CYBERPUNK REVISITED: Johnny Mnemonic

Dossier – Longo, Robert. Johnny Mnemonic (1995).

Filetype – film (of sorts).

File under – cyberpunk derivative (but also proto-cyberpunk, as it was based on the eponymous 1981 short story by Cyberpunk doyen William Gibson, predating even Neuromancer).

Summary – An utterly unappealing drone stuffs info into his head and then spends the rest of the movie trying to get it out, enlisting the aid of everyone from a bright-eyed street samurai to a bunch of squatters to a smarty-pants dolphin in his quest to not die. Arrayed against him are the Yakuza and their unstoppable secret weapon, Dolph Lundgren. (It all sounded ridiculous back in 1995, and it still does today.)

High-tech – cool ideas like 'wetware' brain datajacks and storage capacity (of a mind-blowing 160 GB, slightly bigger than my crappy smart phone's!) and monofilament whips and virtual reality gloves and visors and so forth are present, but depicted in what passed for mediocre special effects in the mid-90s, making it all feel (and look) like a goofy Shadowrun session gone wrong.

  

Low-life – Director Robert Longo (whose film career didn't exactly blossom after this little gem) does deserve points for the mise en scene (consistent with his 'real' job as a sculptor and painter), as the film was shot mostly at night, and is filled with establishing shots which nicely illustrate just how crappy everyone's life is who is stuck near the garbage heaps of cities like Newark (an analysis which is perhaps true in the real world of 2015!) compared to suit-clad bourgeois stooge Johnny. But the Lo-Teks, a bunch of idiot luddites with a ton of crappy weapons and a combination magic dolphin/microwave emitter, failed to win me over; I was rooting for the Yakuza throughout, since at least they had style.

Dark times – It's standard dystopian fare—mega-corps rule the world, and unless you work for one of them (in which case you're a mega-villain by definition), chances are you're a grimy "Lo-Tek" resistance fighter/casualty living in a literal dump, which is what the world apparently turns into if corporations are allowed to seek profits (anti-capitalist ravings that no one took seriously in 1995, or doubtless more than twelve people would have gone to see it). The film adds the wrinkle of a disease, the Black Shakes, which is brought on by exposure to the now-ubiquitous electronics of the world, but that's silly and in any case everything is reduced to the simplest and most Manichean moral terms imaginable: either a character is a Good Guy (one of the Lo-Teks, or Johnny himself, or 'Jane', etc.) or irremediably Evil (bright-eyed monofilament whip wielding Yakuza assassin, Dolph Lundgren's bizarre Preacher guy, Ralfi). The only character to show any moral complexity is the Yakuza/Pharmakom exec played by, that's right, comedian and gritty crime film director Kitano Takeshi, though his change of heart is stupid and merely involves transforming from Evil into Good.

Legacy – Johnny was without a doubt one of the most high-profile (and high-budget) film adaptations of a cyberpunk story in the 1990s. On the other hand, given its mediocre subject matter and less than mediocre execution, it got exactly the critical and box office reception that it deserved. 

In retrospect – One feels slimy echoes of Michael Crichton's histrionic Rising Sun here. Johnny was made in the mid-nineties, when social anxiety about the impending 'takeover' of the U.S. by Japan wasn't yet recognized to be totally ridiculous. It was a time when people could apparently imagine a dystopian future where soulless Japanese pharmaceutical executives would join forces with heartless Yakuza to crush the world in their iron grip. In fact, I thought that aspect of the story was pretty silly way back when I first saw the film, twenty years (!) ago, and it hasn't aged well.

           

Johnny also suffers from anti-technological fears of ubiquitous electronics that strike the viewer in 2015 as breathtakingly naive. Is there a crippling neurological disorder just around the corner, caused by all our electronic stuff? If so...how come radio waves (i.e., TV, etc.) and all other forms of 'harmful' electronic radiation have consistently (even back in 1995, in fact!) been shown to be utterly without negative effect? You want to know which modern invention is one of the most harmful to human health? The x-ray—which was invented like a gazillion years ago. But even the x-ray isn't so bad, or at least that's what I tell myself when the dentist smilingly zaps me for another one of those stupid panoramic images that nobody uses for anything, bathing my entire skull in short-wave radiation...

I guess what I'm saying is that the most dystopian parts of Johnny are also the weakest parts of the story. The Japanese have not conquered the world (or, if they have, they did a lot better job hiding that fact than the Yakuza thugs do in the movie!), and no terrifying Black Shakes has arisen to doom the most technocratic of us. Incidentally, I've heard the main plot of the film, which concerns said Black Shakes and a certain megacorp too selfish to release its cure, was the most infuriating change from story to film, and alienated many Gibson fans from Johnny. Having never read the story, I didn't need any such fancy justification—Keanu Reeves (it was pretty much his epic "I want ROOM SERVICE!" rant that nailed the coffin shut on Johnny for me) did it for me free of charge. Except for the price of the movie ticket, now that I think about it—curses! You may have won that round back in 1995, Reeves, but the film also delivered your career a nearly lethal blow; I'd call it even.

