Star Trek: Mission to Horatius - Mack Reynolds

Title: Mission to Horatius
Author: Mack Reynolds
Genre: Science Fiction
Published: 1968
Formats: Hardback

Available at:
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Amazon UK

Review:
“Mission to Horatius” by Mack Reynolds is a rather important book in the history of Trek Lit as it was the first original novel ever written. The target audience admittedly was children rather than adults but at least it showed there was a market there for different Trek stories if people were willing to exploit it.

The plot follows the crew of the Enterprise as it is called upon to respond to a distress call, even though the ship’s crew are already suffering some negative effects from the length of time they have been out in space. The system in question has three habitable planets, populated by people whose beliefs resulted in them leaving the Federation to set up their own colonies. The crew explore these three very different planets and uncover the reason for the distress call.

In all honesty, the novel was rather disappointing as the plot was paper thin. There was so much that Reynolds could have delved into as the plotline progressed but the reader is left with the bare bones of a story. It felt like I was just reading an initial outline that had never been edited or expanded upon. Maybe this is what children’s books were like in the late 60’s, but compared to modern day literature it was very weak.

This lack of depth continues with the characters as well as the character development is pretty much non-existent I think that some of the characters are named in the story just to ensure they appeared at some point. Most of them don’t actually add anything to the story and when they do, some of the time what we see doesn’t really fit with the personas we know about from the TV series.

Overall, this is a rather poor novel that is probably only saved by the fact it is historically important to Trek Lit. Some of the problem with it probably due to the fact that it is aimed at children so the plot is intentionally kept on the lighter side, but that still doesn’t excuse the fact that some of the characters were all over the place compared to what would have been seen in the TV series. Without doubt this novel really highlights how far we have come since those earlier days and maybe that is actually a good enough reason for Star Trek fans to read it.

The Fisherman's Son (The Fisherman's Son Book 1) - Marilyn Peake

Title: The Fisherman's Son (The Fisherman's Son Book 1)
Author: Marilyn Peake
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2002
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Amazon UK

Review:
“The Fisherman’s Son” by Marilyn Peake is the first novel in a fantasy series aimed at a young audience. The story follows Wiley, a boy from a poor family whose mother dies from a disease that has infected his village. His drunk father isn’t around and so Wiley is forced to travel to the next village to find a priest so that his mother’s body is properly cared for. However, on the journey he encounters a mysterious woman who sets him off on an adventure that will lead to him to see wondrous things and also teach him the history the very land on which he lives.

I need to start by saying that I am clearly not the target audience for this book so perhaps some of my comments here are a bit unfair. Anyway, I struggled to read this story to be honest, yes the plot is interesting and quite unique but at times I couldn’t understand why anything was occurring or why things were linked. Seriously, I still don’t get what the magic cups, giant bears or talking dolphins have to do with a long dead civilisation or why the young lad Wiley was dragged into it all.

Then there are the problems with the writing itself which was quite uninspiring. Everything is described to a level beyond what is really needed and there are several logical inconsistences with the story. For example, I can’t imagine anyone finding strawberries in the frozen cold and not thinking that there is something odd there. Then there is the rather strange section in which is drinks himself full on milk and 5 minutes later is starving and fights some chickens for some food.

Overall, I found the entire book quite an unsatisfying experience, what could be an interesting plot is let down by how it is actually being told. I suspect its target audience of younger children would potentially still enjoy it as they are more likely to ignore the logical failings etc. but it just doesn’t work as a book which can reach other age groups. For myself, I can’t see myself picking up the other books in the series.

Matilda - Roald Dahl

Title: Matilda
Author: Roald Dahl
Genre: Childrens
Published: 1988
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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The Book Depository
Amazon UK

Review:
As part of the 2013 Eclectic Reader Challenge I had to read a book that has been made into a movie. To be honest, this gave me a huge selection of novels to pick from and I initially had no idea which book to pick However, by luck my wife started discussing the movie “Matilda” which is of course based on the Roald Dahl book of the same name. When she heard that I had neither seen the film nor read the book she was horrified and basically told me I had to read it or our marriage was at risk! Therefore, it seemed like a perfect option to fulfil both the requirement of the reading challenge and avoid any chance of divorce.

