"Adrenergic!" by Sebastian A. Corn

"Adrenergic!"

by Sebastian A. Corn

Format: Paperback, 112 pages

Publisher: Millennium Press

The review is based on a bought copy of the book

Sebastian A. Corn is one of the most important Romanian science fiction authors, with 7 novels awarded by the Romanian speculative fiction community and with important appearances on the speculative fiction magazines. “Adrenergic!” is a novella first published in 1994 in “Jurnalul SF” (SF Journal) and printed this year in its own volume.

In the future, in South Sabrata, Tamerlan Banks, the honorific director of the United T-Skell Spaces company, is dissatisfied with his new position, being an honorific director means a more respected and a better financial rewarded position, but no power of decision. Jealous on Hugh Secada, the new executive director of the company, for his new position and for marrying Priscilla Ydriss, Tamerlan plans to show his invaluable knowledge of the virtual reality and to discredit his rival.

“Adrenergic!” is a cyberpunk novella and one in which Sebastian A. Corn proves to be a very talented and imaginative author. The world created by Corn is very interesting and its concepts appealed to me the instance I discovered them. Everything in South Sabrata, the setting of the novella, is improved with biotechnological implants, which are modified live tissues through genetically engineering. And these implants work as a spying system as well, since almost every street, building and piece of furniture can sense and identify a human presence through different senses, be it visual, auditory, olfactory or tactile. Humans may benefit from these biotechnological implants too, the main character Tamerlan Banks has one, but they are rather seen as rebellious acts.

On the other hand we have the virtual reality, where every structure present in the real world is sustained by microorganisms, turboskells, in order to work. The new and improved turboskells are the work of Tamerlan Banks, but these ones tend to break the agreements they reach with the humans and build new virtual spaces that slow the system. The interaction between the realities is made through the spacefors, humans that go into tanks full with normal saline solution connected to cables and communicating with the virtual reality. But the humans who spent too much time as spacefors reached a vegetative condition.

The novella follows the conflict between Tamerlan Banks and Hugh Secada, a conflict that goes from the real world into the virtual reality and has at its core the desire to control the turboskells. “Adrenergic!” has a steady rhythm, Sebastian A. Corn managing to keep a steady pace from the beginning until the end. However, I find the second part of the novella to be a bit too flat and a bit repetitive. The conflict reaches an end that is quite predictable and that didn’t offer me any surprises. Also, Sebastian A. Corn uses a language throughout his story that I can define as hard. I slowly engaged into his novella because Corn doesn’t explain any notion to the reader and therefore every concept has to be learned from the bits of information scattered along the story. In my opinion this aspect might drive a few readers away from the novella.

I admit that I enjoy more fantasy literature than the science fiction one, but I like exploring the second from time to time. I have to admit also that from the sub-genres of science fiction cyberpunk appeals the least to me, with only a few pieces that stick to my memory. Still, Sebastian A. Corn’s “Adrenergic!” is a novella that reminded me of the works of the heavy names of science fiction, especially Philip K. Dick, and of the Matrix movies, but you have to consider that Corn’s novella is written with 5 years before the first Matrix movie. And although on the personal level “Adrenergic!” didn’t offer me the best of readings I believe that the fans of science fiction in general and cyberpunk in particular will find it to be a valuable piece of fiction.

"Locke & Key: Head Games" by Joe Hill & Gabriel Rodriguez

"Locke & Key: Head Games"

Written by Joe Hill

Illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez

Format: Hardcover, 160 pages

Publisher: IDW Publishing

The review is based on a bought copy of the book.

New York Times bestselling writer Joe Hill and artist Gabriel Rodriguez, the creators behind the acclaimed Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft, return with the next chapter in the ongoing tale, Head Games. Following a shocking death that dredges up memories of their father's murder, Kinsey and Tyler Locke are thrown into choppy emotional waters, and turn to their new friend, Zack Wells, for support, little suspecting Zack's dark secret. Meanwhile, six-year-old Bode Locke tries to puzzle out the secret of the head key, and Uncle Duncan is jarred into the past by a disturbingly familiar face. Open your mind - the head games are just getting started!

