Inherit The Stars - James P. Hogan

1977; 216 pages. Book #1 in the "Giants" series. Genre : Science Fiction. New Author? : Yes. Overall Rating : 8*/10.

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Inherit The Stars is set 50 years in the future. We have space stations on the moon and Mars, and are just beginning to establish outposts on the moons of Jupiter.

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Imagine our surprise then, when the skeletal remains of an astronaut are found in a small cave on the moon. (See the cover to the left.) Imagine our further surprise when carbon-dating reveals the remains, nicknamed Charlie, are 50,000 years old.

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What's To Like...

ITS was James Hogan's debut novel, and is a fine example of his "hard" science fiction. That is - although he invents a few technological innovations such as (slightly) faster space travel and nucleonic weapons - you'll find neither Death Stars and Wookies, nor Transporters and Vulcan Mind Melds here.

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Instead, Hogan asks : What if we actually found a 50,000 year-old astronaut (albeit, dead) on the moon today? In our real world, how would it challenge our historical assumptions? How would we go about investigating the discovery? How would we develop a new anthropological theory to accommodate the find?

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There's an interesting relationship between the protagonist, Dr. Victor Hunt, and one Dr. Christian Danchekker, who comes up with a very different explanation for Charlie. The potential intellectual rivalry is swallowed up by the scientific discussions the two have, which causes both of them to modify their hypotheses. The result is a constantly-evolving "best fit" theory, spurred both by their dialogues and the always-growing scientific test results.

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Kewl New Words...

Graunch : to make a crunching or grinding sound. In this case, a door "graunched open".

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Excerpts...

Hunt had been born in New Cross, the shabby end of East London, south of the river. His father had spent most of his life on strike or in the pub on the corner of the street debating grievances worth going on strike for. When he ran out of money and grievances, he worked on the docks at Deptford. Victor's mother worked in a bottle factory all day to make the money she lost playing bingo all evening. (pg. 24)

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"There has to be some way of reconstructing what the surface used to look like."

"Did you ever try reconstructing a cow from a truckload of hamburger?" (pg. 100)

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"The Lunarians were the last word in progmatism - they had no time for romanticism, religion, matters of the spirit, or anything like that. In the situation they were in, the only people who could help them were themselves, and they knew it. They couldn't afford the luxury and the delusion of inventing gods, heroes, and Father Christmases to work their problems out for them." (pg. 171)

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And so, gentlemen, we inherit the stars. Let us go out, then, and claim our inheritance." (pg. 212).

James P. Hogan paints a convincing picture of our world 50 years in the future. In a way, Inherit The Stars reminds me of the movie 2001 - A Space Odyssey. There's not a lot of action, but you get a lot of things to think about and a realistic storyline.

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If science and technology aren't your cup of tea, you may find some slow spots in ITS. But I'm a chemist, and I found it to be fascinating from start to finish. 8 Stars.

Sifting Through the Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way - Charles Bukowski

2003; 395 pages. Genre : Contemporary Poetry. New Author? : No. Overall Rating : 7*/10.

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Sifting Through The Madness for the Word, the Line, the Way is a collection of poems by Charles Bukowski published posthumously. Buk died in 1994 and ANAICT, this is the 6th such compendium of his unpublished works to come out after he passed away. As such, my fear was that the pickings by now were getting rather slim.

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What's To Like...

I shouldn't've worried. There's lots of good stuff here, albeit along with some dross. And at $15 (new) for 400 pages, it was better-priced than most of the Bukowski poetry books I've seen.

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All of Bukowski's pet topics are present - his love for booze, the unfathomableness of women, the struggle to be a writer, his hatred for his father, and his passion for betting on the horses. Since a lot of these poems were penned in his last few years, old age and death are also repeating themes.

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But the plethora of poems also allows Bukowski to address other subjects. There is a fabulous piece on Classical Music, the Chinese poet Li Po shows up twice, and even Country Joe & The Fish makes an appearance.

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A lot of the poems are simply Bukowski's reflections on various incidents happening around him. A conversation at the next table in a restaurant, an actor stopping by to say hello, going to the movies as a kid (he preferred Buck Rogers to Ginger Rogers), the challenge of replacing his beloved manual typewriter with a word processor. Of course, we all have such experiences, but only a talented writer can make his anecdotes interesting to others.

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Excerpts...

my neighbor gives me the key to his house

when he goes on vacation.

I feed his cats

water his flowers and his

lawn.

I place his mail in a neat stack

on his dining room table.

am I the same man who planned to

blow up the city of Los Angeles

15 years ago? (pg. 32)

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I took another bus to New Orleans.

