Realms Of Speculative Fiction: April 2008

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

[title under construction]

I'm on a really tight schedule lately. I've been trying to juggle several obligations at once, quite unsuccessfully might I add. I guess I’m just not a person for multitasking. But there are some really interesting things going on in the world of fantasy and science fiction I need to tell you about (some of the information might already be stale, but might come in handy, if you missed the news elsewhere).

The Hugo Awards
The nominees for this year’s Hugo awards are old news (you can see the full list of nominees here), but you might have missed the fact that the majority of the nominated works are available for free. With the exemption of the nominees for best novel, all the shorter prose narrative forms (novella, novelette, short story) are available as free download versions or simply published on the net. Here is the link.

The Nebula Awards
The Nebula Award winners were presented/announced on April 26 (link) and they are as follows:

Novel: “The Yiddish Policemen's Union” by Michael Chabon
Novella: "Fountain of Age" by Nancy Kress
Novelette: "The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate" by Ted Chiang
Short Story: "Always" by Karen Joy Fowler
Script: “Pan's Labyrinth” by Guillermo del Toro

Monday, April 28, 2008

Hal Duncan - Die! Vampire! Die! (Novella Review)

Die! Vampires! Die! is a previously unpublished novella by Hal Duncan, now available as a free download on his blog “Notes From The Geek Show” (link). The novella has only some fifty odd pages, so it’s a fairly quick read and I have to say that I found it immensely entertaining, wondrous and unusual.
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The idea for the story is quite trite and absurd at the same time. Duncan’s tale leans heavily on the common vampire mythos, but it is reshaped ingeniously to suit the needs of the story – Duncan plays with different superstitions about vampires that have been (over)used within the horror and urban fantasy genre. It would be safe to say that Duncan mocks the creatures themselves as well as the (current) fascination with vampires in genre literature. But this is irrelevant to the fact that the story is intelligent, funny and it stands on its own merit.
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The story begins when a vampire comes to visit his old friend that happens to run an enormous underground “testing” facility. You see, the host vampire believes himself to be the new Einstein, but rather reminds of a mixture between the mad Victor Frankenstein and the utterly immoral dr.Josef Mengele. We follow the scientist as he gives his acquaintance a tour of the underground facility step-by-step. The place is full of convulsed testing chambers and filthy human and zombie (shabti) breeding pens. The wannabe scientist is of course happy to oblige the guest with all kinds of demonstrations as he continues with his lecturing. During the presentation he also discloses the superior motive for the conduct of experiments - the old garde of vampires are too old fashioned; vampires have to embrace science in order to adapt and survive. Duncan does not so much subvert the myths that are built around vampires, but rather rationalizes the superstitions that lie at the heart of the matter (are the vampires really “undead”; how does one kill a vampire?; the accumulation of the holy-water in the atmosphere; etc.).

---"Well, yes, you'll know yourself from practical experience. Give me a child for seven nights and I'll give you the slave, as they say. ---And this one here. Ten feeds, I think. Totally submissive, totally subservient and - Silence! Yes, that's one of the things we've found. After eight or so feeds on consecutive nights they start to get a bit too submi -- I said, SILENCE! - a bit too submissive. ---The death fixation kicks in and you get all the endless whining and begging to be killed. Master this. Master that. It really gets quite tiresome. So...needy." ---(page 12-13)

This is the first text I’ve read by Hal Duncan, but know I finally know what the reviews of his acclaimed novel "Vellum" and its follow-up "Ink" meant when describing Duncan’s writing as intelligent and witty. Some of the reviews accuse him of being overindulgent with his imagination and impressive learning in a way that makes his writing incoherent and disjointed at times, but I assure you that this doesn’t happen here – the concise nature of novella as a prose narrative really helps writers to retain their focus from wandering. Duncan chose an unconventional, albeit a very effective, narrative method to tell the story – monologue (he uses it from the first to the last word). The scientist…ermm…vampire is quite talkative and explains everything that is going on, even the unheard words uttered by other characters are addressed by our vampire in such self-explanatory manner, that the reader does not miss out on anything important.
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Not to spoil the ending, let me just say that it includes an unexpected turn of events with disloyal subjects, the guest, the host and “the old man” (a vampire who created both of the younger vampires, which in turn rebelled against him and locked him up in a basement). Ingenious stuff. Read it.
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~ Thrinidir ~

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Mikhail A. Bulgakov - Master and Margarita (Book Review)

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I wouldn’t normally consider Master and Margarita as a genre book, although it could be argued that it contains at least a few elements of both fantasy and alternative history subgenre. This is a modern classic, written somewhere in between 1928 and 1940 by a Russian novelist and playwright Mikhail A. Bulgakov. Master and Margarita is considered his magnum opus as well as his swan song and it elevated his name into the hall-of-fame of the world’s greatest novelists. The novel is officially categorized as one of the greatest novels of the 20th century and one of the most prominent Soviet satires – a realistic novel permeated with elements of the fantastic. It (successfully) couples the themes of political satire, love story, social bigotry and the eternal struggle of good vs. evil – but if my life depended on it, I couldn't decide which of the characters is good and which is evil in this mash-up of strange and wondrous ideas that litter the novel.
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---"In a white cloak with blood-red lining, with the shuffling gait of a cavalryman, early in the morning of the fourteenth day of the spring month of Nisan, there came out to the covered colonnade between the two wings of the palace of Herod the Great' the procurator of Judea, Pontius Pilate.
---More than anything in the world the procurator hated the smell of rose oil, and now everything foreboded a bad day, because this smell had been pursuing the procurator since dawn."

