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ABOUT BOOKS AND READING
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What are U reading these days? (PART EIGHT (2012) (ONGOING THREAD for 2012)
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Carol
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Jul 31, 2012 06:21AM

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Yes, I can understand that, Jim. At least I can say I dipped my toe into the these waters and got a feel for what they are like, even though I can't get a full appreciation of them.
Back in 2010, Jackie recommended some Fantasy books which I could start with. I saved those titles and still intend to try them. It's taking me a while to get to those books because of the many distractions online and off, but I still intend to get to them.
Jackie's posts are at:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/2...
(Messages # 19 & 20)
The titles she recommended are below:
Three Against the Witch World (Witch World, Book 3) by Andre Norton
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Black Trillium (The Saga of the Trillium, Book 1) by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Andre Norton, Julian May
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Alphabet of Thorn by Patricia A. McKillip
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Dragonflight (Pern: Dragonriders of Pern, #1) by Anne McCaffrey
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
As soon as I finish the John Jakes Kent Family Chronicles I vow to try one of the above books. In fact, perhaps I should get one now and read it alternately with the other books I have going. Sometimes my eyes are bigger than my stomach, book-wise. :) (Remember that old expression? LOL)

Witch World (Witch World Series 1: The Estcarp Cycle #1)
instead of:
Three Against the Witch World (Witch World Series 1: Estcarp Cycle, #3) (which Jackie recommended)?
PS-I'm focusing on Andre Norton because I enjoyed her short story, The Outling.

The Riddlemaster of Hed is the first book of a trilogy that was my favorite by Patricia A. McKillip.
Dragonflight is also the first of a favorite old trilogy by Anne McCaffrey. That was one of the trilogies that Marg & I both had when we merged our book collections 30 years ago. I don't care for most of the spin-offs. McCaffery also wrote some good SF. Restoree & The Ship Who Sang are two old favorites.
I read several books by Bradley back when she first started writing. They were OK, but I never kept them around or read them again. It's probably been 30 years since I last read one. I have read some short stories by her & they were OK, too. She doesn't really blow any wind up my skirt, though.
I think you'd enjoy any of them, but would tend to go with Jackie's recommendations. I'm not a girl & sometimes that influences taste, too.

Firebrand and Alphabet of Thorn are standalone.
Firebrand is excellent, a unique take on the Trojan War, from a female point of view. That would be my highest recommendation of that list.


At least I'm getting familiar with titles and authors. :)

Nina, I haven't seen it, but it's in my Netflix queue. Thanks for reminding me. I've moved it to the top.
"The Artist" (2011)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1655442/
http://dvd.netflix.com/Movie/The-Arti...
Netflix Description:
"This modern-day silent film artfully recounts the poignant end of the silent-movie era in the late 1920s. The story contrasts the declining fortunes of a silent-screen superstar with his lover's rise to popularity as a darling of the 'talkies.'"


Thanks, Werner. I'll be picking up the book, Feckless, later this week at our public library. I'll refer to your review when choosing which stories to read first.
Meanwhile, your review motivated me to go to Wiki to see the definition of "speculative fiction". Below is what I found:
=============================================
"Speculative fiction is an umbrella term encompassing the more fantastical fiction genres, specifically science fiction, fantasy, horror, weird fiction, supernatural fiction, superhero fiction, utopian and dystopian fiction, apocalyptic and post-apocalyptic fiction, and alternate history in literature as well as related static, motion, and virtual arts.[1]
...
"In its English language usage in arts and literature since 20th century, "speculative fiction" as a genre term is often attributed to Robert A. Heinlein. In his first known use of the term, in editorial material at the front of the 2/8/1947 issue of The Saturday Evening Post, Heinlein used it specifically as a synonym for "science fiction"; in a later piece, he explicitly stated that his use of the term did not include fantasy."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speculat...
================================================
Sounds like the meaning of the term, "speculative fiction", might be controversial. I'll have to read more about it.


