Book of the Week: …You Tell Me.

I’m on my last bar of power, sorry. I might not make it to television. So: open thread on books. Come up with stuff you KNOW the rest of us have never heard of.

12 thoughts on “Book of the Week: …You Tell Me.”

  1. Eric Nylund, Signal to Noise and A Signal Shattered (basically one story spread over two books).

    A cyberpunk first contact plus end of the world story maybe is a good description. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Looks like it’s out of print, but used copies should be easy enough to find.

    He’s since gone on to write a bunch of Halo novels which… well, I assume the pay is good, anyway.

  3. Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell, by Susanna Clarke – Two men attempt to restore the prestige of English Magic.

    The Eagleheart series by C.T. Westcott. The three books are:
    Silver Wings and Leather Jackets
    Broadsides and Brass
    Blood and Bone
    Hemingway they aint, but they are danged entertaining. Probably hard to find…Alibris would be your best bet.

    Since it would be bad form to recommend my own book, I will instead mention W. Michael Gear’s Spider series
    The Warriors of Spider
    The Way of Spider
    The Web of Spider

    A galactic civilization is controlled by three dudes with brains so big they have to float around in null gravity. But there’s this one planet that isn’t controlled, populated by humans who have been left to their own devices for centuries. They worship Spider, a god who seeks learning through stories. Some of the best science fiction I’ve ever read.

    1. It’s not bad form if one of us plebs asks about it.

      By that I mean:”wait, you have a book too? Tell me more!”

          1. It’s called “A Place to Run Free”, and it’s available on Amazon in print and Kindle editions.

            The blurb:

            Jake Phillips doesn’t break the rules because he’s a troublemaker. He breaks them because he thinks the rules are stupid. But some rules aren’t meant to be broken. Haunted by memories of fear and violence, Ursus has never known kindness.

            An accident sends Jake to an afterlife where pets go to await their human companions. Jake soon discovers it’s not the afterlife he learned about in church. An evil presence stalks the dark places among the trees, searching for dogs and cats to steal away. With Ursus as his guide, Jake sets off on a journey through ancient woods and golden grasslands, determined to put a stop to the disappearances and bring back those who were taken.

            Jake isn’t strong, brave, or smart. Most of the time, he isn’t even very nice. But there are animals who need rescue, and there is no one else to save them. He will just have to find strength and courage along the way.

    1. Greg Bear is very hot or cold. He’s got some that are brilliant, like Forge of God or Darwin’s Radio. Then he’s got a bunch of absolute stinkers, like Psyclone.

      My recommendations, in no particular order:

      The Unexpected Enlightenment of Rachel Griffin by L. Jagi Lamplighter
      First in a series, and the first book is free on kindle.
      See “shamelessly derivative” break through into “stunningly original” as Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, Nancy Drew, DC Comics, HPL, and more myths and stories than you can shake a stick at are thrown into a sausage grinder. And it actually works.

      In Superhero Years… I’m Dead by Michael Stackpole
      Supers novels generally start strong, and then fade into increasing suckage. This is the exception. It is a masterclass demonstration of how the genre works, and how to work the genre. (I freely admit that I felt a sinking sensation partway through, and wondered if it was going to just be another deconstruction. I needn’t have worried.)

      Waiting For a Bus and other stories Binscombe Tales I by John Whitbourn
      I don’t like this author’s novels, but his short stories about the town of Biscombe are top notch. I’d almost like to live in a town like Biscombe. Or maybe I do, and I just don’t have the blood ties to learn the secrets.

      Merchant & Magic, by Alma T. C. Boykin
      First in a series.
      Low Fantasy doesn’t have to take place on a crapsack world. Sometimes, it’s just a guy ethically trying to take care of his family.

      The Hidden Truth by Hans G. Schantz
      First in a series
      Look, it’s a conspiracy story about people trying to figure out what is actually going on, without getting squashed like bugs. If that appeals to you, this is a good one.

      Psychological Warfare by Paul M. A. Linebarger (AKA Cordwainder Smith in his fictional works)
      Right. It’s an engaging overview of the theory and practice of psychological warfare from someone who was actively involved in the field during WWII and the Cold War.
      Any applicability to recent or current events is strictly hypothetical.

    2. Greg Bear’s Eon is pretty good. It’s got a couple sequels I never read, so I guess maybe not that good?

  5. Those Who Walk in Darkness
    by John Ridley
    The name is familiar now for his Movie work, but this came out in 2003.
    As I wrote at the time – – pre “Heroes” pre ‘Superpowers’ pre ‘Iron Man’, a look at superheroes in everyday society and the consequences thereof…

  6. For something a bit different, The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker.

    The two displaced magical beings of the title adjust to life as emigrants in late 19th Century New York City. The two meet, become unlikely friends, and then discover how their fates are intertwined.

    It is a bit more slice of life than my normal read, but I found it charming and refreshing.

    Note: Do not read Wikipedia entry; plots summary has major spoilers.

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