Category: Reviewed

Melting Shlemiel — Jason Werbeloff

By 5t4n5

Melting Shlemiel -- Jason WerbeloffAn interesting allegorical novella that has as a good metaphorical dig at those who build walls of exclusion around themselves.

Set in a very pious Jewish area of Jerusalem, during 2054, it’s pretty obvious who the author is pointing at and why.   The Jewish state first build walls to separate and defend their country, then it’s walls to separate and defend each town, then each district, then each house, until each person has their very own impregnable, permanent second skin.

Can also be read as a fun little dystopian/cyberpunk thing if you don’t want to think too much.

Currently only available in the anthology, 2054.

Jason’s Page

#scifi #cyberpunk #dystopian #jasonwerbeloff

She Did It — JT Lawrence

By 5t4n5

She Did It -- JT LawrenceA really good short story about a murder, through the mind of the detective investigating it.

It’s written in a kind of freeze frame style, like each paragraph is describing an image, a feeling, a thought.   Each a separate entity, pieces in the puzzle.   A little strange at first as it’s different from the normal narrative flow we get so used to expecting, but once you get used to it it really works.

This is my first read of Janita’s work and i have to say that i like it and i’m looking forward to reading more.

Janita’s Page

#jtlawrence

Bella’s Journey — Joseph R. Lallo

By 5t4n5

Bella's Journey -- Joseph R. LalloSometimes a writer makes you feel that you should read everything they write, including the children’s stories — and hey, why not.

If you’ve got a young child, or an old one, especially one who likes unicorns, then this is a lovely little read.   Joseph does writes nice children’s stories.

Originally only available to Joseph’s Patreon subscribers but now also in the collection Paradoxes and Dragons.

Joseph’s Page

#fantasy #unicorns #josephrlallo

Castaway — Lucy Irvine

By 5t4n5

Castaway -- Lucy IrvineA very well written book that’s let down completely by whoever converted it into Kindle format.

As Lucy tells the story of her year on Tuin with G, she intersperses it with excerpts from the diary she wrote while on the island.   For some reason, the person who converted this book decided that the diary excerpts would be published in a print size that is so small it’s illegible, so one has to keep stopping and greatly increasing the font size for the diary excerpts and then reducing it back to normal for the rest of the writing.   You spend the whole book yoyoing font sizes in this way.   I have no idea why anyone would publish a book in this way, it isn’t clever, it isn’t artistic, it’s crass and completely ruins a good flowing read.

Ok, rant over, all the yoyoing aside, the writing is incredibly candid and Lucy really does bare it all.

Anyone familiar with Chris McCandless’ story from Into the Wild will be aware of how much negativity and lambasting that Chris received posthumously for his stupidity and unpreparedness.   The only difference between Chris in Alaska and Lucy and G on Tuin is that Lucy and G were lucky enough to be rescued by the kindness and generosity of their Torres Straight Island neighbours, and that the poisonous beans that Lucy stupidly ate just made here incredibly sick for a couple of days and didn’t kill her.   Yet those who survive against the odds, purely by the miracles that appear when least expected, are labelled as successful, applauded and celebrated while those whose miracle fails to show are labelled as idiots, lambasted and possibly given a Darwin Award.   But hey, at least both kind get films made about them.

I could get into a full on judgemental view of Lucy and G’s behaviour, attitude and outlook, both positive and negative, but i won’t.   Some might read this book and side with Lucy, some might side with G, and some might think both are as bad as each other.

All that aside, if you enjoyed Into the Wild, then you may find this just your cup of tea.

Lucy’s Page

#lucyirvine

Wolf Country — Tunde Farrand

By 5t4n5

Wolf Country -- Tunde FarrandI’m surprised that this book has got so many good reviews, it really doesn’t deserve them.

The whole world is changed overnight into a dystopian caste system that virtually everyone seems to accept without much question simply because they get a free house and a job.   Even though they all know that as soon as they can’t do their job they’re either euthanised or thrown into the walled off lawless slums to be at the mercy of cruel and evil, gangs.

It basically takes a bunch of dystopian themes and throws them together for the sake of a story, but it doesn’t really hold together as a story.   There just seems to be this acceptance that everyone in the whole world just accepted this system and goes along with it because they all clamour to be high spenders.   Like everyone would just give up social care, social security, pensions, etc., just so they can have a free house, be a slave and strive to be a high spender.

The book spends most of its time telling us how horrible and cruel the new system is with our protagonist and her husband not doing very well, only for the last small part of the book to find a bizarre way to allow them and their few friends to live happily ever after — The End!

Basically, it’s just about passable, and it’s just about readable, but not much else can be said.   If you’re looking for a good dystopian story then your time and money will be better spent on something else.

