'Saturn's Race" by Larry Niven and Steven Barnes

I picked this book up from the library as I am planning to attend a writing symposium next week with presentations by these two authors. I had read Larry Niven’s ‘Mote’ series, but was not familiar with Mr. Barnes’s work. I’m glad I read this and am anxious to discuss it with them next week!

Saturn’s Race, Larry Niven and Steven Barnes (3.5)

While this book is set in the future (2020) and has advanced scientific concepts, I would not characterize it as traditional Sci-Fi. It is a nice blend of adventure and mystery with cultural and psychological questions surrounding the scientific advancements of the time. Society in this future is run by a handful of rarely seen councilors, who are powerful, rich and mysterious. Much of the story revolves around a man-made island in the South Pacific named Xanadu. It is an idyllic self-contained paradise sponsored by the councilors where advanced computer-biological studies are being done. What is being done and why both drive the adventure, which involves an evil-possibly AI-presence.  My only complaint with this book was a jarring change with regards to the love story. I won’t give it away, but it didn’t feel true to the characters. I am not a fan of the easy love story, but I think something could have been done earlier in the story to make the final outcome more believable.

'Existence' by David Brin

Existence, David Brin (3.5)

Mr. Brin is probably best known for his Uplift series, a far-reaching science fiction story involving ‘enhanced’ dolphins that pilot spaceships.  ‘Existence’ is set earlier in human’s history, but the dolphins make a brief appearance.  Brin has focused here on a nearer future where humanity looks hopefully to the sky for evidence of life beyond earth.  Much of the book follows various characters over many years as they discover and interact with the evidence of aliens that has made its way to earth.  The techniques and complications of the alien contact were refreshing in that they took unique directions.  I found this part of the book quite compelling.  Unfortunately the last two sections (of 8 total) felt rushed and very complicated.  Brin’s afterword helped to tie the themes together for me, but I would have appreciated less bulk in the first sections and more in the climax and denouement.

'Crocodile on the Sandbank' by Elizabeth Peters

Crocodile on the Sandbank, Elizabeth Peters (3.0)

It has been said that the main character of this book is based on a real British Egyptologist of the late 1800’s. Amelia Peabody is a great character very much at odds with the rest of Victorian England.  She is a self-proclaimed spinster who finds herself with an inheritance and decides to go on an adventure to Egypt.  The story is mainly a mystery, but it has a good mixture of humor, history and adventure.  My main complaint is that the love story was a little too obvious in a Harlequin Romance way.  Overall I found this to be a light, fun read and I look forward to more Amelia Peabody adventures.  This was written in 1975 and apparently there are quite a few more.

'The Mongoliad' by Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, et al.

The Mongoliad (Part 1&2), Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, et al (3)

While Neal Stephenson seems to be the leader of this group of authors, apparently this trilogy was written as a committee with daily working meetings and writing assignments. This becomes more obvious through 2 of the 3 books (I have yet to read the third).  The chapters are from various characters points of view, which switch during the second book. The overarching story follows the Mongols in the generation after Genghis Khan and their multiple adversaries as they continue conquering westward towards Europe.  While I liked the general theme of everyone versus the Mongols from an historical perspective, the multiple voices became distracting.  The reader never actually aligns or cares for a character – there are just too many.  I had to wonder if this was a likely affect that was fueled by the multiple authors (7!). I am engaged enough to read the last book and given the lack of wrap-up or ending for the first two, I hope it is worth it.

'The Dog Stars' by Peter Heller

The Dog Stars, Peter Heller (3.5)

As post apocalyptic dystopian novels go, this book lies on the more thoughtful, humanistic side (versus the zombie roaming side).  Don’t get me wrong; when a disease kills off the majority of people and climate change leaves much of the area uninhabitable, one has to fend off intruders who are likely to be after anything you’ve gathered to survive.  But this story spends most of its energy on the thoughts and internal struggles of Hig, a man who has lost his family but has managed to stay alive, largely due to a partnership with an old military trained survivalist.  Not a lot is said of how they got to this point; the main theme is why do you want to continue? Hig struggles with this as he flies his plane over the areas surrounding their compound, looking for possible intruders so that his partner can be warned and shoot them before asking questions. His mind knows it’s necessary, but his heart wants to believe there others are out there who also want to work together and regain their humanity. Mr. Heller writes thoughtfully about this process.