The story basically follows an incredibly intelligent girl called Matilda who at the age of 5 can already read adult novels and is quite simply a maths genius. However, her family seem unable to see the wonder of their child and the way they treat her ranges from neglect to outright cruelty. However, once she start school, her new teacher Miss Honey sees the potential within Matilda and tries desperately to help in any way she can. Unfortunately, she is hampered by the head teacher known as Miss Trunchbull who decides that Matilda is going to be nothing but trouble.

The plotline was actually quite varied but was still simple enough for children to follow without too much trouble and this should ensure they are kept interested from start to finish. The main selling point though is the fact that it is at its heart this is a fun and humorous story which had me smiling throughout and should appeal to children the world over. Although I will add that there are some rather dark elements due to the way in which Matilda’s parents treat her and this could be a little bit much for younger children.

Personally, as a parent with two young children it was quite horrifying to see the way in which Matilda was treated and found it hard to understand how parents could treat their child in such a manner. However, I am aware neglect and cruelty does happen in the world and I therefore appreciated how the story did also showcase that there will be people out there like Miss Honey who do care and you should be more than willing to accept their help.

Overall, this is a rather brief review, mainly because I find with children’s books it can be quite hard to review it without completely spoiling it. However, in summary this is an enjoyable story that introduces a level of plot complexity that doesn’t treat children as idiots but it is still easy to understand. On a personal note I believe that in a few more years my children will love hearing the story of Matilda and I will love reading it to them, provided my wife doesn’t get there first of course!

The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (Narnia Book 1) - C.S. Lewis

Title: The Lion, The Witch & The Wardrobe (Narnia Book 1)
Author: C.S. Lewis
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1950
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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Amazon UK

“The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe” by C.S. Lewis is another classic children’s story that I have previously never read. Oh I have seen the Movies & TV Shows that are based on the book so I know what the story is about but I never actually got around to reading it. I suppose that I just felt there was no need to read it based on what I had seen on both the small and big screen.

For the few people out there that don’t already know the story, I can reveal that the plot follows a group of four children; siblings Peter, Edmund, Susan and Lucy who accidently journey to a fantastical land called Narnia. Whilst there they discover talking animals and other magical creatures, many of who are determined to help the children fulfil a prophecy that will involve them helping to defeat the evil white witch who has put all of Narnia into an eternal winter.

Now that I have read the book I have to be honest and say that I wasn’t really wrong in thinking that after seeing the movie and TV show there was no real reason to read the book. In fact I actually think I preferred following the story on the screen as the story is entirely intact but it just seemed more exciting and the characters seemed more believable and easier to emotionally engage with. In fact the lack of characterisation in the book is probably its biggest flaws and as I found it hard to care about what was going on when the characters presented were so bland and undeveloped.

However, that doesn’t mean the book is bad because it isn’t, the plot is simple and well-constructed so that children should find it easy to follow and enjoy. The story also heavily promotes bravery, selflessness and consideration of others which most parents should be more than happy for their children to take on board. One aspect of the Narnia tales that people deride is the fact that it is a Christian allegory which can upset some of the more devout atheists out there. Personally, I noticed the obvious reference to the crucifixion and resurrection but the rest just passed me by. I just found the story to be an escapist fantasy adventure that will have children checking wardrobes the world over.

In summary, I didn’t read it as a child so maybe that is why I wasn’t captivated and I don’t really worry about religious undertones in novels so unlike others I don’t hate it either. I just found it to be an okay, enjoyable enough and a likely fun story to read to my own children when they are older. Then again, I may just skip the book and sit them down to watch the movie which I believe captures this magical plot in a much more modern and entertaining manner.

