Don't Forget to Read a Book!

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Dan Simmons's Hyperion. The Short of It Plot:  Seven pilgrims journey to the one place that connects them: the planet Hyperion. Page Count: 492 Award:  1990 Hugo, 1990 Locus SF Worth a read : Yes. Right now. Primary Driver:  ( Plot, World, or Character ) Bechdel Test : Possible Pass? Technobabble:  Moderate. Review:  Hot diggity dog. What a book. It's a masterpiece. The world is great. The characters are distinct and fantastic. A sense of mystery permeates everything, as well as urgency. Every plot beat is woven brilliantly - each character telling their story informs another, fills in blanks. But doesn't overfill! Keeps things mysterious! World building both answers and raises questions - but so, so, so well. Writing is crisp, pacing is great. I cannot recommend this one enough. Go! Get thee to a bookery! The Medium of It Spoiler Free What're you doing, reading this blog post? Go out and buy the book! Or get it from t...

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Lois McMaster Bujold's  Falling Free. The Short of It Plot:  Quaddies were genetically engineered to thrive in null gravity. Too bad they're basically kept as slaves. Page Count:  320 Award: 1988 Nebula Worth a read : For a Vorkosigan Saga completionist: Yes. But can be skipped. Primary Driver:  (Plot,  World , or Character) Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble:  Yes. Review:  One of the weaker stories in the Vorkosigan Saga. Characters lack depth - and the childlike state in which the quaddies are kept becomes grating. Pacing is decent and the story is somewhat engaging. Leo Graf, the main "standard" human character, is far more compelling than any of the quaddies. Corporate greed is a believable but underwhelming bad guy, because [gestures vaguely at everything]. The Medium of It Spoiler Free! This is the first book in the Vorkosigan Saga chronologically, but should actually be read later. It is a prequel that exami...

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Orson Scott Card's  Tales of Alvin the Maker, books two through six. The Short of It Plot:  In an America much like our own, Alvin is one of the only forces of order capable of countering the Unmaker. Page Count:  Red Prophet: 311 Prentice Alvin: 342 Alvin Journeyman: 381 Heartfire: 336 The Crystal City: 340 Award:  Red Prophet: 1989 Locus Fantasy Prentice Alvin: 1990 Locus Fantasy Alvin Journeyman: 1996 Locus Fantasy Worth a read : No Primary Driver:  (Plot,  World , or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Pass, but only barely. As in, I think in only one book. Technobabble:  Mild fantasy babble. Review:  The delicate crafting of Alvin's world gets wackier and wackier the further the series goes. Card desperately scrambles to cram any and all historical figures he can into the narrative with little to no justification. Pervasive religious themes come across as excessive. Slow plotting and attempts to overdevelop...

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Orson Scott Card's  Seventh Son. The Short of It Plot:  In an alternate-history America, the seventh son of a seventh son is born with remarkable abilities.   Page Count:  377 Award:  1988 Locus Fantasy Worth a read : No Primary Driver:  (Plot,  World , or  Character )  Bechdel Test : Fail Technobabble:  None.  Review:  An intriguing alternate timeline that is ultimately undercut by bloat and poor pacing. Interesting use of different magic systems. Many well written scenes of believable family interaction, generally convincing interpersonal stakes. The protagonist, however, is the least compelling character by dint of being exceptional at everything. Weak antagonists as well. This book is longer than it needs to be, the series is even more so. The Medium of It Spoiler Free! This is easily the best book of the Tales of Alvin the Maker  series, and is possibly worth reading on its ...

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Gene Wolfe's  Soldier of Sidon. The Short of It Plot:  Our favorite amnesiac soldier is back, but this time he's in Egypt! Page Count:  320 Award:  2006 World Fantasy Award Worth a read : Not really. Primary Driver:  (Plot,  World , or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Fail Technobabble:  No. Review:  Did you like the military adventures of Sir Forgetful the first two times it came out? Then this is a great book for you. A different set of supporting characters and a new location - as well as a significant in-world time jump - offer surface level differentiation from the previous volumes. But once the adventure actually begins it is more of the same. Slow pacing and constant reminders of amnesia punctuated with occasional excellent scenes involving the gods. Also, Wolfe's still terrible at ending books. The Medium of It Spoiler Free LOOK, IT'S THE same book. I don't have anything to say about it. I've already ...

