FACT SF Reading Group

August 2009

August 3: The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R King

Sixteen people attended this gathering at the North Village Branch of the Austin Public Library, including two first timers who had found us on the Austin Public Library web page listing.

Several attendees had read Laurie R. King previously and were glad to be given the opportunity to discuss her first Sherlock Holmes novel. One reader was not thrilled at this selection and wanted to know how this fit into a reading group of science fiction and/or fantasy. The view of a number of attendees was that the books presented an alternative and perhaps secret history. While this answer seemed to be in agreement with most of the folks who were in attendance it still did not work for one individual. We disagreed to disagree on why it was being read in the FACT reading group and then began in our typical discussion protocol.

Everyone chimed in on how the setting post-World War I was instrumental in the background and how issues that began during the war lead to all types of transformations in its aftermath: the use of new technology, shifting of cultural norms between men and women, adjustments of the class structure and the amends to a strong female character including a strong feminist tone from the American outsider.

The first reader stated it was an odd mystery, but not a typical mystery, as many social injustices were played out and many social aspects were openly exposed.

The next couple of readers declined to actively participate as they had not yet read the book.

Another reader thought it was well written but lacked proper historical details and the slant of sociology was interesting, but he did enjoy the book.

The next reader gave a brief history of the book; how it had won the Edgar award for first novel, and how well the author has done since this novel. He then mentioned the timeframe given in the book was unusual and how a major character had his world view changed by the end of this book.

Another reader enjoyed the book and would probably read the next in the series.

One person said it was easy to read and liked the plucky young heroine.

Our next reader said the book was boring having read the author?s previous work, Grave Talent, and was quite taken aback by the differences in writing style.

A new member of the group gushed how much she like this book and how the book made the oftentimes boring character, Sherlock Holmes come alive. She then commented on the many layers of the book and how well they all conversed in the final chapters.

The next comments came from a longtime reader of mysteries and he thought the characters were handled differently than most mysteries he had read previously.

Our next reader stated the book was just a mystery, nothing new and exciting but a fair read.

Another voice in our discussion admitted she has always been a fan of Sherlock Holmes and thought the staging of this book would appeal to most readers; she also commented that distancing of certain characters was interesting.

One reader wondered if this was a young adult novel at first, and it gave a different perspective of post WWI. He also commented on the range of expanded vocabulary and the different words used to depict a mood or tone.

Several other readers echoed many of the previous comments and one said how they enjoyed the physical action scene at the end. Other readers wondered if the action was physically possible.

Most of those attending liked the book and said they would read the next book in this series to follow the lives of the characters. While it may not be the typical science fiction or fantasy book it was a change from what we normally read.

Afterward many of us then went to dinner at Waterloo Ice House just north of the library.

---Karen Meschke

Substitute for an ill AT Campbell

August 16: The Accidental Time Machine by Joe Haldeman

This meeting was held at ArmadilloCon.  We had eleven attendees, include two first-timers and a former regular visiting from out of town. All of us had read Haldeman before. We all started and finished this book.

One person felt that the book’s opening with Matt, the perennial graduate student, was spot on. Matt was typically spending more time on lab work than his research. This reader felt that Matt jumped too quickly to the realization that his invention was a time machine.  The “only jumping forward” nature of the machine allowed the author to avoid time travel paradoxes.  And this reader found the book’s ending was clever in a surprise development between the protagonist and his thesis advisor.

Another commented that the MIT campus is almost a character in the book. Much of the action is set there, and the evolution of the campus is used as a touchstone for the progress of time.  This reader wished the book had more science, and wanted the main character to be more inquisitive. He was surprised that the author tackled religion in this story.

Yet another liked the book. She said she usually likes time travel stories. She thought the book’s robot religious figure was a nice touch. She appreciated how the protagonist’s traveling companion, Martha, got smarter and more educated as the book developed.

One person liked this book’s novel approach of time travel intervals increasing logarithmically. She felt this gave the story dramatic tension.  She liked the use of a bank vault as transportation, and was surprised how everything wrapped up at the end.

One person felt this book read like a rewrite of H. G. Wells. He found the protagonist less interesting than usual for Haldeman. Matt wasn’t particularly brilliant, but things just kept happening to him.

Another felt it was Haldeman’s best book in years. She was initially put off by the main character, but felt he got nicer and more respectable.

One reader simply is not a fan of time travel stories. He liked this book’s academic setting and good writing, but just found the story not to his taste.

The reader who recommended this book felt it was one of Haldeman’s best. He thought it was clear that the author endeavored to write a novel that worked within modern physics.  He found the prose was impeccable.

Overall we liked this book a great deal, and it was a fun discussion. After the meeting, most of us went to Howard Waldrop’s closing reading at ArmadilloCon.

---A. T. Campbell, III