The Book Blog

Crazy but Fairly Likely

2010-03-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

What is going to happen if the predicted global warming occurs?

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Paolo Bacigalupi is a sci-fi author writing out of Colorado. He is the author of the Nebula nominated Wind-Up Girl and a phenomenal book of short fiction entitled Pump Six and Other Stories. He also writes for an environmental rag, where he most have a lot of time to think about what will happen if the environment goes the wrong way.

If infrastructure goes the way of the dinosaur, Bacigalupi pretty much has it in the bag. It's likely that we will move quickly away from the fossil fuels that have caused so many problems. What happens though if we don't get an alternate system set up? Society has some major problems at this point. The basic pieces of American modern culture change quickly and drastically. Population crashes, we either all gather to urban areas, or disperse ourselves across the country in small bands. All support for the suburbs is eliminated. There will be massive movement of people.

Bacigalupi's stories are so cool because his explanation for the crash of society is solidly based on where we are now and what we won't have. His future allows for generipping and manipulation of entire species. The work is done on a computer powered by a treadle. Think about how much work it would take just to process a gene sequence.

Calories become extremely important. Anything that needs to be powered needs to be powered by wind, water, or as Bacigalupi posits the work of giant modified elephants that only purpose is to take the calories they burn and put them in giant "kink springs" that will effectively hold the joules.

Because the ability to burn calories in order to get power becomes essential to run any advanced technology, any one that can control food production puts themselves in a position of immense power. A company entitle AgriGene creates a weevil that will eat the grain that is powering society, at the same time creating a grain that is resistant to the same weevil that they engineered. I would guess that is a pretty decent way to create a monopoly. Paolo's writing is so slick.

Wind-up Girl is a most read. Pick it up! This is a novel of ideas that are probably a lot closer than we think. Maybe this will be the survival guide for the 22nd century.

Brief Interview with Emma Clayton; Author of the Roar

2010-02-16T15:16:00.000-08:00

Emma Clayton, the fabulous author of The Roar was gracious enough to answer questions that I posed to her. Thanks so much for taking the time Emma. If you haven't already, please take the time to pick up your own copy of The Roar. It was certainly one of my favorites from this last year.

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If you wouldn’t mind, tell us a little bit about yourself (a short bio)?

I was born in 1968. My father was an officer in the RAF, so we moved a lot when I was small. He died when I was seven, while we were living in Gibraltar and I returned to England with my mother and brothers and lived in and around Oxford until recently.

At school I was quite shy, but really into books, comics, music, art and film. I read and drew a lot and played in bands. English and Art were my favourite subjects.

I left school when I was 16, because I didn’t know what I wanted to do. At the time I was told you could only make a living out of art and English through graphic design or teaching, and neither of these appealed to me. It was only after I’d made friends with people working in comics and film that I realized there were more exciting paths to follow.

In my late teens, I trained as a Field Archaeologist. I spent a brief time working as a freelance illustrator, then I returned to education in my mid-twenties, studying film and screen writing. I wrote my first novel after the birth of my daughter when I was 26, and wrote The Roar several years later, while I was studying for a HND in Visual Communication.

How did you come to be a professional writer? Was there any one event that pushed you into the field?

While I was writing The Roar, I entered the first three chapters of an early draft into a competition organized by the bookseller, Waterstone’s and the publisher, Faber and Faber. The competition was called, ‘The Wow Factor’ and the prize was a publishing deal. I entered because I wanted to test my manuscript before sending it to agents and luckily, it reached the shortlist. This gave me the confidence to approach my agent, Sophie Hicks, who secured my publishing deal with Chicken House and Scholastic.

I would recommend competitions to new writers. It’s a great way to get your work read by the right people.

Do you ever tire of people comparing your work to other books in similar genres?

