1) Ward Shelley's map of science fiction. It will probably surprise no one that I am particularly intrigued by the prehistory of SF, beginning with Fear and Wonder and including the Gothic Novel (Anne Radcliffe! Matthew Lewis! Charlotte and Emily Bronte! Wilkie Collins!). I am less impressed with the male-centric account of recent decades, but I ( Read more... )

I read The Nation for many reasons. Here are two of them.

1. This week's issue contains China Miéville's review of J. G. Ballard's Complete Stories. Completely aside from the very interesting account of Ballard's work, the review is notable for Miéville's comments on the question of whether Ballard can or ought to be considered a writer of SF. An ( Read more... )

Here's a book situation I'd like some input on from those of you in the know...

A year or so ago, I picked up the first volume of Mary Gentle's The Book of Ash (published in two four volumes in U.S. paperback). It had ended up on my list on the basis of its being mentioned by someone (don't remember who) in an LJ conversation about something (don' ( Read more... )