Link Soup

It’s been a very busy few weeks with the move and a bit of work travel, but things are seemingly starting to calm down a bit to almost manageable levels. So, here are few things that have caught my eye lately.

• John Scalzi is saying some interesting things about YA fiction – it sounds like I may need to read more of it.

• Cory Doctorow has an interesting article over at Locus – with the main point seemingly being that advance reviews on the internet do little for sales. I’m not sure I entirely agree on the point – for example, I believe that a fair amount of Patrick Rothfuss’ success is due to the effective building of pre-release buzz by Daw’s marketing group. I also get a bit defensive in his bit about blogs, which wasn’t entirely negative, but still felt like a low blow – I know I my technorati ranking is well above 4 (I think its 52 at the moment, though it’s been as high as the mid-90s in the past). Then, I’m not a hug fan of the way technorati does things since it doesn’t account for message boards and other ‘regular’ website links and I’ve found it often doesn’t count international links, but I digress.

• My friend Larry of the OF Blog has taken a step into the freelance world with a for-hire review at Strange Horizons of Joe Abercrombie’s Last Argument of Kings. I hear he’s got something in the works with Jeff VanderMeer and Amazon for a review of the forthcoming Carloz Ruiz Zafón book.

• The Fantasy Book Critic reviews Andrzej Sapkowski’s The Last Wish. He didn’t like it as much as I did (or Larry and Adam), but enjoyed it more than Pat. In my opinion, many ‘Western’ people are not fully appreciating some of the ‘non-Western’ aspects of this book that really made it work well for me.

• Adam Roberts reviews Richard Morgan’s forthcoming The Steel Remains – it is a fun piece of writing in and of itself. A tangential discussion arose at Westeros over the literary value of NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

• A major volcanic eruption in Chile – stuff like this always interests me.

• Reno suffers through an earthquake swarm – is a big one yet to come?

• A sinkhole swallows Texas (well a small part of it anyway).

Winners of Amber and Blood by Margaret Weis

With the help of random.org, I have the winners of a copy of Amber and Blood by Margaret Weis that I had up for grabs. Congratulations to Gustav from Lund, Sweden, Buddy from Gauteng, South Africa, Zsolt from Gyomro, Hungary and Antoine from Roslindale, Massachusetts USA. Thanks again to the folks over at Wizards of the Coast for making this happen.

Ragamuffin by Tobias Buckell

Tobias Buckell follows up his debut novel, Crystal Rain, with an explosion of scale in Ragamuffin – we move from Caribbean-inspired steampunk/science fiction to full-blown space opera. Buckell is an action-packed, fun author of both subtly and brevity who is too often overlooked.

Ragamuffin begins by introducing Nashara, a human clone with modifications that upgrade her to ‘kick-ass’ and hold a nasty surprise weapon for the ruling alien empire, the Benevolent Satrapy. Nashara is on the run from an essentially failed mission, seeking a way to get home to one of the human dominated worlds long since cut-off from the empire. Humans have enjoyed a degree of independence as they survive on the fringes of the Satrapy, but a new policy of apparent elimination emerges as Nashara and others fight for survival. About half-way through the novel, Buckell rejoins the survivors on New Anagada from Crystal Rain and joins the two plot-lines – escalating things even further and leaving the promise of more to come in Sly Mongoose (August, 2008).

Buckell is oft lauded for a return to the roots of space opera with an interesting Caribbean spin – an adventure of the sort Hollywood drools over. This emphasizes the strength of Ragamuffin, while covering up the more subtle aspects that I found more enjoyable – battles, explosions, and general mayhem are great (and covered extensively in other reviews), but underlying these is some satisfying meat. Crystal Rain struggles with the ultimate weapon and the consequences of its use – we see both result and potential presented in various forms throughout. Ragamuffin evolves this theme further as we confront the reality of two species coming together to achieve a common goal – survival. The wrongs of the past cannot be forgotten and the way of the future is uncertain to say the least as each will do whatever they feel necessary to survive. Parallels to the world we live in are there, and in the blink of another explosion, Buckell moves on. Whatever the hope for the future is, Buckell doesn’t get there in Ragamuffin, but I eagerly await seeing where it does go in Sly Mongoose – surrounded I’m sure by explosions, war, and Pepper and Nashara kicking serious ass.

