I've been a fan of John Scalzi for a while, but didn't really feel like reading this one. I love the Old Man's War Universe, and was (and still am) waiting for the next book. I want to start raving about the episodic structure of The Human Division, but this is not the time or place.
Title: Lock In
Author: John Scalzi
Format: Audio
Twenty five years ago a disastrous epidemic known as Haden's syndrome has run rampant across the world. It started with flu like symptoms, but in others it has a second stage where the brain swells in a manner similar to meningitis. Some of these patients then fall victim to Lock In, where they lose all control over their body, though their mind remains completely unaffected. The US and allies invested trillions of dollars in research and now have developed "Threeps" or robots which can be controlled by remotely by the afflicted people. Chris Shane is a "Haden" and it's his/her first week as an FBI agent. Of course it becomes the most chaotic and exhilarating week imaginable. There's murder, suicide, corporate espionage, and more all set against a backdrop of a march to protest the impending Abrams-Ketering Bill which will soon cut off all funding for Haden care.
Let's start with the potentially confusing thing from the synopsis. No, not the pseudo science or plot, the his/her. Close investigation of the text gives no indication of Chris' gender. In fact, there are two audio versions of the book, one narrated by Wil Wheaton, and one by Amber Benson. You get to pick which gender you want Chris to be. I went with the Wheaton version, which I think was a mistake, but I'll get to that later. This genderless situation is a really cool concept for a story, and Scalzi is subtle in his implementation. Rather than this being the focus of the story, it's an added perk to a savy reader.
But rather than gushing about book, I'll get to the heart of my critique and why I think I chose the wrong version of the book to listen to. John Scalzi has a signature style. His characters are smart, fast talking, agreeable, and did I mention smart. He often runs into a problem with what we'll the call "superman complex." All his characters can do anything and come up with a solution to any problem all while being a smart ass. In each instance it is hilarious and entertaining, but when looked at together, everything seems to blend together into a similar blob of overly talented characters telling jokes. Add to this that Wil Wheaton is the voice behind maybe half of Scalzi's audiobooks and it becomes the same voice telling you about the same characters doing the same things.
This superman complex and singular style stem from a deeper problem in Scalzi's writing. His characters just aren't very complex. There are good guys and there are bad guys. The "grey" characters and still very good guys, just less good and less talented than the real heroes.
I love Scalzi's writing and his humor, but I'm also ready for something new from him. He's perfected his little niche and has the fan base. Now it's time to innovate and experiment a little. Maybe the good guys could lose the fight.
Fans of Mystery, Sci-Fi, and humor will enjoy this book. Scalzi fans know what to expect, it's more of the same
6/10
Another note. Feel free to use the comments to ask questions, disagree with me, tell me how awesome I am, or make requests for other books
Showing posts with label audio. Show all posts
Showing posts with label audio. Show all posts
Monday, April 13, 2015
Monday, March 30, 2015
Good Omens
The Great Sir Terry Pratchett died a few weeks ago. He joined Brutha, Constable Cuddy, Archchancellor Weatherwax and many others in the great beyond. Terry Pratchett was a genius and master of comedy. Fortunately, his works are as prolific as they were entertaining. He left us over forty discworld novels along with a whole cannon of other works. I decided to revisit one of his books as a small, insignificant homage to him. I chose the only one I have on audiobook.
Title: Good Omens
Author: Neil Gaiman
Format: Audiobook
Time to Finish: 14 days
Good Omens is a book that starts (very briefly) in Eden, as Adam and Eve are being exiled. We are introduced to Aziraphale (an angel) and Crowly (a demon). We then jump to eleven years before present day (at time of publishing, so 1980ish). Two Dukes of Hell inform Crowley that the antichrist has been born, and it is time to appropriately place him. Crowley brings him to the hospital specially created for this purpose, but due to misunderstood body language and three identical baby boys the antichrist is placed with the wrong family. Crowley and Aziraphale agree to influence the antichrist evenly, so that it is his choice of which side to take during the apocalypse is the son of satan's alone.
Eleven years later, the apocalypse is upon us, but there's only one problem. No one actually knows where or even who the antichrist is. Chaos and shenanigans ensue.
