Science Fiction/Fantasy

Adams, Richard. Shardik. Simon & Schuster, 1974.
How can a man be sure if he is dealing with the power of God? This is the question at the heart of Richard Adams' novel Shardik. The first of Adam's novels of the Beklan Empire, Shardik follows the adventures of the hunter Kelderek, a shy, self-effacing man who is content to hunt and keep to himself, until in one of his hunts he comes across an enormous wounded bear. The stories of his tribe have foretold that the power of God is manifested in the great bear Shardik, who had once lived among them and will return. Convinced that the bear is none other than Shardik, Kelderek reports this news to the priestess of his tribe. What follows means the end of his ordinary life and the beginning of a long spiritual journey full of adventures and trials. One of the fascinating aspects of the novel is that Shardik is indeed a bear and behaves like one, and yet his actions could be interpreted by one of his believers as manifestations of the will and power of God. However, to an unbeliever, Shardik is simply doing what bears do. Adams leaves it to the reader to determine whether or not there is anything supernatural in the creature; Kelderek is certainly changed forever by the risks and hardships he undertakes on Shardik's behalf. Power of God or plain, ordinary animal? Read Shardik and decide.

Asimov, Isaac. I, Robot. Doubleday, 1950.
Isaac Asimov made an enduring contribution to the lore of science fiction when he formulated the Three Law of Robotics, which state that 1)A robot must not harm a human being, nor through inaction allow a human being to come to harm 2)A robot must obey orders given it by human beings, except where such orders would conflict with the First Law 3)A robot must protect its own existence, except where this would conflict with the First and Second Laws. Within this framework of the Three Laws, Asimov gives us a collection of stories in which robots are not crazed killers or world-destroyers, but fascinating alternative life forms. A prominent recurring character in these stories is Doctor Susan Calvin, robopsychologist. Frequently sardonic and impatient with the faults of her fellow humans, Dr. Calvin is frequently called upon to explain robot behavior that is incomprehensible to humans who are fearful of robots and prejudiced against them. I, Robot radically affected the way robots are perceived in science fiction, to the point where the Three Laws are now an accepted "fact" of the science fiction universe. This is a must-read for science fiction/fantasy.

Bradbury, Ray. Bradbury Stories: 100 of his most celebrated tales. Harper Collins, 2003.
Nearly nine hundred pages of tales picked out by the Bradbury himself.  If you are already a Bradbury fan, then you don't need to be told that there are all kinds of amazing and strange and horrifying tales in this book.  If you are unfamiliar with him, then you are in for a treat.  'While The whole town's sleeping', prepare yourself for 'A Wild Night in Galway', where 'Any Friend of Nicholas Nickleby's is a Friend of Mine'. Remember!  'The Garbage Collector'  and 'The Man In the Rorschach Shirt' are preparing for 'The Miracle of Jamie' and the 'Last Rites' at the 'Zero Hour' planned to happen  'All on a Summer's Night'.  Be there to experience it all plus many more tales from a master storyteller.

Bradbury, Ray. The Martian Chronicles. Doubleday, 1958.
Just as immigrants came to America in search of a better life for themselves and their families, so the people of Earth seek out Mars in Ray Bradbury's The Martian Chronicles. This collection of short stories covers a period of several future years in which the first manned missions land on Mars through the time when Mars becomes a new promised land for immigrants. Naturally, there are darker sides to this mass exodus to another planet; for instance, the arrival of the humans causes a great deal of the indigenous Martian population to die of chicken pox--a trivial childhood illness for a human, but deadly to a Martian. Yet another eerie tale chronicles the revenge of a book collector who had fled to Mars to escape censorship and confiscation of his collection on Earth, and how he takes action worthy of Edgar Allan Poe when the censors follow him to Mars. No matter what the flavor of the story, Bradbury's lyrical prose and obvious enchantment with this fantasy vision of the planet Mars makes The Martian Chronicles an enthralling read.

