OtherRealms A Reviewzine for the Non-Fan Where FIJAGH Becomes a Way of Life Issue #11 December, 1986 Part 2 Pico Reviews AN ALIEN HEAT by Michael Moorcock [] Harper SF, SFBC, 1972 Volume 1 of the "Dancers at the End of Time Trilogy," Moorcock attempts to write about a dead, decadent society at the end of the Universe. Immortal, any wish possible, with not a care in the world, a small group of hopelessly adolescent brats attempt to party their way to eternity. Rather than being about decadence, I found the work decadent itself, and gave up halfway through. The companion volumes, "THE HOLLOW LANDS" and "THE END OF ALL SONGS" were left unread. I just don't seem to tolerate Moorcock's writing for some reason. -- chuq von rospach THE ARCHITECT OF SLEEP, by Steven R. Boyett [****] Ace Fantasy, 290 pages, $2.95. Alternate universe stories are common enough, but imagine, if you will, a world populated by sentient racoons -- racoons who can't talk, but have a rich and expressive sign language. Then imagine the plight of a human who's mysteriously transported to that world, displayed as an animal, etc. Add in powerful emotions, twisty court politics, and believable characters (even if they are racoons, and possibly -- as a friend of mine would describe them -- humans in zipper suits), and you have a wonderful book. The only problem is that ARCHITECT is just the first book of two or three -- and they *don't* tell you that. Nor do they tell you when the next book is coming out, for which I seriously fault the publisher. -- Steven Bellovin ulysses!smb ARIEL, by Steven R. Boyett [***] Ace Fantasy, 325 pages, $2.95. On the strength of THE ARCHITECT OF SLEEP, I picked up ARIEL, Boyett's first novel. It's okay, though nothing special. The writing, and the predictability of the plot, are very characteristic of first novels (and it's amazing how much Boyett has improved by his second novel). The book is a typical post-Apocalypse novel (i.e., lots of scenes of character scavenging the stores from Before); this time, though, the change is that technology has suddenly stopped working, in favor of -- you guessed it -- magic. The title character is a unicorn, who (of course) will only associate with virgins; this time, thankfully, we have a male virgin. Rate this book [**] if you're not willing to give brownie points for a reasonable first effort by a new author. (Translation: the book does have many strong sections, but doesn't hang together as a whole.) -- Steven Bellovin ulysses!smb THE BOOK OF THE THOUSAND NIGHTS AND A NIGHT: A Plain and Literal Translation of the Arabian Nights Entertainments Translated by Richard F. Burton; Privately printed by The Burton Club; $55; 10 Volumes Any lover of fantasy should not be satisfied until they have read this. Almost everyone has heard about the tales of Shahrazad but few have actually read them. Most books only contain a few of the tales, and these are usually censored greatly. The actual Burton translation is 10 volumes, including 6 extra volumes of additional tales. These have it all! Great magic, mighty wizards and Djinni (Jinn), crafty heroes, quests, betrayed lovers! The wealth of material here is astounding, both for the fantasy within it, but also the insight into the beginnings of arabian culture. Be warned that this is not for the prudish! Burton translates the stories literally and he leaves in all the parts which are removed from the childrens' edition you read when young. You will probably have to mail order this. Mine was a gift costing about $55, but I believe it has been released in a cheaper edition lately. -- John R. Mellby jmellby%ti-eg@csnet-relay THE COPPER CROWN by Patricia Kennealy [****+] Signet, $3.50 Over a thousand years ago, Celts for whom Western Europe was no longer a home settled on a number of planets [collectively Keltia] discovered by St. Brendan the Astrogator. Over a thousand years from now an expedition from Earth contacts them. The contact triggers a local sword-and-spaceship war. This book is fun to read. Kennealy is of the school of writers who paint their characters larger than life and spend a lot of time describing what they wear. The science is very soft, but she does a creditable job of describing a fusion of traditional Celtic values and modern technology without ever descending to travelogue. (And -- thank heaven -- she provides a usable pronunciation guide!) I'm looking forward to the sequel[s]. --Dani Zweig haste@andrew.cmu.edu THE CUNNINGHAM EQUATIONS by G.C. Edmondson and C.M. Kotlan [****-] Del Rey, $2.95, 1986, 295 pages This is mystery, with our Nobel prize winning drunken protagonist trying to find