Novella Review: The Machine Stops by Forster

The Machine Stops by E.M. Forster
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

I found this gem yesterday via Feedbooks public domain short stories listings. I raised my eyebrows when I saw E.M. Forster wrote a science fiction novella (in 1909). I love reading dystopian fiction, provided I space it between less depressing offerings. Forster surprised me with not one dystopian future, but two. His ideas mixed to form a somewhat steampunkish voluntary Matrix benevolent Terminator mashup.

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Get Your Hot Summer Book Swaps Here

Due to the Ozone Red Alert Warning for today, I'm staying inside and at home today. This leaves me no excuse but to tackle projects I've neglected for weeks if not months. Overnight I received a BookMooch request to send a book to a Californian, so it got me thinking about my physical book inventory. Once I found the book requested for BookMooch, I packaged it and addressed it sitting in my new library. I grabbed a stack of books I'd set aside as abandoned and started adding them to my GoodReads swap site. And now that I own a Nook Color, I want to see less physical books on my physical book shelves to make room for the more ephemeral ebooks on my virtual shelves.

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First Third of My Summer Reads - June 2011

Just a few of my favorite things . . . thanks to participating in GoodReads groups and as a guest reviewer for FantasyLiterature.com:

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Books we're currently reading

Consider Phlebas
by Iain M. Banks

Start date: June 1, 2011

The Summer Tree
by Guy Gavriel Kay

Start date: June 1, 2011

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Books we plan to read

The Magicians
by Lev Grossman

Start date: June 1, 2011 *

In the Garden of Iden
by Kage Baker

Start date: June 1, 2011

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May read: The Name of the Wind by...

Books we're currently reading

Leviathan
by Scott Westerfeld 

Start date: June 1, 2011

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Can't resist the lure of an epic saga full of fantastic creatures, scintillating sorcery, heroic...

Books we're currently reading

House of Chains
by Steven Erikson

Start date: May 15, 2011 *

Daughter of the Empire
by Raymond E. Feist

Start date: June 1, 2011

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* I am not reading these selections.

Anything else I tackle this month can be found on my current-month book shelf at GoodReads.

Doctor Who: The Doctor's Wife

An amazing episode, written by none other than Neil Gaiman, a well known popular award winning science fiction author. Again, I'm too lazy to write my own synopsis, so please visit the Wikipedia article on The Doctor's Wife episode if you need more info.

My favorite snippet of dialogue from this episode:

Idris: You ever wonder why I chose you all those years ago?
The Doctor: I chose you. You were unlocked.
Idris: Of course I was. I wanted to see the universe so I stole a Time Lord and I ran away. And you were the only one mad enough.

This episode is overflowing with revelations about the TARDIS (it's female and likes being called both 'old girl' and 'sexy'). We see more of the TARDIS (well, Amy and Rory running through endlessly similar corridors while the villain, House, terrorizes them). We see other dead TARDISes (or is it TARDI ??) and revisit the Tenth Doctor's console (Tenant's desktop so to speak). Definitely a four star rating.

Next Episode: Rebel Flesh

Doctor Who: The Curse of the Black Spot

"Yo ho ho! or does nobody actually say that?" -- the Doctor (soon to be one of my favorite quotes).

Plot summary at Wikipedia (yes, I'm being lazy again but I have an excuse ... it's Mother's Day).

I thoroughly enjoyed this episode and would give it four stars, possibly more, especially for the dramatic scene between Amy and Rory towards the end and for the pirates! Who doesn't love a romping swashbuckling tale of the high seas, pirates and sea monsters?

And was I the only one who noticed that the newly inaugurated space pirates first visited the Dog Star aka Sirius?

I think I still prefer Robert Picardo over a supermodel with his signature 'Please state the nature of the medical emergency.' But that's just me.

Next week we might meet the Doctor's wife or possibly another time lord. Either way, I'm excited and ecstatic to have exceptional science fiction to look forward to each and every Saturday night. Hip Hip Hurray for BBC America!

Doctor Who: The Day of the Moon

Nearly the first thing we did upon returning home from our weekend getaway to Table Rock Lake, after visiting the necessary room of course, was to watch the Day of the Moon via the DVR. Follow this link for a plot synopsis at the relevant Wikipedia article.



