The Love Talker

The Love Talker Elizabeth Peters Date: 1980   —   $6.29   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

Laurie is five feet nine inches tall and weighs 127 pounds. And, naturally, she is worried about her weight. This sort of opening bothers me deeply, knowing what I do about the cult of thin, and especially because I weigh more than that and still have people tell me I'm a stick. I supposed it's where you carry it, though.

Anyway, Laurie receives a distressing message from one of her aunts, and decides to go back for a visit to see if she can clear up the trouble. Once she arrives, with her obnoxious older half-brother, everybody clams up, including her credulous other great-aunt, who is normally willing to talk about her latest magical hobbies. Once she shows Laurie the pictures of fairies in the woods, however, Laurie doesn't know what to think, because the pictures are fantastic and believeable. And it's beginning to look a lot as if somebody wants Great-Aunt Lizzie dead. And maybe Laurie as well.

Peters doesn't give very many hints as to her solutions; one can often get to the end of the novel without having any idea of what is going to be the resolution. This one's a bit strange, but then, so are the people, and Laurie is fairly likeable.

Summer of the Dragon

Summer of the Dragon Elizabeth Peters Date: 1979   —   $6.29   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

D.J. Abbott, a graduate student in archæology, knows it's too good to be true. An all-expenses-paid summer trip to Arizona to do some archæology for an insanely rich benefactor, with palatial accomodations, good food, and even a clothing allowance, and it falls into her lap? Of course, the insanely rich benefactor is well-known for believing all sorts of oddball things, and D.J. knows she won't be able to keep her mouth shut; she therefore decides to enjoy her presumably short stay before she gets kicked out on her ear.

But then someone, one of the many hangers-on this benefactor has acquired, slips some drugs into her tea. And Hunnicutt, the rich man, has an accident and then disappears. And D.J. still has no reason why she was hired, especially since Hunnicutt seems to take her skepticism in stride...

As with many Elizabeth Peters mysteries, you can tell almost immediately who the love interest is going to be, since he's the snarky one. You can also probably guess that the handsome guy is up to no good. It doesn't matter much, though, as the story is the part, not the ending, but there is certainly a trend.

Seeing a Large Cat

Seeing a Large Cat (Amelia Peabody Mysteries (Hardcover)) Elizabeth Peters Date: 1997   —   used only?   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

Amelia Peabody and her husband Emerson are going to Egypt to perform true archæology; that is, instead of the big flashy looking for treasure, they are going to be spending time closely examining a site so as to properly document it. Of course, those plans go by the wayside when they start receiving warnings to not examine a tomb that is previously unrecorded. As is probably intended, they find the tomb, and with it, an appallingly recent mummy, wrapped in the remains of a fashionable dress. Such things point to murder— but with who?

The most entertaining thing about this novel is the sudden glimpse into the mind of Ramses, as indicated by "Manuscript H". Far from being calculating and unemotional, these inserts show a young man who is, indeed, caluculating, but far from unemotional and, in fact, terrified by his mother. (Terrified, but not hateful; his biggest fear seems to be her disapprobation.) Somewhat less entertaining is the return of some characters from an earlier novel; the years have not treated them well and one has gone from merely prideful and gullible (but strong for all that) to being downright dumb, something that is skirting the edge of believeability. At any rate, this book gets a four from me because of Ramses alone, but the plots are getting wilder and wilder as they go along in this series.

Passage

Passage Connie Willis Date: 02 January, 2002   —   $6.75   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Science Fiction

Joanna Lander is a doctor studying near-death experiences, NDEs. She's trying to figure out what they truly are, but is severely hampered by "researcher" Maurice Mandrake, who pressures the patients to reveal angels, Jesus, and heavenly glory rather than what they actually see. Naturally, such pressure makes for conformist NDEs rather than true ones. When Dr. Richard Wright comes to the hospital with a way to simulate NDEs, Joanna gratefully joins his project as it gives her a chance to get untainted observations.