No. When ‘The Roar’ was first compared to ‘Ender’s Game,’ I was surprised more than anything, because like many writers before me, I thought I’d come up with an original idea! After I’d read ‘Ender’s Game’ I felt humbled to dust, because it’s such a great book. However, when I thought about it, I realized Orson Scott Card and I were exploring a similar idea in very different times. Orson Scott Card wrote the first version of ‘Ender’s Game’ over thirty years ago, in 1977, when virtual environments and computer games didn’t exist. I am writing for young people in a world dominated by them. I was trying to create an environment that worked as an interface between games, films and books and would consequently encourage young people to read. Orson Scott Card was visionary. I am responding to a culture that exists. I find this very interesting.

The Roar is also compared to The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. I did wonder while I was writing my book if I was part of a movement - whether there were other writers out there exploring similar ideas. The Roar was published in the UK at the same time as The Hunger Games in the US, and we were both observing a media obsessed world. It feels exciting to be part of this new wave in youth literature and I enjoyed reading The Hunger Games.

In terms of logistics, when can expect the new book?

I’m still writing it, so I’m afraid I don’t know yet!

If you could deliver one important message to the world, what would that be?

People have already said much smarter things than I ever will. One of my favourite quotes opens The Whisper, the sequel to The Roar.

‘War does not determine who is right, only who is left.’

Bertrand Russell

Catching Fire Author Suzanne Collins Interview

2009-10-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

Just read this great interview with Suzanne Collins. I thought I would pass it along for all those Hunger Games and Catching Fire fans.

Click Me!

Enjoy!

The Last Olympian: Greek Mythology Has Never Been This Fun

2009-10-23T12:23:00.001-07:00

The Percy Jackson series up to the finale has been fairly good. Enter The Last Olympian. The author, Rick Riordian, has ratcheted up the action to a level that is simply astonishing. The hero of the book is one Percy Jackson, who is the son of the god Poseidon. He has amazing powers and has teenage problems like who he should date. From Amazon, here is a brief description of the plot.

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All year the half-bloods have been preparing for battle against the Titans, knowing the odds of victory are grim. Kronos's army is stronger than ever, and with every god and half-blood he recruits, the evil Titan's power only grows. While the Olympians struggle to contain the rampaging monster Typhon, Kronos begins his advance on New York City, where Mount Olympus stands virtually unguarded. Now it's up to Percy Jackson and an army of young demigods to stop the Lord of Time.
In this momentous final book in the New York Times best-selling Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, the long-awaited prophecy surrounding Percy's sixteenth birthday unfolds. And as the battle for Western civilization rages on the streets of Manhattan, Percy faces a terrifying suspicion that he may be fighting against his own fate.

What made this book so fun to read was the incredible pace Riordian uses. He does not let up. Each time I read the book my mind would race with what would happen next. Riordian writes the characters into the corner several times, and each time the character breaks through the wall into the next room and is off and running.

What this one is about is action, action, action. That's what makes it good and that's what makes it better then all the others in the series. I can not tell you how many times I thought, this needs to be in a movie. Five minutes later, man, this needs to be in a movie. Percy is at times more powerful than superman. If you can, picture a smaller sixteen year old boy on the brooklyn bridge with a three foot long greek sword. In front of him are a hundred blood thirsty monsters, bad people, skeletons, and a twelve foot minotaur. Riordian has Percy rip into his enemies like a knife through butter. He doesn't just win the battle, but he literally decimates his enemies into wispy smoke. I haven't seen action like this since I last played the video game God of War.

Not only is the book fun, but it is also well written. It has great things to say about love, war, and peace. I promise that any one who will invest their time in reading this will absolutely love it. Whether you be ten or a hundred. Please, Please, Please pick Percy up. You will not be disappointed (unless you don't like fighting and a wuss)

Freaking 5 out of 5.

Speaking of Oppression

2009-10-22T15:34:00.000-07:00

Thought this was appropriate for what I have been reading the last little while!

