Review: Death's End

Death's End by Liu Cixin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I'm surprised this book is only six hundred pages. Seriously, that's my first takeaway after finishing this book. It might be in part that I took my time reading it, but it's mostly because of how dense the story is. Most other writers would have taken the outline of this one book and expanded it over several novels. It reads more like a fictionalized history book of the future than typical novelizations. Each section world building a different era as it uncovers the story of the last two books straight through to the literal end of time. That's not a knock against it, but rather something you need to know before diving in.

If you read the first two novels in the series, and seriously why wouldn't you have, I'm hesitant to say you'll feel right at home in the last installment. It's not so much that it's written in a profoundly different way, but rather that it leans more heavily on its world-building strengths. This is especially true in the latter half of the book where, to be honest, not a lot happens in terms of plot. The characters, more or less, become passive observers to the end of fake history. Again, this isn't a knock against it, but it might be a turn-off to those who are used to lighter reads.

Though one knock against it is, much like the previous book, its main character is the least interesting of the bunch. Not as passive as Luo Ji, but Cheng Xin still feels like more of an observer than a character that drives the plot. Luo Ji got a pass because being passive was part of who he was as a person, but here I'm not so sure about Cheng Xin. In fact, I don't have a strong sense of her at all except when she is being reflected off Yun Tianming. This might be because I'm more of a Sophon/Thomas Wade kind of guy, but others might make the same observations. At least Cheng Xin did two important plot-related things in this book, and it's one more than Luo Ji.

While the characters might add a little color to the mix, I would urge that most readers aren't here for that. Rather they're here for the intense world-building, wonderful prose, and a level of scientific ideas we rarely see in the genre. It's a profound book that caps off a profound series. Probably the biggest knock against it is that there isn't more of it. I honestly believe with a more expansive dive into the world and characters that this could have made it into a twelve-book series. Would I have read twelve books like this? I don't know, but I feel like I already have.

One last reader beware warning: don't read this book if you're easily depressed. Some describe this book as "dark" and/or "grim", but I would disagree. It has more of a nihilist quality to it. The narrative not so much being cruel as it is uncaring in a way that would make Nietzsche proud. If I had to pick one word to describe this book, it would be "sad". Because it isn't sad that everything dies, it's sad that everything ends.

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Review: Invisible Kingdom, Vol. 1: Walking the Path

Invisible Kingdom, Vol. 1: Walking the Path by G. Willow Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Is it unfair to give first volumes full reviews? The opening chapter might be too much setup or tries too hard to impress and has a lackluster middle act. Should it be more of an initial impression rather than being placed under the critical laser scalpel Goldfinger style? No, the answer is no. All art must be judged. I will admit that context matters, but beginnings are not lesser or greater than their middles or even ends. And I will die on that pretentious hill.

Invisible Kingdom is a great book. Not blowing-my-socks-off good, but still shows a huge amount of potential. I'm still going to nitpick, because I have to, but the overall impression is that this is a graphic novel worth reading. And not just the first issue or anything, give the entire first volume a try.

One thing I really noticed was how well the writer and artist synced together. There was just something in how everything flowed that gave me the impression this was a true collaboration. Not just one person writing a script and handing it off to another person to draw it. It feels alive in a way that most comics, even good ones, fail to do.

If I had to pick one knock against the writing, I would say it's the pacing. Bad pacing doesn't necessarily mean it's moving too slowly. Sometimes it can mean that it's moving too quickly as well, and I felt that was the case here. It's in such a hurry to get the ball rolling on the main course it barely spends any time driving up our appetites. With the vaguest of world-building and a party of characters that we only get to know two of them, the story feels it's being rushed. It's not a deal-breaker, but still bothersome. I prefer to sip my whiskey, not gulp it down in one go so it burns my throat.

The art is a feast for the eyes. I'm not going to say it's better than the writing, but it was certainly a pleasure to take in. My only complaint is that it gave me strong Descender vibes, but that might have just been me. Still, I would recommend this book on the art alone.

"This book wasn't 100% for me, and I still really liked it." Should be the promotional tagline for the book. Because if you are the audience for this book, say feminist art nerds who can't admit Firefly is overrated, then this book will be the second coming for you. For me, I'll still be picking up volume two in the near future.

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Review: The Dark Forest

The Dark Forest by Liu Cixin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

More isn't always better. In fact, it rarely is. I'm just going to throw that out there. That sentiment is likely to be a recurring theme in this review, so it's a statement that should be a the forefront. I tend to respect those who state their business at the start and I try to do the same. I'm here is chew bubblegum and nitpick a book I fully enjoyed. And I haven't chewed bubblegum in two decades.

