Cannibal Moon (Deathlands)

Book Description

POUND OF FLESH

In the hostile new world of postnuclear America, there are many ways to die, but few are clean or quick. Long ago Ryan Cawdor and his band threw in their lot together—to do or die trying. It was a pact sealed in blood, one of selï¬‚ essness and sacriif ce that put a premium on the value of loyalty, friendship and honor—and the blind faith that survival is a better option than certain death.

FEEDING FRENZY

Compassion is a luxury in a brutal land where life is cheap, but Dr. Mildred Wyeth holds fast to her physician's oath to show mercy. Now she's stricken by a plague that brings on a deep craving for human ï¬‚ esh. Unwilling to lose one of their own to this pervasive pestilence without a if ght, the companions follow the trail to Cajun country, where the mysterious queen of the Cannies is rumored to possess the only antidote to the grim fate that awaits Mildred— and perhaps her warrior friends.

Customer Reviews:

Easily the best DL title in years.......2007-06-04

I'll say it right off the bat: Cannibal Moon is without a doubt the best Deathlands title I have read in years. In fact, it is in my opinion one of the best of the entire series.

Right off the bat the book avoids the trap that so many past books in the series fall into. You know the tired old setup - the companions jump into a new redoubt, often with a jump nightmare sequence, explore the redoubt, maybe fight a few squatters or animal invaders, wander away from the redoubt to find the nearest ville, and then get trapped in the evil schemes of the local Baron. It usually takes a third of the book just to get to the main conflict of the story, and that conflict is usually xeroxed from a dozen previous books in the series. Not so with Cannibal Moon.

The first smart thing the author does is starts right in the middle of the action, setting up Mildred to be captured by a group of Cannies while defending a small ville. Within the first few pages Mildred is infected by the virus that causes the oozies and turns the victim into a cannibal. Hot on the heels of that happening, the companions learn about the Cannibal Queen who threatens to overrun all of the Deathlands with her rapidly growing Cannie army. The companions are faced with traveling into the very heart of enemy territory against hopeless odds in order to save their friend and to put an end to the Cannie threat. All of that setup happens in the first few pages, and the story quite literally crackles with action from that point forward.

The author fills in important back story along the way, but doesn't spoon-feed it to the reader. It would be easy to miss little details, like the fact that it takes the companions several jumps before they reach a redoubt close enough to their destination to set out on foot. None of those jumps are explicitly depicted, but instead are referred to quickly in passing. If it doesn't have a direct bearing on propelling the story forward, the book doesn't waste ink on it. The end result is a tight, gripping adventure with nary a moment to catch your breath along the way.

After so many years of decline with only a few bright spots along the way, I really hope this book was a sign of things to come. There are several more books in the pipeline from this author, and I look forward to them all.

2 1/2 stars... Probably more for established fans of the series than for newcomers.......2007-06-04

Imagine a world decimated by nuclear war in which there are only two sides, cannibals and humans desperately struggling not to become food. Dr. Mildred Wyeth and her companions are caught in a fight against the "cannies" (as cannibals are called) when Mildred gives chase to two cannies who have stolen four children. Unfortunately, she is captured and infected with the "oozies", a plague that will soon leave her like the cannies she despises. Will Mildred and the others be able to find the mythical cure for the "oozies" or will Mildred become yet another victim in this harsh and unforgiving world?

Let me preface this by saying that this is my first book in the Deathlands series so fans of the series may view things in an entirely different light. James Axler is a publishing house name for a variety of different authors, and in this case the author is Alan Philipson. Mr. Philipson has a definite gift for producing very vivid visual images, although, perhaps too visual for some readers. While I am generally not squeamish, having read my fair share of horror novels (including numerous zombie books), CANNIBAL MOON left me feeling a bit nauseous at times. The bleak setting for CANNIBAL MOON is more than adequately conveyed to the reader as one can feel the sense of despair emanating from the very pages of the storyline.

CANNIBAL MOON is chock full of adventure. In fact, the action is non-stop from the very first page to the very last page. Fans of the series will probably already have developed some sense of the characters but for new readers, it is very difficult to form any sort of attachment to the characters. The first half was very exciting and it was difficult to put the book down, in spite of the rather gruesome images. However, as the story progressed, I found I wanted to know more outside of the endless battles against the cannies. Only towards the very end did a picture of "Doc" begin to emerge and it was actually the cannie, Georgie Tibideau Junior who really had the most character development other than Mildred. The author's constant use of "mebbe" instead of "maybe" was also a bit jarring as it didn't always seem to flow with the colloquial speech of some of the characters.

CANNIBAL MOON is only one installment of a long running and apparently very successful series. Fans of the series will most likely appreciate this bleak tale of a post apocalyptic world in which only the strong survive. Non-stop action and very vivid imagery are key elements of this tale and readers new to the series will need to carefully evaluate to determine if CANNIBAL MOON is to their tastes.

COURTESY OF CK2S KWIPS AND KRITIQUES

cannibal moon.......2007-05-07

This is one of the best in the Deathlands series I've read.. I had a hard time putting the book down. Lots of action! Looking forward to the next book comming in June.

Philipson Delivers Again.......2007-03-26

Cannibal Moon would be awesome as a Romero or Rodriquez horror flick. Check it out for yourself: there's a sample of the beginning of this book up on AP's website, [...]. It's a race against time into the jaws (literally) of death. Buckets of gore and even yuckier stuff. Lots of once-human monsters to fight. A worse fate than death if the heroes fail. And a trademark Al Philipson twisted ending.

