RATING: THREE STARS
The Empire is still divided, gripped in a brutal civil war where the heir of the Akiran throne, Queen Kalila, fights for recognition against the ursurping King, Caewyn of House Martel. There has already been a terrible battle that devastated both sides, weakening strength that the Empire sorely needs. For the Rotham are coming and only Kalila and her fleet stands to meet them in the Corridor. If that territory is taken, the Rotham will have free access into human space and will be able to conquer uncontested.
But what's more, the Polarian Dread Fleet is moving. It is a host of ships from the darkest legends, ships that leave every planet they encounter scoured, burned and lifeless. If they truly mean to bring their holy war into human space, then even united we cannot hope to repel them. Kalila needs the throne and she needs to unite humanity against this threat, trusting hope to the efforts of Calvin and his crew aboard the Nighthawk. Kalila doesn't know it, but Calvin has taken his ship deep into Polarian Forbidden Space and means to stop the Dread Fleet at its source. He is adamant that the leaders of the Polarian Faith have been replaced by replicants and, if so, it will reveal that the Phoenix Ring is more powerful an enemy than any have dared to dream . . .
The Good
The Phoenix Reckoning is another action-packed, powerful space opera by Richard L. Sanders. He has written an exciting story that carries the overall plot of the series forward well and he continues to build upon and develop his characters. There are as many battles and webs of intrigue as in the previous instalments and, once again, he has produced a book that is well worth reading.
The Bad
Once again, I found myself a little disappointed at the lack of description in Sanders' prose. He has created a dynamic universe, full and space ships, aliens and thrones, but they are largely left to the reader's imagination. While too much description can be a bad thing that detracts from the story, too little is likewise problematic and it's difficult sometimes to form a clear picture of the character's surroundings.
Final Thoughts
I was impressed with The Phoenix Reckoning and it was great instalment to The Phoenix Conspiracy series. It's fast paced and immersing, being a good example that indie authors can produce science fiction that's well worth reading. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it and I'm glad that Sanders decided to split this book into two so he could complete the series in a way that was not rushed and did justice to his story. I recommended giving this series a go and I'm looking forward to concluding the struggles of Captain Calvin Cross and his friends in The Phoenix Requiem soon.
Showing posts with label Science Fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Science Fiction. Show all posts
Wednesday, 6 July 2016
Friday, 18 December 2015
The Phoenix Darkness - Richard L. Sanders
RATING: FOUR STARS
The Empire is still in disarray and wanting for a legitimate monarch. Princess Kalila, scion of House Akira, is desperate to reclaim her father's throne and birthright from the usurper Caewyn Martel. The two have already clashed in a devastating battle that halved their fleets and destroyed the Apollo Shipyards - a resource that will be sorely missed in the impending war. For war is coming and the Rotham are mobilising their fleet outside of the Demilitarised Zone. Their ships are being called for one reason: the invasion and occupation of human space.
Calvin Cross is the sole provider of this information, having ventured deep into Rotham space with a small handful of his crew. His mission is dangerous and the warships he scans are not without scanners and he had a Rotham spy in his midst, whose loyalties are ambiguous at best . . . Calvin desperately wants the Nighthawk for this mission, but his ship has been entrusted to Summers. Summers, who must find and destroy the last of the isotome weapons before they can be brought to bear against humankind and its space.
The Good
Richard L. Sanders had written yet another story that is full of twists and turns, The book is exciting and difficult to predict with the sheer number of people trying to create the universe they desire through chicanery and deceit. This means that the story is fast-paced and it gets going straight away, maintaining tension and uncertainty throughout.
The Bad
Once again, Sanders' writing is sadly lacking in description and this did detract from my enjoyment of the book slightly. The Phoenix Darkness is full of novel warships and a whole host of different worlds and environments, yet none of them have been described so there's little guidance for their visualisation. It's a shame really because it means his writing is quite 'stripped down' and predominantly focuses on events. The same is true for his characters and alien races; except for a few vague descriptions here and there, Sanders largely glosses over what they look like.
Another issue with the book is the use of words like should've and hasn't in its prose. Although this isn't a major issue and doesn't really detract from the story, it just doesn't look professional and is a constant (and unnecessary reminder) that the novel is self-published.
My Thought
Overall though, The Phoenix Darkness is pretty good and makes for an exciting and enjoyable read. It's a great instalment to The Phoenix Conspiracy series as a whole and I had a lot of fun with it! It's part of what is one of my favourite science fiction series at the moment and Sanders remains one of my favourite indie authors! I would definitely recommend this book (and series) to anyone who is looking for a sci fi series of action and subterfuge!
The Empire is still in disarray and wanting for a legitimate monarch. Princess Kalila, scion of House Akira, is desperate to reclaim her father's throne and birthright from the usurper Caewyn Martel. The two have already clashed in a devastating battle that halved their fleets and destroyed the Apollo Shipyards - a resource that will be sorely missed in the impending war. For war is coming and the Rotham are mobilising their fleet outside of the Demilitarised Zone. Their ships are being called for one reason: the invasion and occupation of human space.
Calvin Cross is the sole provider of this information, having ventured deep into Rotham space with a small handful of his crew. His mission is dangerous and the warships he scans are not without scanners and he had a Rotham spy in his midst, whose loyalties are ambiguous at best . . . Calvin desperately wants the Nighthawk for this mission, but his ship has been entrusted to Summers. Summers, who must find and destroy the last of the isotome weapons before they can be brought to bear against humankind and its space.
The Good
Richard L. Sanders had written yet another story that is full of twists and turns, The book is exciting and difficult to predict with the sheer number of people trying to create the universe they desire through chicanery and deceit. This means that the story is fast-paced and it gets going straight away, maintaining tension and uncertainty throughout.
The Bad
Once again, Sanders' writing is sadly lacking in description and this did detract from my enjoyment of the book slightly. The Phoenix Darkness is full of novel warships and a whole host of different worlds and environments, yet none of them have been described so there's little guidance for their visualisation. It's a shame really because it means his writing is quite 'stripped down' and predominantly focuses on events. The same is true for his characters and alien races; except for a few vague descriptions here and there, Sanders largely glosses over what they look like.
Another issue with the book is the use of words like should've and hasn't in its prose. Although this isn't a major issue and doesn't really detract from the story, it just doesn't look professional and is a constant (and unnecessary reminder) that the novel is self-published.
My Thought
Overall though, The Phoenix Darkness is pretty good and makes for an exciting and enjoyable read. It's a great instalment to The Phoenix Conspiracy series as a whole and I had a lot of fun with it! It's part of what is one of my favourite science fiction series at the moment and Sanders remains one of my favourite indie authors! I would definitely recommend this book (and series) to anyone who is looking for a sci fi series of action and subterfuge!
Tuesday, 8 September 2015
The War of the Worlds - H. G. Wells
RATING: FIVE STARS
Earth is a planet rich in resources. Its pristine oceans and verdant lands glitter upon it like facets on a spinning jewel. It has air to breath, water that falls as rain and heat from the nearby Sun. Humanity is blessed, unlike another race whose world died eons ago. The Martians covet Earth and have been studying it for countless generations, analysing our strengths and weaknesses. Planning and plotting to take what humanity has and make it theirs.
It is in the Nineteenth Century that the Martians finally commence their attack and launch their war machines upon mankind, a race who has never seen anything like them nor has anything to match them. The countryside of Southern England is soon over-run, its denizens blasted from their quiet lives by Martian heat rays and instruments of death.