Tunde’s Page

#dystopian #tundefarrand

The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae — Stephanie Butland

By 5t4n5

The Curious Heart of Ailsa Rae -- Stephanie ButlandHaving really enjoyed Lost For Words, i soon added this, Stephanie’s second book, to “The Pile” — and i’m really glad i did.

A great story about a heart transplant patient who spent the first 28 years of her life dying while first waiting to get onto the transplant queue and then having to wait for a suitable heart, all the while knowing that someone else has to die in order for her to survive.   And then, once she has her new, second hand heart, she then has to learn to live — not live again, but live for the first time.   How does one live a normal life when they’ve never had a normal life?

Mixed into this is the missing father thing, who did a runner when he found out his new born daughter was dying from a defective heart.   Then there’s the ex-boyfriend, dying from liver failure due to hepatitis, also needing for a transplant to save his life; the celebrity actor who needs a cornea transplant to save his eye; and plenty more besides, crammed perfectly into this little book.

What’s also good about this book is how Stephanie has brought the world of blogging into the story.   The story is half told through Ailsa’s blog posts which are interspersed throughout, which gives Ailsa’s character a much more genuine feel.

Here we are in a world crammed with social media, blogs, vlogs, posts, comments, polls, flame bait, click bait, trolls, likes, dislikes, etc., and i’m surprised to not find more books using these styles of communication within their narratives.   I think a lot of writers are a little worried to jump into this new way that humans have found expressing themselves, but Stephanie certainly got it right with Ailsa, and i hope to read more of this kind of story telling in the future.

And, just like Lost For Words, Stephanie throws in a nice little romance thing, and just like Lost For Words, i felt it was just the right amount for the story and never overdone.

So, my final view is that Stephanie is a really good writer and this book is really good.   Stephanie jumps bravely into the deep end of transplant issues and swims amazingly well bringing out the real issues being faced by all sides, donors, recipients, families, friends, life before, life after and other things besides.   And Stephanie manages to package all this into a really good, well written story.   It’s well worth a read.

I find Stephanie’s writing similar to Ruth Hogan’s, so if you like Ruth’s books then i’m sure you’ll enjoy Stephanie’s just as much, and vice versa too.

Stephanie’s Page

#stephaniebutland

American Gods — Neil Gaiman

By 5t4n5

American Gods -- Neil GaimanI had a quick look at the TV show and very quickly decided that i wanted to read the book instead, and i’m rather glad i did.   I absolutely, totally, enjoyed Stardust — which was the only one of Neil’s books i’d read before — so i was hoping i was in for another super reading treat with this.

So, suffice it to say, i still have no idea what the TV show was like, and having read the book i really have no interest because the book is so good i just don’t want to spoil the memory of a great story.   But i’ll most certainly be reading more of Neil’s books though.

This book really has just about everything going on in it.   There’s a dark satirical edge to it, a murder mystery thing, a love story, folklore, lots of action, lots of gods and goddesses and other mythical creatures, and many other things besides.   How Neil managed to tie it all up into one complete story is outstanding writing to say the least.

What struck me most about it was the dark satirical edge that i found within it.   How so many modern countries are turning their backs upon the old ways and enslaving themselves to modern ideas and ideologies.   The continuous tension between those that would hold us back and those who would drive us forward, and the battles that happen when one or both push it too far.   Yes, we all see it played out in the political realm every day, conservatives v modernisers, but underlying all of that are the beliefs and ideals of everyone in society and who gets to control and dictate them.

And in the middle of it all is our protagonist, Shadow.   What a character.   He’s thrown into this world of gods and goddesses as each side attempts to attract him to their school of thought.   Just like the political classes, the corporatocracy and religions as they all attempt to enslave us into their ideologies and use us in their battles for ultimate power.

So yeah, super duper read.   It’s a big, big book but well worth the time.

Neil’s Page

#fantasy #neilgaiman

The Addiction Recovery Workbook — Paula A Freedman PsyD

By 5t4n5

The Addiction Recovery Workbook -- Paula A Freedman PsyDFor 99p this grabbed my curiosity.   It’s been over 5 1/2 years since i quit smoking, over 2 years since i quit alcohol, but i keep hold of a few nagging little addictions — like too much cocoa/chocolate/coffee and vaping — which i keep trying to rid myself of but keep finding myself back at.   So i gave this book a go with an open mind.

It certainly made me re-think a lot of things about addiction, especially my previous love of alcohol.   And it’s also given me some ideas on moving forward with my life from here and next steps i might take.

It’s difficult to judge how much value any of these addiction books will be to anyone.   It all depends on the addiction, the reason, the circumstances, the too many variables of life to mention.   But i do think there’s something in this book for most people who are wanting to deal with one or more of their addictions.

