Lions and Men

Board Game Review - 7 Wonders

2012-02-03T19:15:00.000-05:00

Title: 7 Wonders
Publisher: Repos
# of players: 2-7
Play time: 30 minutes
Age range: 10+

Rating: 6 out of 7 Wonders

Board games have come a long way from Scrabble and Trouble. There are games based on so many different themes that someone with any kind of taste can find something they enjoy. I have recently started to enjoy ancient cultures and ancient history, and 7 Wonders fits perfectly!

7 Wonders is a card game for two to seven players. No matter how many players you chose to play with, the game usually only lasts about 30 minutes. This makes it a great option for both small and large groups of people.

In 7 Wonders, each player takes on the role of a leader of an ancient civilization. As such, they strive to build up their cities, make bold advances in science and technology, bolster military might against their neighbors, and construct their magnificent wonder.

Just a few of the available civilizations that players can rule - Olympia, Babylon,
Halicarnassus and Ephesus

The first thing that you will notice about 7 Wonders is the beautiful artwork on the cards. Each card represents a structure and each structure is vibrantly detailed and colored. As more and more cards get played, the table that you are playing on starts to bloom with color. The game is just beautiful to look at, and although that doesn't say anything about the game play, it definitely goes a long way to making you want to play the game.

Speaking of game play, at the heart of 7 Wonders is a mechanic called "card drafting". Each player is dealt a hand of seven cards, and they each choose one to play. This card is laid in front of the player and the structure it depicts is considered to be built in their civilization. Each player then passes the remainder of the hand to the player on their left, and everyone chooses another card from their smaller hands.

An example of a hand in 7 Wonders

The fact that you can only choose one card from each hand means that you need to make some very tough decisions. Do you take that blood-red military card that will help you defend your city, or do you take that science card to become more technologically advanced? The cards that you don't choose will be passed to your neighbor, and you may not get another chance to play them.

This mechanic is quite enjoyable, and gives you the feeling that you really need to weigh the pro's and con's of each card. Each type of card (red military cards, green science cards, blue civilian structures, and purple guild cards) give their own type of benefit, and victory can be attained by using any combination of them.

As the game progresses, players put structures they have built in front of them,
growing their empires

In terms of theme, 7 Wonders is great in some aspects and O.K. in other aspects. As noted earlier, the artwork on all of the components is beautiful, and this makes playing cards really feel like building the structures that they are meant to represent. The player boards that represent the civilizations are especially detailed and are a joy to look at. The one thing that distracts from the theme of the game is the drafting mechanic itself. Selecting buildings and passing the remains of the hands along may be a great strategic element, but does not necessarily capture the essence of managing an ancient civilization.

All things considered, 7 Wonders is a very enjoyable experience. The rules are easily understood and the game plays quickly enough to be accessible to all, regardless of your gaming experience. The components are of excellent quality and the game feels very tight and balanced.

6 out of 7 Wonders!

Book Review: A Study in Scarlet, by Arthur Conan Doyle

2012-01-22T10:13:00.001-05:00

Title: A Study in Scarlet
Author: Arthur Conan Doyle
Genre: Mystery
Rating: 4 out of 5 magnifying glasses

A Study in Scarlet is the first Sherlock Holmes story written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. I recently acquired the collected Sherlock Holmes stories, and I figured I should start at the beginning. This is not only my first Holmes story - A Study in Scarlet was the first pure mystery novel I have read. I always hesitate in reviewing classics such as this, but I plan on reading more of Doyle's work in the future, and documenting how I felt about his first novel seems like it would be helpful.

A Study in Scarlet is written as a first hand account of one Doctor John Watson, a former military man who fought in Afghanistan during the war. Upon returning to London, he quickly finds he is without a roof over his head! He discovers that a strange fellow by the name of Holmes is looking for a roomate, and they quickly strike up a partnership.

Soon after Watson discovers that Holmes works as a consulting detective, they are employed in a very sticky case involving a dead man found in a room that is splattered with another man's blood. One of the only clues: the German word for "Revenge" scrawled on the wall in scarlet blood.

The character of Sherlock Holmes is nothing short of amazing. He is at once timid and outgoing. He is a genius when it goes to clues and the violin and completely ignorant of other things - such as the fact that the Earth revolves around the sun. Holmes is truly eccentric and I love him all the more for his short-comings in all areas other than his profession. Watson, on the other hand, is a little less vivid. We get a bit of back story on him at the beginning of the story, but he is often relegated as the "straight man" as played against Holmes' genius. His most common lines seem to be on the theme of either "But wait, I don't understand your logic" or "Truly you are brilliant Holmes!". I kept yearning for more of a relationship to form between the characters, but it never quite got there. Of course, this is only the first in a series of many stories, so I'm sure there is still ample opportunity for Watson to emerge from his sidekick cocoon and grow into a deeper character.

The mystery itself (don't worry, no spoilers here) was well done. Clues were presented at a regular pace, and you just knew that Holmes was piecing them together even before you realized their importance. There were multiple suspects and you definitely won't see the end come until Holmes has the perpetrator in shackles.

There was one thing that took away from the quality of the story. About half way through, after Holmes apprehends the murderer, the entire narrative completely changes. Instead of first person from the point of view of Dr. Watson, the narrative turns into third person omniscient. This is done to detail the history of the murderer, his motives, etc, but the transition is so jarring that it almost made me want to stop reading. The witty observations of Watson were gone, and in their place, col, impersonal descriptions of a completely different country in a completely different time. Luckily, I was able to get through this and Watson's account quickly resumed.

A Study in Scarlet was a fun little story to read. Its genius comes from the fact that it is so succinct and compact, while still managing to illustrate a convincing protagonist and compelling plot. If you have any interest in starting to read about Holmes, you should start here and enjoy, as I did!

4 out of 5 magnifying glasses!

Card Game Review - Fluxx

2012-01-19T21:04:00.000-05:00

Title: Fluxx
Publisher: Looney Labs

# of players: 2-6
Time: 15 minutes
Age Range: 8+

Rating: 3 out of 5

The rules of Fluxx are simple: Draw one card, play one card. You play cards to try to meet the current goal... But... then someone can change the goal. And then they make it so you can draw three instead of one, play two cards instead of one, and shuffle up all of the cards on the board and deal them out randomly! The goal changes again and the discard pile is shuffled back into the deck. How will you win now?

As the box states, Fluxx is a game of ever-changing rules. If you're going to win, you will need to keep up!

That intro may have made this game seem complicated, but you really shouldn't be too intimidated. At its heart, Fluxx is very simple and is more about altering current rules than adding completely new ones. There are four different kinds of cards...

Keepers: These cards represent things or ideas. You play them from your hand and you try to make a collection that meets the current goal. If you meet the current goal, you win the game! This include Milk, Cookies, Time, Death, the Sun, Love, Money, and so many more!

Goals: These cards tell you which keepers you need to have in front of you to win. These goals combine keepers in ingenious ways such as "Time is Money" (you win if you have Time and Money on the table) and "Hippyism" (you win if you have Love and Peace on the table).

Actions: These cards are used to do a ton of different things including drawing extra cards and stealing keepers. These are really powerful - use them wisely!

New Rules: These cards are placed in front of you and alter many different rules of the game.

So that is how you play... but what does it FEEL like to play? Well, Fluxx is a lot of fun! The game is easy to learn and each round plays very quickly. The goals make you really think about which keepers you want to play, and there is some degree of strategy in the order of the cards you play.

The thing that really draws this game down, however, is that all it takes to win is a bit of luck. At its heart, Fluxx is just a card-drawing game, and that means that play can get very random. No matter how much strategy you try to put into the game, your carefully laid plans are always vulnerable to a lucky draw on the part of one of your opponents. But in the end, Fluxx isn't supposed to be a serious strategy game. So you lost that round to a lucky draw - so what? Just shuffle up and play again? Odds are, you will get completely different cards and will win through a completely different route.

Fluxx is a perfect game to pull out and play if you only have a few minutes to spare, or if you want a light enjoyable experience with which to pass the time. What it lacks in depth is made up for in charm.

3.5 out of 5.

Television Review - Alcatraz Pilot

2012-01-17T17:16:00.002-05:00

Title: Alcatraz
Creators: Elizabeth Sarnoff, Steven Lilien, Bryan Wynbrandt
Producer: J.J. Abrams

Genre: Drama / Science Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5 cells

Let me first say that I am a big fan of J.J. Abrams. I had a lot of fun with Alias, Fringe and LOST, and I loved Cloverfield, Star Trek, and Super 8. Imagine my excitement when I heard that the man was producing another television show to soak up another free hour of my life every week. Yes, the pilot of Alcatraz premiered this past week, and I was watching. What follows is a quick summary of the episode and main characters, and my thoughts on it.

In Alcatraz, three unlikely allies team up to investigate a series of murders committed by people who shouldn't even be alive. In the 1960's, 302 prisoners were said to have been transferred from the island prison. We quickly learn, however, that these inmates in fact simply vanished out of thin air. Fast-forward to present day: these same criminals are showing up in San Francisco with a debt to settle. What is even more strange, however, is that they haven't aged one day.

Our journey begins with Rebecca Madsen (played by Sarah Jones), a San Francisco Police Officer, as she gets called in to investigate a murder. We learn (through a convenient LOST-esque flashback) that she witnessed her partner's death at the hands of an as-yet unidentified criminal, and we assume that she wants to be the best cop ever to make up for not being able to save him. She is quickly shoo'd off the scene by Emerson Hauser (Sam Neil), a tight-lipped know-it-all federal agent.

Leaving the scene with nothing but a stray fingerprint to guide her, Rebecca discovers that the evidence points to one Jack Sylvane, a man who was imprisoned on Alcatraz four decades prior. She meets up with Diego Soto (Jorge Garcia), a Double PhD/Alcatraz Book Author/Comic Book Salesman (no, I'm not making this up) to investigate The Rock further. Through a series of unfortunate events, Madsen, Hauser, and Soto (a.k.a. "Doc") decide to work together to find and incarcerate (again) Sylvane.

(end of ridiculous exposition)

As you can see, a ton happened in the Pilot. Questions were answered and new questions were raised. But how does it stack up to Abrams' other shows, and is it even worth watching?

The first thing people usually want to know about an Abrams show is how "cliffhangery" it is. As much as I loved LOST, it would get so frustrating because there were so many plot lines and questions that were never really answered. Each episode would just make you feel more... well... LOST. Fringe started to get away from this, but still required a lot of patience to watch. From what I hear, Alcatraz will try to focus even more on the "one episode, one story" formula. They will be investigating one case and catching one criminal during each episode. This sounds a lot like a cookie cutter cop drama (I'm looking at you, CSI and friends), but watching the pilot gives you a feel that there will still be some twists and turns for those devoted to the series.

First of all, Alcatraz employs liberal use of the flashback, something that payed off big for LOST. Between each commercial break, we are treated to the present-day exploits of our three heroes as they try to catch the villain as well as a look into what this villain's life was like while imprisoned on the rock. These flashbacks to the criminal's past gives you a lot of insight on the character and renders him more memorable than those goofy bad guys you see at the end of Scooby Doo (or CSI). It reminds me of Criminal Minds, and the extra effort is appreciated.

Another thing that makes Alcatraz stand out from the pack is that there is obviously something supernatural going on here. People don't just disappear for 40 years and then pop back up again to commit crimes and run 40K's. Through a combination of flashbacks and present-day character development, I am sure this story arc will add a lot more energy to the "catch one bad guy a week" formula. The question is this: How bogged down will the series get because of it? (Spoiler: Only time will tell.)

In terms of characters, we get about as much as we expect from Abrams. We stick to the formula that worked for Fringe (strong blonde female protagonist, older male superior who keeps information from said protagonist, crazy civilian who really has no business investigating murders) and really don't make any deep changes. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, however because it could all change when we learn more about the characters. I, of course, immediately love Emerson Hauser because everything Sam Neil does is genius. And ~~Hurley~~ Soto isn't bad either.

Finally, the show is visually beautiful. The past and present time periods are immediately recognizable. Past-Alcatraz is dark and gloomy, while the prison that Hauser puts the criminals in during the present (which looks structurally similar to the interior of Alcatraz) is bright and sterile. Even Soto's comic book shop has a bit of a charm to it.

Though eerily reminiscent of Abrams' past projects, Alcatraz seems to be a perfect mix between cop drama and supernatural thriller. Time will tell how popular the series is, but I plan on watching regularly.

4 out of 5 cells!

--

I hope that you enjoyed this review, and if you are watching the show as well, I would love to know what you think! I don't plan on writing a review for every episode, but I may do an end-of-season and beginning-of-season summary when applicable.

Lions and Men is Branching Out!

2012-01-16T14:00:00.000-05:00

Hello everyone! As you may have noticed, I haven't posted in a while. What can I say, school has started up again. And although I wish it was not the case, I just don't have as much time to read and post as much as I would like.

With this in mind, I plan on taking this blog in a couple of different directions. Don't worry! I will still be reading and reviewing science fiction, fantasy, and horror novels (albeit at a reduced pace). In order to provide you with more content, however, I plan on also reviewing and giving my thoughts on other fun and geeky things, namely board games, card games, and movies. Luckily, my taste in games and movies aligns closely with my taste in books, so you can still look forward to the same genres that Lions and Men tends to focus on.

I think reviews of more varied forms of media will be a lot of fun to write, and I hope they will be fun to read. You can look forward to some new content along these lines in the coming days!

Giveaway Results: Dracula in Love, by Karen Essex

2011-10-21T06:38:00.000-04:00

And the winner of the Dracula in Love giveaway is...

Kristy Nicole!

Congratulations! And than you everyone for participating.

Book Review: The Island of Doctor Moreau, by H. G. Wells

2011-10-12T18:42:00.000-04:00

Title: The Island of Doctor Moreau
Author: H. G. Wells
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 3.75 out of 5

The Island of Doctor Moreau is truly a multi-genre tale. It combines elements of Science Fiction and Horror. It also acts as an allegory, mirroring aspects of society. Beneath it all is one of Wells' favorite themes: the horrible things that can come about by reckless meddling in science that should be left alone.

The Island of Doctor Moreau is written in the form of a journal of one Edward Prendick. Through a series of unfortunate events, Prendick befriends some malcontents on a small merchant vessel and debarks to a mysterious island inhabited by horrible beasts.

These beasts are half animal and half human, and Prendick is immediately thrown into a struggle for his life as he fights against the master of the beasts, Doctor Moreau. Throughout the novel, as the line between civility and savagery is blurred, Prendick is forced to rethink his preconceptions about good and evil, right and wrong.

This book was very fun to read, and really made me think about the undertones and themes that hide under the surface of the pages. Doctor Moreau was written less than forty years after Darwin's On the Origins of Species. Throughout the novel, Wells examines the qualities that separate humans from animals, and eventually comes to the conclusion that we may not be as different as the experts think. Wells suggests that human and bestial qualities rest under the surface of all life, and only the shell of our flesh separates the species. Moreau shows Prendick that it is quite easy to turn beasts into men, and we come to learn that it is even easier for men to act like vicious beasts.

The major problem that I have with this book is that it is so improbable. Yes, I realize that I walk a thin line when I say things like that in reviews, as I write a blog abut fantasy and science fiction. However, to me, a work of science fiction only works when the science feels like fact. Wells asks us to believe that turning a beast into a man is as easy as plastic surgery, but this reader remains unconvinced. The entire premise makes the book feel more like a long metaphor than an actual science fiction novel that one expects when thinking of the author's other works.

In the end, I really enjoyed The Island of Doctor Moreau. Aside from a few preachy segments in which Wells' message comes through too clear, the novel was a fun ride through a haunted house of grotesque beasts and even more nefarious men.

3.75 out of 5 man bear pigs.

This review is a part of Dueling Monsters 2011

Excerpt and Giveaway - Dracula in Love, by Karen Essex

2011-10-06T20:02:00.000-04:00

Today, I would like to share an excerpt from Dracula in Love, a Victorian horror romance, written by Karen Essex. You might remember this one from when I interviewed Essex during Dracula Week.

At this point in the novel, Mina Harker wakes find herself in an insane asylum while Doctors Seward and Van Helsinger prepare to perform experiments on her...

"I was in a somnolent state, in which the line between reality and hallucination was easily blurred, my mind alternating between the sweet sensations of my imagination and the faint sounds in the room – the tinkling glass and metal as Seward and Von Helsinger prepared for the procedure, words muttered between them in German, and the low, ambient hum of the asylum’s inmates.

All of a sudden, I felt a shift in the room, as if someone had made a surprise entrance, but through hazy eyes, I saw that the door was still closed. Von Helsinger’s alarmed voice barked exclamatory words to Seward in German, and Seward responded with a strange cry. I wanted to slip back into my reverie, but then something crashed to the floor, as if one of the doctors had dropped a thing made of glass. I opened my eyes again and in my dreamy state, I thought I saw a thick mist seeping through the shuttered window. Confused, wondering if this was part of a dream, I blinked my eyes and looked again. The two doctors – eyes wide with astonishment – stood frozen, watching the vapor as it swirled before them, growing in luminescence and intensity. Before our eyes, the numinous particles began to sculp into a form, and I thought that perhaps an angel ad come to save me.

Slowly the thing took shape. It was not an angel but a shimmering coat of silver fur, which gradually molded itself over great muscled haunches, its outer ends elongating into a bestial tail and head. My dream world collided with my reality as I watched the wolf dog I had seen in Whitby growl at Von Helsinger, backing him against a wall and baring his teeth at the incredulous doctor. Von Helsinger pressed himself against the wall, yelling something in German, and the beast lunged at him, pinning him with its thick paws. The treacherous canines were not an inch from Von Helsinger’s face. Seward tried to get the door, but the wolf dog turned around and, with preternatural speed, leapt on him from behind, sinking its teeth into the doctor’s back. Seward cried out in anguish as he pulled away, leaving some of his flesh in the animal’s mouth. Von Helsinger pushed Seward through the door, but before he could escape, the animal swiped at his face and neck, leaving sharp claw marks from check to throat. With a howl of agony, Von Helsinger grabbed his face and fell through the door after Seward, slamming it shut. I lay in bed paralyzed. The wolf dog jumped on the bed, straddling me, staring at me with its vivid indigo eyes. The last thing I remember seeing in that room was his huge incisors above my face, red and dripping with Seward’s blood." (pp 254-255 of the ARC)

Also, I am excited to tell you that the publisher, Doubleday, has offered a brand new paperback copy of the novel for Lions and Men to give away! So here's the deal!

The giveaway will run from 10/06/2011 to 10/20/2011. The winner will be drawn at random and will be announced on 10/21/2011. US and Canada entrants only. To enter and increase your chances of winning...

+1 entry: Comment on this post and include your email address (required to enter)
+3 entries: Become a follower, or tell me if you are a follower
+3 entries each: Start following me on Twitter or on Goodreads, or tell me if you already do
+1 entry each: Link to this post in a tweet, blog post, blog sidebar, Facebook, etc. Be sure to include a link to your content in your comment.

Good luck everyone!

Book Review: The Call of Cthulhu, by H. P. Lovecraft

2011-10-02T13:33:00.000-04:00

Title: The Call of Cthulhu
Author: H. P. Lovecraft
Genre: Horror
Rating: 4 out of 5

The Call of Cthulhu is one of H. P. Lovecraft's most popular works. It features his most iconic creature of horror, and is the cornerstone of his entire mythos. Let's uncover the terrifying madness contained within...

Cthulhu is written in the form of an old journal of a man named Francis Thurston. After his great uncle's death, Francis discovers that he has come to inherit a body of work that attempts to piece together mysteries surrounding mass hysteria and violent cults. Together with this information and his own investigation, Thurston describes the unspeakable horror that he uncovers.

The story is broken up into three parts. Part One, The Horror In Clay, relates how Thurston's uncle investigates a period of a few weeks in which people began having horrific dreams of a slime-covered city rising out of the ocean. Part Two, The Tale Of Inspector Lagrasse, is a second-hand tale of a police inspector's raid of a cult in the swamps around New Orleans. The cultists worship a creature similar to the one seen by the troubled dreamers. Part Three, The Madness From The Sea, is an interview with the widow of a man driven insane by what he saw while sailing on the ocean.

