The Gavel

The Deaths of Tao Author: Wesley Chu Pages: 462 Publisher: Angry Robot        Genre: Sci-Fi and Action Buy The Deaths of Tao: Amazon , Barnes & Noble Well done Mr. Chu well done.  The sequel to The Lives of Tao, The Death of Tao, has outperformed its predecessor and was even better than the original by a factor of 100.  The book took the existing formula and took off flying with it all the while gaining new ground and making the situation you are reading about feel bleak and uncomfortable.  Where most sequels fall is it tries to take what made the first so magical and tries to copy it word for word and shot for shot.  This one takes the formula from the first one and adds new ground and makes the characters feel like real people.  Wesley Chu adds depth and fleshes out each person with more character and makes them believable.  This time around he gives an in depth look into the Genjix’ role in the conspiracy they are creating while you get to see more of the Prophus

So me being the movie man that I am have decided to do more of an opinion piece rather than a review today. So for today is something I have been thinking about for a while now . MOVIES THAT MATTER .  I will take 3 or my favorite genres and give you 3 movies per area that you should see at least once and why they matter. Also they are some of my all-time favorites SCI-FI ·          Blade Runner- I pick this as my number one science fiction movie for a few reasons. One, with this movie it gave way to large scale visual effects. Two, Ridley Scott took the existing source material and translated it into something that everyone could enjoy.  Three, this movie helped pave the way for the cyberpunk genre and made more people aware of it. ·          Pandorum- This one was a lesser known sci-fi flick that came out a few years ago but damn was it creepy and kept you guessing until the very end.  This one should be seen at least once and then it will make you think about your own sanit

The Lives of Tao Author: Wesley Chu Pages: 456 Publisher: Angry Robot        Genre: Sci-Fi and Action Buy The Lives of Tao :   Amazon , Barnes & Noble             Oh boy, where to start with this book. Unexpected, hilarious, downright witty and made me tear up.  The Lives of Tao by Wesley Chu is the story of out of shape IT worker Roen Tan who unwillingly becomes the new host of an ancient alien race known as the Prophus.  Something along the lines of Invasion of the Body Snatchers meets The Matrix; Tao the alien who lives within Roen teaches him how to be a solider, spy, and leader in a war that he never knew existed. While Roen learns to deal with his new guest, and Tao learns to live with his host, they are caught up in the war against the warring faction known as the Genjix.  It is smart and funny. Very easy to follow and provides a nice mental image of the conflict and characters.  PROS: ·          Great pacing and fun to read ·          Great for Sci-