What are you reading in 2025?

[Paul Farquhar]

Romantasy is hot right now (pun intended); might as well get some of that Fourth Wing energy onto an X-Wing.

I’m surprised no one has dusted off Anne McCaffrey yet . She was writing Romantasy long before it was invented.

 

[Autumnal]

Homophobia, including the idea that annal rape is responsible for making men gay, alienated a significant chunk of her fans.

 

[jian]

Homophobia, including the idea that annal rape is responsible for making men gay, alienated a significant chunk of her fans.

Just to check this is about Anne McCaffrey? It’s certainly true of her.

There have been absolutely loads of fantasy writers whose works might be called romantasy now. Mercedes Lackey is a really obvious example (and one of the main inspirations - since this is an elfgames site and all - for Blue Rose, one of the earliest RPGs focusing on romantic fantasy). Others might include Marion Zimmer Bradley (also very problematic) and Tamora Pierce.

 

[Autumnal]

Yess, I did mean McCaffrey. Good to double-check, though, so I did. If anyone wants to look up stupid details, the words “tent peg” will get you there. But honestly, don’t bother. Just typical last-century ignorance and lack of self-reflection.

 

[Autumnal]

In addition to ongoing political stress, I had extra familial and health stresses lately, including two hypertensive episodes on successive days. Blood pressure of around 190/120 plus autonomic nervous failures feels weird but not in a way I recommend to anyone. I read shallowly.

I did finish The Fall of Cadia by Robert Rath, which remained excellent and gave me a satisfying look at planet smashing and the opening of the Great Rift that looms so large (and so interesting, to me) in Warhammer 40K lore. I’ve already read Chris Wraight’s wonderful descriptions of those first moments in his Watchers of the Throne and Vaults of Terra books from perspectives on Earth, so now I feel all set. Thumbs up for the audiobook narration, too.

And I reread Mark Fisher’s philosophical book The Weird and the Eerie, a shower and engaging look at some kinds of strangeness. As he defines them, the weird is about juxtapositions that bring together normally separated things, like places and artifacts revealed within newly exposed ruins - things you don’t expect to encounter in this place and time. The eerie overlaps some with this, bring about the mysterious presence of something that ought not be there or the mysterious absence of something that should. Fisher had wide-ranging interests and draws examples from horror, science fiction, literature, genre and mainstream movies, post-punk music, all kinds of stuff, with a happy disregard for arguments about what’s in some way worthier than something else. I liked it all over again. Another excellent audiobook, too. If this sounds interesting, you should read it. If not, not.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

In addition to ongoing political stress, I had extra familial and health stresses lately, including two hypertensive episodes on successive days. Blood pressure of around 190/120 plus autonomic nervous failures feels weird but not in a way I recommend to anyone. I read shallowly.

Sorry to hear about your stressors. Doesn't sound fun. At all.

 

[Autumnal]

Thanks, @Eyes of Nine ; definitely low on the boffo laffs scale. I like it when I can note positive influences on my reading.

 

[Alzrius]

I just finished reading a copy of the Tao Te Ching that I found at a local bookseller last month.

Being the seminal work of Lao Tzu, this title needs no introduction, nor is there much that I can say about it here that hasn't already been said. I'll simply note that this 2024 release by Sirius Publishing, translated into English by John H. McDonald, was beautifully illustrated with black-and-white illustrations, and even its production is gorgeous, having a bright yellow hardcover and golden-edged pages. Likewise, other than a short introduction, the text was allowed to speak for itself, with no annotations or notes presented. This is probably for the best, as the contents of the book are to be contemplated rather than explained.

 

[HaroldTheHobbit]

This weekend I have Synners by Pat Cadigan as bed reading. Got it used like 20 years ago, and despite me being a cyberpunk aficionado I didn't touch it until now. It's good, comfy, old fashioned cp, and dated in a good way for the fan.

Needed some comfort reading now, as next week I'll have to plow through a stack of newer psychoanalytic theory stuff, the one branch in my field that I despise. But it's gotta be done.

 

[Eyes of Nine]

This weekend I have Synners by Pat Cadigan as bed reading. Got it used like 20 years ago, and despite me being a cyberpunk aficionado I didn't touch it until now. It's good, comfy, old fashioned cp, and dated in a good way for the fan.

Needed some comfort reading now, as next week I'll have to plow through a stack of newer psychoanalytic theory stuff, the one branch in my field that I despise. But it's gotta be done.

On my tbr shelf (also got used, although only within past 5 years or so).
I'm finding a lot of dystopian/cp/post-apoc fiction from the 80s/90s isn't aging as well as I would have hoped, as our real life appears to be heading/arriving at Dystopia Station right on time (hello Parable of the Sower!).
Hopefully the book is as good as folks thought back in the day (nominated for a Nebula, won a Clarke). I'll be interested to hear your thoughts, maybe I'll bump it up my list...