I usually wouldn't write a review because the book speaks for itself but the complaint in the first review herein misses the entire point of the Deathlands books. They aren't Hallmark greeting cards or Dr. Phil. They have never been about the companions wringing their hands or making goo-goo eyes at each other. They are about surviving at all costs against bad odds, making hard moral choices, and living with the consequences. That's why they call it "Deathlands" instead of "Lovelands". What Deathlands does at its best is offer up a ripping, can't put it down action read like Cannibal Moon. If anyone is reading this genre for "deep characterization," or if they're reading this genre and hate fight scenes, they need to get a life.

Philipson is way too funny and talented to be ghost-writing on a house-owned series like this forever. I'm looking forward to when he comes out with something of his own and soon-it will be a knockout.

Cannibal Moon Shines Brightly!.......2007-03-21

In the latest Deathlands novel, James Axler,(aka Alan Philipson in this particular volume), creates a whole new scenario never before seen in a Deathlands novel before.

Along with what is probably the most accurate cover artist design yet by this new artist, (who still can't seem to see the picture perfect Ryan Cawdor design by the much missed Michael Herring), Alan Philipson throws the reader right into the exciting mix of action/adventure in the first chapter that Deathlands fans are known to expect. It is truly a great start.

Philipson starts not with the companions awakening from a new jump, but instead starts with Ryan and the companions fighting off a large, heavily-armed cannibals who are overrunning a ramshackle ville, stealing children for future meals. Mildred starts out Chapter 1 as a lone pursuing rescuer of the captured children being carried away into the foothills of the dark mountain caves of the cannibals. Mildred battles a group of cannibals inside a den of sin, but only manages to get captured herself. When she awakens to find herself a captive of the cannies, she realizes that these cannies are capable of force her to eat their dead, thus infusing her with a verile virus plague that Mildred has learned can be spread by the eating of the infected flesh, or the drinking of blood.

Having been force-fed human flesh by her cannie captors, Mildred finds herself horrifically infected to become a cannie, creating a deep craving for human flesh. Mildred is forced to make a secret pact with Ryan to chill her if this happens.

Mildred and the companions then find out about a possible cure from a cannie prisoner, learning of a freezie woman who has become Queen of the Cannies back in Jak Lauren's homeland in the bajous of Louisiana.

Alan Philipson does a splendid job here of creating one of the darkest chapters in the ever-growing Deathlands saga. And he does a pretty good job of keeping the main Deathlands character 'in character'. Especially that of Mildred and Doc Tanner. There are some very interesting tidbits of these two characters during some interesting discourse between them and Ryan.

But also, therin lies the rub of the problem in this new Deathlands adventure. Philipson starts out solid enough, but fails to show the deep affection that J. B. Dix has for his woman, Mildred. Even though I'm an action/adventure junkie, I personally thought this novel would have shined more with a bit more drama and less action. The long-time readers and diehard fans like me would much more prefer a dramatic showing of the companions battling their inner fears of one of their own being possibly infected with something as verile as a cannie plague. The love and caring between J. B. and Mildred is not present here, and Jak becomes much too cold towards his friends here.

That should have been reverse. The readers must be engrossed with the main characters' inner feelings and deep caring for one another. Just being 'tough' and/or a chilling machine is not enough. You must show the love and courage between the companions to keep the readers fully immersed in keeping up with these characters with each and every volume. The characters have to grow. But they have unfortunately grown stagnant.

Why does Ryan go through hell here to save Mildred, but doesn't do everything in his power to find his own son, Dean? That alone should be the central theme running in this series now. The original writer, the late great Laurence James would have done it so. (And he had actually done just that in a few books.)

And I wondered why and how everyone seemed to be so heavily-armed? From norms in convoys to the cannies themselves - everyone had tons of RPGs and machine guns and ammo. Where did all of this come from? A redoubt? Which One? Why didn't Ryan and the companions wonder at this? To have both a car and a weapon with bullets in Deathlands is paramount to being something akin to being rich. Now everyone has high-powered weapons? Not having anything, along with the scrounging of weapons and food, along with the savagery of post-nuke America was the allure of reading a Deathlands novel.

But some great things shone brightly in this new DL adventure. The Deathlands companions get introduced to the rock band ZZ Top. That was done very well. Something that the original writer used to expound upon. Also there is a jump dream sequence that was handled with aplomb. It was things such as this that gave Cannibal Moon a feel for the old days of DL, along with a new touch that has been much needed.

But this installment of Deathlands IS a step above the last two novels, which were written by Nick Polatta, who usually writes some of the most outstanding stories. And who is also going to be the writer of the upcoming next volume, titled Sky Raider.

But despite some of my personal misgivings, Cannibal Moon is still worth reading for diehard fans of this series. And for newbies who don't know any better, and haven't read the older volumes, this should come across as a rousing adventure. What the writers need to pay attention to, more than anything, is the search for Dean, as well as their feelings for one another. This is only touched upon nowadays, if not totally ignored altogether.

Thanks Alan Philipson for giving us another exciting adventure. Although this one was fun, I still think your debut novel, Skydark, along with the duo novels, Shadow World and Breakthrough, are your best yet. And I'm sure this author's next endeavor will be something new and exciting, showing DL readers a fresh scenario never before used nor seen.

