We’re getting some AMAZING reviews in for The Immortality Chronicles, but one thing the authors featured in the book cannot do is review it ourselves through Amazon. I’ve been mentioning the past few weeks how I felt about many of the stories, and fellow author David Bruns has taken it upon himself to write up his own review of sorts.
So click on David’s face to be taken to his blog where he shares his thoughts on the book.
A few weeks ago, I was given the special opportunity to read Hugh Howey’s latest novel, The Shell Collector. Of course, I jumped at the chance, not really knowing when I’d have time to read it. Of course, like Howey’s other works, once I started, I really couldn’t put it down, blazing right through it even though Howey was busy immersing himself in a different genre, yet again.
Another Hugh Howey book. Another vision of the future.
This time out, however, the future isn’t so bleak and isn’t a terrifying place to be. In fact, in The Shell Collector, the world he’s created has been decimated by rising sea levels, but the story is bright and hopeful, a stark contrast to the previous trips to the future we’ve taken with him.
I really enjoyed The Shell Collector as a speculative fiction romance, featuring Maya Walsh as the intrepid reporter, trying to unearth the truth about Ness Wilde, the CEO of Ocean Oil. Wilde and his family are pariahs because of the earth’s condition; sea levels rose in no small part to the ways the Wildes have abused the earth’s resources over the years. But, as she gets to know Ness, she discovers that the story she is planning does not accurately paint him or his family. That there is far more behind the man.
Throughout it all is a search for elusive shells, which have become collector’s items and currency in this futuristic society when shells have all become rare due to the ocean conditions.
This book is vastly different than anything I’ve seen from Howey before, but there are themes that he has certainly tapped into again. A prominent one is going beneath the surface of the earth. In WOOL, the deeper the characters went, the more the sparks of rebellion grew. In Sand, the deeper the divers went, the more death and despair crept in. In both, claustrophobia was present, but the way out was usually through death.
In The Shell Collector, Howey again takes our characters deep—this time to the ocean’s floor to see the creation of new life in the volcanic hearth in the depths of the Atlantic Ocean. Claustrophobia is present, but this time, our characters experience hope and healing. The shells that each of them are for different reasons, are given new life in a submarine at the bottom of the world, and they discover each other in the process. Unlike in WOOL or Sand, where the depths of the earth usually lead to death, Howey utilizes the intense pressure to create love and affection between our protagonists.
Science fiction plays a role in this book, to be sure, but it is a light one. Howey has created a romance novel and a good one at that. The plot was consistently pushed along by twists and turns, but wasn’t bogged down by unnecessary points where Howey could have devolved the story to erotica levels. Howey once again shows he knows how to write, no matter the genre or convention. Well done!
Starting with Wolverine, I’m super glad I got this one for a few reasons. First — can’t go wrong with mutants, ninjas, samurai warriors, and Hugh Jackman. Seriously — I think I could watch that guy in anything. The concept is great — what if you take away what makes Wolverine fearless? With his quick-healing abilities stripped away, you see Wolverine become vulnerable. He is already dealing with the after-effects of X-Men 3 and the death of Jean Grey, but when you add in the physical limitations, you see him at his most desperate.
I’m also grateful I decided to rent this one since I’m probably going to see Days of Future Past later today or this weekend. While I probably could have gone in without seeing Wolverine goes to Japan, it certainly will help fill in a few blanks. I’ve tried to stay away from a ton of spoilers for the new movie, but I’ve also heard Bryan Singer makes some timeline changes, which may undo what was done to the X-Men Universe in the the third movie, which he abandoned in favor of Superman Returns.
Once that was done, I grabbed some grub, then settled in for Gravity. I wanted to wait until the sun went down and I made sure to rent the Blu-Ray. Was it as impressive as seeing it IMAX 3-D — I highly doubt it, but I can imagine the enormity of seeing it on the really big screen and seeing it last night in the comfort of my living room impressed me.
Just the description is either terrifying or electrifying — only two actors on screen (!), with the bulk of the movie with only one of them portraying the vastness and danger of space. Sandra Bullock. Wow. What a performance without actually going into space itself. George Clooney was also fantastic in his role as Bullock’s guide/mentor/conscience.
There was a moment — and if you’ve seen it, you know what I’m talking about — when I thought about how when I put my earbuds in my pocket and then pull them out and I have to solve the Gordian Knot to get them usable again. While I was fairly confident that Bullock’s character would survive the movie, there were so many moments that would have stopped me and left me wondering when the end would come.
I don’t usually watch the special features on a movie much anymore, but after watching Gravity, I had to watch these. How they simulated the space and microgravity, the lighting, everything that went into it. I think that, more than anything, is the magic of what Director Alfonso Cuaron did here. The technology they had to basically invent just to make this movie work.
Both fabulous movies and it made for a great night at home.