Book Review: Dangerous Visions 2

Title - Dangerous Visions 2

Author - Several Authors

Year - 1967

Stand Alone or Series - Anthology Part of Series

Pages - 207

Reading Time - Read from September 05 to 06, 2012

Review

This was a collection of stories published in 1967 that were groundbreaking because it contain stories no-one wanted or dared to published. The term was called New-wave of Science Fiction and it included sex in their stories. Some of the stories are quite good others I didn't felt anything (maybe because I belong to a new generation and some issues are treated some other way nowadays).

The Man Who Went to the Moon — Twice by Howard Rodman

This story touched me and maybe in a different way of the writer. It reminds me of somthing that happens nowadays that didn't happen 10 or 15 years ago. In those days I went to the street and play with other children. We knew everyone on the building we used to live and most of the people we saw on that area. Nowadays people don't know anyone and the children don't go outside to play. They stay indoors. 7/10

Faith of Our Fathers by Philip K. Dick

An interesting tale about the use of drugs and a alternative history where communist rules everyone and the party leader is not entirely what people think.

The Jigsaw Man by Larry Niven

This novel deals with compulsatory donation by the criminals. With high demands the justice lowers the bar even more. Our "hero" is imprisioned and we don't know why. After he escapes because he thinks that his punish is unfair he goes on a rapage and damage the Organ harvesting facility. Caught he is not even charged because they know his first crime is sufficient. And the crime is as banal as Traffic Violation. The afterword by the author is quite interesting as well as he dwells about the all issue. 8/10

Gonna Roll the Bones by Fritz Leiber 

This tale is about a gambler and his troubled mind. I didn't felt connected. For me the worst story of the bunch... and it was voted for the Hugo and Nebula awards for Best Novelette). 3/10

Lord Randy, My Son by Joe L. Hensley

Eutopia by Poul Anderson

This story deals with an alternative history where the nations are divided in races. Our hero is trying to escape a realm because he is being acused of something and he just wants to get home to "Nikki". The last sentence we understand that our main character is a guy and "Nikki" is also a man. Good story with a trend on homoseuality. A theme not so usual in fiction at that time... 7/10

Incident in Moderan and The Escaping by David R. Bunch

This are two tales in no way connected but as we read the afterword we learn that they are connected but not in the strict sense. The first story is quite good. The second .. meh.

The Doll-House by James Cross (pseudonym)

This was probably my favourite story. A guy tries to get some money from his uncle but instead he gives him a dollhouse. A dollhouse with a seer in it. The uncle says that the seer will give him answers but he must beware because some are quite cryptic. I really enjoy this tale. My favourite tale of the lot. 9.5/10

Sex and/or Mr. Morrison by Carol Emshwiller

This was another good tale and the only one by a lady. Our narrator is a middle aged woman that stalks a man in his own house hiding as he arrives, reads or taking a bath. I enjoyed but I am sure I didn't fully understand what the writer was trying to say. Nevertheless it's a good story. 7/10

Shall the Dust Praise Thee? by Damon Knight

This story is in this anthology because it's a atheist story. Nowdays cmmmon but I believe that atheism was seen a different way in the 60's. God and His angels arrive for the Apocalypse just to find that there wasn't life on Earth. Everything had perish due to natural causes and a nuclear war. This tale ends with the phrase written in a rock "We were here. Where were You?" Quite good. 8/10

I found out that this collection is indeed good and I must read the others. I particulary enjoy reading the prefaces by Harlan and the afterword by the writer himself. Quite interesting 7/10

Review: Dark Apostle - Anthony Reynolds

Title Dark Apostle

Author Anthony Reynolds

Year 2007 

Stand Alone or Series First in Word Bearers Trilogy

Pages 416

Reading Time September 06 to 19, 2012

Synopsis

Driven on by dark visions, Dark Apostle Jarulek of the Word Bearers and his force lay waste to the Imperial planet of Tanakreg. After brutally enslaving the population, they set them to work building a monstrous, kilometres-high tower. What is the Word Bearers' vile purpose, and can they achieve it before the Imperial forces arrive to reclaim the planet?

Review

This is the second time I read this novel. I still remembered the main plot even if the characters names had eluded me. 