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At the very start we are introduced to the Devil, who decides to visit communist Moscow with his entourage of misfits, as he gets entangled into a debate about the existence of God and Devil with two self-aware and determined atheists, both very well known among the literary circles. You can imagine the surprise on the Devils face, when the two fellows try to convince him that he does not exist. Soviet Union lies under the Stalin's iron boot and the people suffer the state's rigid pressure, but they manage to quibble over material goods and prestige anyway - the pretense of equality between all people is clearly shown as false (how can pretense be anything else than false anyway?). It’s an optimistic picture in a way – people are shown as resilient and versatile, but sadly for the wrong reasons (their own greed and selfishness). So we have a lurid depiction of a failed ideology and the people’s ability to adapt to and subvert any pressure coming from the above authority to their own needs.
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There are two storylines – the first one follows the Devil as he discloses social bigotry among the residents of Moscow, and the second one returns all the way back to the bliblical story of Pontius Pilate, the procurator of Judea, and how he deals with the prophet Yeshua (alias Ha-Nozri) and his conviction. The storyline dealing with the procurator of Judea is interpreted quite liberally that differs from the religious canon quite profoundly.
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---"The visitor was no longer alone in the bedroom, but had company: in the second armchair sat the same type he had imagined in the front hall. Now he was clearly visible: the feathery moustache, one lens of the pince-nez gleaming, the other not there. But worse things were to be found in the bedroom: on the jeweller's wife's ottoman, in a casual pose, sprawled a third party -- namely, a black cat of uncanny size, with a glass of vodka in one paw and a fork, on which he had managed to spear a pickled mushroom, in the other."

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Since Master and Margarita is a complex novel of considerable depth and full of hidden meanings, references and subliminal allegories - but nevertheless beautifully crafted into a biting satire, which makes it so approachable - it deserved to be researched on my behalf…suffice to say, that most of the character’s names (as well as most of the other things in the novel) refer to someone or something: 1) “Behemoth” can stand for something enormous in size and power as well as for hippopotamus; 2) “Margarita” due to a reference in the book might stand for “Marguerite de Valois”; 3) “Woland” is a german name for Satan - an obvious homage to Goethe’s Faust; 4) “Faggoto“ stands for a woodwind instrument; 5) “Azazello“ or “Azazel“ is a fallen angel who taught people how to make weapons and jewelry; 6) “Abaddona“ refers to "Abaddon", a place of destruction or the chief demon Destroyer etc.

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Bulgakov mocks the rigid religious canon and the institution of Church, but otherwise looks with favor upon religion as such. The situation in communist Russia is portrayed with clarity that only an insider can possess – exposing trafficking with foreign currencies, bribery of officials, housing speculations, cheap entertainment (Variety), irregular food supply (what kind of food is “of the second freshness“?...that would be rotten food, right?), the proverbial shallowness of the bourgeois and so forth. And what is the Devil’s part in all this? It’s quite simple really – to flush out the part of us that is immoral, shallow and opportunistic: and to make humanity aware of its own flaws. But what surprised me the most concerning the Devil can be discerned from the following passage in the book:
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---" 'YOU and I speak different languages, as usual,' responded Woland, 'but the things we say don't change for all that. And so? . ..'
---'He has read the master's work,' said Matthew Levi, 'and asks you to take the master with you and reward him with peace. Is that hard for you to do, spirit of evil?'
---'Nothing is hard for me to do,' answered Woland, 'you know that very well.' He paused and added: 'But why don't you take him with you into the light?'
---'He does not deserve the light, he deserves peace,' Levi said in a sorrowful voice.
---'Tell him it will be done,' Woland replied and added, his eye flashing:
---'And leave me immediately.'
---'He asks that she who loved him and suffered because of him also be taken with him,' Levi addressed Woland pleadingly for the first time.
---'We would never have thought of it without you. Go.' "

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The author idealizes the idea of true love (Master and Margarita) and looks kindly upon real artistic talent. At the same time Bulgakov mocks state (paid) art and pretentiousness among lesser literati and critics. A vengeful and completely naked Margarita runs amok on one occasion, full of righteous wrath, which leads her to devastate a particular critic’s apartment; she could have killed him at that moment, if she knew where he could be found - Margarita therefore acts a part of a demi-goddess, a real artist’s Muse.
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Bulgakov plays the role of an all knowing narrator, who often gives his own witty insights on events and compels the reader in various ways. There are some elements present in the novel that could be interpreted as author’s romanticizing of the "Nature" (witches as free women, satyrs, fairies, nakedness, women as closer to nature are shown as more sympathetic than the men etc.).
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---" 'Ah, don't remind me, Azazello, I was stupid then. And anyhow you mustn't blame me too severely for it -- you don't meet unclean powers every day!'
---That you don't!' agreed Azazello. 'Wouldn't it be pleasant if it was every day!' ---'I like quickness myself,' Margarita said excitedly, 'I like quickness and nakedness ... Like from a Mauser -- bang! Ah, how he shoots!' Margarita cried, turning to the master. 'A seven under the pillow -- any pip you like!...' Margarita was getting drunk, and it made her eyes blaze. "

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I could go on, but the above introduction was enough to familiarize you with the intricacies of the novel that are hidden behind otherwise very accessible text. It’s true that this novel is most suited as a text-book example, but as you can see from all the excerpts I’m adding to the review, it reads really well. Bulgakov’s approach to human fallacies is fundamentally lighthearted in its essence and while he tries to expose our errors, it never feels like he is preaching or anything. Sure, the novel has its downsides; it can drag in some parts (especially around the middle) and it didn’t really resonate with my tastes as I hoped it would, but the ending merges the parallel storylines in a competent manner and the writing style is witty and otherwise faultless. I wouldn’t rush to recommend you this book, but I still think that everyone should give it a try (when you get tired of genre reading is a perfect opportunity to pick this one up) – who knows, you just might find your new favorite.
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-(trivia - how many E.Fruitcakes are missing to form a full house?)
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~ Thrinidir ~

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Matthew Woodring Stover - Heroes Die (Book Review)

