After downing Mockingjay earlier this week, I went to write my review and found I thought quite a bit in terms of the Harry Dresden books. I read a lot of urban fantasy (about 20-30% of my reading could be classified as such). I'm not a huge fan of Harry Dresden books, but I find them enjoyable in a mind candy kind of way. I know Dresden isn't the first of its ilk and I don't care. To me, the Dresden books represent the mid point, top of the bell curve, Mendoza line, or whatever of the urban fantasy world. In order to create a Rate-O-Meter, I need to describe the central characteristics. I know there are plenty of definitions already out there and I'm probably not really qualified to pigeon hole books, but that's what I'm going to do.
1) Plot driven. The plot to me is generally the most important part of any book. If it's boring, it's boring. We're looking for mostly linear storytelling of events that typically happen within a relatively short time span. There is definitive central goal that drives the action. For example, in Storm Front, Harry Dresden is hired to find a magical killer or killers. Goals can change or morph or shift, but there is a goal that drives the bulk of the actions in the book.
2) Central character. In Dresden files, it's Harry Dresden, wizard. In Druid Chronicles, the central character is a centuries old Druid. Sometimes, it's a regular guy or gal thrust into a magical world like Neverwhere. Sure, there are plenty of other players, but typically, there is one central character that the drives the plot. Sometimes, like in Dresden, it's a first person narrative. Other times, it's third person told through the lens of the central character. But make no mistake, the central character is supreme.
3) Fantasy Hook. Typically this is done through the central character. Harry Dresden is a real wizard in a world where magic is known to only a few. Miriam from Mockingbird sees how people will die when she touches them. In Neverwhere, the central character is a regular Joe thrust into a fantastic world.
4) Level of Supernatural. Related to fantasy hook, the level of supernatural is how much supernatural or magic or whatever exists in the world. In Dresden, you don't only have magic, but there are Fairies with their own hard to access kingdoms, vampires, werewolves, demons and all sorts of other stuff. Very high.
5) Characters interaction in the world. Almost all of Dresden's world interaction is due to his wizadry. This is more about level of "believability" and subjective like than level.
I may expand this as necessary as it's my first pass, but for now, this is what I've got. For me, Dresden is the Mendoza line with a 7 out of ten in all categories. All categories are entirely subjective to my whims and tastes. There are no other considerations.
Wednesday, January 15, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
Book 2: Kornwolf
Kornwolf by Tristan Egolf is an incredible read. Ostensibly about a werewolf in Amish Pennsyltucky, it's really a darkly comedic look into thematically dense territory. It's uneven at times (some of the storylines are more gratuitious than necessary) but overall, it takes unexpected twists and turns. I often struggle when character development sends plot to the background, whihc happens a bit early on, but once the main characters are developed, the story veerss from mystery to religious satire to emotionally rich family drama with almost reckless abandon, setting up a final quarter that defies explanation. I love that Egolf pays us off in the end, taking his considerable talent with the written word and obliterating most of the genre fiction that it definitely isn't. There's a level of care here in depicting a folk tale that actually has roots in the Amish community depicted. Like I say, it's uneven with some humor at the wrong points, subplots to nowhere, and a bit of over-indulgence, but overall, it's an incredibly strong novel about so much more than "werewolves" (I'm almost shamed by even mentioning this word given it's genre, trope filled connotations). Outstanding.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Book 1: Mockingbird
No, not Mockingjay, the atrocious end to the Hungergames saga. No, it's Mockingbird by Chuck Wendig, about a damaged twenty something woman who sees people's deaths when she touches them. Neither the character as a hard driving, cynical woman who likes to hit as much as she gets hit (there's a bit of Lisbeth Sander in her) nor the set-up of future death sight are very original, but the action moves quick and Wendig has a great way with language. As urban fantasy goes, it's as dark as you want with an intriguing enough storyline. Don't overthing this one as it really is a plot and character driven book and fun (if you can handle the violence, which is profuse). I need to put together a Dresden scale of rating urban fantasy like this. Maybe later today, but this one is tighter than the Dresden books, darker than most of them, more jarringly violent, especially towards women, and bit more difficult because of the violence. Overall, I liked it better than Dresden though I think some of the violence detracts from the fun.
