Book Reviews: Christmas Books
Two Christmas book reviews:
A War of Gifts (An Ender Story) by Orson Scott Card, isbn # 9780765312822, 126 pages, hardcover, Tor, $12.95
I enjoyed this very slim volume, but I think most of that enjoyment came from seeing Card's classic "Ender Wiggin" universe expanded again. It's a good story, but it's not necessarily a "Christmas" story per se. There are plenty of actual Christmas stories that take place in science fiction universes, so the mixing of the two is not a problem. But folks looking for a Scrooge or Santa Claus type of story will be disappointed. This volume is more about how religion (or perceptions of same) affect the children at Battle School who will grow up one day to be the world's leaders. A simple little traditional Dutch gesture (one Dutch youngster at Battle School leaves a gift in the shoe of another Dutch youngster on Sinterklaas Day) begins a battle of ideologies that threatens not only to cause problems at Battle School but also for the future political situation on Earth. As such, it expands the universe established in Card's "Ender's Game" nicely. We see the seeds being sown for the adults some of these kids will grow up to be in the "Ender's Shadow" books, and see get to see a deeper look into at least one Ender's Game character (Dink Meeker). We also get to meet a new Battle School child, the catalyst for the events of the story. Zech Morgan comes from a very fundamentalist Christian congregation and is a conscientious objector to the curriculum at Battle School. This is a character I'd actually like to see more of.
We actually see very little of the titular hero, Ender Wiggin, in the book, but his presence pervades anyway, as it does in all of the Ender books and stories.
Recommended for "Ender's Game" fans, but those not versed in that world should probably read "Game" and "Ender's Shadow" first.
The Christmas Books Volume One: A Christmas Carol / The Chimes by Charles Dickens, isbn # 0140430687, 445 pages, softcover, Penguin Classics, $5.95
"A Christmas Carol" is perhaps my all-time favorite Christmas story, and I reread it every year. I like many of the televised / filmed versions, but nothing compares to reading the original story, often by candlelight on a windblown and snowy night. I love this particular volume of The Carol and the second of Dickens' Christmas books. It retains the original John Leech "Carol" illustrations, as well as those by Leech and Daniel MacLisse, Richard Doyle and Clarkson Stanfield for "The Chimes." Being a Penguin Classic edition, it has some very nice introductory notes by Michael Slater that set both stories against the political/sociological backdrop of the time.
I think I reread The Carol every year because it really does remind me of what Christmas is all about. It makes me feel better about many things. I don't reread "The Chimes" every year (perhaps every other year). The Chimes is set on New Years Eve, and is a much more straightforward indictment of the Rich and how they fail to care for The Poor. The characters are interesting, and the set up is similar to The Carol in that a supernatural concern acts to show a character how life could and perhaps should be different. But as good as "The Chimes" is, it definitely pales in comparison to "A Christmas Carol."
A War of Gifts (An Ender Story) by Orson Scott Card, isbn # 9780765312822, 126 pages, hardcover, Tor, $12.95
I enjoyed this very slim volume, but I think most of that enjoyment came from seeing Card's classic "Ender Wiggin" universe expanded again. It's a good story, but it's not necessarily a "Christmas" story per se. There are plenty of actual Christmas stories that take place in science fiction universes, so the mixing of the two is not a problem. But folks looking for a Scrooge or Santa Claus type of story will be disappointed. This volume is more about how religion (or perceptions of same) affect the children at Battle School who will grow up one day to be the world's leaders. A simple little traditional Dutch gesture (one Dutch youngster at Battle School leaves a gift in the shoe of another Dutch youngster on Sinterklaas Day) begins a battle of ideologies that threatens not only to cause problems at Battle School but also for the future political situation on Earth. As such, it expands the universe established in Card's "Ender's Game" nicely. We see the seeds being sown for the adults some of these kids will grow up to be in the "Ender's Shadow" books, and see get to see a deeper look into at least one Ender's Game character (Dink Meeker). We also get to meet a new Battle School child, the catalyst for the events of the story. Zech Morgan comes from a very fundamentalist Christian congregation and is a conscientious objector to the curriculum at Battle School. This is a character I'd actually like to see more of.
We actually see very little of the titular hero, Ender Wiggin, in the book, but his presence pervades anyway, as it does in all of the Ender books and stories.
Recommended for "Ender's Game" fans, but those not versed in that world should probably read "Game" and "Ender's Shadow" first.
The Christmas Books Volume One: A Christmas Carol / The Chimes by Charles Dickens, isbn # 0140430687, 445 pages, softcover, Penguin Classics, $5.95
"A Christmas Carol" is perhaps my all-time favorite Christmas story, and I reread it every year. I like many of the televised / filmed versions, but nothing compares to reading the original story, often by candlelight on a windblown and snowy night. I love this particular volume of The Carol and the second of Dickens' Christmas books. It retains the original John Leech "Carol" illustrations, as well as those by Leech and Daniel MacLisse, Richard Doyle and Clarkson Stanfield for "The Chimes." Being a Penguin Classic edition, it has some very nice introductory notes by Michael Slater that set both stories against the political/sociological backdrop of the time.
I think I reread The Carol every year because it really does remind me of what Christmas is all about. It makes me feel better about many things. I don't reread "The Chimes" every year (perhaps every other year). The Chimes is set on New Years Eve, and is a much more straightforward indictment of the Rich and how they fail to care for The Poor. The characters are interesting, and the set up is similar to The Carol in that a supernatural concern acts to show a character how life could and perhaps should be different. But as good as "The Chimes" is, it definitely pales in comparison to "A Christmas Carol."