![]() ![]() Sterling is never an easy writer, especially for casual fans of SF. There, she finds herself surrounded by artists, anarchists and bohemians who, frustrated by their powerlessness, want to involve her in a radical scheme to change the world. She trades her careful, upscale existence for life on the streets with the restless young, wandering through Europe in search of stimulus and meaning. ![]() After undergoing one of the most radical such procedures, Mia can now pass for 20 but is borderline psychotic. Life-extension technology is the world's major growth industry and Mia, like many of the elderly, has invested everything into qualifying for new and experimental rejuvenation techniques. Mia Ziemann is a 94-year-old medical economist in a world ruled by a ""post-human"" gerontocracy. Vice and illness still exist, but they're largely voluntary or self-created, the result of not controlling one's appetites and not using the medical facilities provided free to those who live socially acceptable lifestyles. In Sterling's late 21st century, advances in cybernetics, nano- and virtual technology and medicine have transformed Earth into a near paradise. ![]() Humanity's ancient dream of immortality is on the verge of becoming reality in the challenging new novel from erstwhile William Gibson (see below) collaborator Sterling (Heavy Weather, 1994, etc.). ![]()
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![]() This tale is as mind-blowing as any controlled substance and as affecting as a glimpse into a stranger’s soul. As they struggle to discover whether they are meant to help humanity or destroy it, Sturgeon explores questions of power and morality, individuality and belonging, with suspense, pathos, and a lyricism rarely seen in science fiction. Together, they may represent the next step in evolution-or the final chapter in the history of the human race. As the protagonists of More Than Human struggle to find out who they are and whether they are meant to help humanity or destroy it, Theodore Sturgeon. There’s Baby, who invented an antigravity engine while still in the cradle, and Gerry, who has everything it takes to run the world except for a conscience. ![]() ![]() There’s Lone, the simpleton who can hear other people’s thoughts Janie, who moves things without touching them and the teleporting twins, who can travel ten feet or ten miles. It is an expansion of an early novelette titled Baby is Three, published in 1952 (a work the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America placed into the Science Fiction Hall of Fame, honoring SFF. Theres a problem with this new gestalt being. ![]() In this genre-bending novel, among the first to have launched science fiction into literature, a group of remarkable social outcasts band together for survival and discover that their combined powers render them superhuman. More than Human is definitely part of the good 10 percent, or even the best one percent deservedly, it is probably Sturgeon’s best-known work. ![]() ![]() ![]() Archie, a psychopathic character, ‘usually manages to persuade one of them into his car’. The Chocolate War contains implied rape of girls at the nearby girls’ high school. ![]() Even when he writes a female character (not in this book) she self objectifies or she is murdered or both. ![]() Cormier never proved he could write well-rounded girls, to be fair. This novel has been widely banned, but my reasons for the content note are probably different and girl readers in particular deserve this acknowledged: Cormier writes consistently from the male point of view and objectifies female characters as part of his commentary on how awful boys can be. I feel readers deserve a content note about Robert Cormier novels, and about The Chocolate War in particular. This blog focuses on the storytelling: What writing lessons can we take from this young adult story from 1974, banned and beloved in equal measure? Content Note There are many resources for teaching and studying this book in a high school literature class. The novel begins with a juxtaposition in the title - chocolate is sweet and comforting war most certainly is not. Though this is not my favourite Cormier novel, it remains his best known. Heavy in symbolism and discussable themes, The Chocolate War also makes for a good case study in juxtaposition. The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier was not written with a young adult audience in mind, but class sets of the book found their way into English departments all over the world. ![]() ![]() ![]() Mensah said, “That’s not an attitude a lot of humans are going to understand. Love the 'Bot and want to join a re/read? Discuss the upcoming release? Nataliya and I lead a group:ĭr. ![]() Read right after Rogue Protocol, which gives a greater sense of character development. Besides, it contains on of my favorite lines (oh, shut up. Still, it had a perfect resolution-all the feels-so we'll go with five non-robotic stars. The downside was also paranoid attention to detail." The upside was paranoid attention to detail. I do that it’s the anxiety that comes with being a part-organic Murderbot. This seems like a bit of chemical sophistry, as 'Bot does require some oxygen now and then. ![]() Unless Wells' organics are plant-based, then we might have a system. Like no organic material in, no waste material out. My nitpick-and damn if Wells wasn't the one to point it out- don't do that, authors-is that there was a part that said 'Bot can't process organics. Also correct in every aspect except for all the facts, like something out of a historical adventure serial." "It was very dramatic, like something out of a historical adventure serial. Absolutely solid balance between planning, action, and dialogue in this installment. Murberbot continues its adventures, and exploring the learning curve of what it means to be a Murderbot. ![]() Oh right, I often have complex emotional reactions which I can't easily interpret." A whole new burst of neural connections blossomed. ![]() ![]() ![]() Except for Billy Budd, many of these works have not been readily available in reliable texts, when available at all. ![]() Some of these pieces were surely composed late in Melville’s career, during his retirement, but others may date to as early as the 1850s. These unfinished writings include, besides Billy Budd, two projected volumes containing poems and prose pieces, Weeds and Wildings and Parthenope three prose pieces, “Rammon,” “Story of Daniel Orme,” and “Under the Rose” and some three dozen poems of varying lengths. As Hershel Parker has pointed out, “It is a wonderfully teachable story-as long as it is not taught as a finished, complete, coherent, and totally interpretable work of art.” Furthering Melville’s goal of getting his last literary projects into print, even in their imperfect forms, this last volume in the edition presents the poetry and prose that Melville was unable to finish, his sometimes ineffectual, sometimes heroic purposes betrayed by death. But that assessment is at least partly founded on the assumption that the story was complete and ready for publication when it was left among the manuscripts on Melville’s writing desk when he died in 1891. ![]() The gripping tale of a handsome and charismatic young sailor who runs afoul of his ship’s master-at-arms, is falsely accused of inciting a mutiny, and hung, Billy Budd, Sailor is often treated as a masterpiece, a canonical work. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() When Black Library announced last year that Dan Abnett was going to be penning a new installment for his Inquisition series, I was fairly excited. “In the battle of expectations versus reality, it’s my expectations that got bombed to hell.” ~Shadowhawk, The Founding Fields Note:This review contains major spoilers. In light of The Founding Fields currently suffering some major site issues, I’m going to be reposting my reviews from the site to the blog, so read on! ![]() As it turned out, my review also turned out to be one of the most contentious I’ve ever written and my opinion on it seems to be among a very, very small minority of the fans. It just didn’t work for me, not on any level, and I was sorely disappointed with it. Now, Pariah has the unfortunate distinction of one of the worst novels from Black Library I’ve read to date. ![]() But unfortunately the reality didn’t pan out, not at all. The start of a new Inquisition trilogy, dubbed Eisenhorn vs Ravenor, the novel promised much in its premise, which is why I was so excited for it. Coming in at the end of 2012, Dan Abnett’s Pariah was one of my most anticipated reads of the year. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() In Batman: The Killing Joke, he takes on the origin of comics' greatest super-villain, The Joker, and changes Batman's world forever. Critically acclaimed author Alan Moore redefined graphic novel story-telling with Watchmen and V for Vendetta. Now Batman must race to stop his archnemesis before his reign of terror claims two of the Dark Knight's closest friends. And he's going to use Gotham City's top cop, commissioner Jim Gordon, and his brilliant daughter Barbara (a.k.a. ![]() Freed once again from the confines of Arkham Asylum, The Joker is out to prove a deranged point. About the Book Previous editions published under the title Batman: the killing joke.īook Synopsis One bad day. ![]() ![]() We know so much about trauma but so little about how to heal it. Climate change and mass extinction are ravaging the earth but going largely unacknowledged by those with the political power to do anything about it.Īs for those communities of queer people, racialized people, disabled people, social justice activists, marginalized people taking back their power? The communities that raised me to believe in the possibility of a Revolution that would change and save the world? Sometimes it seems like the most painful cuts of all come from within my community: Call out culture. Economic inequality grows ever wider while wealth and power are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a brazenly corrupt few. ![]() ![]() A wave of right-wing and openly fascist governments have been elected to power across the world. ![]() Introduction: With Love, From the End of the WorldĪnd began again in the morning.” – Nayyirah Waheed, SaltĪs I write these words, the world is preparing to enter the year 2019, and it has become something of a truism among my community of queer people of colour that the end of the world is nigh. ![]() ![]() It’s very slightly jazzish, has plenty of texture, and some electric guitar which though gentle made me think of Lenny Kaye and what he can unleash. ![]() They describe their stuff a little roughly as ‘between acoustic balladry and a highly charged racket.’ Best of the ballad-paced numbers in a number of ways is ‘Life For Two’. Could it also spring from Wilful Missing’s caution towards outlining themselves above the horizon in the shape of a First Album, when their distinctive and deeply unified sound is still developing? OK then, that’s what it is, and for the perfectly practical reason that it contains the fruits of two widely separated recording sessions. We’re offered a collection of eleven songs which, say the band, make not an album but a double EP. ![]() As Kingsley Amis said about some other very pleasing things, ‘I’m clear on why I like them, thanks but why do I like them so much?’ The answer has to be a subtle intensity in Wilful Missing’s often fragile-sounding songs written and sung by Sam Kipling, with a range of well-controlled instruments in the hands of guitarist Sam Lawrence and bass player Albert Freeman. ![]() ![]() There’s some really good talent here: in the playing, the singing and the songwriting. The review was written by John Hepworth in 2006. This is a review of "Untitled" recorded by Wilful Missing. ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() Hyde" is a haunting and thought-provoking novella that continues to captivate readers to this day. The novella has been interpreted in a variety of ways over the years, including as a commentary on Victorian society and its repressed desires, and as a warning about the dangers of scientific experimentation. Hyde" is notable for its use of the Gothic genre and its exploration of the darker aspects of human nature. Jekyll's desire to separate his good and evil selves has led to his ultimate downfall, and he is unable to control the transformation between Jekyll and Hyde. Hyde, who is free to indulge in his base desires and impulses without fear of consequence.Īs Utterson investigates the relationship between Jekyll and Hyde, he discovers that they are, in fact, two sides of the same person. He succeeds in creating a potion that transforms him into the evil Mr. Jekyll is a respected and upstanding member of society, but he has long been experimenting with drugs and chemicals in an attempt to separate his good and evil selves. The novella explores the concept of duality in human nature, and the idea that good and evil can exist within the same person. ![]() The story is about a London lawyer named Gabriel John Utterson who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Hyde" is a novella written by Robert Louis Stevenson and first published in 1886. Hyde: And Other Stories of the Supernatural Scholastic classics: Author: Robert Louis Stevenson: Publisher: Scholastic Inc. ![]() |