Andreas' Other Books - (G-H by author)

Neil Gaiman - Neverwhere

Fabulous gothic fantasy novel set in a set of parallel world under modern day London. Our hero is an ordinary securities guy working in the City of London. He has a job, a fiancé, an apartment, a meaningless life. One day, he is kind to what he thinks is a homeless person. This act propels him on an adventure beyond his wildest imagination.

The clever and twisted use of London iconography and places is of course of most value if you actually know something of the city itself. However, anyone can enjoy this novel of courage and tolerance, of destiny and choice. Enchanting. 20031119

William Gibson - Burning Chrome

This collection of short stories has many connections with Gibson's early Cyberpunk books. There are some true gems of early cyberpunk here, including Johhny Mnemonic, which is much better than the movie. Highly recommended.

William Gibson and Bruce Sterling - The Difference Engine

Novels which postulates that Babbages "Difference Engine" (a mechanical computer) was actually built. Set in Victorian England, it nicely portrays the period. Apart from that, it is rather boring and bland.

William Gibson - Virtual Light; Idoru; All Tomorrow's Parties

This series of three books is very loosely connected through some of the central characters. Although Gibson's prose stands out as always, I felt that these novels were more an exercise in writing in a cool fashion than actual attemts at storytelling. The writing is even more florid and peeled back than usual, and the books are not terribly interesting in their own right. It is Gibson, and worth reading, even though he has done much better, as evidenced by his strong presence on the Book Picks page.

William Gibson - Spook Country

This is set in the same universe as the excellent Pattern Recognition. Once again, Hubertus Bigen is looking for something. Hollis Henry is a former rock star who ends up entangled in a weird scheme to deter the laundering of money destined for Iraq.

As usual, Gibson knows how to construct a sentence, a paragraph, and a chapter in a flamboyantly artistic fashion that both dazzles and explains perfectly what is going on. Descriptions of places, things, actions and people are all finely balanced and constructed with the obsessive care that is the author's trademark. The prose is simply breathtaking.

Pity about the plot, then. Nothing really happens as the protagonists chase after the initially mysterious but, after its revelation, rather pedestrian MacGuffin. The conclusion left me with a "so what?" feeling. The story was rather slow and plodding and the ending left me indifferent. Dissapointed. 20080211

L.A. Graf - Star Trek Voyager: Caretaker

I had never had occasion to watch the premiere episode of Voyager, so I read the book. Not terribly exciting from a literary point of view, and I doubt that it would be very interesting if not for the Star Trek element.

James L. Halperin - The Truth Machine

Idea story in which accurate lie detector technology is invented and used mercilessly. This transforms society completely. Very thought provoking.

James L. Halperin - The First Immortal

Story about how cryogenics succeeds. Follows a small group of people "through" cryogenic freezing to the society evolving in the aftermath of it's success. Very interesting and raises some fascinating questions.

Peter F. Hamilton - The Greg Mandel books

Loosely connected series of books sharing the same main characted, Greg Mandel. He is a prychic ex soldier who now works as a sort of private investigator/mercenary, Greg comes into contact with Julia Evans, a billionairess in the first book, and she is a very interesting characted in herself.

Although they can be read as pretty straightforward SciFi crime novels, there is much more depth here. The post ecodisaste England recovering from climate change is interesting in itself. Add to it a recent rabid socialist regime which has made way for a brave new kind of capitalism, and the social commentary becomes top notch.

Highly recommended, even thought the US edition covers are awful.

Peter F. Hamilton - Fallen Dragon

Interesting story about a young man whose illusions are shattered in a cruel society. He runs away from home to become a mercenary. The story jumps between his youth and his later career as a corporate soldier plundering a colony world. He is sick of the society he lives in, and gets that rarest of things, a second chance.

There is much else going on too, including a legacy left by ancient spieces, and Hamilton's views on what to do with societal immortality. Although I felt it to be awesome in the scope of the macrostory, the main characters are easily within our reach, and the unexpected ending may well bring tears of joy to your eyes. Loved it!

Peter F. Hamilton - Misspent Youth

More of an idea piece that a novel in my opinion, this book deals with the first person to be rejuvenated, and how this affects the people around him, in particular his son.

Worth reading, but not as good as Hamilton's other works.

Peter F. Hamilton - Watching Trees Grow

Novelette from the great Hamilton about an immortal mankind that grows out of the Roman Empire. Very intriguing. The story is centered around a murder mystery, and Hamilton skillfully intertwines the case with a slow revelation about this society so unlike our own. The main theme is the meaning of life, and the value of it. Well worth a read.

This book has a double cover and is paired with Tendeléo's Story by Ian McDonald.

Robert Harris - Fatherland

Novel in which the Nazis won the Second World War. The background premise is very interesting, of course, but Harris weaves an interesting tale of crime in a Berlin of the nineteen sixties. Well worth reading, it provides interesting insights about what happens when a totalitarian society on a war footing must take a break and become a nation at peace. And then there is that deep, dark, covered-up secret that nobody wants to talk about: The Holocaust.

