I really liked True Names, by Vinge, but haven’t been as impressed with some of his other stuff, like A Fire upon the Deep, and A Deepness in the Sky. However, when I saw this for $1 at the used bookstore, I figured I’d give it a shot, especially since some of his other short […]
Category: fiction
Dance for the Ivory Madonna, by Don Sakers
This is a pretty standard sci-fi book, picked up randomly from the new book section of the library mostly because of the review on the back from Melissa Scott (whose work I like): “Imagine a Stand on Zanzibar written by a left-wing Robert Heinlein, and infused with the most exciting possibilities of the new cyber-technology”. […]
Zeitgeist, by Bruce Sterling
While at the library a few days ago, I was browsing along and noticed this book by Bruce Sterling. As a longtime subscriber to his Viridian mailing list, I’d almost forgotten that Sterling makes his living as a writer. So I picked this up and read it. Our protagonist is Leggy Starlitz, a band promoter […]
Pattern Recognition, by William Gibson
I borrowed and read this while at a friend’s house on vacation. It’s got some interesting ideas. While I don’t think much of Gibson as a writer, he’s definitely a sharp observer of cultural trends. This book follows the adventures of Cayce Pollard, a “coolhunter” (somebody who hits the streets trying to observe new trends […]
Shadow Puppets, by Orson Scott Card
I loved the original Ender’s Game series, so this re-examination of the universe bothers me. This is the third book in the series (Ender’s Shadow and Shadow of the Hegemon were the first two) detailing what happens on Earth after Ender leaves, when all of his fellow “soldiers” battle it out for control of Earth. […]
The Getaway Man, by Andrew Vachss
I really like most of Andrew Vachss‘s work, especially the Burke series, so I had to buy this. It’s a throwback noir novel, in a style appropriate to the 1930’s or so. What’s interesting is that the protagonist, Eddie, is a pretty simple fellow, as opposed to the street intelligence of Burke. Eddie gets caught […]
Finity, by John Barnes
I’ve read several other books by John Barnes, and have enjoyed them, so I picked this one up from the library. It’s got a very odd premise, and is very confusing, even after he starts to explain what’s going on. I’m not sure I particularly liked it. But the premise is interesting, so I’ll roll […]
The Cheese Monkeys, by Chip Kidd
Subtitled “A Novel in Two Semesters”, this book tells the story of a freshman arriving at college in 1958 with no real idea of what he wants to do, and his introduction to the world of art. Chip Kidd is apparently a graphic designer of some renown (according to one cover blurb, “Chip Kidd altered […]
Girls’ Poker Night, by Jill Davis
I saw this book at Borders one evening on my walk through San Francisco. Since I’ve been getting into poker recently, the title intrigued me. I read the first 10 pages or so in the store, and I really liked the tone of the writing. A wry edge to some humorous observations. But I wasn’t […]
Janet Evanovich’s Stephanie Plum series.
Evanovich’s site I started reading these recently on a friend’s recommendation, and have really enjoyed them. Most of the books include several moments which are laugh out loud funny as Stephanie Plum pursues her chosen career as a bounty hunter. The cast of characters that populate her New Jersey town are at once wackily eccentric […]
