"Everybody wants to own the end of the world" {Zero K by Don DeLillo}

"Everybody wants to own the end of the world"

Synopsis of Zero K by Don DeLillo: Jeffrey Lockhart's father, Ross, is a billionaire in his sixties, with a younger wife, Artis Martineau, whose health is failing. Ross is the primary investor in a remote and secret compound where death is exquisitely controlled and bodies are preserved until a future time when biomedical advances and new technologies can return them to a life of transcendent promise. Jeff joins Ross and Artis at the compound to say "an uncertain farewell" to her as she surrenders her body. "We are born without choosing to be. Should we have to die in the same manner? Isn't it a human glory to refuse to accept a certain fate?" These are the questions that haunt the novel and its memorable characters, and it is Ross Lockhart, most particularly, who feels a deep need to enter another dimension and awake to a new world. For his son, this is indefensible. Jeff, the book's narrator, is committed to living, to experiencing "the mingled astonishments of our time, here, on earth." Don DeLillo's seductive, spectacularly observed and brilliant new novel weighs the darkness of the world-terrorism, floods, fires, famine, plague-against the beauty and humanity of everyday life; love, awe, "the intimate touch of earth and sun."

My two cents

Have you read anything by DeLillo? I've heard anything from "I love him-you should read him" and to the extreme "His-book-almost-killed-me" variety that can you blame me that I'm a little intimidated as a DeLillo newbie?

I really should get a handle on myself: stop listening to what others say. Starting this novel, I got slightly queasy because it is rather creepy with its overwhelming fixation on death ... and actually having a direct say on one's own death, and, even scarier, challenging the world's fatalistic attitude towards death. The beginning "Everybody want to own the end of the world" was a dead giveaway. 

The story revolves around Jeffrey Lockhart, who we chance upon is in the middle of monumental family decision: he has been called by his father to bear witness to his ailing stepmother's "death." But it's not an ordinary "death," it is a decision borne out of the desire to preserve her body until the time that medicine would be able to bring her back, cured and in perfect health. All this happens within a supersecret facility somewhere in Russia, which houses state-of-the-art medical technology amidst an almost cultic movement focused on the future of humanity.

The facility is funded by Jeffrey's billionaire father, Ross. A strong believer in the goal of the facility to play the crucial role of taking death into our own hands, so-to-speak, Ross realizes that there is little left for him to live for with Artis's death. He decides that he should "go with her," in other words, willingly succumb to what the book has called a state of "Zero K" which despite him not having any illness, allows his body to be preserved and to be awoken at the same time as Artis.

It is in Ross's decision where contradictory beliefs of father and son come to fore, and underscore the entire debate of man's control over death.

***

Overall, I'd characterize this as a chilling, thought provoking speculative fiction piece. I remember the chills I first had when I read Michael Crichton's Jurassic Park books decades ago; how can one not be fascinated with the prospect of bring back the extinct dinosaur to life? This recaptured that feeling but with a more human connection. Everyone becomes more and more aware of their humanity with the passage of time or when time becomes a constraint (such as with an incurable illness). Everyone will at some point ponder what they want to get out of this life and beyond, if one is to believe in life beyond the mortal body. But what if one could extend their physical life indefinitely? What would you do?

"Isn't death a blessing? Doesn't it define the value of our lives, minute to minute, year to year?" (- p. 69, ARC, page may change)

There are many philosophical and even theological questions the book asks the reader to consider, to look beyond our small selves in the context of human history. Consider:

"Do we see ourselves living outside time, outside history?" [..] "Hopes and dreams of the future often fail to account for the complexity of life as it exists on this planet. We understand that. The hungry, the homeless, the besieged, the warring factions and religions and sects and nations. The crushed economies. The wild surges of weather. Can we be impervious to terrorism? Can we ward off threats of cyber-attack? Will we be able to remain truly self-sufficient here?" (p. 65, ARC, page may change)

What makes this book even moreso intense are the images of life, death and transcendence that it so skillfully paints: a solitary, stationary figure in the midst of a ever-moving bustling city, a herd of frenzied, scared people crushing onward to who knows what, anguished faces and tortured bodies of self-immolants.   


