It's Fiction; But For How Long?
Throughout the history of the science fiction genre authors have have crafted a story that seems completely unbelievable and remain fiction for only so many years.
Dan Ronco has crafted an energetic and fast paced thriller about the, in my opinion, inevitable collision course of technology and what it means to be a "human." UNHOLY DOMAIN ramps up the plot ten years after the cataclysmic events in PEACEMAKER, the first book in Ronco's series. Enter a world in the middle of global depression and a divided culture (sound familiar already?).
The characters, while not overly deep, are compelling in their actions and their individual encounters. Ronco excelled in crafting a world where there are those fighting for science and technology, those fighting for religion, and those in between just fighting to get by.
I think the most important facets of this novel are the themes and the ideas that will only come more prevalent as we progress as a society, and reading this book makes it that much more obvious that the potential for the "fiction" may only be "fiction" for so long.
A highly recommended techno-thriller.
Good reading,
Plants and Books
Monday, January 19, 2009
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Plants: Three New Nepenthes
This is my first plant post of this blog. Besides reviewing and discussing books, the other goal of this blog is to showcase some of my carnivorous plants and provide information regarding their history, cultivation, and other horticultural information. My parents gave me the following three plants for my birthday. They were imported from Exotica Plants, one of the leading Nepenthes hybrid nurseries, based in Australia. Since importing plants can be expensive, oftentimes members of the carnivorous plant community will combine orders to split the import, shipping, and paperwork costs. Many times, these group orders are organized in online forums, with mixed success. With public "group orders," there is always the potential for something to go wrong. Everyone will get excited when a group order gets announced, everyone wants to get involved, but many people will fall through (for whatever reason). With good fortune, I have met (online) many reliable carnivorous plant enthusiasts, and was fortunate to get involved in a private group order. The following plants were received in this order, and were shipped from Australia, to Los Angeles, to Nebraska, to Kansas City, Missouri.
The three plants I received are all Nepenthes hybrids.
The first plant is a hybrid between N. maxima "dark" and a N. Trusmadiensis. The Trusmadienses is a very unique, naturally occuring hybrid between N. macrophylla and N. lowii. The unique features of this plants can be attributed to the following plants, with links to public access pictures of those plants):
The next two plants are smaller, seed grown hybrids that will most certainly blossom into stunning beauties!
First, a hybrid between N. ventricosa and N. ephippiata (a close relative to N. lowii, mentioned above):
And second, a hybrid between N. truncata and N. Trusmadiensis:
I hope you enjoy those pictures. I look forward to posting more and many years of growth and beauty!
Good growing,
Plants and Books
The three plants I received are all Nepenthes hybrids.
The first plant is a hybrid between N. maxima "dark" and a N. Trusmadiensis. The Trusmadienses is a very unique, naturally occuring hybrid between N. macrophylla and N. lowii. The unique features of this plants can be attributed to the following plants, with links to public access pictures of those plants):
- Splotched coloration: N. maxima;
- Toothed peristome (the lip around the pitcher opening): N. Trusmadiensis (the teeth in that hybrid are faded and come from N. macrophylla); and,
- Upper pitchers: N. lowii - the plant I received does not have upper pitcher yet, but the N. lowii has very dominant traits that always are expressed in upper pitchers that will make huge mouths and very distorted pitchers.
The next two plants are smaller, seed grown hybrids that will most certainly blossom into stunning beauties!
First, a hybrid between N. ventricosa and N. ephippiata (a close relative to N. lowii, mentioned above):
And second, a hybrid between N. truncata and N. Trusmadiensis:
I hope you enjoy those pictures. I look forward to posting more and many years of growth and beauty!
Good growing,
Plants and Books
Review: The Family Bones by Kimberly Raiser (4 stars)
A Little Bit of Everything. Overall Good Read.
What do you get when you mix some horror, thriller, suspense, and science fiction all together? You get a well written novel that goes by the name of THE FAMILY BONES, by Kimberly Raiser. Raiser has crafted a short book that is hard to describe, and even harder without spoiling anything.
