Random Thoughts - Books/Literature

Goodbye to an old friend...

ERTorre — Sun, 05 Sep 2010 17:50:46 GMT

It wasn't too long ago (in fact, it was December of 2009) I found an article about the "largest U.S. city without a bookstore". The article was chilling...how was it possible that a large U.S. city (in this case Laredo) could be without a single bookstore?

Little did I know.

Yesterday, I heard that the large Borders close to us was shutting down. Not changing locations for a smaller venue, but outright shutting down. In its time, the place was simply amazing. It had a large section with books (duh) and an equally large section toward the rear with movies and music. I used to go there quite often, at least once a week if not more, and spend my time looking through the new and interesting works, either in film, music, or literature, before heading out.

But things started to go sour for them. The music section faced what I'm sure all music sellers faced: the threat from both legal and illegal downloads of songs. Slowly, that diverse music base they had became smaller and smaller. No longer could I find interesting and out of the ordinary albums, and when I did, often it would be online. As for their movies, after picking up the "essentials", I found my DVD purchases slowing, and the need to look in the store for new releases was pointless.

One day a little while back, I visited Borders and found the whole movie and music subsection, fully one half of the store, had been shut down. What merchandise remained from the section was moved and incorporated into the book section. The remaining movies and music were a) even less varied than before and had b) prohibitively expensive prices.

Still, there remained the books, but I found things had changed there, too. While before I ventured into the bookstore and would inevitably find new and unusual books, the fact was the damn internet dug into that, too. I was purchasing more and more works online, often used books at bargain basement prices at Amazon.com. When I first got into Michael Connelly's detective thrillers and decided I needed to read more, I found almost his entire printed collection available online for pennies. The biggest cost was often the added price of postage. At the same time, oddball books I would spend hours sniffing around Borders looking for (and often not finding) I'd find in seconds with a quick internet search.

It was shocking to realize, standing there in the soon to be closed Borders, that I had been a part, just as much as everyone else, of its demise.

Unlike the city of Laredo, there are at least a few bookstores still close by...there is a Barnes and Nobles and a used bookstore, but it has been a while since I've gone to either...

How long will they last?

Famous Authors' Made Up Words

ERTorre — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 12:22:29 GMT

Click on the link below for some absolutely fascinating examples of some common usage words that originated in the works of famous authors:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-peters/made-up-words-neologism_b_703977.html

Obviously, "Orwellian" couldn't exist without George Orwell and his novels as inspiration. Other examples, such as where "nerd", "pie-hole", "yahoo", and "agnostic" came from are equally fascinating.

Of the examples presented, the one I was most aware of (ie, that it was an invention of a specific author in a specific work) is "cyberspace".

9 Best Science Fiction Novels For Young Adults...

ERTorre — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 12:52:01 GMT

...At least according to HuffingtonPost.com:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/08/26/mockingjay-science-fiction_n_694507.html#s131180

This one intrigues me. I'm familiar with several of the works, have heard of others, and a couple were completely unknown to me. I think back to some of the science fiction I've read in the past, especially when a "young adult", and I wonder what I would recommend.

1984 and Brave New World? Both dealing with the idea of a dystopia.

But for pure imagination (nothing necessarily "heavy", theme-wise) I might recommend Isaac Asimov's original Foundation Trilogy.

Then there are the best known classics by H. G. Wells: War of the Worlds, The Invisible Man, and The Time Machine. To one degree or another, these three books were/are ground zero for just about every major science fictional concept present even today.

As for more "modern" science fiction, alas, the books I've read tend to be skewed for more adult audiences. I've enjoyed the works of Alistair Reynolds and Richard K. Morgan most recently.

For those interested...

ERTorre — Sun, 22 Aug 2010 13:24:40 GMT

I have a few copies of my latest novel, The Last Flight of the Argus, available. If you're interested in the book, I'm giving away 10 copies to the first 10 people to email me at atrocket@aol.com

The Most Isolated Man on the Planet

ERTorre — Sat, 21 Aug 2010 11:54:46 GMT

Another fascinating article, this one from Slate Magazine, concerning the last survivor of an isolated Brazilian tribe:

http://www.slate.com/id/2264478/pagenum/all

The article makes mention of the "Lone Woman of San Nicolas", who became the subject of the bestselling (and quite moving) novel Island of the Blue Dolphins.

It is this mention in the article that really clicked with something deep inside me. I've always been drawn to the idea of isolation, something that is found to various degrees in literature and mythology. The hero that is somehow alone, whether it be psychological (Dirty Harry, the "rogue cop," people who can't get along with society in general) or be it physical (Robinson Crusoe and Island of the Blue Dolphins to more extravagant forms of isolation like those resulting from nuclear war, etc.).

Only a curious observation, but the article is, as stated before, quite fascinating. Give it a read if you're curious.

20 Classic Last Words in Books...

ERTorre — Wed, 18 Aug 2010 12:57:38 GMT

A short while back (you can read about it here) Entertainment Weekly offered and intriguing list of opening lines from famous books. Here, they go to the other extreme -literally- (two puns! Ouch!) and offer 20 Classic Last Words in Books...

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20413402,00.html

Of the ones listed, the one most familiar to me is from Gone With The Wind. This despite the fact that I've never read the novel (Just saw the film, which if memory serves, uses that very line at the end, after the other famous line uttered by Clark Gable)!

The 8 Underrated Things That Should Knock Out the 8 Overrated Things

ERTorre — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 16:35:44 GMT

A while back Mark Juddery, in promoting his new book regarding "overrated" things, offered a taste of said items in a column for Huffington Post. I had issues with his article, mostly because while he presented several things he felt were "overrated", his reasons for calling them out as being overrated was, at times and to me, rather weak.

So he's come back with another (new) column, this time justifying some of his more controversial "overrated" items with alternative "underrated" things that deserve to be better known:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-juddery/overrated-the-8-underrate_b_664243.html

While I faulted Mr. Juddery's comments before, I have to acknowledge agreement with some of his choices of things that are "underrated" and could/should be considered more highly than his choice for "overrated". But having said that, he still falls into an argumentative trap.

Three of the eight items he offers, The Prisoner (underrated) versus Star Trek (overrated), Doc Savage (underrated) versus Superman (overrated), and The Velvet Underground and Nico (underrated) versus Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (overrated) would receive little argument with me. I think the "underrated" things he mentions deserve to be better known and/or appreciated.

The Prisoner, the original BBC series, is a terrific show. I would go so far as to say it is my all time favorite television series. However, that doesn't necessarily mean, therefore, that the original Star Trek television series is somehow "overrated". The fact is that both presented startling science fictional possibilities and far more mature story lines than the standard TV fare of the time. Just because one of these series isn't as well known as the other, however, doesn't mean that somehow the more popular one is "overrated."

The same goes with Doc Savage. Again, I agree with Mr. Juddery's main points: Doc Savage was the real first Superhero, not Superman. And the creators of Superman were rather shameless in "borrowing" elements from the pulp novels of Doc Savage and integrating them into the Superman mythos (a less charitable soul might accuse them of outright theft). However, once again I say: Sure, Doc Savage should be better known. But how does that make Superman overrated? That character, even with the "borrowed" concepts, had enough unique elements present within him (the dual identity, the Moses mythos, the flying, the superhero suit, etc. etc.) to create a virtual industry of superhero comics that exist to this day. So, yeah, Doc Savage is criminally underrated but I feel that has little to nothing to do with the merits of Superman's popularity.

Finally, I once again agree with Mr. Juddery that The Velvet Underground and Nico may well be a more influential album, in the end, over the vastly more popular Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. I would even agree with him that, given the choice, I'd prefer to listen to the Velvet Underground over Sgt. Pepper. But for the third time: Just because one album is better known and better appreciated by the "general public" over the other doesn't make the more popular one "overappreciated".

But that's just me.

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20 Classic Opening Lines in Books

ERTorre — Tue, 03 Aug 2010 13:49:33 GMT

I've heard it said you earn a ready often on the relative strength of the first sentence in your book.

With that in mind, here are twenty classic opening lines in books...

http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20406194,00.html

Of the ones listed, a couple are so classic that just about everyone knows them...

Call me Ishmael.

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times...

And, more modern...

The sky above the port was the color of television, tuned to a dead channel.

The last line is from William Gibson's breakthrough novel Neuromancer. I've found him to be one of the more amazing modern authors, at least in terms of coining startlingly beautiful descriptive terms.

The Last Flight of the Argus...

