The Science of Monsters | Matt Kaplan

Summary:

This is a non-fiction book of anthropological, psychological, biological and paleontological (and more) theories behind the origins of the various international monsters. Many of the monsters are from western culture (Minotaur, Medusa, Frankenstein's Monster, etc.) But there are a number of global monsters as well.

Review:

I was immediately drawn to this book. Monsters have always fascinated me, even when I was too scared to watch monster movies. Some people may look at this book like a magician revealing his tricks, but I look at it as a truth-is-stranger-than-fiction scenario. The idea that dragon myths may have originated because of pockets of methane triggered by ancient miners is one that thrills me. I genuinely enjoy the scientific explanations of mythological and supernatural ideas. 

The fact that Kaplan presents these theories in an easy-to-read format with a sense of humor and his own sense of wonder is a wonderful bonus. This is a non-fiction but Kaplan does a wonderful job of keeping the book from being dry and boring. His footnotes have good supplementary information and jokes for the reader to enjoy. 

I really feel this book was well researched and well written. There was a lot of intriguing information about how the human perspective of the world has changed throughout the ages and continues to change. The theories on why the roles and histories of monsters have changed through the years make sense and give a new appreciation for the monsters that survived so many generations. Seriously, though the role and history of Medusa has changed, she has survived through millennia to still be part of human culture. That is amazing!

If you're looking for a non-fiction that will appeal to your love of fantasy, this is a great pick. If you're even just mildly curious about some of the monsters you love and where they come from, this is a great book to pick up. I really enjoyed reading this and encourage you to pick it up. 4.5 hoots!

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Weird Dinosaurs | John Pickrell

*Free copy provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

John Pickrell takes us all over the world and through time to learn more about the strangest dinosaurs and the, sometimes even stranger, paleontologists who found them. 

Review:

Like most people, I fell in love with dinosaurs thanks to Jurassic Park. While my original plans to become a paleontologist didn't pan out, I've still held on to my love of dinosaurs. Even when science told us that they were actually feathery creatures, instead of the scaly lizards we originally thought. I was prepared for this book to be a very technical read and was still excited to read it. The fact that it ended up being an incredible series of adventure stories was a wonderful surprise. 

Pickrell takes us to some of the biggest dig sites on each continent. I had no idea that there was such a big "market" for paleontologists in Mongolia, Antarctica and Madagascar. He shows us that not all fossils are found in desert conditions and talks about the trials and tribulations of digging out said fossils when the weather and geography are never on your side.He talks about contemporary paleontologists trying to find dig sites found a century or two ago and gives mini-biographies on some of the older paleontologists. It really is a grand adventure. 

This book was so much fun to read and learn from! I'd love to have more pictures, but I also enjoyed finding the dinosaurs on Google Images, especially the one dubbed "Hellboy". It's so fascinating to read about all the different "decorations" that dinosaurs evolved for various reasons. It was even more fun to read about so many of my previous thoughts about dinosaurs be proven wrong. The notion that dinosaurs could only live in tropical climates? Not true. The evidence has been found. Seeing what happens to dinosaur populations that evolved on islands and seeing the work that goes into putting the pieces together, literally and figuratively, makes for an incredible read for any dinosaur lover. 

If you have any interest at all in dinosaurs or want to get someone interested in them, I highly recommend Weird Dinosaurs. 4.5 Hoots!

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Robota | Doug Chiang and Orson Scott Card

*This book was provided by NetGalley for an honest review.

Summary:

A 2016 re-release of Robota, a book about a world where robots seek to extinguish all forms of organic life and intelligence. Caps, a human with no memory, joins the resistance and seeks to destroy the leader of the robots, Font Prime.

Review:

I should've picked up this book when it was first published in 2003. It's really easy to see why this is such a popular world. Chiang's art is incredibly beautiful and detailed. The balance between art work and story reminded me of Dinotopia, another series I loved. As it is, I know I'm going to need to buy myself  a copy of this book because electronic just doesn't do the artwork justice. I want to hold the book in my hands so I can get the best look at the world of Robota.

There were a couple of times where I felt that the plot made some skips and jumps. A couple aspects of character development, especially for the villain, kinda just threw stuff at the reader that didn't make a lot of sense, seemingly just so they could surprise the reader. I'll admit, if this is a strong example of Card's writing, I'm not sure I want to read more of his work.

Truly the gem of this book is the world, Robota, and Chiang's artwork bringing it to life. The artwork is so breathtaking and the world so full and developed that I do want a copy for myself. 3 hoots!

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Eye of the Storm | Frank Cavallo

*This book was provided free in exchange for an honest review.

Summary (from publisher):

"On a research mission in one of the most remote regions of the world, former Navy SEAL Eric Slade and Dr. Anna Fayne are caught in a mysterious storm. Catapulted through a rift in space-time, they are marooned on a lost world. 

Struggling to survive and desperate to find a way home, they must confront the dangers of this savage land—a dark wizard and his army of undead—a warrior queen and her horde of fierce Neanderthals that stands against him—and a legendary treasure with the power to open the gateway between worlds, or to destroy them all: the Eye of the Storm."

Review:

Every now and then I will pick up a book that ends up leaving me wondering "is this fantasy or science fiction?" Eye of the Storm is one of those books. Cavallo does a very nice job of blending the two together so well that neither is truly the dominant genre of the book. It's a balance that I appreciate and enjoy reading.

