Review of "The Three-Body Problem: Remembrance of Earth's Past #1" by Cixin LIu

This is the first book of a trilogy.

Note: I initially read a hard copy of this book and recently listened to the audiobook, which became available on Netgalley. I especially appreciated hearing the pronunciation of Chinese names and words. The book is narrated by Rosalind Chao, who does a fine job.

The story begins during the early years of China's 'Cultural Revolution.' Ye Wenjie, a young astrophysicist, sees her father - a physics professor - tortured and murdered by a group of young Red Guards.



Like many educated citizens Ye Wenjie is labeled a 'counter-revolutionary' and sent to cut trees for the Construction Corps before being recruited to work at a secret facility called Red Coast Base.

At first Ye Wenjie has limited access to the base's surreptitious activities but in time her abilities and intelligence give her wide access to the installation. Over time Ye Wenjie makes some startling discoveries and engages in some questionable behavior. (To say more would lead to spoiler territory.)



Some years later, when the Cultural Revolution wanes, Ye Wenjie is allowed to return home and become a university professor.



In current times an applied physicist named Wang Miao - who's developed a very strong nanomaterial - is recruited by a committee composed of military officers/police. They ask Wang to help investigate a rash of physicist suicides.



Wang reluctantly agrees and is assisted by a suspended cop called Da Shi - a disheveled, abrasive, pushy, off-putting guy.

>

As things turn out though, Da Shi's ability to think outside the box is useful and his common sense is comforting....so I developed quite a liking for the fellow.

While Wang Miao is looking into the physicist suicides he develops peculiar/frightening 'vision problems' and starts to play an immersive computer game called "Three Body."



The game is set on Trisolaris, a distant planet inhabited by extraterrestrials. Trisolaris has a very unstable environment. During 'chaotic periods' (extremely hot or cold) most Trisolarans are dehydrated, rolled up, and stored in dehydratories. During 'stable periods' (mild weather) the Trisolarans are rehydrated and go about their business. Still, there are frequent 'crashes' when the entire Trisolaran civilization is destroyed and has to start over.



The shifts between chaotic and stable periods on Trisolaris are completely random and abrupt. Thus the player's goal is to discover why they happen and to predict long-term stable periods. Wang determines that the chaos occurs because the planet has three suns....thus the 'three-body problem.' [Note: On the internet the three-body problem is defined as follows: "the problem of taking an initial set of data that specifies the positions, masses and velocities of three bodies for some particular point in time and then determining the motions of the three bodies, in accordance with Newton's laws of motion and universal gravitation."] In essence it's almost impossible to accurately predict the motion of Trisolaris' three suns.....but Wang Miao thinks he can do it.

As the story continues to unfold it turns out that Ye Wenjie's experiences at Red Coast Base, the physicist suicides, Wang Miao's nanomaterial research, and the three-body game are all connected. And they have something to do with the fact that humans have managed to contact an alien civilization. (Again, more information would be a spoiler.)



The story addresses an interesting topic: how would people react if they knew there were other intelligent beings in the universe? And what would happen if the other beings were on their way here? (I've always thought extraterrestrials - if they found out about Earth - might come here, wipe us out, and move in. But maybe that's just me....LOL)

There's a lot of physics jargon in the book and some fancy shenanigans with protons that stretch suspension of disbelief to the max...even for sci-fi.



In the end, though, I enjoyed the book very much. China provides a great (and unusual) background for a science fiction book and the story is riveting, with interesting characters. Highly recommended to fans of science fiction.

I look forward to reading the rest of the trilogy.

The story is being adapted for a series on Netflix.



Thanks to Netgalley, Cixin Liu, and Macmillan Audio for a copy of the audiobook.

Rating: 4.5 stars

Review of "Bark Humbug: An Andy Carpenter Mystery" by David Rosenfelt

  

In this 34th book in the 'Andy Carpenter' series, Andy defends a man accused of murdering a gubernatorial candidate.

*****

Ever since he inherited a large fortune, New Jersey defense lawyer Andy Carpenter takes very few cases.



Instead, Andy spends time with his wife Laurie; plays video games with his 16-year-old son Ricky; visits his dog rescue operation called the Tara Foundation;



and plays with his three pooches - golden retriever Tara; basset hound Sebastian; and pug Hunter. Andy takes Tara and Hunter for long walks every morning and evening, but lazy Sebastian prefers to do his business in the yard, between naps



In his spare time, Andy also likes watching sports on TV and hanging out with his friends, newspaper editor Vince Sanders and Homicide Captain Pete Stanton, at Charlie's Sports Bar. Since Andy is a millionaire, he always pays the bill - and sometimes gets useful information in return.



