“Firebirds Rising: An Anthology of Original Science Fiction and Fantasy”, Sharyn November, editor

This collection was deeply emotional for me on a personal level, both old and new. On one hand, it brought me back (way back) to the time when I first discovered Science Fiction/Fantasy. Science Fiction began as a short-story medium, and excels in that style. I first discovered Sci-fi in collections of stories bound together in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Each tale would take me to a new world, a new experience. In 10 or so pages I would feel transported. The drive-by method of storytelling is quite effective … it challenges you to take the rather large leap to other realities and to think hard about improbable occurrences that exist in the edges of our world. This anthology, one of three by Firebird publishing, lives up to expectations. Mixing well-known authors like Alan Dean Foster with relative unknown writers like Emma Bull creates a rich tapestry of strong voices that tell a range of tales. The authors come from four different English-speaking nations: the UK, Canada, the US & Australia. Each story is followed by a brief biography of the author (and the obligatory website) as well as their “impetus” for writing the story, a fascinating insight that enriches the text. The sixteen stories go from contemporary New York city to the colonization of new worlds with green skies, from G-Rated innocence to some seriously PG-13 language and themes. Some authors, such as Tamora Pierce, explore new territory (but still maintains her strong female themes) while others, such as Nina Hoffman, add dimension to settings and characters present in other novels. The themes are divergent with a small number of connecting threads – most of the protagonists are teenage females with avian and fire imagery woven through. Without doubt, the story that impressed me the most was Emma Klages’ “In the House of the Seven Librarians” which honestly made me cry. Ms. Klages harkens back to the time when libraries were wooden and musty and a bit magical. The library jokes are plentiful throughout and overall, I felt a tremendous “sturm und drang” in reading it. A joy at the memories, a sadness at a kind of necessary loss as the world marches forward. Which leads me to the ultimate irony – this was the first book I ever read as an “eBook”. To read about the loss of a “real” library on a computer was … well ... odd. As to the eBook experience, I’m not sure how I feel about it. On the plus side, there is the convenience of uploading a book from home (say, during a blizzard when the roads are impassible), and the joy of no overdues (the book simply disappears from your device when the 21 days are up), on the other hand, there was some eye-strain (this tome is over 500 pages and I spend an awful lot of my “other life” staring at computer screens) and a strange sense of distractibility – I couldn’t “sink into” the book as I usually do. It’s all a bit of a mystery as to whether I can find the love in this new medium, but I do believe the written word still has power, regardless of where you read it. Reading this book was an interesting experience – both in content and in presentation. Things change … and I’m always up for a new adventure, even if I don’t always embrace the new experiences it brings.

“The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins

FINALLY, a snowstorm (or two, or three) brings me a chance to read this year’s hottest book (it’s this year’s “Percy Jackson”, which was last year’s “Twilight”, etc). It's easy to see the attraction. A long book (at 374 pages), I sped through it. How could you not? The adventure element is the strongest I have seen in a long time. Much like the television show “24” or the twists and turns of Dan Brown’s “Da Vinci Code”, you simply have to turn the page in order to see what happens next. Set in post-apocalyptic America, an autocratic government has set up an homage to the Roman games. Using the young as symbols of their control, they create a reality TV show each year that pits 24 teens against one another in a death match. If it seems extreme, it is – but Ms. Collins is making a point here, and making it well. She deftly weaves the elements together in a complex pattern, taking a solid swipe at modern-day America and our willingness to leave governmental powers running amok so long as we can find our entertainment at the expense of others. It is both perverse and insidiously substantive. Using teens as the proverbial sacrificial lambs is also perfect – most young adult readers will readily connect with the sense of being thrown into a terrifying arena (the real world) and will easily see themselves and those they know in the varied social types presented. The story is not over-written but the details are excellent … every scene has just enough strokes to make it “pop” with meaning and narrative build. The voice is accessible, but nothing is simple. Katniss, the lead character, is a layered young tomboy with shifting emotions. In true bildungsroman fashion, she doesn’t know much of the world and certainly doesn’t know what to think of it as the wider view is presented to her. Suzanne Collins allows her heroine to take the emotional journey, but doesn’t resolve it, nor pass judgment on it. For this, I eternally thank the author. It is realistic writing like this which makes a clearly sci-fi novel more of an everyman tale. Obviously set-up for a sequel, I greatly look forward to reading “Catching Fire”, although, if it is anything like this book, it will be months before I can find it on a shelf. Well, I just signed up for eBooks … maybe I’ll try it that way. This is a book that stays with you, that you think about after having read it. Needless to say, I want to know what happens next.

“Claudette Colvin: Twice Towards Justice” by Phillip Hoose

In addition to winning the National Book Award, this nonfiction title has picked up pretty much every award out there. The story of the 15 year-old girl who really started the Montgomery Bus boycott, it is an important book to share. We all know Rosa Parks and Brown v. Board of Education, how is it we don’t know of Claudette Colvin and Browder v. Gayle? The answer to the first part is that Claudette may have gone before Mrs. Parks, but she wasn’t the poster-girl the civil rights leaders were looking for. The answer to the second is less clear … Browder v. Gayle was the case that ended the boycott by striking down Plessy v. Ferguson not only in the schools, but in public venues like mass transit. Like Brown v. Board of Education, the Browder decision was ignored by the city heads until they received an express letter from Washington making it clear they were to abide by the ruling. The book is excellent in the historical data that is mined and presented – images of all sorts are attractively arranged on the pages. After the opening section, Mr. Hoose manages to avoid my pet-peeve with such works – opinionated preachiness. I maintain that if the story is compelling enough, you don’t need to inject the author’s viewpoint. The story is compelling and told in a direct, clear manner. Voices of those who were there infuse the events, making the reader feel as if they are part of this history. Mr. Hoose did his research well and is deserved for the praise that has been heaped upon him – but he keeps his perspective. When accepting the National Book Award he brought Ms. Colvin onstage with him. Rosa Parks may have been put forward as the shining beacon for a movement, but Claudette Colvin reminds us that those who speak up and speak out for human rights are not always championed. It’s a good lesson for all – that often, those who do the right thing face hardships.

“Stitches” by David Small

This 2009 award-winner is a striking book. A graphic novel memoir, Mr. Small tells the story of his childhood – a troubling time with an emotionally distant father, an angry mother and an undiagnosed health issue that put his life at risk. The artwork is both simple and complex – pen and ink drawings with a gray overwash sets the tone, while the detailed artwork does an excellent job of conveying emotional depths. Tears turn into curtains, rain, and move laterally to become the stairs in Small’s home. The shock of his situation creates faces within faces – the layered meanings all too clear. Mr. Small has a storied career full of notable work. He has created material for everything from The New Yorker magazine to the 2001 Caldecott Medal book, “So You Want to Be President?” but this book is, perhaps, his most impressive. The honesty with which he portrays his childhood is both touching and enlightening. He ends the book with a very specific note of determination and hope, and follows with a succinct epilogue which gives an adult perspective to it all. Quite good and should be a hit with those more mature graphic novel readers who are ready for something to complement the Harvey Pekar works.