I finished my 7th book of 2020 this morning. I'll update this and also let you know the next book I've got on my night stand. Then I'll continue with my look at the Science Fiction novel. Today's author is British writer, J.G. Ballard.
Just Finished
"A Fatal Thaw by Dana Stabenow is her second book in the Kate Shugak mystery series set in Alaska. Kate Shugak is a native Aleut who works as a private investigator and lives with her half husky, half wolf Mutt near the town of Niniltna in The Park.
This story literally starts with a bang. A man, who we quickly discover is Roger McAniff, takes his new Winchester 30.06 rifle out and begins killing his neighbours. Kate is warned by Chopper Jim, the local police officer, about the killing rampage and she and Mutt go off to try and stop Roger. I won't ruin the story by telling you she is successful, as this all happens in the first 10 - 20 pages.
What the story is about is that one of the victims was in fact killed by a different 30.06. Jack Morgan, one of Kate's lovers (or the only one?), from the Anchorage DA's office tells Kate this information, that Lisa Getty was murdered by a different weapon. He asks Kate to investigate for him, as she knows the area and the local inhabitants so very well. This investigation is the crux of the story.
Kate's investigation, as per the first novel in the series, brings her in contact with the unique, interesting people who live in the Park. You've got Vietnam vet, Bob, who is one of her closest confidants, Bernie, who runs The Road House (what a place that must be!) where on any given night you'll have preaching from the Reverend, a knitting circle, belly dancing classes, mountain climbers, etc.
As the investigation progresses, and it does so very quickly, Kate will find more about Lisa Getty, who seems to have been universally hated and about her dealings in drugs, animal parts, etc. Kate's life will be threatened and she will have to deal with Mutt being in heat.. LOL! The dangerous with the mundane; you guess which is which.
It's a neat story, a step up from the first, which was also entertaining. The spiritual aspects of the story are an added bonus; the Potlach ceremony organized by Kate's emaa (grandma) to honor those murdered, the witches ceremony in the woods, Kate's ceremony with the Aurora Borealis, even Bob's remembrance celebration with his Viet Nam Vets friends. It's an entertaining, fast moving story with a satisfying ending. I look forward to continuing this series. (3.5 stars)"
Currently Reading
"In a deadly late-night showdown, San Francisco police lieutenant Lindsay Boxer fires her weapon and sets off a dramatic chain of events that leaves a police force disgraced, a family destroyed, and Lindsay herself at the mercy of twelve jurors. During a break in the trial, she retreats to a picturesque town that is reeling from a string of grisly murders-crimes that bear a link to a haunting, unsolved case from her rookie years.
Now, with her friends in the Women's Murder Club, Lindsay must battle for her life on two fronts: in a trial rushing to a climax, and against an unknown adversary willing to do anything to hide the truth about the homicides-including kill again?"
The Science Fiction Novel - James Graham Ballard
James Graham Ballard was an English author, born in the Shanghai International Settlement, China in 1930 (see his book Empire of the Sun) and died in London in 2009. Ballard was a novelist, short story writer and essayist who was associated with the New Wave of Science Fiction especially with his post-apocalyptic novels. He also wrote a number of experimental short story collections and in the 70's a number of experimental novels. He might best known for his non-Science Fiction novel, Empire of the Sun, a semi-autobiographical novel about his time in Shanghai during the Japanese occupation in WWII.
The literary distinctiveness of his writing style gave rise to the term 'Ballardian', as described in Collins English Dictionary as 'resembling or suggestive of the conditions described in J. G. Ballard's novels and stories, especially dystopian modernity, bleak man-made landscapes and the psychological effects of technological, social or environmental developments'.
During his life Ballard wrote 19 novels, 15+ short story collections and a number of non-fiction works. I have read 11 of his novels / collections and have another novel on my book shelf. My first exposure to his work was The Drowned World which I read in my Science Fiction novel course. At that time I also explored another of his books, The Wind from Nowhere (a book I'll have to reread sometime). In the past few years, I've reacquainted myself with his works. I've also seen a few of the movies based on his books; Empire of the Sun and Crash. I have to say that his work can be somewhat inaccessible but he is always unique and fascinating. I'll highlight 4 or 5 of his books below.
