The Archaeologists’ Guide to Reading the Culture: A Farewell to Iain M. BanksAn Archaeologists’ Guide to Iain M. Banks

Last Sunday (June 9th 2013) Iain M. Banks, one of my favorite authors of all time passed away. This was not a surprise.  He had announced he had late stage cancer earlier this year, but that does not make it any less sad.  Since his announcement in April, I had been readying articles to publish in this case, but really now that it’s happened they seem pretty lame. After all, all they did was either praise him (duh), or make a big deal about how he showed me that Science Fiction could be written in a ‘literary’ style, with attention paid to the flow of language as well as to the ideas held therein.

So, instead of saying this badly (like I just did), I decided to honor him in a different way…[1]

First, however, for those of you who don’t know, Iain M. Banks was a versatile and talented author who wrote both marvelous ‘literary’ works[2] and some of the most vivid and imaginative speculative fiction to date. For a review of his life, it would probably behoove you to read any one of the numerous obituaries and discussions of his literary influence that are now appearing in print and on the web. One such obituary can be found in the Guardian while a very good discussion of his literary legacy one can be found at io9. For a more first hand and personal view into the man and his writing, see this interview he performed for The Open University.

For my part, however, I have decided to honor him by providing a list of the order in which readers might best be introduced to his works.  It is, after all, the one question I get asked about in regards to the late great author than anything else.  Even so, it is just a suggestion and one of the best things about Banks, one of those elements that shows how talented he really was, is that you can pick up any of his stories, even his Culture series, and find a complete, whole story there in.

So, let’s start with his literary works which are, in one sense, the most easily addressed. 

Not surprisingly, Banks’ literary library can be read in pretty much any order.  I will, actually, be reviewing some of these over the next year, as that while traditionally shelved in the Literary section, they could technically be shelved in the Mystery section just as easily. So, I won’t even really bother discussing these yet, other than to say that my favorites are probably The Crow Road, and Complicity. His first novel The Wasp Factory, won a bunch of awards and The Bridge is high on my to-read list.  I have yet to read any of them that I didn’t like on some level, however, so you can’t really lose there.

Banks’ Science Fiction:

As said earlier, his Science Fiction can also be read in any order, even The Culture series.  Every single one of his books is a stand-alone novel.  You do not need to know anything about any of the earlier books and, for the most part, even the later books do not contain any real spoilers of the earlier books.[3] Therefore, if you find yourself in an airport bookstore and see his any of his books, pick it up![4] After all, you have to start somewhere and while I have a list provided below, it really doesn’t matter. In general, however, if you have a choice when it comes to the Culture series, start with the earlier works. If they are not in stock, however, pick up which ever ones you can get your hands on. You can enjoy any of his works at any point in the sequence.

Even so, while I do think that while his Culture series can be read in any order, there are some books that are easier books to start with, and others that are best read towards the end of the list. Indeed, I would certainly say that his first eight Science Fiction books could be read in any order, and that the later Culture ones are best read afterwards to better enjoy them.

But, that brings up a point.  I keep talking about this Culture thing… [5]

The Culture is an ultra advanced, galaxy spanning post-need utopian civilization whose citizens lead an arguably hedonistic life free of concerns.  Governed by a series of hyper-intelligent artificial Minds (they are to Artificial Intelligences as humans are to single cell organisms), the citizens of the Culture, mostly human (though not from Earth) live as long as they wish, have backups of their memories in case they die, can change shape (and sex) at will (even to things that have no resemblance to human, or even animal life), can gland whatever drug or feeling they desire and can, in essence, do whatever they please.

The Culture is not, however, alone in the galaxy. In order to ensure the safety of their society, and influence others to follow a similar path, they have an organization known as Contact, and its somewhat shady covert operations division: Special Circumstances.  With human and hyper intelligent robots called Drones as their operatives, and Minds calling the shots, Special Circumstances directly and indirectly influences the politics and other social development of societies around them.

What is most interesting about the Culture, however, is not the ultracool concepts of Minds and Drones, nor even the clever dialogue and concepts they put forward, but rather the subtleties of the way Banks presents his characters.  Though one could read some of his societies as utopian, even the Culture, also serves as a dystopia; it is a world populated by hipsters desperately seeking something to make their lives meaningful.

Obviously the Culture is his most fleshed out world; it is a fascinating example of how one can both stretch one’s imagination while also addressing social and philosophical concepts.  It does this, however, without hitting one over the head.  Indeed, one can ignore the more heady concepts all together and just read his books as ripping yarns.  That is why I love his writing, and that is why I am so sad that he is gone.

Yet having said all of that, I’m not so sure that reading one of his Culture novels is the best place to start.  They are, as a collection, his greatest set of Science Fiction works, yes, but would one suggest you begin reading Tolstoy with War and Peace? I for one would suggest starting with A Day in the Life of Ivan Ilych or How Much Land Does a Man Need?

To that end, I would probably suggest starting Banks with his collection of short fiction:

State of the Art, Iain M. Banks (Orbit)

This collection of short Science Fiction stories has the appeal of providing bite-sized insights to Banks’ style and imaginations.  In some ways it is skewed because his best work, even his literary stuff, is done on a large canvas.  Even so, the short form gives the reader a chance to dip their toes into the literary pool and test the waters.

Some of the tales are set in the Culture; most are not.  If you like short stories and are unsure about Science Fiction or the darkness that fills many of Banks’ tales, this is probably the best starting point.  Even though I generally prefer novels in which you can immerse yourself fully in the imagination of an author, this is a brilliant book.

Alternately, you might want to start with:

The Algebraist, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 2005)

The Algebraist is not a Culture book, but is one of my favorite books by Banks. It is filled with wonderful descriptions, fantastic aliens, great characterizations, and brilliant prose.  I truly enjoyed the book both as an adventure tale and as a thoughtful examination of identity and our view of the other.

After these, you could read any of his non-culture books in any order,[6] but perhaps now would be the best time to dip one’s toes into The Culture.  To that end, many suggest that you begin with Consider Phlebas.  It was, after all, Banks’ first Culture indeed, first Science Fiction novel, but while it is brilliantly written, it is not necessarily easily accessible for every reader.  It is crammed with ideas and showcases much of Banks’ more rambling literary style, which I love,[7] but may not appeal to all.  It is also quite long.

To that end, I would suggest starting with:

The Player of Games, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 1988)

The Player of Games is Iain M Banks second science fiction novel, and the second installment in his Culture series, though obviously it need not be read as a sequel.  The reason I suggest this as the best starting place for the Culture series, is that Player of Games one of his shortest, and for me, his most accessible books.[8] The story is also somewhat straight forward, for Banks anyhow, which helps. It is the story of Jernau Morat Gurgeh, the greatest game player the Culture has to offer. When, much to his surprise, Gurgeh is recruited by the nefarious Special Circumstances branch of Culture’s Contact wing to play a game unlike any other, he discovers that he needs all of his skills and more if he is to win. Winning this game, however, is more important than any he has played before: if he wins he will rule the Empire of Azad, but if he loses he could well die.

This book not only contains some pretty cool action and sci-fi stuff, but also introduces the reader to the workings of The Culture, not to mention Banks’ flow of language, incredible ideas and interesting commentaries on socio-cultural imperialism.  Having said that, there’s some pretty cool sci-fi stuff and action as well.

