New Frontier (books 1 - 4)
House of Cards / Into the Void / The Two-Front War / End Game

One really shouldn't be too picky when taking a journey in the Star Trek universe.  Peter David is my favourite of the franchise writers and I've often wondered what he'd be like if let loose in the SF or Fantasy genres to create his own worlds and characters.  In the New Frontier books, we get a fresh set of faces, and the chance to again go boldly where no other writers have gone before.  So what's the result?  Mixed.  Having read the first four books in an omnibus version, it probably read better as one long pseudo novel, than it would have as 4 short separate installments.

This was a real page turner, and featured all of the button pushing and alien caricatures you would expect from the Star Trek universe.  Very enjoyable and aside from a rather silly ending this was a satisfying cotton candy experience.  Worth picking up if you like the Star Trek books.

Rork!

Every so often I go back into my older collection of paperbacks and dig out something that looks totally cheesy. With a title like Rork! I wasn't sure I wanted this much cheese, but decided to plow on. The basic premise is that Pia 2 is the ass end of the Galaxy, and is the destination for those who wash out of normal society. The only thing of value is redwing, a plant that has medicinal value. But the harvesting is left to the native population, and production has been in decline. Once every five years a ship arrives with supplies, and takes the accumulated harvest. Enter Ran Lomar an up and comer who actually wants to come to Pia 2. He's charged with finding out why production is down, and fix the problem. Along the way he finds out about the locals, the mysterious Rorks, and saves the day. To my surprise it was a pretty interesting and thoughtful book. Nothing earth shattering, but it was fun, and not as full of cheese as I would have expected.

Masters of the Maze (©1965)

I like the way Davidson writes. He's an engaging wordsmith, but for whatever reason this book felt flat. The way he handles the maze is interesting, and the characters are fun. There's a weird timeless quality to the book. It's dated, but it feels more gothic than out of sync. The Chulpex as villains are interesting, and the author builds them up only have them sputter out. The lead character of Nate Gordon is a fun cheesy writer, who specializes in stuff the tabloids would have a hard time believing.

In all a tedious read with some redeeming moments.

Reviewed March 17, 2001

Miracle on 34th Street (©1947)

Call me a grinch, but I've never sat all the way through the movie. So it was a bit of a surprise when I found myself sitting on the chesterfield during the Christmas holiday's reading about Santa.

Sometimes there really is magic buried within the covers. I found myself cheering, and grinning like a child as the story unfolded. The story reads surprisingly well, and doesn't feel dated. In fact much of the subject material, the single career oriented mother, and the precocious child must have seemed rather dangerous back in the late 40s.

Funny how even then Santa and the "is he or isn't he" arguments don't lose their edge. The Kris Kringle here is a bit of an enigma. He's treated as a harmless old man, and of course he himself believes he's Santa. But the grown ups know better.

Who knows, I may actually watch the entire movie next time it's on.

A truly magical Christmas story.

December 2005

Taller than Trees (©1975)

Taller than Trees was leant to me by my buddy Greg. He grew up in Africa, and told me that I should read this, as it would be a little different than most stories I've read about the mysterious continent. I didn't go so far as rolling my eyes, but I did think to myself that I wasn't sure how I'd get out of reading about some bloody elephant hunter. Greg is a great guy, but his version of great popular culture runs closer to Clifford the Big Red Dog than it does War and Peace. Greg loves it when I trash him.

Now I will be the first to admit that this isn't one of the best written novels in English literature, in fact it was pretty clunky at times. But it didn't take take long for the story of Jumbo McGuire the reformed poacher and the mysterious elephant to totally pull me in. There is a lot going on here, and I was totally caught off guard by the subtle elements of redemption, forgiveness and sacrifice.

I told Greg when I had finished how moved I had been, and how surprised I'd been by the spiritual aspect of the story. Greg gave me a look and more or less said "It's a story about an elephant Jevon." Not all still water runs deep.

Anyway, I was quite taken with this story, and it certainly was different than most stories I've read about the mysterious continent.

December 2005

The Complete Compleat Enchanter (©1989)

This is a really fun collection of short novellas and stories written between 1941 and 1954. As you would expect they aren't exactly politically correct, which is a lot of the fun. There's a lot to be said for good solid story telling. This stuff doesn't feel dated or stale. They were a hoot, and I really enjoyed them. I will admit that it took me a little bit to get into them at first, but it was worth the minor effort.