The story follows two main plot lines. That of Adam and "the Them" (the antichrist and his gang of fellow eleven year olds), and that of Crowley and Aziraphale. Other major players are the four horsemen of the apocalypse, the witch hunters, and the witches, with many side characters diving in and out at various points.
While the book is beloved, and quite fun, it is not perfect. To be honest, it's actually a bit of a let down. I like Gaiman, I love Pratchett, but the two writing together does not make the final product greater than the sum of its parts. While this book is quite good, one would expect it to be great. It's not. It's undeniably entertaining, but there a few flaws that are not only distracting, they are quite telling. Firstly, there are too mainly plot lines and characters. I wonder if this is because there are two authors, and so twice the amount of story that one should expect in a book (especially such a short one).
Additionally, the audience for the novel is unclear as the authors seem unable to decide upon their target. The story spends a good deal of time with eleven year old's, and so it sometimes seems childish and designed as a children's story, or maybe young adult. And then at other points it seems to be well over the head of any child. This can be done well, but here this just makes everything seem inconsistent.
My final complaint is the uneven pacing. No one is surprised. The first half the book covers everything leading to the final days, and the second half covers that day or so. I would have much preferred a longer book that gave more time to the rest of the story, characters, and plotlines. I guess that's the core complaint. They needed a longer book in which to fit all their ideas and content.
Still, the book is funny, thought-provoking, and often quite brilliant. Any Pratchett, Gaiman, or fantasy fan will enjoy it. I just know it could have been even better.
6/10
Title: Good Omens
Author: Neil Gaiman
Format: Audiobook
Time to Finish: 14 days
Good Omens is a book that starts (very briefly) in Eden, as Adam and Eve are being exiled. We are introduced to Aziraphale (an angel) and Crowly (a demon). We then jump to eleven years before present day (at time of publishing, so 1980ish). Two Dukes of Hell inform Crowley that the antichrist has been born, and it is time to appropriately place him. Crowley brings him to the hospital specially created for this purpose, but due to misunderstood body language and three identical baby boys the antichrist is placed with the wrong family. Crowley and Aziraphale agree to influence the antichrist evenly, so that it is his choice of which side to take during the apocalypse is the son of satan's alone.
Eleven years later, the apocalypse is upon us, but there's only one problem. No one actually knows where or even who the antichrist is. Chaos and shenanigans ensue.
The story follows two main plot lines. That of Adam and "the Them" (the antichrist and his gang of fellow eleven year olds), and that of Crowley and Aziraphale. Other major players are the four horsemen of the apocalypse, the witch hunters, and the witches, with many side characters diving in and out at various points.
While the book is beloved, and quite fun, it is not perfect. To be honest, it's actually a bit of a let down. I like Gaiman, I love Pratchett, but the two writing together does not make the final product greater than the sum of its parts. While this book is quite good, one would expect it to be great. It's not. It's undeniably entertaining, but there a few flaws that are not only distracting, they are quite telling. Firstly, there are too mainly plot lines and characters. I wonder if this is because there are two authors, and so twice the amount of story that one should expect in a book (especially such a short one).
Additionally, the audience for the novel is unclear as the authors seem unable to decide upon their target. The story spends a good deal of time with eleven year old's, and so it sometimes seems childish and designed as a children's story, or maybe young adult. And then at other points it seems to be well over the head of any child. This can be done well, but here this just makes everything seem inconsistent.
My final complaint is the uneven pacing. No one is surprised. The first half the book covers everything leading to the final days, and the second half covers that day or so. I would have much preferred a longer book that gave more time to the rest of the story, characters, and plotlines. I guess that's the core complaint. They needed a longer book in which to fit all their ideas and content.
Still, the book is funny, thought-provoking, and often quite brilliant. Any Pratchett, Gaiman, or fantasy fan will enjoy it. I just know it could have been even better.
6/10
Monday, March 9, 2015
Promise of Blood
I started reading this book because a Goodreads book club I am in assigned it for March. Of course no one has commented on it other than me saying I liked the beginning. Hopefully as the month progresses I'll get to talk about it more.