No one's research is entirely pure: Joanna is hoping that Richard's research will lead to better revival techniques to help people like child-patient Maisie Nellis, a disaster-fascinated child whose heart is in bad condition, and has already failed several times. Such a technique could help her stay alive long enough for a transplant to become available. However, there's not many untainted subjects and funding will be up for review soon— so Joanna goes under herself.

This is Willis at her best; the novel was nominated for the Hugo award. It's sad at points, however, dealing with the subject of death; indirectly, it deals with the subject of drowning as a metaphor, of being overwhelmed by life. It's a difficult novel to finish but well worth the effort.

The Very Best of Eric Frank Russell

The Very Best of Eric Frank Russell Eric Frank Russell   —   used only   —   Book Rating:

Fiction, Science Fiction, Short Stories

Russell was a master of the short story, of bringing out his point in short prose. His characters often display great wit and humor, and he saw in detail how empires and other large constructions could be gotten around.

For example, "A Study In Still Life" shows how the machinations of one low-level clerk manage to get a piece of necessary equipment to a planet beset by a deadly disease despite the fact that the internal buereacracy dictates that a shipment of gin gets priority— and the clerk involved manages to wangle himself a promotion into the bargain. Other stories revolve around the empires of distant times, and how they can be subverted.

More touching, however, are his stories with a more philosophical bent. "I Am Nothing" involves the redemption of a powerful man through the agency of a refugee girl. "Dear Devil" shows how one unifying vision can overcome the lethargy of near-extinction. And stories such as "Into Your Tent I'll Creep" and "Homo Sol" are amusing in how they set mankind's pretentions on their collective ears.

Very good classic science fiction if you can scrounge up a copy.

To Say Nothing of the Dog (Or How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump at Last)

To Say Nothing of the Dog (Or How We Found the Bishop's Bird Stump At Last) Connie Willis Date: 01 December, 1998   —   $6.75   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Science Fiction

This is set in the same Oxford as Doomsday Book, a few years later, but where Doomsday Book is a tragedy, this is a comedy. The title is taken from the humorous novel by Jerome K. Jerome, Three Men In a Boat (To Say Nothing of the Dog) and displays many of the sensibilities that have made Jerome's novel such a classic: farcical happenings, whimsical characters, and comings and goings and confusions all around.

At the center is Ned Henry, a student of the 20th century, who is trying to determine what happened to the sculptural vase referred to as "the bishop's bird stump" after the raid on Coventry Cathedral in 1940. The all-too-aptly named Lady Schrapnell is rebuilding Coventry Cathedral in Oxford and wants everything to be exactly as it was the day of the raid, and what Lady Schrapnell wants, she gets. So poor Ned has been bounced hither and yon, copying inscriptions and attending jumble sales, and has done so many drops to the past in the last week that he is severely time lagged, a condition much like jet-lag and lack of sleep but, of course, far more whimsical.

What Ned needs is rest, but with Lady Schrapnell in the picture, rest is out of the question. Then a new problem arises: a historian brings something back from the past, which should be impossible. Mr. Dunworthy proposes that Ned be the one to return it, and then take his needed rest, back in the Victorian age, someplace where Lady Schrapnell cannot follow. Naturally, Things Are Not What They Seem, and the confusion accompanying the time-lag keeps Ned from understanding what exactly he's supposed to do. Worse is the fact that he knows very little about Victorian times, and has to fake his way through a very ordered society. And worse still are the indications that the continuum may be breaking down...

It is impossible to read this book without laughing or at least grinning like an idiot. It has its mystery moments, as they try to figure out what is going on, and a sharp-eyed reader might just possibly figure it out with a lot of intuition. What I find interesting is that it both poses a question for Doomsday Book and answers it; it is even possible that trying to fit the ending of that book into her mental rules for time travel sparked the idea that became this book.

