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greetings, Adventurers...
What I've Just Finished:
Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. What can I say but... the Wicked Witch of the West was misunderstood! :D I was delighted... Mr. Maguire was very clever to think of writing the other side of the story... the novel is very enjoyable because Oz is so familiar to us all. And once read, one will never look at those familiar characters in the same way again! I will indeed be visiting Mr. Maguire's wonderful world again.
The Wrong Mother, by Sophie Hannah. I picked up this novel because the jacket intrigued me... it turned out to be well worth cracking the jackets. A modern-day British mystery/thriller, it involves a harried wife and career woman who secretly takes one week off from marriage, family, and career.... and is shocked when it comes back more than a year later to haunt her with a vengeance. The pages are stalked by one of the most original and disturbing killers I have ever encountered. The heroine is smart and resourceful. And I couldn't figure out what was really going on until the author wanted me to, which for me is always a bonus.. I tend to avoid mysteries because I figure them out too quickly.
The Magicians and Mrs. Quent, by Galen Beckett. An extremely rewarding read! All the best of Jane Austen's heroines, limited in their choices by societal constraints and the mores of Victorian life...star-crossed romances between social classes... mixed with the best of what we love about fantasy. Complete with a madman in the attic! Although a work of fantasy, Mr. Beckett, I believe, also has much to say here about the nature of the power of the land, the power of place...and the nature of the power that men possess and that which women possess..different, but no less powerful. His aim in writing this novel was to explore the question, "what if the societal constraints of Austen heroines were due to purposeful, magickal intervention?" I shouldn't like to spoil the story with more of the plot...but I will certainly be looking for the forthcoming continuation of the series, according to the afterword, to be titled The House On Durrow Street.
What I'm Reading As We Speak...
The Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures In Narnia, by Laura Miller. Yes, still picking at it. I got distracted by dystopian fiction...
Brave New Worlds, Dystopian Stories; edited by John Joseph Adams. A collection of the best dystopian stories of the post-WWII era.. including my very favorite dystopian short story, of all time, the classic, extremely short yet brutally powerful, "Harrison Bergeron," by Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (I happen to be a fan of Mr. Vonnegut's novels, may he rest in peace.) I feel compelled to share the editor's words from his introduction because I have never seen such an excellent expression of dystopian literature:
"Nineteen Eighty-Four, Fahrenheit 451, and, of course, the book this anthology is named for -- Brave New World -- are the cornerstones of dystopian literature in novel form, but there has never, to my knowledge, been an anthology collecting all the best, classic works of dystopian short fiction in one volume. This book aims to do exactly that, spanning from 1948 to the present day, from what is perhaps THE classic dystopian short story -- "The Lottery," by Shirley Jackson -- to stories just published in the last two years but which will surely stand the test of time.
The roots of the word dystopia -- dys- and -topia -- are from the Ancient Greek for "bad" and "place," and so we use the term to describe an unfavorable society in which to live. "Dystopia" is not a synonym for "post-apocalyptic"; it also is not a synonym for a bleak, or darkly imagined future. In a dystopian story, society itself is typically the antagonist; it is society that is actively working against the protagonist's aims and desires. This oppression frequently is enacted by a totalitarian or authoritarian government, resulting in the loss of civil liberties and untenable living conditions, caused by any number of circumstances, such as world overpopulation, laws controlling a person's sexual or reproductive freedom, and living under constant surveillance.
Whether or not a society is perceived as a dystopia is usually determined by one's point of view; what one person may consider to be a horrible dystopia, another might find completely acceptable or even nigh-utopian. For instance, if you don't care about procreating, then living in a world in which the birth rate is strictly regulated wouldn't seem very dystopic to you; to someone who values that very much, however, having society tell you how, when (or how often) you can procreate would seem like something out of a nightmare. Or a person who doesn't enjoy reading or intellectual thinking might not care if books were banned...or even hunted down and destroyed, as in Fahrenheit 451, whereas you, dear reader, would probably care very much.
