The Eclectic Speculative Fiction Reader
I believe anyone who wants to publish in a particular genre, should be well-read in that genre. So I read science fiction, fantasy, and some horror, which I include in the broader classification called "speculative fiction." For a definition of speculative fiction, however, I can only mumble about futuristic or fantastic elements, then point to the SF/Fantasy section of the bookstore. The genre is defined by the readers that buy it, which isn't such a bad idea, is it?
Every reader has a different definition of this genre. One friend limits all SF to the Star Wars Universe. Another thinks my military-flavored series is Fantasy (from that cover? is that fairy dust shooting from Ari's honking big weapon that she's never used?). The point is, when you browse under the sign that says "Science Fiction & Fantasy," you can find anything...
Notables in the Current Reading Pile
- SpellCrash, by Kelly McCullough, could be called cyber-fantasy. There's magic, dimension-hopping, and spell use, as opposed to analogies of computer hardware or software. There's a large cast of characters who all have backstories, which McCullough manages to provide for someone like me, who's beginning in the middle of the series. The characters also fill roles in Greek mythology, which helps the neophyte hang on. Surprisingly, what made me feel adrift was the lack of real locations (I know that sounds ironic coming from an SF/F reader, but bear with me), and I don't mean "real" in the sense of existing in our world. Everything happens in other dimensions, other planes, outside our reality, etc. All these places have no humans in them. McCullough provides good sweeping descriptions, but I soon lost track of where the characters had jumped to, or from, or which dimensional door/method had been used.
- Blood Oath, by Christopher Farnsworth, looked like yet another vampire novel being pushed as mainstream (after all, vampires sell outside the SF/F section, don't they?) It turned out to be a fun, smooth read that I finished in two nights. Creating a "President's Vampire" is unique, although the Urban Fantasy tropes were predictable. But, if it wasn't outstandingly different, why did I enjoy it so much? I guess a well-plotted, clearly-written novel can deliver a good read. In addition, Farnsworth puts together a great ensemble of villains, including the bwaa-ha-ha supervillain, the narcissistic sociopath, the just-following-orders sadist, the puppet master, and more--all with different agendas. The "good guys" are also varied and moderately complex, a gratifying mix.
- YA (Young Adult) often doesn't live up to its own hype, usually perpetrated by those unfamiliar with SF/F, who think this or that YA novel is so new and different. It's always been done before. However, I decided to try Graceling, by Kristin Cashore, despite the hyperbole on its cover. From the moment I opened it, I loved it. The heroine felt real and nuanced, rather than the obligatory stubborn (inattentive?), headstrong (stupid?), coming-of-age (hormone-driven?) young woman. The plot was clever and tight, which was another plus. Finally, there was a good balance of action with dialogue (description is always slim in YA, but I didn't miss it).
Past Notables (Spring 2010)
My favorite in this reading pile was Carol Berg's Song of the Beast, closely followed by Brandon Sanderson's debut novel, Elantris. Not surprisingly, they're both standalone traditional fantasies, with rich detailed worlds, complex characters, twisted plots, action, and politics. I picked Elantris specifically because it was traditional fantasy that was unusually and unashamedly standalone, and Song of the Beast had finally risen to the top of my to-be-read pile. Perhaps because these books were not attempting to start a series or multi-book story, they were so satisfying. Both had well-defined systems of magic and a touch of romance. Carol's protagonist twisted my emotions so much that I could barely stand to put the book down--making this one of my favorite "perfect" reads.
Flesh and Fire, by Laura Anne Gilman, and Boneshaker, by Cherie Priest, completed all the 2009 Nebula Nominee reading I could do before votes were cast (see Miéville's The City and The City and Bacigalupi's The Windup Girl in previous reading piles). For each, there was always something that kept the book from being perfect, at least for me:
- Flesh and Fire had enjoyable sensory description (a must for a magical system built upon wine making). Unfortunately, the novel felt like an introduction and, at the end, I knew something's "wrong" in this world -- but then, I knew that from the opening. This book begins a multi-book story (not a series), which might be why it suffers from not-enough-happens syndrome. I didn't identify with the young protagonist, since he seemed a bit slow on the uptake for a previous slave who should have a finely-honed sense of survival. But it was a pleasant read, even if I felt a little cheated at the end.
- I wanted to like the steampunk Boneshaker, but I put it down at least four times to read something else instead. I like dirigibles and pirates and poison gas (a lot!) but the first half of the book felt random, like the two main characters were just ricocheting from encounter to encounter. Worse, I couldn't empathize with either the mother or the teenage son she was rescuing until a potential antagonist came on-stage, someone who may or may not be the boy's father. Finally, I was engaged--but it took a while.
- The City and The City seemed to be more police procedural than SF. It had a wonderful premise, but didn't deliver.
- The Windup Girl was darker and more dystopian than I like. However, it had a detailed, unfortunately plausible, and consistent world. Paolo Bacigalupi delivers on everything promised: the intertwining politics and agendas are laid bare, and there's plenty of action to resolve the conflicts between characters. It certainly deserved winning the Nebula in the Novel Category -- congratulations, Paolo!
Carol Berg's The Spirit Lens had to be read slowly, so I could savor the language. Every word of her prose is selected with care, to evoke the correct emotion and memory. At the end, the mystery is solved, although more intrigue will follow. A pleasant read, although I didn't relate to the world or the protagonist as strongly as I did in some of her other books).
Archives
Entries regarding past notable books on the Eclectic Speculative Fiction Reader can be found here.
Prior to 2009, I wrote reviews but I didn't have the time to continue. This archive page holds those entries. To be honest, I don't want to "review," because I found that putting on my writer hat and reading critically ruins the experience for me. I've gone back to reading for pleasure, and passing on overall personal impressions.
