Books

[Lady Door]

I did enjoy it! It was very far outside of my normal SF/F reading circuit, but that's a good thing. A really good thing. I didn't quite realize how same-y my reading had become.

I tend to separate my tastes in terms of mood -- "I'm in the mood for an epic fantasy," or, "I'd like to read some supernatural mystery," or "I really want to read something with a little art to it." The Mars trilogy fits in the vein I'll call "Classics." It is good, and it is hard, and you have to work a little to get to the meat of it. It's rewarding, but goddamn if it isn't an effort sometimes.

SPOILER WARNING for the upcoming rant. I don't feel like singling out what's spoiler-y, so read ahead at your own risk. I try to stay vague.

This, too, is because of my background. I enjoy science a great deal, but science jargon is one of those things I never could wrap my mind around. This is why the pages and pages of geological description made my eyes glaze over. I also tripped over making conversions. This is definitely a heathen American thing, but I don't think in kilometers - I have no concept of scale for something that is 150 km tall. Ditto, as I've mentioned, science measurements like millibars and Kelvin. That's my own failing, and being confronted with your own inadequacies while reading automatically shifts it from "pleasure read" to "deeper effort required."

It was worth it. The explorations of the ethics, psychology, sociology, ecology, physics, academics -- you name it, if it's an aspect of human culture it was covered in here -- were really amazing. The breadth of what was covered is such that some pieces lost depth in favor of the details with which I assume the author was particularly familiar, which is likely why it felt like it skipped a beat here and there. All the same, it really dug at the "What if?" that makes sci fi such an enjoyable genre when it's taken on the literary slant. What if humans could live on Mars? What if the planet Earth faced a catastrophe? What if scientists ruled the (new) world? What if you could live forever? What if we could colonize the solar system - or beyond?

THAT is what made it a worthwhile read. I do highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys science fiction, or science, or humans being human. Just be warned you might end up having to think a little.

END SPOILER WARNING.

I'll get that book in the mail to you, m.c.

--

In trashy novel news, because I've got plenty of thinking to do while I brush up on all of the English literary canon, I'm on book 5 of the Dresden Files.

These books are so very painfully obviously written by someone who learned what a formulaic novel looked like. Romance and pulp mystery galore. There are plenty of catch-phrases, and those delightful moments where the narrator "cleverly" reminds you about the basics you should already know if you've been reading the series, just so you don't have to worry your pretty little head about remembering details. Knowing what this novel is -- a pulp fantasy mystery -- allows me to forgive its literary shortcomings and just enjoy the way Jim Butcher handles his characters and plotlines.

I can knock about 1/4-1/2 of one back on the bus ride to and from work, so I'm going through them -very- quickly. Fine by me. There are 12, I think, with another one due out late this summer.

Book 4 is one of my favorites because it heavily focuses on faerie/sidhe. Book 5 is the first that really ups the stakes, and makes it very clear that while these novels are fine as stand-alones, there's a very long-term over-arching plot that makes up Harry's life story. THAT is what keeps me reading.

--

Will start re-read Song of Ice and Fire as soon as I find Book 1.

[Grefter]

Hooray.  Now can you imagine what it is like doing a Psychology degree and seeing elements of Michel Duval in yourself?  Definitely one of the reasons I woke up and realised that life is hilarious and not to take it to seriously.

[metroid composite]

The Vampire Tapestry - Suzy McKee Charnas

Let me start out by saying: this is literature.  And like other literature I've read recently, I read through this a lot slower than the mass market paperback novels.  It is a collection of linked novellas, including The Unicorn Tapestry (which won a Nebula Award).  In fact, if I had to guess, I'd guess that she wrote the rest of the book after The Unicorn Tapestry because she wanted to pad that story out into a book.  And to be honest, you could probably just read that 20% of the novel and get most of the value out of the work.