One man is stuck in the midst of this carnage, lost from his wife and all those he has ever called friend. The man must take risks and use every thread of intelligence he has if he is survive the day and tell his tale of the Martian invaders and how he evaded them . . .
The Good
The War of the Worlds is certainly deserving of its fame and I found the book nearly impossible to put down. H. G. Wells has excelled once again and has produced a story of terrifying ambition and scope. Wells has really thought about the technology of the Martians and the weapons they bring to bear, thoroughly explaining how they use such weapons tactically throughout the book.
The main protagonist (who, as ever with Wells, isn't named in the story) is easy to like and I really got the sense that he has no idea what to do and is merely surviving through the common sense and intelligence we all have. The characters the protagonist meets through his journey are as interesting as him and really come across as individuals, coping with the carnage around them is different ways as people would in real life.
The Bad
Nothing. There's nothing I didn't like about The War of the Worlds.
My Thoughts
The War of the Worlds is undoubtedly a timeless classic of science fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and H. G. Wells has proved himself a master of the genre yet again, producing a truly masterful novel. It has a proud place on my Shelf of Fame and is a must read for all of you readers out there! Especially now it can be bought from Amazon as an ebook for virtually nothing!
Earth is a planet rich in resources. Its pristine oceans and verdant lands glitter upon it like facets on a spinning jewel. It has air to breath, water that falls as rain and heat from the nearby Sun. Humanity is blessed, unlike another race whose world died eons ago. The Martians covet Earth and have been studying it for countless generations, analysing our strengths and weaknesses. Planning and plotting to take what humanity has and make it theirs.
It is in the Nineteenth Century that the Martians finally commence their attack and launch their war machines upon mankind, a race who has never seen anything like them nor has anything to match them. The countryside of Southern England is soon over-run, its denizens blasted from their quiet lives by Martian heat rays and instruments of death.
One man is stuck in the midst of this carnage, lost from his wife and all those he has ever called friend. The man must take risks and use every thread of intelligence he has if he is survive the day and tell his tale of the Martian invaders and how he evaded them . . .
The Good
The War of the Worlds is certainly deserving of its fame and I found the book nearly impossible to put down. H. G. Wells has excelled once again and has produced a story of terrifying ambition and scope. Wells has really thought about the technology of the Martians and the weapons they bring to bear, thoroughly explaining how they use such weapons tactically throughout the book.
The main protagonist (who, as ever with Wells, isn't named in the story) is easy to like and I really got the sense that he has no idea what to do and is merely surviving through the common sense and intelligence we all have. The characters the protagonist meets through his journey are as interesting as him and really come across as individuals, coping with the carnage around them is different ways as people would in real life.
The Bad
Nothing. There's nothing I didn't like about The War of the Worlds.
My Thoughts
The War of the Worlds is undoubtedly a timeless classic of science fiction. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and H. G. Wells has proved himself a master of the genre yet again, producing a truly masterful novel. It has a proud place on my Shelf of Fame and is a must read for all of you readers out there! Especially now it can be bought from Amazon as an ebook for virtually nothing!
Friday, 14 August 2015
The Chronicles of Riddick: Ghosts of Furya - Angela B. Marcala-Guajardo
RATING: THREE STARS
Left for dead in the ruins of a desolate world, Richard B. Riddick is alone and wild. He is little more than a child who survives in the brutal rainforests of Furya. His people would not be cowed by the Necromongers and fought until the last, until nothing remained except a newborn babe who was strangled by his own umbilical chord during his birth and left for dead.
Riddick was alone, until Waters and her team managed to find him. An elite squad of marines sent from Earth to investigate the rumours surrounding Furya's fall, they decide to bring Riddick back to their home when they finally return. Riddick is quickly pushed into the marines by Waters, whose unparalleled physical abilities quickly turn those he trains with against him . . .
The Good
Angela B. Marcala-Guajardo has done a fair job with this work of fan fiction and has created an interesting story into Riddick's origins, although I'm not sure whether these are her own ideas or if she has merely pieced a story together from what the creators of the Riddick franchise have already established. Regardless, the story paints an interesting picture of the Furyan's early life and I enjoyed reading about a man who, after watching the films, has become my favourite anti-hero protagonist.
The story is far from a long one and it probably didn't take much more than an hour for me to read on and off, but it has a good pace for a novella and Marcala-Guajardo has a good balance between descriptive prose, dialogue and events so the book was never stale.
The Bad
Sadly, Ghosts of Furya falls into the classic pitfall of many indie books and is riddled with grammatical and spelling errors. While this isn't a major issue, there were too many to be overlooked. I am an indie writer myself (publishing works under the name of Taylor P. Davidson), which may have made me a little pedantic about this and I found the mistakes subtracted from the story at times.
Another aspect with the book I didn't like was Marcala-Guajardo's use of words such as 'gonna' and 'gimme' in her normal prose. I'm not really a fan of authors doing this and, although I hate to say it, believe it makes for bad writing. It's reflective of how people speak so I can see why it's used, but Marcala-Guajardo over did it and I think such a technique has no place in descriptive prose, which quickly became old and irritating.
My Thoughts
Despite a few flaws that affected my enjoyment of Ghosts of Furya, it was a good read and provides an interesting look into Riddick's early years. It's a short book that is quick to read, making it perfect for any Chronicles of Riddick fan who's looking to kill a bit of time.
Left for dead in the ruins of a desolate world, Richard B. Riddick is alone and wild. He is little more than a child who survives in the brutal rainforests of Furya. His people would not be cowed by the Necromongers and fought until the last, until nothing remained except a newborn babe who was strangled by his own umbilical chord during his birth and left for dead.
Riddick was alone, until Waters and her team managed to find him. An elite squad of marines sent from Earth to investigate the rumours surrounding Furya's fall, they decide to bring Riddick back to their home when they finally return. Riddick is quickly pushed into the marines by Waters, whose unparalleled physical abilities quickly turn those he trains with against him . . .
The Good
Angela B. Marcala-Guajardo has done a fair job with this work of fan fiction and has created an interesting story into Riddick's origins, although I'm not sure whether these are her own ideas or if she has merely pieced a story together from what the creators of the Riddick franchise have already established. Regardless, the story paints an interesting picture of the Furyan's early life and I enjoyed reading about a man who, after watching the films, has become my favourite anti-hero protagonist.
The story is far from a long one and it probably didn't take much more than an hour for me to read on and off, but it has a good pace for a novella and Marcala-Guajardo has a good balance between descriptive prose, dialogue and events so the book was never stale.
The Bad
Sadly, Ghosts of Furya falls into the classic pitfall of many indie books and is riddled with grammatical and spelling errors. While this isn't a major issue, there were too many to be overlooked. I am an indie writer myself (publishing works under the name of Taylor P. Davidson), which may have made me a little pedantic about this and I found the mistakes subtracted from the story at times.
Another aspect with the book I didn't like was Marcala-Guajardo's use of words such as 'gonna' and 'gimme' in her normal prose. I'm not really a fan of authors doing this and, although I hate to say it, believe it makes for bad writing. It's reflective of how people speak so I can see why it's used, but Marcala-Guajardo over did it and I think such a technique has no place in descriptive prose, which quickly became old and irritating.
My Thoughts
Despite a few flaws that affected my enjoyment of Ghosts of Furya, it was a good read and provides an interesting look into Riddick's early years. It's a short book that is quick to read, making it perfect for any Chronicles of Riddick fan who's looking to kill a bit of time.
