If you are wondering how the heck I could read in 1987, an edition published in 2009, well Elementary, dear fellow readers!
THE GREAT DETECTIVE
If you are wondering how the heck I could read in 1987, an edition published in 2009, well you don’t need to hire Sherlock Holmes to solve this mistery, the solution is quite simple, I read the entire collection of Sherlock Holmes back there in 1987, if you check my “Sherlock Holmes” shelf, you will find the separate books there, and even a two-volumes edition that I bought later too, but I needed one single edition to use it in my “favorites” shelf since I felt that I needed to show it there and this one was the best one that I found in Goodreads, also it was quite difficult to choose just one book above the rest, so I decided that this one was the best available option for my purpose.
It’s obvious that not all original Sherlock Holmes stories have aged well, even it’s not a matter of aging but that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ideas have been adapted in other works so much that some of his mysteries aren’t that great nowadays, but still Sherlock Holmes is the basic example to follow for any author interested in developing detective novels, bute ven the basis for developing characters out of the usual “nice person” since Sherlock Holmes was a character with as many flaws as virtues, making him a real human being along as an extraordinary detective able to analyze evidence like none other, always under the critic eye of his companion, Dr. John Watson, his most relevant link to humanity....more
I read the Jane Austen novels in separate books but I choose this editiLove is in the air, dear fellow readers!
JANE AUSTEN, SYNONYM OF ROMANCE
I read the Jane Austen novels in separate books but I choose this edition to have a focused item to show in my “favorites” shelf, since I didn’t want to leave some of her core six finished novels out of the selection. I could choose Sense and Sensibility as my option to show in the “favorites” shelf, but I still wasn’t comfortable leaving out the other five books, since I believe that each one of her core six completed works is a relevant and significant part of her soul and each one is as worthy to be read as the rest.
Jane Austen’s work is key in the genre of romance, but also in the field of Victorian novels since she lived there and she was brave to show without any regard how was life at England in that particular age of history, how men behave and how women was treated by society.
Therefore, I felt that it was relevant to put them in my “favorites” shelf that I didn’t want to expand more of ten books or series, since obviously I have loved many more books, but I think that it was useful to reduce to ten my options there, selecting like the best examples of each of my favorite book genres.
How to choose a single book in the Harry Potter saga? How to choose a part of something that needs each part to generate the expected imAparecium!
How to choose a single book in the Harry Potter saga? How to choose a part of something that needs each part to generate the expected impact? I was precisely trying to choose one book to use as example in my "favorites" virtual shelf but I realize that not matter which book would I chose, it would feel "incomplete". So I think that the better way is to add this complete edition including the seven novels to use it in my "favorites" virtual shelf.
The rating to the collection is basically the average result combining the seven ratings.
There will be books written about Harry. Every child in the world will know his name.
The Harry Potter novels are truly special to me, since it was "return" to reading for me. I've been a reader all my life, but there were like a "hole" for a couple of years when I wasn't reading anything and certainly it wasn't something good since reading is really important to me and an essential part of myself.
I had already watched four films of Harry Potter when finally I decided to read the novels. I have to thank a friend that he insisted in lending me the first book. Odd enough, he had it on English language while he didn't read English (at least at that time), so he told me that he was glad that somebody was actually reading the book. (He already had read the first 4 books but in Spanish language). I am not a fan of borrowing books and also I don't like that people lend me books, basically for not being in situation where I may feel obliged to borrow some of my books returning the favor. However, since he insisted so much and I knew that he won't ask me for any of my books, finally I accepted.
SOMETHING REALLY MAGICAL STARTS THEN!!!
Wow! I enjoyed a lot the first book, so after that, I started to buy by my own, the following books, even when I already read the seven books, finally I bought my own copy of the first novel to complete the collection. As far as I remember I was able of not having to wait any novel until the final seventh book (such a long wait for that final novel!!!). I ran to the book store to buy it on the very day that it was out and I read it in like 3 days to avoid that somebody would spoil me something crutial or some news on papers and/or internet would spoil a key detail. A reading odyssey of like two years for me.
The Philosopher's Stone (5 stars rating)
It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.
