Dune / Frank Herbert

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

Day of the Triffids / John Wyndham

The Day of the Triffids

by John Wyndham

science fiction

copyright 1951

re-read December 2021

rated 7/10: well worth reading

It's a great book. A classic. Possibly deserves a rating of eight, really quite good. But... well... not today. Yes, I enjoyed it. But not as much as I enjoyed The Chrysalids.

Triffids is an end-of-civilisation story. With the positive view that a new -- but different -- civilisation will appear. It's much more here-and-now than Chrysalids. (Though "now" is the 1960s. Chrysalids is set much later, many centuries after the apocalypse... 

More importantly: Triffids follows a few key people as they -- plus all other survivors -- adapt to a new situation. Chrysalids follows a small number of young people as they discover that their view of the world is very limited. It is a very personal adventure story.

Triffids is great science fiction. Chrysalids adds the appeal of escapism, with the heroes escaping from their constricting homes. Just for personal enjoyment, I prefer the escapism of Chrysalids.

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One Triffids scene sticks in my mind:

Generally, the story is of people working together, or not, in order to gain long-term survival.

Then there is the girl who asks the narrator to stay... She is willing to sacrifice herself for the good of the group. For this one simple action -- this girl is the single stand-out character in the book.

She sets a standard which is not matched by any other character.

With a few more characters like her... this book would definitely rate an eight.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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The more things change, the more they stay insane" ... per Ginger Meggs===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

Now and Forever / Ray Bradbury

Now and Forever

fantasy, novella

by Ray Bradbury

copyright 2007

read in December 2021

rated 4/10: bad but could be read

American authors have an obsession with idyllic small-town life of half a century ago. (Or at least, way in the past.) Tom Sawyer even was written forty years after it was set.

Now and Forever is set in an idyllic small town. As is standard (except, perhaps, for Tom Sawyer) the town hides an awful secret.

This novella goes into excruciating detail of the idyllic town. Finally, after many pages of tedious boredom I gave up. I skipped ahead to find the hidden secret. Which was interesting but, surprisingly, not awful. Unless you decide that it is awful what the residents have done with their town: They have made it extremely boring.

There is, however, a message. The idyll is due to be destroyed by progress.

The message is valid, but badly dated. Dated because the idyll was shattered many years ago. Probably, even, well before Bradbury wrote this boring nonsense.

Oh, there are two more Bradbury novellas in this book. There is no way I will try to read them.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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The more things change, the more they stay insane" ... per Ginger Meggs===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

White Silence / Jodi Taylor

White Silence

by Jodi Taylor

fantasy, thriller

copyright 2017

read in December 2021

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

There are mind powers, ghosts and a spot of time travel: fantasy.

There's an all- powerful organisation which controls and manipulates people: thriller.

It's a bit girly, with romance, loss and betrayal but it's not romance. There's not enough clothing changes to be chicklit.

I guess it's fantasy adventure.

The mind powers are interesting... until they explode.

The heroine has some mind powers which would be useful if only she learnt to use them. Then -- suddenly -- she uses them. Learns quickly while using -- and her mild powers become super-powers. There is no hint ... until she destroys buildings.

There's no logic to the use of her powers.

The climax also lacks logic. Was it a dream? Was it a split in the time-stream/ Was it a cop-out when the author ran out of logical solutions?

I came to this book from St Marys by the same author. This book is more serious. Or at least, less light. Somewhat disappointing.

Forget the author... the book is readable. Entertaining. There are some nice ideas, some nice characters... some nasty. Though the villain is rather confusing... giving him depth makes his villainy less villainous.

Readable but very average.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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The more things change, the more they stay insane" ... per Ginger Meggs===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

Slave Warrior Queen / Morgan Rice

#1 Slave, Warrior, Queen,

and #2 Rogue, Prisoner, Princess

fantasy / sword & sorcery

by  Morgan Rice

read in December 2021

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

Read to pass the time -- but enjoyably :-)

The books are good fun but nonsense... or, rather... soap opera with a promise of great development... but only a promise.

The Queen of the title? Yes, she loves a prince and he loves her but it will take a large number of books to get them together.

The hero and heroine may as well be wearing signs saying, Betray me. They are ordered to get married then sent off -- apart -- to be killed -- then lined up to marry other people then pushed apart then saved then betrayed then... Well, it's a never-ending saga.

With absurd plot twists, a ridiculous revolution, a king and a queen who each have the ability to smile evilly.

Good grief! What a load of nonsense -- and what a load of fun :-)

Read them. Switch off your critical faculties. Enjoy them. Don't expect great literature. Or any conclusion. And guess what: I'm already looking for more books by the same author.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

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There are no disasters, only opportunities. And, indeed, opportunities for fresh disasters." ... Boris Johnson

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Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

This Book is full of Spiders / David Wong

This Book is full of Spiders

(#2 of 4)

by David Wong

fantasy, horror, humour

copyright 2012

read in December 2021

rated 7/10: well worth reading

Those categories:

fantasy: It's possible that it's science fiction... no. There are some scientific devices but really, it's fantasy.

horror: Humans being taken over by "things". The no-longer-humans then do violent, gory, nasty things to other people. Slasher horror, with lots of dismemberment, death and gore. So much that it's ridiculous. Or, rather, just background to the plot. People having their heads ripped off? May as well be a farmer ploughing a field... messy but not frightening.

Two things make this book well worth reading:  The characters support each other. While the world heads towards apocalypse -- the main characters are trying to save each other. Second: there is a lot of sensible (but not tedious) explanation. For example: Let's nuke the infection site, why? and the reasons make sense. It's not just apocalypse, it's apocalypse with explanation.

This is book two of (so far) four. No need to start with book one.

Oh, and humour: When I read that the author is a comic writer, I was surprised.

Sure, there are some chuckles along the way... but it is not a funny book. Satirical, perhaps. Perhaps ripping off limbs is a humorous" spoof on horror? Whatever. The intent appears to be "humour -- so I'll leave that category -- but it misses.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

There are no disasters, only opportunities. And, indeed, opportunities for fresh disasters." ... Boris Johnson

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)

The Blood Mirror / Brent Weeks

The Blood Mirror /

(Lightbringer #4)

 by Brent Weeks

fantasy

copyright 2016

not read in December 2021

rated 2/10: unreadably bad

To be fair... The writing is fine. The plot is solid. There are distinct characters.

The book is so absolutely nasty that I cannot bear to read it. I managed forty pages then gave up in disgust.

Various people clam to be fighting to defend the empire. They spend more effort fighting and betraying each other. Doesn't matter: the empire is rotten. It should be utterly destroyed.

There are just a few characters who are almost nice. That is, I could care what happens to them. These nice characters may as well be wearing "kick me" signs. They will be betrayed or killed or forced into evil.

Enough. This is just a very nasty book. It does not wrap up the awful series. Do not read it.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

There are no disasters, only opportunities. And, indeed, opportunities for fresh disasters." ... Boris Johnson

===

Dying for you to read my blog, at https://notdotdeaddotyet.blogspot.com/ :-)