Thursday, 21 May 2015
Release Date of Ridley Scott's 'The Martian' Is Announced!
The Martian by Andy Weir is one of my favourite books ever and is firmly placed on my Shelf of Fame. It's not just me who has recognised its quality and the book was actually voted the best science fiction novel of 2014 in the Goodreads Choice Awards! Without going into too much detail, which can be read in my review, the story outlines the struggles of Mark Watney when he is stranded alone on Mars. Presumed dead by his ship-mates, NASA and the peoples of Earth, Watney must use the scant resources available to him to produce food, water, oxygen and, ultimately, find a way to send a message back home . . .
You can understand then why I was excited to learn that Ridley Scott had taken an interest in the book when he announced that he would be adapting The Martian into a feature-length movie staring Matt Damon as Mark Watney. The book will undoubtedly adapt well to a film and it's original release date of March 2016 has recently been moved forward to 25th Novemeber 2015! This is a huge announcement for science fiction fans and Scott's The Martian will probably be one of the biggest sci fi films of the year! If you don't believe me, there's plenty of time to grab a copy of the book and see for yourself before the film is released!
Scott has now released the official trailer for the movie, along with two teaser trailers to wet our appetites:
Monday, 10 November 2014
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea - Jules Verne
RATING: THREE STARS
When a mysterious sea creature appears and begins terrorising shipping routes, the world renown marine biologist Dr. Pierre Aronnax joins an expedition to find and slay the beast. Yet Pierre's ship meets the same fate as so many before it and he finds himself aboard the Nautilus in the custody of the strange and elusive Captain Nemo. Along with his friends - his faithful manservant, Conseil, and Ned Land, the famous Canadian whaler - Pierre embarks on a journey of discovery that shows just how little he actually knows about the ocean and the wonders within it.
The Good
One of the best things about Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was how Jules Verne managed to instil such an air of mystery over something so simple as a submarine journey. Submarines had yet to take to the seas when the book was written (and might not even have been conceived of!) and the idea of men travelling around under water was a novelty in itself. But Verne improved on this by making the world unaware of Captain Nemo's visionary breakthrough and never let slip what Nemo planned or what would happen next. This makes the book a remarkable story of adventure that few authors have matched since.
The Bad
One of the biggest surprises Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea had for me was in how little actually happens! Considering it's a science fiction classic, I was expecting it to be much more exciting than it was and the book is filled with pages upon pages of Verne describing marine creatures and their taxonomy. This could have been interesting if it was in smaller doses, but was pretty boring and bulked out a book that should really have been written as a novella.
I complain about this, but Verne's description of the ocean world might have been much more impressive when the book was first published. Obviously, many people were not educated as we are now and they didn't have the documentaries, textbooks and photographs that we have today, allowing free access to information about these creatures. Maybe this was the worth of the book, rather than its plot and excitement; maybe Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea allowed people to glimpse a world they would never know or see . . .
My Thoughts
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was much longer than it needed to be, which did make it a bit boring in places and it certainly wasn't a page turner (and I actually took quite a while to finish it). That being said, it was a story ahead of its time and really captures Verne's remarkable imagination.
When a mysterious sea creature appears and begins terrorising shipping routes, the world renown marine biologist Dr. Pierre Aronnax joins an expedition to find and slay the beast. Yet Pierre's ship meets the same fate as so many before it and he finds himself aboard the Nautilus in the custody of the strange and elusive Captain Nemo. Along with his friends - his faithful manservant, Conseil, and Ned Land, the famous Canadian whaler - Pierre embarks on a journey of discovery that shows just how little he actually knows about the ocean and the wonders within it.
The Good
One of the best things about Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was how Jules Verne managed to instil such an air of mystery over something so simple as a submarine journey. Submarines had yet to take to the seas when the book was written (and might not even have been conceived of!) and the idea of men travelling around under water was a novelty in itself. But Verne improved on this by making the world unaware of Captain Nemo's visionary breakthrough and never let slip what Nemo planned or what would happen next. This makes the book a remarkable story of adventure that few authors have matched since.
The Bad
One of the biggest surprises Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea had for me was in how little actually happens! Considering it's a science fiction classic, I was expecting it to be much more exciting than it was and the book is filled with pages upon pages of Verne describing marine creatures and their taxonomy. This could have been interesting if it was in smaller doses, but was pretty boring and bulked out a book that should really have been written as a novella.
I complain about this, but Verne's description of the ocean world might have been much more impressive when the book was first published. Obviously, many people were not educated as we are now and they didn't have the documentaries, textbooks and photographs that we have today, allowing free access to information about these creatures. Maybe this was the worth of the book, rather than its plot and excitement; maybe Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea allowed people to glimpse a world they would never know or see . . .
My Thoughts
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea was much longer than it needed to be, which did make it a bit boring in places and it certainly wasn't a page turner (and I actually took quite a while to finish it). That being said, it was a story ahead of its time and really captures Verne's remarkable imagination.
Wednesday, 8 October 2014
The First Men In The Moon - H. G. Wells
RATING: FOUR STARS
Mr Bedford's life isn't going as he planned and, after losing the majority of his money in ill-advised investments and ventures, he moves to the quiet village of Lympne so he can work on writing a play in peace. His productivity is short lived and Bedford soon meets an eccentric inventor called Mr Carvor. The two become fast friends and Bedford is quickly caught up in Cavor's research to create a substance that negates the pull of gravity!
Cavorite, as it is called, is not only possible, but can be produced! The two form a plan to use the substance on a ship and set their sights on exploring the most isolated place mankind is able to reach - the Moon. Expecting the satellite to be barren and desolate, the two are unprepared for what they find there. The Moon is teeming with life and is controlled utterly by the Selenites! Their race is strange and polymorphic; inventive and efficient. The Selenites are as amazed at finding Bedford and Cavor as the pair are at finding an alien race, and are loath to let them travel the Moon's surface freely . . .
The Good
The First Men in the Moon was on of my favourite stories when I was growing up and rereading the book was very nostalgic! It was as imaginative and gripping as I remembered and I found the book extremely difficult to put down! It's a fast read, being full of twists, turns and unlikely events that made it very hard to predict.
Wells has also managed to capture a very sincere look at British gentility and I thought the book read almost like a period piece for the early 1900's. British culture and politeness was in full swing and I really enjoyed reading about how the characters employed this in their thought processes and as justifications for their actions.
The descriptions of the Moon itself is also extremely interesting and fun to read about, being completely novel. Wells' concept of a completely hollow world is something that not many authors have explored so thoroughly and he has really gone all out in explaining how such a world can function and support life.
The Bad
I have very little to fault with The First Men in the Moon, and found it to be aptly paced and gripping!
My Thoughts
Many people consider the The First Men in the Moon as classic work of science fiction and I'm inclined to agree. It's extremely imaginative, enjoyable to read and will stay with you for a long time after you've finished it and put it to one side. What's also good about the book is it's age and it's now in the public domain. This means that there are dozens of free (or extremely cheap) versions of the novel available on retailers like Amazon so there's absolutely no excuse to neglect reading it!
Mr Bedford's life isn't going as he planned and, after losing the majority of his money in ill-advised investments and ventures, he moves to the quiet village of Lympne so he can work on writing a play in peace. His productivity is short lived and Bedford soon meets an eccentric inventor called Mr Carvor. The two become fast friends and Bedford is quickly caught up in Cavor's research to create a substance that negates the pull of gravity!