It’s approached well, the beginning of the book being about wanting to quit and preparing to, then moving onto actually quitting in the middle of the book and finally to post addiction life.

So for 99p in a Kindle deal, i think it was a really good bargain.   I certainly got a lot out of it, and if you are serious about getting sober and off your poison then give it a read.   No, not all of it will speak to you, but read enough books like this and do a pick and mix of ideas and techniques from each of them that work for you and you to can soon be on the road to a life without addiction — if you really want to.

At the end of the day, it’s up to you.   Reading any book on addiction recovery can only help so much, it’s you that has to really want it, and if you do then books like this will have some good help and advice for you.

Paula’s Page

#paulaafreedman

RUR — Karel Čapek

By 5t4n5

RUR -- Karel ČapekFirstly, this is not a story book, it is a play, and it’s written as a play.   Which is not to say it’s bad, it’s just different from what one is used to in ones sci-fi.

But i think the play part is where Karel doesn’t do the story, or his point, justice.   Written as a play it’s just too hectic, too fast paced, with never ending characters just piling in their piece — basically, it’s the television of its day.

I think that most of what Karel was trying to say about the world and the future gets lost in a load of characters continuously having their say without any having any thoughts.

Yes, beware the robots, a metaphor for the means of production, because the hand that feeds us will eventually turn and bite us and destroy us all.   But this point would have been made much better in a novel, but it is what it is.

For its time it is a great work of sci-fi, and also a direct critique upon humanity and society.   And here we are 100 years after Karel wrote this and most people in the developed world are incapable of feeding themselves, clothing themselves, starting a real fire, making anything, etc..   We’ve sold our souls to technology and become completely dependent upon it.   And whoever controls that technology controls humanity.   That’s what is known as hydraulic despotism, or, as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen would say:   ‘He who controls the spice, controls the universe.’

Final thoughts:   Worth a quick read for all you anorak-ed, train spotting, sci-fi historians out there — but otherwise there’s not much point.

Karel’s Page

#scifi #sfmasterworks #karelcapek

Little Exiles — Robert Dinsdale

By 5t4n5

Little Exiles -- Robert DinsdaleI normally read writers in chronological order, but with Robert i started on his fifth book, The Toy Makers, then his fourth book, Gingerbread, and now i’ve just finished this, Little Exiles, his third book.

A chronologically back to front experience, but one that i’m very happy to have taken.

To say that Robert’s writing is heavy going emotionally would be a little understated.   Each of the three books above deals with trauma and the after effects of it upon one of the main characters and how that also affects those close to them.   In The Toy Makers the trauma is introduced half way through the book, in Gingerbread it’s slowly revealed incrementally as we go through the story, but in Little Exiles it begins with the trauma.   And each traumatic experience is very different.

Now some might shy away from these kinds of tales, just wanting to spend their time on pleasant reading experiences.   Which is fine, if that’s your thing.   But you would be missing out greatly in not only some incredibly well written and constructed story telling, but also missing out on understanding how trauma really affects people and brings chaos to their lives and those around them.   Is it not incumbent upon all of us to attempt to understand what people who are suffering from PTSD are going through and through that beginning of understanding gleaned from the pages of a fictional story begin to find some compassion towards people who may need a little extra from us?

Someone once said to me that they never read fiction because it’s just make believe nonsense.   I disagree.   In good works of fiction, like Robert’s books, we can see into lives that aren’t constrained by shame, guilt and privacy, but are simply laid bare upon the pages for all to see.   And in fiction we are given a look inside places that non-fiction dares not tread.

And sadly, this is not all fiction.   The underlying story of this book is true.   Children were taken from the UK and shipped off around the Empire to populate those places we invaded to make them more English — because if there’s more of us there then we obviously have more claim upon it.   No thought as to the rights of those children were given and no one really cared what ultimately happened to them.   They were just shipped off to places like Australia as though they were convicts and used however the colonial authorities saw fit to use them.

And we harp on about having an inquiry into child sex abuse in the UK, but at no point is anyone talking of having an inquiry into the overall abuse of children that has occurred here historically.   Children who were physically and psychologically abused, or simply stolen from their families to populate the Empire, just don’t seem to matter.   It’s very clear that the government is sending out a message that as long as no one touched your genitals then the abuse doesn’t count — the government simply isn’t interested in what a great many children suffered because the government is fully aware that it was complicit in it.

Luckily we’ve come a long way since the Victorian times and their attitudes to children that permeated our society well into the 1900’s.   But i do feel we still have a long way to go.   No child should ever have to suffer abuse of any kind, and that needs to be fully recognised.

Anyway, if you still haven’t got around to reading any of Robert’s books, then do please give them a go.   I would definitely recommend starting with The Toy Makers and working back from there.

Robert’s Page

#robertdinsdale