Canadian Book Clubs Book Reviews Tag: ScienceFiction

Canadian Book Clubs Book Reviews Tag: ScienceFiction http://www.canadianbookclubs.com/bkrv/ Canadian Book Clubs Book Reviews Tag: ScienceFiction en Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:33:48 +0000 Publisher on "the Story of General Dann and Mara's Daughter, Griot and The Snow Dog" http://www.canadianbookclubs.com/bkrv/topic/12#post-22 Fri, 20 Apr 2007 14:40:18 +0000 Publisher 22@http://www.canadianbookclubs.com/bkrv/ <a href="http://astore.amazon.ca/canadianboo0b-20/detail/0060530138/702-9319921-9651243 "><img src="http://www.canadianbookclubs.com/graphics/books/storyofgeneraldann100.jpg" /></a> Book Synopsis <blockquote>One of greatest living writers, the acclaimed author of Mara and Dann returns us to a future where hope has frozen and died. </blockquote> <blockquote>Dann is grown up now, hunting for knowledge and despondent over the inadequacies of his civilization. With his trusted companions — Mara’s daughter, his hope for the future; the abandoned child-solder Griot, who discovers the meaning of love and the ability to sing stories; and the snow dog, a faithful friend who brings him back from the depths of despair — Dann embarks on a strange and captivating adventure in a suddenly colder, more watery climate in the north. </blockquote> Book Review Are we complacent by nature? Or is our society complacent? And what role do we play within a complacent society? Doris Lessing questions needs, wants, and ambitions in her new book, the Story of General Dann and Mara’s Daughter, Griot and The Snow Dog. Although a sequel to Mara and Dann: An Adventure, Lessing’s latest book can be read on its own. An unfamiliar reader will find the first part tough slogging. Lessing paints a self-centered man first encountering hopeless people in dire deathly circumstances, then finding a complacent society. The complacent society is isolated in an island. "No man is an island," said John Donne. These people believe they are an island unto themselves. Their complacent isolation speaks to their eventual demise. What happens when all our basic wants and needs are met with no sense of adventure left, just a total preoccupation with day to day business? What happens to that society? The people, the culture becomes complacent with no thoughts of the future, or of anyone else outside of their society. Coming from a "world" of desperation, starvation, and violence, Dann single-handedly contrasts the inadequacies of this world. Time passes quickly for Dann. Before we know it, three years have passed. Why would anyone stay in such a monotonous place, as it was a bit boring to read? But that is one of Lessing’s questions she plants in your mind. And hopefully you are awake and don’t enter that complacency by putting the book down, and failing to understand Lessing’s motivations. When Dann finally leaves this idyllic world of tranquillity called the Bottom Sea, he instills the seed of adventure, and desire for quest. He does give back in the only way he can; but in a way that we do not recognize nor value. In his leave-taking, Lessing vividly portrays Dann’s inadequacies to understanding relationships and valuing emotional depth. I hated him for that. But then in a society of complacency and self-centeredness, citizens treat each other in the same manner. Everyone goes his or her own way, with no real need for anyone, just an exchange of money. There’s always a lesson from people we hate. Moreover, Lessing makes us hate Dann for his callousness and disregard of other people in his life. He really does not understand what others have given to him. We are Dann operating with our superficial emotional immaturity in our own superficial city environments. Perhaps, we need to start giving in deeper ways, establishing emotional depths with our city neighbours, instilling seeds of inter-dependencies, and quests of independence from our captive consumerism. Being a sequel, this book may stand-alone if the reader is patient. And you will find your reward and perhaps a desire to read Mara and Dann: An Adventure for the history. I would encourage you to read the first book because you will never look at water in the way you look at it now. But don’t feel obligated to read the series in order. By reading this sequel first, you see Dann through the same eyes that other people see him, not knowing his past. Griot, a loyal friend, who idolizes Dann, asks the important questions about what makes a hero, and about the role that heroes play in our society. A hero, a visionary, is impossible without the detail person. A hero gets bogged down by repetitive negativity in the daily grind. While the detail person motivates and inspires the hero with the small daily successes that snowball and multiply. A hero is a combination of the visionary person and the detail person. Unfortunately, the masses only recognize and reward the visionary person. The lengthy title puzzles me. For those unfamiliar with the first story, the title of the second book speaks of things not true. For those of us who eagerly awaited a sequel, the title attracts and promises direction. The title speaks of blood relationships, human friendships, and loyal animal bonds, a circle that can empower a human, and bring hope for the future. When we carry hope and positive contributions, then civilization moves forward. When we carry death and