Cavorite, as it is called, is not only possible, but can be produced! The two form a plan to use the substance on a ship and set their sights on exploring the most isolated place mankind is able to reach - the Moon. Expecting the satellite to be barren and desolate, the two are unprepared for what they find there. The Moon is teeming with life and is controlled utterly by the Selenites! Their race is strange and polymorphic; inventive and efficient. The Selenites are as amazed at finding Bedford and Cavor as the pair are at finding an alien race, and are loath to let them travel the Moon's surface freely . . .
The Good
The First Men in the Moon was on of my favourite stories when I was growing up and rereading the book was very nostalgic! It was as imaginative and gripping as I remembered and I found the book extremely difficult to put down! It's a fast read, being full of twists, turns and unlikely events that made it very hard to predict.
Wells has also managed to capture a very sincere look at British gentility and I thought the book read almost like a period piece for the early 1900's. British culture and politeness was in full swing and I really enjoyed reading about how the characters employed this in their thought processes and as justifications for their actions.
The descriptions of the Moon itself is also extremely interesting and fun to read about, being completely novel. Wells' concept of a completely hollow world is something that not many authors have explored so thoroughly and he has really gone all out in explaining how such a world can function and support life.
The Bad
I have very little to fault with The First Men in the Moon, and found it to be aptly paced and gripping!
My Thoughts
Many people consider the The First Men in the Moon as classic work of science fiction and I'm inclined to agree. It's extremely imaginative, enjoyable to read and will stay with you for a long time after you've finished it and put it to one side. What's also good about the book is it's age and it's now in the public domain. This means that there are dozens of free (or extremely cheap) versions of the novel available on retailers like Amazon so there's absolutely no excuse to neglect reading it!
Saturday, 13 September 2014
The Time Machine - H. G. Wells
RATING: FIVE STARS
When a mysterious and brilliant scientist creates a machine capable of travelling straight through time, he desires nothing more than to shoot into the distant future and see the wonders mankind creates as our science grows ever more sophisticated. He heads tens of thousands of years forward through time and can’t believe what he found: humans have degenerated into simple-minded animals of pleasure and apathy; our once great cities have long since crumbled in ruins.
Yet the world he found is even stranger than it first seemed and, after his time machine is stolen, the Time Traveller quickly realises it's not the paradise he had thought it was! The Morlocks, another division of humans, dwell in the old sewers and caverns beneath our cities. They are predatory and dangerous, true predators with an animal’s intelligent cunning. He must find and retrieve his time machine if he ever hopes to return home, but knows that this will be far from easy . . .
The Good
The Time Machine is certainly worthy of its fame and is one of the best science fiction books I've ever read! H. G. Wells has written it masterfully, with a true flair of imaginative talent and the story kept me gripped even though I was more than familiar with from watching various cinematic adaptations.
I also really enjoyed reading Wells' explanations of the science behind the book, even though it's wrong more often than not! Obliviously, Wells is from a more cultured, less knowledgeable time so it's easy to forgive this and the theories scientists once held are fascinating. My favourite of these is Wells' description of the lifecycle of the sun, which is apparently cooling down with every passing second. Over tens of millions of years, Wells believed that it would go out like a candle if not for the fact that all of the planets eventually drifted back to where they came from and provided an extra mass of fuel (which extends its life)!
It was nice to read about the quiet, privileged life gentlemen once enjoyed in England and Wells gives a real sense of what this was like. It really highlighted how many of the social problems we have now weren't an issue back then and it’s a shame we haven’t stuck to the values that the British were once famous for!
The Bad
I have little to fault with The Time Machine aside from one scene where the mysterious Time Traveller finds that Weena, his friend and companion in the future Earth, had been taken by the Morlocks. He simply assumes that she has been killed or left in the forest by the Morlocks and makes absolutely no effort to find out what happened or rescue her! This was a disappointing hole in the story for me and I considered the protagonist to be rather heartless ever since, which meant that I couldn't really warm to him. I like to imagine him going back to the future to rescue Weena (with it actually being the Time Travellers who snatches her in the forest so he can take her to safety), but Wells never develops this and what the Time Traveller does next is not part of the story!
My Thoughts
The Time Machine is definitely one of the great works of science fiction and it's essential in the education of anyone who enjoys the genre. It's imaginative, full of the Time Travellers curiosity and I've no doubt that people will still be reading it long after other famous book of our time have been forgotten and lost.
Sunday, 10 August 2014
Vestige - Chris Roper
RATING: THREE STARS
After banking to avoid a giant asteroid on their return journey to Earth, a small crew of astronauts is lost, drifting further and further away from their home as their fuel and supplies dwindle. NASA decided years ago that a rescue mission was too expensive and would pose to great a risk to the lives of the rescue party and the crew knows that no-one is coming for them.
Yet they do not give and are determined to survive for as long as possible and find a way back home. Their mission is bleak, but the arrive of a strange, alien cube proves to change all that. The cube is europhic and strange, changing their ship as much as it alters their perceptions and minds. Is the cube their salvation? Can it provide a way home? Or it something else, something darker, more sinister and dangerous?
The Good
Vestige is a nice book that makes for light reading. It's not too long and has a nice pace to the story, which builds up the characters before beginning to deal with the major plot events so I could really feel for the characters as the book unfolds.
It's also quite imaginative and Chris Roper and has based the story around the problems with an ever expanding universe - an issue that not many science fiction authors have considered before! Roper really goes into the bleakness that the future will eventually hold for our universe and how this will effect sentient life.
The Bad
There isn't really much description in the book and Roper never actually establishes the appearances of his characters or their surroundings. This is a shame because it left a major facet of his story bare and wouldn't have been too difficult for him to do. Novellas generally contain less description than full novels (due to their shorter length), but that doesn't mean it had to be stripped out altogether.
My Thoughts
Vestige was quite an enjoyable read and was the perfect length for a bit of light reading. It was not dragged out (so the story never became stale) and was fun to read, especially because it was a bit different to most science fictions novels published. Saying that, the book isn't as 'padded out' as it could have been and the lack of description did ruin it a bit for me.
After banking to avoid a giant asteroid on their return journey to Earth, a small crew of astronauts is lost, drifting further and further away from their home as their fuel and supplies dwindle. NASA decided years ago that a rescue mission was too expensive and would pose to great a risk to the lives of the rescue party and the crew knows that no-one is coming for them.
Yet they do not give and are determined to survive for as long as possible and find a way back home. Their mission is bleak, but the arrive of a strange, alien cube proves to change all that. The cube is europhic and strange, changing their ship as much as it alters their perceptions and minds. Is the cube their salvation? Can it provide a way home? Or it something else, something darker, more sinister and dangerous?
The Good
Vestige is a nice book that makes for light reading. It's not too long and has a nice pace to the story, which builds up the characters before beginning to deal with the major plot events so I could really feel for the characters as the book unfolds.
It's also quite imaginative and Chris Roper and has based the story around the problems with an ever expanding universe - an issue that not many science fiction authors have considered before! Roper really goes into the bleakness that the future will eventually hold for our universe and how this will effect sentient life.
The Bad
There isn't really much description in the book and Roper never actually establishes the appearances of his characters or their surroundings. This is a shame because it left a major facet of his story bare and wouldn't have been too difficult for him to do. Novellas generally contain less description than full novels (due to their shorter length), but that doesn't mean it had to be stripped out altogether.
