Showing posts with label scifi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label scifi. Show all posts
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Book: Powers by Ursula LeGuin
Nebula winner in 2009. A slave is freed, then has adventures. Live in forest for a while, then with his original people in a marsh.
Book: Shadowbridge by Gregory Frost
Fantasy, metafiction. An interesting idea: A mostly water-covered world with stretches (spirals) of bridges on which people live. Oddly reminiscent of William Gibson's Bay Bridge colony. This is book 1 of 2. I'll read #2, but the ending of this one was slightly sour tasting.
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Book: The God Engines by John Scalzi
A short (novella-length), dark take on a universe populated by living gods, who motivate space ships and are disciplined by, well, physical discipline.
The work is in very sharp contrast to Scalzi's often aw-shucks tone on Whatever, his blog, and substantially darker in tone than most of his other fiction.
Not that I insist on dark work, but if you're gonna do it, guts and blood and faith shattering is probably the way to do it.
Recommended.
The work is in very sharp contrast to Scalzi's often aw-shucks tone on Whatever, his blog, and substantially darker in tone than most of his other fiction.
Not that I insist on dark work, but if you're gonna do it, guts and blood and faith shattering is probably the way to do it.
Recommended.
Book: 2010 Nebula Awards
As with most of these collections, some very excellent stuff and some not so great. Oddly, the ones I was most eager to find more of were the young adult books. Maybe I'm regressing?
In the Jane Austen/monster mashup category was "Pride and Prometheus". Interesting mostly for focusing on Mary Bennett, who's rafrely given much narrative space.
In the Jane Austen/monster mashup category was "Pride and Prometheus". Interesting mostly for focusing on Mary Bennett, who's rafrely given much narrative space.
Book: The Bradbury Report by Steven Polansky
If the US starts creating clones of everyone to be used for replacement organs, what happens when a clone escapes?
Angst, apparently.
A few interesting ideas here, not hugely well explored. Not to mention pretty unappealing characters.
Angst, apparently.
A few interesting ideas here, not hugely well explored. Not to mention pretty unappealing characters.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Book: The Steel Remains by Richard Morgan
Morgan is best known for his Takeshi Kovacs series of far-future sci-fi stuff.
I was surprised to realize that this is a fantasy. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that it carries over the grit and cartoony chaos of the Kovacs stuff. It's not often that your (male) main character is not only gay, but actually gets to have sex.
The plot is occasionally confusing, but pretty much comes back together at the end. There's no indication of it on the book itself, but according to Wikipedia, it's the first of a trilogy.
Nomadic horse clans are the new elves.
I was surprised to realize that this is a fantasy. I was pleasantly surprised to realize that it carries over the grit and cartoony chaos of the Kovacs stuff. It's not often that your (male) main character is not only gay, but actually gets to have sex.
The plot is occasionally confusing, but pretty much comes back together at the end. There's no indication of it on the book itself, but according to Wikipedia, it's the first of a trilogy.
Nomadic horse clans are the new elves.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Movie: Zombieland
Enjoyable. No attempt to answer any of the questions of why or how, but an entertaining action-comedy anyway.
These guys are pretty good shots.
These guys are pretty good shots.
Book: First Contact by Evan Mandery
Quirky!
Occasionally amusing. Fundamentally pretty disposable. Chock full of Simpsons references.
Occasionally amusing. Fundamentally pretty disposable. Chock full of Simpsons references.
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Book: Feed by Mira Grant
We all know what happens when the zombies attack. But what happens later, after they're beaten back (but not eliminated)?
This book examines that question. Set 20 years after the zombies come, it's the story of George and Shaun Mason, intrepid bloggers and pokers of dead things with sticks. They get selected to be embedded in the presidential campaign of a Wisconsin senator, and find much travails in the process.
The plot is uneven, and the villain (as well as some of the other characters) is not hugely believable, but the world's pretty compelling, and the main characters are great.
There's an interesting parallel in how they learn to live with the zombie infestation (caused by a virus), and how we've learned to live with AIDS. Not the same thing, obviously, but at least one story of a kid born infected rang true.
Recommended.
This book examines that question. Set 20 years after the zombies come, it's the story of George and Shaun Mason, intrepid bloggers and pokers of dead things with sticks. They get selected to be embedded in the presidential campaign of a Wisconsin senator, and find much travails in the process.
