jinian | June 2006 books

The Clan Corporate, Charles Stross. Third of several sub-books. In this one the Mendelian genetics are incorrect and the protagonist is stupid and ineffectual. The plot may be all right as a piece of the whole, but as a book? Save time, fling now.

A School for Sorcery, A Perilous Power, When the Beast Ravens, E. Rose Sabin. The first was darker than I'd remembered, and the latter two show a theme of self-sacrifice that's interesting but odd. Specifically, it's a theme of self-sacrifice and then your loved ones are unhappy being deprived of you. Still lots of good magic, though. It'll be interesting to see Sabin's future work.

~~The Horrific Sufferings of the Mind-Reading Monster Hercules Barefoot: His Wonderful Love and His Terrible Hatred, Carl-Johan Vallgren.~~ Library shelf. Perhaps in Swedish this didn't suck. The translated version, however, has intolerable science errors and really annoying scribbly elaboration around the minimal plot. As is usual with books I didn't really want to read, this one earned me an overdue fine.

Eleven Karens, Peter Lefcourt. Janet Kagan rec. Eleven Karens is a lot, and the narrator tells the story of his relationship with each one. They're all so different from one another that it made me think about how many kinds of people there are, and how many a person can love. Funny, sweet, and interesting.

Wolf Who Rules, Wen Spencer. This was (1) not really about the title character; (2) less fun than Tinker; (3) annoying in that special way of books with characters from another culture who magically feel just like people from our culture (specifically on monogamy, here as usual). Good fun in places, but there was a lot of it I didn't like much at all.

Hidden Truth, Forgotten Truth, Lost Truth, Dawn Cook. On the theory that somewhere in between First Truth and The Decoy Princess had to be when she got good, I read these as well. It was around book two-and-a-half. They're still pretty fluffy, but they're really tasty fluff with dragon-equivalents and shapechanging.

Temeraire 1-3, Naomi Novik. The first person I caught recommending these was either

rachelmanija or

coffeeandink, and then everyone started reading them. If Patrick O'Brien were this good I'd be so there.

Baby Brother's Blues, Pearl Cleage. Wiscon panel. Very relationship-based non-romance novel about intersecting social groups of black people in Atlanta's West End, complicated by vigilante justice and possible spirit manifestations. It was an interesting choice to name this after the particular character, when so many other things are going on around Baby Brother and he's really pretty hapless in all of them.

Rebel Angels, Libba Bray. Much more like the drama and adventure I was hoping for from A Great and Terrible Beauty. Still lacking somehow, though. I don't feel like the main character is a real person. (And I'm wondering just how much of the Pippa plot grew out of the inevitable pun.)

Pavane, Keith Roberts. From

papersky. A set of sad stories tracing a hopeful long-term arc as an alternate England comes out of an extended dark age. Lovely and memorable.

The Talisman Ring, Georgette Heyer. From a thread of Maya's. Fun and highly silly murder mystery and obligatory romance.

Chicks in Chainmail, ed. Esther Friesner. Brainless distraction. Worked. I am growing to hate the Hillary Clinton story a little less over time.

Transgender Erotica: Trans Figures, ed. M. Christian. For review. Mostly of academic rather than sexual interest for me, as it turned out. Possibly more on this after my collaborators and I finish talking.

Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher, Bruce Coville. Don't remember where I heard of this. Cute and positive story. This is what they call a "chapter book," it seems; it's for younger kids but is reasonably long and has few illustrations.

Warchild, Karin Lowachee. From Maya's thread. Somewhat harrowing (rototilling?) story of a boy growing up in a FTL space war, and the relationships with huge effects on him. I especially liked his complex system of loyalties. Really remarkably good work.

Tatterhood and Other Tales, ed. Ethel Johnston Phelps. From Wiscon Heroine Addiction panel. Selected folk tales with strong, successful women. I didn't care for the author's voice, but the stories are good source material. One thing I've noticed in reading girl-power folk tales and commentary on them is that there are still stereotypes. Plenty of both men and women win at fairy tales due to caring and generosity, but a whole lot of the women win by tricks and deceit. (The male equivalent is bravery, maybe? It's certainly not lying!) Moral dilemma for me: I think lying is ignoble, but is it really the main way women can get ahead? And is it okay to lie to your enemies?

Unquenchable Fire, Rachel Pollack. Wim has been telling me to read this for years, but I've not felt like it or we haven't been able to find his copy. ILLed it, loved it like crazy. Utterly strange, numinous world -- I'd almost be okay with theocracy if it worked like this -- and detail after detail brimming with wonder. It's about the conflict between holiness and routine. If you can get this, you should definitely read it.

The James Tiptree Award Anthology 2. "Congenital Agenesis of Gender Ideation" still best story ever. Other good stuff also present.

The Crystal Drop, Monica Hughes. Library catalog. Mom dies, girl bullies brother into walking across future Dust Bowl to uncle. Decent straightforward adventure with ecological pessimism.

Going Postal, Terry Pratchett. A Pratchett-reading mood was upon me, and I did read. This was a lot of fun. Pratchett is getting more and more comfortable with putting commentary on current events into the story. (Maybe he is becoming a more natural writer, so things he's thinking about creep in? security in popularity? use of popularity to do good? others?)

Bodies in Motion, Mary Ann Mohanraj. Wiscon. After reading the loving descriptions of food, I really wish I had tried Mohanraj's curries at the Wiscon Gathering. Lovely, sensual book of downbeat stories in two allied families over time. Made me sadder than they would ordinarily do because I've read some of her erotica, lots of which has to do with these same people and is earlier and happier than their appearances here. The youngest people, though, I have a future story on, so I don't feel too bad.

Parasite Pig, William Sleator. Sleator doesn't seem to mention it anywhere, but I would bet money that he read Parasite Rex just before writing this. The dates work out. And, alas, the story is uninspired, though with some fun elements. Once again, Barney is in danger from aliens chasing the Piggy, and this time they're parasitic. I liked the crab aliens but was annoyed by his fictionalized Toxoplasma. Not bad, but not nearly as cool as Interstellar Pig.
(Hmm. Stealing a trick from Peeps, too? Or somehow mere coincidence that more technical and informative chapters alternate with plottier ones?)

Blankets, Craig Thompson. Big, thick graphic novel about siblings and first love. Where my "ahoy" pig came from.
Fushigi Yuugi Genbu Kaiden 2, Yuu Watase. Was hoping for gratuitous nudity based on

oyceter's and

coffeeandink's comments, but that must be in the volume the library doesn't have yet.
Hellboy: Strange Places (6), Mike Mignola.
Project Blue Rose, Rachel Manija Brown and Stephanie Folse. Do I need more than the gay kissing secret agents? Not really. But I got more: a nicely twined paranormal plot and bonus angst. The chibi moments didn't completely work for me, but they rarely do in any work.
Scott Pilgrim's Precious Little Life, Bryan Lee O'Malley. Reread to go with the glory that is the Annotated Pilgrim.
Serenity Rose 1, Aaron Alexovitch. Gothy comic of uneven quality including some nearly sublime moments. Waiting eagerly for more.