reading material
Aug. 12th, 2002 04:53 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mamajoanI realized that I've read a lot of books lately and I really ought to write 'em up for my Book Reviews webpage, but for right now I'll just put down some general thoughts about three of 'em.
Diplomatic Immunity, Lois McMaster Bujold
I love Lois. Everyone who knows me, knows this. Still, I thought that the last couple of Miles Vorkosigan books were kind of ehh. I heard Lois give a reading of the first few chapters of Diplomatic Immunity at last year's Worldcon, and given some of the plot elements that became evident in the reading, I had my doubts.
Of course, I should have had more faith. Lois is a fantastic writer, versatile and smart and funny, and her plotting is amazing. Diplomatic Immunity goes back to the basics, the elements that started the Miles series off so well: Miles' smarts, his ability to understand and investigate a situation better than anyone else, his combination of authority and insecurity and plain ol' stubbornness that eventually wins him the respect of good guys and bad guys alike. In Diplomatic Immunity, he is faced with a sticky diplomatic situation and, in typical Miles fashion, manages to straighten it out beautifully, leaving ample time for him and his new wife Ekaterin to get home and [spoiler]. Great book! Lois rules.
Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang, Kate Wilhelm
I picked this up at the library on a whim, having heard much about it and its author. It was written in the mid-1970s and is a very interesting look at the issues of cloning and individuality, solitude and loneliness, good-of-the-many vs. good-of-the-one. Without spoiling too heavily, let me just say that it's about a future Earth where cloning happens and those who come to think it's a bad idea are persecuted by those who think it's the One True Way(tm). The story starts off pretty slowly, doing a lot more exposition than I would like, but it picks up a few chapters in, once the setup is complete. The plot and characters themselves weren't as entirely engaging as I might have liked, but in the end I considered the book a success anyway because of how fully and deeply it presents and considers the issues. It really made me think about why individuality is a good thing and why, or how, a human being needs to balance alone-time with interaction. A very interesting read.
Put A Lid On It, Donald Westlake
This one isn't science fiction; it's Westlake's own unique blend of mystery and crime and humor. In a similar vein to his Dortmunder series, this story concerns a guy who is a career criminal, and like Dortmunder, his plans never quite seem to pan out. But when some people with serious political connections spring him out of jail and ask him to do them a favor, he agrees, and, like Dortmunder, gets himself into and out of a whole bunch of bizarre and entertaining situations en route to completing the job. I read this book in a couple of hours and was thoroughly satisfied. If you've ever read a Dortmunder, or if you enjoy Terry Pratchett, for example, you should check this one out.
Diplomatic Immunity, Lois McMaster Bujold
I love Lois. Everyone who knows me, knows this. Still, I thought that the last couple of Miles Vorkosigan books were kind of ehh. I heard Lois give a reading of the first few chapters of Diplomatic Immunity at last year's Worldcon, and given some of the plot elements that became evident in the reading, I had my doubts.
Of course, I should have had more faith. Lois is a fantastic writer, versatile and smart and funny, and her plotting is amazing. Diplomatic Immunity goes back to the basics, the elements that started the Miles series off so well: Miles' smarts, his ability to understand and investigate a situation better than anyone else, his combination of authority and insecurity and plain ol' stubbornness that eventually wins him the respect of good guys and bad guys alike. In Diplomatic Immunity, he is faced with a sticky diplomatic situation and, in typical Miles fashion, manages to straighten it out beautifully, leaving ample time for him and his new wife Ekaterin to get home and [spoiler]. Great book! Lois rules.
Where Late The Sweet Birds Sang, Kate Wilhelm
I picked this up at the library on a whim, having heard much about it and its author. It was written in the mid-1970s and is a very interesting look at the issues of cloning and individuality, solitude and loneliness, good-of-the-many vs. good-of-the-one. Without spoiling too heavily, let me just say that it's about a future Earth where cloning happens and those who come to think it's a bad idea are persecuted by those who think it's the One True Way(tm). The story starts off pretty slowly, doing a lot more exposition than I would like, but it picks up a few chapters in, once the setup is complete. The plot and characters themselves weren't as entirely engaging as I might have liked, but in the end I considered the book a success anyway because of how fully and deeply it presents and considers the issues. It really made me think about why individuality is a good thing and why, or how, a human being needs to balance alone-time with interaction. A very interesting read.
Put A Lid On It, Donald Westlake
This one isn't science fiction; it's Westlake's own unique blend of mystery and crime and humor. In a similar vein to his Dortmunder series, this story concerns a guy who is a career criminal, and like Dortmunder, his plans never quite seem to pan out. But when some people with serious political connections spring him out of jail and ask him to do them a favor, he agrees, and, like Dortmunder, gets himself into and out of a whole bunch of bizarre and entertaining situations en route to completing the job. I read this book in a couple of hours and was thoroughly satisfied. If you've ever read a Dortmunder, or if you enjoy Terry Pratchett, for example, you should check this one out.
