I was looking for some light-hearted stuff to read after a huge dose of books with lots of serial killers and blood. From Eoin Colfer’s other books I have read (love the Artemis Fowl series), I knew I wasn’t going to get disappointed. And boy, did this book deliver or what.

This is a story of 12-year old detective, who thinks he has seen all the cases a school playground can throw at him. But then, his own boasts about being a detective get him involved in a case against the biggest criminals in the school. And before he knows it, the case has developed into something huge, and he is a fugitive from the law he has helped uphold so many times before. And soon, he is not the only person who is getting injured.

Femme fatale, a huge conspiracy, a scary criminal family and a hardboiled, world-weary protagonist… what more does a detective story need?

If you want a one line review: Why exactly hasn’t this been made into a crime noire film yet? I mean, you can almost hear the saxophone in the background while reading, and it’s not that hard to imagine all the characters wearing hats either.

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To start with, here are few of my picks:

1. Bartimaeus trilogy by Jonathan Stroud: A few things in favour of these books: a. A completely different point of view about magic and magicians, b. An interesting story about powerful people, power and its effects on people, and c. Bartimaeus. 
   Yes, the titular genie scores a whole point in and of himself. More than any other characters, who are great on their own, this fast-talking, sarcastic genie carries most of the series on his shoulders. 
   Then again, one of the greatest strengths may prove to be its great weakness, if not handled carefully: the sarcastic asides and footnotes by Bartimaeus, which are some of the funniest lines in the story, will be hard to translate to screenplay.

 

2. Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz: Sure, the story sounds like a teen-aged James Bond (minus the inter-gender interactions, obviously). Sure, there are gadgets and action scenes galore to justify that tag. But there are more layers to the story of a teenager forced (sometimes not even subtly) into being a spy for his country. 
   Now, I know the first book was made into a movie, with heavyweights like Stephen Fry, Mickey Rourke, Bill Nighy, Ewan McGregor, Alicia Silverstone and Damien Lewis. But somehow, it didn’t do justice to the story. Maybe a reboot, given it’s a season of reboots? Or they can continue the story, as long as they keep the perfect casting that is Stephen Fry as Smithers (Alex’s “Q”), and maybe even Lewis as Gregorovich (I am not sold on his accent, though). There are a lot of further tribulations and adventures of Alex Rider to choose from. 
   Then again, given that the book count is 9, some books may be combined into one movie. And as the whole series covers about one year in Alex’s life, even a TV series, with 2-3 books per season, can cover it without any serious time jumps.

 

3. Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan: Given they are planning the sequel as a “combination of rest of the books”, I am afraid of it turning into a forgettable mishmash of the entire series. Then again, the first movie did cut out the entire characters like Clarrise, Charles and Silena, who play major roles later on, and didn’t even allude to the entire “gods claiming their kids” storyline (which is the motivation for a major character). So all in all, I think a reboot might be the way to go for this. After all, everyone’s doing reboots now. 
   And if this series goes well, there’s the sequel series, which promises to be equally interesting.

 

4. Sigma Force by James Rollins: Granted, this is more adult series than teen-oriented, but the Warrior monks of Sigma Force (the military arm of DARPA) acting out of their secret command center below Smithsonian castle warrant movies of their own. Ancient secrets/treasures genre hasn’t gone much beyond Indiana Jones and lookalikes, but this is one book series which can be perfect for popularizing it once again.  
   Solidly written and based on scientific facts which are believable at the very core, these are the books I will always recommend, as a series, or even as standalone novels.

 

5. Jack West Jr. by Matthew Reilly: Talking about ancient secrets-based series, this trilogy is very fast paced and action oriented. With international character comes a chance for a solid starcast. And the books are written almost like they are meant to be made into movies. (If you want a sample, there’s a militarised black Boeing 747 in it, and the clues in the first book are hidden in the 7 ancient wonders.) 
   While we are on Reilly, his Shane Schofield series is made of pure action-hero goodness (though there are some quibbles out there about the military tech described in the books).

While on the subject of that article, I completely agree that Artemis Fowl, that teenaged Irish criminal mastermind, his loyal bodyguard Butler and their interactions with the the Faerie folk, ably represented by LepRecon office Holly Short will be one of the perfect bets for the next big budget fantasy (and sci-fi) movie series, after Harry Potter.

