This was a nice short story. For anyone interested, you can read it for free *here*.
The story is about Kiam Miar, a young man trained to be an assassiThis was a nice short story. For anyone interested, you can read it for free *here*.
The story is about Kiam Miar, a young man trained to be an assassin (yes, this is a "job" and a respectable one, too, in this world). As his final test, he is sent on a supervised mission - if he fails, he will be killed immediately by his supervisor. However, a few things go wrong, like (view spoiler)[his target being a whore but also the member of a powerful family (posing the question why she became a whore in the first place) and him knowing her from a passionate forbidden encounter they had when they were both younger (hide spoiler)] so Kiam Miar decides to look into it a bit more. This is a risk, as his supervisor can decide to kill him at any point, but he doesn't care.
It's a nice fantasy story about hired killers, conscience, and not just blindly and numbly following orders but questioning people, your world and even yourself. It wasn't perfect, but it was really very good....more
This fourth novella is a bit different as it's not an "origin story", which means it's not showing events from the past. Instead, it takes place immedThis fourth novella is a bit different as it's not an "origin story", which means it's not showing events from the past. Instead, it takes place immediately after book 2. We follow Bobbie (freshly out of the Martian Marines) home to Londres Nova, where she is staying with one of her brothers and his family for now. Thus, we also meet her nephew David, who is a cook - and not in the culinary way. While the situation on Mars gets more and more critical thanks to terrorists blowing structures and people up, David and the girl he's in love with get into trouble and David has to come up with a way to get them out of it (chemistry-style ... think Breaking Bad on another planet *lol*).
Thus, we now also get a glimpse at what living on Mars is like - through the different viewpoints of people of different age groups (Bobbie, her older brother, the 16-year-old nephew, some other Draper family members). We see how people think and feel about the on-going conflict, but also the general culture that has developed on Mars, and the private life of a single family.
Once again, the story was written very well, the authors' writing style simply is superb. There was suspense and even full-on action and enough development to the charcters, but I enjoyed David's idea (science for the win) and the family ties (blood is thicker than water) most of all. More than even that, however, it's another piece in a mosaic breathing yet more life into the Expanse universe and giving the people populating the Solar system faces, making it all more real.
[image]
Merged review:
This fourth novella is a bit different as it's not an "origin story", which means it's not showing events from the past. Instead, it takes place immediately after book 2. We follow Bobbie (freshly out of the Martian Marines) home to Londres Nova, where she is staying with one of her brothers and his family for now. Thus, we also meet her nephew David, who is a cook - and not in the culinary way. While the situation on Mars gets more and more critical thanks to terrorists blowing structures and people up, David and the girl he's in love with get into trouble and David has to come up with a way to get them out of it (chemistry-style ... think Breaking Bad on another planet *lol*).
Thus, we now also get a glimpse at what living on Mars is like - through the different viewpoints of people of different age groups (Bobbie, her older brother, the 16-year-old nephew, some other Draper family members). We see how people think and feel about the on-going conflict, but also the general culture that has developed on Mars, and the private life of a single family.
Once again, the story was written very well, the authors' writing style simply is superb. There was suspense and even full-on action and enough development to the charcters, but I enjoyed David's idea (science for the win) and the family ties (blood is thicker than water) most of all. More than even that, however, it's another piece in a mosaic breathing yet more life into the Expanse universe and giving the people populating the Solar system faces, making it all more real.
Hm. I must admit to never having read anything of this author's before. I was voluntold to read this short story of hers and so I did.
What awaited me Hm. I must admit to never having read anything of this author's before. I was voluntold to read this short story of hers and so I did.
What awaited me as a slightly Lovecraftian tale of a female physicist finding out that over 10% of her DNA are "unidentifyable". Since curiosity killed the cat, she and a colleague (a geneticist) go on the search of what these ominous 10% mean, where they come from and ... suddenly they find much more than they've bargained for. Think (view spoiler)[Stargate + (hide spoiler)] Lovecraft + (view spoiler)[Riddick-like flying creatures + frog people (hide spoiler)].
The writing had a nice flow to it if you excuse the pun. I also chuckled a time or two. Nevertheless, it didn't exactly rock my world (yes, sorry, I can't stop with the puns today, it would seem). However, this was a nice excursion until the abrupt sort of ending that still made me round up from 3.5 stars.
Hm. I must admit to never having read anything of this author's before. I was voluntold to read this short story of hers and so I did.
What awaited me as a slightly Lovecraftian tale of a female physicist finding out that over 10% of her DNA are "unidentifyable". Since curiosity killed the cat, she and a colleague (a geneticist) go on the search of what these ominous 10% mean, where they come from and ... suddenly they find much more than they've bargained for. Think (view spoiler)[Stargate + (hide spoiler)] Lovecraft + (view spoiler)[Riddick-like flying creatures + frog people (hide spoiler)].
The writing had a nice flow to it if you excuse the pun. I also chuckled a time or two. Nevertheless, it didn't exactly rock my world (yes, sorry, I can't stop with the puns today, it would seem). However, this was a nice excursion until the abrupt sort of ending that still made me round up from 3.5 stars.
Words were not required. Sometimes the only way you could tell someone you loved them was to show them something beautiful.
[image]
One day, meteori
Words were not required. Sometimes the only way you could tell someone you loved them was to show them something beautiful.
