order The Fear Principle
ALIEN COMMUNIQUE #111598A
Greetings fellow Sapiens and Spooze! Our tenstacles float on the winds of autumn and flutter like so many leaves. Or are those the pages of our latest, clang bang? Your planet can be so confusing at times. We believe that we have nearly straightened out our hardware problems and that the laser pulse will soon work well with Sawicki’s equipment. He continues to teach us interesting Earther language. We had not quite realized you had so many different words for the same function. Every time we hit Sawicki with the laser, though, he teaches us a new ones. Interesting. It is no wonder that few of you actually know what is happening on your planet since you communicate so poorly with such an inadequate language. It gives us reason though, to speak with your writers. They, at least, seem to grasp the need for beginning, middle and end whether it be in thought, word or deed. At least most of them understand this. We are not quite sure about your noosepaper scribblers since they seem to intentionally want to get things wrong. It is like a true fiction game. In the meantime we have actually met four of the writers mentioned this month. Why, one of them even offered to stroke a tenstacle or two. You really are a strange people you know.
We continue to have great response to our archived states and so we shall continue to see that our work exists for your constant edification. Grow a pseudopod, grab your mouse, shout SPOOZE! and click here.
order Hand of ProphecyHand Of Prophecy, Severna Park, Avon Eos Hardcover, ISBN 0-380-97639-0, $14.00 ($19.00 Canada), 307 pgs.
This is Park’s second novel and we let tenstacles wave in suppressed humility that we did not read her first. We are even more humble because we liked this book so much.
This is a big book, not in size but in scope. The universe is changing, one race slipping away while another races forward again. The race that is coming are slavers and they control their slaves by introducing a virus which guarantees twenty years of youth and health before producing a horrible and painful death. Worlds and people hang in the balance of the slaver’s advance. This is the backdrop against which Park allows her characters to work. And we should point out that regardless of how big the concepts are this is, indeed, a book about character.
Frenna, a young woman, is the main character of the book and it is her story that we follow. Frenna is an escaped slave who has made her way to the arena on the world of Traja, brought there really by a man to whom she is bred to be genetically responsive too. If this seems somewhat complicated then you begin to have some sense of the depth of this book and of the mysteries which Park takes the time to understand before weaving into the background. This is a rich tale, a story of freedom and of responsibility and of mystery and love. It is also a tale of expectation and rebellion and how one person can not just get caught up in events but through even small movements and ideas, begin to affect them.
There is one final note we wish to make about this book and we approach it with some caution. We do so because your planet seems so overly interested and at the same time overly constricted about the topic. We are, of course, talking about sex. There is sex in the book and while it does play a somewhat important role in how decisions are made and in what actions are taken and in how the characters react, it must also be understood that this is a natural process and that it is an important and driving force for your species, regardless of gender. We know that some significance will be placed on the gender issues here and we wish to point out now that it is story that is important and not gender. This is a good book because it is a good story told by a good writer.
We should also point out that this book has recently been nominated for a Nebula. This is an important thing, at least to your people. Frankly, we’re a bit confused. We’ve been through nebulas and while they are pretty they are essentially useless (unless, of course, you have a black hole to feed in which case they are incredibly handy.) Still, we are far more believing that this author would be most interested in cash.
Generously raising--and waving--all tenstacles (and pseudopods) directing all of you to the bookstore where you can buy mass quantities.
The Fear Principle, B. A. Chepaitis, Ace paperback, ISBN 0-441-00497-0, $5.99 ($7.99 Canada), 243 pgs.
This is a book that utilizes one of the tried and true pillars of sf, the ‘what-if.’ What if, for example, serial murder became an epidemic? What if chaos ruled for a number of years? What if humans began to trust, albeit a bit suspiciously, their own instincts and inner powers? What would the world look like? What would the people be like? What would the culture turn to? Interesting premises, leading to interesting questions with no easy answers. Or, at the very least, a number of possible answers.
