Waterstone Media

Adventure Stories

We Have no Third Life

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In the past few weeks I’ve had several encounters now with an idea that has really wormed its way into my thoughts. It’s the idea of just how alien alien could actually be. It seems to me that in so much of our sci-fi, aliens are remarkably human.

Before a few weeks ago, I’d never really given much thought to the idea. From the Romulans, Klingons, and Borg in Star Trek to the Wookies, Ewoks, and Bothans in Star Wars, I never thought to question just how similarly we pictured alien species. But in so many ways, they are so similar to us (in deeper ways than is even implied by the “forehead alien” term) from the desire for love and community to the goals they live with. Even species that aren’t humanoid, like the alien from Alien, or the Arachnids from Starship Troopers, possess the (we believe) universal desires to conquer and reproduce.

Recently, I’ve read two stories: Annihilation and Speaker for the Dead, in which the sheer alienness of what is happening feeds directly into the plot of the story. Of the two, I think Annihilation captures the sensation better. For most, if not all of the story, it’s almost impossible for the reader to understand exactly what is going on.  We are on a perpetual journey of confusion and uncertainty. The simple reason is because it’s simply that different. As humans, we have enough trouble trying to understand someone who votes differently than us – how likely is it we would understand anything truly alien?

I’ve been fascinated by this idea in fantasy as well. For the most part, fantasy stories allow us to play with societies that are mirror images, or shattered reflections, of the society we live in. But in a world where magic actually is possible, how deep might the effects on society be? If a world exists that contains multiple species that grew up in dramatically different circumstances, just how much would they be able to relate to one another, if at all? They are fascinating questions that make me think about all the unexplored possibilities.

Speaker for the Dead

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I just finished rereading Speaker for the Dead, a book that I’d read long ago but only recently decided to try again. The book is the second in the Ender Saga, the series that gave us Ender’s Game, which to this day remains one of my favorite science fiction books of all time.

My memories of my first read-through are vague, but I remember not particularly liking the book the first time I read it. Now that I’m older, I can see why. As many have said before, while this book is technically the sequel to Ender’s Game, it is a very different book. When I was younger, I was hoping for a continuation of the military sci-fi that I’d loved so much. What I got instead was a relatively slow, philosophical book that I certainly didn’t fully grasp when I first read it.

On this read-through, though, my experience was incredible. Even though you won’t find lasers and battles in this book, I found the conflict compelling, and by the time I got to the end, I was flipping pages as fast as ever. Personally, I was sucked in by the familial conflicts, the mysteries surrounding the piggies, and by the character of Ender himself. I find the whole idea of a “Speaker for the Dead” to be a powerful one, and I thought Card pulled the concept off well.

I think one reason why some people dislike this book is because they are expecting a true sequel to Ender’s Game. I’m not sure that’s accurate here. The characters have grown and changed, and while the events of the book are certainly shaped by the events of Ender’s Game, this book could almost stand on its own as the beginning of a completely separate series.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. If you’re looking for fast-paced military sci-fi, there are far better options. But if you don’t mind characters sometimes acting as philosophical mouthpieces, and if you’re looking for something a little slower and deeper, I can’t think of a book I’ve liked more in recent memory.

Annihilation

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Like a fair number of people, I would think, my first experience with Annihilation came from the movie that came out starring Natalie Portman. I would say I liked the movie, although it didn’t quite meet the sky-high expectations I’d had coming into it.

Of course, I had to read the book it was based off of, and I’m glad I did. I’m not sure I’ve ever read anything quite like it, and I enjoyed the read very much.

There are two ideas here that I want to discuss. The first is the idea of something being completely alien. The book (and movie) explore what it means to be in a land that is truly alien and unknowable. In most of our sci-fi, aliens end up being humanoid creatures with humanoid emotions, goals, and dreams. Or they’re insects trying to take over the universe, I guess.

What Annihilation does so well is present its explorers with a truly alien experience, something even our senses have a hard time understanding. Writing something so bizarre is challenging, and I have nothing but respect for anyone who attempts it. This book is the closest I think I’ve ever come to being able to put myself in a truly alien environment.

The second idea, and the one that kept recurring to me, was that I will never believe this got made into a movie, and a movie I enjoyed at that. The book doesn’t possess anything that would lead one to believe it would make a great film. There’s no epic battles, no inherently evil antagonist.

I finished this book feeling a little haunted and very impressed. The language and writing is gorgeous here, and for me at least, evoked strong feelings of tension and awe.

Skyward

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Ah, Brandon Sanderson. Will you ever write something I won’t like?

At this point in time, I’ve probably only read about half of Sanderson’s work, but I’ve always consistently enjoyed it. I was incredibly curious to see him tackle a more YA-ish sci-fi world. I love sci-fi, but YA (or YA-themed books) are a bit of a hard sell for me. I don’t find myself interested in most of the tropes.

But I really enjoyed this book.

The world-building here is top-notch, as you would typically expect from Mr. Sanderson. Humans have retreated underground, fighting for their very existence. Aliens attack from the mysterious sky above, their motives unknown, their success seemingly inevitable.

Our protagonist is Spensa, a young woman who has to fight against the ghosts of the past to become a fighter pilot for humanity. Her character, and her development, is fun to read.

