Book Review: The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton

 

I had almost zero expectations going into reading this book other than that Michael Crighton is a great writer and I enjoyed Congo a lot and I enjoyed the Jurassic Park movies. I could tell that it was about some kind of virus as the term "strain" usually means something bad and biological and there are lots of strains of viruses and viruses are on the mind of late. Based on the previous titles I was expecting some kind of action-adventure story but that is not what I found with this book. Instead, I was slowly taken on a cerebral journey through a subtle world of science fiction in a way that I haven't experienced before. 

The Andromeda Strain starts off in a small town where everyone but two people has died from a mysterious cause. Some of them have committed suicide while others choked to death and some had their blood solidify in their veins. The only survivors are a baby and an old man. The connection between the two unlikely survivors will become the key to understanding the solution to the problem. In an effort to understand this potential threat a covert government agency known as Project Wildfire is put into action. Project Wildfire was created for the purpose of preparing for the inevitable event that an alien lifeform, likely bacterial-sized, would end up on Earth and potentially cause a threat to humanity. Millions of dollars were allocated to the project which allowed for a state-of-the-art laboratory to be built in order to study and contain anything the potential threat had to offer. 

It turns out that something did hitch a ride on a government satellite and fell from space into the small town. The satellite is taken to the Project Wildfire facility and studied by the elite group of scientists selected for the project. From there it is up to the team of scientists to study this potentially life-ending strain of unknown life before it is too late. With nuclear protocols in place to destroy the town if needed, the facility if needed, and anything else, if needed, the scientists go to work around the clock to come up with a cure knowing that they will be left to die if they are contaminated by the unknown strain. 

Michael Crighton takes some of the most potentially boring material and makes it somehow extremely interesting. With historical fiction about the underworld of government activities adding to the intrigue and an immense sense of impending dread, the story is compelling without any of the typical action one is expecting. Scientific technologies and methods are the keys to saving humanity and are the real heroes here. Biochemistry, virology, biology, and physiology could easily bring boredom to a story but I found the writing made these technical things accessible and interesting. The story does seem a little slow at times but has good pacing that kept me interested throughout and by the end, I was on the edge of my seat for the climactic finale. 

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a more scientific mystery that is both thrilling and thoughtful. Michael Crighton put a lot of research into the science here and it shows. If you like biology, viruses, alien encounters, and government conspiracies this book is for you. With Covid 19 existing and permeating culture I am sure that this book might freak people out a little so if you have a hard time separating fact from fiction then this may not be the book for you but you probably won't admit it any way that so go ahead and read it. 

Read my Review of Congo:

 https://joesnotesblog.com/blog/book-review-congo-by-michael-crichton?rq=congo

Book Review: The Terminal List by Jack Carr

The Terminal List exemplifies the adage "write what you know" and the author Jack Carr apparently knows how to kill people. This becomes apparent as the protagonist, James Reece, goes on a rampage of revenge on the people that conspired to kill his platoon, his family, and his friends. James Reece employs a wide variety of military and insurgency tactics in order to surveil, trap, interrogate, and kill his enemies. These details are well developed and offer an insight into the world of modern combat, espionage, and terrorism. Whether he is using encrypted message systems, employing night vision optics, custom sniper rifles, or using disguises, James Reece is an unstoppable and ruthless operator. Also, he has a brain tumor, which doesn't help. 

The story here is not complicated or poetic. It reads like a typical action movie with straightforward good versus evil dichotomies. James has racked up a ton of favors from the perfect set of friends to help him exact his revenge. His life in the Navy Seal Teams has allowed him to meet just the right people to help him fund, plan, and execute his plans, including an insanely wealthy Mexican benefactor and a pilot that owes him her life. Without these people, he would not have gotten very far but thanks to them he can freely roam the USA and Mexico and make his enemies pay. 

The bad guys are equally stereotypical. They are politicians, lawyers, and corrupt leaders, and they all have personal vices that make them even worse. Womanizers, powerful sociopaths, master manipulators, and spineless lackeys make up the "bad guys" team and they have no redeemable qualities. They deserve to die so why not make it interesting? James Reece makes it interesting. 

 This is the first book Jack Carr has written and it suffers from another adage, "show don't tell". The author covers a ton of ground just saying what is happening and what has happened instead of allowing the reader to fill in the gaps by providing the subtle details that would lead the reader to realize a more vivid and deep world. I found the whole thing to be so typically action-oriented that from the very beginning I could predict what would happen, roughly speaking. This doesn't mean that I could predict the specifics but that the overall outcomes were unsurprising. The lack of character development and the excess of stereotypical personalities made it difficult to empathize and connect to the characters. It is just taken for granted that we should care about the good guys and hate the bad guys, which I found to be uninteresting. There were few points in which I was excited to get back to the book and went days without reading. 