ERTorre — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 23:23:41 GMT

My latest novel is out and available at Amazon.com:

http://www.amazon.com/Last-Flight-Argus-E-Torre/dp/0972911553/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1280533518&sr=1-1

For more information on the novel, as well as my other books, you can click here:

http://www.ertorre.com/Books.html

The Last Flight of the Argus has been a very loooong time coming. The germs of the idea first came out, believe it or not, in 1988 or earlier. I know this beyond a shadow of a doubt because I originally called the story The Abyss and, when James Cameron's movie with the same name arrived a year or so later, I realized my story needed another title. The novel's central theme hasn't changed much, although the details and focus are very different. What was originally a space opera/fantasy has evolved into a complex science fictional mystery featuring a cast of characters whose motivations are murky almost to the very end.

If you like your stories to have plenty of twists and turns, this should prove a fun ride.

As if the arrival of my latest novel wasn't thrilling enough, I received an email from Platinum Studios today indicating that The Dark Fringe is closer than ever to being made into a film. Obviously, I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

A quick note...

ERTorre — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 18:57:42 GMT

...received the proof for my latest novel, The Last Flight of the Argus, in the mail, and it looks pretty damn good. I'll take a few days to look it over before giving the all clear, whereupon it should pop up over at Amazon. I'll probably make a Kindle version soon, as well.

A while back I posted this link to the book's cover:

http://www.ertorre.com/argus.html

There have been some changes, the biggest being the background colors/starfield. While I liked the overall "look" of the cover, when printed it looked just a little...dull. I hope this was corrected with the new version, which I'll post soon enough, perhaps after giving the final "ok" on the book itself.

Of course, if you're interested in some of my other works, here they are...

More information on each of these four books and one graphic novel can be found here:

http://www.ertorre.com/Books.html

A little more on "overrated" things...

ERTorre — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 11:38:46 GMT

I posted a link yesterday to Mark Juddery's "11 Most Overrated Things" (if you're interested, scroll down or read it here).

Frankly, I wasn't all that impressed with his article because his reasons for including the various items on his list were at times very weak. Anyone can point out anything that is considered popular or successful and state that it is an "overrated" product. The trick is to offer a cogent explanation of why you feel said item is overrated.

But I would be lying if the list didn't make me think. Later in the day, I stumbled upon this article, from Entertainment Weekly:

http://popwatch.ew.com/2010/07/20/what-classic-movies-have-let-you-down/

I realized this too was an exercise in naming "overrated" things...in this case "classic" movies. Several posters below the article itself mentioned one of my all time favorite films, 2001: A Space Odyssey as being a classic movie that let them down. Their reason? It was dull. It was boring. It went on forever. While I (obviously) disagree with their sentiment (the film is one of my top three films of all time!), I can't argue with their criticism: 2001 is a long, slow ride. I can understand if today's audiences don't have the patience to see it. Thus, in a few words they managed to do something that Mr. Juddery could not: Offer a cogent argument as to why they felt what many consider a "classic" movie is, essentially, overrated.

Anyway, for what its worth, here are a few of the things I think are overrated. Unlike Mr. Juddery, let me say up front that these are my opinions ONLY. No snark, no attempt to "win you over" if you disagree. Just things that were/are very popular but I've found not quite as good...

#1) Saving Private Ryan. Director Steven Spielberg holds a very, very high spot on my list of favorite directors. The first movie I ever saw as a child and actually understood was Duel, way back when it (probably) originally aired on TV in the very early 1970's. To this day I absolutely love the film. Jaws, similarly, I consider a fabulous work of directorial art. But when you have a career as long and varied as Mr. Spielberg's, there are bound to be ups and downs. He's made some great films, he's made some duds. But his very famous WWII film, to me, might well be one of his most overrated. I don't deny the opening D-Day sequences are absolutely smashing: Both terrifying and heart pounding. Mr. Spielberg accomplished something almost unique with those opening minutes: We were there. We were bobbing in the surf and running up the beach and dodging bullets and it was simply magnificent. And several of the battle sequences that followed shared this white knuckle excitement.

But when you set aside the action sequences and look at the movie from a story standpoint, you realize that the film is filled with an awful lot of WWII movie cliches. The most egregious, to me, was that not once, but twice, we get the "important-character-is-mortally-wounded-during-battle-yet-battle-subsides-quickly-enough,-and-character-lives-just-long-enough,-to-say-a-few-important-things-to-his-fellow-comrades-before-passing-on". Add to that the inevitable sniper duel, the battle against a tank, the ethnic group of soldiers, etc. etc. and you have, essentially, a running check-list of things you're bound to find in a WWII film.

It is undeniable that watching the movie will send chills down your spine. I certainly felt that way. But after, I couldn't help but notice the cliches.

#2) The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (the novel): If you're new here, you probably haven't read the various posts I've written about this currently phenomenally popular book. While I thought the central mystery was OK and the character of Lizabeth Salander was a major plus, the book itself, I felt, was very overrated. My reasons for thinking this can be found here and here. For the sake of brevity and avoiding repetition, I'll leave the links for you to read.

#3) The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (the movie): Having never read any of the J. R. R. Tolkien books and only having familiarity with the cartoon feature The Hobbit, I came into The Lord of the Rings films with only a light awareness of the story that had enchanted so many. I loved the first two films, The Fellowship of the Ring and The Two Towers, and was eagerly awaiting the third, and concluding, chapter.

Wow, was I disappointed.

While the first two films offered visual delights and interesting (new) elements, the final chapter of the saga, I felt, was repetition. While many complained that the ending was waaaayyy too protracted, I would agree and argue that the film itself was, as a whole, nothing we hadn't seen before in the first two films. I can't help but wonder, based solely on seeing the movies, if maybe the second and third books should have been compressed into a single film rather than two very long films.

Again, understand where I'm coming from here: I loved the first two films. But that third just didn't do all that much for me...

Anyway, I could go on but I think I'll stop, at least for now. Again, these are my opinions. Yours may most certainly diverge.

> > >

11 Most Overrated Things Ever...

ERTorre — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 19:16:07 GMT

...at least according to Mark Juddery:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-juddery/11-most-overrated-things_b_649671.html#s114727

Have to go with many of the comments, however, below the article.

#1: Who exactly is Mr. Juddery to make this list? Seriously?

#2: If you're going to list things you feel are overrated, then present a strong argument as to why you think such things are indeed overrated. For example, he notes that Star Trek is overrated because the first interratial kiss presented on this show was the product of...alien influence. Ok...but that's it?! What about the fact that this was one of the first truly intelligent sci-fi space operas (third season excluded)? The fact that it presented characters and situations that were a little beyond the cookie cutter standards found on TV during that time? Also, like it or not, the show spawned millions and millions of dollars in sequels, movies, merchandise, etc. Good, bad, or indifferent, someone was buying into all that stuff, and not just for a few years...we're talking generations!

But it goes beyond Star Trek. While Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band is not my favorite Beatles album (I'm more inclined to give that honor to either the White Album or Abbey Road) how can you argue that it is "overrated"? The album was a BIG hit when released and defined a generation while showing the Beatles were truly willing to push the boundaries of music...both as product and as art. How does that make it "overrated"?

For that matter (and crossing genres here) how is Superman overrated? Because he wasn't "real"? That seems a pretty weak argument. I suppose all fictional characters, from Sherlock Holmes to James Bond to Sam Spade to Harry Bosch are therefore overrated as well?!

I could go on, but I'm beginning to agree with one of the posters: This is more of a list of things Mr. Juddery thinks are overrated. Your mileage may vary.

The quiet hell of 10 years of novel writing

ERTorre — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 13:15:12 GMT

Interesting article from Slate magazine by Susanna Daniel regarding the ten years it took her to write her first novel:

http://www.slate.com/id/2260395/pagenum/all

On the one hand, I can sympathize. Many of my works have taken many years to get made (I'm about to receive the proof for The Last Flight of the Argus, a novel I first envisioned back in the 1980's!).

On the other hand: If you want to produce a novel (or a painting, or a song, or a movie, etc), you have to recognize that it takes time and (gasp!) work. Heavy duty and at times very mind numbing work.

I've found there to be a curious disconnect people have when they see/read a novel. Some may feel that because a novel can be read in a matter of days (or, if it is engaging enough, a matter of a day), you somehow think it doesn't take an author all that long to write it, as well. However, just because you can suck all the information in relatively quickly doesn't mean that it takes the artist little time to produce the work.

As another author put it: "Everyone likes to have a novel. No one likes to make one."

Fourth Stieg Larsson Millenium Book...?

ERTorre — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:09:37 GMT

I suspect a big part of the success of Stieg Larsson's Millenium books (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest) is the true life backstory. The fact that Mr. Larsson wrote the three books but, very unexpectedly, died before even the first was published. The fact that his 30 year companion lost control of the novels because they weren't actually, legally, married and the rights subsequently went to Mr. Larsson's father and brother, whom the late author was apparently not particularly close to.

