Recommended Reads 2003

Here are some of the books that I read in 2003 that I’d recommend as good reads. Everyone’s taste being different, not all of these will appeal to everyone, but they appealed to me and it’s my Web site, so here they are.

They’re listed by most recently read at the top and older books further down.

The Chronoliths

by Robert Charles Wilson

The Chronoliths follows events starting in 2021, when massive stone monuments depicting military victories 20 years in the future start appearing, and follows its main character through about the mid 2030s. The world Wilson creates is bleak, but interesting.

I enjoyed this book more than any of Robert Charles Wilson’s that I’ve read before.

What I liked:

The pacing was tight and the characters well-developed. It had an interesting time travel concept.

What disappointed:

I would have like to hear more of what happened to the world beyond Scott’s experiences.

Warchild

by Karin Lowachee

This well-written book is a surprising first novel. It won the Warner Aspect First Novel Contest.

It starts with a young boy, Jos, taken prisoner when the ship his parents work on is boarded and captured. The narrative follows him through this and two more important phases in his life that shape his character.

What I liked:

Karin Lowachee keeps the pace moving for the most part through each stage, and brings the book to a satisfying conclusion.

What disappointed:

Not much.

In the Company of Others

by Julie Czerneda

There are a number of firsts for Julie E. Czerneda here. In the Company of Others is her first stand-alone, and first third-person novel. It takes place in a time when mankind’s journey to the stars has hit a serious roadblock. People have been forced off thee terraformed worlds and trapped on overcrowded space stations in quarantine.

Dr. Gail Smith, a driven and determined scientist, has set out with two reluctant stationers to fix the situation.

What I liked:

This is a book that really shows Czerneda’s maturation as a writer. She strives for and hits bigger issues than in her past work. This novel definitely deserved the Aurora Award that it won.

What disappointed:

Nothing at all.

Shadow Puppets

by Orson Scott Card

Shadow Puppets is the third book in Card’s story about the other battle school kids from Ender’s Game. You don’t need to have read the books after Ender’s Game as they are completely apart from these. You should read Ender’s Game, Ender’s Shadow, and Shadow of the Hegemon before this one or it won’t make all that much sense. This is a continuing story.

What I liked:

The politics and intrigue are well-thought-out and have made this series interesting. The characters are well-developed and interesting.

What disappointed:

Unlike the previous novels in this series, this book is a little slow in its story development. There’s a much slower overall pace.

Hunted

by James Alan Gardner

This is the fourth book in the League of Peoples series. The series is loosely connected by a number of shared characters. Each novel has a self-contained story, so you don’t have to worry about reading the others first.

What I liked:

Gardner’s characters are always interesting. In Hunted the main character grows in a very interesting way. Gardner uses humour to great effect.

What disappointed:

Some of the interesting alien characters got pushed to the side near the end of the book.

Humans

by Robert J. Sawyer

Sawyer continues the story of Ponter Boddit and Mary Vaughn from Hominids.

What I liked:

Good characters. Mary and Ponter’s relationship continues to grow in an interesting and realistic way.

Good story. This time out it shows more of the Neanderthal world. It also develops the relationship between our world and theirs.

What disappointed:

The Neanderthal society doesn’t have many vices, which makes our society look so bad that you start to wonder how we’ve survived at all.

To Trade the Stars

by Julie E. Czerneda

Well this is it, Julie E. Czerneda’s conclusion to the Trade Pact Universe. There’s some interesting new developments and it’s nice to see the stories of some of the secondary characters get resolved as well. I won’t say which, ’cause that would be giving things away.

Sira and Jason are again trying to lead a normal life as traders in Jason’s old starship. But it wouldn’t be an interesting story if things stayed status quo.

Czerneda takes us on another interesting journey with these characters, and we spend time getting to know some of the most interesting and intimate aspects of the characters’ lives. Of course she keeps the pace on the boil and things come to a satisfying conclusion.

I’m looking forward to the hinted-at prequels, which will show the back story for the Trade Pact Universe.

Ties of Power

by Julie E. Czerneda

Julie E. Czerneda continues the story of the most powerful member of the alien Clan, Sira, and her partner Jason Morgan. It opens on them trying to keep out of Clan affairs and build a life for themselves. Early on Sira is abducted by unknown assailants for unknown reasons. As the story goes we discover more about why.

Czerneda does a very good job at pacing and creating interesting characters with a lot of depth and interesting alien cultures. Her background in biology really shines through on her aliens.

The resolution at the end is well worth the time spent with these characters. And I was looking forward to continuing the story of Jason and Sira.