Previously on the... Eclectic Speculative Fiction Reader
Past entries are provided here. Current entries are this page.
Past Notables (Winter 2009)
Soulless, by Gail Carriger (published by Orbit), is described as "a comedy of manners set in Victorian London," and "a novel of vampires, werewolves, and parasols." I wasn't sure where it would be shelved and I couldn't remember its name. However, the Barnes & Noble employee recognized it by my description. His eyes lit up and he said, "Oh, that cross-genre book." He led me to the SF/F section, where the pink title stands out, yet the spine reads "Fantasy/Horror." One could make the case that Soulless is Paranormal Romance, Steampunk, and Urban Fantasy, all at once. Imagine Jane Austin channeling Terry Pratchet, but using non-blushing 21st century detail (a warning to those of you who can't mix sticky romance/sex with your fantasy/steampunk). This book had me laughing into the first hours of 2010 and I'm not the only person who appreciated it. Soulless made Publisher Weekly's Best Books of 2009 (which was dominated by male authors and highly controversial).
And speaking of Terry Pratchett... Making Money was entertaining, as is any DiscWorld book. I always enjoy DiscWorld novels, and I particularly admire the ability Pratchett has to make each of the novels stand alone, and still be satisfying.
I chose two novels in areas I'm becoming more circumspect: Urban Fantasy and Young Adult Urban Fantasy, particularly with female protagonists. I'm tired of the "smart, sassy heroine," because it's an oxymoron. In my experience, sassy = stupid, every time. Because Thurman's Trick of the Light was highly touted for having a "trick" ending, I cautiously picked it. Of course, being forewarned means I looked for hints and guessed most of what would happen — but not every twist, and for that, I tip my hat to Ms. Thurman. Additionally, the main character can be both sassy and smart, because she's obviously more than she appears (that's not a spoiler, unless you can't take multiple hints). Overall, a fun read.
Why am I flinching away from YA Urban Fantasy, like a vampire from a cross? Yes, I've been burned by Twilight. I painfully plowed through that last year, making myself read it, complaining to my husband, who was just as relieved as I when I finished. In picking Need, I was encouraged that it had no vampire retreads and the structure was interesting (the main character runs through phobia definitions). Also, Need was tightly edited, perhaps too much, but it made for a quicker read. The ending made me smile, even though there was sparse characterization and too much angst (but that defines today's YA, doesn't it?) At least it wasn't like finishing Twilight, where I thanked God I'd borrowed the book and could return it so it no longer darkened my bedside or bookcase. Regardless, this might be the last YA Urban Fantasy I buy.
I'm always impressed by Paolo Bacigalupi's imagination, and The Windup Girl is a great example. It's a bit dark--at least darker than I'm capable of writing and on the edge of what I like to read. Still, I was hooked by his future Thailand. The details felt authentic and I particularly enjoyed the wry, ironic twists in the story.
Have to gush: I loved The Drowning City, a debut novel by Amanda Downum. The quote by Jacqueline Carey mentions a "richly imagined setting," which is an understatement. The setting is lush and I'm amazed at the details the author gets across. The politics are complicated and the reader has to track six to seven different agendas, but I love that sort of plot. There are three female point-of-view characters, and here's where I had an issue. In a few places, I didn't know whose head I inhabited, particularly if the scene involved two females, too similar, that were both POV characters. The magic mechanics were vague, but Downum's approach to necromancy was refreshing, as well as vital to the plot.
Past Notables (Fall 2009)
I like Jeanne Stein's urban fantasy series, but she writes too fast. I've only finished book two and I just put book five on the pile. Richard Morgan's premise and world in Altered Carbon sucked me in, but I ended up confused regarding the schemes and motivations of the villain. It's difficult to confuse me and usually I eat up Byzantine intrigue (but I'll give the author the benefit of a doubt, because I could have missed crucial points). Daniel Abraham's series starts out wonderfully with A Shadow in Summer; I liked the world, magic, and politics. Terry Pratchet is one of my favorite authors, so what can I say about Night Watch? Well, it does have the best "fantastical" explanation of quantum physics I've ever heard.
China Miéville is a world-building wizard and I'm in awe of his talents. That said, Perdido Station was too much of a good thing for me; it had a complex world, but I needed to like the characters more. I also admit that I just wanted the story and plot to be different. The City and the City is an easier read, because Miéville's style is sparer and tighter. I liked the premise, but the darn characters didn't engage me (again). In fact, they didn't seem to even matter toward the end, and during those last chapters my husband asked: "Why in the world are you grunting while you read?" My answer: "I'm trying to make the plot go."
Past Notables (Summer 2009)
I was carried away by Liu's The Iron Hunt, with engrossing world, characters, and story. An amazing concept, where the heroine's tatoos are her armor-by-day, her demons-at-arms by night, as well as ageless beings that hold secrets about her role/fate/orders. And one of them likes to gnaw on discarded cans; can you get any quirkier?
Emissaries from the Dead had an intriguing, detailed world, but I thought I'd like the heroine better. She's tortured and a lot like my heroine--obviously, it gives me pause that I didn't connect with her. I hope it was due to her history, with that strangely alien, traumatic event occurring in her childhood.
As for the others, I'm addicted to Huff's military SF Confederate World, as well as Moon's Vatta's War series. No surprises there, they were both enjoyable reads. Ian Healy is a local Colorado author, who self-published his book, The Milkman. It's not generally something I would read, yet it was fresh and readable. I've read worse put out by NY publishers. Bujold's Diplomatic Immunity (yeah, I know it's been around for a while) lived up to her well-earned reputation, but it had special interest for me because of my chemical/biological warfare equipment testing experience. I wanted to smack myself on the forehead and ask, why couldn't I think of this kind of threat! But she's Bujold.
