Kruse's Key: Read "SuperNova Era" to See a World Ruled by Children

I first encountered Chinese mega author Liu Cixin on then President Obama's reading list published in the New York Times here.  He recommended Cixin's Three Body Problem--a fantastic book that I reviewed here: Kruse's Keys: Read The Three-Body Problem" To Discover China's Top Sci-Fi Writer.  

Cixin published the Three-Body Problem several years after Supernova Era and it's reflective of his growth as a writer.  Put simply, Supernova Era is not as polished and developed as his later work. That said, I tore through this quick-paced narrative in a two days.  The premise is intriguing--a supernova event (I think that's what it is at least--the technical science in the book was way over this English major's head) occurs that kills off the entire adult population in a matter of months. A cycle of hope, order, chaos, war begins as the children harness technology to govern in ways both frightening and eye-opening.  

Looking for book ideas? Check out our 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014 reading lists!

Kruse's Keys: Read "The Three-Body Problem" To Discover China's Top Sci-Fi Writer

*(Audible read)

Last Christmas, I came across a New York Times article titled Obama’s Secret to Surviving the White House Years: Books.  It was published back in January 2017 as President Obama prepared to leave the White House. In it the former president revealed some of his favorite reads from his time in office--Liu Cixin's "The Three-Body Problem" was one of them.  I've always enjoyed the escapism and imaginative challenge of science fiction (e.g., Orson Scott Card, Hugh Howey etc.) and was intrigued by the notion of  Liu Cixin being the most popular science fiction writer that you've never heard of...because he'd only been recently translated into English.

"The Three-Body Problem" is a trippy novel that's not easily summarized and it's easy to get lost in the more technical aspects that Cixin explores in depth (i.e., nanotechnology, metaphysics, quantum mechanics etc.), particularly when listening to it in 45 minutes blocks on Audible in D.C. traffic over a month's time).  The basic premise, though, is that a technologically superior alien civilization has decided to colonize earth.  The story, however, unfolds amidst a narrative that jumps from the 1960's Chinese cultural revolution, to present day China, to an online VR world/game that the aliens may be using as a communication mechanism.  This is a book that requires mental engagement but one which rewards the reader with a gripping story that readers will grapple with long after they've finished the novel's last pages.

See our 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014 Reading Lists.

Key References:
How Chinese Sci-Fi Conquered America (NYT Magazine)
Supernova Era (latest novel from Liu Cixin)
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2019/06/24/liu-cixins-war-of-the-worlds?verso=true

Kruse's Keys: Read "Beacon 23" to Learn How to Prevent an Alien Invasion

(Audible)
Hugh Howey never disappoints--his books are a welcome respite from much of the drier reading that I do related to my work as an Africanist and Foreign Area Officer.

In "Beacon 23", Hugh Howey takes us for a ride with a PTSD'd out alien-fighting grunt turned (interstellar) lighthouse keeper.  Yes, Howey imagines a future in which "lighthouse beacons" are placed amidst warp speed preventing asteroid belts.  The lighthouse keepers control a device that, when activated, allows ships to pass through the asteroid belts without collision.  Without that device activated, any passing ship will obliterated.  Couple this setting with a pending alien invasion and a possible love interest and you've got "Beacon 23"--a great story you'l devour.

See our 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015 and 2014 Reading Lists.

Related Fiction:
If you're looking to branch out on the sci-fi front, check out "The Three-Body Problem" by Cixiun Liu who is pretty much the most famous sci-fighter writer in China.

Kruse's Keys: Read "Artemis" For Fast-Paced Ready for the Big Screen Action*

NOTE: I don’t typically provide the set Kruse’s Keys set of notes for books that I listen to on Audible.  It’s pretty much impossible/dangerous to take notes while driving so I instead try to jot down my overall impression.

I read author Andy Weir’s blockbuster debut novel The Martian back in 2015 (before the movie) and loved it (I also loved the movie).  So when Artemis came out I added it to my Audible queue.

Artemis is the name of the colony/city/development located on the moon at some point in the future.  The story focuses on a young smuggler/dreamer named Jazz.  As the daughter of an immigrant from Saudi Arabia, she was pretty much raised on the moon and has developed a pirat-ish code of conduct aimed at eventually moving her up in the stratified social order of life on Artemis.

Early on, Jazz is offered a deal that’s too good to be true (of course) and hijinks ensue.  The narrative moves quickly with dialogue and action but Jazz irked me--she comes across as a little bit too enamored with just how cute and clever and irreverent she is (or rather, thinks she is).  This lack of humility and maturity grated me as the story progressed--in fact it ended up distracting from the novel itself at times.

One gets the sense that Weir wrote this novel to become an eventual movie--rather than to exist on its own.  The voice that reads the Audible version, for instance, is the actress Rosario Dawson.  This likely drives the reader to envision what one hears in the realm of a movie on the big screen.  But you know what, I’d probably be doing the same thing if I possessed his drive and talent so good on him.

So Jazz’ personality aside, Weir has done what talented authors do: create a previously unknown world and open its door to readers everywhere.  Buckle up.

The Shell Collector: My Notes and Kindle Highlights--Read It Because Howey Is One of the Best Thriller Writers Out There Today

Complete 2015 Reading List

Read It Because: The same reason you read all of Howey's books--they are thrilling speedy reads with a driving narrative that grips you from the first few pages.  That said, this isn't his best but I applaud his efforts in branching out of his comfort zone.  This tale might be categorized as an "eco-thriller.  You won't see too many highlights below because Howey isn't Faulkner (thankfully), nor does he aspire to be.  I will continue to happily buy and read everything he writes.

The Shell Collector by Hugh Howey

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Last annotated on December 20, 2015

The sudden infusion of so much threatens to cheapen the intense enjoyment of so little.Read more at location 1211