Battlestar Galactica, by Ronald D. Moore and David Eick

I make no exaggeration when I say that Battlestar Galactica might be the most driving, compelling television series I have ever watched. That being said, I feel obligated to immediately disclaim that the series is not for everyone.

The plot arc of the new Battlestar Galactica series is very much like a biblical epic: expulsion from Eden (the Cyclon genocide), subjugation by Egypt (the multiple occupations), wandering the wilderness for forty years (the massive exodus from the Twelve Colonies and all the other exoduses during the series), and searching for the Promised Land (Earth). The greatest credit to producers Ronald D. Moore and David Eick is that they stay true to the plot and character promises: all four seasons have unflinching drive, aiming toward an end goal (for each season and for the end of the series). Never have I seen such powerful story arc fidelity. (yes, Lost, it's a good thing if watchers know what you're about at least part of the time.) I can only count one or two episodes in the whole show that felt like digressions or "filler" episodes, the main one being when the Chief starts a workers union. I think I hummed a Newsies tune or two during that one.

The characters are so very gray and interesting. Verisimilitude at its finest. Gaius Baltar, as much as you want to push him out an airlock half the show, has ultimately redeeming moments where you pity and even appreciate him as a person. Lee Adama, the Dudley-Do-Right of the series, has moments of rebellion (literally) and even descent into decadence and indifference. Edward James Olmos and Mary McDonnell shine as Captain William "Bill" Adama and President Laura Roslin, respectively, creating powerful moments in the history of speculative storytelling. I couldn't have asked for better casting, directing, acting. All of it was so exact and rang so true.

Another major reflection on the show's prowess is the soundtrack by Bear McCreary. Rather than go into detail in this post, I'm planning a separate review of the soundtrack itself (easily worth the spotlight).

Now. The disclaimer. This series does have quite a bit of explicit material: violence, sensuality, and language. It is a show that needs a remote control handy for in self-editing (which can easily be done). If you're adept with a remote control, then the show is watchable for a much broader audience than without a remote control. Just know you've been warned.

Again, never--even with both Stargate series, Deep Space Nine, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and (gasp) Firefly--have I been so captivated by a television series, flogged from episode to episode because I cared what happened to all these characters I'd grown to love. I'd recommend it as the finest science fiction series of our time.


CAST:

* Edward James Olmos — William Adama

* Mary McDonnell — Laura Roslin

* Katee Sackhoff — Kara "Starbuck" Thrace

* Jamie Bamber — Lee "Apollo" Adama

* James Callis — Dr. Gaius Baltar

* Tricia Helfer — Number Six (Caprica / Shelley Godfrey / Gina Inviere / Natalie / Lida / Sonja)

* Grace Park — Number Eight (Sharon "Boomer" Valerii / Sharon "Athena" Agathon)

* Michael Hogan — Saul Tigh

* Tahmoh Penikett — Karl "Helo" Agathon

* Aaron Douglas — Chief Galen Tyrol

* Alessandro Juliani — Felix Gaeta

* Michael Trucco — Samuel T. Anders

* Kandyse McClure — Anastasia Dualla

See more about the new prequel series Caprica, by Ronald Moore and David Eick, based on Battlestar.

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

The Hunger Games is one of those books that I was very reluctant to read because it seemed so trendy. Everyone I knew, practically, was reading it, which left me feeling resistant to go with the flow. I felt the same way about the Harry Potter novels, the Percy Jackson books, and the Terry Brooks Shannara series (about a decade after they first started coming out). Also, I'd heard it ended on a cliffhanger, which made me hesitate to read it until I could see a sequel in print. Well, the sequel, Catching Fire, is out. And more good reviews from friends and acquaintances pour in.

Hunger Games is a straight dystopia with a very slight hint of post-apocalyptia (the dystopia is a result of the catastrophic civil war). Katniss Everdeen is sixteen years old and yet is the breadwinner for her struggling family: her widowed mother and younger sister, Prim. They live in the poorest district (twelve) in an empire ruled by the Capitol. In their district, people struggle to have enough food and shelter to live to see another day. Their main industry is mining, and so the coal miners and their families have very low quality of life. The Capitol government, after a rebellion from the districts more than seventy years ago, started an annual event to remind the districts of their subjugation: the Hunger Games. A boy and girl "tribute" are chosen by lottery from each district to represent their district in an arena fight to the death. The tribute drawing in District Twelve will change Katniss's life forever.

This novel is thoroughly enjoyable and is accessible to a wide audience, from middle-grade readers to adults. There are some darker themes and imagery that merit parent-children discussion for any youth reading it, but overall it crosses many audience borders.

The writing is very minimalist, clipping along at a good pace without overkill on character, scenery, or other narrative description. This is part of Suzanne Collins's talent: pacing her story to keep the reader constantly engaged and interested. She knows when to throw the next foil or twist in the plot, keeping the characters continually engaged in struggles that define them (thus describing them by their actions more than their words, thoughts, or narrator thoughts). Collins writes in first-person present, which is a risky POV. She pulls it off splendidly, and only occasionally is it a little jarring.

