Troll Mountain / Matthew Reilly

Troll Mountain

by Matthew Reilly

fantasy, subadult

copyright 2014

read in June 2017

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

The story is simple, characters are two-dimensional, action is over the top -- seriously over. The author's messages about strong versus clever are slathered on a bit too thickly.

It's light but... enjoyable.

The target market is -- I guess -- young people who are just starting to think for themselves. Who are just starting to notice that the wide world is not all niceness and light. Who are able and willing to accept... advice... from an author.

The advice is laid on thick but it is still only a small part of the book. Here's a message... and here's a lot of exciting action which supports the message.

And the action is exciting! Unbelieveable, yes. Predictable "twists", yes. But still a lot of exciting fun.

Sure, I sound critical. But I read the book and I enjoyed it. It's short, light, enjoyable. Nice characters, positive messages, heroic feats.

Not a "great" book. Just fun to read.

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"There's always one more imbecile than you counted on." … per Ginger Meggs
   

Departure / A.G. Riddle

Departure

by A.G. Riddle

science fiction, thriller

copyright 2015

read in June 2017

rated 8/10: really quite good

It takes a while to find out what's really happening. This is not a problem. Right from the word go, the story is addictive and the characters are interesting. I immediately like the hero and heroine; other major characters are likeable and sympathetic.

And then finally... the science fiction plot is revealed. There is no feeling that the author is being obtuse, no creation of false tension by hiding facts from the reader. As the heroes discover the truth, so is it presented to the reader.

And then, a very clever bit of *real* tension:

The story is being told by two people, alternating. A standard way of covering all of the action. Standard, that is, until the narrators meet the groups behind their predicament. The hero meets one group and is given their point of view. The heroine meets the other group -- and is given an alternate view. Which view is right? We -- the readers -- don't know.

Which group is "right"? Both -- in my opinion. Which action should be followed? I don't know! I read on, eager to find out how it is all resolved...

We're given all of the available information. We still don't know all of the answers. Until (and I don't think that this is a spoiler), until one group's actions speak louder than their words. Very clever. Very satisfying.

This book is science fiction. In a thriller style. It is also a very positive book. Yes, there is conflict and death and disaster... but the overall attitude is positive. The heroes have good motivations. Even the less-than-heroic mean well -- and are decent human beings.

Mind you (and this may well be a spoiler)... A hundred talented people want to save the world. They end up killing every other human being. Along the way, two thirds of the hundred are killed. So what do the survivors do? Split into two groups and start a fight to the death. Sheesh!

Despite that somewhat negative :-) summary, the overall theme is positive. More positive that I would believe from real life. But, well, this is fiction.

Fiction. Thought provoking. Entertaining and enjoyable.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"There's always one more imbecile than you counted on." … per Ginger Meggs
   

The Rithmatist / Brandon Sanderson

The Rithmatist

by Brandon Sanderson

fantasy, subadult, steampunk

copyright 2013

read in June 2017

rated 8/10: really quite good

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Then I read it again -- and enjoyed it again! As the author says in an afterword, it's "fun" :-)

There's a bit of a "Harry Potter" feel to it: boy who doesn't fit in at magic school, smart girl who fits in even less, supportive teacher and headmaster and possibly-evil teacher. The students are aged at Harry-book-six but the plot is more book-two level...

Enough of that! There's a Potter feeling but this book is its own creation.

The book is complex yet shallow... the complexity is in the magic. It's a form of magic that I have not met before. I'd say a "new" form but that's just, "as far as *I* know" :-)  The story itself has detail and development -- it's an enjoyable story -- with no great challenges for the reader.

btw: The complexity of the magic was one reason for my second reading. The author has put a lot of effort into the logic of the magic. My second reading helped me to understand -- and appreciate -- that logic.

And my category of "steampunk"... The author claims "gearpunk". I can see where he's coming from but has he just invented the term?! I'll stay with the term that I believe that I understand :-)

The book includes a few positive life lessons. The hero does a bit of growing up, of learning maturity and consideration. These lessons are given to the hero -- so that they are read by the reader. Not to worry, there is no moralistic intrusion on the reading pleasure. Just a couple of conversations where we learn, along with the hero.

