Three early Asimov novels

I just finished three old novels by Isaac Asimov - The Stars, Like Dust, The Currents of Space, and Pebble in the Sky.

TSLD is a book I remember my dad telling to read once. He knew I read a lot of science fantasy, and he recommended it as "the kind of books I read when I was your age". I had tried to read it back then, but it didn't interest me. The basic plot is a 'someone is trying to kill me' mystery that spans a few solar systems. It's pretty interesting, and I wish I could have talked about it with my dad.

TCOS is a sort of pre-cursor to the Bourne novels. By which I mean the main character cannot remember a thing about his life, and throughout the novel he slowly recalls various facts. A larger and grander plot is revealed throughout, leading to the ultimate showdown between all the characters.

PitS has a leading character zoomed forward thousands of years into the future. He is given a treatment to make him super-smart and thus he learns the language and gains telepathic abilities. There is a huge plot for the Earth, delegated as a second-class planet and widely disdained by the other millions of worlds, to destroy all the humans on all the other worlds.

All three are a little confusing. It may be because I always read them late at night, but I kept getting all the characters confused. Also, all three seem to magically wrap themselves up in the second-or-third-to-last chapter. I'm sure they were all pretty groundbreaking in their day, but now they seem a little trite.

Don't get me wrong, they're all fine books, but they all seem a little... dated. Which makes sense since they are all 50-60 years old. I should be so lucky to write anything that holds up a tenth as long.

The Bourne Identity

I figured I'd try branching out into a spy thriller. I like the movie "The Bourne Identity", so I'd try the book. Stacey early on asked if anyone's "throat errupted in blood" yet. They hadn't at that point in the book, but by the end there was easily a half-dozen who had.

The book is very different from the movie. I don't want to ruin it, but Jason has a much different mission here. I'm not sure I buy the woman he kidnaps falling in love with him so quickly, especially after what happens to her, but whatever.

It was a fun read, with some interesting plot twists and turns, but ultimately I am not sure I will read any more in the series. I'd rather watch the movie again.

3-for-1 - Genesis of Shanarra

I recently finished the Genesis of Shannara trilogy. Not my favorite by Mr. Brooks. They were a little heavy handed with the "humans are screwing up the planet" motif. It's obvious from the very first, and yet all throughout the books, we are constantly reminded of the fact that the elves are pissed off at what the humans have done.

I ready fantasy to ESCAPE reality, not to be reminded over and over about some moral lesson I learned in 2nd grade.

Once you get past that, it's a fairly standard trilogy. Set up the basics and introduce everyone in book 1. Get most of the quests going. Have a few stray odds-n-ends plot threads that go nowhere (re: the Preacher). End with some horrible cliffhanger that on the surface makes it look like everything is doomed.

Book 2: we are miraculously saved by some Deus ex machina. Continue adding random plot threads. Split up the various parties. Have 6-8 major plot lines and groups of people you need to keep track of. Put one of our main characters in mortal danger, have him fall into a deep sleep/coma/healing trance.

Book 3: Introduce character in chapter 1 we've never seen before, then ignore him. Start tying all the threads together. Various parties start meeting up, and join in the main quest. Have a big battle with the secondary bad guy. more groups meet up. Have big battle with Big Bad Guy. Main characters love interest (who is isn't really dating yet) saves him JUST in the nick of time. Everyone is happy. World is saved - well, the world was already pretty much borked, but the elves and some humans are transported to a 'safe' place, and 'walled in' due to the sacrifice of someone else following his destiny. Have that forgotten character REALLY destroy the world, exept our heroes.

Really truely, not my favorites here.