The Call of Cthulhu, like many other stories written by H. P. Lovecraft, works on the basis of plausible deniability. The story is told in such a way that the events that occur go unnoticed by the world. A single character - in this case, Francis Thurston - stumbles upon cosmic mysteries of the universe before fading into obscurity. The facts that might destroy the world if they got out are simply re-buried. The world spins and humanity lives on unaware of the horrors that lurk under the surface.

That is what is so tragic about The Call of Cthulhu. We, as the reader, are treated to the darkness within the world and then watch it slip through the cracks of common knowledge. This dynamic adds ample tension to the story. As Thurston stumbles upon each piece of the puzzle, it is both exciting and heartbreaking.

As a standalone tale, it is difficult to give this story an outstanding rating. The characters aren't the most vivid, and not much happens until the very end of it. However, I believe that the value of Lovecraft's work is much greater than the sum of its parts. When considered as part of the whole, The Call of Cthulhu truly shines. If you have any interest in Lovecraft, you would not be remiss to start here!

4 out of 5 tentacles!

This review is a part of Dueling Monsters 2011

Giveaway Results: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

2011-09-27T06:32:00.002-04:00

Thank you everyone for entering this giveaway! The winner is....

Audra! Congratulations!

Odd Passenger: An Odd Thomas Story

2011-09-24T16:37:00.000-04:00

Odd Thomas, a novel written by Dead Koontz, was one of my favorite paranormal novels when I was younger. It tells the story of Odd (yes, that is his real name), a simple short order cook at a local diner that can also talk to dead people. In so doing, he tries to bring them peace and prevent future violent acts. In stead of simply posting a review, I wanted to share with you some video of a story that is based on the character of Odd Thomas. I feel the following four episodes are a great representation of Odd Thomas, and should give you a good idea of the feel of the novel.

Odd Thomas is also being made into a full-length movie, due out in 2012!

Book Review: Deadline, by Mira Grant SPOILERS OF FEED

2011-09-23T07:44:00.002-04:00

Title: Deadline
Author: Mira Grant
Genre: Horror
Rating: 4 out of 5

[WARNING][WARNING][WARNING]
This review contains spoilers of the first book in this series, Feed. This review does NOT contain spoilers for Deadline. I'm sorry folks, I know I said that I would not include spoilers in my reviews, but it is unavoidable in this case. All of my feelings for the second book branch off of large events in the first book, and I would be unable to write a complete review if I did not refer to them directly. If you have not yet read Feed, check out my spoiler-free review here. If you want a spoiler-free review of Deadline, check out this review on Goodreads. But, if you have read Feed or do not care about spoilers, click on "read more" below to continue!
[WARNING][WARNING][WARNING]

The events of Deadline take place about a year after those of Feed. Zombies are still on the prowl, humanity is still living in fear, and government officials are still corrupt. Shaun Mason takes the reins of the popular After The End Times online news network and tries to get to the bottom of a government conspiracy that lead to the death of his sister. With old friends and new, Shaun struggles to stay alive and retain his dwindling sanity.

Unlike Feed, the second novel is narrated by Shaun Mason, a character that was stuck pretty much in the background of the first book. Georgia Mason was such a powerful character in Feed that she stood head and shoulders over her reckless brother, and Shaun was relegated to the role of comic relief. Now that Shaun gets to be the narrator, the story takes on another feel entirely. Instead of thoughtfulness and introspection, the thread of the story is seeded with Shaun's sarcasm and urgency.

This change in narrative is good and bad, in my opinion. The good part is that Shaun often feels like a much more flawed character than his sister. He never really knows the right things to say and is left to doing whatever comes into his mind at the time. This makes the plot events much more interesting. The bad part is simply that the narrative was so much better when both Georgia and Shaun was on the scenes. The two characters balanced each other out, and the feel of the second book suffers because Shaun is flying solo.

The only other big part that I didn't enjoy about the book is the shift into the realm of Science Fiction. And although mutating viruses that cause people to turn into zombies can be considered Science Fiction, the leaps of logical faith that Grant expects us to make in Deadline are almost too large. The last chapter in particular had me shaking my head in disbelief, unsure of how the final book in the trilogy was going to handle it.

So what was good about Deadline? Well, everything else. With the giant character of Georgia behind the curtains, we get to learn so much more about the other members of the news team. Each one has their own great personality, and they all mesh together very well. The reader feels that they all truly care for one another, which is great. At the beginning of each chapter are snippits of blog posts from the main characters, which allows you to really get into their world.

The zombies, as always, are second fiddle to the giant political game of chess that goes on around the characters. In truth, the zombies are much less scary to the characters than the potentially deceitful humans around them.

The second novel of a trilogy is usually the weakest of the three. And although Deadline may not be as shiny and new as Feed it holds its own as a great SciFi/Horror novel.

4 out of 5 zombies getting poked by sticks!

Book Review: The Strain, by Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan

2011-09-19T06:59:00.002-04:00

Title: The Strain
Authors: Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Genre: Horror
Rating: 4.5 out of 5

It's not every day that two well known names team up to write a novel. Even more rare is to find a novel about vampires these days that is truly in the horror genre. How does the first book of their trilogy measure up to this horror reader's expectations?

The Strain follows Dr. Ephraim Goodweather, an investigator for the CDC, as he tries to make sense of a devastatingly lethal outbreak surfacing in New York City. It all begins when an airliner lands at the airport with all of its lights off, the shades all pulled down, and everyone on board dead. Eph quickly learns that these individuals aren't deceased, but infected with a pathogen that turns them into blood sucking monsters. Each night, the contagion spreads throughout the city. Together with his CDC partner, a city exterminator, and a mysterious old pawn broker, Eph finds that they are on their own against a city full of vampires and a government conspiracy.

The Strain is an impressive mix of classical horror and science fiction. The vampires are created by the introduction of a pathogen into an human's blood stream when they are attacked by one of the undead. Because of this, and because the main characters work for the Centers for Disease Control, much of the book takes on a "cop drama" feel as they try to sort out the ultimate cause of the disease and how it is spread. Sprinkled throughout are descriptions of the vampires feeding, which are truly horrific.

The strongest point of this book is the character development. Two of the major characters have large back stories that really makes you root for them. Eph is fighting to keep his son safe and the elderly Setrakian is trying to avenge the people he lost decades ago. Even the victims of the vampires are all unique and colorfully depicted, something I didn't expect and was pleasantly surprised by.

I also loved the subtle nods to classic vampire lore that Del Toro and Hogan weave into their novel. Many age-old myths (aversion to sunlight, inability to cross water, no reflection in a mirror, etc) are either incorporated or debunked as old wives tales. Even the novel's opening scene, where a plane lands with everyone on board dead, is adapted from a scene in Bram Stoker's Dracula. I'm happy that the authors recognized where their novel came from, and acknowledged its influences.

One thing that I wasn't exactly happy about was the depiction of the vampires. I know that the authors wanted to get as far away from the "suave, romantic" vampires that plague literature lately, but I think they went too far. The vampires are autonomous, shambling monsters that think of nothing other than spreading their disease. Throughout most of the novel I felt like I was reading a book about zombies. And although that isn't a bad thing in and of itself ("are vampires really that different from zombies?" you ask me incredulously), I think there is something much more scary about an enemy who is craft and intelligent. For the most part, these vampires are just target practice for anyone with a silver sword or UV light.

With that being said, The Strain definitely lives up to the hype, and makes me look forward to the rest of the trilogy.

Lions and Men will be participating in Dueling Monsters 2011!

2011-09-17T19:37:00.001-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know that I will be participating in the Dueling Monsters event, which is hosted by Heather J. at Age 30+ Books and Jill at Fizzy Thoughts.

What is Dueling Monsters? H. P. Lovecraft's Call of Cthulhu and H. G. Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau are the two featured stories. Any blogger can review one or both of the stories, and submit their links to Heather and Jill. They will then post links to all of the reviews.

What does this mean to you? First, you will get to read my reviews of The Island and Cthulhu before the end of October. Second, you can go check out the host blogs on October 31st to check out EVERYONE's reviews!

Feel free to join, the more the merrier!

Book Review: Jurassic Park, by Michael Chrichton

2011-09-14T20:36:00.000-04:00

Title: Jurassic Park
Author: Michael Crichton
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5 velociraptors

Science can do some pretty crazy things. When a man attempts to bring dinosaurs back from extinction, he risks the lives of everyone in the world. Jurassic Park is a modern classic of science fiction, mostly because of the success of the movie. But what about the book that spawned that titanic beast of 90's pop culture?

Jurassic Park is a story about two paleontologists that are roped into taking a tour of a yet-to-be opened zoo that features dinosaurs as its main attraction. Everything goes awry, however, when a greedy computer programmer sabotages the computer system in an attempt to get rich. With the security fences down, the animals run loose and, well, I don't need to tell you much more than that.

Similar to The Princess Bride, I grew up watching Jurassic Park. Over. And over. And over again. After reading other works by Crichton, I decided to read the book. I was nervous that it wouldn't live up to my expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised.

The book is different from the movie in a thousand little ways, most of which are so minor that I don't even remember them a few weeks after finishing the novel. Some of the ones that stand out are...

There is no romantic tension between Alan Grant and Ellie Sattler. In the movie, there was always something unspoken about the two scientists' relationship. In the book, this tension is nowhere to be seen. Ellie is also about 20 years younger than Alan in the book. I have to admit, I missed this in the book.
The book includes many scenes that were not in the movie. These include Grant and the kids hiding behind a waterfall from the T-Rex and getting lost in a Pterodactyl cage. I imagine the reason for the scenes being left out of the movie has to do with the technological limitations in 1993. What is interesting is that analogs of both of these scenes wound up in subsequent sequels to the movie.

Apart from these differences, one notices that the novel goes much further into the science behind the park than the movie does. Crichton goes to great lengths to try to make his tale believable. Sure the science isn't really accurate, but hey! We're talking about dinosaurs here. The fact that the author tries is good enough for me, and I find it very interesting. The flip side of this coin happens when Crichton goes to great lengths to describe computers. Now keep in mind, Jurassic Park was written in 1990. Back then, computers were a BIG DEAL. Crichton takes time describing the appearance of computer consoles and the intricacies of DOS-like menus. Exciting, right? Maybe in 1990, but not nowadays. But in some ways, that just adds to the charm of the novel.

A great part of the book is the development of the characters. And although I had the image Sam Neill stuck in my head whenever I read chapters about Alan Grant, I was able to appreciate the character in a completely new and better way. Many of the characters have very complicated back stories and emotions. That alone is a good enough reason to pick up this book.

I had a great time reading Jurassic Park. it was half blast from the past and half brand new experience.

4 out of 5 velociraptors!

GIVEAWAY: Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, by Seth Grahame-Smith

2011-09-11T20:32:00.002-04:00

Hello friends! After a long hiatus from blogging, I wanted to thank all of you for sticking with me. And what better way than with a snazzy new giveaway?

From the back cover...

"While Abraham Lincoln is widely lauded for saving a Union and freeing millions of slaves, his valiant fight against the forces of the undead has remained in the shadows for hundreds of years. That is, until Seth Grahame-Smith stumbled upon The Secret Journal of Abraham Lincoln, and became the first living person to lay eyes on it in more than 140 years.

Using the journal as his guide and writing in the grand biographical style of Doris Kearns Goodwin and David McCullough, Seth has reconstructed the true life story of our greatest president for the first time-all while revealing the hidden history behind the Civil War and uncovering the role vampires played in the birth, growth, and near-death of our nation."

Also, check out my review of the book here.

This giveaway is for one hardcover copy of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, written by Seth Grahame-Smith. The giveaway will run from 09/11/2011 to 09/26/2011. Please, United States entrants only. The following is a list of how you can enter the giveaway and increase your chances of winning:

+1 entry: Comment on this post and include your email address (required to enter)
+3 entries: Become a follower, or tell me if you are a follower
+3 entries each: Start following me on Twitter or on Goodreads, or tell me if you already do
+1 entry each: Link to this post in a tweet, blog post, blog sidebar, Facebook, etc. Be sure to include a link to your content in your comment.

Good luck everyone!

First Impressions and Book Trailer: The Strain, by Del Toro and Hogan

2011-09-11T09:40:00.001-04:00

In a world where romantic and suave vampires are the norm, it is quite refreshing (from a horror blogger's point of view anyway) to come across a book that features terrifying and ruthless undead. Guillermo Del Toro and Chuck Hogan promise to deliver that with their novel The Strain.

A mix between CSI and Dracula, The Strain is shaping up to be a great read. It has mystery, a compelling protagonist, and a slew of horrible blood thirsty monsters marauding New York City. Expect a review soon, and until then, watch these great videos, including two book trailers!

A word of caution: Some of the movies have a bit of strong language.

Movie Reviews: The War of the Worlds (1953 and 2005)

2011-09-10T16:34:00.000-04:00

We have already looked at The War of the Worlds novel and the radio broadcast. Today, I'd like to share with you two movies based on the novel. One was made in 1953 and the other was made in 2005. Both of these movies were loosely based on the novel in that they take the events that occur in the novel but follow different characters during those events. Also, they events take place in different areas.

Title: The War of the Worlds
Year: 1953
Director: Byron Haskin
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 3 out of 5 heat rays

This was the first film adaptation of H.G. Wells' novel. Dr. Clayton Forrester befriends Sylvia Van Buren at the site of the first Martian landing, and we follow them during the assault on the Earth.

This movie feels a lot different from the novel. The novel focused more on the individual during the alien invasion. However, Dr. Forrester spends a lot of time talking to government officials and generals in the field. This gives the movie a much heavier feel.

There are a few parts of the book that I wish the movie incorporated. The first has to do with the Martians using human blood as food. This fact paints them in a much more terrifying light. There is something much more foreboding about humanity being captured and held prisoner as a food source compared to simply being destroyed. The second point that I missed was the focus on the hysteria that the citizens of the world feel when the planet is invaded. The only time the movie mentions this is in a small montage, which is disappointing since it was a big part of the novel.

Finally, I need to talk about the special effects. I'm sure they looked amazing back in the 50's, and there is nothing wrong with old school scifi. However, the limitations of technology unfortunately altered points of the story. For instance, instead of large tripods, the aliens ride around in what look like spaceships. I imagine this is because moving legs would have been to hard to animate.

In all, The War of the Worlds may not be the best movie, but it definitely has a certain charm about it. Check out the trailer!

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Title: War of the Worlds

Year: 2005

Director: Steven Spielberg

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 4 out of 5 lightning bolts

In 2005, another film was made based on H.G. Wells' classic. Dock worker Ray Ferrier struggles to protect his two children as the aliens invade New York.

Spielberg took many more liberties with the story than the 1953 movie did. First of all, the term "Martian" is never mentioned in the movie, and in fact Spielberg said that his aliens didn't even come from Mars. Instead, they come from a place much more far away and malevolent.

Also, instead of the aliens crash landing on our planet because of the fact that the habitat on their planet was inconducive to life (as in the book), we quickly learn that the tripods were buried under the Earth - possibly millions of years ago. This makes the motives of the aliens feel much more sinister. Instead of fighting to survive in a new environment, they are taking back what they believed to be theirs all along using as much force as necessary.

One of the things that I loved most about the movie is the focus on the individuals and the mass hysteria that the invasion caused. Instead of a famous scientists being the main protagonist (as in the 1953 version), we follow the journey of a middle class guy and his two kids. They are forced to fight for their lives against the aliens and the humans. And yes, the threat from their fellow man is just as real as the extraterrestrials. What would happen if someone had the only working car in the country? Or if there was only so much space on a ferry that was leaving an alien infested area? When people's lives are threatened, there is no telling what they will do.

If you are a fan of Wells' novel, then I think you will enjoy this movie. It is similar enough to appease die-hard fans, and fresh enough to feel new and exciting. Check out the preview!

Spotlight: The War of the Worlds Broadcast of 1938

2011-09-09T06:25:00.000-04:00

The year was 1938 - 40 years after H.G. Wells' The War of the Worlds was originally published. On the evening of October 30th, families tuned into their radio programs just in time to hear of a horrible alien invasion taking place in New Jersey and New York City... At least that's what many listeners thought. In reality, what they were listening to was simply a dramatization based on The War of the Worlds.

In the 1930's, CBS had been regularly airing a theatrical radio show called Mercury Theatre on the Air. One of the masterminds behind this radio show was actor Orson Wells. Every week, Wells and his company of actors would put on shows for their radio listeners. On that October evening, Wells decided to put on a show based on The War of the Worlds. It begins with an introduction taken from the novel, and is presented as a series of news broadcasts in which a Martian invasion occurs in New Jersey.

Many of the families listening to the broadcast, however, were confused and thought that the invasion was actually happening and that they were listening to actual news broadcasts. This confusion was due to a few different factors. The first is that Wells' show only mentioned the fact that it was fiction three times throughout the hour-long broadcast: once at the very beginning, once 40 minutes in, and once at the end. So anyone that missed the beginning of the show would have had no idea of its true nature. This was compounded due to the fact that many people missed the first 10-12 minutes of the show because they were listening to another show that was airing concurrently on ABC. By the time that they changed the dial to CBS, they were lost.

Listen to the entire broadcast!!!

Although many events have not been confirmed, there were supposedly many cases of fear and hysteria on the part of the ignorant listeners. People could swear that they smelled the poisonous gas that the Martians were spreading across the country. Some people were terrified to leave their homes, while others swarmed to the site of the supposed Martian landing. There is also a story that a group of armed individuals shot at a water tower, thinking that it was a Martian tripod. The New York Times published an article describing the chaos and fallout:

Click to read the entire article!

After the night of the radio broadcast, the public became irate. They believed that Orson Wells intentionally deceived the listeners. Neither CBS nor Mercury Theater on the Air were officially punished, and the entire fiasco served to propel Orson Wells to fame.

Orson Wells' reaction to the supposed hysteria his show caused...

I hope you enjoyed this look into one of the greatest "hoaxes" in history!

Book Review - The War of the Worlds, by H.G. Wells

2011-09-06T21:27:00.000-04:00

Title: The War of the Worlds
Author: H.G. Wells
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5 tripods

The War of the Worlds is one of the most evocative science fiction novels of all time. It is also one of H.G. Wells' most popular works.

The War of the Worlds takes place in England in the late 1800s. It describes a series of events in which intelligent beings from Mars come to Earth. Their technology and weapons far outclass our own, and all they have on their minds is complete and utter domination of the human race. They do not want to destroy our world: rather, they want to take it over and use us as food. Reduced to nothing more than glorified cattle, man kind is tasked with the most difficult objective yet: to stay alive in the face of overwhelming odds.

This novel is written in the first perspective, from the view of an educated writer of philosophy. I have said it in other reviews, but I am a big fan of the first-person view in science fiction and horror novels. The fact that the reader is limited in their knowledge to what the narrator knows greatly increases the suspense. There are two points in the novel in which this scheme changes, however. Instead of the narrator describing his journey, he talks about the journey of his brother in London. Although these sections are just as enjoyable, ping-ponging between characters decreases the immersion one feels when reading the book.

One of the most interesting aspects of The War of the Worlds is the way in which the Martians are described, and the manner with which they take over the world. The aliens are not depicted as an all-knowing and all-powerful race. On the contrary, they have evolved to be the most dominant species on Mars, a planet with a completely different set of environmental obstacles than Earth. For example, the gravity on Mars is only a third of that on Earth, so the Martians are sluggish on our planet - their breathing shallow and labored. However, they compensate for their weak physical stature with their technology.

And that is where War of the Worlds comes into its own as a depiction of a terrifying scenario. The aliens erect gigantic metallic tripods, capable of razing entire cities. They unleash a devastating "heat ray" on humans, which instantly turns them into a blazing corpse. Finally, they shoot canisters of dense, poisonous black smoke, which kills anyone unlucky enough to breathe it in. What is most horrifying is that the Martians use humans as food - collecting our blood and transfusing into their veins for sustenance.

The reaction of the humans in Wells' vision is also very interesting. At first, people are curious about the extra-terrestrials. Then, they become defensive and attempt to destroy them with force. When force proves useless, all of humanity erupts into a mass hysteria - people flee, loots stores, and trample their neighbors underneath carriages and trains. The War of the Worlds is more than just a silly science fiction book about aliens. It is a kind of thought experiment about how Earth would react to such an event.

