Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
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 Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 2:19 am Post subject: |
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And now...
REVIEW: A Scanner Darkly by Philip K Dick
The only other Philip K Dick novel I have read to date was Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, the novel on which Blade Runner was more or less based upon. The only other Philip K Dick novel adaptation I have watched was the rotoscoped (that is, animation over live action) movie A Scanner Darkly, a perversely and darkly entertaining tale about drugs and undercover cops. Now, finally, I have read the original source, from cover to cover.
A Scanner Darkly is about undercover cop 'Fred', real name Bob Arctor, who is posing as a drug addict in order to try and find the source of the deadly drug, Substance D. In a world where surveillance technology is ubiquitous, the war on drugs is becoming a losing battle, paranoia is everywhere, and Arctor is under pressure in more ways than one. He is ordered to run surveillance on himself, as not even his own superiors know who he is, in order to prevent cops from selling each other out. And things start to get really bad, when Arctor's use of Substance D starts to catch up with him...
Although at one level, A Scanner Darkly is about a world of paranoid surveillance, not quite like the totalitarianism of Nineteen Eighty-Four, but chillingly not far from today's society. Although it has a very sixties/seventies air about it (much of the slang is from that period), you start seeing comparisons with today, which the movie capitalised on. Another theme is the drug culture, and the interactions of users therein, from the malicious and machiavellian Barris, the paranoid and skittish Freck, and hapless Luckman. It is far from an accident that Philip K Dick dedicates the book to several people he knew that perished or suffered long term illness due to drug use.
However, the biggest theme of A Scanner Darkly's is, as often seems to be the case with Philip K Dick books, from what I can gather, is identity. Already, Bob Arctor is forced to live two lives, and without giving too much of the book away, things get worse in a really big way.
There are some darkly funny moments in A Scanner Darkly, including a sequence describing, in detail, one character's suicide attempt. Although suicide is far from funny, Dick's deadpan description of all the ridiculous things that happen make it hard not to smile. And some of the bizarre conversations that go on between the users in Arctor's house also might make you laugh.
A Scanner Darkly is mildly dated, in terms of slang and language. There are also sequences that interject extracts from other sources that, although meant to show Arctor's mental disintegration, just come across as jarring. And its bittersweet ending may not be for some. But I liked it. It has some thought-provoking parts, and is certainly worth a try.
8/10
First words: Once a guy stood all day shaking bugs from his hair.
Last words: A present for my friends, he thought, and looked forward inside his mind, where no one could see, to Thanksgiving.
Okay. Well, I'm not sure what will be next. But that makes 7 reviews in just under two weeks.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
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| Posted: Wed Feb 17, 2010 5:56 am Post subject: |
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Finished this one in a few hours...
REVIEW: Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty by Raymond Benson, from a story by Hideo Kojima
I enjoy video games, and I wonder, in some cases, why there aren't more novelisations of them. There have been novelisations based on the Resident Evil games, and recently, former James Bond novelist Raymond Benson has been writing novelisations of the Metal Gear Solid games. I read the first, and found it adequate, expanding a little on events, although I preferred the comic adaptation. Now, I have read the second one.
Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty tells the story of a terrorist incident on an oil clean-up facility, the Big Shell, off the coast of Manhattan, to combat a two-year old oil spill. Said oil spill was caused, supposedly, by the famous covert operative Solid Snake, formerly of FoxHOUND, and, until he went down on a sinking oil tanker, an anti-Metal Gear activist. Raiden, a rookie member of FoxHOUND, is sent in to investigate. The President's life is at stake. And the terrorist leader claims to be Solid Snake. But nothing is as it seems. The oil tanker was secretly transporting a new Metal Gear (a walking battle tank) model, and Snake's old adversary, Revolver Ocelot, had stolen it. But if Snake is dead, who is the terrorist leader? And what does the Big Shell have to do with a conspiracy that has lain at the foundation of the United States for decades?
I enjoyed the game of Metal Gear Solid 2, although I have to admit that it was extremely cutscene heavy towards the end. To a certain degree, that translates fairly well to the written page, as you don't have to wait for hours of cutscenes to regain control. And don't be mistaken, Metal Gear Solid 2 is a competent thriller with an intellectual, postmodern edge.
