I’ve been lucky this summer with my reading: good books. And a couple of new authors, too, which is even better, because it means even more books to come. Referrals by friends and acquaintances, mostly.
- Anathem: Neal Stephenson spins out another genre-defying book. It’s clever, it’s unusual, it’s speculation based on Platonism and vaguely on Penrose’s more wacky theories. Good read, with Stephenson’s usual minor failings: love of description, and abrupt ending. The plot starts very slowly, and then accellerates to a mad speed. But still interesting.
- Spin: masterful sci-fi of the ‘what would happen if’ kind – Planet-scale events affecting the daily lives of the main characters. Such a good read I’m afraid to read the sequel.
- Rainbow’s End: I’ve been recommended Vernor Vinge a few times, and now I finally got round to reading one. Good read, nicely worked out future reality, building on all the virtual reality, ubiquitous internet, data mining tendencies emerging just now.
- A fire upon the Deep: well, I couldn’t stop there, so I read another one of Vernor Vinge’s – space opera this time, but again, well written, keeping you scotched through too many pages.
- The boy in the striped pijama: gut-wrenching book – i dare you not to squeeze a tear at the end of this one. Holocaust seen from the point of view of the young 5-year old son of a camp commander.
- the Dresden files: pure entertainment. It’s been described as a mix of Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Philip Marlowe – and that’s not too far off, actually. Harry Dresden is a professional wizard, a sort of private eye for the supernatural.
So yes, good haul this summer. Robert Charles Wilson and Vernor Vinge, both Hugo Award winners, have been added to my authors to watch. I recommend a try.