While I think there is a lot of big ideas floating about, the book is firmly grounded in the opposing views of the father and son making me feel much more connected to the whole dilemma. Otherwise, I honestly may have gotten lost in the concepts! There are plenty of gems hidden in this one and I suspect depending on what your own inclinations or interests are, you will respond in some way, especially with DeLillo's writing with its simple, descriptive and evocative quality.

I can't claim to fully grasp this book but it is enough for me want to look up more of DeLillo's work.

Verdict 

Life is finite. Humanity wants to and has the power to extend it indefinitely. Despite all these big questions and concepts talked about, the dilemma is real for Jeffrey, Ross and Artis. Read this chilling speculative piece and ponder about your own stand on life and death.


Note: An ARC was provided to me by the publisher for honest review consideration. 

Book Depository

Tales of Trenzalore: The Eleventh Doctor's Stand #RRSciFiMonth

Oh Christmas, I love thee. Signed, the Doctor.

Synopsis of Doctor Who: Tales of Trenzalore: The Eleventh Doctor's Stand by Justin Richards, Mark Morris, George Mann, Paul Finch: As it had been foretold, the armies of the Universe gathered at Trenzalore. Only one thing stood between the planet and destruction – the Doctor. For nine hundred years, he defended the planet, and the tiny town of Christmas, against the forces that would destroy it.

He never knew how long he could keep the peace. He never knew what creatures would emerge from the snowy night to threaten him next. He knew only that at the end he would die on Trenzalore.

Some of what happened during those terrible years is well documented. But most of it remains shrouded in mystery and darkness.

Until now.

This is a glimpse of just some of the terrors the people faced, the monstrous threats the Doctor defeated. These are the tales of the monsters who found themselves afraid - and of the one man who was not.

Tales of Trenzalore collects four of the Doctor's adventures from different periods during the Siege of Trenzalore and the ensuing battle: Let it Snow by Justin Richard, An Apple a Day by George Mann
Strangers in the Outland by Paul Finch, The Dreaming by Mark Morris.

My two cents

I have had this little paperback of short stories languishing on my TBR. I got it a year ago when I joined in the TLC Book Tour for the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who and with Sci-Fi November here once again, I decided now was the time to read and review!

Now, just so you know, I have no inkling about the Battle of Trenzalore, so I feel like a dweeb. Good thing there is an introductory piece at the start of this collection. Straight off, I'd recommend these for the already indoctrinated Who-vians who require little to no background or context. But for those who have some familiarity with the series, this will work out fine too.

These are short and sweet, featuring mini-battles between the Eleventh Doctor and all manner of aliens, some scarier than others. But always, always, the Doctor on the lookout for the well-being of the people of Christmas (great timing for this post, eh?). His wicked sense of humour and love of the people of Christmas (despite his nonchalance) really shines through!

Christmas is a tiny town on the planet Trenzalore, which is under perennial snow, making it a profitable business for its inhabitants who export snow to other planets. The Doctor has made his home here and taken on a status of great import to the Christmas-ians (I made up that word), protecting its inhabitants from danger that seems to fall from the skies on a pretty regular basis.

The Tales of Trenzalore has four adventures:

Let it Snow by Justin Richard starts when Crantle, one of Christmas's snow runners, observes some mysterious lights blazing in the sky. He goes out to investigate and encounters the Ice Warriors. But the Doctor is way ahead of the Ice Warriors and foils their well laid plans to take over Christmas. 

An Apple a Day by George Mann was my favourite story of the lot. It starts when an unusual seed pod crashes through the glass ceiling of an orchard. It was carrying the parasitic Krynoid and now it's out there, it's got the potential to infect everything in its path. Will the Doctor save the day? Of course! Not without lots of planning, running, and lots of humour.

Strangers in the Outland by Paul Finch starts with the daughter of a prospector is found in total shock, having seen her father killed at the hands of the unfeeling, invulnerable Autons (who apparently look like the Doctor!). The whole town rallies but the Doctor will have none of it; he keeps everyone out of danger as he shows a flicker (just a tad!) of desperation in his attempts to save Autons from taking over! (The most athletic I've seen the Doctor!)

The Dreaming by Mark Morris is pretty creepy and starts with some Christmas folk having nightmares ... nightmares that plant the insidious seed of doubt that the Doctor is not exactly on their side. This features the snake-like Mara who attempt to defeat the Doctor ... but not without a riproaring fight!

