Cassandra at Indie Reader Houston hosts 5 Best Books, a weekly meme that asks participants to list what they consider the 5 best books on a given topic.
This week’s topic is 5 Best Books … that take place in the future.
This is another week where I could easily choose more than five books on this topic. I have read a lot of science fiction and those stories tend to spend a lot of time in the future. Rather than choose recent fiction I decided to dig back into the past and choose a few of my old favorites and perhaps provide some new old books for people to discover.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
by Philip K. Dick
This book was the basis for the movie Blade Runner. The novel is set in a post-apocalyptic near future after a global nuclear war. Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter who tracks down renegade androids. Where does that strange title come from? Animals are rare and most have gone extinct from radioactive fallout. The few remaining animals are endangered and to own one is a sign of status. Rick had a live sheep but it died so he replaced it with a synthetic, or electric, sheep. P.K. Dick is one of my favorite science fiction writers. I probably could have chosen any number of his dark, disturbing, dystopian works as a favorite.
A Canticle for Leibowitz
by Walter M. Miller Jr.
This post-apocalyptic science fiction novel was written in 1960 probably as a warning about nuclear annihilation. It begins about 600 years in the future in a Roman Catholic monastery in the desert of the southwestern United States after civilization has been destroyed by a global nuclear war. The monks are tasked with preserving the surviving remnants of man’s scientific knowledge. The book is divided into 3 sections each moving further into the future. The overriding theme is that history is cyclical and man doesn’t learn from his mistakes.
The Space Merchants
by Cyril M. Kornbluth, Frederik Pohl
This was written in the 1950s and takes place some time in the 23rd century. I read this back in 1976 and absolutely loved it. The future world in this prescient novel is ruled by advertising agencies and big businesses who hold all the political power. While I don’t remember the plot details, I do recall that it’s a dark, satirical look at advertising and over the years I have referred back to it when I’d comment on a manipulative ad and say, “just like in Space Merchants“. Probably time for a re-read. It’s a short book and if you’ve never read it, it’s still available and in print.
The Postman
by David Brin
Published in 1985, this post-apocalyptic novel takes place in Pacific Northwest about the year 2012. A nuclear war has caused massive destruction and all communication technology has been destroyed. People now live in small towns and are isolated from each other. A man comes across a dead postal worker and puts on his uniform to keep warm. He then takes on the role of postal inspector and travels from town to town bringing them news and mail. This was made into a movie but I recommend the book instead. The movie changes the story; it was better as a book.
Nineteen Eighty-Four
by George Orwell
I have to mention this book, one of the most dystopian novels ever written. References to ‘1984’ often appear in movies and other writing and the language of the book has had a huge cultural impact. Most people are familiar with Winston Smith and his rebellion against Big Brother and the resulting consequences. In a bit of irony, Amazon Kindle owners found this book had been deleted from their libraries without notice because of copyright issues in the US.
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. This month’s host is Mari @ Mari Reads.
I received two books this week. Actually three. The Map of Time came with a copy of H. G. Well’s The Time Machine as it was the inspiration for The Map of Time. I’m really looking forward to reading this one. It encompasses all my favorite genres.
From the publisher for review:
The Map of Time
by Félix J. Palma
Spanish author Palma makes his U.S. debut with the brilliant first in a trilogy, an intriguing thriller that explores the ramifications of time travel in three intersecting narratives. In the opening chapter, set in 1896 England, aristocratic Andrew Harrington plans to take his own life, despondent over the death years earlier of his lover, the last victim of Jack the Ripper. Meanwhile, 21-year-old Claire Haggerty plots to escape her restrictive role as a woman in Victorian society by journeying to the year 2000. A new commercial concern, Murray’s Time Travel, offers such a trip for a hefty fee. Finally, Scotland Yarder Colin Garrett believes that the fatal wound on a murder victim could only have been caused by a weapon from the future. Linking all three stories is H.G. Wells, the author of The Time Machine.
A win from Atria books:
Eva Scrivo on Beauty
by Eva Scrivo
From the famed New York City hair & makeup artist and beauty expert, a head-to-toe guide to gorgeous hair and skin, beautiful makeup, and a healthier body and mind.
Twice a Spy: A Novel
by Keith Thomson
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Doubleday
Publish Date: March 8, 2011
Format: Hardcover | 320 pages
Rating: 3½ of 5
Ex-spy Drummond Clark and his son Charlie are back with another adventure in Twice a Spy.