[image]
One day, meteorites shower the Earth for what is considered an unusually long time. As can be seen by people's findings, they were small black-and-silver shells containing whoknowswhat seeds. Soon after, governments start confiscating any and all alien seeds they can get their hands on and possession of one becomes illegal. Nonetheless, the seeds spread - some because they simply weren't found (being so numerous and often having hit remote areas) and some because they are kept by humans and spore. These start growing and becoming plants. LT is a young boy when the meteorite shower happens. We follow him until he is 97 years old and thus see the seeds grow into vines and flowers, how humans try to make sense of the alien vegetation making a home on our planet and the consequences this has for the indiginous species as well as for us humans. Along with those agricultural, social and political developments we also follow LTs personal life from boy to teenager to college student to young man to father to grandfather and great-grandfather.
The story is that of our planet, of global warming, of evolution and subsequent change. It is also about human relationships. From failed marriages to bad relationships to the joy of having and raising children to your partner dying before you. But life goes on. Time doesn't stand still for anyone. There is a constant flow and time is often relative, as Einstein so aptly put it. Mammals experience time differently from other animals or even plants and yet we all make our connections, strengthen them, let them wither and form new ones, plant new seeds and let those grow as well.
A beautiful and subtle story full of great imagery that doesn't take long to show an entire human life with all its hardships and riches. The writing style, while being simple, entangled me by capturing the tone of the tale, thus rounding off the reading experience.
Maybe not my favourite of the nommed stories but it definitely deserves to be nominated for a HUGO.
Words were not required. Sometimes the only way you could tell someone you loved them was to show them something beautiful.
[image]
One day, meteorites shower the Earth for what is considered an unusually long time. As can be seen by people's findings, they were small black-and-silver shells containing whoknowswhat seeds. Soon after, governments start confiscating any and all alien seeds they can get their hands on and possession of one becomes illegal. Nonetheless, the seeds spread - some because they simply weren't found (being so numerous and often having hit remote areas) and some because they are kept by humans and spore. These start growing and becoming plants. LT is a young boy when the meteorite shower happens. We follow him until he is 97 years old and thus see the seeds grow into vines and flowers, how humans try to make sense of the alien vegetation making a home on our planet and the consequences this has for the indiginous species as well as for us humans. Along with those agricultural, social and political developments we also follow LTs personal life from boy to teenager to college student to young man to father to grandfather and great-grandfather.
The story is that of our planet, of global warming, of evolution and subsequent change. It is also about human relationships. From failed marriages to bad relationships to the joy of having and raising children to your partner dying before you. But life goes on. Time doesn't stand still for anyone. There is a constant flow and time is often relative, as Einstein so aptly put it. Mammals experience time differently from other animals or even plants and yet we all make our connections, strengthen them, let them wither and form new ones, plant new seeds and let those grow as well.
A beautiful and subtle story full of great imagery that doesn't take long to show an entire human life with all its hardships and riches. The writing style, while being simple, entangled me by capturing the tone of the tale, thus rounding off the reading experience.
Maybe not my favourite of the nommed stories but it definitely deserves to be nominated for a HUGO.
Imagine a world where places aren‘t fixed. Where rivers don‘t only snake in our language but in actuality, where mountains mWow! This was really good.
Imagine a world where places aren‘t fixed. Where rivers don‘t only snake in our language but in actuality, where mountains move and flowers and trees roam the land. Ever shifting. Welcome to the West. There is another continent though, the East. The people that live there cannot understand the magical wild land and thus are trying desperately to conquer it. Enter Oona, daughter of a Westerner women and an Easterner lover she took briefly. Since both sides hate one another, you can imagine what a „half-breed“ child has to go through, even at the hands of her own relatives. But she has her brother, Ira, son of yet another lover their mother took once. Sadly, it often is the people we love that become our greatest weakness unless we are vigilant. Oona becomes a so-called mapmaker in order to provide for her brother. Mapmakers, in this world, have the ability to let the land settle and hold it in the position of their mind‘s eye so there is no shifting. They are therefore employed by the Great Eastern River Company that wants to explore and finally tame all the land - which marks mapmakers as traitors to all Westerners.
We have the magically wild and „savage“ landscape of the West versus the „civilized“ East that is choking on oil. And we have family ties that run deeper than any tree‘s roots.
Naturally, there are some historical similarities to our world that the author thus addressed by design. It’s your choice if you read it as a parable or as „just“ a very creative fantasy story.
The story is written in a rather wonderful way that lets you imagine all the places the expeditions are going to, that lets you feel Ira‘s physical pain and Oona‘s emotional torment. Best of all, though, is the setting itself that I could have roamed through forever.
Imagine a world where places aren‘t fixed. Where rivers don‘t only snake in our language but in actuality, where mountains move and flowers and trees roam the land. Ever shifting. Welcome to the West. There is another continent though, the East. The people that live there cannot understand the magical wild land and thus are trying desperately to conquer it. Enter Oona, daughter of a Westerner women and an Easterner lover she took briefly. Since both sides hate one another, you can imagine what a „half-breed“ child has to go through, even at the hands of her own relatives. But she has her brother, Ira, son of yet another lover their mother took once. Sadly, it often is the people we love that become our greatest weakness unless we are vigilant. Oona becomes a so-called mapmaker in order to provide for her brother. Mapmakers, in this world, have the ability to let the land settle and hold it in the position of their mind‘s eye so there is no shifting. They are therefore employed by the Great Eastern River Company that wants to explore and finally tame all the land - which marks mapmakers as traitors to all Westerners.
