March Reads: Watch Your Step; Discovering Brandon Sanderson

March 30, 2024 / Gary Hilson

Sometimes I’m the mood for space opera and other times I want more traditional, “hard” science fiction. March’s reads strike a balance between human-focused adventure stories in futuristic worlds ground in solid science fiction concepts.

Infinity Gate by M.R. Carey

After travelling though time by TARDIS, my next read had me jumping parallel universes using “step” technology. Infinity Gate wasn’t what I expected given the back cover blurb, and it was a bit of adjustment after previous reads. Many of the main characters are morally gray by nature, and I wasn’t immediately sure I liked them all that much.

The clever world-building and unexpected character arcs made for a compelling read, however, and by the end I was completely onboard – I don’t know where this series is headed, but I’m intrigued.

There are millions of universes in Infinity Gate, many of them conducting business with each other. Some universes aren’t worth visiting, while others are inhabited by what appears to be soulless artificial intelligence. These distinctions matter greatly as the story goes on, beginning with a scientist living in a parallel Earth on the brink of ecological collapse.

I only recently picked this up at the bookstore in my old neighbourhood in Ottawa during one of my recent visits, and the sequel isn’t out yet.

Lockstep by Karl Schroeder

A different type of stepping technology and a totally different tone characterizes Lockstep. If the system of how people on different worlds slept for decades to sync up to enable a futuristic human economy wasn’t so complicated, this could be a YA novel.

It tells the story of a teen boy who’s been asleep for 14,000 years as human civilization evolves and expands around him under the guidance of his sister and brother, because of the lockstep, they are middle-aged adults rather than long dead. The empire built by his siblings has developed larger than life myths about him and his family, so his reappearance could have serious ramifications on how this complex society going forward.

Schroeder eschews foul language and violence, but there is sufficient action and peril propelling the story forward. Some of the characters are a little underdeveloped, and Lockstep almost feels like the first book of a series that further explores this universe, but it’s a standalone novel. An enjoyable read that has me eager to read the other Schroeder books on my shelf.

Skyward by Brandon Sanderson

I’ve been wanting to give Sanderson a try for a while. As I’m more of a science fiction reader than fantasy reader, Skyward was the obvious choice. Like Lockstep, Skyward could easily be a YA novel given the age of the characters and overall tone. There is enough peril, however, to keep readers on their toes. Sanderson is not averse to killing off a character or two to show how high the stakes are, and makes you feel their loss.

There’s also an unfolding mystery at the heart of the story, and all isn’t what it seems. Although the story is told in the first person by our heroine, the supporting characters are well developed, and even the ones that only have a few lines or minimal development have an emotional impact.

Sanderson’s writing style and worldbuilding has me eager to read the sequel as well as his fantasy novels. Skyward has also prompted me to watch his BYU lectures on writing science fiction and fantasy and apply it to my own moribund fiction writing. Sanderson loves telling stories and it shows in writing and lectures.

The Collapsing Empire by John Scalzi

I’ve got lots of Scalzi books on the TBR, having only read Red Shirts many years ago. The Collapsing Empire seemed like a good choice to follow up Skyward, given the setting – humans in the future with spaceships. But that’s where the similarities end, as Scalzi’s writing style is quite different. His prose is very dialogue driven, and he’s generous with the swears.

But like Sanderson, Scalzi is great at establishing setting quickly and giving you a strong idea of how the world he’s built works with an interesting take on how humans in the future travel between worlds. The universe of The Collapsing Empire is clever, and the characters engaging. The plot moves forward at a fast pace, too, with a few twists. I’m looking forward to the sequel and reading more of Scalzi’s other work.

New Acquisitions

I’m proud of my restraint in 2024. I’ve bought relatively fewer books and most of them are previously enjoyed. In March I snagged one of The Chronicles of St. Mary’s books for a few bucks. I splurged on getting David Mack’s Firewall, which I’m eager to read as part of my April pile, despite not having finished any of the previous Star: Trek Picard novels.

