Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label science fiction. Show all posts

Friday, June 28, 2019

Review: Buying Time by Joe Haldeman


I picked up this book purely on a whim as it was recommended to me by the reading app I often use. I had never heard of it or the author. But it sounded interesting, to say the least. The plot of the book was a future world where people who could pay would live extended lifetimes. Hence the title of the book.

The story was told from the perspective of two people the first being Dallas Barr, and the second one Maria Marconi. The perspectives seemed to switch every now and then and it would name the person who was doing the "talking" before proceeding. The elite society of "immortals" was introduced from the perspective of Dallas, and the reader gets the background on how the process works and what entails staying part of this society.  For instance, in order for an immortal to keep being an immortal, they must raise one million pounds before the expiration of their current life.  They can only do this on their own and cannot save money from a previous incarnation.

This was really basic and kind of a man's man kind of read with flashy sounding items and a lot of sex. For instance, the author describes how the immortals like to party and use designer drugs such as Cream, and defend themselves with guns like a Crowd Pleaser. There was a plot beneath the main plot that made for some suspense, and to make the story slightly more interesting. Some parts of the book were kinda mundane such as when they discussed population numbers and periods of time. I felt that this section of the book was very unnecessary.  This was a relatively fast read and was not too complex with the science talk. This was an okay read if you are looking for something fast to fill the void in your reading schedule or just want a mindless kind of sci-fi story to pass the time. I do not think this will go down as one of the great science fiction classics of the late '80s. I rated this as 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.com.

International Shop thru here -  http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=geekpron


Monday, April 8, 2019

Review: A Scanner Darkly by Philip K. Dick

I have read a few of Dick's science fiction novels, but this one took me the longest amount of time to read. I know that a while ago I tried to watch the film adaptation of this with no success. I do know it starred Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder. Quite a few of Dick's novels have been turned into films. You would be surprised.
After watching the trailer and having read the book finally I just may have to re-watch this. But let's talk about the book and my thoughts on it. 

One reason it took me months to read this was the dialogue and subject matter of the first half of this novel. Of course for those who do not know this book is about a group of friends and drugs. With this being said it was rather hard for me to read through random dialogues about nonsense conversations between the characters of this book. I understand that they are on drugs, and I know from having seen a documentary on the author that he too liked to party. But ridiculous and meaningless conversations almost made me give up reading this book. 

It wasn't until almost a little over halfway through the book does it start to make sense. When the details of one of the designer drugs that they consume Substance D, is revealed to be very harmful to the user. Also, this is where some great thoughts on how drugs can alter and make people undesirable. I'm glad that the author writes at the ending about how this book doesn't have any real moral idea behind it but it was just to describe how bad drugs can affect people who choose to overindulge in them. He even has a list of friends and how they were affected by drugs. He stated that many of his friends were the basis for the characters of this novel. 

There was also a brief mention of a sub-plot involving one of the lesser characters, but it was never revealed in more detail. I think this would have made this book more enjoyable. 

So I decided to rate this 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.com, and to be honest with those reading this I do not understand why this has been rated 4 or 5 stars by others. I don't know what I missed that was so great about this. But I do think I need a break from reading this author after having taking so many months to plow through this book. Maybe if I had read it faster and had gotten through the nonsense convos it would have been more enjoyable?


Monday, March 25, 2019

Review: The Weatherman Vol. 1

This was recommended to me by an app I use to read digital comics, and I'm glad I decided to check it out. Weatherman is set sometime in the not too distant future where mankind has colonized the galaxy...well at least our region of it. Most humans live on Mars and Venus. The story reminded me very much of a PKD( Philip K. Dick) story much like "We Can Remember it For You Wholesale" (Total Recall/film adaptation) with the art style being similar to Tank Girl. This story takes place in a world where a terrorist organization has decimated the Earth and basically wiped out the entire population of that world. The people of this future are left to pick up the pieces and mourn the loss of loved ones from Earth.

