COVER REVEAL ROUND-UP (XXVI)

   First up, this cover has art by Richard Anderson. The book is the first in the series, and it is coming from Angry Robot 2 September 2014 in North America and E-book/ 4 September 2014 in the UK. I really like this image. It is a style I like, and it is really eye catching. It is somewhat reminiscent of 1990s Heavy Metal. I mean that in a good way, because this makes me want to get hold of the book.

   Last time I did the cover to the first book in the Marakand, this is the cover to the second one ( ,it's a two book series,) - also with art by Raymond Swanland. It will be out in December 2014 from PYR. I said last time that I was a fan the cover to the first volume, but I actually think this is even better. This is simply an excellent image.

   This is the cover for a movie novelisation, out in early 2015 from Gollancz. You can read a lot more about the book, and the movie, on Gollancz's blog. This cover drew me in immediately. To be frank though, I'm not sure I am as excited about the novelisation is I am about the movie, but this looks really good.

   This Horror novel will be out from Solaris in October 2014. It is done by Pye Parr, and you can read the author's thoughts about the book, accompanied by a slightly earlier draft of the cover, here. I like this. It's one of those pared down and stylish covers that work very well. Nice 3-D effect with the lightbulb too.

   Artwork by Kenn Brown adorns this omnibus coming from DAW, coming 2 September 2014. The author talks about the cover (, and you can see the original individual ones, ) here. I liked this cover immediately, even before I had any clue as to what the book was about (, other than it being SFF). It's an interesting image that compels you to take a closer look at the book behind it.

   10 March 2015 is the release date for this novel from Orbit. I've confessed earlier in these posts that I like the traditional style Science Fiction covers. There is absolutely no reason to make any exception for this one. It's a Science Fiction novel with a spaceship on the cover. I like that.

    Out from Solaris 9 October 2014 we have this anthology. That is some great dragons. Anthology covers are usually pretty generic for what the anthology is supposed to cover. This one differs somewhat from many of those it could be compared to, and I think that will make it stand out. I also like this image a lot, there's enough detail here to keep you looking for more than a few seconds.

   Will Staehle made this cover for a 26 August 2014 North America and E-book/ 4 September 2014 UK release from Angry Robot. The artist talks about the cover over on Tor.com. The image is a very nice one, cleverly done. I like the effect with the bullets and casings. It is a bit too bright though for my tastes, a little bit too much white.

   Robbie Trevino is the artist behind this one. The image has been reworked from last years Hardcover release for a paperback release from Night Shade Books 1 July 2014. The author talks about his thought about the changes here. This is an action-snapshot cover, and a very good one. The image comes more into its own here than on the HC, and I also like the design a bit better. I also can't help wondering what happens in the next second or two after what we can see here...

   Finally, we have another paperback edition. This one is coming July 2014 from Tor UK. According to the author this will be gold foiled and supermatt finished. (Do ask Mark about his feelings on supermatt finish on Twitter.) I seriously doubt it's a coincidence that we can see the name C.J. Sansom on this cover. It does resemble Pan Macmillan's Sansom covers. For me that is absolutely not a minus. I would definitely pick this up if I saw this cover, I think it's a great one.

GIVEAWAY: AMOK: ASIA-PACIFIC SPECULATIVE FICTION

   Time for the first giveaway on this blog. The reason I'm having this giveaway is pretty simple, my girlfriend is one of the authors in the anthology. So, I have one copy of the book available for a giveaway. Because of postage costs it's restricted to the EU and EFTA (EEA + Switzerland).  The way to enter is pretty simple, just send me an e-mail at the address on the top of the right-hand sidebar of this page, with the subject "Amok Giveaway"*.
   The giveaway is open until 23.59.59 BST (British Summer Time) 14 June. After that I will use a random number selector to choose a winner. Only one entry per person. (You can however enter the giveaway over on Jo's blog if you want to double your chance of winning.

   Since you may be a bit curious as to what you have a chance of winning if you enter, here is the cover and full cover copy of the anthology:

In an anthology that spans from India in the west to Hawai‘i in the east, and as far south as Australia and New Zealand, 24 authors bring you an exciting range of tales set in the past, present, and future.

Discover characters like the Moon Rabbit from Chinese mythology, a kitsune from Japanese mythology, and the aswang from Filipino 
mythology.

Find out what arises when a struggling Malaysian student seeks help for her studies in Chinatown, and what happens when the garbage in the Pacific Ocean is seen as a valuable treasure.

Futures imagined stretch from amazing advances in technology to depressing dystopias.

Read these stories and so many more in Amok: An Anthology of Asia-Pacific Speculative Fiction.

You can find a full list of the authors, and links to where to buy the book on its Goodreads page. The publisher's website is here.