My Thoughts
Vestige was quite an enjoyable read and was the perfect length for a bit of light reading. It was not dragged out (so the story never became stale) and was fun to read, especially because it was a bit different to most science fictions novels published. Saying that, the book isn't as 'padded out' as it could have been and the lack of description did ruin it a bit for me.
Saturday, 12 July 2014
The Martian - Andy Weir
RATING: FIVE STARS
The world watches while Mark Watney and a small group of astronauts land on the surface of Mars. They are not the first men and women to have stood on the distant planet and their mission is routine, one of exploration and scientific experimentation. But a ferocious sandstorm barrages their camp after just six days and the explorers are forced to flee back to the safety of the ship that orbits far above.
That is five of them escape. Mark Watney may have been the seventeenth person to walk on the surface of Mars, but he will be the first man to die there. Wounded and utterly alone, Mark knows the hopelessness of his situation. Yet self-preservation is a powerful instinct and he cannot just lie down and accept his end. He will have to survive until the next group of astronauts arrive on Mars - in about five years time! Mark needs water, food and equipment. He needs company. Surviving in an environment that denies human survival by its very nature will be far from easy.
The Good
The Martian is an extremely well researched book and Andy Weir has really done his homework. Weir describes the equipment and procedures Mark uses throughout his extended stay on Mars in great detail, which really adds a sense of plausibility to the book. He outlines specific processes and procedures and really goes into the science behind them. I'm quite scientifically oriented myself and particularly enjoyed the depth this added to the book.
Weir has also established Mark's character well, going into his thoughts and motivations as he struggles to survive. As you may already have guessed, The Martian isn't a book filled with shooting and action, but Weir still manages to make it exciting and it is captivating throughout. In fact, I blitzed through it in around a week and found the book extremely difficult to put down!
The Bad
In truth, there was nothing I didn't like about The Martian. However, its science won't be for everyone and I expect some people will find it a little tedious when Weir's explaining the chemistry of a chemical reaction, for example, or working through the mathematics of how many calories Mark will need to survive until his rescue.
My Thoughts
The Martian is a true gem of a book and is very different to most science fiction novels, so even people aren't usually fans of the genre might still enjoy it. I strongly suggest that everyone gives it a go - it has been my favourite read of the year so far and is among my favourite sci fi books ever! It's certainly worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame!
The world watches while Mark Watney and a small group of astronauts land on the surface of Mars. They are not the first men and women to have stood on the distant planet and their mission is routine, one of exploration and scientific experimentation. But a ferocious sandstorm barrages their camp after just six days and the explorers are forced to flee back to the safety of the ship that orbits far above.
That is five of them escape. Mark Watney may have been the seventeenth person to walk on the surface of Mars, but he will be the first man to die there. Wounded and utterly alone, Mark knows the hopelessness of his situation. Yet self-preservation is a powerful instinct and he cannot just lie down and accept his end. He will have to survive until the next group of astronauts arrive on Mars - in about five years time! Mark needs water, food and equipment. He needs company. Surviving in an environment that denies human survival by its very nature will be far from easy.
The Good
The Martian is an extremely well researched book and Andy Weir has really done his homework. Weir describes the equipment and procedures Mark uses throughout his extended stay on Mars in great detail, which really adds a sense of plausibility to the book. He outlines specific processes and procedures and really goes into the science behind them. I'm quite scientifically oriented myself and particularly enjoyed the depth this added to the book.
Weir has also established Mark's character well, going into his thoughts and motivations as he struggles to survive. As you may already have guessed, The Martian isn't a book filled with shooting and action, but Weir still manages to make it exciting and it is captivating throughout. In fact, I blitzed through it in around a week and found the book extremely difficult to put down!
The Bad
In truth, there was nothing I didn't like about The Martian. However, its science won't be for everyone and I expect some people will find it a little tedious when Weir's explaining the chemistry of a chemical reaction, for example, or working through the mathematics of how many calories Mark will need to survive until his rescue.
My Thoughts
The Martian is a true gem of a book and is very different to most science fiction novels, so even people aren't usually fans of the genre might still enjoy it. I strongly suggest that everyone gives it a go - it has been my favourite read of the year so far and is among my favourite sci fi books ever! It's certainly worthy of its place on my Shelf of Fame!
Monday, 30 June 2014
Broken Dark - Science fiction/crime space opera
Hi all,
I've finally taken the plunge and become a fully fledged 'indie author'! I've just published the first episode of what will be a long running space opera about a second Prohibition in space after humans have colonised the galaxy.
The series is called Broken Dark and each novella is written as if it is an episode of a television series. He Who Fights and Runs Away (Season One, Episode One) is available for download from Amazon (UK; US) and Smashwords now! It will be available from all other major ebook retailers soon!
To celebrate its release, Episode One can be downloaded for FREE from Smashwords, in most major e-reader formats! Please redeem the coupon code WB86S when purchasing your copy (the offer is available until 06/07/2014)!
I've finally taken the plunge and become a fully fledged 'indie author'! I've just published the first episode of what will be a long running space opera about a second Prohibition in space after humans have colonised the galaxy.
The series is called Broken Dark and each novella is written as if it is an episode of a television series. He Who Fights and Runs Away (Season One, Episode One) is available for download from Amazon (UK; US) and Smashwords now! It will be available from all other major ebook retailers soon!
To celebrate its release, Episode One can be downloaded for FREE from Smashwords, in most major e-reader formats! Please redeem the coupon code WB86S when purchasing your copy (the offer is available until 06/07/2014)!
600 years from now, mankind has left Earth behind. The Milky Way is filled with seed colonies and teems with human life. Yet despite all our advances in science, we have yet to surpass our most primal natures. We carried all of our greed, wars and decadences with us into the stars and our far flung worlds are every bit as dangerous as Earth is now.
Lord Alasdair Donaghue, Duke of the British Stellar Dalcross Systems, has tried to remedy this with a second war on alcohol. But just as bootleggers emerged in the United States of America in the 1920’s, Prohibition has opened the door for criminals to grow rich once again. Famed for her resourceful and ruthless nature, Lisa Tant is one such smuggler. She has grown bold and confident with her ever growing infamy and it is on Calgany Space Station that she faces her reckoning. Betrayed by someone in her own crime syndicate, Tant finds herself the focus of the Alcohol Enforcement Agency and must flee the space station with her crew, cut off from her ship with seemingly nowhere to run.
Monday, 12 May 2014
Dune Messiah - Frank Herbert
RATING: THREE STARS
It's been twelve years since Paul 'Muad'Dib' Atreides ascended to the Imperial throne. In that time he has conquered the known universe and used his Fremen soldiers to unleash a devastating jihad upon the worlds of man. It's estimated that sixty-one billion people have been slaughtered in his campaign and his name is revered everywhere, forming the keystone of his Imperial theocracy.
But Paul's enemies are still rife and there are those that fear his unimaginable powers of prescience. Plans have been formed in the shadows and they lead to events that even Paul cannot foresee. The Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild and the Tleilaxu are all against him and will stop at nothing to overthrow the Atreides family and once again control melange production for themselves . . .
The Good
Dune Messiah has an interesting, very complex plot that is predominately centred around political intrigue. It's a fast paced story and I found it was a real page turner, being full of plot twists and shocking events that I couldn't predict at all!
It's also interesting to see how Paul's powers have grown since he drank the pure spice towards the end of Dune. Frank Herbert has left no doubt whatsoever that Paul is the Kwisatz Haderach (superhuman) that the Bene Gesserit have been selectively been breeding humans for for hundreds of generations. His powers of foresight are truly terrifying and I really felt for the characters that were trying to overthrow Paul (even though I was on his side), since they were facing such an insurmountable task!
