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jaebilityIn book news, I finished Mesuline by Sarah Monette, A Companion to Wolves by Monette and Elizabeth Bear, and The Sorceress and the Cygnet and The Cygnet and the Firebird by Patricia McKillip. McKillip's amazing as per usual; I think I've just about read all of her books. Sometimes her prose gets confusing, too vague, but I just sit back and let her lyricism flow over me. These two weren't my favorites, but I still loved them both. The way she portrayed dragons in Firebird was particularly interesting: they were magical and mystical without resorting to typical fantasy cliches. Mesuline was good - Not great, but worth getting the rest of the series. And Wolves... Well, it was interesting, but I can't say I actually liked it.
In Wolves, boys bond to wolves and form posses to fight trolls. Because of the close bond they share with the wolves, the boys and men participate in the pack mentality: mainly fighting for dominance and going into heat. And since it's strictly no girls allowed, when a female wolf (which are called bitches - I know that's the correct term, but it was off-putting to see bitch bitch bitch bitch flung all over each page) goes into heat, her partner gets mounted by the partners of the wolves who mount her. And so that was weird. The main character goes through this a few times and every time, part of his recovery is announcing how totally not gay he is. At least there's no human/wolf sex.
So yeah.
Now I'm reading The Continental Op collection of short stories by Dashiell Hammett to get myself grounded after so much fantasy. I love Hammet - love his noir - though as far as private dicks go, I'm more of a Philip Marlowe fan. There's a scene in Farewell My Lovely where Marlowe is being questioned by the police. He barely pays attention during the interrogation; instead he watches a beetle wandering around the room. Then, with everyone waiting expectantly for him, Marlowe gently picks up the beetle and leaves to put it into a bush outside.
I really liked that scene. Marlowe's a weary cynic, but there's still a spark of empathy in him.
In Wolves, boys bond to wolves and form posses to fight trolls. Because of the close bond they share with the wolves, the boys and men participate in the pack mentality: mainly fighting for dominance and going into heat. And since it's strictly no girls allowed, when a female wolf (which are called bitches - I know that's the correct term, but it was off-putting to see bitch bitch bitch bitch flung all over each page) goes into heat, her partner gets mounted by the partners of the wolves who mount her. And so that was weird. The main character goes through this a few times and every time, part of his recovery is announcing how totally not gay he is. At least there's no human/wolf sex.
So yeah.
Now I'm reading The Continental Op collection of short stories by Dashiell Hammett to get myself grounded after so much fantasy. I love Hammet - love his noir - though as far as private dicks go, I'm more of a Philip Marlowe fan. There's a scene in Farewell My Lovely where Marlowe is being questioned by the police. He barely pays attention during the interrogation; instead he watches a beetle wandering around the room. Then, with everyone waiting expectantly for him, Marlowe gently picks up the beetle and leaves to put it into a bush outside.
I really liked that scene. Marlowe's a weary cynic, but there's still a spark of empathy in him.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-08 03:51 pm (UTC)But now I don't know anyone at Tor anymore, so I can't make fun of the slush pile ;_;
(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-26 11:50 pm (UTC)Heh! I bet there were a lot of brain-bleachingly bad submissions.
(no subject)
Date: 2009-05-27 11:10 am (UTC)and yes, yes there were. ,,,,cartographer of evil, that's all I'm saying.