Entry tags:
Book Blog August
Here are some notes on books. Haven't felt like posting book blog lately, but still want to keep track of the reads, of which there have been some quite a few e-books and some from the library. Some rereads which I haven't bothered noting down. With long running ebook series, I find I have to reread some of them to remember what I need to for the latest.
The Killing Line - James N. Cook.
Zombie apocalypse series, book number 7. Interesting in that it tries to cover the development of a new society from the survivors who learned to deal with the undead, including a fairly well thought out barter system for trade. Downside is rather too much time spent describing military manoeuvres and guns.
Hell's Children - John L. Monk.
Pandemic scenario, killing everyone over 15. Viewpoint character is a 14-year-old boy trained by his survivalist parents, so you essentially get preppers and guns, only with teenagers and younger kids. The background is so nondescript I can't even remember where it's supposed to take place and the characters I was even partway interested in get killed off.
Telepath - Janet Edwards.
The start of a new YA series by the author of the Earth Girl series, which I enjoyed more than this one. This society has everyone on Earth living in giant underground 'hives' as in big enough to hold the population of a small nation. Characters get 'imprinted' at 18 with the knowledge necessary to perform work chosen for them. It was hard to tell whether one was supposed to approve of this society or not; it was a bit creepy to me, but the viewpoint character doesn't rebel from it. Being a telepath is so rare there are only five in her Hive, so the job has huge prestige, but again, no free choice. She's a sort of psi cop for her Hive and has to battle against another Hive's attempt to steal her for themselves.
The Man in the High Castle - Philip K. Dick
I don't know how I never got around to reading this before now. Very good, but I found the ending rather vague and perplexing. Characters circle around one another without much interaction; there's an estranged husband and wife whom I kept expecting to meet up and they never do. The I Ching seems to be a character in its own right, an omniscient one. I have to think about this some more. It's one of the earliest alternate world stories I know, published in 1962, where Germany and Japan won WWII, but now Germany seems to be eyeing off its old comrade in arms. Also, everyone is reading and talking about a strange book describing an impossible world where the Axis powers lost the war.
The Killing Line - James N. Cook.
Zombie apocalypse series, book number 7. Interesting in that it tries to cover the development of a new society from the survivors who learned to deal with the undead, including a fairly well thought out barter system for trade. Downside is rather too much time spent describing military manoeuvres and guns.
Hell's Children - John L. Monk.
Pandemic scenario, killing everyone over 15. Viewpoint character is a 14-year-old boy trained by his survivalist parents, so you essentially get preppers and guns, only with teenagers and younger kids. The background is so nondescript I can't even remember where it's supposed to take place and the characters I was even partway interested in get killed off.
Telepath - Janet Edwards.
The start of a new YA series by the author of the Earth Girl series, which I enjoyed more than this one. This society has everyone on Earth living in giant underground 'hives' as in big enough to hold the population of a small nation. Characters get 'imprinted' at 18 with the knowledge necessary to perform work chosen for them. It was hard to tell whether one was supposed to approve of this society or not; it was a bit creepy to me, but the viewpoint character doesn't rebel from it. Being a telepath is so rare there are only five in her Hive, so the job has huge prestige, but again, no free choice. She's a sort of psi cop for her Hive and has to battle against another Hive's attempt to steal her for themselves.
The Man in the High Castle - Philip K. Dick
I don't know how I never got around to reading this before now. Very good, but I found the ending rather vague and perplexing. Characters circle around one another without much interaction; there's an estranged husband and wife whom I kept expecting to meet up and they never do. The I Ching seems to be a character in its own right, an omniscient one. I have to think about this some more. It's one of the earliest alternate world stories I know, published in 1962, where Germany and Japan won WWII, but now Germany seems to be eyeing off its old comrade in arms. Also, everyone is reading and talking about a strange book describing an impossible world where the Axis powers lost the war.