We have the magically wild and „savage“ landscape of the West versus the „civilized“ East that is choking on oil. And we have family ties that run deeper than any tree‘s roots.
Naturally, there are some historical similarities to our world that the author thus addressed by design. It’s your choice if you read it as a parable or as „just“ a very creative fantasy story.
The story is written in a rather wonderful way that lets you imagine all the places the expeditions are going to, that lets you feel Ira‘s physical pain and Oona‘s emotional torment. Best of all, though, is the setting itself that I could have roamed through forever.
The world is a dark place full of war and a dying environment. But there is one place that is different. Where people don't have to starve. How[image]
The world is a dark place full of war and a dying environment. But there is one place that is different. Where people don't have to starve. How that is possible, you ask? Well, the House (imagine a castle) protects its inhabitants via magic. But magic always comes at a price. The really powerful magic only can be paid for in blood. Charlotte learns this at one point but doesn't fade away after her death. Instead, she festers and seethes underneath the earth. When is a price too high to be paid?
I loved this dark and twisted tale despite the obvious turn in the end. The set-up reminded me a bit of the castle in The Last Unicorn and I can never resist a dark tale about the price for magic. The writing style was also effortlessly flowing along like the river in the story and I actually wanted the tale to be longer and to continue.
Really wonderful though that is a weird description considering ...
The world is a dark place full of war and a dying environment. But there is one place that is different. Where people don't have to starve. How that is possible, you ask? Well, the House (imagine a castle) protects its inhabitants via magic. But magic always comes at a price. The really powerful magic only can be paid for in blood. Charlotte learns this at one point but doesn't fade away after her death. Instead, she festers and seethes underneath the earth. When is a price too high to be paid?
I loved this dark and twisted tale despite the obvious turn in the end. The set-up reminded me a bit of the castle in The Last Unicorn and I can never resist a dark tale about the price for magic. The writing style was also effortlessly flowing along like the river in the story and I actually wanted the tale to be longer and to continue.
Really wonderful though that is a weird description considering ...
Theresa Anne lives with her mama (not her biological mother) and while she goes to school, she also learns how to brew potions, put together balms andTheresa Anne lives with her mama (not her biological mother) and while she goes to school, she also learns how to brew potions, put together balms and read cards. For her mama is no ordinary woman. Both Theresa Anne and her mother can talk to bees. In short, they are witches. Most importantly (and sadly) though, she doesn't love Theresa Anne.
But Theresa Anne loves Lucille, a girl in her school, which is dangerous since it makes her wish for certain things. And wishes are dangerous when there are bees around for magic always has a price (and it's usually a steep one).
A story full of magic and important social topics such as a sense of belonging, love, the power of wishes, domestic violence, control, different social classes being pitted against one another and more.
I honestly liked the kind of magic system envoked by the author here and the feeling / atmosphere that it created while reading. Maybe I need to check out the author's other works.
Theresa Anne lives with her mama (not her biological mother) and while she goes to school, she also learns how to brew potions, put together balms and read cards. For her mama is no ordinary woman. Both Theresa Anne and her mother can talk to bees. In short, they are witches. Most importantly (and sadly) though, she doesn't love Theresa Anne.
But Theresa Anne loves Lucille, a girl in her school, which is dangerous since it makes her wish for certain things. And wishes are dangerous when there are bees around for magic always has a price (and it's usually a steep one).
A story full of magic and important social topics such as a sense of belonging, love, the power of wishes, domestic violence, control, different social classes being pitted against one another and more.
I honestly liked the kind of magic system envoked by the author here and the feeling / atmosphere that it created while reading. Maybe I need to check out the author's other works.
Oh! This reminded me of Red Dawn (whether the Australian or American production doens't matter)! Naturally, if anything, this was the template for theOh! This reminded me of Red Dawn (whether the Australian or American production doens't matter)! Naturally, if anything, this was the template for the movie, not the other way around.
A totalitarian Eastern Empire (think a mix of China and Japan) has invaded and taken over The USA. The regime exerts control via a mix of concentration camps, police state tactics, and monopolizing / controlling people's very thoughts. However, they missed a few. Six, to be precise. Not exactly elite anything, but while they could be described as a rag-tag band, they all have a certian je-ne-sais-quoi and thanks to an entrepid "commander", their best comes to the surface and compliments that of the others perfectly.
I like stories of this kind where a country is falling apart and you can't count on anything you've come to take for granted. It usually means that people have to employ intelligence and ingenuity, which I very much like. Here, there was a scientist and the ex-lawyer-turned-hobo was definitely not dim either. I liked how they were from vastly different walks of life and came together by coincidence, then making the best of it while definitely not accepting the new status quo.
How the six fought back was positively genious. *lol*
Some moments betrayed how old this story was in how certain things were phrased, but overall, this story could have been a contemporary one and it's a feature of Heinlein's I have come to appreciate very much (it's usually the case with his stories). I also like how he seems to approve of and hope for self-reliance in people as I happen to agree.