When Andy agrees to be part of a photospread profiling area celebrities and their dogs, he doesn't realize it's a ploy to get him to represent murder suspect Jon Lowery, who got his dog Luna from the Tara Foundation a couple of years ago.



Andy reluctantly signs on to defend Lowery, and learns Jon is a former Marine Raider and expert sniper. Jon is accused of shooting Paterson mayor - and New Jersey gubernatorial candidate - Craig Henley, and political donor Steven Tiller. Jon got on police radar because he excoriated Henley at a town hall meeting, cursing the candidate for his plans to cut drug addiction programs.



Evidence implicating Jon includes spent rifle shells, X posts threatening the mayor, footprints, hairs from Jon's pooch Luna, and more. With all that 'proof', Andy knows this will be a tough case, and as always, he decides to use the SODDI (Some Other Dude Did It) defense. Andy assembles his team, which includes 'The K Team' detective agency, whose investigators are: Andy's wife Laurie Collins - a former police officer;



Corey Douglas - a retired cop; Simon Garfunkel - a K-9 German shepherd who worked with Corey at the Paterson Police Department;



and Marcus Clark - the toughest, scariest guy on the planet.



In addition to The K Team, Andy calls in his accountant Sam Willis - who can hack into any computer anywhere;



his assistant attorney Eddie Dowd - who's especially good with paperwork and motions;



and his secretary Edna - who doesn't like to do any work. This time Edna 'gets the flu', which doesn't prevent her from cashing her weekly paycheck.



Andy's search for alternative suspects turns up mobster Vinnie Esposito - who was accused of crimes when Mayor Henley was a prosecutor; Albanian mobsters running drugs and small arms; contractors who lost business because Henley was on the take; and others.

Author David Rosenfelt follows his usual formula for these mysteries, and Andy is followed and threatened; Marcus Clark beats people up and extracts information from them; Sam hacks into websites and tracks the location of cell phones; Laurie helps with the case and prepares scrumptious pancakes for Sam (who's addicted to them); etc.



As he always does, Andy makes sarcastic remarks and fun quips throughout. This book has some extra laughs when Sam enlists the help of his golden age friends, called the Bubelah Brigade, to help with computer searches. One member of the brigade, Hilda, bakes the best rugelach on the planet. This leads Andy to threaten Sam, "If there are none saved for me...I will put your head in the oven." And Sam replies, "Then you'd better get here soon. Because there are worse ways to go than death by rugelach."



In another amusing passage, Andy talks about Christmas. Laurie plays Christmas music from Halloween on, and Andy remarks, "I am bombarded with the gooey music for months, and I literally spent an hour the other day listening to a Lawrence Welk Christmas album. I would have preferred to be waterboarded." And speaking of gifts, Andy says, "Laurie bought some shirts and a book for me. The book was by her favorite author David Rosenfelt. For some reason, he includes dogs in all his books, so she thinks that will cause me to like his writing. No chance of that. I tried reading his books a couple of times and it put me to sleep. The guy is the Ambien of authors."



As per usual, the trial scenes have Andy poking holes in the testimony of prosecution witnesses, and presenting his 'alternative killer' defense. The novel has some surprises, and - for me - Andy's ethics aren't quite up to par in this book.

This is an enjoyable story, recommended to fans of the series.



I had a copy of the digital book and the audiobook, narrated by Grover Gardner, who always does an excellent job.

Thanks to Netgalley, David Rosenfelt, and Minotaur Books and Macmillan Audio for ARCs of the book.

Rating: 3.5 stars 

Review of "Roddy McDowall: An Actor's Life - From How Green Was My Valley to Lassie to Planet Of The Apes" by Samuel Garza Bernstein

 

In this biography, author Samuel Garza Bernstein presents a comprehensive account of Roddy McDowall's life and career. Bernstein did an enormous amount of research, and even includes plot summaries of much of Roddy's movie, television, and theater work, which spanned all genres. It also acquainted Roddy with (what seems like) almost everyone connected with the entertainment industry.

 

I'll just mention some highlights of the book, to provide a feel for the narrative.

