kentsplace's Journal

8:38pm: Book Review-3 in 1
The Hollows Insider by Kim Harrison-I really wanted to like this book more than I did. I'm more than a bit of a sucker for pop fictions guides, especially genre related encyclopedias. I have read the first in Harrison's Rachel Morgan books, and was a bit disappointed in it. Upon finding this at the library, I was hoping this tome would make me want to read more books in the series.

It didn't. It confirmed that many of the relationships that I felt were very predictable in the first book have happened, apparently in varying degrees to what I expected, but regardless it shows this series is even more predictable than Jim Butler's Dresden books (which I think have maybe jumped the shark but it took until book 13 for me there). I will give Harrison credit for fleshing out her world a little bit by providing how spells are made, and some background information on how society functions. Unfortunately, little is added about the series' main characters, too little to get me interested enough to pick up the books even from the library.

Mindworlds by Phyllis Gotlieb-This book started out with so much promise. We are introduced to a rich mix of races, and a setting that appears complex. Unfortunately, I feel Gotlieb loses her narrative for the book's mid-section and it doesn't become more cohesive until about the book's last quarter. Gotlieb's aliens are arguably quite alien, and she crafts cultures that are intricate and believeable, bu she maintains the story's flow pretty much only when the human Ned is in the picture. She loses some focus when she shifts to the other humans (Tyloe and Lorrice), and it comes off as Hasso's story has little to no bearing on events.

A shame because Hasso's story would have made a fine novella on its own. We gain good insight into his mind and Khagodi culture. But, exlcuding his being recruited into trying to prevent a war about to started by the Lyhart, a very powerful race of telepaths, his story has little bearing on everyone else.

Perhaps, the book suffers from, being the third in a shared universe Gotlieb wrote about. In actuality I think it suffers from teasing a complex plot that the author did not pull off.

Marzi by Marzena Sowa-If you're expecting a story Maus or Barefoot Gen you'll be disappointed. Based off the book's pre-publishing publicity I was expecting something more like those two. A story of the writer's growing up during the beginnings and success of the Poland's Solidarity movement. Well, Solidarity appears around the halfway point, and becomes more of a focus towards the end as Marzi's father is one of Solidarity early supporters.

You do get a good view of young girl growing up in Poland during food and clothing shortages, and how she and her family manage to find ways to get through. In addition, you see how families and neighborhoods bonded to deal with these issues.

8:31pm: Book Review-The Flying Sorcerers by Larry Niven and David Gerrold
For those who like humor in their fantastic fiction this book falls somewhere between Good Omens and The Hitchhiker's Guide for me. Hitchhiker was a a bit of a disappointment, and while I like Omens' characters, the overall story and humor fell a bit flat. Co-author David Gerrold is best known for the screenplay The Troubles with Tribbles (and if you need me to tell which television show that was this is not the book for you in all likelihood) Larry Niven for his hard science fiction.

On the science and story front is where I think Niven's influence is most obvious. The science aspects of the book is very basic, but sound. Gerrold's humor, I think he was aiming for Frank Baum like social satire, is at its strongest during the book's mid-point. In looking up notes about the book online I discovered there there are lot of science fiction in jokes, some of which I got (and I just found this http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Flying_Sorcerers which showed me many of the ones I didn't).

The basic premise is that a human explorer in landing on a planet inhabited by primitive humanoids is deemed a sorcerer and challenged to a duel by the village sorcerer.

In the course of events the human becomes stranded, has a Captain Kirk moment, and then seeks to find a way off planet.
Not a great read, but a light frothy way to end 2011.

9:51pm: Book Review-Sharpe's Rifles by Berbard Cornwell
A December tradition (missed only a couple of times) the past several years has been to read a historical novel. This started with the gift of four first edition Hornblower novels, and this year I decided to read the first of the Sharpe books.

Like many people my first exposure to Sharpe was the movies that ran on my local PBS station. The differences between Cornwell and Sean Bean's Sharpe are rather dramatic. In the book Sharpe is riven with doubt, and not just because of the British defeats in Spain in 1809. There are no early signs of the leader and soldier that Sharpe will become. Whereas Bean's Sharpe never lacks confidence as a soldier. When the book's Sharpe appears to understand that he can lead and fight (well he never questioned he could fight) the transfiguration is rather abrupt.

The depiction of Harper, the Irishman who eventually becomes Sharpe's best friend, suffers from the same problems. Where Cornwell does succeed is in creating the feeling of being in Spain, marching in winter, and the conditions that the British Rifles endured as they are roped into Blas Vivar's scheme to perform a "miracle".