In comes Nathan Bright a mild-mannered doofy Weatherman. Out of nowhere, he's accused of being the mastermind to have destroyed the Earth under another name, and someone who looks totally different from him. Is it mistaken identity? Or is he really Ian Black from the terrorist organization that destroyed the Earth and all of its inhabitants? Things go from mundane to topsy turvy for the weatherman and things are not what they had seemed. Can an ordinary weatherman be something much more than he appears, and can he help save the Colonies from the terrorists?

I found this very enjoyable. I loved the art style which held on to that futuristic kinda look with bright neon colors. The story was fast paced, and not boring at any time. This had me locked in and ready for more. Can't wait for the next volume in the series. So if you're a fan of Dick's strange science fiction worlds, and the zaniness of Tank Girl than I highly recommend checking this new series from Image comics out. I rated this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodread.com. 





Saturday, March 9, 2019

Review: A Different Flesh by Harry Turtledove (Audiobook)

I'm fortunate enough that I can listen to music or whatever at my job. I don't typically listen to audiobooks, but I have become bored with listening to music and I think I have listened to so many podcasts that I have exhausted the catalog. So being an avid reader I decided to give audio books another try.

Harry Turtledove is an author whose books are some that I wanted to check out. I love the idea that he writes alternative histories, and has based whole series on how world events could have happened differently. I won't go into the whole multiverse theory, which is also interesting. Where any number of events could have happened creating a completely different timeline of events.

I decided to listen to "A Different Flesh" by Harry Turtledove which was originally published in 1988. In this novel, the world is very much different from our own in that Homo Erectus did not die off and actually thrived in the New World. In the world of this novel, Homo Erectus crossed the land bridge instead of people from the tundras of Siberia. The sheer imagination of the author to create a world where Native Americans never happened spreads out into changes to everything such as first interactions with Colonials, and even the development of colonial government. But it's not just this species of cavemen that are unique to Turtledove's New World, but there are also other prehistoric creatures such as sabretooth tigers and wooly mammoths that wander the forests.
Turtledove proposes different scenarios as we the reader get to see this new world. He presents interactions between colonists and the native cavemen. These creatures are referred to as "sims" throughout the story. How each is radically different and yet curious and fearful of each other. Turtledove mentions the phrase "beetled brow" and their lack of chins in describing these peoples numerous times. The author doesn't linger too long into each period of America as it develops into the present day but gives us a short glimpse into key events of its development.
These short glances into this world were very interesting and I applaud the imagination of Turtledove to be able to create this world. But I don't think this was his only intention to just entertain the reader with a tale of cavemen interacting with humans in our modern world. I think the author's intention was to point out just how within history we as a society have mistreated those who are different from ourselves and even treated those whose cultures were different or technologically not as advanced as being sub-human.

I will point out that being an alternate history piece that there are some potential triggers for some individuals such as racist language, and graphic descriptions of some events which some may find disturbing. This book is not for everyone. I really enjoyed this and got something out of listening to it. I plan on checking out the rest of this author's works. I rated this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.com. If you are a fan of historical fiction or science fiction you may too enjoy this book.


Friday, September 28, 2018

Review- All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells

This is probably one of the most trending books in the SFF (Science Fiction & Fantasy) community. It seems like almost everyone has read this or wants to read this. It starts out so interesting and captivating that I read it in big portions. This was definitely a page-turner in the beginning. We get a strong sense of the main character, Murderbot. Quirky, and kinda chill and seems to be okay not getting involved in the affairs of its caretakers or renters I should say. It and I refer to with no gender as it is never defined as being anything other than a machine. It would rather spend its time watching serials in the feed than do the job it was made to do which is security. 

