Cola Wars best new book - by DirigibleCaptain on 20:24 14 Aug 2003
A friend in Illinois (like that matters, right?) steered me to a kind of underground book that turned out to be the best sci-fi I've ever read, no kidding around. Title = Cola Wars. Author = Dennis J barton. basic idea = a world without clean water, everybody slave to two cola companies, each of which have as their champions genetically-engineered superheroes who battle one another for supremacy. It's about this special services guy who works for one cola company who starts to figure out to the truth about who poisoned all the water. Excellent, excellent work, funny and smart stuff. Had to get it online though, got mine from BAM.com, but it's out there on the others too. Couldn't find it in stores. Haven't read the author's other stuff, but he's also got some plays and a couple of Rush (the band) based sci-fi books out too.
A friend in Illinois (like that matters, right?) steered me to a kind of underground book that turned out to be the best sci-fi I've ever read, no kidding around. Title = Cola Wars. Author = Dennis J barton. basic idea = a world without clean water, everybody slave to two cola companies, each of which have as their champions genetically-engineered superheroes who battle one another for supremacy. It's about this special services guy who works for one cola company who starts to figure out to the truth about who poisoned all the water. Excellent, excellent work, funny and smart stuff. Had to get it online though, got mine from BAM.com, but it's out there on the others too. Couldn't find it in stores. Haven't read the author's other stuff, but he's also got some plays and a couple of Rush (the band) based sci-fi books out too.
Cola Wars best new book - by MoonHunter on 04:55 15 Aug 2003
Probably a troll post... but sounds interesting.
Probably a troll post... but sounds interesting.
Cola Wars best new book - by NoonChild on 10:17 15 Aug 2003
There's a book just out that I want to read, which this cola one reminded me of (even though not really similar). Companies are in control and everyone is named after who they work for eg. Ben Nike. the story is about a spy called Jennifer Government:
Here's a review:
"A novel so hip it should carry a designer label, this extraordinary vision of a future world has already been snapped up by George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh’s Section 8 film company.
In the near future, the corporations have completed their take-over. Nations are now divided along clear lines, either pro or ‘non’ American. In the ultimate free market paradise, workers even take the name of their employer for their surname - Hack Nike, for instance. He’s got a bit of a problem, however: two marketing executives have offered him a contract to promote the company’s new range of ultra-trendy trainers. Unfortunately, establishing street cred means murdering fashion-fixated teenagers, and when corrupt police muscle in on the deal, Hack’s in serious trouble. It gets worse when a tough agent called Jennifer Government with a barcode under her eye arrives on the scene . . .
In the age of ‘Pax Americana’ this is a timely, witty and very clever satire on globalisation, perfect for the No Logo generation."
Hoping to enjoy this one
There's a book just out that I want to read, which this cola one reminded me of (even though not really similar). Companies are in control and everyone is named after who they work for eg. Ben Nike. the story is about a spy called Jennifer Government:
Here's a review:
"A novel so hip it should carry a designer label, this extraordinary vision of a future world has already been snapped up by George Clooney and Steven Soderbergh’s Section 8 film company.
In the near future, the corporations have completed their take-over. Nations are now divided along clear lines, either pro or ‘non’ American. In the ultimate free market paradise, workers even take the name of their employer for their surname - Hack Nike, for instance. He’s got a bit of a problem, however: two marketing executives have offered him a contract to promote the company’s new range of ultra-trendy trainers. Unfortunately, establishing street cred means murdering fashion-fixated teenagers, and when corrupt police muscle in on the deal, Hack’s in serious trouble. It gets worse when a tough agent called Jennifer Government with a barcode under her eye arrives on the scene . . .
In the age of ‘Pax Americana’ this is a timely, witty and very clever satire on globalisation, perfect for the No Logo generation."
Hoping to enjoy this one
Cola Wars best new book - by DirigibleCaptain on 20:42 15 Aug 2003
I can assure you, I am not a troll. There may be a little orc in me, but no troll, nope, none at all.
