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Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Books. Show all posts

The Forever War


    I completely forgot about this until John Scalzi mentioned it over at his site, but the re-issue of Joe Haldeman's Hugo- and Nebula-award winning military sci-fi opus, The Forever War, is now out in bookstores. Believe it or not, I've never actually read this book, despite my own writing being heavily influenced by it through third-hand parties, such as the wonderful Old Man's War series of books by John Scalzi himself. In fact, Scalzi provides the forward in this new trade paperback edition of The Forever War released by St. Martin's Press. You can read more about the book here.

    I had this on my Amazon wishlist all this time, but now I'm moving it to my checkout cart, along with a few other books from the list. I swear, I keep telling myself I'm going to read more non-fiction one of these days, but with so much awesome sci-fi books to catch up on--both old (Forever War) and new (Ian McDonald's Cyberabad Days)--I don't know when I'll ever have the time!

    It's a good time to be a sci-fi fan, despite news to the contrary that fantasy YA is where all the money's at these days. :)
    Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/Books
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I Gotta Have It!

    I don't know why I didn't think of this earlier, but I've lately bemoaned the lack of a quality 2009 calendar to put in my den, when for the past several weeks this magnificent creation has been in the offering from Dabel Brothers Publishing:


    Why, it's the 2009 "A Song of Ice and Fire" Calendar!

    For those of you not in the know, A Song of Ice and Fire is the banner title of the ongoing epic fantasy by George R. R. Martin. Many fans--this one included--considers the series the second best fantasy opus behind Lord of the Rings. It is not really like LotR in any way, but the scope and importance to the field of fantasy is similar. The artwork is provided by Michael Komarck, whom many fans know already from his previous art based on the books.

    Anyway, if you're in the market for a very kewl 2009 calendar, and you like swords-n-chainmail type fantasy (not to be confused with swords-n-sorcery, the latter of which is not very prevalent in the ASoIaF world), then look no further. I immediately purchased this puppy on the quick from the site linked above. Amazon, for some odd reason, has it listed as sold out already.

    And now I must wait impatiently for it to arrive in the mail (boo!)
    Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/Books
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Hooray HBO! I Knew You Could Do It!


    Finally! It took them nearly two years from acquiring the rights to George R. R. Martin's acclaimed fantasy series, A Song of Ice and Fire, but HBO has finally greenlit the production of the first book in the series, A Game of Thrones, for their original lineup. Variety.com announced the details earlier this week, so check out the link if you want the full scoop.

    I'm ecstatic! This is the best set of fantasy books since Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. Trust me, I don't deliver such praise lightly. The funny thing is, ASoIaF doesn't actually delve so much on tried and true fantasy tropes as most books of this ilk do. There are no elves, barely any magic at all, and dragons (for the most part) are only mentioned in songs. There are giants and ghouls and all sorts of weird, crazy things in this world though. But they're kept behind a massive protection wall, sort of like what China tried to do with the invading Mongolian hordes (and look how well that worked out for 'em!)

    The series, instead, deals primarily with internecine and devious strategies between several vying factions and kingdoms, all jockeying for control of the high throne. Hence, the title of the first book, A Game of Thrones. For me, this is the series' best selling point--it's sorta like The Godfather/Sopranos meets King Arthur! In fact, not unlike HBO's previous series, Rome, now that I think of it. Clearly the network has a keen love of the twisted power-play theme for their shows, and in this case Martin's books will fit right in.

    Now that the show's been greenlit, fans can breathe a collective sigh of relief. A script for the pilot has been written, and so hopefully this means we can see an air date of sometime in 2010, although early 2011 would be my best guess. I can wait. Maybe in that time the author can *finally* deliver his latest book in the series, A Dance With Dragons, which fans have been waiting on now for going on 5 years!
    Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/Books
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More Cool Audiobook News!

    Whoa! I was just mentioning in this post last month about how I needed to check out more audiobooks after listening to the superbly produced and written anthology, METAtropolis, released by Audible.com. Well now it seems that my favorite SF author in the world is jumping into the audio format foray.

