Past, Present and Future

Garion's Farm

Yet another tragic loss to the fantasy genre: David Eddings has gone to be reunited with his wife Leigh at the not-so-great age of 77. His (and their) contribution to the world of great literature may be seen as minimal, however their contribution to the world of great fantasy and imagined worlds is huge and will continue to be a source of wonder and inspiration to many. I will admit that I find their stories a little too convoluted and dense for me to wade through - however, the quality of the writing and the characters portrayed is absolutely wonderful. It's one of those things that you are either 'into' their stories or you are just an occasional visitor.

I recently finished watching the huge Dune miniseries from 2000 and, although a real 'tour de force' in terms of imagery and depth, it does fall flat in many areas. The special effects in many places is absolutely laughable and really made me cringe as did the pathetic acting abilities of P. H. Moriaty as Gurney Halleck. I'm sorry, but he lacked any conviction or depth as the gruff but talented warmaster of the Atreides family. As with my comment regarding Mr. Eddings stories, I find that the original Dune books are way too confusing and character heavy for me to really enjoy them and, believe, me I've tried. There is one thing that stands out in both of these areas of high fantasy and far future sci-fi and that is the ability to do almost anything. Fantasy allows the author to use the word 'magic' or 'powers' to explain any untoward or fantastic event. In the same vein, if the future portrayed is far enough away, anything can be explained by advanced science or human evolution. Useful tricks for authors to use.

Don't worry, be hopeful

This is a follow up to my previous review of the City of Ember movie now available on DVD. Today I finished reading the four-part series that make up the Ember series. The City of Ember itself, followed by The People of Sparks, Prophet of Yonwood and the Diamond of Darkhold. These are wonderful books that are very well crafted and are, in my opinion, far better written than the Harry Potter stuff. The writer, Jeanne DuPrau, has created a world that would be fascinating for young readers to jump into and is a most remarkable read for us 'oldies'. Why these books haven't been filmed before is a mystery to me. The Ember movie is OK, but misses too much and adds to the story when it's not really needed. In the books, I found that the characters had enough depth and interest for me to care about what happened to them and found the descriptions of their surroundings to be vibrant and somehow 'real'. The attention to detail within all four books is nice to see and vaguely reassuring - when a character drops her backpack at the bottom of a hill, it would be easy to write that she just picked it up again - instead, it's made clear she has to go back to get it. It's these little touches that make the stories 'work'. I really recommend these books to you and especially to young girls - Lina is a strong (mostly) but very real person that they would identify with. By all means watch the film, but please go and read these books - you won't be disappointed. The feeling I get after reading all four books is of the brilliant sunrise after a dismal rainy day - the hope of something good to come.

Out in the light

The DVD release of the recent movie 'City of Ember' yesterday, prompted me to download and begin to listen to the audio books that comprise the 4 parts of the Ember series. I watched the film about a month ago and found it quite a fun and rather short experience. Short is certainly the word to use. Although I hadn't read the stories at the time I watched the film, I felt that there was something missing and there were too many holes and gaps in the story I was seeing. After nearly finishing the original story, I now know that there was a LOT missing and that Bill Murray was badly miscast as the corpulent and corrupt mayor - maybe he just needed the money. I think that I may buy the movie as I did like it and it seemed to grip my imagination and attention. The special effects are well done (as expected) but didn't overwhelm the viewer. The child lead actors seemed believable and helped the story move smoothly. The story reminded me very strongly of the prequel story to the Earthsearch series by James Follett entitled 'Earthsearch: Mindwarp' which was broadcast as a radio play in 2006. A recommend film for children and the discerning adult who is young at heart - but make sure you read the original to fully appreciate what you see and what you miss.

Rumors and whispers

Sometimes we can only rely on hints as to what may be happening in TV land. For instance, I wasn't aware that Knight Rider was canceled - that's a good thing. The next episode of the US Life on Mars is scheduled for the end of January - smells like cancellation there as well - pity. Doctor Who may be meeting an earlier companion that may be the elusive River Song from the library. It appears that an incarnation of Romana is in the wings - interesting. With the semi-success of Survivors and the impending arrival of the Triffids, there are whispers of other treats on their way - Doomwatch anyone? I would really like to see the children/teen time travel drama of Timeslip return.I remember it being such a clever and well crafted series that would do very well today. There are other rumblings in TV land of the return of Roj Blake and Blake's 7 - I hope THAT one is true. I do have one complaint though - where is all the new stuff? There have been so many good stories written since those far off days of the '70's that haven't been used for TV. There are even the classic stories out there that we can use. The Foundation series or the Robot series from Asimov. Maybe we can use some of Larry Niven's stuff such as The Mote in Gods Eye or Footfall. My next post will be not one, but two book reviews. Yes, I finally finished some books. In closing this entry - we have a closing. The second season of The Sarah Jane Adventures is done with and what a great series it was. Well done BBC.

