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kmusserI figure I'm also way overdue for a books update so . . .
Tatja Grimm's World by Vernor Vinge - One of his early books, a kind of cheesy novel about a women that's smarter than everyone else on the planet and so finds a way to leave it. Ok read, but none of the brilliance of his later books.
The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson - This was a good mess with your head kind of book dealing with time travel and exploring how the ability to send something through time really fucks up cause and effect. Recommended.
Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe - This is a series of 4 novels, considered one of the classics of the fantasy/sf genre. I can sort of see why, they read more like "literature" than most fantasy. Gene Wolfe is very deliberate in his use of language - it's like if Umberto Eco decided to write fantasy. They also remind me a little of Stephen King's Dark Tower series in that the main characters are very similar - this if anything has an even more existentialist bent to it. I'm not sure I really liked them though, I kept feeling like large swaths of it were flying over my head. It's obvious that this book has more than the usual number of layers, but I'm not sure I want to go through the work of digging through them. Any Wolfe fans want to chime in on whether this is similar or not to most of his other books? Are others "easier?"
Silverlock by John Meyers Meyers - Picked up because I'm tentatively planning on playing in the Drink Deep LARP which is based on this book. As a sidenote I'd like to point out that USDA computers have the Drink Deep website banned, so you know it's going to be good. Anyway, the book is about a place where all the characters from literature live and for the most part it's just a really long string of literary allusions. I probably only got 1/3 of them at best, but it doesn't really matter if you get them to enjoy the story. The plot such as it is about an asshole guy that gets stranded in this place and has to go through a journey disturbingly similar to the Descent of Innana before realizing that life is a good thing and he should enjoy it.
Beyond Sanctuary by Janet Morris - Picked up because I've never read any Thieves Guild stories and figured I ought to. If this is typical I haven't been missing anything, it's crap. I didn't finish it as I don't have time for bad fantasy.
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold - The reason I didn't bother finishing the last one is because I had this to read. I'm still reading it so won't comment much, but within the first couple of pages it was obvious that it's excellent, already enjoying it more than anything else on this list. Still not as good as Game of Thrones though *smirk*
Tatja Grimm's World by Vernor Vinge - One of his early books, a kind of cheesy novel about a women that's smarter than everyone else on the planet and so finds a way to leave it. Ok read, but none of the brilliance of his later books.
The Chronoliths by Robert Charles Wilson - This was a good mess with your head kind of book dealing with time travel and exploring how the ability to send something through time really fucks up cause and effect. Recommended.
Book of the New Sun by Gene Wolfe - This is a series of 4 novels, considered one of the classics of the fantasy/sf genre. I can sort of see why, they read more like "literature" than most fantasy. Gene Wolfe is very deliberate in his use of language - it's like if Umberto Eco decided to write fantasy. They also remind me a little of Stephen King's Dark Tower series in that the main characters are very similar - this if anything has an even more existentialist bent to it. I'm not sure I really liked them though, I kept feeling like large swaths of it were flying over my head. It's obvious that this book has more than the usual number of layers, but I'm not sure I want to go through the work of digging through them. Any Wolfe fans want to chime in on whether this is similar or not to most of his other books? Are others "easier?"
Silverlock by John Meyers Meyers - Picked up because I'm tentatively planning on playing in the Drink Deep LARP which is based on this book. As a sidenote I'd like to point out that USDA computers have the Drink Deep website banned, so you know it's going to be good. Anyway, the book is about a place where all the characters from literature live and for the most part it's just a really long string of literary allusions. I probably only got 1/3 of them at best, but it doesn't really matter if you get them to enjoy the story. The plot such as it is about an asshole guy that gets stranded in this place and has to go through a journey disturbingly similar to the Descent of Innana before realizing that life is a good thing and he should enjoy it.
Beyond Sanctuary by Janet Morris - Picked up because I've never read any Thieves Guild stories and figured I ought to. If this is typical I haven't been missing anything, it's crap. I didn't finish it as I don't have time for bad fantasy.
The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold - The reason I didn't bother finishing the last one is because I had this to read. I'm still reading it so won't comment much, but within the first couple of pages it was obvious that it's excellent, already enjoying it more than anything else on this list. Still not as good as Game of Thrones though *smirk*
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no subject
Date: 26 Oct 2006 23:53 (UTC)I actually sometimes read a classic, and then go "Oh! That's what Silverlock was channeling!"
no subject
Date: 27 Oct 2006 13:37 (UTC)no subject
Date: 27 Oct 2006 16:34 (UTC)re: Chalion
Date: 27 Oct 2006 02:16 (UTC)Bite your tongue!! *grins*
Personally I think the Chalion series is every bit as good as the Game of Thrones series, however in totally different directions.
Game of Thrones is all about intricate twisty plottyness, is intended to be taken on far larger a scale and is much more WORK to read.
The Curse of Chalion is much more about the principal character's mental and spiritual journey and his development through that journey. There's plenty of plotty goodness, but is much more tightly scripted, and a much faster and easier read.
There's a lot to be said for each series, I just happen to have a special love for all things Bujold :) Let me know when you're ready for the next one, I have them all.
Re: Chalion
Date: 27 Oct 2006 13:39 (UTC)