Sci Fi Challenge Overview!

Ellie from Curiosity Killed the Bookworm set this challenge up last year in order to encourage more people to give the genre ago. For me it was a genre I was familiar with but one I had abandoned for a few years. When I realised I had only read three sci fi books last year (which is shocking since I went through a phase of reading it almost exclusively) I decided to join the challenge. The plan was to read some sci fi that I had been wanting to read for years but never got around to. I think I succeeded and got to read some great books. I even joined in one or two of the group choices. I stuck with just one book a month. Here is my list and a link to each of my reviews.

Zoo by Lauren Beukes
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick
The Kraken Wakes by John Wyndham
Empire State by Adam Christopher
Cities In Flight by James Blish
Flowers For Algernon by Daniel Keyes
Century Rain by Alastair Reynolds
Manhattan In Reverse by Peter F. Hamilton
The Dreaming Void by Peter F. Hamilton
Enders Game by Orson Scott Card
Ringworld by Larry Niven
The Ship Who Sang by Anne McCaffrey

A bit of a mixed bag I think. Some new authors, some classics and a couple of old favourites. I think I didn't do too badly. There are still some books out there that I want to read but I think that I read all of the ones that I had set out to. The main one would be Enders Game. I knew as soon as I signed up for this that it was going to be on my list. Getting hold of a coupy proved to be a little difficult. They must be getting ready for a re-print with the new film coming out. As it was it was months of a wait to buy and so I ended up going via the library route. That also meant a wait but it was worth it. A great read and not at all what I had been expecting.

I wish I had taken part in the group choices more but I had promised myself I would cut down on the book buying and I had a few in my tbr pile that I wanted to read. I did read three from the book choices though; Zoo, Do Androids Dream and Flowers For Algernon. Zoo I had been wanting to read since I saw it reviewed and couldn't resist. The other two were on my bucket list.

I don't think there is one book on that list that I completely disliked. The ones that probably will never be a favourite had their good points so I can't say that I disliked them. They were; Cities In Flight, Century Rain and Ringworld. Century Rain was probably the one that I was most disappointed with but only because I loved other books by the author. Again, I didn't completely dislike it.

It's also hard to choose a favourite. There were so many good ones and each of them different. I very much enjoyed going back to Peter F. Hamilton. I was reminded of why I loved this author. Do Androids Dream and Flowers For Algernon were fantastic classic sci fi. They reminded me that I need to go back and try more. Oh, and Wyndham is also an old favourite. The Kraken Wakes wasn't his best book but it was still a good one.

Thanks Ellie for organising this. Hopefully I will keep up with my sci fi reading next year! Oh, and if any of you are interested Ellie is hosting another challenge for next year. This involves reading translated books. Called 2013 Translation Challenge and has another fab lego gif.

The Ship Who Sang - Anne McCaffrey

Helva was born with a body so deformed that she normally wouldn't have survived. However, her brain was perfect and used to eventually become part of a ship. Helva is intelligent, witty and still feels human without a human body. All she needs is the brawn (human counterpart) to team up with and she can visit worlds, save lives and live the next 200/300 years as one big adventure. However, Helva soon discovers that being human also includes loss and loneliness.

I didn't realise it at the time but this is actually a collection of short stories or rather five novella's. Not that it makes any difference since they are all connected. I don't think you could really read one of those stories without reading the ones before it.

I chose this as my last book for this challenge because I wanted a lighter sci fi book. I wanted something that I could read as a distraction and that I could put down and pick up again without any problem. Anne McCaffrey immediately popped in to my head as the perfect choice. Plus I had been meaning to go back and read some more of her work since she passed away last year.

These stories, whilst a little un-PC, were a great read. They were light, full of adventure and just a touch of technology. Well a big touch since the main character was wired in to a ship but it wasn't as hard core as some. You didn't have to necessarily understand the technology to get it. In each story it's Helva who saves the day. She's a little different from the other ships because she can sing. At first this is something she is ridiculed for but eventually becomes part of her legend. A ship who will do what she can to keep those under her care safe no matter what.

