Across the Void - Very Mild Spoilers Review

Billed as "A visceral space thriller - perfect for fans of The Arrival and The Martian -following the sole survivor of a catastrophic accident in space that leaves her drifting in the void with only the voice of her estranged husband, a NASA scientist, to guide her back to Earth," Across the Void is written by S.K. Vaughn, which is a pseudonym for a Hollywood writer and director, with credits at Universal, Paramount, Sony, Fox, and Lionsgate. The man's clearly gotten around.

Now that I've told you what the press release says, I'll give you my version. The story is about Maryam "May" Knox, the brilliant commander of an exceptionally important space mission. She wakes up from a medically induced coma alone and with no recollection as to how she got there or what happened prior to the coma. Her only companion is the ship's AI, affectionately named Eve. Her ship is failing, resources are scarce, and she's still recovering from her coma. The bright side is she's able to communicate with NASA and her husband, Stephen (she has no memory of them being estranged). But there's much more to this story than meets the eye.

That alone would have gotten me interested in the book, but what really hooked me was how the book read. The chapters are small, similar to how James Patterson writes his books. The story jumps between the past, the present, May's point of view, and Stephen's point of view. They're all necessary to tell the story Vaughn is telling. With the exception of a few times towards the end, I was never confused between the past and the present. The book reads like a script. There are moments and chapters where visuals are so clearly defined. I can easily see where Vaughn's storytelling experience comes in.

The story itself is fairly solid. At no point was I bored with it. I was invested, and I cared what happened. However, there were some predictable moments, which were easy to suss out. One big plot twist I saw coming, and my reaction was, "Is this about to happen?" and on the next page, it did. Another add-on to that big twist, I thought, "Are the story really going to do this? I hope not," but it did a few chapters later. And then there was another moment towards the end, where someone behaved in a way I had hoped they wouldn't, but they did. A bigger plot twist would've been if the person didn't do the thing they did. Oh well. Vaughn is good at describing the more scientific and technical aspects of the story in a way that's easy to digest and understand, and he's good at putting you with the characters, and since much of the story is in space, you feel like you're there too.

There are some parts of the story that feel underdeveloped. And again, I think some of this might be attributed to Vaughn's other career. Certain relationships are clearly more contentious or complex, and the reader is able to discern it, but whereas if this were on screen, we'd be able to get more of the subtext and more subtleties of the relationships, but as this is in writing, some of it is lost, so certain developments don't feel as impactful as they could. This is especially noticeable in the end with one particular character.

Speaking of characters, I liked our protagonists. May is a smart, strong, determined, pig-headed, vulnerable character. You want her to win and survive. Stephen is very different than her, and sometimes she overpowers him with her big personality, but they clearly have a lot of love for each other. Even when we learn what led to their estrangement, you still want them to work things out, whether they reunite or are able to be friends, you just want them to stay a part of each other's lives. 

The antagonists are a little weaker. I don't think the reader gets enough time with them to truly connect with them in any meaningful way. This is especially obvious in the end. The story gets a little rushed, so the necessary character development needed to justify this person's actions never really hit for me. 

This goes back to my point about this reading like a movie script. A lot of today's action movies favor the action over the character development. That can work when you have stunning visuals, but when it's in written form, it's harder to cover up. And I prefer strong character development over crazy action any day. In book form, you can have both and should.

If you like space or thrillers or both, you'll like this. Faults and all, this story had me hooked, so grab some popcorn, a drink, and get cozy. Once you start reading, you won't want to stop. 

Across the Void goes on sale today. It's available in hardcover, eBook, and audio formats. 

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[IGH] on Books: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE’S STAR WARS

A little known fact is that George Lucas stole Star Wars from the world's greatest playwright (and thief) William Shakespeare.   Ok, that's complete bunk but it would be pretty amazing.  Still, this wonderful mash-up of Shakespearean English and Scruffy Nerf Herders exists in Ian Doescher's mind.  Out last week from Quirk Books is his edition of William Shakespeare's Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope.