So there you have it, folks. Johnny failed to win over audiences back in 1995, when its vision of the faraway year of 2021 probably sounded marginally less absurd; it doesn't have a prayer of winning anyone over now! Not all of its problems stem from harmful changes to the original story in the process of film adaptation, however; some of the most ludicrous ideas are right there in Gibson's original vision of the future, like heroin-addicted uber-dolphins. Actually, the film made a small improvement—it eliminated the dolphin's chemical dependency sub-plot, judging it (correctly) to be stupid and irrelevant. No, Gibson: in the future, drug problems won't be so severe they've begun extending to other species, and dolphins can't microwave Dolph Lundgren!

Analytics

For its time: 2/5.
Viewed today: 1/5.
Cybercoefficient: 3/10.

Zhaoyun, no prophet of the future, can nonetheless spot ridiculous predictions and Manichean ethics when they crop up, and since 2013 has been taking great pleasure here at Nerds of a Feather in eviscerating books and films that spew forth such drivel.

An Interview with Elizabeth Bear

Recently, I reviewed Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear (spoilers: I was a fan!).

As an added bonus, the author herself took the time to answer some questions I had regarding the book and her writing in general. This being my very first author interview, I tried real hard to refrain from hyperventilating and passing out from excitement. So without further ado, the questions:

A Modest Proposal for Hugo Reform v 2.0

Last year I conducted a thought experiment with the Hugo categories: could I alter them in such a way as to render them intuitive, logical and voter-friendly yet still preserved as much of the current setup as possible? The result was a list that, while certainly an improvement on the "intuitive, logical and voter-friendly" front (in my view), was also...er...a bit long. So round two takes what we started with last year and streamlines things. (If you listened to last week's Rocket Talk, you'll recall this being a major point of discussion.)

Operative in the streamlining process is the principle, articulated by Ian Sales in a comment left on last year's piece, that the Hugos should, ideally, reward creative works or collections of creative works (e.g. in an anthology or magazine). So I'm dispensing with most of the personalized awards (Campbell excluded) and replacing them with awards for things people have produced over the previous year.

Admittedly that's treading a fine line--aren't personal awards, to a degree, rewards for what individuals have done over the past year? To a degree, yes, and in truth I would particularly lament the end of the Best Fan Writer category. But historically it's been one of the most prone to the kind of insider conservatism that dogs the Hugos, and which seems particularly embedded into the personalized categories (Campbell again excluded). Consider this: during a 30 year period (1980-2009), David Langford was shortlisted 30/30 times (100%) and won the award 21/30 times (70%)--including, at one point, an unbroken string of 19 victories. That's mind-boggling and, obviously, a big problem--however deserving Mr. Langford might be.

[This, of course, brings up another question tangentially related to category reform--whether the Hugos need some kind of a "mercy rule." It could work like this: after, say, 3 victories in 5 years a given person or institution would have to sit out competition for the at least one year--possibly more. That would level the playing field and spread the love, so to speak--and a version is already in place for the Campbell, where it works beautifully. "Mercy rules" come with their own problematics, of course, but I think it's something the powers that be should at least consider.]

So that's the idea, at least--to take last year's altered Hugo slate, fix what needs fixing, and see if we can get it down to a more manageable number of categories. So, without further ado, here is your shiny, new--and still "modest"--proposal!


Awards for Works of Fiction

Current Award Categories:

• Best Novel: Awarded for a science fiction or fantasy story of forty thousand (40,000) words or more.
• Best Novella: Awarded for a science fiction or fantasy story of between seventeen thousand five hundred (17,500) and forty thousand (40,000) words.
• Best Novelette: Awarded for a science fiction or fantasy story of between seven thousand five hundred (7,500) and seventeen thousand five hundred (17,500) words.
• Best Short Story: Awarded for science fiction or fantasy story of less than seven thousand five hundred (7,500) words.
• Best Graphic Story: A science fiction or fantasy story told in graphic form, such as a comic book, graphic novel, or webcomic.

Reformed Award Categories (1.0):

• Best Novel: Awarded for a science fiction or fantasy story of forty thousand (40,000) words or more.
• Best Novella: Awarded for a science fiction or fantasy story of between ten thousand (10,000) and forty thousand (40,000) words.
• Best Short Story: Awarded for science fiction or fantasy story of less than ten thousand (10,000) words.
• Best Graphic Story: A science fiction or fantasy story told in graphic form, such as a comic book, graphic novel, or webcomic. 
• Best Original Anthology: Awarded for the best collection of original, previously unpublished short science fiction and/or fantasy.
• Best Collection: Awarded for the best collection of previously published short science fiction and/or fantasy.

