CLYDE WISHAM
Recently Linda Nagata has been giving us near future techno-thrillers. (Beginning with with her excellent [b:The Red: First Light 24453551 The Red First Light (The Red, #1) Linda Nagata https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1436924487s/24453551.jpg 24561453].) However, with this book she returns to her far-future Nanotech Succession universe. Edges is a sequel to [b:Vast 14654789 Vast (The Nanotech Succession, #3) Linda Nagata https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1348626540s/14654789.jpg 1176062] (though it can be read stand-alone), with the events in Edges picking up roughly a thousand years after Vast.At its heart, this book is an adventure story. A group of intrepid explorers decides to leave the safety of the Deception Well system and journey to the “Hallowed Vasties” (human core worlds) and discover why they seemingly have fallen to ruin. It will not be easy and they will face threats both internal and external.There are several things I like about this book. For one, its scale and imagination provide that ‘sense of wonder' that drew so many of us to science fiction in the first place. And, it is hard SF in that Nagata doesn't posit any warps, worm holes, or other undiscovered physics as ways to get around in the galaxy. It is strictly an Einsteinian universe; the speed of light is not violated. So how can short-lived humans deal with the vast expanses of space and time? Well, that would be a real spoiler; you'll have to read the book to find out. I'll just say that they have access to technology as far in advance of the present day as ours is from that of our cave-man ancestors.Edges is a good and very interesting book, but I have to dock a star from my rating because I was left a bit unsatisfied. While the book doesn't end on a cliff-hanger, the story obviously isn't over. I want more.
This 48-lecture course focuses on the lives of ordinary people throughout history. It also covers the wealthy and powerful to some extent to provide contrast. Unfortunately, it deals only with Western civilization – concentrating on the Mesopotamian, Egyptian, Minoan, Greek, Roman, and British societies. (One can hope another course will cover ancient Asian, African, and American civilizations in as much detail.)
Garland's presentation is professional, smooth, and interesting. Entertaining as well as educational, it was worth my time.
(General comment on The Great courses: The canned applause tracks before and after lectures are annoying to me. (May not apply to all the courses. ??))
In her fifth outing, Maisie Dobbs, psychologist and private investigator, journeys to a village in the Kent countryside on assignment to check out a proposed land/business purchase. There she finds deep feelings of distrust toward outsiders and an old, shared secret.
This time Maisie doesn't personally face danger, but she does find a complicated mystery to unravel. At the same time there are big changes in her personal life. It is a busy time for her. As always in this series, the specter of WW1 continues to cast its dark shadow.
3.5 stars rounded up.
A fine book centered on Geology. It provides a long look at deep time, the basics and history of Geology, the story of the Earth written in rocks, and Geology's relationship to and significance for human society.
Bjornerud is a very good writer. In this book she brings Geology to life and makes its significance clear. Not dry science, but a loving look at the most basic of Earth sciences. It is not dumbed down but is still accessible to the intelligent and interested non-specialist.
Highly recommended.
A very powerful book. 4.5 stars rounded up.
The main characters are fictional, but most of the places and events depicted are/were real.
A good part of the book is set in the Ravensbrück women's concentration camp. It was a terrible place. Roughly 150,000 women passed through it. Some survived. You could always depend on the Nazis to be even more horrible than most can imagine.
Noah Greene is a bicycle mechanic and wannabe private investigator with Philip Marlowe fantasies. He works in a down-at-the-heels bike shop in Miami. (What is it about crime-fiction writers and Florida?) He has a scruffy office for his (very minimal) PI business above the shop. This story begins in traditional fashion with an attractive young woman who seeks his help in finding her brother. It looks like a straight forward missing person job, but Green soon finds himself up to his neck in danger involving “MSG”. As Noah Greene says in the book, “Money, sex, and greed. MSG. I always heard that too much MSG could kill you. Now I know how true that is.”
That pretty much sets the tone for the story. We get a crime kingpin, shady real-estate dealing, corrupt police, a sadistic killer, and double crosses all wrapped in a deep mystery with lots of action. The body count gets high.
It is a good story, but it suffers from first-book blues. IMHO there is too much introspection and the timing is off in places. (Also, another copy edit wouldn't have hurt.)
3.5 stars, but I cannot quite round it up. I will, however, continue with the series.
I had TGitSW in my TBR pile for quite a while. I was somewhat reluctant to start it because, really, how could someone take over for Stieg Larsson? Could such a writer really do Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist? Happily, Lagercrantz has written a very good story. It is doubtless quite different from what Larsson would have created, but still it gives the characters new life.
The story is at base a thriller. A multinational criminal organization comes to the attention of both Mikael and Lisbeth. The bad guys are deadly and ruthless, and they have their hooks into people in high places. Mikael and Lisbeth start working the problem from different directions. They soon find themselves being targeted by the criminals and an American intelligence agency. I don't think it is a spoiler to say that there is plenty of action. All hell breaks loose and things get bloody.