One of the readings that satisfied me in fullest this year was the graphic novel written by Joe Hill and illustrated by Gabriel Rodriguez, “Locke & Key: Welcome to Lovecraft”, so I grabbed a copy of the second volume in Hill and Rodriguez’s series, “Locke & Key: Head Games” as soon as I’ve got the chance.

I was very pleased to meet again the Locke family on their estate of Keyhouse in Lovecraft, Massachusetts and to find once more the characters I liked in “Welcome to Lovecraft”, along with a couple of new ones. I was also pleased to see the characters gain more depth, because Joe Hill builds them further on with explorations in some of the characters past, explorations that contribute in their development in full and make their presence even stronger. Taking shape through the same explorations is the setting of the novel, Lovecraft, adding new and interesting elements to the story, also bringing in a mystery, very well kept along novel’s pages, that made my fingers itchy for turning the pages.

I was eagerly waiting for the second novel in the Locke & Key series because the story caught me in its spell from the first volume and after opening the “Head Games” I wasn’t disappointed. Joe Hill brings new elements within the story that will make it a bit darker and keeps the tension building, but also plays once again with the fantastic in a delightful way. And I refer here especially at the head key, concept which found an admirer in me as soon as I discovered it and which left me wondering about the existence of such a key way after finishing the reading. The process of removing and adding to one’s head ideas and emotions found in “Head Games” is very interesting and left my imagination go wild. And this process brought one of the scenes that I loved the most in the novel, both disturbing and funny, the scene involving Kinsey Locke and the relationship between fear and crying.

Once again “Locke & Key” benefits not only from the story and the fiction built by Joe Hill, but from the wonderful art of Gabriel Rodriguez too. Gabriel Rodriguez brings once again his contribution in making “Head Games”, and the entire “Locke & Key” series, a wonderful graphic novel and a great reading experience. It is difficult to miss the excellent collaboration between Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez, because the art backs the story all the way from the start to the end. The characters gain from their graphic depiction and their appearance is in concordance with their emotions and the events surrounding them, the scenes gain more power from the visual impact. It is true that some of the images are a bit hard and violent, but it is nothing that goes beyond the story or that exaggerates it. And I have to say that again the scenes involving the head key are my favorites and, again, with a plus for me for the same one involving Kinsey Locke and the relationship between fear and crying.

I have to admit that “Locke & Key: Head Games” is a bit slower than “Welcome to Lovecraft” and that it concentrates more in the development of the characters and story, but I enjoyed it a lot nonetheless. It clarifies a thing or two from the first volume (I would recommend starting with that one), leaves much for the next ones and me with a great reading and a desire to see how the Joe Hill and Gabriel Rodriguez’s story continues, and ends eventually.

In the mailbox

Here is a new post about the latest arrivals in my mailbox, with my thanks for their senders:

- "The Other Lands" by David Anthony Durham (through the courtesy of Transworld Books);

The Other Lands begins a few years after Acacia, and Queen Corinn Akaran is firmly in control of the Known World. Her primary goal is to topple the Lothan Aklun and so she sends her brother Daniel, disguised as a slave, on an exploratory expedition to the Other Lands.

Daniel soon discovers a mainland that is a more lush, exotic, and expansive than the Known World; and the ruling tribe, the Auldek, are more numerous and powerful than the Numrek. But unbeknownst to the Corinn and her siblings, the Numrek and Auldek are ancient ancestors and their inevitable alliance could mean the downfall of Acacia.

In this bold and imaginative sequel to Acacia, Queen Corinn must unite the battered and abused peoples of the Acacia Empire against the powerful tribes of the Other Lands.

