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| 1534323341
| 9781534323346
| 1534323341
| 4.31
| 14,176
| Oct 05, 2022
| Oct 05, 2022
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liked it
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3.5 stars
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Notes are private!
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1
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Feb 13, 2024
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Feb 15, 2024
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Feb 13, 2024
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Paperback
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| 0446671274
| 9780446671279
| 0446671274
| 4.00
| 10,378
| 1988
| Sep 01, 1995
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None
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Notes are private!
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1
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Nov 15, 2023
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not set
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Nov 15, 2023
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Paperback
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| 0886771390
| 9780886771393
| 0886771390
| 4.05
| 2,778
| Jan 01, 1982
| Jul 01, 1982
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liked it
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3.5 stars
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Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 23, 2023
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Oct 27, 2023
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Oct 23, 2023
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Paperback
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| 0756400597
| 9780756400590
| 0756400597
| 3.90
| 15,732
| 1981
| Dec 01, 2001
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really liked it
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3.5 - 4 stars I’ve generally had a hard time getting into C. J. Cherryh’s work despite numerous attempts. A case in point would be this very volume: th 3.5 - 4 stars I’ve generally had a hard time getting into C. J. Cherryh’s work despite numerous attempts. A case in point would be this very volume: this must be at least my third attempt at reading _Downbelow Station_ (arguably one of Cherryh’s best works) and while I did end up enjoying it thoroughly this time, I can still see some of the things that may have contributed to my previous relative ambivalence towards her writing. The primary one would have to be her style, which I think does take some getting used to. I don’t know if I can exactly put my finger on what it is aside from saying that it strikes me as…odd. In one sense her prose is fairly straightforward (I don’t think I’d be inclined to label her a stylist), but despite its relatively unadorned structure her prose does often seem to have strange constructions…odd ways of formatting sentences, and sometimes even paragraphs, that threw me a bit. On the other hand, she is quite strong when it comes to character and plot, the things that I would say drive this novel, and while the build up may be slow, it definitely pays off. I also love me a good future history and Cherryh’s Alliance-Union universe is probably one of the seminal works in this category. It’s a grimy-gritty sci-fi world (though it does have FTL) that (in this work at least) straddles a line between working class sci-fi (in its look and feel, especially the tech), military sci-fi, and space opera (primarily in its scope as it is very far from the science-fantasy ethos that I at least tend to attribute to that sub-genre). The plot itself is very much a tangled web of politics and competing interests and when paired with the military and espionage elements that are also central, the book almost felt like a sci-fi thriller to me. The main scene of action is the titular Downbelow Station, a space station orbiting the world of Pell (also colloquially known as Downbelow) where the first extra-terrestrials discovered by humanity live. The station has existed for many decades, part of a string of stations joining Sol to a web of commerce and discovery set up during humanity’s infancy in space when STL travel was still the norm. By this point in time the far-flung settlements of Earth have grown beyond the capacity of their mother world to control, or even fully understand, and the logistics introduced by the discovery of FTL have made any hopes of the mother world to control her far flung colonies all but useless. Tensions are at a boiling point as the ‘Union’ of worlds in the Beyond has been fighting a war against the Earth Company and her dwindling fleet. Downbelow is a linchpin in the connection between Earth and the wider human ecumene, especially now when other stations have been subject to mysterious catastrophes. One such catastrophe opens the novel as the Earth fleet ship Norway jumps into Pell space and demands the station provide asylum to the survivors of the most recent disasters on Russell’s and Mariner Stations that it has in tow. What follows is a political and logistical nightmare as the station is forced to deal not only with more refugees than it can manage, but the underlying stratagems and plans of the Earth Company, their disgruntled (and diminished) fleet under the command of the despotic Captain Mazian, and the far-flung Union which is now pressing its advantage to the very doorstep of Downbelow. Cherryh populates her world with a large and varied cast of characters, including the Konstantin dynasty that control Downbelow, the enigmatic and hard edged Maziani captain Signy Mallory of the Norway, the mysterious Union prisoner-cum-refugee Josh Talley, and the furry and eager-to-please alien Hisa (also known as ‘Downers’) that populate both the station and planet of Pell…to name only a few. Cherryh’s worldbuilding is well done and her future history feels lived in and realistic. The claustrophobic danger of both space travel (in ships that don’t feel like flying living rooms with every conceivable comfort available and the computer-generated distraction provided as the norm in many more contemporary sci-fi works) and life on a space station are realistically portrayed and show both humanity’s resilience and weakness in the face of the great unknown of space. ...more |
Notes are private!
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1
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Oct 11, 2023
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Oct 23, 2023
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Oct 11, 2023
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0593098277
| 9780593098271
| 0593098277
| 3.89
| 72,339
| Apr 1985
| Jun 04, 2019
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really liked it
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The final volume of Frank Herbert’s Dune series comes to an end (yes, I know there are ‘sequels’ out there, but I choose to ignore their existence) an
The final volume of Frank Herbert’s Dune series comes to an end (yes, I know there are ‘sequels’ out there, but I choose to ignore their existence) and I find myself both pleased and disappointed (I seem to experience ambiguity quite often when I come to books in and about the Dune universe). On the one hand I am sad it’s over with no definitive conclusion, on the other I am pleased to have found that the series not only held up, but actually appeared to be better than I remembered. I have to admit that I came I to this volume assuming I might only give it a 2 or 2.5 star rating, perhaps 3 stars at most, based on my recollections that the later Dune books continued to decline in quality until you came to the nadir with this final volume of Herbert’s original work. I’ll still admit that I can see how most (or maybe even all) of the volumes after Dune itself are perhaps an acquired taste, but I have to say that I have found myself impressed with the series as a whole on this re-read and have definitely come away with a much greater appreciation for the overarching story of the Dune universe that Herbert was trying to tell. We come as the Sisterhood of the Bene Gesserit are beset on all sides by the seemingly overwhelming power of the Honored Matres, newly arrived refugees from the Scattering. Proving to be almost unbeatable in their combat skills and overwhelming in numbers, the Honored Matres are overtaking Bene Gesserit planets one by one, enslaving their populations or obliterating their worlds when necessary. Even Arrakis, the infamous Dune itself, is now nothing but a glassed wasteland destroyed by the vengeful Honored Matres. Unable to attack, the Sisterhood waits, plans, and hopes on their central world of Chapterhouse with nothing to protect them other than the shielding of their genetic heritage - built into them by Leto II, the Tyrant - and the no-ship technology which together allow them to avoid mechanical and prescient prying eyes. It is an open question, however, just how long they will be able to remain hidden. Luckily, they have some special resources in addition to their vaunted powers and link to generational Other Memory, key among which are the mentat-ghola of Duncan Idaho, his captured Honored Matre lover Murbella, and the woman Sheeana whose attunement to the worms of now destroyed Arrakis made her such a desirable addition to their ranks. They have also adopted the nefarious axlotl ‘tank’ technology under the guidance of the captured Tleilaxu Master Scytale and have decanted their own creation: a child ghola-clone of the redoubtable Bashar Miles Teg. Will it be enough to save them? The prospective reader will be pleased to know that they do get at least a partial answer to this question in this volume, so they are not left completely hanging, but there are still a number of significant story threads that I would have loved to have seen Herbert tie up. No doubt this is part of the difficulty of judging the Dune series as a whole (especially if you choose to ignore the latter efforts of Herbert-fils and his ghost writer friend) and may have contributed to the general ambiguity (if not outright dislike) often heaped upon Herbert-pere’s later volumes. It can perhaps be difficult to judge the subsequent volumes of the Dune series without being unduly influenced by the giant shadow cast by the first book, but I think it’s an exercise worth trying. Dune itself is certainly a genre making, or shaking, book and its shadow is long indeed, but despite this fact, for me it is no longer ‘Dune and all the books that kept getting progressively weirder that followed it’ in my mind; now it is ‘the stories of the Dune universe that evolved as Herbert worked on and developed his ideas.’ There is still plenty of weirdness here, no doubt of that, but it’s a weirdness that I now find much less jarring and I enjoy the subsequent volumes not only in and of themselves, but as a part of the greater story of the Dune universe which I find a fascinating place. I think Frank Herbert was a victim of his own success with the first volume and I would have loved to have seen how he would have developed this ongoing universe in his own way, but alas that was not to be. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Aug 03, 2021
Aug 03, 2021
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Aug 19, 2021
Aug 19, 2021
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Aug 03, 2021
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Paperback
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| 0593098250
| 9780593098257
| 0593098250
| 3.88
| 123,263
| May 1981
| Jun 04, 2019
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really liked it
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3.5 – 4 stars March 2024 re-read thoughts: Sorry haters, but you’re wrong, this is a good book. That said I would have to agree that it has its issues: 3.5 – 4 stars March 2024 re-read thoughts: Sorry haters, but you’re wrong, this is a good book. That said I would have to agree that it has its issues: Herbert’s penchant to tell instead of show (esp. through inner monologues, or in this case Leto worm-splaining his ways to others) is on display, but somehow I find that it works in the Dune books, perhaps partly because I find the content so intriguing, and partly because sometimes a writer can break the ‘rules’ when it serves the story overall. And yes, I agree that this is a weird book…and they’re only going to get weirder as the series progresses, but I think that’s a feature, not a bug. My guess is that most readers coming off of the initial ‘trilogy’ with its close-up view of the initial seizing of power in the Imperium by the Atreides ultimately want more of the same. More Muad’Dib, more rhythmless desert-walking, more blue-within-blue eyes, but Herbert wanted to move on…and I applaud him for it. It likely goes without saying that the universe in which a cadre of drug-addled psychic witches with a secret breeding scheme for humanity that results in the untimely advent of the messianic Kwisatz Haderach who launches a galaxy-spanning jihad through the use of prescience can only go somewhere truly weird from where it began. The evolution of a worm-human hybrid that holds humanity’s future in a steel grip for ends that only he came foresee seems like a great swerve to me. I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: Herbert was pretty brave in moving forward with his story of the Dune universe instead of simply cashing in and giving the public more of the same (oh, hi there Brian Herbert!) Like it or not, he went where the story took him even if it wasn’t where all of his readers necessarily wanted him to go. Aside from his ecological themes and concerns I think you could safely say that one of Herbert’s main interests in the Dune series is the investigation of what it means to be human. From the first testing of Paul by the Reverend Mother Mohiam to something of a culmination of the topic in this volume, the distinction between what is truly human and what is merely an animal with a veneer of culture is an important one. In God Emperor we see Leto attempting to truly ‘humanize’ the race, breaking us away from an unknowing slavery to our animal instincts, which he is able to see so clearly thanks to his millennia of contemplating the inner lives of his ancestral memories. But towards (or away from) what exactly is Leto’s grand plan leading humanity? What’s the point? In part it seems to be away from apathy, mere safety, and the repetition of their mistakes which are constantly repeated throughout history. In part it seems to aim to protect them from some larger, perhaps external, threat that could snuff out humanity if they continue to follow the path of their natural evolution. The Bene Gesserit apparently had inklings of this knowledge, as seen in their philosophy and breeding program, but it apparently required the creation of a seemingly immortal worm-human hybrid, a true alien, to understand what was required to break humanity out from under the chains of their instinctual responses and allow them to move forward and onward to something truly new. One other element of Herbert’s Dune series that’s intriguing is the seeming black and white nature of its heroes and villains which then seem to shift under our very eyes. Of course, we have the honour-bound Atreides struggling against the vile, decadent Harkonnens…only to find that they are actually one and the same (genetically speaking). Our hero Paul, the young victim that witnesses the slaughter of his family and friends, becomes the instrument for the largest genocidal war in the history of humanity. Making the hero the villain and then making the villain sympathetic seems to linger behind much of the Dune series: the Atreides are the most obvious example, but there is also the Bene Gesserit who are painted as witches and masters of Machiavellian manipulation only to ultimately shine forth as guardians of humanity and heroes in later volumes. Is Leto evil? Or is he merely a paternalistic figure who can see beyond our limited vision? Was Paul evil, or was he driven by circumstances beyond his control? Is Herbert side-stepping the issue or pointing out the inherent ambiguities? I find it intriguing regardless. Original review: Leto II has re-made the Imperium in a bid to re-make the human race. For three and a half thousand years humanity has lived under his despotic rule, molded by seemingly undying hands that are no longer human. But remnants of the old world still linger on and the Bene Tleilax and Bene Gesserit, not to mention the technologists of Ix who skirt the edges of the Butlerian prohibitions, still hope to wrest the reins of power from the godlike worm-man Leto Atreides. In addition to this not all of the Atreides scions, produced by the god-emperor’s breeding program, are content to be pawns to their illustrious and (seemingly) ever-living forebear. The spark of rebellion smolders and Herbert’s wheels within wheels within wheels continue to turn. Leto would have it no other way as all appears to work towards his design. Leto is a self-proclaimed predator whose prey is humanity and his purpose is to teach them the lessons that only the cruel truths of survival can teach in the hopes that it will bring humanity out of its long adolescence that had been motivated by primal fears, myths, and instincts into a more nuanced and adult form of understanding and perceiving their universe. It is, in his words “…the predator’s necessary cruelty.” Whatever others may think of it I find this volume of the Dune series fascinating. I wonder if some of the traditional aversion to these later three volumes of the saga doesn’t come from many readers’ desire to have ‘more of the same’? In contravention to this, Herbert’s opposed aim of developing his ideas and themes beyond the initial conditions and circumstances of the first three books can obviously frustrate expectations. We aren’t in Kansas (or old style Arrakis) anymore. I have to admit that there’s probably a small part of me that agrees with the dissenting voices and wishes for more of the same as well, but the other part of me is glad that Herbert resisted temptation and followed his story where it led him…however far out that may have been. Arrakis (no longer “Dune” in any parlance) is now green, with the small ‘Sareer’, maintained by Leto as his refuge, as the sole remnant of the once planet-spanning desert. The Fremen have finally achieved their paradise, but at what cost? They are now known sneeringly as the ‘’Museum Fremen” and exist only to perform in hollow re-enactments of their cultural traditions, traditions they no longer understand, for tourists. Leto has arranged everything in his empire according to his design, a design that is meant to bring about the ‘golden path’ for humanity, but just what does this mean? For a great part this has apparently meant an enforced tranquility and the dampening of all travel and conflict throughout the Imperium…though of course, humans being humans, conflict still exists as sparks of rebellion flourish but Leto harshly puts these down with his new ‘Fish Speaker’ army of amazon warriors who are solely devoted to their god-emperor. According to Leto humanity’s fatal flaw has been their reliance on the past and the patterns ingrained into them by eons of evolution. Only one such as Leto, with access to the nearly infinite memories that lay at the foundation of these instincts, can see this and force humanity out of its rut. This is Leto’s golden path. A way for humanity to move beyond its heritage. Leto’s golden path also hinges on a breeding plan taken, much to their chagrin, from