Sam Boone: Front to Back, Bud Sparhawk, FoxAcre Press, 2003
In the late 22nd Century, Earth's first interstellar spaceship is involved in a collision with a much larger vessel outside the approved travel lanes. In its desperation to avoid the Galactic Hegemony, the captain gives Earth a more modern ship out of its inventory. This allows Earth to build more ships, and explore local space. Intelligent life is pretty common, and the only reason Earth hasn't heard about it is their use of inefficient and outdated electromagnetic energy for communication, instead of the much more efficient galactic phloomb. About the only talent humans have, according to the rest of the galaxy, is that of negotiation and arbitration.
Sam Boone works at Earth's major spaceport, near Trenton, New Jersey. It's there because one of the favorite tourist destinations is the nearby city of Hoboken (along with Disneyworld, of course). In one story, Sam must deal with a pair of alien races who decide to settle their differences in a professional wrestling ring, thinking that humans also do it this way. Another popular export for Earth is magazines of any type. Whether it is a home and garden magazine or a mechanical hobby magazine, the other alien races find them absolutely hilarious. In another story, Sam must escort a pair of aliens around Disneyworld. This wouldn't seem so difficult, except these are group mind aliens, where one individual inhabits 20 or 30 separate bodies. Do they get a group discount on tickets? In each of these stories, Sam must deal with very different cultural values, while keeping his alien boss happy and keeping himself out of some potentially disastrous situations.
There is a sad lack of humor in science fiction. This book helps to fill the gap. For lighter, humorous reading that is still well written, this is very much worth checking out.
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Dream Factories and Radio Pictures
Dream Factories and Radio Pictures, Howard Waldrop, Wheatland Press, 2003
This group of previously published stories is all about the media, TV, radio and movies, both the early days and the more recent days.
A story is about the making of "race" pictures right after the First World War. These were short films intended for black audiences with simple stories, microscopic budgets and shooting schedules that lasted for a couple of days. Another tale is about a couple of Old West cowboys fighting vampires in 1920s Germany. What if every 1950s sci-fi monster (giant octopus, giant dinosaur and swarm of giant ants, etc.) all became real at the same time? Another story has Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello and a couple of the Marx Brothers all rushing to a small town in Iowa where a traveling rock and roll caravan is playing a one-night stand.
These are more "weird" stories than they are specifically science fiction, fantasy or horror stories. They are also really good and well-written stories. This book is different, it will get the reader thinking, and it is recommended.
This group of previously published stories is all about the media, TV, radio and movies, both the early days and the more recent days.
A story is about the making of "race" pictures right after the First World War. These were short films intended for black audiences with simple stories, microscopic budgets and shooting schedules that lasted for a couple of days. Another tale is about a couple of Old West cowboys fighting vampires in 1920s Germany. What if every 1950s sci-fi monster (giant octopus, giant dinosaur and swarm of giant ants, etc.) all became real at the same time? Another story has Laurel and Hardy, Abbott and Costello and a couple of the Marx Brothers all rushing to a small town in Iowa where a traveling rock and roll caravan is playing a one-night stand.
These are more "weird" stories than they are specifically science fiction, fantasy or horror stories. They are also really good and well-written stories. This book is different, it will get the reader thinking, and it is recommended.
Beyond the Golden Stair
Beyond the Golden Stair, Hannes Bok, Ballantine, 1970
Hibbert is a rather trusting soul, one of those who lets himself be conned right into prison. He is paired with a bruising hulk named Scarlatti, who keeps talking jailbreak. With the help of a man named Burks, the jailbreak is successful. Hibbert is brought along against his will, so he won't blab to the authorities. Heading for the Florida Everglades, they hook up with Carlotta, Scarlatti's girlfriend.
In the middle of nowhere, the four come across a golden stairway into the sky. They ascend, and find a giant pool which may be The Fountain of Youth, guarded by a blue flamingo. It attacks them, and doesn't last long after several shots from Burks' pistol. They ascend another stairway to a land called Khoire.
It is something like being inside an M.C. Escher drawing. They meet a man named Patur, who has each of them put a crystal mask to their faces, which shows their true feelings. They are told that they will change into whatever their true essence is within 24 hours, and that they cannot stay in Khoire. Burks volunteers to turn into a blue flamingo, to take the place of the one he destroyed. He'll accept being on the doorstep of Khoire, and do whatever is necessary to get himself an invitation back to Khoire. Carlotta and Scarlatti experience their Change; it is not pretty, and they end up eaten by a large carnivore. Meantime, Hibbert has fallen head over heels in love with Mareth of the Watchers. His Change is relatively minor; he is still very much human. He returns to Earth, passing Burks the flamingo. Hibbert's quest is to find those people, who cannot reveal themselves beforehand, who will help him do what is needed to get his own invitation to Khoire.
First published in greatly shortened form in 1948, this is an excellent piece of writing. Bok was best known as an artist and illustrator during the pulp era; this shows that he was also a fine writer. If the reader can find a copy of this novel, it is very much recommended.
Hibbert is a rather trusting soul, one of those who lets himself be conned right into prison. He is paired with a bruising hulk named Scarlatti, who keeps talking jailbreak. With the help of a man named Burks, the jailbreak is successful. Hibbert is brought along against his will, so he won't blab to the authorities. Heading for the Florida Everglades, they hook up with Carlotta, Scarlatti's girlfriend.
In the middle of nowhere, the four come across a golden stairway into the sky. They ascend, and find a giant pool which may be The Fountain of Youth, guarded by a blue flamingo. It attacks them, and doesn't last long after several shots from Burks' pistol. They ascend another stairway to a land called Khoire.
It is something like being inside an M.C. Escher drawing. They meet a man named Patur, who has each of them put a crystal mask to their faces, which shows their true feelings. They are told that they will change into whatever their true essence is within 24 hours, and that they cannot stay in Khoire. Burks volunteers to turn into a blue flamingo, to take the place of the one he destroyed. He'll accept being on the doorstep of Khoire, and do whatever is necessary to get himself an invitation back to Khoire. Carlotta and Scarlatti experience their Change; it is not pretty, and they end up eaten by a large carnivore. Meantime, Hibbert has fallen head over heels in love with Mareth of the Watchers. His Change is relatively minor; he is still very much human. He returns to Earth, passing Burks the flamingo. Hibbert's quest is to find those people, who cannot reveal themselves beforehand, who will help him do what is needed to get his own invitation to Khoire.
First published in greatly shortened form in 1948, this is an excellent piece of writing. Bok was best known as an artist and illustrator during the pulp era; this shows that he was also a fine writer. If the reader can find a copy of this novel, it is very much recommended.
Pledge of Honor
Pledge of Honor, Lori L. Anderson, Xlibris Corp, 2003
Jamie McGivens and Tony Stone are among a group of humans who have been kidnapped and taken to the planet Elos, by a humanoid race called the Berloff. The men are to be slaves, and the women are to be used for breeding. Jamie becomes the property of Locom, the leader of the Berloff.
Keenu is the grown son of the leader of a race of native Elosians, who have suffered constant Berloff slave raids. His quest is to find Dolan, his grandfather, who left their home village many years before. Using Dolan's wisdom (and experience living on Earth), the plan is to get themselves arrested by the Berloff (the easy part), and somehow free all the slaves from the "inside" (the hard part), to stop the whole slave system, permanently.
The breakout happens, and the four flee into the jungle. While in Locom's possession, Jamie was forced to let Locom have his way with her, and she is having a hard time dealing with it. Back on Earth, she was the sole caregiver for her sick mother, and the last thing she remembers before her abduction was finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman. So Jamie is not appreciative when told that Keenu had to establish a mental Link with her (sort of a permanent Vulcan Mind Meld), that is not easily broken, when she is injured in the breakout.
Tony falls prey to one of the many deadly creatures of Elos, and Jamie almost joins him. She is brought to Keenu's home village to recover. Dolan was thrown out of the village years before, under very unpleasant circumstances, and little has changed. Damar, the Elosian ruler, and Dolan's son (and Keenu's father) does not want Dolan there, and the fact that he has brought an. . . alien with him makes it that much worse. After she recovers, Dolan brings Jamie back to an Earth that holds nothing for her. Her mother died a couple of days previously, the police want to know where she has been for the last month, and her ex-boyfriend really wants to get back together with her, to the point of being obnoxious. Jamie also discovers that she has some pretty strong feelings for Keenu.
This works best as a story about the human spirit and about bonds between very different people, that happens to take place mostly on an alien planet. The reader could do a lot worse than to read this novel; it is very much worth the time.
Jamie McGivens and Tony Stone are among a group of humans who have been kidnapped and taken to the planet Elos, by a humanoid race called the Berloff. The men are to be slaves, and the women are to be used for breeding. Jamie becomes the property of Locom, the leader of the Berloff.
Keenu is the grown son of the leader of a race of native Elosians, who have suffered constant Berloff slave raids. His quest is to find Dolan, his grandfather, who left their home village many years before. Using Dolan's wisdom (and experience living on Earth), the plan is to get themselves arrested by the Berloff (the easy part), and somehow free all the slaves from the "inside" (the hard part), to stop the whole slave system, permanently.
The breakout happens, and the four flee into the jungle. While in Locom's possession, Jamie was forced to let Locom have his way with her, and she is having a hard time dealing with it. Back on Earth, she was the sole caregiver for her sick mother, and the last thing she remembers before her abduction was finding her boyfriend in bed with another woman. So Jamie is not appreciative when told that Keenu had to establish a mental Link with her (sort of a permanent Vulcan Mind Meld), that is not easily broken, when she is injured in the breakout.
Tony falls prey to one of the many deadly creatures of Elos, and Jamie almost joins him. She is brought to Keenu's home village to recover. Dolan was thrown out of the village years before, under very unpleasant circumstances, and little has changed. Damar, the Elosian ruler, and Dolan's son (and Keenu's father) does not want Dolan there, and the fact that he has brought an. . . alien with him makes it that much worse. After she recovers, Dolan brings Jamie back to an Earth that holds nothing for her. Her mother died a couple of days previously, the police want to know where she has been for the last month, and her ex-boyfriend really wants to get back together with her, to the point of being obnoxious. Jamie also discovers that she has some pretty strong feelings for Keenu.
This works best as a story about the human spirit and about bonds between very different people, that happens to take place mostly on an alien planet. The reader could do a lot worse than to read this novel; it is very much worth the time.
The Eleventh Hour
The El-eventh Hour, Lily G. Stephen, Blooming Rose Press, 2004
This story, part 2 of a trilogy, is about Miranda, a young woman whose interest in physics leads to more theoretical subjects like hyperspace and alternate universes. A friend of her mother, Willa Carson, agrees to take Miranda on a trip to Peru to visit sites like Macchu Picchu. Her parents aren't exactly thrilled at the idea, but they agree. On the way to Peru, the plans change. The two women join an expedition led by a woman named Margot, looking for a city called Tanum. It's inside an Andean mountain and is the home of an ancient civilization called the Ugha Mongulala. On the plane to Peru, Miranda has a dream. Her friend, Opal Courtright, now part of a higher consciousness being called Sappho (read part 1), tells Miranda that they will meet in Tanum.
After several days travel through impenetrable Andean jungle, the entrance to Tanum is found. While exploring subterranean tunnels, an earthquake strikes and Miranda is badly injured. The people of Ugha Mongulala come to the rescue, bring the three women to Tanum, and nurse Miranda back to health. There is enough light and fresh air in this underground city to support 2,000 people; they have been on Earth for thousands of years, and went underground to escape "white barbarians." Meantime, the earthquake that injured Miranda wasn't just an earthquake. It was part of a worldwide catastrophe that included, among other things, Earth's rotation stopping for three full days.
Miranda attracts the attention of an ethereal, androgynous, even more ancient, race called the Els, who take Miranda into another realm for a visit. She is given all sorts of ancient knowledge and wisdom, which she, in turn, is to preach to the people of Earth. When the three women are returned to "reality," Miranda is compelled to go into the jungle alone, following her own path.
Those who are interested in New Age concepts, like higher states of consciousness and ancient civilizations, will love this book. For everyone else, it's grounded enough in reality, and weird enough, to be very much recommended.
This story, part 2 of a trilogy, is about Miranda, a young woman whose interest in physics leads to more theoretical subjects like hyperspace and alternate universes. A friend of her mother, Willa Carson, agrees to take Miranda on a trip to Peru to visit sites like Macchu Picchu. Her parents aren't exactly thrilled at the idea, but they agree. On the way to Peru, the plans change. The two women join an expedition led by a woman named Margot, looking for a city called Tanum. It's inside an Andean mountain and is the home of an ancient civilization called the Ugha Mongulala. On the plane to Peru, Miranda has a dream. Her friend, Opal Courtright, now part of a higher consciousness being called Sappho (read part 1), tells Miranda that they will meet in Tanum.
After several days travel through impenetrable Andean jungle, the entrance to Tanum is found. While exploring subterranean tunnels, an earthquake strikes and Miranda is badly injured. The people of Ugha Mongulala come to the rescue, bring the three women to Tanum, and nurse Miranda back to health. There is enough light and fresh air in this underground city to support 2,000 people; they have been on Earth for thousands of years, and went underground to escape "white barbarians." Meantime, the earthquake that injured Miranda wasn't just an earthquake. It was part of a worldwide catastrophe that included, among other things, Earth's rotation stopping for three full days.
Miranda attracts the attention of an ethereal, androgynous, even more ancient, race called the Els, who take Miranda into another realm for a visit. She is given all sorts of ancient knowledge and wisdom, which she, in turn, is to preach to the people of Earth. When the three women are returned to "reality," Miranda is compelled to go into the jungle alone, following her own path.
Those who are interested in New Age concepts, like higher states of consciousness and ancient civilizations, will love this book. For everyone else, it's grounded enough in reality, and weird enough, to be very much recommended.
Zollocco: A Novel of Another Universe
Zollocco: A Novel of Another Universe, Cynthia Joyce Clay, Oestara Publishing, 2000
This story is about a woman who, having escaped from a dying Earth, lands on a planet governed by sentient forests in the solar system Imenkapur. At first, the forest, called Zollocco, doesn't want her there, but slowly changes its "mind" after realizing that the woman is at least trying to live in harmony with the forest.
She is captured by, and made the property of, the Toelakhan, an interstellar corporation not in agreement with the forests' stewardship of the planets. She escapes, and runs from planet to planet, meeting other civilizations living in tune with the forests. She is made a priestess of the forests, but the Toelakhan is always one step behind her, wanting their property back.
Included in the book are vignettes about life on an Earth that has become an environmental disaster area. Through some new version of Eminent Domain, houses are flattened and parking lots are torn up to create space to plant trees, because breathing masks are required at all times when one is outside. The ozone layer, even over America, has become very thin. Faneuil Hall in Boston is now on the waterfront, because of global warming. An expedition is made to the flooded, and evacuated, Boston Financial District to gather up all the house plants in all those offices and keep them alive to produce much needed oxygen.
This one is very good. It has a rather strong social message, but it also has an interesting story that will get the reader thinking. It is well worth the time.
This story is about a woman who, having escaped from a dying Earth, lands on a planet governed by sentient forests in the solar system Imenkapur. At first, the forest, called Zollocco, doesn't want her there, but slowly changes its "mind" after realizing that the woman is at least trying to live in harmony with the forest.
She is captured by, and made the property of, the Toelakhan, an interstellar corporation not in agreement with the forests' stewardship of the planets. She escapes, and runs from planet to planet, meeting other civilizations living in tune with the forests. She is made a priestess of the forests, but the Toelakhan is always one step behind her, wanting their property back.
Included in the book are vignettes about life on an Earth that has become an environmental disaster area. Through some new version of Eminent Domain, houses are flattened and parking lots are torn up to create space to plant trees, because breathing masks are required at all times when one is outside. The ozone layer, even over America, has become very thin. Faneuil Hall in Boston is now on the waterfront, because of global warming. An expedition is made to the flooded, and evacuated, Boston Financial District to gather up all the house plants in all those offices and keep them alive to produce much needed oxygen.
This one is very good. It has a rather strong social message, but it also has an interesting story that will get the reader thinking. It is well worth the time.
Keaen
Keaen, Till Noever, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, 2004
This fantasy story is about the land of Keaen, whose central idea or concept is the survival of an ancient Covenant between the ruler and the people. One manifestation of that Covenant is that the ruler of Keaen can not marry or even have a lover. Heirs to the throne are created by the ruler impregnating any woman in the kingdom that he wishes. If a male child is born, that child is taken from the mother and spends his life in the castle. Armist is very uninterested in taking over as ruler, because he believes himself to be the product of such a union. His sister, Tahlia, is about to be married off to one of the local barons, a prospect that she equally dreads.
In Keaen, opposition to the Covenant is growing. Would-be rebels start to organize, semi-openly. One huge push is all that is needed to bring down the whole system. Armist and Tahlia aren't thinking about that when they flee the castle, throwing everything into chaos. They just want to get as far away as possible. Along the way, Armist and Tahlia find that they have friends within the castle.
Caitlan is the royal Weaponsmaster and Pandrak is the emissary of the magices of Skele (the head wizard). They have their reasons for wanting the system changed, so, in their own ways, they keep the pursuit away from Armist and Tahlia. Naturally, their father, King Hain, is not taking this lying down; their freedom doesn't last for long. Tahlia is forced into marriage with Baron Tegel, a fat, disgusting man with an unnatural liking for young boys. Armist is captured by forces loyal to Tergan, Keaen's neighbor and long-time enemy.
This one is very good. It's more of an adventure tale with narrow escapes, knife fights and carnivorous beings who come out at night. It may take some work on the part of the reader, but this is recommended.
This fantasy story is about the land of Keaen, whose central idea or concept is the survival of an ancient Covenant between the ruler and the people. One manifestation of that Covenant is that the ruler of Keaen can not marry or even have a lover. Heirs to the throne are created by the ruler impregnating any woman in the kingdom that he wishes. If a male child is born, that child is taken from the mother and spends his life in the castle. Armist is very uninterested in taking over as ruler, because he believes himself to be the product of such a union. His sister, Tahlia, is about to be married off to one of the local barons, a prospect that she equally dreads.
In Keaen, opposition to the Covenant is growing. Would-be rebels start to organize, semi-openly. One huge push is all that is needed to bring down the whole system. Armist and Tahlia aren't thinking about that when they flee the castle, throwing everything into chaos. They just want to get as far away as possible. Along the way, Armist and Tahlia find that they have friends within the castle.
Caitlan is the royal Weaponsmaster and Pandrak is the emissary of the magices of Skele (the head wizard). They have their reasons for wanting the system changed, so, in their own ways, they keep the pursuit away from Armist and Tahlia. Naturally, their father, King Hain, is not taking this lying down; their freedom doesn't last for long. Tahlia is forced into marriage with Baron Tegel, a fat, disgusting man with an unnatural liking for young boys. Armist is captured by forces loyal to Tergan, Keaen's neighbor and long-time enemy.
