Stefan

While I try to make it a point to keep up with short fiction in science fiction and fantasy, it doesn't always happen.  There are always too many good novels to read first.  Aside from the occasional best-of collection, I am guilty of neglecting this very important facet of the genre.  So when I got the chance to review a copy of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, one of the oldest and most famous genre magazines, I happily took advantage of it - and I'm glad I did.
Reading a magazine like this one is a great way to get an idea of the amazing diversity that's hidden beneath the genre names "science fiction and fantasy".  From stories that verge on magical realism to the most wildy improbable science fiction settings, from brand new authors to some of the biggest names of the past, from fiction to cartoons to poetry to reviews --- there's a little bit of everything here.
The leading story, which also inspired the gorgeous cover, bursts out of the gates with a weird but stunning idea:  an enormous dragon suddenly appears in the sky above Paris, and proceeds to eat the Eiffel tower.  After taking a short break, it then moves over to munch down on the Louvre, and then onwards to various other art collections, museums, and so on.  What we have here is, basically, a dragon that eats art.  Sean McMullen describes this in such a matter of fact tone that, well, the best word I can come up with is "droll".  It's a fantastic story and a great start to the magazine.
There are two very noteworthy stories here by authors whose novels I've recently read and enjoyed.  Melinda Snodgrass provides an excellent story that connects directly to her recent novel "The Edge of Reason", and Matthew Hughes (whose Henghis Hapthorn books are simply must-read) has a brilliant short, "Hunchster".  The Melinda Snodgrass story features a character from "The Edge of Reason" (albeit under a different name) - if you've read the novel, you need to check out the story. 
Two more stories that deserve mention (and more) are the two "classic reprints":  "The Goddamned Tooth Fairy" by Tina Kuzminski, and "Snowfall" by Jessie Thompson.  Both stories are excellent  examples of how good SF can be in the hands of a talented writer.  They're very different from each other, but both simply stunning.  It may have been Harlan Ellison's loving introduction setting the stage, but "Snowfall" literally gave me the chills.  I can't heap too many superlatives on these two stories - they're simply some of the best work you'll find. 
A pleasant surprise (for me at least, being new to the magazine) was the review section, with some very insightful and entertaining reviews by authors Charles de Lint and Elizabeth Hand. 
This magazine issue basically drove home the point again --- I need to read more short fiction.  I can't think of a better way to keep a finger on the pulse of the genre than The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction.

A brief review, because I don't feel like wasting too many words on this one:

The set-up of this novel is well done - the first 100 pages or so are a real page turner. Unfortunately, it devolves very quickly into a modern but uninspired take on vampires. There isn't a single well-rounded character in this novel, and the prose is at times so bad it made me cringe. The last 100 pages are nothing more than standard B-movie horror slush in written form.
I doubted for a while between giving this book 1 star or 2, because the modern approach to vampires has some merit and the start of the book is really well done, but the last quarter of the book is so bad that I almost felt cheated.
Fans of horror/action movies who are looking for a very light beach read might conceivably find this book entertaining, but that's about as far as I can reasonably stretch a recommendation. Disappointing.

Next up:  I'm 100 pages into "Curse of the Mistwraith" by Janny Wurts, which is excellent so far. 

Well, if you didn't believe me, take it from Cory Doctorow.  I'd be surprised if this book doesn't win at least one of the major awards this year. 

I just added all the books on my (physical) to-be-read shelf to my (virtual) to-read shelf on GoodReads.  It probably says a lot about my general geekiness level that I actually really enjoyed doing this!  I got the amount of books down to about 50 now, partly because I have been 99% successful in avoiding bookstores (aside from one unfortunate incident at Book Tales in Encinitas) and have stopped checking out so many books from the library. 

Most of the books on the pile are review copies, and the rest books by favorite authors --- unfortunately many of them are later books in series I started years ago, meaning I'll probably need to re-read some of the older books first. 

The virtual shelf is not in the order I plan to read them.  I once took a stab at ordering them that way, but I always change my mind and get distracted by newer books, so it's pointless to set an order... I'll read them when I read them.