For a book with so many different elements and a variety of characters, it can sometimes be overwhelming. However, Raiser does a nice job transitioning between the opening terrifying chapters to moving the plot along and developing the characters. In the author's note, she talks about how THE FAMILY BONES was first a short story, and it is obvious reading how where the transition occurs.
I had a lot of fun reading this book. I almost read it in one sitting (and would have had my wife not found me at 2:30 AM in the living room telling me to come to bed). It was a quick, fun, engaging read; and, I'm glad I got the opportunity to read it.
The only drawback to this book is I felt like it should have been longer. As I mentioned, there is a lot of quick character and plot development and there are points where there are pages of information that are sort of out of context with the actions of the plot. Had THE FAMILY BONES been 300 pages I believe it could have been a stronger book.
All in all, this book is definitely worth the time it took to read.
Good reading,
Plants and Books
What do you get when you mix some horror, thriller, suspense, and science fiction all together? You get a well written novel that goes by the name of THE FAMILY BONES, by Kimberly Raiser. Raiser has crafted a short book that is hard to describe, and even harder without spoiling anything.
For a book with so many different elements and a variety of characters, it can sometimes be overwhelming. However, Raiser does a nice job transitioning between the opening terrifying chapters to moving the plot along and developing the characters. In the author's note, she talks about how THE FAMILY BONES was first a short story, and it is obvious reading how where the transition occurs.
I had a lot of fun reading this book. I almost read it in one sitting (and would have had my wife not found me at 2:30 AM in the living room telling me to come to bed). It was a quick, fun, engaging read; and, I'm glad I got the opportunity to read it.
The only drawback to this book is I felt like it should have been longer. As I mentioned, there is a lot of quick character and plot development and there are points where there are pages of information that are sort of out of context with the actions of the plot. Had THE FAMILY BONES been 300 pages I believe it could have been a stronger book.
All in all, this book is definitely worth the time it took to read.
Good reading,
Plants and Books
Monday, January 12, 2009
Review: A Shadow in Summer by Daniel Abraham (4 stars)
Refreshing Fantasy. A Promising Start to a Good Series.
A SHADOW IN SUMMER was a wonderful read. It accomplished everything that a first fantasy book should. It introduced an engaging world, created interesting characters that were equally engaging, and completed the story while leaving the door open for the entire world to develop in future volumes.
I sometimes have difficulty starting new fantasy series because sometimes there is simply information overload on the world, the history, and the unique sociological intricacies. A SHADOW IN SUMMER creates a fantastic world with very unique (and refreshing) characteristics (i.e. the poets, trade and commerce, contracts, and family houses) but he does so in such a way that does not overwhelm the reader. The author, Abraham, introduces characters and things but does not fully develop them at that time. He gives you enough to be fascinated and curious, but not enough to bog the story down. Throughout the story, he continues to introduce more information in relevant places.
This book is filled with basic political intrigue. The intrigue is not overly complicated and is easy to follow, while remaining interesting and plausible. While we see only a small portion of the entire fantasy world, there is enough dialogue and actions that give the reader a taste of the overall world, which is presumed to be more involved later in the series.
Abraham is a fantastic writing. He creates a very concise and cohesive story (which is refreshing in the world of epic fantasy tomes). I cannot recommend this book enough to fans of the fantasy genre. Abraham is an author to keep on your radar.
Good reading,
Plants and Books
A SHADOW IN SUMMER was a wonderful read. It accomplished everything that a first fantasy book should. It introduced an engaging world, created interesting characters that were equally engaging, and completed the story while leaving the door open for the entire world to develop in future volumes.
I sometimes have difficulty starting new fantasy series because sometimes there is simply information overload on the world, the history, and the unique sociological intricacies. A SHADOW IN SUMMER creates a fantastic world with very unique (and refreshing) characteristics (i.e. the poets, trade and commerce, contracts, and family houses) but he does so in such a way that does not overwhelm the reader. The author, Abraham, introduces characters and things but does not fully develop them at that time. He gives you enough to be fascinated and curious, but not enough to bog the story down. Throughout the story, he continues to introduce more information in relevant places.