the hands of the Bene Gesserit. Leto’s aim, however, differs from theirs as he seeks a different ‘perfection’ in the Atreides genes of his descendants that veers sharply from the original goal of the kwisatz haderach. In addition to this breeding program Leto has also been serially producing gholas of Duncan Idaho. He claims to miss his old friend, but his reasons for this serial resurrection appear to go well beyond the personal. These Duncan gholas, remnants of a bygone era and forced to adapt to circumstances that are strange indeed, have a unique place in Leto’s brave new world. The newest Duncan, like all of those before him, struggles with the observation “this is not Atreides” as he witnesses the actions, one might say the atrocities, of the god-emperor. It brings to mind the fact that the Harkonnens and the Atreides are simply two sides of the same coin…literally. Though, of course, whatever the appearances may be Leto II has only the good of the human race at heart…at least that is what he avers. Aside from this overarching concern, the Duncans also have a purely personal reason for their ambivalence towards Leto. As the one we come to know quite well in this volume says himself: “There’s a time, Leto, a time when you’re alive. A time when you’re supposed to be alive. It can have a magic, that time, while you’re living it. You know you’re never going to see a time like that again…and [now] it’s supposed to start all over again. But it doesn’t. It never does, Leto. That’s a crime!” Duncan is truly a man out of time forced to confront realities he would never have imagined possible, especially under Atreides rule, and the psychic dissonance proves to be a hard strain on him/them. Besides Leto and Duncan there are four other characters that play a pivotal role in the story: Siona Atreides and her father Moneo, one a stalwart opponent of Leto intent on bringing down his empire no matter the cost, and the other his majordomo and right-hand man: both the products of Leto’s breeding program they play key roles in his design whether they are aware of it or not; Hwi Noree, the mysterious new ambassador from Ix, whose apparently sweet nature and immediate attractiveness to the emperor may hide the seeds of his destruction; and finally Nayla the Fish Speaker, who gives fanatical devotion a face and finds herself conflicted by the very orders of her god. The crux of the plot centers around the question of whether, after enduring millennia of his rule, the enemies of Leto II have finally managed to find the chink in his armour. Is the god-emperor at last to be brought down by an appeal to his almost vanished human nature? Will a god abandon his plan of millennia to fulfill the desires of his heart? If he does, what will be the result? This is a very thought-provoking book with a lot to say about politics, philosophy, and religion. I might not buy everything that Herbert is selling here, but he definitely gives the reader a lot to chew on and I was pleased with this extension of the Dune universe into new and intriguing directions. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Mar 27, 2024
Jul 14, 2021
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Apr 04, 2024
Jul 23, 2021
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Jul 14, 2021
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Paperback
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| 0593098242
| 9780593098240
| 0593098242
| 3.96
| 209,255
| Apr 1976
| Jun 04, 2019
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really liked it
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I know the rep that all of the Dune books after the first one have, but I have to admit that I think they really add to the saga Herbert started (keep
I know the rep that all of the Dune books after the first one have, but I have to admit that I think they really add to the saga Herbert started (keep in mind we are *not* talking about the detritus penned by his son here) and while things may occasionally go off the rails a bit I’m definitely glad for them. So far in my re-read of the saga I enjoyed this volume of the Dune series far more than I previously recall from my first go-around given the fact that I bumped up my rating by a star. I am starting to wonder if it might be nearly as good as the first volume. This is perhaps largely due to the fact that it not only gives Herbert the opportunity to develop his ideas (which were admittedly quite well developed in the first book) but also, and perhaps especially, he appears to have much greater scope for his characters (which I feel get the most room for growth here as compared to volumes one and two)…so maybe it’s better? Well, no, I don’t think I’m ready to say that. Or maybe just as good? Hmm, well…while I do think it may have advantages that even the first volume doesn’t, in the end I think it does lack that peculiar je ne sais quoi that made Dune a classic of the genre. The innovation of the first volume of the series, its sense of newness and surprise, cannot, I think, be beaten, which is perhaps what makes volume three fall just a bit short of its progenitor. Alia, now regent of both her brother’s children and his empire, succumbs to the siren song of power and (more perilously) the multitude of voices that live within her as one of the ‘pre-born’. This ultimately leads to her pitting herself against her mother in a bid to gain absolute power. And so finally, with no one left to stand against them, it has come to this and Atreides fights Atreides for the Imperium…not to mention the very fate of the human race. Ah, but not so fast, you say, for a Corrino scion waits in the wings and watches for his chance as the mighty Atreides and their once united Fremen begin to shatter and fight amongst themselves. Will Salusa Secundus perhaps once again give birth to an emperor? But hold on a minute! We must, of course, not forget about the twins. One would be most unwise to reckon the fate of Arrakis without taking into account the extraordinary children of Muad’Dib: playing both sides against each other as they attempt to walk the razor’s edge of prophecy (without falling victim to the trap that overtook their father) Leto and Ghanima must contend not only with the forces outside of them that seek their overthrow, but the very inner voices that appear to have consumed their aunt. Sit back and enjoy as the shenanigans ensue. I think that characters are really the strong point of this volume with Alia front and centre in the list. She certainly becomes a fascinating villain: a victim of her own powers and the vicissitudes of her birth, she is worthy of pity even as she becomes contemptible. Herbert continues his trend of simultaneously painting the Atreides as saviours of the human race, and also susceptible victims of their own hubris. They are as likely to cause harm as bring about good, though one hopes that in the balance they will err on the side of right. This is perhaps nowhere more visible than in the figure of their legendary retainer the swordmaster Duncan Idaho. Duncan, a man who has already had to deal with the fact that he was brought back from beyond death, must stand witness as the woman he loves falls to her inner demons (literally) and have the very faith and loyalty to the Atreides that has been the hallmark of his life (indeed it is almost a program written into his soul) become the source of his greatest test and greatest pain. (view spoiler)[This is something with which the gholas of Duncan Idaho will have to contend throughout the subsequent volumes of the original series as the motives of the Atreides continue to come into question and the consequences of their actions keep shaking the human universe. (hide spoiler)] Perhaps Idaho himself provides the best commentary on the ambiguous nature of his devotion to the Atreides:(view spoiler)[ “Two deaths for the Atreides,” Idaho husked. “The second for no better reason than the first.” (hide spoiler)] In addition to Alia and Idaho, the twins have centre stage and prove to be fascinating figures. Apparent children with the knowledge and memories of generations of their forebears, they are an uncanny duo and, given the example of Alia, it is little wonder that even members of their own family view them with suspicion and fear…feelings that may end up being born out in the end. Add to this the Preacher, an enigmatic and literal voice from the wilderness whose identity is never really in doubt to the reader (I think) and whose sole aim seems to be the toppling of the Atreides power structure. Rounding out the cast are Jessica Atreides, who could be said to have started the whole mess off, and Farad’n Corrino whose roles and relationship take unexpected turns as the story progresses. And last, but not least in my eyes, we even get to see good old Gurney Halleck in something that is a smidge more than a supporting role (but alas only a smidge) which makes me happy. It’s an embarrassment of riches when it comes to characters, though I suppose that may be what leads to one of the book’s flaws: with so many characters your favourite is bound to get short shrift to allow for another to have some page time. I found the story itself to be compelling, though with all of the political maneuvering and philosophical opining about the nature of prescience and reality it can get a bit dense. Of course, if you’re reading the Dune series and have gotten this far, you’re probably used to that and on a re-read it’s really not that difficult to follow. By the end of this volume I’d say we reach the conclusion of part one in the saga of the Atreides: the story of Muad’Dib and his immediate impact on Arrakis and the Imperium has reached a culmination in the Golden Path. It is for the next three volumes to show us where this golden path leads. Hang on…it’s only going to get bumpier from this point on. ...more |
Notes are private!