Dark Apostle follows the story of a Warband of Word Bearers, the most fanatical of the Chaos Space Marines Legion. As you know, they don't follow a single chaos god but the pantheon. This particular Warband is led by the Dark Apostle Jarulek as they attack the Imperial Planet of Tanakreg. There they must find the PDF and built an moumental tower called the Gehemahnet. Usually this towers are built as they let the fiends from the Warp go through the material world.

This warband is quite large with thousand space marines. They are led by Kor Badar the Coryphaus (symbolic title granted to the most trusted warrior). There is also Marduk the first Acolyte who was learning with Jarulek to form a warband of his own. Marduk's first warrior was Burias/Dark'Shal, the Icon Bearer. This space marine was part daemon part human. There is also the Dreadnought Warmonger who fell in Calth in HH. Of all dreadnought he is the most sane, even if he has lapses and still thinks he is fightining in the Horus Heresy alongside Lorgar.

On the other side of the war you've got Varnus who we witness his fall from the light of the emperor, through the construction of the damned tower and in the end fighting the imperial guard.

There are also other small characters from the Adeptus Mechanicus and the Elysians Imperial Guard. They are famous for fighting from the skies and not the imperial trenches.

I really enjoy this novel from the begining of the attack until the end when the necrons are awaked. 

Until the very end of the novel we don't know why the Word Bearers are striking the planet and building a Gehemahnet and why the Adeptus Mechanicus are so eager to defeat the Chaos Space Marines.

Criticisms

It seems that the Chaos Space Marines were dying in masses but their ranks were replenish from where? I thought there were only 2000 chaos space marines in that battle

What happened to all that gene-seed and armour? Dozens of Rhinos, Land Raiders, Dreadnoughts, Terminator armour were left in that planet. How are the Word Bearers replenish their ranks?

Praises

The fall of Varnus

The Conflicts within the Host

The images Reynolds gave us of the battle scenes, Gehemahnet and chaos description.

Notable Quotes

Dark Apostle & First Acolyte

"The way you appear to the Host is paramount, First Acolyte," he remember Jarulek lecturing him. "Always you must project an aura of authority and religious awe. We are beyond the warrior-brothers of the Legion, we are the chosen of the gods, exalted by Lorgar's eyes and raised beyond the morass of lower warrior. Our warriors must worship us. And Why? We must appear glorified and exalted so that always we can inspire uter devotion in the Host. A warrior fuelled with faith lights with twice the hatred and twice the strenght of one that does not, and he will fight past the point when he would otherwise give in to death. A dark apostle must always inspire such devotion in his flock" said Jarulke, his eyes filled with passion and belief. "That is the reason that we need a Coryphaus, Marduk. The Dark Apostle must be separate and aloof from the Host to maintain the utter devotion of the warrior brothers. He must not be one of them, he must be beyond them. The Coryphaus is the war leader of the Host. For once you take on the mantle of Dark Apostle, you must be one apart from the Legion. Always you must project a holy aura that will inspire utter, fanatical loyalty and devotion."

Mechanicus

(After The Mechanicus ask the General of the Elysians for their dead and wounded so they could fuel their own Skitarii troops)

"There really is not an ounce of humanity left in you is there, you wretched, base machine?" Said Havorn, his voice trembling with emotion.

"Correction. There are exactly thirty-eight Imperial weight units of living flesh and tissue upon my frame, Brigadier-General Ishamel Havorn. I am neither wretched nor bas, althought their usage in such a context is a new piece of data memory to be stored. And I thank you for calling me "Machine", though I am not yet so fully esteemed within the priesthood of Mars as to become truly one with Omnissiah"

"You answer magos," said Havorn," is that you can go and burn in hell before I hand over any of my soldiers to you, dead or alive.

Seeing no immediate response forthcoming from the magos, he added,"That means no, tou cold hearted bastart".

Conclusion

Nice adition to the Chaos Space Marines and the first trilogy dedicated wholesome to them. Truly good. I really want to dig in the next two novels as we see how Marduk will handle the mantle of Dark Apostle and fighting between the host fanatic devotion to late Jarulek. 8/10