Video Game Trailer: Space Hulk - Deathwing (PS4 / Xbox One)

"I am wrath, I am steel. I am the mercy of angels." New official cinematic trailer for Space Hulk Deathwing

Book Review: Burn Me Deadly

Author: Alex Bledsoe

Burn Me Deadly is the second book in the Eddie LaCrosse series by Alex Bledsoe. The first book, The Sword-Edge Blonde, was one of my biggest surprises of the year and eagerly anticipated the next in the series. The only real minor quibble I had with The Sword-Edge Blonde was that it started out a little slow before it picked up. But the last half of the book was an emotional roller coaster and just blew me away. This would be a tough act to follow in Burn Me Deadly.

Summary

Burn Me Deadly has no delay before the action starts and the reader is through right in the middle with good ole’ Eddie LaCrosse. He is riding the horse he acquired from the first novel through woods when he is surprised by a distraught female. He agrees to give her a ride back to town. She explains that she just escaped from several men who were torturing her and that she is on the run. When they reach the edge of the forest they are attacked and dragged back to a cabin in the woods. They are then tortured and left for dead in a ravine. When Eddie wakes up he finds that the girl is dead and so his horse. This part kinda pissed me off as I really liked his horse from the first book. It is time for Eddie to get all Clint Eastwood and start mowing down the bad guys.

So Eddie nursed back to health and he burns to go after the people who did this. There is one problem though, the only information he has to go on is that girl’s name was Laura Lesperitt and one of his attackers had a dragon on his boots. He soon discovers that a cult of Dragon Worshippers have moved into the local whorehouse. To make matters worse the cult is in league with the Gordon Marantz. Gordon is the defacto mob boss of the area and someone you don’t want to get on the wrong side of or likely you will end up dead. To make it even stranger is that the cult is expecting the return of a dragon but Eddie knows full and well that dragons are just a myth or are they?

Review

Mr. Bledsoe has struck gold with this series by combining crime fiction with fantasy. But, Burn Me Deadly has more of a gritty western type movie flavor to it. Since I a big fan of westerns this made me like the story even more. I did not become as emotionally involved in the story like a I did with The Sword-Edge Blonde but Burn Me Deadly is more of complete story with a solid beginning, middle and end.

I hate to compare the Eddie LaCrosse novels to the Jim Butcher’s The Dresden Files series but they have much in common. The most important item they share is the main character. Both authors take care in developing their protagonist and making them fully fleshed individuals that a reader can imagine existing in the real world. The authors also seem to love beating the crap of them as they are usually a walking corpse by the end of the story. Most of all, they always do the right thing in end even though it may cost them the things that they love the most. Just like any good western anti-hero should.

Last Word

I am definitely sold on Alex Blodsoe’s Eddie LaCrosse series and cannot wait for the next novel to be published. Burn Me Deadly has all of the critical elements, good story telling, characters, etc. that any great novel should have but more importantly, it is a joyride of a read. You will not be disappointed.

                                                            My Rating

Cover Art Junkie: Alien Planet

Dice Shaming Hall of Fame #9

Book Review: Every Which Way But Dead

Author: Kim Harrison

In my review of The Good, The Bad and The Undead, I stated that I was on a mission to listen to all of the audio books in the Rachel Morgan series… Well, that mission has come to an abrupt and screeching halt.  I was listening to these books the old fashioned way, CD’s I checked out from the library, when right in the middle of a good fight scene the darn thing started skipping like a school girl on a playground!  Do you know how maddening that is?  I took the CD out and cleaned it several times to no avail.  So it was off to the book store where I picked up the book so I could read the rest of the story.  Now that I have one, I must purchase them all!  I can read faster than listening to the audio version so my new mission is to hurry up and read all of the books preceding White Witch Black Curse, because I am dying to read it and I am having the darndest time avoiding all of the reviews out there.

In Every which way but dead, Rachel Morgan finds herself bound to Algaliarept as his familiar and her boyfriend Nick is still bound to her as her familiar.  Which is really bad.  Familiars are usually animals and human familiars are frowned upon.  Nick can’t take it anymore as everytime Rachel uses Ley line magic it is drawn through him and can be very painful.  So he makes himself scarce for a while.

