Lucci's List: July 2020

This month, I am filling your summer reading with adventure! Enjoy!

"Freedom-Just Another Word" by Randy L Scott is a different sort of supernatural novel.

Jake Barnes is sick of his factory-town life. Abuse and belittlement, religious fanatics, and a distrust of authority coax the young man away from everything he knows. He seeks adventure, and finds it in Alaska, the land of misfits.

He feels right at home in the wilderness. Homesteading is the all-encompassing task he has sought for his body, mind, and spirit. His fiancee, infant son, and fellow homesteaders support the greenhorn as he scrapes his new way of life together.

In the darkest nights when he is most tired from his grueling days, Jake discovers a new way to relax. Lucid dreaming; dreams in which the sleeper is aware of the fantasy and can control the actions and events within the dream; become a further escape from reality. They help him cope as he learns the hardest lessons of living in the wilderness.

Across the world, a group of another religious zealots, far different from the ones he grew up with, seek the Dream Messiah. Mystical connections bring Jake to this community, and he begins to fear for his sanity. as his dream life interferes with his physical life, he doubts what is true, and the lines between fantasy and fact are blurred.

I found this book a bit confusing regarding the timeline, especially in the beginning. I didn't feel much empathy for the characters, but the homesteading neighbours had some hilarious dialogue. The descriptions of wild Alaska, the attempts to tame it just enough to live as a human, and the continuous fear associated with the unknown made this story exciting. My favourite part was when Jake helped his neighbours skin a bear. It was a fascinating process, and the author's careful explanations made it a vivid scene.

Mystical mixes with physical in this adventure tale. I would recommend it most for people who yearn for an escape from reality, while keeping their feet on the ground.

"Tales from a Tugboat Captain" by Thomas Teague is a memoir full of sea-faring info and funny stories. Teague takes the reader on mini-adventures through the daring, grueling, and often fantastic adventures of life on a tugboat.

I grew up with the children's book, "Scuffy the Tugboat," and Teague's book reads as an adult version. He included technical descriptions of captaining a tugboat and included vocabulary often used on board that would be new to non-boating readers.

The history of tug boating in the 1970s and how it grew as technology improved and changed the profession exhibited how quickly things can change. These changes in technology also led to societal shifts aboard the tugboat. This parallel was particularly fascinating.

"But there was no one watching the boats back then, No one could be in close contact with the boats because the technology was not yet invented. Communication with office personnel on land was done via VHF marine radio for short distances and Single Side Band radios if you were offshore."

Entertwined with the logistics of tug boating were comical stories of real life on board with distinct characters.

Told in a light-hearted first person style, these tales are a smooth and quick read. It is split up into ten chapters, each one focusing on a different aspect of tug boating: How it All Began, Learning to be a Tugboat Guy, Drinking, The Gulf of Mexico, Sea Stories and Weather, Danger, Nicknames, Jargon, Boredom, and Tying it all Together.

I recommend this book to people who have ever been mesmerized by the sight of tiny tugboats guarding large barges through bridges or out at sea. A gem of a short memoir, this reads as a short story that will be enjoyable for most readers who enjoy a comic flair with their non-fiction.

Jules Verne's "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" is the epic tale credited with birthing the steampunk genre of science fiction. The first line sets the tone: "The year 1866 was signalized by a remarkable incident, a mysterious and inexplicable phenomenon, which doubtless no one has yet forgotten."When Dr. Aronnax, a naturalist scientist, encounters a mysterious sea beast, he is dedicated to capturing it. He is obsessed with solving the mystery of its impenetrable flesh, its ability to outrace the hunters, and the uncanny way it can submerge quickly into deeper waters, disappearing without a trace.Tragically, Aronnax's ship sinks. Arronnax and a few shipmates are the only ones to survive. As they fight for their lives in shark infested waters, they are miraculously rescued by Captain Nemo and his monstrous submarine, the Nautilus. Aronnax is shocked at the discovery that the whale-like sea monster he had been seeking is a giant submarine.The adventures which the strange crew experience together are more fantastical than action packed. Travelling around the world via sea provides stunning research opportunities for Aronnax. The creatures and geological wonders that Nemo points out delights the naturalist.Breathtaking sights and joyful discoveries trail off as Aronnax uncovers Nemo's true mission for this voyage, and the vengeful plot that he lives for.

“Hero’s Brew: A Short Story” by T.W. Colvin answers the question of “what makes a hero?” When a quaint sheltered town is overcome by a sudden evil, the residents must fend for themselves. They summon up an old spell in an effort to fight the deadly forces taking over their lives.

This tale was intriguing, and with a little brushing up of writing dynamics, it would be even more enjoyable to read.

"Alter Ego: The Other Me: Issue 1" by David Terruso is a graphic novel with a novella feel. Part noir, part superhero, part mystery, this work of art weaves an intriguing tale with more to come.

Chris Club is a narcissistic private dick who is on the case. His focus: unmasking the super villain/hero, Blue. Blue's identity is important to Club's mafioso client, since Blue is disrupting his way of life. Obsessed with capturing Blue and revealing his true identity, Club finds himself self-involved in a mystery he never wanted to be part of.

This read as a short story accompanied by picture clues. It was important to me that I read the author's note about the underage relationship that ensued as part of the plot; I otherwise would've stopped reading or have given a poor review. I am trusting the author that this inappropriate relationship is addressed in future issues.

I am not normally a reader of graphic novels, and this one certainly kept my attention. I had fun finding clues within the artwork, and enjoyed the old-fashioned investigation mixed with a new-fangled superhero theme.

"A Canticle for Leibowitz" by Walter M. Miller, Jr. is a story told in three parts, each related, each distinct.

Part 1: I want more! Why does this have to end?

Part 2: I want more! Why does this have to end?

Part 3: I want more! Why does this have to end?

Thus is the message and overall theme of this dystopian masterpiece.

Through the ages, humanity builds itself up and breaks itself down. Relics of romanticized pasts are canonized, then studied, then displayed as dusty artifacts of an ignorant world gone by. Hopes and plans for the future carry on this legacy of touching history while at the same time neglecting its lessons.

If the Messiah were in front of us, would we recognize the godly aura? Or would we ignore the unhuman qualities in favour of our continued blind search?

If we destroyed the world a hundred times over, what would remain sacred to us? What would we value? Where would our plans destine us?

This book encourages questions that people of all times struggle with. This time, maybe we will get it right.