This one is very good. It's more of an adventure tale with narrow escapes, knife fights and carnivorous beings who come out at night. It may take some work on the part of the reader, but this is recommended.
The Road of Silk
The Road of Silk, Matt Afsahi and Barbara Dysonwilliams, Synergy Books, 2004
This fantasy story is about Queen Yasamin of Gwendomere, who agrees to marry King Amir of Dragonval in order to save her kingdom. She is to become Second Wife to Amir, because Medusimia, Queen and First Wife, has yet to produce an heir. Medusimia is irate at this "competition," so she conspires with Vulmire, a man-beast who lives in a deep cave, to make sure that Yasamin has an "accident."
A freak storm sinks the three-ship convoy taking Yasamin to Dragonval, killing everyone except her, Arash, a prince from another kingdom, and Goliagoth, the head of the military escort from Dragonval. After several weeks without rescue (the sailing route was known, so they shouldn't have been that hard to find), the three start walking. During a battle with skeleton warriors, Yasamin meets Mosesra, a man who totally changes her outlook on life. He tells her that a major battle between good and evil is coming, and she is the focus. Many demons are waiting for her in Dragonval, so she needs to watch her back at all times.
She makes it to the castle, and marries Amir. Medusimia is able to convince Amir that she was unfaithful, many times, with Arash and Goliagoth, and Yasamin is thrown in prison. Amir may be King of Dragonval, but he is not the person in charge. Many years earlier, Serpata, who is Yasamin's grandfather, made a deal with the devil for power. Now, he is kept in chains in a darkened dungeon cell, but Serpata still has plenty of power. The three escape the castle, but Yasamin goes back, in an attempt to turn Amir away from the "dark side."
This one is very good. It has more of an Eastern than European feel, the characters are well done, and the authors have left room for a sequel. This is well worth the reader's time.</p>
This fantasy story is about Queen Yasamin of Gwendomere, who agrees to marry King Amir of Dragonval in order to save her kingdom. She is to become Second Wife to Amir, because Medusimia, Queen and First Wife, has yet to produce an heir. Medusimia is irate at this "competition," so she conspires with Vulmire, a man-beast who lives in a deep cave, to make sure that Yasamin has an "accident."
A freak storm sinks the three-ship convoy taking Yasamin to Dragonval, killing everyone except her, Arash, a prince from another kingdom, and Goliagoth, the head of the military escort from Dragonval. After several weeks without rescue (the sailing route was known, so they shouldn't have been that hard to find), the three start walking. During a battle with skeleton warriors, Yasamin meets Mosesra, a man who totally changes her outlook on life. He tells her that a major battle between good and evil is coming, and she is the focus. Many demons are waiting for her in Dragonval, so she needs to watch her back at all times.
She makes it to the castle, and marries Amir. Medusimia is able to convince Amir that she was unfaithful, many times, with Arash and Goliagoth, and Yasamin is thrown in prison. Amir may be King of Dragonval, but he is not the person in charge. Many years earlier, Serpata, who is Yasamin's grandfather, made a deal with the devil for power. Now, he is kept in chains in a darkened dungeon cell, but Serpata still has plenty of power. The three escape the castle, but Yasamin goes back, in an attempt to turn Amir away from the "dark side."
This one is very good. It has more of an Eastern than European feel, the characters are well done, and the authors have left room for a sequel. This is well worth the reader's time.</p>
The Conrad Chronicles: Revolt
The Conrad Chronicles: Revolt, Heather Hobson, PublishAmerica, 2000
For the past couple of hundred planetary cycles, a group of humans living on the planet Aleron have been building a peaceful, thriving society. But the elders have been hiding a big secret. They were exiled from the planet Karna, their actual home, for using their Conrad (telepathy and telekinesis) abilities.
Xavier, a hothead who wants to be the next Conrad leader, convinces a group of young people to join him on a mission to Karna, to ask for permission to return, and if that doesn't work, to exact some retribution.
Xavier rules by fear and intimidation. The basic rules are: do what Xavier says, or die. The people of Karna live in isolated clans, so killing them is easy. Meantime, back on Aleron, a group of older Conrads, followers of the Light, decide to go after Xavier's group, to bring them back home. They help rebuild the villages of Karna that were destroyed. Along the way, after the first attack, Xavier's group stops on another planet to build more ships. Xavier finds a race of small, red, scaly animals on the planet. Through genetic manipulation and more mental powers, they are changed into a race of large, red, scaly warriors whose only purpose is to follow Xavier. He sends a plague back to Aleron, unknowingly carried by Thera, his soul mate, that kills all the other Conrads, except Bruner, the leader. Those who are trying to stop Xavier see his "handiwork," up close and personal, and are devastated. Killing another being, especially hundreds of the small, red creatures is totally against Conrad teaching.
This book belongs in that large gray area of Pretty Good or Worth Reading. It is an interesting story, perhaps a little on the "quiet" side and with room for a sequel. Overall, the reader will not be disappointed.
For the past couple of hundred planetary cycles, a group of humans living on the planet Aleron have been building a peaceful, thriving society. But the elders have been hiding a big secret. They were exiled from the planet Karna, their actual home, for using their Conrad (telepathy and telekinesis) abilities.
Xavier, a hothead who wants to be the next Conrad leader, convinces a group of young people to join him on a mission to Karna, to ask for permission to return, and if that doesn't work, to exact some retribution.
Xavier rules by fear and intimidation. The basic rules are: do what Xavier says, or die. The people of Karna live in isolated clans, so killing them is easy. Meantime, back on Aleron, a group of older Conrads, followers of the Light, decide to go after Xavier's group, to bring them back home. They help rebuild the villages of Karna that were destroyed. Along the way, after the first attack, Xavier's group stops on another planet to build more ships. Xavier finds a race of small, red, scaly animals on the planet. Through genetic manipulation and more mental powers, they are changed into a race of large, red, scaly warriors whose only purpose is to follow Xavier. He sends a plague back to Aleron, unknowingly carried by Thera, his soul mate, that kills all the other Conrads, except Bruner, the leader. Those who are trying to stop Xavier see his "handiwork," up close and personal, and are devastated. Killing another being, especially hundreds of the small, red creatures is totally against Conrad teaching.
This book belongs in that large gray area of Pretty Good or Worth Reading. It is an interesting story, perhaps a little on the "quiet" side and with room for a sequel. Overall, the reader will not be disappointed.
Eve
Eve, Aurelio O'Brien, AuthorHouse, 2004
Govil is a man born in the wrong century. In the tradition of all great 19th Century heroes, he needs a great cause, so he creates for himself a living mate named Eve. But that's easy for Govil to do.
Earth of the 31st Century is a very strange sort of place. There are no births or deaths; everyone is immortal. Everyone is sterile, because things like sex and families have been outlawed; so have war, disease and famine. All of mankind's needs are taken care of by Genie Corp (the only corporation on Earth), makers of biological Creature Comforts. Among their creations are JohnDeer, a multi-headed deer used as a lawn mower, an AlarmCock, the head of a rooster with little feet and HeavenScent, a skunk that sprays air freshener. Therefore, it is nothing for Govil to create a deliberately average human. The hard part is keeping it quiet.
Eve's education is left in the hands of an obsolete robot named Pentser, the narrator of this book. Years later, after Eve is able to function on her own, she is told the truth about her origins. By this time, Govil has fallen for her. The not-very-diligent investigation finally learns the truth, and the three are hauled into court. While Eve is sentenced to be recycled, it is revealed that Govil is not the only one with a secret "relationship."
This one is pretty good. It's a good future social speculation mixed with a 19th Century romance and includes some very weird bits of genetic engineering. Get past the strange front cover, and this one is worth reading.
Govil is a man born in the wrong century. In the tradition of all great 19th Century heroes, he needs a great cause, so he creates for himself a living mate named Eve. But that's easy for Govil to do.
Earth of the 31st Century is a very strange sort of place. There are no births or deaths; everyone is immortal. Everyone is sterile, because things like sex and families have been outlawed; so have war, disease and famine. All of mankind's needs are taken care of by Genie Corp (the only corporation on Earth), makers of biological Creature Comforts. Among their creations are JohnDeer, a multi-headed deer used as a lawn mower, an AlarmCock, the head of a rooster with little feet and HeavenScent, a skunk that sprays air freshener. Therefore, it is nothing for Govil to create a deliberately average human. The hard part is keeping it quiet.
Eve's education is left in the hands of an obsolete robot named Pentser, the narrator of this book. Years later, after Eve is able to function on her own, she is told the truth about her origins. By this time, Govil has fallen for her. The not-very-diligent investigation finally learns the truth, and the three are hauled into court. While Eve is sentenced to be recycled, it is revealed that Govil is not the only one with a secret "relationship."
This one is pretty good. It's a good future social speculation mixed with a 19th Century romance and includes some very weird bits of genetic engineering. Get past the strange front cover, and this one is worth reading.
Even the Stones
Even the Stones, Marie Jakober, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, 2004
This historical fantasy is about an ancient land, and its young queen's fight for her crown, her freedom and the man she loves.
Several years previously, Marwen of Kamilan was kidnapped and forced into a marriage with a heartless lord from the neighboring kingdom of Dravia. With the help of Keri, a warrior/minstrel who is part of a caravan passing through Dravia, Marwen escapes. After several weeks walking through forbidding terrain, they arrive back in Kamilan.
Soon after the celebrating stops, the Kamilan Council brings up the subject of Marwen, who is barely 20 years old, marrying and producing an heir to the throne. An unmarried, childless queen is not acceptable, so Marwen reluctantly marries Landis, one of Kamilan's nobles. It's purely a political marriage, until Marwen produces an heir, when the two go their separate ways.
Meantime, Marwen resurrects the ancient, and long-suppressed, religion of the hill queens, leaving the Council aghast. It gets worse when Dravia sends a military probe into Kamilan. Shadrak is a slaveborn commander of an outpost who has been given permission to train a company of men his way. He has also won Marwen's heart. Shadrak defeats the Dravian attack, but according to the Council, he didn't do it honorably. Shadrak used hit and run, guerrilla tactics which greatly limited the casualties among his men. According to the Council, honorable combat means two armies clashing in an open field, swords and lances flying.
Marwen and Shadrak have several late night liaisons, which brings the Council to near-mutiny. The possibility of a half-breed ruling Kamilan is almost too much to bear. But Marwen is not alone. She has Keri, and she has Medwina, priestess of the goddess Jana, and those of her people who keep the old religion.
The proverbial final straw comes when Dravia sends a full-fledged invasion force. There are many casualties on the Kamilan side, but ultimately, with some sorcery help, Shadrak and Kamilan are victorious. Marwen only wants the Dravia forces out of Kamilan, but the Council is shocked that she doesn't conquer Dravia. They only see the possibility of more riches and power for themselves, they don't see that Kamilan would have to go on a permanent war footing. Feeling that Shadrak has somehow bewitched Marwen, a plan is hatched to get rid of Shadrak, permanently.
This is a first-rate piece of writing. It's more a story of gender roles, and the cost of changing them, than a sword and sorcery story. The author does a fine job with the characters, and this is very much worth reading.
This historical fantasy is about an ancient land, and its young queen's fight for her crown, her freedom and the man she loves.
Several years previously, Marwen of Kamilan was kidnapped and forced into a marriage with a heartless lord from the neighboring kingdom of Dravia. With the help of Keri, a warrior/minstrel who is part of a caravan passing through Dravia, Marwen escapes. After several weeks walking through forbidding terrain, they arrive back in Kamilan.
Soon after the celebrating stops, the Kamilan Council brings up the subject of Marwen, who is barely 20 years old, marrying and producing an heir to the throne. An unmarried, childless queen is not acceptable, so Marwen reluctantly marries Landis, one of Kamilan's nobles. It's purely a political marriage, until Marwen produces an heir, when the two go their separate ways.
Meantime, Marwen resurrects the ancient, and long-suppressed, religion of the hill queens, leaving the Council aghast. It gets worse when Dravia sends a military probe into Kamilan. Shadrak is a slaveborn commander of an outpost who has been given permission to train a company of men his way. He has also won Marwen's heart. Shadrak defeats the Dravian attack, but according to the Council, he didn't do it honorably. Shadrak used hit and run, guerrilla tactics which greatly limited the casualties among his men. According to the Council, honorable combat means two armies clashing in an open field, swords and lances flying.
Marwen and Shadrak have several late night liaisons, which brings the Council to near-mutiny. The possibility of a half-breed ruling Kamilan is almost too much to bear. But Marwen is not alone. She has Keri, and she has Medwina, priestess of the goddess Jana, and those of her people who keep the old religion.
The proverbial final straw comes when Dravia sends a full-fledged invasion force. There are many casualties on the Kamilan side, but ultimately, with some sorcery help, Shadrak and Kamilan are victorious. Marwen only wants the Dravia forces out of Kamilan, but the Council is shocked that she doesn't conquer Dravia. They only see the possibility of more riches and power for themselves, they don't see that Kamilan would have to go on a permanent war footing. Feeling that Shadrak has somehow bewitched Marwen, a plan is hatched to get rid of Shadrak, permanently.
This is a first-rate piece of writing. It's more a story of gender roles, and the cost of changing them, than a sword and sorcery story. The author does a fine job with the characters, and this is very much worth reading.
The Burning House
The Burning House, H. David Blalock, Booklocker.com, 2003
This is part two of a six-part fantasy series about Andalarn Thran, Jarl (leader) of House Thran, one of several Houses on the island of Adylonis. For several centuries, no House has had the power to become Ascendant (to become "Crown Prince" of Adylonis, under the Emperor on the mainland). Therefore, the choice of Andalarn Thran, by the Council at Moorkai, to become Ascendant, is guaranteed to upset a lot of people. Foremost among these is House Suum, a military House who would like nothing more than to wipe House Thran off the map.
With Andalarn's promotion, he must move to Moorkai and hand over House Thran to Daepar, his son. Daepar knew this day would come, but he still dreads the responsibility. House Suum is on the move, and Daepar is reluctant to send troops, against the advice of his advisors. His wife's father, a member of the Council at Moorkai, is assassinated, and she demands revenge. Daepar meets, and is smitten with, the daughter of another House, and they enter into a political marriage, while he is still married (legal, but unorthodox). Andalarn and his wife are very overdue at Moorkai; the first thought is that they have been captured by House Suum. Daepar takes several men, and goes to search for them, also against his advisor's wishes. Andalarn is found, and when he hears about how bad things have gotten at House Thran, he removes Daepar as Jarl, and appoints Lady Mara, Daepar's wife, as regent until their young son comes of age. This is undone by the Emperor. Finally, Daepar realizes that, on several different levels, he has messed up, big time.
This is another strong, well done piece of writing. It has good characters, it's just weird enough to be interesting and fantasy fans will love it.
This is part two of a six-part fantasy series about Andalarn Thran, Jarl (leader) of House Thran, one of several Houses on the island of Adylonis. For several centuries, no House has had the power to become Ascendant (to become "Crown Prince" of Adylonis, under the Emperor on the mainland). Therefore, the choice of Andalarn Thran, by the Council at Moorkai, to become Ascendant, is guaranteed to upset a lot of people. Foremost among these is House Suum, a military House who would like nothing more than to wipe House Thran off the map.
With Andalarn's promotion, he must move to Moorkai and hand over House Thran to Daepar, his son. Daepar knew this day would come, but he still dreads the responsibility. House Suum is on the move, and Daepar is reluctant to send troops, against the advice of his advisors. His wife's father, a member of the Council at Moorkai, is assassinated, and she demands revenge. Daepar meets, and is smitten with, the daughter of another House, and they enter into a political marriage, while he is still married (legal, but unorthodox). Andalarn and his wife are very overdue at Moorkai; the first thought is that they have been captured by House Suum. Daepar takes several men, and goes to search for them, also against his advisor's wishes. Andalarn is found, and when he hears about how bad things have gotten at House Thran, he removes Daepar as Jarl, and appoints Lady Mara, Daepar's wife, as regent until their young son comes of age. This is undone by the Emperor. Finally, Daepar realizes that, on several different levels, he has messed up, big time.
This is another strong, well done piece of writing. It has good characters, it's just weird enough to be interesting and fantasy fans will love it.
God Drug
God Drug, Stephen L. Antczak, Marietta Publishing, 2004
Tom and Sparrow, his lover, are part of the punk music scene in present-day Gainesville, Florida. Sparrow is part of a band that has a gig at Dave-O's, the local punk music club. Earlier that day, they score some LSD, that was not meant for them, from Galactic Bill, the local drug source.
Meantime, near Atlanta, Georgia, a young woman named Hanna wakes up in a suburban house next to a fat, hairy guy. She has no memory of who she is or how she got there, except for flashbacks of having served in the Vietnam War, even though she is nowhere near old enough to have served. Hanna gets in a car and heads south, not knowing where she is going. Along the way, she meets The General, an older man in uniform who certainly remembers Hanna.
When they reach Gainesville, Hanna realizes that The General is some sort of alien whose task is to absorb certain people, and thereby become part of Jovah. She realizes this after seeing The General swallow Galactic Bill whole, like a snake eating a rat. Back at the punk club, the LSD begins to have an effect, and suddenly, everyone at the club is flying, as long as the music keeps playing. When a malfunctioning amp stops the music, gravity takes over, violently. While in the air, Tom, Sparrow and their friends watch as a giant mechanical dragon lays waste to Gainesville, like a modern-day Godzilla movie. They can't help but think that this is the ultimate drug trip, but this is reality (that's the magic word). They meet Hanna and The General, who must absorb Hanna to become "whole."
This book does a fine job at messing with conceptions of reality. One can almost hear the punk music in the background. This one is really strange and really good.
Tom and Sparrow, his lover, are part of the punk music scene in present-day Gainesville, Florida. Sparrow is part of a band that has a gig at Dave-O's, the local punk music club. Earlier that day, they score some LSD, that was not meant for them, from Galactic Bill, the local drug source.
Meantime, near Atlanta, Georgia, a young woman named Hanna wakes up in a suburban house next to a fat, hairy guy. She has no memory of who she is or how she got there, except for flashbacks of having served in the Vietnam War, even though she is nowhere near old enough to have served. Hanna gets in a car and heads south, not knowing where she is going. Along the way, she meets The General, an older man in uniform who certainly remembers Hanna.
When they reach Gainesville, Hanna realizes that The General is some sort of alien whose task is to absorb certain people, and thereby become part of Jovah. She realizes this after seeing The General swallow Galactic Bill whole, like a snake eating a rat. Back at the punk club, the LSD begins to have an effect, and suddenly, everyone at the club is flying, as long as the music keeps playing. When a malfunctioning amp stops the music, gravity takes over, violently. While in the air, Tom, Sparrow and their friends watch as a giant mechanical dragon lays waste to Gainesville, like a modern-day Godzilla movie. They can't help but think that this is the ultimate drug trip, but this is reality (that's the magic word). They meet Hanna and The General, who must absorb Hanna to become "whole."
This book does a fine job at messing with conceptions of reality. One can almost hear the punk music in the background. This one is really strange and really good.
