K. J. Parker, The Engineer Trilogy

I started reading K. J. Parker with the publication of "Amor Vincit Omnia" in Subterranean and in Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine a couple of years ago, and I loved the story, reprinting in last year's Best of the Year book. I quickly snapped up the Subterranean Press novellas Blue and Gold (which is ( Read more... )

Priest, Barnes

I've been terribly remiss in keeping up my little quasi-journal of books I've read, so I'm going to try to start catching up. So I'll being doing very short capsules of books I've read over the past year or so, in no particular order.

I'll begin with two very highly regarded books from 2011, both of which became embroiled in awards ( Read more... )

Books Considered: Julian Comstock, by Robert Charles Wilson; The World Swappers, by John Brunner; The Tipping Point, by Malcolm Gladwell

It's been a while since I've posted -- sorry! One reason is that I spent a week in the Baltimore area on business. But mostly I've just been busy with regular review assignments. Anyway, a pretty good variety of ( Read more... )

Books Considered: The City in the Lake, by Rachel Neumeier; A Young Man Without Magic, by Lawrence Watt-Evans

At Archon last year I shared a panel with Rachel Neumeier, whose first novel, The City in the Lake, was published by Knopf in 2008. Rachel was kind enough to give me a copy, and I've finally gotten around to reading it.

It's a YA novel, a ( Read more... )

CRAZY HEART; Speak, Memory

Last night we saw CRAZY HEART. It stars Jeff Bridges as an aging, alcoholic, country singer. This is the role for which he won the Best Actor Academy Award. The costars are Maggie Gyllenhaal as a reporter with whom he has a fling, and Colin Farrell as a younger singer whom he mentored, and who has become a big star.

The ( Read more... )

Books Considered: The Sea's Furthest End, by Damien Broderick;  Graustark, by George Barr McCutcheon; What's So Funny, by Donald Westlake

Damien Broderick is an Australian (now living in Texas) writer, editor, and critic who has been publishing for well over 40 years. He's made the occasional splash with novels like The Dreaming Dragons and The ( Read more... )

I haven't made a personal post in some while, it seems. Well, you know, mostly things are pretty uneventful. Melissa is back from Clemson for the Christmas break. Clemson is playing in the Music City Bowl today (Sunday) in Nashville, which is only a 5 hour ride from St. Louis, so we decided to buy tickets and go -- perhaps our only chance to see ( Read more... )

Books Considered: The Anthologist, by Nicholson Baker; Half a Rogue, by Harold McGrath

My latest two non-SF novels were published about a century apart. The Anthologist is Nicholson Baker's brand new novel. Half a Rogue, by contrast, was published in 1906, by Harold MacGrath, a best-selling novelist (and an early writer for films) who is all but ( Read more... )

Books Considered: Emissaries From the Dead, by Adam-Troy Castro; The Magician's Book, by Laura Miller; Atmospheric Disturbances, by Rivka Galchen

I probably won't do these books justice here ... just trying to catch up, while various deadlines impend.

I still have not read even one of the 2009 Hugo nominees for Best Novel, but I keep reading 2008 ( Read more... )

Ace Double Reviews, 85: Captives of the Flame, by Samuel R. Delany/The Psionic Menace, by Keith Woodcott (#F-199, 1963, 40 cents)

This Ace Double includes novels by two of the great writers in the field. "Wait!", you might say, "Samuel Delany I understand. But Keith Woodcott! I never even heard of him." Ahh ... but Keith Woodcott was a pseudonym for ( Read more... )