Quatermass
I believe the appropriate phrase is, 'Boo-yah'.
Joined: Apr 28, 2006
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 Posted: Wed Feb 01, 2012 6:26 am Post subject: |
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Book 56...
REVIEW: A Clash of Kings by George RR Martin
Earlier in this book-reading blog, I began my journey into the fantasy world of George RR Martin, reading the first book in his A Song of Ice and Fire series. A Game of Thrones blew me away by the sheer complexity of the storyline and characters, and I enjoyed it, despite the rather unhappy ending of that particular installment. So would I enjoy the next book in the series, A Clash of Kings?
The Seven Kingdoms of Westeros have been plunged into civil war. Already, Robb Stark, eldest son of the executed Ned Stark, and Renly Baratheon, the youngest brother of the now deceased former king, oppose his teenaged heir, Joffrey Baratheon, secretly the incestuous lovechild of the dead king's wife, Cersei Lannister, and her brother, Jaime. But the lord of the Iron Islands, Balon Greyjoy, has declared himself king as well, and Renly's older brother Stannis, helped by the mysterious sorceress Melisandre, has declared all out war against every other claimant. As Westeros tears itself apart under fighting, the dwarf Tyrion Lannister becomes the adviser of Joffrey, and must make preparations against Stannis' invasion. Catelyn Stark becomes witness to Melisandre's dark powers. Arya Stark must contend with refugee status and captivity, while her sister struggles within a gilded cage. The crippled Bran Stark begins to dream wild dreams that may not be dreams but reality. Jon Snow, now part of the Night Watch, joins an expedition beyond the Wall, and finds that someone is uniting the wildlings there into a force that may threaten Westeros. And across the sea, Daenerys Targaryen, now possessed of the last three dragons in existence, must contend with the fact that many covet her dragons. The War of the Five Kings has begun, and the cost will be high...
Compared to A Game of Thrones, A Clash of Kings feels filled with more incident than the intrigue that I had enjoyed in the first book. This is not to say that it isn't top-drawer writing. Far from it. The story is engrossing enough to be enjoyable all the way through. But one begins to see where the story sags as it progresses. There is still substantial intrigue and character development, but not quite at the startling level of A Game of Thrones. A Clash of Kings feels more like a book where the story is in transition, and certainly ends with more up in the air than in A Game of Thrones. And some storylines are not done enough justice.
Even so, it is the characters that make this novel. Despite the large number, Martin does a good job of juggling them. While there is less character development than there was previously, what there is is good all the same. Tyrion Lannister is a welcome viewpoint character, and we begin to feel more substantial sympathy for Sansa Stark than we do in A Game of Thrones. Stannis Baratheon is an unusually singular character who is nonetheless aware of his own singular nature, and repulsive as he is, he is still more honest than most other characters in the series. I find myself wishing more and more for the comeuppance of Cersei Lannister and her son, Joffrey, though Cersei is also given some moments to be kind to her deformed brother. Jon Snow's chapters are less interesting than before, and while Arya's arc is interesting, it is cut off just before things get really interesting.
I enjoyed A Clash of Kings. Not as great as its predecessor in the series, but it's nonetheless enjoyable. I look forward to the next books in A Song of Ice and Fire, and hope that it will stay at a level of fairly high quality for some time to come.
9/10
First words: The comet's tail spread across the dawn, a red slash that bled above the crags of Dragonstone like a wound in the pink and purple sky.
Last words: I'm not dead yet.
_________________
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
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Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Sat Feb 04, 2012 2:32 am Post subject: |
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Book 57...
REVIEW: Doctor Who: The Face of the Enemy by David A McIntee
During the first few years of Jon Pertwee's tenure as the Doctor, he was only able to go to another world either by accident while tinkering with the TARDIS console (Inferno, The Claws of Axos), or when the Time Lords allowed him to (Colony in Space, The Curse of Peladon, The Mutants). Although some of his absences were brief enough, some might have taken a longer time. So what would happen if there was a problem with the Earth while the Doctor was away? This book, The Face of the Enemy, shows what happens...
