I thought it
best to make more of an effort with my blog so please tune in more often. The
thing is I only use it to post short stories and don’t get much time to plot
them all. So here goes with a more “book review,” set of posts where I write
about some of my favourite reads. They will include the mainstream and the
self-published, novels, short stories, fiction and nonfiction, comics, graphic
novels, books my kids enjoy and well, anything really; no borders here;
whatever I feel like (my blog my prerogative alright?!)
Although I’m
quite eclectic in my tastes of art and literature I admit to having a keen
fondness for science fiction. I was six years old when my Dad took me to see
Star Wars at the cinema so I guess I was the right age for it to have a massive
influence. I often try to explain the significance of Star Wars to people
younger than myself. How it transformed the cinema experience and the way we
see science fiction. Although with the influx of modern CGI for space
adventures, the huge overkill that has developed around Star Wars itself with
its many pastiches and various licencing deals it hard to get over the
originality and impact it had at the time.
I often read
science fiction in hope it will open me up to a fantasy world as creative as
Star Wars, sure its originality can come into question, the basic Chinese
philosophy of Yin and Yan, the fundamental plot being similar to fairy tales, a
princess trapped in a castle by a dark knight is rescued by a good knight, but
you cannot deny it its creative flair and besides that is another Pandora’s box
entirely.
I found an
even more in-depth fantasy world with Frank Herbert’s Dune series of which
although the film confused me at a tender age I had kind of forgotten it by the
time I read the book. It too though lends itself of tales of knights and
castles, courts and chivalry. It was then I began reading the likes of Philip K
Dick’s imaginative and experimental short stories of which so many Hollywood
sci-fi epics are taken. Further on I begin to pick up on Arthur C Clarke’s 2001
and thereafter series, a more subtle world of real science theory expanded by
futurism. Then I read this quite interesting but all the same fairly cliqued
book by the prolific writer Marion Zimmer Bradley and it came a time I felt to
try and discover someone a bit different.
So I used
the net to find a list of the top science fiction books and some geek site
suggested that the number one was a book strangely called “Flowers for Algernon,”
by Daniel Keyes. It didn’t sound like spaceships blowing each other apart and I
was surprised to note that a book I had never heard of before topped over the
obvious Frank Herbert, Arthur C Clarke and K Dick. So I gave it a go, reading
no synopsis or spoiler which I figure is the best way. Today I cite this book
as one my favourites of all time, regardless of genre and although it’s
categorised quite rightly as science fiction it is so much more than this. It
is sad, intriguing and exceptionally thought provoking. The work of a genius
without doubt but when you start it you will wonder how I came to this
conclusion. The reason being that its written in an epistolary style, being
that of personal notes that are written most simply with atrocious spelling and
grammatical errors (even worse than my own!) as if it was scribbled down by a
child or perhaps a simpleton. The latter you soon discover is the fact as the
character, Charlie tells of his excitement of certain tests the doctors are
carrying out on him. They are using some surgical technique to improve his
intelligence. It works for the lab mouse Algernon and he is very motivated in
his own simplistic way to the success of the experiment.
As the test
takes effect the writing improves as Charlie becomes more intelligent but his
life is turned into turmoil as he attempts to continue his existence as he once
did. He realises how badly he is treated by work colleagues and ends up being
pushed out of his job. He tries to build a sexual relationship with one of the
doctors he has a crush on but learns this would not be possible due to her
intellectual level and so he scores with an artist neighbour of his and deals
with the ups and downs of a sexual relationship. He confronts all the aspects
of his past that were once confusing to him, his relationship with his parents
and sister who fail to understand just what he turned into.
However as
time progresses he not only catches up with an average IQ but surpasses it and
then surpasses his doctors and scientists. Then he begins his own research into
the project, adding his own angle and in study of Algernon the mouse he comes
to realise that his intelligence boost is only temporary and his mind
deteriorates back to its former retarded state. It is heart-breaking to see the
language of the writing return to the standard it began at and come to terms
with the fact that he is losing the ability to figure out basic things.
I guarantee
the book is something quite unlike anything you have ever read before, it’s
emotional and so thought-provoking, it’s magical and inventive and I find
myself wondering just how one goes about drafting something so technical. I
believe they made a film based upon it called “Charley,” never seen it, don’t
think I want to but it did remind me of another film in the early 1990s called
“The Lawnmower-Man,” although that movie lends more to special effects than the
philosophy of the idea.
During
reading it I tried to explain its excellence to the wife but it just came out
in mumbles and flustered riddles, I was so trapped in the bubble of the
character and could not define just how intense and amazing it was!
In
researching this today I discovered that Daniel Keyes died aged 86 on the 18th
of this month (June 2014.) An almost unheard of genius, please give this book a
read whether you like sci-fi or not, you will not regret it………….
If you liked this idea of me babbling on about
my favourite reads please let me know by commenting and liking as it will spur
me onto to write more.
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