2010 Hugo Award Nominees and Winners (with hyperlinks)

Best Fan Artist
Presented by Gina Goddard

•  Brad W Foster (winner)
• Dave Howell
• Sue Mason
• Steve Stiles
• Taral Wayne

Best Fanzine
Presented by James Shields

• StarShipSofa edited by Tony C. Smith (winner)
• Argentus edited by Steven H. Silver
• Banana Wings edited by Claire Brialey and Mark Plummer
• Challenger edited by Guy H. Lillian III
• Drink Tank edited by Christopher J Garcia, with guest editor James Bacon
• File 770 edited by Mike Glyer

Best Fan Writer
Presented by John Hertz

• Frederik Pohl (winner)
• Claire Brialey
• Christopher J Garcia
• James Nicoll
• Lloyd Penney

Best Semiprozine
Presented by Bruce Gillespie

• Clarkesworld edited by Neil Clarke, Sean Wallace, & Cheryl Morgan (winner)
• Ansible edited by David Langford
• Interzone edited by Andy Cox
• Locus edited by Charles N. Brown, Kirsten Gong-Wong, & Liza Groen Trombi
• Weird Tales edited by Ann VanderMeer & Stephen H. Segal

Best Professional Artist
Presented by Nick Stathopoulos

• Shaun Tan (winner)
• Bob Eggleton
• Stephan Martiniere
• John Picacio
• Daniel Dos Santos

Best Editor, Short Form
Presented by Lucy Sussex

• Ellen Datlow (winner)
• Stanley Schmidt
• Jonathan Strahan
• Gordon Van Gelder
• Sheila Williams

Best Editor, Long Form
Presented by Robert Silverberg

• Patrick Nielsen Hayden (winner)
• Lou Anders
• Ginjer Buchanan
• Liz Gorinsky
• Juliet Ulman

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
Presented by Paul Cornell

• Doctor Who: “The Waters of Mars” written by Russell T Davies & Phil Ford; directed by Graeme Harper (BBC Wales) (winner)
• Doctor Who: “The Next Doctor”, written by Russell T Davies; directed by Andy Goddard (BBC Wales)
• Doctor Who: “Planet of the Dead”, written by Russell T Davies & Gareth Roberts; directed by James Strong (BBC Wales)
• Dollhouse: “Epitaph 1”, story by Joss Whedon; written by Maurissa Tancharoen & Jed Whedon; directed by David Solomon (Mutant Enemy)
• FlashForward: “No More Good Days” written by  Brannon Braga & David S. Goyer; directed by David S. Goyer; based on the novel by Robert J. Sawyer (ABC)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Presented by George R. R. Martin

• Moon, screenplay by Nathan Parker; story by Duncan Jones; directed by Duncan Jones (Liberty Films) (winner)
• Avatar, screenplay and directed by James Cameron (Twentieth Century Fox)
• District 9, screenplay by Neill Blomkamp & Terri Tatchell; directed by Neill Blomkamp (TriStar Pictures)
• Star Trek, screenplay by Robert Orci & Alex Kurtzman; directed by J. J. Abrams (Paramount)
• Up, screenplay by Bob Peterson & Pete Docter; story by Bob Peterson, Pete Docter, & Thomas McCarthy; directed by Bob Peterson & Pete Docter (Disney/Pixar)

Best Graphic Story
Presented by Shaun Tan

• Girl Genius, Volume 9: Agatha Heterodyne and the Heirs of the Storm Written by Kaja and Phil Foglio; Art by Phil Foglio; Colours by Cheyenne Wright (Airship Entertainment) (winner)
• Batman: Whatever Happened to the Caped Crusader? Written by Neil Gaiman; Pencilled by Andy Kubert; Inked by Scott Williams (DC Comics)
• Captain Britain And MI13. Volume 3: Vampire State Written by Paul Cornell; Pencilled by Leonard Kirk with Mike Collins, Adrian Alphona and Ardian Syaf (Marvel Comics)
• Fables Vol 12: The Dark Ages Written by Bill Willingham; Pencilled by Mark Buckingham; Art by Peter Gross & Andrew Pepoy, Michael Allred, David Hahn; Colour by Lee Loughridge & Laura Allred; Letters by Todd Klein (Vertigo Comics)
• Schlock Mercenary: The Longshoreman of the Apocalypse Written and Illustrated by Howard Tayler

Best Related Book
Presented by Cheryl Morgan

• This Is Me, Jack Vance!(Or, More Properly, This is “I”) by Jack Vance (Subterranean Press) (winner)
• Canary Fever: Reviews by John Clute (Beacon)
• Hope-In-The-Mist: The Extraordinary Career and Mysterious Life of Hope Mirrlees by Michael Swanwick (Temporary Culture)
• The Inter-Galactic Playground: A Critical Study of Children’s and Teens’ Science Fiction by Farah Mendlesohn (McFarland)
• On Joanna Russ edited by Farah Mendlesohn(Wesleyan)
• The Secret Feminist Cabal: A Cultural History of SF Feminisms by Helen Merrick Helen Merrick (Aqueduct)

Best Short Story
Presented by Sean Williams

• “Bridesicle,” Will McIntosh (Asimov’s 1/09) (winner)
• “The Bride of Frankenstein,” Mike Resnick (Asimov’s 12/09)
• “The Moment,” Lawrence M. Schoen (Footprints; Hadley Rille Books)
• “Non-Zero Probabilities,” N K Jemisin   (Clarkesworld 9/09)
• “Spar,” Kij Johnson (Clarkesworld 10/09)

