The Long Way Home

One of my favorite eBook authors is Darrell Bain. I think of him as the master of plots. Oh, there are some problems with his writing, primarily in the "show don't tell" category, but this guy writes the most amazing yarns.

In the dedication of The Long Way Home, Bain recognizes three important Baen Books authors— David Weber, John Ringo, and Travis Taylor. And fans of their brand of science fiction will no doubt see that these authors influenced Bain in this space-based tale. Weber writes military science fiction on a grand scale; Ringo puts the grunt into military fiction, and Taylor is a rocket scientist who can also spin a good space opera. Bain doesn't do any of those quite as well as these guys, but he does blend the elements quite well.

The plot is not unusual, with opening scenes of an exploratory vessel far from home, and a first contact mission gone awry. But instead of one or two explorers meeting a premature end, as happens in James Alan Gardner's Expendable series, there is a massive loss of life and starship, and a small "longboat" known as "The Hurricane Jack" is left to ferry the survivors home. And it isn't a short journey, hence the title. There are many obstacles, and the conflict is almost non-stop, between the "monkeyclaw" ship following the survivors, and the internal debates over matters in the tightly packed small ship. The mission is now to save the survivors and warn the human population about the vicious species they wished they had left behind. As a small vessel, the longboat must stop to scavenge material, and every stop has some built-in danger. Unlike some writers, Bain is not afraid to kill off his characters, which ramps up the peril factor.

Fans of space exploration stories should enjoy the action-packed suspenseful voyage of "The Hurricane Jack" in Darrell Bain's The Long Way Home.

Reading Re-Reading, and Studying

When it comes to reading, I tend to multitask. There are books that I am reading, books that I decide to re-read, and books that I mull over as I read— that is the studying part. Seldom do I read one thing at a time.

The last fiction item that I read was a bit of a disappointment. Having read Angela Knight’s entertaining paranormal romance, Jane’s Warlord, I purchased her new entry in that series, Warrior: The Time Hunters, from eBook retailer Fictionwise. Jane’s Warlord, considered a “debut” novel by the “big time” publishers in NY, was not a debut at all, because Angela Knight, who has written for newspapers for years under her real name, has been writing erotic and science fiction for the eBook publishers for quite a while prior to making the jump to a bigger publishing house. My take on Jane’s Warlord is that Knight has a magical ability to combine character, setting, suspense, and a sufficient amount of science-fiction/fantasy elements to cause a lover of the genre (me) to say, “Wow, that was a good book.” Any readers of this blog who don’t know me might not realize that I do not gush over anything, so that is high praise. Alas, Warrior may share the same setting and a few characters, but it seems to be a pedestrian work. Knight has great talent, and I will probably try something else by her, but this book is not just not worthy.

For the past few weeks (months, really) I’ve been reading (and sometimes re-reading) Conversation Peace. This is a combo inspirational and self-help book. The intended audience is the gossiper, and, as I noted in my previous post, that is not usually a problem for me. That is not why I am studying it. All people, certainly not just yours truly, are sometimes victims of the wagging tongue. The lesson in this book is to avoid retaliation when being victimized. I suppose that means that perpetrators and victims can benefit from it! Certainly it is worth a read, and I am actually studying and not just reading it.

As for re-reading, I have logged some time in health care facilities recently— not as a patient, but as a “caregiver.” When there is nothing to read, I turn to my handy Palm, with some 65 eBooks installed. Thus, I was clicking through the list, and picked Pauline Baird Jones’ “The Key” to wile away some time, and I was hooked, yet again. An earlier entry is devoted to this book, and I did enjoy it the second time as well. Some books don’t hold up to re-reading, but this sassy heroine’s adventures are such fun that I finished it at home, where there are plenty of things in my TBR stack.

For more on my reading, including some upcoming titles, see my shelf at Shelfari.

What I've Been Reading

With my knee keeping me from some of my normal activities, I've had more time to read. Alas, I didn't go on a book-buying spree prior to my surgery, so I have been reading items which have languished in my "To Be Read" pile. None of these are new releases, and most of them are in the science fiction or romance genres.

The best of the bunch is apparently no longer in print, The Changeling Plague, by Syne Mitchell. I read this author's debut novel, and I was sufficiently impressed to pick up this one. The Changeling Plague grabs readers and holds their interest with a good plot and engaging characters. I do wish I had not let it languish so long. Rather than write a mini review of it, I will point readers to a good review in the webzine Sci Fi Dimensions.

Kris Longknife, Mutineer, begins a series, and it is a decent space opera, reminding me somewhat of the early works of David Weber. Only somewhat, however. Nowadays, Weber writes too long on topics which are dull, but he once wrote action packed, thrilling yarns. Until the climax, Mutineer was entertaining, but toward the end, I kept saying, "no way" so I can't give it high marks.

I've seen titles by Sharon Shinn listed as favorites by lovers of science fiction romance and fantasy. Without so much as reading the back cover blurb, I began Jeanna Starborn, and I was struck with the beauty of Shinn's prose, and the plodding nature of the plot. As I read, I kept thinking that it was a tale out of time, one which belonged to couple of centuries back rather than in the future. Then, as I was toting this rather lengthy tome with me to an appointment, I read that it is a retelling of Jane Eyre as a science fiction story. And it is, which explains why it seems so odd. I'm still working on it, along with many, many student papers, but I can see why this effort garners both good and bad reviews. If you want a fast-paced futuristic, this isn't it. The novel is well written, but I will have to try another novel by Shinn before I make up mind about her role in the ever growing pantheon of science fiction.