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2
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Jul 02, 2021
not set
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Jul 12, 2021
not set
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Jul 02, 2021
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Paperback
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| 0593098234
| 9780593098233
| 0593098234
| 3.89
| 331,192
| Jul 01, 1969
| Jun 04, 2019
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liked it
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3 - 3.5 stars In the initial volume of the Dune series the ‘good guys’ won, but at what cost? And is the universe a better or a worse place as a result 3 - 3.5 stars In the initial volume of the Dune series the ‘good guys’ won, but at what cost? And is the universe a better or a worse place as a result? The fact of Paul’s bloody jihad which has spread across human space is perhaps the most poignant answer to this question. Even those that fought for Muad’Dib are uncertain of the rightness of their actions and we hear the answer one perhaps most strongly feels in the voice of the shattered figure of Otheym, the former Fedaykin (or Death Commando in Paul’s army): “I don’t like the world we’re making, you know that? It was better when we were alone in the desert with only the Harkonnens for enemy.” You know what they say: power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely. But is this a case of a power mad emperor, or are the causes more subtle than that? Is Paul Atreides as much a pawn to the events around him as the meanest peon in his empire? Regardless of the answer to this question those who have been displaced by the rise of the new emperor would agree with Otheym’s estimation and thus after twelve years on the Lion Throne we witness machinations whose aim is the fall of Paul Muad’Dib, the kwisatz haderach and culmination of a ten thousand year breeding plan. Unable to use the new emperor as their intended pawn, the Bene Gesserit that created him have joined in an unlikely alliance with their former rivals, the Spacing Guild and the hated Bene Tleilax, in a conspiracy that hopes to bring down the messiah of the Fremen jihad that has spread across the universe. But how do you trap one who can see the future? Thus we enter into a tale of secret machinations and twisted alliances, or as Frank Herbert would put it: wheels within wheels within wheels. Paul and his sister Alia must face an unknown enemy that hides in plain sight and proves a possible match even for their prescient vision. Friends who may be enemies surround them and the apparent return of an old voice from the Atreides past may be the secret to their destruction, or perhaps their salvation. I enjoyed this volume, though nowhere near as much as the first. I definitely appreciated the ambiguity with which Paul and his reign are depicted: I would certainly say that Paul himself is not evil, but his actions have been unable to halt the horrors of his prescient vision and the pain he has caused (directly or indirectly) in the human universe is nearly incalculable. The optimist of the earlier volume appears to have become a pragmatist as Paul has apparently accepted his inability to turn his visions into anything approximating a paradise for mankind. Unable to create the best of all possible worlds he instead seems content with attempting to find the one that will do the least harm…though the death toll of his jihad would cause one to wonder if his judgement erred in that choice. Even his closest friends and allies find themselves uncomfortable in his presence (how does one rub shoulder with a prescient messiah?) and the old days of hardship and struggle seem a paradise in comparison to the new world of luxury and power even to the reader. In the end Paul must make perhaps the hardest choice of his life (a life that has been filled with difficult choices) and the end of an era is assured, though what new thing may rise out of it still seems to be beyond even the prescient knowledge of Paul himself. For all that it shows us the world that resulted from Paul’s actions in volume one this is very much a ‘middle volume’ of the Duna saga: setting up the reader for what I would consider the culmination of the story of the rise of the Atreides and their effect on the human race in _Children of Dune_. ...more |
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2
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Jun 28, 2021
not set
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Jul 02, 2021
not set
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Jun 28, 2021
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0441172717
| 9780441172719
| 0441172717
| 4.28
| 1,449,933
| Jun 01, 1965
| Apr 2020
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it was amazing
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I don't have too much substantial to add to my original review aside from a few thoughts: - I was rather struck this time around by the reluctance of P I don't have too much substantial to add to my original review aside from a few thoughts: - I was rather struck this time around by the reluctance of Paul to embrace his ‘destiny’ until the final moments. His continuing desire to find a way to escape the fate that he sees barreling towards him makes him an attractive figure that steps a bit outside of the expected hero mould. Yet ultimately for all his struggle with accepting his destiny, he proves himself more than capable of stepping into the role assigned to him even when it appears to undermine his humanity. This ambivalent aspect of the ‘hero complex’ will of course be examined in greater detail in subsequent volumes. The very fact that these volumes will have as their central struggle the need to undo the apparent errors brought about as a result of Paul’s ‘omniscience’ and ‘foretelling’ of the future for humanity can be seen to question the very validity of the role of ‘hero’ in human endeavours...but I'm getting a bit ahead of myself. - Apropos of nothing in particular I really like the characters of Stilgar and Liet Kynes. Also, the apparently naive simplicity of the original planetologist Pardot Kynes, who planted the seeds of the Fremen dream onto which Paul was able to adhere his messianic role, was both amusing and entertaining. - I think I might dislike the Emperor and his family even more than the Harkonnens. At least the latter are relatively plain-dealing villains with whom it comes as no surprise when you find a knife in your back. I really enjoyed seeing Paul put the screws to Shaddam in the final pages. - I'm really quite petty: I refused to read the Afterword by Brian Herbert due to his tainting of all things Dune with his co-conspirator Kevin Anderson...talk about a pack of Harkonnens! ...more |
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Jun 14, 2021
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Jun 28, 2021
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Jun 14, 2021
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Mass Market Paperback
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| 0425105008
| 9780425105009
| 0425105008
| 4.11
| 4,159
| Jun 1984
| Jun 15, 1984
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really liked it
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4 - 4.5 stars This book makes me both happy and sad. Happy because it is a truly excellent resource for the world of Dune which is itself, in my mind a 4 - 4.5 stars This book makes me both happy and sad. Happy because it is a truly excellent resource for the world of Dune which is itself, in my mind at least, a seminal work in the science fiction genre; sad because not only is this considered non-canon, but it throws into sharp relief the utter turpitude of the works that have instead become canon for this world: namely the crapulous products extruded by Herbert’s son and his accomplice Kevin Anderson in the never-ending string of sequels and prequels that clog the bookstore shelves. So be warned, you know where I stand and what axe I have to grind when I look at this book. Presented as the product of scholars from within the fictional world of Dune itself millenia after the fall of Leto II and his ‘Golden Path’ for humanity, the varied entries present the reader with an informative and entertaining expansion of the universe as initially set up by Herbert père. In many ways this could be seen as a loving work of fan-fiction as compiled by a troupe of ardent admirers, though that makes the work sound like much less than I think it is. Whether it’s in the creation of figures like Harq al-Harba (the mysterious and much lauded ‘Shakespeare’ of the Atreides imperium), the explication of the history (or histories) and development of the Bene Gesserit Order, or the scientific explanation of the ubiquitous holtzman effect, a scientific discovery that ultimately made the imperium possible, this book is a fascinating and entertaining experience. The encyclopedia is very much more than the sum of its parts and is not so much (or only) an explication of the canonical people, places, and events of Herbert’s Dune universe as it is a creative imagining of the various nooks, crannies, and corners of that universe as envisioned by people that were enamoured of it and who used the information they had available, as well as their own creative impulses, to create something remarkable. As we read the words attributed to fictional scholars from the very universe they are investigating we are presented with a uniquely thought-provoking amalgamation of fiction and nonfiction. It is a reference work that is also a story in its own right. I like to imagine that this is perhaps one of the many universes that Mua’Dib himself saw in one of his spice dreams even if it is not officially canon (though at the time of its publication it did receive the implicit approval of Frank Herbert). Indeed, it seems to me that it paints a far more interesting picture (and one I think more true to both the spirit and the letter of Frank Herbert’s original series) than anything currently stamped with the Herbert estate seal of approval. One interesting element of the book is the fact that some of the entries seem to contradict each other (though usually only in small points or in off-handed ways) and I was a little bit thrown by this at first when I detected an apparent ‘error’ until I realized how much it added to the verisimilitude of the work overall and granted to its conceit of authorship (namely that that it was written by different scholars based primarily on newly unearthed material from the ‘Rakis Horde’ discovered millenia after the hey-day of Mua’dib and his jihad) a very deft mark of authenticity. I’d have to say that I now think of it as a feature, not a bug. I was also intrigued by the way in which the encyclopedia points out the ambivalence inherent in the central heroes of Herbert’s series. It would seem a truism to a reader of these books that the Harkonnens are simply evil while the Atreides represent all that is just and good: a voice of resistance against the unjust forces arrayed against them, both noble and imperial. But we see through this book, and its supposed authors of post-Atreides scholars, an ultimate sense of ambivalence towards the Atreides’ place in human history. The book seems to go out of its way, through the supposed collective voice of subsequent scholars, to show how ultimately destructive were the Atreides, the supposed heroes of the story, not only to the human ecumene in general, but especially to the Fremen, for whom they were supposed to be literal saviours. In the end Leto II’s harsh path for humanity may have been necessary (though only to break them out of the trap his father had apparently put them in), but I’m not sure if it can be argued that in the end the Atreides did anything other than destroy the Fremen at the same time as they fulfilled their hopes…a powerful message in itself: be careful what you wish for, especially if it is a saviour. The Atreides may have been necessary for the ultimate survival of humanity in their universe, but if so they were perhaps a necessary evil. A great and immersive read that I'd recommend to any fans of the original series (and yes, I'm one of the weird ones that actually likes all six of the original books). ...more |
