Heartland is just as solid as as the previous novel, Lightbreaker.
Although this second foray into the thaumaturgical hangs together somewhat more cohesively than the first, I think.
The stakes are raised in this book, and an old flame returns to rather complicate things.
What do occult secret societies do? Fight each other over power, of course, especially when some sort of succession is involved.
Things are rather more at the sharp end if the Spear of Destiny and the Holy Grail are involved - which, of course, will call for swordplay amidst all the magic.
Quite enjoyed this novel.
3.5 out of 5
Thursday, June 24, 2010
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Asimov's 414 - Sheila Williams
Nothing of particular note here, but de Bodard provides the best, with another entry in a future history of - ninja Jaguar Knights?
ASIMOVS414 : THE OTHER GRACES - Alice Sola Kim
ASIMOVS414 : HAGGLE CHIPS - Tom Purdom
ASIMOVS414 : THE JAGUAR HOUSE IN SHADOW - Aliette de Bodard
ASIMOVS414 : EDDIE'S ANTS - D.T. Mitenko
ASIMOVS414 : AMELIA PILLAR'S ETIQUETTE FOR THE SPACE TRAVELER - Kristine Kathryn Rusch
ASIMOVS414 : A HISTORY OF TERRAFORMING - Robert Reed
Subspaced.
2.5 out of 5
Get the other cat.
3 out of 5
Knight future.
3.5 out of 5
Spec Colony rival.
3.5 out of 5
Trip hyperbole.
3 out of 5
Atum future embarkation.
3.5 out of 5
3 out of 5
ASIMOVS414 : THE OTHER GRACES - Alice Sola Kim
ASIMOVS414 : HAGGLE CHIPS - Tom Purdom
ASIMOVS414 : THE JAGUAR HOUSE IN SHADOW - Aliette de Bodard
ASIMOVS414 : EDDIE'S ANTS - D.T. Mitenko
ASIMOVS414 : AMELIA PILLAR'S ETIQUETTE FOR THE SPACE TRAVELER - Kristine Kathryn Rusch
ASIMOVS414 : A HISTORY OF TERRAFORMING - Robert Reed
Subspaced.
2.5 out of 5
Get the other cat.
3 out of 5
Knight future.
3.5 out of 5
Spec Colony rival.
3.5 out of 5
Trip hyperbole.
3 out of 5
Atum future embarkation.
3.5 out of 5
3 out of 5
Analog 951 - Stanley Schmidt
The thing with science fiction magazines is they can jump up and surprise you, at least those that don't consist of only a story or two.
This one had a pretty ordinary start, then jumped up with the very good and highly inventive Venusian Burns tale, and followed with some reasonable work, finishing up with a fun Stephen Baxter Novella.
A fine article on the matter/antimatter question too, by Cramer. Plus a few artificial volcanoes.
ANALOG951 : DOCTOR ALIEN'S FIVE EMPTY BOXES - Rajnar Vajra
ANALOG951 : THE LONG WAY AROUND - Carl Frederick
ANALOG951 : QUESTIONING THE TREE - Brad Aiken
ANALOG951 : FLY ME TO THE MOON - Marianne J. Dyson
ANALOG951 : BUG TRAP - Stephen L. Burns
ANALOG951 : THE SINGLE LARRY TI OR FEAR OF BLACK HOLES AND KEN - Brenda Cooper
ANALOG951 : THE ANDROID WHO BECAME A HUMAN WHO BECAME AN ANDROID - Scott William Carter
ANALOG951 : PROJECT HADES - Stephen Baxter
Cilia ness.
2.5 out of 5
Lunaroo stuck.
3 out of 5
Not humane medicine.
2.5 out of 5
Lunar Winkler Smith.
3 out of 5
Trouble, Venus needs posto.
4 out of 5
Adult playing with singularity.
3.5 out of 5
Married an erotic professional golddigger, killed himself, tried again.
3.5 out of 5
Magmoid attack, Doctor Jones.
3.5 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
This one had a pretty ordinary start, then jumped up with the very good and highly inventive Venusian Burns tale, and followed with some reasonable work, finishing up with a fun Stephen Baxter Novella.
A fine article on the matter/antimatter question too, by Cramer. Plus a few artificial volcanoes.
ANALOG951 : DOCTOR ALIEN'S FIVE EMPTY BOXES - Rajnar Vajra
ANALOG951 : THE LONG WAY AROUND - Carl Frederick
ANALOG951 : QUESTIONING THE TREE - Brad Aiken
ANALOG951 : FLY ME TO THE MOON - Marianne J. Dyson
ANALOG951 : BUG TRAP - Stephen L. Burns
ANALOG951 : THE SINGLE LARRY TI OR FEAR OF BLACK HOLES AND KEN - Brenda Cooper
ANALOG951 : THE ANDROID WHO BECAME A HUMAN WHO BECAME AN ANDROID - Scott William Carter
ANALOG951 : PROJECT HADES - Stephen Baxter
Cilia ness.
2.5 out of 5
Lunaroo stuck.
3 out of 5
Not humane medicine.
2.5 out of 5
Lunar Winkler Smith.
3 out of 5
Trouble, Venus needs posto.
4 out of 5
Adult playing with singularity.
3.5 out of 5
Married an erotic professional golddigger, killed himself, tried again.
3.5 out of 5
Magmoid attack, Doctor Jones.
3.5 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
The Android Who Became A Human Who Became An Android - Scott William Carter
Married an erotic professional golddigger, killed himself, tried again.
3.5 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
Saturday, June 19, 2010
The Single Larry Ti Or Fear Of Black Holes And Ken - Brenda Cooper
Adult playing with singularity.
3.5 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
Friday, June 18, 2010
Interzone 227 - Andy Cox
Exactly the same as the last issue, four above average stories, one average, and one poor. This one tailing off towards the end.
The whole bunch of reviews is here this time, however.
Best story is Jim Hawkins Zambian tale, easily. Maybe he can give another one a go before 40 years pass again.
Interzone 227 : THE HISTORY OF POLY-V - Jon Ingold
Interzone 227 : DANCE OF THE KAWKAWROONS - Mercurio D. Rivera
Interzone 227 : CHIMBWI - Jim Hawkins
Interzone 227 : FLYING IN THE FACE OF GOD - Nina Allan
Interzone 227 : JOHNNY'S NEW JOB - Chris Beckett
Interzone 227 : THE GLARE AND THE GLOW - Steve Rasnic Tem
Memory drug trial.
3.5 out of 5
Flock Inspiration.
3.5 out of 5
Zambian flying pig fusion warrior climb return.
4 out of 5
Frozen space friend goodbye.
3.5 out of 5
Down the well accusation.
3 out of 5
Lightbulb off.
2 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
The whole bunch of reviews is here this time, however.
Best story is Jim Hawkins Zambian tale, easily. Maybe he can give another one a go before 40 years pass again.
Interzone 227 : THE HISTORY OF POLY-V - Jon Ingold
Interzone 227 : DANCE OF THE KAWKAWROONS - Mercurio D. Rivera
Interzone 227 : CHIMBWI - Jim Hawkins
Interzone 227 : FLYING IN THE FACE OF GOD - Nina Allan
Interzone 227 : JOHNNY'S NEW JOB - Chris Beckett
Interzone 227 : THE GLARE AND THE GLOW - Steve Rasnic Tem
Memory drug trial.
3.5 out of 5
Flock Inspiration.
3.5 out of 5
Zambian flying pig fusion warrior climb return.
4 out of 5
Frozen space friend goodbye.
3.5 out of 5
Down the well accusation.
3 out of 5
Lightbulb off.
2 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Monkey Suit - Alastair Reynolds
Short Story
Number of words : 4800
Percent of complex words : 10.2
Average syllables per word : 1.5
Average words per sentence : 14.5
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 9.9
Flesch : 65.3
Flesch-Kincaid : 7.8
PEOPLE
Raoul
The next in line ship-fixer.
Branco
Formantera crewman who died in very unlikely circumstanes.
Captain Luarca
Of the Formantera. An ultra.
VEHICLES
Lighthugger
A four kilometer long spaceship spike of armour and ablative ice.
Formantera Lady
A lighthugger.
PLACES
Yellowstone
A good system to get away from. Melding Plague-ridden.
Andromeda
A star.
TECHNOLOGY
C-drive
Powers a spaceship.
Suit
Protective technology for working outside a spaceship, has a limited form of AI.
Melding Plague
Does very bad things to both organics and inorganics.
Volition Box
Builds a predictive model of its user in the suit to give them an edge and assist in movement and work. A beta-level simulation.
RACES
Ultras
Go in for space travel and serious body modification.
PLOT
Raoul is a crewman on the Formantera Lady. In a freak accident, fellow crewman and head outside ship repair worker has been killed. His is the best equipped repair suit, so Captain Luarca orders Raoul to fix it as the speediest option, and use it himself to get on with the job.
He does, but find the volition box in the suit resisting him, when he wants to return back inside the ship. He gives in, and decides to take the path it will allow him. To his horror, he finds a small piece of Melding Plague on the ship, which they have now caught in time thanks to Branko and his suit.
4 out of 5
Number of words : 4800
Percent of complex words : 10.2
Average syllables per word : 1.5
Average words per sentence : 14.5
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 9.9
Flesch : 65.3
Flesch-Kincaid : 7.8
PEOPLE
Raoul
The next in line ship-fixer.
Branco
Formantera crewman who died in very unlikely circumstanes.
Captain Luarca
Of the Formantera. An ultra.
VEHICLES
Lighthugger
A four kilometer long spaceship spike of armour and ablative ice.
Formantera Lady
A lighthugger.
PLACES
Yellowstone
A good system to get away from. Melding Plague-ridden.
Andromeda
A star.
TECHNOLOGY
C-drive
Powers a spaceship.
Suit
Protective technology for working outside a spaceship, has a limited form of AI.
Melding Plague
Does very bad things to both organics and inorganics.
Volition Box
Builds a predictive model of its user in the suit to give them an edge and assist in movement and work. A beta-level simulation.
RACES
Ultras
Go in for space travel and serious body modification.
PLOT
Raoul is a crewman on the Formantera Lady. In a freak accident, fellow crewman and head outside ship repair worker has been killed. His is the best equipped repair suit, so Captain Luarca orders Raoul to fix it as the speediest option, and use it himself to get on with the job.
He does, but find the volition box in the suit resisting him, when he wants to return back inside the ship. He gives in, and decides to take the path it will allow him. To his horror, he finds a small piece of Melding Plague on the ship, which they have now caught in time thanks to Branko and his suit.
4 out of 5
Magic Bleeds - Ilona Andrews
Magic Bleeds
You wouldn't think that a niece and her aunt trying to slaughter each other with lengthy pieces of sharp metal as painfully as possible would be funny.
However, Andrews manages it. This is literally laugh out loud funny in several places. If you can pull off horror, humour, and adventure along with romance in one novel then you really can't ask for much more. I thought it might be a little difficult to keep up the quality of the last novel and the recent novella, but it has been handled happily.
The situation becomes even more fraught with peril for Kate Daniels, as along with homicidal demigoddess aunts with a posse of undead mage servants, she also has to deal with scheming lycanthropes, bigoted knights, and being left in her undies, holding the dinner by big headed furry boyfriends. Plus a stressed out gun maniac best friend.
I even hate poodles, and there's a poodle in here, and I liked it. So this book has to be good.
I put it on a par with the previous work. That is, very good.
Oh, and Tim Bradstreet cover. Which some people might consider using edged weapons to get, in general.
4 out of 5
You wouldn't think that a niece and her aunt trying to slaughter each other with lengthy pieces of sharp metal as painfully as possible would be funny.
