Saki Blogs

Title: INFECTED
Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
Author: Scott Sigler
Edition released: 2008
ISBN: 978-0-340-96352-4
340 pages
Reviewed by: Adam Donnison

There is a strange disease going around that has terrifying implications. Seeds falling from the sky have infiltrated a number of people, causing itchy triangular lesions that eventually drive the victim to insanity, homicide and even suicide. A CDC (Center for Disease Control) underling, Margaret Montoya, first identifies the disease and contacts the CIA. Dew Philips, a hardened CIA veteran, has already lost a partner thanks to a deranged victim of the disease and he is torn between his need for revenge and his duty.

Perry Dawsey, an ex-footballer with an attitude problem, is infected and tries to take on the infection himself, becoming more and more paranoid as the effects of the infection take hold.

Time is running short, as when the host dies, the infection releases catalysts that cause the body to quickly self destruct - removing all traces of the foreign bodies. But who created the infection agent? What is it's purpose? And why do the victims go insane.

INFECTED is also known as Infection in its original US release. INFECTED is a traditional alien invasion horror story. It is competently written, with a sense of urgency coming through, and plenty of gore and testosterone to delight the fan, but for me the shortcomings overshadowed what would otherwise be a reasonably entertaining read.

In the opening chapters the "seeds" are consumed by the Demodex mite, and apparently need to have their protective coat destroyed as they pass through the digestive tract of the mite to start their next phase. With less than a minutes research it would be clear that the Demodex mite doesn't have any way of eliminating waste. It doesn't need it. And the thing that really bugged me about this is that it was so unnecessary to the story. What would have been wrong with requiring body warmth and the moisture from sweat? Or the oils from the skin? Or heck, why not the human digestive system?

I also really hated the cliche of the ex Vietnam vet turned CIA operative, running as a lone wolf, bent on revenge for his buddy's demise. Also, why was the CIA involved at all? Apparently this underling from the CDC calls up the local CIA office and is put through the the director and then the President is authorising black ops on US soil? Gimme a break! I'm sure the huge number of fans of Sigler will descend on me for my heresy but there is just too much that is unbelievable in this to make it even a half-way decent story.

Title: EL DORADO
Publisher: Picador
Author: Dorothy Porter
Edition released: 2007
ISBN: 978-0-3304-2304-5
370 pages
Reviewed by: Adam Donnison

I have to admit that I wouldn't have thought it possible to combine poetry and crime fiction, but that is what EL DORADO is - a crime fiction novel written in verse.

EL DORADO follows the police investigation into a serial killer who kills children and places his golden trademark on their foreheads. The investigating officer, Bill Buchanan is starting to run out of ideas and enlists the help of his childhood friend Cath - a Hollywood special effects artist who builds fantasy worlds, and Bill needs to understand the fantasy that the killer has built.

Bill has his problems, an undying love for Cath that isn't reciprocated - well, can't be as Cath is lesbian, a broken marriage, and a teenage daughter in that rebellious phase. All this and a boss on his back because of the media attention, the serial killer mocking him in the daily press.

EL DORADO is a stupendous achievement. The tightly written poetry is superbly crafted into a thriller that is simply stunning. To say that I was taken aback by this story is an understatement. I was blown away. This is poetry without pretence, it is an unflinching look at the horrors within, and is a great crime story to boot. There is beauty in the apparent simplicity of the language, yet power in the imagery that Dorothy coaxes out of each line.

Dorothy Porter is no novice in this realm, with other verse novels such as Akhenaten, The Monkey's Mask, What a Piece of Work and Wild Surmise, along with poetry, young adult fiction and even the occasional libretti. Every reader of any genre needs to read Dorothy Porter to understand the power and beauty of the written word.

Title: SASHA - A TRIAL OF BLOOD AND STEEL
Publisher: Hachette Australia
Author: Joel Shepherd
Edition released: 2007
ISBN: 978-0-7336-2141-3
443 pages
Reviewed by: Adam Donnison

Lenayin is a country divided by religious and ethnic tensions exacerbated by the desire of the ruling class of Verenthanes to take more power in their regions over the Goeren-yai. The king has an uneasy hold on power, only possible by the agreement of the nobles, and deliberately weak so as to not provide an incentive for the nobles to rise against the benevolent rule. The Goeren-yai have for a century endured this situation, however with the fear that the living symbol of their pride - the Udalyn, are likely to be attacked, they look for a leader to unite them.

