Top Ten Book-to-Movie Adaptations

Posted on February 21, 2011 by smellincoffee

The best, or at least the most popular, literary dramas are often turned into movies, though purists insist a movie can never better the original novel. While I’m just as biased towards books as anyone, I suspect people favor the story in whichever medium they saw first — most of the time. Both novels and movies have their  own advantages:  movies are bound by budgets, but authors suffer no such limitations. Readers can enjoy novels at their own pace, savoring particularly well-crafted paragraphs — for the written word’s style can be just as artful as its content.  At the same time, movies can awe the viewer with spectacles that authors can’t take time to explain for want of space,  and a good actor can redeem characters who seem flat in books. Of course, the greatest advantage movies enjoy is the musical score.

All that said, this week the Broke and the Bookish are discussing their favorite move adaption of books. 
1. A Series of Unfortunate Events (Daniel Handler)
Series is one of my favorite movies, one of the few I keep on my bedside shelf and watch when I am sick, whether emotionally or physically. It’s masterfully done: high points include the earnest narration, visuals, acting, and Jim Carrey at his finest. Most memorably for me is its score, especially the scene at the Wide Window. As soon as I hear it, I know I am in for an adventure. 
If you’ve never seen it, this is the movie where Jim Carrey pretends to be a dinosaur. 
2. Horatio Hornblower  (C.S. Forester)

I do so dearly love these movies. I started reading the Hornblower books last spring, but when I found the movies online I watched all eight in a single weekend, then bought them on DVD so I could enjoy them once more at my leisure. Ioan Gruffuld plays the young Midshipman Hornblower as he rises in the ranks, watched over by Captain Sir Edward Pewllow, played so grandly by Robert Lindsay. Lindsay’s emotionwork is impressive, and adds a fatherly affection for Hornblower that the books don’t make plain. It’s never obvious, but Lindsay conveys it in his eyes, in the timbre of his voice, in the way he looks at Hornblower with earnest affection and pride. 
…and of course, that dramatic music that plays when the Indefatigable is on her way to adventures on the high seas is also a plus. And don’t forget the scene where a French aristocrat insults a crowd of rural townsfolk and orders them around, only to be met by a chorus of “La Marseillaise“! (The fun starts about ten seconds in.)
3. Where Eagles Dare (Alistair McLean)
If you’ve seen this movie, chances are you can hear the drums from its intro score beating in your head right now. Where Eagles Dare is my favorite World War 2 movie, starring Richard Burton and Clint Eastwood as covert agents of their respective (Anglo-American) governments, infiltrating a castle in the mountains in the middle of World War 2 to strike a blow against the Nazis.  Their stated objective is to rescue a general who knows the Allied invasion plans, but this is a spy thriller with many twists and turns, and so many of them pop up in a given scene that Eastwood’s character speaks for viewers when he says to his comrade, “Right now, you’ve got me as confused as I ever hope to be.” There are car chases, explosions, and gratuitous fight scenes involving MP-40s and “potato-mashers”.
Strangely enough, Iron Maiden retold this story in rock form. 
4. True Grit (Charlies Portis)
John Wayne plays Rooster Cogburn, a one-eyed drunken crank who also serves as a U.S. Marshall. In True Grit, he’s tasked by an exceptionally stubborn and loud-mouthed girl with finding the man who killed her father. This ranks as one of my favorite John Wayne movies (along with Rio Bravo and North to Alaska), though I never like the actress who plays the girl.
5. The Rainmaker (John Grisham)
While I’d heard of John Grisham before my 11th grade creative writing class watched this movie, I’d never encountered his work before. This movie and its book remain my favorite Grisham productions (though as far as books go, The Last Juror is occasionally in first place). Matt Damon plays Rudy Baylor, and he’s joined by Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, and Jon Voight. The bluesey soundtrack is especially effective in transporting the viewer to Memphis, as is Damon’s drawl. 
6. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (J.K. Rowling)
Like I’d miss mentioning this movie, which captures the charm and adventure of the first movie perfectly while introducing us to John William’s scoring,  Daniel Radcliffe, Emma Watson, and others? 
7. Jurassic Park (Michael Crichton)
Speaking of movies scored by John Williams, this one also features Jeff Goldblum’s voice and CGI dinosaurs.
8. A Christmas Carol (Charles Dickens)
I watch this movie every year, naturally, and I’m prone to watching it during the middle of summer just because I like it so much. It stars Patrick Stewart as Ebeneezer Scrooge, and he does a masterful job as the old crank whose soul is redeemed. Casting and visuals are impressive throughout, but some scenes in particular are well done:
  •  the casting of Scrooge’s nephew. Their every scene together is precious.
  • the sweet, haunting melody that plays in connection with the mention of his sister Fran.
  • The dancing scene when Picar – um, Scrooge is seeing his young self as an apprentice. Very lively, and the sounds of those period instruments linger with me.
  • That oh-so-heartwrenching scene where Scrooge’s love walks out of his life, disappearing into the snow, while Young Scrooge sits debating with himself and Old Scrooge pleads with him to “Go to her”.  
  • The dramatic score of “The First Noel” when Scrooge is being yanked around during Christmas present..
  • And Pic- SCROOGE! — in the graveyard scene, when Pic.. *ahem*. 
  • And the Scrooge scene in the graveyard, when Scrooge argues with the Ghost of Christmas Yet-to-Come and redeems himself.
9. Contact (Carl Sagan)
Ellie Arroway is a radio astronomer whose interest in extraterrestial life relegates her to the fringes of scientific thought until the Very Large Array in the American southwest picks up a Signal from another solar system. The Signal includes, among other things, blueprints for a machine — function unknown. It’s a film that takes science seriously — both the wonder those who study it enjoy, and the value of their method and idealism. 
10. The Bicentennial Man (Isaac Asimov)
Although I read one of Isaac Asimov’s science books in high school, this movie starring Robin Williams and featuring Oliver Pratt was my first introduction to Asimovian fiction. This is the classic tale of a robot who wants to explore his humanity.  Because of it, I read The Positronic Man, thinking the two stories were the same. (They’re not.  Bicentennial Man is based off of a short story.)  Robin Williams made the movie for me, though I also found Embeth Davidtz to be a very alluring actress.

