If you haven't read it, you should. I never re-read this book, although I get it out & look at it occasionally. It's too heart breaking.
Charlie, the tIf you haven't read it, you should. I never re-read this book, although I get it out & look at it occasionally. It's too heart breaking.
Charlie, the title of the movie made from this book & the name of the hero, is retarded. Science gives him intelligence, along with Algernon, a lab rat. The story is told through Charlie's diary & feels very personal. Very well done.
*** Spoiler Alert *****
Charlie gains intelligence, love & yet no mastery of his fate. He becomes a genius & then watches Algernon's decline, knowing it was going to happen to him, but he continues to write in his diary. We follow his rise & then his fall - it's amazingly poignant. ...more
Very much like the previous 2, just a continuation that's self-contained enough to stand on its own. While the story comes to a satisfying end, there'Very much like the previous 2, just a continuation that's self-contained enough to stand on its own. While the story comes to a satisfying end, there's certainly room for more books. ...more
It's a pretty good continuation of the first book, but definitely suffers from middle book syndrome. Must be read in order, of course. I enjoyed it, bIt's a pretty good continuation of the first book, but definitely suffers from middle book syndrome. Must be read in order, of course. I enjoyed it, but it didn't wow me. On to the third & final book of the trilogy....more
A hands on colonel at the end of his career is sent into a war zone to solve a mystery & winds up needing to clean up a much bigger mess. That's clearA hands on colonel at the end of his career is sent into a war zone to solve a mystery & winds up needing to clean up a much bigger mess. That's clearly going to happen from the first chapter, if you know anything about the military & it should be even if you don't. The setting is one of the US failed wars (Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan, leaning toward the last) that's been ported to a planet with a lot of similarities. For instance, it's a long journey away from HQ, but communications between the two are fairly quick if limited. The main base is in orbit, a few hour hop to the planet, & naval support are spaceships. It's all well done & the narrator did a fantastic job from the point of view of the main character.
One of the most popular reviews by a friend of mine only gave this 2 stars. (I HATE the new book page!!!) The reason given is that the motivations don't make sense nor does the mystery. I'm not sure how they missed either. They made perfect sense to me, especially given one of the scenes toward the end. It's not a very clean ending, but none of the wars it was modeled on were either. There are two more books in the trilogy, but they follow the main character of this book, Col. Butler. I suppose we'll never see all the bad guys rolled up with Truth & Justice prevailing, but that's just real life so I appreciated it in this novel. It was another mark of realism that raises this above the normal fare. I found it quite satisfying & am moving on to the next one....more
This was a lot of fun action with very little gore & sex, just a con man who tries to do the 'right' thing while lining his own pockets. Of course, thThis was a lot of fun action with very little gore & sex, just a con man who tries to do the 'right' thing while lining his own pockets. Of course, the course is a tough one to navigate, so Gas has to scramble to keep a step ahead. There are some leaps in the plot, but it's all in fun so didn't bother me.
It was nice reading another book with power armor, too. Future infantry in power armor is a theme that has interested me since I read Starship Troopers & The Forever War. Followed by Armor & Old Man's War in that order shows a progression of the idea. This is a good, if not great, addition.
Mammay really showed the feel of an infantry unit with the macho guy interplay & all. Excellent narration helped the story, too. Definitely recommended....more
An odd theme for an anthology, authors named David published by Baen & edited by another David. Not all fit, either. The last one was by Barry N. MalzAn odd theme for an anthology, authors named David published by Baen & edited by another David. Not all fit, either. The last one was by Barry N. Malzberg & the editor gushed over it. I didn't get it, but I've never been a fan of Mazberg's work.
Overall, it's a pretty good collection, but some of the stories I liked the best were ones I'd read before such as the Bolo story. It's one of the best & saddest. All were well narrated, so it was a pleasant listen. ...more
While it had a lot of elements that have been done before, it put them together in a new & interesting way. There were several reveals throughout the book which changed who I was rooting for. As big as they were, they made sense. Very well done. I'd like to say more, but I don't want to spoil anything. Just keep an open mind & watch for clues.
