If it hadn’t been for my “thou shalt not put any books by authors of whom you have already read any work on thy list” rule, J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Simarillion would most certainly have made my list of 40 books to read before my 40th birthday. It has that certain je ne sais quois, that… Read more »
Posts Categorized: First Lines
First Lines: The Boys from Brazil
It is 1974, we are in South America, and witness Josef Mengele sending several SS-officers on a mission, which, if successful, should bring about the Fourth Reich. Elderly Nazi-hunter Yakov Liebermann gets tipped off, and we follow him while he tries to figure out what is happening, and then, trying to stop it. My problem… Read more »
First Lines: Time and Time Again
Ben Elton’s Time and Time Again got me. There are plenty of reasons why the book should not work: most importantly, the story is completely bonkers — it’s 2024, the word is in shambles, and a former special-ops soldier gets involved in a plot set up by Sir Isaac Newton to travel back in time… Read more »
First Lines: Unidentified Funny Objects 5
Unidentified Funny Objects 5 contains, again, a series of humours Sci-Fi/Fantasy stories. This time, my favorites were “The Trouble with Hairy”, in which David Gerrold explores using computer models to solve traffic congestion. Afterwards, they all agreed it had been a bad idea. Laura Resnick’s “The ? Files” is a gloriously convoluted X-Files/Star Trek/Wars/Doctor Who… Read more »
First Lines: Hatchet
Gary Paulsen’s Hatchet was the very first book I had to read in English while being in high-school. Having to read books quickly made it chore, and I used to not mind reading at all. Upon finishing high-school, I didn’t have to read anymore, and I was back to reading whenever I got the chance…. Read more »