destruction, civilization moves backwards. History repeats itself. Lessing leaves us to ponder our actions for our future, contrasting past and present societies. Which path will we chose? <a href="http://astore.amazon.ca/canadianboo0b-20/detail/0060530138/702-9319921-9651243 ">Buy this book at Amazon.ca</a> or at <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/canadianboo06-20/detail/0060530138/102-2850687-4947336 ">Amazon.com</a> Publisher on "Raintree Rebellion" http://www.canadianbookclubs.com/bkrv/topic/8#post-10 Tue, 05 Dec 2006 15:15:46 +0000 Publisher 10@http://www.canadianbookclubs.com/bkrv/ <a href="http://astore.amazon.ca/canadianboo0b-20/detail/0006395422/701-1869843-4032327"><img src="http://www.canadianbookclubs.com/graphics/books/raintree100.jpg" /></a> Book Synopsis <blockquote>Blake Raintree, the heroine of The Secret Under my Skin is now eighteen. She returns to Toronto, the city she fled as a child, to work as an aide to Erica, her adopted mother, on a new justice council set up to address the wrongs of the technocaust. While there, she submits the ID code from the microchip that was implanted in her arm by her parents in infancy, hoping to find out more about her past. What she learns will cause her to question everything she know about herself. </blockquote> Book Review I was generally surprised and pleased when I discovered this was a futuristic story set in Canada. The year 2370 is a time of holodisplay (tv), hologram (messaging) and Earth people living another planet called “Terra Nova”. Greater Toronto (and other places on Earth) had experienced 16 years of strong-arm straight-jackets political system. These years were called the Technocaust. To recover from this apartheid against technology, the new political system must deal with the crimes and victims of the recent past. Our world has seen crimes against humanity. We, as a society are willing to perpetrate it, or at least turn a blind eye. But what happens afterwards? How should those crimes be dealt with? The Nuremberg Trials offered guilt, condemnation, and punishment. The South African Truth and Reconciliation Commission granted some amnesty after full confession. Out of 7,112 petitions, only 12% were granted amnesty. Two conditions had to be met: a politically motivated crime and a full, honest confession. Those figures only hint at the Commission’s struggles. Criticisms of that Commission say that justice comes first, then reconciliation. One cannot replace the other. Janet McNaughton used the South African Commission as a model to work through the aftermath of this fictional technocaust. The technocaust had banned many forms of technology: genetic modificatian of any type, nano- and bio-technology, satellite tracking, and artificial intelligence research or application. An eighteen year old girl works as an aide to a member of the Transitional Council. We see the process in establishing this Council through her eyes, Blake Raintree. Her victimized emotions are raw, feeling hatred to the internal protectors (home office of security). With other aides, Raintree investigates archives including radio and tv broadcasts prior to the technocaust. They must discover the triggers for the technocaust. On a personal level, NcNaughton uses Raintree’s search for her father’s identity to parallel the justice council. Good elements to discuss: 1) What crimes against humanity can you think of? Was justice done? 2) Raintree had a microchip implanted in her arm that helped her to discover her “heritage.” How do children who suffer from our crimes against humanity resolve their past? Which is better to know or not to know your past? If you could have implanted a microchip in your baby’s arm, what would you have chosen? Why? 4) How does the Nuremberg Trials and the South African Commission symbolism their times? 5) What kind of Commission would be appropriate for our time? 6) How power shifts in society? 7) How easily can power corrupt? What are the safe-guards against corruption? 8) Technology, especially computer generated programs, always have flaws. Share some of your technological horror stories. 9) How could our current technology threaten those who govern? Is it happening? 10) How did privacy invasions occur in the book? What effect could this have? 11) When and how can technology invade privacy? Is privacy in today’s world an opt-in or opt-out process? What are the implications for both paths? When should someone be told that their privacy is invaded? Is there a time when it is okay to invade privacy? 12) How can people in power hide behind technology? 13) How does technology change democracy? How will it affect the countries in China, India, and the countries in the Middle East? 14) What is the melting ground for all forms of protest? 15) When is guilt by association a crime? 16) What is forgiveness? 17) How can we forgive when we have such hatred? 18) How can public acknowledgement and confession be a way to move past hate into forgiveness? Must justice come first before reconciliation or vice versa? Or is there another way to moving past hate into the future? 19) How does the author handle spirituality and religion? <a href="http://astore.amazon.ca/canadianboo0b-20/detail/0006395422/701-1869843-4032327"><img />Buy this book at Amazon.ca</a> or at <a href="http://astore.amazon.com/canadianboo06-20/detail/0006395422/103-3517426-6344666">Amazon.com</a>