*****

Roddy McDowall (1928–1998) was a British-born American actor who had hundreds of roles in movies, television, and the theater over the course of his 60+ year career. Roddy was also a professional photographer; a leader in the movement for film preservation and restoration; a supporter of the Motion Picture and Television Fund (MPTF) - which assists financially struggling industry members; and more.


Roddy McDowall

Roddy was born in England to Winefriede Corcoran McDowall, an aspiring singer; and Thomas McDowall, a merchant marine. When Winefriede's dreams of stardom dim, she transfers her ambitions to her children, Virginia and Roddy, who are encouraged to sing, dance, act, and learn Shakespeare from early childhood.

Roddy's professional career begins when he's eight, in print ads and extra work, and soon afterwards as a featured actor in British films. In 1940, Winefriede and the children relocate to America while Thomas joins England's war effort. 

 

                                                             Winifriede reading to Roddy

 

From left to right: Virginia, Winifriede, Roddy, and Thomas McDowall

Soon after his arrival in the United States, Roddy is cast in How Green Was My Valley (1941), and signed to Fox. Roddy's American movie career takes off from there.



Roddy's mother Winifriede is a driving force behind his success. She pushes for Roddy's movie roles and entertains frequently and grandly, making sure Roddy meets EVERYONE who can help his career. Bernstein writes, "Roddy is almost always 'on'....[he] greets the reporters and photographers by name, chatting easily about his father's heroism, answering questions about his next movie, and posing for pictures."

During this time, Roddy attends the dedication of the Motion Picture Country House (MPCH), where elderly members of the film community can be cared for. Bernstein notes the MPCH and its umbrella organization, the MPTF "becomes and will remain an essential part of Roddy's life; it's the charity that means the most to him and the one he works the hardest to nurture and protect."


Motion Picture and Television Country House and Hospital

When Roddy is fourteen and Elizabeth Taylor is ten, they meet on the set of 'Lassie Come Home' (1943) and become lifelong friends. Years later Roddy tells Liz, "You were the most exquisite thing that I had ever seen in my life and about the nicest. And it has been wonderful to watch you over the years matriculate as a human being, as an actress, and as a major contributor to the welfare of mankind."



Roddy grows up, and faces the problem all child actors have. Bernstein observes, "Roddy's breathtaking ability to communicate loss and grief...that can move audiences to tears...is just not as relevant or marketable at age eighteen as it was at age twelve." Fox releases Roddy, who's unemployed, but not for long. Roddy embarks on a stage career, makes vaudeville appearances, stars in radio dramas, becomes the guest host of a radio anthology series, plays Malcolm in a film of Macbeth (1948) with Orson Welles, makes commercials, and does other work.

 

Roddy McDowall (right) in Macbeth with  Lionel Braham

                                   

While continuing different projects, Roddy gets back to film work at Monogram Pictures, for which he makes a string of films including 'Kidnapped' (1948), Killer Shark (1950), and The Steel Fist (1952).

To further his career by appearing on TV shows, 22-year-old Roddy moves from California to New York in 1951. Numerous actors and singers live nearby, and Roddy - who has a knack for camaraderie, becomes close to myriad up-and-coming stars, including Merv Griffin, Farley Granger, Nancy Walker, Montgomery Clift, Jack Larson, Peggy Ann Garner, Libby Holman, and more.


Top Row: Merv Griffin, Farley Granger, Nancy Walker, Montgomery Clift; Bottom Row: Peggy Ann Garner, Libby Holman, Roddy McDowall, Jack Larson

Bernstein writes, "Correspondence from Roddy's archives reveals extraordinarily close friendships. Along with deeply personal letters, he keeps up a constant stream of postcards, congratulating friends on good reviews, life milestones, birthdays, and anniversaries. The actor John Glover says he remembers one evening at a theater....and there's Roddy in the orchestra section, scribbling away at his postcards before the show starts - the DMs of another age."

                                                 Note to Alan Jay Lerner and his wife Liz

 

Roddy and other young actors are sometimes featured in 'eligible bachelor' layouts, but Roddy is discreetly gay, out to close friends, colleagues, agents, and many people in Hollywood. Over the years, Roddy has long-term relationships with Montgomery Clift, John Valva, Paul Anderson, and Steven Jongeward, but Bernstein doesn't focus on Roddy's private life.


