Books

[Kathy Li]

hedwigsangel posted (in the wrong forum in a new thread):

Okay I was just wondering that after YW what did you decide to read in the lull between books? I know I read a lot of fantasy and such, but I wanted to know what you read to get your fantasy fix. I personally love the genre in general, but I like other stuff too. (BOOKS ARE MY WORLD! LOL) Please don't put something in that is really short. Thanx

[Had to repost, to get it into the right thread. Sorry about losing the authorship, hedwsigsangel!--kli]

[PosiCat]

My stomping grounds seem to be the science fiction and fantasy, and the territory between. As well as being a DD fan I also like a number of authors, among my favorites are : Isaac Asimov, H. Beam Piper, Clare Bell, C.S. Lewis, Joan D. Vinge, C.S Friedman, Stephen King, Orson Scott Card, Robert A. Heinlein and many others.

I started first reading science fiction, and then when I was older picked up a few fantasy books through a book club. I absolutely love science, it's potential to change the world, how a simple new concept can explode into world-altering force. I like seeing how authors can take little bits of truth and weave them into their stories, to the point where if you let yourself, it can be hard to tell fact from fiction. That's the heart of a great story.

For the last few years I've participated in one way or another in NaNoWriMo, a month long event where people compete with themselves to write 50,000 words in that month. I also have a few more stories on the back burner, that when done, I'm hoping to publish, one way or another.

[Kathy Li]

I read a lot, although now that I'm older and working full time, I seem to have less time to read. I almost always have at least a dozen books on the go at once, which slows me down even more.

In terms of sf/fantasy authors I like, aside from Diane Duane, I'm nuts about Terry Pratchett, Neil Gaiman, George R.R. Martin, JohnM.Ford, and Connie Willis. I'm currently working my way through Gene Wolfe and Neal Stephenson, but I'm just starting on them. I think it's going to be a long and beautiful relationship.

I guess my reading used to center around sf/f, but in my early twenties I discovered the 19th century British novel, and a love of British novels from around the World Wars and their descenents. So, in that category, I'd add authors like Rafael Sabatini, Dorothy L. Sayers, C.S. Forester, or Dorothy Dunnett, as well as the usual suspects. Toss in a few Americans like Damon Runyon, Thornton Wilder, and Thorne Smith, too.

So, it's also inevitable that the clash of the Brit literary novel and fantasy also works for me: Lord Dunsany, Mervyn Peake, James Branch Cabell, Ernest Bramah, Hope Mirrlees, and, of course, J.R.R. Tolkien.

I can recommend books until the cow come home , but I'll just throw out two: <UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Peter S. Beagle's The Last Unicorn. If you've seen the movie, the book is much better. Beautiful, haunting, mythic, funny, tragic--this one's got everything. <LI>Diana Wynne Jones, The Dark Lord of Derkholm. The more fantasy you've read, the funnier it gets. Not only does it skewer a lot of the stupid wannabe Tolkien writing one sees all too much of these days, but it's also a fine fantasy novel all on its own. Also the only other writer I know aside from DD who can effortless mix SF and fantasy and make it stick.[/list]My current to-be-read pile (in no particular order and always subject to change):
<UL TYPE=SQUARE><LI>Quicksilver - and the rest of Stephenson's Baroque Cycle<LI>Soldier of the Mist and Soldier of Arete, Gene Wolfe.<LI>Sibley's Birding Basics/The Sibley Guide to Birds<LI>Sick Puppy, Carl Hiassen<LI>The Eyes of Max Carrados, Ernest Bramah<LI>A Wind From the South, Diane Duane<LI>Untitled novel (manuscript), John M. Ford<LI>London: The Biography, Peter Ackyroyd<LI>The Safe-Keeper's Secret, Sharon Shinn<LI>The Negative, Ansel Adams<LI>The Time-Traveller's Wife, Audrey Niffenegger[/list]

[Sean L.]

The last book is a keeper.

[edit] and blue kindly brought up that I would be hung and shot on one liners...thus...

The Time-Traveler's Wife is an excellent and engrossing story about the paradox of time travel and how love weathers one of the greatest difficulties - the lack of stability.

Readers should be mature and organized to understand the depth of the message...much like YW!