Truly magical experience where J.K. Rowling, the author, was able to merge such fantastic world with wizards, witches and other paranormal beings with the real experience of parents and kids when they are going to school, needing to get school supplies, books, equipment, etc... Along with all these, the forging a honest and strong friendship between three great characters. And a good thing is that I didn't need to wait years to know how to pronounce the name of Hermione! :D Hermione rules!!!
The Chamber of Secrets (4 stars rating)
It is our choices… that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
Maybe I am not fair with my rating on the second book, since the story is quite awesome indeed. I have to admit that my main reason of taking away a star is something involved with Ron Weasley, I can't detail to avoid a spoiler, but I can say that well, I am not much fan of Ron, sorry, what can I say? So, since he got a prominent role at some point here, well, I miss the one that isn't there at that moment.
The Prisoner of Azkaban (5 stars rating)
Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.
Easily the strongest book of the whole bunch. Not only it has a truly well crafted mystery but also, you will amaze to realize how a lot of elements presented in the previous books are explained the reason of existing here in this novel and all is turning around of a character.
The Goblet of Fire (5 stars rating)
If you want to know what a man’s like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.
Awesome book where the magical world just got bigger and better. You get to know that not only at UK there are wizards and witches but also in other countries. Also, you realize that while the characters have faced dangerous situations before, well, they will have to realize that things are not a game anymore and there will be consequences and dealing with events that they can't be undone.
The Order of the Phoenix (4 stars rating)
Things we lose have a way of coming back to us in the end, if not always in the way we expect.
Maybe another unfair rating. I felt the need of taking away a star just because to reflect the high levels of stress that I suffered while reading this book. Honestly, I really felt "trapped" by it. Hogwarts becomes an awful place to live. There are several really cool scenes. There are moments of wonderful amazement. And of course, you get new wonderful characters too. Luna and Tonks rule! However things became so dark and awful at Hogwarts that I really got stressed each time that I was returning to the book.
The Half-Blood Prince (5 stars rating)
People find it far easier to forgive others for being wrong than being right.
I don't know, but I think that I was so stressed on the fifth book that that reading the sixth book was a truly joyful experience. Really, I think that it can be the book in the saga that I enjoyed the most to read. Love is in the air on the book. Wasted characters so far, they are able to shine in their own way each. You get to know the tragic but truly interesting past of Lord Voldemort that certainly it didn't justify his actions but indeed they give a lot of depth to the character.
The Deathly Hallows (3 stars rating)
Do not pity the dead, Harry. Pity the living, and, above all those who live without love.
I don't know if there was the "pressure" of reading the book as quickly as possible to avoid any spoiler (since it was worldwide news the final book of the saga) or that the development of the story was tedious at some points, or the many stuff that J.K Rowling left unexplained on the saga, but at the end, this book is without a doubt the novel that I enjoy the least in the whole saga. I suppose that endings are a sad moment, you have enoying so much reading the saga that knowing that finally you get to the closing of it, you didn't want to end.
I AM TRULY GLAD OF HAVING READ THIS MAGICAL SAGA AND I RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE!!!...more
This review is bilingual. First you can find the English version and at the end of that one, you will find the Spanish version.
This is my favorite This review is bilingual. First you can find the English version and at the end of that one, you will find the Spanish version.
This is my favorite Latin American book!!!
Maybe since I am from Costa Rica, I should pick as my favorite Latin American book, something from my own country. This book is by an author from Venezuela. And indeed I like a lot of books written by authors from my country. However, to choose a single book for my "Favorites" virtual shelf, when it's down to pick just one book in Spanish, I have to choose this book Doña Barbara.
Also, it's the only book that I had to read in high school as homework that appears in the "Favorites" virtual shelf that as I commented in other review of books in that shelf, I decided to limit that shelf to only 10 books. To denote how important are really these books to me.
From all the books that I had to read in school and high school, definitely this one is my favorite of those.
This novel tells the story of a woman, a "man-eater" woman, whose name is Barbara and everybody calls her "Doña Barbara", "doña" means like "mrs". But that title here denotes also the respect and fear that everybody, specially the men, have for her. And her first name "Barbara", is a real name used by many women but in Spanish also means "wild" and this is crutial in the story, since she lives in the deep of the jungle around the Arauca River. She is a landlady, powerful, rich and ruthless. When she was young, she was raped by pirates, also losing her first love, so she became bitter and hating to all men.
