The Company of the Dead
- At May 18, 2012
- By Gina Ruiz
- In Fiction, Fred Patten Reviews, Reviews, Science Fiction
0
The Company of the Dead
Author: David J. Kowalski
Publisher: Titan Books
ISBN-10: 0-857-6866-6-6
ISBN-13: 978-0-857-6866-6-4
E-book: 978-0-857-6866-7-1
This massive (751 pages) alternate-history novel is a masterpiece of the genre. It starts with a seemingly minor change in history – the RMS Titanic still strikes an iceberg in 1912 and sinks, but different passengers drown – and shows plausibly how this might lead to a 2012 United States divided by a re-seceded Confederacy based around Texas, with the United States portion occupied by Imperial Japan, and the Confederacy subservient to a non-Nazi but super-powerful Imperial Greater Germany (there is a detailed, three-page map); and all on the verge of a thermonuclear holocaust that would destroy all life on Earth.
What if the 1912 sinking of the Titanic were not entirely an accident? “‘The death of all those men [Astor, Guggenheim, Rothschild, Thayer, Widener, President Taft’s representative Major Archibald Butt, others] created a powerful vacuum in turn-of-the-century America. A vacuum that could be exploited by someone privy to the knowledge contained in this journal. The author of this text had enough information at his fingertips to engineer any number of events. He also clearly documented his intention to intervene on the ship. We don’t know the details of what happened on the night of the sinking. We don’t know how he figures into what happened at Sarajevo, or the years that followed. We just know where it starts.’” (p. 150).
In this alternate 2012, the world is at the brink of an apocalyptic war with both sides possessing nuclear weapons. Both Germany and Japan are maneuvering to increase their spheres of influence in North America, while agents of the U.S. and the Confederacy each plot to throw out their controllers and reunite the old U.S., but led by their government. But this is a minor sideshow compared to the border conflicts in Asia that are leading to the impending war. A team of Confederate secret agents led by Joseph Kennedy (our John F. Kennedy’s grand-nephew), despondent at the feeling of futility over whether the South succeeds or not, comes upon this journal from the safe of the sunken Titanic which contains accurate notes on the future, which could not have been written in 1912 – unless the author were a time-traveler.
Hidden within larger conspiracies to reunite the old United States under Confederate dominance, and between German and Japanese global hegemony, Major Joseph Kennedy of the Confederate Bureau of Investigation and his tiny group of agents, aided at first unwillingly by Captain J. J. Lightholler of a ceremonially rebuilt Titanic, work to rediscover the secret of time travel and – no matter what the goal of the original time-traveler was – change history again to prevent the destruction of all life on Earth. But Kennedy is betrayed by his superior within the CBI who, discovering that Kennedy is working toward a goal of his own, assumes that Kennedy’s team has sold out to either the Germans or the Japanese, and maneuvers to have Kennedy’s rogue CBI team annihilated by either the Confederate or Union or Japanese or German secret services, or by American criminal gangs or the Japanese yakuza – whoever can be misled into believing that Kennedy is working against them. As the final nuclear war between Japan and Germany begins, and both world powers openly fight to increase their dominance over a battle-torn North America, Kennedy and his barely half-dozen men desperately race from one side of America to the other to avoid being captured or killed by any of their powerfully deadly enemies, and complete their mission: to go back to 1912, board the Titanic, and – what!?
Company of the Dead is an awesomely complex thriller. Its picture of a 2012 totally unlike ours is awesome in scope and detail, as are Kowalski’s speculations on how this might come about. Kennedy’s mission to (re)change history and save the world – even if he does not know what it will lead to – despite opposition from seemingly every government’s secret assassins, is awesomely desperate. This alternate 2012’s rush to thermonuclear destruction seems awesomely unstoppable.
And this first novel has some awesome problems. It is much too long. Even though it is excellently written (it begins with Kennedy in a seemingly hopeless situation, and impossibly grows ever more hopeless), Kennedy and his men’s constant hairbreadth escapes ultimately numb the reader, who wonders if there will ever be an end to them. It is overly macho. Even though the world of espionage is overwhelmingly masculine, especially in this other 2012’s male-dominated society, the constant intrigue of male political and military leaders, domestic and foreign secret agents, and police and gangsters becomes too one-sided. When a major female character does enter the story – Patricia Malcolm of the CBI – it is not until page 95, and then it is as another secret agent, one of the team, more as another buddy than as a relief from all the masculinity.
But despite these flaws, The Company of the Dead remains an alternate-history novel, and a politico-military thriller, that no fan of those genres dare to miss. First published in Australia, it has already won that country’s 2007 Aurealis Award for the Best Science Fiction Novel of the Year.
R.I.P. Jean Craighead George
- At May 15, 2012
- By Gina Ruiz
- In Childrens, News, People of the Book
- 0
We lost Sendak only a week ago.
