tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76705434992747414272024-03-18T14:00:00.032+01:00Speculiction...Thoughts on literature, culture, travel, and more...Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1940125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-15428867311714245412024-03-13T16:49:00.002+01:002024-03-14T20:55:33.453+01:00Review of The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipauJsjW11Ny6zsDeEs71L9OAB8JCUK7MSgliWnLAV0lTHHBY566kZSWsHE40ZuWFZ9SZdZboZ3tTN9de5WeYTZhW23DJhAl0dM92pLg65yUM3YxMWgciFPJWRqGV7P-8ZXvhcL0MrBlFyPi9LuYvfcVhjHuzq3uNNZaeTMA0qzaN_Tpg_aZLIy5Sjm-ED/s287/way%20of%20kings,%20sanderson.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="175" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipauJsjW11Ny6zsDeEs71L9OAB8JCUK7MSgliWnLAV0lTHHBY566kZSWsHE40ZuWFZ9SZdZboZ3tTN9de5WeYTZhW23DJhAl0dM92pLg65yUM3YxMWgciFPJWRqGV7P-8ZXvhcL0MrBlFyPi9LuYvfcVhjHuzq3uNNZaeTMA0qzaN_Tpg_aZLIy5Sjm-ED/w122-h200/way%20of%20kings,%20sanderson.jpg" width="122" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">A
decade+ ago I was trying to catch up on everything that had been
happening in speculative fiction. After years and years away, I
consumed just about everything I could get my hands on. From popular
books to forgotten books, well known authors to niche, I was open to
anything. The internets had a lot of positive things to say about
Brandon Sanderson, so I jumped into the Mistborn trilogy. I climbed
out, dismayed. Colorful, engaging ideas but poor, unedited
technique. Style, syntax, and execution are important. I was put
off. A believer in second chances, however, I recently picked up
another popular Sanderson offering to see if a few years could
improve technique—to convert those nice visuals into well written
story. Let's look at <i>The Way of Kings </i>(2016).</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Putting
both feet onto the road paved by George R.R. Martin in <i>A Game of
Thrones</i>, <i>The Way of Kings</i> is a multi-viewpoint,
multi-faction, first entry in a lengthy epic fantasy series. Set in
a generic, medieval secondary world called Roshar, it tells the
stories of a handful of people who call the land home. One is a
female scholar with a secret mission to steal an arcane object from a
renowned magician. Another is an assassin wielding magical weapons
on the run but trying to find direction in life. And still another
is the son of a surgeon. Now a slave, he fights oppression from the
bottom up. These characters have lives separate from one another,
but binding them together is a lore featuring shardblades—magical
swords that cut through anything (lightsabers?), thus granting the
bearer supreme status. Everybody wants one...<span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">If
you didn't catch that, <i>The Way of Kings </i>is not as original as
the Mistborn series. There is nothing as novel as ingesting metals
to gain special powers. The world, the magic, the character
arcs—there is little that doesn't have an analog elsewhere in
fantasy fiction. In fact, the only things that set the story apart
are the spren (little spirit fairies that add nice visual and
emotional flavor to scenes) and the popularity of Sanderson's name on
the cover. The one thing <i>The Way of Kings </i>has over Mistborn
is improved technique. This improvement, however, is relative.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">If
you gave <i>The Way of Kings </i>to a high school English teacher, it
would come away awash in red. Bad similes would be highlighted:</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"> “<span style="color: #222222;"><i>Patchy,
like the coat of a sickly horse.</i></span><span style="color: #222222;">”</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">And:</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;"> “</span><span style="color: #222222;"><i>The
Stormlight raged inside of him, and the hallway suddenly grew darker,
falling into shade like a hilltop cut off from the sun by a transient
cloud.”</i></span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Spurious
exposition would be crossed out.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;"><i> Kaladin
slid on his sandals—</i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><strike><i>the
same ones he’d taken from the leathery-faced man on that first
day</i></strike></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i>—and stood up. He
walked through the crowded barrack.”</i></span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">And
another example, this time an action scene disrupted:</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;">
</span><span style="color: #222222;"><i>“Szeth leaped backward as the
Shardbearer swung upward with his Blade, slicing into the ceiling.
</i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><strike><i>Szeth didn’t own a set
of Plate himself, and didn’t care to. His Lashings interfered with
the gemstones that powered Shardplate, and he had to choose one or
the other</i></strike></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i>.”</i></span><span style="color: #222222;">)</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">And
question marks would be located near the numerous, unearned emotions.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="background: transparent;"> “Then
don’t go,” he said, growing terrified. </span></i></span></span>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><i><span style="background: transparent;"> “I
have to,” she said, cringing. “I can’t watch this anymore. I’ll
try to return.” She looked sorrowful.</span></i></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">And
the teacher would likewise have questions, questions about why so
much content treats its (supposedly adult) readers like morons. What
is the necessity of the following underlined passage (my underlline)
when meaning is uber clear from the preceding lines?</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;"> “</span><span style="color: #222222;"><i>He
started pulling again. Bridgemen who were laggard in work were
whipped, and bridgemen who were laggard on runs were executed. </i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i><u>The
army was very serious about that.</u></i></span><span style="color: #222222;"><i>
Refuse to charge the Parshendi, try to lag behind the other bridges,
and you’d be beheaded. They reserved that fate for that specific
crime, in fact.”</i></span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;">Also,
why do we need “</span><span style="color: #222222;"><i>specific</i></span><span style="color: #222222;">”?
Why do we need “</span><span style="color: #222222;"><i>in fact</i></span><span style="color: #222222;">”?
(Answer: we don't need them...)</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
high school English teacher would likewise draw attention to the
consistently inconsistent characterization. For example, the scene
wherein Shallan goes to a bookstore. At first she is the saucy,
competent Southern gal who uses wordplay to cut a zealous bookseller
down to size. But when he states a price five times the going rate,
she becomes docile, consigning herself to buying fewer books instead
of bargaining. The fire of her words just a couple paragraphs
earlier is suddenly quenched. In her place we get a weak woman
willing to accept any price offered. I don't care if Shallan is a
strong or weak woman, just be consistent in her presentation.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;">Whole
sections of </span><span style="color: #222222;"><i>The Ways of Kings </i></span><span style="color: #222222;">would
be circled in red, with the word “</span><span style="color: #222222;"><i><u>Necessary?!?!?</u></i></span><span style="color: #222222;">”
written beside them. For some reason, Sanderson feels compelled to
describe transitory details. I lost track of how many pages cover
the following scenario: Character A moves from Place X to Place Y.
Rather than just entering a paragraph break at the end of Place X
with the relevant verbiage to indicate a transition, Sanderson
instead takes the character through many meaningless steps from X to
Y. Stopping to smell the flowers is all fine and good when it serves
theme. But when it's just spurious rambling, it's not.
</span><span style="color: #222222;"><i>Necessary?!?!</i></span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Aspiring
writers pay attention. Two more points.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;">Our
English teacher would write encouragement, as well. She would circle
the following words and ask: </span><span style="color: #222222;">Is it
possible to make the meaning of these words implicit through more
sophisticated means than blunt combination:</span><span style="color: #222222;">
</span><span style="color: #222222;"><i>stormlight, flamespren, shardblades,
lighteyes, voidbringers, stonewalker, stumpweight, rockbuds,
glyphwards, stormblessed, logicmasters, soulcaster, shalebark,
axehound, gemheart, chasmfiend, oathstone, etc., etc. </i></span><span style="color: #222222;">As
it stands, any six year old could do the same. Johnny, what do you
call a a mix of feline and canine? Catdog!</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
last point I'm not sure our English teacher would bother with. But I
will: the red flags of cheap fiction. See the following:</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><i><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;"> He
felt grim, tired, and wet. But he wrapped himself in the
responsibility he had taken, the responsibility for these men. He
held to it like a climber clung to his last handhold as he dangled
from a cliff side.<br /> He </span></span></i><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">would</span></span></span><span style="background: transparent;"><i><span style="color: #222222;">
find a way to protect them.</span></i></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">There
is no other word except “maudlin” to describe such writing.
Forget the bad simile. Forget the forced emotion. Forget the
italicized word. It's just piss poor opera.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
summary, <i>The Way of Kings </i>feels one step shy of high school
storytelling. Sanderson's thesaurus is nowhere to be found. The
story appeals to the simplest of emotions. Presentation holds the
reader's hand—then holds the other in case the meaning was not
explicitly, abundantly, wholly clear. There is an avalanche of
doublewords, meaning the reader spends more time searching their
growing dictionary of Sanderson's neologisms than imagining the world
he is creating—a world he could have created with effective
exposition. <span style="color: #222222;">All in all, the book is an
entertaining film that has the misfortune of being slapped,
stretched, padded, and coddled onto the page—like Mistborn.</span></span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-8625991329098564522024-03-08T21:32:00.005+01:002024-03-15T16:36:46.819+01:00Cardboard Corner: Review of Star Wars: Unlimited<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAIyGlaFV3cIKmaTKKFLc_vAgFcmZFUpoiQoShObGEU34kQB_UJzwP39Df8MkKktamL5xG9WoarrV9xfWi94fkiKArA00PrCr2GQoi8-3HUroQZGn1UdYZTrlWGrdiDO6QV4fnEKy2XOfBhIKAql1Kra416MJmuqmfgX1pt9MHstJAXhFPWFL1UScpXC-/s300/star%20wars%20unlimited%201.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQAIyGlaFV3cIKmaTKKFLc_vAgFcmZFUpoiQoShObGEU34kQB_UJzwP39Df8MkKktamL5xG9WoarrV9xfWi94fkiKArA00PrCr2GQoi8-3HUroQZGn1UdYZTrlWGrdiDO6QV4fnEKy2XOfBhIKAql1Kra416MJmuqmfgX1pt9MHstJAXhFPWFL1UScpXC-/s16000/star%20wars%20unlimited%201.jpg" /></span></a></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Poke around this blog a little and you will see a fair bit of content about expandable card games (CCGs, TCGs, LCGs, etc.). I own a dozen and have played twice that. But it was with trepidation I purchased Fantasy Flight Games' return to the TCG market: <i>Star Wars Unlimited </i>(2024). FFG's pedigree and the art had me interested, but looking over the rule set and seeing a couple sample games didn't give me a feeling the game had an edge—an intangible something to distinguish it from the dozen or so other TCGs being released around this time, let alone dethrone some of the great TCGs that are already out there, dead or alive. Me being a sucker for such games, however, I had to have a try.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Unlimited does not revolutionize expandable card games/CCGs. Two players bring their decks to the table: 50 cards each based around a single Star Wars hero/villain. The decks are comprised of units (characters, vehicles, droids, ships, etc.), upgrades (lightsabers, blasters, grenades, etc.), and events (one-time effects). And these cards are deployed based on a very simple resource system. All is as you would expect from a TCG, with each player's goal being to reduce their opponent's base from thirty to zero hit points. First player to do so, wins.<span><a name='more'></a></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Unlimited </i>borrows a huge amount of DNA from FFG's history of expandable card games. <i>Unlimited </i>has zero dice but it does take advantage of several other elements of <i>Destiny</i>'s design. Gameplay and deckbuilding are hero/villain-centric, including unique abilities. There is likewise a color pie which links to theme: green is Command, red is Aggression, blue is Force, yellow is Cunning, etc.. Each base and hero/villain is tagged with certain colors, which sets deckbuilding parameters. Short games is another <i>Destiny </i>hallmark found in <i>Unlimited</i>. 20-40 minutes is average. Players can easily play two or three games per hour. And while <i>Unlimited </i>also borrows the manner in which <i>Destiny </i>deploys upgrade and vehicles, the last big thing it brings over is one action per turn, which does an amazing job keeping gameplay snappy and fair (i.e. players have a chance to react to their opponent's moves).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It should be clearly stated, however, <i>Unlimited </i>is not <i>Destiny </i>without the dice. It likewise borrows from other games. There is the summoning sickness of <i>Magic: The Gathering</i>, the resource system of <i>The Spoils </i>(more later), the win condition and shields from <i>Star Wars: The Card Game </i>(the LCG), and something slightly resembling the manner in which heroes are flipped in <i>Marvel Champions</i>. On the whole <i>Unlimited </i>feels like a smoothie—a central meeting point, of several TCGs to date. It borrows significantly more than it invents.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If there is an element which distinguishes <i>Unlimited </i>from other such card games, it is the battlefield. Divided in half, it has a space side and a ground side. X-Wings, TIE Fighters, Star Destroyers, etc. must be deployed on the space side, while stormtroopers, AT-STs, guardsman, etc. must be deployed on the ground. And never shall the two meet. Players make tactical choices where and when to deploy units within the limitation space cannot attack ground, and vice versa, knowing both are able to attack bases. Players need to pay attention in order to not let their opponent build up too many forces on one side and blast their way quickly to victory.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I say one thing distinguishes <i>Unlimited</i>, but there is an argument to be made for a second: the uniqueness of the heroes/villains. For the majority of a game, the player's hero or villain sits on the side board. Only its passive effects modify gameplay. Each hero/villain has a deployment cost, however. If there are enough resources, the player can perform an epic action to deploy their hero/villain. They flip them to its other side, which reveals a new power, and deploy it to the battlefield. Once on the battlefield, the hero/villain becomes like other units—ultra powerful, but defeatable. If defeated, the hero/villain flips back over and returns to the side board, it's passive side once more in effect. When the hero/villain comes on the battlefield it's a powerful moment, and the player needs to choose wisely to ensure optimum impact. One of the few truly thematic aspects to the game, it feels good setting Vader loose to stomp over battlefield and lay waste to a group of rebel troopers, for example.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The resource mechanic of any TCG is always worth mentioning given how fundamental it is. That of <i>Unlimited </i>doesn't do anything radical. The opposite in fact; it is as simple as they come, and is, ironically, limiting for it. Using the same system as <i>Lorcana, The Spoils</i>, and several other TCGs, the player converts one of the cards in their hand into a resource at the beginning of a turn by putting it face down into their play area. That card can then be exhausted to pay for units, upgrades, events, etc. Players can only resource one card per turn, which means economies start small and ramp up once per round to allow bigger and bigger cards to be played. In early game, this makes for mechanical play with limited possibilities. Rather than open choices, players typically have only one or two cards in hand that can be played based on the resources available. The first several rounds are on rails—playing what you are able, not what you want. Choosing which cards to convert into resources is interesting, however, and can be the source of regret late game when a card you want has already been resourced. But as a general rule, you resource expensive cards early because they are unplayable, which isn't satisfying.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Overall there is nothing creative or expansive about the game's economy. It's mechanical, simple, and prevents games from getting out of hand quickly. I prefer the open economy of games like <i>Warhammer 40k: Conquest, Destiny, Game of Thrones: The Card Game</i>, etc., but this mechanism is safe and functional.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But is the game fun?!?! Does <i>Unlimited </i>get you excited, wanting to play just one more match?!?! The answer to that question will likely depend on how much TCG experience the player brings to the table. At a basic level, most all TCG players will enjoy it in some way. It is, after all, a TCG designed by industry veterans. More experienced players, however, may not find enough unique content or singular mechanisms to warrant adding a new TCG to their list of games being played. This is because Unlimited is risk averse. A corporate product, it is designed to be mass market accessible—to compete with the big names <i>Magic, Pokemon</i>, etc. By doing so, the game eliminates much of the verve and character that might have made it truly unique or sophisticated—like games coming from smaller studios. Remove the Star Wars IP and you've got a pretty straight-forward game—a balanced, competitive game, but not a rich or innovative one. With that in mind, however, the IP is sure to bring people in, no question. And regardless my hang ups about accessibility, simplicity, theme, etc., Unlimited remains a well-designed game.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We should also discuss the art. FFG went an entirely new direction compared to their previous Star Wars games. Where games like <i>Destiny, Imperial Assault, X-Wing Miniatures</i>, the <i>Star Wars LCG</i>, and their other expandable games recycled a huge amount of art assets, the art of <i>Unlimited </i>is newly commissioned and offers a new style. The art has a strong graphic novel feel, with vivid colors and exaggerated action and emotion. Appreciating it will be personal preference. I find it great. In terms of collectibility, many of the cards can be found in alternate form inside packs (as opposed to given out as promos, prizes, etc.). Opening a booster, the player will find mostly standard format, but at least one card with alternate art (called “hyperspace” format), rainbow foiled, or both. More than most other card games, FFG invested significantly in both standard and alternate varieties of art. At this stage it is most likely taken for granted, but it's worth noting graphic design is also phenomenal. Over the past 14+ years FFG have gotten the integration of art, text, and symbols down to a science. Everything is clear, snappy, and fits a motif running through the whole game. And so while gameplay may be average, table presence is many steps above. I do not get into the collectibility side of TCGs, but I would assume there is clamber over <i>Unlimited</i>.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I'm critical of the ultra-simple resource system and corporate hand holding. But there are a couple other points that are difficult to recommend. First is deck size versus deck played. As stated, deck size is up to 50 cards. Most games we've played (+/-30 as of the writing of this review, using the 50 card starter decks) see only about half of those cards actually played. On average 25 cards remain face down, in a pile, unused, each game. There is a decent chance some of your favorite/most needed cards a stuck in the bottom half. As such, we started a house rule wherein players draw up to a 5-card hand in the regroup phase. This allows for better decisions regarding which cards to resource, better chances of getting cards that can be afforded, and increases the chances of seeing your favorite/most needed cards, not to mention reduces the randomness of one player getting the exact cards they need and the other, not. We find it more fun, and more Star Wars-y. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I could also criticize the flimsy components in the starter deck set (FFG, really? No dials??), but they are ornamental, no real impact on game. This leaves match trajectory. Where resources ramp evenly upward one per round, damage output ramps exponentially. If <i>Unlimited </i>were algebra it would be a growth curve. Things move slowly at the beginning, almost parallel to the x-axis. Things pick up a little for a bit. Then things explode. The final one, two rounds of an Unlimited match are fast and crazy. Where decisions in the early rounds are slow and deliberate due to limited economy, decisions in the late rounds are chaotic and not easy to estimate. A player might have half their base's hit points remaining, then just die in a turn. Matches can be over that quick. Some people may like this chaos; I find it dissatisfying. That 8-cost Palpatine or 7-cost Han Solo you've been saving up to play gets out on the table one action--if he's lucky, then the game is over. Instead, players have to play dinky-danky units the majority of the game. They don't truly get to exercise the power of the big name hero and villains, to feel the satisfaction of them on the table, until the end. You get a taste of their power, but not a full meal.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And just before closing this review, a note on theme—an important note given the Star Wars IP. Unlimited feels reasonably Star Wars-ish. On the spectrum of abstract to representational, it sits in the middle. It's not as opaque and distant as <i>Star Wars: The Card Game</i>, nor is it as concrete and realized as <i>Star Wars CCG </i>or <i>Star Wars: Destiny</i>. Theme is found firstly in card art, secondarily in the split battlefield, and thirdly in the heroes/villains' epic actions. All else (units, upgrades, events, etc.) could have another IP pasted on it and still work well. To give an example, Vader's lightsaber exists in the game—which is 100% Star Wars. But it's 10x more likely that the lightsaber will be attached to a non-Vader character, e.g. Moff Tarkin, Stormtrooper, etc. rather than Vader, which doesn't feel very Star Wars. It could have been a sword attached to a warrior. Thus, players looking for deep thematic connections to the IP will need to stretch their imaginations a little, but not a lot.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In the end, <i>Unlimited </i>is a not a great game, but a solid game. It does everything simple and right without risking anything, making it widely accessible. Art and graphic design are superb. The rules are easily understood, even for children. Pace is great—back and forth, back and forth—leading to quick games. FFG throwing their crack team of developers at <i>Unlimited</i>, design is super tight. And Star Wars theme is present, just not deeply. But by being simple and risk averse—by having a corporate design mindset, Unlimited lacks that certain, special something that certain, special games have. It doesn't have a key, creative element - an X factor - which sets it apart on the market, besides the Star Wars IP and split battlefield. Unlimited thus comes recommended for families, fans of Star Wars (who likely will buy the game regardless of this review), and anyone looking for a good entry point into CCGs, TCGs, LCGs, etc. For me personally, <i>Unlimited </i>will occasionally hit the table when lighter fare is needed, perhaps to introduce friends or my son's friends to TCGs. But I will be looking to other games for richer, more dynamic expandable card game experiences.</span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-29997243025686702132024-03-05T14:05:00.004+01:002024-03-05T14:05:18.734+01:00Review of Fire on the Mountain by Terry Bisson<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xTiq5iohrz1RxT0ouN8BpRxXjNmrh6HKfd42EOQud3-8vngnHWX1_EmbVzRaiTe-8TXs_xOoLTXlosHU_DYCI2Z3cin29SaFXncdLxXeRY-p5s6QCHR_TvLn3kuuxBq3ERl1yclh63GwZVS33YXphPBcWTSkYAtISoRrpxWfhbkXAIQ9r6JWFDIpzH8K/s284/fire%20on%20the%20mountain,%20bisson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="177" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-xTiq5iohrz1RxT0ouN8BpRxXjNmrh6HKfd42EOQud3-8vngnHWX1_EmbVzRaiTe-8TXs_xOoLTXlosHU_DYCI2Z3cin29SaFXncdLxXeRY-p5s6QCHR_TvLn3kuuxBq3ERl1yclh63GwZVS33YXphPBcWTSkYAtISoRrpxWfhbkXAIQ9r6JWFDIpzH8K/w125-h200/fire%20on%20the%20mountain,%20bisson.jpg" width="125" /></a></div>Paul
Theroux is a well known writer of both fiction and non-fiction.