The way the story progressed might not have been perfect and the weapon designed in the end was practically a magic wand (which was a damn shame since this is Heinlein and he was usually not one to use such a "cop-out"), but it was pretty cool overall. ...more
A book with the word "Camelot" in its' title and a promising quest according to the summary? I'm in! However, the book turned out to be quite differenA book with the word "Camelot" in its' title and a promising quest according to the summary? I'm in! However, the book turned out to be quite different from what I had expected. ... Let me begin my review by saying how much I liked the book's "tone" by which I mean the author's ability to match what I consider to be very authentic dialogues and descriptions of Victorian England. This made it very easy for me to slip back into the story in no time (even while surrounded by yelling people on the train), with vivid images of the characters' surroundings and encounters. This is a huge plus because it made me feel extremely comfortable, especially whenever Alfred's library was described. :-D But it wasn't just England (London in particular) that was described wonderfully; the same can be said for Lucca (which really is a wonderful city). Moreover, the fact that people's gut feelings turned out to be wrong quite often, was very funny to me. I don't know if it was intentional (Sean?) or not, but it made certain happenings more believable (I often find a string of "lucky right guesses" too unrealistic and annoying).
However, there are several reasons why I "only" gave 3 stars: 1. The book often has lenghty passages. While I wouldn't mind in general, also because the protagonists aren't the youngest anymore so IronMan-ish action would be unrealistic, it was a bit too slow for me. 2. I didn't actually care who would succeed in the end. Now, this might be attributable to the fact that, for some reason, I couldn't actually root with anyone other than a certain green-cloaked, grumpy man (and why I kind of liked him I'll probably never know). The only thing I did care about was (view spoiler)[ Ellen's death and the fact, that Alfred didn't get to say goodbye! Since the last thing Alfred had said to his wife was a lie and because I know the feeling of not getting to say goodbye to a loved one, that struck a cord with me. (hide spoiler)] 3. (view spoiler)[ When it was revealed that Nigle created the scabbard in order to hide part of himself so he could not be killed (not completely anyhow), it was just too Voldemort-ish. And as soon as I had halfway recovered from that, there were Zombies in the mix, too. (hide spoiler)] Unfortunately, that did it for me. I just couldn't reconcile the clash of all these elements.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy the book, thanks also to some funny discussions amongst the characters or their clumsy-but-kind-of-adorable ways. So it's 3 stars from me.
Merged review:
A book with the word "Camelot" in its' title and a promising quest according to the summary? I'm in! However, the book turned out to be quite different from what I had expected. ... Let me begin my review by saying how much I liked the book's "tone" by which I mean the author's ability to match what I consider to be very authentic dialogues and descriptions of Victorian England. This made it very easy for me to slip back into the story in no time (even while surrounded by yelling people on the train), with vivid images of the characters' surroundings and encounters. This is a huge plus because it made me feel extremely comfortable, especially whenever Alfred's library was described. :-D But it wasn't just England (London in particular) that was described wonderfully; the same can be said for Lucca (which really is a wonderful city). Moreover, the fact that people's gut feelings turned out to be wrong quite often, was very funny to me. I don't know if it was intentional (Sean?) or not, but it made certain happenings more believable (I often find a string of "lucky right guesses" too unrealistic and annoying).
However, there are several reasons why I "only" gave 3 stars: 1. The book often has lenghty passages. While I wouldn't mind in general, also because the protagonists aren't the youngest anymore so IronMan-ish action would be unrealistic, it was a bit too slow for me. 2. I didn't actually care who would succeed in the end. Now, this might be attributable to the fact that, for some reason, I couldn't actually root with anyone other than a certain green-cloaked, grumpy man (and why I kind of liked him I'll probably never know). The only thing I did care about was (view spoiler)[ Ellen's death and the fact, that Alfred didn't get to say goodbye! Since the last thing Alfred had said to his wife was a lie and because I know the feeling of not getting to say goodbye to a loved one, that struck a cord with me. (hide spoiler)] 3. (view spoiler)[ When it was revealed that Nigle created the scabbard in order to hide part of himself so he could not be killed (not completely anyhow), it was just too Voldemort-ish. And as soon as I had halfway recovered from that, there were Zombies in the mix, too. (hide spoiler)] Unfortunately, that did it for me. I just couldn't reconcile the clash of all these elements.
Nevertheless, I did enjoy the book, thanks also to some funny discussions amongst the characters or their clumsy-but-kind-of-adorable ways. So it's 3 stars from me....more
It is 1763 and Mr. Smith, a poet, is in an asylum for lunatics. With him is his ginger cat Jeoffrey who protects the poet and other asylum patients byIt is 1763 and Mr. Smith, a poet, is in an asylum for lunatics. With him is his ginger cat Jeoffrey who protects the poet and other asylum patients by battling the demons that come out at night. However, one night the Devil himself comes to have a parley with Jeoffrey and, unfortunately, a cat sometimes isn't any wiser than a human. Where the two differ is in how they make up for their mistakes and how fantastically one can battle with claws! But are sharp claws and teeth enough to win against Satan and save a soul?
Another one of those stories I would have never known about was it not for a few Goodreads friends reading and reviewing it. It is indeed mostly for cat lovers - in fact, it is told from the point of view of the cat Jeoffrey - but I think it's also a great tale of courage and admitting your mistakes and working to make up for them.