Revelation Space Trilogy
Revelation Space Trilogy (Revelation Space, Chasm City, Absolution Gap), Alastair Reynolds, Ace Books
Set several hundred years from now, the first book, Revelation Space, is about an archaeologist named Dan Silvestre. He is convinced that the destruction of a spacefaring race called the Amarantin on a backwater planet called Resurgam a millennia ago should be of utmost importance to humanity. It has to do with the reason that mankind, as of yet, has found a lot fewer live spacefaring civilizations, and therefore, more dead civilizations, than predicted by the mathematical models. It also involves an artificial planet orbiting a neutron star, which really isn't a neutron star, in Resurgam's solar system.
The second book, Chasm City, is about Tanner Mirabel, an ex-soldier who is chasing a man named Argent Reivich for a bit of promised revenge. Chasm City is a domed city built around a gas-spewing chasm on an otherwise inhospitable planet. Several years previously, the city was hit by the Melding Plague. Affecting nanomachines, which are everywhere (in buildings and people), it caused them to react and change in all sorts of strange and unpredictable ways. At random moments, Mirabel has very detailed visions, due to a designer virus, about a man named Sky Haussmann, an important part of a mission to colonize that system several hundred years previously. Depending on who one believes, Haussmann deserved the religion that has grown up around him since then, or he deserved his death by crucifixion.
Absolution Gap, the third book, is about the Inhibitors, self-replicating machinery whose purpose is to destroy all civilizations reaching a certain level of sentience. The Inhibitors have come to a backwater planet called Ararat, where a man named Clavain, and a genetically modified pig named Scorpio have led a ragtag group of refugees. Also, on an ice-covered moon called Hela, a man has created an entire religion, including mobile cathedrals, around the tendency of its gas-giant parent planet (which isn't really a planet), to occasionally disappear.
Separately, these books are excellent. Collectively, they constitute a wonderful piece of writing. Not only is this series full of first-rate storytelling and character development, there is also plenty of mind-blowing space opera. It is hard to believe that Revelation Space, the first of this trilogy, is the author's first published novel, it's that good. This is very much worth reading.
Set several hundred years from now, the first book, Revelation Space, is about an archaeologist named Dan Silvestre. He is convinced that the destruction of a spacefaring race called the Amarantin on a backwater planet called Resurgam a millennia ago should be of utmost importance to humanity. It has to do with the reason that mankind, as of yet, has found a lot fewer live spacefaring civilizations, and therefore, more dead civilizations, than predicted by the mathematical models. It also involves an artificial planet orbiting a neutron star, which really isn't a neutron star, in Resurgam's solar system.
The second book, Chasm City, is about Tanner Mirabel, an ex-soldier who is chasing a man named Argent Reivich for a bit of promised revenge. Chasm City is a domed city built around a gas-spewing chasm on an otherwise inhospitable planet. Several years previously, the city was hit by the Melding Plague. Affecting nanomachines, which are everywhere (in buildings and people), it caused them to react and change in all sorts of strange and unpredictable ways. At random moments, Mirabel has very detailed visions, due to a designer virus, about a man named Sky Haussmann, an important part of a mission to colonize that system several hundred years previously. Depending on who one believes, Haussmann deserved the religion that has grown up around him since then, or he deserved his death by crucifixion.
Absolution Gap, the third book, is about the Inhibitors, self-replicating machinery whose purpose is to destroy all civilizations reaching a certain level of sentience. The Inhibitors have come to a backwater planet called Ararat, where a man named Clavain, and a genetically modified pig named Scorpio have led a ragtag group of refugees. Also, on an ice-covered moon called Hela, a man has created an entire religion, including mobile cathedrals, around the tendency of its gas-giant parent planet (which isn't really a planet), to occasionally disappear.
Separately, these books are excellent. Collectively, they constitute a wonderful piece of writing. Not only is this series full of first-rate storytelling and character development, there is also plenty of mind-blowing space opera. It is hard to believe that Revelation Space, the first of this trilogy, is the author's first published novel, it's that good. This is very much worth reading.
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered
Harkening: A Collection of Stories Remembered, Carolyn Howard-Johnson, PublishAmerica, 2002
This is a group of stories about family, and the occasional strangeness that goes along with it. A sequel to her novel "This is The Place", about growing up Mormon in Utah, these stories are part recollections by older members of the family, and part things that actually happened to the author when she was younger.
During a drive in the country with her parents, the author got to watch an old-fashioned cow milking, up close and personal. Another story took place during the Depression, when any scrap of cloth was saved to be made into some piece of clothing. There are stories about this grandmother or that aunt, moving to Utah as a young woman. Included are tales of family secrets passed from one generation to the next.
Every family has stories like these. I enjoyed reading this book. The stories are very easy to read, touching, poignant and humorous. If this book gets the reader to start thinking about their own family history, it will have succeeded. This is well worth reading.
This is a group of stories about family, and the occasional strangeness that goes along with it. A sequel to her novel "This is The Place", about growing up Mormon in Utah, these stories are part recollections by older members of the family, and part things that actually happened to the author when she was younger.
During a drive in the country with her parents, the author got to watch an old-fashioned cow milking, up close and personal. Another story took place during the Depression, when any scrap of cloth was saved to be made into some piece of clothing. There are stories about this grandmother or that aunt, moving to Utah as a young woman. Included are tales of family secrets passed from one generation to the next.
Every family has stories like these. I enjoyed reading this book. The stories are very easy to read, touching, poignant and humorous. If this book gets the reader to start thinking about their own family history, it will have succeeded. This is well worth reading.
The Warm Wind of Palestine
The Warm Wind of Palestine, Scott S. Crye, Athena Press, 2004
Jenna Haabeb is a strong-willed young woman living in the middle American town of Springfield. She is a highly respected doctor and medical researcher working at the local hospital. However, she is also a Palestinian in post-9/11 America, a place of hostility and suspicion toward an unknown part of the world.
She has made many friends, including the Larsens; Catherine works in the same department at the hospital, while Jack is retired and independently wealthy. They begin to fill the void in Jenna's life left by the death of her family due to a "mistaken" bombing by the Israeli army.
Jenna is a devout Christian who attends daily Mass, and still dresses modestly, including wearing a headscarf at all times. There are occasional get-togethers of all the women in Jenna and Catherine's department at the Larsen's pool, in which Jenna is encouraged to "let her hair down." An old friend of Jenna's from way back, a Frenchman named Paul, comes to visit, and Jenna turns into a giddy schoolgirl. He invites Jenna and the Larsens on a month-long trip to France.
These bonds are severely tested when Jenna is badly injured in an auto accident. A man running from the police hits her car head on at a high rate of speed. Jack stays at her bedside for several days, feeling that someone should be there when Jenna wakes up.
This is a pretty "quiet" novel about American cultural misperceptions. It is possible for a cultural reconciliation amidst fear and ignorance about the unknown. It's an easy read that is very much worth the reader's time. Check it out.
Jenna Haabeb is a strong-willed young woman living in the middle American town of Springfield. She is a highly respected doctor and medical researcher working at the local hospital. However, she is also a Palestinian in post-9/11 America, a place of hostility and suspicion toward an unknown part of the world.
She has made many friends, including the Larsens; Catherine works in the same department at the hospital, while Jack is retired and independently wealthy. They begin to fill the void in Jenna's life left by the death of her family due to a "mistaken" bombing by the Israeli army.
Jenna is a devout Christian who attends daily Mass, and still dresses modestly, including wearing a headscarf at all times. There are occasional get-togethers of all the women in Jenna and Catherine's department at the Larsen's pool, in which Jenna is encouraged to "let her hair down." An old friend of Jenna's from way back, a Frenchman named Paul, comes to visit, and Jenna turns into a giddy schoolgirl. He invites Jenna and the Larsens on a month-long trip to France.
These bonds are severely tested when Jenna is badly injured in an auto accident. A man running from the police hits her car head on at a high rate of speed. Jack stays at her bedside for several days, feeling that someone should be there when Jenna wakes up.
This is a pretty "quiet" novel about American cultural misperceptions. It is possible for a cultural reconciliation amidst fear and ignorance about the unknown. It's an easy read that is very much worth the reader's time. Check it out.
Capitalist Punishment: Prison Privatization and Human Rights
Capitalist Punishment: Prison Privatization and Human Rights, Andrew Coyle et al (ed.), Clarity Press, 2003
Prison privatization has become a major public policy issue over the last few years, in America and around the world. Advocates say that private corporations can run prisons better and cheaper than the state. According to the contributors to this book, the promise is much greater than the reality.
Prison corporations cut costs as much as possible, affecting things like education and rehabilitation programs for prisoners, staff salaries and training, which leads to a high yearly turnover of guards. An obstacle to greater privatization of prisons has been the power of prison guard unions. The cost savings don't go to the local government, but to the corporate office, where executives draw huge salaries. On more than one occasion, the state has had to take back control of a prison from a corporation, because of deaths in custody, or violations of prisoners' human rights, including those of juveniles.
Blacks and Native Americans are in prison in numbers far higher than their proportion of the general population, because prison is a method of social control more than a way to make the streets safer. Private prisons make little or no attempt to incorporate native traditions, like sweat lodges, into the rehabilitation process. Putting prisons far away from cities, or shipping prisoners to other states, disrupts the family structure back home, leading to more children growing up without one or both parents. Women, and people with diagnosed medical conditions, also do not get their needs taken into account by private prisons.
This is an excellent book. The writing gets rather dry and academic, so it will take some work on the part of the general reader; by all means, stay with it. It is well worth reading, for those involved with prisons and for the general public.
Prison privatization has become a major public policy issue over the last few years, in America and around the world. Advocates say that private corporations can run prisons better and cheaper than the state. According to the contributors to this book, the promise is much greater than the reality.
Prison corporations cut costs as much as possible, affecting things like education and rehabilitation programs for prisoners, staff salaries and training, which leads to a high yearly turnover of guards. An obstacle to greater privatization of prisons has been the power of prison guard unions. The cost savings don't go to the local government, but to the corporate office, where executives draw huge salaries. On more than one occasion, the state has had to take back control of a prison from a corporation, because of deaths in custody, or violations of prisoners' human rights, including those of juveniles.
Blacks and Native Americans are in prison in numbers far higher than their proportion of the general population, because prison is a method of social control more than a way to make the streets safer. Private prisons make little or no attempt to incorporate native traditions, like sweat lodges, into the rehabilitation process. Putting prisons far away from cities, or shipping prisoners to other states, disrupts the family structure back home, leading to more children growing up without one or both parents. Women, and people with diagnosed medical conditions, also do not get their needs taken into account by private prisons.
This is an excellent book. The writing gets rather dry and academic, so it will take some work on the part of the general reader; by all means, stay with it. It is well worth reading, for those involved with prisons and for the general public.
Man of Two Worlds: My Life in Science Fiction and Comics
Man of Two Worlds: My Life in Science Fiction and Comics, Julius Schwartz and Brian M. Thomsen, HarperEntertainment, 2000
This is the autobiography of a man who has left an indelible mark on the fields of science fiction fandom and comic books. He was one of the first science fiction fans; later, at DC Comics, he created most of the comic book mythology now taken for granted.
In the 1920s and 1930s, already a very avid reader of science fiction pulp magazines (the only source for science fiction at that time), Schwartz went into business as the first SF literary agent. Knowing most of the pulp editors personally, he would help them fill holes in their publications by submitting stories sent to him by authors from around the country. He would then turn around, and send the payment checks to the authors. His client list was a Who's Who of early SF/fantasy authors, including H.P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury and Robert Bloch. During World War II, many pulps went out of business, due to wartime paper shortages, so Schwartz was encouraged to move into the field of comic books.
At DC Comics, Schwartz was involved in revitalizing nearly all of their superheroes, starting with Batman and Superman. A large number of characters came to life in the pages of DC Comics, along with seemingly every possible combination of characters. Some were more successful than others. Schwartz was one of those most responsible for what has been called the Silver Age of comics. He would also work with some of the most influential talents in the comics world, including Bob Kane, Neal Adams and Alan Moore.
Fans of comic books or science fiction will love this book. It does a fine job at showing the reader the inside of both fields. It is a very quick read that ended too quickly. This gets two thumbs up.
This is the autobiography of a man who has left an indelible mark on the fields of science fiction fandom and comic books. He was one of the first science fiction fans; later, at DC Comics, he created most of the comic book mythology now taken for granted.
In the 1920s and 1930s, already a very avid reader of science fiction pulp magazines (the only source for science fiction at that time), Schwartz went into business as the first SF literary agent. Knowing most of the pulp editors personally, he would help them fill holes in their publications by submitting stories sent to him by authors from around the country. He would then turn around, and send the payment checks to the authors. His client list was a Who's Who of early SF/fantasy authors, including H.P. Lovecraft, Ray Bradbury and Robert Bloch. During World War II, many pulps went out of business, due to wartime paper shortages, so Schwartz was encouraged to move into the field of comic books.
At DC Comics, Schwartz was involved in revitalizing nearly all of their superheroes, starting with Batman and Superman. A large number of characters came to life in the pages of DC Comics, along with seemingly every possible combination of characters. Some were more successful than others. Schwartz was one of those most responsible for what has been called the Silver Age of comics. He would also work with some of the most influential talents in the comics world, including Bob Kane, Neal Adams and Alan Moore.
Fans of comic books or science fiction will love this book. It does a fine job at showing the reader the inside of both fields. It is a very quick read that ended too quickly. This gets two thumbs up.
Being Frank: My Time With Frank Zappa
Being Frank: My Time With Frank Zappa, Nigey Lennon, California Classics Books, 2003
Lennon was your average rebellious teenager in 1960s California, until she discovered a strange looking album by someone named Frank Zappa at the local record store. She bought everything she could find by him, and wore out the albums due to playing them over and over. A budding songwriter, she and her boyfriend recorded several songs on reel-to-reel tape and sent them to Zappa.
Months went by, until the phone call came asking if they could stop by at the offices of Zappa's record label. That would be enough for most people, but to realize that Zappa actually listened to the tape was overwhelming. His general opinion was that she didn't stink, but that she wasn't ready yet. One thing led to another, and a trip to the Zappa residence led to an invitation to be a substitute guitarist on his next tour.
On tour, Zappa rarely, if ever, indulged in the alcohol and drugs that are part of any tour, if only to keep that boss/employee distance. He was obsessive/compulsive and a perfectionist who, because of constant stomach problems, drank kaopectate by the gallon. Lennon's time on the tour was rather short, only a couple of months. Zappa sent her home after word got to Mrs. Zappa that their relationship wasn't exactly platonic.
Time went by, and after Lennon got thrown out of the house (the relationship with her parents was not good), she was able to crash in the basement of the Zappa residence, on the understanding that she not disturb him while he was composing. He had been seriously injured at a concert in England, and, physically and emotionally, things had changed. The arrangement lasted for a while, until Zappa went back on tour.
More time went by, and Lennon attempted to continue her music studies at a local college. She again ran into Zappa while he was rehearsing a grand, orchestral piece called The Great Wazoo. She tried to be as helpful as possible, while also learning as much as possible. Zappa seemed to tolerate her, more than he actually wanted her around. The relationship between them ends badly.
Zappa fans should read this book. He is shown to be a lot more than just someone with strange ideas about music. For rock music fans in general, this is a gem of a book.
Lennon was your average rebellious teenager in 1960s California, until she discovered a strange looking album by someone named Frank Zappa at the local record store. She bought everything she could find by him, and wore out the albums due to playing them over and over. A budding songwriter, she and her boyfriend recorded several songs on reel-to-reel tape and sent them to Zappa.
Months went by, until the phone call came asking if they could stop by at the offices of Zappa's record label. That would be enough for most people, but to realize that Zappa actually listened to the tape was overwhelming. His general opinion was that she didn't stink, but that she wasn't ready yet. One thing led to another, and a trip to the Zappa residence led to an invitation to be a substitute guitarist on his next tour.
On tour, Zappa rarely, if ever, indulged in the alcohol and drugs that are part of any tour, if only to keep that boss/employee distance. He was obsessive/compulsive and a perfectionist who, because of constant stomach problems, drank kaopectate by the gallon. Lennon's time on the tour was rather short, only a couple of months. Zappa sent her home after word got to Mrs. Zappa that their relationship wasn't exactly platonic.
Time went by, and after Lennon got thrown out of the house (the relationship with her parents was not good), she was able to crash in the basement of the Zappa residence, on the understanding that she not disturb him while he was composing. He had been seriously injured at a concert in England, and, physically and emotionally, things had changed. The arrangement lasted for a while, until Zappa went back on tour.
More time went by, and Lennon attempted to continue her music studies at a local college. She again ran into Zappa while he was rehearsing a grand, orchestral piece called The Great Wazoo. She tried to be as helpful as possible, while also learning as much as possible. Zappa seemed to tolerate her, more than he actually wanted her around. The relationship between them ends badly.
Zappa fans should read this book. He is shown to be a lot more than just someone with strange ideas about music. For rock music fans in general, this is a gem of a book.
Frustrated Young Men
Frustrated Young Men, John O'Brien, Pulplit Publishing, 2003
This is a first book from a recent Harvard graduate. These stories deal with real-life subjects, like depression, love and loneliness. One story looks at parts of growing up and being a teenager about which society has a tendency to forget. Another story is about a man who carries on a friendship/relationship with a young woman with bulimia, to the displeasure of his live-in girlfriend. A third story is about a young writer searching for himself. In short, each of these characters runs smack into this thing called "life." These stories look at how they deal with it.
This very short book belongs in that large gray area of Pretty Good or Worth Reading. There is nothing "wrong" with these stories, and the writer has lots of potential (I would be interested in reading his next book), but this book almost reaches the level of Recommended.
This is a first book from a recent Harvard graduate. These stories deal with real-life subjects, like depression, love and loneliness. One story looks at parts of growing up and being a teenager about which society has a tendency to forget. Another story is about a man who carries on a friendship/relationship with a young woman with bulimia, to the displeasure of his live-in girlfriend. A third story is about a young writer searching for himself. In short, each of these characters runs smack into this thing called "life." These stories look at how they deal with it.
This very short book belongs in that large gray area of Pretty Good or Worth Reading. There is nothing "wrong" with these stories, and the writer has lots of potential (I would be interested in reading his next book), but this book almost reaches the level of Recommended.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Raising a Reader: A Mother's Tale of Desperation and Delight
Raising a Reader: A Mother's Tale of Desperation and Delight, Jennie Nash, St. Martin's Press, 2003
Teaching a child to read, and getting that child to like reading, can be one of the most frustrating, and heartwarming, jobs for any parent. This book looks at one family's journey through such a process.
One of a parent's biggest wishes for their child is that they find something about which they are passionate, something on which they can build a life. For the parent, there is a fine line between passion and obsession, a line that is easy to cross.
It's hard to instill a love of books if the children don't have access to them. Regularly bring them to the local library, and let them take out a lot of books. If Child 2 doesn't progress in reading at the same rate as did Child 1, don't panic. Everyone progresses at their own speed.