Doomsday Book

Doomsday Book Connie Willis Date: 01 August, 1993   —   $7.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Science Fiction

Connie Willis' one true gift is coming up with characters so egregiously annoying that you want to climb into the book to throttle them. In this case, the character is Gilchrist, head of the Medieval faculty at Oxford, and temporary Head of the History Department. Which, at first glance, doesn't seem like a position that is too dangerous.

But this is the middle of the 21st century, and History is not just about books any more. They have time travel, with limitations— you can't bring anything back from the past aside from the dirt on your clothes and the air in your lungs, and in going back there's "slippage", a jump forward in time of minutes or hours that takes the historian past critical junctures where she might affect history. And Kivrin Engle, dedicated history student, is going back to the Middle Ages. To 1320, in fact.

Mr. Dunworthy, a professor at Balliol (20th Century), has been informally tutoring Kivrin. He has been against her trip from the start because she will be a woman alone and the Medieval faculty has been displaying extreme incompetence in running the drop, so much so that he loaned them the best technician Balliol has. Things start to fall apart shortly after the drop is made— the tech says "Something's wrong," and then collapses. Soon Oxford is locked down for an epidemic, and no one knows where Kivrin is.

This is another of my traditional Christmas books; it is set over term break at Oxford and Kivrin is set to observe holiday practices in the fourteenth century. It is, in many ways, fairly grim as disease takes its toll, but it still has a sense of strength for all that.

Sinister Barrier

Sinister Barrier Eric Frank Russell Date: 1939   —   used only   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Science Fiction

Eric Frank Russell is one of the unknown greats of classic science fiction, possibly because his books tend to not remain in print for very long (unlike Heinlein and Asimov.) Sinister Barrier is one such book that is very much tied to the time in which is was written but is a good narrative nonetheless.

It starts with the deaths of scientists. Some die from heart attacks; some from apparent suicide; some from accidents that seem out of character. The only common thread is a combination of chemicals in their systems and a body part painted with iodine - but Bill Graham isn't so sure that it's just some new drug making the rounds. His suspicions are confirmed when an explosion takes out a city in Idaho, an explosion that should not have happened, and the survivor tells how a new film emulsion showed pictures of something that a scientist had told them to look for. The word needs to be gotten out.

Unfortunately, it seems that anyone who knows or suspects what the story truly is will die before he can spread the word.

This is set up in the classic horror fashion, and in fact it would make a pretty good movie (though a number of details would have to be changed for modern consumption, mostly the absurd naming of the invisible beings as Vitons. It just sounds stupid to our jaded ears.) Unfortunately, the quirks that make it a classic example of the future through the past are sometimes a little hokey, which impedes the flow of the story a bit. But it's still well-written and worth a look to the sort of person who loved Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow.

Light Raid

Light Raid Connie Willis and Cynthia Felice Date: 1989   —   used only   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Science Fiction

Two hundred years from now, the war between the Quebeckers and the Commonwealth has spilled over into the Western States, primarily because of the once-lush farmland of Montana. Of course, with hydra technology watering the arid plains of Colorado, it is a given that the blasted lands can be restored, if won. At the moment there is a bit of a stalemate, with GTAs deflecting the lasers of the Quebec batellites. The race is on to produce a EMP-proof form of memory, and Hydra Corp is on the forefront, attempting to produce a biological form of memory.

Which is a great annoyance to Ariadne, because she was pulled off the project and evacuated to neutral Victoria. Though she has passed sixteen, and is now legally an adult, she has to stay with the obnoxious Mrs. Posonby, who shelters evacuated children for the bonuses it gets her. So when Ari gets a visit from a "friend of her mother's" that she's never even heard of, she decides that's the last straw and runs home, back to Colorado.

And straight into plots and subversions she never even dreamed of. Her mother stands accused of sabotage; the tabloid reporters are out in force; light raids have devastated the city of Denver Springs. Miles Essex, Prince of the Commonwealth, has all but taken over Hydra Corp, though Ari is not as interested in the womanizing heir as she is his equerry, Joss Liddell. Of course, she's not sure if she can trust him, or anyone for that matter, since her mother's in jail and her dad is drunk.