*The winner will be contacted via the e-mail they used to enter the giveaway for an address to send the book to. If the winner does not answer a new draw will be made. E-mails will be saved until a draw is made and the winner has given me an address to send the book to, after that all the e-mails will be deleted. The e-mail addresses of any who enter will not be shared with anyone, and I will not send any e-mail to anyone but the winner. Should you wish to subscribe to this site's posts via e-mail, you can do that in the right-hand sidebar. You can contact me (Ole/Weirdmage) at the same e-mail address as used for the competition entries.

REVIEW: MYTHS AND LEGENDS: ROBIN HOOD

Cover illustration: Peter Dennis

MYTHS AND LEGENDS:

ROBIN HOOD

BY

NEIL SMITH

Illustrated by:

Peter Dennis

 ISBN: 978-1-47280-125-8

Pages: 80

Publisher: Osprey

Published: 21 January 2014

On the cover:

(From the publisher's website.)

He robbed from the rich to give to the poor, or so the legend goes. But who was the outlaw known as Robin Hood? How did his legend develop, and how has it changed over the passing centuries? This new title in the Osprey Myths and Legends series takes a detailed look at the famous outlaw, beginning with a retelling of the early ballads that established his stories. From there, the book explores how the legend grew and how famous names such as Little John, Friar Tuck, Maid Marian, and Alan-a-Dale became associated with Robin Hood. It also enters the perilous world of Robin Hood scholarship with a critical analysis of the case for a ‘historical’ Robin Hood and a review of the mostly likely candidates. A perfect primer for young and old alike, this book covers both the fact and the fiction of Britain’s most famous outlaw.

 

   The last book about Robin Hood I read was fiction. (This is one of twelve books in that series.) That was about 25 years ago. I've read articles about Robin Hood since then, and of course seen films. (The best film is still the one with Errol Flynn.)

   This book is divided into four sections; The Legend of Robin Hood, The Myth of Robin Hood, Robin Hood's World, and The Modern Myth. The first one is the earliest legends, while the second one deals with what has been added since then. The Third section is about the historical evidence, and we end with Robin Hood in films and TV.
   It became obvious early on that I knew very little about the origins of the stories about Robin Hood. (Part of that has without a doubt to do with me being Norwegian.) I found the look into how the legends looked at the beginning absolutely fascinating.

   When you get into the myths, the terrain became more familiar but it was clear that I still had massive holes in my knowledge. It was very interesting to me to get a look at how the story of Robin Hood has evolved over the centuries. And you can certainly understand why Disney opted to not use the original material when they made their animated movie. I think most people will be surprised when they look at how Robin Hood acted in the early tales told about him.
   What I really found fascinating, and I think that others will too, is how recent much of what we take for granted when it comes to Robin Hood really is. We get a clear picture here of how popular culture can form our view of traditional stories.

   The writing is excellent throughout. Smith writes in a very clear, and manages to be very informative without ever getting dry. This is something that can easily be read by the younger generations, as well as their parents and grandparents.
   We get excellent illustrations throughout. Both from the credited Peter Dennis, and earlier examples. Dennis also has a few essays accompanying some of the illustrations, and I found those to be a great addition to the book.

   This may not be a very thick book, but it is pretty comprehensive. It covers a lot of material in few pages, and is great for quick reference. While it may not offer anything new to those who want an in-depth look at the myths and legends surrounding Robin Hood, it offers a lot to people like me who have an interest in Robin Hood but who have never taken the time to look any deeper. There's also a good bibliography at the back, with mostly newer works that should be easy to find for those that want to look further after reading this.
   I highly recommend this to those who want to look at Robin Hood a bit deeper than just popular culture. And it will also be well worth a look for those that are interested in how legends evolve.

NOTE: I got an e-ARC of this from the publisher/NetGalley.

LINKS: Osprey

JURY DUTY: I AM ON A BRITISH FANTASY AWARDS JURY

   The list of jurors for this years British Fantasy Awards is out, and my name is on it. I will be one of three people on the jury for the Best Collection Award. That means that I will have to read for the award, specifically the collections that have been voted to be on the awards shortlist. (This should not affect my blogging. But I will refrain from reviewing anything that is on the shortlist, at least in the foreseeable future.)
   