After successfully eluding CIA agents intent on neutralizing them, they are now hiding out in Switzerland where Drummond is receiving experimental treatment for Alzheimer’s disease. Just when they think they might get some rest and relaxation, Charlie’s girlfriend, Alice is kidnapped by a group of bad guys who want Drummond to provide the location of a nuclear device they think he has hidden in Martinique. Meanwhile the CIA is still searching for them and they are now facing criminal charges if they go back to America.
This is the sequel to Once a Spy which I reviewed last month. It’s not necessary to read the first book to enjoy this one. The author does a nice job inserting background information when needed. Simply put, Drummond Clark, a retired appliance salesman, was a CIA spy who possesses sensitive information that could be deadly if it falls into the wrong hands. A group within the CIA feels he can’t be trusted due to his failing memory and wants to eliminate him and also his son, Charlie.
This book is a quick, enjoyable read with short chapters, and non-stop action. As in the first book there are lots of things blowing up, car chases, boat chases (we end up in the Caribbean) and shots fired. More a satire than a serious thriller, this book is a lot of fun and would make a good summer read.
About The Author
KEITH THOMSON is the author of Once s Spy. He is a former semi-pro baseball player in France, a filmmaker with a short film shown at Sundance, a cartoon artist for the Newsday editorial section, and a screenwriter who currently lives in Alabama. He writes on intelligence and other matters for the Huffington Post.
Giveaway Information
[Contest Now Closed. Winners are Karen K. and Brooke.]
Thanks to Liz at Doubleday Books you have a chance to win your own copy of Twice a Spy. I have two copies to give away to my readers. Contest is open to US addresses only, no PO Boxes. The book will be shipped by the publisher.
To enter fill out the Entry Form. Comments are always welcome but you need to fill out the form to enter the drawing.- For a bonus entry, be a follower. Email, RSS, Facebook, Twitter.
The deadline for entry is May 22nd, midnight, central time. I will draw 2 winners using random.org. Winners will be contacted by email and have 48 hours to respond with a mailing address.
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Source: Review copy provided by the publisher.
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I’m participating in Book Review Party Wednesday. Click the link to read more great reviews.
The House Wren is a friendly little brown bird with a loud, cheerful song that can be found in backyards, city parks and at the forest edge. They are migratory and go south of the frost line in the winter but can be found across North America in the summer. Any day now I expect to hear the male wren singing to attract the attention of a female.
This is the female wren. Last summer I was watching her bring yummy insect meals to the babies in the nest box. I walked closer to get a better shot and she started scolding me from a nearby branch. The scolding didn’t stop until I moved away.
Male and female House Wrens look alike. I was able to tell this nesting pair apart because of their sound. The males sing; the females don’t sing but they scold when they are annoyed.
I have several nest boxes in my yard that are suitable in size for wrens but the last two years they chose to nest in this decorative box.
Last year I hung the box out front in a tree from a wire hook. It was more for looks than practical housing but they moved in anyway. Wrens will build nests in flower baskets, old shoes or even a box in the garage.
I put the box out in the tree last weekend. It’s all cleaned and ready for them. Now all they have to do is show up.
I link up my bird photos on Saturday Snapshot hosted by Alyce at At Home With Books. Visit her blog to see more great photos or add your own.
The Doomsday Book
by Connie Willis
Genre: Science Fiction, Historical Fiction
Publisher: Spectra
Publish Date: June 1st 1992
Format: Hardcover | 445 pages
Format: Audio Book | 26 Hours 30 Minutes
Rating: 5 of 5
The Doomsday Book is not your typical science fiction novel. Historical fiction and science fiction are woven together alternating between the near future and the medieval past. Set in Oxford in the year 2048, time travel is now possible and a student historian is preparing to travel back to a 14th-century English village to conduct research.
Once Kivrin, our historian, goes through the time travel network the story accelerates quickly. Soon after her departure for the past, the technician responsible for operating ‘the net’ becomes ill with a virus that cannot be immediately identified. In 2048 everyone gets their antiviral shots and no one gets the flu. As a result Oxford is under quarantine; it’s Christmas break, they are understaffed, tense and nerves begin to fray. Meanwhile Kivrin arrives in medieval England with a horrible headache, quickly falls ill and becomes disoriented. A local family takes her in but once she recovers she isn’t sure where she is or what day it is. And how will she ever find the rendezvous point to get back home again? Then to make matters worse, the local villagers begin getting sick. Everything that could go wrong does in both the past and the future.