The ending was satisfying, but definitely left room for a sequel. I'm not sure if I'll read it or not. I think this did a pretty good job just like Dune. Sure, life goes on, but I never thought much of those sequels. This book was well narrated, too. I'll look for more by this author....more
The Arc Manor / Phoenix Pick newsletter wrote that Ekpeki's novelette "O2 Arena"--first published in issue 53 of Galaxy's Edge magazine--has just beenThe Arc Manor / Phoenix Pick newsletter wrote that Ekpeki's novelette "O2 Arena"--first published in issue 53 of Galaxy's Edge magazine--has just been announced as a finalist for a Nebula (for Best Novelette) & provided a link to a PDF. https://mcusercontent.com/9f17d596f16...
It was short, so I read it & it's OK, although it took a leap at the end that didn't make much sense to me. Nasty world creating nasty people....more
Started off slow as Modesitt built a whole new world, but it came together fairly quickly. Full of politics & economics, both subjects that he excels Started off slow as Modesitt built a whole new world, but it came together fairly quickly. Full of politics & economics, both subjects that he excels at. He poses interesting issues that often parallel ours in some ways, but are just different enough that there's no way he's making this into a partisan debate of ours. I appreciate that since I'm sick of our politics.
His world is a steampunk one in some ways. It's fantasy due to a large minority of people having an empathic sense. There's nothing very magical about it & he clearly shows both its strengths & disadvantages as two bodyguards struggle to keep their councilor alive during a critical political period which lends some action to the story.
The politics revolve around a 3 party system where no individual councilor's vote is ever known. The reasoning behind that is really interesting. There are protesters demanding individual responsibility & they're quite effective. It will be interesting to see what they get up to in the next book.
The ending was predictable, but still well done. I'm not sure it was quite a 4 star read, but certainly more than 3 stars. Well narrated, as usual, too....more
It was a great deal since two of my favorite things come together in this series of lectures. The TOC (listed below) speaks well enough for the material covered. He covers both books & movies with an emphasis on the first, thankfully. I've read or watched almost all of them, so I didn't have to waste brain power on that aspect. Instead I could concentrate on the lessons he pulled out of them. He also does a pretty good job of tracing portions of the evolution of SF. If you're new to the genre, reading the books & stories he holds up as examples would be a great introduction.
Adler is a physicist & spends most of his time looking at SF through that lens, although he occasionally gets into other sciences briefly. While I missed some of the biology & chemistry he could have covered, it was probably best that he stayed in his lane. His explanations were usually quite good & he avoided getting too technical. While he did some calculations, he kept them simple.
He's very even-handed in his treatment of the material. - He's a big fan of Becky Chambers & points out a lot of good science in the Wayfarers trilogy, but also points out where she apparently confused a tidally locked planet & moon in her descriptions of Port Coriol & the issues of powering a spaceship with algae. - He takes Jules Verne to task for the bullet to the moon in From the Earth to the Moon while praising the rest of the actual science behind the story. It's the best explanation I've come across for its launch location being so close to Cape Canaveral. - The 6th lecture covers Iron Man, Captain America, & Spiderman. It was the most fun even if he did ruin Iron Man's flying & Captain America's shield. He made up for it by getting into Spiderman's webbing.
He's a good lecturer & a pleasure to listen to. I highly recommend this to one & all.
