3.28.2009

 

By Schism Rent Asunder


by David Weber, hardcover 494 pgs
Overall Grade: C+
Series: Safehold book 2

Sequel to 'Off Armageddon Reef'. About 500 pages of rising action. I can't think there was a single surprise in here. Some revelations that came sooner than I personally expected, but no major action. And yet I read the whole dang thing and I'll read the next one too. Darn you Weber! How do you do?

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# posted by Cptn. Suz @ 3:15 AM
 

Nation


by Terry Pratchett, hardcover, 367 pgs
Overall Grade: B+

Pratchett's latest, and it ain't Discworld! Time for the 'OMG's and the shock-faced emoticons. Yes, it's the first time in a very, very long while that he's written something that wasn't somehow distilled from the essence of his famous fantasy world.
That said - it ain't bad. It is set on a quasi-Earth, or alternate Earth or whatever you want to call it. This leaves Pratchett free to use terms like 'the Pelagic Ocean' (laugh if you see the redundancy there) or invent Discworld-esque creatures like the tree-climbing octopus. In terms of plot, the book deals with two young people (I'm hesitant to use the word children because they act really mature) when a ginormous freak wave depeoples a tropical island home to one and strands the other there as well. The boy and girl are very endearing characters, especially as they are joined by an increasingly eclectic cast. I'm not sure what else I can say about it without giving too much away. There's actually a fair bit of philosophical thinkings but don't worry, they are well disguised and amusing.

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# posted by Cptn. Suz @ 3:05 AM
 

Physics for Future Presidents


by Richard Muller, hardcover, 224 pgs
Overall Grade: B-

Don't freak out when it says 'physics' in the title. By physics Muller means things like nuclear weapons, energy production, space exploration and so on. The hardest calculations shown are basic math or at the most algebra. Muller does a very good job presenting on the wide variety of topics - it obviously helps that he teaches them in a university-course. Much of it is only trying to dispel misinformed opinions on the various topics using an arsenal of facts. This, of course, means that you have to trust Muller as a self-stylized unbiased presenter of said facts. I'm not sure how much I believe that, but I will admit that a lot of people should read his sections on nuclear energy. Overall I liked it, except for his section on space exploration where he unabashedly sat on the side of robotic exploration. And yes, I know the arguments about cost and lives saved are true, but I could NEVER agree with him that people aren't fascinated by people in space. We are.

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# posted by Cptn. Suz @ 2:53 AM

3.08.2009

 

seaQuest DSV season 2


approx. 15 hrs. 52 min. in total
Overall Grade: A-

Can it really have been over 10 years since I watched this show on TV?
In any case, the episodes have held up pretty well. I was amazed at how decent the special effects still look. For some reason the water is more forgiving than space. Some of the episodes are complete cheese, but I still love the characters. Some of the "future" looks extraordinarily prescient. I was very happy when they finally put this season on DVD :)

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# posted by Cptn. Suz @ 9:32 PM
 

Heaven's Net is Wide


by Lian Hearn, 550 pgs, paperback
Overall Grade: A
Series: The Tales of the Otori

This is the prequel to the Tales of the Otori trilogy, which begins with 'Across the Nightingale Floor', I reviewed previously. It deftly tells Shigeru's backstory and sets up all the pieces for the beginning of the trilogy. Again, all with Hearn's minimal, yet poetic prose.

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# posted by Cptn. Suz @ 9:28 PM
 

His Majesty's Dragon


by Naomi Novik, 353 pgs, paperback
Series: Temeraire book 1
Overall Grade: A
Dragons + tall ships = love. What can I say? When you combine two of my favorite genres (fantasy & Napoleonic-era British navy) you're bound to get something good. The gist: Cpt. Laurence and the crew of the H.M.S. Reliant take a French ship as a prize. On board they find a rare dragon egg, and Laurence is the lucky one whom the dragon takes as his captain. So Laurence must leave his beloved navy and join the aerial corps in the effort to break Napoleon's war effort.

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# posted by Cptn. Suz @ 9:21 PM

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