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Ivory
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[BOTM] - READER PICK - Ivory by Mike Resnick
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Maybe for me. I have a few higher priority books but hopefully I'll get to it.
Awesome, my nomination got chosen! Resnick really does write well and has a host of awards to back up his talent. He often has an African 'setting' to his stories, even though they may be set many years in the future. Hopefully Ivory is much the same as others of Resnick's that I've read. He has created an amazing universe where this and most of his works are set. One of the genre's heavyweights.
Les wrote: "Awesome, my nomination got chosen! Resnick really does write well and has a host of awards to back up his talent. He often has an African 'setting' to his stories, even though they may be set many ..."It will be interesting to see how Resnick postulates a far-future African culture, especially the Maasai. There was one book I read once, I think it was Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus where after a calamity humanity re-centered in Africa as the place to be and the 'redeemer' was an African woman. We should have more stories that explore what it means to carry a core value forward into the far future.
Yes indeed. Resnick seems to be fascinated with African cultures and traditions, and I've often been impressed how he can weave these elements into a far future sci-fi epic. He does it with the a Wild-West style as well (like the Santiago stories) which are fun. It's been his ability to often steer away from many well-worn tropes that has always attracted me to his work. He's also the best short fiction author that I've ever read, of any genre.
I started this one today and I'm really loving it.
Hope you enjoy it. I'm loving it too. Resnick's style of linking together multiple stories into a larger tale is a real favourite of mine.
He does it so effectively! You have these short tales that take up relatively few pages but you get an entire story out of it. I can't seem to explain exactly what I mean. It's like in 5 or 10 pages you get an idea of an entire culture and what it would be like to live there. He's a very effective storyteller. And its so fascinating.
Sarah wrote: "He does it so effectively! You have these short tales that take up relatively few pages but you get an entire story out of it. I can't seem to explain exactly what I mean. It's like in 5 or 10 page..."Evolution by Stephen Baxter has that same format, the course of evolution told through a bunch of small cameo stories of the different evolving creatures along the way. When done well, it really works to help a reader grasp an evolving concept which unfolds over a long period of time.
That looks completely awesome.
Good, very good. I didn't think that I'd enjoy this book quite as much as I did. My spoiler-free review is HERE.
That's one heck of a ringing endorsement! Argh! Time! I need me some time! Does anybody have a Tardis I can borrow so I can find time to DO all the things I need to get done AND READ?
Do you really think I'll give my TARDIS up?
Sarah wrote: "Do you really think I'll give my TARDIS up?"Maybe you could just swing by and give me a lift?
Anna wrote: "I need me some time!"I know exactly what you mean. There's just not enough hours in the day to get stuff done, job, kids, study, etc., and then there's my love of stories to squeeze in somewhere. Needless to say, reading is pure escapism for me these days, and my 'to read' list is massive. That's one of the reasons that I joined this group, to give a little order to my reading list!
I ended up absolutely loving this book. I'm so glad it got nominated. I was amazed at how vividly he described everything. He packs a whole lot into that 300 pages. I need to read more of his books.Sadly, I forgot to use my TARDIS and it took me awhile to read it. Sorry Anna, I guess I could have loaned it to you after all.
Sarah, you are obviously a person with good taste. Definitely an excellent book, my only (small) complaint is that the action was a bit light in places. The next one from him for me will probably be A Miracle of Rare Design. I see also that there is new Birthright trilogy being released by Resnick, the first one is called The Fortress in Orion. Exciting stuff indeed.
My problem is I'm in the middle of helping to pull together a 3,700-attendee, 4-day-long sci-fi/fantasy conference right now, so no reading :-( I guess I'm not going to win that 2014 reading challenge, the one where I committed to read everything on my TBR list.[*insert sad violin music here*]
Space Opera Fans
Books mentioned in this topic
Evolution (other topics)Pastwatch: The Redemption of Christopher Columbus (other topics)
Ivory (other topics)
Our READER PICK for December is an unusual story, Ivory by Mike Resnick.
"The ivory of the animal known only as the Kilimanjaro Elephant is the object of a galaxy wide search by Duncan Rojas, a researcher, and Bukoba Mandaka, the last Maasai. The epic novel covers all the lives the ivory touches and alters over the next six millennia as Rojas and Mandaka search for it across both the eons and the galaxy, and the purpose of that search is finally unveiled.
Ivory: A Legend of Past and Future was a Nebula nominee for Best Novel in the United States, and a Clarke nominee for Best Novel in England..."
Are you reading Ivory? Shout it out in the comments thread below to find out who else is reading it and discuss what you think about the book. Just remember to be kind ...use the spoiler .html (view spoiler)[so you don't ruin the fun for other people (hide spoiler)] or open your own spoiler-filled discussion thread in the Book Buddies Club folder located w-a-y at the bottom of the main community page where you can discuss the book in spoilery goodness.