The Golden Compass

The movie looked so good that I had to read the book before I went to see the movie. I'm really glad I did. The modern classic is one that I had missed, until now.

Lyra is a castoff child growing up surrounded by Scholars in an Oxford-like setting on a world that is similiar, yet different, than the one you and I live in. She's a healthy, inquisitive tomboy who has a wealthy uncle that she seldom sees and a great city-wide collection of friends. Then one of her friends disappears - a victim of the Gobblers. Lyra, being headstrong, decides to travel to where all the knowledge she can get her fairly devious hands on points to where all of the taken children are being transported to. They are in the Artic and terrible things are being done to them. She gets help from every unexpected point one can imagine. Her don gives her an aleithiometer, a truth machine that, when used properly can divulge the absolute truth about anyone or anything. Through her friends and the aliethiomter, she discovers that the 2 most powerful people of her world - her uncle and Mrs. Coulter - are her parents. And they are each following dangerous and incredibly destructive plans that each may destroy the Worlds. Through the Church, children are being experimented on in order to protect them from Dust. The Church has decided that these particles are the remnants of original sin, since children are immune to it, but adults absorb it constantly. Lyra's travels involve the Gyptians (a kind of sea-going gypsies), a Texan aeronaut, the witches and an armored bear. What can possibly be more adventuresome than that?

This is a good book. Its a little slow getting started, but once it gets going it races to the finish. Be warned - This is the first of a series of three books and it will hook you. Don't start it until you're ready to read all three (I'm almost finished with the second). But, whatever you do, read it. The heroes will surprise you, the villains are quite despicable but understandable - which makes it worse, really. While it falls just short of my Top Ten, its right up there.

Wow! Talk about a plug.....

You can't read this genre for long without becoming aware of the works of George R. R. Martin. And, he actually reads and plugs blogs. He threw in a huge kudo for Pat's Fantasy Hotlist. Pat is a blogger from Canada that has earned his reputation. If you've never read his blog, there's a link just to the right ------>

Congrats, Pat, and I hope you do win that Hugo.

Heroes....Again! And with Veronica!

New Fall Shows - Good Thing I Have a DVR

What Do I Blog About Now?

I've reached blogger's catharsis. The bright has worn off the penny, nobody reads this stuff, so what the heck -let's roll off a few opinions and see if I piss anybody off. Sounds like fun, no?

Opinion the first-

Why is everybody so upset about having an awful president? He is the pinnacle of the American political system, having survived the primaries, the actual nomination process, and actually becoming creative with the Electoral college. Who can ever forget the first President duly elected by the Supreme Court (although we must deduct points because his party did seat most of it). This guy is nothing if not inventive! And, I admit it, I voted for him and I still think he's better than the other guy, What's-his-name. Think how awful if I'm right and he actually is better. Phew! Did we dodge a bullet or what. Fortunately, the American system allows us to be manipulated all over again every 4 years, Thank God for small miracles. I think I'm voting for Obama as the only (relatively) sane candidate on the ballot. When is a woman going to run? Hillary doesn't count. She's a Democrat and is taking full advantage of the machine she and B-b-bill actually built in their basement in Arkansas, that is when Bill wasn't getting his cigar smoked by the secretarial pool.

Angry yet? Well, if not, there's always:

Opinion the Second-

Profit is good! But CEO's that suck the profit out of a company when it can least handle it should suffer the fate of The James Gang and be ridden down and shot like dogs. And the Boards of Directors that offer these contracts should be held personally liable to the share holders for being such magnanimous idiots. CEO: "Sure, I'll run your company. But if I screw up and the stock plummets like a cannonball dropped in the ocean on a sunny day, you have to pay me millions of dollars just to go away. OK?" Board: "Oh yes! And We'll double your salary if, while walking away, you mention that we tried to warn you not to piss off the retirement funds. Think you can do that?" Pfaw! Gelatinous spinal columns on them all! But profit is what drives men to risk everything on the chance that they will someday be on some Board of Directors! That's a good thing! Actually, profit is what provides jobs, a tax base for community services to be provided and teacher's salaries to be paid. No profit, no company, no consumtion or production, no pay, no money. Unemployment ensues and Recession eats everyone's children. This is bad. Just so you know.

Enough opinions for today. If you're still not pissed off, come back tomorrow.

Thomas Covenant Signed!

Stephen Donaldson is signing Fatal Revenant at Mysterious Galaxy Bookstore on Oct.13th, These are first editions, signed by the author, and if you pre-order you don't have to stand in line (or maybe miss it - its a numbered event).