In version 1.0, I collapsed novelette and short story, for the simple reason that very few people know or care what a novelette is, and it's annoying (as a nominating voter) to have to try to figure out what fits where. At the same time, I felt it was high time the Hugos bestowed awards on anthologies and collections, which readers really do care about. On second thought, though, I'm not sure we need separate categories for anthologies and collections.

 Reformed Award Categories (2.0):

• Best Novel: Awarded for a science fiction or fantasy story of forty thousand (40,000) words or more.
• Best Novella: Awarded for a science fiction or fantasy story of between ten thousand (10,000) and forty thousand (40,000) words.
• Best Short Story: Awarded for science fiction or fantasy story of less than ten thousand (10,000) words.
• Best Graphic Story: A science fiction or fantasy story told in graphic form, such as a comic book, graphic novel, or webcomic. 
• Best Original Anthology/Collection: Awarded for the best collection of short science fiction and/or fantasy.

Awards for Dramatic Presentations

Current Award Categories:

• Best Dramatic Presentation (Long Form): This Award can be given a dramatized production in any medium, including film, television, radio, live theater, computer games or music. The work must last 90 minutes or longer (excluding commercials).
• Best Dramatic Presentation (Short Form): This Award can be given a dramatized production in any medium, including film, television, radio, live theater, computer games or music. The work must be less than 90 minutes long (excluding commercials).

Reformed Award Categories (1.0):

• Best Dramatic Presentation (Scripted - Long Form): This Award can be given to any dramatized production that is scripted, including film, television, radio, live theater, or music. The work must last 90 minutes or longer (excluding commercials).
• Best Dramatic Presentation (Scripted - Short Form): This Award can be given to any dramatized production in any medium that is scripted, including film, television, radio, live theater, or music. The work must be less than 90 minutes long (excluding commercials).
• Best Dramatic Presentation (Interactive): This Award can be given to any dramatized production in ant medium that is interactive, for example video or computer games (or performance art!), of any length.

The main gripe here was lack of attention to games--I mean, seriously? Games are arguably bigger than film now, and a higher percentage of games released in a given calendar year count (at least in terms of recognizable tropes) as SF/F. Get with the times, WorldCon! No changes proposed here for version 2.0.

Reformed Award Categories (2.0)

• Best Dramatic Presentation (Scripted - Long Form): This Award can be given to any dramatized production that is scripted, including film, television, radio, live theater, or music. The work must last 90 minutes or longer (excluding commercials).
• Best Dramatic Presentation (Scripted - Short Form): This Award can be given to any dramatized production in any medium that is scripted, including film, television, radio, live theater, or music. The work must be less than 90 minutes long (excluding commercials).
• Best Dramatic Presentation (Interactive): This Award can be given to any dramatized production in ant medium that is interactive, for example video or computer games (or performance art!), of any length.

Awards for Editors

Current Award Categories:

• Best Editor (Long Form): This is the first of the person categories, so the Award is given for the work that person has done in the year of eligibility. To be eligible the person must have edited at least 4 novel-length (i.e. 40,000 words or more) books devoted to science fiction and/or fantasy in the year of eligibility that are not anthologies or collections.
• Best Editor (Short Form): To be eligible the person must have edited at least four anthologies, collections or magazine issues devoted to science fiction and/or fantasy, at least one of which must have been published in the year of eligibility.

Reformed Award Categories (1.0):

• Best Editor (Long Form): This is the first of the person categories, so the Award is given for the work that person has done in the year of eligibility. To be eligible the person must have edited at least 4 novel-length (i.e. 40,000 words or more) books devoted to science fiction and/or fantasy in the year of eligibility that are not anthologies or collections.
• Best Editor (Short Form): To be eligible the person must have edited at least four anthologies, collections or magazine issues devoted to science fiction and/or fantasy, at least one of which must have been published in the year of eligibility.

I declined to make changes in version 1.0, but--with apologies to all the great editors out there--I'm not sure we actually need these categories anymore. To begin, I really don't think most voters have any clue what goes into being a great long-form editor. And while more do know what goes into being a great short-form editor (i.e. consistently releasing high quality anthologies and/or editing a consistently high-quality periodical), there are already several categories in this re-imagined Hugo setup that reward the work short-form editors do--obviating the need for a personal award here. 

Reformed Award Categories (2.0):

• Eliminate both categories

Awards for  Related Works Non-Fiction

Current Award Categories:

• Best Related Work: Awarded to a work related to the field of science fiction, fantasy, or fandom, appearing for the first time during the previous calendar year or which has been substantially modified during the previous calendar year. The type of works eligible include, but are not limited to, collections of art, works of literary criticism, books about the making of a film or TV series, biographies and so on, provided that they do not qualify for another category.