However, Andrews manages it. This is literally laugh out loud funny in several places. If you can pull off horror, humour, and adventure along with romance in one novel then you really can't ask for much more. I thought it might be a little difficult to keep up the quality of the last novel and the recent novella, but it has been handled happily.
The situation becomes even more fraught with peril for Kate Daniels, as along with homicidal demigoddess aunts with a posse of undead mage servants, she also has to deal with scheming lycanthropes, bigoted knights, and being left in her undies, holding the dinner by big headed furry boyfriends. Plus a stressed out gun maniac best friend.
I even hate poodles, and there's a poodle in here, and I liked it. So this book has to be good.
I put it on a par with the previous work. That is, very good.
Oh, and Tim Bradstreet cover. Which some people might consider using edged weapons to get, in general.
4 out of 5
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Liking What You See: A Documentary - Ted Chiang
Novelette
Number of words : 12800
Percent of complex words : 12.7
Average syllables per word : 1.6
Average words per sentence : 17.3
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 12.9
Flesch : 57.3
Flesch-Kincaid : 9.6
PEOPLE
Tamera Lyons
A first year student at Pembleton and a user of calliagnosia.
Maria deSouza
Third-year student, President of the Students for Equality Everywhere (SEE).
Joseph Weingartner
A neurologist and calliagnosia expert.
Richard Hamill
Founder of the Saybrook School.
Rachel Lyons
Tamera's mother.
Martin Lyons
Tamera's father.
Ina
Tamera's roommate.
Jeff Winthrop
Third-year student at Pembleton. Hired to be anti-calli.
Adesh Singh
Third-year student at Pembleton.
Walter Lambert
President of the National Calliagnosia Association.
Annika Lindstrom
A second-year student who likes being blokes looking at her.
Jolene Carter
A third-year student.
Garrett
Tamera's ex-boyfriend.
Warren Davidson
A 1st-year student that tried calli.
Alex Bibescu
Professor of religious studies at Pembleton.
Anton
A Pemberton teaching assistant of Tamera's.
Daniel Taglia
Professor of comparative literature at Pembleton.
Marc Esposito
Fourth-year student at Waterston College. Would never go calli.
Cathy Minami
Thinks calli is anti-feminist.
Lawrence Sutton
Fourth-year student. Likes calli making advertising less annoying.
Lori Harber
Third-year student at Maxwell College. Radical ugly.
Ellen Hutchinson
Professor of sociology at Pembleton.
Rebecca Boyer
Spokesperson for People for Ethical Nanomedicine.
Winston Churchill
English politician.
Martin Luther King
American Civil rights activist.
ORGANISATIONS
Pembleton University
Tertiary education institution considering a calli initiative.
Saybrook School
The high school Tamera went to, for calliagnostics.
Students for Equality Everywhere
SEE. A social justice group.
American College Network
University television.
Wyatt/Hayes
Dodgy PR firm for the cosmetics industry.
SemioTech Warriors
Culture-jamming group responsible for lots of media vandalism.
National Calliagnosia Association
An advocacy group.
NeoMind Buddhists
A pro calliagnosia sect.
Northrop
A university.
People for Ethical Nanomedicine
A lobbyist front.
CONCEPTS
Code of Ethical Conduct
At Pembleton, some rules for students.
Calliagnosia
A neurological condition meaning no aesthetic reaction to the people see.
Prosopagnosia
Inability to recognise faces.
TECHNOLOGY
Spex
Wearable computing.
Visage
Software that, through spex shows you what people would look like with cosmetic surgery.
Neurostat
Procedure for controlling seizures. Helped with developing calliagnosia.
Dermatology computer virus
Alters broadcasts so that people exhibit conditions such as acne and varicose veins.
Jouissance
A shampoo.
MEDIA
EduNews
A university current affairs program.
PLOT
Tamera is a student whose parents chose calliagnosia for. This is a condition where you are not affected by how people look. When she goes to university the students there consider all trying it, and holding an election over the issue.
Tamera is also a very good looking girl, and her less than ordinary looking high school boyfriend left her. She has her calli turned off for a while, and thinks if she talks to him, and he does, he might want to get together again, because of her looks.
Lobbyist for the cosmetics industry try to thwart it, for obvious greedy reasons. Other people are naturally opposed, but the lobbyist group goes Max Headroom, using technology to enhance the appeal of their spokeswoman, when their message is aired. This appears like it will lead to a technological arms race between media used in that way, and the public.
4 out of 5
Number of words : 12800
Percent of complex words : 12.7
Average syllables per word : 1.6
Average words per sentence : 17.3
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 12.9
Flesch : 57.3
Flesch-Kincaid : 9.6
PEOPLE
Tamera Lyons
A first year student at Pembleton and a user of calliagnosia.
Maria deSouza
Third-year student, President of the Students for Equality Everywhere (SEE).
Joseph Weingartner
A neurologist and calliagnosia expert.
Richard Hamill
Founder of the Saybrook School.
Rachel Lyons
Tamera's mother.
Martin Lyons
Tamera's father.
Ina
Tamera's roommate.
Jeff Winthrop
Third-year student at Pembleton. Hired to be anti-calli.
Adesh Singh
Third-year student at Pembleton.
Walter Lambert
President of the National Calliagnosia Association.
Annika Lindstrom
A second-year student who likes being blokes looking at her.
Jolene Carter
A third-year student.
Garrett
Tamera's ex-boyfriend.
Warren Davidson
A 1st-year student that tried calli.
Alex Bibescu
Professor of religious studies at Pembleton.
Anton
A Pemberton teaching assistant of Tamera's.
Daniel Taglia
Professor of comparative literature at Pembleton.
Marc Esposito
Fourth-year student at Waterston College. Would never go calli.
Cathy Minami
Thinks calli is anti-feminist.
Lawrence Sutton
Fourth-year student. Likes calli making advertising less annoying.
Lori Harber
Third-year student at Maxwell College. Radical ugly.
Ellen Hutchinson
Professor of sociology at Pembleton.
Rebecca Boyer
Spokesperson for People for Ethical Nanomedicine.
Winston Churchill
English politician.
Martin Luther King
American Civil rights activist.
ORGANISATIONS
Pembleton University
Tertiary education institution considering a calli initiative.
Saybrook School
The high school Tamera went to, for calliagnostics.
Students for Equality Everywhere
SEE. A social justice group.
American College Network
University television.
Wyatt/Hayes
Dodgy PR firm for the cosmetics industry.
SemioTech Warriors
Culture-jamming group responsible for lots of media vandalism.
National Calliagnosia Association
An advocacy group.
NeoMind Buddhists
A pro calliagnosia sect.
Northrop
A university.
People for Ethical Nanomedicine
A lobbyist front.
CONCEPTS
Code of Ethical Conduct
At Pembleton, some rules for students.
Calliagnosia
A neurological condition meaning no aesthetic reaction to the people see.
Prosopagnosia
Inability to recognise faces.
TECHNOLOGY
Spex
Wearable computing.
Visage
Software that, through spex shows you what people would look like with cosmetic surgery.
Neurostat
Procedure for controlling seizures. Helped with developing calliagnosia.
Dermatology computer virus
Alters broadcasts so that people exhibit conditions such as acne and varicose veins.
Jouissance
A shampoo.
MEDIA
EduNews
A university current affairs program.
PLOT
Tamera is a student whose parents chose calliagnosia for. This is a condition where you are not affected by how people look. When she goes to university the students there consider all trying it, and holding an election over the issue.
Tamera is also a very good looking girl, and her less than ordinary looking high school boyfriend left her. She has her calli turned off for a while, and thinks if she talks to him, and he does, he might want to get together again, because of her looks.
Lobbyist for the cosmetics industry try to thwart it, for obvious greedy reasons. Other people are naturally opposed, but the lobbyist group goes Max Headroom, using technology to enhance the appeal of their spokeswoman, when their message is aired. This appears like it will lead to a technological arms race between media used in that way, and the public.
4 out of 5
Monday, June 14, 2010
Viper - Alastair Reynolds
Short Story
Number of words : 5600
Percent of complex words : 12.9
Average syllables per word : 1.6
Average words per sentence : 11.9
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 9.9
Flesch : 60.6
Flesch-Kincaid : 7.7
PEOPLE
Stockard
A correctional officer running VIPER.
Paula Wills
Warden of MIF-17.
Grodin
Heinous serial killer recidivist.
Avery Culhane
Murderer that is up for parole, having served his sentence and passed his psych evaluations.
Catherine
Stockard's wife. Severely injured by Culhane.
The Colonel
Supplies Stockard with a fake disk.
ORGANISATIONS
National Institute of Corrections
Oversees prisoner rehabilitation.
Bureau of Prisons
Runs the correctional facilities.
Federal Prison Industries
FPI controls prison labor.
PLACES
Merced
Has an instant vehicle building plant.
MIF-17
Mobile Incarceration Facility 17, a travelling prison.
Delhi
Major Indian city.
TECHNOLOGY
Virtual interactive parole evaluation resource
A helmet, machine and drug combination to allow running simulations of future scenarios in a person's mind.
PLOT
Stockard uses Viper technology to check that dangerous prisoners who have passed psych tests and are due for parole actually won't reoffend. The gear allows simulation of future scenarios and temptations inside the prisoner's mind. It wasn't available in the past when Culhane, the prisoner Stockard is there to test, almost killed his wife. Or similarly when a worse killer Grodin reoffended.
Stockard is actually in there to insert a false disk in the test, and ensure Culhane stays in prison forever.
4 out of 5
Number of words : 5600
Percent of complex words : 12.9
Average syllables per word : 1.6
Average words per sentence : 11.9
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 9.9
Flesch : 60.6
Flesch-Kincaid : 7.7
PEOPLE
Stockard
A correctional officer running VIPER.
Paula Wills
Warden of MIF-17.
Grodin
Heinous serial killer recidivist.
Avery Culhane
Murderer that is up for parole, having served his sentence and passed his psych evaluations.
Catherine
Stockard's wife. Severely injured by Culhane.
The Colonel
Supplies Stockard with a fake disk.
ORGANISATIONS
National Institute of Corrections
Oversees prisoner rehabilitation.
Bureau of Prisons
Runs the correctional facilities.
Federal Prison Industries
FPI controls prison labor.
PLACES
Merced
Has an instant vehicle building plant.
MIF-17
Mobile Incarceration Facility 17, a travelling prison.
Delhi
Major Indian city.
TECHNOLOGY
Virtual interactive parole evaluation resource
A helmet, machine and drug combination to allow running simulations of future scenarios in a person's mind.
PLOT
Stockard uses Viper technology to check that dangerous prisoners who have passed psych tests and are due for parole actually won't reoffend. The gear allows simulation of future scenarios and temptations inside the prisoner's mind. It wasn't available in the past when Culhane, the prisoner Stockard is there to test, almost killed his wife. Or similarly when a worse killer Grodin reoffended.
Stockard is actually in there to insert a false disk in the test, and ensure Culhane stays in prison forever.
4 out of 5
On the Oodnadatta - Alastair Reynolds
Novelette
Number of words : 10000
Percent of complex words : 10.3
Average syllables per word : 1.5
Average words per sentence : 12.4
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 9.1
Flesch : 66.7
Flesch-Kincaid : 7.0
PEOPLE
Rawlinson
Head of the Road Train repair operation.
Paco Muller
A new road train mechanic and saboteur from Chile.
Anton
Sapphire's right hand man.
Sapphire
Entertainer that decides to go into cryostasis.
Leitner
Head of the U-Life team.
Dubois
Another entertainer that went into U-Life storage.
Blaine
The transient driving the road train.
PLACES
Birdsville Track
Desert Road.
Adelaide
Capital of South Australia.