After this, you might want to step over to another non-Culture book,[9] like:

Against a Dark Background, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 1993) 

Against a Dark Background was Iain M. Banks‘ fourth Science Fiction Novel, and his first not explicitly set in the Culture universe. It is a marvelously interesting read, with strangely dark humor and filled with wonders from Banks’ vivid imagination.  While not as dark as Use of Weapons or Complicity, it certainly has its fair share of grim humor and deep overtones.

The plot revolves around Lady Sharrow and her hunt for the last remaining Lazy Gun, the only weapon ever invented that demonstrates a sense of humor.  Created by a lost civilization, no one understands how these guns work, only that when fired they frequently destroy their target in a random way whose ridiculousness is inversely related to the size of said target.  Thus, target a city and it will probably just blow up, but shoot a person and it will probably kill them in a manner more commonly seen in Bugs Bunny.  Prepare for anvils from the sky, giant electrodes popping out and electrifying them, or the like.

Funny, dark and thoughtful, this is an excellent book for anyone who likes science fiction.

Then… well then it is probably time you start in full force into The Culture. You could very readily read any of his first eight Science Fiction books in any order.

I, however, would probably go to the book that started it all:[10]

 Consider Phlebas, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 1987)

One of the best Science Fiction books I have read.  It launched Iain M. Banks’ Culture world/series and demonstrates that good Science Fiction can stand up to any other form of literature. Indeed on a literary scale, I would say that it remains one of his best books.
A dark tale told from the point of view of an opponent of the Culture, it was inspired by the Iran-Iraq War and examines a material humanist society at war with a theocratic one.  It is tale of Horza, a mercenary assassin sent on a mission to kill or capture a Culture Mind that is stranded on a planet under the protection of a civilization as technologically far above the Culture as the Culture is above us. Filled with fantastic imagery, ideas and adventure, it is an exciting tale with a dark and contemplative nature.

After that, I would move on to my favorite of all of his books:

Use of Weapons, Iain M. Banks (Orbit) 

The third of Banks‘ Culture’ novels, Use of Weapons ranks up in my favorite books of all time.  It is a tremendously dark tale told in an alternating, dual time frame manner, with one set of stories moving forward and the other moving backward in time.  As one reads it, one uncovers the dark secrets and horrible past of the books’ main characters, and exactly what a weapon can be…

Like all of Banks’ novels, this is a stand alone book and in no way requires the reader to be familiar with any of his previous works. Furthermore, it not only has a compelling storyline set in a beautifully described and imaginative world, but is told in a manner that highlights this award winning author’s literary talents.

After the total darkness that is Use of Weapons, one might want to turn to another Non-Culture book, like the very one I have previously-warned-you- off-of:

Feersum Endjinn, Iain M. Banks (Orbit)

“Count Sessine is about to die for the very last time….” With a tag line like that, how wrong can you go? Well, though I love it (and it was the second Banks’ book I ever read, this book is not one for those who don’t like to work at their reading.  Indeed, it is not for everyone.  You HAVE to already have come to appreciate and trust him as a writer.

Feersum Endjuff has a complex multi-perspective post-post-modern form of narrative that includes one character’s point-of-view, written in a first person quasi-phonetic form that approximates a regional  working class British accents (e.g. the title of the book might have been spelled Fearsome Engine). It ain’t easy to start with, but as one reads on what began as a headache becomes one of the best elements of the book, and makes one think about language and what it implies to us about the speaker. I should note that once one is used to the phonetic and text-speech spelling in parts of the tale, it reads like a Ripping Yarn.  As such, its very language makes one think about social identity and class assumptions.

I highly recommend Feersum Endjinn to anyone who is looking for an intellectual teaser wrapped inside a good solid adventure.

After that, I would go back to the Culture with one of my favorites, and, in fact, the first Banks’ book I ever read (talk about starting in the deep end):

Excession, Iain M. Banks (Orion, 1996) 

Excession is Iain M. Banks‘ seventh science fiction novel, his fourth that is definitively set in the Culture universe, and possibly my second favorite of his books.[11] It is an innovative tale told primarily from the point-of-view of the culture Minds.  Though it is a stand-alone novel, it is probably not the best book to start with if you haven’t read a Culture novel before. After all, starting the point from hyper intelligent AI’s with layers of agendas may prove to be a bit of a block to slipping easily into the world he has created.

If you are familiar with his Culture books, however, Excession is a wonderful insight to the inner workings of the most fascinating of Banks’ creations.

Inversions, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 1998)

Though I do not feel that Inversions Iain M. Banks‘ best work, it is a very good book that can be read as a variety of different subgenres, and serves as a companion piece that plays very well against Excession.

Inversions shows no Minds, no Drones, no knife-missiles.  Indeed, if you like, you could read as an excellent High Fantasy Novel.  The actual word-smithing of this novel is amongst the best he has composed, and the ideas he grapples are great, but perhaps the concepts he is trying to portray are just too large for a single volume. Regardless, if you like Speculative Fiction, I think you will enjoy this book.

And here at last, we come to the CHANGE in his writing.  Oh no, not his style or concepts or anything like that. Rather, it is at this point that I think an actual ORDER to reading his books should be adhered to.  Well, maybe no an order, per se, but rather I would say that the second half of the list is really best read after the first half.  Indeed, one could argue that Look To Windward could be the best book to end on.

To that end, the next I would read is likely:

Matter, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 2008 {UK}/2009 {US})

If I were to skip any one of Banks’ Culture books, I would skip this one.  Matter is just not one of Banks’ best offerings.  It has strong characters living in a well developed universe and a rich and complex plot that avoids being convoluted. It does, however, have one of the most obscenely Banksian set of sentence structures I have ever encountered. Really, sometimes no matter how good or successful and author is, they really need an editor who will slap them down.  In this case, despite the fact that Banks’ flow of language is one of the strongest elements of his writing, I felt he let his writing get away from him just a tad.

Regardless, though I feel this is his least successful work of science Fiction, I still gave it a Gamma (A Good Book to Read), which means even at his worst, Banks was better than most.

After this, I would highly recommend picking up:

Surface Details, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 2010) 

Though again, Surface Details is not the best of his novels, it’s better than Matter and quite a bit of a ripping yarn told in a post modern manner.  In brief, it is a multi-perspective piece examining events surrounding a virtual war taking place in a virtual Hell.  Central to this is the saga of Lededje Y’breq, a woman from outside the Culture who is tattooed on a genetic level to display her status as an indentured servant.  She, quite rightly, is seeking revenge against her previous owner and murderer.[12]  It has good action, good characters (mostly) and though it never raises to the quality of his best works, Surface Details remains an enjoyable read throughout. It does, however, gain considerable value when read in conjunction with:

The Hydrogen Sonata, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 2012)

For me, The Hydrogen Sonata was the companion piece to Surface Details, and I have no doubt there is little coincidence that these two books were written at the end of his life.

Whereas Surface Details focuses on the morality of Hell, The Hydrogen Sonata focuses on the other end of the afterlife.  The story centers on the Gzilt, a humanoid species of reptilian origin who were deeply involved in the set up of the Culture but never joined, who are only days away from Subliming.[13] Sadly, the Gzilt, however, are having some problems and… well… to understand that, read the book, or at least read my review.

As a whole, the book looks at morality, life after death, and the concept of rewards in the world beyond.  In this, it succeeds brilliantly as a book.  Where it failed just a tad is the same place I struggled with Surface Details; it somewhat turns Minds into superheroes… but I cover that ad nauseam in my actual review.

