anybody read Ian McDonald?

[Tamahome]

Is he good, or is his wordy prose just not worth it?

[Sandi]

Ian McDonald is my second-favorite author. (Connie Willis is #1.) He is so worth reading. I've been reading his books since King of Morning, Queen of Day back in the early nineties. I read everything I could get my hands on. I was so disappointed when I couldn't find an new books by him anymore. Thanks to the internet, I found a copy of Ares Express a few years ago and that was quickly followed by River of Gods and Brasyl. I truly love his work and am so glad he found a new American publisher. Hopefully, they'll be re-releasing his backlist.

Are you trying to read River of Gods? It is one of his tougher books to get into. They're all complex, but that one is more so than others. I'd recommend trying Desolation Road. It's just been re-released and is a great example of his early work.

[Sandi]

Maybe we could make The Dervish House our next group read? I have it but haven't read it yet.

[Tamahome]

Yeah, I was trying River of Gods. It has a glossary! And Cyberabad Days has the same setting.

[Sandi]

Cyberabad Days might be easier because it's short stories. River of Gods does eventually come together and the end is really cool. Stick with it, it's worth it.

[Tamahome]

It's funny, I was watching Slumdog Millionaire, and thinking River of Gods might be an sf version of it.

[George]

Brasyl was my choice for the Hugo the year it was eligible. Dense and twisting, but well worth the effort. I'm looking forward to reading MacDonald as he moves forward as a writer.

[JP]

Sandi wrote: "Cyberabad Days might be easier because it's short stories."

I have to agree with Sandi here. I finished Cyberabad Days just a week ago. Easily one of the best reads for me this year. I haven't read River of Gods yet and I am very much looking forward to it. Cyberabad Days might be the perfect introduction to the author's vision of future India.

I second the suggestion to make The Dervish House our next group read. That would rock. And hey, Cory Doctorow is raving about it.

http://boingboing.net/2010/07/12/ian-...

[Thomas]

I've only read River of Gods, but I did love it! I'd love to read anything else by him. Just wish I didn't have this pesky job eating up so much valuable reading time!

[Jan jr.]

McDonald was love at the first sight over a dozen years ago (in fact I had the honour of translating a couple of his stories since) - interestingly I got my first McDonald book in the same sale as my first Connie Willis, whose kind of humour never really did much to me.

Mindblown by River of Gods (and found it wonderfully accessible: all that short story training he's had pays!), but somehow never got to finishing it (perhaps partly also out of the feeling that fewer fantastical elements would have been better and the denouement just can't be as good); just reading Brasyl and slightly disappointed by its… programmatic qualities (though it is nothing compared to the horror of the recent Czech translation); likely won't get The Dervish House soon.