Horror, Fantasy, and other non-sci-fi genres...

[D_Davis]

About 3/4 through Brett J. Talley's "The Void", which is pretty much Event Horizon - The Book.

Sounds kind of cool. Have you read Sean Paul Russo's Ship of Fools? It's a religious-themed SF book that reminded me a little of Even Horizon, but it was more serious in its explorations of theology. It's really quite good.

I'm about 60 pages into The Waste Land, and I'm loving this third re-read of King's Dark Tower more than any of my previous times spent with the ka-tet. I'm so super excited at each and every page, like a kid in a toy store. Coming up to some of my favorite moments in the entire series - the drawing of Jake, Eddie's key, and the start of the mythology of the rose, tortoise, beams, and Guardians. This is, simply, and I'm happy to confirm again, the greatest of all epic fantasy stories. It's fantasy for people who love fantasy, for people who love mythology, for people who love to examine the connections between our world and our fantastic worlds, for people who love to examine the relationships between the creator, the creation, and the people who consume the art.

And as happy as I am, I'm also a little sad, because I know it's going to end again, and, what's more, I know that there is absolutely nothing else out there that is even remotely like it or as good. Or if there is, I still haven't discovered it. I hope there is, though.

[megladon8]

D - no, I have not read "Ship of Fools", but I recently discovered a fascinating sci-fi trilogy, on which I will share more thoughts when I have completed it.


"The Void" went down the toilet fast.

Talley's writing...I dunno, "imperfect" might be a bit too kind. "Bad" (at times) might be more accurate.

I also feel awkward posting my thoughts on GoodReads because he is a regular poster (and on my friends list, no less).

The writing devolves into cliché really darn fast, and he almost seems lacking confidence that he is communicating his ideas clearly enough, and so he over-writes everything. Not in a verbose manner ala Lovecraft, but repeating things over and over.

I feel he could have easily trimmed this to a 100 page novella and it would have been much better.

[D_Davis]

D - no, I have not read "Ship of Fools", but I recently discovered a fascinating sci-fi trilogy, on which I will share more thoughts when I have completed it.

I also feel awkward posting my thoughts on GoodReads because he is a regular poster (and on my friends list, no less).

What's the name of the trilogy?

Also, I wouldn't let that bother you about posting comments. I gave a very negative review to the 3rd Merkabah Rider book, and the author and I have have been internet friends for a couple of years. He responded, and agreed with some of my criticisms. Also, a lot of my criticisms were of how the book was published (poor quality, pages falling out, too expensive, etc.) and its lack of editing, and because we were "friends" he took this criticism to heart and switched publishers/editors for the 4th and final book.

[D_Davis]

The writing devolves into cliché really darn fast, and he almost seems lacking confidence that he is communicating his ideas clearly enough, and so he over-writes everything. Not in a verbose manner ala Lovecraft, but repeating things over and over.

Oh god, sounds the Del Toro's The Stain. Exactly. God that book is terrible. I'll never forget the Canary Team, and in case you were confused as to why a first-response team would be called the Canary Team, Del Toro goes on to fully explain the metaphor of the miners using canaries to test air quality. And the book is full of things like that. Yuk.

[megladon8]

It's the "Kefahuchi Tract Trilogy" written by M. John Harrison.

Three volumes - "Light", "Nova Swing" and "Empty Space".

[D_Davis]

It's the "Kefahuchi Tract Trilogy" written by M. John Harrison.

Three volumes - "Light", "Nova Swing" and "Empty Space".

Ah - unfortantely I don't like Harrison. I read Light and Nova Swing, or, more accurately, tried to read each of them twice, along with a couple of his other books (another collection of four related novellas, Vericonium, or something like that). To me, it felt like he was trying to disguise the fact that his ideas weren't all that great (even though he tried to pass them off as such) with extreme over-writing, poorly written sex and taboo-busting subjects, and a lot of pretentious nonsense. He has some of the language of the new weird, but lacks the understanding of how and why that kind of language should be used.

He reminded me of an early Michael Moorcock or Harlan Ellison, but without the raw talent to be genuinely brave and exciting.

I know a lot of people like him, though, so maybe you'll get along with his stuff better than I did. Definitely gave him a good go. I bought about 5 of his books at once because I thought for sure I'd love him. He and I are simply and different wavelengths.

[megladon8]

Tom Piccirilli's "The Walls of the Castle" is an intense, mystifying noir/horror novella.

The story follows Kasteel, a man so grief-stricken by the death of his son that he has been unable to leave the confines of the hospital in which the boy died. Throughout the story's 90 pages, he encounters a handful of characters on either side of the moral spectrum, and through his handling of these situations (avenging the wife and son of a physically abusive man, and visiting a dying woman who insists the Biblical demon, Abaddon, is trying to eat her soul, to name a couple), he tries to both redeem his own troubled past, and free himself of the confines of "The Castle".

Piccirilli has become a favorite, and "The Walls of the Castle" is one of the best things I've read by him so far.

[megladon8]

I'm typically very un-interested in the relatively recent outpouring of "urban fantasy" novels, outside of authors like China Miéville. They typically fall into one of two categories:

1.) trying to be Neil Gaiman

2.) main target audience is 13 year old girls (and trying to be Neil Gaiman)

But Stina Leicht's "Of Blood and Honey" seems to be something closer to the weirdness and political allegory of Miéville.

Set in the early 1970s and among the height of The Troubles in Ireland, it follows Liam Kelly, a young man arrested by the BA and held in a camp where he is abused, tortured and raped by guards and prisoners alike. Through these events and the reappearance of his estranged father, he learns of his true family lineage which is embroiled in a centuries old religious war.

Enjoying it so far. Leicht has beautiful prose.