   I see some familiar names on the juries of the other categories, among them Jo Thomas - who is my girlfriend. (We do not talk about the awards. I have no idea who is nominated for best novella, and I haven't told her who is nominated for best collection.)  Below is the full list of jurors, as presented here:

Best Fantasy Novel (the Robert Holdstock Award)
Gary Couzens
Laurel Sills
Matthew Hughes
Neil Williamson
Selina Lock

Best Horror Novel (the August Derleth Award)
Cate Gardner
Jim McLeod
Mark West
Pauline Morgan
Thana Niveau

Best Novella
Aleksandra Kesek
Jo Thomas
Paul Holmes

Best Short Story
David Tallerman
Matthew Hughes
Pauline Morgan

Best Anthology
Carole Johnstone
Gary Couzens
Matthew Hughes

Best Collection
Matthew Hughes
Ole Andreas Imsen
Pauline Morgan

Best Small Press
Dave Brzeski
Elaine Hillson
Elloise Hopkins
Rachel Kendall
Rhian Bowley

Best Comic/Graphic Novel
Jay Eales
Jennie Gyllblad
P.M. Buchan

Best Artist
Jennie Gyllblad
P.M. Buchan
Rachel Kendall

Best Non-Fiction
Djibril al-Ayad
Emma Newman
Jason Arnopp

Best Magazine/Periodical
Aleksandra Kesek
Donna Bond
Jim McLeod

Best Film/Television Episode
Adrian Faulkner
Catherine Hill
Gary Couzens

Best Newcomer (the Sydney J. Bounds Award)
Douglas Thompson
Ian Hunter
Lizzie Barrett

REVIEW: THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE

THE MAN IN THE HIGH CASTLE

BY

PHILIP K. DICK

ISBN: 978-0-57508-205-2*

Pages: 248

Publisher: Gollancz

First published: October 1962

This edition published: [2001]*

On the cover:

(From the publisher's website.)

It is 1962 and the Second World War has been over for seventeen years: people have now had a chance to adjust to the new order. But it's not been easy. The Mediterranean has been drained to make farmland, the population of Africa has virtually been wiped out and America has been divided between the Nazis and the Japanese. In the neutral buffer zone that divides the two superpowers lives the man in the high castle, the author of an underground bestseller, a work of fiction that offers an alternative theory of world history in which the Axis powers didn't win the war. The novel is a rallying cry for all those who dream of overthrowing the occupiers. But could it be more than that?

   To start this review I have to address something that I haven't seen anybody else do, namely the racism of the text. I am not talking about the racism of the story, I am talking about the racism displayed by the author's choices in how he represents the Japanese in the book.

   I first read this book about 15 years ago, and at the time I found some passages of the text annoying. It's actually what stood out for me when I thought about the book later. The passages in question is when the Japanese speak. They do so in halting, stilted, English that is obviously meant to be directly translated from Japanese. I am very familiar with that from doing I-Ching myself, so I just found it annoying because it is totally unnecessary. However when I re-read the book late last year, leading to this review, I was on the lookout for this. I was also reading in a far more analytical manner than I did when I read it for fun the first time I read it.

   Like I said above, I am familiar with the way Japanese speech is presented in the book through I-Ching. If you see a US movie where someone is mimicking an Asian character's speech to poke fun of them you'll have an idea of how it is presented.
   To be honest I tried to come up with a reason for this not to be racist. I loved the book the first time I read it, and didn't really want to deal with it being a racist text. But no matter how I tried to excuse it, I couldn't escape the racism.
   First I tried seeing it as a way of highlighting how different the Japanese are to the occupied USAians**. That falls apart very quickly. The way the Japanese are described is more than enough to paint them as from a culture alien to the US characters, quite a lot of time is spent othering the Japanese. In fact the inclusion of the I-Ching would be over the top if it wasn't so central to the novel. The way they talk adds absolutely nothing to the book's differentiating of Japanese culture (, as different to the default US culture). It just paints the Japanese as being stereotypically incapable of speaking English properly.
   The real nail in the coffin when it comes to the way the Japanese language is presented though is how the Germans are presented. All the Germans are presented as talking in perfect English, even when they talk amongst themselves. Interestingly enough when looking for any mention of racism in connection with this novel I found that Dick read German. So he should be aware of, and capable of, presenting the sentences said by Germans in the way it would be said in German. Dick's proficiency in German also paints his choice of singling out the Japanese for the halting English depiction in a less than flattering light. Having had German at school, I am also aware of how directly translated German sounds, and when reading analytically the lack of it makes the way the Japanese speak stand out even more.

   So, does this mean that I think Philip K. Dick was a racist? Well, the text of this book is certainly racist, so in that sense the answer is yes. I will however assume that if he was a blatant racist that it would be something that the SFF community was aware of, and talked about. So I look at it as a typical USAian attitude of the time that people don't think twice about.
   The book is said to have been written in 1961. That is 16 years after the end of World War II, and eight years after the end of the Korean War. (It's also during the lead-up to the Vietnam War, the US already had military advisers there.) So it is understandable that any USAian would have a less than favourable view of the Japanese. I remember this kind of representation of Japanese being pretty much par for the course in US movies in the 1980s.
   To answer again whether Dick was a racist... He is displaying racism towards the Japanese in this book. (Although as can be seem from my description, it isn't very blatant.) So I can only conclude that he was racist against the Japanese, maybe because of ignorance, when he wrote this novel in 1961. I have not done any research  into whether Dick displayed any racism anywhere else, or if he ever acknowledged the problems with this text, so I can only comment on it in the context of this book. And as I have outlined above, I can't escape the fact that this text is racist.
 

