Alex James's Blog: AlexJamesNovels Blog - Posts Tagged "aliens"

Redeye, sequel to Shadow of a Dead Star, is a cyberpunk novel that speculates on to what extent dependence on machines and automation can have in a worst case scenario, where human bodies are seen only as functions or spare parts in a greater alien (Yathi) system that eludes them.

Bobbi takes centre stage in Redeye, and we see her personal life getting over what happened to partner Tom Walken. When a proficient hacker contacts her with vital information, Bobbi is thrust into a complex web of alien conspiracy, where she will make new well-conceived allies who she is not sure whether to put her trust in. The way Bobbi’s vulnerable, anxious and yet chipper mind worked was fascinating to read and such a contrast to former protagonist Agent Tom Walken’s distrustful and paranoid state. Many of the events in Shadow of a Dead Star were smoothly integrated with Redeye, perhaps painstakingly in the early pages. As soon as Bobbi physically sets out to hack alien sites, the author delivers with outstanding action that fans of classic apocalyptic Philip K Dick science-fiction will love.

Sometimes Bobbi must trust in dubious gifts bestowed by technological god-entities if she is to prevail against the enemy aliens. It is a paroxysm, but maybe an unavoidable one considering the circumstances where hacking and computer code are the basis for alien domination. Redeye shines a real light on how superficial, materialistic, and robotic people appear when they follow trends or adopt technologies they don’t really need, perhaps to show status. ‘The land of meat’ is used to refer to human society as if the computer realm views it with disdain. Ironically, despite all the warnings about digital over-reliance, the main protagonist Bobbi actually prefers the cyber-world of hacking, but is frequently ripped out of it by problems in the ruined world of meat.

Criticism: it took a while to get to the nub of the story; mostly it begins with who Bobbi can trust and this continues well into Redeye. At first I thought the group infiltration into a Yathi base progressed at a snail’s pace, with too many references to past incidents and confrontations with the Yathi in order to understand the current predicament. I see how this was used to add background to what the characters were up against, but I would have preferred present action and confrontation to be the deciding factor in how they unravelled enemy’s complexities. There were many typos, mainly between 25-30%. The author didn’t make clear why the Yathi became as technologically advanced as they were, and the characters’ comprehension of this was at times sketchy. Furthermore, this was the case with the explanations and reasons behind the aliens’ motives and their control of the global communications network. And why do the aliens appear as they do?

Overall, I really liked the balance of speculation, mystery, and action in Redeye. It developed existing ideas much better than Shadow of a Dead Star, fusing classic leader-of-the-underground ideas with an exaggerated balloon of looming ill-will and alien conquest. Every character was interesting, having their histories and characteristics. The thread of strong visual imagination continues in this series, and there is a high likelihood it won’t be too long before I’ll be reading the next.

Ants in Space is a pleasant illustrated science-fiction book for children 8-12 year olds, which entertains and yet at the same time informs about serious environmental problems. The light and clear tone means it can also be happily enjoyed by adults reading to children.

When Lara and Eva first try to have a conversation with alien ant Kweezy Capolza, they have no idea that they might find themselves transported away from their Mum on a trip to learn about taking care of the environment and all living creatures. They will learn that even doing small things can contribute to helping, like finding non-stick pots.

I was convinced children would understand the message, much as I did. I liked how Kweezy took things literally, like the girls' names when they weren't saying their names, and when the girls say "Two suns, how cool is that?". Taking things literally is sometimes a common trait of aliens visiting earthlings, and ironically those on the autistic spectrum. It could be to do with difficulties in language processing, so this does make sense.

There are some neat ideas in Ants in Space, some of which can easily referenced to current technology such as similar mini mobile-phone devices. There were some new ideas as well like shrinking devices, being simple and yet effective for children to understand. The ants’ antennae curl up in happiness or flop down in sadness, which I felt was a good way for the children to understand what the ants were feeling and to sympathise with them.

Ice is a sequel in the science fiction series Clarity, and is set primarily on the alien ice planet Seoorus populated by humanoids in a not-too-distant future; a future prepared by main protagonist Ren’s time-travelling mother Sanna Grant and her complement Alma Laine. Ice is a big departure from the first book The Watch’s setting: the post-apocalyptic ruins of Earth, rife with Doctors, Filavirus, and the ‘Union’. Instead of learning more about the fascinating world in The Watch, the author opted to expand the setting to include the Cryuuia Galaxy, controlled by the Lamsam-Eothern (Prime Minister) and therefore introduced a new problem for Ren and the crew aboard the ship Clarity: ‘acceptance’ into the galaxy by undertaking a ‘worth’ test.