It is solstice in the Hollows and amid the holiday shopping and celebrating Rachel is challenged by Kisten to go on a date with him (which turns into a run), hired by the rock star, Takata to work security at his Solstice concert, hired by Quen to protect Trent at a meeting with on of the inderland crime lords, and she is still running from Algaliarept to keep him from pulling her into the Everafter to serve as his familiar.  And I thought the holidays were stressful for me!

We meet some new characters in this book, David __ the Were insurance adjuster, Ivy’s dad, her little sister __ and an old friend named Skimmer.  We also meet Ceri, Algaliarept’s former familiar.

What I liked  

There is a lot going on in this book.  Poor Rachel just jumps from one problem to the next.  I am never bored nor do I find myself waiting to get to the good parts, because every part of this book holds my attention.

What I didn’t like  

That darn skipping CD.  Well, I was going to have to invest in these books sooner or later.  Might as well be sooner.

Previously, I mentioned that the vamps in these books aren’t my favorite characters, and they still aren’t, mostly… I am not saying that I don’t like them, I am just saying that I find the witches and pixies and elves more interesting in these particular books.  So, I have to amend my previous statement. I don’t love MOST of the vamps in these books.  There is one vamp in particular that I really do like! A LOT.  And because I am so late reading this series, and have been spoiled, I know that I am going to be crushed sooner or later.

Last Word  

So now that the mission has changed, I am ready to read the next book, Fist Full of Charms. I love these books and they have quickly jumped into my top 5 favorite series’.  Hopefully I can power through them and get to White Witch Black Curse quickly.

                                                         Her Rating

Art of The Scene: Alien Chestburster

A newborn Xenomorph bursting violently from John Hurt’s chest is one of the most iconic, and important, scenes in science fiction or horror movie history. A lot went on before and after Ridley Scott shouted “Action” - we’ll tell you the whole story.

Ridley Scott's Alien is still one of the most terrifying horror films and interesting science fiction films in American Cinema history. From the humanizing, lived-in environment of the Nostromo ship, to the genius creature design, to the genuine surprise on the faces of the cast when the Alien chestburster bursted out, we’ll take you though all the elements that made this scene.

What did you think? Did we teach you something you didn’t know about the Alien Chestburster scene? About production design or creature creation? About Ridley Scott’s tendency to play mean tricks on his cast? What other iconic movie scenes would you like to see us dissect in future episodes of Art of the Scene?

TV Trailer: Marvel's Daredevil

Meet Matt Murdock. Blinded as a boy but imbued with extraordinary senses, Matt fights injustice by day as a respected lawyer and by night as the masked vigilante known as Daredevil in Hell's Kitchen, New York. He'll do anything to make his city a better place, but at what price? All episodes available April 10, only on Netflix.

Book Review: The Sword-Edged Blonde

Author: Alex Bledsoe

To my wife’s dismay, I have always been a person who is reading several books at once. She wonders how I can plot lines separate between novels. Sometimes it is easy, sometimes it is not. The reason I do this is that after so many pages of a certain book I need to stop because it is not completely holding my interest. So I switch to my other novel or two. So it takes a pretty special book for me to become completely absorbed into and ignore the other novels. The Sword-Edged Blonde by Alex Bledsoe easily fits into this category. After I bought the novel at the bookstore on a Friday I read a few pages and I was totally hooked. It sucked me in the same way as Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of Wind did. In fact, I would consider The Sword-Edged Blonde to be The Name of Wind lite. Both involve strong main character building while the story follows them through tragic events that occurred early their lives but have huge consequences to the current adventure. The Sword-Edged Blonde is only about half as long but the emotional attachment to the main character, Eddie LaCrosse, is just as strong.

Summary

Eddie LaCrosse is sword jockey whose office is located above a tavern in the small town of Neceda. When someone needs help with a problem they hire a sword jockey to investigate or solve their problem. The story begins with Eddie being hired to track down a daughter of minor royalty who has either been kidnapped or has voluntary fallen in with a band of border ruffians. This is like shootin’ ducks in the barrel for Eddie and he easily tracks down the girl but before that situation is able to resolve itself he is pulled away to a more urgent case.