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The real deal
The best book on the Apollo program I have read
Another fine book by Buzz Aldrin/Apollo 11
Buzz Moon
Lost in space

Men from Earth
Buzz Aldrin
Manufacturer: Bantam
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0553053744
Release Date: 1989-06-01

Customer Reviews:

The real deal.......2005-10-07

Col Aldrin shares not only his personal insite of the space race and space flight mechanics, but offers his intellect and wisdom on the future of mankind. The book is a must read for all space exploration enthusists and would be adventure seekers. Col Aldrin is truely the cutting edge of man's reaching out in the universe. Highly recomended read.

The best book on the Apollo program I have read.......2004-12-02

When there is a discussion regarding the creation of a vast new technology, proponents generally use the phrase, "Manhattan project for _________." This is of course a reference to the vast project that led to the development of the atomic bomb. It surprises me that this is used rather than a reference to the Apollo project that put people on the moon. To date, no one has found a use for nuclear weapons other than destruction, but the technical and psychological benefits of the American space program were tremendous. Both projects were enormous in scope and success required the invention of whole new technologies.
Buzz Aldrin was one of three astronauts in the Apollo 11 mission and the second man to walk on the moon. He was a fighter pilot, but like the rest of the early astronaut corps, combined that with a great deal of intelligence. Buzz earned a Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in manned space rendezvous. Therefore, he understands a great deal of the theory behind the movement of space vehicles, which was very helpful in the early days of trying to rendezvous with another space vehicle.
This book is his recollection of the American space program; from the time the first German V2 delivered a deadly warhead to the ignominious aftermath of the Apollo program. His fundamental understanding of many of the principles of space flight is evident, making this different from most of the other histories of the American space program. He also creates two parallel time tracks, one describing the American successes and the other the actions of the Soviets.
Those who understand the history of the times realize that the greatest single impetus for the American space program occurred in the Soviet Union. Their launching of the Sputnik satellite and then the more incredible event of orbiting Yuri Gagarin created a great deal of anxiety in the United States and led to the "space race." While it was a source of great national pride and tremendous technical advancement, the space programs of the two superpowers was just another area of competition. Aldrin explains, as best he could in 1989, how the Soviet Union was able to accomplish what it did. Since most Soviet records were still unavailable at that time, there are many occasions when he resorts to informed speculation.
Aldrin was selected for the astronaut corps in 1963, while the Mercury project was still active. He describes the talent of the astronauts, as well as their fiercely competitive camaraderie. These people were fighter pilots and combat veterans. While they competed with the enemy for their lives and with their fellow pilots for advancement and glory, they also shared the common bonds of people who choose the life of danger. This is the best book about the Apollo program that I have read. Aldrin's combination of astronaut insider and knowledge of the technical details is what made it that way.

Another fine book by Buzz Aldrin/Apollo 11.......2000-05-28

This book is almost as good as Buzz's first book--Return To Earth from early 70's. Dr. Aldrin at least takes his time and makes the effort to share the Apollo 11 experience with us and also what was happening [space related] in America and in RUSSIA during Cold War/ Space race era, and compares the two " superpowers'" and what was happening at both places at same time intervals in the 60's. Much research and time spent in book

Buzz Moon.......2000-04-26

Aldring give us his insides in the Apollo 11 mission. His personal toughs about the Space Program the feelings of been one of the firsts to walk on the Moon. This is a must reed for any enthusiast of the Apollo Program.. You can relive the Gemini 12 space walk and the trill of the trying for the historic Apollo 11 mission

Lost in space.......2000-01-09

The author of this book went to the the moon but unfortunately the book still lurches in Earth orbit. Yes, the book is hard to get and my grateful thanks to Amazon for getting me a copy. Despite the splendor of the subject matter the book was a tough read. Too dry, too technical, too lost in words. Where was the personal touch? Where was Aldrin's inspiring rehabilitation from alcholism, the personal difficulties, the controversy over who would walk first on the moon. The latter makes it in print, but only just, and one can't quite help but feel with much selective editing. For real space buffs only.

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In the wild...
Alabama Moon
Everyone That Reads "Alabama Moon" Loves It!!!
Alabama Moon
A fine story of survival both psychological and physical evolves.

Alabama Moon
Watt Key
Manufacturer: Farrar, Straus and Giroux (BYR)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0374301840
Release Date: 2006-09-05

Book Description

I could trap my own food and make my own clothes. I could find my way by the stars and make fire in the rain. Pap said he even figured I could whip somebody three times my size. He wasn’t worried about me.

For as long as ten-year-old Moon can remember, he has lived out in the forest in a shelter with his father. They keep to themselves, their only contact with other human beings an occasional trip to the nearest general store. When Moon’s father dies, Moon follows his father’s last instructions: to travel to Alaska to find others like themselves. But Moon is soon caught and entangled in a world he doesn’t know or understand, apparent property of the government he has been avoiding all his life. As the spirited and resourceful Moon encounters constables, jails, institutions, lawyers, true friends, and true enemies, he adapts his wilderness survival skills and learns to survive in the outside world, and even, perhaps, make his home there.

In this compelling, action-packed book, Watt Key gives us the thrilling coming-of-age story of the unique and extremely appealing Moon.

Customer Reviews:

In the wild..........2007-06-28

This book tells the journey of Moon Blake, who have always lived with his father. But when his father died, he must find a way to escape the outside civilziation and find his home. This novel has an exciting plot, wonderful research, and is a great read. By reading this book, one could also learn the meaning of friendship.

