In The Maze, a man’s near-death experience throws him into a psychological-spiritual-symbolic labyrinth that calls into question everything he’s been and whether it’s worth it to him to be something different. Jamie Burroughs is a man whose moral needle points to the yellow, “pretty good” region of the dial. He’s never killed anyone, he would argue, or robbed a bank, and the things he’s done wrong don’t hurt anybody. Until a beautiful former girlfriend shows up, presenting a new vision for how … [Read more...]
Prophets and Loss by Martin Roth
Martin Roth's Prophets and Loss is a deep character study wrapped in an intriguing mystery. Who can you trust? is the question that runs through the story, with twists and turns on the question in every chapter. Even Johnny Ravine isn't quite sure he can trust himself, leading him into the deep pits of his character and the hard choices he had to make in his hardscrabble background. If you're not familiar with Asia-Pacific geopolitics -- as I'm not -- you'll find the story of the East Timorese … [Read more...]
Doomsday Book by Connie Willis
Time travel to the 14th century and a 21st-century flu outbreak test the resourcefulness of people in both locales in Connie Willis's Doomsday Book. Kivrin is a young time traveler sent to explore 14th century England at the same time a fatal flu outbreak back in her "present" combines with the chaos of the Christmas season to make her return uncertain. Willis alternates between two different time periods and two different disease outbreaks. We're immersed in the daily life of the 14th century … [Read more...]
Anathem by Neal Stephenson
In Neal Stephenson's Anathem, young members of a mathematical community (that looks a lot like a monastic community on earth) simply want to live out their bookish lives in the quiet, calm seclusion of the community. But when the once-a-decade Apert celebration comes around, they find themselves pulled into the hubbub and confusion of the outside world. They, along with other members of their communities, as well as the separated "extras" must respond to a threat that endangers not only their … [Read more...]
Robert McKee’s ‘Story’
It's probably the single most useful book I've ever bought on large-scale writing projects. Robert McKee's Story: Style, Structure, Substance, and the Principles of Screenwriting is written for screen-writers, but it deals with the higher structural issues that figure in films, plays and novels -- the only difference is the mode of presentation. He starts off by reminding us that the motion picture industry needs well-crafted stories and that writing a good story is the best way to get it … [Read more...]