Science Fiction for February 2013
by Henry Leon Lazarus
Epic fantasy has for decades followed the quest format
established by the late J. R. R. Tolkien. A small group of adventurers
find, or try to destroy a magical object and , as in Lord of the Rings,
end up saving their world. George R. R.Martin took a separate path with
his endless Game of Thrones which plays on politics without good or evil,
only grayness.
Robert
V. S. Redick series about the final voyage of the centuries-old ship. Chathrand,
one of the few that can cross the ruling sea that divides the human north
from the south where a mind plague has wiped out all humans, comes to an
exciting end as our heroes try to prevent The Night of the Swarm (hard
from Del Rey). The tale starts with the death of the sorcerer Arunis who
still could become a god if the swarm he released destroys this world.
They have the Nile stone, but can’t use it. Chased by allies of Arunis’s
mad sister, they have to cross a continent and then somehow rejoin the
Chathrand which already decided to abandon them, and then cross the Ruling
sea north and move safely between two warring empires with armada’s of
ships to save their world. This is a good solid ending to a solid, epic
tale.S
Marie
Brennan sets her fictional memoir of Isobella, Lady Trent, who has become
the foremost expert on Dragons, in a Victorian age in which women, especially
noble women, are protected from the rigors of the world. In her world dragons
are part of the natural and range from the tiny sparklings that grace Scirland
lawns to the massive and rare true dragons that only can be found in remote
areas. Isobella is so fascinated by dragons that she attempts a dissection
of a sparkling at a young age. She also sneaks her father’s book, A
Natural History of Dragons (hard from Tor). Somehow she also manages
to find a husband also fascinated by dragons and talks her way onto an
expedition to Vystrana led by the explorer and dragon hunter Lord Hilford.
Though she is along only as secretary and illustrator, she gets involved
hunting a half-dragon monster attacking the village in which they are staying.
And at one point is kidnaped by smugglers. While there is a purely mundane
explanation for the monster and for the problems that beset them, the dragons
are quite real. The tale is wonderful and I wouldn’t be shocked to find
it on an award nomination.
Linda
Stasi has an exciting thriller created out of an idea that religious folk
might find upsetting, but seculars might find silly. In 1982 a cult cloned
Jesus. In 2015 Demiel ben Yusef is on trial in New York City for blowing
up religious buildings a round the world. Alessandra Russo, one of the
last print reporters, manages to get close to the route the heavily chained
Christ and, like The Sixth Station (hard from Tor) of the cross,
Demiel steps over to Alessandra and gives her a kiss. Soon Alessandra is
on the run, accused of killing a priest, and caught between the cult trying
to kill this new Jesus, and those descended from the Cathers who are trying
to provide proof that he is indeed the returned Jesus. She visits famous
places like Mary’s House in Turkey where the boy was raised, and works
with the man who married his mother and protected him. I’m not a Christian
and it was still hard to put down. It was so well researched that I found
myself going again and again to Wikipedia for further information about
famous events and places I was totally unaware of. Lots of fun.
Grace
Delarua works in the biotechnical office on Cygnus Beta, a world so newly
settled that most people are homesteading. Then, according to Karen Lord,
the Sadiri came after the destruction of their planet. They were looking
for members of their group who had settled on this planet. Some of them
had retained their Sadari heritage, and even their telepathic gifts that
had forced them to think very logically. Soon Grace is part of their expedition
looking at various settlements with strange customs. People searching for
strange versions of The Best of All Possible Worlds (hard from Del
Rey) Along the way they find a society based on Tolkein elves, another
based on caste, and others including one gone completely underground. Grace
grows to understand the aloof Sadiri and even, eventually, to fall in love
with one of them. I was completely caught up in her adventures and think
that this tale also could easily find it’s way to an award nomination.
Neal
Asher is a British author who shines with dark adventure tales set in the
far future. For The Departure (trade from Night Shade books) he
sets his tale only two centuries hence when Earth’s Central government
is so overwhelmed by a population eighteen billions that they have abandoned
the Mars colony and are planning to use the functioning lasers on satellites
to murder two thirds of the population. Enter super-genius Alan Saul who
had created a mind/computer interface and fallen afoul of Earth leaders.