   I could go on a bit about this subject, but I'll go on to the review of the rest of the novel. I will leave any further talk about racism for the summation, but I would be dishonest if I didn't admit it was something that was in the back of my mind as I read the book and that it affected my reading experience.

 

   The first thing to mention is that this is a novel with a base in the Alternate History trope, i.e. that the Germans won World War II. (Although this time along with the Japanese.) The worldbuilding around this is very well done, you really get a good feel for how history turned out in this world. Dick is perhaps at his best when it comes to his way of infodumping. It's not really subtle, but he makes it flow in a way that doesn't set it apart from the rest of the text. You very rarely get to read a novel where the infodumping is this well done.
   I have previously stated that I am a fan of Alternate History, and I can say that this is a very good example of it. It is one of the books in the genre that you should be reading. To say that it is the best work Alternate History, like some do, is however wrong in my opinion. The reason for that is that the Alternate History isn't really the main point of this novel.

   This novel does explore the Alternate History aspect, but it's clear that Dick is more interested in exploring the unreality of the subgenre. It's this aspect that takes over as the novel progresses, and it gets outright metatextual as we come towards the end.
   Putting aside everything that has a deeper meaning, this is still a full novel. Although one that is somewhat disjointed. The characters do connect up, but it doesn't really feel like their stories do. Dick uses the novel-within-a-novel to connect up the disparate parts of this, but it never feel wholly natural. That the character who is furthest removed from the larger part of the narrative in the end is the one given most importance feels like a bit of a cheap trick. And I can't escape the feeling that these different narratives would work a little bit better if they were in separate stories.

   The level of intricacy in the narrative is high throughout, Dick is definitely on the "literary" side of SFF. There is also plenty of interesting events throughout this novel, and an understanding of the deeper levels of this is by no means necessary. But it will of course give you a more complete experience if you can spot the many instances where Dick goes deeper than the story strictly needs.
   We do get an interesting story about living in an occupied USA (, though this is very the objectionable bits mentioned above come into play), and a quite action- filled political bit. Actually, the action is a bit of a problem. It comes out of the blue, so much that it was jarring.
   Jarring could very well be the descriptive word for Dick's writing style. Very little is done smoothly when it comes to changes in PoVs, or indeed in endings. The changes from one thing to another, both in location and plot, often comes of as abrupt. I quite like the way Dick writes, and manage to follow his changes of thought quite easily, but your mileage may vary when it comes to this. I have absolutely no problem understanding those that have problems with Dick's style of writing, and I see no reason why anyone should force themselves through his prose.

   Overall this is a very good Alternate History book, where the focus is more alternate than history. It is dragged down by all the time spent on othering the Japanese. It is hard to see anything redeeming in the author's description of the Japanese here, and if you have trouble with this sort of casual racism you would do best to stay away from this book.
    As a work of Alternate History this is without doubt something that deserves to be read. The worldbuilding isn't so detailed that it doesn't leave a desire to know more of this world, but it is still a very interesting glimpse into a different reality.
   Despite my problems with the racism I still like this book, although realising how the text treats Japanese has lessened my esteem of it considerably.So while I still would advise anyone interested in Philip K. Dick, or Alternate History to read this, I can't really condone it being called essential because of its problems.

___

* My edition of this, with the cover featured, is still in storage in Norway. The ISBN number is from the later hardcover Gollancz SF Masterworks edition (2009) that is still available. The publishing year is from the earlier hardcover Gollancz SF Masterworks edition with a different cover.

** I have made a choice to avoid using the word Americans when I talk of just one country in America. It annoys me as a Norwegian when people say Scandinavian when they mean Swedish, and I'm sure there's lots of Americans who don't want to be lumped in with USAians.

 ___

LINKS: Gollancz   Gollancz Blog  

COVER REVEAL ROUND-UP (XXV)

   This book will be out 27 May 2014 from Open Road Media/Mondadori. It is a translation from Italian, and was originally published there in 2004. It is the first of four books in this series.
   The cover immediately caught my eye on NetGalley, and a was lucky enough to be approved for an e-ARC. I think it is a great cover, the character intrigues me with her violet eyes, pointed ears, and blue hair. And the weapon she holds is an interesting one. I am really looking forward to reading this, and it was the cover that made me look at the novel.