out what a gene-splicing company is doing, and why the they are hiding it. At a deeper level, it's a lecture on the evils of loosing untested technology on the public. The writing is very good, except for the occasional slips into lecturing on the technology. For many, a worse flaw will be that this is a VERY depressing novel. *SPOILER WARNING* All the characters - which you know and like/dislike/detest - die or will soon be dead by the end of the book. -- Mike Meyer mwm@berkeley.edu DINNER AT DEVIANT'S PALACE by Tim Powers [**] Ace Science Fiction, 1985, $2.95 DINNER is a grittily realistic view of post-Bomb Los Angeles. Powers writes a strong story about a society on the edge, supported by decadence, drugs, and the hyper-Fundamentalist Jaybush cult, a combination Reverend Moon, Jim Jones, and Crystal Cathedral. Unfortunately, Powers lost me when he moved the story towards the extraterrestrial alien evil influence, but the book will probably work for most people who follow Gibson and the Cyberpunk people. -- chuq von rospach ENGINES OF CREATIONS by K. Eric Drexler [****] Doubleday, $17.95, 1986, 298 pages Space Systems scientist Drexler extrapolates developments in the molecule building and expounds a method for defining the limits and potentials of any future development in any science. Non-fiction, but a must-read for SF authors and would be SF authors. -- Ray Farraday Nelson THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD by Patricia McKillip [*****] Like her Starbearer trilogy, this is a work rich in legend and lore with significant development of the main characters, and good insights into human nature without lessoning or lecturing. A basic Name-based magical world with knights, magicians, and the fantastic beasts of legend, all woven together with language and descriptions appropriate to the story and the setting. It follows a white haired witch raised in the solitary silences and power of magic through her discoveries of love, hate, revenge, fear, and self-knowledge. A very well crafted work that is one of my favorites. -- Phyllis Li li@uw-vlsi.arpa FORTUNE OF FEAR by L. Ron Hubbard [*****] Bridge, $18.95, 1986, 365 pages Ron Hubbard, by his own admission, learned from Jack London the way to combine profound philosophical concepts and non-stop action adventure. In FORTUNE OF FEAR Hubbard continues the ten-book "Mission Earth" series. Where the over-rated Asimov turns the whole galaxy into a Manhattan Island, Hubbard finds in Manhattan Island a whole seemingling infinite galaxy. Almost unheard of in the SF ghetto is his still more amazing feat; he starts out funny... and stays that way! -- Ray Farraday Nelson THE GAME OF FOX AND LION by Robert R. Chase [****+] Del Rey A very good intricate-political-games-during-wartime novel. This book is *very* well done, and kept me turning pages, as well as thinking. It does one of my favorite themes (the superman theme... the main character has artificially enhanced intelligence), but with less sophomoric concentration on the flash-and-dazzle, and more on serious human consequences of the imagined situation. Background material is sometimes a little clumsily inserted, but never implausibly. And, as I say, it kept me flipping pages and thinking, things that don't normally happen for me together in a book. -- Wayne Throop dg_rtp!throopw THE HEIRS OF BABYLON by Glen Cook [***] Signet, 1972, $.95, 192 pp. The bombs were dropped decades ago. The US and USSR are no more. What is left of the world's population is engaged in ritual world war. Once every 10 years the call goes out to each region to patch together the creaking remnants of the old naval fleets and set out for the Gathering. Will this be the last time? Why must we continue to fight? This is an early foreshadowing of Cook's gift for bringing characters to life, from the naive young fisherman turned navigator to the aging and sinister political officer charged with maintaining their zeal for war. A rather depressing story, as many post-holocaust stories are, but told with skill and imagination. -- Kirk Webb HER MAJESTY'S WIZARD by Chrisopher Stasheff [**] Del Rey, $3.50 A university student is transported to a medieval world where magic works. His knowledge of poetry and technology make him an unbeatable wizard. The gimmick has been done to death (best by Platt and de Camp) and is not redeemed here by good handling. One interesting aspect of the world in question is that not only does magic work, but many other aspects of the medieval world view hold true, such as the divine right of kings. This book does not particularly resemble the Warlock books by the same