"It's America in 1962. Slavery is legal once again. The few Jews who still survive hide under assumed names. In San Francisco the I Ching is as common as the Yellow Pages. All because some 20 years earlier the United States lost a war—and is now occupied jointly by Nazi Germany and Japan."   This harrowing, Hugo Award-winning novel is the work that established Philip K. Dick as an innovator in science fiction while breaking the barrier between science fiction and the serious novel of ideas. In it Dick offers a haunting vision of history as a nightmare from which it may just be possible to awake."

Mr.Wonderful Writes:

This was a book recommended to me by, I believe, Donald Bain. While not quite as "harrowing" as the publisher above writes, this two hundred fifty-two paged trade paperback is a good read. And unlike Neuoromancer (written twenty three years after) Hugo Award Winning The Man in the High Castle did not become dated. "High Castle" is an alternate history tale where Japan and Germany won WWII and the spoils of war were the America everyone loves to hate. The Nazi's pursue space exploration, the moon (Luna), Mars and any Jews they missed during Hermann Goering's roundup for the Reich's Final Solution. As you might suspect, their thirst for the conquest of planet Earth is not yet quenched. Their allies, occupiers of the western half of these United States (PSA), the Japanese, rebuild our cities, codify racism and remain mostly benign dictators. They inculcate American society with the I Ching a sacred Eastern text that adherents believe can predict the future. While the best selling book of the day, "The Grasshopper Lies Heavy", tells its own alternate history of an England and America who won the war. The plot, the scenery and the characters could not have enjoyed a more exquisite development than they did under the pen of Philip K. Dick. And, while the ending, for your Mr.Wonderful anyway, was disappointing, I still can highly recommend, whether you are a science fiction fan or not, that you read this book.

Begun: 08/19/2005   Finished: 08/27/2005

Also Enjoy:  Revelation Space  by Alistair Reynolds

"The author or coauthor of more than 80 books in a variety of genres, Bain is still not a household name. In this engaging look at his writing career, Bain introduces readers to the fast-paced life of a ghostwriter-a career that requires taking credit for not taking credit. Part chameleon, part businessman, Bain prides himself on his professionalism, his work ethic and his ability to keep his ego in check. Whether writing comedies, westerns, historical romance, crime novels, biographies, investigative journalism or novelizations of the popular Murder, She Wrote TV series, his attitude never changes. 'Whatever I'm writing at the moment is the most important thing I'll ever write, and maybe the last . . .' "

Mr.Wonderful Writes:

As you can tell from my below 'begun' and 'finished' dates, I found this book a quick read. (I also found a misspelling on page eighteen where instead of 'powdered milk' it reads: 'powered milk.' I'd like some of that stuff.) If you didn't long to be a writer before you read this book, you may want to be one after you flip closed the book at page 233. You read that far, past the body of the book, hoping to find the twenty-four books author Bain has ghost written that weren't listed earlier. They aren't here either. They remain a secret. From May until October, living and laboring in the blistering heat of Scottsdale, Arizona, I find the life of a writer who is not tied to any particular locale, extremely appealing. One of the attractions of Don Bain's writing is, that while he makes it clear that he is a Liberal, he doesn't ram his ideology up the pupils of his readers. Unlike some authors, writing in a purportedly apolitical genre, who insist on coloring their work with extreme partisanship, and then wonder why they don't gain wider acclaim. (What political party was Ian Fleming or is Michael Crichton?) Some anecdotes in the book caused me to break out laughing, especially when, as a movie host on live and local TV, he transposed the beginning letters of actor Forrest Tucker's name when he announced the movie. An odd thing was, prior to pulling Every Midget has an Uncle Sam Costume: Writing for a Living out of my stack of Bedstand Books and prior to even knowing his name, I had circled in red ink one of Don Bain's titles which was discounted to $2.95 in my Hamilton Books newspaper. The reason I was drawn to that particular book was that I was going to send it to a forever-ex-flame with whom I once had an incredibly passionate, but illicit, liaison. And the rational for me sending this particular paperback was that the title included the aforementioned lady's exact name. One thing is obvious, and that is Don Bain loves to write. And while his life never went perfect - he once had a person he had declared dead, introduce himself as clearly being alive - he never dwells on the unbearable hardships of the profession. Every 'defeat' to writer-Bain was just another lesson learned. Donald Bain's memoir is far more upbeat that Stephen King's On Writing and the contrast between the two books goes a long way towards explaining why Mr. King writes the kinds of books he does. He explains publisher's advances, contracts, negotiations and royalties, but in such a way that even a writer can understand them. He also reveals that ghost-written books are promoted as if the person they are written about actually wrote them. And that some (many?) anecdotes in any of these 'co-authored' autobiographies may even be from the life of the actual writer, i.e., the ghost writer. Don Bain talks about how ". . . the computer represented freedom, encouraging me to rewrite, to change and then change again sentences, paragraphs, whole chapters, and complete manuscripts . . ." and how having the PC-powered capability of easy revision, makes us all better at our craft. And that really hit home with me, because by the time you read this review, I will have spent at least three hours making it as concise and as informative as I can. That's something that would not happen if I was using even a self-correcting typewriter. On book reviews, he mentions how some reviewers (Kirkus Reviews) must say something bad about a book or they feel as if they haven't done their job. Mr.Wonderful was moved to commit the immense amount of time and effort to pen his reviews, not to put down other writers, but to, Number one: prove how much smarter than everyone else I am. (Which in turn should attract a wealthy live-in lover and gourmet cook. She would be adorned with shoulder-length, natural red hair, blessed with the ageless beauty of Greer Garson, a genius IQ and believing that professional sports are far less important than financial security, retirement, hopes and dreams. And if not, Morgan Fairchild will do.) And Number two: because I was so tired of reading book reviews that revealed not an informative word about the book being reviewed that could help with the reader's 'buy', 'not buy' decision. Every Midget has an Uncle Sam Costume should be in the reference library of every writer. For non-authors-to-be, EMHAUSC is the single book to read if you wish to learn what the life of a successful writer is about.