Given the length of Dresden Files series, I am not entirely sure the movies will be the best option (unless they combine 2-3 books into one movie). Given that the adventures of the grizzled, wisecracking Dresden (the only consulting wizard in Chicago according to Yellow Pages) cover a short period of time, may we hope for a TV series. Maybe one longer than the short-lived SciFi channel series?

These are just a few book series I could think of off the top of my head. What are your top candidates?

One of the books which have made the strongest impression on me, given my love for history, is Stephen Ambrose’s Band of Brothers. The book, and the stellar HBO series based on it, are a masterpiece of historical writing, a startling representation of the realities of war, and bravery people from even the most common walks of life are capable of. Although each man in E company is a hero of the narrative in his own right, Maj. Winters, a true leader of men, leads his soldiers even in this respect.

Maj. Richard Winters, winner of Distinguished Service Cross for his actions on D-Day, died on Januray 2^nd, 2011.  Although the word is commonly overused now, in this case we can truly say – The world has lost one more Hero!

Quote of the day:

Every one of us, we’d follow him to hell. That’s the type of guy he was.

– Private Joe Lesniewski, Easy Company, 2nd Battalion, 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division

The story of the book will be slightly familiar to those who have seen the series: Dr. Lloyd Simcoe, his fiancé Michiko Kamura and his partner, Dr. Theo Procopides are preparing for an experiment on Large Hadron Collider at CERN, which they know will put them at the top of Nobel–probables list. Unfortunately, everything goes wrong at the moment of impact when the entire human consciousness is suddenly thrust forward twenty-odd years for a few moments.

While the humanity tries to deal with this event, Lloyd and Theo try to deal with their own visions of the future, and its effects on their personal life and careers (the flashforward overshadows their experiment so much that when they later complete it successfully, it’s a minor news). The matters are not helped when Lloyd comes forward on TV talking about Minkowsky space-time, indicating that the future is immutable.

While the basic theme of both book and TV series is the same, there are some differences in the storyline. (Slight spoilers for next two paragraphs – ) The book concentrates almost entirely on Lloyd and Theo, and their teammates at CERN. The only law-enforcement officer is the one Theo contacts while he is trying to solve his own murder which will take place 20 years hence.

While the TV series included a mysterious organisation with nefarious purpose, thereby making it more of a thriller than pure science fiction, the book deals almost entirely with the flashforward event, and it’s effects on the lives of scientists who may have caused it. The event has global implications on personal level, religious level and surprisingly even in international politics. The political calisthenics that ensue at the mere chance of a second flashforward are very weird and at the same time, completely believable.

As I said, the basic theme of both the series and the book is the same, yet I would recommend that you read the book for the questions it raises. While Lloyd, Theo, Michiko form the core of the story, it is the borderline stories, like that of Theo’s struggling artist brother, which show the actual impact viewing your own (possibly immutable) future has on people. And believe it or not, even when there is hardly a nefarious organization involved, the story still has a surprising end game.

Michiko: …what’s the point of going on if it’s all already fixed?

Lloyd: What’s the point of reading a novel whose ending has already been written?

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For me, the anthology offered a mix of known and unknown names, and stories. Among those stories I had already read is Stephan King’s contribution – the first chapter of Gunslinger saga. Ted Chiang writes a story of a merchant in Baghdad worthy of Arabian nights. Other names included Neil Gaiman writing about a version of hell, sure to produce some nightmares. Philip K. Dick writes about an ignorant automaton. Kurt Vonnegut’s only contribution to F&SF takes the form of the story of a man living in the world where everyone is completely equal.

There’s time travel, a world with limited resources and a world with fixed population. For those who have heard about or read the book “The Last Unicorn”, the story continues in this collection. There’s the story of Americans, slowly losing ground to the native Indian tribes. Shirley Jackson’s story about a man who goes through his day, being nice to others, has a nice twist in the tail. Ursula K. Le Guin writes about going native in a world where “people” have vanished, leaving a few survivors behind. And by no means is this a complete list of stories in the volume.

A good story always resonates with something inside you. While most of the sci-fi stories leave you with lot of questions, “macs” by Terri Bison was something different. Reading about the “creative” solution post Oklahoma bombing on the day of 26/11 verdict was a bit surreal.

Given F&SF’s 60 year long history, the claim of “very best” is easy to make and deliver. At the same time, as the editor mentions in the introduction to Le Guin’s story, everyone’s idea of the ideal (and hence the best) fantasy/scifi story is a bit different, making it difficult to satisfy all those definitions. But the anthology delivers a mix of really good stories, which I believe will make most fans happy. And even if you are not a fan of the genre, I shall recommend this book as one of the best introductions to the genre.