Roddy McDowall (left) and Montgomery Clift in 'The Defectors' (1966)

In the early 1960s, Roddy develops an interest in photography, and learns the craft from the inside out. Roddy embarks on a parallel career as an actor/photographer, and over the years, Roddy publishes four books entitled Double Exposure. Each volume contains celebrity portraits accompanied by personal essays written by other famous people.





Roddy enjoys giving parties, bringing people together who might find one another stimulating. Roddy sometimes shows old films, and sometimes invents games. Bernstein writes, "Roddy doesn't throw parties to move his way up the social and professional ladder, but his gatherings do attract new people into his orbit. Suddenly Lenny Bernstein and Steve Sondheim are part of his life. This is when he becomes close to Kate Hepburn and Lauren Bacall."


Roddy McDowall with Lauren Bacall

Following an eight year hiatus from movies, Roddy takes a supporting role in The Subterraneans (1960), a Beat generation romance and jazz film; plays Ariel in The Tempest (1960) on the Hallmark Hall of Fame; has an important role in Cleopatra (1963); and more.

                                       Roddy McDowall in Cleopatra with Elizabeth Taylor 

By the 1960s, Roddy is back living in Los Angeles, and making movie after movie. Bernstein notes, Roddy's string of films and endless television appearances keep him almost frantically busy. While he's shooting films, he also appears as a presenter at the Tony and the Emmy Awards on opposite coasts. He does anthology episodes on TV and guest stars on the drama series Combat! and Ben Casey. He guests on The Merv Griffin Show and The Mike Douglas Show. He also appears on Password, The Match Game, The Price is Right, The Celebrity Game, Stump the Stars, and his favorite - Hollywood Squares.


Roddy McDowall on Hollywood Squares

The five movies in the Planet of the Apes franchise govern much of Roddy's schedule from 1967 to 1975. In the first film, entitled Planet of the Apes (1968), an astronaut (Charlton Heston) crash lands on a planet where an ape society hunts and enslaves a race of mute primitive humans. Charlton is captured and studied by chimpanzee psychologist Zira (Kim Hunter) and her archaeologist fiancé Cornelius (Roddy McDowall). Once Zira and Cornelius learn Charleton can speak, read, and write, they help him escape, and the threesome are pursued by a band of apes.




Roddy McDowall getting his ape make-up


Roddy McDowall, Kim Hunter, and Charleton Heston in Planet of the Apes

Between 'Apes' projects and work on Tam Lin (1970) - a folk horror movie Roddy directs - Roddy makes myriad episodic appearances on a string of TV show, including Columbo, Ironside, McCloud, Mission Impossible, McMillan and Wife, and others. Roddy also goes on make more movies; film pilots; do theater; focus on animation; etc.

Roddy co-stars in my favorite Agatha Christie adaptation, Evil Under The Sun (1982), where Roddy plays Rex Brewster, a gossip columnist and unauthorized celebrity biographer of infamous actress - and murder victim - Arlena Marshall (Diana Rigg).

 

Roddy McDowall and Diana Rigg in Evil Under The Sun

Sadly, in the 1980s the AIDS epidemic begins, and Roddy's friend Rock Hudson is dying of the disease. Bernstein notes, "Roddy is behind the scenes the entire time, helping coordinate private home care and doing his best to shield Rock from the media." Roddy's friend Elizabeth Taylor founds several AIDS research foundations, funneling much of her own money into science, treatment, and care.


Elizabeth Taylor founds AmFAR, the foundation for AIDS research

In 1985, Elizabeth Taylor presents Roddy and his co-honoree Deborah Kerr with the American Cinema Foundation Career Achievement Award. The focus is Roddy's film work, but he's also cited for philanthropic activities, including his contributions to the photo collection library at the Academy and his advocacy for the MPTF, emphasizing the importance of caring for the industry's elders and those who've fallen on hard times.


American Cinema Foundation Career Achievement Award

Roddy goes on working hard. Bernstein says, "The main thing is to keep working...he always has employment; from the time he's eight years old, he works nonstop...It's like he's a shark - if he doesn't keep moving forward, he'll drown."

In 1998, Roddy is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer, and spends his days writing to all the people in his life, finding the right thing to give them. When Roddy passes, he wants no ceremony, just to be cremated and his ashes scattered at sea by the Neptune Society.

I enjoyed the book, which is a comprehensive view of Roddy's work, and highlights Roddy's fine qualities. Roddy knew people's secrets, but never revealed them.

Thanks to Netgalley, Samuel Garza Bernstein, and Kensington for an ARC of the book. 

Rating: 4 stars