Appreciate an Author

[sartorias]

There's been a lot of stuff said about the Hugo ballot controversy, with the inevitably angry and hurt and divisive fallout, so the suggestion of taking today to appreciate an author sounded like a great idea. Except who

Comments

[ritaxis]

Our own Heather Rose Jones! Her Alpennia books (Daughter of Mystery is already in print) are also excellent examples of fantasies that are not stupid and all the same. Believable, smart, capable women are navigating interesting landscapes: their struggles involve adventure but the victory state is not sword and crown tiresomeness.

[sartorias]

Oooh, thanks for that link!

[ursule]

Seconded! sartorias, I think you will really like this series. The characters are compelling, and the historical backdrop is fascinating.

[sartorias]

Thanks for the recco! Ordered!

[asakiyume]

I'm looking forward to reading Seven-Petaled Shield!

My reasons for appreciating authors have everything to do with their non-writing activities... so that seems beside the point? When it comes to authors whom I appreciate for what they write... I guess I really appreciate ones who've taught me things, either life-things or writing things. You're one! (I know you didn't post this to hear that, and probably you're rolling your eyes, but it's true.) In recent years it's been more writing-craft things and less life-things. People I've appreciated very recently include rachelmanija, Zadie Smith, Sofia Samatar, and Sherman Alexie. These people, in different ways, have expanded my sense of what can be done with writing and storytelling. .... But there are many, many more whom I appreciate for telling awesome stories that I can lose myself in--but yeah, that's what my Goodreads chronicles, I guess.

[sartorias]

Authors are human beings with lives, so appreciating them in that sense I think is totally awesome, too!

[maryosmanski]

When I can manage it (we're in the midst of home remodeling and additions), I am very much enjoying Andrea Höst's "Pyramids of London" which you recommended about a month ago.

[sartorias]

I am so glad you're enjoying it!

[morgan_dhu]

I 'd like to suggest indie fantasy writer Intisar Khanani. I recently read her novel Thorn, which develops the Grimm Fairy tale The Goose Girl into a sophisticated meditation on justice and revenge. Also, a female protagonist who grows into strength, and a well-paced storyline.

[sartorias]

That sounds awesome. Thank you for this new name to check out!

[elialshadowpine]

I remember liking Ross's Darkover work much better than some of the ghostwriters that MZB had before she passed. I'm blanking on the author name, but the author who did the Shadow Matrix set was dreadful, IMO; it was so very, very different from MZB's style that, at the time, I wondered if it was written by someone else (turns out I was accurate there.). Ross's tone and cadence is much closer to MZB's, while being modernized (for instance, a lot of MZB's work is 3rd person omniscient; Ross doesn't do omniscient

[sartorias]

Kameron Hurley's first was way too grimdark for me, but these other new ones look awesome! (I remember fondly Frostflower and Thorn from way back.)

Thanks for the recess!

[elialshadowpine]

Yeah, I personally love certain types of grimdark, although they are all written by women. Anne Bishop's Black Jewels is pretty grimdark, but it's actually comfort reading for me. I suppose it goes with the whole goth thing... *g

[sartorias]

Thank you for these suggestions! Even though I am familiar with a couple of them, they are here for others to discover.