A Prayer to Broken Bones

Had an enforced period of inactivity after falling over a child's toy and breaking a toe :(

I have been reading (a lot), and buying some more, in that time so updates will follow.

Of Time and Stars by Arthur C Clarke

Rarely have I read short fiction in any genre, but since I recently read a large amount of Asimov short stories I have developed a new found love of them. They fit into my lifestyle a bit more now I suppose. It is difficult to find the time to devote to 700 page epics when work and family life take up so much time.

This collection has a varied range from Hard Sci-Fi to comic capers and as a collection were a very enjoyable read. My highlights:

The Nine Billion Names of God - probably one of ACC's most famous tales and rightly so. Are computers a good thing?

Trouble with the Natives - very funny story about visiting aliens who get an impression of human life based on a radio play.

Encounter at Dawn - space travelling humans make contact with ancient civilisation.

The Sentinel - the basis for 2001: A Space Odyssey and another classic piece of Sci-Fi.

There was hardly a disappointing story among them. They all left their mark and make me think about so many things in different ways - like all good Science Fiction should do.

Smashing Pumpkins - Wembley Arena

After waiting 20 years to see Smashing Pumpkins live I finally got the chance to last night. I wasn't too sure what to expect given that Billy Corgan is the only member of the band from the original line-up left. But their new album Oceania is very good and you just never know when any tour is the last tour. It was a blisteringly hot day so a rather uncomfortable car journey wasn't ideal preparation.

In no way was I disappointed. It was a great show, mixing old classics (Cherub Rock, Today, Disarm, Zero, Tonight Tonight) blended together with some strong material from their latest offering (Celestials, Pinwheels, Oceania). They even played a cover of Bowie's 'Space Oddity'.

He even states Philip K Dick as an influence on his work, another reason to love them!

The Cosmic Puppets by Philip K Dick

How would you feel if you went back to your home town 18 years after you left it, to find out you were dead? Imagine Ted Barton's surprise when he did just that.

That wasn't the only thing that was wrong, the whole town was different, street names were not the same, buildings disappeared and no-one could recall there ever having been certain shops and businesses that Ted remembered. Except one, the town drunk, who helps Ted along the way. What Ted has inadvertently stumbled upon is a battle of intergalactic proportions played out at a micro level.

This is a short novel - the paperback version has 140 pages - and is a very early work in Dick's career. It is perhaps a more straight up story and there is a distinct lack of drug taking which almost dominates a large portion of his later works.

Almost certainly the town drunk would have been off his head on some hallucinogenic drug had it been written ten years later. This may not be as good as his later works, but there is plenty to keep the story moving along, and ultimately its an entertaining read.

Again Dick illustrates his fascination with certain parts of the female anatomy, not least the symbolism of the closing line.

The Ganymede Takeover by Philip K Dick

They say a 'change is as good as a rest' and a change is exactly what I needed.

This might not be his best (it isn't) but the change of style has been more than welcome. I must confess that it takes quite a while usually to understand what on earth is going on with most of Dick's work. This was no exception, and for most of the book I was having to flick back to see what the characters were doing, and whose 'side' they were on.

 

Although the concept was unmistakably trademark Dick, it was obvious when one author started and the other stopped, and the blend didn't always work well.

There are some great ideas in this, and the usual Dick techno speak and some humour too, but overall a story that didn't really go anywhere. I have a number of reviews that mark this out as one of his best works, but it just doesn't feel as complete as Flow my Tears, or Dr Bloodmoney.

Not sure what I will read next - I have a TBR pile with more than 100 books in it - but received a nice second hand copy of Dying Inside by Robert Silverberg today in the post. I think I might try that.

Robots and Empire by Isaac Asimov

Finally the Asimov Robot series is at an end.

I stand by my original thoughts on Asimov after reading I, Robot - he was a very clever chap. His books are full of complex scenarios relating to the 3 Laws and at times it is difficult to follow the thread of how and when 1st and 2nd law applies. He obviously knew his subject inside out. There is humour here too, but (and its quite a big but) there is little else other than long scenes of almost entirely dialogue in which the plot plays out.

There is very little descriptive or scene setting paragraphs, so much so that in my head I have almost no idea of what Solaria, or Aurora actually looks like - despite both featuring in 4 books. I read some comments that were made by Asimov about his style in which he wanted to keep his works easy to follow and clear and simple and I agree that he does keep it simple and clear, at least in Caves of Steel and Naked Sun it was simple and clear and short. Robots of Dawn and Empire are long, and become tediously long given the style of writing.