Truth, as it is often written, is more intriguing than fiction.

Entertainment Weekly had a recent issue focusing on the book and the world-wide interest in the series. One fact they mentioned that I had not heard was that there may be a fourth book out there, albeit not quite complete, that Mr. Larsson's companion may hold. Curious? Here's a pretty good rundown:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/07/12/stieg-larsson-fourth-book_n_642860.html

His Name Was Death a (belated) book review

ERTorre — Thu, 08 Jul 2010 13:02:43 GMT

If you've been reading my rants for a while now, you'll know that one of my all time favorite (perhaps even my single favorite) crime novels is Fredric Brown's awesome The Far Cry. Today, Fredric Brown is an almost forgotten author. If anyone does recall his works, it might be Star Trek fans...Equally adept at mystery and science fiction, Mr. Brown's short story Arena was made into the famous Star Trek episode featuring the same title, as well as The Outer Limits episode Fun And Games.

As much as I love love love The Far Cry, my experiences with other Fredric Brown novels and short stories have varied widely. His science fiction works tend to be clever and, often, humorous. I suspect Douglas Adams, he of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Universe, owes Mr. Brown a great deal of credit. His mystery novels weren't quite as humorous, although there are traces of a jet black humor to be found here and there. But, as I said before, the quality of his stories vary. Some, unfortunately, tend to show their age (the bulk of Mr. Brown's writings span the late 40's into the mid 60's, with the ones I like tending to appear in the 1950's). The bottom line is that when he's good, he can be awfully good.

His Name Was Death was originally released in 1951. It is another of Mr. Brown's crime novels, this one focusing how one little incident can lead to multiple murders. Alas, for such a short novel (and it is much shorter than The Far Cry. I would classify it as a novella), it was hard to get into. The early pages focused a little too much for my taste on the internal machinations of the story's four major characters. While in the end it helped us both understand and sympathize with them, it felt a little too padded for my taste, almost like this was a short story that Mr. Brown tried mightily to make a full fledged novel. However, when the main plot kicked, roughly half-way into the book and the murders began, the novel shifted into a much higher gear, leading to a truly strong finish (a twist I didn't see coming at all) along with some darkly humorous situations.

However, due to the earlier sections of the novel and the dated themes, I would caution potential readers to be patient and stick around. His Name Was Death may not be up there with The Far Cry, but its still a worthy read.

Cemetery Dance & Fever Dream: A review twofer

ERTorre — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:13:29 GMT

Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child are a writing duo that are best known for the series of novels they've written featuring an eccentric FBI agent by the name of Pendergast (he being a modernized version of Sherlock Holmes). The books are mysteries that tend to skirt the edges -and sometimes drift full on into- horror and mild science fiction. Over the years, the authors have also built a fascinating cast around Agent Pendergast, and my radar is usually up whenever one of their new novels pops up.

Yet somehow I missed Cemetery Dance completely when it first came out, realizing this fact when I stumbled upon the hardback edition of Fever Dream, the duo's latest Pendergast novel. I picked up both novels and, of course, read them in order. Having done so, I have to admit, I find myself at something of a crossroads regarding Preston and Child.

Cemetery Dance is the better of the two books, but it doesn't measure up to some of their better novels (I recommend you check out Cabinet of Curiosities or Brimstone). The mystery is engaging, the initial victim something of a shock (if you're familiar with the characters around Agent Pendergast, it is something of a shock). However, while intriguing enough, there is an awful lot of silliness throughout the novel as well. The plot centers on the idea of the possibility there are zombies out there, classic voodoo zombies, directed to kill. The read is brisk, the authors know how to make you want to turn the pages. But when all is said and done, the central plot just doesn't hold together as well as you would like, and the multiple "damsel in distress" overuse began to grate. Wouldn't the police and Agent Pendergast have done a little better job protecting one of the characters within the novel? Her multiple brushes with death became silly.

But having said all that, it Cemetery Dance was a far, far better novel than Fever Dream.

Whenever I read a book or see a movie or hear a song, I try not to become a mind-reader. Either the work is good or it isn't, and I have no real idea, unless told, what went through the author/creator's minds when writing/filming/singing their work. Did they put in a big effort? Did they hurriedly wrap things up? Did they care? Did they try too hard? Did they not try hard enough? The questions are often irrelevant. Ultimately, a book/movie/song/etc. is judged by how much you like it.

However, in this case, I couldn't help but speculate regarding the authors' work on this book. Clearly, this book is meant to be the first part of a potential series (whether the story concludes with the next novel or goes on for a bit after that we'll have to wait and see). Preston and Child have done this before, to good effect, with the combination of Brimstone, Dance of Death and Book of the Dead. Here, however, we're left very much wanting.

So despite not wanting to do so, I can't help but speculate. Given its nature, was Fever Dream a rush job? Did the authors simply not invest as much time in this book as they had on others? Given the so-so Cemetery Dance, there's an even worse possibility: Are they simply running out of gas?

Fever Dream reveals what happened to Agent Pendergast's wife, how she was murdered (this isn't much of a spoiler as it happens at the beginning of the novel) and the agent's belated (by 12 years) realization of that fact (for all these years he thought her death the result of a horrible accident). What follows is his investigation but, curiously, as the pages advance and the mystery unfolds, I found myself less and less captivated. To begin, the rage Agent Pendergast felt upon realizing his wife was a murder victim dissipated awfully fast. Her extracurricular activities, the ones that ultimately lead to her demise, were confusing. Did she marry Pendergast for love, or were there always ulterior motives? Regarding those motives, why did she keep them from her husband? When all is finally revealed, there is no sense in her keeping quiet about what she was up to.

Worse, one of the lead villains is painfully obvious. Given the fact that Pendergast is a supersleuth in the vein of Sherlock Holmes, the fact that I as a reader could guess the villain's identity and yet supersleuth Pendergast apparently could not is a serious problem for this novel. And the mystery itself is also, unfortunately, rather dull. I would go into details, but for those interested in reading the novel for themselves, I'll only note that a certain object missing for so many years was found awfully easily (and with the protagonists using the slight of hand on some poor yahoos you find in cheap TV shows).

But the worst surprise was left, alas, to the end. Or rather, the novel's ultimate non-ending. As I mentioned before, this was the first part of a story. Unlike the Brimstone/Dance of Death/Book of the Dead series, which had me eagerly waiting each new book, I found myself so detached from Fever Dream's story that I doubt I'll be in line when the sequel/resolution is eventually released.

A serious disappointment.

So, in the end, I'm at a crossroads. Given my feelings for these two books, I worry that perhaps the Preston/Child run is nearing its end, at least for me. I'll most likely read the conclusion to the Fever Dream story, perhaps when it comes out in softback, but if the quality of the work remains roughly where its at with these two novels, then I might just be checking out of the Preston/Child universe.

Alistair Reynolds' House of Suns

ERTorre — Mon, 28 Jun 2010 13:23:40 GMT

For the most part, I'm in awe of the works of author Alistair Reynolds. His first two books alone, Revelation Space and Chasm City are a formidable one-two science fictional punch: Mind bending works that bring to mind the very best of imaginative fiction.

His works from that point on have, like the works of many creative people, varied. There have been good works as well as so-so works (to date I haven't read all his works, but so far Century Rain is probably the one book of his I would urge readers to leave for later).

Recently I finished reading House of Suns, his second most recent release, and found the old magic was still there.

For the most part.

The good: One of Mr. Reynolds' greatest gifts is the ability to create a truly "big" scale to his stories. In this case, hundreds of thousands -even millions- of years pass within the story's setting, and this reader never found himself either confused or perplexed. Everything was delivered with crystal clarity and, at times, incredible emotional heft. The story itself was intriguing: Many, many years before people released "clones" of themselves to explore space. One of the lines of clones is set to have their meeting and share their discoveries, but someone has ambushed the meeting and killed almost all the clones in the line. Who did this savage act and for what purpose? Ultimately, House of Suns is a mystery, and a damn good one at that.

The not so good: While I loved reading the book from cover to cover, there is one thing that, ultimately, bothered me about the book: coincidence. Levels of coincidence exist in most works of fiction involving storytelling. Director Alfred Hitchcock loved to have his characters become victims of coincidence, being in the wrong place at the wrong time (see North By Northwest for perhaps the best examples of this).

