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| 4.46
| 37,325
| Dec 27, 2017
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really liked it
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Saga, Vol. 8: Unafraid to mix space adventure with difficult topics Originally posted at Fantasy Literature It’s been six months since I read Vol 7 of S Saga, Vol. 8: Unafraid to mix space adventure with difficult topics Originally posted at Fantasy Literature It’s been six months since I read Vol 7 of SAGA, and after moving to London last summer we recently popped into Forbidden Planet in Soho, and that store is an absolute treasure trove of SF comics, books, and other fan goodies. There are so many enticing comics on offer there, you could spend your entire salary in one wild shopping spree. When I saw Vol 8 of SAGA with Wild West cover art among the new releases, I knew I had to have it. SAGA is my favorite comic series, because it is always pushing the envelope in terms of content, themes, gorgeously assured and sometimes shocking artwork, and characters so charming, honest and flawed that you can’t help but cheer for them. If you like intelligent, snarky, sometimes profane space opera with a vast cast of star-crossed lovers, bounty-hunters, humanoid robots, tabloid reporters, terrifying monsters, and oddball creatures all caught up in a galactic war between the technology-based Wings and magic-wielding Horns of Wreath and Landfall, this series is guaranteed to captivate. In Vol 8, Marko, Alana, Hazel, Prince Robot, and Petrichor find themselves on a remote Wild West planet. The traumatic events on planet Phang are still lingering, and they are in desperate need of an emergency medical procedure (any more details would be a spoiler). Once again writer Vaughan is unafraid to tackle a sensitive subject with the opening panel. And while I thought this time the story sometimes felt like it was purely a vehicle for political debate and hurt the story’s momentum, I applaud his willingness to put his characters in contentious moral situations. It’s a trademark of the entire series, love it or hate it. While Petrichor encounters some Wild West outlaws, Alana, Marko, and Hazel hitch a ride on a train and meet up a very unexpected new character that quickly bonds with Hazel. In fact, Alana has discovered some surprising new powers that may be connected to this. Finally Alana and Marko reach their destination and the doctor they’ve been seeking. The dialogue sounds like something from a TV talk show debate, but then that’s what Vaughan wants to talk about, so that’s what we get. I thought this part of Vol 8 dragged, as the characters debate the merits of their actions. Likewise, Petrichor and Prince Robot are another odd partnership and have many arguments over gender, war, and politics. I liked the story of Hazel and her new friend Kurti better. There were a number of poignant moments as they innocently discuss the world of adults, and this section will appeal to parents, siblings, and those aspiring to become one. Again, this part is very well-written and didn’t feel as forced as their earlier parts. In the next chapter, we once again see what The Will has been up to, and he’s not in a good place. Seems that one of the many individuals he’s casually killed during his illustrious freelance bounty hunter career had a loved one who has tracked him down to exact revenge. This person has decided to really torture him by going through his old memories. We get to see some scenes from The Will’s childhood and early days as a bounty hunter with The Stalk. Artist Fiona Staples treats us to the ultra-violent action that the series generally features. I’m sometimes unsure if Vaughan & Staples show gruesome violence for the vicarious thrills, or as a technique to highlight that killing is not clean and anonymous like storm-troopers in Star Wars. Considering that his old sins are now catching up with The Will, I would hazard a guess its’ the latter. Eventually, his tormentor unearths a very valuable secret from his memories, though it’s no secret to readers. In the final chapter, we rejoin Upsher, the gay tabloid journalist, Ghus the little prairie-dog warrior with a sense of justice, and the innocent young son of Prince Robot, Squire. They have an adventure in the forest, seeking the fearsome Dread Naught, and Ghus and the young robot have some interesting discussions about what situations justify fighting and killing to protect yourself. Vol 8 ends on an upbeat note, quite the opposite of the dark final panels of Vol 7. Now that the series has reached 48 episodes and eight volumes, it has settled down to a more thoughtful pace, and while I think it does lack the intensity of the first four volumes and over-indulges in overt political themes that didn’t really carry the story forward much, I think Vaughan feels that he’s earned the loyalty of readers enough to be able to explore such themes with less propulsive action and more discourse. Again, I really appreciate that SAGA is not about escapism, its about our messy world, war, injustice, intolerance, innocence and cruelty, and most importantly the decisions we must make each day to get to the next day. That’s what keeps the series relevant and fresh – it’s real and funny and heartbreaking, often in rapid succession. Give it a try if you haven’t yet. Merged review: Saga, Vol. 8: Unafraid to mix space adventure with difficult topics Originally posted at Fantasy Literature It’s been six months since I read Vol 7 of SAGA, and after moving to London last summer we recently popped into Forbidden Planet in Soho, and that store is an absolute treasure trove of SF comics, books, and other fan goodies. There are so many enticing comics on offer there, you could spend your entire salary in one wild shopping spree. When I saw Vol 8 of SAGA with Wild West cover art among the new releases, I knew I had to have it. SAGA is my favorite comic series, because it is always pushing the envelope in terms of content, themes, gorgeously assured and sometimes shocking artwork, and characters so charming, honest and flawed that you can’t help but cheer for them. If you like intelligent, snarky, sometimes profane space opera with a vast cast of star-crossed lovers, bounty-hunters, humanoid robots, tabloid reporters, terrifying monsters, and oddball creatures all caught up in a galactic war between the technology-based Wings and magic-wielding Horns of Wreath and Landfall, this series is guaranteed to captivate. In Vol 8, Marko, Alana, Hazel, Prince Robot, and Petrichor find themselves on a remote Wild West planet. The traumatic events on planet Phang are still lingering, and they are in desperate need of an emergency medical procedure (any more details would be a spoiler). Once again writer Vaughan is unafraid to tackle a sensitive subject with the opening panel. And while I thought this time the story sometimes felt like it was purely a vehicle for political debate and hurt the story’s momentum, I applaud his willingness to put his characters in contentious moral situations. It’s a trademark of the entire series, love it or hate it. While Petrichor encounters some Wild West outlaws, Alana, Marko, and Hazel hitch a ride on a train and meet up a very unexpected new character that quickly bonds with Hazel. In fact, Alana has discovered some surprising new powers that may be connected to this. Finally Alana and Marko reach their destination and the doctor they’ve been seeking. The dialogue sounds like something from a TV talk show debate, but then that’s what Vaughan wants to talk about, so that’s what we get. I thought this part of Vol 8 dragged, as the characters debate the merits of their actions. Likewise, Petrichor and Prince Robot are another odd partnership and have many arguments over gender, war, and politics. I liked the story of Hazel and her new friend Kurti better. There were a number of poignant moments as they innocently discuss the world of adults, and this section will appeal to parents, siblings, and those aspiring to become one. Again, this part is very well-written and didn’t feel as forced as their earlier parts. In the next chapter, we once again see what The Will has been up to, and he’s not in a good place. Seems that one of the many individuals he’s casually killed during his illustrious freelance bounty hunter career had a loved one who has tracked him down to exact revenge. This person has decided to really torture him by going through his old memories. We get to see some scenes from The Will’s childhood and early days as a bounty hunter with The Stalk. Artist Fiona Staples treats us to the ultra-violent action that the series generally features. I’m sometimes unsure if Vaughan & Staples show gruesome violence for the vicarious thrills, or as a technique to highlight that killing is not clean and anonymous like storm-troopers in Star Wars. Considering that his old sins are now catching up with The Will, I would hazard a guess its’ the latter. Eventually, his tormentor unearths a very valuable secret from his memories, though it’s no secret to readers. In the final chapter, we rejoin Upsher, the gay tabloid journalist, Ghus the little prairie-dog warrior with a sense of justice, and the innocent young son of Prince Robot, Squire. They have an adventure in the forest, seeking the fearsome Dread Naught, and Ghus and the young robot have some interesting discussions about what situations justify fighting and killing to protect yourself. Vol 8 ends on an upbeat note, quite the opposite of the dark final panels of Vol 7. Now that the series has reached 48 episodes and eight volumes, it has settled down to a more thoughtful pace, and while I think it does lack the intensity of the first four volumes and over-indulges in overt political themes that didn’t really carry the story forward much, I think Vaughan feels that he’s earned the loyalty of readers enough to be able to explore such themes with less propulsive action and more discourse. Again, I really appreciate that SAGA is not about escapism, its about our messy world, war, injustice, intolerance, innocence and cruelty, and most importantly the decisions we must make each day to get to the next day. That’s what keeps the series relevant and fresh – it’s real and funny and heartbreaking, often in rapid succession. Give it a try if you haven’t yet. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Jan 15, 2018
not set
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Jan 18, 2018
not set
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Mar 03, 2023
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Paperback
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| B00O7X626W
| 4.44
| 100,269
| Jun 02, 2015
| Jun 02, 2015
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it was amazing
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Nemesis Games: The crew of the Rocinante get their own stories this time I just wrote a fantastic, insightful, and extremely clever review of this...an Nemesis Games: The crew of the Rocinante get their own stories this time I just wrote a fantastic, insightful, and extremely clever review of this...and then deleted it by mistake when trying to upload it. So I'm still trying to recover from the psychological shock of this tiny tragedy. I'll just have to write a very short version instead, sorry about that. This was a great return to form for the series, which keeps things fresh by exploring the backstories of the crew of the Rocinante: James investigates a number of ships that have gone missing after going through the protomolecule gate, Alex goes to Mars to try to patch things up with his ex, Amos returns to the mean streets of Baltimore after hearing of the death of a friend, and Naomi Nagata is forced to face the demons of her past, triggered by a horrific terrorist act against Earth and Mars that may have been done by Belters as they see their economic significance dwindle amid the mad rush to colonize the thousand new start systems now available via the gate. Since the Belters are adapted to zero gravity life and have previously made a living mining various minerals and selling this to the Earth and Mars, they are suddenly facing the prospect of becoming obsolete in this new world order, so some are ready to commit acts of terror to try to change this. Naomi is embroiled in the middle of things, and we learn about the dark secrets she has kept secret for so long. All in all its a very enjoyable exploration of their individual stories, and we all get some time with Bobbie Draper and the foul-mouthed stateswoman Avasarala, whose insults are at such a high level of creativity that you imagine the authors must spend hours coming up with them and need to give her more story time to deliver them. ...more |
