Star Trek Enterprise: The Expanse - J.M. Dillard

Title: The Expanse
Author: J.M. Dillard
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2002
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
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The Book Depository
Kobo
Amazon UK

"The Expanse" by J.M. Dillard is the latest book in my Star Trek Reading Challenge and it is a novelization of two Star Trek Enterprise episodes; namely the Season 2 Finale and the Season 3 premier. There was one little quirk regarding this novelization though in that it actually included various scenes that were deleted from the episodes prior to them airing which were quite interesting to read.

The story deals with an attack on Earth by a previously unknown alien species (or actually 5 separate species that evolved on one planet) known as the Xindi. After this attack leaves millions dead, the Enteprise is recalled to Earth where the crew witness the devastation for themselves. However, thanks to information gained from a time traveller, the Enterprise is dispatched on a mission into the Delphic Expanse to try and locate the Xindi homeworld to ensure there are no further attacks.

The book follows the script of the two episodes fairly well, covering the various events exactly as was seen on screen although the reader does get to obtain a little bit more understanding of what may be going on within the character's heads and the various motivations. I particularly thought this was so in regards to T'Pol's decision to disobey the Vulcan High Command and Tucker's attempts to deal with the loss of his sister.

My biggest issue with the novel though is that it just covers the two episodes that were used to set up a major story arc that ran across the entire third series. Therefore, there is no satisfying conclusion to this novel which basically just sets up the major plot line and various goals yet doesn't actually see them through to completion. To be honest, if I hadn't been the fan of the series and therefore knew how it all ends up I would probably have been deeply disappointed.

If you ignore this aspect however, there is no doubt that this is a well written and nicely paced book. The story itself was enjoyable enough already, but the little additions made by Dillard to the story have definitely added to it. It is without doubt the best of the novelizations I have read so far within the Enterprise collection.

In conclusion, this is an enjoyable book that provides a little bit more insight into the characters beyond what a reader may have observed from the TV screen. To be honest though I am not sure if it adds enough to really make it a must buy for a fan of the show and the lack of a proper conclusion probably would irritate someone who had not actually already seen the series. I would probably just advise people to watch all of season 3 instead and only buy the book if you are a completionist.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (The Eclectic Bookshelf)
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Sci-Fi Reader Challenge

On Dark Shores: The Lady (On Dark Shores Book 1) - J.A. Clement

Title: On Dark Shores: The Lady (On Dark Shores Book 1)
Author: J.A. Clement
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2011
Formats: Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
Smashwords
Kobo
Amazon UK

"On Dark Shores: The Lady" by J.A. Clement is a relatively short fantasy novel that forms the first part in her "On Dark Shores" series of novels. The story is mainly based around the town of Scarlock which is controlled by a tyrannical money lender named Copeland. In the town lives Nereia, a young woman who has become a thief after her family died and Copeland gave her a choice to either steal or become a prostitute. When Copeland threatens Nereia's younger sister, she realises that she needs to do something now before it is too late. And so, a dangerous and rather violent adventure results as Nereia and her sister attempt to escape from Scarlock and the control of Copeland.

The first comment I need to make is that whilst this is a reasonably enjoyable novel, it really didn't feel very satisfying as an individual story. The ending was a little bit sudden and the whole book just came across as being a vehicle to introduce the reader to a large cast of characters and an overarching plot. If the next book was already available to read then it maybe wouldn't have been so bad, but as it currently isn't, I feel like I have read the first few chapters in a novel and then just had to stop.

However, the heart of the story being told is actually pretty solid and there does seem to be a lot of interesting and engaging plot lines that are intermingled quite nicely with each other. I will admit however that some of the sub-plots did leave me quite confused and in particular I still don't really understand what was going on in the first chapter. Luckily there was enough in the core of the story to keep me reading and I am just hoping that some of the more mysterious sections will be explained in the future books.