Friday, January 3, 2014
Bottom 10 of 2013
When one reads 66 books, many of them way off the beaten path, one is bound to hit some stinkers. Since I love lists, here's my bottom 10 of 2013, ending with the worst.
10) The Subtle Knife. OK, maybe not entirely fair here. It's very well written. But for a YA book, it is intensely dark with very bad things happening. I had an extremely hard time finishing and it put me off to the last book in the trilogy for six months. Unnecessarily violent.
9) Summer Knight. I typically enjoy the relative mindlessness of Harry Dresden. But for some reason, this book was overly violent, lacking in humor, and totally perposterous. I know that's kind of the point, but I don't care. Just fairly dopey with little resolution or even advancement of story lines that I actually cared about. I took a four month break halfway through.
8) Hexed. Cheap Dresden ripoff and mostly forgettable. I think the Druid Chronicles are a bit better paced, but so derivative, it feels like I've read them before.
7) Dog of the South. Boring. Really, really boring. I can't even remember anything from it.
6) City of Bones. I like reading YA fiction. Typically easy reads that I can tear through. Some are great (Harry Potter, Ender's Saga) some are mildly interesting at first giving way to trite conclusions (Twilight, Hunger Games) and some are just bad. City of Bones is just bad. Uninteresting characters, Harry Potter derivatives (Mundanes instead of Muggles? Really?) and forced cliffhanger ending. Saw the movie and it was actually worse (unlike Hunger Games where the movie was much better).
5) Simulacra. I guess even Philip Dick should get a mulligan.
4) Amped. Like Robopaclypse well enough, but Amped never got amped. This might be the worst written book of the year.
3) Walk in the Woods. I can't think of anything more torturous than a long hiking trip, but a book about one comes close.
2) Warlock of something blah blah blah by Michael Moorcock. I was really excited about this. Until I realized it was socialist propaganda. Should have been in the social studies section. Pure torture.
1) Lando Calrissean. Laughably bad. Probably shouldn't be number 1 simply for the fact that it's given so much grist for my shit talk mill. This books should remain largely forgotten.
10) The Subtle Knife. OK, maybe not entirely fair here. It's very well written. But for a YA book, it is intensely dark with very bad things happening. I had an extremely hard time finishing and it put me off to the last book in the trilogy for six months. Unnecessarily violent.
9) Summer Knight. I typically enjoy the relative mindlessness of Harry Dresden. But for some reason, this book was overly violent, lacking in humor, and totally perposterous. I know that's kind of the point, but I don't care. Just fairly dopey with little resolution or even advancement of story lines that I actually cared about. I took a four month break halfway through.
8) Hexed. Cheap Dresden ripoff and mostly forgettable. I think the Druid Chronicles are a bit better paced, but so derivative, it feels like I've read them before.
7) Dog of the South. Boring. Really, really boring. I can't even remember anything from it.
6) City of Bones. I like reading YA fiction. Typically easy reads that I can tear through. Some are great (Harry Potter, Ender's Saga) some are mildly interesting at first giving way to trite conclusions (Twilight, Hunger Games) and some are just bad. City of Bones is just bad. Uninteresting characters, Harry Potter derivatives (Mundanes instead of Muggles? Really?) and forced cliffhanger ending. Saw the movie and it was actually worse (unlike Hunger Games where the movie was much better).
5) Simulacra. I guess even Philip Dick should get a mulligan.
4) Amped. Like Robopaclypse well enough, but Amped never got amped. This might be the worst written book of the year.
3) Walk in the Woods. I can't think of anything more torturous than a long hiking trip, but a book about one comes close.
2) Warlock of something blah blah blah by Michael Moorcock. I was really excited about this. Until I realized it was socialist propaganda. Should have been in the social studies section. Pure torture.
1) Lando Calrissean. Laughably bad. Probably shouldn't be number 1 simply for the fact that it's given so much grist for my shit talk mill. This books should remain largely forgotten.
Top 10 of 2013
Of the 66 books I've read, there were some real standouts. My favorites of 2013, a list that does not include books I've read before (Gatsby and Ender's Game) for no real reason other than I don't want to. So here it is, in order, ending with my favorite:
10) Strangers on a Train. Highsmith at her creepy mind game best.
