Tim Powers
I got very excited when I saw that the next Pirates of the Caribbean movie is called "On Stranger Tides", and is actually based on Tim Power's book. It was immediately clear to me that whoever had written the first PotC had been influenced by On Stranger Tides, and now they're going ahead and admitting it! A bit concerned about fitting Jack Sparrow and crew into the plot, but hey.
Anyway, I mentioned this to friends, who turned out to have never read Tim Powers! Scandal! I have at least partially rectified this problem by forcing a copy of OST onto capnoblivious, which seems to be having the desired effect.
Tim Powers writes some of the most crunchy, atmospheric magic systems I know, in interesting historical settings, with interesting and compelling characters.
Every roleplayer should read them, at the very least. Hell, *everyone* should read them.
When I finally started talking to another Powers fan, it turned out we were in significant disagreement over his best works. So I thought I'd put down my list.
My favourite Tim Powers books, in approximate order:
There seems to be a major camp of Powers fans that would put "The Stress of Her Regard" and "Declare" at the top of the list, and "The Anubis Gates" much lower. Everyone seems to put "On Stranger Tides" near or at the top, though.
"Forsake the Sky" is also known as "Skies Discrowned" and "Epitaph in Rust", and was re-released as "The Power of Two" in 2004.
"Three Days to Never" I found very confusing. But I haven't reread it yet. I found EW and ED rewarded a reread quite well. Not sure if this is a recommendation or not, but Powers is a writer I will reread quite cheerfully, even his "lesser" works.
Anyway, I mentioned this to friends, who turned out to have never read Tim Powers! Scandal! I have at least partially rectified this problem by forcing a copy of OST onto capnoblivious, which seems to be having the desired effect.
Tim Powers writes some of the most crunchy, atmospheric magic systems I know, in interesting historical settings, with interesting and compelling characters.
Every roleplayer should read them, at the very least. Hell, *everyone* should read them.
When I finally started talking to another Powers fan, it turned out we were in significant disagreement over his best works. So I thought I'd put down my list.
My favourite Tim Powers books, in approximate order:
- The Anubis Gates - dark magic and time travel in old london.
- On Stranger Tides - zombie pirates! And puppets.
- The Drawing of the Dark - Vienna against the eastern hordes. Hint: The "Dark" is a beer... :D
- Last Call - high stakes occult poker
- Declare - spies and otherworldly creatures.
- The Stress of Her Regard - romantic poets vs vampires.
- Expiration Date - ghosts in modern hollywood
- Earthquake Weather - hard to describe, is a sequel to both LC and ED.
- Forsake the Sky - swashbuckling in the future! One of his earliest works, not as polished as later stuff, but I still enjoyed it.
- Dinner at the Deviants Palace - an early sf/horror thingy. Not bad, but before he really found his distinctive "voice"
- Three Days to Never - time travel and Charlie Chaplin.
There seems to be a major camp of Powers fans that would put "The Stress of Her Regard" and "Declare" at the top of the list, and "The Anubis Gates" much lower. Everyone seems to put "On Stranger Tides" near or at the top, though.
"Forsake the Sky" is also known as "Skies Discrowned" and "Epitaph in Rust", and was re-released as "The Power of Two" in 2004.
"Three Days to Never" I found very confusing. But I haven't reread it yet. I found EW and ED rewarded a reread quite well. Not sure if this is a recommendation or not, but Powers is a writer I will reread quite cheerfully, even his "lesser" works.