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May 29, 2021
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Jun 22, 2021
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May 28, 2021
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Paperback
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| 031621759X
| 9780316217590
| B0157VRVVC
| 4.44
| 101,023
| Jun 02, 2015
| Jun 02, 2015
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liked it
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Wow. So they did it, they finally really did it. The maniacs. No spoilers (assuming you don’t get the reference), but humanity is stuck between a rock
Wow. So they did it, they finally really did it. The maniacs. No spoilers (assuming you don’t get the reference), but humanity is stuck between a rock and a hard place with the stakes higher than they’ve ever been as we see how far some are willing to go in the name of their political ends and own sense of ‘justice’. As the story starts, however, there is no hint that “it” will happen and it initiallly appears as though the ‘big’ story of the solar system at large will take a back seat to something quieter as our intrepid heroes are all separated, each going off in different directions to deal with some personal matters. Of course they each inevitably get drawn back together as their tales once again dovetail against the backdrop of the larger plot. This structure allows us to have a nice mixture of ‘smaller’ personal stories and the larger tale of the human ecumene, and it also allows us to get a glimpse into the personal lives, and pasts, of some of the ‘secondary’ members of the Rocinante crew (though once again it is Naomi and Amos who prove to be the most interesting and I couldn’t help but feel that Alex’s backstory was little more than a filler as he continues to remain the least compelling member of the crew). The Rocinante is in dry-dock at Tycho Station getting much needed repairs done and Naomi, Amos, and Alex decide it is a good time to take some leave, especially as some of them are visited by shadows from their past. Left out of sorts and on his own Holden decides to assist in the repairs on his ship and gets sucked into the mystery of some missing colony ships that have gone out to the Ring that is brought to his attention by former acquaintance Monica Stuart. Alex is going back to Mars to try and patch things up with his ex-wife (*yawn*), while Amos returns down the well to mother Earth as he hears that a former friend has recently died (Amos had friends?!), and Naomi gets a mysterious message from someone from her shrouded past and immediately heads out to the Belt demanding that Holden ask her no questions and not follow her (hmmmm). Naomi’s tale is by far the most compelling and her character really gets a chance to shine in this volume of the series. We finally get to see some of what made Naomi into the person she is today and man all I can say is that she’s been carrying around her fair share of baggage. We also get some cameos by old friends and enemies including Bobbie, Avasarala, and Clarissa Mao (of course it doesn’t need to be stated that Fred Johnson looms large in the periphery as well). The progression of political events in the story move along at a rapid clip once they break through the veneer of the more personal stories with which the volume begins and, as is to be expected really, there are repeated crises and climaxes that all culminate in an uneasy new status quo for the entire solar system. Earth, Mars, and the OPA will never be the same…but then that’s been the case since volume one, right? ...more |
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Aug 13, 2019
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Sep 05, 2019
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Aug 13, 2019
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Kindle Edition
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| 4.22
| 112,431
| Jun 17, 2014
| Jun 17, 2014
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liked it
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3 – 3.5 stars Not quite as captivating as previous volumes, but still a solid entry in the Expanse catalogue, _Cibola Burn_ gives us more planet-bound 3 – 3.5 stars Not quite as captivating as previous volumes, but still a solid entry in the Expanse catalogue, _Cibola Burn_ gives us more planet-bound adventure than ever before along with the requisite ship/habitat elements we’ve come to expect as we witness the unfolding (and obvious) implications for humanity of a universe newly populated with easy to reach habitable worlds. The protomolecule Rings have opened up the universe for makind and brought us face-to-face with our own greed and selfishness as competing factions fight for the rights to settle, exploit, and ultimately control one of the newly discovered ‘goldilocks worlds’ now accessible to a humanity previously confined to their own solar system. It appears that a group of refugee squatters from the Belt took advantage of the relative confusion inherent in the discovery of the Rings immediately following the events of Abaddon's Gate and have set up a ramshackle colony on the world of Ilus (or New Terra depending on who you ask) in order to mine the rich lithium deposits there. Unfortunately for them the UN on Earth has subsequently claimed the sole right to grant settlement rights to any and all prospective colonists to the new worlds and have given them for this one to the Royal Charter Energy company (RCE) who have now arrived to assert their ‘legal’ claim. Having friends in high places isn’t always an advantage, as James Holden learns when he and his crew get stuck in the middle of a debate that realistically can have no good outcome and he is drafted to act as the impartial mediator of a conflict that is quickly turning from a political to a military one. The authors have generally done a good job of having some shades of grey in their heroes and villains throughout the series (as can be seen in their ability to create a likeable sociopath in the form of Amos Burton, nicknamed “murder-snuggles” by some in fandom). Most of the time they have been able to walk the line of creating characters who are ostensibly ‘villains’ yet are shown to be so mostly due to bad choices and regrettable circumstances, while many ‘heroes’ show themselves capable of brutal actions, out of a perceived sense of necessity, that might not be considered purely good when viewed objectively. They continue to do a pretty good job of walking this line in this volume, making the expected bad guys from RCE primarily made up of scientists who ultimately want to expand humanity’s sphere of knowledge and get on with the business of discovery, while simultaneously showing how the ‘underdog’ squatters can be turned into bloody-minded terrorists at the least provocation. That being said, the ultimate villain, RCE’s security chief Murtry, seemed to me to be very close to a cartoon caricature of the evil corporate goon we’ve seen before. I wouldn’t really contest the implied statement being made by the authors that corporations are generally not looking out for anyone but themselves, even when they’re not actively evil, but I’m curious if we’ll see them branch out to some other kinds of villain in future works. To add to the human drama there is, of course, the looming danger of the alien unknown. Now that humanity has discovered that we’re not alone in the universe all bets are off. It was bad enough that even though they are apparently extinct the Protomolecule Masters were nearly able to destroy the earth from beyond the grave; now it is becoming apparent that whatever unimaginably powerful force managed to wipe them out may still be waiting in the wings to pounce upon a humanity intent on boldly going where angels fear to tread. This is proven in spades by the discoveries made on Ilus that point towards not only how dangerous (not to mention incomprehensible) the remaining protomolecule tech is, but that there are still shadows waiting in the darkness to go bump in the night. It is this dual threat that permeates all of the Expanse books that causes me to liken them to zombie fiction. I mean, yeah, there were the *actual* vomit zombies in book one, but beyond this even the later books with no zombies in sight display that primary concern of zombie fiction: the rumination that regardless of whatever extraterrestrial or seemingly supernatural threat is waiting in the wings to destroy civilization (or eat our brains), when you come down to it it’s really humanity itself that proves to be its own worst enemy. If we could just stop being such power-grabbing assholes to each other we’d be a hell of a lot better off. Like I said at the top I didn’t get into this one quite as much as I have the other Expanse books, but it was by no means unenjoyable, I definitely had a good time and I’m still on-board for the ride with the Rocinante crew. If you haven’t read any of these books then I highly recommend them (but what are you doing reading a review for book 4?!): get on the bandwagon and don’t forget to juice-up before you get into a high-g burn across the universe. ...more |
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Jul 25, 2019
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Aug 12, 2019
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Jul 25, 2019
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Hardcover
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| 0316129070
| 4.27
| 136,725
| Jun 04, 2013
| Jun 04, 2013
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really liked it
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_Abaddon’s Gate_ plunges us immediately into the next crisis in humanity’s confrontation with the alien protomolecule, apparently engineered by an anc
