The Book of Phoenix, Nnedi Okorafor

The Book of Phoenix

by Nnedi Okorafor

science fiction

copyright 2015

read in September 2023

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

This book has several aspects.

It is science fiction: where the science may as well be magic. As SF the book is good fun.

The book is also fantasy. A special class of fantasy where all problems can be solved by chanting mystical spells while dancing naked in the moonlight. Or, as in this book, by using but not explaining the traditional magic of Africa.

Which leads to the third aspect of this book: It is a rabid racist rant where black and brown are good but all white is evil. It seems that various non-white races have moved on from their centuries of slaughter and slavery. Yet every white person still maintains the ancient master-slave attitude. Perhaps, in America, this is true.

Finally, the heroine learns to use her super-powers. Not for revenge, she says but for justice.

I rather like the justice that she serves to the seven ultra-villains. It's a pity that this "justice" involves killing every other person on Earth. Black, white, brown or brindle. Oh, the seven villains will probably survive... the "justice" is that they will not have anyone else to push around. Oh my.

The book is easy-reading rubbish.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

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Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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Frugal Wizard's Handbook / Brandon Sanderson

Frugal Wizard's Handbook

(#1 of probably many)

by Brandon Sanderson

subadult, fantasy

copyright 2023

read in August 2023

rated 6/10: read to pass the time

I often take the hero's age as a measure of the expected age of the target audience. In this book the hero is mid-twenties or older? yet the message(*)  is aimed at late teens.

It's an enjoyable book. The author has devised time travel without needing to travel through time. How does it work? well... it is all explained. At great length.

Remember those great Heinlein novels? Where the plot is interrupted as a character spends several pages explaining the author's political views? This book uses a similar approach: there are pages of a "marketing brochure" where the "science" is explained.

I'm sure that novelists are told to show not explain. This book tosses that advice out the window. The "brochure" is amusing -- and satirical -- but lazy. Pure exposition. With no attempt to "show".

The book uses several of these lazy tools.

In an afterword the author is glad to have started his hero with amnesia. It allows the reader to learn along with the hero, he writes.

It is also an easy way to solve problems by suddenly providing the hero with a new and unexpected power. No need for an early hint of the power, just spring it on us when all else has failed. Okay, discovery of a new power is not over-used. Yet.

The book is subadult: all the locals are rather nice. Polite, clean and welcoming. Perhaps this is, as the author claims, a valid reflection of the historic era. It seems false.

Then there is the art: modern drawing techniques play an important part in the plot (though the importance is barely followed through). The author explains the "modern" use of shadow and perspective. Either he does not understand perspective or he is unable to explain it.

And then... the book lays on the (*)message: Try hard, do well, do not give up, do not run from the challenge. The tone of this message is aimed at uncertain teens.

Not to worry, the book is enjoyable.

Until it ends -- albeit satisfactorily -- with a clear excuse for a future book series. Clear excuse and very artificial. Another piece of a good author -- being lazy.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

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Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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in the Lives of Puppets/T.J Klune

in the Lives of Puppets

by T.J Klune

fantasy

copyright 2023

started reading in July 2023

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

The beginning is a bit strange. Too many gaps in the explanation.

A few pages in -- plus a reference somewhere to Pinnochio -- and I have a vague idea.

But I have no interest in reading more.

The characters are interesting but... not interesting enough that I want to follow their adventures. The backstory is vague -- unexplained -- too simplistic to pique my interest. My worry is, if the rest of the book is this silly, it will be terribly boring.

On the other hand... if a villain suddenly appears with an axe -- I will be upset, the characters are harmless, unexciting but sort of nice.

I put the book aside... and have no interest in reading more. I do have other -- known to be good --  books to read.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

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Too many people consider themselves open-minded when they're really just empty-headed. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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Gods of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs

Gods of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs

Barsoom #2

copyright 1913

read in August 2023

... and I must have read it before, years before, because I remember the ending.

rated 7/10: well worth reading

Well worth reading? but it's rubbish!

No... it's a vastly enjoyable book in the category of bloodthirsty but heroic sword and sandals. I enjoyed it :-)

John Carter and his princess, the incomparable Dejah Thoris, are separated by vicious creatures, enemy armies, half a planet, a religion which demands their death. John Carter carves his way towards his princess. Every step of the way, there is a new obstacle. But he is unstoppable. Until... the final pages... a quick kiss and cuddle... and a further obstacle -- which will not be beaten until the next book. Oh no!