Looking back to I, Robot and all in between the ideas carry the stories along and the short stories are best of all. There was a definite sense of relief after finishing - having set a target of reading all Robots - and I shall look back on Asimov again but for now I'll be reading a variety of authors work, going back to my personal favourite Philip K Dick.

Do you remember the first time?

My first experience of Science Fiction that I can recall was Z for Zachariah by Robert C O’Brien.  This was a book that I read at school as part our English lessons; we would each take it in turns to read aloud to the class a few pages at a time. The exact date and time I am unclear of, but it was probably my first year at senior school – so that would be roughly 25 years ago.  We also read Mrs Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by the same author at around the same time – but no more on that book.

 

I haven’t thought about Z for Zachariah in a long time – and the memory was stirred by this blog - but I got to thinking why I always come back to this genre, what is it that appeals to me, what has influenced my reading habits. I have spent long periods of time away from Sci-Fi (years at a time) but always seem drawn back to it.

Z for Zachariah is classed as post-apocalyptic fiction (a sub-genre in Sci-Fi), and I have read a number of these stories over the years  -The Stand, The Road, The Postman, I am Legend, Swan Song to name a few – and there are many more on my TBR pile.

This book in particular fascinated me, and it’s possibly the lone survivor element that stirs a perverse desire to experience that feeling of being on your own after some catastrophic event. I don’t remember if it was any good, but I do remember that the valley in which they found themselves had a weather system all of its own which meant they were unaffected by the fallout of Global Nuclear Apocalypse– which sounds pretty daft – but the text is aimed at early teens I would suspect.

What I didn’t realise was Robert C O’Brien died before completing the book. It was finished by his wife and daughter from notes he left. I will have to try eBay for a second hand copy and re-read again for old times’ sake and see if I can spot the differences in style.

The Sun Shining on the Bookshops of East Sussex

Having spent a sun drenched week in and around Hastings at the beginning of June I would reflect on (and review) the quality of the bookshops that I visited during the stay. This was not a book buying trip - and thanks to my wife and kids however I was allowed the luxury of browsing around numerous bookshops - in between eating ice creams and building sand castles.

I had done some research before we went and had in mind one particular shop I wanted to visit in Eastbourne the rest were all an added bonus.

Hastings

I visited Albion Books twice and bought 7 books in total. The Science Fiction section was good and there must have been 400-500 and most priced around £1.50. All the books appeared to be in good condition and was happy with the quality, however the shop is very cluttered, with untidy stacks of books all over the floors and in front of shelving making it almost impossible to see the full selection.
If the shop had been busier it would have been a nightmare to navigate.

Bexhill-on-Sea

We hadn't planned on visiting Bexhill so was lucky to stumble across Bestsellers. The shop was very well laid out and again had a healthy selection of Science Fiction.

Purchased 4 books in very good condition for £5 - can't complain.

Eastbourne 

I had read about Camilla's on line before visiting, but was still amazed at the sheer amount of books on sale. I spent more than an hour here, but could have spent several more. The volume of books does mean that they are stacked everywhere. Upstairs, ground floor and downstairs - Science Fiction were on the stairs!

A very large selection of Science Fiction again, and were in neat stacks. I rummaged through them all and selected 8 at a cost of £12. I could and perhaps should have bought more - but I had to budget for ice creams too!

There was a difficult moment when several stacks lost balance and tumbled onto the stairs - no-one came running so I can only assume it happens a lot. The plus side of this was i found a book that i had missed when the towers collapsed.

I only wished i lived closer to visit more often.

Tome bookshop - only a pebbles throw from the seafront - is a very well stocked and laid out bookshop. The Sci-Fi section was not that extensive - but big enough - they did however have a large collection of old Penguin classics - which I picked out 2 John Wyndham novels. I think from memory they advertise all second hand paperbacks at £2 each.

In all 21 classic (or old - probably not all classic) Sci Fi books, spent around £30 and many pleasant hours. When can I go again?

R is for Rocket

I can only imagine what it must have been like growing up in the forties and fifties - particularly in America - with the anticipation and excitement of rockets blasting into space, the great unknown with infinite possibilities.

I am only half way through this collection of stories, but they are a real treat. I just wish I could have experienced these stories as 12 year old boy during this time.

This Preface is probably one of the most moving I have read in a while. Perhaps I missed this when I was growing up, but with 2 young boys of my own I can watch in wonder as they discover Rockets and Space and Planets for the first time, and maybe, just maybe Life outside our own.

The Robots of Dawn

Written almost 30 years after The Caves of Steel and The Naked Sun this novel starts to link the other major works of Asimov (Empire and Foundation). There is also a nod to the past with mentions of Susan Calvin and reference to Andrew Martin (Bicentennial Man) which having read all the short stories prior to this was not lost.

