Reading in Fantasy and Horror April 2015

[Luke_B]

Westy - I reviewed The Mechanical here and thought it was pretty grouse too. Some of the same minor quibbles as you but definitely one of the more impressive reads of the year so far for me.

 

[Westy]

Westy - I reviewed The Mechanical here and thought it was pretty grouse too. Some of the same minor quibbles as you but definitely one of the more impressive reads of the year so far for me.

Hey, good review! Pretty much agree too.

Another thing I thought that was cool and have never seen before, is my copy had red-tinged pages throughout, making the whole book look red - something a bit different.

 

[algernoninc]

Reading The Gunslinger by Stephen King, and I am rather underwhelmed after all the buzz I heard about it for years. I know everybody says the story only pick up with the next in the series, but I wonder if I have the time and patience for so many doorstoppers later on.

 

[Takoren]

Presently I'm reading the Deepgate Codex series by Alan Campbell. I'm finding that Campbell is very, very good with setting and what I term "visuals" even though it's more about description. His novels create very interesting mental images. I am not certain, however, what to think of his characters. They're likeable, but they don't seem to really do much.

 

[farseer2]

Reading The Gunslinger by Stephen King, and I am rather underwhelmed

I read that one years ago, didn't like it and felt no need to continue the series. I know other people like the series, but it was not for me. I like many other of King's novels, though.

 

[Erfael]

I'm finally off the Easter gig road and have a little more time for reading. I've dived into Kate Elliott's Prince of Dogs. I'm only about a third of the way so far (over the last two or so weeks), but hope to hit the gas on it now.

 

[Whitleyrr]

I just finished Mark T. Barnes' The Garden of Stones, the first book in his epic fantasy trilogy, Echoes of Empire.

Easily the best fantasy book I've read in a long time. Two years, even. Here's what I said on Goodreads:

"The last time I gave a fantasy book 5 stars (Guy Gavriel Kay's 'Tigana') was November of 2013. Such a vividly painted world with deep and intriguing characters. I can't help but have the feeling things are really going to explode in the next book. The veneer of political politeness for the sake of civility washed away real well at the end of this one! This is why I read fantasy.

One note: the first time he described someone's voice as "sepulchral," I thought that was awesome. What an adjective! The fourth time he did it, for different characters, I thought, he loves that word a bit too much.

Yeah, that's pretty much my only complaint."

I"m beginning the second book in the trilogy, The Obsidian Heart, immediately.

 

[Max Long]

I have been slowly getting through Sanderson's Words of Radiance. I loved the Mistborn trilogy, and so far the Stormlight Archives is pretty good. It just seems to take a long time to get going. I can definitely tell he's setting up for something big and exciting to happen, but so far the book is a bit slow. The Way of Kings was the same way, save for a few exciting parts. I am definitely going to keep reading, but it will be slow going. The one thing I do really enjoy about the series so far is that even though there are a ton of characters all with completely different lives and stories, he tells it in a way where I not only remember who is who, but you get to know them really well. Anyways, this will probably spill over into the May "what are you reading" thread as I'm working constantly.

 

[Randy M.]

In the Forest of Forgetting by Theodora Goss.

Some of the most interesting dark short fiction I've come across in the last 12-15 years has come from women working the edges of horror, merging it with science fiction (Holly Phillips; M. Rickert) or fantasy (Goss, Phillips, Rickert, Caitlin Kiernan, Sarah Monette). This isn't a collection of horror stories, though at least two of the stories would fit comfortably in a horror anthology, but a collection of fantasy stories often suffused with a fairy tale darkness but also a mitigating sense of humor; for the most part these lean in tone more toward Susannah Clarke (The Ladies of Grace Adieu) than toward Rickert.

Anyone who enjoys either Ray Bradbury-like evocations of growing up (in this case, the coming of age of young girls), or Southern story-telling with a tinge of To Kill a Mockingbird would be especially interested in "Miss Emily Gray," "The Wings of Meister Wilhelm" (Nebula winner) and "Lessons with Miss Gray."

Must be my year for charming fantasy; this is also beautifully written.


Randy M.

 

[Takoren]

I just finished Mark T. Barnes' The Garden of Stones, the first book in his epic fantasy trilogy, Echoes of Empire.

Easily the best fantasy book I've read in a long time. Two years, even.

I tried reading that one. After seeing that most of the reviews on Goodreads echoed yours, I figured I'd love it, but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe I need to try again.

