[QuickTidal]

Finally decided to read the seminal samurai work MUSASHI by Eiji Yoshikawa and the opening is one of the more amazing opening lines I’ve ever read.

“Takezo lay among the corpses. There were thousands of them”

[worry]

Bad writing. Can’t tell if there are thousands of corpses or thousands of Takezo. If it’s the latter, that’s even worse as you shouldn’t have thousands of one character, as it gets confusing. Writing 101.

[Raymond Luxury Yacht]

Writing 101 of what? Takezos? I thought there were thousands, not 101.

[worry]

Ah, but it stands to reason if there are thousands, there must be 101. Advanced Math/Remedial Philosophy.

[Aptorian]

What's the deal with all these Takezos on the battlefield? *Seinfield music*

[Tiste Simeon]

I hear there's good deals on Tazekos on Tuesdays?

[QuickTidal]

 worry, on 08 August 2021 - 11:13 PM, said:

Bad writing. Can’t tell if there are thousands of corpses or thousands of Takezo. If it’s the latter, that’s even worse as you shouldn’t have thousands of one character, as it gets confusing. Writing 101.

Did you call one of the most famous authors to come out of Japan a bad writer?

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

 worry, on 08 August 2021 - 11:13 PM, said:

Bad writing. Can't tell if there are thousands of corpses or thousands of Takezo. If it's the latter, that's even worse as you shouldn't have thousands of one character, as it gets confusing. Writing 101.

'The Japanese language lacks plurals in the English sense. Plural words are usually either preceded with a number and a counter, or simply made understood through context.' This ambiguity is one of my favorite aspects of Japanese poetry (is it one frog, or ten thousand billion and one frogs?...).

'Yet others indicate plurality by repetition (e.g., ひと means person and ひとびと means persons.)'

https://en.wikibooks...r/Nouns#Plurals

死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体

... that should be clear.

[JPK]

I'm looking to finish my reread of The Book of the New Sun today (I firmly fall into the group that looks at Urth as a sequel to tBotNS and accordingly say that tBotNS ends at Citadel). I forgot just how much Wolfe managed to pack into the last 50 pages of Citadel of the Autarch. It's just revelation after revelation and so many of them are almost hidden because of how they're being dropped in clusters. I'll be jumping straight into Urth of the New Sun to help keep all of this fresh going back into it.

[worry]

 Azath Vitr (D, on 09 August 2021 - 03:38 PM, said:

 worry, on 08 August 2021 - 11:13 PM, said:

Bad writing. Can't tell if there are thousands of corpses or thousands of Takezo. If it's the latter, that's even worse as you shouldn't have thousands of one character, as it gets confusing. Writing 101.

'The Japanese language lacks plurals in the English sense. Plural words are usually either preceded with a number and a counter, or simply made understood through context.' This ambiguity is one of my favorite aspects of Japanese poetry (is it one frog, or ten thousand billion and one frogs?...).

'Yet others indicate plurality by repetition (e.g., ひと means person and ひとびと means persons.)'

https://en.wikibooks...r/Nouns#Plurals

死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体死体死体死体死体
死体

... that should be clear.

Okay good. Azath you're a lifesaver. If Mr. Yoshikawa wrote the word for corpse/cadaver thousands of times, that clears everything up and it's just a case of bad translation. False alarm, folks! Sorry to worry you, QT.

[Abyss]

Stephen Blackmoore came to my attention on twitter because Peter (14 THE FOLD EX-HEROES) Clines posted praise and Blackmoore responded with something funny and self-deprecating and lately i find a lot of new authors this way.

His ERIC CARTER series is urban fantasy, set in LA, in a more or less classic normal people don't know about all the magic stuff around them setting. He does two things different from most of the other urbfant hardcase mage series out there trying to be the other other (other) Harry Dresden...1. his character is pretty much a fuckup. He's good at what he does and at staying alive and otherwise, well being a part of his supporting cast or even a random bystander is bad, and 2. he leans in hard on a blend of Mexican, Mayan, and Aztec death myths, with a handful of others and thank gods four books in precisely zero Greek, Norse, Egyptian, elves, fae, lycanthropes, and dead minimal vampires pun intended.