The other main character in this story is "Santos Luzardo" whose name is another word game, like with Doña Barbara, only a little more tricky, "Santos" means "saint" and "Luzardo" means like "light", and so he is like the saint light of civilization and progress that it's entering to the wilderness of the jungle.
The shock when those powerful characters meet is the very heart of the story. And don't worry if you think that I spoiled you the book, all that it's only the introduction of the main characters. The story is just beginning. Since this a really popular novel from Latin America, I am sure that it's available in English too, but I felt important to explain you the names of the main characters since its symbolic importance can be lost in translation.
--0--
¡¡¡Este es mi libro Latinoamericano favorito!!!
Puede ser dado que soy de Costa Rica, que yo debería haber elegido como mi libro Latinoamericano favorito, alguno de mi propio país. Este libro es por un autor de Venezuela. Y en efecto, me gustan muchos libros escritos por autores de mi país. Sin embargo, para elegir un solo libro para mi estante virtual de "Favoritos", cuando se trata de elegir solo uno en Español. Yo tengo que elegir este libro Doña Barbara.
También, es el único libro que tuve que leer en el colegio como tarea que aparece en mi estante virtual de "Favoritos" que como ya comenté en otras críticas de libros de ese estante, yo decidí limitar ese estante a solo 10 libros. Para denotar cuan importantes son realmente esos libros para mí.
De todos los libros que tuve que leer en la escuela y el colegio, definitivamente este es mi favorito.
Esta novela cuenta la historia de una mujer, una mujer "come-hombres", cuyo nombre es Bárbara y todos le llaman "Doña Bárbara", "doña" es como señora. Pero este título aquí denota también el respeto y miedo que todos, especialmente los hombres, tienen por ella. Y su primer nombre "Bárbara", es un verdadero nombre usado por muchas mujeres pero en Español también significa "salvaje" y esto es crucial en la historia, dado que ella vive en lo profundo de la jungla alrededor del Río del Arauca. Ella es una terrateniente, poderosa, rica y despiadada. Cuando ella era joven, fué violada por piratas, también perdiendo a su primer amor, así que ella se amargó odiando a todos los hombres.
El otro personaje principal en esta historia es "Santos Luzardo" cuyo nombre es otro juego de palabras, como con Doña Bárbara, solo que un poco más triquiñuelo, "Santos" significa "santo" y "Luzardo" significa algo como "luz", y así el es como la santa luz de la civilización y el progreso que entra en la barbarie de la jungla.
El impacto cuando estos poderosos personajes se encuentran es el corazón mismo de la historia. Y no se preocupen si creen que les arruiné el libro. Todo esto es solo la introducción de los personajes principales. La historia está apenas comenzando. Dado que esta es una novel realmente popular en Latin America, estoy seguro que deben haber versiones en Inglés también, pero siento importante explicarles los nombres de los personajes principales cuya importancia simbólica puede perderse en la traducción.
Mariamne. Queen Bee. John the Less. Magdal-eder. Daughter. Prophet. Student. Apostle. Woman. Man. Heart. Rock. Beloved.
Many names, many roles, many titlMariamne. Queen Bee. John the Less. Magdal-eder. Daughter. Prophet. Student. Apostle. Woman. Man. Heart. Rock. Beloved.
Many names, many roles, many titles.
Only one human being.
Mary Madgalene
This book is wonderful, and I am so glad of being able to read it. I am always being a "fan" of Mary Magdalene, and here I was able to read the story that I want to read about her life. Definitely it's now one of my favorite books.
I am not saying that this is the truth. However, if you really believe that Mary Magdalene was only a whore, well, only I can say that you are as blind as the men at the time when she lived.
Beautiful story of the life of the one known as Mary Magdalene since her early age of 14 years old, until the end of days of Jesus and beyond.
If you don't feel thrilled just reading of Mary Magdalene stepping into the Great Library of Alexandria, well, maybe this isn't the book for you. For me, that was one of the best moments in literature that I ever read.
Formidable tale of the journey in life of Mary Magdalene which it was fated to cross with the path of Jesus.
If you look an exact script taken from the Bible, maybe you have to read the Bible then, and don't get me wrong, I am Catholic and I respect the Bible, but if you are a little open minded, I am sure that you will enjoy this book.
This isn't about truth. There are many truths. The important thing in a story is the message. And the message here is glorious.
Men and women will forever make gods of others rather than see the god in themselves....more
This TPB edition collects the original 10 comic book issues, then divided in the graphic novel in threeRemember, remember the fifth of November...
This TPB edition collects the original 10 comic book issues, then divided in the graphic novel in three chapters.
Creative Team:
Writer: Alan Moore
Illustrator: David Lloyd
VALIANT VERICITY
Remember, remember! The fifth of November, the gunpowder treason and plot; I know of no reason why the gunpowder treason should ever be forgot!
It's one of the first sentences that came to mind when you think about the masterpiece by Alan Moore & David Lloyd. And certainly something quite easy to remember each year on the infamous mentioned date.
However, the most powerful quote that sticks to my mind is...
People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people.
That quote resumes the very power of this majestic story.
The story of one man.
One man who can be everybody.
Everybody is special. Everybody. Everybody is a hero, a lover, a fool, a villain, everybody. Everybody has their story to tell…
And the story of "V" is one very powerful to tell...
Good evening, London. I thought it time we had a little talk. Are you sitting comfortably? Then I'll begin...
VIGOROUS VOCALITY
This is my favorite graphic novel ever!
One of the first impacts when I read reading this graphic novel the first time, it was when I realized that you don't start to read in the beginning of the story.
No, the plan of "V" is so carefully crafted that when the government think that he started, he is already finishing it.
V? You're almost finished, aren't you?
It's very likely that by now, you may have watched the film and it's a very good adaptation. I liked it a lot and it's one of my favorite movies. Are there differences? Oh, yes! But, honestly, as a hardcore Alan Moore's fan, I think that the changes are good thinking that film is a different format than comic book and therefore, some things can be changed and still delivering the same powerful message.
There's no flesh or blood within this cloak to kill. There's only an idea. Ideas are bulletproof.
However, if you are a truly V for Vendetta's fan, like me, you must read the graphic novel at some point, or you will be missing a lot.
VEHEMENT VITALISM
Knowledge, like air, is vital to life. Like air, no one should be denied it.
It's a wonderful joy to watch how Alan Moore put everywhere the letter "v", in the titles of the chapters just to mention an example.
Also, David Lloyd is a very creative partner of Moore, making into art many original concepts like a chapter made entirely in the form a music sheet.
Wonderful concepts that you only can get in the format of a graphic novel.
VENDETTA VALIDITY
If I take off that mask, something will go away forever, be diminished because whoever you are isn’t as big as the idea of you.
I am a huge fan of Alan Moore's work and I have the luck to find a lot of his work, not only the quite known examples like Watchmen and this very graphic novel V for Vendetta but also his entire runs of Swamp Thing, Top Ten, Tom Strong, Promethea, Fashion Beast, along with great issues like For the Man who has everything, The Killing Joke, Whatever happened with the Man of Tomorrow, etc...
...and I loved to read everything and I have to say that my favorite work by Alan Moore is this graphic novel V for Vendetta.
I think the strongest issue that convince me to realize that V for Vendetta is my own personal favorite graphic novel but also my own personal favorite work by Alan Moore is because it's that each little detail on the story was so carefully done, so carefully thought, so carefully presented.
And that's the beautiful irony of all.
Since this is a story about chaos, but it's done with a precision where nothing is left to chance. Everything is where that's supposed to be. No more or less than needed to tell the story.
And threrefore, My own personal opinion is that this is his masterpiece in the middle of an universe of masterpieces written by Alan Moore.
Not only is a strong political story but also an impressive artwork.
Also, the terrorist known as "V" is one of the best characters ever made in literature.
What was done to me created me. It's a basic principle of the Universe that every action will create an equal and opposing reaction.
I started to learn to read novels in English with this book.
Sure, I got EnglishA new era of reading started here to me
A SELF-IMPOSED CHALLENGE
I started to learn to read novels in English with this book.
Sure, I got English classes on High School but that it didn't much good to really have enough vocabulary as to get into reading a full English written novel.
I met the Robotech books in the shelves of a local book store, back then, in 1992, and it was like receiving a call from a higher realm.
If I wanted to know what those books said, I needed to read them on English, since it wasn't something that you'd found to be translated into Spanish eventually, I could still be waiting and that was in 1992.
Those books were calling me, those books were in need to be at home with someone who cares for them, and I realized that that one was me.
At first it was agonizing, since I was reading more the dang dictionary than the book itself, it took me like 3 days to advance one single page, and I was doing it in the way of translating from English to Spanish.
After like a year or so, I ended the original first series (the three main wars, 12 books), by then I knew that I've taken the right decision since the extra details on those books make me to appreciate Robotech in a new light, with new eyes and superior knowledge.
With that, I started to read other stuff on English like Star Trek novels, eventually I changed from a English-Spanish dictionary to a full English dictionary, to force myself to understand the reading on English without doing the translation in my brain to Spanish. (And each time that I advanced into a new step of reading in English, I read again the original 12 books of Robotech.)
Even later I left the dictionary at home and carrying only the novels. (And I never needed again to carry the dictionary.)
It was an awesome moment in my reading life.
Later I took an English course, since by then, I was able to read anything in English but I wasn't able to construct sentences by myself.
Thanks to my decision of learning to read in English, not only my range of novels got almost infinite possibilities, obviously I was able to read a lot of wonderful books that maybe I never would be able to read, but also thanks to learn to read in English, even I met one the women that I loved the most, in my life, and she still is one of my best and dear friends.
And nothing of this would happen if I wouldn't learn to read in English.
AND OF COURSE, NOW IT'S TIME TO MAKE THE REVIEW
Genesis by Jack McKinney (a pen name of James Luceno & Brian Daley) is the first novel in a book series that adapted into prose format the original Anime TV series Robotech.
Robotech is an American re-adaptation of three different Japanese anime TV series: Macross, Southern Cross and Mospeada. Re-adapting the stories, even doing some editing on the animation, to make it a whole single storyline. The success of the newly adapted TV series in America opened the chance to extend the story into a sequel that while it failed to get budget to be a full TV series, the sequel was adapted into 5 books, as part of this prose book series, and even adding 1 book to make an ending to the whole saga and also three books telling events "in-between" of the three main wars. There were also several comic book mini-series recently.
Earth was in a bloody global war, when suddenly an incredibly massive spaceship crashed into the planet, and thanks to that, the inner war ended and the Earth nations make peace to work in the project of researching the mysterious gigantic spaceship developing a new science based on the what they found inside of the vessel and...
...the "Robotechnology" was born.
Of course, the falling of the spaceship may ended the inner war, but it was clear that we weren't alone in the universe and the nations decided that there was a fair risk of facing a war against alien life forms, so...
...the Robotech Defense Force was assembled.
The astonishing big spaceship crashed in the coast of a deserted island named "Macross" and after 10 years of restless work, by people of all nations, to rebuild the vessel and developing military craft based on the new "Robotech" science, even a city was built too to give home to all the civilian workers, civilian business services, and obviously the military personnel of the new RDF.
The gigantic massive spaceship was named: Super Dimensional Fortress One (SDF-1).
And using the base of American F-14 "Tomcats", were created new military air-space craft named "Veritech", able to transform into three modes: Veritech(Jet), Battleloid (a humanoid-like robot) and Guardian (a combined shape of Jet and Robot gaining skills of both forms).
After 10 years, peace on Earth was a reality and even the fear of an alien invasion was starting to lose strenght.
After 10 years, the SDF-1 was ready for its maiden voyage.
And it was on the very day of the celebration of the full operational status of the SDF-1 that the Zentraedi attacked!
The Zentraedi, they were gigantic aliens (of the same height of a Veritech in Battleloid mode) and using war machine pods, and with a fleet of war spacewagons with the same impressive size than the SDF-1.
The SDF-1 were a vessel of that alien race and now they wanted it back!
I was way excited back then, 20 years ago, about the movie (minus the controversial scene portraitiThis is one of my favorite books of all time!!!
I was way excited back then, 20 years ago, about the movie (minus the controversial scene portraiting San José, Costa Rica with a beach in the middle of it). Trust me. I am from Costa Rica and I live precisely in San José and we don't have a dang beach around.
I am sure that Spielberg wouldn't do that kind of mistake if he'd need to portrait Paris, France, but a dang capital city in a third world country? Who cares?
Well, I care, I am from that precise third world country. When you would have your capital cities portraited in a wrong stereotypical way, you will understand me. (And don't get me wrong. I love the movie and I am fan of Spielberg's work, just pointing out my feeling about that scene that even in the book happens in another different place).
I love the book, since the author, Michael Crichton, lived a lot of time in my country, Costa Rica, and he fell in love so much with our culture and geography that he wanted to use it as background for one of his novels.
The novel became his most famous book. In the book, you can realize how well Crichton indeed knew about our places using specific real places like the Cabo Blanco Biologic Reserve and the Puntarenas' Hospital Monseñor Sanabria. You don't came out with places like that with your quick internet search. You need to live here to know things like that.
Of course, Nublar Island is a made up place but hey, no problem there, it's like Gotham City or Metropolis, always there are space for another fictional island in literature.
I was lucky to get my paperback copy of Jurassic Park just when the movie was on its hype 20 years ago, since thanks to that it has the logo of the film (see? I don't hate the movie, just questioned that dang scene).
I love my edition of the book since never they published ever again the book with that cover, so it's one my priceless posessions in my library.
An insanely popular sci-fi novel with dinosaurs set on my country? Oh, yes! I had to love that book!
My personal favorite Star Trek novel of all time!!!
And I believe that if I have to choose only one novel of all that I have read, this one has to My personal favorite Star Trek novel of all time!!!
And I believe that if I have to choose only one novel of all that I have read, this one has to be my favorite novel at all too.
SOMETHING FOR EVERYBODY
This book has it all... drama, action, romance, mystery, science fiction, time travel, alternate realities, etc...
...well you couldn't ask for more!!!
When I read the synopsis in the back cover (back then, in 1993), while judging if I'd buy the book or not, I got amazed.
And when I read the book, I just love it!
I am quite glad that I was able to get the book in its first printing with the extra details on the cover with surface effects, since nowadays they only reprint the story as a combo book under the title of Imzadi Forever uniting the first novel with its sequel and honestly it's sad that Imzadi II wasn't nearly that good as the first novel (just to treat it kindly), even my best advice is don't read the sequel.
However, I honestly think that it wasn't the fault of Peter David, the author of both novels, but it was the fault of the writers of the TV show that they mess with a perfect couple like Riker and Troi and to put Worf in the formula. I have nothing against Worf but he is not the soulmate of Deanna.
Imzadi is perfection made into letters on paper. A wonderful example of an exciting sci-fi novel merging with a true romance book, creating an extraordinary story.
Without a doubt, in my humble opinion, I think that this novel is the most solid Star Trek: The Next Generation novel and also the best book of the Star Trek franchise.
MERGING GENERATIONS
It's incredible the way how Peter David could take a recognizable element from Star Trek: The Original Series like the Guardian of Forever, which is part of the best TV episode: The City at the Edge of Forever to make it again as a key factor in a The Next Generation novel.
This is not so rare in various of the best novels by Peter David, since he used too elements from classic episodes of The Original Series in other The Next Generation novels such as Vendetta and Q-Squared.
TALE AS OLD AS TIME
The story is set in three different time periods...
The Past: Telling how William T. Riker and Deanna Troi met for the first time, several years before of their re-encounter in the USS Enterprise-D, while Riker was still a young lieutenant and assigned to a post in the planet Betazed, the homeworld of Deanna.
Making a bond beyond friendship and love, a bond beyond time and space, a bond beyond reality and alternatives, a bond so strong and unique that only can be named with a Betazoid word...
...Imzadi.
The Present: Exposing how wrong what it was supposed to be an easy diplomatic mission causing the shocking death of...
...Counselor Deanna Troi.