 

[Whitleyrr]

I tried reading that one. After seeing that most of the reviews on Goodreads echoed yours, I figured I'd love it, but I just couldn't get into it. Maybe I need to try again.

Definitely worth another try. Get 150 pages into it at least and then you'll be hooked. Keep referring to the glossary, too, particularly for the names of the people. I thought one of the best parts of this book was how everyone was related through family. It added an extra level of gravitas for me. It wasn't your typical good guy, bad guy, empire stuff.

 

[Takoren]

Definitely worth another try. Get 150 pages into it at least and then you'll be hooked. Keep referring to the glossary, too, particularly for the names of the people. I thought one of the best parts of this book was how everyone was related through family. It added an extra level of gravitas for me. It wasn't your typical good guy, bad guy, empire stuff.

I'm actually having less and less patience these days for writers who take that long for their story to really get going.

I submitted the first thirty pages of a work for peer review about two years ago. I repeatedly was told that it was too boring and that "nothing is happening here; why are we following these characters? Why are they important?"

I replied with some indignation; it was only the first thirty pages! Surely they don't expect that I'll have already started the action? Don't all great books take a long time to get going?

Well, no, they don't. All the replies said the same thing: "Your story does not start on page fifty. It does not start on page 100. It starts on page one, paragraph one, word one."

And I had to reflect on that. The fact is, it's true. If you've not given your reader any reason to keep turning pages after they've read fifty, what assurances do they have that the next fifty will be rewarding?

Now, as for Garden of Stones, I'll give it this; it begins well, and I immediately understood that we were basically in an A Song of Ice and Fire-type plot, only within a High Fantasy setting that even includes some elements of The Dark Tower (ei: modern-style weapons like guns). This greatly intrigued me, but after a while I started wanting some character development, and it didn't feel like any was happening.

 

[Whitleyrr]

I'm actually having less and less patience these days for writers who take that long for their story to really get going....

... "Your story does not start on page fifty. It does not start on page 100. It starts on page one, paragraph one, word one."

You know, it's funny, as soon as I submitted my reply, I thought, "If I received this reply, I would say something like, "I have no patience for stories that take too long to get going."

And that's exactly what you said. But I'm not sure that's exactly what I meant, the more I think about it, especially for Garden of Stones. Because I agree with you. If I'm not hooked quickly, I get bored, then I read slower, and then I feel cheated, and then I put the book down for good. For a fantasy reader who is relatively well versed in the genre, there are elements in GoS of both the familiar and the foreign. Some of the trappings of epic fantasy are in place. Then there are the "storm rifles" that end up shooting not bullets, but bolts of some kind. Not an over-used idea in fantasy as you say. There are elements of the cultures he creates that are familiar, but I found they were generally new ideas, at least to me, and that took some getting used to. The names, of course, take some getting used to, and they are just on this side of the line of "you're just stringing letters together in an fantastic way" for me. But there was a rythym and grace and sense to them after a bit. The maps and glossary helped too. I hate myself for writing this but his "magic system" is pretty cool (it makes me sound like a Sanderson fan boy...) with how it uses (albeit in fantastic ways) the way we understand physics to actually work. It just pushes way past the limits of what we know of as possible.

I could go on and on, but all this is to say, it took me about 150 pages to get familiar with Barnes' created world, not to get hooked on his story. I was hooked on the story way earlier than that. But isn't that the nature of the best fantasy writing? That it isn't familiar, that it isn't our world, that it isn't easy to understand right off the bat, and that characters aren't named "Bob," but rather, "Amonindris?" Remember what it was like when you first read LotR or WoT. The Garden of Stones made me feel like I was entering another world that would give me the same feelings those books gave me, and I really liked feeling that. There is both something old and something new school about Barnes, and that's refreshing. All the way up until the end, I legitimately didn't know what was going to happen and it had me on the edge of my seat. That was exciting. And, in the end, the story was clearly not over. It was not a case of an author writing a stand alone to sell, and then trying to turn it into a trilogy. I get why authors do that, so ai respect an author who declares right from the first book, "this is part of a larger whole. It has a sense and a cohesion within itself, but the story is far from over."

Maybe as I've gotten older (and let's be honest, I'm not ancient, but I am 33 with two kids under 4, a wife, and a full time job, which I think qualifies me to be a real adult) I lost my patience with books that ask too much of me, the reader, in order to understand them. I gave up on Malazan after book 3 with no regrets. But Barnes' story tapped into something for me that I enjoyed; in so doing, it asked just enough of me that I was willing to give it, and was well rewarded.