It seems that King has made a request for Eddie’s special skills in solving a puzzling murder. Since the King is Eddie’s childhood friend and Eddie used to date his sister this is a personal request. Making it even more personal is that the Kings sister was brutally murdered while on Eddie’s watch. Eddie has not been back to kingdom since the horrible tragedy and is regretting digging up old memories.

At first blush the case is pretty open and shut. The Queen is accused of killing her infant son. The Queen was found locked inside the nursery, passed out with the remains of her child all over the floor. No one else remembers anybody going into the nursery that night. The King is steadfast that his wife is innocent but the facts are not in favor of the Queen. We also learn the Queen has a mysterious past. The king found her laying naked on a patch of ground while out hunting one day. The Queen has no memory of what happened prior to the day she was found.

When Eddie is allowed to interview the Queen he discovers that she reminds him of someone from his past. The pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place as to what really happened. The only is that Eddie’s thinks he knows what happened but the information is doled out slowly to the reader. At points, I thought I missed vital clues and had to re-read passages only to discover that wasn’t the case.

Review

I only had a couple of minor quibbles with the novel. The first was use of real world measurements and terminology. For example the characters are trying to track the Queen’s movements on the night of the incident and they find out that it took the Queen from 10:00 to 10:30 to walk the nursery. The Queen was left alone in the nursery from 10:30 to 11:30. Using standard time was somewhat strange and kinda took me out of the story.

The other quibble is that the first half of the novel was somewhat slow and alittle paint by the numbers. What I mean is that basically Eddie goes from point A to point B and uncovers a clue, then moves onto point C. But when you reach the half way point the novel is as engaging as any novel I have read in long time. This when we start to really explore Eddie’s past and how it relates to the case he is working on.

Alex Bledsoe is attempting to combine mystery noir and fantasy in his novel. At first this sounded alittle hokey to me and was probably the main reason I held off reading it. This was my loss as the story is very powerful as the revelations continue crash wave upon wave until all is revealed at the end. Also, Mr. Bledsoe is able to move beyond the confines of the real world and interject fantasy elements into the story to keep the reader guessing.

Last Word

This novel was a very delightful surprise and one I highly recommend. If Mr. Bledsoe can continue at this high level in the future volumes then this will become a cherished series for years to come.

                                                           My Rating

Star Wars: Battle Pod - From Concept to Cockpit

Go behind the scenes of Star Wars: Battle Pod, a new arcade shooter from Lucasfilm, Disney Interactive, and Bandai Namco, in this special video.

Dice Shaming Hall of Fame #8

Book Review: Under the Dome

Author: Stephen King

In my world, a new Stephen King book release is tantamount to a new Star Wars or Dark Knight (by Christopher Nolan only) movie being released. In other words, my anticipation level is very high and it brings those excited feelings back from my younger days. I grew up reading every Stephen King novel that I could my hands on and loved everyone of them. Stephen King has rarely let me down.

Before the release of Under the Dome there was a lot of press that this was Mr. King’s most ambitious novel since The Stand. Most of the chatter had to do with its length, over a 1,000 pages, but also because it involved a somewhat end of the world scenario. Personally, I believe it was unfair to compare Under the Dome to The Stand, my all time favorite King novel, as they are very different novels. A closer comparison would his novella The Mist. In fact, many of the same themes raised in The Mist are very prevalent Under the Dome but on much grander scale.

Summary

Under the Dome starts very quickly as Mr. King wastes no time in getting into the action. Within 30 pages or so the dome drops causing traffic accidents and people getting killed. The dome consists of an invisible force field that perfectly follows the property lines of Chester Mill. Nothing and I mean nothing but small amounts of air can pass through the dome. Trust me, the Army tries everything to break it and nothing works. So the residents of Chester Mill are stuck inside the fishbowl with very limited resources. As so begins the mystery of why the dome suddenly appeared and who put it there.