The un-PC aspect is a little tough to take in today's world. The fact that Helva's parents had to make a choice. Have their disabled daughter euthanised or wired in to technology. You can see where the un-PC aspect comes in. I have to say I didn't particularly like that part of it. McCaffrey did confront it from the beginning by having characters who believe it to be inhumane to visit the facility and see that all the brain children are happy. Still, it leaves with a bit of bad taste in the mouth.

If you can get over it like I did though you have some fun stories to read.

As I mentioned earlier on I read this as part of the sci fi challenge and this was in fact my last book for it. If you want to see what others read this month you can do so over at Ellie's blog Curiosity Killed the Bookworm. The suggestion was to read a festive-ish sci fi book but once again I went with my own choice. Have enjoyed the challenge overall and I will review it later on in the week.

Ringworld - Larry Niven

Louis has left his own party celebrating his 200th birthday. He is bored and is thinking that it might be time to take one of his own adventures. As he contemplates this as he travels round Earth he somehow ends up in a room with a Puppeteer, an alien everyone believed had disappeared a long time ago. The Puppeteer, Nessus, has a task for Louis. He wants him to travel to a sun which has a metal ring constructed around it. The Puppeteers are a fearful race and they want him to find out if it will be a threat. Along with Speaker (a Kzin) and Louis' 29 year old girlfriend, Teela, they head out. There Louis and friends meet the unexpected and the strange. A world constructed by unknown beings and filled with plants and animals from other worlds.

I have to say that this wasn't my favourite sci fi book  that I have ever read. Having said that the more time passes the more favourably I look on it. My thoughts at the time were that it was far too simply written. I was expecting a piece of classic sci fi. What I got was something that was almost written for children (if you take out the discussions on mating). The dialogue and the language itself was very simple. On the plus side it did make it for an easy read and it made the technological aspects of it easier to take (for those who don't like the technobabble).

We all know that in sci fi and fantasy we have to sometimes take things with a pinch of salt or to just let reality go. I could do that with a metal world constructed round a sun with it's own oceans and mountains. I could do that with an alien race called Puppeteers (although it turns out that name is quite apt). I could do that with a 200 year old man having a relationship with a 20 year old (that really isn't new when you read Peter F. Hamilton). I could do that with sunflowers which store up sunlight and shoot at anything that moves. What I found difficult to take was that the human race had evolved luck. A lottery in place to allow people to have a second child (for population control) has meant that those who win it are lucky and this luck grows as it is passed genetically on to their children. That had me almost wanting to through the book across the room.

Glad I didn't though as I did enjoy the four characters travelling across the Ringworld. This part of the book was an interesting plotline. Ringworld is clearly a technological marvel however society has broken down on it. It makes for an interesting read. I also liked the interaction between the four characters and any of the people they found on Ringworld. People who have forgotten that their ancestors created the world they live on.

I do have to defend it a little from one review. I read one that said that they found it very sexist in terms of the relationship between Louis and Teela. I can see how they came to feel that but it wasn't the impression I got. Human's now have access to longevity treatment and so age differences in relationships don't matter so much. Like I mentioned earlier this really isn't new. Peter F. Hamilton and other authors have done something similar in their books. I also don't think Teela was portrayed as just a silly young girl. She said came across as just as intelligent and actually seemed to get things far faster than some of the others. I think that the point the author was trying to get across is that she is young with no responsibilities other than to enjoy everything out of life.

I read this as part of the sci fi challenge hosted by Ellie of Curiosity Killed the Bookworm. It was for November's choice and I did read it last month. This is just the first opportunity I have had to get typing. If you want to see what others read last month you can do so here. Decembers choice is to read a sci fi book with a Christmas theme. I haven't picked my book yet and at this point in time I'm not sure I will have a chance to read one.

Ender's Game - Orson Scott Card

Ender has been watched from a very early age. His brother and sister are also geniuses but they failed to make the cut. Now Ender is the last hope. Only he can stop the alien's who once devastated Earth from doing so again. First though he has to be put through some rigorous training and testing at military school. All rule book is thrown out the window in order to test Ender to the fullest. However, if pushed too far they could break him which would mean all is lost.

