A world on fire

 I read this book on a recommendation from a friend. To be fair, it is not a book I would have picked up on my own, but then such was the case for my friend. This book, for both of us, was an anomaly. But what an anomaly it was. On the surface, this book is exactly what it claims to be. Through multiple first person accounts, the reader is invited to experience the first and hopefully only, Zombie War. Just hearing that, I’m sure you might expect to hear an account that might start, in the movies

“ In a World where disease has racked the land,…. the dead…don’t stay that way….”

Maybe the trailer would then cut to the scene of an innocent child, surrounded by wreckage…who turns with a bloodthirsty grin, seeking its next victim.(I know, I just stole that scene from Walking Dead, but is so iconic and unforgettable.

But World War Z is much more than a book of scare tactics and this is why I highly recommend people who have not discovered it for themselves, to read it. This book is more about the state of our world today, country by country, then it is about any zombie plague. It evaluates how the mysterious plague begins and follows it through the war, the reclamation, and its after-effects.

 It talks about how Isreal confronts the problem as a more militaristic state, which has a highly mobilized army and borders that are already diligently patrolled, to a country like the US, which is a democracy that more often fights over the best way to solve issues, in lue of actually solving any of them. Imagine the difficulty, the impossibility, of accomplishing anything in such an environment,  where the truth is too crazy to be believed, and so is often pushed under the rug and ignored, until it is too late.  Finally it crystalizes with the dilemma of fighting an enemy that never cuts its losses, but fights for no reason, without stop and multiplies as you dwindle.

This is a book about our humanity. Who profits, and who helps others; how we as people band together and tear each other apart. By telling the accounts of victims and soldiers, documentarians and physicians, clean up crews and government officials, a strangely true-feeling account comes to breathing life. Who even would have thought of how useless most Americans would be ,with the loss of the power grid, at basic survival? Who would have contemplated the fate of the undead in the ocean or the way religion can rise or fall in crisis as well as how the fate of nations can change so completely based solely on location and terrain, and even its status as a shunned nation, under the influence of shipping and immigration embargos? How do you detect the disease and how do you turn away those destined to spread the plague, while they still appear perfectly normal? How does the psyche break down in the victim, in those left behind by death or carelessness?

What are the consequences of not thinking through a war fought on a new level, and in a new way? Why are soldiers on the ground always discounted as experts, when ivy league graduates, who have studied the masters, but have no clue about field operations, are left to command the death of thousands with outdated and unsuited battle plans? What do we lose in this fire that burns down our planet? What do we gain? When do we decide to give up?

 This book may at first appear a light read, but I assure you that it is one of the most contemplative books I have read to date. It is a call to action, to actively participating in your government and the world around you. It is a plea for common understandings in a world of differences. It may be written by the son of Comedian / Director Mel Brooks, but despite possible moments of levity, it a shocking revelation of how fragile life is.

Priest does a much better job with the pacing in Dreadnought, which can be mostly credited to the fact that a lot of the groundwork has been laid in the first novel, as well as the core of the story taking place aboard the train our novel is named after. You see, Mercy Lynch’s trip across America is about as smooth as sandpaper – her trip takes her perilously close to the front lines of the Civil War several times. It is during the early part of her trip that readers get to learn more about this alternate America, complete with an independent Texas that serves as a weapons dealer to both sides, the goings-on out west and the far reach of the sap drug since the first novel. The meat of the story however, is Mercy’s train ride west, full of shoot-outs, showdowns and a collection of people who can’t get along all headed in the same direction.

Mercy’s character is well polished from the start; a superb combination of strength and kindness keeps her motives and intentions true all through the story, and makes you give a crap about her actually getting what she sets out for – a meeting with her father. Other characters, like Horatio Korman add depth and intrigue without taking all the spotlight away from our leading lady – though more expulsion on his skulkings about are welcome (who knows? I may get answers someday).