The story is utterly absurd and yet it works. Don't think too hard about it and just go for the ride.

Naked Once More

Naked Once More Elizabeth Peters Date: 1989   —   $6.29   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

Kathleen Darcy has just been declared legally dead, seven years after her mysterious disappearance, and publishers are looking for someone to write a sequel to her bestselling novel, Naked On Ice. Jacqueline Kirby gets tapped, and moves to the town where Darcy lived to get a feel for the sequel. But something isn't right - members of Darcy's family receive mysterious letters purporting to be from Kathleen herself; a former lover of Kathleen's starts dropping hints; and pranks begin to be played on Kirby herself, pranks that simulate the "accidents" that Kathleen had in the months leading up to her death.

Naturally, the mystery is more appealing than her outline, and Kirby starts to piece together a sequence of events, starting from the day that Kathleen Darcy disappeared.

Die For Love

Die for Love Elizabeth Peters Date: 1984   —   $6.99   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

This is another example of an appalling 80s-era cover. [edit: My copy, not the current one.] Like I said, James Bond - which has absolutely nothing to do with the story in question, especially as the people portrayed look like extras from Dallas or somesuch. (With one young girl looking much like Ione Sky, actually.)

The book has absolutely nothing to do with that. It is, in fact, set at a romance writers' convention, a confectionary of pink and red and lavender, and something Jacqueline Kirby has decided to attend for fun. And fun she has, because she is not in the least bit afraid of "making a fool of herself" - which in this case involves dressing in absurd creations of ruffles, lace, and enormous picture hats, and acting like a complete ditz, which she is obviously not. Beware the librarian.

Naturally, such a mundane event as a convention would not be a subject for a mystery, were it not for the fact of the writer who hides from Kirby, the snoopy reporter with a heart condition who dies just before publishing a big scandal, the young male "writer" who is obviously just an actor, or the beautiful young "Valentine" who suggests that someone is going to kill her.

It's going to take a lot of audacity to unravel the schemes going on at this convention. Luckily, that is a quality that Kirby has in spades. It's her bizarre and fearless character that makes this such an entertaining read, particularly once she decides that she might as well start writing a romance of her own...

The Murders of Richard III

The Murders of Richard III Elizabeth Peters Date: 1974   —   used only   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

A society to clear Richard III's name of the murder of his nephews has met with a new prize, a letter that will shed some light on the situation. For their annual get-together, they have decided to dress up in period costume and assume some of the roles of the time. Librarian Jacqueline Kirby is along for the ride, a good thing as pranks start happening, replicating the deaths of the characters involved. "Clarence" is suspended upside-down in an empty barrel of liquor, "drowned in a butt of malmsey." "Hastings" is knocked out and set up with a kerchief over his head (and a mannequin head on a nearby table), "beheaded by order of the king." Harmless enough.

But Mrs. Kirby has to deal with the idea that these pranks are much more sinister, and that they are leading up to something deadly. What is the significance of the letter? Of the roles people have decided to play? And, most importantly, who is the target?

For some reason this book seems murky to me. One barely gets a sense of Mrs. Kirby's character, to the detriment of the story. Oh well.

Devil May Care

Devil May Care Elizabeth Peters Date: 1977   —   $6.29   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

We begin this novel with a portrait of Henry, an utterly dull social snob who is engaged to Ellie. This is obviously the wrong guy for Ellie. They are driving to her Aunt Kate's, so that Ellie can take care of the old eccentric mansion while Kate goes on vacation. And while Kate is gone, strange things start to happen...

A pair of ghosts makes its way across the lawn, pursed by a malevolent force. Questions start coming up about a book Ellie has purchased as a gift, a boring old history of the founding members of the town. But it's not until an all-too-corporeal thief ransacks the library that Ellie and her neighbor Donald start to really worry. Because the "haunting" - which may have been started in fun - is turning out to be deadly.

