Genre: Science Fiction
Setting: In space aboard the spaceship Intrepid, and on Earth.
First sentence: From the top of the large boulder he sat on, Ensign Tom Davis looked across the expanse of the cave toward Captain Lucius Abernathy, Science Officer Q'eeng and Chief Engineer Paul West perched on a second, larger boulder, and thought, well, this sucks.
It's kind of a joke to fans of the Star Trek television program; being part of an away team was often very dangerous. Especially to an extra wearing a red uniform.
In this novel, the author explores the red shirt experience from the redshirts' point of view.
The redshirts on the spaceship Intrepid have noticed that when certain senior officers lead away teams, a redshirt crewman often dies. The redshirt who dies is usually new to the crew, has little backstory and often does not have first name.
In an act of self-preservation, the veteran crew members hide when a senior officer is assembling an away team.
Crew members have also noticed that senior officers act strangely when the ship in in a crisis situation.
One of the redshirts reaches a remarkable conclusion: they are characters in a poorly written science fiction television program that is a rip-off of Star Trek.
The red shirts decide that instead of waiting for their turn to die, they need to take control of the narrative of the program. They do this by traveling in time back to present day Earth. There they contact the actors who portrayed them, the producer of the show, and most importantly, the head writer.
This is where Scalzi's narrative gets really strange. For me, the actions and motivations of the characters, got really confusing. In my opinion, Scalzi started with an interesting premise, and lost it in the last half of the story. Scalzi does pull it together at the end for an interesting conclusion.
Tacked on to the end of the novel are three short stories from the redshirt universe. Here Scalzi explores the experiences that three"real people" had after interacting with the redshirts. The first is written from the first person point of view, the second from second person, and third from third person. These stories were interesting to read and gave the book a unique ending.
If you are a fan of Scalzi, you'll want to read this book. If you're new to Scalzi, read some of his better novels such as Old Man's War. Come back to this book after you've read some of is best.
Redshirts
Old Man's War
Check out my eBook!
Wednesday, May 8, 2013
Saturday, May 4, 2013
Roman Games by Bruce Macbain
Genre: Historical Mystery
Setting Ancient Rome in the first century AD.
First Sentence: A brassy sun beat down on the barren rock that for six weeks and four days had been Flavia Domitilla's prison.
This novel is the first in Macbain's Plinius Segundus series.
It is the time of the emperor Domitian. He is a cruel and unpopular ruler. Just before the annual Roman Games, one of his informers is found murdered in his bed. According to Roman law, when a slave owner is murdered in his home, his slaves are tortured and executed. This is to prevent slaves from even considering the killing of their owner.
Enter our main character Plinius Segundus, or as we know him in English, Pliny the Younger. Pliny is a lawyer. His specialty is probate law. Unwillingly, he has been pressed into service as vice-prefect of Rome. It is in this capacity that Pliny is asked to look into the slaying of the informant.
Most Roman officers would make a cursory review of the facts, torture the slaves, and make their report. But Pliny's sense of justice leads him to actually investigating the case. He feels that torturing and executing the slaves is unfair and unjust. So, he tries to solve the case in a way that might save the slaves from their horrible fate.
Pliny does not know that the murder he is investigating is part of a much larger political conspiracy. There are those who are plotting the assassination of the emperor himself.
Can Pliny solve the mystery, save the slaves, and avoid being on the wrong side of the impending political upheaval?
This novel was an enjoyable read. The author is well-versed in Roman history, and it shows. His knowledge and research allow him to create a realistic and believable setting for his story. The author has included several characters who were actual historical figures. And, the plot of the novel meshes with historical fact.
I liked the book and I look forward to reading the second novel in the series.
Roman Games
Check out my eBook!
Setting Ancient Rome in the first century AD.
First Sentence: A brassy sun beat down on the barren rock that for six weeks and four days had been Flavia Domitilla's prison.
This novel is the first in Macbain's Plinius Segundus series.