    Alan Dean Foster has updated over at his official website that audio versions of his acclaimed ongoing sci-fi series, Flinx of the Commonwealth, have been contracted for release through Audible! Yay! What better time for me to hop onto the audiobook bandwagon than with the very series that began my whole love affair with the genre?

    To clarify, Foster currently has one of his books in the series, Flinx's Folly, available through Audible, as well as the Star Wars media tie-in novel, The Approaching Storm. Stephan Rudnicki, who narrated Folly (and, coincidentally, one of the stories in METAtropolis) has been tapped to handle the voicing duties for all the remaining Flinx novels, previous and future. I like Rudnicki; he possesses amazing narrative talents, including an uncanny knack with accents. Can't wait to hear how he lends his voice to Flinx's perilous adventures with his pet minidragon, Pip. Should be nothing short of awesome.

    Foster has made no mention of a timeline for these audiobooks on his site, but here's hoping for a 2009 release.

    This is sure to make many fans of Foster's work--and the Flinx books specifically--very, very happy little pandas!Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/Books
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R.I.P. Michael Crichton

    HOLY CRAP!

    CNN.com just announced that Michael Crichton, famed thriller novelist and TV show producer, passed away yesterday at the age of 66 following an undisclosed bout with cancer. Crichton is best known for writing such best-sellers as The Andromeda Strain and Jurassic Park, as well as co-creating the hit medical drama "ER."

    I was first introduced to Crichton's work in high school when I read Sphere in a single day, that's how engrossed I was with his fabulous writing. I remember being impressed that he had been a medical doctor who switched to writing full time. Back when I entertained ideas of becoming both a doctor and a writer, you can see why he was such an inspiration to me.

    Such sad news. A great talent has been silenced forever.Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/Books
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This Book Saved My High School Career

    Math was never my top subject. If I could have had my way, six year old David's school life would have involved nothing but reading books all day, and perhaps completing the occasional word problem or two. I was good enough to constantly get stellar grades in math, but it was always a chore for me. And I was a lazy kid. I hated any subject that required actual studying on my part.

    Anyway, in 8th grade I had the world's worst algebra teacher. He took a disliking to me for whatever reason and seemed (in my opinion) to pick on me above all others. He actually told me to my face one day that I was a poor student and would never figure out math. How f'd up is that? As you can imagine, I didn't do so well in his class. Eventually I got my act together by the end of the year to pass, but it was a hard battle.

    After that year, I actually believed I was really bad at math, and so I didn't apply myself the way I should have when I went on to high school. Things got really bad to the point I was on the verge of flunking geometry and possibly having to repeat a grade because of it. I was stressed out beyond belief. I had one last major test to prove myself and make up for the poor year I had had up to that point. The test was a super tests of sorts, a New York State oddity called a "regents" exam. I actually felt the cold dread of failure grip my heart as the day approached.

    I studied my ass off like no sorry math cripple had ever studied before. Notes, text books, Regents-prep courses -- I did them all! And while I did actually pass the exam with a good grade, I of course thank none of these things for my success. :-)

    No, you see, it is the book above that did it for me. I firmly believe this. Neverness is a hard book to get through, but it had a major impact on me nonetheless. The story takes place in the far future on an ice world colonized by humans thousands of years prior. The protagonist is a deep space pilot trainee studying to get his license. In this future, piloting spacecraft requires, among other traits, an affinity for complex mathematical algorithms and a near photographic memory to boot. The plot happened to be a really good one, too, which I suppose is why the book resonated with me. In any event, I used it as my inspiration when going to take my test. I pretended I was the protagonist, and that this regents exam was really my pilots exam. Except if I failed, I would die.

    You think that's extreme, huh? Just remember, I was a 15 year old male in high school. Teenage boys dwell on that sort of high melodrama. :)

    Anyway, the book actually opened up a love of mathematics for me. While I would never be deemed brilliant at the subject, I wasn't too shabby, either, for the rest of my years in high school. I was particularly good at trig, which surprised me. Everything about it just clicked for me. I ended up getting a 108% score on my final -- 100% for getting every single problem correct, and an additional 8 points for answering both extra credit questions correctly too! I was on fire that year!

