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A 10 best science fiction fantasy novel review site!
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The Otherhood
by Lytchcov Zammana, et al (Paperback - March 2002)
Synopsis:
Vic Jones, genetically translocated to the year 2084, awakens in the body of a descendant, Viceroy Jones. Finding himself inside the terramyd, haven to millions of Trycor shareholders, he tries to escape its cruel, corporate society. He learns the terramyd is the creation of his despised brother—a master of genetic programming. It is also the source of the myd, an artificial entity with which Vic finds he is somehow connected. With the help of Jewel, the clone of the woman he once loved, Vic battles with destiny and the passions he feels for both women. Meanwhile, Viceroy, using a modified Virtual Genetic Regression technique in an attempt to mindjack his ancestor, Robert Jones, lands in a Los Angeles rocked by civil war. His plan to alter a critical detail in the Trycor charter to gain control of the corporation evaporates when he instead surfaces inside Victor Jones, the brother of his target, of whom there was no record in 2084. The two struggle to keep their real identities and survive the dangers of a civilization in decline, only partially aware that they are players in a game begun more than two centuries before.
Mahoney compares Zammana to "Stephen Spielberg"!
This novel is so complex that it does take several readings to really attempt to grip what it is all about, and so Zammana could be asking too much from most readers. Interstellar travel and cloning are two more themes of the novel that I have not really been able to touch upon here, and Virtual Genetic Regression could sustain a novel on its own. Then again, I guess we have already seen that genetic technology can be the source of all kinds of unexpected patents. Zammana does display an extraordinary imagination, and is much better at representing a Philip K. Dick dystopia than, say, Stephen Spielberg. I did begin to appreciate the novel far more at the second reading, and more of the jigsaw pieces do fall into place if you read this novel with the patience and attention it deserves. If, like me, you enjoy fiction that challenges you and makes you work hard, then you will appreciate The Otherhood. Lytchcov Zammana's fertile imagination is certainly one to be watched, and there is much within The Otherhood to be explored further.
Kevin Patrick Mahoney [Critic and Reviewer for AuthorTrek]
10 BEST NOVEL REVIEWS: (Science Fiction - Fantasy)
Star Wars: Shatterpoint
by Matthew Woodring Stover; Hardcover
Review:
Shatterpoint had the makings of greatness, the coolest Jedi in the Temple: Mace Windu, on his own mission against the Separatists, to the place where he was born. Instead, there are some really cool moments overshadowed by too much philosophical discussion and outright confusion. At times the action is totally intense and at others it's very difficult to follow what is actually happening. Half the story is told from Windu's 1st person POV in the guise of entries into his journal, the other is in the traditional 3rd person POV. This constant switching makes the story difficult to follow and leaves the reader unsure of where everything is actually going. This can be a good thing at times because the twists and turns are unexpected, but the philosophy discussed during the story seems to be more appropriate to the New Jedi Order than to a Clone Wars novel. The Jedi know the difference between light and dark, that information has not been lost or deluded and still Windu and his fellow Jedi seem to struggle with this concept. The biggest problem is with Mace Windu himself. The biggest problem that an author faces when writing about some really cool established character is that you have to delve into the characters psyche and inevitably the readers view of the character changes. This is the reason that there has never been a successfuly story about Boba Fett or Darth Maul. The picture of Windu changes during the course of the story due to the constant barrage of philosophy and theology and not enough concrete story. At times Windu seems totally out of touch with how the world works, and while the Jedi were isolated they did have a clue about the real world. The other problem I have is with the idea of the "dark jungle" (when you read it you will know what I mean). I find this whole concept and the character that embodies it to be really annoying and almost totally unnecessary. The story itself has some moments that are truly cool and very well done, but then there are moments when you simply want to put that book down and stop reading it. Better editing and really a better storyline elimination of extraneous information probably would have made this story more than just a slightly better than average Star Wars novel.
Synopsis:
Mace Windu trained her. Only he can find her. Only he can learn what has changed her. Only he can stop her.
