On Authors I Said I'd Never Read

11/22/63
by Stephen King
New York: Scribner, 2011.

Once upon a time, I claimed that I would never read a book by Stephen King (except, maybe, his nonfiction). I have a strong aversion to having the pants scared off of me, and I have a weak enough stomach that I make my brother warn me when to avert my eyes for PG-13 movies. But one day I was minding my own business at work, reading reviews, and I happened to come along one for 11/22/63.

The premise intrigued me: Jake, a divorced guy with no kids, a high school teacher in 2011, gets a call from a buddy, who shows him a "rabbit hole" into September, 1958. His friend, who is dying and can't go back in time any longer, convinces Jake that he could change the past by preventing JFK's assassination.

Well, I thought. Time travel and history, that I can do. Then the book came in (much sooner than I expected) from the library, all 860+ pages of it. Which, of course, meant that I had to put everything aside and read it sooner rather than later, since - this being a Stephen King novel, after all - there are over 100 holds on the book in my library system. So, I jumped right in, and before I knew it I was absolutely lost in Jake's story and his trip into the past. I was more interested in some parts than others, which is only to be expected in a book this long.. The descriptions were evocative: I could really picture the dingy apartments where Jake stays, and the streets of Dallas and Derry. I can't say I always agreed with Jake's choices or point of view, but I really cared about him and other characters he meets. I didn't know much about Lee Harvey Oswald and John Kennedy's assassination, but I really want to learn more now.

My lesson is learned. I will "never say never again." I was really impressed with this story, my first foray into Stephen King's work, and (dare I say it?) not my last.

To Say Nothing of the Dog

by Connie Willis
New York : Bantam Books, 1998.

About fifty years in the future, time travel is not only a reality, it's how historians work - by going back into the past and observing events. Note the key word: observing. They cannot create paradoxes by getting involved or taking things forward in time, or the entire space-time continuum might break down. One of these historians, Ned Henry, is overworked and "time lagged" due to Lady Schrapnell's insistence that everything be perfect for the recreation of Coventry Cathedral down to the last detail. In particular, was the bishop's bird stump present when the cathedral was bombed during the blitz? He's so tired he can barely function, so when one of the historians in the Victorian time period takes something forward in time, he's sent back to get his rest in a place Lady Schrapnell can't find him, and repair the damage all in one.

Up until a few years ago, I had almost never read a science fiction book, and I asked a friend and co-worker to recommend a book that is a good introduction to the genre. This was her recommendation for me, and I have to say it was spot on. It's a light, funny story that still has a lot to say when you think about it, with a little bit of chaos theory and theories of history thrown in, as well as more than a few nods to Jerome K. Jerome's Three Men in a Boat, to Say Nothing of the Dog. If, like me, you have never read that book, never fear - there's plenty of fun to be had in this story in its own right and those (and other) literary references can go straight over your head. Though it's not quite as much fun to reread, it remains one of my favorite science fiction stories.

The Eyre Affair

by Jasper Fforde
New York : Viking, 2002.

SpecOps operative Thursday Next is a Literatec. This generally means determining if a manuscript is a forgery or hoax, though there is the occasional run-in with a Baconian bent on proving that Shakespeare did not pen those plays he is famous for. Then, Thursday is approached by some folks from Spec-Ops 5. They want her help chasing Acheron Hades, evil criminal mastermind who has stolen the manuscript to Martin Chuzzlewit, and not out of any love for literature.

If you can put up with the ridiculousness of setting (alternate 1985 where Spec-Ops include branches in Literature, Art Theft, Vampire and Werewolf Disposal, and Chrono-Guard) for about the first sixty pages, and don't mind a strange mix of humor, science fiction, time travel and capital-L Literature, you may find that you really like this book. No, really. Give it sixty pages. If you haven't become interested despite yourself and find yourself looking for the next brief in-joke that you get because yes, I did read that book!, then this is probably not the series for you. But if you find yourself flipping pages fast, reading quickly, and chuckling at the references to high-brow and not-so-high-brow books, jokes, and well, just about everything, you may find yourself a new series to get immersed in.

All Clear

by Connie Willis
New York: Spectra, 2010.

The second half of the story begun in Blackout continues with Polly, Michael, and Eileen still stuck in London in 1940. As the Blitz continues, Polly and Michael start wondering if they've been changing events, something that they were taught historians couldn't do without endangering the space-time continuum. But what else might be keeping them from getting back to their own time?

Every time I sat down with this book I had to make sure that I had a good hour so I could get immersed in it, turning pages to find out more. Though the existence of time travel pegs this book as science fiction, most of the book takes place during the Blitz in 1940-41, highlighting both the events and place of London during the Blitz. As I told my sister, it's not the sort of book you can multitask with because it's not told linearly; events from 1944 and 2060 are interspersed with the main story. Polly constantly reminds Eileen - and the reader - this is time travel, so I suppose it's no surprise the order of events get complicated. Despite some repetition, I really enjoyed spending time with these characters, and would read it again in a heartbeat.

