The Sea of Rails

The 50% of my readership that has enjoyed China Miéville's writing will be glad to hear that he has yet another novel coming out this May, 12 months after Embassytown was published. The new book, Railsea, is, as the blurb indicates, a recasting of Moby-Dick into a fantasy setting. What the blurb doesn't indicate is that the book is aimed at young-adult (and older) readers. I'm looking forward to reading it.

Music Comma Paired

Well, gentle reader, it's time for another of my updates on my lates musical fascinations. This time, I've found myself repeatedly listening to two or sometimes three songs from the same album, so I thought I'd frame today's post in pairs.

• "End of Me" by Apocolyptica featuring Gavin Rossdale, and "Broken Pieces" by Apocalyptica featuring Lacey Sturm, both from the 7th Symphony album. You may recognize the featured vocalists as the frontpeople of Bush and Flyleaf respectively. These songs combine classical string instruments with contemporary style and lyrics. Of course I enjoy them.
• "What You Want" and "My Heart is Broken" by Evanescence, both from the band's self-titled album. These two tracks have all the traits of Evanescence pieces I've enjoyed in the past.
• "Immigrant Song" by Karen O, Trent Reznor, and Atticus Ross as well as "An Itch" by Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross from the soundtrack to The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. "Immigrant Song" is, of course, a cover, but I really enjoy the extra electronic sounds and "noise" layered on to this version. They really give it an unsettled, busy feeling that seems right. This track was used in one of the trailers and over the Bond-like title sequence of the film. "An Itch" has a completely different mood and tempo, but it still feels, as its name suggests, agitated and ill at ease. I like that. I wonder if Mr. Reznor has a second Academy Award in his future.
• "Heavy in Your Arms" and "Dog Days are Over" by Florence + the Machine, both on the Lungs (Deluxe Edition) album. "Dog Days" is very up-tempo, which seems out-of-character for Florence and Company. "Heavy," which is not available on the regular version of the album, is much more sedate, and it's certainly the standout on the Deluxe Edition. I was a little disturbed to learn that it was used in the soundtrack to one of the Twilight movies. Because of (a) that discovery, (b) the fact that I was working my way through the Hunger Games books when I first encountered the song, and (c) that I seem to associate all female-led, young-adult novels with each other, this track has become linked in my mind to Katniss Everdeen and the nation of Panem.

So that's what I've been listening to recently. How about you, gentle reader?

Prometheus

Speaking of trailers, the one for Prometheus, Ridley Scott's maybe-prequel to Alien, has just gone live. Check it out. See if you notice any similarities to this trailer for Alien.

By the way, do any Browncoats out there think the ship in the trailer looks a lot like a Firefly-class freighter?

The Hobbit Returns

As you may know, Peter Jackson is bringing an adaptation of The Hobbit to the big screen, and he's splitting the story into two films. The trailer for the first of these two movies, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, has just gone live. I must say that, after a few-year break, I am officially re-excited about the Lord of the Rings universe.

A Trailer Parked by the Cabin

The first trailer for Joss Whedon's upcoming horror flick, The Cabin in the Woods, is now available on the Tube of You. I can say, with only a small risk of spoiling anything for those of you who don't watch the trailer, that the movie appears to be a little more science fiction and a little less fantasy than I was anticipating.

Now, who wants to go see it with me in April?

Boneshaker: The Motion Picture

Cherie Priest has just announced that her steampunk zombie adventure, Boneshaker, is being made into a motion picture. There's even a screenwriter attached already. Follow that first link for more details and this one for a few more.

Having enjoyed Boneshaker and the other stories in Priest's Clockwork Century series, I'm quite chuffed about this news.

Abstruse Goose

I've been enjoying Abstruse Goose ever since Pat recommended it to me. This comic strip occupies much the same parameter space as my long-time favorite, xkcd, but it is its own comic. I found today's stip particularly amusing and thought-provoking.

The Avenging Whedon

I'm inclined toward zero interest in the upcoming Avengers movie. I mean, big team-up films never seem to work, and most of the characters are left without anything important to do. Shoot, that was a problem with many of the Star Trek films, and those weren't even team-ups, except for Generations. Only one thing has me excited about this film, but that one thing has me very excited. That thing is Joss Whedon. This recent interview reminded me why he has me eager to see this film.

