This was entertaining enough. I love Scalzi’s writing style very much, however, cop/detective stories is not my preferred sci-fi sub-genre. NonethelesThis was entertaining enough. I love Scalzi’s writing style very much, however, cop/detective stories is not my preferred sci-fi sub-genre. Nonetheless, this is a fine addition to the “Lock In” world....more
This is a quick and enjoyable read. It seemed to be a writing experiment for King. The main ‘gimmick’ herNew SK book! Had to get it! Got it, loved it.
This is a quick and enjoyable read. It seemed to be a writing experiment for King. The main ‘gimmick’ here is the writing of a character in the first person, but as first, as a little boy, then as a tween, teenager and young adult. What is neat here is the voice and tone from the same character as he goes through these different stages during his life. Also, there is the quality of his relationship with various characters - one in particular - as he matures and events develop over time.
The story itself is one that is familiar to most: a kid that sees dead people but in this case, it is told and handled in the way that only King can and does.
The pace and length was perfect for this particular story....more
This is an early Jack Williamson serial. It was fist published during the mid thirties and ranks along the lines of the works of Egar William Burrows This is an early Jack Williamson serial. It was fist published during the mid thirties and ranks along the lines of the works of Egar William Burrows Mars series and such; basically pre-golden age space adventure. This work was more akin to what Lester Murray or Edward Hamilton were doing at the time. I have to say that I do actually prefer this over the EWB Mars series or the Buck Rogers and Flash Gordon stories that were popular at the time because it has a little more actual science fiction in it. The multi-generational premise is well thought out and integrating as far as epic space opera is concerned, it is actually reminiscent to the Three Musketeers type stories, and I thought strangely, Stephen King's Dark Tower series came to mind on several occasions. I am onto, "The Commeteers" to see how the late Mr. Williamson took the idea further....more
A half of an Ace Double And is one of van’s strangest ideas. Quick easy trip down the weird world of Vogt. A worthwhile read, if you are into old schoA half of an Ace Double And is one of van’s strangest ideas. Quick easy trip down the weird world of Vogt. A worthwhile read, if you are into old school pulp of this sort....more
A book spends most of its time on the shelf. This one has a nice spine. I wrote it and painted the cover artwork. I am very happy with it. It's now on A book spends most of its time on the shelf. This one has a nice spine. I wrote it and painted the cover artwork. I am very happy with it. It's now on Kindle for a buck. https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B089DQ4B8H?t......more
Most reviews for this book are of the 1950 short story "Enchanted Village" by A.E. van Vogt first printed in "Other Worlds" magazine. This novel versiMost reviews for this book are of the 1950 short story "Enchanted Village" by A.E. van Vogt first printed in "Other Worlds" magazine. This novel version, "Au-dela du Village Enchante", was first published in 1982 by Italian scifi author Renato Pestriniero, under the title, "Il Viallio incantato". Pestriniero was born in Venice in 1933 and has published over a hundred short stories, novels and essays since 1958 - the film "Terrore Nella Spazio" by Mario Bava (1965) is based on one of his science fiction stories. "Enchanted Village" was one of van Vogt's most loved stories by his fans. For those who have not read it, suffice to say, that it is set on Mars and ends with a really neat Twilight Zone-like twist. It can be found in van Vogt's 1952, "Destination: Universe!" collection. (More info can be found here http://www.icshi.net/sevagram/biblio/...).
According to the French J'ai Lu jacket, Pestriniero sent an English translation of the novel titled, "The People of the Wide Sands" to then, 71 year old A.E. van Vogt in 1983 for review and authorization. Van Vogt explains that he reviewed the work, retyping it, while making minor changes at a rate of two pages per day, whenever he had time to spare, completing the job in May of 1986. Chapter 10, from a total of 19, consists of the 1950 van Vogt story almost word for word. Bookmarked between the original story is one full of classic vanVogtian twists and turns, which include changeling characters taking the form of human beings living amongst us...
(Spoiler Alert! For those who intend to read this - it is, thus far, only available in Italian, French and German)
The story, set in New Mexico, opens with Claire dreaming she is making love with her boyfriend, or lizard-type creature? Then learns she is pregnant, but she has never ever been intimate with her boyfriend... Olivia, notices a strangeness from an individual on the bus during her commute to work. Ends up in police station unable to explain while the individual claims she is simply crazy. The station is then attacked by some mysterious assailant, all but one are dead, but not a mark or cause of death can be determined on the victims. Meanwhile, astronaut Jenner is unknowingly recruited to be part of a secret Earth-based organization set up on Mars, who work in partnership with the decedents of the indigenous people of Mars to prepare for the ultimate and inevitable battle with the alien foe, known simply as the "Invaders", who infiltrate and assimilate all intelligent life in the universe. However, there is an "Overlord" entity who identifies themselves as the "Altairiens" who consider all organic living species, intelligent or not (such as human beings) as little more than we consider insects on our world. They eventually must intervene with the battle in order to preserve some sort of order within the universe...
Quite a yarn.
Cover art for the French edition, by renown artist James Gurney, as with many J'ai Lu books, does not reflect the story at all.