If you haven't played the games, you might find some things to enjoy here. It would be better if you were familiar with the story of the Metal Gear series, and you should try and find a copy of the novel of the original Metal Gear Solid. There are many things that would be out of place in a conventional thriller, such as supernatural powers that would up the BS quotient, even for people who have enjoyed the most outlandish of Bond films. However, some parts that are related to references to gaming, and other aspects of the original game, might be lost on non-gamers and non-players.
However, I cannot really recommend it to fans of the game. There is almost nothing in the novel that isn't in the game, especially compared to the novel of the original Metal Gear Solid (which at least tinkered with some aspects, even giving a little prologue involving the birth of the Snakes). Yes, all that dreary dialogue is here, but at least here, if you want, you can read it at leisure and at your own pace, instead of having to skip all those bloody cutscenes.
Don't get me wrong, this novelisation is competent and very readable, but it offers virtually nothing new to my enjoyment of the franchise.
7/10
First words: Pursuant to your clandestine transport of the unit aboard the USS Discovery, it is advised that you study the file regarding the so-called 'Shadow Moses Incident', which occurred two years ago in the Alaskan Aleutian Islands.
Last words: (Not included, because of spoilers)
Well, what's next I wonder?
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
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| Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 1:21 am Post subject: |
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I've just finished reading a non-fiction book for children called Bad Kids, by Tony Robinson (of Blackadder, Time Team, and Worst Jobs in History fame). Unless the non-fiction book is...how can I put it? I had a similar dilemma when I finished a book on the British Monarchy last time. So, although I am counting Bad Kids in the total, I am not going to review it. It's just a tad too childish.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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| Posted: Sat Feb 20, 2010 11:30 pm Post subject: |
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And now for something completely different. The tenth book, and ninth review, is...
REVIEW: Cubicle Warfare: 101 Office Traps and Pranks by John Austin
Ever since reading about the amusing office pranks included in Scott Adams book The Joy of Work, I've had something of a mild interest in office pranks. Granted, I haven't worked in an office, barring a brief period of casual data entry work late last year (and I never monkeyed around there), but I find it funny to read about these things.
Unfortunately, Cubicle Warfare seems intent on taking the funny parts out of workplace pranks. Some of the pranks you might laugh at, but many you might laugh at out of schadenfreude more than anything else.
Basically, it is arranged a prank per two pages, with diagrams and instructions on how to do them, along with a suggestion on who to prank with. It is particularly the latter that is irritating. Some of these pranks seem downright evil, and certain to get you thrown out of the company you work at, and while I am sure that there are many people in corporations that are deserving of these pranks and more, usually these are the people in authority.
Don't get me wrong. This is alright for a few giggles. But get it out from the library, or buy Scott Adams' The Joy of Work instead.
5/10
First words: Cubicle Warfare is your training guide to the top weapons and strategies for transforming yourself from a cube monkey into a corporate commando.
Last words: This is a great team prank to play on the p***k who pisses everyone off.
The next book will probably be Making the Cut.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
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| Posted: Sun Feb 21, 2010 6:03 pm Post subject: |
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The eleventh book, and the tenth review, is...
REVIEW: Making the Cut by Mohamed Khadra
After reading Monster (see above), I decided to research more about hospital politics, partly for my own reading pleasure, and partly as research for one of my novels. Typing in 'hospital politics' into the search engine of my local library system's catalogue threw up the book Making the Cut, by Ghana-born, Australian-trained Lebanese surgeon Doctor Mohamed Khadra. And I have to say, it is pretty good.
Making the Cut talks about the career of Dr Khadra, or at least (as he states up front) a stylised version of his career, mixing anecdotes from his own career with those of other surgeons. We see into the rigorous training that all surgeons receive, the often heartbreaking losses, and in terms of patients, the good, the bad, and the ugly.
I have read this sort of book before. Having gotten bored with the anecdotes of Mark Brandon Read in his Chopper books, I stumbled across a book called The Street, which was similar, but from the other side of the legal fence. Written by former undercover police officer Lachlan McCulloch, the anecdotes were a mixture of McCulloch's, as well as that of other police officers, all attributed to a fictional police officer called Angus. Making the Cut reminds me of The Street in that fashion, in that both are filled with true anecdotes, but with some names changed to protect those involved.
