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dustydigger

Posted 2014-07-01 6:23 AM (#8039 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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21. Marissa Meyer - Cress. The third episode in this engaging YA science fictionseries,where each book loosely ties in with fairy tales. Cinder started off the series about a part cyborg girl who gets embroiled in deadly imperial politics,where the wicked Queen on Luna wants to rule the earth .Book two,Scarlet was about a girl involved with a werewolf,and the latest,Cress has a heroine who is imprisoned on a space ship for years monitoring the queen's enemies signals.To preevent her trying to rebel she is not allowed any sharp objects,so no scissors,so long,very long hair.Rapunzel,of course.I hadnt known that cress and rapunzel were synonyms! Good fun,fast paced,sympathetic characters and a wicked villain and a rollercoaster plot all make for a light engaging read.Nice to see sci-fi in a YA book for once,instead of all those vampires or dystopias!
22.L Sprague de Camp - Lest Darkness Fall. The book started off great.Archaeologist/historian Martin Padway slips back through time whileon holiday in Italy,and finds himself in the turmoil of 6th century Italy at the time of the disintegration of the Roman Empire,where a host of factions - Franks,Goths,Vandals,Greeks etc are fighting for power.Martin sets up some businesses - setting up brandy distilleries,inventing the telegraph and printing presses etc,and this part of the book was great fun,lots of humour. But when Martin decides that he must try to change history enough to prevent the Dark Ages from swallowing up scientific developments in a darkness of ignorance and intolerance, the tone becomes darker as Martin increasingly gets entangled with politics and eventually war.I got a bit overwhelmed with the countless warring factions,and we are left hanging as to whether his inventions will survive if he dies in such turbulent times,though he feels sure the printing press will change the world enough to hold back the darkness.
This was a quick fun read for the most part.The novel was published in 1941,and I wonder if it was partly written as war propaganda,since it shows a good old practical no nonsense American guy going in to prevent the fall of civilisation,where all these European bloodthirsty factions cant keep the peace?
23. Vonda Macintyre - Dreamsnake. I really enjoyed this book, for all sorts of reasons. The heroine was everything you could want, brave, tenacious, compassionate, loyal, courteous, and long-suffering. Her love for her snakes even mollified me a bit, and I am so not a snakeloving person. I also found the world fascinating, so beautifully described. Unlike others who were disatisfied with the vagueness about what had caused the worldwide catastrophe, what were these alien artifaccts, cratures and fauna, it just added a pleasant sense of mystery and depth. No long historical explanations or expositions on the setting, just fascinating glimpses. (I rarely read historical crime fiction because the tale is slowed down enormously by descriptions of the protagonist's clothing, means of transport, food etc. We wouldnt put up with such masses of detail in a contemporary nove, where such things are taken for grantedl.)
I also liked the touching little romance theme, the interestingly diverse communities with their alternatively set up cultures, from bedouin tribesmen to technologically advanced cities, but again, for the most part descibed only as much as is necessary for the plot. Quirky non stereotypical characters, however lightly sketched, and beautiful depictions of landscape also add to a staisfying read, and I wish McIntye had written more books in this intriguing world

dustydigger

Posted 2014-08-05 9:54 AM (#8271 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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24.L.Sprague de Camp - Lest Darkness Fall. This book started off great.Archaeologist/historian Martin Padway slips back through time while in Italy,and finds himself in the turmoil of 6th century Italy at the end of the Roman Empire,where a host of factions - Franks,Goths,Vandals,Greeks etc are fighting for power.Martin sets up some businesses - setting up brandy distilleries,inventing the telegraph and printing presses etc,and this part of the book was great fun,lots of humour. But when Martin decides that he must try to change history enough to prevent the Dark Ages from swallowing up scientific developments in a darkness of ignorance and intolerance, the tone becomes darker as Martin increasingly gets entangled with politics and eventually war.I got a bit overwhelmed with the countless warring factions,and we are left hanging as to whether his inventions will survive if he dies in such turbulent times,though he feels sure the printing press will change the world enough to hold back the darkness.
This was a quick fun read for the most part.The novel was published in 1941,and I wonder if it was partly written as war propaganda,since it shows a good old practical no nonsense American guy going in to prevent the fall of civilisation,where all these European bloodthirsty factions cant keep the peace? Just a thought
25. Kim Harrison - Ever After .I thought this series was falling away,the last few books got a bit repetitious,but this one is back on track,with new plot developments and some tragic shocks.Its always fun to visit the old church with its complement of vampire,witch,pixies and gargoyle,and of course,demons.. The eleventh in the series holds up well. Only downside is Rachel STILL bemoaning her past boyfriends,which is a bit tedious.

dustydigger

Posted 2014-08-08 12:52 PM (#8278 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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26. David Eddings - Pawn of Prophecy. I am not a great fantasy fan,but wanted to try some famous titles in the genre,but have to admit being a little disappointed in this book. I am sure back in the eighties when all the well-worn fantasy tropes were still new-minted I would have thoroughly enjoyed it. It has engaging characters a fast paced plot and is a fair page-turner,but there isnt a great deal today to differentiate it from all the others . Also I had expected this to be written for adults, and was occasionally puzzled by the almost simplistic style. Now I see it is claimed as a YA novel,though was it meant to be classed so back in the early 80s? I think I have read too many books of this type lately(Robin Hobbs Assassin's Apprentice,Raymond Feist's Magician,and Terry Brooks Sword of Shannara),and am perhaps too old and jaded to appreciate Eddings. Perhaps I will give it a year or two before trying more of the series .
Have to admit too that having recently been blown away by Susan Cooper's extraordinary The Dark is Rising,I would find most fantasy a bit lacking!
27. TJ G Ballard - The Crystal World. I followed up reading Ballard's The Drowning World with this book,and can see many similarities - the downbeat tone;the hero almost completely cut off from society,detached and without real relationships;the oblique likenesses to themes in Conrad's Heart of Darkness;elaborate descriptions of the landscape,inadequate depictions of characters; a rather token use of SF tropes used only to bear the freight of Ballard's dark pessimism.
I thought Ballard became over-enamoured with his vision of the petrified forest.There are only so many ways to say every living thing in the forest is being progressively turned to crystal. Very little happens really,people wander about the jungle at random..I didnt find people's motives very credible either.All in all a disappointment,and I couldnt raise a tear when ,like in The Drowned World,our hero with a death wish,however romantic in theory,went off to seek oblivion.I'm afraid existential ennui is so not my cup of tea,and the whole scientific(?) explanations of time''leaking'' away from the universe,leaving all creations left in a frozen stasis forever was way over my poor head.
Too determinedly literary and heavy for my tastes. One of those authors who use a form of SF for their own agenda.With enough passion,clarity of theme and ideas,such books can became classics,both within and without the SF genre - think of Brave New World,1984,and works by Margaret Atwood.This was too airy fairy,and sometimes,despite interminable descriptions of the landscape,it was a bit puzzling seeing what exactly the author meant.AS for the science,I hadnt a clue! lol.Read for various WWEnd lists and my 12x12 challenge
28. Terry Pratchett - Small Gods. .Like Pyramids,this one is a savage satire of religion,cloaked in humour,where a rather thick young man is chosen as a prophet by a god currently trapped in the form of a tortoise.The gods of Discworld have power and fame according to the number of true believers.This tortoise god has precisely one!. Amusing,but I dont really care for religious satire.

