Tag Archives: book review

Blog, Book Reviews

Book Review: Beyond This Horizon by Robert Heinlein

Three centuries into the future, the human race has become a product of artificial selection through genetic engineering. The world has conquered poverty, crime, and most diseases and while there are still natural-born humans, they are generally considered inferior.

Despite this alleged Utopia, wealthy game designer Hamilton Felix questions whether mankind should even continue as a race. Felix is from a “star line”, the product of 300 years of tightly controlled genetics. Yet, when the District Moderator for Genetics, Mordan Claude, calls Felix to the Central Clinic to suggest that he take a wife and produce offspring, Felix balks.

Refusing to be easily dissuaded, Claude steers the attractive and willful Longcourt Phyllis in Felix’s direction, but while Felix slowly warms up to her, he comes into contact with a dangerous revolutionary known as McFee Norbert who is gathering forces to overthrow the government and institute their own version of a perfect world.

Despite Claude’s objections, Felix infiltrates the group, but can he and Claude stop the revolution when the rebels send forces to invade the Central Clinic?

A master storyteller, Heinlein does a deft job of revealing this new world as the plot develops, although the Beyond This Horizonstory is occasionally stifled by several pages—and an entire third chapter—of purely scientific (or pseudo-scientific) discourse in the form of dense info-dumping. This is something that would never make it past a contemporary editor, of course, but as an avid reader of golden age SF novels, I’m accustomed to it. At that time, it was fairly common in the genre. Modern readers might also stumble over Heinlein’s occasional use of what would now be considered archaic grammar, but, in such cases, meaning can easily be derived from context.

Published in 1948, Beyond this Horizon is one of Heinlein’s earliest novels and offers a glimpse into the imaginative and prescient mind of one SF’s legendary visionaries.

Blog, Book Reviews

Book Review: Peter Benchley’s JAWS

Typically, my book reviews provide a brief synopsis of the first half of the story and end with such questions as “Will the detective solve the murder?” or “Will the heroes accomplish _____ in time to save ____?”

In the case of JAWS, do I really need to do that? Well, believe it or not, I know a few people who have never seen the film. For them, I shall summarize.

A great white shark has staked a claim in the waters just off the shore of Amity, a fictional beach town on Long Island, NY. Despite pressure from Mayor Larry Vaughn and the selectmen of the town council, Police Chief Martin Brody closes the beaches after the shark kills three swimmers including twenty-something Christine Watkins, a young boy named Alex Kintner, and a 60-year-old man.

Harry Meadows, editor-in-chief of the town newspaper, recruits an ichthyologist named Matt Hooper from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute to assist in investigating the incidents. Meanwhile, local fisherman Ben Gardner is hired to catch the shark. Later, his boat is found abandoned a few miles offshore, but Gardner is never seen again.

Hooper borrows Gardner’s boat to patrol the waters in search of the shark and at one point after Brody reopens the beaches, another young boy narrowly escapes the shark while Hooper tracks it toward shore.

During this crisis, Amity’s economy declines rapidly. Summer home rentals are down, businesses suffer, and Mayor Larry Vaughn is unable to pay his “business partners” aka the Mafia. All the while, Chief Brody begins to suspect that his wife, Ellen, might have had an affair with Hooper not long after they met.

Finally, Meadows recommends that Brody hire a local shark fisherman named Quint to hunt down and kill the leviathan. Despite Hooper’s objections, Brody makes the call. Quint agrees, but doubles his fee. Brody and Hooper join Quint on an expedition that takes place over several days. Finally, after the second or third day, the shark reveals itself but eludes Quint’s harpoons. Surprised by the shark’s intelligence, Quint and Hooper try different tactics to bring the shark in closer for the kill—but will their efforts prove fatal to themselves as well as the shark?

I had not read JAWS in probably 25 years and had forgotten just how disappointing the novel is compared to the film, which I’ve seen well over 200 times by now and can quote almost verbatim. With possible exception of Chief Brody, none of the characters in the book are likable. They range from the annoying and vain (Ellen Brody) to the callous (Quint, Meadows, even Chief Brody and Hooper at times) and despicable (Vaughn). There is absolutely no character development at all, and I can see why, while reading the novel back in 1974, Steven Spielberg said that he was rooting for the shark to win.

