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Ghost #1-2
Ghosts of Columbia
Here are two adventures from L. E. Modesitt, Jr.'s Ghost Books series― Of Tangible Ghosts and Ghost of the Revelator― that bring Johan Eschbach out of his retirement and happy marriage in northern New Bruges and into danger and intrigue.
This edition includes an afterword by the author explaining the history of this fascinating alternate world where ghosts are not mere superstition but have a literal physical reality―and political implications. Your crimes can haunt you, and the ghosts of your crimes are visible to others.
The Ghost Books
#1 Of Tangible Ghosts
#2 The Ghost of the Revelator
#3 Ghost of the White Nights
#1-2 Ghosts of Columbia
This edition includes an afterword by the author explaining the history of this fascinating alternate world where ghosts are not mere superstition but have a literal physical reality―and political implications. Your crimes can haunt you, and the ghosts of your crimes are visible to others.
The Ghost Books
#1 Of Tangible Ghosts
#2 The Ghost of the Revelator
#3 Ghost of the White Nights
#1-2 Ghosts of Columbia
496 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 2005
About the author
L.E. Modesitt Jr.
191 books2,487 followersL. E. (Leland Exton) Modesitt, Jr. is an author of science fiction and fantasy novels. He is best known for the fantasy series The Saga of Recluce. He graduated from Williams College in Massachusetts, lived in Washington, D.C. for 20 years, then moved to New Hampshire in 1989 where he met his wife. They relocated to Cedar City, Utah in 1993.
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
He has worked as a Navy pilot, lifeguard, delivery boy, unpaid radio disc jockey, real estate agent, market research analyst, director of research for a political campaign, legislative assistant for a Congressman, Director of Legislation and Congressional Relations for the United States Environmental Protection Agency, a consultant on environmental, regulatory, and communications issues, and a college lecturer and writer in residence.
In addition to his novels, Mr. Modesitt has published technical studies and articles, columns, poetry, and a number of science fiction stories. His first short story, "The Great American Economy", was published in 1973 in Analog Science Fiction and Science Fact.
-Wikipedia
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 28, 2020
I gave this book way more chances than I should've, because I love Modesitt. But it's just slow and boring and confusing. Not enough about the world is explained, we're just supposed to know what all this stuff is. Instead we get pages about food and a long drive through the country that just about put me to sleep.
December 30, 2013
I picked up Ghosts of Columbia in excitement, thinking it was a new book, only to find it was Of Tangible Ghosts and The Ghost of the Revelator put together in one book. Sigh. Oh well, it had been quite some time since reading those books so why not have another go at them?
The first book introduces our dashing (aging?) hero, Johan Eschbach. As is typical with most Modesitt books, especially the sci-fi, it takes a bit to really grab a hold of this new world/country/time period and the characters in it. Luckily, unlike the fantasy novels, the names are not a spaghetti-mess of consonants and therefore lead to easier understanding.
Johan is a past government official, and as it turns out spy, who now just wants a quiet life despite the boredom and occasional frustration his quiet life has lead to. His past and past traumas are slowly revealed as he deals with the machinations of the powers that be in the present.
I won't go into more detail except to say that I had completely forgotten the ending and so it was a surprise, though a good one.
Don't read this paragraph if you don't want a small spoiler from the end of the first book. (The second book brings back our hero, Johan Eschbach, and his lovely wife, diva and singer most supreme, Llysette, are yet again in danger as various governments scheme for power and control. Llysette is invited to give a concert in the country of Deseret, which is of course part of a political power play, though at the least, those who aren't struggling for control are blessed to experience Llysette's truly formidable and impressive vocal talents.)
As with all of Mr. Modesitt's sci-fi books involving power struggles (or is that just plain all of his sci-fi and most of the fantasy as well?) many different players are introduced and it's a little tricky to get them all organized as to their place and participation in the story. Not to mention figuring out what their motivations are. However, once you get them down, as with most of his books, things get interesting.
If you are familiar with Modesitt, you already know how it goes and so I won't go into great detail. If you are not, let me say these things. First, his sci-fi is definitely different, especially in this series, than a lot of other authors. Give it a bit, get well into the book, and then suddenly you will find that you are engrossed. Ok, with most of them anyway. There are a couple I never could quite latch on to, but for the most part, I grab his new releases eagerly.
Second, in particular to this book (but definitely touched on in some others) he really goes into detail about his version of the Mormon faith. I say his version because it is not accurate to the actual Mormon faith as practiced by members of that religion, and of course his version because it is after all a fiction novel. Things are going to be different. It is a fictional futuristic society.
