When I picked up this 932 page science fiction tome, I hoped not to be disappointed by Stephenson again. In several of his novels, especially the dazzling THE DIAMOND AGE, the opening is marvelous, but the ending is weak, vague, and uncertain. Unfortunately, ANATHEM follows this pattern.
AMATHEM has a bright beginning, as a not-quite priest from a not-quite monastery quizzes a town resident about secular changes since the last opening of the concent/monastery ten years ago. Erasmus, an acolyte of the science based monastery, is taking notes of this humorous encounter. It's only much later that we learn that this seemingly innocent conversation ignites a catastrophic sequence for the monastery's six-thousand year old way of life. Great stuff. Erasmus is a wonderful protagonist whose coming of age story takes him from his Middle Ages life to space age technology.
Stephenson hides his literally earth-shaking events in incredible amounts of exposition. Several times there are more than fourteen pages without a word of dialog. Besides the length, the book is heavy going, as the scientist-priests are in love with philosophy, quantum physics, and mathematics. Good editing could have saved this potentially amazing book.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Sunday, October 24, 2010
VOCABULARY. Commentary, CeeViews
In the splendid Alexis Tarabotti "Parasol Protectorate" series, Gail Carriger introduces three new words. The "clavigers," caretakers of the werewolves and agents for their daylight activities, derive their name from "key carrier, or club bearer." That's another twist on werewolf life. Like vampires, they cannot operate during the day. Werewolves aren't burned up by sunlight, and very strong, older werewolves can tolerate it for a few days, but they are mostly comatose. This is an odd limitation.
Where DO they get these ideas? I'm still smiling about fairies and lemon, from the Charlaine Harris TRUE BLOOD series.
Also new is the Dewan position of the Shadow Council, supernaturals who advise Queen Victoria. That word, too, has a long history, and means council member or leader. The word divan is actually derived from dewan because seats of this long cushioned type were found in ancient Arabic council changers. I am unable to track down the meaning of "muhjah," Alexia's title in the council. It appears to be a Muslim name, "heart's blood," or "soul." Is Carriger teasing us with the soulless Alexia having this position? Regardless, these meet my test of great new vocabulary words. I'm thinking about trying dewan the next time I play Scrabble.
Where DO they get these ideas? I'm still smiling about fairies and lemon, from the Charlaine Harris TRUE BLOOD series.
Also new is the Dewan position of the Shadow Council, supernaturals who advise Queen Victoria. That word, too, has a long history, and means council member or leader. The word divan is actually derived from dewan because seats of this long cushioned type were found in ancient Arabic council changers. I am unable to track down the meaning of "muhjah," Alexia's title in the council. It appears to be a Muslim name, "heart's blood," or "soul." Is Carriger teasing us with the soulless Alexia having this position? Regardless, these meet my test of great new vocabulary words. I'm thinking about trying dewan the next time I play Scrabble.
COMMENTARY, THE NEW COZIES, by CeeViews.
The proliferation of supernatural series astonishes me.I'm now up to fourteen series. What happened to the super-woman independent PI's of only a generation ago? Of course the immense popularity of Buffy helped, but there was also INTERVIEW WITH THE VAMPIRE, and the ANN RICE series. Today, although supernatural tales must, by standard definitions, have horrifying moments, the terror is quite dialed down. The Gail Carriger ALEXIA TARABOTTI (MACCON) series is not a great deal scarier than AMELIA PEABODY EMERSON. Indeed, there is more apprehension and dread when Ramses, Amelia's son, spies for England in WWI Egypt.
These last two series have many cozy features. Simon Canderous is an investigator, but for a government agency, and he fears his paperwork more than the living dead. Alexis lives with a werewolf and has no soul, but her Victorian observations are a huge send up much funnier than Amelia's. She has dreary and wittering relatives who must marry for position, not dissimilar to the JANE AUSTEN ladies. The supernatural and predatory has become often funny and by familiarity has devolved into a nearly cozy style. And I like cozies, and heroines refreshed by a good cup of tea.
These last two series have many cozy features. Simon Canderous is an investigator, but for a government agency, and he fears his paperwork more than the living dead. Alexis lives with a werewolf and has no soul, but her Victorian observations are a huge send up much funnier than Amelia's. She has dreary and wittering relatives who must marry for position, not dissimilar to the JANE AUSTEN ladies. The supernatural and predatory has become often funny and by familiarity has devolved into a nearly cozy style. And I like cozies, and heroines refreshed by a good cup of tea.