In that next book, the hero has a habit of overhearing just the right bit of information which allows him to overcome the next challenge. In this book it is the villain who manages to overhear just the right few words to further his nefarious schemes.

Yes, the plot is complex but weak. The goodies characters are strong, loyal, heroic... etc :-) admirable and worthy of the reader's expectation of ultimate success. (I almost wrote likeable, worthy of smpathy. But neither of those suits the strength of these characters.)

It's all a lot of highly imaginative fun Though violent.

This book does mention that John Carter is on the planet Mars -- named for Mars, the god of war -- so we should expect the planet and its people to be very warlike. Mind you... that logic would have made a huge difference to Burroughs' Venus stories :-)

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

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In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Also, there's lots of competition for handicapped parking. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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city of last chances / adrian tchaikovsky

city of last chances

by adrian tchaikovsky

fantasy, dystopia

copyright 2022

rated 4/10: bad but could be read

It's a fantasy world. Complex and miserable. So I've added the dystopia category.

Miserable and/or nasty characters. Doing miserable and/or nasty things.

One interesting idea, a character who travels with and worships God. A real god who only his one worshipper can see.

Then there's a more ordinary idea of a magic forest that will take you... somewhere. Or kill you.

As far as I read, several chapters, it is complex, nasty, barely explained.

Could be read but not by me.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

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In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Also, there's lots of competition for handicapped parking. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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UnderMajordomoMinor, Patrick de Witt

UnderMajordomoMinor

by Patrick de Witt

fantasy

copyright 2015

part-read in July 2023

rated 4/10: bad but could be read

Years ago I read that a book should draw in its readers in from the very first sentence. I had barely read the first page of this book when I was driven away. Nasty characters doing uninteresting things.

"read to pass the time"? I thought. I read a few more pages. skipped to a few random pages. Read the final few pages and gave up.

Really, I need a different category... perhaps 4.1/10: so tedious, nasty, and/or stupid that it refuses to be read.

Because this is not a "bad" book. There are well-written evocative passages. Evocative of pointless stupidity and despair.

Even the most ignorant character speaks with a university education. "but "could be read" is wrong, I could not bear to read it.

Yet there is one very good idea in this book: Want to get rid of a character? No need to invent an interesting yet realistic death. They simply jump, or are pushed, into "the very large hole". Which may be a metaphor for some deeply significant state of mind. Or it may be... a very large hole. A clever idea for a comic. Here, just as stupid as the rest of the book.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

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In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Also, there's lots of competition for handicapped parking. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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Warlord of Mars, Edgar Rice Burroughs

Warlord of Mars, 

(Barsoom #3

by Edgar Rice Burroughs

fantasy

copyright  1914

rated 7/10: well worth reading

Look. That's *my* rating. 

As a recommendation to others it could be 6/10, read to pass the time. But*I* enjoyed this book.

Not least because I've been waiting *decades* to find out what happened after A Princess of Mars.

At the end of Princess the incomparable Dejah Thoris is trapped behind a door which opens only once each year -and -- oh no! she may be dead!

Finally... I find out. Though it takes half the book to catch a glimpse of her. Phew!

Meanwhile, John Carter has been busy. Is there really only one book between Princess and Warlord?! I may need to re-read Princess to see how much happened in that book.

By the start of Warlord, Carter has defeated and/or made allies of tribes of the Green Men and two nations of Red Men. He has defeated the ruler of the Black Men and been offered the Black throne. He has destroyed the Mars-wide religion of the White Men. His son has hatched. Various jeddaks including his son have raised armies, set off to do good -- and disappeared. Now Carter meets the Yellow Men: defeats some and allies with others.

Yes, the various races of Mars are colour-coded for convenience. Though with not much basis on Earth colours, as far as I can tell. Each race it unique, a mix of good and bad -- and very Barsoomian.

The plot is ... weak. Straightforward. Muscles rather than brain. With an awful lot of lucky overhearing of vital information

It's ridiculous... and it is very enjoyable :-)

.

Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper

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In the land of the blind, the one-eyed man is king. Also, there's lots of competition for handicapped parking. (Alfred E. Neuman)

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