Verdict: Four short and sweet stories about the Eleventh Doctor and the battles he fought against all the alien baddies, to protect the people of Christmas, Trenzalore.  A must-read for Who-vians!

#RRSciFiMonth: Dystopian Round-up on Guiltless Reading

I initially had the impression that sci-fi meant science-y, futuristic, starship-ish stories. I guess that's a bit limiting -- all I could think of was Star Wars and 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Last year, I had author Massimo Marino set me straight with his guest post Massimo Marino: Dystopian, Utopian and Cacotopia. I realized that my first encounter with dystopian literature was years ago when I read Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale, which frankly scared the crap out of me! 

While I never really sought out dystopian literature, here are few that I have read, enjoyed and featured on my blog.

Dystopian Lit for Adults

Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood

Not being scared enough with The Handmaid's Tale, I picked up another Atwood which is a love story of sorts in a world gone awry because of genetic engineering.

The Last Policeman Trilogy by Ben H. Winters

An asteroid is going to hit the earth! (Ok, ok, this is more a pre-apocalypic world than a dystopian story but it's a terrifying thought!) When The Last Policeman (Book 1) was offered up for review by Quirk Books, I thought the premise was such an interesting one that I decided to got for it. Little did I know that I would enjoy it so much because of the character of the last policeman, Hank, or that it would become such a popular series. I read Book 2, Countdown City, and liked that even more than the first book. I still have Book 3 to look forward to!

Blindness by Jose Saramago
Seeing by Jose Saramago

I'd started reading some books by Jose Saramago, a Nobel Laureate for Literature, and sought out his well known Blindness where an entire city goes inexplicably blind, with the exception of one woman. The city falls into depravity and anarchy. Many of you may remember Blindness as a movie: my advice: read the book first!  

Seeing is the sequel post-Blindness with the city under authoritarian rule; this one focuses on an authoritarian government unwittingly sowing anarchy, in its attempt to bring order to its own constituency.

Dystopian Lit for Young Adults

There are so many titles out there written for Young Adults! It's a genre that has exploded! My first encounter was Susan Collins' The Hunger Games.

Here are some Young Adult books that I've recently read and reviewed that fall into this genre: 

Legend by Marie Lu 

I was pleasantly surprised by this love story between star-crossed lover-teenagers June and Day in a post-apocalyptic world. While it reminded me of The Hunger Games, this has its own charm and it's certainly no copycat! Prodigy and Champion complete this successful trilogy.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer

I won this book in last year's Sci-Fi Month festivities and it's an innovative retelling of a fairy tale: think a cyborg Cinderella! This also became wildly popular collectively known as The Lunar Chronicles, each story a futuristic twist on a fairy tale.

***

A personal dystopia reading list

As you can see, my reading has been on the slim side in this genre. Topping my TBR list for the genre are:

The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (re-read and a review is on order!)
The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood (Maddaddam No. 2, the next book after Oryx and Crake)

Maddaddam by Margaret Atwood (Maddaddam No. 3)
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess
Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell
1984 by George Orwell
Battle Royale by Koushun Takami
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
The Road by Cormac McCarthy

***

Links:

• Massimo Marino: Dystopian, Utopian and Cacotopian
• Leeswammes's List of Dystopia for Adults 

So folks, which books have you read and enjoyed? Do you have any must-read dystopian recommendations for me?

The Heart Does Not Grow Back by Fred Venturini (+Giveaway!) #RRSciFiMonth

Reality in the surreal.

About The Heart Does Not Grow Back by Fred Venturini:

EVERY SUPERHERO NEEDS TO START SOMEWHERE…

Dale Sampson is used to being a nonperson at his small-town Midwestern high school, picking up the scraps of his charismatic lothario of a best friend, Mack. He comforts himself with the certainty that his stellar academic record and brains will bring him the adulation that has evaded him in high school. But when an unthinkable catastrophe tears away the one girl he ever had a chance with, his life takes a bizarre turn as he discovers an inexplicable power: He can regenerate his organs and limbs.

