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The only bit I found creepily Trump-prescient was President Windrip's total lack of knowledge or interest in geography outside the USA.
Is your herpes esoteric?
I was just asking for a friend.
Bond no, Donald Trump yes but not nearly as much as in The Manchurian Candidate. It Can't Happen Here is basically Trump's vision of utopia. But Windrip turns the USA into a dictatorship within months, maybe even weeks, and far too easily to be plausible.
Thank you, @Ludovico. I really must get around to reading it, then.
The Life and Doctrines of Jacob Boehme
by Franz Hartmann
[1891]
"Crater cannons open fire!"
Sounds like an interesting read!
I'm 200 pages into the 700 total now, and it's moving along nicely. I'm feeling it now. It's turned out to be a good brew of horror, mystery, supernatural, humour, & of course King Americana.
Women all over the world are falling asleep and not waking up, encased in moth-like cocoons.
But watch out if you break the cocoon and wake them up. They are vicious.
What kind of demonic mayhem is at play here?
A world populated only by men. Yikes.
How to wake the women back-up, without getting ripped apart?
Kind of like Salem's Lot - a slow build and then suddenly evil has taken over completely, and its what to do!?
My 21st Star Wars book of the year (!) is also the only Star Wars novel written by Timothy Zahn that I hadn't read yet. Set between Yavin and Hoth, this book puts a "usual suspects" type of gang together for a peculiar caper story involving unique possessions of one of Black Sun's big bosses. Han, Chewie and Lando are there, along with several new characters and one that we've encountered before in some of Zahn's earlier Star Wars books.
It is, for sure, the first time I've read a heist adventure set in the Star Wars universe. Zahn brings all the familiar tropes to the game, but then with aliens, blasters, droids and even a lightsaber. First, a team must be assembled. Then we move to stakeouts, reconnaissances and heavy planning. Of course things will go wrong; you win some and you lose some. In other words, it's OCEAN'S ELEVEN but with Star Wars scoundrels rather than with Brad Pitt and George Clooney.
Refreshing though that may sound, Zahn puts every word that pops up in his head on the page, making sure the prose is, as usual, "loaded" to say the least. A multitude of characters once again awaits us, rendering things rather confusing at times. A good memory or an empty notebook are no useless attributes when reading a Zahn novel. Or maybe it's "Zahn fatigue" kicking in, which wouldn't surprise me after no less than 11 Star Wars book by this fan favourite author.
And yet, SCOUNDRELS was a pleasant read. The story moves fast and brings a lot of action with it. It mostly takes place on one planet rather than in space or across the galaxy and omits any Jedi action or even Imperial affairs from its menu. Densely written but well written, the book put a smile on my face from start to finish.
And now I'm totally "Zahned out" for a while. The author's next Star Wars novel will be a direct sequel to his first 'new canon' book, THRAWN. Its publication is scheduled for mid 2018, which gives me some time to explore other writers first. But lest I give the impression that I'm sick and tired of the man, allow me to praise Timothy Zahn as perhaps my favourite Star Wars author. His HEIR TO THE EMPIRE trilogy remains the ultimate EU achievement we've gotten so far. Longing for a healthy break from Zahn isn't the same as wishing he'd never touch Star Wars again. In fact, I'm willing to bet that starting next week, I'll be counting down towards his next 'opus'.
As for Scoundrels: a nice standalone effort, perfectly recommendable.
4/5
Before I commit myself to the ongoing Nick Stone books, I first thought that I would try out McNab's Tom Buckingham books, of which Red Notice is the first (of three).
Very black, very funny, very well-written. If you liked Len Deighton's Bomber you'll like this, and vice versa.
It's more like Die Hard, set in the British end of the Chunnel.
I might actually try this one. Because I love trains. Although that might put me off the Eurostar.
So long as there is also an SAS operative on the train, you'll be fine.
And I know Krav Maga.
THE ART
OF
WORLDLY WISDOM
BY
BALTHASAR GRACIAN
TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH BY
JOSEPH JACOBS
Corresponding Member of the Royal Academy of History, Madrid
Warning 1: This is a young adult novel. Warning 2: It would be a terrible mistake if you let that discourage you!
LOST STARS appears on many a Star Wars fan's top 3 list of best new canon Star Wars books. Some folks will even tell you that of all the Star Wars EU books ever written, this one is among the greatest. Consequently, I let myself be persuaded to check it out, and I'm glad I did.
Ciena and Thane have been friends since they were kids and now they are in the Imperial Academy together. They are often the very best of their class and their friendship seems unbreakable. But when Alderaan is destroyed, and soon thereafter the Death Star, they must both rethink their loyalties to the empire and to each other. Different views on life, politics and ethics threaten to separate these two and turn them into mortal enemies. As they are both direct witnesses to the Battle of Hoth as well as to the destruction of the second Death Star, they are time and again being challenged in more ways than just in their basic survival skills.
Claudia Gray has cracked the code. She places two new and very likeable pawns amidst the original film trilogy, and she does it so effortlessly, it never once feels forced or ridiculously convoluted. The story of these pawns is one of romance and loyalty issues, but in a surprisingly nuanced and original way. All of this could have been cheesy and full of clichés, but instead, Gray adds new and previously unexplored dimensions to EPISODE IV, EPISODE V and EPISODE VI. Unlike many other authors, who build entirely new worlds and conflicts within the Star Wars universe, Gray expertly infiltrates the very stories we have more or less deemed finished and complete and allows us to revisit them from two entirely new and different perspectives. Fans of the original films will be rewarded for their attention to detail.
I have nothing against building new worlds of course. If I had, those 21 other Star Wars books I have read this year would have been nearly impossible to finish. Well, those keeping track of my reviews know I have loved most of them. But it's quite refreshing to read a book that opens up new angles on our beloved Star Wars classics.
Gray's prose is fast and clever, almost to the point where it's hard to remind oneself that it is, in essence, a YA novel. Well, Stephenie Meyer can take some lessons from Claudia Gray. This is how you write a book that young adults and actual adults can enjoy, unhindered by predictable scenarios, teenage television drama or "simple English". This author understands Star Wars, enjoyable prose and interesting characters. It's no wonder then that I finished her 551 page book between 8 PM and 2 AM last night. I had the Williams Star Wars scores playing in the background, the lights were out except for my loyal reading lamp, and soft rain drops were hitting my windows. It was nearly impossible for this Star Wars fan to put down LOST STARS, except when nature called.
Is it the best Star Wars book I've ever read? I guess it depends on what, in my opinion, constitutes a good Star Wars book. But if I can treat Timothy Zahn's HEIR TO THE EMPIRE trilogy as one title, then yes, LOST STARS is in my top 3 too. Highly recommended!
5/5
THE CHALDÆAN ORACLES OF ZOROASTER.
EDITED AND REVISED BY
SAPERE AUDE
[W. WYNN WESTCOTT]
WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY
L. O.
[PERCY BULLOCK]
LONDON, THEOSOPHICAL PUB. SOCIETY
COLLECTANEA HERMETICA VOLUME 6
[1895]
BY FRANCHEZZO.
TRANSCRIBED BY A. FARNESE.
W. J. Sinkins, London
[1896]