Title: Promise of Blood
Author: Brian McClellan
Format: Audiobook
Time to Finish: 6 days
This is a very good book, without a doubt the best I've encountered for some time. The book is set in a magical fantasy realm in a region known as the Nine. The Nine refer to the Nine Kingdoms of the area, each of which is ruled by a king and his Privileged Cabal (privileged is the word for magician). The nine is also symbolic as the kingdoms were created by the Nine Gods, whose church is a major power in their own right with millions followers. One of the Nine, the kingdom of Andro, is ruled by a weak king, and the powdermage (Powermages are another sort of magician who use gunpowder to fuel their magic) Field Marshal Tamas organizes a coup. Sadly, no character can be trusted and soon what should have been a quick bloody coup has repercussions beyond anyone's wildest imagination.
The story primarily follows three characters. The first of these is Tamas as he tries to rule his new kingdom and keep the peace. The second is Taniel, Tamas' son, as he is tasked with killing a mysterious privileged whose power is beyond anything he comprehends. The third is Adamat, a retired police officer asked by Tamas to investigate the meaning of the dying words of Royal Cabal.
The setting and technology are similar of that to of late 1800's with non-automatic guns galore.
It's hard to explain why this book stands out from many other fantasy series. The magic is certainly unique and entertaining, especially after the reader learns exactly how it all works. And the book is well written, with moments of comedy, action, and suspense all interwoven into a fun and compelling narrative.
Probably the most important aspect of this story, and I would argue of any story, is the characters. McClellan creates three men all of whom have a military background, and two of whom are powdermages. It would be easy for the characters to all seem exactly the same, but that is not the case. Instead they are individually fleshed out and their personal motivations are separate and equally compelling. While there are similarities, each has his own strong identity and is likeable enough to make the reader care about him and his story.
All in all, this is a great book about magic, religion, revenge, honor, and everything in between. Any fan of fantasy, especially those who like guns and war will love this book.
9/10
Title: Promise of Blood
Author: Brian McClellan
Format: Audiobook
Time to Finish: 6 days
This is a very good book, without a doubt the best I've encountered for some time. The book is set in a magical fantasy realm in a region known as the Nine. The Nine refer to the Nine Kingdoms of the area, each of which is ruled by a king and his Privileged Cabal (privileged is the word for magician). The nine is also symbolic as the kingdoms were created by the Nine Gods, whose church is a major power in their own right with millions followers. One of the Nine, the kingdom of Andro, is ruled by a weak king, and the powdermage (Powermages are another sort of magician who use gunpowder to fuel their magic) Field Marshal Tamas organizes a coup. Sadly, no character can be trusted and soon what should have been a quick bloody coup has repercussions beyond anyone's wildest imagination.
The story primarily follows three characters. The first of these is Tamas as he tries to rule his new kingdom and keep the peace. The second is Taniel, Tamas' son, as he is tasked with killing a mysterious privileged whose power is beyond anything he comprehends. The third is Adamat, a retired police officer asked by Tamas to investigate the meaning of the dying words of Royal Cabal.
The setting and technology are similar of that to of late 1800's with non-automatic guns galore.
It's hard to explain why this book stands out from many other fantasy series. The magic is certainly unique and entertaining, especially after the reader learns exactly how it all works. And the book is well written, with moments of comedy, action, and suspense all interwoven into a fun and compelling narrative.
Probably the most important aspect of this story, and I would argue of any story, is the characters. McClellan creates three men all of whom have a military background, and two of whom are powdermages. It would be easy for the characters to all seem exactly the same, but that is not the case. Instead they are individually fleshed out and their personal motivations are separate and equally compelling. While there are similarities, each has his own strong identity and is likeable enough to make the reader care about him and his story.
All in all, this is a great book about magic, religion, revenge, honor, and everything in between. Any fan of fantasy, especially those who like guns and war will love this book.
9/10
Monday, March 2, 2015
The Cold Dish
I'm a fan of Audible.com and have used it for years. They had a two for the price of one deal, so I took advantage of that and got a few books that jumped out at me. The first of these was a mystery that has now inspired a TV show
Title: The Cold Dish
Author: Craig Johnson
Format: Audiobook
Time to Finish: 6 days
The book takes place in Absaroka County, a (fictitious) rural part of Wyoming near Little Big Horn. Walt Longmire is the aging sheriff, nearing his retirement. As winter approaches his department receives a call from some hunters claiming they found a body. The skeptic sheriff and his deputy humor the hunters and soon find the body of Cody Pritchard, a young man convicted of gang raping a Cheyenne girl two years earlier. Pritchard got off with what all but himself consider too light a sentence. While coincidental, there seems to be no connection between Pritchard's death and his previous crimes. The case is ruled a hunting accident. But another body a few days later causes the sheriff to reconsider.