It is the time of the emperor Domitian. He is a cruel and unpopular ruler. Just before the annual Roman Games, one of his informers is found murdered in his bed. According to Roman law, when a slave owner is murdered in his home, his slaves are tortured and executed. This is to prevent slaves from even considering the killing of their owner.
Enter our main character Plinius Segundus, or as we know him in English, Pliny the Younger. Pliny is a lawyer. His specialty is probate law. Unwillingly, he has been pressed into service as vice-prefect of Rome. It is in this capacity that Pliny is asked to look into the slaying of the informant.
Most Roman officers would make a cursory review of the facts, torture the slaves, and make their report. But Pliny's sense of justice leads him to actually investigating the case. He feels that torturing and executing the slaves is unfair and unjust. So, he tries to solve the case in a way that might save the slaves from their horrible fate.
Pliny does not know that the murder he is investigating is part of a much larger political conspiracy. There are those who are plotting the assassination of the emperor himself.
Can Pliny solve the mystery, save the slaves, and avoid being on the wrong side of the impending political upheaval?
This novel was an enjoyable read. The author is well-versed in Roman history, and it shows. His knowledge and research allow him to create a realistic and believable setting for his story. The author has included several characters who were actual historical figures. And, the plot of the novel meshes with historical fact.
I liked the book and I look forward to reading the second novel in the series.
Roman Games
Check out my eBook!
Monday, April 29, 2013
Tutankhamun: The Book of Shadows by Nick Drake
Genre: Historical Mystery
Setting: Ancient Egypt
First Sentence: Three short knocks.
This novel is the third in Drake's Rahotep detective fiction trilogy.
Our main character, Rahotep, is the Chief Detective of the Thebes Medjay (Police Force). He is your standard detective: realistic, cynical, and at times wise cracking. He has been passed over for promotion because he is too honest, and because he won't be a toady for those in power.
At home he has a long suffering wife. She is fearful that one day he will not return from one of his investigations. Unspoken between them is his lack of success and prestige his honesty has cost them.
In the city there has been a series of horrific murders. The victims' bodies have been arranged specifically to portray a religious omen.
In the palace, there has been a series of evil messages delivered to the King and Queen: Tutankhamun and his sister. Rahotep is investigating both sets of crimes. It is obvious that each crime has been committed by an educated person who is well versed in the secret symbols of religion. As he investigates, Rahotep begins to think that there is a connection between all the crimes.
There are factions that believe Tutankhamun is a weak King. Both the Regent, Ay, and the General Horemheb have aspirations for the throne.
Can Rahotep protect the royal family and his own family from those who wish them evil?
Every so often, when I reach the end of a book, I feel a sense of sadness. While I am reading the novel, the characters seem alive to me. Once the story has ended, they exist only in my memory. In this novel, the author has transported me to ancient Thebes. I like Rahotep. I would enjoy sitting with him on a cool evening and discussing philosophy, or just local gossip. And, I'd enjoy visiting him at his home and meeting his wife and children.
I enjoyed reading this novel and look forward to reading the third novel of the series.
Tutankhamun: The Book of Shadows
Check out my eBook!
Setting: Ancient Egypt
First Sentence: Three short knocks.
This novel is the third in Drake's Rahotep detective fiction trilogy.
Our main character, Rahotep, is the Chief Detective of the Thebes Medjay (Police Force). He is your standard detective: realistic, cynical, and at times wise cracking. He has been passed over for promotion because he is too honest, and because he won't be a toady for those in power.
At home he has a long suffering wife. She is fearful that one day he will not return from one of his investigations. Unspoken between them is his lack of success and prestige his honesty has cost them.
In the city there has been a series of horrific murders. The victims' bodies have been arranged specifically to portray a religious omen.
In the palace, there has been a series of evil messages delivered to the King and Queen: Tutankhamun and his sister. Rahotep is investigating both sets of crimes. It is obvious that each crime has been committed by an educated person who is well versed in the secret symbols of religion. As he investigates, Rahotep begins to think that there is a connection between all the crimes.
There are factions that believe Tutankhamun is a weak King. Both the Regent, Ay, and the General Horemheb have aspirations for the throne.
