The Alien Dark

A very interesting book, and one that I thought would have generated a number of sequels. Given that it's been ten years, I don't see that happening, which is too bad. The world that Diana creates is vivid, and the premise isn't one that I've come across very often. Millions of years ago our solar system had life, but there's nothing to be found now. Enter the Bey, an alien race of logical catlike humanoids, who are looking to expand into new territory; provided there isn't any sentient life to be found. As I read this I kept thinking of furry Vulcans. To top things off there are also non-logical Bey too. Outcasts because they are creative "what if" thinkers.

They do find life, after a fashion, on the moon. A preserved base holds mankind's future. Much of the story takes place on the moon where we watch a flashback of how the Earth was destroyed due to human carelessness.

An interesting story, that held my attention to the end, and it does keep you holding on to the last page. It does feel rushed at the end, but I get the feeling that Diana thought she was embarking on a series that sadly never materialized.

Reviewed June 19, 2000

Gameworld

"A hilarious new fantasy" So say the words on the cover.  No it's not.  What it is however is a creative and inventive fantasy.  Our hero gets sucked into an overblown board game, and encounters the age old philosophical question:  "What is reality?"  An entertaining read, but nothing I plan on keeping.

The Ebenezum Trilogy
A Malady of Magicks (©1986)
A Multitude of Monsters (©1986)
A Night In The Netherhells (©1987)

A Malady of Magicks is a fair romp through a tongue in cheek fantasy landscape. Ebenezum is a powerful sorcerer who after a battle with a demon finds himself unable to perform magic without suffering from a violent allergic reaction. As a result Wuntvor his bumbling apprentice must help him journey to Vushta, the City of Forbidden Delights to seek a cure.

The story that follows is fun, and easy on the brain. A number of the chapters were previously published as short stories which explains why the book feels pasted together at times. However, the characters are enjoyable, and the book was good enough to make me think that the rest of the series will only get better.

A Multitude of Monsters was better than the first book, and didn't hurt my brain with anything overly taxing. Our heroes are still attempting to journey to Vushta. Along the way they are captured by members of The Association for the Advancement of Mythical and Imaginary Beasts and Creatures. Again they battle demons led by the evil Guxx Unfufuadoo.

Nothing spectacular, and instantly forgettable, but it is entertaining and that's what a mindless adventure is for.

A Night in the Netherhells is the finale to the Ebenezum Trilogy. Entertaining? Yes. Good? No. The series was pretty silly, and there were enough zany characters to propel me through three books.

Our heroes finally make it to Vushta only to find that it has been taken by demons to the Netherhells. Wuntvor is somehow chosen as champion and it is up to him to save the day. What follows are some pretty clever moments. I actually guffawed at one point. These books aren't high fiction, but they're fun reading. The ferrets and Cuthbert the cowardly magic sword were nice touches.

Reviewed between August 8 - 16, 2000

The Ballad of Wuntvor
A Difficulty With Dwarves (©1987)
An Excess Of Enchantments (©1988)
A Disagreement With Death (©1989)

The books stand alone after a fashion, but since I had them all anyway, I decided to read them all in one go and review them as a whole.

With The Ballad of Wuntvor Craig Shaw Gardner again propels the reader into the world of Wuntvor, Ebenezum, and his gang of collected characters. When we last saw Wuntvor he had just returned from the Netherhells. Alas, nothing ever goes to plan, and pretty soon Wuntvor is again off on a quest to find a cure for Ebenezum's and the other wizards sneezing, and to enlist the help of Mother Duck to defeat the Netherhells (again). Along the way we meet up with the other seven dwarves (Nasty, Touchy, Snooty, Spacey, Sickly, Noisy, Dumpy, and Smarmy - hey, that's eight!) and Mother Duck herself, who traps Wuntvor and his companions in a fairy tale. When they finally free themselves it is only to fall into the hands of Death! Who is convinced that Wuntvor is the Eternal Apprentice (a wonderful nod to Moorcock) and wants nothing more than to finally rid the world of the one person he can't have.