Ps. I understand that some people like to say that this is the 2nd book in the series but I prefer to stick with the publishing order. Especially when the prequel novel may actually spoil some of the surprised and curiosity’s that you discover when reading this novel.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Speculative Fiction Challenge
Year of the Fantasy Classic Challenge

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Alice Book 1) - Lewis Carroll

Title: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland (Alice Book 1)
Author: Lewis Carroll
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1865
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Project Gutenberg (Free Ebook)
Amazon
The Book Depository
Kobo
Amazon UK

“Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll is another one of those classic novels that I have managed to avoid reading. To be honest, I am not a big fan of the various movies either as I found them all to be a little bit random for my liking so I wasn’t sure how much I would actually enjoy reading this. However, as the ebook was free on Project Gutenberg I decided to finally take the plunge and give it a try.

For anyone living under a rock who doesn’t know the story, it follows a young girl named Alice who follows a rabbit down a rabbit hole into a fantastical and magical world. Whilst undertakes a mad cap adventure in which she encounters talking animals, potions that change her size and a royal court made up of playing cards.

If the plot above sounds rather silly and nonsensical then this would be because it is. There really is no distinct plot and the characters are quite weakly developed. I suspect children may enjoy the various random leaps from one crazy event to the next as it would stop them getting bored. However, as an adult it meant I found it hard to get engrossed or feel something for the characters, especially when you consider the rather cheap method Carroll uses to end the story. None of this was helped by the fact that I also didn’t like Alice as a character; she irritated me with her obnoxious tendencies and bouts of temper tantrums. For a young child like Alice this type of attitude can be par for the course but it really didn’t endear her to me at all.

I did still find the book quite enjoyable however as some of the various events Alice encountered on her journey were imaginative, colourful and at times rather amusing. In addition Carroll does a great job in portraying the entire adventure from Alice’s viewpoint even if she as a character annoyed me. The way in which she reacts and tries to rationalise what she is seeing against the black and white way she has been taught does come across as something a child would do. Then of course we also get to see Alice’s mind wander off in various tangents which reminds me of how my own young daughter can sometimes act.

Overall, I did enjoy finally reading this classic and for all the randomness and strange events, I managed to understand and follow it a lot easier than some of the movies. At times the book is varied and fun but it is let down by the weak and at times rather cruel characters in addition to a disappointing plot and finale. Personally, I will probably give “Through the Looking Glass” a read in the future just to see if Carroll can create something that captures both his imagination alongside an entertaining story.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge
Year of the Fantasy Classic Challenge

Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark is Rising Book 1) - Susan Cooper

Title: Over Sea, Under Stone (The Dark is Rising Book 1)
Author: Susan Cooper
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1965
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

“Over Sea, Under Stone” by Susan Cooper is the first novel in a Children’s fantasy series known as “The Dark is Rising” sequence. What I find interesting about this series is that even though it supposedly quite famous, I had never heard of it until there was a movie made based upon the 2nd book in the series. This is a shame as I imagine that a 8 year old me would have loved this book much more than I did when I read it as an adult.

The story follows the antics of the Drew siblings, Simon, Jane and Barney, who spend their summer holiday in Cornwall alongside their mysterious great-uncle Merry. Whilst exploring the house rented by their Uncle Merry, they find a treasure map that appears to be related to the various legends of King Arthur. They soon decide to embark upon an adventure to try and follow the map to discover what ancient treasure has been hidden. Of course, it turns out that they are not the only ones interested in following the map and it soon becomes clear that they are now embroiled in a conflict between the light and the darkness that has been going on for millennia.

One of the first things I noted as I read this story was that it really did feel like a book aimed at children. For example, the characters are all rather simple in how they are portrayed with only Uncle Merry really offering any sort of complexity. Don’t get me wrong, I found the Drew siblings to be quite endearing and I enjoyed seeing how they would get scared and doubt their own actions but it was all very one-dimensional in a manner that I think will appeal much more to children than it does adults.

Another aspect of the story that highlighted its target audience is that the action, thrills and excitement aren’t drawn out with any exposition, they are direct and immediate. This of course ensures that children are kept entertained but it does limit some of the bigger picture type scenarios and ensures there is very little suspense that lasts more than a few pages.

