Red Serpent: The Falsifier, Delson Armstrong, 9ine Inc., 2010
First of a series, this far-future tale is about humanity really needing a savior.
In the 34th century, humanity has lost the war against vampires from the planet Migra, and have been exiled to Regnum, a giant spaceship in Earth orbit. The vampires, living on Earth, plan to harvest the humans for their blood. John Howe is the "President" of Regnum. His nephew, Alex, has grown up in the shadow of his famous father, who united the scattered remnants of humanity, and whom Alex never knew. Alex graduates from college, as valedictorian, has a girlfriend, Angel, and is about to become a father.
Some of the vampires, the Rebels, fought with humanity during the war, Afterwards, they were denied permission to join humanity in orbit; they have been systematically murdered until there are only a handful left. Alex learns, one day, that he is the long-prophesied Falsifier, who will bring about the end of the vampires. The vampires know this, too. Alex is kidnapped and taken to Earth. The kidnapping is not a complete surprise; one of the Rebels is a good friend of Howe, and has assured him that no harm will come to Alex. Killing him will not affect the prophecy.
The vampires give humanity an ultimatum: Disarm immediately, or it's war. Humanity responds with an ultimatum: Release Alex, or it's war. Meantime, Alex has been learning a lot about the prophecy, and gaining a great deal of power. John Howe practically forces the Regnum Senate to give him dictatorial powers to fight the war that everyone knows is coming. Does Alex fulfill his prophecy to end the reign of the vampires? What happens in the final battle between humanity and the vampires?
This is a really interesting novel that touches on a number of subject, including very ancient history, religion and racial prejudice. Yes, it's very much worth reading.
Friday, November 9, 2012
The Rich Switch: The Simple 3-Step System to Turn On Instant Wealth Using the Law of Attraction
The Rich Switch: The Simple 3-Step System to Turn On Instant Wealth Using the Law of Attraction, David Hooper, KRE, LLC, 2009
This very short book asserts that the Law of Attraction (who has not heard of it?) can be activated in your life using just three simple steps.
The first step is to put your dreams and wishes on paper. Don't worry if they are too big, or not "appropriate," putting them on paper and hanging the list where you can read it several times a day, is much more powerful than just saying it to yourself.
The second step is to donate to charity. Clearing out clutter, and giving it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, shows that you are making room for the good things that the universe will send your way. Donating money, with no expectation of getting repaid, is much more powerful, and shows that you are confident that the universe will financially "take care of you." It certainly does not have to be a huge donation; even 10 dollars a month is very reasonable. The joy you feel at financially helping someone in need; that's the important part.
Finally, join or start a mastermind group. It sounds sinister, but it is actually a group of 6 or 7 people who meet regularly to help each other access the Law of Attraction (strength in numbers). The meetings can be in person, by phone or over the Internet. The book gives details on how to run the meetings. As with any group, those who don't take it seriously, or are frequently absent, should be quietly dropped.
There will be days when, despite your best efforts, it does not seem to be working. Set aside a day where you pledge not to say anything negative about anyone or anything. If that is not possible, start with an hour at a time. Changing your beliefs and attitudes, to be a more positive person, will take practice, but it is very much worth it. Another idea is to pretend that all your dreams and wishes have been fulfilled. Write a letter to God, Spirit, the Universe, etc., saying thank you for your good fortune.
It does not get much easier than this. It is very easy to read and follow, it is full of information that anyone can use, and is greatly recommended.
This very short book asserts that the Law of Attraction (who has not heard of it?) can be activated in your life using just three simple steps.
The first step is to put your dreams and wishes on paper. Don't worry if they are too big, or not "appropriate," putting them on paper and hanging the list where you can read it several times a day, is much more powerful than just saying it to yourself.
The second step is to donate to charity. Clearing out clutter, and giving it to Goodwill or the Salvation Army, shows that you are making room for the good things that the universe will send your way. Donating money, with no expectation of getting repaid, is much more powerful, and shows that you are confident that the universe will financially "take care of you." It certainly does not have to be a huge donation; even 10 dollars a month is very reasonable. The joy you feel at financially helping someone in need; that's the important part.
Finally, join or start a mastermind group. It sounds sinister, but it is actually a group of 6 or 7 people who meet regularly to help each other access the Law of Attraction (strength in numbers). The meetings can be in person, by phone or over the Internet. The book gives details on how to run the meetings. As with any group, those who don't take it seriously, or are frequently absent, should be quietly dropped.
There will be days when, despite your best efforts, it does not seem to be working. Set aside a day where you pledge not to say anything negative about anyone or anything. If that is not possible, start with an hour at a time. Changing your beliefs and attitudes, to be a more positive person, will take practice, but it is very much worth it. Another idea is to pretend that all your dreams and wishes have been fulfilled. Write a letter to God, Spirit, the Universe, etc., saying thank you for your good fortune.
It does not get much easier than this. It is very easy to read and follow, it is full of information that anyone can use, and is greatly recommended.
Lucky You: How to Get Everything You Want and Create Your Ideal Life Using the Law of Attraction
Lucky You: How to get Everything You Want and Create Your Ideal Life Using the Law of Attraction, David Hooper, KRE, LLC, 2009
Everyone has heard of the Law of Attraction, but does it really work? How can the average person get the universe to send some good things in their direction?
A central concept of the Law of Attraction is that "like attracts like"; we attract people and situations that correspond with our dominant thoughts. Negative thoughts attract negative events, while positive thoughts attract positive events.
You need to get in the habit of saying positive things to yourself each day; it all comes down to beliefs and attitudes. It is going to take practice, but it is very much worth it. The book gives plenty of examples of things to say to yourself; the actual words are not as important as the attitude behind them. For instance, don't focus on getting a million dollars. Focus instead on the peace and freedom you will feel when you no longer have to worry about whether or not you can pay the monthly bills. Focus instead on the joy you will feel from contributing to a local organization that helps people in need.
Most people are much too impatient when it comes to the Law of Attraction. They ask for a million dollars, look around and ask "Where's the money?" Then they convice themselves that it doesn't work, get angry and sullen, and all that negative energy flowing out of them attracts more negative energy to them. Let go and trust that the universe will fulfill your request when it thinks is the right time, not when you think is the right time.
Most people also want to fix all their problems at once. They want a million dollars, and the willpower to lose 50 pounds, and a fancy car, and a fabulous vacation... Slow down and take one thing at a time. Instead of jumping from a state of constantly stressing about money to having a million dollars, start small. Ask for enough money to pay your monthly bills. When that is covered, ask for a little more, then a little more and work your way up to a million dollars.
You cannot remove all stress and negative people from your life, but you certainly can control your reactions to them. The book tells what to say to yourself to let go of that negative energy, to turn that frown upside down. The book also covers what to do if you "stumble," or if, despite your best efforts, you can't help but think that is not working.
If there is such a thing as a Law of Attraction how-to manual, this is it. Even if you can't do all the things in this book, doing just some of them will only help. It is very much worth reading.
Everyone has heard of the Law of Attraction, but does it really work? How can the average person get the universe to send some good things in their direction?
A central concept of the Law of Attraction is that "like attracts like"; we attract people and situations that correspond with our dominant thoughts. Negative thoughts attract negative events, while positive thoughts attract positive events.
You need to get in the habit of saying positive things to yourself each day; it all comes down to beliefs and attitudes. It is going to take practice, but it is very much worth it. The book gives plenty of examples of things to say to yourself; the actual words are not as important as the attitude behind them. For instance, don't focus on getting a million dollars. Focus instead on the peace and freedom you will feel when you no longer have to worry about whether or not you can pay the monthly bills. Focus instead on the joy you will feel from contributing to a local organization that helps people in need.
Most people are much too impatient when it comes to the Law of Attraction. They ask for a million dollars, look around and ask "Where's the money?" Then they convice themselves that it doesn't work, get angry and sullen, and all that negative energy flowing out of them attracts more negative energy to them. Let go and trust that the universe will fulfill your request when it thinks is the right time, not when you think is the right time.
Most people also want to fix all their problems at once. They want a million dollars, and the willpower to lose 50 pounds, and a fancy car, and a fabulous vacation... Slow down and take one thing at a time. Instead of jumping from a state of constantly stressing about money to having a million dollars, start small. Ask for enough money to pay your monthly bills. When that is covered, ask for a little more, then a little more and work your way up to a million dollars.
You cannot remove all stress and negative people from your life, but you certainly can control your reactions to them. The book tells what to say to yourself to let go of that negative energy, to turn that frown upside down. The book also covers what to do if you "stumble," or if, despite your best efforts, you can't help but think that is not working.
If there is such a thing as a Law of Attraction how-to manual, this is it. Even if you can't do all the things in this book, doing just some of them will only help. It is very much worth reading.
Goodnight, Brian
Goodnight, Brian, Steven H. Manchester, Luna Bell Press, 2011
This is a story about one family's journey through life, in the face of some considerable obstacles.
Brian Mauretti is the second child of Jan Mauretti, and her hisband, Frank, residents of Rhode Island. For his first few months, while he is breast fed, everything is fine. When Jan switches him to a supposedly organic, soy-based, bottle formula, Brian's condition collapses. It starts with constant diarrhea and inability to sleep, and goes downhill from there. Her pediatrician says not to worry. After six months of this, another pediatrician diagnoses Brian's condition.
The formula maker intentionally removed the salt from the formula, allegedly to make it more healthy. A newborn baby needs certain minerals, including salt, every day. The lack of salt has done major damage to Brian's frontal lobe; he will never be able to walk or talk on his own.
After the tears and anger, Jan's mother, Mama, the family matriarch (as New England Italian as they come), dismisses the bleak diagnosis from the doctor. She tells the family that the number one priority is helping Brian to reach his full potential. Dissent will not be tolerated. It takes several years, but Brian does learn to walk and talk. He thrives in the Rhode Island Special Olympics.
If any of the local kids start teasing Brian, or just look at him the wrong way, Russ, his older brother, has no problem with pounding that person into a bloody pulp. As the years go on, the family experiences the same trials and tribulations that happen in any family. Jan and Frank's marriage does not survive; one daughter of Jan's sister Bev declares that she is gay, while the other marries a black man. Mama takes the news much better than does Bob, Bev's husband. Mama is slowing down, but doesn't tell anyone in the family that she has cancer.
This may sound like a cliche, but do whatever is necessary (and legal) to get a copy of this book; you owe it to yourself. If purchasing it is not possible, then ask your local library to get a copy. When life gets difficult, a person sometimes needs an old-fashioned inspirational story about things like love and faith and hope. Here is that story.
This is a story about one family's journey through life, in the face of some considerable obstacles.
Brian Mauretti is the second child of Jan Mauretti, and her hisband, Frank, residents of Rhode Island. For his first few months, while he is breast fed, everything is fine. When Jan switches him to a supposedly organic, soy-based, bottle formula, Brian's condition collapses. It starts with constant diarrhea and inability to sleep, and goes downhill from there. Her pediatrician says not to worry. After six months of this, another pediatrician diagnoses Brian's condition.
The formula maker intentionally removed the salt from the formula, allegedly to make it more healthy. A newborn baby needs certain minerals, including salt, every day. The lack of salt has done major damage to Brian's frontal lobe; he will never be able to walk or talk on his own.
After the tears and anger, Jan's mother, Mama, the family matriarch (as New England Italian as they come), dismisses the bleak diagnosis from the doctor. She tells the family that the number one priority is helping Brian to reach his full potential. Dissent will not be tolerated. It takes several years, but Brian does learn to walk and talk. He thrives in the Rhode Island Special Olympics.
If any of the local kids start teasing Brian, or just look at him the wrong way, Russ, his older brother, has no problem with pounding that person into a bloody pulp. As the years go on, the family experiences the same trials and tribulations that happen in any family. Jan and Frank's marriage does not survive; one daughter of Jan's sister Bev declares that she is gay, while the other marries a black man. Mama takes the news much better than does Bob, Bev's husband. Mama is slowing down, but doesn't tell anyone in the family that she has cancer.
This may sound like a cliche, but do whatever is necessary (and legal) to get a copy of this book; you owe it to yourself. If purchasing it is not possible, then ask your local library to get a copy. When life gets difficult, a person sometimes needs an old-fashioned inspirational story about things like love and faith and hope. Here is that story.
The Thirty-First Floor
The Thirty-First Floor, Peter Wahloo, Alfred A. Knopf, 1967
Here is a police novel set in a near-future world where the police/welfare state is fully established.
A powerful combine, called The Concern, has bought up all the magazines and newspapers in this unnamed northern country. The people are fed a constant diet of bland, meaningless nonsense. Anything that could cause people to be concerned or upset is removed. Whether it is a children's comic book or a women's magazine, there are lots of bright colors everywhere. Sometimes, the same pictures of children or puppies are used in different publications. Everything is edited and printed in the same thirty-floor skyscraper.
The building receives an anonymous, mailed bomb threat, and those in charge don't know what to do. After worrying that the disruption will be too costly, the decision is made to stage a fire drill, and the building is evacuated. When no explosion happens, Inspector Jensen of the Sixteenth Division is given the task of finding out who sent the bomb threat. His boss, the Chief of Police, intentionally does not want to know what's going on. Jensen has one week in which to crack the case, and he cannot let anyone in the skyscraper know what he is doing. That might cause them to become nervous or fearful, something which is practically a criminal offense. His investigation leads to the nearly-mythical thirty-first floor of the building, which few have seen, home to the Special Department.
I can only give this a rating of Pretty Good. It has some really good utopian ideas in it, but I guess Swedish police novels (where this was first published) are a lot different than American police novels. It reads like a cross between "1984" and an episode of the police show "Dragnet"; Inspector Jensen is a person of very few words.
Here is a police novel set in a near-future world where the police/welfare state is fully established.
A powerful combine, called The Concern, has bought up all the magazines and newspapers in this unnamed northern country. The people are fed a constant diet of bland, meaningless nonsense. Anything that could cause people to be concerned or upset is removed. Whether it is a children's comic book or a women's magazine, there are lots of bright colors everywhere. Sometimes, the same pictures of children or puppies are used in different publications. Everything is edited and printed in the same thirty-floor skyscraper.
The building receives an anonymous, mailed bomb threat, and those in charge don't know what to do. After worrying that the disruption will be too costly, the decision is made to stage a fire drill, and the building is evacuated. When no explosion happens, Inspector Jensen of the Sixteenth Division is given the task of finding out who sent the bomb threat. His boss, the Chief of Police, intentionally does not want to know what's going on. Jensen has one week in which to crack the case, and he cannot let anyone in the skyscraper know what he is doing. That might cause them to become nervous or fearful, something which is practically a criminal offense. His investigation leads to the nearly-mythical thirty-first floor of the building, which few have seen, home to the Special Department.
I can only give this a rating of Pretty Good. It has some really good utopian ideas in it, but I guess Swedish police novels (where this was first published) are a lot different than American police novels. It reads like a cross between "1984" and an episode of the police show "Dragnet"; Inspector Jensen is a person of very few words.
The Warm Place
The Warm Place, Nancy Farmer, Orchard Books, 1995
This young adult novel is about a baby giraffe, who, unintentionally, goes on a great adventure.
Ruva is a female baby giraffe happily living with her family in Africa. One day, she ignores the warning by her mother to stay away from things with which she is not familiar. Next thing she knows, Ruva is caught in a net, taken from her family, and put on a steamship heading for parts unknown. While on board, she meets Rodnetus von Stroheim III, a very smart talking rat, who begins tutoring Ruva in general knowledge. You never know when knowing the multiplication tables might be useful.
Ruva ends up at a third-rate zoo in California. Dante, the owner, is more interested in gouging the public than in taking care of the animals. It's a place of concrete and iron bars, and it does not help Ruva's frame of mind to be next door to the lions. Ruva is helped by knowledge of the Warm Place, the instinctive feeling that home is ... That Way.
Along with a lock-picking rat named Troll, and a cynical chameleon named Nelson (who has a really interesting talent when it comes to lions), Ruva breaks out of the zoo, and finds a ship headed for Africa. There they meet Jabir, a young black boy who is a servant/slave with his own reasons for wanting to go to Africa. They stowaway on the ship, joined by Rodentus, crewed by the Slopes, the same demons/trolls who kidnapped Ruva in the beginning.
Also on the ship is a crate of strangleweeds, a very fast growing plant that can suck a lake dry or pull down every tree in a forest very quickly. The Slopes plan something really unpleasant for the human, and animal, residents of Africa with the strangleweeds. Can Ruva and friends stop their evil plan? Does Ruva make it back to her family?
This is an excellent book for children, and will certainly keep them interested. Teenagers and adults might notice a plot hole or two, but it is still worth reading.
This young adult novel is about a baby giraffe, who, unintentionally, goes on a great adventure.
Ruva is a female baby giraffe happily living with her family in Africa. One day, she ignores the warning by her mother to stay away from things with which she is not familiar. Next thing she knows, Ruva is caught in a net, taken from her family, and put on a steamship heading for parts unknown. While on board, she meets Rodnetus von Stroheim III, a very smart talking rat, who begins tutoring Ruva in general knowledge. You never know when knowing the multiplication tables might be useful.
Ruva ends up at a third-rate zoo in California. Dante, the owner, is more interested in gouging the public than in taking care of the animals. It's a place of concrete and iron bars, and it does not help Ruva's frame of mind to be next door to the lions. Ruva is helped by knowledge of the Warm Place, the instinctive feeling that home is ... That Way.
Along with a lock-picking rat named Troll, and a cynical chameleon named Nelson (who has a really interesting talent when it comes to lions), Ruva breaks out of the zoo, and finds a ship headed for Africa. There they meet Jabir, a young black boy who is a servant/slave with his own reasons for wanting to go to Africa. They stowaway on the ship, joined by Rodentus, crewed by the Slopes, the same demons/trolls who kidnapped Ruva in the beginning.
Also on the ship is a crate of strangleweeds, a very fast growing plant that can suck a lake dry or pull down every tree in a forest very quickly. The Slopes plan something really unpleasant for the human, and animal, residents of Africa with the strangleweeds. Can Ruva and friends stop their evil plan? Does Ruva make it back to her family?
This is an excellent book for children, and will certainly keep them interested. Teenagers and adults might notice a plot hole or two, but it is still worth reading.
The Star Conquerors
The Star Conquerors, Ben Bova, John C. Winston Company, 1959
This science fiction novel is about an interstellar war between the Terran Confederation and the much larger star empire of the Masters.
Things are not going well for the Terrans. The Saurians (who do the actual fighting under the control of the masters) outnumber the Terran forces by several times. The Terran fleet is in bad shape. Geoffrey Knowland, whose father, Heath, runs the whole Earth defense effort, is authorized to take what's left of the fleet and go on the offensive. They begin to have an effect, destroying a base here, and an outpost there.