While the Doctor and Jo are on a trip to Peladon, the Brigadier has to deal with a number of strange incidents. An experimental plane has crashed, covered in traces of radioactive material, and inside is the corpse of a government minister who is still alive and well elsewhere. A robbery has targeted the accounts of the currently imprisoned Master, and his accountant, Marianne Kyle, has turned against him. And a government minister has ordered the experimental plane destroyed. With the Doctor away, the Brigadier is assigned Ian Chesterton and his wife, Barbara, former companions of the Doctor, as advisors. When Ian determines that the plane did not get damaged on Earth, they decide to find the one person who might be able to tell them: the Master. But the Master isn't interested in helping UNIT unless he gets his freedom. And when Kyle attempts to assassinate the Master, the Master escapes, only to later offer his help to UNIT. Why would the Master offer his help to UNIT? What conspiracy is Kyle behind that involves replacing people with doubles who are not alien, but human? And what does this have to do with the Inferno project, long since abandoned? UNIT, the Master, Ian and Barbara need to find the true face of the enemy, an enemy that has infiltrated the highest ranks of society...
Like some Doctor Who stories, The Face of the Enemy is very much a continuity splurge. Besides bringing the first human companions of the Doctor, Ian and Barbara back, this story is also a sequel to Inferno. We also have links to the canon of the novels, with one plot point being a reference to David A McIntee's own The Dark Path, which detailed the origins of the Master. This continuity splurge will probably alienate the casual reader, but the way it is done will certainly excite any Doctor Who fan. Unfortunately, the plot is rather singular, and the villains' plan, for all their evil and brutality, doesn't come off as threatening enough after a certain point.
The characters are what sell the story, and we get a glimpse into the minds of many characters from the series proper. Not just the Brigadier, but also characters like the Master, who is almost the protagonist of this story (for once), and Ian and Barbara, whose life following their travels with the Doctor is shown. Ian even shows some insight into the Master's character, with even the Master being surprised, and Ian gets many dark moments when he believes that Barbara is dead. There's even an origin for Harry Sullivan, showing how he first got involved with UNIT. The other characters are fine enough, but not outstanding.
The Face of the Enemy, then, is an interesting novelty. It's a Doctor Who novel version of a Doctor-lite episode, and while not quite impressive, certainly manages to get above the norm.
9/10
First words: The British field office of the United Nations Intelligence Taskforce at Denham didn't look any different from any other well-maintained stately home in the Home Counties.
Last words: 'Just routine.'
_________________
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
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| Posted: Sun Feb 05, 2012 12:09 am Post subject: |
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Book 58...
REVIEW: Caligula: A Biography by Aloys Winterling, translated by Deborah Lucas Schneider, Glenn W Most, and Paul Psoinos
Caligula, perhaps the most infamous of the Roman emperors. Madman, sadist, hedonist, and monster. Perhaps the best known portrayal of the man was in I, Claudius, and its adaptation, with John Hurt as the deranged emperor. But was he truly insane? Or was there a method to what others thought was madness?
Aloys Winterling, Professor of Ancient History at the University of Bassel, sets out in Caligula: A Biography, a very different hypothesis. Positing that many of the historical accounts were warped by people who wished to tarnish the reputation of Caligula, he uses what he can to determine that, while Caligula was a brutal tyrant, he was far from sane. Indeed, he was a cynical, perceptive man who had a damaging childhood, and a very jaded view of power, along with a brutal attitude to the fawning of the aristocracy.
When I saw this book, quite by accident, in the library, I had to admit to being intrigued. I had read I, Claudius, as well as many other books on Roman emperors (including a rather sickening one whose anecdotes seemed geared for the ghouls who watched the rather grotesque 1979 film on Caligula's life), but to find a book that portrayed Caligula as sane and brutally reacting to hypocrisy was an intriguing one. I found the book an interesting, if dry, treatise on this theory, and certainly one that had me re-evaluating the picture in my head of the infamous emperor. He was still a tyrant, just a sane and ruthless one.
The book itself is written for a general audience, but while interesting enough, the writing style is still rather dry, though whether that is Winterling's own writing style, or something caused by the translators, I do not know. And not being a historian, I am not sure how much of Winterling's arguments hold water, although they are at least moderately compelling, compared to the standard line about Caligula.
While I'm not sure whether any of you might wish to seek this work out, I can assure any people with a moderate interest in history will find it intriguing enough. Whether it reflects reality or not is another matter.
8.5/10
First words: Caligula, the man who was Roman emperor from AD 37 to 41, started out as a tyrannical ruler and degenerated into a monster.
Last words: If Caligula, who had dared aspire to founding a monarchy in plain view in Rome, was condemned posthumously as a "madman", then Claudius, who had tried to spare the aristocracy, was known after his death as a "fool".