Can Rahotep protect the royal family and his own family from those who wish them evil?
Every so often, when I reach the end of a book, I feel a sense of sadness. While I am reading the novel, the characters seem alive to me. Once the story has ended, they exist only in my memory. In this novel, the author has transported me to ancient Thebes. I like Rahotep. I would enjoy sitting with him on a cool evening and discussing philosophy, or just local gossip. And, I'd enjoy visiting him at his home and meeting his wife and children.
I enjoyed reading this novel and look forward to reading the third novel of the series.
Tutankhamun: The Book of Shadows
Check out my eBook!
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
The Last Hybrid Bloodline of Angels by Lee Wilson
Genre: Young Adult Supernatural Fantasy
Setting: A small college town in Tennessee
First Sentence: Rachel's first step on the ice gave her the confidence to walk the rest of the way to the oak tree growing in the lake.
This novel is the premier installment in the author's Last Hybrid series.
On her first trip to college, our main character Hannah, spent too much time on booze and boyfriends. For the last five years she has been working at the Waffle Shack. After experiencing a severe car accident, Hannah makes a sudden decision to return to college. This time, she plans to focus more on her studies.
When she checks into her dorm, she begins to make friends with her fellow students. Among them is a strange guy named Daniel. When they meet, they have an immediate intense attraction for one another.
Daniel has an unusual talent. He can sense when people are in physical peril. And, he has the uncanny knack for showing up in time to rescue them.
Daniel has a secret. He is not like the rest of us. He is just now learning about who he really is. He is also learning that the more he knows, the more dangerous it is for his friends, especially Hannah.
Honestly, this genre of fiction is not my usual fare. Following the trials and tribulations of young college students usually doesn't interest me. That being said, I did enjoy reading this novel. It is written in an easy to read style. I found that the pages flew by. The author stuck to the plot and didn't slow the story down with excessive description or unimportant subplots.
For young adult readers there is plenty of dating, phone calls, texting, and boyfriend/girlfriend, love/hate drama. And, it's a relatively clean book with few bad words and almost no sex.
In my opinion, there are several downsides to this novel. First, the author puts his characters in seemingly inescapable fixes, then has a character suddenly remember a possible solution. Many of the adult characters are portrayed as clueless, unhelpful, or evil masterminds.
I did read the book cover to cover. And I did enjoy reading it. If you are into supernatural fantasy, you might give this book a try.
Check out my eBook!
Setting: A small college town in Tennessee
First Sentence: Rachel's first step on the ice gave her the confidence to walk the rest of the way to the oak tree growing in the lake.
This novel is the premier installment in the author's Last Hybrid series.
On her first trip to college, our main character Hannah, spent too much time on booze and boyfriends. For the last five years she has been working at the Waffle Shack. After experiencing a severe car accident, Hannah makes a sudden decision to return to college. This time, she plans to focus more on her studies.
When she checks into her dorm, she begins to make friends with her fellow students. Among them is a strange guy named Daniel. When they meet, they have an immediate intense attraction for one another.
Daniel has an unusual talent. He can sense when people are in physical peril. And, he has the uncanny knack for showing up in time to rescue them.
Daniel has a secret. He is not like the rest of us. He is just now learning about who he really is. He is also learning that the more he knows, the more dangerous it is for his friends, especially Hannah.
Honestly, this genre of fiction is not my usual fare. Following the trials and tribulations of young college students usually doesn't interest me. That being said, I did enjoy reading this novel. It is written in an easy to read style. I found that the pages flew by. The author stuck to the plot and didn't slow the story down with excessive description or unimportant subplots.
For young adult readers there is plenty of dating, phone calls, texting, and boyfriend/girlfriend, love/hate drama. And, it's a relatively clean book with few bad words and almost no sex.
In my opinion, there are several downsides to this novel. First, the author puts his characters in seemingly inescapable fixes, then has a character suddenly remember a possible solution. Many of the adult characters are portrayed as clueless, unhelpful, or evil masterminds.
I did read the book cover to cover. And I did enjoy reading it. If you are into supernatural fantasy, you might give this book a try.
