BookBlog

"State of Fear" by Michael Crichton (Science Fiction/Thriller, some spoilers)

2008-03-09T12:32:00.000-07:00

This novel discusses a number of arguments related to the issue of global warming. In some ways, it is a departure for Crichton from his typical style. Novels like "Prey" and "Jurassic Park" tend to show how a new innovation in technology can go badly wrong, resulting in a plot in which a lot of people get killed and a few barely escape with their lives.

"State of Fear" has some similar elements, featuring a small group of people trying to avert a disaster. But, ultimately, "State of Fear" shows people who believe in global warming to be more dangerous than global warming itself. Indeed, this book tries to make the reader question global warming, and whether it really is the threat some people believe it to be.

I realize that some people feel very strongly about this isssue. Please remember, this is just a book review, I'm simply relating and commenting on what Crichton has written - I'm not saying he's right or wrong, or that you should agree or disagree.

Characters in the story include Nicholas Drake, head of an environmental organization trying to raise awareness about global warming. George Morton, a very wealthy man concerned about environmental issues, is prepared to donate a significant amount of money to Drake's organization. Peter Evans is a lawyer who works for Morton.

The plot shows how Morton disappears, and is presumed dead, shortly after announcing that he would be withdrawing some of his funding from Drake's organization.

Evans finds himself in the middle of something big when he realizes that Morton was onto something, and had evidence some people very much wanted to keep hidden. This turns out to be connected to ecoterrorism. Extreme environmentalists are planning something big, to convince the world of the dangers of global warming in a way that will be spectacular.

John Kenner, an international law enforcement officer, is investigating Drake's organization and eventually hooks up with Evans, and they, along with some supporting characters, travel to various locations, trying to get to the bottom of the mystery.

In some ways, the plot serves as a backdrop for the dialogue. Kenner questions the arguments about global warming, and can back up his arguments with many references. Some readers criticize this aspect of the novel, finding that it makes it seem very preachy or like a textbook more than a novel. That may be true to some extent, but I really didn't mind.

Whether you agree with Crichton or not, you have to give him credit for presenting a reasoned argument, backed up by references. There's a whole bibliography at the end of the book for those who want to find out more.

Some of the characterization seemed a little weak, a lot of the people arguing for global warming aren't nearly as well informed as Kenner. In reality, there are people who would give Kenner a much tougher time.

The book ends with an author's note in which he gives historical examples of ideas that have become widely excepted, despite questionable evidence. This emphasizes the importance of applying the scientific method properly.

And, despite all this, Kenner ultimately does say he believes in protecting the natural environment, and that it makes sense. Maybe focusing on the solutions is a more constructive use of everyone's energy than the ongoing debate about global warming and whether or not it's happening, or how severe it is?

I have my own thoughts on the subject, but this is a book review, not my personal soapbox, so I'll refrain from getting into that for now.

"See How They Run" by James Patterson(Thriller, spoiler warning)

2008-03-01T17:43:00.000-08:00

This is an early Patterson thriller from the late seventies, published before his large successes with the Alex Cross series or Women's murder club series. It was originally published under the title "The Jericho Commandment."

The story follows a number of characters. One of the main characters is Doctor David Strauss. Strauss is propelled into danger when several members of his family are violently murdered. Investigation reveals a possible connection to neo-Nazis, and this is unfortunately a possibility since Strauss and his family are Jewish, as well as quite wealthy.

Strauss and his former sweetheart, Alix Rothchild, try to piece together what's happening, with help from the authorities and an experienced Nazi hunter.

But all is not as it seems.

Parts of the story follow the villains, showing them preparing their plot. This introduces an almost science fictional element to the plot, since it involves some hi-tech techniques that could be used to commit mass murder.

The trail eventually leads to the Olympic games in Moscow, 1980.

One thing I liked about this book was a twist that's revealed near the end, which I hadn't guessed at. Stories have been done before about neo-Nazism, and the idea of some attempt by former Nazis to rise again. When this book was written in the seventies, many high-ranking Nazis may well have still been alive.

But it turned out that it wasn't quite as straight-forward as that. I don't want to give away what actually happens, though, but I did find it to be a good twist and variation on this type of story.

As is usually the case with Patterson, the story is very intensely plot-driven. There is some characterization and development, and it works, but it's almost always within the context of the fast-moving plot.

Anyway, it's an enjoyable read, exciting and entertaining. I guess I wouldn't keep reading so many Patterson novels if I didn't like his style, would I? And if the bestseller lists are any indication, I guess a lot of people agree with me.

"A Case of Conscience" by James Blish

2008-02-09T19:23:00.000-08:00

This novel was originally published in 1958. It was different for its time, because it was a science fiction novel that dealt with religious characters and perspectives. This wasn't something that had been done in science fiction very much at the time.

Originally a novella, the novel is an expansion of the original work. The first part is the original novella, with a second part of the story added. At least, that's what I've found out with a little bit of Internet-surfing, hopefully the sources I've looked at are correct.

Father Ramon Ruiz-Sanchez is a Jesuit and a scientist, and one of a four-member team exploring a planet called Lithia. They have had some interaction with the Lithians, intelligent, bipedial reptilian creatures.

Ruiz-Sanchez and his group have the task of making recommendations about how Lithia is to be dealt with - how openly should Earth trade with Lithia, or should they not have formal relations with this planet at all, is something the characters have to discuss.

The first part of the novel doesn't actually have a lot of action - what plot there is seemed, to me, like more of a backdrop for the characters to have discussions. I'm not sure if that's common within the subgenre of science fiction crossed with religion, but you I could make similar comments about other such books I've read, like Robert J. Sawyer's "Calculating God" or Mary Doria Russell's "The Sparrow." These books have some action, but quite a lot of pages consist of long discussions - which isn't a bad thing. Far from it, I think it's wonderful when an author writes a novel that's very compelling and a good read, even without a lot of action or violence or anything. Heh, in my own attempts to write, I've often been given comments that my stories need more action, which I've tried to provide - my stories are much more brutally violent and action-packed than they used to be.

Anyway, back to "A Case of Conscience" -

Ruiz-Sanchez and his colleagues discuss the various options. Ruiz-Sanchez has had a unique opportunity to enter the home of a Lithian, and has learned more about the Lithians than anyone else. The Lithians are actually a very peaceful species, apparently without crime, violence, war - or religion. They have no concept of a God or creation at all, apparently never developed it.

Now, I don't want to give away exactly what happens or what Ruiz-Sanchez recommends, since that's one of the main points that's supposed to be a surprise for the reader.

But it's not what you might have guessed.

Or maybe you would, who knows?

Anyway, the second part of the novel focuses on what happens when Egtverchi, a Lithian born and raised on Earth, becomes a well-known public figure. Not being raised on Lithia, Egtverchi turns out to be a very different sort of character, and actually encourages violence and rioting. The story becomes increasingly violent as it continues.

In the end, Ruiz-Sanchez witnesses events that bring the action back to Lithia - well, he indirectly witnesses what happens. The climax, right at the very end of the story, brings several characters together and combines the scientific with the religious, in a way that could be seen as mere coincidence, or not - I suspect Blish meant for that question to be left open for the reader to wonder about.

Which I think is good, I often like it when a story resolves some points, but leaves ideas and questions in the reader's mind afterwards, and this novel does plenty of that.

It's a little hard to say just who I'd recommend this book to, because the first and second halves are quite different, so some people might prefer one or the other. Taken together, though, they make a whole that presents a fascinating contrast - seeing what happens to the characters in different situations allows the story to explore different sides of ideas.

Some things seemed, to me, to be clearly influenced by the times the story was written in, like how Earth has a culture in which people are used to living in underground shelters. The fifties was the era of bomb shelters, after all, and I guess it was the early sixties when the Cuban missile crisis happened.

Despite, that, though, I'd say this book stands up well over time, and is still a good read today.

"Forever Peace" by Joe Haldeman (Military Science Fiction, Spoiler Warning)

2008-02-09T17:25:00.000-08:00

This book won the Nebula and Hugo awards for best novel in 1998. That's quite an impressive accomplishment.

Joe Haldeman was already a well-known figure in science fiction publishing, mainly for having published "The Forever War" in 1974, which also won the Nebula award in 1975 and the Hugo award in 1976. Despite what you might think from the title, though, "Forever Peace" is not a direct sequel to "The Forever War." It does, however, explore issues about war and its effects on soldiers from a different perspective.

In "Forever Peace," Julian Class is one of a group of soldiers who fight by operating "soldierboys." These are remote controlled battle machines, which allow the war to be fought by soldiers who remain safely in their homeland, hundreds of miles away from where the action is taking place.

The nanotechnology and other advances that make this possible are, however, not shared by everyone. Some countries have it, and fight against less technologically advanced nations whose people have to confront the soldierboys the old fashioned way, and fight and die themselves.

The soldiers who use the soldierboys are able to see what's happening during a battle as if they were really there, and the experiences they go through can still take an emotional toll. These experiences also tend to make soldiers bond closely between themselves, in a way that civilians can't understand.