I loved the first book, I have enjoyed most of his other books, and I enjoyed this one. Some of his caricature representations of the Mormon faith bothered me. While I respect his right to write fiction, and believe he does it well, I am so disgusted by the strong and mistaken beliefs about the LDS faith continually perpetuated in the media from those who are not LDS. Therefore, it is frustrating to see some of the inaccuracies replicated in a novel by a popular author. Unfortunately too many readers are not able to understand that when they are reading fiction that contains a great deal of fact, it is still fiction. If very many characteristics are true to a faith, or actual person or situation, then readers do not separate out the fiction and begin to apply those fictional characteristics to real people. It's not really a criticism as much as a frustration. I know that somewhere, sometime, readers are forming an opinion about my faith based on fictional characters in a fictional society.
Overall a good series. Not my favorite in his writings (definitely the Imager series or Corean Chronicles) but a good solid read.
The first book introduces our dashing (aging?) hero, Johan Eschbach. As is typical with most Modesitt books, especially the sci-fi, it takes a bit to really grab a hold of this new world/country/time period and the characters in it. Luckily, unlike the fantasy novels, the names are not a spaghetti-mess of consonants and therefore lead to easier understanding.
Johan is a past government official, and as it turns out spy, who now just wants a quiet life despite the boredom and occasional frustration his quiet life has lead to. His past and past traumas are slowly revealed as he deals with the machinations of the powers that be in the present.
I won't go into more detail except to say that I had completely forgotten the ending and so it was a surprise, though a good one.
Don't read this paragraph if you don't want a small spoiler from the end of the first book. (The second book brings back our hero, Johan Eschbach, and his lovely wife, diva and singer most supreme, Llysette, are yet again in danger as various governments scheme for power and control. Llysette is invited to give a concert in the country of Deseret, which is of course part of a political power play, though at the least, those who aren't struggling for control are blessed to experience Llysette's truly formidable and impressive vocal talents.)
As with all of Mr. Modesitt's sci-fi books involving power struggles (or is that just plain all of his sci-fi and most of the fantasy as well?) many different players are introduced and it's a little tricky to get them all organized as to their place and participation in the story. Not to mention figuring out what their motivations are. However, once you get them down, as with most of his books, things get interesting.
If you are familiar with Modesitt, you already know how it goes and so I won't go into great detail. If you are not, let me say these things. First, his sci-fi is definitely different, especially in this series, than a lot of other authors. Give it a bit, get well into the book, and then suddenly you will find that you are engrossed. Ok, with most of them anyway. There are a couple I never could quite latch on to, but for the most part, I grab his new releases eagerly.
Second, in particular to this book (but definitely touched on in some others) he really goes into detail about his version of the Mormon faith. I say his version because it is not accurate to the actual Mormon faith as practiced by members of that religion, and of course his version because it is after all a fiction novel. Things are going to be different. It is a fictional futuristic society.
I loved the first book, I have enjoyed most of his other books, and I enjoyed this one. Some of his caricature representations of the Mormon faith bothered me. While I respect his right to write fiction, and believe he does it well, I am so disgusted by the strong and mistaken beliefs about the LDS faith continually perpetuated in the media from those who are not LDS. Therefore, it is frustrating to see some of the inaccuracies replicated in a novel by a popular author. Unfortunately too many readers are not able to understand that when they are reading fiction that contains a great deal of fact, it is still fiction. If very many characteristics are true to a faith, or actual person or situation, then readers do not separate out the fiction and begin to apply those fictional characteristics to real people. It's not really a criticism as much as a frustration. I know that somewhere, sometime, readers are forming an opinion about my faith based on fictional characters in a fictional society.
Overall a good series. Not my favorite in his writings (definitely the Imager series or Corean Chronicles) but a good solid read.
September 5, 2018
I nice departure from many of the author's normal books.
November 6, 2009
The alternate history or parallel universe genre asks "What if?" questions. For example, how different would the present time be if the South won the Civil War? I was interested in this book because it presents an alternate universe in which Deseret is an actual country. For those who don't know, Deseret was a proposed state by LDS leader Brigham Young encompassing much of modern day Utah, Nevada, Arizona, Southern California and parts of Colorado, Idaho, New Mexico, and Wyoming.
