the food, water and other essentials for life. They will come together using only peaceful means, and teach everyone to respect Mother Earth. They will not have an easy time, but they will prevail.
Remember Harmonic Convergence back in 1987? It was more than just a New Age hippie festival. According to many Native American calendars, that date signaled the start of a worldwide transition phase lasting for 25 years. The question is: transition to what? Perhaps to the point where the Legend of the Rainbow Warrior comes true.
The description of Earth being very sick and polluted, with plants and animals dying in great numbers certainly sounds like present-day Earth. Keep an eye on December 2012, when this 25-year cycle is supposed to end.
This book cannot be dismissed as just New Age nonsense, though an openness to Native American spirituality would be a big help when reading it. I found it to be very plausible, easy to understand and well worth reading.
Understanding Muslim-West Alienation
Understanding Muslim-West Alienation: Building a Better Future, Arshad Khan, Writer's Club Press, 2002
The conflict between Islam and the West, specifically America, did not start the day that New York and Washington were attacked. It is because of religious, social and political factors and has been brewing for many centuries. This book attempts to fill in the details.
The Islamic religion was started by the prophet Muhammad approximately 1400 years ago in Arabia. It spread quickly, reaching from Spain to China. When an area was conquered, there were no forced conversions to Islam. The right of the residents to freedom of religion was guaranteed. Honest and efficient governments run by early Muslim rulers, who found that simply conquering an area wasn't enough, brought about the rise of a civilization that lasted for centuries.
While Europe was going through the Dark Ages, the Islamic world was The Center of learning and culture, especially during the years 750-950 AD, Islam's Golden Age. The conflict between Islam and the West started approximately 1000 years ago with the Crusades, a number of attempts to take Jerusalem from the Muslims and return it to Christian rule. That conflict still goes on today.
Moving to the present, the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack violated several basic principles of Islam. They killed innocent civilians, the committed suicide, they killed more than 200 Muslims who were working in the World Trade Center, and one of the hijackers was reportedly consuming alcohol in Florida the night before, all of which are totally against the teachings of Islam.
Islam has many complaints with America. Support for Israel is one-sided; Jewish influence in the Senate is too strong; America is widely perceived as anti-Muslim; the West talks a lot about democracy and human rights, but supports some of the worst dictators in the world; American media is biased and driven by business needs. Part of the "blame" for present conditions in the Muslim world lies with Muslims themselves. They suffer from a widespread lack of education, the control by religious fundamentalists is great, Muslims lack role models, the majority of Muslims care only about their personal sphere, otherwise, they are silent and apathetic, their leaders have failed them consistently.
The author talks about "jihad," which is mostly a personal struggle against one's inner self. It is not a tool of oppression or forced conversion against non-Muslims. On both sides, people have hijacked the term and turned it into something that it is not.
This book is a basic look at the Muslim view of the West, and it succeeds very well. It doesn't try to be a complete reference source, and it is clearly written and very easy to read. It is also eye-opening and highly recommended.
The conflict between Islam and the West, specifically America, did not start the day that New York and Washington were attacked. It is because of religious, social and political factors and has been brewing for many centuries. This book attempts to fill in the details.
The Islamic religion was started by the prophet Muhammad approximately 1400 years ago in Arabia. It spread quickly, reaching from Spain to China. When an area was conquered, there were no forced conversions to Islam. The right of the residents to freedom of religion was guaranteed. Honest and efficient governments run by early Muslim rulers, who found that simply conquering an area wasn't enough, brought about the rise of a civilization that lasted for centuries.
While Europe was going through the Dark Ages, the Islamic world was The Center of learning and culture, especially during the years 750-950 AD, Islam's Golden Age. The conflict between Islam and the West started approximately 1000 years ago with the Crusades, a number of attempts to take Jerusalem from the Muslims and return it to Christian rule. That conflict still goes on today.
Moving to the present, the perpetrators of the 9/11 attack violated several basic principles of Islam. They killed innocent civilians, the committed suicide, they killed more than 200 Muslims who were working in the World Trade Center, and one of the hijackers was reportedly consuming alcohol in Florida the night before, all of which are totally against the teachings of Islam.
Islam has many complaints with America. Support for Israel is one-sided; Jewish influence in the Senate is too strong; America is widely perceived as anti-Muslim; the West talks a lot about democracy and human rights, but supports some of the worst dictators in the world; American media is biased and driven by business needs. Part of the "blame" for present conditions in the Muslim world lies with Muslims themselves. They suffer from a widespread lack of education, the control by religious fundamentalists is great, Muslims lack role models, the majority of Muslims care only about their personal sphere, otherwise, they are silent and apathetic, their leaders have failed them consistently.
The author talks about "jihad," which is mostly a personal struggle against one's inner self. It is not a tool of oppression or forced conversion against non-Muslims. On both sides, people have hijacked the term and turned it into something that it is not.
This book is a basic look at the Muslim view of the West, and it succeeds very well. It doesn't try to be a complete reference source, and it is clearly written and very easy to read. It is also eye-opening and highly recommended.
Sulekha Select: The Indian Experience in a Connected World
Sulekha Select: The Indian Experience in a Connected World, Smart Information Worldwide, 2001
Sulekha.com is a web site that is a rarity these days; not only is it still in existence after five years, it is actually thriving. It is a total online community that is the most popular one for Indians (those whose ancestry comes from the Indian subcontinent) in the world.
The site contains everything a person could want, from daily headlines to events to ticketing to social initiative to articles and columns to movie and book reviews. It also contains a section called Sulekha Select, where people from all over the world send in their thoughts on what it means to be Indian. This book collects some of those writings.
Why do intelligent, American-born Indians, with good jobs, flashy cars and MBAs still go back to India to marry someone chosen by their parents? A visiting professor at a school in Japan attends an evening musical concert. Needing to use the bathroom and understanding little Japanese, he is forced to use the nearest bathroom (Japanese bathrooms do not have the helpful male/female pictures on the door). He suddenly discovers that he is in the Ladies Room at intermission. A new immigrant to Florida is introduced to the "religion" that is University of Florida football. Another piece is about turning 40 and being thought of as a "Christmas baby." Also included are statements from one writer's personal experience or confessions from close friends: Always serve the men first, we can eat later. It is our past life's sin that we were born women. A woman's place is always behind her husband. You don't have an opinion. Be quiet and keep your mouth shut. You must have asked for it.
This book would probably mean more to me if I was of Indian ancestry, but I still enjoyed it. It certainly gives the good and bad of being a modern Indian. For any Indian who hasn't already done so: 1) visit www.sulekha.com immediately; 2) read this book. It feels very much worth reading.
Sulekha.com is a web site that is a rarity these days; not only is it still in existence after five years, it is actually thriving. It is a total online community that is the most popular one for Indians (those whose ancestry comes from the Indian subcontinent) in the world.
The site contains everything a person could want, from daily headlines to events to ticketing to social initiative to articles and columns to movie and book reviews. It also contains a section called Sulekha Select, where people from all over the world send in their thoughts on what it means to be Indian. This book collects some of those writings.
Why do intelligent, American-born Indians, with good jobs, flashy cars and MBAs still go back to India to marry someone chosen by their parents? A visiting professor at a school in Japan attends an evening musical concert. Needing to use the bathroom and understanding little Japanese, he is forced to use the nearest bathroom (Japanese bathrooms do not have the helpful male/female pictures on the door). He suddenly discovers that he is in the Ladies Room at intermission. A new immigrant to Florida is introduced to the "religion" that is University of Florida football. Another piece is about turning 40 and being thought of as a "Christmas baby." Also included are statements from one writer's personal experience or confessions from close friends: Always serve the men first, we can eat later. It is our past life's sin that we were born women. A woman's place is always behind her husband. You don't have an opinion. Be quiet and keep your mouth shut. You must have asked for it.
This book would probably mean more to me if I was of Indian ancestry, but I still enjoyed it. It certainly gives the good and bad of being a modern Indian. For any Indian who hasn't already done so: 1) visit www.sulekha.com immediately; 2) read this book. It feels very much worth reading.
Screaming At a Wall
Screaming at a Wall, Greg Everett, Grundle Ink Publications, 2001
This is the autobiographical story of one person's journey through 1990s youth culture.
Everett is your average resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, more interested in drugs and the opposite sex than in school. A couple of teachers along the way attempt to "reach" him, thinking that he's some sort of troubled teen, when a much better diagnosis might be "smart but bored with school."
He has a variety of jobs during this time, including spending a couple of years working at a local bike shop. It's the sort of place where items like air guns and super glue are used in all sorts of interesting ways. After high school, he intentionally gets out of town, and enrolls in a sort of alternative college in Arizona to learn search and rescue. He leaves after realizing that the school is the sort of place where the faculty would rather look at the goodness inside each of the students than actually teach search and rescue. During this time, Grundle Ink Publications is born, as Greg hand binds copies of his writings and gives them to friends.
Everett eventually ends up in the college town of Chino, California, where Grundle Ink becomes more of a "full-time" job. The fact that he knows absolutely nothing about the publishing business is irrelevant; nothing like learning the hard way. Over the years, Everett also makes several attempts to kick the drug habit.
Throughout this book are a number of relationships with the opposite sex. Some of the women Everett meets are decent, reasonable people, while others can best be described as one-dimensional idiots. He is unable to break off the relationships, so he intentionally acts like a jerk, until she gets frustrated and does the breaking off. The conversations recounted are not literary masterpieces; sometimes, they consist of little more than "dude" and "(insert swear word)."
Because of the large amount of drugs and swearing in this book, it is very much not for the faint of heart. To attempt to understand youth culture of the 1990s, this does an infinitely better job than the various stories of adolescent hijinks. The writing is honest, sobering, and, in places, very funny. I loved it.
This is the autobiographical story of one person's journey through 1990s youth culture.
Everett is your average resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, more interested in drugs and the opposite sex than in school. A couple of teachers along the way attempt to "reach" him, thinking that he's some sort of troubled teen, when a much better diagnosis might be "smart but bored with school."
He has a variety of jobs during this time, including spending a couple of years working at a local bike shop. It's the sort of place where items like air guns and super glue are used in all sorts of interesting ways. After high school, he intentionally gets out of town, and enrolls in a sort of alternative college in Arizona to learn search and rescue. He leaves after realizing that the school is the sort of place where the faculty would rather look at the goodness inside each of the students than actually teach search and rescue. During this time, Grundle Ink Publications is born, as Greg hand binds copies of his writings and gives them to friends.
Everett eventually ends up in the college town of Chino, California, where Grundle Ink becomes more of a "full-time" job. The fact that he knows absolutely nothing about the publishing business is irrelevant; nothing like learning the hard way. Over the years, Everett also makes several attempts to kick the drug habit.
Throughout this book are a number of relationships with the opposite sex. Some of the women Everett meets are decent, reasonable people, while others can best be described as one-dimensional idiots. He is unable to break off the relationships, so he intentionally acts like a jerk, until she gets frustrated and does the breaking off. The conversations recounted are not literary masterpieces; sometimes, they consist of little more than "dude" and "(insert swear word)."
Because of the large amount of drugs and swearing in this book, it is very much not for the faint of heart. To attempt to understand youth culture of the 1990s, this does an infinitely better job than the various stories of adolescent hijinks. The writing is honest, sobering, and, in places, very funny. I loved it.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
The New Cosmology
The New Cosmology, Harold W.G. Allen, Perspective Books, 2002
Based on a lifetime of interest in, and research on, earth and its place in the cosmos, the author asserts some startling theories about the state of the universe.
Allen is not a creationist, but he does not dismiss the influence of a force or principle at work that some people call God. The fundamental nature of the cosmos is such that all life contains spirit (specific and varying segments of perfection, or whatever God consists of) and that it is able to rise to higher levels, eventually terminating in none other than God himself.
Did you know that the universe has an impenetrable boundary? The solar system is rushing toward it, but the period of time before it will become a problem can be measured in millions of years.
The author spends much of the book exposing several large holes in the Big Bang theory of universe creation. He asserts that the observable evidence just doesn't add up. A much better theory is that of Continuous Creation (a series of smaller Bangs). At a certain point, universe expansion turns into universe contraction, eventually leading to another Small Bang. Most of his other objections to the Big Bang were beyond this reviewer.
Allen takes the reader painlessly through cosmology, starting with the earth, the sun and the solar system, and spreading out to nearby stars, quasars, pulsars, black holes and continuing on to nearby galaxies. There is a blessed lack of equations and technical jargon in this book. He does a fine job at "layman level" science, but the point comes at which some previous knowledge of cosmology would help. For professional scientists, and for those who simply want a different view of the universe, this book is well worth reading.
Based on a lifetime of interest in, and research on, earth and its place in the cosmos, the author asserts some startling theories about the state of the universe.
Allen is not a creationist, but he does not dismiss the influence of a force or principle at work that some people call God. The fundamental nature of the cosmos is such that all life contains spirit (specific and varying segments of perfection, or whatever God consists of) and that it is able to rise to higher levels, eventually terminating in none other than God himself.
Did you know that the universe has an impenetrable boundary? The solar system is rushing toward it, but the period of time before it will become a problem can be measured in millions of years.
The author spends much of the book exposing several large holes in the Big Bang theory of universe creation. He asserts that the observable evidence just doesn't add up. A much better theory is that of Continuous Creation (a series of smaller Bangs). At a certain point, universe expansion turns into universe contraction, eventually leading to another Small Bang. Most of his other objections to the Big Bang were beyond this reviewer.
Allen takes the reader painlessly through cosmology, starting with the earth, the sun and the solar system, and spreading out to nearby stars, quasars, pulsars, black holes and continuing on to nearby galaxies. There is a blessed lack of equations and technical jargon in this book. He does a fine job at "layman level" science, but the point comes at which some previous knowledge of cosmology would help. For professional scientists, and for those who simply want a different view of the universe, this book is well worth reading.
Students Against Sweatshops
Students Against Sweatshops, Liza Featherstone, Verso Books, 2002
A movement is growing on college campuses across America; a movement broadly focused on the relationship between universities and multinational corporations and more specifically on the places (sweatshops) where college apparel is made.
When a group of students stages a protest march or petition drive to get their university to get their apparel supplier to get the clothing factory to improve conditions for their workers, the usual response from the university is to ignore them. Given enough pressure, and enough solidarity from other groups on campus, the administration usually comes around. Many universities joined the industry-led Fair Labor Association as a way to get the students to be quiet. Under more student pressure, they switched sides and joined the student-run Workers Rights Consortium.
Naturally, the corporations are not just sitting around, hoping the students will go away. When they get wind of a protest planned for one of their stores, they start by deploying plainclothes security and video surveillance, and go from there.
The concern (or criticism) has been raised by African-American students at these same schools that USAS (United Students Against Sweatshops) focuses on conditions overseas so it won't have to discuss the sensitive issue of race relations here at home. When white students protest an issue, they at least get a meeting with the school administration. When minority students protest an issue, they get totally ignored. Some USAS chapters have gotten the message, and begun to focus on issues closer to home, like a fair wage for hourly employees at the university.
To those who think that all American college students are apathetic partiers, this book will help change your mind. It's (too) short, very easy to read and tells of young people who are actually doing something to change things around the world. It's highly recommended.
A movement is growing on college campuses across America; a movement broadly focused on the relationship between universities and multinational corporations and more specifically on the places (sweatshops) where college apparel is made.
When a group of students stages a protest march or petition drive to get their university to get their apparel supplier to get the clothing factory to improve conditions for their workers, the usual response from the university is to ignore them. Given enough pressure, and enough solidarity from other groups on campus, the administration usually comes around. Many universities joined the industry-led Fair Labor Association as a way to get the students to be quiet. Under more student pressure, they switched sides and joined the student-run Workers Rights Consortium.
Naturally, the corporations are not just sitting around, hoping the students will go away. When they get wind of a protest planned for one of their stores, they start by deploying plainclothes security and video surveillance, and go from there.
The concern (or criticism) has been raised by African-American students at these same schools that USAS (United Students Against Sweatshops) focuses on conditions overseas so it won't have to discuss the sensitive issue of race relations here at home. When white students protest an issue, they at least get a meeting with the school administration. When minority students protest an issue, they get totally ignored. Some USAS chapters have gotten the message, and begun to focus on issues closer to home, like a fair wage for hourly employees at the university.
To those who think that all American college students are apathetic partiers, this book will help change your mind. It's (too) short, very easy to read and tells of young people who are actually doing something to change things around the world. It's highly recommended.
Pipsqueak
Pipsqueak, Brian M. Wiprud, iUniverse, Inc., 2002
Garth Carson is a taxidermy restorer and collector. One day, in an out of the way antique shop, he sees a very famous stuffed squirrel. Pipsqueak the Nutty Nut was a character from the General Buster Show, an afternoon children's TV show from the era before cable and before afternoon TV talk shows. After being told that Pipsqueak isn't for sale, Garth nearly gets caught in a robbery at the antique shop, at which a biker ends up dead and Pipsqueak ends up missing.