This brings us to the conclusion of the book, and although I will not spoil anything, I must admit that the ending has always seemed a bit like a cop-out to me. It is as if Wells wrote himself into a corner, and without any other options, he elects to take the easy way out in order to supply us with a satisfying conclusion.

The War of the Worlds is one of the most entertaining science fiction novels that I have read in a long time!

5 out of 5 tripods!

Book Review: The Princess Bride, by William Goldman

2011-08-22T14:14:00.000-04:00

Title: The Princess Bride (S. Morgenstern's Classic Tale of True Love and High Adventure)
Author: William Goldman
Genre: Fantasy / Fiction
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 Rodents Of Unusual Size

"Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles."

All of this and more can be found within the pages of The Princess Bride, by William Goldman. I grew up watching the movie of the same name, and recently decided to read the novel it was based on. Doing so was a bitter-sweet experience, however...

First: A disclaimer. On the front cover and throughout the book, we are lead to believe that The Princess Bride was written by a man named S. Morgenstern, and that William Goldman is simply taking this long novel and abridging it, cutting out the bland parts and leaving only "the good bits". This is not true. There is no such person as S. Morgenstern. There is no "original" version of The Princess Bride, so don't waste your time looking. I know I did... Because of this writing style, which I will discuss later on, I feel that I must review this book in two parts. The first part will be a review of "what S. Morgenstern wrote" (again, he neither exists nor wrote anything). This includes all of the True Love and High Adventure that the movie was based on. The second part will be a review of the annotations and comments that William Goldman writes throughout the novel (apart from the actual novel - the entirety of which, once again, he wrote). Confused yet? Excellent, let's begin...

The Princess Bride tells the story of Buttercup (the most beautiful woman in the world) and Westley (a poor farm boy, formerly in the employ of Buttercup's father) as they fight to be together in a world that they quickly learn is unfair. Buttercup, being the most beautiful woman in the world, is forced to marry Prince Humperdinck, the rotten prince of Florin. Before the wedding, however, she is kidnapped by a giant Turk named Fezzik, a masterful fencing Spaniard named Inigo, and an evil mastermind named Vizzini. Vizzini plans to start a war by framing a neighboring country with Buttercup's death and enraging the Prince and Florin. However, all of this begins to unravel when a mysterious man in black shows up.

This story combines solid characters, beautifully conceived settings, and a great plot. In terms of characters, in the first few chapters, we get to see how Buttercup behaves in her younger years. It seems she was not always a charming little princess. She was once a spoiled girl who only enjoyed tormenting the local farm boy and riding her horse. The characters of Fezzik and Inigo are also really fleshed out. Each has their own chapter which discusses the circumstances of their employment with the evil Vizzini. Throughout the novel, these foundations are built upon and the characters all change before the reader's eyes. The settings of this novel are also great. Locations such as the Cliffs of Insanity, the Fire Swamp, and the Zoo of Death are all as colorful as their names suggest. Finally, in terms of the plot, all I can say is that The Princess Bride really is a "Tale of True Love and High Adventure".

If I were simply reviewing the tale that "S. Morgenstern wrote", or perhaps the movie (which was incredibly faithful to the book), my review would end there with a great 5 out of 5 rating. Unfortunately, because of the way in which Goldman wrote the novel, I need to continue...

As I alluded to earlier, I spent a lot of time trying to track down the original version of this novel by S. Morgenstern. I've never been one to read abridged versions of novels. It is my belief that if the author wrote something, it was meant to be read. I found my further research very frustrating, and eventually discovered that I held the original version in my hand, and that Goldman used this "abridgment" business as a literary device.

Instead of just "abridging" the novel, however (which I would think just involves cutting passages out), Goldman includes a page or two of his own thoughts every time he makes a cut. Sometimes he criticizes Morgenstern, other times he asks the reader rhetorical questions, still other times he insults his publishers or makes fun of his overweight child. That's right. Whether or not Goldman really hates his publishers or really has an overweight child, he uses this literary device to cut into some of the most action-packed scenes to give us snippets of his "life".

The purpose of this is beyond me. Perhaps it is to make The Princess Bride more unique. After all, I have never read another book that did this. However, in a stroke of irony, these cuts perform the opposite of what an abridgment should be. Instead of cutting out boring passages, they interrupt the flow of the novel. Instead of leaving the "good bits", Goldman's device includes needless passages that I just want to skip over. Perhaps this irony is what Goldman was trying to accomplish all along, but that still doesn't change the fact that the story would be better without it.

Finally, my version of the novel (ISBN 0-345-34803-6) contains "the first chapter of the long-lost sequel, Buttercup's Baby". Note: There is no such thing as a full sequel entitled Buttercup's Baby. Much like the novel, Goldman pretends to abridge the first chapter of the non-existent sequel written by the non-existent Morgenstern. Although Goldman once stated that he would have liked to write a full version of Buttercup's Baby, he said he could never do it. Do you want my advice? Don't read it. It is a confusing mess that only leaves the reader underwhelmed at the end of the novel. Actually, don't read any of Goldman's annotations. Actually, you're probably better off just watching the movie, as this condenses all of the author's nonsense into a true "good bits" version. The flimsy literary device employed in the novel gets a disappointing rating of 2 out of 5, which averages out to...

3.5 out of 5 Rodents Of Unusual Size.

Book Review: The Time Machine, by H.G. Wells

2011-08-19T13:37:00.000-04:00

Title: The Time Machine
Author: H.G. Wells
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 4 out of 5 carnivorous albinos

The Time Machine is a classic of science fiction and a pioneering novel in the sub-genre of time travel. Truly, if one thought of the epitome of a time travel book, this would be it. Let's take a trip back in time to uncover the novel that sparked millions of imaginations.

The Time Machine, published in 1895, was H.G. Wells' first novel. The book is broken up into two parts. The first of which is narrated by a man that was invited to the house of the time traveler. During the meeting, he describes how the Traveler attempts to tell them all how he has invented a time machine, and how he describes the fourth dimension (time). The second part is a retelling of the events that occurred after the Traveler went forward in time. In the second part, the Traveler meets the beautiful Eloi and the horrifying subterranean Morlocks, both of which are the end result of human evolution.

The way the novel is written uses a narrative style that I have grown to like lately. Namely, a first person account of what ANOTHER character says. This makes it seem like the narrator may have gotten some of the facts wrong, and that some elements of the story might have been embellished or left out. The sense of mystery this gives the reader makes reading novels such as these all the more exciting.

The descriptions in this book, especially of things in the future, are very vivid. The Traveler travels to the far distant future where society as we know it is destroyed and nature has reclaimed most of our space. Wells' characters are beautifully described as well. Even the few action scenes keep you on the edge of your seat.

At the heart of The Time Machine are the Eloi and Morlocks. The Eloi are small, weak, and spend their days loafing in the sun and eating fruits. Their lives would be perfect, if it were not for the fact that the terrible Morlocks - with their white fur and insatiable appetites - emerge from under the ground during new moons and feast on the Eloi's flesh. This is meant to be a warning against the stratification of the upper and middle classes that was present event in Wells' time. He supposes that if they become further and further separated in a socioeconomic fashion, that the classes would eventually split of biologically, and yield two species. The upper class would become the Eloi and the middle and lower classes would become the Morlocks.

Although this is a satisfying comparison to make, it represents one of my biggest problems with the book. The problem is that the comparison isn't subtle or hinted at. On the contrary, the Traveler spells everything out for the reader. To me, it ruined the immersion when the author basically shouts at me: "Watch out! This is the moral of the story! Listen up!"

Also, whether it is because of Wells' preoccupation with this moral or simply because he didn't consider it, the Traveler never goes back in time. And although the novel stands perfectly well without it, I cave come to love time travel for the ways in which one can alter the past and present.

In all, The Time Machine is a marvel of science fiction. H.G. Wells is the real deal - check this one out!

4 out of 5 carnivorous albinos!

Time Travel in Games: Chrononauts

2011-08-18T11:27:00.000-04:00

Today, I want to share with you all one of my favorite card games: Chrononauts. Made by a small company called Looney Labs, Chrononauts is a game for two to six players. In it, each player assumes the role of a time traveler with a unique mission. You must battle against the other time travelers in order to alter the time space continuum to your liking, all the while amassing a fortune of artifacts from the past and the future to aid you.

The genius of this game is directly related to the Timeline: a set of cards arranged in a grid that represent important events between the years 1865 and 1999. By using certain cards called Inverters, time travelers are able to change major events and cause ripples through time. These ripples paradoxes that must be repaired in order for the time traveler to set the timeline to how he likes it, and win the game.

The Timeline

For example: On August 1st, 1936, Germany hosts the summer Olympics. What if a time traveler went back in time and assassinated Hitler at the opening ceremonies? This would cause ripples in time that would change may things, including World War II.

The concept of the Timeline makes playing this game a truly visceral experience, and really gives the player a feeling that he is altering events that have real repercussions on others. Players also have secret missions that revolve around them collecting certain artifacts. If a time traveler completes this mission, they can win the game. Artifacts can come from the past or the future, and include things like a Cure for Cancer, the Lost Ark of the Covenant, a Live Stegosaurus, and a Videotape of the Creation of the Universe. These artifacts add a certain humorous flare to the game, and keep the atmosphere very light.

The final way in which a player can win is if they repair paradoxes in the timeline (which are created when time travelers muck around with time-space). However, travelers must always be cautious - if there are 13 or more paradoxes at any given time, the Timeline will collapse on itself and everyone will lose!

Although Chrononauts may sound complicated, it is a simple game at heart, and does not take a lot of time to learn. It provides a great amount of entertainment (games last around 30 minutes), and also has a lot of educational value. If you are a fan of games and/or time travel, check this one out!

Book Review Double Feature: The Anubis Gates and The Time Traveler's Wife

2011-08-17T09:26:00.000-04:00

Today we will be taking a look at two other books about time travel. I reviewed The Anubis Gates, written by Tim Powers, last year, and I am going to refeature it here because of its relevance. Also, Heather over at The Maiden's Court has read and reviewed The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger, which I will also share with you. So, without further adieu...

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Title: The Anubis Gates
Author: Tim Powers
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 body-snatching werewolves

The cover of The Anubis Gates touts Powers' novel as a "classic of time travel". Between this statement and the less-than-subtle inclusion of Egyptian themes, I became hooked and brought the book home. Does it measure up to expectations? Yes and no.

The Anubis Gates follows the life of Brendan Doyle as he meets up with an eccentric millionaire and travels back to 1810 to watch a speech made by author/poet Samuel Coleridge. In so doing, Doyle gets involved with bands of murderous street beggars and ancient Egyptian sorcerers.

In short, The Anubis Gates is so packed to the brim with science fiction and fantasy elements that Powers is sometimes unable to juggle them all well. My favorite thing about time travel stories is how the characters' muddling in the past affects their present. And although this can be seen by the end of the book, I was less than impressed with the "time" element for most of it. The main character time traveled, yes, but then the novel seemed to switch over to simple misadventures in 19th century London. Instead of going heavy into time travel, Powers introduces theories such as Egyptian sorcery, cloning, and body-snatching werewolves.

Throughout all of these crazy plot points, the character of Brendan Doyle develops in a mostly predictable pattern (preoccupied academic learns that it is better to live life rather than study it) and the villains just don't feel evil enough.

In reading The Anubis Gates, I was certain that I was going to give it a rating of 3 or under. However, in the end, I was pleased with how all of the seemingly disjointed SFF elements were brought together. Some of the plot points were predictable, but that didn't make them any less fun to read about. Ultimately, I couldn't decide on either a 3.5 or a 4 rating for this one, so I averaged them.

Is The Anubis Gates an epic knock-your-socks-off time travel adventure? Not quite. Although a fun read, there were too many ideas to sift through to make any one shine. This one may or may not be worth the time, depending on what you are expecting.

3.75 out of 5 body-snatching werewolves.

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The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Paperback, 546 pages

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

May 27, 2004

“When Henry meets Clare, he is twenty-eight and she is twenty. Henry has never met Clare before; Clare has known Henry since she was six. Impossible but true, because Henry finds himself periodically displaced in time, pulled to moments of emotional gravity from his life, past and future. Henry and Clare's attempts to live normal lives are threatened by a force they can neither prevent nor control, making their passionate love story intensely moving and entirely unforgettable. The Time Traveler's Wife is a story of fate, hope and belief, and more than that, it's about the power of love to endure beyond the bounds of time.”

Henry DeTamble is just your thirtysomething average guy – he’s a librarian, is in a relationship, and likes to go out and have a few drinks – except he time travels at any given moment and leaves a pile of clothes behind, and when he comes back he is absolutely naked!

Clare Abshire is your average little girl – she has picnics in the meadow, goes to school, and lives in a huge house – except a naked older man shows up in the meadow one day and tells her he’s a time traveler!

The first time Clare meets Henry he is time traveling – 14 years later she meets him in his present time. A romance grows between them and Henry and Clare attempt to work out a life together dealing with his time traveling.

For me, this was my first book that really involved time travel. Henry couldn’t control his time traveling and never knowing when it was going to happen always made for interesting occasions. Also, showing up somewhere naked can really put a cramp in trying to go unnoticed - it can also end up being quite dangerous. One of the things that I enjoyed about this novel was that we get to see how time traveling effects those that Henry loves - the fear that comes with not knowing if he will come back ok. I think this is the first time I ever thought of time travel as something where you could get hurt and not return in the same condition in which you left. The time travel aspect was integrated into the folds of the story entirely - it never felt like it was just thrown in there for kicks.

With all of this time traveling, occasionally it was difficult to keep track of where in time he was and what he should or should not know at this time. As stated in the blurb above - Henry meets Clare when she is 6 and he is much older - so she has known him her whole life, but for Henry, time is not linear so he sometimes is very confused as to what he knows.

I was dreading the end of this book as it approached. I became so attached to Clare and Henry that I didn’t want it to end. I must warn you, this book is a tear jerker – at several points throughout the book. I absolutely loved this book. The characters are so real, true events are used, and the basic rules of time travel are addressed as well. The 600 pages just flew by! The book is also written in a humorous way – just wait for the part about Henry’s dreams, I couldn’t stop laughing.

This novel does have many romance elements but it isn’t the main focus and I would recommend this to anyone – men and women alike – everyone will find something to enjoy.

5 out of 5 stars

I hope you enjoyed reading about these two time travel novels!

Time Travel in Music: Broken Bride, by Ludo

2011-08-16T09:33:00.001-04:00

Time travel is a very popular topic of science fiction novels, but what about music? Although a quick Google search yields a few quirky videos, I was able to find something much more epic for you all.

The little known rock band Ludo, which specializes in songs laced with heaping doses of geek humor, has released a five-song "mini album" about time travel. In the rock opera, entitled Broken Bride, a nameless time traveler invents a machine and flies through time in order to save his deceased wife from a fatal accident.

Each song has a different feel to it, which reinforces the feeling of traveling through time. From up-beat pop to more heavy rock and roll, Broken Bride spans multiple genres and generations. I have embedded a player with the songs below. The album is less than 30 minutes long, so if you love time travel, you should definitely give it a listen! A quick summary of the songs will follow.

Part I: Broken Bride. A song sung to the Traveler's lost love. In it, he describes how she died, and what he has done to try to save her. It appears he has overshot his destination and crash landed in a world filled with dinosaurs, tar pits, and glaciers. This song really has an epic feel, and its fast pace gives the listener a sense of urgency similar to what the Traveler must be feeling

Interlude: Save Our City. This time, we are treated to a glimpse into the future. There is a conflict between the mayor of the City, the king he has aligned himself to, and a mysterious "tyrant god". Zombies wander the streets and devour the helpless citizens. One young boy travels to the mayor to plead for him to help. The Traveler doesn't actually appear in this song.

Part II: Tonight's The Night. This peppy song returns us to the Traveler's plight, as he once again recounts the loss of his wife. The up-beat lyrics and music of this song makes it clear that Part II actually takes place BEFORE Part I. The optimistic Traveler lays out his plans to save his wife. Little does he know the hardships he will face in trying to get back to her.

Part III: The Lamb And The Dragon. The Traveler has done it this time... It seems he has flown to the future - one many years after the events of Save Our City. It is clear now that the conflict has escalated, and the Apocalypse is almost upon humanity. A band of rebellious humans has conspired to release a dragon, to fight the "tyrant god" who is now trying to destroy the world. At the end of the song, the Traveler's machine is destroyed. He speaks to what appear to be angels, and asks for a miracle to see his wife just once more...

Part IV: Morning In May. The Traveler wakes up in his bed, only to find his living, breathing wife laying next to him. In this bitter sweet conclusion, the Traveler learns that he was never able to change the past, and that this morning in May really will be the last time he sees his love...

Book Review: The Map of Time, by Felix J. Palma

2011-08-15T09:15:00.002-04:00

Title: The Map of Time
Author: Felix J. Palma
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 2 out of 5 attempts to change the past

The Map of Time, by Felix J. Palma, is one of the more recent novels to be welcomed into the genre of time travel. I love anything that has to do with time travel, so I quickly picked this one up to read during the summer. The front cover says that it is “a brilliant and breathtaking trip”, unfortunately, this reviewer doesn’t believe that the Map lives up to the hype.

The Map of Time is broken up into three parts, each one telling a different time-travel-themed tale. These stories are interconnected, however. Characters and events from each affect the others in unforeseen ways. The first part recounts the journey of Andrew Harrington, who begins the tale in the throes of depression, and resorts to traveling through time to right the wrongs of his past. The second part deals with a love story between the well-to-do Clair Haggerty and the brave Captain Shackleton which breaks through the time-space-continuum and defies all laws of physics. The third relates the exploits of H.G. Wells (real-life author of The Time Machine) as he tackles the ramifications of traveling through time.

This format, though successful for other books, did not work for me. The events outlined in the exciting plot synopsis that is printed in the jacket (something we all consider when searching for great books, am I right?) are mysteriously nowhere to be seen for the first 500 pages of the book. I felt as though I was forced to wade through characters and plots that I didn’t really care about – just to reach something that I believe resembled the novel that I paid for. Unfortunately, by that point, the remainder of this “novel” was only fifty pages or so.

Along the way, the characters that we meet do little to hold our interest. They seem flat, bland, and all together devoid of life. They all seem to be whining or complaining about one thing or another, and they didn’t inspire anything resembling empathy in this reader’s skeptical heart.

Palma’s choice to set his novel in Victorian London also had me underwhelmed. 19th century England is such a lush and colorful setting, but the author neglects to use it to his advantage. For the most part, any of the plot points could have happened in any time period. For a novel that is supposed to be about time and time travel, one would have hoped that the actual time period would have played more of a role. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

All of this could have been forgiven, however, if the plot was solid and intriguing. When reading a novel about time travel, I want the story to be lush and multilayered, in which all possible repercussions of traveling through time are considered. Palma, however, gives only a passing glance at the intricacies of time travel, and seems to only focus on random aspects that suit his needs at the time. Truly, most of the plot points felt contrived and ultimately unnecessary. Characters often make extreme (and illogical) jumps of logic, only to move the story forward. Palma's supposed plot twists, as opposed to being exciting, are merely disappointing, and change the novel from bad to worse.

With so many excellent science fiction and time travel novels out there, I find it hard to dig up much I liked about The Map of Time. Perhaps the only bright spot is the character of H.G. Wells. He has a part in each of the three stories, and is ultimately the protagonist of the whole mess. However, when added to the rest of the novel, his inclusion seems only to serve as a desperate grab at a bit of “science fiction notoriety”, which Palma seriously lacks.

2 out of 5 attempts to change the past.

100 Followers and Summer Update!

2011-07-28T18:12:00.000-04:00

Hi folks, I know that it has been an embarrassingly long time since my last update, but I just wanted to thank all of you for supporting Lions and Men during one of the busiest times of my life. I am very humbled knowing that 100 people now are interested in what I can bring to the blog-o-sphere, sparse though it may be as of late.

My first year of vet school went very well, and I am taking the summer off to do some volunteer work and to get back into reading. And, along those lines...