That said, I really enjoyed the military details that added to the authenticity and helped create a realism that grounded the book. Specific details related to weapons, tools, strategies, and tactics are the reason to read this book. Like any good Bond movie or Jason Bourne movie, the act of putting yourself into the shoes of a highly trained, intelligent, and nearly unstoppable soldier is a lot of fun. I enjoyed the action of this book but didn't feel like it took sufficient advantage of the medium of literature. I think it is coming out as a movie and that will probably be a more satisfying way to enjoy this story. If you like military action thrillers and straightforward writing then you will like this book. Otherwise, wait for the movie or pick up something a little more literary, like Deadwood, which I just finished and found exceedingly compelling.

 

Book Review: 1984 by George Orwell

I wonder how many reviews there are of this book? Probably thousands. So what could I possibly write or express that would be worth repeating? I can't expect to come up with something new to say about it. I'm certain people talk endlessly about the historical references to communistic countries like Russia and China during the first half of the 20th century. Places where millions of people were murdered by their governments. Where the media was manipulated to show the virtue of the system and the evil of the enemy. Where their leaders were venerated as living gods. Where anyone that was inconvenient to the regime was imprisoned, tortured, and eventually killed or left so broken that they couldn't recognize themself in a mirror.  

I shouldn't write about how the book shows a world where the government spies on everyone, which we just take for granted in the modern world. We joke about our Xbox recording us. Google thinks you're talking to it when your not. Alexa gives away all your secrets when the right question is asked. Snowden showed us how the US is spying on anybody it wants. 

A world where the government runs the schools and convinces children to spy on their parents. That's in this book too. 

What hasn't been said about this book? What about the fact that it has a very stirring romantic plotline? A vision of secret love, torn asunder by the needs of the many. A love destined to fail as it represents the thing the system can't have. What's the point of life if love is forbidden? Can love break through the pavement like a flower or does it get the same poison as the rest? What can I say about this book that hasn't already been said?

It's written in a way that seems like the ride at Disney Land where the song "It's a small world, after all" plays continuously while you slowly float down an artificial river in an artificial world. Where little men and women pretend to be happy and wave to you but you know deep down they are just pawns in a system that would toss them aside the first time a gear breaks. The book leads you into a world that is not unlike the world you live in but for the ever-looming judgment of a confusing master. A perfect master that demands eternal obedience, and adulation. A master that demands that not only do you obey but that you believe. 

What can anyone say about this book, other than that it is dark, mesmerizing, and a third adjective hitherto unknown. Other than that there is nothing. 

I guess I could add something about the way this book made me feel. That's not something anyone else can know. While reading I felt anxious for the characters as they tried to skirt around the surveillance system that seemed to be everywhere. The worst crime in the book is thoughtcrime where one's thoughts are rebellious to the state. I hold skepticism in high regard and this book reaffirmed in my mind the need for the freedom to criticize the government and any other institutes with power over people. 

By the end, I also felt hopeless. The author does not lead one down a path toward redemption. It is a true tragedy in that there is no hero and no resolution. I think that the author intended for the book to act as a cautionary story of the dangers of seeking power, especially on a global scale, and of the dangers of giving power to institutes to dictate right and wrong. 

Or... Maybe freedom is only an illusion and no matter where you are or who you are you are just a pawn to a system that emerges from elements that no one controls directly. A system that is built on the momentum of history and the corruption of intentions. Or... maybe morality has to be fought for and subjugation should be met with resistance. I think that people naturally resist oppression but they are not always up to the task. Sometimes they need help from others that share their notion of freedom. The problem with righteous groups with righteous intentions is that they can justify force no matter how barbaric. 

Such a tricky game we play when we play with power. I liked this book and its message is important. I recommend it to anyone that is interested in political philosophy or fiction set in a dystopian future.   

 

Book Review: Odd Billy Todd by N.C. Reed

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A potential apocalyptic event is a common topic among my friends. What would cause it and what would we do in such a scenario can easily take up hours of conversation. As well as what kind of preparations we might make in reality and what is reasonable to actually do today based on the fact that it is an extremely unlikely thing to happen. This year has been no exception and with the rise of COVID and now, with the recent fires and terrible air quality the idea of survival preparedness is maybe not so far fetched. A few months ago my friend could not stop talking about Odd Billy Todd and so when I had the opportunity to get my hands on a copy, borrowed from my brother, I went into it with heightened anticipation.  