4:57pm: Book Review-Darklost by Mick Farren
As someone who is pretty much burned out on certain horror tropes of the past decade, notably vampires and zombies, I had people recommend Mick Farren's vampire books to me. While the first in the series was pretty much a straight horror read, albeit one that established the basic rules for Farren's 20th century vampires, I found Darklost not only to be a quicker read but in many ways a more enjoyable one. A darklost is a human who has had their blood taken by a vampire, but not turned into a vampire or killed. But, the book deals very little with the two darklost we meet in the course of events. Instead, I think this is one of the books where Farren started to build his metafiction reputation.

The biggest threat the vampire colony is facing upon its move from NYC to LA is Renquist's mourning over his lover's destruction, and that a new age cult is trying to bring Cthulhu across. Darklost was written in 2000, which I think we can say is before Cthulhu became everyone hack horror writer's plaything, or deus ex machina.

The book crosses over from horror into a science fiction and action movie hybrid. Renquist, at a 1,000 year+ in age, is not only the colony's master, but the one who's dream are the most tied to the race's DNA. While it is a relatively large exposition dump it is in one of Renquist's dreams that we get more knowledge about vampire history and how it is linked to Cthulhu.

It appears that not only were the vampire warriors created by aliens ruling the Earth 15,000 years ago, but that the alien masters knew the vampires were on the verge of rebellion. To quell the rebellion the masters brought in another of their servants Cthulhu.

While very little more than that is revealed about their joint history Renquist, a man who cares little for average humans, decides that Cthulhu cannot come across. At the same time he has to deal with colony politics.

Running concurrently is the story about the Apogee cult, which I considered a thinly veiled broadside at cult religions like Scientology. While most of the APogee characters are caricatures, Orton Ghast is given a little depth. As essentially the cult's number three man (well it could be argued number one) it was he who figured out how to turn crackpot theories and beliefs in a multi-million dollar enterprise. Orton is the most human character in the book.

Among the colony vampires Lupo continues to grown on me. There is just something about a vamp who used to make his living as a mob hitman, and his stoic demeanor that I find charming and amusing. Lupo is the type who could either sit down and have a drink with you and then kill you afterwards.

I feel the story began to take on a tongue-in-cheek approach as it progressed, but not in a bad way. Yes, I know I should read the original Dracula and Interview With a Vampire as vampire fiction classics (and someday I will) but for now I'll content myself with Farren's nosferatu (as they prefer to be called) and his metaficton underpinnings.

12:55pm: Book Review-Mastiff by Tamora Pierce
It is books like this that reaffirm my faith in Tamora Pierce as a writer (Melting Stones and the Trickster duo unfortunately remain in my memory). While the conclusion to the Bekka Cooper trilogy might be the series' longest entry, I honestly can not think where the book should be shortened.

We pick up three years from the end of Bloodhound. Bekka remains partnered with Tunstall (as Goodwin as selected desk sergeant duty) and the book opens with her betrothed's funeral. What Bekka has not told her friends is that she was on the verge of calling off the wedding. It on the the night of the funeral that Bekka, her scent hound Achoo, and Tunstall are summoned to the King and Queen's summer castle.

The castle's staff has been murdered and the four year-old prince kidnapped. From this point on, told as always as entries in Bekka's journal, the story reads much ike a police procedural. Tunstall's lover Sabine joins the hunt, and we are re-introduced to some minor characters along the way.

I enjoyed Gershom, the Lord Provost, having a slightly larger role at the beginning, probably because he is not a typical Tortall noble of the time. Gershom, like his protege Bekka, is more concerned with the law and justice than titles. The prince's kidnapping is part of the rebellion's plan. The king, in having a new and smarter wife, is starting to tax mages and tell nobles that during tough economic times they have to suffer and do more to help the working class.

No Pierce is not a bleeding heart liberal, but her politics do come through on some social justice issues that are at the margins of her story. While the characters may not be entirely three dimensional, she does a very good job of telling us enough about them to keep me interested.

For long time Pierce readers some things are telegraphed, including the traitor's identity (I had it narrowed down to two, and was pretty certain who it was-can't say I was happy being correct).

Light fantasy (as in using magic has a cost, and magic isn't just saying words and waving a wand). Also, it doesn't romanticize medieval times (by my standards anyway).

7:56pm: Nell Gwynne’s Scarlet Spy by Kage Baker
This is an expansion of Kage Baker's Company series (which I admit to not having read anything of except for a couple of short stories). The expansion is that the Nell Gwynne stories are set in the mid 19th century. Nell herself runs the most exclusive and high class house of prostitution in London. Unknown to most, including their clients, is that Nell's women are spies for the Gentlemen's Speculative Society a forerunner of The Company. While the Gentlemen push the bounds of science far past tradtitional steampunk, Nell's women are obtaining information from those higher in power.