Look forward to a week devoted entirely to my sci-fi favorite, time travel, by the end of the summer. It will feature reviews of works both old and new (The Time Machine by H.G. Wells and The Map of Time by Felix J. Palma, to be precise), as well as a bunch of other fun time travel stuff!

I look forward to talking to you all in.... THE FUTURE!

Book Review: The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

2010-12-22T10:07:00.002-05:00

Title: The Way of Kings
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4 out of 5 magical swords

The Way of Kings (or just Kings from now on) is the first novel in a planned ten book series written by Brandon Sanderson. A ton of hype surrounded this book before release, and many hoped (myself included) that it would be the beginning of “our” generation’s great fantasy series. How does it stack up against the monolithic authors that we have come to rate all others upon (I’m looking at you, Tolkien, Rowling, and Lewis)? Let’s find out...

Kings, at its heart, is a story of war. There is plenty of bloodshed on the battlefield, but conflict is also buried deep in the hearts of the main characters of the novel. The story follows the lives of three people as they struggle to survive in the desolated continent of Roshar.

They are...

Kaladin: A young man who was trained as a surgeon, and then became one of the best spearmen in Alethkar’s army. For unknown reasons, we now find him branded as a slave and a murderer sent to rot and die in a work camp for the same men that he protected. Memories of past failure and death haunt Kaladin, and he must overcome them if he is to escape the clutches of the tyrants who rule him.

Dalinar: A Highprince of Alethkar, uncle to the reigning king, and commander of a tenth of the nation’s troops. Rumors run wild through the camps that this once brutal war chief has lost the taste for battle, and has slowly been losing his mind. Dalinar walks a difficult line between the man others need him to be and the man who he promised himself he would become.

Shallan: A young woman who has traveled to a far-away kingdom in order to become a pupil of Jasnah, one of the wisest women in the world, and sister to the king. Shallan would do anything to achieve this goal; to fail would signal the fall of her entire family.

Kings focuses mainly on the nation of Alethkar, as it seeks vengeance on a seemingly endless number of foes for the murder of the previous king. The Highprinces, instead of uniting to crush the foe – squabble and compete with one another. Alethkar used to be a symbol of honor and pride, but it has quickly descended into chaos.

Sprinkled among the chapters are various “interludes” – short tales focusing on different characters and different regions of Roshar – meant both to break up the story and to give some hints at the broader plot of the series as a whole. Some of these are very exciting (especially those about the brutal assassin who can bend gravity to his will), but others seem only to slow down the pace of the novel. After all, it is likely that we will never hear from these “interlude” characters again, so it is hard to care about them or their situations.

The main characters, though much more solid, do not feel as three dimensional as Sanderson’s other creations. You can be sure that all three of the characters...

1. Are hiding a terrible secret from their colleagues
2. Are “rife” with a simple internal conflict
3. Change from one viewpoint to a second (opposite) viewpoint multiple times throughout the novel

Sound familiar? These elements are part of every character (ever), but Sanderson doesn’t seem to take that extra time to really add something MORE to the mix in order to make them shine. I still cared about the characters, but they weren’t as colorful as those from other Sanderson novels.

This may be in part to the vast amount of time that Sanderson spends building his world – and let me tell you, this is a monolithic undertaking. Sanderson’s love for the unique is stamped throughout Roshar. It seems he has thought of everything, including...

Class structure and sociology – Those who are born with light colored eyes are naturally born to rule and hold higher places in society than those with dark eyes.

Economics – Money is in the form of small glass spheres that hold a gem stone. The type and size of the stone marks different denominations.

Religion – The most popular religion of our characters is Vorinism, a teaching rife with past failure and political implications

Gender roles – Males focus on war and politics and are often illiterate. Females read, write, and create art. Therefore, in order to be powerful, men and women must work as a team to account for the others’ weaknesses. There are even masculine and feminine foods.

Technology – Mankind has invented a variety of contraptions called fabrials, which use the power of gemstones to do many functions, from heating a room to turning stone into food.

Mythology – Countless stories and myths including The Almighty, his ten Heralds, evil Voidbringers, and the once majestic Knights Radiant who turned their back on mankind in their hour of need.

Geography and biology – The land of Roshar is constantly assaulted by disastrous storms that can rip people apart in an instant. As such, life has adapted. People live in small stone houses on the leeward side of large rock formations, plants such as blades of grass are able to retract themselves into the ground at the first sign of a threat, and animals are covered with large chitinous plates to protect them.

Nothing has been left out of Sanerdon’s world, and it is very satisfying to read about all of the little pieces that other authors tend to ignore.

Of course, the icing on the cake (as always) is Sandersons use of magic. In this novel, magic tends to be left to the myths and legends of Roshar. In fact, what magic the people do use is in the form of relics that have survived, namely powerful Blades and Plate armor that grants their owners superhuman strength and agility. All of these magical objects seem to feed off of Stormlight, a mysterious luminescence that is infused into gemstones whenever a storm passes. Unlike in Sanderson’s other novels, magic in Kings is mysterious even to those who wield it, so there is never a perfectly clear explanation of its workings. Indeed, I imagine a large portion of the series will be devoted to uncovering the secrets behind the magic of the land.

Being the first novel in a ten book series, Kings is meant mainly to introduce the main characters and the world that they live in. The pace is often slow and with a few exciting exceptions, not much actually happens in the book. This is understandable for a first book in a large series, but it can feel a bit tedious when that book is about 1000 pages long. Having said that, Kings is still a fun and exciting read, one just needs to have a good amount of “reading stamina” to get through it in one piece. Those that do finish it will be rewarded: the last few chapters in particular are like a punch in the stomach, and make you wish the novel was twice as long.

In all, The Way of Kings is a great start to what looks to be a lasting series. Due to the unique and detailed world that Sanderson paints, Kings comes highly recommended.

4 out of 5 magical swords!

Behind the Scenes of HBO's Game of Thrones

2010-12-15T21:02:00.000-05:00

Good day to you all! I am very excited this evening because it means that HBO's new series based on George R. R. Martin's The Game of Thrones is one more day closer! HBO has been showing the trailer more frequently, and they recently aired a short "Behind the Scenes" featurette about the first season. Exciting! Check it out!

Inside Game of Thrones

Picture the Dead Giveaway Results

2010-12-13T10:01:00.000-05:00

First, as always, I would like to send out a big thank you to everyone who entered this giveaway.

And the winner of a signed copy of Picture the Dead, by Adele Griffin ans Lisa Brown, is...

sharon54220!

Congratulations!

Giveaway: Picture the Dead (signed), by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown

2010-11-28T18:05:00.000-05:00

Hi folks! I've got a great giveaway for you... Picture the Dead, by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown. From the book sleeve:

"After losing her parents and her brother, falling in love with Will was Jennie Lovell's last opportunity for happiness. But then she lost him too...

As Jennie tries to mend the pieces of her broken life, she feels an eerie presence from something otherworldly... something that won't let her leave the past behind.

Acclaimed author adele Griffin and bestselling author Lisa Brown have created a spellbinding mystery where the living cannot always be trusted, and death is not always the end."

I was lucky enough to have both of the authors sign this copy for me, and it would make a great addition to any mystery/scifi/romance reader's bookshelf.

This giveaway is for one signed, hardcover copy of Picture the Dead, by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown. The giveaway will run from 11/28/2010 to 12/12/2010. The winner will be announced on 12/13/2010. Please, United States entrants only. The following is a list of how you can enter the giveaway and increase your chances of winning!

+1 Entry - Comment on this post and include your e-mail address (required to enter)
+3 Entries - Become a follower, or tell me if you already are a follower
+1 Entry (each) - Link to this post in a tweet, blog post, blog sidebar, facebook status, or smoke signals. Be sure you leave a link to your publicity in your comment on this post (or include a photo of any applicable smoke signals)

Good luck everyone!

UPDATE, and a new book-related network

2010-10-30T12:13:00.000-04:00

Hi folks, I know that I haven't been blogging lately, but there is a very good reason for that. It's not that I haven't been reading much, but the types of books I have been reading has changed considerably. You see, vet school has started, and I have been left with precious little time/energy to read for pleasure. I've been feeling guilty for not posting reviews for a while, so I figured I would take a study break to review some of my more recent reads. Without further adiue...

Title: Textbook of Veterinary Physiological Chemistry
Author: Larry R. Engelking
Genre: Romance

A new-age take on a classic tale of eternal love and compassion. Acetate is the upper class girl trying to make it on her own in the big city. Carboxybiotin is the bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks who is trying to hide from his past. Will they ever be able to reconcile their differences and make sweet, sweet malonate? Not if Acetate's well-to-do father, Propionate, has anything to to with it. He knows those young fatty acids only have one thing on their mind: condensation.

Title: Guide to the Dissection of the Dog
Author: Evans de Lahuta
Genre: Cop Drama

In a world where the hip bone's connected to the leg bone, and the leg bone's connected to the knee bone, Officer Neuron patrols the streets of the Central Nervous System superhighway. One day, he comes upon a notorious synapse dealing in dopamine and gamma aminobutyric acid. It's up to our protagonist to bring him down, and get back to his muscle at home in time for contraction.

Sorry about that geek humor (my girlfriend gets enough of it at the dinner table as it is). The real reason I wanted to post today is to tip you off to a new social networking site that is centered around books that we love. It's called youarewhatyouread.com, and it was created by Scholastic as a way for people to share the books that influenced their life. You can make a profile, add some of your favorite books, and find people with common interests.

One of the more unique features that this network has to offer is the bookprint: you choose five books that have influenced your life and share why they did. Think hard, now! It's tough! The best part is that you can check out the profiles of celebrities and poke around through their book print. Did you know Taylor Swift was influenced by Charlotte's Web? Apparently, Bill Gates loves Catcher in the Rye. So go ahead and check it out!

Dying to know about my bookprint? Head on over to my profile here, and make sure you become my "bookmate" (friend?)!

Fun with Cthulhu (the many humourous things people have done with the greatest evil in the known universe)

2010-09-24T06:25:00.001-04:00

Happy Friday everyone! We have come to the end of H. P. Lovecraft week, and I would like to leave you all with a smile. With the advent of the internet and "geek culture", Lovecraft's Cthulhu Mythos has recently become something of an inside joke to many e-geeks (such as myself). Although Lovecraft describes Cthulhu as the most evil entity in the universe - and perhaps in spite of that - people love to laugh at the tentacled monster. I showed you one example yesterday in the form of a humorous story written by Neil Gaiman. Something about Cthulhu just makes people want to laugh. Here are a few more examples that you can find floating around on the internet...

Under the ocean, Cthulhu rests... patiently awaiting the time when he can devour your feet! er, soul!

Feeling patriotic? Cthulhu loves the taste of patriotism!

I love the facial expressions on this little guy's victims. I'd be scared too!

A Cthulhu-based parody of "Hey There Delilah" by the Plain White T's, and a photo montage.

Yes, this place actually exists, and I want to go there.

Foiled again!

Calls For Cthulhu - The Great Old One answers all of your burning questions!

A cartoon about the adventures of Lil' Cthulhu. Aww isn't he cute?

I hope you all enjoyed H. P. Lovecraft week!

I Cthulhu, by Neil Gaiman

2010-09-23T12:47:00.001-04:00

Hi folks. Today, I have a special treat for you. As I mentioned earlier in the week, the work of H. P. Lovecraft has inspired a generation of writers, many of which added their own tales to the Cthulhu Mythos. One such author is Neil Gaiman, a common topic of L&M. Most known for his dry humor and imaginative "fairy tales", Gaiman wrote his own piece inspired by Lovecraftian Lore. I Cthulhu is in the form of a memoir, dictated by the Great and terrible Cthulhu to one of his puny slaves. Gaimain pokes fun at the often serious nature of Lovecraft's tales, and gives us possible insight into the life of Cthulhu, a creature that we've otherwise only read about in reference to unspeakable evil, devouring souls, and the end of the world. Enjoy!

--

I Cthulhu
or What's A Tentacle-Faced Thing Like Me Doing In A Sunken City Like This (Latitude 47° 9' S, Longitude 126° 43' W)?

Cthulhu, they call me. Great Cthulhu.
Nobody can pronounce it right.
Are you writing this down? Every word? Good. Where shall I start -- mm?
Very well, then. The beginning. Write this down, Whateley.
I was spawned uncounted aeons ago, in the dark mists of Khhaa'yngnaiih (no, of course I don't know how to spell it. Write it as it sounds), of nameless nightmare parents, under a gibbous moon. It wasn't the moon of this planet, of course, it was a real moon. On some nights it filled over half the sky and as it rose you could watch the crimson blood drip and trickle down its bloated face, staining it red, until at its height it bathed the swamps and towers in a gory dead red light.
Those were the days.
Or rather the nights, on the whole. Our place had a sun of sorts, but it was old, even back then. I remember that on the night it finally exploded we all slithered down to the beach to watch. But I get ahead of myself.
I never knew my parents.
My father was consumed by my mother as soon as he had fertilized her and she, in her turn, was eaten by myself at my birth. That is my first memory, as it happens. Squirming my way out of my mother, the gamy taste of her still in my tentacles.
Don't look so shocked, Whateley. I find you humans just as revolting.
Which reminds me, did they remember to feed the shoggoth? I thought I heard it gibbering.
I spent my first few thousand years in those swamps. I did not like this, of course, for I was the colour of a young trout and about four of your feet long. I spent most of my time creeping up on things and eating them and in my turn avoiding being crept up on and eaten.
So passed my youth.
And then one day -- I believe it was a Tuesday -- I discovered that there was more to life than food. (Sex? Of course not. I will not reach that stage until after my next estivation; your piddly little planet will long be cold by then). It was that Tuesday that my Uncle Hastur slithered down to my part of the swamp with his jaws fused.
It meant that he did not intend to dine that visit, and that we could talk.
Now that is a stupid question, even for you Whateley. I don't use either of my mouths in communicating with you, do I? Very well then. One more question like that and I'll find someone else to relate my memoirs to. And you will be feeding the shoggoth.
We are going out, said Hastur to me. Would you like to accompany us?
We? I asked him. Who's we?
Myself, he said, Azathoth, Yog-Sothoth, Nyarlathotep, Tsathogghua , Ia ! Shub Niggurath, young Yuggoth and a few others. You know, he said, the boys. (I am freely translating for you here, Whateley, you understand. Most of them were a-, bi-, or trisexual, and old Ia! Shub Niggurath has at least a thousand young, or so it says. That branch of the family was always given to exaggeration). We are going out, he concluded, and we were wondering if you fancied some fun.
I did not answer him at once. To tell the truth I wasn't all that fond of my cousins, and due to some particularly eldritch distortion of the planes I've always had a great deal of trouble seeing them clearly. They tend to get fuzzy around the edges, and some of them -- Sabaoth is a case in point -- have a great many edges.
But I was young, I craved excitement. "There has to be more to life than this!", I would cry, as the delightfully foetid charnel smells of the swamp miasmatised around me, and overhead the ngau-ngau and zitadors whooped and skrarked. I said yes, as you have probably guessed, and I oozed after Hastur until we reached the meeting place.
As I remember we spent the next moon discussing where we were going. Azathoth had his hearts set on distant Shaggai, and Nyarlathotep had a thing about the Unspeakable Place (I can't for the life of me think why. The last time I was there everything was shut). It was all the same to me, Whateley. Anywhere wet and somehow, subtly wrong and I feel at home. But Yog-Sothoth had the last word, as he always does, and we came to this plane.
You've met Yog-Sothoth, have you not, my little two-legged beastie?
I thought as much.
He opened the way for us to come here.
To be honest, I didn't think much of it. Still don't. If I'd known the trouble we were going to have I doubt I'd have bothered. But I was younger then.
As I remember our first stop was dim Carcosa. Scared the shit out of me, that place. These days I can look at your kind without a shudder, but all those people, without a scale or pseudopod between them, gave me the quivers.
The King in Yellow was the first I ever got on with.
The tatterdemallion king. You don't know of him? Necronomicon page seven hundred and four (of the complete edition) hints at his existence, and I think that idiot Prinn mentions him in De Vermis Mysteriis. And then there's Chambers, of course.
Lovely fellow, once I got used to him.
He was the one who first gave me the idea.
What the unspeakable hells is there to do in this dreary dimension? I asked him.
He laughed. When I first came here, he said, a mere colour out of space, I asked myself the same question. Then I discovered the fun one can get in conquering these odd worlds, subjugating the inhabitants, getting them to fear and worship you. It's a real laugh.
Of course, the Old Ones don't like it.
The old ones? I asked.
No, he said, Old Ones. It's capitalized. Funny chaps. Like great starfish-headed barrels, with filmy great wings that they fly through space with.
Fly through space? Fly? I was shocked. I didn't think anybody flew these days. Why bother when one can sluggle, eh? I could see why they called them the old ones. Pardon, Old Ones.
What do these Old Ones do? I asked the King.
(I'll tell you all about sluggling later, Whateley. Pointless, though. You lack wnaisngh'ang. Although perhaps badminton equipment would do almost as well). (Where was I? Oh yes).
What do these Old Ones do, I asked the King.
Nothing much, he explained. They just don't like anybody else doing it.
I undulated, writhing my tentacles as if to say "I have met such beings in my time", but fear the message was lost on the King.
Do you know of any places ripe for conquering? I asked him.
He waved a hand vaguely in the direction of a small and dreary patch of stars. There's one over there that you might like, he told me. It's called Earth. Bit off the beaten track, but lots of room to move.
Silly bugger.
That's all for now, Whateley.
Tell someone to feed the shoggoth on your way out.

II.

Is it time already, Whateley?
Don't be silly. I know that I sent for you. My memory is as good as it ever was.
Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fthagn.
You know what that means, don't you?
In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming.
A justified exaggeration, that; I haven't been feeling too well recently.
It was a joke, one-head, a joke. Are you writing all this down? Good. Keep writing. I know where we got up to yesterday.
R'lyeh.
Earth.
That's an example of the way that languages change, the meanings of words. Fuzziness. I can't stand it. Once on a time R'lyeh was the Earth, or at least the part of it that I ran, the wet bits at the start. Now it's just my little house here, latitude 47° 9' south, longitude 126° 43' west.
Or the Old Ones. They call us the Old Ones now. Or the Great Old Ones, as if there were no difference between us and the barrel boys.
Fuzziness.
So I came to Earth, and in those days it was a lot wetter than it is today. A wonderful place it was, the seas as rich as soup and I got on wonderfully with the people. Dagon and the boys (I use the word literally this time). We all lived in the water in those far-off times, and before you could say Cthulhu fthagn I had them building and slaving and cooking. And being cooked, of course.
Which reminds me, there was something I meant to tell you. A true story.
There was a ship, a-sailing on the seas. On a Pacific cruise. And on this ship was a magician, a conjurer, whose function was to entertain the passengers. And there was this parrot on the ship.
Every time the magician did a trick the parrot would ruin it. How? He'd tell them how it was done, that's how. "He put it up his sleeve", the parrot would squawk. Or "he's stacked the deck" or "it's got a false bottom".
The magician didn't like it.
Finally the time came for him to do his biggest trick.
He announced it.
He rolled up his sleeves.
He waved his arms.
At that moment the ship bucked and smashed over to one side.
Sunken R'lyeh had risen beneath them. Hordes of my servants, loathsome fish-men, swarmed over the sides, seized the passengers and crew and dragged them beneath the waves.
R'lyeh sank below the waters once more, awaiting that time when dread Cthulhu shall rise and reign once more.
Alone, above the foul waters, the magician -- overlooked by my little batrachian boobies, for which they paid heavily -- floated, clinging to a spar, all alone. And then, far above him he noticed a small green shape. It came lower, finally perching on a lump of nearby driftwood, and he saw it was the parrot.
The parrot cocked its head to one side and squinted up at the magician.
"Alright," it says, "I give up. How did you do it?"
Of course it's a true story, Whateley.
Would black Cthulhu, who slimed out of the dark stars when your most eldritch nightmares were suckling at their mothers' pseudomammaria, who waits for the time that the stars come right to come forth from his tomb-palace, revive the faithful and resume his rule, who waits to teach anew the high and luscious pleasures of death and revelry, would he lie to you?
Sure I would.
Shut up Whateley, I'm talking. I don't care where you heard it before.
We had fun in those days, carnage and destruction, sacrifice and damnation, ichor and slime and ooze, and foul and nameless games. Food and fun. It was one long party, and everybody loved it except those who found themselves impaled on wooden stakes between a chunk of cheese and pineapple.
Oh, there were giants on the earth in those days.
It couldn't last for ever.
Down from the skies they came, with filmy wings and rules and regulations and routines and Dho-Hna knows how many forms to be filled out in quintuplicate. Banal little bureaucruds, the lot of them. You could see it just looking at them: Five-pointed heads -- every one you looked at had five points, arms whatever, on their heads (which I might add were always in the same place). None of them had the imagination to grow three arms or six, or one hundred and two. Five, every time.
No offence meant.
We didn't get on.
They didn't like my party.
They rapped on the walls (metaphorically). We paid no attention. Then they got mean. Argued. Bitched. Fought.
Okay, we said, you want the sea, you can have the sea. Lock, stock, and starfish-headed barrel. We moved onto the land -- it was pretty swampy back then -- and we built Gargantuan monolithic structures that dwarfed the mountains.
You know what killed off the dinosaurs, Whateley? We did. In one barbecue.
But those pointy-headed killjoys couldn't leave well enough alone. They tried to move the planet nearer the sun -- or was it further away? I never actually asked them. Next thing I knew we were under the sea again.
You had to laugh.
The city of the Old Ones got it in the neck. They hated the dry and the cold, as did their creatures. All of a sudden they were in the Antarctic, dry as a bone and cold as the lost plains of thrice-accursed Leng.
Here endeth the lesson for today, Whateley.
And will you please get somebody to feed that blasted shoggoth?