Quite simply the entire novel reminded my quite strongly of an Enid Blyton style adventure that many children will love. However, I felt that there was a little bit more depth to this story as Cooper has included elements of fantasy and hinted at a potential epic good vs. evil scenario. I enjoyed this little diversion from the standard children’s mystery novel and think Cooper has done a good job at trying to gently introduce young readers to the fantasy genre.

Overall, as an adult reader I would have to admit that this book could only really be classed as being okay. I did find it both enjoyable and endearing but the simplicity in both the characters and the way the plot is presented does limit its appeal somewhat. However, I can really imagine sitting down and reading it to my daughter in a couple of years and this is where I believe the book will shine. I have been told that the next books in the series are aimed at a slightly older audience so I am now looking forward to seeing how Cooper manages to progress the series in both plot and in style.

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Kobo
Amazon UK

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Speculative Fiction Challenge
Year of the Fantasy Classic Challenge

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz Book 1) - L. Frank Baum

Title: The Wonderful Wizard of Oz (Oz Book 1)
Author: L. Frank Baum
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1900
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Project Gutenberg (Free Ebook)
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

"The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" by L. Frank Baum is the latest book I have read as part of the Year of the Fantasy Classics Challenge I have taken part in. Like many of the other books I have read in this challenge, it is another story that I am aware of through movies and other media.

The first half of the story is actually quite close to what you could expect if you have seen the famous 1939 classic including a rather grey Kansas. Dorothy and her dog Toto get whisked away by a Tornado and land in Oz, accidentally killing the wicked witch of the East in the process. She immediately desires to find a way home and so begins an adventure along the Yellow Brick road to request the help of the great wizard that lives in the Emerald City.

However, the 2nd half of the book is a rather unknown and surreal affair that involves a journey across an entire land made out of porcelain china. Everything there is made of china including the people, animals and buildings and I can understand why the makers of the movie really didn't fancy trying to create this element of the story on the big screen.

This novel really is quite a surreal and quirky adventure and I did enjoy the journey it took me on. It can be quite hard to read a book like this when you have already seen the movie so many times but I found the differences between the two formats to be part of what kept me entertained. One of the little differences that really made me smile was when I found out that the Emerald City is not actually green, but the people in the city are made to wear green tinted glasses so it appears that way.

In all honesty though, I still think the movie is a slightly better form of the story. There is just a little bit more fun ingrained in that portrayal and the Wicked Witch of the West was used to a much more powerful extent. I also think the violence is toned down quite a lot in the movie which makes it a little bit more suited for children. I couldn't actually believe how many animal beheadings littered the novel.

The one specific little issue I had with the book itself though was the way in which the story was structured. The story was presented to the reader in sharp bite size chunks that felt like mini adventures within a very limited overall arc. It all just felt very piecemeal to me and spoilt the flow a little. However, I can see the advantage this provides when reading the book to a child who would happily enjoy the quick conclusions to the adventure contained in each chapter.

Overall, this was a fun little read that explored a more surreal side to the Wizard of Oz legend. I enjoyed exploring the little strands of difference between the book and the movie and it was quite an eye opener reading a children's fantasy book that didn't try and portray a moral conclusion to every action. I am probably going to try and continue my journey through Baum's Oz books just to see where the adventures in his rather quirky world could lead next.

Watership Down - Richard Adams

Title: Watership Down
Author: Richard Adams
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1972
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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The Book Depository
Kobo
Amazon UK

My first ever introduction to the story of "Watership Down" was when I was about 8 or 9 and my school headmaster discussed the movie version that had recently been on TV. To be honest, the only part of the discussion that remained in my memory was how he said it was about rabbits and it had led to him having tears in his eyes. As a young boy I therefore straight away decided that there was no way I was going to watch a movie or read a book about rabbits that made some people cry, it just wasn't manly. However, now at the tender age of 31 I have decided that I should embrace a little bit of my softer side and read "Watership Down" as part of a 2012 Classic Fantasy Books challenge.

