The Lucid Garden discussion
Call for Post-Modern Weird-Fic Suggestions
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I'm not sure if they're in the same vein of book as what you're looking for, but for well done sci-fi, I recommend Dan Simmons Hyperion series, as well as the duology Olympos/Illium. Not quite as "out there" as the ones you mentioned, but still rather entertaining.



still, recommended to one and all!
Anyone have thoughts on Vandermeer's Shriek? every time i start it seems i'm in for a boring personal story albeit set in a weird setting... is it worth it?

And I liked Shriek a lot. While it is personal at times, I didn't find it boring at all, seeing as how it also deals with mysterious mushroom dwellers and has running notes and commentary from a decaying fungus man. The fantastic elements and the format kept me from getting bored, but I can see how the personal arc of Janice could be tedious.

anyway, i'm jealous... you're just starting off on your Erikson adventure!
About Shriek... how important is it to have read City of Saints and Madmen before reading it? is it a problem jumping into the world with Shriek?

After reading Our Ecstatic Days by Steve Erickson, I feel like I could use a good traditional fantasy to lose myself in though. I'm still not sure how I feel about it.
As for Shriek, I don't think it would be necessary, but I have a feeling someone who didn't fall in love with Ambergris in City of Saints wouldn't get as much enjoyment out of it. Its hard to say though, since I read City first. Who knows, maybe reading Shriek first would inform a reading of City of Saints and Madmen in a similar way (probably not though).

I liked both of them, though I liked City better, simply because I think that VandeMeer's bizarre setting works better in terse short fiction than in long novel form.
I would strongly suggest that Lane was on the right path - if you read City and didn't like it, I don't think Shriek< would be for you. However, I also think that reading City before Shriek is a must - VandeMeer assumes familiarity with the general premise of Ambergris, The Silence, and the Grey Caps -- all is eventually explained in Shriek, but I think that much of the foreshadowing and impending horror would be lost if you didn't know the significance of mushrooms .



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Er...
I guess because..." Most of Erickson's novels can be described as apocalyptic..." I figured he'd fit in here!
sorry!


You know, it's funny because I feel as though I've talked about this several times on goodreads already!

Frankly I enjoy these conversations but I feel badly when I hijack someone else's thread...


As for the discussion as the the type of book I like, there's a reason I didn't mention a genre in my request for book ideas -- I really dislike classifying the books I read. I realize that it makes discussing, sharing, and finding them easier, but the line between New Weird, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and other genres is so blurry as to be pointless. Or, even worse, they are so set in stone as to be inhibitory. Seven years ago or so when Mievelle set out his "Weird Fiction" manifesto I found the discussion endlessly fascinating, but I've sort of moved past those sort of distinctions. It might be easier to saw "Can anyone suggest a great New Weird author?" but then people might think "Such-in-Such is a great book, but it isn't New-Weird so he wouldn't be interested."
I threw out some names, used the vaguely pompous phrase "deconstruct the sci-fi fantasy tropes", and hoped people would throw some stuff back at me. The books don't have to have magic (but they might); they could have monsters, mutants, psychics, psionics, divorced single-moms, bankers, rangers, elves, or ray-guns. I love M. John Harrison, Calvino, Borges, and China Mievelle. I love Kelly Link, Don DeLillo, Dr. Norell and Mr. Strange, Mobey Dick, and Pride & Prejudice.
I think there is a place for genre distinction, but I don't know where it is. I have no problem with Dragon Lance books being shelved in a separate section near the back of B&N near the White Wolf and D&D modules, but it annoys me that Mievelle is there as well rather than in the rest of "Fiction and Literature". Does that show some sort of elitism? Perhaps, but some books clearly (and willfully) fall within the "Fantasy Genre" distinction, much like pulp detective novels and Tales from the Crypt.
I'm actually all for just shelving all fiction in one section by author - if I want David Eddings, I could go bast Dickens and stop before Faulkner, and neither would loose anything by their close proximity to such terrible trash-fantasy. And then I wouldn't have to check two section every time I wanted to find a book.
Well Michael, I have been complicit in your hijacking of my thread, so no apology needed. Keep the suggestions coming, as I can never have to many books on my "To Read Shelf"

Have you tried Viktor Pelevin? I'm thinking of A Werewolf Problem in Central Russia, but I think his novels would suit, too. Or maybe Patrick McGrath, if you like it dark. And if you haven't checked out Glen David Gold's Carter Beats the Devil or Paul Malmont's The Chinatown Death Cloud Peril, you should give them a looksee.