Thematically, Collins portrays the despotic government as a Roman Empire castoff, using such names as Cinna, Portia, and other imperial-themed monikers. This, I expect, she does to further immerse in the sense of a Roman arena fight and all the decadence and fall of morality associated with the corruption of the Roman Empire and its leaders. She marries these motifs very successfully (and believably) with the traces of the former U.S. government (as we know it). Just walking through Washington DC can quickly convey how much we are a New World Rome, and Collins gets that across--very subtly, to be sure.

The Hunger Games is an exceptional story, and I'd recommend it to just about everyone. It's a fast read, and, as mentioned earlier, has impeccable pacing that dismisses any pause or boredom.


The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. 2008. Scholastic. 374 pp. $11.69 (HC).

Reliquary Review: Dune, by Frank Herbert

So I finally got around to reading Dune. Just like everyone else my age, I've heard about Dune for years; it's a household name even for those readers who aren't speculative fiction connoisseurs. I have had a very difficult time enjoying the movie adaptations (not even finishing them) and have always seemed to harbor a stigma against the sci-fi Bible of sorts. After all, Dune is to sci-fi as The Lord of the Rings is to fantasy. A classic. A raging success.

So once I realized that there was no way around it--that I just had to read Dune if I was to be a fully initiated speculative fiction reader--I buckled down and began my journey to Arrakis, or Dune, as everyone calls it.

Dune is the epic space opera story of the noble family Atreides, the son Paul Atreides in particular, who are granted custody and stewardship of the lucrative spice planet Arrakis. Their long-time blood enemies, the Harkonnen, are abandoning the planet, per the Emperor's order, but the Atreides expect some resistance, considering this is the only planet in the galaxy that produces the extremely valuable spice melange. As soon as the Atreides set up their settlement on the planet, they are launched into a series of events that will change their lives forever.

The story relies heavily on the prophecies of the Bene Jesserit (a female religious society in some ways similar to the Jesuits or any other strict Catholic order). Their order symbolically represents the Catholic Church and its influence during the medieval times on Earth. Paul Atreides has a great destiny to fulfill per the prophecies, and other characters have prophetic roles to fill.

Frank Herbert does a fine job of projecting future technologies, considering he published this in 1965. Body shields and hovercraft, phase rifles and plasma cannons, and their water-conserving distillation suits . . . he makes the technology interesting and realistic without providing enough details to get real scientists or afficianados breathing down his neck. The technology in the story is solely there to further the plot. It's not an end unto itself.

Herbert does get into some pretty strange metaphysics and super-psychology with Paul that, for me, became tedious as well as ambiguous. Lots of omniscience in seeing past, present, and future and being able to chart a path for himself that would avoid future landmines. It didn't reduce the enjoyment of the overall story, but I read through those parts quickly.

Dune's characters are epic, and have grand characterizations with either very sinister or very noble motives. There aren't a lot of gray characters: Dr. Wellington Yueh, Thufir Hawat, the Emperor himself. Herbert is exceptional at portraying his characters in a near-Shakespearean mien, giving each of the characters faults, but in the end resolving things between characters in a typically Shakespearean denoument.

Having read the book, I can now see why the movies reeked of lethargy. The setting of the hot, dusty desert planet of Arrakis can come across as very prosaic. There are sections of the book that take place in the open desert, with very little variety in the setting. In the film adaptations, I was turned off by the same thing that slowed down Lawrence of Arabia (which film I love, otherwise): the dragged-out desert wanderings.

Dune is a classic, and I would recommend reading it for anyone who enjoys space opera and would like to see where the genre really began. Yes, there are slow parts; yes, it feels dated at times. But ultimately, it is a satisfying story, in the tradition of telling stories with a Shakespearean flair.


Dune, by Frank Herbert. 1965. Chilton Books. 412 pp. $7.99.


As an interest point, check out the original 1965 cover:

Robison Wells

I just wanted to give a shout out to Robison Wells, a friend of mine who has recently taken the next big step, signing on with one of the best YA agents out there. For all of you who want witty, innovative stories, keep your eyes peeled for Rob's national debut in the next couple years.

Godspeed, Rob!

To learn more about Rob, check out his website here.

inFAMOUS, by Sucker Punch Studios

I enjoy video games for one primary reason: the story. There's nothing more compelling than a narrative you are part of. Books and film can only take you so far as an objective observer; video games bring the participant into the story. Now who hasn't dreamed of that?

So when a game like inFAMOUS comes along, I'm further impressed with how the electronic arts industry is headed more and more toward virtuoso storytelling and artistry. I've also said before how pleased I am with studios ramping up the excellent voice talent they bring on to portray the characters in these games. It's more and more rare that you actually have to read dialogue on a screen. Most everything is headed toward fully voiced games. The border between film and video games gets grayer and grayer each year, and inFAMOUS exemplified that.