Alabama Moon.......2007-03-26

Alabama Moon by Watt Key is an exciting adventure story especially for boys - the dialog is crisp and revealing and the main character Moon is very well drawn, In a great opening sentence, "just before pap died, he told me that I'd be fine as long as I never depended on anybody but myself, the author quickly captures the reader's interest. Moon who is only ten has been raised to be a survivalist by his dad. He knows how to make a shelter, hunt and forage for food, and sew his own clothing from animal hides. As his dad is dying, he tells Moon that he needs to get to Alaska and join other survivalists. His father is delusional enough that he believes Moon can travel from Alabama to Alaska on his own without money or knowledge of a world beyond his forest home. He also does not account for the fact that Moon distressingly and immediately experiences loneliness for the first time, "loneliness was something I'd have to wait on to pass, like pap said it would".
In writing that is both descriptive and poignant, Key includes a lot of survivalist detail that in no way slows the pace of the story while at the same time it makes subsequent events all the more dramatic and realistic. When Moon is finally captured and incarcerated in a home for abandoned boys, Moon discovers some new truths like companionship can be enjoyable, new foods can be delicious and plentiful, and that soft beds and warm rooms can be very comfortable; nevertheless Moon can escape the home and return confidently to the forest to take care of himself - something two friends who escaped with him can't do. I could go on and on but this book is special and all readers should have the opportunity to experience the delights of this story for themselves.

Everyone That Reads "Alabama Moon" Loves It!!!.......2007-01-19

One of the best read in awhile. Adults and Children enjoy this book so much it is hard to put down. All of us in our household have read it and believe it will become a Movie. If you enjoyed Forest Gump you will enjoy Alabama Moon. The book gets better the further you get into the story. Well written and an especially exceptional story for a first novel. I believe this short novel will become a classic.

Alabama Moon.......2006-12-21

This is a great book written by Watt Key about a young boy named Moon Blake. He is living is with his father in a small house in the Alabama wilderness. Moon and his father are hiding from the government. But then his father dies and suddenly Moon is alone. Before his dad dies he tells Moon to head for Alaska, which he does, but he meets two other boys and they stay with him in the wild. I don't think I should tell you any more or you won't need to read the book. Thanks for reading

A fine story of survival both psychological and physical evolves........2006-12-10

Watt Key's ALABAMA MOON tells of a ten-year-old whose father dies: unlike other kids in such a situation, he and his father have been in hiding from the government in the forest in Alabama all his life, and he knows how to survive in the wilderness. Only problem is - his father's final request is that he journey to Alaska to find others living off the land - and avoid being a ward of the state. A fine story of survival both psychological and physical evolves.

The First Men on the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11 (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)

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The Perfect Beginners Guide
Excellent condition
An excellent account of Apollo 11
Same Story base, new pictures and information
The latest, but is it the greatest?

The First Men on the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11 (Springer Praxis Books / Space Exploration)
David M. Harland
Manufacturer: Praxis
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0387341765

Book Description

The First Men on the Moon offers a lively definitive account of the Apollo 11 mission based on the in-flight transcripts post-flight debriefing, with illustrative contextual pictures, especially featuring recent scans of the original Hasselblad film and including conversations among the crew in the spacecraft that were not transmitted. The introductory chapters review the motivation to land on the Moon by the end of the 1960s, the development of the Saturn V rocket and the Apollo spacecraft as the means of doing so, the selection of potential landing sites, the precursor missions, and the backgrounds of the three men who were to fly Apollo 11. The final chapters will discuss what was learned of the moonrocks, and review the follow-on missions. In addition to having many ‘small’ in-line black-and-white illustrations with the text running around them, the book features the high-resolution scans recently produced by NASA from the original Hasselblad film, reproduced in a substantial color section. David Harland's impressive expertise in, and considerable experience wriring about, the Moon landings shines through and seemlessly unites the myriad details

From the reviews of Harland's Exploring the Moon:

"A detailed guide to what the astronauts did during their stays on the lunar surface. Walk(s) the reader through the prospecting excursions and then incorporate(s) decades of subsequent analysis to put the explorations of dust, rocks, craters, and rilles into geologic context."
SKY & TELESCOPE

"Very well illustrated… All aficionados of the Apollo program will find much to appreciate in [this book].”

"…this is an interesting account of one of the most extraordinary decades in history…a very different book. David Harland probably knows more about the nuts and bolts of the Russian and American space programs than any other author and it shows.”

LUNAR & PLANETARY INFORMATION BULLETIN

Customer Reviews:

The Perfect Beginners Guide.......2007-09-12

If you are new to the Apollo programme, and want a concise chronological account of the Apollo 11 mission, here's the perfect book.

The story is all here: Astronaut biographies, preparations, launch, lunar traverse, orbit, landing, ascent, and recovery. The beauty of this book is the narrative is a mixture of the authors research, NASA transcripts, and historical archives.
There is liberal use of b&w and colour photographs, and diagrams from NASA flight plans.

All this added together gives the reader the mission from the more important viewpoints, and you can imagine yourself right in the middle of all the unfolding drama.

Highly recommended.

Excellent condition.......2007-09-04

This book was in excellent condition. I gave it as a gift. Delivery was prompt.

An excellent account of Apollo 11.......2007-06-12

I worked on the Apollo 11 launch at Kennedy and therefore have a more than passing interest in the subject. This is the first book I have found that is (as far as I can tell) technically perfect. I was sorry when I ran out of book. I especially enjoyed the way Harland included the on-board voice transcripts interspersed with his explanations of what was going on. Lots of good photos and explanatory diagrams. I would rate this 10 stars if it were possible.