A million years ago, mankind had spread out among the stars, with colonies on a number of planets. They ran into a highly advanced race, the Others, who wiped out mankind's star empire, and caused an ice age on Earth. These surviving colonists evolved into separate humanoid societies. A resident of one of these societies, Alan Brakerman (his actual alien name is nearly unpronounceable), escapes from a Masters-ruled planet, and joins the Terran forces.
The Terran forces liberate a number of societies from the Masters, but the natives aren't exactly jumping for joy. Life was peaceful under the Masters, but it was also quiet. Scientific exploration was subtly suppressed, and even the birth rate was stagnant. The Komani, one of those societies, is totally based on war. They have a very hard time waiting for permission from Knowland to fight.
After causing major problems for the Saurians, and the Masters, the Terrans get a message from the Masters offering to sue for peace, each side can keep the territory it has. The Terrans decline the offer; the Masters may be bloodied, but they will regroup and wipe out the Terran Confederation. The decision is made to take the fight to the home world of the Masters. When they meet an actual Master, the Terrans get more than they expected.
Sometimes, a person just has to read some old-fashioned space opera, full of interstellar space battles, where the outnumbered Earth forces bravely do battle against the implacable foe. This one is quite good.
This science fiction novel is about an interstellar war between the Terran Confederation and the much larger star empire of the Masters.
Things are not going well for the Terrans. The Saurians (who do the actual fighting under the control of the masters) outnumber the Terran forces by several times. The Terran fleet is in bad shape. Geoffrey Knowland, whose father, Heath, runs the whole Earth defense effort, is authorized to take what's left of the fleet and go on the offensive. They begin to have an effect, destroying a base here, and an outpost there.
A million years ago, mankind had spread out among the stars, with colonies on a number of planets. They ran into a highly advanced race, the Others, who wiped out mankind's star empire, and caused an ice age on Earth. These surviving colonists evolved into separate humanoid societies. A resident of one of these societies, Alan Brakerman (his actual alien name is nearly unpronounceable), escapes from a Masters-ruled planet, and joins the Terran forces.
The Terran forces liberate a number of societies from the Masters, but the natives aren't exactly jumping for joy. Life was peaceful under the Masters, but it was also quiet. Scientific exploration was subtly suppressed, and even the birth rate was stagnant. The Komani, one of those societies, is totally based on war. They have a very hard time waiting for permission from Knowland to fight.
After causing major problems for the Saurians, and the Masters, the Terrans get a message from the Masters offering to sue for peace, each side can keep the territory it has. The Terrans decline the offer; the Masters may be bloodied, but they will regroup and wipe out the Terran Confederation. The decision is made to take the fight to the home world of the Masters. When they meet an actual Master, the Terrans get more than they expected.
Sometimes, a person just has to read some old-fashioned space opera, full of interstellar space battles, where the outnumbered Earth forces bravely do battle against the implacable foe. This one is quite good.
Thursday, November 8, 2012
Three Lives
Three Lives, Joe Washington, MidMerc LLC, 2009
Most people have to be content with just one life. This is the tale of a man who led three very different lives.
Nicholas Gambit is an African-American who has nearly graduated from the local university. He is desperate to escape his Kansas City ghetto, and is one of those who may actually make something of himself. Nicholas has gotten on the bad side of Raymond Smalls, a local drug dealer, by beating him up in a fight. Nicholas knows that it is only a matter of time before Raymond kills him, but he refuses to cower, or carry a gun.
One night, his mother is murdered, and Nicholas almost joins her (courtesy of Smalls). In a moment of emotional crisis, Nicholas leaves with a man named Wilkes, who has learned that Nicholas has special "abilities." He is taken to an isolated compound, and along with others, taught to be a trained assassin. This is very high-level, and very serious training, in subjects ranging from self-defense to forensics to recent US foreign policy. In one self-defense class, two men are brought in with orders to kill Nicholas.
Wilkes runs one of those super-secret organizations that is known to very few people. After several years of training, one of Nicholas' assignments is to protect a man who says he has evidence that the intentions of Wilkes are not exactly benign; that he is creating a private army. Meantime, an African princess named Chelsea is going to college in America. Back home, her father is overthrown, and her parents are killed, in a coup d'etat. Chelsea, who knows her way around subjects like weapons and fighting, takes it upon herself, along with those loyal to her, to kill anyone involved in the coup, no matter how indirectly. Another of Nicholas' assignments is to stop her.
Wilkes is killed in a gun battle, so Nicholas finds himself as a "man without a country." He travels for a long time, finds love, and eventually enters into his third life, as a preacher.
This is a really interesting story; the author certainly knows what he is doing. There is plenty of action and violence, but it also has heart and emotion, too. Here is a first-rate piece of writing.
Most people have to be content with just one life. This is the tale of a man who led three very different lives.
Nicholas Gambit is an African-American who has nearly graduated from the local university. He is desperate to escape his Kansas City ghetto, and is one of those who may actually make something of himself. Nicholas has gotten on the bad side of Raymond Smalls, a local drug dealer, by beating him up in a fight. Nicholas knows that it is only a matter of time before Raymond kills him, but he refuses to cower, or carry a gun.
One night, his mother is murdered, and Nicholas almost joins her (courtesy of Smalls). In a moment of emotional crisis, Nicholas leaves with a man named Wilkes, who has learned that Nicholas has special "abilities." He is taken to an isolated compound, and along with others, taught to be a trained assassin. This is very high-level, and very serious training, in subjects ranging from self-defense to forensics to recent US foreign policy. In one self-defense class, two men are brought in with orders to kill Nicholas.
Wilkes runs one of those super-secret organizations that is known to very few people. After several years of training, one of Nicholas' assignments is to protect a man who says he has evidence that the intentions of Wilkes are not exactly benign; that he is creating a private army. Meantime, an African princess named Chelsea is going to college in America. Back home, her father is overthrown, and her parents are killed, in a coup d'etat. Chelsea, who knows her way around subjects like weapons and fighting, takes it upon herself, along with those loyal to her, to kill anyone involved in the coup, no matter how indirectly. Another of Nicholas' assignments is to stop her.
Wilkes is killed in a gun battle, so Nicholas finds himself as a "man without a country." He travels for a long time, finds love, and eventually enters into his third life, as a preacher.
This is a really interesting story; the author certainly knows what he is doing. There is plenty of action and violence, but it also has heart and emotion, too. Here is a first-rate piece of writing.
The Home Town Advantage: How to Defend Your Main Street Against Chain Stores, and Why It Matters
The Home Town Advantage: How to Defend Your Main Street Against Chain Stores, and Why It Matters, Stacy Mitchell, Institute for Local Self-Reliance, 2000
A big-box retailer is interested in building a gazillion square foot MegaCenter on the outskirts of your small town. This book has a number of options to encourage that retailer to look elsewhere.
Big-box proponents like to talk about the jobs and tax revenue that the retailer will bring to town. This assumes, of course, that the town has not already approved a huge, multi-year tax break to encourage the retailer to build. Studies have shown that the rise in jobs and tax revenue that come from a big-box retailer are almost exactly offset by the lost jobs and tax revenue that will come from the Main Street businesses forced to close. Other studies have compared a dollar spent at a local business to a dollar spent at a big-box retailer. A much greater percentage of the locally spent dollar will stay in town than the big-box dollar, which will be wired to corporate HQ at the end of the day.
What can the average town do about it? Consider passing a town ordinance restricting all retail activity to downtown; big-box retailers like to build on the edge of town. Another possible ordinance will restrict retail stores to no more than a certain size, like 50,000 square feet. On a related subject, another possible ordinance can restrict, or ban, formula restaurants. These are businesses where, from one restaurant to another, the decor is the same, along with the food and the method of its preparation (like a fast food restaurant).
This is a short book, barely 100 pages, but it is full of information for any town who has been approached by a big-box retailer. It is a gem of a book.
A big-box retailer is interested in building a gazillion square foot MegaCenter on the outskirts of your small town. This book has a number of options to encourage that retailer to look elsewhere.
Big-box proponents like to talk about the jobs and tax revenue that the retailer will bring to town. This assumes, of course, that the town has not already approved a huge, multi-year tax break to encourage the retailer to build. Studies have shown that the rise in jobs and tax revenue that come from a big-box retailer are almost exactly offset by the lost jobs and tax revenue that will come from the Main Street businesses forced to close. Other studies have compared a dollar spent at a local business to a dollar spent at a big-box retailer. A much greater percentage of the locally spent dollar will stay in town than the big-box dollar, which will be wired to corporate HQ at the end of the day.
What can the average town do about it? Consider passing a town ordinance restricting all retail activity to downtown; big-box retailers like to build on the edge of town. Another possible ordinance will restrict retail stores to no more than a certain size, like 50,000 square feet. On a related subject, another possible ordinance can restrict, or ban, formula restaurants. These are businesses where, from one restaurant to another, the decor is the same, along with the food and the method of its preparation (like a fast food restaurant).
This is a short book, barely 100 pages, but it is full of information for any town who has been approached by a big-box retailer. It is a gem of a book.
Where Cool Waters Flow: Four Seasons With a Master Maine Guide
Where Cool Waters Flow: Four Seasons With a Master Maine Guide, Randy Spencer, Islandport Press, 2009
This book looks at a year in the life of a Maine Guide, a person who is certified as knowing the lakes and forests around Grand Lake Stream, Maine. For most people, it's an isolated bit of northern Maine, with a population barely over 100. For those who take their hunting and fly fishing seriously, it is an important place to experience.
Winter is a time for repairs or preventive maintenance on their specially built square stern canoes, called Grand Lakers. Most people need a second job to make it through the long winter. The author is a singer/songwriter who released several CDs. Mud season happens somewhere between winter and spring, when it seems as if the entire world has turned to mud. It is also a time to curse the roads and trails, made by the timber companies, which are frequently little more than collections of ruts and potholes.
Spring means the return of guiding clients, called "sports." Many sports have become friends, returning year after year. It's an important psychic boost to the year-round residents (and the money doesn't hurt). April 1 means the opening of fly fishing season. It's totally unimportant if there is still ice on the rivers, or if there are giant snowbanks leading right down to the water; serious fly fishermen will be there.
In summer, guides make use of every square inch of storage space in their canoes as they take sports out for an all-day fishing trip. The guide knows where trout or salmon are likely to hang out; it's not enough to simply cast and expect the fish to bite. There are a number of occurrences where sports experience emotional decompression or confess things to their guide while in the canoe. To be the only human beings on a lake with no other signs of human habitation, and to watch an eagle snatch a fish out of the lake, or to watch a moose or black bear rumble past, the term "religious experience" comes to mind.
In the autumn, fishing season gives way to hunting season. Some people have to use the newest "guaranteed" rifle or hunting gadget, while others stick with family heirlooms that have worked in the past. Autumn is also the time for house repairs, and wood chopping, that weren't taken care of during the summer.
Along with being a Maine Guide, and a musician, Spencer is also an excellent storyteller. He does a fine job of putting the reader in the canoe, or up a tree waiting for a large animal to walk by. For armchair sportsmen, and serious sportsmen, this is very highly recommended.
This book looks at a year in the life of a Maine Guide, a person who is certified as knowing the lakes and forests around Grand Lake Stream, Maine. For most people, it's an isolated bit of northern Maine, with a population barely over 100. For those who take their hunting and fly fishing seriously, it is an important place to experience.
Winter is a time for repairs or preventive maintenance on their specially built square stern canoes, called Grand Lakers. Most people need a second job to make it through the long winter. The author is a singer/songwriter who released several CDs. Mud season happens somewhere between winter and spring, when it seems as if the entire world has turned to mud. It is also a time to curse the roads and trails, made by the timber companies, which are frequently little more than collections of ruts and potholes.
Spring means the return of guiding clients, called "sports." Many sports have become friends, returning year after year. It's an important psychic boost to the year-round residents (and the money doesn't hurt). April 1 means the opening of fly fishing season. It's totally unimportant if there is still ice on the rivers, or if there are giant snowbanks leading right down to the water; serious fly fishermen will be there.
In summer, guides make use of every square inch of storage space in their canoes as they take sports out for an all-day fishing trip. The guide knows where trout or salmon are likely to hang out; it's not enough to simply cast and expect the fish to bite. There are a number of occurrences where sports experience emotional decompression or confess things to their guide while in the canoe. To be the only human beings on a lake with no other signs of human habitation, and to watch an eagle snatch a fish out of the lake, or to watch a moose or black bear rumble past, the term "religious experience" comes to mind.
In the autumn, fishing season gives way to hunting season. Some people have to use the newest "guaranteed" rifle or hunting gadget, while others stick with family heirlooms that have worked in the past. Autumn is also the time for house repairs, and wood chopping, that weren't taken care of during the summer.
Along with being a Maine Guide, and a musician, Spencer is also an excellent storyteller. He does a fine job of putting the reader in the canoe, or up a tree waiting for a large animal to walk by. For armchair sportsmen, and serious sportsmen, this is very highly recommended.
The Palm Oil Miracle
The Palm Oil Miracle, Dr. Bruce Fife, Piccadilly Books, 2007
This book is all about palm oil, a seemingly "miracle" vegetable oil that has been used for thousands of years, and is currently being used around the world. But it is generally unknown here in America.
The reason for America's unfamiliarity with palm oil is that, for the last 30 years, Americans have been subjected to a huge amount of corporate propaganda (what else is new?). The culprit is the domestic vegetable oil industry. They have convinced the average citizen that tropical oils, like palm oil, which are high in saturated fat, are a leading cause of high cholesterol and heart disease. Supposedly, poly- and monounsaturated fats are the way to go. If that's true, why are the rates of heart disease much higher in America than in the rest of the world?
Many medical studies have shown that palm oil can protect against a huge number of common ailments (the book references over 300 studies). For instance, palm oil can protect against cancer, heart disease, it improves blood sugar control, it supports healthy liver and lung function, it helps protect against mental deterioration, like Alzheimer's Disease, and it helps strengthen bones and teeth. The book goes into detail about why saturated fat is better than unsaturated fat, and why palm oil is so healthy. Believe it or not, fat is an essential nutrient; the human body needs a certain amount of it every day. Those who are on a low-fat diet are doing more harm than good to themselves.
Palm oil is used in cooking, baking and deep frying, and can be used in place of margarine or vegetable oil. It can be used as a dietary supplement, and is non-toxic even in large amounts. It is even a natural anti-aging and anti-wrinkle moisturizing skin cream. The book also includes recipes that use palm oil, to cook and see for yourself.
Here is a fascinating book that is full of useful information for anyone. If the medical profession can only suggest a long and expensive course of treatment for whatever ails you, consider trying some palm oil. What have you got to lose? This book is very much worth reading.
This book is all about palm oil, a seemingly "miracle" vegetable oil that has been used for thousands of years, and is currently being used around the world. But it is generally unknown here in America.
The reason for America's unfamiliarity with palm oil is that, for the last 30 years, Americans have been subjected to a huge amount of corporate propaganda (what else is new?). The culprit is the domestic vegetable oil industry. They have convinced the average citizen that tropical oils, like palm oil, which are high in saturated fat, are a leading cause of high cholesterol and heart disease. Supposedly, poly- and monounsaturated fats are the way to go. If that's true, why are the rates of heart disease much higher in America than in the rest of the world?
Many medical studies have shown that palm oil can protect against a huge number of common ailments (the book references over 300 studies). For instance, palm oil can protect against cancer, heart disease, it improves blood sugar control, it supports healthy liver and lung function, it helps protect against mental deterioration, like Alzheimer's Disease, and it helps strengthen bones and teeth. The book goes into detail about why saturated fat is better than unsaturated fat, and why palm oil is so healthy. Believe it or not, fat is an essential nutrient; the human body needs a certain amount of it every day. Those who are on a low-fat diet are doing more harm than good to themselves.
Palm oil is used in cooking, baking and deep frying, and can be used in place of margarine or vegetable oil. It can be used as a dietary supplement, and is non-toxic even in large amounts. It is even a natural anti-aging and anti-wrinkle moisturizing skin cream. The book also includes recipes that use palm oil, to cook and see for yourself.
Here is a fascinating book that is full of useful information for anyone. If the medical profession can only suggest a long and expensive course of treatment for whatever ails you, consider trying some palm oil. What have you got to lose? This book is very much worth reading.
The Skinny on Success: Why Not You?
The Skinny on Success: Why Not You?, Jim Randel, Rand Publishing, 2010
This book, part of a series, attempts to distill a number of self-help books into a clear and easy to read format. It is intended for busy people who don't have time to read all those self-help books.
If there is such a thing as a definition of a successful person, it is someone who finds something about which they are passionate, they take action to achieve that objective, and they don't give up when setbacks get in the way.
Billy works for a CPA, and thinks that he has a knack for making people laugh. Therefore, it's nothing to participate in a comedy club's open mike night, become a successful comic, and appear on the Tonight Show, right? All you need is talent, right?
Randel, the narrator, tells Billy that passion and determination are much more important than talent. Stephen King got so many rejection letters that he needed a large spike on which to hang all of them. Steve Martin spent 10 years working to become a stand-up comic, after he worked at Disneyland as a teenager, trying out jokes and magic tricks on the public. Did they give up when success was not immediate? Brian Williams of NBC News and Jim Nantz of CBS Sports knew what they wanted to do when they were 8 years old. Many people give up on their dreams out of fear of failure, or fear of looking stupid. That may happen, but unless you try, failure is assured.
Billy's wife, Beth, is a paralegal with an interest in politics. She has been asked to run for the town Board of Finance, but she is wavering. She decides to go for it, and after getting beaten handily, is ready to give up on politics. Randel tells her that persistence in whatever you do is most important, along with not giving up when things don't go your way.
This book is excellent. It does a fine job at presenting a potentially vague subject like "success" in terms anyone can understand. Don't let the stick figure illustrations turn you off of this book that is made for busy people.
This book, part of a series, attempts to distill a number of self-help books into a clear and easy to read format. It is intended for busy people who don't have time to read all those self-help books.
If there is such a thing as a definition of a successful person, it is someone who finds something about which they are passionate, they take action to achieve that objective, and they don't give up when setbacks get in the way.
Billy works for a CPA, and thinks that he has a knack for making people laugh. Therefore, it's nothing to participate in a comedy club's open mike night, become a successful comic, and appear on the Tonight Show, right? All you need is talent, right?
Randel, the narrator, tells Billy that passion and determination are much more important than talent. Stephen King got so many rejection letters that he needed a large spike on which to hang all of them. Steve Martin spent 10 years working to become a stand-up comic, after he worked at Disneyland as a teenager, trying out jokes and magic tricks on the public. Did they give up when success was not immediate? Brian Williams of NBC News and Jim Nantz of CBS Sports knew what they wanted to do when they were 8 years old. Many people give up on their dreams out of fear of failure, or fear of looking stupid. That may happen, but unless you try, failure is assured.
Billy's wife, Beth, is a paralegal with an interest in politics. She has been asked to run for the town Board of Finance, but she is wavering. She decides to go for it, and after getting beaten handily, is ready to give up on politics. Randel tells her that persistence in whatever you do is most important, along with not giving up when things don't go your way.
