- starexplorer
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Re: What have you been reading lately?
Surtac wrote:
I finished The Wilding by Ian McDonald.
I thoroughly enjoyed it and would recommend it to anyone to likes their conteporary fantasy at the very dark end of the spectrum. I repeat, it is not SF.
This is not a story of effing sparkly vampires or sodding rainbow unicorns. This is Old Wyrd Britain at its deepest and darkest. It is all about spirit of place and the fact that civilisation has edges and history is built in layers. It is folkloric horror, where the coffin roads and leylines of Hookland meet the spirit gates at the entrance to a modern farmer's field.
I was reminded very much of the early Sarah Pinborough books in her Dog Faced Gods series, and of course Liz Williams' recent Fallow Sisters novels, but there was a particular Graham Joyce book that resonated in my mind as I read this (Joyce's protagonist could so easily have been a younger, opposite-gendered version of McDonald's protagonist here).
McDonald's writing is just getting better and better, full of sneaky literary allusions, deft turns of phrase, and some sly musical jokes that had me laughing out loud in places.
And now I have to re-read some old favourite Graham Joyce works.
Lovely description, ‘tac. i enjoyed hearing your impressions of McDonald’s writing. Good news indeed!
One world -- or none
- Kokipy
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Re: What have you been reading lately?
Going to go look for Wilding
- Surtac
- Antipodean Assassin
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Re: What have you been reading lately?
I want to thank Kokipy for recommending Krueger. I've just finished his Iron Lake and will definitely be reading more of these.
It reminded me of someone else I read years ago but can't quite place. Maybe one of John Connollys early Charlie Parker books before they went really weird? I just can't remember.
Ah well. Thanks again Kokipy.
It's a strange world. Let's keep it that way.
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Thread Starter- Kokipy
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Re: What have you been reading lately?
I am glad you like them! I have read 4 and will read more but I find I am not keen on just going right through all 21 of rhem.
i have been trying to find The Wilding in the library but it doesn’t seem to be available yet. I may just have to buy it
At the moment, I am starting a re-read of Mervin Peake’s Gormenghast trilogy, because of a Michael Chabon recommendation on Threads. My copy was printed in 1968 and I don’t think I have reread it in 50 years, although it is very beaten up, maybe just because it has been moved houses about a million times.
It is amazingly well written. The language, the descriptions are sharp and vivid. I am glad I read it when I was young but I sure did miss a lot, back in the days when plot was everything to me and descriptions I mostly glossed over. I am impressed with the laser like accuracy of his descriptions, which are also poetic. Good writers are as observant as fine painters, aren’t they. Imagination can’t do all the heavy lifting, you have to have noticed stuff IRL also.
- Surtac
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Re: What have you been reading lately?
I am glad you like them! I have read 4 and will read more but I find I am not keen on just going right through all 21 of rhem.
Yes. With long running crime series such as these I like to have a few titles in reserve across different authors and series that I haven't yet read, to provide some choice in picking the next book to read.
It's a strange world. Let's keep it that way.
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Thread Starter- Kokipy
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Re: What have you been reading lately?
Surtac, there is no richness comparable to having a few unread titles in reserve across different authors!!
- Pence
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Re: What have you been reading lately?
Just started my dive into 'Alliance Unbound'.
- Surtac
- Antipodean Assassin
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- From: With Ken Behrens in CBR, AU.
- Registered: 4/29/2020
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Re: What have you been reading lately?
Just started my dive into 'Alliance Unbound'.
I got an email a couple of hours back to tell me my copy has shipped and will be here next Tuesday.
What I can't find on any of the US, UK or AU Amazon sites is a way to purchase an ebook version. I've no idea why this should be the case.
It's a strange world. Let's keep it that way.
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