Books: Saturn Run by John Sandford and Ctein (2015)

In many ways, John Sandford and Ctein’s novel Saturn Run is a throwback to the golden age of science fiction written by the likes of Robert Heinlein, Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov, and many others. It takes us on a space journey full of hope and fears, where a group of Americans (think Andromeda Strain) travel to Saturn where it seems aliens of some sort have created something there. Sandford, known mostly for his mystery/thriller Prey series and Ctein (apparently his real name), an expert in photographic printing with degrees in English and psychics from Caltech, have created a believable novel about First Contact. By using real science, real technology that is –as noted in afterword- extrapolated as realistically as possible by setting some five decades into our future, we get a taught thriller, political agendas, and a wide, diverse group of people.

“The year is 2066. A Caltech intern inadvertently notices an anomaly from a space telescope—something is approaching Saturn, and decelerating. Space objects don’t decelerate. Spaceships do. A flurry of top-level government meetings produces the inescapable conclusion: Whatever built that ship is at least one hundred years ahead in hard and soft technology, and whoever can get their hands on it exclusively and bring it back will have an advantage so large, no other nation can compete. A conclusion the Chinese definitely agree with when they find out. The race is on, and a remarkable adventure begins.”

Of course, back in that golden age of science fiction, most of the villains were Russian. Here in Saturn Run, they’re the Chinese. Yet they’re not the mustache villains of old, though Sandford and Ctein still manage to make them a bit of a stereotype. I mean the book is directed at the U.S. market (and to fans of Sandford), so it’s not a huge surprise they did this. As a matter of fact, if a movie is made of this (which seems to be probable) I could see the Chinese changing the ending (just like there are two endings to the classic Godzilla vs King Kong). Also, there is no military on the Richard M. Nixon (a very clever joke), so we don’t get any crazy soldiers dictating U.S. military policy –which is rather refreshing. 

In many ways, this book also reminded me of The Martian, which was a how-to-novel about how a man could survive on Mars before he’s rescued. Saturn Run, with Sandford’s gift of pacing and Ctein’s science knowledge, does the same here, except on how a manned mission to Saturn can be accomplished in a short period of time. Neither Sandford or Ctein have Andy Weir’s knack for boiling the complex math and science needed down into everyday, non-science geek speak (it gets a bit prosaic at times), but there is a grand, epic adventure here, one that (in the right hands) could become a great movie –or at least, a 10 episode TV series.

Books: A Man Called Ove By Fredrik Backman (2014)

“Meet Ove. He's a curmudgeon, the kind of man who points at people he dislikes as if they were burglars caught outside his bedroom window. He has staunch principles, strict routines, and a short fuse (especially for the people who can’t read the signs). People call him the bitter neighbor from hell, but must Ove be bitter just because he doesn't walk around with a smile plastered to his face all the time? Behind the cranky exterior there is a story and sadness. So when one November morning a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove's mailbox, Ove’s very ordered life begins to unravel. “

The book had me at “curmudgeon”, something that I guess I’m kind of one. But while Ove reminds me of myself, he also reminds me of my grandfather, a man who seemed out of time as well. But Ove, in the book, is only 59 and is living in our modern world of the internet. But he can’t seem to understand why people can’t fix bicycles, or bleed radiators, or read signs that clearly state “vehicular traffic is prohibited in the residential area.” Then there is the cat, the one who shows up out of nowhere and continues to stare at Ove, as if he owed money to the feline.

Yes, A Man Called Ove is comical and heartwarming, as it features a vibrant woman named Parvaneh, a pregnant Iranian woman who tries her hardest not to dislike Ove (which, of course, irritates him to no end) who is right out of every Lifetime movie ever made, but Swedish author Fredrik Backman (translated by Henning Koch) also takes us on journey where we are made to think about who we are as humans, and how we want to live our lives. 

Also, as well, how we cope with loss, because Ove really is the epitome for those whom have tried to live a fair and steady life of doing what’s right, only to beset by many trials and tribulations. Over the years, he has been conned, ripped off and harassed. Saddest of all is the bus accident that left his wife, Sonja, the woman he adores more than anything in the world, paralyzed and their unborn child dead.  But our Volvo-loving curmudgeon is not that cranky as we are lead to believe –as it just takes Parvaneh and her family to reawaken Ove’s sense of doing the right thing.

It’s a quirky (but not in a bad way) and very charming novel. It’s has a deceptively simple premise that some may call too simple, but one I found to be perfect on this late December night.

50 Books I Read in 2015

Reading has always been my salvation. when I began to seriously dedicate my life to novels, around my freshman year of high school, I did it because I a social misfit. I seemed not to fit into any particular subculture with in my family or friends. I'm often reminded of the tales my mother would tell about bringing four kids up under the age of ten when my dad died. Apparently, she could set me in the corner with my cars and there I would stay until she could get back to me. I was the one kid of her four that sort of stayed out of trouble. 

But maybe that's just how I view it.

When I started 2015, I did not set a plan on how many books I would read, but I had this wild thought of reading fifty-two books; one a week. I got an early and quick start back in January, when I read six books in one month (I had started The Martian in the last days of December, but is added to 2015 totals). That really set the course for the rest of the year. 

Still, I knew that there was little chance of me getting to fifty-two mostly because I would be in Portland, where filming on the Jay Bell book Something Like Summer was taking place. Helping work on the film, with those long days and exhausted days-off when not much could be accomplished, I let that idea go. As a matter of fact, I did not read a book while I was there. 

