Books Read in February, 2022
The start of a new month. Thus, as is my standard usage of my blog space at or near the beginning of the month, I present the listing of my February, 2022 reads.
*****
Books Read in February, 2022
Wine Dark Deep Book Two: Encounter at Jupiter by R. Peter Keith
Tintin in the Land of the Soviets by Hergé (Comic)
December, 2021 Locus
The Colossus of Rhodes by Caroline Lawrence
The Life of the World to Come by Kage Baker (r)
The Actual Star by Monica Byrne
Paradox Resolution by K.A. Bedford
More Human Than Human edited by Neil Clarke
Behind the Throne by K.B. Wagers (r)
Avengerland Revisited: The Definitive Guide to The Avengers on Film edited by Rodney Marshall and JZ Ferguson
January, 2022 Locus
*****
And that was my reading for February, 2022. I have to say that this was a pretty good month of reading in terms of the quality of material read, especially given the last few months of reading, though it was not the most books I've read in a month. Since there was no real comics (other than the first Tintin comic album) or roleplaying game reading this past month, it gave me a lot more time to read novels and the like. Regardless, my bookcases are still stacked with a pretty large To Read Queue (TRQ). The books I enjoyed the most were:
Wine Dark Deep Book Two: Encounter at Jupiter by R. Peter Keith
The second book in the Wine Dark Deep series. Continue the Epic Voyage of the spaceship Ulysses and its Crew! Having narrowly escaped the rebellion on Ceres, the spaceship Ulysses prepares for its historic rendezvous with Jupiter until an unknown object emerges in their wake. Silent and mysterious, the thing gives chase. Is it a life form? A machine? Or something even more sinister? Plummeting towards the largest planet in the solar system, Cal Scott and the crew of the Ulysses must hurry to discover whether the thing is friend or foe as they battle to avoid becoming the greatest space disaster of all time. The struggle with the incomprehensible plays out over interplanetary distances and fantastic speeds and begs the question - What else is out there? This volume is the second book in the Wine Dark Deep series. When reading book series, readers pretty much expect the second or follow-up books in the series to be far better than the first installment. No matter what the author does in the first book, he or she cannot repeat the same formula because if they do, then the readers will probably not get anything "new" from the books. In this case, author R. Peter Keith has brilliantly provided some extra new content and much more depth on the premise of this story. In the first book of the series, author Keith put the entire crew of the spaceship Ulysses in a fuel crisis and it ended up with them getting into conflict with the rebellions taking place on the Ceres asteroid. Somehow they managed to escape from there and continued their voyage in the space. In this book, the protagonist and his crew come across a problem while passing through the trajectory of Jupiter. Some foreign, quite alien asteroid/moon object of a thing (I still don't understand what it actually is or was) is moving towards them from behind, but as it comes closer to the spacecraft, the crew observes something which is beyond their expectations and imagination. The object turns out to be nothing less than an extraterrestrial object/life form which then turned out to be humanity's first ever encounter with life or aliens beyond their knowledge and ken. While I enjoyed reading this book due to the gripping suspense revolving around the truly alien life form, the author presents the story primarily from the point of view of the crew of the Ulysses, primarily that of Captain Cal Scott, and as such, the reader - just like the characters - spends much of the novel confused about what the alien is about and its agenda, and whether this first contact will end well for the Ulysses and her crew. Once more, this second book involves a good deal of technical and scientific descriptions and the like, and may well put off readers who prefer their science fiction to be character driven, but this book is a *hard* science fiction novel, and comes across that way. That said, the technical aspects of the story are vital as they provide the practicality to the book and make it even more realistic for the reader. The author's knowledge of technical procedures is impressive, from the different operations of the spacecraft to the assignment of different duties to its crew members, and even down to the justification of their actions and decisions in the aftermath. It all makes for a sophisticated piece of hard science fiction. That said, the novel suffers from the same problem that the first book in the series did: the characters. Since the action in this novel takes place entirely aboard the Ulysses, the reader would expect that the characters of the crew of the ship would be well-developed in this story and fleshed out. Cal Scott, being the focus character of the novel as he was in the first book, comes to life quite well and is shown to be worried, scared (both for himself and for his crew), frightened of both the extra-terrestrial life form and what it means for his ship, but he is still the captain and his brave (some would say heroic) personality traits and his abilities as a leader shine through in the story. However the rest of the crew - Xu Zuoren (scientist), Susan Inez (comms officer), Sarah Samuels (pilot), Paul Arthor (engineer), and Doc (I still don't know her actual name!) - don't get the character development that one would expect in the novel, though there is conflict among them as to how to deal with the alien, notably Xu's constantly ascribing positive motives to its actions (until a specific incident happens that I won't spoil for the reader here). The characters other than Cal are competent at their jobs, but all of them are fish out of water when dealing with the alien life form, and go through the gamut of emotions over the course of the novel, wonder and fear (for their lives and their ship) and confusion being the primary ones. The reader still knows nothing about the backgrounds of these characters, other than Cal, to any degree, but at least author Keith has made the characters more "familiar" to the reader in this second installment of the series. The story gets more intense as the novel goes along, though it's not a book that one has to read cover-to-cover in one go or anything. However, the description in the part of the book where the Ulysses enters the atmosphere of Jupiter is quite stunning and horrifying at the same time; it's a sequence of sheer chaos and uncertainty as the characters (and the reader) are concerned with their survival. The last sequence of the book is an insane read, both in terms of the descriptions, the alien life form, and the trip into/through Jupiter - and I loved it! Needless to say, the book ends on a cliffhanger once more, and I'm looking forward to seeing where Cal and the crew of the Ulysses have ended up. Like the first book, this story is definitely for those fans of hard science fiction, though there is plenty of action (though not necessarily conflict) to keep the reader going and the pace of the novel is quite good only broken by sections of descriptive text and technical details. Once more, I recommend this book but will add that it's not going to be to everyone's taste.
