C.J. Cherryh

[clovis-man]

Considering the CJC book i'm reading at the moment isnt my avatar pretty funny seeing how it looks like a Mri warrior

Coulda fooled me, Conn. Looks more like T. E. Lawrence.

 

[Connavar]

Coulda fooled me, Conn. Looks more like T. E. Lawrence.

Well actually its a picture on EL Borak a REH hero based on T.E Lawrence other western Arabian adventurers.

To me the picture is dark and can look like my ancestors who were nomadic,whose culture was Arabic,Bedouin like culture inspired the Saudi Arabians from Muhammed the prophets era.


The Mri,just like the freeman in Dune are clearly based on the Bedouin people culture wise.

 

[J-Sun]

Attempted thread resurrection!

(Cherryh's another author I can't believe doesn't have enough threads to have her own forum. A search for her name in thread titles returns 13 but none active in the last year.)

Came across this pretty good overview of Cherryh's works at Amazing Stories and thought it might be helpful to new folks or interesting to old hands.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Too bad there's no mention of her fantasy. But, yes, an interesting article.

This discussion is 9 pages long. It does seem like we ought to be able to keep a few threads active.

 

[Timewalker]

Well, it was enough to bring me back, after more than 2 years. I loved Regenesis.

 

[J-Sun]

Too bad there's no mention of her fantasy. But, yes, an interesting article.

Glad you liked it overall. There actually is a mention: "There’s the fantasy series. There’s The Russian, The Fortress, and Ealdwood series … well … you get the idea." But, no, that's not much.

This discussion is 9 pages long. It does seem like we ought to be able to keep a few threads active.

Yep - that would be nice. I said that there were 13 threads, none active in the past year, but I must have gotten bad search results because I just came across Cherryh's Finity's End, Fletcher/Francesca Neihart again and that actually had been active this year. So maybe there's more than I realize but it seems like it could be more, still.

Well, it was enough to bring me back, after more than 2 years. I loved Regenesis.

Good to hear. I've read Sunfall and Visible Light but picked up The Collected Stories which supersedes those and adds several more stories. So I need to read (or finish) it and I also have Regenesis to read. That's all that's left of Cherryh in the pile, currently, Hope I enjoy it as much as you.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I don't know how I failed to mention those brief references to her fantasy -- probably reading too fast. Of those, I like the Fortress books much better. There are some very good scenes in the Ealdwood books, but I found them too episodic. In the Russian books, it seems like the characters go around and around and around with the same thoughts, like a broken record.

I haven't read Finity's End, but Regenesis is good, even though I thought it lacked the emotional depth and intensity of Cyteen. That intensity is one of the things she does best -- along with worldbuilding and alien species, of course -- so I missed it.

Sunfall contains one of my favorites among her short stories, "The Only Death in the City."

(Possibly, since this thread is so long, I've said some of this before.)

 

[Pyan]

I haven't read Finity's End,

Thoroughly recommend it, Teresa. A fascinating projection of how complicated the mores and customs of the clan/family could become when confined to starships, wrapped up in a rattlingly good story.

 

[Irondog]

Hi all

My first post. I've been reading SF&F since I stumbled on the SF section of Warrington library over 35 years ago.....

LOVE Cherryh's work. I specifically like the Company wars and the Era of Rapprochement. I've not yet gone down the other strands of this universe, although I think I'll get a list sorted and get the library to order them in for me.

One of my fav authors is CJ, along with Iain Banks, Janny Wurths and Terry Pratchett.....

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Hi, Irondog, and Welcome!

It's good to see another Cherryh fan here. Those of us who love her work seem to be a select few, so it's nice to see someone arrive to bolster our numbers.

Why not stop by the Introductions section and post a thread introducing yourself? Let us know who follows after that intriguing ..... I'm sure you will find many here who share your tastes.

 

[Bick]

I'd love to read some Cherryh - yet another author I ought to read, but... so many books, so little time. It's good to see this thread though, as it sends me off in the right direction. I have a vague memory of reading Gates of Ivrel as a teen, but not getting into it. Perhaps I should go for Downbelow Station as a starter.

 

[blacknorth]

Sunfall contains one of my favorites among her short stories, "The Only Death in the City."

That's an amazing story, one of the best I've ever read.

 

[Connavar]

I need to read more of CJC fantasy, reason i have not read more of her is that she has published so many SF series in some confusingly connected Universes.

I still love to bits Faded Sun trilogy.

 

[clovis-man]

I need to read more of CJC fantasy, reason i have not read more of her is that she has published so many SF series in some confusingly connected Universes.

I still love to bits Faded Sun trilogy.

Although it's been years since I've read them, I am partial to the Morgaine novels. I may be in the minority here and the "gates" push these stories a notch away from pure fantasy.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

We can be in the minority together, clovis-man.

I read the books when they first came out, and I still love them.

 

[chrispenycate]

Whereas I've never finished the tree of swords and jewels, the only one of her fantasy ones I've started, and reread her SF – even the foreigner series – with massive enthusiasm. I suppose now I'm retired I'll have to try the fantasy again.

 

[J-Sun]

I agree with you, clovis-man - the Morgaine books are great and are "science fantasy" - they're written like fantasies but nothing in them is supposed to be "magic" except from a foreground view - the limited perspective of some of the characters. The narrative definitely indicates science fictional underpinnings/background. And, whatever they are, they're really well done with a great pair of protagonists and a great gritty feel.

Ironically, despite fantasy not being my favorite and not having read other Cherryh fantasy, I did read the Ealdwood duo (The Dreamstone and The Tree of Swords and Jewels) and, while I don't recall them well and they aren't in the upper tier of Cherryh for me, I recall getting through them and liking them fine.

 

[Connavar]

Although it's been years since I've read them, I am partial to the Morgaine novels. I may be in the minority here and the "gates" push these stories a notch away from pure fantasy.

Must be a big minority group there because everytime i hear about Morgaine novels i learn that its highly rated among CJC fans. I hear about it often.

I must see what its like.

 

[Mariella]

Lucky fellow! - I wish I could read it for the first time ...... again!
Signe Mallory is one of my all-time favourite SF characters.....

Seconded! Signy Mallory was an amazing and unforgettable SF character. My one regret in Cherryh's future works is that she never revisited Mallory with any attention that the character deserved.

 

[pkeets]

Hi, all. I love C.J. Cherryh's books, although I mostly like her older works. I also like Barbara Hambly and Patricia Briggs? Does anyone know of other similar authors?