Still reeling from that, I was gut punched with the news of Carlos Fuentes dying today (see my earlier post). Still teary after a busy day, I came home and settled in only to find on Facebook via a beautiful tribute photo, news from Wendell Minor that another beloved writer has died at the grand old age of 92.
NO!
I’m not done processing Carlos Fuentes yet!
I grew up with Ms. George’s books. MY SIDE OF THE MOUNTAIN AND JULIE OF THE WOLVES in particular really resonated. I loved those books and they taught me about nature. I walked with Jean in my imagination and her books. I grew to be a woman who loves every leaf, who will stop dead in the middle of the street to photograph a cloud or lie down on the dirty pavement to get a close up of a praying mantis to show the grandkids. I find beauty in spider webs and browning petals because of Jean Craighead George. My children and my grandchildren have a profound love of nature because of her. When we go on our Grammy, Jasmine and Aiden hikes in the Pasadena Arroyo we are doing that because Jean Craighead George instilled in me a love of hiking through nature a long, long time ago.
She will be deeply, deeply missed by the world. It is truly a sad day for literature.
Links below, and as is our custom, we will be posting them as they come in.
Publisher’s Lunch (also mentions Fuentes)
My dear friends at the Cybils
New York Times (finally)
R.I.P. Carlos Fuentes
- At May 15, 2012
- By Gina Ruiz
- In Latino, News, People of the Book
- 1
“No existe la libertad, sino la búsqueda de la libertad, y esa búsqueda es la que nos hace libres.” - Carlos Fuentes
Reports are coming in that literary Titan, Carlos Fuentes has died at age 83. The President of Mexico himself Tweeted that the author died and Elena Poniatowska, tweeted that she was deeply lamenting his death. As am I.
Carlos Fuentes was a beacon for me and a revelation. He taught me that MExicans were writers, that they were literary, that they loved language and story. I knew that of course, from my family and culture, but reading Carlos Fuentes really drove it home. He brought to my budding love of reading, a passion for Mexican literature, for learning to read in my grandparent’s native Spanish so that I could truly feel in my soul, the marvelous wonder that is our culture via the written word.
His body of work is incredible. This is just a list of the novels alone, you can find essays, theater, and more all over the internet:
Novels
- La Región Más Transparente (The Most Transparent Region) (1958) ISBN 978-970-58-0014-6
- Las Buenas Conciencias (The Good Conscience) (1961) ISBN 978-970-710-004-6
- Aura (1961) ISBN 978-968-411-181-3
- The Death of Artemio Cruz (1962) ISBN 978-0-374-52283-4
- Cambio de piel (A Change of Skin) (1967)
- Zona sagrada (Holy Place) (1967)
- Cumpleaños (Birthday) (1969)
- Terra Nostra (1975)
- La cabeza de la hidra (The Hydra Head) (1978)
- Agua quemada (Burnt Water) (1980)
- Una familia lejana (Distant Relations) (1980)
- Orquídeas a la luz de la luna (1982)
- Gringo viejo (The Old Gringo) (1985)
- Cristóbal Nonato (Christopher Unborn) (1987)
- Ceremonias del alba (1991)
- The Campaign (1992)
- El naranjo (The Orange Tree) (1994)
- Diana o la cazadora solitaria (Diana: the Goddess Who Hunts Alone) (1995)
- La frontera de cristal (The Crystal Frontier: A Novel of Nine Stories) (1996)
- Los años con Laura Díaz (The Years With Laura Diaz) (1999)
- Instinto de Inez (Inez) (2001)
- La Silla del Águila (The Eagle’s Throne) (2003)
- Todas las Familias Felices (Happy Families) (2006), ISBN 987-04-0557-6
- La Voluntad y la Fortuna (Destiny and Desire) (2008), ISBN 978-1400068807
Rest in peace Don Carlos, que duermes con los angelitos.
As is usual at AmoXcalli, we’ll be posting links about Mr. Fuentes throughout the next few days, rounding up in both English and Spanish, the words of the world as they mourn a Master.
Spanish
English
A Conversation with Carlos Fuentes (PW)
Remembering Carlos Fuentes (NPR)
Who Put the B in the Ballyhoo?
Who Put the B in the Ballyhoo?
Author: The Spectacular, Never-Before-Seen Carlyn Beccia
Reading level: Ages 4 and up
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Books for Children; None edition (April 9, 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0618717188
ISBN-13: 978-0618717187
Who doesn’t love the Circus?
I know that I have always found it magical. Well, except for clowns who terrify me. I’ve always been fascinated by the art as well. Circus art is so colorful and fun.
I stumbled onto this wonderful little book at one of my favorite used bookstores Read Books in Eagle Rock just the other day and just had to have it. When I brought it home to my grandkids, they fell in love just as deeply as I. I think there’s going to be some debate as to who actually gets to keep it…and if my friend Rick DeMott sees this review, I may have to lock the book away. His fascination with circus performers is legendary.