Reformed Award Categories (1.0):

• Best Non-Fiction Work (Long Form): Awarded to a non-fiction book related to the field of science fiction, fantasy, or fandom of forty thousand (40,000) words or more, appearing for the first time during the previous calendar year or which has been substantially modified during the previous calendar year. 
• Best Non-Fiction Work (Short Form): Awarded to a non-fiction essay, review or critical piece related to the  field of science fiction, fantasy, or fandom, of less than forty thousand (40,000) words, and appearing for the first time during the previous calendar year.  

It annoys the hell out of me that books compete with blog posts for "Best Related Work." So why not have separate categories here? I can easily think of five essays or blog posts that are award-worthy. No proposed changes for version 2.0. [The 40,000 word delineation is fairly arbitrary, though--I'm open for suggestions as to why a different marker would be better.]
  
Reformed Award Categories (2.0):

• Best Non-Fiction Work (Long Form): Awarded to a non-fiction book related to the field of science fiction, fantasy, or fandom of forty thousand (40,000) words or more, appearing for the first time during the previous calendar year or which has been substantially modified during the previous calendar year. 
• Best Non-Fiction Work (Short Form): Awarded to a non-fiction essay, review or critical piece related to the  field of science fiction, fantasy, or fandom, of less than forty thousand (40,000) words, and appearing for the first time during the previous calendar year. 

Awards for 'Zines and Related Periodicals and Related 

Current Award Categories:

• Best Semiprozine: This is the first of the three serial publication/work categories. To qualify, the publication must have produced at least 4 issues, at least one of which must have appeared in the year of eligibility (this being similar to the requirements for magazine editors in Best Editor, Short Form), and meet additional requirements as listed below.
  Semiprozine is the most complicated category because of the need to define semi-professional. A lot of science fiction and fantasy magazines are run on a semi-professional basis: that is they pay a little, but generally not enough to make a living for anyone. The object of this category is to separate such things from fanzines, which are generally loss-making hobbyist pursuits. To qualify a publication must not be professional (see above) and must meet at least one of the following criteria:
  1. The publication pays its contributors and/or staff in other than copies of the publication.
  2. The publication was generally available only for paid purchase.
• Best Fanzine: This Award is for anything that is neither professional nor semi-professional and that does not qualify as a Fancast (see below). The publication must also satisfy the rule of a minimum of 4 issues, at least one of which must have appeared in the year of eligibility.
• Best Fancast: Awarded for any non-professional audio- or video-casting with at least four (4) episodes that had at least one (1) episode released in the previous calendar year.
• Best Fan Writer: This is another person category. Note that it does not just apply to writing done in fanzines. Work published in semiprozines, and even on mailing lists, blogs, BBSs, and similar electronic fora, can be including when judging people for this Award. Only work in professional publications should not be considered.

 Reformed Award Categories (1.0):

• Best Fiction Periodical (SFWA-Qualifying): This award is for any regularly published (4 issues more more within a given calender year) short fiction market that pays professional rates, as determined by the SFWA, and has furthermore been certified by the SFWA as a qualifying professional market. Nominees may be published in print, electronically or both.  
• Best Fiction Periodical (Non-SFWA-Qualifying): This award is for any regularly published (4 issues more more within a given calender year) short fiction market that has not been certified by the SFWA as a qualifying professional market--though non-qualifying outlets that pay professional rates also qualify. Nominees may be published in print, electronically or both. 
• Best Non-Fiction Periodical (Professional): This award is for any regularly published (4 issues more more within a given calender year) non-fiction that pays its contributors and/or staff in other than copies of the publication.
• Best Non-Fiction Fanzine (Non-Professional): This award is for regularly published (4 issues more more within a given calender year) traditional primarily-print fanzines that do not pay their contributors and/or staff in other than copies of the publication.
• Best Non-Fiction Blog (Non-Professional): This award is for blogs and other electronic-only fanzines that do not pay their contributors and/or staff in other than copies of the publication. 
• Best Non-Fiction Pod/Videocast: Awarded for any non-professional audio- or video-casting with at least four (4) episodes that had at least one (1) episode released in the previous calendar year. 
• Best Fan Writer: This is another person category. Note that it does not just apply to writing done in fanzines. Work published in semiprozines, and even on mailing lists, blogs, BBSs, and similar electronic fora, can be including when judging people for this Award. Only work in professional publications should not be considered. 

