Hunters of Dune by Herbert and Anderson- July 31, 2008 Hunters of Dune by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. New York: Tor, 2006. ISBN: 978-0-465-31292-1 After writing six tedious and poorly plotted prequels to Dune, Brian Herbert (original Dune author Frank Herbert's son) and his co-author, Kevin J. Anderson, have finally turned their attention to completing the original cycle. If you're not clear on the sequence of all the novels in the series so far, check out the Wikipedia listing. For my comments on the original Dune, unquestionably one of..http://tillabooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/hunters-of-dune-by-herbert-and-anderson.html Once Upon an Autumn Eve by Dennis L. McKiernan- July 28, 2008 Once Upon an Autumn Eve by Dennis L. McKiernan. New York: Roc, 2006. ISBN: 0-451-46069-3 This is the third in McKiernan's series of seasonal fairy tale-inspired stories. It follows in the footsteps of Once Upon a Winter's Night and Once Upon a Summer Day, and is followed by Once Upon a Spring Morn, which I have yet to read and comment upon. Have you noticed how the times of day so neatly correspond with the seasons Winter and night; summer and day; autumn and evening; springtime and morning....http://tillabooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/once-upon-autumn-eve-by-dennis-l.html Harpsong by Rilla Askew- July 24, 2008 Harpsong by Rilla Askew. Norman, Oklahoma: University of Oklahoma Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-8061-3823 This is not a happy story. Set in the middle of the depression, it features an Okie-style drifter who calls himself Harlan Singer, and his bride, fourteen-year old Sharon, as they ride the rails, subsist in migrant camps and hobo jungles, and witness the bread basket of the country going to hell in a hand basket. Harlan is a master musician, kind of a Woody Guthrie type fellow, before Woodie...http://tillabooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/harpsong-by-rilla-askew.html Cauldron by Jack McDevitt- July 21, 2008 Cauldron by Jack McDevitt. New York: Ace Books, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-441-01525-2 I KNOW I've read some other Jack McDevitt books, but apparently not since August of 2003, when I started this blog. Strange. After reading Cauldron, I'm definitely in the mood for more. If only I can find the time. You know how it goes, So many books, so little time. Nevertheless, I was surprised to learn that Cauldron is the sixth novel in The Academy (Priscilla Hutchins) Novels albeit, Hutchins is hardly a primary.http://tillabooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/cauldron-by-jack-mcdevitt.html The Sam Gunn Omnibus by Ben Bova- July 17, 2008 The Sam Gunn Omnibus by Ben Bova. New York: Tor, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-765-31617-2 So who is Sam Gunn, anyway, and why should we care about him He's a character in what one hopes might be the near future of solar system exploration. He's a larger than life, entrepreneurial, authority-flaunting, irrepressible, astronautic adventurer. He's a short, feisty, red-haired, freckle-faced, snub-nosed, womanizing rapscallion. He's made and lost more fortunes than he can shake a stick at. Everyone who's ever..http://tillabooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/sam-gunn-omnibus-by-ben-bova.html Who on Earth Was Jesus by David Boulton- July 14, 2008 Who on Earth Was Jesus The Modern Quest for the Jesus of History by David Boulton. Winchester, UK ; Washington, USA: O Books, 2008. ISBN: 978-1-84694-018-7 This book does a superb job of tracking the latest historical research on who Jesus may or may not have been, what he may or may not have said, and what he may or may not have done during his life on earth, if indeed, he was a real, historical person. That, in fact, is but one of the fascinating questions this book attempts to answer, as...http://tillabooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/who-on-earth-was-jesus-by-david-boulton.html The Involuntary Human by David Gerrold- July 10, 2008 The Involuntary Human by David Gerrold. Framingham, Massechusetts: NESFA Press, 2007. ISBN: 978-1-886778-68-9 I haven't read much by David Gerrold, to be perfectly honest. The only thing I can remember ever reading by him was The Flying Sorcerers which he co-wrote with Larry Niven, way back in 1971. I'm not sure when I read it, but I don't think it was quite that long ago, but it was many years ago, to be sure. The Flying Sorcerers was quite frankly one of the funniest SciFi novels I've ever...http://tillabooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/involuntary-human-by-david-gerrold.html Dreamsongs: Volume 1 by George R.R. Martin- July 7, 2008 Dreamsongs: Volume 1 by George R.R. Martin. New York: Bantam Books, 2007. ISBN: 978-0-553-80545-1 Once an author becomes (presumably) rich and famous, and publishers are hanging onto his every wordor so it seems, sooner or later the author feels the need to publish all of his or her work, early, late and middlegood, bad, or indifferent, in a collection. Short stories, and some not so short; anyway, the kind of thing that can be readily anthologized. And for some odd and unknown reason, recently.http://tillabooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/dreamsongs-volume-1-by-george-rr-martin.html Keeper of Dreams by Orson Scott Card- July 3, 2008 Keeper of Dreams by Orson Scott Card. New York: Tor, 2008. ISBN: 978-0-7653-0497-1 I am a huge Orson Scott Card fan. Ill read anything hes written. This collection of short stories being no exception. This is by far and away the best of the several collections Ive read recently. By definition, and by experience as well. Card has divided his collection into five sections, Science Fiction, Fantasy, Literary, Hatrack River and Mormon Stories. The Hatrack River stories are the best, of course....http://tillabooks.blogspot.com/2008/07/keeper-of-dreams-by-orson-scott-card.html |