This story was so fast paced that a mystery soon develops after the introduction to the rest of the mission party. And shortly after this, the climax falls right into limbo. The events then flow so fast and seemingly so rushed as if the author did not really flesh out the story but rather plowed through an idea. The reader is hastily introduced to the antagonists and their intentions become even vague as the story then takes on a full action mode where any details about these villains and their plans for the mission team are anyone's guess. Before you know it the story is over, and I had to go back a few pages to see if perhaps I had skimmed or missed something. I really felt like there was no real resolution to the climax of the story. 

The winner of numerous awards, such as the 2018 Hugo award for best novella. NY Times and USA Today bestseller. By the end of this, I felt like it was just another Pinochioesque story. Or one in which the main character is kinda heading that way but isn't 100% sure. Don't get me wrong. I did enjoy this short story and want to read the rest of the series. But I felt that this was hastily written and could have been a bit more developed. I rated this 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. If you have yet to read this check out the link below to get yourself a copy.

 

Review- Galaxy of Terror (1981)

So it's that time of the year (Fall) to watch horror films in anticipation of Halloween. So I know it's not October yet, but I figured why not get in the spirit and watch an old cheesy sci-fi horror classic. I remembered this movie from when I was a kid in the 80's...yeah my parents let me watch R rated movies. It's been a very long time since I had seen this so I had to give it a re-watch. 

The stars in this film I'm sure drew a crowd. After all, Joanie (Erin Moran) from Happy Days starred in this as one of the female leads. Ray Walston, from Popeye also starred in this. While this is not a cinematic masterpiece it did feature some up and coming stars of the horror film world, such as Robert Englund known for his role as Freddy Kreuger in The Nightmare on Elm Street series. The yet to be known Sid Haig, who is from Rob Zombies films had a minor role. 
So yeah this is kinda cheesy in comparison to sci-fi classics from this period due to its low budget. But that doesn't mean it wasn't worth watching. This was one of the many horror/sci-fi films in the 80's. Not as cinematically pleasing as Alien or The Thing. For instance, there is a scene with a very similar looking alien type creature. Before Event Horizon we had Galaxy of Terror. The special effects are not terrible and can be a little gruesome at times. Be mindful that there were quite a few head explosions and corny laser gun sound effects. Check out the trailer below. If you have an Amazon Prime membership you can watch this for free. Believe it or not, they actually made a sequel to this called Forbidden Planet that I will have to check out later.




Monday, May 7, 2018

Review: Injection by Warren Ellis Volumes 1- 3

I recently finished reading the third volume of this series which is weird, different and kinda great. In the words of Image comics taken from their site - "...there were five crazy people, and they poisoned the 21st Century. Now they have to deal with the corrosion to try and save us all from a world becoming too weird to support human life. It is science fiction, tales of horror, strange crime fiction, techno-thriller, and ghost story all at the same time." So yeah it's quite the mix of genres. 


The first volume introduces the concept of the Artificial Intelligence and how it is manipulating the world to create paranormal events, and we meet part of the team responsible for its creation. This was a great start for the series. I thought it was okay but it had enough to keep me interested and wanting to continue on with the series. The second volume introduces yet another member of this team and one who is kind of Hannibal Lector meets Sherlock Holmes kinda vibe. 


This story was way better than the first but left me feeling that the story did not live up to its expectations. The third and I'm assuming final volume (I assume final because the last issue was released in Nov. 2017 and there is no news about a follow up). Was very intense and I felt the story had finally reached its potential. Of course, the third volume ended on a cliffhanger, and I do not know if Ellis will ever finish this story. This last volume had the perfect blend of fantasy, horror, and science fiction, and a nice nod to Dr. Who with a comment from a student about it not really being bigger inside.

I rated the first volume 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads and the other 2 both 4 stars. I really hope that Warren Ellis picks this back up and continues on with this story because it would be bad to end this series just as it started to get good. I also called a few comics shops and there was no word of this very infrequent book coming back.  Below is the complete hardcover edition which features 3 volumes. 