When a chance encounter brings him face to face with a girl from his past, he decides that he must use his gift to save her from a violent husband and dismal future. His quest takes him to the glitz and greed of Hollywood, and into the crosshairs of shadowy forces bent on using and abusing his gift. Can Dale use his power to redeem himself and those he loves, or will the one thing that finally makes him special be his demise? The Heart Does Not Grow Back is a darkly comic, starkly original take on the superhero tale, introducing an exceptional new literary voice in Fred Venturini.

My two cents

My first thought putting this down: now that was weird. But I loved it, in a weird, wonderful way.

This felt like two books in one. The first part is all lad lit, in an innocent annoying sort of way. We are introduced to Dale Sampson, poor, the only son of a single mom sick with cancer, who is basically a nobody in his school and his town in the Midwest. He meets Mack, a star athlete, who unexpectedly sticks up for him, and they become fast friends.

By default, Dale's life is entwined in Mack's. Their lives revolve around Dale trying to fit into Mack's cool kid world, finding hot girls, and showing up their jock tormentors. But one day, in the midst of all the usual teenage drama, something shockingly disturbing happens ... and Dale discovers that his body can regenerate. Break a bone or two, no problem. Chop off his hand, it just grows back (cue Twilight Zone theme).

Which brings us to the second part which made for a more fast-paced story. This defining event is where Dale crosses into adulthood and where the book turns even more bizarre. With nowhere to go in life, Dale eventually decides to capitalize on his strange ability. He becomes the star of the strangest reality show ever, The Samaritan, where Dale donates body parts to those needing them, all captured on TV of course. People around his new celebrity make for a toxic mix of greed, ambition, and benevolence and while another whole other love story arc plays itself out, Dale has to make some tough decisions on where he wants to end up in his life.

***

The premise is all sci-fi'y and fantasy. It is also quite gritty, dark. I really enjoyed the originality of the premise of this book: a regenerating human being sounds like something that should be in X-Men, not in a literary read like this. When I was starting the book, I didn't quite know what to make of all the hints of Dale's powers every time he got involved in a skirmish. Creative and very unexpected!

I guess I just wasn't paying attention since I was really feeling the whole spin on friendship, first love and love lost, parental love and of coming-of-age. This storyline in itself would've been "good enough" of a read for me.

But no, Venturini pushes the envelope. I love him for taking the risk because it has made the story nothing like I've ever read, and certainly elevated it to another level. The introduction of Dale's superpower gives us a hyper-real, surreal story.

The weird spin on the regeneration theme is replete with metaphors for life, how life is lived, and what it means to use one's gift to benefit others. The power of regeneration becomes both a blessing and a curse. Dale initially thinks that his power will get him out of the hellhole he lives in. But while it brings him the much-needed cash, it complicates his life and he is forced to make decisions that test the balance between a selfless existence versus a life of what makes him truly happy.

This is weird. This is dark. This is lad lit. This is romance. This is sci-fi. It's all that and more because it's got a lot of heart and a lot of reality in the surreal.

***

Potential spoilers (will be as cryptic as possible): I loved the whole "twin spin." I always knew about R, deep inside. Dale was just dense ;)

I was initially pissed off though at the turn of events but now that I've let this percolate a bit more, I don't think I'd have it any other way. Alternate endings would just spoil it.

Warning: There are some rather graphic descriptions of general violence and sexual violence which may make for some uncomfortable reading. Good thing it is concentrated in just one part of the book and you can move on quickly.

Verdict: When you think you've read the weirdest book, I urge you to pick this up. Read it: weird, dark, lad lit, sci-fi, romance. It's all that and more because it's got a lot of heart and a lot of reality in the surreal. Loved this book and highly recommend to anyone looking for a dose of heart in their sci-fi reading (I hope you got the pun, if it wasn't obvious!)

About Fred Venturini

Fred Venturini grew up in Patoka, Illinois. His short fiction has been published in the Booked Anthology, Noir at the Bar 2, and Surreal South ’13. In 2014, his story “Gasoline” will be featured in Chuck Palahniuk’s Burnt Tongues collection. He lives in Southern Illinois with his wife and daughter.

Connect with Fred Venturini on Twitter.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in order to participate in this tour with an honest review. Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour here.  