Buckell keeps things moving quickly and page counts relatively low. For me, this is a huge plus in spite of it raising a few issues. Characterization often suffers a bit for this – the main characters are generally portrayed well, others are caricatures and some leave us wanting much more. Of course this isn’t always the case as I literally applauded the death of a particularly annoying character that I suspect I wasn’t meant to applaud. At times the pacing can feel as if it moves in fits and starts and some relationships between characters seemingly spring from nowhere. But overall, these issues are minor and don’t spoil a refreshingly enjoyable read.

Ragamuffin builds on the strengths of Crystal Rain in a huge escalation of scale. These Caribbean-inspired books are loads of fun with something to offer all fans – highly recommended. 7.5/10

Related Posts: Review of Crystal Rain, Tobias Buckell Answers Questions Five

New Contact Info

I mentioned in an earlier post that my mailing address has changed due to a move. Well, my email address has changed too - and my previous provider didn't waste any time deleting the account. I've updated my email address in my contact info on the side bar and sent out change of address emails to most of you, but feel free to contact me if needed. My new email is pretty simple - combine nethspace and gmail in the form that makes the most logical sense for an email and your there.

Win a Copy of Amber and Blood by Margaret Weis

The good folks over at Wizards of the Coast have sent me 4 copies of the latest Dragonlance book, Amber and Blood, for giveaway. This is Volume 3 of the Dark Disciple Trilogy and I’m sure it’s highly anticipated.

The Dark Disciple's fate will alter the future of Krynn.

In the concluding volume of this post-War of Souls trilogy, Mina learns the truth about herself and the terrible knowledge drives her insane. Rhys, the monk of Majere, accompanied by his dog Atta and the kender Nightshade, is given the dangerous assignment of guarding the crazed god, escorting her on a long, strange journey to the mysterious place known as Godshome, where Mina hopes to find the answer to the riddle of her existence. Their path is fraught with peril, for the undead Beloved want to make Mina their leader, even as the death knight Krell wants to seize her and Galdar tries to deliver Mina to her most hated enemy.

So, the rules are basically the same as you see elsewhere. Send me an email at
nethspace [at] gmail [dot] com
You’ll need to appropriately edit the email so I can avoid the spambots, or you can click on the email link in the sidebar which is coded ‘special’ to block the bots. Use AMBER in the subject and include your full name and mailing address (no P.O. boxes please). Only one entry per person. This contest not geographically limited, so it’s open to all. The deadline is Saturday, May 3rd.

The Martian General’s Daughter by Theodore Judson

I try not to judge books by their covers, but The Martian General’s Daughter by Theodore Judson had me eagerly anticipating the book by the cover alone (cover by Sparth). I love the portrayal of the weathered old general dressed in a uniform looking like a holdover from the Civil War in front of an undeniably futuristic backdrop. On further examination I am drawn to the perhaps more compelling image of a young woman hovering in the background. When combined with the overall sense of shadow and decay, the cover becomes the perfect metaphor for the words to follow.

Set about 300 years into the future, The Martian General’s Daughter follows General Peter Black, both an ordinary and extraordinary man, and a general of unquestionable loyalty in a time when loyalty means little and gets you nowhere. General Black rose through the ranks in his service to older and perhaps more honorable Emperor’s and unquestioningly supports the new Emperor, insanity and all.

General Black is an alien among sad, corrupted men – a force to be reckoned with, in spite of his mundane and almost ordinary character. His introduction provides the best example:

The red dust the machines were raising was becoming very thick around the conveyer belt; some of the officers—including Brigadier Harriman, the second-in-command—were choking on the rolling clouds and were frantically waving their hands in front of their faces to make patches of breathable air. One of these officers, a young Spaniard named Arango, remarked to me how well the general endured the dust; the others were making a great show of their suffering while the old veteran remained seated, his eyes held straight ahead and his body rigid. “He is an example to us all,” said the young man. Not until the messengers came with the letter from Garden City did he realize that the general had gone to sleep.

At once we see the respect the general garners from the men serving him, the unexpected truth, and a hint of what his betters would think.

Told through the eyes of Justa, the general’s illegitimate daughter, we see the final throes of a once mighty empire. The story gains new dimensions as it moves forward – becoming as much the story of Justa as the general. We slowly learn bits and pieces of Justa’s past as she relates the story of her father. As an empire decays, we feel that Justa thrives and grows. In the end, we have three stories in one – the death of empire, the biography of a great general, and the growth a young woman.

