The Fifth Season / N.K. Jemisin

The Fifth Season

(Broken Earth #1)

by N.K. Jemisin

fantasy

copyright 2015

read in May 2017

rated 8/10: really quite good

This book has drama, tragedy, good times and bad, lots of great ideas. There are no great surprises. Which is both good and bad.

The book gradually reveals major factors of the civilisation and of the plot. A few hints and I had most of the answers before the final revelation. Which I like! It's a sign that the author is managing the plot rather than trying to hide facts from the reader.

Except for the final revelation which is both obvious and cliched. Still, that's just one revelation... The rest are simply a steady build-up of ideas and plot. (Oh, and the final twist may suggest "science fiction". Overall, however, this book is "fantasy". In my opinion :-)

There's a lot of tragedy... In fact, the author includes a brief intermission in which she explains that there are times of happiness -- but only the bad times are documented. After all, it's the tragedies which drive the characters. Good times simply encourage rest and relaxation.

Even if we include the undocumented times when the main characters can rest and recover, this civilisation is cruel. And that is what drives the story, learning to not accept that cruelty is the only option. Yet I do not feel depressed.

The heroine is beset by cruelty and by personal tragedy. Yet she maintains her will to resist, to -- perhaps in the next books -- to fight back. So I can suffer along with the heroine. Yet continue reading with hope. That, I enjoy :-)

But finally, a point on which I disagree with the author: the dedication. "For all those who have to fight for the respect that everyone else is given without question." Forgive my cynicism, but in which fantasy world is "everyone else" given respect "without question" ?!

But that's just *my* view :-)  The book itself is really quite good.

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
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"The man who has no imagination has no wings." … Muhammad Ali
   

A Borrowed Man / Gene Wolfe

A Borrowed Man

by Gene Wolfe

science  fiction, mystery

copyright 2015

read in May 2017

rated 7/10: well worth reading

As you are reading this book, here's a hint: think of it as a murder mystery story. That way, you will avoid the annoyance that I felt in the last couple of chapters.

I had been thinking, is the author senile? A major plot point at the start is being changed at the end. And there's an incident which stands out as stupid, near the start. That was my thinking.

Turns out, these are *clues*.

If you realise that, the contradictions will be clever. You may even spot the more subtle clues which the author throws at the reader. You may even solve the mystery before the hero throws it in your face.

You may avoid the annoyance of thinking, if I knew it was a "mystery" then I would have looked for "clues". Instead of thinking, this is science fiction written by a man with a gloomy view of humanity. Well, that much is true. But that's not all that this book has to offer.

It's clever. It's gloomy. It offers a future "utopia" which is quietly dystopic. Humanity has advanced -- and died inside. Worse yet, new opportunities for growth will bring back the worst aspects of humanity.

The story is clever. The society is rich, and rotten to the core. Ordinary people can be nice, but can never be trusted.

The central plot is resolved, very satisfactorily. I'm annoyed that I only discovered a mystery when the solution was thrown in my face. Characters get what they deserve, good and bad. It seems to be a good book.

Except that I am left with a depressing view of humanity. And annoyance that I did not realise that there was a "mystery" to be solved.

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06sep20: I picked up this book again -- not realising that I had read it before. Well, I soon realised it. And -- three years on -- I could not remember much about it. But this is interesting:

I read a few chapters -- and was not interested in reading any more. So I stopped reading.

I would have rated it as 5 or 6, my original rating is 7. It must improve. Two points: the book starts slowly and with little of interest. And I no longer have the "read to the end no matter what" attitude.

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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 Moon is a Harsh Mistress / Robert A. Heinlein

The Moon is a Harsh Mistress

by Robert A. Heinlein

science fiction

copyright 1966

re-read in May 2017

rated 7/10: well worth reading

This is my favourite Heinlein book. Hmmm. Perhaps it's the only Heinlein book that I really enjoy. The science is good, the social views are possibly unworkable but still interesting, his attitude to women is embarrassing.

