tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35129756023543926332024-02-19T08:12:27.672-08:00The Nic ReportBe enlightened Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-3089843527561701452017-01-30T14:41:00.002-08:002017-01-30T15:02:24.867-08:00Flat Earth Clues by Mark Sargent<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Created by Mark Sargent</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">(<a href="http://www.enclosedworld.com/" target="_blank">http://www.enclosedworld.com</a>)</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-85763589780011310462016-01-03T19:31:00.001-08:002016-01-03T19:31:12.152-08:00Book Review; "Damned Children of Naor" by Justyna Plichta-Jendzio <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<i>Damned Children of Naor </i>by Justine Plichra-Jendzio promises brutal fantasy with it's cover. And it delivers. These three tales take place in a dark world of demons and damned souls and just all-around evil. <i>Damned Children of Naor </i>consists of three separate stories that are all set in the same world. They're listed as chapters as this book is part of a bigger series, but they're written to be standalone stories.<br />
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The first story, Time of Storms, tells of the beautiful daughter of a merchant being sold to the powerful Prince Tarragon. Chapter two sets its stage in the wilderness as a group of hunters find themselfs the victims of what at appears to be a bear possessed by an evil soul-eating entity. And the final chapter, Spark of Truth, is about a mercenary who ends up in a village where she encounters a situation involving a child accused of demon possession and decides to investigate.<br />
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All three stories succeed at engaging the reader. The author draws you in to this dark world of evil with lean and effective prose. It's nice to read a fantasy novel that isn't drawn out to 800 pages of over description. The stories are all the perfect length, not too long or too short. While the writing manages to stay elegant and poetic throughout, it doesn't fail to hit you where it hurts when necessary.<br />
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The main characters of <i>Damned Children of Naor </i>are all well-drawn, compelling characters; perfect vessels to draw the reader into this dark fantasy world. Because to me the real draw of this novel is the world. Not only the physical setting that clearly draws from different cultures and historical periods, but the social politics and beliefs of the people who populate it. The people of this world all feel real but are clearly of a different time, or more accurately a different <i>place, </i>demonstrated by their outrageous politics and beliefs. But you can't really blame them all too much as you discover more about the world in which they reside. They have some very dark, evil entities to deal with.<br />
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All three stories are solid pieces of storytelling, but my favorite was Chapter Three: Spark of Truth. I liked its mystery of a fire demon supposedly ravaging this small village; the investigative structure of the story is pulled off very well. The protagonist, Sainal, is a very compelling main character and definitely not someone I was expecting to see.<br />
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<i>Damned Children of Naor </i>is a very thrilling novel. It's not like the fantasy I normally encounter. It cuts to the chase quicker than GRR Martin would ever dare, and shocks you in ways Robert Jordan couldn't dream of. Justyna Plichta-Jenzio has crafted a book that deserves to be read by all fans of fantasy literature. <i>Damned Children of Naor </i>fills a space on the bookshelf that has been empty for far too long.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-84286140300673277062015-12-20T20:16:00.002-08:002015-12-20T20:16:34.117-08:00Book Review: "Leviathan Wakes" by James SA Corey<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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When I first came across <i>Leviathan Wakes </i>by James SA Corey, it was sitting proudly on a bookshelf in Chapters with its grand cover showing off. I decided I just HAD to read it. Eventually.<br />
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Cut to last month when I saw a preview for the currently airing TV adaptation of it. There was only a month before the show's premier so I quickly bought and finished the novel. I've yet to see the TV series so I will only talk about the book.<br />
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James SA Corey is actually a psydoneum for two different writers, one a fantasy novelist, the other an ex-game developer. Or something like that. Anyways, I've never read anything else by these two guys other than <i>Leviathan. </i>And they really hit a homerun with this. It's thrilling, has cool, fully formed environments, and great characters that we learn to care more and more about throughout the novel.<br />
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I was really surprised by <i>Leviathan Wakes. </i>I was expecting writing on par with an author like Iain M. Banks, for example. As much as I have enjoyed the Iain Banks novels I have read, I don't consider them energetic thrillers. Banks' writing is very deep and descriptive. He takes his time painting pictures with his prose and building characters right down to the pores on their skin. I enjoy this, but in a different way that I enjoy a novel like <i>Leviathan Wakes. </i><br />
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I admire <i>Leviathan Wakes </i>because it is thrilling from start to finish. The authors write in a way that effectively builds worlds like Banks, while at the same time keeping the reader consistently excited with their fastpaced and quick prose. It's not exactly sparse writing. Just clear and refreshing. The structure is similar to what GRR Martin has done with his <i>Song of Ice And Fire </i>series, where each chapter follows only one of the POV characters. This is a great tool for the authors to develop the characters in a way the really gets the reader to' care for them.<br />
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There are two main POV characters in <i>Leviathan Wakes. </i>There is James Holden, an officer on an outer planets ice freighter left in charger after his ship is destroyed by an apparent Mars ship. And then there's Detective Miller, who at the beginning of this tale is tasked with finding an Earth runaway named Julie Mao. Their stories come together as they end up involved in the conspiracy of a corporation with a lethal alien weapon as war breaks out on inner and outer planets.<br />