The Cabin Comes Out of the Woods

Whodonites in the readership may recall that Joss Whedon's "horror movie to end all horror movies," The Cabin in the Woods, was scheduled to be realeased late in 2009. Then it was rescheduled for early in 2011, so that it could be converted to 3D. Then, it's studio, MGM, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, and the film was put on hold. Well, now Lionsgate has acquired the distribution rights, and, once again, TCITW has a release date: April 13, 2012. We'll have to wait almost a year to see if the film actually gets released then.

The Knights of Badassdom

It appears that LARPers are getting their own movie, courtesy of Summer Glau.

Book Review: Tau Zero

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

The Setup

Tau Zero was published by Poul Anderson in 1970, though I didn't get around to reading it, in e-book form on my iPhone, until this spring. The story follows the crew of a Bussard ramjet on the way to colonize a planet circling a nearby star. Sadly, the plan goes awry.

What I Liked

• The scale of the story is quite grand.
• The vision of a few dozen people hurtling through intersteller space in a small, claustrophobic ship are well realized.
• Some implications of relativistic travel are interestingly explored.

What I Disliked

• The characters are not well fleshed out.

The Bottom Line

Tau Zero was a very enjoyable read. I give it 8.0 out of 10.

Darmok and Jalad

As a fan of xkcd, Star Trek, and metaphors, I was quite tickled by Monday's xkcd comic.

Rapid-Fire Audiobook Reviews

Since I don't anticipate having time, in the near future, to give each of these audio books a full-blown review, I'm posting short-form reviews here.

Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi.

An engaging story set in a well-realized universe. This novel is positioned as a young-adult book, but it doesn't underestimate its reader. 7.5 out of 10.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi.

The premise for this story, which is set in the same universe as Ship Breaker, but on the other side of the Earth, is compelling, and the worldbuilding is impressive. However, the characters weren't identifiable and the story was too slow. I just couldn't get into it and stopped about two thirds of the way in. 3.5 out of 10.

Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear.

The premise of this story is intriguing. Unfortunately, since the narrator and all the other characters have no idea of what's going on around them, the plot comes off as a muddled mess. 5.0 out of 10.

Rainbows End by Vernor Vinge.

This story is set in the same universe a Fast Times at Fairmont High, and it includes at least 5 of the same characters. Interestingly, 2 of the main characters are substantially revamped for this novel. The worldbuilding is typical of Vinge, which is to say impressive. The story is exciting, as well. 8.5 out of 10.

The WWW Trilogy (Wake, Watch, and Wonder) by Robert J. Sawyer.

An interesting story set in the very near future. The main character is so likable that I didn't mind reading from the perspective of a teenage girl. Sadly, there's a bit too much teen-girl drama. 7.5 out of 10.

Roland

Some of you may have heard of Ron Howard's plans to adapt Stephen King's Dark Tower series as film trilogy and a concurrently airing television series. Well, the role of the central character, the gunslinger Roland, has been officially given to Javier Bardem. So, there you go.

Venge's Revenge: Children of the Sky

Great news, everyone. Vernor Vinge has finally written a sequel to A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky, two novels that sit on my top-ten list. The news addition, Children of the Sky, apparently takes place on Tines World a decade after the end of AFUTD. I can't tell you how excited I am about this news.

My only complaint about the first two books is that the titles are so similar that I have to think about the difference between the Deep and a deepness, within this universe, in order to remember which is which. Vinge's only helping me a little on this front, when it comes to the latest novel's name. Oh well.

If you are wondering why I've used the "dogs" subject tag on this post, well, you need to read AFUTD to find out.

Incidentally, Vinge's unrelated novel, Marooned in Real Time, is also among my favorites. I'm currently "reading" Rainbows End via audiobook, and just this morning, I heard a fourth-wall-breaking throwaway reference to the Tines and the Unthinking Depths. Hilarious.

Embassytown: Chapter the First

In other news about one of my favorite authors, the prologue and first chapter of China Miéville's upcoming science-fiction novel, Embassytown, are available online. I found this excerpt very intriguing; there are so many questions I want answered. I'm excited to read the rest of the book.

Scalzi News

Those of you who care about John Scalzi are probably aware of this recent news, but I thought I'd share it to be sure.

First, if you've enjoyed his books in the Old Man's War universe, you'll be interested to know that Paramount Pictures has acquired the film rights to OMW, and Wolfgang Petersen is attached to direct.

Second, on Monday, Scalzi finished a new novel set in a new universe. Details are scarce, but its on the lighter end of the spectrum of his works.

So, that's all the news that's fit to Scalzi.