This went on longer than I intended, so thanks for reading and commenting. I hope I was able to clarify what I meant by giving it some time.

[/unpaid apologia]

 

[Takoren]

I totally get what you're saying, and yes, that's what gripped me at first was the awesome, and terrifying, world that was being revealed.

I love world-building; it's one of my favorite things about fantasy. A well-crafted world is a joy, and this one seemed very well-crafted.

I admit that it might not have just been the book itself that caused me to put it down. My daughter was still a newborn and keeping us up nights (she's six months old now) and sapping energy during the day. Even at work I felt my eyes closing, so I wasn't really in the right place to read a very (VERY) involved story in an alien world.

I'm gonna give it another chance someday, I just decided.

BTW, I really enjoyed what I've read of the Malazan series so far, but admittedly I have yet get very far in it. It will happen someday. But really, I'm starting to prefer fantasy books that incorporate technology (airships, guns, etc.) though I still love medieval fantasy. I also think Brandon Sanderson is a very engaging writer. I enjoy his stuff quite a bit.

 

[Surt]

Garden of Stones and the rest of the trilogy is easily the best fantasy, I've read in recent years. The sense of wonder that Whitleyrr mentions is something that is sorely lacking in most fantasy, unfortunately.

I've tried reading Promise of Blood, book one of the Powder Mage trilogy, but while some of the ideas were intriguing, the characters were 2-dimensional and the writing very dull. I even tried reading it in an airport, but that didn't work either. I've also read a few Pratchett books, Wintersmith (3/5 - too YA for me) and Making Money (3/5 as well, too long and too unoriginal compared to the earlier magnificent Pratchett books).

I've also read a few horror novel collections. The Man Who Collected Machen by Mark Samuels is a beautiful written and excellent collection of Ligotti-esque lit horror, which I highly recommend 4/5. The Motion Demon by Stefan Grabinski is a 1920-something collection of weird stories involving trains and conductors etc.. It has its moments but is only recommended if you have a fetish for trains 3/5. Finally, The Complete Symphonies of Adolf Hitler by Reggie Oliver is another superb collection with a number of amazingly written psychological ghost stories in the vein of MR James and Robert Aickman. 5/5.

Now I'm reading House of Windows by John Langan and Unseen Academicals by Pratchett.

 

[Randy M.]

[...]I've also read a few horror novel collections. The Man Who Collected Machen by Mark Samuels is a beautiful written and excellent collection of Ligotti-esque lit horror, which I highly recommend 4/5. The Motion Demon by Stefan Grabinski is a 1920-something collection of weird stories involving trains and conductors etc.. It has its moments but is only recommended if you have a fetish for trains 3/5. Finally, The Complete Symphonies of Adolf Hitler by Reggie Oliver is another superb collection with a number of amazingly written psychological ghost stories in the vein of MR James and Robert Aickman. 5/5.

Now I'm reading House of Windows by John Langan [...]

Hi, Surt.

Wow. It's like you've been dipping into my reading list. I read the Samuels last year, and enjoyed it more intellectually than emotionally, although there were two stories that worked especially well for me: “Xapalpa” and “Nor Unto Death Utterly by Edmund Bertrand.”

The Grabinski I read a few years back, and I can't recall any one story. I think, though, the collection gains power in the aggregate, becoming a little more than the sum of its parts. Anyone interested in Eastern European fantasy would want to read it, but the general reader maybe not as much.

I envy you the the Reggie Oliver. I think about buying one of his collections, but my money ends up going elsewhere and I only read a story here and there, usually in best of anthologies. What I've read is really fun.

I'll be interested in hearing what you say about the Langan.

A page or so back I mentioned a book you might find of interest: Theodora Goss' In the Forest of Forgetting.


Randy M.

 

[Corporal Blues]

I had a pretty sever reading lull in the end of March and early April, due to a lengthy vacation. (I never seem to get much reading done on vacations). However, I am back in the game and my most recent completed read is Guards! Guards! By Terry Pratchett. Three word review: I loved it.