_________________
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: 21100
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 12:57 am Post subject: |
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For anyone still following this thread, I am currently reading the next A Song of Ice and Fire book, A Storm of Swords. At my local bookshop, it has been split into two volumes, but as it is actually one book, I will be reviewing it as such. I have finished the first volume, and will be starting the second very shortly...
_________________
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: 21100
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Tue Feb 07, 2012 8:09 am Post subject: |
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Book 59...
REVIEW: A Storm of Swords by George RR Martin
Having devoured the first two books in the fantasy series known as A Song of Ice and Fire, I wondered how I would find the next book in the series. In the bookstore I frequent and purchase from, A Storm of Swords is split into two parts for its paperback edition: Steel and Snow, and Blood and Gold. I decided, instead of reviewing these parts separately, I would read them as one whole, as the author intended. And it is just as well, for things are afoot in Westeros...
The battle for King's Landing is over, but the War of the Five Kings is far from concluded. While Stannis Baratheon regroups after his defeat, the Lannisters tighten their grip, with the capricious boy king Joffrey now to be wed to Margaery Tyrell, and Sansa Stark is now to be wed to the disfigured and embittered dwarf Tyrion Lannister, who is losing his loyalties to his power-hungry family. Across the sea, Daenerys Targaryen is searching for an army, but there is treachery within her ranks, with more than one source. At the Wall, Jon Snow is forced to infiltrate the wildlings massing to attack the Wall, but it is no easy task to convince their leader, a former Night Watch soldier called Mance Rayder. Arya Stark, fleeing from the Boltons, ends up in the company of men formerly loyal to her father, but now outlaws who may end up ransoming her. Bran Stark flees for the North after the fall of Winterfell. Catelyn Stark may have made a mistake in releasing Jaime Lannister in exchange for Sansa and Arya's freedom, but her son, Robb Stark, king of the North, may have made an even worse one, forfeiting an arranged marriage and insulting allies. And as Jaime Lannister is escorted to King's Landing by the warrior woman Brienne of Tarth, he is forced to rediscover what little honour he has left, and the truth about how he became the Kingslayer may shock the honourable Brienne to her very core. The game of thrones continues, and soon, there will be many more losers...
Hoo, boy. After the intrigue of the first book, and the battles and claims of kingship of the second, it was nice to get back to some nice and juicy intrigue. While the story in A Clash of Kings was excellent, it was less substantial, more like an action film than a drama by comparison to A Game of Thrones. Here, there's more drama and human interaction. It's not as paradigm-shattering as A Game of Thrones, and thus scores less (also partly because some storylines, like those at the Wall and those involving Bran, are less interesting than before), but it's still good. What's more, fans of the series so far will get their hearts broken, and then leap for joy. Good people die, and so do a number of people who had it coming. I shall not spoil who gets killed, but those that had it coming have very satisfying deaths.
Of all the characters in this book whom the tale is told through, perhaps the most interesting are the Lannister brothers, Tyrion and Jaime. Tyrion is always a delight, one of the few relatively moral characters in the series, but in this book, he is put through some very tough times. So too is Jaime, whom we learn is less of a bastard in this book, and had a much better reason for slaying the Targaryen king than earlier mentioned. He even begins a long, hard road to redemption, and while his redemption isn't yet completed, we see that there is something more to him than cockiness and an incestuous relationship with his sister. Another welcome new addition is the chubby and timid Sam Tarly, who gets a moment to shine. We also have other interesting viewpoints from established characters like Catelyn Stark and her daughters, as well as Daenerys Targaryen. All the characters are, to one degree or another, fascinating, and it is also interesting to see some develop. Not just Jaime and Tyrion Lannister, but Sansa Stark, Sandor Clegane, Sam Tarly, and even the sorceressMelisandre, who shows herself to be a far more nuanced presence than the somewhat malevolent-seeming entity from A Clash of Kings.
If not quite a return to the dizzying heights of A Game of Thrones, A Storm of Swords nonetheless manages to trump its immediate predecessor. It's certainly kept me hooked on this marvellous piece of fantasy fiction and very human drama.
9.5/10
First words: The day was grey and bitter cold, and the dogs would not take the scent.
Last words: Up into the air he jerked, kicking and twisting, up and up and up.
_________________
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: 21100
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Fri Feb 10, 2012 3:02 am Post subject: |
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Book 60...