Like The Street, or Chopper for that matter, Making the Cut is not for the faint-hearted. We have the rather graphic descriptions of the processes not only of surgery, but the recovery of patients, or patients being stuck in wards. And we are given frank access to a heartbreaking world where surgeons must be detached, arrogant SOBs in order to even have a chance of getting through the day, and where life-and-death decisions are taken, and where a bureaucracy has made a sick health system.
Some parts are distressing. One anecdote relates about penile prostheses, and one sleazy man who wants one. The revelation that he was a pedophile was actually shocking. And we read about the liver transplant of a hard-drinking lawyer, who will probably continue to drink even after he gets his new liver. But we hear surprisingly touching anecdotes, such as the young wannabe transsexual (male to female) who finds that the tumour he has just had removed is more common in women, or Dr Khadra, a Muslim of Lebanese heritage, treating a former Mossad agent, and the two coming to terms with their ingrained cultural antagonism.
I have to say, I enjoyed Making the Cut. My only real complaints was that it was far too short, and that some of the anecdotes were very squicky. But I wholeheartedly recommend it, especially to medical students, and those who want to see what being a surgeon really is like.
8.5/10
First words: When I was a Professor of Surgery, I used to conduct surgical tutorials with students.
Last words: At night, when all is still, I am left once again with the thoughts and memories of what had been a surgical life.
*Whew!*
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:28 am Post subject: |
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Book number twelve is...
REVIEW: Percy Jackson: The Ultimate Guide by Rick Riordan
Because of the movie The Lightning Thief coming out, I decided to have a look at the Percy Jackson universe. And what better way to do so than by a guide written by the very man who created the series. However, I came away frankly disappointed.
The Percy Jackson series is about a boy with dyslexia and ADHD called, unsurprisingly, Percy Jackson. He has a rather nasty piece of work for a stepfather, he never knew his real father, he isn't doing too well at school, and someone is trying to kill him. After certain events, Jackson find out that he is the demi-god son of a human mother, and the Greek God Poseidon. Unfortunately, because Poseidon broke a pact by having Jackson (because of a prophecy of a new son of the eldest Greek Gods, that is, Zeus, Hades, or Poseidon, who could destroy or preserve Olympus), Percy isn't exactly well-liked. And dark plots are occurring.
Percy Jackson seems a little too late to the party in terms of riding the Harry Potter wave of children's fantasy books, and if this guidebook is any indication, I'm not sure that it will be worth my time to read. Okay, so it is probably designed for younger people, but Harry Potter grabbed my attention as an adult when I read the first one to see what all the fuss was about.
Don't get me wrong, I think the concept is an interesting one. But somehow, the way it seems...it all seems wasted. I heard that this was originally done as a bedtime story that the author told his son. Maybe it is good for kids and teenagers, but I am not so sure it is good otherwise. I may be proven wrong, if I decide to actually read the series instead of the ultimate guide, but seriously, it looks as if Marvel did the whole updating Greek mythology for the 21st century thing better, and before Rick Riordan did first.
5/10
First words: Percy Jackson is far from average, even if his grades often are (well, technically, they're more like "below average").
Last words: An oath to keep with final breath, and foes bear arms to the doors of death.
Next book will be Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction...
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
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| Posted: Tue Feb 23, 2010 4:51 am Post subject: |
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For the first time in some time, a review of a Doctor Who book. Of course, the previous one in the previous book reading blog was a graphic novel, so hey...
REVIEW: Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction by Nigel Robinson, based on the script by David Whitaker
Some of you will know that I am a major Doctor Who fan. That is rather like saying the ocean is filled with salt water. But I have to admit, not only have I not watched every single episode, I also have not read every single book relating to it. While given the rarity of some of the books nowadays, the latter isn't surprising, I used to have an extensive collection. Because I got bored with Doctor Who, I sold off a substantial portion of it, and only now am I making an effort to restock. The Edge of Destruction was one I purchased recently, and is one of the rarer novelisations. Not only that, but I never watched the original story it was based on, except on clips. It is thus like watching an episode for the first time.
The Edge of Destruction is the third Doctor Who story, when the Doctor's first human companions, Ian Chesterton and Barbara Wright, have only been travelling with the Doctor and his grandaughter Susan for a short period of time. Already, they had travelled to prehistoric Earth, and faced the Daleks on the planet Skaro. But an explosion has rocked the TARDIS. And when the travellers awaken, strange occurrences abound. Bizarre malfunctions of equipment. Susan nearly attacking Ian and Barbara in a crazed psychosis. And the Doctor becoming ever more suspicious of the humans who barged their way on board his ship. But those pale into significance when they realise that they are in danger from another source...
