Anyway, now on to books.
Just Finished
I enjoyed both of the books I completed yesterday, one mystery and one political non-fiction.
"I discovered Canadian mystery writer Margaret Millar a few years ago and since that tie I've been hunting down her books. She is such a great writer. A Stranger In My Grave was originally published in 1980. While it wasn't necessarily my favorite of her books so far, I still enjoyed it immensely.
Daisy Harker has been having dreams where she is looking at her grave stone showing Dec 2nd 1955 as the day she died. Of course, she is still alive, or she wouldn't be having the dreams. ;0) The dreams have disconcerted her very much and she is not given any real support by her husband, Jim or by her mother Ada. A chance occurrence, the arrest of her absent father provides Daisy with the opportunity to find out the significance of what might have happened on Dec 2, 1955. Her father, while visiting San Felice, is arrested in a bar fight and the detective / bail bondsman who gets him out of jail, contacts Daisy to pay the bail.
Daisy hires Steve Pinata to check into events of Dec 2 to see what it might signify to Daisy's dreams. This begins a somewhat meandering detective investigation into Daisy's life. It turns out that the headstone she sees in her dream does exist but there is a different name on it, that of a man Carlos Camilla, who supposedly committed suicide on the same day. Daisy doesn't know him but does he have some relationship to her?
As I mentioned, it's a slow paced story but as it progresses we begin to find out secrets, connections that keep your interest up as you wait to see how everything will tie together. Margaret Millar has a sparse, at times unemotional style, but she gathers in your interest and attracts you to her characters. I enjoy her story-telling so very much and she has so far not disappointed in any way. I recommend you explore this fantastic writer and also the stories of her husband, Ross MacDonald. (4 stars)"
"For our anniversary my wife bought me some political books including Trumpocracy: The Corruption of the American Republic by David Frum. Since the election of Donald Trump we've found ourselves watching MSNBC and CNN more than we ever had before (which was not at all I guess) and in various ways getting angry, depressed and even somewhat scared by the divisive politics that seems to have gained so much strength since he took power. I recognize there are people who don't feel this way, but there you go.
I've recently finished a book by Katie Tur which was her memoir of following Trump on his campaign. This book discusses Trump in power, under various themes; Pre-existing conditions (basically Trump may not have created many of the ideas that divide America now but has grabbed them and run with them), Enablers (those people that enabled him to run and succeed), Appeasers (the folks without the moral courage to stand up to Trump for whatever reason), Enemies of the People (the whole freedom of the press thing), etc.
In many ways I've heard many or most of the ideas discussed in this book over the course of Trump's candidacy and presidency as I've watched the pundits discuss the daily issues. But what was nice (and I may be using that term loosely) about the book was to see them all in one place and discussed intelligently and rationally. Frum is a clear and erudite author, it's easy to see the points he is trying to make and understand the progressions of the ideas laid out.
In some ways it's a depressing book, getting all of the ideas thrown at you in one lump sum, but it's still an excellent discourse. The nice thing about the book though was that it ended with a positive outlook, the final chapter 'Hope'. For all the bad that Trump might be causing, his actions have had a positive effect as well. Trump has awakened the American public, made them more aware of the importance of democratic institutions. They recognize a school-yard bully when they see one. I liked that he follows Michelle Obama's dictum, 'when they go low, we go high'. He also hopes that the Republican party might in time realize how important it is to move on from divisive politics. I was glad to read that final chapter, it was encouraging. Maybe there will be a light at the end of this dark tunnel. (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
I started another political book and one science fiction novel to replace the two above.
"With authoritative reporting honed through eight presidencies from Nixon to Obama, author Bob Woodward reveals in unprecedented detail the harrowing life inside President Donald Trump’s White House and precisely how he makes decisions on major foreign and domestic policies. Woodward draws from hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand sources, meeting notes, personal diaries, files and documents. The focus is on the explosive debates and the decision-making in the Oval Office, the Situation Room, Air Force One and the White House residence."
