[8NC]⋙ PDF Free Idyll The Idyll Trilogy Book 1 edition by James Derry Literature Fiction eBooks

Idyll The Idyll Trilogy Book 1 edition by James Derry Literature Fiction eBooks

Download As PDF : Idyll The Idyll Trilogy Book 1 edition by James Derry Literature Fiction eBooks

Idyll The Idyll Trilogy Book 1 edition by James Derry Literature Fiction eBooks

I must say that this story started out a bit slow and even got to the point I consider monotonous. However, the fact it was so well written, nicely edited and rich with beautifully rendered descriptions coupled with enough suspense to make me wonder what was going on, I kept reading and was not disappointed.

The author did an excellent job of creating a new world to which Earthlings are immigrating to escape their own as it loses viability. The colonists have agreed to live a simpler lifestyle, similar to that of the pioneers who settled the American West in the 19th century. Settling a new planet is not a simple, matter, however, with a variety of new hazards including byproducts of terraforming including a marginally sentient species known as owylls, which are predatory yet seem to act at the command of a tall, mysterious bearded man. Colonists are being afflicted by an epidemic of a malady known as "The Lullaby" which renders its victims comatose while muttering a mantra that spreads the disease to anyone who hears or perceives it, e.g. in writing.

The characters aren't particularly endearing and I thought any emotional or romantic development between them fell flat. Nonetheless, they are interesting enough that I'd like to know more about them and why they're the way they are. The main protagonists comprise two brothers, Walter and Samuel Starboard, who are transporting their Lullaby-afflicted mother, Alma, to Marathon, the site where their transport ship is located. Rumor has it that a cure is available there plus they also hope to find their missing father. Bear in mind that this journey is essentially a trail ride through dangerous unknown and uncharted territory which involves horses for transportation, tethered mules, and a wagon carrying Alma.

Along the way they encounter the Bridge sisters, Virginia and Miriam, who join them. There's a considerable amount of tension between them, particularly from Miriam who is clearly a bitter, angry woman with a reputation for using men. She does prove useful helping Walt care for his comatose mother, however. Hopefully in the next volume the author will reveal more about her, whom I suspect is a very wounded soul with an interesting past beyond what was revealed in this volume. The part that really bogged down the first half of this book was their tedious journey which provided graphic descriptions of the planet and a strong sense of place yet in my opinion dragged on longer than necessary; some readers may not make it to the best part.

But once things started to move, then move they did. I don't want to get into spoiler territory so won't go into it other than to say all the questions that arose during the story to that point were answered and the plot, premise and details of the society in which the characters are a part was exceptionally well-developed, intriguing and enough to make me want to read the next volume of this trilogy. The irony of the title comes through amid numerous clever twists and turns, cool technology, most of which is environmentally friendly, and all sorts of other technological and societal goodies hard sci-fi fans like myself want and expect in a good read. As a former rocket scientist I'm always critical of the feasibility of the science in such novels and there was only one thing in there that seemed a bit of a stretch, so the author did well on that score as well.

World building is not an easy feat and getting all the details in place presents a challenge for any author. Derry has done an outstanding job doing so, established an interesting world with a variety of fascinating possibilities reminiscent of other sci-fi classics in print as well as film I wish I could mention but they would undoubtedly constitute spoilers.

If you like sci-fi adventure stories populated by ordinary people in an evolving off-world environment backed up by great imagery and detail, you will probably enjoy this story. It moves slowly at first (thus only 4 stars) but I admit that I stayed up way past my usual bedtime to finish it once it started to roll.


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Idyll The Idyll Trilogy Book 1 edition by James Derry Literature Fiction eBooks Reviews

Let it be known I am not a science fiction fanatic, so it takes a lot for me to enjoy reading this genre. I was invited, through a book club, to expand my reading horizons and I am so glad I did. Idyll, by James Derry is listed as “Adult SciFi” but is definitely appropriate for teenagers, and even some precocious tweens (and I mean this in the ‘well developed vocabulary’ rather than thematic sense). I finished reading this book within 24 hours and am anxiously awaiting books two and three of this trilogy.

The story begins with brothers Walt and Sam departing their home and embarking on a month-long journey, with their gravely ill mother, in search of their father who left three years earlier. I was immediately engaged in the world created by Derry. I sensed the isolated, dystopian nature of the world while simultaneously feeling an eerie familiarity to a good old-fashioned western. It left me comforted, even though there were clearly dangers ahead.

Derry is a master of the written word. His sentences and descriptions flowed easily from one to the next. I liked that there was not an excess of fantastical creatures or violent action scenes. There were enough to move the story along, but not weigh it down (or, more importantly, turn off those like me who find those elements tedious in this genre). I enjoyed the time spent on the relational aspects of the two main (and then two emerging) characters in lieu of constant high-adrenaline action. There are made-up words and scientific references which are eventually explained, but which linger long enough to force the reader to wonder and imagine. Time frame is left intentionally obscure and, again, clarified toward the end.
Throughout there are occasional glimpses into why and how Earth failed which spark a depressing tone of truth to current circumstances. These glimpses are some of the most potent words in the novel, yet I applaud Derry as an author for not belaboring these insightful moments.