Robert Harris - Enigma

Although it has received good reviews, and I have no doubt of it's historical accuracy, this novel thoroughly failed to captivate me and I gave up on it after only about a hundred pages.

Thomas Harris - The Silence of the Lambs; Hannibal

The Silence of the Lambs is as good a crime thriller as you are ever likely to read. A masterpiece, just like the movie. Hannibal is also quite good, but without the backstory provided by its famous prequel it would not have been as satisfactory.

Harry Harrison - Make Room! Make Room!

Basis for the movie Soylent Green. Interesting tale in which the world (ok, the US...) is severely overpopulated, with starvation, smaller living space, and generall crappiness for the growing group of poor as a result. Ok, this didn't happen by the year 2000, but it's still a good yarn.

Harry Harrison - Plague from Space

Golden Age style space opera about... You guessed it! A Plague! From Space! Actually, this is quite enjoyable, although far from deep and epic.

Harry Harrison - The Stainless Steel Rat series

SciFi humor. I quite enjoyed the first five books or so, but in the end the laughter starts wearing thin. Harrison is still going strong with this series, but I have long since given up. Those that I have read are:

• The Stainless Steel Rat

• The Stainless Steel Rat's Revenge

• The Stainless Steel Rat Saves the World

• The Stainless Steel Rat Wants You

• The Stainless Steel Rat for President

• A Stainless Steel Rat is Born

• The Stainless Steel Rat Gets Drafted

• The Stainless Steel Rat Goes to Hell

Harry Harrison - The Eden Trilogy

What if dinosaurs had not become extinct, but instead evolved into sentience? The sentient dinosaurs have also developed biotech to a certain extent. In the Trilogy, they start a colony in America and there contact Stone Age humans. This whole thing could rapidly have descended into sillyness but it is rather entertaining and thought provoking. Nothing at all epic though. The three novels are:

• West of Eden

• Winter in Eden

• Return to Eden

Robert A. Heinlein - The Number of the Beast

Heinlein is entirely too caught up in his own cleverness in this one. I gave up after about 100 pages.

Robert A. Heinlein - Friday

Yes, I bought this book for the cover. So sue me, I was probably sixteen. And yes, there is quite a bit of sex in it. Friday is a vat-grown superwoman who seeks love. And finds it. Ah well...

John G. Hemry - JAG in Space

A Just Determination

The first book in the "JAG in Space" series is a short and neat novel about a young ensign, an incident, and a court martial. Hemry delivers a page turner. Not the heaviest reading, to be sure, but there are depths between the lines. There is in fact quite a decent coming of age story between the covers.

I am always partial to books where I can identify with and feel sympathetic with the characters. Hemry is excellent at making the reader (well, this reader at least) identify with protagonist Paul Sinclair during his struggles on his first deployment. The other crew members of the Michaelson are a mix of good and bad, with wildly varied motivations, just like in real life. Overall, the characters feel well fleshed out, and Hemry is skilled at portraying both them and the action, entirely from young Sinclair's perspective.

It could perhaps be argued that this novel's setting is incidental, and that it would have worked just as well on the sea. That may be so, but that does not detract from its appeal. A fine read. 2007030

Note: Hemry also writes under the pseudonym Jack Campbell.

Burden of Proof

The second installment in the JAG is space series is structured much like its predecessor. Paul Sinclair is now a Lieutenant JG, still serving on the U.S.S. Michaelson. A deadly accident in forward engineering isn't investigated as it should. An officer attempts to cover up the truth. Sinclair is in the middle. Oh, and his girlfriend Jen's father is a Navy Captain. Major trial in the second half.

This story is a bit weaker than A Just Determination, but still quite good. If you liked the first book, you will undoubtedly like this one. And Hemry does well in advancing Paul and Jen's stories. His protagonists change as a result of their experiences, as they would not with a less skilled author. 20070413

 Rule of Evidence

The third book in the JAG in Space series continues in the same vein. Incident followed by court martial. This time, however, Paul Sinclair's girlfriend Jen Shen is accused of conspiracy, sabotage and murder after a freak accident on board the U.S.S. Maury.

This is, in my opinion, the best of the series. Maybe that's because so much is on the line personally for Sinclair. Maybe it's because of the kafkaesque elements of the story as Shen is falsely accused and looks to be on her way to life in prison or even execution. While in Burden of Proof, circumstancial evidence was used to chuck an bad officer out of the Navy, now it is being used to build a case against someone innocent. The ethical dilemmas posed make the books interesting, and this one especially so. 20070415.

Against All Enemies

The last installment in the series is a bit weaker but does resolve some loose threads in Sinclair's private life. He gets his Jen in the end, but is on his way to a four year hardship assignment on Mars. Apparently he has been making enemies in all the court martials despite his stellar performance in all aspects of his service.