_Abaddon’s Gate_ plunges us immediately into the next crisis in humanity’s confrontation with the alien protomolecule, apparently engineered by an ancient interstellar race to modify life on our planet millenia before humanity was even a twinkle in the Earth’s biosphere. Venus has awakened and sent the alien structure it has been building out to the edge of the solar system where it has formed itself into a giant ring. Earth and Mars approach the alien structure tentatively, hoping to glean some knowledge of its intent and purpose with their scans and observations. Then a hotshot racer from the Belt thinks it would be a good idea to ‘shoot the ring’ in his homemade ballistic racing ship and somewhat obviously doesn’t come out the other side, setting in motion a chain of events that will lead a consortium of humanity from Earth, Mars, and the OPA into the Ring and the strange alien world beyond it. On the bright side at least they now know what the purpose of the ring is: it is a gateway opening into who knows what mysteries; on the not-so-bright-side it is an unknown and possibly menacing backdoor into our solar system courtesy an inscrutable elder race. So there’s that. Of course James Holden and the crew of the Rocinante are along for the ride despite his best efforts at for once distancing himself from the protomolecule and attempting to stay as far away from the alien structure as possible. It appears that someone has it in for Holden (go figure) and has put a lot of time, money, and planning into making sure that he and his crew are at the Ring when events come to a head. This is only the first of many crises that will keep the narrative moving at a breakneck pace and it just goes to showcase one of the primary talents the authors have had on display throughout the series: they really know how to ratchet up the tension. The book consistently moves from crisis to crisis as events twist and turn around the twin dangers of insrutable alien purpose and the ever predictable short sightedness of human nature and and you never know exactly when the true climax is coming. I have to admit that I was never really in doubt about how things would ultimately turn out, but it was a wild ride getting there and the authors definitely had a few tricks up their sleeves. While not as indiscriminate as GRRM, be prepared: these guys are willing to kill off characters you might not expect at key moments. I also continue to be impressed with the way these writers have with characters. I often find myself looking at the new viewpoint characters introduced in each volume with the impression that they have finally created one or more duds and then find myself surprised, yet again, when they turn out to be interesting and well-rounded despite my initial preconceptions. Since I’ve mentioned GRRM (not surprising given the personal connection I believe both authors have with him) I think it’s only fair to say that he could learn a thing or two from them: unlike the elder statesman of the Song of Ice and Fire these guys know how to broaden the scope of their story with new viewpoint characters without having the threads of their story start to unravel beyond their control as a result. The series so far is a tight and well constructed narrative that keeps opening onto new horizons without losing sight of the throughline that began with the first pages of volume one. While we get broader glimpses of the wider human community of the solar system, and insight into many of the varied viewpoints and facets that have grown up in humanity’s expansion into the solar system, we never feel like the story is spinning out of the authors' control. I, at least, can’t say the same for their famous mentor and his magnum opus. The ultimate upshot of this volume is that (view spoiler)[interstellar travel has been opened up to humanity and I have to admit to being a bit trepidatious about it. I have enjoyed the constraints of travel within the solar system and wonder what changes making this into a true galaxy-spanning space opera will bring. (hide spoiler)] That being said these authors have yet to let me down and I have to trust that they’ll keep on delivering the goods and make the ride worthwhile. I certainly don’t have any reason to think they won’t based on my experience thus far. Definitely recommended. ...more |
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Jul 14, 2019
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Jul 25, 2019
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Jul 14, 2019
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Paperback
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| 1841499900
| 9781841499901
| 1841499900
| 4.38
| 161,740
| Jun 07, 2012
| Jun 26, 2012
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really liked it
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Ok, now things are getting interesting. Well, that’s not quite true since I think they’ve been quite interesting from the get-go in the Expanse series
Ok, now things are getting interesting. Well, that’s not quite true since I think they’ve been quite interesting from the get-go in the Expanse series, but you know what I mean, right? *Now* things are getting interesting! Or put another way: book two has come and gone and there was no sophomore slump to speak of. As the story opens tensions are high as each of the political players of the human ecumene (Earth, Mars, and the OPA to be precise) are jockeying for power in the hopes of vanquishing their rivals before the alien enigma that has set up shop on Venus is done doing whatever it is doing and the expected apocalypse arrives. Nothing like a shared existential threat to bring humanity together, or, er…actually to make them try and kill each other even more, eh? So, while the ‘alien artifact’ continues to play ‘new god in the neighbourhood’ under the cloud cover of Venus a new protomolecule threat apparently unrelated to the not-so-sleeping Cthuluesque god-thing reveals itself in the solar system and everyone races to find out who the hell got a hold of the protomolecule and why the fuck did they unleash it on Ganymede, the bread basket of the outer planets? In addition to our old friend Holden (and of course the crew of the Rocinante) we have three new main viewpoint characters whose POVs we follow in their own chapters: Roberta ‘Bobbie’ Draper, a Martian marine sergeant facing the terror of the protomolecule and what it can do; Chrisjen Avasarala, a high ranking official in the U.N. Earth government facing the jack-assery of politics and testosterone-laden power games as the very future of humanity seems in question; and Praxidike ‘Prax’ Meng, a botanist from the settlement on Ganymede facing the most horrifying experience any parent can imagine. I wasn’t quite sure about all of them at first since I feared that Avasarala might prove to be too grating (primarily since I found her annoying based on what I saw of her in the TV series), and I thought Prax would prove to be pretty boring, but I actually grew to like all of them and felt they contributed some great stuff to the overall storyline. Of course given the example of the first volume it was no surprise that all of the storylines were designed to dovetail together. Given the relatively disparate natures of the various viewpoint characters that might have seemed a bit far-fetched, but I have to admit that I think the authors pulled it off nicely. The chain of events that led all of our various characters to come together in the end actually made a lot of sense and certainly made for an exciting and ultimately believable story. I won’t go into any plot details here, but rest assured that there’s lots of action (both planetside and in orbit) and tensions definitely run high. I was particularly impressed by an episode in which one of our heroes has to infiltrate a protomolecule infested capital ship in the hopes of averting disaster. And can I just say, that ending? Damn! The authors have proven themselves good at cliffhangers (usually in the 'short term' at the end of a chapter), but this one takes the cake. I mean, I was expecting something along the lines of what happened in general, but the specifics? Let’s just say it worked for me and came in a way I definitely didn’t expect. Do I really have to say that I highly recommend this one if you like sci-fi, or that I can confirm that so far the Expanse series is living up to expectations and shows no signs of slowing down? No, I didn't think so. On to book three! ...more |
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Jun 30, 2019
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Jul 13, 2019
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Jun 30, 2019
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Paperback
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| 1841499889
| 9781841499888
| 1841499889
| 4.31
| 280,804
| Jun 02, 2011
| Jun 02, 2011
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really liked it
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4.5 stars So, I’m pretty late coming to this party (eight books already and a bunch of ‘X.5’ and prequel books to boot?!), but I have a few reasons fo 4.5 stars So, I’m pretty late coming to this party (eight books already and a bunch of ‘X.5’ and prequel books to boot?!), but I have a few reasons for my initial reticence even though I recall quite a bit of hype when this first volume came out. Well, that’s my first reason really. I tend to be pretty dubious about books that come with a lot of pre-packaged hype, generally under the assumption that someone along the way has made a mistake…after all my rarefied tastes aren’t likely to coincide with the masses now, are they? (Um, that was sort of a joke.) Next comes the fact that “James S. A. Corey” is merely a nom de plume for two ‘real’ authors and I’ve always been leery about co-authored books (I have a lot of dubiety and leeriness, don’t I?) I guess I just think of writing as ultimately most successful when it is the brainchild of one individual and imagine that anything written by more than one person is going to look a lot like something created by committee…and we do all know that committees are almost always a bad thing, right? I just find it hard to see how two individuals can write one seamless narrative without the demarkations between their individual contributions showing and making the reading experience a little less fluid than I prefer. Finally there’s the fact that I caught the first few episodes of the TV series when it aired and I was sufficiently underwhelmed to imagine I had made the right choice in avoiding the books altogether. Well, one thing led to another and I ended up picking up the first volume on a friend’s recommendation which, added to the the desire to have some inner solar system sci-fi up in my grill, led me to discover something: somehow I had been wrong all along! I really enjoyed this book and none of the objections noted above ended up being true for me. The hype, it would seem, was well-founded; I have to admit that I didn’t notice any seams in the storytelling (I’m not sure how Daniel Abraham and Ty Franck have divvied up the writing chores, but whatever they’re doing so far seems to be working); and the TV show? Well, I still have no great desire to go back and watch it, but that’s a completely different beast and the books (so far at least) are great regardless. I think, though, if I was asked to point to the one thing that made the book stand out for me (and made it a 4.5 star read) it would be the fact that it was just compulsively readable. I have often come across books that I enjoy, but it is only with a rare few that I find the pages flying by, seemingly of their own accord. I’m not exactly a speed-reader, and I can often find myself bogged down, or at least slowed somewhat, by particular sections of even books that I really enjoy. It is a rare book that goes down quite as smoothly, and quickly, as this one did. The backdrop for the Expanse series is the human solar system after the initial stages of colonization have occurred. Earth and her erstwhile daughter-world Mars are the competing political super powers who are by turns allies and enemies as the political winds may blow them. Beyond them, and generally beneath their concern, is the Outer Planetary Alliance, a loose confederation of the myriad ‘worlds’ and stations that populate the asteroid belt and outer reaches of the solar system (hence their nickname of ‘Belters’) who are seen as little more than slave labour (when they do what they’re told), or terrorists (when they don’t) by the paternalistic Earth and Mars factions. We are inserted into this world in a prologue in which a young woman, Juliette Andromeda Mao, faces the terror of imminent death after her ship has been boarded by unknown forces and she hides away in a cramped storage locker until thirst, hunger, and desperation are able to overcome her fear and she comes face to face with an unknown and unexpected terror. This event, seemingly no more than an act of piracy, is left shrouded in mystery and ultimately sets the stage for a solar-system shaking change in reality as the human race has known it. Once the prologue is over we get to the story proper and the two main threads (and characters) that we will be following. The story jumps between chapters devoted to ‘Holden’, the XO on an ice hauler that works the Belt, and ‘Miller’, a cop on the Belter station of Ceres. Considering it now I can see how one could easily argue