Book Review: Dies the Fire

Title: Dies the Fire
Author: S. M. Stirling
# of Pages: 573
Published: 2004
Genre: Science Fiction
Rating: 4/5

Summary:
Michael Havel was flying over Idaho en route to the holiday home of his passengers when the plane's engines inexplicably died, forcing a less than perfect landing in the wilderness. As Mike leads his charges to safety, he begins to realize that the engine failure was not an isolated occurrence.

Juniper Mackenzie was singing and playing guitar in a pub when her small Oregon town was thrust into darkness. Cars refused to start. Phones went silent. And when an airliner crashed, no sirens sounded and no fire trucks arrived. Now, taking refuge in her family's cabin with her daughter and a growing circle of friends, Juniper is determined to create a farming community to benefit the survivors of the crisis.

But even as people band together to help one another, others are building armies for conquest.


I really enjoyed this book when I first read it a few years ago, and I still really liked it now. The premise is really cool (what would happen if all the technology in the world simultaneously died) and I feel that the author does an excellent job of exploring the scenario. I will admit that early on in the book there are few less than likely coincidences that allow the characters to survive but hey, if they didn't happen there wouldn't be a book.

Anyways, interesting premise, you have some really solid and interesting characters and the story moves along at a really good pace. Totally worth reading.

Tune Into: Heroes

The first season as a seemingly ordinary group of people gradually become aware that they have special abilities. Events illustrate their reactions to these powers, and how the discovery affects their personal and professional lives. At the same time, several ordinary individuals are investigating the origins and extent of these abilities. Mohinder Suresh, a geneticist, continues his late father's research into the biological source of the change, while Noah Bennett represents a secret organization known only as "The Company". While coping with these new abilities, each of the characters is drawn, willingly or unwillingly, into the Company's conspiracy to control super-powered people and into a race to stop an explosion from
destroying New York City.

I'll admit, I originally started watching this show because I'm a little bit obsessed with the new Star Trek movie, and I knew that Zachary Quinto played a character in Heroes. I usually like watching tv at all, and tend to get bored very quickly, but needless to say Heroes was a pleasant surprise. I know a friend on mine was turned off by how many characters there are, but I loved that about the show - I found that I never got bored because there was always something interesting happening to someone. The show itself if extremely character driven, with the plot (which, I will admit, is nothing special) taking a back seat to seeing these characters grow and change as they become accustomed to their new powers. Mohinder and Peter are probably my two favourites, though a part of me really wants to love Sylar as well, despite the fact that he's ridiculously creepy. Anyways, it's an awesome show and I would highly recommend watching it!