Honorable Mentions:
The Three Musketeers. Frankly, this adventure-comedy starring Christopher O’Donnell, Charlie Sheen (as a priest!), Oliver Pratt, and Tim Curry as the hamtastically evil Cardinal Richelieu would have been number eight, but I remembered I’d never actually finished reading the book. My own rules for this were that I had to have seen the movie and read the book. I doubt the movie pleases lovers of classic literature, or film critics in general, but it’s a favorite of mine.  It’s the reason I’ve tried (and failed, twice) to read the original book by Dumas. 
Gettysburg (The Killer Angels, Michael Shaara)
In 2002, my parents and I went on vacation in Tennessee and Kentucky, where we visited the Abraham Lincoln museum and I bought both a movie and a book from the Civil War period. I read the book, a stirring account of the Battle of Gettysburg, on the way back to Selma, and that very night on our return I decided to watch the movie. I then realized the movie was an adaption of the book, and both were splendid. I can still quote parts of the dialogue at length (including the awkward “Shouting over Cannons Firing” speeches), even though I haven’t seen it in years. The casting is excellent, which made Gods and Generals a disappointment by comparison.(I’d expected to see the very colorful General Pickett played by his former actor, but that fellow played Thomas Jackson instead.)
Gone with the Wind, Margaret Mitchell.
I dropped this from the list because my only comment was “How stunning is Vivien Leigh”?

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Teaser Tuesday (22 February)

Posted on February 21, 2011 by smellincoffee

Teaser Tuesday once again, and I’m throwing out extras.

Before the evening was out she had seduced him into seducing her, a conquest that the young Tuohy lived to regret when he discovered, at roughly the same time as the dean, that his latest mistress was the dean’s youngest daughter. Which is how Tuohy, despite his passing grades, came to be expelled from the Columbia University School of Mines.

p. 39, The Revolutionist. Robert Littell.
                  

“…cannot outward appearances be deceptive?”
More thinking. “I suppose. My supervisor says I appear unintelligent. For that matter, so does my wife. And she appeared warm and loving when I first married her.”

 p. 271, Over a Torrent Sea. Christopher L. Bennett.

“The situation is worse than we thought,” Melora told Vale and the others in the observation lounge.”
“Naturally,” Vale said. “Because things have just been going so well this week.”

264, Over a Torrent Sea. Christopher L. Bennett.

