REVIEW: The Swarm by Frank Schätzing

The Swarm by Frank Schätzing
Translated from German by Sally-Ann Spencer
Paperback: 881 pages
Publisher: Hodder Paperbacks; New edition edition (22 Feb 2007)
ISBN-10: 0340895241
ISBN-13: 978-0340895245
Copy: Bought in bookshop
Reviewer: Cara

From the back of the book:
A novel of the deep
Something strange and terrible is happening deep in the oceans. Tides and currents are shifting, normally peaceful creatures are attacking, ships are sinking, fishermen drowning. The world ecology is in crisis... and this is just the beginning.

Led by the claret-loving Norwegian Sigur Johanson and the Inuit whale expert Leon Anawak, a motley group of scientists find themselves in a race against time to prevent a global cataclysm - and to head off those who want to exploit it in their own pursuit of power.

I read The Swarm in 2007, when it first came out in paperback in the UK. Recent events, such as the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico, the crisis in cod and tuna fish stocks and the acidification of the oceans led me to revisit this book as I considered it purely speculative fiction three years ago. Now I am not so sure... are we killing the oceans? And will the planet fight back? One thing is for sure, The Swarm is a warning to us all to protect our precious ocean resources.

The Swarm opens with a series of seemingly random events… fishermen going missing off the coast of Peru, whales attacking tourist boats off Vancouver Island, vast colonies of tubeworms accumulating around methane hydrate deposits in the North Sea, zebra mussel swarms appearing on the underside of a large tanker rendering the rudder and propellers useless… the only common factor being they are ocean-related. Something unusual is happening around the world and scientists are beginning to sound warnings. A task force is set up to study the phenomena and the possible causes, under the auspices of the US Government (of course!) and then the disasters start happening.

To cut a (very) long story short, the ocean is fighting back against human encroachment. Pollution, overfishing, oil drilling, noise from ships and submarines are disrupting the delicate balance of the marine ecosystems, but there is more life in the ocean than human science is aware of. A sentient being, the Yrr, is behind the phenomena, but how do humans communicate with such an alien lifeform?

While the plot is strong, the execution is a disappointment. I felt that Frank Schätzing wrote The Swarm with one eye firmly on possible film rights, as there were several references to characters looking like well known movie actors, Jodie Foster being one example. The characters were well drawn and sympathetic and references to film stars undermined their credibility in my opinion. In addition, giving the US Government a controlling role in the research aspect of the plot seemed strange to me, given the author is European, so the idea of the US as the only nation able to co-ordinate such a project jarred with me somewhat.

Although very well researched, too much of the book was taken up with complex and detailed scientific explanations when a brief summary would have sufficed. This happened frequently and served more as a distraction, losing the plot amidst a mire of degree-level marine biological information. At a guess, many readers gave up on the book because of this unnecessary information, something that should have been prevented by a more thorough editing process. Factual information in context is usually good, but there was just too much extraneous detail.

To be fair, I enjoyed The Swarm and have recommended it to friends who I know have an interest in marine science and the ecology of the oceans. Despite the faults mentioned above, it is an enjoyable read and a solid thriller, but only if you have the time and patience to read all 881 pages.

Plot: 7
Characters: 6
Style: 5

Rating 6/10

Review: The Escapement, by K.J. Parker

The Escapement, by K.J. Parker
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Orbit, ©2007
ISBN 10: 0-316-00340-9
ISBN 13: 978-0-316-00340-7
Copy: Out of pocket
Reviewer: PeterWilliam

From the back of the book: The engineer Ziani Vaatzes engineered a war to be reunited with his family. The deaths were regrettable, but he had no choice.

Duke Valens dragged his people into the war to save the life of one woman -- a woman whose husband he then killed. He regrets the evil he's done, but he, equally, had no choice.

Secretary Psellus never wanted to rule the Republic or fight a desperate siege for its survival. As a man of considerable intelligence, however, he knows that he has a role to play -- and little choice but to accept it.

