Charles de Lint/Samuel Key

[BandSmurf]

So, this is definitely on my top 5 authors list. Name of Charles de Lint, and since I'm not at my computer, this message will be edited when I get back to it and look at more details on him, BUT...

He's probably best known for his fictional town of Newford. His style of writing is often called urban fantasy, since most of it is set in urbanism, but contains magic. He has quite a few anthologies, and a few novels set in Newford. Definitely somewhat politically inclined, all of his stories have great messages about everything from not doing drugs, to the importance of family, to remembering to look around at the world, and more.

He wrote a few novels under the pen name of Samuel Key, and these (I think there are 3) are novels that a quite a bit darker than the writing done in his own name, but still quite good.

I was wondering if anyone else has read any of his work, and what they thought about it? I have much to talk about, and no one to talk about it with!

~BandSmurf

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I've read some de Lint. "Into the Green" was the book of his that I've enjoyed the most. Coincidentally, I just brought "The Little Country" home from the library yesterday evening.

 

[erickad71]

I read The Little Country not too long ago. It was a decent, enjoyable read.

 

[BandSmurf]

That is a very good book, my first Charles de Lint novel as well. I promise though, that if you liked that, that the Newford stuff is better. I haven't gotten to read "Into the Green" yet, though I want to. I'm not sure, but I believe that it isn't actually a Newford story either. Kelpie, I won't ruin the story for you, but whenever you finish The Little Country, you have got to tell me what you think of the way the two stories got tied together.

~BandSmurf

 

[erickad71]

What are the titles of his Newford stories? I'd be interested in looking into them.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Ah, so the stories do tie together? I was wondering about that, BandSmurf.

 

[BandSmurf]

Oh yes, the stories do tie together. And as for the Newford stories, there are some that are direct ties, and some that just happen to have the same characters and are in the same town, rather like excerpts of someone's life.

Here're the Newford Collections:
Dreams Underfoot*
The Ivory and the Horn*
Moonlight & Vines*
Tapping the Dreaming Tree*
Waifs & Strays*

Here're the Newford Novels:
The Dreaming Place
Memory & Dream#
Trader#
Someplace to be Flying*
Forests of the Heart*
Onion Girl*
Spirits in the Wires*

* means I own this, # is just read it.

In the anthologies, occasionally stories are repeated from one to another, but that's not too common. There are a few other publications of his I think, but I couldn't find the titles. I may be able to come up with more if I go look at my personal collection when I get back to my room.

In my opinion, if you really want to understand some of the novels, especially the last two, Onion Girl and Spirits in the Wires, the anthologies need to be read first. But it's very, very, very much worth it.

~BandSmurf

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

I've read Into The Green, and rather liked it. I currently have a de Lint book in my to-be-read stack called Svaha, which isn't part of the Newford sequence. It seems to be a near-future tale of a sort of native American warrior. Has anyone read this one? WHat do you think?

 

[BandSmurf]

I haven't read it yet personally, though I have heard good reviews from those who have. I've concentrated mostly on the Newford cycle thus far.

~BandSmurf

 

[Kraken]

I love Charles de Lint - I've been dropping his name into other threads every so often to see if anyone would bite

Given that I usually prefer lengthy reads, it says something that I enjoy CDL's short stories as much as his novels, and sometimes more.
I think his Newford works are much stronger than his stand-alones, but I was quite disappointed by Spirits In The Wires. I was keen on the concept to start with, but I'm not that into computers and I found it lacked the accessability that I've come to expect from him.

My favourites are Memory and Dream, and the Moonlight and Vines collection.

 

[BandSmurf]

I've only gotten to read Spirits in the Wires once so far, and I have to admit, that from the distance of about two months, it's not up to par with the rest of the Newford stuff. My problem wasn't the computer stuff, it was the whole computer world more. I think he could have found a much more valid way to explain or reassure Saskia about herself than the whole Wordwood gone bad idea. I know I'll read it again, probably soon, and maybe after the second read it will improve.

~BandSmurf

 

[BandSmurf]

Oops, forgot to mention the non-Newford titles in the above list!

Under the Samuel Key name:
Angel of Darkness
From a Whisper to a Scream*
I'll Be Watching You

Others:
The Fair at Emain Macha
Greenmantle
Into the Green
Jack of Kinrowan*
The Little Country*
Moonheart*
Mulengro
Spiritwalk
Svaha
The Wild Wood
Yarrow

He also wrote a book that stemmed from some Brian Froud illustrations which was also called The Wild Wood, but it is not the same one as above. More information on the Froud one can be found at http://www.worldoffroud.com .

~BandSmurf

 

[BandSmurf]

Hey Kraken, I just finished Spirits in the Wires for my second time, and I've figured out why I don't like it as much as the other Newford stuff. It's a lot less introspective than the rest, especially the bulk of it. The beginning is very much in the style of the rest of the Newford works, but then he starts using a style that I associate more with his stand alone works like Jack of Kinrowan; more action and less emotion/thought, if you know what I mean. What do you think?

~BandSmurf

 

[rune]

I actually like the sound of Spirits in the Wires. I've read Onion Girl by Lint, the only book of his so far. Quite enjoyed it, but think I needed to read other books previous to really get the feel for what was going on.

He has a gritty feel to this style that I think I could get into

 

[BandSmurf]

I'm glad you read Onion Girl before Spirits in the Wires, it is much more representative of his Newford style, which is as you said, very very gritty. I'm currently rereading Dreams Underfoot, which if you like stories with excellent messages, that don't necessarily end happily or badly, but rather ambigously, it's a great collection, and a great collection of stories to use as an intro into the star cast of Newford.


~BandSmurf

 

[Kraken]

Hmm, I'd have to reread Spirit in the Wires before I could say anything in-depth, but you could be right, BandSmurf.

Dreams Underfoot was good, but I didn't think it was the most even of his collections. Though Our Lady of the Harbour is one of my favourite of CDL's short stories.

Which short stories does everyone else like?

My other favourites would have to be Forever Trees, Pal o' Mine and Bird Bones and Wood Ash (both in The Ivory and the Horn), and My Life as a Bird from Moonlight and Vines.