Remarkable, I think, for a published mid-19th century story by a Western European (Irish) male author. For who holds the Power in this tale? WOMEN!!!
Note: I gave CARMILLA a 4 star 🌟 rating when I finished it, but a day later while pondering my review, I elevated it to 5 🌟. See my concluding paragraph!
The novel is entirely contained in the format of police interrogation interviews (mainly responses)! So right away you realize, "Ohoh! Something really bad's happened here!" Just as Science and Sociology and Psychology has taught us that eyewitness accounts aren't always accurate: people see what they want to see, or what fits their conditioned perspective, plus the human brain automatically slides stimulus input into a framework, because it can't abide a puzzle: everything has to fit. Add in several individuals with their own disparate agendas, acting out of Character, all afraid to reveal the "truth," and the consequence is a hot mess of personality clashes, danger, wild arguments, and of course, two major themes: Internet Influencers...and Bigfoot. Yes, this is the Pacific Northwest, this is camping in a very scary woods, over the century-plus there's been lots of disappearances and deaths.
I appreciate the author's inclusion of both LGBT rep and the viewpoint of an adolescent Black male living in a small, predominantly Caucasian, community. These themes distinctly improved and intensified the story.
Release April 4 2023
I was enrapt with this fascinating Science Fiction novel from the very beginning. I'd read and enjoyed earlier novels by this author, but PARADISE-1 is just special! Amazingly, the farther I read the more engrossed I became ! So happy this is just the first of a Series, as there are so many themes and occurrences yet to be unraveled: some science-fictional, some metaphysical (AI's achieving self-awareness; at what point is humanity no longer human but solely living creature), some-yes-paranornal (about the persistence of life after death, and of psychic manipulation). So very much to delve into, and there is not one spare minute to breathe! Total fascination throughout, and I am rabid for the sequel!
URANUS by Ben Bova is Book 2 of his OUTER PLANETS Series, which commences with NEPTUNE. It didn't quite meet my admittedly high expectations: I wanted more Astronomy, more Science Fiction; less I guess human nature, human villainy. I had hoped for more why's of this anomalous planet. Now Dr. Bova does design an intensely puzzling mystery, I admit. I also grant full kudos for his ability to delineate a Villain in extreme detail, so that I spent most of the novel in fury at the depredations and machinations of the human evil plotter [in this, not much different than real life]. >p> I also would have liked more detail, development, and background on the spiritual leader of the Habitat, who conceived the idea of implementing a refuge orbiting Uranus to house the poor and downtrodden of Earth and to provide new lives. He exemplifies the intent of the Statue of Liberty, and expansion on that would be intriguing.
Release Feb. 17
Somewhere deep within the Canadian North Woods is a small, generally peaceful, community of off-gridders and others wishing to remain apart from the world. Functioning quite like an Indigenous tribe, The Border is mostly cohesive, directed when essential by a group of five, called by their numbers (Number One, etc.) The sole essential stricture relates to a clearing: during the Spring and Summer, it must be tended, cleared of weeds; but with the first snowfall, it becomes Verboten, for this is the contract made generations ago by the first people in the area, with the constantly devouring "Forest Guards." But suddenly and inexplicably the contract has been annihilated. Now no protection, no peace remains.
