New Books and The Science Fiction Novel - Dystopia Pt 4

An update from yesterday's post first. Clyde survived his trip to the vet. He had five teeth pulled, unfortunately so was feeling very sorry for himself, poor fellow. He was also pretty drugged up so slept well and didn't feel like doing much, even eating. But after a good night's sleep he's not doing too poorly today. He's eaten and gone for normal walks, had his feet washed (oh yes, he also dermatitis on his feet) and cream applied and then had a dose of Metacam. But he seems to have forgiven us, even went for a car drive with me to get lunch. Jo and I are happy he's recovered so well. Brave boy!

My Lending Library needs a paint job

So, what else? Oh yes, the other day I had a note dropped in the mail box. A local resident has created a Facebook page, Courtenay & Comox Books and hopes to use it as a venue to highlight local lending libraries and to discuss books as well. He took pictures of mine and added it to the site as well as other local libraries. Very nice, even if I now realize that I need to repaint mine this spring.

Top shelf books a few days ago

I did find a couple of books dropped off at mine shortly after this. I don't know if both are related but it was nice to see.

Bottom shelf books

Anyway, let's move on to my regular subject matter. I have two new books to highlight and also will continue with my look at the Science Fiction novel, today my 4th listing of dystopian future novels. 

New Books

1. The Critic by Peter May (Enzo Files #2).

"A murder mystery in a vineyard presents a perfectly chilled cold case for Enzo.
GAILLAC, SOUTH-WEST FRANCE.
A bottled-up secret.

Gil Petty, America's most celebrated wine critic, is found strung up in a vineyard, dressed in the ceremonial robes of the Order of the Divine Bottle and pickled in wine.

A code to crack.

For forensic expert Enzo Macleod, the key to this unsolved murder lies in decoding Petty's mysterious reviews - which could make or break a vineyard's reputation.

A danger unleashed.

Enzo finds that beneath the tranquil façade of French viticulture lurks a back-stabbing community riddled with rivalry - and someone who is ready to stop him even if they have to kill again."

2. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths.











"A dark story has been brought to terrifying life. Can the ending be rewritten in time?

A gripping contemporary Gothic thriller from the bestselling author of the Dr. Ruth Galloway mysteries: Wilkie Collins and MR James meet Gone Girl and Disclaimer.

Clare Cassidy is no stranger to murder. As a literature teacher specialising in the Gothic writer RM Holland, she teaches a short course on it every year. Then Clare's life and work collide tragically when one of her colleagues is found dead, a line from an RM Holland story by her body. The investigating police detective is convinced the writer's works somehow hold the key to the case.

Not knowing who to trust, and afraid that the killer is someone she knows, Clare confides her darkest suspicions and fears about the case to her journal. Then one day she notices some other writing in the diary. Writing that isn't hers...Not knowing who to trust, and afraid that the killer is someone she knows, Clare confides her darkest suspicions and fears about the case to her journal. Then one day she notices some other writing in the diary. Writing that isn't hers..."

The Science Fiction Novel - Dystopia Part 4
I've obviously had three earlier posts on this sub-genre. I could have actually done more but I've tended to focus on authors where I've only got one or two of their books and they fit the category. Of course, nothing is perfect but there you go. I'll have to live with it. The earlier posts can be found at these links if you'd like to check them out as one sub - topic: Part 3, Part 2, Part 1. Three authors featured in this post, one I've tried, one I've tried but not in the Sci-Fi genre and one new one.

1. Whitley Strieber - Nature's End (1986). In one of the linked threads, I have previously highlighted Streiber's War Day, an excellent book. This one was quite different. I read it about 10 years ago. (Ed Note. Think about the setting of this book, the year 2025.)








"The year is 2025. Immense numbers of people swarm the globe. In countless, astonishing ways, technology has triumphed—but at a staggering cost. Starvation is rampant. City dwellers gasp for breath under blackened skies. And tottering on the brink of environmental collapse, the world may be ending....

It is a future that could well be ours. In their second shocking and fascinating portrait of America's possible destiny, Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka have again written a breathless thriller, a book that gives us an important warning and ultimately a message of hope.t is a future that could well be ours. In their second shocking and fascinating portrait of America's possible destiny, Whitley Strieber and James Kunetka have again written a breathless thriller, a book that gives us an important warning and ultimately a message of hope." (3 stars)
WhitleyStrieberandJamesKunetkahaveagainwrittenabreathlessthriller,abookthatgivesusanimportantwarningandultimatelyamessageofhope.

2. Ira Levin - This Perfect Day (1970). I have previously enjoyed Sliver and Rosemary's Baby by Levin. This one looked interesting.







"The story is set in a seemingly perfect global society. Uniformity is the defining feature; there is only one language and all ethnic groups have been eugenically merged into one race called “The Family.“ The world is ruled by a central computer called UniComp that has been programmed to keep every single human on the surface of the earth in check. People are continually drugged by means of regular injections so that they can never realize their potential as human beings, but will remain satisfied and cooperative. They are told where to live, when to eat, whom to marry, when to reproduce. even the basic facts of nature are subject to the UniComp's will—men do not grow facial hair, women do not develop breasts, and it only rains at night."

3. Dmitry Glukhovsky - Metro 2033 (2002). I've had this book on my shelf for much too long. I will *hand on heart* read it this year!

"The civilization's most northern outpost, a lonely metro station, attacked by mysterious creatures that somehow have awoken in the recent war. The world lies in ruins, the surface is contaminated, and a prey to the sun's deadly rays. One last human remnant have sought protection in the Metro, the world's largest nuclear bomb secure bunker, where stations have been transformed into small city states with their own ideologies and governments.

Everywhere there is a constant struggle for living space, water filters, electric heaters and fungal cultures, all while darkness and terror reigns in the tunnels.

A young man is forced out on a dangerous journey through the subterranean maze of tunnels, shafts and sidings, where nobody knows what to expect around the next corner."

There you go. The weekend is here, maybe one of these books might interest you for a weekend read? Have a great one anyway.

Adarkstoryhasbeenbroughttoterrifyinglife.Cantheendingberewrittenintime?

AgrippingcontemporaryGothicthrillerfromthebestsellingauthoroftheDrRuthGallowaymysteries:WilkieCollinsandMRJamesmeetGoneGirlandDisclaimer.

ClareCassidyisnostrangertomurder.AsaliteratureteacherspecialisingintheGothicwriterRMHolland,sheteachesashortcourseoniteveryyear.ThenClare'slifeandworkcollidetragicallywhenoneofhercolleaguesisfounddead,alinefromanRMHollandstorybyherbody.Theinvestigatingpolicedetectiveisconvincedthewriter'sworkssomehowholdthekeytothecase.

Notknowingwhototrust,andafraidthatthekillerissomeonesheknows,Clareconfidesherdarkestsuspicionsandfearsaboutthecasetoherjournal.Thenonedayshenoticessomeotherwritinginthediary.Writingthatisn'thers...