Book Review: Bloodshot

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

The Setup

Bloodshot is Cherie Priest's latest novel to be published. It's not a member of any of her previous series, such as the Clockwork Century. I reviewed those stories stories here, here, here, and here. Instead, this urban fantasy story follows paranoid-but-reckless vampire thief Raylene Pendle's investigation of a secret government program, encounter with a Cuban drag queen, and interactions with not-so-adorable street urchins.

What I Liked

• The writing style is much more in keeping with what Priest posts to her blog than with what she has used in the Clockwork Century stories. The casual and funny style in this book is much more appropriate for the contemporary setting and subject matter than the somewhat Victorian style of her steampunk stories.
• The main character is likable and funny, and her various personality quirks and---some would say--flaws make her interesting.
• The plot includes a number of twists and turns that keep the reader from becoming bored.
• The pacing is very good. From just a few pages in, the story moves along sharply.
• The book is an easy, fast read. I don't mean that it's written at a grade-school level. Rather, the fast-moving story and casual writing style make the pages just fly by.

What I Disliked

• The setup is a little trite. It seems like vampires appear in 50% of the books, TV shows, and movies produced in the past four years. In particular, I feel like I've seen a vampire thief somewhere before. I may be thinking of the Angel, who is actually a vampire detective, which isn't too different. Still, as I said, Priest certainly makes the character interesting and the plot engaging.

The Bottom Line

Overall, I give Bloodshot 8.0 out of 10. It's not a challenging, thought-provoking novel, but it is a very fun read. Like all of Priest's books, as soon as I put this one down, I wanted to know when her next book was due. Fortunately for me, she's a prolific author. Ganymede, the next Clockwork Century novel, is due out later this year, as is Hellbent, the sequel to Bloodshot. Priest is currently working on Inexplicables, another story from the Clockwork Century, as well as some secret project. Ms Priest can count on me to read them all.

Firefly Returns to TV

But not the way you've hoped. The original show will be broadcast in the originally intend order, in high definition, and with interstitial "bonus" material on the Science Channel beginning in March. That's good news, I suppose, but my favorite part of this story is when Nathan Fillion tells what he would do if he won the lottery.

Audiobook Review: The Half-Made World

(This review contains no significant spoilers.)

The Setup

Felix Gilman's The Half-Made World could be described as steampunk, but instead of taking place in an alternate history with advanced steam- and clockwork-powered technology, it takes place in an alternate reality, where supernatural forces are prominent and steampunk-like technology also exists. The story is set on a continent, which I think of as an alternate North America, that is slowly being created along its westward edge. Civilized nations lie along the east coast, especially in the northeast. On the west coast, the laws of nature have not quite settled down, that the distinctions between plant and animal, the phases of matter, natural and supernatural, are not strict. Between the coasts is a vast frontier that serves as the setting for a 400-year-long war between the forces of Gun and Line.

The Line is a mechanized, industrial society ruled by a few dozen Engines, each of which is inhabited by an immortal demon. The Gun are also immortal demons of similar numbers, but they choose to inhabit pistols and rifles. Each Gun is carried by an Agent, whose speed, strength, senses, and healing are all enhanced by their masters' influence. The Line's forces number perhaps in the hundreds of thousands, while there are only as many Agents as there are Guns. The Line represents order, the Gun, chaos. But it's not that simple.

Also present on this continent are the aboriginal First Folk, supernatural not-quite-humanoids with access to their own demonic powers. The Red Valley Republic, which attempted to carve out an independent existence, was destroyed decades ago, but its presence is still felt on the continent.

The story follows John Creedmoor, Doctor Liv Alverhyusen, and---best title ever---Sub-Invigilator (Third Class) Lowry as they each set out on a mission of their own or their masters' choosing.

What I Liked

• The universe Gilman created for this story is very interesting. The nature of the demonic forces and the unfinished state of the western edge of the continent are particularly intriguing.
• The story itself is both interesting and exciting. It rarely drags.
• The writing style seems very appropriate for the subject matter.
• The characters are interesting and distinct from each other. In particular, Creedmoor is a lot more than the by-the-numbers charming rogue he could have been.
• The narrator, Tamara Marston, does an excellent job of giving the characters distinct voices and deliveries. In particular, her rendition or Marmion is enjoyable.

What I Disliked

• The pace does slow down more than I'd like sometimes, but that's usually only for a short time.

The Bottom Line

Overall, I give The Half-Made World 8.5 out of 10. It's imaginative, fast-paced, and satisfying. I highly recommend it. In particular, it seems like exactly the kind of story Alison would enjoy.