      This one is coming from BBC Books/Ebury Publishing 31 July 2014. Really not much to say here, apart from: It's a book about The War Doctor! I mean, what's not to like? There's even Daleks there. I am really exited about this one. (You can read the cover copy here, and if this looks at all interesting you should.)

   This book is actually already out. It came out in the US on 6 May (2014), two days ago. I still wanted to feature it, since it is nice to see this in contrast to the UK one that I featured earlier. Like the UK cover, this does look interesting. However this catches my eye more and that is because it reminds me of Stephen King. Not entirely sure he's had a cover like this, but I seem to recall something not dissimilar. (Too lazy to check.) It doesn't really matter though, it is a very good cover that catches my interest.

   This cover, by Alan Brooks, is for the tenth and final book in the Shadows of the Apt series. It will be coming from Tor UK 3 July 2014. I really like these covers for this series. I've been meaning to start reading it, but want to wait until I can get all of the books (including this one). Every time I see these covers I feel bad for not having read any of it, so they are definitely very good covers.

   This anthology from Solaris will be out 27 May 2014 in North America, and 5 June 2014 in the UK. The list of authors is a really interesting one. I like this cover a lot. It pulls me in, and I am interested in seeing what is behind it. (And I have an e-ARC, so I plan to have this read before release day.)

   This is a book that will be out in August 2014, it is the first in the Children Trilogy. The top from Tor UK, with a cover by Alejandro Colucci, and the bottom from the US publisher Thomas Dunne Books, with design by Ervin Serrano. The US cover is the more stylish one, but although I like it there seems to be quite a few covers with just a sword lately, so I feel a bit meh about it. The UK one also has the sword on it. (Not the same one on the cover, but the same sword in the book from what I gather.) However this one also has a character featured, and that makes it more interesting to me. The US isn't bad, but the UK one is a clear winner here.

   Coming from Tor, 27 May. It is the first one in a new series, and you  can read an excerpt here. [A little side note here is that I have trouble not reading the authors name as Janne Lindsköld, like it was Swedish.] The cover is really interesting, and the face/star effect is very well done. I like this kind of cover, and it made me look into what the book is about. Think this would look nice on my shelf.

   From PYR, coming 10 June 2014, we have this cover with art by Raymond Swanland. The art is just stunning. This is a piece of art that would do very well on a wall in a gallery, or perhaps in the library/office room I am writing this in. I am a huge fan of art like this on covers, and I think I may have to get hold of this book just so I can have that cover.

   This cover is designed by James Annal, with design agency Crush. For an e-book release 22 May 2014 from Tor UK. It is an interesting cover. It is enough SFF that I would look closer at the book even had I not known who Sanderson is. Other than that, it doesn't really do it for me. But that is a personal preference, and not a fault with the cover.

REVIEW: DOCTOR WHO: THE BOG WARRIOR

Cover by Two Associates/Woodlands Books

DOCTOR WHO:

THE BOG WARRIOR

TIME TRIPS BOOK 6

BY

CECELIA AHERN

ISBN: 978-1-44814-237-8

 Pages: 33

Publisher: BBC Books/Ebury Publishing

Published: 8 May 2014

On the cover:

(From the publisher's website.)

Arriving on the planet Cashel, the Tenth Doctor witnesses a strange masked ball. To guarantee peace, Prince Zircon has to choose a bride from the Bog People – dead men and women who have been resurrected as slaves. Or as warriors. But Zircon is in love with the enslaved Princess Ash, whose parents were deposed and executed by the current Queen. As usual, the Doctor has walked right into trouble, and it's up to him to sort it out.

   I am a big fan of Doctor Who. I am also a big fan of Fairy Tales, both traditional and modern. This story satisfies my enjoyment of both of those things.
   No attempt is made here to hide that this is inspired by Fairy Tales. There are lots of small details, and some larger plotpoints, that are clearly taken straight out of the Fairy Tales that have been adapted by Disney. If you have read a bit of Fairy Tales, you can have fun spotting where the influence comes from.
   That is not meant to suggest that this is unoriginal, or just a straight retelling, it is far from either of those. There are some delicious twists on what you'd expect from a Fairy Tale, and this story definitely takes its own paths.