Same Story base, new pictures and information.......2007-03-30

My review is similar, in part, to the first reviewee from California. I had seen this one listed but did not purchase it immediatley. I read and collect books on the Mercury to Apollo space program but I had to weigh the price-to-new-presentation format factor of this book before deciding to aquire it.
The first review was enough to make me want to get it and add it to my collection. Some new pictures, in color, were good to see. (Also noted was the fact that there are pictures of Neil Armstrong on the moon. This seems to be mis-represented in other books. The two pictures are of him in the background and not a "tourist" style shot.)
What I liked the most was the commentary between the astronauts and Mission Control. I had not read as complete of a dialoge from lift off to splash down as I had in this book. This type of material may have been covered in other books that I have not yet discovered or read, such as the NASA Mission Report book series by Robert Goodwin.
I enjoyed the layout and informative interpretation of the material. I thought that it was another good version of an "old" story.

The latest, but is it the greatest?.......2006-12-15

I just picked this one up at the book store yesterday, so have not yet finished reading it. Since nobody else has yet reviewed this book, I'll volunteer to go first to make a few first observation comments.

First, this new book is quite factual and chronologically accurate. It is also very well organized, with an uncustomary, but fully detailed ToC. Atypical for such books, it has LOTS of full page photos, and illustrative figures (mostly B&W, but one whole section devoted to color of this Apollo mission). Many of the pictures are unusual in that I have yet to see them published elsewhere in similar books on the same subject. For this reason alone I recommend this new book by David Harland, "The First Men on the Moon: The Story of Apollo 11".

I'm sure it is somewhat repetitive of other books on this and other Apollo Moon Missions, but still appears much more focused on this specific amazing and most historic spaceflight. It is seemingly much more technically detailed with factual information as well. The bibliography listed references is impressive, so the author must have thoroughly researched Apollo 11 in preparing this book.

I have read (and reviewed on this website) several other excellent books on Project Apollo, particularly those written by the Astronauts and key players within Mission Control, plus watched all the currently available (DVD) videos as well. This one may turn out to surpass all other sources of information, including NASA's archives, with respect to the first Moon landing. However, I will have to return to update my review at a future date, after reading it to completion.

So far, the only criticism I have of this and other related space exploration books published by Springer Praxis, is that they are quite expensive, especially in paperback. Nevetheless, my first impression is you get what you pay for, and though paperback, this book just may DELIVER on its lofty price as an authoritative and exhaustive work, infused with much technical (and accurate) information, yet easy to read. Certainly, the wealth of picture content serves a useful purpose in complementing the actual reading material, so that it becomes more meaningful and interesting to the average reader, non-rocket science types, such as myself.

Stay tuned . . .

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Racism and its Effects on a Family
A beautifully crafted page-turner!
Portrait of immigrant family trying to escape family "curse"
An International Affair

Talking to the Moon
Noel Alumit
Manufacturer: Carroll & Graf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0786716290

Book Description

When Jory Lalaban, a Filipino postman, finds himself the target of a racially motivated shooting, he is forced to confront long buried memories of his life in the Philippines — how he came to abandon the priesthood to become a worshipper of the Moon; his youth in an orphanage after World War II; the devastating “curse” that forced him and his new bride, Belen, to flee the Philippines for the United States.
The shooting makes international headlines, disturbing the quiet life of the Lalabans, a family forced to face its darkest fears. The reader is introduced to a cast of memorable characters like Emerson Lalaban, the son who talks to his dead brother on the phone, but fails to properly communicate his feelings to the man he loves; Michael, Emerson's Taiwanese boyfriend, who vows to never fall in love with an American again; the wife Belen Lalaban, a woman who hears the quirky voice of the Virgin Mary; and William, the racist gunman who demands to be heard. Inspired by an actual event, this funny, rich novel unflinchingly tackles the most explosive topics facing America today: race, religion, and sexuality.

Customer Reviews:

Racism and its Effects on a Family.......2007-07-27

Noel Alumit has succeeded in producing another fine novel - his second after the award winning 'Letters to Montgomery Clift'. For a young novelist to produce such quality of consistency is indeed a good omen for longevity. The reason for the continued interest in Alumit's work can be attributed to his unique technique of storytelling - a technique that successfully mixes 'progressive' story development as divided into chapters named for each of the chief characters, and blending these chapters in a manner that fleshes out the current motif with detailed history and motivation from the past. Add to this propelling non-linear fascinating plot his particular brand of magical realism and presto! - a story that is innately interesting becomes a kaleidoscope of language, human foibles, while exploring touchy issues such as racism, same sex love, and familial healing.

Jory, the primary character, was born into poverty in the Philippines, placed in an orphanage, raised his standard of living in his alignment with the Catholic church and then finding a true source of philosophical commitment in Baguio, an area of the Philippines blessed with native spirit worship, healing, and magic. There he meets and falls in love with Belen, a beautiful girl from the wealthiest, most influential family on the island, and when Belen becomes pregnant and her family disowns her, Belen enters nursing and the couple eventually move to California. There, Jory is a mail carrier who continues to conjure spirits and embrace Moon worship. The couple has two boys - Jory Junior ('Jun-Jun') and Emerson (named after Jory's primary influence in his education - Ralph Waldo Emerson). Jun dies at age 8 in an accident and Emerson must accept the fact that his mother's grief is so profound that Emerson feels second best: the fact that Emerson is a closeted gay lad who finds friends with street hustlers further alienates him as does his most unsuccessful first relationship with an abusive man.

