Hunger Games
Author: Suzanne Collins
Publisher: Scholastic
A good friend handed this book to me and said to give it a go. I did and I thouroughly enjoyed every minute. The book is aimed at teenagers, and adults who want a good solid read.
The heroine of the story, Katniss, is called to serve in the Hunger Games. This is an event where two people from each district are selected, at random, and placed in an arena covering many square miles until only one remains. The whole event is broadcast live to the 12 districts - shades of The Running Man - and fortunes are won and lost on the survival and death of contestants.
There are many philosophical questions that this book hints at and extrapolations, extreme admittedly, from the reality TV of today. You find yourself empathising with the characters and the ending, abrupt as it is, leaves you wanting the next book in this trilogy.
I give this a solid two thumbs up.
Monday 25 January 2010
Thursday 21 January 2010
The Last Theorem - Arthur C. Clarke and Frederik Pohl
The Last Theorem
Author(s): Arthur C. Clarke and Frederik Pohl
From: CollinsVoyager
I snapped this book off the shelf and couldn't wait to get home to read it. You know how it is when one of your treasured authors 'springs' a book on you. I thought a bit of maths, some aliens hell bent on destroying Earth, the 'clueless' hero who finds himself - great. Well this turned out to be a bit of a letdown to be honest.
The premise is that the central character solved Fermats last theorem - in his head - mainly to stop himself going crazy - is then feted around the world - is wined and dined - and on and on and on.
You get to know Ranjit (the central character) well, his hopes, fears, dreams and concerns. The other characters are less well filled in and some are almost two dimensional caricatures (the Americans). The story angles around this man's life and the science fiction side is crammed into the last few chapters. For a science fiction author (two of them) of such great standing this is strange to say the least.
Not one for the favourite shelf
Author(s): Arthur C. Clarke and Frederik Pohl
From: CollinsVoyager
I snapped this book off the shelf and couldn't wait to get home to read it. You know how it is when one of your treasured authors 'springs' a book on you. I thought a bit of maths, some aliens hell bent on destroying Earth, the 'clueless' hero who finds himself - great. Well this turned out to be a bit of a letdown to be honest.
The premise is that the central character solved Fermats last theorem - in his head - mainly to stop himself going crazy - is then feted around the world - is wined and dined - and on and on and on.
You get to know Ranjit (the central character) well, his hopes, fears, dreams and concerns. The other characters are less well filled in and some are almost two dimensional caricatures (the Americans). The story angles around this man's life and the science fiction side is crammed into the last few chapters. For a science fiction author (two of them) of such great standing this is strange to say the least.
Not one for the favourite shelf
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