Now, I'm just going to assume that anyone reading this knows the story of Star Wars: A New Hope and not recap it here for you.  If you don't know A New Hope, leave wherever you are RIGHT NOW and find the Star Wars original trilogy and watch it now.  Seriously, you need to see what all the buzz is about.

[IGH] on Books: The Planet Thieves

Courtesy of Tor Books.

Out this week is The Planet Thieves by Dan Krokos.  This is the first book in this new young adult series from Starscape Books.  This is the newest addition to the teenage saves the day theme that has become so popular but is the first to be part of the sci-fi genre in a long time.

Humans are at war with an alien species called the Tremist.  This war story follows a group of young military cadets during their summer session in space aboard the SS Egypt, when they are attacked.  The oldest cadets, led by classic troublemaker Mason, run off to help but this isn't the classic Tremist attack.  They are looking for something specific.  Now, I've given a very basic overview but there is a lot more into this story.  Check out this trailer to really get your heart pumping.

Random Thought: Authors Who Give Up on Their Series

I was staring at my bookcase, not really paying attention to what I was looking at, when one of my books caught my eye. It was by an author I used to read. I started thinking about him. He had a popular series of books of few years ago. They weren't super popular but did well. I loved them. The characters were interesting and funny, and the stories were always twisted and complex but great, quick reads. Perfect to read on a train or at the beach or curled up at home.

Anyhoo, as the series progressed, I got the feeling that the author was growing tired of the characters. He moved his main protagonist to a new location and the plots made a little less sense. Finally, he announced the ending of the series. I was sad, but every story has its time. However, when I read the final book, instead of sad I became angry.

What made this series so good was not only was the main protagonist an extremely likable character, but the group around him was equally incredible. Think Buffy and the Scoobies. That's exactly what this was like, and in the final book, the few who made it into the story were underutilized and some of them completely disappeared, and the explanations given for their disappearance made no sense. Not only that, but the story itself was convoluted, rushed, and lacked all the wonderful elements that had made the series so good. There are books my favorite authors have written that I have not cared for, but rarely have I read something that's made me question the quality of their writing.

I found out later the reason the author ended the series was because he had written a book unrelated to the series that he was extremely proud of, and the fan reception he had gotten was "this is nice, but when does the next ---- book come out?" This understandably upset him. He had put a tremendous amount of work into his book, and it wasn't fair that it was being treated as a placeholder. I read that book; it was great, but I feel like his response was unfair to the fans.

He should have anticipated that kind of response. He created a wonderful series, and that was what he was known for. Yes, he wrote other stuff, but he was best known for his series. It's what made him popular. Of course, that's what the fans were going to want.

I respect his decision to end the series so he could pursue other projects. You can't hold creativity back, but what I don't respect is not giving the characters a proper send off. Sure, we're lucky he was even willing to tie everything up, but in some ways, the final book was so subpar that it might have been better if he didn't write it, did other projects, and may some years down the road revisited the characters and given them a better ending. 

Have you had this experience? Are there writers out there who you felt really dropped the ball on their series'? And for any writers reading this, am I being overly harsh or have you ever felt this way? I'd love to know your side of the story. 

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[IGH] on Books: OPERATION: Montauk by Bryan Young

Have you ever read a book that not only captured your attention but took such a hold on you that you felt physically compelled to read it? That's how I felt reading OPERATION: Montauk by Bryan Young.


Rather than attempt to try and summarize the story, I think I'll let the author himself provide the synopsis:

Review: Bella A Novel by Steve Piacente

Wilderowens scored herself entrance to Book Expo America and came away with tons of books to read, several of which were autographed by the authors (she is the swag queen. Seriously. If you want to learn how to score the most free stuff at a con, become her padawan.) We all took a few books to read, as you’ll find out over the next few months. For me, the first book I finished was Bella, A Novel by Steve Piacente.

