The Book Collection

Info on many classic, interesting, and random books

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“Year One”, later referred to as “Batman: Year One”, is an American comic book story arc published by DC Comics which recounts the superhero Batman’s first year as a crime-fighter. It was written by Frank Miller, illustrated by David Mazzucchelli, colored by Richmond Lewis, and lettered by Todd Klein. Batman: Year One, originally appeared in issues #404–407 of the comic book title Batman in 1987. As well as recounting Batman’s early crime-fighting career, the story simultaneously examines the life of recently transferred officer James Gordon – eventually building towards their partnership. There have been several reprints of the story: a hardcover, multiple trade paperback editions (one in standard comics paper with simpler coloring and one deluxe version with rich detailing in the colors — both colored by Richmond Lewis) and it has been included in The Complete Frank Miller Batman hardcover. The story arc was adapted into an animated feature in 2011.

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Dune: The Battle of Corrin is a 2004 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the third book in the Legends of Dune prequel trilogy, which takes place over 10,000 years before the events of Frank Herbert's celebrated 1965 novel Dune. The series chronicles the fictional Butlerian Jihad, a crusade by the last free humans in the universe against the thinking machines, a violent and dominating force led by the sentient computer Omnius.

The events of the novel take place a full century after the beginning of the Butlerian Jihad, and are divided into two parts, the first beginning in the year 108 B.G. (before Guild) and detailing a biological war waged by the thinking machines on the humans. The second part of the novel begins in 88 B.G. and covers the events after the Great Purge, leading up to the fateful Battle of Corrin. At the conclusion of the Legends of Dune series, several storylines started in the previous two novels lead to the political and social climate that is well established in Frank Herbert’s original Dune series.

Dune: The Battle of Corrin rose to #9 on The New York Times Best Seller list in its second week of publication.

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Dune: The Machine Crusade is a 2003 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the second book in the Legends of Dune prequel trilogy, which takes place over 10,000 years before the events of Frank Herbert's celebrated 1965 novel Dune.  The series chronicles the fictional Butlerian Jihad, a crusade by the last free humans in the universe against the thinking machines, a violent and dominating force led by the sentient computer mind Omnius.

More than two decades have passed since the events chronicled in The Butlerian Jihad.  The crusade against thinking robots had ground on for years, but the forces led by Serena Butler and Iblis Ginjo have made only slight gains; the human worlds grow weary of war, of the bloody, inconclusive swing from victory.

The fearsome cymeks, led by Agamemnon, hatch new plots to regain their lost power from Omnius . . . as their numbers dwindle and times begins to run out.  The fighters of Ginaz, led by Jool Noret, forge themselves into an elite warrior class, a weapon against the machine-dominated worlds.  Aurelius Venport and Norma Cenva are on the verge of the most important discovery in human history---a way to “fold” space and travel instantaneously to any place in the galaxy.

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Dune: The Butlerian Jihad is a 2002 science fiction novel by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, set in the fictional Dune universe created by Frank Herbert. It is the first book in the Legends Of Dune prequel trilogy, which takes place over 10,000 years before the events of Frank Herbert's Celebrated 1965 novel Dune. The series chronicles the fictional Butlerian Jihad, a crusade by the last free humans in the universe against the thinking machines, a violent and dominating force led by the sentient computer Omnius.

This book goes back in time: 10, 000 years prior to the events chronicled in Dune. As the title implies, The main story revolves around humanity's rebellion against the thinking machines' tyranny. And it's a multi-layered epic saga which should satisfy most readers.

The characterizations are at times brilliant and at times lacking. First and foremost, this novel is a tale of men and women, making this a character-driven storyline. And as such, the characterizations are well-developed and interesting, at least for the most part. We are introduced to a host of characters whose actions will set in motion the events that will lead to Dune, millennia later. The tables are turned on both Vorian Atreides and Xavier Harkonnen, and it's kind of neat to see an Atreides and a Harkonnen with different roles. Serena Butler plays an immense role, and I was totally taken by surprise by the incident which will mark the starting point of the jihad. Norma Cenva and Tio Holtzman are scientists who are taking science beyond new horizons. Tuk Keedair is a Tlulaxa slaver and flesh merchant who makes an interesting discovery. Omnius, the computer evermind, and Erasmus, the free-thinking robot, provide some insight pertaining to the thinking machines' social structure and agenda. Iblis Ginjo will, without realizing it at first, create the spark that will change humanity forever. And on Arrakis, a young outcast will become the legendary Selim Wormrider.

New concepts such as the evermind, the cymeks, the Cogitors, the Sorceresses of Rossak, the Titans, etc, give another dimension to this tale. And the revelations concerning the Zensunnis and the Zenshiites give us a bit of insight concerning the people who will one day become the fearsome Fremen. And we finally discover what atrocious role the atomic warheads stockpiled on numerous worlds for centuries played in the war against the thinking machines. And just how enormous the price to pay turned out to be. . .