I saw a mention elsewhere of Maeve Binchy's death. She will be sorely missed by a lot of devoted readers, though I haven't read any of her work myself.

;-)
Since there are supposed to only be about 6 plots & almost any story has a 'romantic' (depending on how you define it) element, I'd guess that some folks might make a case that all fiction are romance novels. Personally, I'll just stick to reading, rather than categorizing them.

Thanks, Nina. Yes, I saw the announcement in the obituary section of our newspaper. Reports say that she was 72 and passed away on 7/30/12 after a short illness in a hospital in Dublin.
Maeve Binchy
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maeve_Bi...
The Washington Post wrote:
===============================================
" ... After working as a teacher and newspaper columnist, Ms. Binchy was in her 40s when she published her first novel, “Light a Penny Candle,” in 1982. The book ... vaulted her into the ranks of one of the world’s best-selling authors.
"She went on to write 16 novels and several collections of short stories, most of which were built around the sometimes-awkward problems of women and families coming to terms with a changing Ireland in the second half of the 20th century.
"Although highbrow critics were not always kind to Ms. Binchy, her books sold more than 40 million copies worldwide and were translated into 37 languages."
...
"If Ms. Binchy wasn’t widely considered an innovative novelist, she was regarded as a spellbinding storyteller who had a gift for creating characters with universal appeal.
...
"Six feet tall, rather stout and garrulous, Ms. Binchy spoke in a rapid Dublin brogue and delighted in meeting her readers."
FROM: http://www.washingtonpost.com/enterta...
=============================================
More at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/st...
Excerpt:
"Circle of Friends" and "Tara Road," and her short story "How About You" were turned into films. Two other novels, "Echoes" and "The Lilac Bus," were filmed for television."
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/01/boo...
Excerpt:
=====================================================
"Maeve Binchy, Writer Who Evoked Ireland, Dies at 72"
... Though her pages were rife with faithless lovers, alcoholism, unwanted pregnancies and even murder, Ms. Binchy resisted being described as a romance novelist. For one thing, she pointed out, her heroines were less inclined to win the dashing hero than they were to learn to live, quite capably, without him.
“Nowadays women realize that they are dealt a hand of cards and must play it,” she told The Chicago Tribune in 1999. “There are no makeovers in my books. The ugly duckling does not become a beautiful swan. She becomes a confident duck able to take charge of her own life and problems.”
For another, her novels had far less steam. “There’s a huge interest in sex and writing about it very graphically,” Ms. Binchy told The Daily Mail of London in 2007. “But I am not going to do it — not because I’m a Holy Joe, far from it. Not because I’m very moral, far from that. But because I’m afraid I’ll get it wrong.”
She added, “You see, I’ve never been at an orgy and I wouldn’t know where legs should be and arms should be.”
Ms. Binchy’s books were concerned instead with friendship, often charting the course of a relationship from idyllic childhood to turbulent adulthood. “Light a Penny Candle” follows two girlhood friends, one Irish, the other English, over decades, through love affairs and failed marriages. ...
...
If critics considered Ms. Binchy a commercial novelist rather than a literary one, then that, by her own account, did not faze her.
“I’m mainly an airport author, and if you’re trying to take your mind off the journey, you’re not going to read ‘King Lear,’ ” she told The Irish Times in 2000.
...
Her writing career began by accident in the early 1960s, after she spent time on a kibbutz in Israel. Her father was so taken with her letters home that “he cut off the ‘Dear Daddy’ bits,” Ms. Binchy later recounted, and sent them to an Irish newspaper, which published them.
...
A posthumous novel, “A Week in Winter,” is scheduled to be published this year.
===================================================

Jim, I realize that so many genres overlap each other that it might be hard to categorize them neatly using strict definitions. However, if we keep the definitions "loose", they do help in choosing books we might want to read.
What does FTL mean? I looked it up:
http://www.acronymfinder.com/FTL.html
Take your choice. :)

Thanks, Jackie. After I saw your post, I went back to acronymfinder.com and spotted "Faster Than Light" in their long list. It was the 4th definition from the bottom. Thanks for your prompt reply. :)

Carol, I just discovered your post here today. I'm not sure of what you mean. Can you elaborate?