House of Suns presents several coincidences that keep the story going. Some of them are perfectly acceptable (the protagonists, for example, are late to the meeting of their fellow clones, which enables them to miss the massacre), but others are harder to accept as just that. For example, before the meeting the protagonists meet up with a character who will become critical in unraveling the novel's central mystery. By another coincidence, his memory is impaired just enough that he can't simply explain what's going on right from the get go. Still later he's further impaired, which again allows for more things to happen rather than simply resolving the mystery all at once.

There are a couple of other coincidences, but rather than spoil this otherwise very enjoyable novel, I'll keep them to myself.

Again: This novel is worth reading. Mr. Reynolds is a fabulously talented author and I'll be looking forward to anything he comes up with next. Just be aware, and prepared to accept, some of the coincidences in House of Suns.

The Democratization of Slush...

ERTorre — Wed, 23 Jun 2010 12:06:04 GMT

...or, the cream doesn't always rise to the top.

Laura Miller, for Salon.com, was the columnist, if memory serves, who first clued me in to the whole "Mary Sue" literary element. Here, she's on hand to note the pluses...and minuses...of the "self-publishing" wave. Her opinions are lucid and, for those interested in self-publishing, also troublesome. But the read is very much worth it:

http://www.salon.com/books/laura_miller/2010/06/22/slush/index.html

I found this line from the article particularly interesting:

People who have never had the job of reading through the heaps of unsolicited manuscripts sent to anyone even remotely connected with publishing typically have no inkling of two awful facts: 1) just how much slush is out there, and 2) how really, really, really, really terrible the vast majority of it is. Civilians who kvetch about the bad writing of Dan Brown, Stephenie Meyer or any other hugely popular but critically disdained novelist can talk as much trash as they want about the supposedly low standards of traditional publishing. They haven't seen the vast majority of what didn't get published -- and believe me, if you have, it's enough to make your blood run cold, thinking about that stuff being introduced into the general population.

This brings to mind the quote from famed screenwriter/novelist William Goldman, regarding the movie industry: "Nobody knows anything".

As Ms. Miller points out, there are very famous books (and movies, and songs, and...) out there that, for the life of you, you cannot understand their appeal. I've pointed out several times, more than I care to recall, how the novel The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo presents us with one really interesting character, but the other main character is a Mary Sue and the plot itself, while decent enough, is neither terrifically original or incredibly involving to overcome some of the writing defects. I couldn't help but compare TGWTDT with the much more involving, but largely forgotten 1951 Fredric Brown novel The Far Cry. For those familiar with TGWTDT, check out this description of The Far Cry's plot, from Amazon.com: Once upon a time, a girl named Jenny Ames was murdered in a lonely house. No one knew where she had come from, or why she had died, or who killed her. Years later a man moved into the same house and discovered that nothing is more seductive than an unsolved murder.

Anyway, the point I'm making is this: I'm certain there are A LOT of would-be authors out there whose work(s) is/aren't all that good. Many are probably quite terrible. But there are also plenty of pretty wretched "professional" authors out there making a decent (some maybe even a terrific) living while producing works that, if all were fair in the world, probably shouldn't have been published either. TGWTDT is hardly the worst of the "professionally" published books out there. Had I been one of the professional "slush pile" readers working for a literary agency or publishing house out there, I probably would have passed on TGWTDT.

And my company and I would have missed out on being involved in publishing what is probably the hottest book property on the world market right now.

What was it that William Goldman said...?

Books to movies: Neuromancer

ERTorre — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:44:17 GMT

Looks like William Gibson's Neuromancer may be a step closer to making it to the big screen. It now has a director:

http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/06/10/vincenzo-natali-officially-announced-as-director-of-neuromancer/

Neuromancer, the novel, was originally released in 1984 and was one of the first, and is perhaps the best known, of the "cyberpunk" works. I read the novel many years ago, and frankly the general plot escapes me. But I do enjoy Mr. Gibson's writing style. His latest work, Spook Country, was so damn well written and had some descriptive lines that took my breath away. It was a shame, however, that the plot wound up not engaging me as much as I would have liked.

Ah well.

But getting back to Neuromancer...I hope the film doesn't commit the same mistakes of Johnny Mneumonic, the first and perhaps "biggest" film based on a William Gibson story. Great visuals, but sadly the film had a very messy story presentation.

> > >

Yet another article on Stieg Larsson...

ERTorre — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:30:08 GMT

...but it doesn't relate to the Millenium trilogy:

http://shelf-life.ew.com/2010/06/10/stieg-larssons-sci-fi-manuscripts-he-wrote-as-a-teenager/

I suppose with the death of Mr. Larsson and the success of his Millenium trilogy, there is a great deal of curiosity about any other fiction the gentleman wrote. Will this material, labeled as "science fictional" in nature, somehow stand out? Considering the age Mr. Larsson was when he wrote it, one can't help but think maybe not.

Then again, I'm not the biggest fan of the works that have made him popular (although, I would quickly add, I do think the character of Lizbeth Salander is terrific), so if these earlier works prove to be not all that great, it won't matter all that much.

Elder Sign

ERTorre — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 01:12:40 GMT

A friend of mine pointed this out. Fans of the works of H. P. Lovecraft should get a kick out of this...others may be lost:

Bloom County: The Complete Collection

ERTorre — Sat, 29 May 2010 00:53:25 GMT

This past week the second edition of the "Complete" Bloom County Collection was released. I haven't picked it up, but decided it was time to re-visit the strip after many, many years, so I picked up the first edition and took a look at where it all began.

Those in my generation and who are familiar with Bloom County no doubt have a soft spot in their hearts for the strip while I suspect many others may wonder what the fuss is about. In his introduction, author/artist Berke Breathed hits the heart of the comic strip's success: Bloom County was very much a product of its time, and likely would never have become as popular as it was had it been introduced in another decade.

Which inevitably made me a little squeamish...I've read strips I've thought were hilarious in the past and found very lacking upon re-inspection years later. Would Bloom County hold up?

The answer, at least regarding this first collection, is "yes" and "no." I first started reading Bloom County pretty early in its run, roughly 1/2 of the way into this particular collection, which features the strips from 1980 to 1982 (Note, this is the first of five volumes, therefore I was with the strip through most of its run, missing only the first year or so of it).

As it turns out, the stuff that I recall remains quite humorous. It also appears that that was the moment when Berke Breathed really got his "feet" under him and started to take the strip into the directions I enjoyed so much back then.

Which leaves that first year's worth of strips.

Alas, and as Mr. Breathed points out and seems painfully aware, it took him a long time to get his bearings and for Bloom County to "take off". The regular/familiar cast is, for the most part, completely absent. Don't expect much of Opus. Bill the Cat makes his first appearance towards the end of this book. The art, too, is crude compared to what was to come.

But while things in the early going might not be great, they're certainly not all bad, even if the better stuff comes later in the book. I was impressed that the powers that be gave Mr. Breathed the time to develop his strip. In the end, it proved to be the right thing to do. When things get cooking, as they do later in that collection, I was instantly transported to a time long before, when these strips made me laugh out loud.

They did so once again.

12 Great Overlooked Books by Familiar Authors

ERTorre — Wed, 26 May 2010 13:37:46 GMT

Huffington Post presented a list of 12 "one hit" wonder authors. This time around, they present works by famous authors that might not be as well known as some of their most famous (or only famous) work, but which are worth checking out nonetheless:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/26/12-great-overlooked-books_n_589517.html

As I said yesterday regarding the whole Stieg Larsson "Millenium" Trilogy of books, I'm fascinated by what becomes popular versus what doesn't. It seems at times so random. Quality works find astonishing success at times. At other times, they're greeted with a collective shrug. Some works fail spectacularly when first released, or their authors toil in relative obscurity for their lives and only afterwards do people recognize the value of their works. And then there are books that just aren't all that good...from a technical standpoint perhaps...that nonetheless hit a nerve and succeed tremendously.

Then there are these books, by noted authors who have one or two works almost everyone recognizes by title...and yet these books by these same authors are, in many cases, completely unknown or forgotten or ignored.

Yet more on Stieg Larsson and his Millenium Trilogy...

ERTorre — Tue, 25 May 2010 12:49:36 GMT

For something that I've repeatedly said wasn't all that good, I sure seem to focus a lot of attention on Stieg Larsson's Millenium Trilogy (thus far, I've only read the first book, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo. I have The Girl Who Played With Fire but haven't as yet read it or picked up the final book in the series, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest).

Here is a curious review of the series, generally quite negative:

http://www.slate.com/id/2254638/pagenum/all

I suppose what fascinates me the most about the series is the fact that it IS so successful. I've always been intrigued by things that capture the public's attention versus what doesn't. Why is this series, for example, so damn popular? I agree with most of what's said in the above linked critique. I also pointed out before the fact that the series carries one major literary no-no (the dreaded "Mary Sue").