Essentially these are alternate reality stories. Our illustrious hero Harold Shea is a psycholgist who along with some of his colleagues discover a way to move from one plane to another. The exploits that follow are a lot of fun, and considering how much fantasy was being written and available at the time, this was pretty bleeding edge stuff.

If you're interested in picking up some of the founding stories of the fantasy genre, this is pretty entertaining stuff.

Reviewed March 2003

The Skyway Trilogy
Starrigger (©1983) / Red Limit Freeway (©1984) / Paradox Alley (©1987)

Cosmic truckers driving the Skyway, a mysterious road that connects planets throughout the universe. Some of the portals are mapped, many are not. Enter Jake McGraw, who along with his rig Sam are trying to make a go of it as independent drivers. Before you can say Reticulan, Jake is being chased by a host of characters, all of whom are convinced that Jake has a map of the Sky way. As the story gathered more and more weird and assorted players I kept waiting to for CW McCall to start singing in the background.

This is one of those books that is just good old fashioned fun. There are enough twists and turns to keep it fun, and when I was finished I wanted more. Which is a good thing, since this is the first book in a trilogy.

Red Limit Freeway wasn't a bad story. If anything it was as enjoyable as the first. Heck, as I write this I'm reading the last book of the trilogy. The second book is sort of like a big bottle of pop. Except that it was opened earlier, and after a couple of days it still tastes like pop, but it's not so fizzy anymore.

Jake McGraw and his band of space faring idiots are still going along the skyway, picking up more and more stragglers as they journey to the centre of the universe. For the most part the story zips along, and there were a number of places where I got a chuckle. The characters are fun, the story is fun, the world that DeChancie creates is rich and full. It's just that there wasn't the zip one needs to make this a really good read. This was a fun read, and I enjoyed the way it ended. Could it really be that Carl punched out God? It was fairly good after all, just not good.

I'm glad I didn't have to wait three years for Paradox Alley. Considering that the previous book nothing extraordinary, I guess John went back to the drawing board and regrouped. The results: pretty darn good. Picking up right where the action left off, Jake, Darla, Sam and the band of hangers on embark on a journey to clear up all of the loose ends from the first two books.

I like time travel books, and this one was full of lots of twists and turns and in the end everything worked out for our hero (I'm not giving anything away by saying that). In fact this book made the other books that much better in hindsight. This whole series was full of fun, unique ideas, and funny dialog. Better than I'd expected.

Reviewed September 18, 23, 28, 2000

The Kruton Interface

Literature this ain’t.  But boy howdy this was a lot of fun.  I read the first of his “Castle” books and was so impressed I didn't bother reading any of the others.  When I found this book at a second hand store for a quarter I decided to take a chance, and I got more than my moneys worth.  The book was incredibly stupid, full of bad puns, silly names, with more than a passing similarity to the semi sacred Star Trek universe.  All in all about the stupidest book I've read in a long time.  Supposedly this was the first book in an ongoing series.  Hmm, that was in ’93 and I haven't seen a sequel . . .

The Magnificent Wilf

I decided that I'd take a read on the silly side.  There were some fun moments, and Rex the talking dog was cute.  On the whole a rather ordinary romp; fun while it lasted and totally forgettable once finished. The cover art is more memorable than the rest of the book.

The Dragon and the George

Based on a story first published in 1957, and then expanded into a novel in 1976, this story holds up very well.  All of the little things that have become the corner stones of most cookie cutter fantasy works are present in this tale. A reluctant hero, a quest, companions, dark powers, and a final battle.

Jim has a degree in medieval studies, and is in line to get a job as a college instructor. Struggling to make it, Jim's fiancé works for a rather dopey scientist who accidentally sends her to another plane of existence.  Jim is sent after her.  He gets there, but finds himself stuck inside a dragon's body.  The story that follows is fun, if a little slow at times.  An enjoyable read.

The Dragon Knight

I thought it was odd that it took Gord (oh yeah we're close personal friends) fourteen years to write a sequel. Thankfully I didn't have to wait that long. The author picks up the characters without missing a beat. Jim and his band of cronies once again find themselves fighting against the mysterious dark powers, as well as an evil mage.  This time their quest takes them to France where they are charged with rescuing the Prince of England, vanquishing the dark powers - basically saving the world. This book was longer than it's predecessor, faster paced, and overall I enjoyed this one more than the first.  My only complaint was that the "dragon" component was sorely missing from this book.  It was a very good fantasy read that could have been even better.

