Entries Categorized as 'Science Fiction'
Posted by Rebekah
Categories: Advanced Readers, Animals, Fiction, Incredibook!, Long Read, Review, Scary, Science Fiction
Tags:C.S. Lewis, Space Trilogy
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Mark Studdok’s love for his work, no, his love for being part of some important proceeding, has kept him away from home so much that his wife, Jane, is regretting ever marrying him. She has begun having very disturbing dreams, which are interfering with her goal of remaining a capable business woman. A company called the N.I.C.E. (National Institute for Coordinated Experiments) has made the college Mark works at an offer for a piece of land called “The Wood.” Mark joins the “progressive” side that wishes to sell the land, as the N.I.C.E.’s wish to bring their headquarters there would greatly benefit the college. So the land is sold and within days, workmen begin cutting down the wood, turning people out of their homes and generally creating havoc. What does Mark care? Lord Feverstone, another member of the college, (you may remember him as Doctor Divine from the first book) has offered him a job with the N.I.C.E. Mark accepts and finds himself engrossed in a dark world of intrigue, agendas, and a complete disregard for all humane feelings.
Meanwhile, Jane discovers that her dreams are actually coming true. She talks with a friend about it, who introduces her to a group of people dedicated to fighting the evil that the N.I.C.E. has brought about. But the group is small. How can it hope to succeed? They can do very little. Meanwhile, they wait, now doubting, now sure, while that Hideous Strength grows stronger.
I sat down to try and condense this amazing book into a summary and goodnight! It just doesn’t condense! That was the gist of it, but there’s so much more. Mark discovers that the N.I.C.E. is actually run by dark forces, and… Whew, it makes a tingle run up my spine just to think about it. This is a great book. As a warning, if you don’t handle mad scientist well, be careful with this story. There are some pretty detailed descriptions of the absolutely disgusting results of an experiment on a dead man. The N.I.C.E. is all about getting rid of red tape and being allowed to do whatever it wants to do. This is not in any way a “light and fluffy” storyline, but it’s hard to put down. The Meeting in the first chapter might bog you down, but don’t worry–it picks up quickly after that.
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Posted by Jordan
Categories: Adventure, Award Winner, Fantasy, Fiction, Older Readers, Review, Science Fiction
Tags:Madeleine L’Engle, Times Quartet
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A Wrinkle in Time (Paperback)
by Madeleine L’Engle
ISBN: 0312367546
Price: USD 6.99
101 used & new available from USD 2.92
Meg Murry’s father has been missing for years. All the family knows is that he went on a mission for the government. They have almost given up hope of his return, when three odd ladies, Mrs. Whatsit, Mrs. Who, and Mrs. Which, move into a supposedly haunted house. The three of them take Meg, her brother Charles Wallace, and her friend Calvin on a trip through space to rescue their father.
Although far from being L’Engle’s best book, A Wrinkle in Time is well worth reading. Older readers will pick up on the depth of the story, while younger readers will simply enjoy reading as the plot unfolds. I found that the characters weren’t as deep as in some of L’Engle’s other work, but that is to be expected, since this is one of her first books. Some parts of the story are just plain weird, and some are a little bit off theology-wise, but when taken with a grain of salt, A Wrinkle in Time shines through as a brilliant tale.
(3 votes, average: 4.33 out of 5)
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Posted by Jordan
Categories: Advanced Readers, Adventure, Animals, Fantasy, Fiction, Review, Science Fiction
Tags:C.S. Lewis, Space Trilogy
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Picking up right where Out of the Silent Planet leaves off, Perelandra finds Dr. Ransom preparing to go to space again. But this time, he’s headed for Venus (or Perelandra). Once he lands, Ransom discovers that Perelandra is a newly created world which still exists in a Eden-like innocence. However, this new created state won’t last forever, especially when Professor Weston shows up once again. Ransom must stop Weston from corrupting Perelandra before it’s too late.
I normally think of C. S. Lewis as the guy who wrote Narnia. Big misconception. He wrote much more, and this particular trilogy is just as good. I found that Perelandra dragged a bit at the beginning and end, but picked up in the middle enough to compensate for that. Some bits of the story are quite funny, although not nearly enough to leave you in stitches the whole way through. I must mention that I have enjoyed the third and final book, That Hideous Strength much more than the first two. But as I’ve always experienced with Lewis’ books, this one’s a definite keeper.
(5 votes, average: 2.8 out of 5)
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Posted by Ruth
Categories: Advanced Readers, Adventure, Fantasy, Fiction, Mysteries, Review, Scary, Science Fiction
Tags:Garth Nix, The Keys to the Kingdom
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Arthur Penhaligon suffers from asthma. On his first day at his new school, he has a nasty attack and collapses. A strange man called Mister Monday and his butler appear and, along with some considerably confusing talk, give Arthur a mysterious key, shaped like the hand of a minute clock. Then they vanish. Arthur thinks it’s all just a weird hallucination, but that doesn’t explain why he still has the key — which Mister Monday will do anything to get back. Monday sends out his Fetchers (particularly nasty dog-faced men) to retrieve the precious item, and a terrible plague breaks out that no one can find the cure for. Arthur is sure he’s the only one who can help. But how?
It might be noted that the plot has much more depth to it than I’ve managed to portray in my summary! I thought it was very interesting. A definite page-turner, though much more intense (at least at the beginning) than I’m used to reading. Overall, I was quite pleased, and I plan to read the next book, Grim Tuesday.
(8 votes, average: 3.25 out of 5)
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Posted by Jordan
Categories: Adventure, Animals, Dragons, Fiction, Long Read, Mysteries, Older Readers, Review, Sad, Scary, Science Fiction, Seafaring
Tags:Madeleine L’Engle
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Thirteen-year-old Simon Renier and his adult cousin Forsyth are both on a boat headed for Venezuela. Forsyth plans to deliver a portrait of Simon Bolivar to a museum, Simon is just along for the ride. On the day they leave, Simon meets Poly and Charles, two brainy kids who are roughly his own age. What could be better? Together they roam the ship, until the portrait is stolen, and they must help solve the mystery.
Wondrously complicated. I’ve heard that this is the second in a series about Poly and Charles, but Dragons in the Waters can stand on its own. You will not expect the ending, nor will you expect most of the plot twists (unless you read the blurb on the back cover and ruin it!). This could easily have been a five star book, except for some signature L’Engle weirdness that was a bit of a stretch (I won’t spoil the story by telling you what it is). However, if you’re willing to let her rearrange the universe a bit, Dragons is a gripping mystery that will keep you turning pages.
(3 votes, average: 1.67 out of 5)
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