Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Booklist

Orbit by John J. Nance - America has finally entered the private space race as average citizens get to experience the thrill of orbiting earth. Kip Dawson wins a chance to orbit with a private company called ASA. His marriage is on the rocks and his relationship with his kids is not good but he can't pass up this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Once in space, things go horribly wrong. (As they tend to do in these types of novels) The pilot is killed and Kip is left alone with no way back to earth. He records his life via laptop and is unaware that it is being streamed live to earth. Soon everyone on the planet is captivated with Kip's story and whether he will live or die.
I have enjoyed Nance in the past but this one seemed too long even at a brisk 275 pages. The way it was written, it could have been an awesome novella but as it was it seemed about 100 pages too long. Also, the things Kip revealed about himself via computer were inconsequential to me. I wanted more depth, more regret, more meaty matters for Kip to confess and for the world at large to chew on. Nance follows the rescue effort too much and Kip too little. A fair read but not what I expect from Nance.
Route 666: Highway of Horror by Tony Bedard and Karl Moline - A horror comic? Gasp! When will I grow up? Never. I love graphic novels and this is a good one. Carrie Starkweather witnesses the freakish death of a friend and uncovers a plot that involves dead bodies, monsters and ghosts. She also discovers her "gift" via an after death visit by her grandfather. As the body count rises, Carrie races to discover what the plot is, how to stop it and, most importantly, how to use her gift.
This one is pretty good. It would make a killer movie although the whole story hasn't played out and I have no idea how it ends. I will have to track down other volumes (if they exist) to find out what happens to Carrie.

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