And, when called upon make the movie James Bond look like an beginner. Sydney Bristow is an amateur. This women, especially Lady Beatrice use their brains and bodies better than just about anyone in fiction. You don't doubt that they will obtain the information (location of a mine of rare minerals-no problem), or device (and while they're at it solve a murder).

Don't expect great characterization (my sole issue really) or explicit descriptions of sex acts. Do expect a fun, breezy ride.

10:20pm: Book Review-Blackstone by Richard Falkirk
Sometimes I think our first impression of a book, the cover and the time we see it, forms much of our impression of it. I first saw Blackstone when I was on a trip with my older brother. I wanted to buy the book, but I was short of cash. I also new he wouldn't lend me the $$ to buy it. The image of a the man all in black, cloak, hat, the Bow Street Runners, and flintlock pistol always stayed in my head.

Upon finding a copy of this out of print book, and recalling my first impression, I bought it. In trying to detach those earlier feelings from this reading years later is difficult for me. I did enjoy this book, but there were times the writing didn't quite catch how I was responding to the story.

Richard Falkirk is actually Derek Lambert, and Lambert later used this title for another book. In this under 200 page novel (compare to the average paperback out there now) Blackstone is assigned to guard the seven year-old queen-to-be Victoria who's life is rumored to be in danger. Not believing the stories at first, events lead Blackstone to believe that the future queen is in danger.

There is little hiding of Blackstone's former criminal background. His connection to to the criminal Challoner is hinted at, but not fully divulged (probably held for later volumes). Blackstone is not a genius detective, but he is dogged in his pursuit, and loyal to the some of the concepts behind the Runners.

Lambert tosses in a brief historical note at the end. He does a good job of showing the distinction between the classes without taking sides (well not completely taking sides) in doing so.

7:56pm: Book Review-Ride the Gray Planet
One of my favorite subgenres of science fiction is space/space opera. Probably because growing up I caught just about every Gemini and Apollo launch/spacewalk/moon landing/splashdown that I could (and I have now dated myself). I pulled this from the TBR pile, a book I picked up sometime back from the now closed Know New Books in Palo Alto.

Some facts. The book is aimed at a YA audience and published in 1952, and that does make it dated in some aspects (finding life on other planets in the solar system). Blake Savage is a pseudonym used by Harold Goodwin a writer of popular science books (per my quick research). Under another pseudonym he wrote the Rick Brant science adventures a competitor of the less scientific accurate Tom Swift Jr. books.

With the background out of the way the book's biggest minus is that there are no female characters. That could be a plus when you think about the standard portrayal of female characters in most of the YA science fiction I was able to find growing up (at least I think the sexism is reduced in the 2000s). Yes, science he references is outdated at time, but that is always the risk in reading science fiction (I laughed while reading Neal Stephenson's Cryptonomicon when one character was inserting a floppy disk into his laptop). That doesn't mean this book isn't enjoyable (as was Cryptonomicon).

The book's strengths are when it tries to stay close to science fact. While not handled in detail there is accelerlation, deceleration, course corrections, ship design, etc. talked about in a way that I don't would have been condescending to the kids of the 1950s, and from working as a libaray volunteer at a hospital possibly over the head of some of today's children. An attempt is made to have a diverse cast, slightly stereotypical, but diverse. Our characters includes Americans, Mexicans, Chinese, Scots, and one of the last 17 pure blood Hawaiians left on Earth.

Another plus is that the lead character Foster, combines the supreme confidence of youth, as in being a recent academy graduate, and some signs of growing up. He doubts that he has made the right decision at times (of course he gets away with all of his decisions), and he realizes that people's lives rest of his making the correct call.

The plot is pretty basic. Get an asteroid made of Thorium from the asteroid belt to the Earth's orbit. Of course they manage it, but the methods used are reasonable for the time period the book was written,

4:43pm: Book Review-The Atrocity Archives by Charles Stross
Finally a writer who mashes up science fiction/fantasy with the tropes of the spy novel who makes it work. Admittedly, this is what publishers used to call a "fix-up". Multiple short stories by the author usually connected by a character or characters. In this case the character is Bob Howard drafted into Britain's The Laundry. You see Alan Turing's mathematics not only helped break Nazi codes during WWII they also breached the space between dimensions. By the early 21st century computers are used for summonings, and former IT Help Desk, and hacker, Bob has been drafted into The Laundry, the spook show that handles spooks (and the unnameable). Stross goes for the humor, poking fun at the civil service, civil servants, and the endless forms and paperwork they generate. At the same time we are treated to Bob who is very much the every man who manages to find within himself the resources to save the day. Unlike Simon R. Green's Eddie Drood Stross doesn't feel the need for exposition dumps or to throw the kitchen sink at the reader. And, very much unlike David Devereux's Jack Bob remains competent without having to be a bastard. Stross has two novels in this series and my biggest question is whether or not the short stories can transfer well to the longer form without becoming repetitious with the scenarios and escapes.