Jedi were never intended to be soldiers. But now they have no choice. Mace must journey alone into the most treacherous jungle in the galaxy—and into his own heritage. He will leave behind the Republic he serves, the civilization he believes in, everything but his passion for peace and his devotion to his former Padawan. And he will learn the terrible price that must be paid, when keepers of the peace are forced to make war. . . .
Prey: A Novel
by Michael Crichton; Hardcover
Review:
In Prey, bestselling author Michael Crichton introduces bad guys that are too small to be seen with the naked eye but no less deadly or intriguing than the runaway dinosaurs that made 1990's Jurassic Park such a blockbuster success.
High-tech whistle-blower Jack Forman used to specialize in programming computers to solve problems by mimicking the behavior of efficient wild animals--swarming bees or hunting hyena packs, for example. Now he's unemployed and is finally starting to enjoy his new role as stay-at-home dad. All would be domestic bliss if it were not for Jack's suspicions that his wife, who's been behaving strangely and working long hours at the top-secret research labs of Xymos Technology, is having an affair. When he's called in to help with her hush-hush project, it seems like the perfect opportunity to see what his wife's been doing, but Jack quickly finds there's a lot more going on in the lab than an illicit affair. Within hours of his arrival at the remote testing center, Jack discovers his wife's firm has created self-replicating nanotechnology--a literal swarm of microscopic machines. Originally meant to serve as a military eye in the sky, the swarm has now escaped into the environment and is seemingly intent on killing the scientists trapped in the facility. The reader realizes early, however, that Jack, his wife, and fellow scientists have more to fear from the hidden dangers within the lab than from the predators without.
The monsters may be smaller in this book, but Crichton's skill for suspense has grown, making Prey a scary read that's hard to set aside, though not without its minor flaws. The science in this novel requires more explanation than did the cloning of dinosaurs, leading to lengthy and sometimes dry academic lessons. And while the coincidence of Xymos's new technology running on the same program Jack created at his previous job keeps the plot moving, it may be more than some readers can swallow. But, thanks in part to a sobering foreword in which Crichton warns of the real dangers of technology that continues to evolve more quickly than common sense, Prey succeeds in gripping readers with a tense and frightening tale of scientific suspense. --Benjamin Reese
Synopsis:
A peak into our powerful and dangerous future, November 28, 2002
Reviewer: James D Hurd, NanoScienceExchange.org from San Francisco, CA United States
As part of a broad public discussion, not a specifically scientific one, Michael Crichton reaches into the deep thick darkness of our future with his new book, "Prey," and viscerally pulls out some issues, some potential realities, with his poetry-prose, that are so central to our continued breathing and cognition that we are well advised to ignore the obvious scientific weaknesses of many parts of this book. The issues he brings up include the development of nano and bio technologies, artificial life, and swarm and emergent behavior.
The plot of "Prey" is formulaic in many respects, following closely in the footsteps of books such as "Frankenstein," which was the first real story about artifical intelligence, "2001: A Space Odyssey" and, of course, "Jurassic Park."
In ignoring these varied faults, as we read "Prey," we sit quietly on this beautiful dark night and get a glimpse of the deeper issues that glimmer, simmering, on our nearest horizon.
Reversible Errors by Scott Turow (Hardcover)
Hornet Flight by Ken Follett (Hardcover)
Books from The Alex Delaware Series.