I'm hoping to reduce the TBR pile by about 50% by the end of the year, but with new books coming in that's probably not realistic.  Maybe 30 is a more reasonable goal.  We'll see...

"Dying Inside" is a painfully intimate portrait of a man who has been blessed (or cursed, as he might say) with the gift of telepathy.  He has learned to live with this, but now finds that his amazing power is slowly disappearing, leaving him ordinary again.  The man, David Selig, is literate, insightful and self-deprecating as he mercilessly dissects his own life.  As a character, I found him less than likeable, but completely fascinating.  He leads an almost meaningless life, has no friendships and hardly any meaningful relationships, and despite being worldly and erudite, he is also depressingly small-minded. 

Getting such an intimate view into Selig's mind was at times a painful experience: despite his pettiness, despite the sexism and occasional racism, you can't help but feel for him.  The bitter irony of the book is that this man, who is able to read people's thoughts, is so completely self-centered and small-minded that he is incapable of having a meaningful relationship with anyone.

The novel is beautifully written, using a series of flashbacks to tell Selig's story as he thinks back on his life.  The prose is just gorgeous, perfectly reflecting his thoughts, full of often inwardly-directed irony.  After reading this book, you will feel like you know David Selig.  You might not like him very much, but he will be real to you. 

This is an excellent novel, and one I'd recommend both to SF fans and to people who usually don't read the genre.  I'll be thinking about this one for a long time to come, and will probably re-read it at some point.

Next up:  I'm having such a hard time deciding!  I just got "The Post-American World" by Fareed Zakaria from the library, so I should read that first, but I am craving fantasy instead.  It's hard to get further away from fantasy than "The Post-American World".  Hm.  I may just start one of the two very intriguing books I just got from Janny Wurts... or start on the "Age of Misrule" trilogy.  

I don't like writing negative reviews about authors I admire, so I'm going to keep this short.  I think Brandon Sanderson is a talented writer with a great feel for fantasy world-building.  He's a good guy - I read his blog and, well, anyone who recommends that people buy his books in independent bookstores is okay by me.  I'm glad he got selected to complete Jordan's Wheel of Time because I think his style is compatible with Jordan's (from what little I've read of WoT at least) and it'll gain him increased visibility.  Also, I really liked "Elantris", and if there's one thing to take away from this review, it's that I recommend buying a copy of "Elantris" if you don't have it yet, and reading that one first. 
 
I just feel really let down by "Warbreaker".  It's not a bad book.  This is again one of those cases where two stars literally means what's GoodReads says it does:  "it's okay".  I finished it, I wasn't bored, it had some good parts.  However, I don't think any author shoots for merely "okay" - so in that sense this one was a disappointment for me.
 
The best thing about "Warbreaker" is the wonderfully innovative magic system and the way Sanderson incorporates it into the story.  I'm not going to describe it in detail because discovering how it works is part of the fun.  I'll just say that I have a special fondness for authors who use magic beyond the standard battle/healing/travel and turn it into an economic commodity, and Sanderson does just that here.  It's very nifty, and it had me really excited for the first few hundred pages of the book.  (It also has great potential for a game, at some point.)

Unfortunately, I just didn't enjoy the story.  A couple of plot twists were so improbable that they just didn't make sense.  I disliked most of the characters from the beginning.  And I'm sad to say that I saw the end resolution coming from miles away, so when it actually happened it was a letdown.

This is not a bad book.  There's a lot to like about it.  I just know that Sanderson is capable of much better - and maybe it's my heightened expectations that caused my disappointment.  I loved "Elantris", and I plan to read the Mistborn trilogy soon, but "Warbreaker" just didn't do it for me.