Yet almost all of those criticisms prove mute in the face of one thing the novels have: The character of Lisabeth Salander. She is a genuinely intriguing character, and despite the negative things I've said about the first, and thus far only, novel of the series I've read, I'm curious to see the Swedish film version (It will be released on DVD and BluRay the sixth of July) and will likely read the two remaining books...in time.

So how's that for paradox? A work you find incredibly flawed yet ultimately somewhat redeemed by one of its main characters.

Go figure.

12 Greatest Literary "One Hit" Wonders

ERTorre — Wed, 19 May 2010 13:11:34 GMT

Have to admit, this is a fascinating (and very original) concept for a list. We've all heard of "musical" one-hit wonders, bands or individuals who have released a song that has gone on to be very, very well known. However, subsequent releases have fared far worse or have been completely forgotten.

In this list, from The Huffington Post, we have twelve of what they consider the greatest "literary" one-hit wonders. In a couple of cases, they were one-hit wonders because they never wrote another book, be it because they simply didn't or because they passed away. There are others on this list who wrote other works that never quite reached the level of popularity of their one "hit" work (the only somewhat possible exception is Herman Melville. Yes, everyone knows his Moby Dick, but Billy Budd has its fans).

Still, a fascinating list:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/05/19/the-12-greatest-literary_n_580934.html

One that isn't included but could be is Joseph Conrad. Heart of Darkness is one of my all time favorite works of fiction and considered a classic (it was also the inspiration for the film Apocalypse Now). Granted, the book isn't quite as well known as some of the others on the list, and equally granted he had a couple of other novels (Lord Jim, Duel) which were somewhat popular among literary fans, but I think those who know about him will always point, first and foremost, to Heart of Darkness.

Once more, with feeling...another article about author Stieg Larsson's books...

ERTorre — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:58:40 GMT

This article comes to us via Laura Miller on Salon. She examines why it is she loves the Stieg Larsson Millenium Trilogy of books (The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played With Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest):

http://www.salon.com/books/laura_miller/2010/05/16/girl_who_kicked_the_hornets_nest/index.html

I point this article out because Laura Miller was the person who previously wrote the fascinating article "Beware of Mary Sue" (You can read about that here). I noted that the "Mary Sue" character was very prominent in the character of Mikael Blomkvist, one of the two main characters of this trilogy of books. I'm somewhat intrigued that Ms. Miller didn't see what I thought was so obvious.

Then again, her article's focus is more on the other (far better) main character of the book series, Lisbeth Salander and the writing style of the late Sieg Larsson.

An interesting article, for those who may be curious.

Worldwide book club to launch with...American Gods?!

ERTorre — Tue, 04 May 2010 12:47:12 GMT

Neil Gaiman's works, to me at least, bounce between hot and cold. I thought the very first issue of his version of Sandman was absolute junk. It wasn't until the book was nearing its fifth (or so) issue and the buzz was building that this was a quality book before I gave it another shot.

And I'm glad I did.

As for that horrible first issue of the book, a friend of mine put it very bluntly this way: "Neil Gaiman came back with a strong second issue (of the book) that seemed to scream "Hey, I was only joking with that first issue! Here comes the good stuff!"

I loved the series, even if it had its occasional lulls (not unexpected for such a long running series) and even though I felt the conclusion was drawn out a little too long. However, in spite of these nit picks, there is little doubt in my mind that Neil Gaiman's Sandman series is rightfully up there among some of the greatest comic books ever created.

But I'm not so sure about his other works.

Perhaps its the subject matter, perhaps its the style, but I've found it hard to get into almost everything else Neil Gaiman has written. Then again, I would quickly add, I haven't read ALL his works, so perhaps I'm a poor person to be judging.

However, I have read American Gods, the novel that the following article concerns:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2010/may/04/one-book-one-twitter-book-club

The "one-book, one-twitter" club hopes to launch some kind of world-wide book club. Their goal is interesting, even admirable: To have everyone read and discuss a single novel in a global setting. The choice of American Gods, however, I just don't know. Neil Gaiman himself, quoted in the article, had this to say about the book's choice:

(Neil Gaiman) was, however, slightly concerned about the choice of American Gods, describing himself as "half-pleased and half-not", because it's "such a divisive book". "Some people love it, some sort of like it, and some people hate it ... It's not a book I'd hand out to everyone, because the people who don't know anything about what I've written and who hate it – who might have loved Stardust, or Neverwhere, or The Graveyard Book or Sandman – probably won't go and look any further."

For the record, I'd have to put myself in the "hate it" category when it comes to American Gods. The book was a weak brew of Sandman leftovers, in my opinion, and ultimately went nowhere. But having said that, it appears that my opinion may not be anywhere near the majority.

After all, this novel beat out several others to land on this launch. Perhaps future books might prove more interesting to me...

11 Funniest Unintentionally Sexual books of all time...

ERTorre — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:04:13 GMT

At least according to the Huffington Post (and who am I to argue? Their choices are sublime!):

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/26/the-funniest-unintentiona_n_551567.html

Love Drummer Dick's Discharge (ouch) and Games You Can Play With Your Pussy. While the former was a very old book (apparently), I'm surprised the later was published with that title, as it seems newer and might be (ahem) mistaken for something else.

The Friends of Eddie Coyle...

ERTorre — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 12:52:34 GMT

I saw this film many, many years before and have only vague memories of it. Previously I noted there was a dwindling list of films I hadn't seen but really wanted to see (the most recent was Contempt, aka Le mepris). The Friends of Eddie Coyle is one of those films I have seen but am very very curious to see it again. It was recently released by Criterion, and I'm pretty close to picking it up...

...and now, based on this article, I'm equally, if not more so, intrigued with picking up the novel the movie was based on, too:

http://www.slate.com/id/2251644/

> > >

Interested in reading an interview featuring yours truly?

ERTorre — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:42:45 GMT

I did this interview several years ago for background on the documentary film Adventures Into Digital Comics (I note in the interview that the movie version of Sin City was about to be released, which means this material is...gulp...at least five years old), but I think its interesting nonetheless.

I mention Prisonworld, a graphic novel I was working on at the time. It was completed shortly after that interview and is sitting in my hard drive. Maybe someday soon I will release it. Meanwhile...

http://www.futurealstudio.com/films/aidc/interviews/ertorre.html

And meanwhile, meanwhile (Prisonworld may not be released anytime soon, but this novel, which will be out soon, features at least one of the characters from that graphic novel in it)...

http://www.ertorre.com/argus.html

Beware of Mary Sue...

ERTorre — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 13:24:04 GMT

A while back I provided a link to Laura Miller's first article for Salon.com about what readers want from a writer. She offers some more fascinating advice here, specifically about avoiding the "mary Sue" syndrome:

http://www.salon.com/books/laura_miller/2010/04/21/mary_sue/index.html

I've always been aware of this issue, but I have to admit I never realized it had a name (and where that name comes from is equally fascinating and described in the article).

Most recently, I felt the "Mary Sue" syndrome was very evident in the best selling The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, specifically in the character of Mikael Blomkvist, one of the two main characters in the book (and the least interesting). Author Stieg Larsson was a journalist and I always felt that the character of Mikael Blomkvist in TGWTDT was a thinly veiled superhero fantasy version of himself (hence, a "Mary Sue"). The character of the novel was catnip to women -all women- and oh-so-cool in his own right.

While I generally enjoyed the novel, I couldn't help but be turned off by that character, which is what I suppose usually happens when one realizes s/he's dealing with a "Mary Sue".

Agatha Christie's Secret Notebooks...

ERTorre — Wed, 14 Apr 2010 12:37:25 GMT

If you're a fan of mystery novels, then you have to have at least a passing acquaintance with Agatha Christie. Like many authors who have passed on, the bulk of her novels aren't readily available, but a select few continue to appear in bookstores (Perhaps her most famous work, and the one I still see in bookstores, is the often copied And Then There Were None. Ironically enough, this novel featured neither Miss Marple or detective Hercule Poirot, her two most famous creations).

I can't claim to be the biggest fan of Ms. Christie's works. After reading several of her novels, I figured out a certain pattern she used in her mysteries. In each case, the murderer(s) would usually be the person/people you least expected/suspected. (This was what she did in And Then There Were None. She took that notion to its most extreme, logical conclusion in the final, although not final written, Hercule Poirot mystery, Curtain).

Regardless, as an author, I'm always intrigued to read up on other writer's methods, and in this case, it appears Ms. Christie's methods were decidedly...messy:

http://www.slate.com/id/2249306/pagenum/all

Amazon Reviews Think This Masterpiece Sucks

ERTorre — Sat, 03 Apr 2010 15:43:35 GMT

Like author Jeanette Demain in the article below, I find perverse amusement, at times, from reading the comments from critics regarding things like books, movies, and music.

