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What
I'm Currently Reading
October
2007
- Territory by Emma Bull The Wild West went out of
fashion some decades ago. At least in my memory, the monumental, long-running TV shows (Bonanza, Gunsmoke, etc) were bastions of conservative thinking in
their comfortable white superiority; as the Beatles came onto the scene, crowded by Vietnam's difficulties and by the rise of tech, cowboy boots and hats, herds of
cattle, range riders and the like dwindled into dusty dowdiness. Then there were all the political landmines, unnecesssary to list here, but riding high was the
uncomfortable new idea that the settlers fighting so gallantly for their ranches had really moved in on someone else's territory. Mark Sumner was the first to
mix magic with the west, as far as I know, but I think his superb books came out ten years too early. Emma Bull, with her excellent intuition for what people want to read
before they want to read it, has given us a blend of magic and realism in Territory which centers around Tombstone at the time of the famous Earp/Claton duel.
She conveys beautifully the sense of tplaces--and people and cultures--reinventing themselves from day to day as Tombstone changes painfully from a mining town to a settled establishment, complete with
elected officials. Her main character is a Jewish widow, who is sympathetic, wise, compassionate, and interesting. Through her we get to know the wives of the
famed Earp brothers, and Doc Holliday's Kate--fascinating people in their own right, even if they are not gunslingers. She introduces Chinese characters, hinting
at the age and mystery of Chinese culture. And she depicts the remorselessness of
life on the edge of the desert, and then convinces us to believe in magic. The writing is crystalline, with little grace notes--insights into human motivation and reaction
that add vision to the pleasure of reading the story.
- Dragonhaven by Robin McKinley McKinley tries something
different here, the voice of a teenage boy--at least it seems to begin that way. The idea is that Jake Mendoza has been brought up on a preserve for the last
remaining dragons on Earth. These creatures are elusive, and the government would probably prefer them to be conveniently extinct then have to spend the money on the preserve
and still wait for one to munch people. This tense stalemate between public/government and dragon-lovers/environmentalists is broken when Jake happens to save
a baby dragon after a sport killer wipes out its mother and the rest of the clutch. Jake's dragon experiences make the bones of the book, and when the dragons
are on stage, the story is powerful and effective and vividly written. The rest of the book is presented through a heavy filter of opinion and chatter about things,
rather than scenes where characters act and speak for themselves, a voice that might make it difficult
for some readers. I myself found it slow going until Jake met his dragon. After that, I was glad I persisted.
- Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik Too many descriptions
peg Novik's series as "Patrick O'Brian with dragons." It may have begun that way, but in the very first novel, when the protagonist, Captain Laurence (who is not
the least like Jack Aubrey) bonded with the dragon Temeraire, the story was wrenched out of the world of tall ships as Laurence had to learn to become an aviator. The time
is the Regency period, but in an alternate England, one in which (for example) Nelson is still very much alive. The questions keep getting bigger (what about civil rights for
dragons, like in China?) as the canvas grows. Novik takes us in this novel to Africa, for a roller-coaster ride that does not end. Yes, there's a cliffhanger
ending, but I wouldn't want to have been denied a good read...I'll just reread the book again when the fifth one
comes out. Terrific characters, situations, cultural explorations, images--and one cannot predict the end. We don't really know if Napoleon in this universe ever goes
anywhere near Waterloo!
- Saffy's Angel by Hilary McKay A LiveJournal friend
introduced me to the novels of Hilary McKay. They are not fantasies or science fiction, and yet one of their attractions is that peculiar timelessness of certain
types of family novels that center around kids, as written by English authors. Well, no, a few Americans have done them, though not many as far as I know. Elizabeth
Enright being one. But anyway, they remind me of Dodie Smith's I Capture the Castle and Antonia Forest's Marlows (note just how much used copies go for!). It's
not that the characters live sunny lives full of fun and games, a la the delightful summers of Swallows and Amazons--the emotions can be quite harrowing,
all the moreso because they resonate with truth. But at the core there is deep family love, and no attempt made to divide people into bad guys and good guys: just
stories about delightfully quirky people trying to make sense of the world. And when the world tries to reshape one into conformity, there is the family ready to
accept you back as you, with all your warts. Saffy's Angel begins with the Cassons when they are small, and one by one we get to know them, and their friends,
and even the parents (who are not boring at all) in this lovely, lovely book and series. Forever Rose is the last one--I so look forward to its release
next spring, in this country.
- The Spiral Labyrinth by Matthew Hughes Here's what Publisher's Weekly
says about this book, which is about as succinct as one can get: "Aided by his intuitive inner self, Osk Rievor, and his faithful grinnet,
an AI housed in an ape-cat body, [discriminator Henghis] Hapthorn accepts a request from wealthy socialite Effrayne Choweri to find her legendarily devoted and
romantic husband, Chup, who vanished after looking into the purchase of a small spaceship. When the sleuth finds that several others who
had considered buying the vessel also disappeared, he poses as a prospective buyer, only to be captured by a super-intelligent fungus
seeking to expand its experience of reality by leeching the thoughts and knowledge of others." What that doesn't tell you is that magic is replacing rationality
as the underpinnings of the universe, to the logical Hapthorn's dismay. But needs must. On this strange case he meets colorful characters, experiences wildly unusual
social customs as the intricacies of the case build. Reviewers liken Hughes' style to Wodehouse, which is only a glimmer of the truth. Hughes demonstrates a similar ability to
Wodehouse's penchant for witty dialogue, and his intricate and brisk plotting. But the master I'm reminded of is that rare genius, Jack Vance. Not that Hughes
is doing mere pastiche. I think Hughes' ideas are broader (how many science fiction writers have ever heard of Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, much less employed his
ideas for a universe?) and richer. And I love his wit--this book had me laughing out loud.
- Ravens of Avalon by Diana L. Paxson This is a prequel to
Marion Zimmer Bradley's The Forest House. Paxson worked closely on the Avalon stories with Bradley, carrying on the tales with Bradley's blessing, and as
she'd envisioned. I think that that shows--Paxson's version fits seamlessly with the others. The truth (for me) is, though Bradley was a pioneer, and her Darkover
novels gave me a lot of reading zip when I was in my twenties, I prefer Paxson's writing style, and also her characters: they show more subtlety, depth, and complexity
than Bradley's did. I really like historical novels that faithfully depict other paradigms--even if we're not quite certain that the paradigm of the story maps
over the ancient one. Paxson's historical people don't think and act like 21st century people in undyed clothes. This book is no exception. Add to it the Ravens, who
are dangerous and fascinating, and overlay that with the historical presence of Queen Boudica, she who took on Rome, and you've got a nifty read.
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Most links go to the book's page on Amazon.com.
Coming in
October 2007....
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