Considering that the captain and another officer went missing after being engulfed by a massive hurricane on a water-planet, the ship is partially disabled after trying to stop an asteroid from smacking into said planet, the inhabitants of said planet are angry as a swarm of hornets that Titan has seemingly shot an asteroid at their ecosystem, and the Captain’s very pregnant wife has been kidnapped by a large, paranoid dinosaur who insists she give birth someplace safe, like an industrial planet on the edge of their own WW1,…..I think she’s being sarcastic.

“As the indignities of the present became more and more disagreeable to contemplate, the past and the other world became more splendid to Egyptian eyes. It is from the festering humilitations of peoples that arrogant religious propagandas bring.”

p. 302, The Outline of History. H.G. Wells. For those who have wondered why I haven’t updated since last week, it’s because I’ve been reading nothing but this Outline. 😉  I am on the cusp of finishing it, though, so today I cut back on it and started The Revolutionist.

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This Week at the Library (9 Feb – 15 Feb)

Posted on February 17, 2011 by smellincoffee

February has been dominated by fiction so far, helped in part by my recent back of Trek acquisitions which I’ve not yet exhausted. I’ve also been in a weird funk as of late, unable to find science and even history books of interest to me: Asimov’s history of The Near East was a book I purchased and saved for such just an occasion. It succeeded in whetting my appetite for more history.

Last week I added a new label, ‘military’, which applies toward works (fiction or otherwise) expressly about combat or military action. I’ve also added a new page this week, which keeps track of my Nonfiction Reading Challenge reads.

In addition to two excellent Trek works (Summon the Thunder and Over a Torrent Sea), and a short police story, I read A History of Life on Earth by Jon Erickson. I didn’t do full comments on it because as I found out, it’s more of a reference book focusing on planetary science and evolution, tracking the changing nature of the Earth and the forms of life which dwell upon it.  The book mostly describes the history of life and is laden with charts, maps, and illustrations that range from beautiful to embarrassingly simplistic. Erickson frequently comment on how geography drives evolution, and offers a look into how planetary scientists have struggled to piece together a history of the planet.

I am also halfway through The Ten Great Ideas of Science by Peter Atkins.

Since the challenge began, I have read eight applicable books, two of which I added this week. I’ve created a ‘page’ which contains the full list.

  • The Near East (History)
  • A History of Life on Earth (Science)



Next Week’s Potentials..

  • I may very well finish The Confessions this week, as for the first time in months I am excited about reading it. I don’t know why, but I am feeling recharged in other areas as well. 
  • The Ten Great Ideas of Science, Peter Atkins. I am rather proud of the way I have been faithfully reading this every night, though my pace is variable. I’ve gone through a chapter in a day before, and spent three days pondering four pages of details on RNA. 
  • I have a history of Japan I checked out last week. It tried to hide itself between the bed and another piece of furniture, but I found it today. 
  • The Revolutionist by Robert Littell is the story of an American who goes off to fight in the Russian Revolution.


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Over a Torrent Sea

Posted on February 17, 2011 by smellincoffee

Star Trek Titan: Over a Torrent Sea
© 2009 Christopher L. Bennett
356 pages

Cover art and design by Cliff Nielson and Alan Dingman, featuring Aili Lavena, an aquatic member of the Titan crew who has a primary role in the exploration of the world and the book.

Only weeks after the calamitous events of Destiny, the good ship Titan is resuming its mission to explore the further reaches of the galaxy. The discovery of a waterworld mysteriously abounding in life attracts the ship’s attention, but (surprise!) their peaceful exploration quickly becomes fraught with peril when an asteroid threatens to impact and a sentient ,whale-like species turn on the Titan crew in confusion, fear, and pain. A plot deep in scientific wonder and mysteries unfolds, and Bennett surprises with some astounding character drama late in the book. The Troi-Tuvok-Dr.Ree story is especially impressive from the emotional angle, though its primacy is threatened by a last-ditch effort on the part of another character to save the day  by facing some of her worst inner demons.