WHO PUT THE B IN THE BALLYHOO? is an alphabet book as hinted by the subtitle “The Most Amazing, Bizarre, and Celebrated Circus Performers.” Each letter is represented by a marvelously colorful circus poster with fascinating little bits of circus trivia explaining the poster below it.
Jasmine’s favorite page, (no surprise) is that of Patty’s Performing Pigs representing the letter E not P. E is for Enchanting. “These pigs weave a spell/ only to be broken/ by the not-so-sweet smell,” it reads, which makes her giggle almost as much as the depiction of a pig in a tutu lifting its leg in the movement of a can-can dance. Aiden on the other hand, went straight for the Strongman’s page.
Tribute is paid to the flea circus too, with the letter F. The grandkids were stunned to hear me read that people actually trained fleas to perform. They also burst into that wild, untrammeled laughter that I love to hear. I hope they don’t start looking to start their own flea circus, though I wouldn’t put it past Aiden.
The artwork is beautiful and each circus bill (poster) is filled with little details as well as rhymes that make the reading of each bill fun as well as educational. The verbiage below each bill is even more interesting and great for the adults reading, although adults will love the rhymes as well. They certainly made me smile. Of particular interest to me too was the lovely lettering. The book really feels like a trip to a museum of circus art. Bright, bold colors are sure to attract even the most reluctant reader. Each page is so beautifully done that I wished they were framed works of art.
Ballyhoo is a wonderful tribute to the circus, with homage paid to those performers of old, including the great Harry Houdini. It’s a great way to teach children their alphabet, to read, to be interested in art, and to learn the history of the circus and circus terminology that still peppers our modern-day language today. Did you know the expression “hold your horses” originated with the circus? I found the book to be most lovingly done with great care to truly represent the heyday and art of the circus.
Finds like this are the reason I haunt the fabulous, but sadly disappearing used bookstores around my hometown of Los Angeles and everywhere else I roam. I still grieve for Acres of Books… The book cost me eight dollars and a nice time chatting with Jeremy, one of the shop owners. If you’re in the L.A. area, please stop by this charming little shop on Eagle Rock Boulevard. Stop in and say hello to Debbie and Jeremy, take a look at their amazing collection of new magazines and buy a used book or two. Jeremy also tutors the local kids, so if you have a child that needs tutoring, you won’t find better than a guy who tutors in a bookshop. You won’t regret it and you might find another copy of Ballyhoo or something equally grand.
Note: When researching this wonderful illustrator/author, I was thrilled to be reminded that she was a Cybil’s finalist in 2011 for I FEEL BETTER WITH A FROG IN MY THROAT. Can we pick em or can we pick em? Oh yeah, Ballyhoo won the Golden Kite for illustration too.
About the Author:
Carlyn Beccia is the author and illustrator of Who Put the B in the Ballyhoo?,Houghton Mifflin, an alphabet book illustrating the most famous circus stars throughout history. Her latest book, The Raucous Royals uncovers the biggest true and untrue rumors throughout European history. She describes it as a ‘history lesson meets tabloid magazine’. Carlyn enjoys telling the stories behind the people who changed history and strives to make history exciting for all ages.
She attended the University of Massachusetts on a 4-year art scholarship and graduated in 1995. She worked as a graphic designer for 10 years before returning to her first love ‘ illustration. In 2005, Carlyn was the Grand Prize Portfolio Winner in the Society of Children’s Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI) portfolio exhibition. In 2006, she was awarded a certificate of merit in The Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, Illustration West 44 Annual and was also the Grand Prize Portfolio Winner in the New England, Society of Children’s Writers & Illustrators (NEW ENGLAND SCBWI) portfolio exhibition.
Carlyn paints with ‘digital oil brushes’ to create a unique and deeply textured art. She enjoys giving live demonstrations of how art is created on the computer and encourages kids to experiment with the digital medium.
Download a full teacher’s guide at:
www.whoballyhoo.com/teachingcurr1.pdf
*Dear FTC, a.k.a. nosy overseer of what I do with my books, I bought this book with my own money and even better, am supporting my local, used bookstore (one of the owners is a school librarian) therefore I don’t need to disclose a darned thing. I just felt like yelling at you. Love, Me.
Barnes & Noble NOOK Kids™ Titles Nominated in Best eBook Category at Cynopsis Kids !magination Awards
- At May 15, 2012
- By ShMuir
- In Childrens, Cynopsis Kids !magination Awards, News
- 0
New York, New York – May 15, 2012 – Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the
leading retailer of content, digital media and educational products, today
announced that four of its exclusive NOOK Kids eBooks have been nominated to
receive a Cynopsis Kids !magination Award. Only available on our NOOK Tablet™
and NOOK Color™ devices, all four nominated titles are enhanced NOOK Books that
include special features like Read and Play™ and Read to Me™.