The Dragon on the Border

Okay, I'm hooked.  Another in the Dragon Knight series.  This time we find James, Brian and Dafydd venturing up to Sir Giles homeland, to tell of the passing of the nobel knight.

They arrive and find that Giles is alive (gee a real surprise), and that the mysterious Hollow Men, ghosts who can animate armour, are rising up - thanks to the "Dark Powers." As well there is a plot between France and Scotland to invade England.  Once again Sir Jim is in action.

What follows is a pretty predictable, and rather point A to point B story with little in the way of plot curves or action.  But for whatever reason I find this series strangely engaging, I put one book down, and pick up another.  These are solid fantasy adventures.  For those hoping for lots of magic and dragons you'll be disappointed.  But if you want to have a sense of what it would be like to be suddenly thrust into 14th century society this is a lot of fun.

The Dragon at War

Boy howdy but this series is heating up. This is the best of the bunch so far. Jim has just returned home after defeating the Hollow Men. Within moments it seems disaster is looming on the horizon. The French have aligned themselves with the Sea Serpents, and a mysterious magician. Only Jim and his ever present friends can save the day.

Still as formulaic as past books, but this one is full of twists, excitement, dragons, magic, and humour. A very fun read.

The Dragon, the Earl and the Troll

This is pretty sad, five books in a row, in the same series without a break. I'm really hooked. This time our hero and Brian are off to attend a Christmas celebration.  As always nothing is as it seems.  The castle has a resident troll that is almost two thousand years old that smells, and smells trouble. Bundled up into the story are dragons, an army of trolls, and a baby.

A very solid story that is marred by a weak climax, and a couple of loose ends (up to this point all of the stories have been nicely self contained).

The Dragon and the Djinn

Oh well another one.  Number six, and I'm once again in the land of dragons.  Not the best book of the bunch that's for sure.  Brian heads for the Holy Land to find his fiancee's long lost father to finally secure the old guy's blessing.  Not long after Jim follows Brian and the adventure begins. Much of the story feels pasted together with very little in the way of resolution, the overall effect has no real punch.  The djinn is basically a no show, and is really a cheap ploy to get readers.  As you read the story you can almost feel the missed opportunities. Dickson also leaves more loose ends out there, heck the last bunch of loose ends remain unresolved.  However, the strength of the story is as always the interaction between the main characters and on that basis I was taken along for the ride, and enjoyed myself. I look forward to the next installment.

The Dragon and the Gnarly King

Another installment in the highly entertaining Dragon Knight series.  Although the series is getting a little long in the tooth. Once again Jim and Brian, along with Hob, the kitchen Hobgoblin, trek into the unknown this time to rescue Carolinus who is being held captive.  Some interesting little twists here and there, but nothing too challenging.  We finally meet the other AAA+ magicians, which is a nice touch. Plenty of predictable action, and is an entertaining escape.

The Dragon in Lyonesse

Jim and the usual gang return this time to save Lyonesse, the mythical land where Arthur and his Knights have retired.  Once again the Dark Powers are intent on causing mischief, and it is up to Jim and his buddies to save the day.

This was a good enough book, but the series is really feeling old.  Nothing really happens that challenges the reader, and although I'm sure Dickson hasn't finished with the series, he had better go back to the drawing board and come up with something fresh.

The Dragon and the Fair Maid of Kent (©2000)

Once again Jim and his band of merry men assemble to right the wrongs of medieval England. Sadly due to Mister Dickson's passing, this is the last in an enjoyable series, we'll never really get to see how everything works out with all the left over plot bits.

This time around Jim uses his knowledge to battle the plague and finds himself in the middle of a war involving shape shifting goblins, which leads to some fun with the Hobs - which over the last couple of books were a lot of fun. The Dragon element is once again left unexplored, and is the one element of the entire series that is a disappointment.

Other than the odd use of the word "nice" in this book which I found rather irritating, since if I remember correctly from middle English "nice" had an entirely different meaning than it does today. And to imagine the characters of the day using colloquial English was annoying. Still a minor beef.

With his passing the elder statesmen of SF are one less.

Reviewed December 31, 2001

Wolf and Iron (©1990)

A post apocalyptic novel. Meet "Jeebee" Walther an academic type who foresaw the collapse of the world coming, but was powerless to stop it. Now he's wandering around trying to keep from getting shot at by the survivors.