The notorious Caine, also known as the Blade of Tyshalle, is one of the best assassins in the whole land of Ankhana. He comes and goes, but wherever he is, people live in fear of him and the tales of his killings spread like fire. But no one is aware of Caine's whereabouts in between his missions. That's because he returns to another world - home to Earth, where he is not Caine, but Hari Michaelson, a virtual Actor that is well-known and adored for his adventures in Ankhana. His forays into the alternate world provide visceral entertainment for billions of his admirers. And even though, he is the most famous of Actors, the strict caste system still bounds him to the whims of his betters and has to wait for their indulgence before entering the world of Ankhana. The circle of events is rigid and unbreakable, but then his wife Shanna gets stuck there, lost for everybody on Earth - Caine is allowed to go there and try to save her ... but only if he is prepared to pay a certain price....
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I've only heard one thing about Heroes Die (Acts of Caine series) before I read it - that it's one of the most overlooked fantasy novels of the last decade – and now I believe this to be true. This terrific novel by Matthew Woodring Stover was recommended to me on a passing whim by my trusted friend before I decided to buy it; and when I scribbled the keywords 'heroes' and 'die' in Google search I found (1)two or three reviews written back in 1999; (2)a thread on SFFWorld forum discussing 'front cover art' (the cover of the print I own looks kind of cheesy to be perfectly honest, but it's still way better than the Russian or the French covers *giggles*); (3)an entry on the book inside Wikipedia (4)and a bunch of pretty much unrelated stuff - so it's obviously not a very well known book (I actually found several more reviews, though I had to add the word 'stover' to the search bar and/or look further than the first 6 or 7 offered pages). What I'm trying to say is that this shroud of mystery that surrounds the novel makes me frown with disbelief, since it gave me one hell of a ride, in the best possible sense.
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You probably know the feeling when a certain book gets a hold of you and it's impossible to put it down before it's read? Well, ladies and gentlemen, Heroes Die is definitely one of those books and more. When I opened it one wintery evening, hoping for noting more than a mediocre and a mildly enjoyable tale, but what happened was me being totally mesmerized by the experience. I read it until I fell asleep from exhaustion, continued reading it all through my school lessons (don't follow my example kids :), during breaks and my ride home, I even skipped my dinner so that I could keep reading undisturbed and when I turned the last page and awareness of the outside world returned to me the night was already pitch black when I looked out of my bedroom window. It's been a long time since a book griped me in such a wholehearted manner. I wouldn't call reading that what I was doing (not even gobbling up); it was a compulsive obsession with the book. And what is worse, the totality of the immersion only expanded as the story progressed and the tension rose. I admit that I had to take a short break towards the end in order to cool my tempers and relax my tired eyes.
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The "problem" I had with Heroes Die is not unique, but resembles the one I had while reading Daniel Keyes' sf masterwork Flowers for Algernon – vivid characterisation coupled with skillful world-building bewitched me completely and made it nigh impossible for me to objectively and thoroughly judge the style, plot or any other literary elements of the book. All I can stutter out in this elevated state is that it was utterly refreshing to come across a fantasy novel where the main character has absolutely no youthful innocence left or is he the most brilliant and morally upright individual around. If you let me paraphrase his own words - Caine is the most famous of Actors, but even though he is highly skilled, he couldn't do it without a fair amount of luck. But in my eyes, he's a true badass who knows what he's up against, keeps things realistic and uses his wit as often and as much skill as his knives.
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The half fantasy & half sf setting is a splendid idea that gives a whole new perspective to the book. It somehow feels easier to get caught up with the story when the main character shares your world, even though it's years in the future.
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I've read a lot of books that entail wannabe devious and twisted plots in the last couple of months and I'm glad that this holds true for Heroes Die as well...only without the wannabe part. This book makes up for all the others that I've read lately and somehow failed to impress me – but here the reader witnesses plans within plans, plots hidden behind plots, until it makes no more sense and makes your head dizzy from trying to figure everything out. I was being outsmarted on every single page and the humbling experience did wonders for my ego. I gradually realized that it's better to just go with the flow and enjoy the ride as everything slowly unravels in the most pleasing fashion. Finishing the book came as a relief from all the strain I've put into reading it, but it also left me wishing for more. Lucky for me, I've still got two sequels to look forward to - Blade of Tyshalle (though the book is out-of-print and how I'm furious about the fact!) and Caine Black Knife, that is set for release on October 14th. But in truth, Heroes Die can be taken perfectly well as a standalone...In fact, it worked so well for me that I can do nothing else but wholeheartedly recommend it.
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-(no less than a full cohort of Fruitcakes...and they are raving about the book too!)
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~ Trin ~

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Lord of the Links & other related stuff

Quote of the Day

(source)

~ I figure blogposts are better than good intentions and random scraps of paper scattered about the house. ~

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~ Reviews & Recommendations ~

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Most of us are up to our heads with reading material, but for those of you who love epic fantasy and have already read all the recent stuff or just don't know what to read next – visit Pat's Fantasy Hotlist, where he compiled a retro-list of his favourites.

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SF Signal's readers made a selection of books – the selection is self-evident from the title of the article: "The Top 26 SF Books You've Never Read". Some of the books included in the list are great, others medicore and some are just a blatantly peculiar choice. Check out the list and decide for yourselves.

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I've also stumbled upon some reviews of great books that I'd very much like to read as soon as possible. Zone has published a splendid review of Ian McDonald's Brasyl.

"I think that any information-hungry alien would be overjoyed to receive a gift-wrapped copy of Ian McDonald's Brasyl, as this book is not only incandescent, it is brilliant in a number of different ways and for a number of different reasons. Recently adorned with the 2008 best novel award by the British Science Fiction Association, and short-listed for this year's Hugo, Brasyl is not only a worthy successor to 2004's River Of Gods, I'd say it's actually a better book."

The Book Swede and Sandstorm Reviews posted a review of a much anticipated new release by Richard Morgan - Steel Remains is Morgan's first foray into fantasy, and by the looks of it, a successful one as well.

