The Forever War by Joe Haldeman

I didn't think I would like this novel that much, but I did. Except for the battle scenes (which I found boring) and the sex/sexuality related content (which I found not belonging) I really enjoyed the story. I felt for the protagonist being forced to fight a war he never wanted to fight, for a planet he didn't belong to anymore. 

War was the main theme but I enjoyed how Haldeman explored the ways relativistic speeds would affect humans. How weeks or months would pass for them but centuries would pass outside. Societies could change so much but war was still there every time the troops returned from a mission. 

This novel is about the nonsense of war. About the wasted lives fighting for something they don't understand. About war as a political weapon to control the masses and the economy. Sounds familiar? This novel was written in 1974 but is still relevant in the 21st century. When will humanity learn?

Akira Club by Katsuhiro Otomo

 

Art book by the acclaimed mangaka.

Death and the Afterlife. A Chronological Journey from Cremation to Quantum Resurrection by Clifford A. Pickover

I am interested in the topic of Death and this seemed to be a good way to start. And It was. Not only is the book beautiful but also very informative. It briefly discusses about 100 topics around death. From myths, traditions and religions to cemeteries, afterlife and immortality. Each topic is only one page long and they all come with one illustration each.

La Máscara de las Mil Lágrimas by David Chauvel and Roberto Ali (art)

There is an English translation: The Mask of the Thousand Tears published in electronic format by Europe Comics. 

Amazing cover. I loved Ali's art, landscapes, characters, expressions,... except sometimes the japanese protagonists had western faces (pic 8). 🤔 But faces get better in the second part of the story (pic 9). I also loved the graphic narrative. Panels were easy to follow and I think those pages with big landscapes in the background and with small panels on top with detail action or dialogue were tops! 

The story was good. The protagonists are a woman who losses her fiancé and wants to bring him back from death, and a young farmer who decides to help her. My impression, even before reading the graphic novel, was that this was the story of a strong determined woman who would fight anyone for her love but I was wrong. She was not a super woman but someone who couldn't survive on her own. Time after time the young farmer protects her from harm. He even cooks for her. The first part of the story is dedicated to their journey. The tone of the story becomes more obscure in the second part. I found it super interesting as it involved a war between clans and political alliances.

Emergency Skin by N.K. Jemisin

Amazing! So we'll written, so optimistic, so hopeful. 

This is a Science Fiction novellette set hundreds of years into the future. A small set of privileged humans, the best of humanity, left earth on the verge of its destruction. They set up colonies in far away planet's and lived according to their principles. For them Earth is dead, nothing could have saved it. However there is something on earth they need to survive, more human tissue/dna? One of those privileged humans is trained and sent to Earth, lightyears away, to get what's needed to save their civilization. He is not alone. He was implanted with a device containing the "dynamic-matrix concensus Intelligence encapsulating the ideals and blessed rationality of our Founders." Hmmm something like an annoying voice telling the human what to do. 

I am impressed by Jemisin prose and story telling skills. So much is contained in this story, a whole world is setup, ideals, philosophical and ethical questions, issues of race, gender, justice, How can we survive in this planet with limited resources? Who are the people who deserve to live in it?

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

A crime noir novel. First in the Philip Marlowe series. It was a great read, well written, easy to read. Marlowe is a fantastic character. He's "awfully tall" 🙂. Marlowe is a private eye. The book starts when he takes a case with an old rich man who is being blackmailed. In less than a day the detective gets involved in a crime. But that is not the worst. There are three women, kind of mysterious, in need of protection, ... perhaps not, they might be more dangerous than the bad guys. Classic femme fatale! Great story, with guns and cigarettes!

Eat, Drink and Be Merry by Dian Girard

A science fiction short story from 1974 about a woman living under the control of a nany-like system which monitors her diet.