Tintin in the Land of the Soviets by Hergé
The first book/album in the Tintin series of Franco-Belgian comics (also called bande dessinées). I've been a fan of Tintin and the Franco-Belgian comics tradition for a long time, since I was a child. Because of my love of The Troubleshooters Roleplaying Game, I've decided to go back and re-read the classics of the series, startng with the first album (as they are called in Europe). Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, the first installment of the series, is very early, very (oh, so very) rough Hergé. Apart from the look, Tintin bears little resemblance to how he is characterised in subsequent stories. He's more of a rascal here, even a bully. The Hergé the reader has here is a young artist only discovering his craft, and with no clear direction in which to steer it yet. There are some wonderfully bright moments that foreshadow the great things ahead, and the hokey situation comedy even makes for one or two smiles. The story tells of young Belgian reporter Tintin and his dog, Snowy (Milou in the original French version), who is sent to the Soviet Union to report on the policies of Joseph Stalin's Bolshevik government. Tintin's intent to expose the regime's secrets prompts agents from the Soviet secret police, the OGPU, to hunt him down with the intent to kill. Tintin and Snowy are more crudely drawn in this anti-communist satire. Although ridiculous with all that transpires in the Soviet Union and rife with errors, Hergé's trademark humour still lives on in the boy reporter and his faithful dog companion. While travelling to Moscow to report on its conditions, Tintin's train is blown up. He is pursued by OGPU agents, is continually arrested and escaping, and infiltrates the Red Army while being exposed to Soviet propaganda and hardships. In essence, it's pure slapstick. But it's also quite propagandistic in nature, as all the Russians are portrayed as villains and Communism receives a fair bit of critique. I guess this is forgiveable, as the story was written back in the 1920s and little was known about the Communist regime at the time. Uncertainty breeds fear and hostility, after all. That said, it doesn't dominate the narrative, and the tale consistently remains light, entertaining fare. When it comes down to it, if I was trying to interest someone in the Tintin series of albums, this is not the tale I would use. But it's certainly worth coming back to and enjoying the story for what it is later on in the run. Hergé continued The Adventures of Tintin with Tintin in the Congo, and the series became a defining part of the Franco-Belgian comics tradition. Recommended.
The Colossus of Rhodes by Caroline Lawrence
The ninth book in The Roman Mysteries series. April, AD 80. Ostia, the port of Rome. The sailing season has begun, but the omens are not favourable. Lupus longs to travel to the Greek islands, to find his mother and fulfill his uncle's dying wish. When he and his friends, Flavia, Nubia and Jonathan, hear that freeborn children are being kidnapped again, they set sail in spite of the omens. But the voyage is fraught with danger: someone - or something - seems to be against them. Their mission takes them on a thrilling journey from Corinth to Rhodes, site of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. There they encounter a powerful slave-dealer known as "the Colossus", and when Flavia, Nubia and Jonathan are caught in a deadly trap, Lupus is forced to make a terrible choice. This book, the ninth in The Roman Mysteries series, sees the young heroes of the story - Flavia, Nubia, Jonathan and Lupus - travel to Greece, in an attempt to find Lupus's mother. The story turns into something else, however, as the four characters learn that children have been taken from Ostia for slavery purposes by the resurrected slave-trader ring in Ostia that was seemingly brought to a halt with the death of Venalicius in one of the earlier novels. This novel is very much once more a story that focuses on Lupus, as he is conflicted for much of the story between the desire to seek out his mother in the Greek islands (he is Greek, after all, which we learned in an earlier novel as well) and the desire to prevent the children who have been taken from being sold off either somewhere in Greece or in Asia later on. However, that said, the book is a solid story that has the characters travelling to Rhodes (and sort of why the novel has the title it does, though it is wonderfully ambiguous and apt to boot, which the reader will realise at the end of the novel), and is a story that is partially based on the tales of the Argonauts. The book also offers some wonderful stuff about sailing in ancient times, as the characters sail with Flavia's father the sea captain on the Delphina, the ship actually Venalicius's former slave-ship now owned by Lupus. Lots of educational stuff here. While this story is Lupus's tale for the most part, especially the terrible decision that he must make at the end of the book that will cost him either way, the other three characters get a good share of the novel. The relationship between Flavia and Nubia is developing in interesting ways, and the reader can see as the stories go on that Nubia, the former slave, is getting the upper hand on Flavia, the Roman equestrian girl, more and more often, proving to be the more level-headed and resilient of the two. This may well be due to Nubia's life experiences and all, but I suspect it is more a telling aspect of the two girls' natures and personalities. Jonathan has also taken a few things from his time as a gladiator. He no longer wants to be plump, and trains every day to strengthen his body, and has become more and more purposeful. Finally, the book offers more insight into Lupus's feelings and how lonely he is and how much he longs for his mother. There are also several other characters of interest in the novel, though they are not as fully fleshed out as Captain Geminus and the four children, of course. Of note, there is Bato, the former magistrate with an agenda of his own for travelling after the slave-traders, and Flaccus, the seeming Roman dandy, who is also much more than he seems. Then there is the villainous leader of the slave-traders (whose identity and the like I'm not going to spoil for readers here). While the reader doesn't encounter them until late in the novel, there are some tense moments that the four heroes of the book have when dealing with the slave-trader master, and the title of the book becomes an obvious clue as to what is going on. Suffice to say, there are some lovely plot twists and moments in the novel where the reader is worried for Flavia, Nubia, Jonathan and Lupus. The prose of the book is tight, with short chapters giving us lovely cuts and good pacing to the novel. While not as solid as the two previous books in the series, The Colossus of Rhodes is a highly entertaining entry in this series of novels, but perhaps doesn't work as well as a starting point to the series or as a stand-alone novel, per sé. That said, I highly recommend this book.