Rob reviewed Cory Doctorow's Little Brother for SFFWorld, and if he is to be believed, the book just might be one of the sf highlights of this year.

The DeckLed Edge did a brief review of Iain M. Bank's entry into the renowned Culture space opera series – Consider Phlebas. I've bought the book just a few days ago and I really look forward to start reading it. Banks is considered one of the leading writers of SF, if not the leading writer.

Scott Lynch is one of the most popular new fantasy writers to emerge in the last few years and rightfully so (read our review here). Adam from The Wertzone is a little late to the game, but here is his view on Lies of Locke Lamora if you are interested. What is maybe even more relevant at this moment is his detailed profile of Alastair Reynolds – currently one of the biggest names in sf.

~ News & Interviews ~

2007 Tiptree Award Winner (via SFScope.com)

The James Tiptree, Jr. Literary Award Council has announced the winner of the 2007 Tiptree Award, which is is presented annually to a work or works that explore and expand gender roles in science fiction and fantasy. This year's winner is The Carhullan Army by Sarah Hall.

This Year's Compton Crook Award Finalists (via SFscope.com)

The Baltimore Science Fiction Society (BSFS) has announced the finalists for this year's Compton Crook Award. The award is for "the new SF author judged to have written the best SF novel for the previous year." The nominees are: The Blade Itself by Joe Abercombie (published by Pyr), The Outback Stars by Sandra McDonald (Tor), The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss (DAW), Magic Lost, Trouble Found by Lisa Shearin (Ace) and One Jump Ahead by Mark L. Van Name (Baen).

I haven't yet read any of the Dresden Files books by Jim Butcher, but since I'm aware that he has a huge following I'm posting this news: you might be glad to know that the first Dresden Files comic is now available (read more).

Patrick from Pat's Fantasy Hotlist interviewed Kay Kenyon, an ever-more prominent sf author of The Entire and the Rose series (the second book, A World Too Near is just fresh out of printing and already garners some serious acclaim).

Another nifty interview can be found at Fantasy Book Critic, where Alan Campbell talks about his latest offering – Iron Angel, book two in Deepgate Codex trilogy and a sequel to his startling debut novel Scar Night, which was released a year ago.

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I've got a few more links up my sleeve but I'll have to hang on to them for now. I'll post them as soon as possible though!

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

In the Limelight - Websites and Blogs of Interest

First off, let me stress the fact that this article is completely subjective, but I really want to share with you all the great sites where I visit for my daily fix of genre news, book reviews, author interviews, new releases, various give-aways and other special features. I frequent a lot sf&f sites and blogs (god bless RSS feed), and every one of them has a particular appeal that makes them special in some way. I apologize in advance if I forgot to mention your site; it's not that I don't think it’s not worthy of mentioning, I probably just haven't got around to it…yet. But I must admit that I focus mainly on general fantasy and sf sites – I’m not a regular guest at the ones that are prone to urban fantasy and/or romance. So if you run a website or a blog that is dedicated to the genres of fantasy, science fiction or horror leave a comment or email me so I’ll be wandering in the proverbial dark no longer. But before I continue, I should explain that the following sites and blogs follow each other in no particular order, the sequence is totally random (neither alphabetical nor hierarchical).

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Jumpdrives and Cantrips
is a relatively new blog that’s been running for about as long as ours. It is a project of Sara, a very intelligent and courteous lady. She is not the most prolific of bloggers, but all her entries bear a lot of weight. She reviews many books that I’m not usually familiar with or a big fan of the subgenre they represent (romance, urban fantasy, strong female protagonists). If I had to expose one thing in particular about her blog it would be the reviews – they are written in a way that truly resonates with my view of how a review should be written. So if you are not familiar with Jumpdrives and Cantrips, you don’t have any more excuses not to go there and read what she has to say. The blog really deserves wider recognition.

A Dribble of Ink
is one of the niftiest sites around. You are probably already familiar with Aidan site, since it is one of the most widely popular, but I still felt I should give kudos, where they are deserved. He is a dedicated fantasy fan and posts a lot of informative articles besides the reviews. I believe he is a big fan of older Salvatore and Steven Erikson.

The Wertzone
Adam Whitehead (Werthead) or the guy in charge of The Wertzone, has the most compatible tastes with mine. This similarity of tastes goes so far, that it is almost uncanny. Adam is a huge fan of the works of George R.R. Martin and Paul Kearney. He is also one of the most knowledgeable people (genre related of course) that I know and usually serves us with delicious insider news and insights. The reviews he posts are often about “yet to be released” books that are hugely anticipated. He’s also a big follower of television series, and often writes his thoughts on them as well.

Fantasy Book News & Reviews
was a “usual” book review blog before the change of focus happened in January. Jeff found himself too busy to update the blog on regular basis so he decided to produce an index, by author, of all the fantasy book reviews on blogosphere. It was a brilliant idea that took him a few months to complete, but its obviously an ongoing project. If you want to find a review on a certain book (from different angles) I urge you to visit Jeff’s blog – it’s like Wikipedia of blogs that specialize on fantasy book reviews. Lately Jeff has also found time to write his own reviews (they are distinct for its pros&cons approach) and other related articles. I have a gripe though – the index doesn’t include science fiction works :(

Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist
might just be the most visited and popular review site around. He has a very approachable style of reviewing and is a nice guy in general as well. He knows what to say and when to say it. And if you are still unconvinced, Pat literally showers his blog visitors with various book give-aways. All you have to do to participate is to send him an email with a specific keyword when he is giving away a particular set of books.

Fantasy Book Critic
Robert Thompson runs another juggernaut of a site. He is one of the more prolific and verbose (but never wordy!) bloggers. He runs a fabulous site, spitting out quality reviews, author interviews, book give-aways and other interesting articles with an almost inhuman speed. You really need to visit his site if you somehow managed to miss it, but I’m sure you already know about it; and besides, he doesn’t need my endorsement anyway (the other way around though…). Robert’s monthly posts informing us about new release is priceless as well!

