What August tome are you tackling this month?
- Thread starter Culhwch
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Kettricken
Dodo Ffan
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Yes, I really like Shadowmarch, I've already read it for a book club on a Dutch forum; thanks for the tip anyway!GOLLUM said:
So far, I absolutely love Memory, Sorrow & Thorn!
Lies of Locke Lamora, Scott Lynch
ladyflorange
Well-Known Member
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- Jan 3, 2006
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GOLLUM said:Glad you like it. I seem to recall we may have crosed paths on another forum (I use same or similar call sign) ?? If so Hi again otherwise Hi anyway and I do hope you enjoy your stay...
Hehe yeah i think we've already met, thanks for the welcome
littlemissattitude said:
I bought that last week, but haven't started it yet... let me know how it is!
As far as my reading goes, I finished the Vampire Earth series, then read Fistfull of Sky (can't remember the author - fun book but not remarkable), then read The Stormcaller by Tom Lloyd, something I picked up on a whim when I ordered The Blade Itself and Lies of Locke Lamora from England. It was a terrific book, and looks to be the start of a great new fantasy series. I'd give a better review of it, but WorldCon turned my brain to mush, and it's a Monday.
Next up is Queen of Denial by Selina Rosen, a humorous sci-fi adventure that someone recommended to me over the weekend. I don't think I'll be ready for 'serious' for at least a week. =)
Completed reading John M. Ford's The Dragon Waiting, part of the Masterwork series and winner of the 1984 World Fantasy Award.
The story is essentially an alternate history that pre-supposes the Byzantuim Empire was not dissolved in 1453 but remained a major force in European history. The principle characters are a disparate lot including an exiled Doctor, German Vampire, Mage and dispossessed soldier who would be King fighting against the Byzantine influence.
Whilst the story is well researched, it definitely helps to know your British and European history as mutilple historical characters are introduced in fairly rapid fire. The plot is somewhat convoluted and made up more of a series of situations with the ever present underlying presence of the Empire rather than a more traditional centralised storyline.
The prose is good, Ford is certainly a more than competent writer and the story is cleverly conceived with interesting characters but for me things felt a little disjointed or at least difficult to follow as it demands a fair amount of mental gymnastics to understand the nuances of the plot. EPIC is good but it needs to be handled in a way that makes it feel like a cohesive mass rather than a potpouri of ideas and situations or if the latter applies then at least done in the hands of a Master which I'm less than convinced Ford is.
If you're a history buff or historical fantasist or a glutton like me determined to complete the Masterwork series then this may be the book for you. Otherwise I probably wouldn't put it on my must read list.
Next onto a reread of VG Masterwork edition of the classic Dickensian The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanwick before focusing on Matthew Pearl's Dante Club about a serial killer whose MO is derived driectly from Longfellow and Co's recent translation of Dante's Inferno.
The story is essentially an alternate history that pre-supposes the Byzantuim Empire was not dissolved in 1453 but remained a major force in European history. The principle characters are a disparate lot including an exiled Doctor, German Vampire, Mage and dispossessed soldier who would be King fighting against the Byzantine influence.
Whilst the story is well researched, it definitely helps to know your British and European history as mutilple historical characters are introduced in fairly rapid fire. The plot is somewhat convoluted and made up more of a series of situations with the ever present underlying presence of the Empire rather than a more traditional centralised storyline.
The prose is good, Ford is certainly a more than competent writer and the story is cleverly conceived with interesting characters but for me things felt a little disjointed or at least difficult to follow as it demands a fair amount of mental gymnastics to understand the nuances of the plot. EPIC is good but it needs to be handled in a way that makes it feel like a cohesive mass rather than a potpouri of ideas and situations or if the latter applies then at least done in the hands of a Master which I'm less than convinced Ford is.
If you're a history buff or historical fantasist or a glutton like me determined to complete the Masterwork series then this may be the book for you. Otherwise I probably wouldn't put it on my must read list.
Next onto a reread of VG Masterwork edition of the classic Dickensian The Iron Dragon's Daughter by Michael Swanwick before focusing on Matthew Pearl's Dante Club about a serial killer whose MO is derived driectly from Longfellow and Co's recent translation of Dante's Inferno.
j d worthington
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- May 9, 2006
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- 13,889
Well, in the last week, I've finished Brian Stableford's Empire of Fear, both The Iron Man and The Iron Woman by Ted Hughes, and am about halfway through Tales of War by Lord Dunsany.