Bella is the story of a young widow whose husband was killed in Afghanistan and the reporter, Danny Patragno, she enlists to prove the military lied about how he died. The story follows them as they come up against various obstacles in their search for the truth. It is a story about betrayal, justice and love.

The opening pages of the story I found to be awkward, and it bothered me a lot. I was not sure where the author was going and even considered stopping. Luckily, I rarely give up on a book that quickly. If I had, I would have missed out on a wonderful story.

The story itself is a little formulaic. If you read books or watch tv shows about coverups and getting justice for the little man, then you have a basic idea about where the story is heading, but what makes it so interesting is not the part about getting justice for the dead soldier and his widow; it is the story of Danny Patragno and how his life is affected by Bella walking into it.

I would not say Danny is going through a midlife crisis during this but there are some significant events happening when he meets Bella, and I believe that is partly why he makes certain decisions. He is constantly in a state of conflict, whether is it about the story or his personal life. What I like about Mr. Piacente’s portrayal is how believable he is. Danny is a fully fleshed out character. He is someone you or I know.

Bella, on the other hand, is a little harder to digest because of how she treats Danny, but at the same time, while we never truly find out what is going on inside her mind, we do believe her pain and how the death of her husband has affected her. Danny describes her “damaged, wounded and dangerous.” I think that is the best way to sum her up, but it is important to remember, she is not the villain of this story. Some of her actions can be described as callous or hurtful, but that is a direct result of her husband’s death.

This book is both tragic as well as hopeful. A horrible incident happens, certain people do bad things, and others fight to fix them. As I said, it’s a story we have all heard before, though there are a few really great twists, but Mr. Piacente has a way with words and makes the story feel fresh. If you are like me and think the opening is a little odd, hang in for the next chapter because the book really takes off from there. It is well-paced and sucks you in. You won’t even notice time has flown because you're so absorbed in reading it.

Another reason you should pick up this book is Mr. Piacente self-published it. He chronicles his adventures on his blog while also offering advice on how to successfully get your work out there. It is a great way to get an inside look at how the internet helped change how books are published and marketed to today's audience.


If you like stories involving government coverups and the people determined to bring them to light, then you will like this. If you don't believe me, take a look at the official Bella trailer and judge for yourself. Then go get the book.





You can learn more about Bella at http://www.getbella.com/


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Review: Sweet Valley Confidential

I recently got to indulge in a pile of adolescent nostalgia by picking up Sweet Valley Confidential - Ten Years Later by Francine Pascal. It's the continuing story of those plucky Wakefield twins, Elizabeth and Jessica.


The gist of the story is sometime between when we last read about the twins' adventures in Sweet Valley University and now, Jessica did something so horrible to Elizabeth that Elizabeth felt she needed to move to New York and stop speaking to her sister. Elizabeth has been transformed into an angry and vengeful woman who wants to lash out at those who betrayed her. The story follows Elizabeth as she makes plans to go back to Sweet Valley for a family event and ultimately confront Jessica.


I have been waiting for months to read this book. I read all of the Sweet Valley books and I loved them. I still have several of the books that were extra meaningful to me. When the book arrived, needless to say, I read it immediately and didn't stop reading until I was done. So, imagine my surprise that when I finished the book, I was left feeling confused and unfulfilled.


The main problem with the book is not the story per se, it's more with how it is told. Francine Pascal works very hard at mixing the past with the present and it falls flat. She alternates the story between what is happening in New York and California in the present, while also giving us flashbacks to what has happened over the past ten years. It becomes a bit of a mess.


Another problem is that the story is too short for what she is trying to do. She is trying to reintroduce us to all the characters we grew up with and loved, but there isn't enough time for us to fall in love with them again. She alludes to personality changes in some of the characters without being able to delve into what led them change or interesting pairings with only a couple of sentences to describe the journeys taken to get there, and then, as a way to make up for not being able to give us the full scoop in the story, she creates a roll call of characters at the end and gives us a brief description of what their lives have been like. I'm particularly annoyed with what happened to Winston Egbert and Enid Rollins, both characters appear to have underwent very radical evolutions, yet we are denied experiencing it. 