Billy Todd wakes up one day to find that a plague has wiped out 95 percent of the world's population in the span of about a week leaving him all alone in his small rural home town of Cedar Bend, Tennessee. He is uniquely capable of dealing with this situation as his family owns a farm near the town that is self-sustaining and Billy's parents taught him how to deal with life in such a way that would allow him to survive almost any scenario. His parents had died sometime before the plague but not before teaching him how to think like a conscientious and moral person. Billy's oddness only manifests itself in a few negative ways throughout the book but seems to really manifest itself as his odd way of knowing how to think ahead, plan things out and shoot better than almost anyone. He is a kind of Aspergian country hero. 

Soon enough he finds that there are other survivors including a woman who has had a crush on him since high school and his neighbors who have a farm nearby. Seemingly unfazed by their new circumstances Billy and the others work diligently to secure resources and plan for the coming desolation of post-apocalyptic life. With solar power, cows, pigs, and lots of guns they make their way through well enough on their own until they find that there is a nearby settlement where they can trade goods and socialize with other survivors. It is on the road to this place that we first meet the dark side of humanity as road pirates attempt to steal from them. This is also when we find out the Odd Billy Todd does not suffer dangerous fools. 

They meet up with others at the settlement and find some folks that they think might want to come back and live on what later is known as the Farms. People with skills and attitudes that cooperate and complement the others are brought in and soon the Farms become a small community. As this is happening Billy finds out that there are additional threats including a group that has taken over a train that is ransacking and killing those along the tracks it travels. Billy and the others work to prepare themselves for both the natural elements and human elements that threaten their lives. They raid nearby towns often in order to find supplies and food and this is where they end up meeting with both potential friends and certain foes. Foes are met with swift justice and friends are allowed to live at the Farms as long as they are willing to work and cooperate. 

All in all, this was a fun book to read. I enjoyed the attempt at taking the ideas of survival preparedness and other post-apocalyptic themes seriously and the way the author does not go the route of psychological drama or relationship melodrama as some of these types of stories do. Not that those are bad but this book is doing something different. It is like a fictional exercise in real-world considerations taken at face value. There are not a lot of metaphorical or abstract language here and everyone in it has their role to play. There are good guys and bad guys and that's about it. 

The author obviously knows quite a lot about the nuts and bolts of what he writes about as the details regarding the tools, engineering, weapons, and survival aspects are specific and deep. The vast majority of the book is about the somewhat mundane day to day life of people who have to fend for themselves. Fuel, clothing, food, and all other manners of day to day considerations are addressed and at times the story got a little repetitive if not boring. This is compared to the much more exciting and interesting parts that involve action and violence as Billy and his group protects themselves from those that would take from them what they worked hard to acquire. 

If you like guns and military strategy this book has a lot of fun post-apocalyptic style scenarios to enjoy. Unfortunately, the bad guys are not particularly well developed and the good guys are so superior that the stakes are not that high and there isn't a lot of nuance in the plot. The book is independently produced and this is the first book by the author so there is something to be desired in regards to editing and the writing can be a little clunky at times. This took me out of the story periodically but not enough to ruin the experience. The writing is straightforward but not boring or lacking in creativity. The book obviously holds traditional values such as hard work, self-reliance, swift justice for the wicked, and other conservative and somewhat Christian in nature as virtuous. This makes sense given its protagonists and setting and isn't preachy at all. Just some good ol'fashioned redneck fun. 

In conclusion, it is a little long in my opinion, and could have used some additional revisions and editing to polish it up. The addition of a well developed bad guy, as well as a more obvious reason to call Billy Odd, would have added a lot to the dynamics in my opinion but as an amateur writer, I appreciate this book for its rawness. I'm glad I read it and it will certainly spark more conversations among my friends.

Check out these other reviews for books about the end of the world:

Book Review: The World Carried On by Channing Cornwall

Book Review: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Book Review: Comanche Moon by Larry McMurtry

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Comanche Moon is the second book in the Lonesome Dove series and continues the journey of  Texas Rangers Woodrow Call and Augustus McCrae as they try to tame the west from a dwindling but wildly fierce number of hostile Comanche tribesman. Buffalo Hump continues to lead his people against the encroaching caucasian intruders and we follow his story to the end, and his tale becomes a symbol of the weakening state of the once proud and free native peoples. We also meet Blue Duck, the main antagonist in Lonesome Dove, who is Buffalo Hump's half Comanche half Mexican son. Blue Duck never got along with his father and his disrespect for the old ways leads to him being cast out by his father. 

