The Nameless Planet - Book Reviews

Crash - J.G. Ballard

Wow. That about sums it up. The book grabbed me at the first page, immediately transporting me into Ballard's sterile atmosphere. His writing flows together beautifully, which is part of what makes this book great. The story is about a group of "friends" (since their relationships seem very superficial and one-dimensional) who derive sexual pleasure from car crashes. Now, before you say, "Hey, what the hell is this book doing at an SF/F book review site?!" hear me out. The imagery conveyed in this novel is that of man's obsession with technology, the mastering of technology and the quest for power over each other. This group of people is definitely a bunch of deviant wackos, obsessed with broken glass, wounds and twisted metal. The metaphors and symbolism is just hitting you in the face throughout the book, and leaves you dumbfounded, almost gasping for air. It is probably one of the most influential books in the genre (and yes, it does belong here) and is known as a cult classic for good reason. It is a really invigorating read, I recommend it to anyone who is interested in exploring other types of SF. As a note, the movie by Cronenberg did not really meet my expectations, and left me a little disappointed. I should mention that if you disliked the movie, give the book a try because it is superior. Please be warned, though, that this book may be considered by some to be highly offensive (almost pornographic), so check it out at the library or read a bit in the bookstore before you decide to dive in. Rating **** 1/2 (Added 1999.10.12)

The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks

Iain Banks is a very popular SF author, who writes under the name Iain M. Banks. I had Consider Phlebas recommended to me, but for some reason The Wasp Factory caught my interest a little more. It was Mr. Banks' debut, and a shocking one at that. This is the darkest, grittiest, goriest tale I have ever read. And I have nothing but praise for it. Mr. Banks is a fantastic writer: he manages to put you right into the mind of a very disturbed 17 year old (the main character). The story revolves around the life of Frank Cauldhame, and what he likes to do in his spare time - mainly torturing small animals and consulting the Wasp Factory. Frighteningly, I found myself sympathizing and even relating to some of the character's views. The dialogue and descriptions are excellently written, which make it a very easy read. This book also contains some of the most disturbing things I have ever read. I could not shake the images afterwards, I literally had to put the book down and take a break (Those who have read it know what I mean). In some parts I did not want to go any further, for fear of what lay next. To top it all off, this book has a really interesting twist at the end. I was extremely pleased with this book, and I am looking forward to reading SF and more fiction by this talented writer. Rating: ***** (Added 1999.12.11)

STAR WARS: Episode I - The Phantom Menace - Terry Brooks

As you can kind of guess I am a Star Wars fanatic. I picked up this book without a second thought. Let's just say I was lucky to have seen the movie (which was awesome) before I sat down and read the book. The book is aimed at 10 year olds, I think. The dialogue is taken RIGHT from the movie, and the descriptions are so BASIC. I actually feel less intelligent after reading this book. How much effort does it take to directly copy the movie? SW, ESB, and ROTJ all had very good novels, and went into more detail about certain scenes (ie. Luke's training on Dagobah in ESB, the history of the Republic in ANH). However, in TPM, the "background" is so obscure and generalized you'd be better off not knowing it (case in point: the history of the Sith). The pod race was so BORING I couldn't believe it! It is understandable that visuals are needed, but come on, at least TRY and put detail and expression into your writing! I really feel for Mr. Brooks. I'm sure he's a great writer but I think the fact that this book is a flop in my opinion is because he had no creative freedom whatsoever. It's George Lucas' story, and Mr. Brooks could only go into detail on certain things. This detracted from the story a LOT. I also felt this book was dragged out in parts, especially when "convincing" us Anakin was special. After the first chapter, I realized the boy had Force potential. But no, it doesn't stop there. We basically get beaten over the head with obvious symbolism and constant references to Anakin's "uniqueness". I really can't get over how shallow this book was. The movie was great, this book is far from it. The only reason this book doesn't get a "Terrible" rating is for the cool Darth Maul cover that I have. Rating: * (Added 1999.05.28)