Also discovered that it's published by the same publisher doing J.M. McDermott's work.

[D_Davis]

But Stina Leicht's "Of Blood and Honey" seems to be something closer to the weirdness and political allegory of Miéville.

Set in the early 1970s and among the height of The Troubles in Ireland, it follows Liam Kelly, a young man arrested by the BA and held in a camp where he is abused, tortured and raped by guards and prisoners alike. Through these events and the reappearance of his estranged father, he learns of his true family lineage which is embroiled in a centuries old religious war.

Enjoying it so far. Leicht has beautiful prose.

Also discovered that it's published by the same publisher doing J.M. McDermott's work.

McDermott actually sent me an extra copy of that he had. It's one of his favorite novels.

[megladon8]

Did you ever read it?

[D_Davis]

Did you ever read it?

I have not, yet.

[megladon8]

It's very good. I've read almost 1/3 of it already (started it this aft.). May read a bit more before I hit the hay.

[D_Davis]

It's very good. I've read almost 1/3 of it already (started it this aft.). May read a bit more before I hit the hay.

That's great. I've heard nothing but good things.

[D_Davis]

Almost finished with The Waste Lands. It's a tremendous quest novel. It details my favorite part of most quest stories, and that's that what I call "The Great Journey" part, or the part of the quest during which the characters travel a great distance, and encounter many strange lands and people. Everything about this novel is amazing - from Jake being drawn into the ka-tet, to the encounter with Shardik, the meeting of the old timers, the battle with the Tick-Tock man, and that damn cliffhanger ending. I also love all of the thematic elements it sets up: the beams, the turtle, the rose, the book store, and the fusing of different worlds. And finally we get the first big palaver of the series, memorable moments all.

[D_Davis]

Finished The Waste Lands.

Started Wizard and Glass. I'm really going to try to enjoy the flashback this time.

[Dead & Messed Up]

Hope you like the flashback more this time around.

And yeah, The Waste Lands is just bursting with imagination. Love it. After the more focused first two chapters, it's a fun change of pace.

[D_Davis]

And yeah, The Waste Lands is just bursting with imagination. Love it. After the more focused first two chapters, it's a fun change of pace.

It really is one of the most imaginative fantasy novels I've ever read, and perfectly represents what I love about and look for in the genre. It's wildly imaginative, totally weird, and brimming with crazy encounters that serve a purpose to both the plot and the characters (not to mention how these things also serve The Beam, and further illustrate the true thematic nature of the series - it is a work about fiction itself). In contrast, I've always thought of Game of Thrones as a fantasy for people who really don't like fantasy (the plot could be set in any time and place because it deals more with politics and soap opera conventions), where as The Waste Lands is a fantasy for people who love fantasy - it is truly fantastique, a monumental work of an unbridled imagination, and the plot could only work in such a fantastic setting.

This is my 3rd time reading it, and I think I liked it best this time.

(I'm not using the above to talk shit on GoT, just as an example illustrating how one is and one is not for me. These two works live at opposite ends of the fantasy spectrum, and I simply gravitate more towards the weirder side of things)

[D_Davis]

One of my biggest problems with the flashback in Wizard and Glass is a matter of framing and form. It's supposed to be a tale told by Roland, and yet there are so many parts of the story in which there would be absolutely no way for Roland to have known what happened or what was said. It simply doesn't work as a flashback from Roland's point of view, unless we are to assume that he was simply making up a large portion of it, and if this is the case then what's the point at all?

Another problem I have with it is that I simply don't care about any of the characters in the flashback except for Roland. I don't care about his old ka-tet, because I haven't spent any time with them.

It might be a good story as a stand alone fable, or something, but in context to the quest at hand it just doesn't fit.

[megladon8]

Nearly finished "Of Blood and Honey".

It's really wonderful. I have about 70 pages left and will definitely finish it tomorrow.

Leicht's writing is beautiful.

[Winston*]

Last Dragon was really, really good.

[D_Davis]

Last Dragon was really, really good.

Yes!

McDermott is pretty amazing. Glad you liked it. Everything he's written has been fantastic.

[D_Davis]

Hope you liked LD enough to check out more McDermott. His short story collection is incredible.

[D_Davis]

Wizard and Glass - still not a huge fan, although I liked it more this third time. The flashback still feels entirely unnecessary. We don't learn anything more about Roland than we should have pieced together already. While it is an enjoyable story, one filled with romance and action, it just doesn't belong where King puts it. It should have been a stand-alone book, told has a side story. The present day stuff bookending the flashback is fantastic, and should have been included at the end of book three as a proper conclusion.

Looking forward to book five, my favorite of the series. Hopefully I'll have time to finish it before Doctor Sleep comes out.

[D_Davis]

After starting Wolves of the Calla, and thinking about nearing the conclusion of the Dark Tower, and all that that entails for Roland's kat-tet, I felt a sense of excitement and sadness. There really is nothing else like this series in all the realms of fantasy, and if there is, please, SOMEONE, tell me what, because I want more. I want more creativity of this caliber; I want another epic quest of this caliber; I want a story as personal to the author of this caliber; and I want a fantasy that touche upon the grand themes of myth and legend of this caliber. Maybe nothing else will impact me the same way, and I should just face that fact. Perhaps the Dark Tower series is, metaphorically, my own Dark Tower, and rather being like Roland - always searching for what's next in the hopes of finding it - I should be more like the others of the ka-tet and just enjoy it without needing something else.


I keep thinking about the Lonesome Dove series, and how close that got to getting me to that Dark Tower state of mind. I think I should reread that one again, soon, even though I just did so last year.

[D_Davis]

Man, how fucking bad ass is Father Callahan?

God this book is just amazing.