Best Novelette
Presented by Terry Dowling

• “The Island,” Peter Watts (The New Space Opera 2; Eos) (winner)
• “Eros, Philia, Agape,” Rachel Swirsky (Tor.com 3/09)
• “It Takes Two,” Nicola Griffith Nicola Griffith (Eclipse Three; Night Shade Books)
• “One of Our Bastards is Missing,” Paul Cornell Paul Cornell (The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction: Volume Three; Solaris)
• “Overtime,” Charles Stross (Tor.com 12/09)
• “Sinner, Baker, Fabulist, Priest; Red Mask, Black Mask, Gentleman, Beast,” Eugie Foster ( Interzone 2/09)

Best Novella
Presented by Sean McMullen

• “Palimpsest,” Charles Stross (Wireless; Ace, Orbit) (winner)
• “Act One,” Nancy Kress (Asimov’s 3/09)
• The God Engines, John Scalzi (Subterranean Press)
• Shambling Towards Hiroshima, James Morrow (Tachyon)
• “Vishnu at the Cat Circus,” Ian McDonald (Cyberabad Days; Pyr, Gollancz)
• The Women of Nell Gwynne’s, Kage Baker (Subterranean Press)

Best Novel
Presented by Kim Stanley Robinson

• The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi (tie winner)
• The City & The City, China Miéville(Del Rey; Macmillan UK) (tie winner)
• Boneshaker, Cherie Priest (Tor.com)
• Julian Comstock: A Story of 22nd-Century America, Robert Charles Wilson (Tor.com)
• Palimpsest, Catherynne M. Valente (Bantam Spectra)
• Wake, Robert J. Sawyer (Ace; Penguin; Gollancz; Analog)

The John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer
Presented by John Scalzi and Jay Lake

• Seanan McGuire(winner)
• Saladin Ahmed
• Gail Carriger
• Felix Gilman 
• Lezli Robyn

This year’s Hugo Awards trophy was designed by Nick Stathopoulos. Congratulations to all the nominees and winners!

Complete List of Hugo Awards

Complete List of Nebula Awards

List of Science Fiction Awards

(I’ve been blogging here for a number of years and can honestly say that this post has more links than any year’s worth of prior posts. Almost every name, magazine, story, or novel has a corresponding link. Feel free to visit the other sites. Oh, and please report any broken links.)

Book Review - The Emperor’s Tomb by Steve Berry

The Emperor’s Tomb
Steve Berry
Ballantine Books
2010
Hardcover
464 pages
ISBN: 0345505492

First a word about the main character - Cotton Malone will go down in history as one of the great action characters in literature (Yes, you heard it here first, parenthetically. They say that everything you put out on the Internet is permanent. If that's so then look me up in 20 years so I can tell you that I told you so.) Malone is a thinking man's James Bond, Jason Bourne, and Mack Bolan all rolled into one. Read the entire series just to acquaint yourself with the character. You won't be disappointed.

With that said, The Emperor's Tomb is the sixth book in the series and while not the strongest of the six Berry does not fail to entertain once again. His history (even when slightly exaggerated and stretched) is believable and he has a knack for choosing some great off-beat topics and little-known historical events to conjure with. Fast paced, fun, full of adventure and with the occasional gun-fight Berry's Cotton Malone is sure to entertain for years to come. The series was written, I suspect, for the adrenaline junkie hidden in us all. Thank you, Mr. Berry for filling that need.

3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Cotton Malone Series
1. The Templar Legacy (2006)
2. The Alexandria Link (2007)
3. The Venetian Betrayal (2007)
4. The Charlemagne Pursuit (2008)
5. The Paris Vendetta (2009)
6. The Emperor's Tomb (2010)

Steve Berry Author Site

Random House Site

Fantastic Fiction Site

The Alternative
Southeast Wisconsin

Music Review - Anais Mitchell - Hadestown

Fabulous Record – 5 out of 5 stars

New Orleans/Jazz/Blues/Rock/Pop Opera – Hadestown is a fantastic merge of lyrics, vocals and music while telling a story and is the best concept album I’ve heard in years. With contributions from the likes of Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), The Haden Triplets, Greg Brown, Ben Knox Miller (The Low Anthem), and Ani DiFranco Hadestown is nothing short of awe inspiring.

PLAY LIST:

Wedding Song - Anais Mitchell feat. Justin Vernon 3:18

Epic (Part I) - Anais Mitchell feat. Justin Vernon 2:22

Way Down Hadestown - Anais Mitchell feat. Justin Vernon, Ani DiFranco 3:33

Songbird Intro 0:24

Hey, Little Songbird - Anais Mitchell feat. Greg Brown 3:09

Gone, I’m Gone - Anais Mitchell feat. The Haden Triplets 1:09

When The Chips Are Down - Anais Mitchell feat. The Haden Triplets 2:14

Wait For Me - Anais Mitchell feat. Ben Knox Miller and Justin Vernon   3:06

Why We Build The Wall - Anais Mitchell feat. Greg Brown 4:18

Our Lady Of The Underground - Anais Mitchell feat. Ani DiFranco 4:40

Flowers (Eurydice’s Song) 3:33

Nothing Changes - Anais Mitchell feat. The Haden Triplets 0:52

If It’s True - Anais Mitchell feat. Justin Vernon 3:03

Papers (Hades Finds Out) 1:24 Anais

How Long? - Anais Mitchell feat. Ani DiFranco and Greg Brown 3:36

Epic (Part II) - Anais Mitchell feat. Justin Vernon 2:55

Lover’s Desire 2:05 Anais

His Kiss, The Riot - Anais Mitchell feat. Greg Brown 4:03

Doubt Comes In - Anais Mitchell feat. Justin Vernon 5:32

I Raise My Cup To Him - Anais Mitchell feat. Ani DiFranco 2:10

Anais Mitchell Home Page

Myspace Hadestown Page

Preview some of the songs by clicking on “The Music” on the Anais Mitchell home page.

My favorites from the album: Why We Build The Wall, Way Down Hadestown, and Our Lady Of The Underground.