I had a portable typewriter with me.

that's all that I needed

to prove I was a genius.

that, and another

35 years. (pg. 233)

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we must be patient with the gods.

they like to have fun,

they like to play with us.

they like to test us.

they like to tell us that we are weak

and stupid, that we are

finished.

the gods need to be amused.

we are their toys. (pg. 390)

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November creeps in on all fours like a leper. (pg. 330)

I prefer Bukowski's poetry to his short stories and his quasi-autobiographical novels. The former are too lewd (although it has to be remembered they were written for sex magazines). And although Ham On Rye is excellent, Women and Factotum were quite meh. It's in his prose that Bukowski's creativity and keen insight emerge. Lucky for me, that's the genre that the bulk of his books are. 7 Stars.

Hammerhead Ranch Motel - Tim Dorsey

2000; 354 pages. Sequel to Florida Roadkill, reviewed here. Genre : Crime humor; Florida noire. New author? : No. Overall Rating : 8*/10.

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Welcome to Hammerhead Ranch Motel, where each of the 14 rooms has a tale to tell. Really. Their stories are given on pages 58-61.

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Serge A. Storms also has a story to tell. But it might be a bit incoherent, since he's off his meds again. It's about a suitcase with 5 million dollars in laundered drug money in it, hopping around from owner to owner like a restless bedbug. Those who have it now don't know it; those who do manage to snatch it can't seem to hold onto it. It's almost as if the money is cursed.

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What's To Like...

The $5Mil is the core story, but this is more about Tim Dorsey introducing you to a slew of oddball characters in diverse situations and various Florida locations. As you read Hammerhead Ranch Motel, you'll wonder how Dorsey is going to be able to tie them all together by the end of the book, but he accomplishes this quite niftily.

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The humor had me LOL, and Serge's trove of Florida historical trivia was facinating, even though I don't live there. And what a cast of supporting characters!

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There's playboy Johnny Vegas, an involuntary virgin whose meticulous plans for sex keep getting trumped by acts of God. There's City and Country, a Thelma-&-Louise knock-off whose introduction to pot leads them to conclude that the greatest rock-&-roll band ever was ABBA. There's Edna Ploomfield, a pistol-packing geezerette who blows away drug hitmen like they were ducks in a pond. And at least another dozen equally kooky Floridians to meet. There's no Coleman, but his place is taken by a stoner named Lenny.

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The downsides are few. It's a sequel, but there's no backstory; so it's best to read Florida Roadkill first. If you're uncomfortable with a psychopathic hero whose forte is innovative slayings, you should probably give this a pass. Ditto if literary sex and drugs are not your cup of tea.

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Kewl New Words...

Jalousie : a window shutter (in this case, in a door) constructed from angled slats of wood or plastic. Terrazzo : a highly-polished mosaic flooring made from small chips of marble or granite set in mortar.

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Excerpts...

Flag turned to face Zargoza. "Why am I getting subpoenaed?"

"Because you're a toad!" said Zargoza, suddenly raising his voice. "And not just your regular happy garden toad, but one of those lumpy, putrescent amphibilous tumors you find under a bunch of rotted lumber in a ditch next to a closed-down industrial plant ... How's Marge and the kids?"

"They're fine, Z ... but I'm worried..."

"Take a chill pill," said Zargoza. "It'll blow over." (pg. 71)

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"I taught my Rottweiler Chinese," the Miami man ahead of them at the cash register told his friend.

"Get outta here."

"No lie. You know how everyone in Dade is buying vicious dogs because of crime? I read where burglars are giving the dogs commands, because everyone uses the same ones - sit, stay, heel - and houses are cleaned out while expensive pit bulls and German shepherds stand there stupid."

"Why Chinese?"

"Can't use Spanish. Half the burglars in Miami are bilingual."

"How do you say sit in Chinese?"

"I'm not gonna tell you!" (pg. 110)

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Doesn't anyone sell cocaine these days? I mean, besides undercover cops? (pg. 63)

For all the mayhem, Hammerhead Ranch Motel is a remarkably tightly-composed story - far better than Florida Roadkill. It was a light, entertaining read; and all the characters - whether good, bad, and/or idiotic - were fun to meet and follow. Who cares about the 5 million? 8 Stars.

Towers Of Midnight - Robert Jordan & Brandon Sanderson

2010; 843 pages. Book #13 of the Wheel Of Time ("WoT") series. Genre : Epic Fantasy. New Author(s)? : No. Overall Raitng : 9½*/10.