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Jun 09, 2019
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Jun 20, 2019
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Jun 27, 2019
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| 4.22
| 111,588
| Jun 17, 2014
| Jun 17, 2014
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it was ok
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Cibola Burn: Fizzles out, my least favorite entry to date At the end of Abaddon's Gate, we know that the alien ring has opened up the universe and a th Cibola Burn: Fizzles out, my least favorite entry to date At the end of Abaddon's Gate, we know that the alien ring has opened up the universe and a thousand new suns for humanity to explore and colonize, so you might expect the series to open up in scale after the tight quarters and political maelstrom of the solar system and the conflict between Earthers, Martians, and Belters. Well, you'd be wrong. Instead, two-author duo James S.A. Corey decide to focus the entire fourth book on a single planet and the fight over a virgin planet between refugee squatters and an evil Earth corporation to control a rich lithium supply. Little do they know the planet contains remains of an ancient and long-gone alien civilization, along with plenty of the usual dangers of settling and surviving on a new world, but the hardest thing they face is the venal rivalries and petty grudges of the two groups of settlers. It's certainly realistic for the author's to show that you can take humanity out of the solar system, but they still bring all their cultural baggage and biases and general inability to get along. So Avasarala decides to send Holden there as a neutral mediator to defuse a volatile situation. Predictably, things get very messy and there are plenty of gun battles, space battles, damaged ships and tense standoffs, along with the trademark wise-cracks of the crusty crew of the Rosinante: Holden, Naomi, Amos, and Alex. This time we meet some new faces among the security forces and settlers, with fairly clear good guys and bad guys. However, I found the vast portion of the book a fairly dull slog, as I just didn't care who prevailed, and the little hints of alien civilization didn't add up to much of anything, even the continued mystery of the Miller construct. The whole book felt like treading water after the authors signed a control for 5 more books, so they are pacing themselves for the long haul, which is pretty disappointing considering all the large-canvas potential of a mad rush to colonize a thousand star systems. It was like looking at just a few threats in a huge tapestry without enough sneak peaks to keep the reader engaged. I already have the fifth book in the series, Nemesis Games, on audiobook so I'll give it a listen so it isn't wasted, but I fairly doubtful I'll go the distance with so many other series clamoring for attention. ...more |
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1
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Jun 2019
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Jun 08, 2019
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Jun 01, 2019
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Hardcover
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| 0316129070
| 4.27
| 135,770
| Jun 04, 2013
| Jun 04, 2013
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liked it
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Abandon's Gate: My least favorite installment due to annoying new characters The Expanse has been a pleasure to discover, thanks to its well-crafted bl Abandon's Gate: My least favorite installment due to annoying new characters The Expanse has been a pleasure to discover, thanks to its well-crafted blend of gritty, sarcastic, idealistic, and ruthless characters, lots of meticulous world-building and technical details to describe a smaller-scale solar-system stage rather than the usual galaxy-wide canvas of space opera, and very convoluted military and political scheming plots. It's a lot of work for the two-headed team that writes under the pseudonym James S.A. Corey. I've also been watching the Sy-Fy TV series (now available on Amazon Prime) through the first three seasons, and this is the last book that has a TV equivalent to compare to. So despite having the same great core cast of crew members on the Rocinante, namely James Holden, Naomi Nagata, Amos Burton, and Alex Kamal, the biggest problems I had with this installment were: 1) Really annoying new characters There are two major new characters introduced this time around. A) The first is Clarissa Mao, younger sister of Julie Mao and daughter of Jules-Pierre Mao. Since Holden dismantled the massive corporation of her father since it was bent on weaponizing the proto-molecule for profit, she is hell-bent for revenge at all costs, and since she still has a lot of money available as a war-chest, she then concocts the most elaborate revenge scheme to humiliate, discredit, and kill James Holden. B) Anna Volovodov is a Methodist pastor from Europa who joins a UN delegation of religious figures seeking to examine and understand the mysterious ring/gate built by the proto-molecule in the previous book. 2) Difficult to believe motivations I found the motivations of the above two female characters very difficult to believe in, particularly Clarissa Mao. While we often see stories of totally obsessed characters bent on revenge at all costs, it's just hard to buy the lengths she goes to carefully trap Holden into her revenge fantasy. There are just too many implausible elements, and frankly I find it hard to believe that someone born into wealth and privilege can become a ruthless killer and determined assassin so quick (then again, Osama Bin Laden fits that bill). The depths of her hatred seem far to deep for someone who really hasn't suffered as much as many of the other characters. Pastor Anna is, like most religious characters in SF novels and (sometimes) in real life, very sanctimonious, unbothered by contradictions, and irritatingly self-assured in her morality while at the same time brushing away moral conundrums with the typical vapid idea that mere humans cannot understand the will of God, which can cover all manner of sins and misfortune. So pretty much every scene with her grated on my serves, though I am certainly biased in this respect. I also really do wonder how believers in the current set of archaic, outdated, and Earth-centric religions would actually react to a bona-fide alien presence. Could they really do the mental-gymnastics required to accept an alien intelligence not mentioned at all in the holy scriptures? Or would it expose their beliefs as wrong? Hard to say, but I've found the religious mentality can incorporate all kinds of nonsense since it's not based on reason, but rather on faith. So I have two more books in the series on Audiobook, Cybola Burn and Babylon's Ashes, which do not have TV series available yet to compare with, so I'll have to create my own mental pictures this time. The series is still well worth following, I just didn't gel with the new characters this time around. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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May 20, 2019
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Jun 2019
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May 27, 2019
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Paperback
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| 1841499900
| 9781841499901
| 1841499900
| 4.38
| 160,569
| Jun 07, 2012
| Jun 26, 2012
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it was amazing
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Caliban's War: Exciting New Plotlines in Second Installment I'm now well on my way with The Expanse, having watched the first three seasons of the Sy-F Caliban's War: Exciting New Plotlines in Second Installment I'm now well on my way with The Expanse, having watched the first three seasons of the Sy-Fy series before starting on the audiobooks. Although initially hesitant, I've come to like the characters on the Rocinante, each with their quirks and moments of greatness amid the action and intrigue. Holden the idealist captain, Naomi the super-competent engineer, Amos the tough, no-bullshit mechanic, and Alex the cowboy pilot, now share the stage with three new major characters, Avasarala the elderly Indian politician with a brilliant scheming intellect and sailor's mouth, Bobby Draper the Polynesian space marine who has to go outside her comfort zone of fighting to the messy world of politics, and botanist Prax Meng who is desperately searching for his lost daughter Mei. These characters get caught up in the complex ongoing tapestry of interplanetary military conflict between Earthers, Martians, and Belters, along with the sinister and deadly proto-molecule, which behaves at times like a bio-weapon and at other times like an alien proto-intelligence with unknown designs on humanity. Then there is the Machiavellian plots and schemes that Avasarala is deeply entwined with as she tries to defuse the every-increasing tensions between the three main power groups, as this gets stirred up by the brilliant opening set-piece on Ganymede where Bobby Draper and her Martian marine squad face a mysterious attack that ignites events beyond her understanding. Having seen the series before listening to the audiobooks, the book characters of course mirrored the appearance of the actors in the show, so it was very easy to picture them as I listened to the story. They are depicted well in the TV series, and gain additional depth thanks to the audiobooks, so it's a nice synergy to experience the story from different media. In the last few years I've enjoyed this approach, whether it is Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, Man in the High Castle, Altered Carbon, etc. Much of the pleasure derives from comparing how the stories and characters and images differ between the book and film/TV versions. As I'm enjoyed The Expanse in both media, it's on to Abandon's Gate next. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Apr 28, 2019
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May 18, 2019
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Apr 28, 2019
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Paperback
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| 0671655876
| 9780671655877
| 0671655876
| 4.27
| 28,808
| Aug 1986
| Aug 01, 1986
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really liked it