Garth and his live-in girlfriend, Angie, a jewelry designer, suddenly find themselves in a rapidly growing mystery, all centered on the squirrel. It involves a stuffed loon, more dead bodies, tuning forks, Soviet-era secrets, thugs in plaid cummerbunds, and Garth's older brother, Nicholas, who Garth hasn't seen in 15 years. Along the way, Garth and Angie find themselves inside the retro-swing music revival and discover a mind control conspiracy involving digital TV. It also involves some very interesting things hidden inside Pipsqueak, and his two colleagues from the General Buster Show, Howlie the Wolf, and Possum, his sidekick.
This one rates pretty high on the Strange Meter. It has something for everyone, and it will certainly keep the reader entertained. Wiprud has done another fine job; this one is very much worth reading.
Garth Carson is a taxidermy restorer and collector. One day, in an out of the way antique shop, he sees a very famous stuffed squirrel. Pipsqueak the Nutty Nut was a character from the General Buster Show, an afternoon children's TV show from the era before cable and before afternoon TV talk shows. After being told that Pipsqueak isn't for sale, Garth nearly gets caught in a robbery at the antique shop, at which a biker ends up dead and Pipsqueak ends up missing.
Garth and his live-in girlfriend, Angie, a jewelry designer, suddenly find themselves in a rapidly growing mystery, all centered on the squirrel. It involves a stuffed loon, more dead bodies, tuning forks, Soviet-era secrets, thugs in plaid cummerbunds, and Garth's older brother, Nicholas, who Garth hasn't seen in 15 years. Along the way, Garth and Angie find themselves inside the retro-swing music revival and discover a mind control conspiracy involving digital TV. It also involves some very interesting things hidden inside Pipsqueak, and his two colleagues from the General Buster Show, Howlie the Wolf, and Possum, his sidekick.
This one rates pretty high on the Strange Meter. It has something for everyone, and it will certainly keep the reader entertained. Wiprud has done another fine job; this one is very much worth reading.
Brown Glass Windows
Brown Glass Windows, devorah major, Curbstone Press, 2002
This novel is about a family who live on Fillmore Street in present-day San Francisco. Formerly a thriving, close-knit place to live, the street is in the process of being gentrified out of existence.
Jamal, a graffiti artist who calls himself "Sketch," lives with his grandmother. Jamal's father, Ranger, came back from Vietnam a cocaine addict and spends most of his time living on the streets. Ironically, just when Ranger seems to have his addiction actually conquered, he is caught in the middle of a drive-by shooting. Because of the family's built-up resentments and recriminations, a period of emotional turmoil results, and, each in their own way, the family comes out the other end stronger and more united than ever.
The family is helped in their journey by an older, eccentric woman named Victoria. Never one to venture outside without looking "presentable," her obsession (?) grew until she reached the point where she dressed all in white, including white pancake makeup on her African-American skin, and believed herself to be invisible. She is accompanied by the book's narrator, the spirit of a 300-year-old African slave, who has "adopted" Victoria for the time being.
This story works in several different ways. It's a must read for urban residents forced to watch the transformation of their neighborhood into something unrecognizable. It does a very good job at showing one family's attempt to come to grips with the legacy of the Vietnam War. For those who like their fiction with a touch of strange, the author does a fine job with the Latin American magic realism. This novel is well worth the search, and well worth reading.
This novel is about a family who live on Fillmore Street in present-day San Francisco. Formerly a thriving, close-knit place to live, the street is in the process of being gentrified out of existence.
Jamal, a graffiti artist who calls himself "Sketch," lives with his grandmother. Jamal's father, Ranger, came back from Vietnam a cocaine addict and spends most of his time living on the streets. Ironically, just when Ranger seems to have his addiction actually conquered, he is caught in the middle of a drive-by shooting. Because of the family's built-up resentments and recriminations, a period of emotional turmoil results, and, each in their own way, the family comes out the other end stronger and more united than ever.
The family is helped in their journey by an older, eccentric woman named Victoria. Never one to venture outside without looking "presentable," her obsession (?) grew until she reached the point where she dressed all in white, including white pancake makeup on her African-American skin, and believed herself to be invisible. She is accompanied by the book's narrator, the spirit of a 300-year-old African slave, who has "adopted" Victoria for the time being.
This story works in several different ways. It's a must read for urban residents forced to watch the transformation of their neighborhood into something unrecognizable. It does a very good job at showing one family's attempt to come to grips with the legacy of the Vietnam War. For those who like their fiction with a touch of strange, the author does a fine job with the Latin American magic realism. This novel is well worth the search, and well worth reading.
Wisdom on the Green: Smarter Six Sigma Business Solutions
Wisdom on the Green: Smarter Six Sigma Business Solutions, Forrest W. Breyfogle III, et al., Smarter Solutions Inc, 2001
Four friends who first met during their MBA days get together for their monthly round of golf. Now working at different companies, each has their own challenges and problems at work to fix. Using the metaphor of golf as something where there is no such thing as total perfection (like in business), the authors show how business problems can be solved using a business strategy called Six Sigma.
It's a methodology for pursuing continuous improvement in profit and customer satisfaction applicable to any sort of business, not just manufacturing. If the problem is to be found at Point X in the process, it would be easy to say Fix Point X and the problem is solved. What if fixing Point X creates a new problem at Point Y? Six Sigma looks at improving the entire strategic plan instead of focusing just on the trouble spot. It can be applied to everyday, real-world problems like increasing sales, cost reduction and inventory control.
This is a very specialized and very technical book (much of which was over my head), but it is much better than the average dry business textbook. For most people, this book can be skipped. But, for those in middle or upper management, or those for whom defect reduction is a daily concern (shouldn't that be everyone in management?), this book is very much worth checking out.
Four friends who first met during their MBA days get together for their monthly round of golf. Now working at different companies, each has their own challenges and problems at work to fix. Using the metaphor of golf as something where there is no such thing as total perfection (like in business), the authors show how business problems can be solved using a business strategy called Six Sigma.
It's a methodology for pursuing continuous improvement in profit and customer satisfaction applicable to any sort of business, not just manufacturing. If the problem is to be found at Point X in the process, it would be easy to say Fix Point X and the problem is solved. What if fixing Point X creates a new problem at Point Y? Six Sigma looks at improving the entire strategic plan instead of focusing just on the trouble spot. It can be applied to everyday, real-world problems like increasing sales, cost reduction and inventory control.
This is a very specialized and very technical book (much of which was over my head), but it is much better than the average dry business textbook. For most people, this book can be skipped. But, for those in middle or upper management, or those for whom defect reduction is a daily concern (shouldn't that be everyone in management?), this book is very much worth checking out.
Death Before Dawn: SEAL Strike!
Death Before Dawn: SEAL STRIKE! Book One, Martin L. Strong, Writer's Showcase, 2001
Matthew Barrett is the son of a highly decorated soldier, now deceased. His father's method of parenting was heavy on the pushing and very light on the praise and encouragement. Nothing Matt did was good enough for his father.
Matt joins the Navy SEALs, partly to prove to his father, and himself, that he is good enough. Since SEAL stands for Sea, Air and Land, Matt practices all kinds of scenarios with the other members of his squad, of which he is the leader. Each member of the squad has their own area of expertise, but the intention is that they also function as one unit. Matt passes SEAL training, but not exactly with flying colors.
Meantime, the government of Egypt is on the brink of collapse. An Islamic fundamentalist leader named Banadar has been gaining popularity among parts of the military. The transformation of Egypt into a fundamentalist government would be a disaster for America and the West, so the decision is made to invade Egypt to keep that from happening. Matt's squad has the task of discovering the size and strength of Egyptian forces at one section of the international airport in Alexandria. They must then relay that information to a group of Army Rangers who are just behind them and will do the actual taking over of the airport. Unfortunately, the Rangers get shot out of the sky by the Egyptian military, so Matt and his squad must now wait several hours for assistance. The military units stationed at the airport know that something is wrong, and it's only a matter of time before they pinpoint the squad's location and open fire.
This one is quite good. The squad members are real people, and not just tall, square-jawed military stereotypes. It's short and easy to read and it feels very plausible (it had better be plausible; the author is a former real Navy SEAL). This novel is well worth the reader's time.</p>
Matthew Barrett is the son of a highly decorated soldier, now deceased. His father's method of parenting was heavy on the pushing and very light on the praise and encouragement. Nothing Matt did was good enough for his father.
Matt joins the Navy SEALs, partly to prove to his father, and himself, that he is good enough. Since SEAL stands for Sea, Air and Land, Matt practices all kinds of scenarios with the other members of his squad, of which he is the leader. Each member of the squad has their own area of expertise, but the intention is that they also function as one unit. Matt passes SEAL training, but not exactly with flying colors.
Meantime, the government of Egypt is on the brink of collapse. An Islamic fundamentalist leader named Banadar has been gaining popularity among parts of the military. The transformation of Egypt into a fundamentalist government would be a disaster for America and the West, so the decision is made to invade Egypt to keep that from happening. Matt's squad has the task of discovering the size and strength of Egyptian forces at one section of the international airport in Alexandria. They must then relay that information to a group of Army Rangers who are just behind them and will do the actual taking over of the airport. Unfortunately, the Rangers get shot out of the sky by the Egyptian military, so Matt and his squad must now wait several hours for assistance. The military units stationed at the airport know that something is wrong, and it's only a matter of time before they pinpoint the squad's location and open fire.
This one is quite good. The squad members are real people, and not just tall, square-jawed military stereotypes. It's short and easy to read and it feels very plausible (it had better be plausible; the author is a former real Navy SEAL). This novel is well worth the reader's time.</p>
Only in America
Only in America, John Soltez, Gansevoort Press, 2001
Buck Fourcade is a tycoon from Louisiana who has turned American politics on its head. Plugging into the discontent of the people, the Presidential election becomes a marathon as results take much longer than expected, or are changed more than once. The election is declared inconclusive, so attention shifts to the Electoral College. Some states just happen to have a law on their books saying that the Electoral College elector doesn't have to vote the way the state did during the election. The political chaos continues as the next stop is the House of Representatives.
Fourcade supporters encourage the House to choose Buck as President by surrounding the US Capitol with a ring of four million supporters. Congress gets the message, and Buck Fourcade is soon sworn in as President. He quickly sets about changing things in Washington, promising to run America like a business. He changes the Cabinet positions into Vice President For positions, cracks down on corporations who don't pay taxes and institutes Government By 1-900 Number. (Remember Ross Perot in 1992?)
This is seen through the eyes of Doug Murphy, middle-level employee of Continental Brewing, and living in the Midwest town of Brookville. He is your typical apathetic person who totally believes in the American Dream. Still, he notes the increasing number of For Sale signs and closed businesses in town, along with wave after wave of layoffs at work. He also notices how some of the town's leading citizens are not just Fourcade supporters, but obsessed with him.
That obsession turns to anger when Fourcade is assassinated. Seeing plenty of "suspects," they take to the streets, letting out their anger on anything and everything. Doug watches as things like newspaper delivery, street repair and trash pickup become things of the past. The situation in Washington can best be described as "chaotic." Policies of the past 20 or 30 years, like running up a multi-trillion dollar debt and printing paper money without the gold to back it up, come to the forefront. What passes for a national government divides the country into security zones and deploys troops to quell the growing internal rebellion. Canada and Mexico move troops to their borders to stop fleeing Americans. As unemployment skyrockets (Doug is one of the victims), the only businesses left are convenience stores, sporting goods stores (suppliers of knives and guns) and those run by Fourcade supporters.
This is not an optimistic novel, but it is very much a Must Read. It's also quite spooky (not so much "horror movie" spooky as "very plausible" spooky). For those, like Doug Murphy, who are total believers in the American Dream, this book may just change your mind.
Buck Fourcade is a tycoon from Louisiana who has turned American politics on its head. Plugging into the discontent of the people, the Presidential election becomes a marathon as results take much longer than expected, or are changed more than once. The election is declared inconclusive, so attention shifts to the Electoral College. Some states just happen to have a law on their books saying that the Electoral College elector doesn't have to vote the way the state did during the election. The political chaos continues as the next stop is the House of Representatives.
Fourcade supporters encourage the House to choose Buck as President by surrounding the US Capitol with a ring of four million supporters. Congress gets the message, and Buck Fourcade is soon sworn in as President. He quickly sets about changing things in Washington, promising to run America like a business. He changes the Cabinet positions into Vice President For positions, cracks down on corporations who don't pay taxes and institutes Government By 1-900 Number. (Remember Ross Perot in 1992?)
This is seen through the eyes of Doug Murphy, middle-level employee of Continental Brewing, and living in the Midwest town of Brookville. He is your typical apathetic person who totally believes in the American Dream. Still, he notes the increasing number of For Sale signs and closed businesses in town, along with wave after wave of layoffs at work. He also notices how some of the town's leading citizens are not just Fourcade supporters, but obsessed with him.
That obsession turns to anger when Fourcade is assassinated. Seeing plenty of "suspects," they take to the streets, letting out their anger on anything and everything. Doug watches as things like newspaper delivery, street repair and trash pickup become things of the past. The situation in Washington can best be described as "chaotic." Policies of the past 20 or 30 years, like running up a multi-trillion dollar debt and printing paper money without the gold to back it up, come to the forefront. What passes for a national government divides the country into security zones and deploys troops to quell the growing internal rebellion. Canada and Mexico move troops to their borders to stop fleeing Americans. As unemployment skyrockets (Doug is one of the victims), the only businesses left are convenience stores, sporting goods stores (suppliers of knives and guns) and those run by Fourcade supporters.
This is not an optimistic novel, but it is very much a Must Read. It's also quite spooky (not so much "horror movie" spooky as "very plausible" spooky). For those, like Doug Murphy, who are total believers in the American Dream, this book may just change your mind.
This Is the Place
This Is The Place, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, America House Publishers, 2000
This novel is about Mormon culture in 1950s Utah. It's also about the sting of bigotry and intolerance, and how it can be disguised as love and acceptance.
Sky (short for Skylar) Eccles is a young woman with several "strikes" against her. In the insular Mormon community, she is considered a half-breed (in her case, her father was Mormon and her mother was Protestant, the religion under which she was raised). She is unmarried; Mormon women are supposed to marry young, stay home and have lots of children. Sky agrees to marry a man named Archer Benson, a man about as true-blue Mormon as they come. But they decide not to have a Temple wedding (not to get married in the Mormon church), a decision which doesn't go over well with the relatives. Not only does Sky work outside the home, she writes for the Other Newspaper in Utah, the Salt Lake Tribune, the one not owned by the Mormons.
Raised with something of a double identity, Sky is forced to look at her own family history, containing several instances of women who entered into mixed marriages. Her career in journalism clarifies her vision of herself and her ancestors. Suffering a series of devastating events, Sky begins to see that her future is up to her, that she must find her own way in the world.
This is a fine piece of writing. It gives quite a look inside a culture with which few outsiders are familiar, it's a "quiet" book that says a lot, the characters are real people, and, overall, it's well worth reading.
This novel is about Mormon culture in 1950s Utah. It's also about the sting of bigotry and intolerance, and how it can be disguised as love and acceptance.
Sky (short for Skylar) Eccles is a young woman with several "strikes" against her. In the insular Mormon community, she is considered a half-breed (in her case, her father was Mormon and her mother was Protestant, the religion under which she was raised). She is unmarried; Mormon women are supposed to marry young, stay home and have lots of children. Sky agrees to marry a man named Archer Benson, a man about as true-blue Mormon as they come. But they decide not to have a Temple wedding (not to get married in the Mormon church), a decision which doesn't go over well with the relatives. Not only does Sky work outside the home, she writes for the Other Newspaper in Utah, the Salt Lake Tribune, the one not owned by the Mormons.
Raised with something of a double identity, Sky is forced to look at her own family history, containing several instances of women who entered into mixed marriages. Her career in journalism clarifies her vision of herself and her ancestors. Suffering a series of devastating events, Sky begins to see that her future is up to her, that she must find her own way in the world.
This is a fine piece of writing. It gives quite a look inside a culture with which few outsiders are familiar, it's a "quiet" book that says a lot, the characters are real people, and, overall, it's well worth reading.
The Star Rover
The Star Rover, Jack London, Prometheus Books, 1999
This is the story of former college professor Darrell Standing, serving a life sentence in San Quentin for murdering a colleague. Another prisoner, Cecil Winwood, convinces forty other convicts to join him in a jailbreak. At the appropriate time, the guards capture everyone and throw them into solitary (little better than a dungeon). They knew about the jailbreak ahead of time, because Winwood had turned stool pigeon in hopes of reducing his sentence for forgery. All of the "conspirators" are beaten by the guards, including Standing, some to the point of becoming permanent physical or mental cripples. Winwood then tells the warden that a supply of dynamite to be used in the jailbreak is hidden somewhere in the prison and only Standing knows the location. He then finds himself the subject of torture by the warden and guards, including, among other things, being left in a strait jacket for days at a time. Of course, there is no dynamite.
