Dispatches From Elsewhere – a review

Well, it has been a while since the last post. Let’s be honest, this blog is catatonic at best. It will be useful once again because I really have to set up a review. Yep, I know that everybody and their cats are doing this stuff every day, and I know for sure that you don’t need to read another piece like this one. What you need is to see something worth your time and your money.

Think about what’s going on for a while. Great series everywhere, with all-star casts and enough FX to sink a battleship. Can you name without googling the last time the story impress you for real? Then again, can you remember the last time you see an episode without understanding what will come next? Originality is the name of the game if you want to make an impression in this market, and the team that delivered this product scored big time.

The usual factors are all in place, of course. People like Sally Fields and Richard E. Grant are granted to give acting lessons anytime, and I have to say that Andrè Benjamin really improved as an actor. I’ve never seen before Jason Siegel and Eve Lindley, both of them delivered their roles with a loud “bang!”. Add to the mix a spoonful of good characters, and you have it. You see, people are key here. And this will be the only piece of spoiler you will find here.

You see, I can’t tell you the story. Nor can I explain how much everything you will see or hear is connected with all the other elements. I can affirm, loud and clear, that this serial is much different from its competitors. Just remember the only hint I wrote in the previous paragraph and try your luck with this little gem. Odds are that you will thank me after the end.

Still here? Go away, this blog has to return to its beauty sleep.

 

Brian Pinkerton – The Gemini Experiment

Author: Brian Pinkerton

Title: The Gemini Experiment

Publisher: Flame Tree Press

[ARC copy, the book will be published in May 2019]

 

Synopsis:

Tom Nolan has just learned he is going to die. The young father is terminally ill and coming to grips with his fate until he is recruited into a privately funded, covert experiment. In a secret lab, Tom’s physical appearance is immaculately duplicated into a sophisticated robot. The robot will host the digitized consciousness of him. But when Tom’s replica escapes before the transfer can take place, he is faced with the horrors of an alter ego bent on death and destruction. As the experiment draws the attraction of spies, Tom is caught up in an international crisis with a showdown that could change the course of the world.

Review: 

The concept of a robot replica of a human being, perfect in every detail and equipped with a digital version of a human mind, is a long-standing trope in the science fiction narrative and a tough subject to approach given all the technical aspects and, more important, the ethics involved in such a project. It is also one of the most fascinating ideas of the modern era, suspended between the paradise of eternal youth and the hell of a possible Skynet-style future.

Brian Pinkerton chooses a narrow path, conceding little or nothing to the technical mumbo-jumbo and skipping most of the ethical questions. This book is about action, about the struggle of the main character to survive and squeezing out the good old “normal man in big troubles” pulp concept until the last drop. To say the least, it’s a bold move. The results are somewhat mixed. The plot runs smoothly, the rhythm is always fast, but there are some issues (see below, “cons”) that somewhat take me out of the book.

The pros of this novel are about a very well-conceived plot, its successful delivery to the reader and the action-oriented approach. We get a light science fiction/action thriller, with excellent management of plot twists. The Nolan family is well portrayed, the same can be said for many supporting characters.

The cons of this novel are basically three; the first is about the general feeling of being inside an ‘80s movie, that could be enjoyable but doesn’t work with the science fiction premise. The second is about the villains, that share the same ‘90s taste (to shout it out loud, USSR and modern-day Russia are very different!). The last is about action scenes, those are straight out a rerun of some Chuck Norris ‘80s movie. I love that stuff, but it’s totally outdated.

Where to find it: Flame Tree Press,  amazon.com

Vote: 06,50 / 10,00.

Michael R. Johnston – The Widening Gyre

Author: Michael R. Johnston 

Title: The Widening Gyre

Publisher: Flame Tree Press

[Advance reader copy, due to be published on March 2019]

 

Synopsis: Eight hundred years ago, the Zhen Empire discovered a broken human colony ship. Given a place to live by the Zhen, humans are safe. But it hasn’t been easy. Not all Zhen were eager to welcome another species, and humans have faced persecution. One of the first humans to be allowed to serve in the Zhen military, Tajen Hunt became a war hero but he failed in a crucial mission and resigned in disgrace. When Tajen discovers his brother has been killed by agents of the Empire, he and his crew set out to finish his brother’s quest: to find Earth, the legendary homeworld of humanity.

