Book Review: Behind the Ruins by Michael Lane

I just finished reading Behind the Ruins by Michael Lane. I don't make it a habit to review books, but I liked this one so much I thought I'd tell you about it.

I found the book because I was looking for indie fiction that was at least halfway decent. I'd been slogging through a wilderness of awful ramblings, and when I came across Behind the Ruins I didn't hold out much hope. Why would this one be different? Then I read the first few chapters and realized that while it was still entirely possible there was no plot, at least the characters, the setting and the narrative were a great read for now.

And it turned out there is a plot. I won't tell you what it is, but it swept me up.

The Premise

Here's the blurb from the virtual 'jacket':

The world didn’t end when the meteors came; it changed. 

We meet Grey in the process of killing three people intent on robbing and murdering him. The deaths solve nothing; instead, what he finds on one of the bodies leads to a bloody trip through the wreckage of a world scarred by a near-apocalypse, and inward through his own memories. In the process he becomes involved in a plan that could mean the return of the world he knew as a child, in the time before the Fall.

During his trek from British Columbia into the former United States he must overcome both his own bleak memories and the murderous forces of an old friend. The lessons he takes away and the decisions he makes will determine not only if he has a future, but whether civilization does.

What I Liked

In no particular order, I liked the characters, the plot, the pacing and the setting.

The people in the book seemed very real. They were easy to tell apart by their distinct personalities and habits of speech, and they had complexities, layers and even inconsistencies, like you and I do.

The plot struck me as well-organized without being either contrived or obvious. I kept guessing what was going to happen, and I kept being wrong, which I consider a good sign. And when the book was over, I thought, "Yes, that is probably what would end up happening, if these people were in this situation."

The pacing felt right. It was slow enough to feel gritty and real: I felt forced to relate to the cold and heat, the dirt, the indecision and the dread. And it was fast enough not to make me feel bogged down or bored. There was, perhaps, one section of necessary explanation that dragged a little, but maybe it didn't. I was tired when I read that part, so maybe it was just me.

Michael Lane lives in western Canada, and the story takes place in the borderland of southern British Columbia and northern Washington State. To be honest, it annoys me a little when novel after novel is set in either New York, Los Angeles or a big-city concept of what a 'small town' must be like (yup, I'm talking about Forks, Washington). Michael wrote about his homeland, and that makes a difference in the quality of the book.

What I Didn't Like

Behind the Ruins has the same problem my own books have: a crying need for editing. In fairness, I do not have the latest version, and some of the errors may have been fixed since I downloaded it. Editing is just not one of those things an author can do for his own work. It's one of the growing pains of the indie author/publisher movement. And, yes, we're working on that.

My interview with Michael Lane 

Michael's guest post on this blog

Survival #6: Appeasing the Fridge Gods

Having grown up largely without electricity, I'm constantly amazed at how many intelligent people I meet who seem to think that the only way to keep food from spoiling is to put it in a refrigerator. Their faith in refrigerators (and expiration dates, too) is so strong and unquestioning it's almost religious. They have no idea how our family could have gone without one for all those years, without either shopping three times a day or dying of food poisoning. (We shopped every two to four weeks, and none of us died of food poisoning.)

So how did we do it? The key is to remember what causes food to spoil. It's not heat and it's not time; it's bacteria. 

The reason the refrigerator works is that it slows down the rate at which bacteria reproduce. But refrigeration is not the only way to combat bacteria. In fact, it's not even the most effective method. But if you're going for cold, there other ways to get it:

• Gas refrigerator. Yup, it actually burns gas, like a stove. Use fire to make ice.
• Mudroom. This is one of those green and frugal things traditional New Hampshire people do whether they have electricity or not. At certain times of the year, mudrooms (those unheated rooms between the two doors of a heat-preserving airlock system) are the same temperature as a refrigerator. Put your food in a tightly-sealed plastic bin and save on the electric bill (or the gas bill, maybe.)
• Icebox. It's an insulated box, similar to a refrigerator except that it doesn't chill the food. You put ice in there, and that's what keeps it cold. The fascinating thing, to me, is how New Englanders managed to have any ice to put there, even in the middle of summer. They cut it off the ponds in the winter and stored it in slabs in an ice house between layers of sawdust. The presence of all that ice together and the insulating power of sawdust actually preserved the ice for all those months.
• Springhouse. This is a tiny food-storage building built over a spring. The cold springwater keeps the interior cold. Our family employed the same principle by lowering sealed buckets of food, inside a frame, into our hand-dug well.