Judson retells Roman history with this futuristic tale – standing on the well-known (and so often not headed) tenet: “Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it”. A better student of history than I will be able to judge the success of Judson’s historical parallels, but they feel right to me. This book can be read as the retelling of history, a cautionary tale of the future and past, or a subtle yet biting satire on our own America. In that Judson certainly succeeds without browbeating that can be so common.

The prose can be rather dry at times and the ending leaves conflicting emotions within me – the greater of which believes it to be fumbled in a warm-fuzzy kind of way. But these are not great enough weaknesses to take away from a thoroughly enjoyable book. 7.5/10

Miscellany

Here is another post of links I’ve found interesting over the past couple of weeks and a bit of general news. First, Neth Space is moving – at least the physical address is. Later this month I’ll be leaving the heat of Phoenix for the cool mountain air of Flagstaff – I can’t wait! So, my mailing address is changing – I’ve contacted most of those who send me books and such through email, but if this is news to you, send me an email (use the link in the sidebar – it’s pretty much spam-proof). Speaking of email, that may have to change too since I’ll be switching providers, but again, contact me and I can get you another email address that won’t be changing.

In another bit of news, Neth Space passed the 50,000 visits according to Site Meter – sure this is small potatoes for many of you out there, but to me, it’s something of milestone. Of course I don’t trust Site Meter all that much since I know it misses some visits and doesn’t account for RSS feeds, but it is a number I can point to. Thanks to all you new and repeat visitors – it does an ego good ;).













So, on to the links…

• I’m getting tired of all the posts about how to write reviews. Thankfully I’ve chosen to ignore most of them, but it seems Larry gets around.


• Another new interview with Scott Bakker – I’m more and more excited to read Neuropath. Hopefully my copy will arrive soon and Scott will get back to me with his Questions Five.


• Tobias Buckell takes a look at how Tor’s free e-book program has influenced his sales.


• John Scalzi lets fans know how to approach him – hint, it’s not from behind in the conservatory with a candlestick.


• Good things happen on (rare) occasion in the Arizona legislature.


• Landslide closes a major highway in Arizona – don’t get me started on the many ways ADOT screwed this one up.


• I wrote a negative pseudo-review and got a lot of attention out of it – see how civil discussion quickly turns into a blatant example for why authors shouldn’t respond to reviews. I gave up on the discussion because it got to the point that the things I want to say about it don’t forward the discussion (yes, this is political-speak and something of a gross understatement).


• I spent April Fool’s Day working in Bagdad – no, the other Bagdad.
  
  

Is Science Fiction Antithetical to Religion?

SF Signal's Mind Meld tackles a fairly weighty question this time around with some rather interesting answers from some of the biggest names in science fiction right now. I enjoyed reading this - I enjoyed agreeing with and disagreeing with the various respondents and it was fun to puzzle out just who knew what they were talking about (all had interesting things to say, but some of these people have clearly thought about this in great detail). I sure would have liked to see a feminine perspective though.

Anyway, go read.

Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell

Well, I gave it almost 100 pages.

Only very rarely do I not finish a book – I think around 8 years has past since the last time I gave up on one without finishing. In all honesty, I’m busier now than I’ve been through the majority of my life, and have much less reading time as a result, so I just don’t have the time to spend on a book that I’m not enjoying. At another time I may have stuck it out, but I’d not read too much into that – the very fact I decided not to finish Wind Follower by Carole McDonnell likely says more than anything that follows.

The portions of Wind Follower that I managed to read revolve around the late-adolescent son of a warrior clan leader, Loic, who falls in love with Satha, an older woman in her twenties of a different tribe and already considered something of a spinster. The politics of households and differing tribal cultures are eclipsed by spoiled rotten young Loic as he rushes to marry Satha, breaking cultural norms along the way.

Wind Follower feels like a novel still two or three revisions from being ready. The frame of a very interesting story is there, just not the polish necessary to pull it off. McDonnell tries too hard in her descriptions and fails utterly to make the characters interesting. Beyond the first chapter, nothing about Loic is remotely appealing – while there is a lot about Loic that the reader isn’t supposed to like, McDonnell fails to find the line necessary to actually keep the reader interested enough to continue. Not helping is the inconsistency with which she writes – characters suddenly know more than they should and their actions are sometimes totally at odds with the personalities she has built. Satha is particularly inconsistent in both her thoughts and actions – one page she is a strong-willful individual, the next a meek, subservient woman with no adequate justification. Much of the first hundred pages are told in a first person narration with as the Loic and Satha alternatively tell their stories from some point far into the future. Perhaps some of these inconsistencies are due to an unreliable narrator, if so the clumsiness of this execution is equally disappointing.

