Dream with Our Eyes Open

*tap tap tap* Is this thing on?

So yeah, now that I'm back at work (finally!), I'm going to try to get this rolling again.

I got around to reading Sorcerer to the Crown by Zen Cho, which I'd had on my To Read list for ages. And ... meh? It wasn't for me. Sometimes I like Jane Austen-ish pastiche, but I was not so thrilled with this one. I could appreciate Zacharias' position (believe me, I could: that "stick with the job because you were entrusted with it, even while it kills you" is all too familiar), but at the same time, it made for a somewhat claustrophobic reading experience.

On the other hand, Prunella soon made me a little crazy. I'm not quite sure I believe her extremely sudden transformation from the dutiful behind-the-scenes manager to out-of-control sorcery prodigy. And frankly, I just didn't like her that much. I think I'm just the wrong audience for it. And I spotted the romance plot about a third of the way in, too.

My other big read was a bit of a disappointment as well. You all know I'm a super fan of C.J. Cherryh, and her Alliance-Union setting is one of my favorites (Chanur is the other). So I was anticipating Alliance Rising like crazycakes. But it's a really, really slow start. The info-dumping is on par with the opening of Downbelow Station, even though it's framed as the thoughts of the POV characters instead of third-person authorial narration. In fact, in terms of pacing and approach, this reads more like the start of a new "Foreigner" installment, with Bren reviewing all the events of the last three books.

About a third of the way in I nearly burst into tears: we were still on essentially the first real piece of action, the approach of one of the new jumpships to the creaky old Alpha space station at frightening speed. We read it from the viewpoint of a young local merchanter crewman, Ross, and then from the viewpoint of the sad, over-stressed station manager, and then from the viewpoint of a fairly high-up officer on the incoming starship, Finity's End. And OK, we learn something from each view, but hell! We're a third of the way into the book! Shouldn't we be seeing something else by now?

Perhaps as a result of the amount of time spent on this slow opening, I didn't feel as much engagement with the characters, and the station didn't feel as real to me, either, as most Cherryh settings do.

Anyway, I will certainly be following it up: lackluster CJC is still better than 90% of what comes out.

For where I'm going: I've just started Exit Strategy, the most recent Murderbot installment by Martha Wells. This is the finale of the series of "Murderbot Diaries," and I expect to like it, as I did the others. I was pleased to hear that she's sold a full-length Murderbot novel as well.

Familiarize yourself with the Hugo mess before voting

"Apparently a concerted effort gamed the Hugos ... ." - C.J. Cherryh

What have you just finished reading?

Regenesis by C.J. Cherryh, but maybe I shouldn't count it because I didn't start at the beginning? This time I actually enjoyed the part where Yanni is stuck in Novgorod; it read a little more like a political thriller than I remember. I do find it strange to contemplate people still wearing tweed jackets 300 years from now. Things get a little weird for me every time CJC goes into details of their clothing, although I do like the description of the black-and-gunmetal-and-bronze outfit that Ari II gets at one point in Cyteen. Also, the second stringers among Ari II's coterie, like Tommy Carnath, are all too plainly there just to have someone else to voice an opinion when they're discussing things. I can't even remember who Tommy is except that he's clearly a member of Amy Carnath's extended family.

I keep thinking I must have read something else, but it was probably magazines and the D&D 3.5 Players Manual. (Our gaming group is getting ready to start up a new campaign.)

What are you currently reading?

Nothing. I finished Regenesis last night and haven't started anything else yet. Decisions, decisions. Maybe I'll rip through Redshirts again so I can write it up: it's a fast read.

What do you think you'll read next?

My mind is blank on the subject. Sad. I never located Among Others, which I proposed reading last week.

There's something Seanan McGuire refuses to do to her characters ... and I think I need to check out her books now.

In the comments, nancylebov references a very interesting article from TOR: A need to deal wounds: Rape of men in Cherryh’s Union-Alliance novels. You should note that this is specifically the rape of male characters by female characters. The lead exhibits are Signy Mallory in Downbelow Station (spec. with regard to Josh Talley) and Ariane Emory I in Cyteen.

I should go to bed. We spent hours at the Maryland Renaissance Faire, and hours playing D&D, and my shoulders and neck hurt for some reason.

But right now I'm going to do this meme, which I ganked from meganbmoore:

* Grab the nearest book.
* Open the book to page 56.
* Find the fifth sentence.
* Post the text of the sentence in your journal along with these instructions.
* Don't dig for your favorite book, the cool book, or the intellectual one: pick the CLOSEST.

Ben said, to someone at the door, "He had a dream, that's all."

From Hellburner, by C.J. Cherryh, which was lying on my desk about 4 inches from my left hand because I've been writing a huge, rambling LJ entry about it, in bits and pieces, for more than a month.

I has Yuletide fic! (Or rather, my fic account does ... .)

Someone wrote me a tasty bit of C.J. Cherryh fic, about the Chanur series - my favorite!   XD   Thank you, Santa! I hope Herself will forgive us all for instigating/writing fic on her wonderful books ... .

Anify's Accord

This would take place after Chanur's Homecoming and before Chanur's Legacy.

First, let me state without a blush that I am of the opinion that as an author, Cherryh on her worst day is better than the vast majority of science fiction authors at their best. I will also say, however, that I wish the Foreigner series was not so insanely popular. I like it, but I don't love it. I'd really rather see CJC Herself spend her time and energy on other projects, like the sequel to Cyteen that she has in the works, or perhaps seeing whether Compact Space (i.e., the Chanur books) is ready to offer up any more tales.

Still, I didn't expect to be so disappointed with Pretender. In Destroyer, the previous book, human translator/ambassador Bren Cameron had arrived back on the Atevi homeworld after a long, eventful space voyage to find that Tabini, his staunch ally (and also the grandson and father of his travelling companions, Ilisidi and Cajeiri), had been overthrown as leader of the powerful Western Association. Amid many adventures, Bren and his allies gained refuge in the ancient home of peppery, elderly Lord Tatiseigi. The current volume covers a very short span of time thereafter, as Bren and his allies suffer fallout from an internal battle for control of the powerful Assassin's Guild, gather themselves additional supporters (including Tabini, who reappears ... this is not a spoiler, it's in the cover blurb), and make a wild cross-country dash to Shejidan, the capital, where Tabini is to re-convene the governing body of the Alliance and Bren will give his report on what he found Out There.

That's not a lot of action. It's certainly not enough for a book of this length (404 pp. of moderately large type). And so we get page after page of Bren worrying. And rehashing. And speculating. And going through things in his mind in extreme detail, to make sure that we understand what's going on, I guess. I found myself skimming huge chunks of book, desperately searching for dialog or action - both of which, I must say, are wonderful when they finally show up. But there isn't enough of either to sustain the whole. This reads all too much like the second half of Destroyer - and indeed, the back cover blurb really covers both books!

On an equally crabby note, I have decided to hate Visio. It keeps connecting org chart boxes where I don't want it to connect org chart boxes. I have never used such an out-of-control product, and I am perfectly comfy with things like Corel Draw, Photoshop, and PowerPoint, among other things, thank you. This program is possessed!!