- "Year's Best Fantasy 9" edited by David G. Hartwell and Kathryn Cramer (through the courtesy of Tor.com);

- "The Immortals: Evermore" by Alyson Noël (through the courtesy of Pan Macmillan);

Seventeen-year-old Ever is the sole survivor of a car crash that killed her entire family. Living with her aunt in Southern California, she's plagued by the ability to hear the thoughts of those around her, and haunted by the ghost of her little sister. She tries to tune everyone out, shunning her old lifestyle as the pretty, popular cheerleader, but somehow she can't hide from Damen, the new guy at school. Stunningly handsome, clever and not a little bit intimidating, there's something about him that doesn't quite add up. Ever realises he's hiding something, but nothing could prepare her for the truth - especially when the truth involves past lives, murderous enemies, everlasting love and the secret of eternal youth . . .

- "The Temporal Void" by Peter F. Hamilton (through the courtesy of Pan Macmillan).

The Intersolar Commonwealth is in turmoil as the Living Dream’s deadline for launching its Pilgrimage into the Void draws closer. Not only is the Ocisen Empire fleet fast approaching on a mission of genocide, but also an internecine war has broken out between the post-human factions over the destiny of humanity.
Countering the various and increasingly desperate agents and factions is Paula Myo, a ruthlessly single-minded investigator, beset by foes from her distant past and colleagues of dubious allegiance...but she is fast losing a race against time.
At the heart of all this is Edeard the Waterwalker, who once lived a long time ago deep inside the Void. He is the messiah of Living Dream, and visions of his life are shared by, and inspire billions of humans. It is his glorious, captivating story that is the driving force behind Living Dream’s Pilgrimage, a force that is too strong to be thwarted. As Edeard nears his final victory the true nature of the Void is finally revealed.

Thank you all very much!

Book trailer - "Under the Dome" by Stephen King

Lately I enjoy more and more seeing book trailers. I know that this is a type of publicity and not always my experience with the movie trailers (because these are the ones I see more) is not the best, but because of them I have a better idea about the movie. With the book trailers it doesn’t go the same, because I have more information about the novels in question before seeing the trailer, but from the all kinds of publicity I think that the trailers are the one I get along with best. The latest book trailer I saw is for the Stephen King’s novel, “Under the Dome”, released two days ago, on 10th of November and I have to admit that it is one of the best I’ve seen. I really like it and it is close with what I have in mind about this novel. And it added yet another reason (I believe that Stephen King was a reason enough for me anyway) for me to pick the novel, leaving me wondering only if I should wait for the paperback edition or order the hardcover one.

Cover art - "The Great Hunt" by Robert Jordan

Beginning with 27th of October Tor has started to release e-book editions of the Robert Jordan’s novels in “The Wheel of Time” series. Nothing surprising here, since Robert Jordan’s series is a wonderful and a very popular one. But these releases will have new covers each one made by a different artist and it is here where things get very interesting. The first one was already released, with a catchy cover artwork made by David Grove, and the second one will be released on 17th November. Irene Gallo posted on her blog the cover artwork for the second novel, “The Great Hunt”, made by Kekai Kotaki (who I had the pleasure to interview here) and which looks awesome. Once again Kekai Kotaki created an amazing art piece and one that captures the atmosphere of the book. On Tor.com you can find a behind-the-scenes post about the Kekai Kotaki’s process of creation the cover artwork.

I can’t wait to see the artwork for the cover of the third novel, “The Dragon Reborn”, and which will be made by another favorite of mine, Donato Giancola.

"The Strain" by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan

"The Strain"

by Guillermo del Toro & Chuck Hogan

Format: Hardcover, 401 pages

Publisher: HarperCollins UK

Review copy received through the courtesy of the publisher, HarperCollins UK

A plane lands at JFK and mysteriously ‘goes dark’, stopping in the middle of the runway for no apparent reason, all lights off, all doors sealed. The pilots cannot be raised. When the hatch above the wing finally clicks open, it soon becomes clear that everyone on board is dead – although there is no sign of any trauma or struggle. Ephraim Goodweather and his team from the Center for Disease Control must work quickly to establish the cause of this strange occurrence before panic spreads. The first thing they discover is that four of the victims are actually still alive. But that’s the only good news. And when all two hundred corpses disappear from various morgues around the city on the same night, things very rapidly get worse. Soon Eph and a small band of helpers will find themselves battling to protect not only their own loved ones, but the whole city, against an ancient threat to humanity.

