The Traveler: John Twelve Hawks

This is a really good parallel universes story. It wasn't overly technical, and it wasn't "cheesy" - just all around entertaining.

The main character, Maya, is a "Harlequin" - which means she is a warrior whose mission is to protect "Travelers" - those who can cross over into the alternate universes. The "Brethren" are the bad guys, and they co-opt one of two Traveler brothers.

There's plenty of action. The book is the first of a series. Highly recommended.

Bloodlist: P.N. Elrod

Noir detective novel crossed with vampire. Interesting read, but not an "Oh, you've got to read this" book. This is Book One of "The Vampire Files" - I probably won't search for book two.

The story itself wasn't bad - it was just a story that you've pretty much seen on 70's detective shows over and over (plus the vampire stuff.) So - no real score there.

Then, there's the vampire stuff. I don't like it when an author picks and chooses which parts of the mythos to embrace. Our hero can turn invisible, pass through walls, control men's minds (unless that piece would simplify the plot, in which case we forget to use this particular talent) and doesn't reflect in a mirror. Oh - but he can cross water (albeit with difficulty), and he can control his bloodlust. Change into a bat or wolf - no. Coffin with earth - nice, but apparently not necessary. Oh - and the sun hurts his eyes, but he doesn't burst into flames.

Come on - decide. Either we've got the classic gothic vampire or we don't. You can't just write a "vampire detective story" by throwing stuff together. (Uh - OK - you can, obviously, but that doesn't make it "good".) This doesn't have the wit or structure of Butcher's Dresden Files.

Cities in Flight: James Blish

This is the selection for our book group's May discussion. Just finished it this AM. It is a collection of 4 related standalone novels:  

• They Shall Have Stars - introduces the concept, and is wonderful. I loved the writing, the characters, the plot. The whole story just worked on every level for me.
•  A Life for the Stars - reminded me of Asimov's Foundation and Laumer's Retief, with the plans within plans. I really enjoyed it.
• Earthman, Come Home - felt to me like it was either a) a contractual obligation, or b) a writer not knowing when to stop. I saw it as more of an analysis of the psyches of the characters and their cultures than as a gripping SF story. (Translation - Yawn.) There was a story, but there was a lot to slog through to get through the story.
• The Triumph of Time - had some aspects of the third, but not as bad. It seemed more to be an exploration of the idea of the end of time than a story.

I'm really glad we read Blish. My only previous experience with him was as a teenager when I read some of his Star Trek novelizations, which I hated. I decided then not to bother with any of his other work. Through this book, however, I see that he is a very good writer - with the personal caveat that I think there was too much "showing off" of his science knowledge when there should have been movement in the story.

I would read Blish again, but - um - not this week.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - Seth Grahame-Smith

I'm behind on entering this - finished the book about a month ago. As I approached it, I had doubts. My wife, Faith, has enjoyed several of the other "twisted" classics that have recently been published, and when she checked this one out I decided to give it a try.

The book was not what I expected - I really enjoyed it! I felt, especially at the beginning, that I was reading an historical biography of Lincoln (which is why I didn't think I'd like it - I really don't enjoy history). However, Grahame-Smith has woven enough fun into the text that I didn't even mind being "taught". Of course, now there is the problem that, in my mind, this is the historical Lincoln against which others will be based. (Unless there's been a huge conspiracy theory, and this book is actually the truth!)

Highly recommended.

"Blackout" and "All Clear" - Connie Willis

Well, the book group read Blackout last month, but I learned from one of our members that Willis had intended these two books to be published as one. So - read 'em both.

Uh - yeah. This was a really good 300 page story. Unfortunately, the books run about 1,000 pages. Willis lets you know about the concern and anxiety of the characters with a lot of inner monologue: What if this happens? Oh, God - that would mean... And then we'd have to...Oh, never mind, it didn't happen. But what if this happens......

The first 3 times getting through this - fine, whatever. The remaining 70 or 80 - not so much. Reminded me of many later Stephen King books, as well as the later Harry Potter stories:  Established, popular author, so we won't edit them.  (Gag.)

Really, the story here isn't bad. But, I doubt I'll be picking up Willis again anytime soon.

(But what if I do? That might mean that I've changed my mind. Could that mean I have a mental condition? Or worse, could aliens be forcing me to.......)

Un Lun Dun - China Mieville

First - "Character development" requires more than throwing a character into a situation.

Second - Remember those 70's mystery shows where you spent 57 minutes trying to figure out who the killer was, and then they introduced a new character in the last 3 minutes and that was the bad guy?

OK - that gives you a glimpse of how I feel about this book. There is SO MUCH going on that NOTHING ever really gets explored. We keep meeting more and more and MORE characters.

There are some clever parts. I really liked the UnGun, and I smiled at the way the "quest" was shortened - clever. But, overall I was disappointed.

The Book of Lies - Brad Meltzer

That's better. As previously posted, I had an issue with Meltzer's first book - The Tenth Justice. This novel is much tighter, and the situation - well, OK, it's nuts, but I really liked it. Even though several characters are over the top and take bizarre actions (I'm thinking Naomi here), they all seem to have their own world view that they stay true to. The protagonist makes some mistakes, but they don't happen because he sacrifices his integrity, and they "work" - it's what he'd do.

This isn't "literature," but it's great fun.