Torrent Sea is fifth in the Titan series, and my only major grumble with it is that most of the Titan books up to this point and even beyond it seem to have the same basic plot: Titan cannot enter a star system without crashing into a Prime Directive conflict. I don’t know about Red King, but from Orion’s Hounds on through to Seize the Fire,  the Prime Directive plays a central role.  They’ve been good stories, too, for the most part, it’s just odd that the editors don’t seem to have caught on. Torrent Sea is an especially strong version of this, because the problems show that the Prime Directive is in place to stop the good guys from making matters worse by trying to help. As in all Bennett novels, this one is inundated by science (which makes me happy) and humor, the author being especially fond of sarcasm and understatement. The amount of character drama and emotional turmoil toward the end of the book rocked me: I wasn’t expecting it, and it played out well. Especially impressive is Bennett’s handling of the development of sentience and technology in a waterborne race: I used to think that if whales were intelligent, we couldn’t tell because they don’t have hands to make tools with, but a race in this book succeeds through a kind of bioengineering. Fascinating stuff. He’s usually an exceptional author, and it is no accident that his Orion’s Hounds and this rank now as my favorite Titan novels.

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Top Ten Literary Love Stories

Posted on February 15, 2011 by smellincoffee

Following on the heels of Valentine’s Day, the Broke and the Bookish inquire: what are some of your favorite bookish love stories? This is going to be rather difficult for me, because I don’t read a lot of books with romance in them. Most of my reading is nonfiction,  and when I do read about a romantic pair in fiction, they’re usually already together.

1. Max and Liz, Roswell High (Melinda Metz)

When Liz Ortecho catches a bullet in the stomach,  secret alien orphan Max breaks his cover to save her life, even though it means he might be exposed to a soulless sheriff. Though both science geeks with a longstanding interest in the other, Max doesn’t want to let her get too close, given how much danger his life might put her in. Eventually they get together, and a friend of mine and I were so fond of them that we  referred to  Phil Collin’s “A Groovy Kind of Love” as “their song”.

2. Horatio and Barbara, Captain Horatio Hornblower (C.S. Forester)

“What are we  to do?” he asked feebly.
“Do?” she replied. “We are lovers, and the world is ours. We do as we will.” (Beat to Quarters, C.S. Forester)

As soon as these two appeared on deck together, I wanted their spouses to disappear so they could be together. I felt kinda bad about that when their universe of war and disease obliged me.

3. Jean-Luc and Beverly, Death in Winter (Michael Jan Friedman)

“I find you extremely….extremely…– of course, we haven’t time for that sort of thing!”
“What sort of thing?”
“Oh, god, would I love to show you.”

For seven years and four movies, these two denied what was bleeding obvious to everyone else. Picard finally realizing  that he’s getting a bit too long in the teeth to keep his feelings at a distance is the highlight of the book for me.

4. Heinrich and Ludmila, WorldWar (Harry Turtledove)

In 1942, Heinrich Jaeger is a German tank officer doing his best to acquire Russia for the Fatherland. Ludmila is a diehard daughter of the Bolshevik revolution. By all rights, they should hate each other: their countries are at war, and their nations’ ideologies are fundamentally hostile to the other. And yet, when space lizards interrupt the human-on-human bloodshed, these two become an unlikely pair of comrades, friends, and later lover-commandos.  Aside from Sam Yeager, they were my favorite characters in the series.

5. Sidney Carton, Lucie, and…another; A Far Better Rest (Susanne Alleyn)

Carton’s love for Lucie Manette reforms his life in A Tale of Two Cities, but while in Paris he meets another woman, and while I can’t say a thing without hopeless spoiling the book for anyone else reading, suffice it to say I continue to be impressed by Alleyn’s talent for character drama.

6. Sam and Caroline, Redcoat (Bernard Cornwell)

I never expected to become interested in a love triangle  (of all things) when I picked up this novel of the American War of Independence, but so help me I did. I was rather irritated at Cornwell when I realized all three characters were good people who I didn’t want to see hurt.

7. Romeo and Juliet, “The Tragedy” thereof. (William Shakespeare)

They’re a cliche, I know, but the play has some great lines in it from start to finish, and I think it nice that their twin suicides brought their families together.

8. Kathyrn and Chakotay, Full Circle and Unworthy. (Kirsten Beyer)

I would have never picked this prior to 2010. I didn’t like Chakotay. But Kirsten Beyer made me not only like the guy, but actually root for this pairing. Full Circle is just that good.

9. Jacob and Rachel, Hebrew scriptures

You’re awfully white for a mideastern chick, what gives? 

