My interest in Robert A. Heinlein really began with reading The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, which I thoroughly enjoyed for its creative voice and interesting, relatively conflict-free plot. Stranger in a Strange Land is very similar, and yet very different. The plot is a sort of coming-of-age story, but told in a very different way. Michael Valentine Smith, or Mike, was the first and only human born on Mars and raised by Martians. After being brought to Earth, he must learn what it is to be human, and at the same time humans must learn what it means to be Martian.
One of the most important concepts, grokking, seems very simple at the beginning of the story, and yet has endless layers of complexity by the end. By grokking something, one has a complete understanding of it, but there is all so much more to it. With only a set of Martian morals and understanding, Mike begins to grok the world, friendships, and love, evolving from a seemingly child-like adult to a courteous and charismatic leader.
Despite his state, the reader can always empathize with Mike and the people he cares about, and I felt as though I were with them in the story, listening to their casual, witty banter, and going through all of the hard growing pains that each individual experiences. In a way, reading Stranger in a Strange Land made me see things differently and I wish that everyone would do the same. Robert A. Heinlein crafted an optimistic, yet bitter-sweet tale that speaks to the heart of what it means to be human, which is the best and worst thing that can happen to all of us.
It isn't so much the plot that makes this book special, but the underlying messages it conveys. Some of the dialogue doesn't necessarily hold up with today's conventions, dating the story a bit, but the heart of it holds up to modern society relatively well for a book that is over 40 years young.
With that, I look forward to reading more by Robert A. Heinlein in the future, with my next stop being Starship Troopers.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Quick Review: Carrion Comfort
About a month ago I finished Carrion Comfort, by Dan Simmons, which was quite an enjoyable read. Since then, I have read two other books, hence the "quick review" part of the title.
I've always loved Dan Simmons as an author, and my favorite of his works are by far the Hyperion saga and The Terror, two very different settings and genres. Carrion Comfort is much closer to the The Terror, genre-wise, in that it is a suspenseful and sometimes horrific novel. All similarity ends there, though, as Carrion Comfort takes place in a contemporary setting, well, 1980's, and centers on a group of people who have a powerful influence on the minds of others, essentially feeding off of turmoil, and those who fight against them. The book coins the term "mind vampires" for the depraved villains of the story.
I found the book to be quite gripping and well-written, but at times I felt my interest waning in certain plot points, with the middle part of the book in particular. The central portion takes place mainly in an area of Philadelphia known as Germantown and I found some of the character interaction to be a little artificial, and felt that this act dragged on for a little too long. The opening and closing acts of the story were hard to put down with a rapidly moving plot forcing characters into situations that were hard to get out of. Saul, a holocaust survivor, has a particularly interesting story in his never-ending quest to find the Oberst, a Nazi who had forced control over him when he was in Chelmno, an extermination camp during WWII.
Overall, Carrion Comfort provided an excellent read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a well-written horror book, but I would still hand The Terror to someone first.
I've always loved Dan Simmons as an author, and my favorite of his works are by far the Hyperion saga and The Terror, two very different settings and genres. Carrion Comfort is much closer to the The Terror, genre-wise, in that it is a suspenseful and sometimes horrific novel. All similarity ends there, though, as Carrion Comfort takes place in a contemporary setting, well, 1980's, and centers on a group of people who have a powerful influence on the minds of others, essentially feeding off of turmoil, and those who fight against them. The book coins the term "mind vampires" for the depraved villains of the story.
I found the book to be quite gripping and well-written, but at times I felt my interest waning in certain plot points, with the middle part of the book in particular. The central portion takes place mainly in an area of Philadelphia known as Germantown and I found some of the character interaction to be a little artificial, and felt that this act dragged on for a little too long. The opening and closing acts of the story were hard to put down with a rapidly moving plot forcing characters into situations that were hard to get out of. Saul, a holocaust survivor, has a particularly interesting story in his never-ending quest to find the Oberst, a Nazi who had forced control over him when he was in Chelmno, an extermination camp during WWII.
