A Fictional Skeptic

Books, Music, Movies, Photography

Posts Tagged ‘Reviews’

The War for All the Oceans

January 13th, 2010

Here in America we are pretty proud of the fact that we kicked British ass 200 or so years ago. I am here to say that it was a fluke. Well not a fluke but more of a happy accident, that we happen to get support from the French when we did was essential. Because, if our declaration of independence happened 25 years or so later than 1776 it would have been a pipe dream and stories would be told of how some rebellious dissenters were defeated quite easily. If at all remembered as anything other than a small skirmish in the Great War for Empire.

And we would be Canada Lite. » Read more: The War for All the Oceans

1 comment »

Posted in History, Reading, Recommendations, Reviews

Tags: book review History Reading Reviews

Nightstand Reviews: Scott Westerfeld

December 1st, 2009

I was introduced to Scott Westerfeld’s work by Jack Haringa. I am glad he did. And I’m glad I took his advice and picked up Westerfeld’s books. Most of the time when people recommend books to me I respond politely that I will check so-and-so author out and smile all the while not having any inkling to actually pick up the recommended book. Most books people recommend are crap (My recommendations aside, they are always on the money).

But Jack’s advice panned out. I have included four quick reviews of Scott Westerfeld’s books; Uglies, Pretties, Peeps, and The Last Days. All excellent books. I have also read of his The Midnighter Series, and the penultimate book in the Uglies Series, Specials, and I will be reading the final book in that series, Extras, soon.

No comments »

Posted in Authors You Need to Read, Books You Need to Read, Reading, Recommendations, Reviews, Science Fiction, Weird Fiction, Young Adult

Tags: book review nightstand review Reviews Science Fiction Young Adult

Fool by Christopher Moore

November 30th, 2009

I don’t remember King Lear having so much snogging. OK to be fair retelling the Lear story by Christopher Moore you have to expect a few differences. The aforementioned snogging, bawdy language (The Bard wasn’t shy of bawdy language either), lots of sarcasm and snark, and overall merriment along with a bloody ghost. There is always a ghost isn’t there?

Fool: A Novel takes the idea of retelling a Shakespeare play from the point of view of a minor character, much like Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard which I suppose you can compare Fool to other than Stoppard’s is a play and Fool a novel. But they are in the same vain.

I would say that the Stoppard play surpasses Fool but I’m not really here to do a comparison of the two works. Fine, in comparison, Stoppard’s play is wittier, has made the minor characters more interesting, and did it with more panache than Moore does with Fool. But that is not saying that Fool stinks.

It doesn’t. Not by a long shot.

» Read more: Fool by Christopher Moore