Your character, Cole MacGrath, is a courier in the thriving metropolis of Empire City until one day he's asked to carry a package that explodes in his face, destroying a lot of the city with it. He quickly finds out that he survived the blast, but that's not all. He has inherited electromagnetic powers. His girlfriend, Trish, quickly abandons him as she finds out about his powers and as the majority of the city is convinced that he was the direct and intentional cause of the explosion that wracked their city across the coals. So early in the game, Cole is called a terrorist and is feared by loved ones and strangers alike. Cole's friend Zeke is one of the main characters, tipping Cole off to important goings-on throughout Empire City as Cole tries to restore power and help the people of Empire City take back their city from the power-enhanced gangs who ravage it.

One of the highlights of the game is that Empire City itself is a character, in its own way. First of all, the city is HUGE, separated into three large islands connected by powerlines and bridges (feels like New York City with a touch of Chicago). As you play through the game, there are thousands of micro choices and a few dozen macro choices that influence whether you will become good, neutral, or evil. Based on these choices, Empire City will either (1) slowly improve and rebuild itself, becoming more vibrant and "back-to-normal" OR (2) it will slowly get worse: grimier, darker, and slummier. This makes your choices rewarding, as you see them directly effecting the improvement or decline of the city itself.

Your choices also drastically effect how people view you. If you make good choices: sharing food supplies with residents, helping to heal them on the street, taking out the gangsters and "conduits" who harrass them, etc., they will cheer you on, take pictures of you on their cell phones to send to friends, and even--at your peak of heroicism--throw rocks and debris at enemies you're fighting. The city is heavily populated, and so your karma with the residents will have a continual effect on your gameplay.

The versatility of the game is impressive, as you climb building to building, ride along train tracks (there's an extensive train system on all three islands), and cruise across powerlines. There are many missions to accomplish, shards from the blast to collect, and satellite drop sites to correspond with some of the characters throughout the game. There is enough variety to keep things fresh throughout the entire game.

inFAMOUS is one of the Playstation exclusives that makes the system well worth having, and I'd recommend it to any speculative fiction gamer.


inFAMOUS, by Sucker Punch Studios and Sony Entertainment. May 2009. $53.49 at Amazon.

Moon Called, by Patricia Briggs

For Halloween I picked a werewolf-vampire-witch-skinwalker-gremlin novel, just to ensure I covered most of the bases. Patricia Briggs's Moon Called, the first in the Mercedes Thompson series, is an engaging urban paranormal mystery set in the Tri-Cities, WA, area and also including some of Montana (which was a refreshing change from the usual New York, Chicago, Boston, DC, Name-of-Metropolis-Goes-Here, etc.).

Mercedes (Mercy) Thompson is a fine mechanic. She also happens to be a skin walker who can morph into a coyote. She has connections to the local werewolf pack, led by the alpha werewolf Adam, although she isn't part of their pack. It's these connections that drag her into an all-out war between a band of werewolves and humans that come to town looking for trouble.

The story feels a lot like Jim Butcher's Dresden Files series with a little of the charm from Tanya Huff's Blood Ties series and a lot of the world development of Kim Harrison's Rachel Morgan series. The story is very plot-driven while also including great personalities and character developments, so if you're looking for the plot-deprived, characterization-saturated stories of Meyer's, you'll not find them in Briggs's work.

Mercy Thompson is immediately likeable. She's not exuberant or boisterous, girly-girly or tomboyish--she's just that right combination of femininity and self-reliant sass that's needed for this type of series. Her werewolf, vampire, gremlin, and fae friends complement her personality and act as suitable foils. Briggs does an excellent job of giving hints of things to come in subsequent novels in the series--giving us insights into Mercy's inheritance as a skinwalker. While doing this, Briggs also offers the courtesy to her readers of a well-resolved, stand-alone novel.

The newest edition of the book has a cover that was created by a brilliant artist, but it looks far too Harlequin for me to feature on my blog. The suggestive nature of the cover does not reflect the story's content. So I use the older cover on this post so I'll blush less. The material in the book is mild compared to the cover's portrayal of Mercy (which is sad, because Mercy is an AMAZING character).

I'd recommend the book to most urban paranormal mystery fans, even though I would have to slap a sticker over the cover so as not to scare away potential readers.


Moon Called, by Patricia Briggs. Ace Fantasy. 2006. 288 pp. $7.99 (PB).

Mercedes Thompson Series:
Moon Called
Blood Bound
Iron Kissed
Bone Crossed

Shared Review of Robert Jordan's/Brandon Sanderson's The Gathering Storm

I wanted to share this amazing review done over on Pat's Fantasy Hotlist of the new Robert Jordan/Brandon Sanderson novel The Gathering Storm. It's the best early review I've read yet.