III.

(Professors Armitage and Wilmarth are both convinced that not less than three pages are missing from the manuscript at this point, citing the text and length. I concur.)
The stars changed, Whateley.
Imagine your body cut away from your head, leaving you a lump of flesh on a chill marble slab, blinking and choking. That was what it was like. The party was over.
It killed us.
So we wait here below.
Dreadful, eh?
Not at all. I don't give a nameless dread. I can wait.
I sit here, dead and dreaming, watching the ant-empires of man rise and fall, tower and crumble.
One day -- perhaps it will come tomorrow, perhaps in more tomorrows than your feeble mind can encompass -- the stars will be rightly conjoined in the heavens, and the time of destruction shall be upon us: I shall rise from the deep and I shall have dominion over the world once more.
Riot and revel, blood-food and foulness, eternal twilight and nightmare and the screams of the dead and the not-dead and the chant of the faithful.
And after?
I shall leave this plane, when this world is a cold cinder orbitting a lightless sun. I shall return to my own place, where the blood drips nightly down the face of a moon that bulges like the eye of a drowned sailor, and I shall estivate.
Then I shall mate, and in the end I shall feel a stirring within me, and I shall feel my little one eating its way out into the light.
Um.
Are you writing this all down, Whateley?
Good.
Well, that's all. The end. Narrative concluded.
Guess what we're going to do now? That's right.
We're going to feed the shoggoth.

© Neil Gaiman 1986

The Shadow Over Innsmouth

2010-09-22T06:23:00.002-04:00

The Shadow Over Innsmouth is one of my favorite Lovecraft stories. It focuses on a young man who travels to a run-down Massachusetts port town called Innsmouth for its reputation of picturesque architecture. He begins to realize, however, that there is a reason that people stay away from Innsmouth.

Robert Olmstead, on a mission to discover the identity of his distant ancestors, finds himself in rural Massachusetts. On the tips of some of the people he meets, he decides to take a bus into Innsmouth. The people he meets on the bus, and later in town, seem to look a little strange. They have sloping foreheads, big lips, and bulging fishy eyes. Once in town, he asks around and eventually hears rumors about the interbreeding of the citizens of Innsmouth with fish-like creatures that came from the sea. This story shakes Olmstead's nerves, but he eventually chalks it up to unfounded rumors and speculation.

That is, until, the bus he hoped to take out of town before night fall breaks down, leaving his stranded in Innsmouth. Olmstead is forced to sleep overnight in a run down hotel when the natives suddenly become hostile. Olmstead must choose to either flee or run for his life but one this is sure - what he discovers off the shores of this little Massachusetts town will alter his life forever.

The Shadow Over Innsmouth is unique from Lovecraft's other works in that it partially abandons the theme of plausible deniability. By the end of the story, a police investigation begins regarding the people of Innsmouth. However, we don't know the result of the investigation...

I loved Innsmouth for two reasons. One is the great "chase-scene" that ensues, in which Olmstead is certain that he will be killed if he is found. The other is the ending, which I will let you read on your own - it's a doozie!

To read the whole story, click here.

At the Mountains of Maddness

2010-09-20T18:25:00.001-04:00

At the Mountains of Madness is one of Lovecraft's longest short stories. It s in the form of a petition written by a geologist, William Dyer. Dyer is trying to stop a public expedition to Antarctica based on the fact that his previous expedition to the frozen pole ended in catastrophe that he (almost) dare not speak of.

Previously, Dyer traveled to Antarctica with a group of scientists and explorers. Once there, the party finds a dozen strange animal corpses buried in the ground. They looked like nothing the scientists have ever seen before. When some members of the team go missing, Dyer and his companion travel to the other side of the mountain where they find strange and ancient ruins of a civilization that has not yet been discovered. The two land and enter the large complex of ruins... what they find there is both enlightening and mind-shatteringly horrific.

At the Mountains of Madness is a quality story. There's a great mix of overt horror (i.e. the discovery of missing party members being slaughtered by some unknown - and intelligent - being) and the unknown. What is more, The Mountains serves to further the mythology surrounding the Great Cthulhu - where it came from, what it did when it arrived, and what it is waiting for in order to rise once more.

The only thing that I didn't like as much about this story as some of the others is the ending. Lovecraft is known for keeping things hidden from the reader (to keep them guessing and let their imagination roam) but it is just TOO ambiguous for my tastes.

All in all, At the Mountains of Madness is a worthwhile addition to your ever-growing knowledge of the Cthulhu Mythos.

You can read the full version online here.

The Call of Cthulhu

2010-09-20T06:25:00.002-04:00

The Call of Cthulhu, written in 1926, is one of H. P. Lovecraft's most iconic short stories. As I mentioned earlier, the Cthulhu Mythos takes its name from this tale. Now, if you've never read any Lovecraft before, I am sure that two questions come to your mind, the first of which is something like "How in the world do I pronounce Cthulhu?" Good question. In truth, no one really knows how to pronounce it, because it comes from a language that is not human. According to popular theories, however, it sounds something like "Ka-thool-hoo".

The second, more relevant question you may be asking is "What is this Cthulhu thing, anyway?" Well, that is the question that Lovecraft attempts to answer in this short story.

The Call of Cthulhu is broken down into three sections. The first is written as a journal (as most of Lovecraft's works are) written by one Francis Wayland Thurston. In seems that his great uncle recently died and has come to inherit the old man's papers and personal effects. In looking through these items, Thurston finds a sculpture of a hideous monster surrounded by strange symbols. It seems to have the body of a man, the head of an octopus (tentacles and all), and giant scaly wings and massive claws. A bit of exploring hints at curious events leading to mass hysteria in certain parts of the globe - people having horrible dreams and deranged thoughts.

The second section is in the form of a journal entry of Thurston's uncle in which he meets a peculiar man who tells a tale of cults performing horrible rituals and giving praise to a creature called Cthulhu, whose description matches that of the sculpture. They were overheard chanting the phrase "Ph'nglui mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn." (later translated to "In his house at R'lyeh dead Cthulhu waits dreaming".

In the last segment of the story, Thurston happens upon a transcript of a sailor's journal which describes a landing on a horrible slime covered island. The monstrosity they discover there could spell the destruction of the would.

An interesting thing to note here is that Lovecraft utilizes a mechanic called plausible deniability. That is to say that events occur in such a way that only a few people know of them. In this case, Thurston is the only man alive that knows about the lurking presence of this evil Cthulhu creature. By keeping the events in his stories a mystery to the outside world, Lovecraft increases the tension that the main character is feeling. There is no sense of "Oh, Cthulhu, I read about him in the newspaper." Each character is on his own as far as discovering the hidden truths of the universe. Lonecraft does this with many of his stories.

Read the full version of The Call of Cthulhu here.

H. P. Lovecraft Week is Coming!

2010-09-17T18:52:00.000-04:00

Howard Phillips Lovecraft was born in 1890 and did most of his writing in the 1920's. Although he was not considered a great writer of his time, he is now viewed as one of the most influential horror writers of all time. Until he died in 1937, he wrote many short stories which have gained a cult following and have served to provide inspiration for a whole new generation of horror writers.

Lovecraft focused on many distinct themes in his story telling. Most deal with the unknown. Lovecraft told tales about deep and hidden truths - things that were never meant to be discovered by man kind - being uncovered by unsuspecting people. These cosmic horrors mostly deal with the creation and destruction of reality as we know it, and the people that stumble across the truth often become insane; their minds unhinged at the prospect of a horrible and unspeakable evil.

The most impressive part of H. P. Lovecraft's body of work is that it is still expanding. His literary efforts have created a nidus of creation, later termed the Cthulhu Mythos (named after one of his more popular works, Call of Cthulhu). Many authors of the past 70 years have used Lovecraft's themes and writing style as a jumping off point for their own stories, each one adding their own perspective of the Mythos.

What is more, the Cthulhu Mythos has been spun off into many other elements: board games, toys, stuffed animals, and many other things.

Throughout the coming week, we will be exploring a few aspects of this giant (and ever-growing) sub-genre of horror literature. If you've never explored this "Lovecraftian" universe before, it can be a little daunting, so I am going to try to give you a good starting point. First, I will be focusing on a few of his stories. I will be calling them reviews, but I will mostly just be summarizing (excluding spoilers) the plot and pointing out how they each contribute to the Mythos. Towards the end of the week, we'll check out a Lovecraftian story written by one of my favorite authors, and look at some other fun Lovecraft related stuff.

There's a lot out there - too much to cover in one week - but I hope that this expedition piques your interest for further study!

Book Review - Sandman, by Neil Gaiman (Issues 1-20)

2010-09-12T22:10:00.002-04:00

Title: Sandman
Author: Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fantasy / Comic
Rating: 4 out of 5 crazy nightmares

Neil Gaiman has proven himself to be one of the most influential writers of fantasy novels and poetry. I take time to look at one very different Gaiman project: the comic book series Sandman. How does it stack up to one's expectations?

Just a quick disclaimer here, folks. This is the first time I have reviewed a comic book. And while I'm not 100% sure on how to go about it correctly, I promise I will do my best to consider both the writing and visual aspects of the comic book. Also note that this review takes into consideration the first twenty issues of the comic.

The comic book Sandman follows the adventures of Morpheus, the god of dreams. The series begins with the deity being held captive - his powerful artifacts and belongings being stolen and strewn throughout Earth and hell. Morpheus eventually breaks free of his prison and encounters many colorful characters on his journey to attain his former power. This is the basic premise of the series, but the story is much more complicated and interwoven.

The writing of Sandman is spot on for what one would expect from Gaiman. The dry wit is there, along with undertones of fantasy and brooding darkness (the latter much more so than his other works). This is an important point to keep in mind about this series. Gaiman tackles some heavy issues in this series (substance abuse, death, serial killers), and although he manages to weave everything together nicely, the story does get a little dark at times.

However, for the most part Sandman is very well written. Themes of hope and redemption run throughout, especially when Gaimain introduces his personification of Death (incidentally one of Morpheus' siblings). These issues are some of the best in the series and really make you think about why people die and what happens afterward.

Most issues in this selection are great, but there are also some that don't quite hit the mark for this reader. For instance, one of the longer chapters involves demons and fanciful creatures putting on a Victorian-era play for Morpheus for apparently no reason.

Here are some highlights regarding the plot of Sandman:

Two of Morpheus' nightmare creatures attempt to overthrow his throne while he is imprisoned
Morpheus meets up with the rulers of hell and competes with a demon in a battle of wits
A disfigured and imprisoned Dr. Doom faces off with the king of dreams in a fight to the death
A group of people in a diner are held under the twisted persuasion and mind control of an evil man
A young girl inadvertantly stumbles upon a convention for murderers
Morpheus grants a man from medieval times endless life, and checks in on him throughout the centuries to see how his life has changed

The art of Sandman is amazing, and is really a treat to look at. The artists blend color panels with black and white to great effect, and the individual details in each page can have you spending a lot of time just staring at the book.

I have never been a great connesuir of comic books, but I was pleasantly surprised by this one. I definitely reccomend this series if you like comics, and even if you don't it's worth a try!

For more information about Sandman, check out my Spotlight post on Morpheus and my Review of The Ultimate Sandman, Volume 1.

4 out of 5 crazy nightmares!

First Impressions: The Way of Kings, by Brandon Sanderson

2010-09-09T19:47:00.001-04:00

I have been reading The Way of Kings for a few days now. Although my review is still - regrettably - a ways off, I hope this post gives you some perspective on what you may be getting into when you crack open the pages of this literary beast.

(the U.K. cover of the book)

As loyal readers may know, I am now in veterinary school and pretty much all of my time is being taken up by studying and sleeping. This serves all the more to emphasize that fact that I have been unable to put down this book. Something about Sanderson's writing style is so infectious that you always need to find out what is going to happen next. I am about a quarter of the way through the novel, and so far there have been bloody battles, dangerous hunts, catastrophic storms, and witty banter. The story begins with two main characters: Shallan, a young girl trying to decide between her calling of a naturalist and the devious plans of her family, and Kaladin, a young surgeon - turned soldier - turned slave, trying to fight his way back to the man he once was. These characters (along with many others) are set against a backdrop of a landscape that has evolved to survive during horribly devastating storms.

I don't want to give too much away, and there will be more details (never spoilers) in my coming review, but know this: I was instantly hooked into this book, and if you get any enjoyment out of reading a large novel filled with great characters and a detailed world, I think you may as well.

Mailbox Monday - The Way of Kings

2010-09-06T13:59:00.000-04:00

The time has come, folks, and The Way of Kings is finally here! As you may have gathered by my reviews of Brandon Sanderson's Warbreaker and Elantris, I am a big fan. Well, Sanderson is back, this time with a large first volume in - what promises to be - an epic series.

If you don't know much about The Way of Kings, you've come to the right place! I've attempted to gather together the most pertinent information on this novel. First of all, check out this introduction, written by Sanderson for tor.com.

As you can see, this novel (and series) has been a long time coming from Sanderson. With over fifteen years and a thousand pages invested between the covers, I am sure The Way of Kings will live up to everything I hope to find in a large-scale work.

Now go ahead and check out these Youtube videos - Sanderson talks about The Way of Kings (among other projects) and reads some excerpts.

PART 1/3

PART 2/3

PART 3/3

Finally, feast your eyes on the full version of the cover art of the novel, done by Michael Whelan. Notice the giant storm clouds, cracked and scorched earth, and small crustacean-looking creatures at the man's feet. For more information, check out this interview of Whelan, also at tor.com.

(click on the above picture for full size)

I think it is clear that I am very excited for The Way of Kings, and I hope this post starts you feeling the same way! Make sure to check back for subsequent First Impressions posts and my review!

Dracula Week Wrap-Up and Giveaway Winner

2010-08-28T08:54:00.000-04:00

Hey everyone, happy Saturday! Dracula Week has been a lot of fun for me, and I hope it's been fun for you too.

The first order of business is sending out a big THANK YOU to everyone that made this possible.

Thank you Heather, from the Maiden's Court, for helping develop this whole week!
Thank you to Karen Essex for giving us a great interview!
Thank you - ALL of you readers - who read, enjoyed, and joined in the discussions of the week.

Secondly, if you missed any Dracula Week events (or want to revisit them), feel free to use this handy directory

Book Review - Dracula, by Bram Stoker (Lions and Men)
Book Review - Dracula in Love, by Karen Essex (The Maiden's Court)
Interview With Karen Essex, Part 1 (Lions and Men)
Interview With Karen Essex, Part 2 (The Maiden's Court)
Blogger Discussion of Dracula and Dracula in Love (The Maiden's Court)
Origins of the Vampire (Lions and Men)
Vlad the Impaler Spotlight (Lions and Men)
Dracula Caught On Tape (The Maiden's Court)
Anatomy of the Vampire (Lions and Men)

And finally, the moment you've all been waiting for...

The winner of the Dracula, by Bram Stoker, is...

ibeeeg!

Congratulations! And thank you all for making this the best Dracula Week ever!

Origins of the Vampire

2010-08-27T06:22:00.001-04:00

Greetings to you during this fine week of the Vampire. I would like to wrap up the week with a brief discussion about the origin of the vampire: where the myths originated, the beliefs that led to the legends, and the rise of the vampire in popular culture. There is a ton of information out there, and this post will primarily serve as a summary and a starting point for your own research. Feel free to check out the links at the bottom of the page for more information. And without further delay, let us begin our journey...

Although the term "vampire" is a relatively new one, ancient cultures have all had their own way of describing evil entities who survived off of the life and essence of others. These were classically monsters or demons that fed off of the blood of living people. The ancient Persians described men who drank the blood of their fellows. Gods and goddesses of religions were known to drink the blood of their worshipers; both Sekhmet of Egyptian lore and Kali of Indian legend are examples of this. Even the Old Testament of the bible describes Adam's first wife, Lilith, as giving rise to demons who would drink the blood of men, women, and children.

The first manifestation of what we would now consider a vampire legend occurred in ancient Slavic culture. Through a mix of pagan worship and the new influence of Christianity, these individuals strongly believed in the separation of the body and the soul, and that if a malignant soul was buried improperly, it would rise again and take the form of an animal or human to destroy its former loved ones. The evil spirit, called a vampir would be so jealous of life and beauty that it would strip all things of these boons.

As these legends began to spread to Western Europe during the Medieval period, new stories of horror began to spring up. In a grim preview of the ignorance that would fuel the witch trials of early America, hysteria swept throughout Europe and countless innocent citizens were murdered and maimed in the name of slaying possible vampires.

The romanticism of the vampire myth began as a result of John Polidori and his short story, The Vampyre, in 1819. In it, Lord Ruthven is a suave vampire who seduces and kills innocent women. Vampires popped up in plays and serial publications for the next few decades until Bram Stoker published the quintessential vampire tale, Dracula, in 1897. This novel has served as a jumping-off point for countless movies, novels, comic books, and television shows.

Despite this period of marketing the vampire, legends and paranoia still abound in some parts of the world. In the early 2000's, accusations of vampires in Africa led to at least one man being stoned to death. There have also been urban legends in England that a series of murders occurred in which the victims were bitten on the neck. In 2004, a Romanian family dug up the corpse of a man and burned it under the assumption that he may become a vampire. It is clear that the legend still lives on.

I hope you enjoyed this stroll throughout the history of the vampire. For more information, feel free to follow these other leads:

Wikipedia
The Watcher's Zone
The Mythology of the Vampire

Head on over to The Maiden's Court for Heather's long-awaited review of Dracula in Love, by Karen Essex

And today is your last day to enter the giveaway for Dracula by Bram Stoker! The winner will be announced tomorrow.

Know Thy Enemy! Anatomy of a Vampire

2010-08-26T06:21:00.002-04:00

Throughout history, many attributes and powers have been attributed to the vampire. Today, we inspect the anatomy and physiology of a vampire, as put forth by Bram Stoker in Dracula. One can only hope, dear reader, that this makes you prepared in the event that you face a member of the undead.

The Strengths of a Vampire...

Super human strength. Stoker depicts Dracula has having the raw strength of twenty full grown men. This enables him to fight proficiently and climb up walls.
Transformation. Dracula is able to transform into different animals, many of which are so called "evil", such as rats, bats, and wolves.
In the mists. Vampires are able to turn into mist and fog, and travel through very small cracks.
Immortality. The vampire does not die of old age, and cannot be killed with traditional weapons.

The Weaknesses of a Vampire...