The Lovely Bones: A Novel by Alice Sebold (Hardcover)
The Beach House by James Patterson, Peter De Jonge (Hardcover)
Baudolino
by Umberto Eco, William Weaver (Hardcover -- October 15, 2002)
Synopsis:
The most playful of historical novelists, Umberto Eco has absorbed the real lesson of history: that there is no such thing as the absolute truth. In Baudolino, he hands his narrative to an Italian peasant who has managed, through good luck and a clever tongue, to become the adopted son of the Emperor, Frederick Barbarossa, and a minister of his court in the closing years of the 12th century. Baudolino's other gift is for spontaneous but convincing lies, and so his unfolding tale--as recounted in 1204 to a nobleman of Constantinople, while the fires of the Fourth Crusade rage around them--exemplifies the Cretan Liar's Paradox: He can't be believed. Why not, then, make his story as outrageous as possible? In the course of his picaresque tale, Baudolino manages to touch on nearly every major theme, conflict, and boondoggle of the Middle Ages: the Crusades; the troubadours; the legend of the Holy Grail; the rise of the cathedral cities; the position of Jews; the market in relics; the local rivalries that made Italy so vulnerable to outside attack; and the perennial power struggles between the pope and the emperor. With the help of alcohol and a mysterious Moorish concoction called "green honey," Baudolino and his ragtag friends engage in typical scholastic debates of the period, trying to determine the dimensions of Solomon's Temple and the location of the Earthly Paradise. And when the Emperor needs support in his claims for saintly lineage, who but Baudolino can craft the perfect letter of homage from the legendary Prester John, Holy (and wholly fictitious) Christian King of the East? A giddy and exasperating romp, Baudolino will draw you into its labyrinthine inventions and half-truths, even if you know better. --Regina Marler
Review:
It's hard to express my feelings for this book...in one hand, I thoroughly enjoyed it, but in the other it left me lacking. Let me try to explain.
First, I rated it three stars to represent this indecision that I am experiencing after reading Baudolino.
The book really took me back to my days as a fighting panda, fighting all the other pandas for the juiciest bamboo stalk. I'm sure you all know how that feels -- clawing and biting like there's no tomorrow because, in essence, if you don't reach that branch first, your existence as a Panda truly has no meaning. Now imagine that kind of stress, and multiply it thousandfold. Yes my friends, welcome to the world of the Fighting Panda.
Despite this nostalgic trip that the book took me on, I also wondered why does the book make me wrestle my anaconda? I mean, yes, it is definitely a though-provoking, and awe-inspiring book, but why does it deliver subtle connotations of wrapping my arms around a thick, muscled snake and just taming the beast?
The Thousand Orcs
(Forgotten Realms: The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, Book 1)
by R. A. Salvatore (Hardcover -- October 15, 2002)
Synopsis:
Drow Elf Drizzt Do'Urden and friends return for another rousing tale of derring-do and harrowing escapes, the first volume of a new trilogy in Salvatore's bestselling Forgotten Realms series. Catastrophe is about to strike, and Drizzt and his intrepid fighters once again rush eagerly into the fray. What starts out as a quiet trip back to Mithral Hall for the crowning of King Bruenor Battlehammer turns unexpectedly into a journey far longer and more perilous than Drizzt and company could have supposed. Unbeknownst to the Drow Elf, a group of orcs, headed by King Obould, who fancies himself an especially clever orc, has decided to join forces with a group of frost giants to lay waste to the area around the dwarven hold of Mirabar. Drizzt and his group stumble into the middle of a skirmish and, thinking that it's just a small group of orcs, decide that they need to do a bit of clean up work. What Drizzt doesn't know is that these early skirmishes are the prelude to a bigger invasion that amounts to nothing less than an all-out war. The philosophical Drizzt spends his downtime pondering the frailties of humanity, which adds a bit of depth to an admittedly light-hearted sword and sorcery novel. A nifty cliffhanger promises more excitement to come in the sequel.
Review:
= Yes, We DO Need Another Trilogy...
Reviewer: K Gallagher from Honolulu, Hi United States
Rarely has any author, in any genre, created a series of such consistent quality as the Dark Elf books of R. A. Salvatore.
Even so, that The Thousand Orcs (the fifteenth full-length novel in roughly as many years to feature characters introduced in the Icewind Dale trilogy!) stands as one of the finest installments in the series is nothing short of breathtaking.
I write this review for the purpose of assuring any follower of the series who doubts that it can possibly go on for much longer that not only is this tale not showing its wear and tear, but, incredibly, taking full advantage of the ground gained (and, more importantly,loose ends tied up!) in Sea of Swords to
begin weaving something very new... at a truly remarkable pace.
This is the tightest, fastest presentation since Starless Night, yet its attempt to cover a broad scope of intrigue, action, and personal relationships is the most ambitious since Siege of Darkness.