Having said that, I would rank both The Hydrogen Sonata and Surface Details as Betas if they are read as a paired set that somewhat sum up Banks’ view of religion and, maybe even life as a whole.  To that end, if you read these as the last of his works, you might be well off.

I, however, think that perhaps to give a full circle to his writings as a whole the best book to end on is:

Look To Windward, Iain M. Banks (Orbit, 2000) 

Despite the fact it was not his last book, or even his last Culture book, Look to Windward really does close out the series quite nicely.  While it is not his best work, it brings to conclusion some elements that he began in Consider Phlebas and addresses the ends of things on all sorts of levels. I may go back and re-read it now.

So.  That’s it.  It doesn’t matter what order you read them in, but read them.  Banks’ helped raise Space Opera and Science Fiction as a whole in both its use of language and general style.  For those who criticize Sci-Fi as simplistic in themes (huh… what do they know?) or use of language (well, there they may have a point), I turn them to Banks.

Thank you and goodbye to Mr. Banks.  My deep condolences to those who truly knew you and whom you left behind.

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[1] Regular readers will note that this article is similar to one I wrote in April when Banks’ first announced his illness.  In that one, I listed his Sci Fi works in the order he published them and produced links to my reviews.  Because, as I state here, I keep getting asked for a list of what order to read them in, I wrote this article, but it doesn’t say a huge amount that’s new.  Hell, I’m an academic by training and yes, we do roll out the same articles time and time again with just a few tweaks… so sue me.

[2] I keep using quotes around this because this term suggests that somehow, other genres are not literary – that they are somehow less valuable.  This is not the case.  Indeed, the very foundations of literature come from imaginative speculation… and while I would not qualify Gilgamesh, The Egyptian Book of the Dead, or any mythologies as Sci-Fi or Fantasy, they clearly demonstrate that someone had a pretty vivid imagination.  Regardless, there is no other term for the fiction that’s lumped together under the Literary genre so, I’ll keep using it, albeit grudgingly.

[3] Do you have any idea how hard it is to do this?  Unbelievable.

[4] Well, except maybe Feersum Endjinn.  Reading this will not spoil any other of his books, and it will make sense right off the bat, but it is also one of his most difficult books to read.  It is also one of his best, but really, it helps if you already have to have faith in him as a writer.

[5] This discussion is lifted, almost verbatim from my previous article listing all of Banks’ Sci Fi Works. If you read that, skip this.

[6] Except, once again, Feersum Endjinn, whose style is a bit thick.

[7] Well, mostly.  He does sometimes make my parenthetical comments look short and succinct.

[8] Though my wife didn’t think so.  She found his long, rambling sentence structure a bit dense.

[9] Well, OK, it might be Culture… but need not be.

[10] Though again I will note that his first eight books can be read in any order with no spoilers or lessening of enjoyment.

[11] Though I do love The Algebraist.

[12] Yes.  I said murderer.

[13] For a full description of this, see my full review, but in brief, it is the transference of a whole culture to higher dimensional state that is just a bit like nirvana in its nature.

Related articles

• Iain Banks, 1954-2013 (boingboing.net)
• Farewell to Iain (M) Banks (fatnancysnewdiet.wordpress.com)
• Iain Banks Has Passed Away (tor.com)
• Iain Banks: a science fiction star first and foremost (guardian.co.uk)
• Iain Banks, RIP (whatever.scalzi.com)
• In memoriam: Iain Banks (readmorebooks.wordpress.com)
• Scottish author Iain Banks dies of cancer months after diagnosis (news.stv.tv)
• Iain Banks 1954-2013 (socialistworker.co.uk)
• Iain Banks dies aged 59 (guardian.co.uk)
• Goodbye, Iain Banks (tor.com)

Happy 3rd Birthday to the Archaeologist’s Guide to the Galaxy!

Today I celebrate the third Anniversary of this blog![1]  This year saw a continued increase in readership, and as with last year, I thought I’d do a quick breakdown of the most popular posts.

First, however, I thought it only appropriate to note a change to the format of the blog.

For three years now I have posted an article, mostly book reviews, every single week, and that is beginning to take its toll.  I’m busy writing my next novel and I just don’t have the time to continue reviewing a book every week. Yet, I love this blog and the community it has opened up to me.[2]  As a result, I will switch to posting every other week.

I didn’t take this decision lightly, but my need to get the next book out has to take priority over the need to review other people’s novels.  Soooo….

That being said, and a great year behind me, let’s get to the fun and examine the most read articles of the past year.

The Top Ten Posts of Archaeologists’ Guide to the Galaxy’s Third Year (June 2012 to June 2013):[3]

 #1 Double Blind: Battletech No. 31, Loren L. Coleman (Roc, 1997 {Defiance Audio(Listen & Live), 2002 Narrator: Christopher Grabill)

Really, if you’re going to write a book about stuff that’s cool enough that someone builds one instead of improving their house, don’t you think you should describe it in the book?

Double Blind: Battletech 31 by Loren L. Coleman is a mediocre MilFic book that serves as a tie-in to the Battletech game system.  It has a poor start that it nearly got the rare Ζ – How did this get published rating.  It eventually picked up, however, and becomes a reasonable story that could have had a great deal of potential, if only it had been handled better.

It remains the number one hit on my site, no doubt because of the image shown to the side here, but is in reality an outlier… so I’ll put an alternate #10 at the end of this list.

#2 100th Post: A Total review of The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and The Restaurant at the End of the Universe including the book, audiobook, radio programs, TV programs and movies associated with them!!! by Douglas Adams

Written in celebration of my 100th post, I reviewed the first part of the classic of Science Fiction series from which this blog’s name was inspired: The Hitchhikers’ Guide to the Galaxy.  It reviewed the first two books, the first two audiobooks, the first two radio series, the original TV series, and the gawdaweful movie.  I love this book still, even though bits of it have been stolen and/or redone that they have lost the humor of their origin, most of it remains as funny now as when it was first aired… and yes, it was aired as a radio drama before it was ever a book.

#3 The Time Traveler’s Wife http://wp.me/pWa2h-mY

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger is a wonderful piece of interstitial fiction about a man and a woman brought together and torn apart by time. Told in two perspectives, that of the time traveler and his wife, its dual first person narratives weave together a complicated story of a relationship shared across fractured times. I highly recommend this piece to fans of any genre, but note that one should set aside expectations of what the story will be about and the form it will take.

#4 The Fall of Hyperion, Dan Simmons (Doubleday, 1990)

The Fall of Hyperion is the mediocre second volume in Dan Simmons‘ Hyperion series (serial).  While it does conclude the cliffhanger end of Hyperion it also reduces the value that book by showing that the themes and stylistic meanderings of the first volume were little more than intellectual games, and that the overall plot was a rather pedestrian messiah story.

This book could equally serve as a writer’s guide to how to destroy an otherwise brilliant series.

#5 Grendel, John Gardner (Ballantine Books, 1971)

Grendel is John Gardner‘s 1971 retelling of the classic Beowulf tale from the monster’s point of view.  Engaging in its ability to turn the oldest surviving piece of English literature on its head, it tells the story of a man-monster torn by its compulsive attraction to humanity and its isolation from it.  Well written and darkly enthralling, I highly recommend this book.

If nothing else, it has a major impact on fantasy literature as that it really paved the way to the post-modern showing of the monster’s view. Beyond that, however, it is a good book in its own right.