While the cover doesn’t indicate as much, McDonnell herself calls Wind Follower Christian fantasy. Seeing the potential of an epic fantasy told in something of an African setting had my hopes high, even though I don’t typically read Christian fantasy. I’d not call the religiosity ‘in your face’, but Wind Follower lacks subtly with things a bit on the conservative side for me. Perhaps this is not the direction things go as the story continues, but McDonnell failed to make me want to find out.

I debated posting this or not – after all, I can’t fairly call this a review since I did not read even a third of the novel. In the end, I decided that there isn’t a good reason for me not to post my thoughts on the first 100 pages and why I didn’t read the rest.

Miscellany of Links

I have loads of work I should be doing, yet I’m bored, so naturally I’ve chosen to distract myself. This is an eclectic group of links that I’ve found interesting in the last few days – not all are SFF-related, and they contain both stuff I found positive and positively enraging. Have fun!

• Larry of the OF Blog of the Fallen started things with this post a couple weeks ago on negative reviews (and has subsequently followed up with this one on positive reviews), Pat of Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist addresses some comments about Larry’s piece – then in the comments, the discussion gains new life and inspires more reaction here with Larry once again chiming in. It’s all interesting and I’ve chimed in at various locations – now I’ll bow out until the discussion comes around again.
  
• 2008 Hugo Award Nominations are out. John Scalzi has some interesting commentary and the Westeros discussion will no doubt continue to grow. For me, this just shows that the people nominating and voting for the Hugo don’t represent my tastes and become less and less relevant each year.
  
• I saw this bit at Torque Control – scary. I’ll not be picking up any Niven books.
  
• Arizona seeks to erode the integrity of its educational system even further (though there’s a good argument that such a terrible educational system won’t notice anyway).
  
• Friends of mine discover salt on Mars – some interesting authorial politics went into this one (but I’m not supposed to know about that).

That’s it for now – we’ll see if this becomes a regular feature or not. There are more than enough link round-ups out there, but then this one is a bit more tailored to what I’ve found interesting in the last few days (of course, will anyone besides me care about that…).

Steven Erikson Answers Questions Five

Steven Erikson leaped on to the epic fantasy scene a few years ago with his debut fantasy novel, Gardens of the Moon, the beginning of an ambitious 10-book series: The Malazan Book of the Fallen. It’s often a case of love them or hate ‘em when it comes to his books, but he has a rabid fan base that I count myself a part of. Publishing the books at rate of about 1 book a year, 7 of the 10 are already published with Toll the Hounds due out later this year. And, in my opinion, his shorter fiction is even better.

I am pleased welcome Steven Erikson to Questions 5.


What is the perfect cup of coffee for writing your books? Do ever need something a bit more…leaded?

SE: I’m pretty consistent with a skinny latte, two shots, no foam (crazy that I need to specify no foam, since if I wanted foam I’d ask for a cappuccino, wouldn’t I?). As for ‘more leaded,’ no, barring the occasional shot of industrial flame retardant and a spritzer of malathion.

How is said cup of coffee (and/or leaded beverage) reflected in your writing?

SE: As far as I can tell, it isn’t. Coffee exists to sustain detectable life signs in what would otherwise be a clinically dead writer (in this case, anyway). Coffee’s reflection on my writing is evinced in that I am actually writing. Without it, a vast ominous silence would ensue.

Far into the future, the equivalent of an archaeologist from a significantly advanced culture (not necessarily a human culture) unearths a set of The Malazan Book of the Fallen. What theories about us might they come up with?

SE: Well, having been an archaeologist, you’d think I’d have a glib answer for this one. I don’t. There’d probably be a huge debate over the veracity of the ‘history’ as I’ve written it, inasmuch as say, people still argue Homer (bronze age/iron age, gods and goddesses, etc), so will people one day argue the cultural specificity of revered religious icons in holy sites like Hollywood, as well as those wearing ceremonial headgear (baseball caps, football helmets, etc). Anyway, a lot depends on how much other stuff survived, and whether or not the next species has a different concept of physics that might accommodate magic and miracles and godly visitations. More likely, our inheritors will simply eat the paper remnants while thinking about other, more important things, like: wouldn’t it be nice if the planet wasn’t one giant desert?

