Seveneves (Science Fiction Novel)

Amazing. Absolutely amazing and well-written. While Uprooted won my heart, Seveneves by Neal Stephenson gets my vote for the best written of the four Hugo Award nominees that I’ve read so far. The story felt real. [[In a teeny, tiny nutshell, Seveneves is about the sudden end of the world as we know it and the beginning of a new world.]] The other day I had to catch myself when I remembered something about the International Space Station: “Oh, that happened in Seveneves not in real life.” The amount of scientific and technological detail is almost stagger. The social, psychological, and philosophical aspects of the story make it astonishingly multi-dimensional. Stephenson's ability to create one smooth plot arch, despite the beginning and ending of the book being five thousand years apart, is sheer writing mastery. I also appreciated that the novel is written in a way that leaves room for a possible sequel.

Not declaring Seveneves my obvious choice for the Hugo Award has little to do with the merits of the novel itself. My only real criticism of the novel is that it is a bit of a stretch believing that the society would continue to focus on the “seven Eves” five thousand years after they lived. Though, I admit, we still hold some religious figures in prominence thousands of years after they have lived. In addition, two things about the novel irritated me. Politics, damned politics. I’ve had enough dealing with the presidential election. So, when I read the section where politics almost succeed in bringing about the annihilation of the human race, I felt deflated. I thought “as a species we are so screwed.” Second, the amount of technical detail is a bit overwhelming. Seveneves is over 800 pages long. Towards the end I felt like screaming, “Enough of the technological detail. Let’s get on with the story.”

All and all, Seveneves is an amazing book. I am curious to see what the Hugo voters decide.

Redshirts (Science Fiction Novel)

“The red shirt,” Abnett said, “You know, in the original Star Trek, they always had Kirk and Bones and Spock and then some poor dude in a red shirt who got vaporized before the first commercial. The moral of the story was not to wear a red shirt. Or go on any away missions when you’re the only one whose name isn’t in the opening credits.” 

If the Thursday Next Series  and the Star Trek Series has a baby, it would be Redshirts by John Scalzi. In many ways, it is as much of a novel about science fiction as it is a science fiction novel. For the most part, it is a fun romp, although it does have some touching and thoughtful moments. The novel was nominated for both a 2013 Hugo and a 2013 Locus Science Fiction award.

Very briefly, Andrew Dahl is newly assigned to the ship Intrepid, along with a few other people. They soon realize that something is very odd about the ship. People die in totally bizarre ways on away missions. Some of the long-term crew members sustain massive injuries and yet always survive, healing within a week. The other crew members try to keep a low-profile. There are dramatic moments that don’t seem to make sense. Jenkins, who is in hiding on the ship, has an outrageous theory. But, when Dahl and his friends test the theory, Jenkins’ theory looks more plausible. Together they attempt to stop the mysterious deaths.

When I first started reading Redshirts, I was confused because it seemed so poorly written. How could this novel possibly be nominated for two awards? As I read further, I found it enjoyable in a sort of Alice through the rabbit hole sort of way. I like the fresh perspective. 2312 is still my pick for the 2013 Hugo award, but Redshirts has a strong appeal for those of us who have watched science fiction series week after week.

2312 (Science Fiction Novel)

Now I remember why I hate Kim Stanley Robinson’s novels; I have major problems putting them down. Sleep, food, work, whatever, I just want to read the book. 2312 was another one of those books. As of this posting, the novel won the 2012 Nebula award and was nominated for the 2012 BSFA, 2013 Campbell, 2013 Clark, 2013 Hugo, and 2013 Locus Science Fiction awards. So, I am not alone with enjoying this novel.

Briefly, 2313 is set in the same world or a very similar world to the Mars Trilogy. In the opening of the novel we learn that Alex, a very influential woman in the solar system, has just passed away. Alex left some unfinished business, but she had worked in secrecy, keeping the information from her beloved granddaughter Swan. Despite being over 100 years old, Swan is something of a wild child. She soon meets close associates of Alex, including Wahram, a froggy looking man who is a lover of routines. While Swan and Wahram are coming back from attending a concert away from the Mercury city of Terminator, the city is attacked and destroyed. The two go into an underground tunnel and spend days hiking through it to a place where they can be rescued, thus creating a bond between them. How and why was the well-protected city destroyed? What were Alex’s important projects? Why are strange people showing up and are they a type of quantum computer? If people can terraform planets, can they also revive Earth? 2313 turns out to be a pivotal year for the solar system.

Be aware that 2313 is definitely not appropriate for young adults. If I had a preteen, I don’t think I would want them to read about how bi-gendered individuals have sex.

At times my brain wandered to Asimov’s Foundation Series. I found myself wondering “Did this happen in the Mars Trilogy or the Foundation Series?” Maybe, it is just me.

