Re: What Should I Read in 2008? (Long List, With Voting)
- From: "David E. Siegel" <siegel@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 1 Jan 2008 18:15:09 -0800 (PST)
On Jan 1, 8:43 pm, LawrencePer...@xxxxxxxxx wrote:
Hi there, and welcome to 2008!
As a compulsive list-maker, I'm once again asking the The Vast Wisdom
of Usenet what books I should read this year. Below are 100 books (or
a more, counting multiple titles by a single author) of fiction I'm
considering reading in 2008. They're all books I already own in first
editions. Most likely I'll get to considerably less than 100. The
first 10 or so are books I'll probably get to, and the probable order,
whereas the rest are a little vaguer (and in alphabetical order by
author). That's where you come in. Tell me which of the books below I
should or shouldn't read, and why. If a book's not on the list, it's
probably because I've already read it, or have no interest in it,
won't get to it this year, etc., so save your electrons instead of
suggesting alternates (there are plenty of other threads for that).
And if I list Book #2 in a series, rest assured I've already read Book
#1. (The Over/Under for how many messages it takes for the first
person to ignore these caveats is "3".)
I don't promise I'll read all the highest rated works, but those most
highly praised are considerably more likely they'll be added to the
reading stack, which is what's happened the previous years I've done
this.
Jack Vance: The Brave Free MenI haven't reead this one, but I've never read I vance I didn't like a
lot, so if I were you I'd try it.
Lois McMaster Bujold: Mirror DanceThis is, IMO, very good indeed. Not the very best ofher Miles books,
but definately in the upper third, IMO. And the use of several VP
characters other than Miles was, IMO a Good Thing. Also this is a
vital read to getting the most out of _Memory_ and _A Civil Campaign_
IMO, and those are MUCH too good to miss.
Avram Davidson: The Adventures of Dr. Esterhauzy or JoylegThe Esterhazy stories are top-rate. Don't miss them (including "The
Odd Old Bird" which is included in _The Other Nineteenth Centuary_ but
not in TAoDE). The use of various old and odd legands and more or less
obscure facts is absloutely wonderful -- at least if you have the kind
of mind that likes that sort of thing at all.
I prefered the title of the earlier edition (_The Enquiries of Dr.
Esterhauzy_), and I miss the maps of Bella and of SPT-B (which showd
that the rail line from Bella passed through Zenda and Streslau in
Ruritania). But that edition only has half the stories. I hope for/
dream of a new edition which includes ALL the storeis *and* the maps,
entitled _The Expanded Enquiries of Dr. Esterhauzy_,
_Joyleg_ was an early work, and co-authored, and IMO the ending was a
bit weak. But the early scenes are sidesplitting, and the protrait of
Joyleg himself is very well done IMO. Well worth reading.
L. Sprague de Camp: A Gun for Dinosaur
Not IM De Camps very best, but worth reading. if you do read this,
read david drake's "Time Safari" if you havent already done so. TS was
a direct response to this story.
Shirley Jackson: We Have Always Lived in the CastleExquisite. Don't miss it.
Henry Kuttner and/or C. L. Moore: Mutant, Fury, Northwest Smith or No
Boundaries
Fury is very good indeed, but don'r read it without "Clash by Night"
The story that sets it up. (Also, consider David Drake's pastiche of
this: _The Jungle_). The first few stories in Northwest Smith are IMO
top-notch pulp, the later ones get a bit formulaic, again IMO.
John Myers Myers: SilverlockLots of fun. Chock full of references to other works some famous, some
obscure. (I particularly loved the scene wher "The Death of Bowie
Gizard's-bane" -- the story of the Alamo in alleterative verse -- is
recited at the party in honor of beowulf's defeat of Grendal; and the
one where the hero sends don Quixote off on a quest to recover Babe
the Blue Ox) But the story IMO works perfectly well even when you do
NOT know the works being alluded to. Do't miss this one.
H. Beam Piper: Lord Kalvan of OtherwhenIf you like alt-hist or Pikes&gunpowder ear fiction, this is very
good. The Sequels by another hand are interesting, but not as good,
IMO.
Connie Willis: To Say Nothing of the DogFun. Light fun.
-DES
.
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