Timstar
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Posts posted by Timstar
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Phantasmagoria - A changing, vibrant scene of many elements.
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I've only read a few but I do have quite a few of them in the old style Masterworks, some of which are high up on my TBR pile
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Yeah Men suck...
There is the odd one that's OK
It's just about finding him. So don't lose heart. -
You know you've been on a book forum too long when the first thing you do is look at the books on the shelf in the background and not the people . . .
Did the same
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I read the paperback, and I'm glad I did, cos I was referring back and forth to the maps and the appendices regularly. There's a lot to get your head around in terms of factions, religions, schools of sorcery and such. Plus there's some help with pronunciation of names, which helped a lot. It had all started to sink in by the end
Yep, they're definitely adult books, although not necessarily for the same reasons as I mentioned for this one. The female characters in Malazan are much, much better, for a start. Plus there are multiple races, human and non-human, where Bakker's seem to all be human so far.
Great cheers, I added it to my wishlist! I think I will be starting Malazan when I'm up to date with Song of Ice and Fire.
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Hmm that sounds really interesting! Did you read the paperback or Kindle version? Were there maps and things you would need to refer to?
Book #43: The Darkness That Comes Before (The Prince of Nothing Book 1) by R. Scott Bakker
It's not all good, though. The female characters, in particular, were a sticking point for me. They are strongly written characters, but they are not strong characters themselves. The two main ones are a prostitute and a slave - hardly a glowing endorsement, and you can imagine the kind of treatment they receive - I found it, at times, disturbing, to say the least. This is definitely a book for adults.
Are there similar things like this in Malazan? I just mean other then the obvious complexity of the world would you say they are adult books?
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The Wolverine, meh.. it was OK...just.
Do stick around for the after credit scene though!
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Started The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett.
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I've just ordered another copy of The Shrinking Man, to replace the one I've obviously given to charity at some point
Still, it was only £3.80, including postage. I noticed there's a new SF Masterworks edition coming out next year, too.
Yay! Good choice I'm not keen on the new SF masterworks, especially the yellow spines. I've been collecting some of the older versions.
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Nice! I wish I had the shelf space to collect them all in paperback.
Me too!
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Yeah, plus a new copy of Azincourt as mine is tattered. Which means, other then his nautical thrillers, I have his complete works
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My Kindle appears to have downloaded these:
The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell
The Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell
Sword Song by Bernard Cornwell
The Burning Land by Bernard Cornwell
What are the odds?
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Actually, Charlton Heston was in The Omega Man, which was an adaptation of I Am Legend
The Incredible Shrinking Man starred Grant Williams, and it's an absolutely brilliant film, far, far better than any of the filmed versions of I Am Legend. I think it's probably where I got my arachnophobia from It used to be on tv a lot, but I haven't seen it for years. Would love to see it again 
Oh yeah of course, I knew that!
I haven't seen but it doesn't take a lot to beat any of the I Am Legend films 
I tried to find my copy of The Shrinking Man a few weeks back when Richard Matheson passed away, but I couldn't find it
Your brilliant review has got me wanting to re-read it. Enjoy! -
I also have two challenges that I am slowly chipping away at. One is 50 books to read before you die which I have printed on my book mark. The other was that I thought I would try and go through the Hugo Award winners.