The crisis of the story is a hate crime in which Jory is shot by a Nazi-like man placing Jory near death and then in a hospitalization for coma and multiple surgeries. The family finds healing in the tragedy as each member turns to private sources of spiritual nourishment, and the manner in which this loving yet fractured family recovers makes of a heartrending, tender conclusion.

Noel Alumit understands how to address multiple social issues in solid plot details, allowing the reader to see such variations as multiracial gay love relationships and transplanted immigrant histories and traditions and the cleaver of hate crimes as sustainable plot elements instead of sidebar explosions. He writes with great reverence for the human spirit, and if his novels end with a bit too much tidying-up, he can be forgiven: the people he allows us to know in his novel deserve resolution. This novel is a very fine read! Grady Harp, July 07

A beautifully crafted page-turner!.......2007-04-21

I loved Noel Alumit's first novel, "Letters to Montgomery Clift." Alumit draws complete, human characters, whom I truly miss when I've finished the book. I loved "Talking to the Moon" even more. I couldn't put the book down, and for the best possible reason - I always needed to find out what these characters were going to do next, and what happened to them that made them who they are. Alumit crafts the story perfectly, exposing just enough history to reveal everything at just the right time. It's a love story, and a story of healing, and a mystery. I can't wait for Alumit's third novel!

Portrait of immigrant family trying to escape family "curse".......2007-01-16

Jory Lalaban, a Filipino immigrant postal carrier, gets shot four times by a psychotic "America For Americans" bigot, and lies near death in a Los Angeles hospital. His family, consisting of dutiful wife Belen (who had abandoned her Catholic religion when she married Jory, but still communicates with the Virgin Mary) and his somewhat alienated 30 year old gay son Emerson, rally to his bedside, both recalling their previous family crisis, when Emerson's older brother, Ju-Ju (for Jory Jr.), was killed by a car that hit him on his skateboard when he was 8 years old. What Emerson hasn't told his parents is that Ju-Ju still speaks to him regularly when he needs guidance, calling him in phone calls nobody else can hear.

Was there really a "family curse" put on them by Belen's mother, after she disgraced the family by becoming pregnant by Jory, who at that time was studying toward becoming a priest? And would it ever allow Emerson the kind of loving relationship his mother and father had, since a previous disasterous relationship make him leery about commitment, which has pushed away the only other man he loved, Michael, a Taiwanese flight attendant? The media attention from the attack puts an additional strain on the family, who finds their life savings depleted to pay the costs that medical insurance won't cover.

A well-written emotionally-gripping story told mostly through somewhat meandering flashbacks by Emerson, Belen and Michael, and dreams by the comatose Jory, in alternating chapters. It skillfully highlights the impact of old customs and the new realities the family faces every day, with the insecurity of "the curse" the overriding factor. I give it four stars out of five.

An International Affair.......2007-01-15

Alumit, Noel, "Talking to the Moon". Carroll & Graf, 2007.

An International Affair

Amos Lassen and Literary Pride

Noel Alumit's new book "Talking to the Moon" is quite a winner. It has something for everyone: the life cycle of birth and death, crime, intrigue, love, coming-of-age, mystery and above all else a solid plot that will keep you turning pages.
It is about the struggles of a Filipino family has while living on the west coast of America and tells the story of persistence. Jory Lalaban is a postman who is Filipino. When he finds himself to be the target of a shooting based upon racial motivation, he is forced to face some issues that he thought he had left behind in the Philippines. He had been raised in an orphanage during World War II, entered the priesthood afterwards and then suddenly left in order to worship the Moon and for some reason forced to flee his homeland with his bride, Belen,
His shooting became an international news item and tore his private life asunder and ultimately forced Jory to face his greatest fears. We meet in the book, Emerson, Jory's son, who talks to his dead brother on the phone but is unable to communicate his true feelings to the man he loves, Michael. Michael is from Taiwan and his relationship with Emerson sours him on American men. Belen, Joey's wife, claims to hear the voice of the Virgin Mary is another memorable character. Then there is William the shooter who is inspired by racism and demands to be heard.
The book is based on actual events and the novel deals with some of the hot topics of the world today--race and religion, sexuality and diversity. Alumit has written an amazing book that cries out to be read. In the fashion of thrillers, "Talking to the Moon" is enhanced by lovely prose, realistic characters and everyday run-of-the-mill events. When a shot at one of the characters occurs, lives are changed and reality is questioned
Lalaban and his wife came to America to escape the tensions they faced because their love crossed class-lines. She had been a rich debutante and he was a poor seminarian. When they are three years short of paying off the mortgage on their home, Jory is shot by a white supremacist. The inner lives of the couple and Jory's memories of the Philippines are meshed and the shooting incident begins to cause an unraveling of their relationships. The results are fascinating to watch as they unfold before our eyes.
A lot happens in the novel but it is easy to follow and even easier to become a part of. Alumet has a knack for incorporating the reader into the plot so that he is not just looking in but can actually feel the events as they happen. This is a book that is multifaceted and mutli-dimensional. Above everything else, it is an interesting story and an excellent read.

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Let your mind play with the ideas
Lathe of Leaven
Not *NEARLY* as good as his later work . . .
A Must-Read for Philip K. Dick Fans
This is the world when you don't recognize it

Amnesia Moon
Jonathan Lethem
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 015603154X

Amazon.com

A funny post-apocalyptic road noir tale of Chaos, who lives in an abandoned projection booth at the Multiplex in Hatfork, Wyoming, and his journey to find the truth at the heart of his own American nightmare.