What peculiar qualities of The Malazan Book of the Fallen should readers be aware of?

SE: I really haven’t the foggiest. It’s about people, mostly normal people, and it’s not necessarily told in a linear fashion, but everything fits together. Also, I believe in the cathartic value of tragedy – if my readers don’t, then they’re in for a rough ride.

Why should The Malazan Book of the Fallen be the next thing that everyone reads?

SE: When all ten books are done, they’ll look awesome on a book shelf. You know, it’s almost impossible for me to answer a question like that – I wish I could. I wish I could just lay out the sales pitch, but I can’t. My sales pitch is there, word by word and line by line in the books I write. I hope people buy in and I hope they enjoy the experience. When they do, I’m happy, and I write more, which is what I love doing – so, all I can promise is that I’ll keep to my side of the bargain and hold faith that my readers will reciprocate. Writing is a dialogue. When writers tilt noses up and say they write only for themselves, they’re full of rubbish. If it was true, they’d feel no need to get their work published; they could just stick it on the shelf and leave it there. We engage in a dialogue, with people most of whom we’ve never met – and if the story we tell does its job, we find in it common ground. And therein lies the reward for everyone involved.

Pax Malazica
Steven Erikson

It's Tourney Time

Fantasybookspot is having their annual tournament - one for 2007 releases and one for all-time. It was real hit last year and this year should prove to build on that (now there's a nice, shiny prize). So, go vote, participate and we'll see if I can offend an author's entire fanbase again this year.

Michael Swanwick Answers Questions Five

Since coming on to the scene in 1980, Michael Swanwick has been one of the most acclaimed SFF writers that no one is talking about (at least it seems so these days). He has been nominated for and won almost every major award of his field, including the Nebula, Hugo, Theodore Sturgeon, and World Fantasy Awards. He’s written everything from hard science fiction to high fantasy, often playing with the common tropes of SFF in interesting ways. His books include The Iron Dragon’s Daughter (1993), Jack Faust (1997), and Bones of the Earth (2002) and several short fiction collections. The Dragons of Babel (my review) is his newest novel and one that I cannot recommend enough.

I’m very happy that Michael Swanwick has taken the time to answer Questions Five.


The people of Philadelphia have a reputation for displaying quite a bit of vitriol when it comes to sporting events. How has this impacted your life and writing?

MS: People from elsewhere mistake Philadelphian intensity for hostility, when all we’re doing is just busting your chops. The other day when I was buying milk at the corner store, an old man in line ahead of me painfully negotiated a couple of bills from his wallet and said, “I tell ya, it’s hell being old.” The young guy behind the counter looked at him said, “I wouldn’t know. I ain’t never been old.” Anywhere else in the country, that would have been rude. Here, it’s just a less trite way of saying, “Having a nice day.”

I like to think that living in Philadelphia helps keeps me in touch with reality. When you’re writing a fantasy novel, you really need that, to prevent your fiction from losing its grip and floating away.

What type of protection do you recommend for genre promiscuity?

MS: If by that you mean mingling and confusing genres, then none whatsoever. Let a thousand bastard genres bloom! Everybody loves a baby. But if you’re talking about promiscuity within works of genre, I do not agree with those who claim to approve of sex scenes only when they’re necessary to the plot, rather than gratuitous. Personally, I like gratuitous sex. And I believe it has a place in fiction as well.

If The Dragons of Babel were a fortune cookie, what would its fortune be?

MS: “You are the rightful King of Babylon. Too bad you were kidnapped as a baby.”

How would you interpret this fortune if were your own?

MS: I’d look on it as good news. Have you ever noticed that everything that fantasy tells you is something good is actually something bad? The king is restored to his throne and we’re supposed to cheer. As an American, I can’t identify with that. Patriots shed their blood to free us from a foreign despot, and we’re expected to be okay with some twit of a descendant reasserting power over us?

In my earlier novel, The Iron Dragon’s Daughter, the protagonist, Jane, winds up as a chemist in Pittsburgh. This really grinched a lot of stone fantasy fans, who were unhappy that she didn’t end up as Queen of Everything. But she got to be a chemist – in Pittsburgh! Pittsburgh is a great city, and chemists are interesting people with jobs they love. Any genre that expects you to sneer at that has something wrong with it.

