Bitmo Sunday book review

Sunday Book Review – A Specialist at the Recycled Heart – #speculative #poetry by Frank Prem

Published on by dgkaye

My Sunday Book Review today is for some wonderful speculative poetry by Frank Prem – A Specialist at the Recycled Heart.

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Blurb:

A Specialist at The Recycled Heart is free verse poetry and storytelling focused on the Speculative Fiction (SF) genre. The genre of What If . . . writing that encompasses fantasy and Sci fi and other forms within its warm embrace.

. What is the sound of the wind – of a sigh – on Mars?

. What does an abandoned artificial life form – an AI – contemplate in a lonely existence in far outer space. Why was it made, if only to be abandoned.

. Is it possible to go fishing to catch a passing thought?

.These and other all-too-big ideas are explored in the pages of A Specialist at The Recycled Heart.

Poetry written the way you always wished it would be.

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My 5 Star Review:

“The book is an interesting combination of science fiction and poignant real life issues. At places you are drifting in space, playing with the stars and planets while in other places you are lost in a jungle, trying to find your way home.”

Prem is known for his free verse poetry and switches things up by using sci-fi-like and fantasy style speculative fiction as well as taking real life issues and incorporating them into poetic prose, often leaving the reader to ride along with their own imagination.

The author writes in short words of free verse poetry, but his words open up our imaginations as we form our own interpretations of his stories. An example of his sci-fi prose he speaks of Red Mars and what he imagines it’s like there with succinct descriptions. The First Dog speaks of how the first dog accompanies an astronaught to the moon. My favorite was – a specialist (at the recycled heart), taking possession ‘of dreams, wishes and hopes, old loves and old lives that had been used up, broken’, ‘all of it to end up in emotional dumps’, as the author states he was called back to take these things and put them into the machinery of the re-imaginer he invented to melt down these emotions ‘to a fraction of itself’ then inject it and shape into an ornament as a keepsake – minus the aching and distress so that life can go on leaving tears behind, recycling broken hearts. How wonderful would it be to put our sadness into the re-imaginer?

Prem always delights with unexpected stories. He goes deep in his imagination and creates scenarios with his prose that give us pause, first wondering his intent, then having us interpret for ourselves.

©DGKaye 2022

52 thoughts on “Sunday Book Review – A Specialist at the Recycled Heart – #speculative #poetry by Frank Prem”

  5. Great review, Debby, and congratulations to Frank as well. Reading speculative fiction can be such a joyful and surprising experience, and Frank’s poetry comes very highly recommended, so this book sounds like a must. Thanks for recommending it!

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  9. Reblogged this on Frank Prem Poetry and commented:
    Thank you Debby for such a warm and thoughtful review of ‘A Specialist at The Recycled Heart’.

    I was quite touched by your review and so very pleased that the writings had found such a good home.

    Thank you, again,

    Frank

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    2. Thanks so much, Diana. It is reassuring to know that a new direction or attempt is being enjoyed. I don’t think it can ever be taken for granted that will be the case, so it’s a relief, as well.

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