In regards to the characters, there is quite a variety of them and I did enjoy the way in which the author swapped between them which enabled me to experience the events from various different points of view. However, the usual issue I see with short novels or novellas is glaringly obvious in that none of the characters seem to have been developed to their full potential. There are some superb building blocks there for future development in the coming novels and I think that Nereia has all the hallmarks of what could be a great heroine but at the moment it just feels like we are just getting a sneak peek.

A little niggle I did have with the characters was in relation to section of the story where one of the characters seems to descend into a form of madness. The issue I had with this was that it came across as just being a cheap way for a character to act in a way that they normally wouldn't have done. I had been appreciating how the main characters and secondary characters were being used up to that point and just felt a little bit let down by this.

Overall, this was a rather interesting fantasy novel although it was a little bit flawed by seemingly be used more as a set up for future books than as a story in its own right. Personally, I was able to look past that though due to the interesting and varied characters and the promise of what looks like a rather enjoyable and complex overall plot. I really am looking forward to see how everything is going to fits together in the end and this alone will probably make sure I pick up the sequel when it is released.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (The Eclectic Bookshelf)
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge

The Last Unicorn - Peter S. Beagle

Title: The Last Unicorn
Author: Peter S. Beagle
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 1968
Formats: Hardback/Paperback

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Kobo
Amazon UK

I have seen the "The Last Unicorn" animated film many times over my life, mainly due to my younger sister having a slight obsession with it. However, when I joined up to the Year of the Fantasy Classic Challenge I decided that maybe now was the time for me to read the book that inspired the movie. I had hoped to unearth some deeper information on the characters and other things. What I discovered however was that the film is actually a very good adaptation of the book and there was very little extra I really gained from reading it.

For those of you that don't know the story, it follows a unicorn that embarks on a quest to try and find out what has happened to the rest of her species. During this quest she joins up with two companions; the wizard Schmendrick and a woman named Molly Grue. Together they continue onwards so that they can face the Red Bull who is supposedly the very reason that the unicorn's kinfolk have disappeared.

I have to admit that I didn't really find the plot itself to be anything remarkable and I did find myself struggling to keep on reading at times. Perhaps the problem was that I already knew most of the plot from watching the film but whatever the reason, I just felt like something was missing. However, what Beagle has done is inject some emotion and humour into the telling of the story which managed keep me reading even with the weak plot. The way in which he would switch the narrative from being one of comic parody to one of profound thought was actually quite interesting to behold.

The characters themselves were a little bit flat at times with very little development which was probably due to the short length of the novel. In regards to the Unicorn herself, I actually found her to be quite unlikeable, due to the fact that Beagle has done quite a good job in making her come across as being unhuman. However, despite all of this I did find that the various supporting characters were still reasonably interesting and in particular the relationship between Schmendrick and Molly Grue was quite enjoyable to follow as it developed from jealousy to friendship.

One other comment I really need to make is that if like me you don't really have time for flowery language, poetic paragraphs and surreal descriptions then you may have some issues with this book. Beagle has captured an almost whimsical and dreamy fairy tale feel to the novel due to his use of the English language which will probably delight those who enjoy literary exposition, but I just found it all rather distracting.

In summary, I have to admit that I don't really understand why so many people seem to make a big fuss about this book. It was enjoyable enough but I honestly don't see how someone could say it ranks alongside the works of Tolkien etc. Maybe I am some sort of heathen when it comes to understanding "good" books but this novel just didn't really grab me. Perhaps if I was someone who enjoyed understanding and delving into the use of language in a book, I would have a different option. However, I prefer to let the plot be the tool that engages me with a book and I think the plot itself is probably the weakest part of this novel.

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

Fezariu's Epiphany (Elenchera Chronicles Book 1) - David M. Brown

Title: Fezariu's Epiphany (Elenchera Chronicles Book 1)
Author: David M. Brown
Genre: Fantasy
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Smashwords
Kobo
Amazon UK

"Fezariu's Epiphany" by David M. Brown is the first book in a new fantasy series entitled "The Elencheran Chronicles". One of the big things I look for in a fantasy book such as this has to be the world itself and I think the author did a great thing with this one. It is rather colourful and varied place that has a lot of potential within it available for any future books in the series.

