Keeping for my library.
Showing posts with label SciFi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SciFi. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 10, 2014
Hard-Boiled Wonderland and The End Of The World - Haruki Murakami
I loved this book, both of the stories are fantastic. I must admit I had a preference for the Hard-Boiled Wonderland story but The End Of The World kept me turning the pages as well! It is one of those books that makes you feel smarter for having read it and makes you (well me at least) feel a bit pretentious for having read it. That this book has that intellectual feeling for me and is also a fantastic page turner is amazing! I recommend this to everyone who wants to read a bit of a surreal story that is digestible but the average reader without making us feel dumb or out of the joke.
Keeping for my library.
Keeping for my library.
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
Dark Heavens Trilogy - Kylie Chan
one sentence summary
A nanny enters the world of mythology when she agrees to care for the daughter of a god.
review
This is a great series, the mythology is so well researched and described that it is easy to fall under the spell of the story and believe the unbelievable. The series gets stronger as it continues forward, the third book being the most well written. I enjoyed the characters for the most part, the only really weak link is the character of Simone, a little girl wise beyond her years. For the most part she is believable but she is also the only catalyst that dispels the suspension of disbelief that is so crucial to fantasy writing and she does it more than once. Aside from that I look forward to this series continuing.
A nanny enters the world of mythology when she agrees to care for the daughter of a god.
review
This is a great series, the mythology is so well researched and described that it is easy to fall under the spell of the story and believe the unbelievable. The series gets stronger as it continues forward, the third book being the most well written. I enjoyed the characters for the most part, the only really weak link is the character of Simone, a little girl wise beyond her years. For the most part she is believable but she is also the only catalyst that dispels the suspension of disbelief that is so crucial to fantasy writing and she does it more than once. Aside from that I look forward to this series continuing.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
Aftertime - Sophie Littlefield
one sentence summary
The world as we know it has ended and the remaining humans struggle to survive.review
The romance angle of this seems like an afterthought, and, in my opinion the novel would have been a lot better without it. (my theory is that when sending it out to publishers harlequin said "sure, but add some sex" because that is what it feels like, tossed in and not thought through.) The story line is interesting Cass, a recovering alcoholic is searching for her daughter in a world torn apart by mind melted cannibals. The character of Cass is wonderfully flawed and realistic, trying to keep sane and to find her child. It is worth reading if you enjoy end of the world stories.
7/10
Monday, August 26, 2013
Next - Michael Chricton
One Sentence Summary:
in an era of genetic manipulation what happens to the "miraculously" cured?
review:
I thought this was a hilarious, over the top look at a genre I enjoy, near-future sci-fi. An eccentric wealthy evil scientist sends a bounty hunter matching all the stereotypes after a humble scientist you cured his own disease by testing on himself, there is also an intelligent talking parrot. And the list or over the top tropes goes on and on. That said there is truth in stereotypes and the corporations portrayed in the novel make you think and become a bit paranoid. If you enjoy sci-fi and have the ability to see the humour in over the top characterizations I recommend this for you. This received mixed reviews both from the bloggers and the pros.
7/10
in an era of genetic manipulation what happens to the "miraculously" cured?
review:
I thought this was a hilarious, over the top look at a genre I enjoy, near-future sci-fi. An eccentric wealthy evil scientist sends a bounty hunter matching all the stereotypes after a humble scientist you cured his own disease by testing on himself, there is also an intelligent talking parrot. And the list or over the top tropes goes on and on. That said there is truth in stereotypes and the corporations portrayed in the novel make you think and become a bit paranoid. If you enjoy sci-fi and have the ability to see the humour in over the top characterizations I recommend this for you. This received mixed reviews both from the bloggers and the pros.
7/10
Monday, August 19, 2013
The Twelve - Justin Cronin
One sentence summary:
The fall out of a military project to use an extinct virus to engineer super soldiers and unleashes an evil that is so horrific the world quarantines North America to avoid all out loss.
review:
A sequel so epic it deserved its own post! The writing is better than the last half of the first book but it is better in parts and mediocre in others. It is easy to tell as a reader what parts Cronin really enjoyed writing, bits about Grey and the "past", the year "0" parts especially stand out as well done. I would love to read more about year 0. The writing was pretty good and the plot pounds along at a healthy clip. I thought it was really clever how Cronin summarized the first novel in the prologue in "bible verse" format. There were some really dark plot points though, darker than expected (which is saying a lot for a post apocalyptic story). I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Passage.
