The Sci-Fi World

Sanyat Sattar

Spaceships, monsters, superpower human beings, supernatural elements capture our imagination. Here are some of the latest in science fiction.

Eragon
Christopher Paolini
Knopf; August 2003
Here's a great big fantasy that you can pull over your head like a comfy old sweater and disappear into for a whole weekend. Christopher Paolini began Eragon when he was just 15 and the book shows the influence of Tolkien, of course, but also Terry Brooks, Anne McCaffrey, and perhaps even Wagner in its traditional quest structure and the generally agreed-upon nature of dwarves, elves, dragons, and heroic warfare with magic swords. Eragon, a young farm boy, finds a marvelous blue stone in a mystical mountain place. Before he can trade it for food to get his family through the hard winter, it hatches a beautiful sapphire-blue dragon, a race thought to be extinct. Eragon bonds with the dragon, and when his family is killed by the marauding Ra'zac, he discovers that he is the last of the Dragon Riders, fated to play a decisive part in the coming war between the human but hidden Varden, dwarves, elves, the diabolical Shades and their neanderthal Urgalls, all pitted against and allied with each other and the evil King Galbatorix. In spite of the engrossing action, this is not a book for the casual fantasy reader. There are 65 names of people, horses, and dragons to be remembered and lots of pseudo-Celtic places, magic words, and phrases in the Ancient Language as well as the speech of the dwarfs and the Urgalls. But the maps and glossaries help, and by the end, readers will be utterly dedicated and eager for the next book, Eldest.

The Giver
Lois Lowry
Laure Leaf; September 2002
Praise and controversy precede this powerful story of a boy confronting the hidden truth about his futuristic society. Winner of the 1994 Newbery Award, Lowry's story sparks emotion and response from adults and children alike. This is a compelling prospect for family listening. Initially Rifkin's voice seems too regional to portray the characters of this utopian world, but he convincingly conveys the anticipation of the coming-of-age ceremony of Jonas and his friends. As the meaning of Jonas' selection as "Receiver of Memory" unfolds, Rifkin's characterizations become more powerful. Although the story drives the presentation, Rifkin's juxtaposition of the young boy and the old Giver has tremendous effect. His voice for the Giver becomes increasingly weary and strained while Jonas' gains strength. Sharing this book in a family or a classroom offers a valuable opportunity to respond to and discuss Lowry's moving novel.

The Wish List
Eoin Colfer
Miramax; October 2003
From the author of the best selling Artemis Fowl series comes a heartwarming tale of a young girl who is given a gift--the chance to right her wrongs, and discover the true meaning of life. Meg Finn is in unearthly trouble. Cast out of her own home by her stepfather after her mom's death, Meg is a wanderer, a troublemaker. But after her latest stunt, finding a place to sleep is the lead of her worries. Belch, Meg's partner in crime, has gotten her involved in an attempt to rob an old man's apartment, and things have gone horribly wrong! With laughs and chills, The Wish List is an exciting tale of life, death, and unexpected hereafter.