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The Warrior's Apprentice: The first story of Miles Vorkosigan is a rollicking SF adventure It's a cliche and publisher's catchphrase to call anything a The Warrior's Apprentice: The first story of Miles Vorkosigan is a rollicking SF adventure It's a cliche and publisher's catchphrase to call anything a "rollicking SF adventure", but if any book ever was that, this would be it. Lois McMaster Bujold has quietly and steadily created one of the most popular SF adventure franchises of the past few decades with her stories or Cordelia Naismith and Aral Vorkosigan in Shards of Honor and Barrayar, but it was The Warrior's Apprentice, her second novel, where she introduced her greatest character and got the whole series going. Given how many SF paperbacks are published and disappear into the ether without a trace, and considering that for all those published books there are dozens of unpublished manuscripts that will never see print, it really is quite impressive what Mrs. Bujold has accomplished with the MILES VORKOSIGAN SAGA. After all, the ingredients for the story don't sound that special: a young scion from a military aristocratic family has suffered serious physical handicaps due to a chemical weapons attack before he was born, and faces a host of adversity by using just his wits and his skills to motivate (or use) others to get out of an ever-spiralling series of predicaments. Of all the different subgenres of SF, the military one has always been of least interest to me, as the whole culture of discipline, order, obedience, and bravery in action just doesn't get me excited, but Bujold has chosen to explore this corner of space with such effortless skill of characterization and plotting that it's almost a mystery why she didn't choose more challenging subject matter. After all, what distinguishes this space opera is not just its memorable and extremely likable characters, but also how smoothly it transitions from daily conversations to intense space battles, awkward romances to complex political scheming, and from wry humor to sudden tragedy. Those are the keys to making a series that fans (as opposed to just "readers") want to pick up everything Mrs. Bujold chooses to write about Miles and his fellow characters. She imbues them with depth and complexity, yet keeps them very accessible and believable. I think Miles Vorkosigan is someone we'd all love to meet and get to know, even if we are fairly certain he's several degrees smarter and more strategic than we will ever be. He is a great character and an incredibly fascinating person, one as vivid as anyone you know know in real life, and someone you root for to survive each scrape and make it out the other side in better shape, even when he doesn't get everything he wanted. So it was with great pleasure that I revisited this book for the first time in about 25 years, having completely forgotten all of the plot details and even the names of the characters. It's a great series to read when you are in your teens, but I found it has a lot to offer for older readers as well, especially when you've experienced unrequited love, setbacks, discrimination, pre-judgement, high expectations given your background, and a series of impossible situations. There's a difference between writing from the perspective of a young and clever man of 17, and writing about one from the perspective of an adult who has been through all that. There are just so many details that ring true in the characters' inner thoughts and behaviors that makes more believable the implausible escapades of Miles as he inadvertently creates a mercenary fleet through a series of lies and cons and clever stratagems. And there are some very compelling side stories such as his unrequited love for Elena, his relationship with the stoic and disturbed Sargent Bothari, and how he brings onto his side all the other 'strays' that he picks up along the way in this, dare I say it, rollicking SF adventure that is just the beginning of an amazing and award-winning space opera series. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Feb 02, 2018
not set
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Feb 09, 2018
not set
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Feb 10, 2018
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0671720872
| 9780671720872
| 0671720872
| 4.07
| 37,897
| Jan 01, 1986
| Jan 01, 1996
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really liked it
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I really liked the Miles Vorkosigan Saga when I first read it in high school over 20 years ago, having read through The Vor Game before heading to col
I really liked the Miles Vorkosigan Saga when I first read it in high school over 20 years ago, having read through The Vor Game before heading to college and finding myself too busy to read much SF for the next two decades. So as I got back into genre reading a few years back, I was surprised at just how incredibly popular and extensive the series had become. Back when I first picked up Shards of Honor as a Baen paperback with mediocre cover art (this is true for the entire series, I'm afraid, even the omnibus editions, which seems to be Baen's preference for all their covers and not to my taste at all), I had no idea it would lead to such an impressive franchise over the next three decades and winning a stack of Hugo, Nebula and Locus Awards and nominations along the way, including some excellent novellas like Mountains of Mourning. As I think most SF readers know the storyline quite well, I'll just say Shards of Honor is the story of how Miles' parents, Betan captain Cordelia Naismith and Barrayan commander Aral Vorkosigan, fall in love despite being on opposing sides of an interplanetary conflict. Despite it being Bujold's first published book, its written in polished but unadorned prose, well suited to the mature personalities of the two main leads. It manages to be both a character-centric military SF adventure that focuses on military and personal honor, loyalties, betrayals, and complex political schemes, while also featuring an unlikely romance between from two individuals who are deeply committed to maintaining loyalty to their sides, even when their own sides are politically fractured and treacherous. Military-SF and romance are strange bedfellows, but Bujold writes so naturally that it works, and lays the background for how Miles' parents met and fell in love amidst military intrigue, space battles, and even a close call with a sadistic Barrayaran commander. While this book is not as polished as later books in the Miles Vorkosigan series, it sets the stage well and delivers a very character-centric military SF adventure, itself an unusual accomplishment. There is also an unexpectedly poignant coda called Aftermaths - I didn't quite realize where it was going until the very end and it hit me hard, exploring the tragedy of space battles and war that is rarely considered in military SF. (less) ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Dec 30, 2017
not set
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Jan 07, 2018
not set
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Dec 30, 2017
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 1534300600
| 9781534300606
| 1534300600
| 4.48
| 46,075
| Apr 04, 2017
| Apr 04, 2017
|
really liked it
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Saga, Vol 7: Explores painful real-world conflicts via space opera Originally posted in Fantasy Literature I had to wait nine months for Vol 7 of Brian Saga, Vol 7: Explores painful real-world conflicts via space opera Originally posted in Fantasy Literature I had to wait nine months for Vol 7 of Brian Vaughan’s Saga, and about a year for Vol 6, after reading the first 5 volumes back-to-back. Saga is my favorite current comic series (actually, the only one I am following at the moment), and if you haven’t read it then go out and read Vol 1 right now. If you like intelligent, snarky, sometimes profane space opera centered on a pair of star-crossed lovers who have a little girl named Hazel and an amazing supporting cast of bounty-hunters, humanoid robots, reporters, and various others all caught up in a galactic war between Wreath and Landfall, you will not be disappointed. In Saga Vol 7, the story resumes as Marko and Alana are finally back together and Hazel is growing up quickly. Being from opposite sides of the conflict, they are an affront to both and their mixed child is considered an abomination that could undermine the biases that keep the two sides hating each other. They remain on the run from both sides, allied with a former enemy and a former prisoner who harbors a secret. When their ship runs low on fuel, they find they need to make an emergency stop on a comet called Phang. Much of the action takes place on this giant rock, “an exotic land of boundless diversity, home to thousands of different tribes, sects, and species…almost all of whom despited each other.” Phang has long been a battleground mainly because of its rich fuel resources, and much of its local populace lives a precarious existence while civil conflict continues. The parallels to certain geopolitical regions in the real world are painfully obvious, down to the stream of refugees produced by the fighting. Saga has never held back from making strong statements about war, racial prejudice, sexual orientations, and uses its violent content in part to push a strong anti-war sentiment, a recurring theme of the series. As always, the story is carried along with multiple narrative threads, including that of Alana, Marko, Prince Robot, Petrichor, and Izabel on Phang, where they encounter a group of refugees who look like harmless prairie dogs. They are surprisingly innocent but devoutly religious, living in the ruins, and the overlays with images of adults and children living in the rubble of Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq are certainly deliberate. After all, most civilians just want to live a decent life and avoid getting killed by either side, right? So why do they always end up caught in the crossfire. Our protagonists end up forming familial bonds with them, and Hazel forms a particularly close friendship with a young prairie dog male named Kurti. They’re just two kids growing up in a hostile and cruel world, but like all children they retain an innocent and accepting view of the world around them. A separate storyline follows bounty hunter Gwendolyn, a little girl named Sophie rescued from slavery, Lying Cat, and even The Will makes a cameo. They are seeking to make an alliance between elements of both sides, but this storyline is fairly underdeveloped and feels more like a placeholder for events likely to happen in future volumes. Meanwhile, Marko and the gang have to deal with a ruthless new bounty-hunter named The March, who seems to getting more work since The Will has been on sick leave. And the comet is quickly approaching a very lethal celestial object that is certain to lead to doom unless they find a means of escape… I flew through the chapters of Vol 7 just as quickly as previous volumes, but as I said in my reviews for Saga Vols 5 & 6, the pace of the story has slowed a bit and the new characters are not quite as fresh and the twists and shocks that were so effective in Vols 1-4 have also lost a bit of their impact. Once again, the series remains very intelligent is not content just to provide escapism. Vaughan clearly cares very much about the often harsh cruelties of the real world and has found a way to explore them in a quirky and action-filled space opera format unlike any other, so I will continue to follow the fates of his characters, and will be moved when not all of them survive. The ending of this volume is quite tragic and fades to black in a way only possible in comics. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Jun 25, 2017
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Jul 02, 2017
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Jul 01, 2017
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Paperback
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| 163215711X
| 9781632157119
| 163215711X
| 4.46
| 54,156
| Jun 29, 2016
| Jun 29, 2016
|
really liked it