While I personally find his fiction more compelling than his
non-fiction, undoubtedly there are readers who feel his travelogues
stand taller. Having literally seen the world, he has a lot of
insight to offer in his travel writing. When giving opinion about
the West's stance on Africa, for example, Theroux said (I paraphrase)
that Africans are capable of solving their own problems, the West's
interference unnecessary. Taking this to heart in the context of
American race relations is Terry Bisson's <i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Fire on the Mountain
</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(1988)*.</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">A
work of alternate history, the Jonbar point for <i>Fire on the
Mountain </i>is John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859. The
raid successful (having failed in reality), it triggers a slave
rebellion and ultimately paves the way for the American South to
become a free nation. Called Nova Africa and ruled by blacks, it is
a free nation which participates and contributes to mankind,
including space travel.<span></span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">On
this broad swathe of history Bisson tells three stories from two time
frames. In the historical perspective there are two tales. The
first is told in epistolary form, that of a white doctor from
Virginia writing to a relative and describing his experiences,
initially with the abolitionist movement and later with the effects
of Brown's slave rebellion. The second is from a young black slave,
minimally educated, who witnesses first hand the arc of Brown's
revolution. These two stories act as a framework for the primary arc
of the novel, that of the future in which a black widow, whose
husband died on a mission to Mars many years prior, must now confront
her grief again as Nova Africa plans another mission to the red
planet to celebrate the anniversary of Brown's raid. The novel
shifts between these three points of view, and in turn the reader
comes to learn how a black socialist utopia came into being, and how
human it is.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Yes,
you read those words correctly: black socialist utopia—trigger
words in today's culture. They need a closer look. Nova Africa is
indeed socialist. Playing off the successes of the Soviet Union
(e.g. its space program) and replacing its failures with a more
positive spin on the application of Marx's vision, the novel's
primary setting is optimistic socialism. Bisson does not go into
detail how Nova Africa was able to overcome the trappings we know are
inherent to real world attempts at socialism. The reader must simply
accept that it exists. And the same goes for the utopian label. In
fact, I would argue that the utopian elements stem directly from
socialism in the book's eyes.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
personally think capitalism, despite its failings, lies closer to
humanity's hope for progress. As such, I struggle with the lack of
explanation around Nova Africa's rise to socialist utopia. From the
perspective of setting, it skips the most critical transition.
However, I would defend the novel in one regard. It seems clear
Bisson was not interested in society building. He buildt the novel
on characters, instead. And the humanity of the people he
foregrounds comes through in spades. Certainly the reader can poke
holes in the socio-political fabric supporting them, but the
characters themselves are the salt of the Earth. Odinga, the widow,
is fully realized, as is Abraham, the slave in the mid-19th century.
Bisson renders these people true as true, and its there that
appreciation of the novel can be found regardless the political
underpinning.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Which
is a good time to mention Bisson's style. It's excellent. Both
tight and subtle, it gets the point across directly and indirectly.
It brings out the humanity of the characters through brief exposition
as well as between the lines. Readers get a strong sense who the
people are and the concerns driving their inner worlds. The reader,
including myself, can have all the doubts they want about the
ideological underpinnings of the novel, but its execution toward
characterization, is great.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Before
closing this review, I will comment on the novel's intentions. To
get the obvious out of the way, yes, Bisson's intents are socialist
in nature, and the reader must accept that going in. But the novel
should not be dismissed out of hand for its politics. The other
point which is obvious, and the point which I would hold to be the
more critical of the novel, is its rebelliously constructive nature.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Rebellion
is a two-edged sword. Rebellion for rebellion's sake, as seen in
human history, generates bloodshed without purpose. It rarely
institutes positive change on either side. Rebellion with moral
purpose and strategy, however, has proven to be a successful model,
on occasion. It's precisely this latter form of rebellion that
Bisson portrays. Rather than angry victims lashing out in chaotic
manner, Bisson portrays John Brown's rebellion as being ideologically
motivated, as well as having the resources to drive real change for
the benefit of the larger group. Again, the reader can disagree with
the underlying politics, but the improvement in quality of life for
people in Nova Africa is not something they can criticize. Its people
have access to the latest elements of modern life (medicine,
technology, etc.), giving testament to the fact Brown's rebellion was
more than just anger. It wasn't victim mongering. It was strategic
action with a path to make the lives of impacted people better. The
overwhelming majority of human rebellions on Earth do not have such
ideology or sustained sense of purpose. But they do sometimes, and
Bisson presents a reasonably plausible one in which, as hinted at in
the intro of this review, the solution lay within not without.
Blacks in the South didn't need the North. They just needed internal
organization and common purpose.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end <i>Fire on the Mountain</i>, despite assumptions some readers
may want to make reading this review, is not a novel for 2024. Yes,
it strongly features race. And yes, it features the conflict
inherent to slavery in the USA in the 19th century. But it deviates
from 2024 rhetoric. Instead of being a victim narrative, which the
overwhelming majority of contemporary race debates boil down to, <i>Fire
on the Mountain </i>is a constructive narrative. It gives black
Americans agency, then provides a positive vision for how that agency
could be implemented. Note I did not write “<i>could have turned
out</i>”. That's not Bisson's game. He's not saying here's how it
should have been, rather, anything is possible. Thus don't let the
novel's politics throw the potential reader off. Yes, Bisson was a
socialist, and there is certainly socialist utopia building in the
novel with little clear path how to get there. Ignoring that,
however, the human aspects of the novel, the aspects around which
almost everything is centered and presented, are superb. It's for
that reason to read this novel. </span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">*Just
a quick note. I was inspired to read </span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Fire
on the Mountain</span></span><span style="background: transparent;"><i>
upon seeing Bisson passed away in early 2024. RIP Terry, your
fiction lives on. If there is any justice in the world of fiction,
</i><span style="font-style: normal;">Talking Man </span><i>will be
talked about for decades and decades.</i></span></span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-15944051778611297402024-02-29T20:59:00.003+01:002024-02-29T20:59:22.443+01:00Review of Level 7 by Mordecai Roshwald<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7g1xJCZRAN1Jfkqz4lxb5C9WzYLEqqosAO-kLxqB2EWgm1XuXBg91_sbsWMQDE_TcaObadFRZ36dtqLmTITbyakT-YFQlvMEU1zTB2YXB8Digyava4Y8jRqX8uhPs5c4Croox4XRgcQXe9rIw1I7_LpYT1QJMUuZx2sNEMnFqIU-ymv4PKVZH-D7ySZ26/s271/level%207,%20roshwald.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="271" data-original-width="186" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7g1xJCZRAN1Jfkqz4lxb5C9WzYLEqqosAO-kLxqB2EWgm1XuXBg91_sbsWMQDE_TcaObadFRZ36dtqLmTITbyakT-YFQlvMEU1zTB2YXB8Digyava4Y8jRqX8uhPs5c4Croox4XRgcQXe9rIw1I7_LpYT1QJMUuZx2sNEMnFqIU-ymv4PKVZH-D7ySZ26/w137-h200/level%207,%20roshwald.jpg" width="137" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Millennials
catch a fair amount of guff from older generations, much of which
echoes criticisms previous generations had of previous generations
had of... The wheel of time spins. But one thing that Millennials
(even Gen X) have minimal awareness of is living in the shadow of
nuclear war. Putin's rhetoric over Ukraine has put people on alert,
but it's nothing compared to live news feeds showing the destruction
of Hiroshima or warheads being deployed in Cuba, pointed at the US.
Capturing the anxiety and folly of this atmosphere is Mordecai
Roshwald's <i>Level 7 </i>(1959).</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Level
7 </i>is set in an underground arcology, built as a massive nuclear
bunker for half million people. It is told through the eyes of
X-127, a technician whose only job is to stand in front of a panel of
buttons that launch nuclear missiles, and push when directed. Living
on level 7 in the arcology, he interacts with other technicians,
teachers, psychologists, engineers, etc. who share the level. X-127
settles into his role quite easily, his emotional expectations
minimal. And with no wars happening, his life goes smoothly. There
are no buttons to be pushed. That is, until the klaxons sound.<span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Level
7 </i>is a bookend to Nevil Shute's <i>On the Beach</i>. Where
Shute's novel addresses the aftermath of nuclear war, Roshwald's
presents the people quite literally pushing the button to get thing
started. But where Shute looks at the humanity of the situation
through the eyes of a handful of people, Roshwald addresses the
setting through the eyes of one person, X-127, and does so from an
emotionally distant point of view. There is no mention of
claustrophobia, for example, which would eventually be unavoidable.
Another way of putting this is, Shute captures the humanity of his
characters whereas Roshwald struggles to capture the humanity of his
one character.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
primary reason for this is that Roshwald does a proportional amount
of worldbuilding in this brief novel. Character presentation is
offset with structuring the reader's view to the setting,
particularly the levels of the arcology and the types of roles people
have in them. Rather than focusing on quotidian details of human
life, Roshwald instead chooses to present the frame of the
underground world, which, in my opinion, does a good job conveying
the novel's conception but does so at the expense of
characterization—a critical point on which the success of such
novel hinges.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
one thing that <i>Level 7</i> does not fail on is the presentation of
nuclear war. Considering this is the actual fulcrum on which the
novel turns, I will not say more, letting readers discover for
themselves precisely what happens. But I will say its through war
Roshwald imports his human message. It will come as no surprise
this is predominantly in the form of a cautionary, but that doesn't
prevent the final few chapters from plucking the heart and mind
strings in a way the first three-quarters of the novel doesn't. The
ending is not a sum of the parts, but it certainly the strongest,
most memorable part of the story.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, <i>Level 7 </i>can be placed alongside other dystopian
classics when it comes to theme. Roshwald clearly depicts the folly
of nuclear weapons. But when it comes to substance and execution,
it's difficult to make the same comparison. The story is bare bones,
more frame than human tale. Numerous ideas are mentioned (social
relations, claustrophobia, anxiety, concerns for the future, etc.),
but only one is really explored (nuclear war). For anyone exploring
1950s science fiction or science fiction dealing with the Cold War,
this one is absolutely worth checking out, however. Rather than
'nuclear adventure', this is 'nuclear confrontation' of the
existential variety.</span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-10826219009770312782024-02-26T21:08:00.003+01:002024-02-26T21:08:54.229+01:00Review of The Master of Mankind by Aaron Dembski-Bowden<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUyB7v2nbvcGhaMN8ffCVZMx0Ml34eTIQ2TmA7ar8Aunfy6JTJtJl2OS1vsU5rQCRb2U7JIUJl-_8e4v5NAs-_pgv6E_chjQZytX_eFRWsXr-PNGdUBWUanqeS1e0_Xf5z28Ys0i7KbQ6HzGX0sKmRbPX3CzYWk1x35zkwaXZW2a-UKYz9OqEGc2Dq7LS/s268/master%20of%20mankind,%20dembski-bowden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="188" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmUyB7v2nbvcGhaMN8ffCVZMx0Ml34eTIQ2TmA7ar8Aunfy6JTJtJl2OS1vsU5rQCRb2U7JIUJl-_8e4v5NAs-_pgv6E_chjQZytX_eFRWsXr-PNGdUBWUanqeS1e0_Xf5z28Ys0i7KbQ6HzGX0sKmRbPX3CzYWk1x35zkwaXZW2a-UKYz9OqEGc2Dq7LS/w140-h200/master%20of%20mankind,%20dembski-bowden.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i>Meanwhile,
back in the Emperor's throne room...</i>”</span></span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">To
date I'm twenty-two novels deep in the Horus Heresy series, yet the
Emperor, the character on which the series pivots, has primarily
existed offstage. Like the king in chess, his early movements have
been minimal. Almost all the action in the series has been through
the bishops and rooks, queens and pawns. Considering the Emperor is
the piece Horus is trying to topple, the metaphor is real. Castling
the rook to bring the king into the field of battle, Aaron
Dembski-Bowden's <i>The Master of Mankind </i>(2016), 41st book in
the HH series, looks to raise the series' stakes and peel back the
curtain on what has been happening on Earth <i>meanwhile</i>.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">A
lot has been happening. Extending directly from the events of <i>A
Thousand Sons</i>, <i>The Master of Mankind </i>takes the reader into
the webways between worlds and the ongoing intrusion of Chaos there.
If there were a similar scene in reality, it would be that of a
mother returning home with groceries, opening the front door, and
discovering a raging chaos of a dozen children—swinging from the
chandeliers, throwing water balloons, drawing on the walls, etc. <i>The
Master of Mankind </i>is exactly this, just with chaos demons and
chaos space marines roaring around. This is what has been happening
on Earth while the events of Isstvann III and V went down and the
Imperium Secundus attempted to keep the Emperor's mission alive. The
novel describes precisely what the Emperor is doing in response as he
is attacked from the webways.<span></span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>The
Master of Mankind </i>is supported by a couple pillars. As the
reader would hope, one is the past and present of the Emperor.
Featuring several flashbacks, the reader gets insight into the man's
worldview and why he has been so damn quiet while Horus' rebellion
rages in the universe. The second pillar is the activities of those
closest to the Emperor during Horus' rebellion—the Imperial Fists
led by Rogal Dorn, the Custodes, and the Silent Sisters. And the
third pillar is the war raging in the webways. Magnus' folly having
opened the space between realities to all manner of Chaos, a massive
war rages in nether space. Titans, space marines, Mars Tech, and all
other manner of fighters attempt to keep the flood at bay.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Aaron
Dembski-Bowden was a good choice for the novel. His dark, brooding
style puts the Emperor in an appropriate light, just as his slightly
obtuse prose provides interesting detail about the Emperor and his
past while preventing the narrative from having too many anachronisms
or potential points of conflict with canon. And when action is
needed, it's there. The climax of this novel is fiery, personal, and
symbolic. I will not spoil anything, but I will say Dembski-Bowden
does a great job capturing the moral gray—the bittersweet—existence
of the Emperor in the events that transpire.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="pl-PL" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Expressing
that last idea in alternate fashion, <i>The Master of Mankind </i>ends
up playing two roles in the series. It is both a catching up with
what's happening on Terra before the action of the Horus Heresy
series switches there, but it's likewise a prequel, a view to the
Warhammer universe before the Horus Heresy. A couple of the key
elements that readers versed in the 40k universe know well have their
origins explained. I will not spoil things here, but I can say their
origins are fitting. Respect to canon is given while evolving the
HH.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">If
there are any issues with the novel, one would be the descriptions of
the webways. Perhaps I missed it, but my brain struggled to picture
the webways. One of the primary settings of the novel, I had
difficulty imagining the space. Where battles in other HH novels are
often staged with physical description (terrain, choke points,
defensive fortifications, etc.), <i>The Master of Mankind </i>seems
to lack much of this—at least to my understanding.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, <i>The Master of Mankind </i>is a critical element of the
Horus Heresy tapestry. And symbolically, it is one of the most
critical elements. Readers looking for more bolter porn will likely
disagree on the novel's criticality to the series considering the
relative speed it moves and general character focus. But for readers
who appreciate the series' architecture and underpinning concepts,
particularly the role the Emperor plays in both the Heresy, the
universe, and the Crusades, this is unmissable.</span></span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-79041216930927354412024-02-23T16:44:00.004+01:002024-02-23T16:44:55.210+01:00Review of Time Out of Joint by Philip K. Dick<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitL-zQJgK7m2amnH9M9TV7WKcFkU5MP0FxF8l_Nkef40Rk0qYIg3c9Fq8NzIlMcg-WK9jVHDbUDZ_v_wqQLFGfiYI2-grdZRRwX9J-3gAl_hyphenhyphenwBvdijkaCSS_rl9NXfggf-Si4MzGoMXPf4sCA7kQEsKdgQI1_CrWudvxXlg-gGYjoz-wPzHMdzpIQz-WN/s275/time%20out%20of%20joint,%20dick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="275" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitL-zQJgK7m2amnH9M9TV7WKcFkU5MP0FxF8l_Nkef40Rk0qYIg3c9Fq8NzIlMcg-WK9jVHDbUDZ_v_wqQLFGfiYI2-grdZRRwX9J-3gAl_hyphenhyphenwBvdijkaCSS_rl9NXfggf-Si4MzGoMXPf4sCA7kQEsKdgQI1_CrWudvxXlg-gGYjoz-wPzHMdzpIQz-WN/s1600/time%20out%20of%20joint,%20dick.jpg" width="183" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">There
are a few genre defining science fiction films out there, and one is
<i>The Matrix</i>. About a man unknowingly living in a virtual
world, one day he has the curtain pulled back to reveal the dark
reality beyond. It is the poster child for brain-in-a-vat stories.
The film is likewise candy for paranoids and conspiracy theorists
everywhere. <i>It's true man, it's true! </i>And was there any more
paranoid a writer in science fiction history than Philip K. Dick?
<i>Time Out of Joint </i>(1956) says 'no'.</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Time
Out of Joint </i>is the story of Ragle Gumm (brilliant name). Gumm
makes a living in the most extraordinary way: he plays the lottery,
guessing where a green alien will appear next, and does so with
extraordinary success. He lives in a classic 50s American suburb and
is friends with the neighbors around him. Considering his life dull
and boring, however, Gumm starts exploring ways of making it
interesting, starting with attempting an affair with a neighbor's
wife. The attempt leads him to some interesting variations in
reality—glitches in the matrix as it were. Gumm eventually notices
enough of the variations to begin pushing beyond, to learn the whys.
In doing so discovers why he is so successful at his job.<span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Time
Out of Joint </i>has a nice arc. Dick begins in 1950s Americana, and
bit by bit, strangeness by strangeness, takes the reader to a bizarro
Cold War future. The degree of paranoia Gumm expresses while taken
on this arc is discomforting. There are echoes of our contemporary
age and its dearth of influencers and other social media
personalities who believe the world revolves around them, reality
malleable in suiting their victimhoods. <i>Time Out of Joint </i>being
fiction, however, Dick guides this self-centered tale through a
complementary setting.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Looking
at Dick's oeuvre, there is something to be said about the dynamic,
poor quality of prose. But in <i>Time Out of Joint</i> he seems to
have found a groove. The prose will not set the world on fire, but
it is at least consistent, and, if I'm being perfectly honest, helps
create one of the better pieces of PKD fiction I have read
technique-wise. Most readers familiar with Dick shorten their
expectations for prose when encountering a new book, which leads to a
situation wherein this book may have the chance of, dare I say it,
impressing.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">One
of the challenges of the novel is it's ending. Quite frankly, it
resolves itself. It reveals itself to be just escapist fiction. Had
Dick left matters equivocal, I can't help but feel the story would
have transcended itself, to be commentary on the Cold War, or to be
an exploration of perception and reality—to potentially be a
brain-in-a-vat or to be something else entirely. But no,
self-contained it is. This is not a sin. The novel is just not as
effective as it could have been.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, <i>Time Out of Joint </i>may be the quintessential Philip K.
Dick book. There are other books in his oeuvre which are better,
perhaps more singular in imagination or more consistent in delivery,
but this one may be the archetype. Escalating nicely from 1950s
Americana into... well, that is for the reader to discover, Dick
proves that for as small as the brain is, it can have a lot of
conceptions about the ultimate reality of reality. The book's ending
has a lot of uncapitalized potential, but the journey there is good.