A little background for you: The Edge of Destruction was written almost at the last minute in order to create a complete set of 13 episodes, as Doctor Who at the time only had a fairly tentative production. With four episodes of the original story, An Unearthly Child, and the seven part story now known as The Daleks made, Doctor Who was already in danger of being taken out of production. In order to round out the scripts, script editor David Whitaker created this story from scratch, in order to make a story with a tight budget. This story actually smoothes the transition between the more antagonistic dynamic between the time travellers, and the more genial relationships seen in later stories.
As a character piece, The Edge of Destruction is good. It is frightening to see the time travellers turn on each other, and we see a very malicious side to the Doctor, who seems more than willing to throw Ian and Barbara off the TARDIS, despite the fact that they could be thrown out into the depths of space. And the novelisation actually expands on the original two-part story, showing sequences that could never have been realised on the budget.
It is rather short, and the resolution is actually fairly abrupt. And don't expect anything spectacular from the writing style. But if you like Doctor Who, and you can get a hold of this, do so. Or if you can get a hold of it, and you like psychological drama, do so, or watch the original episodes.
7.5/10
First words: It all started, they would say later, in a forgotten junkyard on a foggy November night in 1963.
Last words: Who could say where it would end?
Next books could very well be either Hospital Station by James White, or Quatermass by Nigel Kneale.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
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| Posted: Thu Feb 25, 2010 8:29 pm Post subject: |
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And now...
REVIEW: Blake's 7 by Trevor Hoyle, based on the scripts by Terry Nation
My first review for my original book-reading blog was the novelisation Blake's 7: Scorpio Attack, based on three scripts from the final series of Blake's 7. Now, I come back to the first novelisation of the series, based on the first four episodes.
Blake's 7 is a novelisation of the episodes The Way Back, Space Fall, Cygnus Alpha and Time Squad. A former revolutionary, now brainwashed supporter of the tyrannical Terran Federation, named Roj Blake is conscripted into a new resistance against the Federation. Before he can make sense of what is going on, the group of rebels he was brought to meet are massacred. As he begins to regain his memories, the Federation, reluctant to create a martyr, instead frame Blake for child molestation, so that he will be exiled forever to prison planet Cygnus Alpha. In trying to mutiny on board the prison spaceship taking him there, Blake, along with glamorous space pirate Jenna Stannis and cynical computer hacker Kerr Avon, are condemned to death. Until the prison ship happens across an abandoned technologically advanced spacecraft, and after the first salvage parties disappear, they decide to use prisoners instead...a big mistake, when you're as desperate as Blake.
Unlike my review of Blake's 7: Scorpio Attack (and the above review of Doctor Who: The Edge of Destruction), I have already watched the original episodes, and can't help but compare. There really isn't that much to offer beyond what comes on screen. In fact, there are many sequences that work better on the screen, surprising, considering the low budget feel of the series. I think that Trevor Hoyle based his novelisation on Terry Nation's scripts before they went into production.
That being said, there is a lot to recommend Blake's 7. It is fairly adult science-fiction with strong moral ambiguity. While it would be better to watch it on screen, it is still fairly decent and will certainly kill time, especially for those who are sick of Star Trek being filled with goody-two shoes.
7/10
First words: The concrete chamber was dank and bare.
Last words: The massive ship began to move away from Saurian Major, accelerating as she forged deeper into space, heading for distant star systems and adventures as yet unknown.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
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Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 5:54 am Post subject: |
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The next book may be one of several. It might be one of the following:
Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer
Doctor Who: The Massacre by John Lucarotti
Quatermass by Nigel Kneale
Hospital Station by James White
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
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| Posted: Fri Feb 26, 2010 10:48 pm Post subject: |
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Book number fifteen is...
REVIEW: Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer
After discovering the Artemis Fowl series, I have found it relatively entertaining. A dark and morally ambiguous twist on the ubiquitous outbreak of children's fantasy books that seems to have come out of the Harry Potter boom, Artemis Fowl can both be for kids (teenagers and older kids) and for adults. Eoin Colfer once described it as 'Die Hard with fairies', and that was a good way to describe the first book. Although some of the moral ambiguity is lacking from later books, they are still good adventure romps.
Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception is the fourth book in the series (I read the third, Artemis Fowl and the Eternity Code in the interval between book-reading blogs), and opens with both the human and fairy worlds apparently at piece. Teenage criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl and his bodyguard Butler have had their memories of the fairies wiped after the debacle from the third book, and Captain Holly Short is set to become the first female major in the Lower Elements Police's Recon section (referred to as LEPRecon). Problem is, pixie Opal Koboi, last seen in Artemis Fowl: The Arctic Incident, has been faking a coma in order to avoid prosecution for her part in a failed goblin uprising, and after an ingenious escape, sets out to take revenge on those who put her there: Artemis Fowl, Butler, Holly, and Holly's Commander, Julius Root. Holly is framed for the murder of Root, Fowl and Butler avoid an assassination attempt after finishing an art heist, and Fowl and Holly must work together to stop Opal, even though Artemis has not recovered his memories. Only kleptomaniac dwarf Mulch Diggums holds the key to helping Artemis regain his memories, but even if Artemis regains his memories, he may not be able to stop the advent of a war between humanity and fairies, engineered by Opal Koboi...
The Eternity Code had a far more funereal tone to it than previous books in the series. Butler died, albeit temporarily (sorry about the spoiler), and Artemis was told outright that, after the end of that adventure, he would have his memories wiped. The Opal Deception has a very different tone, of a race against time, even more than previous books. Eoin Colfer writes at pace, at least, and while not always deep, he still manages to convey a sense of realism, even when writing about fantasy. Back-stabbing politics have been part of the Artemis Fowl series since the original, and now we have a character who is, if anything, even worse than Briar Cudgeon: the gnome Ark Sool. He could be said to be the secondary villian of the piece, next to Opal Koboi.
I have to say that Opal, although she shows her intelligence and genre savviness throughout, seems far more psychotic in this book than she did in The Arctic Incident, where Briar Cudgeon was more unstable. Although this could be due to her induced coma, I was expecting Opal, while megalomaniacal, to be a little more cultured, so that she would be an effective foil to Artemis. However, her plan is in interesting one, which ironically involves manipulating an environmentalist, an intriguing twist that lessens the usual sting of the environmental anvil that is often dropped in these stories.
Somehow, though, in this novel at least, Artemis is less impressive than Holly. This may be mostly because Artemis is lacking his memories, and Holly has more motivation to bring down Opal than he does, given the personal ways Holly is attacked by Opal in the story. Artemis does come up with the plan to save the day, but it is Holly who seems to be the focus of the story. This is by no means a bad thing, given the characterisation involved, but it does detract a little from the fact that this novel is called Artemis Fowl and the Opal Deception.
Like the other Artemis Fowl books, though, The Opal Deception is just a little thin on character compared to incident. Opal needs character badly, and Artemis' post mind-wipe character, while different to that when he had his memories, doesn't seem that distinctly different enough. And Foaly, I think, needs just a tad more credibility.
That being said, these are really minor quibbles more than anything else. It is still an enjoyable read, and the final scene of Julius Root is rather heartbreaking, while the final scene is a little heartwarming, as we see how much Artemis is changed. An enjoyable read for those who like the series.
8/10
First words: The following article was posted on the fairy internet on the site www.horsesense.gnom.
Last words: Art lovers all over the world certainly hope so!
I dunno what'll be next.
EDIT: Because this forum software automatically tries to redirect even fictitious web addresses, I edited the web address for 'horsesense' to redirect to the Wikipedia article for Foaly.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
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Quatermass
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| Posted: Tue Mar 02, 2010 1:09 am Post subject: |
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And now...
REVIEW: Every Patient Tells a Story: Medical Mysteries and the Art of Diagnosis by Lisa Sanders, MD
You may not know who Dr Lisa Sanders is, but you will know the TV series she is technical adviser to. She advises the production of House, MD. However, this is not a book about Gregory House, although the series is mentioned on a couple of pages. This book is about medicine and diagnosis, how it is done right, and how it can often go wrong.
Compared to Making the Cut, the previous book of anecdotes from the medical profession which I reviewed above, Every Patient Tells a Story is more about diagnostic medicine than surgery. And while many of the anecdotes are fascinating (and sometimes downright tragic), they are not as interesting, or at least don't have quite the same verve as Making the Cut.