#6 The Wee Free Men: A Story of Discworld, Terry Pratchett (HarperCollins, 2003) {HarpurAudio, Narrator: Stephen Briggs)

I can’t tell you how happy I was to see The Wee Free Men: A Story of Discworld in the top ten.  It is the extremely amusing and engaging first volume of the Tiffany Aching Series by Terry Pratchett.  Set in his ever-amusing Discworld (about which there are so many books one cannot keep up), this Mid-grade to Young Adult[1] novel chronicles the adventures of Tiffany Aching, a young girl (approximately nine years old) from the Chaulk.  It is funny, engaging and wonderfully enjoyable.

#7 Off Armageddon Reef: Safehold Series Book 1, David Weber (Tor, 2007 {McMillan Audio, Narrator: Oliver Wyman})

Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber is a good enough read if you enjoy Military Science Fiction, but is likely to prove un-engaging if you do not already care for the genre. Taking its basic premise from A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, it is the tale of an android loaded with a young woman’s memories who is tasked with introducing technology into a secret space colony governed by a technophobic theocracy.

Weber has given it an overly long backstory and the text suffers from many of the complaints of MilFic in general, but also has very interesting twists and shows that as ever, Weber is anything but a simplistic author.

#8 The Problem with Military Science Fiction: Part 1, The Problem with Military Science Fiction Part 2, & Polyanna Was a Space Marine: Why Military Science Fiction Characters Are Too Good to be True

These are really three different posts, but as that they are the continuation of a common idea, I clustered them together.  Effectively, as most of you know, they are an apologist’s continuing critical examination of the Military Science Fiction subgenre, focusing on the problems it faces and why it often gets such a bad wrap.  The idea behind them is to examine what we can do to change the reputation and whether doing so would kill what’s great about the genre.  In other words, it’s me pontificating about a genre I love…

#9 Beowulf: A New Translation (a.k.a. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation), Unknown, Translation by Seamus Heaney (Faber and Faber, 1999)

I will say that I was most surprised to see this review getting such a high rating, particularly when Gardner’s Grendle was also on the list.  I suspect I’m hitting the homework crowd in both of them, but it matters not.  They are great tales that reflect the origins and re-imagined origins of the genre and I am delighted to help people examine and/or read them… particularly Heaney’s version, which is an action adventure poem to match any Ripping Yarn…

Academically speaking, Seamus Heaney‘sBeowulf: A New Translation is not the best translation I have seen.  It is, however, the most readable version I have ever seen. In a wonderful display of talent and skill, Heaney turns the grandfather of all English language speculative literature (indeed, one could very well argue all English Language Literature) into a rip roaring, easy to read adventure tale… IN VERSE!  If you’ve ever had trouble making through Beowulf, or think that poetry is dull, try Beowulf: A New Translation (a.k.a. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation).

#10 Foucault’s Pendulum, Umberto Eco (Ballantine Books, 1990 (First published Gruppo Editoriale Fabbri Bompiani, 1988) {Translated from Italian by William Weaver}

Once again Foucault’s Pendulum makes the list and once again I am delighted and surprised to see it.  One of my favorite tales, Foucault’s Pendulum is the thinking man’s answer to the Da Vinci Code.  It is the ultimate conspiracy/mystery novel. It is one of my favorite books of all time, but one must be aware that many people find it is a very dense and difficult read.  It is crammed with history and well crafted pseudo-history that many readers find it impenetrable, but if one lets some of the admittedly byzantine labyrinth of slide by, the end is well worth it.

Alternate #10 – because the #1 is really just there because of a funny cover…

Shadow of the Hegemon by Orson Scott Card is the sequel to Ender’s Shadow, which by itself is as sequel of sorts to Ender’s Game.  While it is an entertaining enough read that answers some of the questions of what happened on Earth after the war with the Formics, aka the Buggers (yes I giggle every time), it does not live up to the level of its predecessor and comes no where near the greatness that is the first book in the series.

Long and preachy, it sadly detracts from both Ender’s Game and Ender’s Shadow, belittling the accomplishments of the protagonist by wallowing in the problems of his past we thought he had already overcome… twice.

And then there is my own favorite post of the year…. not surprisingly it is

Strings on a Shadow Puppet, T. L. Evans (SKP/TLE, 2013)

The post that announced the official release of my own book.  Well, what else did you expect?  Of course I’m happy about that!  And just to show how much I am happy about it…

So there it is, the most popularly viewed posts of my third year in business and an announcement that I’ve been contemplating for some time.  I love writing this post, but if I am ever going to get my second book out, I’ve got to dedicate more time to it.  So, see you in two weeks and thank you for following my blog!

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[1] Well, actually it was over the weekend, but I post on a Thursday and I thought I’d post after rather than before.

[2] Yet there too, I have been remiss.  I almost never get a chance to comment on the pages of other bloggers, and barely get a chance to read them.  Those are important parts of being part of the book review community.

[3] Technically, the last week of May 2012 to the last week of May 2013, but whose counting right?

 

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The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Stieg Larsson (Alfred A. Knopf, 2008 [translated by Reg Keeland]{Audible Audio Edition, Narrator: Simon Vance})

(Mystery)

Grade: Γ — (Gamma) A good or even fantastic book within the genre, possibly worth reading regardless of which genres you like, but has a setting or style that is likely to be unappealing to individuals who are not fans of a given genre. This is the highest grade that many very good books that are part of a series can receive, since series require an investment in reading that normally only appeals to fans of that genre. 

In brief:

Technically, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson is a ‘Cold Case, Locked Door Mystery’ that takes place in remote Sweden, but really it’s about the personal and societal mistreatment of women.  As such, a slightly pedestrian mystery becomes a very good book to read… and even better to listen to.

Setting:

Sweden, early 2000′s.

In Depth:

Make no mistake about it, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a book about the denigration of women. Oh, don’t get me wrong, on the surface it’s a Cold Case, Locked Door Mystery that takes place in remote Sweden, but really it’s about the personal and societal disrespect of women.  The degree to which this is the case can be found in it’s Swedish title, Män som hatar kvinnor: “Men Who Hate Women.”

In one way or another, there is not a single male character in the book who does not in some way denigrate women, be it in the form of violent rape, condescending over protection, benign neglect, or simple irresponsible obliviousness; men just do not come off very well in this book.  That’s ok, because neither do many of the women.  Many, though by no means all, also play a part in mistreatment of the female gender either through their own acts or through their ability to ignore or even cover up their mistreatment.  As such, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo paints a fairly damning portrait of Swedish society – and if we are honest with ourselves, the rest of Western Society as well.

In this respect, the book could almost qualify as an Alpha rating.  In the end it doesn’t because the prose is not the best (even taken into account that it was translated from the original Swedish)[1] and while the plot was solid enough, it was not all that outstanding.

The framework on which the book is built is a cold-case locked room mystery, and as such is perfectly adequate.  It does, however, rely quite heavily on ‘burying the clues in too much information.’[2] Now, that by itself is totally acceptable, but I could see the smoke and mirrors that serve to hide who the real antagonist of the tale is. What is more, I saw the final plot twist coming from the moment we discovered what the central mystery of the story was.  In its favor, however, is the fact that it didn’t hide any information at all — and that is a bit of a relief in modern mystery writing.

To that end, if you are a mystery fan and want a decent enough story, this is a perfectly serviceable novel, but really, it is an awful lot more.  It really is quite an interesting read.  It has solid characters and makes insightful points about society in a manner that does not come off as preachy.  A good read for anyone interested.

Notes about the Audio Edition:

Simon Vance lived up to his excellent performance levels again while narrating this book.  Listening to him is always a pleasure as that he can take a mediocre book and make it truly enjoyable. In this case, he took a good book and made it better, but he did something more; he did something that is a bit noteworthy.

