Science Fiction
This section is rather slim, because in general I do not like to read science fiction. I enjoy watching most of it, but reading it usually leaves me feeling depressed and unhappy.
I blame it on the fact that I work with technology all day long.
The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy is the second genre book I read. This series follows Arthur Dent, trepid Englishman, on his journey through the galaxy with Ford Prefect, Trillian, Zaphod Breblebrox and Marvin the Paranoid Android. Remember, flying is simply throwing yourself and the ground and missing.
The Salmon of Doubt (2002)
The Salmon of Doubt is a collection of unpublished, previously published and some unfinished works. Some bits are quite funny, some bits are good, some bits aren't as good, and it some make you think that they were put in simply to flesh out the book and increase the page count. I've now read everything but the title story The Salmon of Doubt and I'm not sure whether I will read it or not. It's a Dirk Gently story; I never got around to reading the Dirk Gently novels, and the editor describes the story and makes it sound, well, unfinished. Which sounds unappealing to me.
As I said, some of the short stories and essays are very good. I particularly liked the letter that he sent to David Vogol, regarding the Hitchiker's Guide movie. The essay Frank the Vandal is not only amusing, and should be of particular interest to Mac people. Is There an Artifical God is a very interesting essay, and he makes some interesting points about feng shui and similar "spiritual" practices. But you can find many of those stories and essays on-line (even on the Douglas Adams website), so it might not be worth it to purchase this book just for those stories. But it's entirely up to you. If you are a huge Douglas Adams fan, then you probably already have this book. Otherwise, borrow it from the library first, to see if you like it or not before spending your money.
The Hitchiker's Guide trilogy:The Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy; The Restaurant at the End of the Universe; Life, the Universe, and Everything; So Long, And Thanks for All the Fish; and Mostly Harmless
The Salmon of Doubt
Enders Game is the best book in the Ender's series, with each successive book being not quite as good as the previous.
Enders Game tells the story of Ender, the child selected to save the earth from alien invasion. I think I would have preferred it if he had written only Ender's Game and left the rest of the series in his imagination.
Ender's Series: Ender's Game (1977), Speaker for the Dead (1986), Xenocide (1991)
Songmaster (1978)
NOTE: I absolutely despised the book Lost Boys.
I have no idea why I picked this book up to read, since it is science fiction, but I am glad I did.
Becoming Human is set in a future world where clones are created to only exist for a few years, and thestory is struggle of one clone against this prearranged death.
Becoming Human (1995)
Andrew J. Robinson (permalink)
A Stitch in Time (2000)
Star Trek: Deep Space Nine
Okay, before you say anything, I admit it, this is a Star Trek book. And I don't even have the excuse of it being a movie novelization.
All I can say is that Garak is my absolute favorite DS9 character, and I felt that they never did as much with him as they could--everything you learned just left you with more questions. So when I read that Andrew Robinson, the actor who had played Garak, wrote a book telling the backstory he had created for Garak... well, I'm a sucker.
What surprised me is how good the story is. Andrew Robinson obviously put a great deal of thought into his character, his past, and what made him the way he was.
Now I have to admit that Andrew Robinson isn't the best writer in the world: the new characters don't have the depth of already established characters, however, what he does with the already established characters is quite good.
The book follows three story-lines: The time just after the series ends, where Garak is back on Cardassia, attempting to rebuild after the destruction wrought by the Dominion after the uprising, which is written as letters to Doctor Bashir; the year or so following the Federation retaking of DS9 when Garak is working to get the Dominion out of Cardassia; and Garak's youth, including his discovery of the fact that Tain is his father, his education, and his entry into the Obsidian order up to his exile on Terok Nor and the Federation arrival on what they came to call Deep Space Nine. The three storylines are then woven together, although the major part of the tale is of Garak's past.
I'm not quite certain why Andrew Robinson chose to create material that overlapped the show. It didn't add much to Garak's character, and wasn't truly integral to the story. I wonder whether he felt that the story wouldn't sell if it didn't include at least some mention of Sisko and the other characters in the series. I think that the story would have been stronger either without the overlapping portion, or if it spanned the entirety of the series, instead of just a year.
If you liked Deep Space Nine, and liked the character of Garak, then you'll most likely love this book. If you aren't a Deep Space Nine fan, then why are you reading this review?
Rating: 8/10
A Stitch in Time (2000)
Fun!
Callahan's Crosstime Saloon - Callahan's Crosstime Saloon, Time Travelers Strictly Cash, Callahan's Secret, Callahan's Lady, The Lady Slings the Booze, The Callahan Touch, Callahan's Legacy
