The Wild Robot
Peter Brown
Little, Brown Books
Fiction, YA Sci-Fi
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: A hurricane, a sinking ship, and a cargo crate washed upon the shore of a remote island... thus begins the story of Roz the robot. Activated
accidentally by a curious otter, she finds herself alone in the wilderness, surrounded by animals, with no apparent purpose but those she discovers for herself.
As she learns the languages of beasts and the ways of nature, Roz becomes more than a mere metal tool - and when she hatches a gosling, she becomes a mother.
REVIEW: This is an odd, fast-reading tale, a science fiction fable of sorts, with more going on beneath the surface than the simple storytelling language
indicates. As a robot, Roz was programmed to learn and adapt to help humans - but, without humans and a clear task before her, she becomes much more than her makers
intended, even as she teaches the animals to become more than instinct and habit have made them. Around the edges are hints of a global warming devastated future,
more fully revealed by the migration of her goose "son" Brightbill. When civilization tries to reclaim its wayward creation, the climax reveals just how much Roz and
her friends have changed - a promise, perhaps, of a future beyond humanity. The end is a little bittersweet and a touch inconclusive, and the characters felt a little
simple now and again, but overall I liked it enough to give it the benefit of the doubt with a full Good rating.
You Might Also Enjoy:
The One and Only Ivan (Katherine Applegate) - My Review
Sky Coyote (Kage Baker) - My Review
Monday, December 26, 2016
Friday, December 23, 2016
Eurekaaargh! (Adam Hart-Davis)
Eurekaaargh!: A Spectacular Collection of Inventions That Nearly Worked
Adam Hart-Davis
Michael O'Mara Books Limited
Nonfiction, Science
*** (Okay)
DESCRIPTION: Steam engines, powered flight, flush toilets... all these revolutionary inventions helped create the modern world of wonders we live in. But for every patent that changes civilization, countless more fall into quiet obscurity. Some had admirable ambitions but weak execution. Some were simply ahead of their time, requiring manufacturing capabilities or infrastructure that didn't exist yet. And some were seemingly entirely fanciful from the beginning, ideas that could never work beyond the patent application description. The author examines a range of lost ideas and the people who created them, from the first inflatable tires and "difference engine" computer to impractical swimming devices and flying machines more akin to rocks than eagles.
REVIEW: Everyone loves those old stock footage clips of failed flying devices and other fanciful creations by inventors more skilled in imagination than engineering (or basic practicality). Funny as they are to modern eyes, though, the quest to innovate and explore and push scientific boundaries is what ultimately led to many things we take for granted; it's a given that every step forward involves innumerable sidesteps and missteps. Hart-Davis combed the patent archives and history books for the unusual, the innovative, and otherwise unique. However, this book can't quite seem to find a tone. Early entries, such as umbrella-like hand attachments for swimming (an attempt to improve the power of each forward stroke that might've looked good on paper but failed in practice), are light and amusing as the author points out flaws in the designs and other reasons they faded into obscurity. Other entries, particularly those that were ahead of their times or represented moments when today's technology might easily have skewed in another direction, come closer to history lessons than anything else. Despite the subtitle, several of these inventions did indeed work. They were simply created before sufficient infrastructure (manufacturing ability, access to proper materials, market demand, etc.) allowed them to succeed. A few - such as a failed attempt to create a mathematical model for human thought in the early 1800's - found success later on (modern computers depend on Boolean algebra, the results of those speculations.) I'm not sure they really belonged in the same book as impractical bicycle modifications or attempts at indoor golf games. The book also becomes word-heavy and descriptive for an otherwise light read; I would've preferred more illustrations or diagrams of the inventions described, as it was sometimes hard to visualize what he was talking about, particularly amid webs of names and machinery parts. Some of these inventions the author seems to have tested, while others are simply speculated on based on the patent descriptions. It's not a bad book, but it didn't seem to know quite what it wanted to do with the broad subject it chose to explore, tending to wander.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Extreme Science (Phil Clarke) - My Review
The World's Most Incredible Stories: The Best of the Fortean Times (Adam Sisman, editor) - My Review
Adam Hart-Davis
Michael O'Mara Books Limited
Nonfiction, Science
*** (Okay)
DESCRIPTION: Steam engines, powered flight, flush toilets... all these revolutionary inventions helped create the modern world of wonders we live in. But for every patent that changes civilization, countless more fall into quiet obscurity. Some had admirable ambitions but weak execution. Some were simply ahead of their time, requiring manufacturing capabilities or infrastructure that didn't exist yet. And some were seemingly entirely fanciful from the beginning, ideas that could never work beyond the patent application description. The author examines a range of lost ideas and the people who created them, from the first inflatable tires and "difference engine" computer to impractical swimming devices and flying machines more akin to rocks than eagles.
