The Blue Fairy's Bookshelf

The Day of the Triffids John Wyndham, 1951 Premise: Bill Masen wakes up, and something's wrong. He suspects that the plants have only been biding their time. I didn't know anything about this book when I picked it up; I just had an idea that it was classic science fiction. It turns out to be apocalyptic, vaguely sci-fi, and very British. The situation is: after an amazing visual display in the night sky, everyone who watched is struck blind. Society immediately crumbles, with groups of desperate blind people enslaving the few people who can see and small groups either fighting or banding together to try to rebuild. Our protagonist was undergoing a medical procedure, and so had his eyes covered. The most effective part of the book for me was the beginning when he's creeping around the half-deserted hospital, trying to figure out what happened. The situation is complicated by the presence of the triffids. Triffids are mobile plants which have a dangerous sti...

Thuvia, Maid of Mars, 1920 The Chessmen of Mars, 1922 Edgar Rice Burroughs Premise: Books 4 and 5 of the Barsoom Series, following Warlord of Mars. John Carter has built an alliance over much of Mars, but there are still plenty of dangers to challenge the younger generation. These are the further adventures of the children of John Carter and Dejah Thoris. Yes, these books are dated and silly and really repetitive, but I love them anyway. I enjoyed Thuvia, Maid of Mars, which follows Cathoris (John Carter’s son) and Thuvia of Ptarth. Others try to keep them apart, and Thuvia quickly gains a stalkery admirer who kidnaps her and blames Cathoris. The young lovebirds have to rescue each other, escape, and get home in time to stop a war. It’s more of the same from the earlier books, although I still found it a really fun read with some new supporting characters and enjoyable action. On the other hand, I really adored The Chessmen of Mars, which I think is best described as a fai...

The Gods of Mars (Barsoom, Book 2) Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1918 Warlord of Mars (Barsoom, Book 3) Edgar Rice Burroughs, 1919 Premise: Sequels to A Princess of Mars . John Carter has at last returned to Mars, only to find he is still far from regaining his place and his love. He arrives in the Holy Valley of Dor, where the people of Barsoom take their final pilgrimage in the hopes of reaching Heaven. What he finds there is anything but peace and happiness, though. He'll be lucky to live through the day, and if he manages to fight through the ranks of the therns (the white Martians who inhabit the Valley) and reach the outer world again, his own people may condemn him to death for returning from the sacred lands! If you like action and good comradeship and exotic locales, if you like evil monsters and valiant warriors and beautiful women, if you get shivers when the narrator says “Let me tell you of the days of high adventure!”then I think you owe it to yourself to check ...

The Best of C. L. Moore Compilation and introduction 1975, stories originally published 1933-1946 I grabbed this volume from the library when I was researching early fantasy a few months back, and have to return it soon, so I had to read it now.  I guess what I'm trying to say is that I may not have come to this book with a wholly charitable attitude. Catherine Lucille Moore was one of the leading lights of early sci-fi and fantasy, and her prose is lovely.  However, I was never quite blown away by the stories.  I think I was expecting too much. According to the introduction, Moore was one of the first (or the first) to write sci-fi from a more emotional perspective. "Her early stories were notable for their emphasis on the senses and emotions, which was highly unusual at the time."  - Wikipedia   Also she is lauded for her very alien aliens and her use of romance. While I appreciate the stories for how groundbreaking they were, I must admit I was ...