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Sounds like a great idea for a series, eh? And this is only the first book in an ongoing series. I love the world because it's not a future where humanity has conquered the vast reaches of space. No, this version of humanity is at the time of these events limited to our solar system. That's different because one usually expects a universe that has been conquered in these types of novels.<br />
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I have an opinion that some science-fiction writers ands fans may find offensive. Kind of. I'm referring to those who insist that science-fiction is "real" literature like and that books like those of Banks and M. John Harrison should be eligible for the same awards that authors like Ian McEwan are considered for. I'm not arguing that. Iain M. Banks is the perfect example of an SF writer whose genre fiction feels just as "literary" as any Booker nominee. But not all genre fiction is like that, and these sensitive fans shouldn't be embarrassed. Maybe I'm over thinking this, but there are those who feel this way.<br />
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I'm referring of course to my opinion that <i>Leviathan Wakes </i>is not "literary" sci-fi like those two popular authors I mentioned above. I should probably state that it's more of a <i>fact </i>but for now it's my opinion.<br />
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What may be more controversial (maybe) is the fact that while reading James SA Corey's Space Opera I was periodically reminded of Michael Crichton. Now, obviously Michael Crichton is the type of writer who panders mainly to the blockbuster fiction crows. You know, airport novels. Reading a Crichton novel is like watching a blockbuster thriller. And that's why I love his writing. He knows exactly how to write a successful pageturner.<br />
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I bring this up not only because it went through my head while reading <i>Leviathan Wakes, </i>but because it's a good point of comparison. Iain M. Banks writes literary science-fiction, while the duo known as James SA Corey writes escapist thriller science-fiction (or blockbuster SF, but certainly not airport fiction).<br />
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Another reason I bring this up is as a way to defend Crichton, who I feel doesn't get enough recognition from the science-fiction community. He doesn't just write "pure entertainment" like many say. He writes great science based plots. And like James SA Corey, they also happen to be entertaining as hell.<br />
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So if you haven't already read <i>Leviathan Wakes, </i>I highly recommend doing so. I personally loved it and look forward to continuing onto the many sequels. I've heard it describe as "Game of Thrones" in space. I disagree, because unlike those books, <i>Leviathan Wakes </i>is relentlessly enjoyable without dragging at any point. Enjoy.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-33130523028590636222015-12-18T22:46:00.000-08:002015-12-18T22:46:02.173-08:00Book Review: "Aliens: Earth Hive" by Steve Perry<div>
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After loving <i>Prometheus </i>and being baffled by fan hatred towards it, I decided to look into Alien novels. Which brought me to Steve Perry's Alien3 ignoring novel <i>Earth Hive. </i>And because of all the news and rumours about the Prometheus sequel, I was inspired to write this review.</div>
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There is a lot of hate surrounding any Alien films that aren't the first two. In recent years people have been more forgiving towards Alien3, often claiming the Director's cut is actually good. I've seen all versions of the film and I can't help but find it boring as all hell. I actually much prefer Alien: Resurrection to be honest.</div>
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The thing about Alien3 is that it immediately kills off two great characters we came to love from the previous film, Hicks and Newt. I agree with everyone on earth: it's bullshit! I can't come up with a good reason why they'd do that.</div>
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Cut to Dark Horse comics releasing a series of comics where Newt and Hicks survived, except they're named Billie and Wilks for I'm sure what are legal reasons. Novelizations are released based on them, and Earth Hive is the first of them. It's Book 1 of 3.<br />
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I enjoyed Earth Hive for what it is: a fast paced hypothetical sequel to Aliens. These books are more comparable to <i>Aliens </i>than the original <i>Alien. </i>While the original film was a slow burning horror film, Aliens was a faster paced action film. And like Aliens, this novel feels like a natural continuation of the story, as opposed to a rehash of what came before.<br />
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The author keeps the writing sparse and quick. This makes Earth Hive an easy and enjoyable read. There's no time for things to get dull in such a short novel. Especially when you're 'playing in the Alien universe. It's obvious the two protagonists are really Hicks and Newt. Steve Perry does a good job of molding a teenage Newt, who starts the novel in a psych ward where she ended up as a result of her horrible experience in Aliens.<br />
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But although Perry does a good job of setting the stage with Newt and Hicks, they still don't feel fuly formed. I think we're just supposed to <i>know </i>these characters already. I think the reason I feel this way is because the writing is so sparse in an effort to keep the plot moving. The relationships between Wilks and Billie works; he begins to be somewhat of a father figure to her. But it only <i>just </i>works. It lacks depth. The romance between Billie and another soldier suffered the same issue. It just happened so quick. And although I enjoyed the love scenes, the writing got pretty cringeworthy during them. And surprisingly graphic considering the prose feels on par with a Young Adult novel. Not exactly a bad thing.<br />