I’m not Jewish or religious, but I woke up this morning with these two on my mind. Go figure. If you’re not hip to the Hebrew legends, once a fellow named Jacob ran away from home and fell in love with a girl named Rachel. Jacob asked Rachel’s father for permission to marry the fair lass, and the father says “Sure! — if you’ll work for me for seven years.”  Jacob, who apparently finds Rachel quite fetching, agrees. After seven years Rachel’s pop walks his veiled daughter down the aisle, and Jacob takes her to bed only to find out — oops — he just married Rachel’s homelier older sister, Leah. Turns out in Daddy’s tribe, younger sisters can’t marry out of turn.  Jacob protests, and daddy tells him that he can marry Rachel, too, if he’ll work seven MORE years.

Now, seeing as this guy has already proven himself an untrustworthy cheat, there are a great many things I might be tempted to do to him — but taking him at his word and working seven more years isn’t one of them. But apparently Jacob thought Rachel was worth it — worth the work, worth the humiliation of having been cheated, worth the lack of satisfaction he may have gotten from kicking daddy dear in the hind quarters.

Later on Leah  mocked her sister for not being able to have kids. That gal  is a real prize. No wonder daddy had to lie to get her married.

10. Rudy and Kelly, The Rainmaker. (John Grisham)

Sometimes doing the right thing means suing an insurance company. Sometimes it means helping your girlfriend get away with offing her abusive husband because the judge won’t put him away.

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Teaser Tuesday (15 February)

Posted on February 14, 2011 by smellincoffee

Tuesday already?

“With that rhetorical but heartfelt flourish behind us, it is time to get down to sex.” 

 – p. 32, Galileo’s Finger: the Ten Great Ideas of Science, Peter Atkins.

“‘Kidnapping’ is such an ugly word, Ambassador”, the Chelon replied as he made his way back to the sat of the table. “I prefer to think of this as a unilateral yet temporary rearrangement of your calendar.” 

p. 281, Star Trek Vanguard: Summon the Thunder, Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore

“Well,” the burly Tellarite remarked with no small amount of enthusiasm as he stepped into the room, “command colors and braid appear to suit you, Captain. Though I have to say, I miss the skirt.”
Khatami smiled at the remark, one that only a close friend such as Mog even would attempt in the first place. “Captain’s prerogative. I always liked the pants, anyway.”

– 242, ST Vanguard: Summon the Thunder,  Ward and Dilmore

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The Near East

Posted on February 13, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Near East: 10,000 Years of History
© 1968 Isaac Asimov
277 pages

Come, let us sit upon the ground and tell sad stories of the death of kings. (“Richard II”, William Shakespeare)
Civilization first began in the ‘land between the rivers’, Mesopotamia, and as this epic history of the area proves, the near east has been the cradle of many of humanity’s ideas throughout the centuries. Asimov’s history begins at the birth of agriculture, and so as the story unfolds we witness not only the birth of various political entities, but of civilization proper itself — the first cities develop, men begin to make tools and weapons of bronze and iron; horses grow into impressive creatures capable of carrying armored men to war, and the first histories and records are read. Religions and philosophies flower in these highlands and deserts that survive today — either by themselves, or through altered forms. No era  in human history has seen a lull in the action in this land, and The Near East is accordingly an exiting and fascinating read.
Asimov surprised me by committing to such a vast expanse of time: that “ten thousand years of history” starts with agriculture and ends shortly before the Israeli-Arabic wars,  with Asimov penning hopes for peace that seem sad, so many decades into the future with permanent concordance seemingly impossible. The meat of the book is ancient history, though the rise of the Arabs and Turks is given plenty of consideration and I learned far more about the period’s fate in the early 20th century that I anticipated. I had no idea that Britain and Russia both invaded the area just to ensure stable communications  The book’s emphasis is not misplaced, for the stories of Sumeria, Babylon, Assyria, and others deserve to be told. Egypt is only mentioned tangentially, which seems curious, but is understandable given that Asimov covered the land of the Nile in another book. Egypt’s political influence on the affairs of other Near Eastern countries is addressed properly, though.  The book’s scope allows one chapter’s heroes to be another chapter’s mythic legends, and Asimov’s narrative shows how kings were constantly trying to co-opt the legacies of prior rulers. I had no idea that the most famous Nebuchadrezzer  lived in entirely different era than his namesake – the original Nebby, who lived not too long after Hammurabi.  That Asimov draws from the Sumerian king lists and ‘official histories’ is obvious at the start of the book, which emphasizes history as driven by the wills and capabilities of great men.  
Asimov enjoys a reputation as ‘professional explainer’,  one established by his use of simple, clear language and  general command of many varied subjects. His prowess as a generalist is an enduring inspiration to me, for he wrote books on science, history, poetry, literature, and others with equal ease: that showed here, as he draws facts and conclusions from literary sources like the Jewish bible and Persian epic poetry. I found the book tremendously helpful in understanding the Hellenic period — all of Alexanders’ various generals and their kingdoms confuse me — and the the history of Persia. I’ll be using The Near East as a general reference book for when I want to refresh my knowledge of the period, but the presence of one erroneous fact does give me some pause: when writing on Roman-Persian interaction, Asimov mentions that Hadrian died in 161 and was succeeded by Marcus Aurelius and Lucius Verus, skipping over poor Antonious Pious and his twenty-year reign entirely. (Hadrian died in 138, and was succeeded by Pious, who died in 161.)  I only noticed this because of my fondness for Aurelius. It’s a fairly forgivable mistake, as Rome is only being mentioned in connection to Parthia’s expansion, Still, I hope it’s an error he caught and corrected at some point. 
If you can find this, it should serve well as an introduction to the period, especially for teenagers and such. I say “if you can find it”, because Asimov’s history books are rare indeed. Some of them don’t even have Amazon or eBay entries. (By the way, if you should ever spot the following books in a used bookstore, think of me and we can work out some kind of arrangement: The Roman Republic, The Roman Empire,  The Greeks, The Egyptians, and The Dark Ages.)
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The Overlook