50 Books to read before you die Hugo Award winners (by year)
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by JRR Tolkien1953 - The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester1984 by George Orwell1954 - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray BradburyPride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 1955 - They'd Rather Be Right by Mark CliftonThe Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck and Frank Riley (also known as The Forever Machine)To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee1956 - Double Star by Robert A. HeinleinJane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 1958 - The Big Time by Fritz LeiberWuthering Heights by Emily Bronte 1959 - A Case of Conscience by James BlishA Passage to India by EM Forster1960 - Starship Troopers by Robert A. HeinleinThe Lord of the Flies by William Golding1961 - A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller, JrHamlet by William Shakespeare 1962 - Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. HeinleinA Bend in the River by VS Naipaul 1963 - The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. DickThe Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald 1964 - Way Station by Clifford SimakThe Catcher in the Rye by JD Salinger 1965 - The Wanderer by Fritz LeiberThe Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath 1966 (tie)- And Call Me Conrad by Roger ZelaznyBrave New World by Aldous Huxley 1966 (tie) - Dune by Frank HerbertThe Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank1967 - The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. HeinleinDon Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes 1968 – Lord of Light by Roger ZelaznyThe Bible 1969 - Stand on Zanzibar by John BrunnerThe Cantebury Tales by Geofrrey Chaucer 1970 - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le GuinUlysses by James Joyce 1971 - Ringworld by Larry NivenThe Quiet American by Graham Greene 1972 - To Your Scattered Bodies Go by Philip José FarmerBirdsong by Sebastian Faulks 1973 - The Gods Themselves by Isaac AsimovMoney by Martin Amis 1974 - Rendezvous With Rama by Arthur C. ClarkeHarry Potter Series by JK Rowling1975 - The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le GuinMoby Dick by Herman Melville1976 - The Forever War by Joe HaldemanThe Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame 1977 - Where Late the Sweet Birds Sang by Kate WilhelmHis Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pulman1978 - Gateway by Frederik PohlAnna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy 1979 - Dreamsnake by Vonda N. McIntyreAlice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll 1980 - The Fountains of Paradise by Arthur C. ClarkeRebecca by Daphne du Maurier 1981 - The Snow Queen by Joan D. VingeThe Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time-Mark Haddon 1982 - Downbelow Station by C. J. CherryhOn the Road by Jack Kerouac 1983 - Foundation’s Edge by Isaac AsimovHeart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad 1984 - Startide Rising by David BrinThe Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope 1985 - Neuromancer by William GibsonThe Outsider by lbert Camus1986 - Ender’s Game by Orson Scott CardThe Colour Purple by Alice Walker 1987 - Speaker for the Dead by Orson Scott CardLife of Pi by Yann Martel 1988 - The Uplift War by David BrinFrankenstein by Mary Shelley 1989 - Cyteen by C. J. CherryhThe War of the Worlds by HG Wells 1990 - Hyperion by Dan SimmonsMen Without Women by Ernest Hemingway 1991 - The Vor Game by Lois McMaster BujoldGulliver's Travels by Jonathan Swift 1992 - Barrayar by Lois McMaster BujoldA Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens1993 (tie) - A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor VingeHuckleberry Finn by Mark Twain 1993 (tie) -Doomsday Book by Connie WillisRobinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe 1994 - Green Mars by Kim Stanley RobinsonOne Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey1995 - Mirror Dance by Lois McMaster BujoldCatch 22 by Joseph Heller 1996 - The Diamond Age by Neal StephensonThe Count of Monte Christo by Alexandre Dumas 1997 - Blue Mars by Kim Stanley RobinsonMemoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden1998 - Forever Peace by Joe HaldemanThe Divine Comedy by Alghibri Dante 1999 - To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie WillisThe Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde 2000 - A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge2001 - Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire by J. K. Rowling2002 - American Gods by Neil Gaiman2003 - Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer2004 - Paladin of Souls by Lois McMaster Bujold2005 - Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell by Susanna Clarke2006 - Spin by Robert Charles Wilson2007 - Rainbow's End by Vernor Vinge2008 - The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon2009 - The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman2010 (tie) - The City & The City, China Miéville2010 (tie) - The Windup Girl, Paolo Bacigalupi2011 - Blackout/All Clear by Connie Willis2012 -Among Others by Jo WaltonSo not that many read, but I am only passively working through them.
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Now time for some lists....
Reading Plan
WarBreaker - Brandon SandersonCabal - Clive BarkerThe Great Hunt - Robert Jordan (Wheel of Time 2)The Heroes - Joe AbercrombieThe Wind Through the Keyhole - Stephen King (Dark Tower 8)The Man in the High Castle - Phillip K. DickThe Shrinking Man - Richard MathesonThe Daylight War - Peter V. BrettThe Black Lung Captain - Chris Wooding (Ketty Jay 2)She Wakes - Jack KetchumNecessary Evil - Ian TregillisOn the Road - Jack KerouacJoyland - Stephen KingBooks read this year:
Paper - 37
Kindle - 7
Audio - 8
Total - 52
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I've added The Shrinking Man to my wishlist. Shame it's not available on Kindle yet. I'm surprised I haven't read it before as the title is so familiar to me. Maybe I have heard it mentioned a lot previously - I suppose it's a sort of classic, isn't it?