Another way to instill a love of books is to set aside a reading period during the day. While the child reads a book, the parent should sit and read an adult book. The child will probably enter a phase in which they are interested in what the parent considers the children's literature equivalent of trash. Again, don't panic; they'll grow out of it.
Have faith in your child, especially if they are progressing too "slowly." Encouragement that the pieces will eventually fall into place is better than pushing. Realize that your children are individuals with different styles of reading.
Also included is a long list of reading suggestions for children of all ages. This book is a gem. It's very down to earth, and any parent can identify with it. For those parents worried that their child isn't reading "fast enough," take a deep breath, then read this book. It's time very well spent.
Teaching a child to read, and getting that child to like reading, can be one of the most frustrating, and heartwarming, jobs for any parent. This book looks at one family's journey through such a process.
One of a parent's biggest wishes for their child is that they find something about which they are passionate, something on which they can build a life. For the parent, there is a fine line between passion and obsession, a line that is easy to cross.
It's hard to instill a love of books if the children don't have access to them. Regularly bring them to the local library, and let them take out a lot of books. If Child 2 doesn't progress in reading at the same rate as did Child 1, don't panic. Everyone progresses at their own speed.
Another way to instill a love of books is to set aside a reading period during the day. While the child reads a book, the parent should sit and read an adult book. The child will probably enter a phase in which they are interested in what the parent considers the children's literature equivalent of trash. Again, don't panic; they'll grow out of it.
Have faith in your child, especially if they are progressing too "slowly." Encouragement that the pieces will eventually fall into place is better than pushing. Realize that your children are individuals with different styles of reading.
Also included is a long list of reading suggestions for children of all ages. This book is a gem. It's very down to earth, and any parent can identify with it. For those parents worried that their child isn't reading "fast enough," take a deep breath, then read this book. It's time very well spent.
The Muse and the Mechanism
The Muse and the Mechanism, Josh Davis, Pretend Genius Press, 2004
This is the story of Charlie Fell, a twentysomething writer living in the small town of Alton. It's a rather grubby sort of life, watching his friends smoke, drink and use various other illicit substances. James, one of Charlie's housemates, is a fall-down drunk who imprints the outline of his body in Charlie's ceiling because of one of his falls. Charlie finds himself less and less interested in Lola, another housemate, and wonders how to make a reasonably painless break with her.
Charlie's mother and stepfather go on a week-long vacation and ask Charlie to housesit. Naturally, the house becomes the site of a week-long party, populated by an ever-changing group of friends and friends of friends. Throughout much of the story, Charlie is engaged in the pursuit of Grace, a lovely, and to Charlie, extremely compatible woman.
This is a beautifully written novel. It will also take some work on the part of the reader. There will be periods where the reader will wonder what happened to the story. The plot is laid out in broad chunks with little or no advance information. By all means, stick with this book. It is very much worth reading.
This is the story of Charlie Fell, a twentysomething writer living in the small town of Alton. It's a rather grubby sort of life, watching his friends smoke, drink and use various other illicit substances. James, one of Charlie's housemates, is a fall-down drunk who imprints the outline of his body in Charlie's ceiling because of one of his falls. Charlie finds himself less and less interested in Lola, another housemate, and wonders how to make a reasonably painless break with her.
Charlie's mother and stepfather go on a week-long vacation and ask Charlie to housesit. Naturally, the house becomes the site of a week-long party, populated by an ever-changing group of friends and friends of friends. Throughout much of the story, Charlie is engaged in the pursuit of Grace, a lovely, and to Charlie, extremely compatible woman.
This is a beautifully written novel. It will also take some work on the part of the reader. There will be periods where the reader will wonder what happened to the story. The plot is laid out in broad chunks with little or no advance information. By all means, stick with this book. It is very much worth reading.
Glitter and Greed: The Secret World of the Diamond Cartel
Glitter and Greed: The Secret World of the Diamond Cartel, Janine Roberts, The Disinformation Company Ltd., 2003
This book takes a much-needed look inside the diamond business. The myth is that diamonds are so expensive at the local jewelry store because they are very rare. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
South Africa is one of the world's major diamond producers. Conditions for the black miners inside the mines can best be described as barbaric. The miners are locked in the mine compound for months at a time, supposedly to protect against diamond theft. Among other things, protective gear is rare or nonexistent, and their pay is microscopic. Apartheid is alive and well in the South Africa diamond mines. In places where diamonds have been found, like the Australian Outback, Botswana and northern Canada, indigenous rights are trampled like they don't exist.
During World War II, America had a very hard time getting sufficient supplies of industrial diamonds from DeBeers, the cartel that still controls much of the world's diamond trade. It got to the point where the US threatened to stop all shipments of fighter planes to England unless the British used their influence with DeBeers to ease the restrictions. The Germans, however, had much less trouble getting industrial diamonds from DeBeers.
DeBeers drives up the price of diamonds by simply keeping them off the market, or stockpiling them. It's common to cut production at a certain mine, or close it completely, in order to keep that type of diamond off the market. Ownership of the various pieces of DeBeers is shuttled around through a seemingly infinite number of shell corporations, most of which are little more than a nameplate on a door of a building in the Cayman Islands or Switzerland. Among other reasons, it's done to reduce the company's tax bill, and the fee paid to the government where the mine is located, as much as possible. If a government wants to change the extremely unfair (for them) payment system, DeBeers floods the market with diamonds from that country, depressing the price.
The book spends time looking at the role of diamonds in recent African wars, like the 1970s war in Angola, and the ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in which America was deeply involved. Last but not least, did you know that there was a working diamond mine in the American state of Arkansas?
This is a major eye-opener. It is a very detailed investigative piece, the likes of which are rarely seen these days. Diamonds are a girl's best friend? Not after reading this highly recommended book.
This book takes a much-needed look inside the diamond business. The myth is that diamonds are so expensive at the local jewelry store because they are very rare. Nothing could be farther from the truth.
South Africa is one of the world's major diamond producers. Conditions for the black miners inside the mines can best be described as barbaric. The miners are locked in the mine compound for months at a time, supposedly to protect against diamond theft. Among other things, protective gear is rare or nonexistent, and their pay is microscopic. Apartheid is alive and well in the South Africa diamond mines. In places where diamonds have been found, like the Australian Outback, Botswana and northern Canada, indigenous rights are trampled like they don't exist.
During World War II, America had a very hard time getting sufficient supplies of industrial diamonds from DeBeers, the cartel that still controls much of the world's diamond trade. It got to the point where the US threatened to stop all shipments of fighter planes to England unless the British used their influence with DeBeers to ease the restrictions. The Germans, however, had much less trouble getting industrial diamonds from DeBeers.
DeBeers drives up the price of diamonds by simply keeping them off the market, or stockpiling them. It's common to cut production at a certain mine, or close it completely, in order to keep that type of diamond off the market. Ownership of the various pieces of DeBeers is shuttled around through a seemingly infinite number of shell corporations, most of which are little more than a nameplate on a door of a building in the Cayman Islands or Switzerland. Among other reasons, it's done to reduce the company's tax bill, and the fee paid to the government where the mine is located, as much as possible. If a government wants to change the extremely unfair (for them) payment system, DeBeers floods the market with diamonds from that country, depressing the price.
The book spends time looking at the role of diamonds in recent African wars, like the 1970s war in Angola, and the ongoing war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in which America was deeply involved. Last but not least, did you know that there was a working diamond mine in the American state of Arkansas?
This is a major eye-opener. It is a very detailed investigative piece, the likes of which are rarely seen these days. Diamonds are a girl's best friend? Not after reading this highly recommended book.
Belle Harbor Skeletons
Belle Harbor Skeletons, Susan M. Hooper, 1st Books, 2004
Arnie Kotkin and Barnaby Moss are lifelong friends in the small town of Lawton, NY. Girls were never an important part of their lives while growing up. Their decision to live together as a gay couple, while not exactly a surprise, elicits two very different family reactions, the subject of this book.
The Moss family comes from a lower-middle class background, and always placed the health and well-being of their children above material possessions, anyway. If Barnaby is happy as a gay person, that's all that matters. The Kotkin's live in Belle Harbor, the rich part of town. Thelma, Arnie's mother, is a social climber with an inordinate interest in what others think of the family. Arnie's coming out is an absolute disaster, for her, and she lets Arnie know it. She can just imagine the whispering that will go on around town, now that they have a . . .queer in the family.
A few days later, Arnie is informed that his father has had a heart attack. Rushing to the hospital with Barnaby, and Helene and Jack Fentnor, Arnie's aunt and uncle who are visiting, they are confronted by Jimmy, one of Arnie's brothers. He is a medical student at the hospital and very much takes after his mother in being a self-centered jerk. He takes great exception to Barnaby's presence, and, in front of everyone, takes out a gun and shoots Barnaby, wounding him in the shoulder.
The incident becomes news, jeopardizing Arnie's teaching job at the local elementary school. Barnaby is released after a couple of days (HMO). Thelma begins to realize that there is more to life than worrying about the opinion of others. A few days later, another tragedy strikes the Kotkin family. Freddie and Jerry, Arnie's other brothers, were in a car that was deliberately forced off the road by another car. Freddie escaped with minor injuries, but Jerry was killed. Arnie and Barnaby decide that they had better do some fast crime solving, because someone has certainly targeted the Kotkin family. Amid everything else, Helene and Jack let Arnie in on some deep, dark family secrets.
This isn't just a good "gay novel," or a good mystery or a good story about family secrets, it's a really good novel, overall. It moves easily, and will certainly keep the reader involved.
Arnie Kotkin and Barnaby Moss are lifelong friends in the small town of Lawton, NY. Girls were never an important part of their lives while growing up. Their decision to live together as a gay couple, while not exactly a surprise, elicits two very different family reactions, the subject of this book.
The Moss family comes from a lower-middle class background, and always placed the health and well-being of their children above material possessions, anyway. If Barnaby is happy as a gay person, that's all that matters. The Kotkin's live in Belle Harbor, the rich part of town. Thelma, Arnie's mother, is a social climber with an inordinate interest in what others think of the family. Arnie's coming out is an absolute disaster, for her, and she lets Arnie know it. She can just imagine the whispering that will go on around town, now that they have a . . .queer in the family.
A few days later, Arnie is informed that his father has had a heart attack. Rushing to the hospital with Barnaby, and Helene and Jack Fentnor, Arnie's aunt and uncle who are visiting, they are confronted by Jimmy, one of Arnie's brothers. He is a medical student at the hospital and very much takes after his mother in being a self-centered jerk. He takes great exception to Barnaby's presence, and, in front of everyone, takes out a gun and shoots Barnaby, wounding him in the shoulder.
The incident becomes news, jeopardizing Arnie's teaching job at the local elementary school. Barnaby is released after a couple of days (HMO). Thelma begins to realize that there is more to life than worrying about the opinion of others. A few days later, another tragedy strikes the Kotkin family. Freddie and Jerry, Arnie's other brothers, were in a car that was deliberately forced off the road by another car. Freddie escaped with minor injuries, but Jerry was killed. Arnie and Barnaby decide that they had better do some fast crime solving, because someone has certainly targeted the Kotkin family. Amid everything else, Helene and Jack let Arnie in on some deep, dark family secrets.
This isn't just a good "gay novel," or a good mystery or a good story about family secrets, it's a really good novel, overall. It moves easily, and will certainly keep the reader involved.
Letters From Afghanistan
Letters From Afghanistan, Eloise Hanner, Branden Books, 2003
It was the year 1971. The author, a recent college graduate from Idaho, and her fiance (soon to be her husband) decide to join the Peace Corps. They aren't qualified to do much except teach English, so they applied for somewhere in the South Pacific, and had to wait several months for an opening. After a weekend of more intense interviews in Chicago, they finally get their assignment. They both have to look on a map to find Afghanistan, a landlocked country in southwest Asia. This book consists of weekly letters sent home about their experiences.
After an interminable plane flight, and many shots, they reach Kabul. It is a colorful, yet noisy, sort of place. They find a house (all of which are behind high adobe walls) through the local Peace Corps office. They are given the usual rules when traveling to the Third World. Don't drink the water (it will be provided by the Embassy). Don't eat anything from the stalls in the local bazaar; in fact, don't eat anything that can't be peeled or hasn't been thoroughly cooked. Despite this, they still suffer from nearly weekly bouts of diarrhea. The plan for the Hanners is to undergo a three-month crash course in Farsi (the local language) and get used to Kabul before starting their assignment. The author's assignment is to teach English to employees of the Education Ministry.
Creature comforts in Kabul are few and far between. Heat in the Hanner's house comes from a couple of wood stoves. Light comes from a couple of bare light bulbs. Their mud roof leaks constantly, and during the summer, it grows wheat. Refrigeration is unknown, so Dad Ali, their cook/handyman/jack of all trades, makes daily food trips to the bazaar. The Kabul bazaar is a place where practically anything can be made or found, including a moneychanger who accepts American checks. Being a Peace Corps volunteer is not for everyone. Several people leave before their time is up.
These letters chronicle the good and bad of living in Afghanistan. On one side there is the incredible generosity of the Afghan people. They have little or nothing, and think nothing of sharing. On the other side is dealing with daily life in Kabul. There are also those people who let the author know, clearly and succinctly, if they feel she is not appropriately dressed in public.
This is a gem of a book and a very easy read. To get an idea of life in Afghanistan before the Soviets and before the Taliban, start right here. It's highly recommended.
It was the year 1971. The author, a recent college graduate from Idaho, and her fiance (soon to be her husband) decide to join the Peace Corps. They aren't qualified to do much except teach English, so they applied for somewhere in the South Pacific, and had to wait several months for an opening. After a weekend of more intense interviews in Chicago, they finally get their assignment. They both have to look on a map to find Afghanistan, a landlocked country in southwest Asia. This book consists of weekly letters sent home about their experiences.
After an interminable plane flight, and many shots, they reach Kabul. It is a colorful, yet noisy, sort of place. They find a house (all of which are behind high adobe walls) through the local Peace Corps office. They are given the usual rules when traveling to the Third World. Don't drink the water (it will be provided by the Embassy). Don't eat anything from the stalls in the local bazaar; in fact, don't eat anything that can't be peeled or hasn't been thoroughly cooked. Despite this, they still suffer from nearly weekly bouts of diarrhea. The plan for the Hanners is to undergo a three-month crash course in Farsi (the local language) and get used to Kabul before starting their assignment. The author's assignment is to teach English to employees of the Education Ministry.
Creature comforts in Kabul are few and far between. Heat in the Hanner's house comes from a couple of wood stoves. Light comes from a couple of bare light bulbs. Their mud roof leaks constantly, and during the summer, it grows wheat. Refrigeration is unknown, so Dad Ali, their cook/handyman/jack of all trades, makes daily food trips to the bazaar. The Kabul bazaar is a place where practically anything can be made or found, including a moneychanger who accepts American checks. Being a Peace Corps volunteer is not for everyone. Several people leave before their time is up.
These letters chronicle the good and bad of living in Afghanistan. On one side there is the incredible generosity of the Afghan people. They have little or nothing, and think nothing of sharing. On the other side is dealing with daily life in Kabul. There are also those people who let the author know, clearly and succinctly, if they feel she is not appropriately dressed in public.
This is a gem of a book and a very easy read. To get an idea of life in Afghanistan before the Soviets and before the Taliban, start right here. It's highly recommended.
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
50 Facts That Should Change the World
50 Facts That Should Change the World, Jessica Williams, The Disinformation Company Ltd, 2004
Here is another example of the bad job done by the mainstream media in informing Americans about the state of the world. This book presents a number of facts, with accompanying essays, that will not be covered on the evening news.
In 2002, more than 80 percent of the world's executions took place in just three countries, China, Iran and America. Black men born in the US stand a one in three chance of going to jail, while white men have a one in seventeen chance of going to jail. Because of the Asian preference for male over female babies, and because of China's one-child policy, China has 44 million missing women. Over one-fifth of the world's population lives on less than one dollar a day. One-third of the world's obese people, and over 80 percent of the smokers, live in developing countries.
Did you know that nearly half of Americans believe that aliens have landed on Earth? According to one estimate, there are over 67,000 lobbyists in Washington, which equals 125 for each member of Congress. Ten languages disappear every year. Every year, America spends $10 billion on pornography, the same amount it spends on foreign aid. More than 70 percent of the world has never heard a dial tone.
This book also includes sources for each of the essays, and organizations to contact for those who are inspired to get involved in any of these areas. It is excellent, and I enjoyed reading it. Compare the subjects in this book to what is shown on the "all-news" channels. To get a very different view of the world, this is a fine place to start.
Here is another example of the bad job done by the mainstream media in informing Americans about the state of the world. This book presents a number of facts, with accompanying essays, that will not be covered on the evening news.
In 2002, more than 80 percent of the world's executions took place in just three countries, China, Iran and America. Black men born in the US stand a one in three chance of going to jail, while white men have a one in seventeen chance of going to jail. Because of the Asian preference for male over female babies, and because of China's one-child policy, China has 44 million missing women. Over one-fifth of the world's population lives on less than one dollar a day. One-third of the world's obese people, and over 80 percent of the smokers, live in developing countries.
Did you know that nearly half of Americans believe that aliens have landed on Earth? According to one estimate, there are over 67,000 lobbyists in Washington, which equals 125 for each member of Congress. Ten languages disappear every year. Every year, America spends $10 billion on pornography, the same amount it spends on foreign aid. More than 70 percent of the world has never heard a dial tone.
This book also includes sources for each of the essays, and organizations to contact for those who are inspired to get involved in any of these areas. It is excellent, and I enjoyed reading it. Compare the subjects in this book to what is shown on the "all-news" channels. To get a very different view of the world, this is a fine place to start.
Ending Entrenched Power
Ending Entrenched Power, Curtis L. Harris, iUniverse Inc, 2003
Entrenched power is when people in authority, in business, government or religion, serve themselves instead of those they are supposed to represent.
In the beginning, God created the Universe and Natural Law. The author is not talking about any particular conception of God, but means "God" as a more general term. People discovered many of these Laws (Known Law) through spiritual reflection and scientific experimentation. Among the major Natural Laws are basic morality, individual freedom, change and the progress and consequences that result from that change. As time went on, leadership and social organization came about. Religions developed to help explain man's place in the overall scheme of things.
The major religions were established using the same general concepts of morality, like right and wrong, good and evil, etc. The author advocates the creation of a society based on these spiritual concepts, which are common to everyone, instead of basing it on any particular God.
How can entrenched power happen in present-day religion? They are part of the social fabric that organizes people into effective societies. On the local level, they teach moral and ethical values. They support the development of good character in children. They provide understanding and comfort in times of loss. As one goes up the hierarchy (a feature of most organized religions), leaders are more interested in the organization and holding on to power than in serving the faithful. An example of entrenched power is the Catholic Church molestation scandals. It would have been painful to deal with the problem years ago, but sweeping it under the rug, as the Catholic hierarchy did, has made the problem many times worse.