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The plot deals with Wilks and Billie on a mission to track down the source of an Alien disaster. After a ship is destroyed by a Xenomorph attack, a government group sends Wilks on a mission to track down the source of the ships that sent the Aliens. Before leaving, he breaks Billie out of the mental institute she's been in and takes her with him. Thrilling actions ensues.<br />
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The one major problem I have with Alien: Earth Hive is that it doesn't feel like the movies. Alien stories are supposed to build tension and evolve gradually. But it is based on a comic series after all. For a novelization of a comic about a hypothetical Aliens sequel, it gets the job done.<br />
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Recommended.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-20434162146644780212015-12-04T14:31:00.004-08:002015-12-04T14:31:41.716-08:00TV Review: Comedy Bang! Bang!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Thank Jesus Christ for Netflix! Without it I never would have discovered this amazing show. It's called <i>Comedy Bang! Bang! </i>and it's a breath of fresh air.</div>
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The show has a band consisting only of the great Reggie Watts. Not only is he a super talented musician but also extremely hilarious! His approach to comedy is so subtle and perfect. Unfortunately he's no longer part of the show and I can't get over that fact. I've seen the Late Late James Corden show on CBS with Reggie as the bandleader but it's just not funny enough for him. They should have given Norm Macdonald the Late Late show. Imagine Norm and Reggie on one talk show? It would be perfect. </div>
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<i>Comedy Bang! Bang! </i>presents a style of unique comedy. Unique partly because of the fact that it's funny, something that is mostly absent from television comedies these days. I've heard it described as 'irreverent' but I don't agree. That implies it's disrespectful comedy and if you watch the show you'll see that doesn't match up. It's also not random comedy because the bits and themes actually connect in a unique way. </div>
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As I mentioned, Scott Aukerman was a writer for <i>Mr. Show. </i>I find the two shows have a similar sense of humour, this despite the fact that Bang Bang is a talk-show parody. Bang Bang episodes often have an overall theme, or story, that runs through all the sketches and is concluded at the end. I love this, it makes it more then just a talk-show spoof. Perhaps Aukerman learned this from his time with <i>Mr. Show.</i></div>
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There's also a lot of great guests who take part. Zach Galifinakis, David Cross, Bob Odenkirk, and the amazing Paul F Tompkins all take part not only as guests but in the sketches. Need I point out the <i>Mr. Show </i>connection? Well I did.</div>
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So if you're tired of all the lame comedies on TV nowadays and are wondering what happened to all the funny stuff, a good place to start would be <i>Comedy Bang! Bang!</i>. Don't worry, there's still hope. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-48013441542891266142015-11-27T16:06:00.001-08:002015-11-27T16:06:18.421-08:00Book Review: The City & The City by China Mieville<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Ever since I read China Mieville's <i>Embassytown </i>I've been hesitant to read another of his books. It was such a unique and important novel that I didn't know what to make of it. I know I loved it, but I had never read anything like it before. I needed time to digest it.<br />
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Well, I have finally read another of China Mieville's works. The novel is called <i>The City & The City, </i>and it is definitely a Mieville novel.<br />
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<i>The City & The City </i>was written before <i>Embassytown. </i>This is the novel that finally won China Mieville the Hugo award. Unfortunately he had to share the award with Paolo Bacigalupi's long, drawn-out Biopunk novel <i>Windup Girl. </i>I won't get started on that one. Yet.<br />
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<i>The City & The City </i>was the start of something new for Mr. Mieville. Previous to this he wrote books that fit more easily into the Fantasy genre. But at the same time he was never like all the Tolkien imitators out there. His earlier works can be described as a more complex and sprawling version of what Neil Gaiman is known for. What I like about him is that he recognizes the true definition of Fantasy; a genre that can do pretty much anything. Why limit oneself to medevil sec-worlds? </div>
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This is a novel that does the impossible and expects us to go with it. And this I love. Like <i>Embassytown </i>it's written from the first-person perspective of the main character because doing otherwise just wouldn't work. <i>The City & The City </i>is the story of Detective Borlu investigating a crime that happened in his city, which just so happens to occupy the same space as another city. To sneak into the other city or look through the mysterious veil into the other city is considered a crime, which is then handled by Breach. What is Breach? Something. A force, an entity, or group, something alien? That's the mystery.<br />
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It is clear that the author loves to mix genres. This book is part crime thriller, part science-fiction, and part fantasy. The writing is also more sparse than his earlier works. You don't get bogged down by overly descriptive prose, instead you get a smooth, clear reading experience. The characters are all intriguing but a bit stilted, although I've come to realize that's part of the authors style. I was also expecting some sort of romance to happen between Borlu and partner, but it never happened. And I'm glad, because that would have been too predictable.<br />