"A Grey Moon Over China" is a solid and well-executed debut novel.  Main character and narrator Ed Torres is a soldier in the ongoing oil and energy wars of the early 21st century on Earth.  During an amazing military maneuver (which you have to read to believe), he accidentally gets access to a scientific secret that can solve all of the planet's energy problems, but rather than share it with the world, he uses it to fund and launch a space exploration and colonization effort.
The set-up and execution of the launch are nothing short of stunning.  From the initial arrival at the launch site through the eventual start of the mission, I simply couldn't put the book down.  Actually, one of the novel's biggest strengths is its relentless pace.  From the initial military maneuver until more than halfway through the story, the exciting developments and action just don't let up.  The writing is so dense it almost feels rushed, which results in an exciting read that occasionally could use some more development. 
Especially in terms of characterization, I felt a bit let down at times.  It takes a long time for several of the characters to become more than agents that drive the action along.  One explanation for this could be that the narrator, Ed Torres, is so focused on his mission that he doesn't always pay attention to the human beings around him.  He also describes some of the most tragic events with a painful, toneless clarity.  Unfortunately the result of this is that some of the characters take a long time to develop from cyphers or stereotypes to real people.
I had trouble deciding on a rating for this book.  On the one hand, it's a great page-turner filled with innovative ideas and memorable scenes.   On the other, I can't get over the fact that it felt a bit rushed and uneven.  As much as I am a fan of brevity, especially in this age of doorstop tomes, I would have preferred a novel that's a few hundred pages longer, taking the time to fill in some of the gaps.  Still, it's a very strong debut, and Thomas A. Day is an author to keep an eye on.

Next up:  I just started "Warbreaker" by Brandon Sanderson.  Intriguing so far, but it seems like the set-up for a video game plot.

Someone just told me (jokingly) that I am stingy when it comes to giving out stars for books.  That got me thinking again about how I rate books, and how my ratings evolved.  I used to give every book I like 5 stars, but eventually realized that doesn't leave any room to express my admiration for the really outstanding works.  So a couple of years ago I came up with this vague-ish standard:

Five stars: a classic, something that really moved me, something that everyone should read, including people who usually don't read the genre. One of the top 5% of everything I've read.  I *loved* this book.

Four: Excellent. A step above the average fare.  Stands apart from the field. Definitely recommended to everyone who reads the genre.

Three: Good. Well executed, good read. I enjoyed reading this book.

Two: as GoodReads defines it, "it was okay" - but since most writers aim for more than just "okay", it fell short. Has definite weaknesses. Average. Only recommended for fans of the author.

One: Poor. I probably didn't finish this book, or if I did, skimmed through the parts of it.

I just spent an hour going through all my reviews on this site and adding tags: *, **, ***, **** and *****.  So now my dedicated readers (all 5 of you!) can click on those ratings to get a list of books by rating.  It looks like I gave a total of 5 books the highest rating of 5 stars, since I started this reading journal a couple of years ago - and just 2 books got the lowest rating of 1 star. 

PS This site only has reviews for the last 20 months or so.  If, for some inexplicable reason, you have any interest in seeing how I've rated every book I've read in the past decade or so, please looky here:  http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/2167401?sort=date_read

If you're familiar with Richard K. Morgan's other works, you'll be pleased to know that "The Steel Remains" combines many strong points of his Takeshi Kovacs novels, but places them in a fantasy setting instead of SF.  This is a very recognizable Richard K. Morgan novel - in an unrecognizable setting. 
Ringil Eskiath, son of a wealthy merchant family, has made a name for himself in several ways before the start of the story.  For one, he is a hero of a past war, in which humanity had to defend itself against an invasion of a non-human lizard-like race.  Balancing this, he is also an openly gay man in a very intolerant society - and it's only his heroic behavior, and the wealth of his family, that has saved him from a horrible public execution.
After the war, Gil went into semi-retirement in a small village, but he is called back to the city at the start of the story, asked by his mother to try and save a less fortunate family member who has been sold into slavery.  While investigating her disappearance, Gil uncovers a much larger plot involving a member of a race that was long considered gone.
Gil's story takes up most of the novel, but two other story lines alternate with his chapters, both focusing on former - and very different - comrades of Ringil.  Eventually the three plots draw together to a solid climax, but before then they help give a solid picture of a very intriguing and well-designed fantasy universe.  Two more novels are planned in this fantasy world, but "The Steel Remains" works very well as a complete story while at the same time showing great promise for the sequels.
So.  If you're familiar with the author, you'll know he doesn't shy away from violence and explicit sex - and often combines the two.  There aren't very many likable characters in his books.  Parts of this book stand out as some of Morgan's darkest, most shocking work.  If you're squeamish or looking for something light to read, this book is not for you.  On the other hand, if you're interested in trying some real "dark fantasy" (or fantasy noir, to borrow the author's term), check out this excellent novel. 

