Author Interest

The following fantasy authors have caught my eye recently, for one reason or another:

Joe Abercrombie
Scott Bakker
Alan Campbell
Steven Erikson
Robin Hobb
Paul Kearney
Scott Lynch

Has anybody read their works? Thoughts?

Currently Reading:
Fading Suns, second edition revised
Castles & Crusades Players Handbook

The Future of Destination Wonder

Working up my list for next year's Destination Wonder.



Year 1: 2005-2006
Sept. 2005: Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson
Oct. 2005: Ring, Koji Suzuki
Nov. 2005: V for Vendetta, Alan Moore, et al.
Dec. 2005: The Etched City, K.J. Bishop
Jan. 2006: A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr.
Feb. 2006: The Light Ages, Ian R. MacLeod
Mar. 2006: Fitzpatrick's War, Theodore Judson
Apr. 2006: Galveston, Sean Stewart
May 2006: Watchmen. Alan Moore, et al.

(Temporary hiatus occurs)

Year 2: 2007-2008
Sept. 2007: The Curse of Chalion, Lois McMaster Bujold
Oct. 2007: Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
Nov. 2007: I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
Dec. 2007: The Golden Compass, Philip Pullman
Jan. 2008: Small Gods, Terry Pratchett
Feb. 2008: Paragaea, Chris Roberson
Mar. 2008: Resume with Monsters, William Browning Spencer
Apr. 2008: Last Call, Tim Powers
May 2008: Hyperion, Dan Simmons



I'm seriously contemplating asking the group if they'd be willing to read an entire trilogy of books as a single selection, given said trilogy weighed in around 600 pages or so. Specifically, the first three Earthsea books by Ursula K. Le Guin:

A Wizard of Earthsea
The Tombs of Atuan
The Farthest Shore

Maybe they'll go for it.

Maybe they'll just shoot me.

It's a toss-up, really.

SFBC's Top 50 SF and Fantasy Books? Hmmm...

My friend, Michael (see list of blogs I read to the right) has mentioned that I don't post very often, either here or on my other blog, Roman's Colosseum at LJ.

*sigh* He's right, of course.

So, I am going to try to make an effort to post something daily. I really should make more of an effort, as I enjoy building and growing online communities.

That said, I'm continuing the meme of the meme he began with The Top 50 Science Fiction and Fantasy books according to the Science Fiction Book Club

1- The Lord of the Rings, J.R.R. Tolkien
2- The Foundation Trilogy, Isaac Asimov
3- Dune, Frank Herbert
4- Stranger in a Strange Land, Robert A. Heinlein
5- A Wizard of Earthsea, Ursula K. Le Guin
6- Neuromancer, William Gibson
7- Childhood's End, Arthur C. Clarke
8- Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?, Philip K. Dick
9- The Mists of Avalon, Marion Zimmer Bradley
10- Fahrenheit 451, Ray Bradbury
11- The Book of the New Sun, Gene Wolfe
12- A Canticle for Leibowitz, Walter M. Miller, Jr.
13- The Caves of Steel, Isaac Asimov
14- Children of the Atom, Wilmar Shiras
15- Cities in Flight, James Blish
16- The Colour of Magic, Terry Pratchett
17- Dangerous Visions, edited by Harlan Ellison
18- Deathbird Stories, Harlan Ellison
19- The Demolished Man, Alfred Bester
20- Dhalgren, Samuel R. Delany
21- Dragonflight, Anne McCaffrey
22- Ender's Game, Orson Scott Card
23- The First Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, Stephen R. Donaldson
24- The Forever War, Joe Haldeman
25- Gateway, Frederik Pohl
26- Harry Potter and the Philosopher's [Sorcerer's] Stone, J.K. Rowling
27- The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
28- I Am Legend, Richard Matheson
29- Interview with the Vampire, Anne Rice
30- The Left Hand of Darkness, Ursula K. Le Guin
31- Little, Big, John Crowley
32- Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny
33- The Man in the High Castle, Philip K. Dick
34- Mission of Gravity, Hal Clement
35- More Than Human, Theodore Sturgeon
36- The Rediscovery of Man, Cordwainer Smith
37- On the Beach, Nevil Shute
38- Rendezvous with Rama, Arthur C. Clarke
39- Ringworld, Larry Niven
40- Rogue Moon, Algis Budrys
41- The Silmarillion, J.R.R. Tolkien
42- Slaughterhouse-5, Kurt Vonnegut
43- Snow Crash, Neal Stephenson
44- Stand on Zanzibar, John Brunner
45- The Stars My Destination, Alfred Bester
46- Starship Troopers, Robert A. Heinlein
47- Stormbringer, Michael Moorcock
48- The Sword of Shannara, Terry Brooks
49- Timescape, Gregory Benford
50- To Your Scattered Bodies Go, Philip Jose Farmer

The ones I've read are in bold.

The problem with lists of this sort is, of course, that not all classics age well (I'm looking at you, Stranger in a Strange Land).

Also, there's no way everybody's going to agree on which should belong (which is a good thing, really).

If we allow for anthologies of short stories, I would have included New Worlds, edited by Michael Moorcock--back in print after far too long.

Also, if I had only 50 books I could list, I would absolutely remove Interview with the Vampire and The Sword of Shannara.

It's good to see Sturgeon's More Than Human on the list.

I would plug the Dying Earth tetralogy by Jack Vance into one of those spots, and include both Clark Ashton Smith on this list, as well as Robert E. Howard. And where the hell is Edgar Rice Burroughs? Come on, SFBC! What the hell?!