8/10 (if you have read The Passage this gets a 10/10 read it now rating, though I may be alone on that judging by the other reviews) I guess objectively (based on writing of this as a stand alone) I would actually give this a 5 or maybe 6 but I love the characters so much I rate it much higher.
The fall out of a military project to use an extinct virus to engineer super soldiers and unleashes an evil that is so horrific the world quarantines North America to avoid all out loss.
review:
A sequel so epic it deserved its own post! The writing is better than the last half of the first book but it is better in parts and mediocre in others. It is easy to tell as a reader what parts Cronin really enjoyed writing, bits about Grey and the "past", the year "0" parts especially stand out as well done. I would love to read more about year 0. The writing was pretty good and the plot pounds along at a healthy clip. I thought it was really clever how Cronin summarized the first novel in the prologue in "bible verse" format. There were some really dark plot points though, darker than expected (which is saying a lot for a post apocalyptic story). I recommend this to anyone who enjoyed The Passage.
8/10 (if you have read The Passage this gets a 10/10 read it now rating, though I may be alone on that judging by the other reviews) I guess objectively (based on writing of this as a stand alone) I would actually give this a 5 or maybe 6 but I love the characters so much I rate it much higher.
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
The Chrysalids - John Wyndham
one sentence summary:
many years post-nuclear-war an insular Christian community where any child born with a birth defect is killed at birth.
review:
well written and fast paced Wyndham offers a disturbing look at the future we could have had. In this work of science/speculative fiction a disturbing possibility is brought to light, a community where difference is stamped out and everyone is brought up to believe that it is fine to get rid of anyone who is a "mutant", any deviation is brought to light and then destroyed by everyone in the community. I found this a very disturbing novel, but really well written. I recommend everyone read this novel, it is a very good look at the future that could happen if we just blindly followed our leaders.
8/10
many years post-nuclear-war an insular Christian community where any child born with a birth defect is killed at birth.
review:
well written and fast paced Wyndham offers a disturbing look at the future we could have had. In this work of science/speculative fiction a disturbing possibility is brought to light, a community where difference is stamped out and everyone is brought up to believe that it is fine to get rid of anyone who is a "mutant", any deviation is brought to light and then destroyed by everyone in the community. I found this a very disturbing novel, but really well written. I recommend everyone read this novel, it is a very good look at the future that could happen if we just blindly followed our leaders.
8/10
Friday, July 19, 2013
Stranger in a Strange Land
one sentence summary:
A human raised by martians returned to earth as a young adult.
review:
This novel embodies the ultimate culture shock. Written in the early 1960's this is a fascinating look at what was thought to be possible. A classic of the SciFi cannon for a good reason, it is brilliantly written and the characters embodies every big question science fiction authors strive to answer. What is the future of humanity like, what happens to human morals, where do we go from here, etc. I recommend this to anyone who has any interest in SciFi, Philosophy or Sociology.
8.5/10
A human raised by martians returned to earth as a young adult.
review:
This novel embodies the ultimate culture shock. Written in the early 1960's this is a fascinating look at what was thought to be possible. A classic of the SciFi cannon for a good reason, it is brilliantly written and the characters embodies every big question science fiction authors strive to answer. What is the future of humanity like, what happens to human morals, where do we go from here, etc. I recommend this to anyone who has any interest in SciFi, Philosophy or Sociology.
8.5/10
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Atlas Shrugged - Ayn Rand
one sentence summary
the book that all hipsters have read, or rather, claim to have read.
review
The only good part of this book is the feeling of accomplishment achieved by finishing the book so that I could look pretentious people in the eye and say "oh, really, that's what you thought?" in a really condescending tone. The writing is superfluous, the characters are all weakly developed and have no real base, and the plot is just poorly executed. But, in a 1950's America this became an instant classic, embracing capitalism and showing every other philosophy of life to be inferior. In conclusion, please do not read this book, use the time for better things... like learning to knit or planting a garden or reading harlequin romances (I kid you not, a better use of your time).