Review

To me, Stephen King is the master of character development. No writer has come close in consistently creating characters that the reader is able identify with and form a relationship with, whether good or evil, in each and every novel that he has written. Essentially, they are the backbone to what makes his writing so great. Under the Dome is no exception. The character I most identified is Dale Barbara, Barbie, throughout the novel. Barbie is ex-army officer drifter who ends up in the town of Chester Mill, Maine (shocker, I know) as a short order cook in the Sweetbriar Rose restaurant. Through a misunderstanding, Barbie gets into a fight with several local punks and is forced to leave the small town. Unfortunately, Barbie only makes so far down the road before the dome comes down and he is stick inside. In typical King fashion Barbie is a somewhat of a tortured soul. He did some bad things while stationed in Iraq that still prays on his mind. Barbie represents the good and intelligent side of the story and the reader will really care what happens to Barbie and his cohorts.

The dark side of the novel is presented in the form of Jim Rennie, Sr. or Big Jim. Big Jim is a city counsel of Chester Mill and has controlled the small town through his politics and money. He was not necessarily an evil man before the dome came down but once it does, Big Jim seizes the opportunity to gain control through any means necessary. How he goes about slowly taking control is one of the most entertaining aspects of the story. For example, he begins to replace the veteran police force with people who are loyal to him only. But Big Jim also has many sins in his past that will come light and he will have pay for throughout this novel. Eventually, the novel settles down as a battle between Big Jim and Barbie for control of Chester Mill.

The novel also follows numerous other characters that are sometimes difficult to remember who they are. Luckily there is a list of characters and a short description as the beginning to help keep every one straight. But much of the focus is on Barbie and Big Jim.

The environment inside the dome quickly dissolves with pollution building up and people start to accept the situation that they are placed into. The story does not quite devolve into Lord of the Flies but is headed in that direction. This is one of my quibbles with the story as it takes over a very short time frame, only a couple of weeks. I was hoping it would have taken place over months or years to show how society would dissolve to the lowest form of humanity with person fighting for survival.

The other issue I had was with the ending. I did not buy the reason behind the dome and why it was put in place. It was really kinda silly and somewhat of a let down. Luckily the story does not thrive on the discovery of the reason behind the dome or this novel would have been a disappointment.

Last Word

This is easily Stephen King’s best novel in years and harkens back to some his better works. It is a page turner that will keep you absorbed from the first page until the shocking conclusion. While not all parts worked for me, I am glad to see that Stephen King goes back to his strengths and reestablish himself as a master storyteller.

                                                            My Rating

iZombie Trailer: "Liv To Tell"

"I was a dead, alabaster badass." iZombie, a "brainy" new series from DC Entertainment, Warner Bros. and Veronica Mars executive producers Rob Thomas and Diana Ruggiero, debuts on The CW on Tuesday, March 17, 2015.

Movie Review: Chronicle (2012)

Director: Josh Trank

Stars: Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan

Summary

Whilst attending a party, three high school friends gain superpowers after making an incredible discovery underground. Soon, though, they find their lives spinning out of control and their bond tested as they embrace their darker sides.

What I liked

- the 1st and 3rd acts are really well done. A different take on a “superhero” and “villain” origin story.

- the end fight scene is awesomely choreographed and thrilling. I would put it on par with some of today’s better superhero action sequences. The fight felt more personal as the audience had gotten to know and feel for the characters.

- the characters are kept grounded in reality, which is a nice change of pace

What I didn’t like

- the 2nd act drags. Too much time is given to the whole explore their new powers and becomes tiresome.

- could have done without the found footage method of filming.

Last Word

Chronicle is a movie that has a great build up and ends thrilling but the middle portion becomes a bit repetitive.

                                                            My Rating

First Look at Game of Thrones: A Telltale Games Series - Ep 2: 'The Lost...

House Forrester is in disarray. Their liege lord and his heir are dead, and Ironrath is occupied by Whitehill soldiers. The survival of the family depends upon those who are left. Placed at King’s Landing, the epicenter of intrigue, Mira Forrester must weigh her loyalty to Margaery Tyrell against the needs of her family, while choosing how to play the political games of Tyrion Lannister. One misstep could spell doom for Mira and her entire family. To the far north, Gared Tuttle finds that the wall and its crows hold little love for a squire from the Wolfswood, but finds kinship in the bastard son of Ned Stark. Gared must prove worthy of becoming a ranger in order to carry out the mission given him; one that is vital to the future of those he serves. To the east, Asher Forrester, the exiled son, is called back to Westeros to aid his family, but how can one man help when the Boltons rule the north with an iron fist? Meanwhile, an unexpected source of hope returns to the Forresters, but Ironrath is no place for the weak.

