vilakins | Happy Birthday

I'm marginally fonder of The Left Hand of Darkness, but they're both Damn Good Books, yes.

I'd say those two are my favourites of hers, and just recced them both to someone on LJ. :-)

YAY

I read that book last summer on recommendation from

rowana and thought it was amazing. I shall pick up my copy when I go home at the weekend and reread it, maybe.

Have you read anything by Connie Willis?

I have! Some short stories and the one about the dog. :-) I must read some more, but not the plague one, I think.

ahhh, yes, don't read the plague one. Not that it isn't good, it's just more historical than sci fi/fantasy and kinda depressing. TSNotD is awesome and I also loved Bellwether.

Someone else just recced "Bellwether" on their LJ, so I shall order that one from the library now. :-D

Bellwether is fun, as I recall.

I should get it in the next few days!

*adds to wishlist* Heee, happy birthday! I feel so Johnny come lately to her works, as it was just last year that I read my first book by her. And I've been a scifi fan all my life! Strange.

Some count more as fantasy, but they're all well worth it. I really enjoyed her latest series, Annals of the Western Shore. There are three books, each loosely connected to the others, each one focussing on one or two teenagers. You get to know three very different societies, and how the protagonists fit in--or not--and how they handle it.

I especially recommend The Left Hand of Darkness for its exploration of gender and sexuality and an interesting world, and The Dispossessed for its two fascinating societies, one of them anarchist. I really have to go back and read the Hainish novels (my favourites) again.

The Left Hand of Darkness is the first one of hers I ever read--mostly because they actually had it in stock at my used book store of choice. I also recently read "Very Far Away From Anywhere Else" by her, which was really more of a kids story set in modern times, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. I'll add The Dispossessed to my wishlist, though. There are so many books I want to read. XD

And reread, yeah, me too. If the library has them. They keep weeding out old books to make room for new, to my sorrow.

At first I thought that Le Guin was putting forward the anarchist society as a utopis, and thought "oh dear". But she's a much better and more subtle writer than that, and its flaws gradually made themselves manifest.

I ought to reread it, as it must be more than twenty years since the first time.

I reread it a couple of years ago, and it was just as good as the first time. :-)

Good night from me!

Happy Birthday to Ursula indeed - I love her Earthsea books. :)

Me too, and I need to read the latest of them, The Other Wind. Thanks for reminding me; I'm due to put in an order at the library. :-)

It's a beautiful book, and I don't use that word lightly. Ideally, if you haven't already done so, you should read the short story collection "Tales from Earthsea" first, as one of the stories will help in understanding one strand of the novel.

One of the things that impresses me about the Earthsea books is that Sparrowhawk, in particular, says some genuinely wise things. Other famous fictional wizards, such as Gandalf and Dumbledore, are supposed to be wise, but they don't say anything nearly as profound and often come across as merely clever rather than truly wise.

I read the short stories last year, and reread the others. :-) This is the last book I have to read.

I'd love to read all the Hainish Cycle books again, but the library doesn't have them all. Roll on the day when I have an electronic reader and can buy--and afford--any book I want.

One other thing about "The Other Wind" is that it has some very good gentle humour in it. Previously I had thought that if Le Guin had a fault it was that she wasn't comfortable with humour, rarely using it and when she did use it not doing so very well. So this was a pleasant surprise.

Excellent! Her books are very serious and thoughtful, so I shall be interested to see that. I have it on order at the library now and should have it next week. :-)

Excellent. Enjoy! :)

I really need to pick up The Other Wind, too.

See, I don't even think The Dispossessed is her best work, although it's certainly worth reading. But, oh, man, the Earthsea trilogy can stand right up there with anything the English language has ever produced, IMO. What really impresses me about it is that it works equally -- and amazingly well -- on two levels, both as a good adventure story with great world-building and an interesting plot, and on a much more abstract level, in which the whole thing is a sort of psychological metaphor. I don't think there are many writers who could pull that off remotely that well.

