Reading Wednesday

[naath]

Read:

Grant,Mira (pen-name of Seanan McGuire): Apocalypse Scenario #683 The Box

this is a novella, and not part of any on-going series. I read it mostly because I'm being completest about the author's work, I didn't think it was very interesting tbh.

McGuire, Seanan:
Rosemary and Rue
A Local Habitation
An Artificial Night

I started R&R last week, and, er, got seriously hooked. These books were really really hard to put down. Forced myself not to start on the next one just yet (saving them for vacation reading). October Daye is a changeling private investigator, and boy does she find some interesting things to investigate. The books are urban-fantasy, and fairly dark (with a lot of violence and death).

Reading:
Herbert,Frank: Dune

This was on the list of "SFF books people claim to have read but haven't" and I actually hadn't read it (or claimed to) but now I am. So far it is interesting but not as compulsively readable as Seanan's work. I am aware that there are many sequels - are any of them worth reading?

To Read:
The rest of the October Daye books; Philosopher Kings (the new Jo Walton); Last First Snow (the new Max Gladstone); Pocket Apocalypse (the latest work in Seanan's other urban fantasy series, which clearly I need to read not-adjacent to the Toby Daye books as this will be confusing); a lot of Bujold's fantasy works; the Crusades Through Arab Eyes... is this list long enough? we shall see when I get back from 14 days of vacation that includes nearly 5 whole days of sitting on trains.

Comments

[ptc24]

Dune sequels worth reading: there were only five Dune sequels, some people have this odd idea that there were some more written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson though. I mean, there are some books with the Dune name on them (or related names), but they feel much more like not-very-good generic SF than being properly Duney.

I recently re-read four of the five and considered it time well spent. However I am, or at any rate was, a complete sucker for that sort of thing. They're rather less strong on the plot, characterisation, action, etc. stakes, some of the worldbuilding has the distinct sense of retcon, it's an opportunity for Herbert to witter on about whatever Herbert found interesting in the relevant half-decade or so. Some of which, err, ages less well than other bits. I think that if you turn some bits of your brain off and keep others turned on then Herbertesque wittering can be quite fascinating in it's own way - I seem to have the trick quite well but I'm not sure that generalises.

Lots of people say God-Emperor of Dune was the low point, I quite liked it, but seeing as large parts of it consisted of said God-Emperor monologuing at length to his majordomo, you can perhaps see why.

So: well worth a read if you have the requisite strange tastes strongly enough, most people don't, they'd make better use of their time reading something else.

[cartesiandaemon.livejournal.com]

I am aware that there are many sequels - are any of them worth reading?

They're very very different and a lot of people really really really hate them. But they have some interesting ideas in, so I wouldn't make them a priority, but it might be worth reading the first couple and seeing what you think.

[ewx.livejournal.com]

I don't regret reading the sequels (up to 6) but I had more time and probably lower standards when I did so. I'd guess stopping after 1 or 4 is the best non-completist strategy.