Next up: it took me some time to gather my thoughts about this novel, so I'm already almost halfway through "A Grey Moon Over China" by Thomas A. Day... which is so far very, very good. 

Major Keir Roget, an agent for the Chinese-dominated Federation government, is sent to investigate a mysterious world - mysterious because it is entirely enveloped by a "haze" of shielding particles. When he arrives on Haze, he finds a friendly and seemingly very advanced civilization of humans who give him such complete access to their society that it almost seems as if his perceptions or thoughts are somehow being controlled.

Roget's story is told in alternating chapter...more Major Keir Roget, an agent for the Chinese-dominated Federation government, is sent to investigate a mysterious world - mysterious because it is entirely enveloped by a "haze" of shielding particles. When he arrives on Haze, he finds a friendly and seemingly very advanced civilization of humans who give him such complete access to their society that it almost seems as if his perceptions or thoughts are somehow being controlled.

Roget's story is told in alternating chapters, going back and forth from the Haze mission to the events leading up to it, including an earlier mission among the "Saint" (read: Mormon) culture on Earth that reveals many things about the Federation. This way, the reader slowly gets an idea of what shaped Roget's opinions and character while reading the main story set on Haze. Modesitt Jr. really shows off his writing skills here, keeping both story threads separate but slowly building up to a strong climax connecting both tales.

Longtime readers of Modesitt Jr. will quickly recognize several themes and elements that frequently pop up in the author's works: a cerebral main character, lovingly detailed world-building, focus on environmental issues. There are several direct and indirect references to current political and societal issues, but also hints of a galactic history spanning thousands of years. That Modesitt Jr. can pull all of this off without resorting to endless info-dumps speaks to his considerable skill as a writer. This is an excellent standalone SF novel, and one I wouldn't hesitate recommending both to longtime Modesitt fans and to anyone who isn't familiar yet with the author.

Robert Charles Wilson's new novel "Julian Comstock" is set in a vastly changed 22nd century USA - after the end of the age of oil and atheism has ended in disaster.  Technology is mostly back to pre-20th century levels, and the population has been vastly reduced due to social upheaval and disease.  Society has become fully class-based, divided in a Eupatridian aristocracy, middle-class lease-men, and indentured servants.  The country - which now stretches across most of the North American continent - is involved in a lengthy and brutal war with the Dutch over control of the recently opened Northwest passage. 

In this setting we meet the novel's extraordinary hero, Julian Comstock, the nephew of the dictatorial president Deklan Comstock.  Julian is a free-thinker with a deep interest in the apostate Charles Darwin (whose heretical theories are anathema to the Dominion of Jesus Christ, one of the three branches of the government with the president and the senate).  Julian is forced to flee his country hide-out with his friend Adam (the amazing narrator of the novel) and Sam Godwin, who is Julian's mentor since his father died in battle - his father being Bryce Comstock, army commander and brother of the president, who was sent into a hopeless conflict by Deklan, fearing his brother's growing popularity would endanger his own tyrannical rule.

While all of this may sound grim, the tone of this story is often actually very light thanks to Adam, the narrator, who combines a certain naivete with a generally positive outlook on life and a willingness to see the good in everything.  Adam often doesn't fully understand what is happening, and sometimes his general decency forces him to brush over certain things.  At other times, his strong conscience puts many things other characters do in a very stark perspective.  Part of the beauty and the fun of "Julian Comstock" is seeing it through the prism of Adam's growing understanding.