There were many aspects of the book that spoke to me. One such feature was the location and the implications that came with it. Being in rural Wyoming puts the white characters near to Indian Reservations and inevitably there is interactions between the two nations. This was not only fun to read about, but a new experience for me. As a fantasy fan, I have little experience with Native American characters, and it was enjoyable seeing them portrayed here. Henry Standing Bear is arguably the most important Native American character. He's Walt's best friend, and while he holds to some beliefs and practices that are different from the white characters, he is not portrayed as some alien other that cannot be understood. He is a man, like any other, albeit one who doesn't use contractions. This juxtaposition of the two cultures added another dimension to the story that is not often found. Characters on both sides despicable or heroic or both, showing the humanity and equally despite the racial divide. In general, Walt is accepted by the Native population, and so are we as the readers.
Another dimension of the story is Walt getting his life together. When he first meet him, he lives in a ramshackle cabin with exposed wiring and a shower that's a faucet sticking out of the wall. With Henry's help he starts exercising, hires contractors, and even starts talking to women. This is fun because we are able to feel closer to our protagonist and learn more about his personality and history. As a bonus we are exposed to his hilarious interactions with Henry and Vonnie (the love interest).
All in all, Johnson is able to weave all these elements together into a compelling and interesting story. It weren't for a tiresome epilogue I would have nothing to complain about.
Mystery fans, have at it.
7/10
Note: as mentioned above, there is a TV show Longmire based on the series. I started watching the it, but stopped. The book is much better. The book's story is more compelling and the characters are given more depth.
Title: The Cold Dish
Author: Craig Johnson
Format: Audiobook
Time to Finish: 6 days
The book takes place in Absaroka County, a (fictitious) rural part of Wyoming near Little Big Horn. Walt Longmire is the aging sheriff, nearing his retirement. As winter approaches his department receives a call from some hunters claiming they found a body. The skeptic sheriff and his deputy humor the hunters and soon find the body of Cody Pritchard, a young man convicted of gang raping a Cheyenne girl two years earlier. Pritchard got off with what all but himself consider too light a sentence. While coincidental, there seems to be no connection between Pritchard's death and his previous crimes. The case is ruled a hunting accident. But another body a few days later causes the sheriff to reconsider.
There were many aspects of the book that spoke to me. One such feature was the location and the implications that came with it. Being in rural Wyoming puts the white characters near to Indian Reservations and inevitably there is interactions between the two nations. This was not only fun to read about, but a new experience for me. As a fantasy fan, I have little experience with Native American characters, and it was enjoyable seeing them portrayed here. Henry Standing Bear is arguably the most important Native American character. He's Walt's best friend, and while he holds to some beliefs and practices that are different from the white characters, he is not portrayed as some alien other that cannot be understood. He is a man, like any other, albeit one who doesn't use contractions. This juxtaposition of the two cultures added another dimension to the story that is not often found. Characters on both sides despicable or heroic or both, showing the humanity and equally despite the racial divide. In general, Walt is accepted by the Native population, and so are we as the readers.
Another dimension of the story is Walt getting his life together. When he first meet him, he lives in a ramshackle cabin with exposed wiring and a shower that's a faucet sticking out of the wall. With Henry's help he starts exercising, hires contractors, and even starts talking to women. This is fun because we are able to feel closer to our protagonist and learn more about his personality and history. As a bonus we are exposed to his hilarious interactions with Henry and Vonnie (the love interest).
All in all, Johnson is able to weave all these elements together into a compelling and interesting story. It weren't for a tiresome epilogue I would have nothing to complain about.
Mystery fans, have at it.
7/10
Note: as mentioned above, there is a TV show Longmire based on the series. I started watching the it, but stopped. The book is much better. The book's story is more compelling and the characters are given more depth.
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