Andrew Harlan, the insular protagonist in what is arguably one of Isaac Asimov’s best works, is a man who lives outside of time. Harlan is an Eternal, a member of a clandestine organization that exists outside of time, an organization that makes “necessary” changes to reality in order to ensure the very best for mankind. In this realm Harlan is one of the elite, a Technician, skilled in the art of making subtle adjustments that nevertheless send ripples through the stream of time. There is a solitary aspect to being a Technician that Andrew Harlan is ideally suited for, until one fateful assignment brings him in contact with Noys Lambent, a woman whose existence in real time calls into question Andrew Harlan’s vocation and the role of Eternity in the lives of humanity. And once Andrew Harlan falls in love, the very nature of time and Eternity may be irrevocably changed.

With more contemporary examples of stories involving the manipulation of time and matter and/or extreme governmental oversight into our lives (movies like Dark City, Gattaca and Minority Report spring to mind) it can be difficult to recommend a book like The End of Eternity. There is an argument to be made that the older work will have a ‘been there, done that’ feel to it and that a more modern work eliminates the dated elements of decades-old storytelling. When it comes to a work as well executed as The End of Eternity, I don’t buy that argument. One can easily posit that it is important to understand the history of science fiction and the foundational novels upon which more current stories are built. I certainly get that out of much of the classic genre fiction that I read and believe it to be a justifiable reason to read older works. But beyond the historical merits there are stories that simply should not be passed up because they are just too good to miss.

The End of Eternity is one such novel.

Continue reading The End of Eternity ~Isaac Asimov →

“This is the story of mankind clawing for survival, of mankind on the edge. The world outside has grown unkind, the view of it limited, talk of it forbidden.

But there are always those who hope, who dream. These are the dangerous people, the residents who infect others with their optimism.

Their punishment is simple. They are given the very thing they profess to want: They are allowed outside” ~Hugh Howey

It has been three years since Holston’s wife went outside. As Sheriff of the large underground Silo, Holston had seen his fair share of people sent out into Earth’s toxic atmosphere to clean—punishment for crimes committed. Far fewer choose that path on their own, the result of a mounting discontent with living in the confines of a hundred plus level subterranean city.

Whether voluntarily or as a sanction against wrong-doing, those released into the world outside are asked to clean. Cleaning is a process that involves the removal of the grit and grime that builds up over time on the Silo’s sensors, equipment set up on the surface that broadcasts a view of a distant hill and decaying structures to a few top level locations, the only visual connection humanity has with the outside world.

Holston has always wondered why the condemned choose to follow through with the cleaning. Without fail those released to the surface go through the ritual of the cleaning, though many swear mightily that they won’t do so. This mystery coupled with Holston’s ongoing investigation as to why his wife chose to leave their life together is wearing him down, and thoughts of making his own journey topside will not only change Holston’s life but will reverberate through every level of the Silo, affecting all protected within.

Hugh Howey’s expectation-defying self-published short story, Wool, spawned several reader-demanded follow up novellas–all of which are collected in the Wool Omnibus edition. Having read non-stop into the wee hours of the morning in order to finish this book I went to bed happy that I had yet to post my Best of 2012 list. For not only will Wool be on that list, there is a good chance it may be my favorite read of the year.

Continue reading Wool, Omnibus Edition ~Hugh Howey →

Author Ernest Cline’s debut novel, an homage to video games and 1980’s geek/pop culture, has been burning up the internet since its release in August of 2011. I have the distinct honor of being the very last person in the world to read it.

Yes, I’m being facetious, but that is the way it feels.

We all have those novels we can point to that we finally get around to reading, realizing all the while that it is inexplicable that we didn’t get to it long ago. I came of age in the 1980’s. My nostalgic hold on that time period has only grown stronger with each passing year. I have loved video games since the first time I sat in my uncle’s bedroom and played Pong. So really, any excuse would be a lame one.

I chose to experience Ready Player One via the unabridged audio for one very important reason: Wil Wheaton. I have become such a big fan of his over the last few years, first and foremost because of his autobiographical writing, and secondarily because of his ambassadorship of the geek culture that I love. I had checked this out from the library earlier in the year, had listened to five out of the thirteen CD’s, and had finally returned it unfinished after discovering that Witness Protection was my last option for dodging the tenacious library constabulary. I never got back to it, until this week when blogger Cori mentioned it in her Holiday Book Buying Guide. I did a drive-by on Monday, abducting the audio book from the library once more, and finished it last night after a five-hour listening marathon.

To Cori and to all of my other friends IRL and online: You were right. Ready Player One is a book I couldn’t help but love, debut issues and all. I will try to do a better job of listening to you next time (before making other inexplicable choices and missing out on discussing a book while it is a hot topic). 😉

Continue reading Ready Player One ~Ernest Cline →