Two Reviews

Hi,

So on our trip back home to visit the family in Nebraska, our flights were...delayed. Which means I got a serious amount of reading done.

First up: Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America by Robert Charles Wilson. It was a pretty good piece of post-oil dystopian fiction.

Late in the 22nd Century, North America is largely controlled by the Dominion, a quasi-theocracy that exists at a 19th Century level of technology, partially by choice but mostly because of the ecological and technological collapse of the 21st Century. Existence is feudal in most areas with slavery once again in fashion. Adam Hazard is a young lease-man (not a slave, but part of the thin middle class) living in what was once northern Canada who strikes up a friendship with Julian Comstock, an aristo. Julian is the nephew of Deklan Comstock, the current President of the United States. Deklan killed Julian's father when he got too popular and has continued to hold tight to the reins of power. Julian has come out here with his mentor Sam Goodwin to keep out of the Presidential eye.

But Adam, Julian and Sam all get caught up in the Labrador war fighting the Dutch (really a collection of EU states that have been active in the now-open Northwest passage). Although they try and keep a low profile, Julian continually demonstrates bravery and daring and he becomes too popular for his uncle. Things escalate from there.

The book is a lot of fun to read. Almost all of the protagonists fall between the cracks somehow. Adam is torn between his Dominion upbringing and Julian's dangerous ideas on evolution and history. Julian is conflicted between quietly following his muse and exercising his considerable power to make changes. There are also (obviously) a lot of discussions about science vs. religion, the problems of power and how the past evolves to the present.

It's a fun book and certainly worth checking out. Especially if you're into steampunk-ish or dystopian-ish or post-collapse-ish or strangely optimistic books.

After that, I read through Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton. It's the first book in a projected series and I will say that the book ends a little awkwardly. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger per se, but everything is very much left open-ended and that's a shame. Otherwise the book is quite good. The city of Villjamur is the heart of the Jamur Empire which stretched out across a string of islands (it's implied that there are no large land masses of any kind). They're preparing for the "Freeze" a new ice age that's expected to last some 50 years.

Although humans are the majority, there are other humanoids in the Empire, long-lived rumel who serve in the Imperial Inquisition, and the bird-like garuda. The empire is also assisted by "cultists" -- experts who can operate the ancient technological relics.

To get things kicked off, the Emperor kills himself and Brynd, the commander of the Night Guard is sent to fetch his eldest daughter back to be the new Empress. Jeryd, an Inquisitor starts looking into the grotesque murders of some very high-placed senators. A man named Randar comes in from far-off Folke Island on a personal mission of his own. Dartun, a cultist, is desperately attempting to find a new way to become immortal.

Meanwhile, people are becoming more and more desperate to escape the coming Freeze, strange new monsters are cropping up, and sinister religions are creeping in with their own plots and schemes.

Mr. Newton jams the familiar with the fantastic in a way that's similar to Perdido Street Station, but there's a lot more actual plot going on (marred, as I said earlier by the "1st book in a series" problem). So it should appeal if you liked that. I'm sort of on the fence about getting the next one when it comes out, but I'll certainly keep an eye on it.

later
Tom

Two Reviews

Hi,

So on our trip back home to visit the family in Nebraska, our flights were...delayed. Which means I got a serious amount of reading done.

First up: Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America by Robert Charles Wilson. It was a pretty good piece of post-oil dystopian fiction.

Late in the 22nd Century, North America is largely controlled by the Dominion, a quasi-theocracy that exists at a 19th Century level of technology, partially by choice but mostly because of the ecological and technological collapse of the 21st Century. Existence is feudal in most areas with slavery once again in fashion. Adam Hazard is a young lease-man (not a slave, but part of the thin middle class) living in what was once northern Canada who strikes up a friendship with Julian Comstock, an aristo. Julian is the nephew of Deklan Comstock, the current President of the United States. Deklan killed Julian's father when he got too popular and has continued to hold tight to the reins of power. Julian has come out here with his mentor Sam Goodwin to keep out of the Presidential eye.

But Adam, Julian and Sam all get caught up in the Labrador war fighting the Dutch (really a collection of EU states that have been active in the now-open Northwest passage). Although they try and keep a low profile, Julian continually demonstrates bravery and daring and he becomes too popular for his uncle. Things escalate from there.

The book is a lot of fun to read. Almost all of the protagonists fall between the cracks somehow. Adam is torn between his Dominion upbringing and Julian's dangerous ideas on evolution and history. Julian is conflicted between quietly following his muse and exercising his considerable power to make changes. There are also (obviously) a lot of discussions about science vs. religion, the problems of power and how the past evolves to the present.

It's a fun book and certainly worth checking out. Especially if you're into steampunk-ish or dystopian-ish or post-collapse-ish or strangely optimistic books.

After that, I read through Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton. It's the first book in a projected series and I will say that the book ends a little awkwardly. It doesn't end on a cliffhanger per se, but everything is very much left open-ended and that's a shame. Otherwise the book is quite good. The city of Villjamur is the heart of the Jamur Empire which stretched out across a string of islands (it's implied that there are no large land masses of any kind). They're preparing for the "Freeze" a new ice age that's expected to last some 50 years.

Although humans are the majority, there are other humanoids in the Empire, long-lived rumel who serve in the Imperial Inquisition, and the bird-like garuda. The empire is also assisted by "cultists" -- experts who can operate the ancient technological relics.

To get things kicked off, the Emperor kills himself and Brynd, the commander of the Night Guard is sent to fetch his eldest daughter back to be the new Empress. Jeryd, an Inquisitor starts looking into the grotesque murders of some very high-placed senators. A man named Randar comes in from far-off Folke Island on a personal mission of his own. Dartun, a cultist, is desperately attempting to find a new way to become immortal.

Meanwhile, people are becoming more and more desperate to escape the coming Freeze, strange new monsters are cropping up, and sinister religions are creeping in with their own plots and schemes.

Mr. Newton jams the familiar with the fantastic in a way that's similar to Perdido Street Station, but there's a lot more actual plot going on (marred, as I said earlier by the "1st book in a series" problem). So it should appeal if you liked that. I'm sort of on the fence about getting the next one when it comes out, but I'll certainly keep an eye on it.

later
Tom