SubscribeThe Forever War
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The Forever War
by Joe Haldeman - Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin
- Year: 1974/2009
- Pages: 288
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- What is 52 Books in 52 Weeks?
- №15
In a sort of theme of futuristic sci-fi war dystopias (see Ender’s Game and Old Man’s War), I’ve decided to read Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War. It’s a famous book, and over 35 years old at this point. It’s most commonly compared to Heinlein’s Starship Troopers, but that’s a rather facile comparison, especially today when we all know better.
Last year, the movie District 9 came out to great acclaim; the most common complaint was that its symbolism (hint: it’s an allegory for apartheid) was too ham-fisted and obvious. The Forever War is a little like that, except instead of apartheid, the book is an allegory for the Vietnam War, and most particularly the reacclimation of those who fought in it to post-war civilian life.
Snow Crash
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Snow Crash
by Neal Stephenson - Publisher: Spectra
- Year: 1992/1993
- Pages: 480
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- What is 52 Books in 52 Weeks?
- №7
My familiarity with Neal Stephenson began with Cryptonomicon, which at the time came much more highly recommended to me than Snow Crash. The former doesn’t quite count as “science fiction”; it was more like a techno-thriller consumed by comp.sci and technological masturbation, with a bit of historical intrigue thrown in for good measure.
Snow Crash, which is really what launched Stephenson’s career (it achieved both critical and commercial success), falls more solidly in the realm of science fiction, but it is a novel which operates on a number of levels. A great deal of verbiage has been produced on behalf of its various subtexts, meanings, influences, and reactions, so I won’t linger too long on any one aspect: further information is there for the taking.
Ender’s Game
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Ender's Game
by Orson Scott Card - Publisher: Tor
- Year: 1985/1994
- Pages: 384
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- №5
I was more familiar with Orson Scott Card for his outspoken Mormonism and membership in the National Organization for Marriage—they of the hokey and dishonest “Gathering Storm” commercials—and his views that homosexuality is an artifact of sexual abuse as a child. There are a number of reasons why I could argue why Card is, in fact, kind of a douchebag, but they are (mostly) irrelevant to a discussion of his writing and I’ll eschew them.
Besides, Card would hardly be the first good science fiction writer whose social or political views are either strange or entirely antithetical to my own. Heinlein was a bit of an odd duck, after all, and the man’s canonical. One of my favorites in Dafydd ab Hugh, who’s a proud conservative in just about every way.
The more pertinent question is to what extent—if any—this ideology permeates Card’s writing, and if it makes for a decent book. Ender’s Game, though nowadays marketed to young adults, is a classic piece of science fiction, and manages to make it onto most lists of influential scifi. I’d heard the name for years through various media until I decided that I could no longer avoid reading the damn thing to see what all the fuss was about.
And Another Thing…
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And Another Thing...
by Eoin Colfer - Publisher: Hyperion
- Year: 2009
- Pages: 288
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- №61
I’m no stranger to the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. A lot of people are no strangers to the 5-book trilogy, either, which is why there was quite a ballyhoo when Eoin Colfer was selected to continue the series on behalf of the late Douglas Adams.
There are, therefore, a number of questions to be asked about And Another Thing…. The first is “Was Eoin Colfer a good choice to take up the mantle of Douglas Adams?” The second is “Should the Hitchhiker’s series have been continued at all?” The final is “Was the book decent?”
Halting State
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Halting State
by Charles Stross - Publisher: Ace
- Year: 2007
- Pages: 368
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- What is 52 Books in 52 Weeks?
- №57
I read Accelerando earlier this year; it was my first experience with Charles Stross, and it was a bit of a mindjob. While Stross is known for “hard” scifi, Accelerando quickly vaulted into a plausible-but-fantastic realm that probably wasn’t very indicative of the Stross that was recommended to me when I read Daemon.
I Am Legend
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I Am Legend
by Richard Matheson - Publisher: Gollancz
- Year: 2008
- Pages: 160
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- What is 52 Books in 52 Weeks?
- №15
Whether you realize it or not, you have probably either witnessed or been influenced by a Richard Matheson novel/story. If you’ve watched The Twilight Zone, or seen the movies I Am Legend, The Omega Man, The Incredible Shrinking Man, What Dreams May Come, Stir of Echoes, Bid Time Return, Hell House, or Duel, to name just a smattering, then his work has trickled down to you.
I would liken Matheson to Ray Bradbury: he’s a prolific writer (often of short stories) who doesn’t have the sex appeal of some mainstream authors, but who has nonetheless had a tremendous impact upon the writers that came after him. No less a literary giant (whether justly so or not) than Stephen King has listed Matheson as a strong influence and inspiration.
Recent Comments
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