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

[pat5150]

Hi guys!

I have to admit that it was with reluctance that finally decided to read Lois McMaster Bujold's first attempt at fantasy. Very few authors can make the jump between fantasy and scifi, and maintain the high quality for which their books are known in their genre of predilection. Stephen R. Donaldson is one writer who has managed to do that. L. E. Modesitt, jr. is another. But for some reason, I had nagging doubts concerning Bujold.

The advance praise received by The Curse of Chalion was eloquent. Defying comprehension, it was somehow nominated for best novel for both the Hugo and the World Fantasy Awards. And yet, after nearly 5 years, very few "mainstream" fantasy fans have read this book. How could something supposedly so good be so little known?

I have read nothing but rave reviews for Bujold's scifi novels. And I am persuaded that she deserves the praise. However, how The Curse of Chalion ended up on the final ballot for those aforementioned awards is, in my humble opinion, quite a mystery. It's not that The Curse of Chalion is a bad book. Far from it. But it is nowhere near as good as they try to make it sound.

The worldbuilding is particularly weak and leaves a lot to be desired. This is not a work that resonates with much depth, I'm afraid. Hence, after reading books by Neal Stephenson, R. Scott Bakker, Robin Hobb and Katherine Kurtz, the universe contained between the pages of this volume left me wanting for a lot more. Contrary to what someone called a «beautifully layered world,» I found that the story takes place in a mostly static environment.

As it was, no character but Cazaril underwent character growth that is worth mentioning. For the better part of the book, it felt as if I was reading a Forgotten Realms novel. . .

The main plot and the subplots form a very linear storyline. This is no multi-layered fantasy epic. Personally, I prefer convoluted plotlines and a lot of mystery.

All in all, not a bad book. It's just that The Curse of Chalion doesn't live up to the hype. My biggest disappointment is that nothing stands out, nothing shines through. Reading this novel has left me totally indifferent. . .

For the complete review, check out the blog. I was wondering if anyone felt like I did when they read it. Because I know that more than a few people out there enjoyed this book. I know that it all comes down to a question of taste. But objectively, I don't think that this book deserves the praise it has garnered. . .

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

[duchess of malfi]

I enjoyed it quite a bit, and thought Cazaril was a great character. I also enjoyed the follow up book Paladin of Souls.

I enjoy writers who create great characters like Donaldson, Hobb, Martin, and Bujold more than those who are more into pure world building (such as Jordan, who creates a highly detailed world and populates it with very flat characters, especially the female ones IMHO).

[Ainulindale]

I'm with you Duchess, Curse of Chalion I thought was fantastic, with Paladin of Souls being slighly weaker (but more successfull at the awards ballot).

[Dragonlily]

Just picking up HEART OF THE COMET by Benford & Brin. I need a refresher before going on to a serious social commentary novel, and I loved HEART OF THE COMET first time through in 1988.

[danlo]

Heart of Comet :Rs !!!!!!

[Warmark Jay]

Just started The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova; interesting take on the Dracula legend. There are comparisons to The Da Vinci Code but Ms. Kostova's writing style is far superior to Brown's - in other words, it doesn't read like a bad screenplay adaptation.

Not fiction, but a really funny and occasionally disturbing read is
The Men Who Stare At Goats by Jon Ronson. Ronson investigates the origins and evolution of the U.S. military's so-called First Earth Battalion; the plan to develop supersoldiers who could walk through walls, make themselves invisible, and kill with their thoughts. Highly recommended!

[safetyjedi]

I propose that this thread be stickied... I get lots of good suggestions for reading....

[Cagliostro]

Well, if we stretch the Fantasy/sci-fi reality a bit, then I am reading Lamb, the Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore.

[I'm Murrin]

I propose that this thread be stickied... I get lots of good suggestions for reading....

I'm surprised it hasn't been long before now.


Hmm. Who thinks we should retire this thread at 100pgs, and start up a fresh one?

[Avatar]

Does it matter? Making it a sticky is a great idea though.

--A

[pat5150]

I was a bit surprised by the number of replies generated by my review of The Curse of Chalion. Some people obviously enjoyed the book, and they claimed that the sequel was even better. Well, it does appear that our tastes are at the opposite ends of the spectrum, at least where Lois McMaster Bujold is concerned, for it was quite a chore for me to get through Paladin of Souls.

As the old law adage proclaims, there is no point in flogging a dead horse. So I will not elaborate extensively on what I consider this novel's shortcomings to be. But I have to address what, in my opinion at least, was not up to par. And the more I think about it, the more I realize that Bujold just ain't my cup of tea. Which might explain why I can't seem to get into her tales. I have to say, however, that Paladin of Souls receiving the Hugo Award for best novel of the year leaves me extremely baffled.

Lois McMaster Bujold's prose is again above the norm. The narrative flows quite well. Once more, the book reads like a YA novel. As I read most chapters, I found myself thinking back to the days when I was reading Dragonlance and Forgotten Realms books.

As was the case with The Curse of Chalion, the worldbuilding in this one is weak. The fact that Ista spent the major part of this tale traveling around, I was expecting something with a little more depth. Hence, I was disappointed to realize that the worldbuilding still leaves a lot to be desired. Again, the story takes place in a relatively static environment.

The dialogues are a bit better than in the previous volume. But they are juvenile throughout, with some exceptions. In truth, the dialogues are what made me feel as if this was a YA novel. That, and the "all is well that ends well" sort of finish.

The pace is also a factor. The first two thirds of Paladin of Souls are slow-moving. This was not a book that kept me reading past my bedtime, telling myself that just another chapter wouldn't hurt.

The characterizations have improved a little in this volume. But nothing spectacular, mind you. Few characters are truly fleshed out. At the beginning, I thought that it would be interesting to see how Bujold would portray Ista, a former madwoman. But Ista rapidly becomes quite annoying. Unfortunately, there is no character like Cazaril in this one. The supporting cast leaves a lot to be desired. Again, it would have been interesting to see Bujold work a little more with the rest of the characters. The potential was definitely there with a number of characters: Illvin, dy Cabon, Goram, Arhys, and the twins. And yet, other characters, such as Liss, were particularly irritating. There is very little character growth worth mentioning in this one as well.

Perhaps the most disappointing facet of Paladin of Souls is that the main plot and subplots form another very linear storyline. We are a world away from a multi-layered fantasy epic.

In my opinion, Paladin of Souls doesn't live up to the hype. This is something to read on the plane or at the beach. . . Like The Curse of Chalion, reading this novel left me quite indifferent. I read these two books because I wanted to fully appreciate the ARC of Bujold's The Hallowed Hunt that HarperCollins sent me. But I think I need a break from Bujold before I tackle her latest fantasy installment. . .

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

[Ainulindale]

I had been reading Vellum by Hal Duncan (which comes out in August), and give it the highest possible recomendation - ever bit as profound a debut as Susanna Clarke last year IMHO. Wonderful book, possibly the best of the year thus far. Shound not be missed by those who practice good taste.

I just finished The Sandman: Book of Dreams , an anthology edited by Neal Gaiman, some wonderful stories by authors like Susanna Clarke, Gene Wolfe, John M. Ford, Tad Williams etc. This is a great collection, especially for fans familiar with Gaiman's Endless mythos.

Half way through Olympos by Dan Simmons (the sequel to Illium) absolutely not disappointed thus far. Looks like another winner by Simmons - no one is surprised.

Vernor Vinge's A Deepness in the the Sky I put on the backburner because I simply have received to may review copies to be pleasure reading at the moment. First 100 pages of this multiple award winner has me hooked though.

Knocked out Kazuo Ishiguro's The Unconsoled, and read nothing that wavers the opinion that he is a terrific writer. I didn't like it as much as Never Let me Go (his most recent work) but that was probably due to the latter being more genre oriented.

Whats on the plate for me:

I got From the Files of the Time Rangers by Richard Bowes a coupel days ago (comes out in September I believe) has a very intriguing premise and I'm looking forward to reading next week. I have high hopes for this one.

Today I got an anthology (also coming out in September) that is dedicated to Sword and Sworcery work, featuring authors like Vera Nazarian (who is a great author), E.E. Knight, and Tanith Lee. It contains 13 stories in all.


A bit of non-genre, alternative/history I picked up was Ian Pear's The Last Judgement, I really enjoyed his Instance of the Fingerpost, so decided to pick this up.

[danlo]

Wow not only do you read voraciously but I simply can't fathom how you have the time to do it Ain--unless that's your profession and you do nothing else--sorry if it I overlooked it in any bio info you posted on FBS

[Ainulindale]

Wow not only do you read voraciously but I simply can't fathom how you have the time to do it Ain--unless that's your profession and you do nothing else--sorry if it I overlooked it in any bio info you posted on FBS

Hey Danlo!

This is not a profession (as such would imply I'm making a profit ), but admittedly I don't work either and have been out of school for some years now - just a hobby, that goes real well with living by the beach

[danlo]

Oh I'm jealous! If only I were independantly wealthy and could read and write at the beach! Oh btw it's been so long since I've seen an ocean would you please refresh me as what a beach is?

[Ainulindale]

Oh I'm jealous! If only I were independantly wealthy and could read and write at the beach! Oh btw it's been so long since I've seen an ocean would you please refresh me as what a beach is?

Whoa! Independantly wealthy makes it sound awfuly better then it is. Independantly getting by is a more apt phrase.

The beach???Blue with sand, and at this of the year, full of beautiful Italian women and other toursits (some of which are beautiful too:)

[duchess of malfi]

I am halfway through Dan Simmons's Olympos right now, and it is just fantastically good -- fast paced adventure, intelligent, lots of excitement. It is the second half of a duology (the first was the excellent Illium). This, like the works of Zindell, is so good that it transcends genre fiction and becomes high literature. It will help if you are familiar with Greek and Roman mythology and the Shakespearean canon, especially The Tempest if you decide to read this duology. Also Proust.

Also started something I have been wanting to read for a long, long time...the first book in Robin Hobb's Liveship Traders called Ship of Magic. I loved her Farseer Trilogy -- she is a genius at creating full bodied characters -- and this is the second of her three trilogies set in the world of the Seven Duchies.

[Dragonlily]

James White's STAR SURGEON. I want everyone to know this entertaining and inventive series about doctors who treat every species in the known galaxies, even if they have to figure out a new species' physiology in the process.

[Avatar]

Just wanted to add my recommendation to DragonLily's, the series is really excellent, easy to read, and thoroughly enjoyable.

--A

[Dragonlily]

Rereading STARTIDE RISING. I seem to be off on a Brin kick.