Flash

Absolutely fantastic. Another book I couldn't put down. I've been doing pretty well in terms of picking books recently.


Flash is a fantastic piece of sci-fi, absolutely gripping. Jonat resigned from the Marines in a great storm after witnessing one too many incidents of corruption, of being sent where the corporate world wanted him sent to suppress competition rather than to fight a battle against the real bad guys. Now he's a consultant to companies using 'prod placement'--a method of advertising that involves putting a string of chords into tv programmes. The chords are associated with particular products, and thus advertising can be slipped in to almost any sort of programme. But then he gets commissioned to do a report into the use of res-chords in political campaigns. The equivalent, say, of Gordon Brown campaigning with Kellogg's cornflakes sat in the background. Or, let's say, Barrack Obama's use of the slogan from Bob the Builder :). The only problem is, someone doesn't want the report published. Or more accurately, someone wants him dead. Jonat finds himself not only relying on the skills that once made him a rising star in the marines, but is forced to take on responsibilities he would never have imagined.

The characters are, as in the other books by L.E. Modessitt Jr, fantastically believable and intriguing. The plot is utterly gripping, it's really a book you can't put down (slight problem if you actually need to do something, as it's a fairly long one too...). It also takes a good look at political systems, at the problems we have today, and at what it means to be human. Can't recommend it enough.

Haze

This was the second piece of sci-fi I picked up at the library the other day, and again, the main problem (well, only problem) was that the same person had had it out before me and it stank of cigarette smoke. Meh.

The plot, on the other hand, was brilliant. An agent gets dropped into a mysterious planet. All he knows is that his superiors expect him to survive the atmosphere and that they think there's life. But as he begins to investigate the mysterious world they call Haze, he starts to realise there's more to it than met the eye. Which, as the only thing visible from afar was a misty blanket that shaded the whole world and hid everything from sight, is not hard. Skilfully interwoven comes the tale of a different assignment, one in which Roget first found himself questioning the wisdom of his masters, and their assumptions about the world. Two brilliant stories, and three conflicting cultures depicted fantastically. The systems just feel so real, so true, and yet there are no huge data dumps, no awkward conversations which are clearly there just to pass on essential details about the systems. Roget's querying of everything eh sees on Haze, his struggle to understand this technologically superior culture in which there are no overt methods of control leads him to question in turn his own values and judgements, continuing the questioning that first began years ago when he infiltrated a religious community. Fascinating.

The Eternity Artefact

I had two slight problems with this book. One was that the person who had it out the library clearly smoked and the book absolutely stank. The other was that it took me until half way through the book to realise that at the start of each chapter it actually told you who's perspective it was from. I had, by that point, come to the conclusion that you could work it out just from the style it was written in. Quite an achievement on the author's part to my reckoning--I've not written in first person very often, and when I tried to do that I found it very difficult. I was only annoyed because I felt rather stupid for not noticing...

The Eternity Artefact was a brilliant piece of sci-fi. I was very glad that I got two books by L.E.Modesitt, Jr after I finished it--it just looked quite interesting, and as it didn't seem to be part of a series I figured I might as well get two of them not in a series. I couldn't put it down. I was captivated right from the start, and I was impressed by the way the different view points were woven together. The technology was believable, as was the way the world had developed from now to 5000 years into the future. To be fair, when you've got that time span, you can make anything believable. I bet (with the possible exception of HG Wells) that 100 years ago they didn't seriously think that we'd have things like atom bombs that could destroy entire cities at a go, regular trans-Atlantic flights carrying over 500 people at a go. Oh, and computers that enable you to read what I'm writing seconds after I press a button. I think my favourite piece of technology was either the needle boats, or the mind link things. They were really impressive, and well written. It just sounded natural and expected.

A planet had been found, a planet with unknown technology upon it. A team is gathered, amongst them traitors who are determined to prevent the discovery of what they believe to be Lucifer's weapon. And yet, you cannot be sure which side you want to win the conflict. Half of me sided with the Covenanters, half with the main team. A fantastic novel, the characters were believable and engaging. Thoroughly enjoyed it.