Made in DNA
Otherland, is the story of several key players based in different parts of the world, who race to understand the virtual reality system–and the people who rule it–that has incorporated itself into the world at large, including the third-world: a woman consumed in finding a cure for her brother within the VR, a man trapped within a separate version of the realm seeking a way out, an aboriginal man on a quest, a wheel-chair confined man under house arrest, and others. The VR world is a vast, unlimited, golden realm of play and fun, it is also a dark and horrible world as possibly envisioned in the mind of Clive Barker; will the secrets hidden within be worth the sacrifices the protagonists have to make?
Tad Williams is a sharp writer of wit and thought. Richly written, this book will keep you enthralled for hours on end, which is saying a lot, considering the thickness of the book, and the volumes the complete story covers. Highly recommended.
Insane!
Jordan Krall goes nuts with this book of three interwoven novellas centered around the town of Thompson, New Jersey. Mobsters, corrupt police officers, mutant ex-soldiers, the visage of Barbara Stanwyck, and a donkey named Little Bing Bong populate the streets bringing mayhem and death to the average squid-obsessed denizen.
This is bizarro fiction at its best. And if you aren't familiar with “bizarro” yet, never fret, SPB is an easy read with likable characters and a tangible atmosphere. Witty and well thought out, this novel will grab you.
The Good Morning terrorists are a group of seemingly unassociated teenagers ranging from 14 to 16. The one thing they all have in common though are missing memories. When Section 9 gets involved they are able to bring one of the boys, they dive into his e-brain to look for clues!
The Lost Memory was written by Junichi Fujisaku, who was a script writer (at the behest of Mamoru Oshii) for the Ghost in the Shell Complex TV series. Thus this novel contains the same grit, action, suspense and well-devised plot as the series did. Mr Fujusaku understands the characters that Shirow Masamune has created, and he faithfully re-creates them.
Fantastic modern fantasy.
Thersa Matsuura has done her homework when it comes to Japanese monsters and culture. As a fellow American expat, I am impressed by A Robe of Feathers – it's an alluring, ethereal collection of human emotion and tragedy. Shakespearean in scope, Japanese in depth and imagination.
What if your girlfriend's vagina were haunted? Would you, if it were possible, climb into her body to investigate the strange noises? Furthermore, what if you discovered a whole world deep inside her womb, would you arm yourself with energy bars and a gun to explore? Steve does. It turns his world inside out.
This is a classic work of bizarro (strange) fiction. CM3 is a powerful storyteller with some brain-imploding ideas. This is the third novel of his I have, and it was, by far, his best work to date. It's right up there with RAZOR WIRE PUBIC HAIR.
Imaginative, provocative, frightening, and a little sad (in a touching way), HAUNTED VAGINA blurs the line between reality and modern fantasy. If you enjoy something different and you can handle mature content, HAUNTED VAGINA is not to be missed.
I loved this book from start to finish. Sexy and unapologetic, it is an awesome men's adventure romp with all the sex and violence you expect from the genre.
Sadly this book is now out of print and hard to find. I was able to use a combo of eBay listings and online used book sellers to grab both this title and its sequel KING'S MATE.
Murphy does not disappoint.
Plot (taken from the blog of Brad Mengel @ http://my.opera.com/AggressorBrad/blog/show.dml/139670):
“Su-Lin is the daughter of adventurer Chinese Kelly and his mistress at the Shan Tal Cloister. After the death of her parents, Su is raised at the Cloister and trained in the arts (scholarly, martial and erotic). She then leaves as a companion for Rene Cartes, who marries her on his death bed.
Wealthy from this union, Su-Lin avenges her husband's death and discovers he was a top intellegence agent. Su-Lin then takes over his network and becomes a freelance agent. In this adventure Su-Lin is between assignments when she is contacted by an old friend who alerts her to a cloning technique called Quantum Growth which can make a full grown copy of any person...”
It's an excellent study in short (serial) fiction from Japan during the Meiji Period.
Inspector Hanshichi has been an inspector in old Edo for decades, solving everything from mysteries to murders. Well-known and respected, he has the support of younger men under his wing. It is one of these men to whom the Inspector recounts the greatest mysteries he has faced.
Combining Japanese myth with mayhem, murder and mischievousness, this collection of 14 short stories is a fantastic look at life in Japan's capital nearly 200 years ago. Incorporates elements of the supernatural, history and fine arts.
If you love Rampo Edogawa or Sherlock Holmes, you'll devour CCoIH with relish.
Read this book in high school English. It (along with I AM THE CHEESE) stuck with me over the years, so when I was able to lay my hands on a copy, I jumped at the chance. I wasn't disappointed. Fantastic read.
Larry Heddon's a ‘retired' spy. But China won't let that get in the way of killing his wife and kidnapping his son back to Beijing. Eager to retrieve his son, Heddon tries every diplomatic way possible to get his son back, but this is 1970s China and the Communists aren't interested in the yack of imperialist dogs. Five years pass before a real chance to steal into China comes; five agonizing years of not knowing whether or not his son remembers him or has been brainwashed by Heddon's and America's greatest enemy–an American traitor!
An omnibus of freakin' awesome short pulp stories that cross cultural borders and pack plenty of humor, action, and sexy-strong gals. If you have an interest in Indian culture, traditions and social norms, this collection is a delight to read. Granted, it is fiction and takes a few liberties, but without a modicum of reality and truth, fiction wouldn't be that enjoyable.