Posted on February 12, 2011 by smellincoffee

The Overlook
© 2006/2007 Michael Connelly
240 pages

In the hills above Madonna’s former Hollywood Mansion, a physicist named Stanley Kent has just been found dead, neatly executed by masked men. The Hollywood detectives are only more than happy to turn the job over to the “Homicide-Special” division that takes on the bigger jobs, and Harry Bosch is their man. No sooner has he arrived at the scene of the crime and started to gauge the situation for himself, however, than does the FBI show up. Kent is authorized to handle and transport radioactive materials used by hospitals in medical treatments — but if someone used him to steal those materials and then killed him to take care of a loose end,  it’s a fair bet that the killers aren’t out to open up a cancer ward in a free clinic somewhere. The FBI is concerned that Kent may have been used by terrorists to obtain materials for a ‘dirty bomb’, and if that’s the case, the entire city of Los Angeles may be in trouble.

The national security angle brings in a host of acronymed government agencies into “Harry’s case”, but of course he’s not impressed by the exciting and sexy world of domestic terrorism.  He’s a cynic, a grizzled outsider who refuses to surrender the case completely to their hands, in part because he believes they are ignoring the torture and murder of Kent to chase radioactive materials, and thus headlines and acclaim. The only FBI agent whom he does not openly despise is Rachel Wallers,  his ally of sorts and an old flame.   I finished the book largely in one sitting, owing both to is quick pace and short length: the case is solved in about twelve hours, and the novel itself began as a serialized mystery that was ‘substantially expanded’ before appearing in bound form. It’s still very much on the short side,  but it works as a quick read. The terrorism angle bored me at first, especially when the primary suspects were two Arab men who yelled “Allah Akbar!” before killing Kent (how stereotypical can you get?), but appearances are deceiving and there are more than few twists and turns buried inside.  The Overlook strangely mirrors the Black Echo, not only in the presence of an FBI Love Interest Lady, but in the setting (Hollywood) and in the identity of the ultimate culprit.  This was a weak point for me, but I doubt many other people have managed to read only these two books and immediately following the other. There are at least a dozen other Bosch books, and I figure it’s just coincidence.  Only future reads will tell, and there will more — because I like Bosch.

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Summon the Thunder

Posted on February 11, 2011 by smellincoffee

Star Trek Vanguard: Summon the Thunder (#2)
© 2006 Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore
420 pages

Cover art created by Doug Drexler, depicting Vanguard Station and the USS Lovell, a Daedalus-class still in service after over a century. 


