I've been travelling for the holidays, which means I've finally been cooped up for long enough to read a few new books. Since I have a bit of time off, I also have a bit of time to write up some of the books I've finished but haven't written up yet. Look for a few new posts in the next few weeks.
I wouldn't go so far as to call Frederick Pohl one of my favorite authors, but I've enjoyed his work before. "Heechee Rendezvous" in particular is a classic, just the right mix of fantastic ideas and everyday human experience.
The world of "Man Plus" is one in which the Earth's resources are scarce, and war looms. Humanity's hopes for long-term survival turn to Mars (apparently they haven't read that Ray Bradbury story where we get to Mars only to find out that we already used up all its resources before moving to Earth). The story centers around transforming an astronaut into a cyborg whose altered body is capable of withstanding the rigors of life on Mars. It's terraforming at the human level, androforming if you will.
The life of the titular cyborg is a believable mix of tedium and existential terror, duty and depression. Like the protagonist in "Now Wait for Last Year" (one of my all-time favorites), this "Man Plus" is more motivated by the desire for love, companionship, and understanding, even though he is also bound by his ambition and sense of duty to country. He is a "man" (husband, soldier) first, and a "plus" (cyborg) second. The "plus" is what makes this a good work of science fiction, the "man" is what makes it great.
Although I haven't loved every book in the "SF Masterworks" series, this book is another gem that I'd never have encountered otherwise. Highly recommended.
Friday, 25 December 2009
Friday, 18 December 2009
"Eon" by Greg Bear
By all rights, I should love Greg Bear's "Eon". I loved his "Tangents", and enjoyed "Blood Music" as well. The subject matter seems almost perfect for me as well. If you told me a book by Greg Bear was about humanity unlocking the secrets of space travel in the aftermath of nuclear holocaust, I'd certainly be interested. If you added hints of time travel and parallel worlds, I'd be hooked.
For whatever reason though, the book left me a bit cold. In trying to understand why, I've been imagining a good science fiction story as a stool with three legs:
* Mind: The ideas or conceits that make the world different from our own
* Heart: The characters that help us feel the weight of this imagined world
* Body: The situations which allow the characters to explore themselves and the world they inhabit
A book like "Footfall" by Niven and Pournelle doesn't necessarily have the deepest characters, and its ideas are not all that challenging. What makes it enjoyable is the pacing, the characters are always doing something that advances the story. This a book that runs.
A book like "Dr. Mirabilis" has very few new ideas, and sparse action. It lives or dies based on how fully the reader sympathises with the main character. This is a book that must be felt to be enjoyed.
"Eon" had stronger ideas than characters or situations. It lives based on the strength of its ideas. This is a book which must be considered to be enjoyed.
On balance, the characters and situations could have been stronger, but if you want a bushel of hard sci fi to mull over on a winter's night, you could do a lot worse.
For whatever reason though, the book left me a bit cold. In trying to understand why, I've been imagining a good science fiction story as a stool with three legs:
* Mind: The ideas or conceits that make the world different from our own
* Heart: The characters that help us feel the weight of this imagined world
* Body: The situations which allow the characters to explore themselves and the world they inhabit
A book like "Footfall" by Niven and Pournelle doesn't necessarily have the deepest characters, and its ideas are not all that challenging. What makes it enjoyable is the pacing, the characters are always doing something that advances the story. This a book that runs.
A book like "Dr. Mirabilis" has very few new ideas, and sparse action. It lives or dies based on how fully the reader sympathises with the main character. This is a book that must be felt to be enjoyed.
"Eon" had stronger ideas than characters or situations. It lives based on the strength of its ideas. This is a book which must be considered to be enjoyed.
On balance, the characters and situations could have been stronger, but if you want a bushel of hard sci fi to mull over on a winter's night, you could do a lot worse.
Friday, 11 December 2009
"Matter" by Iain M. Banks
"Matter" is another epic space opera in the "Culture" series. I've enjoyed (and reviewed) "Consider Phlebas", "Look to Windward", "Use of Weapons", "Player of Games", "Against a Dark Background", "Inversions" and "Excession", and "Matter" is a fine way to end the run.