As a teenager I remember a Heinlein book where two characters spent half a chapter discussing some aspect of Heinlein's views on a better society. Boring, I thought. The rest of the book was not much better.

As a young adult I read Stranger in a Strange Land. Rubbish, I thought. Even at that age -- in an age before female emancipation -- I thought it was stupid when the women went off to make sandwiches while the men discussed the future of the world.

In The Moon, women are emotional creatures. The wolf whistle and ogling is the standard man-meets-woman greeting. The women's role is -- again -- preparing food. And encouraging the male troops. And breeding.

Yes, in a crowded Lunar environment, when all a man wants is air and water and adequate living space, the key role of a woman in a marriage is to be bred.

Then there's the attitude of the leaders of the revolution. They are willing to lie and cheat and occasionally kill, in order to achieve the results that they *know* are best for everyone. They are fanatics who demand change. Whether you agree -- or care -- or not. Whether you want it or not.

On the other hand, I do still support one idea from this book. A political idea: the free Lunar government is set up so as to make it as difficult as possible for the government to pass any laws. Pre-communist Hong Kong had a thriving economy with an ineffective government. I still believe that it should be as difficult as possible for any government to pass laws. Less... in government, in my opinion :-) ... is definitely better.

Robert Heinlein was a pre-eminent science fiction author, in the days when science fiction was a niche market for authors. He was strong on science and strong on right wing social and political ideas. You think that the second half of Stephenson's Reamde is somewhat right of Genghis Khan? Heinlein spends pages explaining how to go right and why it is so absolutely right...

Yet The Moon is still a readable book. With lots of scientific, social and political ideas. Whether or not you agree with them. And Heinlein is a famous author.

For all those reasons, this book is well worth reading. And if you think that Heinlein's ideas are embarrassing, well... don't read any of his other books.

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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 Storm Caller / Tom Lloyd

The Storm Caller

(Twilight Reign 1)

by Tom Lloyd

fantasy, young adult

copyright 2006

read in May 2017

rated 7/10: well worth reading

As I read, I noticed similarities between Storm Caller and Eragon. Both were written by 18 year old men, and show it. Both books take a heap of ideas and throw them at the reader, too many ideas for one book. Both books take an "ordinary" boy and give him sudden access to enormous power.

And there the similarities end.

Storm Caller is a good book. Eragon was rubbish. Enough with the comparisons.

Storm Caller takes far too many ideas and throws them into an overactive story. Dozens of characters, numerous places, magic of all sorts. New people appear with no warning, to play a major part in the plot...

And yes, there is a plot. Okay, it's confusing. Yet the story develops -- at a breakneck pace -- and I'm enjoying it. Enjoying it a lot ! Even if I don't know who all these people are -- I can follow the hero's need to defeat them or befriend them.

The magic is largely unexplained, it just happens as required for the story. Except for the hero: he very quickly gains all the enormous power that he can use, that's deliberate on the part of the author. It leaves the young hero with several more books in which to build on the idea that power cannot solve every problem.

The hero needs cunning plans. And he needs good friends. Judging by the author's introduction, he was writing from his troubled adolescent heart. He gives his hero enormous power, then suggests that good friends, good will and good intentions are equally important. Even with my own adolescence a distant memory, I support and sympathise with the hero's attempts to be... nice.

And on top of all that niceness is non-stop adventure in a deep and wide new world. Did the author build an entire world to support the action? Or did he make it up as he went... I suspect (or hope) that he did understand his own world. Unfortunately, he did not have enough space in this book to explain it to the reader.

This is a first book in a series and first for the then-young author. As the start of a series -- I want to read more. As an author's first book -- it is far from perfect yet good enough to want to read more. In fact... even if subsequent books are just as confusing -- I would be happy to read them.

I read for enjoyment. I enjoy this book. Definitely well worth reading.