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After <i>Embassy town </i>and now <i>The City & The City, </i>I have concluded that it is not fair to call China Mieville a fantasy novelist. His works go beyond mere fantasy. China Mieville is a Surrealist, plain and simple. He has exceeded expectations and keeps going. He's so good that he presents us the impossible in the most tangible way he can. I can't just recommend this one novel, I have to recommend them all. There's nothing like them. <br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-73760901374138531892015-09-18T18:10:00.001-07:002015-09-18T18:11:53.482-07:00Book Review: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Cloud Atlas </b>is a book that poses as something more then it is. I was expecting a deep, meaningful mindbender. Instead I ended up disappointed by a collection of narrative exercises that falls flat on its promise to to different.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">David Mitchell is known for unique narrative structures and original prose. After reading interviews with him, its clear he looks down on traditional narrative styles. I guess he feels sticking to writing in the third-person limits him. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">But herein lies the problem with Cloud Atlas. The novel consists of six different stories, ranging from a nineteenth century tale to a postapocalyptic future. After the sixth story, Mitchell goes back through each one in reverse order to end them. The problem with this is not the structure, but the way in which Mitchell favors style over substance. He tells each tale in a different writing style; from journal entries to a third-person point of view.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Because of this focus in favor of style, the plots and characters suffer. The author failed to make me care about any of the characters and therefore making me indifferent to the individual plots. I have not seen the film version, but I hear it improves upon these flaws.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I can only recommend Cloud Atlas to anyone interested in an exercise in different writing styles. If you're looking for a novel with characters to care about and a plot that captivates, look elsewhere. </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-62866452178216223162014-07-15T12:32:00.003-07:002014-07-15T12:32:45.476-07:00Book Review: Nighteyes by Garfield Reeves-Stevens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Garfield Reeves-Stevens is a writer that not enough people know of. He and his wife Judith have teamed up in the past many times on novels and TV shows like<b> Star Trek Enterprise</b> and the SyFy original movie <b>Fire Serpent</b>. Alone, Garfield has also written many novels, including plenty set in the Star Trek Expended Universe. Many of his works are genre-benders with a sci-fi touch.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">When I came across <b>Nighteyes </b>in a used bookstore, it wasn't only the cover that led me to buying it. The inside flap compared it to the works of Whitley Strieber. For those who don't know, that means Nighteyes<b> </b>has something to do with the alien abduction phenomenon. This is a topic I find endlessly fascinating. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Nighteyes came out in 1989, not long after Whitley Strieber published Communion. One would think that the success of Communion might have led to more interest in the subject of alien abduction and therefor help sales on a novel like Nighteyes. Now, I don't know how well Nighteyes sold, but I do know that it is no longer in print. I recommend that anyone interested in purchasing the novel go straight to a used book dealer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">With Nighteyes, Garfield Reeves-Stevens does something similar to what Strieber is doing with his new <b>Alien Hunter</b> series: mixing the crime genre with classic alien abduction tropes. If it wasn't for the UFO on the books cover, the reader would likely be quite shocked when a good chunk into the story they realize what is behind the plot. I'm not giving anything away, because like I said, the cover makes this element very clear. Which I feel is a shame because a good portion of the novel's first half feels like a crime thriller and then BAM- the creepy bug-eyed Grays appear.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">As an alien abduction novel, Nighteyes is unique in other aspects too. As I already stated, I don't want to spoil the plot because I'd being doing everyone a huge disservice. But there is another reason fans of this genre should seek out Nighteyes immediately. The aliens are not the typical sci-fi aliens. These Grays have a very complex history and aren't intensely focused on destroying humans. The climax of this novel is mind-blowing and not at all what you would expect.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Garfield Reeves-Stevens wrote an incredibly smart and thought-provoking piece of fiction. There are a lot of people who would avoid a book like this because they'd look at the cover and read the flap and feel they were holding a book full of sci-fi and alien cliches. I pity those people. They have no clue what they've missed. Nighteyes is not what you would expect it to be. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So go search every used book store, thrift shop, and online seller for a copy of Nighteyes by Garfield Reeves-Stevens. Any fan of smart, original horror and science-fiction will devour Nighteyes like it's candy.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-74567613920745166142014-07-02T14:45:00.001-07:002014-07-02T14:45:20.254-07:00Book Review: Alien Hunter by Whitley Strieber<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Whitley Strieber doesn't get the credit he deserves. His book <b>Communion </b>from the late 80s was a huge bestseller. It was published as non-fiction because Mr. Strieber claims the events depicted in the novel are based on his real experiences with extra-terrestrials. Whether or not you believe he's tell the truth, one thing that is clear to me is how well-written it is. And this goes for all his books, fiction and non-fiction alike. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Before <b>Communion </b>and still to this day Whitley Strieber is also the author of numerous works of fiction. Most of these novels are either horror or science-fiction. Before <b>Communion</b>, he had success with a few novels like <b>The Hunger</b> and <b>The Wolfen. </b>Both were made into films. During this period he was competing with guys like Stephen King and Peter Straub. Clearly he could hold his own against them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Then when <b>Communion </b>came out he was huge. But there was also plenty of backlash. So despite the money he made off of that book, his sales suffered for the next twenty or so years. He continued to publish both fiction and non-fiction, but few payed attention.