Distaste for garlic. The scent of garlic, especially the garlic flower, keeps a vampire at bay. Wearing a garland of garlic flowers can keep an individual protected, and lining windows and doors can bar an entire room from the undead.
Unholy monsters. Holy symbols, such as holy water and crucifixes, can stun a vampire and make it flee. A blessed Eucharist can be used to seal doorways or be placed in the vampire's coffin to bar its entry.
Limited traveling. Vampires can only cross running water when the tide changes.
Picky sleepers. A Vampire often sleeps during the hours of daylight, and then only on the soil of their native land (often contained in a box or coffin). Contrary to popular belief, Dracula is able to come out during the day. This myth came about in the film, Nosferatu.

Other Traits...

Little to no vanity. Upon looking into a mirror, vampires show no reflection.
Sneaky sneakers. Vampires do not cast a shadow.
Polite, too. Dracula is not able to enter a household unless an individual who resides there gives him express permission.

Disposal of a Vampire...

Heartless. A stake must be driven through the vampire's heart. Ash or oak is best. The vampire must then be decapitated and garlic must be placed in its mouth.

I hope you enjoyed this examination of the vampire. Now, check out The Maiden's Court for the second part of our interview with Karen Essex, author of Dracula in Love.

And remember to enter the giveaway for Dracula. The giveaway ends tomorrow!

Author Interview - Karen Essex, author of Dracula in Love - Part 1

2010-08-25T06:46:00.001-04:00

Hello everyone, and welcome back to Dracula Week! Today I am happy to share with you the first part of a two part interview with Karen Essex, the author of Dracula in Love. I hope you enjoy!

Lions and Men: What was it about Bram Stoker’s Dracula that made you want to revisit the story from Mina’s perspective?

Karen Essex: From the first time I read Stoker’s Dracula in my teens, I just knew that Mina Harker, Dracula’s obsession, was not satisfied with her role as the quintessential Victorian virgin. I knew that there had to be more to her than that. (I knew that there had to be more to any woman than that.) Little did I dream that many years later, I would actually be a novelist and have the opportunity to revise the story, retelling it from Mina’s perspective.

LM: Were you always a Dracula fan?

KE: It began when I was a girl in grade school and saw Dark Shadows on TV. I remember racing home on my bicycle to see what blood-curdling adventures awaited the characters at the Collinwood Mansion. I’m from New Orleans, where we believe in the mystical, and the Anne Rice novels only fueled my fascination. I do a lot of screenwriting and have been influenced by vampire films as well, everything from Nosferatu to The Hunger to Coppola’s Dracula. I’ve always loved the glamorous vampires more (too much of the New York Dolls at an impressionable age, I guess), but have great empathy for the monsters.

LM: Was it difficult/scary to attempt to write this classic story from a new angle? How did you tackle this challenge? How did you determine what to stick closely to and what to change up?

KE: Yes, it was intimidating, and I knew that I would automatically alienate the purists. But what is life without risk? I believed that I had a lot of new elements to bring to the party such as a strong female perspective, a rich portrait of the era, and the lexicon of vampire mythology. At some point I realized that I had to “free” myself from Stoker’s text or I would be too beholden to its trajectory, so I introduced Stoker himself as a character. He runs into my characters and misinterprets what is going on with them. He goes on to write his own story, whereas Mina reveals the “truth.”

I want to send a big thank you to Karen Essex for taking time to do this interview!

You can catch the second part of this interview at The Maiden's Court tomorrow. As for today, check out Heather's special "Caught on Tape" segment featuring Dracula films.

And don't forget to enter the giveaway of Dracula, by Bram Stoker. You only have three more days to enter!

Vlad the Impaler - the Man Behind the Myth

2010-08-24T06:15:00.002-04:00

Bram Stoker's depiction of the master vampire Dracula has become so iconic that the character has been replicated countless times. Dracula has become the pinnacle of vampire lore, a mold to which all others are compared. However, an even more interesting story is centered around the man whom Stoker took inspiration from in his horrific antagonist: Vlad the Impaler.

Vlad III (the Impaler) was born in Transylvania (present day Romania) in 1431, and would be destined to be a ruler, an avenger, and a monster. In seventeen short years, he would rise to become the ruler of Wallachia, an area within modern day Romania. The wake of blood and death he left in his path would prove to be more than enough inspiration for Bram Stoker.

Vlad's story actually begins with the story of his father, Vlad II. Vlad II adopted the surname of Dracul, meaning dragon, when he was inducted into the Order of the Dragon. This brotherhood of knights were sworn to protect the Holy Roman Empire and wage war against the Islamic Turks. Surprisingly, Vlad Dracul betrayed the Empire and made a deal with the Turks - he would give up his two sons (one of which was Vlad III) to the Turkish Sultan in exchange for power and wealth as the ruler of Wallachia.

Vlad Dracul's life was cut short, however, when his brother (still loyal to the Holy Roman Empire) assassinated the traitor and filled the court with his followers. Vlad III, taking the name of Dracula, meaning "son of Dracul", was released and eventually rose his own group of rebels to overthrow his uncle. Dracula forced his uncle's strongest followers into slavery and killed and tortured the rest.

Although Dracula showed that he was skilled in various forms of torture and murder (burning alive, decapitation, etc), his favorite by far was impaling, in which a human body was impaled on a large vertical pole, the weight of the body slowly pulling it downwards. The death was painful, and slow. In this way, Vlad the Impaler struck fear into the hearts of his enemies and followers alike.

Another example of Dracula's brutality: When he decided that hunger and poverty held no place in his kingdom, Vlad gathered all of the poor and hungry from the streets and invited them to a large banquet. When asked if they would like to never feel the pains of hunger again, the pauper's were obviously overjoyed - until Vlad ordered the banquet hall sealed off and burned to the ground. No one survived.

After many battles and shifting alliances, Dracula wandered down his father's footsteps one more time when his brother betrayed him. Vlad's demise finally met up with him when he found himself in the middle of a battle that he could not win. He was decapitated, and his head was impaled for all to see.

Now that you have read about the origin of the character of Bram Stoker's Dracula, head over to The Maiden's Court to listen in on a conversation between Heather and I about the similarities and differences of Dracula and Dracula in Love.

And also don't forget to enter the giveaway of Dracula. It ends this Friday!

Book Review - Dracula, by Bram Stoker

2010-08-23T06:19:00.001-04:00

Title: Dracula
Author: Bram Stoker
Genre: Horror
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 fangs

An ancient evil lurks in a decrepit castle in Transylvania. The natives know well enough to give the mansion a wide berth, but the ignorance of a young Englishman, Jonathan Harker, threatens to spread a plague of living death throughout England. Dracula has long been known as a classic of suspense and horror. L&M finally gets a chance to sit down with Mr. Stoker's masterpiece.

Dracula tells the tale of a group of people who live in and around London. It begins when Jonathan Harker, a real estate lawyer, visits Count Dracula in Transylvania. The Count recently purchased a mansion in England, and wishes to learn everything he can about the culture before he moves. We quickly learn about the horrific reality of Dracula, and follow the main characters as they struggle to undo the evil that has been done to their loved ones.

The novel is written in the form of a journal, or more accurately, in the form of the journals of many of the main characters. I always loved the idea of telling a horror story in the first person, as the reader only knows what the characters know. This method builds up a lot of suspense. Almost all of the main characters have a journal, which gives a variety of viewpoints on the happenings of the book. While this is a good way in which to tell the story, I imagine it is somewhat unrealistic. Although people may have been more into writing journals in Victorian England, the amount of detail and exhibition included in the entries borders on ridiculous. How does one write 30 pages about an event that lasted only a few minutes?

The characters in Dracula, while interesting, tend to be somewhat two-dimensional. Mina Harker is the beautifully intelligent young woman, Quincy Morris is the rough-riding American from Texas, Arthur Holmwood is the English gentleman. But although we may have seen all of these archetypes before, the situations that Stoker puts them in are unique (to the period anyway), and this is where Dracula truly shines.

The story of Dracula includes some very shocking and interesting scenes, including a recently deceased woman drinking the blood of children, three beautiful and deadly vampires, and an empty ship captained by a dead man. This is what really keeps the reader forging through the novel.

Although perhaps not fully realized, I believe Dracula deserves its place in history and literature. The lore introduced and embellished in the novel has dramatically affected an entire genre of horror writers. I ultimately enjoyed Dracula, and would recommend it to any hardcore horror enthusiast or those who enjoy classic literature.

3.75 out of 5 fangs.

Don't forget to enter the giveaway for this book, ending August 27th (this Friday!)

Guest Post - Mark Laxer, author of The Monkey Bible

2010-08-21T06:42:00.002-04:00

Hi folks. Today, I have a special treat for all of you who may be interested in reading The Monkey Bible. Author Mark Laxer sits down to talk with us for a while about some of the more controversial aspects of his "modern allegory"!

---

Sex in the Bible

"There's sex in the Bible-in The Monkey Bible-and the comments I've thus far received about it has got me thinking.

"One thoughtful educator wrote this: "I'm a little concerned about how Emmanuel's sexual fantasy about Lucy, the Australopitecine, will be received (especially since it occurs on the second page and before we have a chance to feel connected with Emmanuel), as well as the one-nighter with the woman from the airline. I know that sex sells, but we wouldn't be able to recommend the book to, say, high school teachers for their students. Might there be a work-around to this?"

"To which I responded: "I hear you about the sexual references within The Monkey Bible. Some number of pastors, who have provided wonderful endorsements, privately mentioned that they were reluctant to share the book with younger folks in their flocks for similar reasons as you mention. If you will indulge me, though, the book is an honest exploration of the line separating humans from all other creatures. In writing the book, I was not thinking about markets or whom I might or might not offend. Nor was I intending to introduce sex at all. The characters, after I was some years into the writing, in a sense helped define themselves and the sexual parts surprised me...

"I've spent a great deal of time pondering what I've written and what might be edited in or out (as has my editor!!!). The writing and rewriting has taken place over the course of 10 years. Emmanuel is not a sexual monster and his desires, I feel, take up a small part of the book. He is a moral character and he loves his friends and cares for them and to my way of thinking, he's as befuddled as most people are, about sexuality. And yet, particularly as he explores his "animal nature," sexuality is something which, if he is honest about it, is an integral part of his psyche which strikes me as a good thing. Without it, of course, most life on earth would die in a generation. It seems there is a good reason--good for society and good for young people to gently explore--for the existence of desires and fantasies. If Emmanuel becomes awash in such desires, if he loses control, if he hurts people, then it would be the wrong message to share with young people but I don't feel that that is the case here.

"If you feel the book is inappropriate for certain age groups, I certainly respect that. I do wonder though, in today's society, what 13 and 14 year olds have access to on the internet and I have the sense that, frankly, what people are exposed to within The Monkey Bible is fairly tame.

"In summary, I'm not sure how to craft a work-around, nor am I convinced that a high-school version would be effective or particularly helpful...Perhaps one work-around is to suggest that the book is best targeted for college-aged people and older...?"

---

Thank you, Mark, for that insight!

And Readers, if you haven't already, make sure you check out my review of The Monkey Bible here.

Book Review - The Monkey Bible, by Mark Laxer

2010-08-20T11:53:00.003-04:00

Title: The Monkey Bible
Author: Mark Laxer
Genre: Literary Fiction (?)
Rating: 3.75 out of 5 apes

The Monkey Bible promises to bridge the gap between religion and science, and to blur the line between fact and faith. I take the journey to see if author Mark Laxer delivers.

The novel begins with Emmanuel, a young Christian man, finding proof of his father's long buried secret in the attic - Emmanuel may have been the subject of genetic research, in which his genes were combined with those of a primate. This life-altering discovery leaves Emmanuel at a loss. As a Christian, he has learned that humans are blessed by God. If he is any less human, is he any less loved by the power that created him? He then embarks upon a journey to discover his true identity.

A book like The Monkey Bible is very difficult to review, because one can never truly categorize it. Is it science fiction? A coming-of-age tale? A romance? Similarly, it is difficult to classify it as simply "a novel". There is a story and a handful of characters, of course, but this reader gets a sense that Laxer's purpose for this novel is so much greater than simple story telling. It has been called an allegory, which is perhaps closer to the mark than "novel". In truth, The Monkey Bible is all of these things.

At the heart of The Monkey Bible is the conflict between science and religion: both the internal conflict of Emmanuel struggling to uncover the truth of who (or what) he is, and the larger philosophical debate that has been at the forefront of our culture for hundreds of years. It is not a book that supports only intelligent design or only evolution, but attempts to reconcile their differences and proposes a theory that encompasses both beliefs. Laxer takes care in defining his terms and teaching his audience about the building blocks of things like genetics, mutations, and evolution as well as the basic beliefs of Emmanuel's faith. In this way, Laxer puts every reader on an even footing - ready to go on the journey of self-discovery with Emmanuel.

Another important message that is strongly felt in The Monkey Bible is environmentalism and wildlife conservation. Although "going green" has become somewhat cliche in our culture, Laxer attempts to open our eyes to an entirely different problem - extinction. We share so much of our DNA with primates, Laxer suggests, that harming our hairy cousins is no different than harming our selves and our own loved ones.

Unfortunately, all of these themes come on a bit too strong throughout the book, at the expense of the story and the characters themselves. One can hear Laxer's voice and beliefs in every character, and there is little development or conflict between characters. It seems that Laxer has sacrificed some of what makes novels fun to read in order to get his message accross.

With that being said, The Monkey Bible is still an enjoyable read. Why? Because it makes you think. Laxer brings issues to the forefront that most people don't usually think about. For example: how many napkins do you take when eating at a fast food restaurant? How many of those do you actually use?

The Monkey Bible proves to be a worthy exploration into what it means to be human, and the responsibilities - to the planet, each other, and all living things - that we have inherited.

3.75 out of 5 apes.

Take Back the Airways with iRude App!

2010-08-20T07:00:00.014-04:00

One of the characters in Mark Laxer's The Monkey Bible can't stand people who have loud, annoying cell phone conversations in public. In order to let the world know, she shouts very loud and embarrassing things when people have obnoxious phone calls until they hang up. Now you too can spread the word with the iPhone app called iRude. It's free, and awesome. Check it out here, or on your iPhone. Take back the airways!

Giveaway: Bram Stoker's Dracula, and DRACULA WEEK Announcement

2010-08-18T11:16:00.007-04:00

Hi folks. It is my great pleasure to let you know that Dracula Week is coming to Lions and Men! This event is hosted by Lions and Men along with The Maiden's Court, and will run from 8/23 to 8/27. We thought it would be fun as I recently read Dracula by Bram Stoker and Heather recently read Dracula in Love by Karen Essex. Make sure to check out Lions and Men and The Maiden's Court each day next week for reviews, interviews, and other interesting things relating to vampires and Dracula!

And, in keeping with the theme of the coming week, I have a special giveaway for you - a 100th anniversary edition of Dracula, by Bram Stoker!

From the back of the cover: "Count Dracula sleeps in a lordly tomb in the vaults beneath his desolate castle. His stony eyes are open. His cheeks have the flush of life beneath their pallor. On his lips - a mocking, sensuous smile and scarlet-fresh blood. He has been dead for centuries, yet he may never die... Here begins the story of an evil ages old and forever new. It is the story of those who feed a diabolic craving into the veins of their victims, into the men and women from whose blood they draw their only sustenance. It is a novel of peculiar power, of hypnotic fascination. The reader is warned that he who enters Castle Dracula may not escape its baleful spell, even when he closes this book."

This giveaway will run from 8/18/10 to 8/27/10. The winner will be announced on 8/28/10. Please, United States entrants only. The following is a list of how you can enter the giveaway and increase your chances of winning!

+1 Entry - Comment on this post, including a contact e-mail address (required to enter the contest)

+3 Entries - Become a follower of Lions and Men or The Maiden's Court, or let me know if you already follow (+3 for each blog followed)

+1 Entry - Post a link to this giveaway, or mention Dracula Week (with a link to Lions and Men or The Maiden's Court) in a Tweet, blog post, or blog sidebar - feel free to borrow our button! Make sure you post a link to whatever you do in your comment!

+1 Entry - Leave a comment on any Lions and Men content posted in the week of 8/23-8/27 (+1 for EACH post commented on).

Good luck to everyone, and I hope to see you next week!

GiveawayScout

2010-08-18T09:44:00.000-04:00

Hi folks, just a quick note: I am now working in partnership with www.giveawayscout.com to attempt to bring my giveaways to more interested individuals. Go ahead and check them out!

Answers and Winner of the Great Book Cover Contest!

2010-07-27T10:31:00.000-04:00

Hi folks! First, let's go through the answers to the Great Book Cover Contest.

#1. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, by J. K. Rowling
#2. Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton
#3. The Hobbit, by J. R. R. Tolkien
#4. Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clark
#5. The Mists of Avalon, by Marion Zimner Bradley
#6. TheWar of the Worlds, by H. G. Wells
#7. Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams
#8. Dune, by Frank Herbert
#9. Clockwork Orange, by Anthony Burgess
#10. Fahrenheit 451, by Ray Bradbury
#11. The Magician's Nephew, by C. S. Lewis
#12. Twilight, by Stephenie Meyer
#13. Alice in Wonderland, by Charles Lutwidge Dodgson
#14. The Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum
#15. The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster
#16. 1984, by George Orwell
#17. A Series of Unfortunate Events: The Bad Beginning, by Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket)
#18. Eragon, by Christopher Paolini
#19. Jaws, by Peter Benchley
#20. Lord of the Flies, by William Golding
#21. The Shining, by Stephen King
#22. The Time Traveler's Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger
#23. The Prestige, by Christopher Priest

And now the winner - Jo! Congratulations!

Mark Laxer talks about The Monkey Bible

2010-07-14T14:24:00.001-04:00

The Monkey Bible, a tale that explores the line between religion and science, men and apes, belief and truth, hits shelves this September. Author Mark Laxer was recently spotted at the BEA in New York city. This is what he had to say about his odyssey of self discovery, and his mission to protect the planet and its species.

Check out the book at Laxer's website, www.themonkeybible.com, and stay tuned for more about The Monkey Bible here at Lions and Men!

The Great Book Cover Contest

2010-07-12T12:42:00.001-04:00

Hi folks! It's once again time to win some SFF swag, but this time I'm going to make you earn it! It's simple: figure out the title and author of the following books, with only the covers (or in most cases, small snippets of the covers) to help you.

For example, your clue might be The following picture:

In this case, the clue is only part of the cover of the book. Your job is to figure out the title and author of the book. And what could you win? Why, the answer to this example!

Soon I Will Be Invincible is a novel written by Austin Grossman, a computer game designer turned author. It is an incredibly witty satire regarding comic books, super heroes, and their arch enemies. Check it out here!

The rules:

The contest will run from 7/12/10 to 7/26/10.
Make sure you EMAIL me your answers (lionsandmenblog@gmail.com), as leaving comments on this post will only help the others!
Only answers that contain the correct title AND author will count towards your score.
The books in question are all able to be considered part of the genres of Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror.
The clue obviously will only be taken from one printing of the book, and therefore may not be the cover you are familiar with. However, I tried to take covers that captured the book as a whole. Nothing should be TOO abstract unless you've never heard of the book before.
The winner will be announced on 7/27/10, and will be the person with the most correct answers. If two people tie, then the winner will be determined randomly.

So, without further delay, here are the clues!

#10

#11

#12

#13

#14

#15

#16

#17

#18

#19

#20

#21

#22

#23

Again, please EMAIL all answers to me at lionsandmenblog@gmail.com. Good luck!

And the Winner is...

2010-06-17T08:27:00.000-04:00

First, a big thank you to all of you who entered the giveaway! The winner of Frankenstein Book One: Prodigal Son by Dean Koontz is...

BookMarc Blog Pants!

Congratulations!

The Chateau d'If: Island Fortress

2010-06-13T19:54:00.000-04:00

"...the sudden appearance of this strange shape, this prison shrouded in such deep terror, this fortress which for three centuries has nourished Marseille with its gloomy legends, had the same effect as the spectacle of the scaffold on a condemned man."

So describes Alexadre Dumas of the island prison in which protagonist Edmond Dantes is incarcerated in The Count of Monte Cristo. The novel made the island fortress famous, but behind the legend lies the truth of the "terrible" Chateau d'If.

