Reading Wednesday

[chomiji]

So I have been re-reading "Books of the Raksura" (link to author's site), because Reasons. OK, one good non-secretive reason is that the final volume (*sob*), The Harbors of the Sun, is coming out soon. How could I have forgotten how involving these are? Also, I had forgotten a major plot development near the end of The Edge of Worlds (Spoiler; highlight to read: the young half-Fell queen who seemed to actually have good sense, plus her equally reasonable half-Fell followers ... I hope Malachite doesn't rip them all limb from limb before we find out what's up with that.)

I also read one of the Hugo novella finalists, The Ballad of Back Tom by Victor LaValle. It's a Lovecraft pastiche and critique, with an African American protagonist. It was pretty involving, but I wouldn't say I liked it. One of the other novella finalists, The Dream-Quest of Vellitt Boe, is also a Lovecraft pastiche and a bit of a critique too, in that it involves mostly female characters. I'm not sure what the deal is this year with Lovecraft pastiches. I read some of his stuff back when dinosaurs ruled the earth and got the general impression that he expected you to be horrified by describing things as too horrifying to describe. I was not impressed.

I might as well add that of the remaining novella finalists, I loved Every Heart a Doorway, by Seanan McGuire (although she didn't stick the landing) and Penric and the Shaman by Lois McMaster Bujold. Why do I really like Bujold's fantasy but am decidedly meh on her SF?

I still have two novella finalists to go: A Taste of Honey by Kai Ashante Wilson and This Census-Taker by China Miéville.

Comments

[flemmings]

...got the general impression that he expected you to be horrified by describing things as too horrifying to describe

Yes, exactly. You do not fantod me by talking about 'unspeakable horrors'. The imagination needs *something* to work with.

Have never understood how Lovecraft could fantod anybody, actually.

[yhlee]

Not commenting on the Hugo finalists, but I thought Lovecraft was entertaining partly for the overwrought language. I like the rhythm of his language, and since I don't visualize anyway, I'm not fussed about the descriptions. But I know that I'm an edge case. XD

[avierra]

Huh, I thought those books ended with the third book. It seemed like everything was pretty well wrapped up, but I guess not! (The Raksura books)

I always liked Lovecraft, but admittedly some of his efforts are better than others. I suppose when you get paid by the word you tend to pile on the adjectives. :) My favorite story is probably At the Mountains of Madness where he's a bit more restrained, possibly because it is one of his longer works.

[chomiji]

Wells has been having some touch and go with contracts and publishers. My guess is that she expected it to be just a trilogy but then the series was popular enough that she was able to publish some more. But she says that Harbors of the Sun is the end of it. I attended her Kaffeeklatsch at Sasquan, and it was great to hear her talk about the series and her other books. She's criminally neglected as a writer, IMO.

Have you seen the various bits and pieces she has on her site? And also, supporters on Patreon get to see all sorts of chopped scenes and so on.