Something survives

Just re-reading Michael Crichton's 'The Lost World' and, although it is a good read, I always find myself thinking of the original Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story. His 1912 book 'The Lost World' was the absorbing story of the Professor Challenger expedition to Maple White Land deep in the South American jungle. Since publication, the story has been filmed many times with various degrees of success. It is very much a story of it's time and sometimes reads very oddly today. The neat thing about the story is that it is based around a real 'lost world' - although there are no dinosaurs around (pity). On the borders of Guyana and Venezuela there is the mysterious plateau of Mount Roraima that, until fairly recently, was literally shrouded in mystery (and fog) and has now become a eco-tourist attraction. I actually met the first man reported to have scaled the mountain back in 1973 - Joe Brown. He said he was prepared for anything, including T-Rex, but not the massive hordes of large tarantulas that actually inhabit the cliff face of the mountain (he hates spiders). Back to the inimitable professor Edward Challenger. Conan Doyle wrote a number of stories involving this amazing character and I recommend you try all of them as they are a great romp through the early 20th Century world of explorers and adventurers - Indiana Jones has nothing on Challenger. I did find this book on Amazon and I am sorely tempted to spend money. My favorite yarn - 'When the Earth screamed' - just brilliant writing and a great idea for a story. I sometimes wish that Crichton had chosen another title for his tale, although one of the trailers is named Challenger as a nod to that great scientist.

Absolute fantasy

That damn Xena has a lot to answer for. Ever since she started messing with accepted mythology and capered around the ancient world using current slang and dressing in modern materials the number of faux historical/mythological TV series has continued to increase. Xena was followed by the execrable Hercules, which also played hard and fast with cherished heroes and villains from our fantastic past. Even the latest BBC version of Robin Hood fell into this unfortunate state of affairs and the use of modern language and pop-culture references made the viewing fun but completely divorced from the accepted stories of the green garbed hero. Now the new series, 'Merlin', has arrived to do more damage to the legends of King Arthur and give children a silly revision of the wonderful stories that are apparently tailored for the Facebook generation. Maybe it's just me, but the use of modern dress materials, current language and slang does tend to detract from the stories. It seems a pity that producers and writers appear to feel that they have to modernize all these wonderful stories. At least they should try a little bit to have some respect for these yarns and some acquaintance with historical realism. It's interesting that the producers of a totally fantastic series such as Dr. Who take great pains to get everything 'right' when shooting a story set in the past. I don't think I'll continue to watch Merlin, it will just annoy me. That's why I stopped watching Robin Hood - it was rubbish.

Victorian values

Just getting to the end of reading 'Whitechapel Gods' by S. M. Peters and wow! I was drawn by the cover a long time ago and finally plucked up enough courage (and cash) to finally buy it. I haven't been disappointed and thoroughly recommend this book. This is definite read for the Steampunk enthusiast and those who like the darker side of our civilization. It's also fun to read as someone who knows Whitchapel and the East End of London well. In fact, in my youth, I visited the sites associated with Jack the Ripper and even visited the grave of one of his victims - weird I know. Did you know that in the East End, in the London Hospital, they have the preserved remains of The Elephant Man in their museum? Anyway, this rather strange story plunges us into a world seemingly designed by Hieronymus Bosch with a nod to Dante's inferno. Whitechapel has been sealed off from the rest of the world and is under siege by the forces of Queen Victoria. The inhabitants lives are controlled by strange 'gods' and their various human (sort of) allies and hangers-on. Oh yes - there is also revolution in the air and enemies can become allies and vice-versa. There are many characters that appear and the author has been careful not to confuse us with too much detail and we can ease into their lives with little effort. it can be a rather confusing read sometimes but never, ever, boring or slow. This book would make a terrific cult movie. The story also makes you think carefully about what makes us human and the depths we would go to be free. I will be watching this author for more of his handiwork.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