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The Last Battle looms. Trollocs, Draghkar, and Myrddraal swarm south out of The Blight; and the Dark One is all but free from his prison. Meanwhile, Rand Al'Thor (the Dragon Reborn) and his closest associates - Perrin, Mat, Elayne, Egwene, and Nynaeve - attempt to rally the human kingdoms, who unfortunately at times seem more intent on fighting each other than the hordes of Evil.

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The Pattern in unraveling and for the first time ever, it seems possible that the Wheel Of Time will come to a halt.

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What's To Like...

This is the penultimate book in the series, and a lot of the threads in Jordan's far-flung universe are finally converging. That means there is plenty of action, and lots of progress in the plotlines.

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All the favorites are here (except Loial and the Ogiers. WTF ever happened to them?), including one or two that have been MIA for a while. But the bulk of the book focuses on Perrin and Mat as they make their way towards each other and towards Rand.

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For those of you who are less "plot-driven", there is still oodles of attention paid to the characters themselves and the detailed minutiae of their lives. The "handing-off" from the late Robert Jordan to Brandon Sanderson is IMHO seamless. Indeed, I'd go as far as to say that Sanderson has rescued the series. Based on Books 6 thru 10, I have a hard time believing Jordan would be capable of making as disciplined an effort to bring the series to a close.

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Kewl New Words...

Just one, and I can't find a plausible definition for it. Con (noun) : as in, "They wore con rising over their backs." (pg. 758). Maybe it's a made-up word.

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Excerpts...

Amys eyes narrowed. "You have grown much since we last met, Egwene al'Vere."

That sent a thrill through Egwene. "I had much need to grow. My life has been difficult of late."

"When confronted by a collapsed roof," Bair said, "some will begin to haul away the refuse, becoming stronger for the process. Others will go to visit their brother's hold and drink his water." (pg. 202)

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They entered the inn, known as The Grand Hike, which was crowded beyond usual because of the rain. The innkeeper was a friend of Birgitte's, however, and he had the bouncer toss out a drunkard sleeping in one of the booths to make room for her.

She tossed him a coin in thanks, and he nodded his ugly head to her - he was missing several teeth, one eye, and most of his hair. Best-looking man in the place. (pg. 357-58)

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"I haven't yet asked what Matrim meant by calling himself a married man in his letter. I expect a full report! No expurgations!" She eyed Mat, smiling slyly. "Expurgation means 'parts cut out', Mat. In case you weren't bloody aware."

He put his hat on. "I knew that." What had that word been again? Expirations? (pg. 295)

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Death is lighter than a feather. Duty is heavier than a mountain. (pg. 641)

I found Towers Of Midnight to be a complete treat. A number of long-standing threads get resolved, and the book ends with enough cliff-hangers and tension to give the WoT world a migraine.

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The only readers who might be disappointed in ToM will be those who hoped WoT would be a never-ending series. It still might. There is a hint about a time long after The Dragon Reborn comes and goes, with the Aiel and the Seanchan locked in a war of annihilation. Perhaps Sanderson can be teased into writing a sequel series.

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One note to new readers - this is not a stand-alone book. To enjoy ToM, you really need to read the first 12 books (plus the prequel), and each of those are 600-1100 pages long.

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For everyone else, the worst that can be said is that we will have to wait more than a year for the final book; and I'm still not convinced that it won't have to be split into two parts. Yet if anyone can pull it off, it's Brandon Sanderson. Good luck and godspeed to you, sir! 9½ Stars.

The Rose Rent - Ellis Peters

1986; 198 pages. Book #13 in the 'Brother Cadfael' series. New Author? : No. Genre : Mystery (Cozy). Overall Rating : 7½*/10.

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For the price of one rose per year; young, wealthy, pretty, moneyed Judith Perle rents one of her houses to Brother Cadfael's abbey. But it must be cut from the bush alongside the house, and must be delivered on a certain day.

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Alas, someone has murdered the brother whose job it was to deliver the flower each year. And they've hacked the rosebush to pieces. Who would want to upset this arrangement?

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What's To Like...

As usual for an Ellis Peters book, there are likeable characters, a love story by-plot, and some fantastic historical fiction. The story takes place along the English-Welsh border in 1142 AD, which is a kewl setting. But first and foremost, it's a whodunit. You travel with Brother Cadfael (and sheriff Hugh Beringar) as they search for answers, whilst limited to 12th-century technology. And everyone you meet seems to be a suspect.