A cute and funny tale with supernatural twists, the love of and for words, as well as purring (or growling) cats. Fantastic!
Merged review:
It is 1763 and Mr. Smith, a poet, is in an asylum for lunatics. With him is his ginger cat Jeoffrey who protects the poet and other asylum patients by battling the demons that come out at night. However, one night the Devil himself comes to have a parley with Jeoffrey and, unfortunately, a cat sometimes isn't any wiser than a human. Where the two differ is in how they make up for their mistakes and how fantastically one can battle with claws! But are sharp claws and teeth enough to win against Satan and save a soul?
Another one of those stories I would have never known about was it not for a few Goodreads friends reading and reviewing it. It is indeed mostly for cat lovers - in fact, it is told from the point of view of the cat Jeoffrey - but I think it's also a great tale of courage and admitting your mistakes and working to make up for them.
A cute and funny tale with supernatural twists, the love of and for words, as well as purring (or growling) cats. Fantastic!...more
The 18th in my re-read of the entire Discworld series takes us on another adventure with the Lancre witches - in Ankh-Morpork though!
One reason why I The 18th in my re-read of the entire Discworld series takes us on another adventure with the Lancre witches - in Ankh-Morpork though!
One reason why I decided to re-read the series is that I can never just indulge in one of the volumes. The other is that the audiobooks were newly produced and the casts looked amazing.
Reading this 18th book (in chronological order) are: [image]
Ah, the Opera. So many myths, so much drama, ... so many deaths. Kinda like in Lancre now that the coven has been broken and Granny is retreating into animal minds more and more. The Phantom Ghost of Ankh-Morpork's Opera House, which has recently been acquired by a former cheesemonger, has been having quite a lot of fun in the past few years. Of course, the morons that are the dancers, singers, and crew have made it easy for him what with their superstition and whatnot. Now, though, shortly after Agnes/Perdita has taken up a position, people are dying. For those not remembering, Agnes/Perdita is a young Lancre witch. In fact, Nanny Ogg was hoping she'd become the new #3 since Magrat is queen now and, as mentioned before, the coven has been broken. After all, having someone to order around teach, who might even run interference when the two older witches argue, might be just what they need. Having Nanny Ogg, Greebo and Granny Weatherway in the big city was ... something to behold. MUHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Having them "helping" (with) the ghost, almost causing a production of Cats ... *shudders* But there were other, even more memorable scenes here. Like when Granny gambled EVERYTHING in a game against Death himself for the life of a baby she didn't even know - and WON (as well as her plan for if she hadn't) followed by one hell of a chiropractic adjustment! Or like when we went through Nanny Ogg's "cookbook". *cackles* And then there was Greebo in human form!
Reading this in the year that has been all about reading and music as well as reading this so shortly before also reading (and watching, albeit only on TV) The Phantom of the Opera is nothing short of cool. Sure, it helps that I absolutely adore the witches and Granny is my great role model, but the other bits - such as the business vs the art of music - were fantastic, too.
Oh and I'm a fan of Indira Varma! Yes yes, I'm repeating myself, but it bears repeating since she seems to be getting better and better with every book (though she's already been pretty perfect when narrating the first one). I'm in awe of how she makes every witch and other character distinct and how all narrators managed to find some common tone for the supporting cast so they "feel" the same regardless of which book they feature in....more
This was one of those stories I read to brush up on the big names, the classics.
I'm aware when this was written and, sadly, what people thought "a reaThis was one of those stories I read to brush up on the big names, the classics.
I'm aware when this was written and, sadly, what people thought "a real man" should be like or, equally, how a woman should behave. Nevertheless, this is unacceptable. And considering that Harlan Ellison supposedly has spoken out against sexism for decades, it is VERY disappointing to read him pulling off the same shit in this story.
We follow Vic, a teenaged boy, and his dog, Blood, through the wastelands that used to be the US before WWIII. It's an alternate world where science has figured out a way for people to communicate telepathically with animals. The boy's dog sniffs out women for the boy because the boy is horny. So yeah, the protagonist is a serial rapist. And no, I didn't find the slightest clue that this was satire, unfortunately. One day, they thus find another girl, but she is not exactly like the others before, even leading the boy to a group of people living underground. Stuff happens and then we get one hell of a funny mind-fuck as the ending.
I must say that I don't mind (view spoiler)[what happens to the girl in the end since she would have had no problem leaving the dog to die (hide spoiler)] but the whole image of women here is just so wrong.
Supposedly (I haven't done enough research to confirm this myself yet), this author is known to be provocative. As in making people uncomfortable with his stories. And he definitely succeeds. If he had written this story slightly differently to emphasize his dislike of sexism and rape culture (such as in Meg Elison's books - funny that they share a last name, although spelled slightly differently), I would have applauded him. As it is, it feels as if this story outraged people more for the fact that (view spoiler)[a human is killed to feed/save a dog (hide spoiler)] than for the rapey stuff happening.
I must also confess, however, that the writing style is superb (especially considering the age of the story), engaging (enfuriating) and that I did not see that ending coming.
Defintiely a story that gets people talking, then and now.