In version 1.0, I wanted to reconceptualize this clusterfuck of categories so it would be: (a) intuitive and (b) consistent; with (c) categories that compare like with like; and also ensure that (d) nominating voters don't need insider knowledge of an enterprise's finances in order to correctly assess what belongs in what category. And I also wanted to correct for the nonsensical fact that there's no award for professional fiction magazines, despite their historical and continued importance for SF/F literature and fandom. So I separated out (primarily) fiction periodicals from (primarily) non-fiction ones (punting the issue of whether outlets that do both, like Strange Horizons, Tor.com or Interzone, would count as one or both), and changed the criteria for determining "pro" from "not pro" from the money made to the money paid.

In version 2.0 I've altered the criteria for inclusion in the "pro" category for fiction outlets: instead of being SFWA-certified, now markets only need to meet SFWA minimums for pro-level payment. This seems better, as it utilizes relatively value-neutral industry standards, broadens the field to include new markets and doesn't make an outside organization (which has its own awards) the gatekeeper. I'm also re-collapsing Best Fanzine/Best Blog, because separating them out doesn't seem as important to me as it did last year. Oh, and I've gotten rid of Best Fan Writer because it conflicts with the principle of awarding works not people. As stated above, this is the change I'm most conflicted about, but the fact is that, if this set of changes were to go into effect (however unlikely that may be), fan writers would get rewarded in several of the other proposed categories.

Reformed Award Categories (2.0):

• Best Fiction Periodical (Pro-Paying): This award is for any regularly published (4 issues more more within a given calender year) short fiction market that pays professional rates, as determined by the SFWA (whether or not it has been certified by the SFWA as a qualifying professional market). Nominees may be published in print, electronically or both.  
• Best Fiction Periodical (Non-Pro-Paying): This award is for any regularly published (4 issues more more within a given calender year) short fiction market that does not pay professional rates, as determined by the SFWA. Nominees may be published in print, electronically or both. 
• Best Non-Fiction Periodical (Professional): This award is for any regularly published (4 issues more more within a given calender year) non-fiction periodical, either print or electronic, that pays its contributors and/or staff in other than copies of the publication.
• Best Non-Fiction Periodical (Non-Professional): This award is for regularly published (4 issues more more within a given calender year) fanzine, either print or electronic, that does not pay its contributors and/or staff in other than copies of the publication.
• Best Non-Fiction Pod/Videocast: Awarded for any audio- or video-casting with at least four (4) episodes that had at least one (1) episode released in the previous calendar year.

 Artist Art

 Current Award Categories:

• Best Professional Artist: Another person category, this time for artists and illustrators. The work on which the nominees are judged must class as “professional” (see above for a discussion of how “professional” is defined).
• Best Fan Artist: The final category is also for people. Again note that the work by which artists should be judged is not limited to material published in fanzines. Material for semiprozines or material on public displays (such as in convention art shows) is also eligible. Fan artists can have work published in professional publications as well. You should not consider such professionally-published works when judging this award.

Reformed Award Categories (1.0):

• Best Artist: This award goes to a personal who has produced at least one piece of art relevant to SF/F in the calendar year. 

I believe "Best Fan Artist" receives the fewest votes and has relatively low levels of enthusiasm (including among fan artists), so I collapsed the two in version 1.0. However, even that has to go if we're ditching the personal awards. So I thought a bit about how one could both keep an art award but also generate interest in the categories, and it struck me: book covers. Everyone's got an opinion on book covers! (Hint: abstract design > figurative art.)

Reformed Award Categories (2.0):

• Best Book Cover: This award goes to the best original SF/F book cover (hardbound, paperback or digital) released in the calendar year.

Statistics

Current Award Categories:

5 fiction
2 dramatic presentation
2 editors
1 related work
4 'zines and related
2 artist
____________________
16 total categories

Reformed Award Categories (1.0):

6 fiction
3 dramatic presentation
2 editors
2 related work
7 periodicals and related
1 artist
_____________________
21 total categories

 Reformed Award Categories (2.0):

5 fiction
3 dramatic presentation
2 related work
5 periodicals and related
1 art
______________________
16 total categories

Microreview [book]: The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison

Slice of Life Fantasy?

Addison, Katherine. The Goblin Emperor [Tor, 2014]

The Goblin Emperor, by Katherine Addison (well-known fantasy and horror author Sarah Monette), is a breath of fresh air. Perhaps all the more so considering the fact that it deliberately eschews the grittier or darker turn to fantasy. Part steampunk and part high fantasy, Addison has written a moving coming of age story of a boy who, after being thrust in to a position of power, begins to find himself. 

It revolves around the story of Maia, the half-goblin son of Emperor Varenechibel IV who has eked out a rather miserable life in exile, forgotten by the imperial capital and abused by his cousin, Setheris. When his father and three brothers are killed in a tragic airship accident, however, Maia finds himself thrust back into the imperial center. This young adult--at the tender age of 18, and almost wholly unschooled in the politics of the capital--is forced to succeed his father as the next Emperor of the Elves. Surrounded by sycophants and scheming nobles, Maia soon learns that he can trust nobody if he is to stay alive. All the while he yearns to fill one of the most basic needs in life: connecting to people. 