Valparaiso
City in Chile.
Anna Creek
A station.
Pan American Highway
In South America.
Atacama foothills
Pan American Highway travels through here.
Perth
Western Australian capital.
Jakarta
City in Indonesia.
Siberia
Russian freezing wasteland.
Oodnadatta
Trail across the central Australian desert.
ORGANISATIONS
Cadman
Company that runs the road trains.
Mack
American maker of large road transport.
Mitsubishi
Japanese Maker of large road transport.
Sons of Namatjira
Aboriginal terrorist group.
Ultralife
Company involved with cryogenic preservation of people.
Arizona Buddhist Militia
Even they have Stingers.
TECHNOLOGY
Sleevetop
Small mobile computing device.
LA MetNet
Californian weather network.
Monocrystal
Very strong material used in road trains.
VEHICLES
Road Train
Large commerical ground transport.
WEAPONS
Stingers
Portable surface to air missiles.
Patriot IIs
A missile upgrade on Stingers.
ANIMALS
Fats
Specially bred cattle.
CONCEPTS
The Big One
The meltdown of Chernorange in California.
Neural Consolidation
Chopping your head off to save money on your cryostorage.
MEDIA
Flintstones
Prehistoric cartoon family.
RACES
Transients
People that have been removed from their bodies, often employed as operators of machinery, like road trains.
Mangaroos
Cybernetically enhanced warrior hybrid kangaroos.
PLOT
Sapphire is an entertainer that wanted to go into cold storage as her career started a decline. On waking, she finds that nuclear disaster affected California and the companies that were storing people like her. She is offered a deal to get a new body if she works for a year operating a road train. Disembodied people don't need to sleep, etc., so make good workers for this sort of thing.
What she doesn't know is that the artist Dubois she upstaged at his own going into cryo farewell party has been part of the deal. The Sons of Namatjira do not like the road trains carrying cattle pregnant with babies that will be quickly grown into bodies with such transients. They did the deal with Dubois, and Blaine, the current tranny road train driver, and a new Chilean mechanic, to give them the ability to ambush this particular trip, aided by their heavily armed cybernetically enhanced hybrid kangaroo warriors. They kill the cattles and their clones. Blaine no longer wants this job, and it is this unpleasant situation that Sapphire is revied into, as the next transient in line forthe job.
4 out of 5
Number of words : 10000
Percent of complex words : 10.3
Average syllables per word : 1.5
Average words per sentence : 12.4
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 9.1
Flesch : 66.7
Flesch-Kincaid : 7.0
PEOPLE
Rawlinson
Head of the Road Train repair operation.
Paco Muller
A new road train mechanic and saboteur from Chile.
Anton
Sapphire's right hand man.
Sapphire
Entertainer that decides to go into cryostasis.
Leitner
Head of the U-Life team.
Dubois
Another entertainer that went into U-Life storage.
Blaine
The transient driving the road train.
PLACES
Birdsville Track
Desert Road.
Adelaide
Capital of South Australia.
Valparaiso
City in Chile.
Anna Creek
A station.
Pan American Highway
In South America.
Atacama foothills
Pan American Highway travels through here.
Perth
Western Australian capital.
Jakarta
City in Indonesia.
Siberia
Russian freezing wasteland.
Oodnadatta
Trail across the central Australian desert.
ORGANISATIONS
Cadman
Company that runs the road trains.
Mack
American maker of large road transport.
Mitsubishi
Japanese Maker of large road transport.
Sons of Namatjira
Aboriginal terrorist group.
Ultralife
Company involved with cryogenic preservation of people.
Arizona Buddhist Militia
Even they have Stingers.
TECHNOLOGY
Sleevetop
Small mobile computing device.
LA MetNet
Californian weather network.
Monocrystal
Very strong material used in road trains.
VEHICLES
Road Train
Large commerical ground transport.
WEAPONS
Stingers
Portable surface to air missiles.
Patriot IIs
A missile upgrade on Stingers.
ANIMALS
Fats
Specially bred cattle.
CONCEPTS
The Big One
The meltdown of Chernorange in California.
Neural Consolidation
Chopping your head off to save money on your cryostorage.
MEDIA
Flintstones
Prehistoric cartoon family.
RACES
Transients
People that have been removed from their bodies, often employed as operators of machinery, like road trains.
Mangaroos
Cybernetically enhanced warrior hybrid kangaroos.
PLOT
Sapphire is an entertainer that wanted to go into cold storage as her career started a decline. On waking, she finds that nuclear disaster affected California and the companies that were storing people like her. She is offered a deal to get a new body if she works for a year operating a road train. Disembodied people don't need to sleep, etc., so make good workers for this sort of thing.
What she doesn't know is that the artist Dubois she upstaged at his own going into cryo farewell party has been part of the deal. The Sons of Namatjira do not like the road trains carrying cattle pregnant with babies that will be quickly grown into bodies with such transients. They did the deal with Dubois, and Blaine, the current tranny road train driver, and a new Chilean mechanic, to give them the ability to ambush this particular trip, aided by their heavily armed cybernetically enhanced hybrid kangaroo warriors. They kill the cattles and their clones. Blaine no longer wants this job, and it is this unpleasant situation that Sapphire is revied into, as the next transient in line forthe job.
4 out of 5
Gardens of the Sun - Paul J. McAuley
I didn't like this as much as The Quiet War. Perhaps because it felt more meandering, and not as tightly focused as the earlier novel. This may have been deliberate, to show that the post combat, and post Brazilian governmental collapse was messy and people didn't know what they were doing. Certainly characters like Cash Baker epitomised this as he tried to work out whether to be smuggler, pilot, military, terrorist, chauffeur, emigrant, or whatever.
Perhaps also a bit odd to see bits and pieces of the earlier Quiet War stories used and even changed quite a bit, leading to a little deja vuwhat?
The gene wizards also didn't feature as much directly, and they were definitely one of the most interesting parts of the earlier book. Macy, Casha nd Loc do still get around a bit, though.
3.5 out of 5
Perhaps also a bit odd to see bits and pieces of the earlier Quiet War stories used and even changed quite a bit, leading to a little deja vuwhat?
The gene wizards also didn't feature as much directly, and they were definitely one of the most interesting parts of the earlier book. Macy, Casha nd Loc do still get around a bit, though.
3.5 out of 5
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Catching Crumbs From the Table - Ted Chiang
Vignette
Number of words : 770
Percent of complex words : 25.2
Average syllables per word : 1.9
Average words per sentence : 28.6
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 21.5
Flesch : 14.8
Flesch-Kincaid : 18.3
PEOPLE
Humphries
Histocompatibility genetics expert.
Sugimoto
A gene therapist.
TECHNOLOGY
Digital neural transfer
Information access method.
ExaCollider
Physics research machine.
PLACES
Gobi desert
Covering part of Southern Mongolia.
CONCEPTS
Neurogenesis
Process by which neurons are made, particularly before birth.
Textual hermenutics
Interpreting metahuman science.
RACES
Metahumans
Modified humans.
PLOT
Written in academic scientific style, discussing the worth of whether humans should try and analyse the intellectual achievements of metahumans.
3.5 out of 5
Number of words : 770
Percent of complex words : 25.2
Average syllables per word : 1.9
Average words per sentence : 28.6
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 21.5
Flesch : 14.8
Flesch-Kincaid : 18.3
PEOPLE
Humphries
Histocompatibility genetics expert.
Sugimoto
A gene therapist.
TECHNOLOGY
Digital neural transfer
Information access method.
ExaCollider
Physics research machine.
PLACES
Gobi desert
Covering part of Southern Mongolia.
CONCEPTS
Neurogenesis
Process by which neurons are made, particularly before birth.
Textual hermenutics
Interpreting metahuman science.
RACES
Metahumans
Modified humans.
PLOT
Written in academic scientific style, discussing the worth of whether humans should try and analyse the intellectual achievements of metahumans.
3.5 out of 5
Luminous - Greg Egan
Number of words : 12600
Percent of complex words : 13.1
Average syllables per word : 1.6
Average words per sentence : 15.3
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 11.4
Flesch : 54.0
Flesch-Kincaid : 9.5
PEOPLE
Bruno
Alison's ex-lover and co-operator. Mapper of mathematical defects.
Alison
Bruno's ex-lover and co-operator. Has idea that mathematics might be wonkier than we think.
Julia and Ramesh
Friends of theirs.
Andrew Wiles
Princeton researcher.
Lu Xun
A writer.
Andy Warhol
Artist.
Mao
Chinese leader.
Pinochet
Chilean dictator.
Yuen Ting-fu
Alison's supervisor for her Ph.D. on advanced applications of ring theory.
Cantor
A famous mathematician.
PLACES
Shanghai
Large Chinese city.
Hotel Fleapit
In Shanghai.
Hanoi
Vietnamese city.
Yuyuan Bazaar
Market in Shanghai.
Helsinki
Finnish city.
Zurich
Swiss city.
TECHNOLOGY
Necrotrap
Implanted carrying technology that breaks if disconnected from the host's biology.
Luminous
Chinese supercomputer made of light.
Surgical grade tissue repair cream
Good for stopping bleeding.
CONCEPTS
Mandarin
Chinese dialect.
Fermat's Last Theorem
No three positive integers a , b, and c can satisfy the equation an + bn = cn for any integer value of n.
Platonist
Follower of Plato's ideas.
Big Bang
Universe creation event.
ORGANISATIONS
Industrial Algebra
Aggressive UK IT company that wants their secrets.
Star TV
International Asian broadcaster.
Fu-tan University
Where Alison studied ring theory.
Exxon
Large corporation.
McDonnell-Douglas
Large corporation.
People's Institute for Advanced Optical Engineering
In Minhang. Houses Luminous and Yuen works there.
RACES
Han
A Chinese race that Bruno looks nothing like.
Australopithecus
Early human ancestor.
MEDIA
1984
Science fiction novel by George Orwell.
Winston Smith
Major character in 1984.
ANIMALS
Sea-urchin
Small, shiny ball-shaped ocean creature.
PLOT
Bruno wakes, having been found by an agent, but their precautions defeat her.
In June 1994, his fellow student Alison and he had a discussion, where she said:
"You're claiming that . . . mathematics might be strewn with primordial defects in consistency? Like space might be strewn with cosmic strings?"
"Exactly." She stared back at me, feigning nonchalance. "If space-time doesn't join up with itself smoothly, everywhere . . . why should mathematical logic?"
Which led to them researching such defects with success, and to agents of IA wanting their secrets to use in financial manipulations.
To further their work they manage to obtain some time on the most advanced computer in the world, thanks to Alison's old supervisor. They are quite shocked to find that what they are doing is being resisted - and stunned when they are contacted with information from this far side realm.
5 out of 5
http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b974/Luminous/Greg-Egan/?
Percent of complex words : 13.1
Average syllables per word : 1.6
Average words per sentence : 15.3
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 11.4
Flesch : 54.0
Flesch-Kincaid : 9.5
PEOPLE
Bruno
Alison's ex-lover and co-operator. Mapper of mathematical defects.
Alison
Bruno's ex-lover and co-operator. Has idea that mathematics might be wonkier than we think.
Julia and Ramesh
Friends of theirs.
Andrew Wiles
Princeton researcher.
Lu Xun
A writer.
Andy Warhol
Artist.
Mao
Chinese leader.
Pinochet
Chilean dictator.
Yuen Ting-fu
Alison's supervisor for her Ph.D. on advanced applications of ring theory.
Cantor
A famous mathematician.
PLACES
Shanghai
Large Chinese city.
Hotel Fleapit
In Shanghai.
Hanoi
Vietnamese city.
Yuyuan Bazaar
Market in Shanghai.
Helsinki
Finnish city.