The beginning and middle of this episode kept me confused for longer than I like. And the Silents started creeping me out, similar to the Weeping Angels in "Blink" episode, especially when Amy was wondering a deserted orphanage during a night thunderstorm alone. Part of my confusion probably stemmed from the unreliably nature of the narration. Since the characters (including Doctor Who) could not cohesively remember their encounters with the Silents, we experienced what they experienced without much third-person omnipotent viewpoint advantage.

I am not convinced we have seen the last of the Silents, especially if you consider the continuity flashbacks and foreshadowings. I liked the very American response and call to revolution against the Silents that the Doctor engineered and I especially liked the black box at Area 51, but the resolution arrived too quickly for me.

As to the identity of the girl in the astronaut suit, you can find a good discussion ongoing here where I bring up some questions about who the girl might be and who her mother might be, all of which will be answered in Moffat's good time.

Close to four stars, better than three and a half stars (out of five stars) for an episode of Doctor Who. Next week it appears Doctor Who et al. will be playing pirates and chasing mermaids on the high seas in "The Curse of the Black Spot" episode.

Doctor Who: The Impossible Astronaut

Just a few quick words, thoughts and questions about last night's Doctor Who Season Six premiere 'The Impossible Astronaut' (if you're looking for a synopsis or re-cap of the episode, click on the episode name link). The Doctor, Amy, Rory and River hop across the pond to late 1960s America, unraveling (without alerting the younger doctor) the mystery surrounding the two hundred year older Doctor's demise (yes, a bit of a spoiler but it happens within the first few minutes of the episode).

I enjoyed the nostalgic references to the space program (go NASA! to the moon and beyond!) and Nixon (as Doctor Who states 'so much more happened in 1969 than people remember), but Moffat's latest aliens didn't seem as creative as his extremely creepy weeping angels (see the Hugo and BAFTA award winning episode 'Blink' for further creepiness).

And it begs that question, if these aliens have the ability to make you forget them completely after you are no longer looking at them, why would one of these aliens command Amy to tell Doctor Who something? Don't they realize she'll forget whatever they told her as soon as she turns her head? Here's an excerpt from Amy's conversation with one of the aliens in a White House restroom:

Alien: You will tell the Doctor.

Amy: Tell him what?

Alien: What he must know and what he must never know.

Amy: How do you know about that?

Alien: Tell him.

After which Amy runs gasping from the restroom and immediately forgets what just happened. She did snap a photo of the alien with her cell phone, after she determined that humans forget the aliens as soon as they look away (thanks to a poor woman caught in the conversational crossfire as collateral damage). And was I the only one who that thought the electrifying moaning alien consuming said woman reminded you of Pink Floyd's 'The Wall'? Ew.

An intriguing above-average episode of Doctor Who (more than three, probably close to four out of five stars). I'm still having David Tennant withdrawals as I just can't relate to a Doctor Who played by an actor born just a year before I graduated from high school. I loved having Mark Sheppard, one of my current favorite British (or is that Irish) actors who pops up on many of the shows I watch. The preview for next week's conclusion entitled 'Day of the Moon' look suitably time-twisty and action packed.

Thank goodness BBC America saved science fiction television from complete extinction. Heaven knows, I can't count on Syfy for anything except fantasy (because what else do you call WWE or reality TV)?

Book Review: The Man in the High Castle by PKD

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

3.5 - 3.75 stars

I struggled a bit with PKD's prose, which at times staggered about like an alcoholic or drug addict and/or a mentally ill person rambling about their innermost incoherent thoughts. But an occasional brilliance burst through the befuddlement to guide me back if I strayed too far off course.

Written almost twenty years after World War II, PKD presents us with an America divided up as spoils of war between the Japanese Empire and Nazi Germany. He portrayed a believable view of American life under two fascist regimes. I surprised myself by feeling empathy not only for the victimized Americans (including Jews hunted to extinction, Blacks reduced to slaves, and other insidious persecutions of non-Aryan races), but also the Japanese, some of whom begin to see the writing on the wall.