On the subject of entrenched power in politics, need we say more than "term limits?" A major flaw in the system as designed by the Founding Fathers was not setting a limit on terms in Congress. The author advocates a system where average citizens can actually run for Congress (currently impossible), serve two terms, then make way for someone else. It would go a long way toward helping America to lead the world toward the fulfillment of "God's" destiny for Man.
This is quite a book. It's a really interesting read for people of any political or religious viewpoint. The reader may not agree with all of it, but it is still well worth reading.
Entrenched power is when people in authority, in business, government or religion, serve themselves instead of those they are supposed to represent.
In the beginning, God created the Universe and Natural Law. The author is not talking about any particular conception of God, but means "God" as a more general term. People discovered many of these Laws (Known Law) through spiritual reflection and scientific experimentation. Among the major Natural Laws are basic morality, individual freedom, change and the progress and consequences that result from that change. As time went on, leadership and social organization came about. Religions developed to help explain man's place in the overall scheme of things.
The major religions were established using the same general concepts of morality, like right and wrong, good and evil, etc. The author advocates the creation of a society based on these spiritual concepts, which are common to everyone, instead of basing it on any particular God.
How can entrenched power happen in present-day religion? They are part of the social fabric that organizes people into effective societies. On the local level, they teach moral and ethical values. They support the development of good character in children. They provide understanding and comfort in times of loss. As one goes up the hierarchy (a feature of most organized religions), leaders are more interested in the organization and holding on to power than in serving the faithful. An example of entrenched power is the Catholic Church molestation scandals. It would have been painful to deal with the problem years ago, but sweeping it under the rug, as the Catholic hierarchy did, has made the problem many times worse.
On the subject of entrenched power in politics, need we say more than "term limits?" A major flaw in the system as designed by the Founding Fathers was not setting a limit on terms in Congress. The author advocates a system where average citizens can actually run for Congress (currently impossible), serve two terms, then make way for someone else. It would go a long way toward helping America to lead the world toward the fulfillment of "God's" destiny for Man.
This is quite a book. It's a really interesting read for people of any political or religious viewpoint. The reader may not agree with all of it, but it is still well worth reading.
God, Science and the Cosmic Jigsaw
God, Science and the Cosmic Jigsaw, Jonathan Kingsley, Llumina Press, 2003
Many people are looking for something "more" out of life, like a closer relationship with God. The problem is that they are reluctant to give up their belief in the scientific view of things. They feel that a deeper faith in God is supposed to equal acceptance of creationism and rejection of evolution. This book shows that there is a middle path, that faith in God and evolution can go together.
Take Creation according to Genesis, for instance. The earth was formed before the sun, moon and stars. From a scientific standpoint, they should have been combined in Day 1 (you can't have the earth without the rest of the universe). Otherwise, Chapter 1 of Genesis sounds a lot like evolution, as long as you consider that a "day" could equal millions of years.
In Genesis 1:26, God says, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness." Whose image? Who is He talking to? It suggests that there was a race of beings in Heaven, before man was created. They were the authors of Genesis. In Genesis 2, Adam and Eve were created, and were told to stay away from the fruit of the tree in the center of Eden. They didn't, and the rest is history.
In Genesis 3, Eve is tempted by a serpent to eat of the forbidden tree. The author's interpretation is that this was not some sort of talking snake, but had to do with the discovery of sex between Adam and Eve. The author also feels that the two are part of a designer race, who aren't supposed to sexually reproduce. After the two have intercourse, and discover that they are naked, God decrees that, from now on, woman shall experience pain in childbirth, and that man's days on earth shall be numbered (implying that they weren't numbered before). After son Cain kills son Abel, Cain moves away, and starts his own family, eventually founding the city of Enoch. This means that there were other people on earth, created by evolution. The interbreeding of Divine Man and Evolutionary Man (for lack of better terms) is what causes God to create the Flood that, among other things, made Noah famous.
This book is about more than just the Book of Genesis. It does a fine job at showing a middle ground between evolution and creationism. Mercifully, it is light on the jargon, but it will still give the reader a mental workout. For those looking for a closer relationship with God, this is very much worth reading.
Many people are looking for something "more" out of life, like a closer relationship with God. The problem is that they are reluctant to give up their belief in the scientific view of things. They feel that a deeper faith in God is supposed to equal acceptance of creationism and rejection of evolution. This book shows that there is a middle path, that faith in God and evolution can go together.
Take Creation according to Genesis, for instance. The earth was formed before the sun, moon and stars. From a scientific standpoint, they should have been combined in Day 1 (you can't have the earth without the rest of the universe). Otherwise, Chapter 1 of Genesis sounds a lot like evolution, as long as you consider that a "day" could equal millions of years.
In Genesis 1:26, God says, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness." Whose image? Who is He talking to? It suggests that there was a race of beings in Heaven, before man was created. They were the authors of Genesis. In Genesis 2, Adam and Eve were created, and were told to stay away from the fruit of the tree in the center of Eden. They didn't, and the rest is history.
In Genesis 3, Eve is tempted by a serpent to eat of the forbidden tree. The author's interpretation is that this was not some sort of talking snake, but had to do with the discovery of sex between Adam and Eve. The author also feels that the two are part of a designer race, who aren't supposed to sexually reproduce. After the two have intercourse, and discover that they are naked, God decrees that, from now on, woman shall experience pain in childbirth, and that man's days on earth shall be numbered (implying that they weren't numbered before). After son Cain kills son Abel, Cain moves away, and starts his own family, eventually founding the city of Enoch. This means that there were other people on earth, created by evolution. The interbreeding of Divine Man and Evolutionary Man (for lack of better terms) is what causes God to create the Flood that, among other things, made Noah famous.
This book is about more than just the Book of Genesis. It does a fine job at showing a middle ground between evolution and creationism. Mercifully, it is light on the jargon, but it will still give the reader a mental workout. For those looking for a closer relationship with God, this is very much worth reading.
Monday, September 24, 2012
Find Courtney
Find Courtney, Melissa Clark, Bridge Works Publishing Company, 2004
Fanoy is a self-absorbed, mid-twenties college student going to school in Miami. She gets to move in with Courtney Armorault, a beautiful and wealthy fellow student with her own beachfront apartment. The two aren't friends; they lead totally separate lives. They just happen to live in the same apartment. One day, Courtney goes for her morning jog, and doesn't return.
Fanoy doesn't do anything, figuring that Courtney will be right back, or will call to say that she ran off with one of her many male admirers. To be honest, Fanoy is also enjoying the peace and quiet with Courtney not around. After two weeks, Bret Armorault, Courtney's father, shows up. He is more the Inconvenienced Father than the Distraught Father. He is a free-spirit type who gives the impression that he made his money in the drug business. The two speak to the school administration, and to Courtney's friends and classmates, looking for clues.
Bret convinces Fanoy to move in with him, to an inland Italian villa that was to be part of a housing complex that never happened. It belonged to a famous fan dancer named Crystal Lalique, and is now like living in a museum. After getting the impression that Bret is keeping her there for some reason, Fanoy flees back to Miami. Bret finds her, and convinces her to return with him (with her car, this time).
Bret admits to Fanoy that his name really isn't Bret Armorault. He admits that he kidnapped Courtney when she was little, and has raised her like his own daughter, things that she never knew. Sex between them had been going on for quite a while. "Bret" has known where Courtney is the entire time. Fanoy also has a secret or two of her own.
This is a really good psychological thriller. It's a fast read, the characters are well done, and it's an interesting story of people not being what they seem. This is well worth reading.
Fanoy is a self-absorbed, mid-twenties college student going to school in Miami. She gets to move in with Courtney Armorault, a beautiful and wealthy fellow student with her own beachfront apartment. The two aren't friends; they lead totally separate lives. They just happen to live in the same apartment. One day, Courtney goes for her morning jog, and doesn't return.
Fanoy doesn't do anything, figuring that Courtney will be right back, or will call to say that she ran off with one of her many male admirers. To be honest, Fanoy is also enjoying the peace and quiet with Courtney not around. After two weeks, Bret Armorault, Courtney's father, shows up. He is more the Inconvenienced Father than the Distraught Father. He is a free-spirit type who gives the impression that he made his money in the drug business. The two speak to the school administration, and to Courtney's friends and classmates, looking for clues.
Bret convinces Fanoy to move in with him, to an inland Italian villa that was to be part of a housing complex that never happened. It belonged to a famous fan dancer named Crystal Lalique, and is now like living in a museum. After getting the impression that Bret is keeping her there for some reason, Fanoy flees back to Miami. Bret finds her, and convinces her to return with him (with her car, this time).
Bret admits to Fanoy that his name really isn't Bret Armorault. He admits that he kidnapped Courtney when she was little, and has raised her like his own daughter, things that she never knew. Sex between them had been going on for quite a while. "Bret" has known where Courtney is the entire time. Fanoy also has a secret or two of her own.
This is a really good psychological thriller. It's a fast read, the characters are well done, and it's an interesting story of people not being what they seem. This is well worth reading.
At The Threshold of Liquid Geology and Other Automatic Tales
At the Threshold of Liquid Geology and Other Automatic Tales, Eric W. Bragg, Writer's Advantage (iUniverse, Inc.), 2002
To quote from the back cover of this book: "This modern collection of surrealist prose-poems was inspired by the improvisational method of automatic writing, popularized by the International Surrealist movement. From one brain to another without any literary rules or standards; the words in these automatic writings are not just words, but rays of subconscious illumination that peel away the various layers of the "civilized," western psyche, one by one."
For those who understand what that means, and are interested in such writing, read no further; buy this book. For everyone else, these are not stories in the usual sense. They are collections of strange images where bizarre things happen right next to each other. In just the first story, a thin stream of sugar is dropped into a tiger's eyeball, a frog burps a shiny platinum marble, there is a talking caterpillar, and an umbrella reveals a family sunning themselves on the shore of an island continent formed from green volcanic glass deposited hundreds of thousands of years ago.
This book is very much not for everyone. For those who want to give their brain a workout, this is an excellent choice. For those who want "normal" books with plot and characters and all those English Literature words, this book can be skipped.
To quote from the back cover of this book: "This modern collection of surrealist prose-poems was inspired by the improvisational method of automatic writing, popularized by the International Surrealist movement. From one brain to another without any literary rules or standards; the words in these automatic writings are not just words, but rays of subconscious illumination that peel away the various layers of the "civilized," western psyche, one by one."
For those who understand what that means, and are interested in such writing, read no further; buy this book. For everyone else, these are not stories in the usual sense. They are collections of strange images where bizarre things happen right next to each other. In just the first story, a thin stream of sugar is dropped into a tiger's eyeball, a frog burps a shiny platinum marble, there is a talking caterpillar, and an umbrella reveals a family sunning themselves on the shore of an island continent formed from green volcanic glass deposited hundreds of thousands of years ago.
This book is very much not for everyone. For those who want to give their brain a workout, this is an excellent choice. For those who want "normal" books with plot and characters and all those English Literature words, this book can be skipped.
Bookstore Tourism
Bookstore Tourism, Larry Portzline, Bookshop Junkie Press, 2004
Bookstore Tourism is a new way to help independent bookstores by marketing them as tourist destinations and encouraging booklovers to plan bus trips to towns with unique bookstores. Instead of, for instance, taking a bus trip to the Statue of Liberty, why not take a trip to the bookstores in Greenwich Village?
The book looks at the present situation for the independent bookstore. The news is not very good. While some store are able to survive, even thrive, more stores are closing every day. There are a number of reasons, including the coming of the chains, the economy, skyrocketing rents and the internet. Another problem is the sheer number of new books published, reaching 175,000 in 2003 from over 78,000 publishers.
What can indie bookstores do to survive? First and foremost, customer service is everything. Selling used books creates more profit than new books. Get creative with entertainment and special events. Consider a makeover of the decor to find that balance between fun and functional. Including a cafe encourages customers to linger and buy more books. Get involved in the community. Perhaps shrinking the store is the way to go. Cross promote with neighboring businesses.
The book also explores the mechanics of setting up a bookstore tour. Included are things like making sure that the destination stores are still there, anyone can plan a bookstore trip, handling reservations, the best day to go, the best kind of transportation, seeing if the destination stores will hold special events during your trip, where to eat, things to do while in transit, publicizing the trip and dealing with the bus company, among many others.
Bookstore tourism is a wonderful idea (anything that helps independent bookstores is a wonderful idea) and this is an excellent book that ended much too soon. I really enjoying reading it. The author mentions that more books on independent bookstores are planned in the future. I can't wait.
Bookstore Tourism is a new way to help independent bookstores by marketing them as tourist destinations and encouraging booklovers to plan bus trips to towns with unique bookstores. Instead of, for instance, taking a bus trip to the Statue of Liberty, why not take a trip to the bookstores in Greenwich Village?
The book looks at the present situation for the independent bookstore. The news is not very good. While some store are able to survive, even thrive, more stores are closing every day. There are a number of reasons, including the coming of the chains, the economy, skyrocketing rents and the internet. Another problem is the sheer number of new books published, reaching 175,000 in 2003 from over 78,000 publishers.
What can indie bookstores do to survive? First and foremost, customer service is everything. Selling used books creates more profit than new books. Get creative with entertainment and special events. Consider a makeover of the decor to find that balance between fun and functional. Including a cafe encourages customers to linger and buy more books. Get involved in the community. Perhaps shrinking the store is the way to go. Cross promote with neighboring businesses.
The book also explores the mechanics of setting up a bookstore tour. Included are things like making sure that the destination stores are still there, anyone can plan a bookstore trip, handling reservations, the best day to go, the best kind of transportation, seeing if the destination stores will hold special events during your trip, where to eat, things to do while in transit, publicizing the trip and dealing with the bus company, among many others.
Bookstore tourism is a wonderful idea (anything that helps independent bookstores is a wonderful idea) and this is an excellent book that ended much too soon. I really enjoying reading it. The author mentions that more books on independent bookstores are planned in the future. I can't wait.
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Staking Out the Home Landscape
Staking Out the Home Landscape, Paul E. Stake, Touchstone Farms, 2002
This book consists of a series of newspaper columns on gardening, published between 1995-2002 in the Willimantic, Connecticut "Chronicle". Stake was a professor in the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources for more than 25 years, until failing health forced his early retirement.
A surprisingly large number of topics in the areas of gardening and landscape management are covered in this book. Gardening is not something that happens just during warm weather. The author looks at making plants go dormant over the winter, to storing seeds from one year to the next, to the care and feeding of christmas trees.
Subject areas in this book include flowers and vegetables, gardening mulch and fertilizers, weeds, herbs and wildflowers, trees and shrubs, lawn care, food safety, and enjoying birds. Some of the individual columns explore carpenter bees, earthworms, potting soil, russian sage, spaghetti squash, how to control aphids, herbs like goldenrod and purslane, chamomile, maple sugaring, pussy willows, apple disease and pest management, controlling moles in the lawn, selecting firewood, thanksgiving food safety and winter shelter for horses, among many others.
This is a fine example of, for lack of a better term, one stop shopping concerning trees, flowers and gardens. It's good for those who care about the scientific name of a plant, and those who just want to know when and where to plant. In one respect, this book is meant to be used in Connecticut, but, in another respect, it can be used anyplace. Both novice and experienced gardeners should read this book.
This book consists of a series of newspaper columns on gardening, published between 1995-2002 in the Willimantic, Connecticut "Chronicle". Stake was a professor in the University of Connecticut College of Agriculture and Natural Resources for more than 25 years, until failing health forced his early retirement.
A surprisingly large number of topics in the areas of gardening and landscape management are covered in this book. Gardening is not something that happens just during warm weather. The author looks at making plants go dormant over the winter, to storing seeds from one year to the next, to the care and feeding of christmas trees.
Subject areas in this book include flowers and vegetables, gardening mulch and fertilizers, weeds, herbs and wildflowers, trees and shrubs, lawn care, food safety, and enjoying birds. Some of the individual columns explore carpenter bees, earthworms, potting soil, russian sage, spaghetti squash, how to control aphids, herbs like goldenrod and purslane, chamomile, maple sugaring, pussy willows, apple disease and pest management, controlling moles in the lawn, selecting firewood, thanksgiving food safety and winter shelter for horses, among many others.
This is a fine example of, for lack of a better term, one stop shopping concerning trees, flowers and gardens. It's good for those who care about the scientific name of a plant, and those who just want to know when and where to plant. In one respect, this book is meant to be used in Connecticut, but, in another respect, it can be used anyplace. Both novice and experienced gardeners should read this book.
Writing Crime New York Style
Writing Crime New York Style, Joseph L. Giacalone, 1st Books, 2004
Many books have been written attempting to explain law and police procedure for crime writers; few are written by real cops. This book, written by an 11-year veteran of the NYPD, looks at real police procedures in the Big Apple.
It gives the street addresses, coverage areas and major landmarks for all the precincts in the five boroughs. It describes the various units and other personnel within a precinct, like the Integrity Control Officer, the Anti-Crime Unit, the Borough Task Force, the Emergency Services Unit, the Squad Commander, the Hate Crimes Task Force, and the Organized Crime Control Bureau, among many others. There is now no reason for a writer to put a precinct in the wrong part of the city, or to have a crime investigated by the wrong part of the precinct.
The author then explores what really happens at the scene of a homicide. Rigor mortis is part of practically every murder novel, but is usually done incorrectly. It does not turn a body permanently rigid; after about a day and a half, the body returns to totally flaccid. A reliable way for the medical examiner to determine the time of death is to check the contents of the stomach during the autopsy.
The first patrol officer on the scene will often make or break the case. He or she will establish the crime scene without contaminating it, and detain witnesses and suspects. Everything starts with a clear and accurate description, whether it's of a lost child or a murder suspect.
Other chapters look at police lineups, what the Miranda Warning is all about, courtroom testimony (including how to survive cross-examination), the various types of serial killers, and sex crimes and child abuse cases. There is also a handy glossary of actual police lingo and a list of police acronyms.
This is a very complete book. For writers of crime novels, especially NYPD novels, this book belongs on your reference shelf. For everyone else, read this book and see for yourself just how well, or how badly, TV does the police business. Highly recommended.
Many books have been written attempting to explain law and police procedure for crime writers; few are written by real cops. This book, written by an 11-year veteran of the NYPD, looks at real police procedures in the Big Apple.
It gives the street addresses, coverage areas and major landmarks for all the precincts in the five boroughs. It describes the various units and other personnel within a precinct, like the Integrity Control Officer, the Anti-Crime Unit, the Borough Task Force, the Emergency Services Unit, the Squad Commander, the Hate Crimes Task Force, and the Organized Crime Control Bureau, among many others. There is now no reason for a writer to put a precinct in the wrong part of the city, or to have a crime investigated by the wrong part of the precinct.
The author then explores what really happens at the scene of a homicide. Rigor mortis is part of practically every murder novel, but is usually done incorrectly. It does not turn a body permanently rigid; after about a day and a half, the body returns to totally flaccid. A reliable way for the medical examiner to determine the time of death is to check the contents of the stomach during the autopsy.