It is part of the sci-fi masterworks collection so it is kinda a classic of the genre.
It was adapted for the screen by Matheson but named The Incredible Shrinking Man and starred Charlton Heston. I also believe many of the re-printed editions were renamed that as well after the film was a success.
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^ That was a bloody great review, and it might not be my usual kind of book to read, but I'm kinda interested in reading it! I might actually add it on my wishlist... Although I should definitely read my already-own copy of I Am Legend by Matheson...
Aww thanks!
and yes...yes you should!
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The Shrinking Man - Richard MathesonSynopsis
While on a boating holiday, Scott Carey is exposed to a cloud of radioactive spray. A few weeks later, following a series of medical examinations, he can no longer deny the extraordinary truth. Not only is he losing weight, he is also shorter than he was. Scott Carey has begun to shrink.
Review
This is a fantastic book! Gripped me from page one. The story unfolds in a non-chronological order, after seeing Scott get hit by a radiation 'wave' it skips to him being less then an inch tall, living in a cellar, sucking the moisture out of sponges and being terrorised by a Black Widow. These scenes are interspersed with the scenes of his gradually, relentless shrinking.
Matheson portrays the events with remorseless logic. The doctors and reporters all want a piece of him whilst being pushed away by his Wife and Daughter who can do nothing for Scott. Scott himself is no hero, we see him descend into frustration, anger and self-pity as he descends towards the floor. He doesn't go down bravely, he doesn't go down fighting, he goes down sulking. This, in my opinion, is a much more realistic reaction that most people would probably have, especially after the humiliation he endures.
Matheson doesn't shy away from the tough questions either, the concept of suicide comes up repeatedly to Scott but he doesn't do it, he doesn't know why he doesn't either. He knows he has nothing to live for and will ultimately die anyway, but he would rather go through the motions and cling on to every breath he can get. Again I believe this makes the character very relate-able. Matheson also addresses the issue of Scott's sexual frustration, as you'd expect in the common man whose Wife treats him like a boy. There is also a vague scientific explanation for his shrinkage as well.
The Shrinking Man is a brilliant thrilling tale and at nearly 60 years old hasn't even begun to show signs of aging.
Overall 10/10
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Breaking Bad, Season 2. Brilliant!
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I've managed to restrain myself. Think I should read the first book before buying any more of them. Probably. Until tomorrow
That was my first thought... then I quickly came to my senses -
I've only got the first one so far - thanks for the heads up!
<<heads over to Amazon>>
Great deal isn't it!Though I take no responsibility for your TBR pile
Some of his others are cheap as well, including the Warlord Chronicles, a couple of his stand-alone books and for some reason the 2nd and 3rd books of the Holy Grail trilogy, but I have all those already.
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Finished reading Hide and Seek by Jack Ketchum, he isn't known for particularly long stories but this was even shorter then regular. The plot and characters were weak and the book was lacking of any real horror. There was one good portion, when they actually played hide and seek it was very tense but ultimately anti-climatic. This was only his second book but definitely not up to the standard I have read so far. Even his first book was much better. Overall - 5/10
The first five Saxon books by Bernard Cornwell are only £1.49 in paperback on Amazon so I snapped them up, plus the sixth for £3.85. I believe the seventh is also coming out soon. I've heard great things about the series.
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Necessary Evil - Ian TregillisSynopsis
The history of the Twentieth Century has been shaped by a secret conflict between technology and magic. When a twisted Nazi scientist devised a way to imbue ordinary humans with supernatural abilities - to walk through walls, throw fire and see the future - his work became the prized possession of first the Third Reich, then the Soviet Army. Only Britain's warlocks, and the dark magics they yield, have successfully countered the threat posed by these superhuman armies.
But for decades, this conflict has been manipulated by Gretel, the mad seer. And now her long plan has come to fruition. And with it, a danger vastly greater than anything the world has known. Now British Intelligence officer Raybould Marsh must make a last-ditch effort to change the course of history - if his nation, and those he loves, are to survive.
ReviewThus completing the Milkweed Triptych, Necessary Evil is a not perfect but fine and satisfactory conclusion to to Tregillis' first work.
All the pieces, that Tregillis spent the first two books creating, nicely fall into place. A brilliant blend of historical fiction, sci-fi and fantasy with perfect pacing kept me glued to the book for hours on end.