The Roar: Add Another Classic to Dystopian Literature

2009-10-22T14:46:00.000-07:00

The Roar by Emma Clayton is a highly enjoyable read. It is in the same vein as the popular YA novels the Hunger Games and Catching Fire. The Roar is set in a dystopic future similar to some of the genre’s great, classic predecessors. The Roar shares similarities to two of the greatest books in the genre: Brave New World and 1984. The main antagonist in the book has extended his life to an unnatural length taking pills conjuring Brave New World. Clayton’s writing also strongly relates to 1984. Both books contain the themes of being separated by class; those who are ruled are on a frantic journey towards self identification. However Clayton’s strongest influence is Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. The books share many similar themes that drive each respective novel towards a breathtaking conclusion.

Before the story begins, Ellie, one of our heroes has been kidnapped and imprisoned. The Roar roars off with Ellie and a Capuchin monkey in tow, barreling towards earth in a Pod Fighter. They cross the wall that extends across the entire northern hemisphere and race towards the United Kingdom at ridiculous speeds. They have escaped the evil Mal Gordon’s satellite space station with the goal of seeing Ellie’s family. Ellie was kidnapped by Gorman because of his suspicion of her “special” powers. Ellie is chased by goons, but the deadly twelve year old pilot outmaneuvers her tails and flies underneath London into The Shadows. Ellie makes a small mistake and ends up crashing in the Thames which is now a giant, stinking floodplain. She sinks to the bottom with the thought that she is going to be buried alive in the black muck that was once the famous river. To her consternation and relief, Ellie is “rescued” by Gorman and brought back to her prison in space. Clayton’s action is brisk, intense, and does not let up through out.

The story switches focuses onto Ellie’s twin brother, Mika, who lives in a fold down house (fold down because you fold up your bathroom in order to fold down your kitchen, all in 50 square feet) in a suburb of London. Mika is an extraordinary young boy. Everyone believes that Ellie is dead because that is what her family has been told by the local police. However, Mika has strong feelings (and convincing dreams) that his sister is alive and is willing to do anything in order to get her back.

Mika attends his local school where all of the learning takes place by video. One day in class a new program is started where all of the students are forced to drink health supplements. He feels that the government, who has initiated the “Fit Mix” program, is trying to poison the children. The program also includes physical exercise, as well as a new “game” that teaches the children how to fly a Fighter Pod (think spaceship) that the children are coerced to learn through the excitement of this new “game”. This same arm of the government, run by the Evil Mal Gorman, has certain sinister goals that they want to accomplish by running this “Fit Mix” campaign. Gorman initiates all of the children into competing against each other in a massive government supported competition. Mika is sucked into winning the game because he feels that this may be a way to find Ellie.

The plot continues with Mika becoming more and more involved in different stages of these games and through the competition, Mika gets closer and closer to his sister. I won’t give more of the plot away as that would be a disservice to anyone wanting to read this one.

One reason the book is so compelling is the descriptions of where these characters live and what their environments are like. The world north of the barrier is very dichotic. The Shadows, which is the remaining cities and towns built before the Fold Down Houses and the Golden Turrets were erected. The Shadows are the bottom of a three tiered city scape. The Shadows is a world that doesn’t ever see sunlight, where deadly mold covers all surfaces, and where the refuse from the world above is basically dumped on top of this motley living space. Living in the Shadow’s would be the equivalent of living in a dump or a sewer, unpleasant and unsanitary. Above the Shadows is where Mika lives, the Fold Down Houses. This area is where the majority of the lower middleclass lives. It is older and run down, but not necessarily physically dangerous. The houses are ridiculously cramped. This leaves the Golden Turrets, where the rich live. These are spacious apartments that jut out of the sky line. The people living in the Golden Turrets are not wanting. Picture a golden skyscraper with all the amenities included.

Clayton’s writing about the different classes from these three separate environments, was one of my favorite pieces of the book. At one point in the story the main characters are in the Golden Turrets and experience an immeasurably eerie occurrence. Here is a quote from the book.