There are so many things that I liked about 2313. I liked the world building, and there are a lot of worlds. Asteroids are being hollowed out to create terrarium worlds. I liked that hard science, sociology, politics, and philosophy are presented in the descriptions of the solar system. I enjoyed the characters. Wahram is the perfect foil to Swan. I enjoyed the fast moving plot, including the mystery aspect of the story. I enjoyed the structure of the book. Robinson sets long descriptions –such as how to create a terrarium-- in small chapters apart from the main storyline. This novel is definitely worthy of its numerous award nominations.

Leviathan Wakes (SF Novel)

Asteroids. Stealth Technology. Finding the Truth. Conspiracies. Detectives. Wars. Experiments. Governments. Corporations. Rebel Organizations. Aliens. Politics. 

Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey —Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck— is what I call a “good read.” It has likeable characters, good world-building, plenty of action, and a storyline with interesting twists and turns. The book has the feel of a science fiction/detective story hybrid. Leviathan Wakes was nominated for the 2012 Locus SF and Hugo Awards.

The story takes place in a world where people have colonized at least as far as the Asteroid Belt. Briefly, in response to a distress call, Holden, second in command of an ice-hauler, takes a team to investigate a disabled ship. While away, their hauler is attacked and its crew killed. Holden finds evidence that the Mars Navy may be to blame. After a Mars ship picks up Holden and his team, the rescuing ship is attacked and most of its crew killed. Holden and his team manage to escape and find themselves befriended by Fred, a former war-hero who is now part of the Outer Planet Alliance, a rebel group. Holden’s various disclosures of information manage to inflame emotions in a solar system already on the brink of war. Holden and his team, haunted by the deaths of their colleagues, try to get to the bottom of the attacks on their ice-hauler and the Mars ship. Meanwhile, Miller, a detective on Ceres, is asked to kidnap Julie, the daughter of a wealthy family, and send her back to her parents. But, as he investigates the case, he suspects that it has more far-reaching implications than just a dysfunctional family. He becomes obsessed with Julie. Even after he is taken off the case and fired, he continues to search for her. Holden’s team and Miller cross paths and for a time join forces. The book ends on a satisfying note, while making us want to know what happens next.

For me, Leviathan Wakes was enjoyable because of the good storytelling. Some of the little details popped out, making me feel like I was watching a movie. Holden and his team is the group that we all wish we belonged to. Miller’s down on his luck detective personality adds to the strong human element. Because I did not read very many reviews ahead of time, the twist in the story caught me by complete surprise; I thought this was the story about the incidents leading up to a huge, multiple book, war. While I have seen elements of the story in other novels, the combination is still fresh and interesting. I look forward to reading the next book in the series.

Galileo’s Dream (Book)

God is a mathematician…He [Galileo] would bring his hands together as if in prayer, and take a deep breath and expel it tremendously. To read God like a book, to solve him like an equation—it was the best sort of prayer.

Galileo’s Dream reflects the author’s, Kim Stanley Robison’s, admiration and affection for Galileo Galilei, who many people consider the father of modern science. The novel was nominated for the 2010 Locus Science Fiction, Campbell, and Clarke awards. The novel is mostly historical fiction with some time travel and social commentary woven in. The novel is slow moving at time and not one that some types of science fiction reader—particularly those who like a lot of action or plot twists and turns—would enjoy. For those who appreciate good historical fiction like me, this is a fascinating novel to read.

Briefly, most of Galileo’s Dream is a story about Galileo’s life from shortly before he built his first telescope until after his death. Robinson attempts to give an honest portrayal of Galileo, his brilliance and his faults. We learn about his relationships with women and about his moods, particularly his anger. We also learn about his brilliant mind and his religious faith. Galileo’s Dream also has a time travel thread to it. Ganymede—and others from the future—try to manipulate Galileo in order to change the direction of future events. Galileo also travels to the Jovian moons in the 3020’s, during a crisis point in future human history. In some of these sections Robinson describes the nature of time and quantum physics.

Galileo’s Dream is also a book that can make the reader think in new ways. Interwoven in the story is the idea of science and power. Robinson shows this relationship in how Galileo was brought before the Inquisition because of his assertion that the earth revolved around the sun. Later, Robinson describes how the time-travelers are still trying to bring about a world where science is used for good rather than for gaining and keeping power. When I reflected on these ideas, I quickly thought about how current assertions about things like climate change and even what is carcinogenic have less to do with science and more to do with politics. How disillusioning!

For the most part, I enjoyed Galileo’s Dream and admire Robinson’s talent. There were a few times that I was impatient, especially with all the times Galileo was brought before the Office of the Inquisition. This reflects more on me than on the novel; historical novels and biographies have their slow moments. For the most part, the novel gave me a greater appreciation of Galileo and the gratitude we as a society owe him.

