[stone monkey]

MODGOD EDIT TO NOTE THREE SEPARATE TIM POWERS THREADS MERGED BELOW.

I've hunted through this Book Review group and I've not found this name. Which is a shame...

For those of you who haven't heard of him here's a run down of the books of his that I've read(I know there are more but I've never actually seen them in the flesh, as it were)

The Anubis Gates : Proto-steampunk. Romantic poets, Egyptian sorcerors, time travel , werewolves and the best fictional use of a Beatles song ever.

On Stranger Tides :Historical fantasy. Zombie pirates ages before Pirates Of the Carribean.

Dinner at Deviant's Palace : Post apocalyptic SF. A restaurant you wouldn't want to visit.

Last Call/Expiration Date/Earthquake Weather : A loose Urban fantasy trilogy. Poker for mortal stakes, ghost addicts, the Fisher King, Chaos mathematics. More imagination then ten other series put together.

The Drawing of the Dark : Historical Fantasy. An early work not up to the standard of his later stuff but interesting in itself as a guide to his pre-occupations (the Fisher King myth for instance)

The Stress of her Regard : Historical fantasy(see a pattern) Romantic poets (another pattern), vampires (of a sort) and actually did happen on the night that created Frankenstein.

Declare : Amazingly well researched historical fantasy TE Lawrence ,Burgess, Philby and McClean and the real reason for the fall of the Soviet Union. A truly incredible book.

As you might have guessed Powers writes historical fantasies. He has an enduring obsession with the Fisher King Myth which means that his male protagonists, in particular, always have a really bad time!
He writes a muscular kind of prose that occcasional rises into poetry and has read more 19th Century literature than I would ever want to.
He also writes fairly authentic sounding Romantic Poetry in collaboration with his friend , the author James Blaylock, under the name of William Ashbless (read the Anubis Gates and this will mean something to you)

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Having fun at the expense of everyone...

This post has been edited by Abyss: 15 March 2011 - 04:25 PM

[williamjm]

Powers is one of my favourite authors. The amount of imagination, originality and historical detail in his books is very impressive and although some of his books are better than others they are always entertaining.

My favourite books of his are "The Anubis Gates", "Declare" and "On Stranger Tides".

[Clarkesworld Books]

You can't go wrong with Powers. He just keeps getting better. Just wait until you get your hands on the next one.

-Neil

[Brys]

I've just started reading the Drawing of the Dark, and so far it's very good.

[Brys]

I've just finished the Drawing of the Dark, and I agree with Duiker on it. I particularly like how he managed to adapt many important things from what actually happened and give them magical explanations, and how he was able to completely shift the tone of the novel in a couple of chapters.

[Dagger]

My Amazon recommendations list is filling up with Tim Powers books. Any suggestions on what his definitive works are and where I should begin?

[caliban]

I read THE ANUBIS GATES by him a few weeks ago,an excellent tale of time travel and magic in regency London!THE STRESS OF HER REGARD and THEDRAWING OF THE DARK seem to be his most regarded novels.THE ANUBIS GATES is stand alone so you could start there!

[caladanbrood]

I've read Last Call, and thoroughly enjoyed it, even if It was rather confusing at times. Anubis Gates has won quite a few awards, so probably a good place to start.

[williamjm]

Dagger;113252 said:

My Amazon recommendations list is filling up with Tim Powers books. Any suggestions on what his definitive works are and where I should begin?

I'd recommend "The Anubis Gates" as his best work. "Declare", "On Stranger Tides" and "Last Call" are probably his next best works with "Drawing of the Dark" and "The Stress of Her Regard" not far behind.

[Brys]

The Anubis Gates is excellent and one of his best, with all the elements for a great novel, and probably the best place to start. The Drawing of the Dark is very good as well and a bit more lighthearted (it is about beer saving the world!).

[stone monkey]

For my money: start with The Anubis Gates it's some of his best work and it tells you about all of his obssessions. I'd continue with On Starnger Tides & The Stress of Her Regard

For his mature work Last Call & Declare are his best.

[Tremolo]

I simply loved "The drawing of the Dark"

[Dagger]

Thanks folks, I'll start with Anubis Gates (which has sat on my Amazon wishlist for long enough anyway) and go from there.

[Reborn]

I am currently reading Last Call and, even though I am still only on page 150 and have much to read before I can give a definite opinion, I suspect I will come to enjoy it, and I always love a book with a different and original story. Reminds me a bit of American Gods, one of the, if not the, best book(s) I have ever read.

This is my first post on this forum by the way, and it is not even concerning Erikson!

[Reborn]

I finished Last Call yesterday and I loved it. It was original and intense -- never a dull moment -- and if there exists a book worthy of the title page-turner it is this one. It was great. The only complaint I can come up with is that the plot, although original, was a bit predictable, and that is the only reason why I wouldn't put it on any list consisting of my favourite books and authors -- you know, the place where Erikson and the like reside -- but I would without the shadow of a doubt say that it is one of the best books I have read this year, and I recommend it to everyone who are looking for an exciting and different read.