There are some writers that I have enormous respect and admiration for, either for their writing or their own personal struggles they deal with. One of these is the amazing Piers Anthony, who is probably best known for his Xanth series set in his magically changed Florida. This British born (I didn't know that till today) writer has written and published an impressive body of work and has, though thick and thin, held fast to his convictions and ensured the integrity of his work. He has had many family medical issues in the last few years and he and his ailing wife have risen above them in heroic fashion. How do I know this? Well, one great thing that Piers does is add an afterword to his novels where he discusses his personal life, his passion for his stories, what caused him to write the book the way he did and a long and detailed tribute to contributors and fans. Now, here's some honesty from me - ready? I am now quite bored with the Xanth series and find I am now jaded by the constant onslaught of puns that the tales rely on. Don't get me wrong, I love the stories and the clever crafting of the characters and situations. It's just I have had my fill. I will, instead turn to his other great stories and immerse myself in his other worlds - especially his Geodyssey series. If you havn't dicovered Mr. Anthonys' books, do so now - run, don't walk to the library or bookstore - you won't be dissapointed. Here's to you, Piers, may your well never run dry and my prayers are with you for your families' heath and wellbeing.

Fade to black

It's been a long, long journey, but we've finally made it to the end of the world. In 'The Last Battle', we finally come to not only the end of the Narnia series of books, but also the literal end of Narnia itself. That dratted Book of Revelations has a lot to answer for, in my opinion. What was probably written as a thinly veiled diatribe against Imperial Rome has become more revered that the rest of the Bible. In this final tale C.S. Lewis has been able to tie everything together and recapitulated the Book of Revelations almost in it's entirety. The story clearly shows the rise of the anti-Aslan (anti-Christ) and the appearance of the God Tash as the Devil and the Great Antagonist. The book also brings together Digory and Polly along with the Pevensie children and Eustace and Jill as the 'friends of Narnia'. Unfortunately, their number does not include Susan as she has now moved on from Narnia and is more interested in 'nylons and lipstick'. After the defeat and capture of those loyal to Narnia by the nefarious Calormenes along with the betrayal of the Dwarves and the death of many talking animals, Aslan indirectly aided by Tash comes in his triumph to judge them. This is not before we see the physical destruction of the land of Narnia and the falling of the stars and the rising of the waters. At this point, about 2/3rds through the book thing become quite metaphysical and the themes of Revelations are clearly seen. The people (and animals) are judged to be friends of Narnia or are consigned to some nether world and those that repent are welcomed in to Aslans' bright new world - the REAL Narnia. Here we are finally told of the shocking truth that our intrepid visitors from our world all died in an horrific train crash and this is, in fact, their Heaven. To be fair, Lewis was using these books to bring the ideals of his faith and beliefs to children and to help them be better people. I personally found this last book rather difficult and uncomfortable to read as I don't necessarily share the same beliefs. Books 1-6 can easily be read as adventure stories for young ones, but 'The Last Battle' is certainly a different thing entirely. However, the final analysis is, that the Narnia series represent something special and magical in literature and deserve to be read by everyone regardless of religious upbringing. These deserve the name 'classics' and I am sure will be around for generations to come. FOR NARNIA AND ASLAN!

Deeper and deeper

The penultimate book set in Narnia is probably the most tightly written and paced. This is the only other story in the series that I would place together with 'Prince Caspian' as the most exciting chapters in the Narnia mythos. Here we see the transformed Eustace together with his unwilling (at first) companion Jill taking on the dangerous Green Witch and venturing into previously unknown regions. The only other information we've ever had on the north of Narnia was a brief mention of High King Peter's campaigns against the giants. This book is one that younger children used to the whimsy of 'The Horse and his Boy' will find hard to digest without risking bad dreams. The best laid plans of Aslan appear to be falling apart after Jill forgets his instructions and misses the 'signs' that would make their quest easier. We also meet the dour and unappetizing Mashwriggles and, in particular, the unexcitable Puddleglum. Whenever I think of this story, I recall the wonderful BBC film of this particular book and the amazing performance of Tom Baker (ex Doctor Who) as the serious Marshwriggle. If you only have read 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe', do yourself a favor and read this one too.