FYI -- I don't know why this is, but "A Mission of Gravity" is now listed as by "Henry Clement Stubbs". I don't know if I can give PErdido Street Station another shot. It's hard enough rereading stuff I've read before once, but rereading it a 4th time, especially when I didn't especially get into the book the first 3 times -- I don't think that's likely to happen. I really don't like his writing style in any case (reminds me too much of another writer I don't especially care for, Gene Wolf).
Currently reading King Zog of Albania: Europe's Self-Made Muslim Monarch, very enjoyable read for a nonfiction book. I wouldn't call myself a WW2 buff by any stretch of the imagination but Zog I was a fascinating individual.
I just finished reading "Interworld" by Neil Gaiman and Michael Reaves. It was a book that I had some doubts about right up until I actually started reading it (and a little further into the book as well. I think that Neil Gaiman can be an excellent writer. But this was, first of all, clearly meant for young adults, plus it had a co-author who I had not heard of before (turns out that Michael Reaves is known primarily for writing animated childrens television shows. And it kind of showed in this book. On the plus side, the concept is something clearly out of the brain of Neil Gaiman. There is an infinite number of worlds and universes, some of which lean towards magic, others towards technology, but the vast majority are a mixture of the two. There's a war going on between forces of Magic and forces of Tehchnology to conquer the various universes and move them one way or the other. In the middle of this conflict is Interworld, an organization that has tasked itself at maintaining a balance, and making sure that the war does not result in too much destruction, particularly of the various alternate universes at stake. Anyway, on the negative side, it's a stereotypical childrens/teen story plot, where a teenage boy turns out to have extreme powers and has a destiny which is out of his control, to save the universe rescue his friends from harm, and so on. (it doesn't say that explicitly, but that's essentially how it goes). I guess teens don't get tired of that until they've seen it the umpteenth time. But it does have enough going for it (like Gaiman's writing) that it held my interest through to the end. I'm looking forward to when Gaiman finally returns to writing adult novels. He has one in the pipes atm which I preordered -- "The Ocean at the End of the Lane", but it's not out until June... In the mean time, there is a sequel to Interworld ("The Silver Dream") also in the pipes, which I may end up reading, only because it's Neil Gaiman. That's due out in April. BTW, his novel "American Gods" is truly excellent. It's what first attracted my attention to his novels (I previously had read his Sandman comics/graphic novels, which also were good, but until "American Gods" I didn't know he could write novels. Some of his other novels are worth reading, but "American Gods", imho, is his only truly great novel. And the Sandman series is to graphic novels, what American Gods is to Novels -- one of the best series in the entire genre.
BTW, for those unfamiliar with Neil Gaiman's Sandman (as opposed to earlier incarnations of the same name), http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Sandman_(Vertigo) This is not your usual superhero comic. Instead, the series centers on Dream, who's one of several incarnations that include Death, Destruction, Delirium, and so on. There is an overall story but there's also these stories that read like fables or folk tales that appear within the series where Dream may or may not be a character, but deal specifically with people's dreams and how myths are created and the importance of dreams and myths. I guarantee to you that if you are only familiar with comic books from the superhero perspective, or even if you don't like superhero comics, this will surprise you, grab you, engage you and hopefully hook you as it did me. The quality of the stories gets better as the series progresses (it took a little bit for Gaiman to get his legs). But I promise you that reading it is well worth the trouble, and you will probably be as angry as I was when you get to the end, that there isn't any more Sandman. Imagine how I felt, subscribing to the series as a comic book, and then coming to the end of it and realizing that I no longer had any reason to read comic books again. It was that good that when the series ended, I didn't just stop reading Sandman, I stopped reading everything else. Because Sandman was too good for comics and made just about all other comics seem... shabby by contrast. But there were a fair number of spin-offs. One of the favorite recurring characters from the series, Death, has also earned herself (because she is Dream's sister) some spin-off stories, due to her popularity, and they are also worth reading. And there was a beautifully illustrated novella called "Sandman: Dream Hunters" which was published separately, and not as part of the main series. If you are a fan of the series, it's a book that you really must own and share. http://www.amazon.com/Sandman-Dream-Hunters-Neil-Gaiman/dp/1401224245/ref=ntt_at_ep_dpt_4
American Gods is awesome, but I think I like Neverwhere even more. Those are his two best books to me, Starfarer is ok and Anansi Boys (similar to American Gods) is pretty cool as well. I'm not much into comics/graphic novels, mainly due to money reasons. Comics just have so little content compared to books, for double the price :/ I still enjoy what's in our local library though.
No, it's not the "wrong Sandman". I explicitly said in my post that I feel Sandman Mystery Theatre is better than Sandman (simply because I don't have some sort of Gaiman-Is-God complex), and then I posted an image of Wesley Dodds. Either way, Wesley Dodds is awesome. Because he's not even a superhero. He's like an anti-hero. But he's AWESOME.
