Russian Amerika - Book Review

Russian Amerika is an alternate history novel written by Stoney Compton.  This is the first book I've read by Compton, who apparently uses Alaska as the setting for most of his tales.  Sometimes, authors feel the need to set the stage for their alternate history stories by showing the exact divergence from our timeline.  Compton takes a different - and, I think, correct - tack by just presenting it as it is and not trying to fill in all details.  We know this world is different from our own, we just don't know exactly what happened.  That's OK with me - the world is described well enough to follow the action, so that's all I need.

In Russian Amerika, the Czar still rules in Russia, the United States lost the Civil War, and North America is split into 9 or 10 smaller entities.  The political situation isn't well defined by the book, but the United States and the Republic of California appear to be allies, and support the revolution that is trying to form the new republic in Alaska.

The action centers around Gregori (Grisha) Grogorievich, a former officer in the Russian equivalent to the French Foreign Legion, who is thrust into the middle of the conflict by circumstances.  What follows is a good adventure yarn, taking us through the revolution.

Technology in this universe is somewhat behind that of our world - late 1980's in the book feels more like 1940 - no jets, limited communications, less sophisticated military equipment.  Because of this, the rebels, led by Native Americans (the Dena) have some success against the Russian forces.

 Grisha is a good protagonist - tough and smart. Circumstances throw him together with the Dena, eventually leading to his important role in the revolution.  The Dena are superb woodsmen, fierce warriors,  and loyal friends, so it's easy to root for the revolutionaries.

I like Russian Amerika, but it's not perfect.  The characters are interesting, but quite black and white.  Every rebel is altruistic and heroic, while the Cossacks are universally evil, with no redeeming qualities whatsoever.  Other Russians are mostly incompetent, except those who convert to the rebel's cause.  Speaking of turncoats, everyone - with one exception I can think of - who goes over to the rebel side is completely converted, and instantly becomes a trusted, valuable member of the revolt.  The Dena Indians are almost superhuman, possessing incredible fighting and tracking skills, and able to withstand torture without cracking.

The battle sequences are entertaining, but a bit hard to believe.  Small, ragtag bands of heroic guerrillas succeed by sabotage and subterfuge, not by fighting pitched battles with enemy infantry when they're badly outnumbered and outgunned.  To be fair, the rebels get some valuable help, which makes this a little easier to believe, but it still seems as though their success comes a little too easily.  To me, it would be a bit more believable if the technology level was lower - say about equal to that availble during our Civil War.  That would even up the playing field a little, and make the rebel's victory more plausible.

I'd also like to see more character development.  Grisha is a three-dimensional character, but many others are less fleshed out.  I'd like to see a sympathetic Cossack - not agreeing with his superior's methods, but powerless to do anything about it.  In any revolution, there are good and bad guys on both sides - I'd like to see a little more of that.

All that being said, this is still an entertaining yarn.  There are a lot of interesting characters, and the action certainly keeps your attention.  In many ways, it reminds me of Eric Flint's 1632 series (although that is a better book, IMHO), in that it presents an extremely optimistic view of the events.  That's OK - we know this isn't a history book, and who's to say it COULDN'T go like that?  If there's no great message behind this story, it's still fun to read.  There's at least one sequel, which has the potential to further develop characters and plot lines.  This is a simple book that tells an entertaining story - worth the time if you like an adventure story.

Book Review - Brain Twister

I have never been a big fan of audio books, but lately we've been listening to some books while we travel (mainly Janet Evanovich's Stephanie Plum series), and it really does help to make the trip go faster.  These are light hearted adventure/romance novels - more funny than suspenseful.

Recently, I made a trip by myself.  Rather than continue the book Theresa and I had started, I decided to download something different that she might not appreciate.  I had access to download some free audio books from LibriVox, so I figured I could find something I'd like.  Since I like old science fiction, I looked through the selections of that genre, and picked Brain Twister, by Mark Phillips.  Mark Phillips is actually a pseudonym for two writers - Randall Garrett and Laurence M. Janifer, who collaborated on this book.

Many old science fiction books are not great, so I wasn't expecting much when I started to listen to it.  Before I could get into the story, I had to become accustomed to the reader.  Some of the mannerisms I found annoying - especially a couple of the voices used for different characters - but soon got used to it and it didn't bother me at all before long.

The story revolves around an FBI agent, Kenneth Malone, who is assigned the task of finding a telepathic spy.  Since there are no known telepaths in the world, he has to find one - searching from one insane asylum to the next - ending up with a gang ranging from the delusional to the catatonic.  The highest-functioning of the group is a little old lady who just happens to think she's immortal.  Oh, yeah - she also believes she's Queen Elizabeth the First!  Of course, the only way to get her cooperation is to humor her, and she leads the FBI around by the nose.

Malone is a stereotypical tough-guy G-Man - hard drinking, lady killer, and all that - but he's never quite in control of this caper.  I love it when the too-good-to-be-true hero struggles to keep it together.   Brain Twister is a pleasant story, with a nice mystery and a clever twist at the end.  There's not a ton of action, but it's funny, and the characters are interesting and likable, so it holds your attention.  If you're looking for something light and entertaining, it's worth checking out.

Brain Twister received a Hugo nomination in 1960, so there are a few things that don't fit in this world - I don't recall an "atomic rocket to the moon" - but those are incidental to the story.  For the most part, the plot works, and could be set in any decade easily enough.  The most obvious signs that this was written in the middle of the last century lie mainly in the lack of strong women or minority characters - except of course for "Queen Elizabeth". 

The audio book format won't ever replace the printed version, at least for me.  It does, however, provide a pleasant way to pass the time while you're mowing the lawn, driving, or engaged in some similar activity that won't allow you to read.  LibriVox is a great way to try it out without spending any cash, and most new releases are available for a fee at iTunes, or similar sources.