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Saga, Vol 6: 4-year old Hazel becomes a major character Originally posted at Fantasy Literature Saga Vol 6 is the first one I had to wait for, as I read Saga, Vol 6: 4-year old Hazel becomes a major character Originally posted at Fantasy Literature Saga Vol 6 is the first one I had to wait for, as I read the first 5 volumes back-to-back. This is such a popular, excellently-written, and amazingly-illustrated series that the main question fans will have is, “Is it still as greater as ever?” Well, I’d say it isn’t quite as brilliant as the first 4 volumes, but Vaughan and Staples have established a very high level of storytelling and can probably maintain it for quite some time. So rest assured, fans will not be overly disappointed. This series remains centered on the characters, though this time the surprises and twists are fewer in number. As I mentioned in my previous review, the tone had become a bit darker in Vol 5, and while I applaud the series for taking risks and embracing change, it was nice to see Vol 6 switching things up a bit and being more whimsical and less violent than usual. This may be because Hazel is no longer a baby - she’s a precocious little 4 year old, and is starting to talk and observe the adult world with less innocence than your average toddler. Until now she has been narrating offstage as an adult, and the incisive wit and life insights have been one of the greatest charms of the series. So now we get to see Hazel in action as a little girl in what looks like a school but is quickly revealed as a detention facility on Landfall for “enemy noncombatants”. There are several adults also held there that serve as her “aunties”, including Alana’s mother Klara and Lexis, a former bounty-hunter. There is also another detainee named Petrichor who harbors her own secrets. Hazel develops a close relationship with her spider-like teacher, whom she reveals her dangerous secret to. Hazel has a lot to say about kids and grownups: [image]“ No matter how much freedom they’re given, most kids are still glorified props, carefully shuttled from one secure location to the next. We’re not children, we’re eggs. But sooner or later, those eggs begin to crack. As they emerge, the creatures beneath those fragile shells begin to understand that they possess more agency than they ever dreamed. And when you finally realize you’ve been living your whole life inside a shitty nest, there’s only one thing to do.” Meanwhile, Marko and Alana are finally reunited by the common cause of extracting Hazel from Landfall. So they make up as couples will do after major blowouts. They remain a very realistic and likable young couple trying to be the best parents possible amid difficult circumstances. They end up forming an alliance with a very unlikely individual to get access to Landfall. [image] We also revisit Doff and Upsher, the gay journalist couple who were pursuing the sensational story of star-crossed lovers and a rumored love child that would shake up both sides of the civil war. They follow the trail to Hazel’s ballet teacher Ginny, who points them further along the trail. When the finally reach a distant planet, they run afoul of yet another familiar face who has gotten a bit…heavier. So now we have the familiar multiple narratives, favorite characters, snappy dialogue, gorgeously precise artwork, and rich galactic background that make this series so great. So why did I feel like Vaughan was coasting just a wee bit? The story is as fast-paced and addictively-readable as always, and I breezed through it in one afternoon. But when I was finished, I couldn’t help feeling “Was that it?” Nothing really conclusive happened, and despite some eyebrow-raising panels, I wasn’t floored in shocked surprise like I was in the earlier volumes. Everything moved along at a steady pace, but there were no scene-stealing new characters or revelations. And having been spoilt by that earlier on, Vol 5 and 6 have been a bit lacking in table-turning plot twists. If it weren’t for Hazel’s development as a young lady, I’d feel we’ve reached the middle volumes of a larger story, with the resultant loss of momentum we’ve been dreading. So while it still remains a wonderful comic series that captures the fickle tastes of Gen-X, I’m still hoping it will step it up a gear in future episodes. ...more |
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Jul 09, 2016
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Jul 19, 2016
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Apr 23, 2016
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| 1632154382
| 9781632154385
| 1632154382
| 4.40
| 69,833
| Sep 09, 2015
| Sep 09, 2015
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really liked it
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Saga, Volume 5: The tone darkens amid terrorism and war Originally posted at Fantasy Literature Saga Vol 5 represents a noticeable shift in tone in the Saga, Volume 5: The tone darkens amid terrorism and war Originally posted at Fantasy Literature Saga Vol 5 represents a noticeable shift in tone in the ever-evolving series. Until this point the story has managed to wonderfully balance the tribulations of Alana, Marko, Klara and Hazel; The Will, Lying Cat, Gwendolyn and Sophia in pursuit, Prince Robot IV, and the renegade terrorist Dengo. Some of my absolute favorite moments of Vol 4 involved Alana’s acting career and the hardships and temptations faced by Marko as a stay-at-home dad. I also found the story of Dengo incredibly relevant to today’s world in depicting the mentality of a terrorist who believes that murder of innocents is justified in pursuit of a larger goal. All the storylines continue in Vol 5, but perhaps because of the incredibly high quality of storytelling in the preceding volumes, I felt a slight but undeniable drop-off in my enjoyment of this one. In particular, I missed the interactions of Alana and Marko as circumstances have split them apart, and The Will and Gwendolyn are also separated. We get a lot of insight into Marko’s struggle with his violent past, but don’t learn as much about Alana. Most disappointingly, the dynamics of The Brand, Gwendolyn, and Sophia are not as interesting without The Will to serve as counterpoint. [image] The tone has also become much darker and the humor has diminished as war and terrorism take front and center. Specifically, the character of Dengo and his motivations for going on a killing spree are given greater depth. I actually felt that was the strongest part of this volume – Dengo horrified me as a ruthless killer in Vol 4, but as we learn more about his motivations, while they certainly do not justify his actions, they do make them more credible. When I see the almost daily terrorist acts around the world on the news, I am again reminded that Saga is very much about our own world and not just an escapist space opera fantasy. However, the introduction of The Revolution wasn’t as compelling as I had hoped. While it’s interesting that they were fighting against both Wreath and Landfall, their motivations and actions were not given enough detail to make me care about their fates. The story’s criticism of the victims of war, particularly civilians, women and children, while certainly a legitimate point to make, felt a bit heavy-handed at times. I respect the fact that the entire Saga series makes a strong condemnation of the futility of war and its insidious tendency to pit people against each other in an endless zero-sum cycle of revenge, but the message sometimes overwhelmed the momentum of the story arcs. [image] Finally, the quest of Gwendolyn, Sophia, and The Brand to find a magical cure to help The Will was frankly pointless and descended into crude territory purely for cheap shock value. Saga has never shied away from blindsiding readers with sudden and horrific scenes of violence and sexually explicit jokes and situations. But it’s always seemed to be a natural extension of the story up to this point, whereas this whole quest felt fairly superfluous and the gross-out bits just…gross. I realize I’m being a bit harsh here on this extremely creative comic that I still love and feel very invested in. The artwork by Fiona Staples continues to be fantastic and captivates the eye and mind. I also recognize that all stories and characters have to go through periods when the reader may not like the directions they take, since we are putting a mirror to real life here. And without a dark and troubled road, the light at the end would not be visible. However, I felt there were moments that were forced and even Hazel’s brilliant narration was not quite as charming as before. There is still plenty of potential for Saga to pick back up in future volumes, and it remains such an incredible font of creative energy that nourishes fans tired of so much generic genre product, but I thought this volume was a bit less amazing that its predecessors. ...more |
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Mar 19, 2016
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Mar 27, 2016
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Mar 19, 2016
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| 1632150778
| 9781632150776
| 1632150778
| 4.42
| 80,059
| Dec 17, 2014
| Dec 23, 2014
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it was amazing
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Saga, Volume 4: Brilliant storytelling, charming and chilling by turns Originally posted at Fantasy Literature Saga is one of those series that is s Saga, Volume 4: Brilliant storytelling, charming and chilling by turns Originally posted at Fantasy Literature Saga is one of those series that is so wildly popular, like Game of Thrones , Breaking Bad , or The Sopranos , that you start to worry how the writers can maintain its high quality. Can they keep up the momentum, originality, artistic integrity, and entertainment that make the series so special? Or will they hit a wall and produce a total stinker of an ending, like Lost, or just fade into mediocrity like Glee. I’m so invested in the characters and world-building that it would be a tragedy if things headed south. So I’m glad to report that Saga Vol 4 remains great, and that Vaughan and Staples have managed to surprise yet again with totally unexpected story directions and even more new and intriguing characters. The domestic drama of Alana and Marko has developed into the most realistic depiction of the ups and downs of a young couple with a baby that I have read in a long time. That this can be somehow incorporated into the larger story of a galactic war fought on numerous planets, embroiling dozens of species and people into a vicious and zero-sum conflict that produces many victims and no winners, is a testament to the storytelling skills of Brian K. Vaughan. And the artwork remains vivid, precise, beautiful, shocking and charming in each frame – Fiona Staples is my favorite comic book artist now, hands down. Clearly these two artists complement and inspire each other to an amazing degree. [image]In particular, Vaughan and Staples have mastered the art of leading the reader with smaller panels to a full-page image with a poignant or humorous comment from Hazel, Alana and Marko’s daughter who has grown up before our very eyes. This is done particularly brilliantly in Vol 4 , particularly the end of Chapter 18 (which details the stresses of Alana’s new career and Marko’s stay-at-home-dad), Alana’s first experience with Fadeaway, Dengo’s meeting with the Princess, and most frighteningly a full-page image of Dengo aboard the HMS Skyscraper. The buildup is so well done that I know something shocking or sad is waiting on the next page, and my finger hesitates above the Kindle, as I try to imagine what is coming next. The narration by the future Hazel continues to be excellent, as she shares her observations on her growing up, and more importantly the difficulties faced by her parents, who can’t seem to catch a break. Of course it’s a given that any ongoing series needs to create conflict, setbacks, fights, moral conundrums, etc for the characters to navigate, and that all protagonists need various arcs to keep things interesting. But Vaughan lets us know on occasion that he is fully aware of these requirements but he isn’t satisfied with sticking to formula. Even when the story strays into territory that could easily be clichéd, our faithful narrator Hazel gives us a snarky comment as if to say, “Yeah, I know you were expecting X, but that’s boring. I’m going to give you Y, Z, and then A’ instead. Isn’t that so much cooler, anyway?” [image]Volume 4 is also very bold by introducing the character of Dengo – just another peon in the Robot Kingdom who hides a deep-seated grudge. When he decides to act on his anger and seek vengeance, his actions completely flip the script and disrupt numerous storylines. I was genuinely chilled by his actions and reminded yet again that Saga is not just escapist fantasy. When someone decides they have been wronged and that they can adopt any means to get their revenge, you have only to look at daily terrorist bombings in Syria, Iraq, Turkey, Africa, and the depressingly frequent mass shootings in the US to understand that this mentality is REAL, and people can ruthlessly kill innocent bystanders when they think that justice or God is on their side. At this point, Saga has gone well beyond just a quirky and profane Star Wars meets Romeo and Juliet story. It’s unafraid to address topics close to our hearts like the troubles of being first-time parents, the temptations of the flirtatious neighbor or co-workers offering a way to ‘take the edge off’ a soul-crushing job. And then the next chapter shows us in gory detail the everyday violence that war imposes on both soldiers and civilians, often making no distinction whatsoever. I’ve never encountered a story that can balance such wildly divergent tones and still pull them both off. Add to that a wonderfully ironic and knowing sense of humor, and the phenomenal artwork of Fiona Staples, and it’s easy to see why this is one of the hottest comic book series of the decade. ...more |