    I then went on to college and completed Calculus I and II when I thought I would be preparing for Med school. Yeah, the whole doctor thing fell through obviously, but at least I can say I faced my childhood fears concerning math and overcame them (and then some!) I'm proud of that much.

    But it just goes to show the power of a young mind sufficiently motivated. One of my dreams is to someday have enough money or clout to produce an interactive sci-fi video game that uses mathematics in a fun way to, I dunno, power fighter ships through space or build suped-up, badass mech fighters or something. Basically, something that would appeal to a teenage boy or girl and show them that math can be fun if you spin it a certain way.

    I'm serious. I would really *love* to make this happen someday.
    Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/Books
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Argh! San Diego - I'm So Jealous!!!

    I've written here before about how jealous I am of West Coast people, especially you SoCal types. You get all the cool conventions, writing workshops, and concerts! Not to mention you're much closer to Hawaii and East Asia than I am (shorter plane ride). San Diego in particular seems to be absurdly blessed in this regard, and to boot has some of the best beaches and nicest weather in the continental U.S. Guess it makes up for all the earthquake and fire insurance, eh?

    Anyway, as if I needed yet another reason to be green with envy at San Diego people, I've discovered this really cool bookstore I wish I could visit. It's a genre bookshop catering exclusively to Sci Fi, Fantasy, Mystery, and some Horror books. It's called Mysterious Galaxy, and is located in the Kearny Mesa section of San Diego. I found out about the store through one of the hosts of AISP's podcasts, Sam Wynns, who works there. She seems like a really cool person who has done a lot to promote the store's advocacy of children's reading and learning programs. In addition to its wonderful genre offerings, Mysterious Galaxy also promotes juvenile and young adult fiction. The store seems to be pretty active with author readings, signings, and promotions. Wow! If I resided in the area, I would so live at this place!

    Speaking of which, Lisa was talking about a Nurse Practitioner conference she may be attending in San Diego next year. It's tentative now, as there are always a dozen of these conferences going on around the country for her profession, and she doesn't always get the freedom to choose. But it's possible that we may be in the San Diego area sometime in May of next year. If we are, you can bet I'm scoping Mysterious Galaxy out while I'm there!

    Check out the store if you're in the area, or visit the website I linked to above if you're not. Also, check out the Adventures in SciFi Publishing site for cool reviews, news, interviews, and podcasts in the SF field.
    Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/Books
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So Many Levels Of Awesome!


    It's no secret that I'm a huge geek when it comes to reading sci-fi. Yet, up until now, I've never listened to any of the books on audio. So METAtropolis comes as the perfect junction, then. It's got cool, exclusive novellas written by some of the best up and coming SF names in the field: Tobias Buckell, Jay Lake, Elizabeth Bear, Karl Schroeder, and John Scalzi. It was edited by Scalzi himself, and it makes perfect sense that he would tap the shoulders of his own personal friends in the biz to help put this project together. Lucky for us, it just so happens that these people are excellent writers to begin with!

    But that's not all this audio anthology has going for it. If you are into sci-fi at all, then these writers are likely already recognizable to you. But if you're a big fan of the tv show Battlestar Gallactica, and of audio books in general, then you have even more reason to scream like a little girl at her best friend's slumber party. For three actors from the show lend their voices to the dramatic presentation of some of these tales: Michael Hogan (Colonel Tigh), Alessandro Juliani (Lt. Felix Gaeta), and my personal favorite (yum!) -- Kandyse McClure (Lt. Anastasia Dualla). These three are awesome at their jobs, giving me quite the pleasant surprise. Since this is my first audio book, I was highly impressed by the quality of their narration. Just goes to show that a good actor can utilize his/her skills to full effect regardless of the medium.

    Equally impressive are the recordings from the actual professional audio book narrators well-known in the industry. Scott Brick and Stephan Rudnicki go above and beyond the call of duty here. Because of them, I may have to check out some of their more notable audio book works, like Dune and Ender's Game.