Zurich
Swiss city.
TECHNOLOGY
Necrotrap
Implanted carrying technology that breaks if disconnected from the host's biology.
Luminous
Chinese supercomputer made of light.
Surgical grade tissue repair cream
Good for stopping bleeding.
CONCEPTS
Mandarin
Chinese dialect.
Fermat's Last Theorem
No three positive integers a , b, and c can satisfy the equation an + bn = cn for any integer value of n.
Platonist
Follower of Plato's ideas.
Big Bang
Universe creation event.
ORGANISATIONS
Industrial Algebra
Aggressive UK IT company that wants their secrets.
Star TV
International Asian broadcaster.
Fu-tan University
Where Alison studied ring theory.
Exxon
Large corporation.
McDonnell-Douglas
Large corporation.
People's Institute for Advanced Optical Engineering
In Minhang. Houses Luminous and Yuen works there.
RACES
Han
A Chinese race that Bruno looks nothing like.
Australopithecus
Early human ancestor.
MEDIA
1984
Science fiction novel by George Orwell.
Winston Smith
Major character in 1984.
ANIMALS
Sea-urchin
Small, shiny ball-shaped ocean creature.
PLOT
Bruno wakes, having been found by an agent, but their precautions defeat her.
In June 1994, his fellow student Alison and he had a discussion, where she said:
"You're claiming that . . . mathematics might be strewn with primordial defects in consistency? Like space might be strewn with cosmic strings?"
"Exactly." She stared back at me, feigning nonchalance. "If space-time doesn't join up with itself smoothly, everywhere . . . why should mathematical logic?"
Which led to them researching such defects with success, and to agents of IA wanting their secrets to use in financial manipulations.
To further their work they manage to obtain some time on the most advanced computer in the world, thanks to Alison's old supervisor. They are quite shocked to find that what they are doing is being resisted - and stunned when they are contacted with information from this far side realm.
5 out of 5
http://www.fictionwise.com/ebooks/b974/Luminous/Greg-Egan/?
Nunivak Snowflakes - Alastair Reynolds
Short Story
Number of words : 7000
Percent of complex words : 14.6
Average syllables per word : 1.6
Average words per sentence : 11.4
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 10.4
Flesch : 59.5
Flesch-Kincaid : 7.8
PEOPLE
Naluvara
An Innupiat healer in Nunivak.
Dr Tania Tollefson
Naluvura's soon to be ex-girlfriend and time travel message sender.
Apik
Naluvura's friend who also has a thing for Tania.
Ugrook
Elderly hunter and patient of Naluvura's.
Ubu, Jim, Angie and Dawn
Other intelligent spacetime infectees.
PLACES
Nunivak
Naluvaru's town. An Eskimo melting pot.
Bering Sea
Where Nunivak is.
Spike's
Local watering hole.
Soweto
Part of Johannesburg in South Africa.
Wind Farm
Place in Nunivak Tania warns Naluvara to stay away from.
ORGANISATIONS
Netsilik
An Innupiat family.
Radio Wainwright
Local shortwave station.
Barrow—Cultural Contingencies
Concerned with possible Eskimo extinction.
RACES
Tannik
Innupiat term for Caucasians.
Chugach
Innupiat term for Southern American Indians.
Innpuiat
Northern America cold-dwelling natives.
VEHICLES
Seaplane
Flying vehicle that can land on water.
Snowcat
Ice working tractor type vehicle.
TECHNOLOGY
Mukluks
Animal skin boots used in the Arctic.
Mass-sensor
Used for checking spacetime variations.
WEAPONS
Uzis
Submachine guns.
CONCEPTS
The Change
What happens after intelligent spacetime.
PLOT
Naluvara is a local shaman and healer with an artificial arm. However, the former is due to the fact that he is infected with viral intelligent spacetime, and so becomes a person of interest for the military, who are trying to combat it. Even though such action may not be necessary.
His girlfriend Tania has been sending him messages via dead fish and other means, but from the future, to warn him of what has been going on. It also freaked out various governments to get a greeting, frozen in 26,000 year old fish they just uncovered, all in their local language.
3.5 out of 5
Number of words : 7000
Percent of complex words : 14.6
Average syllables per word : 1.6
Average words per sentence : 11.4
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 10.4
Flesch : 59.5
Flesch-Kincaid : 7.8
PEOPLE
Naluvara
An Innupiat healer in Nunivak.
Dr Tania Tollefson
Naluvura's soon to be ex-girlfriend and time travel message sender.
Apik
Naluvura's friend who also has a thing for Tania.
Ugrook
Elderly hunter and patient of Naluvura's.
Ubu, Jim, Angie and Dawn
Other intelligent spacetime infectees.
PLACES
Nunivak
Naluvaru's town. An Eskimo melting pot.
Bering Sea
Where Nunivak is.
Spike's
Local watering hole.
Soweto
Part of Johannesburg in South Africa.
Wind Farm
Place in Nunivak Tania warns Naluvara to stay away from.
ORGANISATIONS
Netsilik
An Innupiat family.
Radio Wainwright
Local shortwave station.
Barrow—Cultural Contingencies
Concerned with possible Eskimo extinction.
RACES
Tannik
Innupiat term for Caucasians.
Chugach
Innupiat term for Southern American Indians.
Innpuiat
Northern America cold-dwelling natives.
VEHICLES
Seaplane
Flying vehicle that can land on water.
Snowcat
Ice working tractor type vehicle.
TECHNOLOGY
Mukluks
Animal skin boots used in the Arctic.
Mass-sensor
Used for checking spacetime variations.
WEAPONS
Uzis
Submachine guns.
CONCEPTS
The Change
What happens after intelligent spacetime.
PLOT
Naluvara is a local shaman and healer with an artificial arm. However, the former is due to the fact that he is infected with viral intelligent spacetime, and so becomes a person of interest for the military, who are trying to combat it. Even though such action may not be necessary.
His girlfriend Tania has been sending him messages via dead fish and other means, but from the future, to warn him of what has been going on. It also freaked out various governments to get a greeting, frozen in 26,000 year old fish they just uncovered, all in their local language.
3.5 out of 5
Byrd Land Six - Alastair Reynolds
Short Story
Number of words : 6600
Percent of complex words : 11.4
Average syllables per word : 1.5
Average words per sentence : 9.6
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 8.4
Flesch : 67.8
Flesch-Kincaid : 6.2
PEOPLE
Dr Everard
Researcher at BL6.
Villiers
In command at Byrd Land Six.
Vaughan Williams
A composer.
Weber
Colleague of Everard's.
Cookie
Byrd Land Six meteorologist.
Navarre
Worker at Byrd Land Six.
Chu
Theorist involved with the Franson pairs.
MEDIA
Sinfonia Antartica
A Williams composition.
PLACES
Getz ice shelf
Where Byrd Land Six is, in Antarctica.
Byrd Land Six
BL6, an Antarctic research station.
Punta Arenas
Chilean city.
McMurdo
Another Antarctic base.
Russkaya
Another Antarctic base.
VEHICLES
Antonovs
Ski-equipped transport vehicles.
Skidoo
A snowmobile, personal transport on the ice.
TECHNOLOGY
Franson pair
Entangled doubles that allow remote operation on site in real time, despite vast distances.
Anemometer
Meteorological data collector.
CONCEPTS
Teleoperation
Working with machines remotely, even from another planet.
PLOT
Everard works at BL6 in not the best assignment. Strange things begin happening with the weather. Even worse, they find their meteorologist as a human icy pole.
Working out something strange is going on with the appearance of Villiers, he explains: 'Take two locations, such as BL6 and the lunar base, connected by a Franson link.' His hand—which, Everard noted, was entirely steady—drew an A and B on the paper, two or three inches apart, then a dashed line between them. 'Information can now flow between A and B instantaneously. As Chu pointed out, causality can only be maintained if A and B become isolated from the rest of the universe. Provided no information from either A or B can escape elsewhere, the linking creates no causal violation.' He drew a dumbbell shape which enclosed A, B and the dashed line of the link. 'Now, no one took Chu's prediction very seriously. Except possibly Mother Nature.' Grinned. 'She's encapsulated us, you see. Locked us in. The ultimate Iron Curtain.'
When they check it out, Villiers is killed by a teleoperated robot, and Everard eventually talks to Chu in the paired facility. Only one lot can get out, and Chu is alone where she is, so says she will nuke the BL6 facility so that Everard and Weber can get the hell out of there.
4 out of 5
Number of words : 6600
Percent of complex words : 11.4
Average syllables per word : 1.5
Average words per sentence : 9.6
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 8.4
Flesch : 67.8
Flesch-Kincaid : 6.2
PEOPLE
Dr Everard
Researcher at BL6.
Villiers
In command at Byrd Land Six.
Vaughan Williams
A composer.
Weber
Colleague of Everard's.
Cookie
Byrd Land Six meteorologist.
Navarre
Worker at Byrd Land Six.
Chu
Theorist involved with the Franson pairs.
MEDIA
Sinfonia Antartica
A Williams composition.
PLACES
Getz ice shelf
Where Byrd Land Six is, in Antarctica.
Byrd Land Six
BL6, an Antarctic research station.
Punta Arenas
Chilean city.
McMurdo
Another Antarctic base.
Russkaya
Another Antarctic base.
VEHICLES
Antonovs
Ski-equipped transport vehicles.
Skidoo
A snowmobile, personal transport on the ice.
TECHNOLOGY
Franson pair
Entangled doubles that allow remote operation on site in real time, despite vast distances.
Anemometer
Meteorological data collector.
CONCEPTS
Teleoperation
Working with machines remotely, even from another planet.
PLOT
Everard works at BL6 in not the best assignment. Strange things begin happening with the weather. Even worse, they find their meteorologist as a human icy pole.
Working out something strange is going on with the appearance of Villiers, he explains: 'Take two locations, such as BL6 and the lunar base, connected by a Franson link.' His hand—which, Everard noted, was entirely steady—drew an A and B on the paper, two or three inches apart, then a dashed line between them. 'Information can now flow between A and B instantaneously. As Chu pointed out, causality can only be maintained if A and B become isolated from the rest of the universe. Provided no information from either A or B can escape elsewhere, the linking creates no causal violation.' He drew a dumbbell shape which enclosed A, B and the dashed line of the link. 'Now, no one took Chu's prediction very seriously. Except possibly Mother Nature.' Grinned. 'She's encapsulated us, you see. Locked us in. The ultimate Iron Curtain.'
When they check it out, Villiers is killed by a teleoperated robot, and Everard eventually talks to Chu in the paired facility. Only one lot can get out, and Chu is alone where she is, so says she will nuke the BL6 facility so that Everard and Weber can get the hell out of there.
4 out of 5
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Soiree - Alastair Reynolds
Short Story
Number of words : 4800
Percent of complex words : 13.2
Average syllables per word : 1.5
Average words per sentence : 13.4
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 10.6
Flesch : 63.4
Flesch-Kincaid : 7.7
PEOPLE
Alice Hodgkin
A human personality.
Gil Peterson
A human personality and Alice's colleague.
Captain Prescott Fisher
Of the Starcrosser.
Georgina Crane
Starcrosser, antimatter physics and swimming expert.
PLACES
Benevolence
An interstellar colony planet.
Glimmer Bay
Near Benevolence's equator.
VEHICLES
Starcrosser
Human Interstellar ship.
ORGANISATIONS
Planetary Coordination Commitee
Running the show on Benevolence.
CONCEPTS
Singularity
When machine intelligence overtakes human.
A human ship reaches the planet Benevolence, and upon awakening are surprised to find people there ahead of them. They are welcomed and put at their ease about fitting in.