I couldn't help but compare the Oracle (aka as the I Ching or Book of Changes) to the Cosmological Interventionists represented by two out-of-control orphaned Blitz children in Willis' Blackout/All Clear. It's a stretch, but the conclusion of both novels left me with the same intriguing warm fuzzy feeling.

I read this novel as one of the suggested readings for my local library's adult winter reading program called 'Altered States' and blogged about my reading journey.

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Book Review: Dragon's Egg by Forward

Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I admit to a science fiction reader shortcoming: I love to watch science fiction, but usually don't care to read it, especially the sub-genre of 'hard science fiction.'

And to be completely honest, I thought I gave myself a migraine reading the first pages of Dragon's Egg (an astrophysics crash course in neutron stars). Once past the cold hard super-heavy facts, I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the cheela life-form and the brief interaction the human scientists experienced.

I completely sympathized with the crew of the Dragon Slayer not wanting to blink, let alone sleep, as they watched the astonishing development of cheela society. In just a few hours, the cheela civilization went from 'savages, stagnating in an illiterate haze' to outpacing human development by 'many thousands of years.' Relatively speaking, of course.

I didn't connect to any one particular cheela, since their lifespans were so short in human terms, nor with any of the scientists, who got the short-end of the stick when it came to their story-line. But my eyes teared up reading a farewell delivered by a cheela robot to the human scientists, a fitting benediction to a benevolent mutually beneficial first contact interaction.

Recommended for all fans of science fiction, first contact stories and hard sci-fi novels.

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The reason I read this book? It won the poll for the March 2011 Beyond Reality science fiction selection.

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Books we're currently reading

ragon's Egg
by Robert L. Forward
Start date: March 1, 2011

The Name of the Wind
by Patrick Rothfuss
Start date: March 1, 2011

Traitor's Knot
by Janny Wurts
Start date: February 17, 2011

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February Reading Schedule

For a short month, I have way too much reading I need to finish, all of it related to virtual and physical book clubs.

Currently, I'm reading Magician: Apprentice by Raymond E. Feist as part of the GR FBCS group read of the Riftwar Saga, which just kick off this month.

I ordered Cold Magic by Kate Elliott to participate in the GR SF&F BC group read of that novel. I wasn't planning on buy it, but I was shocked to learn that my amazing public library on the ground floor of my employer's building (aka the Kansas City Public Library Plaza Branch) had not yet purchased a copy. It's rare that I can't find a book through the KC library system.

As part of that library's Winter Reading Program, I'll also quickly re-read Fahrenheit 451 by Bradbury and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Twain. I hope to earn a cool mug and be entered in a drawing for a Nook.

I am also participating in another reading program sponsored by the KC Library called 'A Taste of Victorian Literature' so I'm reading Mansfield Park by Jane Austen this month to participate in a group discussion held at the Plaza Branch the evening of Wed Feb 16 at 6:30 pm.

I'll be continuing the group read at Beyond Reality for Janny Wurts' Wars of Light and Shadow with Traitor's Knot.

And back at FBCS in mid-February, I'll begin a re-read of the ebook version of Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson to participate in the alternate series group read of Malazan Book of the Fallen.

Should I pray for more blizzard like weather so I'll have more time to read? Otherwise, I've probably bitten off more than I can chew (or read) during the shortest and coldest month of the year.

For any other reads I might try to squeeze in, see my current-month book shelf.

Book Review (Novella): All Seated on the Ground by Connie Willis

All Seated on the Ground by Connie Willis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I read the electronic version via the Asimov's website: http://www.asimovs.com/_issue_0805/allse...


Probably rates a 3.5, but like Connie Willis, I love Christmas and singing in very large choirs. Combining the two, especially with Handel's Hallelujah Chorus, is priceless.



And as Aunt Judith and the Altairi reminded me: ‘A prompt handwritten note expressing gratitude is the only proper form of thanks.' I'll be posting those notes to friends and family today.



Highly recommended, especially during this joyous season, bearing tidings of comfort and joy to all.