The result is a nearly flawless creation that should set the heart of any true fan beating at life-threatening speeds.
What do you know?
We did need another trilogy after all.
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Boxed Set
by J. R. R. Tolkien (Mass Market Paperback -- October 2002)
Synopsis:
Hobbits and wizards and Sauron--oh, my! Mild-mannered Oxford scholar John Ronald Reuel Tolkien had little inkling when he published The Hobbit; Or, There and Back Again in 1937 that, once hobbits were unleashed upon the world, there would be no turning back. Hobbits are, of course, small, furry creatures who love nothing better than a leisurely life quite free from adventure. But in that first novel and the Lord of the Rings trilogy, the hobbits Bilbo and Frodo and their elfish friends get swept up into a mighty conflict with the dragon Smaug, the dark lord Sauron (who owes much to proud Satan in Paradise Lost), the monstrous Gollum, the Cracks of Doom, and the awful power of the magical Ring. The four books' characters--good and evil--are recognizably human, and the realism is deepened by the magnificent detail of the vast parallel world Tolkien devised, inspired partly by his influential Anglo-Saxon scholarship and his Christian beliefs. (He disapproved of the relative sparseness of detail in the comparable allegorical fantasy his friend C.S. Lewis dreamed up in The Chronicles of Narnia, though he knew Lewis had spun a page-turning yarn.) It has been estimated that one-tenth of all paperbacks sold can trace their ancestry to J.R.R. Tolkien. But even if we had never gotten Robert Jordan's The Path of Daggers and the whole fantasy genre Tolkien inadvertently created by bringing the hobbits so richly to life, Tolkien's epic about the Ring would have left our world enhanced by enchantment.
Review:
Like many thousands of readers I enjoyed this trilogy of the Hobbit and Lord of the Rings stories. They are fairytales for grown-ups and take us into a world of vivid imagination and adventure. In some ways I think it is a pity that the covers have the images of the actors from the movie. The stories reside in a surreal world and are almost best left to the reader's imagination or an "animated" more mysterious representation.
Well, having read and re-read these tales, I began to wonder what else I could turn to for a light and imaginative read. I discovered a a wonderful, eye-opening fantasy/science-fiction tale called, "ACCUSED BY FACET-EYES" by C.B. Don that I would like to recommend. It too takes the reader into a surreal world with a range of most fantastic characters, great verses and an urgent, lovely eco-message that is so very right for our times --- and yet the tale never abandons the imaginative aspects and otherworldliness of the atmosphere. I honestly liked the fairytale-like quality of "Accused By Facet-Eyes" as much as all of Tolkein's famous works and it made a bit of refreshing change from hobbits too!
Harry Potter Paperback Boxed Set (Books 1-4)
by J. K. Rowling (Paperback -- July 30, 2002)
Synopsis:
Young wizard-in-training Harry Potter has had his hands full during his first four years at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As if studying spells and pleasing professors isn't enough, Harry has heard evil voices in the walls, rescued petrified students, fended off convicts escaped from wizards' prison, and played elaborate and grueling games of Quidditch. Between school sessions, he summers with the horrendous Dursleys, who seem to want nothing more than to crush our hero's spirit. Only time will tell how Harry will manage the certain dangers and escapades in store for him over the next few years.
The first four titles of J.K. Rowling's phenomenally popular series are now available--in paperback--in a handy boxed set, perfect for the legions of children whose big brothers and sisters have made off with their copies. These adventures are surely on the road to becoming classics; don't wait to collect them! The set includes Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets, Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban, and Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. (Ages 9 and older)
Book Description
Fabulous Box Set Containing Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone, Harry Potter And The Chamber Of Secrets, Harry Potter And The Prisoner Of Azkaban, And Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire!
Review:
Take it from an avid reader, these books are wonderful!...I recently made it a point to see what the deal was about Hogwarts, quidditch, and a young man with a lightning shaped scar. I have read all four books and they are some of the most imaginative and fun reading i've done in awhile....kids should be encouraged to read other great works as well, but this collection is a must-have for young readers and anyone else who loves a good story about an underdog who defeats a wicked villian...
