Bone Dance (original 1991; edition 2009)

Reread newly available as an ebook. A little weirder than I remember, but in a good way. Some of the plot points (videotapes in a post apocalyptic world) are somewhat dated, but not in any way that bothered me. Still a brilliant book. ( )

I know there are many many people out there that loved this book. I was not one of them. I tried, but I found it hard to get into, the characters not likeable or unlikeable. The story was interesting, but it felt very much a book written in 1991. There is a very unsettling vibe to this book. This book felt like it was in between an age of science fiction - not quite cyber-punk- but not quite the modern science fiction of today. The writing was solid, but simple.

One thing I did like was the setting of the book. The first half, it felt that the author was deliberately making the city as generic as possible. But, by the second half, Minneapolis landmarks and references were mentioned often. I liked that the Apple Valley Zoo was turned into a farm-coop. ( )

I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't what I read. Bone Dance is a dense book, even though it's not long. I didn't read it as closely as other books I've read, mostly because I found my eyes glazing over while digging through the spiritual/magic (those aren't the right words, but they'll do) parts of the book. I also found it hard to read more than a chapter or two at a time, which meant that for such a short book, it took me a (relatively) long time.

What I did like where the characters, especially Sparrow (our "hero"), Theo and Sherra (and eventually Frances, too). My favorite part of the book was right near the end, after the traumatic event to Sparrow, but before the climax of the novel. Sparrow's recovery/rehab was much more interesting than most of the novel. I liked it, but it more fantasy than science fiction; even if it did live up to it's dystopian promises.

I just wish I liked it more, since I loved the previous book of Bull's that I read (War for the Oaks). ( )

I first encountered this book back in the nineties. It is a post apocalyptic science fantasy with a lot of interesting ideas and some great adventure. Bone Dance was reprinted last year into trade paperback format along with War for the Oaks (another favorite of mine). It fits into both the science fiction and urban fantasy genres, and has a theme and concept that can be defined as “hoodoo punk.”

The protagonist of the story is Sparrow, a trader who deals in movies and tapes, music and sound systems, and recovery and repair of everything from television sets to projectors. Sparrow is hired to find a lost movie supposedly about the Horsemen, a covert and extremely secret service operation formed of powerful psychics with the ability to among other things, jump from body to body and possess people. According to the legends surrounding this possibly mythical movie, the production of which was canceled on account of everyone involved coming to a bad end.

Read the rest of this review at A Wicked Convergence of Circumstances ( )

Macabre. Since Bull was mentioned by deLint, I wasn’t expecting a tale so dark. Tho truthfully, it is only the first half (or 2/3s?) that is setting the stage of things gone awry after The Button was pushed. [Since the Cold War died down, I didn’t think anyone worried about The Button anymore, but Bull has found a novel approach to the responsible party’s identity.] No faery appearances, but hoodoo plays a major role in this changed world. Sparrow, the main character, gets a crash course in hoodoo and also learns about the value of friendship. I like Sparrow, who has some good values, like being honest, despite the background and I can empathize with the desire to be anonymous, unnoticed. I also like authors who give me something to think about for my own life, and Bull has done that with her explanation of how greed blocks energy flow, and how doing what we love, with our whole attention, creates energy. Sparrow starts with a rigid concept of the Deal, where every favor given creates a debt which must be paid. Sher teaches that “as long as you keep the energy, all kinds of energy, moving through the system, everything is free. But as soon as you block some of it off, take it out of circulation—wham. The payback is enormous.” And this could be called a tale of payback and setting free.. ( )