Banks is a master of bringing a fresh perspective to what could easily be repetitive and derivative material. Often he uses contrasts to keep the perspective fresh. In "Inversions" and "Consider Phlebas", we see The Culture contrasted with its enemies. In most Culture novels, we see The Culture contrasted with the more primitive societies it tries to nudge towards its higher ideals. In "Excession", we see The Culture contrasted with both an artifact from advanced society and its enemies.
In "Matter", we get the best of these contrasts and new perspectives to boot. We follow one of The Culture's newest recruits as she returns to her homeworld during a time of crisis. We also follow her brother as he works to escape the political turmoil of his homeworld and encounters his "Cultured" sister. As if that weren't enough, we also see how citizens (human and machine) of The Culture deal with technologies beyond their own when cut off from the full resources of their own society.
Banks continues to amaze with the imagination he brings to each book. The Culture series is astonishing in its scope, and in between all the fantastic ideas and characters are enough amusing and well-crafted phrases to make it nearly exhausting. I'll have to get plenty of rest before the new Culture novel is released next year. If you haven't already done so, take advantage of the deals and reprints leading up to the new release and enjoy the whole series.
Banks is a master of bringing a fresh perspective to what could easily be repetitive and derivative material. Often he uses contrasts to keep the perspective fresh. In "Inversions" and "Consider Phlebas", we see The Culture contrasted with its enemies. In most Culture novels, we see The Culture contrasted with the more primitive societies it tries to nudge towards its higher ideals. In "Excession", we see The Culture contrasted with both an artifact from advanced society and its enemies.
In "Matter", we get the best of these contrasts and new perspectives to boot. We follow one of The Culture's newest recruits as she returns to her homeworld during a time of crisis. We also follow her brother as he works to escape the political turmoil of his homeworld and encounters his "Cultured" sister. As if that weren't enough, we also see how citizens (human and machine) of The Culture deal with technologies beyond their own when cut off from the full resources of their own society.
Banks continues to amaze with the imagination he brings to each book. The Culture series is astonishing in its scope, and in between all the fantastic ideas and characters are enough amusing and well-crafted phrases to make it nearly exhausting. I'll have to get plenty of rest before the new Culture novel is released next year. If you haven't already done so, take advantage of the deals and reprints leading up to the new release and enjoy the whole series.
Friday, 4 December 2009
"The Algebraist" by Iain M. Banks
The phrase "gas giant" was coined by the author James Blish in one of his stories, and is now widely applied to planets such as Jupiter. "The Algebraist" is a novel of gas giants (and the cultures they sustain).
This isn't a Culture novel, but it's the same style of epic space opera that fans of that series have come to enjoy. As with so many of Banks' books, there's easily enough material for three novels. The Archimandrite in particular is villain enough for a book of his own.
Entertaining as the Archimandrite is, this is not a novel about a brutally imaginative sadist. It's a novel in which the power of the seemingly powerless is revealed. It's a satisfying read and highly recommended.
This isn't a Culture novel, but it's the same style of epic space opera that fans of that series have come to enjoy. As with so many of Banks' books, there's easily enough material for three novels. The Archimandrite in particular is villain enough for a book of his own.
Entertaining as the Archimandrite is, this is not a novel about a brutally imaginative sadist. It's a novel in which the power of the seemingly powerless is revealed. It's a satisfying read and highly recommended.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
"After Such Knowledge" by James Blish
I recently finished the thematic trilogy "After Such Knowledge" by James Blish.
The book consists of four novels: "Dr. Mirabilis", "Black Easter", "The Day After Judgement", "A Case of Conscience". The last of these was recently reprinted as number 30 in the Gollancz SF Masterworks series, which is kind of like Pokemon for science fiction nerds who don't also collect Pokemon. I just checked, I still have 28 out of 70 to read.
