Kevin's Watch

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

My all-time favorite sci-fi book! I'd like to see a movie; CGI dolphins!

Have to say, though, that I was very disappointed with the sequel novels ("Brightness Reef", etc.).

I didn't much enjoy THE UPLIFT WAR, and didn't go on to the following trilogy. This time I'm going to try.

Years of Salt and Rice by K. Stanley Robinson. Finished Ender's Game at about 3.00 am Thurs. during my flight back from Calif. My copy of YoSaR is a UK edition mass market paperback that has a lovely geometric pattern for the cover

Finished Richard Bowes' From the Files of the Time Rangers - starting to focus on a sword/sorcery anthology Lord of Swords.


After that going into Hobb's new work, and Brett Hall's The Improbable Riddly Jenkins

Reading THE UPLIFT WAR now. So far, I'm thinking the reason I had trouble with it before was that the odds against the beleaguered planet were so huge and the opponents so malevolent. It helps to know the ending.

Thank gods! The Uplift War is great--it's just tuff switching all of a sudden-too easy to become totally enamored of Streaker, Dolphins, battles, etc...besides Atheclena is one of the coolest names ever invented. Sundiver's good too but I had to back up a great deal as I read Startide and Uplift first.

It also helps now that I've connected emotionally with one of the characters, the chimp Fiben.

That triad leadership arrangement among the Gubru, and listening to the thoughts of each of the leaders, is fascinating, too. The Gubru are so believable, in spite of their strangeness, that the threat they pose is especially scary.

I agree about The Uplift War. Really top knotch (and I liked the whole run of scenes between the Tymbrimi and Thenanin ambassadors too).

Just got Absolution Gap by Alastair Reynolds.

If you like the chimp you should like Sundiver (lots of chimps--I think Fiben and the main chimp from Sundiver are related. I like Criedeki, Tom, Emerson and the Niss machine) the first book.

I love SUNDIVER. It may be my favorite Brin. Fabulous introduction to the society, the alien characters, and the Uplifted ones. An exciting creation of the expeditions exploring the sun.

The second trilogy got a bit weird in places, but I enjoyed it. The two main plot lines deal with: (I'm not sure if these should be spoilered or not, but what the heck?):

Spoiler

a planet where renegade/threatened races to go to hide from the galactic society, and must learn how to live together

and -- STREAKER!!!!! YAY!!!!!

The second trilogy requires alot of patience, but it's well worth it in the end: Emerson, singing Hoons, poor g'keks--- Mudfoot and Dwyer rule!!! I've always imagined Brad Pitt with long hair (and a decent sense of humor--ala A River Runs Through It) playing Dwyer.

Where the heck ARE those damm dolphins!!!???

Thanks. That's very encouraging.

This afternoon, I started Viriconium by M. John Harrison. It was one of those instances of being in a second hand book shop, and picking up a random book I've never heard of, by an author I don't recognise, simply because it's there and sounds interesting. The fact that it's part of the Fantasy Masterworks series helped. So far...dark and very strange. In some ways, it reminds me of Gormenghast.

The person responsible for the blurb wrote:Viriconium: the Pastel City was the last bastion of the civilised world, where Queen Methvet Nian ruled supreme.

In Viriconium, the young men whistle to one another all night long as they go about their deadly games. If you wake suddenly, you might hear footsteps running, or an urgent sigh. After a minute or two, the whistles move away in the direction of the Tinmarket or the Margarethestrasse. The next day, some lordling is discovered in the gutter with his throat cut. Who can tell fantasy from reality, magic from illusion, hero from villain, man from monster...in Viriconium?

This afternoon, I started Viriconium by M. John Harrison. It was one of those instances of being in a second hand book shop, and picking up a random book I've never heard of, by an author I don't recoginise, simply because it's there and sounds interesting. The fact that it's part of the Fantasy Masterworks series helped. So far...dark and very strange. In some ways, it reminds me of Gormenghast.

You just mentioned 2 of the 3 best works in the history of the genre IMHO.


M. John Harrison, besudes being hard for me to believe somone hasn't heard of him - is a simply a god. He is probably best known for his Virciconium works that are the chief influence of some recent authros like China Mieville, K.J. Bishop, Steph Swainston, among others (Mieville going as far as to say, either Harrison or Wolfe are the greatest living writers in the english language).


When deciding who has written the best sequences in the genre, IMHO it's either Peake's Gormenghast or M. John Harrison's Viriconium, (and the not mentioned Jerusalem Quartet by Edward Whitmore).

Far from a one-trick pony, he has a couple of other superior novels out, Course of Light, and Signs of Life - and a terrific collection, Things that Never Happen.

Viriconium is simply incredible, it hasn't been surpassed since it's release, and IMHO nothing before it noticeably better - there may be works on par (as I mentioned Peake), but nothing that can IMHO claim to be significantly superior wiith any level of veracity.

Strange how this title has been brought up at a few places today But that's good, it should be required reading.

I'm on Clash Of Kings now. These are great books!

Indeed they are! Tyrion rules!!!

Ainulindale wrote:M. John Harrison, besudes being hard for me to believe somone hasn't heard of him - is a simply a god ... Far from a one-trick pony, he has a couple of other superior novels out, Course of Light, and Signs of Life - and a terrific collection, Things that Never Happen.

My mind boggles that someone has heard of him. Neither the author's name nor any of the titles you mention mean anything to me at all. Before reading many books, I have at least heard of the author or the title - but M. John Harrison and Viriconium are completely new to me.

Check out Fantasy Book Spot. com, Cjr. Those guys find SO many new, and apparently great, sci-fi and fantasy authors it makes my head spin!

Thanks for the tip, Danlo. I'll check it out.