Overall, the narrative and dialogue are lackluster, but the descriptions of the shark attacks and the final showdown in the last two chapters are compelling. Some chapters ended in brief vignettes that are completely unrelated to the plot, but were intended to show the dire effects of the shark’s presence near Amity. I found these to be unnecessary and distracting.

Without spoiling the novel, I would like to point out just some differences between the book and the film since the latter contained over 20 scenes that were not in Benchley’s original story.

At the behest of Spielberg, the characters as depicted in the film were far more affable. The subplot of the mayor’s ties to the Mafia was eliminated, as was Ellen Brody’s familiarity with Matt Hooper.

In the novel, it’s Hooper who does most of the chumming aboard the Orca, not Brody, and at the end of each day, Quint brings the boat back to port. He sees no need to remain on the water overnight, as was done in the film. Chief Brody never says the famous line, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat,” and Quint never addressed the citizens at the town hall meeting, nor was he a survivor of the USS Indianapolis.

Also, the Brodys’ three kids are barely featured in the novel, and even then, only at home. That wonderfully tense scene of the shark attacking the sailboat in the “pond” and knocking Brody’s oldest son into the water was created strictly for the film.

There are many other differences, surrounding Hooper and the fate of the shark, but I’m done telling this fish story!

 

JAWS Book Covers and Movie Poster

Book Reviews, Uncategorized

Book Review: The Machineries of Joy by Ray Bradbury

As usual, Ray Bradbury writes in splendid imagery, his prose poetic. No one else wrote, or will ever write, like Bradbury.

Yet, I fear most of today’s editors would likely slash and gut much of his beautiful detail, carving the very heart from his work. Such are the changes in readers’ tastes, which I partly blame on the dumbing down of society.

The Machineries of Joy was, not surprisingly, a joy to read. Of the 21 brilliant stories included, my favorites were:

“Tyrannosaurus Rex” — A stop-motion animator, tasked with creating a miniature T-Rex, just cannot seem to satisfy a film producer—until he completely recreates the beast’s face to resemble someone very familiar.

“The Vacation”— Traveling atop a small four-wheeled workman’s railcar, a family of three takes a serene cross-country excursion, able to avoid the rest of humanity—because they are the last people on Earth.

“Boys! Raise Giant Mushrooms in your Cellar!”— Inspired by an ad in Popular Mechanics, a boy sends away for a kit to grow mushrooms in his parents’ cellar, something that seems to be catching on across the country. However, it isn’t long before alarming behavior begins to manifest in those who eat the mushrooms.

“Almost The End Of The World” — Two miners return home to regale the locals with yet more tall tales of adventure only to find their town completely changed. Everything is freshly painted from homes to shops to flower pots—and the locals suddenly prohibit the miners from uttering a word.

“And The Sailor, Home From The Sea” — A dying sea captain and widower, now living on a wheat farm far from the ocean, asks his caretaker to bury him at sea where he lost his wife so many years ago. When the time comes, the caretaker follows through—without ever leaving the farm.

“A Miracle of Rare Device” — Two schemers always looking for a fast buck discover a mirage in the New Mexico desert that appears to be New York City! They begin selling tickets to passersby, only to learn that each person sees something completely different—and life altering—in the trick of light and heat.

“And So Died Riabouchinska” — A detective investigating a murder questions a ventriloquist, but only learns the truth through the man’s exquisite Russian female puppet.

“Death and the Maiden” — Old Mam, or so the townsfolk call her, locked herself in her house decades ago, fearing the day when Death would come for her. She receives no visitors save for a grocery clerk who merely delivers food to her porch once every few weeks. When Death finally arrives, he tempts Old Mam with an unexpected offer.

