February's Febrile Focus For Finding Fulfilling Fiction

[Southern Geologist]

Despite my fondness for that last -- and the fact it really is an excellent look into the world of sf at that time -- the earlier stories often (though not always) tend to be a bit crude and simplistic. I didn't find this particularly troublesome, but I know some do. Just a bit of a warning. On the other hand, I hope you, too, prove to be one for whom this is not a problem, and that you enjoy these odd and wonderful little bits of sff's past....

I expected some of them to be crude and simplistic so I don't mind. (Who could guess that genre fiction would start out as something low brow?) That aside, Asimov is a downright charming narrator and really helps put you in the child-like mood required for some of these stories.

 

[nomadman]

While reading My Silent War I have to constantly remind myself that Philby was a double agent who knowingly sent many men to their deaths on missions which were compromised from the start. It's obvious to see why his charm carried him so far in his field against men trained to detect subterfuge. His occasional mentions of his own parts in the many failures of the British Secret Service during this time are simultaneously mock-roguish and somewhat disturbing, couched as they are in such a matter of fact tone, generally as pithy little statements at the end of each chapter. Towards the end of the chapter The Terrible Turk, the reality of the situation finally hit home, as Philby describes in close detail the setting up of an infiltration operation into Soviet occupied Georgia, which of course is totally doomed from the start, and which leads to the immediate death and capture of the two idealistic agents groomed for the mission. Philby was evidently a hugely charismatic individual but also a cold-hearted b*stard as well.

Have also decided to reread The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, both as research for my own novel, and as a reminder of Le Carre at his best. I first read the novel about a decade ago whilst still at Uni and was impressed, but not overly so, by its tautness and "gritty realism" but was also not perhaps in a position to truly evaluate its merits. Whether I am so today remains to be seen, but thus far I'm enjoying it and finding much to bring to my own work.

 

[Vertigo]

Just finished Roberto Bolano's By Night in Chile; a beautiful and disturbing book. I have said many times on the Chrons that I'm not a great lover of poetry, but this book is poetry in prose; rythmic, lyrical and emotional; I loved it!

I have been very lucky with my reading of late with almost no duds, but this book tops them all. It has gone straight into my to-reread pile. This is a very short book (130 pages of fairly widely spaced print) and I can't recommend it enough to any reader who wants to see what can be achieved with words.

Some more of my thoughts here: http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/blogs/vertigo/1687-by-night-in-chile-by-roberto-bolano.html Though it will want another read or two to get those thoughts fully in order.

 

[ratsy]

After more than a month, I have finished The Gathering Storm by Sanderson/Jordan. With Sandersons touches it very well may be the best of the series that I have read. It flowed perfectly. I have been bust trying to write my own stuff otherwise I would have soared through it. On to a huge paperback The Towers of Midnight. Which will probably take me the next month.

 

[Lord Captain Woden]

Today I've read The Leaves Of Time by Neal Barret Jr. Average in all respects. Good enough to make me read to the end but not good enough to make me want to read it again.

Started Stand On Zanzibar by John Brunner this evening, about 75 pages in and I'm enjoying it. Not like anything I've read before, will report back when I've finished.

 

[Vertigo]

Just finished Roberto Bolano's By Night in Chile; a beautiful and disturbing book. I have said many times on the Chrons that I'm not a great lover of poetry, but this book is poetry in prose; rythmic, lyrical and emotional; I loved it!

I have been very lucky with my reading of late with almost no duds, but this book tops them all. It has gone straight into my to-reread pile. This is a very short book (130 pages of fairly widely spaced print) and I can't recommend it enough to any reader who wants to see what can be achieved with words.

Some more of my thoughts here: http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/blogs/vertigo/1687-by-night-in-chile-by-roberto-bolano.html Though it will want another read or two to get those thoughts fully in order.

I should have added to this my thanks to Gollum for his recommendation

 

[Grunkins]

Finished Donaldson's third book of the Gap Cycle, A Dark and Hungry God Arises. Thrilling book! All the character development of the first two was set in motion in this one. The main characters coming back into contact with one another and interacting was great fun.

I'll take a break from the Gap Cycle for a bit and jump back into Erikson's Malazan Book of the Fallen. I'll be starting Midnight Tides tonight. I've had a little break from the series and I'm pumped to pick up where I left off.

 

[Southern Geologist]

I'm very glad to see that you're giving the Gap series proper appreciation. I am impressed at your ability to put it down for a while, frankly.

Before the Golden Age has been nice thus far. I also read through Sales' Adrift on the Sea of Rains and moved onto The Eye With Which The Universe Beholds Itself.

 

[Grunkins]

With only two books left I want to savor them. I hate finishing the last book of a great series! Though when I do finish this I'll at least have his Thomas Covenant books to read.

 

[j d worthington]

Started Stand On Zanzibar by John Brunner this evening, about 75 pages in and I'm enjoying it. Not like anything I've read before, will report back when I've finished.