This book is filled with basic political intrigue. The intrigue is not overly complicated and is easy to follow, while remaining interesting and plausible. While we see only a small portion of the entire fantasy world, there is enough dialogue and actions that give the reader a taste of the overall world, which is presumed to be more involved later in the series.
Abraham is a fantastic writing. He creates a very concise and cohesive story (which is refreshing in the world of epic fantasy tomes). I cannot recommend this book enough to fans of the fantasy genre. Abraham is an author to keep on your radar.
Good reading,
Plants and Books
Saturday, January 3, 2009
Review: Lark and Termite by Jayne Anne Phillips (2 stars)
Not My Cup of Tea; But Recommended For Some
Let me start by saying that this is one of those times when I dislike assigning star ratings to reviews. That being said, and this being a non-professional, completely consumer review, I had to give it two stars. This book, as the title of this review suggests, was not my cup of tea; however, I would not encourage people to shy away from this book. In fact, once it is published and released, I intend to recommend it to my mother.
I was unable to finish this book. I got about a third of the way through it before I stopped. When I ordered this book through the Amazon Vine Program, I was expecting to be enthralled by the characters and looking to see how they developed and engaged in the interesting situations/character traits they were presented/had. In good consciousness, I can see how others would enjoy this story and these characters; but, since I do not normally read this style of book, it was not for me.
I had difficulty caring about the characters, and was frustrated by the story that was developing and the characterizations created. The plot line is somewhat interesting, but not enough to grab me for an extended period of time.
Again, do not take this two star review as the gospel saying "do not read this book;" rather, take it as I did not enjoy it, but you might. As I said, I will recommend this book to my mother and some of my colleagues, who I'm sure would give it much higher reviews than I did.
I would normally give a book I cannot finish one star, but since I can clearly see the appeal for others and there are redeeming things about this book, I gave it two stars.
Good reading,
Plants and Books
Let me start by saying that this is one of those times when I dislike assigning star ratings to reviews. That being said, and this being a non-professional, completely consumer review, I had to give it two stars. This book, as the title of this review suggests, was not my cup of tea; however, I would not encourage people to shy away from this book. In fact, once it is published and released, I intend to recommend it to my mother.
I was unable to finish this book. I got about a third of the way through it before I stopped. When I ordered this book through the Amazon Vine Program, I was expecting to be enthralled by the characters and looking to see how they developed and engaged in the interesting situations/character traits they were presented/had. In good consciousness, I can see how others would enjoy this story and these characters; but, since I do not normally read this style of book, it was not for me.
I had difficulty caring about the characters, and was frustrated by the story that was developing and the characterizations created. The plot line is somewhat interesting, but not enough to grab me for an extended period of time.
Again, do not take this two star review as the gospel saying "do not read this book;" rather, take it as I did not enjoy it, but you might. As I said, I will recommend this book to my mother and some of my colleagues, who I'm sure would give it much higher reviews than I did.
I would normally give a book I cannot finish one star, but since I can clearly see the appeal for others and there are redeeming things about this book, I gave it two stars.
Good reading,
Plants and Books
Friday, January 2, 2009
Review: Hater by David Moody (4 stars)
Paranoia at its Finest
HATER is a great mixture of a lot of themes in recent popular culture mediums. Similarities can be drawn between widespread viruses, zombies, war, and near Armageddon scenarios. However, while this book seems similar to many movies (28 days later, I Am Legend, etc.), HATER is still a unique book with a compelling and equally unique storyline.
HATER is a narrative told from the perspective of a father and husband in a world that, day by day, becomes more chaotic and dangerous. This book has an emotional element that is superb. There are times when the author, David Moody, has created an attraction to both sides of the violence that has spread through the world. Truly, at each violent encounter, the reader is left wondering, who was in the right and who was in the wrong. Were the actions justified? Who is really a "Hater" and who is not?