Herbert's universe has also been well thought out, with him clearly having thought very hard about how one person could govern an entire universe. I found this gave the book a sense a plausibility that I enjoyed, along with his scientific explanations of Paul's prescient powers that kept his abilities in the realm of science fiction (rather than fantasy).
The Bad
The main issue I had with Dune Messiah was with its lack of description. Herbert has a very utilitarian style of writing and his prose has been stripped down to the bare necessities. In fact, he has almost no description whatsoever in the book and has included very little dialogue. This means that his prose contains little more than events! Although this is readable and helps to maintain the pace of the story, it leave his world too bare. Herbert has created a very diverse, detailed world and it would have been nice to have had some it described. There's such a thing as leaving too much to a readers' imagination and I think stories are usually much better when an author acts almost like a 'guide', slowly building a picture of their world over the course of the book.
My Thoughts
Even though I enjoyed reading Dune Messiah, I was slightly disappointed with it as the lack of description left it a bit incomplete for me. I had to rely on my own imagination almost entirely to form a picture of Paul Atreides and the Herbert's world and had no concept of what Herbert himself thought his characters and world looked like! I will be reading Children of Dune, the next book in the Dune Chronicles, but I doubt Herbert's style of writing would have changed much and I fear that it will have exactly the same problems!
It's been twelve years since Paul 'Muad'Dib' Atreides ascended to the Imperial throne. In that time he has conquered the known universe and used his Fremen soldiers to unleash a devastating jihad upon the worlds of man. It's estimated that sixty-one billion people have been slaughtered in his campaign and his name is revered everywhere, forming the keystone of his Imperial theocracy.
But Paul's enemies are still rife and there are those that fear his unimaginable powers of prescience. Plans have been formed in the shadows and they lead to events that even Paul cannot foresee. The Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild and the Tleilaxu are all against him and will stop at nothing to overthrow the Atreides family and once again control melange production for themselves . . .
The Good
Dune Messiah has an interesting, very complex plot that is predominately centred around political intrigue. It's a fast paced story and I found it was a real page turner, being full of plot twists and shocking events that I couldn't predict at all!
It's also interesting to see how Paul's powers have grown since he drank the pure spice towards the end of Dune. Frank Herbert has left no doubt whatsoever that Paul is the Kwisatz Haderach (superhuman) that the Bene Gesserit have been selectively been breeding humans for for hundreds of generations. His powers of foresight are truly terrifying and I really felt for the characters that were trying to overthrow Paul (even though I was on his side), since they were facing such an insurmountable task!
Herbert's universe has also been well thought out, with him clearly having thought very hard about how one person could govern an entire universe. I found this gave the book a sense a plausibility that I enjoyed, along with his scientific explanations of Paul's prescient powers that kept his abilities in the realm of science fiction (rather than fantasy).
The Bad
The main issue I had with Dune Messiah was with its lack of description. Herbert has a very utilitarian style of writing and his prose has been stripped down to the bare necessities. In fact, he has almost no description whatsoever in the book and has included very little dialogue. This means that his prose contains little more than events! Although this is readable and helps to maintain the pace of the story, it leave his world too bare. Herbert has created a very diverse, detailed world and it would have been nice to have had some it described. There's such a thing as leaving too much to a readers' imagination and I think stories are usually much better when an author acts almost like a 'guide', slowly building a picture of their world over the course of the book.
My Thoughts
Even though I enjoyed reading Dune Messiah, I was slightly disappointed with it as the lack of description left it a bit incomplete for me. I had to rely on my own imagination almost entirely to form a picture of Paul Atreides and the Herbert's world and had no concept of what Herbert himself thought his characters and world looked like! I will be reading Children of Dune, the next book in the Dune Chronicles, but I doubt Herbert's style of writing would have changed much and I fear that it will have exactly the same problems!
Wednesday, 5 February 2014
The Phoenix War - Richard L. Sanders
RATING: FOUR STARS
The human Empire is on the verge of civil war, threatening to tear itself apart as House Akira and other prominent high lords fight each other for the right to sit upon the throne. But such civil division is a waste of effort and resources that mankind cannot afford to lose. The cogs put into motion by the Phoenix Ring are still whirring in the shadows and, as events quickly get out of hand, it begins to become clear that the selfish group of benefactors were never truly in control. The Enclave are stirring in their dark halls of exile and, in a far region of space, the Rotham are mobilising—a highly advanced race that had always coveted the affluence of the human empire; wanting our lush worlds and rich solar systems. But these are only the beginning of human worries and rumour has reached some that the Polarian Dread Fleet—an armada of ships that leaves nothing but dead worlds in its wake—is waking. The Polarians have no love of humanity either and fanatically believe that they have the right of dominion over the entire universe . . .
Amidst all the chaos and violence, the Nighthawk continues its mission to find and destroy the last of the isotome weapons—missiles that are powerful enough to destroy whole solar systems and leave their suns blackened and cold . . . The success of their mission is crucial to both the future of the Empire and the human race, but they have few leads to go on and are almost literally searching for needles in an infinite haystack!
Meanwhile Calvin Cross, now the Imperial Executor by appointment of Princess Kalila, is ordered to gather as much intelligence as he can on the Rotham and assess whether their military deployment is a threat to the Empire. His mission takes him deep into Alliance space—a xenophobic government that has no sympathy for the Empire and is unknowingly riddled with Enclave agents . . .
The Good
The Phoenix War is an exciting instalment of The Phoenix Conspiracy series and begins to tie lose ends together ready for the final book (which will hopefully be released soon). It also begins to build the political turmoil and military threat from aliens in a fast-paced plot, getting ready for what I imagine will be a stunning end to the series!
The Bad
Once again, I feel like Richard L. Sanders could have included more description in his writing as it is very ‘bare’. His dialogue and tone are both good, but he has an annoying habit of skipping over the details of his environments and provides scant information. This is a shame really, as his characters are aboard an array of space ships that would be interesting to read about and visit a number of worlds where he could quite literally ‘go wild’ and paint stunning landscapes around his characters!
My Thoughts
Overall though, I was impressed with The Phoenix War and think that it's the best instalment of the series so far! I am eagerly awaiting the next (and final) book, although it will be a shame to finish the series off! The Phoenix Conspiracy is undoubtedly a true gem of a series in a genre that I've found somewhat stale of late!
Sunday, 17 November 2013
Frontline - Randolph Lalonde
RATING: THREE STARS
The Holocaust Virus is beginning to spread uncontrollably through the galaxy, infecting every A.I. it comes across. In its lee, lie a series of desolated, lifeless worlds. Human casualties have risen to incomprehensible figures and even the sinister Regent Galactic is beginning to become sickened, trying their very best to divert the blame of the virus away from themselves.
Amidst all of the chaos, confusion and death, Jason, Ayan and Ming buu set off to rendezvous with Jacob Valence and his powerful warship, the Triton. Their journey will be far more dangerous than even they realise, as they will have to pass by Pandem – a tiny island planet that is to serve as the ‘beachhead’ the West Keepers need to launch their assault on the free galaxy.
The Good
Like its predecessors, Frontline is exciting and imaginative. The pace of the story is bang-on and it really builds up to an exciting ending. Randolph Lalonde has gone all out in this story and has held nothing back, slightly dipping into horror for the first time to create a grotesque form of science fiction. Lalonde carries this off well and really forms a harrowing picture of what the Holocaust Virus is doing to the worlds it infects.