Table of Contents 1 Science and Fiction! The Wayfarers Series 2 Cheating the Science: Protector 3 Prediction: From the Earth to the Moon 4 World‑Building in The Left Hand of Darkness 5 Advanced World‑Building in Avatar 6 Action and Reaction in The Avengers 7 Space Travel and 2001: A Space Odyssey 8 Interplanetary Travel and The Martian 9 Space Battles and Energy Weapons: Star Wars 10 Advanced Rocket Systems in Star Trek 11 Relativity and Time for the Stars 12 Black Holes, Wormholes, and Interstellar 13 Time Travel and Doctor Who 14 Teleportation and Star Trek 15 Cyberspace and the Singularity: Neuromancer 16 Steampunk Science and Leviathan 17 Design Your Own Dragon: Game of Thrones 18 Planetary Ecology in Dune 19 Extraterrestrial Intelligence and Contact 20 UFOs, ESP, and The X-Files 21 Social Sciences and the Foundation Series 22 Designed Languages and Arrival 23 Cosmology, the Mind, and Star Maker 24 Science Fiction’s Purpose: Childhood’s End...more
An interesting blend of SF & mythology that was fairly bewildering at first. It reminded me of the first book of his I read The Timegod* or something An interesting blend of SF & mythology that was fairly bewildering at first. It reminded me of the first book of his I read The Timegod* or something Roger Zelazny would write. There was a bit too much wandering without much action, especially at first. I'm also not very interested in, but was treated to, what he had for dinner most every night. The lands were interesting, especially the names. I caught quite a few of the historical references, but not others. I have to admit to almost total ignorance when it comes to Hinduism - too many strange characters who seem to change their personalities completely depending on the story & I've never been able to keep their hierarchy straight.
The themes of belief & fanaticism were repetitive, but that might just be me. It's something I've thought of a lot & made my mind up about decades ago. As an atheist, I know just how pervasive, stifling, & blinding religious beliefs can be.
This might be better on a reread since I'm sure I missed some things due to trying to figure out what was going on. Nice reveals toward the end. None too surprising, but that was for the best. The clues were there leading to them & it made for a better ending.
Not really a 4 star read if only because there isn't much in the way of humor or other leavening for the heavy themes. It's just somewhat depressing given the current political climate.
*The Timegod was originally titled "The Fires of Paratime" when it was first published in the late 70s, a far better title, IMO. When he got a new publishing company, they reissued it under a new title but without any significant changes....more
No rating since it could well be my mood. I'm not much for novels that expand on TV shows. For instance, I've never cared for the Star Trek or Star WaNo rating since it could well be my mood. I'm not much for novels that expand on TV shows. For instance, I've never cared for the Star Trek or Star Wars novels. I have read a Firefly novel & liked it, but this one just isn't blowing any wind up my skirt. I'm impatient with the constant backstory/explanations of the characters. I KNOW THEM. I don't need to be reminded 6 times in the first chapter why Mal takes the dodgy contracts....more
A good set of old SF stories well narrated by volunteers, all rated about 3 stars or a bit better.
Librivox has quite a few collections like this with A good set of old SF stories well narrated by volunteers, all rated about 3 stars or a bit better.
Librivox has quite a few collections like this with some duplication. They can be listened to individually online or downloaded either singly or collectively. I've done the latter with a few dozen & listen to a couple each year. It's like listening to one of the old pulp magazines. This one is here: https://librivox.org/short-science-fi...
Faithfully Yours by Lou Tabakow: A chilling take on uncaring bureaucracy & the ultimate prison system.
The Golden Judge by Nathaniel Gordon: Speculative fiction, not SF. A great idea. If only!
The Invaders by Benjamin Ferris: Fantasy/horror, but still good. The way folks used to think about Gypsies taken to a different level.
Moment of Truth by Basil Eugene Wells: Not everyone can take extreme changes in living conditions. This has been made clear by some of the accounts of pioneers during their spread westward across the Great Plains. This reads about the same.
The Next Logical Step by Ben Bova: Remember the movie "War Games" (1983)? This is the next logical step.
Pandemic by Jesse Franklin Bone: Timely & the ending is rather funny.
The Perfectionists by Arnold Castle: Anything I write would be a spoiler, so I'll just say it was a fun way to solve the problem.