This book is certainly violent, but not in such a grotesque and disgusting way. It is not often that a movie is created before the book that the movie is based on is published. While reading this book, it became obvious that this could easily be adapted into a movie, which Guillermo del Toro is doing.
HATER is a fast paced account of a world gone mad and torn against itself. The pacing is wonderful, and there is action, emotional responses, fear, and sheer paranoia throughout each chapter. HATER is a compelling story that is littered with a first person account of paranoia. As the main character, Danny, becomes closer to the violence, the reader is forced to feel the pure paranoia he feels.
Highly recommended. Look for the movie in 2010.
Good reading,
Plants and Books
HATER is a great mixture of a lot of themes in recent popular culture mediums. Similarities can be drawn between widespread viruses, zombies, war, and near Armageddon scenarios. However, while this book seems similar to many movies (28 days later, I Am Legend, etc.), HATER is still a unique book with a compelling and equally unique storyline.
HATER is a narrative told from the perspective of a father and husband in a world that, day by day, becomes more chaotic and dangerous. This book has an emotional element that is superb. There are times when the author, David Moody, has created an attraction to both sides of the violence that has spread through the world. Truly, at each violent encounter, the reader is left wondering, who was in the right and who was in the wrong. Were the actions justified? Who is really a "Hater" and who is not?
This book is certainly violent, but not in such a grotesque and disgusting way. It is not often that a movie is created before the book that the movie is based on is published. While reading this book, it became obvious that this could easily be adapted into a movie, which Guillermo del Toro is doing.
HATER is a fast paced account of a world gone mad and torn against itself. The pacing is wonderful, and there is action, emotional responses, fear, and sheer paranoia throughout each chapter. HATER is a compelling story that is littered with a first person account of paranoia. As the main character, Danny, becomes closer to the violence, the reader is forced to feel the pure paranoia he feels.
Highly recommended. Look for the movie in 2010.
Good reading,
Plants and Books
Thursday, January 1, 2009
Review: The Mystic Arts of Erasing All Signs of Death by Charlie Huston (3 stars)
Good Dialogue, Poor Pacing and Plot
I can't say that I am completely disappointed in Charlie Huston's latest book, THE MYSTIC ARTS OF ERASING ALL SIGNS OF DEATH, but I can't say I enjoyed it, either.
Per typical Huston books, the characters are interesting and the dialogue is witty, sharp, and gritty. However, in this book, it was almost over the top and at times I was discouraged. The premise of the book is somewhat interesting, with cleaning up deaths, and opens the door for tremendous potential knowing the other is famous for noir based stories. Disappointingly enough, the plot stops there and nothing is advanced in terms of plot for the first half of the book. The first half of the book is just back and forth banter between the angry main character and the people he encounters.
When the plot does start to advance, it is not very interesting and hardly engaging. So much potential is squandered with the premise of this book. I would typically say "pass" on this book, but the dialogue and characters, while almost annoyingly "over the top," are redeeming in their own right. Fans of Huston will probably enjoy this book.
Good reading,
Plants and Books
I can't say that I am completely disappointed in Charlie Huston's latest book, THE MYSTIC ARTS OF ERASING ALL SIGNS OF DEATH, but I can't say I enjoyed it, either.
Per typical Huston books, the characters are interesting and the dialogue is witty, sharp, and gritty. However, in this book, it was almost over the top and at times I was discouraged. The premise of the book is somewhat interesting, with cleaning up deaths, and opens the door for tremendous potential knowing the other is famous for noir based stories. Disappointingly enough, the plot stops there and nothing is advanced in terms of plot for the first half of the book. The first half of the book is just back and forth banter between the angry main character and the people he encounters.
When the plot does start to advance, it is not very interesting and hardly engaging. So much potential is squandered with the premise of this book. I would typically say "pass" on this book, but the dialogue and characters, while almost annoyingly "over the top," are redeeming in their own right. Fans of Huston will probably enjoy this book.
Good reading,
Plants and Books
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