FINALS, or, Why The Internet and I Need To Break Up
Finals week, it is here and it is going to murder me in my sleep. Possibly with a spoon and nightmares about terrible grades. It doesn't help that the Internet has been offering up particularly wonderful tidbits lately, or that I have committed to two, count 'em, two separate bigbang stories, one of them for Sherlock Holmes, of all things, which
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Cryptonomicon: Split between the perspectives of a modern computer security programmer and a WW2 soldier/cryptologist on missions so bizarrely secret and arcane even he barely understands them, Cryptonomicon explores with brilliant prose and engaging adventure the ethics and purpose of codes, and more generally, information itself. Also sex and guns.
Name of the Wind: Stephen and I are both fanboys of this book, which departs from the DnD-inspired fantasy adventure genre to deliver the story of hyper-intelligent, fast-as-fuck learning, and all-too-human Kvoth, in a world of magic whose depth and atmosphere puts the whole damn genre to shame. It's gripping, heart-wrenching, illuminating -- for reference, when Stephen handed the book to Becky, she gobbled it up in a matter of days. Damn good book.
A Song of Ice and Fire: A seven-part series of which only four books currently exist. It's medieval fantasy, but you don't realize the second-half of that qualifier for some time. Its subject matter is far more concerned with political intrigue, character profiles, and the personal tribulations, trepidations, and triumphs of the cast -- which gets swapped around a bit every book. For a girl enchanted by mystery and romance, I think this book is more up your alley. And if my review seems a bit lackluster, don't be misled: the books are fantastic. I spent all summer reading them and basically nothing else. Its characters are of a depth and humanity not often seen, and its treatment of morality means you can sympathize even with the villains -- or at least, some of them. Others you will just love to hate.
Between Stephen and myself, we own all the mentioned books. If you're interested, just ask.
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