Dreadnought was awesome. With the way things are fleshing out, Cherie Priest’s Clockwork Century collection is becoming more and more fascinating now that I can see the United States as a whole. Now that things are in cruise control, I can’t wait to see what goes down in the next novel.

The cover of my copy is silver... Not that that means anything

So, I missed a post last week because I was pretty sick from Thursday on.  Feeling much (much much!) better now, and decided to get on here and do another review.  I am not exactly sure how regularly I will be writing starting next week, as the semester starts back up, but I’ll do what I can!

The Sheriff of Yrnameer was the very first novel by Michael Rubens.  It is set in the distant future.  It centers around a fairly pathetic space pilot/smuggler named Cole.  He’s one of those characters that aspires to be Han Solo like, thinking he’s got everything going for him, but he’s more like Fry from Futurama.

In fact, the whole of Rubens’ future is similar to Futurama–in a good way.

Basically all the worst things happen to Cole.  He is captured by an alien bounty hunter who wants nothing more to lay his eggs in Cole’s brain; the girl of his dreams leaves him for his alien sidekick; and his precious ship is vaporized because he didn’t make it to the parking meter in time.  All of this terrible stuff happens in the first few chapters.

When Cole overhears his rival’s plan to take on a cargo and a couple passengers, he decides he wants in on the action.  After knocking his rival out, he steal his ship, and begins an adventure that takes him out of civilized space.  The group, with a cargo of freeze-dried orphans in tow, encounter cannibalistic business men, ornery grey aliens, and the same bounty hunter that was after Cole from the start.

They wind up in the final frontier for humans: the last bastion of their race, an underdeveloped planet called Yrnameer.  The planet is basically the last unspoiled beauty in the who galaxy, and they are in need of a sheriff to protect them from “bad men” that live in the wilds.  It’s up to Cole to fulfill his duties!

Rubens’ first novel is well-written and completely hilarious.  The worlds, even though they’re briefly seen, are rich and full of life.  The future detailed here, though, is very business-centric.  Every planet has been bought by companies, and each one has basically become a corporate world.

While not a future I would enjoy living in, it is definitely a place visit, now and again.  Word from Rubens’ is that there is a sequel planned–and the novel definitely segues well into one.  It’s definitely a worthwhile read for anyone who enjoys sci-fi with a little western influence!

I’ll be completely honest, when I picked up Trevor Corson’s book, The Story of Sushi: An Unlikely Saga of Raw Fish and Rice, I expected a grand historical account of sushi throughout the ages.  What I didn’t expect, and what the book offered to me, was a story–though true to life–about a young woman’s struggle at a school where sushi chefs learn their trade.

I picked it up, a little wary.  I’ll admit that I didn’t read what this book was about.  I honestly decided to read it, hoping for some history on sushi.  After the first few pages, I was hooked.  That lase sentence may come across as a terrible pun, considering the book has a fish on the cover.  For that, I apologize.

The story is set in California.  More specifically, the California Sushi Academy in a restaurant called Hama Hermosa.  It follows a few students, and the instructors, of what was the last class the Academy held before Hama Hermosa was closed.  (It’s since moved to another restaurant.)

Corson does a wonderful job of blending the story aspect, following the students/instructors, and giving his readers a history lesson in sushi.  When a new fish, or sushi style is introduced, the chapter it appears in tells about how it came about to be a sushi topping or style.  Corson did a lot of research for this book, and it shows.

I enjoyed the blending of the two styles.  It was written like it was half novel and half sushi encyclopedia!

After reading it, I learned that Corson also has a book called The Secret Lives of Lobsters. I am eager to find a copy, and read that one, as well.

“A bluebear has twenty-seven lives.  I shall recount thirteen and a half of them in this book, but keep quiet about the rest…”  So begins one of the most creative books I have ever had the chance to read. The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear, written by Walter Moers, is touted as “Equal parts J.K. Rowling, Douglas Adams and Shel Siverstein.”  This description is absolutely true.

