I’ve been reading The Stormlight Archive series by Brandon Sanderson (guy who finished Wheel of Time). Fantastic epic fantasy.
Also The Expanse, by James S.A. Corey. It’s smart space opera, looking at a future solar system; I quite liked it, and suggest picking both up if you’ve not.
Nonfiction wise, I read Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer and a history of the Crusades by Thomas Asbridge. Also Orlando Figes’s book on the Crimean War. They’re also good, if Everest slash history’s your thing.
Just finished Cherie Priest’s “Dreadnought” (Book 2 of her Clockwork Century series) and am currently working on “The Wise Man’s Fear” by Patrick Rothfuss.
I have heard very good things about Sanderon’s work, it’s on my list to get to.
I just finished Stormfront, of the Dresden Files as well.
I still need to finish Steven Erikson’s Malazon series, which is pretty superb fantasy, but heavy reading.
We should talk more about Rothfuss… he’s made quite a splash, and I really enjoyed Name of the Wind. As for Wise Man’s Fear, I’d be interested to hear whether or not the problems I had with it were shared by others…
I’ve read a bit of Sanderson (Elantris, I think), and my sense is that he’s interested in iterating on systems of magic, but I’m wary of the libertarian politics that creep in. He’s not at the level of Terry Goodkind, but he definitely leans in that direction.
A couple of years back I really got into R. Scott Bakker, who since has developed a (somewhat unfair) reputation for misogyny. His original trilogy, Prince of Nothing, was really something for its take on writing broad scale history, and fairly sophisticated approach to religion. It’s got the usual flaws for a beginning writer, but his second trilogy in that world, I thought was nothing short of fantastic. The Judging Eye is an unholy mix of Fellowship of the Ring and Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian – the brutal, blood-soaked old West meets ravenous orcish hordes and ancient, insane sorcerers.
Some people link Bakker to Steven Erikson, and while there are some similarities, I think that Bakker is by far the more traditional. I’ve read one of Erikson’s Malazan books, and I’m definitely interested in what he’s got going on, but it was a few years ago and it was perhaps a bit too experimental for me at the time.
[quote=“Klaas”]We should talk more about Rothfuss… he’s made quite a splash, and I really enjoyed Name of the Wind. As for Wise Man’s Fear, I’d be interested to hear whether or not the problems I had with it were shared by others…
I’ve read a bit of Sanderson (Elantris, I think), and my sense is that he’s interested in iterating on systems of magic, but I’m wary of the libertarian politics that creep in. He’s not at the level of Terry Goodkind, but he definitely leans in that direction.
A couple of years back I really got into R. Scott Bakker, who since has developed a (somewhat unfair) reputation for misogyny. His original trilogy, Prince of Nothing, was really something for its take on writing broad scale history, and fairly sophisticated approach to religion. It’s got the usual flaws for a beginning writer, but his second trilogy in that world, I thought was nothing short of fantastic. The Judging Eye is an unholy mix of Fellowship of the Ring and Cormac McCarthy’s Blood Meridian – the brutal, blood-soaked old West meets ravenous orcish hordes and ancient, insane sorcerers.
Some people link Bakker to Steven Erikson, and while there are some similarities, I think that Bakker is by far the more traditional. I’ve read one of Erikson’s Malazan books, and I’m definitely interested in what he’s got going on, but it was a few years ago and it was perhaps a bit too experimental for me at the time.[/quote]
I haven’t read Bakker, but I have also heard a lot of Erikson’s similarities to Glen Cook, whose work I adore. The Black Company Series in particular, but I have started on his other works as well.
I’ve also read the Dresden Files books. I love 'em.
I’ve also read the novelizations of one of my favorite webcomics, Girl Genius, by Phil & Kaja Foglio. The expansion on the narrative from the books, and the flavor material such as the in-universe book excerpts and similar at the start of every chapter, is one reason I like them. It further builds on the world they created in the comic.
I’ve also been re-reading some of my Pratchett books, especially since his passing last month.
I read the book he co-wrote with Gaiman (Good Omens?) and wasn’t too impressed… is there a better place to start if one wanted to dive into his work?
I’ve been sorting through a bunch of my old fantasy books to donate and clear out some space, and I’ve found it immensely depressing how many stalwarts of my childhood reading have passed on: David Eddings, Robert Jordan, David Gemmell, Diana Wynne Jones, to name just a few.
Oops. Meant to get to this for days, but it’s been crazy here.
Regarding Wise Man’s Fear: my problem can be summed up by the fact that Kvothe is a white gypsy who is a perfect bard, a brilliant sorcerer, a genius academic, a peerless rogue, and has acquired two skillsets that might be spoilers for those who haven’t read it. I enjoyed the books… but it became hard to take them entirely seriously. It looked like the kind of thing where we’d have looked at the guilty party funny if they introduced that character here.
Regarding Sanderson: I hear you, Nick, I hear you. That bugged me more and more with Orson Scott Card. I didn’t perceive a lot of his politics leaking into his later writing; Mistborn’s second book had some, but by Stormlight Archive, it’s not there and quite enjoyable. His series about superheroes is also pretty fun, but it’s a YA novel; that can be a turn-off for some people, I know.
Recently, I picked up A Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. It’s not brilliant, but it’s enjoyable; it’s a French Revolution-esque world with magic, including magic based on gunpowder. I’m about halfway through and it’s a fun ride, if not a brilliant work (so far).
[quote=“Tex”]Oops. Meant to get to this for days, but it’s been crazy here.