The story itself begins with a small rabbit named Fiver having a premonition about death and destruction coming to the warren. His brother, Hazel decides to believe in Fiver's premonition and therefore leads a small group of rabbits out into the wider world in the hope of finding a new, safer place to call home. The journey to their new warren is fraught with dangers and adventures but the real struggle comes later once they have built their new warren on Watership Down. For the rabbits are all male and therefore they must find a way to bring female rabbits into the warren to ensure they grow and remain happy. This need to bring in new rabbits leads to dangerous confrontations with humans, predators and a dictatorial rabbit that rules another warren with an iron paw.

As seen in the details above, the story is basically about a group of rabbits, there is no denying that but as long as you accept this basic premise you should find the book to be a really enjoyable adventure. The world Adams has created is rich, deep and whilst the novel does start off at quite a slow and leisurely pace, it builds up wonderfully to a tense and engaging final confrontation before providing a meaningful and emotional ending.

One aspect of the novel that I really liked was that unlike most anthropomorphic animal stories, the rabbits and other animals in this novel actually continued to behave like animals. None of them were dressed in clothing, cooked or built little houses with furniture and it really felt like Adams had actually put some research into the behaviour and foibles of rabbits. All of this just made the story feel a little bit more believable and realistic as an adventure that these creatures would really undertake if they actually had the intelligence required.

However, Adams has also managed to give each creature their own individual personality in a manner that a reader can actually relate to even though they are animals. This helped to ensure the story was enjoyable and entertaining as the reader can actually cheer on and support the rabbits as they attempted to secure a better future for themselves. In particular I loved the rabbit character known as Bigwig. At first he comes across as being a rather simple tough, brute of a rabbit, but as the story progresses he is developed really well and his honour, loyalty, courage and strength really come to the fore. Each of the characters really grow as the story progresses which adds to the storytelling.

Overall, I have to admit I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed this novel; it was fun, engaging and full of entertaining adventures. The whole story is cleverly told and personally I am now glad that I have finally read this classic story. I feel that anyone normally interesting in anthropomorphic animal novels should definitely give this one a whirl. However, for those of you who don't normally read that type of novel, don't be put off by the rabbits premise, the characters should be engaging enough despite this to ensure most people will finish this book with a smile on their face.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Speculative Fiction Challenge
Year of the Fantasy Classic Challenge

The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame

Title: The Wind in the Willows
Author: Kenneth Grahame
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1908
Formats: Hardback/Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Project Gutenberg (Free Ebook)
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

"The Wind in the Willows" by Kenneth Grahame is one of these stories that I had previously never got around to reading. In addition, I also seemed to have missed watching any of the various TV shows created around the story as well. Therefore, when I signed up to Year of the Fantasy Classic Challenge I decided that I would finally read this classic and actually find out what it really was about.

The story follows the various meandering and pleasant adventures of several anthropomorphized animals such as the Mole, Water Rat, Toad and Badger. The adventures are mainly set in an idyllic English countryside and range from an innocent trip down the river in a row boat to the fears of being lost in the woods on a snowy night. I found the whole thing to basically be a celebration of the simple life of the country that could be lived by well to do bachelors in the late 19th and early 20th century.

Now, I am going to be honest and say that this book isn't fast paced, action packed or full of exciting thrills although there are still elements of each within the novel which I found contrasted well with the more leisurely sections. The books main feature though is its rather enjoyable cozy charm as the reader follows the camaraderie of the characters and their fundamental acceptance of each other. It doesn't delve into any heavy good vs. evil moments, it more highlights some of the profound moments that can be had by simple characters just trying to live their lives.

I found all four of the main characters to be quite interesting individuals with a basic jovial nature and whilst they have been anthropomorphised they did seem to retain some of their intrinsic animal characteristics. The supporting characters however did seem a little bit weaker and a little bit more generic at times but this didn't really detract from the overall story as the antics of the main characters created some really amusing moments, especially those centred on the Toad.

The novel itself is defined as a children's book and there are some lessons for children that have been integrated into the novel, from the issues of being self-centred as seen by the actions of the Toad, to the danger of wondering off alone as shown by the Mole getting lost in the woods. However, I did I find that the writing itself is actually quite complex for a children's book which could cause some children a bit of trouble. Adults however will find the vocabulary to be rich and varied with an easy to follow sentence structure. I would say that this is probably more a book for an adult to read to a child than for them to read themselves.

