[Review]Veracity

Veracity by Laura Bynum
My rating: 2 of 5 stars

Let me just start off by saying that I really wanted to like this book. It has an amazing concept and I'm pretty much a sucker for Dystopian Futures. I'm such a sucker that it's really hard to mess it up for me.
The problem with this book isn't necessarily the over detailed technology of this future, like I read in some reviews. I actually kind of enjoyed that aspect of it. The concept is golden: Certain words are red listed and will cause a plate in the back of your neck to short out and potentially kill you. Words have the power to carry ideas and when you're brainwashing an entire society, you find a way for them to not say them. Harper, the main character, is a sentient (or psychic) so they use her to find potential threats. The relationship between Harper and her daughter, Veracity, is done well, if obviously. Wanting to join up with a resistance based on the fact you can't say your daughter's name anymore making you realize how much society's given up. It's an exceptionally well written book. When you're dealing with a book about language, having someone with a firm grasp on it is definitely a plus. These are the good points and cover about the first half of the book.
Now the bad:
The main thing that killed this novel for me was the interpersonal relationships between Harper and everyone who wasn't her daughter. The relationships develop in ways that just don't make any sense whatsoever. She's in love with John who she initially hated. I can't figure out why, other than the author apparently felt that some kind of love story was desperately needed. Personally, the story would have been better without it. Her friendship with Ezra is no less mystifying. Ezra can't stand her and says she's the worst kind of whore. And then she's doing Harper's makeup. Um, kay?
The other problem for me was that it beat you over the head with the concept that this is clearly a post 9/11 metaphor. The Pandemic and the resulting control used over the population are clearly about 9/11 and the Patriot Act. Which is all and good, but by the sixth time you've gone into detail about it, I promise you the slowest reader has gotten it. Or if they haven't they're not going to.
There's also the whole way the war goes about. Call it a flaw in me, but the good guys have no business winning in a dystopian future. It takes away from the fear of it happening and the general air of hopelessness that tend to permeate the stories. But I'll give that part is just me.

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[Review]A Dance With Dragons

A Dance with Dragons by George R.R. Martin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

So, at the point that you're reading the fifth book in the series, you either love it or hate it and continue to read it anyway.

Book 5 of a Song of Ice and Fire is pretty much more of the first four books. With the noted exception that winter may finally be here instead of coming.

The main problem with the series at this point is that it's a world full of so many rich, realistic characters. Which means that there are inevitably going to be entire chapters of reading about someone that you a) dislike immensely b) annoys the living hell out of you or c) bores you to no end. The top of this list for me at this point in the series is Arya. Really, annoyed and bored with her story. I liked her initially. Now she's just a snot nosed brat. I can't even see how her substory and the Many Faced God are contributing the bigger story. Hopefully it will become clear in the next books.

Also, yet another moment of "hey, this character you really love, now they're dead, sorry". But if you don't expect that of Martin by now, then you really aren't paying any attention. Being a writer and knowing how attached you can get to your characters, I actually worry that George R.R. Martin might be a tad bit sociopathic with all the well flushed characters he keeps killing off.

All in all, it's really good. And now I wait and hope that he lives to finish the next two books. Now that winter is finally here. Finally.

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[Soapbox]Real People on the Internets #1

In today's edition of "Did They Really Just Say That?", we have a "gentleman" that I ended up somehow talking to on a site where I usually end up talking with people of lesser than normal intelligence, even by internet standards of intelligence. The gist of this conversation goes like this: "I hate the system, because I can't get a decent paying job. Oh did I mention I have badly done facial tattoos. They aren't stupid facial tattoos, because my girlfriend talked me into getting them."

So, I am a fairly tatted person for anyone who may not know. If I ever want a respectable job, I will be wearing long sleeves to cover them up. I made the decision to do this, because I love my tattoos and I can still cover them up. Now, that being said, if you have facial tattoos you don't get to complain about how you can't get a decent paying job. You have created the situation for yourself. It is not the system that is broken, but your common sense gene. It's not terribly shocking that most places aren't going to give you a job. Also, it does not make anything at all less stupid, because you weren't even going to do it until someone talked you into it. Just to throw that out there.

Now, I have nothing against facial tattoos. I have many friends who work in extremely well paying trades that are okay with facial tattoos. They pretty much all made sure they were settled in said trades before getting them. When I sell a million and one novels and never need to worry about a day job, I will probably get some myself. But I really have absolutely no sympathy for this "gentleman" or others of his ilk.

Call it judgmental, tell me I'm what's wrong with tattoos not being accepted in the work place, but sometimes you're just a moron. A moron with a face tat.

[Review]Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

So, generally when you pick up a book the size of this one that sells itself as fantasy, you kind of expect another "gee I wish I was Tolkien" tome full of lengthy descriptions of this one leaf on this one tree. Which isn't to say that I totally hate that kind of thing, but it does seem to be what you always get.

This is entirely different. It's unique and it's above all very British in the most positive ways. It's more witty than it is funny. It's more strange than it is fantastical in the traditional sense. It was, without a doubt, one of the more amazing books I've read in a very long time and I very much recommend it.

It requires a bit of an attention span and an intelligence level above Dragon Lance books, but that's a selling point for me. Maybe it's not for everybody.

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[Cinematic Thoughts]The Grey

**Warning: Spoilers** 

So, finally got around to watching the Grey last night with the husband. Man, that movie was intense and pretty dark. I don't know if I was entirely prepared to spend two hours contemplating mortality and the inevitability of death. So good though. So very, very good. Even if I woke up still feeling kind of broken down emotionally from it. Actually, come to think of it, that's a very good sign.

As great as the movie was and how clear it was that he died at the end, I would just like to put forth a theory:
Liam Neeson kills the wolf, become alpha male, lives out his life with wolves fetching him food and having sex with wolf bitches. Why? Because he's Liam effin' Neeson.
I also have an alternate theory where Liam Neeson is secretly the lost Stark and befriends the wolves and lives out the rest of his days with them fetching him food and having sex with wolf bitches.
Yeah, it always is going to come back to that.

After that bit of silliness, I now return you to regularly scheduled programming.