    But to me, Michael Hogan stole the show. His versatile reading of Jay Lake's novella to start off the anthology was simply too amazing for words. It sent goosebumps down my arms hearing his distinctive voice switch between male and female characters, as well as gender-neutral narrative quick-speak, with fluid ease. What a true professional!

    So, if you're into seriously good sci-fi with a tinge of the apocalyptic and the gritty human side of societal change, then you might do yourself good to check this out. The entire "book" runs slightly over 9 hours long, making it an excellent companion to take along with you on long drives. METAtropolis is available through Audible.com and, I think, Apple's iTunes store. The price is comparable to that of a new hardcover, but for me it was well worth the money. If it weren't illegal to do so, I'd burn this puppy to CDs and pass it around to all my friends. Foregoing this option, though, I'll settle for just spreading the word around to ya'll instead!

    If you're not sure about paying the full price, Audible gives you the option to download and listen to the first of the novellas -- Jay Lake's "In the Forests of the Night" -- absolutely free. As this just happens to be the story Michael Hogan narrates, I highly recommend this course of action for those unsure of making the full commitment.
    Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/Books
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Ack! Where Has This Book Been All My Life?

    I learned of a new book in Liz Williams' Detective Chen series at a time when I never even knew there WAS a Detective Chen series of books. Reading the description of this recent fourth book in a new volume starring her Detective Chen, I realized I needed to back up and learn more about the first book in the series, Snake Agent.
    And, whoa, this thing sounds good! Where have I been? It's like a weird blend of the mystery, horror, fantasy, and sci-fi genres all at once. Normally the first two would turn me off--although I've read my fair share of both--but, combined with the last two elements, I'm intrigued enough to check it out. Those who know me will know why when you read what the book is about.

    From what I can gather, the setting is a late 21st century Asian city called Singapore 3, and at some point in the past communications were established with both Heaven and Hell, or the local culture's variations thereof. Singapore 3 follows Chinese religious beliefs, or as Westerners condescendingly call, "mythology," and therefore the setting evokes a lot of traditional Chinese concepts, themes, and theology concerning the afterlife. In this strange new world of the future, both "angels" and "demons" commingle on a frequent, if not contentious, basis with us regular mortals.

    Detective Chen is, of course, an investigator who happens to also be married literally to a demon. Chen is a "Snake Agent," someone who's jurisdiction regularly takes him to the very boundaries of Heaven and Hell, and back again. He's sort of like a spiritual Fox Mulder. One day a wealthy businessman hires him to investigate the reason why his daughter's spirit never reached Heaven after her death. For reasons I'm unable to gleam yet, Hell also has a vested interest in this case, and sends one of their own to team up with Chen, much to his chagrin. The demon, one Zhu Irzh, is a detective as well.

    I got all this from reading the description online, so I'm sure I have a few details off. But of course I'm interested in this because of the Chinese aspect, as well as the futuristic setting. While I'm not too keen on the supernatural aspects, I think I'll make the exception for this book. After all, I really shouldn't confine myself to one genre all the time (i.e., straight sci-fi). From the concept alone, these books sound a lot like one of my favorite video games from the PlayStation 1 -- Fear Effect. FE took place in a futuristic China (Hong Kong, Shanghai, and Shanxi) and dealt with a kick-ass female mercenary and her friends who get tangled up in the machinations of demons and, eventually, have to truck with the Emperor of Hell himself, Yan Luo.

    Does this Detective Chen series sound good to anyone else? It's supposed to be light-hearted and humorous at times, and apparently it's well-written. If anything it will give me ideas on how to write the same. :-)

    I've put the book on my Amazon wishlist for when I eventually clear through my daunting pile of backend books I've yet to read at home. I'm tempted to bump this one to the top and read it now, tho!
    Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/Books
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Everyone Has A Book Like This

    Although I was late to learn to read (public schools in the Bronx didn't teach reading until 1st grade when I was a kid), I took to it faster than most kids around me. Yet, I only ever read the odd in-class shorts or the random children's books we had lying around the house. It took until the 3rd grade for me to work up the courage to read a book longer than 10 pages, but the very first "big kid's" book I read opened up a lifetime of reading for me, not to mention cemented my love for all stories fantastical and strange. And this was the book that did it!