With The Escapement, K.J. Parker brings the Engineer trilogy to a close. The climax that has built thus far, explodes (literally) before the gates of Mezentia. The result, while not necessarily expected or anticipated, is in keeping with the style Parker has set thus far. In that sense, the ending seemed symmetrical and orderly, while also being bittersweet -- probably more bitter than sweet.

The destruction brought about by love and duty is a dominating theme throughout. In that sense, each character defines their circumstances as, "having had no choice." While I found the characters' reasoning, positions and definitions unpersuasive, it remained consistent, coherent and self-contained.

Truly, there is a malaise that underlies the characters, theme and totality of the tale. I wouldn't necessarily link it to the concept of 'depressing' proper, but would attempt to pin it down as "dysthymia, secondary to PTSD."

One item that was very noticeable to me was that the cultures within the tale had a near-total absence of any spirituality. There were no priesthoods, deities or religions, which seemed rather unusual since nearly every culture among our species has something to that effect. Within the trilogy, such things are briefly addressed by stating that certain cultures (i.e. Mezentine, Vadanai) used to have such things. I don't recall where they went, but it was treated as a vestigial element of the culture that had long since fallen away.

Without interviewing the author on the matter, it isn't likely to be discovered if the temperamental, and spiritual, apathy was a part of the plot design, or if it was the subtle influence of the author's own experiences/worldview. It does make me wonder, as though I were plagued with an inexorable itch, what the person behind the K.J. Parker pseudonym is really like.

Either way, the Engineer trilogy was a wonderfully composed and executed trilogy, which has convinced me to go forth and acquire every other work by K.J. Parker that I can find. Based upon the Engineer trilogy alone, Parker deserves a larger profile than he/she (frackin' pseudonyms!) currently has.

Plot - 9
Characters - 9
Style - 9

Overall - 9

What Started You on Speculative Fiction?

My mother read to me every night when I was a child.  She had an old, wooden rocking chair that had been her mother's by my bed.  It had a blue and white striped cushion tied to the seat.  She'd tuck me in and I'd lay there and listen as she read. 

More often or not she'd read me from a book of fairy tales.  I do not remember which book it was, but I know they were not the Disney version.  In these tales, the little mermaid killed herself, the prince in Rapunzel went blind, Bluebeard had murdered his wives and kept their severed limbs in a tower room, and Snow White was choked, poisoned, suffocated and stabbed.  I remember the illustrations were just as enthusiastic about depicting violence as the prose was.

I was the only child until I was four, at which point my younger sister was born.  A year later, my brother arrived.  But, with these age differences, I still ended up playing by myself.  What eight year old wants to play with a four and three year old?  Not this one at any rate.  I'd make up my own worlds in the backyard and go on adventures.  More often than not, the tree house was my house in the woods, and the vegetable garden was my magical herb garden wich which I'd make my potions and spells.

I found myself gravitating to cartoons that had swords in them.  Specifically She-ra.  I was a bg She-ra fan.  I had the costume, the bedsheets, the sleeping bag, the toys. . .  I'd tie my brother and sister up to the tree house with my skipping rope so I could have a monopoly over the television when She-ra was on.  I'd get away with it until my mom looked out the kitchen window and saw my siblings wailing in the back.  Needless to say, skipping ropes were banned from my house after a few occurrences.

As I got older, and my mom allowed me to walk down the street to the library by myself, instead of playing so much, I started reading.  I started with fairy tale fiction.  Then I got on a rather large kick on Arthurian legend when I was about ten.  That brought me to the outskirts of fantasy. 

From Arthur I moved on to Robin Hood and with Robin Hood, I discovered the author Robin McKinley.  It was her novel, The Outlaws of Sherwood that became my bridge.  I loved it.  It had everything this little girl wanted.  Swords, bows and arrows, an underdog hero, and evil, greedy villain, and a Maid Marion that was just as good with weapons as her male counterparts.  That last bit was the kicker.  I could be the hero too!  Girls didn't just have to sit on the sidelines while the boys did all the work.  I could have glory!  That book opened my eyes and affected me like no other book has. 