On the other side of the fence, we get to meet the incomparable Captain Inish Scull and the eccentric Famous Shoes. Famous shoes is a Kickapoo tracker who never rides a horse and yet somehow is always ahead of the Rangers he is tracking for. He leaves for days on end but always comes back with interesting information. He knows the land and helps Inish Scull when his exceptionally large horse is stolen by the infamous horse thief Kicking Wolf. Inish finds out how harsh the frontier really is when he finally finds out what happened to his horse. 

The book mainly focuses on the perspective of the Comanche people while forwarding the character-driven work he started in the previous entry. Call, McCrae, Pea Eye, Deets, Newt, and many more characters are all there and we finally get to see the evolution of Call's relationship with Maggie, the whore whose son Call won't claim. We also find out about what happens to Long Bill Coleman, who made his way through the torment of the death march in Dead Man's Walk, and Clara Forsythe, who Gus will always pine for. 

The Lonesome Dove Series is a must-read for fans of the western genre and Comanche Moon acts as a tribute to the transition from the old ways to the new. Everyone gets older and people die. No matter how much you want to cling to the past things change and you can either change too or fade away into history. The characters are treated and developed with care and respect and we see things from their respective perspectives. Everyone has their own motivations for what they do and no one's perfect. In summary, this book is fun, easy to read, well-paced, and well written and you should read it. 

*I haven't seen the movie based on it but I'm sure it makes a good companion to the book. 

Read my other reviews from Larry McMurtry Novels:

Dead Man's Walk

https://joesnotesblog.com/blog/book-review-dead-mans-walk-by-larry-mcmurtry?rq=mcmurtry%20

Lonesome Dove

https://joesnotesblog.com/blog/book-review-lonesome-dove-by-larry-mcmurtry?rq=mcmurtry

Book Review: Congo by Michael Crichton

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Congo is a science fiction novel written by Michael Crichton, the writer of the book Jurrasic park, that takes place primarily in the African jungle in the Congo region. It is written in an almost journalistic way taking the reader through different stages of the plot by breaking down dates, events and geographic locations into chapter sections. All along the way, historical and technological tangents are taken in an effort to create context and intrigue as to what surrounds the interactions that occur in the plot. Fictional accounts of previous expeditions to the Congo indicate the lack of successful attempts to study the region as well as the mysterious nature of its potential resources that might be used for the benefit of governmental interests. 

Crichton weaves a tale that bulges with detail allowing the reader to become immersed in two distinct worlds. The first world is the world of international competition related to technological advancement and the discovery and utilization of natural resources. Whether the histories offered by the author hover closer or farther from the truth the reader is given a manifest of contextual information regarding the state of technological advancements during the late 1970s in the worlds of computing, communications and weapons tech. We learn about the state of the art technologies that for the time would have seemed like far fetched sci-fi fiction but are now, in 2020, fairly accurate predictions of current and even surpassed realities. 

The second world that the author creatively elaborates on is the world of non-human language acquisition in the form of Amy the gorilla. Amy is a fictionalized version of other primates that scientists have tried to teach language to and more directly mirrors the actual gorilla Koko, which was a well-known gorilla that successfully learned American Sign Language from an animal psychologist named Francine Patterson. Koko and Patterson become famous in the late 1970s and Crichton takes their story and runs with it. Amy, the signing gorilla in the book, is cared for by Peter Elliot who takes the risk of joining a team put together by the Earth Resources Technology Services (ERTS) corporation in hopes of finding the place where Amy was born while the ERTS team is in the search for rare diamonds in the Congo. 

This is where the two worlds meet and Peter Elliot and Amy the gorilla find out that the company they just got involved with isn't exactly what they seem. They didn't know that the previous team sent to Congo, just a week before their expedition, was mysteriously murdered. They also didn't realize that they would be going into a war-torn African area where they had little to no support. Also, there is a volcano right next to their destination that seems like it might be ready to explode but, with the headstrong Karen Ross from the ERTS team and Munro the quick-witted travel guide/mercenary they make their way to the treacherous jungle in search of fortune and gorilla related answers. 

