A moment of silence, if you would, for a book whose binding fell apart. The last few chapters were read in autumn, pages fluttering from the whole.
WoA moment of silence, if you would, for a book whose binding fell apart. The last few chapters were read in autumn, pages fluttering from the whole.
Words brought together to the masses, for ever --undone by bad glue.
The Fountains of Paradise was the one last heavy hitter from Clarke that I hadn't read until now. I remember reading somewhere that it was written as a response to science fiction being made at the time that wasn't true science fiction. Published in 1979, Jedi only knows to what he was referring. Science fiction, though, is a very broad term. If a story uses the science known at the time, it is rightly considered a science fiction, even if that science seems absurd today. Frankenstein is widely considered the first science fiction novel, but it's a story about reanimating the dead through electricity, much like those twitching toads Mary Shelley had heard about.
The thought of a space elevator always sounded absurd to me, but after reading what is essentially a novel-length essay on its feasibility . . . I'm intrigued. It's doubtful it would ever happen on Earth, but Clarke hurdles that thought as well having it tested elsewhere first. Clarke's ideas were always far ahead of his time, and one could argue he was the impetus for every human technology that ever exited our atmosphere. He was the British equivalent of Jules Verne in his descriptions of devices and places that did not yet exist, but could exist--with a little elbow grease.
Clarke was as talented a writer as he was a futurist. If his characters were stronger, I think he might be mentioned in the same breath as Huxley or even Orwell. I enjoyed this book, but I think it would definitely only be recommended for a particular crowd--the true science fiction fan....more
If you liked Leviathan Wakes, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress has a similar gravity. In fact, by the end of it I felt like I had just read the prequel toIf you liked Leviathan Wakes, The Moon Is a Harsh Mistress has a similar gravity. In fact, by the end of it I felt like I had just read the prequel to the former, which, if you're keeping track, would make this the original, and Leviathan Wakes the spin-off.
The world-building in this is tremendous. The Moon is a thriving colony of humans who dream of independence. It is run by an artificial intelligence who isn't trying to kill everyone or take over the world--it just wants a laugh. The facets of this intelligence are what really fascinated me. Robert A. Heinlein had to explain how vast this intelligence was by explaining how interconnected technology might function, much in the same way H.G. Wells had to explain the concept of a man moving back-and-forth through time to an audience who could not yet comprehend such a thing. Heinlein had to explain that this entity was so powerful it could instantly pull a file on anyone, or even manufacture an unliving personality. A very eerie prognostication if one were to read this in present times. Fortunately, this AI was one of the good guys--as long as the good guys were the ones living on the Moon.
The story itself was almost an anarchist's handbook; thoughts on living without a government, thoughts on letting society function by itself. I find all the books of Heinlein that I've read are a handbook of one kind or another. George Orwell would have been a fan, I think.
I count this as my favourite Heinlein, thus far. That being said, they have all been good--I wish I had started reading his work earlier. Something worth noting if you are trying to decide whether to read Clarke, Asimov, or Heinlein for the first time is that Heinlein had the best characters of the three heavyweights.
A story not to be taken lightly, 4.25 stars....more
My reviews are typically just a break-down of how I felt when I read the book. Was I excited? Was I sad? Angry? Entertained? This book didn't really gMy reviews are typically just a break-down of how I felt when I read the book. Was I excited? Was I sad? Angry? Entertained? This book didn't really give me any feelings at all.
The universe-building sculpted within was quite intriguing, and probably the only reason I continued on reading. I found some descriptions for certain universe items and races to be a little lacking, leaving me to fill in blanks myself, which isn't necessarily a bad thing when it comes to science fiction, mind you. The characters were dull and flat, and I found myself more interested in the bad guy--but maybe that says more about me than it does the story.
Don't let me turn you off this story, as I can understand why people like this book, but the pacing was very uneven to me and I found myself nitpicking narrative choices. The constant--occasional?--word correcting got distracting, and made me feel like the narrator was questioning his own portrayal of events.
In the end, (and don't worry, I won't give you a thirty page epilogue in summation) I wouldn't read it again, nor would I search for sequels. This book is as tepid as my coffee. I don't recommend microwaving this book....more
When I first started reading this, I thought I had an ideal opening line for my review: 'If you know what a Redshirt is, you know what this book is abWhen I first started reading this, I thought I had an ideal opening line for my review: 'If you know what a Redshirt is, you know what this book is about.' I can't use that line, as she went off the rails.