Sex is a prominent theme throughout, and is often dealt with only in dialogue in a very cold and sterile way. This comes about when the clash of cultures and practises collide (Earth, Aurora and Solaria) where living arrangements are all very different.

Elijah is called to Aurora by the eminent Roboticist and politician Han Fastolfe - whom we all met in Caves of Steel. The 'murder' this time is of a Humaniform robot in his service. By his own admission Fastolfe is the only person who could have killed the robot in the manner in which it was killed, but he vehemently denies doing it.

So Elijah has to solve the puzzle yet again. This time he is in the middle of political muddle, as Fastolfe's opposition are rocking the boat, Fastolfe is in favour of settling new worlds using humans (in the same way Earth settled the 'Spacer' planets). Whilst the Robotics Institute of Aurora wants to use Humaniform robots to do the settling first. The only problem is Fastolfe is the only Spacer who has made these type of robots and the blueprints are all in his head.

Overall this book is OK, and I can see where this will link the other Worlds of Isaac Asimov. However it was hard going, and a bit too one dimensional. Had it not been for the final 20 or so pages I think I would have been deeply disappointed with this one. The closing stages do however set up the possibility of an interesting final instalment. On to Robots and Empire then.

The Naked Sun

The second instalment of the Elijah Baley - R.Daneel Olivaw story continues. This time Elijah is called to solve a murder on the Spacer world of Solaria. Solaria is a sparsely populated planet with 20,000 inhabitants and 200 million robots, the inhabitants lead an almost solitary existence and through video type projectors 'view' each other. They are taught from a young age to despise personal contact. Elijah struggles with this open planet (missing his 'Caves of Steel') and agoraphobia is as alien to the Solarians as the concept of solitude is to an Earthman.

The victims wife (Gladia) is the only suspect and can be the only suspect based on the customs and behaviour of Solarian inhabitants. To be killed Rikaine Delmarre had to be 'seen' and not just viewed. The only person that could 'see' according to Solarian practise were robots or his wife. And robots under the Three Laws cannot kill, so Case solved?

No, not exactly and for 200 pages we learn about Solarian society and Elijah interviews his way toward an Agatha Christie style denouement where all the suspects are gathered to hear Poirot's Baley's summing up and ultimate resolution to the impossible crime. Ably assisted by Hastings Daneel in bringing the culprit to justice.

I think this worked better for me than Caves of Steel as a detective novel, with an interesting plot twist at the end. In the grand scheme (Robot Series) we are getting closer to the end now, The Robots of Dawn is up next.

Spending Spree and OCD

This DIY lark has seriously impinged on my spare time and my capacity to get through my To Be Read pile. So much so that I have read only a few chapters of The Naked Sun since before the holiday weekend. That is now complete (and a review will follow, if you can call it a review. It will probably be a synopsis with some commentary on my thoughts) but I really need to up the ante as I have been on ebay again!

When it comes to books my tendencies lean towards OCD. The problem I have (if you can call it a problem) is I Like Books, I Like Them a Lot (substitute Books for Mary).

It is one reason why I don't read using a Kindle type device. It just doesn't feel right. As a book enthusiast rather than a casual reader I would get no pleasure from an electronic version of any of the books in this image.

I think I am turning into a collector too, and will buy or try to buy all of an authors work having read none or only one or two of their books. Partly because I want to read more of their work and partly because I want to have a library where I can pick and choose what I read next. For example I have 9 Robert Heinlein but I am yet to read any, or I have only read The Day of the Triffids but have 7 other John Wyndham to read.

There are over 100 books in my TBR pile not all of which are Sci-Fi, but the majority are. Quite a few are collections of short stories that will be quick reads because of duplication. But at my current rate this would take 4 years to get through, so I'll stop writing now, I can't read and write....

The Caves of Steel

All the short stories now under my belt, it was time to tackle the first novel of the series.

I understand that this novel was partly written in response to his editor John W. Campbell's belief that Science Fiction and Mystery were incompatible. Asimov thought otherwise and 'The Caves of Steel' was the evidence of that. It is essentially a murder/mystery in which we encounter Elijah Baley (the Detective) and R.Daneel Olivaw (an advanced Robot) that looks identical to a human.

The title 'The Caves of Steel' refers to the large self contained cities covered entirely by domes. People rarely venture outside and have no desire to do so, in fact they suffer from severe agoraphobia due to generations of living in these Caves. Everything they would ever need including transport links to other Cities around the country is encased in giant blocks of Steel that has covered in the New York area .  This adds a real gritty futuristic urban feel that features in many Science Fiction stories in print and on screen. Asimov readers will find similarities here with Trantor from the Foundation series.