In Ms. Demain's case, she focuses on some of the unkind comments from some people regarding what many consider literary masterpieces:

http://www.salon.com/books/feature/2010/04/02/mean_amazon_reviews_open2010/index.html

One of the more amusing set of criticisms I've ever run across relate to Lou Reed's (ahem) album Metal Machine Music. If you're unfamiliar with the...uh...music on this album, you're in for a genuine, and very, very bizarre, treat below...if you can take it. I can't.

In fact, I can't in any way recommend ANYONE, even die hard Lou Reed fans (I'm a pretty big fan of his work), buy this album...but the reviews are hilarious...

http://www.amazon.com/Metal-Machine-Music-Lou-Reed/dp/B00004VXF2/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1270309235&sr=1-1

Contested Will: Who Wrote Shakespeare?

ERTorre — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:19:28 GMT

Being not quite as intimate with the classic plays as perhaps I should be, I'm nonetheless absolutely fascinated with the whole "Did William Shakespeare write the William Shakespeare works?" argument that has, apparently, been going on for a good deal of time.

Laura Miller, in Salon.com, reviews a novel that focuses on this whole controversy, and offers some intriguing insights into its origin and, perhaps, what motivates people to believe one way or the other:

http://www.salon.com/books/laura_miller/2010/03/28/contested_will/index.html

The origin and fuel that heats this controversy are what interest me the most. After all, truly what difference does it make? The plays exist, right? So why should we care if a "third rate" actor wrote them or not?

Ah, but there lies the rub, and the point of origin of the controversy: Is it possible that someone who may not have had a great education could write works of such class? I think so. However, those on the other end of the spectrum think not, and they point out bigger names as possible authors of the plays, then fashion a series of events around why they would allow this lowly man, Shakespeare, to list himself as the author.

There will likely never be an answer that satisfies those who feel Shakespeare could not have written those works, but that's the way things will stay...provided someone doesn't find some hitherto lost journal from one of the suspected "real" Shakespeares wherein this individual admits to being the author of the works...

The Creepiest Children's Books Ever

ERTorre — Mon, 29 Mar 2010 13:07:52 GMT

When I saw the link to this item, I figured it would be worth a couple of chuckles. And there were plenty of those. After, however, that weird "what the hell were they thinking?!" vibe just wouldn't stop...

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/29/the-creepiest-childrens-b_n_513489.html

Maybe they could somehow merge the "It Hurts when I Poop" book with "Senor Caca".

Just a suggestion.

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo...redux

ERTorre — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 12:58:31 GMT

Just a few days ago I posted my review of the novel The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo and noted a Swedish film version of the novel was already out (you can read about that here). Looks like movie versions of the two sequel novels were made, as well...

The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo

ERTorre — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 18:39:23 GMT

What is it with books that are pretty well written, pretty engrossing, yet seem to let you down when all is said and done?

A short time ago (you can read it here) I reviewed Glasshouse, a science fictional mystery/action novel that ended with such a big, BIG hole in its plot that it was difficult for me to understand how the author had missed it.

Seven days later, and after letting it sit on my shelf for a while, I decided to give The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo a try. The book has a seriously fascinating background. Author Stieg Larsson, a journalist from Sweden, delivered three novels (this was the first) and, before they any were published (the third and last of them, The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet's Nest will be available in the U.S. on May 25th), died.

A background story like this was bound to draw interest, and early reaction to the first novel was quite positive. This word of mouth prompted me to buy the first book in the series, but it wasn't until a couple of days ago I finally sat down and read it.

Like Glasshouse, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (for brevity's sake, I'll refer to it as TGWTDT) was a good read. In some ways, its central mystery reminded me of Fredric Brown's far superior The Far Cry, which I've strongly recommended before (check that out here). TGWTDT focuses on a crime committed years before, and our protagonist(s) solving of this crime.

But what ultimately hurts TGWTDT are things that are apart from the story itself.

As I noted before, Stieg Larsson, the book's author, was a journalist. I suspect that TGWTDT's main character, journalist Mikael Blomkvist, is a thinly disguised proxy for Mr. Larsson (or, as James Cameron has recently made the term popular, an avatar). His character and his situation (and life in general) is presented as such a fantasy that at times it took me away from the novel's story.

Allow me to backtrack just a little bit: When I was much younger, some of the first "adult" novels I read and enjoyed were those by Clive Cussler. Specifically, I was blown away by Vixen 03. Many years later, when my wife was looking for something to read, I recommended she try the book. She had a far different reaction to it than I did as a youth. She was totally turned off by the novel's main character, Dirk Pitt. Author Clive Cussler presented Dirk Pitt, she felt, as if he were some kind of God: irresistible to women, incapable of doing any harm (or anything wrong), and pretty much the greatest guy on the planet. Shocked by her statement, I re-read the novel after all those years and, to my great surprise, she was right. As a young man I missed it, but as an older reader it was so obvious...and annoying...the way Clive Cussler went out of his way to mythologize the character. From that point on, I simply couldn't read any Clive Cussler book.

Sadly, the character of Mikael Blomkvist falls into that camp. Author Larsson presents him as this great guy who women find simply irresistible. Further (and most unbelievably), he's had a 20 or so year sexual and business relationship with a married woman. The woman's husband knowns of the affair but he's an artist, so therefore doesn't mind "sharing" his wife (how likely is that?!). But that, my friends, isn't enough. In the course of the book Mr. Blomkvist beds another couple of women and gets sideways/longing looks from at least another few. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not a prude, but these sexual (fantasy) forays became as distracting as they are unbelievable (trust me, Blomkvist doesn't deliver any superlative seduction lines to the women he encounters, either!). But even if we ignore this aspect of the novel, we stumble upon the next part: Blomkvist is some kind of journalistic knight errant, out to slay the financial scoundrels, and becomes a victim of one of his own reports. He needs to cleanse himself, to show he's on the side of right, and by the end of the novel he does just that in the most magnificent way possible, further presenting him as the everyman Superman.

The second "main" character in the novel, Lisbeth Salander, is a far more fascinating character. She's an emotionally troubled 24 year old who also happens to be a terrific computer hacker (this part of the novel, sadly, reminded me of one of the more lucid criticisms offered regarding, of all things, figure skater films, which I talked about here. The point that author made is that in those films the "good" figure skater has some kind of "innate" talent in this sport. Such a thing simply cannot exist.). Salander and her story are, moreso than Blomkvist, the reason I would ultimately recommend the book despite the criticisms presented above. She is such an interesting, unique character that you are drawn to her just as I was drawn away at times from Blomkvist and his too perfect characterizations.

However, (and, SPOILER!!!!) when Salander falls for Blomkvist, I just about lost it. The man, as he himself says in the book, is old enough to be her father, therefore noting any relationship with Salander could be viewed by others as...icky. Besides that, the girl is emotionally unstable and, indeed, even something of a ward of the state. Blomkvist must be aware of at least the emotional "strangeness" of the girl, yet this picture perfect journalist has the girl (of course) fall for him. I guess ordinary moral women (even the emotionally damaged ones) simply can't resist. To make it even worse (if that's possible), it is Salander who subsequently demands (demands!) he sleep with her.

What's our poor picture perfect journalist to do?

This, more than any other event of the book, felt...wrong. Again, I don't want to come off as a prude, but we are dealing with someone who, while she's incredibly resourceful and more than a handful, is still not all there.

Anyway, enough of the bad: What was the good?

Well, the book was reasonably well written although it was clear that we were reading a translation. As such, some passages came off as oddly constructed, but that actually proved beneficial. After all, I wouldn't want to read a novel set in Sweden that "sounds" like it was taking place in New York. The mystery is also good, although again I wouldn't put it up there with Mr. Brown's The Far Cry. The prolonged epilogue could have been trimmed a little, but it also worked reasonably well (this is the part where, after the primary mystery is solved, Blomkvist comes out triumphant against the financial wizard/rogue who messed him up in the book's opening).

So, all in all a recommendation with reservations. I am curious, I admit, to see the Swedish TV version of the book, if only to see how the actress chosen to play Salander handles that particular role. My understanding is that an American version of this novel is also in the works.

Reader's advice to writers...

ERTorre — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 13:30:03 GMT

Great advice to those interested in writing:

http://www.salon.com/books/writing/index.html?story=/books/laura_miller/2010/02/23/readers_advice_to_writers

In particular I like #4. For years I was struggling with the idea of what good "writing" is. I always felt I could come up with an interesting plot and characters, but I wondered if my skills in actually describing the events were good. Over time, I've refined what I've done, and the dreaded "re-write" is a chore that nonetheless cleans up and enhances what I do.