However, that is not the whole story. The Starcrosser left to escape the Singularity. However, humanity's successors beat them there. The first time they were awakened the humans turned violent, killed one of their hosts and were in turn killed. However, the Benevolents worked out how to reanimate bodies and restore minds, and went through the process again, perfecting the simulation and illusion.
They decided that some of their number needed to forego their greater civilisation and instead live as humans, and integrate the newcomers. This sacrifice of course makes Alice sad.
4 out of 5
Number of words : 4800
Percent of complex words : 13.2
Average syllables per word : 1.5
Average words per sentence : 13.4
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 10.6
Flesch : 63.4
Flesch-Kincaid : 7.7
PEOPLE
Alice Hodgkin
A human personality.
Gil Peterson
A human personality and Alice's colleague.
Captain Prescott Fisher
Of the Starcrosser.
Georgina Crane
Starcrosser, antimatter physics and swimming expert.
PLACES
Benevolence
An interstellar colony planet.
Glimmer Bay
Near Benevolence's equator.
VEHICLES
Starcrosser
Human Interstellar ship.
ORGANISATIONS
Planetary Coordination Commitee
Running the show on Benevolence.
CONCEPTS
Singularity
When machine intelligence overtakes human.
A human ship reaches the planet Benevolence, and upon awakening are surprised to find people there ahead of them. They are welcomed and put at their ease about fitting in.
However, that is not the whole story. The Starcrosser left to escape the Singularity. However, humanity's successors beat them there. The first time they were awakened the humans turned violent, killed one of their hosts and were in turn killed. However, the Benevolents worked out how to reanimate bodies and restore minds, and went through the process again, perfecting the simulation and illusion.
They decided that some of their number needed to forego their greater civilisation and instead live as humans, and integrate the newcomers. This sacrifice of course makes Alice sad.
4 out of 5
On the Oodnadatta - Alastair Reynolds
Neural disincorporation farewell showup revenge bovine baby host roadtrain massacre mangaroo mission deal.
4 out of 5
4 out of 5
Nunivak Snowflakes - Alastair Reynolds
Time travelling dead fish rain arm stealing mail delivery.
3.5 out of 5
3.5 out of 5
Thursday, June 10, 2010
WANTED
For Analysis, copies of Leigh Brackett's
The Ark of Mars
The Teleportress of Alpha C
Silent Partner
The Tiger Among Us/Fear No Evil/13 West Street
An Eye For An Eye
Rio Bravo
Follow the Free wind
The Ark of Mars
The Teleportress of Alpha C
Silent Partner
The Tiger Among Us/Fear No Evil/13 West Street
An Eye For An Eye
Rio Bravo
Follow the Free wind
The Cutie - Greg Egan
Short Story
Number of words : 4400
Percent of complex words : 10.4
Average syllables per word : 1.5
Average words per sentence : 19.3
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 11.9
Flesch : 58.0
Flesch-Kincaid : 10.0
PEOPLE
Diane
A woman who doesn't want a kid.
Frank
A man who does want a kid.
Bach
A composer.
Angel
The Cutie.
ORGANISATIONS
EFT
Manufacturers of the Cutie kit.
TECHNOLOGY
Cabbage Patch Doll
A toy.
Video Baby
A toy.
Computer Crib
A toy.
Black Box
Part of the system used for making and monitoring Cuties.
CONCEPT
Cutie
A child substitute made by genetic modification of the donor's DNS. Stupider than puppies.
PLOT
A man who really wants a child cannot find a willing partner and decides to carry a Cutie to term. A genetically modified person that is made to look like a cute baby, but to be dumb and not live long enough to make it past this stage.
4 out of 5
Number of words : 4400
Percent of complex words : 10.4
Average syllables per word : 1.5
Average words per sentence : 19.3
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 11.9
Flesch : 58.0
Flesch-Kincaid : 10.0
PEOPLE
Diane
A woman who doesn't want a kid.
Frank
A man who does want a kid.
Bach
A composer.
Angel
The Cutie.
ORGANISATIONS
EFT
Manufacturers of the Cutie kit.
TECHNOLOGY
Cabbage Patch Doll
A toy.
Video Baby
A toy.
Computer Crib
A toy.
Black Box
Part of the system used for making and monitoring Cuties.
CONCEPT
Cutie
A child substitute made by genetic modification of the donor's DNS. Stupider than puppies.
PLOT
A man who really wants a child cannot find a willing partner and decides to carry a Cutie to term. A genetically modified person that is made to look like a cute baby, but to be dumb and not live long enough to make it past this stage.
4 out of 5
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
The Reavers of Skaith - Leigh Brackett
Novel
Number of words : 60000
Percent of complex words : 6.9
Average syllables per word : 1.4
Average words per sentence : 12.7
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 7.8
Flesch : 75.7
Flesch-Kincaid : 5.9
PEOPLE
Eric John Stark
N'Chaka, wild man of Mercury. The Dark Man of prophecy.
Simon Ashton
Stark's mentor and father figure. Reunited after finding him on
Skaith, and now Stark's counsel.
Gelmar
Chief Wandsman of Skeg.
Baya
A Farer woman working for Gelmar. Hates Stark deeply.
Gerrith
Wise woman of Irnan, and prophet.
Yarrod
An Irnanese leader and martyr. Now a rallying cry for his people in battle.
Breca
Halk's shieldmate, slain in battle.
Halk
An apostate Wandsman, now with Yarrow, a warrior. Breca's shieldmate.
Mordach
Chief Wandsman of Irnan.
Kazimni
An Irnan military leader.
Hargoth
Priest-king of the Towers. The Corn King.
Kell a Marg
A leader of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother. The Skaith-Daughter.
Gerd
The leader of the Northhounds with Stark.
Ferdias
One of the Lords Protector.
Klatlekt
Hairless, horny, four-armed and tentacled doorkeeper of the Fallarin.
Alderyk
King of the Fallarin.
Houndmaster
Keeper of the Northhounds at Yurunna.
Grith
One of Stark's Northhounds.
Tuchvar
From Tregad, an apprentice houndmaster.
Pedrallon
A red Wandsman Coordinator, disgraced for being pro-migration. In
captivity and despair.
Sabak
Ildann's son.
Delvor
Warlord of Tregad.
Sanghalain
Ruler of Iubar, in the White South.
Morn
Comrade of Sanghalain, has the mind-touch.
Jal Bartha
A Wandsman.
Llandric
A Wandsman of Pedrallon's.
Penkawr-Che
A raider ship captain. An Antarean.
Gorrel
One of the Lords Protector. Dying.
Norverann
Priestess of the Nithi.
Cethlin
The Bridegroom.
Ceidrin
Cethlin's brother.
Ironmaster
Thyran warleader.
Vaybars
Fallarin friend of Alderyk.
Delbane
Oldest of the Kings of the White Islands.
Aud
Youngest of the Kings of the White Islands.
Wendor
An Irnan man.
PLACES
Pax
The chief habitable planet of Vega.
Skaith
A newly discovered world in the Orion Spur, with a dying sun.
Skeg
The spaceport on Skaith.
Fertile Belt
Most of the Skaith population live past here.
The Barrens
Area of Skaith interior.
Worldheart
Where lies the Citadel of the Lords Protector.
Irnan
A city-state of Skaith in the temperate zone.
Izvand
A city in the Barrens.
Bleak Mountains
A large range.
Witchfires
Mountain range near Thyra.
House of the Mother
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother dwelling.
The Citadel
Dwelling of the Lords Protector. Now a smoking ruin.
Yurunna
A strong city. Where the Yur are bred, and other mutations.
Ged Darod
City of the Wandsmen.
The Place of Winds
Where the Fallarin live.
Tregad
A city-state, east of Irnan and north of Ged Darod.
Iubar
A City-state.
Sol One
Mercury.
Andapell
Pedrallon's city.
Plain of Worldheart
Where Penkawr-Che held Stark captive.
Leaning Man
A rock formation.
Thermal Pits
Near the Witchfires.
House of Winter
Nithi ritual dwelling.
Thyra
Skaith city-state.
Cereleng
Chief seaport and capital of Andapell.
Hall of Joyful Rest
Inside the Children of Skaith's House.
Sea of Skorva
Where the Izvand live. Froze early.
Palace of the Twelve
Seat of authority in Ged Darod.
Shallafonh
City of the Ssussminh.
Holy Isle
Of the White Islanders, a giant iceberg.
Sun Temple
In Ged Darod.
Temple of the Dark Goddess
In Ged Darod.
Hercules Cluster
Site of a ship battle between the Union and Penkawr-Che's raiders.
CONCEPTS
Galactic Union
A democratic federation of star-worlds flung across half the Milky Way.
Three Ladies
A constellation viewed from Skaith.
Strayer
A god with a hammer.
Flying Dutchman
A mythical ghost ship.
Second Wandering
Current upheaval on Skaith.
The Trinity
My lady Cold and her lord Darkness, and their daughter Hunger.
Universal
Galactic common language.
ORGANISATIONS
Ministry of Planetary Affairs
Simon Ashton's employer on Pax.
Galactic Center
Based at Pax.
Lords Protector
Skaith Rulers. Heads of the Wandsmen.
Wild Bands
Groups of bandits.
Diviners
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother priests.
Lesser Hearths of the Seven Hearths of Kheb : The Reavers of Skaith -
Leigh Brackett
A suffering group of lesser tribes.
Guild of Masons
Children of Skaith builders.
Four Kings
Rulers of the White Islands.
RACES
Harsenyi
Nomads.
Farers
Wanderers and hedonists.
Children of the Sea-Our-Mother
Ocean dwellers that find people tasty. A genetic hybrid experiment
that is reverting.
Little Sisters of the Sun
Desert altered humans.
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother
White furred people, genetically modified.
Wandsmen
The ruling class of Skaith.
Irnan
One of the migrating peoples. Have applied to emigrate off the dying
planet via the Galactic Union.
The Ochar
A once powerful tribe. The First-Come.
The Fallarin
A winged people created through mutation. Flightless, but psychokinetic.
Hann
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Marag
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Kref
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Thuran
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Qard
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Thorn
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
The Nithi
A tribe of goddess worshippers.
People of the Towers
Hargoth's sorcerer-priests.
Ssussminh
Morn's telepathic people.
People of the White Islands
Desperate and very martial tribe.
ANIMALS
Northhounds
Large intelligent telepathic canines.
Tarf
Servants of the Fallarin.
TECHNOLOGY
Water of Vision
An Irnan tool of foresight.
Tlun
A mind-expanding drug.
Robe and the Crown
Destroyed Irnan tool of Gerrith's.
The finger-bones of the Spring Child
People of the Towers divination device.
MEDIA
Hymn of Life
Song of the Little Sisters of the Sun.
Hymn of Deliverance
Song of the People of the Towers.
VEHICLES
Planet hopper
Small transport craft from a spaceship used for in-atmosphere travel.
Arkeshti
Penkawr-Che's ship.
The book starts with a betrayal, that of the raider Penkawr-Che's.
Rather than ferry Ashton to the Galactic Union, he has sold him and
Stark both into captivity. So yet again Stark has to try and escape
and build alliances that can hold together the cities he has taken for
the rebels and others.
This time, as the title suggests, he leads his band of followers by
sea, to Pedrallon's home and the white islands.
Meanwhile, all is converging on Ged Daron as the planet cools, and crops fail.
Gerrith's final sacrifice gives a boost to the pro-migration force
when they need it, and Stark still commands the Northhounds left
alive. He has to take the city of the Wandsmen fast, before all the
technology that can communicate with the starships leaving the
spaceport is destroyed, leaving them all doomed.
