February's Fabulous Feast Of Fully Formidable Fiction

[j d worthington]

Not had much time for reading (or anything else) the past week-plus; but I am gradually making my way through Martin's H. P. Lovecraft and the Modernist Grotesque. While not always the most riveting of such things I've read, it often is really quite good, despite an occasional factual glitch here and there (very few, but perhaps all the more noticeable for that). He also has both a very good thesis, fascinating in itself, and some fine insights into the Old Gent's work. If I have a chance later this evening, I'll begin a discussion of such things, with a few samples of what I'm talking about for further discussion... should anyone be interested.....

 

[elvet]

I'm almost done Avempartha by Michael Sullivan. In my mind it's very much like Dave Duncan's king's Blades books. I'm enjoying it.

 

[Diggler]

I'm a third of the way through Jeff VanderMeer's Veniss Underground. So far I am really enjoying this Ballard(ish) journey through the city of Vennis.

 

[gully_foyle]

Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. I am totally, totally engrossed. So far the Triffids are no where near as scary as everything else that is going on around them.

 

[tangaloomababe]

George Adamson's My Pride and Joy. A amazing man who lead an amazing life. Loved every word.

Gully: I read Triffids so many years ago and I probably still read it every other year and I still love it. It would have to be up there amongst my favorite all time novels. I wish Wyndham had written a sequel rather than Simon Clark. You are right though the Triffids are the least of the problems at times.

 

[gully_foyle]

Hi Tanga, long time no see. Hope you are keeping well down south.

Have you read A Lion Called Christian as well? Saw the doco, loved it.

 

[J-Sun]

Finished C.J. Cherryh's Finity's End. Short: hated the beginning, disliked the end, the middle was okay. For the Cherryh/Merchanter completist only. Long: Long book; long post.

 

[Diggler]

Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. I am totally, totally engrossed. So far the Triffids are no where near as scary as everything else that is going on around them.

Why Aldiss chose to coin this a "Cozy Catastrophe" I have no idea. It is far from cozy, and quite a scary story. It is also one of my all time favourites.

 

[j d worthington]

Why Aldiss chose to coin this a "Cozy Catastrophe" I have no idea. It is far from cozy, and quite a scary story. It is also one of my all time favourites.

An examination of the term may prove helpful. Here are a couple:

http://www.tor.com/blogs/2009/10/who-read-cosy-catastrophes

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apocalyptic_and_post-apocalyptic_fiction#Cosy_catastrophe

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/booksblog/2009/nov/25/cosy-catastrophe-fiction

Incidentally, Jack C. and Barbara H. Wolf included Wyndham's novel as an example of modern Gothic in their anthology, Ghosts, Castles, and Victims, and their reasons for including such pieces may add a bit more to think about on this subject....

 

[Diggler]

Hehe... The first article really hit the nail on the head JD

 

[purple_kathryn]

Things rather slow at work - shall be starting Rage of a Demon King (Serpent War) by Raymond E Feist

 

[Vertigo]

Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. I am totally, totally engrossed. So far the Triffids are no where near as scary as everything else that is going on around them.

I keep meaning to go back and read Wyndham's books. I have a distinct soft spot for them as my English teacher, despairing of ever getting me interested in more conventional works of literature, finally threw a handful of them at me and so started my love of SF

Finished Gregory Benford's The Furious Gulf (#4 in his Galactic Centre Books). A bit disappointing. It started off well but the last part became very surreal with numerous scenes which seemed to contribute nothing to the story. Also he dips into some of the most horrendous purple prose everytime he describes the physics around the black hole at the centre of the galaxy, Which he does rather often.

 

[woodsman]

Coming to the end of Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut. Biting satire at its weirdest I think, very readable though despite the 'jumbledness' of pretty much everything.

Next on the pile - Keep the Aspidistra Flying - George Orwell.

 

[Mouse]

I abandoned Tender Morsels.

Started Death of an Ordinary Man by Glen Duncan instead. Seems way more interesting.

 

[Diggler]

Long Horn, Big Shaggy by Steve Vernon.

Imagine a hick western crossed with a George Romero zombie film, then mix in some H.P. Lovecraft weirdness and you will have this novella.

If you like Joe R. Lansdale's writing, you will most likely get into this.

 

[Connavar]

I read in original swedish the novel that is called in english Martin Birck's Youth by a Swedish classic author named Hjalmar Söderberg.

Its a very modern,very smart novel, critical of the way of life in late 1890s early 1900s Sweden. I enjoyed very much as a story and the intelligence the author showed was impressive.

 

[Rodders]

The Nemesis List by R. J. Frith. I've had my eye on this for a while so i'm quite looking forward to it.

 

[D_Davis]

Finished the Hok the Mighty stories, very good.

Starting The Collected Short Fiction of Robert Sheckley: Volume 1. Finished the first 3 stories, and I've liked each one.

 

[D_Davis]

Long Horn, Big Shaggy by Steve Vernon.

Imagine a hick western crossed with a George Romero zombie film, then mix in some H.P. Lovecraft weirdness and you will have this novella.

If you like Joe R. Lansdale's writing, you will most likely get into this.

Sounds good. Although I am getting pretty tired of zombies. But I'll check it out.

 

[Diggler]

You should give it a go D. Davis. The zombies are of course an integral part of the story, but it's more western comedy than zombie.