--Boom. Boom.

“What’s that?” he asked as his feet hit the pavement. It sounded like the heartbeat of an enormous beast, as if a dragon were sleeping beneath its treasure, instead of on top of it.

Boom. Boom.

“The Shadows,” the chauffeur replied. “haven’t you heard?”

“No,” Mika said. “what’s happening?”

“The mold is getting worse,” the chauffeur replied grimly. “And hundreds are dying every day. And they say the government won’t help them because it’s cheaper to let them die.”

…

“But the people in The Shadows won’t be ignored,” the chauffeur said. “So they’re banging on the pillars holding up the Golden Turrets with huge steel balls on chains. All day and all night they swing them – one time for every person who’s died. It was driving people crazy up here when it started on Friday night, but apparently you get used to it.”

Boom. Boom.

“I don’t think I’ll get used to it,” Mika said. He gazed at the pavement and tried to imagine what was below, all that darkness and water and millions of people trying to stay alive and balls on chains swinging against the pillars.

“Creepy, innit?” the chauffeur said.

Sure is. Thanks for such an awesome description Ms. Clayton.

Like Ender’s Game, The Roar features a government agency training children through games. Ender was forced in a certain direction through games and, in the end of the book, was made to command an army in order to defeat his enemies, the buggers. Mika on the other hand is coerced into learning to fly by the governments offer of instantly improving his families lives. Ender is, in essence, tricked, where Mika has consciously made the choice to participate because he believes he may be able to rescue his sister.

Another strong comparison between the two works is the dream sequences. Ender keeps dreaming about the game that he is playing, in particular about the decomposing giant. These dream sequences are driving pieces in the book. Mika is also troubled by nightmares. He dreams about these incredibly ancient, living skeletons with old fashioned televisions for heads. Disturbingly, Mika dreams about Mal Gorman as one of these “Tele-heads” before he has even met him. In Mika’s dream, all of the Tele-heads surround him in order to eat him. Mal starts with a pair of giant scissors at his big toe as the first course.

There are several other themes that Ender’s Game and The Roar share. These themes include older enemies that both treat the protagonist horribly, but the hero gets even with these awful enemies in both books. Both characters are also manipulated by their respective governments. In this regard Mika takes control of the manipulation, where Ender only has a limited control over his destiny throughout the book.

Clayon’s writing is vivid and her themes are compelling. She takes up warring social classes, the environment, and psychic powers with deft skill. The book is never preachy and never assumes that her target audience isn’t smart enough for the morally challenging aspects of the narrative. Clayton is awesome at taking these serious, modern ideas and making them accessible for the kids (and adults) that take The Roar on.

Everything about The Roar is top notch. The plot, characters, themes, and environment of the book are right up there with the Suzanne Collins Hunger Games series and the classic dystopic novels that we all love. This one comes highly recommended. I hope that more people get their hands on this absolute gem.

5 out of 5 – Absolutely one of my favorites that I have read so far this year!

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A Quick Quote From the Buddha

2009-10-21T16:20:00.000-07:00

Of what use are words of wisdom to the man who is unwise? Of what use is a lamp to a man who is blind?

Hear the essence of thousands of sacred books: to help others is virtue: to hurt others is sin.

A man rises or does down by his own actions; like the builder of a wall, or as the digger of a well.

The narrow-minded man thinks and says: 'This man is one of us; this one is not, he is a stranger. To the man of noble soul the whole of mankind is but one family'.

--The Buddah from the Dhammaphada

Ten Best Books of 2008

2009-10-20T13:34:00.000-07:00

I know, I know this is a little late, but I didn't start writing this awesome blog until a couple of days ago. Ergo, "Ten Best Books of 2008". Mind you this is a personal list. Feel free to argue all you want. The only requirement for the book to appear on this list is that, I, John Bradley, need to have read the book some time between July 15th, 2008 and July 15th, 2009. As you can see, fairly strict requirements.