Begun: 08/12/2005   Finished: 08/13/2005

"The long-awaited new novel by the award-winning, bestselling author of Startide Rising and The Uplift War - an epic novel set fifty years from tomorrow, a carefully-reasoned, scientifically faithful tale of the fate of our world. 'One hell of a novel . . . has what sci-fi readers want these days; intelligence, action, and an epic scale'. --Isaac Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine."

Mr.Wonderful Writes:

It is no wonder that Isaac Asimov's magazine loved this book. It completely denies the possibility of the Christian or Jewish omniscient God and postulates the existence of our Earth as a living entity. Not only that, it implies that anyone can become a god. After I had read author David Brin's brilliant Kiln People, like an ignorant, neophyte reader in search of a good science fiction adventure, I confidently snatched Earth off the shelf of my Borders bookseller. What a disappointment. Beginning with his postings on what we would now call 'chat rooms' or 'blogs', that, as a reader, we are supposed to accept as fact, to the almost unreadable smaller font used during radio conversations and the sad fact that, in this one and one-eighth inch thick paperback, action really doesn't start rolling until well into the pages numbered six hundred and greater. Being written in the early 1990s, there were quite a few good guesses made about the pervasiveness of the Internet and the capabilities of search engines, which he termed 'ferrets'. A few misses were his depiction in the year 2038, of telex's still in use, old Internet postings becoming irretrievable, and computer memory being quite costly. At the time Earth was written, author David Brin was of the mind, like many Liberals, that if only the governments of this planet had the right people in charge, (i.e., them) all the nations of the world would willingly abide by and welcome international treaties. Laws enforcing population controls and preservation of natural resources would be implemented without coercion, complaint or the loss of personal freedoms by any nations citizen's. Citizens who, according to this novel's Gaia-god concept, are no more intelligent than sea mammals and no more worthy of taking up space on, under or above this planet than earthworms, amoebas and the flightless emu. To increase your reading enjoyment here are a few of the words you should be familiar with: tachistoscopic, sere, refulgent, renitent, stochastic, perovskites, apsides, fey and oy vey <grin>. Before the final chapter, Mr. Brin attempts to force on the reader an "Afterword" worthy of being written by Albert Gore or Ted Kaczynski. This insulted my intelligence and after reading a few pages, I skipped to the final nine-paged chapter: "Ambiguity". I've been reading Sci-Fi for close to half a century, and this is the first science fiction novel in memory, that I wanted to throw in the Visiting Nurses bin half-read. That is due to the fact that rather than churning out an almost 700 page science fiction novel, author Brin should have written a non-fiction diatribe predicting the end of the world due to the misuse and abuse of its environment by evil, capitalistic Christians and Jews who actually believed that there is a single Creator-God and that He gave them dominion over all the Earth.

