The Writer’s Tale: The Final Chapter
I do intend to actually write something about this one at some point…
Category: Science Fiction
scunner?
Pacific Rim
Solid 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.
solderburn?
Bedlam
This 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.
kazak?
The Sirens of Titan
This 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.
egress?
The City of Ember
This 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.
wand?
Double Star
Heinlein’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.
fabber?
Rule 34
The follow up to Halting State is another Edinburgh set near future crime thriller written in the second person.
Told from the perspective of several characters including a police detective, an organized crime ‘executive’ and a local hacker the story gradually uncovers an intricate plot involving puppet states, international financial manipulation, murder investigations, and artificial intelligence researchers.
It takes a while to get into as the second person thing is so jarring but once you’re into the story it’s a great read with interesting characters who aren’t just your regular square-jawed straight white folks.
Definitely recommended, particularly if you liked Halting State.
mutt?
Mockingjay
After re-reading Catching Fire it was inevitable that I’d go back and read the final volume of the trilogy again.
When I first read the book I read it so quickly that some of the emotional impact was lost on me.
This time round I really felt moved by all the horrors that the characters go through and in particular I keenly felt Katniss’ pain in the scene with Buttercup right at the end of the book.
I know some people are never going to like this kind of dystopian fiction but this is a genuinely powerful book and I think it’s well worth giving a shot even if you don’t think it’s for you.
ladder?
Insurgent
The sequel to Divergent is a similarly entertaining slice of YA dystopian sci-fi.
It definitely feels like a middle volume of a series with a lot of talking and a lot of having the protagonist stuck in dangerous situations that they escape by the skin of her teeth.
Still, a fun read, and definitely recommended if you enjoyed the first book.
mechanism?
Catching Fire
The latest trailer for the film version of this book was released at San Diego Comic Con and it got me slightly excited.
So I dug out my ebook and started reading and you know what? I think I like this book a whole lot more than I did the first time round.
The first person perspective is both the strength and weakness of this series.
It’s a strength because Katniss is such an interesting, damaged person and seeing the world via her naively cynical viewpoint skews the world in novel ways.
It’s a weakness because much of the really interesting stuff that happens – politically, culturally – are events that Katniss doesn’t attend or doesn’t understand.
It’s kind of wonderful that you have to piece together the back story by yourself but sometimes you really can’t tell what’s happened to place Katniss in whatever fresh hell she’s landed in.
What’s interesting about Catching Fire on a second read is how hard Katniss is trying to be empathetic, how much she’s learned from the horror of being in The Hunger Games about valuing the survival of other people.
Despite the many ways she’s been used and abused by the powerful, this is someone in the slow process of growing into a better person before fresh trauma is heaped upon her.
I really do recommend this series. It’s no masterpiece of literature but it is a very enjoyable and thought provoking read with a compelling central character.