I just finished the first four books in the series in earbook - DEAD THINGS, BROKEN SOULS, HUNGRY GHOSTS and FIRE SEASON. Each is novella short, about 5-6 hours. The character is engaging... he does the hardcase thing but underlying that he's a mess. The magic 'system' is not explored in huge detail, varies all the times, and while it's inconsistent there's usually a reason for it. The action scenes are a blast (and/or shot, stab, bite) especially in earbook.

It's faster than Carey's FELIX CASTOR, not as sheer Hollywood kaboom as Butcher's DRESDEN, darker than Aaronovich's PETER GRANT, and the protag is a bigger mess than Jacka's ALEX VERUS. If you're fed up with any of those, i wouldn't grab this just now. If you want more with enough variety and originality to hold your interest, i reco.

Books 5 and 6 are out, apparently 7 will finish the series. Will be getting them all.

[Maark Abbott]

Big kusa

[Tsundoku]

 Abyss, on 11 August 2021 - 04:23 AM, said:

Stephen Blackmoore came to my attention on twitter because Peter (14 THE FOLD EX-HEROES) Clines posted praise and Blackmoore responded with something funny and self-deprecating and lately i find a lot of new authors this way.

His ERIC CARTER series is urban fantasy, set in LA, in a more or less classic normal people don't know about all the magic stuff around them setting. He does two things different from most of the other urbfant hardcase mage series out there trying to be the other other (other) Harry Dresden...1. his character is pretty much a fuckup. He's good at what he does and at staying alive and otherwise, well being a part of his supporting cast or even a random bystander is bad, and 2. he leans in hard on a blend of Mexican, Mayan, and Aztec death myths, with a handful of others and thank gods four books in precisely zero Greek, Norse, Egyptian, elves, fae, lycanthropes, and dead minimal vampires pun intended.

I just finished the first four books in the series in earbook - DEAD THINGS, BROKEN SOULS, HUNGRY GHOSTS and FIRE SEASON. Each is novella short, about 5-6 hours. The character is engaging... he does the hardcase thing but underlying that he's a mess. The magic 'system' is not explored in huge detail, varies all the times, and while it's inconsistent there's usually a reason for it. The action scenes are a blast (and/or shot, stab, bite) especially in earbook.

It's faster than Carey's FELIX CASTOR, not as sheer Hollywood kaboom as Butcher's DRESDEN, darker than Aaronovich's PETER GRANT, and the protag is a bigger mess than Jacka's ALEX VERUS. If you're fed up with any of those, i wouldn't grab this just now. If you want more with enough variety and originality to hold your interest, i reco.

Books 5 and 6 are out, apparently 7 will finish the series. Will be getting them all.

So I take it this guy uses the same cover artist and title generator program as Butcher?

[champ]

Project Hail Mary was class, enjoyed it more than The Martian even if it does suffer from the main dude being OP again.


A recommend...


After reading The God is not Willing I got that Malazan itch back and going to pick up from where I left the reread last year... up next Memories of Ice... God I love this book...

[Abyss]

 Tsundoku, on 11 August 2021 - 09:13 AM, said:

 Abyss, on 11 August 2021 - 04:23 AM, said:

Stephen Blackmoore came to my attention on twitter because Peter (14 THE FOLD EX-HEROES) Clines posted praise and Blackmoore responded with something funny and self-deprecating and lately i find a lot of new authors this way.
His ERIC CARTER series is urban fantasy, set in LA, in a more or less classic normal people don't know about all the magic stuff around them setting. He does two things different from most of the other urbfant hardcase mage series out there trying to be the other other (other) Harry Dresden...1. his character is pretty much a fuckup. He's good at what he does and at staying alive and otherwise, well being a part of his supporting cast or even a random bystander is bad, and 2. he leans in hard on a blend of Mexican, Mayan, and Aztec death myths, with a handful of others and thank gods four books in precisely zero Greek, Norse, Egyptian, elves, fae, lycanthropes, and dead minimal vampires pun intended.

I just finished the first four books in the series in earbook - DEAD THINGS, BROKEN SOULS, HUNGRY GHOSTS and FIRE SEASON. Each is novella short, about 5-6 hours. The character is engaging... he does the hardcase thing but underlying that he's a mess. The magic 'system' is not explored in huge detail, varies all the times, and while it's inconsistent there's usually a reason for it. The action scenes are a blast (and/or shot, stab, bite) especially in earbook.