DrNefario

Posted 2014-08-09 9:39 AM (#8284 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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My memory is that Pawn of Prophecy was originally just a mainstream fantasy book, but then that whole side of the field was probably treated as kids' stuff at the time. I know I originally read it when I was the same age as Garion (12-13, I believe), and I'd already read Lord of the Rings by then. I enjoyed it at the time, which is more than I can say for Shannara, but lI quickly felt I grew out of it, and looking back could see how much it relied on racial stereotypes and other cheap crutches (like the dreaded prophecy). Maybe it's best regarded as a fantasy primer for young readers.

I still love to wallow in a nice epic fantasy, but I feel it's possibly a bit like junk food. I'd eat it all the time if I didn't watch myself, and it's probably not good for me. ;-) I guess that's true of anything formulaic. Is Agatha Christie any different? There's always pleasure to be had from watching someone play with the rules, and a good practitioner is like a virtuoso musician: it's still the same instrument that the plodders are playing, but some people can make it sing.

dustydigger

Posted 2014-08-12 1:34 AM (#8288 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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I can see that most of the people who loved it were quite young,at the time and it all must have seemed fairly fresh,though it does have the obligatory long journey,Gandalf- like figure,a magic orb,and a boy with a secret lineage. Perhaps I am just to old to enjoy it fully.,and the whole gene is still firmly in the enormous shadow cast by Tolkien,which is rather impressive. I think it is 60 years this year since Fellowship of the Rings was published!Sword of Shannara was pretty dire,dull,derivative and longwinded. Last year when I read it ,as an important link in the chain of development of a whole flourishing subgenre,I had to take it in small doses like medicine,and it took me a whole month to read it.! lol.
I agree about the formulaic nature of genre fiction of all kinds,,and your very apt analogy about virtuoso/plodding performers There is a variety of instruments,and it seems the '' instrument'' of fantasy isnt really my thing. SF and crime fiction are so much more my cup of tea.

daxxh

Posted 2014-08-12 1:57 AM (#8289 - in reply to #8288)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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I read the whole Belgariad series, one right after the other, the summer after my senior year in college. One of my housemates had the set and said they were really good. I can't believe I read all five, but I kept hearing "it gets better" every time I'd say something negative. The entire plot was outlined in the preface of the first book and the entire plot was totally predictable. They weren't considered a Young Adult books back then. Had they been, I doubt I would have read them. After four years of technical books and barely any fiction, I didn't want to waste time on YA fiction, which I have never really liked, and waste the three months that I had to read anything I wanted before it was back to the technical books again. That series soured fantasy for me. I didn't read fantasy again until A Game of Thrones came out and I had to be talked into reading that.

Edited by daxxh 2014-08-12 1:58 AM

illegible_scribble

Posted 2014-08-14 2:47 AM (#8314 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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Thanks for the notes about The Belgariad. I didn't realize it was YA (and like you, daxxh, I've never never enjoyed most YA, even when I was a YA -- to me, the writing in YA books mostly seems very simplistic). Eddings was on my "to-read" list; now I'll feel comfortable deferring that indefinitely.