This novel pulls off something extraordinary:  it is written in the style of a 19th century novel, but set in the 22nd century, AND somehow manages to deal with issues that are relevant today.  The skill with which Wilson pulls this amazing trick off is simply dizzying.  While some of the content might be controversial, I find that Wilson does a great job of extrapolating from current events to an all too plausible future without explicitly taking a definite position.

It's been a while since I've a read a novel that so deftly combines so many different elements.  The characters have amazing depth, even if you don't always initially realize this due to the narrator's style.  The story moves at a brisk pace that makes it impossible to put down.  There are moments of high comedy and moments that are so immeasurably poignant and moving that I simply can't stop thinking about them.  I cannot recommend this novel highly enough, both to SF fans and to anyone who loves a good book.

One note:  I found it odd that the author included some quotes in Dutch and French but didn't include a translation, especially since the book has many footnotes.  This was probably done because the narrator doesn't understand either language and the author didn't want to break the consistency of the narrative, but as someone fortunate enough to understand both languages, I can tell you that some of those sections are very funny and, in several cases, very relevant to the story.  I think a brief appendix with the translations would be a great idea for future editions.

There's really nothing wrong with this novel, but I somehow expected more.
Esslemont designed the Malazan universe with Steven Erikson, whose "Book of the Fallen" series I always admire and usually enjoy. "Night of Knives" is Esslemont's first novel set in the same universe. Aside from some flashbacks, it takes place on one night between the prologue and chapter 1 of Gardens of the Moon, the first Malazan book. People who are familiar with the series will infer from this that the book deals with some very pivotal elements for the Malazan empire and the world in general.
Unfortunately, I found the writing a bit uneven --- some parts of it are borderline lyrical, others seemed very choppy. At times it's a bit hard to make out whether you're reading current events or a flashback. Some of the dialogues really didn't work for me.
Most of the book is split between two viewpoints: a young vagabond girl named Kiska, and a grizzled veteran soldier called Temper. Of these, Temper is by far the more interesting character, and his flashbacks are the best part of the book. Unfortunately, neither Temper nor Kiska really know what's going on for the majority of the book, which frustrated me to no end.
I recommend this book to fans of Steven Erikson's Malazan series who would be interested in a different perspective on the Malazan universe and more information about Kellanved, Dancer and Surly/Laseen during the earliest part of the Malazan story. However, I fear that people who aren't already familiar with the series probably won't find this a very enjoyable read.

That being said, I fully plan to read the second book in this planned trilogy as soon as I can get my hands on it. I am, however, much more excited about the upcoming collection of the three Bauchelain and Korbal Broach novellas by Steven Erikson --- the individual chapbooks are hard to find, but thankfully Tor will be releasing them in one cover in September 2009!

Next up:  I don't know yet.  I have an ARC of the new Robert Charles Wilson novel, which looks amazing, so I may go for that.  I also just got a copy of "A Grey Moon over China" by Thomas Day, which looks interesting... AND I'm craving some CJ Cherryh, so I may finally get into the collected short stories by her.  And then there's the upcoming re-read of the Miles Vorkosigan books --- the first one is due in about 3 weeks.  So many good books...

Elantris is the city of the gods. Its inhabitants have white hair, glowing skin, near-immortality and powerful magic. Once in a while, a random regular person from the outside world wakes up, transformed into an Elantrian, and moves into the city. Ten years before the book starts, everything suddenly changes: the Elantrians lose their magic and are transformed into gray-skinned, magicless wretches. Raoden, the crown prince of Eralon, is also transformed and tossed into the ruined city.
...more Elantris is the city of the gods. Its inhabitants have white hair, glowing skin, near-immortality and powerful magic. Once in a while, a random regular person from the outside world wakes up, transformed into an Elantrian, and moves into the city. Ten years before the book starts, everything suddenly changes: the Elantrians lose their magic and are transformed into gray-skinned, magicless wretches. Raoden, the crown prince of Eralon, is also transformed and tossed into the ruined city.
This is the very intriguing start of Elantris, Brandon Sanderson's debut novel. From this inspired beginning, he creates a fast-paced and original fantasy novel that never slows down and works its way to a satisfying conclusion.
I thought this book was very refreshing because, unlike so many fantasy tomes, it actually has more material than its pages warrant. Sanderson could have easily turned this 600 page novel into a full trilogy, and I'm sure that other writers (hello Tad Williams) would have done so.
If anything, the book occasionally seems too fast-paced. Some characters, like Roial and Shuden, could have been fleshed out a bit more (I'd even argue one of them could have been an additional viewpoint character to give the novel some more substance). The fantasy world and its various countries are only very minimally sketched. Finally, the last 50 pages definitely felt rushed, quickly tying up several loose ends. I can't believe I'm actually writing this, but I really think this book should have been longer!
Still, this is a very entertaining and relatively original read. The magic system is unique and relevant to the story and the characters, while a bit stereotypical at times, are easy to identify with and don't always take themselves too seriously (something I always appreciate in fantasy). Elantris doesn't read like a debut novel. It definitely motivated me to check out Sanderson's other books.