It's faster than Carey's FELIX CASTOR, not as sheer Hollywood kaboom as Butcher's DRESDEN, darker than Aaronovich's PETER GRANT, and the protag is a bigger mess than Jacka's ALEX VERUS. If you're fed up with any of those, i wouldn't grab this just now. If you want more with enough variety and originality to hold your interest, i reco.

Books 5 and 6 are out, apparently 7 will finish the series. Will be getting them all.

So I take it this guy uses the same cover artist and title generator program as Butcher?

I think there are about six artists doing those covers now. Or one with multiple names.

I wasn't joking about the 'other other other Dresden', the analogies are not subtle, male mage protag, single POV, handles himself in a fight, stronger than he thinks he is except for when he knows he is... but otoh we have this exchange paraphrased from memory...

"I think he's trying to form a Mage's Council."
"Is he fucking crazy? Those last just long enough for everyone involved to kill each other."

There's enough originality to hold its own within the subgenre, they're fun, fast reads and the nature of the story puts the protag and supporting cast at real risk, but if you're Dresden'd out i wouldn't reco this til you need a fix of something similar but different.

[QuickTidal]

Started Patrick O'Brian's POST CAPTAIN (Aubrey & Maturin Book #2), and it starts on a really amusing note.

Aubrey, and Maturin are passengers making their way to England after the events of the first novel aboard a ship that's being chased by a French ship and they are running because that ship outguns her significantly and everyone is paying attention to the ships Captain and what he will choose to do...when all of the sudden another English ship arrives with word of the signing of the Treaty Of Amiens (or the temporary peace that existed before the Napoleonic Wars REALLY got underway), and everyone is let down that they don't get to see how that Captain would have handled his predicament, Jack included.

Just a really clever opening.

[Aptorian]

Just finished KJ Parker's second Novella about demons and exorsists, Inside Man.

It was excellent, just like the first one. This time around the story is told from the demon's perspective and, predictably, the demon's perspective is a lot different from traditional ideas about angels and devils, heaven and hell, etc.

I didn't remember this from the last book but these stories are set in the same universe as the Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled city books. Looking at Parker's other books I think he must have written a lot of books in this setting. Interesting.

[Abyss]

Still feeling the undead vibe, went for Peter Clines' JUNKIE QUATRAIN.
It's four interwoven stories set in a zombpocalypse (that is clearly not the EX HEROES zombpocalypse in case you wondered).
Good fun. I can see how Clines has improved since this, but the main characters in each story are engaging, the stories move quickly, and people spend lots of time running from (or at) zombies.
If you enjoy Clines' books, this is worth a look. Solid earbook narrator is that's your thing.

Next up, still in the theme, Mira (Seanan McGuire) Grant's FEED.

[Chance]

 Abyss, on 11 August 2021 - 04:23 AM, said:

Stephen Blackmoore came to my attention on twitter because Peter (14 THE FOLD EX-HEROES) Clines posted praise and Blackmoore responded with something funny and self-deprecating and lately i find a lot of new authors this way.
[size=2]

...

I just finished the first four books in the series in earbook - DEAD THINGS, BROKEN SOULS, HUNGRY GHOSTS and FIRE SEASON. Each is novella short, about 5-6 hours. The character is engaging... he does the hardcase thing but underlying that he's a mess. The magic 'system' is not explored in huge detail, varies all the times, and while it's inconsistent there's usually a reason for it. The action scenes are a blast (and/or shot, stab, bite) especially in earbook.

It's faster than Carey's FELIX CASTOR, not as sheer Hollywood kaboom as Butcher's DRESDEN, darker than Aaronovich's PETER GRANT, and the protag is a bigger mess than Jacka's ALEX VERUS. If you're fed up with any of those, i wouldn't grab this just now. If you want more with enough variety and originality to hold your interest, i reco.

Books 5 and 6 are out, apparently 7 will finish the series. Will be getting them all.

Good recommendation was just the right thing to read right now. To me it sits dead center between Dresden and Sandman Slim in style and content.

Already into the third book, these are short, easy and fun reads.

[Tiste Simeon]

Finished listening to THE END OF THE DAY by Clare North. It's good (obviously, it's Clare North) but it's probably my least favourite of hers. Will post more thoughts in the dedthread. Am going to keep on with the North love and start listening to THE PURSUIT OF WILLIAM ABBEY.