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about C J Cherryh's  Cyteen. The Short of It Plot: The only person brilliant enough to run the cloning colony cannot live forever - but a perfect copy of her can take her place. Page Count:  680 Award:  1989 Hugo and 1989 Nebula   Worth a read : No Primary Driver:  (Plot,  World , or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble:  Oh yes. Review:  Slow, dull, and plodding, this book is a rough read. Interpersonal relationships are the backbone of the story but a lack of believable or compelling characters make it all fall flat. Beneath it all are some legitimately interesting questions of identity and self, couched in the context of cloning but more broadly applicable. These are posed as unresolved questions, and would be better served by a short story than a text girthy enough to pull a body underwater. The Medium of It Spoiler Free! Beyond basic premise from the book blurb. There is something about C J ...

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Pat Murphy's  The Falling Woman. The Short of It Plot:  An estranged mother and daughter are reconnected on a troubled archaeological dig. Page Count: 287 Award:  1987 Nebula Worth a read : No Primary Driver:  (Plot, World, or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Pass Technobabble:  None Review:  A bland coming of age story/relationship drama with pretensions of being either horror or suspense. Characters are flat: the woman who threw herself into her career and ignored her family, the man who needs to protect people, the old woman who is superstitious. Story is a plodding mess that is meant to give the characters and their interactions the spotlight - but characters don't deliver, and the whole thing crumbles. Boring and predictable. The Medium of It Spoiler Free! One spoiler, but it's in the blurb of the books, so, deal. This is another book that falls into the broad category of dull, tedious, and dry stories withou...

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Roger Zelazny's  Chronicles of Amber (Merlin Cycle). The Short of It Plot: As much as Merlin wants to be his own person, Amber keeps pulling him in. Page Count:  Trumps of Doom: 184 Blood of Amber: 215 Sign of Chaos: 217 Knight of Shadows: 251 Prince of Chaos: 241 Award:  Trumps of Doom: 1986 Locus Fantasy  Worth a read : Yes Primary Driver:  ( Plot ,  World , or  Character ) Bechdel Test : Fail. Technobabble:  Mild fantasy babble. Review:  A remarkable job of creating a sequel series. Takes the previous five books as a foundation and develops it, filling in details of the world. Also adds a new magic system – or, more accurately, adds new aspects to the already neat system of magic. Zelazny struggles a bit in giving Merlin a distinct voice from Corwin. Pacing stays quick, writing is cleaner than the earlier books. Merlin’s motivations are much clearer than Corwin’s as well. Totally enjoyable. ...

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Gene Wolfe's Soldier of Arete. The Short of It Plot:  The great amnesiac adventure continues! Page Count: 354 Award:  None, but books one and three of the trilogy won. Worth a read : No Primary Driver:  (Plot,  World , or Character) Bechdel Test : Fail. Technobabble:  None. Review:  A less-inspired continuation of the Latro's journey. Wolfe's love of obtuse allusions to historical events and figures would make this a compelling mystery if this was even remotely engaging. Neither characters or situations draw the reader in enough to make this feel like more than a slog. Actual quality of writing is quite high - deft use of imagery, poetic phrasing that avoids feeling overdone. But all in service of an underwhelming product. The Medium/Long of It Spoiler Free! But that's all you get! There is almost nothing to say about this one other than that it is more of the same. It’s effectively the same book: a string of semi...

Hello, Stranger. Let's talk about Roger Zelazny's  Chronicles of Amber (Corwin Cycle). The Short of It Plot:  Amber, a parallel realm to ours, is in a state of turmoil. Fantasy hijinks ensue.  Page Count:  Nine Princes in Amber: 175 The Guns of Avalon: 223 Sign of the Unicorn: 192 The Hand of Oberon: 188 The Courts of Chaos: 189 Award: None, but Book 6 (which begins the next quintet) won. Worth a read : Yes. Primary Driver:  ( Plot, World, or Character ) Bechdel Test : Fail (Unsure...) Technobabble:  Fantasy Babble - yes Review:  Delightful fantasy. Wildly unpredictable, charming protagonist, neat world. A deftly handled update to the standard sword and sorcery formula. Clearly written with tropes in mind, and uses them (or subverts them) to excellent effect. This is not an impactful read; it is not profound, or deeply thought-provoking, or anything else. It is instead a perfectly streamlined snack, and as such it is one of the best. The Medi...