I never said that Neil Gaiman is God, but I do love Sandman and American Gods. If that equates to Gaiman is God, well then you'd have to say that there are a whole lot of gods I will say that "Good Omens" is on my desert island list of books that I would want if I were stranded, simply because it's the kind of book that I reread whenever I need something to pick me up and give me a good laugh or at least a smile. (BTW, my desert Island movie, for the same exact reason, is "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"). Neverwhere is good, not great, and I haven't read Sandman Mystery Theater. And I think you meant to say Stardust -- I thought that was entertaining but not really special as was the movie that was made of it.
Not sure what my desert island book would be... though I a couple of candidates are all-in-one Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy book and Monster Hunter International. With a shout out to John Ringo's When The Devil Dances(third book in the Posleen War series), because it had me howling in laughter at certain points. One thing that often kicks over my giggle box that all three have in common are at intersections between the outrageous and the understated, often found in a) brittish humor, and b) military humor. Also, brick jokes.
I didn't say you did. It's just everyone loves him. I'm ambivalent about him. Sandman Mystery Theatre is still amazing.
Can we just agree that Gaiman has written some pretty good books, some mediocre books and some good comics? Everything else is taste Good Omens is a collaboration with Terry Pratchett, and that man has put out a large number of similar, but fun books. The combination of the two worked suprisingly good, considering that most author cooperations suck.
I loved Neverwhere, and definitely enjoyed American Gods, found Anansi Boys a bit harder to like, his collaboration with Terry Pratchet also turned out well. But he's not my favorite author, just one of the good ones. Then again hard to say who my absolute favorite is... but Robbin Hobb, George RR Martin, Larry Correia, Jim Butcher and Terry Pratchet are all in the running.
Honestly, I don't have a favourite author. There are too many good ones, everyone good at something, but failing at other things. Let's take Mr. Martin - amazing characterizations, venomous plots, epic landscapes and realistic settings, nice low-magic environment, ambition, greed, love... Too bad the man is unable to keep his shit together and everything tethers out in 25 directions. A Storm of Swords was probably my favourite, because it was a lot more focused. To be honest, I don't think he can still pull that of, he'll die of a heart attack before he finishes the books :/ Another favourite of mine is John Irving, at least from time to time. Heartwarming, weird stories, with a keen eye for human failures. Too bad most of his novels are basically the same Everything is set in New Hampshire, the protagonist loses parents, he has some sort of familial fetish and dogs die. I also love John LeCarre, the best words to describe his novels is probably elegant. Sure, he repeats himself as well, but the great thing about his spy novels is that they are a lot more believable than your average Clancy or something. It could happen just like that, because it all happens behind closed doors, and everybody speaks in whispers. Robin Hobb tends to go a bit apeshit at the climax of her novels as well, things just go haywire in the end. Remeber the Fool Trilogy, or the Soldier's Son. Great for the unlikely and uncommon heroes though! Still have to finish the Rainwild Chronicles... Well, every author has his flaws, but they're all great
Yeah there's no really perfect author, they all have their strengths and weaknesses. Btw if you want unlikely and uncommon heroes... ever read Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun?
Robin Hobb's Farseer trilogy is boring. Martin's ASoIaF is too big and too complex, but it does keep you gripped until books 4 and 5, at which point it does start to creak like a belt after a big dinner. Sir Pratchett is great at his best, mediocre at his worst. His City Watch novels are by far the best he's done, followed closely by the Tiffany Aching stories. But he is *excellent* at writing for kids without losing any of his humour.
I love John Le Carree as well -- he has some really good novels out there (My favorite is "The Spy who Came In from the Cold", but his "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is excellent as well. Le Carre actually has a lot of experience in the actual spy biz, and he brings his knowledge to his writing, which is why his writing is so believable. The best description I've heard of Le Carree's spies tend to be dysfunctional or at least damaged people. in "The Spy who Came In from the Cold", the hero is an alcoholic, and a failure, and his bosses, rather than helping him exploit him for their own purposes. In Tinker Tailor, you get the idea that Smiley is kind of a broken man, his wife has left him, he's lost his job, the only thing he's probably good at and forced into retirement. In Little Drummer Girl, the heroine is essentially being used by everyone. These are not exciting stories, but stories of real people.
I kinda liked the farseer trilogy, but the Liveship Trader series was better, as was Soldier's Son. Martin... yeah it was falling apart a bit in the later books... And totally agreed about Pratchet. Though there's a few more I'd like to toss in there as superb(for example I love the Rincewind books, and the Cohen books). An author that accomplished something quite similar to Martin's series (and completed it!) is Steven Erikson with his Tale of the Malazans, Book of the Fallen. It has its lows though(long periods of building up, especially with oh waily waily the suffering, the setbacks). It's also much more high fantasy than Martin's series. On the science-fiction side, my favorites are probably Alastair Reynolds and Ian M Banks, with many honourable mentions, such as Vernor Vinge, Lois McMaster Bujold, William Gibson, Greg Bear, Frank Herbert and Peter F Hamilton.