All in all, this is one of Dick's better novels—at least of the
dozen+ I've read.</span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-5675865263796767342024-02-20T18:32:00.000+01:002024-02-20T18:32:23.595+01:00Review of Towing Jehovah by James Morrow<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6M6kEvNAf3ppbjgFk9Vqsj29eHu0QtOWRoxWiBmVGUCJBDJPOZuok9d7IFcOvndO3ia9xb-wfjTuRWlkaI-aJWxMeeTmK48uGmRLZMlFK92QRYcX7_Nki-01XlatqJK0EHmzDHdPAXNKCUW14MiGanze0BnOmBBcv2jcvEu2MSB4yv04ut6p8nFs9W8Aw/s276/towing%20jehovah,%20morrow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="276" data-original-width="182" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6M6kEvNAf3ppbjgFk9Vqsj29eHu0QtOWRoxWiBmVGUCJBDJPOZuok9d7IFcOvndO3ia9xb-wfjTuRWlkaI-aJWxMeeTmK48uGmRLZMlFK92QRYcX7_Nki-01XlatqJK0EHmzDHdPAXNKCUW14MiGanze0BnOmBBcv2jcvEu2MSB4yv04ut6p8nFs9W8Aw/w132-h200/towing%20jehovah,%20morrow.jpg" width="132" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">1950s
science fiction featured proportionately more satire than does the
current landscape—an interesting fact considering the sheer volume
of sf being published today. Writers like Frederik Pohl, William
Tenn, C.M. Kornbluth, Wilson Tucker, and others used speculative
situations to comment on the times, often in subtly eviscerating
fashion. James Morrow, for as little known as he is in 2024, was one
of the few writers keeping the satire torch alight in the 80s, 90s,
and 2000s. <i>Towing Jehovah </i>(1994) is not Morrow's sharpest
blade, but it gets its point across in wildly imaginative fashion.</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Nietzsche
was right: God is dead, and at the beginning of <i>Towing Jehovah</i>
Morrow manifests this in reality by having the elder one's massive
body fall from the heavens and land in the ocean stone, cold, dead.
The Vatican the first to learn of his death (natch), they dispatch
one of their most ambitious priests to commission a ship to tow the
corpse to a secret location where they can study and attempt to
revivify it. A ship and unlikely group of mariners is pulled
together, trouble is, it may end up getting in its own way more than
effecting the mission.<span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Where
some of Morrow's satire can be quite sharp, it's most often because
he chooses to put the might of his thrust behind one blow, i.e. one
theme that is nicely unpacked. <i>Towing Jehovah </i>is more like a
series of cuts thrown in various directions; the opponent is not
located in a particular direction, rather several.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Before
getting to the criticisms of the novel, one thing needs to be made
clear: I am an agnostic. My challenges with the novel are not based
on religion, directly or indirectly. I have sympathy for Morrow's
views. But <i>Towing Jehovah </i>is just that: a flurry of small
pokes at religion. They are clever and witty, but from the
perspective of literature the book has minimal purpose other than to
be the featherweight puncher, buzzing around, and throwing a flurry
without any real weight behind them. It's a huge amount of fun to
read but doesn't escalate toward a final, decisive point. To keep my
sword fighting metaphor going, <i>Towing Jehovah </i>does not have a
finishing blow.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, <i>Towing Jehovah </i>is sprinkles on frosting on maraschino
cherries on confectionery sugar. From scene to scene to scene it's a
real treat. Morrow keeps the hits coming. But don't look for a
meal. For as sweet as it is, for as tight as Morrow's prose is, and
for as meaty as the theme would seem to be, Morrow provides only a
dessert. No full course meal. (Apologies for mixing all these
metaphors.) Thus, read at your own desire. If you enjoy fiction
which plays with its atheist food in creative fashion <i>Towing
Jehovah </i>is for you. For people looking for a weightier shakedown
of religion, try elsewhere. </span></span></span>
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-40468079533987389732024-02-19T14:21:00.004+01:002024-02-23T16:36:27.161+01:00Starcraft II - 2023 Year in Review<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQs8YQGGXdaqA_RMOrgyOf_hvJVaNDO7puZdPzbkOaoc1ncmpybRHKxZNMmv0FVZCRJR2nBzLFZuKETiECOFqhsH0cs_WnpWN-tP1-2N6yZ_qjklsX03CJC1OzFcjpyCARBt-WCuKF4qmmopoZuf8Bj7-0-hZ_2f2teq6yWIlGXDlFnhNrPkPQPbNfdKFU/s275/serral%20sc2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQs8YQGGXdaqA_RMOrgyOf_hvJVaNDO7puZdPzbkOaoc1ncmpybRHKxZNMmv0FVZCRJR2nBzLFZuKETiECOFqhsH0cs_WnpWN-tP1-2N6yZ_qjklsX03CJC1OzFcjpyCARBt-WCuKF4qmmopoZuf8Bj7-0-hZ_2f2teq6yWIlGXDlFnhNrPkPQPbNfdKFU/w133-h200/serral%20sc2.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">With IEM Katowice 2024 now in the
rearview mirror—the defacto Blizzcon, we can take a look back at
what made <span lang="pl-PL">2023 a </span><span>year in Starcraft 2.
We'll look briefly at the state of play, the best players, the best
series, and other relevant things (balance!!).</span></span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">State of Play</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">SC2 in 2023 should not have happened at
the scale it did. But thanks to crowdfunding and unexpected
injections of cash, the competitive scene declined but did not die.
We lost one of the seasonal premiere non-Korean tournaments and GSL
was reduced in size (number of participants). Viewership dropped
overall. Up and coming RTS games <i>Zerospace </i>and <i>Stormgate
</i>started to distract viewers' attentions. And there was not a
rotation of talent. Perennial names remained at the top <span lang="pl-PL">while
zero new names emerged as contenders</span>.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But the SC2 scene stayed alive. It has
only half a foot in the grave. On and offline tournaments continued
to be <span lang="pl-PL">organized—most importantly at the premiere
level.</span> Some decent prize pools and one giant one were awarded
(at least outside Korea). People continued to attend live events and
watch online. And perhaps surprise of all surprises, the game got a
balance patch. It helped, at least a little. The community seems
split on the health of the game, but one thing for sure is that, if two
years ago someone would have said that in 2023-2024 things are as they
are, most people would be satisfied. At least I hope so.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span lang="pl-PL">In 2023 the</span> shadow of
balance loom<span lang="pl-PL">ed</span> ever larger, to the point it's affecting <span lang="pl-PL">people's
</span>enjoyment, and consequently viewership. I understand <span lang="pl-PL">balance </span>is
a perpetual problem in any RTS game. But if the balance swings in
different directions—sometimes race X, sometimes race Y, etc., then
it's easier to swallow. Where we stand today in SC2 is that balance
has overall favored zerg for years and years. 2023 did not change
that. The <span lang="pl-PL">overwhelming </span>majority of
premiere tournaments continued to be won by zerg. There is something
about the race that is conducive to weekend tournament play. <span lang="pl-PL">And
it's not just Serral. The past four years have seen five different
zergs taking home more than 50% of the premiere trophies. That number should be
around 33%... </span>I understand SC2 designers have to balance the
game across all skill levels, but for whatever reason that leaves
zerg to sit uncontested at the top of the heap at the premiere
tournament level. (And to be clear, this isn't a Serral rant. He's not the only zerg winning.)</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">It gets boring watching the same old,
same old. Th<span lang="pl-PL">ose</span> five zerg players have won
more premiere tournaments than the top ten Terrans and Protoss in
that time, combined. I understand balance at the lower tiers of SC2 is a
different story, but the professional level is out of whack. 2023
found me at my lowest level of interest in the game because of it.
Watching Serral go 20-1 at Katowice was boring. He's the greatest,
he's the greatest. Maybe. Maybe even likely. But whatever he is,
he is smart. He figured out what makes zerg the best race, and
exploits it. And so too do Dark, Shin, Reynor, et al. And before
them it was Rogue, Life, soO, and others. I undertand it's
too late now. The writing is on the wall for SC2 in terms of being a
professionally competitive game. It's not possible to implement a giant fix that would alleviate the imbalance. But I don't think I'm the only one
bored of being correct expecting
zerg to win every premiere. It used to be: who will win? Now it's:
can anyone beat zerg? I hope the designers of the next great RTS do
not include a swarm faction, and instead let skill, trickery,
knowledge, and decisiveness be the deciders of games.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But enough whining. On to the best
players of the year, followed by matches of the year.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Players of the Year</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Unlike previous years in which I chose
a best player per race per region, Korean and non-Korean, this year I
think the competitive player base has shrunk to the point global
awards can be given. No need to distinguish Korea. Without further
ado, they are:</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Zerg of the Year</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The winner of this category is obvious,
but I would like to call out the year Dark had. He <span lang="pl-PL">won
a handful of the biggest majors, </span>finished second at a <span lang="pl-PL">couple premieres, </span>and did well at the premiere of premiere<span lang="pl-PL">s
in</span> Katowice, including taking the only map off Serral. But it
was Serral in 2023, no question. He won <span lang="pl-PL">six</span>
premiere <span lang="pl-PL">titles, which is insane in any year.
More gushing</span> in a moment.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Terran of the Year</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In my eyes there were three contenders
for this title: Maru, Clem, and Cure. Cure had some amazing second
place finishes, including GSL and Gamers8, not to mention made it to
the quarterfinals of IEM Katowice. Clem won DH Atlanta and placed
high in many big tournaments. But Maru clearly had the best
year. He won two GSLs (not as prestigious as it used to be, but
still), disappeared for a bit, then came back to take second place at
IEM Katowice by dominating everyone except Serral (and Byun, to be fair).
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Protoss of the Year</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As is sadly the case, there is not the
competition for this award as their should be. There are really only
three competitors for this trophy. <span lang="pl-PL">MaxPax</span>
had his <span lang="pl-PL">personal best </span>coming in second to
Serral at European Masters, <span lang="pl-PL">but didn't do much
elsewhere, largely because he refuses to do offline</span>. <span lang="pl-PL">(C'mon
Maxxie, man up.)</span> Astrea has a headlock on the NA region, but saw minimal success elsewhere. This left it up to herO to run with the
Protoss baton. Unfortunately, this did not mean any gold medals. A
couple key second place finishes and a great run at IEM Katowice
(including a banger against Reynor), but that's it. Without <span lang="pl-PL">Zest,
</span>Stats, Classic, Parting, and others to <span lang="pl-PL">help
</span>carry the Protoss baton, my heart continues to break.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Player of the Year</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As I said, this is boring. There is no
contest. He won almost everything. Serral. Serral. Serral.
Serral. It wasn't whether he might win, rather it was: can he be beaten? It happened
only a few times, literally. The rest of the time we were
talking about how he dropped only one map the entire tournament, or
maybe two, so dominate was Serral. Over the
past year I've been pulling together a Top 10 <span lang="pl-PL">G</span>reatest
SC2 players of all time. My line for Serral is: so good he's
boring—the compliment of compliments.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Match of the Year</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As always, here are a few honorable
mentions:</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">MaxPax vs Maru - PiG Sty Festival 3.0
Final</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">MaxPax vs Clem - PiG Sty Festival 3.0
Semi - Final</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">herO vs Maru - Wardi Korean Royale
Grand Final</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">heo vs Maru - PigSty Festival 4.0 -
Quarterfinals (bo7)</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Serral vs. Clem - Pig Sty Festival 4.0
Quarter Final (b07)</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Hero vs Reynor - Master's Coliseum
Semis (bo7)</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Best Match</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><u><span style="font-family: arial;">Clem vs Serral - DH Atlanta
Semifinals</span></u></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The reason this is the best match of
the year is because human limits were tested. It was <i>Ender's Game
</i>in real life. To set this one up, Serral was on his way to yet
another trophy. He had been the best all year and was marching his
way through the tournament without disruption. But a falling star
hit Clem. <span lang="pl-PL">H</span>e methodically weathered
Serral's relentless, unending, implacable, swarming, swarming, and
swarming, map after map. Map 2 in particular saw Clem's sanity
stretched to the max. Jut watch it. It's the reason SC2 is
monumentally great.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Conclusion</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">2023 was an ok year. There were good
matches. The SC2 scene <span lang="pl-PL">did not die</span>. And
there was still energy in the air. Just not as much as there used to
be. And let's be frank. If this were Wings of Liberty or Heart of the Swarm, measures would have been implemented by Blizzard to
rein in zergs winning at the premiere level. <span lang="pl-PL">The
game depends on balance to thrive, and as we see now, it's starting
to lose its lust for life.</span> But as everyone knows, once Legacy
of the Void hit shelves Blizzard shifted the game's
developers, designers, etc. in other directions. It was a “finished”
game from their perspective. <span lang="pl-PL">I disagree</span>.
If the same amount of effort from developers and designers were
available today, I think the tournament scene would look different.
Alas, it does not...</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But all good things must come to an end. I don't know if I will continue SC2
commentary in 2024. Everything about the game is declining, and
other RTSs are rising—RTSs which may or may not be more balanced. Something <span lang="pl-PL">less predictable is needed than </span>zerg
winning...</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-67013802680041111942024-02-17T09:32:00.002+01:002024-02-17T09:32:37.403+01:00Review of Hotwire by Simon Ings<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKhJK6hhZY_stVCCldd8DzuHmHDqSUUzk3xJqaTfDnymQ_DiUGf62C7ve78-MdOA7UGhGQ_UBk3_anYknRM0pLnq2u-wrpS8rhVaeTN0Gvge6Rs88rZ9KMe9GCAGovsLqT7LCNgOADbkOrBA3Yku9_FmdTAN3HcPUVHXj0JjpkztrH83SlvhRxKzEG9Cj/s289/hotwire,%20ings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="289" data-original-width="174" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrKhJK6hhZY_stVCCldd8DzuHmHDqSUUzk3xJqaTfDnymQ_DiUGf62C7ve78-MdOA7UGhGQ_UBk3_anYknRM0pLnq2u-wrpS8rhVaeTN0Gvge6Rs88rZ9KMe9GCAGovsLqT7LCNgOADbkOrBA3Yku9_FmdTAN3HcPUVHXj0JjpkztrH83SlvhRxKzEG9Cj/w120-h200/hotwire,%20ings.jpg" width="120" /></a></div>Making the reader feel uncomfortable is inherent to body
horror fiction. The author wants you to squirm in your skin through
primeval situations and visceral exposition. As a result, body
horror is coconut fiction: you either like it or not, no middle
ground. Simon Ings <i style="font-family: arial;">Hotwire </i><span style="font-family: arial;">(1995) is body horror in cyberpunk
form. Let's see which side of coconut you fall on.</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Hotwire
</i>is nicely edited to jump between varying scenes and
circumstances, but all feeds the story of Ajay. Ajay once had a nice
job working for the Haag Agency, a company which creates intelligent
cities, but he is convinced to betray the Agency, and at the outset
of <i>Hotwire </i>has been tasked with stealing a bit of exotic
technology from a wetware expert named Snow who has an AI daughter
named Rose. Ajay's quest for this tech anything but A-B-C, Ings
takes the reader through the messy, bloody side of body augments in
seeing whether or not Ajay can conclude his mission—alive.<span></span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Hotwire
</i>is extremely similar to Jon Courtenay Grimwood's early cyberpunk
novels (<i>neoAddix, Lucifer's Dragon, reMix, </i>and <i>redRobe</i>).
It's edgy. It's visceral. It's attempting to get under your skin
with the manner in which technology can twist the meaning of being
organically, naturally human. The dark side of body implants, new
“business options” available to organized crime, the alternate
meaning of being alive—they make drugged kidney theft look like
child's play.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">If
William Gibson, Bruce Sterling, Pat Cadigan, and other writers
created the archetypes we now know are second wave of cyberpunk, then
Ings (and Grimwood) are clearly third wave. The motifs, the color
scheme, the patterns, the symbols—all the classic cyberpunk bits
and pieces are present and in use. Another way of saying this is,
<i>Hotwire </i>is predictable at the macro level, even if the plot
details are unpredictable at the micro. Epic fantasy, romance, and
other genres have their common touch points, and <i>Hotwire </i>touches
most of cyberpunk's—not a bad or good thing, just a thing.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, I don't have a lot more to say about <i>Hotwire</i>. It
knows what it wants to be: shocking cyberpunk—clear in its symbols,
sharp in its diction, and violating the reader's sense of physical
being. Thus, for as brutal as Ings tries to be, these attempts at
shocking the reader come across as bland and uninteresting knowing
its trying to be a product—at least to me. It's entirely possible
other readers will cling closer to the idea that Ings is attempting
to demonstrate, possibly even warn humanity of the dangers of body
modification. If I'm being truthful, there is a decent argument to
be made, as long as it's beyond the over attempts at shock and awe.
Regardless, if the image of cyberpunk is what you're looking for,
Ings pens a sharp, minimalist tale that will have you squirming in
certain scenes. </span></span></span>
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-10925852011956530732024-02-12T18:09:00.003+01:002024-02-12T18:09:50.548+01:00Review of Double Star by Robert Heinlein<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lTOFwvK-Obzywgv-ogpimNzGdo0srMo3kYcgoEPf3HVb9_hR_C7hYqQnFzELvLZOO0GITPxQ4sC6OiIim9KvQ39jF1IFRoeQUUTL0lTk_V8AW3VtS50d4pZyoaQlq0b1UtjGH2p90qm174qpEBi8aAidnKcUEf1Wyw1Rns2GV8e8lPUrBmgJI6RdXm-c/s268/double%20star,%20heinlein.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="188" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6lTOFwvK-Obzywgv-ogpimNzGdo0srMo3kYcgoEPf3HVb9_hR_C7hYqQnFzELvLZOO0GITPxQ4sC6OiIim9KvQ39jF1IFRoeQUUTL0lTk_V8AW3VtS50d4pZyoaQlq0b1UtjGH2p90qm174qpEBi8aAidnKcUEf1Wyw1Rns2GV8e8lPUrBmgJI6RdXm-c/w140-h200/double%20star,%20heinlein.jpg" width="140" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">In
2012 the Library of America released a two volume set <i>American
Science Fiction: Nine Classic Novels of the 1950s</i>. Naturally, I
checked who had been chosen and how many I'd read. At the time it was
about half, and so I set a goal to read all in order to comment on
the set. Twelve years later I've finished all nine. I will save my
comments on the two-volume set for a separate post, but here are my
comments on the last but not least of the nine, Robert Heinlein's
<i>Double Star </i>(1956).</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Double
Star </i>is the story of a rogue actor who finds himself in a bizarre
situation imitating a politician. Lorenzo Smythe is a
down-on-his-luck performer who knows his skills are excellent but
can't seem to find the sponsors he needs to become properly famous in
the galaxy. That is, until he is approached by a small group of men
who want him to pretend to be the famous Mars politician John
Bonforte. Kidnapped and held hostage, Bonforte's associates do not
want the show to stop, and so they are able to convince Smythe to
step in for just one speech. One speech becoming a television
presentation becoming a... eventually things come to a head and
something must give in Smythe's double life.<span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">If
anything, <i>Double Star</i> is a sharply written thriller with an
atypically (for Heinlein) developed protagonist. Realistic may be too
strong a word, but certainly relatable, perhaps even sympathetic.
