This is not a game by Walter John Williams (2009)

Williams has written a decent novel of the borders between reality, alternate reality games, and Cyber-reality. In many ways its content is similar to Charles Stross' Halting state. The main plot points are all about what is real and how to define borders between different realities.

But this is not a rip-off form Stross. It is a unique novel, however this is not Williams at his best. Then again Williams at his second best i still far from trivial, and i found myself liking this book. I am not quite sure exactely why or what did it, but there ist is.

The characters were not all that believable, and their history and the fact that they became as central to the plot wasn't all that convincing to me. But if youare willing to accept such thing for the book to work, then there is no reason not to read and enjoy this one.

Singularity's Ring by Paul Melko (2008)

This was an exciting read. Melko's debut novel was very well written. The scene is an earth after a singularity event, trying to rebuild a lot of what has been broken. We follow a pod of five bodies of the post-human Apollo Papadopulos as they try to become captain of a star ship.

Of course the big dumb object has a central place in the plot, but this book i quite a lot more. Not only is it an interesting view to a possible future, it also contains some of the more recognizable post humans i have read for quite a while. The internal dynamics of the pod-humans was familiar yet strange and astonishingly familiar. Not an easy thing to write, certainly not in a debut novel.

I will eagerly await Melko's next novel, as this was one of the better surprises so far this year. It was among the finalists for Locus Frist Novel award, and deservedly so in my mind at lest. Hopefully Melko will have a long and productive career as a writer. If his first novel is anything to go by, he will probably be familiar with various award seremonies before long

A clash of kings by George R.R: Martin (1998)

This is the second book in Martin's epic fantasy series. Now there is a little bit more fantastic, the dragons are growing and the direwolfs also. Plus now religion also takes a more central role in the plot. Of course the scheming and intrigues progress as well.

However in this book it felt like some of the story faltered a bit. Where was house Arryn for instance? What ever happened to them, the book didn't answer this and a few other questions.

At times the pacing felt a bit slower than it should have been, but then again we got to know our characters better, so i am not sure if this is good or bad yet.

I am looking forward to reading the next installment of the series, even though i realize i am likely to be a bit disappointed since my expectations and standards are high now.

But i can easily understand why so many people have become fans of this rich world and story. The characters are plentiful, varied and convincing and that is always gratifying.

Taking sides by Istvan Szabo (2001)

This moving piece about the borders between art and politic in a post war Germany was great in several ways. The acting of both Harvey Keitel and Stellan Skarsgård was pretty convincing. The backdrop beautiful and the story moving and thought provoking.

Where does art end and politics begin? Should artists flee from a tyrant, or is music apolitical? This movie raises many interesting questions such as these and doesn't really answer them fully. Leaving the audience to make up their own mind.

Keitel plays the arrogant self-justified american prosecutor, trying to nail a famous conducter who had refused to abandon his Germany after Hitler came to power. And through the entire film we are not certain if the conductor will be convicted or not, and just as you think you have figured it out, it changes again.

This, along with "The Reader" from 2008 seems to me to be the best movies detailing the problems of justice in a post war situation. Who do you convict, and who do you let go? If you convict everybody guilty of something the enitre country needs to become a jail, but then again you can't let everybody go either. These borderlines are hard to figure out, and makes for some interesting fiction, ad these movies show clearly

The wire season 1 (2002)

This is another example of why tv-series can be better than the movies. This tale could not have been told anywhere near as good in a single feature movie.

The complexities of police investigation and the dirtiness of politics told in this series is pretty interesting. There are no clean cut heroes in this show, everybody has their issues and history.

As the police tries to follow the money, they find it goes placed beyond their reach. HBO sure knows how to tell some good stories through the series format. They seem to prefer 12-13 ep pr season as opposed to the standard 22. But that means the plot is tighter and the story is always in focus, and this is a very good thing. It makes for some interesting tv, thats for sure.

A game of thrones by George R.R.Martin (1996)

So i have finally started reading Martin's epic series called A song of ice and fire. Many have recommended this series before, and i have been somewhat embarrassed to admit i haven't read any of it yet. But no longer.

What surprised me the most was the fact that this really wasn't a fantasy book. There were almost no magic in it, except for a bit of direwolfs and dragons, but the fantastic elements were really downplayed. In stead, this is a series of court intrigue in a feudal society on a planet with a big axial tilt. (Making the seasons longer than on earth)

Not that this is a bad thing mind you. I my book this is a very good thing indeed, i was just a bit surprised to see how small a role the fantastic played in what is often hailed as the biggest fantasy series of late.

The intrigues were good and i thoroughly enjoyed the reading experience. There were few new thoughts within this book, it is not really original in any ways. But it is still written so well, i don't mind or care. Each chapter is dedicated to one character and follows him or her for a while. Not original but well written. An interesting effect of this strategy is the fact that Martign leaves several key episodes off-screen. We only hear about the outcome of a battle as another character hears about it. We are not necessarily present when the action happens.

This seems to be a good series, i am looking forward to reading the rest of it.

WWW: Wake by Robert J. Sawyer (2009)

The acclaimed author Sawyer has begun a trilogy in wich the internet grows sentient. As is often the case with Sawyers novels, their concept may seem a bit strange at first glance, or if not strange, then maybe old. But this doesn't really matter all that much as his characters are well constructed. Sawyer has managed to make believable people do believable things in a believable universe. And then you don't really notice the strangeness or the familiarity in concept within the novel, because by then Sawyer has already hooked you with the rest of the setting.

Caitlin is blind, but after a experimental procedure can see, however she sees more than ordinary (worldview) she can also see the web (websight) and the first book of the trilogy ends as Caitlin and the webmind starts writing emails to each others. This could easily be and become a colection of cliches and old tropes revisited. However it has not. The character of Caitlin is deep and good, and her parents also seems more real than most fictional parents of protagonists. And as i hva already stated, Sawyer manages to hook you with his setting before the ciches kick in.

I am not sure where the trilogy is going however. This could easily become predictive and boring, but haveing read several books by Sawyer before i suspect it will not. The most negative thing about this first book was that i felt it took a bit too long to set up the cocept of the trilogy. There were quite a lot of scenery so to speak, Sawyer has prepared quite a canvas for his story, but didn't really start telling it. This novel just prepared me for the story to come in the next books. This is of course well and good, but i would like to see a bit more story present in the first book as well.

Then again, i cannot expect all my wishes to be fulfilled every time.