[June] What are you reading?

[RangerWickett]

For the first time in a while, I bought a novel from the local bookstore. A couple of years ago I read Far Seer, Fossil Hunter, and Foreigner, by Rober J. Sawyer. They were about a race of sentient dinosaurs that developed after they were transplanted from earth to a distant world by an alien race. The aliens wanted both mammals and dinos to have a chance at sentience, so they took the dinos away and slammed a meteor into earth to give the mammals some help. Very interesting stories, with some fascinating insights into the type of culture that would develop when your ancestors were flesh-ripping carnivores.

Then, a couple of weeks ago I saw Sawyer had a new book out, Calculating God. To give you an idea of what it's about, in the first 10 pages, an alien spacecraft lands in Toronto, outside the natural history museum. The alien piloting the ship (a vaguely spider-like critter) goes into the museum, walks up to the security desk, and says in perfect English, "Take me to your paleontologist."

After that, I've got a lot of reading to research real-world magical traditions for a d20 book I'm writing.

 

[Mark]

I'm enjoying The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Translated by G. N. Garmonsway (1953). My copy is reprinted in 1972 by Aldine Press. It's more than a bit dry in places, but the gems I am rediscovering through this translation are phenominal.

In short, it is translated annals written in the monasteries of Winchester, Canterbury, Peterborough, Abingdon and Worchester. It's collated to give the feel of a continuous (if sparse) chronicle. The first half a dozen centuries are spotty, as one would expect, but the seventh century up through the twelfth have a wealth of information that reflects on the times, gives laudatory praise to the various rulers and conquerors of the day, and even has mentions of astral or mundane events. Sometimes the writing is straight prose and sometimes verse.

Here's a sample from 937-

In this year king Athelstan, lord of warriors,
Ring-giver of men, with his brother prince Edmund,
Won undying glory with the edges of swords,
In warfare around Brunanburh.
With their hammered blades, the sons of Edward
Clove the shield-wall and hacked the linden bucklers,
As was instinctive in them, from their ancestry,
To defend their lands, their treasures and their homes,
In frequent battle against the enemy.
The foemen were laid low: the Scots
And the hosts from the ships fell doomed. The field
Grew dark with the blood of men after the sun,
That glorious luminary, God's bright candle,
Rose high into the morning above the horizon,
Until the noble being of the Lord Eternal
Sank to its rest. There lay many a warrior
Of the men of the North, torn by spears,
Shot o'er his shield; likewise many a Scot
Salted with battle, lay lifeless.
All through the day the West Saxons in troops
Pressed on in pursuit of the hostile peoples,
Fiercely, with swords sharpened on grindstone,
They cut down the fugitives as they fled.
Nor did the Mercians refuse hard fighting
To any of Anlaf's warriors, who invaded
Our land across the tossing waters,
In the ship's bosom, to meet their doom
In the fight. Five young kings,
Stretched lifless by the swords,
Lay on the field, likewise seven
Of Anlaf's jarls, and a countless host
Of seamen and Scots. There the prince
Of Norsemen, compelled by necessity,
Was forced to flee the prow of his ship
With a handful of men. In haste the ship
Was launched, and the king fled hence,
Over the waters grey, to save his life.

Passages such as that, the index of persons and the index of places make this a fine book for any gamer's shelf.

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

I'm thinking of rereading either the World War/Colinization series or the Great War/American Empire series by Harry Turtledove. Of course when the Harry Potter book comes out I will be reading that too.

 

[Mark]

I'm thinking of rereading either the World War/Colinization series or the Great War/American Empire series by Harry Turtledove. Of course when the Harry Potter book comes out I will be reading that too.

I enjoyed the Turtledove's World War series through the first two books but found it started getting repetitive in book three. Maybe I just became tired of the style but part way into book four I abandoned reading it. I've considered reading some of his single novels since I did like him somewhat as an author. Any suggestions?

 

[Psychotic Dreamer]

I enjoyed the Turtledove's World War series through the first two books but found it started getting repetitive in book three. Maybe I just became tired of the style but part way into book four I abandoned reading it. I've considered reading some of his single novels since I did like him somewhat as an author. Any suggestions?

I enjoyed Guns of the South and the Two Georges. Guns of the South involves time travel and modern weapons being given to the south.

The Two Georges revolves around the fact we never fought a war with the british and are still part of their Empire in the modern day. A famous painting of George Washington and King George shaking hands is stolen.

Off the top of my head and being as tired as I am I can not think of any other single novels of his. Hope that helps. I'm always looking for interesting Alternate History books that don't require the reader to have a great understanding of history. It's odd in school I hated history, but nowadays I enjoy alternate history books. Dunno why.

 

[Eridanis]

I'm enjoying The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle Translated by G. N. Garmonsway (1953)...

This kind of stuff is even better read aloud. I have a 2-CD set of Seamus Heaney reading his translation of Beowulf, and it's amazing. Similarly, Derek Jacobi reading the Iliad is another favorite on long, long car rides. Remember, these tales were originally recited aloud! Go, bards!

 

[Dinkeldog]

I'm re-reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in preparation for the next one. I've also got Good Omens going and a couple books for my religion class.

 

[DanMcS]

I enjoyed the Turtledove's World War series through the first two books but found it started getting repetitive in book three. Maybe I just became tired of the style but part way into book four I abandoned reading it. I've considered reading some of his single novels since I did like him somewhat as an author. Any suggestions?

You know, I kind of agree with you, I read all four of those books (I swear I did), but the last two kind of run together in my mind.

Guns of the South is much shorter and self-contained. How Few Remain is standalone, and worth reading on its own, but it is a prequel to the Great War and American Empire trilogies, which I found it hard to get into. WWI as an alternate history wasn't grabbing me, though I did like the parts about early military airplanes. Haven't tried the American Empire set yet.

Anyway, more on topic, my brother just lent me a copy of The Crimes that Haunt Us, something like that, by a criminal profiler about unsolved murders. Looks good, and he's bringing me a second book by the guy on thursday so I better get cracking.

 

[mystraschosen]

I'm re-reading Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire in preparation for the next one. I've also got Good Omens going and a couple books for my religion class.

I see I am not the only one who had the same idea,Harry potter rocks!

 

[Mallus]

Still putting off Moby Dick...

...so I read Brust's Issola {is that the last Taltos novel. I'm so out-of-the-loop with them...}

...and Ubik by PKD, which was excellent.