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This is a "cozy" mystery, so there is very little blood and/or onstage violence. Still, the story flows nicely, although it is not a fast read, since Ms. Peters weaves a lot of medieval terminology into it.

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Kewl New Words...

Horarium : the daily schedule of those living in a religious community. Demesne : manorial land retained for the private use of a feudal lord. Caput : the central manor in an agricultural estate. Cantrip : a mischievous trick. Lambent : flickering lightly over or on a surface. Chatelaine : the mistress of a castle or other feudal estate. Assize : a session in court.

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Excerpt...

"Father, what more should I do for the cleansing of my soul?" ventured Eluric, quivering to the last subsiding tremors of guilt.

"Penance may well be salutary for you," admitted the abbot somewhat wearily. "But beware of making extravagant claims even upon punishment. You are far from a saint - so are we all - but neither are you a notable sinner; nor, my child, will you ever be." (pg. 25)

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A Rose Rent is not the same as a Rent Rose.

For some reason, I thought the title meant 'a torn rose', not 'a rose as payment for living in a house'. Ah, English! You are an ambiguous tongue.

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Ultimately, The Rose Rent should be rated on its merits as a whodunit. You'd think a short (less than 200 pages) formulaic mystery would mean the perpetrator(s) will be either pretty obvious or a random selection, but Ellis Peters keeps you constantly changing your prime suspect. And for a cozy, there is still lots of action.

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There is a logical ending to The Rose Rent, and of course, true love also triumphs. There's nothing epic about a Brother Cadfael tale, but I enjoyed both the mystery and the historical fiction facets of this book. 7½ Stars.

Carthage Ascendant - Mary Gentle

2000; 422 pages. #2 in the "Book of Ash" series. New Author? : No. Genre : Alt-History; Historical Fantasy. Overall Rating : 7½*/10.

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It is August 1476, and the Visigoth armies of Carthage are overwhelming Europe. Burgundy stands defiant (and virtually alone) against their leader, known as The Faris, who gets her unbeatable battle tactics from a computer back in Carthage. Ash wants to lead a raid there, but is turned down.

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Ah, but be careful what you wish for. Because the Visigoths capture Ash, and take her to Carthage. Convenient, eh? Not if you're a condemned prisoner with only two days to live. And it will be Death-by-Vivisection, no less.

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What's To Like...

It's Carthage, and they're kicking tush. Hamilcar likes that. So what if they're the bad guys? As with the first book (see review here), Mary Gentle's descriptions of the battles, the cities, and everyday 15th-century life are realistic and vividly detailed.

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Ash's scoudrel husband again shows up, and seems to be turning from black to gray. Ash herself is evolving too. Always the conquering hero in the past, she now finds herself "on the other foot", vanquished and doomed.

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As with the first book, there are dual storylines, and as before, this is an R-Rated book; definitely not one for the Alt-History-loving kiddies. Also, this is not a stand-alone book, although the author does give a 1-page backstory at the start.

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Kewl New Words...

Asperity : something hard to endure. Heirophantic (sic) : relating to the position of chief priest. Liminal : barely perceptible. (I guess I cooda figured that out from 'subliminal'). Voluble : marked by a ready flow of speech.

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Excerpts...

"Why is it," Ash said under her breath, "that when the brown and sticky hits the fan, I'm always standing real close by?"

Thomas Rochester shrugged. "Just lucky, boss, I guess..." (pg. 52)

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As I have written elsewhere, it is my contention now that the Burgundy of which the 'Ash' biographers tell us did not vanish. It became transformed. The mountainous landscape of the past shifted, and when the earthquake was done, the nameless fragments of her story had alighted in other, different places - in the story of Joan of Arc; of Bosworth Field; the legends of Arthurian chivalry, and the travail of the Chapel Perilous. She has become myth, and Burgundy with her; and yet, these faint traces remain. (pg. 332)

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Carthage, ancient city, victor over the Romans... (pg. 399)

Carthage Ascendant is well-written, and has lots of action, but not much progress. The total time that passes is less than a month. It does give you a lot of answers as to how the stone golems and computer-like machine came to be, and why the Visigoths are resolved to conquer the world.

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There is no real conclusion at the end of the book. In fairness, Mary Gentle never wanted this to be a 4-book series. In the UK, it is a single-volume 1120-page opus. Wowza.

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Despite being a "middle book", Carthage Ascendant maintained my interest, so 7½ stars. Nevertheless, I am glad I'm reading this saga in 400-page chunks instead of all at once. The downside is that, although Book #3 is on my TBR shelf, I've yet to locate the grand finale, Book #4.