International shoppers click here to get your copy - http://www.bookdepository.com/?a_aid=geekpron

Thursday, April 12, 2018

Review: Paper Girls Vol 4

I have to say I loved the first few volumes of this series as I really enjoy time travel stories. This is the 4th volume in the series, and things started to slow down momentum-wise in the last volume. I do know a lot of people have hopped on the hype train regarding this series just because the first 2 volumes feature 80's nostalgia. (To be honest, I don't understand why people who were not alive in the 80's are so obsessed with this time period as it wasn't the best in regards to fashion and music, etc. ) So for those people, the series may be a disappointment for them as this volume takes place in the year 2000. Which discusses the whole Y2K issues.

This volume did reveal more about the time traveler war such as their background and just how they influence the world. I do not care if they ever venture back to the 80's, and I am still interested in this series because it is about time travel and features big fucking robots fighting! Although I still enjoyed this I didn't feel it was a strong volume as the last few ones. I rated this 3 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I will continue to read this series as I feel it has great potential and I have always enjoyed Vaughan's writing.
 

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

Review: Sleeping Giants (The Themis Files #1) by Sylvain Neuvel

Okay, so I'm late to the party on this one, and I will admit when this book came out and everyone was talking about it I tried to avoid the hype for fear of being disappointed. But I couldn't resist when this book came on sale for Kindle at a very low price one that I couldn't say no to.

First off this is not the typical science fiction book. Why you ask? Because at least 95% of it is written as a transcript of interviews between some type of government agent and witnesses to the events that unfold in the book. Some people who have read this were critical of this because this writing style leaves very little room to develop characters, but the main point of this book is not the characters. The main point of the book is the event. So if you are a reader who wants character development driven stories this is not the book for you.

What is the event you ask? Giant Robots from Space! Fans of robot mechs and fighting robots rejoice. The book starts out by discovering a hand within an underground cavern and it slowly builds on the story and revealing just what this giant robot looks like and what it is capable of. Now I won't spoil any of the specifics because this was part of what made this story so interesting. The anticipation to see how it all comes together and how the reaction from those who witness it and what they learn along the journey.

I have to admit that I am pretty impressed by the writing of this "high school drop out". Being written the way it is this is a super fast paced read and one that doesn't leave you feeling that there is anything missing. Although I made sure to pace myself and read this at a slow pace so I could enjoy it. I really enjoyed this and will admit it did slow down a bit towards the end, but this has not deterred me from wanting to read more in this series. I will read book 2 in the series eventually, and I know that book 3 is due to release soon.(May 2018) I rated this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. I do have to say again that this will not be for everyone. If you get excited about things like Ancient Aliens, and Robotech, or Gundam this will be right up your alley.


 

Saturday, December 16, 2017

Film Review: Star Wars- The Last Jedi (Spoiler Free)



Being a Star Wars fanboy from the original trilogy, of course, I had to go and see the latest release in the series. The hype was real for this latest film. Some of the original characters returned such as Leia, and Luke, and some who I will not mention so as not to spoil it for those who have yet to see this. I enjoyed it and it was suspenseful with not many slow or dull scenes. But it used a lot of scene ideas from previous hit films, such as the Hoth like battle scene on the reddish salt planet, and another key scene and ideas from Return of the Jedi. I felt like this kinda had to rely on the previous films to make this feel like it was just as good as it was not very original. There were a few 3d type scenes but it didn't rely on 3d effects to make it good. Another thing I didn't like was that this film seemed to cater to a younger audience. We all know the criticism that Rebel One got for being too mature with its content. I feel like the writers of Last Jedi felt like they had to make this one more family friendly as it featured a lot of comedic scenes and cutesy characters such as the animal bird hybrid creatures. Some of the dialogue near the end of the film kind of implied to me that this is a new market for young viewers as they kept implying forget the old ideas you had about this story. I'm fine with that letting the children of a new generation have their pop-cultural iconography of a New Star Wars.