Something ancient and malevolent is stirring in the mysterious systems of the Taurus Reach, a foreboding area of space that managed to defy exploration and colonizations until recently, despite being at the crossroads between three great powers. Starfleet is compelled to explore the area by hints of a great scientific discovery waiting in the wings, and the abundance of still-functioning remains speak to the existence of a long-dead, but vastly powerful interstellar society. The Tholians regard the area with dread fear, and  their responses to Klingon and Starfleet activity within the area threaten to turn it into a warzone.  The greatest danger to the peace may not be the powers themselves, but the fact that the ancient civilization isn’t quite dead. On Vanguard station, Starfleet officers, diplomats, spies,  pirates, and a reporter try to keep the peace and their lives intact, all the while wondering — just what does the Reach hide?  
David Mack’s Harbinger provided a superb explanation to the Vanguard series, relying on an excellent cast that continues to impress here under the direction of Ward and Dilmore. They expand it by focusing part of the story on the crew of the USS Endeavor, led by  a newly-minted captain who is struggling to live up to the success of her recently deceased XO, who died in the course of Starfleet’s work in this region , whose mysterious death emphasizes Starfleet’s need to understand the nature of the artifacts and hidden installations they’ve unearthed. Vanguard’s ensemble started out strong and continues to mature:  none of the viewpoint characters like nuance, and some of them are particularly conflicted. I especially appreciated the development of Starfleet’s rivals: I especially looked forward to seeing the Romulans, which was unexpected given that, despite their pretty ships, I tend to find Romulans predictable and boring.  We get it, Romulans, you are oh-so-sneaky and superior to everyone else.  While most of the characters are involved in political intrigue or scientific enterprise,  the authors also treat the reader to the adventures of Quinn and Pennington, a charming rogue and disgraced reporter who have managed to become the playthings of both an Orion gangster and intelligent agent T’Prynn, easily one of the series’ more interesting characters. Though she’s not in charge of the Vanguard Project,  she clearly knows more than Commodore Reyes — and I’m given to wondering if it’s not Starfleet Intelligence she works for, but a more ominous organization. All of the interesting adventures and pursuits of these characters are woven into one rich story by book’s end,  and I’m thinking rather than buying the Terok Nor trilogy,  I’ll go ahead and buy the rest of the Vanguard books.  

Vanguard started out strong indeed and hasn’t yet diminished — and considering that Mack returns in the third book, I don’t expect it to. 
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This Week at the Library (2 Feb- 9 Feb)

Posted on February 9, 2011 by smellincoffee

Rather slow week, but I’ve been working my way through two science books. Science generally takes more time and attention for me to read than anything else, and one of my books is particularly dense. I’ve been averaging twenty pages a day on it, though some days are slower than others: I spent two days staring at illustrations of codons and re-reading passages on various kinds of RNA.

What I have read this week is Agincourt, by Bernard Cornwell, and Vanguard: Harbinger. Both were excellent bits of fiction. Harbinger sets up the Vanguard series, which involves an ancient mystery of sorts being unearthed. Great cast of characters: I’m especially looking forward to seeing more of T’Prynn, the Vulcan intelligence agent and jazz artist who almost infatuated Spock.

No additions to the 2011 Nonfiction Reading Challenge this week,  because I’m not done with either science book and wasn’t really in the mood to commit to the WW1 book. I just read a history of the Great War a few weeks ago, and while it’s a subject of interest to me, it’s not THAT great unless I’m writing a paper on it.

Potentials for this next week…

  • Vanguard: Summon the Thunder, which I kept stealing peeks at this week.  I’m a hundred pages in already. 
  • Expiration Date by Sherril Jaffe. This is an advanced review copy sent to me by LibraryThing about a woman who is told she’s going to drop dead in twenty-five years. I’m anticipating an Oedipal-like struggle with the idea of fate, though I assume it won’t involve incest with her mom.
  • A History of Life on Earth, which is an epoch-by-epoch  account of biological evolution. Right now I’m reading about great big jellyfish. I didn’t know most of our ages were named after English places.
  • Galileo’s Finger: The Ten Great Ideas of Science, by Peter Atkins, which I purchased with some of my birthday money. When I first saw the thin pages and teeny text, I thought it might go unread for a while. The author’s voice is  pretty alluring, though. 
  • …I really should read something in history, though.  A month into 2010 and no history? That’s out of character. Guess natural history sort of counts, but not really. 

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