Glad to see someone else is favorably (at least, so far) taken with this one. His technique here -- based to some degree on William Carlos Williams, if memory serves -- is quite off-putting to many, but I find it very effective, quite possibly the best technique there is, for what he is attempting to do.

At any rate, I hope you enjoy the rest of the novel and, if you do, you might want to look up the two thematically linked books, The Jagged Orbit and The Sheep Look Up....

 

[AE35Unit]

Cant believe it. Im past the halfway point in Anvil of Stars and am now enjoying it! The characters do grate but its become a decent space opera!

 

[GOLLUM]

I should have added to this my thanks to Gollum for his recommendation

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I regard 2666 and By Night In Chile amongst Bolano's best work whereas I don't rate Savage Detectives as highly.

That was an interesting 'snapshot impression' of the book you provide and the contrast to Bruno Schulz's style..another writer who deserves an equal (if not greater) profile than what Bolano has achieved posthumously.

I'm not posting any spoilers here but that final line in the book (by general consensus amongst critics) refers to the pigeons who would otherwise deposit their droppings upon Church buildings finally exacting some kind of revenge; pigeons being analogous to the common people whom the dying priest hoped would gain some form of justice against Church officials implicated in the 'wrong doings' that beset the country.

Cheers.

 

[Lord Captain Woden]

Glad to see someone else is favorably (at least, so far) taken with this one. His technique here -- based to some degree on William Carlos Williams, if memory serves -- is quite off-putting to many, but I find it very effective, quite possibly the best technique there is, for what he is attempting to do.

At any rate, I hope you enjoy the rest of the novel and, if you do, you might want to look up the two thematically linked books, The Jagged Orbit and The Sheep Look Up....

About 1/3 of the way through and I'm enjoying it even more now, the way it's set out works perfectly for this sort of story. I also like the fact that you get so many different viewpoints on the various aspects of life. Definitely shaping up to one of the best SF books I've read so far.

 

[Vertigo]

I'm glad you enjoyed it. I regard 2666 and By Night In Chile amongst Bolano's best work whereas I don't rate Savage Detectives as highly.

That was an interesting 'snapshot impression' of the book you provide and the contrast to Bruno Schulz's style..another writer who deserves an equal (if not greater) profile than what Bolano has achieved posthumously.

I'm not posting any spoilers here but that final line in the book (by general consensus amongst critics) refers to the pigeons who would otherwise deposit their droppings upon Church buildings finally exacting some kind of revenge; pigeons being analogous to the common people whom the dying priest hoped would gain some form of justice against Church officials implicated in the 'wrong doings' that beset the country.

Cheers.

I did really enjoy it thanks Gollum. I did have all sorts of other thoughts but feel It needs a second reading first. Not sure when, but it's not a long book and it does flow so easily.

Interesting about the ending I hadn't thought of that. Somehow too literal. I thought it might have been his actual death and now for his judgement. But maybe that's a little melodramatic! It is interesting that it gets its own 'paragraph.'

 

[GOLLUM]

Interesting about the ending I hadn't thought of that. Somehow too literal. I thought it might have been his actual death and now for his judgement. But maybe that's a little melodramatic! It is interesting that it gets its own 'paragraph.'

The popular interpretation here is that Bolano is trying to end the book on some sort of positive note tinged as it may be with dark irony...hence the technique of placing the final sentence separately, applying an emphatic full stop to the end of the novel.

I agree it requires a second reading...a trait I find with all stream-of-consciousnesses works I've encountered.

 

[Vertigo]

Makes sense. And they do tend to pack a lot in, don't they?

 

[J-Sun]

His technique here -- based to some degree on William Carlos Williams, if memory serves -- is quite off-putting to many

It was Dos Passos' USA trilogy - Williams was basically a poet.

 

[j d worthington]

It was Dos Passos' USA trilogy - Williams was basically a poet.

Ah, yes, thank you... for some odd reason, I always tend to confuse the two... which makes absolutely no rational sense I've ever been able to understand, but there you are.

And to LCW: glad it's holding up for you. I've always thought it was a marvelous book....

And, to continue what I was saying earlier... I'm almost through with The Drought, and finding it difficult to put down. Whatever the impediment was the last time, it certainly isn't there now, and I am terribly impressed with the book.....

 

[J-Sun]

Ah, yes, thank you... for some odd reason, I always tend to confuse the two... which makes absolutely no rational sense I've ever been able to understand, but there you are.

Well, as far as the names, they're both triples which - at least "Carlos" strikes me that way - have at least a slight Spanish flavor. It may be something else entirely but I can see it happening that way.

 

[j d worthington]

Well, as far as the names, they're both triples which - at least "Carlos" strikes me that way - have at least a slight Spanish flavor. It may be something else entirely but I can see it happening that way.

You may well be right. And yes, the "Carlos" is from that heritage, as his mother was Puerto Rican....