Exploring Steampunk: The Anubis Gates

The Anubis Gates
by Tim Powers

In 1802, Doctor Romany and Amenophis Fikee perform an incantation at the behest of their master, an incantation that should allow Anubis to come forth and sorcery to rule the world. In 1983, Brendan Doyle receives a summons from a rich old man who wants to travel to 1810 to observe Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and wants Doyle to lecture his fellow travelers before they set off.

Powers weaves a deft, complicated tale in which both of those apparently divergent tales have much to do with one another. Filled with eccentric characters and the danger of the London streets, the many threads of this story come together in sometimes surprising ways and the pace never lets up.

Exploring new genres is fun! I've been meaning to try steampunk for awhile - though I'm more of a fantasy than science fiction fan, the alternate history part of it intrigued me and it's just an awesome name for a genre, anyways - so when some folks on LibraryThing decided to start a Steampunk Group Read I jumped in with them. The Anubis Gates is one of the classics of the genre, though it doesn't have all the trademarks, particularly the Victorian setting, and has more magic than steam technology. One of the posts on the group read thread explains better than I can how this particular title fits within the genre (reader beware - the link goes to a thread with spoilers, though that particular message doesn't have any).

I'm definitely planning on reading more steampunk this year. Soulless or The Affinity Bridge with be next; the latter will be for the group read.

More Time-traveling Historians

Doomsday Book
by Connie Willis

Kivrin, a time traveling historian from Oxford, 2054, travels to the Middle Ages to live at the village of Skendgate during the Christmas season. Mr. Dunworthy, her mentor, worries about her going to a century that has long been deemed too dangerous for historians to visit. The tech, Badri, is experienced using the "net" and tells him that there is minimal slippage - Kivrin should arrive in 1320, just as planned. But then Badri comes down with a bad case of influenza on his way to tell Mr. Dunworthy something important, and Oxford becomes shut down under quarantine.

The two stories and times, Kivrin in the 1300s and Mr. Dunworthy in 2054, are well-balanced, switching off every few chapters, and building the tension perfectly. The story is dark at times and even heartbreaking, but humor, particularly through the characters of Colin and Mrs. Gaddson, keeps the story from becoming depressing. I came to really care about many of the people that Kivrin meets - especially Father Roche, Agnes, and Rosemund - as well as loving Colin, who was often used for humorous effect but still struck me as a realistic twelve-year-old boy.

And now I have to shame-facedly admit that I've had this book on my TBR longlist (as opposed to the short list of books currently stacked on my nightstand) for years. I read To Say Nothing of the Dog a couple of years ago when a friend recommended it, but was afraid to pick up Doomsday Book because I was afraid it would be too depressing or dark. Is it sad? Yes, at times. But it's also funny and thought-provoking and just a plain good read. I'm sorry I put it off as long as I did.

Historical Fiction with a twist

Blackout
by Connie Willis

After his trip to the Black Death five years ago, Colin wants to time travel again, but Mr. Dunworthy won't hear of it. And right now Mr. Dunworthy has his hands full, anyways: going to St. Paul's in 1950 for some unknown reason and to London to speak with someone who raises troubling questions about time travel. Not to mention, many of his operatives' schedules change last minute, throwing wrenches in the works for people like Michael Davies, who was given an implant to have an American accent in Pearl Harbor only to be told he's going to Dunkirk instead. Because of the schedule changes, Michael, Merope ("Eileen" while on assignment), and Polly Churchill are all observing various aspects of World War 2: ordinary heroes, evacuated children, and Londoners in bomb shelters, respectively. But their assignments seem to be getting out of control, starting with the substantial slippage that Mike and Polly experience, and continuing downhill from there.

Though easily accessible as a standalone, Blackout may also appeal to readers who would recognize returning characters from Doomsday Book and To Say Nothing of the Dog. Once you get into the meat of the book you're experiencing historical fiction with a twist: the characters you're following are from 2060, not 1940. Following their stories can be a little confusing at first, because though they all left within days of each other in 2060, they're in different whens from 1939-1940, and the story is told not chronologically but by following Mike, Eileen, or Polly for a chapter or two each. But the extra effort is worth it in the end. The characters are wonderful, and I really found myself caring not just about the main characters but also the "contemps" like Marjorie the shop girl and the terrible Hodbins. I really got lost in the story as I just had to find out what happens next, reading the last half of the book or so nearly in one sitting. If you're adverse to cliffhangers, I suggest waiting to read this one until All Clear comes out in the fall.