dustydigger

Posted 2014-09-07 1:43 PM (#8464 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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29. Douglas Adams - Life,the Universe and Everything. I was rather disappointed in this third episode of the Hitchhike's Guider series, and am not at all sure it deserved to be published in the Masterwork series, which is very prestigious indeed as a rule. Loved Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, but its a case of diminishing returns with the rest of the series. I found the elaborate humour, so fresh and funny in HHG rather lame here. The long elaborate lectures fell a bit flat for me, only mildly amusing, such as linking probability to restaurants. Oh well, at least Arthur Dent learned how to fly, and we saw more of the wondrously named Slartibartfast, award winning creator of Earth's fjords! Not a very poor read, but nothing to set the world on fire either.
30.Laurell K Hamilton. Anothr fun romp in Laurell K Hamilton's fast paced exotic and erotic series about a fae princess who has cruel enemies in high places in the fairy courts. She is still attempting to have a child by one of her guards,while working as a detective,trying to keep out of the sight of enemies,develop her magical talents,help an exiled royal fae to become pregnant and fight against an horrific creature ,The Nameless.Its all go in Merry's world!.
This was a good read,but not as good as the first book,a Kiss of Shadows,possibly because we didnt get to visit the Dark Court,also because there were too many long episodes of bickering and sulks among Merry's lovers,which became a little tedious at times.The riproaring set piece at the end against the Nameless,and the re-emergence of lost magical powers made up for this to some extent,and the plot thickens when Merry and her guards learn a desperate secret about the fairy king,who will do anything to prevent his secret emerging.A fun if trashy read,which intrigues enough to make you want to learn more and be immersed in the glamorous if highly dangerous world of these supernatural characters.Read for the Faerie Mythology challenge.
31.Gene Wolfe - The Shadow of the Torturer. Severian is a lowly apprentice torturer, blessed and burdened with an eidetic memory, who is exlied from the guild of torturers after allowing one of his victims, with whom he has fallen in love, to kill herself to avoid a death by excruciating torture. Armed with his ancient executioner's sword, Terminus Est, he travels through the strange far future Earth, where the sun is slowly dying, to travel to a distant city to be an executioner. But there are all sorts of machinations, Severian for all his purported exact memory and straightforward tale telling, will prove to be an unreliable narrator.
Master storyteller Wolfe in a series of four books, known collectively as The Book of the New Sun weaves together all the classic tropes of the fantasy genre, coming of age, adventure, sex, betrayal, murder, exile, battle, monsters, and mysteries to be solved in a way that is haunting and original. No Tolkien imitator here. And the language is distinctive. Notable throughout the series is Wolfe's use of words which appear perhaps to be invented to describe this world but are mostly old words long fallen into disuse. His use of language helps set the atmosphere, alien but strangely familiar. Descriptions of the world are precise and clear, yet somehow almost hallucinatory. Severian himself is an enigmatic and fascinating characterthough his matter of fact acceptance of his gruesome carreer is disturbing yet logical, since he was brought up to it from a very young age.
30 years ago a friend had read this book, then newly published, and raved over it. I was put off by the title and the fact that the hero - antihero?- had such an unsavoury profession, and declined to read it. Again, it has been sitting on my shelf unread for six months. Now I am wishing I read it all those years ago. Somehow the torture scenes are written in an almost. . . . tactful?. . . way, clinical, remote, not at all sensationalist, and mercifully only a very minor part of the story. Now that I have read it, and know a little of the whole series, I have to wonder how Gene Wolfe had to wait till 2012 to become one of Damon Knight's Grand Masters. And why is he not such a household name as many less gifted authors? Probably because the books may be esoteric, complex,and with difficult language, with an unreliable narrator. However this book is excellent, and I look forward to reading the next three, so that I can then go back and reread with knowledge, and will understand what the shake of the kaleidoscope of the revealed plot ultimately reveals. Looking forward to it! A book well deserving its classic status.
AND it filled no less than six slots in my RYO challenges.Cool!

dustydigger

Posted 2014-09-10 5:18 AM (#8485 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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32. Neil Gaiman - Stardust. Tristran Thorn is a fairly ordinary young man, though unaware of his exotic origins. Madly in love with a young woman he vows extravagantly to bring her her heart's desire. Amused but contemptuous she orders him to bring back a falling star, which has landed over the Wall that separates the land of Faerie from the mundane Victorian rustic world. So off he goes to face perilous events, where he meets with witches, murderous elven lordsvying for the right to rule, a fallen star turned into a rather belligerent young woman, a unicorn, all sorts of spells and magical traps - even flying pirates!

Once again I have read a Neil Gaiman book and been amazed at its freshness and originality, even though as ever Gaiman is extolling the value and importance of story and storytelling, showing how we can enrich ourselves despite our harassed, mundane world by immersing ourselves in fantasy. Of course Gaiman shows us that the world of fantasy isnt necessarily something light, beautiful, and having a happy ending. He well knows the origin of our European fairy stories, which in their original form, straight from the lips of peasants who were repeating them as they had heard them from their own elders,were full of darker passions, cruelty, murder and violence. It was only later that the savagery and horrific incidents were glossed over or softened to become suitable for children.
Gaiman has succeeded in producing a modern take on the fairy story, and it is mainly for adults, with one four letter word and a rather graphic sex scene not meant for children. There is wit and humour, quirky characterisation, surprising plot developments, familiar fairytale elements, especially the coming of age quest trope,and a rather poignant ending. Gaiman sails through it all with aplomb and respect for his sources, and all in all it is a fun read.

33.Philip K Dick - The Man in the High Castle. The book completely confirmed that I am not a fan of PKDs work!.He is the darling of the brand of SF that yearns for literary respectability,so the more downbeat,baffling and enigmatic the work is the better!It was fairly interesting,but overall tailed off,with a weak ending,and I felt the work overdid the irony, it wasnt truly effective.There may be lots of themes about identity,false/ true reality,the whims of fate,the helplessness of humanity in the grasp of the vagaries of history etc,but it never gripped me.The convoluted worldbuilding seemed confused,(probably deliberately,but I didnt like it)and the book may have started off a whole new genre of alternate history,but I didnt take to more than two or three characters. The book rested on an ancient book,the I Ching,where people's lives are ruled by arbitrary tossing of sticks and dice and reading abstruse aphorimss to make important decisions of life.I was disappointed too that I struggled at the start of the book to make the effort to understand the strands of history.We have the strand of what we know of the real history of WWII.Then we have the strand of the "reality" of the story which is set in an America divided up by Japan and Germany after they won WWII. Within the book a man has written a novel which speculates on what if Japan and Germany had lost the war. This strand is quite a bit different from the history of our real world.Then halfway through the book all this is pretty much tossed aside,and arbitrary events occur,yes ironic,but to me it was just irritating!
Ah well,just not my cup of tea I supposebutt fairly interesting

DrNefario

Posted 2014-09-10 7:33 AM (#8486 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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I kind of agree with your take on both of those. I loved Stardust. Some people don't really seem to get on with it, but I think it's my favourite Gaiman novel.

Also, while I would count myself as a fan of PKD, I've never understood the love for Man in the High Castle. The PKD I love is probably epitomised by Ubik - the head-twisting stuff that makes you keep re-evaluating everything you've read.

illegible_scribble

Posted 2014-09-10 7:59 AM (#8487 - in reply to #8485)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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dustydigger - 2014-09-10 10:18 PM 32. Neil Gaiman - Stardust. Gaiman sails through it all with aplomb and respect for his sources, and all in all it is a fun read.