I can assure you, I am not a troll. There may be a little orc in me, but no troll, nope, none at all.
Cola Wars best new book - by MoonHunter on 03:39 16 Aug 2003
Who says Cyberpunk is never coming back. These two books smack of it. After all, all cyberpunk does not require cyberlimbs and netrunners, just like all fantasy requires elves and orcs.
As for our new friend...How can I put this.
On your first post you plugged an electronically accessable book. It smacked of you planting the ad, in the guise of a happy customer, and never coming back. A common technique on many boards. Perhaps I am a bit cynical, but the hallmarks were all there.
Who says Cyberpunk is never coming back. These two books smack of it. After all, all cyberpunk does not require cyberlimbs and netrunners, just like all fantasy requires elves and orcs.
As for our new friend...How can I put this.
On your first post you plugged an electronically accessable book. It smacked of you planting the ad, in the guise of a happy customer, and never coming back. A common technique on many boards. Perhaps I am a bit cynical, but the hallmarks were all there.
Cola Wars best new book - by Brad on 08:46 16 Aug 2003
It does sound like cyberpunk and that is great! I think cyberpunk is reviving again so the more new material out there the better. (And the old material is still pretty good too.)
Okay Dirigible, you have to admit it did sound like a link drop (okay it didn't have a link but the facts are immaterial!). But that is okay, you can come back and discuss the book with us all is forgiven.
How heavy into conspiracy theories is this book or is it more cyberpunkish?
These sound interesting. Any titles?
It does sound like cyberpunk and that is great! I think cyberpunk is reviving again so the more new material out there the better. (And the old material is still pretty good too.)
Okay Dirigible, you have to admit it did sound like a link drop (okay it didn't have a link but the facts are immaterial!). But that is okay, you can come back and discuss the book with us all is forgiven.
How heavy into conspiracy theories is this book or is it more cyberpunkish?
| Quote |
| and a couple of Rush (the band) based sci-fi books out too. |
These sound interesting. Any titles?
Cola Wars best new book - by DirigibleCaptain on 13:47 17 Aug 2003
I knew I shouldn't have mentioned my orcish heritage. Happens every time. Full-blooded-human folk SAY they don't mind hanging with a half-orc, but then when nobdy showd up to the bbq....
I guess I could get a link to CW on here, if that's what's desired by the peeps. IS it into conspriacy theories? I suppose so, but the world of the book, while similare ot our own, is a world where corporate entities (namely the 2 cola companies) own and control everything. Cola comes out of the taps in the kicthen instead of water, and its Coak or Popsi, depending. I have no idea if its cyberpunk,but why I like dit was because it had some deopth, was NOT written for 13-yo-boys, like so much sci-fi. It had depth, but was pretty fast-paced. the treatment of the superheroes was also v. good, as most of them (EX: Captain Coak, Carbonation, Sweetness, Quality & Tradition) weren't very bright, just very powerful. Then, and I don't want to give it all away, but there are OTHER super-beings who DON'T answer tot eh cola comapnies, the only one I'll mention is Blue Buddha, who's just kind of off-beat and cool, like he can say "Omm" and shatter glass and metal and whatever, and he doesn't fly but he teleports around by contemplating his navel and then folding into and disappearing into his own navel. Very in keeping wiht the whole "Buddha" idea. the protagonist was also good, I guess I identified with him b/c, even though he was in good with one cola company, he wasn't happy because of the way corporate entities operate, and the sometimes stupdi and evil wstuff they have him do. I work for a big company, a very big company, and I feel that ways ALL the time. Trapped bwteen a need for the big money and the need to turn away from the evil of corporte life and knowing there's not a lot else outside the corp. realm for good jobs. And then everything (vack to the book now) ties together preety damned tight at the end. Like how the protagonist finds himself and becomes respoinsible for all the bad things he's done for the cola companies. Kind of archetypal thing goes on att the end there, the kind of end whefre you slap your forehea dand say "of course" about what's happened, and it all comes together. It kind of reminds me of somethig else in places, just the way all the parts are put in place and then they start to bounce off one another, all the through the eys of the protag, whose point of view both limits and expands understanding of the world in the book. And this is like that protag is so well-made, because so many writers always do that third-peron thing, where they can jump in and say whatever whenever. Might be an easy ewy to write a book, but kind of no fun to read sometimes. I also like the chapoter titles. the writer does chapetr titles like this (looking at the book now): Chap 1 is "Snap, Fizz, Fly, Crash". Cahp 2 is "Trouble, Big Boss, Education". Kind of poetic, and the only other writer I saw use this chap naming is a guy named "Haruki Murakami", a Japanese writer, who is also v.v. good. his HARD-BOILED WONDER LAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD is ALMOST as good as CW.
