This book was mentioned numerous times in Stephen King’s memoir, On Writing. I think I’d heard of it before, but throughout school I had always been required to use other sources. And when I was browsing the Writing section of a Maui Friends of the Library location and happened across this little gem, I had to pick it up.
I am not a parent of humans. And since there were no animals harmed in the writing of this novel, I feel compelled to point out that my review may seem a little… um… harsh. So just bear that in mind as you read on.
The start of a big Star Trek crossover series of novels always has a big lift. In this case, the author has to take a concept created by two other people, create an original Star Trek story, end on a big cliffhanger, and set the stage for six additional original novels (plus a short story collection). This book does some of it well and other parts… just okay.
The second book by Michael Crichton, but twelfth overall when considering his publications under pseudonyms, didn’t exactly age well. Published in 1972, some of the things mentioned wouldn’t pass an editor’s review today. But does the actual story pass muster?
If you’re into mind-bendy sci-fi thrillers that are heavy on the science yet easy to read and understand, have a unique story idea, and a lot of heart to boot, I’ve got news for you – this book has it all!
This is my first reading in attempt to read through the works of William Shakespeare in [somewhat] chronological order of writing/publication. I have chosen The Arden Shakespeare, Third Series, as my guide through these works, and based on this first reading, I think it was a good choice, albeit quite scholarly. On this read-through, I’m not giving the works star ratings as I have little on which to compare them. I may come back someday to add a rating, however.
This is one of those books I hear about a lot. It seems its on all the lists of best books and is usually required reading in English literature programs. I can see why it’s considered so great, but, by Jove! it is dark… I imagine this is also frequently banned. The horror! The horror!
I debated about whether or not to write a review since I didn’t finish this book (I did read half the book). But I thought it be prudent for the casual reader to know my impressions of it before they pick it up. In short, it was quite interesting, but a little too academic for my casual interest.
There’s no denying that 1986 was a year of tragedy, with two major disasters: the explosions of Space Shuttle Challenger in January and of the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in April. Both were horrific in their own right and arguably could have been avoided. And while Challenger claimed seven lives in an instant, Chernobyl killed 30 over the course of three months with countless lives affected in the months and years thereafter.
As someone who fancies himself a bit of a writer, I decided to read this book to close out the year that I became a Stephen King fan (2024).
