Archive for the ‘Books Read’ Category

Hey, world. I’m not dead. Just real busy. However, that should give me a lot of post about. I just recently attended Apollo Con in Houston. That was a lot of fun. However, I seemed to halt all progress on the novel at that time.

I think that’s partially because I’m reading Dara Marks’ book Inside Story: The Power of the Transformational Arc. All I can say is Wow! Things have gotten a little clearer for me story wise. This is like trying to take a sip of water from a fire hydrant. I’m sure I’ll have to read it again when I finish. It’s a screenwriting book, but I can see how this could be incredibly helpful to anyone writing any type of story. So far, I’m only about a third into it, but I can already see a few glaring holes in my novel that will need repaired.

I’ve also had my daughter for the past month and will have her until mid-July. This has been a welcomed distraction from writing. I can accept not being quite as productive during the summer months for her.

When I complete reading Dara’s book, I’ll do my best to give a more thorough reporting. However, if you’re the type of writer who cares about the mechanics (which I understand isn’t a necessity to be a great writer) than you’ll likely want to add this book to your collection–and obviously, read it as well.

Oh, and when the novel writing does pick back up, I plan to use Twitter to talk through the process. I’m not sure if this would be of interest or help to anyone, but you can follow my struggles at War Dogs of Mars.

I have to admit. I’m a Jay Lake fanboy. The dude just has some serious sentence level chops. It’s so good, it lets him get away with a few sins. This is OK, because we love the sinners and sometimes we love the sins.

In the past, I’ve been a little iffy about his storytelling. Reading Mainspring, I kept catching myself mentally saying, “Relax brother, let the story do its thing. Don’t worry about boring us, it ain’t gonna happen. Gives us a little more time to chill out and check out the world.”

Well, Escapement really worked for me far better than Mainspring. I’m not entirely sure why, but I think it was a more comfortable book. I think it took its time to take in some scenery and relax a little with the characters. Honestly, some novels are just a little too neat. Just a little too clean. I think that’s the difference between these two books.

Now Green comes out tomorrow, so I haven’t read it yet, but I’m hoping that I get that same kick-ass prose and master storytelling. Generally, I’m not going to be disappointed. I mean, the fact is, I’m blogging about a book before it even comes out. I don’t normally blog about half the books I read, because honestly, they’re not that great. They’re OK, and sometimes a fun read, but not usually worth the time to bring up.

But Jay is going to have a long and fruitful career. Period. I plan to be reading Jay Lake books well into my old age, and my kids will read Jay Lake books, and their kids will go to the Church of Jay Lake and spit curses at clowns and lavish praise on all that is run on steam.

So even though I haven’t read it yet, I can pretty much vouch for Green. So go out and buy a freaking copy of this book.

I finished reading Cormac McCarthy ‘s The Road yesterday. I have to be honest, I nearly put it down. Parts of the book were even too dark for me and I really like Richard Morgan. It made my inner Pollyanna scream. However, I pushed through to a satisfying payoff.

The Road begins with a man and his son, referenced only as The Man and The Boy throughout the book, on a long journey across a post-apocalyptic landscape toward the southern coast. There are no specific references to geography, there is no explanation of the catastrophe, and the stark prose is deeply in the point of view of The Man.

His is a world of fear and a world to be feared. The social contract of his time is to approach no one, but if you must, do so with your gun showing—even if it requires carving false bullets out of wood to fill the empty chambers. In this world, a can of food is a fortune and a warm place to sleep a paradise. Infanticide and cannibalism are common and not always separate horrific acts.

Despite this dark world, there are those rare individuals who “carry the fire”. The Boy often refers to these people as the good guys. Good guys seem to be in short supply, but it’s hard to tell if it’s because they really are in short supply or if the man’s general paranoia (well earned, mind you) keeps The Man and The Boy from ever coming into contact with them.

It’s a touching story of survival and a parent’s love for a child. However, like any good piece of literature, it’s so much more.

There’s a point in the book when The Man and The Boy finally reach the coast and find an overturned yacht. Foraging is a common survival trade for our heroes, and during the course of his scavenging he discovers a sextant. The object is beautifully described by the author and the attention it receives transforms it from a tool of navigation into an artifact of an enlightened age. There are no heavy handed messages in this novel, but the philosophical implications are obvious. Science and reason are the causal results of The Fire.

The Fire is the human spirit, the human soul and its goodness, the light. There’s no blaming of Science and Reason for the destruction of man in this story. Science is not the enemy, as it seems to be in so many modern science fiction novels, but the beauty of the past.

The relationship of the father and son is the type I love to see in literature. The father is nurturing, protective, apologetic for the condition, and does his best to shelter The Boy from seeing too much of the world around him. Memories and thoughts are an important part of their conversations. Hope is what keeps them on The Road.

The ending is bitter sweet. It clearly illustrates what it means to be human; truly human, not just the bipedal animal of the specie Homo sapiens.

I tend to read the books I love more than once. I’ve read Dune at least six times, Atlas Shrugged four times, and Les Miserables twice. I will likely read The Road again. It’s not a warning, but a guide, to those trying to hold onto the fire through the cold and dark.