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The Dark Knight Returns, is a 1986 four-issue comic book miniseries starring Batman, written by Frank Miller, illustrated by Miller and Klaus Janson, and published by DC Comics. When the series was collected into a single volume later that year, the story title for the first issue was applied to the entire series. The Dark Knight Returns tells an alternative story of Bruce Wayne, who at 55 years old returns from retirement to fight crime and faces opposition from the Gotham City police force and the United States government. The story introduces Carrie Kelley as the new Robin and culminates with a confrontation against Superman.

In the pre-Flashpoint DC Multiverse, the events of The Dark Knight Returns and its associated titles were designated to occur on Earth-31.

Since the 1950s, when the Comics Code Authority was established, the character of Batman had drifted from his dark, violent roots. It was not until the 1970s when the character began to feature in darker stories once again; however, Batman was still commonly associated with the campy theme of the 1960s Batman TV series, and as a father figure to Robin rather than the violent vigilante he was introduced as.

In the early 1980s, DC Comics promoted Batman group editor Dick Giordano to editorial director for the company. Writer-artist Frank Miller was recruited to create The Dark Knight Returns. Giordano said he worked with Miller on the story's plot, and said, "The version that was finally done was about his fourth or fifth draft. The basic storyline was the same but there were a lot of detours along the way. During the creation of the series, fellow comics writer/artist John Byrne told Miller, "Robin must be a girl", and Miller complied. Miller said that the comic series' plot was inspired by Dirty Harry, specifically the 1983 film Sudden Impact, in which Dirty Harry returns to crime-fighting after a lengthy convalescence. Miller also said his own increasing age was a factor in the plot. The series employed a 16-panel grid for its pages. Each page was composed of either a combination of either 16 panels, or anywhere between sixteen and one panel per page. Giordano left the project halfway through because of disagreements over production deadlines. Comics historian Les Daniels wrote that Miller's idea of ignoring deadlines was "the culmination of the quest towards artistic independence".

The issues of The Dark Knight Returns were presented in packaging that included extra pages, square binding and glossy paper to highlight the watercolor paintings by colorist Lynn Varley.

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The Eyes of Heisenberg, is a 1966 science fiction novel by Frank Herbert. Originally serialized as Heisenberg's Eyes in Galaxy magazine between June and August 1966, it was issued by Berkley in the same year. The title refers to Werner Heisenberg's uncertainty principle, here applied both on the molecular (genetic) level (producing the atypical embryo the story hinges on) and on a macro, societal level.

The short novel takes places in an initially unspecified future in which society is rigidly stratified into two genetic and reproductive classes: the "Optimen" (who include women) and the "Folk." All humans are mandatorily genetically reviewed and modified ("cut") just after conception by surgeons answering to the Optimen, a ruling class of genetically superior humans.

The Optimen are distinguished by genetic excellence, but also by a unique vocation; their metabolisms are such that treatment with the life-extension enzymes available to most members of the society instead induces true biological immortality. The Optimen exercise absolute dictatorial control over Earth from an enclave in North America. They hold global society in stasis, both politically and through continuous manipulation of the human genome. Only a small minority of the population is permitted to reproduce, and that only under strict supervision - the vast majority of the Folk are "Sterries," kept sterilethrough an ever-present prophylactic gas. The Optimen are naturally sterile.

The Folk revere the Optimen with a quasi-religious fervor, centered on the mantra "They are the power that loves us and protects us." The adulation is however not universal; an anti-Optiman resistance exists, in the form of the "Parents Underground" and the "Couriers," both networks sponsored by the Cyborgs, mechanically enhanced humans long opposed to the immortals.

As the story unfolds, the setting - which had seemed a relatively near future, perhaps a few centuries at most - is revealed to be at least 80,000 years distant (the age given for the oldest Optimen). The extraordinary control of the Optimen is such that late 21st century life has been the norm for millennia.

It is noted that the Optimen have deliberately stunted technological progress. The Cyborgs are implied to be rather long-lived themselves - an Optiman-Cyborg War is briefly mentioned, and it is implied as having taken place in the quite distant past, but it is elsewhere stated that this was no more than three Cyborg generations ago.

Most of the book takes place in the "Seatac Megalopolis" - apparently incorporating present-day Seattle and Tacoma - and the Optiman enclave.

Continuing a theme present in many of Herbert's other works, the novel is principally concerned with the problems inherent in or caused by the inflexibility of a static system. The Durants find themselves a cog in the high-level machinations of competing factions, none of which have their own best interests at heart.

A number of Herbert's other common themes pop up, including his interest in complex, rigidly codified or ritualized behaviors, reflected in the precise etiquette expected of those granted an audience with the Tuyere. Herbert's interest in exotic forms of communication takes the shape of the secret language of the Couriers, conveyed through subtle palm pressures during handholding. The longevity of the Optimen prefigures) Leto II of the Dune saga.