Book Reviews
Review: “Daemon” by Daniel Suarez
The story of how Suarez’s novel went from a self-published story to a major book contract and potential movie deal is one that will give hope to every aspiring writer out there. Suarez got his book into the hands of a target audience and created a buzz for himself that it was impossible for a conventional publisher to ignore. But the thing is–if “Daemon” weren’t a good book, no one would be talking about it. And “Daemon” is that good.
Review: The Neanderthal Parallax by Robert J. Sawyer
I find it very difficult to write about these books without gushing. As much as I’ve given you in the synopses, there is more that I left out. What I found in Sawyer’s “Neanderthal” reality is a world society that is fundamentally different from our own.
And, unlike much science fiction that is based on a “really cool” idea, Sawyer also manages to write complex characters that I grew to care about deeply. The books ripped my heart out at times, made me laugh at times, and kept me at the edge of my seat till the very end. Very little science fiction out there can do all that.
Review: “Crater County” by Jonathan Miller
So there I am at Ice Escape, and a young man starts chatting me up about his book, Crater County: A Legal Thriller of New Mexico. It’s a slightly supernatural legal thriller, he says. And I says, “A slightly supernatural legal thriller? I don’t think I’ve ever read something like that.” And he says, “How’d you like to review the book?” I says, “Sure, why not?”
We said a lot.
Review: “Five Seasons of Angel”
You know that a pop culture staple has gone far beyond the normal range of fandom and reached saturation when serious academic studies relating to the psychology, philosophy, and morality of show and of its characters are being published.
To my knowledge, only Buffy the Vampire Slayer (with two academic conferences dedicated to it so far) and Godzilla fall into that category, but Buffy’s spinoff, Angel, should be right beside them.
Dual Review: “Twelve”, “Thirteen Years Later” by Jasper Kent
Before I start reviewing Twelve and Thirteen Years Later I have to go on a rant, a rant about books with serial killers. The success of The Silence of the Lambs has meant a huge number of books featuring serial killers. I find the popularity of serial killer characters unnerving and annoying. Unnerving, because this hero worship of insane killers, is well unnerving.
Review: “Sagramanda” by Alan Dean Foster
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a techo thriller with near future sci-fi thrown in. It is a well written and enjoyable tale that is full of the flavor of India, its culture and people, from a forward looking perspective.
Review: “The Plot to Save Socrates” by Paul Levinson
Levinson, author of The Silk Code and The Consciousness Plague, among others novels, brings us one of the more peculiar time travel books I’ve read. In it, a group of time travellers brought together by forces unknown—and you never really find out whom—conspire to rescue Socrates from hemlock poisioning at the hands of the Athenian democracy, bringing him to the future for the benefit of all mankind.
Review: “The Walls of the Universe” by Paul Melko
I really, really liked Paul Melko’s “The Walls of the Universe.” The problem is I wanted to love it.
