Books: Star Wars: Thrawn By Timothy Zahn (2017)

“After Mitth'raw'nuruodo –or Thrawn- is rescued from exile by Imperial soldiers, his deadly ingenuity and keen tactical abilities swiftly capture the attention of Emperor Palpatine. And just as quickly, Thrawn proves to be as indispensable to the Empire as he is ambitious; as devoted as its most loyal servant, Darth Vader; and a brilliant warrior never to be underestimated. On missions to rout smugglers, snare spies, and defeat pirates, he triumphs time and again—even as his renegade methods infuriate superiors while inspiring ever greater admiration from the Empire. As one promotion follows another in his rapid ascension to greater power, he schools his trusted aide, Ensign Eli Vanto, in the arts of combat and leadership, and the secrets of claiming victory. But even though Thrawn dominates the battlefield, he has much to learn in the arena of politics, where ruthless administrator Arihnda Pryce holds the power to be a potent ally or a brutal enemy. All these lessons will be put to the ultimate test when Thrawn rises to admiral and must pit all the knowledge, instincts, and battle forces at his command against an insurgent uprising that threatens not only innocent lives but also the Empire’s grip on the galaxy—and his own carefully laid plans for future ascendancy. “

Out of all the books that came out post Return of the Jedi, everything that encompassed what became known as the Star Wars Expanded Universe, Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, and The Last Command remain many fans favorite series of books (and where the first ones as well). And a lot has to do with Thrawn, who became one of the most captivating villains the EU ever unleashed. But while he was an exciting new character at a time when Star Wars was in need of revitalization, not much of Thrawn’s past was revealed in those three earlier books. And for many fans, that hope was diced when Disney acquired Lucasfilm and the Mouse House announced not only a new trilogy of films, but the old Expanded Universe books would be abandoned (though never gone, as they would be rebranded as “LEGENDS”) for a new canon-approved novels that would adhere to a continuity never done before (as with most external media like novels and games associated with franchise, they sat “outside” the TV or movie universe).

But over the years, some elements of the old EU began to pop up in the new canon approved books (or what I call Expanded Universe 2.0). Some situations, some minor elements began to be added and since both animated series The Clone Wars and Rebels were considered canon, this became the perfect arena to reintroduce Thrawn. And so, in the third season opener of Rebels in 2016, Thrawn was folded into the new official Star Wars Canon.

This also allowed Timothy Zahn to revisit and give us an origin story of the Chiss admiral.

Star Wars: Thrawn is a good novel, well paced and very fun to learn of Mitth'raw'nuruodo beginnings. For me, I really never saw Thrawn as villainous –he’s not evil per se, just ruthless in his pursuit of his tactical goals (you can tell Zahn has read many, upon many military tactical books). Yes, he’s deceptive, always a step-ahead of everyone else (and is secretive), but he’s truly more antagonist to both the humans-only Imperial Fleet and the rebels than say a killer. Another words, it forces everyone to bring their A game when dealing with him. This, I think, makes him more relatable. I also liked the idea, though it’s not blatant, the dislike the (and maybe racist) the Imperial army has for Thrawn, who, as noted, is an outsider, blue, and who seems really smarter than anyone else. The fact that his military strategy is unconventional yet successful causes more discourse amongst everyone, from cadets to the Imperial senate itself.

Even though these books –the second one was just released on July 24, 2018- are designed to give readers a backstory to Thrawn and explain his appearance in Rebels, my only issue is with the timeline. It seems to cover about 10 to 12 years of his life, starting sometime after The Clone Wars, but shortly before season three opener of Rebels. It is also mentioned that Thrawn encountered Anakin Skywalker during the events of the Clone Wars, long before he became Darth Vader (this is something that will be explored in the next book, apparently) so how old is Thrawn and exactly when this takes place further muddles the timeline here. And that’s odd, considering how much these EU 2.0 is tied into the current Star Wars movie series and the ones destined to come after episode IX in 2019.

But you really can’t hate Zahn’s prose and this tale. It shines with everything long-time fans of the Thrawn Trilogy have ever wanted, along with Easter Eggs and tying in these tales not only into animated series, but the original novels that were released over 25 years ago.

Books: The Cabin at the End of the World By Paul Tremblay (2018)

'Seven-year-old Wen and her parents, Eric and Andrew, are vacationing at a remote cabin on a quiet New Hampshire lake. Their closest neighbors are more than two miles in either direction along a rutted dirt road. One afternoon, as Wen catches grasshoppers in the front yard, a stranger unexpectedly appears in the driveway. Leonard is the largest man Wen has ever seen but he is young, friendly, and he wins her over almost instantly. Leonard and Wen talk and play until Leonard abruptly apologizes and tells Wen, "None of what’s going to happen is your fault". Three more strangers then arrive at the cabin carrying unidentifiable, menacing objects. As Wen sprints inside to warn her parents, Leonard calls out: "Your dads won’t want to let us in, Wen. But they have to. We need your help to save the world."'