Many societies in fiction are depicted as utopias when they are in fact dystopias; like angels and demons, the two are sides of the same coin. This seemingly paradoxical situation can arise because, in a dystopia, the society often gives up A in exchange for B, but the benefit of B blinds the society to the loss of A; it is often not until many years later that the loss of A is truly felt, and the citizens come to realize that the world they once thought acceptable (or even ideal) is not the world they thought it was. That's part of what is so compelling -- and insidious -- about dystopian fiction: the idea that you could be living in a dystopia and not even know it.
Dystopias are often seen as "cautionary tales," but the best dystopias are not didactic screeds, and the best dystopias do not draw their power from whatever political/societal point they might be making; the best dystopias speak to the deeper meanings of what it is to be one small part of a teeming civilization...and of what it is to be human.
And so here are thirty-three such stories, representing the best of what dystopian fiction has to offer. So read them, and be glad that doing so won't bring firemen to your door to burn all your books -- and your house with them." - John Joseph Adams, Introduction
And for those of you like myself, who are mad for dystopian fiction, may I recommend you run, not walk, to your nearest library or book emporium and pick up a copy of The Handmaid's Tale, by Margaret Atwood.... one of the most frightening and disturbing novels I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying. It will make the hair stand on your nape.. it will make you squirm and want to scream in outrage.. it will cause you bad and upsetting dreams. Particularly if you happen to be female. In short.. it's fantastic. :D And no! Watching the movie adaptation doesn't count! Shame on you! :D
In The Ever-Delightfully-Growing Stack To Be Read Next:
Roaring Thunder: A Novel Of The Jet Age, by Walter J. Boyne. Fiction, based on non-fiction.
Bad Moon Rising, by Sherrilyn Kenyon. Werewolf tale.
One Minute To Midnight: Kennedy, Khrushchev, And Castro On The Brink Of Nuclear War, by Michael Dobbs. Non-fiction.
The Overachievers: The Secret Life Of Driven Kids, by Alexandra Robbins. Non-fiction.
George IV: Inspiration Of The Regency, by Steven Parissien. Non-fiction.
Dakota, by Martha Grimes.
The Last Voyage Of Columbus: Being The Epic Tale Of The Great Captain's Fourth Expedition, Including Accounts Of Swordfight, Mutiny, Shipwreck, Gold, Hurricane, And Discovery, by Martin Dugard. Non-fiction.
The Blood-Dimmed Tide, by Rennie Airth.
The Dark Descent, edited by David G. Hartwell. An award-winning collection of horror stories.
The Philosophy Of Horror, Or, Paradoxes Of The Heart, by Noel Carroll. Non-fiction.
Men, Women, And Chain Saws: Gender In The Modern Horror Film, by Carol J. Clover. Non-fiction.
Peter And The Shadow Thieves, and Peter And The Secret Of Rundoon, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson.
The Mabinogion Tetralogy (The Prince of Annwn, The Children of Llyr, The Song of Rhiannon, The Island Of The Mighty), by Evangeline Walton. For those of you unfamiliar.. the Mabinogion is a mind-blowingly ancient cycle of myths and legends from Wales. Miss Walton is not the original author, of course; but the original Mabinogion is intensely difficult to read in its original translation to the English of the day (believe me, I have done, and even managed to write an A+ English paper using it as a major research source,) because of the difficulty of names in the Welsh tongue combined with the difficulty of reading ancient English (even heavily footnoted to guide the lost seeker.) I'm talking way before Shakespeare, friends...even Spenser and Chaucer are a walk in the park next to the Mabinogion, and it makes Beowulf a full-on picnic. (Not that I could ever deny loving that wonderful, violent, terrifying story and re-reading it many times. I love that the oldest surviving written story in English is a horror tale.) And this is a shame, because the difficulty of reading the Mabinogion deters the average person from reading and enjoying the wonderful stories. What Miss Walton has done is take the twelve major branches of the original tales and weave them into narratives that are much less a task and more a pleasure for the modern reader. My respect for her is immense for accomplishing that Herculean task. I trust her capable hands; she received a World Fantasy Award in 1985, and in 1989 she was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award and named a Grand Master of Fantasy by the World Fantasy Convention. The tales of the Mabinogion figure largely in Joseph Campbell's work, and in Arthurian study and scholarship. (And for those of you who laugh and think, oh, King Arthur, so what? Consider this fact: King Arthur is the most written-about and discussed person in the recorded history of humanity, with the sole exception of Jesus Christ. And some believe the two are one and the same.) And no, Rhiannon is not just a song by Fleetwood Mac, and don't believe for a minute that Stevie Nicks and crew didn't know it..even though she batted her eyelashes prettily, looked innocent, and denied it in interviews. :D
Nineteen Eighty-Four, by George Orwell. Finally getting to this one!