The story begins with a preface from the good ol’ Captain, and soon begins with his adventures just after birth.  Each of the chapters following, delve into on of Bluebear’s “lives”.  By life, the author means different ways that Bluebear has lived and learned.  He starts by…well…being born, of course.

Not long after birth, Bluebear is rescued by Mini Pirates (as shown on the cover) and lives one of his lives at sea.  Bluebear has twelve and a half other lives that he goes through, including living with Hobgoblins, getting named by roving sea waves, and learning (just about everything) from one of the smartest creatures on the Earth, a seven-brained Nocturnamath.  The Nocturnamath, Abdullah Nightingale, is responsible for planting an all-knowing encyclopedia into Bluebear’s head.  If he runs into any troubles, he usually finds an answer.

This encyclopedia seems like a delightful not to Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.  It pops up at opportune moments to explain to Bluebear, and the reader, about the different things he has encountered.

Bluebear’s world is basically ours.  He spends the bulk of his lives living on a continent known as Zamonia.  There is a map depicting the Earth as we know it, plus a few continents (including the fabled Lost City of Atlantis).  The setting is sometime in the past, as these continents, according to Bluebear, no longer exist.

The writing style is clever with some very funny bits, but it seems a bit sloppily translated.  Moers is German, and the original book was written in German.  There are just some paragraphs that seem…well…oddly written.  Aside from that, the book is great!  A number of the pages have illustrations, and some of them are full-page.

I recommend this book.  As I mentioned above, it’s perhaps the most creative book I have ever read.

I think his hair may actually be on fire

A while back, I went to the Brooklyn Book Fair and it brought me into contact with many new authors and works I knew nothing about before.  One large source of new material was the young adult tent, as I waited to see Libba Bray’s YA  band, Tiger Beat.   In the session before the band, I heard from the authors of Bamboo People, Marcelo and the Real World, and The Boneshaker.  Hearing them speak prompted me to get a copy of each of their books from the library.  Without a doubt Marcelo and Boneshaker won the day for me.  I am working on another post about Marcelo, but right now, I have to share my enthusiasm for The Boneshaker.

I read the description for this book, and I thought I knew what I was in for.  This turned out to be only partly true.  The Boneshaker begins in a sleepy turn of the century town.  The plucky heroine loves understanding the why of things, which she has had ample time to practice, learning at the workshop of her father, who fixes  bicycles, and practically anything else mechanical.

Her father fixes the doctor’s old car in the opening scene and the doctor leaves town, to deal with a flu epidemic in a nearby town, which leaves most of the town uneasy.  They trust the poor pharmacist left behind to take care of them, but only so just.  Unfortunately, but perhaps not unexpectedly,  with the good doctor’s departure, wicked this way, does, indeed, come.

As the doctor leaves town, another form of healing arrives in the form of  the traveling medicine show, Dr. Limberleg ‘s Nostrom Fair and Technological Medicine Show, which promises to cure what ails you.  Funny how they never seem to mention the price of a miracle cure.  As might be surmised, all is not as it seems with this traveling saleman, and it is up to our young heroine to set things right before all she holds dear is lost to her forever.

It took a little while for this book to become so interesting to me that I couldn’t put it down.  At first it was just mildly entertaining.  This quickly changed, the further I read.  First of all, Kate Milford does a great job with her supporting cast.  I felt all the townspeople to be very believable, and of a good mix.  They weren’t all good or bad and quite a few were intriguingly mysterious.  One of my favorite’s was old Tom Guyot, as his uncanny abilities with his guitar.  I don’t think it gives too much away to mention the song, The Devil Went Down to Georgia, to give you a sample of his history.  He is also quite the resident philosopher in this book, and has many of the more quotable lines. 

  Then there is the genre.  I dont know much about the steampunk culture, but this book definitely fits the bill.  It may seem a strange genre for kids, but it seems perfectly natural here.  Natalie’s desire to learn about all things mechanical lends itself perfectly to this emerging genre of sci-fi/fantasy.  Automatons, bikes, cars, are all described with loving detail, though not so much as to drive a young audience away.

