The Fantasy/Sci-Fi Books Thread Book • Page 57

I've only read the Fisherman but I really enjoyed it, appreciate the reminder to visit some of his other work.

 

That's really exciting to hear, I didn't realize he had something coming out this year. I too have only read The Fisherman, so it'll be a bit before I get around to Corpsemouth, but I'm definitely very, very excited based on what you've said here.

I love Childe Roland. It's such an evocative poem for how short it is. And the fairytale it's based on is really interesting and unique; I've read a couple different versions over the years and really enjoyed them. It's crazy how much influence the story has had on other writers for several centuries at this point.

 

I actually missed one of his short story collections so I have one more to catch up on. I think he has 4 out. I'm not the world's biggest short story fan, like I read all of King, Hills, Ketchum, and and Barkers, but moving down a level to other authors I love but not as much like Straub, Mccammon, etc.. I usually don't even fuck with. Like I don't even get too excited for King's short stories (the exception being the Jaunt, which is the most terrifying story ever). That shouldn't come as that big of a surprise since my favorite thing in are long epics.

All of that to say, John Langan is the best horror short story writer in the game. Every single one is intensely powerful. Plus he writes extensive story notes. And as I mentioned, he's building his own universe. I feel like half of the stories in Corpsemouth are related to the Fisherman in some way.

Oh and I read Childe Roland. It was great.

 

My goal for September is to get through these two.

 

We may have talked about this before, but do you listen to audiobooks sped up? (Question goes for everyone else too.)

I generally go at 1.7x, which roughly matches the speed I read aloud at. Some books (often YA) get 2.0x; some denser stuff (Hyperion) drops to 1.5x.

Podcasts too, and then it's super weird when I hear them at normal speed, haha.

 

I, too, start at 1.7x and adjust as needed. I usually bump to 2.0 when running since it steals my focus.

 

I got this one in the mail the other day. It’s…gigantic. I’m on Knife Of Dreams so this’ll happen likely after I finished out WOT

 

Yeah I didnt realise how chunky it was! Such a great book though.

 

I don't. I mostly listen to audiobooks to fall asleep, so I do not care if it takes me weeks. Also, I like stretching out my Audible credits.

 

sub

 

I’m doing it. I’m finally starting my full(ish) read of Middle Earth!

 

…FIRST?!

 

I’m halfway through Priory of the Orange Tree. It’s… not living up to the hype, but still pretty solid.

 

Yeah I honestly remember thinking it wasn't that great. I struggle to even remember the major plot points tbh

 

Noooooo. Rereading. Though it has been years!

I remember reading Priory a while ago and whilst I enjoyed it, i felt the book was unnecessarily long and it hindered my experience.

 

What’s your reading order looking like?

 

I think this time I might try:

The Silmarillion > Unfinished Tales > History of Middle Earth

then move onto

The Hobbit > The Lord of the Rings > Anything else

 

HoME is a huge undertaking haha. I need to read it myself one of these days, but a reread of the Silmarillion first is probably in order.

There's also a lot of great ancillary stuff about Tolkien - Carpenter's biography, some stuff on his linguistics and philology, that kind of thing. And if you (and everyone here) haven't read things like Roverandom, Leaf by Niggle, On Fairy-Stories, etc., those are highly recommended as well.

 

I wrote my thesis in college on "On Fairy Stories"...

 

That's pretty awesome dude. Mine was on the borrowing of do-periphrasis from Welsh into English, so not entirely unrelated, haha.

 

Oh, so you’re smart smart

 

Lol, I just know a few fancy words is all.

In other news, anybody in here read Brian Staveley? I'm about halfway through his first book and it's very much up my alley, regretting not having read it much sooner.

 

I read that Tolkien Christmas thing, it’s really sweet

 

My plan is to do them all!! Or try to…. Not in succession but it’s my next “big series” after just finishing a few shorter series this year.

 

I just started priory (only like 3 chapters in) but it's crazy how revered it was for a while, but now i seem to see nothing but 'it's okay' and 'overhyped'. I also feel a bit odd for reading it as their seems to be a lot of gatekeeping going on with it having queer characters. My wife who is big on tiktok or booktok I should say, asked me why I was reading lesbian fantasy and I feel like I've read that sentiment a lot, so as a straight white guy, I'm trying not to be feel awkward for reading it, which feels silly. There's a lot of opinions of 'we need better queer fantasy' and that the genders of the relationship have defined it to an unnecessary degree. Either way, gonna make up my own mind. I'm going into it expecting some deep world building, some beautiful prose, a setting that's different from the usual medieval venue, and that it just happens to have a queer relationship at the center.

Speaking of non-medieval fantasy, another book on my list (that I started and liked but somehow dropped) was Twelve Kings in Sharakhai by Bradley P Beaulieu. I think the series is done now... Is it worth diving back into?