April's Anticipated Ascent of Aspiringly Artful Words

[GOLLUM]

A new month rolls around..so what new literary delight are you embarking upon?

 

[Talysia]

Just picked up Mark Chadbourn's Jack of Ravens, and I'm finding it pretty good so far.

 

[HoopyFrood]

Boom! Finally managed to finish a new, previously unread book for the first time in ages. And really enjoyed it. Thanks, Weaveworld, for getting me back in the groove.

Now picked up The Left Hand of Darkness by Le Guin.

 

[J-Sun]

In the early-middle of Zelazny's Dilvish, the Damned - this isn't my kind of thing, really, and I actually got it (and the companion novel) out of a free bin (luck!) just because it starts with a few stories from the 60s... and was free. But it's pretty good so far. It's kind of like a combination of a bit of the usual fantasy that I don't much like, but with dashes of Leiber and Moore that I do.

Somewhat Leiber-ish example: a guy (the "he" in the quote, called Rogis) tries to rob Dilvish, they fight...:

...and then Dilvish's blade pierced his abdomen.

A look of surprise crossed his face and he dropped his own weapon to clutch at the one that held him. Dilvish wrenched it free and watched him fall.

"An unlucky day for both of us," Rogis muttered.

"More so for yourself, I'd say."

But it does turn out that it's not as simple as Dilvish thought.

Christopher Priest would hate it, though - it has a talking horse. (Or a sort of horse - but it definitely talks.)

 

[Lord Soth]

Past halfway through Gardens of the Moon on my re-read of Erikson's master saga, it's much easier the second time around. I can see it was his first book and yes its not as polished as his later ones, doesn't stop me staying up way too long at night though for those naughty 'just one extra chapter...' temptations.

 

[Connavar]

In the early-middle of Zelazny's Dilvish, the Damned - this isn't my kind of thing, really, and I actually got it (and the companion novel) out of a free bin (luck!) just because it starts with a few stories from the 60s... and was free. But it's pretty good so far. It's kind of like a combination of a bit of the usual fantasy that I don't much like, but with dashes of Leiber and Moore that I do.

Somewhat Leiber-ish example: a guy (the "he" in the quote, called Rogis) tries to rob Dilvish, they fight...:



But it does turn out that it's not as simple as Dilvish thought.

Christopher Priest would hate it, though - it has a talking horse. (Or a sort of horse - but it definitely talks.)

Zelazny is masterful fantasy,S&S writer shame you dont like the field. I enjoy his Dilvish stories even if they dont compare to the quality of Amber books.

Frankly Dilvish the damned is one of the reasons im getting his complete short story collection that came out not so long ago.

 

[Grunkins]

Reading The Dirdir the 3rd book in Jack Vance's Planet of Adventure. (speaking of Zelazny, I always have an association between he and Vance because I discovered them from listening to GRRM interviews.)

Past halfway through Gardens of the Moon on my re-read of Erikson's master saga, it's much easier the second time around. I can see it was his first book and yes its not as polished as his later ones, doesn't stop me staying up way too long at night though for those naughty 'just one extra chapter...' temptations.

I've had the first four books of Malazan in my TBR stacks probably longer than any other books currently in there. I've felt them calling me lately. It's very close to time. I've never read any Erickson before, and I'm pretty pumped.

 

[Connavar]

Grunkins let me know how you rank the books in PoA series when you are done. People have all their different favs in that series.

Myself im reading Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber. I dont have much free time to read so im choosing books i expect quality from.

 

[Grunkins]

Grunkins let me know how you rank the books in PoA series when you are done. People have all their different favs in that series.

Will do.

 

[J-Sun]

Grunkins let me know how you rank the books in PoA series when you are done. People have all their different favs in that series.

I'm curious myself - I read those recently so I might even remember what you'd be talking about.

Myself im reading Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber. I dont have much free time to read so im choosing books i expect quality from.