#RRSciFiMonth: A Doctor Who Retrospective on Guiltless Reading

Last year was the 50th Anniversary of Doctor Who. I finally got my feet wet in this huge cult following by joining a few book tours, getting a crash course from the daughter (err, what's the TARDIS again?), and finally watching some old episodes. Without further ado ... here's Doctor Who ...

Doctor Who: Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell

For some snippets, check this out: Beautiful Chaos

By way of this book, I was introduced to Doctor Who and his world/s. Overall, I think I was expecting this book to be ... cheesy. Aliens. Time travel. And in the back of my mind, on TV: cheap alien costumes, bad special effects. But this book surprised the heck out of me!
 

Doctor Who: Dark Horizons by Jenny T. Colgan
For some snippets, check out: Dark Horizons

This was fun! This is sci-fi light, nothing too heavy, with a great mix of humour, romance and battle. In an unlikely melding of Nordic and primitive folklore as well as a futuristic alien invasion, and how the Doctor comes between two life forms fighting for their respective sides' very survival. 

Doctor Who invades your nails!
I don't think i need to say much. So just go click so you can see more!

Doctor Who Bookmarks

How about these TARDamask socks? Click and there are more Sci-fi-y sockness ;)

Friday 56 and Book Beginnings:

Doctor Who-ology
Anything and everything Doctor Who -- this is the official document from BBC!

Tales of Trenzalore
I haven't read this. I probably should!

Do you like Doctor Who? Have you got some Doctor Who posts too? Share them in this round-up and we'll have a Doctor Who-fest!

Get ready for Sci-Fi November! #RRSciFiMonth

Last year, Rinn Reads hosted the first ever Sci-Fi November and it got such a fantastic reception, it's happening again this year.

What can you expect from Guiltless Reading? I promise you some fun and interesting posts which include the following. This isn't a definitive list, so expect a few surprises along the way!

• #BookmarkMonday - the sci-fi edition, of course, for the entire month!
• A Doctor Who Retrospective
• A Dystopian Round-Up
• 5 Unexpected Homages to Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale 

As for my reading, I've got one Doctor Who book I have been meaning to read for a while now. I also have my eye on a few dystopian titles, so I'll see where my month takes me!

It's not too late to join in! Check out this link.

And if you're not up to posting over the month, this just means you have a lot of blogs to visit!

Happy Sci-Fi Month!

Cinder (Lunar Chronicles #1) by Marissa Meyer

Mash-up of Cinderella and Terminator
Synopsis via: Humans and androids crowd the raucous streets of New Beijing. A deadly plague ravages the population. From space, a ruthless lunar people watch, waiting to make their move. No one knows that Earth’s fate hinges on one girl.

Cinder, a gifted mechanic, is a cyborg. She’s a second-class citizen with a mysterious past, reviled by her stepmother and blamed for her stepsister’s illness. But when her life becomes intertwined with the handsome Prince Kai’s, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an intergalactic struggle, and a forbidden attraction. Caught between duty and freedom, loyalty and betrayal, she must uncover secrets about her past in order to protect her world’s future.

My two cents

Cinderella. Evil stepmother. Step sisters. New Beijing. Cyborg. Wait, we are talking about Cinderella, right?

No, not at all. Kudos to Marissa Meyer for cooking up this imaginative new take on the classic fairytale Cinderella. We all know it -- a beautiful girl whose father dies and is left at the hands of her cruel stepmother and two stepsisters. With the help of a fairy godmother, Cinderella is transformed; she meets the prince, turns back to her non-glamorous self, hides out yet is eventually found by the Prince ... and they live happily ever after.

Except in this case Cinderella is Cinder Linh, who was an orphan taken in by an inventor during his travels to Europe. Unfortunately the inventor dies and she left in the care of her unfeeling stepmother, who has two daughters. The setting is a futuristic world where humans still rule yet are under siege by aliens, held abay only because of intergalactic treaties. Cinder is actually a cyborg, a second-class citizen in this day; she is quickly put to work by her stepmother to earn her keep -- she is a brilliant mechanic. One day, a disguised Prince Kai, the heir to the throne of New Beijing, shows up in her shop, with a top secret task.

Uh-ohs

When I first started it, I was expecting it to be closer to the Cinderella story but it was a nice surprise to find that Meyer had merely taken elements of it and created something creative and innovative! The beginning was fine -- I think I was still in a bit of awe that the story was so creative -- but maybe a quarter into it, I felt like I knew what the big reveal would be, and it started to go downhill for me.