CHANGELESS, by Gail Carriger
In yet another w-v series, Alexia, Lady Maccon, is the wife of Lord Maccon, a London based werewolf. Alexia is a strange preternatural creature, a curse-breaker who can turn weres and vamps mortal with just a touch. Also, she's missing a soul. Her acerbic point of view is wonderful. The voluptuous Alexia has a figure unsuitable for Victorians, but her husband enjoys it thoroughly. The physical relationship between Alexia and Lord Maccon is as enthusiastic as that of Amelia Peabody Emerson and Radcliffe Emerson in the celebrated Elizabeth Peters series. And Alexia is as deadly with her parasol as the formidable Amelia, whacking the weres to command their attention.
Disaster follows when a strange event plagues the London supernatural community. None of the supernaturals can change form and are trapped as mortal humans. They have lost their invulnerability and face sudden death. Lord Maccon dashes away to fight this catastrophe, leaving Alexia to find and follow him. The werewolf dominance struggles which follow are less interesting. They were enlightening in the Carrie Vaugh "Kittie" series, but are now tedious.
The supernaturals slot into Victorian England in unique ways. They are more or less accepted, and Queen Victoria profits greatly by "her vampire advisers and her werewolf warriors." The East India company is vampire controlled. I knew it! Bloodsuckers if I ever saw any! Enjoy this romp.
Disaster follows when a strange event plagues the London supernatural community. None of the supernaturals can change form and are trapped as mortal humans. They have lost their invulnerability and face sudden death. Lord Maccon dashes away to fight this catastrophe, leaving Alexia to find and follow him. The werewolf dominance struggles which follow are less interesting. They were enlightening in the Carrie Vaugh "Kittie" series, but are now tedious.
The supernaturals slot into Victorian England in unique ways. They are more or less accepted, and Queen Victoria profits greatly by "her vampire advisers and her werewolf warriors." The East India company is vampire controlled. I knew it! Bloodsuckers if I ever saw any! Enjoy this romp.
DEAD TO ME, Anton Strout
In a refreshing change from the usual w-v's this supernatural novel stars Simon Canderous, a psychometrist in New York. He can tell the history of an object by touching it. This helped him in his previous life as an antiques appraiser/petty thief, but was disastrous in the romance department. (I wonder if this is where Lovejoy gets his talents.) Now Canderous has reformed and is an agent of the Department of Extraordinary Affairs. As a government employee, he faces departmental as well as supernatural hell. His in-box is always overflowing, and his field operations are complicated by the amount of paperwork they generate.
In this debut novel he encounters a lovely lady in distress and is quick to help her. Her problem, however, is that she's dead and doesn't know it. Simon's pursuit leads him to the Sectarian Defense League. Even than though it's an agency authorized by the mayor, it's a front for cults. I love the mayor's Office of Plausible Deniability, and the way that mundane humans refuse to see supernatural activity. I'm sure that's the way I'd respond, if I were charged by an angry ghost. A fun new series!
In this debut novel he encounters a lovely lady in distress and is quick to help her. Her problem, however, is that she's dead and doesn't know it. Simon's pursuit leads him to the Sectarian Defense League. Even than though it's an agency authorized by the mayor, it's a front for cults. I love the mayor's Office of Plausible Deniability, and the way that mundane humans refuse to see supernatural activity. I'm sure that's the way I'd respond, if I were charged by an angry ghost. A fun new series!
COMMENTARY, Physics of the supernatural CeeViews
In the last posting I praised Poul Andersen for sticking to normal physics in his alternative world. By the same token, one of the the things I hate about the Briggs-Mercy Thompson world is the flouting of natural laws. Humans gain about fifty pounds when they take their werewolf form, for unknown reasons. And in a greater discrepancy, Mercy's coyote form weighs no more than a real coyote, about 40 pounds. Briggs blithely asserts that "this is magic, not science." I think her reason may be to explore coyote-wolf relationships, with the tinier coyote being more nimble as well as sneakier. Still rotten physics.This is the only series I've found where matter relationships are ignored.
OPERATION CHAOS, by Poul Andersen.
The original were story.The courageous werewolf Steve Matuchek and his red-headed witch girlfriend, the talented Virginia Graylock, push back the enemy during a sortie in World War II—the Caliph's War. Andersen's opening is delicious, as the enemy is in control of the weather and throwing the troops a week of cold punishing rain. “Meanwhile, we slogged ahead...the pride of the United States army, turned into a wet misery of men and dragons hunting through the Oregon hills for the invader.” Two sentences later Andersen provides another lively observation. “Our sentries were, of course, wearing Tarnkappen, but I could see their footprints form in the mud and hear the boots squelch and the tired monotonous cursing.” The ramifications of this alternative history are great fun. Magic exists, but follows normal physical laws. And humans are always the same.