Lying on the island of If off the coast of Marseille, France, the Chateau d'If was constructed in 1524 under the rule of Francis I. Marseille was annexed by Francis and the fortress was erected as a means to "protect" the new province. However, it is thought that the island fortress served more to discourage any uprisings from the city against its new ruler than to keep it safe from harm. In truth, the stronghold was poorly constructed and did not see any combat - from foreign shores or otherwise.

In the late 17th century, the fort was converted to a state prison into which protestants and politicians thrown when the political tide of France flowed against them. It has since been demilitarized and is now a popular tourist attraction of Southeastern France.

Note: Although this video shows signs of the cells of Edmond Dantes and "The Man in the Iron Mask", there is no record of these individuals having been incarcerated in the Chateau.

And so, in stark contrast to the horror that Dumas pours into Chateau d'If in The Count, the true story is quite benign. Although one may be disappointed at the lack of spirits haunting the stone walls, it serves as an excellent example of how an author can spark the imagination of his or her readers. Stay tuned for more spotlights on the places and people of The Count of Monte Cristo!

Book Review: Feed, by Mira Grant

2010-06-11T10:28:00.001-04:00

Title: Feed
Author: Mira Grant
Genre: Science fiction / Horror
Rating: 5 out of 5 zombie bloggers

The world has become infected with a virus that turns people into shambling bags of viral flesh, while a group of young bloggers cover the recent presidential election. Feed proves to be a thorough imagining of the post-infection world.

In Mira Grant's debut novel Feed, we enter the scene some twenty years after a rogue virus began turning people and animals into zombie-like creatures. This event, known as the Rising, has left the world in shock. Humanity has begun to adapt, like it always does, but zombies are an ever-present threat to the citizens of the world.

Feed focuses on a group of 20-something year old bloggers who grew up in the chaotic years after the Rising. However, these aren't your normal bloggers. Made up of news reporters, poets, and "Erwins" (individuals who go out and make the news by poking zombies with sticks), these young adults have licenses for journalism as well as firearms. They are fortunate enough to have been chosen to report on one politician's campaign to the White House. If only they knew the trouble they were getting into...

This novel is written in first person perspective and is interlaced with excerpts from the main characters' blogs. This alone is a fresh breath in the horror genre. The way in which Grant writes her characters allows the reader to truly connect with them. You never get the feeling that any of the characters are just placed in the novel to become zombie food; each one has a unique perspective of the world they find themselves in. The dialogue is at times hilarious, and at others, grave.

It is true that Grant's world is full of zombies. However (and this is the true selling point of the novel), Feed is not about zombies. It is about the characters. At one point in the novel, Grant's protagonist writes:

"The zombies are here, and they’re not going away. But they’re not the story. They were for one hot, horrible summer at the beginning of the century, but now they’re just another piece of the way things work. They did their part. They changed everything."

This sums up how Grant treats her world. Although there are moments of blistering action and horror, the zombies take the back seat to the loveable characters the author has crafted. If you were ever on the fence about reading a horror novel, Feed is a great place to jump in.

Feed is also filled with a bundle of science fiction elements in the form of the technology that had to have been invented after the Rising. Blood testing is a big deal, as it is sometimes the only way to determine who is turning into a zombie and who isn't. Grant also brings up other things that one may not think of when they think of a zombie-filled world such as home owner's insurance. Imagine how much your rates increase if you live in a heavily infected zone!

The thing that kept bothering me about Feed was the age of the main characters and how bloggers seemed to have replaced the main stream media. Although it is admirable to take this route, I couldn't help but feeling that it would be easier for professional news casters to begin blogging than it would be for twenty-year-old's to go out into the field and gain acceptance in the political arena. With that being said, Grant's approach shows a stunningly optimistic an appreciated point of view of the younger generation.

Finally, a quick note. Because I listened to this novel on audiobook, I feel that I need to comment on that aspect. I have never been able to tolerate audiobooks as they could never keep my attention. However, the narrators (Paula Christensen and Jesse Bernstein) as well as the direction were AMAZING. If you enjoy audio books, this is definitely one to listen to.

Feed measures up to all of my expectations of a science fiction / horror novel. Read this book!

5 out of 5 zombie bloggers!

Alphabetical Listing of Reviews

2010-06-11T09:51:00.012-04:00

-A-

-B-

Barnes, Jonathan - The Somnambulist

-C-

Crichton, Michael - The Sphere

-D-

Danielewski, Mark Z. - House of Leaves

-E-

-F-

-G-

Gaiman, Neil - Anansi Boys
Gaiman, Neil - Neverwhere
Gaiman, Neil - Sandman (Issues 1-20)
Goodman, William - The Princess Pride
Grahame-Smith, Seth - Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter
Grant, Mira - Feed

-H-

-I-

-J-

Jennings, Gary - Aztec

-K-

-L-

Lawhead, Stephen R. - Hood
Laxer, Mark - The Monkey Bible
Lynch, Scott - The Lies of Locke Lamora

-M-

Martin, George R. R. - A Game of Thrones
Martin, George R. R. - Fevre Dream
Matheson, Richard - I Am Legend
Moers, Walter - The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear

-N-

-O-

-P-

Palma, Felix J. - The Map of Time
Powers, Tim - The Anubis Gates

-Q-

-R-

Rothfuss, Patrick - The Name of the Wind

-S-

Sanderson, Brandon - Elantris
Sanderson, Brandon - Warbreaker
Sanderson, Brandon - The Way of Kings
Sebold, Alice - The Lovely Bones
Simmons, Dan - The Terror
Stoker, Bram - Dracula

-T-

-U-

-V-

-W-

Wells, H.G. - The Time Machine
Wells, H.G. - The War of the Worlds

-X-

-Y-

-Z-

Lions and Men Review Policy

2010-06-11T09:29:00.004-04:00

If you are an author or publisher and would like to submit a request for a review or otherwise wish to contact me, feel free to email me at lionsandmenblog@gmail.com.

What I Will Review: I am predominantly interested in the genres of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I may, however, consider other genres such as historical fiction and literary fiction. I will not accept offers to review an ebook.

Where I Will Post Reviews: All reviews that I write are posted on Lions and Men and www.goodreads.com. I will also post links to these reviews on www.twitter.com and www.bookblogs.com.

Time Frame for Reviews: As I am currently enrolled full time in graduate school, it is unlikely that I will be able to conform to any sort of time line. I read in my free time, and post reviews upon completion of a book.

My Reviews: My reviews include a quick summary of the book in question with the goal of setting up content to discuss later on. I will do everything in my power to avoid spoilers. The review section of the post includes my honest opinion of the book. It will asses writing style as well as content.

Recent reviews invariably include a photo of the cover of the book, a link to the author’s website (if applicable), and a link to the book on amazon.com. Please note that I am NOT an Amazon affiliate, and only link to Amazon to serve as a starting point for readers to research the book.

Rating Criteria: Books will be rated on a scale of 1 to 5. I reserve the right to split ratings into .5’s, .25’s and .125’s as I see fit. The numeric rating vaguely represents:

1: Not recommended.

2: Many things missing or sub-par.

3: Decent. Some elements may have been disappointing. May or may not be worth reading depending on your tastes

4: Well written and worth reading. Recommended

5: Excellent book. Strongly recommended. Worth picking up and reading again (something I rarely do).

Other Opportunities: I also love to participate in other events such as blog tours, author interviews, and author guest posts.

Author Interview - Mira Grant, author of Feed

2010-06-10T10:01:00.000-04:00

Hi Folks! Today is an exciting day here at Lions and Men. I am hosting my first author interview! And I am so happy it is with an author of a book that I absolutely loved, Feed. Read on to get the scoop behind the zombies, technology, and politics of Mira Grant's debut novel.

Lions and Men: The zombies that are featured in Feed seem to combine classic mythology with new elements of horror. Where did you find the inspiration for your "walking dead"?
Mira Grant: Too many Romero movies, too many re-reads of THE HOT ZONE, and too many arguments about running vs. shambling zombies. I really love some of the horrible things that viruses can do, and wanted to play with them more.

LM: The majority of the main characters in your novel are young adults (in their twenties). What made you decide to go with a younger cast of characters?
MG: It was very important to me that my core cast be born after the Rising, and that the Rising be recent enough that it was still very fresh in the memory of the generation that came before them. That sort of dictated the age of my protagonists.

LM: I noticed that Feed is not your typical zombie horror novel as it tends to focus more on the characters, technology, and politics of the world you create than it does on decapitation and flame throwers. Could you explain why you chose to put the zombies on the back burner?
MG: No, because it wasn't really a choice so much as just the way the story developed. Unless mankind falls completely and winds up living in tiny, isolated compounds, I think that zombies are always eventually going to wind up on the back burner in this sort of setting. Plus, my main characters weren't stupid. They weren't going to go out there more than they had to.

LM: What's next for you? I understand that Feed is part of a trilogy. Could you give us any information about the sequel?
MG: DEADLINE will be coming out in May 2011. And...that's really about all I can say, since not everyone has read FEED. It's a fun book. I like it a lot. It goes much deeper into the science and medical technology behind the zombie menace. And there are bulldogs.

Thank you very much for your time and willingness to share, Mira! Your novel is truly unique amongst others of the genre.

Be sure to come back tomorrow for the full review of Feed. I hope you enjoyed this interview, I know I did!

Book Review - Warbreaker, by Brandon Sanderson

2010-06-08T20:03:00.002-04:00

Title: Warbreaker
Author: Brandon Sanderson
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.5 out of 5 princesses

In Brandon Sanderson's standalone fantasy epic Warbreaker, we are treated to action, adventure, romance, and a large helping of political intrigue. Warbreaker may seem like standard fantasy fare from a distance, but there are many elements that set it apart from the rest of the genre.

Warbreaker tells the tale of a strong militaristic nation called Hallendren and a small peaceful agricultural country called Idris. Many years before this tale takes place, a great conflict led to Idris being exiled and a peace treaty being formed: The ruler of Idris was to send his daughter to wed the terrible king of Hallendren once she came of age. The time has come, and two princesses of Idris find themselves in the bustling metropolis of Hallendren - where colors, magic, and terrible plots abound.

With Warbreaker, Sanderson again shows off is fantasy chops. He crafts a truly unique magical system for this novel that centers on making inanimate things come alive by using one's own life force. Above all of this is the pantheon of Hallendren gods and goddesses: individuals who have died and were reborn into divine beings. There is a lot of magic in Warbreaker, but it all comes across as a neatly contained package. The way that the system works makes sense, and there is predictability in its abilities and limitations (limitations being a good thing in this case - these powerful beings are not perfect).

Sanderson also seems to have a ball with the colorful world he has created. Unlike his previous standalone, Hallendren is depicted as a wild city of color and pleasure. There is an "anything goes" mentality to the capital city that contrasts greatly with the stark practicality of the princesses of Idris. The colorful scenes make the descriptions in the novel a lot of fun to read.

Balancing out the beautiful scenery are the characters of Warbreaker. At the center of it all are the two princesses. Through a sudden change of plans, it is the brash outspoken girl who winds up married to the king and the polite and courteous one who is forced to wander the streets and try to rescue her sister. Throughout the novel, the development of these characters is astounding and refreshing. There are also two humorous mercenaries, a god who only wants to goof off, and a mysterious assassin that wields a black sword.

At the heart of Warbreaker are the political games that one expects from Sanderson, and although there are many action sequences, the intrigue of politics is obviously where the author shines. Twists and turns abound - some expected, some not. The story will definitely leave you guessing.

There are, of course, some ways in which the novel comes up short. First, the pacing is a bit off in places. The first two thirds of the novel feels very slow and deliberate, while the last third feels quite rushed. It is as though Sanderson started out writing Warbreaker as a series, but then decided half way through to wrap things up in one volume instead. I also would have liked a little more time to have been spent on certain characters' back stories.

Negativity aside, Warbreaker is a great read, whether you are a fan of fantasy or political dramas. Definitely worth the read!

4.5 out of 5 princesses!

P.S. Make sure you check out Brandon Sanderson's official website. You can even download a PDF of the entire novel!

Not a Teaser Tuesday

2010-06-07T12:50:00.000-04:00

Warning: This is NOT a Teaser Tuesday post. First of all, it isn't even Tuesday. But the following quote is neither random nor one sentence long. Every so often, an author is able to break from the stereotypes of a genre and deliver a transcendent piece of wisdom with his or her writing. I believe that the following quote is an example of one of these times. From Feed, written by Mira Grant, a novel about zombies and bloggers, comes a starlingly sharp and unapologetic analysis of the state of the world we find ourselves in:

"We are a nation accustomed to being afraid. If I'm being honest, not just with you, but with myself, it’s not just the nation and it’s not just something we’ve grown used to. It’s the world, and it’s an addiction. People crave fear. Fear justifies everything. Fear makes it okay to have surrendered freedom after freedom until our every move is tracked and recorded in a dozen databases the average man will never have access to. Fear creates, defines, and shapes our world and without it, most of us would have no idea what to do with ourselves. Our ancestors dreamed of a world without boundaries while we dream new boundaries to put around our homes, our children, and ourselves. We limit our potential day after day in the name of a safety that we refuse to ever achieve. We took a world that was huge with possibility and we made it as small as we could. Feeling safe yet?"

Stay tuned for my full review of Feed, as well as an interview with Mira Grant.

More Books (Just What I Need)

2010-06-04T15:54:00.001-04:00

Hi folks. In a couple of months, I will be shipping off to Massachusettes to start the four most busy years of my life. The last things I need are more books thrown on to my TBR pile that I won't get to, so of course, I took a trip to Borders and the library this afternoon.

Ghost Story, by Peter Straub. A classic horror novel about a group of men who are haunted by their past evil deeds. I stumbled across this one among the $1.00 shelves in the library.

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas. Another classic, this one an epic tale of adventure and revenge. Written in the 1800's by the same man famous for The Three Musketeers, I have been thinking about picking this one up for a while. I loved the movie, and I finally snapped when someone at BEA mentioned reading it. I'm in!

I am on vacation this week, and I can't wait to catch up on all of my reading. Expect reviews of Feed and Warbreaker soon!

Sneak Peak! The Fabulous Beekman Boys on Planet Green

2010-06-03T10:08:00.000-04:00

As you may have read in my post regarding the BEA, I was recently offered The Bucolic Plague for review, a memoir about two city guys who decide to completely change their lives in order to own and operate a farm. As it turns out, that is only half of the story.

You can also watch the story play out in the new series coming to Planet Green, The Fabulous Beekman Boys. This documentary/comedy follows the crazy lives of Brent Ridge and Josh Kilmer-Purcell (the latter being the author of The Bucolic Plague) as they stumble their way through learning the ropes of the farming profession. Check out the official trailer here.

I was able to get a sneak peak of the first couple of episodes, and I thought it would be fun to share my first impressions with you! First of all, what Brent says in the trailer is true: The couple really doesn't know anything about farming. This is one of the things that makes the show so funny. They bring in an expert (Farmer John) to help them manage the farm, and the relationship between the three of them is something that keeps you on your toes, especially when Farmer John gives Brent a look of death when he is told to do extra chores (seriously, poor guy).

Of course there are the requisite Odd Couple dynamics: Brent is the up tight neat freak and Josh is the easy-going fun-loving one. Although this makes some of the show a little too familiar, the boys' relationship is always apparent under it all - whether they are arguing or apologizing - which makes the series stand out.

The first couple of episodes serve to set up the scene, and we follow the duo as they buy pigs, host a party on their farm, and worry over their llama, Polkaspot.

As with all shows of this nature, I really have to wonder what is real and what is staged. Especially the fact that the Boys' enormous mansion, farm, and business is seemingly only supported by Farmer John. One would think that would be too much work for one man. Brent and Josh also seem to get into a fight, realize that their relationship is more important, and make up in each neat, 21 minute episode. However unrealistic it may be, The Fabulous Beekman Boys proves to be a humorous romp through the pigpen. You can check it out on Planet Green on Wednesday, June 16th.

Book Review - The Anubis Gates, by Tim Powers

2010-06-02T12:25:00.001-04:00

Giveaway: Frankenstein (Book One: Prodigal Son), by Dean Koontz

2010-06-01T22:33:00.000-04:00

Good evening! The time has once again come to give away some SFF gold to the blogging community! This time up for grabs is a like-new paperback copy of Frankenstein, Book One: Prodigal Son written by Dean Koontz and Kevin J. Anderson. Check out the summary of the novel listen on Koontz's website:

"Two centuries after Victor Frankenstein created a man from dead tissue and the power of a lightning bolt, a series of brutal killings are occurring in New Orleans, and the killer is taking body parts. Detectives Carson O’Connor and Michael Maddison are on the case, but they’re about to find out that these killings are linked to something far more sinister than they could ever imagine. . .and that the man once known as Victor Frankenstein has defied death and begun a new mission to replace mankind with a race entirely of his own creation."

Also, click here for a snippet of audio!

I read this novel when it first came out, and was very impressed. It takes Mary Shelly's classic tale of horror and spins it into a Science Fiction Murder Mystery (SciFiMurMy?). But of course, there has to be rules for these sorts of things!

This giveaway is for one like-new (slightly worn from one reading and years of shelf time) copy of the first novel in Dean Koontz's Frankenstein trilogy, Prodigal Son.
It will run from Tuesday, June 1st to Wednesday, June 16th.
The winner will be chosen at random and announced on Thursday, June 17th.
Please, only those residing in the United States will be considered, as international shipping scares me.

You can do any of the following to gain entries into this giveaway! If you don't mind, just comment once on this post and list everything you are going to do (I don't need multiple posts per entrant).

+1 Entry: Post a comment on this post with your e-mail address.
+1 Entry: In that post, suggest a novel that I may like to read, and why.
+3 Entry: Become a follower, or tell me if you already follow Lions and Men.
+1 Entry: Spread the word! Slap a link to this post on your Twitter page, Facebook, blog, whatever. I'll give you +1 Entry for each thing you do, so go crazy! Please also leave links to these things in your comment, so I can check out the sweet sweet word spreading.

Good luck everyone!

They Want to Eat Your Brains: A Brief Study of the Zombie in Popular Media

2010-05-31T10:35:00.001-04:00

Out of all of the terrors that roam in the horror books that I read, zombies have to be one of my favorites. Nothing epitomizes ice old fear quite like an undead creature shambling toward you, hungering for your flesh. What's worse, there's a good chance that monster nibbling on your noggin was once one of your friends or family members.

Zombies have been around for centuries, starting with the Afro-Caribbean belief in voodoo. This dark magic could turn anyone into a mindless hulk that did whatever it was told to do. After George A. Romero's movie Night of the Living Dead, zombies began to take their place in popular media.

One of the greatest things about zombies (like any other myth) is that with each new rendition, the monster is thought of in a new light. It is very rare to see two depictions of zombies be exactly the same. And so, in this short study of the zombie in popular media, I will attempt to sort out some of these differences. That way, when the dead truly rise, you will have some idea of what you might be facing.

The Zombie Survival Guide, by Max Brooks (novel)

Physical Appearance: Brooks conforms most to the "zombie" ideal among the examples presented in this study. His zombies are slow, ever hunting drones who only want to eat the flesh of the living. The monster's body is dead, so it decomposes at a normal rate, leading to large wounds and destroyed limbs over time. They shamble along at a slow rate.
Mental Ability: The zombie is unable to process thoughts that go beyond their immediate hunt for food. They are attracted to prey and use all of their senses (which vary in efficiency compared to those of the living) to spot morsels of brain. However, reasoning and logic are beyond them.
Mode of Infection: A living being that comes in contact with the Solanum virus (through bite wounds, scratches, blood-to-mucous membrane contact) quickly fades into a coma, dies, and is reanimated when the virus hijacks the brain cells.
Method of Disposal: Anything that causes brain death will stop one of Brooks' zombies in its tracks. This includes blunt trauma and decapitation.