I wasn't sure what I was expecting with this book. I just knew that sci fi and non sci fi fans seem to love it. Glad to say that I enjoyed it too. Surprising considering this book is about a 6 year old genius who is expected to go through military training and save the world.

Yet, love it I did. The premise does seem a bit rediculous. No matter how intelligent Ender is a 6 year old doesn't have the emotional intelligence to go through what he was put through. I was able to get past that though because Ender was such an engaging character. Occasionally he would come across as a 6 year old who has been taken to a strange place and won't see the people he loves for years to come. This is shown on his first night when he has been deliberately isolated from his class mates.

The majority of the book is set in the military school. As Ender becomes used to something (and as the reader becomes used to the situation too) those in charge deliberately through in challenges or change the rules so that Ender has no time to get comfortable. In this way the reader also has no time to get comfortable. You don't want Ender to have to deal with more challenges for the characters own sake but these challenges keep the book pacing along.

About a third of the way through we see things from the point of view from Ender's equally intelligent brother and sister. Peter is cruel with a hard side which was why he failed to make the cut. Something he has been bitter about. Valentine is loving and caring, too soft which was why she failed. Peter though plans to use his intelligence to manipulate the political scene on Earth with Valentine's help. Through them this gives us a good idea of the history of Earth and it's politics. In this way we are given a bigger view instead of just Ender's need to prove himself and defeat the aliens.

I very much enjoyed it as a whole and enjoyed each of the characters, the good and the bad. I understand this is just the first book in a series and I think that I will be reading the rest at some point. It was a relatively easy read. I can see why my local library classed it as YA. I also think that the non-sci fi fans may like it for it's psychology and political aspects. I read this as part of the sci fi challenge hosted by Ellie of Curiosity Killed the Bookworm. If you want to see what others have been reading you can do so here.

The Dreaming Void - Peter F. Hamilton

What was once thought to be a black hole in the middle of the galaxy turns out to be a large void with another universe inside it. As it expands it eats away at the Common Wealth Universe. Various humans and aliens are stationed nearby to study it and prevent it from growing. However, one human has received dreams from this void. Dreams of the ideal life which he has shared with others. A whole cult has grown up around it. The dreamer though has disappeared and the man who has replaced him as leader is organising a pilgrimage into the void. The common wealth is split over this. Half want it to occur and the other half believe it wall cause the void to expand and destroy their own universe. The human race is fighting among itself and trying to prevent and at the same time trying to prevent an attack from an alien race who want to stop the pilgrimage. Meanwhile, new dreams are being filtered out among Living Dream and the leader is determined to find who that is and use him to promote the pilgrimage.

If that sounds like a lot it is. Hamilton is known for his large chunky reads with lots of main characters and lots going on. This one isn't quite as busy (or as long) as some of his other books though which made it quicker to read than is usual with his books. Not that this is a bad thing. It means less chance of losing important threads as you read. The story was still complex enough though and it took time to work out why some threads were important.

I should point out before I go any further that this is from the same universe as his Common Wealth series (Judas Unchained). It's set a good few centuries later and the human race has moved on somewhat in it's development with some moving on to being non-physical. This is an element that was in his Reality Dysfunction series early on. It was deemed as a good thing there but in this series there is a lot of controversy surrounding it. Anyway, the reason I mention this is that some of the characters and history of his previous books pop up in this one. I don't think it's 100% necessary to read those ones first but I would recommend it. It irritated me not remembering some of the detail as it was mentioned in this.

Although I have always loved Hamilton's take on the future of humanity and the technology he comes up with it wasn't actually my favourite part this time (still like it mind you). It was the dreams that the dreamer had from the void. It depicted a much simpler life and a young talented boy who wanted to change the world. It was a nice pace from all the sci fi and I looked forward to each of these.