REVIEW: iDrakula by Bekka Black
It seems that a sizeable proportion of the books I have been reading for these book-reading blogs have been vampire fiction. Ranging from Bram Stoker's genre-defining classic Dracula, to the intriguing alternate history Wold Newton book Anno Dracula, from the disturbing but sweet romance of Let the Right One In, to the rather more insipid and mediocre romance of Twilight. So just to fill a hole betwee books, I decided to read a modern take of the first Dracula novel, iDrakula...
18 year old New York student Jonathan Harker has been sent to Romania to close a real estate deal with the enigmatic Count Dracula when his friend, Renfield, is committed. But things aren't always what they seem. While Harker struggles to escape from Dracula's castle, his fiancee, Mina Murray and a pre-med student called Abe van Helsing must discover what lies behind Renfield's madness, and what this has to do with the worsening condition of Mina's friend Lucy...
In theory, once you get past the gimmicky bit of Dracula being told through emails and text messages, it is actually an excellent idea to modernise Dracula this way. After all, the original novel was told in the Victorian equivalent: through letters and diary entries. Unfortunately, in execution, it doesn't go so well. The plot jumps from plot point to plot point, with many unanswered questions and plot holes left between the texts and emails. There's some interesting additions, mind you, mostly character based, and there's some decent modern commentary on what would have to be done to fight a vampire, but this story stinks to high heaven of wasted potential. It's perfectly readable and to a small degree enjoyable, but somewhat mediocre, and shallow thanks to the text message sections.
The characters should be familiar to those who have read the original, and of all of these, Lucy and Renfield are perhaps closest to their original versions. However, Harker in this is a womaniser, and the effects this has on his relationship with Mina is interesting, but otherwise comes as melodramatic. Van Helsing doesn't seem to have much personality beyond 'nice guy', and it's a pity that, unlike the original, he doesn't have some knowledge of vampire lore. Unfortunately, while Mina is given a little more of a kick-ass attitude, she somehow feels a little more shallow than in the original. And Dracula himself appears far less than he should for such a central character.
iDrakula is thus a dumbed-down Dracula for attention-deficit Gen Y readers. It is readable and, if you can disengage a little, enjoyable, but really, read the original. You're doing yourself a grave disservice if you read this mediocre piece of work first.
6/10
First words: Text message from Jonathan Harker to Mina Murray.
Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)
_________________
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: 21100
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Sun Feb 12, 2012 5:04 am Post subject: |
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Book 61...
REVIEW: Psyren, volume 1: Urban Legend by Toshiaki Iwashiro
As an Aspie, I like to stay within my comfort zone with many of the things that I read and watch. But on occasion, I stumble across a series more or less by accident that I wish to try out. I decided, after some consideration, to try the manga series Psyren, on a whim. But would the whim pan out?
Ageha Yoshina is a delinquent with a good heart, willing to solve people's problems through physical violence for ten thousand yen. But the problems of a friend from his elementary school, the icy Sakurako Amamiya, may be more than he can handle. She has been disappearing for long periods of time, and with mysterious injuries. Ageha soon finds out that it is linked to the mysterious urban legend of the Psyren Secret Society, and their monstrous, enigmatic envoy, Nemesis Q. Finding a mysterious phone card related to Psyren, Ageha finds himself attacked by false police, and then transported into a desolate, monster-filled wasteland. What does this wasteland have to do with Psyren and Sakurako? And where exactly is this wasteland? The answers prove to be more disturbing, raising ever more questions...
Okay, it's a nice story and all, but it feels like it has been done before. Urban legends leading to adventures...it's pretty much a dead horse trope, done over and over ad nauseum. This isn't to say that the story is bad. It's just too familiar, and in any case, within this volume, there isn't much time for the story to really gain momentum. Here, it just seems to be setting the scene for what story there is to follow. There's some nice humour (and some rather more cringe-inducing humour), but the whole thing feels a little stitched together.
Ageha seems rather stereotypical: a delinquent with a heart of gold, although the rather sadistic comedy elements of his home life do add a little something. So too does Sakurako, although she feels less stereotypical than Ageha. Nemesis Q is a wonderfully bizarre design that does credit to Toshiaki Iwashiro's skills as an artist, and as far as enigmatic, possibly malevolent entities go, it works well enough. Of the other characters, they all seem, at this point, just there to be functional. This is by no means a bad thing, it just cheapens the story somewhat.
All in all, the first volume of Psyren was below average entertainment, not quite grabbing me enough to want to get the next volume. I might consider reading the next volume, if I have nothing better to do, but I wonder whether there will be any improvement...