The Life of the World to Come by Kage Baker (r)
The fifth novel and sixth book in The Company series. From idea to flesh to myth, this is the story of Alec Checkerfield: Seventh Earl of Finsbury, pirate, renegade, hero. anomaly, Mendoza's once and future lover. Mendoza is a Preserver, which means she's sent back from the 24th Century by Dr. Zeus, Incorporated - the Company - to recover things from the past that would otherwise be lost. She's a botanist, a good one. She's an immortal, indestructible cyborg. And she's a woman in love. In 16th Century England, Mendoza fell for a native, a renegade, a tall, dark, not handsome man who radiated determination and sexuality. He died a martyr's death, burned at the stake. In 19th Century America, Mendoza fell for an eerily identical native, a renegade, a tall, dark not handsome man who radiated determination and sexuality. When he died, she killed six men to avenge him. The Company didn't like that - bad for business. But she's immortal and indestructible, so they couldn't hurt her. Instead, they dumped her in the Back Way Back. Meanwhile, up in the future, three eccentric geniuses sit in a parlour at Oxford and play at being the new Inklings, the heirs of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Working for Dr. Zeus, they create heroic stories and give them flesh, myths in blood, and DNA to protect the future from the World to Come, the fearsome Silence that will fall on the world in 2355. They create a hero, a tall, dark not handsome man who radiates determination and sexuality. "Now," stranded 150,000 years in the past, there are no natives for Mendoza to fall in love with. She tends a garden of maize, and she pines for the man she lost, twice. For three...thousand...years. Then one day, out of the sky and out of the future comes a renegade, a time-faring pirate, a tall, dark not handsome man who radiates determination and sexuality. This is the beginning of the end. This fifth novel, and sixth book overall, in The Company series is probably my least favourite of the series to this point, even though it quite thoroughly and very methodically, explains the mystery behind Mendoza's doomed lover. While The Graveyard Game felt a bit unfocused, almost like a transitional novel, The Life of the World to Come does not suffer that problem. While it's still told in the third-person perspective, and jumps around in time quite a bit, it is entirely the story of Alec Checkerfield. Like the first book in the series (In the Garden of Iden), this story is a coming-of-age novel in the classic sense - the reader sees Alec from his very generation through to a major trial-by-fire and then a falling in love. The writing in this one is quite good, often infused with bits of humour, but it isn't my favourite novel for one simple reason: the world that the author has created for Alec to come of age in. The future that the author has envisioned is pretty dire. It has been through several apocalypses of various sorts, and the few people that are left have emerged incredibly privileged, with advanced technology and all the resources of the planet at their disposal. As the reader got a glimpse of in Sky Coyote and The Graveyard Game, they have taken the supposedly moral high road on so many issues that they have completely whitewashed their own existence - no real food (all stimulants and animal products are banned), no real sex, an abhorence of violence of any kind, and all that extends so far that they can't even read books about such things, so they also have none of the cultural awareness that would at least come with education through literature. This means that they are perennial children, and Alec, as a product of that culture (though he naturally rebels against it), remains a child throughout as well. Mendoza's previous two lovers were men with great strength of character, as noted in the description; Alec seems so weak compared to them that I highly doubt Mendoza would love him if he weren't genetically identical to her other loves. (The author does provide a neat little explanation of why Mendoza fell so quickly for all three of the men, however, so perhaps I'm in error about that.) This makes the novel much less involving on an emotional level than the previous four, because all of the previous ones (yes, even the The Graveyard Game) were imbued with passion. In the two from Mendoza's perspective, passion for Harpole and Fairfax; in the other two, Joseph's and Lewis's passion for Mendoza. This novel is more...abstract. It moves the plot forward immensely, and while I snickered or chuckled in all the right places, there were no moments that really gripped me as a reader and make me *feel* anything for Alec at all. Even Alec's trial-by-fire seemed somewhat...academic; he simply wasn't mature enough to grow as I, the reader, would have expected from it. That said, the "big reveal" that the Company is basically run by a bunch of future D&D style nerds with no real understanding of life or grip on the consequences of their actions is hilarious, and Alec's parallel story does make for a great little adventure-cum-psychodrama. I did wince a little during this re-read, as the "future will suck because the ultra-liberal feminist/vegan/thought police will take over" trope is a bit dated and doesn't age well, even if it does provide some amusing sources of conflict. One other note about the book, Some time between The Graveyard Game and his novel, Kage Baker switched to Tor Books. I am pretty pleased by that decision, as the cover design for this book is much sleeker and there is a definite style to the series of the book covers from this novel forward. And to be honest, the dust jacket blurbs are much improved as well. It's just a shame that Tor doesn't have the rights to the entire series, as the first four books look a bit...out of place now. I recommend this book for fans of author Baker, as her prose is very good, the story moves along quickly, and the novel is a complete story arc in itself that moves the larger series story arc forward. The reader is getting closer to learning what actually happens in 2355. So, recommended.
Behind the Throne by K.B. Wagers (r)
The first book in the Indranan War series. Meet Hail: Captain. Gunrunner. Fugitive. Quick, sarcastic, and lethal, Hailimi Bristol doesn't suffer fools gladly. She has made a name for herself in the galaxy for everything except what she was born to do: rule the Indranan Empire. That is, until two Trackers drag her back to her home planet to take her rightful place as the only remaining heir. But trading her ship for a palace has more dangers than Hail could have anticipated. Caught in a web of plots and assassination attempts, Hail can't do the one thing she did twenty years ago: run away. She'll have to figure out who murdered her sisters if she wants to survive. A gun smuggler inherits the throne in this Star Wars-style science fiction adventure from debut author K. B. Wagers. Full of action-packed space opera exploits and courtly conspiracy - not to mention an all-out galactic war. This book, the first in the Indranan War series, calls itself "Star Wars-style science fiction", but to me that's a bit of a stretch. While it's more political in nature than action- and adventure-oriented, Behind the Throne is definitely space opera in the grand tradition, and is a novel that has unique cultures, a very solid story structure, and goes about subverting many tropes of the science fiction and space opera fields. If nothing else this book is worth the read because of the main protagonist it is about a gun-running, smuggler princess! Twenty years ago, Hailimi Mercedes Jaya Bristol ran away from home and took to open space, shedding her royal identity for a new one in order to hunt her father's killer. Even though her mission ultimately failed, she's never looked back, opting instead to travel the galaxy for reasons only known to herself, becoming one of the empire's most notorious gun smugglers in the process. However, that life comes crashing to an end suddenly when Hail is intercepted by elite Trackers and forced to return home to her family. Or what's left of it. It turns out, her sisters and niece are dead, likely