He escapes the pain and torment by astral travel, withdrawing into dreams of his past lives during his "eternal recurrence on earth." At one time, he is a nobleman in medieval France. Another time, he spends years shipwrecked on an outcropping of rock barely one-half mile square in the middle of the ocean; his only possession was an oar on which he wrote his tale. While in prison, he got word to a famous museum that just happened to have that oar in storage. Still another time, he is an Englishman living in 1600s Korea. For a time, he is a trusted friend and confidante of the Emperor. When the political winds change, he and his Korean wife are made outcasts by the new Emperor. For twenty years, they are forbidden to leave Korea, and they are also not to receive any assistance from the local population.
Back in the real world, during one of his periodic beatings by the guards, Standing, having wasted away to a bag of bones, is able to defend himself just enough to give one of the guards a nosebleed. For this "assault," he is sentenced to hang, not for killing his college colleague.
Having spent time in prison for vagrancy (today it's called "being homeless"), this is London's attempt to expose the horrors of prison. It's not his most famous novel, but it's still very poignant and thought-provoking, and is well worth reading.</p>
This is the story of former college professor Darrell Standing, serving a life sentence in San Quentin for murdering a colleague. Another prisoner, Cecil Winwood, convinces forty other convicts to join him in a jailbreak. At the appropriate time, the guards capture everyone and throw them into solitary (little better than a dungeon). They knew about the jailbreak ahead of time, because Winwood had turned stool pigeon in hopes of reducing his sentence for forgery. All of the "conspirators" are beaten by the guards, including Standing, some to the point of becoming permanent physical or mental cripples. Winwood then tells the warden that a supply of dynamite to be used in the jailbreak is hidden somewhere in the prison and only Standing knows the location. He then finds himself the subject of torture by the warden and guards, including, among other things, being left in a strait jacket for days at a time. Of course, there is no dynamite.
He escapes the pain and torment by astral travel, withdrawing into dreams of his past lives during his "eternal recurrence on earth." At one time, he is a nobleman in medieval France. Another time, he spends years shipwrecked on an outcropping of rock barely one-half mile square in the middle of the ocean; his only possession was an oar on which he wrote his tale. While in prison, he got word to a famous museum that just happened to have that oar in storage. Still another time, he is an Englishman living in 1600s Korea. For a time, he is a trusted friend and confidante of the Emperor. When the political winds change, he and his Korean wife are made outcasts by the new Emperor. For twenty years, they are forbidden to leave Korea, and they are also not to receive any assistance from the local population.
Back in the real world, during one of his periodic beatings by the guards, Standing, having wasted away to a bag of bones, is able to defend himself just enough to give one of the guards a nosebleed. For this "assault," he is sentenced to hang, not for killing his college colleague.
Having spent time in prison for vagrancy (today it's called "being homeless"), this is London's attempt to expose the horrors of prison. It's not his most famous novel, but it's still very poignant and thought-provoking, and is well worth reading.</p>
Monday, August 27, 2012
The Perseids and Other Stories
The Perseids and Other Stories, Robert Charles Wilson, Tor Books, 2000
This group of speculative fiction stories take place in, and around, the city of Toronto, Canada.
An amateur astronomer buys a telescope at a local shop, and starts dating the female sales clerk. With a little hallucinogenic help, what starts as a relationship story turns into a tale of the next stage of human evolution. In 1950s California, young girl who claims to have been visited by aliens and is spending the summer with an uncle has a strange encounter with astronomer Edwin Hubble. Another story is about an ever-changing group of friends who get together for some intellectual conversation. One person says, "Invent a religion."
A writer of New Age books has a genuine encounter with the extraordinary, courtesy of a mirror that shows very interesting things to those who stand in front of it. In another story, a man speculates a being as far above humans as we are above a house cat among us right now, but we wouldn't know it. At a local used bookstore called Finders (locale for several of these stories) a man bought a rock as a paperweight. It's actually a scrying rock, which lets the holder of the rock see into their future.
I loved these stories. They could be set in any large city, they're sort of like Twilight Zone stories (a mixture of fantasy, science fiction and horror), and they are very thought-provoking. Wilson is one of my favorite science fiction writers, so I don't claim to be totally unbiased, but this is highly recommended.
This group of speculative fiction stories take place in, and around, the city of Toronto, Canada.
An amateur astronomer buys a telescope at a local shop, and starts dating the female sales clerk. With a little hallucinogenic help, what starts as a relationship story turns into a tale of the next stage of human evolution. In 1950s California, young girl who claims to have been visited by aliens and is spending the summer with an uncle has a strange encounter with astronomer Edwin Hubble. Another story is about an ever-changing group of friends who get together for some intellectual conversation. One person says, "Invent a religion."
A writer of New Age books has a genuine encounter with the extraordinary, courtesy of a mirror that shows very interesting things to those who stand in front of it. In another story, a man speculates a being as far above humans as we are above a house cat among us right now, but we wouldn't know it. At a local used bookstore called Finders (locale for several of these stories) a man bought a rock as a paperweight. It's actually a scrying rock, which lets the holder of the rock see into their future.
I loved these stories. They could be set in any large city, they're sort of like Twilight Zone stories (a mixture of fantasy, science fiction and horror), and they are very thought-provoking. Wilson is one of my favorite science fiction writers, so I don't claim to be totally unbiased, but this is highly recommended.
The Three Impostors
The Three Impostors, Arthur Machen, Ballantine, 1972
Written in the 1890s and set in London, this group of stories concern the sort of people that one may meet in any large city.
A man named Wilkins tells of his trip to America. Almost destitute, he is hired by a man named Smith to be his assistant on a business trip to the Rocky Mountains. Having no idea as to the details of Smith's business with a bunch of gold miners, Wilkins starts to feel that something strange is going on. Suddenly a group of vigilantes drag Wilkins out to a tree, throw a noose over it, and plan to hang him for being associated with a thief like Smith. After being saved by the local sheriff, Wilkins practically runs back to England, where his fortunes change for the better. He still lives every day in absolute fear that Smith will find him.
A man named Burton was stuck in a suburb of London after the evening's last train had departed the local station. He runs into a young doctor named Mathias, out for his evening walk, who invites Burton back to his place for the evening. Mathias is a collector of instruments of torture and death from all over the world. One of his newest acquisitions is a bronze statue of a naked woman called an Iron Maid. It is used for strangulation, which Burton learns to his horror, unable to release Mathias from its clutches.
A woman named Leicester tells the story of her brother, studying to become a lawyer. She is concerned with him spending all day, every day in his room with his law books. She asks the local doctor for a prescription, which is filled at the local pharmacist. For a while, everything is fine; the brother starts taking an interest in things other than law. But slowly, he begins to change. He gets sullen and short-tempered, he doesn't eat, and he has taken to locking himself in his room. The sister is getting more and more worried. She and the doctor visit the pharmacist and discover that what the brother has been taking is not what was prescribed. One night, on her nightly walk, she glimpses an inhuman creature looking out the window of her brother's room. In a panic, she gets the doctor, who forces open the door, to find a bubbling mass of putrescence with two eyes and what looks like an arm. The sister is now accused of having killed her brother.
I really enjoyed these stories. Written in another time, they're a combination of horror, satire and mystery. This is a fine and very versatile piece of writing.
Written in the 1890s and set in London, this group of stories concern the sort of people that one may meet in any large city.
A man named Wilkins tells of his trip to America. Almost destitute, he is hired by a man named Smith to be his assistant on a business trip to the Rocky Mountains. Having no idea as to the details of Smith's business with a bunch of gold miners, Wilkins starts to feel that something strange is going on. Suddenly a group of vigilantes drag Wilkins out to a tree, throw a noose over it, and plan to hang him for being associated with a thief like Smith. After being saved by the local sheriff, Wilkins practically runs back to England, where his fortunes change for the better. He still lives every day in absolute fear that Smith will find him.
A man named Burton was stuck in a suburb of London after the evening's last train had departed the local station. He runs into a young doctor named Mathias, out for his evening walk, who invites Burton back to his place for the evening. Mathias is a collector of instruments of torture and death from all over the world. One of his newest acquisitions is a bronze statue of a naked woman called an Iron Maid. It is used for strangulation, which Burton learns to his horror, unable to release Mathias from its clutches.
A woman named Leicester tells the story of her brother, studying to become a lawyer. She is concerned with him spending all day, every day in his room with his law books. She asks the local doctor for a prescription, which is filled at the local pharmacist. For a while, everything is fine; the brother starts taking an interest in things other than law. But slowly, he begins to change. He gets sullen and short-tempered, he doesn't eat, and he has taken to locking himself in his room. The sister is getting more and more worried. She and the doctor visit the pharmacist and discover that what the brother has been taking is not what was prescribed. One night, on her nightly walk, she glimpses an inhuman creature looking out the window of her brother's room. In a panic, she gets the doctor, who forces open the door, to find a bubbling mass of putrescence with two eyes and what looks like an arm. The sister is now accused of having killed her brother.
I really enjoyed these stories. Written in another time, they're a combination of horror, satire and mystery. This is a fine and very versatile piece of writing.
Stardoc
Stardoc, S.L. Viehl, Roc Books, 2000
Cherijo Grey Veil is a brilliant Earth doctor who, to escape a domineering father, accepts a position at the FreeClinic on the planet Kevarzangia Two, about as far away as one can get. It's inhabited by over 200 species who live in separate colonies, and only a tiny fraction of them are humanoid.
From the moment she arrives, she has to prove herself with each and every patient. She experiences the egos and varying levels of competence among the staff inherent in any hospital. The equipment is in desperate need of replacement because the home worlds of the planet's inhabitants are not very sympathetic.
Cherijo meets, and falls for, a Jorenian, a tall blue humanoid, named Kao Jorin. They bond (get married) and she becomes an official part of the Clan.
One day, a person comes to the Clinic with symptoms resembling tuberculosis. According to their medical tests, there's no germ involved, no virus, nothing. Cherijo wants to declare a quarantine, but Dr. Mayer, the Chief of Staff, says no without something more specific to go on. A quarantine is declared after it becomes a full-scale epidemic, with hundreds dying of this disease that isn't really a disease, and Cherijo is the only one on staff not affected. Kao Jorin, Cherijo's mate, is among the dead.
Her father, who hasn't stopped trying to bring her back to Earth, puts enough pressure on the League of Worlds to have Cherijo relieved of her position at the FreeClinic and returned to Earth, sedated and restrained if necessary. Just before that is to happen, she is rescued by other members of Kao's Clan and taken aboard their ship. The League wants her back real bad, and the Jorenians are just as determined to not give her back.
This one is really good. The best part of this novel is that the aliens are really alien, and not just humanoids with strange skin coloring. It certainly feels like a worthy successor to James White's Sector General series. There's a good story here, too. It's worth reading.</p>
Cherijo Grey Veil is a brilliant Earth doctor who, to escape a domineering father, accepts a position at the FreeClinic on the planet Kevarzangia Two, about as far away as one can get. It's inhabited by over 200 species who live in separate colonies, and only a tiny fraction of them are humanoid.
From the moment she arrives, she has to prove herself with each and every patient. She experiences the egos and varying levels of competence among the staff inherent in any hospital. The equipment is in desperate need of replacement because the home worlds of the planet's inhabitants are not very sympathetic.
Cherijo meets, and falls for, a Jorenian, a tall blue humanoid, named Kao Jorin. They bond (get married) and she becomes an official part of the Clan.
One day, a person comes to the Clinic with symptoms resembling tuberculosis. According to their medical tests, there's no germ involved, no virus, nothing. Cherijo wants to declare a quarantine, but Dr. Mayer, the Chief of Staff, says no without something more specific to go on. A quarantine is declared after it becomes a full-scale epidemic, with hundreds dying of this disease that isn't really a disease, and Cherijo is the only one on staff not affected. Kao Jorin, Cherijo's mate, is among the dead.
Her father, who hasn't stopped trying to bring her back to Earth, puts enough pressure on the League of Worlds to have Cherijo relieved of her position at the FreeClinic and returned to Earth, sedated and restrained if necessary. Just before that is to happen, she is rescued by other members of Kao's Clan and taken aboard their ship. The League wants her back real bad, and the Jorenians are just as determined to not give her back.
This one is really good. The best part of this novel is that the aliens are really alien, and not just humanoids with strange skin coloring. It certainly feels like a worthy successor to James White's Sector General series. There's a good story here, too. It's worth reading.</p>
The Telling
The Telling, Ursula K. Leguin, Ace Books, 2000
The planet Aka used to be a culturally rich place to live. That is, until the government decided to make the March To The Stars the overriding goal of the entire world. Technology has totally transformed the planet. The population is strictly monitored. The past isn't just being rewritten, it's being thrown in the trash. The government of Aka thinks that this is the way to become a starfaring society.
The Ekumen (the planetary confederation) is allowed four, and only four, sociological observers on the planet at any one time. Sutty is an observer from Earth. The home planet is going through a period of religious dictatorship, where "unauthorized" books are destroyed, no questions asked. Back on Aka, the observers are confined to the cities, and are watched by the Monitors. After a while, Sutty gets permission to spend some time in a small town out in the wilderness, a place called Okzat-Ozkat.
After receiving the usual warning from a Monitor named Yara on the trip to the town (their beliefs are wrong, they preach unauthorized things, they are bad people, etc.), Sutty arrives to find an oral, storytelling based religion called The Telling. It's something of a cross between Taoism and Buddhism. Sutty records everything she can, including an entire language called Dovzan, which was declared illegal when Aka started the March To The Stars. Sutty notices that there are no books anywhere in the town. She is taken high into the mountains, to a place where cave after cave are full of books, now illegal. They were brought there, a few at a time, by hand, by the people of Aka when things changed. Great precautions are taken to make sure they don't get found by the Monitors. Yara's helicopter crashes nearby, and there is much discussion as to what to do with him, as he is nursed back to health.
This novel is excellent. Twenty-five years ago, Ursula Leguin was a master of speculative fiction; if anything, she's gotten better. Here is a quietly wonderful and thought-provoking story that gets two strong thumbs up.
The planet Aka used to be a culturally rich place to live. That is, until the government decided to make the March To The Stars the overriding goal of the entire world. Technology has totally transformed the planet. The population is strictly monitored. The past isn't just being rewritten, it's being thrown in the trash. The government of Aka thinks that this is the way to become a starfaring society.
The Ekumen (the planetary confederation) is allowed four, and only four, sociological observers on the planet at any one time. Sutty is an observer from Earth. The home planet is going through a period of religious dictatorship, where "unauthorized" books are destroyed, no questions asked. Back on Aka, the observers are confined to the cities, and are watched by the Monitors. After a while, Sutty gets permission to spend some time in a small town out in the wilderness, a place called Okzat-Ozkat.
After receiving the usual warning from a Monitor named Yara on the trip to the town (their beliefs are wrong, they preach unauthorized things, they are bad people, etc.), Sutty arrives to find an oral, storytelling based religion called The Telling. It's something of a cross between Taoism and Buddhism. Sutty records everything she can, including an entire language called Dovzan, which was declared illegal when Aka started the March To The Stars. Sutty notices that there are no books anywhere in the town. She is taken high into the mountains, to a place where cave after cave are full of books, now illegal. They were brought there, a few at a time, by hand, by the people of Aka when things changed. Great precautions are taken to make sure they don't get found by the Monitors. Yara's helicopter crashes nearby, and there is much discussion as to what to do with him, as he is nursed back to health.
This novel is excellent. Twenty-five years ago, Ursula Leguin was a master of speculative fiction; if anything, she's gotten better. Here is a quietly wonderful and thought-provoking story that gets two strong thumbs up.
Lyskarion: The Song of the Wind
Lyskarion: The Song of the Wind, J.A. Cullum, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, 2001
The planet Tamar, home to nine different humanoid races, is moving inexorably toward war. Many years ago, there was a great battle among wizards, which led to much death and destruction, and a great fear of wizards among the general population. Therefore, there are very few wizards left.
Cormor, one of the wizards, decides that the only way to forestall another general war is to bring back the study of wizardry. So all children are to be tested for wizard potential. Two of them, Errin and Elise, knew each other as children when they mind-linked, then went their separate ways. The only problem is that Errin is part of a race of shape shifters that spend part of each year in the sea as dolphins. Elise has been taught her whole life to despise them as less than human.
The third, Jerevan, is found, at birth, to have wizard potential that is practically off the scale. His parents refuse to allow full wizard training. As an adult, Jerevan is asked by Derwen, another wizard, to undergo full wizard training. He refuses, and Derwen lays a curse on Jerevan, the sort of curse that can only be lifted by Jerevan becoming a better wizard than Derwen.