I’d also like to tackle Dune since I want to read the books before I see the movies. My strategy continues to be to jump around from different genres and writing styles, so I don’t get stuck in a rut, even though I want to immediately read sequels and authors I know I enjoy. I’m also making a point of reading first books in series I own so I can quickly establish whether I want to commit myself to the sequels.

Gary Hilson is a freelance writer with a focus on B2B technology, including information technology, cybersecurity, and semiconductors.

February Reads: Travels in Time (and Space); Surviving The Blitz

February 29, 2024 / Gary Hilson

I’m not big on publicly declaring my New Year’s resolutions, but 2024 is all about more books and blogging, with a little less beer. (I highly recommend non-alcoholic Guinness).

After making progress tackling my TBR pile in the fall, I was overloaded with freelance writing assignments in late November / December that needed to be done by end of calendar year. It took me until February to get back to reading for pleasure. (On a side note, I’ve been diligent in my Daily Stoic readings, but that’s another post).

Anyone who follows me on Instagram knows I’m great at buying books, especially previously enjoyed copies in pristine condition. I’m also great at starting books right after I’ve bought them, usually in a nearby pub. But I’ve struggled to stick with a novel no matter how much I’m enjoying it given how much time I spend with the written word as a freelance writer covering complex topics such semiconductors. There’s not a lot of brain power left at the end of the day, so I usually end up streaming something to watch.

Reading is a muscle, and in the fall I was determined to get that muscle back in shape. Despite a lackluster January, I’ve got some momentum.

All Clear by Connie Willis

After discovering the Time Police series by Jodi Taylor late last year, I was tempted to go out and buy the next book. Instead, I decided to be financially responsible and quench my thirst for further time travel stories by finally reading Black Out by Connie Willis, which was already on bookshelf. Why I waited so long, I have no idea, and I was itching to read the sequel.

While Black Out spends a lot of time chronicling the mundane activities of our three time-travelling historians from Oxford in the future before fully embracing their shared predicament toward the end, All Clear is much more about creating peril beyond The Blitz itself. What is wrong with the drops that’s keeping Merope, Mike and Polly from returning home and why hasn’t anyone come looking for them? While All Clear could have been trimmed by about 100 pages, Willis’ choice to keep the characters involved in the period’s events while trying to figure out their fate makes the ultimate ending so much more satisfying.

It was also incredibly emotional – I was crying off and on for the last 100 pages as the mystery to why the historians were stranded in World War II London was solved. Having spent two sizable books with these characters – 1,100 words in total – I found myself missing them several weeks after finishing All Clear.

Goodnight from London by Jennifer Robson

Determined to read what I already owned, I had many options for my next read, including more Connie Willis and sequels to books I’ve read in the fall, including Arkady Martine’s A Desolation Called Peace, I opted to go with Goodnight from London because I enjoy book sets during World War II that are not directly about the war itself.

This is ultimately a romance novel, but like Willis, Robson has spent a lot of time doing research to make Goodnight from London historically accurate. The romance is a slow burn over the course of the war as American journalist Ruby Sutton navigates The Blitz, writing articles for a magazine and becoming more resilient as the war goes on. The supporting characters are well drawn, and I was sad when this book came to an end.

Hard Time / Saving Time by Jodi Taylor

I could only resist picking up the next Time Police series for so long, so I breezed through Hard Time and Saving Time back-to-back. Doing Time was all about introducing the universe (albeit an expansion of The Chronicles of St. Mary’s series) and the characters. Hard Time is a much more focused story that sees Luke and Jane teamed up to endure some serious peril, while Matthew makes decisions against orders on his own to save his friends.

I love the English humour and sensibilities in these books, as well as the world building. Plot elements from the first book that appeared to be isolated adventures have an impact in the sequels. As the members of Team Weird get closer to becoming full-blown Time Police officers, the stakes get higher, especially in Saving Time, and they must rise to the occasion. A fire-trucking good time, as Jane might say.