His devil-may-care attitude at the beginning may put the reader off,
but slowly, as he takes on more of Bonforte's role, becomes a more
rounded presentation. Surround the man's story with the mystery of
Bonforte's disappearance, Martian intrigue, snappy prose, and you've
got a readable story.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
novel is readable, but by today's standards can be, and sometimes is,
a bit trope-y. The Martians are cartoon alien and wield deadly laser
wands. Space works with some sense of rigor (extra gravity in space
flight, for example), but does not have some of the basics readers
have come to know and expect. But it must be remembered that in the
50s, Heinlein was offering something people wanted. Where a portion
of readers today look to check boxes for DEI, etc., Heinlein's
readers wanted spaceships, inter-planetary travel, etc. Sf has
evolved, and will (thankfully) continue to evolve.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, <i>Double Star </i>is a true classic 1950s, Silver Age
science fiction novel. It attempts to transcend its era, however, in
two ways. First, it offers something a bit more than a 2D main
character—not fully 3D, but something between. Second, it
parallels the role politicians play in representing society's views
with that of an actor—the two far from opposite. Heinlein does not
beat dead horse, instead letting the evolution of plot and main
character do the story's talking. Is this literary sf? Probably
not, but the story provides more to appreciate in theme and substance
than the majority of its peers. Is it among the nine best sf novels
of the 50s? Don't know yet. Still reading.</span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-52660112072027681582024-02-09T10:13:00.000+01:002024-02-09T10:13:19.683+01:00Review of Angels of Caliban by Gav Thorpe<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk23AL1NLWxs6tUG9a-OoDzjnM96DHFphTItxWAw8tOsvIguQusZ5m59lxitmBzwBZcDJxQHoUt3CPC0Dh81Pt8D3SSlWiso26V7HVqee9qg8lA2WwH_2_0bNUsIOqKl9QgdQjMOV_9eim6g_E4V9hi494CF2U-BVPDIc1kh_fkSeHQ6a2UTfx-UzYVwDF/s283/angels%20in%20caliban,%20thorpe.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="178" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk23AL1NLWxs6tUG9a-OoDzjnM96DHFphTItxWAw8tOsvIguQusZ5m59lxitmBzwBZcDJxQHoUt3CPC0Dh81Pt8D3SSlWiso26V7HVqee9qg8lA2WwH_2_0bNUsIOqKl9QgdQjMOV_9eim6g_E4V9hi494CF2U-BVPDIc1kh_fkSeHQ6a2UTfx-UzYVwDF/w126-h200/angels%20in%20caliban,%20thorpe.jpg" width="126" /></a></i></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>A
Thousand Sons</i> by Graham McNeill and <i>Prospero Burns</i> by Dan
Abnett are two early Horus Heresy novels. Conceived as a pair, the
novels complement one another by describing the same moments in time
from two different points of view. Repeating this concept are <i>Pharos
</i>by Guy Haley and the subject of this review, <i>Angels of Caliban
</i>(2016).</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Where
<i>Pharos </i>is set primarily on Sotha, a perimeter planet where
only bits and pieces of Ultramarines and other loyalist legions
perform guard duty, <i>Angels in Caliban </i>is primarily set in and
around Macragge, the heart of Imperium Secundus. As the Night Lords
descend on Sotha to attempt to take control of the Pharos beacon, so
too do they look toward Macragge—to further Horus' aims by taking
out the Ultramarines, Dark Angels, and Blood Angels stationed there.
But not all is well in loyalist land. Internal conflict festers
quietly in the Dark Angels, while Sanguinius broods over Conrad
Kurze's surprise attack in Pharos. Cracks appearing in Imperium
Secundus, the time may be ripe for Horus to attack.<span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">One
older and one newer, <i>Angels of Caliban </i>brings together two
major storylines that had previously worked independently. The older
storyline is that begun in <i>Descent of Angels </i>and carried
forward in <i>Fallen Angels</i>. The unity and loyalty of the Dark
Angels anything but clear, <i>Angels of Caliban </i>brings to a head
conflict that has been brewing for some time—and does so with
fireworks. The newer storyline is that of the Imperium Secundus.
Lion El'Johnson is torn between his brothers in the Imperium and the
needs and circumstances of the Dark Angels. And then another factor
is thrown into his difficult geometry: the Night Lords and Conrad
Kurze. In an effort to avoid dealing with the problems in his own
Legion and the Imperium, the Lion goes on a manhunt across the
galaxy, razing planets to get to Conrad, but in the process creates
more problems than he solves. Simply put, sparks fly in the final
third of the novel.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Like
Guy Haley, Gav Thorpe writes a straight forward novel with a couple
nicely rendered scenes. The Dark Angels destruction of a Night Lords
stronghold is handled well, for example. The march, the
inevitability, the cold-hearted destruction come across in both mood
and description. For as innocuous as it is, it sticks out, as well
as a few other, more impacting scenes which are best for the reader
to discover. The prose will not knock readers off their feet, but
it gets the job done.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
waffled over <i>Pharos </i>and whether it was a critical read in the
Horus series. No waffling needed for <i>Angels of Caliban</i>. It
is critical. The fate of the Imperium Secundus decided, as well as
that of a primarch or two, readers looking to stick to the backbone
of the series should consider this a vertebrae. It may not end up
being among readers' favorite novels in the series, but it cannot be
skipped for plot events.</span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-3094143998524963142024-02-06T12:46:00.003+01:002024-02-06T12:46:52.685+01:00Review of Sandkings by George R.R. Martin<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeU1YMGgfaYAE9fEW7cXDIbJCORg_ExuI4ZkuNOIf0s4H0fgf59mKFc3xvCWGJXSD1XCCJCEMKanjs1384_JHaK9vi6pFROyr06eT_RXYUagkXjgfMyuiYohZ3FV46FDFQ89b_9lpovDuad_GvWy8fz7pDS19VgPMC53a2D9E3qYonqRKXLXDKP3-NaCD/s287/sandkings,%20martin.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="176" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgeU1YMGgfaYAE9fEW7cXDIbJCORg_ExuI4ZkuNOIf0s4H0fgf59mKFc3xvCWGJXSD1XCCJCEMKanjs1384_JHaK9vi6pFROyr06eT_RXYUagkXjgfMyuiYohZ3FV46FDFQ89b_9lpovDuad_GvWy8fz7pDS19VgPMC53a2D9E3qYonqRKXLXDKP3-NaCD/w123-h200/sandkings,%20martin.jpg" width="123" /></a></div>George
R.R. Martin's name is synonymous with <i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">A Game of Thrones</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">, and
likely always will be. But decades before he became a cultural
phenomenon, he was a middle-of-the-pack writer of science fiction and
fantasy, jostling elbows with the other genre writers of the 70s and
80s for success. And he was solid, even sometimes good, at short
fiction. </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sandkings</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">, a collection published in 1981, offers a
good sampling of his shorter, pulpier stories.</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
collection kicks off with one its lone ideologically motivated story,
however. “The Way of Cross and Dragon” tells of an inquisitor
sent to reprimand a heretic. Set in a vastly populated galaxy, the
story offers a thinly veiled piss-take on Catholicism. There is
extremely little plot meat on the bones, and lacks beautiful skin to
make up for it. Moreover, the story's end point, despite its logic,
could have been more artfully presented. I know other people like
this story, but for me there are more sophisticated take downs of
religion out there. “Bitterblooms” is about a woman who runs an
ice wagon on a snowy planet overrun by vampires. Martin does his
best to humanize the woman, but the pulp mode and the pulp-ish
denouement leave the story without the sparkle it could have had if
Martin had decided to go deeper into her character.<span></span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Feeling
extremely like a Conan story though not a Conan story, “In the
House of the Worm” is a novella telling of the <span lang="pl-PL">adventures
</span>one young man <span lang="pl-PL">has exploring the dungeons
beneath his exotic city</span>. His travel<span lang="pl-PL">s </span>deep
under a timeless, mythical temple where <span lang="pl-PL">a </span>white
worm lives, there to confront <span lang="pl-PL">his mortality</span>.
Martin's technique is a degree better than Howard's <span lang="pl-PL">(but
only a degree)</span>, and for that is <span lang="pl-PL">just barely
</span>able to drag the reader along this tale of machismo. <span lang="pl-PL">Aside
from roguish adventure, </span>substance is meager pickings. “Fast
Friend” is space fantasy with no limits. It tells of the crew of a
small ship who encounter the bizarre and fanstastical in the black
unknown, and not everyone lives to tell about it. There are some
stories which feel better for not being reined in somehow—they defy
the edict where everything is possible nothing is interesting. This
is not one of them. It needed a coral—a place to play, but with
limits. The reader has nothing to anchor themselves to save a bland
main character.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The
Stone City” is a dark story about a man named Holt stranded on a
hostile alien planet. Surrounded by callous alien races, he and the
last surviving member of his crew look for berths to get off world.
After continual denial by the locals, Holt eventually brokers a deal,
one that sends him to a place where his fate will be decided once and
for all. Characters here needed a little more substance, but the arc
Martin takes them through is delicious.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
Mos Eisley cantina style, “Starlady” tells of the dregs of a
space city where pimps, thugs, and thieves live and work. A pimp
named Hairy Hal witnesses a homeless girl and her brother get raped
one night, and gives the girl a choice: go back to being homeless or
work for him—become a starlady. She makes a choice, one that Hairy
Hal eventually wishes he hadn't given her. Moral gray on top of
deeper gray, this story possesses excellent style but is extremely
light in substance—a mini-graphic novel that makes sleaze, cool.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Closing
the collection is one of Martin's most famous short stories,
“Sandkings”. A nice spot of Twilight Zone fun with a darker
shadow than most, the novella tells of a malign man who buys a few
aliens creatures for his home terrarium, intending they will provide
entertainment in bouts for survival. I will not say more as Martin
does a good job escalating, twisting, and turning this premise. It
ends where readers think it will, but getting there is fun. Purely an
escapist story, but a uniquely enjoyable one to close things.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, <i>Sandkings </i>is a decent collection of genre stories.
It offers a nice sampling of Martin's early short fiction. For
people looking for the inspirations of A Song of Ice and Fire it's
here, but only indirectly; nary a tale of knights and dragons
exists—not a bad thing, just a note for people interested. For
people looking for sf&f to escape into, this is it.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<br />
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
following are the seven stories collected in <i>Sandkings</i>:</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
Way of Cross and Dragon</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Bitterblooms</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the House of the Worm</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Fast-Friend</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
Stone City</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Starlady</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Sandkings</span></span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-33829500690996491282024-02-02T13:57:00.005+01:002024-02-02T13:58:24.291+01:00Article: Coddling Readers: Spengler May Be Right <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotYZvYFyt62gIzfQ2EnurbLud399tuycOsXF7mw7NXVd_dkcL8Dw1_CnLd2SolvMQUmwEHJm5Vd1i-JFAoDhfPEqfi2c7XgOs8B_kUiPBWpnOu-T9RM04jJAUfh4CFz6dlHS6_jMEQxGsb9CcxRK4gGKhlnQwy0OIcbQ9QQgpWPSv3SV9aPsf1jxT5psJ/s225/shoulder%20ghost.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="225" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgotYZvYFyt62gIzfQ2EnurbLud399tuycOsXF7mw7NXVd_dkcL8Dw1_CnLd2SolvMQUmwEHJm5Vd1i-JFAoDhfPEqfi2c7XgOs8B_kUiPBWpnOu-T9RM04jJAUfh4CFz6dlHS6_jMEQxGsb9CcxRK4gGKhlnQwy0OIcbQ9QQgpWPSv3SV9aPsf1jxT5psJ/w200-h200/shoulder%20ghost.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have read the
four novels of the Chinese canon, which includes <i>Outlaws of the
Marsh </i>(aka<i> Water Margin</i>)
by Shi Nai'an. The novel is a tragi-comedy about a group of outlaws
who build an underground rebellion against a corrupt government.
It's my least favorite of the canon, but seeing that S.L. Huang
recently wro<span style="color: black;">te an alternate take called </span><span style="color: black;"><i>The
Water Outlaws</i></span><span style="color: black;">,</span><span style="color: black;">
I looked into the reviews. Wading through I encountered the
following publisher disclaimer:</span></span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="color: black; font-family: arial;">“<i><span><span style="font-weight: normal;">Wuxia
Novel so includes Violence, Torture, Cannabilsm, Sexual Assault, as
well as values that may disturb the modern reader.”</span></span></i></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: black;">Exclamation
points shot up above my head. What is going on here? S</span>ince
when has this type of thing existed in the adult book sphere? Why are
readers being so coddled? I think I need to take a step back...<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial;">To my knowledge
it has always been an unwritten rule when picking up an adult book:
<i>here may be dragons</i>. You're cracking the covers of a world,
an experience, a view to existence that is likely distant from your
own. That view may be wildly fantastical or edgily realistic.
Regardless, reader beware. Steel yourself. You may encounter dark
things.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial;">But what we have
in the disclaimer above is different. It's a situation in which
publishers (of adult novels, remember) now feel the need to provide
warnings of the obvious: that readers may encounter the hard
realities of life. I counter with: If you're not ready to encounter
the hard realities in fiction, then you're probably not ready to be
an adult in reality. If there is person who reads the disclaimer and
thinks “<i>I'm not reading </i><span style="font-style: normal;">The
Water Outlaws </span><i>because I'm afraid of those things.</i>”,
then I would question that person's readiness to take on the
responsibilities of adulthood. Not liking those elements in fiction
is one thing, but being afraid of them is a red flag. Publishers
having to point them out is a thousand flags indicating a potentially
deeper problem.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Life is tough
and can be unfair. This is a message to my children. The judges at
your karate competition may get something wrong despite your efforts.
All you can do is your best. And yes, someday our cute, lovely pup
Toto will die. There is no need to share the details of his death to
a seven year old, but when she asked: “<i>Will Toto die?</i>” The
answer was “<i>Yes, just like all living things</i>.” It's part
of my job as father to help her be resilient, to not fall apart like
a house of cards when life surprises with a shitty moment—which
will happen. That doesn't mean my kids should have a soulless
response to the end of Toto's days. Do cry. I will too. But yes,
there are immutable realities. The majority of people are good, but
there is a minority who do violence against others, who torture, who
commit sexual assault, and in an extreme minority, who are cannibals.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The last point I
will address is around semantics—the opening and closing of the
disclaimer. The opening says “<i>Wuxia Novel so includes
Violence...</i>”. I am far from an expert on Wuxia, but what
little I've read doesn't seem to warrant the idea Wuxia automatically
includes the list of vice which follows. Some perhaps, but all? The
final two words are likewise inaccurate: the “<i>modern reader</i>”.
I am a modern reader, and I am a modern reader mildly uncomfortable
being auto included in that statement. In fact, I don't want to be
included; leave me the possibility of getting out!</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The first part
is easy to fix: remove “<i>Wuxia</i>”. That's it. “<i>Novel</i>”
is already capitalized, even. For “<i>modern reader</i>”, we
have two options for revision: the simple and the realistic:</span></p>
<ol>
<li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Simple</u>:
Add the word 'some', i.e. “...<i>disturb some modern readers</i>.”
Fair enough.</span></p>
</li><li><p style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>Realistic</u>:
Change the phrase to: “<i>...disturb the modern reader who
believes that closing their eyes makes the monsters disappear.</i>”</span></p></li></ol>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; orphans: 2; widows: 2;"><span style="font-family: arial;">I have more
comments on the overall direction of Western society, the fact so
many 18-year olds have the mental resilience of 12-year olds, but I
will save that for another day. For now, I'm having trouble squaring
the fact that such disclaimers exist, yet adults everywhere gobble up
the sex and violence of George R.R. Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire
like jelly beans. We'll see how Huang's novel goes. Who knows <i><cue
ghost noises>,</i> I may emerge scarred for life...</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-38421744209872788262024-01-30T11:09:00.000+01:002024-01-30T11:09:04.063+01:00Review of The Ragged Astronauts by Bob Shaw<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnvaASQppbWmwGLgQirR3pBPdlKqkPnrzNGjkn5VdKB6y8B8P35Cbz2D9Cn6iJkdmOQ_daSDcroe0dOG9g2NWFhMjg5cnkXp1iHCnSD3bE1mqOQ5dKIyKzQQUVbKtxD5u1Y4cduqSmzjUM90WopaDX2wGQz6Ys56Bh3jUMkU6BqyyNDFnJDhKFXDTzTgW/s278/ragged%20astronauts,%20shaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="278" data-original-width="181" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivnvaASQppbWmwGLgQirR3pBPdlKqkPnrzNGjkn5VdKB6y8B8P35Cbz2D9Cn6iJkdmOQ_daSDcroe0dOG9g2NWFhMjg5cnkXp1iHCnSD3bE1mqOQ5dKIyKzQQUVbKtxD5u1Y4cduqSmzjUM90WopaDX2wGQz6Ys56Bh3jUMkU6BqyyNDFnJDhKFXDTzTgW/w130-h200/ragged%20astronauts,%20shaw.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>As
is obvious to everyone except the people who believe in the value of
sff awards, popularity does not automatically equate to literature
that transcends it's era. Accordingly, many if not most of the nest
sff books of the past century lie outside that matrix. And it's that
type of book I hope to find exploring those strange byways of
literary history. I have heard a few whispers that Bob Shaw is a
name virtually lost to genre history worth a read. Let's take a look
at <i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The Ragged Astronauts </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(1986).</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Land
and Overland, sister worlds separated by only a few thousand miles,
are the setting of <i>The Ragged Astronauts. </i>Things begin on
Land, a planet with no metals. Technology and industry plant-based,
but the manner in which people organize themselves remains familiar.
Although the first quarter of the novel takes its time settling in,
it eventually does on the character Toller, a rebellious but natural
reader employed in menial labor for the Philosophers, a group of
people who speculate on and research the latest scientific
breakthroughs. Slowly depleting itself of resources, the monarchy
Toller is a reluctant part of makes some drastic decisions to fix its
situation, his role in the transformation soon to be more than
menial.<span></span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>The
Ragged Astronauts </i>is a classic science fiction adventure with a
sense of wonder many such novels strive for but fail to achieve. The
flow of story could be smoother and characterization could be less
choppy. But those facts do not stop the story from getting its hooks
into the reader.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">On
top of the nicely imagined set pieces (<i>a la </i>H.G. Wells and
Jules Verne), The Ragged Astronauts remains purposeful but
fundamentally unpredictable. The characters, while not fully
developed, retain a human grayness. Toller, while certainly leaning
heavily toward 'classic hero' the more the novel progresses, does not
lend himself those airs in the early going. Another thing going for
the novel is editing, in turn leading to pace. To explain, each
chapters is one scene. Like a stone skipping across water, there is
nothing in the way of transitory exposition between hops. And
because the chapters are insular, explanations of what came before
and after must be slyly inserted, something Shaw does reasonably
well. The end result is the illusion of pace, i.e. chapters
constantly hop forward—no dawdling (as much fantastika is wont to
do). This also leads to brevity. At 300+ pages, Shaw is able to
accomplish what most modern authors require 500+ to do. They feel
the need to worldbuild ad infinitum, whereas Shaw accomplishes the
same in half the page count. Take note, you modern authors, you.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>The
Ragged Astronauts </i>reads like Keith Roberts-lite, Brian
Aldiss-adjacent, or perhaps even early Christopher Priest (e.g. <i>The
Inverted World</i>). It does not have Roberts' dark, brooding prose
or deep rooted metaphors and symbolism. But it does have a similar
sense of enclosed imagination, of building a finite place with
interesting little details. The human concerns and the manner in
which they are expressed is not unlike Aldiss, though likely Aldiss
is the smoother writer in terms of diction and syntax. And early
Priest, just a loose similarity in terms of world and
society-building. All in all, not bad company.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">If
there are any challenges to the novel, one would be consistency of
prose. Overall the words move in chip-chap-chop rhythm, but can
occasionally soften. The result is a cat's tail; it lies at rest
most of the time but can be twitchy. Another
potential—potential—challenge is that Shaw occasionally plays a
little fast and loose with his world. This is mostly around the need
for ultra-hard materials like iron and steel, which the world does
not have. Shaw occasionally waves his hands to create such things in
order to progress the points the plot needs. I don't get too
bothered by such things, but the gods know there is a bandwagon of
'hard sf readers' out there who will. If anything it's a bit
inconsistent.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">But
I think the biggest complaint is that Shaw doesn't build full enough
characters for the personal drama which occurs to be fully
believable. Motivations are relatively clear, but there is an
emotional element not fully described that leaves the inter-personal
conflicts and connections which occur base and simple. A layer of
emotional realism would have really propelled this novel.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, I would not chalk up <i>The Ragged Astronauts</i> up to the
science fiction Hall of Fame, but it definitely possesses a nice bit
of imagination and drama that oscillates between realism and
stereotype. Shaw's style is just obtuse enough to put him off the
beaten path, and there is enough cynicism inherent to character
actions and decisions to have a mild layer of commentary on the human
condition. It's taken me a while to get to this novel; it's been on
the ol' to-read list for some time. But I'll definitely be checking
out other of Shaw's acclaimed novels, e.g. <i>Orbitsville, </i>some
time in the future.</span></span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-3965726979908965632024-01-30T11:06:00.003+01:002024-01-30T11:06:50.967+01:00Review of Pharos by Guy Haley<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgLJ399MlDZQo9uF7PAFWo_bcw61NyI-HmXKIrpdV2wYFrq5JKyywUqxBMreUbKO3EqxC4Ydf4m5nAhof8-OrUae8ztRRFhyI55W9JrXV8bh52syrmeMhlQ8wXKUbNFWxImXsB8h8uwRSz9Hfcm2gCdviTjCslSyo-ydBRD6-SOED7xsKrIDbx_OUn6E8/s268/pharos,%20haley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="268" data-original-width="188" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFgLJ399MlDZQo9uF7PAFWo_bcw61NyI-HmXKIrpdV2wYFrq5JKyywUqxBMreUbKO3EqxC4Ydf4m5nAhof8-OrUae8ztRRFhyI55W9JrXV8bh52syrmeMhlQ8wXKUbNFWxImXsB8h8uwRSz9Hfcm2gCdviTjCslSyo-ydBRD6-SOED7xsKrIDbx_OUn6E8/w140-h200/pharos,%20haley.jpg" width="140" /></a></div>In
Act II of the Horus Heresy, a couple strong symbols emerge. One is
most certainly Vulkan's immortality; his body can be killed time and
time again, but he keeps coming back to life in one form or another.