The first patrol officer on the scene will often make or break the case. He or she will establish the crime scene without contaminating it, and detain witnesses and suspects. Everything starts with a clear and accurate description, whether it's of a lost child or a murder suspect.
Other chapters look at police lineups, what the Miranda Warning is all about, courtroom testimony (including how to survive cross-examination), the various types of serial killers, and sex crimes and child abuse cases. There is also a handy glossary of actual police lingo and a list of police acronyms.
This is a very complete book. For writers of crime novels, especially NYPD novels, this book belongs on your reference shelf. For everyone else, read this book and see for yourself just how well, or how badly, TV does the police business. Highly recommended.
Patrons In a Bar
Patrons In a Bar, A.J. Burress, America House, 2002
This is the story of Jake Tidwell, your average fresh-out-of-college type, living near Pittsburgh. Looking for more from life than the usual 9 to 5 job, Jake takes off for a year of traveling around America. He also figures that, as a would-be writer, he should have some experiences worth writing about.
Jake is one of those who likes his liquor and drugs, and has something of a gambling problem. After the obligatory stop in Las Vegas, he ends up in Phoenix to look up some lady friends from back home, known for throwing legendary parties. While he spends nights on their couch, he is forced to get a job. He becomes a supervisor for a group of mall kiosks that encourage people to enter a contest for a free weekend at a hotel in Mexico. Actually, it is little more than a telemarketing scam. After a few months, Jake again gets the urge to hit the open road and heads north toward Portland, Oregon.
Hiking on Mt. Hood, Jake has an epiphany. Sitting down to read "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau, Jake has the realization that Thoreau wrote the book for Jake, at that moment. If Jake didn't have to get back home for the marriage of Paul, his best friend, the thought of staying in Portland was mighty tempting. The bride-to-bride doesn't like her fiance's friends, including Jake, but the guys are going to celebrate, anyway. Driving to pick up a friend in town, to bring him back to the party, Jake is arrested for DUI. Since the arraignment isn't for several weeks, Jake gets in his car and heads for Baltimore.
He gets a job at a local restaurant, and is able to sleep at a local youth hostel for free, due to a loophole in their system. After the charges are dropped back home, Jake heads for Key West. His fellow employees at a local restaurant are from several different countries. Almost none of them speak English, but they all manage to understand each other. Key West is a place that turns into one big party at night. The cocaine and alcohol flow like water. Jake can hold his own as a partier, but staying up all night, every night, begins to take its toll. Part of the reason for the journey is to sort out his feelings toward Jane, his girlfriend, who is willing to wait for him.
This is much more than just a drunken, drug-filled chronicle of one person's journey around America. Jake sees the best and worst in people, in unexpected places. This story is full of heart and soul and intelligence. It is well worth reading.
This is the story of Jake Tidwell, your average fresh-out-of-college type, living near Pittsburgh. Looking for more from life than the usual 9 to 5 job, Jake takes off for a year of traveling around America. He also figures that, as a would-be writer, he should have some experiences worth writing about.
Jake is one of those who likes his liquor and drugs, and has something of a gambling problem. After the obligatory stop in Las Vegas, he ends up in Phoenix to look up some lady friends from back home, known for throwing legendary parties. While he spends nights on their couch, he is forced to get a job. He becomes a supervisor for a group of mall kiosks that encourage people to enter a contest for a free weekend at a hotel in Mexico. Actually, it is little more than a telemarketing scam. After a few months, Jake again gets the urge to hit the open road and heads north toward Portland, Oregon.
Hiking on Mt. Hood, Jake has an epiphany. Sitting down to read "Walden" by Henry David Thoreau, Jake has the realization that Thoreau wrote the book for Jake, at that moment. If Jake didn't have to get back home for the marriage of Paul, his best friend, the thought of staying in Portland was mighty tempting. The bride-to-bride doesn't like her fiance's friends, including Jake, but the guys are going to celebrate, anyway. Driving to pick up a friend in town, to bring him back to the party, Jake is arrested for DUI. Since the arraignment isn't for several weeks, Jake gets in his car and heads for Baltimore.
He gets a job at a local restaurant, and is able to sleep at a local youth hostel for free, due to a loophole in their system. After the charges are dropped back home, Jake heads for Key West. His fellow employees at a local restaurant are from several different countries. Almost none of them speak English, but they all manage to understand each other. Key West is a place that turns into one big party at night. The cocaine and alcohol flow like water. Jake can hold his own as a partier, but staying up all night, every night, begins to take its toll. Part of the reason for the journey is to sort out his feelings toward Jane, his girlfriend, who is willing to wait for him.
This is much more than just a drunken, drug-filled chronicle of one person's journey around America. Jake sees the best and worst in people, in unexpected places. This story is full of heart and soul and intelligence. It is well worth reading.
Booby-Trapped: How to Feel Normal in a Breast-Obsessed World
Booby-Trapped: How to Feel Normal in a Breast-Obsessed World, Nili Sachs, Beaver's Pond Press, 2003
(deep breath) This book looks at a group of women in a psychological therapy group, exploring subjects like femininity and body image in general, and breast size in particular.
The women are of varying ages and backgrounds. Their personal self-images range from pretty good to awful. The youngest member can't wait to show off her boob job to the others. Their reactions range from support to anger that she would insert a foreign substance into her body in that way. Why are breasts the most altered, and most hated, parts of a woman's body? Every woman wants perfect breasts, but such things are very rare, at best. They are going to be off center, or not the same size, or not "big enough," or something.
The niece of another group member is convinced that the road to happiness includes breast implants, so she plans to have the operation, with the support of her parents, to celebrate her sixteenth brithday. A third member is diagnosed with breast cancer. Before she goes to the hospital, she feels the need to stand in front of the group and actually say the words, "I have cancer. I could die." The rest of the group is a constant presence in the hospital. When she gets out, and rejoins the group, she considers getting an implant to replace that which the mastectomy removed.
This is quite a book. It was a very good idea to do it as the story of several average women, instead of as some dry women's health book. Women don't need me to say that this book is well worth reading. For the men out there who honestly care about their partner's health and well-being, this is highly recommended. If something is bothering her, but she refuses to talk about it, this book may just give the answer.
(deep breath) This book looks at a group of women in a psychological therapy group, exploring subjects like femininity and body image in general, and breast size in particular.
The women are of varying ages and backgrounds. Their personal self-images range from pretty good to awful. The youngest member can't wait to show off her boob job to the others. Their reactions range from support to anger that she would insert a foreign substance into her body in that way. Why are breasts the most altered, and most hated, parts of a woman's body? Every woman wants perfect breasts, but such things are very rare, at best. They are going to be off center, or not the same size, or not "big enough," or something.
The niece of another group member is convinced that the road to happiness includes breast implants, so she plans to have the operation, with the support of her parents, to celebrate her sixteenth brithday. A third member is diagnosed with breast cancer. Before she goes to the hospital, she feels the need to stand in front of the group and actually say the words, "I have cancer. I could die." The rest of the group is a constant presence in the hospital. When she gets out, and rejoins the group, she considers getting an implant to replace that which the mastectomy removed.
This is quite a book. It was a very good idea to do it as the story of several average women, instead of as some dry women's health book. Women don't need me to say that this book is well worth reading. For the men out there who honestly care about their partner's health and well-being, this is highly recommended. If something is bothering her, but she refuses to talk about it, this book may just give the answer.
The Sixth World
The Sixth World, Margaret L. Evans, Xlibris Corp., 2003
Set in present-day California, Joe Magee is a world-renowned anthropologist and expert on Mayan culture, working for a local museum. He is set to lead an expedition into California's Central Valley to explore the bizarre possibility that Mayan culture may have made it that far north, before they disappeared many centuries ago. Magee is told to include Amy Parrish, another world-renowned Mayan expert, in the expedition. The museum Board is less than convinced that is is a good idea.
She moves into Magee's isolated house in the hills, and the two immerse themselves in Mayan culture. One night, a strange computer virus is found on Joe's laptop, where he keeps his scientific data. The computer seems to turn on by itself, and sends Joe's files to an unknown location. Sean Gables is another museum employee, who is not what he seems. Sometimes, he is legitimately helpful to Joe and Amy, and other times, he acts, well, the word "slimy" comes to mind. Strange things are going on, but neither Joe or Amy can put their finger on it.
Later, a dead body is found in the nearby hills, a Hispanic male with his heart cut out. For most people, this is just a particularly gruesome murder, but for Joe and Amy, it means a lot more. According to Mayan prophecy, the Fifth World is ending, and the Sixth World will be coming in a few years. It is to be preceeded by three human sacrifices. Days later, two more bodies are found with their hearts removed, right on time. Someone is putting up a very large Keep Out sign. Joe has an anonymous benefactor paying him a lot of money to find Mayan culture in those hills. The Sixth World is characterized by a shift in the earth's magnetic pole, causing worldwide catastrophe. At that time, Mayan culture will rise again, and rule the world. During a mini-expedition in the hills with some college students, Joe and Amy make some huge discoveries which prove that the rumors of Mayan culture making it as far north as central California are not just rumors.
This is a really good thriller story. My only criticism is that the first half of the book could have moved a little faster. Stick with the book, and this is a story that will give the reader plenty to think about. Also, keep an eye on the month of December, 2012. According to Mayan prophecy, at that time, big things are supposed to happen.
Set in present-day California, Joe Magee is a world-renowned anthropologist and expert on Mayan culture, working for a local museum. He is set to lead an expedition into California's Central Valley to explore the bizarre possibility that Mayan culture may have made it that far north, before they disappeared many centuries ago. Magee is told to include Amy Parrish, another world-renowned Mayan expert, in the expedition. The museum Board is less than convinced that is is a good idea.
She moves into Magee's isolated house in the hills, and the two immerse themselves in Mayan culture. One night, a strange computer virus is found on Joe's laptop, where he keeps his scientific data. The computer seems to turn on by itself, and sends Joe's files to an unknown location. Sean Gables is another museum employee, who is not what he seems. Sometimes, he is legitimately helpful to Joe and Amy, and other times, he acts, well, the word "slimy" comes to mind. Strange things are going on, but neither Joe or Amy can put their finger on it.
Later, a dead body is found in the nearby hills, a Hispanic male with his heart cut out. For most people, this is just a particularly gruesome murder, but for Joe and Amy, it means a lot more. According to Mayan prophecy, the Fifth World is ending, and the Sixth World will be coming in a few years. It is to be preceeded by three human sacrifices. Days later, two more bodies are found with their hearts removed, right on time. Someone is putting up a very large Keep Out sign. Joe has an anonymous benefactor paying him a lot of money to find Mayan culture in those hills. The Sixth World is characterized by a shift in the earth's magnetic pole, causing worldwide catastrophe. At that time, Mayan culture will rise again, and rule the world. During a mini-expedition in the hills with some college students, Joe and Amy make some huge discoveries which prove that the rumors of Mayan culture making it as far north as central California are not just rumors.
This is a really good thriller story. My only criticism is that the first half of the book could have moved a little faster. Stick with the book, and this is a story that will give the reader plenty to think about. Also, keep an eye on the month of December, 2012. According to Mayan prophecy, at that time, big things are supposed to happen.
Friday, September 21, 2012
Plowin' Newground
Plowin' Newground, Jerry W. Brown, Dry Bayou Press, 2001
George "Jickie" Jennings is the son of a moonshiner from the Louisiana Bayou. He realizes, early on, that education was his ticket out, so scholarships to Tulane University, then UCLA-Berkeley, lead to him becoming a civilian scientist with the Defense Department. He is called back home when Ersel, his father, is severely injured in an accident.
The relationship between the two can best be described as difficult. During the Great Depression, the family survived as best they could. Some money could be made by, for instance, catching crawfish or helping a neighbor in their garden, and selling to one of the local businesses. Ersel was drunk much too often.
At Tulane, Jickie falls for a woman named Rachel Goodman, who comes from a very religious family. Her brother, David, the man of the family (their father had died), tells Jickie to end the relationship, now, because he isn't Jewish. David even takes Rachel home to Texas, to prevent them from seeing each other. Jickie marries a local girl, but she later dies of cancer. In the early 1950s, the Civil Rights Movement comes to town, in the form of three young people helping the local blacks to register and vote. An attempt by the local Ku Klux Klan to encourage the three to immediately leave turns tragic.
Back to the present, actually the late 1970s, Jickie's bitterness and jadedness comes off as acting like a major jerk. When Ersel wakes up, there is no grand, tearful reunion (the two hadn't spoken to each other in more than 15 years). In fact, they spend most of their time complaining at each other. On the good side, Jickie runs into Rachel, now Ersel's neurosurgeon, and they get back together. As time goes on, the two men spend a lot of time with each other, get a lot of things out in the open, and Jickie begins to start to let go of his pain and bitterness.
The reading may seem rather slow, but, by the end, the reader will realize that they have just finished a great novel. Not only is this an interesting story of a person's life, but one can almost hear and smell the bayou while reading it. This is a fine piece of writing.
George "Jickie" Jennings is the son of a moonshiner from the Louisiana Bayou. He realizes, early on, that education was his ticket out, so scholarships to Tulane University, then UCLA-Berkeley, lead to him becoming a civilian scientist with the Defense Department. He is called back home when Ersel, his father, is severely injured in an accident.
The relationship between the two can best be described as difficult. During the Great Depression, the family survived as best they could. Some money could be made by, for instance, catching crawfish or helping a neighbor in their garden, and selling to one of the local businesses. Ersel was drunk much too often.
At Tulane, Jickie falls for a woman named Rachel Goodman, who comes from a very religious family. Her brother, David, the man of the family (their father had died), tells Jickie to end the relationship, now, because he isn't Jewish. David even takes Rachel home to Texas, to prevent them from seeing each other. Jickie marries a local girl, but she later dies of cancer. In the early 1950s, the Civil Rights Movement comes to town, in the form of three young people helping the local blacks to register and vote. An attempt by the local Ku Klux Klan to encourage the three to immediately leave turns tragic.
Back to the present, actually the late 1970s, Jickie's bitterness and jadedness comes off as acting like a major jerk. When Ersel wakes up, there is no grand, tearful reunion (the two hadn't spoken to each other in more than 15 years). In fact, they spend most of their time complaining at each other. On the good side, Jickie runs into Rachel, now Ersel's neurosurgeon, and they get back together. As time goes on, the two men spend a lot of time with each other, get a lot of things out in the open, and Jickie begins to start to let go of his pain and bitterness.
The reading may seem rather slow, but, by the end, the reader will realize that they have just finished a great novel. Not only is this an interesting story of a person's life, but one can almost hear and smell the bayou while reading it. This is a fine piece of writing.
Dragon Tamer
Dragon Tamer, Cole Barton, Trafford Publishing, 2003
Blake Morgan is a DEA agent. He is involved in two major arrest operations, one involving drug running in Mexico, and the other involving drug and people smuggling in Seattle. Both are solid arrests, the kind where convictions are practically guaranteed. That is, until both suspects are released, and granted immunity from prosecution by someone very high in the CIA. Supposedly, they are also good sources of information for the Agency. Blake knows that something very strange is happening.
Blake was born in a Japanese concentration camp in World War II Hong Kong. His parents, a Welsh father and a Hispanic mother, did not survive the war. Blake was adopted by Wang Chan, a rising member of the Hong Kong business community. Soon before the arrests mentioned above, Wang Chan is found murdered. Like most Hong Kong businessmen, there are rumors that he was involved in illegal activities. Unsatisfied with the pace of the official investigation, Chan's son, Raymond, goes to the Hong Kong triads (gangsters) and asks for their help in avenging his father's death.
While all this is going on, Blake gets word of a proposed alliance between one of the triads and a Mexican drug cartel, assisted by whomever in the CIA is in the habit of releasing drug dealers from prison. Profits are down, so it is proposed that they get together and market an ancient, and quite powerful, Mayan drug called jfuri. Just to make things more interesting, Blake has fallen in love with DEA Special Prosecutor Angela Townsend. It is up to Blake to fight his way through the conspiracies, corruption and general lying to get to the bottom of this, once and for all.
This is an excellent novel. Thriller readers will love it. The reader will be involved from start to finish, it feels very plausible, and the author knows what he is talking about, having actually been born in a World War II concentration camp in Hong Kong. This gets two thumbs up.
Blake Morgan is a DEA agent. He is involved in two major arrest operations, one involving drug running in Mexico, and the other involving drug and people smuggling in Seattle. Both are solid arrests, the kind where convictions are practically guaranteed. That is, until both suspects are released, and granted immunity from prosecution by someone very high in the CIA. Supposedly, they are also good sources of information for the Agency. Blake knows that something very strange is happening.
Blake was born in a Japanese concentration camp in World War II Hong Kong. His parents, a Welsh father and a Hispanic mother, did not survive the war. Blake was adopted by Wang Chan, a rising member of the Hong Kong business community. Soon before the arrests mentioned above, Wang Chan is found murdered. Like most Hong Kong businessmen, there are rumors that he was involved in illegal activities. Unsatisfied with the pace of the official investigation, Chan's son, Raymond, goes to the Hong Kong triads (gangsters) and asks for their help in avenging his father's death.
While all this is going on, Blake gets word of a proposed alliance between one of the triads and a Mexican drug cartel, assisted by whomever in the CIA is in the habit of releasing drug dealers from prison. Profits are down, so it is proposed that they get together and market an ancient, and quite powerful, Mayan drug called jfuri. Just to make things more interesting, Blake has fallen in love with DEA Special Prosecutor Angela Townsend. It is up to Blake to fight his way through the conspiracies, corruption and general lying to get to the bottom of this, once and for all.
This is an excellent novel. Thriller readers will love it. The reader will be involved from start to finish, it feels very plausible, and the author knows what he is talking about, having actually been born in a World War II concentration camp in Hong Kong. This gets two thumbs up.
In Praise of Slowness: How a Worldwide Movement is Challenging the Cult of Speed
In Praise of Slowness: How a Worldwide Movement is Challenging the Cult of Speed, Carl Honore, Harper SanFrancisco, 2004
We live in an era of speed, where everything moves faster than ever before. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the idea has been to cram more into each minute of the day. Any unoccupied time during the day, whether for adults or children, is considered a reason to panic. At what cost? Imagine the time spent, over a lifetime, sitting in commuter traffic, or being placed on hold. Imagine the health care dollars spent on stress-related illnesses. The average American adult spends only a half-hour per week making love. There is an alternative, called the Slow movement.
Now a growing worldwide phenomenon, the Slow movement is not a Luddite call to abandon technology. Cellphones and email can be very good things. Nor does it suggest that people should live their entire lives in slow motion, while the rest of the world acts like a video tape stuck on fast forward. Occasionally, Fast is necessary. Slow strives to find a balance in people's lives. Sometimes, slowing down leads to more energy.
Not everything in this book is possible for everyone but here are some examples. Cook a meal from scratch once a week. Eat a homemade tossed salad (made with locally produced vegetables) along with take-out Chinese food. Set the table for take out pizza, instead of eating in front of the TV; in fact, no more dinners in front of TV. There are a number of cookboooks that specialize in quick meals. When cooking, prepare more than is needed and freeze the rest.
