Hard-wired for Geek? I'd rather be Softwired....
Sometime ago I read and reviewed 'Virus on Orbis 1', the first in the 'Softwire' books by P J Haarsma. Since then book 2, 'Betrayal on Orbis 2' has been waiting for me to pick it up. I knew that once I had started reading everything else would have to wait so I've been biding my time. Last Friday, though, there was no BSG and I decided that enough waiting was enough, so I dived straight in. The story starts not long after the end of the first book and we are picked up and propelled straight into the next challenge(s) for JT and his friends. As predicted, it proved to be an exciting and all-encompassing read! So much so, that the '100th Post...' almost didn't get posted...
What makes you care?
I've read a lot of books, some brilliant, some good, some bad, some indifferent. The brilliant ones make an impression that stays with you after you finish. Such are the Softwire books. They are very well-written and complete stories but there are so many things that you want to know more about. What happened with the SpaceJumpers? Why are the Nagools the way they are and how is this going to be of importance in the future? Is the whole of Orbis society on the verge of collapse? Of course, there are the obvious questions about what the future holds for JT, Max, Katheria and the other children, whose side is Charlie on and what will Orbis 3 be like? But the thrill for me is the detail of the time and space the Orbis books are set in. The way the society is set up is completely alien yet so believable. The interaction between the characters and their setting. Yes, PJ, I am hooked, so I hope you are well on your way to publishing Book 3 (see what PJ had to say about what is going to happen to JT in Book 3...! )
See, Hear
If you are still wondering whether these award-winning books are for you then how about listening to Chapter 1 of 'Virus on Orbis 1' read by Nathan Fillion? Yes, really! If you go to the Kids Need To Read MySpace page you can hear Nathan read the first chapter and I have to say it is an excellent reading. And you can also see an impressive promo video on P J Haarsma's website. I could watch a whole lot more of that video!
Did you say Cylons?
Well, BSG is back tonight. I'm interested, but not building my hopes up. I know what if I get too excited someone I really like will get the chop. I'm acting cool in the hope that it will save someone's neck. It could work....But on a happier note - do you live near Vancouver? If so, then you are in for a treat this weekend. The 13th Colony (Vancouver's Battlestar Galactica Fan Club) are undertaking a location scouting in the parks on the North Shore to find shooting locations for Caprica, New Caprica and Kobol tomorrow! I meet Val at the Firefly Meetup and she is a great advocate for BSG - and you will probably find that she looks familiar, too. They are meeting at 1.00 so go to their MeetUp page for more information and to sign up.
I found your comments about the believable alien setting in PJ's books very interesting. He has said he created the entire societal system before writing the story and made sure to build everything on the real physics of space. I think it is fascinating how he created a system so unlike any on Earth, but as you say, completely believable.
ReplyDeleteHi Denise,
ReplyDeleteThat makes perfect sense, I must read more from PJ about that. The beauty of PJ's writing is that he gives us a real idea of this alien society but without long tracts of overblown descriptions. The story and action is never compromised.
So, when is Book 3 going to be ready....?!