Elijah has a low opinion of robots and the meeting has the coming together of seasoned detective handpicked for the task and a partner being thrust upon them. In this case its not the plucky young upstart straight out of police training but a Robot sent from the Spacer world in the image of the murder victim. I couldn't help but think back to all the movies and TV police shows where these relationships are central to the plot. Elijah isn't a womanising alcoholic, or a brooding introvert with a closet full of skeletons (or has he? we may find out in later tales?) so here the similarity ends. He is certainly not happy about being partnered with a robot though.

The murder investigation plays itself out against a backdrop of an over populated future earth, the book being set approximately 3000 years in the future where men have colonised 50 planets and live long and healthy lives on sparsely populated worlds.  There is some interesting and often amusing dialogue between Elijah and Daneel - a feature of much of his short fiction - that help lift an otherwise standard whodunit.

I can't say that I was blown away by this one, but it was still an interesting read and as it starts a series within a series (Elijah and Daneel make up the last of the Robot books) there is scope for that relationship to develop further. The Naked Sun awaits...

What the Postman delivered this week

More short stories from Arthur C Clarke and Ray Bradbury. I had always avoided short story collections probably because I always felt a story wasn't a story unless it was 200+ pages.

Since starting my Robot adventure I've been impressed with the quality of the stories, and the depth and breadth of ideas. I think I'm converted. So when I can fit them in they are waiting to be devoured.

The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories

This collection consists of 11 short stories (5 included in the earlier Robot collections - including the title story) and 1 poem.

None of the new stories were on a par with the best of previous collections and I couldn't get into 'The Life and Times of Multivac' at all.

The highlights were 'The Winnowing' and 'Old Fashioned'.

Each story was preceded by an explanation from the author about how the story came in to being. It was surprising that (although perhaps not given the extent of the his back catalogue) he had exact dates for when the stories were begun and for exactly what purpose.

I am amazed by a writers ability to create a story to fit a certain scenario. Asimov discusses how he had been asked to write a particular story for a particular publication and time and again delivered. I have often wondered whether I could write fiction - any fiction - and when I get down to trying there is nothing there. An idea might be present, but translating that to words that are entertaining and follow some sort of logic just seems beyond me.

So, after 6 collections of short stories it is time to start the 'Robot Series' proper with the first full length story - 'The Caves of Steel'. It has a lot to live up to, the motivation for reading all the stories prior was to better understand the logic behind robotics, so I hope it delivers. I've not been disappointed so far, so I am sure it will be fine.

Robot Visions

This was a quick read as only 3 short stories were unique. The bulk of the book had been collected in previous Robot anthologies. The 3 'new' stories were OK, but nothing to get too excited over. The best of them was probably the title story with an interesting look at humanity and time travel.

I was unaware before I purchased the book that there were a collection of essays written by Asimov that were published in various publications mostly in the 1970's and 1980's. These were on the whole very interesting, but there was a large amount of repetition that might only be obvious when they are all collected together and read one after the other. After 5 posts about Robots this blog must seem repetitive too!?

Asimov does delve into the history of 'Robot' so that the reader can understand his influences and motivations and to some extent how he derived at the 3 Laws; for instance the term 'Robot' was first used in 1921 by Karel Čapek in his play R.U.R (Rossum's Universal Robots). He is rightfully proud of the contribution to science through these works and makes repeated reference to the 3 laws and his invention of the work 'Robotics'.

It is not until perhaps you have read this background that you can see that a large amount of popular perception (and fiction) including robots is negative - 'Robot as Enemy' as Asimov would describe.

Asimov on the other hand tried to change that and felt that as Robots were machines then Man - as with all modern machinery - would install safety features to ensure Robots do not cause humans any harm, or to reduce the risk of causing harm.

In the Evitable Conflict, which appears in this collection (as well as I, Robot and The Complete Robot) the possibility of advancements of the Positronic brain (and a pooled resource) are played out on a global scale and some harm does come to some humans for the benefit of the greater good. Asimov is indicating that the Positronic brain or Artificial Intelligence is of great benefit to humanity but it has the potential to grow out of control through increased learning and processing capabilities. Can it ever be fully harnessed? This is a theme that is explored in other stories, some of which I'm fast approaching.

You may be wondering (if there is anybody out there wondering?!) why I am following this particular reading order. Well I use Goodreads as a source of material and to keep track of my Read and To Be Read pile and they had a series link for the Robots.