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Sometime in the mid-2000s Strieber made a comeback. Books like <b>2012: The War For Souls</b> and <b>The Grays</b> presented a new energy. They're novels of fiction based on events and concepts Strieber believes in and considers important but can't present factually. Since then, each new novel seems to be selling better and become more available in stores. This is the period where Strieber <i>really </i>hooked me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Alien Hunter </b>is a new novel by the rejuvenated Whitley Strieber. It's about a police detective named Flynn Carroll who is recruited into a secret police unit after his wife vanishes without a trace. This is the first novel in the Alien Hunter series, Stieber's first series. It should appeal to fans of horror, sci-fi, and crime fiction. It's written in a style similar to other mainstream thriller writers where the prose is straight to the point with breaks strategically placed to keep the reader wanting more. </span>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;"><b>Alien Hunter </b>is a quick and hard-hitting thriller. Since I started reading his work, I have been a huge advocate of Whitley Strieber. What he is most known for is <b>Communion </b>and for being an abductee. I always try my best to remind people that he's also the author of many fantastic novels. But I have to say that I was a little disappointed by his latest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The author failed to make me really care about the main character. Flynn Caroll wasn't fleshed out enough. In other works like <b>The Grays </b>for example, there were many characters focused on and each one of them was fleshed out to the point where I was on the edge of my seat either rooting for them or against them. Another reason for this is because Flynn Caroll wasn't an interesting enough character. He was too dull and had no quirks of any kind that I found compelling.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Another aspect of <b>Alien Hunter </b>that disappointed me was how Whitley didn't take advantage of the horror and sci-fi elements of the story. In past novels Whitley has scared me shitless with his ability to create the creepiest feelings in certain scenes. Like in <b>The Grays, </b>where the aliens where characters themselves. They felt present even when they were not there. But he failed to bring this out here. The reader knows there are extraterrestrials around because they are told so, but don't care because we know nothing about them. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">These aspects worry me because this is supposed to be the first installment in a series. This is where the characters and such are introduced. Hopefully the second book fleshes things out more.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So all in all, I can guarantee that I will buy and read any future sequels. I just hope Whitley brings out the horror and SF elements he does so well. I have the feeling that with this new series, Whitley is trying to bring in a new audience that includes those who read guys like John Sandford and other writers in the crime/detective genre. Well hopefully he has done so to his satisfaction, allowing him to delve more into the craziness that I love so much about his fiction.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-67780743396525695372014-06-10T19:05:00.003-07:002014-06-28T21:14:36.084-07:00Book Review: Babel-17 by Samuel Delaney<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Sometime after reading Embassytown by China Mieville, I started to look into Mieville and what he's all about. I quickly learned that the Golden Age SF writer Samuel Delany has been a huge influence on his writing. And he's not the only one; I constantly hear Delany associated with some of the best SF written to date. That's what led me to him, and of course I went for his most popular novel, Babel-17.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Babel-17 is not an easy book to read. Samuel Delany has a very difficult writing style. His prose is very descriptive, but can be hard to understand because he has a very large vocabulary. For readers like me who favor a more sparse and straight-forward style of writing, it can be very easy to tire of a Delany novel. Babel-17 is my first Delany novel, and the first novel I'v read where I had to continuously reread paragraphs, even entire pages.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This would be a good point to mention that I failed to finish the novel on either of my attempts at reading it. That's not a good sign, especially when I'm not bothered by not knowing the ending. At the same time though, I am truly impressed by Delany's writing despite it not being for me. The man clearly has a great mind. His ideas are fascinating and incredibly thought provoking. Unfortunately readers like me are left feeling left out because the prose eventually gets on their nerves. I like knowing the settings and appearances of the characters, but not to the point where the authors telling me how many pores are on a persons face.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Despite my general dislike of Delany's writing style, I respect him for being innovative. I can clearly see the influence he has had on writers like China Mieville and Iain M. Banks. Especially with Banks, whose SF is also mainly sprawling Space Opera. Banks also has a knack for telling his epics through poetic language. But the difference is that with Delany's novels, it's as if sentences are crafted to baffle the reader. I can't help but feel that if written in a clearer style, Babel-17 could have been a mind-blowing read for me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In the end, though, my failure to fully enjoy Babel-17 does not mean I wouldn't recommend it. This may be because I know there are many out there who will eat up writing such as this. With the poetry of Roger Zelazny and the universe of an Iain M. Banks novel, there is definitely an audience out there for Babel-17. But that goes without saying. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-24520359671366931732014-05-26T10:21:00.001-07:002014-06-28T21:14:28.163-07:00Book Review: Damned by Chuck Palahniuk<h3>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">In the aftermath of Chuck Palahniuk's Haunted, with the first few books that followed it, I thought I was the only one aware of the downfall of this once very clever author. During the time between Haunted and Pygmy I was confused by Palahniuk's rise to becoming a big name author happening in parallel with the diminishing quality of his writing with each subsequent release. Haunted I thought was a fluke; it did has some potential with the main story, and a few of the shorts were impressive. But with Rant, then Snuff, then Pygmy, I noticed a lack of effort and unique cleverness that made his earlier works so impressivc. His experimentation with prose has always felt to me like an author too afraid to deviate away from trademark style, which for Chuck is his clever and witty first-person narrators, while still trying to make an effort to be cutting edge.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">When the plot of </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Damned was initially announced, I was intrigued. The plot sounded like it could just possibly be a return of the fresh satirical author I praised so much. Unfortunately this is not the case. Damned is another exercise in shallow writing by the once great author of the satirical masterpiece Survivor.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The idea of a young girl overdosing on marijuana and going to hell in a riff on The Breakfast Club sounds interesting enough, but it's not. The plot and the ideas therein contained lack cleverness. The endless lake of semen is not so much gross as it is uninspired. I realize this is just part of the hell that Palahniuk came up with, but this goes to show what he's been doing with his last few novels in an effort to entertain and shock. These days he goes for the gross-out. But he's not fooling me; I know he's running out of creative steam.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The narrator is a young girl named Madison Spencer. She is 13 years-old and a child of celebrity parents. Madison is very witty for a 13 year-old. There is always a quip waiting to be said. And this is the problem: Madison's voice is almost inseparable from the narrators of Palahniuk's previous stories. And unfortunately I don't think he will be deviating from this style anytime soon. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I don't dislike Chuck Palahniuk, but I do dislike Damned and his previous four novels. Damned is just another misstep. I hope that one day he get's back to writing material that is as ambitious and inspiring as his early work. A sequel to Damned named Doomed is available; it should come as no surprise that I will not being checking it out anytime soon.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-39227622018843456302014-02-16T23:57:00.001-08:002014-02-25T21:43:13.665-08:00What Happened To Chuck Palahniuk?<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">What Happened To Chuck Palahniuk?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Chuck Palahniuk was once the king of Dark Satire. Some may still see him this way, but I'm sure they are a significantly less amount of people then they once were. Survivor was masterful; the first novel of his I read, it was eye opening for me. It made me realize just how <i>fun </i>reading could<i> really</i> be. Survivor was clever in a way that I had never previously experienced. I was hooked. Invisible Monster, Choke, Fight Club, Diary, and Lullaby! Absolutely page-turners.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Then came Rant, </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">written in an Oral Biography style that bored me to tears with it's lack of both plot and interesting characters. Tell-All? The screenplay terms did not make up for the shallowness of pretty much everything in the novel. Then Pygmy, written in broken english. The drawbacks of this should be obvious; for starters, I didn't understand what the fuck was going on most of the time. This also may have had to do with the terribly annoying characters. Although, to the authors credit, the english-deficient narrator of Pygmy is the most different character he's ever created. Out of all the narrators he's written over the years, the one from Pygmy stands out the most...but not for a reason the author should be proud of.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">All of Chuck Palahniuk's novels are written in the first-person perspective. Each narrator seemingly have the same personality, despite age or gender. I did not find this to be a problem with the early novels; the originality and smart plotting (among other traits) of the first six more then made up for this. I believe the crucial point of when he decided to change things up a bit was before Haunted. From that point on the experimentation with prose started, bringing about some of the most shallow fiction ever created.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">When I first heard the premise of Damned I thought it might be the return of the Chuck P. I used to love so much. The idea of the main character overdosing on marijuana showed potential for great satire, and the setting of hell seemed a little out there at first, but is something that appeals to me. The thing that worried me was that it was going to be the first novel of his <i>not </i>set on Earth. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">When Damned was announced, and before it was released, I came across a novel in Chapters called Hell, by an author named Robert Olen Butler. What caught my attention was the cover: a big red and sadistic looking face on a blank white background. I was immediately reminded of a Palahniuk book cover. And the premise of a character dying and living in hell made it an obvious buy, not just for the obvious Damned parallels. I didn't but it the first time I came across it on sale. It was later when Palahniuk annouced the plot of his next novel, Damned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Hell is a satire of fame and celebrity told in the third-person. It's not the greatest novel; most of the characters are very shallow and selfish, but it is Hell they're living in ;) So it's not the best thing I'v ever read, but one I definitely recommend over Damned. If you're a big fan of earlier Palahniuk and less of his recent output, but liked the premise of Damned and was disappointed by the actual novel, then definitely read Hell by Robert Olen Butler. If a dark and witty satire set in hell excites you, then look no further. And remember: Go nowhere near Damned.