The Justice of Kings, Richard Swan

The Justice of Kings

by Richard Swan

fantasy

copyright 2022

part read in August 2022

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

I'm reading and thinking, nothing much is happening. And yet... there is the promise of disaster.

Certainly the Empire is about to suffer violent chaos, we've been told that since page one. The first-person hero also seems to heading for disaster, just some hints of future bad decisions, not death.

And you know what? I don't want to read about it.

The Empire should fall. It's not evil but it conquered and rules by force. I won't miss it. And the heroine (and her companions), well I don't care. I care enough that I don't want to watch them suffer but not enough to follow the coming troubles.

I stop reading. Do not want to read any more. Not unpleasant just not appealing.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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

What Could Possibly go Wrong, Jodi Taylor

What Could Possibly go Wrong

(St Mary's #6

by Jodi Taylor

fantasy, humour

copyright 2015

read in July 2022

rated 7/10: well worth reading

Another change of pace. Max takes trainees round time. The results are typically chaotic, occasionally disastrous, mostly comic. A solid mix of enjoyment. With further exploration of the history of St Mary's itself.

Plus the usual fascination of history seen from close-up.

Prehistoric, okay, catching a "fortunate" episode. Richard III based on, I guess, better documentation... I must read up on it.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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

Future Perfect, Felicia Yap

Future Perfect

by Felicia Yap

science fiction

copyright 2021

started reading in July 2022

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

In fact I suspect that it's ell worth reading -- but I stopped reading. Very early. Why?

I enjoyed the near-future world. Drones everywhere, doing all sorts of things (walk with your head ducked in case of low-flying drones). Intelligent devices acting as personal life managers. I particularly liked the car which ignored instructions and instead drove the character to his appointment. A believable world, tending to dystopia.

Okay, I did not like to meet someone only to have her blown up.

But then... I just did not get involved with the book. I like *science* fiction, so far so good. But I had no interest in the characters. Nor in their actions.

I put the book down. Could not be bothered picking it up again.

It seemed like a good book. But not for me.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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

Better off Dead, Lee Child, Andrew Child

Better off Dead, 

(Jack Reacher #27)

by Lee Child, Andrew Child

thriller

copyright 2021

read in august 2022

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

That is: read to pass the time *and* if you enjoy the Jack Reacher style then yes, you will enjoy this book. Hmm. What I mean is, It's cartoonishly violent it's moral I enjoyed it.

a few chapters in and I thought, this book is the same as the other JR novel. and of course it's not. it's the style which is so very familiar.

a new co author, a switch to first person, the same style of, evil villains. the same super confident and competent (and good) hero. a new supporting cast of tough but nice people who need help.

the same level of threat and violence. I hope that I never meet anyone as nasty as the villains. if I do I will cheer if Reacher appears and metes out violence in my defence.

realistic? I hope not. enjoyable as fiction? definitely yes.

Sjambak, Jack Vance

Sjambak

by Jack Vance

science fiction, novella

copyright 1953

read in August 2022

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

science fiction from the pulp age. And definitely pulp.

A planet with a mystery. A yankee reporter who investigates the mystery. Discovers that it is ridiculously prosaic so he goes home.

 Even set in the wild west this would be weak.

An easy-read filler from the days when science fiction held a well deserved position outside mainstream literature.

Time Traders, Andre Norton

Time Traders

by Andre Norton

science fiction

copyright 1958

read in August 2022

rated 6/10 read to pass the time

This is an old book by a good author. Is it any good? Not bad.

It's solid old style science fiction.  Shallow characters, unlikely actions, heaps of scientific guesswork. And that's what SF is all about.

Travel through time and explore our best guess of the past. Travel through space and explore wild imaginings of what could be out there. Putting flesh on the past and saying why not to imaginary alien planets. Stretching the imagination for adventurous entertainment. Solid -- straightforward -- science fiction.

The time travel includes a visit to Folsom people. These people were "discovered" by archaeologists in the 1930s... they would have been current science when the book was written... typical SF : adventures and exploration of the very latest in current science.

