March's Manic Marauding of Maverick Meanderings

[J-Sun]

Robert Silverberg's Downward to the Earth, a 1970 novel of an ex-colonial administrator (with some guilt over past attitudes and a specific action) returning to the ex-colonial planet of intelligent elephants and big bipeds. This is a reasonably short book (176 pages of Signet's crammed typography - the largest English edition is 213 pages) but still feels barely overwritten and a little slow. But it's an excellently described planet with an interesting protagonist and several particularly good scenes along his pilgrimage to the elephants' place of their "rebirthing" ceremony. A blend of prosaic fiction in that it isn't tech-wonk SF (probably Biblical, Kipling, Conrad, etc. explicit or implicit references); a bit of fantasy for similar reasons and its "quest" vibe; some horror in some of the messed up things that can happen on an alien world, and so on.

Unfortunately, (no spoilers) unless I'm missing some secondary thematic brilliance, it's an obvious ending without any philosophic (or even presentational) originality and was ultimately disappointing after being a great read. So kind of mixed on this one. As I have been on most everything I've read the past month (nearly all year, even).

[Grunkins]

Read Hounded by Kevin Hearne Yesterday, reading Hexed by same today. What a delightful series!

[purple_kathryn]

I am now reading the Druid of Shannara

[Hypnos164]

Originally Posted by Grunkins

Read Hounded by Kevin Hearne Yesterday, reading Hexed by same today. What a delightful series!

I enjoyed those too; though Oberon steals the show pretty much every time he appears.

Read Dreaming in Smoke by Tricia Sullivan - which I have owned for about 10 years, one of those books that every time I picked it up I re-read the blurb and put it back on the shelf; turns out I was right to do so.

Currently reading Doubletake by Rob Thurman, pleasantly action packed urban fantasy

[Lord Soth]

Finished Tai-Pan by James Clavell, enjoyed it but I did feel that the ending was premature and unfinished. Quite a few threads still left unresolved which is a little disappointing.

Now reading Absorption by John Meaney.

[D_Davis]

Edge of Dark Water, by Joe R. Lansdale

In Edge of Dark Water, Joe R. Lansdale treads the all-too familiar territory that he previously ventured into with The Bottoms, A Fine Dark Line, and All The Earth, Thrown to the Sky - only it's not as good as even the lesser of those. It lacks the social impact of The Bottoms, doesn't have half the heart as A Fine Dark Line, and the adventure seems more insignificant than All the Earth.

Right off the bat I had some trouble with the novel. Most importantly, the POV character seemed like an odd choice to me. I still don't understand why Lansdale wrote from the POV of a teenage female, especially since she's a total tomboy and basically acts like a dude. There is a perfectly good male character that would have made a much more interesting POV character (especially given Lansdale's ability to write about persecution, of both the racial and sexual varieties). Also, I don't believe for a moment that the main POV character would have, or could have written such a tale.

If it sounds like I'm being ultra-critical, it's because I am. From many other authors, this thrilling offer would rank among their best. It's well written (above niggle aside), and contains many examples of Lansdale's expert ear for regional dialog, and he creates some truly harrowing moments. There's a chase down a river that is truly something special, and I thought the novel was going to turn into something great at this point - it did not.

Truth is, I expect more from Lansdale, and I want him to return to greatness; I truly believe that he is a National Treasure, easily on par with Mark Twain and Flannery O'Conner when it comes to southern-fried lit. It seems to me as if Lansdale has lost his edge, or that he needs to find some new inspiration. There is an old saying that one should write what one knows, but I think it'd do Lansdale some good to venture outside the boundaries of East Texas and the south. I know he still has it in him, but I can't help but accuse him of being a bit lazy, and relying too much on what he knows. There was a time when Lansdale was pushing the boundaries of thrilling fiction - he once started where every author would stop.

That's no longer the case, and thus I'm left feeling disappointed, even if the work isn't necessarily bad. I want the King to return, and I hope he does. At least the Hap and Leonard novels are still good, and I do have Devil Red still on my to read shelf.

[Randy M.]