   This is not a long story by any means, but Ahern has still managed to get some complexity into it. She is showing she is very good at tight plotting, there is nothing here that is wasted. What is here though is a story that feels like it should take up more pages than it actually does. It is actually bigger on the inside. (Sorry for the pun...)
   The structure is pretty classic Doctor Who. The Doctor arrives at a planet, notices something strange, and meddles. But it doesn't feel like this is something that have been done many times before.
   The way Ahern draws us into the events at the same time as The Doctor works very well. We get to discover what is going on with The Doctor. There is a feeling that we are there with him, even though we don't have a companion that can take our place in the story. Some of this is because the Fairy Tale setting is so familiar. I think everyone will be aware of at least some of the references made. But the most important element that pulls the reader in is Ahern's writing. She gets us on an intimate footing with the characters, and that she does it by playing on familiar emotional tropes does not detract from how well she does it.

   As mentioned above there is some interesting twists to the familiar in this story. A big one has to do with the nature of some of the characters. I really liked that, it is an excellent twist and it makes for a much more complex world than the black & white that some Fairy Tale retellings descend into.
   There is plenty of tension here, it's not a given that the story turns out the way it does. The pacing is also on the faster side of things, which is good when the story is this short. There are no unnecessary breaks here, and this is definitely something to read in one go. It would be hard not to.

   I found this to be really enjoyable. It has absolutely everything you could want from a Fairy Tale, and it is a great Doctor Who story. Ahern is without doubt a very good writer, and she tells a tale that I don't hesitate to call essential for anyone who enjoys a good Fairy Tale retelling. There is also plenty to enjoy here for the Doctor Who fan who wants a strong standalone story with the Tenth Doctor.
   This is simply an excellent Fairy Tale and Doctor Who crossover.

NOTE: I got an e-ARC of this from the publisher/NetGalley.

REVIEWS: You can find a full list of my Doctor Who reviews here. (Including the first five Time Trips stories.)

LINKS: Cecelia Ahern   Ebury Publishing

MY DOCTOR WHO

   Well, my Doctor Who Week didn't exactly go to plan. I had not counted on lurgy and computer problems. I have however reviewed the Doctor Who stories I was planning to, and you can find them either in the April 2014 blog archive in the sidebar, or in the Tie-In/Shared World Index ( ,tab at top of page). I will read and review more Doctor Who books in the future. I have another review of a Time Trips story coming up tomorrow, and the picture at the top is of the Doctor Who books in my TBR* pile.

   What I also wanted to do is post that I planned to end my Doctor Who Week with:

MY DOCTOR WHO

©2014 BBC, Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/gallery/fourthdoctor/13.shtml - See more at: http://s884.photobucket.com/user/Weirdmage/media/Misc%20Images/TomBakerwithSword_zps425350e5.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0#sthash.QURwN5EL.dpuf

©2014 BBC, Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/gallery/fourthdoctor/13.shtml - See more at: http://s884.photobucket.com/user/Weirdmage/media/Misc%20Images/TomBakerwithSword_zps425350e5.jpg.html?sort=3&o=0#sthash.QURwN5EL.dpuf

© BBC Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/doctorwho/classic/gallery/fourthdoctor/13.shtml

   My first experience with Doctor Who was on Super Channel. Considering how few channels we had back then in Norway (, I think it was five,) I probably watched it when it was first shown, which according to BroaDWcast on the Gallifrey Base website would make it late March 1987. I distinctly remember watching the regeneration at the start of Robot. I am also pretty sure I watched the death of the Fourth Doctor, but if this is correct, I couldn't have. I think it is correct, looking at this list, and thinking back, it looks correct from what I remember, but it was a while ago... What I am certain of is that I watched Doctor Who on Super Channel every time I could. I rewatched it when I could too.

Anyway, this lead to me buying an issue of Doctor Who Magazine when I was in London in 1988. I think I still have that among my stuff in storage in Norway (, waiting to be brought over to the UK at a later date).

   So, Tom Baker, the Fourth Doctor, is my Doctor Who in the sense that most people count those things. And he does have a special place for me because he was the first one I saw as The Doctor.

   It would take about ten years until my next encounter with Doctor Who, that was on BBC Prime and also on Norwegian cable. At the time they were showing episodes of the Fifth Doctor. This time I was taping the episodes on my VCR. They only showed one or two at a time, and for some reason that is lost in the mists of time I never really managed to get a whole story on tape. There was one exception to that, but I can't for the life of me remember which one it was.
   I can still remember how annoying it was not getting all the episodes in a series on tape, and to this day I have still to watch more than that one full story of Peter Davidson's Doctor.

   And then we are up to 2006 or 2007. NRK, the Norwegian BBC, started sending episodes of the Ninth Doctor on their NRK 3 channel. (Coincidentally, this channel is a children's channel during the day whose name is NRK Super.) The first one I caught was The Empty Child.

   I was of course hooked at once. And although NRK was erratic with sending Doctor Who, and I think they stopped after season three, I later got some BBC channels that have allowed me to catch up with all of new Who.