7/10
First words: What gives?
Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)
_________________
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: 21100
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Wed Feb 15, 2012 8:13 am Post subject: |
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If I can drum up the motivation, the next book will probably be Doctor Who: The Infinity Doctors by Lance Parkin.
_________________
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
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Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Thu Feb 16, 2012 8:16 am Post subject: |
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Book 62...
REVIEW: Blindsight by Peter Watts
James Nicoll, a reviewer, once said "Whenever I find my will to live becoming too strong, I read Peter Watts." To date, I have only read one of Watts' books, the dark but good book Starfish, the first book of the Rifters trilogy, though I have also read his short story The Things, an unusual take on The Thing, written from the Thing's point of view. Dark and depressing, but intelligently written, they proved to be interesting enough for me to try his first contact novel, Blindsight...
In the late 21st century, technology has advanced rapidly, but society is trying to keep up. Suddenly, the Earth is surrounded by thousands of alien objects that burn up as quickly as they appear. It seems that not only is humanity not alone in the cosmos, but it has been noticed. Unable to get the attention of the aliens, humanity sends out a motley crew: Siri Keeton, an information interpreter with half his brain and all his effective empathy gone, Susan James, a linguist with multiple personalities artificially induced, Amanda Bates, soldier with a past, and Isaac Szpindel, a biologist with a ridiculous amount of mechanical augmentations. All led by a vampire, Jukka Sarasti, a human predator whose species was revived from extinction. And even then, all that might not be enough to deal with the aliens that await them at journey's end...
If there is one thing that cannot be denied about Watts' writing, it is that it is intelligently written. He even gives references for the real scientific concepts (even if later they have been disproven) that he includes in his books. I think that there are two primary problems with Watts: he writes a little too intelligently, meaning that you have to have a scientific background in the first place to enjoy these books at all, and he writes so bloody depressingly. He also uses some pretty high concept discussion of intelligence, and while less compelling than Blindsight, I felt that Solaris, a book with a similar theme about alien intelligence, had less talking down to the reader. This is not to say that Watts writes in a patronising manner. He just wants you to catch up any way that you can.
Leaving aside Watts' writing style, which is an acquired taste but not a bad one at all, I feel that the characters were written for two reasons: to both fulfill functions on the crew, and to basically make sure that the Theseus ship was docked at the good station Dysfunction Junction. They all had fairly believable personalities, but they didn't seem to have the development of the characters from Starfish, despite the fact that the cast of characters seemed smaller. It seemed more like a freakshow this time around than the various abused, abusers, and psychos of Starfish. They do their job well enough, but they don't exactly hit all the right marks.
Blindsight was an interesting contrast to the other alien intelligence novel I enjoyed, Solaris. Each has their own respective merits and faults. Blindsight is a rather chilling insight into the nature of intelligence and sentience, and it makes you wonder whether this is what alien life is really like, out there. It's the mark of a good book that, even if the ending is a downer and it makes you feel like sh**, it still leaves a mark on you, and makes you think.
8.5/10
First words: It didn't start out here.
Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)
_________________
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
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Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Mon Feb 20, 2012 1:56 am Post subject: |
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Book 63...
REVIEW: Doctor Who: The Infinity Doctors by Lance Parkin
The thirty-fifth anniversary of Doctor Who wasn't celebrated in any particularly spectacular manner, to my knowledge, as the show had long since been cancelled. But it did get acknowledged. In November, 1998, a book was released by BBC Books' Doctor Who novels range. This was the oddly titled The Infinity Doctors, by Lance Parkin. Having never actually read it before, I wondered how it would turn out...
Gallifrey, homeworld of the Time Lords, and of the Doctor. For years, he has been a Councillor of the High Council, and has arranged a controversial peace conference between the Sontarans and the Rutans. But even as these two belligerent races arrive for what may be futile peace talks, trouble is brewing. Someone is trying to steal mysterious artifacts from the archival vaults. Newly invested Time Lady Larna, a friend of the Doctor's, learns from a Technician about a mysterious Effect of space and time, only for said Technician to be murdered. And a mad Time Lord raves about the second coming of an ancient Gallifreyan god. The Doctor and Larna, struggling from within the Byzantine politics of Gallifrey, try to find out the answers. But decisions will be made, temptations will cage them, and an evil power will be unleashed across the universe...