All Clear (Book)

No one person or thing won the war. People argue whether it was Ultra or the evacuation from Dunkirk or Churchill’s leadership or fooling Hitler into thinking we were invading at Calais that won the war, but it wasn’t any one of them. It was all of them and a thousand, a million, other things and people. And not just soldiers and pilots and Wrens, but air-raid wardens and planespotters and debutantes and mathematicians and weekend sailors and vicars….Canteen workers and ambulance drivers and ENSA chorus girls.

All Clear—and Blackout—speak to that part of us that wants to know what our role is in the greater play of life. All Clear refers to the signal that was used during WWII to indicate that the danger was over and people could come out of their shelters. In All Clear Connie Willis concludes the story that she began in Blackout. The Blackout/All Clear* combination won the 2010 Nebula Award and is nominated for the 2011 Hugo and Locus Science Fiction awards. After finishing All Clear, I have to agree that that the combination is very good, enjoyable, and award-worthy.

Throughout Blackout/All Clear Willis refers to solving puzzles: Mike’s crossword puzzles, Agatha Christie mysteries, and the code breaking of Ultra. In some ways Blackout/All Clear is a 1000+ page puzzle to be solved. What is really going on? How do the individual pieces all fit together? The books are both composed of chapters —clearly titled, thank goodness— that take place at specific times and places in history and the future. But the chapters are not in chronological order. Compounding that are the paradoxes of time-travel. In addition, Willis does not always identify the characters in the chapter, and when the characters travel to different time periods, they often use different names. Much of the plot of Blackout revolves around the characters and the reader trying to solve the puzzle/mystery. Even what seem to be some irritating scenes in Blackout turn out to have a role in the bigger picture. By the end of All Clear, Willis tells us the fate of Polly, Eileen, Mike, Mr. Dunworthy, Colin, and even Alf and Binnie Hobdin. Blackout is a faster paced book than All Clear.

The day after finishing All Clear/Blackout, I am still thinking about the story in terms of how the pieces fit together and of the greater themes. Blackout/All Clear is not only a story about WWII; it is also a story about our humanity. We look for meaning in our lives. We wonder whether we have a purpose. We wonder whether being good or kind matters. We feel abandoned and alone. We suffer and we triumph. The combination of Blackout/All Clear is a wonderful story.

*Note: Blackout and All Clear are two parts of one total story or novel. They are not even remotely independent from one another. All Clear will not make any sense to a reader who has not read Blackout. In addition, I highly recommend that anyone read them immediately after one another, so that the plot will be fresh.

Blackout (Book)

Note: I made some minor revisions to this entry on 6/26/11

“Thus it is with this war,” he said. “We find ourselves stranded in an alien land of bombs and battles and blackouts, of Anderson shelters and gas masks and rationing. And that other world we once knew—of peace and lights and church bells chiming out over the land, of loved ones reunited and no tears, no partings—seems not only impossibly distant, but unreal, and we cannot quite imagine ourselves ever getting back there. We mark time here, waiting…”

Connie Willis’ stories help me get in touch with my humanity and my compassion. Blackout helped me feel connected to those who lived during World War II in England, particularly London; the war is no longer a list of cold, boring facts. Blackout refers to how everything—homes, business, streets, even flashlights and matches—had to be kept dark at night so the Germans couldn’t see landmarks when they bombed England. Blackout is the first 43% of a two-book novel, which ends with the book All Clear. Blackout/All Clear won the 2010 Nebula and 2011 Locus Science Fiction awards and is nominated for the 2011 Hugo award.

Like many of Willis’ earlier novels, Blackout is a time-travel story in which historians—particularly advanced history students—travel to the past to observe actual events. At the beginning of the story, the 2060 Oxford time-travel department is in chaos with so many people time-traveling. A number of drops have been rescheduled. There is also a brief discussion among a few of the characters that the assumptions that have been made about time-travel might be wrong. The current belief is that travelers cannot change the past, that the system has safeguards and is self-correcting. The majority of the book describes the experiences of three time-travelers. Merope, going under the name Eileen, is observing the children evacuated into the country to avoid the bombings in cities. Polly is observing the Blitz while working as a shop-girl in London. Mike is supposed to observe heroes at Dover. Of course things go wrong, as they always do in stories. Perhaps the most critical problems are that all three have stayed beyond the time of their own assignments, at least two of the drop points —where the time-travelers go home—are not opening, and it appears that no one has come to rescue them. The book ends with an unknown person coming through a drop into WWII London.

I have read some negative critiques of Blackout and All Clear on the Internet. After reading both books, I would like to share some context. Be aware that Blackout is only part of a novel, different than a book which is a complete novel with some outstanding threads. All Clear picks up where Blackout left off, no catch-up introduction/summary, just the next chapter in the story. At times I was annoyed that there was a lot of what I would call fretting in the plot: “Oh, how will I ever make it to the drop?” “Oh, have I accidentally changed history?”  The significance of this will become more apparent later on in All Clear. The plot of Blackout has a slower pace than All Clear.