So much material, so outlandish, built-up anticipation, so much promise... but sadly, the world building, the plot is rather predictable, and the characters (or sets of characters) aren't quite fleshed out. I know this is a high standard to judge this against, but I keep thinking back to Tolkien's Middle Earth and feel it actually exists. Or the fact that I would know what an elf looks like, or what dwarves hate, or their complicated histories. I don't question Middle Earth and its inhabitants because Tolkien created them so vividly.

I had more questions in my mind and there are some strange illogical little twists drove me a little batty. There wasn't sufficient elaboration to sate my curiosity about this whole world -- it felt "unstable" to me. I am hoping that the books that follow will flesh out the characters and the setting a little more.

For example, New Beijing: Am I the only one expecting some more Asian flavour in the setting, the customs, the food, the language, etc? The Lunars: More on the back story please and why their strange powers. Cinder, while brilliant as a mechanic, seems to be really stupid: she seems to be in the habit of spreading the deadly plague and despite her sister falling ill, does it once again (read the book, you'll see what I mean).

This feels like a first draft of a wonderful idea. It would make a great introduction for younger readers (say young teens to teenagers) to classics like Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien or His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman. But it doesn't have enough meat for me to rave about it.

And lastly, Cinder Linh? I'm going to sound like such a nitpicker, but I know I am going to get a lot of flak for this review anyway. So I'll say it: wasn't the character's name Ella?

Verdict: A inventive sci-fi treatment of the classic fairytale of Cinderella, this fell flat in terms of unfleshed out world building, characters and a rather predictable plot. I would recommend it for younger readers who want something fresh and fun!

Special thanks to Kelley of A Novel Read for a copy of this book through her giveaway during Sci-Fi Month! I will be passing on this book to spread some bookish love!

Countdown City (The Last Policeman, Book II) by Ben H. Winters #RRSciFiMonth

 
'Til the asteroid do us part.
Synopsis: There are just 74 days to go before a deadly asteroid collides with Earth, and Detective Hank Palace is out of a job. With the Concord police force operating under the auspices of the U.S. Justice Department, Hank's days of solving crimes are over...until a woman from his past begs for help finding her missing husband.

Brett Cavatone disappeared without a trace—an easy feat in a world with no phones, no cars, and no way to tell whether someone’s gone “bucket list” or just gone. With society falling to shambles, Hank pieces together what few clues he can, on a search that leads him from a college-campus-turned-anarchist-encampment to a crumbling coastal landscape where anti-immigrant militia fend off “impact zone” refugees.  The second novel in the critically acclaimed Last Policeman trilogy, Countdown City presents a fascinating mystery set on brink of an apocalypse--and once again, Hank Palace confronts questions way beyond "whodunit." What do we as human beings owe to one another? And what does it mean to be civilized when civilization is collapsing all around you?

My two cents

Check out 
my review of The Last Policeman

Last year, I really enjoyed The Last Policeman, which is the first book in this sci-fi trilogy, so naturally I needed to find out what happens in book 2. Naturally, I was also apprehensive about this sequel living up to its predecessor, but I shouldn't have worried because I thought this was a fantastic read!

This book picks up where the first book left off ... the world is still on the brink of destruction with an asteroid about to hit earth (74 days left!) ... and Hank is still a policeman at heart. Despite Hank no longer officially with the police force, he simply couldn't say no to Martha, his former babysitter (which he had a huge crush on), as she begs him to find her missing husband. It's a hopeless case with people disappearing for mysterious reasons of their own. But Martha is certain, without a shred of doubt, that her husband, Brett, would never leave her.

The promise to help distraught Martha sends Hank out into an increasingly chaotic world, following through on any leads -- many of which are dangerous -- all the while slowly piecing together the true character of Brett Cavatone.

***

I loved the premise of the first book which so effectively set up this pre-apocalyptic world, that this second book really just ran with it! The world as characterized, and particularly the psychology of people were totally believable. I think we all have a morbid fascination with doomsday situations. I totally bought the horrendous scenarios being played out including mass suicides and missing people (usually "Bucket Listers"), widespread food shortages and a proliferating black market, military fending off people in a mass exodus to areas already with severe food shortages, and underground colonies of extremists who believe that there is still salvation in sight. All of these steadily percolate as we follow along in Hank's investigations.