OF Blog of the Fallen
Larry is as verbose as Robert from Fantasy Book Critic to be blunt, but otherwise their blogs have little in common. Larry is the true definition of the term “A Voracious Reader”, since while he reads at leisure cruising speed (I’m using his own words!) means about 200 pages per hour, but he can push the limit it up to 400 pages, if he is in the right mood. Talk about envy :). OF Blog of the Fallen is also not as specialized as the other genre sites; he loves mainstream literature and classics too and often tries to acquaint us with more exotic writers (the Serbian master-writer Zoran Živković for example). On forums Larry often lifts his brow at epic fantasy, but there is no one who wouldn’t respect his opinion. With one word – insightful.

SFRevu
is the main source (besides Fantasy Book Critic) of where I find out about all the new releases for the next month (updated on the 1st of every month). This site is a must for me.

SF Reviews.net
launches only a fistful of reviews every month (usually around 3 to 6), but it’s enough to say only one thing – the reviews are probably the best I’ve read (or just the most suited to my tastes). The guy writing them (Thomas M. Wagner) is a genius by my standards. The reviews are quite long but well worth reading.

SFF World & A Song of Ice and Fire
SFF World is as close to a “home” as this blog is (only that now Realms of Speculative Fiction has become my first priority), since I’m a regular visitor at their forum and enjoy the reviews they post tremendously (written by Mark, Rob and some others). On the other hand, the reputation of A Song of Ice and Fire is based solely on its forum - but there gather all the wise-guys and the nutcraks that mean anything in the genre fandom on the internet community. Both sites are an invaluable source of information and a fun place to hang at.

SF Site
is another inevitable site if you want to be well informed on what is going on in the genres of fantasy and sf. Its contributors write excellent reviews and articles, especially if you like them long, analytical and well-constructed. I would especially expose “Overlooked or Over-hyped?”; an article, written by Neil Walsh, that takes two books or series and then elaborates on why one of them is unjustly overlooked and why the other is over-hyped by the readers.

Neth Space
is another great blog, run by a well-informed and well-respected blogger. I enjoy his reviews quite a lot and often find myself putting the books he reviews on my immediate to-buy-list. Beside his reviews I’d also like to point out his mini-interviews where the authors answer his five questions. But the reviews and the interviews are not all that Neth Space offers…visit Neth’s blog and find out his thoughts on the matter for yourself.

SF Signal
On this site, the content is posted faster than you can read it…and I’m barely kidding. Beside reviews, important genre news, links to other articles and to relevant YouTube material there are also a lot of links to free eBooks and other free contents. Great site that is run by a dedicated crew.

Graeme’s Fantasy Book Review
offers delicious content (reviews, give-ways, interviews, genre news) spiced up with Graeme’s own touch. His reviews are concise and to the point. He definitely deserves your attention. I’m a regular guest at his blog.

Grasping for the Wind
is one of my personal favorites. John is a great guy (I’ve been saying that a lot in this article, but it is true) and writes exquisite (in the sense of lavish elegance and refinement) reviews…I’m making this up as I go, but I want you to know how highly I think of his reviews (enough bootlicking for now). One other thing though, the books he chooses to review might seem peculiar, especially in comparison with the books the majority of sf&f sites review. Grasping for the Wind has other great contents beside reviews as well.

The Book Swede & His Blog
Chris, who really isn't a Swede (don’t ask me), runs this jewel of a blog. The posts brush various topics – from book news, reviews, interviews, some more general or personal stuff, genre links, thoughts on television series and other things. The reviews themselves are of course at the forefront of The Book Swede & His Blog’s attention. What I like about this site is, that Chris usually reviews books I really want to read somewhere in the near future, but they somehow elude me still...t3h irony, t3h drama!

The Genre Files
Darren ran a superb review page…while it lasted. Than he got a dream job as Orbit’s (online) marketing executive and put his blogging status on hibernation for obvious reasons (=bias). Congratulations again, Darren. As for the rest of us, we can still browse through the blog’s archives and hope for Darren to return The Genre Files to active status. eDiT: Darren just got back to me via mail and told me that he also runs "UK Sf Book News". He will keep this site updated on a more regular basis and it might be suited to a wider audience as well.

Sandstorm Reviews
run by another lady (another besides Sara from Jumpdrives and Cantrips) among all the ‘gents – Alice. I really like the name of the blog; reminds me of the song “Sandstorm” by Darude (YouTube). Alice did wonders with blog’s outlook. Sandstorm Reviews is almost exclusively centered on reviews, but allots some well deserved space to making fun of Terry Goodkind and it suits me just fine. Make no mistake though, Alice writes great reviews.

FantasyBookSpot.com
is another big site that has multiple contributors and hosts its own forum. The reviews are written by different authors so the quality varies a bit, but is generally on a very high level. This site can brag with occasional exclusive features and The Annual Book Tournament Championship - pitting the works of different authors against each other, that is raising a lot of dust around the net.

Fantasy Debut
is a project of a very energetic and active blogger Tia. FD deals exclusively with fantasy debuts (most of the time at least:). It’s a very chić site with great contents and does a great job to promote new authors.

Locus Online
is the online version of the “leading” news and review magazine of the science fiction, fantasy, and horror publishing fields – you’ve probably heard about Locus Awards, right? It has a lot of great contents and some of the most renowned authors write contributions (Jeff Vandermeer etc.). I usually go there to find out about new releases, forthcoming books and various award nominations/winners.