War is also depicted as a form of entertainment. Video taken from battles is distributed for people's viewing pleasure. Some groups of soldiers even have fans who closely follow all of their battles.

In order to be able to connect to a soldierboy and work with a squad of soldiers, each individual soldier has to undergo an operation on their brain so they can "jack in." The procedure doesn't always work, though, with potentially serious consequences if it goes wrong.

(I'm going to re-iterate my spoiler warning here).

This technology, which enables one to jack in, turns out to have an ironic effect. Julian and some of his friends discover that, while it allows soldiers to communicate and literally be inside each other's heads, prolonged exposure to this linking with others can permanently make one more empathetic. And that could make it harder for a person to harm another human being. That makes them realize they may have found a tool that could bring about peace and end war at last.

That makes it a good example of a theme that runs through much of the science fiction genre. A lot ot scientific discoveries and technological innovations aren't necessarily good or evil all by themselves, but how human beings choose to use them is always the vital question.

There's another, parallel plot involving some physics experiments and an attempt to re-create the big bang, but which might have hugely destructive consequences. This threat adds more ugency to the characters' quest to change the world.

Many of the issues Haldeman brings in to this story are very real and relevant today, even though this novel is set in the future. It's a nice example of the way science fiction can show what can happen if we continue on the course we're on. The stark difference between have and have-not nations, highlighted by the way wars are fought is one example. War as a form of entertainment is something all too true - how many people are glued to their T.V. sets when a war is on? It's been that way since the Vietnam war, hasn't it? And the fact is, there is technology available today that is coming closer to making remote control war possible. Or even beyond that, automated war - there have been stories in the news recently about the use of armed robot drones in Iraq.

That's the sign of a good novel - no matter where or when it takes place, it shows us something relevant to the world today.

"The Snow Queen" by Joan D. Vinge (Science Fiction, some spoilers)

2008-01-20T08:29:00.000-08:00

This book won the best novel Hugo award in 1981.

It's certainly science fiction, and discusses a number of scientific points in the setting. At the same time, the style of the writing and story is kind of like a fantasy novel, and according to some sources, the novel was in fact influenced by the fairy tale of the same title by Hans Christian Andersen.

The story starts on a planet called Tiamat. This planet's culture is divided into two main groups, Summers and Winters. The planet's orbit causes dramatic changes in climate to occur every 150 years, and when that happens, the Summers and Winters trade places as the ruling group, so they take turns. A queen rules the world, so there is always either a Summer Queen or a Snow Queen.

The Snow Queen, Arienrhod has some of her genetic material used to impregnate a number of Summer women. By doing so, she hopes to orchestrate the rise to power of a Summer Queen who will be her clone, not just physically but also in spirit. This is, however, done in secret, since it would be considered unethical even for the Snow Queen.

The story follows Moon, a girl, and her cousin Sparks, a boy, both Summers. The Summers are less interested in technology and progress than the Winters, and tend to live in a way more based on old traditions. Moon and Sparks are lovers. But, when Moon starts training to be a sybil, it separates her from Sparks. A sybil is someone who can enter a trance-like state that allows them to access information accumulated throughout the galaxy, and answer questions.

Sparks goes to Carbuncle, Tiamat's capital, where he ends up being found by Arienhrod - not entirely by accident - and becomes the "Starbuck," the Queen's lover. He first has to fight the old Starbuck, and win. He also has to lead the hunt for mers, creatures whose blood hold a chemical that can hold off the effects of growing old and extend life for decades.

Moon, not knowing that she is a clone of Arienrhod, finds out more about how Tiamat is being manipulated by other worlds in the galactic Hegemony. She realizes this has harmed Tiamat and wants to change it.

One thing I liked about this novel was the prose, I found it very vivid, and it made me feel like I was right there with the characters, seeing and hearing and feeling everything they did.

I found it fascinating to see how of the two characters, Moon and the Snow Queen turn out to be very different people, despite Moon being a genetic clone of Arienrhod. Raised in the summer culture, Moon has different values and does not think the same way as Arienrhod. Maybe Vinge was trying to venture an opinion on the the nature versus nurture debate, a question that's never been definitively answered.

Arienrhod seems to come across as far more selfish and manipulative. Moon seems like a person more sincerely interested in helping others and doing what she can for the greater good of everyone.

Although, there's an ironic twist in what does happen to Moon in the end - spoiler warning - just as Arienrhod wanted, Moon does become the Summer Queen. So despite their differences and Airenrhod's realization that Moon isn't the same as her, part of Airenrhod's plan does come to pass.

I also noticed how much of the behavior of the characters was defined by the setting and culture, to the point where some people are expected to make considerable sacrifices in the name of their culture. This is especially true of people who work in government, which is ironic as well because such people are often perceived as having a lot of power. But in this book, many of them come across as being very bound by customs and rules, and what the public perception of their actions will be.

This novel certainly has some strong themes, but they're explored subtly, which makes it a good read. Intelligent and thoughtful, with good characters. I found the pace to be a little bit slow, which isn't a criticism - but if you prefer more intense, fast-paced material, this might not be your favorite type of book.

There were a few things that made it seemed little dated - some things about the characters' attitudes and interactions seemed like they were influenced by the late seventies type of thinking, but not too much.

All in all, a good read.

"Fossil Hunter" by Robert J. Sawyer (Science Fiction, some spoilers)

2007-12-02T20:37:00.000-08:00

This is an early Sawyer novel, originally published in the early nineties. It is the second book of the Quintaglio Ascension, a trilogy of books. These stories take place on an alien world inhabited by a race of intelligent dinosaurs, descended from dinosaurs from Earth.

The novel follows Toroca, son of Afsan. Afsan was the central figure in the first novel, "Far-Seer," and is also an important character in this novel. Toroca is a geologist who has made some fascinating finds in the fossil record. He also embarks on a journey that takes him to places no Quintaglio has seen before, and he finds forms of life previously unobserved.

While this is happening, Afsan must cope with the deaths of two of his children, who are found violently murdered. This is a very unique situation for two reasons. All of Afsan's children were allowed to live, which is unusual. Normally bloodpriests kill all but one hatchling from each clutch of eight eggs. Secondly, murder outside of territorial challenges is very uncommon in Quintaglio society.

But it turns out that Afsan isn't the only person whose children escaped the culling. His friend, Emperor Dybo, has living siblings. The scandal that erupts when this is exposed results in a call for a new culling, but something appropriate for adult Quintaglios, rather than the usual bloodpriest.

These three plotlines - Toroca's discoveries and the theories he develops, Afsan's investigation of the murders, and Dybo facing the culling, are all interwoven in ways that support the main theme. It's all about evolution, but more than one kind. There's natural selection, of course, but the story also grapples with the issue of deliberately guided evolution, when a society tries to steer its own direction. The ethics of this raise huge issues, difficult to contemplate. The novel shows some of the positive and negative things about the Quintaglios' particular methods of selection, but also shows why they may need to change.

The book also has some comments on other issues. Like, there's a paragraph at the end of a chapter that talks about how a leader has to do the right thing, and not just have brains and brawn. There is a lot of truth in this. Some societies throughout human history have had some of the greatest intellects and power, through superior technology. Sadly, some such societies have also been some of the most brutal and inhumane. We all marvel at ancient Roman engineering - yet this was a society that practiced crucifixion and decimation. Or consider World War II. The Nazis had technology nobody else had, because they had the engineering prowess to develop it. But what did they use it for?

Or, near the end of the book, Afsan's son Toroca is to be appointed by the emperor to a special position, which Afsan and Dybo know Toroca probably won't want. And there's a comment about how that makes him particularly qualified for the job. There's a lot of truth in that, too. Some jobs, especially those involved in serving the public, are sometimes sought by those who only want power and prestige for themselves. Those who wouldn't want such a job as much, may well be better choices, because they will try to do the job properly for the common good, not personal gain.

This book also has some nice, small touches that reflect the larger themes, like Toroca's relationship with a colleague that he hopes will become more than professional. But this proves difficult because her feelings about herself, and being different. Toroca, however, is different himself, and has come to understand the evolutionary value of genetic variability.

Obviously, genetic variability would be severely restricted by the culling. See, all the main ideas in the novel tie together so neatly, and that's one thing I always like about Sawyer.

So, once again, I read a Sawyer novel and thoroughly enjoyed it. Highly recommended!

"Four Blind Mice" by James Patterson (Thriller, spoilers)

2007-11-25T15:27:00.000-08:00

This is another James Patterson thriller featuring detective Alex Cross.

Heh, I'm getting close to having read all of the Alex Cross books. There are thirteen of them so far published, with a fourteenth to come out some time next year. I've read ten of them now.

There are some things I noticed about this novel that are different, compared to the other Cross novels. It is typical for a Cross novel to be told from two points of view. Chapters told from the point of view of Cross are told in the first person. Other chapters are told in the third person, from the viewpoint of the villain.

In this novel, that is still the case, although there are some chapters told in the third person from John Sampson's point of view. Sampson is Cross's best friend, who he's known since they were both little kids.