Book Review - The Inheritance by Simon Tolkien

The Inheritance
Simon Tolkien
Minotaur Books, 2010
Hardcover
336 pages

How can you review a book by Simon Tolkien without comparing him to his more famous grandfather, J.R.R. Tolkien? You can’t. So I won’t. And now that I’ve got the obligatory reference out of the way and you know of the relationship I can get on with my review.

The Inheritance is, in my estimation, a very good murder mystery. The World War II back story is intriguing and interesting and the characters are, for the most part, believable and worth investing time in. While the mystery, which borders on being a locked-room-murder, is similar to others of the genre and is well-executed Tolkien really shines when he gets into the politics, intrigue, and tension of the court room. The story is a complex mystery filled with courtroom drama and believable well-researched history and I found every aspects of the story truly enjoyable. From the quest for the missing religious artifact to the massacre of an entire village during World War II to the mechanics of corporal punishment in England in 1959 and by combining elements of the classic whodunit with those of the court room thriller I found The Inheritance an entertaining and interesting read.

3 stars out of 5

The Alternative

Southeast Wisconsin

Author Page http://www.simontolkien.com/

BookReporter http://www.bookreporter.com/reviews2/9780312539078.asp

Onyx Reviews http://www.bevvincent.com/onyx/tolkien-inheritance.html

Barnes and Nobel http://search.barnesandnoble.com/The-Inheritance/Simon-Tolkien/e/9780312539078

Book Review – The Passage by Justin Cronin

The Passage
Justin Cronin
Ballantine Books
2010
Hardcover
784 pages
ISBN 0345504968 / 9780345504968

In my humble estimation Justin Cronin’s “The Passage” qualifies as an Instant Classic. It has all the elements of a great work – brilliantly written characters that are flawed but oh, so very real, a twisting mystery that will keep you immersed in the narrative and engaged by the characters, the promise of a good scare right around the corner, viral vampires, unwitting heroes, and a huge, early following of fans. Do not be swayed by the occasional naysayers who proclaim the book too long or too wordy (whatever that means). It is worthy of your attention and a worthwhile read. The characters are real people, the narrative descriptive, and in some cases bloody, gory, and disturbing. The premise, which is not your average vampire story, is reminiscent of earlier post-apocalyptic literature but with a twist and it has something many of the others do not, a grand epic, fantasy feel to it and not because of its heft but of its engrossing content.

Sweeping across almost one-hundred years in the post-apocalyptic vampire-infested plains of western America “The Passage” is an engrossing and epic tale which begins when a government experiment creates twelve different strains of vampire-zombies that escape and infect the entire world. However, small pockets of humans have survived and while the “virals” stalk the landscape some communities have managed to survive and even thrive in a world swarming with flesh-eaters. “The Passage” is an end-of-the-world road-trip filled with discovery, mystery, pain, and loss. But buried deep underneath all that is the promise of love, new life, and happiness. It’s ours to find.

One of the most compelling elements of this book is that I could sense pieces of similar earlier works buried in the canon. There is, of course, the obvious good versus evil and a government strain that gets loose killing millions of people much like Stephen Kings’ “The Stand.” There are survivors that live on the brink of extinction and could be annihilated at any moment as found in Larry Niven’s “Lucifer’s Hammer” (among many others.) There is an epic battle between surviving factions, although one of them is not quite human, as in David Brin’s “The Postman.” Also, which I found very interesting, were the military factions fighting in the wasted lands of a broken America which is reminiscent of James Axler’s Deathlands series. An element of technology, in both cases, electricity, is isolated for many years like in Jeanne DuPrau’s “The City of Ember.” I am not implying that Cronin borrowed from these works only that he used elements found in all of them. And, since I’m a huge fan of every one of those works it goes without saying that I’d rate this high. And I have.

I heard the other day that this book was the first in a trilogy. One can only hope that Cronin types 5,000 words a minute and that the other two books will be published before the end of the month. I know, he doesn’t and they won’t, but one can wish. I can’t wait to find out what happens next. After a brief Google search it appears that the next two books in the series are “The Twelve” to be published in 2012 and “The City of Mirrors” to be published in 2014. There is also talk of a full-length motion picture based on the novel. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for that.

P.S. I love great, sprawling, epic novels. Here’s hoping volumes two and three are as lengthy and well written.

5 out of 5 stars

The Alternative
Southeast Wisconsin

More on “The Passage”:

“The Passage” Website (includes excerpts, videos, downloads and more)

Huffington Post Review

Laura Miller Book Review

Author’s Wikipedia Page

Book Review – Inverted World by Christopher Priest

Inverted World
Christopher Priest
NYRB Classics
2008
Trade Paperback
336 pages
ISBN: 1590172698
Literary Awards - British Science Fiction Association Award for Novel (1975)

Once upon a time there was a great City known as Earth that constantly, slowly, and persistently moved ever-forward on rails towards its grinding goal to reach, or , at least, pace “Optimum.” Slowly, at a tenth of a mile a day, the City slouched northward toward the horizon. To fall behind was unthinkable and deadly or so the denizens had been taught. Behind this lumbering behemoth, the Traction Guild strained to remove the ties and rails and quickly transport them to the front of the City. The Navigator Guild would send scouts great distances to determine the best routes forward. Rivers, canyons, lakes, and other natural impediments were spanned by the Bridge Guild. Protecting them all from dissident villagers along the way was the Militia Guild. So begins the quirky story of “Inverted World” by Christopher Priest.