This book is excellent. It does a fine job at presenting a potentially vague subject like "success" in terms anyone can understand. Don't let the stick figure illustrations turn you off of this book that is made for busy people.
The Job-Hunter's Survival Guide
The Job-Hunter's Survival Guide, Richard N. Bolles, Ten Speed Press, 2010
Here is a basic job-hunting guide for the growing number of people who are unemployed, and don't have the time, or desire, to read a lot of details.
Among the first things you should do is to do a Google search of your name, to see what the Internet says about you. If there are any drunken, or racy, photos of you on Facebook, for instance, restrict their availability or delete them, now. You can plan on a potential employer doing the same search.
After that, take some time and do a through self-inventory of what you do best and enjoy most, and your skills that are most transferable. What did you like most about your last job? What would be your dream job? (Please don't say "A job with high pay and no responsibilities.") That way, you can be absolutely detailed about the type of job you are seeking, and use that to focus your job search.
Most people want to limit their job-searching to replying to online job vacancies, mailing resumes, answering newspaper ads or using private employment agencies. Their rate of success is small, so don't make them your only job-search methods. Much more effective job-search methods include asking your network for job leads, knocking on the door of any employer that interests you (whether or not they have a vacancy), and using the Yellow Pages, alone or with others in a job club, looking for fields of interest.
Before you get on the Internet, know what kind of job you are seeking. There are a seemingly infinite number of sites to visit, including omnibus search engines, sites with jobs in specific fields, and social networking sites. Pick just a few sites, and monitor them (jobs are frequently cross-posted to multiple sites). If a site allows you to fill out a profile, or post your resume, do it. You never know who will read it. Employers prefer to fill vacancies from within, before they advertise for the opening, and deal with a bunch of semi-qualified candidates. If they already have your resume, or have seen you work as a temp or contract employee, your chances have greatly increased.
This book is short, and excellent. To those who bemoan the total lack of available jobs, the author asks "Have you done anything more than rely on the Internet or Sunday want ads for your job searching?" It is very much recommended for all job seekers.
Here is a basic job-hunting guide for the growing number of people who are unemployed, and don't have the time, or desire, to read a lot of details.
Among the first things you should do is to do a Google search of your name, to see what the Internet says about you. If there are any drunken, or racy, photos of you on Facebook, for instance, restrict their availability or delete them, now. You can plan on a potential employer doing the same search.
After that, take some time and do a through self-inventory of what you do best and enjoy most, and your skills that are most transferable. What did you like most about your last job? What would be your dream job? (Please don't say "A job with high pay and no responsibilities.") That way, you can be absolutely detailed about the type of job you are seeking, and use that to focus your job search.
Most people want to limit their job-searching to replying to online job vacancies, mailing resumes, answering newspaper ads or using private employment agencies. Their rate of success is small, so don't make them your only job-search methods. Much more effective job-search methods include asking your network for job leads, knocking on the door of any employer that interests you (whether or not they have a vacancy), and using the Yellow Pages, alone or with others in a job club, looking for fields of interest.
Before you get on the Internet, know what kind of job you are seeking. There are a seemingly infinite number of sites to visit, including omnibus search engines, sites with jobs in specific fields, and social networking sites. Pick just a few sites, and monitor them (jobs are frequently cross-posted to multiple sites). If a site allows you to fill out a profile, or post your resume, do it. You never know who will read it. Employers prefer to fill vacancies from within, before they advertise for the opening, and deal with a bunch of semi-qualified candidates. If they already have your resume, or have seen you work as a temp or contract employee, your chances have greatly increased.
This book is short, and excellent. To those who bemoan the total lack of available jobs, the author asks "Have you done anything more than rely on the Internet or Sunday want ads for your job searching?" It is very much recommended for all job seekers.
Is Anyone Out There?
Is Anyone Out There?, Nick Gevers and Marty Halpern (ed.), DAW Books, 2010
This is a bunch of new science fiction stories exploring that age-old question: Is mankind alone in the universe?
A husband and wife laying outside on a clear night talk about aliens. Among the husband's speculations are that aliens home in on a psychological signal given off by one person alone. That is why sightings are always in rural areas, and never in the city. The aliens could be here already, but out of phase with humanity.
A moderately-famous writer penned a series of stories about a human and his alien sidekick. In a dream, or delusion, the alien comes to life and tells him the truth about the universe. An alien scout is sent to Earth to offer it membership in the Galactic Community. Watching some electromagnetic transmissions, he/she/it is horrified by the state of present-day Earth society. Aliens can show up in the strangest places; inside a brown dwarf star, inside the human eye and as parasitic blobs that attach themselves to humans, and seem to thrive on human philosophical paradoxes. Throughout the galaxy, various alien species are uplifted to sentience seemingly in the blink of an eye.
Mankind has a hard enough time communicating with non-human intelligence here on Earth, so how is Man supposed to recognize a message from an alien intelligence? Aliens might also show themselves through graffiti-like tags in e-books in a supposedly invulnerable digital library. In present-day Rome, a humanoid figure all in black appears at a certain spot, with absolute regularity, about every ten and a half years. Perhaps it is an alien out of phase with humanity. A homeless woman can't escape the feeling that one of her six physical senses has disappeared.
These are not just SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) stories. They do a very good job of showing that aliens can appear almost anywhere. They will keep the reader entertained, and are really worth reading.
This is a bunch of new science fiction stories exploring that age-old question: Is mankind alone in the universe?
A husband and wife laying outside on a clear night talk about aliens. Among the husband's speculations are that aliens home in on a psychological signal given off by one person alone. That is why sightings are always in rural areas, and never in the city. The aliens could be here already, but out of phase with humanity.
A moderately-famous writer penned a series of stories about a human and his alien sidekick. In a dream, or delusion, the alien comes to life and tells him the truth about the universe. An alien scout is sent to Earth to offer it membership in the Galactic Community. Watching some electromagnetic transmissions, he/she/it is horrified by the state of present-day Earth society. Aliens can show up in the strangest places; inside a brown dwarf star, inside the human eye and as parasitic blobs that attach themselves to humans, and seem to thrive on human philosophical paradoxes. Throughout the galaxy, various alien species are uplifted to sentience seemingly in the blink of an eye.
Mankind has a hard enough time communicating with non-human intelligence here on Earth, so how is Man supposed to recognize a message from an alien intelligence? Aliens might also show themselves through graffiti-like tags in e-books in a supposedly invulnerable digital library. In present-day Rome, a humanoid figure all in black appears at a certain spot, with absolute regularity, about every ten and a half years. Perhaps it is an alien out of phase with humanity. A homeless woman can't escape the feeling that one of her six physical senses has disappeared.
These are not just SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) stories. They do a very good job of showing that aliens can appear almost anywhere. They will keep the reader entertained, and are really worth reading.
Astronomy for Beginners
Astronomy for Beginners, Jeff Becan, For Beginners LLC, 2007
This book attempts to explain Earth, the solar system, our galaxy and our universe, in clear and easy-to-understand language.
For thousands of years, humans had made quite detailed observations about the heavens. It wasn't until the 14th century, when humanity emerged from the Dark Ages, that people started to test their theories about why the heavens were the way they were. Stars, like the Sun, emit energy in wavelengths shorter and longer than visible light, ranging from gamma rays to radio waves to ultraviolet light. Detecting those waves can tell a lot more about objects in the sky than just what we see.
Billions of years ago, matter, time and energy existed as what is known as the initial singularity, smaller than an atom and with nothing else outside of it. Then the Big Bang happened. If the expansion had happened just a little faster than it did happen, then gravity could not have drawn matter together to form stars and planets. Of the four forces that affect various kinds of matter (strong nuclear force, electromagnetic force, weak interaction and gravity), gravity is the weakest, but it has an unlimited range, working over hundreds of millions of miles.
The book explores the Solar System, giving a short profile of all of its inhabitants, from the Sun to Pluto (no longer considered a planet). Also explored is the search for life on other planets; as of now, there is no actual evidence of life anywhere except on Earth.
The axis of Earth is tilted by approximately 23 degrees, which helps to explain Earth's seasons. At the summer solstice, the North Pole is tilted toward the Sun, so its rays beat down most strongly on the Northern Hemisphere. At the winter solstice, the North Pole is tilted away from the Sun, so its rays beat down on the Southern Hemisphere. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, the tilt is sideways to the Sun, so both hemispheres get an equal amount of light.
The author does a very good job at presenting the material in language accessible to anyone. For those who want to learn more about the heavens, but consider themselves scientifically illiterate, this is an excellent place to start.
This book attempts to explain Earth, the solar system, our galaxy and our universe, in clear and easy-to-understand language.
For thousands of years, humans had made quite detailed observations about the heavens. It wasn't until the 14th century, when humanity emerged from the Dark Ages, that people started to test their theories about why the heavens were the way they were. Stars, like the Sun, emit energy in wavelengths shorter and longer than visible light, ranging from gamma rays to radio waves to ultraviolet light. Detecting those waves can tell a lot more about objects in the sky than just what we see.
Billions of years ago, matter, time and energy existed as what is known as the initial singularity, smaller than an atom and with nothing else outside of it. Then the Big Bang happened. If the expansion had happened just a little faster than it did happen, then gravity could not have drawn matter together to form stars and planets. Of the four forces that affect various kinds of matter (strong nuclear force, electromagnetic force, weak interaction and gravity), gravity is the weakest, but it has an unlimited range, working over hundreds of millions of miles.
The book explores the Solar System, giving a short profile of all of its inhabitants, from the Sun to Pluto (no longer considered a planet). Also explored is the search for life on other planets; as of now, there is no actual evidence of life anywhere except on Earth.
The axis of Earth is tilted by approximately 23 degrees, which helps to explain Earth's seasons. At the summer solstice, the North Pole is tilted toward the Sun, so its rays beat down most strongly on the Northern Hemisphere. At the winter solstice, the North Pole is tilted away from the Sun, so its rays beat down on the Southern Hemisphere. During the spring and autumn equinoxes, the tilt is sideways to the Sun, so both hemispheres get an equal amount of light.
The author does a very good job at presenting the material in language accessible to anyone. For those who want to learn more about the heavens, but consider themselves scientifically illiterate, this is an excellent place to start.
My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey
My Stroke of Insight: A Brain Scientist's Personal Journey, Jill Bolte Taylor, Plume Books, 2009
Having a stroke must be hard enough for anyone. It must be that much harder to be a Harvard-trained brain scientist having a stroke, knowing what is happening to your brain as it happens.
In December 1996, the author woke one morning knowing that something was very wrong with her. Within four hours, the left hemisphere of her brain had deteriorated to the point where she could no longer read, write, talk or understand what those squiggles were on her telephone keypad. While her logical left brain was shutting down (she was able to get help in time), her intuitive right brain gave her a feeling of total peace and being at one with the universe (not necessarily a bad thing). Taylor is able to give an almost blow-by-blow description as her brain shut down. For instance, when she loses the ability to speak, that means that a spot called Broca's Area is affected.
Taylor's type of stroke was called an arteriovenous malformation, an abnormal arterial configuration. Even though it's a rare type of stroke, it's the most common type of stroke for younger sufferers (Taylor was 37 years old when she suffered her stroke). After several days in the hospital, she was sent home with her mother, who had come to help nurse her back to health. The plan was to get her as well, and as strong, as possible, because the operation to fix her arterial malformation, a stereotactic craniotomy, was coming. She survived, and over the next several years, was able to put her brain back together, leaving out the unpleasant and negative parts.
During her recovery, Taylor learned the things that caregivers should, and should not, do to help stroke patients. Make eye contact with me. Honor the healing power of sleep. Speak slowly and enunciate clearly. Please don't raise your voice. Keep visits brief. Ask me multiple-choice questions, not Yes/No questions. Break all actions down into smaller steps. Don't finish my sentences or fill in words I can't find.
This is a really interesting book. On one level, it looks inside the brain to show just what happens during a stroke; good for stroke victims or caregivers. On another level, it shows that the two lobes of the brain have very different personalities. It's very much worth reading.
Having a stroke must be hard enough for anyone. It must be that much harder to be a Harvard-trained brain scientist having a stroke, knowing what is happening to your brain as it happens.
In December 1996, the author woke one morning knowing that something was very wrong with her. Within four hours, the left hemisphere of her brain had deteriorated to the point where she could no longer read, write, talk or understand what those squiggles were on her telephone keypad. While her logical left brain was shutting down (she was able to get help in time), her intuitive right brain gave her a feeling of total peace and being at one with the universe (not necessarily a bad thing). Taylor is able to give an almost blow-by-blow description as her brain shut down. For instance, when she loses the ability to speak, that means that a spot called Broca's Area is affected.
Taylor's type of stroke was called an arteriovenous malformation, an abnormal arterial configuration. Even though it's a rare type of stroke, it's the most common type of stroke for younger sufferers (Taylor was 37 years old when she suffered her stroke). After several days in the hospital, she was sent home with her mother, who had come to help nurse her back to health. The plan was to get her as well, and as strong, as possible, because the operation to fix her arterial malformation, a stereotactic craniotomy, was coming. She survived, and over the next several years, was able to put her brain back together, leaving out the unpleasant and negative parts.
During her recovery, Taylor learned the things that caregivers should, and should not, do to help stroke patients. Make eye contact with me. Honor the healing power of sleep. Speak slowly and enunciate clearly. Please don't raise your voice. Keep visits brief. Ask me multiple-choice questions, not Yes/No questions. Break all actions down into smaller steps. Don't finish my sentences or fill in words I can't find.
This is a really interesting book. On one level, it looks inside the brain to show just what happens during a stroke; good for stroke victims or caregivers. On another level, it shows that the two lobes of the brain have very different personalities. It's very much worth reading.
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
Enjoy Your Money! How to Make It, Save It, Invest It and Give It
Enjoy Your Money! How to Make It, Save It, Invest It and Give It, J. Steve Miller, Wisdom Creek Press, 2009
There are a seemingly infinite number of personal finance books available in bookstores. This one is intended for people in their teens and twenties whose financial plans start and end with "become a millionaire."
Akashi, Antonio, James and Amy are your average high school students in detention, again. They meet with Mrs. Kramer, an eccentric, elderly teacher at the school, who teaches a course on money management. Every Saturday, they meet at a local fast food joint, where Mrs. Kramer takes the four into the world of money.
Have an emergency fund, equivalent to three or four months salary, in a savings account or money market account, accessible if needed. Pay off your debt as soon as possible, whether it is credit card debt, student loans or car payments. When you get some money in your pocket, it is tempting to buy a big-screen TV or fancy new clothes. Don't do it; live beneath your means; cut your expenses as much as possible. Is it more important that others think you are a rich person, or that you actually are a rich person?
It's also tempting to buy and sell stocks on a short-term basis, looking for a quick profit. Again, don't do it. Every time you buy or sell stock, your stockbroker makes money, not you. Research good quality, no fee mutual funds (especially index funds) that you can invest in for the long haul. Just because a fund had a good year last year, it does not mean they will have a good year this year.
A popular way to make money is by buying houses and "flipping" them. If that is not for you, and if you know the right people, think about "flipping" cars or motorcycles. People will always need decent, reliable transportation. The book also looks at buying a car (consult Consumer Reports and choose quality over flashy), insurance, knowing your way around a supermarket, investing in real estate, getting a job and keeping it.
This book is a goldmine of information. Written as a dialogue, this is very easy to follow for the person who does not want to read another "money literacy" book. This is highly recommended for every teenager and twentysomething who think that a million dollars will suddenly show up in their mailbox.
There are a seemingly infinite number of personal finance books available in bookstores. This one is intended for people in their teens and twenties whose financial plans start and end with "become a millionaire."
Akashi, Antonio, James and Amy are your average high school students in detention, again. They meet with Mrs. Kramer, an eccentric, elderly teacher at the school, who teaches a course on money management. Every Saturday, they meet at a local fast food joint, where Mrs. Kramer takes the four into the world of money.
Have an emergency fund, equivalent to three or four months salary, in a savings account or money market account, accessible if needed. Pay off your debt as soon as possible, whether it is credit card debt, student loans or car payments. When you get some money in your pocket, it is tempting to buy a big-screen TV or fancy new clothes. Don't do it; live beneath your means; cut your expenses as much as possible. Is it more important that others think you are a rich person, or that you actually are a rich person?
It's also tempting to buy and sell stocks on a short-term basis, looking for a quick profit. Again, don't do it. Every time you buy or sell stock, your stockbroker makes money, not you. Research good quality, no fee mutual funds (especially index funds) that you can invest in for the long haul. Just because a fund had a good year last year, it does not mean they will have a good year this year.
A popular way to make money is by buying houses and "flipping" them. If that is not for you, and if you know the right people, think about "flipping" cars or motorcycles. People will always need decent, reliable transportation. The book also looks at buying a car (consult Consumer Reports and choose quality over flashy), insurance, knowing your way around a supermarket, investing in real estate, getting a job and keeping it.
This book is a goldmine of information. Written as a dialogue, this is very easy to follow for the person who does not want to read another "money literacy" book. This is highly recommended for every teenager and twentysomething who think that a million dollars will suddenly show up in their mailbox.
Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet
Eaarth: Making a Life on a Tough New Planet, Bill McKibben, Times Books, 2010
Mankind has irreparably changed the Earth's climate and weather conditions. This book gives the details, and tells how to survive on this new world.
The Earth that mankind knew, and grew up on, is gone. A new planet needs a new name; hence Eaarth. It is a place of poles where the ice caps are severely reduced, or gone. It is a place where the oceans are becoming more acid, because of excess carbon absorbed into the water, not to mention the toxic chemicals and other pollutants being dumped into it. It is a place of more extreme weather patterns.
The average person might not care if an entire glacier completely melts away, like the Chacaltaya Glacier in Bolivia. Those living downstream, dependent on that glacier for their water supply, will certainly care. Since 1980, the tropics have expanded worldwide by 2 degrees north and south. Over 8 million more square miles of land are now tropical, with dry subtropics pushing ahead of them. The chances of Lake Mead, which is behind Hoover Dam, running dry in the next 10 years, have reached 50 percent. The residents of an oceanside town in North Carolina are spending up to $30,000 each to place large sandbags in front of their homes to keep the ocean at bay.
The times when America, or the world, can simply grow its way out of its financial problems are gone forever. Building enough nuclear power plants to get rid of even a tenth of the climate change problem will cost at least $8 trillion. According to one estimate, America needs to spend over $200 billion a year for decades, just on infrastructure, to avoid the kind of gridlock that will collapse the economy. A small village in Alaska is being evacuated, because of rising sea levels, at a cost of $400,000 per person. There is not enough money on Earth to evacuate everyone threatened by rising sea levels.
What to do? Some people are taking another look at small-scale agriculture, getting away from a dependence on artificial chemicals and fertilizer. Eliminate the middlemen, like advertising and transport, and put more money in the farmer's pocket. Along with local agriculture, consider local power generation.