The Wheel of Ice by Stephen Baxter

I have a lot of unread media-tie in novels in the TBR pile and reading a Doctor Who novel seemed like a logical next book after two Time Police adventures. I’m guessing Baxter’s status as an established science fiction writer was why this book merited a hardcover release, but this story isn’t exceptional, although it is clever. The Wheel of Ice is a solidly entertaining outing with the Second Doctor, Jamie and Zoe, who are one my favourite TARDIS teams, and I was in the middle of rewatching their episodes starting with “The Mind Robber” through to “The War Games.”

While I was tempted to read another Who novel after this adventure – I’ve got a lot to pick from, including another adventure from the same era – I want to avoid getting locked into one author, style of writing or sub-genre of science fiction or fantasy.

New Acquisitions

I’m doing best not to add to the TBR pile, but I can’t resist picking up out-of-print Star Trek novels when I can find them. Growing up there was a new Star Trek book every month, alternating between and The Original Series and Star Trek: The Next Generation. I want to reread many of those books from that era, while also reading those I missed afterward as I got busy building my career and moving around the country.

Gary Hilson is a freelance writer with a focus on B2B technology, including information technology, cybersecurity, and semiconductors.

5 Key Books for Your Star Trek Discovery

September 24, 2017 / Gary Hilson

There’s been lots of chatter about the production problems and delays affecting Star Trek: Discovery. But the latest series in the franchise is no different than its predecessors. What’s new is the existence of social media.

Star Trek productions have always been fraught with challenges to varying degrees over the past fifty years. Reading about the development and filming of the various series is part of the fun of being a fan. I discovered Star Trek more than 30 years ago when I was not even a teenager, and I’m still learning new things about the franchise.

Discovery is no doubt going to prompt new fans to investigate the series that began it all and the ones that followed it. There’s no shortage of books chronicling the voyages of Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future, but there are several that stand out in terms of detail and thoroughness that should be at the top of anyone’s list.

These Are The Voyages

In fact, there is a book for each of the original Star Trek’s three seasons for a total of nearly 2,000 pages. They are the best proof that Discovery is not unique when it comes to growing pains. Social media would have had a field day with the tumultuous production of the series in 1960s.

Authored by Marc Cushman, These Are The Voyages pull together detailed production documents, memos and interviews that actor Walter Koenig has described has the definitive story of the making of the original Star Trek. In provides an incredibly balanced view of the first incarnation while shattering many myths about the series.

For fans of classic Trek, These Are The Voyages are a must-read, and those interested in TV production would find them fascinating as well.

The Making of Star Trek

This book is often mentioned by fans and writers of later Trek series as being a treasure trove of information and insight. It’s hard to come by now, and for some reason I let myself part with my copy, but if you can find it, hold on to it. It’s considered the first of its kind in terms of Star Trek reference books thanks to the multiple points of view from a wide range of contributors, everyone from studio executives to fans.

Inside Star Trek: The Real Story

Written by Herbert F. Solow and Robert H. Justman, both executives who worked on the series, Inside Star Trek: The Real Story is the first book I read that didn’t sanitize the making of the original series the way most official reference books published at the time.

It’s a fascinating book from two insiders that complements Cushman’s series and is full of production art and behind-the-scenes photographs, primarily from Justman’s personal collection. And like These Are the Voyages, the book also debunks many of the myths that had arisen about Star Trek over the previous 30 years.

Star Trek: The Fifty-Year Mission

Like These Are the Voyages, The Fifty-Year Mission is more than one book. Authors Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman split 50 years of Star Trek history in two. The first volume is dedicated to the original series through to its feature film era, and the second covers the subsequent series and the J.J. Abrams films.

Described as an “oral history” of the franchise, it pulls together decades of interviews by Gross and Altman, who as journalists wrote about Star Trek for more than 30 years for publications such as Starlog. It’s a no holds barred look at 50 years of the franchise from the many cast, crew and writers involved in its many incarnations.

The Star Trek Encyclopedia

When it comes to books that pull together everything about the Star Trek universe, there’s no better tome than Mike Okuda’s Star Trek Encyclopedia, updated and re-released for the franchise’s 50th year.