Tortured till his memory was lost, he was sent to be cremated and managed
to escape. His plan is to get to Argus, an asteroid moved to Earth’s orbit,
and get control of those satellites, to stop the genocide. He also plans
to kill anyone who gets in his way. An ex-girl friend, Varalia Delex who
has designed more complicated mind/machine interfaces comes along to help.
The violence is extreme and the tale is impossible to put down. Luckily
it reaches a stable stopping point. Part two has already appeared in England
and will be available here next fall. I can’t wait.
Jeff
Somers tells us that magic is quite real, and requires blood. Powerful
magicians sacrifice many for powerful workings. Lem has never risen above
the level of Trickster (paper from Pocket) because he cannot bring
himself to use any blood but his own. He and his not-so-bright friend Mags
survive by using small magic to steal from normals and cheat at cards.
Then an accident leads them to Claire bound and gagged and covered in runes.
She is apparently part of a whole set of women who are part of a grand
working that has the potential to kill everyone in the world. That sets
Lem, Mags, and Claire on the run and looking for help from powerful magicians,
This modern, noir fantasy is impossible to put down. Hopefully there will
be a sequel.
Chrysoula
Tzavelas tells us about a young slacker woman in Los Angeles who has a
friend raising twin pre-school girls. When the girls call her frantic because
their uncle has disappeared, it seems he left Marley Claviger as the girls
emergency contact before he literally disappeared into his den. She gets
the girls and finds one of them has the ability to magically open locks.
Then a lawyer accuses her of kidnaping the Matchbox Girls (trade
from Candlemark & Gleam). Then someone shoots her and a man with raven
pets helps her get away. Soon it seems as is she is caught between competing
groups of Nephelium, one of which is working for an Angel trying to kill
the girls. There are fairies in her dreams and she discovers she too has
magical powers that may possibly keep her and her small charges alive.
Lots of fun and I hope there’s a sequel
Peter
V. Brett continues his tale of a future world beset by demons that rise
every night from the Earth’s core. The Warded Man (paper) and Ahmann Jardir
both faced a demon prince in the The Desert Spear (paper) . In the
third tale Ahmann Jardir is planning The Daylight War (hard from
Del Rey) in which he will prove he is the deliverer. But first he
and Arlan have to each face three demon princes. Mr. Brett reviews the
first two books by telling the tale of how Jardir’s wife, Inevera, pulled
him to power. The tale is intense and impossible to put down. Alas, it
ends in a cliff hanger leaving the reader to wait a year for what is probably
the final book in this well done series.
Mike
Harmon makes James Bond look like a wimp. As told by John Ringo and Ryan
Sear, his sixth adventure has him with a Tiger by the Tail(hard
from Baen). It starts simply enough with Mike deciding to get his newly
trained seals blooded by attacking pirates in the South China Sea. Easy
enough for his Keldara, but the pirates have captured a box of computer
chips for a nuclear reactor stolen from China. The President wants him
to follow up. The trail leads to Hong Kong where he is attacked trying
to sell the chips. Which is not a good idea, because of his trained
crew. Then the trail leads to Shanghai, and Bangkok, and eventually to
Burma where a rogue Chinese General thinks they will make good mine slaves.
The sex scenes are for adults only, but anyone who likes his action well
limned and any gun lover will really appreciated any of the books in this
series.
K.
J. Taylor had a nice trilogy about a fantasy world in which the Noble class
bonded with Gryphons. The protagonist of the Fallen moon series was Arenadd,
a man who was brought back to life by the moon goddess as part of her war
against the Sun. He left a daughter behind in the Sun lands, Laela who
a mix of the dark northerners and the light southerners. When her
step father dies, she makes her way to the capital of the North where a
chance encounter with it’s ruler Arenadd, leads her into her confidence
and eventually, after helping him in a voyage to the far south, becomes
The
Shadow’s heir (paper from Ace). While the dance between father and
daughter goes on for most of the tale, Laela is a fun character and I’m
look forward to the next book in this second trilogy.