Lastly I also recognised one of the short stories from last months book. With this you definitely don't have to read the short story first. The Dreaming Void was published first. It was just more detail of some of the hints given in this book about one character.

I read this as part of the sci fi challenge hosted by Ellie of Curiosity Killed the Bookworm. The group choice was Earth Girl by Janice Edwards. I haven't looked into it but I think it's a more recent book. I chose though to pick from my book pile as I am trying to work through it. Plus after reading his short stories last month I had an itch to pick this one up. I will definitely be reading the others in the series but that might wait until after the new year (which scarily isn't that far away now). This book was actually my last sci fi in my tbr pile. Which means I might join in next months choice depending on what it is. Or I might take a trip to the library and see what catches my eye. If you want to see what others have chosen to read you can do so here. 

Manhattan In Reverse - Peter F. Hamilton

I'm not going to write much of a blurb for this one. Simply because I find it difficult to write a blurb for short stories that are mostly unrelated to each other. If you have read his Commonwealth Saga then you will recognise one of his characters from that series in a few of these stories. Paula Mayo is the best detective in history because she has been designed to be thanks to the hive. She has been asked to look into terrorist attacks on one of the dynasty families. In the second story she is having to redeem herself and has been sent to a newly settled world to discover why seemingly docile animals have begun attacking the settlers.

Those are only two of the stories but they all have a similar theme. Most of them are detective stories and they all have Hamilton's signature technology. The Mayo stories stood out for me though because I liked her character back when I read the Commonwealth Saga. It was nice to see her getting her own story and I actually would have liked more. A strong female character who is determined that justice will always prevail. She always gets the bad guy.

One of my favourite stories in the collection though was the first one. A boy from a ruling family is murdered. One of the family who has been charged with discovering the murderer spends a few centuries doing so. The murder investigation itself was interesting although I had guessed from the start who the murderer was (just not he reasons and there is absolutely no hint as to why until it is revealed by the investigator). What I loved about this story was that it was set in a completely different universe to all the others. In this one the Roman Empire didn't leave Britain. It just changed hands a few times. It story begins around the late 1800's and it's interesting to see that technology has developed a lot quicker. Later I enjoyed the differences and the parts which paralleled our own history and technological advancement. It was these little bits of detail that made the story for me.

I'm not sure if it's worth reading if you haven't read any by Hamilton before. I would probably recommend his Greg Mandel trilogy first. Their his first books and whilst a little different to his later books they do give a taste of his later series. Plus they aren't as bulky as some of his others.

I was looking forward to these stories though when I first saw they were being released as a collection and I wasn't disappointed. Hamilton claims that he is unable to write anything short and this is probably true with only one story coming in at a few pages. However, that didn't bother me in the slightest. Last month after reading Reynolds I was down on the whole space opera genre but this has renewed my interest in it. Which is why I have chosen another book by Hamilton for this months Sci Fi read.

I read this as part of the sci fi challenge hosted by Ellie of Curiosity Killed the Bookworm. I am a little late in posting this review but if you want to see what others read in August you can do so here. Septembers book is Earth Girl by Janet Edwards but as I mentioned I have went with another Hamilton.

Century Rain - Alastair Reynolds

Verity Auger is an Archaeologist who spend her time searching Paris for tokens from the past. The Earth has been desolated after humans tried to clean up the atmosphere using nanotechnology. It all went horribly wrong and the nano's took over. The Earth is covered in a sheet of ice and to come in contact with the nano's can mean death. Verity almost kills her team in one of her searches and is afterwards given a choice. Face a tribunal or head through a portal to Earth2. On Earth2 it is 1959 although it is much like the 1930's of Earth1. There was no WWII and as a result technology isn't where it should be and fascism is once again on the rise. Verity must go there to collect the belongings of murdered agent, Susan White.

I used to love Space Opera novels and Reynolds was one of my favourites. Like the last one I read I found that whilst I liked it I was also a little bored by it and the book didn't push on fast enough. In this case there was just far too much going on. There was a war between two species of humans, conspiracies, an Earth2 human investigating Susan White's murder and then Verity's own investigation. It was just too much with long boring periods in the middle and a rush at the end. In all honesty the rush at the end was the best part.