Normally, I would label my evaluation of “Inverted World” as a classic book review since this story was first published in 1974. However, and shame on me, I did not read this marvelous work of fiction until recently and therefore I cannot in good conscience label it a classic. However, had I read it twenty or thirty years ago I think I’d have deemed it an instant classic then. The characters are believable and well-written but trapped within the confines of their Guilds. Some search for answers while others, like the City, plod ever-onward without question or purpose. Strange “distortions” follow the City and those who travel too far behind it suffer physical and temporal changes to themselves and their surroundings. The mystery of how this “world” came to be unravels slowly but expertly in Priest’s hands. The main premise of the book consists of pure hard science and while the laws of physics appear to be strained at first, all is explained in the end. And, in my opinion, the wait is definitely worth it. The mysteries of the planet and the city are skillfully, although slowly, unraveled throughout the narrative and kept me interested until the very last page. If there is a flaw with this story it is that it is much too short and the open ending might have been expanded to full closure (which I won’t spoil here with explanation.)

Written with compact and concise detail this too short novel drew me in from the very first paragraph and the themes of respect, responsibility, parity, warped realism, and discovery were woven together in such a way that kept me totally engrossed and my imagination working in hyper-drive. Overall I became lost in the story and its enormous sense of wonder, buildup of mystery, and ever-present suspense as Priest’s portrayal of this interesting society grew. Ah, to become lost in wonder while reading… isn’t that all we ever ask from any intelligent book?

4 out of 5 stars

The Alternative

Southeast Wisconsin

More information about Inverted World

Steven Wu’s Book Review

Fantasy Magazine’s Review

NPR Review (with excerpt)

Author Website

Book Review - The Reapers Are the Angels by Alden Bell

The Reapers are the Angels
Alden Bell
(Advance Readers Copy)
Holt Paperbacks 2010
Trade Paperback
240 pages

In light of the wealth of post-apocalyptic stories like The Book of Eli, The Road, and The Passage, now filling book shelves and movie theatres all across America “The Reapers Are the Angels” by Alden Bell turned out to be both a pleasant surprise and a real treat to read and in some ways is better than the others I’ve mentioned above. I had never heard of this book or the author before so had no preconceived notions concerning any hype or advertising that might be attached. I delved into it without pause and found that I literally could not put it down. Perhaps its my penchant towards post-apocalyptic fiction (you’ll notice I used the word “wealth” above for good reason) which goes back to my early readings of book like Deus Irae, A Canticle For Liebowitz, and Dahlgren. So, I knew I had to read this as soon as it appeared in the mailbox.

And I did, and was quite pleased to find what I believe might one of the year’s best sub-genre releases. Remarkably, Reapers fits snuggly into the mold set by the Science Fiction classics mentioned earlier. The character development is extraordinary, the antagonist(s) (and yes there are more than one), and the main characters, and even the zombies, known as meatsacks, are believable and well-written. One character, and I won’t spoil the story here, gets into an almost impossible situation. Later in the story he appears again with no explanation given of his escape. One wonders if another book set in the same universe from this particular characters’ POV isn’t in the making. I’d pay to read that one, too.

4 out of 5 stars

The Alternative
Southeast Wisconsin


More on “The Reapers Are the Angels”

AV Club Review

Goodreads Review

Blog Review

Graemes Fantasy Book Review

Author’s Website

Note:
Alden Bell is a pseudonym for Joshua Gaylord, whose first novel, Hummingbirds, was released in Fall '09. He teaches in a New York City prep school and is an adjunct professor at The New School. He lives in New York City with his wife, the Edgar-award-winning mystery writer, Megan Abbott.

Praise for Joshua Gaylord’s HUMMINGBIRDS:
“Hummingbirds is a sly, charming novel about the students at a Manhattan girls' school and the adults who sometimes remember to teach them. Those of us who love Muriel Spark's The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie will now have to make room next to it on our shelves for Joshua Gaylord's inning debut.”
— Brock Clarke, author of An Arsonist's Guide to Writers' Homes in New England

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Book Review - Juliet by Anne Fortier

Juliet

Anne Fortier

Ballantine Books

2010

Hardcover

464 pages

ISBN: 0345516109

I have a passing fascination with William Shakespeare. That is to say I am not a fanatic, nor can I recite long passages from his works. I am not familiar with his cadence or style, know little of his historical references, and am often confused by his phrasing. But I do know what I like and I loved this story. I’m pretty sure the Bard would have approved as well.

The story moves between two points in history in a series of flashbacks prompted by letters, journals, and face-to-face conversations. First to the present day where our modern Juliet learns that a great treasure awaits her in Italy. After the death of her Aunt she is given a letter left by her mother that will make her rich. Her twin sister, it seems, inherited everything but the clue hidden in letter; the name Giulietta Tolomei. Then the author propels us backwards in time to the “real” story of Romeo and Juliet where we learn that the two star-crossed lovers truly did exist and that their love did indeed come to a tragic end. Not quite like Shakespeare wrote it but close enough to make this story worthwhile.

Fortier’s strong suit, in my estimation, is the fleshing out of the historical scenes and the story of the two lovers, the monk who brought them together, and the evil man that came between them and then separated them unto death. The 14^th Century characters, sequences, and tragedies are highly believable and were, without a doubt, heavily researched. This was a fun, quick, and entertaining read and while this type of story is generally outside my favorite genre I thoroughly enjoyed it. I’m glad I took the time and you will to. Recommended read!

4 out of 5 stars

The author’s official website:

http://www.annefortier.com/

Random House Author Page:

http://www.randomhouse.com/rhpg/features/anne_fortier/

(Check out the interactive map of Sienna and the Photo Gallery under the Extras Tab while you’re there.)

The Alternative

Southeast Wisconsin

Book Review – He Walked Among Us by Norman Spinrad

He Walked Among Us

Norman Spinrad

Tor Books – 2010 – Hardcover - 540 pages - ISBN: 0765325845

“The Earth is just too small and fragile a basket for the human race to keep all its eggs in.”
-Robert A. Heinlein

     Imagine for a moment that the future existence of the planet balanced on your ability to travel back in time and explain the costs and concepts of the depletion of the ozone layer to a subsistence farmer in rural Mesopotamia. Could you do it? Enter Ralf, stand-up comic from about as far up the time-line as you can get. And he comes bearing terrifying news. The future planet is in disarray, biodiversity is as extinct as the carrier pigeon, the air is thick and un-breathable, almost unusable without heavy filtration scrubbers and to make matters worse, the last generations of humankind have taken refuge in pressurized shopping mall domes. Humanity clings to the last remnants of life on a scourged planet that could not be saved.