The characters are all very likeable. Even the chief villain is not truly evil... In fact, I'm wondering if a future book will have the chief villain gaining understanding and joining the goodies...

And yes, there is clearly a series in the making. This book is an excellent book, all by itself. And when I finish reading -- completely satisfied that the story is complete -- I still hope that another book will follow.

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"There's always one more imbecile than you counted on." … per Ginger Meggs
   

A Planet for Rent / Yoss

A Planet for Rent

by Yoss

(pen name of Jose Miguel Sanchez Gomez)

(translated by David Frye)

science fiction, short stories

copyright 2014

read in June 2017

rated 5/10: readable but only if there's nothing else

According to the back cover blurb, this book, "critiques life [in Cuba] under Castro". It must be a miserable life. And very strange.

As I understand it, Cuba maintained its independence as a communist country under Castro. Yet the Earth which is "for Rent" has been taken over by aliens. Who do unspeakable things to humans, including taking them off-planet in order to exploit them further.

The book just seems to be a rant against traditional colonial imperialism, where one country invades then exploits another. And then takes locals to the colonial home country as slaves. Which does not match my understanding of Castro's Cuba. Oh well, politics is not my strong point. 

The stories in the book are unpleasant. Very harsh critiques of... something that I don't understand. Worse yet, they are short stories...

This is a book of short stories. Set in the one universe, of Earth for Rent. Disconnected. Almost.

Okay, I admit it, I only read two of the seven stories. The two stories had just one character in common -- a human who is named but does not appear. Then I skipped to the end of the seventh story. There's a human -- who I do not remember from the first two stories. And one alien from the second story. So perhaps there is some continuity.

There is a point to each of the two stories that I read. But so far, no plot.

I read two stories. And have no interest in reading any more.

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"There's always one more imbecile than you counted on." … per Ginger Meggs
   

The Hanging Tree / Ben Aaronovitch

The Hanging Tree

(Peter Grant #6)

by Ben Aaronovitch

fantasy, young adult

copyright 2016

read in June 2017

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

or possibly ... 7/10: well worth reading ? noooo...

This book is "well worth reading" because it continues the very enjoyable Peter Grant series. Grant develops his skills, new characters are introduced. There are plenty of digs at society which make me chuckle.

The book is "read to pass the time" because it's just a continuation of the still enjoyable Peter Grant series. Grant gets a little bit better with his skills, yet more new characters are introduced. The digs at society are plentiful but tending towards the sarcastic.

What I mean is, this book is the latest in a great series. The central plot for this book is okay. The long-term series plot is showing signs that it will never wrap up. The cast of characters is getting crowded, with new people introduced and old ones still hanging on. And the "social commentary" is less tolerant, more biting.

I enjoyed the book but was just a little disappointed. I'll stay with the rating of six.

But if I were reading this as my *first* Peter Grant book: I would be glad to have found the series, I would rush out to look for more :-) Really, it is disappointing only in comparison to earlier books in this series. The series continues but at the expense of the book.

Still, I look forward to the next book in the series. In the hope that the series continues to develop -- but that the book is more enjoyable by itself.

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"There's always one more imbecile than you counted on." … per Ginger Meggs
   

The Flicker Men / Ted Kosmatka

The Flicker Men

by Ted Kosmatka

science thriller

copyright 2015

read in June 2017

rated 5/10: readable but only if there's nothing else

I admit it: I was predisposed to dislike this book, purely because of the cover. Any novel that has to state, "a novel" on the cover just has to be of dubious quality. The publishers are saying, "This book is so scary and so plausible that we have to reassure you that yes, it is really a fiction, a novel..."

Pure bunkum.

The correct interpretation is, "This book is loaded with weird and incomprehensible stuff, we think the author is aiming for deep significance, we are printing this because we make more money from a novel than from a science textbook."

