the Library Bar...Club...Establishment...Saloon...

[Mouse]

Well, as I semm to be the only one doing these reviews these days, maybe it's time to let this thread quietly crawl off and fade away...........

The Pillars of Creation by Terry Goodkind

I have a confession to make. I like Terry Goodkind and his “Sword of Truth” series, so I was looking forward to this latest slice of the continuing saga of Richard Rahl, Kahlan et al. Plus, of course, he is responsible for inventing the Mord-Sith However, Richard and Kahlan don’t even make an appearance until page 500 out of 557 [img]graemlins/crazyeyes.gif[/img]

What we have here is a brave attempt to show the war between the Old World and Lord Rahl’s territories from a fresh perspective, and largely it succeeds. The usual strengths are there – plot twists, unusual and grotesque characters and some nice set pieces devices. Also, there are Goodkinds weaknesses as well, the chief amongst them being the simplicity of his character’s motivations. Let’s be honest, no reader is going to give themself a headache trying to work out what motivates the main protagonists in a Goodkind book – the author makes that patently obvious.

Overall then, I would give this book a cautious thumbs up. It’s not the best in the series, but it’s not just a “filler” either.

[ 02-04-2002: Message edited by: Mouse ]</p>

[Djinn Raffo]

I've been reading them and appreciating them Mouse...but yeah...i think we the only ones...and me only after you. Thank you for your reviews. This thread has been helpful to me because it got me reading Iain Banks. I read Inversions and Excession. Both awesome...and i plan on reading more...what should i pick up next?

Also it pointed me to John Le Carre, thanks Jabidas, whose book i still havent read but plan on it dutifully when the time arises.

Hey Lord of Alcohol...did you finish up Chung Kuo...what about it!! I loved em and would love to hear what you thought about em.

Ill have another review soon Mouse.

Again Thanks for the reviews.

[Mouse]

OK, Djinn, here's a short review for you (and anyone else who might care to look )

From the Dust Returned by Ray Bradbury

This review does not have to be too long. Ray Bradbury, in my opinion, is one of the truly gifted writers of the last 50 or so years. In this book he revises and republishes the tales of some of his most enduring creations, the Elliott Family, the House and the strange rituals of Homecoming.

At times Bradbury weaves words in such a way that "narrative" seems inadequate to describe the text - it becomes more like a prose poem. It’s a term much overused, but what we have here is true genius.

[Djinn Raffo]

Ray Bradbury!! Well he the classic no?

O! here is my review!

Ok. A great friend of mine (my love) i was talking to recently about a book called the Dao of Pooh...by Benjamin Hoff. It is a book about the bear from Winnipeg known as Winnie the Pooh...but more so this book is an evaluation of this bear's zen lifestyle. He simply lives his life as those about him rush to and fro doing there thing...all the while Pooh is.

a quote:

"When you wake up in the morning, Pooh," said Piglet at last, "what's the first thing you say to yourself?"
"What's for breakfast? said Pooh. "What do you say, Piglet?"

"I say, I wonder what's going to happen exciting today?" said Piglet.

Pooh nodded thoughtfully.

"It's the same thing," he said.

Here's another quote:

"Everything has its own place and function. That applies to people, although many don't seem to realize it, stuck as they are in the wrong job, the wrong marriage, or the wrong house. When you know and respect your Inner Nature, you know where you belong. You also know where you don't belong. "

It is a very good book that is suprisingly simply...accessible to everyone...this book has passages that relate to you. Yes you.

[ 02-09-2002: Message edited by: Djinn Raffo ]</p>

[Mouse]

<font color="forestgreen">Like some strange leviathan roused for it’s eon-long slumber, Mouse pokes this thread and it rises from it’s resting place on page 12 of the forum to once more contemplate the heady heights of page 1 with a jaundiced eye………</font>

Virconium by M.John Harrison

Here’s the setup, I wander into my local library and browse the shelves. Suddenly my attention is caught by a book spine “Fantasy Masterworks” and the title as above. Having read the blurb (with quotes from Katherine Kerr and Clive Barker no less ) I grabbed it and took it home.

