And More Books (plus a little on Michael Swanwick)

And More Books

(plus a little on Michael Swanwick)

With the exception of journals and perhaps the occasional anthology, I think I’ll impose a ban on my buying for the rest of the year. I have another novel on order but my reading shelf is overflowing.

This time everything was on sale at Planet Books. Thank you, Planet!

BLUE COLLAR, WHITE COLLAR, NO COLLAR

Stories of Work

Edited by Richard Ford

To be honest, stories based in the work place aren't something that I avidly seek out. But this collection I couldn't pass up. The list of authors in Blue Collar, White Collar, No Collar would magnetise many a reader: Jeffrey Eugenides, John Cheever, Joyce Carol Oates, Tobias Wolff, Richard Ford, Alice Munro, Eudora Weatly, Jhumpa Lahiri, Edward P. Jones, James Alan McPherson, Annie Proulx, Elizabeth Strout and Donald Bathelme are just a few of the many heavyweights here. Believe it or not, the list goes on.

 


The City & the City by China Mieville

The hype around this novel finally caught up with me.

Stations of the Tide by Michael Swanwick

Swanwick challenges genre conventions and often explores controversial themes. He has been labelled ‘over sexed’ and 'provocative' - and he is. At his best he scintillates; at his worst he can read like a literary version of soft porn.

I’ve read the novel The Iron Dragon’s Daughter, which was inventive and interesting. I liked it and believe that it was an important pioneering work that subverted the usual derivative Tolkienesque elements of high fantasy. While respecting the Iron Dragon’s Daughter, I did not, however, love it like most of the readers I’ve discussed it with. The follow up, Dragons of Babel meandered quite a bit (which I did not mind) and had some captivating parts but overall I felt it was the lesser of the duo.

Contrastingly, Swanwick’s short fiction is more than just good – it is frequently exceptional. He is one of the bravest, freshest and most innovative voices around. At shorter lengths, where his ideas are contained, he has produced some of my favourite stories, which I’ll wax lyrical about another time.

On seeing Stations of the Tide - having recently read and generally enjoyed one of his anthologies: The Dog said Bow-Wow - I thought I’d give his longer length works another try. Plus this one won the Nebula Award.

Why would I read another one of his longer works after not being totally taken by The Dragons of Babel (especially when there are so many great works out there to read)? I still enjoyed his novels, plus Swanwick always provides a spark or two.  

Short Story: 'Hanwell in Hell' by Zadie Smith

 "Hanwell in Hell" by Zadie Smith



"Hanwell in Hell" met the lofty expectations I hold whenever I read Zadie Smith.

Clive Black narrates to Hanwell's daughter the sole encounter he had with her father.

Zadie Smith is typically rich here and is not fearful of holding back, which is something I have always admired in her writing. Her specific details make the locale, characters and atmosphere spring to life in a superbly drawn story.

Short Story: 'So Help Me God' by Joyce Carol Oates

"So Help me God" by Joyce Carol Oates

From Oates’ superb anthology: The Female of the Species: Tales of Mystery and Suspense

Home alone, a young wife receives a call. Is she being baited for a trap laid by her jealous husband or is it a stranger who seems to know more about her than he should?

Joyce Carol Oates is one of those authors who simply inspires other writers. She’s an exceptional craftsman whose tales unravel deliciously- even when there is the occasional sense of the inevitable. Her narrative voice in short fiction is more than just impressive; she is able to evoke emotion and character with an arguably unrivalled mastery.

More Books

More Books from Planet

Went down to Planet Books for their mega-sale and as usual bought books that weren't on sale.

MY MOTHER SHE KILLED ME, MY FATHER HE ATE ME
Forty New Fairy Tales edited by Kate Bernheimer

I'm always eager to read any new adult take on myths or fairy tales. This fine collection includes stories by Joyce Carol Oates, Neil Gaiman, John Updike, Sarah Shun-Lieberman Bynum, Michael Cunningham, Kathryn Davis, Rikki Ducornet, Karen Fowler, Kelly Link and many more.

Stories edited by Neil Gaiman and Al Sarrantonio.

Seems like an excellent anthology and includes stories by Joyce Carol Oates, Gene Wolfe, Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, Roddy Doyle, Joanne Harris, Michael Marshall Smith, Joe R. Landsdale, Peter Straub and many more. 