Even the changes within the Wakefield family are only somewhat covered. The story starts off in the present and the twins are so radically different that it is hard to remember why they were loved in the first place. Not to mention the huge, life altering changes undergone by their brother, Steven. His story arc is by far one of the most interesting ones and it isn't given nearly enough time, which is weird because Jessica plays a large role in it, and there she is considered a screw up even though what she did was for the best of everyone and they all know it. But I digress.


Finally, the last big problem is this book is being touted as a contemporary adult book. This is not an adult book, nor is it a young adult book. It seems to fall somewhere in between. There are sex scenes and curses added to give the book a more adult vibe, but again, since we weren't given enough time to get reacquainted with everyone, all the "adult" add-ins feel awkward. It is hard to view them as the adults they are, so reading about present day sexual encounters is a little off-putting. The flashback scenes felt more natural.


What I would have loved, and I think what would have worked better for the scope of the story, would have been if Francine Pascal announced she was making a short series, like a trilogy, of books catching us up with everyone. It's what she does best. Her ability to develop characters over the long term is why these characters are so well loved. Also, it's obvious she has the stories in her to tell. It's all there on the pages with the little nuggets she doled out to the readers. There is so much potential for a renewed interest in her books.


I came across an article on EW.com talking to Francine Pascal, and I learned a few new facts such as they tried to reboot the Sweet Valley High books in 2008, but they were "updated" in ways that were not necessarily for the best and there is a movie script in the works. It's being written by Diablo Cody. I think that by itself shows how much life is still in this world.


In the EW article it's revealed that Ms. Pascal never wrote a full Sweet Valley book until this one. She plotted the stories for each, and while I commend her for doing it, I want a sequel to this. I want Ms. Pascal to do what she had always done and plot it with someone else completing it, because this is not the way a beloved universe should end. Francine Pascal's legacy deserves better.

Review: Serpent's Storm by Amber Benson

 

In anticipation of Amber Benson’s signing tomorrow at Midtown Comics, last week, I picked up her new Calliope Reaper-Jones book, Serpent’s Storm. Then I proceeded to finish it within a few days.

I’ll admit with her first book, Death’s Daughter, it took me some time to really get into it. I don’t know if it was because there was so much information that needed to be given or something else, but while I like it, it didn’t wow me. It took a second reading for me to truly appreciate it.

With her second book, Cat’s Claw, I felt like I was popping in to see how an old friend was doing and catching up with her life. I guess because I was more familiar with the mythology, I was able to quickly get lost in the story.

Serpent’s Storm is a completely different story. This is not a quick “how are you doing?” This is “entering a convenience store to get coffee, only to find it’s being held up.” It starts off with a quick recap and update with our heroine, Calliope, and then BAM! You’re thrust directly into a story that is far darker and more twisted than the previous ones.

There is an epic feel to this story. People get hurt or die and there are betrayals. There are battles and help from unlikely sources. There’s love and broken hearts. There are also a couple of spicy sex scenes because no epic story would be complete without a few really good sexcapades.

What I love about this book is not only does Amber create a story that has a sense of largeness and could have easily spiraled out of control, but she keeps it tight and focused as Callie deals with every challenge and obstacle that is thrown at her in her clumsy, spazzy, fiercely determined, strong willed and oh so human way. Minus the special familial circumstances, Callie is someone we all know. And that is what makes her great.

What it comes down to is this – Amber Benson tells a great story. This is a story that will give you satisfying conclusions while leaving you wanting more. These are characters you can’t help but invest in. You want to follow them on their journeys and see where life takes them.

I don’t have a ratings system so let’s just say I give it two thumbs and big toes up and I can’t wait for the next book. 

Amber Benson will being signing Serpent's Storm with Anton Strout, who will be signing his book, Dead Waters, at Midtown Comics Downtown tomorrow at 1 PM. Come on down and say hi!