The Bad
Once again, as with its predecessors, the main issue I had with Frontline was with its poor editing and the book is riddled with grammatical and colloquial mistakes. This is a shame really as the story itself is good, but Lalonde is clearly either editing his work himself or is paying a non-professional to do it for him. These mistakes really diminish his story and gives Frontline a slightly amateurish feel that I didn't like and was (in my opinion), easy for him to have avoided.
Frontline also continues to have some of the other problems I have mentioned previously: its dialogue is slightly clunky and doesn't really reflect how people speak in real life; Lalonde is still using irritating author’s tricks like using italics and words like ‘haf’ instead of ‘have’ in his dialogue that detract from the story; and, finally, much of his technology is just too good and convenient (even for science fiction)!
My Thoughts
So, would I recommend reading Frontline (or beginning Spinward Fringe) to you? Once again, the answer is yes. Despite its flaws, Frontline is a good story that I really enjoyed reading. It continues to be well-priced, especially because it is slightly longer than the other books, and reading it is an entertaining way to pass a long commute or a bit of free time.
Saturday, 10 August 2013
Dune - Frank Herbert
RATING: FOUR STARS
Dune. Here's a book that needs no introduction, and I'm sure that many of you have heard of it to some degree (even if it is just been in passing until now). It is Frank Herbert's timeless science fiction classic about Arrakis - a desert planet with so little water on its surface that is it almost uninhabitable for human life; a desert planet that is inhabited only because of the unique melange spice mined there because of the vitality it brings to human health.
It is a planet where only the strong have been able to survive, and only then by adapting to conserve each and every drop of the living-giving water that is worth far more than gold. The Fremen they are called, tribal warriors that have managed to endure and eke out a living where few other could; who have been down-trodden and suppressed by the long and cruel regime of House Harkonnen. The rule of the Harkonnen's ends, however, when House Atreides is gifted with Arrakis and its melange-mining rights by the great Padishah Emperor himself.
Duke Leto Atreides is reluctant to accept the gift, especially because it involves leaving his water-rich home world behind, but knows that he has very little choice - he can feel the jaws of a Harkonnen trap closing tight and begins to realise that Arrakis provides an answer to the danger, despite also being the cause. This answer is the Fremen, the warrior people who have hatred for Duke Vladimir Harkonnen in their very blood. It is the Fremen that he must win if he is to save his son, Paul, and beloved consort, Jessica.
The Good
I have to say that I was very impressed with Dune and think that Herbert has done a superb job with this book. He has managed to develop an impressive ensemble of characters that I really warmed to; has put a lot of thought into the workings of Arrakis and how humans could survive in such an arid environment; and has developed a believable future society for us (once we have finally ventured into the stars).
I admit that some of the stuff Herbert has imagined has to be taken with a pinch of salt (such as his whole concept of the Bene Gesserit), but, over all, he has developed a believable level of technology that isn't too far fetched like many science fiction authors do. This technology is interesting to read about as Herbert really shows how it fits into society and adds to the story as much of it is necessary for survival on Arrakis.
The story itself is also excellent and exciting, although it is predominantly political intrigue so I can't give much away about the plot without ruining it. Rest assured though, that Dune is a real page-turner that is full and twists and action!
The Bad
I think that one of the biggest problems Dune has is its complexity. It's not the story itself that's complex, but simply the sheer scope of the world that Herbert has created. He literally throws the reader straight into the deep end of his universe and begins talking about all these fictional objects of technology, religious rites and social connotations that he has made up with very little explanation of what they are (almost as if he just expects the reader to know). Admittedly, this is a brave method of writing and clearly shows Herbert's confidence as a writer, but it did make following the book a little difficult at times. Herbert has included a glossary at the back of the book to help us out, but I've ever really been a fan of authors doing this and found the continuing necessity to keep flicking back to it a bit irritating really.
In addition to this, Dune also has a weird chronology and is actually split into three novellas that are set years apart from each other. Although each story follows the same overall story arc, it does mean that there are huge 'gaps' in the characters' lives that would have been enjoyable to read about. Really, I got the feeling that Dune is actually two normal length novels that Herbert has tried to condense into one (in three parts).
My Thoughts
The problems I had with Dune did little to mar my enjoyment of it, however, and I still think that the book is brilliant. It is imaginative, exciting and Herbert has really delved into the science that surviving on such a hostile planet as Arrakis would require. Dune is definitely a book that all science fiction fans should invest in and has set the scene for the rest of the Dune Chronicles to be an interesting read.
Dune.
Dune. Here's a book that needs no introduction, and I'm sure that many of you have heard of it to some degree (even if it is just been in passing until now). It is Frank Herbert's timeless science fiction classic about Arrakis - a desert planet with so little water on its surface that is it almost uninhabitable for human life; a desert planet that is inhabited only because of the unique melange spice mined there because of the vitality it brings to human health.
It is a planet where only the strong have been able to survive, and only then by adapting to conserve each and every drop of the living-giving water that is worth far more than gold. The Fremen they are called, tribal warriors that have managed to endure and eke out a living where few other could; who have been down-trodden and suppressed by the long and cruel regime of House Harkonnen. The rule of the Harkonnen's ends, however, when House Atreides is gifted with Arrakis and its melange-mining rights by the great Padishah Emperor himself.
Duke Leto Atreides is reluctant to accept the gift, especially because it involves leaving his water-rich home world behind, but knows that he has very little choice - he can feel the jaws of a Harkonnen trap closing tight and begins to realise that Arrakis provides an answer to the danger, despite also being the cause. This answer is the Fremen, the warrior people who have hatred for Duke Vladimir Harkonnen in their very blood. It is the Fremen that he must win if he is to save his son, Paul, and beloved consort, Jessica.
The Good
I have to say that I was very impressed with Dune and think that Herbert has done a superb job with this book. He has managed to develop an impressive ensemble of characters that I really warmed to; has put a lot of thought into the workings of Arrakis and how humans could survive in such an arid environment; and has developed a believable future society for us (once we have finally ventured into the stars).
I admit that some of the stuff Herbert has imagined has to be taken with a pinch of salt (such as his whole concept of the Bene Gesserit), but, over all, he has developed a believable level of technology that isn't too far fetched like many science fiction authors do. This technology is interesting to read about as Herbert really shows how it fits into society and adds to the story as much of it is necessary for survival on Arrakis.
The story itself is also excellent and exciting, although it is predominantly political intrigue so I can't give much away about the plot without ruining it. Rest assured though, that Dune is a real page-turner that is full and twists and action!
The Bad
I think that one of the biggest problems Dune has is its complexity. It's not the story itself that's complex, but simply the sheer scope of the world that Herbert has created. He literally throws the reader straight into the deep end of his universe and begins talking about all these fictional objects of technology, religious rites and social connotations that he has made up with very little explanation of what they are (almost as if he just expects the reader to know). Admittedly, this is a brave method of writing and clearly shows Herbert's confidence as a writer, but it did make following the book a little difficult at times. Herbert has included a glossary at the back of the book to help us out, but I've ever really been a fan of authors doing this and found the continuing necessity to keep flicking back to it a bit irritating really.
In addition to this, Dune also has a weird chronology and is actually split into three novellas that are set years apart from each other. Although each story follows the same overall story arc, it does mean that there are huge 'gaps' in the characters' lives that would have been enjoyable to read about. Really, I got the feeling that Dune is actually two normal length novels that Herbert has tried to condense into one (in three parts).