Large spaceships from the Planet 5 have arrived on Earth. There are some who would welcome them, and others who are suspicious. America is split between a female-lead, pacifist Washington DC and a male-chauvinist, tobacco-chewing, crotch-scratching Free America (ie Texas). Each side thinks it's doing the right thing. Tempers flare and hijinx ensue when a journalist captures one of the super-strong beauties “manning” the ships.
An awesome classic sci-fi novel that will tickle the funny bone and give an interesting insight to what was “hot” in male-marketed science fiction at the time. A well-planned, fun novel with a great storyline, characters to care about, and a mystery as to just who THE GIRLS FROM PLANET 5 really are and what they want.
A fantastic, oversized softcover graphic novel for science fiction fans and “comic” fans alike, World War Robot is a collection of flash fiction snippets told in war-diary form by participants on both sides – Earth-Humans vs Martian-Humans – as they struggle to gain the upper hand via their “Bertie” robot war machines. A dirty, lonely tale of human desperation and depravity.
Large illustrations and well-thoughtout character points-of-view fiction blend to give this work a strength rarely seen in comics these days. A masterpiece of minimalistic storytelling, Ashley Wood, uses the reader's own imagination to enhance the world which he has created by giving the reader space in which to develop.
The grim, muted colors and shadows work to give the whole work a feel of down-in-the-mud, blood-in-your-mouth desperate feel of trench warfare that an excellent World War One film will do.
More than just a graphic novel, and more than art, WWR really is a masterpiece that needs to be experienced.
Excellent book. Excellent translation.
I'm confused. Why is it that other reviewers think that ‘something is lost in translation'? As a translator, I would consider that one of the biggest insults there is.
People, PROFESSIONAL tranlators are chosen for these jobs. They are persons who have worked for many, many, many years in the original language (Japanese in this case). Unless your Japanese is better than theirs', or you comprehend Japanese on par with them, how can you EVEN CONSIDER making such a statement!?
Have I read the original? YES. Do I comprehend Japanese? YES. And I am telling you, if you have any problems with the style, look no further than the original.
Do I think the original is lacking in anything? Most certainly not. They are both fine books. I enjoyed the Japaense original and the English translation.
Fantastic work about the far future in which vampires have given Earth its greatest technological advances after normal humans destroyed the world. Known as the Nobility, they are the rulers of a world that is dying with them. Inhabited by monsters and demons, the Earth is an amalgation of technology and medival settings. Similar to King's Gunslinger world in idea setting.
A fun read.
Takino has lead a quiet life for the past 6 years. He runs a small, local supermarket in Tokyo with his beautiful wife. But he used to be yakuza. When an extortion racket comes round demanding he sell his store and his land, Takino can't comprehend what the fuss is all about. When digs deeper, he digs himself into a hole from which there is no escape.
This is a brilliant noir crime novel set in 80s Japan. It's bleak and hardboiled. Well-paced, the book is a smooth read that builds to a crescendo of consuming (yet not senseless) violence. Highly recommended.
This is a book that would have appealed to my adolescent self. The story of a “naive” robot who is suddenly ‘transported' into unimaginable new world and finds she needs the help of a ‘genius' misfit who himself is utterly taken with the idea of an intelligent robot. Boy meets robot girl. Very 80s gag-me chic. Consequently I didn't finish the book; it was THAT boring.
Nearly every single resident in the mountain town of Snowfield, Colorado has disappeared. Now it's up to a military Biological Investigations Unit, to find out why.
A creepy book! I really loved it. Koontz knows how to keep an audience enthralled in a premise. Despite the title, this is not a ghost story. Recommended for sci-fi and biological thriller fans.
Set in the future, this is the story of Avery Cates who is not exactly a model citizen. In fact, if he had things his way, he would see the entirety of “society” and corrupt world government toppled. However, when he is approached by a man who wishes to hire him to assassinate the head of the Electric Church, he is going to need a helping hand from both government agents and the seedy underworld as well.
A post-cyberpunk book with heavy dystopian leanings. While I couldn't give it five stars, I did liked it. It lost a star because I felt it was a bit depressing and not always as compelling as I wished it had been. However, it did have several fine twists and will be checking out more of Jeff Somers work.
When Zach Johnson, the last detective on Earth is called in to investigate the murder of a woman who is nigh invulnerable, all hell breaks loose.
Set in the near future, the Doomsday Brunette is an excellent modern-day pulp fiction novel of humor and action. This is the second novel in a series, but can be read as a stand-alone work. Perfect for light, yet enthralling reading.
Kei and Yuri work for the World Wide Welfare Association, a trouble consulting firm that helps local planetary governments throughout the known galaxy of 3000 worlds colonized by humans. In this debut novel Mr Takachiho, the Dirty Pair investigate two different crimes.
Told in first person from Kei's perspective, this is a great collection of two novellas. Expect over the top action, humor, sexy girls, laser gun fights and more. Perfect book for anyone who loves anime, pulp fiction, and/or Golden Age sci-fi.
Sam Durell works under the radar for the U.S. government. When a mysterious virus washes up on a Japanese beach it begins to kill within hours. Sam must fight off Chinese and Russian agents to not only seek the truth behind the origin of the virus, but also find a woman who miraculously is the only survivor so far.
An awesome pulp novel from 1971, Assignment Tokyo will thrill readers who enjoy action and intrigue. Sam Durell is not an unbeatable spy with gadgets and high-tech weapons, he's just a man who survives using his wits and strengths.