A while ago, I reviewed "Cities in Flight" (number 3 in the SF Masterworks series). I enjoyed the scope of those works (which spanned from the present day to the end of time) and Blish's approach (applying the lessons of history to the future).
I wasn't sure what to think when I started "Dr. Mirabilis". I was expecting science fiction, and instead faced lovingly detailed historical fiction, a biography of the 12th century friar and scientist Roger Bacon. Blish presents Bacon as a man obsessed with expanding scientific knowledge through experimentation, making him one of the first modern scientists. It is clear that Blish feels Bacon was held back in his accomplishments by the time in which he lived, and that his accomplishments are all the more amazing as a result. The drama of "Dr. Mirabilis" hinges as often on points of principle and ethical choices as well as points of science. It's challenging fare, and reminded me of the excellent "Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter M. Miller.
By comparison, the rest of the series was much shorter and more straightforward. "Black Easter" and "The Day After Judgement" are two parts of the same story. They present a world in which magic is made possible by collusion with demons and angels. Dark magic is soul-damning but effective, and it is used to terrifying effect in both novels. I won't say anything about the specifics, other than to say that the ending of "The Day After Judgement" is both surprising and great.
The final novel ("A Case of Conscience") is a morality play set in space, and more than any other book I've read outlines how belief a deeply spiritual man's belief in God would be changed by an encounter with a world that defies church canon about the nature of life, God, and the Devil. It's understandable that this would be the only one of the series to be included in a list of science fiction masterworks, as it's the only one that includes the usual trappings of science fiction (rockets, alien races, and the simple fact that it's set in the future.)
Of the three, I would have to say that "A Case of Conscience" was my favorite. "Black Easter" and "The Day After Judgement" are short, and are worth reading in order to understand their truly great ending. "Dr. Mirabilis" is a long read and probably is more of interest to history buffs than science fiction readers. Still, it's a good book, and I'm glad to have read it.
The book consists of four novels: "Dr. Mirabilis", "Black Easter", "The Day After Judgement", "A Case of Conscience". The last of these was recently reprinted as number 30 in the Gollancz SF Masterworks series, which is kind of like Pokemon for science fiction nerds who don't also collect Pokemon. I just checked, I still have 28 out of 70 to read.
A while ago, I reviewed "Cities in Flight" (number 3 in the SF Masterworks series). I enjoyed the scope of those works (which spanned from the present day to the end of time) and Blish's approach (applying the lessons of history to the future).
I wasn't sure what to think when I started "Dr. Mirabilis". I was expecting science fiction, and instead faced lovingly detailed historical fiction, a biography of the 12th century friar and scientist Roger Bacon. Blish presents Bacon as a man obsessed with expanding scientific knowledge through experimentation, making him one of the first modern scientists. It is clear that Blish feels Bacon was held back in his accomplishments by the time in which he lived, and that his accomplishments are all the more amazing as a result. The drama of "Dr. Mirabilis" hinges as often on points of principle and ethical choices as well as points of science. It's challenging fare, and reminded me of the excellent "Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter M. Miller.
By comparison, the rest of the series was much shorter and more straightforward. "Black Easter" and "The Day After Judgement" are two parts of the same story. They present a world in which magic is made possible by collusion with demons and angels. Dark magic is soul-damning but effective, and it is used to terrifying effect in both novels. I won't say anything about the specifics, other than to say that the ending of "The Day After Judgement" is both surprising and great.
The final novel ("A Case of Conscience") is a morality play set in space, and more than any other book I've read outlines how belief a deeply spiritual man's belief in God would be changed by an encounter with a world that defies church canon about the nature of life, God, and the Devil. It's understandable that this would be the only one of the series to be included in a list of science fiction masterworks, as it's the only one that includes the usual trappings of science fiction (rockets, alien races, and the simple fact that it's set in the future.)
Of the three, I would have to say that "A Case of Conscience" was my favorite. "Black Easter" and "The Day After Judgement" are short, and are worth reading in order to understand their truly great ending. "Dr. Mirabilis" is a long read and probably is more of interest to history buffs than science fiction readers. Still, it's a good book, and I'm glad to have read it.