3/10
the book that all hipsters have read, or rather, claim to have read.
review
The only good part of this book is the feeling of accomplishment achieved by finishing the book so that I could look pretentious people in the eye and say "oh, really, that's what you thought?" in a really condescending tone. The writing is superfluous, the characters are all weakly developed and have no real base, and the plot is just poorly executed. But, in a 1950's America this became an instant classic, embracing capitalism and showing every other philosophy of life to be inferior. In conclusion, please do not read this book, use the time for better things... like learning to knit or planting a garden or reading harlequin romances (I kid you not, a better use of your time).
3/10
Sunday, June 9, 2013
Sphere - Michael Crichton
one sentence summary
Why the fuck would anyone explore a spaceship so deep in the ocean that the pressure outside would kill you?? read this book to find out why...(tho I am still pretty sure it is a terrible idea)
review:
The writing is above average for the genre, the story is really quite interesting (once you make the assumption that some people just need to know, and that need outweighs any sane reasoning they may have had) and the characters are all horribly flawed and entertaining. The novel is written in what I like to think of as the Crichton style, long explanations of science, decent dialogue, rushed action and plot holes the size of the grand canyon. I recommend this for plane or cabin reading, a fast paced story whose details don't matter. I recommend it to anyone looking to read an action movie with shoddy science.
8/10
i recommend checking out Robin Cook, Carl Sagan (his fiction), Steve Alten etc
Why the fuck would anyone explore a spaceship so deep in the ocean that the pressure outside would kill you?? read this book to find out why...(tho I am still pretty sure it is a terrible idea)
review:
The writing is above average for the genre, the story is really quite interesting (once you make the assumption that some people just need to know, and that need outweighs any sane reasoning they may have had) and the characters are all horribly flawed and entertaining. The novel is written in what I like to think of as the Crichton style, long explanations of science, decent dialogue, rushed action and plot holes the size of the grand canyon. I recommend this for plane or cabin reading, a fast paced story whose details don't matter. I recommend it to anyone looking to read an action movie with shoddy science.
8/10
Friday, May 31, 2013
The MaddAddam Trilogy - Margaret Atwood
one sentence summary:
what happens after the plague changes life as we know it?
review:
these novels are rather brilliant. The writing is superb and the characters are so well drawn out that even the most unbelievable attributes become logical. Atwood always writes with unforgettable voices and this is no exception. The world she as created is a beautiful as it is terrible. I highly recommend these to anyone who enjoys good writing / post-apocalyptic dystopias / Canadian authors. They are typical in tone of Atwood, that is to say a bit dark but with their own twisted humour thrown about for good measure. I would say of this series that the world she created surpasses the characters (which is a-typical of her work as usually the characters are the strongest point... on the other hand the world she created is almost like a character onto itself, especially as it is further flushed out in the third instalment.)
8/10
what happens after the plague changes life as we know it?
review:
these novels are rather brilliant. The writing is superb and the characters are so well drawn out that even the most unbelievable attributes become logical. Atwood always writes with unforgettable voices and this is no exception. The world she as created is a beautiful as it is terrible. I highly recommend these to anyone who enjoys good writing / post-apocalyptic dystopias / Canadian authors. They are typical in tone of Atwood, that is to say a bit dark but with their own twisted humour thrown about for good measure. I would say of this series that the world she created surpasses the characters (which is a-typical of her work as usually the characters are the strongest point... on the other hand the world she created is almost like a character onto itself, especially as it is further flushed out in the third instalment.)
8/10
if you enjoyed this check out Huxley, Bradbury and Iain M Banks
Saturday, December 15, 2012
The Passage Trilogy - Justin Cronin
The Passage
One Sentence Summary:
The world as we know it has ended and one girl is the key to the future... also vampires.
Review:
I loved this book. Getting sucked into the story and not losing interest in it (via bad writing or plot holes or characters I don't like) until the book is over is not something that happens very often. I read this before I heard the hype, it seems that the hype brought the book up to be more than it is so it is disappointing if you bought into the "best book of the century" talk but it is brilliant for what it is; a horror story with adventure, intrigue and unreliable science. It is well written with characters that I fell in love with. The setting, while following the traditional post-apocalypse route also introduces what I see as more realistic futures. I highly recommend this book if you like that sort of stuff...