First, let's talk about the vampire mythology of this piece, as it's very atypical.  Always with vampire mythologies there is a question of how does the infection spread--if vampires could change us just by biting, wouldn't we all be vampires by now?  Answers vary from "The human needs some extra spark or the change will fail" to "causing the change is physically difficult" to "the change is shunned in vampire society; why would you wish this on another?"  The Vampire Tapestry adds another variant: "the change is impossible", which results in a very different dynamic.  Dr Weyland is the only vampire in existance.  He suspects he may be a product of nature or evolution, but he is not sure.  He doesn't have fangs (canine teeth being primarily evolved for ripping flesh...which means they're quite impractical for drinking human blood), rather he has something more reminiscent of a mosquito's probiscus--kind of a needle that he hides below his tongue.  He can go out in the sunlight just fine--which is appropriate for a vampire with a scientifically plausible origin.  He's not immune to bullets--in fact a couple of them nearly kill him.  He's strong within the range of terrestrial biology (so musculature and ligaments are attached in more efficient ways).  He has decades-long hybernation cycles, which purge his past human memories.  It’s very much a science fiction vampire.

But as unique as the mythology is, it's not the selling point of The Vampire Tapestry to me.  That would be the psychology.  Much of the book revolves around the psychoanalysis of the solitary hunter.  Notably, the Unicorn Tapestry asks the quesiton: if you put the solitary hunter into psychotherapy, is that a bad thing?  Modern psychology is designed to make the client act more human, more social--but what if your client isn't human, and to act more human would be damaging to the client?  The perspective of the solitary hunter is not really a perspective I'm used to considering; I was frequently surprised while reading--accustomed to my characters being social animals.  It's definitely an interesting change of pace.  And not one explored much in other vampire literature (where vampires typically are social).

[Lady Door]

I've never enjoyed a store going out of business so much! Guilty pleasures.

The Borders near me that's closing has hit 60% off, so I figured I'd pick up some of those books I'd been interested in but didn't feel like buying at full price. The haul:

Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles (The Skystone, The Singing Sword, The Eagles' Brood, The Saxon Shore)
Stephen Baxter's Manifold: Time
David Brin's Sundiver and Startide Rising
John Scalzi's Agent to the Stars
Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear's A Companion to Wolves

All for less than $40 (and that's when you add in the 3 manga Andrew picked up, too).

--

On White Night of the Dresden Files. I left it in the car last night, so I had to take something else to read on the bus, and I picked up Green Rider. I read it before, waaaaay back before book 2 was published. I remember liking it, but I think I like it in the same way I liked Time Cat or Dark Lord of Derkhelm (anyone else read those books?): it's amusing and somewhat juvenile. Kristen Britain's style is unrefined, but I enjoy the worlds. Perhaps that's why I choose fantasy so much over anything else. It's just so damn forgiving a writing system, as long as you hit some world-building notes right.

[Hunter Sopko]

Be ready to swoop in on DVDs when it hits 70-80% off. Good times. You paid 30.95! You saved 92.85!

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

On White Night of the Dresden Files. I left it in the car last night, so I had to take something else to read on the bus, and I picked up Green Rider. I read it before, waaaaay back before book 2 was published. I remember liking it, but I think I like it in the same way I liked Time Cat or Dark Lord of Derkhelm (anyone else read those books?): it's amusing and somewhat juvenile. Kristen Britain's style is unrefined, but I enjoy the worlds. Perhaps that's why I choose fantasy so much over anything else. It's just so damn forgiving a writing system, as long as you hit some world-building notes right.

Sometimes I wish I didn't care so much about stylistics and writing skill.

[Grefter]

You really should get over that, it helps enjoy so much more media.

[Jo'ou Ranbu]

Books are the one media I just can't get pulpy with, though.

[Grefter]

That is a shame because that is most of what is there for easy consumption.

Give up and learn to love the Hickman.

[metroid composite]

There are writers with great stylistics and writing skill who happen to write pulp-y novels.  Gail Carriger jumps to mind.

[Luther Lansfeld]

Finished Warbreaker. It's pretty cool, I want to read the sequel. You guys had me all anticlimaxed up for the book's end, I thought the ending was going to be terribad, but it's not even as bad as Mistborn 1's (horrible) ending! I am so happy/disappointed.

Maybe what I am trying to say is that it doesn't blip on the Sanderson terrible ending writing radar.