I started out having a lot of fun reading this and burned through the first act real quick. It wasn't crap-your-pants funny like some reviewers on the back of the book claimed, but very entertaining, nonetheless. Sure, Scalzi's style is dialogue heavy, but since I enjoy watching sci-fi TV, my imagination was quickly able to fill in any of his blanks with cliché bric-a-brac of my own. This being my first Scalzi, I wondered if he left blanks on purpose, seeing as he's definitely writing for a particular audience (i.e. me).
Another review on the back mentioned that fans of Philip K. Dick would enjoy 'Redshirts'. Knowing what I know of Dick's work, this ended up being a spoiler for me. I may have just spoiled it for you, if you didn't read that review already. And that twist was what annoyed me. It became the impetus for the rest of the novel and just felt like I was reading the journals of a pothead.
The story itself ends abruptly in the 200s. What follows is three codas written outside the main events of the story. They feel like elements of a sequel that weren't good enough to become a sequel. Let's call them DVD extras. The Producers told the Director these scenes are tedious and would slow down the narrative.
What am I trying to say about 'Redshirts'? I had fun reading it,--for the most part--but was disappointed with the meta- road the author ultimately drove me down. And those codas were painful enough to kill a star....more
You know those books that win a bunch of awards, then you read it and ask yourself . . . why? I've read better than that and it didn't win anything. WYou know those books that win a bunch of awards, then you read it and ask yourself . . . why? I've read better than that and it didn't win anything. Well, this one lives up to the hype.
Dan O'Bannon (screenwriter of 'Alien') wrote a book about the craft where he proposed that what makes a story interesting is that the main characters can turn away from the danger at any point in the beginning, but eventually make a decision to commit to a sequence of events in which they can no longer escape (I'm paraphrasing). That's what makes this book interesting. The main character wants to make money in the Heechee gold mining era by putting himself in grave danger, but the terror is giving him pause. He knows there is a good possibility of not coming back alive, even being tortured through starvation or unknown dangers, but he wants to make money, but does he have the stones to do what he needs to do?
I've felt such terrifying hesitation before, myself. 'Is this where I die?' 'Am I going to permanently injure myself today?' Once you finally jump, or climb, or fall you are glad that you did, but that could've been it. And what eventually happened to the main character might have been worse than uncertain death.
The ending felt a little abrupt, but it had a beginning, middle and end. The fact that there are other entries in the series is just an amazing bonus. There are still many questions. *4.5 stars, for sure. Give me a week, I might give it a fifth....more
This was a thought experiment to shine a light on the division of the sexes through removing that division. The biology and culture portrayed in this This was a thought experiment to shine a light on the division of the sexes through removing that division. The biology and culture portrayed in this book was very fascinating, and I also thought it was a bold choice to portray the genderless Gethenians as not just a strange alien race, but a human one.
I found myself wondering what a culture would be like without the constant distraction of trying to attract a mate. Would we all get more done with a sexless mentality? By not taking a third coffee break to talk to the cute delivery girl, your day might become more productive. But why work at all? To achieve wealth? Why? To get that new car, that new house, those new things . . . for whom? Is it for yourself, or to attract a mate?
I found it started off a bit slow, but got going in the second act. My only complaint would have to be the culture of the planet was a bit all over the place. It started out feeling like it took place in a medieval time, or a simple Inuit-style community, and then there were automobiles and radios in the next town.
Some of the best Science Fiction really makes you think. Not just about that story, but also about the world around you. And this is one of those books.
The power of this book is mostly in its conservative ideologies. Or maybe it's not completely accurate to call it conservative, even though conservatiThe power of this book is mostly in its conservative ideologies. Or maybe it's not completely accurate to call it conservative, even though conservativism does play a keen role. The book was mostly just a forum for Robert A. Heinlein to discuss his ideas about how a society should be disciplined. And those ideas are great. One character, by way of a training class, goes on for a whole chapter on the benefits of corporal punishment.
They should probably teach this book in schools, if only to scare kids straight. Sort of a cautionary tale of how society could one day be if you remain undisciplined and lazy.