Spellbinder, by Melanie Rawn. I adore Miss Rawn's Dragon Prince and Dragon Star novels..I am a citizen of that far country.. this one is a little different, set in our world in the modern day, and regarding witchcraft. I'm excited to give it a whirl, based on my love of her prior work.
How To Be A Better Foodie: A Bulging Little Book For The Truly Epicurious, by Sudi Pigott. I think this is one that will be picked at and used for reference rather than being read through. I am an adventurous culinarian. Did I mention that my favorite program is Top Chef? :D
Anthem; The Fountainhead; and Atlas Shrugged, all by Ayn Rand. Write to me in care of the Tower of London... lol! Just kidding..The sheer size of Miss Rand's work is impressive.. but I am undaunted and up for the challenge. These are classics of American literature by any measure, and considered masterpieces of conservative political ideals in literature. Her work has been on my list for a very long time. And may the eminent lady rest in peace.
Full Dark, No Stars; and Blockade Billy, both by Stephen King. ummm.. did anyone miss the part that I'm a masochist? I make myself suffer by forcing myself to wait to read my favorites for last. Delicious anticipation. :D
With that, fellow Adventurers, this merry girl is off to maneuver herself crutches and all into the sunshine... to read of dystopian worlds...and make soap bubbles. I happily am possessed of a brand-new big-ass bottle of bubble soap and funky new wands and bubble pipes. Ah, the simple and beautiful pleasures of spring and life!
Due to the accident I was involved in and the resulting severe head injury, I have been forced to slow down my reading because it causes ghastly headaches... ironically, because of being laid up half crippled, the first thing my family and friends think is to bring me books. Thus, the list of things still to be read is longer and the ones I've finished not half as long as I'd like!
What I've recently finished....
The Book of Lies, by Brad Meltzer. Mr. Meltzer has a series on the History channel called Brad Meltzer's Decoded... he is a conspiracy theory enthusiast, and his show is very entertaining.. recent episodes have taken a look at the Rosicrucians, and the Statue of Liberty.. which may not be all that she seems. I enjoyed this novel greatly. It centers around a real-life unsolved murder.. in 1932, Mitchell Siegel, a Cleveland tailor, was shot to death at his place of business. The murder has never been solved and the murder weapon has never been found. Mitchell Siegel's son, Jerry, in the wake of his father's death, dreamed of a bulletproof man... and became the teenage creator of Superman. This mystery is true...and the genesis of Superman in the imagination of a grieving son is also true. The novel connects it with the Biblical mystery of the first murder, namely, Cain and Abel, and goes into theories surrounding another real secret society, the Thule. I did some research concerning the Thule when I finished the novel..they are a truly frightening group, if any remnants of them still exist. Many high-ranking Thule members became Nazi war criminals. Hitler dedicated "Mein Kampf" to a high-ranking Thule member, and indeed, it is a matter of record that the Thule placed Adolf Hitler into power and founded the Nazi party. I know.. I know.. these things don't possibly seem like they could be connected. Mr. Meltzer weaves a clever and plausible story that had me anxious to turn the page and find out what was going to happen next! In the vein of The Da Vinci Code, but in my opinion, Dan Brown is not a talented writer.. and Mr. Meltzer's skillful meshing of fact and fiction was, in my opinion, far and away much better than The Da Vinci Code.