"When a class war erupts inside a luxurious apartment block, modern elevators become violent battlegrounds and cocktail parties degenerate into marauding attacks on "enemy" floors. In this visionary tale, human society slips into violent reverse as once-peaceful residents, driven by primal urges, re-create a world ruled by the laws of the jungle." (4 stars)
"Early collection of stories by the renowned author.
INCLUDES:
The Man on the 99th Floor (1962);
Thirteen to Centaurus (1962);
Track 12 (1958);
The Watch-Towers (1962);
A Question of Re-Entry (1963);
Escapement (1956);
The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista (1962);
The Cage of Sand (1962);
Passport to Eternity (1962)."
"A variety of Sci-Fi short stories, highlights JG Ballard's unique imagination. It features 9 stories, all unique, some of my favourites being The 99th Floor and The Thousand Dreams of Stellavista.. Very enjoyable. (4 stars)
"J.G. Ballard is one of the most unique, strange writers I've ever read. The first story of his that I read was The Drowned World, which pictures a world that is sinking under water. He wrote that in 1962 and it was one of his earliest books. I next read, The Wind from Nowhere, which pictures mankind forced to live underground to avoid the ever increasing winds that scour the Earth's surface. Even those stories portray his unique writing style, his moodiness, his ability to describe the settings he is trying to picture.
Since then I've read High-rise, Crash, Hello America, etc. Some of them are somewhat inaccessible; you are an observer in these strange worlds or situations that he is describing. But, even with them, you have to find out what will happen to the people he places in such disturbing surroundings.
Vermillion Sands was written in 1971 and is a collection of Ballard's short stories. They all portray the decaying life of artists and rich people living in the area of Vermillion Sands. It's another strange futuristic world; a desert sea, sand rays, musical sand towers, etc. Fascinating and Ballard sort of enfolds you in the life and setting. Artists make clothing from bio materials that have a life of their own. Poets no longer write their own poetry, but use machines to draw themes and words to create poetry and then set out the parameters for people to read them. Artists soar to the skies to create art from the cumulus clouds that float above them. Rich people sail the sand seas in sail ships.
It's a fascinating scene and the stories that surround these moody settings are also interesting, somewhat emotionless, but still keep you reading to see how they resolve. Another interesting work from Ballard. (4 stars".
"A very strange, but at the same time, compelling/ engrossing story. The basic premise being a group of people who have been involved in car accidents that now equate car accidents with sex. It does sound strange doesn't it. The story focuses on the author, who is in effect, JG Ballard, his wife and a man he meets after his car accident, that being Vaughn. There are also other characters but these three are the main focus.
The story starts at the end then with flashback works it's way from the beginning; Ballard's car accident, through a variety of incidents until the start of the story (in effect, the end). There is a lot of sex in this story, (it's been described in some reviews as pornographic) and interesting discussion/ comparison with the human body and that of an automobile.
The people involved have issues, sex is often only satisfying in automobiles, even in broken automobiles. It's a hard story to describe, but it's so 'out there' that it can draw you in very deeply. David Cronenberg made a movie in 1996 based on this book, starring Holly Hunter, James Spader and Elias Koteas, amongst others and as I recall it, he very successfully captured the mood and strangeness of the story. It can be a graphic story to read, but I found it also very interesting. Did I like it? Like isn't the right word, but I found it hard to put down. (4 stars)"
"The thirty-two adult members of an exclusive residential community in West London are brutally murdered, and their children are abducted, leaving no trace. Through the forensic diary of Dr. Richard Greville, Deputy Psychiatric Adviser to the London Metropolitan Police, the brutal details of the massacre that has baffled the entire police department unfold."
So there you go. Enjoy the rest of your week.
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