REVIEW: Everyone loves those old stock footage clips of failed flying devices and other fanciful creations by inventors more skilled in imagination than engineering (or basic practicality). Funny as they are to modern eyes, though, the quest to innovate and explore and push scientific boundaries is what ultimately led to many things we take for granted; it's a given that every step forward involves innumerable sidesteps and missteps. Hart-Davis combed the patent archives and history books for the unusual, the innovative, and otherwise unique. However, this book can't quite seem to find a tone. Early entries, such as umbrella-like hand attachments for swimming (an attempt to improve the power of each forward stroke that might've looked good on paper but failed in practice), are light and amusing as the author points out flaws in the designs and other reasons they faded into obscurity. Other entries, particularly those that were ahead of their times or represented moments when today's technology might easily have skewed in another direction, come closer to history lessons than anything else. Despite the subtitle, several of these inventions did indeed work. They were simply created before sufficient infrastructure (manufacturing ability, access to proper materials, market demand, etc.) allowed them to succeed. A few - such as a failed attempt to create a mathematical model for human thought in the early 1800's - found success later on (modern computers depend on Boolean algebra, the results of those speculations.) I'm not sure they really belonged in the same book as impractical bicycle modifications or attempts at indoor golf games. The book also becomes word-heavy and descriptive for an otherwise light read; I would've preferred more illustrations or diagrams of the inventions described, as it was sometimes hard to visualize what he was talking about, particularly amid webs of names and machinery parts. Some of these inventions the author seems to have tested, while others are simply speculated on based on the patent descriptions. It's not a bad book, but it didn't seem to know quite what it wanted to do with the broad subject it chose to explore, tending to wander.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Extreme Science (Phil Clarke) - My Review
The World's Most Incredible Stories: The Best of the Fortean Times (Adam Sisman, editor) - My Review
Monday, December 19, 2016
You Slay Me (Katie MacAlister)
You Slay Me
(The Aisling Grey, Guardian series, Book 1)
Katie MacAlister
Penguin
Fiction, Fantasy/Romance
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: If Aisling Grey hadn't been desperate for money, she never would've taken a courier gig with her uncle. so she needs this first job - delivering an antique to a Parisian client - to go off without a hitch. Finding the client dead and having the antique stolen by a mysterious stranger lurking suspiciously at the scene isn't exactly helping... especially when she becomes the number one suspect. Whoever murdered the woman wanted it to look like an occult act, but Aisling refuses to believe there's anything to all that magic and demonology and talk of dragons walking the streets of Paris in human form. Now total strangers insist she's not only a "Guardian", whatever that is, but a born life-mate to a wyvern - as if! As she struggles to unravel the mysteries and dangers, Aisling is plunged into a world of magic she never knew existed, a world of demon lords and immortal beings and the world's sexiest, and least trustworthy, dragon: Drake Vireo, a man (er, wyvern) of many secrets. Who knew Paris in June would be hotter than Hades?