I saw Stardust the movie before I got to read the book -- and when I got to read the book, it was the limited edition illustrated version belonging to a friend, which was absolutely FABULOUS and made me love it even more. What a beautiful, complex story -- compared to many of the fairytales we're given.

Dusty, I hope that you're posting all of these comments as Reviews on these books. Because they should be, there for everyone to share.

dustydigger

Posted 2014-09-11 8:10 AM (#8500 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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Good to see fellow Gaiman fans. Have you come across his Instructions with its wonderful Charles Vess illustrations?It has all sorts of allusions to fairy tales,but not heavy handed,just hints really,but it all enriches the story,and its fun working out which tales are being alluded to Excellent instructions for if you find yourself in a fairy taleYou can find Neil reading the story with Vess's lovely otherworldly art over on You Tube
Scib,most of these ARE my WWEnd reviews for the books,I decided this would be an excellent place to keep them altogether. My personal Pick and Mix plan was to read 50 books this year,but since I am doing quite a few challenges I expect I will continue on adding my reviews here - well,more mood pieces than proper reviews,,I really admire some of our reviewers on this site,but couldnt come anywhere near them,so I just make more like impressions than reviews! But I am pleased to see there have beenmore than 1200 views of this thread .Hope some of you got some nice hints on how to expand your TBRs to even greater heights
I am far behind adding them ,so I will have to get cracking.I think I only have about 10 more books to read for my WWEnd challenges.with about half a dozen reviews to write yet,plus several dozen to add.Hope to be up to date by the end of September

Edited by dustydigger 2014-09-11 8:22 AM

dustydigger

Posted 2014-09-14 12:43 PM (#8549 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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34. Arkady and Boris Strugatski - Roadside Picnic
In Roadside Picnic we find Earth has been visited by aliens, though we never see them or know what they are like. All we see are six "Zones" where they landed for a matter of days and left unseen, leaving behind weird technology, most of which is unfathomable to earth 's scientists, strange gravity anomalies, deadly substances, genetic mutation of those who enter the Zones, and causing "zombies" which resemble their original humans but have little brain function.
Though blocked off , the Zones become magnets for Stalkers, young men who seriously risk their lives by entering the Zones and stealing the strange tech to sell to scientists and collectors, risking mutilation, mutation and death in the Zones, imprisonment by the government if caught.
We follow the life of one such Stalker', Red Schuhart, and gradually learn more about the situation. But halfway through the book a character speculates about the aliens as neither benefactors or destroyers. He describes a peaceful woodland scene, the insects and small animals busily going about their business. But then there is an intrusion -

" A picnic. Picture a forest, a country road, a meadow. Cars drive off the country road into the meadow, a group of young people get out carrying bottles, baskets of food, transistor radios, and cameras. They light fires, pitch tents, turn on the music. In the morning they leave. The animals, birds, and insects that watched in horror through the long night creep out from their hiding places. And what do they see? Old spark plugs and old filters strewn around... Rags, burnt-out bulbs, and a monkey wrench left behind... And of course, the usual messapple cores, candy wrappers, charred remains of the campfire, cans, bottles, somebody's handkerchief, somebody's penknife, torn newspapers, coins, faded flowers picked in another meadow."

So, it may be that Earth is just irrelevant to the universe, just a passing through point where rubbish is left behind, but the original inhabitants will never feel safe again, which may be more disturbing than harboring the fear of an alien return to conquer. In the book the general public have ostensibly ignored the whole situation, getting on with life, though of course accepting the benefits of the small bits of tech that have been understood. Scientists are ostensibly fascinated by the huge strides they are making, whilst secretly terrified at just how far behind the aliens we are. And the Stalkers? There is a rumour that in the Zone there is a machine that grants the desires of the heart. It is the Holy Grail for these young men, including Red. No-one is unaffected by fear or anxiety under the surface.
I was riveted by this very short book of less than 150 pages. The ending is inevitably tragic, and enigmatic, but I think Red Schuhart and the Zone will stay in my mind for a long time. A classic.

dustydigger

Posted 2014-09-14 12:56 PM (#8550 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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35. Lois McMaster Bujold - The Curse of Chalion . Synopsis - Lupe dy Cazaril, a castillar (a knight or minor baron), returns home to the Royacy (Kingdom) of Chalion a broken man, though he is only in his mid-thirties. "Caz", as he is known to his friends, had defended a castle during a long siege, only to be ordered to surrender it. Afterward, a jealous enemy had seen to it that he was not ransomed (as were the rest of his men), but sold into slavery, spending 19 months as a galley slave before finally escaping.
His old noble patroness finds a use for him as a tutor for her granddaughter, the Royesse (Princess) Iselle, half-sister to the king, and her companion, Lady Betriz. Despite his ardent desire to live a safely low-profile, peaceful life, Caz finds himself drawn into a strange journey of dangers both spiritual and temporal as he seeks to dispel the debilitating curse that hangs over the royal family of Chalion.
Not usually into fantasy,but this was a great read,with delightful characters,as is standard with LMB,and with interesting world building,including an odd but believable religion. A bit different from most mediaeval style fantasy,and with a wonderful hero,whose modesty,integrity and kindness make him beloved by his friends,and a thorn in the side of his enemies. He could have been a prig as he is so good,kind,honest etc,but he is so full of self doubt and fear at times,and has suffered so much that we fully engage with him A pleasant enjoyable read.
This was a worthy winner of the Mythopoeic Award and a nominee for the Hugo and World Fantasy award.
Though I am not so much into fantasy I have got to say the books listed on the Mythopoeic Award havent let me down in my quick forays into fantasy

dustydigger

Posted 2014-09-28 12:55 PM (#8643 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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36. Larry Niven,Jerry Pernelle - The Mote in God' Eye.thoroughly enjoyed this first contat novel,which gathered momentum after a rather slow start and soon had me gripped and turning the pages as human struggled to understand the Moties,a vey intelligent and cunning race indeed. The Moties were devious and ruthless,but we were made to understand the imperatives caused by their biology and history. Full of plot twist and fast paced,this is a fun read about interesting aliens,but of course as is usual in this sort of book,the characters are rather stereotypical and shallow but adequate for the story.Allthe humans of course are impossibly honourable and courageous of course
Why is the genre of military SF so fixated on kingdoms,aristocracies etc though? Especially among American writers,who have odd ideas about monarchies which at least add extra amusement for a Brit!.
All in all,a fun read with excellent aliens.Read for the YA challenge