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At surface, it’s the story of a young 4.0GPA student, Quentin Clearwater. He is living in shadow of his more personable (and equally intelligent) friends, happily obsessed with his fantasies about his childhood favourite books about the magical world of Fillory. On the day of his interview with a college alumni, he is diverted to, and gains an entrance to Brakebills Academy, a secret college for real magicians.

He immediately feels a sense of belonging in the place, and finds close friends, and a girlfriend, Alice. His years there are spent learning difficult spells, the nature of magic, and the dangers inherent in playing with magic. At the end of his education, he joins his friends in New York, and is trying to figure out what to do with his future, when a great opportunity comes knocking – a chance to travel to his dreamland, Fillory.

As I said, at first glance, this is a tale of Hogwarts and Narnia (contrast the cover to the one for Magician’s Nephew), for mature audience, with mature (age-wise, at least) characters. The narrative has adult themes (and dialogs). But Quentin and his friends are far from typical fantasy heroes. While most of them are decadent layabouts looking for a firm purpose in life, Quentin is at various times selfish, flighty and unthinkingly hurtful, hardly likeable characteristics. Probably the only normal, likeable character is that of shy but studious Alice.

Personally, I feel the book is a pessimist’s (some would say a realist’s) view of fantasy. Typical magician in the book has access to unlimited resources of all kind, and a prolonged lifetime to spend them and indulge in his/her interests. While this would seem to be a great opportunity, given their magical powers, a hardworking adult magician is really hard to find outside the school.

At one level, Quentin, Alice, and his friends Elliot, Penny are misfits living with their fantasies (which makes them great magicians). At the same time, they are typical college kids who are trying to figure out what to do with the opportunities and talents they possess. While Brakebills has them attending classes (though even that is not given that much time in the story), their post-college years devolve into procrastination, and typical things any groups of rich bachelors will get into.

It’s a hard book to like if you enter it expecting a light reading, and the dark humour makes it a not a quick reading either. But stick with the tale, and you will be rewarded with a tale to make you think about the things we take for granted in magical journeys.

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In 1865, the exclusive Dante Club is meeting in Boston to compile the American translation of The Divine Comedy. The club consists of Boston intellectuals, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (who is the writer of translation), Oliver Wendell Holmes and James Russell Lowell. But when the city is rocked by murders which closely follow the punishments in Inferno, the members find themselves on the top of suspects list, because of the very exclusivity of their club.

To clear their names, the members enter the murky depths of the Boston, and try to find the killer, before he can finish his job, and drag Dante’s place even further down, in American scholarship already turning their noses up at European literature.

This is one of the rare historical fictions which puts famous names at the real centre of the book. But that also makes it interesting, since the famous authors and poets (and 19th century publisher J.T. Fields) each have their own distinct personality. The scholarly men are (as expected) separated from the actual nitty-gritty of the world around them, and their egos, intellects and ambitions all play a role in the story.

The same fact also makes it different from most mysteries. While the protagonists are without a doubt intelligent, and are probably the most knowledgeable men in the country about the serial killer’s MO, their understanding of the workings of the real world is far from perfect. And that’s what differentiates them from a typical detective – he may not know about a killer’s motives, but he is the most street smart guy in the room.

I know historical fiction is perhaps not the best way to learn about people, but members of The Dant Club have sometimes endearing, sometimes not so likeable, but always interesting personalities. And that’s one of the reasons the book pulls you in. Of course, having a delightful mystery at its heart doesn’t hurt either.

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Genesis

The book is the story of Anaximander (Anax), a history student and her four hour examination to join The Academy, the group of Leader-Scholars of the Republic. On surface, her subject is very mundane: the folk-hero Adam Forde.

When war started, an organization set up an island nation, akin to Plato’s Republic. When plagues affected the external world, Republic closed its shores to any refugee, on the pain of death. A generation later, a soldier named Adam Forde sent shockwaves through the foundations of the Republic society when he helped a woman from outside enter the island. His trial and the story afterwards is known to every child from school years, but Anax has some different insights into his story. What she doesn’t know that she has a startling relation to Adam’s story.

While there are some important characters: Anax, Adam Forde and the artificially intelligent robot Art, they don’t really make the story. The whole book revolves around one question: How do you differentiate between human and machine intelligence? Or more simply, what makes a human, human?

And although the book possibly provides one answer to that question, through the parallel stories of Adam/Art and Anax, even that answer opens up more questions than it solves.