The book is very fun and full of action and adventure. It was also adapted to the silver screen in the 1995 movie by the same name. I remember the movie being very fun as well, if not a little cheesy, especially compared to today's movies. I recommend this book to anyone that wants a fast-paced jungle adventure with little in the way of subtext or deep philosophical complexities. It is a fun romp into a semi-realistic world that entices the imagination and keeps the reader on the edge of their seat until the end.

P.S. My favorite character was Amy the gorilla. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nj5G4GffWo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ihC6QHS_m0

Book Review: The World Carried On by Channing Cornwall

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"The world is ending. Ending just the way we all feared it would. Not from disease, or global warming, but fire falling from the sky."

-The World Carried On

The World Carried On is an epic tale written by Channing Cornwall. In this novel, his most ambitious to date, he intricately weaves a story that is captivating from the first paragraph. Channing breaks the mold with The World Carried On by giving the reader multiple perspectives to unwind the mysteries and adventures that await. With each chapter, we bounce around the primitive post-apocalyptic environment learning about its inhabitants and interconnections. By seeing things from every angle we get a better understanding of the motivations of all the characters showcasing the ambiguous nature of human conflict. 

While the main characters are the twins Malin and Marek they are not the main focus. We root for them because they are the most innocent, brave and moral but by contrasting their innocence with the imperfections of the supporting characters we see humanity as it truly is, flawed. As we learn about what drives the conflicts between characters in the world we also get a glimpse into how the world ended up the way it is now, which is a world reborn from the ingenuity of humans but only made necessary by the cruelty of humans. 

This story does not have a clear good vs evil motif but instead paints a bipolar dichotomy of human nature as one marred by internal conflict, confusion, and motivated by survival. Throughout the book, each character is fully realized and vividly depicted giving depth and life to everything that happens. By revealing each side of the equation we are not allowed to easily cast aside any individual or group as simply evil but rather we see into the justifications that are generated when one is forced to decide whether to fight, run or submit. 

Nothing is wasted in the lines of this book. Channing's writing is both poetic and concise, which is a very difficult balance in such a long novel but there was no time where I wanted to skip a section or felt that it was meandering aimlessly. The story is full of intrigue and mystery as with each new piece of knowledge I learned I was left with more questions. Nearly every chapter left me wanting to know more and excited about what might happen next. The pacing is wonderful and builds subtly toward the climactic ending beautifully. Even while there is so much going on it never feels needlessly complicated or bewildering but instead, Channing guides you ever deeper into the rich world until soon you find yourself drenched in intrigue and adventure. 

Channing just gets better with each publication and I am genuinely impressed with The World Carried On. I  recommend it to anyone interested in a deep story that is both sophisticated and fun. 

Interested in reading it? Click here to get it from my affiliate link and thanks in advance!

Book Review: Hell Came With Her by Channing Cornwall

"Just fuckin do it, ye cowardly bitch!" He spat, staring up at his angel of death. 
The last bullet burrowed into his gut.

To start this review I want to be upfront about my bias for this book. It is written by one of my best friend's Channing Cornwall. He is an incredible person and his passion and commitment to writing are inspiring. He has written four novels, at least one play, a collection of poetry and a collection of short stories. That being said this is my favorite piece of his writing yet.

One of my favorite aspects of this book is the short chapters and lack of over-explaining fluff. It is a quick read and dispenses with extraneous details. It gets to the grit and grime of the story without wasting time.

Another aspect I love about this book is the intense, realistic and unflinching violence. This book does not shy away from illuminating the worst of humanity in the old west and the brutal nature of terrorism and revenge. It is graphic with brains strewn about and some sexual violence that took me aback while reading. But I am glad the violence is not glossed over or dumbed down.

I have two main criticisms. First, the old-fashioned language was hit or miss for me. I think that the use of "ye" was sometimes confusing and possibly used too much. It is a difficult task to take on accents in writing and I appreciated the effort. I did enjoy the use of idioms and terms from back then and the effort to remain authentic to the time period was not unnoticed.

Second, is the lack of character evolution. This book is a straight forward revenge story but other than the immediate change in the main character Sadie the characters do not change in meaningful ways. This is not a particularly egregious charge but it is something I noticed and a little more character development might have helped me feel more sympathy for the characters.  

In conclusion, this is an action-packed western that I would recommend to anyone who wants a fun romp through a gritty world full of gunslingers, outlaws, and a relentless heroine. I'll admit I am not much of a reader and it took a bit to get into it but by the end, I was fully wrapped up in this vengeful tale.

Interested in buying? Click here to use my affiliate link to pick it up!