37.Alastair Reynolds - Revelation Space. AT LAST, put out the flags, I finished Revelation Space which I have trudged through for what feels like a decade, and includes reading the first 100 pages in March, laying it aside till June, and then reading a small bit each day since, till those 550 closely packed pages were finally completed. I would surface after reading some dull stuff for what seemed hours, and find I had only read 8 pages.
Astrophysicist Reynolds first novel is jam packed with awe-inspiring ideas, embracing a timescale of billions of years, interesting world building, futuristic tech - especially the weapons - and deep intrigue by billion year old beings with plans to prevent the development of intelligent species. There is hard science too in places, about black holes the blurring of the space time continuum etc, over my head of course. BUT, and its a big but, for me the whole thing was ruined by the dull, dry, plodding, pedestrian style which muted the most pyrotechnic developments and plot revelations.Obviously I was predisposed against it since I dont really enjoy hard SF, not really my cup of tea (I like my SF plot and character driven, with the SF themes there to be enhanced by the people and action. Hal Clement's Mission of Gravity is more to my taste than say, Tau Zero). The characters in RS were just flat, mostly unlikeable, and I just couldnt care less what happened to them. Add a really slow pace, then squashing mind-bending events and ideas in the last 20 pages, and it was just a constant irritation for me. One for the guys here, I think.

38. Neil Gaiman - .The Ocean at the End of the Lane.I am using Neil Gaiman as a featured author this year, and have been reading a variety of his books, which I always find quirky and very enjoyable as he gives his own take on fairytales and myths in a fascinating way. But I feel he has really excelled himself this time. Right from the start the tension and fear began to mount, so I was very much on edge, fully identifying with the 7 year old hero as he faced terrifying events in a believable way, his terror, vulnerability and helplessness very harrowing. A sad book, in many ways, and with no standard happy ending, but resolution anyway, and still shot through with beauty and the delight in small, happy things. Wish I could eat in that farmhouse kitchen, the heart of safety and security.
I identified so closely with this boy, his fears and unhappiness that it didnt dawn for a long time that he has no name, as is the common way with the heroes in fairytales. Then there were the mesmerising characters, the wonderful Triple Goddess influenced Hempstocks, the utterly terrifying Ursula Monkton, with her pretty face, sweet smile and a corrupting touch on everything she met, as well as the boy's rather unlikeable family. The scene where his father tries to drown him in the bath will stay with me a very long time.
All in all a haunting, mesmerising beautifully written tale, It will certainly soon reach classic status. Highly recommended

dustydigger

Posted 2014-10-07 8:54 AM (#8693 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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39. Laurell K Hamilton - Seduced by Moonlight. The third and to me the best of the Merry Gentry series. Now Merry's magical powers are growing exponentially as she seems to have been chosen to bring back life and magic to the courts. I was so disappointed when the plot lines set up in this book ,that Merry would go to see the goblins to cement their alliance,and then on to find out what exactly the king of the Court of Light was plotting that needed Merry to be there at his court.. In book 4 all this was tossed aside and the whole series just degenerated into soft porn with the plot lines a poor second to the sex..Most disappointing

40. Laurell K Hamilton - A Shiver of Light. This is book nine of the Merry Gentry series, published after a 4 or 5 year hiatus. The heroine has had triplets,and each child has at least two fathers (I am assuming Hamilton has taken this idea of multiple fathers from ancient Celtic myths). Merry is exactly five feet tall,and has triplets,only two are twins conceived at one time,the other,(presumably magic is involved),was conceived later in her pregnancy.According to LKH one baby was 7 lbs,another was 6 lbs,and even the premature third kid who is described as really really tiny is 5 lbs.I know magic is involved somehow,but if LKH took 2 or 3lbs in weight off each baby I would find it more credible! I think its another case where this author shows that there is no editing of her books.These days with big name authors editorial staff kowtow to them,and seem to fear telling them what is rubbish or unfeasible.This was touted to be the final book,but if so it is pretty weak,there are so many threads left unsorted. All in all,LKHs work has deteriorated badly since about 2004. Great ideas that started off so promising just petered out iton erotica - and badly written erotica at that. Pity.

41. Laini Taylor - Dreams of Gods and Monsters.All in all this third book in Laini Taylor's amazing sequence of books about ostensible angels and demons in parallel worlds which interconnect with our own through portals is a satisfactory, though not stellar ending to this series.Taylor's writing is as vivid as ever, with glints of humour and horror, wonderful worldbuilding, engaging and likable characters, and some major twists.
The complicated plot did manage to tie up most threads of the series, with the last section feeling a bit strange as it introduced whole new societies and ideas in a rather sketchy way - perhaps opening up the opportunity for future adventures in this very strange, often cruel, often beautiful world?
A very enjoyable exciting read, and definitely Laini Taylor is a name to look out for in the future