I found Stableford's book to be a very interesting -- and at times very moving -- look at an alternate history where vampires have played a major part in preventing the emergence from the Dark Ages of superstition; a very well-written book and vividly realized characters and situations. I also enjoyed some of the ironic touches he had for those who may catch them, such as Reginald Scot's Discoverie of Vampires, a companion volume to his (quite real) Discoverie of Witchcraft, one of the first books to take a sceptical view of the entire witchcraft panic (and one that got him in very hot water when it was published); things of that nature are peppered throughout the book, yet are absolutely fitting to the story rather than grafted on. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, alternate histories, horror, science fiction, or adventure tales, as it manages to blend all these rather well indeed.
The two books by Ted Hughes are, of course, for younger readers, but there's a vast difference between them. The Iron Man is obviously for much younger readers, and is entertaining and well written, but The Iron Woman is much richer and also much darker in tone, and obviously aimed at an older juvenile audience, and I'd say is by far the better of the two.
The Dunsany is by no means his best, and being so heavily influenced by contemporary events will be a bit of a jolt for those used to his fantasies, but has a quietly melancholy tone and avoids being propaganda, being rather introspective and full of his usual exquisite writing. The tales are actually more vignettes than full stories (as is often the case with Dunsany), but are often quietly powerful for all that. One of my favorite passages so far is from "The Splendid Traveller", a description of a British airplane returning from a flight over the enemy territory:
"It is as though Hermes had gone abroad sailing upon his sandals, and had found some bad land below those winged feet wherein men did evil and kept not the laws of gods or men, and he had brought this message back and the gods were angry."
or: "Pear trees and cherry and orchards flash over other lands, blossoming as abundantly as though their wonder were new, with a beauty as fresh and surprising as though nothing like it before had ever adorned countless centuries."
Though it may take a bit to get into the stories when one is expecting Dunsany's usual realms of wonder, I'd say the book is well worth reading for anyone who enjoys a truly lyrical style and ability to create miniature pictures in words that have all the spreading implications of even some of the larger volumes that are being published today.
I found Stableford's book to be a very interesting -- and at times very moving -- look at an alternate history where vampires have played a major part in preventing the emergence from the Dark Ages of superstition; a very well-written book and vividly realized characters and situations. I also enjoyed some of the ironic touches he had for those who may catch them, such as Reginald Scot's Discoverie of Vampires, a companion volume to his (quite real) Discoverie of Witchcraft, one of the first books to take a sceptical view of the entire witchcraft panic (and one that got him in very hot water when it was published); things of that nature are peppered throughout the book, yet are absolutely fitting to the story rather than grafted on. I'd highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, alternate histories, horror, science fiction, or adventure tales, as it manages to blend all these rather well indeed.
The two books by Ted Hughes are, of course, for younger readers, but there's a vast difference between them. The Iron Man is obviously for much younger readers, and is entertaining and well written, but The Iron Woman is much richer and also much darker in tone, and obviously aimed at an older juvenile audience, and I'd say is by far the better of the two.
The Dunsany is by no means his best, and being so heavily influenced by contemporary events will be a bit of a jolt for those used to his fantasies, but has a quietly melancholy tone and avoids being propaganda, being rather introspective and full of his usual exquisite writing. The tales are actually more vignettes than full stories (as is often the case with Dunsany), but are often quietly powerful for all that. One of my favorite passages so far is from "The Splendid Traveller", a description of a British airplane returning from a flight over the enemy territory:
"It is as though Hermes had gone abroad sailing upon his sandals, and had found some bad land below those winged feet wherein men did evil and kept not the laws of gods or men, and he had brought this message back and the gods were angry."
or: "Pear trees and cherry and orchards flash over other lands, blossoming as abundantly as though their wonder were new, with a beauty as fresh and surprising as though nothing like it before had ever adorned countless centuries."
Though it may take a bit to get into the stories when one is expecting Dunsany's usual realms of wonder, I'd say the book is well worth reading for anyone who enjoys a truly lyrical style and ability to create miniature pictures in words that have all the spreading implications of even some of the larger volumes that are being published today.