Please, do not let these criticisms discourage you from an interesting, worthwhile story. Among the many things that I liked about Blackout, I enjoyed how the historians go from semi-omniscient visitors, knowing the times of the bombings because they have memory implants, to being just as vulnerable as the contemporaries they are observing. I enjoyed the descriptions of all the tiny kindnesses shown by people during a very frightening time. I also enjoyed how Willis uses The Light of the World at St. Paul’s Cathedral as one of the thematic threads in the novel. The combined Blackout/All Clear novel is one of the most touching stories that I have ever read.

The Dervish House (Book)

Nanotechnology. Djinn. Terrorist Attacks. Long QT Syndrome. Gas Scam. Think Tank. Mellified Man. Family. Lampooning. Bit Bot Monkey. Microjustice. Gossiping Old Men. Programmable Nucleic-Bio-Informatics. Unrequited Love. Public Suicides. Corporate Fraud. Leaps of Logic. Religious Belief.

I’m in love with Ian McDonald’s The Dervish House: interesting and complex characters, fascinating technology, and a fast moving plot. I can easily understand why the book won the 2010 British Science Fiction Association and 2011 Campbell awards, and is nominated for the 2011 Hugo, Clarke, and Locus Science Fiction awards. The story is set in the near future in Istanbul. The title refers to an old Dervish house that has been converted into apartments and shops. The main characters are associated with the house in some way. The story takes place over five day and has six main characters. [The book’s dust jacket has a list, and I recommend writing down the actual names of the characters to help you remember.] I am still not sure how McDonald managed to put so much into one book

The story opens with an atypical suicide bombing on a tram not far from the Dervish house. Necdet, a troubled young man who was also riding the tram, begins to see djinn afterwards. Leyla, who has just graduated from college with a degree in marketing, misses her job interview and so is available to take a job with a distant relative involved with a startup nanotechnology company. Can, a nine year-old boy with a heart condition, decides to become a “boy detective” to find out more about the bombing. Georgios, a retired Economics professor, gets pulled into the excitement through Can and later through a think tank. On the same day, Ayse, an art dealer, is approached by a man who wants to find a legendary treasure, and her husband Adnan, a trader, begins to put the final touches on a gas scan. The various plots intertwine.

Every time I think of the book, something new comes to mind. I like the coverage McDonald gives to nanotechnology. He shows examples of the good, the bad, and the revolutionary—Human 2.0. I like the way that the characters grow and change throughout the story. I also enjoyed learning a little about Istanbul and its history.

Cryoburn (Book)

Cryonics. Cute kids. Kidnapping. Corruption. Commoditized contracts. Critters.

I have begun my reading of the 2011 Hugo Award novel nominees with Lois McMaster Bujold’s Cryoburn, which is also nominated for the 2011 Locus Science Fiction Award. It is the 14th book in the Miles Vorkosigan Saga and was written eight years after the last book, Diplomatic Immunity. At this point Miles is 39.

The book centers on the concept of cryonics, freezing dead and terminally ill people with the hope of reviving them at a later time. Emperor Gregor sends Miles to investigate a corporation on Kiboudaini that wants to expand into Komarr, which is part of the empire. In the beginning of the book Miles evades a kidnapping attempt but is still drugged. While disoriented, Miles is befriended by a runaway boy, Jin. The boy’s mother, a protester against  cryonics  in favor of universal access to cryonics, was arrested and frozen, supposedly until the authorities can find a cure for the mental illness that caused her to protest. Miles now has two missions, to protect Komarr’s interests and to find out the truth about Jin’s mother.

I very much enjoyed reading Cryoburn. I believe that most fans of Miles will be very happy with it. I especially enjoyed the narrative. While Bujold wrote the novel in the third-person, she helps us look at events through the eyes of Jin and of Miles’ armsman Roic, adding a dimension to the story. I haven’t read the other Hugo nominees yet, so I don’t have an opinion about whether this is the best book. One inherent drawback is that it is a later book in a series. The very end of the book is not going to make any sense to people who have not read the earlier books.

Note: If you are new to the Miles Vorkosigan Saga and want to read the books, I recommend looking in the back pages of Cryoburn for a list of the novels and novellas. World Without End also has an excellent list. Be aware that the books were not written in order; ignore the dates and pay attention to the book number!!!! While Falling Free is an enjoyable book, you can skip it without missing much from the Miles plot. Shards of Honor and Barrayar are about Miles’ parents and events leading up to his birth. I read them in an Omnibus called Cordelia’s Honor. In order to understand many of the later books, you need to be familiar with the earlier ones.