“To The Chicago Abyss” — A homeless man who remembers what life on Earth was like before Annihilation Day is saved from a beating on the street by the member of a secret movement that wishes to return to the days of old. The homeless man’s reputation has fallen under the scrutiny of the authorities so the movement’s followers send the homeless man to a place of safety, but not before he imparts his knowledge to them.

“The Anthem Sprinters” — In Dublin, a group of Irishman place bets on who can run out of the cinema the fastest after a movie, in order to avoid listening to Ireland’s national anthem, which is played after the end of every film. When an American tourist is convinced to ante up and join the fun, he finds that even this callous group has a heart of gold.

 

Machineries of Joy by Ray Bradbury

Blog, Book Reviews

Book Review: Mr. Monk Helps Himself

Life has changed for Natalie Teeger. After leaving San Francisco months ago to work as a temporary police officer in Summit, New Jersey, Natalie’s career in law enforcement has advanced beyond the role of mere assistant to renowned detective Adrian Monk.

Upon returning to San Francisco, Natalie sets her sights on passing the P.I. exam and becoming Monk’s partner.  As a first step in that direction, she begins calling him Adrian instead of Mr. Monk. This does not sit well with the obsessive-compulsive detective who hates change.

If there’s one thing that Monk hates more than change, it’s clowns. When part-time clown Dudley Smith—aka J.P. Tatters—dies after handling cash coated in poison, SFPD Captain Leland Stottlemeyer calls Monk in to consult.

Meanwhile, to help bolster her confidence and reduce her stress before taking the P.I. exam, Natalie turns to celebrated self-help guru Miranda Bigley, creator of the Best Possible Me program. Along with Monk’s new girlfriend Ellen, Natalie visits Miranda’s campus known as the Sanctuary. There, Miranda and her husband Damien teach several workshops including yoga, meditation, and self-affirmation.

On the day that Monk turns up at the Sanctuary to dissuade Natalie from joining this “cult”, Miranda Bigley leaps to her death in front of dozens of witnesses. It isn’t long before Natalie suspects that Miranda might actually have been murdered, but she is unable to enlist Monk’s help since he reluctantly agreed to assist Stottlemeyer track down the clown’s killer. Thus, Natalie recruits Ellen to infiltrate the Sanctuary in search of the truth surrounding Miranda’s death.

This is the first MONK novel written by Hy Conrad, who not only took over from the fabulous Lee Goldberg, but also wrote for the TV series. I missed the final two installments penned by Goldberg, but Conrad does an admirable job of filling in background details. In my humble opinion, this is not the best of the MONK novels, but I’ll give Conrad kudos for his first try. He maintains crisp pacing throughout the story and, with few exceptions, the same humorous banter between the characters as seen in the TV series. Even though all of the MONK novels are told from Natalie’s first-person POV, Mr. Monk Helps Himself is focused far more on her than on Monk, which might turn off some readers.

Mr. Monk Helps Himself

 

Book Reviews

Book Review: No Doors, No Windows by Harlan Ellison

There are quite a few excellent entries in this collection of what Harlan considers his suspense and mystery tales. I would argue that some of these are crime dramas with a twist. One entertaining story in particular, Eddie, You’re My Friend, seems to be the odd one out as it does not fit the theme of this anthology.

I found it hilarious—and typical of Harlan—that the introduction is 40 pages, about four times longer than the average story in the book!

My favorites include:

Status Quo at Troyden’s – When Mr. Huggerson’s monthly check from his son is $20 less than usual, he worries that he will not be able to afford rent and food. After working up the temerity to ask his landlord for a reduction in rent, Huggerson ends up in a position he never expected.

Nedra at f:5.6 – Veteran photographer Paul Shores has photographed countless women in his career. Nowadays, the most gorgeous models—nude or otherwise—no longer arouse him. Then along comes Nedra, and everything changes. She agrees to pose for him—and much more. Yet, there is something odd about her pictures…

Toe the Line – Professional car thief Eddie Cappen is finally getting out on parole and thanks to the warden’s favorite catchphrase, Eddie conjures a nearly foolproof method for jacking cars—until he makes a fatal mistake.