The now famous protagonist of this story, Lisbeth Salander, has become a bit of a cult icon.  Portrayed in this and two other novels, she is described in the text as being under five feet tall, 90 lbs, and a natural red head who dyes her hair black.  A societal dysfunctional with a cunning analytical mind and an almost inhuman detachment, Larsson notes her as being emotionally removed at best and cold in her interactions.

To that end, it seemed at first quite interesting to me that Vance decided to read her using a classic southern English working/underclass accent.  Not the sort of depressed monosyllabic type, mind you, but rather the more agitated, smart and streetwise cadence. Oh it is a 100% accurate to the type of goth-cum-punk you meet in London on any given day, but certainly doesn’t match the character as described.

At first I was surprised by this, then I realized the degree of Mr. Vance’s talent.  Despite the discrepancy in his portrayal of her from what is described in the very text he is reading, I was not at all drawn out of the story by it.  Indeed, perhaps even the opposite.

The reason is simple, Vance’s portrayal matched the archetype of a kind of person I had met and talked to a hundred times.  From the moment I heard him read Lisbeth’s voice I understood a central piece of her socio-economic and educational background.  As her story unfolded, that was built upon, but why the tough in your face attitude as opposed to the tough cold fish attitude?  After all, that what is outlined in the text and exactly how both actresses who played the part on screen portrayed it…

And that is when the answer came to me: the actresses played the role on screen. Cinema and television are media where subtleties can be shown with minor facial expressions and sympathy can be built just by being attractive.  In an audiobook, a performer is not given that luxury.  Quite aside from being a man, Mr. Vance cannot show us what Lisbeth is like by raising an eyebrow or narrowing his eyes, he must portray her through what is said in the text and how he reads it.

Now, the text more than adequately describes Lisbeth, but if Vance were to have read her parts in a deadpan style, not only would it have it been a bit boring to listen to, we would have lost sympathy with her – as indeed many of the characters in the book did.

To that end, Simon Vance’s deep understanding of the audio medium is shown.  If he had read Lisbeth Salander in the manner she is described in the book, the listener would have been put off the character and most likely the whole story (she does, after all, have a lot of lines).  Instead, his choice of working class, street tough, in-your-face Londish accent, keeps the listener engaged with the tale and sympathetic to Lisbeth, but does not pull the listener out of the story despite the discrepancy.

Well done Mr. Vance… yet again you added to my enjoyment of a book.

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[1] Indeed, I’ve heard comment the English translation is better than the original Swedish, but I have absolutely no basis upon which to judge that.

[2] That is to say, it is a bit of a “Death By Red Herring.” There are so many red herrings in the book you really could cut down the mightiest tree in the forest with them.

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Ganwold’s Child: Book One of the Sergey Chronicles, Diann Thornley Read (TOR, 1995)

(Military Science Fiction, YA, Science Fiction, Ripping Yarn)

Grade: Δ — (Delta) A good, solid read, but only buy it if you like the genre.

In brief:

Ganwold’s Child was Diann Read’s first novel and the first installment of the Sergey Chronicles.[1]  Half-YA and half Military Science Fiction, it is a fun read for any science fiction fan (even those who are not normally MilFic readers) that sets up what promises to be a very interesting series while still giving a solid conclusion at the end of the book.  What is more, the Kindle version of the book will be free on Amazon for May 18-19 (www.amazon.com/Ganwolds-Child-Sergey-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B009SS3GM4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366979641&sr=1-1&keywords=ganwold%27s+child).

Setting:

Far future interstellar space with Faster than Light (FTL) travel and numerous alien species.  Human civilization has fragmented slightly with at least two interstellar human polities, the Unified Worlds and the Dominion, though there are suggestions that others might well exist.  Some of the other interstellar races are also Balkanized.  There are suggestions throughout this text that both the alien cultures and the human politics have depths greater than those directly discussed in the book itself – hopefully to be revealed in the later volumes.

In Depth: 

Tristan grew up a human among aliens. Now he must use his alienness to survive among humans.

Ganwold’s Child was Diann Read’s first novel and at times it shows,[2] but what also shows is the deep thought that she put into the world she created and the reality that stems from her clear military background.  Together, these elements make for a fun and light but engaging read that will appeal to many Science Fiction fans.  Indeed, though I categorize this both under YA (because of the youthful age of the central protagonist) and Military Science Fiction (because of clear military elements in the second half of the book), I think it will appeal to any fan of Sci Fi who wants a straight forward, fun “does what it says on the tin” type of a read.  To that end, when I give it a Delta, I mean that it will appeal to readers of the whole Science Fiction genre, and not just readers of YA or MilFic subgenres.

In essence, this book is the story of Tristan, the son of two high powered Military officers: his mother an MD, his father the head of a Special Ops/Intelligence division. Yet an accident and attack by slavers at the outset of the book leaves the toddler aged Tristan and his mother stranded on an alien world deep inside of enemy territory.  The opening sequence, a sample of which is provided in varying formats here (LINK) and below, immediately drew me into the story.[3]

Fear of capture and exploitation leads Tristan’s mother to raise the boy among the Gan, a feral, tribal and truly matriarchal alien culture.[4]  As such, Tristan grows up as much a part of this alien culture as he is human and in some senses more so.  Unlike many such stories, what struck me the most was the importance of that cultural upbringing throughout the book.  While Tristan intellectually understands that human culture is not matriarchal (and the culture presented by Read in this book suggests that it is even a tad more male dominated that I hope the future will be), he and his Gan ‘brother,’ Pulou, still react to interactions expecting a female dominated culture.  This comes into play throughout the story, not just as background, but as central elements to choices they make in the tale. [5]  Usually such a cultural difference in novels (science fiction and otherwise) comes across merely as window dressing, so seeing a difference reflected throughout a book is truly refreshing to see.

Indeed, perhaps my greatest complaint of the book is that we don’t see more of the Gan culture, nor do we delve very greatly into Pulou very much.  This character could well have been developed with much greater depth, and similarly, I would loved to have seen more scenes of Tristan’s early life among the Gan.  Perhaps these elements will come out more as I read more deeply into the Sergey Chronicles.  Even so, wanting more of such an element in a book is hardly a bad thing, and I do wonder if it was trimmed to suit an editor’s choice. If so, it is a pity, because at the conclusion of the book there are outcomes of dealings with alien cultures that didn’t quite jibe with my understanding of the interstellar.[6] Regardless, the suggestion of deeper alien cultures and complex politics that are not info-dumped on a hapless reader are generally a good thing.

Other shining parts of the novel come from the author’s military background.  There are scenes of flight academy examinations that are presented with such realism that one has no doubt that Ms. Read once served in the Air Force.  Similarly, there is an Intelligence Briefing shown towards the second half of the novel that read with 100% accuracy regarding both the tone of the meeting and the kinds of information being used to form the conclusions.  No super-secret spy providing high stakes intelligence, but rather ship movements that could be recorded by anyone able to observe bases; very realistic, with one exception – not nearly as dull as real world intelligence briefings.

This leads to the last element of the book that makes it stand out from many MilFic tales – the politics.  As noted before, in the realm of Military Science Fiction there are two basic types of plotlines: the Soldier’s Story and the Tale of Tactics.  Where it is a MilFic tale, Ganwold’s Child definitely fits more into the former than the latter. As noted by many critics of the MilFic genre, both styles of story tend to be light on the politics behind the war, but this is more so with the Soldier’s Story.[7]  The reasons for this are simple: most soldiers (or officers, or ratings, starmen, space marines or what have you) do not have very significant inputs into the politics of a situation.  In general, if you are on the front line, you are not making the policy decisions that lead you into the war in the first place.