"Andrew "Ender" Wiggin thinks he is playing computer simulated war games; he is, in fact, engaged in something far more desperate. The result of genetic experimentation, Ender may be the military genius Earth desperately needs in a war against an alien enemy seeking to destroy all human life. The only way to find out is to throw Ender into ever harsher training, to chip away and find the diamond inside, or destroy him utterly. Ender Wiggin is six years old when it begins. He will grow up fast.
But Ender is not the only result of the experiment. The war with the Buggers has been raging for a hundred years, and the quest for the perfect general has been underway almost as long. Ender's two older siblings, Peter and Valentine, are every bit as unusual as he is, but in very different ways. While Peter was too uncontrollably violent, Valentine very nearly lacks the capability for violence altogether. Neither was found suitable for the military's purpose. But they are driven by their jealousy of Ender, and by their inbred drive for power. Peter seeks to control the political process, to become a ruler. Valentine's abilities turn more toward the subtle control of the beliefs of commoner and elite alike, through powerfully convincing essays. Hiding their youth and identities behind the anonymity of the computer networks, these two begin working together to shape the destiny of Earth-an Earth that has no future at all if their brother Ender fails."
Bill's Author A - Z
My three authors today are 2 mystery writers and one science fiction.
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| Colin Dexter |
"The death of Sylvia Kaye featured dramatically in the "Oxford Mail". By Friday evening Inspector Morse had informed the nation that the police were looking for a dangerous man - facing charges of wilful murder, sexual assault and rape." I rated this 4 stars.
"Morse was beset by a nagging feeling. Most of his fanciful notions about the Taylor girl had evaporated and he had begun to suspect that further investigation into Valerie's disappearance would involve little more than sober and tedious routine . . ."
The statements before Inspector Morse appeared to confirm the bald, simple truth.
After leaving home to return to school, teenager Valerie Taylor had completely vanished, and the trail had gone cold.
Until two years, three months and two days after Valerie's disappearance, somebody decides to supply some surprising new evidence for the case . . ."
"Morse had never ceased to wonder why, with the staggering advances in medical science, all pronouncements concerning times of death seemed so disconcertingly vague."
The newly appointed member of the Oxford Examinations Syndicate was deaf, provincial and gifted. Now he is dead . . .
And his murder, in his north Oxford home, proves to be the start of a formidably labyrinthine case for Chief Inspector Morse, as he tries to track down the killer through the insular and bitchy world of the Oxford Colleges . . ."
I have a few others on my shelf besides those above. The remaining books in the series are -
- Service of all the Dead (1979)
- The Dead of Jericho (1981)
- The Riddle of the Third Mile (1983)
- The Secret of Annexe 3 (1986)
- The Wench is Dead (1989)
- The Jewel that was Ours (1991)
- The Way Through the Woods (1992)
- The Daughters of Cain (1994)
- Death is Now my Neighbour (1996)
- The Remorseful Day (1999(
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| Michael Dibdin |
"Ratking is the first book in the Aurelio Zen mystery series by Michael Dibdin. I first became aware of the series when it was turned into a British TV series starring Rufus Sewell as Inspector Zen. When I discovered it was based on a book series, I had to try and find a copy.
Zen is a disgraced Italian Criminal Investigator who has been placed into an administrative position due to events that resulted in the kidnapping of former Italian PM Aldo Moro. As a result of a series of phone calls he is placed back into the investigation service to help solve a kidnapping of a wealthy industrialist in the North of Italy, in Perugia.
He basically finds himself in a no-win situation. The local police resent him being there and the family of the kidnappee are suspected of involvement. It's a meandering sort of case as Zen works to find the kidnappee and also the kidnappers. Events take a bad turn when a body is found and Zen finds himself being used as a scapegoat for the lack of success. With nothing to lose, he works against the system and time to solve the kidnapping and murder(s).
