What are you reading in 2024?

[Eyes of Nine]

It’s funny but there’s video games and comics with mutant animals with guns etc and yet the book medium is empty of these stories. No mutant year zero type novels or burrows and badgers or gamma world/thundercat themes. Just suprising

so, in a prose book - in what way would you make animal exteriors but otherwise human interiors interesting? Beyond descriptions? The benefit of prose is you can really get detailed descriptions of interiority that you don't get in more visual media. But the flip side is if the only difference is exterior - then it's a quick description and then move on. And so then how does it benefit the story?

I think that's the appeal in a more visual medium - you can have human motivations/emotions; but put them on an animal "outside" to help differentiate people as well as signal a personality type, maybe... And also the viewer will apply some sort of stereotype based on the animal. This stereotype can be played against (a noble rabbit, a brave mouse, etc etc) or leaned into

Oh, also just thought of one series - the Chanur novels by CJ Cherryh, there are the alien Hani who are catlike in appearance and somewhat behavior. And of course if you can track them down any Traveller novels might feature the Vargr or the Aslan. Although I'm not sure this is what you are looking for?

Also, Narnia hasn't been invoked yet, but for completeness will mention it now (not for adults originally though)

 

[Autumnal]

The Builders, by Daniel Polansky, manages it pretty well. It’s grimdark anthros, and each one has a good mix of human and animal features.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

The Builders, by Daniel Polansky, manages it pretty well. It’s grimdark anthros, and each one has a good mix of human and animal features.

Boom, Autumnal gets it in one. That looks amazing. Sadly, also looks like it didn't turn into a series. But have added to my to-read list based on cover and "Magnificent Seven meets Wind in the Willows"

 

[Levistus's_Leviathan]

I just finished Orconomics: A Satire by J. Zachary Pike. I really enjoyed it. There were many moments that made me laugh out loud (which is rare for me). I'm looking forward to reading the sequels.

 

[wicked cool]

Boom, Autumnal gets it in one. That looks amazing. Sadly, also looks like it didn't turn into a series. But have added to my to-read list based on cover and "Magnificent Seven meets Wind in the Willows"

Yes builders was good

 

[Richards]

I finished Vampire, Interrupted and have started Born to Bite by the same author, Lynsay Sands, and I guess I'll have to forgive her for the occasional steamy sex scene she puts in her novels - according to an ad in the back of the book, the Argeneau series is described as "vampire romance." I didn't even know that was a thing (although I guess I probably should have), and the novels aren't billed that way on the covers. But I picked them up thinking they were vampire fantasy with a comedic flair, and while they are at that, they're also about vampires seeking their "life mates" and getting all hot and bothered when they do. Oh well, I'll finish this one and then probably go back to my modern-day thrillers.

Johnathan

 

[The Soloist]

Tim Powers' first book The Skies Discrowned 1976.

 

[Mannahnin]

I finished reading Gibson's Burning Chrome. Great stuff, and the short stories that venture beyond cyberpunk are just as memorable. The Ballardesque Gernsback Continuum and The Belonging Kind (with John Shirley) easily stand next to Burning Chrome, Dogfight, and Johnny Mnemonic.

I love this collection. Hinterlands also really moved me.

 

[Irlo]

Tim Powers' first book The Skies Discrowned 1976.

How is it? I like some of his stuff quite a bit. Some, not so much. Declare is one of my favorite books.

 

[Ralif Redhammer]

I love this collection. Hinterlands also really moved me.

That one was intense, a fascinating and terrifying vision of what first contact might look like.