9:15pm: Book Review-The Man with the Golden Torc by Simon R. Green
I wanted to compare two series where the lead is a secret agent who deals with the world of the supernatural and science fiction (I'm currently reading The Atrocity Archieves which is more like the TV show Sandbaggers).

Simon R. Green's Eddie Drood is in many ways the worse aspects of the movie James Bond. Gadgets and geegaws come out of nowhere for him to use to save himself and the day. Perhaps, Green had not sold any of the other books in the series when he got this one published. Green throws in everything he can think of. There are references to Lovecraft, James Bond, Druids, other dimensions, Elves, Werewolves, Witches (I must have forgotten something).

Yes, there is a story. The Droods protect the world from all the things that go bump in the night. Eddie is the family black sheep and one of their best field agents. He is called home for a special assignment and then he ends up being declared a rogue agent. The pacing is fine. But, like say Jim Butcher (who in a Dresden book will say pick werewolves and run with it) Green would have benefited by staying the course with one threat, or style threat and he would have produced a better tale. As an example, instead of multiple secret societies using one and keeping it as a main or side threat would have been better.

10:58am: Book Revieww-Mote in God's Eye by Larry NIven and Jerry Pournelle
The Mote in God’s Eye made me think of recent posts by authors and media critics that I have seen in the past few months. There have been discussions about why fantasy outsells science fiction. There has been a slight trend in those discussions. And, Mote is an example of that trend.

Reading science fiction can be work. Enjoyable work, but work nonetheless. The hard science aspects (FTL, etc) are glossed over by Niven and Pournelle. What isn’t glossed over is the many forms of conflict that can take place in a society without it having to involve guns/bombs/swords/sticks. In addition, they create arguably one of the few well realized alien cultures in science fiction with the Moties. There is some discussion of anthropology, evolution and the evolution of societies. What there isn’t here is what is present in much poorly executed (and some well executed) fantasy and poorly executed science fiction.

No one waves a magic wand and solves any problem, especially the difficult ones. No curses, spells, potions, and to keep fantasy readers from jumping down my throat technobabble. There are talking heads scenes reminiscent of Asimov’s original Foundation, not as well executed, but these scenes definitely move the plot forward.

There is a lot of back-story here from Pournelle and Niven’s prior work (much of it being Pournelle’s solo stories). It is easy enough to figure what has happened before, such as Earth’s near self-destruction, a fall of an empire, etc. Characterization is not this book’s strength. Its strength lies in trying to get the reader into the minds and culture of the Moties, and putting the human characters in positions where there are no easy decisions, or solutions.

Niven and Pournelle, and this is likely more Pournelle, also put forth the concepts of an individual’s, especially a leader’s, responsibilities to others and society. There are minor discussions about self-reliance which exemplify why H. Beam Piper’s estate picked Pournelle as the editor when Piper’s short stories where collected for publication a few years ago.

9:11am: 3 brief book reviews
With H.R.F. Keating’s Inspector Ghote Caught in Meshes I think the answer is whether free or not I just should not read mysteries set in former British colonies that were written some time ago. It is not the city name changes (Bombay to Mumbai as an example). Keating seems intent to portray Inspector Ghote as someone who does not see himself as the equal of of his American visitor who's brother's murder Ghote is investigating. Perhaps, that attitude existed once upon a time, but I find it hard to believe it was the case when the book was written (copyright 1965). True, my attitude is colored by the Indians with whom I grew up with in the U.S. In addition, this is far from a "fair play" mystery as Ghote seems to reach his conclusion at the end by snatching facts out of thin air. A shame because Ghote himself is not an uninteresting character, but not interesting enough for me to come back for another book.

Patrick O'Brian is famous for his Aubrey and Maturin adventures set during the Napoleonic Wars and Men-of-War Life in Nelson’s Navy is a nice side bar to that series. One of the hallmarks of his books is historical accuracy, and this, really should call it a booklet, is an example of the care and depth of his research into the British navy. As a little bit of a history buff I appreciate his research, and it added a little more understanding and appreciation for other (Stuart and Forrester) British naval fiction I have read. I think I can now remember where the orlop is on a ship.

