Science Fiction, Fantasy, Contemporary Fiction, and Non-Fiction
Monday, July 12, 2010
Classics Update
Back in March I posted a list of the remaining genre classics that I wanted to read, and remarked at few there were left. But of course, every time I finish a book on this list, I think of another one to add. So it's been morphing quite a bit recently. But I'm pretty sure I'll be finished with my pre-Golden Age reading by the end of the year, if not sooner. Links go to my reviews.
The Narrative of A. Gordon Pym, Edgar Allen Poe (1838) The Princess and Curdie, George MacDonald (1883) Optional Lilith, George MacDonald (1895) Book of Wonder, Lord Dunsany (1912) Optional The Worm Ouroborous, E. R. Eddington (1922) King of Elfland's Daughter, Lord Dunsany (1924) We, George Zamiatin (1925) Lud-in-the-Mist, Mirrlees (1926) The Greatest Adventure, John Taine (1929) Seeds of Life, John Taine (1931) *The Crystal Horde, John Taine (1930) *The Time Stream, John Taine (1931) *Before the Dawn, John Taine (1934) Odd John, Olaf Stapledon (1935) (Since they're bundled together, I'll also pick up Sirius by Stapledon, 1944) Shadows Over Innsmouth, Lovecraft (1936) At the Mountains of Madness, Lovecraft (1936) The Hour of the Dragon, Robert E. Howard (1936)
I'm going to be reading the Poe and Howard stories first, because I have them on Stanza on my iPhone. Soon I want to go back to reading mostly short fiction (I get Asimov's, Analog, F&SF, and Interzone on eReader for the iPhone through Fictionwise) on that platform. Everything else I'm planning to read in dead-tree edition.
This is an interesting list - I've been trying to go back to some earlier science-fiction as well this year, though in a less structured way. So far I've read the Poe (ludicrously enjoyable!) and the Mirrlees off this list, and a bit of H.G Wells, as well as revisiting Lewis' very odd space trilogy. I look forward to reading what you think of them.
I'm glad the Poe is good! That's one I've been worried about. How did you find Lewis' Peralandria books to read?
Enjoy the Dunsany--since I've started this project I've become a die-hard Dunsany fan girl. I'd recommend starting with either "The King of Elfland's Daughter)" (which I'll be reviewing shortly) or one of the short story collections such as "The Book of Wonder" or "The Sword of Welleran."
I thought I'd blogged about the Lewis trilogy, but it turns out I hadn't said anything substantial. Briefly: I quite like the first- it's got some good first contact-y stuff, some fantastic aliens (including one race of extinct ones) and since I reread it soon after reading Wells' First Men on the Moon it was interesting to see how much it was based on that. The second book, Perelandra, is Lewis in not-very-good Theology mode. Strong dislike. I'm very fond of the third book in the series though- the sheer batshittery of it (space travel, Orwellian dystopia, academia, random bears, Arthuriana) helps me to overlook its (literary and ideological) flaws.
I did blog about the Poe book in more detail - here.
Thanks for the summary! It looks like I'll be OK just reading the first book then--that's the only one I own, but I was starting to feel obscurely guilty for not planning on reading all three.
5 comments:
This is an interesting list - I've been trying to go back to some earlier science-fiction as well this year, though in a less structured way. So far I've read the Poe (ludicrously enjoyable!) and the Mirrlees off this list, and a bit of H.G Wells, as well as revisiting Lewis' very odd space trilogy. I look forward to reading what you think of them.
(Dunsany next for me, I think)
I'm glad the Poe is good! That's one I've been worried about. How did you find Lewis' Peralandria books to read?
Enjoy the Dunsany--since I've started this project I've become a die-hard Dunsany fan girl. I'd recommend starting with either "The King of Elfland's Daughter)" (which I'll be reviewing shortly) or one of the short story collections such as "The Book of Wonder" or "The Sword of Welleran."
I thought I'd blogged about the Lewis trilogy, but it turns out I hadn't said anything substantial. Briefly: I quite like the first- it's got some good first contact-y stuff, some fantastic aliens (including one race of extinct ones) and since I reread it soon after reading Wells' First Men on the Moon it was interesting to see how much it was based on that. The second book, Perelandra, is Lewis in not-very-good Theology mode. Strong dislike.
I'm very fond of the third book in the series though- the sheer batshittery of it (space travel, Orwellian dystopia, academia, random bears, Arthuriana) helps me to overlook its (literary and ideological) flaws.
I did blog about the Poe book in more detail - here.
Thanks for the summary! It looks like I'll be OK just reading the first book then--that's the only one I own, but I was starting to feel obscurely guilty for not planning on reading all three.
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