I’m not sure what I just read but it damn weird, I can tell you that. Probably a 2-star read bumped up due to Easter eggs like the Jupiter 2, and crazI’m not sure what I just read but it damn weird, I can tell you that. Probably a 2-star read bumped up due to Easter eggs like the Jupiter 2, and crazy characters like Doctor Ontologic....more
Honestly, I had no idea where this book was going to go, but it was both tremendously entertaining and massively satisfying. After some disBIG FINISH!
Honestly, I had no idea where this book was going to go, but it was both tremendously entertaining and massively satisfying. After some disappointing conclusions to series over the past year (Once and Future, Vol. 5: The Wasteland, Jade Legacy), it’s great to have one that sticks the landing.
There’s a lot stuffed in here: politics, war, mountaineering, avalanches, linguistics, more avalanches, secret civilizations, women empowerment… it’s a full meal. The story zips right along, too. My usual complaint is that books are too long, but for this one I felt it was too short. Which means it was just right.
This entire series has been fun, taking place on a world with analogues to our own, artfully blending the familiar with the invented. There’s Scirland, a pseudo-England; Yelang, an ersatz China; Eriga, a central Africa substitute, and so on. Thus allowing Brennan to combine cultures at a whim. It also lets her have fun with wordplay: “scir” is the root word of “shire”, and Lady Trent’s home is Casselthwaite, which must be a reference to Misselthwaite, the setting of The Secret Garden. Casselthwaite is situated in Tamshire, on the River Tam. Look at this sneaky geeky reference!
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As much as I enjoy the amazing covers and interior drawings by Todd Lockwood, I did this one in audiobook because the performance by Mary Reading is just that good. [image]
As an aside, I kinda think Lockwood based his version of Lady Trent on Maggie Smith. Depending on your age, you know her as either Professor McGonagall or the Dowager Countess. [image]
Either way you choose to consume this book, you’re in for a treat....more
Look at that title. That’s pretty much all you need to know. Giant monsters, a Carter Burke from Weyland-Yutani, snarky characters being smartasses… yLook at that title. That’s pretty much all you need to know. Giant monsters, a Carter Burke from Weyland-Yutani, snarky characters being smartasses… you know the drill.
This is another lightweight adventure from Scalzi, clearly written in a rush. Most of his stories feel like first drafts. I mean, his first drafts are decent, they’re just not great, when a bit more polish could make them great. Not that a story like this needs deep thought, but usually Scalzi’s facile initial passes just *feel* like they’re made up on the fly. In the case of Lock In, that completely destroys the story. It doesn’t damage this one very much, because there’s not as much dependent on heavy thinking, so there’s that. And what’s here is fine.
I’d probably rate this higher if all the characters weren’t so nasty to each other. They’re argumentative and combative when they don’t need to be. Worse, they do it to people in authority who would fire them for such behavior. The stress Scalzi talks about suffering during 2020 comes through in every dialogue exchange here, which I felt long before I got to his end note. That kind of took the fun out of what was happening throughout.
Aside from that, the rationale he’s come up with for his version of kaiju is cool. It’s silly science fantasy, of course, but that’s par for the course in such stories. This would be a decent action flick, if someone fixed up the angry-snark dialogue and streamlined it. (Characters blather on for pages when their point could be made in a couple lines. Again, first draft issues.)
At the end of the day, the propulsive nature of the story, despite being by-the-numbers predictable, is enough to keep one’s interest. I suspect Scalzi watched the movies King Kong versus Godzilla and the way-better-than-it-has-any-right-to-be video game adaptation Rampage (starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson; go watch it, it’s fun), and did his own version using the same elements, slightly remixed. It’s so similar to Rampage, in fact, that I’m not at all surprised when he says the entire thing came to him as a complete idea, all at once. Sure, John, because you already saw it. Switching out “radio signal” for “pheromones” doesn’t change the basic mechanism on a story level. I’m not holding that against this book, I’m just saying. The reliance on helicopters (view spoiler)[particularly the bit where they use it to distract/attack Bella the kaiju, is exactly the same as how they use it to distract/attack Lizzie the giant gator (hide spoiler)], the character of pilot Martin Satie is pretty much Jeffrey Dean Morgan’s character, and so on. The denouement is different (view spoiler)[it’s all about human v. human rather than Kong v. Godzilla or, in Rampage, George the giant gorilla against the giant wolf and giant gator (hide spoiler)], and the main character is different, but the overall story is pretty much the same.
Whatever, everything is a remix. If you liked this, watch Rampage. If you liked that movie, read this....more
An astonishing adventure, every bit as harrowing as the more-famous Shackleton expedition, and featuring even more larger-than-life characters, includAn astonishing adventure, every bit as harrowing as the more-famous Shackleton expedition, and featuring even more larger-than-life characters, including Roald Admunsen. It never ceases to amaze me how explorers of old had the sheer audacity to simply *go* on these adventures with cockeyed enthusiasm. It helps to be in your 20s, eager to make your mark upon the world, but good lord these fellows had no idea what they were getting into. The hardships they endured are almost unimaginable, from starvation to scurvy, as a result of getting trapped in the Antarctic ice for a year.