I decided to read the other books Robin McKinley had written.  I remember I had to order The Blue Sword and The Hero and the Crown through the inter-library loan service.  I waited two weeks for them to arrive at my neighbourhood library.  I remember I raced out the door after only seconds of receiving the phone call that informed me they were ready for me to pick up.  I brought them home, took them to my treehouse with a glass of juice and some pilfered cookies, and set to reading.

I was hooked.

Fantasy was now what I wanted to read.  In fact, it was all I read.  I read book, after book, after book.  I started visiting the library four to five times a week.  It got to the point where the librarians knew me by name.  They'd even go out of their way to find more young adult fantasy novels for their shelves for me.  Always they had a new book ready for me to try.  As I read them, when I got to an exciting part, I'd put the book down and run around my backyard, acting it out as if I was the hero.  I'd do this for an hour or so before going back to the book.  My mother has many stories about watching my antics through the window.

I loved the imagination involved in fantasy.  I loved the adventures, the heros, the duels and the strong female.  I still do.  Heroic fantasy will always be my favourite.

What about you?

- Victoria

Book Trailers

The previous few weeks we have been sent several book trailers for upcoming and current released books. Some book trailers are huge productions, some are computer graphics, and others are well-produced self-made films. As publishing companies and authors look for new and improved ways to catch your attention and purchase their latest release.

Big Production Trailers

The first trailer is Voyagers 15 years celebration:


Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey: (REVIEW COMING SOON)


Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Ben H. Winters


Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter by Seth Grahame-Smith


Self-created Productions

Kell's Legend and SoulStealers by Andy Remic

Kell's Legend


SoulStealers


Animation Productions

Dante's Journey by JC Marino


CassaStar by Alex J. Cavanaugh


Young Adult

Leviathan by Scott Westerfield


The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman


Hush, Hush by Becca Fitzpatrick


While I really enjoyed the trailer to Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters, I have no intention of ever buying the book. It made me chuckle a little bit; however, it did not leave me with a urgent desire to run out to the bookstore and purchase a copy. Leviathan was really well done and may help individuals who know nothing about the first World War (although it is an alternative history novel) but, had I not already read the book due to word of mouth, I doubt that it would have found a place on my bookshelf.

While Remic's self-made videos do a decent job of illustrating what you are going to get when you open up his Clockwork Vampires series, it certainly does not invoke any immediacy to run out order the books online.

The small publishing firms are using it to promote their novels as well, With Dante's Journey and CassaStar as examples. This is the real reason I see the trend for using book trailers, it gets new authors and small publishing firms the opportunity to launch their products and generate buzz for their products. While it easily serves the bigger publishing companies as well, it is a cheap and effective way to help rookie authors promote their works.

For each of these great book trailers there is only one that spikes my interest, Jasper Fforde's Shades of Grey and I already have the book. I just has me moving it up in the pile of unread books that I currently have on my desk.

While a lot of the book trailers are ingenious. My questions is to they actually increased book sales? How often has a book trailer tempted you to try a new book or new author? Do you even care if a book has a trailer?

REVIEW: Myth - Understandings Ed. Ian Whates

Myth-Understandings ed. Ian Whates
Paperback: 219 pages
Publisher: NewCon Press; (Mar 2008)
ISBN-13: 978-0955579127
Reviewer: Cara
Copy: Bought from the Editor at Eastercon 2010

From the back of the book:
Featuring a World Fantasy Award winning story from Gwyneth Jones

Plus original stories from:
Pat Cadigan, Storm Constantine, Justina Robson, Tricia Sullivan, Freda Warrington, Liz Williams, Leigh Kennedy, Deborah J. Miller, Sarah Pinborough, Kim Lakin-Smith, Kari Sperring, Heather Bradshaw, Elizabeth Priest and Claire Weaver

Fifteen stories of science fiction, fantasy, dark fantasy and horror, from fifteen of the finest authors in today's speculative fiction marketplace... all of whom happen to be women.