Book Description

In Jonathan Lethem's wryly funny second novel, we meet a young man named Chaos, who's living in a movie theater in post-apocalyptic Wyoming, drinking alcohol, and eating food out of cans.

It's an unusual and at times unbearable existence, but Chaos soon discovers that his post-nuclear reality may have no connection to the truth. So he takes to the road with a girl named Melinda in order to find answers. As the pair travels through the United States they find that, while each town has been affected differently by the mysterious source of the apocalypse, none of the people they meet can fill in their incomplete memories or answer their questions. Gradually, figures from Chaos's past, including some who appear only under the influence of intravenously administered drugs, make Chaos remember some of his forgotten life as a man named Moon.

Customer Reviews:

Let your mind play with the ideas.......2007-09-21

This is a road story where the main character leaves his town in Wyoming to find his identity and answers to key questions that churn over & over in his mind. It all sounds straight ahead, simple, but there's been an apocalyptic event some indeterminate time ago that has changed the face of the USA; the town he's leaving is full of mutants; he leaves with one of them, a girl covered in fur; his dreams suggest that he's not who he thinks he is and others can see his dreams when they sleep nearby. The story hooked me early.

On their travels Chaos and the girl, Melinda, encounter widely different communities - aside from the mutant town, there's one encased in a green fog, another where government officials star in their own TV show and also police the community...all of which seem to be conjured by those in the community that have the ability to broadcast their dreams to the masses around them. Is Letham commenting on how people can be brainwashed and controlled by those with power? Some of the communities are cult-like, with inhabitants doing as they are told by their demi-god.

No-one seems clear on the nature of the "disaster" that led to this post-apocalyptic world or at what point in time it occurred. There is no shared reality on this point beyond acceptance that a disaster of some sort happened. This makes the book intriguing, especially in a time where we all accept that we're waging a "war on terror". Even if we can't define the scope of what that encompasses, we accept that it needs to be done. It is one shared reality in my world.

This book made me think about how we become communities, how we arrive at shared values, how we are governed/controlled, the power of "group-think" & how much we are prepared to accept at face-value without questioning. The story may seem slight, more novella than novel, but it's thought-provoking if you let your mind play with the ideas.

Lathe of Leaven.......2007-04-01

In 1971, Ursula Le Guin wrote the short novel, _Lathe of Heaven_ in which George Orr's "effective dreaming" tranforms reality in just the arational way you'd expect from the subconscious. Le Guin's novel ends with "the break," an event that changes reality in contradictory and chaotic ways. In both content and form, Lethem's novel feels like a sequel to that novel. Chaos, Everett, Moon--whatever name you go by--lives in a world permanently and madly altered by effective dreaming. The difference is that the talent was unique in _Lathe of Heaven_. In _Amnesia Moon_ dreaming transforms reality locally, producing overlapping and confusing realities. In this case, the aftermath proves less interesting than an inciting incident deep in the background of the Lethem's novel. Though ably written, _Amnesia Moon_ is ultimately less satisfying than Le Guin's work, a less exciting and less interesting continuation. By itself, the novel is compelling enough, but juxtaposed with Le Guin, it seems mere fluff.

Not *NEARLY* as good as his later work . . ........2007-01-12

I've read most of Lethem's novels and all of them are different, so you never know what to expect. And most of them are pretty good, especially _Motherless Brooklyn_ and _The Fortress of Solitude_. Lethem is obviously getting better and better as he goes along -- which may explain some of my dissatisfaction with this one, which was his second effort. It's a post-holocaust story, though it never becomes clear what the holocaust actually consisted of; various characters have differing memories of what happened. Chaos -- whose real name may, or may not, be Everett -- is living in an abandoned multiplex in a small desert town, dividing his time between drinking and dreaming contagious dreams. Circumstances lead him to leave, taking with him a thirteen-year fur-covered girl named Melinda. Their subsequent travels lead them to a settlement high in the mountains that is blinded by some sort of green fog, then to Vacaville, California, where the survivors change houses twice a week and maintain order and curb antisocial behavior by writing each other tickets. They end up in San Francisco, where Chaos/Everett apparently came from originally. Through all of it, his dreams impinge on the sleep of those around him. And at that point, a little over halfway through, I have to confess I lost what little interest I had been able to maintain and withdrew my bookmark. I hate not finishing a book. More than that, I resent it. Especially when the author, like Lethem, has proved his bona fides.

A Must-Read for Philip K. Dick Fans.......2006-12-12

Sometimes I find myself reading the old Philip K. Dick books and thinking: Where did Dick get these ideas? Were they transmitted to him from an alien satellite brain (or Vast Active Living Intelligent System)? Who's picking up those transmissions now?

Here's the answer. Except for the 1990s references, this book could easily have been written by Dick himself. (There is a brief reference to Dick's DR. BLOODMONEY at a San Francisco cocktail party). This book bespeaks an enormous freedom of imagination: "something" has happened, nobody knows what (shades of Delany's DHALGREN), but afterwards some are "dreamers" able to construct oneiric "Fictitious Subjective Realities," and others are trapped in these FSRs. The narrator Chaos (or Everett) and his sidekick, the furry little girl Melinda, travel through a variety of these dreams, from the postapocalyptic wasteland of Hatfork, Wyoming, to the zombified media-slave suburbia of Vacaville, to the fog-shrouded Oedipal struggles of San Francisco. to the wars with the alien hives in LA.