victims in an assassination plot, leaving Hail her mother's sole remaining heir to the Indranan throne. With no other choice, Hail reluctantly takes on her new responsibilities, if nothing else because she is determined to hunt down those responsible for her sisters' deaths. However, she later finds out that being Heir Apparent is even more dangerous than gun-running. Secrets and shadowy plots and lurk everywhere beneath the surface, and to make things worse, Hail discovers that her mother the Empress has been afflicted by an incurable illness that will soon force her to give up her rule. As Hail struggles to insert herself back into court life, she finds she has become a target of assassination herself, making her quest to uncover this conspiracy all the more urgent. While this story is certainly space opera of the grandest kind, the reader shouldn't expect lots of space battles and raucous adventures and daring exploits. There is a bit of that, but that's more towards the end of this first novel in the series. This book is built more along the lines of the courtly conspiracy, but I suspect the action and all-out galactic war will likely start or come to fruition in the second book, as I think the story is building towards that; this first book focuses on politics and the royal family. However, while a lot of political science fiction is bland and dry, the story in Behind the Throne is not. The tale told her is quite engaging, well-paced, and has some of the juiciest kind of court intrigue one could imagine - betrayals, assassinations, secrets, scandals and the like. This is enhanced by the world-building of the author, as she infuses her universe with enough culture and history to give the conflicts within these pages significant context. Things feel rich and connected, making this reader *care* about these characters, and how this story will indeed have an impact on the rest of the galaxy at large. And yet, this story is also very character driven, written in the first person perspective (Hail's naturally!), so the reader has a front row seat to what's going on. I didn't warm up to Hail right away, in part due to the character's tendency to become overwrought or melodramatic when she reacts to any kind of news. This may have to do with the author's somewhat exaggerated writing style at times but I gradually looked past this as the plot progressed, following Hail back to her home planet with her Tracer escorts Emory Tresk and Starzin Hafin. I really liked how her relationship with the two of them slowly evolved from open hostility to mutual trust, as Hail quickly came to realise who her true friends are in a court full of hidden traitors and grovelling two-faced sycophants. Eventually, Hail stands in defiance of all those who doubt her or think less of her because of her criminal past, and she proves to everyone that she can be a strong and effective ruler who cares for her people. My re-read of this book just made this more clear and even-handed this time out. I mentioned the interesting culture early on above, and have to say that the re-read of the book supports that very nicely. The diversity of the characters is actually quite amazing. The Indranan Empire is based off India's culture because when space was colonized, different races volunteered to settle the stars. At this particular planet, the Indian women survived and set up a matriarchal empire. Because of this matriarchy, the gender roles are reversed in much of the novel. It is the men that strive for more representation and equality while the women rule the state. There are many non-white characters, characters with varying degrees of skin color, and many different descriptions of individuals with dreads or braided hair. This comes across to me much clearer in this re-read. Overall, this first book in the Indranan War series is a delicious, well-paced novel that has a lead character whose past will surely aid her in her survival in the future. There are big things afoot in this series, and this first book lays the groundwork quite nicely for the next novel in the series. While Hail is a bit too melodramatic for my (usual) tastes, the character's evolution through the course of this first novel was quite enjoyable to see and makes me look forward to re-reading the next book in the series once more. I highly recommend this book.
Avengerland Revisited: The Definitive Guide to The Avengers on Film edited by Rodney Marshall and JZ Ferguson
The fifth volume in The Avengers on Film series of books. The Avengers is a unique, genre-defying television series which blurs the traditional boundaries between "light entertainment" and subversive drama. It was a product of the contantly evolving 1960s and the eclectic 1970s, yet retains a timeless charm. This book places the original show within its 1960s context and explores the ingredients which combine to make both The Avengers and The New Avengers unique: iconic characters; innovative script writers and direction; fashions; music; cars; sets and locations; the display of martial arts. Writers examine the structural elements of the show's winning formula: the main titles; teasers; tags. Essays tackle key themes: the country house trap; graveyards; the art of murder; in addition to looking at why this quintessentially British show is such an international success. Avengers veterans Roger Marshall and Raymond Austin offer insiders' views and Alan Hayes pays homage to the late, great Patrick Macnee. Avengerland Revisited is the definitive guide to that surreal never-never land. Okay, I admit it. I am a huge fan of the British tv series The Avengers from the 1960s and The New Avengers from the 1970s. I finally caved in and started to buy a few books about the series, simply because I've not seen the original series with David Keel (rather than John Steed) as the lead, followed by the change in style and feel of the series. This book is the fifth, and seemingly final, volume in The Avengers on Film series of books. I started with this one because to be honest I didn't realise it was the fifth book in the series, and ordered it before I ordered the other four. :) So what do you get in this volume? Well, it claims to be the "Definitive Guide" to the series on film, meaning the period starting with the introduction of Emma Peel in The Avengers Series Four all the way through The New Avengers. It's not. Rather than being a true guide to the episodes and stories of the series, Avengerland Revisited is actually a series of essays and articles that examine the various elements of the series noted in the blurb above, as well as a few other interesting bits and bobs - notably the pieces by series' veterans Roger Marshall and Raymond Austin, and Alan Hayes's homage to the late Patrick Macnee (the one and only John Steed). This volume offers some very good pieces that examine aspects and elements of the series. There are too many essays in this book that I really liked to name them all, but I am rather partial to "Television, The Avengers, & Cultural Revolution" by Rodney Marshall, "The Country House Trap" by Rodney Marshall, "Silk and Steel: The Personalities of John Steed" by Lauren Humphries-Brooks, "An Insider's View" by Roger Marshall, "Avengers Remembered" by Raymond Austin, and "Patrick Macnee: 'The World's Favourite English Gent'" by Alan Hayes. All of the chapters contained herein offer some interesting observations, snippets, and even conclusions about various subjects, and cover a variety of subjects that one would expect from a series of essays by various fans and others of the series. What it doesn't offer is a true episode guide to the series, and doesn't include material on the first three series of the show. And for that reason I don't consider this book to be a "Definitive Guide". But it's still a very, very good book and I definitely recommend it to those who might be fans or more-than-casual fans of The Avengers. So yes, recommended.
Overall, I managed to read 8 novels, 0 RPGs and RPG products, 2 magazines, 1 comic, and 0 graphic novels in February. This brings the year total in 2022 to a set of numbers that look like this: 14 books, 0 RPGs and RPG products, 3 magazines, 4 comics, and 0 graphic novels.