Pride in the Profession – Ever since he witnessed his first hanging at the tender age of eight, Matthew Carty became fascinated by the art and science of the gallows. Years later, Matthew builds a reputation as a master executioner—until his final job shows him that even the best make mistakes.

The Children’s Hour – With the Earth on the brink of destruction, the United Nations meet to discuss matters of peace. Somehow, a horde of children manages to enter the hall and disrupt the meeting with a simple warning: stop fighting or we’re leaving the planet.

Thicker Than Blood – After a poor business decision, Roger Singer finds himself $12,000 in debt. After his pleas for help are rejected by his wealthy in-laws, Roger hatches a dangerous scheme against them.

Ormond Always Pays His Bills – After his secretary learns of his corrupt business practices, corrupt construction company owner Hervey Ormond murders her and attempts to dispose of the body—using his company’s concrete. However, Ormond soon learns how much of an utter bitch karma can be.

Tired Old Man – While attending a party of has-been writers, successful author and screenwriter Billy Landress encounters veteran suspense writer Marki Strasser. After an intense and deeply personal conversation, Billy steps away to get a glass of water for Strasser, only to find him gone—or was he ever there to begin with?

No Doors, No Windows Cover Art by Barclay Shaw
No Doors, No Windows Cover Art by Barclay Shaw

 

Blog, Book Reviews

Book Review: Lester Del Rey’s NERVES

Old Doc Ferrell can’t even spend a day off with his wife and son. The National Atomics nuclear facility in Kimberly, Missouri is scheduled to undergo a government inspection and the plant manager, Allan Palmer, needs his chief physician present to handle the suits.

Worse, inspections make the men nervous and nervous men make mistakes.

There was already a bill under review in Congress to move the entire facility to a remote location, away from the dense civilian population that is currently enjoying the inexpensive power generated as a by-product of the plant’s operations. Palmer wants nothing more than to prove the safety of nuclear power. As such, he wants his best people present.

Giving up his day off, Ferrell enters the plant to find minor injuries already in progress, adroitly handled by the nursing staff. However, during the inspection, an accident occurs that leaves one man badly burned.

To make matters worse, a routine testing of one of the converter chambers by chief scientist Mal Jorgenson uncovers the presence of highly volatile and deadly “Isotope R”, otherwise known as Mahler’s Isotope. Jorgenson sounds the alarm, but not before becoming trapped inside the converter chamber, his armored Tomlin suit his only protection against the fatal radiation.

Palmer orders a rescue mission to retrieve Jorgenson, the only man in the plant who knows the best method to stop Mahler’s Isotope from destroying not only everything in a fifty-mile radius, but perhaps the entire eastern United States!

After a massive and dangerous effort by several of the plant’s crew (aka “atomjacks”), Jorgenson is pulled from the wreckage of the converter chamber and brought to the Infirmary where a heart massage is the only way to keep him from certain death, but when his heart fails to respond, Doc Ferrell and his team must turn to an unorthodox—and untested—solution.

Stories from the golden and transitional ages of speculative and science fiction have always been my absolute favorites. Asimov, Bradbury, Clarke, Ellison, Heinlein, Niven, the list goes on. Over the past two years or more, I’ve made a deliberate effort to expand my knowledge by including such writers as Philip José Farmer, Joe Haldeman, and Lester Del Rey, founder of Del Rey Publishing.

While I enjoyed The Best of Lester Del Rey anthology, I think it’s fair to say that NERVES is not one of his best works. Fortunately, it’s a short novel at only 153 pages. Sentence structure was occasionally awkward, character development non-existent, and I’m not entirely confident that Del Rey had a full grasp of the true nature of radiation exposure and its effects on the human body, although I will give him credit for an engaging description of the rescue and cleanup work after the accidents. I was a bit perplexed that there was only one expert on Mahler’s Isotope in the entire facility. I suppose having another would have invalidated the entire plot.

Overall, I’d recommend skipping this one, but I will absolutely read more from Lester Del Rey.

Lester Del Rey Nerves Book Cover