     Now take an aging Science Fiction writer named Dexter D. Lampkins who is a flawed but intelligent individual (and Spinrad’s pseudo- literary double) with designs of writing the next great social Science Fiction Transformation of mankind, mingle with Amanda Robins, a New Age Wunderkinds seeking total Zen spiritualism, and mix in a whole lot of Ralf “the comic from the future.” Blend them all together on the same late-night television show and what do you get? Well, Monkey-Men, let’s just say that you may want to read this one yourself to discover all the gory details.

     Ralf’s message is simple but crude. Start cleaning up the environment right now or the future world is going to suffer. Quit mucking up Mother Habitat so the deprived people of the future can take a break from living in constant fear of complete extinction.

     Whether by accident or design Spinrad does reveal a plethora of Science Fiction Convention lore, anecdotes, behavior, and attitudes. And surprise, the Sci-Fi geeks are no less real than you or I. For some reason the Cons were the most enjoyable scenes in the book for me. Though Spinrad served up many unflattering and sometimes harsh depictions of Science Fiction conventioneers his descriptions lent realism to the story that may have otherwise been lost. Perhaps I felt so close to those scenes because, like Lampkin, I too identify with the weird and geeky, slightly askew, adoring, star-struck fans. I’m one of them!

     Spinrad’s prose and dialogue is superb, humorous, enticing, and real and scans with perfect pace. If there is any real flaw with the story it is with the character known as Loxy Foxy and her strange companion the “machine-rat- from-the-depths-of-the -subway. Not so much the content itself but how long and drawn out it became in the middle of the book. It seemed like we revisited the same scenes over and over again which cluttered up the story line and served no real purpose. I suspect the novel would have stood well on its own in the absence of those characters. [I’m still unsure of what the confrontation between Loxy, the rat, and Ralf meant! Perhaps someone would care to enlighten me?]

     Much like James Cameron’s “Avatar” Spinrad’s “He Walked Among Us” is social commentary with a message concerning the current state of our eroding world and until we can, as Heinlein eschewed, figure out a way to distribute our eggs more evenly someone up the stream of time is going to suffer. We need to learn to sustain what we have and become more pro-environmental. Stories like “He Walked Among Us” and “Avatar” can only make us more socially aware of our actions and surroundings. If civilization collapses due to resource depletion we’ll have only ourselves to blame for it and our children’s children will be made to suffer. Can our collective conscience survive that burden?

3 ½ out of 5 Stars

More about Norman Spinrad

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norman_Spinrad

http://www.sff.net/people/normanspinrad/

http://www.youtube.com/user/normanspinrad

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=656hOsSJ9rk&feature=player_embedded

He Walked Among Us

http://www.horrordrive-in.com/serendipity/index.php?/archives/415-Norman-Spinrads-He-Walked-Among-Us.html

http://americareads.blogspot.com/2010/04/pg-69-norman-spinrads-he-walked-among.html

http://books.google.com/books?id=8dSPcD7MeLYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=norman+spinrad+he+walked+among+us&source=bl&ots=Tw58fi0tzA&sig=JOE5NxOoOh1hIdjPYej0a7LJHf8&hl=en&ei=iOT1S-D_E4SglAfWoqH1Cg&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=2&ved=0CBsQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q&f=false

http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=story&id=59347

http://bookclubs.barnesandnoble.com/t5/Fantasy-Science-Fiction/MAY-FEATURE-1-He-Walked-Among-Us-by-Norman-Spinrad/m-p/523964

http://warren-ellis.livejournal.com/790296.html

http://www.indiebound.org/book/9780765325846

A downloadable version of the book can be found here:

http://www.scifidimensions.com/Oct05/hewalked.htm

Or if you prefer .lrf, .lit, or .epub versions drop me an e-mail and I’ll forward it on to you. (Note: Click on my profile above for the e-mail address.)

The Alternative

Southeast Wisconsin

Book Review – The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart by Jesse Bullington

The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart

Jesse Bullington

Orbit

2009

Trade Paperback

464 pages

ISBN: 0316049344

     Its 14^th century Medieval Europe and the most despicable human beings to have ever graced the pages of historical fiction are given life and a certain morbid sense of humor by debut author Jesse Bullington. Manfried and Hegel Grossbart are far and away the most evil-incarnate and foul-mouthed creatures to have ever spilled from a pen. Base, sacrilegious, and merciless these men are destined to go down in history as more loathsome than any modern day serial killer, tougher than Vlad the Impaler or a Tarantino character, and in possession of more cons than a flat-broke hustler just before the weekend. And if that alone isn't enough incentive to immediately go out and buy this book then how about this? The story overflows with well-written scenes of abject brutality, acts of unimaginable inhumanity, ill-reasoned religious doggerel, heavy-handed gratuitous violence, demonic possession, blood and guts, gore and grey matter, vengeance, retribution, indifference to the suffering of others, and a smattering of the European countryside which would, under normal circumstances, keep one interested in the exploits of the twin Grossbart's throughout an entire novel. But get this… everything I just mentioned occurs in the first few chapters!!

     The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart is a quick and enjoyable read, full of wonderfully creative exposition, humorous banter, and dialogue loaded with swearing and cursing, both profane and blasphemous. But it also has a feel for the medieval way of life, how people lived and spoke and worshipped and is unlike any other historical fiction I've ever read. The Grossbart's tale will keep you turning pages and will make you miss a lot of sleep. Not only from reading late into the night to find out where the brothers quest next (and who or what they kill) but frightened by the shadows that the story conjures too.