What is striking about this novel is how much it succeeds without having a compelling story arc. This is a coming of age story that almost reads like a slice of life novel (if there is such a term?). While there are plots against the throne that Maia has to deal with, for the most part the story avoids epic or traditional story arcs. There is no single, great conflict. Instead, it centers on smaller issues, issues we all deal with in daily life: finding friendship, remaining true to oneself, doing the right thing, and building bridges (in this case, both literal and figurative). In the process, Addison ably fleshes out perhaps the most sympathetic and lovable character ever found in fantasy. Readers can relate to Maia. We can sympathize with his pain, and we want him to succeed in life. And we love the fact that he is very liberal, because his progressive views were born from pain and isolation.  

But The Goblin Emperor is about so much more. It deftly deals with issues of race, gender, abuse  in all its forms (physical abuse, emotional abuse, and the abuse of power), the problems of isolation in social life, and the emotional impacts abuse can leave on people's lives. It highlights the difficulty of getting people to accept one another and see eye-to-eye on even the most basic issues. And it does so with a verve and style that I don't often find in the genre.    

Of course, it does have some weaknesses. The beginning of the novel is replete with infodumping, a pet peeve of readers here at Nerds of a Feather. And some may be turned off by the elvish language Addison invents for the novel. Personally, once I gave up trying to figure out the titles, position, and place names, I became a much happier reader and was finally to focus on the novel's unique strengths. 

In the end, The Goblin Emperor is a truly rewarding book. It succeeds marvellously as a slice of life novel (or a coming of age novel), one that eschews focusing on a great conflict or a single narrative arc. Instead, it is the minutiae of Maia's daily life, his social struggles, and his incessant worrying about whether he can do the right thing that truly pulls the reader in. Highly Recommended.

The Math 

Baseline Assessment: 8/10

Bonuses: +2 for succeeding as a slice of life novel

Penalties: -2 for the infodumping and the stilted language

Nerd Coefficient: 8/10 "Well worth your time and attention"

Read about our scoring system here. And remember, we categorically reject grade inflation!

POSTED BY: Jemmy, a SF/F fanatic, a failed wall gazer, and a Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

     

Thursday Morning Superhero

This has been one of the best weeks of comics in 2015 to date.  Between two debuts from Cullen Bunn and Matt Kindt and a phenomenal issue of The Walking Dead (really digging what the spotlight on Carl), it was a book that made me feel like a kid taking home Pick of the Week.  The other exciting thing that took place over the week is that Powers had a quiet debut on the Playstation Network.  The pilot is available to all here, but if you want to continue with you need to be subscribed to PSN on your PS3 or PS4.  While I am happy to see Powers appear on the small screen, I am a bit underwhelmed.  To be fair, most pilots are underwhelming so I am not giving up.  It is definitely worth watching, but I had a hard time getting past the casting of Detective Walker.  Thankfully the actor cast as Detective Pilgrim is phenomenal.  I am still on the fence, but optimistic for episode two.  As a fan of the series I am having a hard time separating the two instead of enjoying them both as separate entities (which they are).

Pick of the Week:
Star Wars #3 - Vader's wrath is real and it is terrifying, but the Rebels seem to have an unnatural ability of escaping situations despite the odds.  My guess it is due to the large volumes of inept Stormtroopers that Vader surrounds himself with.  While my opinion of Vader has changed since the beginning of this book, the Stormtroopers seem as useless and weak as I remember.  For lack of a better way to describe it, I find my pulse racing as I read each issue.  The creative crew behind this series have done a masterful job capturing the feel of the original trilogy.  It really feels like I am a child again revisiting this fantastical world once again.

The Rest:
Hellbreak #1 - Leave it to Cullen Bunn to come up with the insane idea of a special ops team that specializes in retrieving souls from Hell.  Thankfully the good folk at Oni Press enjoy his work (as we all do) and we were treated to the first issue for only $1.  Great debut that really sets the scene and teases some interesting character backstories.  I always enjoy how Bunn includes a brief overview of the mythology that inspires his titles.  I expect big things from this series.  I challenge you to find a better use of $1 this week.






Ninjak #1 - We learned from Rai that Matt Kindt can write a compelling Ninja and we knew from Super Spy and Mind MGMT that his spy chops are not to be doubted.  In Ninjak, we are given a fusion of the two in an entertaining comic that reminds me of the anime I watched as a kid.  Interesting villains with specialized powers, a seemingly normal protagonist that is more than meets the eye, and Ninja Scroll-esque fight sequences.  Very excited about the prospect of this title and the other characters that Kindt will introduce us to in future issues.