So when the freebie Space Cat and the Kittens by Ruthven Todd fell into my hands I read it for one reason. I wanted to try to feel like I was 5 or 6 for a little while (no things probably weren't simpler back then but I wanted to delude myself for a little bit). While not as good as Anne McCaffrey's Catwings books, Space Cat has its own charms despite it science errors. Flyball may have been the first Earth cat into space, and now his mate Moofa (a Martian cat just go with it) and their kittens Tailspin and Marty will join a crew on the first interstellar flight to Alpha Centauri. Yes, the science is poor. Of course the kits have advenures and get into trouble, but hey they're kittens. However, it would be nice for a there to be some science fiction, non-dystopian such as this, for grade school kids to select from nowadays in addition to all of the fantasy.

1:52pm: Review-Gunfight at the Sugarloaf Pet Food & Taxidermy
I have had some correspondence with Jeff Carlson over the course of a promotion where he was giving away both hard copies and e-books. And, I told him I would let him know when I post a review (which means I did move this up the reading list). At the same time, for Mr. Carlson's benefit a brief explanation of the stars rating.

3 means I would likely check out other books by this writer, and possibly re-read the reviewed material. 4 means I liked it a lot, and will almost certainly be reading this author again in the future. 5 stars, yes we can safely say I would/will reread and love the book. You really don;t want to know what 1 and 2 stars mean, and it should be obvious.

Two of the three stories in the collection feature Julie Beauchain, a character whom I would like to see more of. Her setting (Montanna) background (from Florida and a woman of color-not a whole lot of those in action/thriller fiction), and career choices (Fish & Game and builder of automated decoys) makes her standout. her second story, A Lovely Little Christmas Fire, is her best. A nice mix of humor, action and good plotting/storytelling. Gunfight is fine, but feels a little obvious with the whole sherrif thing.

Snack Food is the non-Julie story here, and is well done. The humorous tone fits with Julie's tales, but the subject is a tad off theme wise for the collection.

Overall I think Julie, and Hightower the only recurring cast member in the two stories, could carry her own novel. A little more fleshing out of her background and character would be required but a novel would give Carlson the space to do so.

Here's hoping Jeff doesn't feel I was too harsh on him.

9:05am: Book Review-Ghost Story by Jim Butcher
Possibly my expectations were too high for the 13th in Jim Butcher's very popular Dresden Files series. While the man is not an excellent writer he is a good storyteller. And, his storytelling had improved with the last 2-3 entries in the series (Turn Coast, Small Favor and Changes). Hell, we'd even seen some advancement of Harry's character and long simmering story lines were concluded instead of being dragged out forever.

So the question is why was Butcher all over the place in this book? I don't think it is a spoiler to tell people that Harry was killed by a sniper at the end of Changes, because that book has been out for some times. I don't have that big a problem with Harry being a ghost in this tale. Ghost Story does emphasize what I recall one reviewer writing about Butcher. That the Dresden short stories are better than the novels.

The flashbacks to Harry's time with Justin would have worked better as a short story. They do add to the overall canon, but they do not move Ghost Story forward.

In addition, the pop culture references wore thin this time around. They are amusing. The references brought minor amusement, but they felt like Butcher was trying to be clever and pander to fandoms while avoiding actual writing. This is coming from someone who likes easter eggs and in jokes. Too much of any one thing though wears thin.

There are pluses to this book. The last 1/3 or so is plotted and written much butter than what came before. For readers of the series we see some evolution of Butters and Mort, and a little depth is added to those characters.

More importantly we see the effects of Harry's death on his apprentice Molly and Karin Murphy. Molly is suffering PTSD from the prior book's battle Red Court battle and Harry's death. At the same time Molly has grown and changed as a person and a wizard-do not mess with her. It has been 6 months from the end of Changes to Ghost Story and Murphy has been Chicago's protector in Dresden's place and dealing (or actually not dealing) with the fact Harry was killed just before their first real date.

There will be a 14th book, but hopefully Butcher will avoid Ghost Story's wandering all over the place and stay on story telling point.

8:39pm: Book review-The Last Run by Greg Rucka
Greg Rucka started out a mystery novelist who then migrated to comics where he first created Tara Chace, a special operations operative for British Intelligence. Later he took into novels where his storytelling for this character works better. The Last Run is exactly that-Chace's last operation as a field agent. She has turned in her resignation, but the nephew of Iran's Supreme Leader has said he wants to come in (he was a former British asset). The CIA insists on Chace, and Britain insists on U.S. aid in extricating the nephew and Chace.

The influence, that Rucka has never denied, of the television show Sandabggers is very evident. The war in the corridors of Britsih power is as violent in its own way as what Chace encounters in Iran. There is a lot of logic behind Chace's retirement. It goes beyond her having a child now, to admitting to her superior who in the intelligence community doesn't know her face and name. She is almost worthless as a field operative after nine years in the field.