Edited by dustydigger 2014-10-07 9:02 AM

dustydigger

Posted 2014-10-07 9:07 AM (#8694 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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42. Joe Hill - Heart-shaped Box.This is a pretty powerful first novel for Stephen King's son Joe. 53 year old death metal rock star Judas Coyne collects morbid curios mostly for effect, in keeping with his dark reputation as lead in a former death metal band, and unwarily is manouvered into buying a suit haunted by its dead owner's ghost. Soon Judas discovers that the suit belonged to Craddock McDermott, the stepfather of one of Coyne's former groupie girlfriends, and his malignant ghost is seeking revenge for his stepdaughter's death after her return home when Jude got tired of her emotional problems. All is not as it seems, however, and the truth is gradually revealed in a fast-paced thrills and spills and blood drenched plot. That could be one of a hundred mundane stories, but where Hill does extremely well, especially so early in his career, is to set the theme of physical or sexual abuse solidly around complex, fleshed out characters to an unusual degree.This gives a credibility to the story despite wicked ghosts and blood soaked horror, so we have a sympathy for the characters, we care about what happens to them. Hill superbly controls the horror, never letting it submerge the vulnerable but courageous response of the hero and his girlfriend. This is a confident and excellent debut, haunting and memorable.Great characters, and a subtle depiction of the variety of ways people are affected by abuse. They can become clones of the abuser, or be weak and unable to integrate themselves as whole humans, or react by becoming wild reckless and self loathing, or like Jude, emotional cut off from others, drifting through life carelessly using up people, till guilt and depression, loneliness and despair begin to overwhelm him.
One thing I really liked about this book was the positive, happy ending. Too much horror has a downbeat ending. The evil returns, all has been in vain, and we end with hearing the dragging feet of the monster we thought destroyed coming up the stairs. Or the evil that decimated some small town goes off to wreak havoc elsewhere. The huge alligator is killed, but another baby one is already beginning to grow in the sewers. So I liked the happy end to this book! Even though one vulnerable character is still very fragile, the book ends with at least some hope for her, and our main protagonists live happily ever after. Now thats my sort of story!

So, despite, as a wimp, not usually enjoying the horror genre, I was happy to make an exception in this case, as courage and kindness somehow manage to shine through the gore. Highly recommended.

dustydigger

Posted 2014-10-24 2:58 PM (#8812 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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I have read some enjoyable junior books for the YA challenge
43. Alan Garner - The Moon of Gomrath. Fast paced followup to The Weirdstone of Brisingamen,with the siblings Colin and Susan once again coming in contact with elves,dwarvesand the wizard Cadellin who guards the sleeping Arthur in the rugged hills at Alderley Edge in Cheshire. The tone is much darker than Weirdstone,with dissension between the aims and desires of the different races as they once more face the Morrigan and an even more fearsome foe. The children unleash an evil creature,and there is voilence,battle and death of friends. The book ends with Susan bereft,as the Wild Hunt leaves her behind. Garner waited 50 years to publish the final part of the tale in the adult novel Boneland. Garner deftly weaves in British mythology and the real life landscape.
44. Susan cooper - The Dark is Rising.On the Midwinter Day that is his eleventh birthday, Will Stanton discovers a special gift that he is destined to seek the six magical Signs of Light. He is the last of the Old Ones, immortals dedicated to keeping the world from domination by the forces of evil, the Dark.Its a fine book,mixing will's life as part of a big family at Christmas with his adventures in time and his struggles with fear and self doubt. Highly recommended
45. Rick Riordan - The House of Hades. Another fun outing in the Heroes of Olympus series,the continuing adventures of Percy Jackson to save the world from ancient deeities and monsters intent on destroying the world. Much of this story is set in a vividly portrayed Underworld,and the kids have quite a tough time. Riordan is as deft as ever at bringing the greek mythological characters into the modern world,with humour and rollercoaster action.

dustydigger

Posted 2014-10-24 3:24 PM (#8813 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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46.Maria V Snyder - Storm Glass the first of a trilogy set in the same world as her excellent ''Study'' series.I was a bit disappointed in this one,preferred the ''Study'' series with Yelena. This girl was too obsessed with her self perceived failings,her self esteem was zero,and I like to identify fully with the heroine,and she was just too whiny for my liking! lol The world building was interesting as usual,but I dont like love triangles,and Ulrick was not a very pleasant character,even before certain plot developments Not sure if I will bother to follow on,I dont care if she rescues a certain character or not!
47.Robert E Howard - The Conan Chronicles vol I and II These sword and sorcery books are not really my sort of thing,but they weent too ridiculous really,although of couse I had Big Arnie in my mind's eye all the way through! The settings were a bit odd,veering from what seemed like the east,then mentioning the barbarians of the north and then Ophir and Shemites,presumably middle east.. Only read them for my Masterworks challenge,where I had to read a minimum of two books from the Fantasy Masterworks list.
48. Adam Roberts - Jack Glass. am a long term fan of the John Dickson Carr/ Ellery Queen sort of book, as well as having a delight in the old Golden Age SF in the Doc Smith trradition, fast moving adventure tales set in exotic settings, full of breathless action. So this book was a fun melding of the two genres, written with verve and humour. More a "how-dunnit?" than a "who-dunnit", as we learn how the notorious murderer Jack Glass escaped from a sealed asteroid without weapons, leaving bits of his fellow inmates behind, see a country house style murder where someone in a limited group somehow uses a huge hammer, far too heavy for the suspects to wield to kill an obnoxious sexual predator, and finally a disappearing weapon. Add people searching for the secrets of faster than light travel, and its all good fun, though the narrator's style is a bit irritating at times. Quirky, with an interesting world, full of twists and surprises, and an affectionate homage to some of my fave genres, who could ask for more?

Edited by dustydigger 2014-10-24 3:25 PM

dustydigger

Posted 2014-10-25 2:07 PM (#8817 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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Just finished the stunning Perfume by Patrick Suskind. An amazing book about a man called Jean- Baptiste Grenouille,a strange being born in early 18th century France,meant to be aborted by his mother,but survived while she was executed fo attempted infanticide. He grows up with no natural scent,though,like an animal he can distinguish thousands of scents. He grows up in horrible circumstances,but is apprenticed finally to a master perfumier. As he grows he comes to hate the very scent of humans,and lies in a cave in the Alps for 7 years,till he final discovers that it is his lack of natural scentthat makes him alienated from humans,whom he comes to detest. However he realizes that he can manufacture a variety of scents to mimic other humans,making them have certain feelings about him He decides that his goal is to create a perfume which will make all humans adore him. It is a tad unfortunate that the production of this special perfume requires the deaths of 26 beautiful virgin young girls to make it.....
I am irresistibly reminded here of satirist Jonathan Swift,. Satirists as a whole have a pretty dim impression of the worth of humanity,and some indication of this appears when Grenouille can make a rough and ready approximation of human scent from the essence of cat dung,the scrapings of sardines,vinegar and rancid cheese!. Suskind himself as refused all interviews,awards and prizes for many years,living as a recluse The whole book is heavily ironic right from the start(poor Grenouille,the priests called him Jean Baptiste,John the Baptsist,even though his mother was guillotined for infanticide,so he can never forget the circumstances of his birth) and ends in the darkest of ironic humour as Grenouille gets his wish to be loved by the people. We have glimpses of 18th century France in flux,detailed descriptions of making perfume by a number of processes,all in wonderful language( John Woods rightly won an award for translation of the year) We are fascinated and repulsed by turn,and in the beautiful prospects,only man is vile. By turns fascinating and repellent thsi book is totally mesmerising, original and disgusting by turns. The language,originality and style beg for 5 stars,the nitty gritty vileness of the topic begs a two. I think I will give it a 3.5 Not soon to be forgotten,this tour de force.