This is a really eye-opening book. The first half is pretty bleak, showing just how bad things have gotten. But, there is plenty of hope in the second half of the book. It is very much recommended.
Mankind has irreparably changed the Earth's climate and weather conditions. This book gives the details, and tells how to survive on this new world.
The Earth that mankind knew, and grew up on, is gone. A new planet needs a new name; hence Eaarth. It is a place of poles where the ice caps are severely reduced, or gone. It is a place where the oceans are becoming more acid, because of excess carbon absorbed into the water, not to mention the toxic chemicals and other pollutants being dumped into it. It is a place of more extreme weather patterns.
The average person might not care if an entire glacier completely melts away, like the Chacaltaya Glacier in Bolivia. Those living downstream, dependent on that glacier for their water supply, will certainly care. Since 1980, the tropics have expanded worldwide by 2 degrees north and south. Over 8 million more square miles of land are now tropical, with dry subtropics pushing ahead of them. The chances of Lake Mead, which is behind Hoover Dam, running dry in the next 10 years, have reached 50 percent. The residents of an oceanside town in North Carolina are spending up to $30,000 each to place large sandbags in front of their homes to keep the ocean at bay.
The times when America, or the world, can simply grow its way out of its financial problems are gone forever. Building enough nuclear power plants to get rid of even a tenth of the climate change problem will cost at least $8 trillion. According to one estimate, America needs to spend over $200 billion a year for decades, just on infrastructure, to avoid the kind of gridlock that will collapse the economy. A small village in Alaska is being evacuated, because of rising sea levels, at a cost of $400,000 per person. There is not enough money on Earth to evacuate everyone threatened by rising sea levels.
What to do? Some people are taking another look at small-scale agriculture, getting away from a dependence on artificial chemicals and fertilizer. Eliminate the middlemen, like advertising and transport, and put more money in the farmer's pocket. Along with local agriculture, consider local power generation.
This is a really eye-opening book. The first half is pretty bleak, showing just how bad things have gotten. But, there is plenty of hope in the second half of the book. It is very much recommended.
No Yelling: The 9 Secrets of Marine Corps Leadership You Must Know to Win in Business
No Yelling: The 9 Secrets of Marine Corps Leadership You Must Know to Win in Business, Wally Adamchik, FireStarter Speaking and Consulting, 2006
Filled with real-life examples, this book looks at leadership secrets from an organization that knows a few things about it, the US Marine Corps.
As leader, your job is to articulate the goals for your group (division, company, department, etc.). Do it several times a year, not just at the yearly staff meeting. The job of your subordinates is to turn those goals into reality. Give them a chance to do it. Resist the temptation to rush in and personally fix every problem that comes along. Doing so only reinforces the message that you don't trust your subordinates.
Is your Employee Manual supposed to be followed by all employees, or is it optional for certain employees? Consequences for not following the rules have to apply to everyone, or why bother? Create some kind of system for giving potential leaders more and more responsibility. When you retire (or die) someone will be ready to take up your duties.
Every employee has a different way to get motivated; find out what they are. Some respond better to face-to-face meetings, while others might prefer e-mails. What is your leadership style? If you like one-on-one meetings, think twice about standing up in front of everyone at the annual staff meeting.
Get out from behind your desk every now and then. Walking the shop floor and talking to your employees as people might just show them that you honestly do care about them. It's the little things that will inspire your people to give that extra bit of effort.
Like the title says, there is no need to yell at people to be a good leader. This book makes it simple and easy to follow. Even if you can't do all the things in this book, doing just some of them can only help. This should be on every manager's reading list.
Filled with real-life examples, this book looks at leadership secrets from an organization that knows a few things about it, the US Marine Corps.
As leader, your job is to articulate the goals for your group (division, company, department, etc.). Do it several times a year, not just at the yearly staff meeting. The job of your subordinates is to turn those goals into reality. Give them a chance to do it. Resist the temptation to rush in and personally fix every problem that comes along. Doing so only reinforces the message that you don't trust your subordinates.
Is your Employee Manual supposed to be followed by all employees, or is it optional for certain employees? Consequences for not following the rules have to apply to everyone, or why bother? Create some kind of system for giving potential leaders more and more responsibility. When you retire (or die) someone will be ready to take up your duties.
Every employee has a different way to get motivated; find out what they are. Some respond better to face-to-face meetings, while others might prefer e-mails. What is your leadership style? If you like one-on-one meetings, think twice about standing up in front of everyone at the annual staff meeting.
Get out from behind your desk every now and then. Walking the shop floor and talking to your employees as people might just show them that you honestly do care about them. It's the little things that will inspire your people to give that extra bit of effort.
Like the title says, there is no need to yell at people to be a good leader. This book makes it simple and easy to follow. Even if you can't do all the things in this book, doing just some of them can only help. This should be on every manager's reading list.
Retreads
Retreads, Zane Smith, RealTime Publishing, 2009
This novel takes an unflinching look at present-day career services firms, companies who say that they can find jobs for people in their 40s and 50s, who have recently been laid off. The reality is very different.
Harry Kiernan is a twenty-something with plenty of drive to succeed. He talks his way into a sales job with Executive Careers International, Atlanta's most prestigious careers company. They specialize in executive-level jobs, but they also charge a hefty fee of several thousand dollars. From the beginning, Harry realizes that he has walked into a pit of vipers.
ECI exists mainly to collect that several thousand dollar fee. There are two small provisions in the contract (which clients are pressured to sign) which state that ECI does not guarantee the client a job. In meetings with the client, which are recorded without the client's knowledge, the salesman walks right up to the line, but never actually promises the client a job. ECI's "exclusive access" to people who do the hiring is nonsense; the client can do most of the work themselves on the Internet. Almost all of the glowing letters from satisfied customers shown to new clients, are fake.
ECI is a place of fear; there is no camaraderie or team spirit. George is the public head of the company, but Alex is the power behind the throne. He is a thoroughly dislikable person who cares only that an employee makes their monthly sales quota of older people signing away their last several thousand dollars. If yes, the employee is safe until next month. If no, they are summarily fired. Alex lets Harry in on an offshore tax evasion scheme. The number of customer complaints is growing, along with penalties paid to small claims court and the state of Georgia. Alex tells Harry to reduce the number of complaints, while raising the number of clients, or else. When Harry is arrested by the IRS, he learns just how badly Alex and George have screwed him.
The author does not mean to imply that all such firms are corrupt, but this is a pretty strong cautionary tale for anyone thinking of signing on the dotted line. Don't be seduced by fancy ads; be doubly and triply sure that a firm can deliver on its promises. Do as much of the job searching research as you can on your own. Somewhere along the way, read this book. It's worth your time.
This novel takes an unflinching look at present-day career services firms, companies who say that they can find jobs for people in their 40s and 50s, who have recently been laid off. The reality is very different.
Harry Kiernan is a twenty-something with plenty of drive to succeed. He talks his way into a sales job with Executive Careers International, Atlanta's most prestigious careers company. They specialize in executive-level jobs, but they also charge a hefty fee of several thousand dollars. From the beginning, Harry realizes that he has walked into a pit of vipers.
ECI exists mainly to collect that several thousand dollar fee. There are two small provisions in the contract (which clients are pressured to sign) which state that ECI does not guarantee the client a job. In meetings with the client, which are recorded without the client's knowledge, the salesman walks right up to the line, but never actually promises the client a job. ECI's "exclusive access" to people who do the hiring is nonsense; the client can do most of the work themselves on the Internet. Almost all of the glowing letters from satisfied customers shown to new clients, are fake.
ECI is a place of fear; there is no camaraderie or team spirit. George is the public head of the company, but Alex is the power behind the throne. He is a thoroughly dislikable person who cares only that an employee makes their monthly sales quota of older people signing away their last several thousand dollars. If yes, the employee is safe until next month. If no, they are summarily fired. Alex lets Harry in on an offshore tax evasion scheme. The number of customer complaints is growing, along with penalties paid to small claims court and the state of Georgia. Alex tells Harry to reduce the number of complaints, while raising the number of clients, or else. When Harry is arrested by the IRS, he learns just how badly Alex and George have screwed him.
The author does not mean to imply that all such firms are corrupt, but this is a pretty strong cautionary tale for anyone thinking of signing on the dotted line. Don't be seduced by fancy ads; be doubly and triply sure that a firm can deliver on its promises. Do as much of the job searching research as you can on your own. Somewhere along the way, read this book. It's worth your time.
Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It
Cyber War: The Next Threat to National Security and What to Do About It, Richard A. Clarke and Richard Knake, Ecco Books, 2010
This book looks at the next arena for war, cyberspace, a war that America may already have lost.
Cyber war is already here. In the past few years, several countries have found themselves under cyber attack from unknown persons. There have been a number of documented instances when American defense computer systems have been hacked, and terabytes of information (including classified information) have been copied.
American computers, because America is so wired, are quite vulnerable to hacking. The average home computer, along with thousands of others, can be taken over by an anonymous person, and used to simultaneously attack, for instance, the computer system of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. A potential enemy has probably installed "logic bombs", bits of undetectable software, in the right place. At the proper moment, they will, for instance, shut down a large part of the electricity grid (for weeks or months), or spread a computer virus inside the Pentagon.
The best thing America can do about it is to really beef up its cyber defense. America can put some doubt in an attacker's mind that their cyber attack will work. America's entire electricity system is extremely vulnerable to hackers, because the important parts are very accessible from the Internet. Tests have been conducted to see how easy it is to take control of a major electric generator system from the Internet. In several cases, it happened in less than an hour. New regulations are needed to force utilities to secure their systems, with real penalties for non-compliance. In the pentagon, it is very easy for malware to move from an unsecured computer to those that handle classified data, with disastrous results. If another country really wanted to declare all-out cyber war, the electronic collapse of America could happen in less than one hour.
It would be easy to dismiss the warnings in this book as impossible; it can't happen here. Which would you prefer: to let it happen, and then panic and point fingers, or spend some money now to reduce the chances of cyber war affecting the average American?
This is a really interesting book that is certainly up to the minute. It's easy to read for the average person, and not filled with technical or military jargon. This one is very much recommended.
This book looks at the next arena for war, cyberspace, a war that America may already have lost.
Cyber war is already here. In the past few years, several countries have found themselves under cyber attack from unknown persons. There have been a number of documented instances when American defense computer systems have been hacked, and terabytes of information (including classified information) have been copied.
American computers, because America is so wired, are quite vulnerable to hacking. The average home computer, along with thousands of others, can be taken over by an anonymous person, and used to simultaneously attack, for instance, the computer system of the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. A potential enemy has probably installed "logic bombs", bits of undetectable software, in the right place. At the proper moment, they will, for instance, shut down a large part of the electricity grid (for weeks or months), or spread a computer virus inside the Pentagon.
The best thing America can do about it is to really beef up its cyber defense. America can put some doubt in an attacker's mind that their cyber attack will work. America's entire electricity system is extremely vulnerable to hackers, because the important parts are very accessible from the Internet. Tests have been conducted to see how easy it is to take control of a major electric generator system from the Internet. In several cases, it happened in less than an hour. New regulations are needed to force utilities to secure their systems, with real penalties for non-compliance. In the pentagon, it is very easy for malware to move from an unsecured computer to those that handle classified data, with disastrous results. If another country really wanted to declare all-out cyber war, the electronic collapse of America could happen in less than one hour.
It would be easy to dismiss the warnings in this book as impossible; it can't happen here. Which would you prefer: to let it happen, and then panic and point fingers, or spend some money now to reduce the chances of cyber war affecting the average American?
This is a really interesting book that is certainly up to the minute. It's easy to read for the average person, and not filled with technical or military jargon. This one is very much recommended.
Tesseracts Thirteen
Tesseracts Thirteen, Nancy Kilpatrick and David Morell (ed.), Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, 2009
Here is another group of imaginative tales from the Great White North. Because of the number of this volume, 13, this book focuses on horror and dark fantasy stories.
The world has been ravaged by a very contagious disease that destroys undeveloped frontal lobes of the brain, thereby turning all children, whose brains are not yet fully developed, into brainless automatons. In one family, the father is ready to commit suicide out of despair; at this point, the parents are expected to take their affected children with them. The wife refuses to give up hope that someone, somewhere is working on a cure.
A former stockbroker suffers from a debilitating disease which looks like ALS on the outside, but it isn't. It is as if his body is slowing down, almost to the point of stopping, and he is always cold, even in the middle of summer. A group of children are held prisoner by a man who, by playing his flute, can make them do anything, even throw themselves off a cliff. A woman has to deal with her dead ex-husband living in her house, eating pizza and using the shower. An elderly man, living alone in the woods, is asked about the disappearance of a member of another family also living in the woods.
A woman is in the process of giving birth to quintuplets, at home. The doctor is old enough to remember the Dionne quintuplets, who grew up as media darlings and were not allowed to live regular lives. He has a very difficult decision to make when two of the babies develop severe breathing problems. Having just returned from her husband's funeral, a woman does battle with a bluejay that got into her house, and will not leave her alone.
These are all first-rate stories. They are weird and spooky without going overboard. They will keep the reader entertained, and they are well worth reading.
Here is another group of imaginative tales from the Great White North. Because of the number of this volume, 13, this book focuses on horror and dark fantasy stories.
The world has been ravaged by a very contagious disease that destroys undeveloped frontal lobes of the brain, thereby turning all children, whose brains are not yet fully developed, into brainless automatons. In one family, the father is ready to commit suicide out of despair; at this point, the parents are expected to take their affected children with them. The wife refuses to give up hope that someone, somewhere is working on a cure.
A former stockbroker suffers from a debilitating disease which looks like ALS on the outside, but it isn't. It is as if his body is slowing down, almost to the point of stopping, and he is always cold, even in the middle of summer. A group of children are held prisoner by a man who, by playing his flute, can make them do anything, even throw themselves off a cliff. A woman has to deal with her dead ex-husband living in her house, eating pizza and using the shower. An elderly man, living alone in the woods, is asked about the disappearance of a member of another family also living in the woods.
A woman is in the process of giving birth to quintuplets, at home. The doctor is old enough to remember the Dionne quintuplets, who grew up as media darlings and were not allowed to live regular lives. He has a very difficult decision to make when two of the babies develop severe breathing problems. Having just returned from her husband's funeral, a woman does battle with a bluejay that got into her house, and will not leave her alone.
These are all first-rate stories. They are weird and spooky without going overboard. They will keep the reader entertained, and they are well worth reading.
Eastern Standard Tribe
Eastern Standard Tribe, Cory Doctorow, Tor Books, 2004
Here is a near-future novel about an industrial saboteur who finds himself on the roof of an insane asylum near Boston.
In a 24-hour, instant communication world the need for sleep is the only thing that hasn't changed. The world is splintering into tribes based on time zones; those in other time zones will be at lunch or sleeping when you need them. Only those in your own time zone can be depended upon.
Art lives in London, and he works for a European telecommunications mega-corporation. His "real job" is to make life as difficult as possible for those in the Greenwich Mean Tribe by inserting user-hostile software wherever he can. Of course, other tribes are doing the same thing to Art's "home tribe," the Eastern Standard Tribe.
Art is also working on managing data flow along the Massachusetts Turnpike. Most cars have some sort of onboard computer on which songs are stored, sometimes tens of thousands of songs. Art comes up with a system for wireless transfer of songs between cars, while they are driving on the Mass Pike. Art's business partner, Fede, sends him to Boston to sign an agreement selling the system to a local company. After several days of being told to wait, while "details" are being finalized, Art realizes that he is being screwed by Fede, and Art's girlfriend, Linda. The two met when Art hit her with his car in London. That is how Art finds himself on the roof of a forty-floor insane asylum near Boston; Fede and Linda had him committed there.
As with any Doctorow novel, this book is full of interesting ideas. It's easy to read, very plausible and very much recommended.
Here is a near-future novel about an industrial saboteur who finds himself on the roof of an insane asylum near Boston.
In a 24-hour, instant communication world the need for sleep is the only thing that hasn't changed. The world is splintering into tribes based on time zones; those in other time zones will be at lunch or sleeping when you need them. Only those in your own time zone can be depended upon.
Art lives in London, and he works for a European telecommunications mega-corporation. His "real job" is to make life as difficult as possible for those in the Greenwich Mean Tribe by inserting user-hostile software wherever he can. Of course, other tribes are doing the same thing to Art's "home tribe," the Eastern Standard Tribe.
Art is also working on managing data flow along the Massachusetts Turnpike. Most cars have some sort of onboard computer on which songs are stored, sometimes tens of thousands of songs. Art comes up with a system for wireless transfer of songs between cars, while they are driving on the Mass Pike. Art's business partner, Fede, sends him to Boston to sign an agreement selling the system to a local company. After several days of being told to wait, while "details" are being finalized, Art realizes that he is being screwed by Fede, and Art's girlfriend, Linda. The two met when Art hit her with his car in London. That is how Art finds himself on the roof of a forty-floor insane asylum near Boston; Fede and Linda had him committed there.
As with any Doctorow novel, this book is full of interesting ideas. It's easy to read, very plausible and very much recommended.
If Wishes Were Horses
If Wishes Were Horses, Anne McCaffrey, Roc Books, 1998
This short fantasy novel explores the power of hope and love, and that dreams really can come true.
Lady Talarrie Eircelly has a well-known gift for healing in their small country village. Whether the malady is physical or emotional, she is The Person To See. Her husband, Lord Emkay Eircelly, is known as a fair ruler of the village. They have several children, including teenage twins, Tirza and Tracell. Life is pretty good in the village, until a messenger arrives from the king with news of war.
Lord Emkay rides off to war, along with every able-bodied man in the village, leaving Lady Talarrie in charge. The entire village goes into crisis mode. Flowers are pulled up, and vegetables are planted. Hunters scour the forest for any old or lame animals that would have died during the upcoming winter, and cull them earlier than expected. Nothing is more important than getting ready for the upcoming winter.
The war comes to the village, destroying most of the houses. This forces the whole village to move into the manor house for the winter. It's tight, but with lots of improvising, they survive the winter. When spring comes, the first priority is to start rebuilding the village. After a winter crammed into close quarters, people's tempers are almost gone.
An important part of growing up is receiving a present from your parents on your 16th birthday. Tirza's gift is all set, a special crystal from her mother to wear around her neck. Tracell, her brother, has always wanted a horse of his own; not just any horse, but a Cirgassian war horse. The war has not only taken all the able-bodied men, it has also taken all the able-bodied horses. Tracell's gift is hardly a sure thing.
This story is less than 100 pages, but it's pretty good. It's a very quick read, and it's worth the reader's time.
This short fantasy novel explores the power of hope and love, and that dreams really can come true.
Lady Talarrie Eircelly has a well-known gift for healing in their small country village. Whether the malady is physical or emotional, she is The Person To See. Her husband, Lord Emkay Eircelly, is known as a fair ruler of the village. They have several children, including teenage twins, Tirza and Tracell. Life is pretty good in the village, until a messenger arrives from the king with news of war.