Review: 

Every now and then the Space Opera genre wakes up from its current day mediocrity, and something good shines under the light of a different star. This is what happened with this book, which has the predetermined potential to become the first of a series. The basic concept (see the synopsis) is not new, and the setting is also a well-known trope in the business, what shines is the craft of the author and his ability to create a real page-turner that releases here and there moments of fun alternate with a lot of well-depicted action.

Quite frankly, it’s not a back-to-the-basics novel. Space Opera was pulp action set in a science fiction environment (back off, this is my opinion!), most of the time centered on a likable character and a set of useful cardboards supporting actors. The gist was the struggle against big enemies, with a flamboyant third act to prepare the final triumph. In this book we got plenty of conflict, drama and almost impossible odds; but the characters are all well-portrayed, believable and “real” enough to keep the reader close to every page. Plus, we have a current level of complexity in the world building and a lot of hints about the backstory of the whole alien civilization in charge.

The plot is a crescendo, which is a tradition for a Space Opera. The difference between this book and many others is about the plot management. Every step, every bump-and-grind moment of the story, flows naturally with ease. That keeps the reader comfortable, well set in the story. The use of the first person is often criticized in a story full of action, but it works just fine in this novel. It’s an old trick, a way to tell the reader that there is always a way out for the main character. Just stick with Tajen Hunt and ride shotgun in his spaceship, the ride will be worthy of your money.

The pros of this book are based on a magnificent world-building, with a believable alien race. The backstory of the Zhen empire is solid, and it’s functional to the comprehension of their civilization. The main character development is also substantial, and the same applies to the main cast.

The cons of this book are about tropes. I know, it’s tough to create something new in a subgenre explored for decades, not to mention the movies. Let’s say that the ghost of Han Solo and the spirit of the Millenium Falcon are in their places, OK?

Where to find it: Flame Tree Press,  amazon.com

Vote: 07,50 / 10,00.

Daniel M. Bensen – Junction

Author: Daniel M. Bensen

Title: Junction

Publisher: Flame Tree Press

[Advance reader copy, due to be published on January 2019]

 

Synopsis: There’s a wormhole in New Guinea and, while much isn’t known, one thing is for sure – on the other side is a planet similar to ours, with a habitat suitable for life. Japanese nature show host Daisuke Matsumori will be one of the first to visit Junction, a patchwork planet of competing alien ecosystems. But his exploratory party crashes in the wilderness and members continue to die. What is causing these deaths? At first it seems clear that is must be an alien predator or the hazardous landscape, but Daisuke starts to wonder wheter human politics might be more deadly than alien biology.

Review: 

One of the significant challenges of science fiction is world building, a key factor for any novel-length work. If the author fails to deliver a believable world, then everything else fails, no matter how good could be the prose or how accurate could be the cast of characters. It’s a dangerous game, balanced between the need to portray something different from reality and the challenge to win the suspension of disbelief from the readers.

Daniel Bentsen apparently doesn’t like to play safe and starts this novel with a bang, placing a wormhole on Earth. That’s a bold move for sure, followed by another – on the other side of the wormhole (!), there’s a planet that connects an unknown number of wormholes (!!), each with a different ecosystem in the closeness.

Add to the mix one of the most peculiar cast of characters ever seen, set up as an exploration party in this strange new world, then put in a massive dose of well-built scientific speculation about different life forms and biochemistry (yay!) plus the familiar thrill of the adventure and a whodunit that leaves corpses scattered along the path. What do you get? Well, it’s one of the most unique science fiction novel in the last ten years or so. What’s even more interesting is that there is the potential for much more, for more novels or even a shared universe, all along the n-ways to get in and out of Junction.

The pros of this book are about originality, solid bases on real science (biochemistry), humor and some great choice in the development of the main characters.

The cons of this book are about a lack of perspective about the potential of such a discovery in the “real” world. We get a lot of hints about the tension between countries and such, but it’s the weakest part of the book.

Where to find it: Flame Tree Press,  amazon.com

Vote: 08,00 / 10,00.