Speculative Horizons
James is an enthusiast just like the rest of us, and runs a blog that I really like to visit. His reviews are on par with the above mentioned sites and writes great articles as well – he often posts his own thoughts on the happenings in the genre and even if I don’t always participate in the discussions or agree with his view, I respect him for the originality. He also encouraged me with my series of articles entitled “Candy Covers” where I talk about beautiful cover art. James took an opposite approach and rather rants about the crappy fantasy book covers – to each his own I guess.

Dark Wolf's Fantasy Reviews
is a brand new blog dedicated to fantasy literature (the first post has a late March timestamp on it). Dark Wolf is a Romanian, but his handle on English shows none of it. The articles and reviews are rather scarce at the moment, but the blog looks promising so I’ll definitely hang around and watch the project grow. I suggest you do the same.

Fantasy Café
Kristen is web programmer and it shows – the blog is beautiful and intricate, but not only on the outside…the essence is on par with the form. As with the The Book Swede & His Blog, Kristen often reviews books that I really want to read asap, but find myself stranded with other obligations in the end. *sigh*

A Slight Apocalypse
Amras Elensar (what an elfish name!) runs a great blog with very diverse contents. I’ll just quote “the about” section from his blog because he explains better than I ever could: “Welcome, beloved browser, to 'A Slight Apocalypse', or 'the most awesome blog in the universe' as it is often dubbed. Here you are sure to fulfil your every need within the great realms of fantasy & science fiction. I review books, comics, Tv-series and the occasional film in the genre here on this blog, and you're also bound to find some sort of rambling entry if the mood strikes me. So set forth and explore the murky depths of this great site! It is your duty and honour as a human being to do so.”

Strange Horizons
is another terrific site that is updated weekly. It has a dedicated staff and publishes quality reviews, articles and columns. It also has an art gallery and supports fan poetry and short fiction. Highly recommended!
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Adventures in Reading

Joe Sherry's introduction: "Reviews and Discussion of Books of all kind, more often than not Science Fiction and Fantasy." It's modest and I like it. This is not a juvenille review site peppered with descriptions and synopsis (if I want to know what's going on in the book I'll read it thank you very much) but garners much personal thoughts on why and how. Don't miss Joe's site...its fab.

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Other sites worth mentioning: The Bodhisattva, The Decked Edge, The Swivet, I Hope I Didn't Just Give Away the Ending, SciFiChick.com, Fantasy & Sci-Fi Lovin' Blog, The Zone, BookCynic, The Cesspit (books), The Gravel Pit,...

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This would be all for now. I know I’ve omitted a lot of interesting sites, but a day has only 24 hours and I am only one man to rake the vast deserts of the web. I hope you’ll enjoy my picks, but if I left out an essential site dedicated to genre literature, please let me know. Back to studying now....

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Karen Miller - Kingmaker, Kingbreaker (Book Review)

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---Asher is sick and tired of being a fisherman's son with too many brothers who never miss the chance to beat him up. That's why he decides one day to leave secretly for Dorana, a capital city of the Kingdom of Lur. All he wants is to earn enough money to buy a boat for himself and his father, but an ancient prophecy has a slightly different destiny in store him. When Asher finds himself working for the prince, he believes his life could not get any curiouser, but he is not aware that the members of the Circle, a secret organisation dedicated to preserving an ancient magic, are shadowing his every step...

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Karen Miller is an Australian science-fiction and fantasy writer, best known for her Stargate tie-in and for her bestselling fantasy duology "Kingmaker, Kingbreaker" (you can read the prologue from the first book, The Innocent Mage, here, and the first chapter from its sequel, The Awakened Mage, here. She is releasing the first book - entitled 'Empress', in her brand new Godspeaker trilogy this month (April,2008). By the way, Chris (The Book Swede & His Blog) has done a nice interview with the author – you can read it here.

I've read the "Kingmaker, Kingbreaker" duology a short while ago and it left me with mixed feelings. On one hand, these are a pretty refreshing set of fantasy novels; they are skillfully written and include some competent world-building. The plot, on the other hand, is rather straightforward and fairly typical of the genre and it felt heavily YA oriented too.

Maybe the fault for feeling that way lies predominantly at my feet because I read Miller's books during the period I was discovering the works of the new generation of fantasy writers (Lynch, Abercrombie, Ruckley and some others). It's no wonder then, that I kept comparing their efforts with hers – this might not be entirely just, since the comparisons are not always simple to make or even very relevant – but still, some elements of the "Kingmaker, Kingbreaker" kept reminding me of one or another that I've already seen before elsewhere...and done better, might I add. Here we have the ever-present social inequality and class struggles (or, in the case of "Kingmaker, Kingbreaker", the superiority of one race over another as well), the barrier against the world of Evil (hello, Terry Brooks and other Tolkien derivatives!) and the same old-same old fantasy setting. There is the classical coming-of-age hero story – another rural boy possessing an undiscovered secret power – and the never tiring plot device: prophecy of the Chosen One who is to save the world, naturally. The mythos of Miller's world plays an important role in the over-arching story as well. The myths & legends of this world made me think of "The First Law" trilogy by Joe Abercrombie; it's not that they are similar in structure - it just feels that way. I would have gotten more from reading Karen Miller's books – if only I read them before the above mentioned works.

Otherwise, "Kingmaker, Kingbreaker" duology classifies as a perfectly decent read. I read both books in one big gulp – it's a veritable page-turner and the reading flows exceptionally well, especially if you are a girl and/or a sucker for romantic stories where the hero is destined to get the (forbidden) girl, after struggling for her for a while. For more than a half of the second book, I was anxiously waiting for something interesting to happen between the two. Maybe it’s a cheap writer’s trick, but it worked for me perfectly (it can, however, bore you or spoil your reading experience, if you aren’t fond of such things and prefer action oriented story-telling). As you are drawing nearer to the end of the book, the tension grows considerably and the situation explodes at last into a colossal battle against the ultimate evil, that brings to a typical, but a bit bitter ending as well. The humor in the books is light and easy-going and it made me grin uncontrollably on more than a few occasions.