The Snake, the Crocodile, and the Dog

Snake, the Crocodile & the Dog, The (Amelia Peabody Mysteries (Paperback)) Elizabeth Peters Date: 1992   —   $6.75   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

These books are definitely skewing over towards the romance category. When Emerson is hit on the head, he loses his memory of the last decade or so, forgetting everything that has happened since his last excavation there - including Amelia Peabody. The doctor tells her to not shock him with the knowledge that he is married to her (and certainly not with the knowledge of Ramses!) and so she sets out to win his heart back all over again, with the assistance of their millionaire friend Cyrus Vandergelt. Along the way they have to deal with the instigators of the assault, who want to know all about their previous adventure to a lost civilization.

And they have to deal with someone reproducing an ancient Egyptian fable, the ending of which is unknown...

The Last Camel Died at Noon

The Last Camel Died at Noon (Amelia Peabody Mysteries (Paperback)) Elizabeth Peters Date: 1991   —   $6.75   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

This novel is a tribute to H. Rider Haggard, an author whose works I have not read. It's probably just as well, because this is a true fantasy in its subject matter. Emerson and Peabody go to excavate in Nubia, also known as the Sudan. While trying to track down a long-vanished explorer, they encounter a civilization lost to the world at large for centuries. That, in itself, is not so far-fetched as one might believe; there are numerous examples in history of civilizations that have been isolated, even up until recent times. It's the confluence of events that pushes everything over the edge for me, the rival princes, the high priests and priestesses, the learning of English from that long-lost explorer and the application of that learning to novels that give a very skewed idea of English culture at the time.

I feel as though Elizabeth Peters is too fond of Amelia Peabody, and uses her too much. That, of course, is my opinion, and if you like such novels as Tarzan, you will almost certainly love this one.

The Deeds of the Disturber

The Deeds of the Disturber (Amelia Peabody Mysteries (Paperback)) Elizabeth Peters Date: 1988   —   $6.75   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

For once the Egyptologists get to solve an Egyptian mystery in England. A mummy recently donated to the British Museum is the center of a controversy as a mysterious priest figure appears at public gatherings to make pronouncements about the curse surrounding it. Peabody is overwhelmed as her brother's children have been left to stay with the family; Emerson is working on his new publication, and they have to deal with rabid journalists, dead watchmen, and a syphilitic Earl on top of that.

The change of pace evinced by this novel makes it more interesting than the ones immediately preceding it. As with all of the other novels, what seems supernatural is overwhelmingly mundane, and Peabody is overly enthused about her husband (and somewhat less than enthused by her precocious son Ramses.)

Lion In the Valley

Lion in the Valley Elizabeth Peters Date: 1986   —   $6.75   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

The Master Criminal is back, or so Amelia Peabody believes. Maybe it's the fact that Ramses was almost abducted from a pyramid in Cairo. Maybe it's the fact that a man was murdered in his bed, while the well-bred lady that was his companion has disappeared. Or maybe it's the fact that a number of incidents are beginning to add up, and everything is pointing to one source - Amelia herself.

For some reason this series wears me out. The three stars I give this novel is more a reflection of my flagging interest than of any innate quality.

The Mummy Case

The Mummy Case Elizabeth Peters Date: 1985   —   $6.75   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

There's something about covers from the mid-80s that is absolutely appalling. While technically correct in a number of ways, they show a complete disregard for the conventions of the period they are supposedly portraying, and, in the case of mysteries, tend to emulate James Bond movie posters. I recall one particularly flagrant example, on the cover of a Louisa May Alcott biography, where the subject was wearing a dress that was styled correctly, but was a modern shade of hot pink, the girl had blue eyeshadow, extreme blush, and lavender lipstick!

The cover I have for this is not much better; there is a woman, probably Amelia Peabody Emerson, who is wearing a hairstyle reminiscent of the early eighties, upswept though it is, and has on vivid blue eyeshadow. Eyeshadow? Blue? *sigh* I give up.