Sampson asks for Cross's help in a case involving Ellis Cooper, who Sampson knew in the army. Cooper is a good friend of Sampson's, and is soon to be executed for a horrific triple murder he insists he didn't commit.

Cross and Sampson meet Cooper, and start looking into the case. They soon realize that there might be a lot more to the story than anyone's realized at first.

The trail leads them to clues, including a witness who saw three people outside the house where the murders took place, on the night of the killings.

Other clues they find come from a mysterious source, someone who goes by the name "Foot Soldier," and starts sending Cross mysterious e-mails dropping hints about possible leads.

Meanwhile, three men, all veterans of Vietnam, commit murders for fun and sport, and other times do it for big money. But there's one thing they don't know, and that's the identity of their employer. Whoever's paying them always works through intermediaries and remains anonymous.

The villains Patterson creates in this one are as nasty as any he's dreamed up. These people consider killing a kind of game, something that gives them excitement and an adrenaline rush. It's a real pleasure to them.

This novel has the typical marks of an Alex Cross novel - lots of action, plot twists, and no dull moments.

There were a few things I would have preferred Patterson handled differently. There were a few parts where Cross makes a lucky guess based on kind of vague information, and happens to get on the right track. I would have preferred more detail about clever police work being used to solve the problems.

On the positive side, though, there are some real surprises here. One scene early in the novel was a real shocker to me, and made me realize this book wouldn't follow the more predictable plot that I would have expected.

Obviously, I keep reading this Alex Cross novels, and I like them. Mainly because Patterson's writing style is so lucid, and exciting, they're very addictive. I'm sure I'll be reading more of his stuff. I need to read "Roses Are Red," then I'll have read all of the old ones, with just "Cross" and "Double Cross" yet to read, which came out within the past year. And the new novel won't be out until some time next year. I'll look forward to it.

"Lord of Light" by Roger Zelazny (Science Fiction, spoilers)

2007-11-18T20:04:00.000-08:00

This novel won the 1968 Hugo award for best novel. Actually, even though it is science fiction, it is heavily influenced by religion, and many religious ideas are fundamental to the setting.

But it's still science fiction, and actually takes place in a future on a world in which technology has made certain religious ideas possible to apply in a more direct, observable fashion. Minds can be transferred to new bodies, and a system of reincarnation is in place. Depending on the life you've led, you can be reincarnated into a lesser body or even an animal, or you can aspire to becoming a god and joining the gods in heaven. Heaven is an actual, physical place on this world, reachable only by air.

The main character in the novel goes by the name "Sam," although he has other names at different times and in different contexts. Sam has some ideas that go against tradition. On this world, technology is not used beyond a medieval level by ordinary people, although clearly some forms of advanced technology make the reincarnation process possible.

Sam wants to change this, wants to make it easier for people to attain godhood and for people to develop more advanced technology. This leads him into conflict with the gods.

The whole idea of religion and tradition in conflict with technology is nothing new. What Zelazny does here, though, is something we haven't always seen in science fiction. Much of science fiction fandom, and writers, aren't as big on discussing religion in depth as they are technology and science. This novel does a very neat job of combining these. Like the presence of demons in the story, which are really natives of the world, composed of energy. Sam imprisoned them a long time ago, as humans wanted to claim the world for their own. This description is something that would be plausible in a religious context, but has enough science fictional resonance to suit the genre.

The plot is very sophisticated, a lot happens, with a fairly large cast of characters. I won't try to discuss them all in depth here.

One thing that's neat about the ending is the fact that the "winners" only win victory at a severe price. In the long term, it might be the losers who ultimately win.

This isn't exactly what I'd call light, easy reading - Zelazny crams a lot of ideas and plot into a relatively short novel, so you have to pay close attention to what's going on and remember who all the characters are, even though they have exotic names and some of them go by more than one name, at least Sam does. This is more of a book that you should be prepared to work at to follow and appreciate, not something to read as a mere entertaining distraction.

Some neat ideas, though, and certainly different from a lot of the science fiction I've read.

"Violets Are Blue" by James Patterson (Thriller, Spoiler Warning)

2007-11-11T11:31:00.000-08:00

It's probably unfortunate that I'm reading this novels out of order, because in this case the story makes references to things that happened in the previous novel, "Roses Are Red." But, it's not too bad, this novel stands on its own well enough.

This is another one in the Alex Cross series, which I'm finding very addictive reading. All the usual elements are here, Cross gets involved in a tough case, trying to track down murderers. In this case, the murders seem highly ritualized, the victims found drained of blood and left hanging from the ceiling or whatever else is handy.

Cross investigates the case with help from some associates, Jamilla Hughes and Kyle Craig of the FBI.

The trail leads to a kind of cult of vampires. At least, these people believe they are vampires. They have get-togethers in which they dress up and play at being vampires, some of them even wear fake fangs in their mouths.

Some of the murders that have been committed are horrid, very violent. In one case, the victim appears to have been mauled by an animal, a tiger.

While Cross is investigating this case, he receives several call on his cellphone, from the Mastermind, a villain he knows from a previous encounter. The Mastermind keeps taunting and threatening Cross, and Cross's family and friends. He also seems to know a lot about where Cross is and what Cross is doing at any particular time.

As the book proceeds, the vampire murders lead Cross into this cult-like world, and he meets some very unusual and kind of scary characters.

There is actually a significant difference between this and a lot of the other Alex Cross novels. It still follows the same basic structure, with some chapters told in the first person point of view as seen by Cross, and others told from the point of view of the villains, in the third person. But it's not the main villain. It turns out that when the main villain is revealed, it's neither one of the characters we'd been following all along.

I did find myself wishing that we'd learned more about that character, and that character's motivations as a result. It actually seemed as if that part of the story ended up getting resolved rather abruptly, and then there are several chapters at the end of the book that resolve the other major plot line involving the Mastermind.

I must admit, I did suspect who the Mastermind might be, so it wasn't a complete surprise. It still made for some exciting scenes, though.

The only trouble here, though, is that by having both of these plot lines in the story, it seemed like Patterson needed to wrap up the first one quickly, and then the Mastermind's plot line wasn't as intertwined with the main plot as I would have liked. I think this part of the story is more of a continuation of what was set up in "Roses Are Red."

There's still lots of action and excitement, you won't be bored. Sometimes, Patterson does seem to portray Cross as being rather larger-than-life, and he also has a few lucky "hunches" in this one. I like it better when clever police work solves a case.

Anyway, I'll have to go back and read "Roses Are Red" to see if both novels work well as a complete story, although I may have spoiled it for myself by reading the later novel first!

"Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang" by Kate Wilhelm (Science Fiction, minor spoilers)

2007-11-04T13:45:00.000-08:00

This novel won the best novel Hugo award in 1977. It is a story that is post-apocalyptic, in which a lot of humanity has been wiped out, due to pollution and disease.

The novel follows what happens to a small group of people living in a valley, and their struggle to survive. This community, deliberately set up for such a purpose, encounters a number of problems, and have to resort to cloning to produce enough people to continue as a viable civilization.

But these clones aren't perfect. Each group of clones feels a strong attachment to his 'brothers' or 'sisters.' This connection is difficult for them to live without. Being separated from their group for any significant amount of time results in emotional trauma, and it proves difficult to undo the damage in some cases.

A lot of these cloned people have an incredible capacity to learn and remember information. But, this ability to absorb and recall information as given isn't all they might need. They have a marked lack of ability to be creative, or improvise when the unexpected occurs.

The society that develops shows a strong bias towards group thinking, and members of the community view individuals as less important than society as a whole.

But, it turns out that one boy, born and raised outside the mainstream of this society, may be the one person who can save this civilization. Mark is, in fact, an individual, and he does have creativity, and can do things like survive on his own outside of the valley.

Attempts to make Mark a part of the community prove troublesome, he plays pranks that cause a lot of consternation. But he proves to be very valuable, because the people need resources they know they'll only find outside the valley. To explore, they'll need Mark's abilities.

This illustrates what seemed, to me, an important theme in this novel. It seemed as if the author was commenting on the conflict between society versus the individual. I also find it curious that these clones, who you could regard as 'mass produced' humans, lack creativity. This is true of other things, like art. 'Mass produced' art is easier to produce than something new and fresh - how many movies are remakes? How much music is repackaging of the same old hits by established bands? But a unique individual can bring creativity and rejuvenate people's thinking in a certain area. Mass production only produces sameness and a kind of by-rote repetition.

Despite Mark's problems, and the conflicts he has with other characters, the novel does end on a note of hope. I don't want to give away too much about the ending, though, because I don't want to spoil it for anyone else.

Some readers have criticized this novel for some scientific implausibility. Wilhelm's description of what happens outside the valley makes it seem unlikely that it would develop as depicted, since she says so much animal life supposedly died out. If that were the case, whole ecosystems including plant life would die out, because of the interdependence of living things. While some of these comments may be true, I don't think they're a serious problem here. The main characters and themes are still well written.

The tone of the book is at times gentle, but often rather sharp; a number of characters go through emotionally difficult events. It's a good read, and a nice example of a book with a strong theme that succeeds in showing it, without ever becoming preachy. The action and dialogue all flow well, and as theme-driven as much of the story is, it never seems intrusive in the narrative.

