Kij Johnson: Worth Buying?

[Carmine Boy]

First off, hello to everyone. New member here but longtime lurker. This forum has introduced me to some of my fave books and I'm grateful for discovering such great authors like GRRM, Erikson, Hobb, Stover and Carey.

Was wondering if I can run an author I'm unfamiliar with by you guys, Kij Johnson. I was browsing through Amazon looking for some new authors to read and I wound up browsing through her two Heian novels: The Fox Woman and Fudoki. Both have very interesting premises based on Japanese myths and looks like they'll be great reads. Can anybody here give me the heads up if they're worth the pruchase?

 

[SpaceShip]

Welcome to the Chronics Carmine Boy. Hope you'll enjoy your travels around the corridors here. Not read either but there have been a few positive posts here on Fudoki. I'm sure you will have a lot of replies. Also, if you get copies, perhaps you could let us know what they're like.

 

[Carmine Boy]

Thanks SpaceShip. I just discovered the site's search engine and the Fudoki posts were encouraging enough for me to take the plunge and order both of her books. Hopefully they arrive soon as I've nothing really compelling to read for a while.

 

[Mouse]

They sound good, you'll have to let us know what they're like once you've read 'em, so that I can go out and buy 'em!

 

[Carmine Boy]

Will do, Mouse. I've become more interested in Eastern culture based themes in fantasy after I finished The Empire Trilogy from Feist and Wurts last month. It just felt like a breath of fresh air from my usual reads. Hopefully The Fox Woman and Fudoki can live up to my expectations.

 

[Mouse]

Thanks. I love Japanese and Chinese myth and the Fox Woman sounds like something I'm reading about at the mo, so it'd be good to know what these books are like!

 

[j d worthington]

Have not yet read The Fox Woman, though I intend to before much longer. However, read Fudoki, and must say that it is one of the best novels I've read in a very, very long time. There was a quite good review of it in another thread:

http://www.chronicles-network.com/f...-for-the-unenlightened-2-a-2.html?#post233388

I don't think I can sum it up any more elegantly or eloquently. I'll just add that it is an absolutely beautiful, beautiful book.

And... welcome to the Chronicles. I look forward to seeing you around.

 

[Talysia]

Fudoki is one of the best novels I've read this year, so I'd definitely recommend it. I've still to read the Fox Woman, too, but I've heard nothing but good about it and look forward to reading it. Definitely worth getting.

 

[Nesacat]

Fudoki & Fox Woman are definitely two of the best books I've read this year and I'm very, very glad to have discovered her existence. The books are very well written and the prose is lyrical and poetic. They are hard books to put down once begun. Sort of like listening to a piece of music. You want to keep going until the very end.

 

[Carmine Boy]

Nesacat's review is what sealed the deal for me. Thanks for writing that great review by the way.

I'm really excited to get my hands on them and start reading. Aside from the eastern setting, I'm looking forward to how Johson will protray a cat's and a fox's perspective. In the Farseer Trilogy, I enjoyed Hobb's portrayal of Nighteyes the wolf's personality from a primal cub to a complex animal-human hybrid.

 

[Sathai]

I thought The Fox Woman was an excellent read. I have Fudoki on my TBR pile.

 

[Nesacat]

Am hoping to see more of her work and soon. Am very fond of Eastern myth cycles too and really love books based on them, whether or not those books are set in the past.

I hope you enjoy Fudoki Sathai. I liked both the books but Fudoki is my favourite. It's the cat.

Carmine ... am glad the review helped and I hope you found what you were looking for in the book.

 

[GOLLUM]

I've never heard of this author before, looks like another to add to my ever growing library.

 

[j d worthington]

I've never heard of this author before, looks like another to add to my ever growing library.

I've only read Fudoki so far, but I was mightily impressed. Absolutely beautiful book, and oh, so rich!!! Yes, GOLLUM, you'll be doing yourself a big favor by investing in this one's work....