The four Enhanced NOOK Books to be nominated in the eBook category at the first
annual Cynopsis Kids Awards are Go Dog Go! (Random House), A Charlie Brown
Christmas (PEANUTS Worldwide), Birdies Big-Girl Shoes (Little, Brown Books for
Young Readers) and You Will Be My Friend! (Little, Brown Books for Young
Readers). All are available in a fun, engaging, digital format, only for Barnes
& Noble customers on NOOK Tablet and NOOK Color.
NOOK Kids lets Barnes & Noble’s youngest readers explore more than 2,000 digital
picture books, all presented in a consistent format, so parents and kids can
keep the focus on the fun and interactive content, while encountering a familiar
reading and learning experience.
“We are so proud to receive these nominations as they represent an
acknowledgement of the respect and care we attribute to each book as it
transitions from print to digital on the NOOK platform,” said Wendy Bronfin,
Senior Director of Children’s Digital Products at Barnes & Noble. “If you do a
side-by-side comparison of all the picture books in the digital market, it’s
clear that the best experience is on NOOK as books are treated with great care
and a deep understanding of how parents and children interact with stories.”
Cynopsis: Kids! is a daily e-publication covering the kids’ entertainment
business and is the must-read by leaders in the programming, licensing and kids’
marketing arena. Celebrating 10 years in 2012, Cynopis: Kids! is one of the most
comprehensive sources of information for the kids’ reading and entertainment
industry.
The Cynopsis Kids !magination Awards honor the year’s most outstanding
achievements in content creation and marketing between October 2010 and December
2011. Presented by one of the industry’s most-read and trusted publications,
Cynopsis Media, the awards are open to all production companies, studios,
producers, networks, animators, developers, licensing companies, marketing and
PR firms, ad agencies and toy companies.
“Cynopsis: Kids! is a well-known name in the children’s media industry and
that’s why we are so pleased with these four nominations,” said Kevin O’Connor,
Director of Business Development at Barnes & Noble. “These nominations are
representative of what we see and hear from media insiders and from families
about NOOK and our kids’ offering. Add to that the fact that we have the largest
collection of digital books for kids and teen – NOOK is a real win for families
and publishers.”
The Cynopsis Kids !magination Awards winners will be announced during a ceremony
in New York City on June 7, and will be profiled in a special edition of
Cynopsis: Kids!
Learn more about NOOK Kids at www.nookkids.com, or visit your local Barnes &
Noble store today to let your children experience NOOK Kids firsthand.
About Barnes & Noble, Inc.
Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE:BKS), the world’s largest bookseller and a Fortune
500 company, operates 691 bookstores in 50 states. Barnes & Noble College
Booksellers, LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Barnes & Noble, also operates 641
college bookstores serving over 4.6 million students and faculty members at
colleges and universities across the United States. Barnes & Noble conducts its
online business through BN.com (www.bn.com), one of the Web’s largest e-commerce
sites, which also features more than two million titles in its NOOK Bookstore™
(www.bn.com/ebooks). Through Barnes & Noble’s NOOK™ eReading product offering,
customers can buy and read digital books and content on the widest range of
platforms, including NOOK devices, partner company products, and the most
popular mobile and computing devices using free NOOK software. Barnes & Noble is
proud to be named a J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Customer Service Champion and
is only one of 50 U.S. companies so named.
General information on Barnes & Noble, Inc. can be obtained via the Internet by
visiting the company’s corporate website: www.barnesandnobleinc.com.
NOOK®, NOOK Tablet™, NOOK Simple Touch with GlowLight™ , NOOK Simple Touch ™,
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About NOOK® from Barnes & Noble
Barnes & Noble’s NOOK brand of eReading products makes it easy to read what you
love, anywhere you like™ with a fun, easy-to-use and immersive digital reading
experience. With NOOK, customers gain access to Barnes & Noble’s expansive NOOK
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and $249 for NOOK Tablet – 16GB). Both NOOK Tablet and the award-winning NOOK
Color™ ($169) feature a stunning 7-inch VividView™ Color Touchscreen to read all
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Touch with GlowLight™ ($139) features patent-pending lighting technology that
makes it perfect for reading at bedtime and on the beach. Barnes & Noble offers
NOOK owners Always Free NOOK Support in any of its nearly 700 bookstores, as
well as free Wi-Fi® connectivity to enjoy the Read In Store™ feature to read
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exclusive content and special promotions. Barnes & Noble was the first company
to offer digital lending for a wide selection of books through its LendMe®
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P.C. Richard & Son stores, Office Depot, Fry’s Electronics, Kmart, hhgregg,
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and chapter books for children, and NOOK Books en español™ (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/ebooksenespanol),
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