So I have followed this to the letter so far, but now is where I briefly move away from the path. I have shoehorned in The Bicentennial Man and Other Stories - my next Post - and have left out The Positronic Man. Two reasons why this has been omitted, firstly I have already read the short story from which this extension is based and secondly.... I don't have a copy!

Robot Dreams

The journey through Isaac Aimov's Robot series continues.

As with most books I have purchased recently the search usually begins and ends with ebay. There seems to be less and less opportunity to buy older Science Fiction material from Second Hand shops (there seems to be less and less Second Hand Shops too -maybe there is a relationship here?). And I would love to be able to spend time hunting these books out. Nothing beats stumbling across just the book you want, or finding a gem hidden in the dark corner of a musty smelling old book shop. More of my love of Second Hand book shops in a future post.

It would be fair to say that when you want something, and in this case I needed something, to continue my march through the Robots of Asimov, then ebay was the place to go.

The Illustrations in this copy were a nice touch, and it was interesting to compare my own mental projection with an artists impression (and presumably Asimov's idea) of the Robots. The Dark Tower series by Stephen King was much richer for the illustrations that accompanied those books, particularly the original publications of The Gunslinger and Drawing of the Three.

Robot Dreams collects the title story (written for this collection) and previously published stories from the authors immense back catalogue. Some I had previously encountered in prior Robot collections.

The majority of the stories are very good, and 3 in particular are simply breathtaking.

The Last Question was the best of the bunch, and you can see why Asimov ranks this as his best. The concept is frankly mind boggling and has made me think more than any other story.

The Ugly Little Boy is a beautiful tale capturing the love and bonds that only come with parenthood. I was willing the conclusion to the story to be as it was leading towards its climax, and am not ashamed to admit reading the last few lines through glazed eyes.

The Billiard Ball was very clever and left the reader questioning the motives and actions of the lead character.

Lest We Remember, which completes the book, had more than a passing similarity to a recent film - Limitless. I'm not sure if the film was loosely based on the book, but the central ideas were almost identical.

Robot Visions next...which appears to include all but 3 stories that I have already come accross. The review of that book should be a bit shorter.

Today's Purchase

Found this at a local charity shop today. Rarely find any Sci-fi, but they had loads today, most I already had.

Resounding endorsement from ACC on the cover. Look forward to delving in to this.

The Last Question

Read Asimov's short story 'The Last Question' last night and it blew me away. Brings a whole new meaning to the word forever.

I, Robot and others

A belated second post but I have been engaging in some spring time DIY and spending time with the kids over the Easter holiday which has delayed my reading. I have however completed I, Robot The Rest of the Robots and The Complete Robot, and am currently half way through Robot Dreams.

I am also reading short stories by Arthur C Clarke (Of Time and Stars) when I have a spare half hour.

I rarely read an extended sequence of books from the same author or theme. However I am glad that I have with the Robot books and I intend to carry on through to Robots and Empire.

Asimov was clearly very intelligent. The development of the 3 laws although very simple on their own are a definite exhibition of his capability. The possibilities with their interpretation and the scenarios where conflict occurs are infinite. It is therefore slightly sad that I am more than half way through the series and coming to realise there are less opportunities to read these inventive and humorous tales.

Some stories could be perceived as formulaic, but Asimov lays it all out and each ends with conclusion that leaves little head scratching at what might have happened.

If I had to pick favourites from each they would be:

I, Robot - Reason
The Rest of the Robots - Victory Unintentional
The Complete Robot - True Love

"Breeds there a Man..?" from Robot Dreams has a feel of Philip K Dick about it. Having only read a small portion of Asimov's work this does already feel like a story 'against the norm'. As i enjoy a good PKD story and his bizarre realities this was a very good read.

You can probably already tell that I'm not a writer, but this is about sharing some analysis of my interests and a place to record thoughts on what I'm reading before it disappears.

Until the next time..

Opening Post

So, I am a Science Fiction fan. I mean I like reading Science Fiction novels.

That's not so bad is it? I used to think so. Hide the trashy SciFi books away and keep the travel books and the more highbrow literary stuff on the bookshelf hoping that any visitor would be thinking "mmm this guy is well read."

Well sod that, i like SciFi. I like alien worlds and alternate reality and alternate history, Dystopian future worlds, Post Apocalyptic worlds. The questions of What if..? or What will it be like...? Or wouldn't it be odd if....?

I have only really realised this later in life. I'm late thirties, married with 2 young children.

I'm not sure how this blog will go, but i wanted something to record my reading habits and use it as a platform to comment on, get annoyed with, to celebrate and review my growing collection.

I am currently reading I, Robot by Isaac Asimov and this will be my first experiment.

Until it is finished then..