I enjoyed the story although I do think I preferred the TV series. However, it was interesting to see the Italian political system at work and to get to know Zen. It was also interesting trying to compare Zen to one of my favourite Italian police inspectors, Donna Leon's Inspector Brunetti. I'll have to keep reading to see if Zen can live up to Brunetti. (3.5 stars)"
"In Italian police inspector Aurelio Zen, Michael Dibdin has given the mystery one of its most complex and compelling protagonists: a man wearily trying to enforce the law in a society where the law is constantly being bent. In this, the first novel he appears in, Zen himself has been assigned to do some law bending. Officials in a high government ministry want him to finger someone--anyone--for the murder of an eccentric billionaire, whose corrupt dealings enriched some of the most exalted figures in Italian politics.
But Oscar Burolo's murder would seem to be not just unsolvable but impossible. The magnate was killed on a heavily fortified Sardinian estate, where every room was monitored by video cameras. Those cameras captured Burolo's grisly death, but not the face of his killer. And that same killer, elusive, implacable, and deranged, may now be stalking Zen. Inexorable in its suspense, superbly atmospheric, Vendetta is further proof of Dibdin's mastery of the crime novel."
"An apparent suicide in the Vatican may in fact have been a muder conducted by a centuries-old cabal within The Knights of Columbus. A discovery among the medieval manuscripts of the Vatican Library leads to a second death, Zen travels to Milan, where he faces a final, dramatic showdown. Meanwhile, Zen's lover, the tantalizing Tania, is conducting her own covert operations—which could well jeopardize everything Zen has worked for. Richly textured, wickedly entertaining, Cabal taps the mysterious beauty of Italy in a thriller that challenges our beliefs about love, allegiance, history, and power—and the lengths to which we will go to protect them against the truth."
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| Philip K. Dick |
"I've seen the movie based on the book, that being Blade Runner, many times and always enjoy. For some reason, even though I find Philip K. Dick a fascinating science fiction writer, I've not picked up Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? before. It might be one of those things about not wanting to ruin the movie by reading the book, or something like that. Anyway, a couple of years back, I saw a new edition at one of my favorite book stores in Victoria and picked up a copy. And this year it was chosen for me as one of my Challenge reads. And for that I'm glad.
The story follows the basic plot line of the movie. Rick Dekkard is a bounty hunter for the San Francisco PD, paid to hunt down and 'retire' escaped androids. The story is set in a future where the world was almost by a World War. Many people have emigrated to the Moon and Mars and other planets. Few remain behind. Some, known as chicken heads, don't have the mental abilities to emigrate, due to the effects of the dust from the World War. Others just don't want to.
A group of androids, the Nexus 6 version, escape from Mars and come to San Francisco. Dekkard is given the assignment to find and retire them after his partner is almost killed by one. So that is the gist of the story.
Other elements only hinted at in the movie play much bigger roles in the book. The desire to have 'real' pets as most animals were killed in the world. People keep them on their roof tops. Dekkard is only able to afford an electric sheep and craves a real animal as he hopes it will help his marriage. Yes, he is married in the book. The other main character, John Isidore, a chicken head, works for a company that builds and repairs electric animals. There is also the interesting dichotomy between the Buster Friendly TV program that blasts out all day long on TV and also radio and Mercerism, an emotional linkage between millions of people.
All in all it's a unique story, quite fascinating. Dick can leave you feeling cold with his stories, I find, but as the story progresses and comes to the end, it did provide an emotional satisfaction. Well worth reading if you've not explored the Science Fiction of Philip K. Dick. (4 stars)"
"I've read quite a few of Philip K. Dick's books over the past many years. He is one of the unique Science Fiction writers, definitely taking a different perspective on his subject. Time Out of Joint is one of his earlier efforts, written in 1958. You can see many of the themes that crop in his works; alternate realities especially play a major role in this and the other books I've read previously.
Ragle Gumm lives in a small town in Wyoming, living with his sister and her husband. He makes his living solving a mathematical contest that the local paper puts out each day. As time moves along, he and his family become more and more aware that things aren't quite what they seem. They find an old yellow pages and magazines. The phone book contains numbers that don't work and seem to indicate that they might be being monitored by some outside agency. The magazines show famous people, but people they don't know. Are the neighbors watching them. Why does the man from the newspaper drop in on Ragle?