Why should The Dragons of Babel be the next book that everyone reads?

MS: It’s been getting rave reviews from all the critics, so I’d like to learn what real people think of it. And it’s got something that people don’t expect from me – a happy ending. My wife, Marianne, was reading the book as I wrote it, and one chapter from the end, she said, “This doesn’t end well, does it?”

“Yes, it does,” I told her.

“It won’t end well for Alcyone.”

“Yes, it will! There’s a happy ending for everybody.”

And there is. Honest.

The Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick

Michael Swanwick has made a career of turning genre on its head, winning a bunch of awards in the process. He wrote cyberpunk and post-cyberpunk at the beginning, and with The Iron Dragon’s Daughter he essentially laid out the blueprint for the New Weird years before the term existed. The Dragons of Babel follows in the same world, though it should not be viewed as a sequel, but a story all its own. After reading it, my first work of Swanwick’s, I consider it almost criminal that a genre writer of his caliber is so rarely discussed on the various blogs and message boards I spend time at.

The story begins with a standard coming-of age story of orphaned Will le Fey in a village far removed. The setting is Faerie – not the Faerie you’ve seen time and again – but a war-torn, post-industrial Faerie indirectly overlapping with our world. Dragons are iron-wrought behemoths full of technology and running off of jet fuel. Hippogriffs and griffons park side-by-side with motorcycles, BMWs and limousines with all matter of mythological races living amongst one another. If you think New York or London is a melting pot, wait until you see Babel.

A war dragon crashes into Will’s remote village, immediately installs himself as King, and chooses Will as his agent. Isolated from the village as a result, and in spite of his eventual rebellion against the dragon, Will is exiled from the village. His service to the dragon leaves him scarred with a dark power inside of him, not entirely in his control.

Will becomes a refuge fleeing the war zone, landing for a time in a refuge camp; and eventually in the great city of Babel. Along the way, Will picks up a surrogate daughter, becomes an apprentice of sorts to a trickster, a leader in an underground rebellion, and meets the love of his life. Beyond that, let’s just say that Swanwick has an interesting, even subversive take on the orphan of destiny trope.

It becomes instantly clear that Swanwick knows how to write well. His economic prose sets the mood and brings the world vividly to life with as few words as I’ve seen it done. While another author would have turned this story into a trilogy, in Swanwick’s skilled hands The Dragons of Babel weighs in at a mere 320 pages – a very welcome length to this over-busy blogger. Even with the relatively abbreviated page count, the pacing feels just right. Only the build-up at the end feels rushed, and even then, not very rushed.

Surficially, Swanwick pulls together a fresh-feeling, fun, satiric, and at times, heavy plot while focusing characterization on Will. The supporting caste should be viewed as literary vessels designed as true support for Will and the city itself, Babel. The character of Babel remains in the background, but of equal importance to that of Will, as it represents the whole of a society that Will is but a key part of.

Thematically, The Dragons of Babel almost has a schizophrenic feel about it – in the beginning it seems as if each chapter focuses on different elements. It’s not just about Will’s coming-of-age and the building of an eventual leader. It’s about everything in a modern society and its internal and external conflicts. Sides aren’t truly taken, with things laid out for the reader to absorb – just as they are for Will.

The Dragons of Babel is the first book by Michael Swanwick that I’ve read, and it won’t be the last. Call it fantasy, urban fantasy, new weird, or something else entirely; The Dragons of Babel is a powerfully entertaining (and entertainingly powerful) book for all – a book that should be talked about. 8.5/10

Related Posts: Michael Swanwick Answers Questions Five

Larry's Fun Little Game

I’m not a big fan of ‘memes’, but I saw this over at the OF Blog (I know it’s not really a meme, but it’s close). Anyway, I found it caught my eye, so I’ll jump in.

Five Recent Reads:

The Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick (currently reading)

Before They Are Hanged by Joe Abercrombie (review)

The Inferior by Peadar Ó Guilín (review)

Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson (review)

The Traitor by Michael Cisco (review)

Seeing all these together makes things seem rather more eclectic than I had realized.

One I Am About To Start Reading:

The Martian General’s Daughter by Theodore Judson (this upcoming release by Pyr looks very good)