     Plague survivors, pocket philosophers, demon killers, grave robbers, mad monks, demons, witches, and more join the Brothers Grossbart on their quest to “Gyptland” and the fabled graves of kings rumored to be held by their grandfather. But forewarned is forearmed, keep an eye on your purse and a hand on your dagger. Now that I've told you this much here's the kicker... As savage and inhumane as the Grossbart’s are what pursues them is much, much worse. And in the end while we are not told of the Grossbart’s demise we are left with the feeling that they get what’s coming to them. Or so we would like to think.

     Truly inspired The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart is just that, a sad and cautionary story of evil, vengeance, cruelty, and gore and, in my opinion, definitely worth every minute of your time. Mr. Bullington? I’d stand in line for more. (And yes, that’s a hint.)

More about this unique writer can be found at his website:

http://jessebullington.com/

An interview with Manfried and Hegel Grossbart (and Jesse Bullington):

http://www.bscreview.com/2009/11/coffee-and-conversation-with-hegel-and-manfried-grossbart-by-jesse-bullington/

4 1/2 stars out of 5

Also, the cover art, a facsimile of a medieval woodcut by Hungarian artist Orosz István, is brilliant.

István’s website is here:

http://www.gallerydiabolus.com/gallery/artist.php?id=utisz&page=133

The Alternative

Southeast Wisconsin

Classic Book Review (Condensed) – The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester

Vintage (1996), Paperback, 272 pages

There isn’t a lot I can add to the myriad reviews written about this fantastic story and the strangest protagonist ever written. So I won’t. I will say that since I first read it in the mid 70’s it’s been on my top 10 list. So, for now, I’ll let the 100’s of other reviewers speak for me. Here goes…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Stars_My_Destination

http://www.sfsite.com/03a/smd99.htm

http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/nonfiction/starsmy.htm

http://tal.forum2.org/stars

http://www.powells.com/biblio?PID=28585&cgi=product&isbn=0-679-76780-0

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/333867.The_Stars_My_Destination

http://www.ansible.co.uk/writing/sfxbc01.html

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0783588/

http://www.bookrags.com/The_Stars_My_Destination

http://everything2.com/title/The+Stars+my+Destination

http://theendoftheuniverse.ca/node/107

http://brothersjudd.com/index.cfm/fuseaction/reviews.detail/book_id/752/Stars%20My%20Des.htm

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/TheStarsMyDestination

http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/reviews/books/0-679-76780-0.html

http://www.scifi.darkroastedblend.com/2007/09/alfred-bester-stars-my-destination.html

http://www.enotes.com/stars-destination-qn

http://vodpod.com/watch/3442145-the-stars-my-destination-chapter-1-by-alfred-bester-story-reading

http://www.sfsignal.com/archives/2007/01/review-the-stars-my-destination-by-alfred-bester/

http://www.thesustainablevillage.com/awrbooks/html/BooksinHTML/starsMyDestination.html

[Please report broken links]

There are many more reviews available on the internet (Google search provides 21M links, give or take) but this sampling should give you an idea of the esteem in which this book is held. Almost every review here is a 4 or 5 star review. And, it looks like they’re making it into a movie scheduled for release in 2012.

Oh, yeah, 5 out of 5 stars – stellar story.

The Alternative

Southeastern Wisconsin

Book Review – Elysiana by Chris Knopf

Elysiana

Chris Knopf

Permanent Press

2010

Bound Galley

208 pages

ISBN: 1579621988

Jersey Shore, summer, 1969, villains, parties, a conspiracy, and drugs… what’s not to like? Okay, so the counter-culture of the 60’s is in full swing, small town politics has taken a turn for the worse, and the Lifeguards are, well, the life of the party. Elysiana, a small island off the coast of New Jersey and south of Atlantic City, is the setting for this quick paced, off-the-wall drama/comedy.

Gwendalynn Anders, a drifter who wakes up in Elysiana after a drug-induced road trip, serves as the catalyst between the fun-loving Lifeguards and the stiff-necked, scheming politico’s. The story unfolds as Gwen wakes up on the beach to the ministrations of six year old Sweetie who has wandered away from home. Gwen delivers the little girl home and Borough Council President Norm Harlan, Sweeties father, immediately enlists Gwen as a nanny. Later Gwen meets Jack Halcyon, a lifeguard who once lost years in a coma because of a car accident and the two strike-up an unlikely friendship/love affair. With a turf war being fought between the Beach Guards and the Local Police the entire situation comes to a head during one of the worst hurricanes on record.

Elysiana is a fast-paced quick read and there is much to enjoy about this book and, in retrospect, I can’t seem to think of a single flaw. The characters are believable, the sex gratuitous, the drugs abundant, the villains skanky, and the heroes noncommittal, which in my humble estimation makes for one enjoyable read. But then, I’m thoroughly warped, just ask my counselor.

Solid story! Lots of fun!

4 out of 5 stars

The Alternative

Southeast Wisconsin

Book Review – The Lazarus Smile by J. Christoph Amberger

The Lazarus Smile

J. Christoph Amberger

Secret Archives Press

2009

Paperback

380 pages

ISBN: 0984315209

Amberger couldn’t have chosen a more controversial person to base his conspiracy on than Saul of Tarsus, otherwise known as Saint Paul. Paul, the Apostle, was by all accounts a very complicated man. He was a renowned world traveler and was opposed to many of the Christian Laws. He suffered from epilepsy, was a life-long bachelor who harbored a fiery temper, was impulsive and impassioned in the extreme and never truly learned to harness his ever-changing mood swings. Now add the concept that Paul may have been a double-agent for the Roman Emperor and a believable conspiracy takes shape. (Note to fans of Biblical history: Paul himself does not appear as a true character in this novel but only as a catalyst to base the controversy on.)