Revue en français: La plupart des critiques de ce livre sont issues de la nouvelle de 1950 "Enchanted Village" de A.E. van Vogt, publiée pour la première fois dans le magazine "Other Worlds". Cette nouvelle version, "Au-dela du Village enchanté", a été publiée pour la première fois en 1982 par l'auteur italien de la science-fiction Renato Pestriniero, sous le titre "Il Viallio incantato". Pestriniero est né à Venise en 1933 et a publié plusieur nouvelles, romans et essais depuis 1958 - le film "Terrore Nella Spazio" de Mario Bava (1965) est basé sur l'un de ses récits de science-fiction. "Enchanted Village" est l'une des histoires les plus appréciées de van Vogt par ses fans. Pour ceux qui ne l'ont pas lu, il suffit de dire qu'il est placé sur Mars et qu'il se termine par une torsion vraiment soignée, semblable à celle de Twilight Zone. On peut le trouver dans la publication de van Vogt de 1952, "Destination: Univers!" collection. (Plus d'informations peuvent être trouvées ici http: //www.icshi.net/sevagram/biblio / ...).
Selon la veste française J'ai Lu, Pestriniero a envoyé une traduction anglaise du roman intitulé "Le peuple des sables étendus" à cette époque, A.E. van Vogt, alors âgée de 71 ans, en 1983 pour révision et autorisation. Van Vogt explique qu'il a révisé le travail en le saisissant à nouveau, tout en apportant des modifications mineures à raison de deux pages par jour, chaque fois qu'il disposait de suffisamment de temps, en achevant le travail en mai 1986. Le chapitre 10, de 19, ce compose de l'histoire de 1950 van Vogt presque mot pour mot. Parmi les signets entre l'histoire originale, il y en a une pleine de rebondissements classiques vanVogtian, qui incluent des personnages changelants qui prennent la forme d'êtres humains vivant parmi nous ...
(Alerte spoiler! Pour ceux qui ont l’intention de lire ceci - il n’est disponible jusqu’à présent qu'en italien, français et allemand)
L'histoire, qui se déroule au Nouveau-Mexique, commence par Claire qui rêve de faire l'amour avec son petit ami ou une créature de type lézard? Puis elle apprend qu'elle est enceinte, mais elle n'a jamais été intime avec son petit ami... Olivia remarque l'étrangeté d'un individu dans le bus lors de son trajet aller-retour au travail. Se retrouve dans un poste de police incapable d'expliquer alors que la personne prétend qu'elle est simplement folle. La station est ensuite attaquée par un mystérieux assaillant; tous sauf un sont morts, mais aucune marque ou cause de décès ne peut être déterminée sur les victimes. Pendant ce temps, l'astronaute Jenner est recruté à son insu pour faire partie d'une organisation secrète basée à Terre établie sur Mars, qui travaille en partenariat avec les défunts du peuple autochtone de Mars pour se préparer à la bataille ultime et inévitable avec l'ennemi étranger, connue simplement comme les "envahisseurs", qui infiltrent et assimilent toute vie intelligente dans l'univers. Cependant, il existe une entité "Overlord" qui s'identifie comme une "Altairienne" qui considère toutes les espèces biologiques vivantes, intelligentes ou non (comme les êtres humains) comme un peu plus que les insectes de notre monde. Ils doivent finalement intervenir dans la bataille afin de préserver une sorte d'ordre dans l'univers...
La couverture de l'édition française, réalisée par l'artiste de renom James Gurney, ne reflète pas du tout l'histoire, à l'instar de nombreux livres J'ai Lu....more
This is a somewhat dated scifi by popular crime author Ed McBain. It is an early work, published in 1956. I enjoyed this, it wasn't the sort of thing This is a somewhat dated scifi by popular crime author Ed McBain. It is an early work, published in 1956. I enjoyed this, it wasn't the sort of thing you'd find in 'Astounding' or 'Galaxy', but maybe in the pages of 'IF' if it had hit the slush pile at the right time and had gotten the attention of then editor, Frederik Pohl. It is essentially a projection of a future America based on mid-fifties trends of elevated promiscuity and casual drug use, anticipating the sexual revolution and rebellious recreational drug use of the mid-sixties but failing to predict the anti-war hippy attitude and 'patchouli-stinking' fashion aesthetic. Heinlein's "Stranger in a Strange Land" hit that mark a bit closer....more
This is a short novel (118 pages) by a very talented Goodreads Author. I requested it by the author himself, who was nice enough to send it to me persThis is a short novel (118 pages) by a very talented Goodreads Author. I requested it by the author himself, who was nice enough to send it to me personally and sign it to boot. The book itself is set up like one of those old Ace Doubles - any fan of fifties and sixties scifi would know those very well. This quick paced action story very much resembles those classic Ace stories. In this case, however, the protagonist is a young woman rather than the typical brawny white male hero. And this grrrl kicks ass! This is a rather quick light read yet it does cover many deeper subjects - which could have been further developed, such as the loss and estrangement of parents at an early age, addiction, and understanding the multiple culture of indigenous races on a foreign land (in this case the distant planet Kelmer, which is very old and orbiting a dying sun - think of the last chapter of intelligent life on Mars, if that had ever happened.)
The set up is definitely scifi, though the execution is more fantasy - a journey or quest across a vast span of land with several pitfalls along the way.
That said, I am sure this short novel is not Mr. Gramlich's greatest work - he is better known for his Robert E. Howard/Edgar Rice Burroughs influenced, "Talera Cycle" Series (which I have not read) - but it is a good quick and fun 'yarn' (as they used to say in the golden aged of the genre).
I have yet to read the companion piece, "The Battle for Eden" by Mark E. Burgress but will likely do so in the near future....more
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