There were still parts of it I enjoyed. I liked the Paris setting with it's 1930's feel. Every so often you would get a reminder that it was supposed to be 1959. When Verity finally arrived on Earth 2 and the action started I enjoyed that too. I think maybe because then the pace picked up and the story became interesting.

In any case I think I will leave off Reynolds for a while. This was the last of his books in my tbr pile. I have a few Peter F. Hamilton's there. So I will see how I feel about those before I leave off the Space Opera novels all together. It's definitely not the sci fi itself though as I have been enjoying that over the last year.

I read this for the sci fi challenge hosted by Ellie of Curiousity Killed The Bookworm. The book was supposed to be Fahrenheit 451 but as I have read it before I picked out one from my tbr pile. Almost wish I had read it again. Anyways, you can read what others read here. 

Flowers For Algernon - Daniel Keyes

 Charlie has the mind of a child but desperately wants to learn. He has felt this desperate need since he was a child. Now a grown man he works in a bakery where he has lots of friends. In the evening he goes to school where he has learned a little writing and reading. As the most eager student his teacher has put him forward for a new trial. This trial could increase his intelligence. To Charlie this is a dream come true and he only hopes he passes all the tests so that he can learn to read and write properly. As the doctors proceed little does Charlie know that intelligence doesn't mean everything. It changes Charlie's life in ways he didn't expect and not necessarily for the better. Sometimes ignorance is bliss.

For some strange reason I thought the film, Lawnmower Man, was based on this. Apparently not although it is similar in that a simple man is given intelligence (Lawnmower Man is very loosely based on a short story by Stephen King).

The book is written as a series of reports from Charlie as he begins his quest to be able to learn. From these reports we see his slow progress. Progress that Charlie doesn't even notice at first. It begins with his spelling and grammar which he struggles to correct. Very quickly though he is able to discuss issues with university students and eventually surpasses the university professors. It's easy to become caught up in Charlie's excitement as he realises the treatment has worked and he is able to process so much information.

We also see at the start just how much Charlie loves working in the bakery and loves making his very dear friends laugh. Of course the reader realises that his so called friends are in fact making him the butt of their jokes and taking advantage of the fact that he doesn't understand. It's easy to see from these first few pages that if the treatment works Charlie is going to realise this himself. Which indeed he does and he unfortunately doesn't have the emotional intelligence to deal with it.

In fact emotional intelligence is a big problem for Charlie. He is now conflicted a lot of the time and is unable to empathise with his so called peers. He has a hard time adjusting to discovering women. As his IQ piques his bitterness does also and he is no longer the happy go lucky person we know from the start of the book.

I'm not going to say too much more about the story as it will give away the ending if you haven't guessed yourself. It was very well done though. The changes in Charlie's reports were at first subtle as were the changes in Charlie himself which of course speeds up. Despite the report format I was able to feel for him as he discovers that he was probably happier in his ignorance. I was expecting this to be a rather sad story and it was. A classic sci fi which I would recommend to everyone. It doesn't have any space flight if that's not your cup of tea. And the sciencey gobbledigook is kept to a minimum. In other words I think even the non-sci fi fans would get something out of it.

I read this as part of the Sci Fi challenge hosted by Ellie of Curiosity Killed the Bookworm. This was this months book choice. I decided to go with that since I had been wanting to read the book for a while now. You can see what others read here.

Cities In Flight - James Blish

Exploration has stagnated. In order to overcome this a few things have to happen. Better technology needs to be discovered and the human life needs to be expanded. The problem is that there are politicians who are against seeing this happen as it could also spell the end of Western society. The result is that years down the line whole cities are escaping into space to get away from the grip of Earth leaders. Manhattan is one such city which has left the Earth and now makes it's living from mining for planets that don't have the technology. Unfortunately times aren't always good and New York finds itself in some sticky situations which the Mayor must get them out of in order to protect the city at all costs.

