This conversation reminded me of a Mystery Series about a Ghost Writer that would be brought in to finish a book where the author was killed. During the story the Ghost Writer would end up solving the case (IIRC). I cannot remember the name of the series at all.
Joe Hill, one of my favorite horror authors, has a collection of stories on sale today (the Kindle version): Strange Weather.
https://www.amazon.com/Strange-Weather-Four-Short-Novels-ebook/dp/B01HXK8LNW
Strange Weather is pretty good. It’s really a collection of 4 novellas. “Loaded” is an especially interesting story. He doesn’t pull any punches.
I liked about half of them. Loaded was good, as was the one about the camera.
I finished Naomi Novik’s Spinning Silver this morning. I think I like it better than Uprooted. It’s more embedded in a historical (vice fantasy) milieu, and I like the mix of characters better. It is a bit idiosyncratic though. The narrative is first person, but does something a little odd with it. When the book starts, Miryem is the viewpoint character, and the book spends several chapters with her, but then we jump to another viewpoint character (also in first person) and switch back and forth. Then a few chapters later another character is added to the mix. Eventually I think there are 5 total (though one only for a single chapter.) It’s well done, but is a bit jarring and unusual, like Novik intended initially to tell the story from Miriam’s perspective, but discovered she needed to keep adding in viewpoints to get the whole narrative.
A complaint though:
The book is about women and their power: political, social, sexual, etc. At every turn, it subverts narrative expectations for this kind of story by making women the architects of their own destinies within whatever constraints their role in society places on them. They’re the ones who get shit done. And yet, the book ends with the Staryk king courting Miryem. And Mirnatius gazes into Irina’s eyes. Bleeeehhhhhhh. Wanda was my favorite character by far.
It was a good, entertaining read though, with a story that went in totally unexpected directions. Recommended.
I am officially halfway through the Wheel of Time series. AMA.
Did you start with New Spring? Or The Eye of the World?
How many pages can you read, on average, if you’re playing a drinking game where you have to drink whenever Nynaeve tugs on her braid or Egwene smooths her skirts or Elayne sniffs?
OK: why?
I’m not entirely sure. The gender politics that are central to the series are usually a huge pet peeve of mine. But there have been enough interesting characters, conflicts and cultures to explore that I’ve been caught up in the enertia of the plot as it continues to gain momentum.
I uh finished Blindsight and I THOUGHT I left it behind. Vampires etc… but the authors opinion on cognizance – the rule that intelligence or … conscience? Doesn’t matter. The idea that intelligence and conscience isn’t mutually exclusive. I almost got into a car accident today but I know my subconscious made me avoid it even when my CONSCIOUS mind wanted me to go a different way. I have to admit it was the book that has stayed with me for the last few weeks.
You ever drive a few miles down a road or freeway you have driven dozens of times, and then realize that you have been thinking of something and actually driven on “autopilot” for a bit, even made a turn or two, without thinking about it?
Yes.
Have you ever done the same only to realize that you are headed towards home/ work, but really we’re going to andifferent location along the same direction and missed your exit by several miles?
Definitely
Now read Echopraxia. You probably need a week for your brain to unfuck itself thought.
I wouldn’t go into Echopraxia expecting a mind blowing experience like Blindsight but it’s definitely worth reading.
Agreed and agreed. I can’t wait for book 3.
They never left me. :)
Yes.
Have you ever done the same and driven under an overpass and forgot there was a red light on the other side, and then blown through the red light?
I have driven all the way to work with my kids in the backseat, forgetting to drop them off.
When I was in the Navy and chronically sleep deprived, several times I drove home from work without remembering a minute of the drive. I’d find myself parked at my apartment wondering how I got there.
To my knowledge the only time I have run a red light was one that directly after an underpass. My excuse was that I was out of town and unfamiliar with the road.
I’ve done it twice in the last few years at the exact same spot. Luckily there was no collision.