To sum things up, I have to say that reading the this duology made me feel like I was reading a more imaginative and humor-tinged version of "Winterbirth" by Brian Ruckley (my review). Even though I know the plots are nothing alike, the feeling I got from these books was more or less the same - it's just that Miller writes with more humor, more imagination and more style. I had much fun reading "The Innocent Mage" and its sequel so I'm not sorry at the least for the time spent reading it.
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~ Trin ~

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Eye Candy Covers pt.III

The first two articles bearing the same title can be found here (Tor and Nightshade Books editions of some of the Glen Cooks works) and here (Subpress limited edition of Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson). In the third edition of Eye Candy Covers I'd like to show you another set of beautiful cover art, this one originating from Gollancz publishing - we are talking about relatively fresh print of their phenomenal Fantasy Masterworks series, now graced with an even more exquisite covers. The stark contrasts and the limited use of gentle colors turns out quite to my tastes and what is more important, this covers might bring fresh attention to this well deserving works of fiction. Behold...

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Tuesday, April 8, 2008

Jeff Vandermeer - The Situation (Novelette Review)

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---At lunch, we would sneak out behind the company building with a blanket and sit on the little hill there, looking out onto a ravaged landfill full of the bright skeletons of vultures and then, beyond that, the city in all its strange mix of menace and vulnerability. The grass was yellowing rather than dead. A wiry tree stood on the hill at that time. We would ear crackers and old cans of shredded meat, the smell in that context almost unbearably tantalizing.

---After lunch, we would unlock the glass cases containing our beetles. Their shining green-and-crimson carapaces would open like the lids of eccentric jewelry boxes to reveal their golden wings, and we would release them into the world.

---Those beetles contained every joyous thing we had ever known, and we loved to watch them fly out into the distance.

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---I can remember Leer saying once, "This hill makes me happy."

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"The Situation” is my first foray into the writing of Jeff Vandermeer, a multiple award-winning author and one of the progenitors of the New Weird avant-garde literary movement. Vandermeer’s own definition of the subgenre from the introduction to the New Weird anthology (Tachyon Publications, 2008) exposes as crucial some of the following elements: (1) urban, secondary-world fiction based on the complex real-world models; (2) subversion of the romanticism usually found in traditional fantasy; (3) may have elements of both sf&f; (4) acute awareness of the modern world and (5) the writing style and writing techniques may include elements of surreal, postmodern and transgressive horror for the tone, style and effect. I found all this to be blatantly true concerning this novelette.

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The Situation’s intent is straightforward enough and revealed by the author in the acknowledgements: “I dedicate The Situation to all the passive-aggressive emotional vampires,…and incompetent power-abusing managers currently lurking among unsuspecting office workers everywhere.” We follow an anonymous corporate worker in his everyday life in a weird company that has a big all-kinds-of-weapons-proof beetle on top where the godlike owners reside. The company itself dabbles with what we would label as biotechnology – producing all kinds of beetles, worms, grubs, man-sized fish and other distorted fauna that serve all kinds of purposes (usually analogous to this world’s computer technologies and pharmaceutics). It is a story about modern workplace relations – as flawed and dysfunctional as they are. The company’s interior is the one and only safe-haven that the employees know. Hope is buried in the past along with all the happy memories and family photos. Our worker’s days revolve around pleasing his superiors and finding himself exceedingly outcasted from the people he works with, facing growing hostility and isolation.
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This novelette reminds me uncannily of Kafka’s “The Metamorphosis” with an added pinch of Marvyn Peake’s “Gormenghast”. Vandermeer has a lyrical approach to writing, using a lot of metaphors and allegories, and sure knows how to make you sympathize with the main protagonist. His ideas are just twisted enough for me to like and to remind me to read some of his other works – I’ve heard a lot of good things about his collection of short stories gathered in “City of Saints and Madmen”.

To conclude, this is a kind of story that I'd recommend to grown-ups or those remotely familiar with office work...for those under 25 (this age limit is highly arbitrary!) I would say to wait a few years so you can full appreciate Vandermeer's allegory of the office life.
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And the best thing is that you can read this novelette for free as a free e-book here, thanks to PS Publishing.
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~ ThRiNiDiR ~

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Joe Abercrombie – Last Argument of Kings (Thrinidir's Book Review)

Foremost, this is not a double post. The review below was written by my colleague BlindMan and here you are about to read my thoughts on the book. I'm not trying to oppose him or sway you to agree with my views; all this is, is just an alternative side to the story....

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A prime example of a world full of bitter, cynical, world-weary, Machiavellian...you probably see where I’m going?
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Mr. Abercrombie managed to become the most reviewed and talked about fantasy author on the internet chat rooms, blogs, review sites and other related web-pages since his debut effort “The Blade Itself” merely two years ago. I’ll go about this review in good faith that you are already familiar with his first two book in “The First Law” trilogy or that you’ve at least heard or read about Joe Abercrombie – if not, than you can read Trin’s review of “Before They Are Hanged” (the second book of the trilogy) or my article, which I wrote in anticipation of the upcoming release of “Last Argument of Kings”. That being said let me continue with the review.

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“Last Argument of Kings” is the third and final book of “The First Law” series; and what a majestic conclusion it is! The last third of the book is one of the crispiest, refreshing and mind-blowing endings I’ve been privileged to read…ever. But before the gist of this review, let me recap the story briefly (argumentably without much spoiler material).