Next week: "Pease Porridge in the Pot"

Survival #5: Kerosene Lamps

For a number of years when I was a kid, my family lived without electricity and got most of our light from kerosene lamps. Okay, we got most of our light from the sun, but you know what I mean.

I met plenty of people who seemed to feel sorry for me, living like that, and I didn't understand why. Much later I happened to be with some friends when they lit a kerosene lamp, and then it all made sense to me. Their lamp wasn't much brighter than a nightlight, certainly nothing you'd want to read by, and that was just for the first few minutes. Pretty soon the clear glass chimney turned black, and all we had was a little glow.

Photo: ehow.com

It doesn't have to be like that. If you know how to use them, kerosene lamps give enough light for cooking, washing the dishes, doing homework and enjoying a good book. Sewing and mopping the floor may need to wait for daylight, though, not because there's not enough light, but because it's often hard to get the light where you need it.

Some tips:

Choosing your lamp: I like to pick one with a heavy base for stability. A large fuel reservoir won't help since it won't burn properly unless it's pretty full, anyway. Height is optional and depends on where you'll be putting it and what type of activity you're planning. If you're buying more than one lamp, I recommend buying both short ones and tall ones.

Preparing your lamp: We had a ritual in our house: every day, sometime before dark, we prepared the lamps. If they were going to function properly for the evening, they needed to be filled, trimmed and cleaned.

• Filling: I always do this outdoors because it's very smelly. A funnel helps a lot unless your kerosene jug has a very narrow spout. Hold the lamp in one hand and grab the screw-threads with the other, and twist the top off. Never try to unscrew it by the wide part of the cap: I've broken at least one lamp that way. Let the cap dangle by the wick and pour in the kerosene beside it. Fill it up all the way to the bottom of the narrow part at the top where the cap screws on, then close it up again. Wipe off any drips with a rag.
• Trimming the wick defines the shape of the flame and helps keep it from smoking. You'll need a pair of small, sharp scissors. 
• Start by choosing a shape for the wick. Some people prefer a round shape and some a flatter one, and it's mostly a matter of what you find easiest to work with. I like to follow the shape of the cap.
• Using the knob, turn the wick up until it's convenient to work on.
• If it's a brand-new wick, light it with a match and then blow it out right away.



Photo: 1.bp.blogspot.com

• Now it's time to attack it with the scissors. Your goal is to make it smooth and rounded, without any bumps or corners, and relatively free of crispy, charred wick material. The best results I've ever gotten were from leaving just a tiny bit of the crispy stuff and gently running my finger along the top of the wick to smooth it. But since I haven't been doing it every day, I'm afraid I'm out of practice and haven't managed to leave just the right amount of crisp for that lately.
• Cleaning: A clean, dry chimney without water spots is essential to getting good light out of your lamp. This job is best done by someone with a small enough hand to fit inside easily, but if necessary you can use a wooden spoon. Don't use a metal utensil, don't clink the spoon around in there, and don't ever force your hand in! Lamp chimneys are delicate, and no amount of light is worth slicing a tendon. Clean the chimney as you would clean a window, with glass cleaner and paper towels. If it's very dirty, you may want to wash it in a plastic dishpan first, but not directly in the sink or together with your dishes, because it could shatter. Hold it up to a window to be sure you've eliminated all streaks and fingerprints, and then handle it only by the bottom.

Placing your lamp: Location makes a big difference. Here are some things to consider:

• If that lamp gets knocked over once it's lit, it's a Molotov cocktail. Okay, so kerosene isn't as dangerous as gasoline, but you've still got a potential disaster on your hands. It's also very hot anywhere near the chimney, and especially above it. 
• The temptation is always there to set a lamp on the edge of something where people are likely to bump it. It's just not worth it.
• Don't put it on a tablecloth. If the cat gets playful or feels the need to scratch, or the tablecloth snags on your chair, you've got trouble.
• Don't put it too close to flammable materials. If you have a hanger or bracket, be sure it's installed so the lamp will be far enough from the wall and ceiling. The first time you use it there, it's a good idea to keep checking the wall and ceiling to make sure they aren't getting hot.
• If you have children or pets, don't ever leave the room with a lamp burning. I know it's a pain, but grab your matches, blow out the lamp, and relight it when you return.
• Supervise children near the lamp, but remember they will never learn to be safe with it if you don't let them near it at all. To minimize accidents due to carelessness or curiosity, it's a good idea to explain to them how it works and where it is hot (the chimney and the air above it). If they want to touch it, they can do so safely if you're holding the lamp near the screw-threads to keep it steady. Just be sure they know to touch the base and not the chimney.