A Clockwork Orange - Anthony Burgess

This book is required reading in some high schools. I went on an SF classics binge recently, and this was first on the list. I was a little worried about the slang that was created by Burgess for his characters ("Nadsat") because during the first few chapters it is very hard to decipher (oddy knocky = all by oneself, zoobies = teeth, litso = face, etc.). The foreward is helpful in that respect, but after a few chapters you get right into it. I know I had it down by the fourth chapter and was totally engrossed in the story. The main character is Alex, who is part of a gang of thugs ("droogs") who basically enjoy robbing, raping and beating the snot out of people. However, when Alex gets caught he is put through a very degrading treatment program that is supposed to eliminate his desire to commit acts of violence. They leave him a pathetic shell of a man, only capable of doing acts of kindness. He has no choice, and he ceases to be human. This novel is great, when compared with the likes of 1984 and Brave New World: a dystopian society who controls the actions and minds of its members. It is uncannily similar to our own world, where we are constantly "censored" from what is really going on in the world today. Trying to hide the truth will only create a society of sleeping robots. This book is highly recommended if you haven't read it already. Rating: ***** (Added 1999.11.15)

junky - William S. Burroughs

I picked this book up shortly after I read Naked Lunch, facinated by Burroughs' writing style as well as the author himself. This book was originally written under the pen name "William Lee" (a character from NL) and is drawn from Burroughs' own life. It was a great companion to NL and explained a lot of the things that were described in that novel. The book follows the life of a man that is introduced to morphine, and his downward spiral into addiction. He tries to get off it many times, only finding something else to pass the time. William Burroughs has probably tried every drug in existence, and this book confirms it. It has an okay plot/story, but I read it more out of curiosity than anything else. What else can I say, except that it is a good book if you want to learn more about Burroughs as an author, as well as his recurring theme of drugs and addiction. Rating: *** 1/2 (Added 1999.11.15)

Naked Lunch - William S. Burroughs

I should start by saying that this book is not for everyone. It is highly acclaimed as one of best works of contemporary literature, and Burroughs himself considered a genius. Naked Lunch is a trip into the darkest pits of hell, into the most rancid cesspools of human existence, and yet it manages to tell us something about humanity and where it is going. After reading this book I have nothing but respect for William S. Burroughs. He sees humanity for what it is: power hungry, perverted and insane. The journey that is Naked Lunch takes place in the shoes of Agent William Lee, who is a drug addict searching for his next high. We witness doctors degrading humans, the sexual deviants and their dens of pleasure in Interzone and finally end up in limbo wondering whether it all really happened. Burroughs referred to himself as a master addict, and I can see why. He successfully achieves translating a drug induced hallucination to the page. The book is not as much well written as it is fitting to the scenarios. The book can be graphic, funny, even confusing at times. But within this novel are messages that speak out against the mass media, politics and addictions of all kinds. Even though the book was written in 1959 the themes are just as relevant today. Definitely read this if you are sick of society or the direction the human race is going. This book is scary in its implicactions. Rating: ***** (Added 1999.11.07)

The Soft Machine - William S. Burroughs

This work is definitely experimental in nature. I had a hard time getting into the writing style, which can only be described as "cut and paste". The Soft Machine is just a bunch of hyphenated sentences like this - written in a blocky manner - you don't know what is going on - half of the plot points are randomly strewn about so that it is very difficult to follow the theme or story if there is one - there are also very few periods - except of course at the end of the chapter. This is a big step from Naked Lunch, and will take those that liked it by surprise. There are many good points brought up: anti-corporate rule, pot shots at big industry, and the most disturbing are his passages on homo-erotic encounters. Now I can already see some people cringing at this, but if you can get through Interzone, this is no problem. The title is actually another name for the human body, so a lot of the chapters (themes) focus on this. There is the usual lot of drug imagery and metaphors, etc., etc. Some of my favorite chapters were "The Mayan Caper", a cool detective type story with a Burroughs twist, and "I Sekuin" which abruptly ends without any hints to its ending (no periods or closing sentences...wow!). I must say that the book as a whole was a slight disappointment, though, since the messages were not as clear or well written as in Naked Lunch. Of course the Burroughs fanatics and "literati" would say that that's the point. This book should not be attempted by those who are not up for a challenge, that much is certain. Overall, read this if you want to impress your friends or further the journey into the maze that is William Burroughs' mind. If you're eager for more, try out Nova Express (my next Burroughs book) or The Wild Boys. Rating: *** (Added 2000.01.29)