Every few hours, Jerevan experiences severe stomach cramps unless he gorges himself on food. A light snack won't work; the cramps stop when Jerevan's stomach is ready to burst. Later, when the rumblings of war get louder, and his weight reaches four figures, Jerevan is captured by pirates and used as free entertainment.
Meantime, Errin has become the keeper of Lyskarion, the greatest of the eight living crystals created by those wizards of long ago. He and Elise are back together, but she is afraid to mind-link with him, not knowing what the crystal has done to him.
This is more of a characters and dialogue novel than an action novel, so it's not a fast read. The reader's patience will be well rewarded, for the author has done a fine job with the story, the society building, and, especially, the characters in this book. It's a richly done tale that is highly recommended.
The planet Tamar, home to nine different humanoid races, is moving inexorably toward war. Many years ago, there was a great battle among wizards, which led to much death and destruction, and a great fear of wizards among the general population. Therefore, there are very few wizards left.
Cormor, one of the wizards, decides that the only way to forestall another general war is to bring back the study of wizardry. So all children are to be tested for wizard potential. Two of them, Errin and Elise, knew each other as children when they mind-linked, then went their separate ways. The only problem is that Errin is part of a race of shape shifters that spend part of each year in the sea as dolphins. Elise has been taught her whole life to despise them as less than human.
The third, Jerevan, is found, at birth, to have wizard potential that is practically off the scale. His parents refuse to allow full wizard training. As an adult, Jerevan is asked by Derwen, another wizard, to undergo full wizard training. He refuses, and Derwen lays a curse on Jerevan, the sort of curse that can only be lifted by Jerevan becoming a better wizard than Derwen.
Every few hours, Jerevan experiences severe stomach cramps unless he gorges himself on food. A light snack won't work; the cramps stop when Jerevan's stomach is ready to burst. Later, when the rumblings of war get louder, and his weight reaches four figures, Jerevan is captured by pirates and used as free entertainment.
Meantime, Errin has become the keeper of Lyskarion, the greatest of the eight living crystals created by those wizards of long ago. He and Elise are back together, but she is afraid to mind-link with him, not knowing what the crystal has done to him.
This is more of a characters and dialogue novel than an action novel, so it's not a fast read. The reader's patience will be well rewarded, for the author has done a fine job with the story, the society building, and, especially, the characters in this book. It's a richly done tale that is highly recommended.
Bloodchild and Other Stories
Bloodchild and Other Stories, Octavia E. Butler, Seven Stories Press, 1996
This group of stories are not the usual "aliens and spaceships" science fiction stories.
On a far distant planet, a colony of humans have become egg carriers for the dominant local species, who look a lot like giant, talking worms. The worms and humans get along quite well; the problem is that, when born, this species eats its way out of its host. Another story is about a human genetic disease that is characterized by extreme self-mutilation, a slow, but, inexorable loss of mental function, and the absolute belief that they are trapped inside their own bodies. If the person doesn't commit suicide first, the only alternative is permanent institutionalization. Some places at least try to help the sufferer, while others are little better than human warehouses.
A disease sweeps through mankind, targeting mainly the parts of the brain involved with language. A mostly silent society emerges after people's ability to understand language, both written and verbal, is lost. The only non-science fiction story is about a young woman who feels abandoned by her recently deceased mother. Included are two essays about writing, one about growing up wanting to be a writer, and the other is about the craft of writing for newcomers.
Here is a group of exceptional stories that sneak up on the reader, instead of being overpowering. Even though this book is too short, the ideas and speculation inside are quite large and meaningful. It is very much worth reading.
This group of stories are not the usual "aliens and spaceships" science fiction stories.
On a far distant planet, a colony of humans have become egg carriers for the dominant local species, who look a lot like giant, talking worms. The worms and humans get along quite well; the problem is that, when born, this species eats its way out of its host. Another story is about a human genetic disease that is characterized by extreme self-mutilation, a slow, but, inexorable loss of mental function, and the absolute belief that they are trapped inside their own bodies. If the person doesn't commit suicide first, the only alternative is permanent institutionalization. Some places at least try to help the sufferer, while others are little better than human warehouses.
A disease sweeps through mankind, targeting mainly the parts of the brain involved with language. A mostly silent society emerges after people's ability to understand language, both written and verbal, is lost. The only non-science fiction story is about a young woman who feels abandoned by her recently deceased mother. Included are two essays about writing, one about growing up wanting to be a writer, and the other is about the craft of writing for newcomers.
Here is a group of exceptional stories that sneak up on the reader, instead of being overpowering. Even though this book is too short, the ideas and speculation inside are quite large and meaningful. It is very much worth reading.
A Dark Traveling
A Dark Traveling, Roger Zelazny, Walker and Co, 1987
The Wiley's seem like your average family; but they aren't. They are guardians of the transcomp, a machine that permits travel between parallel worlds. Anything learned from the other worlds, good or bad, is leaked into this world through various sources.
There are a number of known parallel worlds, called "bands." The whitebands are those that are friendly and willing to engage in trade, of goods and information, with Earth. The inhabitants of the graybands are warlike, and much more interested in conquest of other bands than in peaceful coexistence. The darkbands are those where the civilization has been destroyed, either from an internal or external force.
One day, Thomas Wiley, the father, is working in the locked transcomp room. A disturbance is heard inside, and his adopted children, Ben, Becky and Jim, rush in to find him gone and the transcomp damaged. The only way to get out is through the transcomp. There's no way for them to know which band it was set for at that moment. Was he kidnapped by people from one of the graybands? Is he injured in one of the dark bands and unable to signal for help?
Just to make things worse, word is received that one of the graybands has been recruiting soldiers from the other graybands in preparation for an attack on Earth. The Wiley children, each born in a different band, are just average teenagers. Ben is a martial arts master, Becky claims to be a witch, and Jim is just a werewolf.
This young adult novel is actually pretty good. It's short, a very easy read, and anyone who is new to science fiction could do a lot worse than read this book.
The Wiley's seem like your average family; but they aren't. They are guardians of the transcomp, a machine that permits travel between parallel worlds. Anything learned from the other worlds, good or bad, is leaked into this world through various sources.
There are a number of known parallel worlds, called "bands." The whitebands are those that are friendly and willing to engage in trade, of goods and information, with Earth. The inhabitants of the graybands are warlike, and much more interested in conquest of other bands than in peaceful coexistence. The darkbands are those where the civilization has been destroyed, either from an internal or external force.
One day, Thomas Wiley, the father, is working in the locked transcomp room. A disturbance is heard inside, and his adopted children, Ben, Becky and Jim, rush in to find him gone and the transcomp damaged. The only way to get out is through the transcomp. There's no way for them to know which band it was set for at that moment. Was he kidnapped by people from one of the graybands? Is he injured in one of the dark bands and unable to signal for help?
Just to make things worse, word is received that one of the graybands has been recruiting soldiers from the other graybands in preparation for an attack on Earth. The Wiley children, each born in a different band, are just average teenagers. Ben is a martial arts master, Becky claims to be a witch, and Jim is just a werewolf.
This young adult novel is actually pretty good. It's short, a very easy read, and anyone who is new to science fiction could do a lot worse than read this book.
The Void Captain's Tale
The Void Captain's Tale, Norman Spinrad, Orb Books, 2001
Mankind has reached the stars, through a technology it barely understands. Courtesy of an extinct race who called themselves We Who Have Gone Before, a vital part of the "circuit" is a symbiotically linked human female, the Pilot. Very few can be Pilots, and the result is a shortened lifespan. But, for that tiny fraction of a instant that the ship Jumps (approximately four light years at a time), the Pilot experiences an orgasm many times more intense than anything previously experienced.
Genro Kane Gupta is Captain of the Dragon Zephyr, taking colonists and supplies to a distant colony. On his way to the ship, he meets Dominique Alia Wu, the Pilot. This is a violation of nearly every rule in the book, because the Pilot is supposed to remain anonymous and apart from the crew and passengers during the trip. Gupta can't stop thinking about her, and what happens to her when she pushes the Jump button.
Quite a culture has evolved on ships like the Dragon Zephyr among the Honored Passengers, those who are simply along for the ride. It started as a way to bring some of Earth along for the crew on long voyages between stars, but it turned into a pastime for the rich and idle. The ship contains an appropriately designed area for the Passengers to engage every desire and whim. Lorenza Kareen Patali is the ship's Domo. Sort of a cross between leader of the Passengers and chief interior decorator of the Passengers' living area, part of the expectation is the Captain and Domo engage in a sexual relationship. Gupta is unable to fulfill his part of the bargain, due to his increasing obsession with Pilot Wu. He visits her between Jumps, a violation of more rules, where is able to perform sexually. During the Jumps, Wu gets glimpses of something transcendent, something beyond humanity. She asks Gupta's help to get there permanently, even though it means sacrificing everyone on board.
There is a considerable amount of eroticism in this story. Told from the Captain's point of view, I liked the understated style of language and the future amalgamation of languages. It's also a very good and thought-provoking tale that is well worth the reader's time.
Mankind has reached the stars, through a technology it barely understands. Courtesy of an extinct race who called themselves We Who Have Gone Before, a vital part of the "circuit" is a symbiotically linked human female, the Pilot. Very few can be Pilots, and the result is a shortened lifespan. But, for that tiny fraction of a instant that the ship Jumps (approximately four light years at a time), the Pilot experiences an orgasm many times more intense than anything previously experienced.
Genro Kane Gupta is Captain of the Dragon Zephyr, taking colonists and supplies to a distant colony. On his way to the ship, he meets Dominique Alia Wu, the Pilot. This is a violation of nearly every rule in the book, because the Pilot is supposed to remain anonymous and apart from the crew and passengers during the trip. Gupta can't stop thinking about her, and what happens to her when she pushes the Jump button.
Quite a culture has evolved on ships like the Dragon Zephyr among the Honored Passengers, those who are simply along for the ride. It started as a way to bring some of Earth along for the crew on long voyages between stars, but it turned into a pastime for the rich and idle. The ship contains an appropriately designed area for the Passengers to engage every desire and whim. Lorenza Kareen Patali is the ship's Domo. Sort of a cross between leader of the Passengers and chief interior decorator of the Passengers' living area, part of the expectation is the Captain and Domo engage in a sexual relationship. Gupta is unable to fulfill his part of the bargain, due to his increasing obsession with Pilot Wu. He visits her between Jumps, a violation of more rules, where is able to perform sexually. During the Jumps, Wu gets glimpses of something transcendent, something beyond humanity. She asks Gupta's help to get there permanently, even though it means sacrificing everyone on board.
There is a considerable amount of eroticism in this story. Told from the Captain's point of view, I liked the understated style of language and the future amalgamation of languages. It's also a very good and thought-provoking tale that is well worth the reader's time.
The Silk Code
The Silk Code, Paul Levinson, Tor Books, 1999
Phil D'Amato is a New York City forensic detective. He is suddenly thrust into the middle of a mystery while in the car with Mo, his friend, going to meet someone in the Amish country of Pennsylvania. Suddenly, Mo collapses, gasping for air, and dies within minutes. Phil continues to investigate, and is stunned to learn that the Amish have been involved in a secret biowarfare battle.
For many years, a group living among the Amish, but not real Amish, have been introducing low-level allergen catalysts through totally innocuous methods, like through home-grown fruits and vegetables. It's a totally harmless substance that won't show up on any blood test. When they want to kill someone, they have the person come in contact with a genetically engineered flower or beetle, for instance, carrying another harmless allergen catalyst. Put the catalysts together, and the person dies in minutes from what looks like a heart attack or severe allergic reaction. The real Amish have found an organic antidote.
<p>Later in the book, a colleague of Phil's dies in that way. Within two days, the corpse has changed into an early form of human called a Neanderthal, and carbon dating shows that the body is suddenly 30,000 years old. Perhaps a latent bit of DNA that the "fake" Amish have managed to activate?
A new sort of weapon is used by the "fake" Amish to get rid of evidence or people. A Mendel bomb consists of genetically engineered fireflies that produce heat as well as light. Put enough of them together in one place, and boom, instant fire. Suspicion falls on Stefan Antonescu, a custodian at the New York Public Library, who spends all of his free time reading about silk. He could easily pass for a Neanderthal, and, otherwise, isn't what he seems.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are real people, the story is very well done, and the possibility of biowarfare going on with no one knowing is really juicy. This is an excellent first novel.
Phil D'Amato is a New York City forensic detective. He is suddenly thrust into the middle of a mystery while in the car with Mo, his friend, going to meet someone in the Amish country of Pennsylvania. Suddenly, Mo collapses, gasping for air, and dies within minutes. Phil continues to investigate, and is stunned to learn that the Amish have been involved in a secret biowarfare battle.
For many years, a group living among the Amish, but not real Amish, have been introducing low-level allergen catalysts through totally innocuous methods, like through home-grown fruits and vegetables. It's a totally harmless substance that won't show up on any blood test. When they want to kill someone, they have the person come in contact with a genetically engineered flower or beetle, for instance, carrying another harmless allergen catalyst. Put the catalysts together, and the person dies in minutes from what looks like a heart attack or severe allergic reaction. The real Amish have found an organic antidote.
<p>Later in the book, a colleague of Phil's dies in that way. Within two days, the corpse has changed into an early form of human called a Neanderthal, and carbon dating shows that the body is suddenly 30,000 years old. Perhaps a latent bit of DNA that the "fake" Amish have managed to activate?
A new sort of weapon is used by the "fake" Amish to get rid of evidence or people. A Mendel bomb consists of genetically engineered fireflies that produce heat as well as light. Put enough of them together in one place, and boom, instant fire. Suspicion falls on Stefan Antonescu, a custodian at the New York Public Library, who spends all of his free time reading about silk. He could easily pass for a Neanderthal, and, otherwise, isn't what he seems.
I really enjoyed this book. The characters are real people, the story is very well done, and the possibility of biowarfare going on with no one knowing is really juicy. This is an excellent first novel.
Architects of Emortality
Architects of Emortality, Brian Stableford, Tor Books, 1999
Several hundred years from now, Earth is a place of twenty-four hour surveillance and a one-world government. Starting in New York City, the seemingly impossible is happening. A supposedly random of group of people are being murdered, and the only clues are a young woman who has eluded surveillance, and a bouquet of genetically altered flowers, of a very particular type and arrangement. The victims don't just die; somehow, the flowers eat the victim, leaving only a skeleton behind.
In a world where genetic rejuvenation can mean a lifespan of at least 150 years, anyone can change their appearance, including the murderer. It also means that flower designing, especially for funerals, has become very important. The flower design involved in the murders is something that only a handful of people worldwide can accomplish. Oscar Wilde, one of them, joins Charlotte Holmes of the UN Police in the investigation. Holmes thinks that Wilde is the culprit, but is not yet able to prove it. They are joined in the investigation by Michael Lowenthal, a representative of MegaMall, a shadowy organization that are the real rulers of Earth.
The vast majority of the data gathering and analyzing of police of work is done by artificial intelligence "sims," so the human part of being a cop is almost gone. Holmes, feeling like part of a dying breed in more ways than one, is determined to hold her own with Wilde and Lowenthal as the trail takes them to an artificial island in the Pacific. The murders have to do with something that happened while the victims were all at the same Australian college 170 years ago, before it became illegal for children to be born from anything other than an artificial womb.
This is a very cerebral sort of novel. It has plenty of Holmesian deduction, so it will appeal to Sherlock Holmes fans. For some, it might move rather slowly; give it a chance. It's a very good science fiction mystery, with a fine bit of future social and biological speculation. It's also well worth reading.
Several hundred years from now, Earth is a place of twenty-four hour surveillance and a one-world government. Starting in New York City, the seemingly impossible is happening. A supposedly random of group of people are being murdered, and the only clues are a young woman who has eluded surveillance, and a bouquet of genetically altered flowers, of a very particular type and arrangement. The victims don't just die; somehow, the flowers eat the victim, leaving only a skeleton behind.
In a world where genetic rejuvenation can mean a lifespan of at least 150 years, anyone can change their appearance, including the murderer. It also means that flower designing, especially for funerals, has become very important. The flower design involved in the murders is something that only a handful of people worldwide can accomplish. Oscar Wilde, one of them, joins Charlotte Holmes of the UN Police in the investigation. Holmes thinks that Wilde is the culprit, but is not yet able to prove it. They are joined in the investigation by Michael Lowenthal, a representative of MegaMall, a shadowy organization that are the real rulers of Earth.
The vast majority of the data gathering and analyzing of police of work is done by artificial intelligence "sims," so the human part of being a cop is almost gone. Holmes, feeling like part of a dying breed in more ways than one, is determined to hold her own with Wilde and Lowenthal as the trail takes them to an artificial island in the Pacific. The murders have to do with something that happened while the victims were all at the same Australian college 170 years ago, before it became illegal for children to be born from anything other than an artificial womb.