Carroll, Jonathan. Black Cocktail. St. Martin Press, 1991.
Many of the covers of Carroll's novels contain a blurb from Pat Conroy proclaiming the author "a cult waiting to be born." Sleek and absorbing, this is a book that draws you in.
The plot dissects the occurrences in the life of Ingram York, an L.A. disc-jockey with a difference. As always, the major character here is a minor character elsewhere in Carroll's work, forming piece of what would almost seem to be an intricate collage of people and their interactions. Moreover, this is a book that probes the age old question "Who am I?", and actually dares to suggest an answer. A chain of events in York's life leaves him reeling in contemplation, and a chance introduction to a shadowy character named Michael Billa soon has him questioning things he once considered sacred and took for granted. Written with equal parts fantasy and dark comedy, this tale slowly slices through your heart until you find yourself shivering in the corner of the room. Here is one cocktail that will definitely leave you feeling intoxicated...

Carroll, Jonathan.  Bones of the Moon.  Avon, 1987.
Dreamtime effortlessly intersects with real time in this the first of the loosely connected Rondua trilogy (Sleeping in Flame; A Child Across the Sky). A beguiling young woman, Cullen James, narrates a tale of love and loss that never fails to delight, mystify and satisfy. In Cullen's parallel dream world of Rondua, a charming child named Pepsi and equally engaging talking animals go on a quest for magical bones that can save or destroy life. In the real-time world of New York City, life can be just as exciting and dangerous. "Axe Boy" Alvin Williams lives in an apartment upstairs, until he chops his mother and sister into pieces and is confined in a mental institute for the criminally insane. He later writes desperate letters to Cullen as part of his ill-advised therapy. Cullen's best friend, Eliot Kilbertus, a gay film critic who's as endearing as he is funny, introduces her to sexy Weber Gregston, a famous movie director who falls in love with her after she punches him out in response to an unwanted advance. And then there's Cullen's beloved husband, Danny, a gentle giant whose Italian basketball career was sidelined just around the time she became pregnant with Mae, their sweet baby who appears to intensify her Rondua adventures. When Cullen's serial dreams increase in vivid detail and make her face the consequences of past choices, both worlds catapult toward a final collision that's triumphant and tragic at the same time.

Carroll, Jonathan.  Panic Hand.  St. Martin’s Press, 1996.
"I want you frowning now, knowing something is very wrong with your parachute even before actually pulling the cord and praying it opens. P.S. It won't." So Jonathan Carroll addresses his readers in this much-awaited collection of 20 stories. Author of several wry and dark novels, Carroll has a considerable following, but his books are difficult to pigeonhole, so some horror and fantasy readers are still unfamiliar with him. This collection shows off his talents admirably, in tales that range from bittersweet sadness over God's failing memory, to a disturbing friendship between a dog and a dying child, to a macabre fantasy about how men and women manipulate each other. As The New York Times put it, "Carroll's world is one that is subtly out of kilter, and which can take a turn for the sinister at any time." This volume is winner of the 1996 Bram Stoker Award for Best Short Story Collection.

Carroll, Jonathan.  Sleeping in Flame.  Doubleday, 1989.
Actor Walker Easterling has a unique origin--and you'll never "guess" what it is until you immerse yourself into this thoroughly enjoyable albeit quirky read. It begins, much like Carroll's other novels, as a regular storyline. Suddenly, though, and without warning we are thrust into the unknown, with the main character. The author begins Walker's strange revelation with a single life-altering action; he dramatically rescues model-beautiful Maris from an abusive boyfriend. As his act of chivalry blooms into love against the romantic backdrop of Vienna, counter-productive events inhibit the relationship from reaching the "happy-ever-after" stage. Indeed the deepening of Maris and Walker's love for each other corresponds directly to Walker's awakening to a supernatural power which he discovers he has carried with him through a series of past-lives. Intrinsic to all these lives is the same element, a strong father-son bond broken by the love of a beautiful woman, but as Walker never knew his "real" father, he is puzzled as to how the story will play out in the life he is living now. With no strain to the reader's sensibilities, Carroll easily moves his story along like a cameraman flashing in and out of reality and dream sequences. The power of this novel exists beyond the boundaries of the printed page, and might not be completely evident with a first encounter. Nevertheless, Sleeping in Flame is a novel that works on several different levels. On the one hand, it is an entirely satisfying fantasy novel, complete with memorable characters and a quickly evolving plot. On the other, it offers an interpretation of reading, writing, survival, death and love that is particularly poignant. One of the most delightful parts of this novel, though, is the way in which these interpretations are presented to the reader. Readers may want to think deeply about some of the thematic issues that arise from this novel. Or they can just toss them aside and enjoy it as a well-crafted fantasy story. All in all this was a very pleasant read that I looked forward to picking up and was reluctant to put down.