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1
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Mar 12, 2016
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Mar 21, 2016
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Mar 12, 2016
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Paperback
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| 1607069318
| 9781607069317
| 1607069318
| 4.48
| 96,523
| Mar 19, 2014
| Mar 25, 2014
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it was amazing
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Saga, Volume 3: Remains extremely quirky, surprising, and endearing Originally posted at Fantasy Literature This highly original space opera romance is Saga, Volume 3: Remains extremely quirky, surprising, and endearing Originally posted at Fantasy Literature This highly original space opera romance is incredibly popular, and for good reason. Anyone who has read Saga Vols 1 & 2 will undoubtedly be fans of star-crossed lovers Alana & Marko, who come from opposing sides of a galactic war, Marko’s sharp-tongued mother Klara, freelancer assassin The Will and his lie-detecting cat, and Marko’s ex-fiance Gwendolyn. Not to mention the difficult-to-hate Prince Robot IV and all the other bizarre creations of Vaughan and Staples. The authors have continued to breath life into their fresh, genre-bending blend of space opera, romance, family drama, and chase amid a galactic war tale with an amazingly effortless sense of humor. What I like most about this series is their willingness to go off on weird story tangents without losing the momentum of the larger story. Without spoiling details from the previous volumes, Saga Vol 3 opens with Marko, Alana, and Kiara on the planet Quietus, where they have sought advice from their favorite hack romance writer, D. Oswald Heist. Once again, we’re in a bizarro mash-up of the far future and the contemporary world. What makes all the weird anachronisms of Saga so interesting is that they somehow fit into the overall storyline. This is neither an allegory of our world nor an escapist fantasy – it seamlessly blends space opera with a domestic drama and commentary on family, relationships, the horrors of war, and still manages to be an action-packed and violent adventure. [image] Once again, one of my favorite aspects of the story is that it is narrated by the unseen adult version Hazel, Marko and Alana’s daughter. Her ironic narration of her parents’ struggles to survive is filled with empathy and affection. What other comic shows us domestic scenes like this amid a life-and-death flight from assassins and killer robots? It makes us care about the characters and also deliciously teases us about what the story holds in the future. I could see this series going for many volumes without losing its appeal, gradually filling in story details and continuing to introduce fascinating and creepy characters depicted brilliantly by artist Fiona Staples. Oftentimes a character appears just for one or two pages. It seems like Vaughan and Staples have endless inspiration to draw from. [image] Two new characters I would never have expected are a pair of paparazzi journalists named Upsher and Doff. They are hot on the trail of Marko and Alana. They suspect this is not just an abduction, and want to dig up clues as to whether the two are lovers fleeing together willingly. They approach a typical Southern California-like suburban house to interview someone close to Alana. Volume 3 is interesting for slowing down the pace and focusing even more on the personal relationships of the characters. It shows the confidence of the Vaughan and Staples that fans are now fully invested in this story and want to know more about what makes the protagonists tick. There are many moments of brilliant dialogue that you just wouldn’t imagine happening in a space opera or galactic pursuit. But that doesn’t mean this is just a contemporary drama dressed up in SF imagery. The galactic war milieu is very detailed, but in much more strange and whimsical ways than what we’re used to. And there are still the sudden bursts of horrific and unexpected violence that will startle you. In addition, Vaughan definitely strays into Game of Thrones territory with his willingness to injure or kill off major characters without warning. It snaps you back to the reality of the situation. It also suggests that there will always be a supply of quirky and strange people and creatures to keep us turning the pages. So prepare for a wild ride in the closing chapters! This series is so addictive that you will have to slow yourself down or find that you finish an entire volume in just one or two sittings. Fortunately Staples artwork and Vaughan’s dialogue are good enough to make it worth multiple re-reads or just flipping through favorite scenes. I am fairly confident they can maintain this as long as the series runs. Saga is a wonderful adult comic epic that fans have fallen in love with. Keep it coming! ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Mar 05, 2016
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Mar 12, 2016
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Mar 05, 2016
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Paperback
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| 1607066920
| 9781607066927
| 1607066920
| 4.49
| 112,945
| Jun 19, 2013
| Jul 02, 2013
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it was amazing
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Saga, Volume 2: This quirky space opera continues to impress Originally posted at Fantasy Literature Volume 2 takes up the story without skipping a beat Saga, Volume 2: This quirky space opera continues to impress Originally posted at Fantasy Literature Volume 2 takes up the story without skipping a beat. Alana and Marko are faced with Marko’s parents Kiara and Barr, who suddenly appear on their tree spaceship. Almost immediately Kiara and Marko are forced to go after the ghost teen nannie Izabel (one of my favorites), leaving Alana with her father-in-law. Their first meeting does not go well in a way anyone can sympathize with. But eventually Alana and Barr find more common ground, and their relationship is very sweet. The expressions on their faces are so real and natural, you just have to acknowledge Fiona Staples is an amazing illustrator. [image] Meanwhile, our intrepid freelance bounty hunter The Will and his lie-detecting cat deal with the aftermath of events of Volume 1. We are also treated to some flashbacks of Marko’s youth. Even more interesting is a flashback to the fateful first meeting between Alana and Marko as guard and prisoner. Their first sparks and chat about A Night Time Smoke is so incredibly funny – as is Alana’s attempts to get her fellow guard to read it. We also meet Gwendolyn, the feisty fiancé of Marko who is definitely NOT happy about his elopement with Alana. Pairing up Gwendolyn and The Will is the odd-couple to end all others, and their exchanges are spot-on. They are accompanied by Slave Girl, who joined them after The Will succumbed to his conscience in Vol 1. [image] There is a little excursion back to Sextillion, more flashbacks to Alana and Marko’s early days on the run, and The Will and Gwendolyn continue their pursuit. There is another scene involving Lying Cat in space that almost brought a tear to my eye. Again, SAGA really makes to most of the comic medium. It also does something that is very difficult to pull off – it’s got an amazing sense of humor and fun that doesn’t shy away from the cruelty and horror of war and death. Perhaps the greatest achievement of this series is it’s resolute focus on its characters, despite the galactic war backdrop. You want to know what happens to everyone, both the “good” and “bad” characters, and yet the chase across worlds creates endless opportunities for weird planets and side-stories. This is how space opera should be done. The only limitation is really the creativity of Vaughan and Staples, and they’ve shown no signs of slowing down yet. ...more |
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Mar 2016
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Mar 07, 2016
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Mar 01, 2016
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Paperback
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| 1607066017
| 9781607066019
| 1607066017
| 4.17
| 339,335
| Oct 10, 2012
| Oct 23, 2012
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it was amazing
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Saga, Volume 1: Crazily bizarre space opera romance- it will make you happy I’m so late to the party that the weekend is over and everyone is back to w Saga, Volume 1: Crazily bizarre space opera romance- it will make you happy I’m so late to the party that the weekend is over and everyone is back to work on Monday. I like to write SF reviews to introduce books to people who might not have read them yet, but when I see something like Saga, which pretty much everyone has read and loved, I feel like, “What’s the point of writing something now?” The ONLY advantage to having discovered this series so late is that I can read 5 volumes straight through without having to wait, haha! The story moves so propulsively you have to force yourself to slow down. The characters are so likeable that even the contract killers and military robot royalty are sympathetic. And the dialogue written by Brian K. Vaughan is so infectiously fun, snarky and charming that I kept laughing out loud. It’s a space opera, yes, and a story of star-crossed lovers caught in the middle of a protracted interstellar war. And they have a brand-new baby. Their arguments, fears about parenthood, and discussions of the future can be appreciated by anyone. And both science and magic work in this universe. Then there are ghost nannies, bizarre aliens, wooden spaceships, wildly anachronistic objects like paperback romance novels, kid’s cereal boxes, and camcorders connected to CRT TVs, a creepy sex planet, and that’s just the beginning. What holds it all together is the amazing, wonderful, and perfectly matched artwork of Fiona Staples. It’s gorgeous, clean, precise, expressive, colorful, and memorable. It’s not often that the writing and artwork can blend so seamlessly and complement each other this well. I can’t praise it highly enough. SAGA is a great reminder of what the comic medium can do that novels, my normal bread and butter, cannot. The story engages your mind and eyes, and I actually discovered a third dimension that I highly recommend. There is a quirky young musician named Grimes who makes quirky electronic pop music. I didn’t know about her but my daughter kept talking about her so I listened to her most recent albums Art Angels (2015) and Visions (2012), and I swear they are the PERFECT soundtrack to this comic series. So much so that when I read SAGA I start humming my favorite Grimes tunes, and when I listen to her albums I have this crazy urge to read SAGA. Give it a try, it’s addictive! Saga has been described as Star Wars meets Game of Thrones and Romeo and Juliet, and while I don’t think that is entirely accurate, it has some elements of truth. Marko and Alana are certainly star-crossed lovers, and the space opera elements are Stars Wars-like (but MUCH more bizarre and adult-themed), and the Game of Thrones element would cover both the convoluted story and complex characters, along with the frequently excessive violence and sexual bits. Just like Game of Thrones HBO series, I feel like the story would be just as good WITHOUT seeing guts flying, heads being crushed, and a constant barrage of naked flesh. So I don’t feel like Saga needs all of that, since the story is so great, but I respect the artistic vision of Vaughan and Staples. Even so, they could dial it down and I can’t imagine anyone putting the comic down because it’s wasn’t violent or sexy enough. ...more |