Full contents:
Introduction - Ian Whates

Myth A traditional story dealing with supernatural beings, ancestors, or heroes that servers to explain the worldview of a people.
Owl Speak - Storm Constantine
Seaborne - Kari Sperring
And Their Blood Will Be Prescient to Fire - Freda Warrington
Do You See? - Sarah Pinborough
Queen of the Sunlit Shore - Liz Williams
Heart Song - Kim Lakin-Smith
The Grass Princess - Gwyneth Jones

Understandings Accurate interpretations and comprehension of meaning through the use of intelligence.
Found in the Translation - Pat Cadigan
TouchMe(tm): Keeping in Touch - Heather Bradshaw
We Shelter - Leigh Kennedy
Dinosaur - Deborah J. Miller
Further Orders -- Elizabeth Priest
The Tollhouse - Claire Weaver
Body of Evidence - Justina Robson
The Ecologist and the Avon Lady - Tricia Sullivan

I am fast becoming a fan of the short story format and to find an anthology of women speculative fiction authors all writing on the theme of myths is a guaranteed winner for me. Chatting to a group of writers at the BSFA (British Science Fiction Association) stall while attending Eastercon 2010 led to this particular purchase, especially as Ian Whates was one of those authors - he was rather persuasive, even though I had already heard of this collection and was going to buy it anyway. I should have got him to sign the book! I had read  several of the writers included in Myth-Understandings before and had heard of some of the others, so I was looking forward to reading their short stories.

The anthology is divided into two sections: Myths is broadly fantasy and Understandings leans more towards science fiction. Communication, or the lack of it, is a strong theme throughout.

"Communication... Such a hazardous undertaking... So easy to be misunderstood"

For example, in "Seaborne" by Kari Sperring a unnamed spirit-type creature finds a barely alive human male cast from the sea into to her small patch of shore. By saving the man and caring for him as he recovers, she transforms from an innocent and carefree entity to one who feels pain, loss and despair; their communication being how she learns about emotions and feelings previously unknown to her. Another story, "TouchMe(tm): Keeping in Touch" by Heather Bradshaw, an amusing satire of modern life, explores the world of a call centre where the equipment provided by her company seems to be something more than a mobile phone: a personal device meant for communication between lovers that somehow sends touches by telephone.

My favourite story was "Do You See?" by Sarah Pinborough, a very creepy tale of whispered magic words and disappeared children that raised several questions about the narrator and her motivation. I also enjoyed "Further Orders", a beautifully descriptive début story by the teenage Elizabeth Priest which describes a 30-day period of waiting experienced by a young woman alone in a small meadow with only the trees, lake and various animals to occupy her time. The stories by Liz Williams [Queen of the Sunlit Shore], Gwyneth Jones [The Grass Princess] and Justina Robson [Body of Evidence] were sufficiently intriguing to make me seek out more by these authors.

Overall I thoroughly enjoyed Myth-Understandings. Yes, there were some stories that were stronger than others, but this is only to be expected from an anthology. Not all them were to my personal taste, though this would not prevent me from recommending this collection as an excellent introduction to many well-respected British speculative fiction writers and their work.