Anyway, thoughts and comments are always welcome. :)
*****
Books Read in February, 2022
Wine Dark Deep Book Two: Encounter at Jupiter by R. Peter Keith
Tintin in the Land of the Soviets by Hergé (Comic)
December, 2021 Locus
The Colossus of Rhodes by Caroline Lawrence
The Life of the World to Come by Kage Baker (r)
The Actual Star by Monica Byrne
Paradox Resolution by K.A. Bedford
More Human Than Human edited by Neil Clarke
Behind the Throne by K.B. Wagers (r)
Avengerland Revisited: The Definitive Guide to The Avengers on Film edited by Rodney Marshall and JZ Ferguson
January, 2022 Locus
*****
And that was my reading for February, 2022. I have to say that this was a pretty good month of reading in terms of the quality of material read, especially given the last few months of reading, though it was not the most books I've read in a month. Since there was no real comics (other than the first Tintin comic album) or roleplaying game reading this past month, it gave me a lot more time to read novels and the like. Regardless, my bookcases are still stacked with a pretty large To Read Queue (TRQ). The books I enjoyed the most were:
Wine Dark Deep Book Two: Encounter at Jupiter by R. Peter Keith
The second book in the Wine Dark Deep series. Continue the Epic Voyage of the spaceship Ulysses and its Crew! Having narrowly escaped the rebellion on Ceres, the spaceship Ulysses prepares for its historic rendezvous with Jupiter until an unknown object emerges in their wake. Silent and mysterious, the thing gives chase. Is it a life form? A machine? Or something even more sinister? Plummeting towards the largest planet in the solar system, Cal Scott and the crew of the Ulysses must hurry to discover whether the thing is friend or foe as they battle to avoid becoming the greatest space disaster of all time. The struggle with the incomprehensible plays out over interplanetary distances and fantastic speeds and begs the question - What else is out there? This volume is the second book in the Wine Dark Deep series. When reading book series, readers pretty much expect the second or follow-up books in the series to be far better than the first installment. No matter what the author does in the first book, he or she cannot repeat the same formula because if they do, then the readers will probably not get anything "new" from the books. In this case, author R. Peter Keith has brilliantly provided some extra new content and much more depth on the premise of this story. In the first book of the series, author Keith put the entire crew of the spaceship Ulysses in a fuel crisis and it ended up with them getting into conflict with the rebellions taking place on the Ceres asteroid. Somehow they managed to escape from there and continued their voyage in the space. In this book, the protagonist and his crew come across a problem while passing through the trajectory of Jupiter. Some foreign, quite alien asteroid/moon object of a thing (I still don't understand what it actually is or was) is moving towards them from behind, but as it comes closer to the spacecraft, the crew observes something which is beyond their expectations and imagination. The object turns out to be nothing less than an extraterrestrial object/life form which then turned out to be humanity's first ever encounter with life or aliens beyond their knowledge and ken. While I enjoyed reading this book due to the gripping suspense revolving around the truly alien life form, the author presents the story primarily from the point of view of the crew of the Ulysses, primarily that of Captain Cal Scott, and as such, the reader - just like the characters - spends much of the novel confused about what the alien is about and its agenda, and whether this first contact will end well for the Ulysses and her crew. Once more, this second book involves a good deal of technical and scientific descriptions and the like, and may well put off readers who prefer their science fiction to be character driven, but this book is a *hard* science fiction novel, and comes across that way. That said, the technical aspects of the story are vital as they provide the practicality to the book and make it even more realistic for the reader. The author's knowledge of technical procedures is impressive, from the different operations of the spacecraft to the assignment of different duties to its crew members, and even down to the justification of their actions and decisions in the aftermath. It all makes for a sophisticated piece of hard science fiction. That said, the novel suffers from the same problem that the first book in the series did: the characters. Since the action in this novel takes place entirely aboard the Ulysses, the reader would expect that the characters of the crew of the ship would be well-developed in this story and fleshed out. Cal Scott, being the focus character of the novel as he was in the first book, comes to life quite well and is shown to be worried, scared (both for himself and for his crew), frightened of both the extra-terrestrial life form and what it means for his ship, but he is still the captain and his brave (some would say heroic) personality traits and his abilities as a leader shine through in the story. However the rest of the crew - Xu Zuoren (scientist), Susan Inez (comms officer), Sarah Samuels (pilot), Paul Arthor (engineer), and Doc (I still don't know her actual name!) - don't get the character development that one would expect in the novel, though there is conflict among them as to how to deal with the alien, notably Xu's constantly ascribing positive motives to its actions (until a specific incident happens that I won't spoil for the reader here). The characters other than Cal are competent at their jobs, but all of them are fish out of water when dealing with the alien life form, and go through the gamut of emotions over the course of the novel, wonder and fear (for their lives and their ship) and confusion being the primary ones. The reader still knows nothing about the backgrounds of these characters, other than Cal, to any degree, but at least author Keith has made the characters more "familiar" to the reader in this second installment of the series. The story gets more intense as the novel goes along, though it's not a book that one has to read cover-to-cover in one go or anything. However, the description in the part of the book where the Ulysses enters the atmosphere of Jupiter is quite stunning and horrifying at the same time; it's a sequence of sheer chaos and uncertainty as the characters (and the reader) are concerned with their survival. The last sequence of the book is an insane read, both in terms of the descriptions, the alien life form, and the trip into/through Jupiter - and I loved it! Needless to say, the book ends on a cliffhanger once more, and I'm looking forward to seeing where Cal and the crew of the Ulysses have ended up. Like the first book, this story is definitely for those fans of hard science fiction, though there is plenty of action (though not necessarily conflict) to keep the reader going and the pace of the novel is quite good only broken by sections of descriptive text and technical details. Once more, I recommend this book but will add that it's not going to be to everyone's taste.