Clarity, at least to me, is the key. (And, no, I haven't -not by a long shot- succeeded as much as I want to in this regard, as some might attest to with some of my posts!)

Glasshouse: A book review

ERTorre — Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:43:10 GMT

Reviewing books can be a funny thing. On the one hand, you can be so positively overwhelmed by the writing skills of the author yet let down by the book's story/plot.

In the case of Charles Stross' Glasshouse, I was impressed as hell with his writing skills. He had me there, in this (very) oddball future, then a retro-future, with a main character whose memories have been wiped and has taken part in a bizarre experiment wherein other memory wiped subjects like him get to live in Earth, circa 1950-2020. But there is a mystery here...past memories intrude upon our protagonist as a sinister sheen intrudes upon the experiment's proceedings...what goes on behind the scenes, both in the experiment and in our protagonist? Is our protagonist an innocent, or does his/her appearance within the experimental reality serve some purpose?

And if so, what?

The writing, as I said before, is incredible. Mr. Stross dances a fine line, explaining some genuinely odd things in a logical, clear way. The main character, first a man and then a woman (!) is sympathetic even as his/her past is mysterious. And without getting too SPOILERY, there comes a section where our protagonist isn't quite right (If you've read the book you know what I'm talking about) and that bit is also handled extremely well.

Which makes the fact that the story essentially falls apart in the end all the sadder.

As I said before, reviewing a book can be a funny thing, and how do you review a book like this? As a reader, I really, really enjoyed reading it. Normally, giving a book like this an enthusiastic recommendation is a no brainer...and yet in the back of my mind I can't help but recognize that the book's plot falls apart upon closer examination.

Again, I don't want to give too much away. But the book presents and amplifies on a concept very similar to the transporter in TV's Star Trek. The idea of the transporter, if examined closely, is that it somehow breaks a person apart into molecules and then somehow reassembles those molecules (or perhaps others it takes from the area) into that same person it is transporting. To push this to its logical limits, one could envision the Star Trekian transportation device as a fantasy device.

But to try to interpret this device in a scientific/rational way, we envision it not only breaking down people into molecules, but also somehow retaining the information on the broken down person in its memory banks. After all, it has to know what it broke down to recreate it, right? Now take this a step further: If it is conceivable that the people using the transporter are broken down into some computer code and then "reintegrated" elsewhere using (I'm guessing) elements taken from the area around where they are transported to, then would they need to be actually "transported" at all? Wouldn't it be safer, and more convenient, for the transporter to "scan" a person's body (but not break it down) and then replicate their entire being onto the destination within whatever planet they're currently exploring? And taken even further, a transporter could conceivably recreate not only humans, but equipment, from guns to food to books to tanks to...whatever you wanted. And couldn't you also use the transporter to create a person who had all your intellect, your "soul", but looked nothing like you...the perfect spy. Finally, the transporter could be the fountain of youth...each time you use it you could retain your memories but inhabit a more youthful "scan" of your body, thus never aging.

Such a device plays a key role in Glasshouse, and these possibilities of its use play a large role in the story's plot and resolution, which makes the ending so troubling because there comes a point where I wondered why the "bad guys" bothered with their subjects when they could have simply replicated themselves over and over and over and over again and then had the amount of subjects needed to perform the act they intended. (Please understand, I'm still trying to be as vague as possible here and not give away too many details present in the book).

So there you have it. A well written, incredibly enjoyable book that is also a victim of a plot that falls apart at the very end.

Still, I recommend this book. It was a very enjoyable read. But the above reservations stand.

The Lost Books of The Odyssey, a fascinating review...

ERTorre — Fri, 19 Feb 2010 13:32:16 GMT

While people express plenty of frustrations with the Internet, one of the joys of this new era lies in finding articles like the one linked below, which offers a fascinating review of The Lost Books of The Odyssey.

http://www.slate.com/id/2244933/pagenum/all

I've always found The Odyssey a great tale, and this new twist on it is, to say the least, intriguing. I will have to hunt this book out!

It's been a while...a link to a Heather Havrilesky article...

ERTorre — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 15:18:45 GMT

I generally love her articles for Salon.com (her reviews of TV shows are never less than very clever...and sometimes brutally devastating).

Here, she ponders our current information age:

http://www.salon.com/entertainment/tv/frontline/index.html?story=/ent/tv/iltw/2010/01/30/frontline_digital_nation

Somewhat off topic, but it is something that's eating at me:

A few days ago Apple introduced the (very unfortunately named) IPad. There was much rejoicing among those present at Mr. Job's announcement, even if many critics subsequently found reason to complain about the machine's deficits.

But the thing that sent shivers down my spine was that Steven Jobs felt this machine would be a rival to other e-readers.

Those who read this blog, and I know the number vary wildly from day to day, do so, I hope, because I offer interesting links to interesting articles.

I am also an author of, to date, five works available on amazon.com (the link to them can be found on the upper right of this page).

For my latest novel, Mechanic, I decided to release it both in regular print and through Amazon's Kindle. I figured that would open up the possibilities of wider readership.

What I didn't realize was that it also opened me up...possibly...to the dreaded reality of illegal downloading. One day, either a google or bing search by me found one of those file sharing sites that allegedly had the book (in four different versions) there for download, and, according to the site, the novel was downloaded a little over 26,000 times. At $5.99 a pop for the legal download at Amazon, a purposely low price, it nonetheless means I'm out an awful large amount of money...

...if this is indeed the case. I haven't downloaded the files and can't help but wonder if indeed it is my book there, or someone simply labeled a file as such and posted who knows what in its place.

So, as I near completion of my latest novel (I'm hoping to finish it up in the next month) and will soon enough post it on Amazon, I'm left wondering if its worthwhile to offer the book via its Kindle services, or if by doing so I'm essentially slitting my own wrists.

Like the music industry, it appears the book market is also facing off against the juggernaut that is the internet.

Robert B. Parker, R.I.P.

ERTorre — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 19:18:02 GMT

I can't say I was a huge fan of author Robert B. Parker, although I most certainly loved his deceptively "simple" writing style (and further admit great envy at how well he pulled it off!), but it's always sad to hear of the passing of someone who gave pleasure to others through their work. In the end, I've read perhaps a handful of his novels, including Poodle Springs, his conclusion to Raymond Chandler's unfinished final Phillip Marlowe novel.

As I've said before, I'm a HUGE fan of Mr. Chandler, and I'd be lying if I said I originally approached Poodle Springs, knowing full well Raymond Chandler only wrote the first four or so chapters, with more than a little trepidation. In the end, the novel wasn't too bad, although it certainly wasn't as memorable as the best of Chandler. Then again, what is? I suppose its a tribute to Mr. Parker's skills that he made the endeavor entertaining enough, and one has to give him props for the courage to step into the shoes of a giant such as Chandler, in the first place.

Mr. Parker will perhaps be best known for his Spenser novels, which became the basis for the Spenser for Hire TV show as well as the Jesse Stone novels which, similarly, made their way to TV and featured Tom Selleck. He died "sitting at his desk", perhaps contemplating (or in the act of creating) his latest work.

I may have to stock up on a few more of his novels. Soon.

For more information about Mr. Parker's passing, go here:

http://www.sarahweinman.com/confessions/2010/01/robert-b-parker-is-dead.html

Fringe "Unearthed" and Dollhouse "Getting Closer"

ERTorre — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 13:59:42 GMT

Things are slowly normalizing themselves after spending an inordinate number of hours setting up the new computer. In fact, there were a couple of hours available to catch up on some TV...

Fringe: "Unearthed" aired this past Monday (January 11th) and another episode will air this Thursday so the question is: Why? It would appear Unearthed is an unaired episode from the show's first season (it even has appearances by the now deceased Agent Charlie Francis). However, many, including myself, wondered if this was an "alternate universe" episode, ie one that featured the characters on another of those multiple worlds the show has already acknowledged exist.

Nope.

I suspect this episode, which they say was filmed during the show's first season but wasn't aired until now, was kept away from the airwaves (and the first season DVD boxed sets) because it featured the very touchy subject of religion. It was revealed in this episode that Anna Torv's Agent Dunham is a(n)....atheist. Or at least an agnostic. Further, it was hinted that Peter Bishop also doesn't think much about the whole thing (although he doesn't come out and say it like Agent Dunham). While I think its interesting to reveal this about Agent Dunham's character, the show's producers and writers eventually had to reveal the "whys" of her non-religiosity, and in this they chickened out, methinks. I suspect most people who are agnostics/atheists didn't develop these ideals because their mothers/fathers were very religious and their religion proved not to help them stop abuse/disease/any-other-very-bad-thing. In the case of Agent Dunham, she states her mother was very religious but her prayers were ineffective against an abuse father and, therefore, she turned away from religion.