The reason it's not quite perfect is that it didn't leave me as awestruck as The Coldest War did. Everything was tied up in a neat bundle which is great but doesn't provide 'shock' value.
Still a great piece of work and a great trilogy.
Overall 9/10
Ian's website states that his next work will be a book called Something More Than Night, not giving much away all it says is:
"...a Dashiell Hammett and Raymond Chandler-inspired murder mystery set in Heaven, starring swell dames and femmes fatales, Seraphim and Cherubim, dirty priests and the Voice of God."
I will certainly look out for this!
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I think there was also a TV version of Neverwhere before he wrote the book, but I don't know much about it.
Personally I really enjoy Sandman, even though I've taken some issue with the art style as well. I've liked the style of some artists that worked on the series, but they change their artists around so often that there've also been styles that bugged me. It's set in a fascinating world, and I really like what Gaiman does with his idea of the 'Endless'. It's a fairly long series, so some parts of it aren't quite as good as others, but it has had some brilliant story archs. Also, whatever the art style of a particular issue, the overall composition tends to flow very well visually, so it isn't usually too bothersome.
I watched Neverwhere before reading the book, it was good but very low budget. All the concepts are there just terrible costumes and set designs. I remember hearing something about a film or another series adaptation... but nothing for a while.
I might give Sandman a proper chance at some point then.
Tim's Horror, Fantasy and Sci-Fi Reads from 2012
in Past Book Logs
Posted · Edited by Timstar
Synopsis
Humanity has thirty days to prepare for the next demon attack, but one month is scarcely enough time to train a village to defend themselves, let alone an entire continent caught in the throes of civil war.
Arlen Bales understands the coreling threat better than anyone. Born ordinary, the demon plague has shaped him into a weapon so powerful he has been given the unwanted title of saviour, and attracted the attention of deadly enemies both above and below ground.
Unlike Arlen, Ahmann Jardir embraces the title of Deliverer. His strength resides not only in the legendary relics he carries, but also in the magic wielded by his first wife, Inevera, a cunning and powerful priestess whose allegiance even Jardir cannot be certain of.
Once Arlen and Jardir were like brothers. Now they are the bitterest of rivals. As humanity’s enemies prepare, the only two men capable of defeating them are divided against each other by the most deadly demons of all: those that lurk in the human heart.
Review
I have just finished The Daylight War, the third book in the Demon Cycle by Peter V. Brett. I swear I remember this originally planned as a trilogy, but after finishing it I thought he can't leave it there, so I checked online and apparently it's now planned as a quintet!
Maybe I was mistaken but either way that's definitely what I always thought it was.
It very much suffered from the same issue I had with The Desert Spear: it's too long, needlessly so as well. I think Brett tried to be too comprehensive with the plot; we don't need to know every single detail in every character's life and we definitely don't need to see the same events from every character's view point. There were some really good bits, especially the action scenes which are vivid and gripping and really bring the magic system to life. But there are many more dull scenes, these are mainly the 'Krasian' scenes, that is, the tribes in the desert with which we spent the first third of the The Desert Spear. I believe that whole side to the story would have been better left as a mystery, and only seeing them when the main characters from the heroes homeland interact with them. Maybe filling in some gaps with a short story or an interlude but not for hundreds of pages!
The Krasian tribes are funtamentally unlikable, barbaric warriors who treat civillans and women worse than animals, using them literally as breeding stock. During these scenes Brett repeatedly goes over the same events and repeatedly explains the Krasian customs to try and justify their actions. This was another reason I didn't want to read about them and ending up glossing over most of these bits.
Again I may be mistaken but I could swear the language that the hero, Arlen, and his friends use has changed for this book. They start using this slang that would go very nicely with a farmer's accent with sentences like:
"There 'ent nothin' to it" and the always popular "I 'ent the bleedin' deliverer, jus' tryin' to kill demons is all"
It was very distracting, and seemed very out of character for them.
About halfway through I had to stop and pick up another book where I knew something would happen, this was 1356 by Bernard Cornwell, which is half as long and has as much action in the first 100 pages as the whole of The Daylight War. If the book had been half the length I would have enjoyed it a lot more. But 800 pages with very little occurring is simply tedious.
Overall 6/10
Oh and...
...there is no bloody Daylight War!