Lord Emkay rides off to war, along with every able-bodied man in the village, leaving Lady Talarrie in charge. The entire village goes into crisis mode. Flowers are pulled up, and vegetables are planted. Hunters scour the forest for any old or lame animals that would have died during the upcoming winter, and cull them earlier than expected. Nothing is more important than getting ready for the upcoming winter.
The war comes to the village, destroying most of the houses. This forces the whole village to move into the manor house for the winter. It's tight, but with lots of improvising, they survive the winter. When spring comes, the first priority is to start rebuilding the village. After a winter crammed into close quarters, people's tempers are almost gone.
An important part of growing up is receiving a present from your parents on your 16th birthday. Tirza's gift is all set, a special crystal from her mother to wear around her neck. Tracell, her brother, has always wanted a horse of his own; not just any horse, but a Cirgassian war horse. The war has not only taken all the able-bodied men, it has also taken all the able-bodied horses. Tracell's gift is hardly a sure thing.
This story is less than 100 pages, but it's pretty good. It's a very quick read, and it's worth the reader's time.
And Afterward, The Dark
And Afterward, The Dark, Basil Copper, Arkham House, 1977
Hey, get your high-quality spooky stories here!
Sleeping in a rural guesthouse, a man wakes up in the middle of the night to find a dinner-plate sized spider on the ceiling directly above him. An academic buys a rural house so he can work on his magnum opus, a multi-volume work on superstitions. Some unknown force is writing messages in the dust on a shelf, including one with his name in it.
A well-known physicist, as rational and scientific a person as you will ever meet, is tormented by a strange dream while he sleeps. It is as if he is watching a movie inside his head, for the dream progresses a few minutes each night. In the dream, he is washed up on shore somewhere in the East, and many hundreds of years ago. He sees a great city a mile away, where his lady love awaits. Between him and the city are a band of horsemen riding toward him, brandishing huge swords. Each night, they get closer and closer. The physicist checks himself into an isolated mental hospital, for "observation." The swordsmen in the dream can't hurt him in reality, can they?
An isolated hamlet in the Alps is attacked by some sort of monster which is only heard, but never seen. In another rural house, a man becomes the private secretary to a man with a rather extreme interest in obituaries and chronicling people's deaths.
Copper is a veteran of the macabre literature field, and it shows here. The horror part of these stories is implied, but never thrown all over the page. If you can find a copy, this is really worth reading.
Hey, get your high-quality spooky stories here!
Sleeping in a rural guesthouse, a man wakes up in the middle of the night to find a dinner-plate sized spider on the ceiling directly above him. An academic buys a rural house so he can work on his magnum opus, a multi-volume work on superstitions. Some unknown force is writing messages in the dust on a shelf, including one with his name in it.
A well-known physicist, as rational and scientific a person as you will ever meet, is tormented by a strange dream while he sleeps. It is as if he is watching a movie inside his head, for the dream progresses a few minutes each night. In the dream, he is washed up on shore somewhere in the East, and many hundreds of years ago. He sees a great city a mile away, where his lady love awaits. Between him and the city are a band of horsemen riding toward him, brandishing huge swords. Each night, they get closer and closer. The physicist checks himself into an isolated mental hospital, for "observation." The swordsmen in the dream can't hurt him in reality, can they?
An isolated hamlet in the Alps is attacked by some sort of monster which is only heard, but never seen. In another rural house, a man becomes the private secretary to a man with a rather extreme interest in obituaries and chronicling people's deaths.
Copper is a veteran of the macabre literature field, and it shows here. The horror part of these stories is implied, but never thrown all over the page. If you can find a copy, this is really worth reading.
Halting State
Halting State, Charles Stross, Ace Books, 2008
This near-future story is about a bank robbery that exposes a whole lot more.
In Edinburgh, Scotland of the year 2018, a high-tech company called Hayek Associates suffers a bank robbery. A senior officer of the firm panics, and calls the local police, instead of taking care of things internally. Things get weird when Sergeant Sue Smith is told that the robbery took place inside a virtual reality games called Avalon Four. Forgetting for a moment that this is supposed to be impossible, Hayek Associates is about to have its Initial Public Offering of stock. If word gets out, the company (and its virtual economies) will crash hard. This may not be your average bank robbery, but the amount of money involved, over 26 million Euros, is very real.
Elaine Barnaby, a London-based forensic accountant, is sent to Edinburgh to audit the bank from the inside. The unspoken part is that, if anything goes wrong, her firm will plead ignorance, and her neck will be on the chopping block. She is provided with a guide through the world of online gaming named Jack Reed, who, coincidentally (or not so coincidentally) became unemployed the week before.
Very Important People in newly independent Scotland are interested in the case, including the Scottish equivalent of the FBI. Brussels (the home of the European Union) gets involved in the case. There are Chinese hackers involved, who may or may not be assisted by Chinese State Security. Copspace, a sort of private VR database system for the police, which is supposedly secure, gets hacked. It is a world where everyone has access to the Internet through their eyeglasses. There is even a zombie flash mob.
I understood very little of the technical parts, because I know nothing about online gaming, but I loved reading this book. It is very cool and cutting edge, and works quite well as a straight thriller. If I could, I would give this book three thumbs up.
This near-future story is about a bank robbery that exposes a whole lot more.
In Edinburgh, Scotland of the year 2018, a high-tech company called Hayek Associates suffers a bank robbery. A senior officer of the firm panics, and calls the local police, instead of taking care of things internally. Things get weird when Sergeant Sue Smith is told that the robbery took place inside a virtual reality games called Avalon Four. Forgetting for a moment that this is supposed to be impossible, Hayek Associates is about to have its Initial Public Offering of stock. If word gets out, the company (and its virtual economies) will crash hard. This may not be your average bank robbery, but the amount of money involved, over 26 million Euros, is very real.
Elaine Barnaby, a London-based forensic accountant, is sent to Edinburgh to audit the bank from the inside. The unspoken part is that, if anything goes wrong, her firm will plead ignorance, and her neck will be on the chopping block. She is provided with a guide through the world of online gaming named Jack Reed, who, coincidentally (or not so coincidentally) became unemployed the week before.
Very Important People in newly independent Scotland are interested in the case, including the Scottish equivalent of the FBI. Brussels (the home of the European Union) gets involved in the case. There are Chinese hackers involved, who may or may not be assisted by Chinese State Security. Copspace, a sort of private VR database system for the police, which is supposedly secure, gets hacked. It is a world where everyone has access to the Internet through their eyeglasses. There is even a zombie flash mob.
I understood very little of the technical parts, because I know nothing about online gaming, but I loved reading this book. It is very cool and cutting edge, and works quite well as a straight thriller. If I could, I would give this book three thumbs up.
Lost Pages
Lost Pages, Paul Di Filippo, Four Walls Eight Windows Press, 1998
This bunch of previously published stories present a number of alternative visions of the 20th century.
Anne Frank emigrates to America, just ahead of the Nazis, and eventually becomes a famous movie star. She falls in love with Mickey Rooney, and later marries him. Anne divorces him after a few years, citing physical abuse. While a plague is ravaging the Northern Hemisphere, a man attempts to re-create Wings Over the World (from "Things to Come" by H.G. Wells) with help from a few surviving pilots in southern Africa. There is a tale about Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and the 1945 Trinity atomic bomb test.
In a Hamburg bar in the middle of World War III, a soldier listens to a very strange story. An average-looking man tells of a world destroyed by nuclear weapons in an all-out war. He happens to find a time machine and takes a one-way trip back to the early 20th century. Pretending to be a reporter, he systematically, and discreetly, kills any scientist involved in atomic physics, from Einstein to Oppenheimer. The atomic bombing of Japan is replaced by the American invasion of Japan, with heavy American casualties. The man realizes, to his dismay, that he may have taken nuclear weapons off the table, but he has done nothing about the forces that periodically push humanity to war.
A young Native American writer travels to 1930s New York City to meet the editor of a famous science fiction magazine, Joseph Campbell. In post-war America, a handful of people are sent on a private rocket ship to the Moon. Told that the Nazi High Command is there plotting a comeback, when they arrive, they don't find any Nazis. Then they are informed (by President Robert Heinlein) the real reason they are there.
Here are some memorable and imaginative stories. They are well-done and interesting from start to finish, and will give the reader plenty to think about.
This bunch of previously published stories present a number of alternative visions of the 20th century.
Anne Frank emigrates to America, just ahead of the Nazis, and eventually becomes a famous movie star. She falls in love with Mickey Rooney, and later marries him. Anne divorces him after a few years, citing physical abuse. While a plague is ravaging the Northern Hemisphere, a man attempts to re-create Wings Over the World (from "Things to Come" by H.G. Wells) with help from a few surviving pilots in southern Africa. There is a tale about Jack Kerouac, Neal Cassady and the 1945 Trinity atomic bomb test.
In a Hamburg bar in the middle of World War III, a soldier listens to a very strange story. An average-looking man tells of a world destroyed by nuclear weapons in an all-out war. He happens to find a time machine and takes a one-way trip back to the early 20th century. Pretending to be a reporter, he systematically, and discreetly, kills any scientist involved in atomic physics, from Einstein to Oppenheimer. The atomic bombing of Japan is replaced by the American invasion of Japan, with heavy American casualties. The man realizes, to his dismay, that he may have taken nuclear weapons off the table, but he has done nothing about the forces that periodically push humanity to war.
A young Native American writer travels to 1930s New York City to meet the editor of a famous science fiction magazine, Joseph Campbell. In post-war America, a handful of people are sent on a private rocket ship to the Moon. Told that the Nazi High Command is there plotting a comeback, when they arrive, they don't find any Nazis. Then they are informed (by President Robert Heinlein) the real reason they are there.
Here are some memorable and imaginative stories. They are well-done and interesting from start to finish, and will give the reader plenty to think about.
Fifth Life of the Catwoman
Fifth Life of the Catwoman, Kathleen Dexter, Berkley Trade Signature, 2002
This novel is about a woman who lives alone, inside a mirage, in the mountains of present-day New Mexico.
Kat O'Malley is not your average recluse. Several hundred years ago, O'Malley, then named Josefina, and her brother, Julio, received a gift, or curse, from their mother just before she was killed for being a witch. They were given nine lives, and made part cat. Kat is now on her fifth life. Her other lives did not end well. She was drowned for being a witch, stoned to death for being "too well liked" by cats, and she died in childbirth after giving birth to 13 daughters (not all at the same time).
Today, O'Malley has a justifiable fear of the outside world. She is happy to live with 50 cats, with whom she communicates telepathically. One day, a man named Angelo DiVita arrives at her door; it is actually Julio, her brother, from 400 years ago. He is now headmaster at a local commune/alternative high school. She reluctantly accepts his invitation to teach a history course at the school two days a week. Her only conditions are that she does it her way, and that there are no visitors to the class.
As at any other school, there are those on the Board of Directors who just have to stick their noses where they are not welcome, including one who thinks of herself as some New Age goddess. As the semester goes on, Kat exposes her students to the sort of history that won't be found in any textbook. Her refusal to allow visitors to her class leads to resentment and prejudice on the part of the Board (she won't allow visitors, so, therefore, she must be filling their heads with something evil). Kat has seen this before. When tragedy strikes near the end of the semester, what will become of Kat?
This tale easily reaches the level of Wow. It's very contemporary, with just a little bit of weirdness. The author does a wonderful job throughout, and this is very much recommended.
This novel is about a woman who lives alone, inside a mirage, in the mountains of present-day New Mexico.
Kat O'Malley is not your average recluse. Several hundred years ago, O'Malley, then named Josefina, and her brother, Julio, received a gift, or curse, from their mother just before she was killed for being a witch. They were given nine lives, and made part cat. Kat is now on her fifth life. Her other lives did not end well. She was drowned for being a witch, stoned to death for being "too well liked" by cats, and she died in childbirth after giving birth to 13 daughters (not all at the same time).
Today, O'Malley has a justifiable fear of the outside world. She is happy to live with 50 cats, with whom she communicates telepathically. One day, a man named Angelo DiVita arrives at her door; it is actually Julio, her brother, from 400 years ago. He is now headmaster at a local commune/alternative high school. She reluctantly accepts his invitation to teach a history course at the school two days a week. Her only conditions are that she does it her way, and that there are no visitors to the class.
As at any other school, there are those on the Board of Directors who just have to stick their noses where they are not welcome, including one who thinks of herself as some New Age goddess. As the semester goes on, Kat exposes her students to the sort of history that won't be found in any textbook. Her refusal to allow visitors to her class leads to resentment and prejudice on the part of the Board (she won't allow visitors, so, therefore, she must be filling their heads with something evil). Kat has seen this before. When tragedy strikes near the end of the semester, what will become of Kat?
This tale easily reaches the level of Wow. It's very contemporary, with just a little bit of weirdness. The author does a wonderful job throughout, and this is very much recommended.
Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead
Evolve: Vampire Stories of the New Undead, Nancy Kilpatrick (ed.), Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing, 2010
This is an anthology of new stories from Canada all about vampires, that mainstay of horror literature.
In the 21st century, Vampires are people, too (so to speak). They go on Oprah, they have teenage daughters (with a unique set of problems in school) and they run for public office. They are jazz and blues musicians, and they have to deal with the fathers of some of the women they have killed. Their bodies can filter out a major blood disease that is ravaging mankind. They breed humans for their flesh, and siphon their blood. When they are born, they need to feed on human flesh, usually the mother's.
They go to clubs, looking for victims, and sometimes run into bored young people who think that being bitten by a vampire will turn them into a vampire, which is not the case. They construct sets of mirrors that allow them to be exposed to the sun, and actually get a tan, without worrying about burning up. Sometimes, they have to deal with demon-hunters, complete with wooden stakes (an occupational hazard for a vampire), who don't always know what they are doing. Occasionally, they appear to bored city workers on public transit (no one else can see them) and convince them that, to become a vampire, they have to murder someone and drink their blood, which is also not the case. There are also vampire vigilantes, who help out people in trouble at night, but who have their own ulterior motives.
Here is a first-rate bunch of stories. I am not much of a horror reader, so I was glad to see that the horror part of these tales was not overwhelming. This is very much worth reading.
This is an anthology of new stories from Canada all about vampires, that mainstay of horror literature.
In the 21st century, Vampires are people, too (so to speak). They go on Oprah, they have teenage daughters (with a unique set of problems in school) and they run for public office. They are jazz and blues musicians, and they have to deal with the fathers of some of the women they have killed. Their bodies can filter out a major blood disease that is ravaging mankind. They breed humans for their flesh, and siphon their blood. When they are born, they need to feed on human flesh, usually the mother's.
They go to clubs, looking for victims, and sometimes run into bored young people who think that being bitten by a vampire will turn them into a vampire, which is not the case. They construct sets of mirrors that allow them to be exposed to the sun, and actually get a tan, without worrying about burning up. Sometimes, they have to deal with demon-hunters, complete with wooden stakes (an occupational hazard for a vampire), who don't always know what they are doing. Occasionally, they appear to bored city workers on public transit (no one else can see them) and convince them that, to become a vampire, they have to murder someone and drink their blood, which is also not the case. There are also vampire vigilantes, who help out people in trouble at night, but who have their own ulterior motives.
Here is a first-rate bunch of stories. I am not much of a horror reader, so I was glad to see that the horror part of these tales was not overwhelming. This is very much worth reading.
Gaea
Gaea, Robina Williams, Twilight Times Books, 2009
Third in a series, this fantasy novel is about Quant, a house cat who can cross between physical dimensions (and do a lot more than that).
Gaea (Mother Earth) has had it with mankind's wanton destruction of her resources, including plants and animals. After being physically attacked by a man, and left in a ditch, Gaea is ready to wipe mankind off the map. Quant, now in the form of a humanoid seraph, takes Gaea to visit God, the Lord of All (the Big Boss). God allows Gaea to warn mankind, or otherwise kick him in the rear end, but if there is any vengeance or smiting to be done, He will do it (and no one else). The pair gather a few friends, including Briareos (with fifty heads and one hundred arms), Cerberus, the three-headed Hell Hound, Demeter, Zeus and Triton, to see if they can change mankind's thinking.
Meantime, the brothers at a rural friary are entering the world of green living on the orders of their leader, Brother Polycarp. Their initial reaction is reluctant, at best, but they soon get into the spirit of starting a vegetable garden, baking with fruit from their own orchard, and occasionally walking instead of always taking the car. Quant uses them as an example to Gaea that some humans are trying to live the right way.
When those giant factory fishing vessels, with the nets that destroy the ocean floor, are at sea and about to deploy their nets, they are suddenly best by huge storms that come out of nowhere. They speed back to port to try again tomorrow. The same thing happens time after time; clear skies instantly turn stormy. The sonar systems on all submarines suddenly and permanently malfunction, for no apparent reason. Large parts of the world experience bizarre weather patterns, like dust storms and snow in summer, while those that are living in harmony with nature, like the friary, experience beautiful weather. Does mankind start to get the idea? Does he realize that using the resources of Earth in moderation is actually a good idea?
This is a really well-done novel with a strong, but not overdone, environmental message. The next time you litter or waste resources, just think, Gaea is watching.
Third in a series, this fantasy novel is about Quant, a house cat who can cross between physical dimensions (and do a lot more than that).
Gaea (Mother Earth) has had it with mankind's wanton destruction of her resources, including plants and animals. After being physically attacked by a man, and left in a ditch, Gaea is ready to wipe mankind off the map. Quant, now in the form of a humanoid seraph, takes Gaea to visit God, the Lord of All (the Big Boss). God allows Gaea to warn mankind, or otherwise kick him in the rear end, but if there is any vengeance or smiting to be done, He will do it (and no one else). The pair gather a few friends, including Briareos (with fifty heads and one hundred arms), Cerberus, the three-headed Hell Hound, Demeter, Zeus and Triton, to see if they can change mankind's thinking.
Meantime, the brothers at a rural friary are entering the world of green living on the orders of their leader, Brother Polycarp. Their initial reaction is reluctant, at best, but they soon get into the spirit of starting a vegetable garden, baking with fruit from their own orchard, and occasionally walking instead of always taking the car. Quant uses them as an example to Gaea that some humans are trying to live the right way.
When those giant factory fishing vessels, with the nets that destroy the ocean floor, are at sea and about to deploy their nets, they are suddenly best by huge storms that come out of nowhere. They speed back to port to try again tomorrow. The same thing happens time after time; clear skies instantly turn stormy. The sonar systems on all submarines suddenly and permanently malfunction, for no apparent reason. Large parts of the world experience bizarre weather patterns, like dust storms and snow in summer, while those that are living in harmony with nature, like the friary, experience beautiful weather. Does mankind start to get the idea? Does he realize that using the resources of Earth in moderation is actually a good idea?