4 out of 5
Number of words : 60000
Percent of complex words : 6.9
Average syllables per word : 1.4
Average words per sentence : 12.7
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 7.8
Flesch : 75.7
Flesch-Kincaid : 5.9
PEOPLE
Eric John Stark
N'Chaka, wild man of Mercury. The Dark Man of prophecy.
Simon Ashton
Stark's mentor and father figure. Reunited after finding him on
Skaith, and now Stark's counsel.
Gelmar
Chief Wandsman of Skeg.
Baya
A Farer woman working for Gelmar. Hates Stark deeply.
Gerrith
Wise woman of Irnan, and prophet.
Yarrod
An Irnanese leader and martyr. Now a rallying cry for his people in battle.
Breca
Halk's shieldmate, slain in battle.
Halk
An apostate Wandsman, now with Yarrow, a warrior. Breca's shieldmate.
Mordach
Chief Wandsman of Irnan.
Kazimni
An Irnan military leader.
Hargoth
Priest-king of the Towers. The Corn King.
Kell a Marg
A leader of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother. The Skaith-Daughter.
Gerd
The leader of the Northhounds with Stark.
Ferdias
One of the Lords Protector.
Klatlekt
Hairless, horny, four-armed and tentacled doorkeeper of the Fallarin.
Alderyk
King of the Fallarin.
Houndmaster
Keeper of the Northhounds at Yurunna.
Grith
One of Stark's Northhounds.
Tuchvar
From Tregad, an apprentice houndmaster.
Pedrallon
A red Wandsman Coordinator, disgraced for being pro-migration. In
captivity and despair.
Sabak
Ildann's son.
Delvor
Warlord of Tregad.
Sanghalain
Ruler of Iubar, in the White South.
Morn
Comrade of Sanghalain, has the mind-touch.
Jal Bartha
A Wandsman.
Llandric
A Wandsman of Pedrallon's.
Penkawr-Che
A raider ship captain. An Antarean.
Gorrel
One of the Lords Protector. Dying.
Norverann
Priestess of the Nithi.
Cethlin
The Bridegroom.
Ceidrin
Cethlin's brother.
Ironmaster
Thyran warleader.
Vaybars
Fallarin friend of Alderyk.
Delbane
Oldest of the Kings of the White Islands.
Aud
Youngest of the Kings of the White Islands.
Wendor
An Irnan man.
PLACES
Pax
The chief habitable planet of Vega.
Skaith
A newly discovered world in the Orion Spur, with a dying sun.
Skeg
The spaceport on Skaith.
Fertile Belt
Most of the Skaith population live past here.
The Barrens
Area of Skaith interior.
Worldheart
Where lies the Citadel of the Lords Protector.
Irnan
A city-state of Skaith in the temperate zone.
Izvand
A city in the Barrens.
Bleak Mountains
A large range.
Witchfires
Mountain range near Thyra.
House of the Mother
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother dwelling.
The Citadel
Dwelling of the Lords Protector. Now a smoking ruin.
Yurunna
A strong city. Where the Yur are bred, and other mutations.
Ged Darod
City of the Wandsmen.
The Place of Winds
Where the Fallarin live.
Tregad
A city-state, east of Irnan and north of Ged Darod.
Iubar
A City-state.
Sol One
Mercury.
Andapell
Pedrallon's city.
Plain of Worldheart
Where Penkawr-Che held Stark captive.
Leaning Man
A rock formation.
Thermal Pits
Near the Witchfires.
House of Winter
Nithi ritual dwelling.
Thyra
Skaith city-state.
Cereleng
Chief seaport and capital of Andapell.
Hall of Joyful Rest
Inside the Children of Skaith's House.
Sea of Skorva
Where the Izvand live. Froze early.
Palace of the Twelve
Seat of authority in Ged Darod.
Shallafonh
City of the Ssussminh.
Holy Isle
Of the White Islanders, a giant iceberg.
Sun Temple
In Ged Darod.
Temple of the Dark Goddess
In Ged Darod.
Hercules Cluster
Site of a ship battle between the Union and Penkawr-Che's raiders.
CONCEPTS
Galactic Union
A democratic federation of star-worlds flung across half the Milky Way.
Three Ladies
A constellation viewed from Skaith.
Strayer
A god with a hammer.
Flying Dutchman
A mythical ghost ship.
Second Wandering
Current upheaval on Skaith.
The Trinity
My lady Cold and her lord Darkness, and their daughter Hunger.
Universal
Galactic common language.
ORGANISATIONS
Ministry of Planetary Affairs
Simon Ashton's employer on Pax.
Galactic Center
Based at Pax.
Lords Protector
Skaith Rulers. Heads of the Wandsmen.
Wild Bands
Groups of bandits.
Diviners
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother priests.
Lesser Hearths of the Seven Hearths of Kheb : The Reavers of Skaith -
Leigh Brackett
A suffering group of lesser tribes.
Guild of Masons
Children of Skaith builders.
Four Kings
Rulers of the White Islands.
RACES
Harsenyi
Nomads.
Farers
Wanderers and hedonists.
Children of the Sea-Our-Mother
Ocean dwellers that find people tasty. A genetic hybrid experiment
that is reverting.
Little Sisters of the Sun
Desert altered humans.
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother
White furred people, genetically modified.
Wandsmen
The ruling class of Skaith.
Irnan
One of the migrating peoples. Have applied to emigrate off the dying
planet via the Galactic Union.
The Ochar
A once powerful tribe. The First-Come.
The Fallarin
A winged people created through mutation. Flightless, but psychokinetic.
Hann
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Marag
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Kref
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Thuran
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Qard
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Thorn
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
The Nithi
A tribe of goddess worshippers.
People of the Towers
Hargoth's sorcerer-priests.
Ssussminh
Morn's telepathic people.
People of the White Islands
Desperate and very martial tribe.
ANIMALS
Northhounds
Large intelligent telepathic canines.
Tarf
Servants of the Fallarin.
TECHNOLOGY
Water of Vision
An Irnan tool of foresight.
Tlun
A mind-expanding drug.
Robe and the Crown
Destroyed Irnan tool of Gerrith's.
The finger-bones of the Spring Child
People of the Towers divination device.
MEDIA
Hymn of Life
Song of the Little Sisters of the Sun.
Hymn of Deliverance
Song of the People of the Towers.
VEHICLES
Planet hopper
Small transport craft from a spaceship used for in-atmosphere travel.
Arkeshti
Penkawr-Che's ship.
The book starts with a betrayal, that of the raider Penkawr-Che's.
Rather than ferry Ashton to the Galactic Union, he has sold him and
Stark both into captivity. So yet again Stark has to try and escape
and build alliances that can hold together the cities he has taken for
the rebels and others.
This time, as the title suggests, he leads his band of followers by
sea, to Pedrallon's home and the white islands.
Meanwhile, all is converging on Ged Daron as the planet cools, and crops fail.
Gerrith's final sacrifice gives a boost to the pro-migration force
when they need it, and Stark still commands the Northhounds left
alive. He has to take the city of the Wandsmen fast, before all the
technology that can communicate with the starships leaving the
spaceport is destroyed, leaving them all doomed.
4 out of 5
Monday, June 7, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
The Hounds of Skaith - Leigh Brackett
Novel
Number of words : 60000
Percent of complex words : 6.7
Average syllables per word : 1.4
Average words per sentence : 11.7
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 7.4
Flesch : 77.8
Flesch-Kincaid : 5.3
PEOPLE
Eric John Stark
N'Chaka, wild man of Mercury. The Dark Man of prophecy.
Simon Ashton
Stark's mentor and father figure. Reunited after finding him on Skaith.
Gelmar
Chief Wandsman of Skeg.
Baya
A Farer woman working for Gelmar.
Gerrith
Wise woman of Irnan, and prophet.
Yarrod
An Irnanese leader and martyr.
Breca
Halk's shieldmate, slain in battle.
Halk
An apostate Wandsman, now with Yarrow, a warrior. Breca's shieldmate.
Mordach
Chief Wandsman of Irnan.
Jerann
Irnan Council chief.
Kazimni
An Irnan military leader.
Amnir
A Komrey trader, that died in conflict with Stark.
Hargoth
Priest-king of the Towers.
Vasth
A Wandsman.
Kell a Marg
A leader of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother. The Skaith-Daughter.
Fenn
One of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother. A courtier.
Ferdic
One of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother. A courtier.
Flay
The old Northhound king-dog.
Gerd
The leader of the Northhounds with Stark.
Ferdias
One of the Lords Protector.
Yetko
An Harsenyi.
Ekmal
An Ochar chief.
Jofr
Ekmal's son.
Ildann
Hearth-Keeper of the Hann.
Romek
Keeper of the Hearth of Ochar.
Klatlekt
Hairless, horny, four-armed and tentacled doorkeeper of the Fallarin.
Alderyk
King of the Fallarin.
Houndmaster
Keeper of the Northhounds at Yurunna.
Mika
The Houndmaster's favorite bitch.
Grith
One of Stark's Northhounds.
Tuchvar
From Tregad, an apprentice houndmaster.
Varik
A Farer boy.
Pedrallon
A red Wandsman Coordinator, disgraced for being pro-migration.
Sabak
Ildann's son.
Clain
A red Wandsman.
Delvor
Warlord of Tregad.
Welnic
Red Wandsman of Tregad.
Sanghalain
Ruler of Iubar, in the White South.
Morn
Comrade of Sanghalain, has the mind-touch.
Jal Bartha
A Wandsman.
Llandric
A Wandsman of Pedrallon's.
Penkawr-Che
A ship captain.
PLACES
Pax
The chief habitable planet of Vega.
Pax
The major city of the chief habitable planet of Vega.
Twilight Belt
Habitable zone on Mercury.
Skaith
A newly discovered world in the Orion Spur.
Skeg
The spaceport on Skaith.
Fertile Belt
Most of the Skaith population live past here.
The Barrens
Area of Skaith interior.
Worldheart
Where lies the Citadel of the Lords Protector.
Irnan
A city-state of Skaith in the temperate zone.
Izvand
A city in the Barrens.
Komrey
City-state of Skaith.
Bleak Mountains
A large range.
Witchfires
Mountain range near Thyra.
House of the Mother
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother dwelling.
The Citadel
Dwelling of the Lords Protector. Now a smoking ruin.
Yurunna
A strong city. Where the Yur are bred, and other mutations.
Orion Spur
Largely unexplored area of the galaxy.
Ged Darod
City of the Wandsmen.
Hearth of Hann
Where the Hann live.
Ennaker
Skaith name for a Star also called Fregor by those that live on its third world, and Chunt.
The Place of Winds
Where the Fallarin live.
Tears of Lek
A lake.
Tregad
A city-state, east of Irnan and north of Ged Darod.
Greath Sea of Skaith
An ocean to the south.
Iubar
A City-state.
CONCEPTS
Galactic Union
A democratic federation of star-worlds flung across half the Milky Way.
Three Ladies
A constellation viewed from Skaith.
Great Migrations
People moving because of the changing conditions on Skaith.
Dark Goddess
Deity worshipped by the Outdwellers.
Great Wandering
When more of Skaith was nomadic.
Strayer
A god with a hammer.
Skaith-Mother, Sea-Mother, Sky-Father
Skaith deities.
ORGANISATIONS
Ministry of Planetary Affairs
Simon Ashton's employer on Pax.
Mercury Metals and Mining
Stark's parents worked here when they were killed.
Galactic Center
Based at Pax.
Lords Protector
Skaith Rulers. Heads of the Wandsmen.
Wild Bands
Groups of bandits.
Diviners
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother priests.
Earth Police Control
Ashton's old employer when he found Stark as a boy.
Lesser Hearths of the Seven Hearths of Kheb
A suffering group of lesser tribes.
RACES
Harsenyi
Nomads.