Justin Thorne
www.justinthorne.com
- Joined
- Aug 29, 2006
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- 85
Still saddened by the loss of David Gemmell, so re-reading Waylander at the moment...
Also have Abercrombie's The Blade Itself, lined up to be read by the pool in a few weeks!
Also have Abercrombie's The Blade Itself, lined up to be read by the pool in a few weeks!
Reading Dennis Wheatly's The evil Rides Out
Culhwch
Lost Boy
Reading Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentleman. So much better than the movie.
j d worthington
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nixie said:
Been a long time since I've even heard mention of Wheatly! Let me know what you think...
dwndrgn
Fierce Vowelless One
Sean McMullen's Voyage of the Shadowmoon, very entertaining.
dwndrgn
Fierce Vowelless One
I'd be interested in your thoughts on this one, GOLLUM. I attempted to read it a while ago and might possibly pick it up again.GOLLUM said:
My reading has slowed recently due to summer travels and other distractions, and my postings have not kept up with that. Anyway, here is the last month or so.
Furious Gulf and Sailing Bright Eternity by Gregory Benford – These are the fourth and fifth books of his Galactic Center series. Furious Gulf was better than number four (Tides of Light), but not overwhelming in my opinion. Overall I would say the series was just okay and I glad I am finished with it. Sailing Bright Eternity was a good finish to the series and a better read than the others.
Cowboy Feng’s Space Bar and Grille by Steven Brust – I enjoyed this light, fun read a lot. It was a pleasant change of pace from a lot of the heavier SF that I read.
The Reality Dysfunction, Part I Emergence and Part 2 Expansion by Peter F. Hamilton – This series has certainly received a lot of fanfare. I read his Mindstar series earlier this year and liked it, but I thought the plots were a little light or thin. So far, that is not true of this series. I thought the first one was a bit tedious in the beginning. It was almost 200 pages before I started getting into the story. The storyline is complex, large scale and very imaginative. I am wondering how well it will hold up over the next four books.
Furious Gulf and Sailing Bright Eternity by Gregory Benford – These are the fourth and fifth books of his Galactic Center series. Furious Gulf was better than number four (Tides of Light), but not overwhelming in my opinion. Overall I would say the series was just okay and I glad I am finished with it. Sailing Bright Eternity was a good finish to the series and a better read than the others.
Cowboy Feng’s Space Bar and Grille by Steven Brust – I enjoyed this light, fun read a lot. It was a pleasant change of pace from a lot of the heavier SF that I read.
The Reality Dysfunction, Part I Emergence and Part 2 Expansion by Peter F. Hamilton – This series has certainly received a lot of fanfare. I read his Mindstar series earlier this year and liked it, but I thought the plots were a little light or thin. So far, that is not true of this series. I thought the first one was a bit tedious in the beginning. It was almost 200 pages before I started getting into the story. The storyline is complex, large scale and very imaginative. I am wondering how well it will hold up over the next four books.
carrie221
Darkness is my friend :)
Right now I am reading or rereading...
Podkayne of Mars by Robert Heinlein; half done
Time Quartet (Wrinkle in Time,...) by Madeleine L'Engles's; just starting
A CSI book; about 50 pages in
The Time Traveler's Wife; just started over
Two different Anne Rule books; half way through w/ one and just beginning the other
And 5 classes worth of textbooks... I think that is it but I could be missing some
Podkayne of Mars by Robert Heinlein; half done
Time Quartet (Wrinkle in Time,...) by Madeleine L'Engles's; just starting
A CSI book; about 50 pages in
The Time Traveler's Wife; just started over
Two different Anne Rule books; half way through w/ one and just beginning the other
And 5 classes worth of textbooks... I think that is it but I could be missing some
purple_kathryn
Uberly purple
- Joined
- Apr 29, 2006
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- 612
I've just finished Summer Knight from the Dresden Files and tomorrow I shall be starting Death Masks so Im ending and starting on ahigh
so Im ending and starting on ahigh j d worthington
Well-Known Member
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- May 9, 2006
- Messages
- 13,889
Am currently tackling Nick Mamatas' Move Under Ground, combining the Beats and HPL's Mythos... I'll let you know.
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