Along the way he meets up with a wolf, and the two truck along together for the remainder of the novel. Jeebee hooks up with Paul the wagon driving trader with a beautiful daughter, and a crusty hired hand. All the while he's searching for his brother who has a ranch somewhere, and Jeebee thinks he'd be welcome there.

The story clocks in over 450 pages, and is a very fast paced piece of work. It's enjoyable, but I had a hard time suspending my disbelief. The economic collapse is plausible enough I guess, but what the heck happened to the hundreds of millions of people? I assume that they all starved, or died of disease, or were abducted by aliens. Rural America survives, because, well, just because.

Wolf and Jeebee brave the elements together, and fight a bear together, and then fighter a bear together again. CAUTION SPOILER AHEAD (highlight text to reveal hidden message): The beautiful girl shows up, Jeebee gets the girl and begets kid. Jeebee spruces up the cave, and likes it so much he decides to stays there and play the new Adam. Jeebee and Merry spend so much time at the old burned out ranch, one has to wonder why they don't rebuild there. I guess all the dead bodies from the previous owners had something to do with that decision. Anyway. Wolf licks their faces and the book ends. END OF SPOILER.

Not to beat on the book too bad, it was very enjoyable and kept me entertained. If you read it, don't look too deep, or push the logic too hard. Go along for the ride and be happy.

Reviewed March 19, 2001

Reave the Just and Other Tales

When I found out that there was a new collection of stories by Donaldson, I snapped it up.  Some of my favourite series have been written by this author, and I was looking forward to reading his newest offering.

My hopes weren't too high, as his other short story collection "Daughters of Regal and Other Tales" wasn't one of his best works.  This collection had some good moments, and a couple of really good ones.  My personal favourite "Penance" is a wonderful tale.  Not your typical vampire story.  Others fall short.  The last story "By Any Other Name" had a vivid style that reminded me very much of Moorcock's more plodding work. Overall a rather ordinary work from an extraordinary author.

Noah II (©1970)

Noah II is an interesting story, and one that I liked more than I expected. The premise is pretty simple, and there are a lot of elements you just have to ignore, but they aren't so glaring as to derail the story.

Far in the future mankind had degenerated into nothing more than happy machine fed automatons. One day a young man broke away from the sterile machine dominated world, and received a mysterious message. The message contained instructions to build a fleet of spaceships and save what he could of the human race.

Along the way there are power struggles and doubt begins to plague many of those following Preston. Will humanity survive? What happens?

In the end this is about the power of obedience and belief. I actually found it a pretty decent story.

Reviewed May 23, 2005

The Northworld Trilogy
Northworld / Vengeance / Justice

The first in the Northworld trilogy.  A good solid fast action packed adventure.  Features a gruff soldier type who commands respect where ever he goes.  Kicks ass too, and leaves a trail of broken bodies in his wake.  Most of this book revolves around a feudal world where the Knights all wear futuristic armour, but understand little if any of the underlying technology.  There are a couple of unclear scenes involving "Walker" and his need to gain access to certain computer systems.  This may play out in later volumes.  The so called human gods are bothersome, and the relationship between Ruby and Diamond is disjointed.  The final scenes play out over a few pages, and appears to have been pasted in without much care to the story that was being told.  On the whole a highly entertaining and instantly forgettable.

The second book in the Northworld trilogy is a real page burner.  It whips you along so quickly that if you allow yourself to go along for the ride you tend to forget that there are a number of plot holes you don't notice until afterward.  Once again Hansen the semi-invinciple god goes about dismembering the bad guys while doing "his job."  The sub-plot involving Sparrow was good, but what the heck happened to his brothers?  Was the whole Ritter section there just so that Hansen could ride an engineered dragonfly to show Sparrow what one looked like?  Again there a number of loose ends, and there are still unanswered questions from the first book, but if you just want a page turning brain-candy adventure this is pretty tasty stuff.

Let's start with the flaws in the series. The entire series appears to be building up to some cataclysmic final battle that never happens.  North and Hansen are seemingly at odds, but allies too, the author never addresses their relationship.  Hansen kills because that's what he does, but he feels bad at times too.  North is a smart ass "father" of the gods type.  The book never answers any of the big questions.

Now for what's good.  Fast, lots of action, fun characters, and a lot of interesting alternate worlds.  Could hardly put the dang thing down.  If you want a lot of action, little real plot other than the window dressing kind, this book is a lot of fun.  Thrilling, totally mindless, and instantly forgettable.