dustydigger

Posted 2014-10-25 2:45 PM (#8818 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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Just finished the stunning,though unpleasant, Perfume by Patrick Suskind. An amazing book about a man called Jean- Baptiste Grenouille,a strange being born in early 18th century France,meant to be aborted by his mother,but survived while she was executed fo attempted infanticide. He grows up with no natural scent,though,like an animal he can distinguish thousands of scents. He grows up in horrible circumstances,but is apprenticed finally to a master perfumier. As he grows he comes to hate the very scent of humans,and lies in a cave in the Alps for 7 years,till he final discovers that it is his lack of natural scentthat makes him alienated from humans,whom he comes to detest. However he realizes that he can manufacture a variety of scents to mimic other humans,making them have certain feelings about him He decides that his goal is to create a perfume which will make all humans adore him. It is a tad unfortunate that the production of this special perfume requires the deaths of 26 beautiful virgin young girls to make it.....
I am irresistibly reminded here of satirist Jonathan Swift,. Satirists as a whole have a pretty dim impression of the worth of humanity,and some indication of this appears when Grenouille can make a rough and ready approximation of human scent from the essence of cat dung,the scrapings of sardines,vinegar and rancid cheese!. Suskind himself as refused all interviews,awards and prizes for many years,living as a recluse The whole book is heavily ironic right from the start(poor Grenouille,the priests called him Jean Baptiste,John the Baptsist,even though his mother was guillotined for infanticide,so he can never forget the circumstances of his birth) and ends in the darkest of ironic humour as Grenouille gets his wish to be loved by the people. We have glimpses of 18th century France in flux,detailed descriptions of making perfume by a number of processes,all in wonderful language( John Woods rightly won an award for translation of the year) We are fascinated and repulsed by turn,and in the beautiful prospects,only man is vile. By turns fascinating and repellent thsi book is totally mesmerising, original and disgusting by turns.

Edited by dustydigger 2014-10-25 2:46 PM

dustydigger

Posted 2014-10-28 9:11 AM (#8825 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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Christopher Fowler - Full Dark House I was a little disappointed in this first book in the Peculiar Crimes series about two very old detectives working on cold cases with odd factors. I didnt really see why this book won an award for fantasy,as there was only the least of tinges of fantasy to it,just red herrings really. Some nods to Phantom of the Opera as most of the book is set in an old theatre where members of the cast of a play are being bumped off. I found the long long descriptions of the theatre,with people wandering around it to little purpose,to be longwinded and redundant. Not at all what I was expecting,and really just a rather mundane detective story,though the two protagonists,Bryant and May,were fairly amusing
Christopher Fowler - The Water Room. Book 2 in the series Again,I was a bit disappointed with this book. I like the characters Bryant and May, two far beyond retirement age policemen who are given odd cases to solve in their own inimitable way. This one was about a series of murders in a tiny London street, and involved the hidden rivers of London, but in my opinion it was far too jam-packed with redundant information about the history of the ancient rivers, it moved at snail's pace,and crossed the "t"s and dotted the "i"s far to many times. Good ideas and good characters bogged down in excessive detail, so it ended up for me as a very boring read. Not sure if I will continue the series, as I had the same issues with the first book in the series, which spent hundreds of pages describing an old theatre in excruciating detail. You need to be a history buff on esoteric subjects to enjoy these books fully, and I am not one of them!

I was transfixed with the absolutely amazing last four volumes of Neil Gaiman's The Sandman - Brief Lives,World's End,The Kindly Ones,The Wake. I have tried various famous graphic novels (Watchmen,Batman Returns,Kingdom Come and a few others ) but for the most part they rather left me cold. Not so with the miraculous Gaiman Sandman saga,which runs the gamut of every emotion from horror to melancholy,awesome worlds and high concepts,lowlife cruelty and biting irony and a host of other things. The books cover every genre,and have a host of vivid characters,and an awesome storyline about the life, death and to some extent rebirth of the charismatic,callous and often cruel Morpheus, Lord of Dreams,who, finally softening and admitting his culpability comes to see the need for acceptance of his own end.And of course Gaiman's wonderful writing,mesmerizing,poetic,ironic,blending together a host of myths from many sources,an area that I love.My head is a whirl of wonderful scenes,myths and legends allusions,and of course the artwork, which I regret I dont have the knowledge to appreciate properly. My brain is too jumbled up yet to even think of reviews,and I havent the faintest idea where to start,but I think Brief Lives and The Kindly Ones will stay in my mind a long time.Classic

.

dustydigger

Posted 2014-11-05 8:38 AM (#8836 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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Kevin Hearne - Hounded. A light fun UF tale about a 2000 year old druid who annoyed an old viking god by stealing his sword.He is hiding out by rrunning an occult bookshop in Arizona ,friends with a odd collection of friends - werewolves,vampires witches included - and getting into serious trouble with a variety of gods. Sharp,funny and delightful,and the best in the whole series IMO.