My list of must read weird fiction:
Gene Wolfe-Fifth head of Cerberus
Michael Swanwick-Stations of the Tides (or his short stories)
All Rhys Hughes
Isak Dinesen-Seven Gothic Tales
Angela Carter -Infernal Desire Machines of Doctor Hoffman, short fiction
Thomas Ligotti-short stories
all Bruno Shultz
Robert Irwin Arabian Nightmare
Mervyn Peake-Gormenghast Novels
most Kobo Abe
Cormac McCarthy-Blood Meridian
All Boris Vian
All Pynchon (except Vineland)
All Borges
okay enough I'll shut up.
-Adam


When I first came across his short story, The Jaguar Hunter, I had serious doubts as to how accurately an Anglo-American writer could portray the people, culture and landscape of Latin America. Based on his writing, it seems that Shepard has spent a lot of time studying people and cultures, unlike the average tourist who rarely leaves the resort areas.
I love Shepard's poetic and sensual prose, memorable characters, and vivid and colorful settings.
Read /The Jaguar Hunter here:
http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/stories...

If you're looking for straight up new weird though, a new one I'd recommend would be Thunderer by Felix Gilman. If you're looking for something in the vein of Mieville's Bas Lag books or Jay Lake's Trial of Flowers, I don't think you can do much better. Though I think Gilman may be signed to do another one in the same setting, Thunderer is stand alone. Hopefully he'll follow in the footsteps of Mieville and keep doing stand alone books and not just infinite sequels.


I, too am a little confused as to what the OP considers counting and what not so Im jus going to list off some stuff and hope its in the neighbourhood of what youre looking for.
-Amnesia Moon by Jonathan Lethem. Im actually a little shocked that I havent seen his name come up yet. But I think out of everything Im about to throw at you, this one fits you the best
-The Wooden Sea: A Novel by Jonathan Carroll (I loves me my Jonathans :)). Believe everything you hear about this one. Its truly awesome, poignant, funny, etc. One of my favorites
-In the Country of Last Things by Paul Auster. Im not sure if this will fit in with your sensibilities, but here it is anyway just in case. Its a post-apocalyptic Dystopian (future/past/alternate dimension-doesnt say) with the main character just trying to make some sense out of the current life she is in. Its a little too short, but its absolutely wonderful.
And as for the term "New Weird", when I learned the term, it was most associated with stuff like Carlton Mellick III writes. Maybe Im wrong though. Ive only read one of his, The Menstruating Mall, and while it was definitely unique (and I have a HUGE virtual hard-on for any story that involves characters inexplicably trapped somewhere -- read: The Exterminating Angel, The Cosmic Puppets , etc) and entertaining in its own right, I thought of it as kinda juvenile. Since thats the only thing Ive read that I know of as being termed 'New Weird', I wonder if a lot of stuff is written on that level?
And where does Tom Robbins fit into all this? Ive only read Skinny Legs and All and while I definitely wouldnt call it 'posthuman', its undoubtedly weird...


-Adam

I am left feeling the same way after reading Carroll lately. Havn't read any Lethem, but have abook of his I'm going to start soon. Harrison is a genius in my eyes and Mieville's one of my favorites

Peggy wrote: "Chris, have you tried K.J. Bishop's The Etched City? "
LOVE The Etched City! *When* is she going to ut something new out??
LOVE The Etched City! *When* is she going to ut something new out??
Books mentioned in this topic
Skinny Legs and All (other topics)The Cosmic Puppets (other topics)
In the Country of Last Things (other topics)
Amnesia Moon (other topics)
The Wooden Sea (other topics)
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Recently I have really enjoyed reading the weird fiction authors that play with and deconstruct the sci-fi fantasy tropes: I loved VanDermeer's "City of Saints and Madmen and Herrison's "Viriconium".
With those two as jumping off points, any suggestions of what to read next?