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Book Review: The Mote in God's Eye

The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I should read more space opera, especially when written by Niven and Pournelle. The human Empire (Russian in origin, which seemed odd considering in 1974 when first published, the USSR was Communist not Imperialist) has first contact with aliens from a system referred to as "The Mote." Communication is key, but as expected, truth is the first casualty in diplomacy and war. By the time I reached the end, having had bits of both sides of the story, I kept wishing and hoping ... 'if only' the aliens had divulged the truth behind their species' biological problem, I believe, even a militaristic human society would feel compassion for them and strive to solve what the alien's considered unsolvable or impossible or 'Crazy Eddy.'

Join in the discussion of this book at the Beyond Reality GoodReads book club. 

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Grand Conspiracy

by Janny Wurts

Start date: December 2, 2010

Under Heaven

by Guy Gavriel Kay

Start date: December 1, 2010

The Mote in God's Eye

by Larry Niven

Start date: December 1, 2010

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My ‘Best of 2010′ Meme for Beyond Reality

First thing I'll have to do is look up what 'meme' means because I'm drawing a complete blank on that.

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Books we're currently reading

Grand Conspiracy
by Janny Wurts
Start date: December 2, 2010

Under Heaven
by Guy Gavriel Kay
Start date: December 1, 2010

The Mote in God's Eye
by Larry Niven
Start date: December 1, 2010

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Our illustrious leader, Stefan, posted this thread and these questions for us to ponder and pontificate upon. My answers and musings can be found below (and I'll be reviewing my stats and reviews on GoodReads to bolster my memory).

What was the best fantasy book you read in 2010?

Only five of my reviews this year earned a five star rating, two of which were science fiction novels. Of the three remaining fantasy novels, one was a re-read, which I won't count towards this year's 'best of' list. The final two are difficult to choose between so I will call it a tie between Warhost of Vastmark by Janny Wurts and Breath and Bone by Carol Berg.

What was the best science fiction book you read in 2010?

Hands down, Connie Willis' All Clear swept me away. I strongly suggest that you read Blackout first and follow it immediately with the second half/second novel All Clear


Best any-other-genre-that's-not-SF-or-fantasy book?

I only read a handful of non-fantasy or non-SF novels this year (typical for me, I'm happily stuck in my rut). I had no five star reads in this category, but a couple did stand out: The Art of Racing in the Rain and The Murder of Roger Akroyd.


Best new book (meaning, actually published in 2010)?

Again, this will have to go to the dynamic duo Blackout and All Clear by Connie Willis


Best debut novel?

Did not read any debut novels this year.


Best short story collection or anthology?

The Masters of Fantasy collection proved to contain the best overall collection of short stories from my favorite genre and several of my favorite authors.


Best short story?

"Sundering Star" by Janny Wurts from the Under Cover of Darkness anthology.


What was your favorite Beyond Reality "Book of the Month" in 2010?

I suspect it will be the one I'm currently reading . . . Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay


Who's the best author you discovered this year?

Robin McKinley and her young adult fantasy award winning novel The Hero and the Crown.


Best SF&F-related website or blog?

I don't follow any of them 'religiously' but I get bombarded with a multitude of tweets from myriad sources. The one I frequent the most is John Scalzi's Whatever blog.


Best SF&F movie?

I'm even harsher rating movies than I am with books. I gave no five star ratings this year. Three movies made it to my four star rating (barely) and they include Avatar, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Part I.) and How to Train Your Dragon.


TV show?

Stargate Universe, but not because I really like it, more because there's little else to watch when it comes to science fiction television. Yes, I watch Doctor Who, Eureka, Warehouse 13, etc., but they are frivolous and entertaining ... popcorn for my mind.

Book Review: All Clear by Willis

All Clear by Connie Willis

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Wonderful, exceptional, loved every page. I find myself unable to describe what truly astonishes me about this novel without giving away huge spoilers. I laughed, I cried, my heart filled to bursting and erupted with hope and inspiration.

All Clear picks up where Blackout abruptly ended, back in the Blitz, London during the Blackout, the air raids, the shelters, life marches on for the stoic British citizens. Our stranded time-traveling historians face the facts, for the most part, and buckle down to survive. Rationing recipes, holding down jobs, wondering if the next air raid will destroy your employer's building or your home, constant commute disruptions caused by bombed out streets, communication disruptions (telephone lines down and mail slowed to a crawl), doing the odd heroic rescue on the side, and don't forget the rehearsals for the latest diversionary play performed in the underground tube stations by the hodgepodge of amateur actors directed by none other than Sir Godfrey.