I read this a few weeks ago and this is actually May's Sci Fi book. A wee bit late in the review and to be honest I have a fair few to catch up with.

The novel is split up into several sections and it turns out most of these sections were published individually during the 1950's. I don't think they were published altogether until the 1970's. The first two sections are different from the rest. The first one is set in out present time (which would have been the future to Blish). It's all very sciencey and political as one politition is trying to bring about space flight. I don't actually know why he is doing it. Something to do with the fall of the West which he believes to be inevitable. Possibly he thinks that this will save a small aspect of it but I wasn't to clear on that. As I said it is sciencey and political which do sometimes go hand in hand with sci fi. Especially with classic sci fi. I don't mind that and have in fact been known to very much enjoy it. I do need just a glimmer of human interest though. No matter how much the author tried with the characters in this section it just wasn't there. So it is maybe a good thing that none of these characters made an appearance later on. I am glad that I didn't invest anything in them because I would have been very annoyed by their lack of appearance again even if this section was published earlier than the rest.

The second section had that human interest aspect. I was about to give up with the book so I greatly welcomed it and finally began enjoying it. This one was written from the point of view of a young boy who ends up on one of those flying cities. It's there that we learn about city society and how Earth police hate them. They call themselves hobos who look for work where they can get it then move on again. Hard to imagine Manhattan as a hobo but it was an interesting plot line. Sadly the boy disappears from the story and the remaining sections are from the point of view of Manhattan's mayor. Interesting at first but as the sections became formulaic I became bored and was glad when I had finished.

If you like your sci fi sciencey and don't mind lack of human interest or repetativeness then you will like this. It was a well written book I just found it a little dull. The parts I really liked just weren't long enough for me. I would have happily read that one section on it's own.

As I have said already this was for the sci fi challenge which is hosted by Ellie of Curiosity Killed The Bookworm. You can find what others read here.

Empire State - Adam Christopher

Rad Bradley is a PI living in Empire State. It's War Time and prohibition is in force. Times are tough for the people as the live under state control. As a result Rad is just making ends meet. After a late night drinking with his journalist friend he is surprised by a young lady looking to hire him. Her lover has gone missing and the police don't care due to the illegal nature of the relationship. Rad agrees to find her and soon comes across her body. She's been murdered and it looks like the murderer was a robot returned from the war. Somehow this is linked to visits from a supposedly dead superhero, an illegal cult. two masked goons and mysterious phone calls from someone called Nimrod. Just when Rad can't possibly be any more confused Kane, the journalist friend, suggests a visit to the scientist Captain Carson might help.

This book got a great review in SFX and it sounded right up my street. Alternate universes, robots, noir and feuding superheros. What's not to like? Plus I did like it. I loved the feel of the book. The image of Empire State was very strong in my mind thanks to the author. I pictured it as a bleak and dark place. Everything in black and white. Exactly the way noir should be. If it was a film it would be visually like Sin City or Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. Both films I very much loved.

However, I was completely confused a lot of the time. I felt that I could relate to Rad a lot in that sense. The book starts of in New York. Keep in mind that I knew the book was about an alternate New York. When two superheros start fighting each other in front of the Empire State building I think I can be forgiven for being confused when the book switches to the alternate world Empire State. Given that there were superheros in the original I assumed (wrongly) that it was the alternate. Eventually it was clear in my mind why they were alternate because Empire State is almost a mirror image.

I then become confused about who exactly is the bad guy. Just as confused as poor Rad and that confusion stayed until the end. Who exactly is he fighting against? Is it the feuding superheros, the goons, the robot, the crazy man, Carson, Nimrod, all of them? Poor Rad is only one man and not a very good PI (although he is a hero). He can't win against all of them. Don't worry that confusion is cleared up to (eventually) but for that you are going to have to read it yourself.

It was entertaining and a little bit different. Plus Rad was a very likeable character (unlike his doppelganger). For that I do recommend it.

