TravelGal

Alex Rider on Mars

Revisado: 01-24-25

This was offered as a free read. Unfortunately, because it’s a YA series, I found the characters to be rather simplistic and the story a bit dull.

Sure, the characters are slaves and marry as children, but they think and act in a way younger readers can identify with. It’s loaded with vast internal dialogue and coming-of-age angst, while deeper adult themes are viewed through the eyes of youth struggling to understand adult motives. And not that any book needs sex or off color language, but that occurs ‘off-stage’ due to the books’ intended audience.

Perhaps Audible thinks my interest in Anthony Horowitz’s adult books means I’d be interested in this title. Or maybe they just want to provide inoffensive reads. I’m just disappointed that the intended audience wasn’t made clear in advance so I wouldn’t have wasted the time on it. It’s not bad, it’s just a bit boring.

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Well Worth a Listen, Nuance Galore.

Revisado: 01-02-25

I enjoy a Stephen King, but I would call myself a fan. Horror isn’t my genre (I prefer NF) and most of the author’s books I have read strike me as being too long and slow going.

Enter You Like It Darker. It’s like having your cake and eating it too. Excellent storytelling that gets to the point. It reminded me of The Dark Tower Series but better more diverse. Only one story struck me as too long and it was, of course the longest. The best, was the last story, The Answer Man, which was well worth the wait and something most can relate to—the desire to know what the future holds and the fear that comes when your own premonitions become reality.

In short, well worth a listen, even more than once.

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Not Emotionally Intelligent

Revisado: 12-02-24

The concept is great. The plot fantastic. It’s the execution that leaves a lot to be desired. The never-ending need for the main character to have his mental diaper changed is, in a word, boring.

Clearly this was written back before Scalzi refined his writing. Back before he learned that grown men don’t dwell on the wives they cheated on in the heat of battle. Back before he realized how bad it would be to make marriage sound like a zero-sum game. Back when he didn’t realize that to foreshadow doesn’t mean going beyond beating the horse dead so as to grind it into a fine paste.

I came to this book because I loved the Dispatcher series. And honestly, that series is excellent—some of the best SciFi I’ve read in a good while. It’s short on silly internal dialogue and long on intricate plot. If you want action and not words,

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Very Disturbing

Revisado: 09-17-24

This is a detailed story of survival after a major global catastrophe. What’s good about it is the reality of survival after a disaster. What’s bad about it is the same. To call it plausible and depressing is an understatement.

Consider carefully if you want this in your head.

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Screenplay Worthy

Revisado: 05-30-24

This might be my favorite book of Jeremy Robinson’s. I even went back and relistened to several of my favorite earlier books, like Human After All and Infinity—which are supremely interesting and entertaining—tackling problems may one day face.

Thankfully Point Nemo is different from more recent books. It’s solid in a way that both of the previous mentioned books are—it has heart as well as soul. People are real, flawed and yet true to their nature. The story is plausible enough to make you suspend disbelief.

I’d almost lost faith since recent books have read more like YA books rather than adult science fiction. I’m so glad I overcame my concerns and gave it a listen. No one (and I do mean NO ONE) wants an obnoxious kid as the protagonist—or even in a book if it can be helped. Mercifully our characters are all adults—as would be the case.

Point Nemo is, thankfully, JR at his finest. With relatable characters that are reminiscent of The Martian. Yes, it is still fantastical in the way only Jeremy can create, but in a way you can see there’s a new “universe” with plenty of legs for a series.

Here’s hoping this screenplay can become a movie or TV Series. Jeremy has made me a believer once again.

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For Young Adults, Did I Miss the Memo?

Revisado: 12-24-23

I must have missed that this was a YA novel. It felt that way reading it, but when every recommended “next book” was in that genre, my suspicions were confirmed.

It started extremely well. I loved the background and character development. I had high expectations after reading the Ancillary series, but unless you like books that focus on YA inner turmoil, it’s a bit disappointing. I found myself wanting to skip over sections because to get to the thread of the story, you’d have to wade through seemingly endless “juvenile” (author’s word) angst. After a while it stops being informative to the plot at all and becomes rather boringly repetitive “Oh, what am I to do?”.

Perhaps the other problem is that it’s so similar to the Murbotbot series, right down to watching serials to learn human behavior, it feels like you’ve already read it before. That’s when you start to see how formulaic it is.

It’s entertaining, to be sure. And pleasant to have the Raach universe defined so you can get right into the action. But that peters out about a third of the way through.

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Read the others, wish I'd not listened to this one.

Revisado: 12-09-23

I really disliked the narrator. Fingernails on chalkboard when she does characters, which is sad because she has a lovely normal voice.

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Should Have Gone the Other Way

Revisado: 03-26-23

Since JR is so open and honest in his author's notes, it's important we fans do the same. Otherwise, this universe will become too silly (YA) to read.

I love JR. I will continue to buy his books--especially when I need insane fun and SciFi hijinks! He's a master of his trade. However, this book, and its predecessor Khaos, are not his best work. What's missing is the adult fun of Exohunter, the seriousness of Infinite and mind-bending intricacies of NPC.

It is astounding that all these characters/books aligned while maintaining all of their story lines. And like a true JR fan, I listened to all those books to while away the time before this book was released--even the ones I thought were equally superfluous. Had Singularity been more like the Infinite I/II, I'd be the first one shouting "It's AWESOME!" from the rooftops. Instead giving it a 3-star, "Meh."

Rich structural tapestry, check. Great characters, check. Had it focused on the great characters: Cowboy, Degado, Chewie, Will and Dark Horse, instead wasting >50% on pointless sidebars: Henry, Casidy, and Bree, this would have been a great book. Not a good book--a GREAT one.

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A Great Discovery

Revisado: 02-24-23

The concept of the book is genius. That is takes place now--not in some distant future, also sets it apart from other Sci-fi.

I was unfamiliar with John Scalzi before this popped as something I might enjoy. And the algorithm was spot on.


Quinto's performance stellar. He bring his massive acting talent to full bear on the narrative. If I'm honest, he was probably the reason I decided to listen to it.

It's short (3+ hours), refreshing and very, very entertaining if you like dark mystery stories. Best of all, there's no emotional baggage side stories or wasteful (over)development of the characters. I don't know where the protagonist was born because I don't *need to* know it. I don't know about his last girlfriend, because it would be pointless filler.

Which is not to say that it isn't suspenseful. It is that. It just skips all the appetizers, soup and salad courses, and gets right down to a delicious main course.

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Great In Every Way Possible

Revisado: 08-16-22

This is one of the best novels I've read in years. It's clear the author did considerable research in order to make a somewhat cynical scientist who generally prefers non-fiction (me) enjoy it so completely.

But what really makes it wonderful is the writing, the fact that it isngrounded in the scientific method is just a bonus. The prose isntight. The plot is well ordered without being formulaic. All side journies in the storylinehave a point. It's frank and honest like the protagonist, who turns out to be courageous and wise despite her fears and lack of confidence. You can't help but love and want to be Elizabeth Zott--an inspiration to others.

This is book to read again!

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