April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Reading

[Nesacat]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Just got done last night with After the King: Stories in Honour of JRR Tolkien. Edited by Martin H Greenberg (thanks GOLLUM)

The book contains:
Introduction: After the King by Jane Yolen
Reave the Just by Stephen R Donaldson
Troll Bridge by Terry Pratchett
A Long Night's Vigil at the Temple by Robert Silverberg
The Dragon of Tollin by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
Faith by Poul & Karen Anderson
In the Season of the Dressing of the Wells by John Brunner
The Fellowship of the Dragon by Patricia A McKillip
The Decoy Duck by Harry Turtledove
Nine Threads of Gold by Andre Norton
The Conjure Man by Charles De Lint
The Halfling House by Dennis L McKiernan
Silver or Gold by Emma Bull
Up the Side of the Air by Karen Haber
The Naga by Peter S Beagle
Revolt of the Sugar Plum Fairies by Mike Resnick
Winter's King by Jane Yolen
Gotterdammerung by Barry N Malzberg
Down the River Road by Gregory Benford
Death and the Lady by Judith Tarr

 

[Hilarious Joke]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

So are those stories set in Middle-Earth, Nesacat?

 

[Clansman]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Has anyone heard of C.S. Friedman, and in particular her book "Feast of Souls"? I saw it mentioned on another site, and given a great deal of praise. However, beyond that one post, I have never heard of it.

Always looking for a good new read. Erikson's DHG is much better than GotM, so far. I have decided to wait to pick up Rothfuss until March of 2009, so that I won't have a long wait for the sequel.

 

[Talysia]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Moving on to Jim Butcher's Fool Moon. (reread)

 

[Nesacat]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

So are those stories set in Middle-Earth, Nesacat?

No they are not. None of them are in Tolkien's world at all. But they are all tales of fantasy that could have been inspired by his works. And one at least - The Conjure Man - is specifically dedicated to Tolkien.

It says in the introduction ... the authors in this volume were asked specifically to write a Tolkienesque story, not in imitation of the master - for none of us are imitators - but in honour of his work. A birthday volume, a Festschrift, a present for one hundredth anniversary of his birth ...

 

[Lady of Winterfell]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

I have decided to wait to pick up Rothfuss until March of 2009, so that I won't have a long wait for the sequel.

That's a good idea Clansman. I wish I had done the same, but that book had been sitting on my shelf since Christmas, and I almost felt guilty because I hadn't read it yet. So I read it and now have to wait for the sequel.

 

[murphy]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Has anyone heard of C.S. Friedman, and in particular her book "Feast of Souls"? I saw it mentioned on another site, and given a great deal of praise. However, beyond that one post, I have never heard of it.

Always looking for a good new read. Erikson's DHG is much better than GotM, so far. I have decided to wait to pick up Rothfuss until March of 2009, so that I won't have a long wait for the sequel.

Rosemary read it and liked it as did I. But then I like most of her writing.

 

[Lenny]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Finished Midnight Tides (Erikson, for ye uneducated) at about 4am last night, so I didn't go straight on to The Bonehunters (Erikson again), but I am now - just put my bookmark after the Dramatis Personae so I'm ready and prepared.

 

[GOLLUM]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Just got done last night with After the King: Stories in Honour of JRR Tolkien. Edited by Martin H Greenberg (thanks GOLLUM)

Glad you liked it, perhaps you saw I recently picked up Tales Before Narnia, stories that directly influenced CS Lewis, fascinating stuff.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Just got done last night with After the King: Stories in Honour of JRR Tolkien. Edited by Martin H Greenberg

I read this several years ago. I remember loving the stories by Jane Yolen and Judith Tarr, being disappointed in the one by Patricia McKillip (although disappointing McKillip is still good), and very little about any of the others.

 

[Hilarious Joke]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Almost 4k there Teresa! I hope your 4000th post is a great one (chances are it will be).

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Well thank you, HJ, but I'm afraid it had to do with a disappearing news story and a non-working link.



Meanwhile, I'm rereading The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, just because I suddenly got the urge to revisit it the other night.

 

[Connavar]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

I'm sure I've said it before, but I consider Cherryh's earlier works to be some of her best. The Faded Sun trilogy is certainly one of them. Some of her more recent efforts have not been as enjoyable to me.

Good to know there are fans of her here that agree about these books.


It makes me badly want to read her other SF/Fantasy about different cultures, are adventure like stories. Downbelow was interesting but it doesnt have the charm of this series.

 

[Ragnar]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Just about to dive into Scott Lynch's Red Seas Under Red Skies

 

[Pyan]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Downbelow was interesting but it doesnt have the charm of this series.

Try the Chanur series, Conn: My all-time top Cherryhs.

Just about to dive into Scott Lynch's Red Seas Under Red Skies

Hope you enjoy it, Ragnar...IMHO, even better than The Lies...he's put what he learned from the first book to good use.

 

[Ian Whates]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Try the Chanur series, Conn: My all-time top Cherryhs.

You don't say, Pyan? I'd never have guessed, particularly given your screen name!

Actually, I agree with you; absolutely stonking books, and my favourite Cherryh's as well.

 

[Toby Frost]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

The Road by Cormac McCarthy - good story, good description, rather affected prose style (think Hemmingway meets the King James Bible). Very gory. And no quote marks, which is always a cardinal sin.

Life During Wartime by Lucius Shepard - Very interesting. Moves from Vietnam-style military SF to psychadelic magic as our hero learns to use his psychic abilities. Only halfway through yet, but enjoying it.

 

[Zubi-Ondo]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Originally Posted by Zubi-Ondo
Have you read Hammerfall? It was in the SF section (Library) but it seems more like alternate world/fantasy so far.

I've got that one, and the sequel, Forge of Heaven, but I haven't read either of them yet, so I'd be interested to hear what anyone who has read them thought as well.

Re: Hammerfall - I'm at about pg 70 now, it's quite interesting. A lot of worldbuilding as the story progresses, but not so that it's distracting. Wiki says that it does tie in to a more SF theme later on, but so far it's a rather non-tech story; Caravans and empires in the desert and so on. I read slow because I'm short on time, but I'll let you know how it was in a few weeks.

-Z.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Almost 4k there Teresa! I hope your 4000th post is a great one (chances are it will be).

Looks like I'll have another chance to make that one fabulous, since moving some threads out of the Workshop just caused my post count to drop.

Only a few more pages to go before I've finished reading The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, then on to rereading another McKillip, Alphabet of Thorn.

 

[Lady of Winterfell]

Re: April's Astonishing, Astounding (and Sometimes Overpowering) Adventures in Readin

Still Reading Legends 2, but now also reading Legends II. They couldn't find a different way to differentiate these two? Finished the GRRM story in each, and now reading the McCaffrey stories.