I'd only read one Pratchett book before (The Light Fantastic). In fact, I read it on two separate occasions in an attempt to "get into" Pratchett's stuff, and I just wasn't falling in love like I expected. I did some research and decided that I just needed some different characters to explore and I decided the Night Watch would be a good place to make a third attempt. I'm really glad I made that decision, because I absolutely loved Guards! Guards!. I was completely blown away by the writing. Funny, smart, well plotted and extremely entertaining. I'm sad it took me this long to "find" Pratchett's work, but I'm glad I did.

My current read is Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch. I'm loving that too. Finding it hard to put down. I love all the twists and tight spots Lynch puts his characters into. I love having that feeling that the characters are totally effed and then reading on to see how the author attacks things.

 

[Contrarius]

I finished Range of Ghosts by Elizabeth Bear. Although I thought many things about it were interesting -- interesting characters, interesting worldbuilding -- in the end I can only rate it about 3 out of 5 stars. Maybe 3.5 . We don't get to spend enough time with any of the particular cultures to really become engrossed with them, so although there are fascinating details about each one it seems more like a travelogue than a satisfying exploration. Same complaint about the characters -- although the plot seems character-focused, we don't get enough time with each character. And then we have the jarring and somewhat inexplicable introduction of

Spoiler

a possible love triangle/infidelity between the three MCs. Yes, it is mentioned that men may have more than one wife and that a woman may have more than one husband, but the driver behind the male MC's journey is that he's off to save "his woman". But then he jumps into bed with the second female MC, with nary a single thought about betraying "his woman" or possible complications from bedding a second woman or ANYTHING. Just blithely starts lusting and being all tender about her as if the first mate doesn't even exist. Bah.

.

I may or may not read the following books to see how things develop. For the moment, I'm on to Kitty and the Midnight Hour by Carrie Vaughn. So far it's fairly typical UF, except that the pack dynamics seem seriously abusive. Since Kitty has some conscious realization of these abusive characteristics but is still drawn to them, that may or may not develop into something interesting.

 

[Surt]

Hi, Surt.

Wow. It's like you've been dipping into my reading list. I read the Samuels last year, and enjoyed it more intellectually than emotionally, although there were two stories that worked especially well for me: “Xapalpa” and “Nor Unto Death Utterly by Edmund Bertrand.”

The Grabinski I read a few years back, and I can't recall any one story. I think, though, the collection gains power in the aggregate, becoming a little more than the sum of its parts. Anyone interested in Eastern European fantasy would want to read it, but the general reader maybe not as much.

I envy you the the Reggie Oliver. I think about buying one of his collections, but my money ends up going elsewhere and I only read a story here and there, usually in best of anthologies. What I've read is really fun.

I'll be interested in hearing what you say about the Langan.

A page or so back I mentioned a book you might find of interest: Theodora Goss' In the Forest of Forgetting.


Randy M.

Thanks for the heads-up wrt. Goss. It looks like a great read, and since it was 5 dollars for the kindle edition, I've just picked it up. Looking forward to reading it.

I'm almost done with Langans book. I loved his collection "The Wide, Carnivorous Sky..." and this is a huge disappointment. First of all, it is FAR too long, and he could easily have cut about half the book and ended up with a better result. Secondly, he feels the need to constantly namedrop especially Dickens, and this becomes extremely annoying pretty fast. So unfortunately, for me, this is yet another gifted short story horror writer, who've failed to write a good novel length story.

 

[Randy M.]

Thanks for the heads-up wrt. Goss. It looks like a great read, and since it was 5 dollars for the kindle edition, I've just picked it up. Looking forward to reading it.

I'm almost done with Langans book. I loved his collection "The Wide, Carnivorous Sky..." and this is a huge disappointment. First of all, it is FAR too long, and he could easily have cut about half the book and ended up with a better result. Secondly, he feels the need to constantly namedrop especially Dickens, and this becomes extremely annoying pretty fast. So unfortunately, for me, this is yet another gifted short story horror writer, who've failed to write a good novel length story.

Ouch. We really disagree on this one, Surt. Here's a link to a review I posted a couple of years back,
http://www.sffworld.com/forum/threads/countdown-to-halloween-2012.36886/page-5#post-702688

Anyway, I found it a nuanced and interesting addition to the developing 21st century library of Lovecraftian novels that I've come across (mainly Caitlin Kiernan's The Red Tree and The Drowning Girl and Laird Barron's The Croning).

At least we can agree on the collection. I've read several of the stories in it and thought they were terrific, not least the title story. I need to pull this out and finish it.

Randy M.