The Reluctant Genius by Henry Slesar: So that's how he figured it out! A 6 minute story with a fun ending.
Tight Squeeze by Dean Charles Ing: Not everything is easier in free fall.
We Didn't Do Anything Wrong, Hardly by Roger Kuykendall: This really hit my funny bone, but it's somewhat childish humor. Anyone who loved The Mad Scientists' Club as a kid will love this, too....more
Gear has an interesting premise using quantum entanglement to create parallel universes & time travel which is told through a group of military psychiGear has an interesting premise using quantum entanglement to create parallel universes & time travel which is told through a group of military psychiatric patients barely managed by their shrink. As several others put it, they were a group of misfits, but high caliber ones, the best in their lines of work. I guess it's not surprising that he jumped the shark at times, but I expect better from him. Still the caricatures rested on a solid foundation, so it was fun, just a bit more like an action comic book than anything else of Gear's that I've read.
I see several reviewers objected to the displayed male chauvinism. IMO, that's part of the armed services & was true to life, somewhat understated if anything. The boys were typical of the breed, somewhat over-sexed & cocky as hell. The girls gave as good as they got, though. Golf tees & penises. Shudder! Maybe it's more of a guy book.
Well narrated & a fun break from the nonfiction I've been reading, but not one of Gear's best. ...more
I meant to read this with the Evolution of SF group, but had a brain fart & read it a month early. (Actually, it hasn't officially won the poll yet.) I meant to read this with the Evolution of SF group, but had a brain fart & read it a month early. (Actually, it hasn't officially won the poll yet.) I guess it's on my mind since I've been rather fascinated by apocalyptic stories since I was a kid. As with most things, 90% are crap, but some are great & I've reread them over the years. I should have read this one sooner.
I'm always fascinated by what kills folks off & what remains for the survivors since they're a reflection of the times the author lives in. The earliest I've read recently is The Last Man (1826) by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley. It's a slog. Everyone dies of a plague & the guy wanders around, finds & abandons a dog. This heinous crime really hurt the book for me.
The "Scarlet Plague" is a slimmer, updated version of Shelley's with most of mankind wiped out by the plague as told by a very old man to his grandsons who have reverted to barbarians. Its influence on Earth Abides (1949) is quite obvious. Shorter than either of the other books, I think it manages to deliver the main message every bit as well.
Other apocalyptic books I've really liked: Before the 1950s, disease was the bugaboo that killed us off, but after that we usually ruin our civilization with atomic warfare. On the Beach (1957), Alas, Babylon (1959), & A Canticle for Leibowitz (1959) are all classics, IMO.
Recent (to me) books seem a bit more varied in how the apocalypse comes about. Zombie plagues are common & owe a great debt to I Am Legend as well as Romero & Russo for the "Living Dead" movies. ("Night of the Living Dead" came out in 1968). One Second After is an updated version of "The Bomb" from the 50s & 60s by wiping out the electrical grid. Its point of the complexity & fragility of our supply lines has been made quite clear by the pandemic. Another book that makes this point is The Harrows of Spring: A World Made by Hand Novel. I didn't like it as much, though. (I don't recommend any of Kunzler's other books.)...more
I picked this as the Sep2021 Short Story group read for the Evolution of SF group. Some of SF's finest work is in the short stories, so I pick a free I picked this as the Sep2021 Short Story group read for the Evolution of SF group. Some of SF's finest work is in the short stories, so I pick a free one. It can be from any date & area. This one is fairly new & is written by... well, I won't say since I think not knowing until the end helps prove that people are the same all over the world. We're discussing it here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
The story was good, fairly short, & mightily depressing. Not an easy read, but definitely moving. I had to search out a few things.
manioc is another word for cassava, a root that is a staple in much of the world. I know it best as what tapioca is made from. It was also mentioned in a book I read recently as poisoning poor people when its price goes up. Apparently they wind up selling all they've processed because they need the money & eat the unprocessed root which is toxic.
après moi sounded familiar, but I couldn't define it. It's part of an expression "après moi le deluge" attributed to Louis XV describing people who behave as if they don't care about the future, since the "flood" will happen after they're gone. His ineffectual rule contributed to the outbreak of the French Revolution 15 years after his death.
cetiya are objects & places used by Buddhists to remember Buddha.