In this book, and hopefully the rest of the Sergey Chronicles, Diann Thornley Read manages to overcome this weakness by including the personal politics of an Admiral and his family at the center of the tale.  In this way, Read manages to keep the story a personal tale (which is, after all, the core nature of most Military Science Fiction) while also introducing the broader Interstellar politics into the mix.  How this will play out in the series as a whole has yet to be seen, but it certainly sets up the potential for an unique approach that will play well.

As for the plot, Ganwold’s Child is a straight forward action tale that ‘does what it says on the tin’:  a good, fun read that introduces a world and hints a greater depth. It is a bit of MilFic that doesn’t get bogged down with too much techy detail, and a touch of YA that isn’t simply a boy’s wish-fulfillment style novel. To that end, I would recommend it as a good book to pick up for any fan of science fiction who would like a light read.  As that it is free this weekend, 18th and 19th of May (2013), it would be a pity to pass it by.

For a sample, click here:

Ganwold’s Child – Free PDF Sample

For the a direct link to the whole book

Ganwold’s Child (free on Amazon Kindle May 18th and 19th, 2013 – www.amazon.com/Ganwolds-Child-Sergey-Chronicles-ebook/dp/B009SS3GM4/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1366979641&sr=1-1&keywords=ganwold%27s+child)

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[1] Originally released in the 1990′s by TOR as The Saga of the Unified Worlds, the series has been re-released by the author under the more appropriate name: The Sergey Chronicles.

[2] And who am I to criticize right?  First books are first books, mine included.

[3] Though, I will admit that my status as a helicopter dad may well have something to do with that.

[4] Males have a strong role in society, but females – particularly mothers – have a central decision making role and males are clearly deferential to almost subservience to them. Males take no part in childrearing and there are no patrilineal bonds, nor masculine input to group decision making.  Females make a decision, the males submit to it – apparently on a biological level – except, perhaps, when the good of the matriarch outweighs that choice. As such, females are the important part of the society.

[5] For good and ill.

[6] Mind you, I could just have missed something while read… I have been missing a lot of sleep recently.

[7] Actually, this is a criticism of MilFic that is generally both unfair and inaccurate.  While it is true that most MilFic does not go into the politics behind a tale, that is generally because the stories are about individuals in combat (often enlisted men).  What is more, there are a large number of stories that do put the politics of a war into the tale.  Regardless, this is a topic for another post.

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Broken Aro: Book One of the Broken Ones, Jen Wylie (Untold Press, 2012)

Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, High Fantasy, serial

Grade: Δ — (Delta) A good, solid read, but only buy it if you like the genre.

In brief:

Broken Aro is the first installment of the new Fantasy Romance series, The Broken Ones by the talented author Jen Wylie. With the second volume of the series due to come out on June 1st, it seemed an appropriate time to review this book.  As you know, I don’t often venture into the Fantasy Romance category, and certainly never dove this far to the Romance side of the subgenre, but this series has a very appealing central character, and at least one scene that was remarkably well delivered. Thus, I suspect this is a really good addition to anyone who enjoys the genre, and could well be worth examining for someone interested in the mechanics of writing.

Setting:

A High Fantasy world with numerous races, most notably, Fae (wild demi-humans with mild magic and berserker tendencies), Elves (very magical beings who… well they’re elves), Were (as in were-wolf: shape shifters, unknown in magical strength) and Dragons (extremely powerful creatures of deep magic capable of taking human form).

In Depth:

Broken Aro: Book One of The Broken Ones by Jen Wylie is a difficult piece for me to review.  The biggest reason for this is that, while I do review Fantasy Romance cross-genre novels, this is the first such book that I have reviewed that is really more Romance than Fantasy in its structure and feel. That lends it some very considerable strengths, and one or two weaknesses (for me anyway).  What is more, while there are one or two elements of the tale that bother the archaeologists in me,[1] there are also a lot of parts that I liked and some that I loved.  To that end, I have decided to break with my normal format and instead set my review out in terms of what I liked, disliked and loved.

Before I do that, however, I will note that the real reason I gave this a Delta rating is that the form of the story, that of a very personal tale driven by character relationships, may well not appeal to those who are not in the mood for a Fantasy Romance novel.  There are no epic battles, no explorations of magical mechanics, no trappings of the classic High Fantasy style.  It is a tale about people and their inter-relationships, albeit set against a background that hints at moving towards a more epic conclusion.  To that end, it is an enjoyable book with at least one totally brilliantly written scene.

Now, on to the details.

What I liked:

The narrative of this tale is well written, flows cleanly and draws the reader in very very nicely.  It is a perfect relaxing read that encourages you to consider what is happening, without forcing to analyze every sentence.[2]

More than that, however, I liked Aro, the central and POV character of the book. The adolescent daughter of a high ranking soldier (general) caught in the invasion of her home city and forced to dress as a boy to escape capture.  All does not go according to plan, however, and she is taken on board a slave ship, still mistaken for a boy and… well that is where the story get’s going.

As a character, she was immediately likable and Wylie did a wonderful job of pulling me into her head.  Since I’ve never been a teenaged girl, this is quite the trick. What is more, while Aro comes across as a strong, intelligent girl, she remains a girl in her mind set.  She makes mistakes, the kinds of mistakes that the teenaged tomboy daughter of a well placed middle class single father might make.  Totally believable in her scope and execution, Aro starts as sympathetic and becomes even more so as the story progresses.  It is her tale and her sympathetically awkward way of dealing with the relationships she is thrust into that drew me through the novel and makes me look forward to the next installment.[3]

What I didn’t Like:

This, in fact, leads me to the first element of what I didn’t like about the book: how the social structure within the world was portrayed.  Now, before I go off on this, this is HARDLY a problem unique to Ms. Wylie’s world.  Indeed, it is one reason I don’t tend to review most High Fantasy novels anymore; they tend to use Medievalesque settings for their worlds, and yet most have NO REFLECTION of what life in a Medieval Aristocracy was like.  This is particularly true of those High Fantasy worlds written by Americans.  Or indeed, historical fiction novels written by Americans.[4]

In a similar way, the world of The Broken Ones fails properly reflection of the nature of the kind of social hierarchy that its characters seem to live in.  Even in a made up hierarchical social system, lines such as ‘soldiers don’t tend to get along well with Princes’ breaks my suspension of disbelief to pieces. If the aristocracy does not have the support of the military, how does it maintain any control what so ever?  Certainly not out of respect, considering the way Aro’s fellow slaves treated the Prince hidden in their midst. Without a believable social structure, the tale suffers. Even so, this modernized portrayal of social class systems is hardly unique to this series, and I’m sure it won’t bother most fans of the genre.[5]

The second element that pulled me slightly out of the narrative was in the way that Aro’s hidden gender was revealed to some characters in the early-to-middle part of the book.  Without going into spoilers, it seemed to me that there were a series of consecutive or near consecutive chapters in which one person, then another, then another discovers Aro’s secret (that she is a girl) and promises to look after her.  This could have been handled a bit more deftly, even perhaps in a single reveal.

