What Are You Reading Now.

I hate to say it, but I really didn't care for any of his Long Sun stuff. I finished all the books, but it was gruelling. I was on the verge of quitting like the entire time. Cerberus is on the same exalted level as the New Sun stuff. I also really liked some of the stories in The Death of Doctor Island. Or was it the Island of Doctor Death ? There's a story by each name in the collection, and it bears the title of one of them. I always get mixed up on which is which though.

 

Aw, man, that's a shame. I hope I'll feel differently.

 

I'm halfway into KoT, and while it's not reading quite as stellar as the first installment, it's still really good. The scene with Justice (the dog) was riveting. Brutal, but riveting.

I'm two thirds in and enjoying it. As of now I'd rate it 4/5, possibly 3.5/5. I loved Wagner's Darkness Weaves — another Kane story — so I thought I'd give this a shot.

 

Since we're talking about Gene Wolf, Book of the Long Sun is one of my absolute faves. The kind of writing I wish I could do.

In other news my long-term plot to turn my wife into a China Mieville fan is paying dividends. We both read and liked The City & the City a few years ago, and now we're both reading (me for the second time, her for the first) Perdido Street Station. She's really enjoying it so far, great success.

 

People keep talking about him. What's a good book to start with?

 

I'm starting with Perdido Street Station and enjoying it so far, but reading it very slowly interspersed with other books.

 

I was a fan of Embassytown. A very nonstandard science fiction with some interesting concepts. Fairly short and easy to digest as well.

 

@Friedrich Kugelschreiber PSS is I think his most well known, and also the start of a trilogy so might be a natural starting place. It's not a hard read but is very long, just fyi.

TC&TC is different because it's not in a fantasy setting and is a more conventional, contemporary mystery story, but it's still got a premise which is...hard to summarize. The two neighboring, fictional countries where it's set have quite an interesting relationship, let's say.

 

Actually I'd heading down to the bookstore later today so I'll see what I can find.

 

Yeah, this definitely cannot be said about Perdito!! it's a tome of Brobdingnagian proportions.

 

I did try Mieville once but it was a little too weird even for me. I think a human insect hybrid was involved. Anyway, perhaps I chose the wrong book, I may have another go at him sometime, but not for a while yet.

 

Perdido includes animal-human and also plant-human hybrids—there are cactus-people. @Naomasa298 was one of those when I first got here.

 

I evolved into a tree.

 

LOL...I am groot.
I guess that's normal for Mieville novels?

 

Atlas Shrugged by Ayn Rand.

 

I'm halfway through The Dirt (Motley Crue autobiography) and it turns out bloody Nikki Sixx of all people is my favourite writer of the year so far, closely followed by Tommy Lee, whodathunk. And I don't even like their music.

(Obviously they had a ghost writer for help, but all four voices are very distinct and neither of the other two interest me at all.)

 

I mean if your definition of Faulknerian is 'seventeen year old pothead with a Philosophy 101 textbook and access to r/conspiracytheories', sure. Seriously, I was so surprised at his chapters, from the little I knew of the band I was expecting him to be the most interesting. Instead all he does is ramble about the evils of neighbour noise complaints and how melodramatically depressed he is. Even in the one or two chapters where he actually talks about something concrete, his prose is dull and he has nothing memorable to say. Contrast with Sixx, who unexpectedly (to me) comes across as highly intelligent, insightful and genuinely witty, and Lee, who is endearingly earnest and frequently laugh-out-loud funny. (Vince Neil is just bland, which is pretty much as expected.)

Edit: I'm not saying that it's bad to talk about depression or pet peeves, but Mars literally dedicates chapters to it, without ever really saying much of substance, or reaching any kind of conclusion, let alone personal insight. It's like being talked at by some guy in a bar who really just wants to hear the sound of his own voice. Sorry Mick Mars, I'm sure you are a lovely person.

 

Just finished Charles Brockden Brown's Wieland, which is often credited as the first American horror story. And honestly, it was kind of ass.

Seriously, it did all the things I really get annoyed. The first and chief irritation was the always hateful 'explained supernatural.' Rather than going for gold with some good fun in the devil's plan or a changeling story, Brown does the same shit I had to deal with all last month with Radcliffe. Step one, develop a semi-okay supernatural ghost element with a bit of devilry in background. Right on, good stuff. Next, lead that to something violent and just a tiny bit scary. Okay, I'm mostly down with it. Lastly, go on a fucking massive monologue about how it was all explainable, but make sure that explanation is about as thin as possible and call it a day. Hey now, wait just a minute -

Then end the novel on a bunch of closing statement for characters who were largely irrelevant. Stop, just stop. Absolutely not. No. God damn it, that's what you did.

And that's what Brown did. It kind of sucks. The writing wasn't brilliant to begin with. The only likable aspect was the character you were following around in first person as. She was a pretty rock solid personality that I came to enjoy. The rest of the book: ass. Good thing it's tiny at like 45k words.

Next up is Henry James even smaller The Turn of the Screw, which @Seven Crowns tore up a few months back. Oh joy, here we go.

 

Nikki Sixx had a radio show until somewhat recently (I would watch some of the clips on YouTube) called Sixx Sense, and it was always interesting. He's a good interviewer. I guess he's mellowed quite a lot with age; it's amazing he's still alive to be honest.

 

The Monster Baru Cormorant. I'm actually reading the second book in a series...that's about the highest praise I can give.

 

@Night Herald I finished Bloodstone and immediately dusted off my copy of The Knight. So thanks for encouraging/inspiring me to do so.

I'm only three chapters in and, while I've often needed to reread passages to better understand what's going on, I already have a feeling this story is going to have a lot to offer.

 

Definitely on my “want to read” list. I just finished The Traitor Baru Cormorant yesterday. An accountant protagonist and the emphasis on economics was a nice change of pace for the genre. But I think I’ll hold off on Monster and Tyrant until the fourth book comes out. Traitor ends with such a satisfying—and devastating—promise, I don’t want to keep reading and end up stuck in a place that feels less final.