This is a very cerebral sort of novel. It has plenty of Holmesian deduction, so it will appeal to Sherlock Holmes fans. For some, it might move rather slowly; give it a chance. It's a very good science fiction mystery, with a fine bit of future social and biological speculation. It's also well worth reading.
Technogenesis
Technogenesis, Syne Mitchell, Roc Books, 2002
In near-future America, all human contact, commerce, information, entertainment, etc, takes place on the Net. Data induction jewelry lets people stay connected all the time.
Jasmine Reese is one of the best data miners in the business, until her Net connection breaks down. Forced to exist in the "real" world of the homeless and outcasts, Jasmine slowly begins to realize that her senses and thinking are more acute. Doing research at the local library on a man named Orley, who was the first to speculate about a Net-created overmind, Jasmine finds articles being deleted from the Net practically right before her eyes. Looking up suicide statistics, she finds the usual number of suicides among those not Net connected over the past few years. Among the Net connected, the number of suicides over the same period of time is zero.
Taking some co-workers into the mountains, far away from the Net, to convince them that the Net is controlling people's behavior, Jasmine is kidnapped by the NSA and taken to a secret location. There she meets the Net overmind, called Gestalt, and is forced into an assignment to gain the confidence of Orley, then betray him to Gestalt. Orley has totally removed himself from the Net, and is doing something very secret in a lab at Stanford University.
Jasmine finds an attempt to create another overmind, called Symbios. The two overminds meet, and have a titanic battle for the control of North America and then the world, with Jasmine literally in the middle.
This one is really good. It is high tech enough for cyberpunk fans. I liked the look at near-future America, and it has a very good story, too. It is well worth reading.
In near-future America, all human contact, commerce, information, entertainment, etc, takes place on the Net. Data induction jewelry lets people stay connected all the time.
Jasmine Reese is one of the best data miners in the business, until her Net connection breaks down. Forced to exist in the "real" world of the homeless and outcasts, Jasmine slowly begins to realize that her senses and thinking are more acute. Doing research at the local library on a man named Orley, who was the first to speculate about a Net-created overmind, Jasmine finds articles being deleted from the Net practically right before her eyes. Looking up suicide statistics, she finds the usual number of suicides among those not Net connected over the past few years. Among the Net connected, the number of suicides over the same period of time is zero.
Taking some co-workers into the mountains, far away from the Net, to convince them that the Net is controlling people's behavior, Jasmine is kidnapped by the NSA and taken to a secret location. There she meets the Net overmind, called Gestalt, and is forced into an assignment to gain the confidence of Orley, then betray him to Gestalt. Orley has totally removed himself from the Net, and is doing something very secret in a lab at Stanford University.
Jasmine finds an attempt to create another overmind, called Symbios. The two overminds meet, and have a titanic battle for the control of North America and then the world, with Jasmine literally in the middle.
This one is really good. It is high tech enough for cyberpunk fans. I liked the look at near-future America, and it has a very good story, too. It is well worth reading.
Spirit of Independence
Spirit of Independence, Keith Rommel, Barclay Books LLC, 2001
Travis Winter is your average soldier fighting in the latter days of World War II. One day, he is killed in cold blood by another American soldier. Then his adventures begin.
He has been recruited, by Heaven, as a new kind of warrior in the age-old battle between heaven and Hell. Now called the Spirit of Independence, Winter's first stop is at the Gates of Hell. He is confronted by the ruler, a being who calls himself Navarro and claims to be a nice guy who was thrown out of Heaven by a mean and vindictive God. Winter is rescued by a group of angels, and so thus begins a new phase in the Heaven-Hell battle.
As a Spirit, Winter is able to travel in the spirit and material worlds. One of his duties is to bring souls to the Light when the time comes. He meets all sorts of beings, including his predecessors as Spirit. Among the humans brought into the battle is a woman named Amanda. During a time in the material world, she is dragged into a building and brutally raped. While she is unconscious, Navarro shows up and changes the DNA of the fetus to match his own. Amanda is pregnant for two full years, then gives birth to a being that changes, within minutes, from a newborn baby to a full-grown adult with horns, red skin and a tail.
As you might have guessed, this is a very strange novel. Written from several different perspectives, it's intended as a sort of guide for the reader, chosen as the next Spirit. The first of a four-part series, this is also a pretty graphic story, with a considerable amount of violence. It's not a very easy read, but it's a very well done and very satisfying read that is well worth the reader's time.
Travis Winter is your average soldier fighting in the latter days of World War II. One day, he is killed in cold blood by another American soldier. Then his adventures begin.
He has been recruited, by Heaven, as a new kind of warrior in the age-old battle between heaven and Hell. Now called the Spirit of Independence, Winter's first stop is at the Gates of Hell. He is confronted by the ruler, a being who calls himself Navarro and claims to be a nice guy who was thrown out of Heaven by a mean and vindictive God. Winter is rescued by a group of angels, and so thus begins a new phase in the Heaven-Hell battle.
As a Spirit, Winter is able to travel in the spirit and material worlds. One of his duties is to bring souls to the Light when the time comes. He meets all sorts of beings, including his predecessors as Spirit. Among the humans brought into the battle is a woman named Amanda. During a time in the material world, she is dragged into a building and brutally raped. While she is unconscious, Navarro shows up and changes the DNA of the fetus to match his own. Amanda is pregnant for two full years, then gives birth to a being that changes, within minutes, from a newborn baby to a full-grown adult with horns, red skin and a tail.
As you might have guessed, this is a very strange novel. Written from several different perspectives, it's intended as a sort of guide for the reader, chosen as the next Spirit. The first of a four-part series, this is also a pretty graphic story, with a considerable amount of violence. It's not a very easy read, but it's a very well done and very satisfying read that is well worth the reader's time.
The Prince of Morning Bells
The Prince of Morning Bells, Nancy Kress, Fox Acre Press, 2000
A reprint of Kress' twenty-year-old first novel, this is the story of Princess Kirila of Castle Kiril. In a land that's perpetually at peace, Kirila tries her hand at the usual things a Princess does, like hunting and creating a tapestry. After her eighteenth birthday, she gets increasingly moody and short-tempered, taking it out on the castle staff. One day, she decides to go on a solo Quest to find the True Heart of the World. All she knows is that it is somewhere to the north, and it has to do with the Tents of Omnium.
Kirila soon comes upon a talking dog, with blue-black fur, named Chessie. He says he was a human prince who was turned into a dog by a wizard. Chessie is also going to the Tents of Omnium, the only place to get unenchanted. They spend some time at the Quirkian Hold, something like a monastery, whose purpose is to make order of all things in the universe. Their four clans are Up, Down, Strange and Charmed. Some feel that is enough to explain everything, while others feel that the Model of Forces may need some revision by adding another clan.
Later, they meet Prince Larek of Castle Talatour. He is handsome, single and totally obsessed with jousting. The castle is the smallest, most poorly maintained castle Kirila has ever seen. Nevertheless, she accepts Larek's marriage proposal. Chessie continues his Quest to the Tents of Omnium.
Twenty-five years later, after Kirila has borne a couple of children, buried Larek, who lost a battle with a wild boar, and started to experience middle age and arthritis, Chessie returns. He got almost to Omnium, but was stopped by a sort of magical force field. On the spur of the moment, Kirila decides to continue the Quest. After several adventures, they reach the Tents of Omnium, where Chessie returns to human form.
This novel is really good. It starts off with some tongue-in-cheek humor, then gets a lot better. Here is a first-rate combination of psychology and fable that is quite entertaining.
A reprint of Kress' twenty-year-old first novel, this is the story of Princess Kirila of Castle Kiril. In a land that's perpetually at peace, Kirila tries her hand at the usual things a Princess does, like hunting and creating a tapestry. After her eighteenth birthday, she gets increasingly moody and short-tempered, taking it out on the castle staff. One day, she decides to go on a solo Quest to find the True Heart of the World. All she knows is that it is somewhere to the north, and it has to do with the Tents of Omnium.
Kirila soon comes upon a talking dog, with blue-black fur, named Chessie. He says he was a human prince who was turned into a dog by a wizard. Chessie is also going to the Tents of Omnium, the only place to get unenchanted. They spend some time at the Quirkian Hold, something like a monastery, whose purpose is to make order of all things in the universe. Their four clans are Up, Down, Strange and Charmed. Some feel that is enough to explain everything, while others feel that the Model of Forces may need some revision by adding another clan.
Later, they meet Prince Larek of Castle Talatour. He is handsome, single and totally obsessed with jousting. The castle is the smallest, most poorly maintained castle Kirila has ever seen. Nevertheless, she accepts Larek's marriage proposal. Chessie continues his Quest to the Tents of Omnium.
Twenty-five years later, after Kirila has borne a couple of children, buried Larek, who lost a battle with a wild boar, and started to experience middle age and arthritis, Chessie returns. He got almost to Omnium, but was stopped by a sort of magical force field. On the spur of the moment, Kirila decides to continue the Quest. After several adventures, they reach the Tents of Omnium, where Chessie returns to human form.
This novel is really good. It starts off with some tongue-in-cheek humor, then gets a lot better. Here is a first-rate combination of psychology and fable that is quite entertaining.
Tentacles of God
Tentacles of God, Archie, Voice of India Press, 2001
Set in present-day India, this novel is about a young man named Dinakar, who enters the local government medical college. He does pretty well in his classes; not top of his class, but he doesn't have to worry about failure. Many other students are not so confident, so at exam time, they look for any possible advantage. The male students offer the teachers monetary bribes; female students offer sex, which the teachers are more than willing to accept. Later in his training, Dinakar meets one head doctor who refuses to operate on a patient with a severe intestinal problem unless the family pays him a sufficiently large amount of money. They were unable to raise it, so the doctor gave the patient a lesser degree of care, and the patient died.
Dinakar's best friend, Mahesh, who was pushed into a religious career by Ramappiah, financial manager of the local Hindu temple, or mutt, and local rich person, has problems of his own. Mahesh's predecessor as swami told the story of how he was unable to keep his vow of lifetime celibacy. This wasn't a one-time thing; over a period of time, Ramappiah supplied the temple with hundreds of willing women under cover of darkness. The swami fathered three children. Ramappiah had the swami, and the temple, totally under his control. Now, Ramappiah is doing the same thing to Mahesh, pushing him hard to forget about his vow of lifetime celibacy.
Dinakar and Elisa, his longtime girlfriend, want to get married. There is a problem: Dinakar is a devout Hindu, and Elisa is a devout Catholic. Such interreligious marriages are strongly frowned upon in India. Mahesh finds a way to bend the rules and performs the ceremony. Even though Elisa converts to Hinduism, and takes a Hindu name, Dinakar's family is barely civil to both of them. This leads Dinakar to think that maybe he should have converted to Christianity, which allows for religious conversions, unlike Hinduism.
For Westerners, this is a pretty "quiet" book with no violence (except for a couple of suicides at the medical college) and only some implied sex. The author, a medical doctor in India, has a lot of things to say about his homeland, none of them very complimentary. Keep in mind that this tale of medical school, which could be set anywhere in the world, comes from a very different part of the world, and it is very good and very much worth reading.
Set in present-day India, this novel is about a young man named Dinakar, who enters the local government medical college. He does pretty well in his classes; not top of his class, but he doesn't have to worry about failure. Many other students are not so confident, so at exam time, they look for any possible advantage. The male students offer the teachers monetary bribes; female students offer sex, which the teachers are more than willing to accept. Later in his training, Dinakar meets one head doctor who refuses to operate on a patient with a severe intestinal problem unless the family pays him a sufficiently large amount of money. They were unable to raise it, so the doctor gave the patient a lesser degree of care, and the patient died.
Dinakar's best friend, Mahesh, who was pushed into a religious career by Ramappiah, financial manager of the local Hindu temple, or mutt, and local rich person, has problems of his own. Mahesh's predecessor as swami told the story of how he was unable to keep his vow of lifetime celibacy. This wasn't a one-time thing; over a period of time, Ramappiah supplied the temple with hundreds of willing women under cover of darkness. The swami fathered three children. Ramappiah had the swami, and the temple, totally under his control. Now, Ramappiah is doing the same thing to Mahesh, pushing him hard to forget about his vow of lifetime celibacy.
Dinakar and Elisa, his longtime girlfriend, want to get married. There is a problem: Dinakar is a devout Hindu, and Elisa is a devout Catholic. Such interreligious marriages are strongly frowned upon in India. Mahesh finds a way to bend the rules and performs the ceremony. Even though Elisa converts to Hinduism, and takes a Hindu name, Dinakar's family is barely civil to both of them. This leads Dinakar to think that maybe he should have converted to Christianity, which allows for religious conversions, unlike Hinduism.
For Westerners, this is a pretty "quiet" book with no violence (except for a couple of suicides at the medical college) and only some implied sex. The author, a medical doctor in India, has a lot of things to say about his homeland, none of them very complimentary. Keep in mind that this tale of medical school, which could be set anywhere in the world, comes from a very different part of the world, and it is very good and very much worth reading.
Human
Human, Brian F. McNamee, VistaTron Publishing, 2000
For most people, the medical diagnosis of total internal organ failure, one at a time, would be a death sentence. Not for Dr. Sean Colin, head of Geneserch, a biotech firm based near Cleveland. While Colin is dying, his employees come up with a way to mix his DNA with that of a chimpanzee to create a half-human, half-animal walking organ repository for harvest. It's name is Mookie.
The people at Geneserch think they are safe from the prying eyes of the public, until, tipped off by a disgruntled employee, the authorities put Mookie in protective custody and put Colin on trial for cruelty to animals and felonious assault. The animal rights people have a field day. The defense attorney, L.J. McClafferty and the prosecutor, Javer Houston, have met many times before in the courtroom. Houston's loathing for McClafferty is such that a mere conviction for Colin isn't enough; Houston wants to flatten McClafferty like a steamroller.
Much trial time is spent trying to determine What is human? Where is the dividing line between animal and human? The trial does not go well for Colin; every witness, even the "friendly" ones, seem to hammer another nail in his coffin. By the time of the verdict, the only question for Colin is the length of his prison sentence.
This book is just weird enough for X-Files fans. Those who enjoy courtroom novels will especially enjoy this one. The author, a doctor and lawyer, has done a fine job throughout. Maybe the story gets a little too technical at times, but it is still a first-rate piece of writing.
For most people, the medical diagnosis of total internal organ failure, one at a time, would be a death sentence. Not for Dr. Sean Colin, head of Geneserch, a biotech firm based near Cleveland. While Colin is dying, his employees come up with a way to mix his DNA with that of a chimpanzee to create a half-human, half-animal walking organ repository for harvest. It's name is Mookie.
The people at Geneserch think they are safe from the prying eyes of the public, until, tipped off by a disgruntled employee, the authorities put Mookie in protective custody and put Colin on trial for cruelty to animals and felonious assault. The animal rights people have a field day. The defense attorney, L.J. McClafferty and the prosecutor, Javer Houston, have met many times before in the courtroom. Houston's loathing for McClafferty is such that a mere conviction for Colin isn't enough; Houston wants to flatten McClafferty like a steamroller.
Much trial time is spent trying to determine What is human? Where is the dividing line between animal and human? The trial does not go well for Colin; every witness, even the "friendly" ones, seem to hammer another nail in his coffin. By the time of the verdict, the only question for Colin is the length of his prison sentence.
This book is just weird enough for X-Files fans. Those who enjoy courtroom novels will especially enjoy this one. The author, a doctor and lawyer, has done a fine job throughout. Maybe the story gets a little too technical at times, but it is still a first-rate piece of writing.
Literary L.A.
Literary L.A., Lionel Rolfe, California Classics Books, 2002
Based on a series of newspaper pieces written in the late 1970s, this book profiles some of the people who made Los Angeles' bohemian culture in the 20th century. Many people think that San Francisco, with the Beat Generation, was the "center" of bohemian living, but the City of Angels had quite a thriving culture of its own.
It all grew out of the coffeehouse scene, where a constantly changing group of poets, literary gypsies, writers in exile (real or self-imposed) and others, would get together and weave pieces of the literary tapestry of Los Angeles. Rolfe profiles the famous, and not so famous, including Theodore Dreiser, Charles Bukowski, Henry Miller, John Steinbeck, Aldous Huxley and the Mann brothers (Thomas and Heinrich). There is also a piece on Upton Sinclair's 1934 campaign for Governor of California. Running on the Socialist Party ticket, he received 45 percent of the vote despite a major smear campaign against him.
As part of a musical family (the virtuoso violinist Yehudi Menuhin was an uncle), Rolfe grew up in a household that offered a place to go for musicians and other artists-in-exile. This book was not written as some piece of dry literary history, it was written by someone who was there and lived through that era, and has spent much of his life writing about it.
As a lifelong voracious reader, I very much appreciated Rolfe's putting a person and life to the names I have seen on book covers my whole life. Anyone with an interest in 20th century American literature will enjoy this book. I think I'll visit my local library and see how many of these authors are in the stacks. Meantime, this book is highly recommended.
Based on a series of newspaper pieces written in the late 1970s, this book profiles some of the people who made Los Angeles' bohemian culture in the 20th century. Many people think that San Francisco, with the Beat Generation, was the "center" of bohemian living, but the City of Angels had quite a thriving culture of its own.
It all grew out of the coffeehouse scene, where a constantly changing group of poets, literary gypsies, writers in exile (real or self-imposed) and others, would get together and weave pieces of the literary tapestry of Los Angeles. Rolfe profiles the famous, and not so famous, including Theodore Dreiser, Charles Bukowski, Henry Miller, John Steinbeck, Aldous Huxley and the Mann brothers (Thomas and Heinrich). There is also a piece on Upton Sinclair's 1934 campaign for Governor of California. Running on the Socialist Party ticket, he received 45 percent of the vote despite a major smear campaign against him.
As part of a musical family (the virtuoso violinist Yehudi Menuhin was an uncle), Rolfe grew up in a household that offered a place to go for musicians and other artists-in-exile. This book was not written as some piece of dry literary history, it was written by someone who was there and lived through that era, and has spent much of his life writing about it.
As a lifelong voracious reader, I very much appreciated Rolfe's putting a person and life to the names I have seen on book covers my whole life. Anyone with an interest in 20th century American literature will enjoy this book. I think I'll visit my local library and see how many of these authors are in the stacks. Meantime, this book is highly recommended.
World Hunger: Twelve Myths
World Hunger: Twelve Myths, Frances Moore Lappe, Joseph Collins, Peter Rosset, Grove Press, 1998
Over the years, many myths have emerged about the subject of world hunger. People think that if this or that should happen, hunger will disappear, and no longer will westerners have to look at pictures of starving babies in Africa. This book explodes many of those myths.
Some people think that population (or overpopulation) is the problem. Others think that there simply isn't enough food available, or that nature, with her floods and droughts, is the culprit. Still others think that the solution lies with free trade, or letting the market provide, or with the Green Revolution, with its heavy emphasis on pesticides and other chemicals. Other possibilities are that the poor are simply too hungry to revolt, or that the US should increase its stingy foreign aid budget.
The authors place the blame elsewhere. All over the world, there has been a huge concentration of land in fewer and fewer hands, forcing poor and middle-class peasants off the land (in the US, witness the decline of the family farmer). Structural adjustment programs from places like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (part of the requirements when asking for a loan) require a country to reorient its agriculture toward items that are easily exportable rather than items that can feed their people. Another requirement is the removal of internal tariffs and other barriers to the import of grain and other foodstuffs. It results in a flood of cheaper (usually American) agricultural products reaching the market, driving local farmers out of business. The countries that one thinks of when hearing "famine" actually produce enough food to feed their people. The only problem is that much of it has to go overseas to help pay the foreign debt.
This book is excellent. It presents a potentially complex subject in a clear, easy to understand manner. It contains a list of addresses to contact for more information, and is a great activism reference.
Over the years, many myths have emerged about the subject of world hunger. People think that if this or that should happen, hunger will disappear, and no longer will westerners have to look at pictures of starving babies in Africa. This book explodes many of those myths.
Some people think that population (or overpopulation) is the problem. Others think that there simply isn't enough food available, or that nature, with her floods and droughts, is the culprit. Still others think that the solution lies with free trade, or letting the market provide, or with the Green Revolution, with its heavy emphasis on pesticides and other chemicals. Other possibilities are that the poor are simply too hungry to revolt, or that the US should increase its stingy foreign aid budget.
The authors place the blame elsewhere. All over the world, there has been a huge concentration of land in fewer and fewer hands, forcing poor and middle-class peasants off the land (in the US, witness the decline of the family farmer). Structural adjustment programs from places like the World Bank and International Monetary Fund (part of the requirements when asking for a loan) require a country to reorient its agriculture toward items that are easily exportable rather than items that can feed their people. Another requirement is the removal of internal tariffs and other barriers to the import of grain and other foodstuffs. It results in a flood of cheaper (usually American) agricultural products reaching the market, driving local farmers out of business. The countries that one thinks of when hearing "famine" actually produce enough food to feed their people. The only problem is that much of it has to go overseas to help pay the foreign debt.
This book is excellent. It presents a potentially complex subject in a clear, easy to understand manner. It contains a list of addresses to contact for more information, and is a great activism reference.
Never Fade Away
Never Fade Away, William Hart, Fithian Press, 2002
John Goddard is a remedial English teacher in the California State University system, and a soon-to-be published fiction writer. He is also a Vietnam veteran still troubled by bad dreams of his time in the war.
University policy is that two failed remedial English courses equals automatic expulsion from the university. The system, designed by Mary Hart Parcell, Dean of Arts and Sciences, whom Goddard loathes, seems intended for just that purpose. The assignments and exams are totally wrong for people who are usually immigrants from another country, and whose English may be lacking. Goddard is that rarity, a teacher who sincerely cares about his students, but without tenure, there is only so much that he can accomplish.
Tina Le is a student in Goddard's class. One of the post-war Vietnamese boat people, she is living with a woman named Rayneece, the sort of person who goes through boyfriends the way most people go through tissues. Tina writes a short story for an assignment about life back home in Vietnam. For Goddard, trudging through a sea of pretty bad writing by the rest of the class, Tina's story is a breath of fresh air. He fudges the grade on her final exam so that she can pass the course; the story is just too good to ignore. He gets disciplined by Dean Parcell, and after refusing to change Tina's final grade, is told not to come back next semester. He files an ultimately unsuccessful grievance against the school. Meantime, the relationship between Goddard and Le blooms into something more than the usual student-teacher relationship.
This is a gem of a first novel. Told in alternating diary excerpts, Hart easily switches back and forth from American English to "immigrant English." The author, an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in real life, has many things to say about the academic world, none of them very complimentary. This one is well worth reading.
John Goddard is a remedial English teacher in the California State University system, and a soon-to-be published fiction writer. He is also a Vietnam veteran still troubled by bad dreams of his time in the war.
University policy is that two failed remedial English courses equals automatic expulsion from the university. The system, designed by Mary Hart Parcell, Dean of Arts and Sciences, whom Goddard loathes, seems intended for just that purpose. The assignments and exams are totally wrong for people who are usually immigrants from another country, and whose English may be lacking. Goddard is that rarity, a teacher who sincerely cares about his students, but without tenure, there is only so much that he can accomplish.
Tina Le is a student in Goddard's class. One of the post-war Vietnamese boat people, she is living with a woman named Rayneece, the sort of person who goes through boyfriends the way most people go through tissues. Tina writes a short story for an assignment about life back home in Vietnam. For Goddard, trudging through a sea of pretty bad writing by the rest of the class, Tina's story is a breath of fresh air. He fudges the grade on her final exam so that she can pass the course; the story is just too good to ignore. He gets disciplined by Dean Parcell, and after refusing to change Tina's final grade, is told not to come back next semester. He files an ultimately unsuccessful grievance against the school. Meantime, the relationship between Goddard and Le blooms into something more than the usual student-teacher relationship.
This is a gem of a first novel. Told in alternating diary excerpts, Hart easily switches back and forth from American English to "immigrant English." The author, an ESL (English as a Second Language) teacher in real life, has many things to say about the academic world, none of them very complimentary. This one is well worth reading.
Sunday, August 26, 2012
Banshee Rising
Banshee Rising, Walter Ihlefield, Xlibris Corporation, 2001
Mitchell Parks is a police officer in present-day small-town Virginia. He is also a former Navy SEAL, Codename Banshee. He learned the ways of the warrior from his grandfather, a Lakota warrior, who raised him. He is also troubled by bad dreams of a SEAL mission in Vietnam that went very wrong.
One day, Mitchell finds the ghost of a teenage girl in his attic. Sara McCafferty lived in town thirty years ago, until her father, Ian McCafferty, abruptly packed up the family and left town, never to be heard from again. Ian was a very jealous sort who seemed to spend much of his time being a mean drunk. Mitchell resolves to find her killer.
As Mitchell, Dana, his lover and fellow cop, and Owen Taggart, former SEAL dive buddy, begin to ask around town about the McCafferty's and start rattling cages, someone or something pushes back, hard, almost killing Mitch twice. Some in town are not happy about old town happenings being resurrected. The town is in something of a spiritual time warp, seemingly stuck in the early 1960s; the preferred mode of transportation around town is the Studebaker. The finger of suspicion points toward Clyde Meller, the police chief, and a drug deal thirty years ago that went bad.
This one is surprisingly good. The author gives the feeling of (for want of a better term) knowing his way around; not just mystery writing, but also familiarity with police procedures, and what it is like to be a Navy SEAL. The story is interesting, plausible and well done from start to finish. I hope this is not the last of Mitchell Parks.
Mitchell Parks is a police officer in present-day small-town Virginia. He is also a former Navy SEAL, Codename Banshee. He learned the ways of the warrior from his grandfather, a Lakota warrior, who raised him. He is also troubled by bad dreams of a SEAL mission in Vietnam that went very wrong.
One day, Mitchell finds the ghost of a teenage girl in his attic. Sara McCafferty lived in town thirty years ago, until her father, Ian McCafferty, abruptly packed up the family and left town, never to be heard from again. Ian was a very jealous sort who seemed to spend much of his time being a mean drunk. Mitchell resolves to find her killer.
As Mitchell, Dana, his lover and fellow cop, and Owen Taggart, former SEAL dive buddy, begin to ask around town about the McCafferty's and start rattling cages, someone or something pushes back, hard, almost killing Mitch twice. Some in town are not happy about old town happenings being resurrected. The town is in something of a spiritual time warp, seemingly stuck in the early 1960s; the preferred mode of transportation around town is the Studebaker. The finger of suspicion points toward Clyde Meller, the police chief, and a drug deal thirty years ago that went bad.
This one is surprisingly good. The author gives the feeling of (for want of a better term) knowing his way around; not just mystery writing, but also familiarity with police procedures, and what it is like to be a Navy SEAL. The story is interesting, plausible and well done from start to finish. I hope this is not the last of Mitchell Parks.
Barry and "the boys": The CIA, the Mob and America's Secret History
Barry and "the boys": The CIA, the Mob and America's Secret History, Daniel Hopsicker, Mad Cow Press, 2001
This book is all about a scandal feared by the White House more than Whitewater, a scandal not touched by the American news media. It's a totally different look at the last half century of American history, and it revolves around a place called Mena, Arkansas and a man named Barry Seal.
Seal grew up in Louisiana and was addicted to airplanes from an early age. While still a teenager, he could pilot nearly anything with wings. Joining the Louisiana Civil Air Patrol, he met a man named David Ferrie (later to be well known in JFK assassination circles) who introduced him to the clandestine world. Soon, Seal would disappear for days or weeks at a time, and come back with, for a teenager in the 1950s, insanely large amounts of money.
Becoming a life-long CIA operative, Seal started his career running guns to both sides in the Cuban Revolution, to Fidel Castro and Fulgencio Batista. Over the next 40 years, Seal was at the center of all the major events in US history, from the JFK assassination (the book blows more holes, as if more were needed, in the Warren Commission's Lone Gunman theory), to Vietnam drug-running, to Watergate, to Iran-Contra. The entire period is characterized by very deep ties between US intelligence and the Mafia, even going back to Cuba before Castro. The author isn't talking about vague ties with minor-league mobsters, he is talking about people like Johnny Roselli and Carlos Marcello, the absolute top of the Mob "pyramid."
Mena, Arkansas was a small town with an equally small airport. It was also a major entry point for a flood of airplane-carried cocaine into the United States (by the ton). Going on for years and years, one must ask if the major players in Arkansas politics, like Jackson Stephens and Bill Clinton, were somehow in cahoots with the CIA and the Mob. The author also explores plenty of ties between Seal and the Bush family.
This book surpasses the level of Wow. It has enough revelations for ten books. It is extremely highly recommended, especially for anyone interested in recent American history.
This book is all about a scandal feared by the White House more than Whitewater, a scandal not touched by the American news media. It's a totally different look at the last half century of American history, and it revolves around a place called Mena, Arkansas and a man named Barry Seal.
Seal grew up in Louisiana and was addicted to airplanes from an early age. While still a teenager, he could pilot nearly anything with wings. Joining the Louisiana Civil Air Patrol, he met a man named David Ferrie (later to be well known in JFK assassination circles) who introduced him to the clandestine world. Soon, Seal would disappear for days or weeks at a time, and come back with, for a teenager in the 1950s, insanely large amounts of money.
Becoming a life-long CIA operative, Seal started his career running guns to both sides in the Cuban Revolution, to Fidel Castro and Fulgencio Batista. Over the next 40 years, Seal was at the center of all the major events in US history, from the JFK assassination (the book blows more holes, as if more were needed, in the Warren Commission's Lone Gunman theory), to Vietnam drug-running, to Watergate, to Iran-Contra. The entire period is characterized by very deep ties between US intelligence and the Mafia, even going back to Cuba before Castro. The author isn't talking about vague ties with minor-league mobsters, he is talking about people like Johnny Roselli and Carlos Marcello, the absolute top of the Mob "pyramid."
Mena, Arkansas was a small town with an equally small airport. It was also a major entry point for a flood of airplane-carried cocaine into the United States (by the ton). Going on for years and years, one must ask if the major players in Arkansas politics, like Jackson Stephens and Bill Clinton, were somehow in cahoots with the CIA and the Mob. The author also explores plenty of ties between Seal and the Bush family.
This book surpasses the level of Wow. It has enough revelations for ten books. It is extremely highly recommended, especially for anyone interested in recent American history.
Change of Heart
Change of Heart, Jack Allen, Burping Frog Publishing, 2001
Joshua McGowan works for US Naval Intelligence. He is pulled out of an assignment and sent to eastern Russia to escort Valeria Konstantinova, a former KGB spy, to America. She is busted out of a Russian prison by the CIA; it's part of the price demanded by Colonel Mironov, a former KGB officer and head of a secret faction of the Communist Party. Mironov is ready to give the location of Dr. Otto Jones, an American scientist who defected several years previously with the formula for an undetectable plastic explosive. Of course, Mironov has his own plans for Valeria.
Valeria also has her own plans. In northern Japan, she eludes Josh and calls her lover, the brother of one of the most powerful Russian mafia families, leaving Josh in the hands of the Japanese police.
Josh takes a side trip to western Iraq, to help the Mossad destroy a shipment of the plastic explosives sold to an Iraqi terrorist group. Back in Moscow, Valeria's lover gives the location of Dr. Jones. Josh plans on returning the doctor to America for trial, but Valeria kills him to keep him from hindering her own plans.
Mironov is ready to force the return of the Communist Party by taking Valeria, who Mironov has used as a high-class prostitute, to the floor of the Russian Parliament. Showing Russian democracy as weak, he will then demand a vote on restoring the Communists to power. Josh is the only one in the way.
This is a real gem of a story. It's very well done, it keeps the reader involved from the beginning, it's very plausible and the characters are real people. I am looking forward to any sequels that might come in the future.
Joshua McGowan works for US Naval Intelligence. He is pulled out of an assignment and sent to eastern Russia to escort Valeria Konstantinova, a former KGB spy, to America. She is busted out of a Russian prison by the CIA; it's part of the price demanded by Colonel Mironov, a former KGB officer and head of a secret faction of the Communist Party. Mironov is ready to give the location of Dr. Otto Jones, an American scientist who defected several years previously with the formula for an undetectable plastic explosive. Of course, Mironov has his own plans for Valeria.
Valeria also has her own plans. In northern Japan, she eludes Josh and calls her lover, the brother of one of the most powerful Russian mafia families, leaving Josh in the hands of the Japanese police.
Josh takes a side trip to western Iraq, to help the Mossad destroy a shipment of the plastic explosives sold to an Iraqi terrorist group. Back in Moscow, Valeria's lover gives the location of Dr. Jones. Josh plans on returning the doctor to America for trial, but Valeria kills him to keep him from hindering her own plans.
Mironov is ready to force the return of the Communist Party by taking Valeria, who Mironov has used as a high-class prostitute, to the floor of the Russian Parliament. Showing Russian democracy as weak, he will then demand a vote on restoring the Communists to power. Josh is the only one in the way.
This is a real gem of a story. It's very well done, it keeps the reader involved from the beginning, it's very plausible and the characters are real people. I am looking forward to any sequels that might come in the future.
Peter Squared
Peter Squared, Ken Goldberg, MacAdam/Cage Publishing, 2000
Peter Branstill is in his early 40s and works as an accountant. He has several suits, all of the same color and style, that he alternates wearing to work. At work, he is the sort of person who does only the work expected of him, doesn't socialize with his co-workers, and eats his lunch (the same thing every day) on the same park bench, being sure to sit on a different part of the bench each day. If, for instance, there is a spot of dirt on the bench, Peter uses his own Graduated Dirt Rating Scale (GDRS), which considers things like the size, color, location and texture of the spot. Peter then decides if it is minor dirt, to be ignored, or major contamination, to be avoided at all costs. Peter lives in his own world of mathematical precision, strange rituals and a dread of contamination.
One day, at the park bench, Peter meets John, a lifelong mental patient who is in a local day program. John is a chain smoker who claims to be able to smoke using only one lung at a time. At first, Peter does his best to ignore John, who doesn't seem to know when to stop talking. As time goes on, Peter makes his daily visits from John part of his precise, ordered world.
John tells the story of being on a bus to Nebraska. On the bus, he meets a woman named Anna, who is willing to have sex with him on the bus. Anna is also on psychiatric medication and stuck in a loveless Hasidic Jewish marriage. Each summer, she intentionally goes off her medication and impulsively gets on a bus, not knowing, or caring, where it is going. Her husband has to go pick her up, wherever she is, and bring her back home, where she gets back on her medication, and returns to "normal" in time for Yom Kippur.
While living in Nebraska, John gets into the local day program and starts to fit in. As a consumer of pornography (so is Peter), John searches for the local "source." He finds one video store, where everything is kept behind the front desk and must be requested by name. Despite this, the town considers forming a commission to stamp out pornography. John starts making pro-pornography noises and gets thrown out of town.
Written by a clinical psychologist, this is a fascinating, and quite eye-opening, look at mental illness from the "inside". It also says a lot about the "helping professions". It is very much worth reading.
Peter Branstill is in his early 40s and works as an accountant. He has several suits, all of the same color and style, that he alternates wearing to work. At work, he is the sort of person who does only the work expected of him, doesn't socialize with his co-workers, and eats his lunch (the same thing every day) on the same park bench, being sure to sit on a different part of the bench each day. If, for instance, there is a spot of dirt on the bench, Peter uses his own Graduated Dirt Rating Scale (GDRS), which considers things like the size, color, location and texture of the spot. Peter then decides if it is minor dirt, to be ignored, or major contamination, to be avoided at all costs. Peter lives in his own world of mathematical precision, strange rituals and a dread of contamination.
One day, at the park bench, Peter meets John, a lifelong mental patient who is in a local day program. John is a chain smoker who claims to be able to smoke using only one lung at a time. At first, Peter does his best to ignore John, who doesn't seem to know when to stop talking. As time goes on, Peter makes his daily visits from John part of his precise, ordered world.
John tells the story of being on a bus to Nebraska. On the bus, he meets a woman named Anna, who is willing to have sex with him on the bus. Anna is also on psychiatric medication and stuck in a loveless Hasidic Jewish marriage. Each summer, she intentionally goes off her medication and impulsively gets on a bus, not knowing, or caring, where it is going. Her husband has to go pick her up, wherever she is, and bring her back home, where she gets back on her medication, and returns to "normal" in time for Yom Kippur.
While living in Nebraska, John gets into the local day program and starts to fit in. As a consumer of pornography (so is Peter), John searches for the local "source." He finds one video store, where everything is kept behind the front desk and must be requested by name. Despite this, the town considers forming a commission to stamp out pornography. John starts making pro-pornography noises and gets thrown out of town.
Written by a clinical psychologist, this is a fascinating, and quite eye-opening, look at mental illness from the "inside". It also says a lot about the "helping professions". It is very much worth reading.
Saturday, August 25, 2012
Qualiens: The Prolusion 1
Qualiens: The Prolusion 1, Michael Brown, Xlibris Corporation, 2001
The first of the three connected novellas in this book is about Marland, living in present-day Tucson, Arizona. He is attempting to contact extraterrestrials using a homebrew SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) project.
A native of Indiana, he grew up in a very dysfunctional home. A gunshot wound to the head in his youth left him with acalculia, or a problem with numbers. He moved out West, and made it his mission to find aliens. The aliens, called the Qua, come to him through his computer. Marland asks all sorts of questions about science, philosophy, etc.
The second novella is about Leah, living in the same town in Indiana. Leah wants to have a baby very, very much. Problem 1: Leah, a struggling writer, is also a lesbian. Problem 2: Bekke, her lover, took off one day with several major appliances. Leah goes to the Biology Department of the local college, where her father was a professor, under the guise of working on a science fiction story, to ask about reproduction alternatives. She also has a relationship with a male midget involved in a very strange performance of Shakespeare.
The third story is about Connie, a school bus driver, who moved from Indiana to the tourist part of South Carolina with her boyfriend, who then abandoned her. She and her friends, Doris and Stephanie, start to get messages from an unknown source through those CD-ROMs that advertise so many free hours on the Internet. The messages are in the serial numbers that have to be entered in the computer when signing up.
This one is really good. There is a considerable amount of weirdness in it, so it isn't for everyone. These are fine stories of love, and relationships and contemporary life. I am looking forward to the sequel.
The first of the three connected novellas in this book is about Marland, living in present-day Tucson, Arizona. He is attempting to contact extraterrestrials using a homebrew SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) project.
A native of Indiana, he grew up in a very dysfunctional home. A gunshot wound to the head in his youth left him with acalculia, or a problem with numbers. He moved out West, and made it his mission to find aliens. The aliens, called the Qua, come to him through his computer. Marland asks all sorts of questions about science, philosophy, etc.
The second novella is about Leah, living in the same town in Indiana. Leah wants to have a baby very, very much. Problem 1: Leah, a struggling writer, is also a lesbian. Problem 2: Bekke, her lover, took off one day with several major appliances. Leah goes to the Biology Department of the local college, where her father was a professor, under the guise of working on a science fiction story, to ask about reproduction alternatives. She also has a relationship with a male midget involved in a very strange performance of Shakespeare.
The third story is about Connie, a school bus driver, who moved from Indiana to the tourist part of South Carolina with her boyfriend, who then abandoned her. She and her friends, Doris and Stephanie, start to get messages from an unknown source through those CD-ROMs that advertise so many free hours on the Internet. The messages are in the serial numbers that have to be entered in the computer when signing up.
This one is really good. There is a considerable amount of weirdness in it, so it isn't for everyone. These are fine stories of love, and relationships and contemporary life. I am looking forward to the sequel.
Voices on the Stair
Voices on the Stair, Elizabeth Routen, Xlibris Corporation, 2000
This group of contemporary stories, written over the last few years, includes the story of a young boy, whose father, a cop, committed suicide, who has a difficult relationship with his mother's new boyfriend, a man who thinks that every boy should enjoy deer hunting. An elderly couple are apart at the holidays, because she is in a nursing home. One day, he discovers that the one thing he has kept with which to remember her, a black mohair scarf, is full of moth holes, so he heads to the mall to replace it, not an easy thing no matter what your age. A local bar has a weekly Liars' Club meeting. Philippe, one of the regulars, tells everyone about Cherise, his girlfriend. The trouble is, Philippe's real name is Peter, he's an accountant, and he lives with his handicapped sister.
A group of women meet monthly in a restaurant and talk about their relationships with men, or, more likely, the lack thereof. A man meets a woman in a diner. He apparently says the wrong thing to her, and she walks off in a huff, leaving an untouched cup of coffee. The waitress, and then the cook, insist that he pay for the coffee, something he refuses to do. The situation deteriorates until the man pulls out a small knife, just so he can get out of there. The waitress falls into the knife, and the cook starts screaming, rather loudly. There is a story about a trip to a palm reader.
In her introduction, the author says that these stories are not intended as a Great Contribution to Literature. But if they can get the reader to forget, for a while, about the dishes in the sink that need washing, or the colicky baby that will wake up at midnight, then that is all that matters. In that respect, she succeeds very well. This is a first-rate group of stories that is well worth reading.
This group of contemporary stories, written over the last few years, includes the story of a young boy, whose father, a cop, committed suicide, who has a difficult relationship with his mother's new boyfriend, a man who thinks that every boy should enjoy deer hunting. An elderly couple are apart at the holidays, because she is in a nursing home. One day, he discovers that the one thing he has kept with which to remember her, a black mohair scarf, is full of moth holes, so he heads to the mall to replace it, not an easy thing no matter what your age. A local bar has a weekly Liars' Club meeting. Philippe, one of the regulars, tells everyone about Cherise, his girlfriend. The trouble is, Philippe's real name is Peter, he's an accountant, and he lives with his handicapped sister.
A group of women meet monthly in a restaurant and talk about their relationships with men, or, more likely, the lack thereof. A man meets a woman in a diner. He apparently says the wrong thing to her, and she walks off in a huff, leaving an untouched cup of coffee. The waitress, and then the cook, insist that he pay for the coffee, something he refuses to do. The situation deteriorates until the man pulls out a small knife, just so he can get out of there. The waitress falls into the knife, and the cook starts screaming, rather loudly. There is a story about a trip to a palm reader.
In her introduction, the author says that these stories are not intended as a Great Contribution to Literature. But if they can get the reader to forget, for a while, about the dishes in the sink that need washing, or the colicky baby that will wake up at midnight, then that is all that matters. In that respect, she succeeds very well. This is a first-rate group of stories that is well worth reading.
Faith, Love and Overcoming: My Battle With Addiction
Faith, Love and Overcoming: My Battle With Addiction, Dr. Dale, American Book Publishing Group, 2001
This is the self-written story of one person's battle with addiction and recovery, starting with alcohol and continuing to prescription painkillers.
Dale (his last name is not mentioned) tells of living in a dysfunctional family in Ohio. They were the "poor" family in town. Their house didn't have indoor plumbing, and Dale slept in a crib until he was ten years old. He was one of six children, all of whose first names started with the letter D. His father was physically large, and abusive, physically and emotionally.
Despite the domestic troubles, Dale did well in high school and entered Wilmington College in Ohio with a strong interest in medicine, specifically in being an athletic trainer. Like many college freshmen, he got very involved with alcohol. He then met a woman named Michelle, with whom he became totally obsessed. She introduced him to narcotics; he spent every cent he had on her and her three kids, convinced that Michelle would marry him and they would live happily after. Michelle didn't see it that way.
Dale spent several months homeless in Cincinnati, while Michelle was seeing other people; college had long since been abandoned. After a suicide attempt, he cleaned himself up and tried school again.
Over the years, there were a couple of more attempts at medical school, which he eventually passed; he met a woman named Carla through a Quaker ministry (they have been married for 15 years, and have four daughters), and Dale discovered the "joys" of prescription painkillers, his new addiction. He also discovered a talent as a teacher in medical school, and became a very popular professor. His teaching career was halted, and he almost lost his family, because of his addiction.
For anyone who thinks that they aren't really an addict, or they can quit anytime, read this book and find out it isn't so easy. Addiction to anything isn't just a "phase" in life that one grows out of, and it can happen to anyone. This one is worth reading.
This is the self-written story of one person's battle with addiction and recovery, starting with alcohol and continuing to prescription painkillers.
Dale (his last name is not mentioned) tells of living in a dysfunctional family in Ohio. They were the "poor" family in town. Their house didn't have indoor plumbing, and Dale slept in a crib until he was ten years old. He was one of six children, all of whose first names started with the letter D. His father was physically large, and abusive, physically and emotionally.
Despite the domestic troubles, Dale did well in high school and entered Wilmington College in Ohio with a strong interest in medicine, specifically in being an athletic trainer. Like many college freshmen, he got very involved with alcohol. He then met a woman named Michelle, with whom he became totally obsessed. She introduced him to narcotics; he spent every cent he had on her and her three kids, convinced that Michelle would marry him and they would live happily after. Michelle didn't see it that way.
Dale spent several months homeless in Cincinnati, while Michelle was seeing other people; college had long since been abandoned. After a suicide attempt, he cleaned himself up and tried school again.
Over the years, there were a couple of more attempts at medical school, which he eventually passed; he met a woman named Carla through a Quaker ministry (they have been married for 15 years, and have four daughters), and Dale discovered the "joys" of prescription painkillers, his new addiction. He also discovered a talent as a teacher in medical school, and became a very popular professor. His teaching career was halted, and he almost lost his family, because of his addiction.
For anyone who thinks that they aren't really an addict, or they can quit anytime, read this book and find out it isn't so easy. Addiction to anything isn't just a "phase" in life that one grows out of, and it can happen to anyone. This one is worth reading.
A Deadly Exchange
A Deadly Exchange, Sheryl Jane Stafford, Writer's Showcase, 2000
Former POW Matthew Spencer, and his wife, Alexandra, are on what they think is a leisurely sailing vacation in the Bahamas. That is, until they discover twenty pounds of cocaine hidden on their boat. They suddenly realize that the two men they met earlier that day, a duo who don't look like Caribbean natives, are probably drug dealers. The thought of simply giving them the cocaine is quickly abandoned, because Alex and Matt won't be allowed to stay alive, knowing what they know.
Matt takes the cocaine to one of the islands, intentionally not telling Alex where he is going. As long as the cocaine is missing, they'll stay alive. Alex is kidnapped, and taken to the private island of Raoul, a Colombian drug lord. Alex is treated very well, except for being held prisoner, but Raoul makes it very clear that if Alex is lying about not knowing the whereabouts of Matt, and the cocaine, after Raoul is finished with her, she will be handed over to Jorge, his chief torturer.
Meantime, Matt, getting increasingly desperate and worried about Alex, runs into Dwight and Jeremy, a couple of undercover DEA agents assigned to keep an eye on Raoul. They take Matt to Raoul's private island. Despite Matt's care in looking for Alex, he is captured, and, when he won't talk, is handed over to Jorge, who nearly beats him to death.
Matt and Alex escape from the island, and make it back to the DEA agents and their boat. One old cabin cruiser doesn't have much chance of making it back to US territory against several ultra fast cigarette boats, especially since, during a refueling stop, Jeremy, who secretly works for Raoul, calls to reveal their location and course.
This is a fine piece of writing, worthy of any of the Major Bestseller thriller authors. Stafford does a first-rate job from start to finish. It's plausible, exciting, an easy read, and one of that rare breed of stories that is not easily put down. It's well worth the reader's time.
Former POW Matthew Spencer, and his wife, Alexandra, are on what they think is a leisurely sailing vacation in the Bahamas. That is, until they discover twenty pounds of cocaine hidden on their boat. They suddenly realize that the two men they met earlier that day, a duo who don't look like Caribbean natives, are probably drug dealers. The thought of simply giving them the cocaine is quickly abandoned, because Alex and Matt won't be allowed to stay alive, knowing what they know.
Matt takes the cocaine to one of the islands, intentionally not telling Alex where he is going. As long as the cocaine is missing, they'll stay alive. Alex is kidnapped, and taken to the private island of Raoul, a Colombian drug lord. Alex is treated very well, except for being held prisoner, but Raoul makes it very clear that if Alex is lying about not knowing the whereabouts of Matt, and the cocaine, after Raoul is finished with her, she will be handed over to Jorge, his chief torturer.
Meantime, Matt, getting increasingly desperate and worried about Alex, runs into Dwight and Jeremy, a couple of undercover DEA agents assigned to keep an eye on Raoul. They take Matt to Raoul's private island. Despite Matt's care in looking for Alex, he is captured, and, when he won't talk, is handed over to Jorge, who nearly beats him to death.
Matt and Alex escape from the island, and make it back to the DEA agents and their boat. One old cabin cruiser doesn't have much chance of making it back to US territory against several ultra fast cigarette boats, especially since, during a refueling stop, Jeremy, who secretly works for Raoul, calls to reveal their location and course.
This is a fine piece of writing, worthy of any of the Major Bestseller thriller authors. Stafford does a first-rate job from start to finish. It's plausible, exciting, an easy read, and one of that rare breed of stories that is not easily put down. It's well worth the reader's time.
The Crime Studio
The Crime Studio, Steve Aylett, Four Walls Eight Windows Press, 2001
This is a group of interconnected short stories that introduce the denizens of a town called Beerlight. 'Tis a very strange place.
Tony Endless had gotten a job working for a local pest exterminator. On his first job, he took out the firearms carried by everyone in Beerlight and wiped out the dog, cat and aquarium full of fish in the house, not realizing that they were not the pests in question. Word got around town, and now Tony has a thriving business breaking into houses, at night, quietly removing pets that the owners want gone, and, just as quietly, giving them to owners that do want them. Ben Stalkeye and chance don't go together very well. The strangest and unlikeliest things would happen, only on the condition that he didn't want them to happen. This presented problems for his criminal career.
Joe Solitary loved the rush from false accusation and, therefore, did everything possible to be arrested and jailed for crimes in which he was not involved at all. He would go to the local police station all the time and confess to anything and everything, just to be in jail.
In a place where paranoia is part of daily life, Carl Overchoke went back for seconds and thirds. One day, he is told that "they" are on to him. Carl is an average guy who suddenly feels important. He starts acting more self-assured, knowing that he is being watched, and eventually does gain the notice of the police.