The story is deliberately ambiguous as to which Doctor this is. It could be the first (albeit unlikely), or a later incarnation of the Doctor, or (most likely in my opinion) it's set in a parallel universe. Even so, it's suitably epic for an anniversary celebration story, with the future of the universe at stake, although I expected a little more complexity in the story. This is less of a conventional Doctor Who adventure and more, at first, a political story. And it wasn't clear at first what the point of the keys that were nearly stolen were for.
The Doctor is recognisably the Doctor, though written in such a way that you can't tell the precise incarnation. However, he does make at least one questionable decision that seems slightly out of character, although it is only made worse by another. Omega is an interesting choice for a villain, and while not developed as well as he could be, he is still more interesting than he is in the other stories he appears in. Of the other characters, the only ones notable are Larna, a sort of love interest for the Doctor, who's a decent character and Time Lady, while the Magistrate, being possibly an alternate or future Master, makes an intriguing ally for the Doctor.
All in all, The Infinity Doctors is an epic story let down by some characterisation and some story aspects. Not bad at all, and certainly suitable, but I feel that it could have been better, somehow.
8.5/10
First words: Each snowflake melted as it batted into the thick walls of the Citadel, but still they came, like an invading army.
Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)
_________________
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: 21100
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Thu Feb 23, 2012 12:55 am Post subject: |
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Book 64...
REVIEW: Psyren, volume 2: Baby Universe by Toshiaki Iwashiro
Despite my earlier reservations about Psyren, I decided to read the second volume of the series just in case it improved, as well as to fill a hole in my book reading blog. So, having decided to give the next installment of the series a shot, would I find it any better than the first? Or would it drag it down even further?
Having just returned from the mysterious world of Psyren, Ageha Yoshina has just learned from his friend Sakurako Amamiya that Psyren is in fact Japan in the future. Not only that, but the atmosphere of the future wasteland is able to awaken dormant psychic powers in those who travel there. Alongside the imposing Hiryu Asaga, Ageha has to learn how to harness his powers, thanks to the tuition of Sakurako and her own mentor, concert pianist Matsuri Yagumo. But there is even more afoot to this than they realise. Nemesis Q, the entity that sends those chosen into the world of Psyren, is determined to make sure that nobody outside the game knows, and it is more than willing to kill...
The story has a certain amount of improvement, in that we finally get some explanation as to what the purpose of the Psyren 'game' is, as well as elaborating on how Nemesis Q deals with anyone trying to reveal facts about Psyren. Even so, it's still not that much of an improvement, just managing to make the story a little more intriguing and entertaining. But it still feels like, at this point, something of an also-ran story. The beginning of the use of psychic does add some spice to the story, but again, it feels like an old trope's being trotted out in a very familiar manner.
The characters are improving slightly. Ageha's entertaining enough, and we have some more insight into Sakurako's character. We also have an interesting (and highly amusing) revelation about Hiryu Asaga's character. Of the new characters, actor Oboro Michizuki is rather irritating, although the psychic offering the reward for info on Psyren, Elmore Tenjuin, is a more intriguing character who might prove to be one of the more interesting in this series.
Overall, the second volume of Psyren is a slight improvement on the first volume. Not enough to make it excellent, but certainly just enough to maintain some interest.
7.5/10
First words: The future?
Last words: ?!
_________________
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 24, 2012 1:36 am Post subject: |
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Book 65...
REVIEW: Doctor Who: Last of the Gaderene by Mark Gatiss
Mark Gatiss is now relatively well-known as a scriptwriter, writing for both the new series of Doctor Who, along with comedies such as The League of Gentlemen on radio and TV, and the Quatermass-spoofing radio series Nebulous. But before then, he wrote four novels based on Doctor Who, the last of which was in 2000. This was Last of the Gaderene, a story set during the third Doctor's tenure. Having only read St Anthony's Fire and his Lucifer Box novels, I was curious to see how this adventure would turn out...
In World War Two, the pub in the sleepy village of Culverton was destroyed, apparently by a bomb. Thirty years later, one of the survivors, Wing Commander Whistler, still has the strange jade crystal he picked out of the wreckage. The abandoned military air field in Culverton has been bought up by Legion International, ostensibly for creating a new international airport. But with black-uniformed troopers protecting the airfield and mysterious goings-on happening, Whistler calls in his old friend, Brigadier Lethbridge-Stewart, who in turn calls on the help of the Doctor. The Doctor and Jo investigate, only to find official resistance from the government ministers involved. While Whistler is interrogated by Legion's leader, the mysterious woman Bliss, the Doctor and Jo find a young man who babbles about a monster in a nearby swamp. As it turns out, Culverton is about to become the bridgehead for an alien invasion. The last of the Gaderene are coming, and they're being assisted by one of the Doctor's oldest enemies...
