Reading--what I've been up to

[ellen_datlow]

While I traveled to and in Japan I brought my usual magazines to toss as read, plus several paperbacks to do the same with. The books I read were:

The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes (Victor Gollancz) is an entertaining tale about a conspiracy afoot in Victorian England and the stage conjuror who is called up on to save the threatened city of London. The utterly unreliable narrator, the tall, silent titular character, and a cast of the grotesque makes for magical, bloody fun.

Bottom Feeder by B.H. Fingerman (M Press) is a debut novel by a writer better known for his graphic novel writing. A reluctant vampire from Queens, New York is turned at age twenty –seven by an unknown attacker and loses his wife, his home, and his job and forced to make it on his own in his strange new world. His only friend is a total loser he’s known since high school who just won’t let go. Funny, ironic, and ultimately even moving as the guy meets other vampires and see the possible lifestyles he could be “living.”

Remainder by Tom McCarthy (Vintage) is a first novel about a man who received an 8 ½ million pound sterling settlement for an accident in which he almost died. The reader never finds out what actually happened but upon the guy’s recovery, he becomes convinced that he has lost his connection to the world and that the only way he can recover is to recreate a specific living condition that he remembers. Hiring a facilitator, he does this by buying up property and peopling it with hirelings who will follow a specific script that he supplies—on call to his every whim. The pianist upstairs must practice a specific piece of music and when he makes mistakes, he has to practice over and over again. The concierge must stand by the door all day –in a mask—as the employer doesn’t remember the actual face of the original concierge. Black cats must roam the red slate roof across the way. His fraying mind demands that he re-enact scenes that he has viewed in life and his wealth makes it possible to do so. The end result is inevitable—monstrous, terrifying, and in a way funny.

Deadstock by Jeffrey Thomas (Solaris) is a “Punktown” novel, and like all of Thomas’s fiction in his world, is absorbing and well told. I love his world building…I was a bit put off at first by some clunkiness in the writing, but ultimately the story carried me along.  A private eye is hired by a rich man to find the missing, very expensive and unique doll that he has bioengineered for his daughter. In the meantime, an abandoned apartment building defends itself by bloodily slaughtering all intruders and a young girl has disappeared.

And started Michael Connolly's Echo Park.

Just before I left I finished William Gibson's remarkable new novel, Spook Country and loved it. It's smart, funny, policially saavy, and possibly one of his most satisfying works.

Comments

[mckitterick.livejournal.com]

So, did you enjoy Japan? Did they do WorldCon right?

And wow, I'm jealous of how fast you read.

Best,
Chris

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I loved Japan! I really really liked Tokyo, surprisingly, because last time I was there--in 2000-- I didn't enjoy it as much. But I found a marvelous Sunday flea market that I could only run through quickly (I had to be back at the hotel to meet Eileen and John for our train to Kyoto). Flea marketing makes me happy, what can I say? The Worldcon was a little disorganized. There were the English language track and the Japanese language track, and some tracks that were supposed to be both, but weren't always. Also, an academic track and a non-academic track. There seemed to be a lack of communication and some writers/editors were double booked until things could be straightened out.

But the Con did a marvelous job overall, and I do think it was a successful convention--particularly considering it was the first Asian Worldcon.

I'm not that fast a reader--don't forget I had a 10+hour plane ride to Tokyo and a 2-hour wait/plane from NYC to Minneapolis, plus multiple train rides all over Japan. A lot of time for reading.

[mroctober.livejournal.com]

Ahh, added many of the above books to my WishList. Very cool sounding, especially the first one.

[lingtm.livejournal.com]

Cool, I was looking for genre things to read. I've been reading a lot more chick lit lately. I think I'll pick up the Barnes book. Thanks!

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Hi Sam. It's definitely worth a look. I gather it's coming out in the US either this year or next.

[lingtm.livejournal.com]

It figures that this is a British book. Almost half the chicklit authors I've been picking up lately live in the UK. Hmmm...

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Well, The Somnambulist is most definitely not chicklit ;-)

[(Anonymous)]

I liked The Remainder, and yes, the ending is beautiful, horrible and oddly funny. I liked it a lot, but found the ultimate experience of the book strangely unsatisfying, and I haven't been able to figure out why.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I found the whole book kind of "icky" if you know what I mean.

SPOILER WARNING:











The idea of this guy totally controlling everyone's lives really bothered me. So that could be it...

[maureenmcq.livejournal.com]

I liked The Remainder, and yes, the ending is beautiful, horrible and oddly funny. I liked it a lot, but found the ultimate experience of the book strangely unsatisfying, and I haven't been able to figure out why.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

Aha! That was YOU, Maureen :-) I was wondering.