The plot is uneven, and the villain (as well as some of the other characters) is not hugely believable, but the world's pretty compelling, and the main characters are great.
There's an interesting parallel in how they learn to live with the zombie infestation (caused by a virus), and how we've learned to live with AIDS. Not the same thing, obviously, but at least one story of a kid born infected rang true.
Recommended.
Book: His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
Napoleonic wars, with dragons.
Pretty much exactly as one would expect.
Pretty much exactly as one would expect.
Nebula winners
As I think is correct, the Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi won Best Novel.
I haven't mentioned reading it, but “Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast” by Eugie Foster won best Novelette. I actually heard this story on Escape Pod, and it definitely rose above the standard fare.
I haven't mentioned reading it, but “Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast” by Eugie Foster won best Novelette. I actually heard this story on Escape Pod, and it definitely rose above the standard fare.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Book: WWW: Wake by Robert Sawyer
The last (I think) in my reading of the Hugo Best Novel nominees. I had mixed feelings about this one. The main character (a teenage girl whose sight is restored by technological intervention) is well-drawn and pretty compelling. The awakening of the web (or whatever's going on here) is less convincing.
It's the first in a trilogy. I'm reserving judgment, but I don't think it rises to the level of Windup Girl or The City & The City.
It's the first in a trilogy. I'm reserving judgment, but I don't think it rises to the level of Windup Girl or The City & The City.
Monday, May 3, 2010
Book: Julian Comstock by Robert Charles Wilson
Since I made it a point to read all the Nebula Award nominees, I might as well read all the Hugo nominees as well. This is one that was nominated for the latter, not the former.
The setting is the late 22nd century, after the collapse of the hydrocarbon economy (caled here "the Age of Efflorescence") has devastated the world. North America is united as a United States where the power rests on a triumverate of the Dominion (a sort of State Christianity) the Army, and a Caesarian presidency. Technology seems to be around the level of the mid 19th century.
The narrator, Adam Hazzard, is explicitly naive, and his naivete colors the tone of the book, making it read almost like a Young Adult novel. Hazzard grown up friends with the title character, who's the son of the president's murdered brother. The two (along with Comstock's faithful retainer Sam) are forced to run from their village, and end up having adventures, up to and including Comstock assuming his uncle's position.
The portrayal of a post-industrial society is somewhat interesting, but I felt it was let down by the cheeseballness of the narration, as well as the clumsy foreshadowing.
The setting is the late 22nd century, after the collapse of the hydrocarbon economy (caled here "the Age of Efflorescence") has devastated the world. North America is united as a United States where the power rests on a triumverate of the Dominion (a sort of State Christianity) the Army, and a Caesarian presidency. Technology seems to be around the level of the mid 19th century.
The narrator, Adam Hazzard, is explicitly naive, and his naivete colors the tone of the book, making it read almost like a Young Adult novel. Hazzard grown up friends with the title character, who's the son of the president's murdered brother. The two (along with Comstock's faithful retainer Sam) are forced to run from their village, and end up having adventures, up to and including Comstock assuming his uncle's position.
The portrayal of a post-industrial society is somewhat interesting, but I felt it was let down by the cheeseballness of the narration, as well as the clumsy foreshadowing.
Book: Santa Olivia by Jacqueline Carey
A pretty respectable near-future dystopia.
A superflu causes the US to create a buffer zone on the border with Mexico. A town (Santa Olivia) that's left in the zone (as recreation for a military base close by) is the setting for the story of a girl's coming of age.
The girl's the daughter of an escaped military experiment, and therefore pretty tough.
The ending's a touch ex machina, but the story's still an interesting take. Plus, since it's Carey, there's the requisite perviness.
A superflu causes the US to create a buffer zone on the border with Mexico. A town (Santa Olivia) that's left in the zone (as recreation for a military base close by) is the setting for the story of a girl's coming of age.
The girl's the daughter of an escaped military experiment, and therefore pretty tough.
The ending's a touch ex machina, but the story's still an interesting take. Plus, since it's Carey, there's the requisite perviness.
Monday, April 19, 2010
Book: Muse and Reverie by Charles De Lint
De Lint is possibly my favorite of the "urban fantasy" (meaning fantasy set in contemporary times) authors.