Cell, by Stephen King (novel)

Physical Appearance: Stephen King has always found a way of turning the genre on its head. The zombies in Cell resemble their previous lives greatly, and even show some memory about who they were before. They are fast and tend not to decompose as other zombies do.
Mental Ability: These members of the walking dead are very smart, able to establish ambushes and pursue their prey. They also have mental powers including telepathy, which makes them even more dangerous. They also hunt in packs and show evidence of a strong hive mind.
Mode of Infection: There is no infection between a zombie and a living person, which is a very distinct difference between King's novel and the rest. Instead, one becomes a zombie by hearing a certain audio frequency (which is being broadcast over cell phone towers).This makes it hard for the infection to spread, but also cuts off one of our most important means of communication.
Method of Disposal: The "phonies", as they are referred to in the book, are only active during the day. Similar to vampires, they are banished to as near-comatose sleep during the night. This makes it possible to destroy the zombies when they are sleeping and, because they often nest in large groups, methods can be employed to destroy large numbers of them all at once.

Zombieland, by Ruben Fleischer (film)

Physical Appearance: In Zombieland, nearly everyone has been transformed into a zombie. They conform to the zombie standard (see The Zombie Survival Guide) in all but one way: They are fast. In fact, the first rule of Zombieland is Cardio. How else are you going to outrun all of those brain-eaters?
Mental Ability: The zombies in Zombieland don't show much intelligence. They are driven by their hunger for food (much like a SFF blogger I know...), and they don't think about much else.
Mode of Infection: A bite, scratch or contact with bodily fluids seems to do the job.
Method of Disposal: Similar to other types of zombies, the Zombieland zombies can only be killed by brain death. Also, please note the second rule of Zombieland: The Double Tap. If you think you've killed a zombie with a lethal headshot, it's best to make absolutely sure and do it again.

I Am Legend, by Francis Lawrence (film)

Physical Appearance: In the movie I Am Legend, there is only one living man against the masses of zombie-like monsters. These zombies seem to be blessed with superhuman strength and speed, which sucks for Will Smith. Luckily, they shun the light, only come out at night, and keep to the shadows.
Mental Ability: These guys show remarkable intelligence. They set up traps and ambushes, study their opponent's weaknesses, and compensate for their own. If there ever was a zombie that retained the intelligence of his previous form, this would be it.
Mode of Infection: The affliction was initially caused by a vaccine against cancer. As the disease is similar to that of rabies, only contact between infected saliva and living blood (i.e., a bite wound) will cause infection.
Method of Disposal: It is very tricky to kill an I Am Legend zombie when he is awake and running at you. Instead, it is best to wait until they are sleeping, or lure them into the light.

Feed, by Mira Grant (novel)

Physical Appearance: Feed zombies start out looking like their previous (living) selves. However, as the virus causing the affliction multiplies in their tissues, they begin to decay of their own accord. This means that as their existence wears on, they become more and more like the stereotypical zombie. But watch out for the fresh ones!
Mental Ability: These zombies are usually only obsessed with feeding, and can be tricked and out maneuvered. However, as more and more zombies enter the area, their intelligence scales exponentially. This means that when a large horde comes together, they can reason and create ambushes and single monsters would be unable to do.
Mode of Infection: Two viruses designed to kill cancer cells and the common cold were combined and produced a "super bug" that caused zombieism. The standard modes of infection apply here, so don't forget to protect those mucous membranes!
Method of Disposal: Brain death.

I hope this short study of the zombie in popular media will help prepare you for when the dead rise from their graves. Good luck!

BEA and Book Blogger Con 2010 (or, the point of view of a total noob)

2010-05-29T15:15:00.004-04:00

Happy weekend, fellow book lovers! As you know, I have been in NYC for the last couple of days, attending Book Expo America and the first annual Book Blogger Convention. As I have only been blogging for a few months now, I didn't know what to expect. The first surprise? Upon checking in, I was handed a PRESS PASS, which entitled me to entrance into the special "press only" area and, of course, bragging rights. Of course, with great press pass comes great responsibility. If you didn't get a chance to come out to the events, read on for full coverage of BEA and BBC. I may be a total noob, but hey, let's muddle through it together!

I couldn't get very good pictures of the whole event... it was too big!

After a 40 minute drive, a 20 minute train into New Haven, a 90 minute train into Grand Central Station, and a 15 block walk to the Javits Center, Heather and I finally arrived at the BEA, which can be summed up in two sentences: Tons of books. Tons of people. My goodness, what a zoo! This place was packed with publishers, authors, bloggers, journalists, people in colonial-period dress, an odd looking clown, a man wearing nothing but black underwear, and Tony Hawk! It was very overwhelming, but the great part was that everyone there had the same passion for books. Each publishing house had their own section of the massive floor. I turned to Heather and asked "Do you think they will be able to take a debit card, or only cash?"

Oh, how naive I was.

If there's anyone out there who knows less than I do about the book world (which is unlikely, the doors to Borders was pretty much the extent of my knowledge), let me explain: BEA isn't a big book store. You don't buy any of the books. The publishers give them to you. What? Yeah.

Each "booth" featured a slew of books, some released already, some having yet to see their final printing (ARCs, galleys, what have you). They all hand out complimentary catalogs that feature some of their up-and-coming stuff. Audio books, Ebooks, magazines, novels, comic books, encyclopedias, the list goes on and on. There was simply TOO MUCH too look at in one day, which is kind of upsetting. So, how did the BEA pan out for a Sci-Fi Guy?

Not as well as one would hope, actually. The first thing I noticed was a stunning lack of representation of the SFF genres. It seems the biggest sellers were non-fiction, young adult, and "literary fiction" (still trying to figure out exactly what that means...). I got depressed pretty quickly, but then I figured that this would be the perfect opportunity to broaden my views and try out different genres. And what do you know, even this young male scifi/fantasy blogger (another demographic that was severely underrepresented this weekend) was able to find a few diamonds. This brings us to... the Swag Bags.

Yes, you get free stuff at BEA. Publishers bring out stacks of books for passersby to take in the hopes of a good review, and you are only limited to however much you can carry without having your arms being ripped out of their sockets. Between the BEA and the Book Blogger Con, I collected two bags of literary "swag". And boy are my arms killing me. Here are some of the highlights:

Swag!

Picture The Dead, by Adele Griffin and Lisa Brown. From the jacket: "After losing her parents and her brother, falling in love with Will was Jennie Lovell's last opportunity for happiness. But then she lost him too... As Jennie tries to mend the pieces of her broken life, she feels an eerie presence from something otherworldly... something that won't let her leave the past behind." Chick-lit? Possibly. But I am actually looking forward to this one.

Think of a Number, by John Verdon (July, 2010). A murder mystery in which a "seemingly clairvoyant" serial killer matches wits with a retired homicide detector. I'm looking forward to this one too. I usually shy away from murder mysteries because they all feel the same to me, but this one seems much more interesting.

The Bucolic Plague, by Josh Kilmer-Purcell (June, 2010). A non-fiction (What? You're reading non-fiction Nick? Why yes, I am) memoir about two guys who move from the city to adopt a life of farming. The cover alone is awesome, but it really looks like an interesting story. Go check it out! Also, one of them is an ex-drag queen.

The Monkey Bible, by Mark Laxer (September, 2010). Pretty excited about this one, folks. A novel that follows a boy who is striving to discover the story of his creation and attempting to define his identity. There is a war going on right now between creationists and those that believe in evolution, and Mark Laxer's novel tries to blur the line between the two and reconcile some of their differences. Keep your eyes on this book!

Hellfire and Damnation, by Connie Corcoran Wilson. A book of short stories inspired by Dante's nine circles of hell. Ghost stories, horror stories, and the like.

The Black Prism, by Brent Weeks (preview, August, 2010). The first novel in a trilogy about Gavin Guile, an all-powerful man who must decide what his life is worth in a land of war and shifting power. I previously read Weeks' Night Angel trilogy, and was ultimately left with a luke-warm feeling. But this one sounds pretty exciting.

Hull Zero Three, by Greg Bear (preview, November, 2010). Reminiscent of The Matrix, a science fiction novel about a man who wakes up from a beautiful dream and finds himself in a hostile space station. Unsure of who to trust or how to survive, he tries to discover who and where he is.

Choker, by Ben McCool and Ben Templesmith. The first issue in a series of comics. From Amazon.com: "Johnny 'Choker' Jackson, once one of Shotgun City's most promising police officers, is a bitter private detective with a terrible case of Alien Hand Syndrome. But he's unexpectedly been offered a job back on the force: provided he can nail a twisted drug dealer selling a very exclusive product, that is..."

So Cold the River, by Michael Koryta (audio book). A novel about a woman who wants to discover the secrets about her late, billionaire, father-in-law. And stuff happens, I suppose.

Feed, by Mira Grant (audio book). We'll eat this one up folks. It's about bloggers who discover the truth behind a virus that turns people into zombies. Cool? You betch'a.

Waiting in line. One of the sacrifices that must be made.

So! That was my BEA experience in a nut shell. How about Book Blogger Con? That was a pretty unique experience also. Around 250 other people who like to blog just like I do. There were numerous panel discussions on topics such as "generating content" and "public responsibility" aimed at improving the blogging community at large. I also got to meet a few awesome bloggers, including:

T. Olmsted, from BookSexyReview
Gayle, from Everyday I Write The Book
Allie, from Hist-Fic Chick

I can't wait to share all of these great-looking books with you guys! And now it's you turn!

What content would you like to see on Lions and Men?
Any tips for some great books you'd like to see?
What genres should I consider reading?

And you thought I was kidding about Tony Hawk...

Ttyl!

Update: Bookshelves and BEA

2010-05-08T18:33:00.002-04:00

Happy weekend! Just thought I would tie up some loose ends before posting more book reviews. A couple of real-life events that coincide with the blogosphere:

Heather and I just set up our new bookcases in our "library"! Check it out!

Impressive, n'cest-ce pas? To be honest, my books only take up about 25% of the space, but they are still great additions to our new apartment!

Also, I have firmed up my plans to attend this year's Blogger Expo of America in New York City at the end of this month! Very exciting stuff - will I see you there? I will be sure to post all about it, so keep your eyes peeled!

Finally (and partially because of the BEA), I decided to design a business card for my blog. What do you think? It's supposed to look like the bottom half is torn off, but I'm starting to think that it kind of looks like black mountains against a white sky. Oh well.

Brandon Sanderson, on his novel Warbreaker

2010-05-05T20:45:00.005-04:00

Hi folks! Today, I started a new read: Warbreaker, by Brandon Sanderson. This stand alone novel features a colorful cast of characters, a sprawling metropolis, and a truly unique magic system. Stay tuned for my First Impressions post. While you wait, watch this great video of Brandon Sanderson speaking about Warbreaker!

Book Review - A Game of Thrones, by George R. R. Martin

2010-04-22T08:50:00.007-04:00

Title: A Game of Thrones
Author: George R. R. Martin
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 5 out of 5 crowned stags

I read this book with my girlfriend, Heather, over a few months. We thought it only fitting to do a cooperative review. Below is my review, predominantly featuring the characters of the book. Head over to The Maiden's Court to learn more about the story!

Author George R. R. Martin is undoubtedly most famous for his epic Song of Ice and Fire series. The first book in this seven (or possibly eight) book series is entitled A Game of Thrones. Thrones follows several powerful families that inhabit a land called Westeros, which is much like medieval Europe. Although technically of the fantasy genre, this novel reads more like a historical fiction novel. With the caveat, of course, that Thrones is completely fictionalized. In fact, there are no magic or fanciful creatures in this novel before the last 20 or so pages. Westeros feels like a world that is past its prime; all of the magic has left its mountains and forests, and now all that is left is the hard judgment of humanity. This brings us to the heart of the novel: the characters.

There are countless characters in A Game of Thrones. Some are “good” and others are “evil”, but none are what they appear to be.

Heather says: Good and evil are relative terms in this series – when you think someone is purely one way, they go and surprise you by doing something entirely opposite. I also feel that over the course of the series, the characters will change and evolve.

To help you make sense of it all, here is a quick breakdown of the three major families (or “houses”) of Thrones:

House Stark – The Starks used to be kings of Northern Westeros. However, because of events that happened long ago, they now swear fealty to the one King. They are a stern and often humorless people, who hold no delusions about how difficult life can be. Their ruler, Lord Eddard Stark, is a friend of the current king of the realm, Robert Baratheon. Loyalty is one of the biggest virtues of the Starks which, in a world full of intrigue, scandal, and backstabbing, usually is more of a curse than it is a blessing. Eddard is married to Lady Catelyn, and they have two daughters and three sons. There is also another, Jon Snow, who is the bastard son of Eddard Stark.

Heather says: I want a shirt that says “Team Stark”!

House Baratheon – The current king, Robert, is of house Baratheon. With the assistance of Eddard Stark, Robert was able to take the throne by force about a decade ago. This has left the power balance of the realm very unsteady. He is married to the shrewd Cersei Lannister, and they have two sons and a daughter. Young Joffrey Baratheon is in position to inherit the throne. Robert also has two brothers. Renly, the popular and attractive lord, and Stannis, the mysterious older brother who lives on a harsh island off of Westeros.

House Lannister – The Lannisters are directly connected to the throne of Westeros thanks to the marriage of Cersei to Robert Baratheon. Cersei has two brothers. The eldest, Jaime, is a strikingly handsome man whose beauty belies his wrathful soul. The disfigured Tyrion Lannister, on the other hand, is crafty and devious. The Lannisters have always had a shady past when it came for their desire for power.

So now that you know some of the back story to the main characters of A Game of Thrones, it’s time to talk about how it measures up as a novel. To be sure, Martin has created a true masterpiece of fantasy in this series. Every aspect of the land and the characters’ lives is beautifully detailed, and the author does not leave anything out. Thrones is at times humorous, thought provoking, and heart-breaking. You will inevitably find yourself connected with the characters of the novel, and putting down the book to do anything else will not be an option.

However, as with any first novel, Thrones serves primarily as an introduction to what will be happening later on in the series. After reading A Game of Thrones, it is very easy to think that nothing really happened (which is odd, for an 800 page book). This is not to say that Thrones is boring. However, by the end of the novel, you realize that all of the events that occurred were simply leading up to the rest of the series. Not that this took anything away from the enjoyment of reading the novel.

Heather says: I think if you are looking at this in a traditional sense – this is the exposition to the story, and the characters are the most important. So much happens in the first book that serves to grow the characters and prepare the reader for what is to happen in the rest of the series.

The most exciting aspect of the entire Song of Ice and Fire universe is that HBO is turning the entire set of novels into a television series starring Sean Bean as Eddard Stark! This is great news for a fan like me – it should be a very exciting time! You can learn more about this project at one of my favorite blogs, Winter Is Coming.

EDIT: The Game of Thrones is now on HBO!

Sadly, I don’t have a trailer for the television show or a book trailer to give you. Instead, check out this great video of artwork inspired by the novel. I feel that it really captures the theme of the series!

A Game of Thrones is an excellent tale, and should be read and loved by all who enjoy fantasy or historical fiction.

5 out of 5 crowned stags!

Book Review - Hood, by Stephen R. Lawhead

2010-03-27T08:20:00.011-04:00

Title: Hood

Author: Stephen R. Lawhead

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5 out of 5 arrows

One of the most fun aspects of legends is that the details get fuzzy over time. Names get lost and details get embellished. What remains is the moral of the legend, and the enjoyment of hearing the tale. In Stephen R. Lawhead's novel, Hood, we are treated to one rendition of the legend of Robin Hood. If you are looking for King Richard, Prince John, and the Sherriff of Nottingham, look elsewhere. Hood is set in the nation of Cymru (now called Wales) during the Norman invasion of the early 1000's.

In fact, Hood does not resemble the common legend at all until the last 100 or so pages. Most of this novel serves to set up the locations, characters, and events that lead to "Robin Hood"s (Bran ap Brychan, in this novel) exile and criminal deeds. If one considers this as a standalone novel, they may be disappointed with the result. Hood contains a beginning and middle, but then seems to abruptly stop. This reader thought that it could have used an additional 300-400 pages. However, we need to remember that Hood is part of a trilogy, and I am perfectly content with forgiving Lawhead for his early truncation because the "introductory" material presented in Hood is just so enjoyable.

Hood is filled with beautiful landscapes and complex characters. Bran himself is not the loveable rogue that legend has remembered, but a conflicted and - in some cases - failing hero. This makes the metamorphosis he undergoes throughout the book that much more satisfying.

The pacing of this novel (one of the biggest potential stumbling points of a novel, in this reader's opinion), is spot on. So much so that I didn't even realize the pages were turning and the chapters were advancing. The story just seemed to organically flow from the author's mind to my own, which seemed to harken back to the days when legends were passed on verbally.

Hood has been one of the most enjoyable novels that I have read in a long time. Do yourself a favor: Pick up the trilogy, find a comfortable spot, and read to your heart's content.

5 out of 5 arrows!

New Award: Blog Monster!

2010-03-25T20:47:00.004-04:00

Hi guys, I just wanted to share the good news - I recieved my second blog award! It is the Blog Monster Award.

This startling award was created by Eleni at La Femme Reader.

It signifies all the bloggers out there who constantly work hard to keep an updated and insightful website. They aren’t afraid to take a bite with their honest reviews and enjoyable content. You amaze me, you inspire me so I call you a blog monster.

Thanks to Fiction Fanatic for this award! And here are some other monsters:

James, at Speculative Horizons
Haley, at The Life (and Lies) of an Inanimate Flying Object
Heather, at The Maiden's Court

Teaser (day after) Tuesday

2010-03-24T08:30:00.002-04:00

Hi folks! This teaser comes from Hood, by Stephen R. Lawhead. In it, the author describes his novel's protagonist:

"Lithe and long-limbed, habitually clothed in the darkest hues, which gave him an appearance of austerity - an impression completely overthrown by the puckish glint in his clear dark eyes and the sudden, unpredictable, and utterly provocative smile - he nevertheless gorged on an endless glut of indulgence, forever helping himself to the best of everything his noble position could offer. King Brychan's rake of a son was unashamedly pleased with himself." p.20

Books I'll Never Finish Reading (And Why)

2010-03-20T18:32:00.007-04:00

You start reading a book, and quickly realize it isn't for you. For whatever reason, you can't get into it, and you start fantasizing about all of the other books you would love to be reading. What do you do? A lot of people I know would finish the book no matter how much they disliked it. I, on the other hand, feel no shame in truncating my current read in favor of starting a new, more promising conquest. And why not? I have found no good reason to suffer through an unenjoyable book when I could be having a blast reading something that meets my needs.

What follows is a short list of books that I have recently picked up, only to put back down again in light of greener pastures. Am I a fickle reader, my tastes changing with the tides? Perhaps, but I am not ashamed!

Under the Dome, by Stephen King. I have to admit, I was surprised when I found myself rejecting the back half of this book. I am usually a sucker for anything Stephen King, and the premise of this novel was really interesting to me. Why did I drop it? It mostly had to do with the length:content ratio. I love long, epic books, but there didn't seem to be enough going on in this one to warrant the 1,000+ page length. A day would pass in the novel, and it felt like it would take an eternity. Although the story was gripping (something that may eventually bring me back to the novel at a later date), the pace was just too slow.

Alhazred, Author of the Necronomicon, by Donald Tyson. This one didn't last very long. It was touted as a type of "prequel" to Lovecraftian stories, being about the man who first witnessed the cosmic horrors that have been hiding in our world for countless millennia. However, it ended up being about a sniveling cannibal who ended up being one of the least likeable protagonists I have ever read about. There is little to no adherence to H. P. Lovecraft's work, and was just generally disappointing.

God's Demon, by Wayne Barlowe. Let me tell you. I was pretty excited about this one. A novel about a civil war amongst the ranks of demons in Hell should have been one of the most interesting books out there. However, something seemed to be missing. You would think an epic war fought by demons and souls damned to an eternity of suffering would pretty much blown my scifi/fantasy socks off, but this novel was filled with so much bland, political nonsense that it read like a Congressional bill, except I also had the benefit of not being able to pronounce any of the demons' names.

That's all I have to say about that. But I would love to hear what you think! Do you finish every book you start, no matter how disappointing? Or have you set some aside?

Giveaway Results - Son of a Witch, by Gregory Maguire

2010-03-20T16:32:00.003-04:00

Hi folks! Just a quick thank you to everyone who entered!

The winner of a hardcover copy of Son of a Witch, written by Gregory Maguire, is...

Haleyknitz!

Congrats, Haley!