There were a couple of minor issues I had with the novel, the first of which was that some the chapters seemed to go off on a tangent from the overall story being told. This just meant that the novel at times could feel like a collection of short stories rather than a single piece of fiction. The second issue is that whilst the novel did contain some interesting lessons for children, some aspects weren't something that a parent would necessarily want a child to learn and think was okay. For example there is a part when the main four beat other characters with sticks, and then there is Toad who blatantly keeps breaking the law and then escapes from prison without any real punishment but a telling off by his friends. It didn't really bother me as an adult reader and I would probably read it to my own children but I suspect some parents may not feel the same.

Overall this was quite a heart-warming and cozy novel about friendship and loyalty that really helps to remove the reader from the hustle and bustle of everyday life. I believe that this novel really works well as calming bedtime read that should appeal to both adults and children. Personally, I am glad that I finally read this book and look forward to reading it to my children once they are old enough to really understand its vocabulary and message.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Speculative Fiction Challenge
Year of the Fantasy Classic Challenge

What Happened at Midnight - Franklin W. Dixon

Published : 1931
UK Price : Hardback Version £7.19 Here & Kindle Version £3.99 Here
US Price : Hardback Version $6.99 Here & Kindle Version $6.99 Here

Until a few weeks ago I had never actually heard about The Hardy Boys and the various novels that they star in. One of my facebook friends made a throwaway comment about me reviewing one of the books and I therefore looked it up and got a copy of the earliest one I could easily locate. For those who do not know, The Hardy Boys novels are basically about two teenage lads who go around having various adventures whilst solving mysteries. They are actually written by various different ghostwriters who were all published under the same pseudonym of Franklin W. Dixon.

As I never read these any of these books when I was a child I had no real memories to call upon as I read the book. Therefore, most of what I say here is going to based upon my views of the story from an adult's point of view.

The basic premise of  "What Happened at Midnight "which was the 10th Hardy Boy is that the two Hardy Boys, Frank & Joe are initially asked to break into the house of a scientist and retrieve a secret invention and keep it safe from being stolen by a group of smugglers whist he is away. After this, we get taken through stacks of ridiculous adventures that range from Joe being kidnapped to them both parachuting out of a crashing plane. Of course the Hardy Boys then manage to get through all these adventures and are involved in finally catching the smugglers, even though I am sure than any police officer would have told them to stay away after the third or fourth time that guns had been used.

To be honest, the whole portrayal of the police in my opinion is down right stupid throughout the book. I don't know how many times I wanted to throw the book away when the lads told the police or FBI about something and then they were left to go and actually deal with it themselves but it happened way too much for my liking. The example that really sticks in my mind is when they are following a man into a rail station, they stop quickly to tell a police officer what they are doing and ask him to contact HQ about it. The police officer doesn't try and actually do anything himself, he just lets these two kids head off onto the train to follow a man who was probably deadly.

One thing I did find amusing was being able to read the language portrayed throughout the novel. I can't remember ever reading a book in the past where a character would say "gadzooks" or "leaping hyenas". I kept expecting someone to say "golly gosh" next or something similar, I would really like to know if people really spoke like that back in the thirties. Or is this just the way the authors wrote a book so it was acceptable for children to read?

I also spent half the book imagining what teenagers of today would really be doing in these situations and I probably found that more entertaining than the book itself. One example of this was when the teens had a thermos with them full of milk, I couldn't help but imagine in my cynical way that nowadays it would probably have had a bottle of high strength cider instead.

Overall, I have to admit that I really struggled to make myself read the book to the end, it just seemed to be moving from one unbelievable adventure to another without any sort of realism. I am sure that pre-teen children may love this book due to this, but as an adult I have to say that I did not enjoy it as I expect more to reading than cheesy unrealistic frivolity. Maybe it is just me being an adult now, or maybe it is just a result when the book was written but I do not expect to be reading any more Hardy Boys novels unless I read this to my children when they are older and they love it.