Connie Willis revealed the essence of Britain during the Second World War through these glimpses into the everyday lives of it's citizens.

Now that I have reached the end, and seen all the pieces fall into place, I must re-read both novels to truly appreciate the masterful ingenious tale crafted by Connie Willis.


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Book Review: Blackout by Willis

Blackout by Connie Willis

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Fifty years in our future, time-traveling Oxford historians studying key moments early in the Second World War become stranded in time in various locales around England. Like the contemporaries they are assigned to observe, the historians increasingly feel the weight of impending doom.


Doubt seeps into their belief that the continuum, the embodiment of a chaotic system, prevents damage or alteration to the time line; a self-correcting system. The butterfly effect, more aptly referenced with the catch phrase 'For want of a nail' becomes an argument both for and against altering the time-line. All doors back to Oxford and home seem sealed off and hope flickers and flutters against the background of air raid sirens and the Blackout.

The author peeled back the curtains to give us a glimpse of England in 1940, the astonishing courage and fortitude of her citizens. Amidst all the danger and bleakness, the light and compassion continued to shine. And the occasional comedic interludes, especially as respects to two incorrigible children, Alf and Binnie, and a rag tag amateur acting troupe forged in the shelters and tube stations during air raids, directed by a retired knighted Shakespearean actor, Sir Godfrey. Willis captures the soul of the British to a tea.

Be prepared to move directly on to the second novel immediately. The only reason I didn't give this first novel five stars relates to the torture I would have endured waiting six months to read the second half. I didn't torture myself, though, because I waited until All Clear was released before starting Blackout.


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Book Review: Haze by Modesitt

Haze by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I admit this is the first Modesitt science fiction novel. I'm no stranger to his work in the fantasy field, having read all the Recluce and Spellsinger novels and two of his Imager novels.

This novel includes two story lines that alternate and converge. Both stories use Roget's point of view, but during separate time lines in his life. This gives us a glimpse of current events and some of Roget's back story which also serves to world build (or re-build) Earth in our future. Earth is a mess, ecologically speaking, and ruled by the Federation, a Sinese-based empire. Roget experiences discrimination in his career advancement because he is a descendant of the remnants of the United States (oriental supremacy and occidental minority). The current time-line follows Roget as he explores the planet of Haze (Federation designation due to the orbital shields) or Dubiety (as referred to by the inhabitants).

Modesitt explores two philosophies of government and society. The Federation is an extrapolation of all that's wrong with empires, as history continually shows. Haze/Dubiety is an example of an extreme instance of choice and consequences. Citizens have freedom of choice so long as they never harm another person and take complete responsibility for their actions and their consequences. Modesitt gives several good examples of testing the boundaries of this scenario.

Comparable to some of the best of Heinlein's social engineering science fiction. Yet the characters take back stage to the themes, but not so much that you get bogged down in data dumps or didactic digressions. I felt the most sympathy for a dachshund named Hildegarde in a painting Roget kept an image of to talk to and ease the loneliness of his existence.

Most of the science in the Federation appears to be hard science, although I don't remember how the Federation battle cruisers traveled to Haze (whether it was FTL or hyperspace or hard science believable travel). The Dubiens had some technology that seemed fantastic and Modesitt didn't go into explanations so I can't confirm or deny the science behind their "Trans-Temporal Entropic Reversal" system.

I got a chuckle when Roget's guide took him to dinner at the Lucasan club. See my status updates for more on that scene.

Roget's leap of faith, although predictable, was no less poignant. And the epilogue, while a bit corny, did bring a smile to my face.

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Join the discussion and author Q&A at the GoodReads Science Fiction and Fantasy Book club where Modesitt is the featured author for November 2010:

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Welcome to the SciFi and Fantasy Book Club!  SciFi Czar: Brad
Fantasy Czar: Cindy
PLEASE NOTE:...

 

Books we're currently reading

Haze by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Start date: November 1, 2010

The Magic of Recluce by L.E. Modesitt Jr.
Start date: November 1, 2010

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