Blue Moon, Lee Child

Blue Moon

(Jack Reacher#24

by Lee Child

thriller

copyright 2019

read in August 2022

rated 7/10: well worth reading

The hero just happens to be in town He helps an old couple and ends up fighting two evil gangs. Just protecting the old couple. Lone Ranger style... Who was that masked man :-?

Reacher is tough. He is also violent -- in response to the violence of the gangs. One of him, hundreds of them. They don't stand a chance.

There's a lot of violence and a lot more references to past violence. So over-the-top that, like cartoon violence it is too unreal to upset the reader.

Reacher is a goodie, he fights for right. Especially for the right to an American life free from threats and violence. There is strong support for the strength and value of American military.

The crime gangs are evil and brutish. Also easy to spot. Each gang has its signature suit, signature gun, signature car. They are also rather stupid. Each gang leader spends a lot of time in clever analysis of the situation. All completely wrong.

Ridiculous violence, yes. I'd now be nervous of men in snappy suits and big cars.

It's a lot of fun.

I'm told that Tom cruise bought the rights, made the movies, starred as Jack Reacher. I guess Cruise was trying to build his own tough-guy image. Reacher is plain (possibly ugly), over-height, overweight and dresses like a slob.

Thinking of a short, slender pretty-boy playing the part... well.. It says a lot for the Cruise acting skills :-)

The book has a lot of extreme violence. To me that's fine -- in a book.

In a movie, well, I wonder if there are slo-mo close-ups of blood and gore. I hope I'm wrong. But I shall avoid the movies, just in case.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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

Body Tourists, Jane Rogers

Body Tourists

by Jane Rogers

science fiction

copyright2019

part read in July 2022

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

A scientist develops a technique for putting old -- dead -- minds into young healthy bodies. What could go wrong? Everything. And it does.

As an exploration of the potential problems, this book is okay. The key problem is that the scientist is an idiot.

There are a few disasters. Denied or covered up. Sure, the old minds make trouble, but the scientist makes no effort -- or has no skill -- to control. Possibly because he is the one selecting old minds for revival. The first old mind just walks all over the scientist. And causes trouble.

Having read a few chapters I put it aside... and could not bear to start reading again.

The problems are realistic. The fool scientist is realistic. Which adds up to a gloomy story on exciting technology.

The cover blurb makes me suspect that there are positive outcomes.

I'm not prepared to wade through the depressing -- no, unhappily realistic -- initial results. Not even for a possible happy ending.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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

Vampyre, Polidori

The Vampyre

by John William Polidori

horror

copyright 1819

read in August 2022

rated 7/10: well worth reading

As a story is is rated six: read to pass the time

For its place as the very first modern vampire story it's worth the seven.

As "horror" -- yes... it is rather nasty. Everyone good was doomed. The nice people were fated to lose. I did not enjoy the story -- but I did appreciate its place in literary history. The book came out of the same wet weekend that inspired Frankenstein.

It's supposed to be a "short story". It's certainly not a novel. Perhaps a novella. Forget that... It's the original vampire story.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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

Orbit / Thomas Block

Orbit

by Thomas Block

science fiction

copyright 1982

read in August 2022

rated 7/10: well worth reading

I started reading and thought, What a load of old cliché. But it grew on me.

Having launched into orbit, the rest is reasonable. Also reasonable is that it's the people who cause all the trouble. Egos, power-plays, cover-ups  and prickly personalities. The science is straightforward by comparison.

There are a few well-signposted non-surprises. I don't think it's a spoiler to say that there was no surprise with the subject of the first

live TV images.

Then there is the possibility of sabotage: Three suspects... will it be the one with the German name?

I don't know... I'm deliberately writing this review before all is revealed. There's enough doubt that I will be happy (I think) with any result.

Interesting: The rescue of passengers and crew is the least of my questions. Not that it's obvious, just that it's a plot-driver rather than a source of tension.

I was expecting rubbish. The book is surprisingly good.

There. I've finished. If anything could go wrong -- it did. Worse than a soap opera wedding, really.

With risk of destruction right up to the last second, how exciting! And I admit it, I did get caught up in the countdown to disaster.

 Cliched but fun :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

...        Agamedes Consulting / Problems ? Solved

===

If you're not a part of the solution, then you're part of the vast majority. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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