So this morning I finished my 3rd book of 2020, so I'll update that and also provide the synopsis of the next book I'm starting. Then I'll continue with my look at the Science Fiction novel.
Just Finished
"Tales of the Black Widowers is the first book in Isaac Asimov's Black Widowers mystery series. I've read one other but wanted to start from the beginning. I've enjoyed many of Asimov's Sci-Fi series, some of which crossed over into mysteries. The Black Widowers stories are strictly mysteries.
The Black Widowers are six acquaintances who meet once a month at the Milano Restaurant for dinner and to have friendly, often raucous discussions. Each night one of the members brings along a guest who is interrogated and regularly presents a mystery that the six members discuss and try solve the mystery. In the background, and the person who brings everything together is their waiter, Henry.
The six main characters are all curmudgeonly; Thomas Trumbull (a code analyst if I've got it correct), Geoffrey Avalon, patent attorney, Emmanuel Rubin, noted writer and butt of the others' jokes and acquaintance of Isaac Asimov, James Drake, organic chemist, Mario Gonzalo, an artist who draws characters of each guest and Roger Halsted, high school math teacher who is trying to turn each chapter of the Iliad and maybe the Odyssey into a limerick.
The book contains 12 stories with an afterword for each one with Asimov's comments on when it was originally published, original title and sometimes the inspiration for the story. I'd call the mysteries cozy as nobody is hurt and the people never leave the restaurant (with one notable exception). After some loud joking and discussion, the group settle down to dinner and then while they relax over coffee, one of the members interrogates the guest and gets him to tell the story that the members will weigh in on. At the end of each story, the group after trying to solve the mystery will defer to Henry who gathers in their clues and questions and provides a solution.
You'd think the format would grow old pretty quickly but actually each story is interesting and unique and the characters are funny and quirky. It makes for a short entertaining story. I've got another of the books on my shelf and look forward to continuing to have dinner with this little group. (4 stars)"
Currently Reading
"Who killed Marius Steen, the theatrical tycoon with a fortune to leave his young mistress Jacqui? Who killed Bill Sweet, the blackmailer with compromising photographs? Charles Paris, a divorced actor, takes to detection and the results are comic and dramatic."
The Science Fiction Novel - Alfred Bester
In yesterday's BLog entry I looked at the work of Clifford D. Simak. It's available at this link if you want to check it out. Or just scroll through the BLog itself to see all of my previous selections.
 |
| Alfred Bester |
1n 1988 he was made the Science Fiction Writers of America's 9th Grand Master. Bester published his first Sci-Fi short story, The Broken Axiom, in 1939 in Thrilling Wonder Stories. In 1942, after having a number of short stories published he moved to the world of comic books and began writing on series such as Superman and Green Lantern. In 1946, he moved from comics to script writing for various radio shows (Nick Carter, The Shadow, Charlie Chan, etc.). He also moved to TV and did some work there.
In 1950, he moved back to writing short stories and also various novels. He was best known for The Demolished Man and The Stars My Destination (aka Tiger, Tiger). From 1953 - 1988, he wrote 8 novels and a number of short story collections. I have read one his novels and one of his short story collections and have two more novels on my book shelves. I'll highlight those books.
"An interesting collection of short stories but at times hit and miss with me. It contains six short stories and one novella, The Flowered Thundermug. The novella was nicely witty but then it sort of ended and left me feeling.... well, like eh?? Time is a Traitor took a bit of getting into but ultimately I liked it very much. I also liked the premise of The Men who Killed Mohammed, dealing with the impact of traveling into the past and the consequences of trying to change events. Out of this World was fascinating, a problem with phone lines (a problem I didn't suspect) that results in a relationship you don't expect. The Pi Man was also very interesting; actions vs reactions, cause and effect. I liked that one. Will You Wait was quite humorous, I mean how hard is it to try and sell your soul to the devil? The Don't Make Life Like they Used to is about the last man and woman on earth. The ending was very creepy... All in all a good collection, not a great collection but worth reading (3.5 stars)"
"The Demolished Man is a science fiction novel published originally in 1953 by Alfred Bester. This is the 2nd book of Bester's I've read, Dark Side of the Earth being the first. It's a strange little story, but then again, that can probably be said about many Sci-Fi stories as they delve into strange and interesting ideas.
Ben Reich is a powerful businessman in this story, set some time in the future. He competes for power with another man, Craye D'Courtenay, for domination. He wishes to make a deal with D'Courtenay but is rejected. He sees that his only opportunity for defeating D'Courtenay is to murder him.
The problem is there has been no murders committed for yonks; homicide is virtually impossible. The Earth is monitored by telepaths (Espers) who detect crime before it can happen. But Reich has a plan to get around this monitoring. Will he succeed? (Well, that's for you to find out)
The story is written at a high speed pace as Lincoln Powell, a Class 1 Esper police inspector, rushes to stop and discover if and how Reich plotted his murder. It's a fascinating concept with many interesting ideas; how the Espers communicate, how Powell tries to help D'Courtenay's daughter whose mind has been drastically affected by the events. Very readable, interesting story from a SciFi writer that I haven't explored fully. Golem100 is next on my list of Bester stories. (4 stars)"
"In a mega-city of the future...
They were nice ladies, really. Just bored. And they never expected to succeed. But intoning ancient rituals to raise the devil, they unwittingly began a rampage of rape, torture and murder. For they concocted a new devil, Golem100. And the Golem continues to grow...
Tracking the monstrous path of depravity are three super talents: Gretchen Nunn, beautiful, black master of psychodynamics; Blaise Shima, her brilliant chemist lover; and the shrewd policeman Subadar Ind'dni. Their hunt takes them into real and subliminal worlds of dazzling intensity, through the heart of the collective unconscious and beyond...where they battle for their souls and for the survival of humanity.
But even these three super intelligences are up against their limits. For now the Golem has acquired a new identity. And the Golem continues to grow..."
"In this pulse-quickening novel, Alfred Bester imagines a future in which people "jaunte" a thousand miles with a single thought, where the rich barricade themselves in labyrinths and protect themselves with radioactive hit men—and where an inarticulate outcast is the most valuable and dangerous man alive. The Stars My Destination is a classic of technological prophecy and timeless narrative enchantment by an acknowledged master of science fiction."
So there you go. The complete list of Bester's novels and collections is available at this link.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
No comments:
Post a Comment