If your child isn't doing well in school, a possible reason is that every spare moment out of school is filled with activities. It leaves them no time to relax or just be a kid. Ask them if that's what they really want. Turn off the TV.
There is a growing movement of health professionals who think that spending more time with each individual patient is not a bad thing. Consider trying alternative medicine, in addition to, not instead of, regular medicine. For those who need to lose a few pounds, try walking. It's free, you don't need to join a health club, and you may be surprised at what you will find in your own neighborhood.
This book is much needed, and I really enjoyed reading it. Stress seems to be endemic in the 21st century. Here is an antidote. This is very highly recommended.
We live in an era of speed, where everything moves faster than ever before. Ever since the Industrial Revolution, the idea has been to cram more into each minute of the day. Any unoccupied time during the day, whether for adults or children, is considered a reason to panic. At what cost? Imagine the time spent, over a lifetime, sitting in commuter traffic, or being placed on hold. Imagine the health care dollars spent on stress-related illnesses. The average American adult spends only a half-hour per week making love. There is an alternative, called the Slow movement.
Now a growing worldwide phenomenon, the Slow movement is not a Luddite call to abandon technology. Cellphones and email can be very good things. Nor does it suggest that people should live their entire lives in slow motion, while the rest of the world acts like a video tape stuck on fast forward. Occasionally, Fast is necessary. Slow strives to find a balance in people's lives. Sometimes, slowing down leads to more energy.
Not everything in this book is possible for everyone but here are some examples. Cook a meal from scratch once a week. Eat a homemade tossed salad (made with locally produced vegetables) along with take-out Chinese food. Set the table for take out pizza, instead of eating in front of the TV; in fact, no more dinners in front of TV. There are a number of cookboooks that specialize in quick meals. When cooking, prepare more than is needed and freeze the rest.
If your child isn't doing well in school, a possible reason is that every spare moment out of school is filled with activities. It leaves them no time to relax or just be a kid. Ask them if that's what they really want. Turn off the TV.
There is a growing movement of health professionals who think that spending more time with each individual patient is not a bad thing. Consider trying alternative medicine, in addition to, not instead of, regular medicine. For those who need to lose a few pounds, try walking. It's free, you don't need to join a health club, and you may be surprised at what you will find in your own neighborhood.
This book is much needed, and I really enjoyed reading it. Stress seems to be endemic in the 21st century. Here is an antidote. This is very highly recommended.
The Fluoride Deception
The Fluoride Deception, Christopher Bryson, Seven Stories Press, 2004
"If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away." Those words, or something similar, are on every tube of fluoride toothpaste sold in America. What could be in it to cause such a warning? According to this book, it's the fluoride.
Fluoride is not some safe, innocuous substance that happens to fight cavities. It is used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons, to prepare Sarin nerve gas, to produce high octane gasoline, also to make refrigerant gases and Teflon plastic. It is also used in drugs like Prozac and Cipro. Fluoride is a potential workplace poison and grave environmental hazard.
Since the 1930s, fluoride has been linked, in Europe, to a number of illnesses, like central nervous system disorders, breathing problems and a number of arthritis-like ailments. But during the Cold War, with help from researchers funded by the government and industry, no such problems were reported in America. It is as if "American" fluoride and "European" fluoride have two different sets of properties. Can anyone say "scientific fraud?"
Fluoride may actually help the teeth, but the evidence is not clear-cut. Cavity rates have fallen dramatically since the 1940s, but also in countries that don't fluoridate their water. Perhaps good nutrition, better dental care and antibiotics can explain it.
The vast majority, nearly 90 percent, of the fluoride added to drinking water is actually industrial waste, scraped from the smokestacks of Florida phosphate fertilizer mills. The companies are spared the expense of treating this "fluosilicic acid" as toxic waste. Instead, it is sold to towns all over America. Shipped in rubber-lined tanker trucks, it is dumped into municipal reserviors, supposedly to fight cavities.
On several levels, this book easily reaches the level of Wow. This well-written tale of public relations whitewash and corporate/government collusion at the people's expense has over 100 pages of footnotes, and is very much a Must Read.
"If you accidentally swallow more than used for brushing, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away." Those words, or something similar, are on every tube of fluoride toothpaste sold in America. What could be in it to cause such a warning? According to this book, it's the fluoride.
Fluoride is not some safe, innocuous substance that happens to fight cavities. It is used to enrich uranium for nuclear weapons, to prepare Sarin nerve gas, to produce high octane gasoline, also to make refrigerant gases and Teflon plastic. It is also used in drugs like Prozac and Cipro. Fluoride is a potential workplace poison and grave environmental hazard.
Since the 1930s, fluoride has been linked, in Europe, to a number of illnesses, like central nervous system disorders, breathing problems and a number of arthritis-like ailments. But during the Cold War, with help from researchers funded by the government and industry, no such problems were reported in America. It is as if "American" fluoride and "European" fluoride have two different sets of properties. Can anyone say "scientific fraud?"
Fluoride may actually help the teeth, but the evidence is not clear-cut. Cavity rates have fallen dramatically since the 1940s, but also in countries that don't fluoridate their water. Perhaps good nutrition, better dental care and antibiotics can explain it.
The vast majority, nearly 90 percent, of the fluoride added to drinking water is actually industrial waste, scraped from the smokestacks of Florida phosphate fertilizer mills. The companies are spared the expense of treating this "fluosilicic acid" as toxic waste. Instead, it is sold to towns all over America. Shipped in rubber-lined tanker trucks, it is dumped into municipal reserviors, supposedly to fight cavities.
On several levels, this book easily reaches the level of Wow. This well-written tale of public relations whitewash and corporate/government collusion at the people's expense has over 100 pages of footnotes, and is very much a Must Read.
Inner Coach, Outer Power
Inner Coach, Outer Power, Keith Varnum, New Dimensions Publishing, 2002
Using the author's own experiences, this book tells how anyone can free themselves from emotional and psychological boundaries and embrace the possibilities inherent in this thing called life.
There are lifelong spirit guides that Varnum calls Ascended Masters, nonphysical beings who impart their wisdom to him. Occasionally, they have to use the equivalent of a kick in the rear end when the author isn't "listening." Perhaps the author's bout of blindness, from which he cured himself, was some sort of mainfestation of him going in the wrong spiritual direction. There are a number of experiences which most of us would call "coincidence" or "just one of those things," but Varnum realizes is his inner coach pointing him in the right spiritual direction.
In his continual quest for spiritual education, Varnum gets much too close to what turns out to be a soul-destroying cult. Among the things experienced in this book are: talking to nonphysical teachers, out of body travel, time travel, near death experiences, reliving other lifetimes and experiencing miracles. Then there were the times that the author communicated with plants (and they communicated back), and he completely healed a very broken wrist within just a few minutes using reiki healing.
The old saying goes something like, "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." I must not be ready, because I had a very hard time "getting" this book. Whatever the reason, I don't mean to imply for a second that this is any sort of terrible book, because it isn't. I am sure that this book has helped, and will help, a lot of people; I am just not one of them.
Using the author's own experiences, this book tells how anyone can free themselves from emotional and psychological boundaries and embrace the possibilities inherent in this thing called life.
There are lifelong spirit guides that Varnum calls Ascended Masters, nonphysical beings who impart their wisdom to him. Occasionally, they have to use the equivalent of a kick in the rear end when the author isn't "listening." Perhaps the author's bout of blindness, from which he cured himself, was some sort of mainfestation of him going in the wrong spiritual direction. There are a number of experiences which most of us would call "coincidence" or "just one of those things," but Varnum realizes is his inner coach pointing him in the right spiritual direction.
In his continual quest for spiritual education, Varnum gets much too close to what turns out to be a soul-destroying cult. Among the things experienced in this book are: talking to nonphysical teachers, out of body travel, time travel, near death experiences, reliving other lifetimes and experiencing miracles. Then there were the times that the author communicated with plants (and they communicated back), and he completely healed a very broken wrist within just a few minutes using reiki healing.
The old saying goes something like, "When the student is ready, the teacher appears." I must not be ready, because I had a very hard time "getting" this book. Whatever the reason, I don't mean to imply for a second that this is any sort of terrible book, because it isn't. I am sure that this book has helped, and will help, a lot of people; I am just not one of them.
Such Men are Dangerous: The Fanatics of 1692 and 2004
Such Men Are Dangerous: The Fanatics of 1692 and 2004, Frances Hill, Upper Access Inc. Book Publishers, 2004
This book compares the men behind the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 to the Bush II Administration. The comparisons are distressingly close.
Massachusetts of the 1690s was a very rigid sort of place. Those in power were ideologues who believed that their version of Calvinism was the only way and the only truth. Everyone who came to Massachusetts was required by law to attend Puritan services. Belonging to any other church was forbidden, on pain of banishment or hanging. All dissent was equated to bonding with the devil. The Puritans believed you were either "with us or against us." Since Massachusetts thought itself a place where anyone could find work, poverty was considered a sign of general immorality and probable damnation.
America in 2004 is a place where those on the bottom are blamed instead of helped. Prisons are full of victims of poverty, and each year scores of Americans are legally executed. It stems from a point of view of self-seeking masquerading as righteousness, without regard for social justice. Selfishness is a virtue. Those who can't make it economically are wicked and contemptible. Today's leaders are as inhumane and self-righteous as those of 300 years ago.
Paul Wolfowitz and Minister Cotton Mather tried to emulate their famous fathers. They both also see only what they want to see, and are slippery and self-serving in argument. Deputy Governor William Stoughton and Donald Rumsfeld both hold rigid ideological views, lack humanity and mercy, and are war mongers and hypocrites. Stoughton and Dick Cheney are willing to bend their view of the world to accommodate their pursuit of wealth and power. Magistrate John Hathorne and Richard Perle were not part of their respective elites, but they were the first to push their respective agendas. Governor William Phips and George Bush were intellectually lacking, but they did have a talent for forming alliances and cultivating people. They also had very foul mouths and furious tempers, and owed everything to family connections.
It's disheartening to know that Americans have evolved so little in 300 years. This is quite an eye-opener of a book. An interest in Massachusetts of the 1690s would be a big help, but this is still fascinating and thought-provoking. Highly recommended.
This book compares the men behind the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 to the Bush II Administration. The comparisons are distressingly close.
Massachusetts of the 1690s was a very rigid sort of place. Those in power were ideologues who believed that their version of Calvinism was the only way and the only truth. Everyone who came to Massachusetts was required by law to attend Puritan services. Belonging to any other church was forbidden, on pain of banishment or hanging. All dissent was equated to bonding with the devil. The Puritans believed you were either "with us or against us." Since Massachusetts thought itself a place where anyone could find work, poverty was considered a sign of general immorality and probable damnation.
America in 2004 is a place where those on the bottom are blamed instead of helped. Prisons are full of victims of poverty, and each year scores of Americans are legally executed. It stems from a point of view of self-seeking masquerading as righteousness, without regard for social justice. Selfishness is a virtue. Those who can't make it economically are wicked and contemptible. Today's leaders are as inhumane and self-righteous as those of 300 years ago.
Paul Wolfowitz and Minister Cotton Mather tried to emulate their famous fathers. They both also see only what they want to see, and are slippery and self-serving in argument. Deputy Governor William Stoughton and Donald Rumsfeld both hold rigid ideological views, lack humanity and mercy, and are war mongers and hypocrites. Stoughton and Dick Cheney are willing to bend their view of the world to accommodate their pursuit of wealth and power. Magistrate John Hathorne and Richard Perle were not part of their respective elites, but they were the first to push their respective agendas. Governor William Phips and George Bush were intellectually lacking, but they did have a talent for forming alliances and cultivating people. They also had very foul mouths and furious tempers, and owed everything to family connections.
It's disheartening to know that Americans have evolved so little in 300 years. This is quite an eye-opener of a book. An interest in Massachusetts of the 1690s would be a big help, but this is still fascinating and thought-provoking. Highly recommended.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Slaves of Sleep
Slaves of Sleep, L. Ron Hubbard, Lancer Books, 1967
First published in 1938, this is the story of Jan Palmer, a shy, bookish young man who heads a steamship company inherited from his late father. He has no interest in the company, and would dearly love to get rid of it. One night, Professor Frobish visits and pleads with Jan for a chance to open, and analyze, the contents of a sealed copper jar in Jan's possession. It's said to contain the remains of a member of an ancient race called the jinn. Palmer promised an old friend a long time ago, that the jar would never be opened, and he intends to keep that promise.
Later that night, Frobish returns, now obsessed with the copper jar. The two men fight over it, and the jar is opened. A very large being, with shaggy hair and tusks, named Zongri appears in the room. Having been imprisoned since the time of Sulayman the Magnificent, Zongri decided long ago that whoever released him would receive instant death. Before Frobish can escape, Zongri grabs a nearby sword and chops him nearly in half. Instead of killing Jan, Zongri curses him with eternal wakefulness. Right after Jan finds himself alone in the room, the police burst in and haul him off to jail. Jan sticks to his innocence. The best his lawyer can do is maybe get him a one-way trip to a mental hospital. When he lays down to sleep, he suddenly finds himself on a sailing ship in the middle of nowhere, and he is strong and muscular.
He knows that his name is Tiger, and while he may look like a bodybuilder, he is still shy, bookish Jan Palmer on the inside. He is in a world of sorcery and pirates, kind of like a Robert E. Howard novel. He sees people that he knows from "his"world, but they don't know him. Jan (as Tiger) finds some astronomical instruments, and discovers that he has not, as he thought, traveled into the past. The date is the same in both worlds. When he lays down to sleep, Tiger finds himself back in the jail cell, as Jan. Tiger also discovers that people in the other world, run by the jinn and where humans are slaves, know of the "real" world. He is able to get to the bottom of a lot of things, in both worlds.
This one is really good. Starting life as a magazine serial, it's entertaining, it moves very quickly, and it's a fine example of lighter reading. If you can find a copy, it's worth checking out.
First published in 1938, this is the story of Jan Palmer, a shy, bookish young man who heads a steamship company inherited from his late father. He has no interest in the company, and would dearly love to get rid of it. One night, Professor Frobish visits and pleads with Jan for a chance to open, and analyze, the contents of a sealed copper jar in Jan's possession. It's said to contain the remains of a member of an ancient race called the jinn. Palmer promised an old friend a long time ago, that the jar would never be opened, and he intends to keep that promise.
Later that night, Frobish returns, now obsessed with the copper jar. The two men fight over it, and the jar is opened. A very large being, with shaggy hair and tusks, named Zongri appears in the room. Having been imprisoned since the time of Sulayman the Magnificent, Zongri decided long ago that whoever released him would receive instant death. Before Frobish can escape, Zongri grabs a nearby sword and chops him nearly in half. Instead of killing Jan, Zongri curses him with eternal wakefulness. Right after Jan finds himself alone in the room, the police burst in and haul him off to jail. Jan sticks to his innocence. The best his lawyer can do is maybe get him a one-way trip to a mental hospital. When he lays down to sleep, he suddenly finds himself on a sailing ship in the middle of nowhere, and he is strong and muscular.
He knows that his name is Tiger, and while he may look like a bodybuilder, he is still shy, bookish Jan Palmer on the inside. He is in a world of sorcery and pirates, kind of like a Robert E. Howard novel. He sees people that he knows from "his"world, but they don't know him. Jan (as Tiger) finds some astronomical instruments, and discovers that he has not, as he thought, traveled into the past. The date is the same in both worlds. When he lays down to sleep, Tiger finds himself back in the jail cell, as Jan. Tiger also discovers that people in the other world, run by the jinn and where humans are slaves, know of the "real" world. He is able to get to the bottom of a lot of things, in both worlds.
This one is really good. Starting life as a magazine serial, it's entertaining, it moves very quickly, and it's a fine example of lighter reading. If you can find a copy, it's worth checking out.
Tritcheon Hash
Tritcheon Hash, Sue Lange, Metropolis Ink, 2003
Set approximately 1000 years from now, Tritcheon Hash is a hot-shot female pilot on the planet Coney Island (named for a famous Earth penal colony). Several hundred years previously, all the women from Earth packed up and moved to Coney Island, leaving the men on their own. Now, the only contact between them happens once a year in a neutral part of the galaxy. At that meeting, all male babies born on Coney Island are exchanged for a ton of frozen sperm.
For the past 50 years or so, secret contacts have been taking place between both planets concerning Reunification, a very touchy subject for both sides. The leaders of Coney Island need to know what's happening on Earth. All their probes and long-distance readings can't get past the Dispro Haze. It's a mile-high layer of dust, chemicals and debris that surrounds Earth and blocks out the sun; giant xenon lamps are used to simulate the sun. Tritch is chosen as a one-person mission to Earth, but specialized training is needed, first. At the local military academy, she meets Bangut Walht, a sensitive young man (it's the only place on Coney Island where men are allowed), to which Tritch is immediately attracted. She also meets Slab Ricknoy, a loudmouthed, arrogant jerk. The program ends, and the men are sent back to Earth, the day that Hash and Ricknoy get into a fight.
Tritch arrives on Earth, near Lake Michigan, and her cover is blown almost immediately. Earth is a place of extreme dirtiness. The air is dirty, the people are dirty and much of the planet is either full of radiation, or officially dead. She runs into Bangut Walht, who shows her the few bright spots. She also meets Slab Ricknoy, now a General, who is convinced that Hash is there to spy on him. He is also a paranoid person, who believes in endless war. Ricknoy has also impounded Hash's ship, looking for its faster-than-light drive, called a lighterator. By galactic law, Earth is confined to the solar system. Should people like Ricknoy get an FTL drive, it would not bode well for anyone, especially the inhabitants of Coney Island.
This is a really sharp satire about men and women about which I'm sure some people will complain. I enjoyed it. It's very easy to read, it has things to say, and it's quite a perceptive story. Well worth checking out.
Set approximately 1000 years from now, Tritcheon Hash is a hot-shot female pilot on the planet Coney Island (named for a famous Earth penal colony). Several hundred years previously, all the women from Earth packed up and moved to Coney Island, leaving the men on their own. Now, the only contact between them happens once a year in a neutral part of the galaxy. At that meeting, all male babies born on Coney Island are exchanged for a ton of frozen sperm.
For the past 50 years or so, secret contacts have been taking place between both planets concerning Reunification, a very touchy subject for both sides. The leaders of Coney Island need to know what's happening on Earth. All their probes and long-distance readings can't get past the Dispro Haze. It's a mile-high layer of dust, chemicals and debris that surrounds Earth and blocks out the sun; giant xenon lamps are used to simulate the sun. Tritch is chosen as a one-person mission to Earth, but specialized training is needed, first. At the local military academy, she meets Bangut Walht, a sensitive young man (it's the only place on Coney Island where men are allowed), to which Tritch is immediately attracted. She also meets Slab Ricknoy, a loudmouthed, arrogant jerk. The program ends, and the men are sent back to Earth, the day that Hash and Ricknoy get into a fight.