REVIEW: I needed something frothy and fun to distract me, so this supernatural romance looked like a good fit. Aisling's not always the brightest heroine, but she's not entirely worthless, having a fair bit of pluck and and often hilarious narrative voice. As for Drake, he's dangerous, domineering, and of course a perfect match to Aisling - much as she tries to deny it. The characters aren't especially deep, but often fun, particularly Aisling's first failed attempt at a demon minion (the talking dog, Jim, whose summoning was a lesson to the fledgling Guardian that cut-rate supplies in magic create cut-rate results.) The mystery relies on information about the "Otherworld," the hidden-in-plain-sight community of magic workers and immortal beings and such, that Aisling often doesn't have until someone helpfully informs her; it's less about solving the murder(s) than about Aisling being thrown into the deep end of destiny and struggling to stay afloat. Things move decently, with almost no dull moments, and the climax wraps up enough for satisfaction. I clipped it a half-star for Aisling being a little too clueless too often; she just plain doesn't know enough about magic in general or her role as Guardian in particular to solve problems without being led by others, which undercut some of her independence and gutsiness. I also felt the romance angle was a little iffy, almost like it was shoehorned in on top of everything else Aisling had to deal with. On the whole, though, I read it looking for fun escapism, and for the most part that's what I got - minor quibbles aside.
You Might Also Enjoy:
An American Werewolf in Hoboken (Dakota Cassidy) - My Review
Hounded (Kevin Hearne) - My Review
Bedlam's Bard (Mercedes Lackey with Ellen Guon) - My Review
(The Aisling Grey, Guardian series, Book 1)
Katie MacAlister
Penguin
Fiction, Fantasy/Romance
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: If Aisling Grey hadn't been desperate for money, she never would've taken a courier gig with her uncle. so she needs this first job - delivering an antique to a Parisian client - to go off without a hitch. Finding the client dead and having the antique stolen by a mysterious stranger lurking suspiciously at the scene isn't exactly helping... especially when she becomes the number one suspect. Whoever murdered the woman wanted it to look like an occult act, but Aisling refuses to believe there's anything to all that magic and demonology and talk of dragons walking the streets of Paris in human form. Now total strangers insist she's not only a "Guardian", whatever that is, but a born life-mate to a wyvern - as if! As she struggles to unravel the mysteries and dangers, Aisling is plunged into a world of magic she never knew existed, a world of demon lords and immortal beings and the world's sexiest, and least trustworthy, dragon: Drake Vireo, a man (er, wyvern) of many secrets. Who knew Paris in June would be hotter than Hades?
REVIEW: I needed something frothy and fun to distract me, so this supernatural romance looked like a good fit. Aisling's not always the brightest heroine, but she's not entirely worthless, having a fair bit of pluck and and often hilarious narrative voice. As for Drake, he's dangerous, domineering, and of course a perfect match to Aisling - much as she tries to deny it. The characters aren't especially deep, but often fun, particularly Aisling's first failed attempt at a demon minion (the talking dog, Jim, whose summoning was a lesson to the fledgling Guardian that cut-rate supplies in magic create cut-rate results.) The mystery relies on information about the "Otherworld," the hidden-in-plain-sight community of magic workers and immortal beings and such, that Aisling often doesn't have until someone helpfully informs her; it's less about solving the murder(s) than about Aisling being thrown into the deep end of destiny and struggling to stay afloat. Things move decently, with almost no dull moments, and the climax wraps up enough for satisfaction. I clipped it a half-star for Aisling being a little too clueless too often; she just plain doesn't know enough about magic in general or her role as Guardian in particular to solve problems without being led by others, which undercut some of her independence and gutsiness. I also felt the romance angle was a little iffy, almost like it was shoehorned in on top of everything else Aisling had to deal with. On the whole, though, I read it looking for fun escapism, and for the most part that's what I got - minor quibbles aside.
