Isaac Asimov's Nemesis Review
What Caught My Attention -
This book caught my attention in a different way from the last review I wrote. It wasn't about the cover this time around. Even though if I were alive in the 80's I would have been all about this cover. Its colorful, and captivating with the settlement Rotor. The planet Erythro in the front bottom of the cover, and Satellite Megas floating menacing in the background both circling the red dwarf star Nemesis. It's so interesting. I won't lie it does make me want to read it. But the main reason I wanted to read this novel is because Dr. Kit August told me it was written similar to my book, Zathena and the Sky Pirates. So just how is it similar? I had to read it to find out.
The first chapter right-off-the-bat caught my attention because the dialog and story telling was magnificent. Marlene is the name of the first chapter, and with it set off my curiosity to this brand new world. Marlene is a 15 year old who is in love with her best friend Aurinel. (You'd have better luck pronouncing it then I would.) But surprise he doesn't like her like that. (story of meh lyfe.) Although this already sounds so cliched and done oh-so-many times. It's the way Asimov presents this chapter in a way that you need to find out more. Marlene becomes furious with the fact that he mentioned his "true love" that she snaps and tells him the secret of the two-light year away planet, Earth. And that it will be destroyed, she just doesn't know when. Aurinel laughs this off, and thus it starts, Nemesis.
Why I Continued Reading -
The next few chapters are about the leader, Janus Pitt her mother Eugenia which I'll admit I didn't necessarily like at first because I could relate to Marlene so well. I didn't want to hear the story of what brought about Rotor, but I needed to know, so I did and that's how I became so engrossed with this book from the beginning.
Chapter Nemesis is basically the part where they explain how this star is closer to our star then, Alpha Centauri yet none of the other Settlements have found this red dwarf star. Basically there is a dense black cloud in front of the star which dims it making it perceive as if it is further away from Alpha Centauri then it actually is. Also Janus is a jerk-face but I don't want to get into that until I've learned more about him.
In my mind, I picture Janus Pitt as Ron Rifkin and Eugenia as Jennifer Garner. (big fan of the Alias series. but seriously... Julian Sark played in more episodes then Will Tippin? THAN WILL TIPPIN?)
Then there is the chapter, Mother. She describes her child as basically unlovable. Her daughter speaks to her at the dinner table and it is clearly shown that Marlene can see straight through her mother like glass. She knows what she's going to say before she says it and it's expressed by Eugenia that she is frightened by her daughter. Then Marlene says it. She want's to travel to Erythro, and compares it to Earth. Unspoken truths abound in this chapter.
The next chapter was about her Father properly named as such. This chapter took place right before she worked on the Far Probe where her research brought her to discovering the star Nemesis. And then shortly after. This chapter is the love story of how Eugenia found, and fell hopelessly in love with Crile Fisher, Marlene's father. (I also believe this is a funny play on words. Crile... fish...) And how their precious world fell apart when she fought with him, expressing how she hates Planet Earth and how billions of people starve and succumb to violence and that poor Marlene will not suffer the same fate. Another thing I'd like to point out about this chapter, it's told during dinner to Marlene which is Eugenia's first time telling her about her father because she believed she wasn't old enough to know until then.
There are several more chapters like this. Half in the past, half in the present but eventually the past finds the present and you're left with hanging off the edge of your seat in anticipation.
This book had a couple of spots where it was reminiscent of the same feel as our first novel. In the fact that she was forced to stay on Erythro, (even though she loved it there) Because ol' Jerk face, Janis really hoped she would get the plague. Not because he'd have a better understanding of the plague, but because he was hoping she would loose her special perceptive ability. See Janis is a man of secrets, and he doesn't like being looked straight through like a glass sculpture. In another aspect this is like Zathena and the Sky Pirates, is the fact that her Father comes to find her. He's an earth man like stated before, who hates flying. Yet he flies two light-years to see her. (no spoilers)
What I Was Left With -
This novel was so well written and captivating that I did not want to leave it. The Marlene chapters are by far more interesting in my opinion and I dreaded reading about her father until I read a couple of paragraphs further. (then I was hooked). The feel of the planet, the bareness (and possibly the fact that I was inhaling the Barren Moon scent from Adventure Scents) The colors and the explanation to every scientific aspect, never felt at any time over bearing. It was easily written to understand. When there was a scientific point written for rocket scientists, (Which is what this book is about,) It would always be described easily for Crile Fisher who only had a habit of getting in the way. (still a nice well written character). Every time I glance at the books cover art now, I have a since of longing. I too wish to be upon Erythro, its pink water flowing planet and red atmosphere, was breath taking, (even if it was only in my mind). I know as a settlement, Rotor is still orbiting around Erythro and the dwarf star Nemesis. Even though this book is over, I feel I may still dream about it.
