The Sci-fi Fantasy Reader's Review

My Comments on Science Fiction / Fantasy Books and other related media.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Midnight at the Well of Souls by Jack L Chalker

I first time I read this book was a few years after it was published.  My husband had read the book and suggested I read it.  At the time, I was devouring science fiction books and was interested in authors I had never read before.
Midnight at the Well of Souls is a great sci-fi fantasy story that has action, adventure, and that modern dilemma of good and bad.  The future of mankind is still in the hands of the very powerful who seem to know what is good for the masses. I hadn't re-read this book in many years and it amazes me on what I have forgotten. My favorite character is Nathan Brazil the freighter pilot who has lived for thousands of years but who I feel wants to be able to die. 
It's a great story on how the corrupt and the downtrodden are able to change their lives, some get a new chance while others get what we think they deserve. The Well of Souls(a giant computer located within a planet) changes people into beings it thinks will enable them to survive. It takes their attributes and tosses them into bizarre situations.
I recommend this book to anyone who loves reading science fiction from the 1980's.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

True Blood Season 4, RECAP past 3 episodes

Hi all, I haven't been posting about True Blood in a few weeks but I thought I'd lump the last 3episodes together.
Sookie has Eric as a house guest, and for those who haven't read the book, they eventually hook up. She sees him as a regular guy and starts to fall for Eric's new persona.  Losing his memory has changed Eric from ruthless, blood sucker to nice caring vamp.
Bill, Louisiana's King tries to truly kill Eric, for his misdeeds but changes his mind while in the process of staking him.  Eric has changed and is in love with Sookie which Bill can sympathize.
Marnie becomes Antonia, a witch that was cursed the vampire to meet the sun while being burned at the stake, 400 hundred years ago. Antonia wants revenge for her death and for the deaths of others by the vampires. You definitely have sympathies for her.  We don't get that in the books where the two witches who take Eric's memory are also weres that want power. Since in the book we see only through Sookie's eyes we don't know the true depths of the vampires.   Bill had found out that Eric was staying at Sookie's through a slip of the tongue from Pam and that the coven stole Eric's memories. Marnie is captured by Bill's guards and imprisoned at the King's house. She calls to her the spirit that Marnie has been channeling.  Antonia comes to her and takes over her body and through her necromancy, she escapes. Marnie gets her coven together with Tara who has had a bad encounter with Pam.  Tara, Lafayette, and Jesus are on Pam's hit list for being part of her body rotting.  Antonia recruits Marnie's coven to join in a spell to protect them from the vampires unbeknowst to them, she is casting a spell to wake the vamps up in the daylight and have them meet the sun.
Tara's girlfriend from New Orleans arrive at Lafayette's house, she had discovered letters addressed to Tara. She knows her as Toni. While they are together sorting their relationship, Pam meets up with them at Merlotte's.  She threatens them both with bodily harm when they are saved by some people who are taking pictures of them.  It's against the vampire law to be on camera killing, sucking or anything harmful towards a human.  They will be put to true death.
Sam's brother Tommy after killing his parents turns into to Sam and has a good time with his new body, like hooking up with Sam's girlfriend, Luna, another shape shifter.  He then kicks her out when his body rejects the change and Sam finds him unconscious on the floor of his trailer.
Later Sam finds out what Tommy did when Luna won't give him the time of day and confronts her at the school she teaches. He then kicks Tommy out of his life. Sam is such a hypocrite and two face liar with himself, he couldn't see the road Tommy is heading.  I would keep my enemies close instead of out of sight but then it wouldn't be a good story.
Jason finds out that he won't be changing into a were-panther, it's genetic not passed on by being bitten. When he escapes Hotshots he is rescued by Jessica and Hoyt.  Jessica gives Jason some of her blood to speed recovery but now Jason has a bond with her.  He dreams of her and of Hoyt which is unsettling to poor Jason.
Sheriff Andy Bellefleur is a mess with his addiction to V. All he can think about is his next hit. His character is so boring, they need to change him again. His sister Portia finds out she is distantly related to Bill who does a glamour on her that sends her screaming into the night. Portia was a peripheral character at best in the books anyway.
Alcide is visited by the pack leader of Shreveport. Alcide tells him strongly that he doesn't want to join a pack since his last pack was under vampire influence.  Later Alcide walks in his house to find the pack leader talking to Debbie, his live-in girlfriend.  I noticed that they lighted Debbie's hair this season, I wonder if it's the TV show's attempt to reveal her insecurity of a very blond Sookie.  Alcide is furious but relented and joins the new pack.  It's full moon and their initiation into the pack is being held in the forest, they run into Sookie who is chasing after Jason who at this time thinks he will change into a panther. They reassure her that Jason will not change and they part ways.  Afterwards Alcide and Debbie walked into the woods to talk and find Sookie and Eric having butt naked sex.  While having sex at home, Debbie confronts Alcide about his feelings for Sookie. He denies having anything but friendship towards her.  In the book, he finds her attractive but because she isn't a were he can't think of dating her.  Species-ism against humans.
The last episode ends with all the vampires being ordered to chain themselves with silver so to hinder their response to the covens call.  Jessica breaks the silver chains and crawls to the door toward the sun while Jason hears her through their bond and rushes to Bill's to save the day.  Last scene is Jessica opening the door while Jason had been stopped by a guard outside. Will he have time to save Jessica, of course, she is a popular character and isn't going to be killed off soon.