It was therefore very hard to rate this story because of the aforementioned problems but also how it has influenced people (including me) and started countless discussions. So it did its job of being provocative and maybe the author wanting to provoke in the first place does mean he was/is critical of the status quo?
Merged review:
This was one of those stories I read to brush up on the big names, the classics.
I'm aware when this was written and, sadly, what people thought "a real man" should be like or, equally, how a woman should behave. Nevertheless, this is unacceptable. And considering that Harlan Ellison supposedly has spoken out against sexism for decades, it is VERY disappointing to read him pulling off the same shit in this story.
We follow Vic, a teenaged boy, and his dog, Blood, through the wastelands that used to be the US before WWIII. It's an alternate world where science has figured out a way for people to communicate telepathically with animals. The boy's dog sniffs out women for the boy because the boy is horny. So yeah, the protagonist is a serial rapist. And no, I didn't find the slightest clue that this was satire, unfortunately. One day, they thus find another girl, but she is not exactly like the others before, even leading the boy to a group of people living underground. Stuff happens and then we get one hell of a funny mind-fuck as the ending.
I must say that I don't mind (view spoiler)[what happens to the girl in the end since she would have had no problem leaving the dog to die (hide spoiler)] but the whole image of women here is just so wrong.
Supposedly (I haven't done enough research to confirm this myself yet), this author is known to be provocative. As in making people uncomfortable with his stories. And he definitely succeeds. If he had written this story slightly differently to emphasize his dislike of sexism and rape culture (such as in Meg Elison's books - funny that they share a last name, although spelled slightly differently), I would have applauded him. As it is, it feels as if this story outraged people more for the fact that (view spoiler)[a human is killed to feed/save a dog (hide spoiler)] than for the rapey stuff happening.
I must also confess, however, that the writing style is superb (especially considering the age of the story), engaging (enfuriating) and that I did not see that ending coming.
Defintiely a story that gets people talking, then and now.
It was therefore very hard to rate this story because of the aforementioned problems but also how it has influenced people (including me) and started countless discussions. So it did its job of being provocative and maybe the author wanting to provoke in the first place does mean he was/is critical of the status quo?...more
The 17th in my re-read of the entire Discworld series and we not only get Rincewind again but also Twoflower!
One reason why I decided to re-read the The 17th in my re-read of the entire Discworld series and we not only get Rincewind again but also Twoflower!
One reason why I decided to re-read the series is that I can never just indulge in one of the volumes. The other is that the audiobooks were newly produced and the casts looked amazing.
Reading this 17th book (in chronological order) are: [image]
Oh, the silly little games the gods are getting up to! This time, Fate is being taught a lesson or two by The Lady. *chuckles* One guy who doesn't think it's funny is our favorite wizzard, Rincewind who had spent a lot of time being lost somewhere. But then the Counterweight Continent is sending a message to Lord Vetinari and he instructs Ridcully to send "The Great Wizzard", let's just say there is no escaping The Hex. ;P Why they need a great wizard? Well, revolution is coming to at least part of the Disc and people are fed up with slavery and mindlessness ... at least some of them are. And it never hurts to have some muscle behind you when you go up against a torturous monarchy with a thousands-of-years' long tradition. Oh, if only they knew what kind of "muscle" they have been asking for. *cackles*
As is usual for the Rincewind books, the hapless chap isn't center stage. Yes, he's an MC but only "an" MC. I think that was a stroke of genius by TP since Rincewind alone can really get on your nerves (IMO). Here, Conan and his horde, UU, as well as Twoflower and his daughters make up the rest of the main cast.
I loved how Twoflower's daughter, Butterfly, was so smart and capable and a warrior in her own right (I am particularly partial to the martial arts bits). But I have to admit that the way they were presented here and considering how loyal they proved be, I was also quite smitten with the geriatric barbarians. *lol*
And I'm happy to report that the new audio version was once again fantastic. Colin Morgan did a wonderful job once again and is pretty darn perfect for any story relating to the wizards.
Therefore, a pretty great addition to the series though not in my top 5 (anyone knowing Pratchett and this series knows that even the worst of these is gold compared to anything else out there though). In fact, I enjoyed this so much and am appreciating it even more now than before so I upped my rating....more
Frédéric Chaudière is a luthier by trade and thus knows his stuff. Like most luthiers, he really knows about Stradivari. There is a lot of highly contFrédéric Chaudière is a luthier by trade and thus knows his stuff. Like most luthiers, he really knows about Stradivari. There is a lot of highly contented "knowledge" about the master (more on that in my review for the non-fiction book I was reading in parallel), but Chaudière pieced together enough about Stradivari's "Gibson" violin and its history.
This is the masterpiece: [image] There are MANY famous instruments that have had quite a life! The Stradivari cello "Mara" comes to mind. The story presented here is no different.
You see, the Gibson (nowadays called "Gibson ex Huberman" on account of its owner Bronisław Huberman) was built in 1713. The fascinating bit is that the violin, while being the property of Mr. Huberman, was stolen TWICE. Once in 1919 in a hotel in Vienna (it was brought back soon and not much is known about the details) and once in 1936 at Carnegie Hall. This second time is the more interesting one in that we know who had it (most likely), for how long, and what happened to the thief. I can spoiler this much: the owner never saw the Stradivari again as the instrument was returned only 51 years later. The violin was restored by experts and is now played by Joshua Bell who bought it, too (not always the case with such high-priced instruments).