Sci-Fi classic book review: Rainbows End

Author: Vernor Vinge

Vernor Vinge has won five Hugo Awards, including one for each of his last three novels, A Fire Upon the Deep (1992), A Deepness in the Sky (1999), and Rainbow’s End (2006). Known for his rigorous hard-science approach to his science fiction, he became an iconic figure among cybernetic scientists with the publication in 1981 of his novella "True Names," which is considered a seminal, visionary work of Internet fiction. His many books also include Marooned in Realtime and The Peace War.

Born in Waukesha, Wisconsin and raised in Central Michigan, Vinge is the son of geographers. Fascinated by science and particularly computers from an early age, he has a Ph.D. in computer science, and taught mathematics and computer science at San Diego State University for thirty years. He has gained a great deal of attention both here and abroad for his theory of the coming machine intelligence Singularity.

Pedigree / Awards

2007 - Hugo Winner

2007 - Locus SF Winner

2007 - Campbell Nominated

Review

Disclosure: This is the Audio version of this novel.

Narrated by Eric Conger

Audio Length: 14 hours and 45 minutes

Vernor Vinge does not write many novels averaging one about every 7 years. But when he does they are usually a treat as they work on many levels. Rainbows End was no exception as it was awarded the 2007 Hugo Award for Best Novel.

I fell in love with this from the very beginning as it absolutely hit all the right notes. Mr. Vinge understands that a story about possible future technology is moderately interesting to most Sci-Fi readers. But he interjects a very human story and this is what sets this novel apart from most modern Sci-Fi novels. At no time does he allow the Sci-Fi elements supercede or overwhelm the story so that the technology becomes the story itself. This happens far too often in modern Sci-Fi.

One of the hardest issues with a near future story is how the author introduces the new technology advances into their story without it seeming contrived or an info dump. Mr. Vinge worked out a brilliant solution to this problem. His main character, Robert Gu, suffered from Alzheimer’s disease which obviously forced him to lose contact with people and the world him. Through some medical breakthroughs Robert is treated and mentally brought back to the point he was prior to the onset of the disease. This is a plausible explanation as Robert learns about the world operates with all the technology advances. The reader is brought along as we learn all about smart clothing, overlay contact lenses, projection avatars, communication through “silent messaging”, etc.

The personal story of Robert Gu is what makes this novel so great. Before he suffered from Alzheimer’s disease, Robert was a world renowned poet who treated everyone, including his family, like crap by belittling them and making it known how superior he was to all of them. After recovering from the disease he has lost ability to write poetry because most of his malice has dissipated also. Roberts begins to learn the harm that he caused his kids and grandkids and he is determined to make amends. This is where Mr. Vinge really shines because he understands human nature and that an old dog cannot new learn tricks. Robert will always have some nastiness that constitutes his character and makes him what he is. This was the source of his great poetry. So does Robert choose his family or does he choose his talent? I like the solution that Robert comes too in the end as it is very plausible and I wish more people would have a chance to go back right the wrongs in their lives.

I am barely scratching the surface of the other themes explored in this novel. Mr. Vinge heavily explores the repercussions of high security state that constantly has its population under surveillance. So, is the rapid advance of technology ultimately good for society? Is living in fear of the next big attack beneficial or harmful? Ultimately only time will tell but its good to see a story ask some pretty tough questions about where our society is heading.

Eric Conger does a decent job of narrating the story. My favorite expressions were his old man grunts. Half the time Robert would answer with a grunt instead of a yes or a no and had me cracking up every time I heard an “um”.