Another clear symbol is Pharos, the beacon of light shining in the
Ruinstorm that the loyalists use to withstand Horus' attack. Guy
Haley's book of the same name (2015) takes the Heresy to the beacon's
location to see which direction the needle of power swings in the
aftermath.<p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Pharos</i>
is a novel firmly in the Imperium Secundus phase of stories. With
Guillaume and El'Johnson holding down the loyalists' fort in Macragge
(see <i>Angels of Caliban</i>), bits and pieces of Ultramarines and a
scattering of other legions hold the perimeter, including the alien
beacon on Mount Pharos. Watching in the shadows, waiting their
moment for a surprise attack, are the Night Lords. Pharos' light
leading Konrad Kurze's men to the fight, the secrets of the one thing
mysteriously keeping the Loyalists connected are finally revealed.<span></span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">As
stated, the beacon on Pharos has been a symbol of light and hope to
the loyalists. Guiding ships through the ruinstorm and allowing for
instantaneous communication, it has been invaluable to the Imperium
Secundus beating off the Night Lords, Death Guard, and other traitor
legions. It's also an unexplained artifact. Even the Ultramarines
have little idea how or why it works, only that it works. In a clear
Major Event in the Heresy timeline, the Night Lords and Ultramarines
duke it out for ownership of the Pharos object, and in the process
reveal its secrets.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
struggle to decide whether <i>Pharos </i>is a critical novel in the
Heresy timeline. For readers hopping and skipping their way through
the series, is this one umissable? I come down on 'maybe'. For
people reading the Imperium Secundus books, or who enjoy Ultramarines
or Night Lords, don't skip this. They are the focus. For people who
are not interested in these aspects, the reason to read then boils
down to: are the events which occur critical to the overarching
storyline? I think the general answer is yes. But deeper still, are
the events large enough to warrant a full novel? Could it be summed
in a paragraph elsewhere? Paragraph, no. Novella, yes... </span></span></span></span>
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span>
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, <i>Pharos </i>is a solid but unexceptional Horus Heresy
novel. There are a handful of well written scenes, but the whole is
straight-forward, workaday Heresy material. As with many Heresy
novels, Haley concludes things with a big bang that has repercussions
going forward. But is it a critical read in the series? That will
be up to the reader to decide, which means better safe than sorry. </span></span></span></span>
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-25822995884983708742024-01-25T15:52:00.005+01:002024-01-25T15:54:08.027+01:00Review of Brittle Innings by Michael Bishop<p><span face="Arial, sans-serif"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hW8QxO413vklYOlkxEqAY3XqNg6TQt6WF1zhn7ZROHX6iziW_NI81FA-XZTrIBMAE-8hSIFrVUxSSJp-Lq0s096jqTPzdrb6XrU5MksT481-A7nkRFMrEVILTUjcg1jRyFtTpFkue9C8vYmpubz4KOGuK2dTsj-rqzLF-XXSF4suIfbM_sCcVdwxC1TY/s275/brittle%20innings,%20bishop.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3hW8QxO413vklYOlkxEqAY3XqNg6TQt6WF1zhn7ZROHX6iziW_NI81FA-XZTrIBMAE-8hSIFrVUxSSJp-Lq0s096jqTPzdrb6XrU5MksT481-A7nkRFMrEVILTUjcg1jRyFtTpFkue9C8vYmpubz4KOGuK2dTsj-rqzLF-XXSF4suIfbM_sCcVdwxC1TY/w133-h200/brittle%20innings,%20bishop.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Spend
enough time in the world of book reviews and you regularly encounter
words like 'mainstream' and 'core' and maybe even 'vanilla'. They
refer to books which stick closer to commonly known devices,
stereotypes, and other tropes more than experimental or unqiue ideas.
Michael Bishop's wonderful novel <i>Brittle Innings</i><span face="Arial, sans-serif"> (1994) is
anything but mainstream, core, or vanilla. With the American south
in WWII, minor league baseball, and Frankenstein as the novel's prime
ingredients, Bishop produces something fantastic in more ways than
one.</span></span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent; font-family: arial;"><i>Brittle
Innings </i>is a few months in the life of one Daniel Boles. His
father a soldier support the war in Alaska, seventeen-year o ld Boles
is living with his mother and enjoying backyard games of baseball
when a recruiter shows up and pays his way to a minor league team in
Georgia called the Hellbenders. The team a true motley crew of men,
the new guy Boles has trouble fitting in with most, but not his
roommate, the team's giant first baseman everyone calls Jumbo. Over
the course of the next few months, Boles finds a place on the team
and in the surrounding community. But something constantly burns
beneath the surface, and when it catches fire, Boles and the whole
team must bear the heat.<span></span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent; font-family: arial;">Before
getting to theme or plot or character or anything else, it must be
said Brittle Innings grabs the reader not only for story, but for
voice. In terms of style, Bishop captures magic in a bottle. It's
the American south without pretension or condescension. It's the
American south with every bit of flavor that makes the region rich in
linguistic heritage. And, if I had to guess, Bishop likewise infuses
the dialogue with slang of the era, a fair portion of which is not
used today. Diction-wise, <i>Brittle Innings </i>is a pure joy to
read. But there is much more goodness to explore.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent; font-family: arial;">It's
fair to say Frankenstein has a bad rap in popular culture. A
dull-witted, corny, cartoony monster, most representations are a far
sight from the origin, Mary Shelley's <i>Frankenstein. Brittle
Innings,</i> on top of telling a story in line with Shelley's novel,
also acts as a quasi-sequel, or at least a 'what happened after'
story. Last seen wandering the Arctic at the end of <i>Frankenstein</i>,
Bishop postulates what might have happened next. To be clear, Bishop
did not intend his novel to be <i>Frankenstein 2</i>, rather a 'what
if', an interesting space to speculate, something Bishop does with
respect for Shelley's character while integrating him into Boles'
life story.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent; font-family: arial;">It's
difficult to comment on the following subject in 2023 without risking
being disengenuous. But I think it's fair to recognize Bishop for
the excellent job synthesizing America's racial problems into story
without letting them takeover the story. Zero sugar coating, Bishop
tries to represent race relations at the time, from the negro-only
baseball leagues, to the discrimination blacks faced on a daily
basis. Again, the reader is not overwhelmed with such content, only
that Bishop does not shy away from the problems, making for a more
realist narrative. This, combined with Bishop's strong authorial
voice, as well as the drama that unfolds in Boles' life, makes for a
powerful narrative that leaves a mark on the reader.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent; font-family: arial;">I
should also make a note about baseball. The sport is an American and
Central American thing, and having an understanding of how the game
is played helps understand the novel Bishop does not spoon feed the
reader, or take the time to explain to people unfamiliar with the
game why something is important. To be more specific, most readers
will understand scores and season records, which is where a fair
amount of baseball talk is found. But there is also content around
the details of gameplay—moves, situations, etc., which will be
Greek to people who do not know baseball. In sum, a complete lack of
baseball knowledge will limit the reader's enjoyment of the novel,
but not eliminate it. And again, Bishop's superb voice carries the
narrrative through these points.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent; font-family: arial;">If
I had reservations about <i>Brittle Innings</i>, one would be the
tension between the gravitas of Frankenstein's monster (once
revealed) and the relative—relative—levity of Boles' story. Some
of the drama which unfolds is operatic in nature, i.e. a dense
collection of situations and transpirations that one almost never
sees unfold so closely together in the real world. Constrast that
with the existential concerns of the monster, as well as the lighter
elements of Danny's coming of age, and it makes for a novel whose
undercurrents are not always flowing in the same direction. Not that
they should, only that in this case there is some swirl which doesn't
benefit the novel.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span face="Arial, sans-serif"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent; font-family: arial;">In
the end, <i>Brittle Innings </i>is an imminently readable story.
Technically a bildungsroman, Bishop uses an amazing authorial voice
to tell one teenager's dreams come true, to play professional
baseball, and the dramatic and tragic events that unfold. Beneath
the fine story, Bishop layers in race, WWII, and existence to offer a
nuanced narrative. I'm not sure this is the best novel in Bishop's
oeuvre, but there is certainly an argument to be made. If you've
never read Bishop before, have a go. This is a novel that stands the
test of time.</span></span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-2153409245567853002024-01-23T20:15:00.001+01:002024-01-23T20:15:19.201+01:00Review of Bridge by Lauren Beukes<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQl2v91TjS0KbYC6VGGTmFGUP8V2cEDN3s8StABA_9Xt2vpDtbqG_irj217zo1oGctCKZM8F5PCbvxrBWQsz9QWDE8VU5tD_Sn1fs0WO-rEXUlTQDYtVb872ZE44if75HfOLhqaTYYC-Q28HdliBj4Qhe8FXaWoRAaGiCqdEMVwvAEgQGABwEc9MZiFHU/s279/bridge,%20beukes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="279" data-original-width="181" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfQl2v91TjS0KbYC6VGGTmFGUP8V2cEDN3s8StABA_9Xt2vpDtbqG_irj217zo1oGctCKZM8F5PCbvxrBWQsz9QWDE8VU5tD_Sn1fs0WO-rEXUlTQDYtVb872ZE44if75HfOLhqaTYYC-Q28HdliBj4Qhe8FXaWoRAaGiCqdEMVwvAEgQGABwEc9MZiFHU/w130-h200/bridge,%20beukes.jpg" width="130" /></a></div>W.
Somerset Maugham's <i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Of Human Bondage</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> is cited as a classic
coming-of-age novel. About a boy named Philip born with a club foot
whose parents die within months of one another, the novel describes
his growing up, chasing dreams, and coming to terms with his
reality—not growing up, rather “growing up”. Philip's early
20th century London is different than London today, however.
Technology has made a difference. There was no Facebook or Instagram
to play with his teenage self-conception. There were minimal medical
treatments available to help with his condition—to bring his club
foot closer to “normal”. Writing a coming-of-age novel in 2023
is something entirely different. Capturing our information-saturated
world in literal and figurative means with a genre twist is Lauren
Beukes'</span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> Bridge </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(2023).</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Her
parents having divorced at an early age, Bridget has spent most of
her life in the custody of her mother, a woman named Jo who focuses
on her career more than her daughter. Bridget is an independent teen
for it, and in keeping with the stereotypes of millennials, feels she
understands the world backwards and forwards despite the massive
struggles of her teen years. But then Jo contracts brain cancer, and
dies. Pretending not to care, Bridget starts going through her
mother's belongings, including the refrigerator, in which she finds
something that will take her life in a new direction. In the mother
of all centrifuges, Bridget's life spins into the absurd.<span></span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Mainstream
genre would be wont to categorize the novel as 'alternate universe
fiction'. That would be a disservice. <i>Bridge</i> is not one of
<i>those </i>novels. Alternate universe is a device, yes, but the
novel feels more Jungian, more shattered mirror, more voodoo, more,
dare I say it, more metaphorical than hard science fiction would have
it. I must pause here in order not to spoil too much, but I think
it's fair to say Beukes successfully invokes a sense of fragmented
reality, a reality a teenage girl might feel...</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Which
is the perfect time to praise<i> Bridge </i>for the manner in which
it captures the kaleidoscope / ricochet robots / kangaroo court /
echo chamber known as the modern information sphere. If it all gets
to be too much—too many angles, too many images, too many opinions,
too much information—then Beukes does a good job capturing that
feeling—not in exposition, rather in story. (Beukes is a good
stylist with a decent knack for flair; I'm not critiquing her
diction.) It's the story, specifically its structure and flow, which
capture the merry-go-round of sense of modern existence we sometimes
feel. And it's here that Beukes displays the skills she has been
experimenting with and honing for more than a decade.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">A
comment on the title. The reader may want to see <i>Bridge</i> as a
metaphor. Don't bother. Significantly more likely is that Beukes,
having spent so much time in the mind of her main character, applying
her own bit of motherly empathy for Bridget's difficult but relatable
situation, naming the novel after her. Reading the novel it makes
sense, and when taken as a nickname, becomes unique.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
have one major criticism: at the structural level the novel doesn't
know what it wants to be. <i>Bridge </i>takes its time getting off
the ground, and that take off is wobbly, spiraling, upside down, and
inside out. The first one third to half of the novel, as Bridget's
life spins out of control, is uncertainty defined. The reader keeps
putting their foot out, hoping for something firm beneath, but finds
only liquids of varying solidity. I would describe this
representation of Bridge's reality as a poetic, or perhaps just
metaphorical. Regardless, at about the halfway mark the liquids
start to gel, and the reader gains confidence in the poetry/metaphor.
But as the novel picks up speed, an old trick, a trick Beukes used in
<i>The Shining Girls</i>, emerges. The ol' serial killer shtick.
And as the novels wings towards its conclusion, it becomes full out
genre. This transition, from something leaning toward literary
fiction into something genre in nature, undermines the integrity of
Bridge's journey. The serial killer was entirely unnecessary from a
thematic standpoint. Beukes could have more effectively portrayed
Bridge's coming of age by bringing the poetry/metaphor to an organic
conclusion. The change of gears, grinds.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">To
drive this point home further, it's worth looking at character.
Bridge, her mother, and her father occupy both the pro- and
antagonist roles in the first half of the novel. You see their
innocence and guilt, their harried normalcy, their relatable flaws,
their humanity. But at one point a villain emerges, the “real”
antagonist. And its an overt villain, a villain the reader struggles
to relate to at the same 2D level. The milieu of Bridge's existence
does more than enough to present an obstacle, a challenge for Bridge.
It wasn't necessary to objectify her troubles in a simple,
borderline cartoonish character. The villain lacks the depth of
Bridge and her family. But wait, you say, do play along with Beukes'
Faustian parallel. I did. I recognize it. But I still feel the
ethereal devil was fully realized, it's physical personification
unnecessary.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, <i>Bridge </i>is a slow burn that pays off in a highly
personal yet wildly imaginative story of one young woman's coming of
age. I would be remiss not to point out that the Jo, Bridge's mother
forms a pillar of the novel also, and that Beukes was obviously
aiming the book toward mothers and daughters. I would assume Beukes
didn't not explicitly set out to write a novel for mothers and
daughters at odds with one another; Bridge's “adventures” are too
obtuse to be precisely that. And yet there is a mother-daughter
dynamic to the novel that throws its jabs and hooks in the form of
voodoo dreams, alternate views to reality, and the mirror ball that
is (d)information. This is a novel for our times, and in the sad lot
which is the books I read published in 2023, this one pokes its nose
above most, but just its nose.</span></span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-41094583356806098722024-01-17T21:28:00.005+01:002024-01-17T21:28:29.996+01:00Review of A Stroke of the Pen by Terry Pratchett<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmsb3wvrl-KxmHm3xDLQf7CcfT4iGnlbX5BIT760MFnauXTQDnvaZi7O1brgKjrjqiSJF66p0IogjmANuJyW4Txe3Ofv0YoCrQBXg5dbI-BvctUCnkJ4y4A0QAJJRmN1trDy6wisRYdAfN-NxV5sZXWwYyMfV_5Cvja0fWyPCbYjmGcXDWiuGMYOc_DarN/s275/stroke%20of%20the%20pen,%20pratchett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmsb3wvrl-KxmHm3xDLQf7CcfT4iGnlbX5BIT760MFnauXTQDnvaZi7O1brgKjrjqiSJF66p0IogjmANuJyW4Txe3Ofv0YoCrQBXg5dbI-BvctUCnkJ4y4A0QAJJRmN1trDy6wisRYdAfN-NxV5sZXWwYyMfV_5Cvja0fWyPCbYjmGcXDWiuGMYOc_DarN/w133-h200/stroke%20of%20the%20pen,%20pratchett.jpg" width="133" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Early
in 2023 I read Rob Wilkin's fine biography of Terry Pratchett.
Putting to bed any theory of a vault of unpublished Discworld stories
waiting to be released posthumously, Wilkins describes how the USB
containing all of Pratchett's unused story ideas was ceremoniously
crushed by a steam roller upon the author's passing. But the one
thing the steam roller could not destroy were short stories Pratchett
published (under his own name and pseudonyms) in various newspapers
as a journalist many years before he became a household name.
Collecting those early seeds of Pratchett's imagination is <i>A Stroke
of the Pen </i>(2023).</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Before
getting into the stories, the question hovering on many people's lips
will be: is this a money grab? The answer is yes and no. The
content itself is weak. When you've had Chinese food in China it's
tough to like much of the Chinese food available in the West. In
other words, the stories are not on par with the Disc. That being
said, it's clear Rob Wilkins, Neil Gaiman, and the other people who
worked to pull this collection together did so out of love and a
desire to give Pratchett fans something new, something unique—that
last little unknown scrap of goodness that exists in the world. <i>A
Stroke of the Pen</i>, regardless what else it is, is that.<span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
normally go through individual stories in collections, but I'm going
to make an exception here. <i>A Stroke of the Pen</i>, while not a
collection of flash fiction, is a collection of really short stories.
Most of the dozens of selections are between four and seven pages in
length. None get into an idea at any depth. Instead, most are
superficial commentary—zingers about something.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">That
“something” is likely what people are interested in, so here is a
loose overview of the contents. Cavemen, technology, Dickens,
Christmas, ghosts, unexpected urban happenings, deus ex machina, a
humongous pie, a dragon quest, Wencelas, the wild west, odd people,
and much, much more.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Another
question hovering on the lips of people is likely: does the
collection contain Pratchett's trademark wit/humor? The answer is:
occasionally. If the reader peers through their fingers they can see
Pratchett's mind at work in the stories. It's just not as formed,
not as confident, not as sharp a “mind” as it would evolve into.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, I personally struggled to read <i>A Stroke of the Pen</i>. I
am accustomed to a Pratchett whose writing has purpose and drive
beneath the humor and wit—a multi-layered experience. This was
pure confectionery. Thus, my recommendation for this collection is
for two groups of people: 1) readers who want to see a young Terry
Pratchett's take on fiction and/or 2) collectors who want to own
everything Pratchett wrote. And so while there are hints and teasers
of what Discworld became, there is zero material of that caliber
here. Publishers never promise that, to be clear. But potential
readers need to be clear on that, also.</span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-4026553817309826682024-01-14T08:10:00.003+01:002024-01-16T19:57:47.935+01:00Review of Communications Breakdown ed. by Jonathan Strahan<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMsx-5ttO1ufRU7iH-WeOX-bpU3sf3oyzeY8XcXQ-gCvY7aQZUr3_JnbPJwmwuWJdaPl1-Lx-5bNFteacHvFftE3MWmIskjQLYrBBsP56l2B4L8u-psk57nNKH9KFscp6C-uKtzllBQmf92xIKSu55E5E3SCwpGk1WtkgFvV1MAmOdpZ3JHTgSI-bJ35d/s275/communications%20breakdown,%20strahan.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="183" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuMsx-5ttO1ufRU7iH-WeOX-bpU3sf3oyzeY8XcXQ-gCvY7aQZUr3_JnbPJwmwuWJdaPl1-Lx-5bNFteacHvFftE3MWmIskjQLYrBBsP56l2B4L8u-psk57nNKH9KFscp6C-uKtzllBQmf92xIKSu55E5E3SCwpGk1WtkgFvV1MAmOdpZ3JHTgSI-bJ35d/w133-h200/communications%20breakdown,%20strahan.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jonathan
Strahan is one of the few, old-school sf&f editors still kicking.
Commissioned anthologies are not the pillar of genre they used to be. But Strahan, by staying on top of the political zeitgeist, keeps his work
relevant. And it's for this that, despite my misgivings of
his politics, that I regularly check in. His 2023
finger-on-the-pulse anthology is <i>Communications Breakdown</i>.</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Communications
Breakdown </i>opens with a typical Strahan introduction: a
high-falutin' raison d'etre for the title and theme. I say
high-falutin' as, Strahan rarely sticks to theme—which is a good
thing. But why then the waffling? Regardless, it sets in place the
theme of: “<i>when the future doesn't quite make it to your door</i>”.
A recipe for victim narratives? Let's see.<span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Communications
Breakdown</i> opens with “Here Instead of There” by Elizabeth
Bear. A gratuitous vignette, it reminds me of a 90s Sterling
“story”. About an alternative community of punk rockers floating
on a giant metal raft in the sea, they scramble to proverbially
batten down the hatches when a hurricane swirls in. On a positive
note, it does have nice echoes of our modern gig culture—musically
and job-wise. “Moral Hazard” by Cory Doctorow gives homeless
people LLCs, then convinces the government to bail them out for a
couple thousand per person/business. Potentially the most rose-tinted
story ever written, Doctorow knows it, to the point the rest of the
story is so candy sweet it makes your teeth hurt. Inane, not even a
thought experiment, just a wild idea with woke tropes. Scraping for
the good, Doctorow does write short, sharp sentences that snap.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">A
non-victim story, “Sigh No More” by Ian McDonald tells of an
Earth where a solar flare has left electrical and internet grids in
their death throes. And yet life goes on. In this case, a group of
young creatives attempt to keep theater alive on the dark streets
with a generator powered by fuel their attendees have smuggled in
plastic bottles. Sort of a mini-<i>Station Eleven</i>, McDonald
plays with the value of artistry in a setting strapped for the basics
of life.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">One
of the most immature stories I've read in a long time, “Less Than”
by Lavanya Lakshminarayan tells of a gamer girl living in Free India,
a country purported to be open to everything. But through her media
feeds, a message beyond freedom is subtly being spread (those pesky
algorithms), leading to a “climactic moment”. Diction is poor to
serviceable in the story. Tension/purpose is minimal. But these are
not in themselves the worst. The worst is the audacity to attempt to
pull off a conspiracy in such a juvenile manner. A high schooler
would/could write the same. After the long history of sf dystopias,
such a story in a professionally edited and published anthology is
mind-boggling.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Communications
Breakdown, </i>at about the halfway mark, pauses for an interview,
that of Tim Maughan and Chris Gilliard. In Maughan's introduction,
Gilliard is presented as an expert skeptic on AI and
facial-recognition software, leading the reader to believe the
interview will break down the ways in which this technology may be
bad for humanity. Instead what follows is a fair amount of
speculation, typically more subjective than objective, interspersed
with a lot of fear. I am not blindly pro-tech, but forgive me for
expecting a more intellectual, educational discussion on what is an
extremely important topic from an expert. I was hoping for BBC level
discussion, but got Fox News. I will agree with Gilliard in the
sense that, if we don't get this right there may be major
consequences for human power structures. But at least back it up
with informed facts. There is a paucity of these, which makes the
interview feel more paranoid than awareness-raising.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Getting
back into fiction, “The Excommunicates” by Ken Macleod takes the
prevalence of contemporary disinformation and combines it with a
strong liberal political backdrop which allows for a wide variety
of... beliefs. It tells of a family whose father uses a loophole in
the law to protect himself, but in doing so sacrifices his children's
experiences with technology and their love. Told in oscillating parts
(past and present), it goes on to show how humans are suckers for
communication breakdown/disinformation. Any Trump voters listening?
I thought happily-ever-after stories were dead, but in “Noise
Cancellation” S.B. Divya proves not. Instead of princes and
princesses, however, we have a lesbian couple with a child with
special needs. While the special needs fully live up to the
anthology's title, the resolution of the challenge it presents to the
parents is resolved in a social worker's wet dream—optimistically
to say the least.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">A
stronger thought experiment than Doctorow's, “My City Is Not a
Problem by Tim Maughan puts London's economic, infrastructure, and
social challenges to an AI for its thoughts (“thoughts”?). While
we've yet to see the full potential of AI in reality, this brief
story speculates on the nature of its intelligence in making
recommendations for the ways we organize the world and society, and
what humanity's reaction may/may not be. In what may be the best
story in the collection, “Cuttlefish” by Anil Menon is a tight,
tight story about a hotel concierge with an unusual guest—not a
shape shifter, but a skin-color-changer (think octopus). Using
subtly good technique, Menon builds a mystery, then pulls back the
curtain on the underlying social commentary. I don't think I agree
with the inherent politics, but there is nothing about the story to
complain about.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">From
good execution to poor, “Company Man” by Shiv Ramdas fails to
match tone with substance. The story tells of a man who buys a much
needed artificial heart on credit, but Ramdas fails to imbue the
story with the gravitas needed to make the conclusion effective. The
tone is too light. I would also complain that the reader can
practically write this story themselves based on the aforementioned
premise. There is not really anything here to grab the reader save a
weak attempt at sympathy.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Closing
the anthology is a novel-sized idea packed into a short story. “At
Every Door a Ghost” by Premee Mohamed tells of a big tech company
which responds to a massive terrorist attack by converting all the
world's IOT gadgets into a massive surveillance system. That not
enough, the story centers on a lab scientist who finds her cancer
research ironically deemed "insecure" by the new security
system and goes about trying to protect it. A ghost of a story
(sorry) lurking inside a BIG IDEA, this needed to be at least a
novella for the Big Brother portion to be properly internalized. For
me this story defines much of the Meh of sf—not terrible but not
good.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, <i>Communications Breakdown</i> is an anthology not likely
to make a mark. There are one or two stories that can be recommended
(“Cuttlefish” by Anil Menon, and maybe “Sigh No More” by Ian
McDonald). The remaining selections are mediocre to poor. For those
interested, the anthology checks a lot of woke boxes (representation
of minorities, non-hetero characters, special needs people, socialist
values, etc.). But that doesn't automatically translate to quality
fiction, not to mention leads to a collection featuring an extensive
amount of victimhood (which, to be fair, was likely brought about by
Strahan's theme not the writers themselves). Execution is often
lacking, let alone style, which exists only in a couple pieces. I
will continue to read Strahan's anthologies for the manner in which
they capture the zeitgeist. But if <i>Communications Breakdown </i>is
an indication, the zeitgeist is weak at the moment...</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
following are the eleven pieces anthologized in <i>Communication
Breakdown</i>:</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Here
Instead of There by Elizabeth Bear</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Moral
Hazard by Cory Doctorow</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Sigh
No More by Ian McDonald </span></span></span>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Less
Than by Lavanya Lakshminarayan</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">What
about Privacy? (Tim Maughan interviewing Chris Gilliard)</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
Excommunicates by Ken Macleod</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Noise
Cancellation by S.B. Divya</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">My
City Is Not a Problem by Tim Maughan</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Cuttlefish
by Anil Menon</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Company
Man by Shiv Ramdas</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">At
Every Door a Ghost by Premee Mohamed</span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-38208712046864496512024-01-10T18:27:00.002+01:002024-01-10T18:27:58.599+01:00Review of Deathfire by Nick Kyme<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qGVrgAj6EnmH7eeX7HKAhvjSQODqAk40iLC9yMr_uGUwuBCQ6x2mRtYjhH-gDGrAlDGiw9SOjdtspgDROcKX78Hd5YFmpYF-XCEUeEy8XfcFqCs_eK5US1i4z6lik5XFM7Cp3pKzpAU75LBIIIJ-Ex_rLALZVj2ugdJooAYHm_UARSUi1AK3kzUMsEVA/s285/deathfire,%20kyme.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="177" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qGVrgAj6EnmH7eeX7HKAhvjSQODqAk40iLC9yMr_uGUwuBCQ6x2mRtYjhH-gDGrAlDGiw9SOjdtspgDROcKX78Hd5YFmpYF-XCEUeEy8XfcFqCs_eK5US1i4z6lik5XFM7Cp3pKzpAU75LBIIIJ-Ex_rLALZVj2ugdJooAYHm_UARSUi1AK3kzUMsEVA/w124-h200/deathfire,%20kyme.jpg" width="124" /></a></div>Iron
Maiden song? Latest exhaust system for customized cars? <i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Magic
the Gathering </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">card? No! </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Deathfire </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">by Nick Kyme (2015) is
the thirty-second book in the Horus Heresy series!</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Deathfire
</i>picks up events from the Salamanders' point of view upon the
conclusion of <i>The Unremembered Empire</i>. Vulkan's body, with
the fulgerite spear still protruding from his chest, lies in a
coffin. The dozens of Salamander Astartes who remain alive after the
massacre on Isstvan V elect to brave the ruinstorm and return
Vulkan's body to Nocturne, to cremate his body in the fires of that
volcanic planet. That is, if the war—and Chaos—will allow them.<span></span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Numeon,
one of Vulkan's closest allies and highest ranking officers, is the
central character of <i>Deathfire</i>. The novel takes the loyal
Salamander warrior on a couple of rollercoaster rides. One ride is
the battles he endures, ruinstorm and beyond. (This is Warhammer,
after all.) But the more poignant ride is the belief in his
primarch's life. One minute thought alive, the next dead, then back
again, Numeon's faith, loyalty, belief, and brotherhood is put to the
hardest test, right up to the final page or two. Cementing Vulkan's
existence as a symbol, Numeon, ironically, is the more shaded
character of the two.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Prior
to reading <i>Deathfire</i>, Nick Kyme was not one of my favorite
flavors of Horus Heresy author. I had him assigned to the
'serviceable' tier of writers. Straight-forward prose, nothing
fancy, nothing subtle, he got the job done in A-B-C fashion.
<i>Deathfire </i>has me thinking twice about this, however.<i> </i>The
prose is still direct, but there were occasional, noteworthy turns of
phrase that made some of the human scenes, human. The flow of events
were likewise planned appropriately to get a reaction. To put that
more bluntly, I ended up being invested in Numeon and his brothers'
plight. The simplistic presentation of the villains didn't help, but
I found myself caring about what happened based on the execution of
story. Time to move Kyme to the 'interesting' tier?</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Before
closing this review, a quick note on the final quarter of <i>Deathfire</i>:
from a plot perspective, it's superb. Combining chase scene, tower
defense, space marine battles, and having the fate of a legion in its
hands, I was engrossed. Kyme does a great job not giving away the
story's hand, keeping the stakes real, and twisting and turning
things in unexpected fashion. I had trouble putting it down, reading
the last few chapters in a late-night burst that wouldn't let me
sleep for a while once I'd turned the final page and put out the
lights.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, <i>Deathfire</i>, like a few other novels published in this
phase of the series, starts putting rubber to road. Rather than the
first third or first half being historical build up, followed by
gratuitous space marine battles, story starts <i>in situ</i>. In the
case of <i>Deathfire</i>, Kyme escalates the situation wonderfully as
the pages turn. There is a gratuitous warp storm section, but the
bookends to this, particularly the last quarter of the novel, never
let up in exciting and unpredictable fashion. If Kyme can keep up
this level of fiction, he will move up my personal ranks of Warhammer
authors. Now about that title, dramatic but...</span></span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-43586853372314333692024-01-10T18:25:00.005+01:002024-01-10T18:25:51.953+01:00Console Corner: Review of Nioh<p><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUFBwIgqhFdQSWgcaT2OHxmhNP15u59ddm0nSCJ99sJZdn2Aj4__Xf0Hv9fGcVvelvTmX1Rd8tg-Q79az5L3jXIIpwDt5ODYsljdyw2ZnEO1NXABr76dcITfCtqjXF5J-7J5QxRJBjqgRndKvVn2BKaDrkmNSn9PHOr990QCpoX_8cJHi0QsiTPh0V3Uk/s236/nioh%201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="236" data-original-width="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiUFBwIgqhFdQSWgcaT2OHxmhNP15u59ddm0nSCJ99sJZdn2Aj4__Xf0Hv9fGcVvelvTmX1Rd8tg-Q79az5L3jXIIpwDt5ODYsljdyw2ZnEO1NXABr76dcITfCtqjXF5J-7J5QxRJBjqgRndKvVn2BKaDrkmNSn9PHOr990QCpoX_8cJHi0QsiTPh0V3Uk/s16000/nioh%201.jpg" /></a></div>I
am of the Nintendo generation. Three lives, and game over. Die at
the final boss with your last life? Too bad. Game over. Start
again. It's nothing like today's generation of games. The Uncharted
series, for example, is positively soft compared to games like <i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Super
Mario Bros</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">., let alone </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Ninja Gaiden, Mike Tyson's Punch Out,
</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">or </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Battletoads</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">, which, in
the context of today's games are more akin to Guitar Hero (i.e. the
precise sequencing of buttons for an extended period of time) rather
than loose “action adventure”, as is the case with so many more
modern games—</span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Uncharted, God of War, Assassin's Creed,
Horizon Zero Dawn</i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">, etc</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">.
And then there is </span><i style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Nioh </i><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">(2016), a fantastic PS4 game in which I
relearned what “difficult” video </span><span style="color: black; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">game
means.</span></span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
some ways, </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">Nioh
</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
the natural evolution of </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">Ninja
Gaiden</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">.
The player takes on the role of a samurai in feudal Japan and must
battle all manner of humans and monsters toward uncovering a plot to
takeover the island nation. Extremely nuanced, the game offers a
true rpg level of character customization. From weapons to ninjutsu,
armor to intangibles, elemental effects to spirit guides, the game
offers a phenomenal amount of character customization for such a
simple concept of fighting baddies.<span></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">Nioh
</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">consists
of eighteen main missions and multiple side missions. In the course
of killing baddies, players collect amrita (points, for lack of a
better term). These points can be converted into character upgrade
points once you safely reach a shrine. If you die in the course of
reaching the next shrine, your spirit animal lays down where they
died and waits to be picked up. Players have one chance to reach
their spirit guide and reclaim their lost amrita. Die on the way,
and its lost forever. You must start collecting amrita, again.
Amrita collected also builds a spirit meter. Max it out and special,
powerful attack comes available in which players become invincible
for a short period and deal massive damage—ideal for bosses and
other large enemies. Scattered throughout levels are loot boxes and
each killed enemy drops loot—potions, elixirs, charms, armor,
weapons, and everything else one might expect of such a game. All of
these, combined with the upgrade points earned from amrita, allow the
player to customize their character along multiple lines. I will not
go into every angle here; not enough space. But I can say it is
multi-multi-layered, allowing players to be everything from an
armored, axe-wielding tank, a precise ninja warrior striking with
shurikens from the shadows, and everything between.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">Something
must be said of the style/art of </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">Nioh</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">.
Personal, I know, but it's fucking amazing. Besides </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">Legend
of the Five Rings: The Card Game </span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">(and
maybe </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">Sekiro</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">?</span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">)</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
there is no other medium—film, book, game, etc.—which captures
fantasy Japan as well. The game's levels are comprised of an
extremely varied number of settings (temples, countryside, rice
paddies, tombs, palaces, villages, etc.) and conditions (night, snow,
rain, etc.) that look and feel amazing. Hiding in the nooks and
crannies are enemies of many varieties, all of which tie into
Japanese legend and myth in some fashion. Legend and myth come to
life, it's easy to get lost in the game's art if it weren't
constantly trying to kill you.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">Nioh
</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
an extremely, tightly designed game. It's clear extensive testing
occurred at every level. Complaints are therefore very few. A minor
gripe regards the intersection of amrita collection and boss
encounters. There are some levels in which players stumble upon the
boss. There are minor clues that Boss Lurks Behind This Door, but
there is no guarantee. The result is there are situations in which
the player has almost collected enough amrita to level up. They are
just a couple thousands points away, and they open a boss door. It's
extremely normal to die on first boss attempt, meaning your spirit
guide is left behind in a place where it can be collected, but cannot
be exited to collect just that few more points to tackle the boss
with one upgrade point more. Inevitably players lose the hard-earned
amrita. There are Summoner's Candles to recover lost amrita, but
these are not always available. Again, a minor gripe.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;"></span></span></span></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIyNKiG7NoJcOUW60kbk_JAuVNPFu9a4SAwb1RQn4Mktt44kA-JVMMX3cykNwg1uNg5qtTdwnPAYPeWfrjEKzyYQY3RvOB56rsysnoQufsy8TuEErLEkvalO-RrE4lO3utIVIZV79K3vUAz9_AOZLdYCYKtGd-DjCLpCxtOFF95hB5PD8okjLgCuqRk9N/s300/nioh%202.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="168" data-original-width="300" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHIyNKiG7NoJcOUW60kbk_JAuVNPFu9a4SAwb1RQn4Mktt44kA-JVMMX3cykNwg1uNg5qtTdwnPAYPeWfrjEKzyYQY3RvOB56rsysnoQufsy8TuEErLEkvalO-RrE4lO3utIVIZV79K3vUAz9_AOZLdYCYKtGd-DjCLpCxtOFF95hB5PD8okjLgCuqRk9N/s1600/nioh%202.jpg" width="300" /></a></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;">Looking
online, there is a fair amount of commentary on whether Nioh is more
or less difficult than the Soulsborne games. In my humble opinion, it
is more difficult. Simply put, there is less room for error, and the
difficulty curve, particularly the first couple of levels, never
seems to relent. And all the difficulty centers around bosses. More
than half I literally attempted dozens upon dozens of times, and the
others multiple times. Only one I beat first attempt. There were
whole gaming sessions devoted to certain bosses, some of which went
unsuccessful. It's precisely here I go back to this review's intro:
difficulty in Nintendo games. </span><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">Nioh
</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
old school difficult. It means defeat, again and again, before
success.</span></span></span></span></span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
other challenge with </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">Nioh</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
and one certainly not unique to </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">Nioh,</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">
is the scaling of enemy difficulty. As I have harped on it about
other games, I'll keep this rant succinct. I hate it when enemy
difficulty ramps with player progression. It doesn't give the proper
feel of power. Good games design enemies such that players feel the
power of their latest character build (a God among sprites) and
challenge them at dynamic intervals to keep things interesting. </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">Nioh
</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">is
by far not the worst culprit of having enemy hit points ramp up with
player power, but it does happen, and in turn often provides only the
illusion of power. You've been warned.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">The
third complaint, and biggest complaint, is narrative. It's
unnecessarily complex. Players of such games are not in it for the
story. It's gameplay and mechanics as first, second, and third
priority. Look at </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">Ninja
Gaiden</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">;
defeat the level and on to the next, just a couple lines of text
joining the levels. </span></span></span><span style="color: black;"><i><span style="background: transparent;">Nioh</span></i></span><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="background: transparent;">,
by attempting to inject story between levels, overburdens itself.
Players are so exhausted to have just defeated the boss after
thirty-seven attempts that they have little memory what happened in
the story.</span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, <i>Nioh </i>may be the high point of the modern action rpgs.
It provides an incredible degree of challenge and nuance in
character builds. Players are able to direct their samurai/ninja
dream in the manner they see fit with the games extremely deep
progression system, then pit themselves against an amazingly
difficult set of encounters and bosses to see how the build works.
It's old school and new school in all the best ways. And the art,
<i><chef's kiss></i>. The narrative is spurious and enemy
power does often ramp with player power, but beyond this, the game
DELIVERS. If you do not like difficult games, skip it. If you're up
for a challenge, however, give it a try. Like every situation, the
greater the challenge, the greater the satisfaction overcoming it...
months later. </span></span></span></span>
</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-45482465970187856132024-01-06T11:34:00.003+01:002024-01-06T11:34:41.404+01:00Review of Wish I Was Here by M. John Harrison<p><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvujJY0ynw5IAF_amPyNI3s10UAV6dNRBSXBoh2x2MyV-PHBR-8aj97Kjk-mu8LsY1JI6LUwhJPXwks_-3O9h4nxSObqgWJOk05Qns2bXYHulQmqrL_DxNFmZBrWALeVtHjDZFLULGq9qtY_N5bBELX430tqEvIGT8jes2KZZRqpDchYSUrmAfaXWdUyCz/s285/wish%20i%20was%20here,%20harrison.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="285" data-original-width="177" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvujJY0ynw5IAF_amPyNI3s10UAV6dNRBSXBoh2x2MyV-PHBR-8aj97Kjk-mu8LsY1JI6LUwhJPXwks_-3O9h4nxSObqgWJOk05Qns2bXYHulQmqrL_DxNFmZBrWALeVtHjDZFLULGq9qtY_N5bBELX430tqEvIGT8jes2KZZRqpDchYSUrmAfaXWdUyCz/w124-h200/wish%20i%20was%20here,%20harrison.jpg" width="124" /></a></span></span></div><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">M.
John Harrison has always been an author apart. Sure, he has books
which seem straightforward, but closer examination reveals not
everything is as it seems. His Viriconium sequence begins on what
one might describe as core genre, but three books later, via
impressionism and cubism, the reader has arrived at something
abstract—fiction anything but genre. Harrison's 2023 (anti-)memoir
</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Wish
I Was Here </i></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is
a look back at his life, muse, the writing “process”, and
left-field observations. It may just be the culmination of
everything Harrison.</span></span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As
the title indicates, Harrison sees himself at a distance. </span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Wish
I Was Here </i></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">manifests
itself in both life and fiction. He writes openly of “</span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>The
fight not to be a writer</i></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">.",
as well as strong desire to exist outside the norm.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: left;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;">“<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I
hate concepts. Having a concept isn’t having something to write:
having something to write about is having something to write. Never
favour plot. Story is fine, but plot is like chemical farming.
Closure is wrong. It is toxic. Work into a genre if you like, but
from as far outside it as possible. Read as much about Hollywood
formalism as you can bear, so you know what not to do.”<span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p></blockquote><p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i><span></span></i></span></span></span></span></span></span></p><!--more--><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">It's
the classic “artist” in some ways—the pain of creation,
absurdity of existence, etc. Camus would be proud.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
discussing his muse, Harrison introduces an idea in existence since
his childhood: map boy. Not muse in the typical sense, for Harrison
it's a natural experience, of being outside, in nature, and
observing, letting the eyes and ears wander. These outdoor
experiences then indirectly feed a thought process which acts as a
kind of gestalt experience not unlike daydreams, daydreams which may
or may not eventually result in ideas for fiction. Trust me, it's
better to let Harrison explain.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">For
readers tuning in to Harrison's memoir looking for proper
biographical details, they are few and far between. Harrison does
recount an experience or memory here and there, but they are rarely
what one would call formative or inflecting. <i>Wish I Was Here </i>is
the opposite of anything that might sniff at '<i>bare all</i>' or
'<i>tell all</i>'. What is recounted is typically more quotidian
in nature—a desk, a kitchen, a garden, a cat, etc.</span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>Wish
I Was Here </i>has a fascinating cadence and lilt. Like Thelonious
Monk, the diction <span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">plays
a tune but constantly uses notes, good but off-key notes, notes you
don't expect but which play a toe tapping song. Commenting on his
own lack of desire to fit in an established groove, Harrison writes:
“</span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>I’d
rather pile up real facts to reveal something evidently unreal than
pile up invented facts to make something unreal seem real.</i></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">”
And yet he makes the fiction work.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">I
am a fan of auto/biographies; I read one or two per year. But always
of people whose lives seem niche or interesting—Ghandi, The Feather
Thief, Oleg Gordievsky, etc. M. John Harrison has not lived what one
might typically call an interesting life. If anything, he is a
curmudgeon with an extraordinary talent for writing. <span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Humans
are social animals, but there are people who like to keep a toe in
the pool of society while others want neck deep. Harrison wants a
toenail. </span></span>But <i>Wish I Was Here </i>is filled with
exceedingly interesting writing. Harrison is an immaculate stylist
and his view to fiction is the opposite of ordinary.</span></span></span></span><br />
</p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I
have written more than a thousands reviews on this blog, from fiction
to non-fiction. But </span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>Wish
I Was Here </i></span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">is
the first book I had to stop and think which of those two broad
categories I needed to post this review. I will ultimately settle on
non-fiction, but would-be reader be aware that this book often exists
in the interstices between those two poles. And so while Harrison
himself puts the word 'memoir' on the cover, the answers to the
questions: What is writing? What is existence? What is storytelling?
are the opposite of direct. The memoir is therefore an acute angle -
not anti-social, rather niche, specific. People who muse
existentially may find a kindred spirit.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-32230482282256616352024-01-06T11:30:00.002+01:002024-01-06T11:30:36.077+01:00Review of The Unremembered Empire by Dan Abnett<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3mUtJao6xzGi-DiJN9ckunpHYQ24nSBshpgZi0ol3lb04j1K37g3R41KYIu9u06YDH6V0L_sX1FCCruVReuyHMl_PA5NCTZs1kJbqhWTWUblit1sQbcH4Mk2e_74b7vb3UvJTjoRQKxG3IPVdn2s0EHUIEEWOMigy3tyoyomvNbbskFtP5rGlKYaHCuf/s277/unremembered%20empire,%20abnett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="182" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK3mUtJao6xzGi-DiJN9ckunpHYQ24nSBshpgZi0ol3lb04j1K37g3R41KYIu9u06YDH6V0L_sX1FCCruVReuyHMl_PA5NCTZs1kJbqhWTWUblit1sQbcH4Mk2e_74b7vb3UvJTjoRQKxG3IPVdn2s0EHUIEEWOMigy3tyoyomvNbbskFtP5rGlKYaHCuf/w131-h200/unremembered%20empire,%20abnett.jpg" width="131" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dan
Abnett is proving to be my favorite flavor of Horus Heresy authors.
He has more subtlety to his style than most of the others writing in
the universe, best sets a scene, and perhaps most importantly,
deviates furthest from the formula of what HH novels can be.
<i>Prospero Burns, Legion, Know No Fear</i>—these are definitively
singular books in the series. Which had me asking: what will he do
with the continuation of the Ultramarines fight in <i>The
Unremembered Empire </i>(2013)?</span><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;"><i>The
Unremembered Empire</i> is a critical juncture in the overarching HH
storyline. Conflating a couple key sub-plots, it's unmissable for
those sticking to the spine of the series. The story begins on
Macragge, Robout Guillaume's Ultramarine powerhouse planetary
system—<i>the</i> powerhouse system now that Calth has fallen to
the surprise attack of the Word Bearers in <i>Know No Fear</i>. A
massive fleet arrives at the doorstep of Macragge, that of Lion
El'Johnson and his Dark Angels. Guillaume welcomes their presence,
that is, until a couple of surprises occur that set all the balls in
the Horus Heresy pinball machine bouncing around, triggering lights
and bells that call for major decisions.<span></span></span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">With
a handful of primarchs front and center, including a massive showdown
between two of them, <i>The Unremembered Empire </i>is atypical HH
material. There is no slow build up, no faraway planets with space
marines fighting xenos, all leading to the actual meat of the
novel—the climactic moment salient to the overarching HH storyline.
The entirety of <i>The Unremembered Empire </i>is salient. Abnett
spends a little time setting the stage, but things pick quickly up,
and the pedal stays on the metal all the way to the end.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">Abnett
handles the conflicts which arise well, including the interpersonal.
The dialogue, circumstances, and situation between the Ultramarines
and Dark Angels has an appropriate degree of tension—Guillaume's
loyalty vs. the Lion's shattered trust in the post-Isstvan V
universe. And the kinetic conflicts which occur, blasters to
stealth, are likewise handled well. </span></span></span>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: arial;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background: transparent;"> </span></span>
</span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">For
readers jumping around in the series, it's worth reading <i>The
Unremembered Empire </i>directly after <i>Vulkan Lives</i>.
Published back to back, they work seamlessly together despite the
ostensible difference in setting/characters. Read and you will see.
Potentially of value as a lead up to <i>The Unremembered Empire </i>is
the novella “The Lion” contained in <i>The Primarchs </i>anthology.
I say potentially as its criticality is nowhere near that of <i>Vulkan
Lives</i>.</span></span></span></p>
<p lang="en-US" style="font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="color: black;"><span style="font-family: arial; font-size: small;"><span style="background: transparent;">In
the end, <i>The Unremembered Empire </i>is both one of the best
novels in the HH series to this point and a critical novel to the
overarching storyline. It also helps cement Abnett's place as one of
the best writers in the universe. Pacing great, conflict salient, and
scene setup excellent. Another un-, it is unmissable moment in the
HH storyline.</span></span></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-62598490142257465482023-12-28T11:27:00.010+01:002024-01-23T20:21:26.899+01:00Speculiction's Awards - Best Fiction Published in 2023<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddFn581ug6dAnAuLAudh7XHLzmKZK5XYPr9sm9YbGSZtaRiXiwpa4lOTSJ6unHwv3X0t8xRE8wRYHLFyZVIzTD00MbECet1iftuUUg9VyGj9q9ccp3M9_vcEXUoL5P6mML9EApsCXHtHreICJcERKi5pMTIuU8K0rSEy_pFcP3IhQ6K5Mf3dNcKbDLwUr/s220/reading%203.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="148" data-original-width="220" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgddFn581ug6dAnAuLAudh7XHLzmKZK5XYPr9sm9YbGSZtaRiXiwpa4lOTSJ6unHwv3X0t8xRE8wRYHLFyZVIzTD00MbECet1iftuUUg9VyGj9q9ccp3M9_vcEXUoL5P6mML9EApsCXHtHreICJcERKi5pMTIuU8K0rSEy_pFcP3IhQ6K5Mf3dNcKbDLwUr/s1600/reading%203.jpg" width="220" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">The hype machine that is a good chunk
of the internet will, undoubtedly, have a lot of positive things to
say about speculative fiction published in 2023. Me not so much.
Having read twenty-three books published in 2023, the year feels decidedly
ho-hum. There are only a couple books I feel strongly about
recommending. Why? Maybe because the market continues to be
saturated, meaning it's more difficult for books to distinguish
themselves or feel distinguished. Maybe because quality is more evenly dispersed.
Maybe because identity politics continue to play too strong a role in
reviews, awards, and who gets published. Maybe because I'm a
thousand+ books deep into my sf&f journey, meaning true
satisfaction is more difficult to come by as more and more of
speculative fiction's true gems are consumed. They can't all be <i><u><b>5
STARS!!</b></u></i>, which is what the hype would have it...</span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This is all a long winded way of saying
there wasn't a lot of competition for Speculiction's novel and
anthology/collection of the year. I read the “best” novel early
in the year, and if it wasn't for <a href="https://schicksalgemeinschaft.wordpress.com/">bormgans</a>, I wouldn't even have a
“best” anthology/collection. <i><puff-puff></i> Let's
blow the dust off the velvet curtain and see what they are.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">My pick for novel of the year is a slow
burn—a steadily warming glow, to be precise. The deeper I got the
more I appreciated the shades of Ian McDonald's <i>Desolation Road
</i>and Chris Beckett's <i>Dark Eden</i>, and the occasional splashes
of Ray Bradbury in <a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/06/review-of-strange-by-nathan-ballingrud.html">Nathan Ballingrud's <i>The Strange</i></a>. To be
ultra clear, however, the sum of its parts is something singular.
Ostensibly the coming-of-age of a teenage girl, it is that, as well
as glimpses into a society attempting to come to terms with being
alone on Mars, no contact or resources from Earth forthcoming. The
glimpses, sometimes bittersweet, sometimes stubborn, sometimes
dramatic, sometimes hopeless, sometimes reactive, are always human.
In another year perhaps Ballingrud's debut novel may not have taken
home the trophy, but in 2023 it is the best. The only other novel I considered was <a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/04/review-of-desert-creatures-by-kay.html">Kay Chronister's gritty <i>Desert Creatures</i></a><span style="font-style: normal;">,
which is also well worth a read</span>.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In the world of anthologies and
collections I struggled, as always, to read a relevant amount.
Several years ago I told myself I must read at least five in order to
hand out an award, and in 2023 I happened to read exactly five. So
be aware the following does not take into account the majority of
short fiction collections published in the year. That being said,
the winning book is phenomenal. It's even better than Ballingrud's
<i>The Strange</i>. M. John Harrison is one of the tippy-toppy best
writers out there, regardless of genre, and <i><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-of-wish-i-was-here-by-m-john.html">Wish I Was Here</a> </i>his
memoir, or more precisely anti-memoir (as it is sub-titled), is more
than just autobiography. An atom whose protons, neutrons and
electrons orbit in differing spheres, it's impossible to precisely
taxonomize <i>Wish I Was Here</i>. Memoir, indeed, but likewise it's
muse, creative process, upbringing, poetry, speculation, and more.
Harrison is not an interesting person, but his writing and thoughts
are completely, utterly, engrossing. For the high brow reader in
you, <i>Wish I Was Here </i>comes strongly recommended—and thanks again to <a href="https://schicksalgemeinschaft.wordpress.com/">bormgans</a> for pointing me towards this. (And for the curious, there is no connection to Pink
Floyd.)</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;">As usual, there were several
speculative fiction books I didn't get to in the year, including Nina
Allan's <i>Conquest</i>, Martin Mcinnes' <i>In Ascension</i>, Katie
Williams' <i>My Murder</i>, Jonathan Lethem's <i>Brooklyn Murder
Story</i>, Alex Grecian's <i>Red Rabbit</i>, and S.L. Huang's <i>The
Water Outlaws</i>. And undoubtedly other potentially worthwhile
books will appear in the coming weeks and months as others' best-of
lists emerge. If you think I missed something, let me know. Without further ado, here is the breakdown of all books published in
2023 I read:</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Novels/Novellas</span></b></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">5.0</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>4.5</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/06/review-of-strange-by-nathan-ballingrud.html"><i><u><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Strange</span></u></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;">
by Nathan Ballingrud</span></u></span></a><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span>– A girl's coming of age in the Martian sands,
Ballingrud captures the loneliness of being separated from Earth
through the lives of an increasingly desperate community. Wild west
meets 50s sf with a human heart, the book features humanity
throughout, speckled with juicy little bits of imagination that give
the sands life and color. For people familiar with Ballingrud's
short fiction, it's worth noting the novel is a strong departure.
While the details of character remain, his diction is significantly
more staid, and the speculative mood is more retro sf than Weird,
horror, or dark fantasy.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>4.0</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/04/review-of-desert-creatures-by-kay.html"><i><u>Desert Creatures</u></i><u> by
Kay Chronister</u></a> - <i>Desert Creatures</i> shares a few things in
common with <i>The Strange</i>: young woman lead, dusty sands of
hopelessness, and odd encounters with remnants of human civilization.
But beyond these, Chronister creates a world of her own—a
post-apocalyptic Arizona/Nevada featuring a woman trying to find
meaning in life. Like Ballingrud's, Chronister's set pieces are not
over the top but are uniquely imaginative. The neon cowboy still
lopes in my mind. Below the surface, the novel examines the idea of
beliefs and values, and comes to something relatable regardless of
the reader's creed or orientation.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><br /></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>3.5</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-of-bridge-by-lauren-beukes.html"><i><u>Bridge </u></i><u>by Lauren
Beukes</u></a> – A voodoo novel in structure and form, <i>The Bridge </i>is
definitively a 2023 novel, but one which has taken a few steps back
to look at the direction families and society are going, as well as
the impact modern media have on health. A troubled teen named
Bridget is front and center, and just when she thought life was
difficult, her semi-estranged mother passes away. The death opening
a voodoo box, Beukes pens an imaginative take on Bridge's coming of
age. I do not think the latter half of the novel, particularly its simplistic genre
leanings, do the first half justice, but you can read for yourself to
make up your own mind.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/04/review-of-hopeland-by-ian-mcdonald.html"><i><u>Hopeland </u></i><u>by Ian
McDonald</u></a> – Something of a return for McDonald, <i>Hopeland</i>
produces echoes of the author's back catalog (<i>Out on Blue Six,
Desolation Road, </i>etc.). A zeitgeist novel, however, McDonald
digs into modern concerns regarding the environment and immigration
with a semi-utopian vision whose electric verve is intended to
inspire. I have misgivings about McDonald's politics, and exposition
can occasionally be slap-dash (back catalog, remember), but the gods
know that the fantastika market needs more experimental prose
presenting truly singular stories, which this is.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/08/review-of-when-i-sing-mountains-dance.html"><i><u>When I Sing, Mountains Dance </u></i><u>by
Irene Sola</u></a> – More prose than plot, Sola's background as a poet
comes through strongly in this magic realist/impressionist journey
through the lives of a family living in the Basque mountains. Salt,
sugar, vinegar, and spice, it offers a perennial yin/yang view to
life and generations—the poet's mantra. Fate, hope realized, and
sunny summer afternoons, it's a smorgasbord of moments.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/06/review-of-titanium-noir-by-nick-harkaway.html"><i><u>Titanium Noir </u></i><u>by Nick
Harkaway</u></a> – Well written, straight-forward cyberpunk sleuthing,
Harkaway tells of a near-future where biomeds render the ultra-rich
capable of becoming titans—physically massive people with extended
life spans. A murder setting the scene (natch), the story that
follows is a classic private eye investigation, right down to the
authorial voice.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>3.0</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/06/review-of-legend-of-charlie-fish-by.html"><i><u>The Legend of Charlie Fish </u></i><u>by
Josh Rountree</u></a> – Combining tall tale and Texas history, <i>The
Legend of Charlie Fish</i> tells of the hurricane—the Great
Storm—that hit Galveston at the start of the 20th century. Rountee
captures a solid authorial voice and nicely edits the story in such a
fashion to avoid A to B to C storytelling. Jumping forwards and
backwards sustains the piece but perhaps at the expense of a
climactic hurricane.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/07/review-of-lies-of-ajungo-by-moses-ose.html"><i><u>The Lies of the Ajungo </u></i><u>by
Moses Ose Utomi</u></a> – A dark fable/myth, <i>Lies</i> tells the
story of Ajungo, a boy raised in a city who pays tribute to a
neighboring land in tongues—not language, but the fleshy bits
inside the mouth—in order to receive much needed water. At the age
of thirteen, Ajungo is sent into the desert to save his mother and
maybe, just maybe, find a permanent source of water for his people.
The novella's diction is sufficient if simple, the imagination is
sharp, and the ending is appropriate. If I have anything against it,
it would be the irregular moments of lightness that blunt what could
have been a razor of a climax.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/10/review-of-gaze-long-into-abyss-by-dalan.html"><i><u>Gaze Long into the Abyss </u></i><u>by
Dalan Musson</u></a> – A simplified, black and white version of Cormac
McCarthy's <i>Blood Meridian</i>, <i>Gaze Long into the Abyss</i>
hits a nice spot in term of visuals but is too sparse in substance
to drive any particular message or commentary. Room to ruminate is
generally a positive thing, and religion seems at the root of this
post-apocalytic western, but beyond that Musson plays his cards
really close to the chest. Should have been a graphic novel?</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-of-counterweight-by-djuna.html"><i><u>Counterweight</u></i><u> by Djuna</u></a>
– An extremely lean version of a William Gibson future,
<i>Counterweight </i>is a cyberpunk story featuring industrial
espionage in an age when mankind has built a space elevator. Despite
the fact we live in an age of doorstopper books, Counterweight could
have/should have had an additional layer of hard detail to really
make the book pop. The story is clean and moves at a breakneck pace,
but doesn't have strong staying power due to the lack of singular
nuance.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/06/review-of-beyond-reach-of-earth-by-ken.html"><i><u>Beyond the Reach of Earth </u></i><u>by
Ken Macleod</u></a> – This and the following two books on this list
have a common theme: normality. They don't do anything overtly
wrong, but by the same token, they don't do anything exceptionally
well (save perhaps Hand, who is an excellent stylist). <i>Beyond the
Reach of Earth </i>is the definition of “science fiction” too
many people. Read the dictionary entry, create an assumption, and
voila <i>Beyond the Reach of Earth</i>. Extra-terrestrial escapades,
space mysteries, time travel—it borrows bits and pieces here to
build... to builds something, and whether that something is an
archetype or a stereotype will depend on the reader. For me the
needle fell to the stereotype side, but maybe not for you.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><u>A Haunting on the Hill</u></i><u>
by Elizabeth Hand</u> – <i>A Haunting on the Hill </i>is a tribute
to Shirley Jackson's <i>The Haunting of Hill House</i>. (Get that?)
I love Elizabeth Hand but don't love gothic horror. I struggled to
finish Jackson's novel, just as I struggled to finish Hand's. But
it's certainly not for lack of style or talent. I respect both
authors, but this type of fiction is not my groove.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><u>Blade of Dream</u></i><u> by
Daniel Abraham</u> – Daniel Abraham is another author I respect.
His prose is sound, he aims a little more toward character rather
than plot, and does a decent job humanizing genre. <i>Blade of Dream</i>,
like the prior volume in the series, is too vanilla, however. I
found all the aforementioend elements of fiction in the novel, but it
struggles, mightily, to distinguish itself from the middle layer of
the market. Again, Abraham provides a little more nuance to
character than most fantasy offers, but beyond that the story is red
brick mediocre.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2.5</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><u><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/03/review-of-shadow-casket-by-chris-wooding.html">The Shadow Casket by ChrisWooding</a></u></i><i> </i>– Upon completion of <i>The Shadow Casket</i>,
I was left wondering: Did I read <i>The Ember Blade</i>, the previous
novel in the series, with rose-tinted goggles? Looking at the
surface, the two novels would seem to be two peas in a pod.
Wooding's style is consistent. The characters have the same YA
treatment. And the world has a familiar body. Despite the immature
tone of <i>The Ember Blade</i>, I could relax into its simple
adventure. For whatever reason, <i>The Shadow Casket </i>did not
become the same pillow. But the bottom line is: most readers who
enjoyed <i>The Ember Blade </i><span style="font-style: normal;">are
</span>likely to enjoy the sequel, just not me.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><u>Song of Silver, Flame Like Night</u></i><u>
by Amelie Wen Zhao</u> – My expectations killed this book more than
anything, but Zhao did no favors. Based on the blurb and reviews, I
went in to the novel thinking it would be a fantastical take on
Chinese myth, something I have a soft-soft spot for. What I got was
a middle school love story with bits of Chinese culture and myth.
<i>Howl's Moving Castle</i>, a book openly labeled for teens, is more
mature. Regardless of reading level, Zhao's style is fluffy and
loose, and doesn't mind including a fair number of eye-rolling
phrases one typically finds in romance novels. And like many, many
fantasy novels these days, it's possible to excise a third of the
content and not miss anything.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><u>The Sword Defiant</u></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><u>
by Gareth Hanrahan</u></span> – Confession: I read the first
quarter of <i>The Sword Defiant </i><span style="font-style: normal;">but
</span>then went into skim mode. Comedy, especially comedy of the
<i>Lethal Weapon/Die Hard/Bad Boys/Beverly Hills Cop </i>variety, is
not my cup of tea. Combine that with swords-and-sorcery and I glaze.
Why? Fantasy is inherently a genre which requires the writer to
work harder to help the reader suspend belief—to buy into the
abstract world and idea. Adding cheesy comedy makes that task 100%
more difficult, especially with an uber-serious title like “The
Sword Defiant”. <i>It sneers at your grandmas's threats to wear a
hat in the winter, it laughs at colonoscopies over fifty, it refuses
to brush its teeth before bed, it is </i><span style="font-style: normal;"><drum
roll></span><i> the Sword Defiant!!! </i><span style="font-style: normal;"><trumpets
blare></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2.0</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/11/review-of-androne-by-dwain-worrell.html"><i><u>Androne </u></i><u>by Dwain
Worrell</u></a> – Point blank: this is a novel wherein a Hollywood
writer learns (the hard way) that writing for the page requires a
different technique than the screen. Surface level, <i>Androne </i>has
all the pieces of an sf action drama. Apocalyptic mystery, virtually
controlled mechwarrior robots, some bullets and lasers—its got the
parts. But it doesn't have the execution. Worrell shows occasional
flashes of prosaic brilliance, but by and large it is erratic
workaday diction. Far worse is character (1.5D at best) and scene
setting. They're poor. They have minimal flow. They constantly
step on their own feet, poking and pinching, disrupting the reading
experience. I developed a twitch reading this.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>1.5
</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/05/review-of-flight-anchor-by-nicole.html"><i><u>Flight & Anchor</u></i><u> by
Nicole Kornher-Stace</u></a> – Clashes on top of dissonance on top of
conflicts—too bad it's at the level of execution not character or
plot. This novel actively fails in a couple key places. Authorial
tone does not match the story type and the length of story exceeds
the actual mass of story by 100 pages. This should have been a
grimdark short story but instead is a meandering novel with minimal
purpose where it is going. Kornher-Stace's prior novel <i>Firebreak
</i>was a spot of action/drama that played to the author's strengths.
This novel shows little strength.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Collections/Anthologies</span></b></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>4.5</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-of-wish-i-was-here-by-m-john.html"><i><u>Wish I Was Here</u></i><u> by M.
John Harrison</u></a> – If you put a gun to my head I would tell you
this is non-fiction; it's right there in the subtitle: <i>An
Anti-Memoir</i>. But there is enough speculation and imagination in
this book to put a few toes over the line into fiction. But
regardless real or made up, this is M. John Harrison, and in this
book he bares bits of biography, muse, inspiration, and more.
Harrison being Harrison, however, it's in the most obtuse and acute
manner possible. Goddamn is he a good writer, the flow of words pure
pleasure.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>4.0</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br />
</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>3.5</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><br />
</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>3.0</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><u><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/08/review-of-things-get-ugly-best-crime.html">Things Get Ugly: The Best CrimeStories of Joe Lansdale</a></u></i> – Joe Lansdale, like most writers,
can't bat 1.000 in the short fiction department. That being said,
he's still worth third or fourth place in the lineup. (Sorry for the
baseball metaphor, reading <i>Brittle Innings </i>by Michael Bishop
at the moment—and after a thousand+ reviews, well, you
understand...) <i>Things Get Ugly</i> is a decent collection of
tales that runs the gamut of hero to anti-hero. But regardless who
comes out on top, you can bet it's only after twists, turns, and
violence. Many of the stories lack Lansdale's singular voice, but
enough do to propel the reader forward.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2.5</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-of-communications-breakdown-ed.html"><i><u>Communications Breakdown</u></i><u>
ed. by Jonathan Strahan</u></a> – Every year or two I read a Strahan
anthology of original shorts as he generally has his finger on the
pulse of what is happening in science fiction and fantasy. If that
is true, then the genres are in a mediocre place based on
<i>Communications Breakdown</i>. One, maybe two, stretching to
possibly three of these stories can be recommended. The remaining
are either the definition of average or, as is the case with a couple
of the stories, evidently poorly written. One even feels like a high
school writing assignment... Difficult for me to recommend this.
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />
</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>2.0</b></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-of-stroke-of-pen-by-terry.html"><i><u>Stroke of the Pen: The Lost
Stories</u></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><u> by Terry
Pratchett</u></span></a><i><span style="text-decoration: none;"> – </span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;">I
love Terry Pratchett. The man's reputation is worth every word. And
I will not turn down reading anything by him, including this
collection of tales resurrected from Pratchett's youth, when, as a
journalist he used a bit of free space in his local newspaper to
write fanciful nothings under a pen name. In my review I wrote that
this collection is for two types of people: Pratchett collectors and
people who live and breathe his every word. Otherwise, this material
(dozens of stories 4-8 pages in length) could have remained
unresurrected and we would not be missing anything. Neil Gaiman, Rob
Wilkins, and others put legitimate effort into making this as good as
it can be, but the stories are what they are: dry seeds to the flower
Pratchett's writing would become.</span></span></span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-of-ten-planets-stories-by-yuri.html"><i><u>Ten Planets</u></i><u> by Yuri
Herrera</u></a> – There are some readers in this world critical of
Literature (capital L). When I read collections like Yuri Hererra's
<i>Ten Planets</i> I understand why. More noise than song, more
style than substance, and fundamentally unaware of what it wants to
be underneath the pretension, it's difficult for me to say something
positive here beyond: the prose is generally sharp. Otherwise,
prepare yourself for magic realism that wants to be an edge lord but
is in fact a lost lord.</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7670543499274741427.post-16847523939081848242023-12-28T11:08:00.004+01:002024-01-23T20:20:16.066+01:00Best Reads of 2023<p><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXz6r02cWFD4jGojjieVSUDn1ZmbqVHG1tI0-tos6OgoHFTnGKv6LXqhz3k31Si98MIaf1sp1KQLpM3WC3fgAco2GQD64FDGZsY0kud7mwcqZJj8Tf4JukUvgr2_w0cVFjT2cLdqseE5K8QFM2C7djXn6Zk9hi4t4tSzziJgDScCzb3IQFDhWv8y46igy_/s219/reading%201.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="148" data-original-width="219" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXz6r02cWFD4jGojjieVSUDn1ZmbqVHG1tI0-tos6OgoHFTnGKv6LXqhz3k31Si98MIaf1sp1KQLpM3WC3fgAco2GQD64FDGZsY0kud7mwcqZJj8Tf4JukUvgr2_w0cVFjT2cLdqseE5K8QFM2C7djXn6Zk9hi4t4tSzziJgDScCzb3IQFDhWv8y46igy_/s1600/reading%201.jpg" width="219" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">As is tradition at Speculiction, we
post two best-of lists at year-end. One is for the best books
published during the year, and the other list—this list—is for
the best books we read regardless of year published or form—fiction,
poetry, non-fiction, etc. (For best-of fiction published only in 2023, <a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/12/speculictions-awards-best-fiction.html">see here</a>.) In other words, these are books that
have a chance of sticking around in memory, to poke their nose above
the thousands of books we have read in time. Without further ado,
here are the books still sticking at Speculiction:</span><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/09/review-of-fantasy-writers-assistant-and.html"><i><u>The Fantasy Writer's Assistant
and Other Stories</u></i><u> by Jeffrey Ford</u></a> – Despite being
Jeff Ford's debut collection, the stories collected here show no sign
of 'an up and coming writer'. Ford appears to be one of the few who
emerged from the cocoon with butterfly wings. As with most Ford
collections, there are a few highly memorable stories worth a read,
with the surrounding material hanging close. “Creation”, the
title story, “The Delicate”, and “At Reparata” are all proper
good, with “Creation” being one of the nest I've ever read. If
you haven't read Ford, this is as good a place as any to discover he
is one of the absolute best short story writers of our time.<span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a><p></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/10/review-of-getting-to-know-you-by-david.html"><i><u>Getting to Know You</u></i><u> by
David Marusek</u></a> – Containing a couple of the early 21st century's
tip-top greatest short stories, don't let the lack of name
recognition throw you off. Marusek can write. “The Wedding Album”
the title story, “We Were All Beside Ourselves with Joy”—these
are fine, fine stories that hold up well today, and will for years to
come. It should be noted that it's only because Marusek does not
write mainstream science fiction that his name is not better known.
For readers looking for something a bit (just a bit) outside that
mainstream, his name is potentially worth checking out.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/05/review-of-tyll-novel-by-daniel-kehlmann.html"><i><u>Tyll </u></i><u>by Daniel
Kehlmann</u></a> – A jester living through the follies of humanity
across Medieval Germany and Czech Republic. Sound interesting?
Kehlmann presents with one hand a juggling, acrobatic jester, while
he uses the other to deliver staid commentary on this thing we call
the humanity experiment via real-world history. It's not a book for
everybody, but if such a premise winks at you, Kehlmann delivers.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/06/review-of-strange-by-nathan-ballingrud.html"><i><u><span style="font-weight: normal;">The
Strange</span></u></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><u><span style="font-weight: normal;">
by Nathan Ballingrud</span></u></span></a><span style="font-style: normal;"><span style="text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">
</span></span></span>– A girl's coming of age in the Martian sands,
Ballingrud captures the loneliness of being separated from Earth
through the lives of an increasingly desperate community. Wild west
meets 50s sf with a human heart, the book features humanity
throughout, speckled with juicy little bits of imagination that give
the sands life and color. For people familiar with Ballingrud's
short fiction, it's worth noting the novel is a strong departure.
While the details of character remain, his diction is significantly
more staid, and the specuative mood is more retro sf than Weird,
horror, or dark fantasy.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/04/review-of-desert-creatures-by-kay.html"><i><u>Desert Creatures</u></i><u> by
Kay Chronister</u></a> - <i>Desert Creatures</i> shares a few things in
common with Ballingrud's <i>The Strange</i>: young woman lead, dusty
sands of hopelessness, and odd encounters with remnants of human
civilization. But beyond these, Chronister creates a world of her
own—a post-apocalyptic Arizona/Nevada featuring a woman trying to
find meaning in life. Like Ballingrud's, Chronister's set pieces are
not over the top but are uniquely imaginative. The neon cowboy still
lopes in my mind. Below the surface, the novel examines the idea of
beliefs and values, and comes to something relatable regardless of
the reader's creed or orientation.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/10/review-of-aztec-century-by-christopher.html"><i><u>Aztec Century </u></i><u>by
Christopher Evans</u></a> – <i>Aztec Century</i> is the smoothest, most
imminently readable book I've had the pleasure of devouring in a long
time. I couldn't put it down—which is something that rarely
happens to me. Alternate history in which Europe never conquered the
Aztecs, their empire has gone on to take over South and North America
through the centuries, and at the outset of the novel has its sights
set on Britain in the present day (at least Evans' 90s). In the
opening pages they invade the island monarchy and take the royal
family hostage. The royal daughter Catherine has no choice but to
accept the takeover but does her best to keep British society and
culture alive in the face of the hostile but silver-tongued Aztecs.
Queue drama. Well-paced story, imaginative scenes, clean prose—Evans
puts on a workshop how to write plot-centric, genuinely engrossing
fiction. It's worth mentioning that the story's ending takes the
third road, i.e. readers cannot predict it, but what happens has been
well set up.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/10/review-of-lovedeath-by-dan-simmons.html"><i><u>Lovedeath </u></i><u>by Dan
Simmons</u></a> – <i>Lovedeath </i>contains only five stories, but what
it lacks in quantity it makes up in quality. Two stories are good,
one is better than good, and two knock your socks off. Simmons'
tales of demons in Bangkok will make every man squirm yet want
more—ironic considering the primary device. Another is a young
Native American's journey/adventure that will have you smirking and
wanting more. It's possible that when Simmons' oeuvre is done and
dusted that this period in his career may be reflected on as his most
creative. Each story has a verve, an edge, and complete confidence
to lead the reader by their chin. Just great storytelling.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/02/non-fiction-review-of-terry-pratchett.html"><i><u>Terry Pratchett: Life with
Footnotes</u></i><u> by Rob Wilkins</u></a> – This is Terry Pratchett's
biography, written with every ounce of grace, humor, and warmth that
the author deserved. What's more to say? Any fan of Pratchett,
regardless passing or tattooed, should read this. Rob, you did Terry
right.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/07/review-of-north-american-lake-monsters.html"><i><u>North American Lake Monsters</u></i><u>
by Nathan Ballingrud</u></a> - This collection floored me. It's in my
top ten all time. I can't tell you today what the other nine are,
but when the tides of the apocalypse wash ashore, this one will be
there. The manner in which the fantastic is utilized in realist
fashion, the jagged, cutting prose, the perpetual resistance to the
classic intro-body-climax-resolution style storytelling, and the
sheer weight of the human dimension to these stories make it one for
the ages—at least in my book (sorry). It's just phenomenal.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-of-bridge-by-lauren-beukes.html"><i><u>Bridge </u></i><u>by Lauren
Beukes</u></a> – A voodoo novel in structure and form, <i>The Bridge </i>is
definitively a 2023 novel, but one which has taken a few steps back
to look at the direction families and society are going, as well as
the impact modern media have on health. A troubled teen named
Bridget is front and center, and just when she thought life was
difficult, her semi-estranged mother passes away. The death opening
a voodoo box, Beukes pens an imaginative take on Bridge's coming of
age. I do not the latter half of the novel, particularly its genre
leanings, do the first half justice, but you can read for yourself to
make up your own mind.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/02/review-of-monsignor-quixote-by-graham.html"><i><u>Monsignor Quixote </u></i><u>by
Graham Greene</u></a> – <i>Monsignor Quixote</i> is an examination of
Christianity using the symbolic elements of Cervantes' classic, but
told in <i>Blues Brothers</i>' style. Instead of blues music and
Chicago car chases, Greene puts a Catholic priest, his atheist
friend, and a crate of wine inside a tiny car and sends them off “<i>on
a mission from God</i>”—a road trip across Spain in which all
manner of humorous hijinxes unfold. As is usual with Greene, he
holds no punches portraying the dirty side of organized religion, but
at the same time looks for the human meaning beneath, regardless how
ugly or beautiful it is. Greene isn't a name you hear much of these
days, but novels like these really stand the test of time. I'm also
a sucker for John Steinbeck's <i>Tortilla Flat</i>, so no surprise
this novel also hit a sweet spot.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/10/review-of-wounds-by-nathan-ballingrud.html">“The Butcher's Table” by Nathan
Ballingrud</a></u> - 2023 was a year of discovering Nathan Ballingrud.
And what a discovery. Two of his books exist on this list, and I
can't help but put one more selection on it—not a book, but the
novella “The Butcher's Table”. It is what every fantasy pirate
story dreams of being. Pace, imagination, visceral happenings,
unpredictable transpirations, imagery, grab-you-by-the-__<u>insert
your gender's unmentionables here</u>__ storytelling,—just about
everything you could want in sails, swashbuckling, and the demonic
beyond. It literally unfurled in my head like a movie on a giant
screen. Images still flash in my head today.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/11/review-of-drood-by-dan-simmons.html"><i><u>Drood </u></i><u>by Dan Simmons</u></a>
– <i>Drood </i>was a book that I perpetually did not want to like.
Real-world novelists in fiction have a good chance of being
pretentious, in this case Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins. But
slowly and steadily, Simmons drew me in by method. For one, he does
not put the authors on pedestals. Their failings are on display as
much as their successes. Secondly, the narrative exists at two
levels: the fictional and intra-fictional; there are two additional
stories within the story. The horror is existential rather than
overt or body. And lastly, there is no attempt at imitation or
homage to said real-wrold writers. Simmons writes his own engaging
plot based on Victorian England and the two men's lives, with lightly
fantastical speculation filling the interstices history does not.
It's a touch long (800+ pages), but rarely felt so. Worth a read.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><i><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/12/review-of-everywhere-by-ian-r-macleod.html" style="text-decoration-line: underline;">Everywhere</a><u> </u></i><u>and </u><i><u><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/12/review-of-nowhere-by-ian-r-macleod.html">Nowhere</a>
</u></i><u>by Ian Macleod </u>– These two collections are Volume I
and II of Ian Macleod' “greatest short fiction hits”. <i>Everywhere
</i>has more than a dozen shorts and <i>Nowhere </i>a handful of
novellas. I ordinarily shy away from such purchases, but it's
difficult these days to pick up Macleod's back catalog without
offering up your firstborn. If there is any justice in the world,
Macleod's name will be remembered as the tip of the iceberg of
speculative fiction from the 90s onward. These being 'greatest
hits' volumes, I can't name one or two stories as stand out given
that the overwhelming majority are superb four and five star
selections. If you haven't read Macleod, just go buy this. He's one
in a million.</span></p>
<p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><u>The Horus Heresy by various authors</u>
– I did it. I put a toe in. And now it's just my nose poking
above water. The Horus Heresy series, against the odds, has sucked
me in. Not every book or story in this Warhammer universe is a
zinger, but the author base has architected an overarching plotline
that is by turns grimdark space opera, mythopoeic, and human.
Someday I will write a longer article why the series is worthwhile
despite its consumerist leanings, but for now the story has
entertained me at at least two levels. <a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2023/05/review-of-horus-rising-by-dan-abnett.html"><i><span style="text-decoration: none;">Horus
Rising</span></i> by Dan Abnett</a> was the hook, and I recommend giving
it a taste to see if the series is for you.
</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://speculiction.blogspot.com/2024/01/review-of-wish-i-was-here-by-m-john.html"><i><u>Wish I Was Here</u></i><u> by M. John Harrison</u></a> – If you put a gun to my head I would tell you this is non-fiction; it's right there in the subtitle: <i>An Anti-Memoir</i>. But there is enough speculation and imagination in this book to put a few toes over the line into fiction. But regardless real or made up, this is M. John Harrison, and in this book he bares bits of biography, muse, inspiration, and more. Harrison being Harrison, however, it's in the most obtuse and acute manner possible. Goddamn is he a good writer, the flow of words pure pleasure.</span></p><p style="margin-bottom: 0in;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0