There is also some fascinating analysis on how the psychology of the doctors involved in diagnosing patients can lead to misdiagnosis, with dangerous, even deadly results. And there is a particularly interesting diatribe against the doctors who adhere to the dogma of 'chronic lyme disease', despite strong evidence against it.
That being said, the book does lack a little energy. It is still an interesting book, especially so soon after Making the Cut (and makes me glad not to be a doctor), but it could have been extraordinary. I don't mean it to play up the connection to House, MD, but there was something lacking that could have made it much better.
8/10
First words: Barbara Lessing stared out the window at the snowy field behind the hospital.
Last words: And after medicine has finished doing all that it can, it is stories we want and finally, all that we have.
The next book could be one of a number of them. There is House of Cards, Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Quatermass, and Hospital Station.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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| Posted: Sat Mar 06, 2010 12:38 am Post subject: |
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Book number 17 is...
REVIEW: Ode to Kirihito by Osamu Tezuka
Out of the three Japanese graphic novels or manga I have reviewed thus far, two of them were by Naoki Urasawa, who himself took strong inspiration from the so-called godfather of manga, Osamu Tezuka. Pluto was a retelling of a story arc from Astro Boy, and Monster took its main character's name from Astro Boy's creator. And now, after having read Osamu Tezuka's Ode to Kirihito, I realise that Monster took another things from Tezuka, if not from this specific work, then from a variety of them. You see, Tezuka was a medical doctor, and in both Monster and Ode to Kirihito, we see how hospital politics can ruin people's lives and careers.
Ode to Kirihito is about the story of Dr Kirihito Osanai, a young doctor at the M University Hospital. The medical community is baffled about the cause of a mysterious disease called Monmow, which turns those afflicted by it into humanoid dog-like creatures. Dr Osanai believes that the cause may be environmentally caused, while his poltically upward mobile superior, Dr Tatsugaura, is clinging to the belief that a pathogen causes the disease. Determined to discover the cause of the disease, Osanai travels to Doggodale Village, the main source of Monmow, it seems. However, Osanai is trapped in a web of intrigue that gets worse when he actually contracts Monmow. Events take him all over the world in a quest for revenge and redemption, while events in Japan and Africa conspire to vindicate him.
Ode to Kirihito, like Monster, is not for everyone. Despite the whimsical art style of Osamu Tezuka, this is a very dark and adult story. I knew this because I read the 8-volume epic Buddha by Tezuka about a year ago. I mean, three of the more prominent characters in Ode to Kirihito are rapists. The fact that two of them are portrayed as complex characters is at least a saving grace, but it will probably leave a bad taste in the mouth.
Like Monster, Ode to Kirihito is about the darkness of the human soul. However, it links it, through Monmow Disease, to the debate of whether one's appearance dictates whether you are man or beast. Racism compared explicitly to Monmow disease, with some events taking place within a South Africa still gripped by apartheid and segregation. When a white nun in a convent, Sister Helen Friese, contracts a disease similar to Monmow which had been affecting African miners, her treatment is truly shocking. But Sister Helen Friese is at one end of the spectrum, which, no matter what befalls her, she still tries to do her best for others.
At the other end of the spectrum, we have Master Mahn, a Taiwanese who, well before contracting Monmow, was very beastly. A self-made millionaire, he has a private collection of freaks that he tortures, revenge for being rejected by a doctor for being too poor. His comeuppance, I have to say, isn't quite satisfying enough, although it becomes linked to the downfall of the obnoxious Dr Tatsugaura, which is at least satisfying in many ways.
And in the middle, we have Dr Kirihito Osanai, who has so much bad crap happen to him, well, it is not surprising that he struggles with keeping a hold of his humanity. His fate in the ending is touching and heartwarming. It is not a happy ending, but it is a good ending, with promise for later.
That being said, there were elements that I was dissatisfied with. There was a subplot not unlike The Count of Monte Cristo that seemed not to be taken far enough, given Kirihito's psychological struggles, and although there is little in the way of actual gore, many of the things seen within Ode to Kirihito are disturbing. And I think Sister Helen's forgiving her rapist, while in character for her, seemed to be...I dunno, had a little sense of being off to me.
That being said, Ode to Kirihito was a decent story, and to those who will be able to brave a journey into the darkness of the human soul, you may enjoy it.