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A very nice little book that tells of the instrument itself, the eras since it was created, what happened to its thief through the decades and lutherie as well as its evolution from Stradivari's time until the book was published.
I enjoyed the writing style and didn't mind the translation (the original is in French), which made me happy because there is little that is more annoying than a good story being told in a bad or at least boring way.
Really cool little story and history as well as lutherie lesson all rolled into one....more
The 16th in my re-read of the entire Discworld series - the books are flying by ... kinda like time if you're not careful!
One reason why I decided to The 16th in my re-read of the entire Discworld series - the books are flying by ... kinda like time if you're not careful!
One reason why I decided to re-read the series is that I can never just indulge in one of the volumes. The other is that the audiobooks were newly produced and the casts looked amazing.
Reading this 16th book (in chronological order) are: [image]
DEATH is gone. Again. I swear, someone should put a bell around his neck. *chuckles while imagining Albert trying that* This time is different from the last, though, since Susan exists. Susan is ... well, to make matters simple, she's his granddaughter. Don't ask, it's possible and that is that. She has INHERITED (even the voice) and Binky can confirm. So at least people keep on dying this time. However, the girl first has to regain all her memories and accept the position and the rules that come with it. Ahem. Meanwhile, DEATH is trying a few things, never staying in one place long, eventually discovering music. What caused his ... erm ... mid-life-crises? yeah, let's go with that ... was actually very sweet and definitely very tragic. I definitely pitied the Grim Reaper.
I have to at least slightly adapt my opinion on Susan since I discovered I was no longer a fan of her and her attitude. From how she treats the raven (who else is thinking of Matthew?) and DOR ... (Albert kinda deserves it) ... to her refusal to accept facts (as bent-out-of-shape as they might be). However, she still has quite a few things going for her, like her not scaring easily if at all and her practical way of addressing certain creatures that cause mayhem. And once she gets the hang of things ...
The main character of this novel was music. Yep, that's right. Music is so universal, it has POWER and at least in this book it came in the form of a very special guitar that appeared in a peculiar shop and DEMANDED to be played (I'm still reminded of Brave). After all, music needs to be played, it needs to be heard, it needs to be unleashed. What else had to be released thanks to the shenanigans started by the "band with rocks" was nothing short of hilarious. It made for a very nice background before which we took a look at different types of music, instruments, musicians (professional and otherwise), as well as the silly aspects such as fandom (the whole underwear and screeching bit, particularly), concerts, agents and such.
Really cool, dude! Is it my favorite in the series? No. Is it my favorite about DEATH? No. But it has ROCKS IN IT! And the narration by Sian Clifford was once again wonderful. *happy sigh*...more
The 15th in my re-read of the entire Discworld series and it was like coming home!
One reason why I decided to re-read the series is that I can never jThe 15th in my re-read of the entire Discworld series and it was like coming home!
One reason why I decided to re-read the series is that I can never just indulge in one of the volumes. The other is that the audiobooks were newly produced and the casts looked amazing.
Reading this 15th book (in chronological order) are: [image]
In this second book featuring the entrepid Ankh-Morpork watchmen, we finally get the Night Watch expansion that introduces us to Angua, Detritus and Cuddy. (view spoiler)[Losing Cuddy again was so hard. I know more good (possibly even better) things are to come but it was still so very hard. (hide spoiler)] Loved the banter between all of them!
Captain Vimes is about to get married and meant to retire from his Watch duties. But while you can take the man out of the Watch but you can't take the Watch out of the man. Not when he's a "proper copper". Then there is the on-going troll/dwarf turf war and general racial tensions in the city on top of the guild shenanigans fueled by none other than Lord Vetinari himself. I really try trusting him in general, but it was hard in this book. Luckily, as weird as all that may sound, murders are committed and that clashes all sides with one another in a lovingly chaotic but glorious way. Seeing the Night Watch's loyalty to Vimes, and seeing Angua learn what a great man Vimes is, was driving me to tears.
I love me an old-fashioned whodunnit and that is exactly what we get with the Watch series. However, the books are wonderfully paired with Pratchett's usual sharp-witted ovservations and the truly unique place that is Ankh-Morpork. Every time you think you've figured out the place, it surprises you - usually in the best of ways. This installment was no different. If anything, it's even more so because we got the Night Watch's transformation into the City Watch and Vimes becoming Commander, which made me victoriously happy (all those snobbish lords can go *peep* themselves! I'm still surprised and touched that Lady Sybil is so different from them).
Oh, and this is the book where we get my beloved Vimes Boots Index, which now is an actual, official economic term. Just one example of Pratchett's sharp and witty observation.
And we finally get a good long sniff at Gaspode, which is one of my favorites, of course. ;)
So yes, I adore this as much as the first time around - maybe a tiny bit more so because it feels like coming home. I wouldn't like living in a big city and certainly not one like Ankh-Morpork *lol* but it's the people that make it home.* People that were stunningly brought to live once again in this new ans absolutely fantastic audio adaptation.
* P.S.: I started reading this on my flight back yesterday since my other book was finished sooner than expected and I teared up in the middle of the plane first form the introductory music and then just from hearing about the familiar and beloved characters....more
August. Summer. Vacation time (almost). So of course I'm also reading about seas and oceans. In this case, the Mediterranean.