There are three elements of this novel that kept me turning the pages: The first is one of the mysteries at the heart of the novel: what happened to Spensa’s father? Every answer raises another question, leading us deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole. Second was the world-building. Everything from the society to dogfights, the environment to the aliens, is lovingly rendered. It’s a joy to continue to learn more about Spensa’s world.

The final element is the “magic.” I hesitate to say much, as it gets into spoiler-y territory, but the way technology works in this story is fascinating, and one of the things that makes me most excited to dive deeper into this world.

Night Angel

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I don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that Brent Weeks has changed forever my view of epic fantasy. I’m ashamed that I didn’t start reading him until 2018, but I fully plan on remedying my mistakes in short order.

The Night Angel trilogy has been one of my favorite fantasy reads in recent memory, thanks in large part to the expansive, complex magic systems, the breakneck pacing, and the underlying heart of the story.

I absolutely need to start by examining the brilliant pacing and plotting of the series, as it was the element that probably struck me most. In my own experience, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered an epic fantasy paced like the Night Angel trilogy. The chapters are short, the tension is consistently high, and Weeks does an incredible job of layering plots together in such a way that the danger is always escalating. It’s an epic fantasy that reads like a thriller, which is no small feat considering how large the books are.

I fondly remember reading the first book on my kindle. I turn off the percentage bar at the bottom, as I find that it distracts me from the simple joy of diving into the story. As I powered through the first book, I distinctly remember being convinced that I was getting quite close to the climax of the story. Then, for some reason, I had to close the book and return to the homepage, where the percentage read displayed. I was only at 50%! That was the moment I knew I was in for one incredible ride.

The magic in Night Angel is definitely “soft.” Kylar is always discovering new abilities, and the limits of magic are never definite. I’m not sure that I have a distinct preference between “soft” and “hard” magic systems, but I always worry that soft magic systems can be used by authors to get their characters too easily out of sticky situations, like in the old batman show where Batman’s utility belt always had exactly the device he needed to escape that particular situation. Fortunately, Weeks manages to avoid this problem. Throughout the series, as Kylar discovers more of what he can do, I was never left thinking, “Well, that’s awfully convenient.” Instead, I was always left with a distinct feeling of, “Well, that’s pretty damn cool.”

I won’t argue that Night Angel is perfect. I’m not sure any book is. I had my fair share of complaints here. But what won me over in the end is the heart of the story. It’s easy, in the middle of epic fantasy with high stakes and incredibly powerful magic, to lose the beating heart of what makes a story matter: characters who have to make difficult choices that change who they are.

No matter how powerful the characters become, and no matter how dangerous the situation may be, Weeks never loses this all-important thread in the Night Angel trilogy. The challenges the protagonists face aren’t just important because of their difficulty, they’re important because they force the protagonists to confront themselves.

I’ll never claim to be the most widely read person out there, but I’ve read no small amount of fantasy, and I’ve never encountered anything quite like the Night Angel trilogy. Throughout the last book, in particular, I felt as though this was a story just beginning to be told, and I’m excited by the possibility of Weeks someday returning to this incredible world.

Wheel of Time – Final Thoughts

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14 Books

Over 4.4 million words

Over 100 POV characters.

There’s no doubt that Wheel of Time puts the “epic” in epic fantasy. I began reading the series as part of NPRs top 100 sci-fi and fantasy books of all time. I spent two years working my way through that list, and read the first three books of WoT as part of that, enjoying them a fair amount. I pledged to myself that I would eventually return to the series, and in 2018, I made it my goal to read the rest of the books. I completed my challenge, and finally have the space to think and write about the experience.

Perhaps more than any other emotion, I am astounded. As an avid fantasy reader, I’m no stranger to worldbuilding, but Jordan’s work feels to me like it is a step beyond anything else I’ve ever encountered, including Tolkien and Martin. WoT has both breadth and depth, and although I probably will never read the series again, it feels to me like one that will reward readers with multiple read-throughs.

But the worldbuilding has been mentioned often enough. The aspect of the books that still resonates with me, weeks after reading, is how the story of good versus evil has perhaps never been done quite so well.

I know that in my own writing, I try desperately hard to avoid the simple good vs. evil. Most of the modern writing I encounter does. We prefer complexity, where competing valid viewpoints strive for dominance.

But WoT, at its core, is about good and evil, light and dark. But it manages to be that without overly simplistic storylines. Both light and dark feature complex, interesting characters with varied motivations. Nowhere is this better represented than in Rand’s character and the slow transitions he works his way through throughout the series.

I left this series tremendously pleased. I made no secret of the fact that I really disliked books 8-10, and I think I still stand by my argument. When considered as a whole, yes, the books are necessary and tell important parts of the story. But as a writer (and avid reader), books are also commercial units. It’s my belief that each should contain at least some complete arcs. I know that plenty of people will disagree, but it’s definitely my personal preference. Had there not been such an overwhelming number of people telling me to stick it out, I absolutely would have quit the series right before it returned to glory.

But at the end, I am tremendously thankful to have read this series. Jordan deserves an enormous amount of credit, and I’m extremely grateful to Sanderson for finishing the series – somehow managing to give everyone a conclusion and role to play in the finale. It’s a staggering achievement.

Now for 2019: Malazan.