Last Word

Vernor Vinge masterfully blends a brilliant Sci-Fi back drop with an extraordinarily human story. Rainbows End’s Hugo Award for Best Novel is well deserved as it combines all the necessary elements for classic and timeless story. But more importantly this novel really affected me on personal level which does not happen very often and this about the best praise I can give it.

                                                            My Rating

The Walking Dead: Where The Mid-Season Finale Left Off in Season 5

The cast and crew of The Walking Dead look back on where we left off in Season 5.

RaV reviews Star Wars Rebels - Vision of Hope (S1E10)

Hey Reb Heads, this week I am discussing Stars Wars Rebels episode 10, Vision of Hope. Hope you enjoy.

Cover Art Junkie: Wonder Women #38

DC Comics Bombshells: From Concept to Collectible

The pinup-styled statues that make up our DC Comics Bombshells line are some of the most popular collectibles we've ever produced. But where did the idea first come from? And how did it become such a successful line? In this exclusive video timeline, we look at the Bombshells line as it journeys from concept to collectible, wrapping up with your first look at our newest Bombshell statue: Batwoman!

Rebels Recon #11: Inside "Vision of Hope"

In Rebels Recon #11, StarWars.com goes behind the scenes of the Star Wars Rebels episode "Visions of Hope”

Dice Shaming Hall of Fame #8

Graphic Novel Review: iZombie Vol. 1- Dead to the World

Writer: Chris Roberson

Art: Mike Allred

Dust Jacket Summary

Told from a female zombie’s perspective, this smart, witty detective series mixes urban fantasy and romantic dramedy.

Gwendolyn “Gwen” Dylan is a 20-something gravedigger in an eco-friendly cemetery. Once a month she must eat a human brain to keep from losing her memories, but in the process she becomes consumed with the thoughts and personality of the dead person – until she eats her next brain. She sets out to fulfill the dead person’s last request, solve a crime or right a wrong.

Our zombie girl detective is joined by a radical supporting cast: her best friend Eleanor, who happens to be a swinging ’60s ghost, a posse of paintball blasting vampires, a smitten were-dog and a hot but demented mummy.

Collects issues #1-5

What I liked

iZombie is like the love child of the TV series Dead Like Me and the comic Chew. While not totally original, the author makes the story his own and moves into unexpected directions.

I really enjoyed the characters. The main character Gwen and her ghost friend, Eleanor, have a great dynamic. The author has purposely spent time and precious space developing his characters. It is well worth it as the reader develops a bond with them and starts to care about what happens to them.

What I didn’t like

The first several issues introduce a small story but mainly it is a set up for the rest of the run.

Last word

While not original, iZombie makes fascinating use of the characters and their unique powers that provides a strong foundation for some very compelling reading.

                                                          My Rating 

Game Developers on the cross platform of Fable Legends

Movie Review: I, Frankenstein (2014)

Director: Stuart Beattie

Stars: Aaron Eckhart, Bill Nighy, Miranda Otto

Summary

Dr. Victor Frankenstein dies frozen to death and the creature buries him at the cemetery of his family. However he is attacked by demons but he kills one of them and Gargoyles save him and take him to a Cathedral where the Gargoyles Order gathers. The Queen of the Gargoyles Leonore keeps Dr. Frankenstein's journal together with the treasures of the Order and gives the name of Adam to the creature. Then she explains to Adam that there is an ancient war between the Gargoyles that are angels and demons under the command of the Prince Naberius. She also invites Adam to join the Gargoyles in the war against demons, but Adam prefers to isolate in a remote place. Two hundred years later, Adam returns and finds a modern society. Soon he learns that Naberius has the intention of creating an army of soulless corpses to be possessed by demons. The scientist Terra is researching a process to create life and Naberius is seeking Dr. Frankenstein's journal to help Terra and raise his army.

What I liked

- total guilty pleasure type of movie

- special effects are decent for the small screen

- gargoyle warriors are awesome

What I didn’t like

- muddled plot. The movie cannot decide what story it wants to tell

- missed opportunities to make an interesting movie. The idea behind the plot, a lone monster against two warring factions, is awesome but the makers stuck to the basics.