[AlidaART]

I thought I'd copy kli and do a list, so here it is:

<UL TYPE=SQUARE> <LI> War For the Oaks, Emma Bull (I love her--her short stories are great too.)
<LI> Hexwood, Diana Wynne Jones
<LI> The Perilous Gard, Elizabeth Pope
<LI> Jane Eyre, Charlotte Brontë
<LI> Tithe, Holly Black
<LI> The Folk Keeper, Franny Billingsley (such an amazing and underappreciated book! Everyone should read this; it's just...perfect.)
<LI> Good Omens, Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett (necessary for any fan of sci-fi/fantasy.)[/list]

I would also recommend anything by any of the above authors to anyone. They're all amazing.

[Kathy Li]

Sean L.: I'm loving it so far. I really like the jumping-about-in-time structure and play.

Alida: War for the Oaks. Yes yes yes! My sister once showed Emma Bull a picture of her dog (a Newfoundland), and Ms. Bull, said, "Wow. The Pooka."

Amd I love Elizabeth Marie Pope. I just wish she'd written more than two books. Sherwood Ring rocks, too.

[AlidaART]

kli: Ah, War For the Oaks is just the ultimate love. But really, have you read any of her short stories? There's one that I found once that had to do with Willy Silver pre-book, and it was great. There are others too, but I can't think of them right now. Anyhow...

The Sherwood Ring! I've been looking for that for ages. I saw it a while ago in a bookstore, but didn't buy it then; I've gone back there to see if they still carry it, but no such luck. I really need to just give up and order it via amazon.com, since no library or bookstore in the entire state of Maine seems to have it.

[Kathy Li]

I think the only Emma Bull short stories I've read were in the Liavek collections. I'm pretty sure the only other books of hers I've read are novels: Falcon and Bone Dance. I have Freedom & Necessity sitting about, but haven't managed to get around to it yet (sigh). I love that it opens like a Wilkie Collins novel, though. Plus, I haven't gotten to Steven Brust's Vlad Taltos yet, either (Jhereg has been sitting about on my shelves for YEARS). So many books. So little time. BTW, you know about Cats Laughing and The Flash Girls, right?

Ooo! The Sherwood Ring is back in print! Glory hallelujah. Definitely a ton of fun. It's set in the American Revolution, and sort of revolves around "Barbara Allen" the way that The Perilous Gard revolved around "Tam Lin". Lots of fun.

[AlidaART]

Yeah, I haven't been able to get ahold of any Emma Bull books other than War For the Oaks and Finder--and, well, I too have a copy of Freedom and Necessity lying around, but it's such a freaking huge book that I never seem to have time to tackle it. Someday, someday.

And yes, I do know about Cats Laughing and The Flash Girls

Speaking of Tam Lin, has anyone read Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones? Definitely one of her more serious books, it also revolves around Tam Lin. Why is it that nearly anything to do with Tam Lin seems to come out so well? Who knows, but it probably has something to do with the fact that Tam Lin is just such a cool story.

(In case anyone was wondering, this site has a ton of great stuff about the ballad of Tam Lin, including different versions, parodies, and poetry/stories inspired by the ballad. Another great thing is that they have comparisons between Tam Lin and related stories, which is always fun. Yeah, I'm a huge geek for that sort of thing.)

[fred22]

Ive been reading the Bartemius triolgy, which is really good. I want to het my hands on some of the new Anthony Horowitz novels. I also want to read Inkspell. I alos want to finish the Gunslinger series by stephen king. I also want to read some more James Rollins books. Another book I want to read is a dan brown book called Angels and Demons. I read the Da Vinci code and I really like it. Iv'e heard that Angels and Demons is alot better too. Anyways, see ya!
Fred22

[Birdhead]

Forget double-stacking- I just moved out of home and I don't have any bookcases at all. I have a small stack sitting on the laundry shelves, and all the other ones are in boxes in the living room. Every time I want to read something I have to dig through massive piles- taking approximates three days, since I have to stop for re-reads. :P

