Wasp

Books, we know we should read them it seems like the done thing for those of intelligence. But do to this representation it some times feels like a chore to pick up a big book sit down and try and work your way through it.

However, I come to you with a suggestion, a small book. More specifically Wasp by Eric F. Russell a mere fourteen chapters and only 175 pages yet so engrossing most will not put it down until they are finished.

Wasp is a book with the plot based on the idea that a small wasp can irritate a driver of a car to the point of crashing and killing all the passengers. The idea a small almost insignificant, in size, being can cause the death of four giants and a huge machine. This then links with the timing of the piece set years into the future where a one James Mowry is sent to be a “Wasp” on an alien planet. Mowry’s work is used to help earth fight a war against an alien race far more numerous than humanity.

This compelling book to me is similar in many ways to George Orwell’s Classic 1984 with its way of gripping writing telling the tale of literally one man against the world.

For me whether you are interested in sci-fi or not this is still a must for anyone and everyone.

(Exepose 18/05/07)

Consider Phlebas

Consider Phlebas, to me an unpronounceable name for Ian Banks first attempt at science fiction and if you ask me it was a success.

As with most si-fi this book starts out with being told there is a war between the humans and an alien race. However for this story there is a novel twist the humans are portrayed as they bad guys.

The protagonist is a humanoid working as a special agent for the three legged, practically immortal giant aliens known as the Idirans. He is descended from a species of human created solely to be spies so have the ability to change their appearance at will as well as having valuable home grown weapons like venomous spit. Horza as he is known is a mercenary for the Idirans because the way he sees it is that they are on the side of life. Compared to the Culture, the human society, who have created A.I. called minds to run most of the external affairs leaving them to lives of luxury and pleasure seeking.

In my opinion this is a good long read but at times Banks seams to be trying to hard, he tend to flick from one dangerous adventure to the next deadly situation without stopping to recover your breath. It appeared to me at least that he seemed scared of the idea you the reader may get board. Still this leaves for a fast paced interesting read that never lets up. This is handy if you are scared of big books as it is a good 500+ pager yet still what is better than being sat out in the sun with a good book?

(Exepose 18/05/07)

A Brief History of Time

The best book in the last 20 years? Should it be the most influential? If so then for me it has to be Stephen Hawking’s A Brief History of Time.

That last statement may have confused you however I say it as it was one of the driving factors in converting me from a mathematician to a physics.

This book just falls into the 20 year or under category as like me it was first published in 1988. It I think is well known as being one of those books people are scared of due to a fear of not understanding. However if you read it and only understand half you are still half way there & you will get a lot out of it. It stretches your imagination and perception just like any good novel yet you can stand back from it and say this is true. (or is it?). Either way instead of transporting you to a different weird and wonderful world through an author’s eyes it opens your eyes to the beauty that surrounds us. If like some you are not mathematically minded then there is still no need to worry. You can still take in the basic concept so giving not only a sense of wonder but also I like to think a sense of understanding as to why.

So I say to you go out there next time your wanting a book. Pick it up cheap, read, enjoy and hopefully understand. And if not you can still turn heads by saying I have read Hawking’s book.

(Exepose 22/10/07)

Altered Carbon

For all science fiction novels there is a certain donnée you must accept upon reading, Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan is no different.
Death is no longer the end, if you have enough money. All people have 'stacks' atop their spinal cord, where all memories and thoughts are digitally stored. Thus, were the body (or “sleeve”) to die, the mind can be placed into another body and the person will live on. As a result, real death has become rare, with even those too poor to be “re-sleeved” being put into digital storage, occasionally using rented sleeves for relation's weddings and  the like.
This brings us to the plot of this novel. A very wealthy man  suffers real death and awakes from a back-up copy of his brain, questioning why? The police investigate and find the man to have committed suicide, a conclusion Laurens Bancroft cannot reconcile with his own ideas. His thinking being, had he wanted to end his life, he would have made sure he didn't come back. So enters our protagonist Takeshi Kovacs (although not by choice), a former United Nations Envoy, a solider of the protectorate who can adapt quickly to new environments and bodies, recently discredited and imprisoned for his criminal activities. Kovacs finds himself released onto Earth, a planet he had never previously visited, and into the custody of Laurens Bancroft, our aforementioned wealthy man.
Bancroft gives Kovacs the ultimatum- find the real reason for his death or return to storage. Finding himself between a rock and a hard place, with the bankroll to pay for an army, Kovacs delves deep into the quasi-cyberpunk dystopian that Earth has become in search of answers. Due to Takeshi's often blasé way of investigating, his presence is soon noticed and his own past brings about additional obstacles in his search for the truth.

Throughout this descent into a sordid underground of a modernistic society, Morgan develops our protagonist to become much more than just an anti-hero. In some aspects he is also the victim. This style helps to pull you head-first through the dark and gritty world of the novel without losing sight of the light at the end of the tunnel.
All told, this is one of the best Sci-Fi novels I have found recently. It has an intriguing plot which will keep you reading, with characters which will make you care and set in an all too convincing view of the future.
So, if Sci-Fi is your thing, or you’re just looking to give it a chance, I would urge you to make “Altered Carbon” the next book you read.