For me, the only real disappointment was that the book was fairly predictable; nothing really surprised me. However, the characters and the world from this book were still quite enjoyable. I happily read the book without ever feeling bored or disinterested. There was enough to the characters that no one felt flat, though I'll admit when Slade said his first lines I was hoping he'd die right away and my opinion of him wasn't raised much higher than "okay, let him live."

My favorite part of this book was the setting. What gets the scientists to go looking for something in the remote regions was when they find a "fresh" Neanderthal body with materials that could only be from the Iron Age. This theme of mismatched historical timings is continued throughout the book in a delightful way. The natives of the strange world are well aware of dinosaurs and stay away from their island. There are anthropomorphic frog creatures. There are tribes of Neanderthals. There are ancient Greek Hoplites. At the same time, there are skyscrapers and structures clearly built by civilizations far more advanced than contemporary humans. There is a lot to the world of this book and, if there is a sequel, I'd love to read more about it.

If you're in the market for a blended sci-fi/fantasy book with a world that blends timelines, I do recommend Eye of the Storm. 3.5 hoots!

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The Aliens Are Coming! | Ben Miller

*Book provided by NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Summary:

In this book, Ben Miller looks at the search for extra-terrestrial life through a scientific lens. By breaking down the Drake Equation and examining all the requirements of it from a physical, biological, geological, mathematical and even linguistic perspective, Miller gives us a realistic picture of the likelihood of communicating with aliens. At the same time, he uses terrestrial examples to show areas we still need more information on. 

Review:

If you enjoy science, this is actually a good book for you. There is little conspiracy theory and hypothetical talk and a significant amount of science. Admittedly, I struggled through the biology of evolution section (used to give a time template for how long it may take life on other planets to become complex) but the rest of the book was an engaging, intelligent read. Miller's humor also helped to balance out some of the drier parts.

I greatly appreciated that this search for extra-terrestrials reminded the reader that there are plenty of things we can learn from our own world to aid our search. The convergent evolution that leads to platypi. The translation of dolphin language. The ripple effects in our understanding of the world from each discovery we make about it. 

There were so many parts of this book that led me to eagerly do some quick Google searches to get a better understanding. This is something that I think all good science books should do. They should light a fire of curiosity in the reader, a need for more information. I happily give 4 hoots!

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Undeniable by Bill Nye

I'll be the first to admit, science, especially biological science, was never my strong suit. My highest high school science grade was a B in Physics. This is important for you to know because my biggest praise for this book is how understandable everything is. Nye does an amazing job at keeping this book at a level of comprehension for those of us who do not have strong science backgrounds. Nye is clearly tapping into his presentation skills when writing this book because he is able to go in depth about evolution without causing my eyes to glaze over in boredom. I'll admit, it was still a slow read, but non-fiction always is for me.*

Nye admits that this book was written largely in response to the debate he had with creationist Ken Ham.** But there are several points in the book that Nye says he doesn't see why acceptance of evolution should mean a disregard for one's religion. This is also a sentiment I can appreciate.

I heartily endorse the reading of Undeniable: Evolution and the Science of Creation by Bill Nye, especially as someone who has had problems with science comprehension. It is easy to read and easy to understand. 4 hoots!

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*Hence the reason it's been a few weeks since I posted a review.
**Be warned, it's a long, but informative, video.

I Bring the Fire Part 1: Wolves by C. Gockel

It really is a rare occasion that I get to read a book that has magic, science, Norse mythology, elves, and dinosaurs. In fact, I think this is the ONLY book I have ever read that has had all of these, especially the dinosaurs part. In fact, dinosaurs in the description and on the cover are what got me to read this book. I do find the tag line on the cover to be misleading, though. At no point do I feel that Loki feels "right at home." Other than that, though, this was a really good read!

In I Bring the Fire, however, we are shown an aspect of Loki's life that makes you root for him to succeed against Odin. Loki is questing to save his wife and sons but in the process saves a mortal, Amy, instead. Amy and her grandmother, Beatrice, end up getting caught up in Loki's attempts at a rescue mission, even going so far as to drive to the castle of the Elf Queen. 

I almost always enjoy a book that breaks apart our preconceived notions of who is a villain. Thanks to Norse mythology, comic books and movies, Loki is not seen as a sympathetic character. However, this book gives us an alternate mythology, where Loki is forced into the role of Mischief Maker by Odin, yet is constantly berated by Odin. It's hard not to feel for this character who is forced to live a life where he is constantly either laughed at or yelled at. Whose first crush falls for his greatest enemy. And all the while, despite everything that happens, manages to make jokes, at his expense or others, the entire time.

Despite all of these elements, some seeming rather random, I feel Gockel did a great job of keeping the story together and keeping it from going over-the-top. There are a couple of questions in my mind, "how can Amy know when guys are hitting on her but not pick up on Loki's innuendo?" "What happened to the Elven couple that wished to study magic?" My hope is that they are answered in the next book...I may settle for the book after that.Goodness knows I'm buying the next book.

This was definitely a delightful read and I am looking forward to the second book! I give I Bring the Fire Part 1: Wolves by C. Gockel 4 out of 5 hoots!

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