In no particular order:

Amulet of Samarkand by Jonathon Stroud
The Golem's Eye by Jonathon Stroud
Ptolemy's Gate by Jonathon Stroud

All three of these titles are part of the Bartimaeus Trilogy. I loved these books. Great plot line. Awesome story arc across all three books. I really loved the writer's use of first person writing across several characters. This structure worked so well in getting inside of the characters.

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Amazing! I love dystopian writing. 1984, Brave New World and We are some of my all time favorites and this one was right up there with these classics. That is saying a lot in my book. Keep up the great work Suzanne.

Elantris by Brandon Sanderson

In the sci-fi/fantasy realm, this one grabbed me by the shirt collars and didn't let go until I had read the last page. This was my first intro to Sanderson and I was not prepared for his level of world building as well as just such awesome description. I am still trying to wipe the dirt off of my clothes.

The Giver by Lois Lowry

This one would also go in the dystopian category, I guess. I read this one thoroughly and enjoyed all of the beautiful symbology. I am glad that I am not in a world where everything is assigned to me. Tough freaking role.

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

I felt privileged in being able to read this October thriller. Bradbury is a master of mood. The man with the moving tattoos and the backwards carousel. Creepy. I still think about the imagery. What Bradbury nails the best, however, is the fear involved in growing up. It can be scary to be a kid and Bradbury handles the subject perfectly.

The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse by Loiuse Erdrich

What a beautiful novel, at the same time being one of the funniest books I have read in long time. The novel stretches a long period of time as well as a lot of odd, colorful characters: a nun that becomes a priest, Native Amercian lives (including their hilarious sex lives), and several other novel people. The best part of the book is the way it can move you right after making you laugh out loud.

The Prestige by Christopher Priest

Priest's book was made into one of my favorite movies directed by Christopher Nolan. As much as I loved the movie, I loved the book even more. Just plain fun! Can't wait to pick up another novel by this amazing writer.

Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

There are times when I want to just not be able to sleep because I am so terrified. Silence of the Lambs put me in that state several times. There is not creepier antagonist than Hannible Lecter. At a close second is Buffalo Bill. Two of the creepiest bad guys in the same book. This one has to be on the list.

The Handmaids Tale by Margaret Atwood

Hmm, I think I am seeing a trend in my reading. Dystopia! The Handmaids Tale again takes on an oppressive government that controls all aspects of it's peoples lives. Even the process of birth is taken away from it's citizens and given to a class of woman called handmaiden. The description of this fascist regime eerily rings true. The regime is a conservative movement taken to the extreme. What an awesome take on oppression. Hopefully, my country is not moving towards a similar fate.

Guns, Germs, and Steel by Jared Diamond

This is a non-fiction book that answers the question about why some societies gain power and why others remain under the heel of those who have that power. Surprisingly, it has to do with Guns, Germs, and Steel. Very good anthropological reading. Highly recommended.

A few runners-up
Old Man's War by John Scalzi
Hocus Pocus by Kurt Vonnegut, RIP
Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathon Safran Foer

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"Balanced Ecology": James H. Schmitz

2009-10-20T12:45:00.000-07:00

Balanced Ecology is a Nebula award nominated short story written by James H. Schmitz in 1965. Short stories are often just small slices of action committed by characters that we do not get to know because of our limited time spent with them. We don't have the luxury of getting to like or dislike the characters. What we do have the time to do however, is appreciate the action that these characters take. We can applaud or disavow, feel joy or shame in just a few pages of action that our author drags us into.

