Andrew Krivak’s, “The Bear” is pure propaganda. The writing is sparse and well down, but the story fails due to poor plot and characters. Everyone is portrayed as being smart until they need to be stupid in order for the plot to move forward. By far, the worst problems of the book are its morals. It promotes a neo-pagan idolization of nature while portraying humanity and human civilization as evil. It finally concludes that the death of mankind is a natural good.
Category: Book Review
Insights Into The Dangers of Government from Aldous Huxley
This article is about the insights given to us about democracy, totalitarianism, decentralization, self-government, war, and power in the writings of Aldous Huxley. HIs insights into the true nature of the government, the threats in levels at the basic human rights and dignity of the individual, the origin of those threats, and what to do in order to end those dangers and reassert our essential humanity and liberties are herein. If you thought you understood Huxley after reading, “Brave New World,” that was just the tip of the iceberg compared to what else he wrote. Dive deeper with this article.
Book Reviews: The Dystopian Technocracy of “The Last Crime”
Herein I review Ian Kennedy Martin’s, “The Last Crime,” a near future dystopia that combines Orwell and Huxley’s insights into a single story. The story also reveals the true basis of the State and why almost every revolution is as bad, if not worse, than what it replaced.
How Mormonism Influenced The First Mistborn Trilogy
I recently finished Brandon Sanderson’s first Mistborn trilogy -The Final Empire through Heroes of Ages – and loved all three books. They’re incredible works of storytelling and some of the best fantasy out there. Sanderson is easily one of the best fantasy writers alive. He is also a devout Latter-day Saint. As I was reading his books again and again I kept coming across ways that Mormonism influenced his writing in crucial ways, but was shocked to find so little online exploring these influences. This article is my attempt to demonstrate some of the major ways that LDS scripture, history, theology, and culture deeply influence Sanderson’s writing and appear in these books.
“Salem’s Lot” – The State is a Vampire
In this LDS Book Review I review one of Stephen King’s earliest and best novels – the vampire horror story, “Salem’s Lot.” Printed in 1975, “Salem’s Lot” tells the story of a ragtag group of small town folk as they fight against a powerful source of true evil, the Master Vampire Kurt Barlow as he converts the town of Jerusalem’s Lot into vampires. The story contains numerous themes that stand out to a person of faith – including battling against true evil as Barlow isn’t just a vampire but he is specifically a worshipper of Satan and sacrifices at least one human child to the Lord of Flies in the book. This novel also has some powerful things to say about government and the State. So in this review I don’t just review the book I also explore what it means to compare the State to vampirism as the book does, the true meaning of religion as a cosmic force, and the conflict between God and the government. The story of “Salem’s Lot” couldn’t be a more apt metaphor for what the State does to individuals and society and what we must do to drive a stake through the heart of the State and reclaim our individuality and liberty.
Review- Robert Heinlein’s “Job: A Comedy of Justice”
In this first entry in my irregular book review series, I sit down to review Robert A. Heinlein’s “Job: A Comedy of Justice.” Heinlein is considered one of the greatest science-fiction writers in history whose influence can be felt all across the spectrum of Western culture, including in art, television, books, and literature. His writings explore ideas of individualism, society, community, faith, religion, sex, and human rights.
In “Job: A Comedy of Justice,” Heinlein adapts the classic biblical poem of Job into a modern tale set in the late 90s where a man and woman are being hurled through parallel universes at random as reality begins to collapse in the face of the oncoming End of Days and Final Judgment. In my review I cover the story of the book itself, examine the ideas of liberty and human rights that story espouses, study Heinlein’s prose, and evaluate how Heinlein’s need to proselytize for his own radical religious and sexual ideals affects the character and storytelling.
This book has Heinlein at his best and his worst and I explore it all.