As usual in this series, there are men who abuse/neglect women and children. Also, the Millennium magazine comes under attack from envious and dirty-dealing competitors.
One thing stands out in the story. Do not get Lisbeth Salander angry; you will be sorry.
Pretty good book. A solid four stars.
This is a diving universe novel, but Boss plays no part in it. (Throughout the the action in this book, she is offstage diving the boneyard.) The main characters here are “Coop”, the captain of the Ivoire, and “Yash” his chief engineer. In a sense [b:Searching for the Fleet 38750152 Searching for the Fleet (Diving Universe, #7) Kristine Kathryn Rusch https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1519610486s/38750152.jpg 60340184] completes a literary triptych with the first two sections being [b:The Falls 32143712 The Falls (Diving Universe, #5) Kristine Kathryn Rusch https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1474370602s/32143712.jpg 52778527] and [b:The Runabout 34396149 The Runabout (Diving Universe, #6) Kristine Kathryn Rusch https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1496133034s/34396149.jpg 55492830]. (I may need to go back and reread parts of those books.)The story moves slowly at first. Things start with a serious personnel problem. Then Coop and Yash embark on some critical investigative research, during which we get very interesting flashbacks to important earlier points in their careers (nice little tales in themselves). Finally, they take the Ivoire out to find some answers and have quite an adventure. (Cannot really say much more without spoilers.)Good book with a solid finish. Life goals and relationships change – for the better I think. But there are now even more mysteries to be investigated; so, I'm looking forward to the next book in the series.
A bit of a cross-over book, Tinker has some science fiction elements, but it is primarily a fantasy.
Due to an inter-dimensional shift Pittsburgh has become a human enclave on Elfhome. The humans have a sometimes uneasy agreement with the Elves that limits the contact between the the two races. Tinker runs a junkyard in the city. Though small in stature and young, she is an explosive combination of brains, courage, and beauty. She will need all those qualities as she faces great danger and unexpected opportunities.
The story is interesting and well-written with lots of action. Really, the pace never lets up.
Good book. 4+ stars.
Some minor spoilers may follow.
A mysterious government agency puts together a team of five black-hat hackers and forces them to work on secret projects. (What could go wrong, right?) They come to call themselves “Zer0es”.
The members of this team mostly aren't very likeable, at least not at first. (They are criminals after all.) But, they do tend to grow on you as the story develops.
The story starts slowly, introducing the individual Zer0es and their situation. But once it gets going, we get lots of action – gunplay, explosions, chases, escapes, and do-or-die situations.
For the antagonist, Wendig introduces a unique (to me at least) take on the concept of a rogue AI. It calls itself Typhon, and it is one particularly nasty beastie. Typhon has a rather revolting way of spreading itself. It physically bores into peoples skulls, implants in their brains, and takes over their minds -- making them zombie-like extensions of itself. I was reminded somewhat of the Borg and of the massed minds of Frederik Pohl's Heechee.
In the end the Zer0es have to save – well everything. They combine their individual unique talents in a good slam-bang finish. Things are finally wrapped up nicely, but with a hint that there might be more to follow.
Pretty good book. 3.5 stars rounded up.
After several rather lackluster books in the Honor Harrington series, I have to say that Weber seems to have his mojo back. I reckon this is his best book since [b:Echoes of Honor 77741 Echoes of Honor (Honor Harrington, #8) David Weber https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1430585988l/77741.SY75.jpg 75079]. 4+ stars.This seems to be the end of the Honor Harrington series. However, in the book's “Afterword” Weber strongly implies that Honor will make appearances in future books set in the Honorverse (but not as a main character commanding ships headed into battle hell). We shall see.
This is pretty much a typical Jeff Shaara “novel” written in the manner he learned from his father. (That is – take an important military action and research it very thoroughly. Then chose several real people who were engaged in that action and use them as vehicles to tell the story. Stick strictly to actual documented events, but make up emotions and dialog as necessary to bridge unknown elements and to dramatize what it was like for the participants.)
This book is basically about the Battle of Chosin Reservoir when about 30,000 UN troops (mostly American) were attacked and encircled by about 120,000 Chinese troops. It was one of the most dramatic battles in history and a very close run thing.
The first half of the book drags somewhat as Shaara introduces the important characters and sets the stage. But the second half really picks up as the battle (actually a series of connected battles) really gets going. The fighting was horrendous and under conditions that were staggeringly cruel for both sides. Shaara really brings it to life.
Pretty good book.
Based on an actual university course, this is a history of the relationship of the human race to its food. It consists of 36 lectures, and I found it to be very interesting indeed. It covers much more than just food alone. It goes quite deeply into the interrelationships of food with culture, religion, morality, and even the rise and fall of nations throughout human history.
It includes a number of recipes from past ages. I plan to give some of them a try. (Fancy a lamb dish from 35 centuries ago? How about Neolithic flat bread?)
Both interesting and educational – I will probably try some of the other Great Courses.