You Might Also Enjoy:
An American Werewolf in Hoboken (Dakota Cassidy) - My Review
Hounded (Kevin Hearne) - My Review
Bedlam's Bard (Mercedes Lackey with Ellen Guon) - My Review
Unbound (Richard L Currier)
Unbound: How Eight Technologies Made Us Human, Transformed Society, and Brought Our World to the Brink
Richard L Currier
Arcade Publishing
Nonfiction, History/Science
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: Many millions of years ago, our ancestors were indistinguishable from other primates... but something changed us from tree-dwelling creatures to tool-using, upright-walking beings, from opportunists to active manipulators of our surroundings, from dwelling in scattered groups to founders of vast nations. That "something" was closely tied with our ability to adapt and use new tools to feed ourselves, expand our range, and improve our own existence, eventually transforming us from victims of our environs to controllers - and, all too often, destroyers. The author examines eight pivotal developments, from "digging sticks" and simple spears through spoken language and precision engineering, that irrevocably altered the course of our species and the planet we live on... and what those innovations suggest about our future.
REVIEW: Given the backward slide our world seems to be entering, with growing nationalism and denial of science and ever-increasing indications of another global conflict on the horizon, this probably wasn't the best choice of reading material. Still, it's an interesting look at how we humans became what we are, for better or worse. Our abilities to adopt new technologies (the term not limited simply to tools and machines - Currier includes spoken language as a "technology") and remake our social structures has brought us far in a remarkably short time. That speed forms part of the problem - our "traditional" definitions of societal roles, genders, power distribution, and so forth stem from earlier eras, and don't necessarily work or make sense in an increasingly urban, increasingly connected, and undeniably overpopulated world. As for the future, Currier seems fairly optimistic that we ingenious ape-kin will inevitably shift and adapt to preserve ourselves and our only natural habitat, the Earth - indeed, he sees several signs that this shift is not only possible, but ultimately inevitable, if still rough and rocky (as transitions tend to be.) I wish I could share that optimism, though I think he underestimates the drag factor at work against change; for instance, he saw Rome as a good example of a large, blended society, conveniently ignoring the many cultures and potential society-altering innovations Rome destroyed to maintain its own status quo. I also was a little miffed that the book itself ends a little after two-thirds of the way through, the rest being footnotes and acknowledgements. Overall, though, it provides a decent, even hopeful examination of our species's long history of technological innovation and major leaps forward. (Whether we're capable of clearing the hurdles so swiftly approaching is another matter entirely...)
You Might Also Enjoy:
Predictably Irrational (Dan Ariely) - My Review
Before Adam (Jack London) - My Review
Last Ape Standing (Chip Walter) - My Review
Richard L Currier
Arcade Publishing
Nonfiction, History/Science
***+ (Okay/Good)
DESCRIPTION: Many millions of years ago, our ancestors were indistinguishable from other primates... but something changed us from tree-dwelling creatures to tool-using, upright-walking beings, from opportunists to active manipulators of our surroundings, from dwelling in scattered groups to founders of vast nations. That "something" was closely tied with our ability to adapt and use new tools to feed ourselves, expand our range, and improve our own existence, eventually transforming us from victims of our environs to controllers - and, all too often, destroyers. The author examines eight pivotal developments, from "digging sticks" and simple spears through spoken language and precision engineering, that irrevocably altered the course of our species and the planet we live on... and what those innovations suggest about our future.
REVIEW: Given the backward slide our world seems to be entering, with growing nationalism and denial of science and ever-increasing indications of another global conflict on the horizon, this probably wasn't the best choice of reading material. Still, it's an interesting look at how we humans became what we are, for better or worse. Our abilities to adopt new technologies (the term not limited simply to tools and machines - Currier includes spoken language as a "technology") and remake our social structures has brought us far in a remarkably short time. That speed forms part of the problem - our "traditional" definitions of societal roles, genders, power distribution, and so forth stem from earlier eras, and don't necessarily work or make sense in an increasingly urban, increasingly connected, and undeniably overpopulated world. As for the future, Currier seems fairly optimistic that we ingenious ape-kin will inevitably shift and adapt to preserve ourselves and our only natural habitat, the Earth - indeed, he sees several signs that this shift is not only possible, but ultimately inevitable, if still rough and rocky (as transitions tend to be.) I wish I could share that optimism, though I think he underestimates the drag factor at work against change; for instance, he saw Rome as a good example of a large, blended society, conveniently ignoring the many cultures and potential society-altering innovations Rome destroyed to maintain its own status quo. I also was a little miffed that the book itself ends a little after two-thirds of the way through, the rest being footnotes and acknowledgements. Overall, though, it provides a decent, even hopeful examination of our species's long history of technological innovation and major leaps forward. (Whether we're capable of clearing the hurdles so swiftly approaching is another matter entirely...)