There are some minor twists that seem obvious in retrospect. If you want a more realistic intelligence tale than Flemming or Clancy you should try this.

9:39pm: Book review-Zoe's Tale by John Scalzi
John Scalzi had a couple of things in mind when he wrote this book. One was to tell Zoe's story as it ran parallel to the events in The Last Colony, and the other was to do his first YA novel. Well, like his other books booksellers stocked it on the adult shelves so the YA audience he trying to draw into science fiction never saw the novel. The dialogue and tone is essentially the same as The Last Colony (and Scalzi's other Old Man War books). What made this better than The Last Colony was that Zoe is presented as someone looking for a better solution than shoot it or kill it to solve a problem with another sentient species. Zoe also does something that I think Scalzi did a little bit towards the end of Last Colony which was acknowledge that the Conclave's thoughts on colonization might be right and us humans might be wrong.

11:26am: Book review-Clementine by Cherie Priest
All right, so maybe I should stop cursing the shelves at the library while I'm there doing printing. I picked up Clementine because I thought Priest's second steampunk novel, Dreadnought, was an improvement over Boneshaker both in its writing and storytelling. Clementine, which some at 200 pages have called a novella, falls into the middle. The writing is better than Boneshaker, but the story falls short.

Preist, in her steampunk books at least, does a much better job of defining her female characters than her male characters. Here, the former confederate spy and now Pinkerton agent Belle Boyd is the best drawn and most interesting character. While Belle seems poised for another appearance, I personally can't see Pinkerton retaining her after her actions in Clementine. She is resourceful and competent, but her true alliegances are very much in doubt despite the Confederates having tossed her aside.

What purports to be the main plot is the air pirate, escaped slave and rebel Hainey's pursuit of his stolen airship. Unfortunately Hainey and his crew are very forgettable as is the chase of their stolen the ship. The book's McGuffin is pretty much a waste, or it was for me.

11:38am: two book reviews
Hazard’s Command is another one from the library discard pile. After reading several Hornblower and one Aubrey/Maturin book you would think I've had enough of British naval warfare tales. V.A. Stuart's Philip Horatio Hazard offers something a little different. A story set during the rarely written about Crimean War. Hazard is acting commander (this is the third book in the series) of a steam-powered ship, signaling the technological advancements being made. While the setting is different, and the noted brutality of the Crimean War is not ignored, the book is undercut by Stuart's wooden writing and characterization. Hazard is dreadfully dull, and Stuart's dedication to historical accuracy is admirable (especially to a history buff like myself) but I think she allowed it to hinder her storytelling. Like all (that I have read) British naval stories slash abounds.

Thankfully, I didn't pay for John Scalzi’s The Sagan Diary novella (with how short it is that is a generous statement) set in the Old Man War's universe. I would say this is definitely for Scalzi/Old Man's War completists. I think I get what Scalzi tried to do here was to take the reader fully inside the mind of the genetically engineered special forces soldier Jana Sagan just before she musters out of the army. However, it fails for me. Her emotion comes across much better in his novels. In many ways this read like an essay on what Scalzi thinks, of love, death, marriage, and emotions in general. Perhaps, it would have worked better if longer. Thankfully, I didn't pay for this novella (with how short it is that is a generous statement) set in the Old Man War's universe. I would say this is definitely for Scalzi/Old Man's War completists. I think I get what Scalzi tried to do here was to take the reader fully inside the mind of the genetically engineered special forces soldier Jana Sagan just before she musters out of the army. However, it fails for me. Her emotion comes across much better in his novels. In many ways this read like an essay on what Scalzi thinks, of love, death, marriage, and emotions in general. Perhaps, it would have worked better if longer.

11:02am: Book review-The Fourth Bear by Jasper Fforde
I am always very hesitant to recommend humor writers. Even more so than music the enjoyment of humor depends on an individual's tastes. This is my third Jasper Fforde book, and so far I have enjoyed all them. Perhaps, it is because the humor fits into the story's context.

And, context is not always for the week.

This is the second and last Nursery Crimes Division book. Fforde is staying in his metafictional comfort zone. Jack Spratt's new case is his biggest yet. Not only does it involve escaped mass murderer the Gingerbread Man, but cucumbers (no spoilers here-but the cucumbers are vitally important), and a multi-national corporation and its WWI theme Park. Jack is suspended, again, from the investigation, and Mary Mary and the alien Ashley get larger roles. Ashley and Mary even develop personalities.

Fforde and the characters do not take themselves too seriously. Often Jack and Mary reference plot twist #26, or the like as if they are acknowledging that they know they are in a story. This is a world where nursery rhyme characters exist and have been granted citizenship. Jack himself is one, a fact that he prefers to keep hidden.

