I write reviews for The Unbound Underground which is an independent blog dedicated to the future of the written word. With the introduction of e-books, finding new stories, authors, and ideas has never been easier or more exciting. The Unbound Underground is here to help readers find the best of the new e-publishing community with insightful reviews of the most interesting, most intelligent and most fun books we can find in the electronic format.
Last Update: 8 weeks 4 days ago
"Unlikely Allegiances"
Dune pg 365 – 437
There’s a lot in this section of the book that would be interesting to talk about.
Paul’s problem of losing track of his place in time because of his memories of possible futures, for example, is brilliant and something I’ve always sort of wondered about time-travel. I always imagined time-travelers to be profoundly confused trying to sort out where they were. But to some extent time travel is easier because, unless we’re talking about the good Doctor of Doctor Who, time travel normally only goes one direction, and to one specific time. So once a time-traveler figures out where they are in a timeline, they can stop worrying about it for a while. Paul’s problem is so much more complex though. He is constantly negotiating where he is in relation to memories of events which have actually happened, and memories of future events which might happen, while also having to keep up with events which as they actually happen. Paul’s disorientation is part of what makes his prescience so interesting and unique.
But Paul’s issues with his prescience are only mentioned briefly in the first sixty pages of Book Three.
We also learn a lot more about the Fremens’ relationship with the sand worms, and how the Fremen have learned to live alongside them, and even make use of them. That’s a pretty cool scene too, and Herbert’s explanation of how the Fremen gain control over a sandworm is nicely thought-out. At that point, Herbert’s familiarity and focus on ecology starts to become more and more intrinsic to the story.
But I haven’t talked much about ecology up to this point. It’s much more an undercurrent and basis for the story than an evolution of plot or character. It could be interesting to talk about that too, but with so much else going on, ecology is hard to focus on. So I’m not going to…at least not at the moment.
So I thought instead we could revisit the theme of friends, traitors, allies and enemies that Herbert began hinting at as soon as the Atreides arrived on Arrakis. In Book Three, alliances and allegiances have become twisted in a lot of different ways.
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Review of “The Caline Conspiracy” by M.H. Mead
5 out of 5 stars: This book successfully mingles elements from science fiction and mystery with the attachment people have to their pets, to excellent effect. The authors have also created complex and interesting characters across the board, from central characters to minor ones. The people and the society of the book are well defined and well developed without being trite on one hand or over explained on the other. The balance in this book is really incredible, and the ideas and questions the book deals with have surprising depth and resonance with our present world. Also, flawlessly edited and formatted and intelligently written. This book offers a little something for an incredibly wide variety of people, and uses each element perfectly from beginning to end. It’s a book that defines what a 5 star book should be, and illustrates some of the great possibilities open to independent writers and audiences.
“The Caline Conspiracy” is a science fiction novel by Margaret Yang and Harry R. Campion, together writing under the pen name of M.H. Mead. The story begins when private investigator Aidra Scott is asked by a wealthy animal lover to investigate the murder of her husband by her beloved pet. The woman insists that the animal could never have committed such an act of violence, but Aidra isn’t convinced until she begins to understand exactly what kind of pet the woman is talking about. Madeline is what the woman calls it, and Madeline is a caline, a pet genetically engineered to compatibility with its owner. The company who creates and sells the calines are intent on putting Madeline down for the crime, but as Aidra learns more about the new species she’s more and more certain that GeCreations has other reasons to dispose of an innocent animal.
Review of "Bone Machine" by CN James
4 stars out of 5: All in all, “Bone Machine” is one of those rare books in which the quality of the ideas out-paces the quality of the writing. There are a lot of really interesting things implied and questioned by the events of the book, but Mr. James backs away from allowing readers to have an emotional connection to the story. I won’t give away the mid-novel events because Mr. James clearly means for readers not to see them coming, but they’re brilliant. The premise of the book is astonishingly awesome, but the execution is a little disappointing in comparison. Even though the book uses elements from science fiction and horror, it doesn’t quite live up to the promise of either. But for audiences you like smart science fiction, it’s worth a read even if what readers remember is the ideas and not the characters of the story.
“Bone Machine” is a novel by CN James about a science fiction future where semi self-aware robots have liberated much of the world’s workforce thanks to a visionary company named Libra Corp. Grayson Cornel believes in the benefits his company brings to the world, and has worked for the founders of Libra Corp since the beginning. But when Grayson is promoted to the position of distribution director, he becomes the target of the former holder of the position, Zoe Asher, who resigned days earlier by murdering a police officer and stealing the most protected of Libra Corp’s secrets. But Grayson has other problems too, a dying father, and a neglected fiancé, and it isn’t long before the stresses of balancing family tragedy with threats of corporate espionage take their toll on Grayson’s work. A single mistake could cost Grayson and Libra Corp everything, and it’s up to Grayson to make things right, even when the situation escalates in ways Grayson never imagined possible.