In “The Lazarus Smile” Amberger gives credence to the saying, “The pen is mightier than the sword.” For three simple words may change the course of world events forever. I’ll leave it to the reader to discover what those words might be (and the how’s and why’s.) Suffice it to say that the idea is sound and makes for a great mystery and a solid conspiracy.

The historical fiction is convincingly written and very believable. You’ll visit Nazi Germany in World War II, the Roman Empire of 69 A.D. (the year that four emperors took the throne), and the volatile world of present-day politics and religious belief. The origins of Christianity, multiple conspiracies, and secret societies are described with an eye for the details that make history so compelling to so many readers. While a number of the characters may have been killed off a bit before their time the main, lasting characters were intriguing and well-written. I especially enjoyed the retired CIA operative that dabbled in Black Ops. (I hope to see him again!) The main character, who uncovers a fifty-year-old family secret, was also quite believable and solidly written.

All in all, “The Lazarus Smile” is a fast paced, page turning historical ride that I enjoyed until the very last page.

4 out of 5 stars

The Alternative

Southeast Wisconsin

Book Review – Hawk by Brian Neary

Brian Neary

Hawk

2009

Trade Paperback

443 Pages

Brian Neary’s “Hawk” is a surprisingly excellent (and very quick) read. I won’t resort to comparing Neary with similar genre writers or his story to theirs but I will say that if you enjoy a suspenseful thriller with fast paced action, believable characters, and political/military scenarios straight out of yesterdays newspapers, then Hawk is for you. But be forewarned, Neary pulls no punches. The very real dark side of terrorism is depicted here as is the squabbling and in-fighting found between various government agencies which I believe gives this novel more bite. To turn a phrase, the fiction is real, the blood-shed and violence is far from pedestrian, and the technology very believable. Which makes the story that much more compelling.

I have to say that the pages flew by and I loved the suspense Neary created as the plot developed. If there’s a flaw in the book it’s that we didn’t see enough of the hero, Quentin Hawk, who might just be a character for the ages. Tough talkin’, ass kickin’, no-shit-takin’ CIA operative with a Mensa-sized I.Q. and the physique of a football player, Hawk (both the character and the book) will keep you entranced and sleepless as you furious turn page after page to find out what comes next. And I guarantee that you will. Here’s looking forward to the next installment.

Oh, and Mr. Neary, as long as you keep writing stories like this you’ve a customer for life.

4 and 1/2 stars out of 5

P.S. Appealing to the vanity in all of us a very cool opportunity for someone has been added to the Brian Neary website at www.bneary.com If you go to the webpage and click on the “Contact” button you’ll be asked to enter your e-mail address. This places you into a drawing that might get you named as a character in Neary’s next book. The blurb I received in the Advance Readers Copy states, “You can be a character in the next Quentin Hawk Novel. ‘Good guy, bad guy, you name it and I’ll write you in.’ Neary also states, ‘Midway through the writing process, we’ll select a winner. I’ll email you and offer you some character choices – like assassin, cop, hero, or snitch. You’ll tell me the part you want to play and I’ll write you into the plot.’

So head on off to the site now and enter your e-mail address. You never know what might happen.

Oh, and to make things even sweeter Neary added a five page teaser for the next Quentin Hawk book, “The Manuscript” at the end of Hawk.

The Alternative

Southeast Wisconsin

Book Review - Drood by Dan Simmons

Drood
Dan Simmons
Trade Paperback: 800 pages
Publisher: Back Bay Books
Reprint edition (February 8, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-0316007030

Absolutely brilliant!

Dan Simmons weaves a hell of a story with a stunningly written “Drood.” Starring Wilkie Collins, Charles Dickens, and the mysterious Edwin Drood (among other real and fictional Victorian characters) the story explores the labyrinth of the London Underworld, the friendship and collaboration of two well-known and gifted writers, the unfinished last work of Charles Dickens (“The Mystery of Edwin Drood”), and a purely fictional story of murder, mayhem, and misogyny.

Impeccably researched and filled with fast-paced prose I honestly felt like I was transported to Victorian England as I waited for the serialization of the next Dickens’s or Collins’s novel to appear on the newsstands. When Simmons walks us through the dark passages that conceal the underground cemeteries, opium dens, and catacombs of London we follow along. When he reports the train wreck at Staplehurst we experience the loss of life and limb on a personal level and we feel the victim’s pain. When he depicts the lives of the novelists we gain a sense of what life must have been like in their households.

I thoroughly enjoyed this fast-paced, page-turning phenomenon. You should too!

5 out of 5 stars


Related websites:

“The Mystery of Edwin Drood” Wikipedia Entry

Complete (and searchable) text of “The Mystery of Edwin Drood”

Wilkie Collins Wikipedia Entry

Wilkie Collins website

Charles Dickens – Gad’s Hill Place

Charles Dickens Wikipedia Entry

P.S. There are literally thousands of websites about Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins. A Google search will give you more than you could possibly read in a lifetime. Hopefully, my few listed sites are enough to satisfy your literary needs.

Happy reading!!

The Alternative
Southeast Wisconsin

A Few of the Most Important Science Fiction Websites on the Internet

Hugo Awards

Nebula Awards

Top 15 Greatest Science Fiction Writers of All-Time

IMDB Top 50 Science Fiction Films

Sci-Fi Lists

Goodreads Best Science Fiction Books

100 Greatest Science Fiction/Fantasy Novels

Best Science Fiction of the Decade

15 Best Time Travel Books

Baen Free Library

The SyFy Channel (Formerly Sci-Fi)

The Sci-Fi Site

Strange Horizons

Subterranean Press

Afterburn – The Very Best in Speculative Fiction

Infinity Plus

Infinity Plus A - Z

Science Fiction Fanzines on-line

Tor.com


Electric Velocipede Fanzine – Free Fiction

Free Speculative Fiction on-line

Ray Gun Revival

Science Fiction World of Jeffrey A. Carver (Cybersites List)

Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America

Free SF Reader List


Andromeda Spaceways Magazine

Science Fiction Site Directory

Ultimate Science Fiction Web Guide

Sci Fi Source

Center for the Study of Science Fiction

Great Science Fiction and Fantasy

Top 100 Sci-Fi Sites

Science Fiction Studies

Google Science Fiction Sites

Asimov’s Science Fiction (Magazine)

Masters of Science Fiction


Feminist Science Fiction

33 All-Time Best Cyperpunk Books

Cyberpunk Science Fiction

List of Steampunk Works

Steampunk Images

Steampunk.com Images

Steampunk Culture

Fantasy Magazine

Fantasy & Science Fiction Magazine


This ought to keep you busy for a while.