Why I Will Return -
I loved this story from the beginning to end. It was difficult to read at first because of the pace, and the fact that this was the first time I read a book with content of this type, and font/page size of this type. I normally stick with Young Adult Science Fiction. With that being said, it was easy to understand, and was very well written. The characters became close to me by the end of it, and I dreaded ending it. In fact the reason this review is a month late, is because of this lone fact. I went from writing two reviews a month, to one because I've become so engrossed in this book, I've been reading it so slowly; that in my mind it can't end, I wont let it. It's going to be hard starting a new novel, I feel like I'm hungover from this book, I won't be able to start a new one. So forgive me if another review is late.
This book is perfect, not only from the year and genre it came from, but from the content. I wish all science courses wrote their text books the way Isaac Asimov wrote this. If they did, no one would complain about reading a text book for class ever again. Heck, let students read this for science class, then debate on whether or not it can happen.
About the Author -
Taken from the back of the Nemesis book,
This book caught my attention in a different way from the last review I wrote. It wasn't about the cover this time around. Even though if I were alive in the 80's I would have been all about this cover. Its colorful, and captivating with the settlement Rotor. The planet Erythro in the front bottom of the cover, and Satellite Megas floating menacing in the background both circling the red dwarf star Nemesis. It's so interesting. I won't lie it does make me want to read it. But the main reason I wanted to read this novel is because Dr. Kit August told me it was written similar to my book, Zathena and the Sky Pirates. So just how is it similar? I had to read it to find out.
The first chapter right-off-the-bat caught my attention because the dialog and story telling was magnificent. Marlene is the name of the first chapter, and with it set off my curiosity to this brand new world. Marlene is a 15 year old who is in love with her best friend Aurinel. (You'd have better luck pronouncing it then I would.) But surprise he doesn't like her like that. (story of meh lyfe.) Although this already sounds so cliched and done oh-so-many times. It's the way Asimov presents this chapter in a way that you need to find out more. Marlene becomes furious with the fact that he mentioned his "true love" that she snaps and tells him the secret of the two-light year away planet, Earth. And that it will be destroyed, she just doesn't know when. Aurinel laughs this off, and thus it starts, Nemesis.
Why I Continued Reading -
The next few chapters are about the leader, Janus Pitt her mother Eugenia which I'll admit I didn't necessarily like at first because I could relate to Marlene so well. I didn't want to hear the story of what brought about Rotor, but I needed to know, so I did and that's how I became so engrossed with this book from the beginning.
Chapter Nemesis is basically the part where they explain how this star is closer to our star then, Alpha Centauri yet none of the other Settlements have found this red dwarf star. Basically there is a dense black cloud in front of the star which dims it making it perceive as if it is further away from Alpha Centauri then it actually is. Also Janus is a jerk-face but I don't want to get into that until I've learned more about him.
In my mind, I picture Janus Pitt as Ron Rifkin and Eugenia as Jennifer Garner. (big fan of the Alias series. but seriously... Julian Sark played in more episodes then Will Tippin? THAN WILL TIPPIN?)
Then there is the chapter, Mother. She describes her child as basically unlovable. Her daughter speaks to her at the dinner table and it is clearly shown that Marlene can see straight through her mother like glass. She knows what she's going to say before she says it and it's expressed by Eugenia that she is frightened by her daughter. Then Marlene says it. She want's to travel to Erythro, and compares it to Earth. Unspoken truths abound in this chapter.