Muad’Dib: Why Science Fiction Can Be So Much More
Discussion of Pg 255-309
I knew the meaning of “Muad’Dib” before I started reading “Dune.” Actually, most people probably do, even those who have never heard of “Dune” or Frank Herbert. In this book, when Paul is given a Fremen name, he asks to be named for “the mouse that jumps” in reference to the irregular stutter-step pace which saved him from the sandworm. But the meaning of the name goes much further than that.
It didn’t occur to me until recently when a Russian-speaking friend mentioned that the name “Myshkin” from Dostoevsky’s “The Idiot” also means “mouse.” These are wildly different books, in wildly different genres by wildly different writers, but they both have main characters named after a mouse. Being the book nerd that I am, I couldn’t help but wonder why. My first thought was that names both refer to a constellation, which sounds about right for something out of a science fiction classic at least (we’ll have to talk about Dostoevsky some other time.) I’m not sure why stars were my first thought, but there isn’t a mouse constellation.
There is, however, a constellation that a lot of people mistake for a mouse, and the sign of the Rat in the Chinese zodiac. And here’s where a lot of crazy things start to fall into place…
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Review of "Willow Pond" by Carol Tibaldi
4 stars out of 5: An entertaining story with enough depth to hold readers’ attention without slowing down the exciting pace of the plot. Characters are believable and fresh and readers will identify with them, even if their perspectives are less nuanced or complex than they could have been. Dramatic historical events are handled with a narrative distance which makes the historical context seem somewhat unnecessary. But Ms. Tibaldi does a great job of creating strong women characters in her story and succeeds in giving detective, action and thriller genres a distinctly feminine twist.
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E-book Sharing: What You Can and Can't Do
Another fact I recently ran across that will be helpful to readers new to e-books has to do with book-sharing. Maybe you got really excited when you first got your e-reading device, and downloaded every free e-book you found the day after Christmas when you had time to play with your new toy. We’ve all been there. But a few months after Christmas, maybe you’re looking over your e-book collection and wondering if you can get rid of some of those titles you were less impressed with. You might wonder if you could re-sell your e-books the way you sold those old garage-sale paperbacks to that little used book shop years ago. You’re not alone there either. Lots of people have had the same idea that because they could resell print books back in the day, they can also resell their unwanted e-books.
Read the full explanation of e-book sharing at www.theunboundunderground.com
"Moonlight on the Nantahala" by Micheal Rivers
3 stars out of 5: A well-meaning book with its heart in the right place, but with some tragic missteps in execution that will deter some audiences. Readers who are already sympathetic to the subject-matter may find the book an emotionally gratifying experience. But audiences needing a more nuanced view of the characters or more tension in the plot will have a hard time finishing "Moonlight on the Nantahala" due to poorly realized characters and a lack of conflict.
Read the full review at www.theunboundunderground.com
"Five Amber Beads" by Richard Aronowitz
4 Stars out of 5: A great book to read slowly and meditate over, and maybe read again. It’s a great book for people interested in a sober look at how family and cultural events shape identity, even collective identity, and what it means to live without having a sense of either. The prose is not difficult, but it is unique in the language that it uses, which will please readers who have any kind of affection for poetry. And while “Five Amber Beads” is an amazing read that I would recommend without question, it is written in a particularly literary way which may not appeal to readers who prefer genres with more action or a faster pace.
Read the full review at www.theunboundunderground.com
R McClelland ∙ 49 weeks ago
4 stars for "Devil's Toll" by Malachi Stone
“Devil’s Toll” is Malachi Stone’s Christian fiction novel about the strange and troubled paranormal research of associate psychology professor, Steven Toddmann, and the small handful of friends who worry about Steven’s career choices and eventually his sanity. After the bizarre unexplained deaths of Steven’s para-psychological mentor and his beloved wife, Steven’s life goes off the rails. But after a year of grief and depression, Steven meets a lovely young student who shares his passion for the paranormal. He immediately grants her a position as his research assistant.
But as Steven listens to the wild tales the young woman tells of time travel, his fascination with and attraction to her deepens. But his romantic feelings for his research assistant, Hope, aside, Steven’s friends regard Hope’s time-traveler tales with suspicion. It falls to a reluctant Fred, Steve’s friend and lawyer in a case that involves Steve’s employment with the community college, to find out the truth of Hope’s identity. As Fred’s investigation and Steven’s relationship with Hope intensify, though, strange new facts come to light that put Steven’s job and Fred’s family in danger. Both men must ultimately uncover the truth of Steven’s paranormal theories, the strange death of his wife, and Hope’s identity before both Fred and Steve lose the things most precious to them.
4 out of 5 Stars: Throughout this book, Mr. Stone grounds the emotional and religious in a real world with complex characters, which makes this book interesting to think about, regardless of one’s religious persuasion. While I’m not sure that people who are not Christian, or Catholic will gravitate to this title, any who do will not be disappointed with the level of writing, characterization, and story-telling. The book is well told with an effective use of multiple perspectives, and the plot maintains an exciting pace. It’s a fun book, with a good sense of humor and an interesting perspective which should appeal to people who are genuinely interested in discussing religion.