Category: Rated

scunner?

Posted on by Greig

Pacific Rim

Alex Irvine

pacific rimSolid novelization of one of my favourite genre films of the last couple of years.
There was a richness to the world of the film that made me wonder if any of that would be on display in the novelization.
It’s there but not to the extent that I expected. What was intriguing is that several small details must have changed between script and film because there are a few things that happen differently in the book.
If you’re interested in giant robots fighting giant alien monsters then check out the film first. While the book is enjoyable in it’s own right it’s probably only really of interest to fans of the film.

Rating: B

taptap?

Posted on by Greig

The Cormorant

Chuck Wendig

the cormorantThe third Miriam Black book (after Blackbirds and Mockingbird) finds our favourite foul-mouthed and (ever so) slightly unhinged psychic pulled into a seemingly inescapable trap in the weirdest parts of Florida.
I found this book hugely enjoyable. It started off slowly but as the plot unfolds it reveals itself to be the strongest entry in the series yet.
One way it does this by giving Miriam some resolution about parts of her past. It also helps that when Wendig gets to the sharp end of events he makes it deeply personal for our nomally detached and cynical protagonist.
This is also the most overtly fantastical Miriam Black book to date but it’s applied in a way that adds depth to Miriam’s world without losing the noir feel.
The Cormorant is highly recommended but you will need to read the earlier books to get full value (luckily they’re also great reads).

Rating: A-

basset?

Posted on by Greig

The Disreputable History of Franke Landau-Banks

E. Lockhart

THE DISREPUTABLE HISTORY OF FRANKIE LANDAU-BANKSFrankie Landau-Banks is one of the most interesting characters I’ve come across in a book in ages.
A sophomore at an elite Preparatory called Alabaster she discovers that her boyfriend is a member of a secret society. After he balks at every opportunity to tell her about it she takes an opportunity to use the group to her own ends.
I really enjoyed this book and I really like Frankie and share her frustration with the double standards which are applied to women. I would love to read another book set later in her career to see where that stylishly twisted and pin-sharp mind takes her.
Recommended.

Rating: A-

idlewild?

Posted on by Greig

Anne Of Green Gables

L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Green GablesThis much loved novel tells the story of the irrepressible orphan Anne Shirley who is adopted by sober elderly siblings Marilla and Matthew Cuthbert in late Victorian Prince Edward Island in Canada.
It’s an enjoyable read and it’s hard to not love the three lead characters for their various strengths and faults.
I basically only read this because various Lizzie Bennet Diaries fans really love it.
You can find yourself a copy at the Gutenberg archive – it’s well worth a read if you like a good bildungsroman.

Rating: A-

maladicta?

Posted on by Greig

Monstrous Regiment

Terry Pratchett

monstrous regimentThe 31st Discworld book is the story of Polly who goes to war disguised as a boy in order to find her brother.
It’s a rare one-off story in the Discworld series even though it does feature Sam Vimes, William de Worde and a few other characters from earlier books.
Some people love this book and think it’s one of Pratchett’s very best. I personally think it isn’t quite that good – but it’s still a great read.
I read it back when it came out but apparently I didn’t get around to putting it up on the blog – entries were much more intermittent prior to 2005.
If I remember correctly I thought it was OK but not great. I enjoyed it more and I definitely appreciated the overt feminist themes better this time around.
Monstrous Regiment works as an introduction to Discworld but it wouldn’t be my first choice as the book to begin with.
You do know you should be reading Pratchett right?

Rating: A-

hypno?

Posted on by Greig

All My Friends Are Superheroes

Andrew Kaufman

all my friends are superheroesThis novella is mildly funny look at love and relationships.
On Tom’s wedding day his new superhero wife The Perfectionist is rendered unable to see her new husband by her arch-enemy Hypno.
Tom spends the rest of the story attempting to become visible to her again.
Every one of the superheroes powers is an amplified personal quirk which the author seems to think is funny and clever but it came across as a bit heavy handed to me.
It’s a very quick read and worth checking out of the library like I did.

Rating: B+

solderburn?

Posted on by Greig

Bedlam

Christopher Brookmyre

bedlamThis is Brookmyre’s first foray into straight up science fiction.
The plot is pretty straightforward – the protagonist finds himself trapped in an FPS and tries to find a way out.
The story jumps back and forward between his adventures in the virtual world and his life outside the game.
It’s kind of like Tron crossed with Greg Egan’s Permutation City with a ton of computer game nostalgia mixed in.
He’s touched upon gaming culture in earlier books but it really saturates this one.
Bedlam is fast paced, funny, with lots of action and I really enjoyed it but it’s not top rank Brookmyre.
I would love to see him do more with Science Fiction in the future – perhaps in a less contemporary context next time.

Rating: A-

kazak?

Posted on by Greig

The Sirens of Titan

Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

sirens of titanThis is a Science Fiction classic first released way back in 1959. It’s a totally different animal than the Heinlein book of a similar vintage I read recently. Certainly it’s sexual politics are a bit less dodgy however there is one discordant aside about homosexuality that did stand out.
It’s a darker, angrier piece with much more in common with the satirical masterpiece The Space Merchants and later works like Silverberg’s Dying Inside.
Although a satire, and occasionally funny, the book seethes with a palpable sense of disgust for the author’s contemporary culture and really offers no hope for the future.
I’ve read it before but it was well before I started keeping this blog.
It really is a great bit of work but it left me feeling really very down after reading it. I recommend it to any lover of literary Science Fiction but be warned it is not an uplifting tale.

Rating: A-

egress?

Posted on by Greig

The City of Ember

Jeanne DuPrau

The City of EmberThis is a quirky YA science fiction novel that was turned into a film a few years back.
While I quite liked the film general opinion online was that the book was much better.
To be honest, while different in ways, the book is pretty much the same thing.
The thing I liked most about the book was the world building. The general air of everyone muddling along and not really knowing how anything works in a city that’s falling apart and running out of resources really worked.
It’s worth reading I just didn’t feel it was at all exceptional.

Rating: B

wand?

Posted on by Greig

Double Star

Robert A Heinlein

double starHeinlein’s 1956 Hugo Award winner is a Prince and the Pauper style tale set in a future where humans have colonized the Solar System alongside native Martians and Venusians.
The Great Lorenzo is a down-at-heel actor who is shanghaied into a role of a lifetime – impersonating a prominent politician in order to prevent chaos on Mars.
The lead character is pure Heinlein – the confident competent man. In this particular case he’s only competent at acting and an idiot about everything else.
There are some rather dodgy sexual and racial politics that stand out in modern context but generally it’s much less objectionable than some of his later works.
The political intrigues and engaging storytelling pull you in but it is a very dated book. Well worth a read if you want to get to know the history of Science Fiction or are just looking for a quick and involving read.

Rating: B+