Memory (Book)

Harra Csurik* had been almost right. It wasn’t your life again you found, going on. It was your life anew. And it wasn’t at all what he’d been expecting.

Miles. Memory. Milestone. Mystery. Melding. In Memory, Lois McMaster Bujold chronicles a turning point in the life of Miles Vorkosigan. Miles turns 30. After mishandling his seizure condition, he is forced to leave the Barrayaran military as well as the Dendarii Mercenaries. He is at loose ends and possibly dangerous to himself. --Although, he does manage to accidentally find Emperor Gregor a wife during this time-- When Simon Illyan, the long suffering and Miles-abused head of Imperial Security, suffers damage to the memory chip implanted in his brain, Miles feels compelled to help. Soon, Miles is drawn into a mystery. In order to solve it, he must combine his personas of Lord Miles Vorkosigan and Admiral Naismith.

Memory is the tenth book in the Vorkosigan Saga. It was nominated for the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Science Fiction awards. While not actually winning any awards, I believe it is tremendously rewarding for those who have been following the saga. The story contains the usual humor, some deep moments, and a healthy dose of mystery. It draws on many of the plot lines from earlier stories, looking at them from a more mature Miles perspective. And, as always, it is nice to catch up with old “friends.”

*Harra Csurik is the woman whose baby was murdered in Border’s of Infinity. Miles visits her a decade later in Memory.

Paladin of Souls (Book)

Tch, tch, tch, look at yourself, bittersweet Ista. Saint, sorceress, dowager royina of all Chalion-Ibra, converses with gods, when not cursing them…

I believe that the reason Paladin of Souls won the 2004 Hugo, Nebula, and Locus Fantasy awards goes beyond Lois McMaster Bujold’s usual masterful storytelling. The story resonates with something deep inside many readers. It is an example of the hero’s journey, an archetypal experience that leads to wholeness. The book speaks to our internal questioning about our purpose in life, as well as our struggles to communicate with the Divine—in the world of Chalion, the five gods. Don’t get me wrong, this is also a fun, relatively fast-paced adventure.

Bujold first introduces Ista, in The Curse of Chalion, as Teidez and Iselle mother, a woman made mad by a curse put on the kingdom and by the guilt of accidentally murdering her husband’s male lover. By the time Paladin of Souls takes place, Ista has recovered, but her family and servants are still overprotective of her. Ista runs away from home in the guise of taking a spiritual pilgrimage, accompanied by a spiritual adviser and a minimum of servants. (Her lady-in-waiting is a courier who knows more about horses than royal ladies.) After being attacked by raiders, Ista is rescued by a patrol from Castle Porifors. But, something more sinister is going on than just an expected attack from a rival kingdom. In addition, at Castle Porifors Ista comes to realize that she is the answer to someone else’s prayers. As the plot unfolds, she slowly becomes a paladin—a champion or hero—to souls.

Paladin of Souls is the second book of the three book Chalion Series. My guess is that many people could easily read it as a stand-alone novel. It is one of my favorite Hugo Award winning novels.

American Gods (Book)

Forgotten Gods. New Gods. Con Games. Coin Tricks. Road Trips. The Coming Storm.

The winner of the 2002 Hugo, Locus Science Fiction, and Nebula awards can be easily described by its title, American Gods. The story is about the gods and myths that the immigrants brought to America as well as the new ones later created. At times, Neil Gaiman’s story is gross, horrifying, and perhaps sacrilegious. Yet, it is also warm, thought-provoking, and brilliant.

Shadow is a big, loveable lug, who at the beginning of the story is just about to be paroled after serving three years of a six year sentence for assaulting two men. He wants nothing more than to be reunited with his wife and work in the job that his best friend has offered him. Just before the release, he finds out that this wife has been killed in a car accident. Soon after the release, he discovers that his best friend was also killed in the accident, while engaging in a compromising act with Shadow’s wife. With no wife and no job, Shadow is ripe for the advances of Mr. Wednesday, who offers him a mysterious job. Shadow goes on to meet bizarre individuals and have strange experiences.

This would be a great book for an English class, a writing group, or a book group. Gaiman takes a premise, American gods, and builds an original story around it. While not a great fan of dead people coughing up maggots, I have to admit that I enjoyed the book and admire Gaiman. I am not sure I would have picked it up on my own and am grateful that the Hugo Award list led me to it.

To Say Nothing of the Dog (Book)

History was indeed controlled by blind forces, as well as character and courage and treachery and love.