"So, you want to break away from me, as your father did?"
"You drove him away, didn't you, mother?"So. much. drama. I actually thoroughly enjoyed this chapter. It was a bit hard to swallow at first, with all the harsh words Eugenia thought towards her own daughter. I believe she is far too 'book smart' to understand her own 15 year-old's emotions. Until I continued to read.
The next chapter was about her Father properly named as such. This chapter took place right before she worked on the Far Probe where her research brought her to discovering the star Nemesis. And then shortly after. This chapter is the love story of how Eugenia found, and fell hopelessly in love with Crile Fisher, Marlene's father. (I also believe this is a funny play on words. Crile... fish...) And how their precious world fell apart when she fought with him, expressing how she hates Planet Earth and how billions of people starve and succumb to violence and that poor Marlene will not suffer the same fate. Another thing I'd like to point out about this chapter, it's told during dinner to Marlene which is Eugenia's first time telling her about her father because she believed she wasn't old enough to know until then.
There are several more chapters like this. Half in the past, half in the present but eventually the past finds the present and you're left with hanging off the edge of your seat in anticipation.
This book had a couple of spots where it was reminiscent of the same feel as our first novel. In the fact that she was forced to stay on Erythro, (even though she loved it there) Because ol' Jerk face, Janis really hoped she would get the plague. Not because he'd have a better understanding of the plague, but because he was hoping she would loose her special perceptive ability. See Janis is a man of secrets, and he doesn't like being looked straight through like a glass sculpture. In another aspect this is like Zathena and the Sky Pirates, is the fact that her Father comes to find her. He's an earth man like stated before, who hates flying. Yet he flies two light-years to see her. (no spoilers)
What I Was Left With -
This novel was so well written and captivating that I did not want to leave it. The Marlene chapters are by far more interesting in my opinion and I dreaded reading about her father until I read a couple of paragraphs further. (then I was hooked). The feel of the planet, the bareness (and possibly the fact that I was inhaling the Barren Moon scent from Adventure Scents) The colors and the explanation to every scientific aspect, never felt at any time over bearing. It was easily written to understand. When there was a scientific point written for rocket scientists, (Which is what this book is about,) It would always be described easily for Crile Fisher who only had a habit of getting in the way. (still a nice well written character). Every time I glance at the books cover art now, I have a since of longing. I too wish to be upon Erythro, its pink water flowing planet and red atmosphere, was breath taking, (even if it was only in my mind). I know as a settlement, Rotor is still orbiting around Erythro and the dwarf star Nemesis. Even though this book is over, I feel I may still dream about it.
Why I Will Return -
I loved this story from the beginning to end. It was difficult to read at first because of the pace, and the fact that this was the first time I read a book with content of this type, and font/page size of this type. I normally stick with Young Adult Science Fiction. With that being said, it was easy to understand, and was very well written. The characters became close to me by the end of it, and I dreaded ending it. In fact the reason this review is a month late, is because of this lone fact. I went from writing two reviews a month, to one because I've become so engrossed in this book, I've been reading it so slowly; that in my mind it can't end, I wont let it. It's going to be hard starting a new novel, I feel like I'm hungover from this book, I won't be able to start a new one. So forgive me if another review is late.
This book is perfect, not only from the year and genre it came from, but from the content. I wish all science courses wrote their text books the way Isaac Asimov wrote this. If they did, no one would complain about reading a text book for class ever again. Heck, let students read this for science class, then debate on whether or not it can happen.
About the Author -
Taken from the back of the Nemesis book,
Isaac Asimov began his Foundation series at the age of twenty-one, not realizing that it would one day be considered a cornerstone of science fiction. During his legendary career, Asimov penned over 470 books on subjects ranging from science to Shakespeare to history, though he was most loved for his award-winning science fiction sagas, which include the Robot, Empire, and Foundation series. Named a Grand Master of Science Fiction by the Science Fiction Writers of America, Asimov entertained and educated readers of all ages for close to five decades. He died, at the age of seventy-two, in April 1992.
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