Tintin in the Land of the Soviets by Hergé
The first book/album in the Tintin series of Franco-Belgian comics (also called bande dessinées). I've been a fan of Tintin and the Franco-Belgian comics tradition for a long time, since I was a child. Because of my love of The Troubleshooters Roleplaying Game, I've decided to go back and re-read the classics of the series, startng with the first album (as they are called in Europe). Tintin in the Land of the Soviets, the first installment of the series, is very early, very (oh, so very) rough Hergé. Apart from the look, Tintin bears little resemblance to how he is characterised in subsequent stories. He's more of a rascal here, even a bully. The Hergé the reader has here is a young artist only discovering his craft, and with no clear direction in which to steer it yet. There are some wonderfully bright moments that foreshadow the great things ahead, and the hokey situation comedy even makes for one or two smiles. The story tells of young Belgian reporter Tintin and his dog, Snowy (Milou in the original French version), who is sent to the Soviet Union to report on the policies of Joseph Stalin's Bolshevik government. Tintin's intent to expose the regime's secrets prompts agents from the Soviet secret police, the OGPU, to hunt him down with the intent to kill. Tintin and Snowy are more crudely drawn in this anti-communist satire. Although ridiculous with all that transpires in the Soviet Union and rife with errors, Hergé's trademark humour still lives on in the boy reporter and his faithful dog companion. While travelling to Moscow to report on its conditions, Tintin's train is blown up. He is pursued by OGPU agents, is continually arrested and escaping, and infiltrates the Red Army while being exposed to Soviet propaganda and hardships. In essence, it's pure slapstick. But it's also quite propagandistic in nature, as all the Russians are portrayed as villains and Communism receives a fair bit of critique. I guess this is forgiveable, as the story was written back in the 1920s and little was known about the Communist regime at the time. Uncertainty breeds fear and hostility, after all. That said, it doesn't dominate the narrative, and the tale consistently remains light, entertaining fare. When it comes down to it, if I was trying to interest someone in the Tintin series of albums, this is not the tale I would use. But it's certainly worth coming back to and enjoying the story for what it is later on in the run. Hergé continued The Adventures of Tintin with Tintin in the Congo, and the series became a defining part of the Franco-Belgian comics tradition. Recommended.
The Colossus of Rhodes by Caroline Lawrence
The ninth book in The Roman Mysteries series. April, AD 80. Ostia, the port of Rome. The sailing season has begun, but the omens are not favourable. Lupus longs to travel to the Greek islands, to find his mother and fulfill his uncle's dying wish. When he and his friends, Flavia, Nubia and Jonathan, hear that freeborn children are being kidnapped again, they set sail in spite of the omens. But the voyage is fraught with danger: someone - or something - seems to be against them. Their mission takes them on a thrilling journey from Corinth to Rhodes, site of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. There they encounter a powerful slave-dealer known as "the Colossus", and when Flavia, Nubia and Jonathan are caught in a deadly trap, Lupus is forced to make a terrible choice. This book, the ninth in The Roman Mysteries series, sees the young heroes of the story - Flavia, Nubia, Jonathan and Lupus - travel to Greece, in an attempt to find Lupus's mother. The story turns into something else, however, as the four characters learn that children have been taken from Ostia for slavery purposes by the resurrected slave-trader ring in Ostia that was seemingly brought to a halt with the death of Venalicius in one of the earlier novels. This novel is very much once more a story that focuses on Lupus, as he is conflicted for much of the story between the desire to seek out his mother in the Greek islands (he is Greek, after all, which we learned in an earlier novel as well) and the desire to prevent the children who have been taken from being sold off either somewhere in Greece or in Asia later on. However, that said, the book is a solid story that has the characters travelling to Rhodes (and sort of why the novel has the title it does, though it is wonderfully ambiguous and apt to boot, which the reader will realise at the end of the novel), and is a story that is partially based on the tales of the Argonauts. The book also offers some wonderful stuff about sailing in ancient times, as the characters sail with Flavia's father the sea captain on the Delphina, the ship actually Venalicius's former slave-ship now owned by Lupus. Lots of educational stuff here. While this story is Lupus's tale for the most part, especially the terrible decision that he must make at the end of the book that will cost him either way, the other three characters get a good share of the novel. The relationship between Flavia and Nubia is developing in interesting ways, and the reader can see as the stories go on that Nubia, the former slave, is getting the upper hand on Flavia, the Roman equestrian girl, more and more often, proving to be the more level-headed and resilient of the two. This may well be due to Nubia's life experiences and all, but I suspect it is more a telling aspect of the two girls' natures and personalities. Jonathan has also taken a few things from his time as a gladiator. He no longer wants to be plump, and trains every day to strengthen his body, and has become more and more purposeful. Finally, the book offers more insight into Lupus's feelings and how lonely he is and how much he longs for his mother. There are also several other characters of interest in the novel, though they are not as fully fleshed out as Captain Geminus and the four children, of course. Of note, there is Bato, the former magistrate with an agenda of his own for travelling after the slave-traders, and Flaccus, the seeming Roman dandy, who is also much more than he seems. Then there is the villainous leader of the slave-traders (whose identity and the like I'm not going to spoil for readers here). While the reader doesn't encounter them until late in the novel, there are some tense moments that the four heroes of the book have when dealing with the slave-trader master, and the title of the book becomes an obvious clue as to what is going on. Suffice to say, there are some lovely plot twists and moments in the novel where the reader is worried for Flavia, Nubia, Jonathan and Lupus. The prose of the book is tight, with short chapters giving us lovely cuts and good pacing to the novel. While not as solid as the two previous books in the series, The Colossus of Rhodes is a highly entertaining entry in this series of novels, but perhaps doesn't work as well as a starting point to the series or as a stand-alone novel, per sé. That said, I highly recommend this book.
