What fantasy/science fiction book are you reading RIGHT NOW?

[danlo]

...and what was your take on it?

[I'm Murrin]

Some atmospheric scenes, but seemed to suffer from a lack of immediacy in the recounting.

[danlo]

That's Lovecraft and the time they were written-I suggest Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath, At the Mountians of Madness and The Lurker at the Threshold. The Dunwich Horror and The Colour Out of Space are better stories-the way they treat "The Other Gods" is indirect but scarier that way.

[Encryptic]

Am about halfway through Stephen King's The Eyes of the Dragon. This one seems to be aimed at a YA audience? It's really strange -- I keep getting a deja vue feeling from the story. I'm not sure if there are echos from the Dark Tower books, or perhaps I have read bits of it before?

The Eyes of the Dragon is indeed written in the format of a "fairy tale," although it's suitability for the young might be debated. However, it serves as something of a backfround to the Dark Tower.

Spoiler

Set in the same world, the evil magician, Flagg, is the same guy as the "ageless stranger" in the DT series, and he's Flagg from The Stand as well.

In fact, in perhaps the first DT book, Roland mentions having seen Flagg, ( a magician who turned an irritating man into a yapping dog), and met the two intense young men, Dennis and Thomas, pusuing Flagg through the ruins of a once great city.

--Avatar

I've heard that King wrote Eyes of the Dragon specifically for his daughter Naomi since she didn't care for his horror stuff. It's not exactly the deepest fantasy in the world, but it's still a good read.

[Warmark Jay]

Just finished "Deadhouse Gates" by Steven Erikson. Frankly, I'm torn.

There's a lot to like about it (and the preceding "Gardens of the Moon", which I actually thought was a better book). The characters were interesting, Erikson's "Warrens" as the source of magic was a cool concept, and the gritty portrayal of fantasy warfare was striking.

That being said, IMHO the book suffers from a few things. First, it's poorly edited - it's WAY too long, and rather than "end", it simply "stops". (Granted, it's the second book in a series). Second, Erikson's conflicts and antagonists are not very compelling. The "Chain of Dogs" plotline aside, the Whirlwind and the Shapeshifters are nebulous, abstract antagonists; there's no sense of danger or doom in the book - I never felt that the main characters (or the Malazan Empire) were under any sort of threat. Finally - the book is relentlessly bleak, and depressing to read. I was particularly put off by the numerous scenes of violence directed towards children. (In a way, the book reminded me of the Gap Cycle, but unlike SRD's stories, there wasn't much point to the violence - it seemed to be be there for shock value alone).

[Loredoctor]

That's Lovecraft and the time they were written-I suggest Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath, At the Mountians of Madness and The Lurker at the Threshold. The Dunwich Horror and The Colour Out of Space are better stories-the way they treat "The Other Gods" is indirect but scarier that way.

Agreed. And it helps to establish a sense of mystery.

[Menolly]

Just started Silverberg's Lord Prestimion.

[duchess of malfi]

I've always enjoyed Silverberg's Majipoor books. That world, with all of its races and variety, would be a fantastic place to visit.

I only have a few pages left of King's Eyes of the Dragon. It's been an interesting story. Perhaps its not earth shaking in its depth, but its very readable. Has an interesting backstory for one of the villains of the Dark Tower books.

I also have finished Jack Vance's Demon Princes series. I enjoyed it a lot. The various criminals, hunts for the criminals, and worlds and cultures of the galaxy depicted in the five books were well written and suprisingly gritty given he began the series forty years ago.

Next up: a mystery book lent to me by a friend, and Iain Bank's Inversions.

[Loredoctor]

Let me know what Inversions is like, duchess. I have it but have not read it yet.

[duchess of malfi]

Just the prologue rocked my boat. It was from the POV of an older person, who talks about his mentor, a female doctor and how she had told him that selfishness is the root of all evil. He talks about how he viewed that thought through various stages of his life.

**sigh**

Loves Iain Banks's novels



if Fist were to read the prologue, he would be typing in the whole thing as a quote

[Avatar]

Must say I didn't like Inversions as much as I like the Culture novels or Feersum Endjinn

--A

[I'm Murrin]

Finished The Book of the New Sun. There are a few points I wouldn't mind having clarified, but I have a feeling that any attempt to discuss them would lead me into a long debate I don't think I really want. I think I understood, for the most part.

[Edge]

In the past week, I've read:

'The Babylon Game' - Katherine Roberts
'A Malady of Magicks' - Craig Shaw Hardner
'Interesting Times' - Terry Pratchett (re-read)
'The Doomfarers of Coramonde' - Brian Daley
'Enter The Circle Of Magic' quartet ('Sandry's Book', 'Tris's Book', 'Daja's Book' and 'Briar'sBook' )by Tamora Pierce
'The Circle Opens' quartet ('Magic Steps', 'Street Magic', 'Coldfire' and 'Shatterglass') by Tamora Pierce
'Song Of The Lioness' quartet ('Alanna: The First Adventure', 'In the Hand of the Goddess', 'The Woman Who Rides Like a Man' and 'Lioness Rampant' by Tamora Pierce.

[Warmark]

In the past week, I've read:

'The Babylon Game' - Katherine Roberts
'A Malady of Magicks' - Craig Shaw Hardner
'Interesting Times' - Terry Pratchett (re-read)
'The Doomfarers of Coramonde' - Brian Daley
'Enter The Circle Of Magic' quartet ('Sandry's Book', 'Tris's Book', 'Daja's Book' and 'Briar'sBook' )by Tamora Pierce
'The Circle Opens' quartet ('Magic Steps', 'Street Magic', 'Coldfire' and 'Shatterglass') by Tamora Pierce
'Song Of The Lioness' quartet ('Alanna: The First Adventure', 'In the Hand of the Goddess', 'The Woman Who Rides Like a Man' and 'Lioness Rampant' by Tamora Pierce.

Dont you have work to go to Edge?

[Edge]

Dont you have work to go to Edge?

Actually, I work from home. So I don't have to find busy-work or pretend to be working, once the actual work is done.

Plus, I read really fast.

[I'm Murrin]

Started King Rat. Feels good to be reading Miéville again - something about the way he uses his language makes it a pleasure to read.

[Avatar]

Thought King Rat was a Clavell novel about POW's?

Anyway, busy on The Humanoid Touch by Jack Williamson.

--A

[Ainulindale]

Reading Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds

Thought King Rat was a Clavell novel about POW's?

That's a decent book as well; in Murrin's case it's China Mieville first novel (which is also not Bas-Lag related)

[Dragonlily]

Reading David Brin's KILN PEOPLE. He is so good at exploring all the ramifications of anything, in this case of people making multiple copies of themselves every day. There's a notable absence of heart, except in a flawed copy (a "frankie" ) the protagonist made accidentally. I'm waiting to see if that was his attitude throughout the book, or if it's one of the ramifications that need resolving.

I picked it up after CAST OF SHADOWS because of the cloning theme. Hugely different approach.

[I'm Murrin]

Martin's Fevre Dream.