The case in this book, dealing with espionage, is weaker than the others. The action plays out and the focus is on Sinclair's personal journey. Not bad, but I wish Hemry had ended the series on a stronger note. Then again, there is plenty more to write about, and I for one enjoyed the books. 20070420

Jerry Holkins and Mike Krahulik - Penny Arcade

The web published comic strip "Penny Arcade" should be familiar to anyone who likes video games. Here is the first year of strips in dead tree edition. Holkins and Krahulik have made a name for themselves as the guys with their fingers on the jugular of the industry. Sometimes bizarre, often profane, always funny. Highly recommended, but only if you're a gamer. 20060903

• Book 1 - Attack of the Bacon Robots

• Book 2 - Epic Legends of the Magic Sword Kings

Nick Hornby - High Fidelity

I love this movie, so I figured I had to read the book eventually. Hornby has a great writing style, very self-deprecating and funny in the way of understated comedians. The book is much darker than I imagined, but is a very good illustration of how most men (as far as I know) think of their lives. The insecurity, the "leaving your options open" bit, the belief that relationships can stay forever in that first few dates mode. Our hero, Rob Fleming, is a bit older that most guys who ask themselves this question, which only adds to his plight.

So if you are a guy who wants a girl to understand how men think, give her this book and ask her to believe every word. Because it's all true. 20030915

Tanya Huff - The Confederation Series

Valor's Choice (collected in "A Confederation of Valor" omnibus)

Torin Kerr is a First Sergeant in the Confereration Marines. A century and a half previously, Earth was contacted by the alien Confereration. it seemed the Confederation was in a bit of a pickle. An enemy known as The Others was attacking Confederation worlds. But the alien civilizations were all basically pacifists. There was a need to recruit warlike races to wage war. Humans were the first of these races, and thus the military forces follow what is basically a basic human model. Since then, the di'Taykan and the Krai have also joined the military races. In this, the first of the novels, our hero is the senior NCO on a diplomatic mission aimed at securing the membership of a fourth military race. But something goes horribly wrong and her platoon is forced to make a heroic last stand with limited equipment and no support.

I didn't need the afterword to tell me that the battle in the book was based on the Battle of Rorke's Drift, one of the defining moments of the Anglo-Zulu War and immortalized in the classic film Zulu. One could not ask for a better framework on which to mount the story. Ms. Huff's characters are funny, self-deprecating, enjoyable to watch. The dialogue is particularly stellar, and typically had me smile and snorting. The underlying theme, of how the grunts must bear the attempts to kill them of not only the enemy, but also of the brass and the politicians, are hardly orginal, but Ms. Huff treats this theme with razor sharp wit without diluting its importance and impact. Our heroine is hard as nails but disarmingly human, as evidenced by her accidental indiscretion on the very first page. A great read. 20080402

The Better Part of Valor (collected in "A Confederation of Valor" omnibus)

The second book in the series has recently promoted Gunnery Sergeant Kerr getting her "reward" for seeing through General Morris. Along with a scratch team, she is sent to assist in the exploration of a vast alien ship of unknown origin. As they are stranged aboard, the ship continually seems to change the environment in order to test the team.

This book is worth a read for the same reason as it's predecessor. The characters are well rounded and well described. The dialogue and other interactions are both funny and believable. Finally, the story is a real page turner. 20080403

The Heart of Valor

Torin Kerr is now a Gunnery Sergeant. She is assigned to babysit a Major who has recently recovered from very serious injuries, and who has arm bones made of experimental plastics. They travel to Crucible, the Marine Corps training planet, and embed with a training platoon going through their rotation. But things soon start to go wrong as the Crucible systems go out of control. In parallel, Torin's now boyfriend, a salvage operator she met in The Better Part of Valor, investigates a possible alien infiltration of the Confederation.

This volume was a disappointment after the well crafted fun of the first two novels. The plot is very contrived. The alien invasion infiltration elements do not mesh well with the action parts. Other seemingly random elements are neither entertaining, not pertinent to plot advancement or character development. The "how cool are we Marines" dialogue, fun in the previous installments, has gone totally over the top. It grated on my nerves constantly. The novel's saving grace are the action scenes, which are up to the high standard set by the first two novels. 20080912.

Valor's Trial

The fourth "Confederation" novel has Gunnery Sergeant Torin Kerr being taken prisoner, and waking up in a very odd prison. Against unsurmountable odds, she leads a band of Marines (and eventually others) to escape.

This is the best one so far. Huff's skill at describing the interpersonal relationships between the many varied characters shines through in the text. The dry humor and spot-on characterizations make this a pleasure to read. Also, despite the plot being cookie cutter on paper, it has many original and intriguing aspects. The macrostory
is interesting in itself, but there is not much need to it. I would be happy reading about Torin's adventures even without that sort of framing. 20100104