author. -- Dani Zweig haste@andrew.cmu.edu MATADORA by Steve Perry [***+] A wonderfully written, fast-paced action story with brains, a conscience, and character. I read this book first, and found out about the trilogy at the end. After buying and reading the other books I found this one to be far more to my tastes than the other two, rare in a second, transition book of a trilogy; but, Drisha, the black, lady martial artist, steals the show with her steadfast inclinations for survival and sheer dimensionality. Almost all of the other characters pale in comparison, and my only motivation to get through the other two were for incidents of her. I enjoyed the philosophy of the Maradors in this book much more than in either of the somewhat heavy handed presentations of that philosophy in the other two books. Perhaps the bias towards this book is that I could identify a lot more with an independent, survival motivated protagonist than one who is in it because of a Vision. In any case, not a deep book, but it is fun. -- Phyllis Li li@uw-vlsi.arpa A MATTER OF TIME by Glen Cook [**] Ace, 1985, $2.95, 268 pp. This book is just a gritty detective novel with the villains being time travellers from the future. I say "just" because the main characters never rise above their drab caricatures and grab your interest. The hero is hopelessly outclassed by the clever villains through the entire book. As he often tells his companions, it's not the brilliance of Sherlock Holmes, it's just dogged detective work. A disappointment from Cook, usually a master of characterization. -- Kirk Webb THE MEMORY OF WHITENESS, by Kim Stanley Robinson [***] TOR, 351 pages, $3.50. MEMORY is rather disappointing. It takes effort to read the book (which is not at all bad, but don't expect to breeze through it before bedtime one night), but doesn't reward the effort. It portrays music as a universal means of communication -- everyone in the societies is far more musically literate than almost anyone today -- but spends most its time on music as a metaphor for physics, and from it life, the universe, and everything. But the central theme is ultimately mystical, and I have little feel for other people's mysticisms. Worse yet, since the music and the mysticism are the major forces acting on the characters, I found it difficult to understand why they acted as they did. He does introduce one sparkling concept: metadrama, which consists of players interacting with random, unknowing people, trying to steer their actions into a desired course. -- Steven Bellovin ulysses!smb MOONFLASH by Patricia McKillip [**] A disappointment, it seems an attempt by a fantasy author to give a science fiction explanation to a fantasy society. Scientifically consistant the book has none of the richness in character development that I have come to expect from McKillip's works. The protagonists are likable, but barely two-dimensional; practically all the scientists are only one-dimentional; and the premise for the societys of the world is only a single point flash. It can be read through, but I took four days to finish it, a real rarity for someone that almost always finishes books in a single sitting. -- Phyllis Li li@uw-vlsi.arpa NOTES TO A SCIENCE FICTION WRITER: THE SECRETS OF WRITING SCIENCE FICTION THAT SELLS by Ben Bova, [****] Houghton Mifflin tradeback, 1981, $5.95, 193 pages. This book is basic intro to writing SF that uses an interesting format. The book is divided into four parts: Character, Background, Conflict, and Plot. Each section has a Theory chapter, a example short story, and a Practice chapter that discusses how the story uses the principles of the Theory chapter. These are Bova's own story and the book is almost worth it just for the stories. Nothing fancy, just good simple SF. This book is a good one for the beginning writer who wants to write SF The expert will enjoy the stories. -- Brett Slocum PASSAGE AT ARMS by Glen Cook [***] Questar, 1985, $2.95, 265 pp. Just as an old time space opera was a typical western novel with sixguns transformed to blasters and horses traded for spaceships, this future war yarn must have started life as a World War II U-boat novel. The sheer inventiveness of the translation into space is captivating. If you can't find Lothar-Gunther Buchheim's The Boat (Das Boot), this book is a good substitute. It is a tension-packed voyage accompanied by fear and misery as you watch the crew slowly disintegrate under the pressure of the inhuman living conditions, the menacing enemy ships and the indifference of high command. Claustrophobes and weak stomachs beware! -- Kirk Webb REALITY MATIX by John Dalmas [****] Baen Books, 310 pages, $2.95. I'm not normally fond of "psi" books, even when the paranormal powers are wrapped in a scientific cloak, but I'll make an exception for this one. (If you're wondering why I bought it, it's because the cover and blurb make no mention of psi, probably with malice aforethought.) There are themes drawn from Heinlein's "Year of the Jackpot" (with explicit acknowledgement), and some vague similarity to some of Chalker's works, but on the whole we have an original, fun book. Be warned, though -- this book may call for not just suspension of disbelief, but suspension of distaste. But give it a try. -- Steven Bellovin ulysses!smb SOULSTORM by Chet Williamson [**] Tor Horror, 1986, $3.95 One of the recent titles in Tor's new Horror line, Williamson writes well but puts together such a hodgepodge of classic Horror kitsch that the book collapses into itself like the House of Usher. We meet the rich man, impotent and dying of cancer; his pretty wife, and three mercenary down-and-outs, offered a million dollars apiece to spend 30 days in a haunted house with the rich man, who hopes to sacrifice them to the evil beings in return for immortality. It doesn't work, of course, as the evil beings have their own ideas. The book doesn't work, either, but if Williamson can find his own Horror voice instead of kludging together from everyone else he'll be a name to reckon with. -- chuq von rospach SPIDER PLAY, by Lee Killough [**] Questar, 232 pages, $3.50. More adventures of Janna Brill and Mama Maxwell, law enforcement officers extraordinaire. Unlike DOPPELGANGER GAMBIT, there's (understandably) less attention paid to detailing the culture. Too bad, because it was a fascinating culture indeed. And the clash of honor and instinct versus police regulation doesn't carry any weight this time around. I have to score this one a miss -- too bad, because DOPPENGANGER GAMBIT was Killough's best work. -- Steven Bellovin ulysses!smb THE SPIRAL DANCE by Starhawk [*****] Harper & Row, 1979, trade paperback, $10.95 A book that details the practice, ritual, and meaning of Witchcraft in modern society. A thorough examination of Goddess worship from the ground up. A wonderful reference work, a good introduction into the world of Wicca. -- chuq von rospach THE SWORDBEARER by Glen Cook [****] Timescape, 1982, $2.75, 239pp. From a smorgasbord of unoriginal plot devices, Glen Cook has produced an exciting well-crafted fantasy adventure. With the demon sword that drinks souls, the silent but stout-hearted dwarf companion, the evil undead warriors on their winged dragon mounts and the naive young hero unaware of the growing feelings of the beautiful princess, you just know you're in for a boring Shannara lookalike! But Cook lets you look inside each of these characters, from the ambitious emperor to the undead warriors and brings their hopes and fears, joy and despair to life and makes you care about each one. While the final outcome is never in doubt, you will enjoy every step of the way! -- Kirk Webb TERROR, by Fredrik Pohl [**] Berkley Science Fiction, 220 pages, $2.95. I expect better of Pohl. Although superficially an exploitation book about terrorism, it's actually somewhat broader in theme. Pohl is interested in military/political evil. To do this, he paints all sides -- terrorists, the U.S. government, the Soviet government, assorted other governments (in cameo roles) -- in short, just about everyone -- as evil. You get at most a cursory set of motivations for why the different folks act evilly (except for the Hawaiian nationalists -- is there such a movement?), but Pohl is so interested in speaking ill that he never explores the larger questions the book raises (or could raise, to be more precise). I'm thinking of questions like these: is violence ever moral? is a pre-emptive strike ever moral? Are all governments really on the same moral plane? Call the book preaching, and not very good preaching at that. -- Steven Bellovin ulysses!smb TOM O'BEDLAM by Robert Silverberg [***] Donald I. Fine, Inc., ISBN 0-917657-31-4, 320 pp., $16.95 In a future California ravaged by refugees from the Dust War, roving bands of outlaws, and the excesses of the past, poor, crazy Tom transmits his visions of a wondrous intergalactic civilization to those around him. But are the aliens the saviors of mankind, or is Tom merely hallucinating them? Silverberg juxiposes his characters' vivid dreams of better worlds with the reality of their decaying civilization to great effect. The characters are well-drawn and believable. I could sympathize with them all, no matter how disagreeably they