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[randomways]

Also, in addition to my brief tale of conversational gaffes and soul-sucking awkwardness in my last post, I meant to direct a question to my f-list:

On the heels of KdS's analysis of spec-fic, I've been thinking about my on-going struggle to update my personal canon of sci-fi and fantasy. My dilemma has been to avoid the "pulp" stuff (if, while

Comments

[midnightsjane]

I like the old school stuff like Le Guin and Tolkien too. I don't have any recs, but I do have a good friend who owns both a science fiction/fantasy bookstore, and a vast knowledge of the genre. He can tell by the books you read who you might enjoy, and give recommendations;
http://www.deadwrite.com is their website, and I'm sure Walter would be happy to help if you drop him an email.

[randomways]

Thanks! I've looked over it and have formulated some ideas. The sheer numbers of the genre books are staggering, so I'll definitely need some sort of spirit guide to lead me past the landmines of "our hero, a 20th level Drow Enchanter with a +3 Wand of Immaculate Imitation" type books. :)

How do I address him? Coming out of the blue with a random "howdy, stranger, this is what I like, cater to me" e-mail seems a little abrupt.

[midnightsjane]

His name is Walter, and I'll tell him I told you to email him. Just mention that their friend Jane sent you!
He'll be happy to help.

[randomways]

Thanks! I'll formulate an e-mail (once I formulate my thoughts, heh) and contact him sometime this week, then. You've been very helpful.

[angels_nibblet]

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke is the best fantasy book I've read in....a long time. And one of the best books in general. Don't know if you'd like it, but I love it with a mad passion.

Other than that, the only fantasy I really read nowadays is by a woman called Kate Forsyth, but she's an Aussie so I don't know how readily her books are available outside of Oz and NZ. I really like her series though, because I feel like she can actually write good characters, which is something missing from many sci-fi/fantasy writers these days.

I understand where you're coming from, most of the fantasy I see on the shelves these days is so derivative. I used to live in the Sci-fi/Fantasy section, now I barely venture in there.

[randomways]

I'm pretty sure I have a friend with possession of said "Strange" book -- I should ask her for a look-see.

For me, good characterization and good world-building are both very important. Granted, lots of the old-skool stuff skimps a little on characterization, but the opposite extreme, where it's all about Our Hero and little about the world and the ideas, is almost worse for me because at that point, it's like reading Lord of the Rings written as a teen wangst drama set entirely in a Southfarthing tobacco field...on the beach.

The only thing I really venture into the sci-fi/fantasy section to get anymore are certain short-story anthologies. Though I do glance wistfully at the incomplete sets of out-of-print series.

[ashenmote]

Do you have those covered when you say you've run through the Golden/Silver Age fiction?

Patricia McKillip, particularly "Riddlemaster" and "Forgotten beasts of Eld".
Hans Benmann, "Stone and Flute".
Joy Chant "Red Moon and Black Mountain", "The Grey Mane of Morning".

And I like Donaldson just fine, emo be damned.

[randomways]

Those escaped me -- primarily because they really started publishing just after the era of sci-fi/fantasy that my dad could fill me in on :) What am I looking at with regards to them, i.e. what sort of stories/mythos do they write?

I have a love/hate relationship with Donaldson, teetering toward the love. The excessive angst does tend to wear down, and the, um, "florid thesaurus" approach of the 2nd Chronicles of Thomas Covenant was a bit much, but he's a magnificent world-builder and knows how to tell a really good story with fascinating characters.

[ashenmote]

I see Donaldson's main characters as kind of the grumpy museum guide who shows you around. Just try to ignore him, enjoy the exhibition and sekkritly resolve to leave him no tip. And yeah, the second chronicles were hard to tackle and standing on their own I would have dropped them. Even though he has new places to show and new stories to tell, and it's not just the land revisited. I liked his two Mordant books better than the second chronicle (but less than the first chronicles, of course). I love the lords so, so much, especially in book two and three

[randomways]

Interestingly, a friend of mine has informed me she actually owns several McKillip novels, so I can check those out as soon as she can get them to me. Hooray for serendipity, eh?

High fantasy works just fine for me if the writer has skill, so I can definitely run with Ms. Chant's stuff. Indeed, it's sorta what I'm looking for. And if cherchez la femme ever gets old, I've yet to see such. It may be a stupid question, but is his work translated into English? German is a lot of fun to read, but since I don't understand many words that aren't actually titles of Wagner operas, I'd be pretty lost

[ashenmote]

Oh, and I can't help you with the 21th century. You tell me.

[ymfaery]

I haven't been reading much sci-fi/fantasy stuff lately, but I used to like David Eddings and Raymond Feist (although I haven't really kept up with Feist's latest stuff).

[randomways]

I've read Eddings, and a dear friend of mine adores him. I can get into him on occasion because 1) he's prolific, so I know if I do manage to get into the story, my reward will be a lot of reading to come; and 2) if you ignore the slightly smug dichotomy between the know-it-all characterizations and the spoiled brat characterizations, the books make for a pretty decently kinetic plot. But I've never really felt the need to re-read him. Which is a shame, because re-reading series gives me great pleasure.

I've looked over Feist and I just can't get into it. I'm not sure exactly how to describe it...it's like Robert Jordan, where I feel like he's writing for a pre-made audience. Obviously, they all are, but some of them seem to gear their books around that fact more than others do. Heh -- as I said, I'm not sure how to describe it.

[ymfaery]

Heh. Haven't thought of Eddings' characterizations that way, but it makes sense.

Which of Feist's books did you look at? The later ones are a little hard to get into if you haven't read the earlier books, and even then, he might throw a monkey wrench or two. Although it might be considered a good thing that he's willing to kill off much-loved characters if the plot calls for it.

[randomways]

I honestly don't remember which -- it wa one of my snap judgments where I read a couple dozen pages and put it down. But a friend of mine has them all (she claims), so I could be certain to start with the earlier ones and give them another chance.