So what begins as the missing person case of Goldilocks, becomes a murder investigation that includes the plot points mentioned above, and porridge smuggling. Yes, porridge.

Light, amusing, and I think the author plays well with the absurdity of certain facets of his story to make the overall whole work.

1:39pm: Book review-Dreadnought by Cherie Priest
Lately the reading has seen me doing some catchup on series/authors whom I have previoulsy enjoyed (Scott Westerfeld's steampunk, Jasper fforde's NCD books). While I wasn't impressed by Priest's Boneshaker, I had flipped through Dreadnought in a book store, and thought it was the better book. Upon getting the tome from the library I beilieve I was proved correct.

There were several reasons that this was better read for me. The book didn't feel like it dragged in some spots the way Boneshaker did. Priest does some world building of her steampunk America here, but it feels much more organic, less exposition dumping, than Boneshaker. I think the characters are better defined. I did enjoy the brief return of Briar Wilkes in this story, and less zombies. I still attribute my boredom with the zombies from having read another zombie book (albeit only an average tale and writing) just before Boneshaker.

Dreadnought exposes us to more of Civil War America, as the war in her AU has dragged on for centuries. We get a litle more information about the Confederates, the Union, and the Republic of Texas (Horatio, the Texas Ranger in this tale is fun character in his own right). I enjoy that Priest doesn't do what I feel many steampubk writers do. She doesn't romanticize the era. It was a dirty time, and you were more likely to die from injuries which would barely warrant a hospital stay today.

Mercy herself, while not as strong a character as Briar Wilkes (for me anyway), is a effective storyteller. Much of this story is set on the train called the Dreadnaught, and while I thought that might cause the story to drag, or be boring in parts it wasn't.

8:32pm: Genre television thoughts/reviews
With Dr. Who going on leave for a few months after tonight's A Good Man Goes to War mid-season finale + cliffhanger I decided to toss out a few thoughts and reviews on the genre television season. Yes, I know the sci-fi network (I refuse to use their cutesy current spelling) is shifting into high gear with some series ending and others just starting up, but frankly I find most of their stuff nowadays not to my taste (or to be less polite crap that just doesn't move me to watch it).

Dr. Who-people still call it season six, even though it is actually season 20 something. But, there are those who prefer to number it from Russell T. Davis's stint as show runner/writer (and his being king of the deus ex machina season ending episode). Matt Smith works better for me than David Tennant, whom I could never quite get into watching perform (probably because he followed Christopher Eccelston's wonderful performance). While enjoyable, I am concerned that show runner Steve Moffat is letting the show become too bogged down in its own history. Neil Gaiman's The Doctor's Wife while whimsical is well worth watching and stands alone on its own. The Good Man Goes to War episode gives us the River Song reveal (as to who she is) and the Doctor picks up a lot of cannon fodder for the big screen action sequences (I still would have liked a Captain Jack Harkness appearance in this episode). Also, in a Good Man I enjoyed the work done by cannon fodder Strax, and near cannon fodder Madam Vastra and Jenny. I could do with a a steampunk special that featured just Jenny and Madam Vastra.

Fringe-so I gave in to the genre sites and started watching season three. While you don't need to watch the preceding seasons it probably helps (I'm through part of season two via Netflix). Much like Doctor Who this series is getting bogged down in its own continuity. John Noble's performances as the Walter Bishops (if you elect to try the show you'll see what I mean) is a true delight. He has probably made Walter my favorite mad scientist. Anna Torv's season three acting, well I think calling it wooden would be a generous comment.

Supernatural-lets get this out of the way. There should not have been a season six. Last year the show (which I started watching with with season five). wrapped up its story. They did the damn apocalypse (not the Buffy level i mean THE apocalypse. )I'll give the writing staff credit for finding a way to make the series work this year, but it take more than half a season to get there because of all the story foundation that needed to be laid. For shear in jokes, that just about any genre fan will get, the time traveling episode which takes the brothers to the Old West is probably tops. Again, the show remains one that I bet would piss off religious conservatives if they watched it (absent God, civil war in heaven, angels and the devil making deals to work together).

As an aside I've been streaming, off and on, Torchwood season one on Netlfix. Having watched season three previously it kind of hurts to realize what happens to all of these characters in the future. For a laugh find the trailer for the new series set to debut on Starz in a few months. The actress who played Sierra from Dollhouse has a quick cameo spot.

