Kevin's Watch

Shaun das Schaf wrote: Samuel R. Delany's Dhalgren...

Oh I cannot wait to hear what you think of that. I think there's a thread.

And good for you, U.

--A

I won't read the thread because it'll spoil me (and I'm spoiled enough already).

But why can't you wait to hear what I think? Is it controversially received? Or a favourite of yours? Explain yourself! In your own time of course.

It is a favourite of mine. It's also one of the most unusual books I've read. It's...well, read it first and then we can talk about it.

*Looks around* WF usually turns up at any mention of it too...

--A

The only Delany I've read so far is his first novel, The Jewels of Aptor, which was very much an old fashioned sci-fi adventure with nuclear mutants and everything. I understand he went more experimental in other stuff and eventually moved toward just writing porn.

I did notice he was good at creating an image of a character with only a few small details.

Is Dhalgren the one that I've heard is circular?

Avatar wrote:It is a favourite of mine. It's also one of the most unusual books I've read. It's...well, read it first and then we can talk about it.

*Looks around* WF usually turns up at any mention of it too...

--A

Favourite and unusual. Ok, I'm officially looking forward to it now. Actually another friend of mine whose opinion I respect - hang on, that makes it sound like I respect your opinion. That can't be right - highly recommends it too. Got a stack of library books to get through first though.

I'm Murrin wrote:Is Dhalgren the one that I've heard is circular?

Spoiler

It's more like a Möbius strip than a circle, but yes.

In some weird sort of synchronicity, the GF was looking for a book yesterday and a bunch of my poorly shelved ones ended up on the floor. (Well, on top of the books already on the floor because I lack shelf space.)

And when I sat down in my study last night, what should I see on top of the pile but Dhalgren.

--A

Pre-ordered The Last Dark today. Woo hoo! First time I have ever pre-ordered a book. I got a good deal on the trade edition (not the hardback, I'll pick that up later on), €15.99. I think it's around $20 in the US. I should be able to get my hands on it on 16th Oct.

u.

Recent stuff:

- The Ghost Brigades, The Last Colony, Zoe's Tale, all John Scalzi
- The Other Wind, Ursula Le Guin
- Rupetta, Nike Sulway (Read this excerpt, it's good.)

Seasons of War (The Long Price parts 3 and 4) by Daniel Abraham
Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor

It wasn't until I got home and found those in the mail that I remembered I was supposed to buy the Shirley Jackson book while out today.

The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson

Was in the bookshops today and got:

• Renegade's Magic by Robin Hobb. The third in The Soldier Son trilogy.
  A Mighty Fortress by David Weber. The fourth in the Safehold series.

I also got The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (online) for the KW book club. (I was going to suggest Off Armageddon Reef for the book club but it's a bit of a tome, so I suggested something shorter instead )

u.

Skeleton Crew, just days after talking about it in the Lit forum.

--A

The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms, N K Jemisin

Popping in to mention, last books I bought were girl who circumnavigated fairyland n it's sequel girl who fell beneath fairyland by cat valente(haven't started reading yet). Can I mention here that I loved Daniel Abraham's long quarter series 4 it's unique take on long , as in time in-world between books, n also nnedi okorafor-mbachu's earlier books zahrah the windseeker n the other one shadow speaker. (Edit to remove remark about who fears death as i confused it with akata witch, dont remember if i read who fears death as i borrowed all her books from library here). I do know about KWBC for shadow in summer but read that many years ago so not sure got much to contribute. (Oops, edit to notice that was previous month's KWBC, sorry)

Haven't re-read much or maybe anything that started after about 2000, as in that I started reading after or around that year(anything I read or started b4 that I try to re-read every few years like 1&2TC n ASOIAF). Tmi or oot, sorry 4 punctuation, writing this on my phone since no wifi now.

Sounds like you're reading some pretty good stuff. I should get more Valente.

And feel free to contribute to the book club discussions, even after the month we started.

Recently ordered:

The Drowning Girl, Caitlin R Kiernan
The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, Holly Black
The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making, Catherynne M Valente
The Name of the Star, Maureen Johnson

And one more that isn't SF/F, We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo.

It's that time of year:

Ancillary Justice - Ann Leckie
God's War - Kameron Hurley
Crandolin - Anna Tambour
Nights at the Circus - Angela Carter
Obsidian and Blood - Aliette de Bodard
Save Yourself - Kelly Braffett
The Story Until Now - Kit Reed

Mockingbird - Chuck Wendig
The Broken Kingdoms - N K Jemisin

The GF forced me to go shopping alone today, and I happened to find both TLD and Blood And Bone.

I was on the horns of a dilemma, but I decided to read B&B first, then the 1st three books of the last chrons, then TLD.

So I'll be seeing you all in the TLD forum soon.

--A

Recently arrived:

Annihilation, Jeff VanderMeer
The Last Weekend, Nick Mamatas
Range of Ghosts & Shattered Pillars, Elizabeth Bear