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Feb 28, 2016
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Mar 03, 2016
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Dec 04, 2015
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Paperback
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| 0060095261
| 9780060095260
| 0060095261
| 3.94
| 3,924
| Jan 01, 2001
| May 28, 2002
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really liked it
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Minority Report and Other Stories: 4 PKD stories that inspired movies Originally posted at Fantasy Literature Philip K. Dick is the classic case of a br Minority Report and Other Stories: 4 PKD stories that inspired movies Originally posted at Fantasy Literature Philip K. Dick is the classic case of a brilliant but struggling artist who only got full recognition after he passed away. Despite publishing an incredible 44 novels and 121 stories during his lifetime, it was not until the Ridley Scott film Blade Runner was released in 1982 that PKD gained more mainstream attention, and sadly he died before being able to see the final theatrical release. A number of his short stories were adapted into feature-length films, and this audibook contains “The Minority Report” (1956), which inspired the 2002 Steven Spielberg film Minority Report starring Tom Cruise, “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale” (1966), which was the loose basis for the 1990 Paul Verhoeven film Total Recall and a 2012 reboot starring Colin Farrell, “Paycheck” (1953), which John Woo directed in 2003 and starred Ben Affleck, and “Second Variety” (1953), which was adapted in 1995 as Screamers, starring Peter Weller. This audiobook also includes an ultra-short whimsical SF story called “The Eyes Have It” (1953) that has no reason for being here. Instead, it should have included the short story “Adjustment Team” (1954), which was made into the entertaining 2011 film The Adjustment Bureau starring Matt Damon and Emily Blunt. That film had a lot of nice character development, and strong romantic chemistry between the two leads. The audiobook narrator is Keir Dullea, a name that didn’t ring a bell but turns out to be none other than David Bowman from the iconic Stanley Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey. He does a good job with PDK’s material. There’s no question in my mind that Minority Report and Total Recall are the most successful films that have been adapted from Philip K. Dick short stories (the other strong films came from his novels: Blade Runner was adapted from his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and A Scanner Darkly was adapted from his novel A Scanner Darkly). But honestly, it’s quite a stretch to say that a 20-30 page short story can really form the basis for a feature film. That’s why marketing teams use the terms “inspired by” and “loosely-based on” to distance the films from their source material. That often stems complaints by the author or fans when filmmakers produce a real stinker, which happens all too often. So the first thing you’ll notice is that these short stories are dramatically different from their film versions. Of course they are. Normally you have a 200-300 page novel that a writer will adapt for the screen, usually going through dozens of versions throughout the filmmaking process. And frequently the job of a skilled screenwriter is knowing what aspects and characters to cut from the story that still preserves the core narrative of the original, while also allowing room for the visual aspects of film to be emphasized over some of the background details of the story. But if you are trying to make a 20-page story into a 90-minute film, you need to do the opposite, adding whole new characters or storylines to make a complete story. So it wouldn’t be fair to judge the film adaptations based on the story that provided it inspiration. And that’s why I will look at the short stories in this collection and their film adaptations as separate creations below. "The Minority Report"(1956) short story — I think this is one of the most intricate and thought-provoking stories that PKD ever wrote. John Anderton, the head of the Precrime unit, is a believer in the criminal justice system, which has reduced crime by almost 100% by using the predictions of three ‘precogs,’ whose visions of possible futures allow the police to apprehend suspects before they commit crimes. It seems to be a perfect system, until one day Anderton receives the ‘precog’ report that he will kill a man named Leo Kaplan that he has never heard of. To prove his innocence, he goes on the run and his assistant Ed Witner takes over and seeks to bring him to justice. The excitement of the story lies in Anderton hunting down the ‘minority report,’ which is a dissenting report when not all three ‘precogs’ see the same future event. While on the run, Anderton approaches his wife for support, is confronted by Leo Kaplan, learns what motivation he might have for killing Kaplan, realizes that Witner and he are not necessarily enemies, and has time to question whether the ‘precog’ crime prevention is really a ‘just’ system, whether it negates human free will, and whether right and wrong can exist if people are prevented from making their own choices. The story has all the classic PKD themes of paranoia, betrayal, and moral conundrums. The resolution of the story involves three separate ‘minority reports,’ each intricately connected to the other, and Anderton’s decision and its consequences are very different from the Spielberg film version. Minority Report(2002) film — This Steven Spielberg film is very successful because it takes the ideas of the story and then builds a complete future society around them. The film makes significant changes to the story details, but preserves the core moral questions that PDK raised. The visual details are very striking, with washed-out blacks and whites that give it a unique look. The biggest changes are to Anderton’s wife, the greater involvement of one of the precogs in providing Anderton help in clearing his name, and a completely new subplot involving Witner, Anderton’s boss Lamar Burgess, and a murder from the past that has been carefully covered up. The resolution of the film version is much more Hollywood than the story, since there is never any question that Anderton is a good person seeking justice who is wrongly accused. Questions about the justification of the precog system are not as prominent, and the moral dilemmas of Anderson’s final decision in the story are missing. But as a thought-provoking and pulse-pounding SF thriller, it’s a pretty impressive achievement. “We Can Remember It For You Wholesale”(1966) short story — This story is only 22 pages long, and is a far cry from the big-budget, special effects-laden and hyper-violent Schwartzenegger extravaganza from Paul Verhoeven. Basically, the story version covers just the opening third of the film, before Arnold gets to Mars. Douglas Quail is a typical nobody who dreams of going to Mars. He decides to visit Rekal Incorporated, which implants false memories that feel real, and requests one in which he is a secret government agent. But when the Rekal staff begin the procedure, they discover that he already has real memories of being a secret agent on Mars, but they have been erased from his conscious mind. They decide the best recourse is to leave his memories alone and send him on his way. However, his real memories are surfacing and suddenly he is confronted by two police officers intent on killing him for knowing too much. Unlike in the film, the Rekal staff are not killed in painful and graphic ways, Quail’s wife is not a sexy but treacherous Sharon Stone, and there is no action-packed chase as he tries to escape his enemies. Instead, Quail cuts a deal with his pursuers that he will agree to have his memories erased if they promise to leave him alone. But when he returns to Rekal for the procedure, they discover an even deeper embedded memory that reveals exactly how important Quail is to the safety of Earth. It’s a pretty far-fetched development, but keep in mind this is a 22-page story and PDK never anticipated that it would be expanded into a blockbuster SF action film starring a Austrian former bodybuilder who would later become governor of California. Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction! Total Recall (1990) film — What’s left to say about this film? It’s directed by one of my favorite directors, who made one of the best futuristic cop films of all time, 1987’s Robocop, as well as 1997’s satirical take on Robert A. Heinlein’s classic military SF novel Starship Troopers (1959). Total Recall was one of Verhoeven’s greatest moments, pairing Arnold Schwartzenegger at the peak of his acting powers (I can’t believe I just typed that) with a propulsive, action-packed, ultra-violent romp through a future Earth and Mars. Its satirical and black humor were augmented by the complex plot involving real and false memories, so it could be enjoyed on a basic visceral level as well as a more cerebral one. I’d have to say that Total Recall is one of my favorite SF action films, but it is so different from the story that it wouldn’t be fair to compare them. “Paycheck” (1953) short story — This is another PDK short story about erased memories, a hero on the run trying to unravel the meaning behind a series of mysterious objects, surrounded by people who may be allies or enemies. In that sense, it shares many elements with the above two stories. It’s about an engineer named Jennings who accepts a secret contract with Rethrick Construction, under the condition that he will be given a fat paycheck in two years time, but will have his memories erased of his confidential work. However, when he wakes up, his paycheck is not the big wad of cash he expected, but a bunch of seemingly-useless trinkets. The story revolves around Jennings using each of the trinkets one by one to get him out of various scrapes, all leading to a showdown with the owner of Rethrick Corporation. I won’t reveal the details of who gave him the trinkets and why, but it does involve many of PKD’s favorite themes. And while the story is well constructed, I thought it was a bit too predictable once the basic conceit was revealed. In addition, the resolution of the story wasn’t particularly impressive. Considering how many stories PDK has written, I’m not really sure why this was deemed film-worthy. Paycheck (2002) film — This was not a good SF film, unfortunately. More than anything, casting Ben Affleck as a whip-smart engineer who prepares an intricate series of clues based on knowledge of future events is just painful to watch. Affleck’s acting skills are abysmal (I think his directorial skills are infinitely better, based on Gone Baby Gone and Argo). Here his leading-man charisma was non-existent, and his chemistry with Uma Thurman was sometimes embarrassingly off. The other problem was handing this vehicle to John Woo, a HK director best known for super-high body count action flicks starring Chow Yun Fat. He’s made the transition