May's (Mostly) Marvelous Literary Musings

[Thadlerian]

I had to order it from Amazon, Canada. He's an American author being published by the UK. Go figure. Good book and I'm looking forward to the next installment.

Ah, finally got The Red Wolf Conspiracy now

But now I've decided to save it until summer, when I'll be staying by the ocean

 

[Taltos]

Finished Swanwick The Iron Dragon's Daughter - still mixed feelings. The idea of industrial revolution in fantasy world is nice - and has been later used in other places (computer game Arcanum, Blaylock Elfin Ship etc.) problem was, the story wasn't nearly as captivating.
Now started Butchers White Night - sarcastic as ever - Order of Large Cooking Pot... or whatever that was

 

[AE35Unit]

Ah, finally got The Red Wolf Conspiracy now

But now I've decided to save it until summer, when I'll be staying by the ocean

Oh that would be my idea of heaven. Summer by the sea!

 

[AvoidingReality]

Finished On Basilisk Station by David Weber last night, which was a lot of fun. I've been meaning to read it for a while now, but I'm in the middle of another book and I rarely start another at the same time. Just glanced at it and I was hooked

So now I'm back to Wit'ch Fire by James Clemens, which is alright, but as you may have guessed, I'm not really that interested in it...

 

[Nesacat]

Have been on a Harlan Ellison binge. His writing is very addictive.

From the Land of Fear - a mind-bending voyage into the infinite reaches of the imagination.

Paingod & Other Delusions - Seven soul-shuddering treks through a universe of thoughts never thought before.

All the Sounds of Fear.

 

[ravenus]

Read Of Love and Other Demons by GG Marquez. For more than 3/4ths of its (short) length this romance between a literate liberal-minded priest and a girl accused of demonic possession is a pleasingly intense modification of what could have been a Powell & Pressburger movie plot or even a Bollywood product, but it falters somewhat in the last bits where Marquez feels the need to end the fates of all the peripheral characters before returning to a quick finish for his leads. I rarely say it but this story could have benefited from a longer treatment than what it gets here. Still pretty engaging and worth reading on the whole.

 

[gully_foyle]

Just finished The Forever War by Joe Haldeman. Starting Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny (finally).

 

[iansales]

Finished Ian Watson's The Book of Being. Now reading Return to the Moon by Dr Harrison Schmidt, the last man on the Moon.

 

[The Ace]

"The children of Hurin," I've read worse.

 

[AE35Unit]

"The children of Hurin," I've read worse.

Isn't that 'new' Tolkien?

 

[The Ace]

Yes, Cris' latest plundering of his father's papers.

 

[j d worthington]

Nesa: Glad you're enjoying the Ellison. From the Land of Fear is an uneven collection, but has some very good work in it, and his prefatory comments about the stories he (at that time) hadn't finished are something that will likely ring a loud bell for most writers....

As for me, at the moment I'm reading Wilkie Collins' After Dark:

AFTER DARK BY WILKIE COLLINS

 

[Nesacat]

JD ... sometimes I think that Ellison's foreword to each of his tales might almost be the best part of the whole tale. Same goes for his introductions to the whole collection. He's a splendid writer. I personally like the read the writer's own foreword and introduction to his work. They are like tiny windows of insight.

 

[j d worthington]

You should try some of his collections of essays, such as the two Glass Teat volumes, or With an Edge in My Voice, The Harlan Ellison Hornbook, Harlan Ellison's Watching, or Sleepless Nights in the Procrustean Bed....

 

[AvoidingReality]

Finished Wit'ch Fire, it wasn't bad as such, I just wasn't very interested in it. Then I finished Captain Alatriste yesterday, which was a fun book, in a style I don't usually read.

Now I'm reading Dearly Devoted Dexter, which is absolutely hilarious so far. Dexter is such a lovable serial killer and the tone the author uses is brilliant. I really highly recommend this series.

 

[murphy]

(snip)

Now I'm reading Dearly Devoted Dexter, which is absolutely hilarious so far. Dexter is such a lovable serial killer and the tone the author uses is brilliant. I really highly recommend this series.

Oh, woe is me. Another book to add to my want list, Darkly Dreaming Dexter by Jeff Lindsay.

 

[Nightmare]

Dune Messiah. Not as engrossing as the first one, so far, but I'm enjoying it very much.

 

[j d worthington]

Dune Messiah. Not as engrossing as the first one, so far, but I'm enjoying it very much.

A different sort of book, I would say. In some ways as strong as the first, perhaps stronger... but a very different sort of thing.

 

[GOLLUM]

JD ... sometimes I think that Ellison's foreword to each of his tales might almost be the best part of the whole tale. Same goes for his introductions to the whole collection. He's a splendid writer. I personally like the read the writer's own foreword and introduction to his work. They are like tiny windows of insight.

Also try Dangerous Visions 35th Anniversary Edition (edited by Ellison) and his collection of short stories Deathbird Stories. I've got those ones and they're very good.

 

[GOLLUM]

Read Of Love and Other Demons by GG Marquez. Still pretty engaging and worth reading on the whole.

I've got everything available in English by Marquez and I'v never really been let down. A shame the film Love In The Time Of Cholera was a dissapointment...