I couldn't think of one other meaning. Faster Than Light overshadows any other thing it could possibly mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KAROcb...
Note: Superman was "created by American writer Jerry Siegel and Canadian-born American artist Joe Shuster in 1932..."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman
I like to give credit where credit is due. :)
Jerry Siegel
JERRY SIEGEL - JOE SHUSTER

Joy H. wrote: "Carol wrote [in Message #651 above]: "Joy, it may be me. I've been away for awhile. I clicked "reply to post" which took me (I think) to the main Goodreads site and posted there. I'm doing that ..."
HI Joy--you were wondering why you didn't receive a notice about my post I think---that was what I was talking about. I'm not sure I'm doing it correctly, but eventually we seem to catch up! No worries!

I see. Yes, Carol, sometimes it takes a while to get used to navigating around the Goodreads site. Eventually we get where we want to go.
Glad to see you found my post.

I also read another short story from Lord of the Fantastic: Stories in Honor of Roger Zelazny. The title of the story is "Lethe". Lethe is a technique which enables man to live forever by programming his mind and genes. Reproduction is done differently. The concept is fascinating but I couldn't get into the story. I skimmed a bit but never finished. I will struggle on to find a story in the book which is more my level.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Try "IF I TAKE THE WINGS OF MORNING" or "ASGARD UNLIMITED", but there probably isn't a lot here for you, Joy. You didn't care for nor connect with the little bit of Zelazny you've read from what I know, so these stories are about 2 steps removed from you to start. As I've said before, these stories were written for those who loved Zelazny & his writings. You won't get much out of them if you don't.
For instance, "WHEREFORE THE REST IS SILENCE" by Gerald Hausman was an excellent read for me because I've read "Wilderness" that Hausman & Zelazny co-wrote, the book referenced in this story. It's more historical fiction than anything else, so completely different than his typical writing. My review for it is here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
It's about 2 early mountain men; John Colter and Hugh Glass. These are fictionalized accounts but firmly based on the historical facts. The book alternates chapters, starting with Colter & then switching to Glass.


I think you're right when you say that "these stories are about 2 steps removed" from me. I haven't got the background of Zelazny's style and writings which would give me references to increase my understanding.

Do you have the link to post here?

Ah, another reference I didn't know about! Thanks, Jackie.
That explains the name of the technique in the story "Lethe".

When I said 2 steps removed, you got one step, but it was the second one about Zelazny. The first is other background reading like Jackie made reference to. They often reference mythology & other standard works in the genre that I don't think you're too familiar with, but I have read extensively.
I'm always surprised by how much background I take for granted & you make me realize that. Our conversation about what FTL stood for in SF is an example. We discuss books a lot at home, but such things don't come up often because my family tends to read along the same lines as I do. I think I've mentioned that Marg & I had a lot of duplication when we merged our libraries, so the kids just naturally picked up on our tastes.

I know what you mean, oftentimes I'm surprised people don't know these things. SF/F gives us a wealth and variety of knowledge we'd probably not have otherwise.

What's the link?

I've never like Greek or Roman mythology. That's probably why I don't know much about it.

Now I've started Stand on Zanzibar. I've got mixed feelings on this one even though I'm not very far into it. The author uses a variety of techniques. It's unique, I'll give it that, but in the unique writing sometimes it's difficult to stay connected to the story and it's difficult to connect to the characters. Written in 1968 and set in 2010, I'm awed at the prophetic nature of this book.
And I'm still working on Richard II. This is my first Shakespeare history and will undoubtedly be my last. Long periods of boredom. When things happen, it's great but that's too far and few between for my liking. So when that British TV show finally comes around to our PBS, I think it'll be in my best interest to just watch the histories rather than read them. Or maybe even pass on it altogether, I haven't made up my mind yet.