This is a really well-done novel with a strong, but not overdone, environmental message. The next time you litter or waste resources, just think, Gaea is watching.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Imaginings: An Anthology of Visionary Literature, Volume 1
Imaginings: An Anthology of Visionary Literature, Volume 1: After the Myths Went Home, Stefan Rudnicki (ed.), Frog Ltd., 2004
First of a three-volume series, this book collects tales of imagination from the last couple of centuries. These are not specifically science fiction, or fantasy, or horror stories, but somewhere in the middle.
Robert Silverberg looks at a far-future human society that no longer believes in myths, so a great machine is built to bring to life mythical figures from throughout human history. Among those recreated were Adam and Eve, Odysseus, Shiva, Dionysus, Thor, St. George and St. Jude. It also recreated more modern figures who became mythical, like Galileo, Newton, Freud, Einstein and John Kennedy. After fifty years, humanity gets bored with them, so all of them are sent back into the machine. Then the invaders come and enslave humanity.
There is an excerpt from a longer piece written in 1895 by Robert W. Chambers. It explores 1930s New York City in a parallel reality, and is about the opening of the first public suicide chamber. A story from 1901 is about a man found insane and uncommunicative in an isolated area. Later, a diary is found that describes him abruptly quitting his job, living in the isolated area, becoming sick of all human contact, and convincing himself that he is a god. Elvis Presley returns to America from the Army to bear witness to a weird and jumbled timeline of death. There is a portion of a play from early 1900s German Expressionism. Included in this volume are tales by Ambrose Bierce, Algernon Blackwood and Guy de Maupassant.
This is what they mean when they talk about "great imaginative literature." These authors helped to create the fantasy and science fiction genres. There is something here for everyone, and it is highly recommended.
First of a three-volume series, this book collects tales of imagination from the last couple of centuries. These are not specifically science fiction, or fantasy, or horror stories, but somewhere in the middle.
Robert Silverberg looks at a far-future human society that no longer believes in myths, so a great machine is built to bring to life mythical figures from throughout human history. Among those recreated were Adam and Eve, Odysseus, Shiva, Dionysus, Thor, St. George and St. Jude. It also recreated more modern figures who became mythical, like Galileo, Newton, Freud, Einstein and John Kennedy. After fifty years, humanity gets bored with them, so all of them are sent back into the machine. Then the invaders come and enslave humanity.
There is an excerpt from a longer piece written in 1895 by Robert W. Chambers. It explores 1930s New York City in a parallel reality, and is about the opening of the first public suicide chamber. A story from 1901 is about a man found insane and uncommunicative in an isolated area. Later, a diary is found that describes him abruptly quitting his job, living in the isolated area, becoming sick of all human contact, and convincing himself that he is a god. Elvis Presley returns to America from the Army to bear witness to a weird and jumbled timeline of death. There is a portion of a play from early 1900s German Expressionism. Included in this volume are tales by Ambrose Bierce, Algernon Blackwood and Guy de Maupassant.
This is what they mean when they talk about "great imaginative literature." These authors helped to create the fantasy and science fiction genres. There is something here for everyone, and it is highly recommended.
All Night Awake
All Night Awake, Sarah A. Hoyt, Ace Books, 2002
Part two of a trilogy, this novel looks at the life of a struggling young poet in Elizabethan England by the name of William Shakespeare.
Will is having a very hard time making it as a poet in London. He is not just a "struggling" poet, he is, literally, a starving poet. Will makes the acquaintance of Christopher Marlowe, the current favorite poet of Elizabeth I. Christopher has attracted the attention of the authorities, a sure route to a short life span. Back in his university days, evidently he was not diligent enough in reporting a classmate who made an unpleasant remark about the monarchy. Therefore, he has to be a sympathizer. Facing lots of torture on the rack, Christopher spins a tale about this huge conspiracy he has uncovered. He has to give the authorities somebody, so he plans on implicating Shakespeare. There is no conspiracy, and even if there was, Shakespeare is the last person who would be involved in it.
Both men received their poetry gifts through exposure to the world of faerie. An elf named Sylvanus has "gone bad" and is heading to London to create havoc. The King of faerie, Quicksilver, has no choice but to go after him. He changes into his alter ego, a beautiful woman named Silver, with whom Shakespeare has already cheated on his wife (she is back home in Stratford). Meantime, back in faerie, it is as if all of the magical energy is disappearing; elves and fairies are dying by the hundreds. Ariel, the Queen of Faerie, has no choice but to go to London and look for her husband. Also, Sylvanus takes over Marlowe's body; at night, he becomes a sort of humanoid beast who likes to disembowel people. Does Shakespeare stay out of the hands of the authorities? Does faerie get all of its magical energy removed?
This is an interesting speculation about the life of William Shakespeare before he became a Famous Person. Of course, Shakespeare fans will love it, and so will fantasy fans. It's worth reading.
Part two of a trilogy, this novel looks at the life of a struggling young poet in Elizabethan England by the name of William Shakespeare.
Will is having a very hard time making it as a poet in London. He is not just a "struggling" poet, he is, literally, a starving poet. Will makes the acquaintance of Christopher Marlowe, the current favorite poet of Elizabeth I. Christopher has attracted the attention of the authorities, a sure route to a short life span. Back in his university days, evidently he was not diligent enough in reporting a classmate who made an unpleasant remark about the monarchy. Therefore, he has to be a sympathizer. Facing lots of torture on the rack, Christopher spins a tale about this huge conspiracy he has uncovered. He has to give the authorities somebody, so he plans on implicating Shakespeare. There is no conspiracy, and even if there was, Shakespeare is the last person who would be involved in it.
Both men received their poetry gifts through exposure to the world of faerie. An elf named Sylvanus has "gone bad" and is heading to London to create havoc. The King of faerie, Quicksilver, has no choice but to go after him. He changes into his alter ego, a beautiful woman named Silver, with whom Shakespeare has already cheated on his wife (she is back home in Stratford). Meantime, back in faerie, it is as if all of the magical energy is disappearing; elves and fairies are dying by the hundreds. Ariel, the Queen of Faerie, has no choice but to go to London and look for her husband. Also, Sylvanus takes over Marlowe's body; at night, he becomes a sort of humanoid beast who likes to disembowel people. Does Shakespeare stay out of the hands of the authorities? Does faerie get all of its magical energy removed?
This is an interesting speculation about the life of William Shakespeare before he became a Famous Person. Of course, Shakespeare fans will love it, and so will fantasy fans. It's worth reading.
Odyssey
Odyssey, Jack McDevitt, Ace Books, 2006
This far-future novel is about mankind's attempt to learn the truth behind mysterious lights in space called moonriders.
Space travel and industrialization just has not paid off the way humanity had hoped. The search for intelligent life has been disappointing. On Earth, there is a growing call to cut the space exploration budget, and focus on domestic issues, like global warming. In a last-ditch effort, the Academy puts together a mission to investigate moonriders, once and for all. The modern equivalent of UFOs, they have been seen by many, but no one has gotten a close look at them.
The mission takes on added urgency when an asteroid misses Earth by a whisker (in astronomical terms), and no one knew it was coming. A luxury hotel under construction orbiting a nearby planet is destroyed by another asteroid. Both incidents are blamed on moonriders. The mission, including the journalist leading the campaign to cut the space fleet, discovers that the incidents blamed on moonriders have a much more Earthly origin. They also see, up close and personal, that the moonriders are not to be trifled with, when they attack a supercollider, thousands of kilometers long, under construction many light years away.
Here is another gem of a story from McDevitt. It's an intelligent piece of space opera, it does a good job of combining ideas and action, and it is recommended.
This far-future novel is about mankind's attempt to learn the truth behind mysterious lights in space called moonriders.
Space travel and industrialization just has not paid off the way humanity had hoped. The search for intelligent life has been disappointing. On Earth, there is a growing call to cut the space exploration budget, and focus on domestic issues, like global warming. In a last-ditch effort, the Academy puts together a mission to investigate moonriders, once and for all. The modern equivalent of UFOs, they have been seen by many, but no one has gotten a close look at them.
The mission takes on added urgency when an asteroid misses Earth by a whisker (in astronomical terms), and no one knew it was coming. A luxury hotel under construction orbiting a nearby planet is destroyed by another asteroid. Both incidents are blamed on moonriders. The mission, including the journalist leading the campaign to cut the space fleet, discovers that the incidents blamed on moonriders have a much more Earthly origin. They also see, up close and personal, that the moonriders are not to be trifled with, when they attack a supercollider, thousands of kilometers long, under construction many light years away.
Here is another gem of a story from McDevitt. It's an intelligent piece of space opera, it does a good job of combining ideas and action, and it is recommended.
The Magician's Apprentice
The Magician's Apprentice, Trudi Canavan, Orbit Books, 2009
First of a trilogy, this fantasy novel is about two enemies moving toward war, with a young apprentice stuck in the middle.
Tessia is a healer's apprentice in the land of Kyralia. It is a place where the only "career" for women is to become a wife and mother, so becoming a healer, on her own, is not an option. One day, in a moment of stress, Tessia shows an amazing natural talent for magic. She becomes a magician's apprentice under Lord Dakon. She joins Jayan, an older male apprentice, with whom she has a difficult relationship. Before Tessia can get used to her new life, war comes to Kyralia.
Three centuries previously, Kyralia gained its independence from the land of Sachaka. A group of rogue Sachakan magicians vows to do something about that. When they attack a Kyralian village, they suck all the magic out of the residents, then brutally kill everyone, including Tessia's parents. Takado, the leader of the Sachakan magicians, is banking on the Sachakan emperor being forced into approving the invasion, now that it is already in process. When the two armies meet, there are major pitched battles, using magic only. Slowly but surely, the war starts to go Kyralia's way. When the Sachakans are pushed back to the border, do the Kyralians stay there? On the other hand, do the Kyralians continue to the Sachakan capital, to wipe out Sachaka once and for all? If they don't, they know that, one day, Sachaka will attack Kyralia, and finish it, once and for all.
This is a big book, but it's a really good one. It's a tale full of loyalty, conflict and finding your place in the world when your world has been turned upside down. It is well worth the reader's time.
First of a trilogy, this fantasy novel is about two enemies moving toward war, with a young apprentice stuck in the middle.
Tessia is a healer's apprentice in the land of Kyralia. It is a place where the only "career" for women is to become a wife and mother, so becoming a healer, on her own, is not an option. One day, in a moment of stress, Tessia shows an amazing natural talent for magic. She becomes a magician's apprentice under Lord Dakon. She joins Jayan, an older male apprentice, with whom she has a difficult relationship. Before Tessia can get used to her new life, war comes to Kyralia.
Three centuries previously, Kyralia gained its independence from the land of Sachaka. A group of rogue Sachakan magicians vows to do something about that. When they attack a Kyralian village, they suck all the magic out of the residents, then brutally kill everyone, including Tessia's parents. Takado, the leader of the Sachakan magicians, is banking on the Sachakan emperor being forced into approving the invasion, now that it is already in process. When the two armies meet, there are major pitched battles, using magic only. Slowly but surely, the war starts to go Kyralia's way. When the Sachakans are pushed back to the border, do the Kyralians stay there? On the other hand, do the Kyralians continue to the Sachakan capital, to wipe out Sachaka once and for all? If they don't, they know that, one day, Sachaka will attack Kyralia, and finish it, once and for all.
This is a big book, but it's a really good one. It's a tale full of loyalty, conflict and finding your place in the world when your world has been turned upside down. It is well worth the reader's time.
The Domino Men
The Domino Men, Jonathan Barnes, William Morrow, 2009
This contemporary fantasy novel is about a file clerk suddenly thrust into the middle of a life-or-death battle over the future of Great Britain.
Henry Lamb is the sort of average person who exemplifies the term "civil servant." One day, he is taken to the giant ferris wheel called the London Eye, where he meets a humanoid being named Dedlock living in a tank of amniotic fluid. Henry is forcefully recruited into The Directorate, one of those super-secret organizations that doesn't officially exist.
For the past century and a half, The Directorate has been fighting an all-out war against the British Monarchy. Queen Victoria agreed to a "deal with the devil"; she signed over London and all its inhabitants to a multi-limbed being called Leviathan. Dedlock, who was one of the Queen's advisors, vowed to use any means at his disposal to stop it. Now the bill is coming due.
Henry was recruited because his grandfather, now hospitalized in a deep coma, was a former high-ranking member of The Directorate. All Henry has to do is to find a woman named Estrella, who is the key to everything, in time to keep Leviathan from rising out of the Thames, and destroying London.
In a cellar of 10 Downing Street, in an ultra-secure prison cell, are the Domino Men, the most feared serial killers in British history. They are two young men, who dress like British schoolboys, and who think nothing of killing large numbers of people, giggling the whole time. They seem to instantly know a person's deepest fears and insecurities, and enjoy exploiting the heck out of them. The Domino Men say that they know where Estrella is, and are taken out under very heavy police guard. They don't stay in custody for very long. Can Henry find Estrella and stop Leviathan before it turns London into a giant insane asylum?
Here is a wonderful piece of writing. It's nice and strange without being too strange, it does very well as a thriller and it will certainly keep the reader's interest.
This contemporary fantasy novel is about a file clerk suddenly thrust into the middle of a life-or-death battle over the future of Great Britain.
Henry Lamb is the sort of average person who exemplifies the term "civil servant." One day, he is taken to the giant ferris wheel called the London Eye, where he meets a humanoid being named Dedlock living in a tank of amniotic fluid. Henry is forcefully recruited into The Directorate, one of those super-secret organizations that doesn't officially exist.
For the past century and a half, The Directorate has been fighting an all-out war against the British Monarchy. Queen Victoria agreed to a "deal with the devil"; she signed over London and all its inhabitants to a multi-limbed being called Leviathan. Dedlock, who was one of the Queen's advisors, vowed to use any means at his disposal to stop it. Now the bill is coming due.
Henry was recruited because his grandfather, now hospitalized in a deep coma, was a former high-ranking member of The Directorate. All Henry has to do is to find a woman named Estrella, who is the key to everything, in time to keep Leviathan from rising out of the Thames, and destroying London.
In a cellar of 10 Downing Street, in an ultra-secure prison cell, are the Domino Men, the most feared serial killers in British history. They are two young men, who dress like British schoolboys, and who think nothing of killing large numbers of people, giggling the whole time. They seem to instantly know a person's deepest fears and insecurities, and enjoy exploiting the heck out of them. The Domino Men say that they know where Estrella is, and are taken out under very heavy police guard. They don't stay in custody for very long. Can Henry find Estrella and stop Leviathan before it turns London into a giant insane asylum?
Here is a wonderful piece of writing. It's nice and strange without being too strange, it does very well as a thriller and it will certainly keep the reader's interest.
Glasshouse
Glasshouse, Charles Stross, Ace Books, 2006
Several hundred years from now, humanity has just finished the Censorship Wars. Using an electronic virus called Curious Yellow, it targeted the brains of historians as they used teleportation gates (the major method of transportation). Robin has just emerged from a medical clinic with most of his memory wiped. Perhaps he was one of those targeted historians; he does have memories of being in a tank regiment during the war, not as a soldier, but as a tank. He joins a research program to recreate the "dark ages," the late 20th and early 21st centuries, by having volunteers live in an actual, recreated "town." It sounds like a good way to get away from whoever is trying to kill him; whatever he did, or was, before his wipe, it must have been important.
The participants are given random, anonymous identities (Robin is turned into a woman named Reeve). Along with Sam, her "husband," they are placed into what looks like Smalltown, USA. They are given little, or no, idea as to just what they are supposed to do. All the couples are electronically monitored; during mandatory church services on Sunday, any faults or misdeeds are pointed out to everyone. Reeve is one of the few who begins to realize that something is really wrong. Their contract specifies a minimum amount of time to be in the study, approximately 3 years, but does not specify a maximum amount of time. The town has become a very high-tech panopticon. The women have suddenly become fertile, and several female participants have become pregnant. Perhaps the idea is to create a new race of people who don't know that there is an outside world. Perhaps it has to do with this new race re-infecting the rest of humanity with a new and improved version of Curious Yellow.
Here is a wonderful piece of writing. The best part is the author's look at present-day life. He does not just needle it or poke fun at it, he rips it to pieces and stomps on what is left. The rest of the book is also very much worth reading. This gets two strong thumbs-up.
Several hundred years from now, humanity has just finished the Censorship Wars. Using an electronic virus called Curious Yellow, it targeted the brains of historians as they used teleportation gates (the major method of transportation). Robin has just emerged from a medical clinic with most of his memory wiped. Perhaps he was one of those targeted historians; he does have memories of being in a tank regiment during the war, not as a soldier, but as a tank. He joins a research program to recreate the "dark ages," the late 20th and early 21st centuries, by having volunteers live in an actual, recreated "town." It sounds like a good way to get away from whoever is trying to kill him; whatever he did, or was, before his wipe, it must have been important.
The participants are given random, anonymous identities (Robin is turned into a woman named Reeve). Along with Sam, her "husband," they are placed into what looks like Smalltown, USA. They are given little, or no, idea as to just what they are supposed to do. All the couples are electronically monitored; during mandatory church services on Sunday, any faults or misdeeds are pointed out to everyone. Reeve is one of the few who begins to realize that something is really wrong. Their contract specifies a minimum amount of time to be in the study, approximately 3 years, but does not specify a maximum amount of time. The town has become a very high-tech panopticon. The women have suddenly become fertile, and several female participants have become pregnant. Perhaps the idea is to create a new race of people who don't know that there is an outside world. Perhaps it has to do with this new race re-infecting the rest of humanity with a new and improved version of Curious Yellow.
Here is a wonderful piece of writing. The best part is the author's look at present-day life. He does not just needle it or poke fun at it, he rips it to pieces and stomps on what is left. The rest of the book is also very much worth reading. This gets two strong thumbs-up.
Redemption Ark
Redemption Ark, Alastair Reynolds, Ace Books, 2002
Part of the author's Revelation Space series, this book is set approximately 600 years from now, after mankind has started to spread throughout the galaxy.
Human activities have attracted the attention of the Inhibitors, alien machines whose mission seems to be the elimination of all intelligent life. They have come to the star Delta Pavonis, home to the planet Resurgam, populated by over 200,000 people. The Inhibitors start to systematically take apart the system's gas giant, plus several of its moons, in order to build an immense device of unknown capability (imagine if Jupiter and several of its moons were systematically taken apart, and a growing alien device could be seen every night in the sky). What ever it is, it's not good for the people of Resurgam.
An attempt is made to evacuate the people of Resurgam, a few hundred at a time, onto a ship called Nostalgia for Infinity, to take them to another system. Years ago, the ship's captain, John Brannigan, became a victim of the Melding Plague. He was put into cryogenic sleep to try to slow the effects of the plague; it did not work for long. Now, Captain Brannigan has become the ship.