"Kiss the Girls" by James Patterson(Thriller, minor spoilers)

2007-10-28T19:51:00.000-07:00

This is the second novel in Patterson's Alex Cross series. In it, Cross investigates the case of a serial kidnapper.

The book follows a structure similar to a lot of the other novels in the series. Some chapters are told in the first person from Cross's point of view, others are told in the third person from the point of view of the villain. Or, in this case, villains.

The book discusses a psychological phenomenon known as 'twinning,' in which a kind of psychological bond develops between two people. In the case of serial criminals, this bond seems to involve a kind of sharing of secrets that only the two of them can understand. The knowledge that they can't discuss their activities with anyone else makes the relationship stronger.

Two serial criminals, one who calls himself Casanova and the other The Gentleman Caller, play this game of sharing and twinning with each other.

Casanova has a collection. The thing is, the items in this collection are live women, who he keeps hidden in a secret location. And one of them is Cross's niece Naomi. This gives Cross something very personal to rivet his attention on the case.

Another character who figures prominently in the plot is another one of Casanova's victims, Dr. Kate McTiernan. She manages to escape from Casanova's lair, and works with Cross to try to track Casanova down. Trouble is, a combination of the drugs she was given by Casanova, and her condition after escape and recovery, and how well-hidden Casanova's lair is, make it hard for her to lead Cross to where the victims are being held. So Cross has to persist in working the case.

There were a few chapters in the novel that seemed to leave a development not quite finished and left me wondering just what happened, but not too many. Over-all, the plot flows nicely and keeps moving at an intense pace.

Some readers complain that Cross is too much of an idealized character, lacking any internal conflict. Although, to be fair, I'd say Cross simply comes across as very focused - he knows how important his work is, and succeeds at putting aside personal concerns in the interest of apprehending dangerous criminals as fast as he can. Also, having read several other novels in the series, I feel like I've gotten to know the character well enough that he comes alive for me when I read more of the stories. True, Patterson doesn't have Cross spend a lot of chapters dwelling at length on his personal problems, but so what? This isn't supposed to be some self-indulging, navel-gazing type of story, it's more plot-driven and is supposed to be an intense thriller, right?

There are some wrong turns taken, when Cross thinks he's figured out who Casanova is but turns out to have the wrong person. I found the ending quite satisfying and exciting.

This is a good, solid entry in the Alex Cross series. There was a movie based on it, made about ten years ago, I remember seeing it at the theatre, but they made some changes. So even if you already saw the movie, the book will still have some surprises for you.

"Stranger in a Strange Land" by Robert A. Heinlein (Science Fiction, minor spoilers)

2007-10-19T20:30:00.000-07:00

This book tells the story of Valentine Michael Smith, a man from Mars, who comes to Earth. Which sure sounds like science fiction, doesn't it? Which it is, although a lot of the content of this book is based on ideas from religion rather than science.

I should note that the edition I read is the one originally published, which is not Heinlein's actual original manuscript. His original was much longer, around 220,000 words, but his editors required him to change it, resulting in it being shortened to around 160,000 words. That's still a long book - longer than the average novel, anyway.

Apparently, one of the main reasons for the editing was to remove elements that an audience would have considered too shocking back in the early sixties. I don't know, I'd have to read the full version to see if that's true, which is possible because apparently the full version was eventually released in the early nineties. Although, I wasn't around in the early sixties so who am I to say what was considered too shocking back then?

Anyway...Valentine Michael Smith is the child of astronauts who went on an expedition to Mars, but he was raised by Martians. When another expedition brings him to Earth, he has no understanding of human society, seeing the world from his Martian point of view.

At first, he's shut away in a hospital, and kept from having contact with many people, until a nurse, Gillian Boardman, sneaks him out, with help from her reporter boyfriend, Ben Caxton. They take Smith to the home of Jubal Harshaw, doctor, lawyer, writer, and eccentric millionaire.

At Harshaw's house, Smith starts to learn about human society and relationships, but he also teaches Harshaw and his staff about Martian ideas. He shows Harshaw things he can do, including mental abilities to make things literally disappear, as well as control over his own body, Smith can make his body appear nearly dead, so that he's barely breathing and slows his heart beat for extended periods of time.

But it's actually good for Smith to be under Harshaw's protection. His had a childlike quality, and actually comes across as naive to the point where he might all too easily be used by people with ill intentions.

Some of the really fascinating scenes in the book are the ones told from Smith's point of view. He has a way of thinking that is vividly imagined and brought to life by Heinlein, and it's very creatively alien. Smith considers the sharing of water a ritual, since Mars is so dry. Sharing a glass of water with someone makes the two of you water brothers, and this is a bond Smith takes very seriously. In fact, Smith's loyalty to his friends is a very endearing quality.

Some of Harshaw's female staff eventually initiate Smith into sex - or perhaps he initiates them, it seems to happen as a kind of mutual, natural development.

But it is shortly after this occurs that Smith leaves Harshaw's estate and goes out into the world, accompanied by Gillian. He does not announce who he is wherever he goes, but tries to preserve his anonymity. At this point, the action shifts forward in time a bit, and we see Smith performing in a traveling show. His time in the world has changed him, he's not so childish anymore, and has started to become more decisive and tries to find a direction for his life.

Eventually, Smith forms a new religion, the "Church of All Worlds." It incorporates elements of the Fosterite church, a fictional church Heinlein introduces in the novel. The Fosterites are a prime example of religion as big business; it's obvious that a lot of money flows through this church. It's also very sure that its own ideas are right and any who thinks otherwise is wrong. Smith's church, however, borrows some of the outward trappings of what Smith sees in the Fosterite church, but the church itself is based on very different ideas. It's actually a place where people are very open, free, and casual with each other, but always respectful and understanding of others' concerns. Smith's teachings in Martian mental techniques makes this possible, and helps it work.

This novel's ending is sad, as are many aspects of the book, it actually points out many things about human society, money, religion, sex, and politics that aren't very flattering. Using an outsider's point of view is what makes this possible, and makes it work well.

This isn't what you'd call a plot-driven novel, though - the plot seems to be more of a basic structure to allow Heinlein to take Smith through different situations and see how he responds to them, and use Smith to make the various social comments. Which makes it somewhat different from other Heinlein novels like "The Door Into Summer" or "The Puppet Masters," which are more plot-driven than this one.

Some things in the book seemed a little outdated and quaint; attitudes about homosexuality, for example. Then again, maybe it's not so dated - sadly, there are still a lot of people who harbour prejudice against homosexuals.

This novel won the Hugo award for best novel for 1961.

It introduced a new word into the English language, too, "grok," which means to really know and understand something fully, as if it has become a part of you. Heh, I've seen T-shirts people wear to Star Trek conventions that say "I grok Spock." Not that I'm a Star Trek geek or anything - well, maybe just a LITTLE bit...

I don't know for sure if I completely grokked all of the ideas in this novel, but I did grok some good ones, so if you want to grok this novel, give it a try, but be prepared for an unhappy ending, and remember, it's more of a character study and social commentary than plot-driven novel - some people grok things like that more than others, but it's up to you to grok what you want!

Now that I've finished this review, I am now going to to and find something else to grok.

"The Big Bad Wolf" by James Patterson (Thriller)

2007-09-30T10:36:00.000-07:00

This novel is another one in Patterson's well-known Alex Cross series. It takes place when Cross is making a career change, in training with the F.B.I. And he becomes involved in a case, trying to track down what turns out to be an abduction ring.

It seems that someone is providing a very interesting - and illegal - service to high-paying customers. This service involves the acquisition and sale of a very precious commodity - live human beings, based on whatever criteria you want. Some customers want women, some want men, and what they do with their acquisitions is up to them. The people who are abducted include people from wealthy families, or students, a variety of ages, depending on a customer's taste.

Some parts of the story are told from the point of view of the victims. Finding themselves abducted, and then trapped somewhere with a person who has paid to have them in their power, strictly controlled and not knowing exactly where they are, cut off from contact with the outside world - it's obviously a frightening experience.

But the people doing the abductions have some dissension within their own ranks, and this is one of the things that allows Cross to start following the trail to the main ringleader of the operation.

Enter the Wolf.

In the past, the Wolf was a KGB agent, with suspected mob connections. Patterson shows some scenes from the villain's point of view, and he is brutal - violent, murderous, absolutely unhesitating about eliminating anyone if it suits his purpose to do so.

In the meantime, Alex Cross is also contending with personal problems, as he fights for custody of his son. It seems that Christine Johnson, the boy's mother, is fighting back pretty hard, and the whole thing takes a tough emotional toll on Cross.

Some of Patterson's novels seem to take on a larger-than-life quality. Admittedly, there is a certain James-Bondishness to Alex Cross at times, and a villain like the Wolf does come across a little like over-the-top Bond villains, too.

But, then again, that's all right with me - I actually prefer an author to err on the side of making things more interesting and exciting than settling for mediocrity. I read for entertainment and enjoyment, after all!