The story itself lost me a little when Rico went back to school near the end, but all-in-all it was a good read. Definitely recommended if you loved the movie. It is quite different than the movie, but not so much that it's unrecognizable. The book gives you another dimension of the politics of the universe RAH created, not to mention the cool suits of armour and a more believable bug society, which were left out of the movie almost completely....more
Double Star started out as a lot of fun, but as the story progressed, the main character changed into a boring politician. There's something to be saiDouble Star started out as a lot of fun, but as the story progressed, the main character changed into a boring politician. There's something to be said for character development, of course, but the last third of the book was a bit of a snoozer for me....more
There's something that needs to be said about this book. Something that I've never heard anyone talk about before (although I haven't Google searched There's something that needs to be said about this book. Something that I've never heard anyone talk about before (although I haven't Google searched it). This book is Fantasy.
Let me back up and say that I quite enjoyed this book--like everyone does, obviously--but it is always described a "Science Fiction Masterpiece". Maybe I'm just nitpicking here, but just because a story takes place on another world doesn't make it Science Fiction. There was more than one scene in this book that made me raise my eyebrow, and scrutinize "Science Fiction Masterpiece" scrawled on the front cover.
Anyway, the book itself was very readable and fun with a lot of fascinating universe building. There is inter-family political intrigue as well as back-stabbing and actual stabbing that any fan of Game of Thrones would eat up. Recommended....more
Once I had taken this book off my shelf, I had to blow off a layer of dust. Now, maybe that dust accumulated because I had heard that this book was a Once I had taken this book off my shelf, I had to blow off a layer of dust. Now, maybe that dust accumulated because I had heard that this book was a "hippy bible" of sorts, and was skeptical of its contents, or maybe I just had too many other books to read before this one (ones that weren't given the hippy moniker). Whatever the case--loved it.
As long as you can just accept Valentine Michael Smith can do all the things he does, you will enjoy it, too. Suspend the disbelief and just go for it. If you don't, you will miss out on Jubal Harshaw, who is just a fantastic character. The book itself is also supremely readable; written by a true master of imagination.
So now you want to ask me: "Is this really a hippy bible, like I've heard?"
The answer, in short, is: "No."
Once I neared the end of the novel, I realized this wasn't a hippy bible after all. It was a bible for the agnostic. (No, not atheist, AGNOSTIC. There is a big difference, and if you don't know what that is, you should research it.) I know, "agnostic bible" is a misnomer unto itself, but suspend your disbelief and just go with it....more
This is a real fun read, but I think the majesty is in the prose.
Reading Bradbury is like reading poetry written in traditional fictional form. There'This is a real fun read, but I think the majesty is in the prose.
Reading Bradbury is like reading poetry written in traditional fictional form. There's just something about the way he writes that sounds like music. It's simple, but every word needs to be there. And every word compliments the next. It's hard to explain.
Needless to say, I've put a handful of his other novels on my reading list....more
This was very neat. It amounts to a bunch of campfire stories about a very strange planet. Dan Simmons' imagination is boundless.This was very neat. It amounts to a bunch of campfire stories about a very strange planet. Dan Simmons' imagination is boundless....more
Arthur C. Clarke, in my mind, has a very similar problem to Isaac Asimov. Weak characters.
Don't get me wrong, I love me some Asimov and Clarke, but I Arthur C. Clarke, in my mind, has a very similar problem to Isaac Asimov. Weak characters.
Don't get me wrong, I love me some Asimov and Clarke, but I can barely remember their characters' names by the last page.
Much like Asimov, Clarke has grandiose, wonderful, Earth-shattering ideas about the future of the human race. But Clarke is a much more vivid painter of his ideas. He describes, to a T, something like Rama as if he was the first one to see it. I imagined Arthur C. Clarke floating in a space suit, scribbling notes down on foolscap about the alien spaceship that entered our solar system while reading this book.
If you are at all interested in astronomy, you know of Oumuamua. This book will blow your mind if you wondered what might be inside Oumuamua....more
I read this book as a kid, and, while I liked it, I was disappointed that it wasn't as good as The Mote In God's Eye. I realize not all lightning can I read this book as a kid, and, while I liked it, I was disappointed that it wasn't as good as The Mote In God's Eye. I realize not all lightning can be bottled, but I just had higher hopes for it.
In all fairness, I listened to the audiobook recently to see if my opinion on the book had changed. In fact, it had. The universe he created definitely deserved a prestigious writing award (which he got), and the characters he created were unique and interesting and stick with you after you put the book down.
If you enjoy reading about a vastly different future with unique alien beings, pick this up for sure....more
This was really good. In fact, I'm surprised it didn't get Harry Potter status when it first came out.This was really good. In fact, I'm surprised it didn't get Harry Potter status when it first came out....more
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