While you start reading the book casually, the dystopian society of the Republic and its history keep you engaged. (Slight spoiler about direction of the end) And at the same time, it also lulls you so you feel that you know the direction the story is taking, until you are jolted out of it in last few pages, in a fashion any thriller would be proud of (end spoiler).

As I said, the concept and outline of the story doesn’t sound much, but this is one book which grips you till the last page like any good thriller, and raises a lot of interesting questions like any good science fiction.

Quote of The Day:

Art: Define being alive, before I decide you’re too stupid to talk to.

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NYPD detective Nikki Heat’s team catches the case of real estate mogul Matthew Starr, who took a dive off his apartment balcony. They find out that Starr isn’t doing so bad despite the market crash and evidence soon makes it into a murder case. But when the team starts looking into Starr’s history, they start finding the skeletons buried too close to the closet door. Meanwhile, a suspect has taken a personal interest in Nikki Heat. And matters are not made easier by Jamson Rook, a roguishly charming Pulitzer prize winning journalist who is shadowing Heat and her team for his article on NYPD.

For those who have seen the show, there is nothing more to be said about the characters. Nikki Heat, Rook and “Roach” are very thinly veiled counterparts of the show’s characters (take a second look at the names, too). The same chemistry between the characters continues into the book.

The book is heavily referenced in the series, and they have done quite well keeping all the things related to the book as per the series, including “testimonials” from real-life authors for “Richard Castle”, references to his “previous” book series and blending in the real life and show characters in acknowledgments and dedications.

Where Castle (like Pysch, or Monk in recent history) stands out from the myriad police procedurals loading the airwaves now, is that humour is always one of the main ingredients of the story, not just added a sidetrack. The book continues in the same vein, and never takes itself seriously. There are some pretty serious plotlines, but even without spoiling the ending, you can imagine that everything is going to turn up fine at the end.

It’s not a standard serious police procedural or a troubled detective story. But if you are in for a fun light mystery, this is definitely a book for you. I would also suggest you take a gander at the TV series “Castle” before or after you have read the book. I bet you would be rooting for both the book and TV series to continue.

Quote of The Day:

Heat: Did Mick tell you that?

Rook: No, Mick didn’t tell me that… It was Bono.

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Not strictly a prequel to the “Shadow…”, this is the story of a young orphan named David Martín. Helped by his rich mentor, Martín has tasted success at a very young age: he has a contract to publish his mystery/horror books and he is living in the mansion he always wanted.

But his success turns sour quickly, when his publishers kill his latest book, a labour of love for Martín, so that he can turn back to his successful crop of monthly penny dreadful. He has lost his love in what he thinks as a act of betrayal by his closest friend. And to top it all, he is dying.

This is when a mysterious Parisian publisher comes knocking. He wants Martin to write a book for ages, a book which will create a religion. But when the despondent Martin accepts the commission, he finds his surroundings hold a dangerous connection to the book he is writing, and it may cost him a lot more than what he is gaining.

As I said, this is not an exact prequel to “The Shadow…”, but there are many things common between the two. The story is again set in Barcelona, and people and places we have seen earlier, like Sampere and son (previous generation), their book shop, and even one of my favourite literary constructs, the Cemetery of Forgotten Books.

Even the themes are familiar, and not just because of the gothic tones. There are the ghosts of a violent past coming to haunt the protagonist. There’s a mansion holding memories, influencing the people around it. There are some strong friendships which withstand any horror. While The Shadow has a supernatural element, it is much more pronounced in Angel’s Game.

And there are some differences, mainly in the characters. Perhaps because I was comparing, Martin comes out much more self-centred and morbid (and sometimes arrogant) than Daniel Sampere. He has some good friends, who help him out to the end, but he is a lonely soul. He doesn’t make it easy for people to come close to him, and there are very few people whom he treats with respect till the end.

I wouldn’t say that if you have read his earlier book, you will know everything about The Angel’s Game. It is still a compelling gothic story, and you should definitely check it out.

But remember if you haven’t read any Spanish authors lately, they specialize in tragic stories which need some time to recover from. Also, don’t forget to read David Martin’s cynical observations about writing and the publishing business, if you can survive the first disillusionment his suggestions bring on.

Quote of The Day:

A writer never forgets the first time he accepted a few coins or a word of praise in exchange for a story. […] A writer is condemned to remember that moment, because from then on he is doomed and his soul has a price.

– David Martin, The Angel’s Game

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