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Reading Rescue, March 2009:
New and Old Winners in Science Fiction
 By Anne Allen and Mary Anne Fulmer
Sixty billion dollar Ponzi schemes. A real financial
pundit (Jim Cramer) defending himself on a fake news program (Jon
Stewart's "Daily News"). The Pitt basketball team losing its first game
in the Big East Tournament. Cheech and Chong reunited. Lately it seems
we've been living in an alternate universe. If that is how you feel, the
Reading Rescuers (no boring books here!) are ready to swoop you away for
a look at new and old winners on the science fiction shelves.
Speaking of winners, Neil Gaiman's The Cemetery Book
was something of a surprise pick for the 2009 Newbery Award, an honor
given each year to the best book written for children. This is the story
of Bod (short for Nobody) Owens who escapes being slain with the rest of
his family by toddling out of his home, up a hill, and into an ancient
cemetery. Adopted and named by the resident ghosts, Bod grows up under
their protection, learning both human (how to read) and ghostly
(haunting) skills. More assistance comes from his guardian, Silas, a
nocturnal individual whose reflection may not appear in mirrors, but who
has the ability to obtain practicalities such as food and clothing for a
growing boy. As Bod grows up, the hunt for him by the murderer grows
more and more desperate, and it will take all the boy has learned and
all of his friends' help to survive. With illustrations by Dave McKean,
this story is too intense for small children, but Gaiman's somewhat
twisted humor and macabre imagination make this a joy for teens and
adults.
If you were 75 years old and alone, would you sign up to
serve in the army? In John Scalzi's Old Man's War, that is
exactly what John Perry does. And not just any army, Perry joins the
Colonial Defense Force, dedicated to protecting Earth's colonies
throughout the universe. John is rapidly transported to Colonial Station
where his adventure begins: his DNA and consciousness are transferred
into an upgraded battle-ready body with fast clotting SmartBlood, an
implanted personal computer called a BrainPal, green skin, and endurance
he has never imagined. As Perry and his fellow recruits battle, brawl,
and die across the universe, he slowly begins to question what the
Colonial Defense Force's true mission is. This is the first book in a
trilogy that continues with The Ghost Brigades and concludes with
The Last Colony. All three are action packed, exciting, and
thought provoking, with characters that grab you, and some thrilling
twists and turns. If you like Robert Heinlein, don't miss Scalzi!
We’ve previously recommended Lois McMaster Bujold's
series featuring Miles Vorkosigan (and if you still haven't read one, do
it now). Her latest books comprise a series of four called "The Sharing
Knife". The first book, Beguilement, introduces Dag, a burnt out
Lakewalker patroller, who travels the countryside searching for Malices,
evil entities that rise from the ground and destroy everything in their
vicinity by draining the life force. Fawn is a young Farmer girl who has
run away from home and has the misfortune to encounter the Malice's army
of mudmen. She and Dag are thrown together and combine to destroy the
Malice with the Lakewalker's weapon, a knife made of bone, but at the
cost of Fawn's unborn child. Their story, and the conflicts between the
weary Lakewalkers and the unbelieving Farmers, continues in Legacy,
Passage, and Horizon. Bujold is a wonderful writer, her
characters are well drawn and appealing, and the stories are compelling.
In Night Train to Rigel by Timothy Zahn, Frank
Compton, recently fired by Western Alliance Intelligence for exposing a
United Nations boondoggle, is approached by a young man who drops dead
in front of him. Quickly searching the dead man's pockets, Compton finds
a ticket on the Trans-Galactic Quadrail train, departing in seven days,
and issued in his name. Does he use the ticket? Of course he does, and
this action leads him to the mysterious Spiders who operate the
Quadrail. They have a job for him: one of their people has had a vision
that weapons are being transported on the Quadrail, somehow evading all
their security measures. Can Compton investigate and prevent the
explosion the Spiders expect? With a female assistant named Bayta and a
diamond-edged train pass both supplied by the Spiders, (and a hidden
agenda of his own) Compton begins a rip-roaring ride through the
universe, dealing with assorted aliens, making more enemies than even he
wants, and finally realizing what is threatening not only the Spiders
and their transportation system, but also ultimately all the races of
the universe. This is a space thriller that grabs you and won't let go,
with lots of suspense and exciting action.
The Friends of the Penn Area Library have scheduled
their next used book sale for April 22 through April 28. It's not too
early to empty your shelves at home by bringing in donations, and
helpers are always welcome. The Friends meet at 6:30 pm on the third
Thursday of every month at the library. Join them!
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