The physics of this world is least as fascinating as the adventures. Matter and energy can neither be created or destroyed. Therefore, Steve weighs the same when werewolf or human, and when basilisks change men into stone, the carbon-to-silicon reaction gives off a radioactive isotope. In the second novella of this series, Steve chases away a fiery salamander with the water-burning properties of magnesium and thereby boosts the salary of the tiny physical sciences department. The third novella finds the Graylock-Matuchek family harrowing the skewed geometries of hell with a brilliant mathematician ally. This last novella is the most poignant, with a kidnapping and a soul to rescue. I have never seen the supernatural world handled more deftly.
The physics of this world is least as fascinating as the adventures. Matter and energy can neither be created or destroyed. Therefore, Steve weighs the same when werewolf or human, and when basilisks change men into stone, the carbon-to-silicon reaction gives off a radioactive isotope. In the second novella of this series, Steve chases away a fiery salamander with the water-burning properties of magnesium and thereby boosts the salary of the tiny physical sciences department. The third novella finds the Graylock-Matuchek family harrowing the skewed geometries of hell with a brilliant mathematician ally. This last novella is the most poignant, with a kidnapping and a soul to rescue. I have never seen the supernatural world handled more deftly.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
WEREWOLVES AND VAMPIRES—an astonishing eleven series
1.PATRICIA BRIGGS
Mercy Thompson: Volkswagen mechanic, coyote shapeshifter
2.CHARLAINE HARRIS
Sookie Stackhouse:A waitress and medium
3.CARRIE VAUGHN:
Kitty Norville:A radio show personality
4.STEPHENIE MEYER
Bella, in the Twilight series:A mopey high school student
5.CHRISTOPHER MOORE
Vampires of San Francisco
LATEST NARRATOR:ABBY VON NORMAl, Emergency Backup Mistress of the Greater Bay Area
too many characters to name
no werewolves
6.JES BATTIS:
Heroine whose name I can't remember (bad sign)(Tess Corday)
an OSI-occult scene investigators
Vancouver, vampires, necromancers
no werewolves.
7.IONA AMDREWS
Kate Daniels:Magic/tech turmoil in Atlanta
were beast of all kinds
vampires as orcs.
9.JIM BUTCHER
Harry Dresden series:Chicago
Vampires as major players, at war with wizards
sexy monsters
Werewolves major characters,in Fool Moon
afterwards minor , but persistent players; the bumbling college-student pack lead by the childish Bill, who later grows up to be the powerful Will—almost the only friends Harry has
W-V'S AS SUPPORTING ACTORS
10.TERRY PRATCHETT, the Ankh-Morpork city cities
Angua is a beautiful girl loved by Captain Carrot Ironfounderson
several other supernatural minor, but memorable, characters, including the (not terribly competent vampire) watchperson Salacia and the soldier Malifient in Monstrous Regiment
Also, the Black Ribboner,Lady Margolotta may be the Patrician's lover
He certainly claims to have learned a lot from her when he was young
and who could forget Otto Chriek, the vampire photographer who crumbles to dust every time he uses a flash, but is willing to suffer for his art.
Hadn't realized how strongly drawn these characters are, as is almost ever major character in Discworld
Hadn't noticed it, but there's only one book in which the vamps are evil.
And one with Angua's family and her psychopath brother Wulf
11.J.K.ROWLING
Harry Potter series.
One werewolf, the beloved and poverty-stricken Professor Lupin, friend of Harry's father, nemesis of Severus Snape, very memorable
no vampires
12.SETH GRAHAM-SMITH
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Zombies, but a hugely funny member of this world
Mercy Thompson: Volkswagen mechanic, coyote shapeshifter
2.CHARLAINE HARRIS
Sookie Stackhouse:A waitress and medium
3.CARRIE VAUGHN:
Kitty Norville:A radio show personality
4.STEPHENIE MEYER
Bella, in the Twilight series:A mopey high school student
5.CHRISTOPHER MOORE
Vampires of San Francisco
LATEST NARRATOR:ABBY VON NORMAl, Emergency Backup Mistress of the Greater Bay Area
too many characters to name
no werewolves
6.JES BATTIS:
Heroine whose name I can't remember (bad sign)(Tess Corday)
an OSI-occult scene investigators
Vancouver, vampires, necromancers
no werewolves.