Ghosted #18 - What could go wrong when you lead a group of people into a ghost town that is seeking its revenge towards one of your members?  Not what I expected, but woah.  What started as a fun adventure with the supernatural, which we expect with Ghosted, turned south very quick.  Ghosted is a title that I would use to introduce a new reader into the world of comic books and this issue would be a great leaping on point.








The Walking Dead #138 - I must say that it has been nice seeing Rick take a back seat and allowing other characters to share the spotlight.  The teen romance between Carl and Lydia has been both interesting and disturbing.  The tension this arc continues to climb each issue and doesn't quite break.  There are moments, like the end of this issue and when Maggie was poisoned that feel big, but the big moment is still out there taunting us.  This arc may have started slow, but it is quickly becoming one of my favorites.  I am really enjoying the air of mystery with the Lydia's crew.

Howard the Duck #1 - I understand that this comic is tongue in cheek and is supposed to be silly, but I didn't find it particularly funny.  It's not that it was bad, but there was nothing that caused me to laugh out loud or bring me back for issue number 2.  I feel this is going to be a book that is either right up your alley or something you would rather avoid.  I am the latter.









POSTED BY MIKE N. aka Victor Domashev -- comic guy, proudly raising nerdy kids, and Nerds of a Feather contributor since 2012.

CYBERPUNK REVISITED: When Gravity Fails by George Alec Effinger

Dossier: Effinger, George Alec. When Gravity Fails (Arbor House, 1986)

Filetype: Book.

File Under: Cyberpunk.

Executive Summary: Marid Audran is a freelance operator in the Budayeen, the anything-goes quarter of an unnamed Levantine city. But it's getting harder to stay independent--especially when you don't want to get your brain wired. Things get harder when a modified killer wearing the personality of James Bond offs a major crime boss. Then some freak starts offing Marid's friends. But are the killings connected? In order to find out, and stop the killer, Marid has to ally himself with feared boss Friendlander Bey and finally do the thing he's always dreaded--get himself wired. 

High-Tech: When Gravity Fails is centrally concerned with transhumanism, with cybernetic enhancements as mechanism. People can get cybernetic implants that can bestow skills (called "daddies"), like being able to speak a foreign language; or ones that impart whole personalities (called "moddies")--including those of figures from literature, history and popular culture.

Low-Life: The first book of a trilogy starring Marid Audran, a streetwise hustler in the Budayeen--a rough-and-tumble red light district within an unnamed Levantine city. It feels like a cross between pre-war Beirut and New Orleans--specifically the French Quarter, where Effinger apparently spent some time. Most characters we meet in the Budayeen live on the margins of society--prostitutes, barkeeps, petty criminals and tourists looking for a thrill. But the Budayeen is also one of free spaces in which you can be whoever you want to be. Most characters in the book, as it happens, are transgender--it's never outright stated whether this is how things are in the future or just in the Budayeen.

Dark Times: The Budayeen is located in an unnamed Levantine state. We don't really get much of a sense of what life is like outside, though Effinger peppers the book with references to more conservative norms operative outside the Budayeen, and we do learn that the West has largely fallen apart (though European and American individuals are often still wealthy). But aside from the dangers of living in a crime-ridden red light district and in a society essentially run by local mafias, it's not very dystopian. As in Gibson's Sprawl trilogy, the state is basically absent from the narrative.

Legacy: When Gravity Fails garnered Hugo and Nebula nominations, but won neither--which is a shame, as it's one of the best, most enduring and fun examples of the cyberpunk approach.

In Retrospect: The fact that When Gravity Fails falls on the transhuman-y side of cyberpunk, and has very little to do with computers, serves its durability well. So too does its fairly novel Middle Eastern setting--and the fact that the book has nothing to do with terrorism or religious extremism makes it feel really refreshing. In their place Effinger stresses oft-neglected elements of ethnic and religious custom in the region: hospitality, complex modes of address, the strategic use of flattery and so forth. The passages where Marid heaps praise upon crime lord Friedlander Bey are both wildly funny and quite serious--a tête-à-tête with potentially serious consequences for Marid if he makes a wrong move or stresses the wrong thing. 

The close quarters coexistence of "sin" and "faith" in a Middle Eastern city may also surprise readers whose view of Islam is largely informed by the crude stereotypes of the post-9/11 zeitgeist (and attempts by groups like ISIS to embody them). Effinger's Muslim characters, by contrast, tend to have a complex, fluid relationship to their faith--not uncommon in real-world analogues to the Budayeen. Some are deeply religious, others are not, but even the ones who are work to negotiate strictures of faith with the practical realities of daily life.

Nor is religion treated with the disdain common in science fiction, where it is often framed as "superstition" or "anachronism." Marid, we are told, is not a religious man. But as he falls deeper into danger, he begins to reflect on his long-neglected faith. It gives him a degree of comfort and psychological protection, as it does for so many the world over. Effinger isn't endorsing a religious viewpoint or narrative, but rather portraying religion and religious people in a way that feels authentic and humanized and suitable for the near-future world he has constructed. 