Crossroads of Twilight (The Wheel of Time, Book 10)
by Robert Jordan (Hardcover -- January 7, 2003)
Synopsis:
In the tenth book of The Wheel of Time from the New York Times #1 bestselling author Robert Jordan, the world and the characters stand at a crossroads, and the world approaches twilight, when the power of the Shadow grows stronger.
Fleeing from Ebou Dar with the kidnapped Daughter of the Nine Moons, whom he is fated to marry, Mat Cauthon learns that he can neither keep her nor let her go, not in safety for either of them, for both the Shadow and the might of the Seanchan Empire are in deadly pursuit.
Perrin Aybara seeks to free his wife, Faile, a captive of the Shaido, but his only hope may be an alliance with the enemy. Can he remain true to his friend Rand and to himself? For his love of Faile, Perrin is willing to sell his soul.
Review:
At Tar Valon, Egwene al'Vere, the young Amyrlin of the rebel Aes Sedai, lays siege to the heart of Aes Sedai power, but she must win quickly, with as little bloodshed as possible, for unless the Aes Sedai are reunited, only the male Asha'man will remain to defend the world against the Dark One, and nothing can hold the Asha'man themselves back from total power except the Aes Sedai and a unified White Tower.
In Andor, Elayne Trakland fights for the Lion Throne that is hers by right, but enemies and Darkfriends surround her, plotting her destruction. If she fails, Andor may fall to the Shadow, and the Dragon Reborn with it.
Rand al'Thor, the Dragon Reborn himself, has cleansed the Dark One's taint from the male half of the True Source, and everything has changed. Yet nothing has, for only men who can channel believe that saidin is clean again, and a man who can channel is still hated and feared-even one prophesied to save the world. Now, Rand must gamble again, with himself at stake, and he cannot be sure which of his allies are really enemies.
The Butlerian Jihad (Dune Series)
by Brian Herbert, Kevin J. Anderson (Hardcover -- September 17, 2002)
Synopsis:
The sands of time have not diminished the impact Dune has had on the evolution of SF, and this new prequel by Frank Herbert's son and bestseller Anderson, following 2001's Dune: House Corrino (the concluding volume of their "House" trilogy), offers the kind of intricate plotting and philosophical musings that would make the elder Herbert proud. Reaching back into the beginnings of Arrakis, the authors show us Selim, a boy cast out by his tribe who discovers how to ride the fearsome giant sandworms. Selim tastes and learns the visionary power of the magical spice, melange, and how the future of Arrakis hinges on who controls it. At the same time, on planets far removed from the desolate dunes of Arrakis, others are involved in a Great Revolt. Free League World humans, led by Tercero Xavier Harkonnen and Serena Butler of Salusa Secundus, battle Omnius, a computer "evermind" intent on extending its dominion. The ominous Omnius seeks to conquer all planets not yet incorporated into his Synchronized Worlds system with the help of servile robotic extensions and colleagues, including Erasmus, a Thinking Machine "Hannibal Lecter" whose whimsical Mr. Spock-ish meditations enliven the proceedings immeasurably. Throughout, key revelations regarding the Zensunni Wanderers and their fight for freedom and other historical Dune elements lend an air of discovery to this fast-paced tale.
Review:
I think most people go into these prequel books expecting a style mimicking the original Dune series. Well, I'm sorry to have to tell you this, but Frank Herbert is no longer with us, so others have to carry on the Dune Legacy. Despite this, I feel the prequel books, including Butlerian Jihad, have done a fine job continuing the Dune series.
My only qualm with this book is that it moves way too fast and doesn't really flesh out some points. For example, The Sorceresses of Rossak, Tio Holtzman and Norma Cenva's experiments, and Iblis Ginjo's rebellion on Earth. All their scenes just happened, with no build up. I suppose with only three books to cover a lot of ground, the authors had to rush many events through. (But maybe they could have spent less time on Erasmus?)
Well, without revealing more about the story, let me just say that this is a worthwhile read for any fan of the Dune series.
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