Sasha is the daughter of the king, but has forsaken all of this to live with the Goeren-yai and to study under the famed warrior Kessligh. Her prowess with the blade has lead the Goeren-yai to see in her the Synnich - the great spirit that may unite them. The Verenthane nobles see a potentially dangerous enemy. Sasha is young, impetuous and untested in battle, and therefore an unlikely leader, but events seem to conspire to cast her in that role.

I really, really liked SASHA. The central character was eminently believable, and complex enough that you could both like and dislike her at the same time. The social themes explored in this book by Joel Shepherd also offers a depth that helps cement this as a great story. It is in some ways a coming of age tale, with Sasha having to confront things that she thought she had put behind her, and to take on responsibilities that are almost overwhelming.

SASHA is a classic grand saga that will please any fantasy fan. It also has depth and character development that will bring new readers to the genre, and ultimately is a great story that will engage and entertain. I found it very hard to put this book down. SASHA is a great read and I look forward to reading the rest of the series.

Title: THE PHILOSOPHER'S APPRENTICE
Publisher: Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Author: James Morrow
Edition released: 2008
ISBN: 978-0-297-85343-5
400 pages
Reviewed by: Adam Donnison

Mason Ambrose realises he has just thrown his PhD out the window, and that there is not a lot of work for failed philosophers. Mason is approached with an interesting proposition, to be paid quite handsomely to teach morals and ethics to a girl who, through a recent diving accident, has lost all sense of right and wrong. Mason is a little reluctant at first, what with the out-of-the-way location on the Isla de Sangre, and the reclusive employer Edwina Sabacthini, but with not a lot of other offers on the table he decides to take the plunge.

Ambrose's student is Londa, Edwina's daughter. A stunning creature with total recall of everything she reads, Londa proves a difficult but extremely capable student. Londa starts to build her moral compass around the lessons, developing a strong sense of justice, which begins to become a problem once Londa moves into the wider world.

THE PHILOSOPHER'S APPRENTICE is an interesting mix, with obvious references to Shaw's Pygmalion, as well as Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau, and perhaps even a nod to The Night of the Living Dead. There is also an underpinning of subtle humour that ties the book together. Morrow has been able to draw on some interesting themes and explore them in an entertaining way.

The book follows Mason's progress as teacher, conscience and in some ways saviour of Londa through his disillusionment and finally a reconciliation of sorts. One main theme that comes immediately to mind is Frankenstein's Monster. But the question is, who is Frankenstein? Edwina or Mason? Or is it simply that a society that treats justice as a commodity is the ultimate evil? Either way, the reader will have a great time finding their way through this journey and reach their own conclusion.

I have just come back from an all company meeting of Sun Australia/NZ, and I must say that I am impressed by their commitment to open source. Coming in as part of the MySQL acquisition, there was a real concern that the open source mantra coming from Sun may not have any substance. Nothing could be further from the truth. In every presentation I've seen, both at this meeting and at other meetings, and in talking to other Sun employees, there is a real will and drive to make sure just about everything in the Sun portfolio is available as open source.

This has given me faith that the integration of MySQL into the stack has real synergies and buy-in from the entire company. It has also made me feel a lot more comfortable in coming from the open source heartland into a company that has multi-billion dollar revenues and tens of thousands of staff worldwide. Sure there will be teething problems. Sure there will need to be a shift of focus for some in the company. Sure there will be scepticism in the wider open source community. None of this will matter though, as open source is no longer the future, it is mainstream, it is now and it is starting to shift perceptions to match the reality on the ground. I feel privileged to be part of a company that has recognised that and is making some bold moves that will no doubt prove successful.

Why the title "Everything Under the Sun"? Have you looked at Sun's portfolio recently? There are very few gaps in what they can offer in the IT arena, from hardware to operating systems to software all the way up to enterprise solutions. I think it is going to be an interesting time.