And I thought Tehanu was lovely, too, even though many people didn't.

I enjoyed Tehanu! :-) But I was talking about people who dislike SF; I could rec Earthsea to those who sneer at fantasy, and well before LOTR which is far too long and drawn-out, though brilliant and graphic world-building. In fact another good thing about Earthsea is that it's not based on LOTR like a lot of fantasy is. It's very original.

Have you read the Annals of the Western Shore? There are three books in the series, Gifts, Voices, and Powers, each one set in a different society but loosely connected. They are wonderful.

But I was talking about people who dislike SF; I could rec Earthsea to those who sneer at fantasy,

True! Although I doubt there are many people who dislike SF but think fantasy is great. :)

In fact another good thing about Earthsea is that it's not based on LOTR like a lot of fantasy is.

Yeah. I like LotR, but it's got a lot to answer for. :)

Have you read the Annals of the Western Shore?

I think you asked me that the last time the subject of Le Guin came up, and the answer was no, but I've since at least added the first book in the series to my (painfully large) wish list.

Edited 2009-10-22 20:04 (UTC)

They're not big books, and fairly fast to read. Just to encourage the person with the book mountain. ;-)

I know a lot more people who read fantasy than SF, though I have no idea why that is. Perhaps they're put off by the idea of science, or have read SF with cardboard-cutout characters. I'd rather read SF than fantasy, but I do like really well-written fantasy that isn't based on LOTR or has a poor lowly boy who is really the king--as if a peasant wouldn't be worthy of reading about otherwise. [rolls eyes]

They're not big books, and fairly fast to read. Just to encourage the person with the book mountain. ;-)

Heh. Size doesn't matter. But I'm on a quota! *wails pitifully* :)

And I guess I can understand that some people are put off by science, although the science in some SF is effectively non-existent. But in my experience, most of the people who turn their noses up at SF are mainstream literary snobs who probably have an even lower opinion of fantasy.

or has a poor lowly boy who is really the king--as if a peasant wouldn't be worthy of reading about otherwise

I guess that's some sort of wish fulfillment, really, although personally I have no desire to be a king. :) And I've noticed that a lot of fantasy can be awfully reactionary, in that whole divine-right-of-kings sort of way. It's nice when that gets subverted, and peasants can be heroic instead of, y'know, knowing their humble place and stuff.

although the science in some SF is effectively non-existent

True, but some may think there's science, esp if they've never bothered to read any. Personally, I'm delighted if there's science content.

But in my experience, most of the people who turn their noses up at SF are mainstream literary snobs who probably have an even lower opinion of fantasy.

I have to admit I'm not that fond of it; there's so much derivative stuff out there. But the really good stuff is brilliant.

It's not my wish-fulfilment either. In fact it seems to me that making protagonists of royal or somehow special blood excludes the reader. I don't know if you've ever read the Dark is Rising series, but I was left cold and almost repelled by Marty Sue Will Stanton, the powerful Old One in the body of an 11-year-old, but really liked the Drew children: ordinary kids in an extraordinary situation.

Personally, I'm delighted if there's science content.

If they get it right. :) I do find, though, that I have much less interest in really hard SF these days than I used to. If it's all nuts and bolts and no characterization, I'd rather just read non-fiction.

I have to admit I'm not that fond of it; there's so much derivative stuff out there. But the really good stuff is brilliant.

Sturgeon's Law is definitely in full force. :)

It's not my wish-fulfilment either. In fact it seems to me that making protagonists of royal or somehow special blood excludes the reader.

I honestly do think the reader is usually expected to believe, or at least wish, deep down that he is Special. Sort of like how everybody imagines they were Cleopatra in a past life, and nobody was ever the village leper. :P

I don't know if you've ever read the Dark is Rising series,

I read them in, I think, junior high school. I remember being very into them, then, although from what little I remember, it was probably more the plot and the setting and stuff than the main character that interested me. I do have them on my Giant Pile o' Books to re-read some day, but I have no idea when I'll get to them.

Happy Birthday

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