Can you find two things wrong?
Photo: pbase.com

• Think about how to make the light shine where you need it most. You may need to rearrange your work area to safely maximize your usage of available light. Items that require electricity, such as small kitchen appliances or electric lamps, can be stowed elsewhere to eliminate unnecessary shadows.
• Have you ever noticed how small and dim the bulb in a flashlight really is? It gets all that extra lighting power from the reflective cone it sits in. You can do the same thing with your lamp. Aluminum foil is wonderful, window glass is great, and even a backdrop of porcelain canisters helps a lot. Try to remove any objects that have a dull texture if they don't absolutely need to be near the lamp.
• Remember that unlike an electric light installed in a ceiling, a kerosene lamp will not shine its light directly down. In fact, a lot of taller lamps will cast an annoying round shadow that pretty much rules out homework or reading. Placing a short and a tall lamp together in the middle of the table, or a tall lamp and some candles, will eliminate this shadow, especially if the table is lined with foil. 

Lighting your lamp: 

• Be sure the chimney is clean and within easy reach, and turn up the wick until you can see it peeking out above the cap.
• Light the wick with a match or lighter.

Photo: allstate.com

• Turn the wick down again until the flame is very small but not in danger of going out.
• Put the chimney in place, being careful to handle it only by the base. Check to make sure it's seated correctly and none of the little metal holders got stuck inside.
• The heat of the flame will cause water vapor to cloud the inside surface of the chimney. Wait until this burns off before adjusting the flame. If the flame is too high before the vapor burns off, there will be water spots on the chimney and the lamp will not give off as much light.
• When the chimney clears, turn up the wick until the flame is as big as possible without flickering or smoking. You should not be able to see the wick itself.

When you're done, turn the wick down, blow out the flame and allow the chimney to cool before moving the lamp. The wick will continue to wick kerosene even when the lamp is not lit. The difference is that without the flame, the kerosene can evaporate. So be sure to store the lamp with the wick turned down as far as it will go without falling out of its holder.

Coming up in this series:

• How to heat, cook and bake with a wood stove
• How to live without running water
• How to get the most out of your food budget
• How to keep your food from spoiling without electricity

Survival #4: Non-Electric Lighting

How would your characters see if the lights went out in a storm or disaster? What if they lived 'off the grid' or in a time or place where electric light was unheard of?

Photo: costumesgalore.net

Flashlights seem to be the first thing everyone mentions, followed by batteries. It would take quite a stash of batteries to get enough light to function for long, from flashlights, and it would be inconvenient, too. But flashlights are great for those first moments when suddenly everything is dark and you need to find things. Of course, they're modern, so some characters would have to get by with something a little less convenient.

Aluminum foil is another modern convenience I love to have when the lights go out. It's actually pretty cool to use when they're on, too. Lining counters, tables, walls, etc with foil, shiny side out, reflects light back to where you can use it. Look at your car headlights and you'll see the same principle in use. It also protects surfaces from candle drippings. If foil isn't an option for your characters, putting the light sources near light-colored or shiny surfaces will help a lot. The last time we had an ice storm that caused an outage, I took all the dull-colored items off a deep kitchen shelf and left only glassware, metal tins, glazed ceramics, etc. The lamp we placed there seemed nearly twice as bright after I made that change.

Photo: dollshouse.com

Windows also reflect light very well after dark. Just be careful not to put anything hot near a curtain or too close to a window frame.

Candles work best in groups. If your character needs to walk with a light, there's a special kind of candleholder for that, with a handle and a drip catcher.

Kerosene lamps can also burn liquid paraffin (lamp oil). The paraffin smells better but the kerosene is a lot more economical. These were my family's main source of light during my teen years when we had no electricity, and I learned how to get the most light from them. It makes me laugh when I see a rerun of Little House on the Prairie with a kerosene lamp flickering. A flickering flame means that either the wick is turned up too high or the fuel level's too low. Either way, if it's flickering, then it's smoking, and pretty soon the inside surface of the chimney will be covered in soot and the lamp will be useless. I'm pretty sure the Ingalls family didn't get out a new lamp every ten minutes so they could see to eat their supper.  In the next "Survival" post, I'll share tips on how to get the most light from a kerosene lamp.

Gas lamps and Coleman lanterns are the brightest non-electric lights I've seen.

A railroad lantern is great for traveling with. It has a convenient bail handle, won't blow out like a candle and is a lot safer to carry than a lamp. It's still not safe like a flashlight, though.

Survival #3: Coping Without Power

When the weather is bad and I hear about people going 'without power,' my immediate reaction is usually mild amusement. I spent about five years of my preteens and teens without electricity, and it's not so bad. But then I realize, my family was prepared for it. Our lifestyle didn't depend on electricity, and that makes a lot of difference.

Photo: dailyfinance.com

And maybe that's why, when a line breaks and the lights go off, I don't call that being without power. Our muscles and our brains still work fine; it's only the electricity that's failed.

Photo:axisoflogic.com

I learned a lot about how much we rely on electricity, even have trouble imagining living without it, when I asked my Facebook friends to help me come up with tips for getting along during an outage. Nearly half the people who responded made suggestions that would require electricity. Also, a lot of the discussion was focused on ways to entertain ourselves while waiting for the lights to come back on.  It seems my friends thought I was talking about an outage that would last for just a day or less. I didn't realize anyone thought those little ones were worth preparing for: you just catch up on your manual chores while the daylight lasts, and go to bed at dusk. I did get some great suggestions in response to that question, but as a writer, I also learned something even better: I got a glimpse into how people think.

Survival #2: Guest Post: That New Carhartt Smell

Please help me welcome guest blogger Scott W. Philbrick:

Photo: mybarnyardview.blogspot.com

I’ve recently decided that I’m going to tighten the proverbial belt when it comes to finances. I’ve been very critical of my federal government for not spending carefully and conservatively when times are tough, so I figure I can at least try to live up to my own standard. In finding myself in dire financial straits, one thing I decided last fall was to not replace my winter coat. A coat is a garment, designed to keep one warm and protect us from the elements. It is not (or should not be) a reflection of one’s status. Function must trump form. But clothing breaks down—its insulatory value diminishes, the fabric thins and wears, and the extremities—the cuffs and collar and edges, become pilled, frayed, and knotted. Will people judge me for wearing tattered, worn out clothes? In the line at the food store? At church? At Target? Will people be that shallow? Probably not.

If you’re not used to being broke and suddenly find yourself broke, some of the behavioral changes you find yourself going through can be uncomfortable. If you’ve been broke in the past but moved beyond it, and then find yourself broke again, these changes can seem like old familiar territory. For me, wearing this now seven year old coat, with its worn fabric and knotty, pilling frays, is a return to comfortable territory. There may be something nice about a brand new coat, but there’s something even nicer about comfort and “wear.”

Photo: mollybackes.blogspot.com

I find it liberating… to not be saying, “I gotta go shop for a new coat.” It’s reassuring to know that I’m not “wasting” money by ditching it prematurely, and that I’m getting fullest value for the dollars spent. I’m being a good steward, and it frees me to think more deeply on things. It’s like driving down an unfamiliar highway, wondering if you’re on the right highway, and suddenly see a highway sign. You then enjoy the ride a little more. It’s a reassurance of sorts, and it gives me another kind of comfort-- the comfort of knowing I’m doing something “right.” It brings me back to childhood, when I was taught that you just don’t waste things. It takes me back to my days of working on ranch out west, where squeezing every ounce of value out of things is a responsible way of life…ranch life.

The Native American patterned blanket lining is pilling. It smells like me; it does not have “that new Carhartt smell.” The corners of the pocket flaps are frayed, as are the cuffs, and I find myself quickly snapping the knotted threads of deterioration to break them free. Perhaps it is obsessive-compulsive behavior, or it could just be to rationally eliminate the possibility of the threads snagging, accelerating the garment’s demise—I’m not sure. But I find myself walking with a little more freedom and personality in this coat… as if I’m walking with an old friend, not new boss or supervisor. It feels more like me, for I too have frays and knots and areas of discolored deterioration.

Photo: oneideaatatime.wordpress.com

Groundhog Day is just around the corner. The days are now getting longer and the sun is getting a bit higher in the sky each day. Despite the fact that we’re in the middle of several days and nights with sub-zero temperatures, I haven’t frozen. This coat doesn’t have the loft or warmth it had five or six years ago, but it feels good to know that I’m getting every mile out of it that I can. Spring will come soon, and I’ll hang the coat up on the hook on the basement stairs one final time as it’s displaced by my three season jacket and array of hooded sweatshirts. So halfway through the winter, am I now regretting having chosen to not replace this deteriorating garment? I’m a frayed knot…