Check out my eBook!
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Hamfist Over the Trail by G. E. Nolly
Genre: Military Fiction
Setting, Vietnam, 1969
First Sentence: As soon as the ENG Fire light caught my attention, my left hand was moving - almost without my intentional thought - to perform the BOLD FACE actions for an engine fire.
This novel is the first installment of Nolly's Hamfist series.
This novel follows Hamilton Hancock's adventures a an Air Force pilot during the Vietnam War. Hamilton (call sign Hamfist) is the Distinguished Graduate of his pilot training class. Like every hot shot pilot, Hamfist wants to fly fighters. Unfortunately, there are no fighter slots available for the graduates of his class. So, Hamfist chooses to fly an O-2A and be a Forward Air Controller (FAC). FACs fly over enemy territory looking for targets, then calling in airstrikes against them.
Once he gets to Vietnam, Hamfist learns that death can come quickly as several of his friends are killed in combat. Like his pilot friends, he believes that when your number's up, your numbers up.
When he gets a "Dear John" letter, Hamfist starts taking risks he shouldn't take. Will Hamfist's number be up soon?
I enjoyed this novel. It is written in an easy to read, first person style, Although I don't read much military fiction, I found that this novel was very believable. Hamfist acts like a normal person. There are some battle scenes, but no descriptions of blood and gore. For fans of military fiction, there is a healthy dose of military jargon and acronyms.
I will soon be reading the next novel in the series!
Hamfist Over the Trail
Check out my eBook!
Setting, Vietnam, 1969
First Sentence: As soon as the ENG Fire light caught my attention, my left hand was moving - almost without my intentional thought - to perform the BOLD FACE actions for an engine fire.
This novel is the first installment of Nolly's Hamfist series.
This novel follows Hamilton Hancock's adventures a an Air Force pilot during the Vietnam War. Hamilton (call sign Hamfist) is the Distinguished Graduate of his pilot training class. Like every hot shot pilot, Hamfist wants to fly fighters. Unfortunately, there are no fighter slots available for the graduates of his class. So, Hamfist chooses to fly an O-2A and be a Forward Air Controller (FAC). FACs fly over enemy territory looking for targets, then calling in airstrikes against them.
Once he gets to Vietnam, Hamfist learns that death can come quickly as several of his friends are killed in combat. Like his pilot friends, he believes that when your number's up, your numbers up.
When he gets a "Dear John" letter, Hamfist starts taking risks he shouldn't take. Will Hamfist's number be up soon?
I enjoyed this novel. It is written in an easy to read, first person style, Although I don't read much military fiction, I found that this novel was very believable. Hamfist acts like a normal person. There are some battle scenes, but no descriptions of blood and gore. For fans of military fiction, there is a healthy dose of military jargon and acronyms.
I will soon be reading the next novel in the series!
Hamfist Over the Trail
Check out my eBook!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Sucker's Portfolio by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr.
Genre: Short Stories
This book contains seven of Vonnegut's unpublished short stories. At the end, there is the beginning of an unfinished SciFi novel.
Episode One: Between Timid and Timbuktu
This is the story of a man who has become convinced that near death experiences are the secret to time travel.
Episode Two: Rome
A community theater group puts on a play casting a naive young girl as a streetwalker. Her father is a notorious criminal. Will the show go on?
Episode Three: Eden by the River
A boy and girl, alone in the forest, struggle to share their feelings with each other.
Episode Four: Sucker's Portfolio
A financial adviser tries to keep a young man from wasting his inheritance. What is he spending his money on?
Episode Five: Miss Snow, You're Fired
Eddie's new secretary is the most beautiful girl at the General Forge and Foundry factory. So why does he fire her?
Episode Six: Paris, France
Three couples have very different experiences on a trip to Paris.
Episode Seven: The Last Tasmanian
A stream of consciousness essay written on the occasion of the five hundredth anniversary of Columbus's 1492 voyage of discovery. Vonnegut meanders through history, ecology, religion, race, the treatment of indigenous peoples, slavery, television, and philosophy.