Farers
Wanderers and hedonists.
Children of the Sea-Our-Mother
Ocean dwellers that find people tasty. A genetic hybrid experiment that is reverting.
Little Sisters of the Sun
Desert altered humans.
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother
White furred people, genetically modified.
Wandsmen
The ruling class of Skaith.
Irnan
One of the migrating peoples. Have applied to emigrate off the dying planet via the Galactic Union.
The Ochar
A powerful tribe. The First-Come.
Yur
The Well-Created. Strangely modified beings.
The Fallarin
A winged people created through mutation. Flightless, but psychokinetic.
Hann
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Marag
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Kref
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Thuran
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Qard
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Thorn
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
ANIMALS
Northhounds
Large intelligent telepathic canines.
Runners
Monsters that prey on people in the desert storms, very strong.
Swiftwing
Sky-piercer. Wind-rider. Lightning-brother. A bird of war.
Tarf
Servants of the Fallarin.
TECHNOLOGY
Water of Vision
An Irnan tool of foresight.
MEDIA
Hymn of Life
Song of the Little Sisters of the Sun.
VEHICLES
Planet hopper
Small transport craft from a spaceship used for in atmosphere travel.
Arkeshti
Penkawr-Che's ship.
The second part of the Skaith trilogy follow directly from the first. Stark has turned the Citadel of the Lords Protector into a flaming ruin, and now leads a pack of Northounds - the most powerful creatures on the planet. With Ashton at this side this allows him to attempt to put together more forces and alliances that can oppose the Wandsmen and their feudal grasp on power.
He travels to other places than in the first, to the tribes of the Lesser Hearths, and the Fallarin, and uses some lateral thrinking to help the former take down the Ochar, who work for the Wandsmen.
With new allies, he also has to break the hold the centre for mutation Yurunna has.
Finally, he needs to get Ashton off planet, with some envoys, to try and get some high tech aide via politics, in case things turn ugly back on Skaith, where he has decided to stay.
4.5 out of 5
Number of words : 60000
Percent of complex words : 6.7
Average syllables per word : 1.4
Average words per sentence : 11.7
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 7.4
Flesch : 77.8
Flesch-Kincaid : 5.3
PEOPLE
Eric John Stark
N'Chaka, wild man of Mercury. The Dark Man of prophecy.
Simon Ashton
Stark's mentor and father figure. Reunited after finding him on Skaith.
Gelmar
Chief Wandsman of Skeg.
Baya
A Farer woman working for Gelmar.
Gerrith
Wise woman of Irnan, and prophet.
Yarrod
An Irnanese leader and martyr.
Breca
Halk's shieldmate, slain in battle.
Halk
An apostate Wandsman, now with Yarrow, a warrior. Breca's shieldmate.
Mordach
Chief Wandsman of Irnan.
Jerann
Irnan Council chief.
Kazimni
An Irnan military leader.
Amnir
A Komrey trader, that died in conflict with Stark.
Hargoth
Priest-king of the Towers.
Vasth
A Wandsman.
Kell a Marg
A leader of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother. The Skaith-Daughter.
Fenn
One of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother. A courtier.
Ferdic
One of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother. A courtier.
Flay
The old Northhound king-dog.
Gerd
The leader of the Northhounds with Stark.
Ferdias
One of the Lords Protector.
Yetko
An Harsenyi.
Ekmal
An Ochar chief.
Jofr
Ekmal's son.
Ildann
Hearth-Keeper of the Hann.
Romek
Keeper of the Hearth of Ochar.
Klatlekt
Hairless, horny, four-armed and tentacled doorkeeper of the Fallarin.
Alderyk
King of the Fallarin.
Houndmaster
Keeper of the Northhounds at Yurunna.
Mika
The Houndmaster's favorite bitch.
Grith
One of Stark's Northhounds.
Tuchvar
From Tregad, an apprentice houndmaster.
Varik
A Farer boy.
Pedrallon
A red Wandsman Coordinator, disgraced for being pro-migration.
Sabak
Ildann's son.
Clain
A red Wandsman.
Delvor
Warlord of Tregad.
Welnic
Red Wandsman of Tregad.
Sanghalain
Ruler of Iubar, in the White South.
Morn
Comrade of Sanghalain, has the mind-touch.
Jal Bartha
A Wandsman.
Llandric
A Wandsman of Pedrallon's.
Penkawr-Che
A ship captain.
PLACES
Pax
The chief habitable planet of Vega.
Pax
The major city of the chief habitable planet of Vega.
Twilight Belt
Habitable zone on Mercury.
Skaith
A newly discovered world in the Orion Spur.
Skeg
The spaceport on Skaith.
Fertile Belt
Most of the Skaith population live past here.
The Barrens
Area of Skaith interior.
Worldheart
Where lies the Citadel of the Lords Protector.
Irnan
A city-state of Skaith in the temperate zone.
Izvand
A city in the Barrens.
Komrey
City-state of Skaith.
Bleak Mountains
A large range.
Witchfires
Mountain range near Thyra.
House of the Mother
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother dwelling.
The Citadel
Dwelling of the Lords Protector. Now a smoking ruin.
Yurunna
A strong city. Where the Yur are bred, and other mutations.
Orion Spur
Largely unexplored area of the galaxy.
Ged Darod
City of the Wandsmen.
Hearth of Hann
Where the Hann live.
Ennaker
Skaith name for a Star also called Fregor by those that live on its third world, and Chunt.
The Place of Winds
Where the Fallarin live.
Tears of Lek
A lake.
Tregad
A city-state, east of Irnan and north of Ged Darod.
Greath Sea of Skaith
An ocean to the south.
Iubar
A City-state.
CONCEPTS
Galactic Union
A democratic federation of star-worlds flung across half the Milky Way.
Three Ladies
A constellation viewed from Skaith.
Great Migrations
People moving because of the changing conditions on Skaith.
Dark Goddess
Deity worshipped by the Outdwellers.
Great Wandering
When more of Skaith was nomadic.
Strayer
A god with a hammer.
Skaith-Mother, Sea-Mother, Sky-Father
Skaith deities.
ORGANISATIONS
Ministry of Planetary Affairs
Simon Ashton's employer on Pax.
Mercury Metals and Mining
Stark's parents worked here when they were killed.
Galactic Center
Based at Pax.
Lords Protector
Skaith Rulers. Heads of the Wandsmen.
Wild Bands
Groups of bandits.
Diviners
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother priests.
Earth Police Control
Ashton's old employer when he found Stark as a boy.
Lesser Hearths of the Seven Hearths of Kheb
A suffering group of lesser tribes.
RACES
Harsenyi
Nomads.
Farers
Wanderers and hedonists.
Children of the Sea-Our-Mother
Ocean dwellers that find people tasty. A genetic hybrid experiment that is reverting.
Little Sisters of the Sun
Desert altered humans.
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother
White furred people, genetically modified.
Wandsmen
The ruling class of Skaith.
Irnan
One of the migrating peoples. Have applied to emigrate off the dying planet via the Galactic Union.
The Ochar
A powerful tribe. The First-Come.
Yur
The Well-Created. Strangely modified beings.
The Fallarin
A winged people created through mutation. Flightless, but psychokinetic.
Hann
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Marag
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Kref
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Thuran
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Qard
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
Thorn
A Lesser Hearth tribe.
ANIMALS
Northhounds
Large intelligent telepathic canines.
Runners
Monsters that prey on people in the desert storms, very strong.
Swiftwing
Sky-piercer. Wind-rider. Lightning-brother. A bird of war.
Tarf
Servants of the Fallarin.
TECHNOLOGY
Water of Vision
An Irnan tool of foresight.
MEDIA
Hymn of Life
Song of the Little Sisters of the Sun.
VEHICLES
Planet hopper
Small transport craft from a spaceship used for in atmosphere travel.
Arkeshti
Penkawr-Che's ship.
The second part of the Skaith trilogy follow directly from the first. Stark has turned the Citadel of the Lords Protector into a flaming ruin, and now leads a pack of Northounds - the most powerful creatures on the planet. With Ashton at this side this allows him to attempt to put together more forces and alliances that can oppose the Wandsmen and their feudal grasp on power.
He travels to other places than in the first, to the tribes of the Lesser Hearths, and the Fallarin, and uses some lateral thrinking to help the former take down the Ochar, who work for the Wandsmen.
With new allies, he also has to break the hold the centre for mutation Yurunna has.
Finally, he needs to get Ashton off planet, with some envoys, to try and get some high tech aide via politics, in case things turn ugly back on Skaith, where he has decided to stay.
4.5 out of 5
The Ginger Star - Leigh Brackett
Novel
Number of words : 55000
Percent of complex words : 6.7
Average syllables per word : 1.4
Average words per sentence : 11.0
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 7.1
Flesch : 77.8
Flesch-Kincaid : 5.1
PEOPLE
Eric John Stark
N'Chaka, wild man of Mercury. The Dark Man of prophecy.
Simon Ashton
Stark's mentor and father figure. Missing in the field.
Gelmar
Chief Wandsman of Skeg.
Baya
A Farer woman working for Gelmar.
Gerrith
Wise woman of Irnan, and prophet. The Sun Woman.
Yarrod
An Irnanese leader who helps Stark.
Breca
A warrior in Yarrow's fake Pod. Halk's shieldmate.
Halk
An apostate Wandsman, now with Yarrow, a warrior. Breca's shieldmate.
Mordach
Chief Wandsman of Irnan.
Jerann
Irnan Council chief.
Kazimni
An Irnan military leader.
Old One
Elder of Stark's boyhood tribe on Mercury.
Atril
One of Yarrow's men. Wake's brother.
Wake
One of Yarrow's men. Atril's brother.
Amnir
A Komrey trader.
Horgath
Priest-king of the Towers.
Kintoth
Towers fighting captain.
Slee
An Outdweller woman.
Slaifed
An Outdweller guide.
Ironmaster
Leader in the Iron House.
Vasth
A Wandsman.
Kell a Marg
A leader of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother. The Skaith-Daughter.
Fenn
One of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother.
Ferdic
One of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother.
Flay
The old head Northhound.
Gerd
A young Northhound.
Ferdias
One of the Lords Protector.
PLACES
Pax
The chief habitable planet of Vega.
Pax
The major city of the chief habitable planet of Vega.
Twilight Belt
Habitable zone on Mercury.
Skaith
A newly discovered world in the Orion Spur.
Skeg
The spaceport on Skaith.
Fertile Belt
Most of the Skaith population live past here.
The Barrens
Area of Skaith.
Worldheart
Where lies the Citadel of the Lords Protector.
Irnan
A city-state of Skaith in the temperate zone.
Izvand
A city in the Barrens.
Lamp of the North
Moon of Skaith.
Komrey
City-state of Skaith.
Thyra
A Skaith city near the Witchfires.
Bleak Mountains
A large range.
Witchfires
Mountain range near Thyra.
Iron House
Thyran dwelling of authority.
House of the Mother
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother dwelling.
Tlavia
Queen City of the High North before the Wandering.
Plain of Worldheart
Where the Northhounds prowl.
CONCEPTS
Galactic Union
A democratic federation of star-worlds flung across half the Milky Way.
Galactic Arbitrary Time
A standard reference for use on multiple planets.
Three Ladies
A constellation viewed from Skaith.
Great Migrations
People moving because of the changing conditions on Skaith.
Pod
A collection of people so thoroughly sensitized by a species of group therapy that they no longer existed as individuals but only as interdependent parts of a
single organism.
Total Fulfillment
Endgame desire of Pods.
Pod-Master
Trainer of Pods.
Darkness, and his lady Cold, and their daughter Hunger
Tower deities.
Winter Dreaming
Towers ritual.