I read this as part of the sci fi challenge hosted by Ellie of Curiosity Killed the Bookworm. The months book choice was actually Hull Zero Three by Greg Bear (the book that won the Arthur C. Clarke award and resulted in a rant from Christopher Priest). Whilst I do like Greg Bear I would need to buy it and I am on a book ban this month. Plus I have been dying to read this one. If you want to see what others read you can do so here.

The Kraken Wakes - John Wyndham

Michael and Phyllis Watson both work for the E.B.C as script writers. Whilst on their honeymoon they notice red globes streaking across the sky before entering the sea. Before long reports of these red globes are appearing from all over the world and they seem to disappear into the deepest parts of the Oceans. Mike and Phyllis become chief reporters of the phenomena and are soon collating a record of all strange occurances. They become part of a team investigating just what has entered the Oceans depths. Not long after the reports of red globe activity have stopped new reports of other activity takes its place. That of large ships going missing with very few survivors. The question becomes just what is living down in the deeps and will it pose further threats? One scientist believes that whatever is down there won't tolerate the presence of man for long.

I love John Wyndham. Reading this has made me realise just how much I have missed his books. This one was a rather slow start and the book is set over several years. The slowness of the narration/action is deliberate though as the events are meant to occur over a long period of time. It allows us to build on concern and fear before any action does take place. Plus when the action does occur the slow start makes it all the better. You feel the horror of what the narrator is feeling.

For such a short novel it's amazing just how much it does fit in over the span of  years (probably a decade or so). In such cases you would find that the depth of the characters would suffer as a result but this isn't the case. Instead we get a real sense of who Mike and Phyllis are. We feel sympathy for them and I liked them both as a couple and individually. Wyndham was also able to add in how the events affected them so that they didn't just become narrators but a part of events. I also like the fact that Phyllis was a strong female character. I give a big cheer for that considering the book was published in the early 50's. A time when there was a strong belief that the woman's place is in the kitchen. Not for Phyllis. Her place was working beside her husband and in some cases off on her own. She had as much strength and talent as her husband if not more.

Speaking of the 50's, that was of course the time of the cold war and this fear was added into the plot of the book. Many speculated that Russia was to blame for the events that were taking place rather than the ridiculous possibility of invasion. Russia in turn kept silent for the most part. It was a nice touch I thought.

My favourite Wyndham is still The Midwitch Cuckoo's but I still give this one top marks. I was immediately sucked into the story and my attention was held right through to the end. Another great classic sci fi.

I read this as part of the Sci Fi 2012 challenge hosted by Ellie of Curiosity Killed the Bookworm. This was my choice rather than the group choice which is Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood. If you want to read what others read the posts are linked here.

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick

Rick Deckard is a bounty hunter living on devastated Earth. Most humans have emigrated and with them they have taken a slave android. Some of those androids kill their humanoid owners in order to live their own lives. Deckard's job is to retire any who reach San Francisco. The problem is that as the androids become more sophisticated it's becoming harder to tell android from humanoid without an empathy test. Six of the latest line have reached his area and Deckard hope to bag them all. If he can he will be able to pay for his ultimate dream - to buy a real animal in place of his electric sheep.

I absolutely loved this book. It's been a long time since I have gone back to reading some classic sci fi. I forgot just how good it could be and this was one I found hard to put down. I have seen the film but that was years ago. From my vague memories of it though this book has very little to do with it. For a start the main characters sole obsession isn't to track down and retire androids. To him that's just a job and a means to an end. That end being to own his own real animal. After the war animals are so rare that everyone seeks to own one and will pay silly amounts to do so. Deckard himself isn't actually bothered which animal he owns just so long as it's real.

Along the way though he begins to empathise with the androids. Something he hasn't done before. He begins to see them as people who aspire to be free. This doesn't stop him from doing his job but it does confuse him. It makes him question why he is doing it. It also worries him slightly.

There is a section about half way through that was particularly exciting. Thanks to one of the androids, Deckard becomes so confused he begins to doubt even himself. I though at this point the book was going to take a whole new turn. It didn't really other than Deckard never really recovered himself no matter how he tried.

