January 22, 2012
Week Notes 22nd Jan 2012
This week in Big Dumb Object land:
- Reading New Model Army by Adam Roberts, so far, loving it.
- Watching some more Fringe. Still in season three, and it continuous to be impressive.
- Still thinking about how great Sherlock was.
- Watching the last ever series of Hustle ;-(
TODO list:
- Watch Alcatraz
January 17, 2012
The Islanders - Christopher Priest
The Islanders by Christopher Priest pretends to be a guide to the islands in The Dream Archipelago. A travel guide for would-be explorers of the thousands of islands which band the world of the story. Of course, this being Christopher Priest, nothing is quite what it seems. There's an introduction from a (as then) unknown writer and then the first few guide entries are functional descriptions of the islands: geography, climate, currency and confusingly the multiple names for the island depending on the local patois. So far, so intriguing.The entries progress to different types, not just the quick functional entries but other kinds of stories. There are first person accounts, letters, third person accounts. As the entries progress a common history and story of the islands emerges. Certain characters reappear, their stories told from different perspectives, often with contradicting facts. Sometimes I read an entry and then doubted my memory as something seemed to be wrong. If it was any other writer you might assume that it was an error, but with Priest you can be sure it's intentional, seeding doubt and adding differing sides to every tale.
The writing varies with the style of the entry, from the functional descriptions to some wonderful poetic descriptions of the islands and the characters feelings. Sometimes it felt like dancing, quick, quick, slow.
There are a lot of themes, they swirl around, in and out. The two that stand though are love and art, with several stories of romantic entanglements and love lost, stories of people searching for who they want to be, of art and the sacrifices for it, of the circumstances that created great art, often sad. There's a lot to think about, it's not plot driven, but there are plots within the stories and a greater arc for each of the characters. You could describe the novel as a collection of short stories, but if so you'd have to qualify it as highly interconnected stories that form a greater whole and you still wouldn't really be giving a true picture. It's more than a collection, it is a novel, because all the parts build on each other, clarifying (or confusing) the picture, creating something more.
The novel is also knowing and self-referential. There's a point where an artists novels are described, and that one of them was not successful because it doesn't have a traditional plot. There's a mention of Priests own novel The Affirmation, said to be written by one of the characters. Not done in an irritating manner, but instead leaving me to wonder what else I'd missed, and what other layers there were to be peeled back.
If you've enjoyed Christopher Priest's other books you will definitely enjoy The Islanders. If you're after a straight-ahead-thriller, this isn't it, but if you want an intoxicating, slowly revealed puzzle of a novel, with true heart and soul, you'll like it. I liked it a lot.
January 10, 2012
Arctic Rising - Tobias Buckell
With his new novel Arctic Rising, Tobias Buckell may well just have invented a new sub-genre : near-future optimistic global warming thriller. Set in the Arctic after the ice-caps have melted, Arctic Rising is fast moving and styled as a thriller, one incident leads to another and another, things escalate, we're swept along with the heroine as her world changes. The first half of the novel especially succeeds in this regard, with short sharp chapters and threat and an enigma. The second half of the novel changes somewhat, the focus panning out from the personal challenges in the story to encompass global aspects. The novel climaxes with a set of sequences that brought to my mind James Bond films, not ridiculous but expansive and explosive. On the surface this second half worked for me as a thriller, I can easily envisage a film adaptation, fast paced, panoramic, visually explosive, however I found myself wanting some more poetry within the prose, maybe a pause to revel in the majesty of the Arctic and what was happening. But that's a personal preference for how I like my novels, anyone who is distracted by descriptive discursions and wants instead a taut thriller will more than likely dismiss my criticism.
The optimism comes from imagining how the Arctic would exist once the ice caps had melted, and for that region the world envisaged is a positive one: shipping lanes are open, trade thrives, natural resources are easier to get to, the economies of North Canada and Greenland boom. For that region there is no downside. The effect on the rest of the world is mentioned, somewhat in passing, with regard to another main character who used to live in the Caribbean but who's home island is submerged due to rising sea levels. Sad, yes, but because the focus is, enjoyably, on the booming Arctic when the plot depends on us understanding the downsides of the melting ice-caps and the emotions characters feel with regard to that, I was not convinced. The intensity and anger at global warming displayed by some of the characters felt unreasonable to me, given the upsides created in the Arctic region. Maybe that's just me revealing my adapt-to-survive tendencies? The native Caribbean character does however continue with Tobias Buckell's tradition of creating enjoyable dread-locked action heroes who you'd want on your side of a fight.
So in the end, Arctic Rising is a modern Science Fiction thriller, aimed, intentionally or not, at a modern thriller reading market. I enjoyed it, but my disappointment was that I didn't get to linger longer within the creation of a thriving Arctic region, the intricacies and the wonders within it.
January 7, 2012
January 3, 2012
Most Wanted: 2012 Edition
Things that I currently most want in 2012:
- Duncan Jones' SF film Mute. Or the other SF film he was planning to make, either will do.
- The Dark Knight Rises. More Nolan magic please.
- Intrusion by Ken MacLeod. I wasn't keen his last novels but before that there's been some moments of brilliance, so anything new I'm looking forward to.
- Alcatraz. A new TV series with JJ Abrams name attached to it? Yes please. Plus Jorge Garcia. Bizzarely it will be shown by Watch in the UK, a channel which no one watches.
- More Fringe. I might even make it to season four soon.
January 1, 2012
Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Wishing everyone a happy new year and that it brings you love and peace and happiness.
December 27, 2011
A Review Of 2011
The Dumbies may be dead but from their ashes rise the ZUI Review.
Slightly impractical but wondrously cool may I present my yearly review in full-on Zoomamation.
If all you see is a big list and you're wondering what the fuss is about, get a new browser.
December 25, 2011
Happy Christmas!
Happy Christmas to everyone.
I hope you have a lovely day and that Father Christmas brings you everything you wished for.
December 23, 2011
The Dumbies Are Dead
Usually around Christmas I do a yearly review disguised as an award ceremony, The Dumbies. The Dumbies started as a joke and managed six years. However I'm now bored of the joke and cut-and-pasting the same text and hence they will be retired, to be replaced with a standard yearly review. Probably.
The Dumbies are dead.
December 21, 2011
Most Wanted : Christmas Edition
Things I most want right now:
- The Doctor Who Christmas special
- Father Christmas to bring me some books
- A holiday to watch loads of episodes of Fringe (yes, still catching up)
- A holiday with lots of time to read some books
- A happy Christmas for all my friends and family
- Goodwill and peace on Earth