Just spotted one of my favorite songs ever available for free on Better Propaganda:  "The Trapeze Swinger" by Iron & Wine (second song down on the right at this page).  This is seriously top 5 of all time for me.  Maybe the most touching and best written song lyric I know.  If you don't have it yet, grab it.

... will be in San Diego in a week or two.  I'm trying to decide if I should go to the event. 

On the pro side, I loved all 3 of his Bas Lag books.  The man's a talented writer.

On the con side, I haven't really been motivated enough to read anything he wrote after that except for Un Lun Dun, which I ditched after 100 pages.  And it's on a Tuesday night.  And I don't know if I want to splurge on a hardcover to get it signed - I'm trying to cut down on the book-buying a bit, especially because I have a few piles of them waiting to be read already.  And I just read some New Weird so I probably wouldn't get to his new book for a while. 

Hm.  I guess that answers the question. 

"The Best of Michael Moorcock" is a brand new collection of the legendary author's best short fiction, containing several of his classic stories, as well as one previously unreleased story.  The collection, lovingly edited by John Davey with Jeff and Ann Vandermeer, is nothing short of excellent.  There are really no bad stories here, and some that are simply stunning. 
As someone who has read many of Moorcock's novels but barely any of his shorter work, I was amazed at how well the author's skill - so much better known for the long, sweeping epic - translates into the much more concentrated short form.  Also amazing is the ease with which Moorcock switches tones and styles, from the light-hearted to the overwhelmingly deep, from fantasy to SF to non-genre fiction, from the joking staccato prose of "London Bone" to the lyrical sadness of the Elric story "A Portrait In Ivory".  It's easy to see why this man is a legend. 
One of my favorite aspects of this book are the subtle typographical touches added to each story's title - e.g. the words "Behold the Man" are placed in the shape of a cross, and "London Bone" looks like a tube sign.  Every one is different and somehow relevant to the story, and they give the book an old-fashioned - in a good way! - and playful air.
SF fans have been lucky this year, with two excellent best-of short story collections so far:  first Tor released a brilliant Gene Wolfe collection, and now there's Tachyon Publications' Michael Moorcock collection.  If, like me, you weren't very familiar with these authors' short works yet, getting these books is practically a must.   