Begun: 06/24/2005   Finished: 08/10/2005

Read Instead:  Kiln People  by David Brin

"The best stories linger in the hearts and minds of readers for decades. These tales gain their power through plots that connect with the audience on both an emotional and intellectual level. Inside, Ronald B. Tobias details these 20 time-tested plots. Each is discussed and analyzed, illustrating how a successful plot integrates all the elements of a story. Tobias then shows you how to use these plots effectively in your own work. Tobias then goes to the next level, showing you how to choose and develop plot in fiction ..."

Mr.Wonderful Writes:

This is a book for the person who seriously wants to become a paid author. Ronald Tobias took on an incredibly, almost impossible, task of distilling down an innumerable number of plots into a manageable twenty. As I came to the end of 20 Master Plots: and how to build them, I realized that Mr. Tobias, as a professional published writer, by taking the tremendous effort to write this book, clearly demonstrated sincere empathy for those new to the business. The challenge facing his left-brain readers, with the logical, linear and sequential cant given our dominate neurons, is that we could be trapped into reading good "How-To" writing books like this, until old-age Parkinson's or Alzheimer's makes it physically impossible to write. This 232 paged, large-font trade paperback, prepares us with five fast-moving explanatory chapters. We then plow into the 20 Master Plots, beginning with "Quest" and ending with "Ascension & Descension", leaving your Mr.Wonderful pondering if he will ever get a book published <grin>. As an actor, I am conditioned to reading plays and scripts and making what we call "discoveries". In 20 Master Plots, as I was dragging my eyes over the pages on "Pursuit", my hi-liter remained in its holster, and I wondered if I would ever finish the chapter. And later, eagerly reading, then re-reading, "Master Plot #17: Discovery", where I used fluorescent yellows, pinks and blues to soak the pages, I understood that I would most likely not pound out a book rooted in the "Pursuit" plot and more likely would become a best-selling author based on the aptly named "Discovery" plot. And likewise, if you should chose to read 20 Master Plots you too will endure slow and boring chapters and delight in fast and fun pages. If you are the type of beginning writer who seeks guidance in the area of plots, this book is certainly all you need.

Begun: 06/26/2005   Finished: 07/23/2005

Also Enjoy:  The Insider's Guide to: Writing for Screen and TV
by Ronald B. Tobias

"The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years - except Biff." "Ever since the day when he came upon six-year-old Joshua of Nazareth resurrecting lizards in the village square, Levi bar Alphaeus, called "Biff," had the distinction of being the Messiah's best bud."

Mr. Wonderful Writes:

Truly an outstanding book that attempts to fill-in, albeit with comical effect, the unrecorded three decade gap in Jesus' life prior to His death. What should give my review weight, is that the only reason I am still alive to pen never-read critiques of 'anti-Christian' writings, is that Jesus stepped into my life. Twice. Author Christopher Moore could not have handled the subject of Jesus' lost years with more respect; especially to the person of Jesus Christ Himself. Moore ends this incredibly entertaining work with an Afterward  that touches on the vast research compost heap that the prior 402 pages grew out of. In one of the last paragraphs he states:

"This story is not and never was meant to challenge anyone's faith; however, if one's faith can be shaken by stories in a humorous novel, one may have a bit more praying to do."

Begun: 05/19/2005   Finished: 06/26/2005

Also Enjoy:   Fluke: Or, I Know Why the Winged Whale Sings
by Christopher Moore

"At last, help for writers who can admit they have a problem.
Do you get a lift by dangling a participle? Has your punctuation ever caused difficulties at home or at work? Do you consider yourself just a "social misspeller?"
These are just a few of the warning signs that you might have an addiction to bad writing. But fear not. This practical guide to eliminating bad writing habits will put you on the path to recovery."

Mr.Wonderful Writes:

Awful, just awful. There goes my streak of picking excellent books about the how-to's of writing. Not to say I did not learn a single lesson, such as: to always use serif fonts for the Internet. (Oops! this is written in the sans serif font of Tahoma.) The book was written not for people who love to write, but for people whom circumstances force them to write; like in a workplace environment. As the title suggests, the author lays out the instructions in the form of a 12 Step addiction program while trying to be funny. He's not. One of the things that really bothered me was that while names were given to words and word functions, rarely was the word function defined clearly enough so that I can now look at one of my ill-sounding sentences and say: "Oh, the antecedent doesn't agree with the pronoun." Over a period twenty-eight days, it took your Mr.Wonderful's concentrated effort to finally complete this thin 199-paged book

Begun: 05/18/2005   Finished: 06/25/2005

Read instead:  bird by bird  by Anne Lamont

"Long live the King" hailed Entertainment Weekly upon the publication of Stephen King's On Writing. Part memoir, part master class by one of the bestselling authors of all time, this superb volume is a revealing and practical view of the writer's craft, comprising the basic tools of the trade every writer must have. King's advice is grounded in his vivid memories from childhood through his emergence as a writer, from his struggling early career to his widely reported near-fatal accident in 1999 -- and how the inextricable link between writing and living spurred his recovery. Brilliantly structured, friendly and inspiring, On Writing will empower and entertain everyone who reads it -- fans, writers, and anyone who loves a great story well told."