The Emersons have taken their rambunctious son (nicknamed Ramses) to their excavations, within the sight of the pyramids they so longed to have. However, with the death of an antiquities dealer in Cairo, they are on their guard, and when tensions start flaring in their immediate vicinity, they start snooping, to their peril.

Ramses is an unfortunately rationalizing child, who always follows the letter of the law. This leads to there beings such statements made as "Ramses, don't let the lion out of its cage" and "Ramses, you are forbidden from entering a pyramid unless your mother and father are present." I rather suspect that his parents don't have quite the strength of will to deal with him properly, because that would be unfair and they are scrupulously fair people.

The Curse of the Pharaohs

The Curse of the Pharaohs Elizabeth Peters Date: 1981   —   $6.75   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

Amelia Peabody Emerson and her husband receive a plea from the recently widowed Lady Baskerville to complete the tomb excavation her husband was working on when he perished. Unfortunately, it seems as though there is something to the curse that is dogging the expedition - or at least, someone is trying to make something of it. If Amelia and Emerson can't figure out the motivations, there is every chance that they will be next.

More Egyptology in this novel, as well as some delicately overwrought prose by Peabody, who has taken to marriage in a big way.

Crocodile On the Sandbank

Crocodile on the Sandbank Elizabeth Peters Date: 1975   —   $6.75   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

This is the book that introduces Elizabeth Peters' most prominent protagonist, Amelia Peabody. Miss Peabody is a recently wealthy spinster who dislikes men and marriage because in her Victorian society, they keep her from doing what she wants to do. In this case, it is a world tour, threatened by the illness of her companion. While out for some thinking and sightseeing, she comes across a collapsed Englishwoman whose clothes indicate she has fallen on hard times. Struck by a thought, she plays the good Samaritan and, when the girl revives, offers her the position of companion.

The girl, Evelyn*, is out of favor with her family because she eloped with a young gentleman. Far from considering her ruined, Miss Peabody is curious about the whole business. When a trip down the Nile brings them into contact with the archæologists Emerson, and their stay is interrupted by, of all things, a mummy walking around at night, Miss Peabody is determined to get to the bottom of things.

And what Miss Peabody wants, she gets.

Amelia Peabody is an interesting character, and the story is told from the point of view of her "revised journals." It is evident from the prose that Miss Peabody is supposed to have read "romances" extensively, which at that time meant King Solomon's Mines rather than Slave of Lust. She's a lot of fun but seems to be a difficult woman to get around.

*At this time, Evelyn was still mostly a boy's name, along with Beverly, Ashley, and Marion.

Silhouette In Scarlet

Silhouette In Scarlet: A Vicky Bliss Mystery Elizabeth Peters Date: 01 November, 2000   —   $6.29   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

A ticket to Stockholm, land of Vicky's ancestors, seems like something too good to be true. Since the ticket was purchased by John Smythe, Vicky's larcenous lover, she knows it's too good to be true. But the drab Munich skies are too much for her and she accepts, starting a chain of events that leads to an island home, a site for art theft and potential murder.

The Vicky Bliss mysteries are highly entertaining, especially since the introduction of John. Peters is fond of introducing stubborn and infuriating characters and making them love interests. One suspects that more than anything else, she finds such romances highly entertaining, and I am forced to agree.

Street of the Five Moons

Street of the Five Moons (A Vicky Bliss Mystery) Elizabeth Peters Date: 01 March, 2000   —   $6.29   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Mystery

Vicky Bliss has an amazing tendency to get in over her head. In this case, tracking down a forgery causes her to break in to a shop, which leads to her being recognized later by its proprietor, which leads to her tracking down a reclusive Count with an art collection, which leads to moving statuary in the garden...

You get the idea. But most notable in this chain of events is the introduction of "Sir John Smythe", a character we have met elsewhere (sharp-eyed readers will catch the references to his past that proves who he is) and who is the perfect man for prickly Vicky. If he were only honest, that is, since he seems to be a crook of the highest order...