Then there is an edge of the mystical and spiritual, which flows so seemlessly, if a little jarringly in a young adult novel.   Though many things are mechanical, it is the negative, evil energy from which they spawn that drives the creepy in this book.  Kate Milford clearly defines those machines that obey the laws of physics and mechanics as right, and sound, and those that defy logic to be evil, or at least suspicious. 

  I was actually a little surprised at the creepiness factor is this book.  Kate Milford did a great job at creating a sense of impending doom.  I felt like I was reading my way through a  young adult horror book in many ways, waiting for the good Dr. Limberleg to jump out of any given corner at any given moment.  As the book continues, more than one thing (and person) becomes  suspicious and possibly life threatening.

The ending was good, but definitely opened the way for sequels.  All I can say is bring it on.  I would gladly pick up another book by this author, to read more profound quotes, to continue the story of the heroine and her quirky neighbors and moreover to see how far into the established mythology Kate Milford will dare to take us.

The story is not as boring as the cover...

I like to think of myself as an equal-opportunity reader.  I’ll give (most) anything a fighting chance, as long as it hooks me.  I mean, I read a story about the creation of The Oxford English Dictionary (The Meaning of Everything: The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester.  READ IT!), and it was great!  Why, then, did I find myself shying away from Ayn Rand?

I have friends who have tried, and have given up, to read both The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged so maybe their negative commentary got to me… I don’t know for sure.  So, when I saw that a Rand book was required for my English class, I kind of balked at reading it.  I was ready to not give Ayn Rand a chance.

In short, I am pretty glad I had to give her a chance (had to as Anthem was required, as I said).  Did I enjoy Anthem?  Yes, I did.  This is the long of it:

Anthem was a very good, classic story.  In a dystopic future, a world where man works only for the betterment of his brothers, a wise young man–the main character Equality 7-2521–realizes that he is different.  This is not a good thing, as all the men are the same…they are brothers.  One cannot be better than another.  This idea carried out to such an extreme that everyone refers to themselves as “we”.

Equality, an obviously smart young man who questions everything, is beset by setbacks from the time he can talk.  The ultimate insult to his intelligence, however, is when he is assigned his life Mandate, a job that he must do for life.  He is assigned the lowly position of street sweeper.

While doing his work, Equality discovers a forgotten tunnel.  This tunnel he claims for his own (which is one of the first ways he begins to defy his societal teachings).  Within his tunnel Equality discovers many technologies (he basically rediscovers electricity) from the Unmentionable Times–the past that led to the collective society he now lives in.

Equality also breaks many societal rules, which include talking to women.  Women, in Rand’s story, are peasants who sow the seeds in fields.  It is outside of one of these fields that Equality meets Liberty 5-3000.  He recognizes in her, the same thing that is in himself–she is different as well, and realizes that all is not right in this society.  Equality transgresses even farther, but favoring Liberty over his “brothers”.

As he returns to his tunnel (often thinking of Liberty) Equality invents–well, reinvents in the context of the story–the electric light.  In short he brings his invention to the World Council of Scholars who just  happen to be meeting in his very town.  When he shows them his invention, the Scholars react in fear (the world is in the state it’s in in the story because of a large war), and wish to destroy it and Equality for him blasphemy.

Equality does what anyone in his situation would do, run toward a giant, scary, uncharted forest.  Little did he know that Liberty would follow him into the unknown…  If I wrote anything after that would be spoilers…

It is, basically, from this point on in the story that everything went downhill for me.

Yes, Equality finds something he has been searching for: his sense of self, and the words to go with it.  I don’t think Rand understood that her story would…fall apart from there.  Is it a good thing that Equality finds out that there were people who were selfish?  Yeah, I guess, but it sets him up to be just the same as the people that came before him.