- horrible name (Adam) given to Frankenstein’s monster

- no name / Adam’s backstory is highly unoriginal and boring

- use a digital countdown clock

- Aaron Eckhart is way too buff to be Frankenstein; also lazy make up, a few scars does make a monster

Last Word

I, Frankenstein has the glimmer of a decent story but quickly dissolves into a paint by the numbers plot.

                                                           My Rating

Syfy Trailer for 'The Expanse'

'The Expanse' follows the case of a missing young woman who brings a hardened detective and a rogue ship’s captain together in a race across the solar system to expose the greatest conspiracy in human history. Coming in 2015.

Sci-Fi classic book review: Spin

Author: Robert Charles Wilson

Wilson was born in the United States in California, but grew up near Toronto, Ontario. Apart from another short period in the early 1970s spent in Whittier, California, he has lived most of his life in Canada, and in 2007 he became a Canadian citizen. He resided for a while in Nanaimo, British Columbia, and briefly in Vancouver. Currently he lives with his wife Sharry in Concord, Ontario, just north of Toronto. He has two sons, Paul and Devon.

Author Stephen King has called Wilson "probably the finest science-fiction author now writing".

Pedigree / Awards

2006 - Hugo Winner

2006 - Campbell Nominated

2006 - Locus SF Nominated

Spin has also won the French Grand Prix de l'Imaginaire, the Japanese Seiun Award, the Israeli Geffen Prize, and the German Kurd Lasswitz Prize.

Dust Jacket Summary

One night in October when he was ten years old, Tyler Dupree stood in his back yard and watched the stars go out. They all flared into brilliance at once, then disappeared, replaced by a flat, empty black barrier. He and his best friends, Jason and Diane Lawton, had seen what became known as the Big Blackout. It would shape their lives.

The effect is worldwide. The sun is now a featureless disk--a heat source, rather than an astronomical object. The moon is gone, but tides remain. Not only have the world's artificial satellites fallen out of orbit, their recovered remains are pitted and aged, as though they'd been in space far longer than their known lifespans. As Tyler, Jason, and Diane grow up, space probe reveals a bizarre truth: The barrier is artificial, generated by huge alien artifacts. Time is passing faster outside the barrier than inside--more than a hundred million years per day on Earth. At this rate, the death throes of the sun are only about forty years in our future.

Jason, now a promising young scientist, devotes his life to working against this slow-moving apocalypse. Diane throws herself into hedonism, marrying a sinister cult leader who's forged a new religion out of the fears of the masses.

Earth sends terraforming machines to Mars to let the onrush of time do its work, turning the planet green. Next they send humans and immediately get back an emissary with thousands of years of stories to tell about the settling of Mars. Then Earth's probes reveal that an identical barrier has appeared around Mars. Jason, desperate, seeds near space with self-replicating machines that will scatter copies of themselves outward from the sun--and report back on what they find.

Life on Earth is about to get much, much stranger.

What I liked

This is my second reading of Spin and it remains one of my all-time favorite novels. Spin works on two very important levels, the characters and the plot. Robert Charles Wilson is able to balance the two so no one aspect totally overwhelms the other.

I like to equate Spin as being a high concept Sci-Fi novel. Basically, Mr. Wilson throws out an outrageous idea, a membrane that covers the Earth and slows down time, and then explores the ramifications of this development. What makes Spin great is that Mr. Wilson then pushes beyond the original concept and moves into fascinating new plot lines. Too many novels just rest one the original idea and never move beyond.

The story is told through the lives of 3 characters, Tyler Dupree, Jason and Diane Lawton. While Tyler is the main protagonist, the Lawton’s are the yin and yang of the consequences caused by the Spin. Mr. Wilson does an amazing work keeping the human element in the foreground instead of allowing the Sci-Fi elements to overwhelm the story.

What I didn’t like

One very small thing, I never really liked the title of the book. For a modern classic it should have more of a majestic name. Also the cover art should be more attractive.

The story stops abruptly and the reader is left with the feeling of wanting more. But then again that is a sign of a good novel.

Last word

A modern Sci-Fi classic that is able to handle both the plot and characters equally and is a story that is never afraid to push the envelope into new captivating areas.

                                                            My Rating 

Cover Art Junkie: Blade Runner