   Earlier this year I moved to the UK to live with Jo, and I am eagerly awaiting the opportunity to watch Doctor Who on BBC with the rest of the UK.

*TBR - To Be Read

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REVIEW: CATCHING FIRE

Cover image adapted by Scholastic UK from an original by Tim O'Brien

CATCHING FIRE

THE HUNGER GAMES BOOK TWO

BY

SUZANNE COLLINS

ISBN: 978-1-407-13209-9

Pages: 439

Publisher: Scholastic UK

First published: 1 September 2009

This edition published: 1 December 2011

On the cover:

(From the publisher's website.)

Katniss survived the Hunger Games. Now the Capitol wants revenge. It’s payback time, and her chance of survival is even slimmer than ever…

After winning the brutal Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta have returned to District 12, hoping for a peaceful future. But their victory has caused rebellion to break out – and the Capitol has decided that someone must pay. As Katniss and Peeta are forced to visit the other districts on the Capitol’s Victory Tour, the stakes are higher than ever. Unless they can convince the world that they are still lost in their love for each other, the consequences will be horrifying. Then comes the cruellest twist: the contestants for the next Hunger Games are announced, and Katniss and Peeta are forced into the arena once more…

   This picks up where book one ended. Some time has passed, but nothing mayor has happened. Well, not that the main character, Katniss, knows of anyway.
   Collins doesn't waste any time at all, and more or less throws the reader in at the deep end at the beginning. It does calm down pretty quickly though, and we get a look at the aftermath of the previous novel. This is very much a middle novel in a trilogy, it doesn't have a real beginning and its end is just the lead up to the concluding volume. That's not a bad thing, but it makes it impossible to read this story on its own.

   Like in the first book, I have some problems relating to Katniss. She is becoming more of a complete person, but I still think she lacks personality. It doesn't help that despite everything she is still extremely naive, I'd have liked her to show a little bit more cynicism after what she went through in the previous book. Peeta, on the other hand, is blindingly clever for the son of a baker who lives in a place with very limited opportunity to learn about the rest of the world.
   To me the characters feel a bit to shallow, more defined by their place in the plot than by any real personality. But despite that Katniss is quite fascinating. The situation she is in does give her some good moments to shine, and Collins write her in such a way that you have to empathise with her.

   The plot is mostly fast paced, more happens at times than in your average Science Fiction novel. There are passages that are more quiet though, and these are used to great effect to give the readers at least some insight into people, places, and events.
   It is without doubt the action, and the suspense that comes with it, that is the main driving force of this novel. Collins writes really good action, and you are compelled to read on every time she ends the chapter on a cliffhanger.

   The plot isn't anywhere near groundbraking, there is so much here that is pretty common in Dystopic Science Fiction, Collins does manage to leave her own distinct mark of it though. Where the originality falls through most is in the way this book follows in the footsteps of the previous volume. There is a lot here that feels like repetition, with just some details changed, and in some ways that is exactly what this is. Much is familiar here, but the stakes are turned up a notch from what we saw the last time.
   Where this novel deviates from its predecessor, it does so in very predictable ways. The extra stakes are there from the beginning, and for me it was just a matter of waiting for it to bear fruit. Unfortunately I never got the feeling of how it turned out the way it did. The worldbuilding is too slight for me to get a grip on how things took the turn they do here. And what details I do know doesn't really seem to hang quite together. The setting/worldbuilding is definitely this series's weakest point.

   I've been mostly critical above, highlighting the flaws of this novel. But even with its flaws this is a very entertaining read. It's light reading, in most ways but especially in the worldbuilding, but the plot itself is a very engaging one.
   I said of the first novel that it was a good introduction to this subgenre of Science Fiction, and that still holds true. The lack of depth is more pronounced here than in the predecessor, but the basic story is an engaging one and Collins writes it well.
   Even for someone as well-read in SFF as me this holds up as light entertainment. Your enjoyment of it will most probably depend of how much you care about the lack of details and depth, and how much you just let go and come along for a quite entertaining ride. Despite being flawed, I can absolutely recommend this for those that are after an uncomplicated and enjoyable read.

REVIEW: The Hunger Games

LINKS: Suzanne Collins   Scholastic UK

REVIEW: A DANCE WITH DRAGONS

A DANCE WITH DRAGONS

BOOK FIVE OF A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE

BY

GEORGE R.R. MARTIN

ISBN: 978-0-006-48611-4

Pages: 1117 (+appendix)

Publisher: Harper Voyager (UK)

First published: 12 July 2011

This edition published: 15 March 2012

On the cover:

(From the publisher's website.)

WARNING: THIS COVER COPY CONTAINS SPOILERS FROM PREVIOUS BOOKS.

The review is however spoiler-free. (Apart from naming characters who have survived.)