Liberty essentially goes from being a strong woman, to one who follows in a man’s footsteps (even allowing Equality to choose her new name).  This surprised me, since Rand is a female herself.  Though I guess it shows that she can get into the male mindset…I don’t know.

Another thing that bothered me about the ending of the story, is how far Rand goes to relate her philosophies.  She takes up an entire chapter just do so.  It was easily stated in the first couple sentences, but she just had to drive it home, I guess.

I don’t mean for this to sound like I hated the story.  I enjoyed it, for what it was.  The ending had problems, but it did leave me wanting more, which is what a good author should do.

That being said, I am undecided on whether or not I am going to take any further forays into Ayn Rand’s works.  Given the length of them, and the fact that my English teacher has already warned that in The Fountainhead she goes on for 60 plus pages about one character’s actions.  That might not be a good read!

The Way of Kings is a tale about mankind after it has been forced out of heaven and onto the shores of Roshar, a world plauged by endless storms and weather that changes seasons at random. Mankind continues over millenia to fight the people that cast them out in the first place (called the Voidbringers), to the point that people can no longer even remember who they are or what they look like anymore. The story opens with the assassination of a king that sparks a war with the offending country on the Shattered Plains, where our main characters come in. While being told from a number of perspectives – enough to not be confusing – it focuses on three characters who carry the brunt of the story.

Dalinar Kholinar is the brother of the late king, and a ferocious general on the Shattered Plains whom some believe has been losing his legendary edge since the death of his brother. Unfortunately, Dalinar agrees with them; with every highstorm (something like a tornado mixed with a rainstorm) that passes, he has visions seemingly coming from the Almighty giving him instructions.

Kaladin Stormblessed was a soldier in the border wars, not only gifted in the healing arts but in combat as well; there were already several occasions where Kaladin has been the sole surviving member of his unit. He fought hoping that he would be noticed and promoted to where the real war is happening, on the Shattered Plains. Now, he lives out his existence as a slave, waiting for either escape or death to claim him.

Shallan Davar, the daughter of an infamous noble, has been chasing the daughter of the late king Jasnah Kholin halfway around Roshar, in the hopes of becoming her apprentice. Secretly, Shallan’s goal is to steal Jasnah’s magical artifact and use it to keep her family and their estates from financial implosion. She is also a gifted artist, and her drawings provide the illustrations for some of the pages in The Way of Kings.

These three characters really cover completely different aspects of the world of Roshar, giving you a chance to learn about the world about while keeping you in the know when the other characters are missing pieces. There are also other perspectives provided to fill you in on cultural and historical facts. One thing you have to give Sanderson credit for is being able to (spoon)feed you information without confusing you, especially when it’s this complex. If you’ve read any of his previous original works (Elantris, The Mistborn Trilogy), then you’re already familiar with Sanderson’s propensity for intricate – and awesome – magic systems. The Way of Kings doesn’t get too into detail yet, but from the fact that there already seem to be 3 different systems here, as well as the index in the back of the book, this will be his most elaborate to date.

A few magics take center stage here, the first being the shardbearers, people in possession of swords capable of cutting through anything, and armor that enhances strength and speed to the point of incredible feats, turning men into walking tanks. Then there is surgebinding, which essentially involves directional manipulation of gravity (i.e. making up become down, running straight up walls, etc), which Sanderson displays brilliantly via an assassin who owns everyone in sight.

As I stated before, The Way of Kings is only the beginning of a series that will span many, many books (I think Sanderson said 10). I say it again because while the story has a great ending and provides answers to some mysteries, you can’t help but feel hungry for more. Things have only started to get interesting and now I have to wait for the next to continue what looks to be a great series. The Way of Kings is definitely one of my top fantasy books of 2010.

The Name of the Wind is told from two positions: One takes place in real time, at an inn where Kvothe relates his tale to Devan, a famous myth-buster/writer also known as the Chronicler. The second position is in the past, told in first person by a young and very gifted Kvothe. He talks about his origins as a musician, his tutorship under an accomplished arcanist, and how the murder of his parents ultimately drove him to University to become an arcanist himself.