Overall 8/10

Myth-Understandings: BFS Awards 2009:

• Winner of best short story: “Do You See?” – Sarah Pinborough
• Shortlisted for best anthology: Myth-Understandings
• Shortlisted for best small press publisher: NewCon Press

REVIEW: Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin

Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin
Publishing Information: Paperback; 334 pages
Publisher: Random House 1 September 2004
ISBN 10: 0553383051
ISBN 13: 9780553383058
Standalone
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Back of Book: "When struggling riverboat captain Abner Marsh receives an offer of partnership from a wealthy aristocrat, he suspects something's amiss. But when he meets the hauntingly pale, steely-eyed Joshua York, he is certain. For York doesn't care that the icy winter of 1857 has wiped out all but one of Marsh's dilapidated fleet. Nor does he care that he won't earn back his investment in a decade. York has his own reasons for wanting to traverse the powerful Mississippi. And they are to be none of Marsh's concern--no matter how bizarre, arbitrary, or capricious his actions may prove. 

Marsh meant to turn down York's offer. It was too full of secrets that spelled danger. But the promise of both gold and a grand new boat that could make history crushed his resolve--coupled with the terrible force of York's mesmerizing gaze. Not until the maiden voyage of his new sidewheeler Fevre Dream would Marsh realize he had joined a mission both more sinister, and perhaps more noble, than his most fantastic nightmare...and mankind's most impossible dream.
Here is the spellbinding tale of a vampire's quest to unite his race with humanity, of a garrulous riverman's dream of immortality, and of the undying legends of the steamboat era and a majestic, ancient river."

George RR Martin is famous for his A Song of Ice And Fire series, which is loosely based on the War of the Roses. Having read ASOIAF and enjoyed them, I decided I to see what some of his other works were like. If you look on any horror forum you will more than likely be surprised as I was to learn that he had also written a vampire novel, Fevre Dream, it takes place on a river boat just before the civil war would break out. 

The setting of Fevre Dream takes center stage in this vampire tale. Martin takes an interesting look at the concept of slavery. For humans it is lowering another person simply due to the color of his or her skin For vampires it is lowering humanity because they are a newer race and not as powerful as the undead. While the ideas presented in the book are very thought provoking they are very understated. The one interesting tidbit that I gleaned from the story that the chained or impoverish of society may suffer from those that lord over them, but they persevere through their art and ingenuity. As an expatriate myself, I could easily draw parallels to America as it rose to the cream of the crop in innovation only to no longer produce any products and left the more impoverish countries to create what the US feels is beneath it. Only to have the great country rot from the inside. Of course this is only my take on the novel. 

The characters in Fevre Dream are also a lot of fun. Each of the four main characters have their distinct personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. If Fevre Dream were a cake, the setting would be the spongy cake and the characters the sweet frosting. By the end of the book you feel let down. Not because the ending was not spectacular, but that Martin decided that the novel did not require a sequel. You are left wondering what happened after the events in the book. I read this book days ago and I still wonder what everyone is doing now. 

I hate to say it and will probably get hate mail, but I would like to see Martin postpone A Dance With Dragons and have him write a sequel to Fevre Dream. If you are 'dying' for more GRRM and can not wait for ADWD to arrive on book shelves, look no further than Fevre Dream. It has all the rich characters you come to expect from GRRM and lets you see that regardless of which genre Martin decides to write in he is the master of his craft. This is the vampire movie that should have been made. Not the teeny romance Twilight. I will warn you that the book is set in a time and place where the word "nigger" was considered acceptable. While I cringed every time I encountered the word, I realised why he used it and what he was attempting to do with the word. If you can see past that you are in for a truly great tale reminiscent of Mark Twain and Bram Stoker. 

Plot  9

Characters  10

Style  9

Overall  9.5/10

Guest Blogger: John Ottinger III

Reviewing Those “Tough” Books

By John Ottinger III

Bio: John Ottinger III’s reviews, interviews and articles have appeared in Publishers Weekly, Black Gate, Strange Horizons, Fantasy Magazine, SF Signal, Sacramento Book Review, Thaumatrope, and at Tor.com.

So for some strange reason, Pete thought I might make a good guest blogger for this blog. (I have no idea why he would think that.) Being horrible at coming up with worthwhile topics without a prompt, I asked Pete what he would like me to comment on. His response was one I get fairly often e.g. How do I deal with my own bias in reviewing a book I love/hate?