Overall the book holds up well considering it was written in 1992. The future created for 2048 back in 1992 feels a lot like today but with time travel and poor communication devices. The flu virus and potential pandemic could have been ripped from recent headlines. The sniping and arguing among the academics and placing blame on the outsiders and foreigners transcends time. Other reviewers have criticized the lack of cell phones in the future. I originally read the book in the late 1990s and never thought about the lack of cell phones. Reading it again now it did stand out that they had time travel but no internet or way to communicate through their ‘net’, but it wasn’t a major distraction for me. I read a lot of science fiction and I am able to suspend any disbelief and accept the world created for us in the book. A lack of communication was essential to the plot.
When my online book club choose this for their April discussion I wanted to read it again because I had forgotten a lot of the detail but I didn’t have time to re-read a huge book. My library had the CD version so I opted to listen to the audio book. There are a lot of characters in this novel and there was only one narrator. It was often difficult to know who was speaking. When she attempted a child voice it came out whiny and annoying. When she used a normal voice it was fine. When she would speak as one of the men it often sounded as if she was shouting. Perhaps 26 hours is just too long to listen to one book. When reading a long book such as this one I will speed up my reading if a chapter gets boring or slow down for better comprehension. With the audio version I didn’t have the luxury of skimming and parts of the book seemed to drag. I was surprised that happened because on my original reading I found the book to be very compelling.
I highly recommend the book (not the audio version) to everyone. You don’t have to like scifi to enjoy this one; there are no space ships, aliens or other planets. If you like time travel or historical fiction, give this a try. The Women of Science Fiction book group is discussing the novel this month. All are welcome to stop by and join the discussion. This book is also one of my choices for the 2011 Time Travel Challenge and the Audio Book Challenge.
“Waiting On” Wednesday is a weekly event hosted by Jill at Breaking The Spine that spotlights upcoming releases that we’re eagerly anticipating.
A novel concerning animal rights and the mysteries of animal consciousness caught my attention this week.
Unsaid
by Neil Abramson
To be Published: August 4th 2011 by Center Street
UNSAID is told from the perspective of Helena Colden, a veterinarian who has just died of breast cancer. Helena is forced to witness the rapid emotional deterioration of her husband David. With Helena’s passing, David, a successful Manhattan attorney, loses the only connection that made his life full. He tries to carry on the life that Helena had created for them, but he is too grief-stricken, too angry, and too quickly reabsorbed into the demands of his career. Helena’s animals likewise struggle with the loss of their understanding and compassionate human companion. Because of Helena, David becomes involved in a court case to save the life of a chimpanzee that may hold the key to unlocking the mysteries of animals consciousness. Through this case all the threads of Helena’s life entwine and explode – unexpectedly, painfully, beautifully.
Mailbox Monday was created by The Printed Page. It is the gathering place for readers to share the books that came into their home last week.
Mailbox Monday is currently on tour, hosted by a different blog each month. This month’s host is Mari @ Mari Reads.
From the publicist for review:
The Hat
by Babette Hughes
THE HAT begins with the brief, chilling murder of the godfather of the Jewish bootlegging world. The killer disappears without a trace and then in flashback we meet Kate Brady who has just been fired from her job at Shapiro’s Bakery. With an alcoholic mother and the joblessness of The Great Depression, Kate has little hope for a future until she meets the magnetic bootlegger Ben Gold.
Amid the drama of Prohibition, The Great Depression and the birth of the Mafia, the novel ends in suspense, surprise and revelation.
From Hyperion for review:
The Soldier’s Wife
by Margaret Leroy
Vivienne de la Mare lives at Le Colombier, an old farmhouse in a secluded valley on Guernsey in the Channel Islands, with her two daughters and her acerbic mother-in-law who suffers from dementia. Vivienne’s husband is away in the army, and the marriage is an unhappy one, regardless. And then the Germans arrive. Vivienne does what she can to “keep up the side.” She rations, grows vegetables, and looks out for her children and neighbors. But she did not expect to fall in love with Gunther, the handsome, brooding German officer who has moved in next door.
From Hyperion for review:
Original Sin: A Sally Sin Adventure
by Beth Mcmullen
Seeing Lucy Hamilton, you would think she is just like any other suburban stay-at-home San Francisco mom. She takes her three-year-old son Theo to the beach, playground, and the zoo. She makes organic applesauce, folds laundry, and plays on the floor with Matchbox cars until her knees ache. What no one knows about Lucy, not even her adoring husband Will, is that for nine years she was known as Sally Sin, a spy for the USAWMD (United States Agency for Weapons of Mass Destruction). And that’s just the way Lucy wants to keep it – a secret.
Under My Apple Tree 