to Hollywood, but only to make kinetic but ham-handed films like Face Off, Hard Target, Broken Arrow, and Mission Impossible II. So basically the film takes the basic plot elements of the story for the first 30 minutes, and then adds 90 minutes of mindless and fairly boring chase scenes and mayhem. Strangely enough, even the action scenes are quite tame when you think about the brutality of The Killer or Hard Boiled. Overall, this was a very forgettable film and shouldn’t really be associated with PKD. “Second Variety” (1953) short story — This is one of PKD’s best, a surprisingly tense and chilling story about a future nuclear war which has reduced civilization to rubble, but the war continues thanks to “claws,” which are self-replicating robots that attack any human being and slice them to bits with whirring blades. They were made by the US against the Russians, but they have apparently begun to made newer versions of themselves to be more effective killing machines, including humanoid forms. The entire time I listened to this I was reminded of James Cameron’s TERMINATOR films, since the ‘claws’ ruthlessly try to infiltrate the remnants of humanity hidden in bunkers, and wreak havoc when they get in. The story focuses on several characters who are trying to identify the unknown “second variety” of humanoid robots, and we can see all the classic paranoia over who is human and who is robot, which would later be explored in greater depth in Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? and Blade Runner. Screamers (1995) film — I didn’t know this film existed until I read up on “Second Variety,” and it looks like a low-budget, direct-to-video type flick released in 1995. The film stars Peter Weller, but it gets only 30% on Rotten Tomatoes, and having watched the trailer, it looks really, really bad, a typical SF B-movie with grainy cinematography, whirring blades, screaming soldiers, and cheesy music. I just can’t make myself watch this. ...more |
Notes are private!
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Nov 03, 2015
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Nov 05, 2015
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Nov 02, 2015
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Audiobook
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| 0765354063
| 9780765354068
| 0765354063
| 4.12
| 87,308
| Mar 2006
| May 01, 2007
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liked it
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There are plenty of good reviews on GR of this sequel to Old Man's War, so I'll dispense with a plot description. It was a well-written, briskly-paced
There are plenty of good reviews on GR of this sequel to Old Man's War, so I'll dispense with a plot description. It was a well-written, briskly-paced tale, but I didn't like it quite as much as Old Man's War. That earlier first-person narrative had the perfect blend of humor, future world-building, exciting military adventure, and likeable characters. Just the fact that The Ghost Brigades did not feature John Perry from the first book was a bit of a disappointment (though he does resurface in later books). The Ghost Brigades has a lot of structural parallels to the first book, particularly in the Special Forces training, discussions of military strategy, initial mission, surprise setbacks, tension-filled confrontation with the enemy, and action-packed ending. There were some nice touches, like the surprise twist of the opening chapter, and the exploration of identities and consciousness, with convincing pseudo-science. On the downside, the main villain Charles Boutin gives a somewhat ridiculous evil mastermind monologue straight out of James Bond or Austin Powers, complete with the main character being incapacitated and forced to listen, while his buddies have been conveniently left under automated weapon systems guard, so that they can make a heroic escape and start blowing stuff up just in time to save our hero from certain death... Having now read three John Scalzi novels this year, I think I've figured out his formula. He has a clever, breezy approach to storytelling, and a good sense of humor even if sometimes he tries a bit too hard. His characters also tend to be fairly likeable but lacking in real complexity (even as the story explore identity and consciousness issues). I find his descriptions of alien races to be pretty threadbare, especially their physical descriptions, to the point of having no idea what they look like other than "bird-like" or "insect-like". Though they have some interesting behavior, they still lack depth as fully-fledged alien species (except for one Rhaey scientist). I'd say I liked Old Man's War the most, thought The Ghost Brigades was good but not great, and felt like Redshirts was initially hilarious but ran out of substance fairly quickly. So while I recognize why John Scalzi is as popular (and self-promoting) as he is, I wouldn't say he makes it into my favorite authors' circle. Still, I'll give The Last Colony a try since I do like John Perry and Jane Sagan enough to continue with their story. ...more |
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Apr 04, 2015
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Apr 11, 2015
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Apr 04, 2015
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| 4.17
| 20,298
| Dec 1995
| Oct 01, 1996
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really liked it
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Cetaganda: A murder mystery amid exotic political intrigue This is the third book about Miles Vorkosigan in internal chronology, and unlike its manic p Cetaganda: A murder mystery amid exotic political intrigue This is the third book about Miles Vorkosigan in internal chronology, and unlike its manic predecessors The Warrior's Apprentice and The Vor Game, there are no space battles, Denarii Mercenaries, Sargent Bothari, Cordelia, Aral, or Emperor Gregor. In fact, Miles's only companion this time is his slightly dim playboy cousin Ivan Vorpatril. Still, as a comic foil Ivan does yeoman work, and this time the story is a murder mystery set in the intricate court of the Cetegandan Empire on the occasion of the death of the Dowager Empress. The elite part of Cetagandan society is a complex mix of Ghem lords, gender-neutral courtiers, Haut ladies hidden in opaque energy field bubbles, and the the Emperor and Dowager Empress. When Miles and Ivan literally stumble into trouble straight out of the airlock and find themselves in an altercation with a servitor and then in possession of a mysterious key, things quickly spiral out of control in typical Miles fashion, as his quick wits seem to get him as much into trouble as out of it. This time he falls for the stunningly beautiful Haut lady Rian, and these aristocratic ladies hold the knowledge of the extensive genetic engineering that underpins Cetagandan society. Bujold spends a lot of time describing the intricate details of the society, which gets full points for creative SF world-building that explores the infinite permutations that human societies can take, it sacrifices a lot of the excitement and tension of the earlier Miles space adventures, though I appreciate Bujold wanting to flesh out her larger galactic civilization. There are a number of comedic episodes involving Ivan, particularly involving an "anti-aphrodisiac", and the larger conspiracies and treasonous plots that Miles uncovers without the permission or blessing of the Barrayar ambassador or his head of security are suitably intricate, so perhaps listening to it in audiobook while riding the London underground is not ideal for keeping track of the many characters and motivations is a difficult task. Nevertheless, the resulting story is certainly entertaining and worthwhile, but perhaps not quite as frenetic as the first two books. ...more |
Notes are private!
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Feb 22, 2018
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Feb 26, 2018
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Jul 01, 2013
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0671720147
| 9780671720148
| 0671720147
| 4.27
| 25,783
| Jan 01, 1990
| Apr 28, 2002
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really liked it
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The Vor Game: Another madcap Miles adventure This was another fast-paced, well-balanced, and very enjoyable adventure centering on Miles, his cousin Iv The Vor Game: Another madcap Miles adventure This was another fast-paced, well-balanced, and very enjoyable adventure centering on Miles, his cousin Ivan, the Dendarii mercenaries, some very villainous villains (including a very clever and calculating femme fatale), and even young Emperor Gregor thrown into the mix. Once again Miles finds himself stumbling from one disastrous situation to another, always managing to squeak by his wits alone, knowing how to manipulate and outsmart rather than overpower, and being incredibly lucky again and again. The improbable coincidences pile up towards the end, stretching reader credibility, but in a sense that is part of the fun. We know how unlikely it would be in a "serious SF story" for these things to happen without the main characters getting blasted by a nerve disruptor, being spaced, or vaporized in a space battle, but the fact that Miles and Ivan can weasel their way through scrape after scrape is a bit like a really well-written TV comedy. What elevates Bujold's stories of Miles and his friends is that her characters are both three-dimensional and believable, even if their situations are not. There is always an emotional element to the story, including unrequited love and feelings of inferiority from our mad genius hero, and the frustrations of Emperor Gregor who chafes at his stifling position. It all adds up to a cracking good yarn, and when you remember that it is part of a much larger Miles Vorkosigan Saga that works as a greater tapestry, it is really impressive what Lois McMaster Bujold has achieved, and her huge fan base attests to this. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 18, 2018
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Feb 22, 2018
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Jun 17, 2013
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0765348276
| 9780765348272
| 0765348276
| 4.23
| 202,559
| Dec 27, 2005
| Jan 15, 2007
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really liked it
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I read this back in 2015 and decided to try the audiobook narrated by William Dufris (not Wil Wheaton who does many of Scalzi’s books). It owes plenty
I read this back in 2015 and decided to try the audiobook narrated by William Dufris (not Wil Wheaton who does many of Scalzi’s books). It owes plenty to classics like Heinlein's Starship Troopers and Haldeman's Forever War, and clearly must have inspired James Cameron's Avatar, but it reads like a fresh military SF adventure with a great conceit (volunteers join the Colonial Defense Force when they reach 75 years of age), the characters have a nice sense of humor, irony, and pathos, without anything feeling forced, and the aliens the soldiers encounter are strange, inventive and fierce. More than anything, I admired the brisk but unhurried narrative pace. It's very rare to encounter a story that doesn't feel either rushed or overlong at any point in the book. Events proceed at a logical pace, but still not entirely predictable. And very importantly, there is a lot of grounding in the main character and his friends, so that the action feels real and losses are felt without milking emotions excessively. I liked it more than Scalzi's Redshirts, which I found entertaining but fairly insubstantial. In Old Man's War I though Scalzi struck the perfect balance between concept, story, characters, action, and pacing. I think Bujold's Miles Vorkosigan series also fits the bill, and that's what distinguishes the two series from all the other competing series in the military SF sub-genre. ...more |
Notes are private!