This collection, set in Newford, his main universe, has its moments, but would be a poor entry into his work. De Lint also has the unfortunate tendency to belabor his stories with a moral.
This collection, set in Newford, his main universe, has its moments, but would be a poor entry into his work. De Lint also has the unfortunate tendency to belabor his stories with a moral.
Book: Palimpsest by Catherynne M. Valente
One of the Hugo nominees I had not read.
The fascinating story of a communicable disease, sort of. People are afflicted (?) with a map of a fragment of a city (known as Palimpsest)in a parallel dimension (or in another world, or something) as a mark on their skin. The map is a sexually-transmitted disease. But everyone has a different fragment of the city. When you fall asleep after having sex with someone with a map, you enter the city in your dreams. But the things that happen to you there (like losing fingers) have an effect in the "real" world.
When you first enter the city, you're grouped with 3 other people. You can only enter the city permanently by finding the other three in the real world.
The way people deal in the everyday world with the effects of the disease is quite interesting. Palimpsest is drawn mostly in fragments (perhaps echoing the marks on the characters' skin).
One rare element is man-on-man sex. Tastefully drawn, to be sure, but much more rare, in general, than its lesbian counterpart (which also appears).
The fascinating story of a communicable disease, sort of. People are afflicted (?) with a map of a fragment of a city (known as Palimpsest)in a parallel dimension (or in another world, or something) as a mark on their skin. The map is a sexually-transmitted disease. But everyone has a different fragment of the city. When you fall asleep after having sex with someone with a map, you enter the city in your dreams. But the things that happen to you there (like losing fingers) have an effect in the "real" world.
When you first enter the city, you're grouped with 3 other people. You can only enter the city permanently by finding the other three in the real world.
The way people deal in the everyday world with the effects of the disease is quite interesting. Palimpsest is drawn mostly in fragments (perhaps echoing the marks on the characters' skin).
One rare element is man-on-man sex. Tastefully drawn, to be sure, but much more rare, in general, than its lesbian counterpart (which also appears).
Friday, April 16, 2010
Five dollar friday: Chaos Royale
I like the idea of A Tiny Revolution's Five Dollar Friday. Each Friday, I'll donate $5 to someone creating stuff and giving it away on the internet.
This week's donation: Chaos Royale. A guy, or group, or something who creates really grimy, loud, thrashful dancy-type stuff. It's music from a really scary future. It makes my head explode, in a good way.
Recommended.
This week's donation: Chaos Royale. A guy, or group, or something who creates really grimy, loud, thrashful dancy-type stuff. It's music from a really scary future. It makes my head explode, in a good way.
Recommended.
Saturday, April 10, 2010
Saturn's Children by Charles Stross
Humanity's extinct. The solar system's populated by its creations and their descendants. (Robots, in other words)
A great universe. The story's somewhat confusing, but certainly entertaining.
A great universe. The story's somewhat confusing, but certainly entertaining.
Friday, April 9, 2010
Musicals and sf
Great post by Hal Duncan at Charlie STorss's site about how he wrote a musical. And about how he wrote a screenplay, because, as he says,
the main reason I wrote it is because "gay kid" and "high school movie" don't mix in Hollywood. (I know this for a fact cause if you Google those strings the top hit is a post on my blog -- not an IMDB entry or a proper review, but a post on my fucking blog -- and I know how low my traffic is. But that's another rant.) Every last scrap of sanity in me says that trying to sell such a project is an act of utter folly. But fuck it.Word.
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Book: Metatropolis edited by John Scalzi
A group of five novellas (novelettes?) set in a shared, post-peak oil world.
This collection was initially released as an audiobook, I think. Not sure it makes a difference, though.
The works explore the future of cities after the end of expanding capitalism. Right down my alley, for sure. What do you do with skyscrapers when the concentration of labor's no longer required?
There's a lot of casting about for alternative economic and physical structures.
Recommended.
This collection was initially released as an audiobook, I think. Not sure it makes a difference, though.
The works explore the future of cities after the end of expanding capitalism. Right down my alley, for sure. What do you do with skyscrapers when the concentration of labor's no longer required?
There's a lot of casting about for alternative economic and physical structures.
Recommended.
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