Flicker is not as bad as implied by, "a novel". Turns out, it is not too bad. I still didn't really enjoy it.

I skipped over a lot. Irrelevant rubbish, I thought. The sad stories of his parents, the hero's own personal and psychological problems. All doled out in small and incomplete portions so that -- I guess -- the reader keeps reading in the hope of learning more.

It turns out that some of the background rot may have been relevant. By the time I realised that, I was even less interested. I would rather be given a backstory which made sense -- followed eventually by the excitement of finally learning how it relates to the central plot. (Hmmm. On the other hand, apparently-irrelevant prologues are one of my many pet hates.)

Then, during a break in reading, I had an epiphany: This book is not "science fiction". It is "science thriller"! All of a sudden it makes sense! This is not a story of "what if", it is a story of weak but cunning individual battling super-powerful super-rich world-controlling superbeings. Aha! a thriller !

I continue reading and the second half of the book suddenly makes sense. Not sense as a good book, but sense as a thriller. A fantasy-science explanation of religions, that sort of thing. With the surprise ending where the hero finally discovers that the all-powerful and immortal evil dudes can be killed with a sprinkle of blessed salt from the Dead Sea... (No, it's not really that bad!)

Anyway, having realised that this book is a thriller, I read on. Without looking for pseudo-scientific logic. Just accepting that this is a positive view of good battling evil. Supported by science taken in an unexpected direction.

As a thriller, Flicker is fine. Worth at least one more rating point.

For me -- for my enjoyment -- a very average book. Unbelievable. Simple enough to follow but hard to understand. And just not my cup of tea.

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"The man who has no imagination has no wings." … Muhammad Ali
   

The Dark Forest / Cixin Liu

The Dark Forest

(Three-Body Problem #2)

by Cixin Liu

trans Joel Martinson

science fiction

copyright 2008

read in June 2017

rated 5/10: readable but only if there's nothing else

It's taken me quite a few months to read this book. Months of reading a bit then reading another book... Coming back, reading a bit more, reading another book. Admittedly, that's not just because it's a tedious book.

I read Dark Forest on my tablet. One, I prefer to read a "paper" book. Two, I share the tablet. When I can't get the tablet, I read another book.

But, yes, this book is tedious.

A fellow reader agrees that this book is tedious. He blames it on the translator. The third in the series is, he tells me, far better. Due to a better translator. I hope that's true. I won't rush to find out.

There's some interest from the Chinese view of life. Much more dependence on central organisation and control than I would expect in a Western novel. Also some poetic imagery which is... well... unexpected.

As a very small example of the Chinese view: the main character is married and has one child. There is no suggestion that there will ever be a second child. Is this a possibly unconscious acceptance, by the author, of China's current one-child policy?

The core of the book is hard science. Not just "physical" science. There are many words devoted to deep thinking on life, the universe... and ethical behaviour.

Given, for example, that you are in a room full of people who are told to twiddle their thumbs for 30 minutes. If all of them twiddle for the full 30 minutes, they all share 100 currency units. If one jumps up and shouts, Me! Me! Me! then that person gets all the money. If more than one jump up and shout Me! Me! Me! then nobody gets anything. What do you do?

Another major problem is the "dark forest" of the title. I've read about it before, as one possibility of existence within the universe. It's a serious problem. I hope that it is solved in the third book.

But there is an awful lot of tedious verbiage to wade through, to get to the small number of very interesting concepts.

There's also an awful lot of characters to remember. Okay, I have extra problems because many of the names are Chinese and I have trouble remembering them. There are several -- not many -- female characters. I don't have an automatic recognition of their names as being female. It takes an extra moment to remember -- or logically deduce -- who they are.

Still, the different style, the different assumptions, are part of the pleasure of reading a book from a different (to my own) culture. The major difficulty is that this particular culture seems to like using a lot of words.

Give it a go. The basic ideas are good. But allow a lot of time to read this book. And read it in a situation which does not encourage falling asleep while reading.

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
====

"The man who has no imagination has no wings." … Muhammad Ali