Overall, Carrion Comfort provided an excellent read and I would recommend it to anyone interested in a well-written horror book, but I would still hand The Terror to someone first.
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Verdict
Well, I decided to pick up Final Fantasy XIII. I realized that I haven't gotten ahold of a good old fashioned RPG in a long time and that I was quite eager to see how this newest installment turns out. This isn't a full game review, since I only got it a few days ago and it will probably take me a few months to explore all of the newest installment in the Final Fantasy franchise, but I wanted to leave a few brief impressions.
At about eight hours into Final Fantasy XIII, a mere scratch on the surface, I have really enjoyed what I have seen and played. It is one of the most beautiful games to date, with characters so detailed that you'll be wondering the entire time whether they have been pre-rendered or are in-game. In fact, the game does quite a good job of blending the two seamlessly. Gone are the days of beautiful cutscenes outshining crappy in-game graphics, ala Final Fantasy VII, and we have at last achieved a point where every moment of dialogue is astonishing to look at.
The dialogue itself can be a bit questionable, but so far the story has progressed interestingly enough. The character that sets me the most on edge is the upbeat, high-voiced, semi-Australian accented Vanille, but I have grown used to her character and even smile or laugh at her comments from time to time. My favorite character so far has to be Sazh, the big-haired gun-totting badass who has been dragged along with the main protagonist, Lightning, in her effort to rescue her sister Serah from a cursed life. Serah's fiancee, Snow, is another rather fun character who has some potential for growth in his feud with Lightning. And let's not forget Hope, the coming-of-age kid who has become Lightning's protege.
I have yet to see all of the party members in action, and the story has really just begun. Without giving too much away, the plot has done an excellent job of blurring the line on what forces are good or evil, although I have the niggling feeling that the guys who looks like pope Ratzinger-Palpatine may be of the villainous disposition.
What I really wanted to mention is the battle system. So far it has steadily evolved and grown in complexity, introducing concepts both old and new to the series in a turn-based/real-time blend of action. While I enjoyed the real-time elements in XII, I feel like there's a lot more strategy and control to be had here. The Paradigm system is an interesting concept that allows you to shift your party's class in the midst of battle, whether you want someone to heal, protect, or wail on your opponents. From what I have seen so far, you only control the leader of your party, but the action is so fast and intense this is a welcome aspect. The further I have gotten, the more strategy I have had to use between choosing the skills I want to do and swapping paradigms. And finally, the chain system from Final Fantasy XII is expanded on, allowing you to "stagger" an enemy, which becomes an essential strategy for beating battles quickly and efficiently. If I were to put a score on the battle system, I'd give it two thumbs, 4 stars, or whatever else you can imagine.
I've read that alot of people are troubled by the linear progression in the first chunk of the game, but it really hasn't bothered me. While you don't get much choice in where to go you still get choices in what skills to work towards and what weapons you want to upgrade. The steady introduction of new concepts prevents the game from getting too confusing or stale, and has really forced me to look at things I rarely did in previous Final Fantasy installments, such as certain spells and debuffs.
With so much to go, such as acquiring the full party, all of the summonables (Eidolons), exploring the cavernous world of Cocoon and its feared sister world, Pulse, I eagerly await the coming dozens of hours with relish.
At about eight hours into Final Fantasy XIII, a mere scratch on the surface, I have really enjoyed what I have seen and played. It is one of the most beautiful games to date, with characters so detailed that you'll be wondering the entire time whether they have been pre-rendered or are in-game. In fact, the game does quite a good job of blending the two seamlessly. Gone are the days of beautiful cutscenes outshining crappy in-game graphics, ala Final Fantasy VII, and we have at last achieved a point where every moment of dialogue is astonishing to look at.
The dialogue itself can be a bit questionable, but so far the story has progressed interestingly enough. The character that sets me the most on edge is the upbeat, high-voiced, semi-Australian accented Vanille, but I have grown used to her character and even smile or laugh at her comments from time to time. My favorite character so far has to be Sazh, the big-haired gun-totting badass who has been dragged along with the main protagonist, Lightning, in her effort to rescue her sister Serah from a cursed life. Serah's fiancee, Snow, is another rather fun character who has some potential for growth in his feud with Lightning. And let's not forget Hope, the coming-of-age kid who has become Lightning's protege.
