FF: Mythic in Many Forms

Mei-Ling Sticks Her Tongue Out at a Good Book

This week I see that all my reading choices deal with the mythic, both the overshadowing power of myth, and the myths that grow out of the stories we believe about ourselves.

For those of you unfamiliar with this column, the Friday Fragments lists what I’ve read over the past week.  Most of the time I don’t include details of either short fiction (unless part of a book-length collection) or magazines.  The Fragments are not meant to be a recommendation list.  If you’re interested in a not-at-all-inclusive recommendation list, you can look on my website under Neat Stuff.

Once again, this is not a book review column.  It’s just a list with, maybe, a bit of description or a few opinions tossed in.  And it’s also a great place to tell me what you’re reading.  Two of the series I’m trying right now are due to FF reader mentions.

Completed:

Penric’s Mission by Lois McMaster Bujold.  Audiobook.  Fourth in this series of novellas.  Combined with five, it would make a decent novel.  Since I read out of order, I had a few spoilers, but that didn’t quench my reading pleasure.

Stolen Skies by Tim Powers.  Third of his Castine and Vickerybooks.  This one takes on UFOs.  Some great visual images, as well as crop circles, cults, and cuisine.

In Progress:

The Hallowed Hunt by Lois McMaster Bujold, Audiobook.  Set in the World of the Five Gods, but in a completely different area.

Broken Homes by Ben Aaronovitch.  Fourth book in his “Rivers of London” series.  This is the first I’ve read as print, rather than audio.  I miss the reader’s sardonic tones, but unlike some series where I’ve both read and listened, this one does not need the reader to compensate for weak writing.

Also:

“Bridges” a short story by Tony Greyfox in the anthology A Swordmaster’s Tale.  I liked the unexpected twists this story took.  It’s certainly not the straight out cyberpunk tale it seems at the start!