We get tidbits from other people around Ragle, very suspicious things happening in this town. Ragle moves to discover what is really taking place and what he finds out makes for a fascinating story. Philip Dick never disappoints but he can confuse and leave you hanging... Interesting story from him and well worth trying to get a feel for his work and ideas. (4 stars)"
"Excellent story. I read it before but back in the late '70s so it was just like a first-time read. Well-paced science fiction story, alternate reality. Neat little touches; compare the chapter titles in the index to the actual chapters (I'll say no more, but very interesting). I liked the ending, it was an interesting twist that I didn't see coming. Very enjoyable and I'm glad I read again after all these years. (4 stars)"
Here are a few more that I've read and enjoyed and also have on my book shelves awaiting my attention.
- A Scanner Darkly (1977). I rated 3 stars. Also turned into a quite strange movie. Winner of the British Science Fiction award.
- The Three Stigmata of Palmer Eldritch (1965). I read back in the 70s and again in 2013. I rated 3 stars.
- The Crack in Space (1966). I rated 4 stars.
"The Crack in Space was written in 1966. The basic premise is an over-populated world, where people have the option of becoming 'Bibs'; they are cryogenically frozen, hopefully being awoken when there is more room on Earth or other options such as the opportunity to move to another planet if that technology is available.
Jim Briskin is running for President and if he succeeds will become the first African American president of the US. A discovery is made where a crack in space presents the opportunity to relieve the overpopulation problem by letting Earth people emigrate to the planet that shows up in this crack. The question is, what's on the other side and if there is an existing population, will they allow this invasion?
I found the story fascinating, with many very nice touches throughout. I did like Dick's idea of introduction of Briskin as presidential candidate. He is intelligent, thoughtful and straight-forward. (I wonder if Barack Obama ever read this story? :0)) The story, itself, moves along at a perfect pace; the characters are interesting; note George Walt, the owner of the satellite whore house, amongst others. It was a thoughtful, clear and well-crafted story and I enjoyed all of it, from beginning to end. Well worth trying if you want to explore Philip Dick's view of the future. (4 stars)"
- Martian Time - Slip (1964). Still to read.
"Mars. As a desolate place, forgotten by Earth. Isolated homesteaders huddle along the lines of the great canals, in thrall to Arnie Kott and his plumbing union, which controls the vital water supply. Kott's manipulations poison the lives of those he draws to him: his mistress Doreen; Jack Bohlen, the schizoid repairman she comes to love; Manfred, an autistic child plagued with memories of a terrifying future; even the poor native Bleekmen of Mars."
- Dr. Bloodmoney or How We Got Along After the Bomb (1965). Nebula Award nominee. This was one of my re-reads. Fantastic story. 4 star read.'
"Excellent story. I couldn't remember it at all from when I read it back in the late 70's or so. It's a post-nuclear disaster type story. Well-written, interesting, a real page-turner. So many interesting concepts; the different mutations, how people trying to get on after the disaster. Nice Philip K. Dick twists. I found I couldn't put it down at the end and wanted to see how things were resolved. Excellent story."
"It's America in 1962. Slavery is legal once again. The few Jews who still survive hide under assumed names. In San Francisco, the I Ching is as common as the Yellow Pages. All because some 20 years earlier the United States lost a war—and is now occupied by Nazi Germany and Japan.
This harrowing, Hugo Award-winning novel is the work that established Philip K. Dick as an innovator in science fiction while breaking the barrier between science fiction and the serious novel of ideas. In it Dick offers a haunting vision of history as a nightmare from which it may just be possible to wake."
If you've not explored much science fiction, Dick is one to try. I don't think you can go wrong with The Man in the High Castle as a start.
So there you go. The Blue Jays beat the Yankees and we've even got a bit of sunshine.. I'm off to get some bread and potatoes for tonight. Enjoy the last hours of your weekend!
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