I have yet to see all of the party members in action, and the story has really just begun. Without giving too much away, the plot has done an excellent job of blurring the line on what forces are good or evil, although I have the niggling feeling that the guys who looks like pope Ratzinger-Palpatine may be of the villainous disposition.
What I really wanted to mention is the battle system. So far it has steadily evolved and grown in complexity, introducing concepts both old and new to the series in a turn-based/real-time blend of action. While I enjoyed the real-time elements in XII, I feel like there's a lot more strategy and control to be had here. The Paradigm system is an interesting concept that allows you to shift your party's class in the midst of battle, whether you want someone to heal, protect, or wail on your opponents. From what I have seen so far, you only control the leader of your party, but the action is so fast and intense this is a welcome aspect. The further I have gotten, the more strategy I have had to use between choosing the skills I want to do and swapping paradigms. And finally, the chain system from Final Fantasy XII is expanded on, allowing you to "stagger" an enemy, which becomes an essential strategy for beating battles quickly and efficiently. If I were to put a score on the battle system, I'd give it two thumbs, 4 stars, or whatever else you can imagine.
I've read that alot of people are troubled by the linear progression in the first chunk of the game, but it really hasn't bothered me. While you don't get much choice in where to go you still get choices in what skills to work towards and what weapons you want to upgrade. The steady introduction of new concepts prevents the game from getting too confusing or stale, and has really forced me to look at things I rarely did in previous Final Fantasy installments, such as certain spells and debuffs.
With so much to go, such as acquiring the full party, all of the summonables (Eidolons), exploring the cavernous world of Cocoon and its feared sister world, Pulse, I eagerly await the coming dozens of hours with relish.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
March Game Madness
When looking at the roster of games coming out this month I have to ask... REALLY!? All of these games are coming out THIS month? To name a few we have:
Final Fantasy XIII
God of War III
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising
Dragon Age: Awakening
The other question I have to ask is... which one should I get? Obviously my pockets are not filled with money. Nor are they made of them.
Final Fantasy XIII
God of War III
Battlefield: Bad Company 2
Dawn of War 2: Chaos Rising
Dragon Age: Awakening
The other question I have to ask is... which one should I get? Obviously my pockets are not filled with money. Nor are they made of them.
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The Dreaming Void Review
Following hot on the heels of reading the Night's Dawn trilogy, I began reading The Dreaming Void, Peter F. Hamilton's first of three epic space opera-ing books set in the distant future.
In 3584 AD humankind has expanded far beyond the sphere of earth into the vast expanse of our galaxy, encountering and making peace with the various sentient races that checker the stars, some almost as ancient as the stars themselves. While many species are mentioned, only the Raiel take the center stage throughout the first book since they are concerned with the next Devourment, a massive star-engulfing event in which the Void, a mysterious gateway to another dimension through which no one can seem to pass at the center of the galaxy, expands at a horrifying scale.
Humankind has divided into three groups; regular people, who still manipulate themselves on a genetic level, Advancers, who are connected empathically by gaiamotes, and Highers, whose ultimate goal is to ascend beyond the physical condition into a greater existence. All of the above merely sets the backdrop for a story filled with mystery, espionage, sex, destruction, crazy cults, and interesting characters. Unfortunately a bit of apartment renovation is thrown in the mix, but the author can be forgiven quickly because it helps establish a pivotal character to the storyline.
Really, the book is two books, with one focusing on the future, while another takes us into the Void, where we follow Edeard through the early years of his life in a society which is technologically medieval. Edeard's story is brought to us by a series of dreams from Inigo, the first Dreamer in the future timeline who could see to the other side of the Void in his dreams, which has established a galaxy-spanning cult that desire only to enter the Void to become a part of Edeard's seemingly simpler society.