Please report broken links.

The Alternative
Southeast Wisconsin

Book Review - Old Man's War by John Scalzi

Old Man's War
John Scalzi
Tor Science Fiction
2007
Mass Market Paperback
320 pages

“Old Man’s War” is often compared to Robert A. Heinlein’s “Starship Troopers” but I enjoyed this much more (and I’m a huge Heinlein fan). And while it does resemble Troopers a bit I think that Joe Haldeman’s “Mind Bridge” and “The Forever War,” Frederik Pohl’s “Gateway,” and Jack Chalker’s Well World books are closer comparisons. What I mean by that is that John Scalzi has an “old Science Fiction soul” and this is the highest compliment I could pay any writer. An instant classic and a fun read!

My recommended series reading order:

Old Man's War Series
1. Old Man's War (2005)
2. The Ghost Brigades (2006)
3. The Sagan Diary (2007)
4. The Last Colony (2007)
5. Zoe’s Tale (2008)

4 ½ out of 5 stars

Scalzi websites:

http://whatever.scalzi.com/

http://www.scalzi.com/

http://www.scalzi.com/books/

You can read it on Google books here:
http://books.google.com/books?id=VxjRqB86hKYC&printsec=frontcover&dq=john+scalzi&source=bl&ots=VZS-1epq41&sig=bEeWj17cOwmJHIqDJfJ57NDNU2o&hl=en&ei=_WaQS7KRDYTklAewuIH8AQ&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=15&ved=0CDcQ6AEwDg#v=onepage&q=&f=false
Wikipedia site:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Man

SFReviews.net review:
http://www.sfreviews.net/oldmanswar.html

The Alternative

Southeast Wisconsin

Kage Baker, 1952-2010

We are saddened to report the death of Kage Baker, one of the finest SF writers of our time.

At Tor.com David Hartwell writes, "We are saddened by the passing of our esteemed author and loyal friend, Kage Baker (1952-2010), at home in Pismo Beach, California, after a difficult battle with cancer. A fine career has been cut short, and we and all SF and fantasy readers are poorer for it." Read his full piece for, among other things, the list of Kage's cool jobs and a few words on her books. Kage was a wonderful part of the Tor.com blogging team, and she will be missed by many.

More Here:
http://www.tor.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=blog&id=58739&j=22926151&e=dharmapoet@wi.rr.com&l=15162145_HTML&u=261499878&mid=83886&jb=0

And on her author site:
http://www.kagebaker.com/

Book Review - The Outpost by Mike Resnick

The Outpost
Mike Resnick
Tor Books
2002
Trade Paperback
ISBN: 0312875770
384 pages

Out along the edge of the galaxy is a quiet place known simply as “The Outpost.” It is a “Callahan”-type tavern (see the works of Spider Robinson) where heroes come to meet, share adventures, unwind, gamble, drink, perform various acts of sex, and tell tall tales after a long day of heroics. With names like Tomahawk, Catastrophe Baker, Hurricane Smith, and Three-Gun Max the characters are larger than life and live up to their names. There are so many characters and stories, in fact, that it becomes a bit blurred later on as to who did what when and to whom. Surprisingly, the large cast and multitude of stories really don’t matter as much as the fleshing out of the general dynamics of the group as a whole and their accomplishments.

What the frequenters of The Outpost don’t know is that the Commonwealth will soon be attacked by a marauding horde of cut-throat aliens.

The book is broken down into three sections of multiple vignettes (not quite short stories, but not exactly flash fiction either – so vignettes). Part One establishes many of the various characters who tell their stories in a series of tall tales. Part Two focuses on the war with the aliens and the individual battles fought by our heroes. Resnick shifts perspectives from the planets in the system to the tribulations of the various characters against the alien invaders. Part Three brings many of the characters back together at The Outpost after the war is over to tell and re-tell their own tall-tale adventures.

In addition, using literary license, Resnick inserts himself into the story in the guise of Willie the Bard, an unscrupulous Shakespeare-esque character who vows to skew the stories so that they tell a “more interesting” history thereby literally writing history rather than simply recording it.

Readers familiar with Resnick’s novels will get exactly what they expect: a well written and interesting story filled with memorable characters. New readers will be introduced to Resnick's universe through what amounts to a series of vignettes which, while not intertwined, complement each other and build on the same ideas about man’s place in the cosmos and purpose for living which according to Resnick is sex, gambling, fighting, and sex, not necessarily in that order.

The Outpost may be Resnick’s most assessable work for the newcomer. So, if you’ve never read any of his work this is a good place to start.

4 ½ out of 5 stars

Related Websites:

Related websites: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Outpost_(Mike_Resnick_novel)

Publishers page: http://us.macmillan.com/theoutpost

Mike Resnick Wikipedia page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mike_Resnick

Official Resnick page: http://www.fortunecity.com/tattooine/farmer/2/

Mike Resnick podcast interviews: http://www.thefutureandyou.libsyn.com/?search_string=Resnick&Submit=Search&search=1

ISFDB page: http://www.isfdb.org/cgi-bin/ea.cgi?Mike_Resnick

The Alternative
Southeast Wisconsin