Small Favor, by Jim Butcher. This is a novel of the Dresden Files, which numbers quite a few in the series, and I understand there is also a tv series on the SciFi channel based on the novels. I was unaware of the existence of the novels until speaking with a relative who is wild for them. Subsequently I ran across this novel in a bargain bin and decided on the recommendation to give it a whirl. Mr. Butcher, where have you been all my life??!! Harry Dresden, the hero..think wisecracking tough-guy a la Philip Marlowe or Sam Spade... as a wizard, the wizard of Chicago, in fact, battling fallen angels, evil Faerie critters, and all manner of things that go bump in the night. He works also in conjunction with earthly human law enforcement. Wickedly funny, unsettling in its plausibility, and unbelievably well-written... Small Favor refers to the Queen of Faerie, in particular the Queen of the Winter Court of Faerie, Mab, calling in a favor from Dresden. Remember Don Corleone? "One day, and that day may never come, I will call upon you to do a favor for me." Yup.. that's exactly the kind of favor that Dresden owes to Queen Mab. I am a new convert to the cult of Dresden. This novel was everything that Laurell K. Hamilton could be... if she was capable of writing a balanced line of prose, and if she had any imagination beyond how to get Anita Blake into bed simultaneously with as many men, vampires, lycans, and incubi as possible, in every chapter if possible. Run.. do not walk.. and find a copy of any one of the Dresden Files. Mr. Butcher has also begun a new series called the Codex Alera. This reader for one cannot wait to go further into Dresden's world.
What I'm reading as we speak...
The Magicians and Mrs. Quent, by Galen Beckett. Bored and curious, I went looking for Mr. Beckett on the web, and lo and behold what the Internet can reveal.. Galen Beckett is a nom de plume for an author named Mark Anthony..evidently Mr. Anthony has written a fantasy series called the Rune series if I'm remembering correctly..and he has also written a large number of books in the seemingly eternal Forgotten Realms and D&D novels. This novel, "Galen Beckett's" first, is set in a place that looks a lot like Victorian England... has a history a lot like Victorian England..and a society much like Victorian England.. but it appears to be some parallel realm, called Altania. Mr. Beckett's impetus for writing this novel was in his wondering...what if the social mores of the day, in particular Jane Austen's time, according to his blog, were actually set into place through the intervention of magickal means? So far, it's a treat. It combines the best things we love about Jane Austen and the things we love about fantasy stories.
more later... head is hurting. be well friends!
What I've Just Finished:
The Cathedral Of The Sea, by Ildefonso Falcones. A heavy, thick, and gorgeously jacketed novel, written by a Barcelona author and translated from continental Spanish, this story takes us to 12th century Barcelona and the true story of the building of one of the most important cathedrals in Spain, through the life of a single man whose lifetime coincides with, and is intertwined with, the construction of the Cathedral Of The Sea. Fascinating.. gripping.. and enlightening.. I could not put it down, and would never have known that this book was not written in English originally, so skillful is the translation.
Edenborn, by Nick Sagan. If the author's name sounds familiar.. yes, he is the son of Carl Sagan, famed astronomer, author of Cosmos and Contact, and founder of SETI, the Search For Extraterrestrial Intelligence. Edenborn is the second in a post-apocalyptic series.. an Earth devastated by plague and now inhabited by a grand total of less than two dozen humans..those humans having been genetically re-engineered as something perhaps both more and less than human, by bioengineers working frantically against the clock in the last days of plague. A good ripping read for those who, like myself, enjoy this sort of story. :)
Blood Noir, and The Harlequin, both by Laurell K. Hamilton. What can I say.. Miss Hamilton's books are nothing short of preposterous.. absolutely ridiculous.. but sexy, entertaining, and fun. If you are a Twilight fan, a Underworld fan, or the like.. you will probably enjoy this series, of which these are only two, featuring the exploits of Anita Blake, Vampire Hunter. But be warned.. this is not at ALL serious fiction..and skates awful close to being outright pornography.. but it is a lot of fun on a cold night in a hot bath!
The Enchantment Emporium, by Tanya Huff. Homegrown magic and longstanding witches in the wilds of Canada... entertaining, fun, with a tendency to avoid the ridiculous, but still does not take itself too seriously. With an extended coven of busybody witch aunts, sisters, and cousins, Miss Huff's novel is a good read that will make those plagued with an excess of interested family laugh out loud at the familiar.
