Belated Wed Reading Meme
May. 6th, 2015 08:56 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
shadowkatFirst off -- I'm going to continue to shamelessly promote the novel I just published.
It's available now on Amazon. Will be coming soon to Kindle in electronic. It will be available through Ingrams and Baker & Taylor in 6-8 weeks. I can't do Indiebound or other platforms without publishing another edition.
Wed Reading Meme
1. What did you just finish reading?
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.
Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.
Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend . . . and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne-or his life.
Overall, it was enjoyable read. And I can see why folks nominated it for a Locus award and a Hugo. It's not without literary merit - in that Addison clearly has something to say. Unfortunately she takes a long time to say it and is a bit repetitious, and overly interested in formal names of address and linguistical etiquette. She doesn't make up a language like Tolkien did, instead she makes up a way of addressing Elfish hierarchy.
Which I found to be confusing. I think it may be meant to be taken satirically. And she may well be poking fun at various human power structures. I don't know. But it was a bit distracting and did not lend a great deal to the story.
That said, the characters in this story are rather likable. And the protagonist, Maia, The Goblin Emperor, who takes the throne at 18, is a breath of fresh air. (At least for anyone who has grown weary of bitter, resentful, snarky and overly self-absorbed teenagers in these sorts of novels.) The conflicts are resolved rather quickly and the main character is not overly tortured - most of his torture happened in the past, off-page and wasn't physical. For high fantasy, it's relatively non-violent.
The focus is rather on the process of running a government. The vast array of decisions that need to be made. The papers that must be signed. The petty fiefdoms. And skirmishes.
How one must navigate through it all to get anything done.
Also, on gender politics. Women in this society are treated as lesser or subservient. Their worth measured in how many children they can provide and what connections they can obtain through marriage. They have little power and struggle in various ways to obtain it. It's a rather chauvinistic society - reminding me a great deal of Medieval Times. Most high fantasy takes place during the Medieval period for some reason. Not quite sure why exactly. There are some rather interesting female characters in the novel, and some strong ones, both villains and heroines, although not sure you can make that sharp of a distinction.
At any rate without giving away too much - I do recommend it. But it does drag a bit in the middle and towards the end. It clocks in at 446 pages.
(As an aside? Is it just me or do a lot of people write long books, are they paid by the word? My book is a scant 274 pages in comparison.)
2. What you are reading now?
The Martian by Andy Weir
Go here for full description
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
This is a great book for hard sci-fi geeks. MD recommended it to me numerous times. She loved it so much that she has it on Kindle and hard copy. It's mildly amusing, told in a sort of self-deprecating/snarky first person narrative...well for most of it at any rate. I'm 20% of the way through, and all of a sudden we're in a third person point of view and seeing what is happening down on Earth.
The narrator, Mark, who is stuck on Mars has endeavored to find a way of feeding himself by creating a garden in the space station on the planet. But it has some problems. He almost blows himself up. The oxygen ratio to the hydrogen ration becomes unstable.
Getting the dirt moist and fertile enough to create the right bacterial balance to grow potatoes requires a certain amount of ingenuity. Martian dirt has no water or bacteria so you can't grow anything it.
In short, think Robinson Crusoe on Mars, except he's a mechanical engineer with a botany degree. Who is entertaining himself watching the various entertainment bits his crewmates left behind. One crew members USB drive had a complete collection of crappy 1970s TV shows. (Three's Company and the Dukes of Hazzard). Another had the Beatles collection. A third, Disco. And the writer clearly knows a lot about mechanical engineering and botany - because he goes into detail regarding it. Complete with the explanation of chemical ratios.
So, if you are science and pop culture geek? You will LOVE this book. If you aren't, I don't know, it might bore you?
3. What you are reading next?
I never know. Right now, I'm flirting with Anne Leckie's Ancillary Justice, The Three Body Problem (which may put me to sleep and it has footnotes, I hate books with footnotes unless they are by Nabokov, who made fun of footnotes.), or The Magicians by Lev Grossman.
Or, I might read something light and fluffy. Work has become insanely busy again. I got a lull - to revise my book and publish it. Now the universe has decided I should actually work on 20 projects at once.
It's available now on Amazon. Will be coming soon to Kindle in electronic. It will be available through Ingrams and Baker & Taylor in 6-8 weeks. I can't do Indiebound or other platforms without publishing another edition.