And, of course, throughout all this, there's the one thing that's always very consistent in Patterson's Alex Cross novels. It's all very intense, with short chapters in which one thing after another keeps happening, and it's a very addictive writing style Patterson has. Very unputdownable.

And there are some connections to other Cross novels, Kyle Craig, the villain from "Cat and Mouse" makes an appearance, and Patterson used the Wolf in a later novel, "London Bridges."

"The Fountains of Paradise" by Arthur C. Clarke

2007-09-22T11:26:00.000-07:00

This novel won both the Hugo award(1980) and the Nebula award(1979), in the "best novel" category. That's by no means a small accomplishment, heck, a lot of science fiction writers are happy just to get nominated.

The story deals with Vannevar Morgan, a highly accomplished engineer who want to take on a new, very ambitious engineering project. He wants to build a space elevator.

The idea of a space elevator is by no means pure fiction - it is theoretically possible. The idea is to literally build a cable that would be anchored on the surface of the Earth at one end, and a counter-weight at the other end, in orbit. This would make it possible to build elevator cars that could ride the cable into orbit. It would have an advantage over traditional rockets. You see, rockets have to expend a lot of energy and burn fuel just to maintain their position over the surface of the Earth when they're still close enough to feel the Earth's gravity strongly, and then use up even more energy to keep climbing. If you have a solid object sitting on the surface of the Earth that you can stand on or climb up, you don't have expend energy to maintain a position - so you can just focus your energy on increasing your altitude, and that is much more energy-efficient.

Of course, I'm not a physicist, but that's the way it's been explained to me by people who should know.

This novel shows Morgan go through several stages while trying to make the project come to fruition. First he has to try to get support and funding, which isn't easy. Many possibilities are considered, including starting on Mars instead of Earth; Mars has lower gravity, which would make the work easier. Of course, with two moons, one of which orbits quite closely, you might have a little problem if it ran into your elevator cable.

Throughout the novel, Clarke provides his trademark attention to scientific detail. If you like your science fiction to have good science in it - and I certainly do - you'll appreciate that. There are plenty of fascinating physics and engineering ideas here.

But it's not all just about discussing the science; the plot has some good twists, and some exciting parts. When the elevator is well on its way to completion, some problems make a daring rescue attempt necessary. Morgan has to ride up to a group of people stuck farther up the cable, and bring them life-saving supplies until they can be properly brought back home. These scenes show a nice interplay of the scientific ideas and some action and excitement.

Clarke is sometimes criticized for not having well-developed characters, although I'd say the lead character, Morgan, is a good character, and the supporting cast are written at least competently. But, of course, Morgan is the engineer whose story this really is focused on; it becomes a very personal story for him.

There are also some descriptions of the distant past and the even farther future, that show how humankind's ongoing aspiration to learn and reach beyond our limits can be truly amazing over time.

Anyway, I'd say that this novel is very good, and very consistent for Clarke - I wouldn't say there's any big departure in style here from his other works of read, which is fine - I like my science fiction with good science and bold ideas. An enjoyable read, well worth a look.

"The Winter King" by Bernard Cornwell

2007-09-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

This is actually the first part of a trilogy, but I felt it worked quite well as a novel on its own - even though the ending sets things up for the story to be continued.

This is a re-telling of the story of King Arthur. Of course, it's been done many times. There are lots of fiction books based on the legend, not to mention books that try to document the truth of the story, as far as possible. And the story's also been told in film; I'm quite partial to the 1981 movie "Excalibur."

Anyway, one thing that struck me about "The Winter King" was the wonderful job it does of telling a story that's been told before, and yet keep it fresh, interesting and dynamic. This is accomplished in a number of ways.

One thing that's neat here is the way some of the characters are portrayed. Cornwell presents them in a way that makes sense and doesn't outright contradict what you'd typically expect, but still puts a creative twist on the characters. Like Sir Lancelot. Instead of the brave knight and strong leader second only to Arthur that a lot of Arthurian retellings portray, this Lancelot is a flake. He's just good at grabbing credit and making himself look good, regardless of whether he's really done very much.

And Guinevere is portrayed as majestic, strong-willed and somewhat manipulative and opportunistic.

Arthur himself is portrayed as having all the qualities he should - a strong leader, charismatic, a great fighter, yet still humble and respectful of others, most of the time. But he does have flaws. His falling in love with Guinevere is impulsive at best, and causes huge problems when he breaks off his previous engagement, or betrothal. The political implications pour gasoline on the political fires that lead to violent conflict.

Also, Cornwell uses his imagination to fill in details about things we don't know much about form the Dark Ages. Druidic religion is something that is very much shrouded in mystery, or so I've been told. The druids portrayed here are believable and seem to fit nicely into the setting. Corwell shows us a religion deeply rooted in nature as well as polytheistic, but the various gods that are worshipped are all closely tied to aspects of real life.

The story is told in the first person from the point of view of Derfel, who trains to be a soldier and serves Arthur. Faithful and loyal to Arthur, Derfel also has his own personal story, and goes through considerable growth and development as a person himself throughout the story, he's not just there to relate the events around him.

The plot is very sophisticated, and would take an awfully long time to describe. Much of it centres around Arthur's devotion to Mordred, the infant who is to be king. But until Mordred grows up, Mordred has to be protected - and that's no easy task. Saving Mordred's life proves to be a task that takes considerable skill and wit. I like that, though, Arthur is not just a fighter or the best swordsman, he and his followers have to be constantly thinking ahead, trying to stay one step ahead of their enemies.

And I really enjoy the way Cornwell brings the setting to life; his attention to detail will make you feel as if you're right there with Derfel, experiencing the sights and sounds and smells of Dark Ages Britain. You'll feel what it's like to try and fight in a heavy suit of armour, or to go through grueling training with a sword, or watch Druids casting spells.

A very enjoyable read - definitely recommended. I'll have to read the rest of this trilogy some time soon.

"Darwin's Radio" by Greg Bear (Hard Science Fiction, minor spoilers)

2007-08-26T04:51:00.000-07:00

This book is, without a doubt, hard science fiction. It is very heavy on the science. Most of the major characters are scientists, and many chapters have extensive dialogues focused on the scientific details of what's happening. Heck, there's even a glossary of scientific terms at the end of the book, to help readers who need a primer on some of the words used throughout these passages.

So one of my comments on this book is that it might appeal the most to fans of science fiction, especially if you already have at least a passing knowledge of genetics. I'm not sure if this book would go over as well with a broader audience, I could see it maybe being a bit tough to swallow for people with little or no knowledge or interest in science.

The central part of the plot involves evolution, and deals with the idea of humankind entering a new phase of development. Something bizarre has been happening around the world, with women experiencing miscarriages early in their pregnancies, followed by a second pregnancy producing babies that don't live long.

Much of this is shown from the point of view of Kaye Lang, herself a molecular biologist who becomes involved in the effort to understand the situation. Her own specialty is retroviruses. She thinks that parts of human D.N.A. that have no apparent purpose, may actually contain the seeds of a new evolutionary leap.

Despite the efforts of governments to control and study the situation, there is strong public response, sometimes leading to violence and riots. Some people seem to blame the scientists or the government for what's happening, even though this thinking is not very rational.

Now, this type of story isn't completely new to science fiction. Stories about humankind witnessing its own evolutionary change, accompanied by feelings of fear and anger, has been done in a variety of ways. Examples include the old classic story, "The Man Who Evolved" by Edmond Hamilton, or the "Star Trek: The Next Generation" episode "Transfigurations." But, I'll give Bear a lot of credit for doing it better, in many ways. Bear's reputation as a hard science fiction writer is well deserved. The details and the science in the story make this by far one of the most believable, well thought-out presentations of this kind of idea in science fiction.

There's a near part of the story involving a character named Mitch Rafelson, and some frozen Neanderthals. It seems that an evolutionary change like the one happening in the present day may have happened once before, a very long time ago, possibly when modern humans first arrived on the scene.

All this leads to a debate about how evolution works, whether it's a gradual process or if it can happen with a sudden leap, and if so, what is the mechanism by which that leap occurs. Ideas about D.N.A., retroviruses, how they arise and what purpose they may serve all come into play.
Apparently, at the time Bear wrote the novel, this was a debate that hadn't been resolved yet. I'm not sure what the current state of this discussion is in the scientific community.

A good book, one I'd recommend if you like your hard science fiction with plenty of emphasis on the science, or perhaps if you want to learn more about genetics.

"2nd Chance" by James Patterson with Andrew Gross (Thriller)

2007-08-13T18:42:00.000-07:00

Unlike the other James Patterson novels I've read so far, this one is not part of the Alex Cross series.

I actually picked this up in paperback...at Lester B. Pearson airport. You see, due to a recent bereavement in our family, I suddenly found myself flying over to England to attend a funeral. The arrangements were very rushed, and at the airport I found myself browsing in a bookstore for something to pass the time during the plane ride. There weren't many Patterson books there, but they did have this one, so I grabbed it.

The lead character is San Francisco homicide detective Lindsay Boxer. Ambitious and driven, she pushes herself hard to solve what turns out to be a difficult case for her, both professionally and personally.