Regarding Wise Man’s Fear: my problem can be summed up by the fact that Kvothe is a white gypsy who is a perfect bard, a brilliant sorcerer, a genius academic, a peerless rogue, and has acquired two skillsets that might be spoilers for those who haven’t read it. I enjoyed the books… but it became hard to take them entirely seriously. It looked like the kind of thing where we’d have looked at the guilty party funny if they introduced that character here[/quote]
Yes, exactly. It’s comical. His only real flaws are being broke (but always through outside circumstances), and getting hung up on a girl with severe issues. The ultimate Mary Sue.
That said, I have become aware that most of the characters in the books are the “ultimate” versions of something they represent. If someone has green eyes, they are the most startling green eyes Kvothe has ever seen, for example. It’s a world full of exceptional people.
Speaking of politics leaking into writers, I used to really, really like Dan Simmons. His Hyperion Cycle remains one of my favorites; Illium and Olympos created great sprawling worlds out of ancient Greek myth fanfic; and The Terror is one of the few horror books I actually really enjoyed. Even his lesser efforts like Drood and Black Hills created a wonderful sense of place and atmosphere.
And then there’s Flashback. Flashback sucks. He doesn’t even attempt to integrate batshit crazy speechifying into the narrative or character; dialogue feels like “How do we find the killer?” “Well, as you know, socialized healthcare and unrestricted immigration brought the country to ruin, which is why finding the killer is really hard!”
At least Robert Heinlein was able to imbue his self-insert speechifying with a curmudgeonly charm.
Crikey fuck. That’s bad. A real shame, too, as I heard nothing but good things about Hyperion. I’ve never quite gotten the desire of authors to do that; it’s heavy-handed and see-through, to say the least, especially when it’s not written in the present day.
scraps plans for plot involving an evil Climate Change wizard trying to prevent gay people from marrying their rifles all from his eco-friendly private e-mail server
scraps plans for plot involving an evil Climate Change wizard trying to prevent gay people from marrying their rifles all from his eco-friendly private e-mail server[/quote]
[quote=“Spoon”][quote=“Tex”]Oops. Meant to get to this for days, but it’s been crazy here.
Regarding Wise Man’s Fear: my problem can be summed up by the fact that Kvothe is a white gypsy who is a perfect bard, a brilliant sorcerer, a genius academic, a peerless rogue, and has acquired two skillsets that might be spoilers for those who haven’t read it. I enjoyed the books… but it became hard to take them entirely seriously. It looked like the kind of thing where we’d have looked at the guilty party funny if they introduced that character here[/quote]
Yes, exactly. It’s comical. His only real flaws are being broke (but always through outside circumstances), and getting hung up on a girl with severe issues. The ultimate Mary Sue.
That said, I have become aware that most of the characters in the books are the “ultimate” versions of something they represent. If someone has green eyes, they are the most startling green eyes Kvothe has ever seen, for example. It’s a world full of exceptional people.[/quote]
I will agree that Kvothe comes across that way, but something I keep in mind is this–
This is Kvothe telling his life story to a biographer. Is it really so surprising that he might be making himself seem awesome and he gets caught up in these kinds of things?
Kvothe comes across as a Mary Sue because he’s telling his life story as he’d like it to be known!
That is a very good point, Jay; there is definitely an element of unreliable narrator at work here (which is why Rothfuss may be a genius, because when we’re gritting our teeth, that might be what the bastard’s going for).
Yes (to Jay and Tex), I think part of the lost luster on Rothfuss’ second book is that the frame doesn’t appear to be paying off in any significant way. I’m not as bothered by Kvothe’s ability to be awesome at stuff (with one major exception, which I’ll speak to below), because the frame of present-moment Kvothe being considerably less awesome (for some mysterious reason) creates some tension… perhaps leading to the unreliable narrator thing, though I’m not sure that’s the direction Rothfuss is headed.
In the second book (mild spoiler alert, I guess) Kvothe’s extended stay in the faerie grove (sorry, can’t quite remember what her name was) learning how to be the world’s best lover (add that to best magician, assassin, and lutist!) went on for ages. I mean, it was ludicrous how long the section continued, and it reminded me of the closing set piece of the first book, in that it felt both indulgent and like a misstep. I mean, it’s amazing the kind of story and tension that Rothfuss was able to generate simple by placing his hero in danger of not being able to pay his tuition – when the story veers into more traditional fantasy territory, it runs the danger of going off the rails.
Also, since Travis mentioned Heinlein, here’s a fun fact: Heinlein and his wife once had a three-way with L. Ron Hubbard. You’re welcome!
[quote=“Klaas”]Yes (to Jay and Tex), I think part of the lost luster on Rothfuss’ second book is that the frame doesn’t appear to be paying off in any significant way. I’m not as bothered by Kvothe’s ability to be awesome at stuff (with one major exception, which I’ll speak to below), because the frame of present-moment Kvothe being considerably less awesome (for some mysterious reason) creates some tension… perhaps leading to the unreliable narrator thing, though I’m not sure that’s the direction Rothfuss is headed.
In the second book (mild spoiler alert, I guess) Kvothe’s extended stay in the faerie grove (sorry, can’t quite remember what her name was) learning how to be the world’s best lover (add that to best magician, assassin, and lutist!) went on for ages. I mean, it was ludicrous how long the section continued, and it reminded me of the closing set piece of the first book, in that it felt both indulgent and like a misstep. I mean, it’s amazing the kind of story and tension that Rothfuss was able to generate simple by placing his hero in danger of not being able to pay his tuition – when the story veers into more traditional fantasy territory, it runs the danger of going off the rails.[/quote]
Yeah, ditto me, Nick; he kind of lost me here. I got back on the van, but it felt indulgent and weird, and it’s left me wondering if book three can deliver on the promises set-up by the premise. I’m not sure. That said: I’ll definitely read it, so in that sense, it’s a very good book.
Last book I read was the last Wheel of Time one. Unless you count comics, in which case that’s basically all I read, when by some miracle I have any time and patience.