Considering the follow-up to the "Three-Body Problem" is 100 pages longer, you would either guess it contains a lot more story, or you're in for a long haul. The bad news is that it's the latter. The good news is the book is still awesome. I will complain that there seems to be even less story in "The Dark Forest", but that might be its radical change of focus. While there are some connections to previous characters, we're mostly dealing with a totally new slate of people. The overall story is still there, bad aliens are on their way, but it focuses so much on the future it completely forgets about the history it built upon in the first novel. The shift in characters and scope can be jarring but it doesn't remain an unwelcome change.

My biggest complaint, and there has to be one, is that the book sure does take its time. This is especially true of the first third of the novel. The first novel was tighter in plot and focus on the characters wrapped up in the story, but this one likes to stop and smell the roses. I really wouldn't say it's slow or badly paced, the story just demands a sense of urgency that the narrative doesn't share. The book doesn't waste your time, it just demands you be patient before it lets you know what the hell is going to happen next.

Luo Ji also isn't the most compelling character. He doesn't really fit the type of a main character, but he's the closest thing to a through-line we get. He mostly observes, his motivations are rather weak, and he really only does two things throughout the entire book. I feel it's a case of the story, ideas, and themes being more important than the characters while a more balanced approach would have been more satisfactory. Also, many of the other characters just seem like a rainbow in comparison to Lou Ji. I can't tell if this is completely on purpose or not.

There is a lot of great prose and imagery in this book. Basically, if you liked how the first one was written, you should like this one. There are several long segments involving science and plot dumping, but I enjoyed it so much I can hardly complain. There are some parts of the book that really had me thinking about it afterward. Chewing on my brain like a puppy with a new toy. It's a really great feeling to read a book that stays with you after you finish it. So many fail to do that you wonder how half of them even get published.

While the actual plot could be summed up in a couple of pages and a lackluster protagonist, I really loved this book. It's unconventional in the idea of it being a squeal, but the writing is so well done I hardly cared. It's a simple case of if you liked "The Three-Body Problem", you'll love "The Dark Forest". It's not better, but that's simply because there's more here to digest. Les is more. But that's the way it's always been.

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Review: The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead

The Zombie Survival Guide: Complete Protection from the Living Dead by Max Brooks
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Zombies aren't real. They aren't even really possible. We all know this. Well, we all SHOULD know this. They're still fun to write and watch but clearly aren't based in reality. But, here's the thing: survival is very real and very important. Our ancestors doing just that is proof enough. And that's where we find this book. On an almost perfect border of pure fantasy and the grimiest of reality. I think it's best to examine this book from both of those angles. As a work of fiction and as advice for the total collapse of civilization.

As a work of fiction, I honestly think it's great. It fully commits to the idea that zombies are not only real but the real of the world as except this fact as well. Even making up scientific, historical, and statistical information to support it. It's creative and well-written. It's a little difficult to finish as it gets repetitive towards the end and starts to be far more fiction as the fake facts dry out. The text is also as dry as a bone, but I find that to be a part of its charm. As zombie fiction I find it to be one of the best. Able to capture the grime nature of zombies without numbing your skull with sensitization flair.

As I said before, the 'facts' about the zombies are mostly fake. That doesn't mean it's completely devoid of false information. Far from it. I found a good bit of good information on weapons and survival tips. But I wouldn't recommend it as the sole resource for post-apocalyptic survival. The book itself often recommends consulting real survival guides on several occasions. Though it doesn't sight any direct sources. If anything, it makes you think about how you can at least start preparing for the end of the world. Unless you're rich. Then you can just jump on a plane and flee to New Zealand, leaving everyone else to die.

One note of disapproval is that the historical accounts at the end are mostly unnecessary. They can be creative and witty, but mostly serve as filler and just feel incompatible with the rest of the book. I'd suggest reading the first few and if they're not doing anything for you, skip them.

Overall I consider this a good book that's worth a read. Even if you're just a mild fan of zombies or surviving past a small emergency. You might learn something. I will say this though. If there's ever a head in fiction that is detached from the body, speaking or making noise, it bothers me. Because I learned through this book that your mouth can't make noise without your lungs and diaphragm. And I can't get that fact out of my head.