The action starts off with a bang - a horrible shooting outside a church results in the death of a young child. This immediately raises public concern and political pressure.

Lindsay works the case, searching for clues with help from some of her friends. She has connections to a reporter, an assistant district attorney, and a medical examiner, all of whom play a role in the investigation. Over-all, I'd say there's a stronger sense of teamwork in this novel, compared to Patterson's Alex Cross series, which focuses more on Cross as an individual.

Anyway, the shooting leads to a case that turns out to have some personal connections for Lindsay. As the case develops, more victims fall to the killer, including one of her superiors in the police department.

And, just to make matters even more interesting for her, it turns out that the trail leads to a suspect who is himself a former cop. And, this cop knew Lindsay's estranged father. Lindsay's father ends up coming back into her life after many years, leading Lindsay to wonder if it's because he really wanted to see her, or because of some possible connection he might have to the case she's investigating.

The case becomes even more personal when the killer goes after one of Lindsay's closest friends.
This novel has the same Patterson trademarks I'm used to from his other novels - a lot of action, fast pace and intense plot. The characters and relationships are worked out well enough to make the lead characters sympathetic and enjoyable to read about.

And the story did end with a twist that I honestly didn't guess ahead of time, it made for an interesting surprise.

So...in the end, this novel did turn out to be a good way to pass the time on the plane.

"The Bourne Identity" by Robert Ludlum (Thriller, mild spoilers)

2007-07-16T18:24:00.000-07:00

I'm sure plenty of people have heard of this one, what with the well-known series of films based on Ludlum's "Bourne" books. Actually, there are two movie versions of "The Bourne Identity," there was a 1988 TV-movie starring Richard Chamberlain, which I haven't seen. I've seen the newer films with Matt Damon, based on this novel and "The Bourne Supremacy," with "The Bourne Ultimatum" coming to theatres soon...

But enough about movies, let's talk about what the book's like.

A man without a memory - seriously, suffering from bad amnesia - tries to figure out who he is and why he has a piece of microfilm implanted under his skin. But nothing is simple or easy - the information on the microfilm turns out to be the first step that leads to another clue, and another...

Jason Bourne - he learns that is his name, or so it seems at first - ends up running frantically around Europe, trying to piece his life together and find out who he is - or was. Unfortunately, some of the answers turn out to be decidedly unpleasant.

He gradually uncovers details of a plot connected to a man named Carlos - an assassin. Not just any assassin - he has a reputation for being the best. Or, at least, the best until Jason Bourne showed up. It seems that Bourne was Carlos's competitor, and that is something that decidedly pissed Carlos off.

Of course, this competition might lead Carlos to let himself be drawn out, into a confrontation. Which raises another question - what if it was all a ruse, Bourne simply an agent planted in place to help Carlos be found by someone who wants him.

So is Bourne a killer? Or just a pawn in a bigger game?

As I've said many times about Ludlum's novels, this is typical of his style, which doesn't seem to vary much between books. Then again, why the heck would it? When your novels are big-time bestsellers, you must be doing something right. Why mess with a successful formula, right? So we have lots of chases, fight scenes, murders, frantic confrontations...everyone is constantly running away from someone else or trying to catch someone, or running for their life, and everyone plays elaborate, complex games of trying to outguess their opponents.

And the story does not end with everything neatly tied up. Certainly the story is left open for more to happen, so I'm not surprised that Ludlum wrote sequels, which I'll have to try reading someday.

One thing I thought was strange at first was the fact that Ludlum used this character, a man who's lost his memory. It seemed like the other ideas in the story would have allowed for plenty of plot possibilities, the part about Bourne's amnesia almost seemed like an unnecessary complication. But, as the novel progresses, it does start to make more sense why Ludlum would have employed this idea here. I don't want to spoil the story, though, so I don't want to say too much more about it.

Some of the dialogue seems a little melodramatic at times, but not too much. And that's more during scenes between Bourne and Marie St. Jacques, a woman who ends up staying with Bourne for much of the story.

Mostly, this is another Ludlum thriller - complex plot full of twists, and lots of frantic action, with characters constantly thinking on the run as they try to resolve their various conflicts. You definitely can't complain that Ludlum is boring; if you want excitement, this ought to do the trick.

"The Ugly Little Boy" by Isaac Asimov and Robert Silverberg (Science fiction, spoilers)

2007-06-25T17:01:00.000-07:00

I suppose the title of this novel might not be considered very politically correct these days.

This novel is based on an original short story by Isaac Asimov, published back in the 1950s. This expansion into a novel was published in the early 1990s. My understanding is that there really wasn't much direct collaboration between Asimov and Silverberg, but that Silverberg simply took Asimov's story as the starting point and expanded it into a full-length novel.

The result is, in my opinion, a very good book. I enjoyed this one a lot, and found that it worked on many levels, as science fiction but also as a very human drama.

The plot involves a kind of unusual time travel experiment. Gerald Hoskins is in charge of a company that has developed the technology making it possible. The machine makes it possible to scoop an object out of time, into the present. So far, they've brought forward rocks and one live dinosaur.

There are some limitations to what they can do, though. They are limited in how much mass they can scoop out of time, and they can only go back to prehistoric times. It is actually harder to go back to something more recent.

As a scientific aside, this is quite plausible. Sometimes, in physics, when something is "closer" to you, it is harder to manipulate - consider magnets, with like poles facing each other. The closer they get, the harder it gets to move them closer still, and the magnetic forces completely prevent you from bringing them into direct contact. And, there are physics theories about particles called tachyons capable of travelling through time, but tachyons with less energy would actually travel across a greater span of time, and the energy needed for travelling through a short time become very large. This kind of idea has been used in other science fiction novels, like Robert J. Sawyer's "End of an Era."

Now, the story begins when Hoskins is interviewing some candidates for a special job. He needs a nurse to help care for a young child. This child will be the first human brought forth through time. But, because of the limitations of the machine, they have to go far back enough in time that this will be a prehistoric human. Not only prehistoric, but a neanderthal.

Just to clarify for those of you who may not know - neanderthals are believed to have existed alongside early humans, and were very close cousins to humans. They are considered to be like another form of human. But, they died out while our own species of humankind survived. The reasons why neanderthals disappeared are unknown. Like dinosaur extinction, there are a number of theories and ideas.

Nenaderthals are another idea that have been used in other science fiction stories. Coming back again to Mr. Sawyer, those of you who remember the 2005 "One Book, One Community" program might recall his novel, "Hominids," which took place in part on a parallel earth where it was the other way around, and neanderthals had survived to become Earth's dominant intelligent species, while humans such as ourselves had died out.

The opening chapters of "The Ugly Little Boy" are a fascinating example of an author selecting viewpoints. The scenes about the first few candidates being interviewed for the job are described from the point of view of Mr. Hoskins. From that point of view, the reader gets to understand what Hoskins is looking for, as well as learn a bit about what kind of person he is. But the third candidate's interview is shown from her point of view. This shift allows the reader to then see what Hoskins looks like, and it also shows some fascinating things about character. Edith Fellowes is the least self-confident, and the most humble of the applicants. But by now the reader can see how that may well make her the most qualified for the job - she's less interested in showing off or trying to impress Hoskins, and far more interested in the welfare of the child she'll be asked to care for. This wins Hoskins over.

And the experiment proceeds. A child, a young neanderthal boy, is ripped out of his own time into the present.

The novel gives the reader some sense for how alien our world must seem to this boy, by showing the reader the world he came from. There's a parallel plot line in which his neanderthal tribe's life is shown, including their interactions with the "others," who are, in fact, us, humans.

Edith Fellowes has some trouble getting used to her charge. The boy is human but not human at the same time, and she finds her own feelings confused. But, that doesn't take long to change.

The novel describes what the boy - who Edith names "Timmie" - looks like, and the differences between his neanderthal appearance and a typical human's appearance are made clear.

But as the novel continues, things like that don't matter so much. Edith just sees the person inside. A child who she's able to teach to live in a human environment. Timmie learns to sleep in a bed, to play with toys, interact with humans, and to speak. Edith can understand his speech, although not everyone else can. And Timmie starts learning to read. He becomes quite civilized.

Edith, with no children of her own and a failed marriage behind her, seems to start to see Timmie as the child she never had. At one point in the story Timmie even tells her that he thinks of her as his mother.

Then, Edith is horrified to learn that Timmie is to be sent back to his own time. After his years in modern times, she's terrified that this will be fatal to him, that he'll have little or no chance to survive there.

This whole scenario raises a lot of tough, ethical questions. Was such an experiment ethical in the first place? Should Timmie be returned to his own time? Or do Hoskins and his associates have a responsibility to take care of him now? And even though this novel is fiction, these questions are very true of real scientific studies - how far can biologists go when it comes to taking any living things away from their environments for study in a lab? What's ethical?

Another thing this novel touches on, though, is parent-child relationships. Edith's fear of what will happen to Timmie when he's removed from her care is probably not that different from any parent's concern for a child going through such experiences as a first day of school to leaving home for the first time. As I said, this novel works as a human drama, too.

