Reader’s Diary

James Howard Kunstler

In a world without technology, one small American town…  No, wait, that’s the voiceover for the the movie version of this novel.

“World Made by Hand” takes place in a petroleum-free near future without an effective central government.  The US president is, or might be, living in Minneapolis and several major cities have been destroyed by nuclear terrorism.  We don’t learn much about how this world came about.  Instead, we read about people in a small New England town coping with shortages, motorhead salvagers, a baronial planter, and a religious cult.

I really enjoyed reading this, both for the characters and as an extended thought experiment.  I only wish Kunstler had kept going instead of chopping the story off with a somewhat deus ex machina ending.

William R. Forstchen and Newt Gingrich

“Days of Infamy” continues the alternate history storyline begun in “Pearl Harbor: A Novel of December 8th“.   The plot centers around a Midway-like battle immediately following the attack on Pearl Harbor.  There’s lots of military action based in intelligent counterfactual speculation and none of the first book’s faults.  My only complaint is that it takes Forstchen and Gingrich too long to crank these things out.

Thomas Quinn

This historical novel, the first of a series, is about Venitians participating in an dealing with the consequence of the fall of Constantinople in 1453. It’s a fascinating period and the tragedy of the city’s falll to the Ottomans is a great topic  Unfortunately, the writing is weak: both characterization and exposition are wooden.  I tried the second book in the series but, to my disappointment, it wasn’t any better.

Thomas L. Maier

In this novel a man appears in Israel who acts like - indeed, seems to be - Jesus Christ.  The plot is intriguing, but the disappointing ending, one dimensional characters, and ridiculous dialog (too many exclamation points!) detract from the story.  Still, it’s a compelling read that prompts you to consider the nature of faith.

Paul L. Maier

An archaeologist finds Christ’s bones.  Is it a hoax?  The plot would make this novel a page tuner if only the characters were a little more believable or the author a little more skilled.  It lacks the serious religious themes that made the similar “On the Third Day” more than a thriller.

Tim Powers

The intriguing premise of this novel is that the Cold War was, in part, fought with spiritual weapons.  Specifically, fallen angels, the genii of Middle Eastern legend.  More substantial than most “secret histories”, it’s Stephen King meets John LeCarre’.  Powers says he never changes an historical event, which makes his ability fabricate the “true story” behind those events even more impressive.  Reading this is an much fun as reading the early Robert Ludlum thrillers.