Mr.Wonderful Writes:

I am blessed having been fortunate to unknowingly purchase in a row so many excellent books on writing. And Stephen King's: On Writing - A Memoir of the Craft, continues my education by another of the most knowledgeable people in the writing business. The first one hundred and thirty-seven pages are the "memoir" part, the autobiography of Stephen King and is immensely entertaining. I was disappointed and shocked to note Mr. King's use of four letter words and it reminded me that, in my own writing to keep the four letter language to a minimum. Because to me it makes the author seem coarse and, well, uneducated. Anyone who reads this autobiography assuming that Stephen King had a freshly paved and white-striped path to fame and riches, or that they themselves have too many obstacles to overcome, will surely be disabused of the duo of those false notions. Stephen's mother was, for most of his life, a single mom and her kick-ass attitude towards taking whatever job she could to provide for her boys both made Stephen's life less hard and gave him one hell of an example towards work. Like myself, author King feels to become a writer one must both read a lot (he packs eighty books away each year) and write a lot. And listen to unabridged audio books while driving. Coming from a position to absolutely know first hand, he effectively refutes the idea that " . . . creative endeavor and mind altering substances are entwined . . . " by insisting that addiction to drugs and alcohol are no more enlightening to a writer than they are to a snowplow driver. At page one hundred forty-one the "On Writing" instructional section of the book begins. The highlighter comes out and reading necessarily slows as all kinds of information for those-who-must-write will treasure learning. The number one question answered is whether professional or college instructional classes are required to become a writer worth reading. Read the book and you'll learn Stephen King's opinion. Mr. King asks: "If God gives you something you can do, why in God's name wouldn't you do it?" At page two hundred fifty-three, Stephen King recounts his very nearly life-ending encounter with a full-sized Dodge van that left me teary-eyed and gasping. The book ends with an editing session of Stephen King's work in progress by Stephen King and a recommended book reading list. This is definitely a book I will refer to again and again.

Begun: 05/07/2005   Finished: 06/18/2005

Also Enjoy:  Zen in the Art of Writing  by Ray Bradbury

"With her husband, writer and editor Damon Knight (1922-2002), acclaimed author Kate Wilhelm helped establish the most successful writing program in the field -- Clarion Writer's Workshop, a six-week summer 'boot camp' for hopeful science fiction and fantasy writers. In Storyteller, Wilhelm graciously and humorously offers an account of her years spent lecturing and teaching at Clarion and offers invaluable advice to novice writers."

Mr.Wonderful Writes:

This is the most recent book I have read on writing. It offers outspoken opinions, firm advice, and ends with a chapter titled: "Notes and Lessons on Writing." This is where most of the aforementioned challenges facing authors are recapped so that, if the reader, unlike Mr.Wonderful, has not managed to empty three Hi-Liters® on the previous sixteen chapters of instruction, has one place to come for answers. While it may seem inconsequential as to what order one reads books in, I believe this thin one hundred and ninety paged hardcover came along at the right time containing the delineated answers to the questions my recently read writing books had generated. If I had attempted to digest Storyteller prior to the over one half dozen other authorship books I had read, in my hubris, I may have simply discounted its advice and may have even left it unfinished. The book recounts years of adventures at the six week long Clarion Writer's Workshop which was a writing program in which the author and her husband taught the final two-weeks to previously vetted individuals wishing to become authors of paid-for and published works. Although the oft-mentioned "tension-breaking" water-gun fights seemed kind of silly to me, I soon found that the book struck the right balance between rote instruction and life experiences. Of course what are squirt-gun fights and predictable ambushes compared to racing alone across the Mexican desert on an air-cooled motorcycle, pacifying El Mirage terrorists in a Phoenix Mexican-food restaurant in the 1970s or, when, at age forty - after destroying all signs directing actors to the audition location - in my first play performance, "Twelve Angry Men", being the lead? I was Juror Twelve <grin>) Regardless, I'm certain Storyteller will become a well-fingered member of my writer's reference library and I will cherish the much needed and asked for advice contained between its covers.

Begun: 08/19/2005   Finished: 09/01/2005