This novel offers a really interesting and innovative SF concept: in the future, every person is incorporated upon birth. Twenty percent of the shares go to the parents, five percent goes to the government, the rest can be sold by the owner for education, possessions and so on. You can buy and sell someone's shares as an investment, for charity, even as a hostile act. Reaching "self-majority" - owning the majority of your own shares - is similar to becoming independently wealthy in...more This novel offers a really interesting and innovative SF concept: in the future, every person is incorporated upon birth. Twenty percent of the shares go to the parents, five percent goes to the government, the rest can be sold by the owner for education, possessions and so on. You can buy and sell someone's shares as an investment, for charity, even as a hostile act. Reaching "self-majority" - owning the majority of your own shares - is similar to becoming independently wealthy in today's world. The entire future society is based on this basic economic concept. I thought it was a fantastic idea and was really excited about the novel.
Unfortunately the brothers Kollin ruined this inventive idea with some really poor writing and plotting. It's a classic example of great concept, poor execution.
At the start of the novel, the cryogenically frozen body of Justin Cord, a 21st century billionaire, is found and revived. Justin becomes something completely unique: an unincorporated man. The early part of the novel describes Justin's exploration of the brand new world he finds himself in: new societal values, new economy, new morals, new technology. This is probably the best part of the novel. However, after this relatively entertaining start, the novel takes a turn for the worse.
Part of the problem lies with the authors' writing skills. Dialogues veer from paragraph-long lectures to feeble and sometimes crude attempts at humor. Most characters are cardboard-thin. The plot has a childlike simplicity complete with forbidden love interest and evil mastermind.
In addition, parts of the book read like a libertarian manifesto. Whether you subscribe to that ideology or not, its representation here is extreme and, frankly, crude - e.g. the word "taxes" is practically a curse, and you'll find things like "can you believe governments were allowed to manage currencies in the past?".
I found it truly depressing that such a great concept could be so badly handled. To make matters even worse, the novel completely falls apart in the last 100 pages or so, throwing a huge new concept in the mix completely out of the blue and then leading to a resolution that wouldn't be out of place in a B movie or a comic book. I don't want to go into detail to avoid spoilers - all I can say is that I was literally shaking my head in astonishment.
Before reading the end of the novel, I was ready to give this book two stars, simply because the concept of personal incorporation is so fresh and new. However, the conclusion is so botched that I have to rate this one star.

Next up:  I don't know yet!  I just got a copy of Night of Knives by Ian C Esslemont (the other half of the duo that designed the Malazan universe, and the story is apparently set before Gardens of the Moon).  I also received Elantris by Brandon Sanderson, and the first book of his Mistborn trilogy.  I also still have book 8 of the Malazan series, but I'm trying to hold off until I can get a paperback copy because the hardcover is simply too huge.  I basically have a big pile of really good fantasy books and haven't been able to choose one.  Plus I really have to finish up the Moorcock short story collection because it's really very good - I just haven't been in a short story mood lately.  So many books, so little time.

Follow-up to my earlier whining and moaning post :  the Miles Vorkosigan series won.  I am happy again.  I am unreasonably excited about re-reading these books (unreasonably because I have way too many new books to read to waste time on re-reads, but screw it).  I just geeked out for a good hour, putting together a post with the reading order. 

I am going to re-read this entire 12 book series.  Yay.

This is a great novel-length adaptation of the original The Empress of Mars novella.
Most of the book is set in "The Empress of Mars", the only bar on the young Mars colony. Mary Griffith barely manages to keep the bar solvent, helped by her three daughters and a number of outcasts (some of whom you'll be familiar with if you've read Baker's short story in The New Space Opera).
Kage Baker really shows off her trademark wit and easy-flowing style in this funny and at times ...more This is a great novel-length adaptation of the original The Empress of Mars novella.  Most of the book is set in "The Empress of Mars", the only bar on the young Mars colony. Mary Griffith barely manages to keep the bar solvent, helped by her three daughters and a number of outcasts (some of whom you'll be familiar with if you've read Baker's short story in The New Space Opera).
Kage Baker really shows off her trademark wit and easy-flowing style in this funny and at times moving story. In the novella, there were some subtle links to Kage Baker's main Company series. The links are much clearer in the novel-length version, including the appearance of two Company operatives and a strong link to one of the main plot lines of the series.
If you've read Baker's Company books, I'd call this one a must-read - you will definitely enjoy this book. If you're not familiar with the series yet, it's actually not a bad place to start because it stands outside of the main plot, but I'd still recommend to start with In the Garden of Iden.  ****

Next up:  finishing up "The Best of Michael Moorcock" and starting on "The Unincorporated Man" by Dani and Eytan Kollin (what an intriguing title). 

PS I've started writing the first drafts of these reviews in Goodreads - hence the links to the GR pages of the books and authors.  I recommend checking out that site if you're a book geek like me :)