Finally, there was a slightly odd moment late in the book where the nature of the narrative and most specifically the nature of the setting suddenly changed and seemed to skip forward quite abruptly.  I cannot really discuss this in detail without spoiling, but I found the sudden alteration and its impact on the nature of the tale pulled me out of the story.  I did return to the tale, and enjoyed the rest of it a great deal, but I never did get as fully back to the world as I had been.

What I loved:

Having said that, what I loved about the tale puts my complaints into the minor category. As I was about two thirds of the way through the book I began to think that there were no consequences for Aro, then suddenly there were, and they were there in spades.

I had come to like Aro a good deal, a great deal actually, and was happily following her story when suddenly the ramifications of being a girl hiding her gender in amongst a group of men came to bare.  I won’t go into detail,[6] because that would be a spoiler, but what we see occur is the most graphically realistic and totally unpleasant representation of violence I have read.  The act, the ramifications, everything; it made me ill and it should have.  It doesn’t spoil the romance element of the book, indeed, it actually adds to it by giving realism and complexity to the situation.

Indeed, I was tempted to give this a Gamma or even Beta rating due to that scene, but I do suspect that many non-fantasy romance readers would not like the tale’s focus on personal character arcs rather than high adventure.

In Closing

If do you like Romance in a High Fantasy setting, I’d highly recommend picking up this novel, and doing so now as that the Kindle version is on sale for $0.99 .  That will give you plenty of time to read this before the second volume comes out on June 1st.

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[1] (mind you, these are now almost universal to all High Fantasy novels, so hardly fair to harp on Ms. Wylie for them

[2] Of course, those who follow this blog know that I love a book that allows you to contemplate the meaning and revelations in every sentence, and even some that force you to think about the sentences themselves (i.e. Foucoult’s Pendulum and Feersum Endjinn). That, however, is not always what you want, and there is also an art and skill to delivering a story that “Does Exactly What it Says on the Tin.”

[3] And yes, I fully look forward to reading Broken Prince, which is due out in stores on June 1st.

[4] The WORST example of this that comes to mind was in the Kevin Costner movie Robin Hood – Prince Of Theives, where Will Scarlet (played by Christian Slater) refers to the titular Robin of Loxley (Kevin Costner) as a “Rich Boy” when taunting him at one of their early meetings.  Now, to boil down the social strata of a class system based around hereditary nobility as in someway being tied solely to monetary wealth is terrible for all sorts of reasons, not least of which is that nobles might well not be as rich as some merchant commoners were and how important other elements of social prestige were…. But I digress.

[5] But it should… here and elsewhere.

[6] MILD SPOILER ALERT – DO NOT READ IF YOU WANT TO AVOID ANY SPOILERS:

In the middle of a scene, in the middle of the night, we are witness to the single most realistic scene of sexual violence I have ever read.  I won’t go into what happens, since that is a spoiler (and indeed even discussing it is a bit of one), but what we see is a horrifying sequence that is treated with wonderful skill by the author.  The events and their impact alter the story and indeed, almost made me give it a Beta rating, as that I think the way this scene reads is worth even opponents of the Fantasy Romance Genre’s perusal.  It captures the horror of such events without in any way being titillating.  Well done Ms. Wylie… you may quote this if you want.

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Empire of the East, Fred Saberhagen (Ace, 1979 { Blackstone Audio, Inc, Narrator: Raymond Todd)

Science Fiction, Fantasy, Science Fantasy, Rip-Roaring Adventure, Classic Sci Fi, Military Fantasy, Military Speculative Fiction

Grade: Δˡ — (Delta Prime) A good read, but only if you like the genre (or subgenre).

In brief:

Empire of the East by Fred Saberhagen is the omnibus collection of a science fantasy novel.  It is a rip-roaring adventure whose best parts are hard to describe without giving spoilers.  Though unlikely to appeal to those who don’t like Fantasy or Science Fiction, this book is a truly fun novel that added a unique twist to the entire speculative fiction genre at the time of its first publication.  My best recommendation for those who might be interested is not to read the jacket cover, nor any descriptions of the text since almost everything out there that describes the work reveals the best element of it – discovering the Saberhagen’s world through reading about it.

Setting:

A Cold War analogy world, with magic, demons, monsters and more, where free people live in the western part of a large continent, and a cruel empire commands the Eastern part.  The world is populated by wizards, intelligent birds, wyvern-like speaking reptiles, and demons with vast powers.  It would be very easy to give more description, and almost anywhere you look you will find it, but I think going into greater detail will destroy the greatest pleasure of reading this book, which was the revelations that come as you read it.

In Depth:

Empire of the East by Fred Saberhagen were a truly innovative series of books when they were written.  Best known for his Beserker series,[1] Saberhagen went in a totally different direction when he published The Broken Lands, the first installment of this series, in 1968.  The subsequent two novels are collected together in this omnibus novel.[2] Since that time others have written stories set in similar fantasy worlds, and indeed there were probably similar ideas that predate that book, but few did it as well or as comprehensively as Saberhagen.  What is more, unlike the sequel series The Books of Swords and The Books of Lost Swords,[3] this series ends quite nicely at the conclusion of Ardneh’s World the last installment in the omnibus.[4]

In brief, with no spoilers (which is really hard when trying to discuss the cool bits of the tale and get you to read it), the tale is the story of Rolf, a peasant farmer in a sword-and-sorcery land conquered by the titular Empire less than a generation before the opening of the tale.  He dislikes the Empire, which is cruel by anyone’s standards, but turns to rebellion only when his home is destroyed and his sister is kidnapped at the opening of the tale.  Soon, Rolf joins the resistance and fights a guerilla war against the powerful invaders.

To this end, this really is a story about a rebellion and is in many ways falls into the MilFic genre.  Only, because it takes place in a society without a military superstructure (albeit fighting one that has a professional military, albeit medieval in form), it does not really fall into my definition of Military Science Fiction, which, after all, is about life in the Military, not just stories about war.[5]  Even so, it IS a story about a military struggle against an occupying military overlord, so it does somewhat fall into that genre. Of course, so then does Star Wars which is really not MilFic regardless of how many people have ranks (that seem to be completely ignored throughout the tale).

Working with the rebels, Rolf finds that they are aided by Ardneh, a strange powerful force that no one has actually seen.  It sends visions, lend aid and seems godlike in its powers, but is mysterious in its nature with even its gender undisclosed.  Yet Ardneh fights the vastly powerful demons that are controlled (or not so controlled) by the forces of the Empire.

Indeed, one of the elements I can speak about that won’t destroy the joy of reading this book are the details that fill the background of this book, and make the world seem so realistic.  A perfect example can be found in the demons he describes.  Unlike most fantasy novels of the period (or now for that matter), the demons that haunt his world are beings that match those of myth and religion in a way that most demons in most fantasy stories do not.

Normally, demons in modern fantasy are presented in a manner that make them basically big, powerful, magic using monsters – more akin to Tolkien’s Balrogs or, even the Titans of Greek Myth than to the demons of the Bible, or raksasha of Hindu tales. In contrast Saberhagen presents demons in a more traditional, and frightening form: non-corporeal beings of magic, that take form to influence the world, but can change and drop that form as need be; each being difficult, if not impossible to defeat, if one does not know their individual secret.  What is more, when he describes the passing of a demon, particularly in its less corporeal form, it is enough to drive men out of their wits.  As such, Saberhagen’s demons come across as far more horrifying than the big physical brutes of most High Fantasy. This is true of his other magical beasts as well, and indeed, all of the logic which he puts into the world he created.