Sunday, 5 July 2009
"Greybeard" by Brian Aldiss
After reading "Non-stop" and a confusing misprinted edition of "Cryptozoic" last year, I thought I would give Brian Aldiss another go. I picked up a tattered copy of "Greybeard" and finished it on a lazy summer afternoon.
This is yet another end-of-the-world scenario, in which atomic testing has rendered all of mankind sterile. Extinction by attrition is terrain well-trod by later works such as "Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang", "Galapagos", and the recent film "Children of Men".
In "Greybeard", we follow members of the last generation as they make their way through the ruins of the world. This is a society of the old, which lacks the infusion of energy and new ideas that each new generation brings. After the "accident", the first changes are small. Businesses dependent on the young (record shops, toy shops) falter before anyone understands why. Eventually, people understand their situation, and the hopelessness of a future without children infects all levels of society. Government and industry break down, and disease, decay, and vermin break down the corpse of human society where it falls. There is no apparent future to work for, and so people selfishly wring what sustenance and comfort they can out of the world, often without regard for the people they must kill or enslave to do so.
In reading this book, I was reminded of "World Out of Time" by Larry Niven. Niven's work depicts one man from our society encountering an alien and distant society of the far future. The turning point of the story hinges on discovering a key piece of technology that holds the secret to eternal youth. There was the suggestion of something similar early on in "Greybeard", and I kept expecting Aldiss to unveil a technological solution (a secret project that leaves an incredible legacy, etc.). The Deus Ex Machina never comes. It is life, rather than science that finds a way.
Instead of an immortality treatment, "Greybeard" offers us something more relevant to our lives. We see characters who are forced into a series of seemingly hopeless situations. They regain some measure of dignity and integrity by realizing that they can and must move beyond the meaningless echoes of the previous society that deaden and degrade most and benefit a privileged few.
This is the not a novel like "To Your Scattered Bodies Go", in which the things that constrain us are set aside to allow us to realize our full potential. Instead, it is a novel about the ways in which humans realize their potential in spite of all constraints, and is well worth a read.
I would loan you my copy, but its binding has decayed beyond repair, even as its ideas are passed on, which seems fitting. Perhaps my copy of "To Your Scattered Bodies Go" (in similar disrepair) will be resurrected with its youth and vigor on some distant planet... :)
This is yet another end-of-the-world scenario, in which atomic testing has rendered all of mankind sterile. Extinction by attrition is terrain well-trod by later works such as "Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang", "Galapagos", and the recent film "Children of Men".
In "Greybeard", we follow members of the last generation as they make their way through the ruins of the world. This is a society of the old, which lacks the infusion of energy and new ideas that each new generation brings. After the "accident", the first changes are small. Businesses dependent on the young (record shops, toy shops) falter before anyone understands why. Eventually, people understand their situation, and the hopelessness of a future without children infects all levels of society. Government and industry break down, and disease, decay, and vermin break down the corpse of human society where it falls. There is no apparent future to work for, and so people selfishly wring what sustenance and comfort they can out of the world, often without regard for the people they must kill or enslave to do so.
In reading this book, I was reminded of "World Out of Time" by Larry Niven. Niven's work depicts one man from our society encountering an alien and distant society of the far future. The turning point of the story hinges on discovering a key piece of technology that holds the secret to eternal youth. There was the suggestion of something similar early on in "Greybeard", and I kept expecting Aldiss to unveil a technological solution (a secret project that leaves an incredible legacy, etc.). The Deus Ex Machina never comes. It is life, rather than science that finds a way.
Instead of an immortality treatment, "Greybeard" offers us something more relevant to our lives. We see characters who are forced into a series of seemingly hopeless situations. They regain some measure of dignity and integrity by realizing that they can and must move beyond the meaningless echoes of the previous society that deaden and degrade most and benefit a privileged few.