I'm not going to spoil the ending, though...it's not the most happy ending - but it's a fitting one.

"Rollback" by Robert J. Sawyer (Hard Science Fiction, Mild spoilers)

2007-06-17T19:02:00.000-07:00

This is Sawyer's latest, and was officially published earlier this year. I picked it up in hardcover when Rob was on his book tour and stopped here in Kitchener, and got my copy autographed.

This novel deals with a couple of topics, and it's neat to see how Rob puts the different ideas together into one plot. The title, "Rollback," refers to one of the main ideas in the novel. It involves rejuvenation technology, which makes it possible to take an elderly person, in their eighties, and physically restore them to a state of health of a twenty-five year old.

Sound hard to believe? Don't be so sure. Fact is, geneticists now think they've found out some of the main causes of the aging process. Not only that, but experiments along this line have already been done with lab mice, with very encouraging success. This book may be science fiction today, but for how much longer before it becomes fact? It's very likely that will happen, possibly within the next twenty years or so.

Now, in this book, Rob has applied this technology to a particular character. Don and Sarah Halifax are a married couple who have just celebrated their sixtieth anniversary. About forty years previously, Sarah had been involved in decoding an alien message received from another world. Actually, she was the key person who figured out how to interpret the message. But it takes a long time to hold a conversation with people from another planet. A reply is sent, but it's not until decades later, when Sarah is in her eighties, that the next message from the aliens gets to Earth.

But this message is encrypted, and unreadable.

Enter Cody McGavin. A billionaire interested in SETI, McGavin wants Sarah to work on decoding the latest message, since she figured out the first one. At this age, though, Sarah's not sure she's up to it, so McGavin offers to pay for her to have a rollback. McGavin is one of the few people who could afford to make such an offer, because it's relatively new and costs a huge amount of money, making it a privilege for the very wealthy only.

Sarah agrees, but on one condition - she insists that McGavin also pay for Don to have a rollback. After all their years together, she won't face this new stage of life without her husband coming with her.

McGavin agrees. But, in a cruel twist of fate, the rollback works for Don and fails for Sarah. People from Rejuvenex, try to find out why, and think it might have something to do with treatment she underwent years ago for cancer.

But now, after all these years together, suddenly Don and Sarah are separated by a big gulf - he experiences a second youth, while she moves inexorably further into old age.

Being rejuvenated might sound like a wonderful thing - and it has fantastic potential. But it's not all easy or fun for Don, especially since he is the only one among his family and friends to have had it. Some people resent him for his good fortune. He has emotions and experiences that make him feel guilty, especially when he finds himself attracted to younger women, while still married to Sarah.

As it happens, Sarah does still try to work on decoding the alien message. Now, it turns out that the first message was, in part, a survey, asking questions about a great many topics, and part of the reply Earth sent was responses of a sample of people to the survey questions.

So, how does all this tie together? Believe it or not, by the end, these different strands of plot converge beautifully. I don't want to give it all away, but I'll give you a hint. The responses to the first message have something to do with decoding the second. But, what the second message turns out to contain involves something that will require a serious commitment to follow up on. A commitment Sarah, at her age, can't make.

But Don can.

Amazingly, the end of this novel brings together seemingly different plot strands in a way that seems perfectly natural, and flows easily, without feeling at all contrived. And, even though some of the ideas have been explored in science fiction before - halting or reversing ageing, decoding messages from aliens - Sawyer brings these ideas together with some new, creative twists that make this novel a nice variation on these ideas. And the characters are very likable and engaging, the prose clear and lucid, and the whole book is just a wonderful pleasure to read.

I couldn't help but notice the way this book contrasts Rob's previous novel, "Mindscan." That novel was about uploading human consciousness into android bodies. So if you were old and/or sick, you could have your mind copied into an android and live forever. As a result, two people separated in age by many years, suddenly find themselves brought together when they become uploads. Their own families and friends become uncomfortable around them, and they become each other's new best friends. They never would have become involved before, with such a big gap in their ages. But in "Rollback," we have the opposite side of the coin, and Don and Sarah are now separated in a way, after many decades of life together. And in both novels the change comes about as a direct result of using a new technology that can drastically change a person.

Of course, in "Mindscan," the original human being is sent to a place called High Eden on the moon to live out the remainder of their natural life, while all rights of personhood are transferred to the upload. He he he...I guess if Don and Sarah from Rollback had decided to formally separate, maybe Sarah could have gone to high Eden and hooked up with Jake Sullivan, the protaganist from "Mindscan," and maybe Don could find a nice new uploaded girlfriend like Karen Bessarian, except the uploaded version of her was already dating the uploaded Jake Sullivan...

Not that both novels take place in the same imagined future - or do they? Technically they don't, but I do suspect that Sawyer wanted readers to consider the parallels and contrasts between the two novels, because he put a few things in "Rollback" that seem to be little references to "Mindscan." Like, the name of the company that does the rollbacks is called Rejuvenex, a similar name to Immortex, the company from "Mindscan" that offers the uploading process. And, there's a scene in "Rollback" in which Don's at a bar with some new friends and orders a drink, an "Old Sully's Light." If I recall correctly, Old Sully's was the name people in "Mindscan" used to refer to the varieties of beer produced by the company Jake Sullivan's family owned.

I guess it's pretty obvious by now I'm a big fan of Mr. Sawyer's novels...we'll, they're good!

His next one is going to be called "Wake," and is the first part of a trilogy about the world wide web gaining consciousness.

On a personal note, some of the things in "Rollback" paralleled some personal experiences for me in recent years. It was just a few years ago my grandparents celebrated their sixtieth anniversary, for example. But I wish there was such a thing as a rollback now, because sadly my grandmother is no longer with us now.

Still, for all the problems Don goes through and how saddening parts of the novel are, it does end on a positive, hopeful note, and I liked that, too.

"The Uplift War" by David Brin (Science Fiction, minor spoilers)

2007-06-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

This is a far-future hard science fiction novel, and a sequel to "Startide Rising." However, although it takes place in the same futuristic setting as "Startide Rising" and has some connection to the events of that novel, it follows a different set of characters and events.

Just about everything about this book is big - lots of plot, lots of characters, including many from alien races, lots of exotic settings, and lots of detail about the events described.

It's hard to know just where to start to discuss this book - but I'll try.

Okay, the main plot involves a planet called Garth, which is currently being colonized by people of Earth. Also present on Garth are uplifted chimpanzees - intelligent, and made so by humans uplifting them.

Enter the Gubru - a birdlike race that decides it wants Garth for its own purposes, and launches an all-out invasion and occupation of Garth.

Some of the humans and chimpanzees resist the Gubru, but it's not easy, the Gubru are quite powerful.

Some of the story is told from the point of view of Fiben, a very likeable intelligent chimpanzee who becomes involved in the resistance. But, what's interesting about some of the things we see from his point of view are some of the more subtle ways the Gubru try to be manipulative. It turns out that the Gubru want to intervene in the chimpanzees' uplift process, and push out humans. They try to convince the chimpanzees that they will be better off under the Gubru. So this part of the story is not always portrayed as an outright forced invasion and occupation, but a more subtle attempt to use the chimpanzees and win them over.

Now, I don't want to give away too much of the plot, but near the end of the story, Brin does a pretty nifty job of connecting the events of this novel to those of "The Uplift War." You do have to be patient and wait, though, to the end of the book.

The book explores a huge amount of material, and just about any plot line could be the subject of a full-blown novel of its own. The whole subject of uplift, how it affects relatinships between species, how rules have developed to govern its operation, and what happens when a species tries to sidestep those rules is a topic that could give rise to a massive amount of debate over whether it's even possible, or ethical.

And, just in case you think this is purely fiction, I'm not so sure. Consider the idea of uplifting another species to a state of sentience and intelligence. Isn't it true that some experiments have been done in which primates other than humans have been taught to communicate with sign language? Granted it's a far cry from the kind of uplift Brin describes, but who knows, it might be a first step in such a direction.

Brin also describes relationships between different species. There's a subplot that describes a relationship between a human man, Robert, and a Tymbrimi girl, Athaclena, which turns into an unusual love story. And there are stories of friendships between humans and chimpanzees, in which the chimps make exceptionally loyal, faithful friends.

Anyway, it's a fascinating story. I wouldn't call it light, easy reading, though - the sheer size of the cast of characters and the number of turns the plot takes require close attention and concentration to get through and follow everything. It's actually the kind of novel I feel I should probably read a second time someday, just to make sure I picked up on everything in it.

Very good as hard science fiction, though, Brin knows his science so well it shows, but never in an 'inf0-dump' kind of way, the scientific information is always sprinkled around in small doses when needed while the plot keeps moving and the characterization develops.

"Pop Goes the Weasel" by James Patterson (Thriller, some spoilers)

2007-05-28T19:40:00.000-07:00

This is another Alex Cross thriller. The plot follows a structure similar to an earlier Cross novel, "Along Came a Spider." Both novels involve the tracking down of a villain followed by an actual trial.