Anyway I'm tempted to go get another book by this same guy, but it looks like the only other sci-fi he's written is based on the rock band Rush and their 2112 song. That kind of interets me but its supposed to be a series and the first two books are like $25 each and when I think about pyutting $75-125 down on a sci-fi series, I get kind of edgy.
I knew I shouldn't have mentioned my orcish heritage. Happens every time. Full-blooded-human folk SAY they don't mind hanging with a half-orc, but then when nobdy showd up to the bbq....
I guess I could get a link to CW on here, if that's what's desired by the peeps. IS it into conspriacy theories? I suppose so, but the world of the book, while similare ot our own, is a world where corporate entities (namely the 2 cola companies) own and control everything. Cola comes out of the taps in the kicthen instead of water, and its Coak or Popsi, depending. I have no idea if its cyberpunk,but why I like dit was because it had some deopth, was NOT written for 13-yo-boys, like so much sci-fi. It had depth, but was pretty fast-paced. the treatment of the superheroes was also v. good, as most of them (EX: Captain Coak, Carbonation, Sweetness, Quality & Tradition) weren't very bright, just very powerful. Then, and I don't want to give it all away, but there are OTHER super-beings who DON'T answer tot eh cola comapnies, the only one I'll mention is Blue Buddha, who's just kind of off-beat and cool, like he can say "Omm" and shatter glass and metal and whatever, and he doesn't fly but he teleports around by contemplating his navel and then folding into and disappearing into his own navel. Very in keeping wiht the whole "Buddha" idea. the protagonist was also good, I guess I identified with him b/c, even though he was in good with one cola company, he wasn't happy because of the way corporate entities operate, and the sometimes stupdi and evil wstuff they have him do. I work for a big company, a very big company, and I feel that ways ALL the time. Trapped bwteen a need for the big money and the need to turn away from the evil of corporte life and knowing there's not a lot else outside the corp. realm for good jobs. And then everything (vack to the book now) ties together preety damned tight at the end. Like how the protagonist finds himself and becomes respoinsible for all the bad things he's done for the cola companies. Kind of archetypal thing goes on att the end there, the kind of end whefre you slap your forehea dand say "of course" about what's happened, and it all comes together. It kind of reminds me of somethig else in places, just the way all the parts are put in place and then they start to bounce off one another, all the through the eys of the protag, whose point of view both limits and expands understanding of the world in the book. And this is like that protag is so well-made, because so many writers always do that third-peron thing, where they can jump in and say whatever whenever. Might be an easy ewy to write a book, but kind of no fun to read sometimes. I also like the chapoter titles. the writer does chapetr titles like this (looking at the book now): Chap 1 is "Snap, Fizz, Fly, Crash". Cahp 2 is "Trouble, Big Boss, Education". Kind of poetic, and the only other writer I saw use this chap naming is a guy named "Haruki Murakami", a Japanese writer, who is also v.v. good. his HARD-BOILED WONDER LAND AND THE END OF THE WORLD is ALMOST as good as CW.
Anyway I'm tempted to go get another book by this same guy, but it looks like the only other sci-fi he's written is based on the rock band Rush and their 2112 song. That kind of interets me but its supposed to be a series and the first two books are like $25 each and when I think about pyutting $75-125 down on a sci-fi series, I get kind of edgy.