The Comedians by Graham Greene.

Whenever I feel the need for a reliable read I turn to Greene. As such, I am ever thankful that he was so prolific. I bought this on the advice of Guy Salvidge whose second novel, Yellowcake Springs will be released soon.

Warriors 1 edited by George RR Martin and Gardner Dozois

I just discovered that there is a larger collection called Warriors, so it was a bit of a poor impulsive buy. Dozois, along with Datlow and Strahan (who we are lucky to have living here in Perth) are arguably the three best editors/anthologists going around in the field.

I chiefly bought it because it includes a new novella by Martin; his worlds are like the forbidden turkish delight offered in Narnia - deliciously sweet but wrought with peril.

I am currently reading Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz.

Feel free to comment on any of the above or even your own recent buys/reads.

Brief Book Review: 'The Confidential Agent' by Graham Greene

Brief Book Review: The Confidential Agent by Graham Greene

A former lecturer in romance languages, D is now a middle-aged confidential agent of the Left, who is in England attempting to secure coal for his side in his unnamed wore-torn home country (which contextually corresponds with Spain). An enemy agent, L, is already in England to perform the same task for what is depicted as the morally bankrupt Right.

The moment the widowed D steps off at the station he chances to meet the daughter of the coal magnate he is required to see. Despite their age gap, she begins to fall for the much older D. She even refers quite comically to her oedipal complex.

The story explores class differences, the grey issues of government and business, xenophobia and mistrust. D’s heroism stems from his valuing of humanity and he evolves over the text’s duration into a determined agent rather than the nervous, passive man that the reader is initially introduced to.

The Confidential Agent is a thriller, which concentrates on character and alludes to ethical dilemmas and larger ideologies rather than simply the ‘over-the-top’ action moments that often pollute many of today’s thrillers.

While not as enlightening as the Power and the Glory or The Heart of the Matter, The Confidential Agent is a highly entertaining and rewarding read.

Short Story: 'A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings' by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

 "A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings" by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

After a storm, a married couple discover an old man with enormous wings in their courtyard.Both the couple's and the community's actions that follow make for an interesting read.

 The 'matter of fact' way in which it is written epitomises the stronger magical realist works.

Short Stories

The short story is an invaluable vehicle for writers to develop their craft. In terms of voice, style and structure, the form allows for some extreme variation, which may not be capable of being sustained successfully in the lengthier novel form.

I prefer the longer versions of short stories, my favourite works all possess juicy narratives, so if it's under 2000 words I often feel unsatisfied. I suppose I like some meat in my reading and titbits do not suffice.

With more time being taken up these day in social media and the many varieties of 'sit-down' leisurely entertainment, the short story could potentially undergo its own popular revival. Novelettes and short stories may fill a reading void as they're a great way to sink into some reading without any serious time-commitment.

As for flash fiction, it certainly has its place, but it is not a genre I take great gratification in. I might think a piece is clever but (with a few exceptions) I never seem to recall the story at a later date— there's no 'wow factor' a few months afterwards. For me, flash fiction feels more like a writing exercise rather than a 'true' story.

There are so many exceptional exponents of the short form: from the realists, like Nam Le and Richard Yates and Alice Munro, to the quirkier Margaret Atwood and John Cheever, the dark and suspenseful Joyce Carol Oates,  the often slipstream Robert Shearman, to humorous satirists like Will Self and George Saunders, and sci fi writers like Michael Swanwick and Nalo Hopkinson.  There are hundreds of others too, both new and old, that are rewarding writers.

I see more and more anthologies at bookstores. Perhaps the short story renaissance has already begun?

I'll be presenting ten short stories that I think fab reads. There are of course a myriad out there that I am yet to read or, regretfully, may never touch upon.

Horrorscope Review: ASIM #50, Andromeda # 50

HorrorScope Review: ASIM #50, Andromeda #50

Mark Smith-Briggs, the editor of HorrorScope and a short story writer too, has written a review on Andromeda #50 at HorrorScope. I believe that outside of a generic review of Dotdotdash5, it is the first formal review I have received on a piece. I'm thankful and relieved to see that it's positive.