Which brings me to a point that really appealed to me. There is an honest-to-goodness sweetness and even traditionalism to the storyline: Hank, who is still living out his dream of being a policeman, Martha who is clinging on to her disappeared husband's promise, and the charismatic Brett Cavatone whose mysterious disappearance raises all sorts of questions in my mind. These three highlight the bittersweetness of life in their now short existence.

That this was also part mystery also left me hankering to read through and its fast pace and the multi-layered revelations didn't disappoint. I have high expectations for the third book and wonder what Winters will do to wrap up this sci-fi trilogy!

Uh-oh: I am still a little iffy about Hank Palace as the central character; I didn't especially feel his growth as a person and his naivete struck me as a little off in the whole scheme of things. Let's just say that I am still not entirely convinced with his good-naturedness; I think I wanted him grittier or just with a shade of darkness to his soul.

Verdict: A great second installment to a trilogy about a chaotic world on the verge of decimation. If you've read The Last Policeman, you shouldn't miss this one! If you are new to the series, I highly recommend you read both books ... and I'm pretty sure you'll be eagerly awaiting the third, just like I am!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Thanks, Quirk Books!

 

November is Sci-Fi Month!

Woooo! Sci-Fi Month, here we come!

Rinn Reads has cooked up a wonderful way to bring attention to the sci-fi genre. Readers, bloggers, come and get your fill of all things sci-fi: check out the full, amazing schedule right HERE.

Now, without further ado, here's my intro post:

1. Tell us a little about yourself.
Reader turned book blogger serendipitously. Been blogging for a years, on and off. Will read anything, yes, anything, try me. Oh, I may balk at anything horror though ... I hate being scared (in a watch a scary movie through your fingers sort of way).

I am obsessed with anything handmade, handwoven, and organic ... things with a story. I also like cute quirky things (kawaii!).

I enjoy travel (I really should do more of it), and a huge part of traveling is the food ... I am a foodie at heart (my foray into blogging began with food blogging; I have eaten bugs, frogs, strange-looking fruit, among others.) Anyway ... I am starting to get hungry, so shall we move on?

2. How long have you been a fan of sci fi?
Hmmm. I don't know if I'm a "fan" but I do enjoy an occasional sci-fi read. Oh wait. My foggy ol' brain reminds me I was into Michael Crichton for years right out of uni. That started me off! I still consider myself a newbie to the sci-fi genre though, and I'm hoping that this month will set me off to try some new authors.

3. Why do you like sci-fi, and what is your favourite thing about it?
The fact there are no boundaries ... the world, despite our current knowledge about it, remains open to so many possibilities. The sci-fi genre can explore all angles, propose new ways of looking at things, challenge the status quo ... I think it's exciting!

4. Favourite books/games/films/TV shows in the genre?
I mentioned Michael Crichton already. I also need to mention Margaret Atwood because her novels The Handmaid's Tale and Oryx and Crake really made an impression on me.

Favourite games, movies and TV shows? Sorry, but the most memorable movie that waited in anticipation to watch was Contact because I was such a Crichton fan! I wish I could say I was a Star Trek or Star Wars fan, but those weren't really my thing when they were all the rage.

5. What are your plans for Sci-Fi Month?
I'll be continuing my regular Monday feature #BookmarkMonday -- with a sci-fi twist, of course. I hope you can join in the fun! Go look if you have an sci-fi'y bookmarks, snap a photo ... and share with the group! Or if you don't have any, go look for some that you'd love to have!

I'll also have some occasional posts about my past sci-fi reads, and then some.

Mostly I look forward to trolling around the participating blogs, commenting and reading up on recommendations (and adding on to an already out-of-hand TBR).

I am pumped. Are you?

Thank, Rinn, for all the hard work and this fantastic idea! Let the sci-fi reading begin!

Doctor Who: Dark Horizons by Jenny T. Colgan

Stare into my eyes ... and you'll become a Doctor Who fan.
About Dark Horizons: “Now, you may or may not have noticed, but we appear to be on fire…”

On a windswept northern shore, at the very tip of what will one day become Scotland, the islanders believe the worst they have to fear is a Viking attack. Then the burning comes. They cannot run from it. Water will not stop it. It consumes everything in its path – yet the burned still speak.