This is a book about one person, one Dr. Jaguar Addams. Dr. Addams works on a prison satellite rehabilitating prisoners by linking with them telepathically and by making them face their deepest fears. The facing either kills them or cures them. Addams is a bit of a loose cannon and is only kept around because she is so effective and because the administrator of the facility has the hots for her. Well, okay, she’s kept around mostly for the first but the second goes a long way to letting her create her own dance steps.
Everything is hunky dory, or at least as hunky dory as you can get coming right after a period of senseless mass murder and being on a prison satellite, until a new prisoner arrives. The prisoner is a woman and Addams is assigned the case. Addams quickly learns that this new prisoner is pretty unique and besides being sort of an ultimate assassin is also a psychic mirror, reflecting every effort back to the castor. Meeting Clare (the prisoner) forces Addams to face some fears herself, getting a taste of her own medicine as it were.
Now, we think that this would be pretty interesting stuff if it only went this far and contained only this much. Chepaitis, however, in some mad bout of excess energy, has seen fit to add and overlay a number of other plot elements along with some essential philosophy on being. And we thought we were just getting an adventure novel. This book goes in more directions than one can think possible and Chepaitis manages to not only hold it all together but to have it all make sense.
This is a debut novel, although our cousins (also aliens) have indicated to us that this is not the first novel actually written by the mysterious Chepaitis (why else use only initials unless you are mysterious?) This would explain the tight plotting and the skill inherent in the word smithing. We should also add that there is sex in this book too. Not the explicit kind but the undercurrent kind that adds tension. The tension exists not only between Addams and Alex the Administrator but between Addams and Prisoner Clare. Why do you people focus so much on this stuff? We don’t understand and we are an advanced species. Ah well, if it keeps you happy and out of space we should not complain.
We thrust tenstacles upwards in affirmation and in pleading that the second book, “Fear Of God,” come out soon. May 1999 we understand, which leaves plenty of time for your entire species to buy copies and gain full comprehension. We understand that sales have been brisk in Omaha as well. You truly are a strange group of beings.
Once A Hero, Elizabeth Moon, Baen Paperback, ISBN 0-671-87871-9, $6.99, ($8.99 Canada), 400 pgs.
This book is sort of part of Moon’s “ Serrano” series. We say sort of because the major character is not really connected to the Serrano in question except through a nephew who plays the role of a somewhat minor character.
The major character is one Esmay Suiza, a young, female member of the space Navy who has had the misfortune to become a hero during a mutiny. We say misfortune because the circumstances of her becoming such a figure put a great deal of pressure, both internal and external, on her. This creates the basis of the book. (Speaking confidentially, we have been part of space mutiny’s and they are not pretty things.)
Moon picks up the action as Suiza returns home to recuperate. Here she struggles with family issues and with her own internal difficulties. Soon, however, she is shipping out once again and takes berth on a large deepspace repair ship. Suiza spends some time investigating the ship but quickly finds herself once again embroiled in difficult situations as the ship gets embroiled in a large space combat and is eventually boarded by the enemy.
We liked this book a lot. We are lovers, in fact, of space fiction and we enjoy the fight scenes. Moon spends a bit too much time on Suiza’s angst, we think, but she more than makes up for it with the action which mostly comes in the final third of the book. This was an interesting read, filled with delightful characters, interesting situations and written at a pace that just keeps going. An excellent choice when you’re looking for something to get you through the long winter night or for that long galactic voyage between planets.
Tenstacles up and waving buy, buy, in enjoyment.
Legends, Robert Silverberg, Ed., Tor Hardcover, ISBN 0-312-86787-5, $27.95, ($35.95 Canada), 715 pgs.
Stephen King, Robert Jordan, Terry Goodkind, Anne McCaffrey, Raymond Feist, Terry Pratchett, Orson Scott Card, Ursula K. Leguin, Tad Williams, George R. R. Martin and Robert Silverberg all contribute short novels to this collection. This is a huge book, not just in size but in content. These are eleven of your worlds bestselling writers of epic fantasy. This is also a big book in that all of these writers are writing in the worlds which they made famous. Thus we have stories set on Pern, Discworld, Majipoor, and Earthsea and we have tales which involve The Wheel of Time, The Border, The Dark Tower, and the Riftwar. Great writers filling in details in worlds which we have all come to know and love. Can there be anything better than this? We think not.
