Track down the Lost and the Lurking by Wellman-he's an excellent author who took Appalachian legends and twisted them into new shapes. A real unsung "great" author, IMO.
SF/F Books: Chapter Two - What Are You Reading?
- Thread starter Neroon
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Finished Tales From The Perilous Realm, although I have yet to read the essay "On Fairy-Stories" included as an appendix.
Roverandom--A cute story, though it didn't really grab me quite as much as the others. I liked the premise, and I can well imagine Michael Tolkien reading this story and being quite pleased and maybe even a little assuaged by the loss of his toy dog; I find the story behind the story a little more touching in this case.
Farmer Giles of Ham--I'd read this one before and the pleasure I remembered returned almost from the beginning. It's a very funny tale with plenty of amusing characters.
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil--I didn't like as many of the poems as I thought I would, though maybe I read them too fast. I've never been a fan of Tom Bombadil himself so the first two of course didn't do much for me. Of the ones that hadn't appeared in The Lord of The Rings, I think my favourites were "The Mewlips", "The Last Ship", and especially "The Hoard".
Smith of Wooten Major--I liked this one a lot, though not as much as "Farmer Giles". I think the tone of a fairy tale worked very well here, and I liked the idea of the star and how it affected the lives it touched (you should read the story to get what I'm talking about; I won't give away the plot too much). It did meander just a little in the beginning, with perhaps too much focus on the first Master Cook who doesn't play a huge role in the story that follows.
Leaf By Niggle--Like "Farmer Giles of Ham", I had also read this one before. As a creative person, and a writer, like Tolkien was I found it even more beautiful the second time.
Alan Lee illustrated this new edition, and he did a fine job as always, though I would have liked to see the stories other than "Roverandom" and "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" get more drawings. At least "Farmer Giles" won the cover.
Roverandom--A cute story, though it didn't really grab me quite as much as the others. I liked the premise, and I can well imagine Michael Tolkien reading this story and being quite pleased and maybe even a little assuaged by the loss of his toy dog; I find the story behind the story a little more touching in this case.
Farmer Giles of Ham--I'd read this one before and the pleasure I remembered returned almost from the beginning. It's a very funny tale with plenty of amusing characters.
The Adventures of Tom Bombadil--I didn't like as many of the poems as I thought I would, though maybe I read them too fast. I've never been a fan of Tom Bombadil himself so the first two of course didn't do much for me. Of the ones that hadn't appeared in The Lord of The Rings, I think my favourites were "The Mewlips", "The Last Ship", and especially "The Hoard".
Smith of Wooten Major--I liked this one a lot, though not as much as "Farmer Giles". I think the tone of a fairy tale worked very well here, and I liked the idea of the star and how it affected the lives it touched (you should read the story to get what I'm talking about; I won't give away the plot too much). It did meander just a little in the beginning, with perhaps too much focus on the first Master Cook who doesn't play a huge role in the story that follows.
Leaf By Niggle--Like "Farmer Giles of Ham", I had also read this one before. As a creative person, and a writer, like Tolkien was I found it even more beautiful the second time.
Alan Lee illustrated this new edition, and he did a fine job as always, though I would have liked to see the stories other than "Roverandom" and "The Adventures of Tom Bombadil" get more drawings. At least "Farmer Giles" won the cover.
Just started Dead Beat by Jim Butcher this mornin'.
It's the seventh book in The Dresden Files series.
A friend of mine introduced me to Dresden with the unaired pilot episode for the series, and then started loanin' me the books. I have two of my own - Blood Rites & Dead Beat. And I have the "complete first season" of the television series on DVD.
Its good stuff.
It's the seventh book in The Dresden Files series.
A friend of mine introduced me to Dresden with the unaired pilot episode for the series, and then started loanin' me the books. I have two of my own - Blood Rites & Dead Beat. And I have the "complete first season" of the television series on DVD.
Its good stuff.
The Dresden Files are my favourite series of books, I can't wait for Turn Coat to come out next month.