The Doctor is just looking for a game on the famous Lewis chess set. Instead he encounters a people under attack from a power they cannot possibly understand. They have no weapons, no strategy and no protection against a fire sent to engulf them all.

Add in some marauding Vikings with very bad timing, a kidnapped princess with a secret of her own and a TARDIS that seems to have developed an inexplicable fear of water, and they all have a battle on their hands. The islanders must take on a ruthless alien force in a world without technology; without communications; without tea that isn’t made out of bark. Still at least they have the Doctor on their side… Don’t they?

A thrilling new adventure starring the Doctor, as played by Matt Smith in the acclaimed Doctor Who series from BBC Television.

My two cents:

I'm quite new to Doctor Who and don't be shocked: I haven't watched any Doctor Who (is that a collective *gasp* I hear?). Everything I know is secondhand (read: daughter is a fan). I do have one thing under my belt: I reviewed Doctor Who: Beautiful Chaos by Gary Russell, also for TLC Book Tours, ... and I really enjoyed that one!

Dark Horizons features the eleventh Doctor. He chances upon a Viking invasion gone awry, and ends up saving them from certain death in that huge mysterious fire burning on the water. The Doctor's untimely rescue puts a nearby island village in the uncomfortable position of having to "save" their potential invaders. In an unlikely melding of Nordic and primitive folklore as well as a futuristic alien invasion, this story is a fast-paced sci-fi adventure of how the Doctor comes between two life forms fighting for their respective sides' very survival.

***

I really enjoyed this because there's so much going on! The sci-fi side is satisfying with its battle between humans versus the Arill, an alien life form that thrives on energy but faces the dilemma of being lost in a primitive time where electricity and the internet are non-existent. Fires, brain waves, and fried humans instead, Arill?

The human characters are also quite an interesting lot. The Viking raiders with their traditions of pillaging and where women were a prize and used as political leverage. In contrast, there is the folklore and belief systems of the villagers (I didn't particularly find them Scot-sy though) where survival depended upon strong leadership, a strong sense of community, depended heavily on their environment, and anything inexplicable was usually attributed to the gods.

I'd like to highlight the romance between Freydis and Henrik, which I found rather endearing. The strong female character of Freydis really made me smile: pulling and braiding her hair to fashion as a weapon, refusing to be a damsel-in-distress ... a kickass "trophy" woman gone bad! Henrik's little back story also gave me some insight into how simple times dictated simple dreams, yet never stopped people from dreaming and opening themselves up for bigger things.

The Doctor and the TARDIS were a bit of a revelation for me in this novel. The Doctor was hilarious, with a playful and even vulnerable side to him; I especially enjoyed his banter with Henrik and Freydis and his softer side revealed in his dynamic with little Luag, the young son of the village chief. As for the TARDIS, I couldn't really grasp the concept of a time machine with a mind of its own but its depiction here made me understand how much a character the TARDIS is in its (her?) own right.

All said, this was fun! This is sci-fi light, nothing too heavy, with a great mix of humour, romance and battle that is sure to engage Doctor Who fans and non-fans alike.

Verdict: Doctor Who fans, hold your horses! No, wait ... don't, just go get a copy of this and enjoy! A fun, light, fast-paced and engaging battle between humans and a power-hungry alien Arill.

About Jenny T. Colgan

Jenny T. Colgan has written 13 bestselling novels as Jenny Colgan, which have sold over 2.5 million copies worldwide. In May 2013 she was awarded Romantic Novel of the Year, the Romantic Novelists’ Association’s (RNA) highest accolade, for “Welcome to Rosie Hopkins Sweetshop of Dreams” (published by Sphere).

A lifelong Doctor Who fan, at the age of 11 she won a UK fan competition to meet the Doctor and was mistaken for a boy by Peter Davison. Her favourite episodes are ‘Silence in the Library’ and ‘Warriors’ Gate’. She currently resides in France with her young family.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the tour here! 

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via TLC Book Tours in exchange for an honest review. 

Paperback: 320 pages

Publisher: BBC Books (August 13, 2013)