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Review: Batman: Three Jokers

Batman: Three Jokers by Geoff Johns
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Warning, your opinion of this book will vary. Mostly on two factors that will certainly intermingle. One, it will depend on your opinion of Alan Moore's classic "The Killing Joke". And two, will be even further influenced by how you feel in regards to a direct sequel to said classic that wasn't written by the original author. Because, while the writing and art are undeniably good, it dives into a piece of comic scripture that some might be unable to detach from.

I'm going to flip the script a little bit and comment briefly on the writing. Normally, when reviewing graphic novels, I'll go on and on about things like plot and dialogue but will only speak briefly on the art unless it stands out profoundly. Here, I'll just say the writing is really good. A true master of the comic book format at the top of his game. There can be plenty said here of the nature of the emulation of other authors, namely Alan Moore, but the final project is a tight unrelentingly story that has a perfectly woven characterization of, not one, but three heroes and their signaler relation to the chaos that is the Joker.

Now, the reason I want to talk about the art so much is because it should be taught in creative classes on how to draw a damn comic book. Not just because the art is glorious, even though it is, but because it communicates an emotional impact unlike ninety percent of the content that currently exists. Simple details like head nods and eye movements display more emotion than the most strongly worded text. The level of mastery on the page is intense and delivers every punch the story wants you to take. I honestly can't get over how good it is.

I would never be one to say that all comic books need to be in a quasi-type of nine-panel format, but it certainly is a superior form for the comic book genre. It allows the reader to carefully follow every tick of emotion of the story, instead of just following the dialog bubbles as the plot unfolds. It more firmly makes the art, and the objects that are being drawn, that much more part of the story. There are too many comics out there where the story is mostly told through the speech bubbles and the art is just used to direct who is speaking and if any display of action accruing. This is not one of those comics. And, hopefully, it will teach others on how it's done.

Also, while we're on the nine-panel subject, I've seen other comic books that have a strict nine-panel per page structure. While this can work if the writing style suits it (looking at you Tom King), making the style more adaptive to the story, I feel, is just the better format. This way, you develop all the strengths of the nine panels but aren't restricted by its limitations.

I think I'm just going to finish up this review by saying this is very much a book for long-time Batman fans made by a long-time Batman fan. It has a deep knowledge and love of the history of Batman and his never-ending fight with the Joker. In a lot of ways, this book looks to define that relationship and pulls from its most famous aspects. I'm not going to debate the fandom politics of it all. One, because it's beneath me. Two, the final product succeeds in so many ways those arguments are mostly baseless. It's not perfect. But, when a cynic like me won't point out its flaws, you know it must be good.


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Review: The Fold

The Fold by Peter Clines
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

I have a habit of labeling stuff. Not just 'bad' or 'good', but I create naming conventions for things I see repeat themselves. Especially in particular art forms like books and movies. For example, if a book has the characters spending the vast majority of their time walking/traveling to their destination, I called it "The Mordor Problem". Because one can not simply walk into Mordor. A similar naming convention came to mind as I read this book, but more on that in a minute.

If you saw the two-star rating first, you can probably tell I didn't care much for this novel. Making the real question not 'did I like it?' but rather 'where do I begin?'. I suppose it makes some sense to begin with the first chapter. I don't normally tear books apart chapter by chapter, but, seriously, the opening paragraphs of this book should be taught in creative writing classes of how not to begin a story. The latter half of the chapter does pull you in with an increasing tense scene, but the events of the first chapter mostly undermine later plot developments and the particulars don't impact the rest of the book. You see this a good deal in bad fiction, in both books and movies, where the opening scene means to draw you in with something shocking but has nothing to do with the actual story. The more I think about it, the more it annoys me.

I'll admit that, once I got past the first chapter, I found the book mostly charming. The flaws that radiate throughout the story were already there, but I hadn't noticed them just yet. It even crossed my mind that I might like this book. Statistically unlikely, but possible. Then it started to slowly grate on me. I started to notice the chapters themselves weren't really chapters, but instead singular scenes. Often divided by clunky bits of dialogue or something marginally climactic. I call this the "Commercial Break Mechanic". Ending chapters, not because the chapter, or even scene, was concluded, but rather because it would be a good place to put a commercial break like a badly written episode of Star Trek. You tend to see this ever so slightly in debut novels, but considering it was used in almost every single chapter and that this is Clines fifth or so book, I guess it's just how he writes.

Side Note: Read "Redshirts" by John Scalzi if you want to see someone make fun of this poor means of writing.