It's huge. It's confusing. It turns fantasy cliches on their heads. It has good -- and likeable -- good guys. It has nasty yet understandable bad guys. (And by "guys" I mean, "guys and gals".) It has adolescent wish fulfilment in spades.

It's a good book. There is potential for a great series.

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

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

Witches Incorporated / K.E. Mills

Witches Incorporated

(Rogue Agent 2)

by K.E. Mills

fantasy

copyright 2009

read in May 2017

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

I like the story. I like the characters. I just wish that the chaaracters would spend less time arguing with each other. Especially since most of the arguments are of the form, You can't do that! Yes I can and will! ... and you know that, yes they will.

These people are the best of friends. There is an underlying theme of, women are capable and should be allowed to act independently. Yet the arguments are often about the men trying to stop the women -- their friends and lovers -- from acting independently. Sheesh. Though it may be -- I hope -- the author's way of showing that independence needs to be both demonstrated and accepted.

On the plus side...

The main hero -- Gerald -- reminds me of Rincewind of Discworld. He makes mistakes, he is the butt of jokes, he will finally save the day. Yet Gerald is so much more acceptable.

Gerald is uncertain of his powers but he tries hard and means well. And when he wins *he* wins. Okay, there's a powerful boss wizard who orders him around. Yet Gerald is not entirely powerless. He occasionally asserts himself. So much more enjoyable  than the always-losing Rincewind.

If you enjoy constant sniping, you could up the rating to seven, well worth reading. I prefer friends to be friendlier and more accepting of each other's independence. Also, the arguments take up a significant number of pages.

I rate the book at six. Yet I did enjoy reading it.

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

"Keep smiling. It's obvious you don't know what's going on." ...comment from a manager
   

The Well of Ascension / Brandon Sanderson

The Well of Ascension

(Mistborn 2)

by Brandon Sanderson

fantasy, young adult

copyright 2007

read in May 2017

rated 7/10: well worth reading

First: 750 pages. This is a lot of book. And it contains a lot of discussion. Discussion, that is, between characters, as they plan their next moves. Or as they discuss whose is bigger. Not that that's bad. There's no need for the reader to think, But what if they did... something else?!

There's also a reasonable amount of moralising. The heroes (that is, the hero and heroine) want a society based on democratic principles. Their supporters want freedom and justice. Love -- as we are told, several times -- conquers all. I'm happy with all this because (a) I agree with the heroes' principles, (b) I agree when they are found to be difficult in practice and (c) I like my good versus evil to be clearly defined.

Though not all of the good versus evil is clearly defined. The good guys are all good but the bad guys are (mostly) shades of grey. Very few bad guys are irredeemably bad. I like that positive view of people.

The author does seem to have a problem with parental authority... In this book the chief villain is the hero's father. In a later Mistborn series, the villain is the hero's father. Is this the author's parental issues? An easy source for confused conflict? A theme of particular relevance to the young adult target market? Just a coincidence?

I enjoyed this book. Yes, there's death and violence all the way. Mostly, however, the deaths are of minor characters... Not that that makes it any better for the dead characters. It simply makes it less horrifying for the reader. If you grow to like a character -- it is unlikely that that character will suddenly be killed.

There's action and adventure. Love and occasional loss. Straightforward support of good versus evil. A satisfying ending -- despite the "to be continued" twist.

And that ridiculous cover picture: the sweet young girl with the enormous sword... Yes, that is a scene from the book! Well done to the artist -- or to whoever designed the cover art -- for actually reading the book before selecting the picture.

An enjoyable book. Enormous levels of cartoon-style violence, not for the very young. Themes of love and honour well-suited to adults old and young. Written by an author who knows how to write a standalone novel within a continuing series.

I enjoyed this novel for itself. I'll be looking for the continuation of the story of this first Mistborn series.

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

"Keep smiling. It's obvious you don't know what's going on." ...comment from a manager