I will say that The Cabin at the End of the World is quite a pager-turner and you need –no, want- to see where this wildly ambitious novel is going. If the blue cabin in the middle of nowhere has to be the focal point between a doomed world and one that continues turning, it does not come better than here. But, then again, the plot –or what you think is the main plot- seems secondary to what is happening, as seven people’s lives are slowing unwinding and you don’t know who will survive or if what Leonard says it true. 

The characterizations are spot on, as Eric and Andrew seem like every normal parent on the planet, reacting not like they’re Dwayne Johnson breaking the laws of science to save their daughter, but scared dads put into a position, a scenario they could never dream about. Even the four strangers, Leonard, Andriane, Sabrina, and Redmond come across as sympathetic, even though you know that their “calling” has the stink of religious overtones to it. But Tremblay does not spend much time obsessing over whether what they’ve come to do come from a “God” or something else entirely.

But it’s Wren whom the readers will love, a vibrant, independent, soon to be 8 year-old, girl who seems more self-aware than most (though it’s not cloying or annoying) her age. She loves Daddy Eric and Daddy Andrew, but she was bothered that they kept most of her adoption aspects secret. Yes, she knows she is of Chinese descent (and her dads struggle with keeping her aware of her heritage, even if she does not really care) and was given up mostly for the cleft palate she was born with, but she hated the idea that they hid away the before pictures of her. She fascinated by them, even if she still seems a bit embarrassed by the fading scar.

But she is the heart of book and well drawn character.

Still, I’m not sure exactly what Paul Tremblay was trying to say here, and we’ve seen many thrillers where parents are painted into a corner, so even the basic plot is not original, but he does go through great pains to make the four intruders seem rational. Almost like he felt he had to make it all ambiguous, that he could not teeter either way. And the structure of the book, its shifting tone and narrators, is hard to get used to –I sometimes felt I didn’t know who was who.

I liked the book, felt it is a great read for a summer day at the beach (but you won’t be swimming) or a lazy Sunday.And at only a surprising 270 pages, you'll not care you did not go swimming or wasted the day.

Book: Doctor Who: The Romance of Crime By Gareth Roberts (1995)

"The Rock of Judgement. Court, prison and place of execution for the Uva Beta Uva system, hewn into the skin of a rocket-powered asteroid. Not a good place to be. Particularly not for two Time Lords and their dog. Upon arrival on the Rock, the Doctor, Romana and K9 find themselves embroiled in the plans of a maverick law-man, but that is just the beginning of their troubles. A highly-strung artist's gallery holds a deadly secret... and soon everyone's lives will be in danger.They struggle to know who's good and who's bad, a terrible scheme is being unleashed. With enemies old and new attacking both sides, can they possible escape alive?"

For the most part, this original novel works for me. It’s set during the latter run of Tom Baker’s era as the Doctor (sometime after The Key to Time season) and its clear writer Gareth Roberts loves this period (he would write a few other books set in this era). This was well after the Gothic stage of showrunner Phillip Hinchcliffe’s time when the show achieved higher ratings, but was criticized for its violence and horror. Under showrunner Grahame Williams, the show shifted tone, into lighter, sometime more humorous mode. This period also marked the arrival of fellow Time Lord (or Time Lady), Romana. While Baker had chemistry with Mary Tamm’s Romana for season sixteen, it was with Lalla Ward (who took over the role for rest of Baker’s run) that series really shined.

The tale –as with most of season seventeen of the series- is a bit over-the-top, and it’s easy for any long-time fan of the show to image both Baker and Ward performing their roles. The book does move swiftly, with the narrative fairly well split between the established characters and ones created for this book (which is nice, as some writers of these original novels sometimes let the Doctor and companions become “guest-stars” in their own show), but it is also fairly predictable. The plot is your basic revenge theme, but it does add Kray Brothers like crime syndicate into it, which was interesting, if not a bit confusing at times. The arrival of the Ogrons (introduced during the Third Doctor run) is no huge surprise (they’re on the cover) but they really add nothing to the story, except to prove they’re still dumb as a box of hair.

It’s a light book, in the end. But it’s also a fun waste of time.

Books: Doctor Who: Fear of the Dark by Trevor Baxendale (2003)

Fear of the Dark is actually a very good original Doctor Who novel. It offers chills and thrills aplenty, along with some well paced scares.

Originally published in 2003 as part of the of the Past Doctor Adventures range at the BBC, it features the Fifth Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa,  a short time after the events of TV adventure Arc of Infinity. It was re-published for the fiftieth anniversary in 2013 as part of boxed set of Doctor Who titles, featuring reprints of earlier novels, one from each of the first eleven Doctor’s.