James H. Schmitz sets this one up quickly and rivets our attention. He dumps us into a beautiful forest of "diamondtrees" and strange animals that can only survive in this "Balanced Ecology". If the animals are taken out, they die. If new animals are put into the forest, they die. The only species that can survive that is not natural to the habitat are humans. The writer's description of the fauna is bizarre enough to keep us interested through 7,500 or so words. One of the natives is an animal that can repeat anything it hears, but it repeats it at several times the rate of normal human speach. Think of several 45 record players sitting around you playing the spoken word, all pumped up to 75 rpm and you have the idea of a "humbug". Here is schmitz description. "The humbugs were small, brown, bobtailed animals, built with spider leanness and very quick. They had round skulls, monkey faces, and the pointed teeth of animals who lived by catching and killing other animals." The descriptions employed by Schmitz set's up for the action for the finale.

The two protagonists in the story are Ilf and Auris, and through inheritance, own 100% of the forest. They will make enough money off the harvesting of the tree's that they will not need to work for the rest of their lives. Enter the corporate villain, who wants to clear cut all of the trees in order to create demand for the product and make a killing off the harvest (does this sound familiar). Enter the forest itself. The diamondwoods have a different idea of how it wants to manage the land. It takes care of the problem in a creative way using one of the creatures that can only live under it's "silver-blue" branches. The way the enemy get's it is pretty cool as well as satisfying. Take that you corporate baddies.

The action tells the tale. Schmitz' rapid fire delivery kept me engaged and interested in how the story would finish. This is a fun little diddie that can be read in about fifteen minutes. It's engaging ideas about ecology and taking care of nature are satisfying. In our modern corporate society, it's a dog eat dog world, but on the planet of Wrake, it's more like a giant turtle eat person world.

5 out of 5

As a side note, it is a little disheartening to me that the short story seems to be going the way of the dinosaur. The medium is such a great way to create ideas and put them out there for consumption. I hope that there is a revival of short stories. If there is, I think it will be lead by individuals using the medium of the internet to push forth cool (hopefully free) short stories.

The story is posted here for your reading pleasure:
http://www.webscription.net/10.1125/Baen/0671319841/0671319841___3.htm

The World of Null-A: Gosseyn or Go Home

2009-10-19T11:30:00.000-07:00

The World of Null-A by A. E. Van Vogt is a classic Sci-Fi novel. It was awarded a Retro Hugo Nominee and is considered one of the founding books of the golden age. Van Vogt is a master of the genre and wrote another classic Sci-Fi novel, Slan. He does so many things so well. The novel was published in 1945 in one of the pulp magazines. For 19-freaking-45, the novel is in so many ways ahead of the curve. However, the book also suffers from major flaws that severely denigrate the overall health of the plot and the novel.

The plot revolves around one Gilbert Gosseyn (pronounced Go-Sane) who is a practitioner of Null-A (or non-aristolean thinking). He is on earth and in the city of the machine in the hopes that he can make a move to Venus, a utopian-like world where everyone who lives there practices Null-A and thus makes sane, logical decisions that reinforce the utopia. I will briefly point out one the considerable flaws in the novel; we are never given a handle on what the philosophy of Null-A is and thus have a difficult time understanding why it is so essential to the novel. More on this point to come.

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While in the city Gosseyn learns that he isn't the person who thought he was. The machine confirms this and sets Gosseyn off in trying to figure out who he is and why he doesn't know his own identity. We are introduced to diabolical characters whose basic intentions are to take over Earth as well as Venus. Gosseyn is central to this evil plot. Muahhahahahahah! For those who are going to read this one I don't want to give away too much of the plot for fear of spoiling the journey so I will stop the description of the plot here.

Let us now focus on what is wonderful and good about this classic. Van Vogt is a master at projecting very cool, very futuristic set pieces. The novel occurs in the year 2650. His descriptions of RoboPlanes, a machine (The MACHINE) that determines your place in society, and getting from one place to another instantaneously are so 2650 and seem to me a little Brave New Worldish. The descriptions of Venus with it's skyscraper-like trees with whole mansions carved in the root system and the concept of moving and killing with your mind are incredibly imaginative. Van Vogt shines in his intense and pin-point descriptions. Reading the book, I really felt connected to the vistas he creates. These descriptions are the base that so many future Science Fiction authors stand on.