Dark Goddess
Deity worshipped by the Outdwellers.
Great Wandering
When more of Skaith was nomadic.
ORGANISATIONS
Ministry of Planetary Affairs
Simon Ashton's employer on Pax.
Mercury Metals and Mining
Stark's parents worked here when they were killed.
Galactic Center
Based at Pax.
Lords Protector
Skaith Rulers.
Wild Bands
Groups of bandits.
Diviners
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother priests.
Earth Police Control
Ashton's old employer when he found Stark as a boy.
RACES
Harsenyi
Nomads.
Outdwellers
Iron-clawed beastly band near Thyra.
People of the Towers
The Thyrans say they're great magicians. The Gray Maggots.
Farers
Wanderers and hedonists.
Children of the Sea-Our-Mother
Ocean dwellers that find people tasty. A genetic hybrid experiment that is reverting.
Little Sisters of the Sun
Desert altered humans.
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother
White furred people, genetically modified.
Wandsmen
The ruling class of Skaith.
People of the Barrens
Those who live in the interior.
Irnan
One of the migrating peoples. Have applied to emigrate off the dying planet via the Galactic Union.
ANIMALS
Rock-lizard
Large reptile.
Northhounds
Large intelligent telepathic canines.
Snow-dragon
Really large winged reptile.
PLANTS
Love-weed
A plant used as an euphoric drug.
TECHNOLOGY
The Robe and Crown of Fate
Worn by Gerrith, a veil and diadem.
Water of Vision
An Irnan tool of foresight.
Holy Breath of the Goddess
Freezing death weapon.
The Eye of the Mother
A large crystal and telepathic device.
FOOD
Khamm
An Irnan booze, like sweet white lightning.
MEDIA
The Long Wandering, The Destruction of the Red Hunters, The Coming of Strayer
Thyran ballads.
The Hymn of Deliverance
Ritual song of the Towers.
Eric John Stark discovers that his mentor Simon Ashton has gone missing while ona field assignment for his his employers in the Galactic Union.
His investigations take him to the newly discovered and primitive planet Skaith, an exotic place currently rife with conflict, because the sun is dying, making life harder and harder all the time.
Here, a minority class in the Wandsmen rule the rest of the planet, but rebellion is in the offing, as people in the inner areas want to migrate and take the past offer of being shipped off a planet that is no longer livable. Conservative feudal rulers dont like their labor base just leaving, of course.
Further, there is a prophecy that matches Stark's arrival, that of the Dark Man. This religious symbolism is an aid to the cause and morale of the rebels. The hereditary prophetess Gerrith becomes an ally through all the treachery and betrayal and violence, including parts of the the civil war, that Stark has to endure to find his mentor at the Citadel of the Lords Protector, on the plain of Worldheart where the telepathic Northhounds roam.
4 out of 5
Number of words : 55000
Percent of complex words : 6.7
Average syllables per word : 1.4
Average words per sentence : 11.0
READABILITY INDICES
Fog : 7.1
Flesch : 77.8
Flesch-Kincaid : 5.1
PEOPLE
Eric John Stark
N'Chaka, wild man of Mercury. The Dark Man of prophecy.
Simon Ashton
Stark's mentor and father figure. Missing in the field.
Gelmar
Chief Wandsman of Skeg.
Baya
A Farer woman working for Gelmar.
Gerrith
Wise woman of Irnan, and prophet. The Sun Woman.
Yarrod
An Irnanese leader who helps Stark.
Breca
A warrior in Yarrow's fake Pod. Halk's shieldmate.
Halk
An apostate Wandsman, now with Yarrow, a warrior. Breca's shieldmate.
Mordach
Chief Wandsman of Irnan.
Jerann
Irnan Council chief.
Kazimni
An Irnan military leader.
Old One
Elder of Stark's boyhood tribe on Mercury.
Atril
One of Yarrow's men. Wake's brother.
Wake
One of Yarrow's men. Atril's brother.
Amnir
A Komrey trader.
Horgath
Priest-king of the Towers.
Kintoth
Towers fighting captain.
Slee
An Outdweller woman.
Slaifed
An Outdweller guide.
Ironmaster
Leader in the Iron House.
Vasth
A Wandsman.
Kell a Marg
A leader of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother. The Skaith-Daughter.
Fenn
One of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother.
Ferdic
One of the Children of Skaith-Our-Mother.
Flay
The old head Northhound.
Gerd
A young Northhound.
Ferdias
One of the Lords Protector.
PLACES
Pax
The chief habitable planet of Vega.
Pax
The major city of the chief habitable planet of Vega.
Twilight Belt
Habitable zone on Mercury.
Skaith
A newly discovered world in the Orion Spur.
Skeg
The spaceport on Skaith.
Fertile Belt
Most of the Skaith population live past here.
The Barrens
Area of Skaith.
Worldheart
Where lies the Citadel of the Lords Protector.
Irnan
A city-state of Skaith in the temperate zone.
Izvand
A city in the Barrens.
Lamp of the North
Moon of Skaith.
Komrey
City-state of Skaith.
Thyra
A Skaith city near the Witchfires.
Bleak Mountains
A large range.
Witchfires
Mountain range near Thyra.
Iron House
Thyran dwelling of authority.
House of the Mother
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother dwelling.
Tlavia
Queen City of the High North before the Wandering.
Plain of Worldheart
Where the Northhounds prowl.
CONCEPTS
Galactic Union
A democratic federation of star-worlds flung across half the Milky Way.
Galactic Arbitrary Time
A standard reference for use on multiple planets.
Three Ladies
A constellation viewed from Skaith.
Great Migrations
People moving because of the changing conditions on Skaith.
Pod
A collection of people so thoroughly sensitized by a species of group therapy that they no longer existed as individuals but only as interdependent parts of a
single organism.
Total Fulfillment
Endgame desire of Pods.
Pod-Master
Trainer of Pods.
Darkness, and his lady Cold, and their daughter Hunger
Tower deities.
Winter Dreaming
Towers ritual.
Dark Goddess
Deity worshipped by the Outdwellers.
Great Wandering
When more of Skaith was nomadic.
ORGANISATIONS
Ministry of Planetary Affairs
Simon Ashton's employer on Pax.
Mercury Metals and Mining
Stark's parents worked here when they were killed.
Galactic Center
Based at Pax.
Lords Protector
Skaith Rulers.
Wild Bands
Groups of bandits.
Diviners
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother priests.
Earth Police Control
Ashton's old employer when he found Stark as a boy.
RACES
Harsenyi
Nomads.
Outdwellers
Iron-clawed beastly band near Thyra.
People of the Towers
The Thyrans say they're great magicians. The Gray Maggots.
Farers
Wanderers and hedonists.
Children of the Sea-Our-Mother
Ocean dwellers that find people tasty. A genetic hybrid experiment that is reverting.
Little Sisters of the Sun
Desert altered humans.
Children of Skaith-Our-Mother
White furred people, genetically modified.
Wandsmen
The ruling class of Skaith.
People of the Barrens
Those who live in the interior.
Irnan
One of the migrating peoples. Have applied to emigrate off the dying planet via the Galactic Union.
ANIMALS
Rock-lizard
Large reptile.
Northhounds
Large intelligent telepathic canines.
Snow-dragon
Really large winged reptile.
PLANTS
Love-weed
A plant used as an euphoric drug.
TECHNOLOGY
The Robe and Crown of Fate
Worn by Gerrith, a veil and diadem.
Water of Vision
An Irnan tool of foresight.
Holy Breath of the Goddess
Freezing death weapon.
The Eye of the Mother
A large crystal and telepathic device.
FOOD
Khamm
An Irnan booze, like sweet white lightning.
MEDIA
The Long Wandering, The Destruction of the Red Hunters, The Coming of Strayer
Thyran ballads.
The Hymn of Deliverance
Ritual song of the Towers.
Eric John Stark discovers that his mentor Simon Ashton has gone missing while ona field assignment for his his employers in the Galactic Union.
His investigations take him to the newly discovered and primitive planet Skaith, an exotic place currently rife with conflict, because the sun is dying, making life harder and harder all the time.
Here, a minority class in the Wandsmen rule the rest of the planet, but rebellion is in the offing, as people in the inner areas want to migrate and take the past offer of being shipped off a planet that is no longer livable. Conservative feudal rulers dont like their labor base just leaving, of course.
Further, there is a prophecy that matches Stark's arrival, that of the Dark Man. This religious symbolism is an aid to the cause and morale of the rebels. The hereditary prophetess Gerrith becomes an ally through all the treachery and betrayal and violence, including parts of the the civil war, that Stark has to endure to find his mentor at the Citadel of the Lords Protector, on the plain of Worldheart where the telepathic Northhounds roam.
4 out of 5
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Asimov's 413 - Sheila Williams
An interesting article by James Patrick Kelly centred around Free, and also Silverberg on Satan, and a bunch of Spinradian book reviews.
ASIMOVS 413 : THE EMPEROR OF MARS - Allen M. Steele
ASIMOVS 413 : PETOPIA - Benjamin Crowell
ASIMOVS 413 : MONKEY DO - Kit Reed
ASIMOVS 413 : THE PEACOCK CLOAK - Chris Beckett
ASIMOVS 413 : VOYAGE TO THE MOON - Peter Friend
ASIMOVS 413 : DREADNOUGHT NEPTUNE - Anna Tambour
ASIMOVS 413 : EARTH III - Stephen Baxter
Prefer planetary romance to reality.
3.5 out of 5
Jelly kicking.
3 out of 5
So smother the fucker.
2.5 out of 5
Fabbro follow.
3 out of 5
Majesty Glory mission.
3 out of 5
Careful with that Fact, Eugene.
3 out of 5
Long Tripp.
3.5 out of 5
2.5 out of 5
ASIMOVS 413 : THE EMPEROR OF MARS - Allen M. Steele
ASIMOVS 413 : PETOPIA - Benjamin Crowell
ASIMOVS 413 : MONKEY DO - Kit Reed
ASIMOVS 413 : THE PEACOCK CLOAK - Chris Beckett
ASIMOVS 413 : VOYAGE TO THE MOON - Peter Friend
ASIMOVS 413 : DREADNOUGHT NEPTUNE - Anna Tambour
ASIMOVS 413 : EARTH III - Stephen Baxter
Prefer planetary romance to reality.
3.5 out of 5
Jelly kicking.
3 out of 5
So smother the fucker.
2.5 out of 5
Fabbro follow.
3 out of 5
Majesty Glory mission.
3 out of 5
Careful with that Fact, Eugene.
3 out of 5
Long Tripp.
3.5 out of 5
2.5 out of 5
Friday, June 4, 2010
Edge - John Meaney
Here's a near future thriller that teams an ex-military special forces information warfare specialist and a neurolinguistic programming excerpt.
Set in a UK that has devolved into a bit of the old bread and circuses. Knife fighting has been legalised - hence, big arena spectaculars on tv are the thing, rather than Manchester United versus Arsenal. Kids even do it at school.
The political landscape has changed - different country names - blocs of power in the USA, that sort of thing. And it is all starting to fall apart.
When our protagonist discovers illegal research being carried out by the powers that be, he decides on a rather showy revelation of such. Involving, of course, an arena spectacular.
3.5 out of 5
Set in a UK that has devolved into a bit of the old bread and circuses. Knife fighting has been legalised - hence, big arena spectaculars on tv are the thing, rather than Manchester United versus Arsenal. Kids even do it at school.
The political landscape has changed - different country names - blocs of power in the USA, that sort of thing. And it is all starting to fall apart.
When our protagonist discovers illegal research being carried out by the powers that be, he decides on a rather showy revelation of such. Involving, of course, an arena spectacular.
3.5 out of 5
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
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