As was the case in The Watch, Ren is an insecure, compassionate, and somewhat vulnerable character who is constantly assailed by fears. She has to struggle against forced technological synchronisation with the hated Captain Cecelia Laine, which assimilates her will with Cecelia’s and confuses her into trying to do what is best for her new ‘complement’. The synchronisation pairs the inquisitive and cautious side of Ren with the cold, determined, and commanding personality of Cecelia, which hinted to me that in order to grow Ren has to take measures that are averse to her instincts. As a result, her Moon-soul religion of compassion and her adventures with her ragtag friends on Earth may have to be abandoned by Ren, which is not a comfortable prospect for her.

When Cecelia’s infuriatingly accurate predictions go wrong, I read with anticipation an encounter with the superior aliens of the Cryuuia Galaxy. Here, I liked the sinister description of the aliens in the Cry’uuia assembly, and the commanding tone of the Lamsam-Eothern. It made me see the peril Ren and the crew faced if they failed to pass the ‘worth assessment’. They are given a chance to do this when they are exiled to the primitive humanoid planet of Seoorus under the care of the Soolt Tribe.

If I lost interest for a few pages, the author was consistently able to bring forward new ideas or subplots to fuel Ren’s experience on Seoorus. Ren was strongly in touch her with emotions, which gave her an insight into how her friends felt, connecting the lives of a number of distinct and not-so-distinct characters, and prompting her to act to help them all. This is where it becomes apparent that Ren finds it difficult to prioritise what is most important; she can’t save or manage everybody. Ren’s changing priorities and conflicts were fascinating throughout, and formed the backbone of Ice. There was a thread of continuity running through the series in the character Jasmine – who is a tempestuous fighter – and Ren’s growing realisation of her feelings for Rian Sloan, the leader of the group of her fellow vigilantes on Earth.

Criticism: some passages reminded me strongly of Dune by Frank Herbert, especially when Ren and the crew meet the Lamsam-Eothern, who calls them ‘witches’ and demands a test to determine worth; a concept that reminded me of the ‘gom jabbar’; and then exiles them to a barren planet. There were even some giant serpents in these scenes. Thankfully, the author didn’t dwell too long on these similarities and moved on to the story.

When the focus switched from Ren to the point of view of Tove Dunyenya and Oliver Booth, ch.21-22, my interest in the plot waned for those chapters. At 54% through, the pace needed to be turned up a notch. The nature and the presentation of the worth test was cryptic, and I couldn’t become interested in it. Beyond the tribal hunt and Ren’s concern for Jasmine’s sanity little else was happening. Ren’s amazing ability to know how the other main characters felt lessened the impact of events, making them reported rather than allowing me to witness what events were happening. The author can write action and plot scenes, as proven in The Watch, but there were far too few in Ice. Those I remember vividly because they are written excellently were the crew meeting the Lamsam Eothern, an altercation between Cecelia and Jasmine, a brief exciting encounter with another tribe, and the final chapter.

It was difficult to remember the individual attributes of the characters in the humanoid Soolt Tribe, whose names sounded similar and all began with ‘H’: ‘Holnom’, ‘Hsama’, ‘Hmyal’, ‘Hoonomlat’; to name a few. Personally, I found more excitement when the characters were preparing for the worth test, which I waited with bated breath for, and when they weren’t on Seoorus.

Overall, Ice had writing that flowed smoothly, meaningful emotions that are well described, and a main character that evoked feelings of vulnerability and insecurity. Ren grows, gathering an aptitude for learning, feeling anger, mustering confidence, and taking a massive decision to fight for her feelings. There are background histories that add depth to Soolt culture and reassure the reader that the author has taken the time to construct the culture and setting – Halmyiyo’s Cove to name just one. What do I want from another story by this author? A group of characters on an adventure as in The Watch, more close encounters between allies and allies–enemies, more ‘mystery’ and intrigue surrounding humanity’s technological development and its relation to Earth, the Union, the Doctors, manips, Jasmine, Cecelia, and Lamsam-Eothern. It looks like I want more continuity… Nonetheless, Ice was a great fulfilling story and is in many ways the ‘complement’ of The Watch. It would not be wise to underestimate author Briana Herlihy’s incredible writing ability, which I am sure will continue to sharpen as it already has.