Jim Butcher - Skin Game. Another excellent outing for our old friend Harry Dresden. Once again he is forced by Queen Mab to do some repugnant things. Finally however, Harry i starrtng to get Mab's measureand has to be farsighted enough to avoid all the pitfalls and traps before him. Good to see he is becoming as devious and tricksy as the fae around him Welcome return too for some old friends as well as old enemies. Its great that Butcher can keep up such a high standard after so many books
.
Catherynne M Valente -The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making. I loved this book! There are so many hints and allusions to children's classics of the past eg Alice in Wonderland with its heroine falling a long way to reach a strange new world, The Wizard of Oz, with a child from Kansas whisked away to a world of witches and danger, but with a kind hearted Dorothy becoming firm friends with various creatures and going off to seek help for them, and also the moral dimensions of C S Lewis's Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, where the blight caused by tyranny can only be destroyed by great sorrow and sacrifice, and the courage to put what is right ahead of oneself. Yes Valente may delicately touch on magic shoes and wardrobes, but she does a wonderful job of bringing freshness to old ideas, telling a sometimes harrowing tale about a remarkable young heroine, September, and writing exquisite descriptions of both the beauties and terrors of Fairyland in a lyrical, poetic style. Never does she forget though that Fairyland can be cruel and wicked, and the heroine suffers badly at times. There are surprises and reversals of expectations, and all in all this is an excellent book, fresh, inventive and exciting, with a redoubtable, and unforgettable heroine. Highly recommended.

Connie Willis - To Say Nothing of the Dog .The had many good things in it.It mingles time travel (which I always just let go over my head,I go with the flow,knowing the author will sort it all out lol) with an homage to Jerome K Jerome's delightful Three Men in a Boat (to say nothing about the dog) ,stories about eccentric Victorian Oxford dons,Oxford colleges,and golden age detective stories,especially Sayers and Christie The first 250 pages is great fun,we meet lots of funny characters and situations,but the last section is very drawn out,with long winded explanations and complicated time travel issues I would have edited down by at least 50 pages. Anyway,it was quite an enjoyable read,but long and slow.

Edited by dustydigger 2014-11-05 8:59 AM

dustydigger

Posted 2014-11-05 9:15 AM (#8837 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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Guy Gavrie Kay - Tigana.Set in a beleaguered land caught in a web of tyranny, Tigana is the deeply moving story of a people struggling to be free. A people so cursed by the dark sorceries of the tyrant King Brandin that even the very name of their once beautiful land cannot be spoken or remembered. But not everyone has forgotten. A handful of men and women, driven by love, hope and pride, set in motion the dangerous quest for freedom, to overthrow their conquerors and bring back to the world the lost brightness of an obliterated name: Tigana
I dont as a rule read much fantasy After continual immersion in Lord of the Rings for years, I find most fantasy rather dull or simplistic, full of overused, well-worn tropes which dont arouse my interest. So my heart sank when I started reading Tigana, which was very bloody and downbeat, full of cruelty, torture and bloody death, quite hard to take. But I persevered and gradually became gripped by the unfolding story of the small band on a seemingly impossible task. The book has a richly depicted background and is full of superbly delineated characters. Even the tyrant lord is shown to have complex, believable motives for his behaviour, and in true tragic fashion we helplessly watch his downfall with mixed emotions. There is also a tragic love affair, and in the final battle a shocking secret is revealed and the ending is bitter sweet. Kay weaves a brilliant tapestry, everchanging and fascinating us. It is, in the usual fantasy novel tradition, very long, almost 700 pages, but it held my attention throughout.
What separated this book from the pack for me was its intense emotionalism, the strong plot, and the fascinating characters. For once this is a book that merits the name High Fantasy. My first Kay novel, it will certainly not be my last. Highly recommended.

Edited by dustydigger 2014-11-05 9:16 AM

dustydigger

Posted 2014-11-10 1:23 PM (#8850 - in reply to #6198)
Subject: Re: The Pick and Mix Challenge.

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Terry Pratchett - Going Postal.The last couple of his books I read were Pyramids and Small Gods ,where there was too much religion banging in it for me,the humour barely hid the satire on religion.This book was great fun,and as a bonus had quite a lot of Lord Vetinari,the Patrician,in it.I really love his ruthless machinations! Apparently Pratchett himself has Alan Rickman firmly in mind as his perfect actor for the character,which is great,all that smooth urbane polite surface hiding ruthless mayhem! lol
Lord Vetinari ,Death,and The Luggage are my three faves from this series.
Roger Zelazny - Trumps of Doom. Book 6 of the Amber series,the first narrated by Corwin's son,Merlin,who resides in our world, content to bide his time until he will activate the superhuman strength and genius inherited from his father,. But that time arrives all too soon when the forces of evil from the world of shadow drive him mercilessly from Earth. Good fun,we see quite a bit of Amber,and the complex family relationships,but the original nine siblings are still being sadly depletedthey are always plotting to kill each other!
Walter M Miller - A Canticle for Leibowitz.Please dont ask me for a logical review, it is beyond me. I am still digesting this complex work of art. I was expecting something in the downbeat plodding depression tradtion of On the Beach, or the coruscating biting satire of Heller's Catch-22, but this was way beyond them. Every shade of irony was there from the sly and gentle to the tirades of the last 40 pages, but always shot through with humour, and while it has no use whatsoever for man's hubris, greed and ambition, it respects the individual humans burdened by original sin, and the bleak thesis that man is forever doomed to build up then tear down his works is all pervasive. The very ambiguity of the book makes it impossible to see what exactly Miller believes. Is this a song of praise to the Catholic Church, or a criticism of it? Complex themes about faith and humanism, Church and State, the problem of pain, the thorny problems of knowledge, who should own it, disseminate it or curb it, warnings on mankinds swinging between fear and ignorance, then hubris and greed for power over the earth, are all there, shifting and subtle, with enough symbolism to keep a thousand graduates happy deciphering the clues for decades.... I give up trying to even make a judgement other than that this should be up there with Brave New World and 1984 as a classic of the genre.
Not for everyone, especially if you haven't a clue about Catholicism, or Latin. I get the feeling that every read would bring me new insights, and maybe altering my ideas of what the book is about. A masterpiece in my view.

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