One of the things I love about any well written story is how quickly an author makes you believe in his world, and Rothfuss certainly baited and reeled me in rather quickly here. Honestly, what would you do if you were an eleven year old with an incredible IQ made an orphan by men spoken of only in folk tales? Kvothe seemingly wrestles with these issues, especially after being accepted to the University for magic. By then he admits that the pain of losing his parents has faded, and if the notion of him killing a god sounds ridiculous, then what should his purpose in life be?

This is where I find my personal connection with Kvothe’s character – sometimes you just have to keep it moving. There are moments when Kvothe runs into major trouble, most of the time caused by his own impulsiveness. Despite the mounting problems he keeps himself buried in his work, and his mind locked goals to the point of burnout, always trying to get better. It was the consistency of his worth ethic I probably loved the most about The Name of the Wind, as I identify with overwork to help me keep some kind of stability to my life.

To be honest, Rothfuss’ first novel is admittedly sparse on the action, focusing more on the stressful drama that is Kvothe’s life at the University, as well as his romantic pursuits. Still, The Name of the Wind is not completely bereft of intense moments. There are a few notable sequences, including one where Kvothe takes on a drug addicted dragon – yes, it sounds particularly absurd in nature, but not only is it awesome, the biology behind the dragon is the product of what appears to be thought out research. Seeing as this is more of an origin story, I expect the sequel to provide the action in spades.

Kvothe is not the only interesting person here, and that is testament to Rothfuss’ ability to tell a great character-driven story. So many of the supporting cast in this book do their job – they help to color every scene and keep it interesting with contrasting personas, be it Kvothe’s university friend super-honest Simmon or antagonist extraordinaire Ambrose, who was a joy to hate. One of the few times I wished a character existed… merely so I could punch him in the face. Hard.

The next book, Wise Man’s Fear, will cover the second day of Kvothe recording his story with the Chronicler, which drops in March of 2011. Kvothe hints at some of the happenings at the end of the first book, but I cannot wait to see what lies in store for the next installment. If I need to explain my enthusiasm, just look at this quote:

“There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”

That’s all it took to sell me. And yes, I’ve already pre-ordered it.

I love this book!

It’s that time of year, again: the time when one’s fancy turns to the ghoulish.  I love Halloween, and the feel of the season changing as it comes upon on.  This time of year, I find myself digging out old horror movies (though it’s not a horror, I did just watch Return to Oz, again…it’s pretty scary) and watching all those reality shows featuring “Ghost” or “Haunted” in the title.

Though the subjects of the amazing book–cleverly put together by Matt Alt and Hiroko Yoda–aren’t Halloween-based, I couldn’t help but think of using it as a blog post. 

Yokai Attack: The Japanese Monster Survival Guide is essential for any fan of supernatural beings or Japan.  Within the book is a collection of what are, basically, dossiers for certain Japanese yokai (a word that means demon, spirit or monster).  The book is broken down into several categories based on the personality of the creatures within it.

For example the first chapter, “Ferocious Fiends” has a dossier for my favorite of the yokai: the Tengu.  The Tengu are bird-like spirits who inhabit the mountainous areas of Japan.  They are noted swordsmen and, though they can be antagonistic toward humans, can also be quite helpful toward them as well.

The dossier on each creature contains several tidbits of information including: what their name means, what they look like and, most importantly, how one would survive an encounter with one.  In some, there are even explanations about what sorts of actual phenomena can explain the appearances of some yokai.

The research on the yokai is quite thorough, and the artwork–done by Tatsuya Morino–in each of the dossiers is gorgeous.

As a fan of the supernatural, and a huge fan of Japan and it’s culture, this book is quite an awesome example of both.  I received this book for Christmas just after it was release, and constantly find myself going back to it.  I even wrote a paper in English about yokai, and used the book as a reference.  I can’t recommend this quirky book enough!