This huge book is also wonderfully illustrated in both color and black and white by Darrell K. Sweet, Keith Parkinson or Michael Whelan. This book is like being at an all you can eat feast consisting of only food you know you love.
Some of the tales are set before and thus fill in details or cast new light on actions. Some of the tales are current but off center, telling us stories we would otherwise not know. All of the tales are incredibly enjoyable.
Is there a downside to this book? Well, it does help if you are familiar with all the series and worlds being written about. Sometimes it’s not that important and othertimes we could not imagine the reader being able to comprehend or follow with intelligence the action. Of course neither comprehension nor intelligence seem to be requirements for much of what you do anyway so who can really tell.
Tenstacles uplifted in affirmation.
order The Sci-Fi Channel Encyclopedia Of TV Science Fiction
The Sci-Fi Channel Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction, Roger Fulton & John Betancourt, Warner trade paperback, ISBN 0-446-67478-8, $15.99 ($19.99 Canada), 669 pgs.
This book is billed as the complete guide to 50 years of science fiction entertainment. WE should point out that you people have been providing entertainment, at least to us and the rest of the universe for much longer than that. Still, we are impressed with the efforts here, even if some of it is a bit spotty and inconsistent.
The book covers many shows, some in great detail. Major shows are treated with a full entry, a brief description of the show, a listing of the main cast, a listing of those behind the scenes and a listing of episodes. This is where some spottiness comes in. For example, we are treated with full episode descriptions for all X-Files and the Addams Family, but when it comes to American Gothic, all we get is episode titles. The same for Gemini Man and Day Of The Triffids. We are particularly upset about the Triffids because we knew some of them and had hoped to see if any we knew had starred in the show.
These faults are trifling things though and we are most eager and excited to have all of this information (including photos) in a single source and at our tenstacle tips. We should final note that the compilers include not only the major shows but some pretty obscure ones as well. In fact, there are hundreds listed here.
Tenstacles raised and remote clicking.
The Merlin Mystery, Jonathan Gunson & Marten Coombe, Warner Hardcover, ISBN 0-446-52432-8, $21.00 ($25.00 Canada), 48 pgs.
This is a beautiful book which is also a puzzle and which is also a contest. If you figure out the puzzle you can enter and win $125,000. No entries will be opened until January 1, 1999 and the contest will run until someone solves it or until December 31, 2001, whichever comes first. Even if you don’t solve the puzzle you’ll find hours of enjoyment in not only reading the story here but looking at the incredibly rich pictures. The story tells the tale of three three great wizards--Merlin, Blaise, and Kells--and how they together block the dark sorcerers from seizing the world.
The story is a pretty simple one and is almost more of a fable than a story. Jonathan Gunson provides the words, while he and Marten Coomb combine to do the illustrations. The illustrations are really captivating. Each page is richly illustrated in full color and is chock full of images, some of which are clues. We, of course, already know the answer. We’re aliens though and can’t enter the contest.
We recommend this book with all tenstacles and wish you all luck in solving. Whether you figure it out or not though you will be in for a treasure of a read.
The Innamorati, Midori Snyder, Tor Hardcover, 0-312-86197-4, $24.95 ($34.95 Canada), 381 pgs.
We have a list of authors which we have been told to read. We got this list from many sources--some here and some off world. We peruse the list on occasion and try to scratch a name off here and there. This was one of those attempts. Besides, the book had a pretty cover and we are always impressed with such things.
This is a book about a city, the Labirinto, which is a place which all of the unfortunates know about. We know about it now and we consider ourselves well in their company. In any case, at least these unfortunates have hope. They have to make their way into the heart of the Great Maze which is in the center of the city (They should really put things like this on the outskirts which would make them much easier to find.) Get into the center of the maze and you get relieved of your curse.
We relieved ourselves of this curse somewhere around page 42. Usually we go deeper but we became scared of getting lost.
Flung. Sprong. Sploot.
A sad throw, barely reaching the hull and merely damaging the backbone of this beast. A poor effort on our part but we had just completed reading the massive Legends book and had become exhausted in carting it around with us.
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