The few pieces of constructive criticism I have involve structural choices. The author alternates chapter titles between the two brothers, but it isn’t clear to me how the perspective skews toward the chapter titleholder. Since the book is written in third person, the titles weren’t necessary for me. Also, I personally felt Chapter 42, ‘Walt’, took away from the powerful impact of the ending of Chapter 41 and the epilogue. Ch 42 could easily be Chapter 1 of Book 2.

Speaking of which, Derry does a masterful job of setting up the next book in the series. I am already imagining what might happen in Book 2. Lastly, I rarely read a book where I think, “This would make a great movie!” With Idyll, the thought crossed my mind constantly.
This is one of the best books of any genre I have read for some time. Idyll is very much at the intelligent end of speculative science fiction. The technologies, once you start to understand them, may seem thin on scientific logic, but the philosophical speculation behind the storytelling process is extremely stimulating. How unique Derry's vision is I couldn't possibly say, as there is just so much brilliant and diverse science fiction out there now that the publishing walls have tumbled, but what I can say is that Derry is a good writer and an even better storyteller. There are certainly a host of books that cross the divide between the 'Western' and Scifi, in fact a huge sway of modern SF and Sci-fi books and films owe much of there appeal to 'Space Western' themes but Derry's creation reads as very original to me. I don't think, oh yes, this author has borrowed from Orson Scott Card, Michael Crichton or Alice Mary Norton; not a bit of it. Rather I think that Derry has absorbed a great deal of visionary depth from such writers, remodelled it brilliantly, and is himself adding must read copy to future SF authors.
Apart from one particular continuity jump as the book started to build to completion which I felt needed a bit of smoothing, the plot line read very well. The interactions between the characters were truly fascinating. They would have worked in any genre setting. The book seems to have been finished with a sequel already well plotted. I hope that one soon emerges. Every now and again, at least for a while, one's favourite book becomes the one just finished. Derry has given me my recent favourite.
I must say that this story started out a bit slow and even got to the point I consider monotonous. However, the fact it was so well written, nicely edited and rich with beautifully rendered descriptions coupled with enough suspense to make me wonder what was going on, I kept reading and was not disappointed.

The author did an excellent job of creating a new world to which Earthlings are immigrating to escape their own as it loses viability. The colonists have agreed to live a simpler lifestyle, similar to that of the pioneers who settled the American West in the 19th century. Settling a new planet is not a simple, matter, however, with a variety of new hazards including byproducts of terraforming including a marginally sentient species known as owylls, which are predatory yet seem to act at the command of a tall, mysterious bearded man. Colonists are being afflicted by an epidemic of a malady known as "The Lullaby" which renders its victims comatose while muttering a mantra that spreads the disease to anyone who hears or perceives it, e.g. in writing.

The characters aren't particularly endearing and I thought any emotional or romantic development between them fell flat. Nonetheless, they are interesting enough that I'd like to know more about them and why they're the way they are. The main protagonists comprise two brothers, Walter and Samuel Starboard, who are transporting their Lullaby-afflicted mother, Alma, to Marathon, the site where their transport ship is located. Rumor has it that a cure is available there plus they also hope to find their missing father. Bear in mind that this journey is essentially a trail ride through dangerous unknown and uncharted territory which involves horses for transportation, tethered mules, and a wagon carrying Alma.

Along the way they encounter the Bridge sisters, Virginia and Miriam, who join them. There's a considerable amount of tension between them, particularly from Miriam who is clearly a bitter, angry woman with a reputation for using men. She does prove useful helping Walt care for his comatose mother, however. Hopefully in the next volume the author will reveal more about her, whom I suspect is a very wounded soul with an interesting past beyond what was revealed in this volume. The part that really bogged down the first half of this book was their tedious journey which provided graphic descriptions of the planet and a strong sense of place yet in my opinion dragged on longer than necessary; some readers may not make it to the best part.

But once things started to move, then move they did. I don't want to get into spoiler territory so won't go into it other than to say all the questions that arose during the story to that point were answered and the plot, premise and details of the society in which the characters are a part was exceptionally well-developed, intriguing and enough to make me want to read the next volume of this trilogy. The irony of the title comes through amid numerous clever twists and turns, cool technology, most of which is environmentally friendly, and all sorts of other technological and societal goodies hard sci-fi fans like myself want and expect in a good read. As a former rocket scientist I'm always critical of the feasibility of the science in such novels and there was only one thing in there that seemed a bit of a stretch, so the author did well on that score as well.

World building is not an easy feat and getting all the details in place presents a challenge for any author. Derry has done an outstanding job doing so, established an interesting world with a variety of fascinating possibilities reminiscent of other sci-fi classics in print as well as film I wish I could mention but they would undoubtedly constitute spoilers.

If you like sci-fi adventure stories populated by ordinary people in an evolving off-world environment backed up by great imagery and detail, you will probably enjoy this story. It moves slowly at first (thus only 4 stars) but I admit that I stayed up way past my usual bedtime to finish it once it started to roll.