The novel itself was focused on the life of Fezariu whose life seems to have been surrounded by tragedy from early on. Trying to escape from the perceived curse he feels that has been plaguing his young life he leaves his family and joins up with a mercenary group. After years of training and hard work he becomes a great soldier and along with his friends sets out on an adventure. However, all the time the events of his past continue to lurk in the back of his mind filling him with dread and guilt.

The first portion of the story was a little bit slow as the world and the characters were introduced to the reader, but as it progressed the pace picked up and the plot developed into quite an interesting and sombre tale. I found the overall journey that the book takes the reader on to be an enjoyable and emotional one that delved into Fezariu's life and covered so many aspects, from periods of heartache, pain and guilt to those of love, joy and redemption.

One issue I did have with the story itself was in the manner that it was actually told. There were so many sections that were related in letters or in someone's comment about a past event. As a reader, I hardly actually got to witness any of these events actually going on, it seemed like this interesting and entertaining story was mainly being told to me in a series of summaries. Perhaps the author didn't want to make this novel a massive tome, I don't know but either way I was a little bit disappointed that I didn't get to actually follow some of the events in an in depth manner.

In regards to the characters, I have to admit that I really felt something for Fezariu, the way in which misinterpretation and random events had conspired to lead him to a life of guilt and anger was rather sad to behold and I really wanted him to turn his life around. However, outside of this I think the characters on the whole were a little bit flat which was probably influenced by the use of letters and people's comments to tell large portions of the story. There were no real surprises from any of the characters and in particular, I never saw any evidence as to why anyone feared the story's main protagonist. Considering it is mainly due to his actions that Fezariu's life went the way it did, it would have been nice to see something that actually explained why people were so scared of him.

Overall, I found "Fezariu's Epiphany" to be an enjoyable fantasy novel that covers the usual hallmarks of the genre with tyranny and cruelty being offset by loyalty and self-sacrifice. Whilst, there were some flaws that I felt were related to the manner in which some of the story was told, it is still an interesting and emotional journey in a well developed world that most fantasy readers should enjoy. I now look forward to continue reading "The Elencheran Chronicles" as new books are released.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (The Eclectic Bookshelf)
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge

The Two Faces of Tomorrow - James P. Hogan

Title: The Two Faces of Tomorrow
Author: James P. Hogan
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 1979
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Baen Books (Free Ebook)
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

I only ended up reading "The Two Faces of Tomorrow" by John P. Hogan thanks to the 2012 Sci-Fi Reader Challenge. As part of the challenge I had to read an "Adult" Science Fiction novel and as I didn't really know how to really define this, I decided that a "Hard" Science Fiction novel would surely fit the requirement. So I hunted the internet and I discovered "The Two Faces of Tomorrow" which was in a few top ten lists of Hard Science Fiction, and as an added bonus, the e-book could be obtained for free from Baen Books. So, thanks to the power of the internet and a book challenge I ended up reading what turned out to be a very interesting and engrossing novel.

The novel is set in the mid-21st century and follows a team of scientists lead by Dr Raymond Dyer who are attempting to develop a computer programme that is capable of learning, adapting and using something similar to the common sense inherent in humans. When a computer programme manages to almost kill a group of engineers due to its logical handling of a situation, Dr Dyer and his team are brought in to discuss the ramifications. The various discussions and thoughts around the situation leads to the government agreeing to conduct an experiment on a newly constructed space station whereby, the military alongside various scientists will attempt to shut down an Artificial Intelligence that has been coded with a survival instinct. The outcome however, is more that anyone imagined or planned for and therefore things quickly get out of hand.

I have to admit that the core of the story probably doesn't really cover anything new in the genre as it is primary based around the exploits of Artificial Intelligence and what it could do in an attempt to ensure its survival. As most people have probably seen the "Terminator" movies they can probably easily imagine the types of things that would happen in this novel. However, I did think the ending itself was rather satisfying and was actually quite unexpected and different to many of the other man vs. machine type scenarios I have read about or seen.