Tritch arrives on Earth, near Lake Michigan, and her cover is blown almost immediately. Earth is a place of extreme dirtiness. The air is dirty, the people are dirty and much of the planet is either full of radiation, or officially dead. She runs into Bangut Walht, who shows her the few bright spots. She also meets Slab Ricknoy, now a General, who is convinced that Hash is there to spy on him. He is also a paranoid person, who believes in endless war. Ricknoy has also impounded Hash's ship, looking for its faster-than-light drive, called a lighterator. By galactic law, Earth is confined to the solar system. Should people like Ricknoy get an FTL drive, it would not bode well for anyone, especially the inhabitants of Coney Island.
This is a really sharp satire about men and women about which I'm sure some people will complain. I enjoyed it. It's very easy to read, it has things to say, and it's quite a perceptive story. Well worth checking out.
Orbital Burn
Orbital Burn, K.A. Bedford, Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, 2004
Louise "Lou" Meagher is an unlicensed private investigator in the city of Stalktown on the planet Kestrel. Down on her luck, she ekes out a living solving petty crimes. One day, a neuro-enhanced and abused beagle named Dog asks (yes, asks) Lou to find its master, a biological android boy named Kid. This wouldn't be so unusual, except for two things. The first is that the planet Kestrel is to be destroyed in less than ten days by a planet-sized rock heading its way. Lou wants nothing more than to start over elsewhere. She can't do that, because the second unusual thing is that Lou is clinically dead, and the dead have no rights. Having inhaled a nasty nanovirus when she was younger, she is kept alive by an expensive, and extensive, nanobot treatment. Lou is overdue for another treatment.
As time goes on, Lou discovers that a man of questionable reputation named Etienne Tourignon is also interested in Kid, along with a synthetic mind named Otaru. Lou is unable to find Kid before D-Day, so on one of the last ships off Kestrel, heading toward an orbital station, she watches Kestrel's last moments. When the rock is only minutes away, it suddenly starts shrinking, until it actually disappears.
On the orbital station, Lou shoots and kills (so she thinks) another member of the Tourignon family. At her trial, in front of a religious court, Lou is looking at a one-way trip in an airlock. Otaru gets her out of jail, due to her not-exactly-alive status. Lou is now the property of Otaru, and gets her nanobot treatment.
For a while, Lou and Dog thought Kid was dead. Their only connection with Kid was through a psychic connection with Dog. Finding that Kid is not dead yet, and is on the station, doesn't answer the overriding question: Why is this defective biological android so important?
This one is surprisingly good. It's interesting and well done, it has plenty of Strange and the author does a fine job at making the characters into real people. This is a gem of a story.
Louise "Lou" Meagher is an unlicensed private investigator in the city of Stalktown on the planet Kestrel. Down on her luck, she ekes out a living solving petty crimes. One day, a neuro-enhanced and abused beagle named Dog asks (yes, asks) Lou to find its master, a biological android boy named Kid. This wouldn't be so unusual, except for two things. The first is that the planet Kestrel is to be destroyed in less than ten days by a planet-sized rock heading its way. Lou wants nothing more than to start over elsewhere. She can't do that, because the second unusual thing is that Lou is clinically dead, and the dead have no rights. Having inhaled a nasty nanovirus when she was younger, she is kept alive by an expensive, and extensive, nanobot treatment. Lou is overdue for another treatment.
As time goes on, Lou discovers that a man of questionable reputation named Etienne Tourignon is also interested in Kid, along with a synthetic mind named Otaru. Lou is unable to find Kid before D-Day, so on one of the last ships off Kestrel, heading toward an orbital station, she watches Kestrel's last moments. When the rock is only minutes away, it suddenly starts shrinking, until it actually disappears.
On the orbital station, Lou shoots and kills (so she thinks) another member of the Tourignon family. At her trial, in front of a religious court, Lou is looking at a one-way trip in an airlock. Otaru gets her out of jail, due to her not-exactly-alive status. Lou is now the property of Otaru, and gets her nanobot treatment.
For a while, Lou and Dog thought Kid was dead. Their only connection with Kid was through a psychic connection with Dog. Finding that Kid is not dead yet, and is on the station, doesn't answer the overriding question: Why is this defective biological android so important?
This one is surprisingly good. It's interesting and well done, it has plenty of Strange and the author does a fine job at making the characters into real people. This is a gem of a story.
A Fistful of Sky
A Fistful of Sky, Nina Kiriki Hoffman, Ace Books, 2002
The LaZelles are your typical Southern California family, except for the fact that all, except the father, are witches. At approximately age 16, each of the five children are supposed to go through Transition. It's characterized by being really sick for a few days; when it's over, the person's magical powers, whatever they may be, are born. For whatever reason, Gypsum, the middle child, doesn't go through Transition. Perhaps she is destined to be "normal," like her father. When everyone else becomes an official witch or warlock, Gypsum usually ends up being the magical "guinea pig."
One weekend, while everyone else is away, Gypsum gets really sick, not realizing it's her very delayed Transition. Unfortunately, her power is the dark power of cursing. She has to curse or damn something every few hours, or the power will eat her up from inside. She curses a rock, and it turns into a box of magic chalk. Gypsum and her siblings draw on some cement stairs with the chalk, and the drawings come to life. An easy way to release some energy is to cause the trash in the trash cans to disappear. But, do it too often, and people will become suspicious.
Gypsum tries to filter her power through one of her brothers. The subject of making brownies comes up, and the two fill most of their back yard with very edible brownies. Later, they create an equal quantity of fresh-baked bread and muffins. One time, Gypsum turns her younger sister into an old woman. Another time, she causes the mouths of her two brothers to disappear. It's a good thing her "human" curses come with built-in time limits. On a date with her boyfriend, Ian, Gypsum tries turning her curse power back on herself, to turn herself back to "normal," and comes very close to killing herself.
This retelling of the Ugly Duckling story is humorous, heartfelt and very, very good. Hoffman's writing comes very close to poetry. It works as an adult novel, and as a young adult novel, and it is well worth reading.
The LaZelles are your typical Southern California family, except for the fact that all, except the father, are witches. At approximately age 16, each of the five children are supposed to go through Transition. It's characterized by being really sick for a few days; when it's over, the person's magical powers, whatever they may be, are born. For whatever reason, Gypsum, the middle child, doesn't go through Transition. Perhaps she is destined to be "normal," like her father. When everyone else becomes an official witch or warlock, Gypsum usually ends up being the magical "guinea pig."
One weekend, while everyone else is away, Gypsum gets really sick, not realizing it's her very delayed Transition. Unfortunately, her power is the dark power of cursing. She has to curse or damn something every few hours, or the power will eat her up from inside. She curses a rock, and it turns into a box of magic chalk. Gypsum and her siblings draw on some cement stairs with the chalk, and the drawings come to life. An easy way to release some energy is to cause the trash in the trash cans to disappear. But, do it too often, and people will become suspicious.
Gypsum tries to filter her power through one of her brothers. The subject of making brownies comes up, and the two fill most of their back yard with very edible brownies. Later, they create an equal quantity of fresh-baked bread and muffins. One time, Gypsum turns her younger sister into an old woman. Another time, she causes the mouths of her two brothers to disappear. It's a good thing her "human" curses come with built-in time limits. On a date with her boyfriend, Ian, Gypsum tries turning her curse power back on herself, to turn herself back to "normal," and comes very close to killing herself.
This retelling of the Ugly Duckling story is humorous, heartfelt and very, very good. Hoffman's writing comes very close to poetry. It works as an adult novel, and as a young adult novel, and it is well worth reading.
I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay
I, Robot: The Illustrated Screenplay, Harlan Ellison and Isaac Asimov, Ibooks, 2004
This is Ellison's script, written in the late 1970s, for a full-length movie incorporating several of Asimov's classic I, Robot stories.
The essay which begins this book is not as vitriolic as some others of Ellison's, but it pulls no punches in chronicling the script's journey through Hollywood. The process was characterized by delay after delay. The script was supposedly "impossible" to film. At one point, Ellison realizes that a certain studio executive, with the power to say Yes or No to the project, hadn't even read the script, despite being given many months to do so. At another point, Ellison is asked to make the robots cute like C-3PO (this is the era of "Star Wars"), something he refused to do. Eventually, all of the options are used up and the script is never put into production. It is decided to get some "use" out of the script and it is later published in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.
The story concerns robot psychologist Susan Calvin. Her life story is the history of robotics. A reporter named Bratenahl is told to find the answer to the question "{Who is Susan Calvin?" Now an old woman, she has become very secretive. Bratenahl talks to people who knew Calvin and worked with her in the past. One remembrance is when the Calvin family had a robot as a part time playmate for six-year-old Susan. Her father worked for US Robotics, but her mother was not convinced that a robot in the house was a good idea. The robot was seven feet tall, and could break Calvin like a toothpick if it so desired. One day, the robot is sent away, permanently.
Another remembrance is about a robot who could read minds, and who interpreted the Three Laws of Robotics (programmed into every robot) in an unexpected way. A third memory of Calvin is about the time she was part of a manned mission to Mercury. A certain element, available on the surface, is vital if the ship is going to leave Mercury, and return to Earth. It's far enough away so that a human will not make it back to the ship without burning up in the sunlight of Mercury, so a robot is dispatched. Having received unclear instructions, the Second and Third Laws of Robotics cause the robot to go temporarily cuckoo. Calvin goes out on the surface, and almost dies, but "fixes" the robot, and they are able to leave Mercury.
If filmed as written, this would have made a great film. It's interesting and complex, the characters are real people, and, best of all, it doesn't rely on sex, violence or car chases. Highly recommended.
This is Ellison's script, written in the late 1970s, for a full-length movie incorporating several of Asimov's classic I, Robot stories.
The essay which begins this book is not as vitriolic as some others of Ellison's, but it pulls no punches in chronicling the script's journey through Hollywood. The process was characterized by delay after delay. The script was supposedly "impossible" to film. At one point, Ellison realizes that a certain studio executive, with the power to say Yes or No to the project, hadn't even read the script, despite being given many months to do so. At another point, Ellison is asked to make the robots cute like C-3PO (this is the era of "Star Wars"), something he refused to do. Eventually, all of the options are used up and the script is never put into production. It is decided to get some "use" out of the script and it is later published in Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.
The story concerns robot psychologist Susan Calvin. Her life story is the history of robotics. A reporter named Bratenahl is told to find the answer to the question "{Who is Susan Calvin?" Now an old woman, she has become very secretive. Bratenahl talks to people who knew Calvin and worked with her in the past. One remembrance is when the Calvin family had a robot as a part time playmate for six-year-old Susan. Her father worked for US Robotics, but her mother was not convinced that a robot in the house was a good idea. The robot was seven feet tall, and could break Calvin like a toothpick if it so desired. One day, the robot is sent away, permanently.
Another remembrance is about a robot who could read minds, and who interpreted the Three Laws of Robotics (programmed into every robot) in an unexpected way. A third memory of Calvin is about the time she was part of a manned mission to Mercury. A certain element, available on the surface, is vital if the ship is going to leave Mercury, and return to Earth. It's far enough away so that a human will not make it back to the ship without burning up in the sunlight of Mercury, so a robot is dispatched. Having received unclear instructions, the Second and Third Laws of Robotics cause the robot to go temporarily cuckoo. Calvin goes out on the surface, and almost dies, but "fixes" the robot, and they are able to leave Mercury.
If filmed as written, this would have made a great film. It's interesting and complex, the characters are real people, and, best of all, it doesn't rely on sex, violence or car chases. Highly recommended.
The Delphinus Chronicles
The Delphinus Chronicles, R.G. Roane, Cherry Hill Publishing, 1998
Simon, the world's most sophisticated supercomputer, is retired, and given to tiny Cabrillo University in San Diego, bypassing the "big" schools, like Harvard, MIT and Stanford. Installed in the basement of one of the buildings, everyone thinks that the wall between Simon's new home and a dolphin holding tank at the water park next door is thick enough so as not to interfere with Simon. It isn't thick enough. Simon hears noises on the other side of the wall, and having the ability to think for itself, starts talking to the dolphins.
As soon as Professor Ross Erricson and his graduate students realize what's going on, the dolphins in captivity map the entire ocean floor. At a certain spot in the ocean, there's a mountain here, a gully there, a human cannon over there (how would they know it's human?). The captive dolphins are able to communicate with those in the ocean; since dolphins have no written language, they need to have quite a collective memory. The dolphins also report the location of a Spanish galleon that went down over 350 years ago, carrying over 30 tons of silver and gold back to Spain. This is the source of the legend of dolphins picking up humans in the water and transporting them to the nearest land.
The old saying goes something like, "Be careful what you ask, you might not like the answer." The dolphins are asked how man started on Earth. Their answer has nothing to do with evolution.
The focus shifts to Atlantis, which was actually in the Aegean Sea, near Greece, not in the Atlantic. The group manages to attract the attention of the Fortezza, a secret society that is bigger than governments. They are the sort of people who wear identical gray suits, and drive dark sedans with tinted windows. Their purpose is to suppress all knowledge of the Kadut (read the book to find out just what it is) by killing everyone who even gets near such knowledge. The group has several narrow escapes, until they come within seconds of execution. Also, the cause (and cure) for aggression in the human species is found.
This book is excellent. It's a good thriller, it will certainly get the reader thinking about a lot of things, and it's a gem of a story. Highly recommended.
Simon, the world's most sophisticated supercomputer, is retired, and given to tiny Cabrillo University in San Diego, bypassing the "big" schools, like Harvard, MIT and Stanford. Installed in the basement of one of the buildings, everyone thinks that the wall between Simon's new home and a dolphin holding tank at the water park next door is thick enough so as not to interfere with Simon. It isn't thick enough. Simon hears noises on the other side of the wall, and having the ability to think for itself, starts talking to the dolphins.
As soon as Professor Ross Erricson and his graduate students realize what's going on, the dolphins in captivity map the entire ocean floor. At a certain spot in the ocean, there's a mountain here, a gully there, a human cannon over there (how would they know it's human?). The captive dolphins are able to communicate with those in the ocean; since dolphins have no written language, they need to have quite a collective memory. The dolphins also report the location of a Spanish galleon that went down over 350 years ago, carrying over 30 tons of silver and gold back to Spain. This is the source of the legend of dolphins picking up humans in the water and transporting them to the nearest land.
The old saying goes something like, "Be careful what you ask, you might not like the answer." The dolphins are asked how man started on Earth. Their answer has nothing to do with evolution.
The focus shifts to Atlantis, which was actually in the Aegean Sea, near Greece, not in the Atlantic. The group manages to attract the attention of the Fortezza, a secret society that is bigger than governments. They are the sort of people who wear identical gray suits, and drive dark sedans with tinted windows. Their purpose is to suppress all knowledge of the Kadut (read the book to find out just what it is) by killing everyone who even gets near such knowledge. The group has several narrow escapes, until they come within seconds of execution. Also, the cause (and cure) for aggression in the human species is found.
This book is excellent. It's a good thriller, it will certainly get the reader thinking about a lot of things, and it's a gem of a story. Highly recommended.
The Maquisarde
The Maquisarde, Louise Marley, Ace Books, 2002
Ebriel Serique is living a life of luxury in late 21st century Paris. That is, until her husband and young daughter are murdered on the family yacht, supposedly by terrorists. It was in the Mediterranean, allegedly on the wrong side of the Line of Partition. Parts of the world have been ravaged by various biological plagues, so no chances are taken. The yacht is destroyed, and the bodies are cremated.
After another worldwide economic collapse, the International Cooperative Alliance (InCo) rules what has been called the "First World" (North America, Europe, Russia and Japan). The rest of the world is on the other side of the Line of Partition; no contact is permitted between them. Ebriel abandons her life of privilege and goes to InCo headquarters in Geneva to see General Glass, the InCo ruler. She is forced to publicly dig out the ID chip in her wrist, that all InCo citizens have, to get a chance to see General Glass, who treats her like an insect. She is sent to an isolated, but luxurious, prison, where she is sedated most of the time.
Ebriel's outburst is shown on the underground news nets, not on the official ones, and is noticed by a man named Ethan Fleck and a group called The Chain. Suffering from advanced multiple sclerosis, Fleck and others live on what was to be an orbiting hotel. They keep out of InCo's way by giving any inventions or bits of technology they develop. The Chain is a resistance group whose purpose is to pick up young people from the poor part of the world, bring them to the hotel, teach them things like proper hygiene and nutrition, then send them back home to teach others. Ebriel agrees to join the Chain for the express purpose of killing General Glass. Later, when she gets her chance to do it, she finds that she just can't pull the trigger.
James Bull is a Blackfoot Indian from Montana, and a loyal member of InCo security. He is part of the security detail the day that Ebriel almost kills General Glass. Knowing that she isn't a real terrorist, James does some digging in the InCo archives and finds that the official story concerning the deaths of Ebriel's husband and daughter has little to do with the truth. They fall in love and he saves her life, more than once.
This book is excellent. It's a tale of one person finding out what they are made of on the inside. It's interesting, and plausible, and really well done.
Ebriel Serique is living a life of luxury in late 21st century Paris. That is, until her husband and young daughter are murdered on the family yacht, supposedly by terrorists. It was in the Mediterranean, allegedly on the wrong side of the Line of Partition. Parts of the world have been ravaged by various biological plagues, so no chances are taken. The yacht is destroyed, and the bodies are cremated.
After another worldwide economic collapse, the International Cooperative Alliance (InCo) rules what has been called the "First World" (North America, Europe, Russia and Japan). The rest of the world is on the other side of the Line of Partition; no contact is permitted between them. Ebriel abandons her life of privilege and goes to InCo headquarters in Geneva to see General Glass, the InCo ruler. She is forced to publicly dig out the ID chip in her wrist, that all InCo citizens have, to get a chance to see General Glass, who treats her like an insect. She is sent to an isolated, but luxurious, prison, where she is sedated most of the time.
Ebriel's outburst is shown on the underground news nets, not on the official ones, and is noticed by a man named Ethan Fleck and a group called The Chain. Suffering from advanced multiple sclerosis, Fleck and others live on what was to be an orbiting hotel. They keep out of InCo's way by giving any inventions or bits of technology they develop. The Chain is a resistance group whose purpose is to pick up young people from the poor part of the world, bring them to the hotel, teach them things like proper hygiene and nutrition, then send them back home to teach others. Ebriel agrees to join the Chain for the express purpose of killing General Glass. Later, when she gets her chance to do it, she finds that she just can't pull the trigger.
James Bull is a Blackfoot Indian from Montana, and a loyal member of InCo security. He is part of the security detail the day that Ebriel almost kills General Glass. Knowing that she isn't a real terrorist, James does some digging in the InCo archives and finds that the official story concerning the deaths of Ebriel's husband and daughter has little to do with the truth. They fall in love and he saves her life, more than once.
This book is excellent. It's a tale of one person finding out what they are made of on the inside. It's interesting, and plausible, and really well done.
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