Levine, Gail Carson. Ella Enchanted.  HarperCollinsPublishers, 1997.
Soon after Ella was born a fairy cast a spell on her so that she would always be obedient.  If anyone gave her a command she had no choice but obey. Ella's mother died leaving Ella and her less than attentive father and the household staff, including the cook who is a good fairy. Life became more trying for her as one of the other girls in finishing school realized that Ella must obey a direct command.  She gradually learned to cope with the curse/spell given to her.  The ability to learn languages helped her especially when she met the elves, ogres, giants and centaurs.  Prince Char's attraction to Ella grows and he comes to her aid when the ogres are holding her and later when she is a scullery maid for her step family.   Somehow she must break the spell but how and when she must  discover.

Niffenegger, Audrey.  The Time Traveler’s Wife. MacAdam/Cage Publishing, 2003.
This clever and inventive tale works on three levels: as an intriguing science fiction concept, a realistic character study and a touching love story. Henry De Tamble is a Chicago librarian with "Chrono Displacement" disorder; at random times, he suddenly disappears without warning and finds himself in the past or future, usually at a time or place of importance in his life. This leads to some wonderful paradoxes. From his point of view, he first met his wife, Clare, when he was 28 and she was 20. She ran up to him exclaiming that she'd known him all her life. He, however, had never seen her before. But when he reaches his 40s, already married to Clare, he suddenly finds himself time traveling to Clare's childhood and meeting her as a six-year-old. The book alternates between Henry and Clare's points of view. Niffenegger ably expresses the longing Clare feels as the one always left behind, the frustrations of their unusual lifestyle, and above all, her overriding love for Henry. Likewise, she evokes Henry’s fear as a man who never knows where or when he'll turn up, and his gratitude at having Clare, whose love is his anchor. The expressive, evocative writing conveys the protagonists' intense relationship, their personal quirks and their reminiscences, making this a fascinating read.

Robb, J.D. Naked in Death. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2004.
Being a cop in the twenty-first century should not be as violent as being one in the twentieth was, since all guns are banned and have become collectors' items. Lieutenant Eve Dallas of the NYPD is stunned to be called to a crime scene where the victim was killed by a gun. Not only is it a brutal murder, the victim, who happened to be the granddaughter of a powerful senator, is a prostitute with a wealthy and famous clientele. Roarke, one of the richest men in the world, was the last person to be seen with the victim. When Eve is sent a video of the murder and warned there would be others, she vows to find the murderer and make him pay. Danger, romance, and an impressive setting make this stimulating story a masterpiece of fine writing. This gem will hold the reader enthralled from the very first page. A treasure worth keeping, to be savored again and again.

Short, Dale. The Shining, Shining Path. Black Belt Press, 1995.
Turner is a washed-up rock concert promoter and Vietnam vet whose best gig at the moment is touring with a Troup of Tibetan Buddhist monks. Who would think that such a man could be "The Hope" who will save the world from destruction by the evil forces of a power called The Realm? Worse still, the epicenter of the coming apocalypse is right here in Alabama, near the farm where Turner grew up. Join Turner and the monks for a wild ride of comedy, tragedy, and suspense in Dale Short's The Shining Shining Path.

Turtledove, Harry.Ruled Britannia. New American Library, 2002.
One of the key events of history was the defeat of the Spanish Armada by the English forces in 1588. However . . . what if the Spanish had won? This is the premise of Harry Turtledove's Ruled Britannia. Famous as an author of alternative history novels, Turtledove depicts a fascinating and frightening England in which Elizabeth I is imprisoned in the Tower, Spain rules England, and William Shakespeare is a young playwright trying to earn a little money and keep clear of the Inquisition. But when he is approached by English revolutionary forces and urged to write a seditious play against the Spanish occupation, he has to examine his convictions and decide if revolution is worth the risk. What follows is an adventure of nail-biting suspense. Try Ruled Britannia for a look at how history might have been.

Wenzel, David. Fairy Tales of the Brothers Grimm. Nantier Beall Ninoustchine, 1995.
This book includes Little Snow White, The Three Sluggards and the Shoemaker and the Elves. The wonderful illustrations and minimal text make this an enjoyable and very quick reading experience. The pictures truly add to the impact of each story.

June 9, 2004