The main issue with the book that some readers may have is the pacing in the initial portions of the book. Hogan delves quite deeply into some philosophical debates about the nature of technology and its use by humanity. After a while the whole thing did begin to feel like it was dragging on, so that it was affecting the overall forward momentum of the plot. Personally, I found the debate and descriptions used in the initial sections of the novel to be rather interesting so I didn't mind the meandering pace, but I can imagine it is not going to be everyone's cup of tea.

However, once the story moves onto the space station and the face-off between humanity and the computer began, the book really started to pick up the pace. Basically, at this stage, the book becomes more about the action and imagery, than discussion and ideas and I found it to be very entertaining. The book really does cover both thoughtful philosophy and enjoyable adventure in equal doses; it was just a shame that Hogan didn't find a way to mix them up in a manner that ensured the entire plot from start to finish moved forward with purpose.

In regards to the characters, I haven't read any other Hogan novels but I am curious now to know if he has gotten better since writing this novel at their utilisation and development. They just all felt very flat and there were a lot of them that I can't even remember now only a week or so after reading the book. In addition, at several points he seems to fall back on using cliques, this was particularly true in regards to the romantic relationship between Dr Dyer and Laura which felt like the standard, "we act like we don't like each other, but we really do" style of relationship. None of this really affected my enjoyment of the story but I feel the novel could have been even better if the characters had a little bit more development and variety.

Overall, I found the story to be an enjoyable mix of hard science and entertainment which shows that a book doesn't have to sacrifice one element for the other. If you enjoy science fiction, and in particular like to dabble in hard science fiction then you probably won't go wrong in picking this novel up to read.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Speculative Fiction Challenge
Sci-Fi Reader Challenge

Containment - Christian Cantrell

Title: Containment
Author: Christian Cantrell
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2010
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Amazon UK

"Containment" by Christian Cantrell was a book I picked up without knowing anything about it beyond it being Science Fiction. I basically won a competition that enabled me to pick any book under a certain price from Amazon and "Containment" was the highest ranked Science Fiction e-book available at the time for that price.

The story is set in the future on a colony set up on Venus by the Global Space Agency (GSA) after humanity had almost devastated Earth. Arik is a member of the first group of children born on the colony who are collectively known as Gen V. The birth of these children however has taken the population to 1100 which is the maximum limit the colony can safely support. Arik, as one of the smartest of his generation is tasked with helping solve this issue and increasing the ability of the colony to sustain future generations. The pressure on Arik to solve the conundrum however is increased he discovers that his wife is pregnant with a child that the colony would currently be unable to sustain.

Considering that I picked up this book due to the luck of the current sales rankings; I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Cantrell has created a vivid and interesting picture of how a colony on another planet could function. He also combines the elements of science, plot and Arik's characterisation really well to ensure the reader is fully engaged in the overall plight of the colony. However, whilst all of this helped keep the reader engaged, I felt the characters beyond Arik were all a little bit flat and this let the novel down as it didn't really allow me to form any attachment. I particularly found that Arik's wife was almost a non entity even though it appeared that most of what he was doing was for her and their child.

The book was a little bit different to many of the other books I have recently read in that it definitely is not faced paced. The story creeps along, gently revealing more and more information about both the past and present in an interesting and controlled manner that kept me hooked. In fact, the only fast paced element of the story was probably in relation to the superb twist in the plot that I only saw coming a few pages before it was actually revealed. I actually quite liked how the reveal at this stage was told in this different manner to the rest of the story.

A minor issue I did have with the story was mainly in regards to the skipping back and forth in time. Basically, it wasn't always easy to realise what time period you were reading about and sometimes you could be a few pages in before you knew. I think the utilisation of the flashbacks did help to increase the tension and mystery around what could actually be going on, but I think the author could have found a way to make it clearer which time period I was reading about upon starting a chapter etc.

