Oh yes I've read a few of his (recently Voyage and Titan). I also used to read his stories in Interzone, and when I wrote to the magazine praising his stories he sent me a signed photograph of himself.Anyone read Stephen Baxter? I really like his stuff and thought he was fairly well known but I haven't seen much mention of him on this site...
I'm interested in the early Beatles, but in contrast have absolutely no interest whatsoever in Princess Margaret or in those who sought her company. Unsurprising then that I found it dull and tedious tedious tedious.
Doesn’t reading pandemic SF turn escapism on its head? I wouldn’t want to immerse myself further in the problem, myself. Likewise if I get cancer, I’m unlikely to pick up Solzhenitsyn’s Cancer Ward. Horses for courses I guess, and to mix my animal metaphors I suppose I’m a bit of an ostrich. I admire your fortitude Danny.Skin by Liam Brown.
Yet another pandemic novel, however this came out in May 2019, long before we'd heard of Wuhan.
It's eerily prescient, we have most of the population quarantined at home, communication with school and work is online etc.
Just started The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield. After seeing it in numerous lists of favorite books, usually in the company of titles I've already read and enjoyed, I thought I'd take a chance. Only 40 pages into its 400+ pages, but Setterfield presents a thoughtful, introverted narrator and evocative writing. Basic plot so far, our narrator works with her father in his bookstore and her main pleasure in life is reading pre-20th century fiction from which experience she has written short, concise biographies of the less than famous authors. Vida Winters, described as the 20th century's Dickens, invites her to her estate where they can begin an interview. Decidedly Gothic, this set-up suggests many secrets and twists to come, not least what the 13th tale is.
Randy M.
The book sort of fizzled out about two thirds of the way through.Doesn’t reading pandemic SF turn escapism on its head? I wouldn’t want to immerse myself further in the problem, myself. Likewise if I get cancer, I’m unlikely to pick up Solzhenitsyn’s Cancer Ward. Horses for courses I guess, and to mix my animal metaphors I suppose I’m a bit of an ostrich. I admire your fortitude Danny.
I read Ursula Le Guin's The Tombs of Atuan. I liked it more than the first book in the series, Tenar is a more engaging protagonist than young Ged was and it's a more focused story.