Make no mistake, this is an encyclopedia in the truest sense, split into two heavy hardbound volumes, assembled by someone who worked on four of the series and continues be a steward of Star Trek continuity, most recently with his wife Denise on the Star Trek: The Next Generation BluRay remastering and documentaries.

It’s not something you can carry to the beach with you, that’s for darn sure.

They are many more books that are well-worth reading. Allan Asherman’s Star Trek Compendium is a great companion while watching episodes of the original series. Larry Nemecek’s Star Trek: The Next Generation Companion does the same. Writer David Gerrold dives into the making of his well-loved “The Trouble with Tribbles,” in a single book, and takes a broader look at the original show with The World of Star Trek.

Star Trek Lives! tells the story of how a canceled TV series became a cult classic in the 1970s and the rise of Star Trek conventions, while many of the biographies and autobiographies of cast members over the years provide differing perspectives. The relatively recent Star Trek: The Complete Unauthorized History by Robert Greenberger is a great visual and chronological overview of the franchise.

Star Trek: Discovery will both enjoy and endure a great deal of scrutiny in real-time thanks to the Internet, but eventually it too will be the subject of many books that dive deeper into its production, and hopefully its longevity and success.

Gary Hilson is a freelance writer with a focus on B2B technology, including information technology, cybersecurity, and semiconductors.

Remembering a Writer’s Writer: Ann Crispin

September 9, 2013 / Gary Hilson

Science fiction author A.C. Crispin passed away Friday after a year-long battle with cancer.

Crispin’s first novel, published in 1983, was also one of the first original Star Trek novels I read upon discovering the iconic TV series in the mid-80s: Yesterday’s Son is a follow up to the third season episode “All of Our Yesterdays.” It would be followed by a sequel, Time for Yesterday. I still own both novels, as well as a hardcover edition of her novel Sarek.

Crispin would go on to write a great deal of media tie-in novels for sci-fi franchises such as Star Wars, Alien and V, and was named a Grandmaster by the International Association of Media Tie-In Writers in 2013. Her first original novel, Starbridge, debuted in 1989 and would be followed by six sequels.

In addition to being a prolific author, Crispin also put a great deal of time and energy into helping other writers. In 1998, she co-founded Writers Beware with Victoria Strauss to alert authors of scams and provide them with information on publishing houses, agents and contracts. Strauss wrote Friday that Writers Beware is here for the long the haul.

Author John Scalzi wrote on his blog Friday that “No one I know worked harder than she and WB co-head Victoria Strauss did to make sure that writers were aware of scams and shady characters out there in the world. She was also a heck of a writer, and a hell of a good person.”

Tor blogger Ryan Britt wrote that Crispin “will be missed for her vigilant devotion to sticking up for writers, her wonderful candor, her thoughtful and exciting writing, and most of all, for giving the fans of various fictional worlds sweet and unforgettable gifts.”

Ann Crispin was 63.

Remembering Frederik Pohl: A True Grandmaster of Science Fiction

September 4, 2013 / Gary Hilson

Frederik Pohl passed away this weekend just as the 73^rd annual WorldCon was coming to a close – his granddaughter Emily Pohl-Weary broke the news Monday afternoon via Twitter.

Pohl blogged regularly until his death; his blog won a Hugo in 2010 for Best Fan Writer, one of four Hugo awards he won over the course of his lengthy career; he also won three Nebula Awards.

Pohl grew up in Brooklyn, New York and served with the US Army in the Second World War. His first published work was a poem in1937, but he is probably best known for his 1977 science fiction novel Gateway, the story of a space station hidden in an asteroid. It won the Hugo, Locus, Nebula and John W Campbell awards and was adapted into a computer game.

The Science Fiction Writers of America named Pohl its 12th recipient of the Damon Knight Memorial Grand Master Award in 1993and he was inducted by the Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame in 1998.

Upon hearing the news of Pohl’s death, Canadian science fiction and fantasy author Jo Walton blogged that “it’s impossible to over-estimate the importance of Frederik Pohl to the science fiction genre…. He wrote stories and novels that were absolutely essential to the genre, and he kept on writing them, from his early stories in the 1930s to his most recent novel in 2011.”