The future of the Seven Kingdoms hangs in the balance.

In the east, Daenerys, last scion of House Targaryen, her dragons grown to terrifying maturity, rules as queen of a city built on dust and death, beset by enemies.

Now that her whereabouts are known many are seeking Daenerys and her dragons. Among them the dwarf, Tyrion Lannister, who has escaped King’s Landing with a price on his head, wrongfully condemned to death for the murder of his nephew, King Joffrey. But not before killing his hated father, Lord Tywin.

To the north lies the great Wall of ice and stone – a structure only as strong as those guarding it. Eddard Stark’s bastard son Jon Snow has been elected the 998th Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch, but he has enemies both in the Watch and beyond the Wall, where the wildling armies are massing for an assault.

On all sides bitter conflicts are reigniting, played out by a grand cast of outlaws and priests, soldiers and skinchangers, nobles and slaves. The tides of destiny will inevitably lead to the greatest dance of all…

   It is becoming more and more clear with each of these books that the point of view (PoV) characters have little or no agency of their own. They are not the ones instigating what is happening, they just react to events set in motion by others. Or to put it bluntly, there is no real protagonists here, only antagonists who we do not get to see the motives of.

   This makes for rather dull reading, passive characters aren't really much fun to follow. It also makes for some really lazy plotting. By depriving us of PoVs from people who have plans, and are getting things to happen, Martin can pull revelations out of the blue whenever he feels like it. This comes off as desperate rather than clever to me. They crop up whenever the story has gotten stuck in a rut, and seem to take the place of planning ahead of time where the story is going. Additionally, they reveal how much of a mess the story has become at this stage.

   There are some really good chapters in this novel. Mostly they are lead-up chapters, and foreshadow coming events, but there is a lack of follow up to them. Instead of refreshing a stale narrative, they quickly stall and their storyline gets stuck in the same rut as the other threads of the tale.

   It really is starting to get disheartening. Every time a new PoV is introduced it feels fresh, and it gives the impression that it will help the story move forward. But after a few initial chapters, where we usually gets a new perspective and even some movement in the story, things stop moving. We get page after page after page, etc, of intrigue. In itself there is absolutely nothing wrong with intrigue, it gets us closer to the characters and adds depth to a story. However, when it gets to be like it is here, where the intrigue seems to be the story, it makes for a story that is just running on empty.

    Not only that, but here there is an abundance of settings that should, and sometimes do, bring variation to the narrative. Instead we get the same type of intrigue in a different location. What should be diverse storylines giving us a different flavour of this world becomes a parade of slight variations on the same theme. Court intrigue is pretty much the same wherever it happens. The end result of this is that the different storylines becomes so similar that they melt together in the readers mind.

   I mentioned new PoV characters, and there are some in here. They are however not as important as characters that are introduced in the story but don't have a PoV. Revealing who the newcomers are would be rather massive spoilers, so I will constrain myself to saying that it makes it feel a bit like we are following the wrong characters at times. Almost everyone we follows react, instead of act.

   For the most part though there is nothing wrong with the characters in themselves. They are interesting people, but they can be very annoying. This has mostly to do with their lack of agency, it gets frustrating reading about someone who does little or nothing without being forced to do so by events set in motion by someone else.

   There are one, or possibly three, characters that stand out from this though. Arya has a journey all of her own, one that hardly seems connected to the rest of the story. It is always refreshing when one of her chapters come up. The lack of connection to other events makes it feel out of place, although I'm sure she'll get drawn back in the main story at some later point.

   Daenerys's storyline has been bogged down for a while, but events here suggests that may be changing. I really liked the direction her journey seemingly is taking her at the end of this novel, and I hope she'll continue on that path.

   The last story thread that takes off in a new direction is one that is introduced here. I don't want to ruin it for anyone, but I will say that although it felt a bit like cheating to introduce it at this late point it still gives some hope that this long slog will come to an end that will at least make it feel worth it.

   I feel that this review is a bit unfocused. Unfortunately that is unavoidable when the novel it is reviewing mostly seems to lack any focus at all. There are too many storylines, and they are too similar. Added to that there is the sense that we still haven't gotten any idea of where this is heading. Yes, the ultimate prize is the throne of Westeros, but there is so much else going on that it doesn't seem to matter much.

   Way too many pages are devoted to chapters that don't move the storyline forward. I can still see a good story inside this, but it is a series that is becoming so bloated that it gets harder and harder to see. I am invested by now, so I will follow this to the end. But with each volume Martin makes it harder for me to believe that end will be a good one.

REVIEWS:  A Game of Thrones   A Clash of Kings   A Storm of Swords   A Feast for Crows

LINKS: George R.R. Martin   Harper Voyager