The fact that most of the crew of 18 kept diaries and other written records is a boon to us. Even more so to space exploration, as these kinds of expeditions are the only models we have for sending people off to other planets, and indeed NASA uses this particular adventure as a general guide for dreaming up what-if scenarios and understanding what physical and psychological effects isolation and deprivation have on humans. Because the combination of courage and crazy is needed, certainly, but just as necessary is the mental toughness of Admunsen as well as the constant ingenuity of Dr. Frederick Cook, who literally saved the sailors’ lives several times over.
It is really an amazing tale, and exceedingly well told.
Side note - I tweeted this about the cover, which the author liked:
This here is a story about getting a band of adventurers back together as old farts go on one last adventure to rescue one of their daughters, who hasThis here is a story about getting a band of adventurers back together as old farts go on one last adventure to rescue one of their daughters, who has followed in dad’s footsteps and become a mercenary.
I like that he literally uses “getting the band back together” as their rallying cry and that one of them is nicknamed “Slowhand.” There are plenty of music references scattered throughout, like the mention of a wizard named Neil the Young. This is a straight up classic rock reunion tour filtered through Epic Fantasy.
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Edit: 3 years later - it occurs to me that the perfect song for this book is “Hocus Pocus” by Focus, a Dutch band from the early 1970s. It’s a pretty standard hard rock groove that’s awesome in its own right, but then they add yodeling. Because why not? Which makes it awesomer. And hilarious. Have a listen: https://youtu.be/MV0F_XiR48Q?si=LMwt_......more
Pleased sigh. Such a satisfying conclusion to this half of the story. Life, death, love, sacrifice, double-crosses, triple-crosses... so good.
As the sPleased sigh. Such a satisfying conclusion to this half of the story. Life, death, love, sacrifice, double-crosses, triple-crosses... so good.
As the saying goes, a book is different each time you read it, not because the book has changed, but because you have. Just as I didn’t twig to the fact that Yulin was a Muslim of Middle Eastern descent, it never occurred to me that the supercomputer Obie, who can manipulate the mathematics of the universe to change anything in something else, is, in effect, a genie. And like a djinn of old, you really, really have to be careful what you ask for.
Another cool thing: the number 117 has followed me around my entire life. I could go on for pages (and ages) about the weird coincidences that have turned it up repeatedly. I’ve found in my rereads of favorite books of my youth that the number shows up time after time. For instance, in the Terran Trade Authority book Spacecraft: 2000-2100 AD, which I read the very same month as I read this book back in 1978, the very first spaceship is numbered 117. (See it here: https://thetrove.net/Resources/_GM%20...)
A 117 turns up here, too. This is how the number works in my life.
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A fun action-adventure hampered by mediocre art. (What is up with some of these faces?)
But hey, it’s the Savage Land. The very first comic I ever bougA fun action-adventure hampered by mediocre art. (What is up with some of these faces?)
But hey, it’s the Savage Land. The very first comic I ever bought back in... ‘72? ‘73? ...was Spider-man teaming up with Ka-Zar and his sabretooth tiger Zabu fighting an alien in the secret Savage Land hidden within Antarctica. So I am always down for more super jungle adventure.
And this has everything: superheroes, dinosaurs, cowboys, Devil Dinosaur and Moonboy, giant robots, democratic council meetings... just the whole kit’n’kaboodle.
The story and characters need more fleshing out, but I don’t care. The son of the Hulk punching T. Rexes gets you plenty of goodwill....more
The rollicking steampunk/biopunk adventure continues as our two intrepid heroes, Alec the orphaned Austrian prince and Deryn the girl-pretending-to-beThe rollicking steampunk/biopunk adventure continues as our two intrepid heroes, Alec the orphaned Austrian prince and Deryn the girl-pretending-to-be-a-boy, get involved in a plot to overthrow the sultan of the Ottoman Empire. Westerfeld’s alternate take on WWI is interesting as ever, adding giant Tesla cannons to his world of biological airships and clanking mechanical machines. Six-legged taxi chase through Istanbul!
Again this was superbly narrated by Alan Cumming, whose accent for the American journalist was hilarious....more
Vastly entertaining YA steampunk/biopunk that’s actually sci-fi rather than Fantasy. Brilliantly performed by Alan Cumming.
I really liked the clockworVastly entertaining YA steampunk/biopunk that’s actually sci-fi rather than Fantasy. Brilliantly performed by Alan Cumming.
I really liked the clockwork interaction of character and plot working together to support the theme of not judging a book by its cover. Deryn is a girl masquerading as a boy, Alex is a prince masquerading as a commoner, and the two factions of biopunk Darwinists and steampunk Clankers need to combine their strengths in order to achieve their goals. All of it wrapped up in a fun, fast-moving adventure.