The Life of the World to Come by Kage Baker (r)
The fifth novel and sixth book in The Company series. From idea to flesh to myth, this is the story of Alec Checkerfield: Seventh Earl of Finsbury, pirate, renegade, hero. anomaly, Mendoza's once and future lover. Mendoza is a Preserver, which means she's sent back from the 24th Century by Dr. Zeus, Incorporated - the Company - to recover things from the past that would otherwise be lost. She's a botanist, a good one. She's an immortal, indestructible cyborg. And she's a woman in love. In 16th Century England, Mendoza fell for a native, a renegade, a tall, dark, not handsome man who radiated determination and sexuality. He died a martyr's death, burned at the stake. In 19th Century America, Mendoza fell for an eerily identical native, a renegade, a tall, dark not handsome man who radiated determination and sexuality. When he died, she killed six men to avenge him. The Company didn't like that - bad for business. But she's immortal and indestructible, so they couldn't hurt her. Instead, they dumped her in the Back Way Back. Meanwhile, up in the future, three eccentric geniuses sit in a parlour at Oxford and play at being the new Inklings, the heirs of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien. Working for Dr. Zeus, they create heroic stories and give them flesh, myths in blood, and DNA to protect the future from the World to Come, the fearsome Silence that will fall on the world in 2355. They create a hero, a tall, dark not handsome man who radiates determination and sexuality. "Now," stranded 150,000 years in the past, there are no natives for Mendoza to fall in love with. She tends a garden of maize, and she pines for the man she lost, twice. For three...thousand...years. Then one day, out of the sky and out of the future comes a renegade, a time-faring pirate, a tall, dark not handsome man who radiates determination and sexuality. This is the beginning of the end. This fifth novel, and sixth book overall, in The Company series is probably my least favourite of the series to this point, even though it quite thoroughly and very methodically, explains the mystery behind Mendoza's doomed lover. While The Graveyard Game felt a bit unfocused, almost like a transitional novel, The Life of the World to Come does not suffer that problem. While it's still told in the third-person perspective, and jumps around in time quite a bit, it is entirely the story of Alec Checkerfield. Like the first book in the series (In the Garden of Iden), this story is a coming-of-age novel in the classic sense - the reader sees Alec from his very generation through to a major trial-by-fire and then a falling in love. The writing in this one is quite good, often infused with bits of humour, but it isn't my favourite novel for one simple reason: the world that the author has created for Alec to come of age in. The future that the author has envisioned is pretty dire. It has been through several apocalypses of various sorts, and the few people that are left have emerged incredibly privileged, with advanced technology and all the resources of the planet at their disposal. As the reader got a glimpse of in Sky Coyote and The Graveyard Game, they have taken the supposedly moral high road on so many issues that they have completely whitewashed their own existence - no real food (all stimulants and animal products are banned), no real sex, an abhorence of violence of any kind, and all that extends so far that they can't even read books about such things, so they also have none of the cultural awareness that would at least come with education through literature. This means that they are perennial children, and Alec, as a product of that culture (though he naturally rebels against it), remains a child throughout as well. Mendoza's previous two lovers were men with great strength of character, as noted in the description; Alec seems so weak compared to them that I highly doubt Mendoza would love him if he weren't genetically identical to her other loves. (The author does provide a neat little explanation of why Mendoza fell so quickly for all three of the men, however, so perhaps I'm in error about that.) This makes the novel much less involving on an emotional level than the previous four, because all of the previous ones (yes, even the The Graveyard Game) were imbued with passion. In the two from Mendoza's perspective, passion for Harpole and Fairfax; in the other two, Joseph's and Lewis's passion for Mendoza. This novel is more...abstract. It moves the plot forward immensely, and while I snickered or chuckled in all the right places, there were no moments that really gripped me as a reader and make me *feel* anything for Alec at all. Even Alec's trial-by-fire seemed somewhat...academic; he simply wasn't mature enough to grow as I, the reader, would have expected from it. That said, the "big reveal" that the Company is basically run by a bunch of future D&D style nerds with no real understanding of life or grip on the consequences of their actions is hilarious, and Alec's parallel story does make for a great little adventure-cum-psychodrama. I did wince a little during this re-read, as the "future will suck because the ultra-liberal feminist/vegan/thought police will take over" trope is a bit dated and doesn't age well, even if it does provide some amusing sources of conflict. One other note about the book, Some time between The Graveyard Game and his novel, Kage Baker switched to Tor Books. I am pretty pleased by that decision, as the cover design for this book is much sleeker and there is a definite style to the series of the book covers from this novel forward. And to be honest, the dust jacket blurbs are much improved as well. It's just a shame that Tor doesn't have the rights to the entire series, as the first four books look a bit...out of place now. I recommend this book for fans of author Baker, as her prose is very good, the story moves along quickly, and the novel is a complete story arc in itself that moves the larger series story arc forward. The reader is getting closer to learning what actually happens in 2355. So, recommended.
Behind the Throne by K.B. Wagers (r)
The first book in the Indranan War series. Meet Hail: Captain. Gunrunner. Fugitive. Quick, sarcastic, and lethal, Hailimi Bristol doesn't suffer fools gladly. She has made a name for herself in the galaxy for everything except what she was born to do: rule the Indranan Empire. That is, until two Trackers drag her back to her home planet to take her rightful place as the only remaining heir. But trading her ship for a palace has more dangers than Hail could have anticipated. Caught in a web of plots and assassination attempts, Hail can't do the one thing she did twenty years ago: run away. She'll have to figure out who murdered her sisters if she wants to survive. A gun smuggler inherits the throne in this Star Wars-style science fiction adventure from debut author K. B. Wagers. Full of action-packed space opera exploits and courtly conspiracy - not to mention an all-out galactic war. This book, the first in the Indranan War series, calls itself "Star Wars-style science fiction", but to me that's a bit of a stretch. While it's more political in nature than action- and adventure-oriented, Behind the Throne is definitely space opera in the grand tradition, and is a novel that has unique cultures, a very solid story structure, and goes about subverting many tropes of the science fiction and space opera fields. If nothing else this book is worth the read because of the main protagonist it is about a gun-running, smuggler princess! Twenty years ago, Hailimi Mercedes Jaya Bristol ran away from home and took to open space, shedding her royal identity for a new one in order to hunt her father's killer. Even though her mission ultimately failed, she's never looked back, opting instead to travel the galaxy for reasons only known to herself, becoming one of the empire's most notorious gun smugglers in the process. However, that life comes crashing to an end suddenly when Hail is intercepted by elite Trackers and forced to return home to her family. Or what's left of it. It turns out, her sisters and niece are dead, likely victims in an assassination