As a kid, Mythology was a treasured favorite.
Now don't take this wrong, Joy, but if you don't like mythology, I don't think there's any Fantasy that you would really like then. Mythology is sedate compared to modern Fantasy; it all gets even more fantastical.
And now knowing you don't like Mythology, scratch Firebrand off the list I gave you, it's about the Trojan War. I don't think you'd like it. And it's better to have read the original Iliad or some other traditional version first, so you'd know the differences.

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
It's about 2 early mountain men; John Colter and Hugh Glass. These are fictionalized accounts but firmly based on the historical facts. The book alternates chapters, starting with Colter & then switching to Glass."
That was interesting. I could connect because I've heard of Lewis and Clark. I didn't know about "John Colter". Thanks for the links to Wiki in your review. Wiki says:
===================================
"John Colter (c.1774–1813) was a member of the Lewis and Clark Expedition (1804–1806). Though party to one of the more famous expeditions in history, Colter is best remembered for explorations he made during the winter of 1807–1808, when Colter became the first known person of European descent to enter the region now known as Yellowstone National Park, and to see the Teton Mountain Range. Colter spent months alone in the wilderness, and is widely considered to be the first mountain man."
FROM: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Colter
=====================================
If I'm not mistaken, John Jakes might have mentioned him in his fiction series, _Kent Family Chronicles_".

...And I'm still working on Richard II. "
Jackie, as usual, I'm amazed at the amount and breadth of your readings and interests.
They put me to shame. :) :(

Jackie, the LAST thing I'd want to read is The Iliad by Homer ! LOL


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_H...
And of course there was Helen of Troy. :)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_of...

Do you have the link to post here?"
http://www.wired.com/magazine/2012/02...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odysseus
"Odysseus is not only ingenious (as evidenced by his idea for the Trojan Horse), but an eloquent speaker..."
"He is also known by the Roman name Ulysses."

http://www.wired.com/magazine/2012/02...
"The Forgetting Pill Erases Painful Memories Forever", February 17, 2012.

I've read several versions of the Iliad & found the 'true' translations were horrible. The prose is dense & the names are just impossible to keep straight. I had to read parts for school & never enjoyed them. As an updated & edited novel, it's great, though.

If you can find a copy of it, read Sir Walter Scott's The Miscellaneous Works of Sir Walter Scott: Tales of a Grandfather, History of Scotland. The history starts with MacBeth, if I remember right. It's a good book. I'd offer to loan you my copy, but it's falling apart.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odysseus
"Odysseus is not only..."
I've always loved the Odyssey, far more than the Iliad. There's been a lot of remakes of Odysseus's trials, but the best is Silverlock by John Myers Myers. (No, Myers Myers isn't a mistake.) Zelazny took some tips from Myers. It's the Odyssey with all kinds of cool fantasy characters in it including Job, Robin Hood, & Dan'l Boone.
Here's the Wikipedia entry for it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverlock

Jim, I can suspend disbelief. I don't think that's the problem. The problem is UNDERSTANDING what they're talking about!

Not much happens in The Iliad until almost 10 years after the war starts, when Agamemnon takes Achilles slave girl Briseis then things kick off into some serious action. The Odyssey was a lot of fun to read, all those adventures in trying to get home from the war.
The language of Richard II slows me down but I understand it. I like Shakespeare's tragedies best. I have MacBeth and King Lear on my To Read list, and have copies of both. Othello and Hamlet were both good.
Jim, we have to learn how to be bookbinders, lol I often fix my broken books, maybe not the greatest job but as long as I can still read them, I'm pleased with the outcome. I wonder if there's any book repairers anymore? I doubt it.

Here's the Wikipedia entry for it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverlock "
Wow, that's quite a list of varied characters listed at Wiki!
[It gives a]: "partial listing of the characters, settings, and events that are drawn from history, and from works of literature and mythology. Some of the characters go by names other than those given below, thus the reader is expected to identify them from their contexts."
Ah, there's the rub! :)
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