God Emperor of Dune

God Emperor of Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 4) Frank Herbert Date: 01 April, 1991   —   $7.19   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Science Fiction

This is one of the stranger of the Dune novels, and the most philosophical. Leto II, thousands of years after his voluntary pairing with the biology of the sandtrout/sandworm, has become a tyrant who limits the spice and supresses the traveling urge of all of humanity. This is not, however, from malice but from a deliberate plan to force humanity in a new direction. After his death, he hints, there will be a diaspora, a scattering of humanity to the four winds with new purpose and renewed drive.

In essence, all of the Dune novels are about how slavery shapes people. Dune shows how people are enslaved by the demands of nobility; Dune Messiah is about people enslaved by predestination. Children of Dune is roughly about enslavement by the past, but its true message is that enslavement by the future can be thrown off by one determined act. In God Emperor of Dune, Leto tries to explain to yet another Duncan Idaho how he is trying to change the future of humanity. The message never gets through, but a sharp reader can understand a hint of what he is trying to convey. Near the end, we get one part of his complicated plan: he has been trying to breed the trait of being invisible to prescience - a goal in which he has finally succeeded.

More to the point, however, this book is a commentary on the theory of government. Given thousands of years in which to work, and a series of goals in mind, as well as the ability to see repercussions of certain actions, a government might well become an exercise in eradicating itself. Part of Leto's plan is to make government eventually unnecessary, a goal which his detractors do not believe. In fact, a large part of his goal is to make himself hated as well as loved, the object of oppression whose death removes the shackles of the mind.

While this book is fascinating in its own right, it is not particularly interesting in terms of advancing the story. It is a presentation of a person more than a plot; it gives a bridge to the next part of the story but does not explain it any more than it explains itself. This book has more interest for sociology students than for science fiction readers. Still, there are worse judgements out there than that.

Children of Dune

Children of Dune (Dune Chronicles, Book 3) Frank Herbert Date: 01 September, 1991   —   $7.19   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Science Fiction

The twin children of Paul Atreides, Leto and Ghanima, are preborn much like their aunt Alia. However, she has slipped into Abomination, allowing one of the lives within her to take over her body and her actions. The twins rightly fear her and fear the spice, which might tip them into the same predicament. As Alia spirals out of control, a strange figure, the Preacher, appears and starts spouting prophecy; the deposed Corrino family plots to regain the throne; and it becomes increasingly apparent to the twins that to survive, they will have to be smarter and take on more hardship than thought possible before.

This is one of the more action-oriented Dune novels, and it is a close sequel to Dune Messiah. The ending definitely makes more sense in print than in the Sci-Fi production. It is well worth a read.

Dune Messiah

Dune Messiah (Dune Chronicles, Book 2) Frank Herbert Date: 01 November, 1994   —   $7.19   —   Book product page Rating:

Fiction, Science Fiction

Paul Atreides is not a particularly happy man. He has ignited a jihad across the planets of the Imperium; people look at him as if he were a god; his sister Alia, who is haunted by the fact that she might at any minute be overwhelmed by the lives she carries within her, runs strange religious rites that trade on the Atreides name; and his official wife is not the wife of his heart. He is burdened and trapped by his sense of the future and goes the only way that he can - because, it is hinted, there is a far worse alternative to war, death, and godhood.

The Tleilaxu bring to Paul a ghola, a clone who was grown from the cells of the dead swordsman Duncan Idaho. The ghola, Hayt, shows signs of retaining cellular memory of "his" past, a dilemma for those who knew and loved Duncan - because the gifts of the Tleilax are dangerous, and who knows what they really are.

This is one of the short novels of Dune, and in fact was combined with Children of Dune by the Sci-Fi Channel when they filmed the sequel to Dune. It does, in fact, go very well with that novel, but by itself it is a bit weak.