His Codex Alera series is also excellent. It's currently up to book 5 of 6, it's a bit more swords and sorcery style fantasy but if you get a chance I'd recommend it. Lately I've also enjoyed Simon R Green's Nightside series, it's similar to Dresden Files, but set in an alternate version of London. It's not quite as good as Dresden, but I found it enteraining enough.
Just finished "Living Dead in Dallas", the second of the Sookie Stackhouse novels. Started Singular Destiny this afternoon with Titan: Torrent Sea next in the queue.
Not a big fan of the "swords and sorcery" fantasy stuff. I asked the friend who got me into Dresden about Codex Alera, and she said I probably wouldn't like it as much.
I may check out Nightside, though. First I've heard about it...
And I've been meanin' to get to the Sookie Stackhouse books, too, since watchin' the first season of the series on HBO on Demand back in December.
I'm not a big fan of "Swords and Sorcery" either, in fact Codex Alera is the first one I've managed to get in to. I thought I'd give it a try based on how much I like Dresden, and I loved it. It's not quite as good as Dresden in my opinion, but I'm still eagerly awaiting each new book.
It's based more in Roman traditions than medieval, and isn't all elves, and wizards, he builds his own world and creatures that inhabit it, so it's a little bit different to most "swords and sorcery" fantasies.
Nightside is currently 9 books, with 3 more planned (I think). The first 6 are available in 2 collected editions, the first 3 are kinda stand alone to establish the world, the next 3 are a complete story, and the next 3 are again establishing the new status quo, so I'd guess the last 3 will again be a complete story.
Lois McMaster Bujold: Falling Free
I just finished Paul of Dune by Brian Herbert & Kevin J. Anderson (4/5)
It's a fun story. It goes back and forth between a couple of years before Dune and during Paul's Jihad between Dune and Dune Messiah. It was fun to see some of my favorite characters in action: Gurney, the original Duncan, Stilgar, Fenring, Alia... but I would have liked this book a lot better if it had just focused on the Jihad. But, overall, I enjoyed it. It probably could have gone through the editing process one more time, but I'll let it slide.
Next on the chopping block is either:
Fallen Dragon by Peter F. Hamilton
Cowl by Neal Asher
or who knows what else.
It's a fun story. It goes back and forth between a couple of years before Dune and during Paul's Jihad between Dune and Dune Messiah. It was fun to see some of my favorite characters in action: Gurney, the original Duncan, Stilgar, Fenring, Alia... but I would have liked this book a lot better if it had just focused on the Jihad. But, overall, I enjoyed it. It probably could have gone through the editing process one more time, but I'll let it slide.
Next on the chopping block is either:
Fallen Dragon by Peter F. Hamilton
Cowl by Neal Asher
or who knows what else.
I'm about a third of the way through Wet Work by Dayton Ward and Kevin Dilmore.
So far, I've found four star trek authors named as characters in the book.
So far, I've found four star trek authors named as characters in the book.
I've just finished The Warrior, the Dresden Files story in the Mean Streets anthology.
I just read Escape from Hell by Larry Niven and Jerry Pournelle--their recent sequel to Inferno (1976).
I thought it wasn't even in the same league as the first book. It's a very minor, forgettable work.
If anyone's still interested, I would wait for it to come out in paperback, if you buy it at all.
I thought it wasn't even in the same league as the first book. It's a very minor, forgettable work.
If anyone's still interested, I would wait for it to come out in paperback, if you buy it at all.
I finished chapter 5 of Turn Coat. Jim-Butcher.com has the first five chapters as a preview for the novel due in less than a month.
For Dresden Files fans, I would recommend Mike Carey's Felix Castor series. Only the first two books are out in the US but I just preordered book 4 from Amazon Ca. It feels like time travel of a sort to get the book a year and a half earlier than most Americans for just the cost of international shipping.
I am also two trades from completing the Y the Last Man story. Very good, thoughtful stuff.
For Dresden Files fans, I would recommend Mike Carey's Felix Castor series. Only the first two books are out in the US but I just preordered book 4 from Amazon Ca. It feels like time travel of a sort to get the book a year and a half earlier than most Americans for just the cost of international shipping.
I am also two trades from completing the Y the Last Man story. Very good, thoughtful stuff.
Do so. It's excellent.
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