Wed Reading Meme
1. What did you just finish reading?
The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
The youngest, half-goblin son of the Emperor has lived his entire life in exile, distant from the Imperial Court and the deadly intrigue that suffuses it. But when his father and three sons in line for the throne are killed in an "accident," he has no choice but to take his place as the only surviving rightful heir.
Entirely unschooled in the art of court politics, he has no friends, no advisors, and the sure knowledge that whoever assassinated his father and brothers could make an attempt on his life at any moment.
Surrounded by sycophants eager to curry favor with the naïve new emperor, and overwhelmed by the burdens of his new life, he can trust nobody. Amid the swirl of plots to depose him, offers of arranged marriages, and the specter of the unknown conspirators who lurk in the shadows, he must quickly adjust to life as the Goblin Emperor. All the while, he is alone, and trying to find even a single friend . . . and hoping for the possibility of romance, yet also vigilant against the unseen enemies that threaten him, lest he lose his throne-or his life.
Overall, it was enjoyable read. And I can see why folks nominated it for a Locus award and a Hugo. It's not without literary merit - in that Addison clearly has something to say. Unfortunately she takes a long time to say it and is a bit repetitious, and overly interested in formal names of address and linguistical etiquette. She doesn't make up a language like Tolkien did, instead she makes up a way of addressing Elfish hierarchy.
Which I found to be confusing. I think it may be meant to be taken satirically. And she may well be poking fun at various human power structures. I don't know. But it was a bit distracting and did not lend a great deal to the story.
That said, the characters in this story are rather likable. And the protagonist, Maia, The Goblin Emperor, who takes the throne at 18, is a breath of fresh air. (At least for anyone who has grown weary of bitter, resentful, snarky and overly self-absorbed teenagers in these sorts of novels.) The conflicts are resolved rather quickly and the main character is not overly tortured - most of his torture happened in the past, off-page and wasn't physical. For high fantasy, it's relatively non-violent.
The focus is rather on the process of running a government. The vast array of decisions that need to be made. The papers that must be signed. The petty fiefdoms. And skirmishes.
How one must navigate through it all to get anything done.
Also, on gender politics. Women in this society are treated as lesser or subservient. Their worth measured in how many children they can provide and what connections they can obtain through marriage. They have little power and struggle in various ways to obtain it. It's a rather chauvinistic society - reminding me a great deal of Medieval Times. Most high fantasy takes place during the Medieval period for some reason. Not quite sure why exactly. There are some rather interesting female characters in the novel, and some strong ones, both villains and heroines, although not sure you can make that sharp of a distinction.
At any rate without giving away too much - I do recommend it. But it does drag a bit in the middle and towards the end. It clocks in at 446 pages.
(As an aside? Is it just me or do a lot of people write long books, are they paid by the word? My book is a scant 274 pages in comparison.)
2. What you are reading now?
The Martian by Andy Weir
Go here for full description
Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars.
Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there.
After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he’s alive—and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive.
Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old "human error" are much more likely to kill him first.
But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills—and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit—he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?
This is a great book for hard sci-fi geeks. MD recommended it to me numerous times. She loved it so much that she has it on Kindle and hard copy. It's mildly amusing, told in a sort of self-deprecating/snarky first person narrative...well for most of it at any rate. I'm 20% of the way through, and all of a sudden we're in a third person point of view and seeing what is happening down on Earth.
The narrator, Mark, who is stuck on Mars has endeavored to find a way of feeding himself by creating a garden in the space station on the planet. But it has some problems. He almost blows himself up. The oxygen ratio to the hydrogen ration becomes unstable.
Getting the dirt moist and fertile enough to create the right bacterial balance to grow potatoes requires a certain amount of ingenuity. Martian dirt has no water or bacteria so you can't grow anything it.
In short, think Robinson Crusoe on Mars, except he's a mechanical engineer with a botany degree. Who is entertaining himself watching the various entertainment bits his crewmates left behind. One crew members USB drive had a complete collection of crappy 1970s TV shows. (Three's Company and the Dukes of Hazzard). Another had the Beatles collection. A third, Disco. And the writer clearly knows a lot about mechanical engineering and botany - because he goes into detail regarding it. Complete with the explanation of chemical ratios.