Besides, it's just a damned fun book. Sure the plot isn't very well developed or well paced, and there are moments where the colorfulness of the Budayeen and its residents gets to be a bit too much. But it's good enough, and has a neat, hardboiled feel throughout.


Analytics

For its time: 4/5.
Read today: 4/5.
Cybercoefficient: 8/10.



***

POSTED BY: The G--purveyor of nerdliness, genre fanatic and Nerds of a Feather founder/administrator (2012).

[Note: this dossier has been adapted from an earlier microreview.]

Microreview [book]: Clash of Eagles by Alan Smale

Flying High

If you're of the type that believes the 'Fantasy' genre must strictly remain within the realm of medieval drama, or swords & sorcery, this book might not be for you. It's deep within 'Alternate History' or 'Historical Fiction', but it's not without its own speculations. It may even be 'Military Fantasy'. Regardless, what drew me to Clash of Eagles was its premise of a Roman empire that doesn't end and its first encounters with Native American societies, and it turns out to be a pretty good read.

In Clash of Eagles, the story follows Gaius Publius Marcellinus, Roman Praetor, as he leads the 33rd Fighting Legion deep into Nova Hesperia (known to us as North America) where he searches for cities of gold, or anything else of worth to Roma. Marcillenus and his legion carve a bloody path deep into Nova Hesperia, but they reach the city of Cahokia low on supplies. The Cahokians, however, are not unprepared to welcome the legion with arms and weapons unseen by any Roman, and Marcellinus's legion is wiped out. He is spared from the slaughter, but then must cope as the only Roman in Nova Hesperia, literally surrounded by a foreign people and culture.


Since Roman and Cahokian societies are not complete unknowns, the novel wisely draws on history for details like how a Roman legion marches across a continent, and how Cahokians lived. Being a fictional encounter, some bits and pieces are obviously extrapolated from history books, but Smale provides appendices on Cahokian society, Roman military operations and terms, and further reading on both subjects. This background really makes the story feel right. The Romans are expansionists, and Nova Hesperia is just another land to be subjugated and conquered. Even after his defeat, Marcellinus considers how Cahokia will serve Roma when the next legion arrives. However, the Cahokians are not simple savages as Marcellinus believes at the start, and their seemingly disorganized response handily trumps his legion without much contest.

Marcellinus is an interesting character. Early on, he's portrayed as a tough, but pragmatic leader. After his defeat and rehabilitation, the toughness must necessarily fall away but he remains pragmatic. Smale excellently portrays him as a fish out of water, but still trying to swim. The question of his loyalties comes up often and it's dealt with in a realistic manner. His internal conflicts are convincing as he must face how he got to where he is, and what he intends on doing now that he's there.

The Cahokians are likewise well portrayed. Early on, their motives are fairly inscrutable. Marcellinus can't necessarily communicate with them, and I was also left wondering why they would keep him alive. As the story progresses, the communication barriers are lowered and different forms of cooperation begin. If it seems like I'm glossing over some of the Cahokian's names, its because some of the twists in the story involve the roles of the characters. While Marcellinus is the clear leader of the invading Roman army, Cahokian society is more complex and the power struggle between Cahokians and their captive is part of the plot.

Being a story about the invasion of Romans on North American territories, Clash of Eagles is full of conflict. Again, the historical references to what is known about how Roman military operation and Cahokian society give the battles a feeling of authenticity. There are speculative elements in some of the Native American weaponry, but it's all fairly restrained. The descriptions of the battles are clear and well-written. They are simultaneously chaotic but not impossible to follow since the perspective is largely focused on Marcellinus and what happens around him. 


If there were one thing I would change about the story it is that it ends rather abruptly and without a clear resolution. Between the Iroqua and the potential return of the Romans, the Cahokians have no lack of enemies and none of them are completely resolved. However, I am willing to forgive this open-ended conclusion as this book is the first of a trilogy. Still, I didn't feel the brakes until I noticed that I was approaching the last 20 pages, and it felt like there was enough momentum to go for another 50.


Clash of Eagles excellently weaves a story of two cultures colliding with a respect to historical background. Perhaps I am a bit biased as I live close enough to the Cahokia region that I've visited their ancient mounds, but Clash of Eagles is an excellent start to this trilogy and I want more.

The Math

Baseline Assessment: 8/10

Bonuses: +1 well-written action

Penalties: -1 abrupt ending

Nerd Coefficient: 8/10 (Well worth your time and attention)

***

POSTED BY: brian, sci-fi/fantasy/video game dork and contributor since 2014

Reference: Smale, Alan. Clash of Eagles [Del Rey Spectra, 2015]