10:01pm: Book review-The Last Colony by John Scalzi
This is probably the only spoiler I'm going to toss in here, and I don't think it surprises anyone. Author John Scalzi states that this is the last time he will visit John Perry and Jane Sagan in the Old Man's War universe. Yes, their story is done, and there are some very nice turns in this book. While Scalzi expands on the grander galaxy wide politics that was introduced at the end of The Ghost Brigades, I wonder if he missed something with his plotting. Arguably he makes the point that the Colonial Union, humans, are selfish pig-headed asses. I don't think that was Scalzi's intent, in part because of how events play out at the end. If anything I think he cops out a little at the end by drawing a line between humanity and the Colonial Union.

Two digressions. 1) Old Man's War is one of the three best military science fiction books ever written. Give it a try. 2)Zoe's Tale, is The LAst Colony told from the viewpoint of Perry and Sagan's adoptive daughter. It was intended as a YA science fiction book but it never made it onto the YA shelves, as it landed in the adult section.

10:23pm: Book review-Behemoth by Scott Westerfeld
After the last couple of books it was nice to really enjoy a novel. Behemoth is the second book in Westerfeld's YA steampunk trilogy, and it is a good follow-up.

A brief set-up. Alek is the surviving son of the Austrian archduke who's murder began the Great War. A letter from the pope that he has means he may actually be the heir to the Austrian-Hungary Empire, but he on the run. The Germans want to control him. Deryn is masquerading as Dylan so she can join Britain's air service. Yes, no women in Britain's military.

The world is divided along lines of Clankers, those who's society is based on mechanical and steam powered machines, and Darwinists who have managed entire ecosystems to their whim. Delyn's airshi is an ecosystem itself, while it resembles a great whale.

In this installment Alek remains both on the run from the Germans, while escaping from the British. He does manage an escape and we get to spend time in a steampunk version of the Ottoman Empire and Istanbul. Deryn is barley managing to keep her secret, and her feelings for Alek in check. Yes we have Alek/Deryn shipping starting, but newly introduced Lilit complicates things in some surprising ways.

Westerfeld deserves credit for how well he has constructed his world. Each society, Clanker and Darwinist is handled in such a manner as to be plausible. IN addition, I like the fact this isn't a good versus evil tale. He does a good job of keeping the world gray. His characterization might not be great, but at the worse it it creditable. Excluding some of Alek's men and Dr. Barlow the supporting characters remain paper thin.

Well paced, nicely done au/steampunk tale. Don't be put off by Westerfeld's YA reputation, and yes I do know some people who would be. I'm looking forward to next year's final installment.

3:30pm: Book review-Skulduggery
a book found in the infamous library discard box. I remember hearing about the Yellowthread Street Mysteries, and I thought to myself, "Great! I can try one for free."

I'm glad it was free. I understand that part of the enjoyment of the Yellowthread books likes in the slightly offbeat characters. Unlike Stuart Kaminsky's Rostinkov mysteries most of the characters did not engage my interest. Oh Auden finally got a little interesting about 2/3rds of the way through to story. I found Auden's imagining himself as the Great Detective amusing. I actually had more fun with Feiffer's Macao counterpart Chagas. Author William Marshall did his best dialogue writing job on Chagas. The mystery really didn't draw me in either.

I don't know. Maybe it was because I think this entry is towards the mid-point of the series, and possibly I'm missing something. After the last two books that I have read just wondering if I'm a curmudgeonly mood lately.

10:18pm: Book Review-Alex Detail's Revolution
Ever finished a book that you thought about throwing against the wall? I think the reason I felt this way after completing this tale was because what started out as a very promising experience ended up so disappointing.

At the start let me lay out a few things. If your small publishing company is going to promote/compare your book (I can't bring myself to call this a novel) as the next Ender's Game you have a lot to live up to. Then Darren Campo starts a very promising science fiction tale that degenerates into metaphsyical arguments with Judeo/Christian/Mystical overtones. Two people sharing one soul, and mankind's ascension to near godhood?

I can suspend my disbelief a lot, but making Pluto essentially an alien construct and then moving it through the solar system to Earth's orbit with zero gravitational effects on the surrounding planets etc.? And making it so Pluto can change its gravitational field. Nope-you finally, completely lost me there.

Thankfully when I got this books a few months back I did so with a coupon. After reading it I think I know why neither the Oakland or the Berkeley Library have chosen to order it as I had first thought I would check it out from them.

What caught me when I read the first couple of chapters was that I could see Alexander Detail as an older, but typical, 17 year-old. All caught up in himself, depressed, his best days far behind him when he saved the human race as a 7 year-old. That works at the book's start, as does the idea of ship captain Odessa keeping drugs running through her ship's atmosphere to keep the crew calm during battle.

But around the halfway point (or so when the metaphsyics and moralizing start I finished it because I felt like being stubborn. As I understand the Ender books have devloved into this type of storytelling, and if I read those I should get them from the library.