In this book, we learn abAugust. Summer. Vacation time (almost). So of course I'm also reading about seas and oceans. In this case, the Mediterranean.
In this book, we learn about the countries that encircle the Mediterranean through some examples like Venice or Riomaggiore, we learn about typical food typical in the different coutries/cities, the flora and fauna in the sea, the history that has taken place there, as well as religion / mythology influenced by it. We thus learn about the difference between salt water and sweet water, tourism, architecture, socio-political developments, ships (trade and otherwise), the difference between islands and the mainland and more.
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As you can see, the art accompanying and completing the text / information is quite nice and detailed.
I very much enjoyed how varied a look this book offered at the Medirranean and what it meant for humans / their evolution through the ages. Having spent almost every summer with my Italian relatives (in Croatia, too, sometimes), I've been to several areas around the Mediterranean and know the food as well as some key places / their history. There is a special connection between places and the cultures there. And discovering it all is awesome. However, there is so much more to discover, so much I didn't know (still don't know) so I soaked up everything when reading this book.
I heard about this story from my buddy-reader who keeps up with HUGO nominations. Apparentl, this story won this year and I can see why.
The setting isI heard about this story from my buddy-reader who keeps up with HUGO nominations. Apparentl, this story won this year and I can see why.
The setting is a world like ours. One day, there is an emerging app that everyone wants you to get. It tells you when to get up (you receive calls), it reminds you to brush your teeth, try something new, not stay in the office for too long, when to go to bed. But ... why? Who benefits from that and in what way?
I liked puzzling about whether the app was a menace or helping. I liked finding out who was behind it and why. And I definitely felt a bit sad by the end because (view spoiler)[of course greedy little sits had to go and ruin it all (hide spoiler)]!
Stories like these make me wonder if we humans will ever get our shit together. You see, TECHNICALLY, we all know what this app tells people in the story AND YET we hardly ever do any of that. So this short story is about living better, about how to live better, and what BETTER actually means.
I am a little nerd. Always have been. Thus, even as a kid, I loved reading about astronomy and I still freak out (in the best of ways) when there are I am a little nerd. Always have been. Thus, even as a kid, I loved reading about astronomy and I still freak out (in the best of ways) when there are new discoveries and / or inventions. Such as the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST for short). I updated y'all here, here, here and here.
So when I saw that a book was about to be published by the founding director of Cornell University's Carl Sagan Institute and it being about how we can detect life on other planets, OF COURSE I had to get it!
Lisa Kaltenegger is an astrophysicist and very enthusiastic about her work. She's gushing about childhood favorites and books she's still re-readering over and over again and infecting you with her love for everything extra-terrestial.
First, we go through the forms of life that are possible, what we're looking for, the "rules" that tell us where it is most likely we're gonna find signs of life. Then, we talk about slight complications such as time dilation and nice little theories like the Fermi Paradox or the Dark Forest Theory. Naturally, we also go into what our Solar System is like, how it is that only Earth hosts life (supposedly).
[image] Like I said in one of my status updates, we ufortunately only got a glimpse. We scratched the surface and did pose some interesting questions. Definitely a nice way to wet one's appetite, but it left me feeling slightly peckish.
Nevertheless, the author knows her stuff (duh) and one can tell that she's a teacher / professor because how she breaks down even the most complex subject matters was pretty cool (I always agreed with the saying that if you can't explain something complicated in a simple way, it means you didn't understand it yourself). I would have loved attending at least one of her lectures and hope her students know just how lucky they are.
This book gives a great overview on the topic and absolutely smashes recommendations for further literature so I think it's a fantastic starting point for anyone interested in astronomy or someone who already is well-versed in the topic but wants a different angle....more
The next (in publication order) of Heinlein's juvenile stories.
Humanity has colonized Mars. Jim Marlowe lives there with his family. His best friend iThe next (in publication order) of Heinlein's juvenile stories.
Humanity has colonized Mars. Jim Marlowe lives there with his family. His best friend is Willis, a creature native to Mars. One day, he is sent to school where he encounters what I can only describe as Mrs. Trunchbull's twin brother. Jim's school friend, Frank, is doing what he can to help, but the headmaster has it in for them and when he discovers Willis ... It all gets worse when Willis, after having been confiscated by the headmaster, accidentally listens to a conversation that uncovers a plot against the Mars colonists.
Two boys and their pet friend trying to escape almost impossible odds, running across a hostile planet and racing the baddies to get word out ... it doesn't get more classic than this adventure.
Again, the structure of the story was obviously for younger readers, but that doesn't mean that Heinlein didn't once again tackle big questions. Such as immigration vs isolationalism, the intrepid spirit of some people, intolerance / disgust towards anything "different" and how stupid it is. There is more, of course, but those were the strongest themes here in my opinion.
I liked the boys' friendship but also both boys' family ties as Heinlein is very good at describing human relationships realistically (not too idealistically).
Nevertheless, this was not as good as others. But better than the last (again, if viewed in publication order) and I can absolutely see people awaiting the next one anxiously. All these ARE fun with a rather wonderful can-do spirit and I just love the many scientific fact and how the author explained things to his readers (of any age)!...more
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