You Might Also Enjoy:
Predictably Irrational (Dan Ariely) - My Review
Before Adam (Jack London) - My Review
Last Ape Standing (Chip Walter) - My Review
Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Perspective Made Easy (Robbie Lee)
Perspective Made Easy
Robbie Lee
Impact Books
Nonfiction, YA Art
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: Learning perspective is one of the most important keys to creating good art... but also one of the biggest obstacles. Horizon lines, vanishing points, distortion, proportion - who can make sense of it all, and who wants to when there are robots and monsters and more to be drawn? Author and artist Robbie Lee uses numerous diagrams and exercises to break the complex topic of perspective into bite-sized portions, so your next robot-versus-monster battle will be that much better.
REVIEW: I found this title on clearance at a craft store; since perspective is a perennial weakness in my own artistic efforts, and since half price is almost always the right price, I picked it up. Lee's comic book approach appeals to kids as well as us grown-ups who don't always have the patience we should with long blocks of text and complex angle formulas. Via his robotic avatar and many fun drawings, Lee offers clear demonstrations of one-point, two-point, and three-point perspective, including how to properly draw a square and circle in perspective, how to create a "cone of vision" that eliminates unrealistic distortions, and other useful information. He also includes some shorthand tricks and cheats, because not every doodle needs an elaborate set-up and drafting tools. Once in a while, it gets a bit complicated, but such is the nature of perspective, and the many drawings help clarify just what Lee is doing, and why, in each step. For beginner artists (or intermediate artists who still struggle with perspective), especially those inspired by comic books, this has plenty to offer. The rest is down to practice, and with this book at hand there are many useful exercises to try out.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Perspective Drawing Handbook (Joseph D'Amelio) - My Review
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way (Stan Lee and John Buscema) - My Review
Fantastic Realms (V Shane) - My Review
Robbie Lee
Impact Books
Nonfiction, YA Art
**** (Good)
DESCRIPTION: Learning perspective is one of the most important keys to creating good art... but also one of the biggest obstacles. Horizon lines, vanishing points, distortion, proportion - who can make sense of it all, and who wants to when there are robots and monsters and more to be drawn? Author and artist Robbie Lee uses numerous diagrams and exercises to break the complex topic of perspective into bite-sized portions, so your next robot-versus-monster battle will be that much better.
REVIEW: I found this title on clearance at a craft store; since perspective is a perennial weakness in my own artistic efforts, and since half price is almost always the right price, I picked it up. Lee's comic book approach appeals to kids as well as us grown-ups who don't always have the patience we should with long blocks of text and complex angle formulas. Via his robotic avatar and many fun drawings, Lee offers clear demonstrations of one-point, two-point, and three-point perspective, including how to properly draw a square and circle in perspective, how to create a "cone of vision" that eliminates unrealistic distortions, and other useful information. He also includes some shorthand tricks and cheats, because not every doodle needs an elaborate set-up and drafting tools. Once in a while, it gets a bit complicated, but such is the nature of perspective, and the many drawings help clarify just what Lee is doing, and why, in each step. For beginner artists (or intermediate artists who still struggle with perspective), especially those inspired by comic books, this has plenty to offer. The rest is down to practice, and with this book at hand there are many useful exercises to try out.
You Might Also Enjoy:
Perspective Drawing Handbook (Joseph D'Amelio) - My Review
How to Draw Comics the Marvel Way (Stan Lee and John Buscema) - My Review
Fantastic Realms (V Shane) - My Review
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