20 July 2006

100 Books - 80-76

I mentioned a while ago that I was having trouble training without a goal to motivate me. Well, now I have one: I've entered a half-marathon for September 9th in Detroit Lakes, MN. This is pretty crazy: six years ago I couldn't have typed the previous sentence, because I could never imagine running 3 miles, not to mention 13.1. Now, it's 'just' a half-marathon. Life certainly does change.

And now, on with the list.

80. Bag of Bones by Stephen King. I've often believed this was one of King's best. After reading/listening to it this spring, I've reaffirmed that belief. Bag of Bones is scary, touching, horrifying and wonderful all at once, and I really fall in love with Mike every time I read this book. I've gone back to this one three times now, and it just keeps getting better. Mike Noonan is a widowed writer trying to solve a mystery about his deceased, beloved wife, and not really getting anywhere until he moves back to their summer cabin called "Sarah Laughs."

79. Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. After watching the movie version of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe last December I wanted to read something by Lewis. This series of radio talks became Lewis' 'dogmatics,' if you will; his description of the essentials of Christian life & faith. But it has more to do with understanding what a Christian is than what it is a Christian must do, and for that I'm thankful. As a theologian Lewis never lost the connection to non-academics, and as a result his writing is witty, enjoyable and thought-provoking at all levels.

78. Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. Ahhh, back to Sci-Fi. But this is a story so much deeper! Ender Wiggin is a rare third child in an undeterminate future of earth, born to parents who were allowed to have a third child in the hopes that he might be the military genius Earth needs to destroy the Formics, an alien race that nearly wiped out humanity before being defeated. Ender is sent to Battle School at the age of 6 to be trained as Earth's next great general. I can't say more without spoiling this for you - READ THIS BOOK!

77. Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott Card. Speaker for the Dead is the sequel to Ender's Game. Scientists on a distant planet have been tortured and killed by the pequeninos, the alien race they have been studying and with whom they have been communicating. The Speaker for the Dead is called to come and speak the death of Marcao, a sullen alcoholic whose wife has replaced one of the scientists and is keeping his research secret so that no others will die as he did. Another excellent novel by OS Card - his novels present the ethical and philosophical quandaries of scientific and religious practices as well as any fiction writer I've read.

76. Xenocide by Orson Scott Card. Xenocide is the sequel to Speaker for the Dead. Without giving away HUGE spoilers for all three, I'll just say that Lusitania, the world where pequeninos and humans have chosen to stand against humanity to save their lives, is in danger of being destroyed by the weapons that were used against the Formics thousands of years previously by Ender Wiggin.

On the last three, I'll just say that even people who don't normally enjoy science fiction should enjoy this series by Orson Scott Card. They are magnificently crafted stories that happen to be set in a future with space travel & alien relations. The value of Card's work here is the ethical, philosophical, religious and sociological questions that are raised: what does it mean to exist? Who gets to determine the right to life? At what cost do we protect ourselves? Great stuff - thought-provoking and challenging, to say the least.

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