8/10
First words: The M University Hospital boasts world-class medical facilities and an academic research institute.
Last words: Perhaps the pages of another tale.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21097
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 1:31 am Post subject: |
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Bit of a slow week this week. However, here's the next review, number 18...
REVIEW: How to Survive a Horror Movie by Seth Grahame-Smith
I have never been a fan of horror movies. Although I have watched the Resident Evil films, the Silent Hill film (and played many of the respective games), Jacob's Ladder, and some of Alien, I am not fond of the genre. I am not fond of gore or blood. But I love metafiction and looking at the tropes of fiction. Which is why I read How to Survive a Horror Movie.
How to Survive a Horror Movie is a tongue and cheek survival guide in the vein of similar metafictional guides such as The Zombie Survival Guide and How to Survive a Robot Uprising. Basically, it lists the various tropes of horror movies, and gives you, the reader, the necessary savvy to avoid them.
Although I dislike horror movies, I love, as I said, looking at tropes. In fact, one of my favourite discoveries of recent times was the TV Tropes website. However, while this book is rather entertaining, it wasn't as well written or thought out as The Zombie Survival Guide. I guess the key was the tone. How to Survive a Horror Movie was just a tad too tongue-in-cheek and metafictional, whereas The Zombie Survival Guide's best elements remained its deadpan, serious presentation.
I think How to Survive a Horror Movie goes too far in the exaggerated humour direction, and for that, suffers. However, it can be an entertaining read for fans of the genre and humourous metafiction. Just don't expect too much from it.
7/10
First words: There's something I've been meaning to get off my chest. (This is from the foreword by Wes Craven, horror movie maker extraordinaire, apologising for the amount of characters who got killed in his movies, and one of the more funny sections of the book)
Last words: You better keep your skills the same way.
I dunno what will be next.
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21097
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Thu Mar 11, 2010 6:23 am Post subject: |
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After a big push, I finished book number 19...
REVIEW: House of Cards by Michael Dobbs
I've not really been one for political thrillers. Usually, when I think of political thrillers, I think of something along the lines of Tom Clancy. However, with some trepidation, I decided to try the British political thriller House of Cards, written by a former Chief of Staff for the Conservatives in Britain, and later adapted into a TV series with Ian Richardson. And I have to say: I am impressed.
House of Cards tells the story of two very ambitious people: Francis Urquhart and Mattie Storin. Urquhart is Chief Whip, whose position can be best described as the man who makes sure that every minister in the Government votes the way the Government wants to. He is also privy to many of the secrets of various ministers. When Margaret Thatcher resigns as Prime Minister of the UK (this was published in 1989, before her resignation in 1990), Urquhart is hoping for a higher position from her successor, Collingridge. But Collingridge is reluctant to risk political instability by doing a major reshuffle, thanks to advice from Lord Williams, the Chairman of the Conservative Party. Urquhart, stung, begins orchestrating a scheme that will not only topple Collingridge, but also get his job, by any means necessary. Meanwhile, ambitious political reporter Mattie Storin is trying to make her mark in journalism, only to find herself drawn into Urquhart's scheme.
House of Cards, as a book, was hard to read. That is probably because I am not used to the genre. The language is very different to the science fiction and graphic novels I prefer to read. That being said, however, my first true foray into political thriller territory was excellent. Michael Dobbs makes the web of political intrigue that makes up the UK government come alive, albeit in a way that makes you feel like you want to wash your hands afterwards.
Urquhart is a prime example of villain protagonist, stepping in the shoes of Richard III from Shakespeare's play. His machinations are brilliant, and one tends to cheer for him, even though we should really be repulsed by what he does. A few of his victims deserve what he does to them, but most don't.
It is also very much an educational book, giving me insight into some of the roles of various positions and events in the UK government. While this is no doubt no substitute for a text, Dobbs' experience in politics shine forth. I enjoy a book where I learn, as long as it is secondary to story. Dobbs, like Dickens' Bleak House (which I read last year, itself a hard but rewarding read), is a master of stealth education, something which a certain Ayn Rand could have learnt.
House of Cards is not perfect. I found the character of Mattie Storin to be just a little too two-dimensional. While she is a human being with faults and foibles, she does have too much of the cliched character of the plucky reporter. She could have been better.