Empathy is another big part of the story. Empathy for animals and each other. Things that we do today are seen as horrific in this world such as eating lobster, hunting and eating animals such as dog (okay none of these things are my cup of tea but it's not the crime it is in Dick's world). I can't help but think this is part of the effects of the war and not just some way to show the difference between humans and androids. The war has clearly devastated the planet and very few people have stayed. In order to prevent another war people are made to show empathy.

This is the third or fourth Philip K. Dick book I've read and is so far the best. It's everything a classic sci fi should be. This was the book of the month for Ellie's Sci Fi challenge. I decided to go with it rather than reading my own because it was one I had planned on reading it for the challenge at some point. I'm glad I did as it made me realise how much I have missed the genre.

You can see what others are reading for the challenge here.

Zoo City - Lauren Beukes

Zoo City is set in a world where if you do something wrong your karma comes back in the form of an animal. An animal you have to slug around as separation can lead to sickness and death. This is what happened to Zinzi. Despite having everything she needed she led a fast paced life which ended with her living in Zoo city with a sloth and a mass of drug bills. Scams and searching for lost things are the only way she is able to survive. On finding one lost thing she is caught up in a murder and the pay she was relying on is no longer coming in. She has no choice but to take the one job she hates. Missing persons. Reluctantly she starts investigating but soon finds that there is more to this than she is being told. It's not long before she is in danger herself.

This was more alternate universe than sci fi but it was a great way to ease in to the challenge. I've been wanting to read it since I saw it reviewed in SFX over a year ago and then when it won the Arthur C. Clark award. From the first page I was immediately sucked in to the story. Not so much for the mystery behind the girl who had gone missing. It was for the story behind the animals. The book is split up with interviews and news items and a lot of it links back to when animals first appeared and how those with them are then ostracised from society. We see it first hand with Zinzi who has to overcome prejudice just so she can carry out her investigation. I loved it and the whole idea of it. Reminded me very much of the animals in Philip Pullman's Northern Lights. In fact there is even a reference to it but of course in this book it's not scene in quite so much a positive light.

I loved the atmosphere of the book and the fast pace. The setting was perfect. You definitely got the feel of Zinzi living in what can only be a slum but there is a sense of community too. Zoos (as they are called) pull together although there is still gangs and killings. As I said the mystery was secondary for me but I still enjoyed it. While I did have my suspicions as to who was really up to no good I certainly wasn't expecting the final outcome.

I would give the book a full star rating apart from one complaint. It felt like the ending was just a little too rushed. I would have liked it pulled out just a little bit more. Other than that it was a brilliant read and I did like the very ending of the book. I would like to hope that another book set in this universe might be on the cards as I would love to read more.

This is the first book I read for Ellie's sci fi challenge over at Curiosity Killed the Bookworm. Ellie picked this one for anyone who wanted to read along although it no one had to in order to join the challenge. If you want to see what others have been reading Ellie has posted links here.

Sci Fi Challenge 2012

The last challenge I am signing up for is the science fiction challenge which Ellie of Curiosity Killed The Bookworm has put together. The idea is to read some science fiction. You can chose your own book but she is also going to put forward a potential book each month as a readalong. If you manage to read a sci fi book each month she will even put you forward for a giveaway.

First of all, how much to I love the image she used? She also has a fantastic blog which is worth checking out. I decided to go with this rather than start my own challenge because I love science fiction. I used to devour the genre but over the last couple of years I have read maybe a handful. I think this is a perfect way to get back into it. I am looking forward to discovering some new others and trying out some classics I haven't gotten round to yet. I also have a couple of sci fi books by favourite authors sitting in my tbr pile. This will be the perfect encouragement to get those off the shelf. I am also looking forward to seeing what books are put forward for the readalong each month. Maybe I will discover a new favourite or get to reread an old favourite.

Fingers crossed this is the last challenge I am signing up for. I don't think I could handle much more. The problem is there are so many good ones out there and I have to admit I am already restraining myself from signing up for more.