While I suspect the whole religion angle was what made Fox store away this episode and finally dump it on a Monday (not the show's regular time slot) and without much fanfare, the episode itself, alas, wasn't all that good, either. There were interesting elements in it, for sure, but overall the episode didn't gel quite as well as I had hoped. Then again, of the J. J. Abrams TV shows I've seen (Alias, Lost, and Fringe) this one, while it remains entertaining enough, also remains the least of this group of three. Still, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't good enough to keep watching. Even non-knockout J. J. Abrams is better than most TV shows currently airing!

Dollhouse: "Getting Closer" aired on the 8th, and it is the third from the last episode of the show that will ever air. I've made mention many times before how this show kept letting me down, and there were too many times I was ready to walk away from it (and one time I actually did). However, I'm glad that I'm here for the show's finale. Say what you will (and I have) about the too-many very horrible episodes aired before, the show's lack of focus and direction (at least before), and the general confusion of what its all about, but the fact is that to me the show is going out with a bang. The only real complaint that can be leveled against Getting Closer is that there was almost TOO much plot in it. However, given the fact that Joss Whedon and company are trying to give the show a proper finale and tie up everything, they can and should be forgiven for presenting us such a rich, full meal.

The reveals about characters (not to mention the shocking death of one of the characters) had me breathless. In some ways, and without getting too out there, this show reminds me a little of comic book legend Jack Kirby's New Gods book (and I am referring here solely to the original 11 issues of the New Gods while ignoring the other series tied into this book and the various reboots and graphic novels). While the New Gods feature some of the comic book legends all time best stories (IMHO, and this coming from someone who loved his Marvel comics work as well!), I felt that the first few issues were hit and miss, almost like Jack Kirby jumped into this project with plenty of ideas but it took him a few issues to find his "footing" and deliver the best at the end, when the book was, unfortunately, headed for cancellation.

And so it is, it seems to me anyway, with Dollhouse. Joss Whedon is most assuredly capable of great TV shows, but the fact is that Dollhouse began very badly, with only a few episodes here and there worthy of watching. When the second season rolled around, it felt like Mr. Whedon and company were still trying to get their footing. Now, at the very end, and like Jack Kirby with the New Gods, you almost wish they were given a chance to continue, to see where they go, but that is not to be.

Unlike Mr. Kirby back in the 1970's, Mr. Whedon was given enough lead time to wrap the whole production up. I hope the end is as good as the episodes thus far leading up to it.

(Just a little random note here: My all time favorite Jack Kirby comic book has to be New Gods #6, "The Glory Boat". Seldom has a single issue of a comic book given me chills. This one has. For those curious, the issue can be found reprinted in the second volume of Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus. For those really curious, I recommend all four volumes).

A review of Patti Smith's memoir

ERTorre — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 19:17:28 GMT

Although, from the sound of it, the memoir was more intended to focus on the poet/rocker's relationship with Robert Mapplethorpe:

http://www.salon.com/books/patti_smith/index.html?story=/books/laura_miller/2010/01/10/just_kids

Of the people in the music business, she remains one of the more curious to me. Her music is at times brilliant, at times corrosive, almost always very enjoyable (can you ask for more?). The review of her book is intriguing, to say the least.

In the far future of...

ERTorre — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 13:01:50 GMT

It's always been a source of amusement/curiosity to me when we reach the dates of science fictional works, famous or somewhat forgotten.

The two biggest works and the year their events were to take place carried those (then) far flung future in their titles: George Orwell had Nineteen Eighty-Four, Stanley Kubrick/Arthur C. Clarke had 2001: A Space Odyssey. When originally conceived, Nineteen Eight-Four's events were 35 years into the future. In the case of 2001: A Space Odyssey, director Stanley Kubrick and author Arthur C. Clarke were imagining events 33 years into their future. Note, however, that 2001 was based on a short story by Mr. Clark entitled The Sentinel. This short story was written some 53 years before the far flung future of the year 2001. I don't believe, though, that the short story had a fixed date when it was meant to occur, unlike the movie/book 2001.

Other famous dates we've passed? How about the date Skynet becomes self-aware, bringing on the events of The Terminator films? Skynet goes on-line on Monday, August 4th, 1997 and becomes self aware at 2:14 a.m. August 29th, 1997. For the original Terminator film, those events were 13 years into the future.

Another favorite of mine, Escape From New York, also featured the then far flung future of 1997. The movie was released in 1981, which meant the events within were some 16 years into the future.

On TV, there was Space: 1999, wherein the Moon is shot out of its orbit and the inhabitants of the Moon's solitary base experience adventures a la Star Trek. That show appeared on TV between 1975 and 1977, which meant the future it speculated about was some 22-24 years away.

So, to add to all these imagined futures that we've reached, one can add the sequel to 2001: A Space Odyssey, Arthur C. Clarke's 2010: Odyssey Two. The book was released in 1982 and the movie (renamed/simplified to 2010) a couple of years later. The future Mr. Clarke envisioned this time around was 28 years in the future, but its here today!

> > >

Digital Piracy hits e-books

ERTorre — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 12:41:15 GMT

I suppose it was only a matter of time...

http://www.cnn.com/2010/TECH/01/01/ebook.piracy/index.html

In many ways, its a terribly depressing time to be someone trying to make a living via creative endeavors such as music, art, or writing. While the internet and the technology related to it has afforded authors/musicians/artists a means of getting the word out about their works in a way that was impossible before (check out my very own ertorre.com for information about my books or art or whathaveyou!), the fact is that internet piracy and file sharing have also cost the same creative individuals plenty of residuals they should be making but are not.

I recall back in the stone age, ie at the dawn of the CD, when people noted how Pink Floyd's album The Dark Side of the Moon was a regular heavy hitting seller via records. Why? Because records eventually got scratched or developed hisses and pops and those who loved the album had no choice but to buy it over and over again to hear it as it was intended to be. When the CDs took over, word of continuing sales of that album all but ended, I suspect because now people were able to buy the beloved album once and not have to return to their local music store (remember those?!) to pick up a new, "clean" copy.

But with the internet and piracy, you don't even have to buy that album, or any album, should you be of the mind to simply "get it" free.

Movies have been appearing online, even before they reached the theaters (see the Wolverine film) and it comes as little surprise, given the rising popularity of e-books, that now novels are starting to show up.

My own novel Mechanic is available as an e-book via Kindle, but I've been reluctant to make my other novels available as well. And I've been debating whether to go that route with my new novel, which should be ready in the next couple of months.

The world changes quickly, and I suspect that this problem will only get bigger with time. The only real solution is for the authors/artists/musicians to find alternative ways to make up for the lost revenue...or hope for some future, better protection of their copyright material.

In 2010 we will live on the moon...

ERTorre — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 14:24:31 GMT

What better way to start the new year/decade with a nostalgic and fascinating look back at the futuristic Omni magazine, one of my favorites from years past:

http://www.slate.com/id/2239740/pagenum/all/#p2

The magazine had some really great covers. That alone had me buying more than a few issues!

Screw all this "looking back" business...how about some predictions regarding 2010?

ERTorre — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 13:56:03 GMT

Fascinating list from Newsweek, predicting what might happen in the coming year, entertainment/cultural-wise:

http://2010.newsweek.com/top-10/cultural-predictions/someone-dies-on-reality-tv.html

Some of their predictions are pretty good (like the first one, which you can see in the link's "name" already). Some I'm not so sure about...

Still, worth a look!

Largest U.S. city without a single bookstore...?

ERTorre — Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:49:52 GMT

That rather unique dishonor falls, shortly, to Laredo Texas, population 230,000:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34452179/ns/business-retail/

Allow me a moment to get on my soapbox: It's sad that books, today, appear to be in such dire shape. While I love the huge mega-bookstores (like Borders and Barnes and Nobles) I worry about the smaller booksellers. In the case of Laredo, the last remaining bookstore is one of the big ones and, granted, they may have another bookstore in a little over a year's time, its just sad that a city of that size somehow got itself in the position of having only one, and one alone, bookstore.

Books are a passion for me, and to find that a city could be without a single bookstore simply amazes, and depresses, me.

What really killed Jane Austen?

ERTorre — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:12:45 GMT

Until this fascinating article, I didn't realize there was doubt:

http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/books/12/02/jane.austen.death/index.html