It was about then that I noticed other flaws. Like how the book was pretty much all dialogue. Kind of like how a cheap science fiction show/movie can't afford any special effects, so they spend all their time indoors talking out loud about their feelings or plot. The book has no prose to speak of except for direct action. If something isn't flying across the room or if someone's eyes aren't going wide, then nothing is being written except more dialogue. To the book's credit, it does describe some of Mike's inner photographic memory. But this is used mostly to set up his next action and doesn't do much else.

This leads me to the next thing to rant about. Our main character Mike. First off, I'm not saying you have to be a hyper-intelligent person to write a hyper-intelligent person, but it helps. The eidetic memory component is mostly just used as a plot mechanic and Mike doesn't make many smart decisions. There's even a running joke of people asking him "I thought you were the smart one?" Slightly humorous at first, but then I started to realize Mike isn't smartly written. Hell, the only reason he survives to the end of the book is because of plot armor.

Secondly, and perhaps more discerning, Mike isn't a likable character. Not unlikeable in the sense that he's cruel, capricious, or just an old fashioned asshole. He's unlikeable because he's selfish and weak. The thing is, I don't think the author knows this. Slight spoiler, but there's a scene in the book where Mike talks out his feelings because the book doesn't have any prose. He explains that he has spent his life pretending he isn't super smart because random people in his orbit might not like him. The book intends this to be sentimental or endearing, but it mostly comes off as pathetic. Hence, why he isn't likable.

I can go on. Believe me, I can. But if I tore into this book with every problem it has, we'll be here for years. So I'll reach the bottom of the pot and tell you its biggest problem. It's shallow. It's completely tame and inoffensive (unless you hate the truly unremarkable) and mostly reads like the novelization of a rejected script for SYFY. Also, its tendency to make pop cultural references pretty much guarantees it'll be forgotten in the literature zeitgeist. This book doesn't have anything meaningful to say nor has a story worth telling. Or, at the very least, is told too poorly for me to care.

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Review: The Three-Body Problem

The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

As a disclaimer, this written review is done after my second read-through of this book. Having never gotten around to the rest of the trilogy, and the upcoming Netflix series that will sit on the 'My List' query for years before I watch it, I felt I needed to re-familiarize myself with the book before proceeding to the other two.

I vividly remember reading the first chapter of this book years ago. It was shortly after it won the Hugo and I read the first chapter to see what all the fuss was about. I remember the insanely good imagery and prose before literally uttering the words "Fuck this is good." Years later, my reaction might be more reserved but my opinion of this novel remains the same. "The Three-Body Problem" is a great book.

The first thing that makes this book a must-read is its insight into modern Chinese history. With the country being blocked off from the rest of the world for so long, there might be a lack of insight into points of historical reference the author is working from. However, the workings of the book are so good that these flashes into Chinese history and culture aren't just token references. They are woven expertly into the fabric of the novel and set the stage for a deep involving story.

The second thing to admire about this novel is its love for science. I mean this book loooooves science. The author, Liu Cixin, loves science so much I'm surprised there isn't a mock wedding between him and science. While poking fun is perfectly allowed, what is actually admirable is the intelligence the science is given. I've read other books that love science but the authors don't have a deep enough understanding of it to fully integrate it into the story. That isn't the case here. Not only does this book love science, but it's also more than smart enough for science to love it back.

The third thing is the colorful characters. However, my take on this is a little more mixed. The characters are great, but the range can be a little far-reaching at times. Da Shi, for example, feels very much a direct influence of Western culture. This might be a bit of ignorance on my part, but I can't help but read about him without thinking about Dirty Harry. While the characters are well-written, they can be slightly detracting at times. But nothing close to a deal-breaker.

Speaking of characters, or more important character arcs is the nature and arc of Ye Wenjie. I'll try my best not to spoil anything, but there is a decision she makes in the book that I think is the most debatable aspect of the entire novel. While her move is insanely selfish, the novel takes great pains to allow you to understand her reasons. It's a fascinating notion that we don't see enough of in books these days and people I know who have also read this book still argue about it. That's all I'll say on the matter.

If there's a reason you haven't read this book by now, it can't be a good one. If you have time enough to read this review, you have time enough to read this novel. It's a near-perfect blend of importance and great writing that makes for a wonderful reading experience. Having read it twice, I will say it's not endlessly enjoyable. There are a few long-winded aspects of it that can detract if you already know the outcome. However, if this is your first time with this book, it's bound to challenge you in ways more novels should.

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