Do you read speculative fiction? Actually I'm not entirely sure these books belong in that genre, and they are categorized very straightforwardly on the back covers as being (top to bottom) science fiction, mystery, and fiction, but each book has a twist to it that makes me think they aren't exactly as straightforward as they seem (not that that's a bad thing, of course). Maybe it's the fantastical or alternate reality feel that the stories have to them. They were something of a surprise when they arrived in the mail. I had contacted Titan Books about their forthcoming reissues of Helen MacInnes's books, and they kindly said they would put me on their list for review copies. In the interim these showed up, and while they aren't the sort of stories I would normally pick up, I'm intrigued by them and quite tempted to start reading one now (or perhaps take with me on vacation).
I'd be curious to know if anyone has read any of these authors. Philip José Farmer is a Hugo and Nebula Award-winning author. The Other Log of Phileas Fogg is a "World Newton Novel". "When a powerful teleportation device falls into enemy hands, secret agent Fogg must embark on a daring global dash to save his once-immortal race from certain annihilation. Fogg encounters new dangers at every turn, before confronting his deadly rival; the infamous Captain Nemo, also known as James Moriarty."
Daniel Stashower's The Houdini Specter is one in a series of books featuring a young Harry Houdini involved in solving murders. This is the third book in the series which is set in turn-of-the-century NYC.
Anno Dracula: The Bloody Red Baron by Kim Newman seems the most unusual of the batch. "It is 1918 and Graf von Dracula is commander-in-chief of the armies of Germany and Austria-Hungary. The War of the Great Powers in Europe is also a war between the living and the undead. Caught up in the conflict, Charles Beauregard, an old enemy of Dracula, his protegé Edwin Winthrop, and intrepid vampire reporter Kate Reed go head-to-head with the lethal vampire flying machine that is the Bloody Red Baron..." Sounds like a pretty wild ride, don't you think?
Any of these would certainly be well outside my usual comfort zone, but it's a good idea to shake things up sometimes. I'll let you know how it goes if I decide to dive in soon.
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In other bookish news, my pile of 'finished books that I still need to write about' continues to grow. I have several partially written posts about three of them, but I can't quite seem to find the energy to complete them. Maybe this week?
I loved Ethel Wilson's Hetty Dorval. It's another outstanding read for me this year. I think I will have to indulge and buy the lovely Persephone Books edition of it, since the library copy I have needs to go back very soon. Wilson reminds me of Elizabeth Taylor in her writing style and choice of subject matter--quietly devastating, or something to that effect is how Taylor has been described. Wilson writes in the same subtle but perceptive manner.
I finished Hetty Dorval in the morning yesterday, went out to do errands and was thinking how much I was looking forward to picking up the book again to read when I returned home, and then disappointingly realized I was already finished so there would be no more. I do have another book by her on hand to read, The Innocent Traveller. As tempted as I am to read the two books back to back, I decided to start The Holding by Merilyn Simonds for a little variety. I've already finished two of my (hopefully) thirteen books for the Canadian Reading Challenge and am embarking on my third, so I'm off to a good start for once.
Armistead Maupin's Tales of the City was hugely entertaining reading and kept me engrossed all last week at the gym. It's another book I hope to write about soon (get in line behind the others...). Now I'm moving on to Dashiell Hammett's The Continental Op for a little grittiness. I really liked his novel (and the movie adapted from it), The Maltese Falcon, which I read a number of years ago. I was tempted to reread it, but I thought something new would be good as I've wanted to read more hardboiled crime novels. The Continental Op is actually a book of seven short(ish) stories (I think Sam Spade was his famous character who appeared mostly in short stories?), and I am hoping that Hammett really evokes a sense of 1920s San Francisco in anticipation of seeing the real place.
It's been a flurry of book finishes lately (I'm almost done with one other novel, so my reading is moving right along despite my constant book grazing), but this week I'll be concentrating on a few different books. I've just started Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse for Caroline's Literature and War Readalong. As the story is about the effects of the bombing of Hiroshima on one family I've been somewhat apprehensive about starting it. It seems, however, to have garnered only glowing reviews, so perhaps it won't be as hard-going as I am expecting it to be. I've also started reading A.S. Byatt's Ragnarok for the Slaves. And I have Ann Bridge's Peking Picnic waiting for me as it is my next postal reading group title. All three are books I'm hoping to finish before the end of the month.
There'll be the usual dipping into other books, of course, but as this has already gotten long and unwieldy, I'll stop here and save the rest for some other day.