“In the year 2382 archaeologists land on Akoshemon's only moon, searching for evidence of the planet's infamous past. But when the Doctor, Tegan and Nyssa are drawn into the lunar caverns they find more than a team of academics -and help uncover much more than ancient history. Something is lying in wait, deep inside the labyrinth of caves: something that remembers the spiral of war, pestilence and deprivation that ruined Akoshemon. Something that rejoiced in every kind of horror and destruction. An age-old terror is about to be reborn. But what is the hideous secret of the Bloodhunter? And why does Nyssa feel that her thoughts are no longer her own? Forced to confront his own worst fears, even the Doctor will be pushed to breaking point -- and beyond.”

Again, this is a creepy, well paced horror tale that would’ve made a wonderful serial (if they were still doing the show that way). I could even see this made today, but too much would need to be re-written to accommodate the current story lines. Part of the reason is in this book, the Doctor sort of deals with the death of Adric, something the television version never attempted. Adric’s death was a shocking revelation when Earthshock aired in 1982 (and while the series had occasionally killed off a companion, it had not done so since the mid 1960s) and I’ve always wanted the original series to confront that. But it was never meant to be, I guess.

While a lot of the set of this tale is something Doctor Who has done before (the base under siege, being hunted by an unknown monster, Nyssa –instead of Tegan- being hounded by nightmares), writer Trevor Baxendale does give us a rarity that only books can do: by creating really believable secondary characters, such as Stoker, Bunny, and even Captain Lawrence, a by-the-book-captain of the Consortium Survey Vessel Adamantium. There is even more sides than to the human “villain” of Silas Cadwell than you would normally see on TV. So while they do somewhat conform to the tropes we’ve seen before, Baxendale still uses them effectively.

The other effective part is the use of fear. The Dark is as mysterious as it is malevolent and is portrayed as utterly inhuman and evil. It’s totally alien and latches onto some of us humans basic nightmares: from the darkness just around the corner, to what lies beyond (if anything) our fragile and short existence and trepidation that there could be a nothingness. This is all handled effectively here.

Book: Lovecraft Country By Matt Ruff (2016)

"Chicago, 1954. When his father Montrose goes missing, twenty-two year old Army veteran Atticus Turner embarks on a road trip to New England to find him, accompanied by his Uncle George—publisher of The Safe Negro Travel Guide—and his childhood friend Letitia. On their journey to the manor of Mr. Braithwhite—heir to the estate that owned Atticus’s great grandmother—they encounter both mundane terrors of white America and malevolent spirits that seem straight out of the weird tales George devours. At the manor, Atticus discovers his father in chains, held prisoner by a secret cabal named the Order of the Ancient Dawn—led by Samuel Braithwhite and his son Caleb—which has gathered to orchestrate a ritual that shockingly centers on Atticus. And his one hope of salvation may be the seed of his—and the whole Turner clan’s—destruction."

Matt Ruff’s Lovecraft Country pays homage to many genres here, but mostly to the Dark Fantasy of H.P. Lovecraft and Ray Bradbury. The historical aspect, the Jim Crow years, adds additional terror to the themes being explored here. To those who might question why (almost) every white character presented here is horribly racist, you have to understand that while our country has moved forward in race relationships, it’s well known that racism was much more rampant and obvious back then. But like all history, only the ones who lived through the era can really confirm what is written here. It is clear, though, that Ruff wanted to make a statement with this book, by not only having the main characters be African Americans, but pointing out the blatant hatred of blacks by the whites, even in the supposedly more tolerant northern city of Chicago (and having grown up there, the City by the Lake remains racially divided). Lovecraft Country will anger those Social Justice Warriors then, but this horrifying specter of racism that haunts this book is brilliantly handled, even when juxtaposed with the fact that Lovecraft the writer, was very racist.

While authors like Stephen King have declared Lovecraft to be the “greatest practitioner of the classic horror tale” in the 20th century along with Joyce Carol Oates saying his influence on writers of all genres that followed is “an incalculable” one cannot also think about his racist past once you learn about it. He may’ve been an underappreciated writer when he was alive, and many readers and lovers of the horror genre today still enjoy his work, but as Lovecraft’s biographer, the novelist Michel Houellebecq, once said “Lovecraft's character is fascinating in part because his values were so entirely opposite to ours. He was fundamentally racist, openly reactionary, he glorified puritanical inhibitions.”

Of course, for many of his supporters, it’s about separating the man from his work, or acknowledging that while he was a racist, the time he lived (the Jim Crow and late/early 20^th Century years) was still very openly hostile to blacks. In the end, one has to choose where their distaste for racism and love of a fairly brilliantly horror writer lies. For some, it may be easy, but for others –as pointed out by Oates- his influence on the genre cannot be ignored.

But here, within this book, the marriage of horror, fantasy, science fiction, and racism, Matt Ruff brings a heady mixture of visceral terror along with doses of the realistic nightmare that racism continues to bring to our world.