Thoughts?

Things That Make You Go Hmmmm ... # 87

Seeing these two books next to each other on the library shelf.



Oh, and yes, the fact that the second book is one I've recently blogged about wanting to read? Complete coincidence. It has nothing to do with me being a brilliant selector of Fantasy, Science Fiction, and Horror for my library. Nothing whatsoever.

...

What?!

Adding to the Books I'd Like to Read Soon

Glen Cook's "Dread Empire" and "Black Company" series.

Steven Erikson's "Malazan Book of the Fallen" series, with its offshoot books about the characters Bauchelain and Korbal Broach.

More Books I'd Like to Read Soon

Scott Lynch's novels in his "Gentlemen Bastards" sequence:

1. The Lies of Locke Lamora


2. Red Seas Under Red Skies

Wuxia as SF?! Yes!

Recently, in my gaming group, there was a brief discussion about whether or not wuxia was fantasy.

To wit, the discussion went something like this:

Me: "Is wuxia really fantasy?"

Everybody Else: "YES!", with the subtext of "Obviously, dumbass!"

Granted, there were a few more comments than that, and they were more tactful, but you get the gist.

I, however, remained ... not unconvinced, but not completely convinced, either.

For my part, I originally conceived of wuxia more along the lines of pulp fiction rather than strictly fantasy, or any other genre. Thus, a mish-mash blend of history, occult, and ass-kickery. Moreover, as I understand it, a lot of the popular wuxia tales were actually Chinese pulp fiction written in the early 1900s.

Wuxia seemed to me a lot closer to the Shadow than to the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, Harry Potter, or Conan, though it might be more closely compared the exploits of Cuchulain or Beowulf, in the sense of bad-ass warrior heroics. Then again, the knights errant style of wuxia also pushed it a bit closer to King Arthur in my mind. Wuxia also has a bit in common with the Spaghetti Western, sharing some elements (outsider comes to town, restores order, leaves town) with Kurosawa's films, said films having influenced Spaghetti Westerns in the first place.

Ultimately, though, I thought that wuxia had a different flavor than the Western notion of "fantasy"; moroever, this difference seemed to me to go beyond merely cultural differences. Wuxia, I thought, is its own thing.

Then ...

G.M. Skarka, RPG designer, mentions the following when discussing his current project, Far West:

"I wanted some element of the fantastic -- the wuxia tales feature high-flying kung fu, but seldom do the tales involve "magic", as fantasy fans would define it. The majority of 'magical' elements in wuxia stories are secret knowledge -- alchemy, hidden techniques, etc. Far-fetched, to be sure, but within the realm of "science", as it was understood. Given the 19th-century vibe of the western, the best analog to that would be steampunk. Far-fetched, but within the realm of "science", rather than the truly magical."

Now that actually sounds like a reasonable conception of wuxia. Moreso, I think, than the "fantasy" label. Not so much magic, but secret knowledge and techniques. Granted, it doesn't match our conception of SF in the modern era, but it does seem to relate to Chinese history in the same way Frankenstein or the works of Jules Verne or Steampunk relate to Victorian history. It's also science fictional in the same way as the prana-bindu fighting arts of the Bene Gesserit in the Dune novels. (And yes, I do know that wuxia predates Dune.)

Wuxia as SF--a very interesting idea. I kinda' like it.

Review: "The Curse of Chalion"

Bujold, Lois McMaster. The Curse of Chalion.
New York: Eos-HarperCollins, 2001. 442 p.

Brief Teaser

Cazaril has survived war, betrayal, and the galley-master's lash.

Naturally, his troubles have just begun.

As servant to Royesse Iselle of Chalion, Cazaril braves both sword and intrigue in order to protect his charge in the royal court of Cardegos. Arguably "blessed," touched by a patron god, Cazaril must also find a means to end a terrible curse upon the royal line, lest a kingdom be doomed.

Notes and Possible Spoilers

Bujold created a delightful, entertaining, and thoroughly engaging world in this novel. Patterned after our own world's 15th century Spain, Chalion feels warm, vibrant, and lived-in. The characters have strong, distinct personalities that infuse their archetypes, whether they be "Loyal Servant," "Princess," or "Scheming Usurper."

I was impressed by the magical elements Bujold has created for her world, though perhaps "miracles" and "curses" would be a more accurate descriptors. The eponymous curse twists its victims such that their virtues and strengths become their undoing, and while the novel's five gods, archetypal and easily apprehended by the reader--Father, Mother, Son, Daughter, and Bastard--are active in our world, they can only work through humans who have offered themselves up to the gods' will. With a rare exception, there is no flashy special effects magic. Rather, the strengths and virtues of those touched by a god are their primary resources, though there is some indication that the gods can manipulate events toward producing a desired outcome. However, it's no joy to be a god-touched saint; as one character phrases it: "The gods do not grant miracles for our purposes, but for theirs. If you are become their tool, it is for a greater reason, an urgent reason. But you are the tool. You are not the work. Expect to be valued accordingly."

In addition to the above, there are moments of fierce action, tender romance, and sufficient political intrigue to satisfy the most ardent Machiavellian. If you enjoy these elements in your fiction, then I heartily recommend The Curse of Chalion.

Buena lectura.

Series

Book one of the "Curse of Chalion" series.

Descriptors

Fantasy
Low-magic
Mythic Fiction
Political Intrigue

Similar Authors

Jacqueline Carey

Awards

2002 Mythopoeic Award

~A thousand times ...