(I am referring specifically to the last ~10 pages of the book. The last 10% is pretty bad. >_>;;)

[DjinnAndTonic]

Reading more Terry Pratchett~

I've just kind of been reading them as I borrow them from the one foreigner in (my podunk area of) Japan who has a library worth raiding. Consequently, I just read Maskerade (a fun Discworld version of Phantom of the Opera where the character Agnes Nitt gets her start as a opera singer witch), and now I'm moving onto the awesomely-named Carpe Jugulum (seems to be the next book chronologically in the series, as Agnes is now in the early stages of witchhood).

The amusing part about this is that obviously the chronologically-earlier novel Maskerade was written WELL after Carpe Jugulum. This has the amusing effect of all of the characters seeming much more nuanced and mature IN THEIR PAST SELVES. Of course, it's Discworld, so who's to say that people don't naturally become less mature as they get older?*

*Mr. Pratchett would probably include a footnote here about how it tends to work that way in our own Earth, too.

[Shale]

Maskerade: 1995
Carpe Jugulum: 1998

Just sayin'.

[Grefter]

Maskerade is just a really well written book, not much more to say about it other than that.  The witches bring out the worst in Agnes because as a potential witch she is innately far more practical and sensible than your normal person in the Discworld.  Just compared to Granny and Nanny she has nothing on them.  It rubs her the wrong way.  She still feels like everything should be super serious and they know that nothing is serious at all so it isn't worth getting worked up over/everything is way super serious and you don't have time to worry about silly things like appearance and a name.  Edit - Um that is why she seems more mature in Maskerade than Carpe Jugulum, because she spends the whole damned book near Nanny Ogg compared to Maskerade where she spends tons of time near Opera people who are bat shit crazy stupid.

[Cmdr_King]

And then she quietly is never seen again in the Tiffany Aching books.  That said, those are lovely.

[DjinnAndTonic]

Maskerade: 1995
Carpe Jugulum: 1998

Just sayin'.

Weird. I would have expected more continuity there. It's still jarring how different Agnes and Nanny Ogg are in Carpe Jugulum from their Maskerade selves.

[Grefter]

They... are?  Honestly don't see it.  Might be more exposure to Nanny Ogg though?  Dunno.

[Captain K.]

A Game of Thrones:  Enjoyed.  Kind of sad what happens to the Starks, but hey, things can only get better for them from here, right?  Right?

Anyway, bought the next three books based on the strength of the first one.

[Lady Door]

Finished Dresden Files. Man, I forgot what a complete clusterfuck the most recent book was. Can't wait to see how the one coming out this summer moves on from that.

Also finished Agent to the Stars this weekend. Obviously a junior novel, but just as obviously by a writer who knows what he's doing. I would never call the crafting a masterpiece, but it's still an enjoyable read. Good dialogues.

Started The Camulod Chronicles with The Skystone. This is actually a great way for me to slide into studying for my research papers and things for grad school apps, in a way, since its history is my history (only fictionalized). It's a bit dry so far, and from what I recall with my brief reads 10 years ago it strays into prurience at times, but that's kind of expected from someone who's trying to be "authentic."

[metroid composite]

A Game of Thrones:  Enjoyed.  Kind of sad what happens to the Starks, but hey, things can only get better for them from here, right?  Right?

Rule of thumb with George RR Martin: if they haven't been turned into blind zombies enslaved into prostitution, then they probably haven't hit rock bottom.

[NotMiki]

Nah, the touchstone of Martin is that whatever a perspective character wants to happen won't, which has the odd effect of making chapters about total douche bags more entertaining.

[Captain K.]

I'm on the second book now, and I kind of just want to skip ahead and read the Arya chapters.

[Anthony Edward Stark]

Reading One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest for the first time since High School.

Looking back, I'm surprised how quickly the lens of crazy the book is told through is glossed over in favor of deconstruction of machine symbolism and how the book is a condemnation of organized society because machines.

And yeah, it is, but totally glossing over the whole "novel being told through s lens of delusional paranoid psychosis" does it quite the disservice.

[Luther Lansfeld]

Fires of Heaven - Hey what if we write a book and omit my least favorite character in the series? Awesome things happen. I'm ready for Book 6, less ready for Perrin to come back.

[Luther Lansfeld]

Assassin's Apprentice - Fun romp for sure. The end in particular hooked me in.