This book is truly an explosion of creative promise, drawing out those threads first revealed in Lethem's short stories in CRANK! and elsewhere. I'm eager to pick up more old Lethem SF, before he caved to the exigencies of verbosity for mainstream acceptance.

This is the world when you don't recognize it.......2006-07-01

Lethem gets a lot of credit from me for trying different scenarios in his novels. He doesn't do the same thing over and over again and I can admire that in a writer because it shows someone willing to take risks and stay away from their comfort zones. Watching someone attempt that, I can forgive the occasional misstep or misfire, because sometimes watching the author trying to put it all together right down before you on paper is enough. The process is fascinating to me, sometimes, even if it doesn't amount to anything. Is Lethem a science-fiction writer? Maybe, maybe not. He certainly uses the trappings of the genre to drape his stories in, without even really committing fully, taking the bits that he likes and casting the rest aside. Like Iain Banks, he shoots for a different target each time and takes a new approach. But unlike Banks, he doesn't sidetrack the more science-fictional work (like this one) into a pseudo-pseudonym like "Jonathan L Lethem", both this and the more "normal" stuff (ie Motherless Brooklyn) all fall under the same canopy. The setting makes the point and the point is what you're looking for, buried under the weirdness. In this case, the novel opens with an apparently post-nuclear war America recovering, taking us into a small town ruled by an overlord, one of the inhabitants is a man called Chaos. But just when you think the struggle is going to be one thing Lethem starts to turn it and basically say "Things are not meant to be this way" and has Chaos eject himself from the town, with furry girl Melinda in tow. What transpires then is a journey West, going constantly outward, trying to find what went wrong and if it really is wrong, how it can be fixed. And, if it can't be, what will happen next. Lethem uses the setting to make a comment on modern America and does the reader a service but not playing the surrealist landscape for laughs, for the most part he plays it straight and he plays it serious, this is the world they live in and it is no joke, even when the events seem to demand somebody laugh at them, at the pure absurdism of it all. By the time he gets to the third town and starts debating the nature of luck, you realize that the landscape may be more malleable than you previously thought it was and that Chaos (if that's who he is) isn't so much in it as a part of it. Throughout the novel Lethem seems to be shooting for a Philip Dick vibe, with the characters and the reader ultimately questioning the very nature of reality and its subjectivity and trying to determine how much we really know. What separates it is that Lethem's surrealism is more calculated, he's got a plan here and he's leading us, if not to a conclusion, to a point where we can make our own conclusions and debate how viable they are. In Dick's case, especially toward the end, I think he really believed it was happening, in some aspect of this world. Lethem is trying to make a point and Dick is showing us how he thought the world actually was and in that sense Lethem lacks some of that author's cascading intensity, the driving need to push through just one more veil to show you how things really are. Chaos goes to California and discovers things, which lead to more things. He gets some control over the things he learns and finds out that he may be powerless, or maybe all-powerful. The novel doesn't end neatly, in fact it really doesn't end at all, and one gets the sense that Lethem really had no idea how to wrap it up in a way that would be satisfying to everyone and instead just left it there dangling and let us write out own endings, or at least decide at which point to snip it off. In the end that makes the book a little less than it could be but the journey itself is interesting enough. And maybe the next one will be sharper, a little more incisive. But for the moment we have this and even if it doesn't succeed grandly like you hope it would, it's an attempt and if we don't give some credit for attempting, we'll never produce anything at all.

John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath, The Moon Is Down, Cannery Row, East of Eden, Of Mice And Men

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John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath, The Moon Is Down, Cannery Row, East of Eden, Of Mice And Men

Manufacturer: Amaranth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
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Charles Dickens Four Complete Novels (Great Expectations, Hard Times, A Christmas Carol, A Tale of Two Cities)

ASIN: 0830002855

Product Description

Collection of John Steinbeck's works

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Moon Fate (Deathlands No 16)
James Axler
Manufacturer: Gold Eagle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0373625162

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This book is amazing.
A Good Steinbeck Collection

John Steinbeck: The Grapes of Wrath, the Moon Is Down, Cannery Row, East of Eden, of Mice and Men
John Steinbeck
Manufacturer: Heinemann Octopus
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: 0905712064

Customer Reviews:

This book is amazing........2005-12-04

At 18, this is possibly my most favorite book to lug around. Granted it's hard to read laying on your back, but then again, I have smmall hands. Steinbeck is a fantastic author and this is a fantastic book. It's a good thing there are five books in the collection; after each one, you're dying for more.

A Good Steinbeck Collection.......2005-08-03

If you enjoy Steinbeck, then this is a nice book to have. It has copies of The Grapes of Wrath, the Moon Is Down, Cannery Row, East of Eden, and Of Mice and Men. The quality of each book is up to the opinions and personality of the stories, but the collection is a nice. A lovely hard cover and golden sided pages. It's a huge book, but hey, it's got The Grapes of Wrath, the Moon Is Down, Cannery Row, East of Eden, and Of Mice and Men in one huge collection. What do you expect!? All in all, a very nicely done book.

H. G. Wells: The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, The First Men in the Moon, The Food of the Gods (Masters Library)

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H. G. Wells: The Time Machine, The Island of Dr. Moreau, The Invisible Man, The War of the Worlds, The First Men in the Moon, The Food of the Gods (Masters Library)

Manufacturer: Amaranth Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: 0808162985

Product Description

Bound in blue bonded leather. Gilt edges, silver titles, and raised spine.

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