The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
A very important road map of the rise and beliefs of our current world order.
Books Finished in January:
The SFWA European Hall of Fame: Sixteen Contemporary Masterpieces of Science Fiction from the Continent. (ed. James Morrow and Kathryn Morrow: USA 2007, Tor Books) 4 stars
A good collection of short stories for those seeking to expand their science fiction reading beyond the english language field. It is obvious that the Morrows are passionate about bringing these authors to a new readership and I commend their efforts in this case. I will use this collection as a guide to increase my international literary experiences. Now, lets hope this is a success, and we can soon see similar collections of authors from Africa, Asia, Latin America, the Middle East, etc…
Kafka on the Shore (Haruki Murakami: Japan 2002/US 2005, Vintage International) 4 stars
My third Murakami book. It builds steam slowly with its twin narratives, dropping clues, playing with communication genres (government reports, interviews and straight narratives), and slowly introducing magical realist elements (talking cats, doppelganger ghosts, labyrinths/dark-forests, bizarre elementals, philosophical discussions of time and identity). Once the hook was set, though, I settled in and enjoyed the ride. No doubt this book will reverberate in my consciousness for awhile. The character Nakata is one of my all-time favorites.
The Cassini Division (Ken MacLeod: UK 1998/US 1999, Tor Books) 4 stars
I could not put this book down and hungrily devoured it in a few days. MacLeod has an interesting background for a SF writer, BS in Zoology, researcher in Bio-mechanics, MA in philosophy and computer-analyst/programmer. He demonstrates all of these interests in this fast-paced space-faring sociological and political adventure. The story easily hooked me because the main character, Ellen May Ngewthu, is an agent of an anarcho-socialist society and is in a race/struggle against both post-human and anarcho-capitalist societies/worlds. In addition to its space opera feel, the book evokes reflections on sexual, economic, and political relations, while, most importantly, forcing us to think about the nature of “humanity” through the struggles of post-human entities. I’m still wrestling with the political implications of this book, especially the ultimate decisions made by the crew of Ellen’s ship The Terrible Beauty. MacLeod is another example of the innovative Scottish new wave of Science Fiction/Fantasy writers.
The No-Nonsense Guide to Global Media (Peter Steven: London 2003, New Internationalist/Verso) 3 stars
Introduction for the uninitiated. Lots of facts, but very dry and boring.
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