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Let's go back to the earlier novels and what makes them different from the more recent ones. When Chuck was writing his first few novels he was relatively unknown as a writer. Often pointed out is how the early works have identity crisis as a major theme. This is very true. When he wrote them he was still a hungry writer trying to make a living at it. In his non-fiction collection Stranger Than Fiction he reveals some of the odd jobs he's had, and in doing so also reveals some of the inspirations for his fiction. I get the impression that before big literary success came his way, Chuck was dealing with possible inadequacy <i>as a result of</i> his lack of success as a writer, which one must assume has been his dream career for a long time. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Cut to the present day. Stadiums (well, maybe it's auditoriums) sold out full of fans from all walks of life, all in the name of cult author Chuck Palahniuk. He's huge. His fanbase is giant, especially with the younger crowds. Take a look at the guy, he knows he's famous; he dresses with hipster style and writes about celebrities. His life is very different now. Movie offers coming out his ass. Book deals like no one else gets; he publishes at least one novel per year.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">On that note: he publishes at least one novel per year. When the Damned sequel was first announced, it was also announced that he had two other books ready to be released. Most writers, I believe, would find this very difficult to do. But for Chuck Palahniuk? If you're writing novels as shallow as Pygmy and Rant, it's not too hard. I can't imagine stories like these taking much time or effort to write. They definitely don't read like much.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">At some point he started going for the gross out. Many point to Diary as being the point where he started this. This could be true in a sense, but Choke I believe is the point where he realized just how gratifying it can be to shock people with incredibly graphic prose. Lullaby is the novel where he started being branded (sometimes) as a horrorriter. It's not really horror, but maybe he liked the idea of being a satirical horror novelist. Lullaby, of course, was not the graphic novel his later stuff is. The short story Guts was huge, and ever since he's gone straight for the gross out. And in my opinion, going for the gross out isn't really horror. But obviously Chuck Palahniuk isn't really a horror writer.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">But believe it or not, I do not hate Chuck Palahniuk. I just hate that he does not put the effort into it anymore. His last few novels have just been atrocious. It's a shame that the same writer has also written novels of such satirical genius. Such potential could be seen in his early work. What the fuck? </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I have not gotten nearly as in-depth into my views on Chuck Palahniuk's writing as I would like to. Gradually I will write reviews on his books and upload them to The Nic Report, but only books that I have particularly strong opinions of, for both good and bad reasons. In the meantime I ask you to wonder aloud in public places your answers to the question: </span><span style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>What happened to Chuck Palahniuk?</b></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-27609691225684987172014-02-05T00:13:00.002-08:002014-06-28T21:15:09.467-07:00Book Review: Redshirts by John Scalzi<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Previously, I had never read anything by Scalzi. I'v had a used copy of 'Old Mans War' sitting around, but it never interested me much. Military novels don't typically excite me. But I came across 'Redshirts' at a discount price so I decided to by it. Then I decided to read it because of the hype surrounding it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The comparisons to 'Galaxy Quest' are appropriate. It's fun just like that film. But definitely much more clever. Hollywood doesn't have writers as clever as John Scalzi. And literature doesn't have writers who can infuse humor into fiction like John Scalzi.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Once again, I was completely caught off-guard. I was not expecting Scalzi to have the style of writing he has here. 'Redshirts' is written in a very sparse style. At some point I realized that there was very, very little descriptive writing going on. And I loved it. It kept the novel going at lightning pace. Many people cite this as a negative of the novel, but for me it's essential. It's refreshing to read a science-fiction novel that's this original and isn't bogged down by overly descriptive writing. What he tells us is all we need to know. You're not left wondering how to picture certain things, unlike, say, a Samuel Delaney novel, where descriptions are so often and overwritten yet leave you wonder what the hell it all means.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I would compare 'Redshirts' to the work of Philip K. Dick. Scalzi's prose style here is very reminiscent to the quote-unquote Workmanlike prose of Mr. Dick. And the story, well, Philip Dick couldn't have done it better himself. It just keeps going and going where you would never expect it to.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">'Redshirts' deserves the acclaim and awards it's getting. I imagine it will provide a great gateway for many into SF literature. This is definitely the most original SF novel written since 'VALIS'.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-58279428231395082592014-01-31T21:57:00.005-08:002014-06-28T21:15:37.666-07:00Book Review: Mall by Eric Bogosian<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">One night a few years ago I happened across a movie called 'Talk Radio'. I was stunned by what I was watching and barely moved until the final tense moments of this riveting film. It was about a very charismatic talk radio host (think Howard Stern but more political) and one fateful day at work. I'm not here to review the movie so I'll keep this short. It was just brilliant. The dialogue was so perfect, I was not surprised when I realized it was originally a stage play. The main character of the film was played by Eric Bogosian, who I thought looked liked Jerry Seinfeld after many years of hard drinking. I don't mean to sound cynical. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I eventually looked up the movie online and discovered that Eric Bogosian not only acted in it, but wrote the movie and the original stage play. I also learned that he was the author of two novels. I made a mental note to look for his books.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">So eventually I stumbled upon a copy of his novel, 'Mall'. 