However, I enjoyed House of Cards greatly. While not as awe-inspiring or hard-hitting as Monster (which I reviewed above), it is as well-written novel that, while with a simple and straigthforward plot, nevertheless contrives to be labyrinthean. Although it might only appeal to Anglophiles, I strongly recommend that you give it a try. You might enjoy it.
9/10
First words: It seemed scarcely a moment since she had closed her eyes, yet already the morning sun was waking her as it crept around the curtain and began to shine on her pillow.
Last words: 'Let's go home.'
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
Posts: 21097
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Sat Mar 13, 2010 7:27 am Post subject: |
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And now for number 20, one that will interest some...
REVIEW: Quatermass by Nigel Kneale
Ever since becoming interested in the Quatermass serials, which were the antecedents to so many shows I enjoy, like Doctor Who, I have felt ambivalent about them, mostly because of Nigel Kneale's attitude to later science fiction shows. He claims Doctor Who ripped off many of his stories (not quite without reason, but he had no reason to be so vitriolic, IMO) and called the premise a bad one. He also dissed Blake's 7, calling it tedious, an accusation I could level at parts of some of his own works. And he detests science fiction, and yet, not only did he write the Quatermass serials, but also The Year of the Sex Olympics (a satire on reality TV, made some three decades before Big Brother) and The Stone Tape (a science fiction ghost story not unlike the third Quatermass serial, Quatermass and the Pit). Personally, I think that Nigel Kneale was a raging hypocrite, but he made excellent serials. He also wrote one novelisation of his work, that of the fourth Quatermass serial, titled variously Quatermass or The Quatermass Conclusion. And it is this that I have just finished.
Quatermass takes place sometime after 1979, the year the serial was transmitted. The Cold War is still in place, but massive spending on military and spaceflight has led to urban decay. Gangs roam the streets of London, and the government seems unwilling to do much about it. Professor Bernard Quatermass, long retired, comes to London for two reasons. The first is to appear as a guest on a TV show about a joint space station of American and Russians, something Quatermass decries as not helping the problem on Earth. The second is that he is searching for his grandaughter, who may have joined an anti-scientific cult known as the Planet People. However, the space station is destroyed. At first, it is thought sabotage was involved. But Quatermass, along with a colleague, witness a mass gathering of Planet People at a stone circle called Ringstone Round...which is then disintegrated by a vast beam of energy. Learning this has happened at a variety of sites, many of them megalithic circles, around the world, Quatermass begins to hypothesise that long ago, the human race had been harvested...and now the harvester is back.
Nigel Kneale's first 3 Quatermass serials established the 'alien invasion' paradigm of stories to come. The Quatermass Experiment, telling of an experimental rocket landing back on Earth, only to have a single remaining passesnger out of three, was a case of 'we go to them'. Quatermass II, about aliens infiltrating government and big business, was a case of 'they come to us'. Quatermass and the Pit, often cited to be the best of the trilogy, involved a Martian rocket buried in the heart of London for five million years, and having influenced human evolution, leaving the final paradigm of 'they were always here'. However, Quatermass is something of a poor mixture of those three paradigms.
Often, throughout the serial and thus this novelisation, Quatermass is often just along for the ride. Although there are many proactive elements in this story, he was a far better and proactive character in the previous three serials. This could be due to his old age, of course, as one of the themes of Quatermass is about old versus new. But it seems so unlike the Quatermass of previous serials.
Nigel Kneale also ramps up the dystopia factor to 11. Not quite Nineteen Eighty-Four (ironically, he adapted that novel into a television play the year after The Quatermass Experiment), but his descriptions of London ruled by two opposing street gangs, and with law and order only tentatively enforced by South African mercenaries (the story was written both during the Cold War and apartheid) are chilling. This is a world breaking down, and nobody seems willing to do anything about it.
To be honest, Quatermass is a very good story, and would make an excellent stand-alone book. But it doesn't match up to the previous serials. I am yet to watch the serial this novelisation was based on, but I am wondering whether I even should.
7/10
First words: 'There was a body!' Quatermass shouted.
Last words: Huffity...puffity...puff....
_________________
Yami: Wait, did you just summon a bunch of monsters in one turn?
Kaiba: Yeah, so?
Yami: That's against the rules!
Seto Kaiba: Screw the Rules, I Have Money!!
-Yu-Gi-Oh The Abridged Series
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