New Review at TrekMovie.com

My review of James Swallow's new Star Trek: Titan novel, "Synthesis, is now  online at TrekMovie.com.. A very enjoyable book, with only one significant annoyance (detailed in review). This is Swallow's second major Star Trek novel, and it's an amazingly well-written book. Having thought about it for a while, I have to say I think his previous book, set in the Deep Space Nine storyline, was more powerful, but "Synthesis" does not dissapoint.

Review: "Opening Prayers: Collects in Contemporay Language"

In the past several years, many resources have become available to those desiring to provide a more thematic approach to the praying the Scriptures of the modern three-year Eucharistic lectionary (i.e., the modern Roman lectionary and its various cousins, including the Revised Common Lectionary). "Opening Prayers" from ICEL and the Canterbury Press fits the bill.

To be sure, there are a few collects that could still use some tweaking to make them more chant friendly or to allow them to flow a mite-bit-better in the American idiom (these prayers were originally drafted in the UK), but on the whole it provides a refreshing take on praying the Scriptures that is deeply rooted in the appointed readings of the day.

These collects are not mere reassignments of existent collects (not that there is anything wrong with such an approach) - the are all, each and every one of them, completely new. As such, they will probably not appeal to liturgical purists who want to tie the historic collects of the western liturgy into the new lectionary. (For such a resource, I would recommend a copy of the Evangelical Lutheran Hymnary which assigns the historical collects to the three year lectionary based on similarities of theme, or the "Propers of the Year" volume from the Lutheran Service Book (LCMS, Concordia Publishing).)

"Opening Prayers" manages to balance mild horizontal inclusive language (phrases like 'sons and daughters' and 'your children' are used and feel just right) with unswerving confessions of God in traditional idiom. It avoids issues that plague the collects of Revised Common Lectionary Prayers and Evangelical Lutheran Worship (Leaders Desk Edition), both of which suffer from (the former moreso than the latter), at times, vapid texts which carry little inspiration and bear utterly musical or repetitive qualities whatsoever. (ELW has some gems, 'diamonds in the rough' that need to be polished to shine brightly, but RCLP has nothing worthwile).

Several of the collects in particular stand out: the Easter Vigil and Trinity Sunday collect for Year C are the two best in the book, with Ordinary Time 27b coming in a close third. One outstanding feature is that, while a basic conclusion is used in Ordinary Time, one with thematic implications is generally used (with a few exceptions) throughout specific seasions. Thus, the doxological conclusion of collects in Advent have an emphasis on Christ 'whose coming is certain, whose day draws near'. In Paschaltide, Christ our 'Passover and peace' is praised... outstanding features that one might miss with a cursory glance.

If you are looking for a series with collects for the three-year lectionary, this is the volume for you. Laypersons will find it to be a stimulating way to prepare for the Sunday service, or to integrate the preceding Sunday's readings into one's daily prayer life during the subsequent days. Clergy will find it a rich treasure to enhance their experience in the modern lectionary, one which may help their own spirituality find new ways to comprehend what is the length, breadth, depth, and height of the love of God made manifest to us in Christ Jesus.

New Review at TrekMovie.com

Delayed by fire and a need to reship the book, my review of the final installment of the Destiny trilogy, "Lost Souls" hit the web yesterday over at TrekMovie.com. Enjoy!

Gentle Giants of Ganymede, Chapter 14

Before starting in on my next assignment for TrekMovie.com (the forthcoming Destiny Trilogy) I've been taking a few weeks to do some pleasure reading outside of the Trek realm. Tonight I happen to be reading "The Gentle Giants of Ganymede" by James P. Hogan. The book is the sequel to Hogan's first novel, "Inherit the Stars" (see my Amazon review here.)

A few minutes ago, I finished Chapter 14. It was short, only a page and a half, but I don't think I have ever read such a touching chapter in the nearly twenty years I have been reading fiction (with the possible exception of reading the climactic chapters of "Where the Red Fern Grows" when I was in seventh grade.)

I don't know if Hogan ever tools around the 'net looking for comments on his thirty-year-old books, but, Mr. Hogan, if you happen to be stopping by... thank you for such a wonderfully written and meaningful chapter!

Recent Reading

Some flash reviews of a few novels I have recently read:

The Gripping Hand

Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle

The sequel to "The Mote in God's Eye", released nearly twenty years after the original. "The Gripping Hand" is a fascinating look into the Moties lives, exploring how, over a quarter century, they prepared for the day when they would look to leave their system and move into the stars. It was an interesting read, but it ended with something of a sputter. It feels like something is missing, though the story's resolution is satisfying enough. A good read, but not quite as good as the original work by the duo.

The Eternity Artifact

L. E. Modesitt, Jr.

An outstanding premise - tantalizing evidence of past intelligent life in the universe that isn't around anymore, and the adventures and challenges of the mission that sets to discover the truth. Lousy execution. Set over a milennia from now, it fails to inspire, suprise, or even make one think. The writing style is so cryptically casual as to make the book unreadable (it took me two years of off and on reading to plow through this sucker...), and the ending doesn't redeem the story at all.

Blah. Yea, that's the best word. Blah!