But when I returned to LA, I discovered my housemate had done something I asked him to do, which was remove the cable box from my room. This just left me with Hulu and Netflix to watch shows on. It also meant I could not be distracted by TV. So the rush to finish line began at the end of September. 

So here we are, New Years Eve and I'm talking about fifty books I read this year. So as much as September delayed me, I still completed close to the mark. The question is, will I do it for 2016? I laugh a bit, as I'm not sure. In someways, reading has overtaken my life. I do little, mostly because of money. My car grows older, with parts starting to fall off like melting icebergs, and I often wonder if today or tomorrow, the old Focus will give up the ghost. 

I live, or exist, for each day. But I move slowly, like spilled syrup down the cupboard wall. I look forward to putting this year behind me, though. The movie making was the only real highlight of the year, as I have two people struggling with Situations, and lost a dear friend. I have a job which I hate, so I'm looking to 2016 as the year of a NEW job, one where I'm valued and one were I can be happy. 

But reading, like every breath I take, is what makes me go on. I love it, I adore it, and I live it.

Happy New Years. And away we go...

01. The Martian by Andy Weir

02. Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

03. Methuselah’s Children by Robert Heinlein

04. Golden Son By Pierce Brown

05. The Man Who Folded Himself By David Gerrold

06. Foundation By Isaac Asimov

07. Swan Song By Robert McCammon

08. The Puppet Masters by Robert Heinlein

09. The Lies of Locke Lamora By Scott Lynch

10. Red Seas Under Red Skies By Scott Lynch

11. Mort by Terry Pratchett

12. Reaper Man By Terry Pratchett

13. Soulmusic by Terry Pratchett

14. Wee Free Men By Terry Pratchett

15. A Hat Full of Sky By Terry Pratchett

16. Wintersmith By Terry Pratchett

17. I Shall Wear Midnight By Terry Pratchett

18. Willful Child by Steven Erickson

19. Holy Cow By David Duchovny

20. The Fifth Heart By Dan Simmons

21. The Dead Lands by Benjamin Percy

22. The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

23. The Rebirths of Tao by Wesely Chu

24. Hogsfather by Terry Pratchett

25. These Are The Voyages: Star Trek: TOS: Season One By Marc Cushman

26. The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August  By Claire North

27. Boo By Neil Smith

28. Finders Keepers By Stephen King

29. Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey

30. The Fold By Peter Clines

31. MagicNet By John DeChancie

32. Time Salvager By Wesley Chu

33. Hollow City By Ransom Riggs

34. Secondhand Souls By Christopher Moore

35. Library of Souls by Ransom Riggs

36. Doctor Who: Human Nature By Paul Cornell

37. Undermajordomo Minor by Patrick deWitt

38. Doctor Who: City of Death By Douglas Adams & James Goss

39. Ghost Story By Peter Straub (re-read)

40. The Shepherd’s Crown By Terry Pratchett

41. City On Fire by Garth Risk Hallberg

42. The Oversight By Charlie Fletcher

43. Wolf In White Van By John Darnielle

44. Star Wars: Lost Stars By Claudia Gray

45. Avenue of Mysteries By John Irving

46. The Slade House By David Mitchell

47. The Silent End By Samuel Sattin

48. The Bone Clock By David Mitchell

49. Evil Genius By Catherine Jinks

50. A Man Called Ove By Fredrik Backman

Books: Evil Genius By Catherine Jinks (2005)

At the local library, I picked up Evil Genius for .50 about 6-7 months ago. I was aware of this book, released in 2005, because there has been a lot of Young Adult books published since the success of Harry Potter that carried the same basic themes of some boy (very rarely, girl) with extra special powers. But this series actually seems to be closer in theme to Artemis Fowl series (featuring an anti-hero) than Harry Potter.

“Cadel Piggott has a genius IQ and a fascination with systems of all kinds. At seven, he was illegally hacking into computers. Now he's fourteen and studying for his World Domination degree, taking classes like embezzlement, misinformation, forgery, and infiltration at the institute founded by criminal mastermind Dr. Phineas Darkkon. Although Cadel may be advanced beyond his years, at heart he's a lonely kid. When he falls for the mysterious and brilliant Kay-Lee, he begins to question the moral implications of his studies for the first time. But is it too late to stop Dr. Darkkon from carrying out his evil plot?”

While not original, this first novel in a trilogy by Australian writer Catherine Jinks, is a bit dark, but engrossing. It draws the reader into exploring the sometimes fine line between good and evil, between giving everything to impress people and not asking any questions as to what they will do with your knowledge (the old “I have no control over the use of my creations. No responsibility” factor). Cadel wants to be the best, he knows he’s the smartest person in the room (in his mind) but he’s still a good person on the inside and learns (way too late) that he’s being exploited and decides to turn the table on the people who would use him for evil.

The book is recommended to teens and up, and I think it’s a good idea to follow that notion, mostly for many instances of death, which I found (bizarrely) treated in a rather facetious way. It makes me wonder in many ways why these types of books are geared towards kids when they have very adult content. It’s not that I’m in way conservative or think books should be banned, but I do think some books blur the line between teens/kids/adults due to the fact that today it is profitable for writers to pen books in this genre. 

Then again, this is a great book for folks who think villains (even these James Bond style ones portrayed here) are more fun and interesting than the hero.

Postnote: I will admit I read this book because I knew it would be easy, and that I wanted to add to my list of books read in 2015 to its record high. But now, I guess, I’ll need to read the other two. The more I try to stay away from series books, the more I get dragged back into them.