Eleanor vs. Ike

In a discussion with my wife, I stated that Hilary Clinton's experience was commensurate with Barak Obama's because his time in the state legislature and the Senate was equivalent to her Senate tour. I stated that her experiences as First Lady of Arkansas and the nation, while defining, were not in the rough and tumble field of politics. Then I got to thinking about Eleanor Roosevelt and her experiences and did that make her qualified to be President?

That question was answered in a way by Robin Gerber's ELEANOR VS. IKE. This fast-reading novel tackles the title presidential race. Some details are glossed over and others are added such as the alleged affairs with David Gurewitsch and Lorena Hickock (I have it from very good authority (one of the authors referenced at the end of the book) that there is no concrete proof of either affair and especially not the Hickock one.)

In any case, the book is a fun read and rather engrossing. I do think Mrs. Roosevelt would have made an excellent President. She had the political skills and the credentials from all her actions to be competitive and to be a great leader. And I think perhaps her actions as First Lady and afterwards hurts Hilary Clinton because when she moved into the White House 50 years after Eleanor left, there were no more worlds left to conquer. Eleanor did it all when there was more at stake. Now there are only the miniscule variations of change and evolution of what Eleanor started and completed.

Currently Reading:
U.S. FOREIGN POLICY by Steven Hook
THE KEY TO THE ASIAN MIRACLE by Campos and Root
BEFORE DISHONOR by Peter David
WILD CARDS: INSIDE STRAIGHT edited by George R.R. Martin
THE PRIVILEGE OF THE SWORD by Ellen Kushner
THE BLADE ITSELF by Marcus Sakey

Kitty and the Silver Bullet

Carrie Vaughn is one of my new favorite authors. I walked into the local bookstore before Christmas and just happened to look at her section of the shelf. There was the new book, KITTY AND THE SILVER BULLET, a full two weeks before its scheduled release date of January 1, 2008 (Causing my cousin to ask how I bought a book with a 2008 copyright). Of course, I immediately snapped it up and began reading it in line. But I was able to control myself because I knew I'd want to savor this novel. And was it worth the wait. I think I liked it better than the previous three.
Our heroine, Kitty the Werewolf, is living in Pueblo and doing her radio show when circumstances force her to return to Denver. Once the plot started rolling, I didn't want to put the book down (although during the day I read what the baby wanted and once my wife turned the lights out at bed time, I gladly stopped reading) But on the Metro, I almost missed my stop a couple of times and there was that once when I didn't get off the train at the end of the line and almost got shut in. For Christmas, I gave my young cousin the entire set of Kitty books and she read them all within the five days before we saw her again. She thought they were great as well.Carrie is one of the few authors I've met outside of a signing event (COSine, a fun little con in Colorado Springs) and she is perfectly charming. She will have a new Kitty book out in the fall and is featured in the new WILD CARDS collection, INSIDE STRAIGHT.

Currently Reading:
ELEANOR VS. IKE by Robin Gerber
THE PRIVILEGE OF THE SWORD by Ellen Kushner
WILD CARDS - INSIDE STRAIGHT edited by George R.R. Miller
BEFORE DISHONOR by Peter David

And starting tonight:
Whatever homework is assigned by Profs Root and Mayer

Plague Year

Jeff Carson's PLAGUE YEAR is an interesting dystopia about a world devestated by a nano-tech plague. And to throw a twist into the standard plague novel, his survivors can only exist above 10,000 feet MSL. Due to a flaw or planned limitation, the nanobots cannot exist above such altitudes plus or minus a little depending on the air pressure of the day. As a result, Colorado rules the United States. They are notionally leading the efforts to find a cure and restore America's oppulation and place in the world.

The book follows two parallel tracks - one a small group of survivors in California trapped on a small mountaintop with ever diminishing resources and the other in the International Space Station looking for a cure. These stories jump back and forth between each other until the end when they finally merge for the great dénouement.

The world of PLAGUE YEAR is shattered and may not survive. Too many greedy people and too much technology are abundant for a happy ending, but all is not bad because there is always hope. And perhaps the few good men can bring about change.

There are no easy answers to this book and no easy solutions, but then again that's the nature of life.

Currently Reading:
KITTY AND THE SILVER BULLET by Carrie Vaughn
THE PRIVILEGE OF THE SWORD by Ellen Kushner
WILD CARDS - INSIDE STRAIGHT edited by George R.R. Miller
BEFORE DISHONOR by Peter David

And soon to be reading:
Whatever homework is assigned by Profs Root and Mayer

DEATH DRAWS FIVE

So let's discuss John J. Miller's solo novel installment of the WILD CARDS series. Miller's novel titled DEATH DRAWS FIVE is the last book in this series put out by the sorely missed iBooks and I would suspect that this is the hardest of the series to find. The story revolves around John Fortune, son of Peregrine and Fortunato and his drawing of the wild card virus. The circumstances surrounding his emergence cause various religious groups to classify him as either the second coming or the anti-christ. As a result, they are all looking for him. The book reunites us with old friends such as Fortunato, Billy Ray, and Mr. Nobody while introducing new characters like Midnight Angel and John Nighthawk. Oustide of using the familiar characters and settings, there are few links to previous storylines such as the Rox, the jumpers, Typhoid Croyd or the Black Trump. The story reads like it is the end of the Wild Cards series because it puts so much into closure for the various characters past and present. And reading the press for the new novel, INSIDE STRAIGHT, this is the cap on the first series. The new book will take up in the present - 60 years after Jetboy's failure - and many old characters will be phased out or dead. We'll see what happens when I pick that one up.


On the whole, I liked this book despite a slow going at first. Once upon a time, I would hole myself up in my room when a new Wild Cards book came out and would not emerge until I was finished. Like the characters in the book, time changed for me as well. I have a small daughter now and must devote energies to my family and work instead of reading. But I read as much as I could on the train, at lunch and while walking around the building. It was a fun read and a welcome addition to the series. It brought back major characters and gave them the ending they deserved and it makes me look forward to the new book.


Currently reading:
CROWN OF SLAVES by David Weber and Eric Flint
KITTY AND THE SILVER BULLET by Carrie Vaughn
PLAGUE YEAR by Jeff Carlson
THE PRIVILEGE OF THE SWORD by Ellen Kushner

Let's get rolling...

Okay...a new year and a new attempt to get this book log rolling. I'll be using this to keep a running tally of what I read and post review of books and stories read this year. Things that will not be included generally are graphic novels, comic strip collections, and non-book based short stories.

Currently reading:
WILD CARDS - DEATH DEALS FIVE by John J. Miller
CROWN OF SLAVES by David Weber and Eric Flint
KITTY AND THE SILVER BULLET by Carrie Vaughn
PLAGUE YEAR by Jeff Carlson
THE PRIVILEGE OF THE SWORD by Ellen Kushner