Current Reads
God's War
You'll get no spoilers from me, no matter how much you beg!
Kameron Hurely's God's War has some great worldbuilding. A mostly female run society has been warring for centuries against a male-run equivalent on a planet barely fit for human habitation. Really interesting stuff.
There was a purely personal downside for me: an awful lot of the ideas here are eerily similar to those in the book I am currently writing. One concept in particular is EXACTLY the same. So, when my book is eventually published*, I can expect years of people asking me if Ms. Hurley inspired me, or worse, if I just copied from her directly...
Anyway, nothing for you to worry about. This is a brutal, fast-moving story about nasty people in a fascinating world. Some of you will love it, others won't. I suggest finding a sample chapter to find out which category you fit into.
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By Light Alone
I'm a long-time fan of Adam Roberts, but sometimes, when reading his latest, even I'm not sure if I'm enjoying it.
By Light Alone is set in the very dystopia that the "Occupy" movements around the world are protesting against. It is a gilded age, where a tiny fraction of the population revel in stupendous wealth, while swarms of filthy "longhairs" have to make do with a technology that allows them to live -- barely -- on sunlight.
In places, the story is fascinating, but it can be terribly frustrating too: whole chapters read like a cross between Camus and Kafka. It felt dated to me and often pointlessly obtuse.
Even so, AR's worldbuilding is rarely less than stunning, so I'm giving this one the thumbs up. And yes, my intention to read everything he writes is as firm as ever. He never wastes your time.
A New Review
Today's Irish Examiner has a very positive review of The Deserter. Warning: spoilers ahoy!
*Yes, I said "when" -- it is what we call "dangerous overconfidence".
You'll get no spoilers from me, no matter how much you beg!
Kameron Hurely's God's War has some great worldbuilding. A mostly female run society has been warring for centuries against a male-run equivalent on a planet barely fit for human habitation. Really interesting stuff.
There was a purely personal downside for me: an awful lot of the ideas here are eerily similar to those in the book I am currently writing. One concept in particular is EXACTLY the same. So, when my book is eventually published*, I can expect years of people asking me if Ms. Hurley inspired me, or worse, if I just copied from her directly...
Anyway, nothing for you to worry about. This is a brutal, fast-moving story about nasty people in a fascinating world. Some of you will love it, others won't. I suggest finding a sample chapter to find out which category you fit into.
[image error]
By Light Alone
I'm a long-time fan of Adam Roberts, but sometimes, when reading his latest, even I'm not sure if I'm enjoying it.
By Light Alone is set in the very dystopia that the "Occupy" movements around the world are protesting against. It is a gilded age, where a tiny fraction of the population revel in stupendous wealth, while swarms of filthy "longhairs" have to make do with a technology that allows them to live -- barely -- on sunlight.
In places, the story is fascinating, but it can be terribly frustrating too: whole chapters read like a cross between Camus and Kafka. It felt dated to me and often pointlessly obtuse.
Even so, AR's worldbuilding is rarely less than stunning, so I'm giving this one the thumbs up. And yes, my intention to read everything he writes is as firm as ever. He never wastes your time.
A New Review
Today's Irish Examiner has a very positive review of The Deserter. Warning: spoilers ahoy!
*Yes, I said "when" -- it is what we call "dangerous overconfidence".
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