These books are fun, silly, enjoyable, and poke fun at all of the sacred tenants of fantasy. I know I've been hard on these books by not rating them higher, but they are what they are: mindless instantly forgettable fluff. I was entertained by all three books, and if you like your books silly then look for these in your favourite used book store.

Reviewed October 11, 2000

North Dallas 40 (©1973)

I remember seeing the movie when I was a kid, so when I found the book I figured it would be good for a light read. Essentially the story unfolds over eight days - and highlights the unbelievable life of a professional athlete. Peter Gent himself a retired offensive end for the Dallas Cowboys has written a book that is at times laugh out loud funny, and others bittersweet and tragic.

I found myself burning through the pages, thinking to myself that this has to be exaggerated. The use of drugs to keep the players on the field, so long as they were painkillers was okay - but if any of the players dabbled in the "recreational" drugs it was frowned upon. Oddly enough though after 35 years, some of the antics portrayed in the book pale beside the things that occasionally come to light in the media.

To those who like me only saw the movie, there's a whole lot more in the book. Coincidentally, Peter Gent wrote the screenplay. I've not read many "sports" novels, but I've read a lot of books, and this one is really good. Period.

Reviewed January 26, 2008

Colony (©2000)

A book by one half of the original Red Dwarf team. Colony is one of those books that is actually funny. At one point I was laughing to the point of crying. Too bad I was on the bus at the time - people thought I was loopy.

I finished the book a couple of months ago, and I'm just getting around to writing my little review. So here I sit trying to remember any of the characters names, and I can't. Oh well, no loss.

The main character is a loser who manages to assume the identity of an officer on a multigenerational spaceship. Of course our hero gets whacked early on, and is brought back to life - after a fashion generations later when his expertise (the expertise of the assume person, not him, he's an impostor remember?) is needed by the remaining crew. He's a floating head on a dysfunctional robot. The ship of course has suffered too, and those that remain are illiterate, and one step above game show hosts on the food chain.

Hey, I remember more than I thought I did. Still can't remember any names though. Not a classic, and not as funny as the first couple of Red Dwarf books, but this is a good light funny read.

Reviewed November 26, 2001

Gretzky (©1990)

I am not a hockey fan, although I grew up in a small town where everyone played hockey, and Hockey Night in Canada was the only thing worth watching on a Saturday. My best friend growing up played hockey, and he watched hockey, and his dad coached hockey. Then a strange thing happened in the early '80s - a bunch of kids from Edmonton of all places started to become household names, and the most famous of them all was a gangly skinny kid who wore 99 on his half tucked jersey. You had to have lived under a rock not to know his name and this young man wrote his name all over the record books.

The other day I stumbled upon this hardcover at a rummage sale and picked it up for my son, who is a hockey fan, and particularly loves the classic players. He read the book cover to cover and said I should read it too. So I did and I found myself enjoying it more than I expected. There are some who have called him "Whine Gretzky" because of his retelling of the trade or when he speaks about his early days. For me it only served to humanize the man and frankly he seems like the kind of guy I'd like to have a beer with and chat about stuff.

I enjoyed the little insights into how he saw the game. His anecdotes about fellow players and his own accomplishments were refreshing. At times arrogant others self effacing. One thing that came across was his love of "the team" he spent a lot of time talking about his assists and his teammates. This was a book, especially since the guy's known as "The Great One", that could have been one long series of "I" statements. I did this, I did that, I broke that record, I am great. Look at me, look at me. It wasn't like that at all.

Yeah, he took shots at some people, but he also applied equal measures of praise. This is an autobiography, which means this is Wayne's story, Wayne's way. There's an emotional under current to certain areas of the book, as this was published in 1990 the trade and his marriage were still pretty fresh and you can tell he's still sifting through the baggage, but it feels honest.

I'm not prone to reading biographies, or autobiographies - but in this case I'm glad my son pestered me to read his story and the four stars are from him.

Reviewed February 16, 2009

Dinosaur Nexus

Ooh a time travel story.  This was a fun read.  Not too complex, but had some nice touches.  At times a little overly flag waving for my tastes, but it was a light, entertaining read.  Another one of those 25 cent books, and I certainly got my moneys worth.