Dogs & Cats. Séances. Church Restorations. Bird Stumps. Jumble Sales. The Space-Time Continuum. The 1999 Hugo and Locus Science Fiction award winning novel, To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis, is part time-travel, part mystery, and all fun. Poor Ned Henry has a bad case of time-lag after traveling to the 1940’s too many times in search of information—particularly about a bird stump—for Lady Schrapnell, who is rebuilding Coventry Cathedral. To hide from Lady Schrapnell, Ned is sent to 1888 for some much needed rest and to return something that was mistakenly brought back by Verity, another time traveler. At the center of the mystery is Lady Schrapnell’s great-great-great-great-grandmother. A diary says that she is supposed to fall in love with and marry a mysterious Mr. C., but instead she becomes engaged to a young man Ned meets when he first arrives. In going back in time, has Ned accidentally altered the space-time continuum and history? Has Verity? Who is Mr. C.? Can Ned and Verity set everything right?

I want more! I loved Willis’s Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog.

The Diamond Age (Book)

Confucius. Nanotechnology. Neo-Victorians. Ractors. Tribes. Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer.

Reading the 1996 Hugo Award and Locus Science Fiction Award winning novel, The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson, was a refreshing experience for me. While I see it categorized on-line as Cyberpunk, I don’t feel comfortable putting it into any one box. I was drawn into the story from the very beginning and found myself carried along by my curiosity about how the story would unfold.

I would have titled the book, A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer, because much of the novel centers on the primer. A nanotechnological engineer creates a primer for a wealthy client to give to his granddaughter in order to ensure that she will grow up to be an exceptional woman. The primer tells “stories to a young person, tailoring them for the child’s needs and interests—even teaching them to read if need be.” The engineer, who has a daughter about the same age as the granddaughter, makes an illegal copy of the book. Unfortunately, he is mugged by a gang and his copy of the primer stolen by one of the boys. The boy gives it to his four year old sister, Nell, who immediately bonds with the book. It tells hers stories that incorporate what is going on in her life. This includes Nell’s attachment to her four dolls/stuffed animals as well as the physical abuse and neglect she experiences. Many of the stories are in the style of Grimm’s fairytales. The stories also have an anonymous human element to them, ractors—think actors who help create animated movies and games. Nell interacts with the primer well into her teenage years.

The Diamond Age is just a good over all story. As a reader, I felt the love that an older brother or father has for a little sister/daughter, yet the book was not in the least bit sentimental. It contained a few moments of humor. In a few places, I found some profound wisdom, yet I would not describe the book as especially philosophical.--Stephenson brings up some interesting points in regard to the topics of belonging to a tribe, discipline and intelligence.--The neo-Victorian subculture presented in the book isn’t just an affectation, but adds to the story. The book contains some sex and violence, but it also contains moments of childlike innocence. It is an odd book, but a very pleasing one to read.

The Fall of Hyperion (Book)

Sol realized that he had responded to a force more basic and persuasive than the Shrike’s terror or pain’s dominion. If he was right—and he did not know but felt—then love was as hardwired into the structure of the universe as gravity and matter/antimatter. There was room for some sort of God not in the web between the walls, not in the singularity cracks in the pavement, not somewhere out before and beyond the sphere of things…but in the very warp and woof of things. Evolving as the universe evolved. Learning as the learning-able parts of the universe learned. Loving as humankind loved.

In The Fall of Hyperion, winner of the 1991 British Science Fiction and Locus Science Fiction awards, Dan Simmons concludes the story he began to tell in Hyperion. If reading Hyperion was like opening a box full of puzzle pieces without knowing what the picture looked like, The Fall of Hyperion is like slowly putting the puzzle together, finding an edge here, matching a bit of graphic there.

The Hegemony of Man is at war with the Ousters. Factions of artificial intelligences within the TechnoCore are at war with one another. Humans are at war with the TechnoCore. Both humans and Artificial Intelligences are looking for the Ultimate Intelligence. Page by page we discover that the role of the Time Tomb pilgrims in this larger context is to be the only unpredictable factor in the outcome of events.

I liked The Fall of Hyperion much more than Hyperion. Although The Fall of Hyperion contains more violence and horror than I prefer, I now understand their purpose in the context of the larger plot. The book is philosophical—it referred to Teilhard a number of times—as well as full of action and adventure. While this book brings closure to the tale of the Time Tomb pilgrims, Dan Simmons continued the storyline in two subsequent books, creating the Hyperion Cantos.

Hyperion (Book)

Parasitic Cruciforms. Ghost Lovers. Daughters Aging In Reverse. Murderous Monsters. Cybrid Lovers. John Keats. Reading Dan Simmons’ novel Hyperion, the winner of the 1990 Hugo and Locus Science Fiction awards, is a little bit like opening a box filled with puzzle pieces and not knowing what the puzzle is supposed to look like. Read as a stand-alone book, it is a series of short stories, woven together by a central plot. Each story describes what has driven one of the characters to go on a pilgrimage to the Time Tombs, where they risk being killed by the Shrike. Based on what I have read on the internet, the almost five hundred page novel is the first half of a longer story that is completed in Fall of Hyperion.