'Mall' tells the story of five people whose lives intersect one night at the local mall. These characters are regular suburbanites; from an emotionally distracted teenager, to tired middle-aged housewife. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Eric Bogosian has a near perfect nack for dialogue. He knows how people speak. You get the impression that the author has spent a lot of time with a lot of different people; He's spent part of his career performing monologues as wide variety of metropolitan characters. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">But the great character writing doesn't just come from the dialogue. 'Mall' is written in a third-person past tense style where each chapter focuses on a different character, alternating until the wires cross. His focus on inner-dialogue reveals that nastiness and hidden desires of the characters. The character of 'Mall' are most definitely flawed, but the way in which those flaws are revealed only result in the reader becoming even closer to them.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">'Mall' is a novel that I would recommend to readers of someone like, say, Chuck Palahniuk. The dark wit and elements of satire mixed into this book bring to mind the early works or Palahniuk. But what's great about 'Mall' is that the narrator is Mr. Bogosian himself. With 'Mall' he writes in a spares style that I believe makes it more accessible for readers. But of course readers have to know this book exist!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This is only one of three novels by a writer I would say is one of my all time favorites. I recommend 'Mall' by Eric Bogosian'. </span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-15502892913712618832014-01-31T00:07:00.004-08:002014-06-28T21:16:17.320-07:00Book Review: Embassytown by China Mieville<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">A couple years ago I had only heard China Mieville's name in passing. I thought of him only as one of the 'It' fantasy authors that probably wrote fantasy just like the rest of the guys who fill store bookshelves. I'm talking about the authors who write about Elves, Orcs like say, Terry Goodkind. One day I saw a cover of one of his novels with a quote comparing him to Philip K. Dick, an author I think is one of the most important writes EVER! But I didn't buy it. But I took a mental note to read him someday, particularly Embassytown, which seemed the closest to my thing.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">When I finally decided to read Embassytown, I was caught totally off-guard. It was not at all what I was expecting. This novel is like nothing I had read before. There are concepts and ideas in this novel that I couldn't image even considering to explore, let alone write fiction around. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">I'v always somewhat avoided reading books written in the First-Person narrative style. I found most of the novels written in First Person sounded like Chuck Palahniuk imitators. Well, some of them, while others I read are like being told what's happening in a story, rather then watching or experiencing it. But Embassytown is one a give a pass to. For starters, this novel could not be written in any other perspective. Put it this way: China Mieville is not capable of describing this world. Whereas Avice Brenner, the main character, can, to herself or someone else in that world. This will make sense if you read the book!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This is considered Mr. Mieville's first foray into science-fiction, despite previously winning SF awards. And yes, this is science-fiction, but I'm sure some have gone in expecting a space opera like one by Iain M. Banks. This is nothing like that. There are elements of space opera in Embassytown, but cannot be described as such. This closest relative to this novel would be something by the author Ursula K. Le Guin. This is soft sci-fi.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">China Mieville is most definitely one of the most original writers out there. He has the imagination of Philip K. Dick, and the intelligence of Asimov, written with the style and grace of a Samuel Delaney or Ursula Le Guin. And that's just with Embassytown. I want to say so much more but I think I'll finish off here. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Read this novel.</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-60633399091335530652014-01-30T22:48:00.003-08:002014-02-18T21:27:20.579-08:00<h4>
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This is a video taken by a man named Stan Romanek</span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Stan Romanek set up a video camera in his living room facing the window, just as a friend advised him to after he kept hearing knocks that he assumed were by pranksters. What he caught on video was an alien looking being. Watch and judge for youtself.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">When I heard of this video I was very intrigued. I did some research on the man and found he had written a book, which I then read. The book is titled "Messages". In it he tells his story so far and even includes photographs as evidence for some of his claims. This may be the most compelling case of its kind since the Whitley Strieber story.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">The video has yet to be proven a hoax. Trust me, once you read his book you will realize that there is something to all this. I believe this video is incredibly important and needs to be seen by more people. There is even a documentary on Mr. Romanek that has finished production and is just waiting to be released.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">This is only the beginning.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3512975602354392633.post-73427027636001591682014-01-28T21:49:00.002-08:002014-02-15T23:58:00.244-08:00<i><span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">"The problem with introspection is that it has no end"</span></i><br />
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- Philip K. Dick</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Like I always say, every good thing begins with Philip K. Dick...</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Courier New, Courier, monospace;">Watch this little space of the internet known as The Nic Report. Follow me and your future will be so much brighter.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15894426685740842889noreply@blogger.com0