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---Logen Ninefingers rejoins his friends in the bloody northern campaign set against Bethod – the self proclaimed King of Northmen, after the failed quest for “The Seed” he partook with Bayaz venturing into the furthest reaches of the World. Dogman, Thunderhead, Black Dow, Grim Harding and the rest of the stoic Northmen have some tough battles ahead of them and even hardest lessons to learn. The Union loses its king just before the impeding Gurkish invasion with Mamun, the first apprentice of Prophet Khalul, and his hundred Eaters at the fore. Jezal dan Luthar finds himself stretched between his affliction for Ardee West and his new acquired position. The misshapen Superior Glokta dan Sand has only his guile to keep his head from rolling of his shoulders while juggling several conflicting loyalties he finds himself trapped into. The good mentor Bayaz, First of the Magi, searches for every available means to stand against Mamun and his Eaters. Ferro’s heart remains set on vengeance and its not due to change soon. Last but not least, Major West finds himself in charge of the Union army in the North after the unfortunate demise of Lord Marshal Burr.

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This novel remains epic fantasy to its core, but what a delightfully twisted core it is. Expect the unexpected and bear this in mind – nobody turns out what he appeared to be in the beginning. There are some surprisingly torturous conversions and new revelations along the way, especially when concerning our main protagonists. Logen and the Northmen shine the brightest for the better part of the book. I have to admit that I found the happening in Adua uninteresting at times and some of the chapters concentrating on Jezal, Ferro, Bayaz and even Glokta surprisingly dull and repetitive. Glokta, my personal favorite, wearied me down with his constant and peevish whimpering which actually lost its humorous dark edge for a while. But this all changes drastically when Abercrombie starts to knot the loose threads together in a grand finale. This occurs when the gist of action moves from the North into Adua, where the final cards are played out. Glokta, I’m delighted to say, has some hidden aces up his crooked sleeve, so my irritation and fears were laid to a serene rest.

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“Last Argument of Kings” is not made of diamonds, but it can have its worth measured out in solid gold. If I had a few reservations about the book well into the second half of its length the ending chapters blew them all to dust. The plot is pretty straightforward and the writing quite brash in its simplicity, but that does not detract from novels worth as it gives Abercrombie ample opportunity to polish his other qualities and he succeeds at that with flying colors. I’ll say this though, if you found “The Blade Itself” or even “Before They Are Hanged” not to your liking then stay away from this one – in essence nothing really changes, it only brings gloss to what went before.

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Mr. Abercrombie…Evil Fruitcake (our mascot) approves heartily.

(4 out of five or a wand-length short of almost perfect - and we are talking a bout a smallish wand)

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~ ThRiNiDiR ~

Friday, April 4, 2008

Joe Abercrombie - Last Argument of Kings (BlindMan's Book Review)

---Both princes are dead. Countryside is in flames. Adua in an uproar. The king is on his deathbed and a new king needs to be elected. The high and mighty are trying to muster as many votes as they can using any means necessary. And Superior Glokta is one of those recruiting.

---The expedition is back. Seed or no Seed, Jezal is just as happy to be closer to the woman he was dreaming about on the voyage to the end of the world. Confusing as he finds his reputation of a fop changing into a hero overnight Adree's hands keep him occupied enough not to care. In those confusing instances when it happens in front of his very eyes the possible worries are quickly explained away by his wise mentor, the First Disciple Bayaz.

---Ninefingers is home as well, in cold and bloody Northland where war still rages. Back home and back to his old ways. His surviving companions now lead by Dogman are fighting on the side of the Union, gathering the warriors that dislike the new kingdom Bethod wrought. But it's impossible to say who the carls hate more – the self-proclaimed king, or the almost mythic Bloody-Nine returned. Bethold is fighting on his home ground. He dug in his army in strong defensive positions, and only putting all the eggs in one basket might bring him out to attack. It's also quite possible, that this bold plan will turn into desperate last stand...

Sorry folks, but I can't write this one without at least some small hints at how the things will turn out, so if you haven't read the book yet, you should consider stopping right here.
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*possible spoilers ahead*

Joe Abercrombie's third book of The First Law trilogy bears the title: Last Argument of Kings. It's a quaint enough quote from the French cannons of old, but truth be told - it could just as well be entitled Life isn't fair. The sentence itself occurs often enough and I can find no better way to describe the overall ambiance of the book. The characters we had thought developing, growing and transmuting in previous books now show their true, flawed self - a bloodthirsty psychopath, spineless romantic, terrified cynic, vengeful sociopath, coldblooded puppeteer… Abercrombie has also decided to forgo the concepts of (just) reward and redemption that are so often found in fantasy literature and rather insists that the only thing that really counts is might and, perhaps, payment for services rendered.
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Revolutionary as this idea might sound, Abercrombie's delivery is not on the level with his previous standards. Throughout the book I could not shake the feeling of a rushed and unpolished job. Characterization that made sure that the characters would grow on us is either gone or shallow. Behavior changes almost in an instant, as if the reader has (in previous two books) read nothing but self-delusions and lies, and when the push came to shove those just disappeared into thin air. But even then the sudden changes would demand more of an explanation or description, not just a simple flip of the switch that Abercrombie seems to employ.
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Book rushes toward the end, trying to describe all that happens and in consequence oversimplifies the human factor. In my opinion, Abercrombie would be better off changing his plans and deciding to write a quadrilogy. The tales could be told entwined around two great events - one in the Northland and another in the city of Adua. That would give him enough room to explore in detail the growth of characters, their 'relapses' or even possible outside (i.e. magical) intervention that may have been the reason behind them.
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What bothered me even more is that while the tale ends, the book brings no true closure. I've tried to make a short inventory of my expectations when it comes to fantasy while writing this review, trying to decide if I've come to expect 'happily ever after' to find such a feeling. As self-serving as it might sound I've came to the conclusion that that's not really the case (yet). I don't know if Abercrombie plans to write more books set in this universe, or even with the same characters (even after writing all this, I still hope that Ninefingers can hold his breath for a REALLY long time), but that is the only explanation I can think of for such an emotionally unresolved ending.
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Last Argument of Kings is an average conclusion after two promising books. It's still an afternoon well spent, but it will probably take away any intention you had of rereading the trilogy after a year or two.

The number of Fruitcakes I deem this book worthy of is:

~ BlindMan ~

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