Despite a promising premise in which ghosts are tangible, this book was unbearably boring. Ghosts of Columbia brings together two novels in one volume, both featuring Johan Eschbach, a college professor who was formerly a spy. While there are some interesting and even action-packed moments, the majority of each novel focuses on the banal. We learn what Johan eats for every meal, his morning exercise regiment, what letters he gets in the mail, what questions his students get wrong in class, and of course what the weather is like. Perhaps the author wanted to acclimatize his readers to what the normal everyday routine is before things veer off course, but he could just as easily be trying to bolster his page count. I also found his overuse of the verb "eased" quite annoying. He "eases" his car onto the highway. He "eases" into his jacket. He "eases" a pen out of his pocket. I doubt a page goes by without this verb making at least one appearance.
Mormons are only featured in the second novel. Modesitt presents them as polygamous with Danites serving as security. He's obviously familiar with the geography of Salt Lake City, although he gets several details wrong about Mormonism. However, since this takes place in an alternate universe, he doesn't need to adhere to what's true in our reality. Being a native of Utah, I'm quite fascinated by Mormon culture. Modesitt just makes it boring.
Despite a promising premise in which ghosts are tangible, this book was unbearably boring. Ghosts of Columbia brings together two novels in one volume, both featuring Johan Eschbach, a college professor who was formerly a spy. While there are some interesting and even action-packed moments, the majority of each novel focuses on the banal. We learn what Johan eats for every meal, his morning exercise regiment, what letters he gets in the mail, what questions his students get wrong in class, and of course what the weather is like. Perhaps the author wanted to acclimatize his readers to what the normal everyday routine is before things veer off course, but he could just as easily be trying to bolster his page count. I also found his overuse of the verb "eased" quite annoying. He "eases" his car onto the highway. He "eases" into his jacket. He "eases" a pen out of his pocket. I doubt a page goes by without this verb making at least one appearance.
Mormons are only featured in the second novel. Modesitt presents them as polygamous with Danites serving as security. He's obviously familiar with the geography of Salt Lake City, although he gets several details wrong about Mormonism. However, since this takes place in an alternate universe, he doesn't need to adhere to what's true in our reality. Being a native of Utah, I'm quite fascinated by Mormon culture. Modesitt just makes it boring.
January 11, 2014
The Cedar City Literary Group recently completed the Ghosts of Columbia. This book was chosen for the unique reason of the author and his wife being close friends with members of the group. L.E. Modesitt moved to Cedar City 18 years ago when his wife became a music professor at Southern Utah University. He was gracious enough to come to our group meeting last night to discuss the Ghosts of Columbia. He gave us great incites as to the many ways an author is influenced. Our group does not typically read science fiction but I believe we all enjoyed a change of pace and a quick step into a somewhat unfamiliar genre.
I must admit I struggled to get through the first few chapters of the book. The setting is in an 'alternate history' of America where much of the geography is the same but many other things have been changed. Some of the changes were simple object name changes such as a telephone being called a wireset, and a computer being a difference engine. One of the main characters was French while many of the other characters came from Dutch decent, all of them bringing with them unique ways of expressing themselves. I need not mention my lack of experience with technical terminology. Needless to say the language took some getting used to.
full review: http://thisladyshouse.com/content/gho...
I must admit I struggled to get through the first few chapters of the book. The setting is in an 'alternate history' of America where much of the geography is the same but many other things have been changed. Some of the changes were simple object name changes such as a telephone being called a wireset, and a computer being a difference engine. One of the main characters was French while many of the other characters came from Dutch decent, all of them bringing with them unique ways of expressing themselves. I need not mention my lack of experience with technical terminology. Needless to say the language took some getting used to.
full review: http://thisladyshouse.com/content/gho...
May 26, 2011
This is defintely not a fast action book but I thought is was an intriguing look at an alternative history not based on whether Hitler was assassinated or if JFK wasn't but on ghosts of people who die painful deaths hanging around for 15-20 years. It is not a afternoon easy read but it's worth every word!
Want to read
October 28, 2008I've started to read this book several times but have never managed to get through it all the way, I don't know it seems a little borring to me. what did all of you think of it and is it worth reading?
July 7, 2011
The author recommended this to me because I told him I liked to read historical fiction instead of fantasy, but the history in it is too much fiction. He's a great fantasy writer though and a good member of our campus community.
October 8, 2011
This rating might go up to four stars; I'm still thinking about it.
January 25, 2018
Long-delayed review: This book made so little impression on me that now, 5 months later, I have no recollection of it at all! I've therefore given it a generic 3 stars…
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews