Kevin's Watch

The Fantasy book I am reading right now is called : "George W. Bush: The Profile of a Humble Intellectual"


It is truly fantasy.





Just kidding. I am reading somew back issues of the Avengers comics boooks.

I just finished reading "The Dragonbone Chair", the first in the "Memory, Sorrow and Thorn" series... on to "Stone of Farewell", the second one.

"Earth Is Room Enough" - Isaac Asimov.

I'm reading Dan Simmons' Ilium. A little slow-paced, but the plot is fascinating and the scholarship behind it is staggering.

I'm amazed at Simmons' versatility - he's published successfully in even more genres than SRD.

I wish Simmons would try his hand at an epic fantasy.

I've been rereading Gene Wolfe's Latro in the Mist in preparation for the new book in that series coming out on my birthday this fall. What a fantastic birthday gift that will be! Thanks you Gene Wolfe!

I have also been reading Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell, a new science fiction writer. It is very good. It is set on a world inhabited by humans and two alien races. The two dominant human cultures represented (divided by a huge mountain range) are Aztec (complete with frequent human sacrifice) and Carribean. The high tech culture which allowed the humans and aliens to settle this world was lost long ago in a war; when the Aztecs and their alien gods mount a major invasion across the mountains, the other major human culture and their alien allies/gods have to try to desperately regain some of that technology to even have a ghost of a chance against the brutal Aztec invasion and occupation. Greast stuff. Wonderful new voice.

I am going to be reading some Lovecraft books that were recommended to me by my watchmates!

Start with Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath--it has all the Randolph Carter stories in it!

danlo wrote:Start with Dreamquest of Unknown Kadath--it has all the Randolph Carter stories in it!

Will do!!

Reading stories in Polyphony 5, the anthology from Wheatland Press edited by Jay Lake and Deborah Layne.
The story I just finished was Habe Ich Meinen Eigenen Tod Geseh'n (I Have Seen My Own Death) by Paul O. Miles, an interesting one about an old-fashioned arcade game.

I am reading The Bonehunters!

Luci was kind enough to loan me her copy since mine has been on backorder for three freaking months.

It's GOOD so far. And I've barely STARTED it.

Right now i'm reading Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein.Really a great read but ticks me off that we dont have cool technology like that today.I mean come on wouldn't you like to vacation on another planet? Find other planets infested by big bugs and start dropping nukes on em? Oh yeah!! Besides that,i highly reccomend the book but stay awy from that horrible movie,Geez that really sucked wind!! They really needed to do it right or not at all!!!

right now i'm re-readin lord of the rings for the 43rd time (1st little bit of time off i've had in months and the first place i go to is here....well things have gotten better)

Almost done with "Stone of Farewell"... I'm still having trouble deciding whether Tad Williams's approach - obliquely inserting elements of real-world folklore in his fictional world, such as Prester John for example, is something I'm enjoying or not. But overall I like the books thus far... I'll reserve judgment until I finish reading "To Green Angel Tower", though.

Finished "The Wild" by Zindell last night. Luminous, colourful, poetic, and at times like a strange dream. I'll comment more on it in the Zindell thread when I get some time.

Anyone heard of Elizabeth Bear?
She's a US author who wrote a 3-part sci-fi series, titled, "Hammered", "Scardown", and "Worldwired". I read the first one and am just starting the second. I'm not much of a sci-fi fan, but this one has kept me interested. Good characters and interesting story... He lead keeps reminding me of a slightly older female version of Mik Axebrewder.
Anyone concur?...

I've been reading Elizabeth Bear's blog recently, and intend to read some of her work sometime. It's the same situation I'm in with a few writers at the minute, hearing a lot about them but not having enough time or money to get round to reading their work yet. I just finished some stories by Jay Lake, I've ordered one of Kelly Link's collections, and I'm making my mind up where to start with Bear. Would you recommend 'Hammered', then?

Yah, "Hammered" is the first of the 3 part story.

Just starting Winterbirth by Brian Ruckely - forthcoming new, epic styled fantasy effort.

Finished Bloodlines by Karen Traviss (second book in The Legacy of the Force) - looks like a winner of a series, very excited about this storylne.

I've started reading The Briar King by Greg Keyes. A long time since I read just an ordinary epic fantasy, or at least one I hadn't already read something of.

Just finished Raymond E. Feist's FLIGHT OF THE NIGHTHAWKS.

Well, for those who -- like me -- have grown disillusioned with Feist's two latest series, I'm happy to report that Flight of the Nighthawks marks the return of the Raymond E. Feist who captured the imagination of millions of readers worldwide with the Riftwar Saga and the Serpentwar Saga. And yes, it's about time!;-)

A very satisfying read from an author who truly needed to regain his erstwhile form.

Check the blog for the full review. . .

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com