Newspapers thrive catchy headlines that can sum up the drama of the day. But it's important to read with a critical eye, especially when you see a blanket statement at the top of the page like "National Home Sales Plummet." The headline looks good, and it's likely to turn heads, but how true is it? It may be true on average in recent years that fewer homes are being sold across the United States, and at lower prices. But many large markets across the nation are doing well, or improving. Unfortunately nothing gets in the way of a good headline like subtlety, and those inconvenient subtleties have forced the media to cast a shadow over some very bright real estate stories.
One of those bright stories is the Kansas City, Missouri real estate market. Home sales here have been espeically strong in recent years, and show no signs of slowing. The area's strong economy is attracting new residents from across the nation, and home construction has risen to meet the demand for real estate. Kansas City's central location on the U.S. map also makes it an ideal spot for corporate headquarters, with five Fortune 500 companies, and the privately owned Hallmark Cards, based here. Spread across more than 500 square miles, Kansas City offers a lot of room for expansion, and more than 150 attractive neighborhoods.
Kansas City is more than just an isolated success story - it's good example of why the national real estate market appears more stalled than it really is. Home prices here didn't skyrocket during the real estate boom of the early part of the decade, and were unaffected when the markets softened in other parts of the nation. Instead, local home prices have risen steadily through the boom and afterwards, making the area particularly attractive to investors.
While more expensive real estate markets such as Marin County California, and Montgomery County, Maryland, have slowed, many affordable markets, like Kansas City have thrived. The Kansas City example is mirrored on a larger scale in Detroit, Michigan, where home sales have risen nearly ten per cent annually in recent years. Other strong markets after the boom include Madison, Wisconsin, and Phoenix Arizona.
While it's clear some real estate markets aren't as strong as they were a few years ago, areas like Kansas City, and Detriot can show us how national average home values could fall while still being as strong as ever in many places. That's something the newspaper headlines don't always mention.
The Real Story is a short but intense tale set in a future in which humans travel between the stars using "gap drives," controllable brain implants are punishable by death, and a private company called the United Mining Company runs law enforcement for all of known space. Ensign Morn Hyland lives aboard a police ship with most of her family, chasing down pirates and other illegals who prey on the weak or smuggle goods into forbidden space. Through a strange turn of events, one particularly nasty perpetrator ends up with Morn as his companion--or at least that's the way it appears to the folks at the space station's bar. Why would a young, strong, beautiful police officer associate with a crusty, murdering pirate? People watch with interest as Morn appears to fall in lust with another racy illegal, Captain Nick Succorso. Morn and Nick must have plotted together to frame Angus and escape together, right? But the real story was quite different.
Review
This novella is a prelude to four subsequent volumes, and it tells a simple and one-dimensional story. An intergalactic setting in the far future revolves around two rival space pirates named Angus Thermopyle and Nick Succorso, and, between them, a UMCP (United Mining Companies Police) ensign named Morn Hyland. The story is told from Angus' point of view, and he is one of the most depraved and sorry figures ever depicted in a work of fiction. His repeated violations of Morn -- described in graphic detail -- have drawn hostile reviews and cries of misogyny, but Donaldson's purpose is to evoke a thoroughly dark and sordid mood in this series. 'The Real Story' is simple and short., and indeed, as a stand-alone novel, this book is lacking is depth, character development (with the exception of one character, and though we come to understand his decisions, his motives are largely unrevealed) and a satisfying conclusion, there are two points that are vital to note. These two points are apparently contradictory, but I'll attempt to explain:
1) This was written as a short novella. It wasn't intended to be the first in a series, and as such it doesn't bear many of the traits usually associated with the first book in a series, such as hints of larger plots or other elements designed to draw the reader back for book 2. As a stand-alone novel, Donaldson kept this in a drawer, unpublished, for some years. Only as part of a larger series does it work, yet it doesn't read like the beginning of a series. Once you understand this, the flaws are less glaring.
2) In apparent contradiction of point 1, above, please understand that it IS the first in a series. The series itself is probably the best science fiction I've ever read, but it really doesn't get going until mid-way through book 2. Again, once you accept that most of the "good stuff" comes after 'The Real Story, it's easier to bear to flaws.
Though I don't seek to excuse any form of weakness here (after all, whatever it was intended to be and however great the rest of the series, the first book should still be complete and engaging), I do seek to prevent people being deterred by the lukewarm reviews of this first installment. It's not bad by any means, merely incomplete. I would issue a couple of warnings though: Firstly, this book is grim and brutal; be prepared. And secondly, Donaldson tells character-based stories in fantastic settings - if you're looking for detailed high technology and hard science, this might not be your scene.
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