An issue I think some readers may have with the book is that this book is quite a "hard" Science Fiction book in that it doesn't hold back any punches in relation to the details utilised to describe some of the computing, technology and science. Some readers may therefore find that it all goes a little bit over their heads and slows the pace down even more. For myself, I found some of the details rather interesting although I did feel that Cantrell would sometimes descend into describing something at rather strange points in the novel. For example, he launches into a detailed description of the maglev system towards the end of the novel in a manner that I felt upset the flow of the plot which had been building up quite nicely to that point. This was compounded by the fact that I had already been introduced to the maglev several times previously and had already formed my own picture of it and its function.

Overall, I found Containment to be an enjoyable and interesting example of Hard Science Fiction that seems to have modelled itself on novels such as "2001: A Space Odyssey". As long as you can look past the rather detailed description utilised throughout the novel, then the engaging plot and well constructed setting should be enough to keep you entertained.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (The Eclectic Bookshelf)
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge

Gamers (Gamers Series Book 1) - Thomas K Carpenter

Title: Gamers (Gamers Series Book 1)
Author: Thomas K Carpenter
Genre: Sci-Fi
Published: 2011
Formats: Paperback/Ebook

Available at:
Amazon
The Book Depository
Smashwords
Kobo
Amazon UK

"Gamers" by Thomas K. Carpenter is a fun and enjoyable adventure through a world littered with references to video gaming, both modern and classic. As someone who grew up playing video games, I couldn't help but smile throughout the story as I recognised the various references.

The story itself follows the antics of a High School girl named Gabby. High School is this world is based around taking part in LifeGame which is a virtual augmented reality where students receive points based on various actions they may perform throughout the day. The student's score in LifeGame at graduation is then used to decide if they can go on to University or if they are demoted into taking on a "lesser" job. However, Gabby soon discovers there is more to her augmented reality than she ever knew and so begins her adventure to learn the truth whilst still trying to ensure a successful graduation.

I found the novel comprise of two parts, the first part basically set up the world, characters and overall series plot in a relatively slow and detailed manner that had me rather intrigued and interested. Then, the second part develops into an action-packed fast paced adventure through Gabby's graduation test, which takes the form of a Role Play Game (RPG) where she encounters, giants, dragons and many other fantasy related clichés. Both sections of the novel entertained me for rather different reasons. The first part got me hooked into the overall story and the opportunities that may appear in the remaining books of the series, whilst the second part just basically took me on an enjoyable ride through a virtual fantasy world that reminded me strongly of my own online RPG playing days.

One of the warnings I need to make about the book though is in relation to the language used. The story is infused with quite a lot of Massive Multiplayer Online Role Play Game (MMORPG) terminology that could be very confusing to someone who has not been involved in some of the more hardcore online RPG games. I managed to understand most of it but if for example the word "Debuff" means very little to you then you are probably going to struggle a little to follow the story. Personally, I enjoyed this use of online slang, but my wife constantly tells me I am gaming geek so that could be why.

The only issue I personally had with the novel was probably in relation to the characters themselves. They all just felt a little bit flat and un-developed, even Gabby herself didn't mean much more to me that being an intelligent hacker caricature. Some of the issue here is that the characters can change their appearance, roles and so much more based on which aspect of LifeGame there are in, therefore it is hard to really find a core personality beneath it all. I just hope that in the sequel we get to see more of the "real world" and gain a better understanding of the characters themselves.

Overall, I found this to be a fun, light hearted adventure story that offers the opportunity of a deeper and more dystopian outlook in future novels. If you are someone who has been involved in playing MMORPG over the years then I suspect you will find aspects of this book to be highly entertaining and enjoyable. The whole thing felt a little bit different from many other dystopian books which I appreciated and I now look forward to reading the sequel.

Challenges Book Counts Towards:
Ebook Reading Challenge (The Eclectic Bookshelf)
Ebook Reading Challenge (Workaday Reads)
Free Reads Challenge
Speculative Fiction Challenge