behaved. Recommended. --Roger Goun goun%cadlac.DEC@decwrl.ARPA TWISTING THE ROPE by R.A. MacAvoy [***] Bantam, $3.50 A disappointing sequel to Tea With the Black Dragon. A man is killed and everyone who knew him turns out to have had motive means and opportunity. Generic murder mystery number 17. The charm of TWtBD resided largely in the characters of its protagonists--especially the Dragon. In this book we know that Long is the Black Dragon only because we have read the prequel. We know that he is extraordinary only because we are told that he is. The third star is partly for highly competent writing and partly for the pleasure of meeting old friends. If you haven't read TWtBD, or didn't enjoy it, don't read this book. --Dani Zweig haste@andrew.cmu.edu THE VAMPIRE LESTAT by Anne Rice [*****] Ballantine, $4.50, 1986, 552 pages From Clark Ashton Smith to Chelsea Quinn Yarbro, the California School of Horror has specialized in the rational exploration of the irrational realms of the supernatural. Now San Francisco Novelist Anne Rice writes the best book yet in this tradition. Instead of lurking offstage, as in DRACULA, the vampire becomes not only the protagonist, but the narrator, and he heads us into the deepest exploration yet of the dark continent of the Living Dead. -- Ray Farraday Nelson THE WARLOCK IS MISSING by Christopher Stasheff [***] While the Warlock is Wandering, all the baddies on Gramarye emerge to take advantage of his absence. Unfortunately for the baddies, and fortunately for the reader, the Warlock's four children have grown old enough to be interesting and formidable characters themselves. (They are powerful, but they are still children. They make a number of bad misjudgements that will come back to haunt them.) Readers of the Warlock series will not be disappointed. Those who haven't read the excellent Warlock in Spite of Himself should read it and then the adequate King Kobold Revived -- and be warned that the many sequels tend to resemble the latter book. --Dani Zweig haste@andrew.cmu.edu THE WARRIOR'S APPRENTICE, by Lois McMaster Bujold [***] Baen Books, 315 pages, $2.95. THE WARRIOR'S APPRENTICE is a sequel (or, more properly, a follow-up) to SHARDS OF HONOR. Unlike the earlier work -- a powerful study of cultural clashes and strong emotions -- this one follows a young man as he stumbles and gropes his way to adulthood. Part of the book is comic -- I rarely laugh out loud while reading, but I did here -- and part of it is fairly gory, as if Bujold couldn't decide what she wanted to do. The strict codes of Barrayar come into play, of course, but it isn't clear that they make much sense to anyone who hasn't read SHARDS OF HONOR. Still, a pleasant few hours. -- Steven Bellovin ulysses!smb WARRIOR WOMAN by Marion Zimmer Bradley [*] Great premise, bad writing. Bradley gives a classic example of how not to use the first person. The book feels cramped by the severe limitations she puts on communication of the story through her protagonist. The idea of a woman warrior is fascinating to me and the premise that she gives for the existence of that woman on the planet is great, the only reasons that I gave this book a single star; however, she does not use the premise for anything other than a deus ex machina to drop the heroine in and out of the story. There is also a great amount of preaching done. A very disappointing work from a lady that has done such wonderful writing. -- Phyllis Li li@uw-vlsi.arpa YARROW by Charles de Lint [***+] A fantasy writer whose inspirations come from her [true?] dreams of another realm is victimized by a psychic vampire who feeds on dreams. The story is almost entirely based in Ottawa, with little of the folklore/fantasy element which the author handles so effectively. One senses that the author is deliberately trying to develop new skills. His success will be well worth waiting for. In Yarrow, though, he is writing to his weaknesses. Most of his characters are shallow. (This is not a problem with the mythical or mythologized characters he is used to portraying, because we know so much about them the moment we encounter them.) His parasite, too, is a dull thing, but his portrayal of the pain of being deprived of dreams is powerful. --Dani Zweig haste@andrew.cmu.edu OtherRealms is Copyright 1986 by Chuq Von Rospach All rights reserved One time rights have been acquired from the contributors. All rights are hereby assigned to the contributors. Reproduction rights: OtherRealms may be reproduced only for non-commercial uses. Re-use, reproduction or reprinting of an individual article in any way on any media, is forbidden without permission.