Sarah
A. Hoyt continues her tale of Athena who didn’t know was a female clone
of one of the mules who ruled Earth in secret. Modified humans live on
the space colony of Eden, stealing power pods from a giant space tree that
can’t be duplicated. In Dark Ship Thieves (paper) she met Kim and
eventually had to go to Earth to save his life after a serious accident.
They may not have leaked the location of Eden in escaping, but no one wants
them back. The only hope of a small group of Dark Ship Renegades (trade
from Baen) is to return to Earth and find the papers that Jarl, the creator
of the Powertrees might have left. What Athena doesn’t know is that Kim
is Jarl’s clone and, when he is shot on Eden, manages somehow to have Jarl’s
mind show up in his. Somehow Jarl has to be convinced to die again while
the group is running around Earth chases by varies enemies. It’s a bit
convoluted, but still I enjoyed it.
It’s
hard to believe but Barb and J. C. Hendee started their Noble Dead series
with a stand alone tale about a half-elf and a dhampir faking vampire attacks
on small villages, only to encounter a very real vampire. Then they started
a long quest and five books later they discovered a magical orb. Apparently
there are five of these orbs and together they form a magical weapon.
In the latest tale Magiere, Leesil and Chap have vivid memories of taking
one orb north and somehow finding another. Brot’än’ duivè (The
Dog in the Dark (hard from ROC)) remembers his involvement in starting
a war with the Most aged father, an ancient elf who had sent assassins
after Magiere and Leesil. The next tale will continue the journey south
or join Osha and Wynn as they search for the other orb. I suspect the tale
will take several books to complete and the authors are in no hurry. I’m
still enjoying the journey.
Trey
Garrison has the first part of his tale of Nazis of the Black Sun
Reich (electronic from Harper Voyager) searching for the Spear of Destiny.
It’s only 1928 but Hitler has been in power since 1922. They are worried
in the Texas Freehold, the libertarian nation that is of six North
American nations, especially when Dr. Deitel smuggles out word that the
Germans are working on a way to created unkillable vampiric soldiers. Soon
he is paired with a pilot, Sean Rocker and have to face Nazi agents in
the Union States of America. This is only the first third and sets a rollicking
pace that is both fun. Howard Hughes and Nicolas Tesla and cameo’s along
with several other famous people of the time, but the fun is in the Raiders
of the Lost Arc shtick that makes the tale irresistible. Alas this is only
the first third of the tale.
In
Count
to a Trillion (paper) John C. Wright introduced us to Menelaus
Illation Montrose, a genius who tried to really improve his intelligence
just before undergoing cryonics as part of a star ship crew. Cured of his
insanity, he overthrows his world. Then, just after their wedding, his
wife steals the star ship and heads out, on a trip that will take her seventy
thousand years to return. Aliens are heading to Earth to invade in only
eight thousand years. So Menelaus goes back into Cryonic suspension, waking
every so often when there are problems. In the year 10515 , The Hermetic
Millennia (hard from Tor) his casket is broken into by tomb raiders/
possible archaeologists interested in the truths and legends that have
evolved in the various cultural epoches that have passed. Even though he
hides who he actually is, Menelaus ends up translating for people from
the ages of giants, witches, chimera, etc that have reshaped Earth over
and over again. Will he survive when his captors discover his true identity.
We find out next book.
Morrow has in interesting historical hard cover
NINJA: 1,000 Years of the Shadow Warrior by acclaimed historian John
Man.
Baen has reprinted in papar P. C. Hodgell’s Honor’s
Paradox the sixth book in a great series; two classic Andre Norton
tales in Moonsinger’s Quest; a novel and other tales by Kieth Laumer,
Future
Imperfect; and Larry Correia’s fun Spellbound the second in
a pre-world War II pulp series in an alternate America with magic.S
The Science Fiction Society will have its next meeting
on February 1st at 8 p.m. at International House on the University
of Pennsylvania. Campus. Tom Doyle humorous writer will speak.. As
usual guests are welcome.
Dr. Henry Lazarus is a local Dentist and the author
of
A Cycle of Gods (Wolfsinger Publications) and S(Smashwords)