This is the not a novel like "To Your Scattered Bodies Go", in which the things that constrain us are set aside to allow us to realize our full potential. Instead, it is a novel about the ways in which humans realize their potential in spite of all constraints, and is well worth a read.
I would loan you my copy, but its binding has decayed beyond repair, even as its ideas are passed on, which seems fitting. Perhaps my copy of "To Your Scattered Bodies Go" (in similar disrepair) will be resurrected with its youth and vigor on some distant planet... :)
Monday, 1 June 2009
"Gods of Riverworld" by Philip José Farmer
I finished "Gods of Riverworld" by Philip José Farmer a while ago. I've waited a while to write this up, as I was kind of lukewarm on the last book in the Riverworld series.
In the Riverworld, people have souls ("wathans"). It doesn't matter that they were created using technology, the important thing is that a soul can take on new bodies, and continues doing so until it moves beyond its need for reality and becomes one with the "oversoul". This technological Buddishm was the central premise of the first four novels, and I liked this idea a lot.
Imagine my surprise when Farmer came along in the fifth book and tinkered with the formula. It's his to tinker with, of course. It doesn't mean I have to like it though. To me, it seems like he swapped something spiritual for something political. Instead of a state of nirvana that an individual achieves in their own way, enlightenment is now like a doctoral thesis, you get it as soon as you can convince the doctoral committee. I found this somehow less satisfying.
I have to admit that I found the book a bit tiresome for other reasons. Farmer realized that he could pull from anywhere in history, and to do this well, he obviously did an awful lot of research. After a certain point, though, we get somewhat dry backstories for each character presented as a whole. I realize it's necessary to introduce the major characters, and that their histories are relevant, but if we encounter smaller portions of their history over time, it's a bit less taxing. Iain Banks is quite good at this, bringing back hints of a larger history, showing us that his characters have a past by presenting scenes from their lives. In earlier books in the series, the main characters' previous lives were introduced over time, in segments, and as relevant to the story. By the time we get to the fifth book, Farmer is almost throwing his raw notes about each character's biography at us.
This is not to say that the book didn't have its moments. It's just not as enjoyable as the first four books, and for me at least ventures into the same kind of cringeworthy revisionism that tarnishes "Star Wars: Episode One" for anyone old enough to have seen the original series first.
Take my advice and stop with the fourth book ("The Magical Labyrinth").
In the Riverworld, people have souls ("wathans"). It doesn't matter that they were created using technology, the important thing is that a soul can take on new bodies, and continues doing so until it moves beyond its need for reality and becomes one with the "oversoul". This technological Buddishm was the central premise of the first four novels, and I liked this idea a lot.
Imagine my surprise when Farmer came along in the fifth book and tinkered with the formula. It's his to tinker with, of course. It doesn't mean I have to like it though. To me, it seems like he swapped something spiritual for something political. Instead of a state of nirvana that an individual achieves in their own way, enlightenment is now like a doctoral thesis, you get it as soon as you can convince the doctoral committee. I found this somehow less satisfying.
I have to admit that I found the book a bit tiresome for other reasons. Farmer realized that he could pull from anywhere in history, and to do this well, he obviously did an awful lot of research. After a certain point, though, we get somewhat dry backstories for each character presented as a whole. I realize it's necessary to introduce the major characters, and that their histories are relevant, but if we encounter smaller portions of their history over time, it's a bit less taxing. Iain Banks is quite good at this, bringing back hints of a larger history, showing us that his characters have a past by presenting scenes from their lives. In earlier books in the series, the main characters' previous lives were introduced over time, in segments, and as relevant to the story. By the time we get to the fifth book, Farmer is almost throwing his raw notes about each character's biography at us.
This is not to say that the book didn't have its moments. It's just not as enjoyable as the first four books, and for me at least ventures into the same kind of cringeworthy revisionism that tarnishes "Star Wars: Episode One" for anyone old enough to have seen the original series first.
Take my advice and stop with the fourth book ("The Magical Labyrinth").
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