9) Wool. OK, so I read like 10 books in this series, but it was total dystopian mind candy.
8) Drowned Cities. One of the great recent characters, Tool, part man, part jaguar, part dog, part hyena gets a chance to shine.
7) Three Parts Dead. Took a bit to catch up to the crazy world, but worth the ride.
6) Folly of the World. Indulgent, vulgar, violent, and with one of the most twisted and haunting relationships I've ever encountered.
5) A Plague of Wolves and Women. I will never, NEVER, recommend this book. It's the darkest, creepiest thing I've ever read. I still thought it was brilliant.
4) Parliament of Crows. Take a great true story about murderous sisters, sprinkle in some crazy civil war shit and a dash of supernatural and presto, pure awesomeness.
3) King of Thorns. I was luke warm to Prince of Thorns given the sometimes mind numbing violence, but it really came together in King of Thorns. King of Thorns solidifies Jorg as one of the great anti-heroes of dark fantasy.
2) Cloud Atlas. Ok, going with an acknowledged brilliant book seems cheap here. But, even though it doesn't always work, it is an amazing piece of literature, totally audacious, insanely creative, and utterly jaw dropping.
1) Blood Song. Though I think Cloud Atlas is the superior work, Blood Song hit every note of the current epic fantasy.
10) Strangers on a Train. Highsmith at her creepy mind game best.
9) Wool. OK, so I read like 10 books in this series, but it was total dystopian mind candy.
8) Drowned Cities. One of the great recent characters, Tool, part man, part jaguar, part dog, part hyena gets a chance to shine.
7) Three Parts Dead. Took a bit to catch up to the crazy world, but worth the ride.
6) Folly of the World. Indulgent, vulgar, violent, and with one of the most twisted and haunting relationships I've ever encountered.
5) A Plague of Wolves and Women. I will never, NEVER, recommend this book. It's the darkest, creepiest thing I've ever read. I still thought it was brilliant.
4) Parliament of Crows. Take a great true story about murderous sisters, sprinkle in some crazy civil war shit and a dash of supernatural and presto, pure awesomeness.
3) King of Thorns. I was luke warm to Prince of Thorns given the sometimes mind numbing violence, but it really came together in King of Thorns. King of Thorns solidifies Jorg as one of the great anti-heroes of dark fantasy.
2) Cloud Atlas. Ok, going with an acknowledged brilliant book seems cheap here. But, even though it doesn't always work, it is an amazing piece of literature, totally audacious, insanely creative, and utterly jaw dropping.
1) Blood Song. Though I think Cloud Atlas is the superior work, Blood Song hit every note of the current epic fantasy.
Thursday, January 2, 2014
Rants, Dismissals, and the occasional ray of sunshine from my 66 books of 2013
2013 is over and I made two thirds of my goal of 100 books. A few random thoughts followed by some lists:
There were two books in particular that were mind numbingly awful:
1) Lando Calrissean and the Mind whattt? I figured this would be pretty much dreck, but thought some good campy fun about one of the least explored characters of the original trilogy would have some merit. WRONG. Terrible in so many ways. Bland writing, interchangeable characters and most galling, a contrite, almost apologetic Lando with no balls of any kind. Horrible, horrible, horrible.
2) The Warlord of Air by Michael Moorcock. Great name for a gay porn star, but what a dreadful sci fi. Started promising, ended in polemic. Some dickhead said that it was the best sci fi/fantasy since Tolkien. If you like your socialism served in heaping doses of preachy prose without the benefit of any real thought, then this is the book for you. RAAALPHH.
Award for "Not ALL Books by Revered Author are Classics" Award:
The Simulacra by Philip K. Dick. Interesting title, but wow, boring, boring boring. I guess when you write as much as Dick, there's bound to be a clunker, but I would have thought his clunkers would be better than other's best, which, isn't really true. Just lame.