In this case, the villain is the "Weasel" of the title, a killer given this nickname by police. The Weasel's real name is Geoffrey Shafer, and it turns out that he works for the British Embassy. Which gives him an easy way to avoid justice, since he can claim diplomatic immunity for any crimes committed on American soil.

The killings committed by the Weasel are motivated by his insanity and his involvement in an on-line role-playing game, which crosses over into real life. Heh, I remember when I was a kid and "Dungeons and Dragons" became popular, there was some controversy over it because some parents got the idea that kids might take it too seriously and end up hurting themselves or some such thing. I don't think it was ever proven to be that dangerous, though.

Shafer's killings have an appearance of randomness at first, making it hard for the police to discern any pattern behind them, but Cross does start to suspect some of the seemingly disconnected slayings may be the work of the same person.

It turns out that Shafer's insanity is likely compounded by the cocktail of drugs he takes, supplied to him illegally by his mistress, a psychotherapist.

The story takes a very personal twist for Cross when his girlfriend, Christine Johnson, is abducted.

I did some net-surfing and found that this novel gets mixed reviews. Some people really liked it, others point out some logic glitches, which are possibly valid complaints. Like, in one part of the novel, when a police officer is on a stakeout, keeping an eye on Shafer by herself. Would any real police officer do such a job alone, with someone known to be as dangerous as Shafer? Also, a close examination of Shafer's crimes show possible ways evidence would have been left at the scene that isn't even mentioned or discussed.

I'm not an expert on police work or forensics, so I'm not in a position to comment, but I guess questions like that could undermine the book's credibility for some readers.

It's still very entertaining, though, with Patterson's trademark fast-paced plot, a nasty villain and lots of twists and turns.

"London Bridges" by James Patterson (Thriller, spoiler warning)

2007-05-28T18:59:00.000-07:00

This is another one of Patterson's stories about FBI agent Alex Cross.

This novel take Cross into a realm in which the crimes are, in a sense, larger. The criminals he's trying to track down this time around are not just committing murders of individuals. They are threatening large-scale acts of terror, in which a lot of people could be killed at one stroke.At the novel's beginning, a small town in America is destroyed. Literally reduced to rubble by a powerful explosive. This does not happen until a group of people, pretending to be U.S. army soldiers, forcibly evacuate the town. The terrorists don't actually want to kill people.

At least, not this time - this is just to serve as a warning for what will happen next.

The mastermind behind the scheme is someone who goes by the name of "The Wolf." The identity of The Wolf is a mystery, that gives rise to much speculation. Is The Wolf male or female, what is The Wolf's motivation...there are a lot of questions about this mysterious villain, but few answers to be found.

The main plot is, in some ways, a typical terrorism-type plot. After the "warning" incident, law enforcement agencies are told that something far worse will happen - terrorist attacks in America, England and France are all planned. These will come about if certain demands aren't met, which include the payment of a large sum of money and the release of various criminals from prison.

The governments of the nations involved do not wish to be blackmailed in this way, and Cross and his colleagues end up making a frantic effort to try to get to the bottom of the conspiracy and bring the Wolf to justice.

But the Wolf is very smart, constantly using intermediaries and deliberate ruses to throw the police off the trail and make them waste time. This makes Cross frustrated.

As is often the case in Patterson's novels, different parts of the story are told from different points of view. We have some of the story told in the first person from the vantage point of Alex Cross. Then other parts of the story are told in the third person, from the points of view of the villains.

Incidentally, not only does Cross have to fight the Wolf, but it turns out that the Wolf has in his employ one of Cross's old enemies - The Weasel. I guess Patterson has a liking for animal names for villains, or did during this phase of his career.

The scenes told from the points of view of The Weasel or The Wolf are riveting for there sheer brutality. The Wolf is one hell of a mean fucker, even by the standards of Alex Cross novels. And his use of the Weasel, along with some of the things he says, seem to suggest The Wolf has something personal against Cross, as if he's tempting Cross, or leading him on.

But I'm not sure if that ever gets explained adequately. As a matter of fact, my only major beef with this novel is the lack of a clear resolution to a lot of the storylines - it seemed as if near the end, Patterson wanted to end it with even more twists and turns that would lead to confusion about who The Wolf really was, and whether the police had found the right person or not. I did some net-surfing and found that I'm not the only reader who felt this way about the book's ending.

But, all in all, most of the book is still an exciting, riveting read. Patterson knows how to write thrillers that keep one's eyes glued to the page - I freely admit I've become a Patterson addict since the beginning of this year, when I first started reading some of his stuff.

"The Silence of the Lambs" by Thomas Harris (Thriller/Horror, mild spoilers)

2007-05-13T11:40:00.000-07:00

First off, I should probably mention the fact that this novel isn't what you'd call light, easy entertainment. I'd say it's not for the faint or heart of weak-stomached.

The story involves Clarice Starling, who is a trainee at the FBI academy. She becomes involved in a case involving not one, but two killers. The first is in custody in a mental institution, Dr. Hannibal "The Cannibal" Lecter. Lecter's crimes are mentioned, and they're gruesome.

But it turns out that Lecter may know something about "Buffalo Bill," an unknown killer the FBI has been trying to find. But Lecter won't just give out information quickly and easily. He makes Starling dig for it, and gives her clues somewhat cryptically, that she has to follow up on and interpret.

The case is urgent, because Buffalo Bill has kidnapped another victim. If he holds true to his pattern, it will only be a matter of days before he kills her.

The novel actually shows what happens in Buffalo Bill's home, and how he treats his captured victim. I found that sickening - Bill is very twisted.

One of the highlights of the story is the exchanges of dialogue between Starling and Dr. Lecter. Lecter is intelligent, and a trained psychiatrist himself, and seems to be digging for information as much as Starling is, he's constantly trying to figure out what makes her tick. For Starling, it can be unnerving to go through this.

As creepy and horrific as some of the violence in the book is, it's very compellingly written, and I found it a tough one to put down.

And the ending has an interesting twist, leaving the story open for more possibilities. I believe Harris did write some sequels.

Supporting characters, like Jack Crawford, a more senior FBI agent, are well thought out and developed, as well as the major characters.

And, of course, the film version with Anthony Hopkins and Jodie Foster was a big hit, I actually did see it years ago, and still remember some scenes vividly.

But the book is good, if you can cope with the violence - consider yourself warned.

"Startide Rising" by David Brin (Science Fiction, Spoiler Warning)

2007-05-06T10:44:00.000-07:00

My edition of this novel is around four hundred and sixty pages long - and none of it wasted. There's a lot of stuff in here - lots of characters, including aliens, lots of plot lines, alien settings - quite a bit of material to cram into one novel. Heck, some of the individual stories, or background stories could easily be developed into books themselves.

The actual story does, however, centre on a particular idea, something called uplift. Uplift is the process by which an intelligent, sentient species helps another, pre-sentient species achieve sentience/intelligence. In exchange for this, the uplifted race is indebted to those who uplift them, at least for a time. Relationships between the uplifters and the uplifted vary in how harmonious or conflicted they are, depending on the cultures involved.

The main characters here are the crew of a ship called Streaker. The crew includes a small group of humans, several uplifted dolphins and an uplifted chimpanzee.

The plot involes the crew of the ship trying to hide on a planet called Kithrup, after making a discovery that might provide a link to the identity of the progenitors. The progenitors are the race that allegedly became sentient first, and started uplifting others, although nobody is sure about how it all started.

But, the possible existence of progenitor artifacts touches a nerve, and several alien races - Galactics - enter the scene, fighting amongst themselves as well as causing problems for the Streaker crew.

I think Brin took on a hefty challenge with this novel. Throughout, he covers the idea of uplifted dolphins and chimpanzees, how their distinct cultures work as influenced by their own biology and the effects of uplift. He shows things about how this plays out in the interactions between the dolphins, humans, and Charlie Dart, the chimpanzee. And he introduces the galactics, and shows some even more alien cultures. And he includes all this while discussing the uplift concept, and how humans might be an exception to the usual uplift rules. And he does this against an imaginary setting which he has to describe.

So...it should come as no surprise that this is one of those books that comes with a glossary of terms and characters at the beginning. I think this is the type of book with a lot of fascinating ideas in it, but so many, that you have to be prepared to concentrate and pay very close attention as you go along. This is not what I'd call light, easy reading. Which is fine, but I know it's not to everyone's taste. For those of us who don't mind a challenging read, by all means give it a try.

I did find there were times when I would have liked a bit more detail on certain points - maybe more visual detail about what some of the alien creatures looked like, for example. But to get through the amount of material he wanted to cover in the book, I guess Brin had no choice but to be very selective in how much detail to include on any particular point.

But what he did find room for, he does well; the interactions among different species are nicely worked out. I don't actually know enough about dolphin biology to comment on the scientific accuracy of those parts of the story, but it was definitely well thought out, and made all the characters - human, dolphin, alien, chimpanzee - good characters.

And the plot moves at a quick pace, with plenty of action.

All in all, a good read, just be prepared to concentrate and pay close attention to keep track of everything - there are a lot of alien names and words that aren't part of everyday English - so if that's to your taste, you'd enjoy it.