Jesse Downtime was not good at robbing people, so he experimented with smaller and smaller thefts. He tore the stalk from an apple at the local deli. He would swipe lint from strangers. He broke into the state zoo at night to steal an ant, then return it to the authorities. He would bump into people on the street, acquiring dozens of their atoms without suspicion. After his release from prison, his thievery was refined to such a point that the thefts occurred only in his mind.
Think Raymond Chandler on hallucinogenic drugs when reading this book. The stories are short, postmodern, surreal and well worth reading.
This is a group of interconnected short stories that introduce the denizens of a town called Beerlight. 'Tis a very strange place.
Tony Endless had gotten a job working for a local pest exterminator. On his first job, he took out the firearms carried by everyone in Beerlight and wiped out the dog, cat and aquarium full of fish in the house, not realizing that they were not the pests in question. Word got around town, and now Tony has a thriving business breaking into houses, at night, quietly removing pets that the owners want gone, and, just as quietly, giving them to owners that do want them. Ben Stalkeye and chance don't go together very well. The strangest and unlikeliest things would happen, only on the condition that he didn't want them to happen. This presented problems for his criminal career.
Joe Solitary loved the rush from false accusation and, therefore, did everything possible to be arrested and jailed for crimes in which he was not involved at all. He would go to the local police station all the time and confess to anything and everything, just to be in jail.
In a place where paranoia is part of daily life, Carl Overchoke went back for seconds and thirds. One day, he is told that "they" are on to him. Carl is an average guy who suddenly feels important. He starts acting more self-assured, knowing that he is being watched, and eventually does gain the notice of the police.
Jesse Downtime was not good at robbing people, so he experimented with smaller and smaller thefts. He tore the stalk from an apple at the local deli. He would swipe lint from strangers. He broke into the state zoo at night to steal an ant, then return it to the authorities. He would bump into people on the street, acquiring dozens of their atoms without suspicion. After his release from prison, his thievery was refined to such a point that the thefts occurred only in his mind.
Think Raymond Chandler on hallucinogenic drugs when reading this book. The stories are short, postmodern, surreal and well worth reading.
The More You Watch, The Less You Know
The More You Watch, The Less You Know, Danny Schechter, Seven Stories Press, 1997
When more Americans know the sum that Jim Carrey received for his last movie than can find America on a map, there is something seriously wrong with the American news media and how people get their news. This book gives a 30-year, inside, look at what has happened to American TV news.
Schechter started his professional journalism career as news director and "news dissector" in the 1970s at WBCN Radio in Boston. He later entered the world of TV producing, including a local issues talk show and the first, late-night, live variety show. He joined an upstart network called CNN, producing a daily, night time talk show. Moving to ABC, he spent the next eight years on the show 20/20 as a producer and investigative reporter. Going on his own, he started the company Globalvision, and produced the acclaimed shows "South Africa Now" and "Rights & Wrongs".
Along the way, Schechter makes many observations about the state of TV journalism. Foreign news has been cut way back, because people supposedly aren't interested, and because it lessens profits. The range of "acceptable" political opinion is from A to B. "Juicy" stories like O.J. or JonBenet Ramsey are pumped up to increase profits. The recent spate of media mergers have accelerated downsizing and cost-cutting that have hurt the quality of TV news. Entire research departments have been replaced by the Lexis-Nexis research service.
As an independent producer, Schechter saw, firsthand, the difficulty in getting his shows, or films about South Africa, on the air, including on PBS, the network that was supposedly designed for such things. Globalvision was forced into an almost constant journey through the world of philanthropy, looking for funding to stay afloat. Today, Schechter is still dissecting the news at www.mediachannel.org.
Perhaps a little better as My Life in TV News than as media analysis, this is still an excellent and easy to read book from someone who spent years on the inside. It's especially recommended for that large number of Americans who call TV their main source of news.
When more Americans know the sum that Jim Carrey received for his last movie than can find America on a map, there is something seriously wrong with the American news media and how people get their news. This book gives a 30-year, inside, look at what has happened to American TV news.
Schechter started his professional journalism career as news director and "news dissector" in the 1970s at WBCN Radio in Boston. He later entered the world of TV producing, including a local issues talk show and the first, late-night, live variety show. He joined an upstart network called CNN, producing a daily, night time talk show. Moving to ABC, he spent the next eight years on the show 20/20 as a producer and investigative reporter. Going on his own, he started the company Globalvision, and produced the acclaimed shows "South Africa Now" and "Rights & Wrongs".
Along the way, Schechter makes many observations about the state of TV journalism. Foreign news has been cut way back, because people supposedly aren't interested, and because it lessens profits. The range of "acceptable" political opinion is from A to B. "Juicy" stories like O.J. or JonBenet Ramsey are pumped up to increase profits. The recent spate of media mergers have accelerated downsizing and cost-cutting that have hurt the quality of TV news. Entire research departments have been replaced by the Lexis-Nexis research service.
As an independent producer, Schechter saw, firsthand, the difficulty in getting his shows, or films about South Africa, on the air, including on PBS, the network that was supposedly designed for such things. Globalvision was forced into an almost constant journey through the world of philanthropy, looking for funding to stay afloat. Today, Schechter is still dissecting the news at www.mediachannel.org.
Perhaps a little better as My Life in TV News than as media analysis, this is still an excellent and easy to read book from someone who spent years on the inside. It's especially recommended for that large number of Americans who call TV their main source of news.
Twilight Dynasty: Courting Evil
Twilight Dynasty: Courting Evil, Barry H. Smith, Erica House, 1999
Set near present-day Toronto, Canada, Kyle Morrow is a hot-shot private attorney who has become involved in past-life regression. He has been searching his previous lives looking for answers to the usual contemporary problems: women, money and a stagnant career. His niece, Mandy, comes to him with a story that she was chased, and almost killed, by some sort of demonic entity.
A series of unsolved murders point to the estate of Victor Janus, extremely rich media mogul, and his spiritual guru son, Thomas, who has started a local spiritual college. Mandy was a student at that college. Father and son are the type who have the money, and power, to buy and sell judges, politicians and members of the media, so they are practically untouchable. Thomas is also going through past-life regression, through the same beautiful female psychic as Morrow; she is also being stalked by an unknown person. Thomas has learned a lot about using demonic forces and hypnosis to get what he wants; it seems that he and Morrow were enemies back in Atlantis. As Morrow gets too close for comfort, he learns first-hand just how good Janus is at long-distance hypnosis. Thinking that he was back in Atlantis, about to murder a female captive, Kyle learns, too late, that he has just murdered Jennifer, his common-law wife, on the grounds of the Janus estate. It becomes a battle for Morrow, not just against evil, but, for his life, his soul, and ultimately his sanity.
There is a considerable amount of violence in this novel, including several human sacrifice murders. There is also a considerable amount of New Age thinking here, along with a large amount of Christian theology. This isn't for the faint of heart, but it has something for everyone. It's well done, thrilling, thought-provoking, and very much worth reading.
Set near present-day Toronto, Canada, Kyle Morrow is a hot-shot private attorney who has become involved in past-life regression. He has been searching his previous lives looking for answers to the usual contemporary problems: women, money and a stagnant career. His niece, Mandy, comes to him with a story that she was chased, and almost killed, by some sort of demonic entity.
A series of unsolved murders point to the estate of Victor Janus, extremely rich media mogul, and his spiritual guru son, Thomas, who has started a local spiritual college. Mandy was a student at that college. Father and son are the type who have the money, and power, to buy and sell judges, politicians and members of the media, so they are practically untouchable. Thomas is also going through past-life regression, through the same beautiful female psychic as Morrow; she is also being stalked by an unknown person. Thomas has learned a lot about using demonic forces and hypnosis to get what he wants; it seems that he and Morrow were enemies back in Atlantis. As Morrow gets too close for comfort, he learns first-hand just how good Janus is at long-distance hypnosis. Thinking that he was back in Atlantis, about to murder a female captive, Kyle learns, too late, that he has just murdered Jennifer, his common-law wife, on the grounds of the Janus estate. It becomes a battle for Morrow, not just against evil, but, for his life, his soul, and ultimately his sanity.
There is a considerable amount of violence in this novel, including several human sacrifice murders. There is also a considerable amount of New Age thinking here, along with a large amount of Christian theology. This isn't for the faint of heart, but it has something for everyone. It's well done, thrilling, thought-provoking, and very much worth reading.
Tierra del Fuego
Tierra del Fuego, Sylvia Iparraguirre, Curbstone Press, 2000
This novel is told in flashback by John William Guevara, son of an English father and Argentinean mother, who grew up in 19th century Argentina as part of neither world. Orphaned as a teenager, he takes to the sea and ends up in London, an almost mythical city that was subject of many stories from his father.
One of Guevara's voyages is to the southern tip of South America, to map the Tierra del Fuego. Along on the journey is a British naturalist working on a biological theory of evolution, a man named Charles Darwin. While there, the Captain of the ship, Robert Fitzroy, kidnaps a couple of local indigenous people, called Yamana, one of them named Jemmy Button, and brings them back to England with the intention of "civilizing" them.
The theory is that having spent a year among "superior" English society wearing clothes and eating with utensils, the Indians, when brought back home, will spread the "joys" of civilization among the other Indians. Guevara, also an outsider, is about the only person to establish a relationship with Button, and the only one to foresee the experiment's outcome.
Later, Button is arrested by the British and brought to trial on the Falkland Islands. He is accused of being the leader of an Indian massacre of a ship full of British missionaries who had arrived to convert the Yamana to Christianity. Guevara is there, if only to see Button, his friend, and to lend some moral support.
Based on a true story, this book is part seafaring story, part European colonialism, and part cultural tale of human nature (like Heart of Darkness) and it succeeds on all these levels. It's a rather "quiet" story that may take some effort on the part of the reader, but, by the end, it is very much worth reading.
This novel is told in flashback by John William Guevara, son of an English father and Argentinean mother, who grew up in 19th century Argentina as part of neither world. Orphaned as a teenager, he takes to the sea and ends up in London, an almost mythical city that was subject of many stories from his father.
One of Guevara's voyages is to the southern tip of South America, to map the Tierra del Fuego. Along on the journey is a British naturalist working on a biological theory of evolution, a man named Charles Darwin. While there, the Captain of the ship, Robert Fitzroy, kidnaps a couple of local indigenous people, called Yamana, one of them named Jemmy Button, and brings them back to England with the intention of "civilizing" them.
The theory is that having spent a year among "superior" English society wearing clothes and eating with utensils, the Indians, when brought back home, will spread the "joys" of civilization among the other Indians. Guevara, also an outsider, is about the only person to establish a relationship with Button, and the only one to foresee the experiment's outcome.
Later, Button is arrested by the British and brought to trial on the Falkland Islands. He is accused of being the leader of an Indian massacre of a ship full of British missionaries who had arrived to convert the Yamana to Christianity. Guevara is there, if only to see Button, his friend, and to lend some moral support.
Based on a true story, this book is part seafaring story, part European colonialism, and part cultural tale of human nature (like Heart of Darkness) and it succeeds on all these levels. It's a rather "quiet" story that may take some effort on the part of the reader, but, by the end, it is very much worth reading.
What's Come Over You?
What's Come Over You?, Marian Thurm, Delphinium Books, 2001
This group of stories looks at the trials and tribulations of contemporary daily life from a surprising variety of perspectives.
A male Rabbi is shocked when his wife announces to the congregation, during services, that they are splitting up, something that is news to him. A man is depressed because his ex-girlfriend (they had been "thick as thieves" for the previous ten years) is marrying someone else. A single mother and her eleven-year-old daughter are in Florida visiting the woman's mother and stepfather. He has Parkinson's Disease and she thinks that spending her time and money on cosmetics to hold back the ravages of time is more important than things like housekeeping.
A suddenly-divorced man with a seven-year-old daughter finds a female college student in his building making extra money by sending long-overdue thank you notes and weekly letters to the parents. His mother is very happy at the news that he is taking a cooking class and has a girlfriend, things the college student decided to add to give him a "life." A husband-and-wife house cleaning team, with a very strange nine-year-old daughter named Princess, has a major argument while cleaning a woman's apartment. A Jewish woman, whose husband found out that she was cheating on him, is served with divorce papers on the day of her grandfather's funeral. Two people in New York City get married, but neither one wants to give up their apartment to move in with the other, so they have a sort-of long distance marriage.
I was really impressed with these stories. Thurm does a first-rate job with a variety of different narrators, with the dialogue and the poignant humor. These aren't your average tales of modern-day life, they're much better than that.
This group of stories looks at the trials and tribulations of contemporary daily life from a surprising variety of perspectives.
A male Rabbi is shocked when his wife announces to the congregation, during services, that they are splitting up, something that is news to him. A man is depressed because his ex-girlfriend (they had been "thick as thieves" for the previous ten years) is marrying someone else. A single mother and her eleven-year-old daughter are in Florida visiting the woman's mother and stepfather. He has Parkinson's Disease and she thinks that spending her time and money on cosmetics to hold back the ravages of time is more important than things like housekeeping.
A suddenly-divorced man with a seven-year-old daughter finds a female college student in his building making extra money by sending long-overdue thank you notes and weekly letters to the parents. His mother is very happy at the news that he is taking a cooking class and has a girlfriend, things the college student decided to add to give him a "life." A husband-and-wife house cleaning team, with a very strange nine-year-old daughter named Princess, has a major argument while cleaning a woman's apartment. A Jewish woman, whose husband found out that she was cheating on him, is served with divorce papers on the day of her grandfather's funeral. Two people in New York City get married, but neither one wants to give up their apartment to move in with the other, so they have a sort-of long distance marriage.
I was really impressed with these stories. Thurm does a first-rate job with a variety of different narrators, with the dialogue and the poignant humor. These aren't your average tales of modern-day life, they're much better than that.
New Hampshire vs. Vermont: Sibling Rivalry Between the Two States
New Hampshire vs. Vermont: Sibling Rivalry Between the Two States, Lisa Shaw (ed.), Williams Hill Publishing, 1997
New Hampshire and Vermont are two small, lightly populated, states stuck next to each other in northern New England. Little does anyone know that a Hatfield and McCoy-type feud has been going on between them for years, a feud that won't end anytime soon. The feud is explored in this book by contributors from both sides.
Vermont has its liberal political outlook and its statewide ban on highway billboards. New Hampshire, on the other hand, is very conservative and its first-in-the-country Presidential primary makes it the center of the American political universe every four years. People in Vermont wear funny sandals and talk about world peace. New Hampshire residents sell liquor at toll booths and drive without seat belts. The one thing they agree on is their hatred of Massachusetts.
Every weekend the roads are full of European sedans in custom colors packed with casual clothing and the latest sporting equipment bearing Massachusetts plates. Every driver is in a major hurry to relax, so woe to anyone who gets in front of them on the road. But, once they get outside of Massachusetts, they stop at every stone wall, covered bridge and quaint country store quickly enough to activate their car's air bags. The other thing that people from Massachusetts do on their weekends is shop at outlet malls. Seeing (or more accurately, hearing) several women wearing noisy nylon jogging suits heading for the nearest sale rack is something to behold.
Vermont looks like a postcard. New Hampshire's largest city, Manchester, has a main street that concludes in a dead end. People in Vermont go out to eat and listen to National Public Radio. The first thing one sees in New Hampshire is a toll booth where the attendant has a hard time making change from a $5 bill, followed by a state liquor store.
This book is hilarious and a little eye-opening for this native New Englander. It equally insults the people of both states, it's very easy to read, and is highly recommended.
New Hampshire and Vermont are two small, lightly populated, states stuck next to each other in northern New England. Little does anyone know that a Hatfield and McCoy-type feud has been going on between them for years, a feud that won't end anytime soon. The feud is explored in this book by contributors from both sides.
Vermont has its liberal political outlook and its statewide ban on highway billboards. New Hampshire, on the other hand, is very conservative and its first-in-the-country Presidential primary makes it the center of the American political universe every four years. People in Vermont wear funny sandals and talk about world peace. New Hampshire residents sell liquor at toll booths and drive without seat belts. The one thing they agree on is their hatred of Massachusetts.
Every weekend the roads are full of European sedans in custom colors packed with casual clothing and the latest sporting equipment bearing Massachusetts plates. Every driver is in a major hurry to relax, so woe to anyone who gets in front of them on the road. But, once they get outside of Massachusetts, they stop at every stone wall, covered bridge and quaint country store quickly enough to activate their car's air bags. The other thing that people from Massachusetts do on their weekends is shop at outlet malls. Seeing (or more accurately, hearing) several women wearing noisy nylon jogging suits heading for the nearest sale rack is something to behold.
Vermont looks like a postcard. New Hampshire's largest city, Manchester, has a main street that concludes in a dead end. People in Vermont go out to eat and listen to National Public Radio. The first thing one sees in New Hampshire is a toll booth where the attendant has a hard time making change from a $5 bill, followed by a state liquor store.
This book is hilarious and a little eye-opening for this native New Englander. It equally insults the people of both states, it's very easy to read, and is highly recommended.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)