I make no secret that two of the movies I enjoyed the most lately, “Pan’s Labyrinth” and “The Orphanage”, are linked to Guillermo del Toro, both produced by him and with the first one also directed by del Toro. So when I saw that Guillermo del Toro will collaborate with Chuck Hogan for the novel “The Strain” I was very curious to see his exploration of written fiction.

I can’t say that I read much vampire fiction and if I am honest I have to say that if it comes to a choice in reading the vampires are not winning very often. But they win from time to time, with “The Strain” is such a winner although not necessarily because of this reason, and I’ll start by saying that I enjoyed Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s novel. What I find most appealing to me is that this novel doesn’t use the stereotypes of vampire fiction and I really liked how the authors worked on this myth. They blend old elements with the new ones creating a fresh and powerful image of the vampires. I liked how the authors mix the old and the new anchoring some of the vampires’ facts into our everyday reality and I refer here to our world’s fear of biological war and to the viruses that are spreading around it.

“The Strain” is an entertaining reading, with a lot of action and with a steady pace. The events of the novel are taking place throughout three days and because of this the novel will move in a fast rhythm. Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan create tension and suspence and manage to keep them throughout the novel, also keeping the reader on edge. The novel doesn’t fault at this chapter and it successfully succeeds to create a thrilling reading. The characters of “The Strain” are interesting and I ended up liking some of them. Unfortunately that is not the case with the main one. Although Ephraim Goodweather plays the most important role in the story, I could not connect with him at all. Instead I ended up liking Abraham Setrakian and Vasily Fet, although Fet is only introduced at the half of the novel. There are elements in the personal history of these two characters that made them interesting to me, but unfortunately I found these elements not explored to their fullest.

However, there are a few things that didn’t work for me in the fullest. First of all there are a few clichés that will seem reaped from the Hollywood action movies. For instance, I would have dropped from the novel the fact that Ephraim Goodweather ends up compromised in face of his superior and is suspended from his position. I believe that this fact could have been pulled in a different way without using a cliché that I personally do not want to see in the movies, so much more in the fiction I read. Another thing is that in some places the things and actions present in “The Strain” are explained in the smallest detail. Although these explanations are not breaking the pace of the novel too much, they sound too much as lecture and less than a part of the story.

“The Strain” is the first novel in a trilogy and therefore some of the novel’s aspects are left unresolved. I can’t say that “The Strain” changed my perception of vampire’s fiction, but it offered me a fun, entertaining and relaxing reading and the Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan’s novel picked my interest for the next follow-ups as well, so I would be curious to see how the story develops further on.

Cover art - "La Conspiration du Loup Rouge" (The Red Wolf Conspiracy) by Robert V.S. Redick

I always find interesting the comparisons made on the US and UK cover artwork for the same novel and I have to say that most of the times I prefer the UK covers to the detriment of the US ones. One of such cases, but still not exactly relevant, is the cover artwork for the Robert V.S. Redick’s debut novel, “The Red Wolf Conspiracy”. I say not exactly relevant because although I do prefer more the UK cover artwork made for the Gollancz edition I do not find the US cover made for the Del Rey edition bad or far behind the UK one, I find both of them interesting but with a plus for the UK cover artwork. But recently I’ve seen another very interesting cover which benefits from a very good artwork. It is the cover artwork made for the French edition of the Robert V.S. Redick’s “The Red Wolf Conspiracy”, “La Conspiration du Loup Rouge”, published by Fleuve Noir and made by the talented French artist, Jean-Sébastien Rossbach.