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Apr 08, 2018
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Apr 15, 2018
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Jun 15, 2013
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0441005667
| 9780441005666
| 0441005667
| 3.75
| 21,780
| Oct 1997
| Oct 01, 1998
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did not like it
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Forever Peace: Wildly implausible and poorly conceived For the life of me, I can’t understand why Forever Peace won the Hugo, Nebula, John W. Campbell Forever Peace: Wildly implausible and poorly conceived For the life of me, I can’t understand why Forever Peace won the Hugo, Nebula, John W. Campbell Memorial Awards for Best SF novel in 1997. Certainly his earlier 1975 The Forever War is a beloved SF classic that deals with the Vietnam War, time paradoxes, and the absurdity of endless conflict. First off, this book is not a direct sequel, and is hardly related other than sharing a military SF theme. Even that connection is tenuous, so I can only think the publisher intended to sell more copies by linking them. It creates unfair comparisons, as this booked should be judged solely on its own merits (or lack of). I though this book was pretty bad, but the only way to explain why is to enter spoiler territory, so if you plan to read the book, stop right now. Here we go… Forever Peace is about a near future Earth split into two groups: the advanced, lighter-skinned countries (the ‘haves’), and the poorer, darker-skinned countries (the ‘have-nots). In the richer countries, the development of ‘nano-forges’ has let to a post-scarcity society in which hunger and hardship are conquered, but the rest of the world is locked out of this and is understandably upset about it. So the Alliance is fighting an endless guerilla conflict in dozens of locations against the loosely-connected Ngumi. It’s never clear why the overwhelmingly superior technology of the Alliance cannot prevail over the far-inferior Ngumi countries. It’s just assumed that guerrilla tactics drag out the conflict. It’s also never explained why ‘nano-forge’ technology cannot be shared with the ‘have-nots’ to create a more harmonious world. Anyway, the book starts out fairly interesting. Julian Class is a middle-aged physicist who operates a “soldierboy” (an ultra-powerful weaponized-mech that is controlled remotely via telepathic link) and controls a squad of 20 other “soldierboys” who conduct various limited-engagement operations (in Panama, in this case). When the squad is linked telepathically, they share all their innermost thoughts and form a very tight bond. This helps them function fairly seamlessly as a team, but prevents any thoughts from staying private. Julian is not a war-mongerer, but citizens must provide several years of military service, and he feels strongly attracted to that psychic bond, even though the military ops leave him morally-conflicted sometimes. This escalates to PTSD when a peace-keeping operation goes terribly wrong, killing hundreds of civilians. Julian is also dating an older particle physicist named Amelia “Blaze” Harding, who happens to be working on an ultra-secret theoretical project to replicate the initial Big Bang conditions on the other side of Jupiter (dubbed “The Jupiter Project”). With absolutely no plausible explanations, we are led to understand that the experiment could either “result in a greater number of universes, or destroy our universe completely.” But for some crazy reason, Amelia and her physicist partners don’t really see this as a big problem and submit the technical details to an academic journal for review! Well, it so happens there is a secret Christian fundamentalist cult that has infiltrated the top levels of the military called “Hammer of God”, and they’ve been eagerly awaiting an opportunity like this – the chance to destroy an evil godless world and create a new universe. How convenient! This was so completely ridiculous that I laughed out loud, until I realized that Haldeman was completely serious. So having started out as a fairly interesting exploration of psychic-linked military ops, the story suddenly devolves into an incoherent techno-thriller in which ultra-deadly Hammer of God assassins stalk Julian and Amelia and their friends in an attempt to make sure that the Jupiter Project is not interfered with, which is confusing since it was Amelia and her science partners that proposed it in the first place. Events culminate with a big high-tech battle on a US military base where soldiers controlled by Hammer of God try to take over and ensure that the world can be destroyed as planned via the Jupiter Project (say what???). There are quite a number of characters trying to kill each other, and I couldn’t keep them straight. Somewhere during the story we also learn how the US has become more racist in the future (remember the dark-skinned and light-skinned Alliance and Ngumi conflict), and Julian and Amelia are a mixed-race couple, which is frowned upon. This seemed to serve no real purpose in the story other than as a half-baked attempt to appear sensitive to race issues. Just making your characters mixed-race does not count as a meaningful examination of race relations. There are also Julian’s suicidal feelings as a result of his PTSD thrown in, but this gets fairly short-shrift amid the chaotic techno-thriller business. Just when I though that a single book couldn’t pile on any more implausibilities, the conclusion of the story was a complete stunner. It turns out that…(drum-roll)…the psychic link that the soldierboy operators share (called “jacking in”) actually suppresses all aggressive thoughts if the link is shared for a prolonged stretch of….two weeks! So Haldeman is trying to convince me that for this incredible technology that links minds together and lays all secrets open, which must have been developed over many years with hundreds of test subjects, NOBODY EVER NOTICED THIS??????? That military units didn’t at first know their soldiers would lose the will to fight after 2 weeks. And that’s why they rotate them before then. And that this amazing technology is routinely used throughout society but nobody recognized the implications. To make things even more absurd, Julian and Amelia and their friends decide the best way to cure the world of war, conflict, and economic gaps is to conduct mass surgeries to install the jacking technology to as many people as possible to demonstrate its wonderful pacifying effect. Their only concern is to make sure to operate on both sides at the same time so the non-pacified side doesn’t wipe out the other side first. I’m sorry, but the whole scheme is completely hare-brained and I was stunned once again that this book swept the major awards in 1997. I kept wondering if I was perhaps reading the wrong book, but sadly not. So in the end the Jupiter Project is foiled (Yay!), the Hammer of God fanatics are beaten (Hooray!), the interracial couple is saved (Yahoo!), and all war and economic inequality will be vanquished (Yippee!) once we all share our innermost thoughts, because everyone knows that you won’t have bad thoughts if you have to share your mind with others. Are you kidding me? I think if people knew the innermost thoughts of each other, they’d be at each other’s throats in a heartbeat. Call me a cynic, but I think it’s only the fact that we can keep our less charitable thoughts private that we can maintain the façade of civility.I’ve read a lot of high-quality SF in the last year, so this book really stood out as a dud. I’ll keep my fingers crossed for better books ahead. ...more |
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Feb 16, 2016
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Feb 19, 2016
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| 4.46
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really liked it
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Jan 18, 2018
not set
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Mar 03, 2023
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| 4.44
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it was amazing
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Jun 20, 2019
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Jun 27, 2019
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| 4.22
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it was ok
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Jun 08, 2019
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Jun 01, 2019
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| 4.27
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liked it
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Jun 2019
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May 27, 2019
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| 4.38
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it was amazing
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May 18, 2019
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Apr 28, 2019
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| 4.27
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really liked it
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Feb 09, 2018
not set
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Feb 10, 2018
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| 4.07
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really liked it
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Jan 07, 2018
not set
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Dec 30, 2017
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| 4.48
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really liked it
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Jul 02, 2017
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Jul 01, 2017
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| 4.46
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really liked it
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Jul 19, 2016
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Apr 23, 2016
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| 4.40
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really liked it
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Mar 27, 2016
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Mar 19, 2016
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| 4.42
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it was amazing
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Mar 21, 2016
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Mar 12, 2016
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| 4.48
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it was amazing
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Mar 12, 2016
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Mar 05, 2016
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| 4.49
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it was amazing
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Mar 07, 2016
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Mar 01, 2016
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| 4.17
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it was amazing
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Mar 03, 2016
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Dec 04, 2015
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| 3.94
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really liked it
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Nov 05, 2015
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Nov 02, 2015
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| 4.12
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liked it
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Apr 11, 2015
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Apr 04, 2015
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| 4.17
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really liked it
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Feb 26, 2018
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Jul 01, 2013
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| 4.27
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really liked it
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Feb 22, 2018
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Jun 17, 2013
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| 4.23
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really liked it
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Apr 15, 2018
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Jun 15, 2013
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| 3.75
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did not like it
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Feb 19, 2016
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Jun 15, 2013
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