I don't think I've got too much of an update but let's take a look, shall we.
Completed Books (since last update)
"The 500 Years of Indigenous Resistance Comic Book: Revised and Expanded is the 2nd historical graphic novel from Gord Hill. The other was The Anti-Fa Comic Book, which was also quite good.
The book tells the story of the colonization of the Americas and the indigenous peoples fight to keep and protect their lands and lives from these European aggressors. It covers the whole gamut of this battle, from the Spanish invasion starting with Christopher Columbus and the Spanish actions in Central and South America and moves to North America and the British and Russian activities in that continent. It covers the period from 1492 to the present time with current protests and actions to protect native, indigenous lands and protect the climate and environment.
The book defines 'colonization' in its 4 stages-
1. Reconnaissance - the initial mission to find land & resources (a la Columbus' first visit with 3 ships)
2. Invasion - the invasion force to take possession of the land
3. Occupation - if successful, the invading force imposes control over indigenous populations
4. Assimilation - colonial power often begins efforts to assimilate the surviving indigenous populations.
It's a powerful story. I was amazed at the size and complexities of the indigenous populations in America, their culture and civilizations, their ability to fight back against the invaders. The stories demonstrate the cruelty of the Spaniard and British colonists.
At times it's difficult to read as Gord Hill doesn't hold back. It's a story that is worth reading. There isn't a lot of analysis, more an exposition of facts. I can't say I enjoyed the story as it's not an easy story but I'm glad that I read it. Does it leave with a positive feeling? Difficult to say. Indigenous peoples continue to fight for their rights and lands. I just hope that national governments work with them, not against them. Together, both are stronger. (3.5 stars)"
"My first exposure to Naomi Mitchison was her fantasy novel, Travel Light. Based on that I had to continue checking out her work. Memoirs of a Spacewoman, a Sci Fi novel, was my next choice. It was first published in 1962.
It's difficult to describe the book. The copy I have, published by Kennedy & Boyd has an excellent synopsis of the book in the foreword by Isobel Murray. The story, or memoir, is told by Mary, a space explorer, specializing in communications with other beings. The memoir follows Mary as she travels in space and also during her time back on Earth. It's a story like no other I've read, I think. I mean there are elements of Ursula K. Le Guin and others but at the same time it's quite unique.
There are some neat concepts in the book, especially the time blackout, which I guess is a form of suspended animation (although it's not technically described) that allows explorers to travel to distant planets and return home without really aging. One thing about the book, there is a lot of 'how'; how does this work, how does the communication expert gain the skills / knowledge to be a communication expert, etc.. It just is. The 'how' really isn't important. And nicely enough, it doesn't take away from the story one bit.
The book is about feelings, thoughts. The beings that are met during their travels are, dare I say, interesting. The travelers often have difficulty retaining a perspective, a non-interventionist attitude when they perceive one group abusing another (Remember Star Trek's Prime Directive?)
It seems that Earth (and Mars and maybe the the planets in the Solar System) spend a lot of time exploring. It's an important, useful job. There are various teams that travel all over the place, visiting and revisiting planets. You start with a visit, bring back info, another team goes back, etc etc... There are different fields, the Communicators, the Minerals group, the botanists, etc.
There are many accidents. In one case, an explorer group from Earth and Mars has some sort of disaster on a planet (not clearly stated what... remember what or how isn't important, it just is) Mary is hurt badly and on the trip home is comforted by one of the Martians who weren't hurt too badly. They communicate by touch, feel and in the end, Mary ends up pregnant. She keeps the baby, a hybrid Earthling / Martian, named Viola.
OK, I'm jumping all over the place here. You really have to read the book. There are so many neat ideas, the 'killer' butterflies. On a stay at home Mary agrees to have an organism grafted onto her leg to see what will happen. Animals and others also agree. There is a lot of sexuality in the story; the Martians switch from female to male but when traumatized tend to switch to one sex (this reminded me of Le Guin's The Left Hand of Darkness). Mary and she's not alone has children with various people including the Martian.
It's just a fascinating (damn it, there I go again. I had to use the word fascinating) But it is that, the situations are weird and wonderful (sometimes scaryish), the culture, such as it's described makes you think, the whole story makes you think, draws you in. I think you'd better just check it out (4.5 stars)"
Currently Reading
"Can a 9-year-old boy be a fugitive from justice? In a masterpiece of contemporary conflict, John Ball spells out, as only he can, what happens when a confused little boy wants to even up a humiliating score by going after his tormentor with a .38 Colt revolver. The scintillating background is California: black-white Pasadena, Disneyland and the Angels' ballpark. DEATH FOR A PLAYMATE is an unusual story of murder, and Virgil Tibbs is back to solve it."
New Arrivals
"In Vonda N. McIntyre's Superluminal, a woman has to undergo bodily augmentation and alteration in order to cope with the pressures of being a starship pilot, e.g. the ability to go superluminal. Don't want to be a cyborg? Then this is not the job for you, the whole flying around in space thing. You won't have to worry about getting a pacemaker though."
"Murder leaps off the page when crime novelists begin to turn up dead in this intricate new novel by internationally best-selling author Elly Griffiths, a literary mystery perfect for fans of Anthony Horowitz and Agatha Christie.
The death of a ninety-year-old woman with a heart condition should not be suspicious. Detective Sergeant Harbinder Kaur certainly sees nothing out of the ordinary when Peggy’s caretaker, Natalka, begins to recount Peggy Smith’s passing.But Natalka had a reason to be at the police while clearing out Peggy’s flat, she noticed an unusual number of crime novels, all dedicated to Peggy. And each psychological thriller included a mysterious postscript : for PS. When a gunman breaks into the flat to steal a book and its author is found dead shortly thereafter—Detective Kaur begins to think that perhaps there is no such thing as an unsuspicious death after all.
And then things from an Aberdeen literary festival to the streets of Edinburgh, writers are being targeted. DS Kaur embarks on a road trip across Europe and reckons with how exactly authors can think up such realistic crimes . . ."
When Edgar asks for his help with the case, Max tells him to identify the victim, for it takes a special sidekick to do the Zig Zag Girl. Those words haunt Max when he learns the victim was a favorite former assistant of his own. And when Edgar receives a letter warning of another “trick” on the way, he realizes that it is the Magic Men themselves who are in the killer’s sights."
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