I won't give away any more of the plot, and considering that everything I mentioned is condensed into the first couple of chapters, I didn't spoil much. What I really enjoyed about this book were the numerous interesting characters, the enthralling storylines, and the excellent writing. Petter F. Hamilton has managed to condense his wild imagination into an understandable, readable, and exciting work, especially when compared to the expansive and often dragging Night's Dawn trilogy. I could always believe the actions and reactions of the characters and seldom felt pulled out of the universe of The Dreaming Void by dull or inconsequential sequences. There are still plenty of detailed sections describing the technology of the future, all of which are relevant and interesting. I felt that Peter F. Hamilton has also improved his ability to describe the ideas that must storm around in his imagination, bringing to life crystalline cities and outlandish alien cultures.
If you like sci-fi or fantasy or just a good book, please support an amazing author by picking up The Dreaming Void. I eagerly anticipate the next title, The Temporal Void, and can't wait to find out what happens next and how the two storylines converge.
Until then I will be reading Carrion Comfort, Dan Simmons' second book, which was published during the same year as Hyperion, which has so far been a chilling and enthralling read. More on that one later.
In 3584 AD humankind has expanded far beyond the sphere of earth into the vast expanse of our galaxy, encountering and making peace with the various sentient races that checker the stars, some almost as ancient as the stars themselves. While many species are mentioned, only the Raiel take the center stage throughout the first book since they are concerned with the next Devourment, a massive star-engulfing event in which the Void, a mysterious gateway to another dimension through which no one can seem to pass at the center of the galaxy, expands at a horrifying scale.
Humankind has divided into three groups; regular people, who still manipulate themselves on a genetic level, Advancers, who are connected empathically by gaiamotes, and Highers, whose ultimate goal is to ascend beyond the physical condition into a greater existence. All of the above merely sets the backdrop for a story filled with mystery, espionage, sex, destruction, crazy cults, and interesting characters. Unfortunately a bit of apartment renovation is thrown in the mix, but the author can be forgiven quickly because it helps establish a pivotal character to the storyline.
Really, the book is two books, with one focusing on the future, while another takes us into the Void, where we follow Edeard through the early years of his life in a society which is technologically medieval. Edeard's story is brought to us by a series of dreams from Inigo, the first Dreamer in the future timeline who could see to the other side of the Void in his dreams, which has established a galaxy-spanning cult that desire only to enter the Void to become a part of Edeard's seemingly simpler society.
I won't give away any more of the plot, and considering that everything I mentioned is condensed into the first couple of chapters, I didn't spoil much. What I really enjoyed about this book were the numerous interesting characters, the enthralling storylines, and the excellent writing. Petter F. Hamilton has managed to condense his wild imagination into an understandable, readable, and exciting work, especially when compared to the expansive and often dragging Night's Dawn trilogy. I could always believe the actions and reactions of the characters and seldom felt pulled out of the universe of The Dreaming Void by dull or inconsequential sequences. There are still plenty of detailed sections describing the technology of the future, all of which are relevant and interesting. I felt that Peter F. Hamilton has also improved his ability to describe the ideas that must storm around in his imagination, bringing to life crystalline cities and outlandish alien cultures.
If you like sci-fi or fantasy or just a good book, please support an amazing author by picking up The Dreaming Void. I eagerly anticipate the next title, The Temporal Void, and can't wait to find out what happens next and how the two storylines converge.
Until then I will be reading Carrion Comfort, Dan Simmons' second book, which was published during the same year as Hyperion, which has so far been a chilling and enthralling read. More on that one later.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
EARTHQUAKES
Look! Earthquake data! So many to locate...
It's for the best though. After picking all of my P and S waves I will be able to find the hypocenters for all of the earthquakes from my data set and unearth the secrets of the Fraser swarm!!!
It's for the best though. After picking all of my P and S waves I will be able to find the hypocenters for all of the earthquakes from my data set and unearth the secrets of the Fraser swarm!!!
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Check it out!
My short story from yesterday was posted on about.com! It even has a comment. *gasp!*
http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/writingexercises/a/tolife.htm
http://fictionwriting.about.com/od/writingexercises/a/tolife.htm
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