that these two main narrative arcs are where the story is indeed “stitched together” by the two authors (and for all I know it may have been the case that they were each responsible for a different main character’s section). If one wanted to be ungenerous I suppose you could also contend that it is here that the seams are showing, since we essentially have an old-school noir tale spliced with a pseudo-post-human sci fi tale. Security agent Joseph Miller, a cop on the orbiting asteroid-cum-space station Ceres obviously represents the former element and I would agree that, for all intents and purposes, he would likely feel very comfortable in a story written by Dashiell Hammett or Raymond Chandler (he even wears an anachronistic pork pie hat as though to underline the point). He’s a hard bitten cynic who’s seen the worst human nature has to offer, but who still has the remnants of a beating human heart as he champions the underdog in his search for justice. On the other side is Holden, a space-sailor and former soldier whose optimism would be grating if it weren’t tempered by his shipboard companions and his habit of coming through in the clutch when he’s needed. The authors did a great job with their characters and I think they may be one of the strongest elements of the story. Naomi and Amos, two of Holden’s shipmates, are particularly enjoyable, one a competent and self-reliant tech and the other a rough and tumble ship’s mechanic that’s been around the block. I think I enjoyed nearly every scene they were in. Of Holden’s crew Alex the pilot is probably the weakest link, being a bit nondescript, but I think the authors realized this and generally kept him in the background. Despite this one weak area I don’t think I could say that I disliked any of the characters, even the occasionally holier-than-thou Holden who, while he certainly isn’t my favourite character, never came across to me as truly off-putting...which is lucky given that he is one of the two main protagonists. He certainly does make an interesting contrast to Miller: as the authors note in an interview included with my edition they wanted to create two main characters with differing personalities and perspectives to show how each of them are both right and wrong in how they act and think. We have Miller the world-weary cynic (I might say realist) and Holden the idealist (I might say delusional) who looks for the best in human nature, both of whom are committed to doing the right thing...as they see it. I won’t go into a spoiler-laden plot-synopsis and will simply say that both narrative strands start from very different places, but ultimately dovetail together in a nice way as Holden and Miller each investigate the circumstances behind a cold war going hot and come across a terrifying mystery that may spell the end of human life as we know it. Behind it all looms the shadow of Julie Mao and her discovery at the very start of the book. As I said earlier I found the disparate narratives to be fairly seamless in their integration, and it was impressive how Abraham and Franck were able to blend a space opera flavoured sci-fi tale with hard-bitten noir mystery, and a sprinkling of Lovecraftian terror. I’d highly recommend this to anyone with an interest in any of these genres and I’d have to say that this is one of the most enjoyable sci-fi epics I’ve come across. I’m quite pleased that I have so many more volumes in this universe to look forward to. I hope the authors prove themselves capable of maintaining this level of work! ...more |
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Jun 21, 2019
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Jun 30, 2019
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Jun 21, 2019
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Paperback
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| B07GL6ZJLF
| 4.56
| 32,594
| Sep 26, 2018
| Sep 26, 2018
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liked it
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None
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Notes are private!
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Apr 18, 2022
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Apr 19, 2022
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May 07, 2018
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Kindle Edition
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| 1534303499
| 9781534303492
| 1534303499
| 4.46
| 37,428
| Dec 27, 2017
| Dec 27, 2017
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really liked it
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I’ve been a little lukewarm on some of the more recent issues of _Saga_(while still thinking that they’re well worth any reader’s time), but this volu
I’ve been a little lukewarm on some of the more recent issues of _Saga_(while still thinking that they’re well worth any reader’s time), but this volume felt like a return to form. I’m not sure I can exactly put my finger on why though. We still have a majority of plot threads left dangling, and anything resembling a resolution to the main conflicts seems just as far away, but perhaps I’m just coming to accept that this is a story about the journey and not the destination and learning how to enjoy it for what it is. In this volume we see Alana, Marko, and Hazel journeying to a dangerous world in the hopes they can find medical assistance for Alana whose miscarriage is having unforeseen complications which may lead the whole family to even more heartache (not to mention possible death for Alana). Tagging along are Petrichor and Sir Robot who have their own storyline that, while still surprising in the fact of its resolution also felt a bit like a cliché once it happened. I think it can lead to some very interesting complications, but it did fell very much like a ‘oh yeah, that trope’ moment as well. Running parallel to this story is one that centres on Ghus and Squire Robot as they attempt to survive dwindling supplies and restive ‘guests’ and go on their own adventure. We also get to check in on the fix in which the Will finds himself that gives us a tiny glimpse at his not-so-great childhood (I am beginning to think that Vaughan has a less than sanguine view of childhood overall) and throws yet another complication on the horizon for Marko and Alana. It was interesting to see that Sir Robot, for all that he’s still a stuck up dick and effete snob, is actually starting to see the rest of the motely gang around Marko and Alana as a family…and one that he wants to be a part of despite all of his snark and superior airs. It’s nice to see him somewhat humanized (robotized?) without having him lose his essential edge. Also Petrichor, as the voice of caustic reason, is proving to be a lot of fun and I hope she’s in this for the long haul (not a certainty with the body count of those who find themselves around the nucleus of Marko-Alana-Hazel). And finally I have to give a shout-out to Hazel who is really growing into an interesting character who is more than a plot device. Also, somehow while still being cute and precocious she seems to manage to avoid the pitfall of becoming the Wesley or the Scrappy (often the fate of child characters introduced into genre fiction). As always this volume is chock-full of weird and wonderful images that seem to make the universe we’re visiting even more real as it simultaneously becames infinitely stranger. Whenever I see something weird, unexpected, or perhaps simply outré in these pages (and I must say it is not an uncommon occurrence) I tend to find myself thinking of the worlds of Jack Vance. Whether it’s a diplomat with a face like a mole who wears a prism for a mask, a seal in yellow over-alls that herds walruses and carries a huge-ass halberd, or a palatial home built into a space-faring jellyfish, I find myself thinking that Vaughan and Staples must be familiar with his work. It’s not just the strangeness either, or at least not just the visual strangeness, it’s also the crazy societies that they build within their quixotic universe. Also, is it just me or has it been established that the character of D. Oswald Heist is heavily influenced by Samuel Delany? Long story short I am definitely in this for the long haul and it seems like a lack of resolution may actually be a virtue given the fact that I’m in no hurry to leave the worlds that Vaughan and Staples manage to bring to life each issue. ...more |
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May 04, 2018
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May 07, 2018
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Oct 01, 2017
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| 1534300600
| 9781534300606
| 1534300600
| 4.48
| 46,200
| Apr 04, 2017
| Apr 04, 2017
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liked it
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I had heard that this volume of Saga might break your heart, and while it certainly has it's fair share of unexpected deaths (Vaughan seems almost as
I had heard that this volume of Saga might break your heart, and while it certainly has it's fair share of unexpected deaths (Vaughan seems almost as willing as GRRM to off his characters at the proverbial drop of a hat) and ends on a definite tragedy my heart of stone has not yet quite been rent asunder. Alana and Marko are excitedly awaiting the arrival of their newest illegal offspring while Hazel wonders what this monumental change will mean for her. The family's current team of mismatched travelers/allies is somehow still not quite falling apart at the seams though tensions are running high as they make an emergency pit-stop on an inhabited comet that is also one of the fiercest staging areas for the war. The Will tries to gather the strayed remnants of his life back together while the universe seems intent instead upon unraveling it, and Sophie and Gwendolyn make allies out of enemies in order to navigate the murky political waters of their own current situation. Newcomer Petrichor tries to be the voice of reason while Sir Robot has yet another screw spring loose and in the midst of it all a brand new crazy-ass Freelancer known as The March comes hunting for the big payday that Marko and Alana represent. Add to this a cute family of meerkat aliens that Marko and Alana take under their wings (against the protestations of their other crewmates) and the beginnings of a mysterious plan that had both the Wings and the Horns working together and we definitely have a lot of balls in the air. Despite this I am *still* left feeling like we have yet another set-up volume leading to I know not what exactly. It's still, as always, an enjoyable ride, but I think that Vaughan needs to start reeling things in in a much tighter way, lest he fall into the trap of the afore-mentioned GRRM and have far too many sub-plots and new characters stealing the thunder from the main event. I'll certainly keep reading, but I do hope that Vaughan knows what he's doing and has a destination in mind. ...more |
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Aug 16, 2017
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Aug 17, 2017
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Mar 07, 2017
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| 163215711X
| 9781632157119
| 163215711X
| 4.46
| 54,293
| Jun 29, 2016
| Jun 29, 2016