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Review: The Day After and Other Stories by Wil Wheaton @wilw

Did you know that Wil Wheaton came out with a book of short stories? I got my hands on a copy of The Day After and Other Stories a few weeks ago and just got the chance to sit down and really enjoy it. It was part of a very short release in December, and I am so happy I bought it for two reasons.

One: It's wicked good.
Two: I got a tweet from Wil himself!!!!!!

Yep, so here is the story. When I bought it, I got a very nice automated email from Wil, thanking me for buying his book. So of course, I tweeted this:




To which I got this as a response:




Needless to say, I fell off my chair, then babbled incoherently for about twenty minutes. I did handle it better than I thought I would, especially after my first Wheaton encounter.

Oh yeah...so since this is a review, I should probably talk about the book. The Day After and Other Stories has four short stories, ranging in size and topic. Despite what I anticipated, these were not all sci-fi/fantasy stories. The element that ties the book together is that these are people stories. Each tale, no matter the length, touches upon the human condition. The title story, The Day After, is a zombie survivor story. One kid is trying to deal with his realization that his world is gone forever and there is no going back. Frankly, this story freaked me out but in that good way. You know, when you feel that connection to the characters. My favorite part is that he gives an intro for each story and his reasoning for writing it. One story, Language Barriers, is based on a conversation he overheard one day. Another story, Room 302, is based on a photo that a friend gave him. He even manages to bring his love of poker into a touching story about a bar patron called Poor Places.



In the intro for the book, Wil Wheaton says that he wrote this for his fans that wanted him to write more fiction. Well, the only fiction works of yours that I have read are this and The Last Unicorn (Pegasus Kitten) from Clash of the Geeks. Mr. Wheaton, I have to agree with them. You have great talent for drawing a person into a story and you should explore that.

Sadly, The Day After and Other Stories is no longer available, but I'm sure if enough people tweet him about it, he will cave to your demands. The Mob Shall Not Be Ignored! Until then, you should check out his bookstore, where he sells other literary delights!

Review: Mermaid by Carolyn Turgeon

A few weeks ago, an acquaintance handed me a book and said he thought I’d like it. I didn’t know him very well; we only spoke occasionally, but I took the book and was automatically intrigued. The book was Mermaid, A Twist on the Classic Tale by Carolyn Turgeon.

The Little Mermaid is one of my favorite Disney movies, and one of my favorite fairy tales. I grew up wishing I could be Ariel (Disney ending, not the original). This might also be the reason I want to be a redhead, but I digress.

How can you not love the hair? 

Goodreads.com summarizes it as, “The story of two very different women, one mortal, one mermaid, and the clash between worlds best kept apart...” but I disagree. While it is the story of two different women, the worlds are not best kept apart. If anything, the story is more about uniting all lands and worlds, whether it can or should be done, and the sacrifices that must be made to do so.

The characters are wonderfully fleshed out, and the alternating between the mermaid and the mortal give the story a little something extra. Even with knowing how the story is supposed to end, I cared enough about each woman that I didn’t know who should end up with who. Anyone who can take a familiar story and still manage to surprise me is aces in my book.

One of the best things Carolyn Turgeon has managed to capture is the wonder a person feels when they see something amazing and magical for the first time. Seeing our world through the eyes of the mermaid makes me appreciate the good a little more, and seeing the ocean through both the mermaid and the mortal make me want to explore its secrets (I should probably learn to swim first).

It’s a darker version of the classic story. It stays true to Andersen’s original tale, and is very graphic at times, but as tragic as the story was, I saw more hope and love in the pages than pain. I felt like everyone was trying to do the best they could with their circumstances, and no one was out to intentionally hurt anyone else.

I loved the book. It recaptured old feelings of wonder and magic. Mermaid is published by Three Rivers and it slated for release in March 2011. To learn more about Carolyn Turgeon, check out her blog here.