Triplanetary / E.E. Doc Smith

Triplanetary
by E.E. Doc Smith

Science fiction... Space opera

Published 1948
Read in January 2013... and many times before

rating 8 out of 10: really quite good

Really quite good... or really quite bad: your choice! This is space opera: over the top, boys own adventures in space. Love it, or...

Well, no. Just love it :-)

I don't like to bias my opinions by reading other views of books. (At least, not till my own review is posted.) But it seems to me that this first book of the series was written after most of the others. Whatever.

A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, there was this race of super intelligent aliens. Then there were two races. One was good, the other was evil... Unlike Smith's Skylark series, there is no doubt: the lines are clearly drawn between good and evil.

Unfortunately the good aliens are not powerful enough to defeat the evil aliens. So they spend this -- and six more books -- developing a race which will be able to wipe evil from the galaxy.

And that race... is humanity.

Surprise!

Atlantis falls. Rome declines. World wars come and go. And then the serious space-based action begins.

Fishy aliens destroy human space fleets. And a major city or two. Humans respond with destruction of a major city, plus the killing of all the inhabitants of another city.

Then they each realise that it was all based on a misunderstanding... Hands, flippers and tentacles are shaken all round. A treaty of trade and cooperation is signed.

If only our real wars could end on such a reasonable note.

This is a universe of weird aliens, fierce battles, great science and sensible outcomes. Space opera at its best.

No need to believe it.

Just enjoy it :-)

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Problems ? Solved

Flash Forward / Robert J Sawyer

Flash Forward
by Robert J Sawyer

Science fiction

Published 1999
Read in January 2013

Rated 7 out of 10: well worth reading

I seem to be reading a lot of books which are "well worth reading". Am I too soft in my rating? Noooo... I'm just a bit selective, and avoid books which I'm fairly certain that I will not like.

Still, I like to be surprised. And my thinking should be open. In the future I will read more books which -- if I were to judge by the cover -- I would expect to not like.

Flash Forward, I expected to like. And I was right... Which, of course, reinforces my preference for reading books which I *expect* to like. In future, I will try harder.

Or, is the future predetermined? Is space-time an immutable Minkowski cube? Will I continue to select books that I expect to like -- because in the immutable future I already select only books that I expect to like?!

Deeeep...

Then there's that cat on the box... Is it dead or is it alive? If we can't tell, does that mean that the cat is both dead and alive?! Will the universe split in two, just because we forgot to put a camera inside that box?

Or will the cat -- when the box is opened -- send a transaction back on time... A transaction which will counter the possibility that the cat had died -- or not died -- inside that box?!

All this and more, in Flash Forward!

What Sawyer has done, is to take the key views of quantum mechanics -- and build a story around them.

The story is satisfactory. The science is interesting and well presented. This is hard science fiction. Not a great book. But well worth reading.

Yes, I did enjoy this book. As I expected. The enjoyment was not predestined... It's just that yes, I can often select -- by its cover -- a book which I will enjoy.

Which raises yet another question for discussion: do I *reject* books which I would enjoy just as much?

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Problems ? Solved

The World Inside / Robert Silverberg

The World Inside
by Robert Silverberg

science fiction, collection
copyright 1971
read in January 2013

rated 7 /10: well worth reading

In the introduction to this book the author points out that this is a collection of short stories. It is not a novel. This is both interesting -- and a weakness.

Interesting, because it allows Silverberg to tackle the human hive topic from several different directions. Also interesting for an insight into the writer's approach to his task...

I think I'll write a story on over-population, he thinks. I think I'll be different and see over-population as a good thing. Now, what story shall I wrap around the over-population theme...

The first story is almost a cliche for its style.

A happy drone introduces a visitor -- today's Everyman -- to the hive. The visitor has reservations, the drone explains the benefits. One incident shows that all is not perfect. The visitor -- and the reader -- are given an understanding of how the hive works / would work, successfully.

No real plot. Just an explanation of a solution where the what-if is, what if over-population problems were solved by crowding lots of people into one very large building...

Subsequent stories have a bit more plot, with individuals being followed through good times and bad. Many of the individuals interact, to give a sense of continuity to the stories.

Yet as a whole, there is no coherent plot. And this is the weakness of the book -- of the book if considered as a novel called The World Inside.

We don't have a novel. We have seven short stories by one author, exploring various aspects of a human hive.

Bearing all this in mind, the book is still worth reading. Feel free to take a break between stories, you won't lose the thread of the overall story. And don't hope for a conclusion in the final story... it's just one more story in the common world.

A world where happiness is maintained at the cost of individuality. Where those in charge are as debased as anywhere else. And where the non-conformist is sacrificed to support the status quo of unthinking mass happiness.

It's a *good* day.

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Problems ? Solved

Big Money / P.G. Wodehouse

Big Money
by P.G. Wodehouse

humour
copyright 1931
read in January 2013

rating 8 /10: really quite good

Wodehouse at his best :-)

I was surprised when the girl became engaged early in the story... Of course she was engaged to the "wrong" man. So there was plenty more confusion as the couples sorted themselves out.

There is also the need for money... Even at a double wedding the bally vicar will want to be paid twice...

Love is most definitely in the air but Big Money is the central theme. And all is resolved by the end.

Big Money is set in London -- and in London's outer suburbs. Outer?! Seven miles from the centre, very much on the outer as far as Society is concerned!

The English characters are distinguished by their Class. The Americans are a mixed bunch, with money not able to disguise their lack of class. Except, of course, for the girls. Who are sweet and beautiful and openly honest.

A pleasantly gilded romp in a golden, gilded and base metal cross-section of an eccentric and thoroughly enjoyable world.

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Problems ? Solved