Reviews, Top N lists, and other sundry literary stuff.
In lieu of a review of Stranger in a Strange Land (because what would be the point?), a few notes intead: (1) I can see why it’s considered a science fiction classic. On an intellectual level, I “get” that part. Hence getting shelved as “important”. Creating a character and a milieu and a plot to […]
Goodreads calls its 5★ rating “Amazing”. I don’t know if Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil fits that specific superlative, but I would agree that it is approximately one of the most perfectly constructed and tightly written narratives I have encountered. First, a note about the book: My feelings toward “creative non-fiction” are […]
So sorry, I am not worthy of the honor of reviewing this novel. If however, my Lord insists it, then I shall endeavor to offer up some humble thoughts regarding its mighty, even epic narrative. Neh? The scope is so vast, the characters and settings are so many, the head is liable to spin at […]
For this past Secular Humanist December Holiday, my lovely wife got me a subscription to The New Yorker. It has been quite a delight. A fun, erudite little magazine 1 that is as substantive as it is ephemeral, as sexy as it is straight-laced, as secular as it is… Jewish. At any rate: we’re enjoying it 2 […]
Just After Sunset is a strong collection for Stephen King; a little of what I expect (i.e., schlocky horrorshow) and then some rather sophisticated surprises. This anthology is a bit more literary, a bit more high-brow than what I expect from King – and the “keepers” in here are real keepers. There is some […]
During my recent re-read of Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash, it occurred to me that one of its thematic elements takes the classic rich vs. poor conflict and intimates that it has transmuted into a conflict between a hyper-literate elite vs. an illiterate and/or aliterate Ünterleute. This is by no means a startling or even new […]
Taking a cue from Mike: 2008 Powered by Goodreads.com …minus a few children’s books.
If anyone is looking for some last-minute gift ideas for the beloved bookworm(s) in their lives, F_D has a few recommendations to pass along. I’ve picked my top ten reads from ’08 1 and posted them here for you to serve as gift ideas for the avid 2 readers in your lives. The list is […]
Godel, Escher, Bach by Hofstadter 1 Cryptonomicon by Stephenson 2 Cold War: An Illustrated History, 1945-1991 by Isaacs and Downing The UFO Phenomenon (Mysteries of the Unknown) by Time-Life Orbiter by Ellis (illustrated by Foran with Stewart) How to Get Happily Published by Appelbaum The New Space Opera edited by Dozois and Straham (Original at Flickr.) Yes, still reading […]
David Foster Wallace – whose memory I trust will live on as one of prodigious talent and unique wit– was found dead in his home by his wife. He was 46. DFW was a hero to me, a young author who moved fluidly with words through our ill landscape of postmodernity. For every grammatical or […]