I must confess I’ve only read a few of Pohl’s novels and particularly enjoyed the quirky Narabedla as a teenager; I wish I still owned a copy.

Frederik Pohl was 93.

Doctor Who: Escape Velocity [Book Review]

March 10, 2001 / Gary Hilson

DOCTOR WHO: ESCAPE VELOCITY
By Colin Brake/BBC Books/February 2001

Escape Velocity is a combination of the new and the old. New because it takes place after the pivotal Ancestor Cell, and old, because despite being part of the new arc of Doctor Who novels, it’s basically a traditional Who story.

The Doctor has spent the last hundred years on Earth while his TARDIS heals. He’s not exactly himself either. His memory is full of holes, but he does have a note to meet Fitz, his companion, at a certain bar in London. For Fitz, it hasn’t been all that long, and he’s looking forward to seeing the Doctor again. Unfortunately, he gets sidetracked by a TV news story that hints of the Doctor’s presence in Brussels, and off he goes.

This serves to introduce Anji Kapoor, destined to be the Doctor’s new traveling companion. She’s on vacation with her boyfriend Dave in Brussels, and witnesses the death of a two-hearted alien. It isn’t the Doctor, but it is an alien. The trio’s investigation into the odd occurrences puts Dave at risk, and sends Anji and Fitz back to London to enlist the Doctor’s help.

The ensuing story involves two rival rich men vying to be the first private venture into space, while an alien fleet lies in wait to invade the earth. Aside from the changes the Doctor has undergone, this is a traditional Doctor Who story in every sense, with few surprises. Everything is tied up very nicely and predictably. It’s not badly written, considering it’s Brake’s first novel – he is an experienced TV writer (he was a script editor on the British series “Bugs”) – but there’s nothing new here.

The Doctor and Fitz are handled quite well, and to his credit, Anji Kapoor is a very likeable companion. Unfortunately, the rest of the characters are rather two-dimensional and follow paths that are contrived and all too familiar.

Not a great book, but a reasonably enjoyable light read.

Doctor Who: The Janus Conjunction [Book Review]

October 10, 1998 / Gary Hilson

Doctor Who: The Janus Conjunction
By Trevor Baxendale / BBC Books / October 1998

“The planets Janus Prime and Meridia are diametrically opposed in orbit round a vast Red Giant star. But while Menda is rich and fertile in the light of the sun, Janus Prime endures everlasting night, its moon causing a permanent solar eclipse.

When the Doctor and Sam arrive on Janus Prime, they find themselves in the middle of a war between rival humans colonizing the area. The planet is littered with ancient ruins, and the Mendans are using a mysterious hyper-spatial link left behind by the planet’s former inhabitants. But what is its true purpose?

The Doctor and Sam must piece together a centures-old puzzle. How can Janus Prime’s moon weigh billions of tons more than it should? Why is the planet riddled with deadly radiation? As the violence escalates around them, will the time travelers survive to discover the answers?”

I really liked The Janus Conjunction because it doesn’t strive to be anything more than a straightforward Doctor Who adventure and succeeds.

The Doctor and Sam arrive on a planet, get separated, thrown in prison, get caught between two factions and have a puzzle to solve in the process. Nothing that hasn’t been done before, but it’s well executed. The guest characters don’t take over the story, but are well developed enough that their motivations are understandable, even the villains.

While the recent outing Seeing I had a lot to do about looking at the Doctor and Sam’s relationship in depth, here they are just Doctor and companion working together with really well-written dialogue. The Doctor is the Doctor I’ve always known in any regeneration: the hero that takes charge of the situation.

There’s nothing groundbreaking about The Janus Conjunction, but it’s very functional, entertaining and moves along briskly.