My first reaction was that I didn’t like the book. It was too coarse and violent for me.—I like science fiction books with a lot of science and sympathetic characters—Yet, the book is unusual and very original. Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion combined won a total of four major awards and were even mentioned in one of the books in the Mars Series by Kim Stanley. Why? Out of sheer curiosity I am going to read Fall of Hyperion.

Blue Mars (Book)

When many of us, as little kids, thought about the future, this is the world that we dreamed of living in. Millions of people are living on Mars. Earth has begun to colonize planets around other stars. People can expect to live well into their two hundreds.

Blue Mars, the winner of both the 1997 Hugo and Locus Science Fiction awards, completes Kim Stanley Robinson’s Mars Trilogy. Like the previous two book, Red Mars and Green Mars, the scope in Blue Mars is incredible. Robinson continues to describe the experiences of the First Hundred, as well as those of some other major characters. At times, the story is intimate, describing a character’s innermost thoughts. At other times, the story can be highly scientific, describing complex theories. At times, the story is highly philosophical, describing how Mars changes the psyche of the settlers. At other times, the story is highly sociological, describing how the new government is set up and how the different political parties maneuver for power. In addition, the timeframe of the combined trilogy encompasses almost two hundred years.

Briefly, Blue Mars begins after the second revolution on Mars. The original Hundred Colonists are now out of hiding, terraforming continues to make the surface more and more livable, and the Martians begin to set up their own government. However, they are not totally free from the influence of Earth, which has undergone a serious of major challenges. In Green Mars, half of the Antarctic icecap had melted, raising sea level seven meters, and the introduction of the longevity drug had compounded the problems of overpopulation. In Blue Mars, these continue to affect the lives of the characters. In addition, as the years progress the first people to take the longevity drug are now beginning to have neurological problems, most of which involve memory. Then, there are the implications of just expecting to live a long life. Threads begun in Red and Green Mars continue to weave their way through Blue Mars on both small and large scales.

The Mars Series deserves to be savored. When I read it again, as I hope to do some time in the future, I would like to read just a few pages at a time, enjoying the descriptions. For example, in one scene of Blue Mars, Sax and Maya are discussing the colors of the Martian sky, which from the very beginning of Red Mars is described as having colors, particularly shades of purple, that there are no words for in Earth languages. In addition, the series contains levels of meaning that I don’t think are apparent on a quick read. For example, much of Blue Mars describes the search for Hiroko, the illusive matriarch of the first generations born on Mars. After over 1600 pages, I feel almost disloyal moving onto another book, but more Hugo winning novels await.

Green Mars (Book)

Revolution meant shattering one structure and creating another one, but shattering was easier than creating, and so the two parts of the act were not necessarily fated to be equally successful. In that sense, building a revolution was like building an arch; until both columns were there, and the keystone in place, practically any disruption could bring the whole thing crashing down.

Green Mars, the winner of the 1994 Hugo and Locus Science Fiction awards, continues where Red Mars left off. In the beginning of the story, the major characters are dealing with the aftermath of their failed revolution against the Transnats and Earth’s control. The characters are hiding in the underground and trying to live meaningful lives. Slowly, they attempt to live above ground and have an influence on the future shape of Mars, both physically and socially. At the end of the book, they are again engaged in a revolution. Throughout the book, Mars is being terraformed by both biological and artificial means.

In Green Mars, Kim Stanley Robinson continues to tell the story of the first 100 colonists, who thanks to the longevity treatments are now in their hundreds. He also adds some new characters: the natives, who were born on Mars and are the biological children of some of the original colonists; and some people from Praxis, a sympathetic transnational company.

I am having problems putting the Mars Series down, despite my best intentions to pace myself. Like Red Mars, Green Mars felt very real to me, almost like watching a PBS special. Robinson does an excellent job of describing the terraforming. His descriptions of the biology, geology, ecology, and engineering seem very plausible to me. He includes issues related to psychology, religion, economics, and politics. His description of the Transnats taking over whole countries on Earth gave me pause because it seems like such a logical next step. The characters are multi-dimensional and, for the most part, sympathetic. Robinson includes enough action to prevent the story from getting bogged down. Blue Mars, which I am about to start reading, completes the Mars Series.

Speaker for the Dead (Book)

Understanding the Other...Uncovering the Whole Story…Redeeming the Past. The 1987 Hugo Award, 1987 Locus Science Fiction Award and 1986 Nebula Award winning novel, Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card is one of the most deeply philosophical and fascinating science fiction novels I have ever read. Based on all the many awards that it received, I gather that I am not the only one that felt changed by reading the book.

