Posted on October 3, 2014 Posted by John Scalzi 32 Comments
End of the week is here, and it’s a good time to show you what’s come into the Scalzi Compound, in terms of new books and ARCs. Anything look particularly interesting to you? Let me know in the comments.
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Mmmm, Pratchett
Shovel Ready was interesting and I’ve heard a lot about Station 11.
Did you get the chance to read Golden Son by Pierce Brown last week. I’d still step over my mother for a copy so if you feel like passing it on now or in the future let me know and I will send you the postage.
Terry Pratchett. Obviously :)
I’ve got, and have read, Terry Pratchett’s Slip of the Keyboard; good as ever if rather grim towards the end as he reflects on his form of Alzheimer’s and on death. Would like the Ankh-Morpork book too …
Otherwise, Black Hat Jack rather appeals.
I catalog all of the books for my public library system and I hadn’t heard of Station Eleven before it crossed my desk but I thought it looked really interesting. I put it on my to read list. I hope it’s great.
I got Station Eleven, but for the most part the mailbag has been light this week with only one book received. I suppose if nothing else turns up by tomorrow I will postpone doing my usual Mailbag Monday video until the 13th.
Still…a new Taita novel by Wilbur Smith! As a lover of River God I has a squee for that one.
I’m looking forward to Pratchett’s books, and Desert God.
I am looking forward to Station Eleven.
Wow, I haven’t seen a new Wilbur Smith in ages. Always good if you’re in the mood for an adventure in Africa.
I’ve never read any Terry Pratchett, but am starting to think I should. Where does one start?
enjoyed station 11, read in 3 sittings so a good sign. started shovel ready but didn’t finish so bad sign. remember pratchett fondly from some time ago, will have to catch up. appreciate the other books because i always need ideas.
I thought the 4th one down was “King of the Cracken” (sp) – I was sooo excited, then I read it again. Now I am disappointed
@ The Silversmith
I don’t know anything about O’Flaherty or his The King Of The Cracksmen (two seconds with Google tells me it’s in the Steampunk genre), but if the word “cracksmen” disappoints you, then you really might want to acquaint yourself with the deservedly popular “Raffles” stories of E W Hornung.
I have already gone on record (on Twitter, anyway) with my belief that Station Eleven is a strong contender to be the first book to win both the National Book Award (for which it’s already been longlisted) and the Hugo or Nebula, or both.
As a frame of reference, the last time I believed that was possible for a literary novel (in the sense that it’s published by a “literary” house, as opposed to one with a SF/F identity) was The Yiddish Policemen’s Union.
Well, they all look good. If I had to pick, I guess Shovel Ready and Station 11. Of course the Pratchett books look awesome. So many books, so little time.
I’m just gonna assume that King of The Cracksmen is about an underground cult of plumbers.
@the silversmith: That’s OK, I read the one on the bottom as “Dessert God”.
….I think I’ll go bake some cookies now.
@JJS: Sourcery and Pyramids are the two Pratchett books I always recommend to introduce the series. If those hit you in the right spot, Wyrd Sisters, Guards! Guards!, and Mort are next on the list.
@JJS: Depends on your tastes (even though 90% of Pratchett’s work is comedic fantasy set on The Discworld, the tone and quality of the books have changed and varied greatly over the years.)
The first Pratchett book I read was Equal Rites via the Science Fiction Book Club in the late ’80s; I liked and enjoyed it, but not enough to seek out more by the same author.
The second Pratchett book I read was The Fifth Elephant some 20 years later, out of a ship’s library. I had the entire Discworld series to date in paperback within 2 weeks of leaving the ship.
Part of me would recommend starting at the beginning of each various Discworld strand, but I think you’re generally better off with the -second- or so, and the list reflects that in many cases.
So:
Men at Arms
Witches Abroad
Soul Music
for the general introduction.
Small Gods, Monstrous Regiment and Pyramids for excellent one-offs that don’t require much knowledge of backstory.
And of course, his non-DW collaboration with Neil Gaiman, Good Omens, or the Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch.
Ooo, Lansdale’s Black Hat Jack. Yet more goodness from Subterranean Press!
I think I’ve read just about everything Pratchett ever wrote, so I’ll take those, please. I particularly like his books about the Night Watch and Ankh Morpork. Night Watch is probably my all-time favorite but I love them all.
black hat jack!
My friend Chris (ha!) recently said that Pratchett’s “Night Watch” should have been nominated for The Booker and I agree. The first I read was either “Small Gods” or “Good Omens”. The Vimes thread in the Ankh-Morpork books is my favorite. Time for a Pratchett re-read festival..
The word “cracksmen” caught my interest, but “steampunk as you never seen it before…” is trying a bit too hard.
I read Shovel Ready. If you like your prose dark, near-futuristic, dystopian and graphically violent, you’ll like this. It has a compelling story arc and characters about which you will care by the end of the book. I’d certainly read more by Sternbergh….
I glanced at A Slip of the Keyboard at a big box store and read a short piece with some spot-on and, as is Pratchett’s genius, humorously framed points that carry some heavy wisdom with a wink and a smile. I can’t wait to read the rest of it.
Sophie Littlefield. Some of the best post zombie apocalypse I’ve read, including World War Z. The Missing Place is not that, but her women are real, not necessarily likeable, and you root for them anyway. *Great* stuff.
I love Pratchett, but do want to throw in a second voice for Shovel Ready (although it’s been out for ages — I’m guessing this is for the paperback release).
Pratchett! Pratchett! Pratchett! Must read everything by Pratchett!
I’m calm now. All better.
Pyramids. Always read Pyramids. Especially for the science professor camels. Can we get Mr. Pratchett to write an Amelia Peabody mystery?
Am I the only one who now wants Terry Pratchett to write Dessert Gods?
@Yossi Mandel – You took the words right out of my mouth!
The only Pratchetts missing from my collection are a couple of the Science of the Discworld ones. And these two newbies of course :)
I highly recommend either Mort or Men at Arms for starter Pratchetts: the former is a standalone that showcases his style nicely and the latter is the beginning of the Vimes/policemen story arc (almost everyone’s favourite). Jingo and Thud are standouts of the arc for me but I tend to think you really have to have the story of Vimes’ beginning to understand his character in the later books.
Pratchett, please!
I just finished Station 11, LOVED it. I want Pratchett and Smith, please :) I’d start out with Mort, for Pratchett. I tried others of his, at various times, but Mort (and the Death series) were what really got me hooked. I’m not a big Rincewind fan, but love the Librarian. OOK.