I find the story reminiscent of many things. Some elements of the story sound like they come from Quatermass II, Invasion of the Bodysnatchers, and Alien. Other aspects are reminiscent of Gatiss' later work for the revival of Doctor Who, specifically The Unquiet Dead. This is not to say that it is completely derivative, nor that it isn't enjoyable. In fact, Gatiss is good at, if not actually invoking the feel of the Pertwee years, then at the very least writing a cracking good story. It's a slight cut above the usual Doctor Who story, though at times it does feel too much like an also-ran. But it does have enough of a horror element to paper over some of the cracks, and there's an interesting allusion to the original story intended to write out the Master.
The characters are all decently written, and while they don't have all the depth that I would expect them to (with the exception of Wing Commander Whistler), the transformation of many villagers into slaves of the Gaderene is nonetheless chilling. I just wish that the characterisation was a little better. At times, there seem to be caricatures (like the politician blackmailed for transvestitism, or the village vicar). The Gaderene themselves are a rather average villain, reminiscent of the Gelth from Gatiss' TV story The Unquiet Dead, but they make up for it in both their horror, and their motives, even if their means do not redeem their character. The regulars are done fairly well, but not particularly spectacularly, and one gets the feeling that Gatiss has imposed his own stamp on them. And the Master is rather underutilised here.
All in all, Last of the Gaderene was quite a good story. Entertaining, if a little average by Doctor Who standards.
8.5/10
First words: The woman's eyes were as brown as the Bakelite wireless on the high shelf behind her head.
Last words: 'Just someone he went to school with,' she said.
_________________
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: 21100
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2012 7:16 pm Post subject: |
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Book 66...
REVIEW: The Stand: American Nightmares by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa, Mike Perkins et al, from the novel by Stephen King
Earlier in this book-reading blog, I read and reviewed the first part of Marvel Comics' adaptation of The Stand. King's famous post-apocalyptic epic translated reasonably well to graphic novel form, at least for the first part adapted. But what of the next part, titled American Nightmares?
The epidemic of genetically engineered bioweapon and superflu Captain Trips has virtually ended. But the true horror is just beginning. Stu Redman, in danger of being killed for knowing too much about the flu's origins, makes his escape from incarceration, while Frannie Goldsmith buries her father and has to deal with a surviving schoolmate, the good-intentioned but obnoxious Harold Lauder. Larry Underwood escapes New York with fellow survivor Rita Blakemoor, while the pyromaniacal Trashcan Man destroys oil tanks. And each of them dream dreams, not only of the deadly and demonic Randall Flagg, but also of another. Captain Trips may be dying out, but the American nightmares are just beginning...
Unlike the more story-intense sequences of the previous volume, here, the story seems to be mainly in transition. This is by no means a bad thing, as part of it focuses on the psychology of the characters, and when characters do meet up, there are character conflicts that make up for the lack of solid story in the wake of Captain Trips. It certainly makes a change from the more overt horror of the previous volume, although there is still some horror there, especially during the Lincoln Tunnel sequence. The story is still not as satisfying as the more plot-intensive first volume, though.
The characters are all recognisable from the novel, and despite my previous disappointment with them, the versions in the comic are growing on me. Certainly, they seem closer now to the book versions, and now that Flagg is being shown more often, I find him more enjoyable. Of the new characters introduced, I have to say that I enjoyed the graphic novel version of the Trashcan Man the most. He certainly fits what was in the novel.
All in all, The Stand graphic novel series is still quite a good adaptation of the novel. Some bits got better, others went down in quality, but overall value was maintained.
8.5/10
First words: Dust blew across the Texas scrubland, and at twilight it made the town of Arnette seem like a sepia ghost-image.
Last words: And he thought: Whatever lay ahead...he was glad to be alive.
_________________
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: 21100
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 6:10 am Post subject: |
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Book 67...
REVIEW: The Black Cloud by Fred Hoyle
Fred Hoyle's contribution to science is undeniable, even if one of his theories, the Steady State model of the universe, is now all but disproven. But he also had something of a contribution to science fiction. Having read his adaptations (with cowriter John Elliot) of his Andromeda serials, I decided to try his first foray into science fiction, The Black Cloud.