Another strong point of the novel is the philosophical discussion through out. Despite the fact that there is no description of Null-A, there are themes in the book that make us ponder the basic question of who is human and who is not. Gosseyn's character drags us into discussions about the definition of consciousness and even the possibility of cheating death (which Gosseyn does literally and physically again and again). There is also a compelling side-plot about how memory determines how we process reality. How would you react if you remember being married to some one but then discover that the person is actually the president's daughter and certainly not your wife. This question is totally Philip K. Dick before Phillip K. Dick graduated from high school. It is very easy to see why this book is so influential.

I also loved the way that Van Vogt finishes this one up. We are left with a cliff-hanger that at the same time wraps the novel perfectly. The payoff of last paragraph alone probably makes the book worthwhile reading.

Now moving on to a little criticism. As I continued reading the book, the thought kept popping in my head, "Man, the dude who wrote this was ADHD." Following the plot and interaction between characters is like being strapped to a chair and being forced to watch a movie on fast-forward and cut by a monkey on amphetamines. Random and more random. The plot bounces between Earth and Venus and back to Earth and, boom, back to Venus. If all this movement drove the story forward I can probably accept it. But it doesn't. All it is is a change of scenery for changes sake.

Gosseyn gets captured and escapes. And.... Gosseyn gets captured again. Bet you can't guess what happens next. Winner! He escapes again. This repetittion occurs again and again. This is a major problem with the novel. They don't drive the plot and they certainly don't enhance character building.

The biggest problem I had with the novel, and I hope that this is not due to any mental defect I have, is that one of the most crucial aspects of the novel is left totally unexplained; NULL-A. What is it? I am still not sure. I gathered that it was a new way of thinking, different then the way humans have evolved to normally think. But I certainly don't understand how it is different or what that difference means. A majority of the plot is driven by this concept. It is hard to accept major plot points centering around Null-A without understanding why it is so damned important.

Overall, I liked the book. It had great action without the crappy dialogue and production problems that plagued the film industry during this period. It's not campy, thank Jah. The influence that this book alone has had on Sci-Fi makes it important to read if you want to know the history of the genre. One of my favorite authors, Phillip K. Dick, stands on the back of Van Vogt so I am grateful that I was able to read this one.

By the way, if any one is interested in an eBook version, feel free to email me at johngabbradley@gmail.com

3 out of 5

Runaways: or Why I Still Love Comic Books

2009-10-18T11:35:00.001-07:00

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In the beginning was Krypton, and that perfect, pedestrian Man in Blue becomes very boring, very quickly. The Dark Knight comes along on day two, but doesn't become truly heroic until the gritty realism of Frank Miller and later on the insane treating of Mr. Nolan, who annihilated the left over crust of camp from the sixties. Friday rolls around and The Watchmen changes everything. The comic book takes on global annihilation, super heroes that aren't so super, and a god-like hero that hides on Mars. Amazing!

Enter the Runaways. I have read the first year of the book (issues 1-12) and have so far been thoroughly impressed. Runaways is so cool because it has taken all of the traditional aspects of comics and thrown them on their ear. Why hasn't any one asked what happens to the kids of those super hero or villain groups? Runaways takes the logical conclusion that people (even in comics) have normal relationships and from those relationships, kids are born. If I was a super villain and I had a teenager, I certainly wouldn't want them to find out that I am part of crooked outfit that wants to dominate the world.

The Pride, this group of super villains, do have children. Once every year these uber-baddies get together to talk about their future plans. They lock themselves in a room, thinking that their children will behave, but teenagers are teenagers. They find a secret tunnel and end up witnessing a brutal murder of a young girl their own age. How would you react knowing that your parents, sacrificed someone to increase their personal power. The kids decide that they need to take off.