plot, leaving Hail her mother's sole remaining heir to the Indranan throne. With no other choice, Hail reluctantly takes on her new responsibilities, if nothing else because she is determined to hunt down those responsible for her sisters' deaths. However, she later finds out that being Heir Apparent is even more dangerous than gun-running. Secrets and shadowy plots and lurk everywhere beneath the surface, and to make things worse, Hail discovers that her mother the Empress has been afflicted by an incurable illness that will soon force her to give up her rule. As Hail struggles to insert herself back into court life, she finds she has become a target of assassination herself, making her quest to uncover this conspiracy all the more urgent. While this story is certainly space opera of the grandest kind, the reader shouldn't expect lots of space battles and raucous adventures and daring exploits. There is a bit of that, but that's more towards the end of this first novel in the series. This book is built more along the lines of the courtly conspiracy, but I suspect the action and all-out galactic war will likely start or come to fruition in the second book, as I think the story is building towards that; this first book focuses on politics and the royal family. However, while a lot of political science fiction is bland and dry, the story in Behind the Throne is not. The tale told her is quite engaging, well-paced, and has some of the juiciest kind of court intrigue one could imagine - betrayals, assassinations, secrets, scandals and the like. This is enhanced by the world-building of the author, as she infuses her universe with enough culture and history to give the conflicts within these pages significant context. Things feel rich and connected, making this reader *care* about these characters, and how this story will indeed have an impact on the rest of the galaxy at large. And yet, this story is also very character driven, written in the first person perspective (Hail's naturally!), so the reader has a front row seat to what's going on. I didn't warm up to Hail right away, in part due to the character's tendency to become overwrought or melodramatic when she reacts to any kind of news. This may have to do with the author's somewhat exaggerated writing style at times but I gradually looked past this as the plot progressed, following Hail back to her home planet with her Tracer escorts Emory Tresk and Starzin Hafin. I really liked how her relationship with the two of them slowly evolved from open hostility to mutual trust, as Hail quickly came to realise who her true friends are in a court full of hidden traitors and grovelling two-faced sycophants. Eventually, Hail stands in defiance of all those who doubt her or think less of her because of her criminal past, and she proves to everyone that she can be a strong and effective ruler who cares for her people. My re-read of this book just made this more clear and even-handed this time out. I mentioned the interesting culture early on above, and have to say that the re-read of the book supports that very nicely. The diversity of the characters is actually quite amazing. The Indranan Empire is based off India's culture because when space was colonized, different races volunteered to settle the stars. At this particular planet, the Indian women survived and set up a matriarchal empire. Because of this matriarchy, the gender roles are reversed in much of the novel. It is the men that strive for more representation and equality while the women rule the state. There are many non-white characters, characters with varying degrees of skin color, and many different descriptions of individuals with dreads or braided hair. This comes across to me much clearer in this re-read. Overall, this first book in the Indranan War series is a delicious, well-paced novel that has a lead character whose past will surely aid her in her survival in the future. There are big things afoot in this series, and this first book lays the groundwork quite nicely for the next novel in the series. While Hail is a bit too melodramatic for my (usual) tastes, the character's evolution through the course of this first novel was quite enjoyable to see and makes me look forward to re-reading the next book in the series once more. I highly recommend this book.
Avengerland Revisited: The Definitive Guide to The Avengers on Film edited by Rodney Marshall and JZ Ferguson
The fifth volume in The Avengers on Film series of books. The Avengers is a unique, genre-defying television series which blurs the traditional boundaries between "light entertainment" and subversive drama. It was a product of the contantly evolving 1960s and the eclectic 1970s, yet retains a timeless charm. This book places the original show within its 1960s context and explores the ingredients which combine to make both The Avengers and The New Avengers unique: iconic characters; innovative script writers and direction; fashions; music; cars; sets and locations; the display of martial arts. Writers examine the structural elements of the show's winning formula: the main titles; teasers; tags. Essays tackle key themes: the country house trap; graveyards; the art of murder; in addition to looking at why this quintessentially British show is such an international success. Avengers veterans Roger Marshall and Raymond Austin offer insiders' views and Alan Hayes pays homage to the late, great Patrick Macnee. Avengerland Revisited is the definitive guide to that surreal never-never land. Okay, I admit it. I am a huge fan of the British tv series The Avengers from the 1960s and The New Avengers from the 1970s. I finally caved in and started to buy a few books about the series, simply because I've not seen the original series with David Keel (rather than John Steed) as the lead, followed by the change in style and feel of the series. This book is the fifth, and seemingly final, volume in The Avengers on Film series of books. I started with this one because to be honest I didn't realise it was the fifth book in the series, and ordered it before I ordered the other four. :) So what do you get in this volume? Well, it claims to be the "Definitive Guide" to the series on film, meaning the period starting with the introduction of Emma Peel in The Avengers Series Four all the way through The New Avengers. It's not. Rather than being a true guide to the episodes and stories of the series, Avengerland Revisited is actually a series of essays and articles that examine the various elements of the series noted in the blurb above, as well as a few other interesting bits and bobs - notably the pieces by series' veterans Roger Marshall and Raymond Austin, and Alan Hayes's homage to the late Patrick Macnee (the one and only John Steed). This volume offers some very good pieces that examine aspects and elements of the series. There are too many essays in this book that I really liked to name them all, but I am rather partial to "Television, The Avengers, & Cultural Revolution" by Rodney Marshall, "The Country House Trap" by Rodney Marshall, "Silk and Steel: The Personalities of John Steed" by Lauren Humphries-Brooks, "An Insider's View" by Roger Marshall, "Avengers Remembered" by Raymond Austin, and "Patrick Macnee: 'The World's Favourite English Gent'" by Alan Hayes. All of the chapters contained herein offer some interesting observations, snippets, and even conclusions about various subjects, and cover a variety of subjects that one would expect from a series of essays by various fans and others of the series. What it doesn't offer is a true episode guide to the series, and doesn't include material on the first three series of the show. And for that reason I don't consider this book to be a "Definitive Guide". But it's still a very, very good book and I definitely recommend it to those who might be fans or more-than-casual fans of The Avengers. So yes, recommended.
Overall, I managed to read 8 novels, 0 RPGs and RPG products, 2 magazines, 1 comic, and 0 graphic novels in February. This brings the year total in 2022 to a set of numbers that look like this: 14 books, 0 RPGs and RPG products, 3 magazines, 4 comics, and 0 graphic novels.
Anyway, thoughts and comments are always welcome. :)