Award for "I Never Knew Hitchcock was Such a Pussy":
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith. Seriously, read this book, then get the Hitchcock movie. I always thought the movie was a high point of film noir with an incredibly well played psycho at the heart of it. But the book is on a different level entirely. Some moments drag a bit as one of the central characters spends too much time wrestling with their conscience, but, wow, talk about a psychological thriller. After The Talented Mr. Ripley and this book, I believe that Highsmith is the most under appreciated author from the 20th century. She may not have delved into the American experience like Steinbeck or Fitzgerald, but her creations represented the beginning of the sociopath as antihero that still dominates our entertainment culture. Plus, her writing digs deep into guilt and loss and friendship and so many other themes in such a uniquely twisted way. I'm not sure why she doesn't get enough run as a great author, but I enjoy her works tremendously.
The "Holy Shit, Did I Just Read That Award":
My readings have been fairly off the beaten path so there are a few candidates for one of my favorite awards. Honorable mention goes to Parliament of Crows which was so well done about three mystifying women and Prince/King of Thorns which put the "Dark" in dark fantasy, but the hands down winner was A Plague of Wolves and Women. It's almost an indescribably brutal nightmare told from the most nonplussed narrator. I mean, what happens is horrifying in every sense and no one is safe. But somehow, it's not awful to read, though it should be. I even gave it to my mom, thinking there was no way she'd finish it, but she actually liked it. Weird.
More coming soon....
There were two books in particular that were mind numbingly awful:
1) Lando Calrissean and the Mind whattt? I figured this would be pretty much dreck, but thought some good campy fun about one of the least explored characters of the original trilogy would have some merit. WRONG. Terrible in so many ways. Bland writing, interchangeable characters and most galling, a contrite, almost apologetic Lando with no balls of any kind. Horrible, horrible, horrible.
2) The Warlord of Air by Michael Moorcock. Great name for a gay porn star, but what a dreadful sci fi. Started promising, ended in polemic. Some dickhead said that it was the best sci fi/fantasy since Tolkien. If you like your socialism served in heaping doses of preachy prose without the benefit of any real thought, then this is the book for you. RAAALPHH.
Award for "Not ALL Books by Revered Author are Classics" Award:
The Simulacra by Philip K. Dick. Interesting title, but wow, boring, boring boring. I guess when you write as much as Dick, there's bound to be a clunker, but I would have thought his clunkers would be better than other's best, which, isn't really true. Just lame.
Award for "I Never Knew Hitchcock was Such a Pussy":
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith. Seriously, read this book, then get the Hitchcock movie. I always thought the movie was a high point of film noir with an incredibly well played psycho at the heart of it. But the book is on a different level entirely. Some moments drag a bit as one of the central characters spends too much time wrestling with their conscience, but, wow, talk about a psychological thriller. After The Talented Mr. Ripley and this book, I believe that Highsmith is the most under appreciated author from the 20th century. She may not have delved into the American experience like Steinbeck or Fitzgerald, but her creations represented the beginning of the sociopath as antihero that still dominates our entertainment culture. Plus, her writing digs deep into guilt and loss and friendship and so many other themes in such a uniquely twisted way. I'm not sure why she doesn't get enough run as a great author, but I enjoy her works tremendously.
The "Holy Shit, Did I Just Read That Award":
My readings have been fairly off the beaten path so there are a few candidates for one of my favorite awards. Honorable mention goes to Parliament of Crows which was so well done about three mystifying women and Prince/King of Thorns which put the "Dark" in dark fantasy, but the hands down winner was A Plague of Wolves and Women. It's almost an indescribably brutal nightmare told from the most nonplussed narrator. I mean, what happens is horrifying in every sense and no one is safe. But somehow, it's not awful to read, though it should be. I even gave it to my mom, thinking there was no way she'd finish it, but she actually liked it. Weird.
More coming soon....
Book 66: The Amber Spyglass
So I fell pretty short of my goal of 100 books. I started strong, then work got in the way (and a couple of TV series that I invested in, namely homeland and finally finishing Dexter). 66 is a good number though. I can't really get much symbolism from the last one, The Amber Spyglass. I liked it,didn't love it. The early parts were almost unreadable, but once Lyla comes back, it takes off. Unfortunately, a couple of side stories are absolute snoozefests. The crushing anti-religion element also gets fairly distracting. Still, the story is strong enough at points to be a true page turner and I'm sure there's plenty of allegory (both obvious and not so obvious) that I missed or didn't care enough to notice. Still, better than a lot of the final books of so called children/YA series that I've read with some good payoffs.
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