The Third, Fourth, and Fifth books of 2009
I read The Riddle Master of Hed trilogy over the last three days. I probably could have read them in less, but I felt like taking a day per book. I tend to forget Patricia McKillip when I am listing my favorite authors, but she blows me away with her gorgeous and subtle descriptions and the depth of her characters and intricacies of her plots. It is very, very possible that this trilogy is my favorite book of all time. (And I count it as one book because they are short, you can't read them by themselves and the first time I read it was as a single volume printing that my mom owns.
(the three books in order)
The Riddle Master of Hed
Heir of Sea and Fire
Harpist in the Wind
I have also realized that I want to be able to draw strengths in my writing from her. I don't want to write "just like her" because I want to write just like me. But she is a powerful writer. Even though she is not as well known as some of the other fantasy writers of her generation. (Harpist in the Wind was copyright 1979) I would love to be able to learn from her, but two things stand in my way, and both of them are me. I have such a hard time slowing my brain down while I am reading enough to see how a writer puts things together and how they allowed their characters to develop over the course of the story. That is why rereading is such a help to me, even though I don't do it very often. There aren't very many books that are interesting enough for me to be able to read them more than once every couple years.
The other thing standing in my way is that when I read such an amazing book that I want to emulate things from it, I think, how could what I have to offer ever stand beside this? It happens on a semi-regular basis. These books, American Gods and Anansi boys, Possession by A.S. Byatt, Contact by Carl Sagan, Stephen King...I could probably find more if I really tried, but I am sure that you get the picture. I try to remind myself that even if I don't do as awesome as them, I am still going to be better than some of what is out there already. No offense to anyone, because I devoured them too, but I can write better than Stephanie Meyer did in the Twilight series. I also believe that I could probably write Anita Blake/Merry Gentry better than LKH does (whose books I am also addicted to). But it is hard to remember that in the face of such greatness.
(the three books in order)
The Riddle Master of Hed
Heir of Sea and Fire
Harpist in the Wind
I have also realized that I want to be able to draw strengths in my writing from her. I don't want to write "just like her" because I want to write just like me. But she is a powerful writer. Even though she is not as well known as some of the other fantasy writers of her generation. (Harpist in the Wind was copyright 1979) I would love to be able to learn from her, but two things stand in my way, and both of them are me. I have such a hard time slowing my brain down while I am reading enough to see how a writer puts things together and how they allowed their characters to develop over the course of the story. That is why rereading is such a help to me, even though I don't do it very often. There aren't very many books that are interesting enough for me to be able to read them more than once every couple years.
The other thing standing in my way is that when I read such an amazing book that I want to emulate things from it, I think, how could what I have to offer ever stand beside this? It happens on a semi-regular basis. These books, American Gods and Anansi boys, Possession by A.S. Byatt, Contact by Carl Sagan, Stephen King...I could probably find more if I really tried, but I am sure that you get the picture. I try to remind myself that even if I don't do as awesome as them, I am still going to be better than some of what is out there already. No offense to anyone, because I devoured them too, but I can write better than Stephanie Meyer did in the Twilight series. I also believe that I could probably write Anita Blake/Merry Gentry better than LKH does (whose books I am also addicted to). But it is hard to remember that in the face of such greatness.