Can't recall if it's been mentioned here before, but I'm reading Susannah Clarke's Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell and I can't reccommend it highly enough; she writes simply beautifully. If you're at all interested in fantasy, but of a completely different stripe to the swords-and-sorcery set- very reminiscent of English fairytale literature, since we're mentioning Tam Lin and his ilk- I really really suggest you pick it up. One of the interesting things is that she's sort of writing in the style of the period (1800's, IIRC- haven't got it with me, but whenever the war with Napoleon was.) It's almost being written as alternate historical fiction, and generally historical fiction written in the style of the time is almost wholly inaccessible and silly besides- after all, people living in 1500 spoke normally for them, but it looks overly formal and difficult to understand from the modern perspective. It creates a more accurate feel, in my opinion, when authors write as if they were writing modern fiction. Anyway, the point I was trying to make is that Clarke really succeeds in writing in an older style (although I don't know how accurate it is); it's both accessible and creates a really otherworldly feel. And it's unputdownable.

And I agree that The Time-Traveller's Wife is absolutely fantastic; one of the best books I've ever been given (as opposed to purchased myself...) The only frustrating thing about it was the way, when it came to be reviewed, critics often spent a lot of their article trying to show that it didn't really fit in the SF&F genre. It's like they couldn't cope with the notion that it was both SF&F- come on, people. He travels through time.- and a brilliantly written book. SF&F is so... stigmatized. Gah.

And finally, anyone read any of Runaways? A very neat comic book, if you're into that kind of thing I reccommend reading some of the trades.

Alida- yeah, I've read Fire and Hemlock, and adore it. Although I always have to re-read the ending to try to keep it all in my head at once; that woman sure knows how to break a brain nicely (cf Hexwood, Archer's Goon, even Witch Week.)

[Kathy Li]

Yup, loved Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, but I have to add the proviso that if you find Charles Dickens and Jane Austen incredibly boring reads, then it is not the book for you. For me and Tui, it was unputdownable, but I've heard the complaint fairly often that its pace is too leisurely and that "nothing happens." (sigh) But, if you liked Gormenghast, you won't have any problems at all with the style.

It gets its very best when it goes all creepy and gothic and English-woods-in-the-winter-snow about two-thirds of the way through. She definitely succeeds in making it feel 19th-century (did you notice it's a three-volume novel? grin), but I had the personal feeling that the style is actually a little later than the setting, (i.e., more Dickens/Thackeray/Trollope than Austen/Byron/Scott).

The other book to race off and find if you loved JS&MN and are wanting more, would be Hope Mirrlee's Lud-in-the-Mist.

Tui, you are not alone in your disgust with the critics who Do Not Get It. I direct your attention to this Making Light thread so you will know there is an entire tribe that shares your pain. Generally, the review codephrase that's used to mean "this is too good to be fantasy, so it's not really fantasy" is "Magical Realism." (snort)

[bluesalamanders]

Kli,

Presuming that the people in that forum you linked to are correct, then I don't think you're entirely accurate in your description of what "Magical Realism" is.

From what they said (which was quite interesting, by the way, and I thank you for the link), it sounds like Magical Realism is fiction (I guess fiction?) written about the real world by people who believe magic is real. No alternate universes or fictional worlds, but here and now. Or at least here; not sure about the now.

That is a good deal stranger than fantasy or sci-fi, in my opinion...

Blue

[Kathy Li]

Err. I guess I should have tacked more smileys onto that statement. [grin]. Yes, I know what "magical realism" means, it's just that in critical circles, "magical realism" (e.g., Gabriel Garcia Marquez) is respectable, while "fantasy" (e.g., Tolkien) isn't. So, whenever a fantasy book pops up that the critics like, they'll tend to try and label it as "magical realism" irrespective of the actual genre or usage, to lift it up into the "respectable" realm.

[bluesalamanders]

Wow, um.

I had never heard of "Magical Realism" before. Which is possibly why I didn't get the joke, I guess. But.

That's just dumb.

There is a livejournal community that I was tempted to join, because it was a book-related community...until I read the whole info about it. Because it said (to summarize) "We talk about everything except sci-fi, because sci-fi isn't literature, and this isn't a debate so shut up already."

I remember conversations and articles about Phillip Pullman's "His Dark Materials" series - people saying "it's ok for adults to read it, even though there are talking animals! Really, it's ok! They're good books! Please, just try!"

(Of course, you talk about the religion aspect and that's a whole different issue, but we're just talking about genres

Blue