So, in the end, I enjoyed the film but just didn't find it as enjoyable as the original trilogy. I think any fan of this series will enjoy this movie. Somethings about the past of this universe and from the prior film were explained but some things were just simplified and I felt the wider audience was expecting a better and bigger explanation than what was offered. yet again I will not spoil this and say what was revealed that dashed my expectations but once you have viewed this film you will see for yourself.


Sunday, December 18, 2016

Review: Trees Volume 1

So I know this isn't a trending book in booktube, but once I saw that Warren Ellis was the author I knew I wanted to read this. Let's just say that his writing has never let me down. I will admit that was the only reason I wanted to read this aside from the cover and title I had no idea what this was about.

Once I started reading this I discovered just what a gem this truly is. Let's set this up for those who do not know about this amazing series. These cylinders have arrived in the future. They just sort of chose to plant themselves in certain cities around the world. No one knows what they are. Some imagine that there are intelligent beings inside waiting to come out at some point, but they have stood silent for 10 years....just standing there. So of course, scientists are going to investigate these things, and this is where the fun begins. This had a really eerie sci-fi kinda feel like Prometheus, and some other dark sci-fi films.


What made this so enjoyable for me was just seeing the way humanity reacts to these behemoths and how culture changes in the shadows of them. The anticipation of what would happen also made this fun to read. If you are a fan of dark sci-fi then this is for you. I am already reading the second volume, as it was that good. I rated this 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Engines of Empathy Book Review

I received a free e-copy of Engines of Empathy from the author for a fair and honest review.  For those who may already be familiar with Paul Mannerings other works, such as Tankbread; this is a completely different type of story.  This novel takes place in the very very distant future where all electrical devices run on Emphatic energy, which comes from a mysterious source, because the general population does not know where it comes from. This energy source also makes machines react to people emotions.

This book is comedic science fiction, which other readers have compared it to Pratchett, and at times the paranoia reminded me of Orwell's 1984.  All of the characters have seemingly made up names, such as the main character whose name is Charlotte Pudding, and her compatriot Drakeforth. Another comedic approach is that of this religious cult known as Authurians, which believe really silly things in order to achieve transcendence. Mannering introduces his characters as if this world already exists, and the reader gets a peek into the ordinary lives of these future people. Somewhat slow to start the story moves on to inklings of a hidden mystery of what and where the energy source that this world uses is and comes from.  The author does this in a rather suspenseful way, the events build up and make you more and more interested....a definite page turner. It is labeled as a part of a trilogy, but the book ends in way that it seems like a stand alone. This was my first exposure to comedic science fiction, and I rather enjoyed it. I rated this book 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. So if Monty Python type cults, talking refrigerators, and evil corporations are your thing....check out this book.


Thursday, October 30, 2014

RASL Review

When I uploaded this video...I was experiencing trouble with my camera, and had to film a very quick review of this graphic novel. I didn't get to say all that I wanted to say about this great story. I do have another camera coming in the mail, so in the meantime I decided to supplement this video review with this blog post.

I rated this graphic novel by Jeff Smith (the creator of Bone) 5 stars on Goodreads.  I thought this was a very strong suspenceful scifi story. But I didn't really like the artwork. Sometimes the characters looked like real people and then other times they looked too cartoony. This was my only negative about this book. Aside from that I found this story to be a page turner that I read in a very short time. The talk about Tesla, and alternate dimensions had me intrigued, and make me want to do my own research into these topics.


Monday, June 16, 2014

Film Review : Her

I just rented and finished watching this film starring Joaquin Phoenix, which was written/directed by Spike Jonze. My first impression of this film was that it really reminded me of The Lonely Guy a film from the 1980's that starred Steve Martin. If you have not heard the plot of this movie it is basically about a lonely man who months ago ended a relationship, and eventually falls in love with his computer's OS.