Under The Dome, by Stephen King. What can I say about the eminent Mr. King? this novel is very long, and nothing short of a masterful coup, in my humble opinion as a lifelong fan. To speak of it would spoil this amazing story.. just trust me, and get your hands on a copy sooner rather than later.. its size may be daunting, but before you turn the last page you'll be wishing the book was twice again as long so that the story doesnt have to end so quickly. King himself says this story's pace is about jamming down the accelerator and not hitting the brakes till the end.. and it lives up to his promise.
Shutter Island, by Dennis Lehane. For those of you who have not yet seen the Scorsese adaptation of this novel into a movie, which was actually quite good and very faithful to the novel.. go and read this book.. it has a gut-punching twist that is a wonderful reward for all the mystery and tension in the novel. I enjoyed it immensely.
The Scalpel And The Soul, by Dr. Allan J. Hamilton. Dr. Hamilton is a Boston neurosurgeon and the consulting neurologist for the television show Grey's Anatomy. His true stories are of the miracles and the proof of the human soul that surgeons see every day and do not talk about. Filled with both humor and tears, his stories will amaze and inspire, and are well worth reading.
Grave Goods, by Ariana Franklin. A mystery set in 12th century England.. involving the mystery of the tragic fire that burned Glastonbury Abbey to the ground, and the possible discovery of the bones of King Arthur. Another novel that would be spoiled by saying too much.. but a ripping good yarn that will have you turning the pages long into the night.
The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, by Katherine Howe. The author is a Massachusetts native and a direct descendant of two accused Salem witches, one of whom survived when the Governor returned from Europe, one of whom was tried, found guilty, and hanged. Miss Howe's novel centers on the idea that although modern prevailing wisdom is that although many people at Salem, 1692, were accused of witchcraft, that none of them were actually practicing witchcraft. What a discovery for history if it were found that at least one person WAS practicing witchcraft! The story flips back and forth between late 17th century Massachusetts and early 21st century Massachusetts.. and is a wonderful read.. for anyone like myself who is fascinated with the Salem trials, it is impossible to put this book down.
Currently Reading As We Speak.. Yes, As We Speak... lol...
Wicked, by Gregory Maguire. Yes, I know this one has been around and bestselling for a while and there has already been time for a number of sequels to appear.. but I am just getting to it. It's delicious. The satire, the politics of Oz, the commentary on our own society.. so far it's brilliant and extremely entertaining because of the familiar Wizard of Oz stories and characters.
The Magician's Book: A Skeptic's Adventures In Narnia, by Laura Miller. Miss Miller is the co-founder of Salon.com and a literary critic.. this is a literary criticism of C.S. Lewis and the Narnia novels, from a reader whose first love is The Lion, The Witch, And The Wardrobe. So far.. filled with fair-minded insight.. and love glowing across the pages for this magical land which so captivated so many of us.. and fascinating glimpses into the man C.S. Lewis was.
The Bloody Chamber, by Angela Carter. A collection of short horror tales.. it has already won me completely with the first story, also called "The Bloody Chamber." With my love for retelling fairy tales, this first story is a brilliant retelling of "Bluebeard," surprisingly full of D/s Lifestyle references, and delighted me no end by presenting me with two new vocabulary words, which are rare for me to find anymore.. "cthonic".. and "lustratory." go look them up, it's good for you. She's right up there with Anne Sexton in my book and I'm only one story into the collection.
In The Stack To Be Read Next:
Peter And The Shadow Thieves, and Peter And The Secret of Rundoon, by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson (the anonymous author behind the Diary Of Ellen Rimbauer, posing as Joyce Reardon.) Retellings of the Peter Pan tales of Sir J.M. Barrie.
Full Dark, No Stars, and Blockade Billy, both by Stephen King.
The Wrong Mother, by Sophie Hannah.
The Book of Lies, by Brad Meltzer.
Bad Moon Rising, by Sherrilyn Kenyon.
The Magicians And Mrs. Quent, by Galen Beckett.
Dakota, by Martha Grimes.
Happy reading, fellow adventurers..