My Thoughts
The problems I had with Dune did little to mar my enjoyment of it, however, and I still think that the book is brilliant. It is imaginative, exciting and Herbert has really delved into the science that surviving on such a hostile planet as Arrakis would require. Dune is definitely a book that all science fiction fans should invest in and has set the scene for the rest of the Dune Chronicles to be an interesting read.
Dune.
Wednesday, 3 July 2013
Triton - Randolph Lalonde
RATING: TWO STARS
I must say that I was slightly disappointed with Triton and think that the book has fallen short of the quality of its predecessors. Sadly, I found the dialogue weak, the action bland and there was no real plot to the book. It had purpose, yes, and is unarguably important to the series, but it's far from a page-turner and became quite boring in parts.
As with the rest of Spinward Fringe, Triton begins right where the last book left off and picks up with Jake Valent and his crew as they begin adjusting to their newly secured prize - a hugely powerful warship from the Sol System called the Triton. It quickly becomes evident that the Triton is beyond them, however, in both in technology and size, and Lalonde focuses the story on how his characters come to terms with and adapt to this.
In all fairness many of Lalonde’s ideas regarding this matter are good, although many were a little to ‘convenient’ for my taste. I could easily have let this go though, if the rest of the book had been up to scratch. His unusually poor characterisation, however, along with a significant lack of excitement, made this very difficult for me to do. In fact, I frequently found that Lalonde didn't develop his ideas as fully as he could have and think that he has sold Triton short of its potential.
This isn't to say that Triton didn't have its merits though, and there were parts that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Aside from the obvious attractions of space battles and lower-key scuffles, Lalonde has finally begun to bring many strings from the previous books together, which should prove interesting developments for the later books.
So all in all then, Triton was a bit a let-down. I feel that it failed to live up to its potential and should have been much more enjoyable to read than it was. Despite this, I'm still a huge fan of the series and will definitely be reading the next installment - I just hope it’s a bit more of a page-turner! Please, Lalonde! Please!
Thursday, 28 February 2013
The Phoenix Crisis - Richard L. Sanders
RATING: FIVE STARS
With his ship in tatters and his crew worked to the brink of exhaustion, Lieutenant Commander Calvin Cross is forced to make a difficult choice as the Nighthawk limps through alteredspace. Does he do as asked and rendezvous with Raiden, his scrupulous contact in the Organisation responsible for resisting the elusive Phoenix Ring, or does he meet with Princess Kalila Akira as his duty to the Empire demands? Both have requested that he meets with them urgently and both claim that the fate of the Empire is in their hands alone.
But even as Calvin struggles to decide, he knows that he doesn't have much time. The situation on Renora is worsening by the day and the death toll is rapidly climbing into the millions as its people starve and rebel against the King’s relief troops, blaming them for the situation befalling them. Calvin knows that the conflict is all part of the Phoenix Ring’s grand scheme to destabilise the throne however, which, as a human terrorist attack on a Rotham world causes interstellar outrage, could prove the downfall of the Empire as it needs a strong king now more than it ever has.
Written with pages packed full of action and intrigue, The Phoenix Crisis is Richard L. Sanders’ best novel yet and is certainly the best instalment of The Phoenix Conspiracy series to date. It is exciting right from the off and Sanders does a great job in describing the seriousness of the conspiracy that Calvin is so desperately trying to expose, which adds an urgency to the book knowing that so many lives are at stake just for a small number of peoples’ political gain.
I would certainly recommend reading The Phoenix Crisis to any fan of science fiction then, and would recommend that you give the overall series a go if you haven’t already (beginning with The Phoenix Conspiracy).
Friday, 1 February 2013
Awakening - Randolph Lalonde
RATING: FOUR STARS
Awakening is the third instalment of Randolph Lalonde's stunning space opera, Spinward Fringe, and follows on directly from where its predecessor tailed off to continue Captain Jake Valance's search for his long-lost daughter, Alice.
After making the decision that living the life of a mercenary and contracted debt collector won't be enough to help him find his daughter and unveil his forgotten past, Captain Valance follows through with his plan to take up privateering again and sides with a powerful solar system in its war against Reagent Galactic; ensuring that they use their intelligence network to search for Alice as part of his pay while he runs riot with his crew aboard the Samson.
My Thoughts
Awakening is an exciting read right from the off and Lalonde manages to maintain the pace of the story throughout the book - making it extremely difficult to put down! Furthermore, Lalonde adds a sense of sentimentality to the story that I really liked by including chapters based around characters from the previous books, adding deep side-stories of their lives and how the loss of Jacob Valent, the captain of the First Light, has effected them.
After reading Awakening then, I would say that it fits in nicely with the previous Spinward Fringe stories. It is innovative and packed full of the imaginative technology and real-life workings that I have come to expect from the series - meaning that it is still the best and most exciting space opera that I've read to date!
Friday, 18 January 2013
Betraying Nexus - Richard L. Sanders
RATING: THREE STARS
Betraying Nexus is a short science fiction story by Richard L. Sanders that tells of a covert organisation called Nexus, which uses agents with the strange ability of mind bending to dissuade crime and protect the innocent from violence and hurt.
When Jason, a young and naive mind bender, is raised to the rank of Wraith however, he discovers that Nexus isn't the shining beacon of humanity that he was led to believe and is distraught to learn that their hands are far from clean. As he struggles to come to terms with the dark implications of his findings, Jason decides that he must stop Nexus at any cost - regardless of any personal sacrifice that his plan might involve...
My Thoughts
I enjoyed reading Betraying Nexus, despite failing to notice its similarity to the Hollywood film: The Minority Report. Sanders' book is much better than the Hollywood shocker however, and reads with a flowing and bold prose that helps to bring his characters to life in an understandably short time.
In fact there is little to fault with the story at all! Due to this (and especially since it's free as an ebook from Amazon), I would recommend reading Betraying Nexus to anyone looking to invest in a short telling of the classic struggle between good and evil.
Monday, 14 January 2013
The Phoenix Rising - Richard L. Sanders
RATING: THREE STARS
As Renora, a previously peaceful and industrious human colony, collapses and tears itself apart in the chaotic violence of civil war, Calvin Cross becomes ever more convinced that the elusive Phoenix Ring is responsible for instigating the conflict and seems to be one of the only people in the galaxy to notice the politicians, warships and transport ships that are vanishing throughout the Empire!
His investigations into this matter are hindered however, because Calvin and his crew are now fugitives themselves and have had no choice but to alienate themselves from the Empire and join Raiden's mysterious organisation in their search for answers. And so, believing Calvin to be a traitor, Captain Lafayette Nimoux, Intel Wing's most successful agent, is dispatched to bring Calvin and his crew to justice - chasing them across the Empire as they seek to save it from certain destruction and preserve human dominance in the galaxy.
My Thoughts
Although I enjoyed reading The Phoenix Rising, which was packed full of action and unpredictable plot lines, I was slightly disappointed with it as a whole and didn't feel that it was quite as good as its predecessor, The Phoenix Conspiracy. This is mainly because the book reads like it had been rushed in some places and, as a consequence, I feel that Richard L. Sanders has not developed its events and characters to their full potential.
Still, The Phoenix Rising is a worthy instalment to The Phoenix Conspiracy series and has a fast-paced plot right from the off that leaves you hungry for more once you've read the last page! Thus, I recommend reading The Phoenix Rising for fans of the first book and investing in the series if you enjoy sci-fi or just want to give it a go!
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