The ship also contains a number of huge cache weapons, some of which can be measured in kilometers. They are the only thing which can possibly stop the Inhibitors; they are not called "hell-class weapons" for nothing. Several factions want those weapons for their own purposes, including a renegade named Clavain. The weapons themselves may have other ideas. If the Inhibitors are not stopped now, it won't take long, in cosmic terms, for them to find Earth.
This is a wonderful piece of writing. Normally, I would look at a 700-page paperback book and say No Thanks; not when Alastair Reynolds is the author. He does a fine job from start to finish, writing on a grand millions-of-years scale. For those who like mind-blowing storytelling, this is very much recommended.
Part of the author's Revelation Space series, this book is set approximately 600 years from now, after mankind has started to spread throughout the galaxy.
Human activities have attracted the attention of the Inhibitors, alien machines whose mission seems to be the elimination of all intelligent life. They have come to the star Delta Pavonis, home to the planet Resurgam, populated by over 200,000 people. The Inhibitors start to systematically take apart the system's gas giant, plus several of its moons, in order to build an immense device of unknown capability (imagine if Jupiter and several of its moons were systematically taken apart, and a growing alien device could be seen every night in the sky). What ever it is, it's not good for the people of Resurgam.
An attempt is made to evacuate the people of Resurgam, a few hundred at a time, onto a ship called Nostalgia for Infinity, to take them to another system. Years ago, the ship's captain, John Brannigan, became a victim of the Melding Plague. He was put into cryogenic sleep to try to slow the effects of the plague; it did not work for long. Now, Captain Brannigan has become the ship.
The ship also contains a number of huge cache weapons, some of which can be measured in kilometers. They are the only thing which can possibly stop the Inhibitors; they are not called "hell-class weapons" for nothing. Several factions want those weapons for their own purposes, including a renegade named Clavain. The weapons themselves may have other ideas. If the Inhibitors are not stopped now, it won't take long, in cosmic terms, for them to find Earth.
This is a wonderful piece of writing. Normally, I would look at a 700-page paperback book and say No Thanks; not when Alastair Reynolds is the author. He does a fine job from start to finish, writing on a grand millions-of-years scale. For those who like mind-blowing storytelling, this is very much recommended.
Runner
Runner, William C. Dietz, Ace Books, 2005
In the far future, mankind has spread throughout the galaxy, via a system of portals between star systems. Now their location has been forgotten, so mankind is reverting back to a state where magic becomes very important, and each star system is on its own. The little interstellar travel that is left is handled by a rapidly diminishing fleet of aging ships. Only the brave, the foolhardy or professional couriers called runners make such journeys.
Jak Rebo's mission is to deliver a young boy to a faraway planet, to find out for sure if he is a legitimate religious apostle (based on present-day Buddhism). This religion has two sects, and members of the other sect have plenty of reason for wanting to make sure that Rebo and his human cargo never reach their destination.
Things get more complicated when a female "sensitive," (a clairvoyant and channeler) named Lanni Norr joins the group. With the reverting of mankind away from interstellar travel, science has been reduced to the level of a religious cult. Milos Lysander, the long-dead founder of the Techno Society, seems to have chosen Norr as his way to communicate with this world. The present-day members of the Society want Norr very much, because they think that Lysander has the secret to the location of the long-lost interstellar travel portals. If necessary, they are more than willing to kill anyone who gets in their way.
First of a series, this one is very good. The author has written a number of military/action SF novels in the past, so he very much knows what he is doing. This novel does a fine job of keeping the reader's interest.
In the far future, mankind has spread throughout the galaxy, via a system of portals between star systems. Now their location has been forgotten, so mankind is reverting back to a state where magic becomes very important, and each star system is on its own. The little interstellar travel that is left is handled by a rapidly diminishing fleet of aging ships. Only the brave, the foolhardy or professional couriers called runners make such journeys.
Jak Rebo's mission is to deliver a young boy to a faraway planet, to find out for sure if he is a legitimate religious apostle (based on present-day Buddhism). This religion has two sects, and members of the other sect have plenty of reason for wanting to make sure that Rebo and his human cargo never reach their destination.
Things get more complicated when a female "sensitive," (a clairvoyant and channeler) named Lanni Norr joins the group. With the reverting of mankind away from interstellar travel, science has been reduced to the level of a religious cult. Milos Lysander, the long-dead founder of the Techno Society, seems to have chosen Norr as his way to communicate with this world. The present-day members of the Society want Norr very much, because they think that Lysander has the secret to the location of the long-lost interstellar travel portals. If necessary, they are more than willing to kill anyone who gets in their way.
First of a series, this one is very good. The author has written a number of military/action SF novels in the past, so he very much knows what he is doing. This novel does a fine job of keeping the reader's interest.
The War Against the Rull
The War Against the Rull, A. E. van Vogt, Ace Books, 1959
In this far-future novel, based on five related stories, humanity has been fighting a century-long war against the shape-changing Rull, and things are not going well.
Carson's World is a vital part of Earth's defense. It is inabited by large, blue creatures, with teeth and claws, called ezwals. Trevor Jamieson is the only human who knows that the ezwal are highly intelligent and telepathic. It's best for everyone, human and ezwal, if no one else knows this. The ezwal want all humans off their planet, so there is plenty of hatred, mistrust and dead bodies on both sides. For humanity, the only criterion to determine a civilization's intelligence is whether or not they will assist in defense against the Rull.
A lifeboat crashes on a very hostile jungle planet, carrying Jamieson and an adult ezwal. It's the sort of place where all sorts of disgusting and carnivorous creatures come out at night, and Jamieson's blaster is almost depleted. The ezwal would like nothing more than to tear Jamieson into lots of little pieces, but they end up having to work together to get off the planet.
A ship crash-lands in Alaska, carrying an adult and baby ezwal. The mother is murdered by a human in revenge for the carnage on Carson's World. The baby survives, and is hunted by humans all over the Alaskan landscape. It is rescued by Jamieson, and is willing to tone down its conditioned hatred of humans.
A Rull survey ship, and Jamieson, who seems to have nine lives, crash land near each other on a desolate mountain. Neither ship is going anywhere, so Jamieson uses this once-in-a-lifetime chance to conduct some psychological experiments on a captive Rull, to see what makes them tick.
This is a fine piece of space opera from science fiction's early days. It's got intelligence, weird alien planets, and lots of good writing. Nearly anything by van Vogt is recommended, and this is no exception.
In this far-future novel, based on five related stories, humanity has been fighting a century-long war against the shape-changing Rull, and things are not going well.
Carson's World is a vital part of Earth's defense. It is inabited by large, blue creatures, with teeth and claws, called ezwals. Trevor Jamieson is the only human who knows that the ezwal are highly intelligent and telepathic. It's best for everyone, human and ezwal, if no one else knows this. The ezwal want all humans off their planet, so there is plenty of hatred, mistrust and dead bodies on both sides. For humanity, the only criterion to determine a civilization's intelligence is whether or not they will assist in defense against the Rull.
A lifeboat crashes on a very hostile jungle planet, carrying Jamieson and an adult ezwal. It's the sort of place where all sorts of disgusting and carnivorous creatures come out at night, and Jamieson's blaster is almost depleted. The ezwal would like nothing more than to tear Jamieson into lots of little pieces, but they end up having to work together to get off the planet.
A ship crash-lands in Alaska, carrying an adult and baby ezwal. The mother is murdered by a human in revenge for the carnage on Carson's World. The baby survives, and is hunted by humans all over the Alaskan landscape. It is rescued by Jamieson, and is willing to tone down its conditioned hatred of humans.
A Rull survey ship, and Jamieson, who seems to have nine lives, crash land near each other on a desolate mountain. Neither ship is going anywhere, so Jamieson uses this once-in-a-lifetime chance to conduct some psychological experiments on a captive Rull, to see what makes them tick.
This is a fine piece of space opera from science fiction's early days. It's got intelligence, weird alien planets, and lots of good writing. Nearly anything by van Vogt is recommended, and this is no exception.
The Lost Fleet: Dauntless
The Lost Fleet: Dauntless, Jack Campbell, Ace Books, 2006
The century-long war between the Alliance and the Syndic (Syndicated) Worlds has been going very badly for the Alliance. Now the Alliance fleet is badly outnumbered, and stuck deep in Syndic territory. But the Alliance has a reluctant ace up their sleeves named John Geary.
"Black Jack" Geary was famed for his heroic "last stand" in the early days of the war. He was thought dead, but was revived after a century in survival hibernation. He is totally disgusted with the absolute hero worship that has grown up around him during the century that he was in hibernation. He becomes the reluctant commander of the fleet when the former commander is murdered during "negotiations" with the Syndics.
In their present condition, any sustained battle with the Syndics would be a disaster for the Alliance. Geary takes the fleet into a nearby wormhole to another star system. They are able to replenish their supplies at a Syndic base before the Syndics show up. Mankind does not have faster-than-light travel (or communications); the most frustrating thing for Geary is having to deal with the communications delay. Geary takes the fleet into another star system by wormhole, not taking the route that would get them back to Alliance space the fastest. The Alliance has a couple of weeks before the Syndic arrival, so Geary drills the fleet on flying in formation and basic tactics. Some of the ship commanders are not happy with what they consider constant retreats; for them, the Alliance tactical plan can be reduced to one word: Attack!
First of a series, this book is really good. The characters, especially Geary, are real people, and not just square-jawed stereotypes. It has action, it has believability, it has a good story and the reader will not go wrong with this one.
The century-long war between the Alliance and the Syndic (Syndicated) Worlds has been going very badly for the Alliance. Now the Alliance fleet is badly outnumbered, and stuck deep in Syndic territory. But the Alliance has a reluctant ace up their sleeves named John Geary.
"Black Jack" Geary was famed for his heroic "last stand" in the early days of the war. He was thought dead, but was revived after a century in survival hibernation. He is totally disgusted with the absolute hero worship that has grown up around him during the century that he was in hibernation. He becomes the reluctant commander of the fleet when the former commander is murdered during "negotiations" with the Syndics.
In their present condition, any sustained battle with the Syndics would be a disaster for the Alliance. Geary takes the fleet into a nearby wormhole to another star system. They are able to replenish their supplies at a Syndic base before the Syndics show up. Mankind does not have faster-than-light travel (or communications); the most frustrating thing for Geary is having to deal with the communications delay. Geary takes the fleet into another star system by wormhole, not taking the route that would get them back to Alliance space the fastest. The Alliance has a couple of weeks before the Syndic arrival, so Geary drills the fleet on flying in formation and basic tactics. Some of the ship commanders are not happy with what they consider constant retreats; for them, the Alliance tactical plan can be reduced to one word: Attack!
First of a series, this book is really good. The characters, especially Geary, are real people, and not just square-jawed stereotypes. It has action, it has believability, it has a good story and the reader will not go wrong with this one.
The Star Kings
The Star Kings, Edmond Hamilton, Paperback Library, 1967
First published in 1949, this is the story of John Gordon, a World War II veteran having a hard time adjusting to life in an insurance company. One night, he is telepathically contacted by a man named Zarth Arn, who says that he is calling from 200,000 years in the future. He proposes a temporary mind exchange; Arn will experience life in the primitive distant past, before space travel, and Gordon will see mankind spread throughout the galaxy. Gordon wants adventure; he's about to get it.
Zarth Arn is part of the ruling family of the Mid-Galactic Empire, the biggest interplanetary empire. Its foe is the League of Dark Worlds, led by Shorr Kan. War is coming between the two, and the smaller empires are getting very nervous. Narrowly missing a kidnap attempt by League soldiers on Earth, Arn is taken to the Empire's home world, a long way away. He finds that he is supposed to marry Lianna, empress of one of the smaller empires. It's a purely political marriage (Arn already has a wife), but, at least, Lianna is gorgeous.
Arn/Gordon orders a spaceship to take him to Earth, where he has a secret laboratory. Just before departure, Arn Abbas, Zarth Arn's father and leader of the Empire, is murdered. Suspicion immediately falls on Arn/Gordon. He and Lianna are hustled on the ship, and, instead of going to Earth, they are going to the League's home world. Shorr Kan discovers Arn/Gordon's real identity pretty quickly, and Gordon tries to pass himself off as an amoral adventurer interested in himself first. He has no intention of returning to the past and give up all this wealth and power. Let him go to Earth, and he will convince the real Zarth Arn to give up the secret of the Disruptor. It's an ultimate weapon that is the only thing stopping the League from attacking the Empire. Gordon will give the secret to Kan, in exchange for a high position in the new League of Dark Worlds.
On their way to Earth, Arn/Gordon and Lianna are rescued by Empire forces. They are ready to execute Arn/Gordon immediately, convinced that he really did kill his father. He convinces them to let him clear his name back on the Empire's home world. Arn/Gordon succeeds in clearing his name; the League suddenly starts its attack against the Empire. The only chance for the Empire, and the only way to keep the smaller empires from joining the League, is to use the Disruptor. Arn/Gordon has little idea how to use it, but he has it installed on a ship, and goes out to meet the League armada. Can Gordon save the galaxy? Does he return to his own time?
This would make a wonderful radio serial or Saturday afternoon TV movie. It may be rather light in the area of scientific plausibility, but its exciting and a very fast read.
First published in 1949, this is the story of John Gordon, a World War II veteran having a hard time adjusting to life in an insurance company. One night, he is telepathically contacted by a man named Zarth Arn, who says that he is calling from 200,000 years in the future. He proposes a temporary mind exchange; Arn will experience life in the primitive distant past, before space travel, and Gordon will see mankind spread throughout the galaxy. Gordon wants adventure; he's about to get it.
Zarth Arn is part of the ruling family of the Mid-Galactic Empire, the biggest interplanetary empire. Its foe is the League of Dark Worlds, led by Shorr Kan. War is coming between the two, and the smaller empires are getting very nervous. Narrowly missing a kidnap attempt by League soldiers on Earth, Arn is taken to the Empire's home world, a long way away. He finds that he is supposed to marry Lianna, empress of one of the smaller empires. It's a purely political marriage (Arn already has a wife), but, at least, Lianna is gorgeous.
Arn/Gordon orders a spaceship to take him to Earth, where he has a secret laboratory. Just before departure, Arn Abbas, Zarth Arn's father and leader of the Empire, is murdered. Suspicion immediately falls on Arn/Gordon. He and Lianna are hustled on the ship, and, instead of going to Earth, they are going to the League's home world. Shorr Kan discovers Arn/Gordon's real identity pretty quickly, and Gordon tries to pass himself off as an amoral adventurer interested in himself first. He has no intention of returning to the past and give up all this wealth and power. Let him go to Earth, and he will convince the real Zarth Arn to give up the secret of the Disruptor. It's an ultimate weapon that is the only thing stopping the League from attacking the Empire. Gordon will give the secret to Kan, in exchange for a high position in the new League of Dark Worlds.
On their way to Earth, Arn/Gordon and Lianna are rescued by Empire forces. They are ready to execute Arn/Gordon immediately, convinced that he really did kill his father. He convinces them to let him clear his name back on the Empire's home world. Arn/Gordon succeeds in clearing his name; the League suddenly starts its attack against the Empire. The only chance for the Empire, and the only way to keep the smaller empires from joining the League, is to use the Disruptor. Arn/Gordon has little idea how to use it, but he has it installed on a ship, and goes out to meet the League armada. Can Gordon save the galaxy? Does he return to his own time?
This would make a wonderful radio serial or Saturday afternoon TV movie. It may be rather light in the area of scientific plausibility, but its exciting and a very fast read.
Mammoth
Mammoth, John Varley, Ace Books, 2005
Multi-billionaire Howard Christian is an eccentric sort who likes to actually play with his toys. His latest obsession is to clone a woolly mammoth. During an expedition in northern Canada, an intact, but mummified mammoth is found. Huddled in the mammoth's fur is a Stone Age man approximately 12,000 years old...wearing a wristwatch.
Matthew Wright, science prodigy, is brought in to figure out what is in the metal suitcase clutched in the Stone Age man's arms. It's some sort of time machine, involving what look like many glass marbles. One day, Matt gets it to work, and takes himself, Susan Wright, who is taking care of a herd of elephants involved in the cloning plan, the elephants, and a Santa Monica warehouse, about 12,000 years in the past. After several days in the past, Matt gets the time machine to work again, and brings himself and Susan back to the present, along with a herd of half a dozen mastodons that happened to be nearby at the time. A baby mastodon, nicknamed Little Fuzzy, and Big Mama, his mother, are the only survivors when they appear in the middle of L.A. traffic.
Five years later, Little Fuzzy is the star of a multi-media extravaganza of a circus in Oregon. Susan is still his handler, because Little Fuzzy won't work with anyone else. She comes up with the idea of kidnapping Fuzzy, and freeing him in the wilds of northern Canada, where he could have something resembling a normal life. But Howard Christian is not about to let that happen.
Does any circus, no matter how progressive, automatically equal mistreating of animals? That's one of the questions explored in this fine piece of storytelling. It is more than just a really good time travel story, and it's well worth reading.
Multi-billionaire Howard Christian is an eccentric sort who likes to actually play with his toys. His latest obsession is to clone a woolly mammoth. During an expedition in northern Canada, an intact, but mummified mammoth is found. Huddled in the mammoth's fur is a Stone Age man approximately 12,000 years old...wearing a wristwatch.
Matthew Wright, science prodigy, is brought in to figure out what is in the metal suitcase clutched in the Stone Age man's arms. It's some sort of time machine, involving what look like many glass marbles. One day, Matt gets it to work, and takes himself, Susan Wright, who is taking care of a herd of elephants involved in the cloning plan, the elephants, and a Santa Monica warehouse, about 12,000 years in the past. After several days in the past, Matt gets the time machine to work again, and brings himself and Susan back to the present, along with a herd of half a dozen mastodons that happened to be nearby at the time. A baby mastodon, nicknamed Little Fuzzy, and Big Mama, his mother, are the only survivors when they appear in the middle of L.A. traffic.
Five years later, Little Fuzzy is the star of a multi-media extravaganza of a circus in Oregon. Susan is still his handler, because Little Fuzzy won't work with anyone else. She comes up with the idea of kidnapping Fuzzy, and freeing him in the wilds of northern Canada, where he could have something resembling a normal life. But Howard Christian is not about to let that happen.
Does any circus, no matter how progressive, automatically equal mistreating of animals? That's one of the questions explored in this fine piece of storytelling. It is more than just a really good time travel story, and it's well worth reading.
Beyond Eden
Beyond Eden, David Duncan, Ballantine Books, 1955
The Neptune Authority, headquartered in California's Imperial Valley, is about to radically transform American society, and then all of mankind. A safe and reliable way has been found to remove all of the impurities from regular salt water, and then use that clean water to irrigate the deserts in western America, from California to Texas to Utah. Just before the system is turned on, there is a problem.
Something in the water causes the one-celled creatures in the water, like bacteria and protozoa, to grow and multiply much faster than normal. All known chemical and biological tests show nothing. It can only be seen in its effects on other creatures. Some of the local agricultural workers have been drinking the water, and reports surface that it amplifies their natural human tendencies, toward good or evil, pessimism or optimism.