8/10 (Horror / Action)
Notable Quotes:
“We live, we die. Somewhere along the way, if we're lucky, we may find someone to help lighten the load.”
“So perhaps the greatest worry of all was that one day you would realize that all the worries of your life amounted to one thing: the desire to just stop worrying.”
The Twelve
have not read yet... waiting for the paperback
If you enjoyed this you should read:
World War Z - Max Brooks
Oryx and Crake - Margret Atwood
Blindness - Jose Saramago
The Vampire Chronicles - Ann Rice
One Sentence Summary:
The world as we know it has ended and one girl is the key to the future... also vampires.
Review:
I loved this book. Getting sucked into the story and not losing interest in it (via bad writing or plot holes or characters I don't like) until the book is over is not something that happens very often. I read this before I heard the hype, it seems that the hype brought the book up to be more than it is so it is disappointing if you bought into the "best book of the century" talk but it is brilliant for what it is; a horror story with adventure, intrigue and unreliable science. It is well written with characters that I fell in love with. The setting, while following the traditional post-apocalypse route also introduces what I see as more realistic futures. I highly recommend this book if you like that sort of stuff...
8/10 (Horror / Action)
Notable Quotes:
“We live, we die. Somewhere along the way, if we're lucky, we may find someone to help lighten the load.”
“So perhaps the greatest worry of all was that one day you would realize that all the worries of your life amounted to one thing: the desire to just stop worrying.”
The Twelve
have not read yet... waiting for the paperback
If you enjoyed this you should read:
World War Z - Max Brooks
Oryx and Crake - Margret Atwood
Blindness - Jose Saramago
The Vampire Chronicles - Ann Rice
Thursday, December 13, 2012
Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
One Sentence Summary:
Two souls travel through time and always find each other.
Review:
I loved the stories in this novel, and like everyone else was a tad annoyed to be left at the climax over and over again, relieved to have the conclusions in the second (third?) part of the book. The book is organized in an enthralling (but annoying) way, the first half of 5 stories, a complete 6th story and then the conclusion of the original 5 stories. This adds to the brilliance of the novel, in my opinion.
8/10 (Fantasy / Romance)
Notable Quotes:
"A half-read book is a half-finished love affair."
If you enjoyed this you should read:
Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood
The Enchantress of Florence - Salman Rushdie
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
Two souls travel through time and always find each other.
Review:
I loved the stories in this novel, and like everyone else was a tad annoyed to be left at the climax over and over again, relieved to have the conclusions in the second (third?) part of the book. The book is organized in an enthralling (but annoying) way, the first half of 5 stories, a complete 6th story and then the conclusion of the original 5 stories. This adds to the brilliance of the novel, in my opinion.
8/10 (Fantasy / Romance)
Notable Quotes:
"A half-read book is a half-finished love affair."
If you enjoyed this you should read:
Oryx and Crake - Margaret Atwood
The Enchantress of Florence - Salman Rushdie
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
Friday, December 7, 2012
Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card
*Disclaimer* I have not read any other books in the series, just this one. I also have no intention of reading anymore of them... if you have compelling reasons I should please comment.
A genius child/military leader named Ender tries to save the world from an alien race.
Review:
While I enjoyed this book I think it is overrated, lots of people call it the best space opera of our time, I disagree. It is written well enough, has a gripping story line and well described military strategy out the wazoo but that is where the compliments end. It is lacking in character development to the point reading it is almost painful at times, the characters just are really terrible, all stereotypical with no magnetism, super-intelligent kids being kids trying to take over the world. The use of language is weak at best and the descriptions are lacking in depth (other than those of military strategy). It is just one of those books that gets far more credit than it actually deserves, though it is worth a read if you are young or enjoy sci-fi.
6/10
8/10 - Middle / High School depending on individual maturity.
Notable Quotes:
“Perhaps it's impossible to wear an identity without becoming what you pretend to be.”
If you enjoyed this you should read:
The Prince - Niccolò Machiavelli (for a philosophical look at Ender's personality)
Neuromancer - William Gibson
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
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