The mechs reminded me of the art of Jakub Różalski, who does amazing dieselpunk walking tanks set in WWI and WWII. I bought his book Howling at the Moon last year, and it really helped me visualize the scenes in this book.
I tend not to like fiction audiobooks because my mind wanders as the reader drones on, but this was exceptional. The narrator, Andrew Sachs, was brillI tend not to like fiction audiobooks because my mind wanders as the reader drones on, but this was exceptional. The narrator, Andrew Sachs, was brilliant. If every audiobook were read like this, with such charm, enthusiasm and obvious delight, I’d listen to more of them. Absolutely entertaining, start to finish.
As for the story itself, it is much less terrifying than the film and far lower stakes. Despite the ominous intonations that the Pott family was frequently in “morrrtall dangerrr”, one never feels they are, really. Since this is a children’s book, that strikes just the right balance. It’s thrilling without being overly scary.
The film did carry over many of the key elements, but the addition of the child snatcher was a bridge too far, in my opinion. In this book the kids, Jeremy and Jemima, are far more active and clever. Again, as a children’s book should. As with all Fleming stories, the woman gets short shrift, as Truly Scrumptious has very little to do other than to exclaim in fear or delight. The 60s were a tad more sexist, after all. That said, a couple times throughout the story Fleming does underscore the fact that mothers are generally correct when they lecture children about the dangers of the world. So it’s not a total loss.
All in all, though, I really enjoyed this. I see that someone has put this up on YouTube, so if you have kids, you might consider playing it for them....more
Murderbot’s tale comes full circle as it reconnects with the people it saved in its first adventure. These stories are great fun, science fiction in tMurderbot’s tale comes full circle as it reconnects with the people it saved in its first adventure. These stories are great fun, science fiction in the grand tradition, full of action and humor and heart. I want to be Murderbot when we finally get our android bodies....more
All I remember about this book now, nearly 45 years later, was Tarzan, an orphan raised by gorillas, in an airship flying around a jungle in the centeAll I remember about this book now, nearly 45 years later, was Tarzan, an orphan raised by gorillas, in an airship flying around a jungle in the center of the Earth having crazy adventures with a lost civilization. I can only hope there were also dinosaurs.
After you read something like this, no idea seems too outlandish....more
I can’t express how much I loved this book as a boy. My library got a copy when it first came out in 1972 and I immediately gravitated to it. This outI can’t express how much I loved this book as a boy. My library got a copy when it first came out in 1972 and I immediately gravitated to it. This outsized tome was magnificent, especially for a 7-year-old.
I actually prefer this adaptation over the original book by Burroughs. Hogarth’s art is incredible. It’s clear storytelling, dynamic, and just beautiful to look at. And “Burne Hogarth” is an awesome name, isn’t it? He sounds like a character in a Burroughs adventure tale.
I checked this book out constantly, and back in the day they would write your name on the card. I don’t know how many names fit on one of those index cards, maybe 20 or 30 front and back, and my name filled up three of those suckers all by itself. That’s 120 weeks altogether, basically 2-1/2 years. I practically owned that copy. After one of those times, the librarian gave me the card, which I then used as a bookmark for years. Sadly, I lost it at some point. I don’t know why I didn’t put it in a safety deposit box at the bank. Stupid me.
Edit: this is what those old library cards looked like, for those of you too young to remember, [image]...more
Apparently boys don’t read books written by women and vice versa. I didn’t know that as a child, being an individual who likes what he likes from way Apparently boys don’t read books written by women and vice versa. I didn’t know that as a child, being an individual who likes what he likes from way back, not caring what others think, so I read everything I could get my hands on. And this book was one of my favorite stories as a young boy. I reread this more than any other book except for The Call of the Wild. I didn’t care that it was about two girls on the frontier, it was just amazing to me.
Wilder writes with such clarity that I viscerally experienced the story. I could hear the cold winds, hear the horses, feel the rough wood of the frontier house. It never got old. (Of course, it didn’t hurt that I spent my summers on my aunt & uncle’s Ohio farm, with its century-old farmhouse and giant barns built in the early part of the 20th century. Every morning I fed the chickens, slopped the hogs, hayed the horses, tiptoed past the bull pen. We went gigging for frogs and swimming in waterholes and playing in elaborate three-dimensional mazes my older cousins built in the 2-story-tall hay loft above the horse stable. So I had a physical reference. But still and all, her writing is evocative and straightforward.) I recently found my copy, a hand-me-down from one of my relatives, and I read it again, once more enthralled and transported to that world.
I now live in New Hampshire with numerous dogs, and I realized recently I subconsciously recreated the experience of both this book and Jack London’s tale. I love it when it snows deep and soft here. I liken it to living inside a Currier & Ives print, but really it’s because I live in a medium size house in a medium wood....more
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