During a Senate inspection tour, Senator Cumberland, an elderly man, drinks the water, and then dies of a heart attack. At the same time, Senator Bannerman, an enemy of the project, drinks the water, and is convinced that he has been poisoned. After recovering in the hospital, he, and several colleagues, return to California for a full-fledged Congressional hearing. All that Bannerman cares about is proving that he has uncovered this monstrous plot to rid the world of "undesirables."
Finally, the scientists are able to isolate it (they call it Spectralium), though they still don't know just what it is. At a dramatic moment in the hearing, Madeline Angus, one of the technicians who helped isolate Spectralium, and Senator Bannerman, each drink a highly concentrated glass of it, with different results (No, the Senator does not turn into a hideous monster).
This is a very good novel about mankind's future. There are echoes of Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End"; if you can find a copy, it's worth reading.
The Neptune Authority, headquartered in California's Imperial Valley, is about to radically transform American society, and then all of mankind. A safe and reliable way has been found to remove all of the impurities from regular salt water, and then use that clean water to irrigate the deserts in western America, from California to Texas to Utah. Just before the system is turned on, there is a problem.
Something in the water causes the one-celled creatures in the water, like bacteria and protozoa, to grow and multiply much faster than normal. All known chemical and biological tests show nothing. It can only be seen in its effects on other creatures. Some of the local agricultural workers have been drinking the water, and reports surface that it amplifies their natural human tendencies, toward good or evil, pessimism or optimism.
During a Senate inspection tour, Senator Cumberland, an elderly man, drinks the water, and then dies of a heart attack. At the same time, Senator Bannerman, an enemy of the project, drinks the water, and is convinced that he has been poisoned. After recovering in the hospital, he, and several colleagues, return to California for a full-fledged Congressional hearing. All that Bannerman cares about is proving that he has uncovered this monstrous plot to rid the world of "undesirables."
Finally, the scientists are able to isolate it (they call it Spectralium), though they still don't know just what it is. At a dramatic moment in the hearing, Madeline Angus, one of the technicians who helped isolate Spectralium, and Senator Bannerman, each drink a highly concentrated glass of it, with different results (No, the Senator does not turn into a hideous monster).
This is a very good novel about mankind's future. There are echoes of Arthur C. Clarke's "Childhood's End"; if you can find a copy, it's worth reading.
Garbage World
Garbage World, Charles Platt, Belmont/Tower Books, 1973
The United Asteroid Belt Pleasure Worlds Federation is a group of prisitne pleasure worlds on asteroids in a certain star system. What do they do with their garbage? Recycle it or burn it? In specially packaged containers, they rocket it to the asteroid Kopra, whose sole function is to act as the Federation's garbage dump.
Kopra brings new meaning to the word "disgusting." The layers of trash are miles thick. The smell is overpowering. It has artificial gravity and an artificial atmosphere, so a few hundred people live on top of the trash. They are just as dirty as their surroundings, but they grew up there, so they like it.
One day, a survey ship from the Federation lands on Kopra. Larkin, and Oliver, his assistant, tell the residents that a temporary evacuation is needed. The gravity generator needs replacing, requiring the drilling of a hole into the center of the asteroid, and installing a new one. If not, some of the trash could fly off of Kopra, and land on the pleasure worlds (heaven forbid). Anyone left on the asteroid could be killed by the new gravity generator, before it stabilizes. That's the official story, but, as Oliver discovers, it's not the real story.
Larkin thinks of the Koprans as little better than animals, for choosing to live like this, but Oliver isn't so sure. He volunteers to take a truck into the wilderness, to collect anyone he can find, to get them off the asteroid. Oliver takes Isaac Gaylord, headman of Kopra's only village, and Juliette, his daughter, along as guides. The truck breaks down miles from the village (sabotage), and after barely escaping from a giant mutated slug living in a mud lake, the three have to walk back to the village. By this time, any inhibitions or phobias that Oliver may have about cleanliness are long since gone; falling in love with Juliette certainly helps. When they get back to the village, Oliver discovers the real reason for getting everyone off Kopra. It involves turning the residents into "good" Federation citizens, with help from some personality surgery.
There are very few novels of any genre that take place in a garbage dump. This belongs in that large gray area of Pretty Good or Worth Reading.
The United Asteroid Belt Pleasure Worlds Federation is a group of prisitne pleasure worlds on asteroids in a certain star system. What do they do with their garbage? Recycle it or burn it? In specially packaged containers, they rocket it to the asteroid Kopra, whose sole function is to act as the Federation's garbage dump.
Kopra brings new meaning to the word "disgusting." The layers of trash are miles thick. The smell is overpowering. It has artificial gravity and an artificial atmosphere, so a few hundred people live on top of the trash. They are just as dirty as their surroundings, but they grew up there, so they like it.
One day, a survey ship from the Federation lands on Kopra. Larkin, and Oliver, his assistant, tell the residents that a temporary evacuation is needed. The gravity generator needs replacing, requiring the drilling of a hole into the center of the asteroid, and installing a new one. If not, some of the trash could fly off of Kopra, and land on the pleasure worlds (heaven forbid). Anyone left on the asteroid could be killed by the new gravity generator, before it stabilizes. That's the official story, but, as Oliver discovers, it's not the real story.
Larkin thinks of the Koprans as little better than animals, for choosing to live like this, but Oliver isn't so sure. He volunteers to take a truck into the wilderness, to collect anyone he can find, to get them off the asteroid. Oliver takes Isaac Gaylord, headman of Kopra's only village, and Juliette, his daughter, along as guides. The truck breaks down miles from the village (sabotage), and after barely escaping from a giant mutated slug living in a mud lake, the three have to walk back to the village. By this time, any inhibitions or phobias that Oliver may have about cleanliness are long since gone; falling in love with Juliette certainly helps. When they get back to the village, Oliver discovers the real reason for getting everyone off Kopra. It involves turning the residents into "good" Federation citizens, with help from some personality surgery.
There are very few novels of any genre that take place in a garbage dump. This belongs in that large gray area of Pretty Good or Worth Reading.
The Outward Urge
The Outward Urge, John Wyndham and Lucas Parkes, Ballantine Books, 1958
For as long as man has existed, there have been those with an inner need to explore. Almost a genetic predisposition, some men are driven to see what is Out There, whether it's across the sea, or to the stars. This is the story of four generations of one family, the Troon family.
In 1994, George Montgomery "Ticker" Troon is part of the group secretly building the world's first space station. One day, a missile shows up, probably from the Soviets, that could easily destroy the station and kill a lot of people. Troon, who was outside at the time, manages to corral the missile, as in the film "Dr. Strangelove." He keeps the missile away from the station, but for him, things don't work out so well.
On the Moon, fifty years later, Michael, his son, runs the British missile station. The Northern Hemisphere, on Earth, is having an all-out nuclear war; the American and Russian Moon stations have been destroyed. The British station has fired only a few of its missiles, and the personnel are very concerned as to why more missiles haven't been launched.
Brazil was the largest country to emerge unscathed from the war, so they sign agreements with the other Latin American countries and create the United States of Brazil. The first manned mission to Mars, with Geoffrey Troon as part of the crew, does not go well. The ship tips over soon after landing, killing one of the three-man crew. The other suffers a serious head injury, and is convinced that Geoffrey is a Martian, ready to do him great bodily harm. He tries to launch the crippled ship, while Geoffrey is outside, but does not get very far. In 2144, Australia launches a secret mission to land on Venus. Brazil, which considers all of space to be one of its provinces, is not happy, and launches a military mission to arrest everyone involved and bring them back to Earth. Troon cousins are on both sides of the conflict.
This is an excellent book. It's an interesting and well done story that will easily keep the reader's interest.
For as long as man has existed, there have been those with an inner need to explore. Almost a genetic predisposition, some men are driven to see what is Out There, whether it's across the sea, or to the stars. This is the story of four generations of one family, the Troon family.
In 1994, George Montgomery "Ticker" Troon is part of the group secretly building the world's first space station. One day, a missile shows up, probably from the Soviets, that could easily destroy the station and kill a lot of people. Troon, who was outside at the time, manages to corral the missile, as in the film "Dr. Strangelove." He keeps the missile away from the station, but for him, things don't work out so well.
On the Moon, fifty years later, Michael, his son, runs the British missile station. The Northern Hemisphere, on Earth, is having an all-out nuclear war; the American and Russian Moon stations have been destroyed. The British station has fired only a few of its missiles, and the personnel are very concerned as to why more missiles haven't been launched.
Brazil was the largest country to emerge unscathed from the war, so they sign agreements with the other Latin American countries and create the United States of Brazil. The first manned mission to Mars, with Geoffrey Troon as part of the crew, does not go well. The ship tips over soon after landing, killing one of the three-man crew. The other suffers a serious head injury, and is convinced that Geoffrey is a Martian, ready to do him great bodily harm. He tries to launch the crippled ship, while Geoffrey is outside, but does not get very far. In 2144, Australia launches a secret mission to land on Venus. Brazil, which considers all of space to be one of its provinces, is not happy, and launches a military mission to arrest everyone involved and bring them back to Earth. Troon cousins are on both sides of the conflict.
This is an excellent book. It's an interesting and well done story that will easily keep the reader's interest.
Journey Into Space
Journey into Space, Charles Chilton, Pan Books, 1958
The novelization of a British radio serial, this is the story of four men, who, in 1965, undertake mankind's first trip to the Moon.
Jet Morgan is the ace pilot, Mitch is an Australian who single-handedly designed the rocketship, Lemmy is the Cockney radio operator, and Doc, an American, is keeper of the diary (and narrator of this novel). The ship is jointly built by all nations of the British Commonwealth, and is launched from the Australian Outback. A couple of days into the mission, the radio suddenly goes dead. Lemmy (who designed the radio and supervised the installation) spends the next two days going through the radio, circuit by circuit, and can find nothing wrong, while the others try not to panic. At one point, weird musical tones, almost music, come out of the speakers, then the radio comes on, like nothing was wrong. Mission Control reports that they heard everything that went on in the spaceship.
They land on the Moon, and spend one lunar day, or 14 Earth days, collecting Moon rocks and taking pictures. As they are ready to leave, all systems on the ship suddenly go down. There is no ignition, no lights, no airlock, nothing. Many diligent checks of all ship's systems show no possible cause. After another 14 days on the Moon, trapped in their spaceship, the power suddenly returns. Just before they lift off, an alien spaceship shows up just outside, and they are contacted by an alien voice (speaking perfect English). The humans are encouraged to leave, and, on the dark side of the Moon, twenty alien ships lift off, and follow them. The human crew is rendered unconscious, and their ship is kicked off course. When they awaken, Earth and the Moon are nowhere to be found. Could the aliens have dragged them somewhere else in space or time? Their fuel is running low, so they have to find an Earthlike planet to land on, or forever wander the galaxy.
This is a pretty good novel about the early days of space travel. I can just hear a radio announcer saying, "Tune in next week for another thrilling chapter of..."
The novelization of a British radio serial, this is the story of four men, who, in 1965, undertake mankind's first trip to the Moon.
Jet Morgan is the ace pilot, Mitch is an Australian who single-handedly designed the rocketship, Lemmy is the Cockney radio operator, and Doc, an American, is keeper of the diary (and narrator of this novel). The ship is jointly built by all nations of the British Commonwealth, and is launched from the Australian Outback. A couple of days into the mission, the radio suddenly goes dead. Lemmy (who designed the radio and supervised the installation) spends the next two days going through the radio, circuit by circuit, and can find nothing wrong, while the others try not to panic. At one point, weird musical tones, almost music, come out of the speakers, then the radio comes on, like nothing was wrong. Mission Control reports that they heard everything that went on in the spaceship.
They land on the Moon, and spend one lunar day, or 14 Earth days, collecting Moon rocks and taking pictures. As they are ready to leave, all systems on the ship suddenly go down. There is no ignition, no lights, no airlock, nothing. Many diligent checks of all ship's systems show no possible cause. After another 14 days on the Moon, trapped in their spaceship, the power suddenly returns. Just before they lift off, an alien spaceship shows up just outside, and they are contacted by an alien voice (speaking perfect English). The humans are encouraged to leave, and, on the dark side of the Moon, twenty alien ships lift off, and follow them. The human crew is rendered unconscious, and their ship is kicked off course. When they awaken, Earth and the Moon are nowhere to be found. Could the aliens have dragged them somewhere else in space or time? Their fuel is running low, so they have to find an Earthlike planet to land on, or forever wander the galaxy.
This is a pretty good novel about the early days of space travel. I can just hear a radio announcer saying, "Tune in next week for another thrilling chapter of..."
7 Deadly Scenarios: A Military Futurist Explores War in the 21st Century
7 Deadly Scenarios: A Military Futurist Explores War in the 21st Century, Andrew F. Krepinevich, Bantam Books, 2009
Looking at the changing face of war in the 21st Century, this book explores several deadly scenarios that will threaten America's, and the world's, security in the near future.
A large part of the world's oil tankers have to travel through two geographic choke points: the Strait of Malacca, between Malaysia and Indonesia, and the Persian Gulf. What would happen to the price of oil, and the world economy, if one was closed because a supertanker was sunk in the most inconvenient spot, and the other was closed because Iran decided to flex its political muscle?
Muslim terrorists set off several black-market nuclear weapons in US cities. Beset with internal strife, China decides to take back Taiwan, once and for all. They also send diesel submarines all over the world, to cause lots of economic trouble for any country who considers doing something about it. The Pakistani government collapses, and some of its nuclear weapons find their way into the hands of the more fundamentalist members of the military. There's one about America dealing with a major cyberattack, and one about what will happen after America withdraws from Iraq (faster than it intended).
Remember bird flu, from a couple of years ago? Well, it's back, mutated into a form that can be easily transmitted from person to person. Shopping malls and other public places are deserted, hospitals are flooded with the sick and dying, America doesn't have nearly enough retroviral drugs even for emergency personnel, and it takes time to make more. To make things worse, the White House has just gotten word of a human flood of 8 million sick Latin Americans, desperate to reach America. They are scheduled to reach the US-Mexican border in a couple of days.
This is avery sobering, and utterly fascinating, look at what the future may hold. It's not an attempt to predict the future, but to show the sort of things that senior planners at the Pentagon are, or had better be, thinking about. Highly recommended.
Looking at the changing face of war in the 21st Century, this book explores several deadly scenarios that will threaten America's, and the world's, security in the near future.
A large part of the world's oil tankers have to travel through two geographic choke points: the Strait of Malacca, between Malaysia and Indonesia, and the Persian Gulf. What would happen to the price of oil, and the world economy, if one was closed because a supertanker was sunk in the most inconvenient spot, and the other was closed because Iran decided to flex its political muscle?
Muslim terrorists set off several black-market nuclear weapons in US cities. Beset with internal strife, China decides to take back Taiwan, once and for all. They also send diesel submarines all over the world, to cause lots of economic trouble for any country who considers doing something about it. The Pakistani government collapses, and some of its nuclear weapons find their way into the hands of the more fundamentalist members of the military. There's one about America dealing with a major cyberattack, and one about what will happen after America withdraws from Iraq (faster than it intended).
Remember bird flu, from a couple of years ago? Well, it's back, mutated into a form that can be easily transmitted from person to person. Shopping malls and other public places are deserted, hospitals are flooded with the sick and dying, America doesn't have nearly enough retroviral drugs even for emergency personnel, and it takes time to make more. To make things worse, the White House has just gotten word of a human flood of 8 million sick Latin Americans, desperate to reach America. They are scheduled to reach the US-Mexican border in a couple of days.
This is avery sobering, and utterly fascinating, look at what the future may hold. It's not an attempt to predict the future, but to show the sort of things that senior planners at the Pentagon are, or had better be, thinking about. Highly recommended.
Neurolink
Neurolink, M.M. Buckner, Ace Books, 2004
Two hundred years from now, Earth has become a toxic wasteland. Everyone lives in domes. Global warming has pushed the temperate climates farther north, rendering the area around the equator uninhabitable. Corporations called coms have taken over, ruling billions of protes, or "protected persons" (actually, little better than slaves).
Dominic Jedes is about to become president of ZahlenBank, the only institution more powerful than the coms. He isn't just the son of Richter Jedes, the bank's founder, he is an exact genetic copy of his father. He directs the bank to give two thousand protes their freedom, trapping them in a rusting, malfunctioning submarine at the bottom of the ocean. They are supposed to die, but they don't. They broadcast an untraceable and continuous message over the Net, encouraging others to join them. The free protes get thousands of takers.
Every minute that the message is broadcast, ZahlenBank's financial condition is damaged. Dominic is forced to go to the sub, and somehow shut off that message. For someone who has spent his life in filtered air, and with the finest in designer medicines in his bloodstream, when Dominic enters the sub, he feels like he has descended into hell. It's hot, stinking, packed with people, and the oxygen-generating system is on the verge of collapse. People are constantly putting up walls everywhere, so any attempt to reach the bridge quickly becomes impossible. Within minutes, Dominic feels like he has contracted some major disease. When he first reaches the sub, Dominic wants to reach the bridge, expose the sub's location, have everyone arrested, and get back to cleanliness as soon as possible. The longer he remains on the sub, the more sympathy he has for these people, and the more he wants to help them, instead of turning them in.
This is a strong, well done piece of writing. It has good characters, good society building, and an interesting story. The reader will not go wrong with this novel.
Two hundred years from now, Earth has become a toxic wasteland. Everyone lives in domes. Global warming has pushed the temperate climates farther north, rendering the area around the equator uninhabitable. Corporations called coms have taken over, ruling billions of protes, or "protected persons" (actually, little better than slaves).
Dominic Jedes is about to become president of ZahlenBank, the only institution more powerful than the coms. He isn't just the son of Richter Jedes, the bank's founder, he is an exact genetic copy of his father. He directs the bank to give two thousand protes their freedom, trapping them in a rusting, malfunctioning submarine at the bottom of the ocean. They are supposed to die, but they don't. They broadcast an untraceable and continuous message over the Net, encouraging others to join them. The free protes get thousands of takers.
Every minute that the message is broadcast, ZahlenBank's financial condition is damaged. Dominic is forced to go to the sub, and somehow shut off that message. For someone who has spent his life in filtered air, and with the finest in designer medicines in his bloodstream, when Dominic enters the sub, he feels like he has descended into hell. It's hot, stinking, packed with people, and the oxygen-generating system is on the verge of collapse. People are constantly putting up walls everywhere, so any attempt to reach the bridge quickly becomes impossible. Within minutes, Dominic feels like he has contracted some major disease. When he first reaches the sub, Dominic wants to reach the bridge, expose the sub's location, have everyone arrested, and get back to cleanliness as soon as possible. The longer he remains on the sub, the more sympathy he has for these people, and the more he wants to help them, instead of turning them in.
This is a strong, well done piece of writing. It has good characters, good society building, and an interesting story. The reader will not go wrong with this novel.
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