You shouldn't be disappointed. Saw from the Hauls thread that you'd also picked up Silverberg's The Stochastic Man - very solid book. Sometimes Silverberg's books start great for me but don't always fulfill their promise. IIRC, that one held steady.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I'm reading Ganymede by Cherie Priest. I've been enjoying the series (The Clockwork Century) as the books come out. Steampunk and zombies, in the American south and west.

 

[Arkose]

I'm reading Ganymede by Cherie Priest. I've been enjoying the series (The Clockwork Century) as the books come out. Steampunk and zombies, in the American south and west.

Loved Boneshaker and liked Dreadnought, but started reading reviews of the other stories, and heard alot of complaints about how she started screwing up the timeline, how people meet, and so forth. Is any of this true?

I am currently reading two books, the first being Hammered by Kevin Hearne. Enjoying the series with a good amount of humor and action. I really like the mixture of mythology. The second is The Poetic Edda by Henry Adams Bellow. I like this version of the poem, it is broken down by section that let you read part of the poem and then tries to explain it.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Loved Boneshaker and liked Dreadnought, but started reading reviews of the other stories, and heard alot of complaints about how she started screwing up the timeline, how people meet, and so forth. Is any of this true?

Not that I noticed, but perhaps I was just paying attention to the story and not thinking about timelines.

 

[Rothgar]

I am about to start Flow my Tears, The Policeman Said by PKD.

Last month I finished off Catching Fire, and Mockingjay. That was a good series. I was happy to see the author didn't pull any punches in the conclusion of the story.

I also finished Titus Groan, by Mervyn Peake. The story was rather slow for my taste but I'm sure I'll be finishing the trilogy to see what happens.

 

[Moonbat]

Still reading American Psycho about 20% of the way through, and not completed the mammoth the west and the rest. I am thinking of reading the hunger games trilogy after seeing the film.

 

[AE35Unit]

Started reading The Drowned World by J G Ballard. I read it years ago, its like an old friend revisited!

 

[Fried Egg]

While spending my free time during the day reading Italo Calvino's "If on a winter's night a traveler", I will be terrifying myself in the evenings with stories from Harlan Ellison's "Deathbird Stories".

 

[Connavar]

I'm curious myself - I read those recently so I might even remember what you'd be talking about.



You shouldn't be disappointed. Saw from the Hauls thread that you'd also picked up Silverberg's The Stochastic Man - very solid book. Sometimes Silverberg's books start great for me but don't always fulfill their promise. IIRC, that one held steady.

Having just finished my first S&S collection of Leiber i can see why he is so highly rated, why those characters,their series are such classics in the field. They reminded why i love certain different fantasy stories. The best stories were in that collection so imaginative,picturesque,witty and still have S&S hardcore feel. Made me think it was reading like if Vance or Zelazny Dying Earth or Amber was written in S&S subgenre.

Speaking about The Stochastic Man, it was an impulse buy because the book sounded like the smart SF i like. I have Downward book you read recently of Silverberg and the library has only his science fantasy series. I want to try Silverberg with a stand alone SF book. Convince who he is as a writer with this bookl

 

[Randy M.]

While spending my free time during the day reading Italo Calvino's "If on a winter's night a traveler", I will be terrifying myself in the evenings with stories from Harlan Ellison's "Deathbird Stories".

Both in my TBR. I just recently reread Ellison's "The Whimper of Whipped Dogs" in an anthology. The first time I read it, over 30 years ago, I had such a visceral reaction to it, that I avoided Ellison's writing for years. And the reaction wasn't because it's a bad story, but because it's so powerful and angry.

Now I just find TWoWD powerful, the anger just and reasonable. I think it also echoes nicely off Fritz Leiber's "Smoke Ghost," as though the older story may have provided something of a template.


Randy M.

 

[Mangara]

Finnish Ark by Stephen Baxter, very gritty and dark. Now onto The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson.