Joe Halfemann wrote this book in the early 70s following his experiences in Vietnam. In it's broadest sense it is an excellent allegory for that war and the alienation that veterans felt on returning home. The Forever War takes this to the extreme- due to the physics of interstellar travel, time passes at a different rate on earth compared to the soldiers. So they go for a tour and decades, and latterly in the book, centuries pass. Even new recruits come from an almost alien society to the main character. The result is a beautifully written book which I can recommend to all readers, SF or not. The suffering and angst of the MC is palpable and the prose is very easy to read. The dialogue and humour is especially well done. Simply perfect- read it!
Moorcock is one of those authors that I've always meant to read, but never seemed to get around to. Then last year I picked up a copy of Dancers at the End of Time and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. So Moorcocks other classics- Elric, Corum and Cornelius- have been on the 'to read' list for a while. The edition I read was the Fantasy Masterworks 17: Elric which comprised if the original 7 novelettes compiled in Stealer of Souls and Stormbringer, both in the 1960s. They were Moorcocks first novels. The fact they were essentially short stories produces a pace to the narrative which is refreshing compared to some modern fantasy (where it takes until vol 3 of a ten part cycle to see any action or plot). The language is typically epic fantasy, with lots of ominous proclamations and quite stilted dialogue. But the character of Elric is wonderful- a well drawn anti- hero, we first meet him when he sacks his own kingdom! Elric is dependent on his vampiric sword-Stormbringer- and th...Moorcock is one of those authors that I've always meant to read, but never seemed to get around to. Then last year I picked up a copy of Dancers at the End of Time and was surprised by how much I enjoyed it. So Moorcocks other classics- Elric, Corum and Cornelius- have been on the 'to read' list for a while. The edition I read was the Fantasy Masterworks 17: Elric which comprised if the original 7 novelettes compiled in Stealer of Souls and Stormbringer, both in the 1960s. They were Moorcocks first novels. The fact they were essentially short stories produces a pace to the narrative which is refreshing compared to some modern fantasy (where it takes until vol 3 of a ten part cycle to see any action or plot). The language is typically epic fantasy, with lots of ominous proclamations and quite stilted dialogue. But the character of Elric is wonderful- a well drawn anti- hero, we first meet him when he sacks his own kingdom! Elric is dependent on his vampiric sword-Stormbringer- and this is the key relationship in the book. It leads him to slaying friends, which adds to his sense of doom and self-loathing. Ultimately it is a tragedy and very well told. These books are towards fifty years old but time hasn't diminished their impact. If you like classic heroic fantasy with a twist, then I would recommend this. (more)
Brian's book had be hooked from the start and at this stage i must confess to being a life long comics fan. The story compares very well to current superhero literature and I was intrigued to discover how a written versus graphic representation of a super hero story would work. It works surprisingly well, although I think that's because the superhero aspect is actually a backdrop to most of the real story. What do I mean by that? Well, this book can be viewed on several levels. Superficially it is about a lad who discovers he has superpowers which evolve over the book. He lives in a town of supers, whose presence is fairly realistically described. The 'real world' aspects weren't detailed as much as I'd have liked (e.g are they regulated, used by government, when did they first appear.. All that Post-watchmen stuff) but that's just me and may be developed in future volumes. It reads well as a superhero story, anyway. On a deeper level the story is a journey- both as Alex comes of a...Brian's book had be hooked from the start and at this stage i must confess to being a life long comics fan. The story compares very well to current superhero literature and I was intrigued to discover how a written versus graphic representation of a super hero story would work. It works surprisingly well, although I think that's because the superhero aspect is actually a backdrop to most of the real story. What do I mean by that? Well, this book can be viewed on several levels. Superficially it is about a lad who discovers he has superpowers which evolve over the book. He lives in a town of supers, whose presence is fairly realistically described. The 'real world' aspects weren't detailed as much as I'd have liked (e.g are they regulated, used by government, when did they first appear.. All that Post-watchmen stuff) but that's just me and may be developed in future volumes. It reads well as a superhero story, anyway. On a deeper level the story is a journey- both as Alex comes of age and as he embarks upon learning about the development of a hero. The latter is cleverly referred to during the story using the Hobbit as an example of the stages of a hero's path. The self-learning and the teen angst that goes with it is described in detail, not just for Akex but for the wide range of supporting characters. And the book does this very well- the characterisation is very detailed and realistic. As in the Spiderman comics, the challenges of high school life present more intrigue than the battles between Supers. Brian has a readable style, with strength in his dialogue. My only criticism would be that sometimes the dialogues get repetitive and don't seem to drive the narrative forward. I wonder whether some scenes were vital, which at a meaty 320 pages A4, may put some readers off. Despite that I loved this book and can't wait until the sequel is written. Thoroughly recommended. (more)
This is the first book of Simon's Aona series and i was so taken by the opening sample available on the on-line reader that i bought the paperback. This is an intricate and thoughtful peice of work, well-crafted and detailed. The atmosphere in the book is very dark and very gritty, with disturbing secenes and characters that aren't always clear cut good or evil but rather shades of grey--indeed shades of grey that change in tone throughout the text. There are several character driven strands working through the book which come nicely together at the end. Seemingly incidental characters grow in importance and they link together in an interesting and compelling manner. The introduction of the main plot of the series--the conflict between ancient races with the younger Races caught up--is gradual and at times confusing, although it does become clearer towards the end. The book ends with several new plot strands and what i assume will be key protagonists in the next books introduced. Th...This is the first book of Simon's Aona series and i was so taken by the opening sample available on the on-line reader that i bought the paperback. This is an intricate and thoughtful peice of work, well-crafted and detailed. The atmosphere in the book is very dark and very gritty, with disturbing secenes and characters that aren't always clear cut good or evil but rather shades of grey--indeed shades of grey that change in tone throughout the text. There are several character driven strands working through the book which come nicely together at the end. Seemingly incidental characters grow in importance and they link together in an interesting and compelling manner. The introduction of the main plot of the series--the conflict between ancient races with the younger Races caught up--is gradual and at times confusing, although it does become clearer towards the end. The book ends with several new plot strands and what i assume will be key protagonists in the next books introduced. This was the only niggle i had--i felt the finale would have been best conducted as chapter XXI with Vornen et al, rather than the two that followed. Certainly the Watchers could have been brought in earlier. These are minor points--it remains a great book, distinctly part of a trilogy and not a stand alone, and is a great example of the quality you can find in self-publishing these days. looking forward to the next. (more)
David had requested a review of the first 15 pages (Ch-1) and I plan to read the rest when i've worked down my current (virtual and actual) stack of books! The book is a first person POV from Patrick, an ingenuous combination of accountant and what sounds to be vigilante- come hitman. Nor being a big thriller/crime reader I thought this an excellent idea for a character and the thoughts and actions are well written. The pace of the first chapter is enough to tug your curiosity about both Patrick and the character he is 'investigating' along with some nice digs about modern estates and the North-west. The style is easy to read, although some sentences jar a little. The exclamation marks are a bit intrusive on the first page and could probably use toning down- but maybe that's me. Look forward to reading the rest.
this is the fifth book in George RR Martin's epic 'Song of Ice and Fire' series (sixth if you regard the third book as two volumes)and can only really be read and enjoyed if you've tackled the others. The series as a whole is remarkable. The level of detail is exquisite and the first book was recently filmed by HBO as Game of Thrones. If you saw that then you have a fair idea of what to expect--violent, adult, gritty and explicit fantasy. Dance with Dragons has split the fanbase for Martin. One problem was that it has taken seven years to arrive. Given that book four only dealt with half of the many characters in the series this has meant a very long wait to find out what is occurring with some of the major players. This book focuses on the events around the Wall (with Jon, Stannis and a few others) and across the Narrow Sea with Tyrion, Daenrys and Aria. It dedicates large amounts of the 1000 pages to the main three to the detriment of the other characters, meaning that the pace of...this is the fifth book in George RR Martin's epic 'Song of Ice and Fire' series (sixth if you regard the third book as two volumes)and can only really be read and enjoyed if you've tackled the others. The series as a whole is remarkable. The level of detail is exquisite and the first book was recently filmed by HBO as Game of Thrones. If you saw that then you have a fair idea of what to expect--violent, adult, gritty and explicit fantasy. Dance with Dragons has split the fanbase for Martin. One problem was that it has taken seven years to arrive. Given that book four only dealt with half of the many characters in the series this has meant a very long wait to find out what is occurring with some of the major players. This book focuses on the events around the Wall (with Jon, Stannis and a few others) and across the Narrow Sea with Tyrion, Daenrys and Aria. It dedicates large amounts of the 1000 pages to the main three to the detriment of the other characters, meaning that the pace of the book limps along. Aria gets two (agreeably excellent) chapters and some of the minor 'Ironborn' characters feature far more. Oddly, although they seemed like fillers, they work very well. there are new characters, written in Martin's rather restrictive POV chapter style and there are some that seemed to have drifted from the edit of book four. the end result is a rather infuriating, drawn out, but superbly written book that could have tolerated a proper edit. Despite this it remains compulsive for those who love the series but i hope Martin pulls his finger out and focuses on finishing the books in the next few years (rather than playing at scripting the HBO series) or his fans may abandon him in droves. (more)
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