The concept of the speaker of the dead is an interesting one, easily applicable to my life. In the book, the speakers of the dead tell the story of people’s lives, both the good and the bad. The speakers tell not only what the deceased did, but also what they intended to do and why they did what they did. The speakers are a combination of researcher/detective, storyteller, and an almost religious figure. In the book, the speaker may only do the speaking on the request of the decedent or someone close to the decedent. The First Speaker was Ender—of Ender’s Game—who anonymously wrote a book about the victims of his xenocide. As I grow up, I find myself talking more honestly—and compassionately—about people who have passed away.

The second interesting concept is based on the writing of Ender’s sister, Valentine, who writes as Demosthenes. From what I can figure out these ideas come partially from Nordic language and partially from Card. Strangers are described on a continuum, using four terms: Utlanning, the human of our world; Framling, the human of another world; Raman, the human of another species; Varelse, those with whom no conversation is possible. The implication and extrapolations of these concepts could easily fill several weeks’ worth of blogs. I encounter this idea of stranger almost every day in the news. Recently when I was watching a local politician, I realized that he didn’t see those who disagreed with him as fully human; they were very other to him. In the United States some people don’t recognize gays, Hispanics, Union members, Democrats/Republicans as Utlanning. [I just read that Card was against gay marriage, so I am not sure he would agree with all my thoughts about his book.] One could surmise that more people in the US recognize the Japanese as Utlanning than they do people in the Middle East. In Speaker of the Dead, Card introduces the reader to a very revealing concept that permeates out lives.

Ah yes, I suppose I need to give a quick overview of the plot. Ender is now biologically 35, but chronologically over 3000 years old due to the relativity of time travel. Traveling from planet to planet with his sister Valentine, Ender speaks for the dead; no one knows that he is the First Speaker and the person who committed xenocide. Ender receives a request from a young woman whose mentor has been murdered on an experimental colony by the piggies, only the second alien species to be encountered. By the time that Ender arrives—22 years chronologically but only weeks for Ender biologically—the woman has withdrawn her request, but two more requests have been made for a speaker based on the deaths of two other individuals. One of the new deaths is again attributed to the piggies. Ender works as part detective and part confessor. His presence and his uncovering of the truth radically change the lives of everyone on the planet.

While the book is primarily about people, the science and politics are also interesting. Card describes how a single event shapes the lives of a whole family. Card also shows how Ender changes those he meets. The very otherness of the biology that shapes the planet is fascinating. The questioning of basic premises behind scientific and political decisions is eye opening.

Ender’s Game and Speaker of the Dead have a tremendous potential to truly change reader’s lives, because they cause many people to question the way they think and their basic assumptions. Now, I am off to reading more Hugo Award winning novels and having my thinking changed even more.

Mirror Dance (Book)

“It’s important that someone celebrate our existence,” she [Cordelia] objected amiably. “People are the only mirror we have to see ourselves in. The domain of all meaning. All virtue, all evil, are contained only in people.”

The first time we meet Mark, in Brothers in Arms, Miles thinks that he is seeing himself in a mirror. In Mirror Dance—the ninth book in the Vorkosigan series by Lois McMaster Bujold and winner of the 1995 Hugo and Locus Science Fiction awards—we see Mark as more than just a clone created to replace Miles.

In the beginning of the story Mark, masquerading as Admiral Naismith, attempts to use the Dendarii Mercenaries to rescue a group of clones who are slated to become body transplants for aging, wealthy patrons. Miles finds out about the deception, much too late, and tries to intervene. The rescue goes terribly, terribly wrong. The rest of the book deals with the aftermath.

Mirror Dance is a story about identity. Bujold expertly weaves a story in which multiple characters attempt to answer the question Who am I? Mark is the focus of the story, exploring his identities as a clone to the charismatic Miles, the son of Cordelia and Aral, the victim of Galen, and much more. Elena Bothari-Jesek finally faces the part of her identity which is the daughter of a man who raped her mother. Clones slated to be used as body transplants attempt to look at themselves as independent individuals. Individuals from a family of cloned medical professions try to see themselves separate from the group. Finally, we see Miles as Admiral Naismith, Lord Vorkosigan, and nobody at all.

I found Mirror Dance both disturbing and heartwarming. At times I felt that I couldn’t read anymore because the scenes were so troubling, but Bujold expertly switched the scene to something else just in time. I enjoyed seeing Cordelia again in her full power. While Brothers in Arms seemed somewhat shallow, Mirror Dance plunges deep below the surface. The writing was masterful. For me the book is the culmination of the series so far.

While the Vorkosigan series continues on, I need to quit reading it so I can focus on reading other Hugo award winning novels and some of their series-mates. I admired Bujold’s courage to deal with difficult topics. I enjoyed Miles as a man with a disability, especially because for many years I was friends with a woman whose son has brittle bone syndrome. After reading ten books in the series, I feel like I am leaving a city where I have had an enjoyable stay. I will miss it. Hopefully I will be back again.