I'm ordering mine as soon as my next paycheck comes in, cash flow being a heartless and remorseless demon. I have a long and very enjoyable relationship with Mysterious Galaxy, including shipping books to them for a signing and having them ship them back (at my expense, of course). They are responsible for my signed first edition of The Magic of Recluce ny L. E. Modesitt, Jr. So don't hesistate to contact them about a book. They're wonderful, helpful folks. I should point out that they are in San Diego, CA. and I live in suburban Austin, Texas. I heartily recommend them.

I Got It! You Gotta Love Ebay.

After trying to find David Anthony Durham's new book for weeks, I finally scored on Ebay. You see, I could of bought it at the book store or at Amazon (good sellers all) but I am a purist and, worse, a collector. I had to have a special book, even more so because the author has been so kind and thoughtful to me.

I'm so excited I can hardly sit still! This book has rave reviews and the author is a well-spoken gentlemen. I am gonna tear through this one even faster than Harry Potter 7. Then....

I'm going to review it myself. And, despite what you may think, nobody gets me 5-star rating without telling a great story. You can check my reviews, but only 5 authors have gotten my "buy this an read it or hang your head in sahme" rating; Bujold, Heinlein, Zelazny, Bear and Tad Williams. And not all of their books made it, either. Fair warning that, while I'm am definitely excited about reading Acacia, it doesn't mean I'm gonna rave about it.

But won't it be exciting to find out? I can't wait!

My Top Ten Speculative Fiction Books

I think everybody that reads has those books that they read over and over because they enjoy them so much. This is my (very abbreviated) list of my favorites. I am more than happy to discuss them at just about any time and just about anywhere. What are yours?


1. The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
2. Time Enough for Love by Robert A. Heinlein
3. Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
4. The Element of Fire by Martha Wells
5. The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold
6. Blood Music by Greg Bear
7. Memory, Sorrow & Thorn by Tad Williams
8. Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
9. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
10. Stand on Zanzibar by John Brunner


Most of these books have sequels or other stories set in the same universe, some are actually more than one book (okay, I cheated), but all of them tell an absolutely captivating story. These are the classics of our genre (or they will be) and they have won awards, sold a gozillion copies, and are still excellent stories as much as 30 or 40 years after they were written. Is there one or two you haven't read? Or one or two you'd add to the list? Gosh, I hope so...drop a comment and tell me how your list differs from mine. I might just get a good idea, and so might you.

SPORTING CHANCE by Elizabeth Moon

I am posting my latest book review here and on my website just to see how it works out and how much traffic I get. I hope you enjoy it!

The military and science fiction seem to be an inseparable pair. There is a huge tradition going back to Jules Verne of military-type organizations within the science fiction realm. Some are more about the military than the science and some are vice versa. Ms. Moon's book is neither - its about the characters. This is the first book in her now famous Serrano Legacy series which takes usually females military characters out of their military environment and plop them down in a conflict that is intense, somewhat personal to the heroine, and draws heavily on what they were taught in the military. They tend to be excellent reads, this is definitely space-opera at its best. And space-opera is exactly what this is.

Heris Serrano is the latest in a long family tradition of military officers, but she makes a mistake and shames her family (although the shame should be on her superior officers, military politics is what it is). She ends up out of the military and piloting a ship for a wealthy, well-connected patroness. Some of the patroness' progeny (her niece) becomes involved in a scheme to hunt humans (as the hunted) and Heris comes to the rescue using her ingrained military tactics, her native intelligence, and her high sense of moral duty. As in all good space-opera, the hero wins, the villains get their just deserts, and we move on to the next adventure. This isn't a new theme, but its told well and from a very different perspective.

This a very good space opera. Its entertaining and suspenseful. It is one of the only series of military fiction in this genre that has exclusively female protagonists who are strong, smart, honest and whoop the bad guys through ingenuity and intestinal fortitude. It heartily recommend it.

Wow! This Blogging Thing is Way Cool!

I started out about a year and a half ago to put up a website that attracted people with whom I shared an abject adoration of science fiction in all of its various media. After all that time and the hours and money spent, it was a total washout. I had about 2 readers that hit my forums about once a year. So I started looking for options. My wife, being the more culturally savvy of our team, suggested I look into blogging. I did and after a few false starts, here it is.

In three months, I've gotten more feedback and had more conversations about ideas and literature than the year and a half I was actively marketing my site. I've talked with an author (to be fair, I did when I was putting up my site - but not THIS author.This one has actually got a following! To which he has most definitely added me). I've been a a host of other blogs and commented on what they've said. They reply! This is great!

And, here's the good part - They all LOVE science fiction and fantasy. Some in one form, some in all snd some more than others. But hitting the blog sites has kept me more informed with more enjoyment than I ever experienced on my site.

So, I trimmed back the site. I kept my book reviews and a link to this site. I am toying with the idea of doing my reviews on the blog. We'll see. In the meantime, I'm reading and talking more about science fiction, fantasy.... and life...than I ever have before.

God, I love the internet!