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3.5 stars Ok, so I complained that the last volume of our story suffered from middle book syndrome and felt like it was primarily setting up the plot a 3.5 stars Ok, so I complained that the last volume of our story suffered from middle book syndrome and felt like it was primarily setting up the plot as opposed to organically moving forward. This volume still felt, to me at least, a lot like set-up for future payoffs, though the movement did feel a bit more organic to me this time around. We’re not quite up to the rip-roaring “wow, cool, gee-whiz” I came to expect based on the first four volumes, but I think we’re headed in the right direction. Marko and Alana are together again, and doesn’t it just feel right? Yes, yes it does. Nice to see the witty repartee between them has survived their rough patch, and watching them come together in a non-maudlin way as they search for their lost (and for all they know deceased) daughter was refreshing. Prince, er excuse me, Sir Robot IV is as charmingly dickish as ever and seeing cute little Ghüs handle him so adroitly is nice. I’m also curious to see how his son, now old enough to have a speaking part in the action, will shape up. The Will shows up with fewer accomplices than one might have hoped (though not expected given his last interactions with them) and he is just as strung out as ever, questing for revenge for his lost love and heeding the words of a drug-fueled ghost in his ear. He’s no longer the consummate professional we had come to expect when he was first introduced, but he’s definitely not one to be trifled with. He will definitely be a problem for Alana and Marko should their paths ever cross (as we know they eventually will). The most interesting storyline by far in this volume is definitely that of young Hazel, now also old enough to have a full speaking part, and showing off her wit and relative cool under pressure, likely inherited from her grandmother as much (if not more) than her parents. She, her grandmother, and former-terrorist-kidnapper-turned-auntie Lexis have been Orange-is-the-new-Black-ing it in a prison designed for non-combatant wives and children of ‘Moonies’. They have somehow managed to keep Hazel’s true nature a secret from their captors, though this state of affairs is endangered by Hazel’s burgeoning relationships with people outside of her small family unit, most notably with her teacher and a transgendered prisoner, both of whom come to learn her secret. In the end we’re left with a cliffhanger (again) though it's a promising one. I just hope that the many threads Vaughan has going on in this saga (and it really is living up to its name) don't spin out of control for him as they seem to have done for others (I'm definitely looking at you GRRM). I'm still on board and just hope the storyline tightens up a bit more and the next volume returns to the hey-day of volumes 1-4. Oh, and it goes without saying the art by Fiona Staples is still awesome. ...more |
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Nov 19, 2016
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Nov 19, 2016
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Mar 04, 2016
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Paperback
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| 0441328008
| 9780441328000
| 0441328008
| 3.86
| 88,226
| Apr 01, 1984
| Aug 15, 1987
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liked it
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I’m one of those weirdos that actually likes the entirety of Frank Herbert’s Dune series even after you get past the first three volumes and the direc
I’m one of those weirdos that actually likes the entirety of Frank Herbert’s Dune series even after you get past the first three volumes and the direct history of Muad’Dib and his family and start wading into some seriously weird stuff (and saying that the later volumes of the series are weird when you compare them to the earlier ones is saying something). Don’t worry though, I’m not crazy enough to have anything but contempt for that cash grab series of prequels and sequels floated by Herbert’s son and his ghost writer pal…blech! Part of the interest for me in the later volumes is seeing how the prescience of Muad’Dib (and even more so of his son the god-emperor Leto II) affected the human race and noting how humanity responded in an attempt to free themselves from the ‘Golden Path’ that it brought about. The other reason, I must admit, is that I find the character of Duncan Idaho, or more precisely the Duncan Idaho gholas which populate these books, fascinating. Be warned: there are some spoilerific details for previous volumes of the original Dune series below. In the previous volume God Emperor of Dune we got a close-up view of the tyranny of the man-worm himself, the god-emperor Leto II (all done for humanity’s own good of course) and also saw his fascination with bringing back his family’s old retainer, the inimitable sword master Duncan Idaho again and again in ghola form over a period of centuries. Why Duncan Idaho? What’s so special about him? And why did Leto keep bringing him back (and ultimately killing him) over and over again? Was he expecting some result other than companionship and ultimately betrayal? It appears to have been a question the sisters of the Bene Gesserit started asking themselves as well and once they were free from the direct yoke of the god-emperor (though not of his pre-destined plan for humanity), they decided to keep up the tradition for themselves and see what the result might be. And so we begin this volume of the series at a Bene Gesserit fortress located on the planet Gammu (formerly Geidi Prime, home of both the Harkonnens and the original Duncan Idaho) watching as a young ghola is being trained for purposes that even his teachers and protectors aren’t fully aware of. Of course this ghola is merely the last in a long line of Duncan Idahos, not yet aware of his previous existence, and just as uncertain of his purpose as those who watch over him. Despite the fact that this book takes place thousands of years after the time of Muad’Dib some familiar features survive: as noted the Bene Gesserit are still controlling bloodlines (though with the express purpose to perfect human breeding while at the same time to explicitly avoid the appearance of another Kwitsatz Haderach) and holding a precarious, though powerful, position in the political hegemony of human culture in the former precincts of the Padishah Empire; the Bene Tleilax still tinker with the genetic code of humanity in a much more direct way (including supplying the Bene Gesserit with their desired Duncan Idaho gholas) and hope to supersede all political rivals through plans and machinations of their own; and the Spacing Guild and industrialists of Ix still survive albeit in much weakened forms. Two of the most drastic changes are that the Bene Tleilax have finally discovered a way to artificially produce the spice melange and thus break the stranglehold previously held by those who controlled the Worms of Arrakis (or Rakis as it is now called); not to mention the fact that a multitude of peoples who had left the Empire after the fall of the god-emperor in an event called the Scattering to populate the vast reaches of space are now returning and want to conquer all of the supposed secrets of the humans they left behind in the regions of the old empire. The overarching tale is one of political intrigue as the Bene Gesserit face off against the mysterious Bene Tleilax and each hopes to outplay the other in a bid to control the former empire; of course in addition to this they both face the threat of the nearly overwhelming forces of the Scattering and their mysterious and deadly leaders, the Honored Matres. At a much more human level it is the personal story of several key players against this wider backdrop: the Duncan Idaho ghola as he comes into his own and must decide how to live in this new world separated from all he knew by thousands of years; his teacher and mentor Miles Teg, an Atreides scion and mentat-warrior of great ability who has served the Bene Gesserit all of his life; Sheanna, a young native of Rakis apparently born with the power to control the sand worms into which the god-emperor transformed himself; and Darwe Odrade a sister of the Bene Gesserit who must navigate difficult waters and test her loyalty to the sisterhood that made her and the many plans within plans that have formed the basis of her society. I enjoyed this volume, though I think on this re-read I didn’t find it quite as captivating as I remember my first reading to have been. This also is very much the first half of one story as it ends nearly in mid-crisis and leaves much to be resolved in the next volume (which I remember being the weirdest of the bunch and which itself unfortunately left many unanswered questions). If you want to keep following Frank Herbert on the ride through his crazy Dune universe and see the impact of the Atreides on the human race then this is a required volume; on the other hand if you were happy to leave things where they were at the end of Children of Dune, or found the politics and world of God Emperor of Dune confounding then perhaps you should leave this one on the shelf. ...more |
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Dec 17, 2015
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Feb 10, 2016
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Dec 17, 2015
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Feb 15, 2024
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Nov 15, 2023
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Oct 27, 2023
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Oct 23, 2023
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Oct 23, 2023
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Oct 11, 2023
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really liked it
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Aug 19, 2021
Aug 19, 2021
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Aug 03, 2021
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really liked it
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Apr 04, 2024
Jul 23, 2021
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Jul 14, 2021
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Jul 12, 2021
not set
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Jul 02, 2021
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Jul 02, 2021
not set
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Jun 28, 2021
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it was amazing
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Jun 28, 2021
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Jun 14, 2021
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Jun 22, 2021
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May 28, 2021
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Sep 05, 2019
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Aug 13, 2019
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Aug 12, 2019
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Jul 25, 2019
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Jul 25, 2019
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Jul 14, 2019
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really liked it
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Jul 13, 2019
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Jun 30, 2019
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Jun 30, 2019
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Jun 21, 2019
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Apr 19, 2022
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May 07, 2018
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really liked it
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May 07, 2018
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Oct 01, 2017
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Aug 17, 2017
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Mar 07, 2017
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Nov 19, 2016
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Mar 04, 2016
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Feb 10, 2016
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Dec 17, 2015
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