Appendix: Robotville and Mr. Caslow
The beginning to what would have been a very interesting SciFi story.
I really enjoyed this book. Every story was a unique gem of creativity. Surprise endings and irony lurked in every tale. For me, the book was an interesting read that was finished way too soon.
Sucker's Punch
Check out my Ebook!
This book contains seven of Vonnegut's unpublished short stories. At the end, there is the beginning of an unfinished SciFi novel.
Episode One: Between Timid and Timbuktu
This is the story of a man who has become convinced that near death experiences are the secret to time travel.
Episode Two: Rome
A community theater group puts on a play casting a naive young girl as a streetwalker. Her father is a notorious criminal. Will the show go on?
Episode Three: Eden by the River
A boy and girl, alone in the forest, struggle to share their feelings with each other.
Episode Four: Sucker's Portfolio
A financial adviser tries to keep a young man from wasting his inheritance. What is he spending his money on?
Episode Five: Miss Snow, You're Fired
Eddie's new secretary is the most beautiful girl at the General Forge and Foundry factory. So why does he fire her?
Episode Six: Paris, France
Three couples have very different experiences on a trip to Paris.
Episode Seven: The Last Tasmanian
A stream of consciousness essay written on the occasion of the five hundredth anniversary of Columbus's 1492 voyage of discovery. Vonnegut meanders through history, ecology, religion, race, the treatment of indigenous peoples, slavery, television, and philosophy.
Appendix: Robotville and Mr. Caslow
The beginning to what would have been a very interesting SciFi story.
I really enjoyed this book. Every story was a unique gem of creativity. Surprise endings and irony lurked in every tale. For me, the book was an interesting read that was finished way too soon.
Sucker's Punch
Check out my Ebook!
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Sunrise in the West By Edith Pargeter
Genre: Historical Fiction
Setting: England and Wales in the 13th century
First Sentence: My name is Samson.
I have to say, up front, that this novel was a difficult read. The author gives our main character, Samson, a unique voice. Samson relates the tale of his life and service to Lord Llewelyn. To have Samson sound like a Welsh person of the 13th century, the author uses a great many archaic English words. She also sprinkles in a generous helping of Welsh words, place names, and character names. This makes it difficult to keep track of who is who, where they are, and where they are going.
Since this is the first novel of a four novel series, the first half of the book is heavy on exposition. There are pages and pages of Samson listing family connections and which castle belongs to which lord. While this may impress the reader with the depth of the author's research, it is tedious to read through.
In the last half of the book, the plot emerges and Samson has some interesting encounters. This part of the novel is easier to read. However, since this is the first book of the series, there is little conflict resolution.
If you are an aficionado of Welsh history, you might enjoy this novel. I may continue with the series to find out what happens to Samson. But for now, I need a break from all those archaic words.
Sunrise in the West
Edith Pargeter is the author of the Cadfael historical mystery series. This is a fantastic series. I recommend that you check it out!
Check out my Ebook.
Setting: England and Wales in the 13th century
First Sentence: My name is Samson.
I have to say, up front, that this novel was a difficult read. The author gives our main character, Samson, a unique voice. Samson relates the tale of his life and service to Lord Llewelyn. To have Samson sound like a Welsh person of the 13th century, the author uses a great many archaic English words. She also sprinkles in a generous helping of Welsh words, place names, and character names. This makes it difficult to keep track of who is who, where they are, and where they are going.
Since this is the first novel of a four novel series, the first half of the book is heavy on exposition. There are pages and pages of Samson listing family connections and which castle belongs to which lord. While this may impress the reader with the depth of the author's research, it is tedious to read through.
In the last half of the book, the plot emerges and Samson has some interesting encounters. This part of the novel is easier to read. However, since this is the first book of the series, there is little conflict resolution.
If you are an aficionado of Welsh history, you might enjoy this novel. I may continue with the series to find out what happens to Samson. But for now, I need a break from all those archaic words.
Sunrise in the West
Edith Pargeter is the author of the Cadfael historical mystery series. This is a fantastic series. I recommend that you check it out!
Check out my Ebook.
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