The short answer is: I don’t normally have to.

Long answer: The truth is, there rarely is a book I absolutely love or a book I absolutely hate. Strong emotion is not something I have much of in my life. I was raised a stoic and a pragmatist, and I approach my reading the same way. I love to be entertained by a book, but there are very few that leave me gushing over it. (By inference, you know that if you ever read a review in which I gush, run out and buy it, quick!)

And the same holds true for the opposite end of the spectrum. Just like I don’t salivate over most books, I also don’t generally despise them either. It takes quite a lot to get me to truly hate a book. Lazy plotting, egregious and frequent grammatical or spelling mistakes, or bland characters might turn me against a book. I have also, on occasion, but a book down because it was just not the right time. For instance, I was reading Michael Flynn’s Up Jim River once upon a time. I didn’t know at the time it was part of a series, so I had a little trouble getting into the novel. Once I knew it was part of a series, I set it aside until I can read the prequels. Additionally, I kept finding that the only time I had to read this book was late in the evening when I was very tired, and anyone who has read Flynn knows that one’s full attention is required because it is just so chock full of intelligent writing. So I put it aside and turned to something easier for a time. (I still have yet to finish that Flynn book, but I will, someday.)

But basically, I approach my reviewing with the idea that I will be entertained, that there will be some things I like and don’t like about the book, and that my goal in writing a review should be to point these out, give supporting reasons for my claims, and perhaps point out how others might like the very things I don’t or vice versa. Reading is an experiential art, and reviewing such as I do should reflect that. (Critical essays are another thing entirely, of course.)

Do I ever toss a book; leave it unfinished due to being really horrible? Rarely, and if I do, you won’t even know about it. I won’t write a review or likely mention I even read it. Because I have learned and important lesson of reviewing – time, place, and past experience all factor into the enjoyment of a book. I am a human being (though my wife sometimes disagrees) and therefore I experience the world subjectively. While I try to be objective in my reviews, the truth is that I cannot fully compartmentalize, and if I had a long day at work, trouble in my personal life, or am simply tired of reading the same old subgenre of SF, it is better I put the book aside for a time and come back to it at a more appropriate time. I have an epic fantasy right now that I started, didn’t like, but that I think I would like if I hadn’t just read five epic fantasies in a row. It’s time to take a break and read some steampunk and some space opera, and then return to the book so I can give it the fair shake it deserves in light of its unique qualities. Sure, I may still find things I don’t like, but at least I can more accurately say it was because I did my best to be objective, and not let my personal life or reader’s fatigue cloud my judgment.

I think that is what reviewers need to do whenever they read a novel they “don’t like”. You need to examine yourself carefully, your assumptions, prejudgments, personal life and possible reader’s fatigue. Are you making snap judgments because your boss yelled at you at work today? Did the baby keep you up all night so you were tired when you read the end of the novel? Were you just sick of the same old story elements time after time, and so judged a book not on its own merits but because you had bored yourself with over-reading of a particular subgenre? No matter how objective we try to be, we cannot ever do it fully.

So how do I deal with the “tougher” aspects of reviewing? I look to myself to see if these reason this book is tough to finish or review has more to do with me than it does with the book. Because honestly, publishers want books that sell, and while they may put repetitious content out, they are certainly not going to put out some book that is truly crap (except in rare cases.) If you, as a reviewer, cannot find both the good and the bad in a novel, then isn’t more likely to be your fault than the fault of the author?

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Here at Speculative Book Review, we are interested in having, and actively encourage, guest bloggers to stop in from time to time. Grasping for the Wind is a great place to catch up on more than just books and a site I regularly follow. If you enjoy books, games, movies, comics, art and anything else that might be related to sci-fi or fantasy fiction, then you will certainly find something there to enjoy. Needless to say, John's book reviews alone are worth checking into.