The Future: Where William T. Riker is now an admiral but hardly his career is considered a success while commanding a distant space station without any strategic importance. He is now a embittered old man, still suffering due the death of the love of his life. In his heart he knows that Deanna's death was wrong, he knows in very soul that that death shouldn't happened.
And he will go to the Guardian of Forever to change the past and the Temporal Prime Directive can go to hell!
However, Commodore Data, now commanding officer of the USS Enterprise-F will begin a chase against his former comrade since his duty is to protect the integrity of the timeline even if that means that Deanna Troi should remain dead in the past!
"T." IS FOR...
A curious trivia in this novel was that it was supposed to explain the meaning of the "T." in William T. Riker, and back then could be considered a spoiler, but after the TV episode Second Chances now is not a spoiler anymore but a non-canon curiousity.
The "T." was supposed to be for "Thelonious" that you may think as something odd, but it wasn't a bad idea then since the concept was to make something similar to the "T." in James T. Kirk that it's for "Tiberius", in that way both characters of different generations would have a second name taken from ancient history.
However, due ignorance about the novel or just not wanting to use the ancient name, on the Second Chances episode was canonically established that the "T." in William T. Riker was for "Thomas".
I have nothing against the name "Thomas", I only think that it could be cooler that the novel Imzadi would be respected and keep the name used there.
Just like "Tiberius" was never explained on the original TV series but in the following animated series that its canonicity was always a polemic issue, but finally in Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country was honored the animated series mentioning that the "T." in James T. Kirk was indeed for "Tiberius".
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING RIKER
I always have been fan of William T. Riker's character, obviously I like Picard too and many other The Next Generation's characters for not saying of the rest of the franchise, but people use to underestimate the character of Riker and if you ever watched key TV episodes of The Next Generation like 11001001, Peak Performance, A Matter of Honor, The Best of Both Worlds (Parts 1 & 2), Future Imperfect, Chain of Command (Parts 1 & 2), Second Chances and The Pegasus, just to name a few, you will realize how richful and valuable is the character of William Riker to the reason of The Next Generation success.
And certainly there isn't a best option in novels as this one to get to learn in depth the psyche of the character of William T. Riker.
It's amusing how I ended reading this novel. And maybe this will be the most humorous review of a truly scary horror novel. If you read it, you'll undIt's amusing how I ended reading this novel. And maybe this will be the most humorous review of a truly scary horror novel. If you read it, you'll understant what I mean.
First, I didn't know that it was a novel, a long horror story book, when I bought it. Honestly!
Back then (1992), I was in a local bookstore. I read the title "Phantoms" (well in reality it was "Fantasmas" since I bought in Spanish first the book) and I thought that it was an anthology of ghost stories and that Dean Koontz (I didn't know the author at that moment) was the editor or something of the book.
I started to read the book and honestly I didn't realized that it was a novel until I got to the third chapter! :P In my defense (hehe) each chapter has titles, so I still was thinking that they were horror short stories, but quite odd since they didn't have some climax or good ending (hahaha!) when I started to read the third chapter and I met again the same characters of the first "short story" (hahaha) it was when I realize...
Oh!!! This is a horror novel!!! Hahaha, honestly, this is a true story. I hadn't read any horror novel until that moment. I had read a lot of anthologies of horror short stories with several specific topics and it was like my current reading type of books at that moment. However, I supposed that this book wanted me, and I took the call.
The humorous stops right here... bring on the terror!!!
It was the start of a great reading story of me with Dean Koontz's novels. I love his style of making books, those cool details that they repeat on each book in some way or other.
And maybe because it was the first that I read, but this novel keeps to be my favorite book of Koontz and my favorite horror novel. If you ever had the bad experience of watching the dreadful film based on this book, please, don't let that that keep you away from the wonderful experience of reading this masterpiece of literature on the horror genre.
Snowfield, a typical American town where in one night, everybody just dissapeared, every single person and animal are nowhere to be found, a real "ghost" town that was full of life just one day before. The young Dr. Jenny Paige along with her younger sister, Lisa, will have to explore this deserted town and try to find a clue of what happened.
Welcome to Snowfield. You wouldn't be able to leave!...more
Loading...