Yes, I know it sounds really strange and bizarre. I have always found these types of things interesting though.  The Operating System is a new kind that is always learning, and seeking to become a better match to it's owner.  This would be great if we had OS's that could be intuitive, and no what we like and could think somewhat.

To get on with some things about this film I noticed that the women of this future are just extra complicated even more so than present day people. I say this because Theo goes on a date with this woman, and she seems to be really connecting with him, and as the viewer you are kind of hoping that something develops, but then this would be the end to a strange film. His date gets really weird, and then says to him, which floored me and I thought was really strange....she says "You're really creepy" kind of guy. This was said after she was talking about them being different types of animals, and an almost hot/intense make out scene. Also this future is one in which people do not write their own correspondence, as it's written by people like Theodore who works for a Letter Writing company. The main character to me seems like a very normal sort of man, and everyone else seems so out of touch and strange. But this movie is about so much more than just the main character being alone, but with undertones that make me think of today's society how people look down at their cell phones, and do not really interact. You see this through out the film, as he commutes to his work the viewer sees that every one else is busy talking to their computers.

As these OS's become more self aware they then surpass their humans in thought, and intelligence. I won't say anymore about this and would not want to spoil this film for those who have not seen it. I rated this 4 stars out of 5 on Netflix.


As a final thought I feel the need to mention that no one has offered me money nor am I being paid to write this review. I have used some amazon links for which I get a very small commission if someone chooses to purchase something.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

Mentats of Dune

I have been reading Mentats of Dune for the last few weeks, and I have to say that Brian Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson still have it.  This novel focuses on  the story of Gilbertus Albans, and his school for mentats. It also tells about the events in the Dune universe, such as the war between the Spacing Guild, and the Butlerians.  I absolutely love this series, and one of the reasons why I enjoy it so much is because the events in these novels are believable as compared to other science fiction.  I first decided to read this series after having watched Syfy channels original film of Dune. I later found out that this was a more accurate version of Frank Herberts classic story. I know that most people are all fond of the 1984 Dune, but the later, and much newer version is true to the story that Herbert had written. I just thought that the 1984 one that everyone knows was just a bit over the top, and not very real.



I'm still looking forward to Princess Irulan's story which should be out sometime in the near future. But until then I may re-read some of the other books in the series.

Friday, February 14, 2014

Riddick

So last night I rented the newest film in the Riddick series. I like how Vin Diesel plays a character who is a lot like Conan the Barbarian, but it's science fiction. This is the perfect combo for a scfi action film. I really enjoyed all of the previous films, but this last one just seemed to be a bit rushed, and was lacking something. Riddick is left on a hostile planet, and is trying to get back to civilization by any means. He summons a rescue team by means of a homing beacon found in an abandoned station. This time they really lacked some details , such as what was he looking for, and will they continue this in another film? This film had all of the action that one would expect, and the ingenuity of Macgyver to keep you watching. But scenes seemed to flash by so fast that before you knew you think you missed something vital or did they just not make out more of the story? I liked this one, but felt that it was just average compared to the previous ones.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Cybernetic Weapons of Mass Destruction

Earlier today I had finished reading We3, which is a Vertigo graphic novel consisting of three comic book issues. Being that it is Vertigo this is intended for mature readers. The story is about kidnapped pets who have been transformed into battle armored, and wired for control killing machines. I have heard rumor of the US military wanting to do something similar with dolphins, but whether that is true or fiction is not the point. I'm guessing that is what inspired the writers of this story to create this to begin with.
There is not much for dialog , and most of the book consisted of action scenes some of which are from the view point of a security camera. The animals are used experimentally to see if the idea of using modified animals can be used in combat situations, and after they complete a mission they are to be decommissioned (killed). The doctor who was in charge of the animals decides to let them go, and just like "Homeward Bound" decide they want to go home. Not having a clue as to where home is, and with the government after them is the main theme of the book. I found this to be a fascinating what if scenario, and was a very entertaining read. Bonus for the happy ending. I have rated this 4 stars on goodreads.