I don't believe it's ethical for me to comment on other stories in the collection besides stating that I thoroughly enjoyed them. Mark did name what he believed to be some standouts, which I will mention for the writers' benefit: Mark Lee Pearson’s Whaling the Multiverse; Nicole R Murphy’s The Fairy King’s Child and Dennis J Pale’s Morrow Street.

Debbie Cowen’s The Truth About Dragons, Shona Husk’s Skull Jeweller’s Apprentice and Damien Walters Grintalis’ A Glimpse of Nothing in Silvered were also mentioned in a most positive fashion

Regarding my own piece, Mark wrote the following:  Anthony Panegyres’ The Wine Endures [...MILD SPOILER TAKEN OUT...] is also a great read and an example of how well ancient myths can be mashed up with the modern world to create a fresh take on old tropes.

Books Bought Recently

I recently bought from my two favourite Perth bookstores: Planet Books (Mt Lawley) and New Edition (Fremantle and Northbridge).

I still buy books even though I do realise that I already have a depressingly insurmountable reading list. 

When choosing my next read, I use a random number system on my 'want-to-read-list' to ensure that I read a variety of writers (terribly nerdy, I know).

Anyway, the buys and reasons for them are as follows:

PLANET BOOKS:

•  The Last Werewolf  by Glen Duncan. I heard him interviewed on the radio while driving to work. It sounded like a great read, plus a FB friend, Karen, recommended it.
• The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold. I enjoyed The Lovely Bones so what the Hell.
• The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter. Sounds riveting and I have always been curious. 

NEW EDITION 

• Gentleman of the Road by Michael Chabon. I read Chabon's book about writing and reading so buying a novel by him that appealed to me seemed the next logical step.
• New Australian Stories 2 by Scribe Publications. Outside of the journals I subscribe to, I largely read writers from abroad. I've been thinking that I should read more from the local market. The guy working at the bookstore also had a story in the collection and I felt a sudden compulsion to support an emerging Perth writer. 

Feel free to comment on any of the above books and what your recent buys (if any) are. 

Book Review: 'The Lovely Bones' by A. Sebold

Book Review: The Lovely Bones by A. Sebold

Memoir in Fiction

It was difficult not to be hooked by the second line of the novel: ‘I was fourteen when I was murdered on December 6, 1973’.

    I have never had a problem suspending my belief when reading fiction, but I know of some people who were turned off by the afterlife idea in the film. Rest assured, a reader does not have to believe in the afterlife to enjoy the ride here and by using a ghost - the raped-then-murdered Susie Salmon as the narrator - Sebold can travel backwards into characters' pasts as well as stay abreast of their present lives, which she does so with intent. The lives of all those affected are observed carefully, in an almost omniscient fashion; we understand their feelings and their drives more deeply than many modern narratives. There is even a somewhat sensitive insight into the serial killer rapist.

    There were parts early on and occasionally at other times when I grew fearful of Sebold. I am not a reader drawn to memoir and Sebold clearly utilises memoir-style techniques in The Lovely Bones. She frequently flashes back and explores past moments with the ease of a highly skilled memoir writer. She does, I grudgingly admit, pull it off with some superb craftsmanship.

    And whenever I was convinced that I was going to be drowned in a memoir-style narrative, Sebold would add a tantalising part: a stolen kiss, a clue; an insight into the serial killer’s upbringing; a deft switch of character, ‘sinful’ behaviour; connection and disconnection within relationships; and of course the innovative ghostly ‘other worldly-ness’ of it all.

    While the impact of a girl’s death on a family suffices for an emotional story, Sebold takes it to an entirely new level here. And she certainly does not overwhelm the reader with misery; there is plenty of light in The Lovely Bones and gentle humour too. Her prose is generally spare, occasionally detailed and almost always beautiful.

    Structurally, The Lovely Bones is a poised, almost flawless work, apart from an infamous all-too- neat icicle scene (you'll understand if you read it).

    With The Lovely Bones Sebold successfully paints a picture of childhood, growing up, familial love and friendship; and conjures up for the reader those forgotten places in the past as well as those precious stolen moments. It is a highly (and painfully) accomplished work.