Doctor Who: Seeing I [Book Review]

July 10, 1998 / Gary Hilson

Doctor Who: Seeing I
By Jonathan Blum and Kate Orman / BBC Books / June 1998

Sam is homeless on the streets of the colony world of Ha’olam, trying to face what’s just happened between her in the Doctor. He’s searching for her, and for answers. While she struggles to survive in a strange city centuries from home, the Doctor comes across evidence of alien involvment in the local mega corporation, INC – and is soon confined to a prison that becomes a hell of his own making.

Where did INC’s mysterious eye implants really come from? What is the company searching for in the deserts? What is hiding in the shadows, watching their progress?

Faced with these mysteries, separated by half a world, Sam and the Doctor each face a battle – Sam to rebuild her life, the Doctor to stay sane. And if they do find each other again, what will be left of either of them?”

I was expecting a lot from Kate Orman, who wrote some of my favorite New Adventures, but Seeing I doesn’t quite deliver in the end. However, it’s still well above average.

At the beginning of the book, Sam and the Doctor are already separated, so there is a lot of Sam development going on. In fact, she ages years, not days or months, in this story. Meanwhile, the Doctor is stuck in a prison that even he can’t escape.

For the first two thirds of the book, Seeing I is a departure from most Who novels as it explores the plight of the Doctor and his companion on a psychological level. However, the last third of the book turns into a straightforward Who adventure. That’s not to say it isn’t well done, but it doesn’t quite deliver the ending as promised with the earlier character trials.

All in all a definite must read.

Doctor Who: Dreamstone Moon [Book Review]

June 10, 1998 / Gary Hilson

DOCTOR WHO: DREAMSTONE MOON
By Paul Leonard / BBC Books / May 1998

“Sam is on her own, but here distance from the Doctor doesn’t make for a trouble-free life. Rescued from an out of control spaceship, she finds herself on a tiny moon which is the only know source of dreamstone, a mysterious crystalline substance that can preserve or dreams – or give you nightmares.

Pitched into the middle of a conflict between the mining company extracting dreamstone and ecological protesters, Sam thinks it’s easy to decide who the good guys are – until people start dying, and the killers seem to be the same species as some of her new friends.

Meanwhile, the Doctor has tracked Sam down, but before he can reach her he’s co-opted by the Dreamstone Mining Company and their sinister military advisors. Suddenly, it’s war – and the Doctor is forced to fight against what he believes in. He alone suspects that Dreamstone isn’t what it appears to be. But nobody’s listening – and nobody could dream who the real enemy is…”

After my first BBC Books Doctor Who outing, The Eigtht Doctors, I really needed to read a *good* Doctor Who book. Dreamstone Moon by Paul Leonard didn’t quite deliver, but it wasn’t bad either.

First off this is a Sam book – the Doctor and his companion were separated several books ago, I assume. It isn’t entirely a bad thing because at this point I wanted to get to know the Sam character. But I also read Doctor Who novels to read about the Doctor, and role in the book is very wanting. When he does have scenes in the story, he doesn’t seem on the ball about anything.

The story itself is really predictable although quasi-interesting. It didn’t really grip. Nothing about it really did. The one observation I can make is that Paul Leonard is skilled at creating truly alien characters.

In the end, I don’t know if like Dreamstone Moon or not, so it’s probably worth deciding for yourself.

Star Trek New Frontier: Fire On High [Book Review]

April 10, 1998 / Gary Hilson

Star Trek New Frontier: Fire On High
Peter David/Pocket Books/April 1998

Fire On High isn’t Peter David’s best work, but it still proves how his Star Trek: New Frontier setting is so much more entertaining then Voyager ever was.

This is the second full-length novel since the debut of the initial four novellas, and while the story stands on its own, there are subplots that have been going since previous books. Fire On High revolves around the reappearance of Lt. Robin Lefler’s supposedly dead mother and a deadly ancient weapon. It actually takes a while for those events to get under way, but in the meantime, Doctor Selar deals with the consequences of her recent Pon Farr, and there are various other character bits percolating.

Overall, the story isn’t exceptional, but the crew of the starship Excalibur is just as lively and interesting as any crew that’s graced either the big or small screen. And they’re definitely more fun than Voyager.