A mysterious dark cloud has been spotted, steadily moving into the Solar System, on a course that may bring it to collide with the Earth. A motley group of scientists are forced to confront the possibility that the Earth may be adversely affected, but even as they struggle to notify their respective governments, strange phenomena are observed within the cloud. It seems to move of its own volition, rather than according to the laws of physics. The black cloud may very well be a dangerous threat to the Earth and the human race, but it also may very well be alive...
I'll be perfectly frank here: the idea and general overall story is a good one. It's an intriguing concept, having an interstellar cloud being an intelligent being, and the need to communicate with it in order to prevent ecological disaster on Earth, as well as the clash between science and politics, and one can see the intelligence behind the conception of the story. In practice, however, it falls flat on its face, in my opinion. Not so badly that it is an absolute effort to keep reading, not like Atlas Shrugged, but Hoyle tends to shove a lot of scientific concepts at us and, to me at least, fails to make them interesting enough.
The characters are to me, mostly non-entities, with the only distinguishing ones being Kingsley and Alexandrov. And even that's not saying much. While I understand Kingsley's frustrations at dealing with the government, at times, he does take rather questionable measures, and I sometimes feel that his reputation, at the end at least, was justly roasted. He also feels a little repulsive as a protagonist, and one feels that Dr Fleming, the protagonist of A for Andromeda and its sequel, is a rather more refined and likeable version of Kingsley. The cloud's character is rather bland, but then again, that in itself could be justifiable, given that it is an alien intelligence.
Overall, The Black Cloud was intriguing, but disappointing. It lacks the entertainment value I sorely need from such a story investigating profound issues.
7/10
First words: The episode of the Black Cloud has always had a great fascination for me.
Last words: (Not recorded due to spoilers)
_________________
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: 21100
Location: Right behind you...
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| Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2012 6:47 am Post subject: |
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And hot on the heels of that, book 68...
REVIEW: The Boys, volume 1: The Name of the Game by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson
Of late, I've been experimenting somewhat with various new comic series that I normally wouldn't have considered not long ago. Transmetropolitan was one of the successes I had in that area, and it's fitting that I mention that, for the artist for that series, Darick Robertson, went on to do another series, The Boys, with famous comic writer Garth Ennis. How would I liek that series, then?
It is a world of superpowers, but superheroes are hard to come by. Most of those with superpowers are egotistical, sociopathic, and psychologically deviant, at best. Many don't care about fighting crime as much as doing what they want and maintaining their heroic image. And so it is that, thanks to new legislation that allows the CIA to monitor superheroes, that Billy Butcher comes to reform his anti-superpower group, The Boys. Although he manages to get the quiet Mother's Milk, the polite killer Frenchman, and the mute and psychotic Female of the Species, he needs a fifth member, and tracks down Hughie Campbell, aka Wee Hughie, a conspiracy theorist whose girlfriend was killed by a fight between a superhero and a supervillain. While Wee Hughie has to adjust to life with a group of varied psychopaths currently tasked with investigating the misdeeds of super group Teenage Kix, young superheroine Annie "Starlight" January, learns the hard way that just because you are called a superhero doesn't mean that you are heroic, and that idealism is the last thing you need when you're joining a new superhero group...
Okay, in theory, The Boys is an excellent concept. It goes down the road already taken by Watchmen, and takes it up a notch. Problem is, it takes it up several more notches, unnecessarily in my opinion. It is unrelentingly dark, crude, and violent. Transmetropolitan easily took its violence and crude nature to a similar level, but it was far more intelligently written and used it somewhat more sparingly. It's rather like comparing The League of Gentlemen to South Park. The story still remains slightly enjoyable, but its buried under sex and death and human grime.
Of the characters, the only ones I enjoyed were Wee Hughie and Annie January. They're the only sympathetic characters in the series, and even then, they aren't very nuanced. Butcher is nuanced, but he is also hard to like, with his only likeable trait being that he trained his bulldog to rape annoying pets on command (it's actually hilarious, believe it or not). The other members of the Boys are not quite distinguished enough, and the superheroes are all repulsive, making this, like Atlas Shrugged, very much a case of evil vs evil without much distinguishing characteristics between the two factions.
The first volume of The Boys was a disappointing first foray into the world of Garth Ennis. In fact, it makes me wonder how he managed to get into comics at all. It just seems so juvenile, despite all the sex and violence.
6/10
First words: I'm gonna f**kin' have you.
Last words: F**k 'em.
_________________
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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