7.IONA AMDREWS
Kate Daniels:Magic/tech turmoil in Atlanta
were beast of all kinds
vampires as orcs.
9.JIM BUTCHER
Harry Dresden series:Chicago
Vampires as major players, at war with wizards
sexy monsters
Werewolves major characters,in Fool Moon
afterwards minor , but persistent players; the bumbling college-student pack lead by the childish Bill, who later grows up to be the powerful Will—almost the only friends Harry has
W-V'S AS SUPPORTING ACTORS
10.TERRY PRATCHETT, the Ankh-Morpork city cities
Angua is a beautiful girl loved by Captain Carrot Ironfounderson
several other supernatural minor, but memorable, characters, including the (not terribly competent vampire) watchperson Salacia and the soldier Malifient in Monstrous Regiment
Also, the Black Ribboner,Lady Margolotta may be the Patrician's lover
He certainly claims to have learned a lot from her when he was young
and who could forget Otto Chriek, the vampire photographer who crumbles to dust every time he uses a flash, but is willing to suffer for his art.
Hadn't realized how strongly drawn these characters are, as is almost ever major character in Discworld
Hadn't noticed it, but there's only one book in which the vamps are evil.
And one with Angua's family and her psychopath brother Wulf
11.J.K.ROWLING
Harry Potter series.
One werewolf, the beloved and poverty-stricken Professor Lupin, friend of Harry's father, nemesis of Severus Snape, very memorable
no vampires
12.SETH GRAHAM-SMITH
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
Zombies, but a hugely funny member of this world
MOON CALLED, by Patricia Briggs
Patricia's Briggs series is an exciting addition to the werewolf-vampire world .Her heroine Mercedes “Mercy” Thompson, a Volkswagen mechanic by trade and a coyote shapeshifter. She was fostered by the werewolf pack in Spokane until Bran Carter, the Marrock, leader of all Northwestern werewolves, cast her out when she was sixteen and in love with his son Samuel. (Marrock, a wonderful new vocabulary word, is old English word for a knight who was thought to be a werewolf).
Now she is next door neighbors with Adam Hauptman, leader of a pack a few hundred miles south of her original clan. Mercy's built a life for herself because she doesn't need a pack, unlike weres. Mercy finds Adam attractive, but her mischievous coyote side playfully resists his attempts to dominate her.
Then Adam's human daughter Jessie, is kidnapped, several of Adam's pack are killed, and Adam disappears on the hunt for Jessie. Mercy is forced to look to the Marrock for help. Back in the pack's territory, she encounters Dr. Wallace, the kind old veterinarian who cared for all the weres. His werewolf son has Changed him in order to beat his brain cancer. Now young and healthy, his calm and loving personality has vanished. He's aggressive and viciously quick-tempered, like all weres, and barely restrains his violent tendencies. If he can't get control of his wolf soon, the Marrock will have to kill him for the safety of the pack. The Marrock has his own agenda as he plans to reveal the werewolves to the public light.
Mercy rouses the Marrock's pack to the fight for Adam and Jessie. In the process she uncovers the truths about Samuel and the werewolves' desperate struggles to create families.
MOONCALLED is a fascinating new exploration of the supernatural genre.
Now she is next door neighbors with Adam Hauptman, leader of a pack a few hundred miles south of her original clan. Mercy's built a life for herself because she doesn't need a pack, unlike weres. Mercy finds Adam attractive, but her mischievous coyote side playfully resists his attempts to dominate her.
Then Adam's human daughter Jessie, is kidnapped, several of Adam's pack are killed, and Adam disappears on the hunt for Jessie. Mercy is forced to look to the Marrock for help. Back in the pack's territory, she encounters Dr. Wallace, the kind old veterinarian who cared for all the weres. His werewolf son has Changed him in order to beat his brain cancer. Now young and healthy, his calm and loving personality has vanished. He's aggressive and viciously quick-tempered, like all weres, and barely restrains his violent tendencies. If he can't get control of his wolf soon, the Marrock will have to kill him for the safety of the pack. The Marrock has his own agenda as he plans to reveal the werewolves to the public light.
Mercy rouses the Marrock's pack to the fight for Adam and Jessie. In the process she uncovers the truths about Samuel and the werewolves' desperate struggles to create families.
MOONCALLED is a fascinating new exploration of the supernatural genre.
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