Originally Posted by Grunkins

Nice. I read The Underground Man a while ago. Love Lew. (Although he's no Travis McGee.)

I read a few John D. MacDonald's back when I was a teen and easier to impress, but they seemed awfully repetitious and his friend (Meyer?) grew a bit annoying.

I went through two months about 12 years ago where I read one after another of Ross Macdonald's Lew Archer novels and was consistently entertained and even edified. The Zebra-Striped Hearse, The Goodbye Look, Black Money, The Far Side of the Dollar and The Underground Man were all excellent. That last is a favorite, though, because I particularly enjoyed the way Macdonald merged the mystery with a somewhat more personal story for Archer. Macdonald had a real skill for writing about children, in particular.

The Chill, which gets a fair amount of attention from mystery readers, is also good, but Macdonald puts so much effort into orchestrating the plot so all is revealed only in the last lines of the novel, that I think the characterization suffers some. Even so, it's entertaining.

Randy M.

[HoopyFrood]

I finished Secret Garden! Score. First book I've completed finished in a stupidly long time.

Now I'm trying Weaveworld by Clive Barker. The blurb has told me nothing of what the book's about, so I'm going into it completely blind. But so far, loving it. I love fantasy that starts off in the real world, with people getting shoved into things that they have no clue about (really liked the way the Amber series started, and actually got a bit bored when he got his memory back and everything went all-out fantasy) and the more normal and clueless, the better (like in Neverwhere, I loved Richard).

[D_Davis]

Originally Posted by HoopyFrood

Now I'm trying Weaveworld by Clive Barker. The blurb has told me nothing of what the book's about, so I'm going into it completely blind. But so far, loving it. I love fantasy that starts off in the real world, with people getting shoved into things that they have no clue about (really liked the way the Amber series started, and actually got a bit bored when he got his memory back and everything went all-out fantasy) and the more normal and clueless, the better (like in Neverwhere, I loved Richard).

This is an amazing work of fantasy fiction. One of my very favorites.

[Fried Egg]

Originally Posted by HoopyFrood

Now I'm trying Weaveworld by Clive Barker. The blurb has told me nothing of what the book's about, so I'm going into it completely blind. But so far, loving it. I love fantasy that starts off in the real world, with people getting shoved into things that they have no clue about (really liked the way the Amber series started, and actually got a bit bored when he got his memory back and everything went all-out fantasy) and the more normal and clueless, the better (like in Neverwhere, I loved Richard).

Don't worry, the protagonists spend the entire novel running around clueless. Personally, I think it is one of Barker's weaker efforts.

[Rodders]

I just finished KW Jeter's Morlock Night and i have to say that i enjoyed it a lot more than i thought i would. Now on to Exogene by T. C. McCarthy.

[HoopyFrood]

Originally Posted by D_Davis

This is an amazing work of fantasy fiction. One of my very favorites.

Originally Posted by Fried Egg

Don't worry, the protagonists spend the entire novel running around clueless. Personally, I think it is one of Barker's weaker efforts.

Hah! Way to confuse a person, guys!

Considering my reading habits of late, it's at least keeping me interested and making me read on, so whatever faults it may end up having, it has that in its favour for now.

Don't worry, the protagonists spend the entire novel running around clueless.

Excellent, glad to hear it! Although I also hate when people do stupid things and refuse to cotton on to something that's right in front of their faces...I have a fine line and characters had better tread it properly, dagnabbit.

[D_Davis]

Originally Posted by HoopyFrood

Hah! Way to confuse a person, guys!

Well, hey...it must be doing something right to get such polarizing opinions. I'd much rather read something like that than something that everything thinks is OK.

There are moments, characters, and situations from the book that will be forever imprinted on my mind. The entirely thing is relentlessly inventive and creative, and entirely otherworldly; in other words, it possesses every quality that I desire in a work of fantastic fiction.

[Mangara]

Hello there. First post

Just finished Stephen Baxter's book Flood, a deep, dark, and depressing look at what would happen if sea levels rose at an unpredicted rate! Now onto Ark, book number 2 in this series.

[Grunkins]

Jumping back into Discworld and reading Men at Arms by Pratchett. Always fun.