So, if you are science and pop culture geek? You will LOVE this book. If you aren't, I don't know, it might bore you?
3. What you are reading next?
I never know. Right now, I'm flirting with Anne Leckie's Ancillary Justice, The Three Body Problem (which may put me to sleep and it has footnotes, I hate books with footnotes unless they are by Nabokov, who made fun of footnotes.), or The Magicians by Lev Grossman.
Or, I might read something light and fluffy. Work has become insanely busy again. I got a lull - to revise my book and publish it. Now the universe has decided I should actually work on 20 projects at once.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2015-05-07 04:36 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-07 11:20 pm (UTC)Cool - didn't know that was the origin of your online name. Hmmm...haven't read Harrington, any good?
Having similar issues...haven't read any hard SF for a while either, also I read a lot of engineering technobabble at work - so it's overload. (At least this guy can write, most engineers really can't.) As a result, I find that the technobabble is putting me to sleep.
Probably should just give up and skim it.
But..it is a funny book in places. And..
I like reading about how Mark's working to keep himself alive and sane while waiting for a rescue that may never come
Exactly. I'm a sucker for those types of stories. Love survival stories. And this one has just the right dab of humor...so it's working for me.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-09 05:47 am (UTC)The cast is a little weird, though. I'm sure Matt Damon will do fine as Watney, but they cast Chewitel Ejiofor - of Nigerian descent - as Venkat Kapoor. Mindy Park, whom I'd assumed was of Korean descent, is being played by a blonde, and then there's a character named Ryoko being played by a half-Indian Brit. Given that it's a Scott film, I suppose we should just be grateful the cast isn't all white people with a lot of bronzer.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-09 12:56 pm (UTC)Wish it was the guy who directed "District 9" - he's good or a more off-beat director.
Adapting the material could be tricky, what with it being a literal one-man show three-quarters of the time, but a good screenwriter should be able to work with it.
I agree. You'd need a good screenwriter - someone who can evenly split what is happening on ground with what is going on on Mars, and has an off-beat sense of humor. The film should have the same absurd situational sense of humor that the book does. Humor can be hard to pull off well. But you could do it. And it would be hilarious to split between Earth and Mars. They could also add more on the Ares 3 and Ares 4 crews. Although that could get a bit busy.
I'm sure Matt Damon will do fine as Watney, but they cast Chewitel Ejiofor - of Nigerian descent - as Venkat Kapoor. Mindy Park, whom I'd assumed was of Korean descent, is being played by a blonde, and then there's a character named Ryoko being played by a half-Indian Brit.
Interesting. Matt Damon works. Although I'd have gone with Chris Pratt from Guardians of the Galaxy (he's younger and better at dead-pan humor). Also I had Venkat Kapoor as Indian in my head. Mindy Park - blonde? Who? I'm curious. Wonder if they are going to try to set up a romantic interest? I hope not. They do that a lot with female supporting characters in these films.
I'm curious who would be cast as Anne.
Given that it's a Scott film, I suppose we should just be grateful the cast isn't all white people with a lot of bronzer
True. Of course, after the negative response to Exodus, he may have learned his lesson?
no subject
Date: 2015-05-10 12:20 am (UTC)Annie will be portrayed by Kristin Wiig. I'd pictured someone more glamorous-looking, but she'll bring out the humor in the role of someone who's the picture of diplomacy in front of the cameras and anything but when they're off. Here, have the IMDB page:
The Martian
no subject
Date: 2015-05-10 12:36 am (UTC)But it appears they are definitely bringing in the Ares 3 and Ares 4 crews - they have two major league actresses in the parts - Kate Mara and Jessica Chastin, so not minor roles. (I'm admittedly only 27% into the book, so I have no clue if these crews had major roles in the book as of yet.) Also, didn't know Venkat was Hindu (that hasn't been mentioned yet so you are probably further along than I am --I admittedly am not skimming through the technobabble - I'm geeky and work with engineers.) But, I agree -- definitely Indian and there are some excellent Indian actors out there they could have cast.
This could be a good movie - has a good cast, if not the most diverse on the planet.
no subject
Date: 2015-05-07 06:43 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-07 05:00 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-07 09:36 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-07 11:22 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2015-05-09 05:38 am (UTC)