Soooooooo – what did I get. Well, this seems to me to be a mixture of a Jack Vance “Dying Earth” concept with sprinklings of Peake’s Gormenghast and Moorcock’s “Dancers at the End of Time”. It is chock full of decadence, decay and hopelessness. If you like that sort of quasi-gothic setting where all the characters are helpless pawns of an uncaring universe, then this is for you. As for me, I just could not care less. I can admire the imagery of the setting and some of the writing is quite stunning, but overall I just did not connect with this book. In fact, I almost contemplated abandoning it, but finally finished just for the hell of it.

Overall then, not a pleasure. If anyone is interested, for a much more enjoyable work in the same vein, check out Perdido Street Station by China Mielville

[Mouse]

Now that I've revived this thread, I'm not going to let it drop again that easily..........

Pavane by Keith Roberts

This is an example of a well-established genre of SF/fantasy - “alternate history”. In this setting, Queen Elizabeth 1st of England was assassinated, The Spanish Armada invaded and the power of the Catholic Church remained supreme throughout the globe. The result is a world where technological progress has been stifled and the writ of the Pope is the supreme authority.

The book itself is a series of linked episodes where characters lives and actions contribute, to a greater or lesser extent, to cataclysmic changes in this imagined world. In contrast with Virconium which shares some of the same characteristics and structure as Pavane, Robert’s book is a pleasure to read. His characters are three-dimensional and he manages to make you care what happens to them. The world he has placed them in is utterly plausible given the premise that has lead to its evolution, and the events in which they are involved keep you engrossed until the end. This book even has a touch of mysticism to keep fantasy fans happy .

Perhaps this book is best summed up in the words of the author Brian W. Aldiss :-

"A rare and beautiful novel"

[J_E_G]

This is my first post, so don't be to Harsh,

Just some thoughs on the Sci-Fi books you have mentioned

Iain M Banks - Has written may good books but has not managed to surpas Consider Pilibas which in my opinion has a similar level of emotional impact as Flowers for Algernon, and is almost as well written.
If you are looking for something similar however (but not as good) i can recommend Neal Asher and his series set in the Polity (GridLinked and The Skinner) which are okay.

Peter F Hamilton - I have read almost all of his work, and i must say i enjoyed the Nights Dawn triolgy over the Mindstar Rising Trilogy, but i think his best work has to be Fallen Dragon, which is amazing. If your looking for something similar try Richard Morgans Altered Carbon, which is amazing and you can also try some Michael Marshal Smith but he goes go Philip K Dick towards the end of his books (ie God or something from another dimension appears during a gunfight and everything goes Errol Flynn), the best MMS is however One of Us, and the scariest is his short stories called What You Make It (the first story left one of my friends in emotional shock for a week).

Adam Roberts - I have only read one of his books, Salt but it is on a par with Dune (in fact much better) and a really good read, but very depressing.

Keith Roberts - I found Pavane to be a good book but unfulfilling, i have however not been able to find anything similar anywhere else. The worst part has to be the rather contrived ending.

My favourites
Fantasy - The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
I am Legend - Richard Matheson(i think, same guy who wrote the book Stir of Echos was based on)

Sci-Fi - Philip K Dick is the daddy, but far to many to make an choice from.

Worst thing i read recently
Appleseed by John Clute - avoid this book like the plague, it should be burned with every one of Ed Greenwoods novels and then the ashes should be shot into the sun to ensure it never contaminates this planet again

[J_E_G]

Does anyone know how many books the Sci-Fi Masterworks Series (50 so far by my count), and the Fantasy Masterworks Series (i think about 20??) contain.

[Mouse]

Welcome J_E_G [img]graemlins/wavey.gif[/img]

If you have trawled through this post from page 1, you will see that it's open to everyone to post their opinions. Feel free to jump right in.

Btw, being off work today (flu or something similar) I have just popped into the library to get some more books out. Next up is Roger Zelazny's "The Chronicles of Amber" or Fritz Leiber's "Ill Met in Lankhmar" or Jan Siegel's "The Dragon-Charmer" or possibly Will Self's "My Idea of Fun"

Choices, choices

[Attalus]

Hey, I think I'll join. Lemme think of the last fantasy book I read, and I'll get back to ya.