Thus forms the Runaways. The book formulaicly sets up finding out the powers of each of the young super heroes. Some of the powers are pretty cool, for example being able to mentally control a velociraptor. Others are a little bit more generic, super strength. But even when the power is generic it's owner isn't; twelve year old Molly Hayes needs a nap after each super exertion.

Runaways is cool because it knows that it is cool. The writer, Brian K. Vaughn, knows that when he brings in two "middle-grade super heroes from New York" he can make fun of all the comic book titles that have taken these type of heroes so seriously. Vaughn laughs at these heroes, tongue-in-cheek. He also dumps in great cultural references that my generation knows and loves. Runaways is hip and also very deep. Runaways is a Marvel book and often references all that has come before. During a struggle, one of the characters suggest that they call the Avenger's Crime Hotline. Chase replies that he has already called several times, but they will only respond to a nuclear crisis. I love it.

Runaways is also unique in the fact that it does away with many of the regular super hero trappings: costumes, secret code names, and tired cliches of having the super group fight a new super villain every episode. It is a breath of fresh air. All too often I have read books that just seem to throw in enough plot to keep that issue selling. Runaways sticks to the arch, and only has a few occasions where the story is not directed toward progressing the great story telling and incredible writing.

So far, I have to say I am loving the book, and look forward to catching up to the current issue. As far as I can see, the book has been published for at least five years. For those of you who enjoy a good comic book, Runaways should be the one you pick up.

5 out of 5

Night Kill by Ann Littlewood

2009-10-16T12:37:00.000-07:00

Iris Oakley's marriage is in deep trouble. Her husband Rick has a serious drinking problem and the problem leaves the marriage limping towards divorce. Iris and Rick separate for a week. At a work party Iris and Rick decide to give their marriage one more spin depending on Rick's commitment to stop drinking and recommit to the marriage.

But, stop the presses. Rick ends up stone dead in bottom of a lion's den at Finley Memorial Zoo in Vancouver, WA. The lions do what they naturally do and Rick ends up in the stomach of one of the cats. Iris finds out from the coroner that Rick died with an obscene amount of whiskey in his stomach.

Now ladies, would you have forgiving feelings towards your newly deceased husband after you found out that right after he made a promise not to drink, that he got himself so loaded that he couldn't keep himself from falling into lion's exhibit.

What makes Littlewood's story so interesting is not that the book is an amazing mystery, it's pretty middle of the road in that respect. I was able to guess who Rick's killer was in the first fifty pages (amazingly, it wasn't the alcohol or the lions). What makes Littlewoods debut so awesome is the setting of this mystery. Iris and Rick are and were, respectively, zookeepers at Finley Memorial.

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Where the book really succeeds is bringing us into this world of interesting facts, surprising political battles, and dynamic interplay between quirky characters who all work at this zoo. Littlewood does her best work when she is describing the characters routine and the intrigue between different keepers keeping such a stranglehold on their different areas of the zoo. The author also brings up the struggles of a smaller, regional zoo. The descriptions of battling for public funds to get a new, shiny exhibit and how the characters react to this interloping "fund-stealing" behemoth of a project. These descriptions make the book worth reading although the mystery ain't bad, either.

I highly enjoyed this one. I am glad that my local library highlighted this little gem.

4 out of 5

The Book Blog: Beginning the Blog

2009-10-16T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hi, My name is John and welcome to my new book blog. I love to read. This blog is going to be devoted to the books that I have read recently. I am going to write short reviews about what I think about the books as well as a short synopsis and review. The genres that I am most interested in are (in no particular order) YA, Sci Fi, Fantasy, Noir, Mystery, Comic Books, Serious Literature, and Classics. I read a broad number of genres and am obsessed with reading all the Newbery Winners and Runner Ups, Hugo Award Winners, Nebula Winners, and all good books. I read at least a couple of books a week and sometimes three or four. I will post what I am currently reading and then review what I have finished recently. Hope I get a few followers in the process.