    The Shades by Betty Brock was a tale I was not expecting when my teacher assigned it to me for a book report. At first, I thought it was just a straight-forward (read: sappy) plot about a boy being sent to stay with his eccentric "Aunt," who was in fact a friend of the family, while his parents vacationed in Europe over one summer. The boy, Hollis, feels rejected and lonely. I sympathized with the latter, if not the former, at the time, but I really didn't want to read about this. I mean, it was just too boring for a wildly imaginative 8 year old! :-)

    But, somewhere around the 3rd or 4th chapter, things changed drastically. Hollis's "aunt" lived in a big house on a tidy, old estate replete with a large garden and fountain. Naturally the boy goes exploring and, on one particularly hot day, decides to climb into the curious dolphin-shaped fountain for a refreshing dip. He emerges to find a strange boy standing by the fountain. Turns out the boy is Hollis's shadow, which he can only see "in the flesh" thanks to the magical properties of the fountain water. The two instantly become best friends (naturally), but turns out the strange boy is not the only shadow in the garden. A veritable community of "Shades" exist within the walls of the estate, leftovers from every person who has ever set foot onto the grounds. They can never leave the estate, and can only be seen by real people after water from the dolphin fountain is rubbed into one's eyes.

    The Shades are likable folk, and Hollis eventually spends more and more time in the garden, much to the puzzlement of his aunt. It's after this point that details of the plot become hazy in my recollection, although I do remember some sort of danger presenting itself to the Shades from the outside world. There are also logistic shortcomings, such as the fountain getting turned off at one point, and a rainy day or two where Hollis cannot play with his friends.

    I think what grabbed my attention the most was not so much the fantastical element of the Shades itself, but the fact that I had not been expecting it. Up until that point, I had only read situational dilemmas for kids, such as Freckle Juice and Hello, My Name is Scrambled Eggs. Cute, but not too much removed from the real world.

    I had never read anything "magical" or fantastical before, except maybe our little children's Sunday school Bible. :-) I remember my heart racing each time we would be allowed "reading time" in our class for our book report project. See, we were not allowed to take the books home because, well, our school could not afford to lose them. This only made the escape from reading a good book all the more palpable for me. From that point on, I would actually crave books more than any other thing in my childhood world. Reading became my everything.

    What was your first great book? The one that unlocked a whole new world for you?
    Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/Books
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Absolutely Sweet Book Haul!



    This all started when I won a hardcover edition of Crystal Rain (pictured above) at the recent KGB Fantastic Fiction raffle. Tobias Buckell autographed and shipped it himself, which is no small feat for a poor, struggling writer! Anyway, although I haven't read it yet, I was so overcome by the awesome kick-assery of the cover and inner flap description, that I had to rush online and order the next two books in his created universe: Ragamuffin and Sly Mongoose. Are those not cool titles or what?





    For those who don't know, Tobias S. Buckell is a young and exciting new writer who hails by way of the Caribbean (Grenada and the U.S. Virgin Islands) and is currently living it up in Ohio. He finds fun ways to incorporate his unique cultural upbringing into his stories, which I get a huge kick out of. It's not every day you see diverse, multi-ethnic protagonists in sci-fi--although this is slowly changing as the field entices newcomers beyond the purview of geeky, white males.


    Anyway, I ordered the hardcover editions of Ragamuffin and Mongoose through my favorite online super bookstore (guess which one, there's only like 2) because for some dumb reason the Borders down the street from my job doesn't like sci-fi. Imagine that. And since I was ordering online, you know I just had to add a few more titles to the pot from my wishlist:








    I swear I'm going to explode from all this awesome sci-fi goodness! I don't know where to begin. I'm currently reading Alan Dean Foster's collection Exceptions To Reality, and also Robert A. Heinlein's The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress (I know, right, what took me so long?) And after that I'll be taking on Michael Chabon's The Yiddish Policemen's Union -- all of which will be reviewed here shortly -- and then I shall plunder me booty!Source URL: https://bollywoodsexygirls2012.blogspot.com/search/label/Books
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