Beyond his world building, the story itself is a classic “boy to hero” tale that follows in the well trodden path of most fantasy stories of the period.[6]  It makes a rip-roaring adventure tale, but one that by itself would hardly stand out from the crowd.  What DOES makes this book worth seeking out are the reveals of the world itself.  I highly recommend this as a book for anyone who likes Sword-and-sorcery tales…. But really, don’t read too much about it or else it will be spoiled.

Notes about the Audio Edition:

Raymond Todd did a very good job of narrating the Blackstone Audio version of this book, but there were a few odd editing bits that detract from the production.  These could have been either due to the digitizing of the CDs that I heard the story on, but I suspect it was to the recording.

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[1] Which I will get around to reviewing once I can find a readable copy of the first book to re-read.  My own copy’s spine broke years ago and is missing about half the pages…. Ah… youth.

[2] Which is really the same length as almost any epic fantasy or epic sci fi story even when all collected together.  Saberhagen is a master of writing short novels with solid backgrounds and high adventure throughout.

[3] OK, to be fair, The Books of Swords ends at the conclusion of the third of the series, but as that I read it knowing there was a The Books of Lost Swords afterwards, I felt the need to go and, and THAT series ran for eight installments.  Don’t get me started with the Beserker series.  14 volumes?

[4] OK… again, I understand that in 2006 Ardneh’s Sword was written, but I haven’t read it and it wasn’t in the collected Audiobook I listened to.  At the end of The Empire of the East omnibus I read and am reviewing, the story came to a very neat end.

[5] Uh, oh… another Problems with Military Science Fiction article, huh?

[6] And indeed most myths, legends and literature.  Joseph Campbell would be proud.

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Odalisque: The Baroque Cycle #3, Neal Stephenson (HarperTorch, 2004 {Brilliance Audio, Narrators: Simon Prebble, Katherine Kellgren, Kevin Pariseau, with forward by Neal Stephenson})

 Fiction, Alternate History

 Grade: Δ — (Delta) A solid read, but only buy it if you like the genre

In brief:

Odalisque is a solid, enjoyable addition to Neal Stephenson‘s Baroque Cycle, but as that it is the third entry in the series (and also marketed as both its own volume (at least in audio format) and part a collected volume called Quicksilver, which is also the title of the first installment in the book/series), it really does require the reader to already be invested in the tale.  Not to say that one could not read this without having read the rest of the book, but one’s enjoyment of it will be more limited. What is more, I feel that this series is getting a bit long in the tooth by this stage.  Even so, I did enjoy reading it despite the fact that I don’t feel the need to go out at once and pick up the next volume.

Europe, 1648… which was the closest map I could find to 1685…

Setting:

Alternate history, 17th Century England and France, with some side trips to the Lowlands.  For the most part, however, the story takes place in the court of the Sun King (Louis XIV) and the English court[1] at the transition between the reigns of Charles II and James II.

In Depth:

Odalisque is a francophonic term derived from the Turkish word Odalik.  In English (and French) it originally referred to a Chambermaid or Attendant, but also holds the connotation of a mistress, concubine or courtesan.  This is only appropriate as that in Turkish the term referred specifically to the lowest strata of a harem – not a concubine, but an individual who had the possibility of being ‘elevated’ to such a status.

All of which goes to show Stephenson’s continued mastery of linguistic games, for in this volume both of the principal characters play the roles of courtiers, with Eliza, who was saved from a being a Harem concubine in the last volume, now serving in part as an attendant, courtesan of sorts, and indeed a spy in this book.  Daniel Waterhouse, the other protagonist in this volume, is almost her opposite – for though he has no sexual exploits in the book, he serves in the Stewarts intellectual harem, as it were: the Royal Society. All of which goes to show the convolutions by which Stephenson’s mind works, and as such demonstrates both the strengths and weaknesses of this work.

In Odalisque, the third installment of Quicksilver, and as such either part three of that book, or book three of the Baroque series as a whole,[2] we finally see the varying protagonists storylines come together (my reviews of installment 1: Quicksilver, and Installment 2: King of the Vagabonds).  Daniel Waterhouse, the son of a noted anti-monarchist Puritan, is now Secretary of the Royal Society and as such serves as an advisor to the soon to be late Charles II, a man who actually killed Daniel’s father.  Eliza, once a harem slave, is now a spy in the service of Gottfried Leibniz (amongst others) and also serves as an economic advisor to varying European Nobles (including William of Orange, for whom she is also a spy).

While Daniel (who is plotting to overthrow the Stewarts) becomes a confidant of the Duke of York (soon to be James II), Eliza is sent to the Court of Louis the XIV where she becomes first a governess, then a lady in attendance and economic advisor and eventually a paramour (i.e. a courtesan of sorts).  Both Daniel and Eliza eventually make the acquaintance of Bob Shaftoe, the more reputable brother of Jack Shaftoe (sic. King of the Vagabonds),[3] who saved Eliza from slavery in the second installment of this series.  With this, the varying plotlines finally merge and the overarching plot line for the Baroque Cycle is set in motion.

Yet, while I enjoyed the varying intrigues and the historic and linguistic games that Stephenson plays throughout the book, I did find that it was beginning to suffer a bit from the “GET ON WITH IT” syndrome.  Unlike some books that suffer from this (e.g. The Song of Ice and Fire), I enjoyed the read (or rather listen) throughout this book, but at the conclusion felt it had dragged a bit.  In part this was due to the very infodumpy nature of the book, which I also greatly enjoyed, and in part due the cliff-hanger ending of Quicksilver: the Baroque Cycle #1 was not resolved at the end of this installment.

To that end, while I did thoroughly enjoy listening to this book, I cannot say that I feel all that inspired to continue on with the next installment.  I probably will eventually, but while I like the style (even the enormous info dumps that take up the majority of this book) and the heavy emphasis on history throughout, I did not leave this volume as inspired to carry on the tale as I had with the previous installments.

Thus I feel I can safely say that this book is likely to prove enjoyable to those who like Alternate Histories, but will not be engaging to those who are not so inclined.  I will also note, however, that unlike many Alternate Histories, this book is very well researched and despite the fact it pulls every major event of the period together, it does not seem as contrived as many such tales.  So, a good read, but really only for those who like the genre and are already invested in the series as a whole.

Notes about the Audio Edition:

Brilliance Audio produced another fine work here, brilliantly combining the talents of Simon Prebble (always a good start), Katherine Kellgren, and Kevin Pariseau, while also providing a forward by Neal Stephenson.  It is read in alternating chapter style, with the different narrators reading the parts associated with different characters.  This works particularly well for many of the Eliza chapters, as that they take the form of letters and as such are first person point-of-view.  Katherine Kellgren does a good job of this, though at times I wondered if the high-born accent and tones she used throughout the tale were wholly appropriate for her character.  It is not the use of proper Oxbridge English, per se, but rather the very plumby way in which she read throughout.  Of course, Eliza is supposed to be highly educated and combed from youth to be elegant, so perhaps it was appropriate all the same.

Regardless, it was a delightful listen and I would suggest this is a very good way for individuals to read the book.

Reviews of the rest of the Quicksilver Collection (first part of the Baroque Cycle):

My reviews of Parts I and II of the Baroque Cycle are shortlinked below.

Quick Silver – The First Part of the Baroque Cycle

King of the Vagabonds – The Second Part of the Baroque Cycle

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[1] I’d say British, but the book does focus fully on the English side of things.

[2] If you think that’s convoluted, try reading the book.

[3] Who could also be called Sir Not Appearing in this Film.

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