Currently on the bookshelves...

[danlo]

I spent an interesting morning at Barnes and Noble and even drank (gods forgive me) Starbucks coffee.

Why B & N? Well it was across the street from where I was having a new set of tires slapped on the Bird. Aren't Fantasy/Sci-Fi aisles pretty? Man, I could get lost in them for days. It feels just like home. Anyway, I've taken into consideration a number of new authors and thought I'd scope out hard whatever was available--not enough, apparently at B & N but some interesting finds. I went straight to Mieville and they did have the two books I was most interested in, The Scar and Perdido Street Station=they look fascinating and Station is now on my b-day wish list. I hear that Clark's Jonathon Strange and Mr. Norell is, like, the best thing out there now-and it looked really good: magic, Napoleonic times and a bit like Jane Austen-but I don't know if I'm ready for it yet. I almost bought Conquerer's Moon by Julian May--I really want that book.

What pissed me off most about B & N was that they only had one Iian Banks book, Excession. I hear it's good but I really wanted to check out Consider Phlebas, Use of Weapons and The Algebraist. Now there's tons of David Drake and Sherri R. Tepper, but only one Banks book!?? grr....
Carey's stuff looked interesting, as did Kurtz...and damm! I just thought of it! I forgot to look for Robin Hobb!!! (quickly builds a "The Professor's" kick-self-in-the-butt machine ) Some Cheryll, Cryptonomicon looked extremely tasty as did the beautiful Mordant's Need trade covers. Now what other authors were on my list? Hmmm...

[duchess of malfi]

I will gladly mail you my copy of Meiville's Perdido Street Station. I tried very hard to read it, but his writing style really grated on my nerves and I couldn't finish it.

Banks is a wonderful writer. But the book you mentioned, Consider Phlebas is hard to find. I finally had to order a used copy off of the internet. Well worth the search, though.

So far I have only read Robin Hobb's three Assassin books, and I thought they were wonderful. She has a true gift for creating memorable, vivid characters.

[Loredoctor]

There are many copies in Brisbane - give me your address danlo and I can send a copy to you. Danlo - I recall that I owe you a favour, so I will get one to asap.

[[Syl]]

I was just in B&N myself. Saw Bakker's The Darkness That Comes Before in trade paperback. I really want to pick that up (and I think it's a series you'd enjoy particularly, danlo).

[duchess of malfi]

I have been hearing great things about Bakker.

But then, again, I have have been hearing great things about Meiville, too, and I found him to be unreadable.