October Offerings - What tantalising tome are you reading?

[Teresa Edgerton]

The Privilege of the Sword, by Ellen Kushner. So far not what I was expecting.

 

[j d worthington]

Oh no, I can't make up my mind, which will it be? Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan or Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz?

Certainly Altered Carbon would be much more modern in flavor, but A Canticle for Leibowitz is a brilliant tour-de-force that is one of the most searching of sf books using a socioreligious theme. Despite my atheism, it's a personal favorite because it so poignantly depicts the real emotional crises that people deal with on these things, and it has a lot to say about where we're headed ... and right now, with the resurgence of religion playing such a large political role, it seems especially apropos, quite prophetically on the mark.

 

[Adasunshine]

Just finished the Old Kingdom Series by Garth Nix (Sabriel, Lirael & Abhorsen) which I enjoyed muchly. Now re-reading Stardust by Neil Gaiman

xx

 

[Jason_Taverner]

Reading Erikson again

 

[McMurphy]

Oh no, I can't make up my mind, which will it be? Altered Carbon by Richard K. Morgan or Walter M. Miller's A Canticle for Leibowitz?

Oh, do yourself a favor and read Miller's fiction. Great, great stuff that promises a bizarre final image as you each the back cover.

 

[genisis2]

Hey Mcmurphy is your avatar Ghostrider?
Just finished a Sherlock Holmes mystery by Caleb Carr called the Italian Secretary. I give it a 7 out of 10 not too keen on the ending. Half way through Thud by Pratchett. A wee bit slow in the begining but has picked up nicely now.

 

[Karsa Orlong]

Bakker - The Thousandfold Thought
Shelley - Frankenstein (1818 version)

 

[GOLLUM]

Bakker - The Thousandfold Thought

Make sure you let us know how you find Bakker's work.

 

[McMurphy]

Hey Mcmurphy is your avatar Ghostrider?
Just finished a Sherlock Holmes mystery by Caleb Carr called the Italian Secretary. I give it a 7 out of 10 not too keen on the ending. Half way through Thud by Pratchett. A wee bit slow in the begining but has picked up nicely now.

Sure is. I thought it appropiate for the Halloween season.

 

[iansales]

Finished the first book of Olivia Manning's The Balkan Trilogy, and decided to take a break. So I read Europeana: A Brief History of the Twentieth Century, by Patrik Ourednik. A wonderful book--the blurb describes it as "an eccentric overview of all the horrors, contradictions and absurdities of [the] century". The book's first line is: "The Americans who fell in Normandy were tall men measuring 173 centimeters on average, and if they were laid head to foot they would measure 38 kilometers."

 

[Thadlerian]

It was of course a rhetorical question
I have no plans whatsoever to read just one of these books. I've started Altered Carbon and I like it after just a few chapters.

 

[purple_kathryn]

Well finally finished the Spellsinger series (by Alan Dean Foster)! Which Im slightly sad about No more Jon Tom

I've finished Dead Beat (jim Butcher) - gah I love the Dresden Files. I don't know if the tv series could possibly be as good.

And now I'm starting A Game of Thrones (George RR Martin) bear in mind I'm relatively new to the fantasy genre

 

[Briareus Delta]

Currently half way through Battlefield Earth by L. Ron Hubbard. Always wanted to read it after seeing a TV documentary about Hubbards life. Rapidly losing interest in it, though. Described in some quarters as 'space opera' (which I love, usually) but I can't see that personally.

It has one plot - humans vs. Psychlos (aliens) for the control of the planet. But there's no depth to any of the characters, even the hero, and I've ceased to care about which side wins. I don't think I will finish it.

 

[Karsa Orlong]

Make sure you let us know how you find Bakker's work.

Oh, I think it's great stuff. He's no Erikson, but one might consider him part of the same *movement*, and I have to say I like the directions authors like these two are taking the genre.