I wondered about the location since it was quite generic at first. The names didn't narrow it down for me. It wasn't until I tried searching on the foreign script about loneliness that I could nail it down to (view spoiler)[Sri Lanka since it's Sinhala. Indeed, the end note says the author is from there. (hide spoiler)]
Another well done Murderbot story. I like the shorter books* better than the longer ones. There's a fair amount of snark which can get old quickly, buAnother well done Murderbot story. I like the shorter books* better than the longer ones. There's a fair amount of snark which can get old quickly, but Wells does it very well. The character is just fantastic. Definitely read these books in order. They're fantastic as audiobooks.
*At 168 pages (at 300 words per page, that's roughly 50,000 words) some call this a 'novella', but it's about the length of many of the SF novels I grew up reading. I consider them novels & I thought this story fit its word count perfectly. Anyone familiar with my reviews knows I detest padding & repetition, something prevalent in too many stories today. Many books twice the length of this one tell half the story, but publishers seem to prefer 300 page novels now. Even short stories run to what I would consider novelette length now.
A quick Google search found the following: Flash Fiction - under 1000 words Short story - 1000 to 7500 words Novelette - 7500 to 17,000 or 19,000 words Novella - 10,000 to 40,000 words Novels - 80,000 to 100,000 generally
There's a pretty big hole between a novella & a novel, so I'm not sure how accurate this list is. Whatever, the Murderbot stories are usually the perfect length for me....more
Well narrated & kind of weird. There was a strong, well done romantic thread entwined on top of a gun porn & cyber war background. I don't know enoughWell narrated & kind of weird. There was a strong, well done romantic thread entwined on top of a gun porn & cyber war background. I don't know enough about PTSD to know if that part was well done or not, but I did find it a bit tiring. I'm sure those who suffer from it do, too. His fix was OCD which made sense in a way, although I kept thinking that he could have found something else to do with his skills. Interesting ending, but overall it just didn't do a whole lot for me....more
You really should read Ready Player One first. This is a continuation & pretty much the same in all respects. It's no longer new & shiny. It also goesYou really should read Ready Player One first. This is a continuation & pretty much the same in all respects. It's no longer new & shiny. It also goes on too long with more repetition than I like. Forgivable in the first book, but not this one & I think it was actually worse. The nerd trivia is a lot of fun, though. Still, the constant Political Correctness (PC) gets irritating. It's a fine standard to live up to, but it goes too far & constantly rubbing the reader's nose in it just gets old. For most of the book, being a man seemed a sin.
Best enjoyed as an audiobook with Wil Wheaton narrating, directed by Gabrielle de Cuir. A fantastic duo, but I was still glad when the book finally came to an end....more
Published in 1960, I found this a far better look at gender fluidity & sexism than The Left Hand of Darkness which was published almost a decade laterPublished in 1960, I found this a far better look at gender fluidity & sexism than The Left Hand of Darkness which was published almost a decade later & gets all the love. Sturgeon contrasts the height of the 1950s "Father Knows Best" against something resembling a utopia where the inhabitants are truly androgynous. Even better, he tosses in some rather subtle, discordant notes that kept me on my toes. (view spoiler)[In one instance, boy & girl are put to bed differently causing the boy to strike out against the girl. "I don't know why he did that" is perfect. (hide spoiler)]
There's also a great thread on secrecy which runs through the entire story & leads to a wonderful conclusion. I wish there was a bit more show rather than tell. He has always tended to lecture, but I find those fascinating. His quick overview of religion & sex is absolutely wonderful.
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