[March] What are you reading?

[Nellisir]

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms sounds like pretty typical high fantasy from what I've read about it. What makes in unique and worth reading, in your opinion?

OK, final answer. First, here's what you said:

Can anyone recommend a fantasy series that is less western-mythology based? I've kind of had my fill of knights in shining armor. Any series that take place in a more middle-east type world, or India-like? Nagas and djinn?

Second, here's an excerpt from NK Jemisin's interview with herself at the back of The Killing Moon.

Look, I don't have a problem with medieval Europe. I have a problem with modern fantasy's fetishization of medieval Europe; that's different. So many fantasy writers and fans simplify the social structure of the period, monotonize the cultural interactions, treat conflicts as binaries instead of the complicated dynamic tapestry they actually were. They're not doing medieval Europe, they're doing Simplistic British Isles Fantasy Full of Lots of Guys with Swords And Not Much Else. Not all medieval European fantasy does this, of course - but enough does that frankly, they've turned me off the setting.

I do like that there's a sense that she is learning about her craft as she goes. The Killing Moon and The Shadowed Sun are set in a fantastic, mutated, quasi-Egypt; towards the end of the auto-interview she admits that writing in a setting based on a real culture was interesting but hard, and it taught her that she would rather create her own worlds than emulate the real one.

 

[Krug]

Mainly readings for my Coursera Fantasy and SF class.

Finished A Princess of Mars by Burroughs. Great example of planetary romance, though the ending was disappointing.

Also read Herland, which is about a female utopia. Got really boring; doesn't have any real plot.

Starting on The Martian Chronicles. Man, Bradbury's writing is superb.

Loved Jemisin's The Killing Moon and The Shadowed Sun; particularly the former. Great world-building and very compelling characters.

 

[Jhaelen]

I finished 'Apprentices' and started with the 'Grogs' supplement for Ars Magica. I'm also still in the middle of 'Vom Kriege' (book six of eight).

 

[katcitrus]

Thanks, Nellisir, now I genuinely want to read the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms books. It sounds like the author definitely gets where I'm coming from. I appreciate your taking the time to give an answer!

 

[Eldarain]

I'm catching up on the Horus Heresy books I haven't read yet. On Legion right now.

 

[Nellisir]

Thanks, Nellisir, now I genuinely want to read the Hundred Thousand Kingdoms books. It sounds like the author definitely gets where I'm coming from. I appreciate your taking the time to give an answer!

I just keep going until people give up and admit I'm right.

Also. Bridge of Birds. If you're looking at a list of Best Fantasy Novels, and Bridge of Birds isn't in the top five (or better yet, the top 3), it's a crap list.

 

[Nellisir]

Morrus, you are correct. I was referring to Western European mythology. I'm actually not a big fan of Westerns (wild west), as genre. Just to clarify, I'm a woman, so I'd prefer you use the pronoun 'she' if you are referring to me. I love sci-fi as well, so if anyone has read any really excellent sci-fi lately, do please tell me all about it! I'm a big fan of Ray Bradbury and Isaac Asimov, and I've enjoyed Greg Bear and Timothy Zahn's work as well.

Ah, I missed this post earlier. Again, I'll need to look at my shelves, but you might try CJ Cherryh's Cyteen, her Chanur series (look in used bookstores) and her Morgaine Stories, particularly the first three (again, used bookstores). The latter blurs the line between SF and fantasy. I like Cherryh's SF - it's very psychological but also hard/science-ish. Makes my brain hurt, to be honest.

Leviathan Wakes is a good, recent, SF book. Lighter reading than Cherryh. More pop culture (zombies! In SPACE!).

 

[Nellisir]

More book recommendations, particularly for katcircus (Yeah, I finally wandered downstairs to look at my one accessible bookshelf).

The Forever War - Joe Haldeman
Wool - Hugh Howey (dystopian sf; not space)

SF not located in America:
The Windup Girl - Paolo Bacigalupi (Bangkok, Thailand)
River of Gods - Ian McDonald (India)
Brasyl - Ian McDonald (Brazil)
The Dervish House - Ian McDonald (Istanbul, Turkey)

Of the Ian McDonald books, I think River of Gods is the furthest into the future. It gets into AI's and that sort of thing, which could lead one into Neuromancer (William Gibson), Snow Crash (Neal Stephenson), and The Diamond Age (Neal Stephenson).

For fantasy that IS based on western European culture but ought to be read anyways, The Deed of Paksenarrion, by Elizabeth Moon. She writes quite a lot of SF as well, which I have generally not found as engrossing as Paks, but is a good light read.

 

[Nellisir]

Loved Jemisin's The Killing Moon and The Shadowed Sun; particularly the former. Great world-building and very compelling characters.

I finished The Shadowed Sun yesterday; I actually liked it better than The Killing Moon. Hanani was more approachable and interesting as a protagonist than Nijiri, IMO.

Incidently, a lot of features in those two books reminded me of the Avaryan Chronicles, by Judith Tarr. Not the storyline so much, but the figures in it (god-kings & whatnot). Read them years ago and liked them.

 

[Mark CMG]

I was having some difficulties with convention and gameday prep getting into Bernard Cornwell's Saxon Chronicles but since his 1356 was available at the library and happens to be a one-off, I picked that up and I must say that it is very engaging.