I think Bakker especially deserves accolades for his world-building and characterisation, both of which are very quirky with plenty of depth and, beneath all the strangeness, plenty of stark parallels with humanity which are often brought to light quite poetically (through Kellhus in particular, who I'd say is arguably one of fantasy's most terrific creations). His exploration of very human concepts and emotions (faith, honesty with oneself, etc) is often powerful. I personally find C'niaur absolutely fascinating as well; I'm looking forward to reading about his fate.

Other strengths? I was impressed by Bakker's ability to create an atmosphere without any clear comparison points (I might be wrong about this, I'm still a bit of a noob in the grand scheme of things) - rich, eccentric, almost exotic, yet lined with perversity and absolutely bubbling with passion. I also like the way he presents the Holy War as a single entity, almost as a wave rising and falling, in those third-person centred narrative sections.

All that said, I don't tend to lose myself in these books (except on occasion) the same way I do with my absolute favourites, though I can't at this moment quite put my finger on why. I do find his writing to be somewhat OTT at times, especially the dialogue and the philosophising, neither of which seem as natural or well integrated as with, say, Erikson (though don't get me wrong, still generally good). I suppose I also don't find Bakker's world quite so *interesting* as some (I occasionally get impatient when reading through long sections of its history), which is strange because I do feel it's an outstanding creation in many ways - this is probably just a personal thing. Regardless of these minor quibbles, I still recommend this series highly to anybody who likes their fantasy to be a little bit different.

 

[j d worthington]

Finally had a chance to finish Calvino's If on a winter's night a traveler... Very interesting book on a lot of levels. I think I'd like to pick up a copy of this one for rereading periodically. Full of things to ponder about reading, about books, and about the nature of reality, as well as being a wonderful melange of various genres, and with a great deal of wit and humor.

I also noticed things in here -- and this ties in with some of the themes of the book itself -- that remind me strongly of various New Wave writers of the 1960s and early 1970s, especially Moorcock. In fact, the story "What story down there awaits its end?" resonates very well with portions of Moorcock's "To Rescue Tanelorn..." and other stories of that period. There are other similarities, but I'll leave them for the interested reader to search out on their own. Suffice to say that it is by no means a typical novel of any stripe, but -- as long as one goes into it with an open mind -- it is a fascinating book of possibilities and possible readings. Thanks again for the suggestion, Nesa -- and for the second on that, GOLLUM.

And, in honor of the season, I think I'll turn now to some tales of terror and horror, beginning with Dan Simmons' Lovedeath.

 

[Thadlerian]

Update on Altered Carbon: I'm halfway through, but it's lost much if its appeal. The violence level is... challenging. I have few problems stomaching it all, but it seems so pointless. My interest is fading. This book had a lot of interesting ideas at first, but it has lost me. I hope to be able to finish it, but I have considered just putting it away and moving on to Canticle.

 

[Nesacat]

Am glad you liked Traveller j.d. I think it's one of those books almost every reader will be able to identify with at some point or other. I know that there were bits I was convinced were about me. Felt as if Calvino were talking to me.

Tell me how you go with Lovedeath. This is one collection that has made a permanent hope for itself in me.

Am reading Eternal Lovecraft: The Persistence of HPL in Popular Culture edited by Jim Turner.

 

[j d worthington]

Am reading Eternal Lovecraft: The Persistence of HPL in Popular Culture edited by Jim Turner.

That's a very interesting collection, Nesa -- uneven, but with some absolutely sterling pieces in there, of various types. It was also, as I recall, the last anthology edited by Turner before his death (he had also been a longtime editor for Arkham House), and so a fitting capstone to a distinguished career. I'll be very interested in hearing what you've got to say about some of the pieces in there, especially Klein's "The Events at Poroth Farm" and Leiber's "A Bit of the Dark World".

As for the Calvino ... yes, I agree... and frankly, I could see myself in several passages, but I also recognized some others I know as well.... Very, very good book.

 

[jackokent]

Imperial Assassin- Mark Robson - signed copy bought today.

 

[cornelius]

GRRM ASOIAF IIIa