 

The Great Raven: ASIM Issue #50

The Great Raven: ASIM Issue #50

Andromeda #50, ASIM #50, The Wine Endures

ASIM #50, The Wine Endures

I am not a genre writer as such - and I’m certainly not a fan of labelling authors - but I'll confess to feeling a real buzz about The Wine Endures being chosen by Sue Bursztynski (author of Wolfborn) for the Special Editors' 50th Edition of Andromeda (ASIM #50).

I found the following comment by Sue most flattering:

"Once in a blue moon I get a story I love. This was one of those times."

It was a pleasure to be in the company of some truly fine (and far better known) writers. The edition has an excellent and suitably varied collection of stories.

I'd like to thank Greg Hughes for his illustration, which really conveyed the essence of both the character and story. It was a pleasant surprise. More of Greg's work can be found at http://arrowfire.deviantart.com/gallery

At the moment I'm reading The Confidential Agent by Graham Greene (one of my staples) and The Lovely Bones by Sebold but straight after them I'll certainly be reading Bursztynski's Wolfborn, which has had some rave reviews.

Feel free to discover more about Sue Bursztynski at her blog: http://suebursztynski.blogspot.com/

Dotdotdash Magazine - an innovative journal.

Dotdotdash Magazine

It is not hard to promote an excellent product: Dotdotdash is an accessible literary journal with an innovative layout (in full colour). It combines the talents of various artists and its many treasures include: photos, pictures, graphic artwork, short stories, poetry, creative nonfiction and numerous editorials. Steven Finch and his editorial team are doing a top job.

This was a review from the West Australian Newspaper on the 5^th edition.

                             

Book Review: 'In Evil Hour' by Marquez

Brief Review: In Evil Hour by Marquez

Marquez’ early hook entailing a murder of passion over a posted lampoon made me eagerly rip through the initial part of his debut novel. My excitement waned soon after as his attempts to paint a forlorn, cursed and decaying town became a jumbled mess. The heat and humidity are omnipresent, as is the theme of corruption; yet it appears that Marquez did not have the skill to realise his vision here. There are flashes of brilliance but they are lost in the depressing mire that surrounds them.

The Nobel Laureate still offers the occasional sensual turn of phrase that delights so many of his fans: for instance the cow carcass in the river and the accompanying stench was a worthwhile motif. But for the most part you have to search heavily among the cheap 'throw away' zirchonias for anything of value.

 I think that Marquez’ fallibility as a novice is interesting in itself. Despite its many failings, the novel gave me a gratifying sense of hope – after all, if Marquez came so far from this point, perhaps it means  we can all improve on our narrative craft to some degree.

Structurally, the book leaps all over the place without any of Marquez’ later mastery of narrative voice. Rather, his voice appears almost identical throughout despite Marquez’ endeavours to portray his usual array of vastly different characters.

With regards to atmosphere, Marquez' efforts to create a town under an 'ever-present cloud of evil' does not work – it reads more like a gentle mist. Furthermore, his foreshadowing of events and even the events themselves have a clichéd, almost cartoonish quality that isn’t quite folk tale or fable or something in between.

Although in parts, Marquez’ future ability is glimpsed, on the whole, In Evil Hour is less than a shadow of his great works. My advice would be to avoid In Evil Hour and explore his more rewarding writing. The bait and hook, which initially seems so promising, ends up delivering  blowie* after blowie.

*Australian colloquialism for blowfish

My Favourite Novellas

 I don’t always have the time to engorge myself in a novel. Now and then, I enjoy its little sibling, the less committal novella.

This is my 'My Favourite Novellas List' (some could be ‘novellettes’ but let’s not be too pedantic here) – all great reads. I’m interested to hear your thoughts or even find out what your list may be.

161 by Will Self
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
The New Veterans by Karen Russell 

On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan  

A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow                                                              
Halfhead Bay by Nam Le                                               
Path of the Dragon by George R.R Martin
Hunger by Joyce Carol Oates
Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link
The Finder by Ursula Le Guin
Memoirs of my Melancholy Whores by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Breakfast at Tiffanys by Truman Capote

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemmingway
Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell by Brian Sanderson
The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
Tehran Calling by Nam Le

The Nonce Prize by Will Self

The Persistence of Vision by John Varley

The Diamond as Big as the Ritz by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Bounty by George Saunders