Hello friends, autumn has arrived. As you may recall, I had planned to take the summer to scratch some creative itches before heading back into the workforce. I am pleased to announce that those itches still need scratching. I have a few story ideas in their infancy, and although I have felt a bit stuck over the last month or two, I am getting motivated to write again. Fingers crossed.
I can also share the story I entered in part 2 of the NYC Midnight 1000-word challenge. The prompt was Romance, Mountain Stream, and a Thorn. The Legend of the Fire Lily. Reading it now, there are so many things I would change, but aint that the way it works?
Summer reading had me a blast...
I have also been reading (and listening to audiobooks) more than normal (where normal = not at all). This has been both inspirational and demotivating, as it is obvious I have a lot of work to do to raise my game and find my voice.
First, two re-reads. Let's get those out of the way (though they were not what I read first, actually, but that hardly matters).
1984, by George Orwell
I decided to give the Amazon audiobook a try. I originally read the book in high school, but I felt that as I pursue my SF journey this year, I would give it a re-read. I gotta say I did not love the audiobook. They over-dramatized the story. I want to go back and look at the original text again, as there were sections that just did not work for me, and I am curious if that was how the book flowed. Anyway, irrespective of the delivery of the story, man, it is depressing.
Childhood's End, by Arthur C Clarke
Also a book I had read previously but mainly had forgotten. I had recently given a copy to my sister, so I decided to re-read it so we could talk about it. Anyway, after getting through it a second time, I remembered how I felt the first time. I really like the first 2/3 of the book, and don't like the last third at all. I am going to take this off the recommended list. Sorry Arthur. Even if I were to buy into the ending's premise and/or treat it as an allegory about parent's relationship with their children (which I dont), I think the execution is laborious at best.
Ok, on to the new stuff (for me).
The Shadow Deception, by Kate Machon
I first learned of Kate through the #vss365 challenges. She has two characters who show up every day to entertain. This book is her first novel and tells the backstory of these characters. I had the privilege of getting an early copy from Kate. It's a fun little romp about pixies and the mischief they can get into. Recommended for folks that like that world (pixes, ...) and want to support a new author.
Consider Phlebas, by Iain M Banks
Banks has written 10 "Culture" novels. These are SF stories, where one of the races/societies is called The Culture. This is the first of the 10 that we wrote. It is also the only one I have read. Booktube is split on whether to read them in published order or start with some of the others that introduce you to The Culture in, perhaps, more accessible ways. Anyway, I liked the world-building quite a bit, but I think the book had too many "side quests" that were not necessary and really bogged the story down; or alternatively, those side quests maybe were required, as they introduced ideas, but the ideas were then not incorporated into the ending of the book. The ending also really felt rushed and unsatisfying. And the afterword amplified that feeling. I will give The Culture one more shot, maybe Player of Games, but not anytime soon.
Roadside Picnic, by the Strugatsky brothers
I very much enjoyed this novel. It has an interesting premise, good pacing, and good characters. I especially like the progressive disclosure approach. The authors don't explain things to the reader that the protagonist clearly already knows; they slowly fill in the details over time. And things that the protagonist never knows—well, they are still mysteries to you, too. I also enjoyed the afterward, where they talked about the challenges of publishing stories in the Soviet Union.
The Past is Red, by Catherynne Valente
I really enjoyed this novella and can not recommend it enough. We listened to it in the car (but also had a copy of the book to thumb back over). The audiobook is excellent, and the reader's style adds spunk to a protagonist who is already overflowing with charm. I knew nothing about the story or the author ahead of time, which made it all the more rewarding. I am definitely seeking out her other works.
---
I have just started reading Children of Time. I'll let you know how it goes later this year.
