Hark
A deep fried crime novel played to the tune of Nine Inch Nails
Frank Bill, who has the power of two first names, has managed to pen the greatest 80's genre film that never existed. The plot itself is straightforward however the large cast with intersecting storylines, In conjunction with Bill's almost nihilistic prose, elevates the novel into becoming truly noteworthy among modern southern gothic literature.
He's managed to work in enough world building that you could extrapolate a whole season of premium tv, all without bogging down the narrative or feel like he's smashing you over the head with a beer bottle. Kung fu assassins, prophets, inbred bastards and mind blowing sex, all with a bare knuckle free for all at the center of the universe. Truly what more could a sick fuck ask for?
Naturally with the Donnybrook at the center we gotta have a few exceptional fighters in the mix. Its very apparent that Bill did his homework on Muay Thai and Boxing before including them in his backwoods myth. At times though, he gets a bit wordy, getting bogged down in the technical details and halting a good rhythm.
I was wildly impressed with Donnybrook and will definitely be checking out his follow up to it, The Savage. If piss and vinegar could be beaten into a pulp and made into paper this surely would be the result.
Short, meandering, and barely delivers on its premise as Earp and Doc are hardly in the book. That withstanding, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a smile on my face picturing an aged Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer bickering like the old married couple they are. Id say that alone was worth the price of admission.
Rest In Peace, Huckleberry
Talents is a direct continuation of Sower, so much so I almost wish they were published together as one book. Some of the problems I had with Sower are answered here along with further, overall improvements. Gone are the paragraph long monologues of Lauren preaching. An inclusion of additional pov's serves to provide a different, more critical lens of her character. This was necessary as Lauren strayed a little to much into a masonic savior at times. She's a remarkable person no doubt, mighty goals and the remarkable force of will to make them manifest. To the point of zealotry. Butler has managed to make me both fear and dislike Lauren but also rally for her and I now find her as one of the most fascinating characters put to paper. I also have to marvel at Butler's discipline and restraint. This world has so much narrative potential, leaving so much room for additional stories and yet, in this dualogy of less than 700 pages, we're still provided with a focused lush portrait. Finishing this has been bittersweet. This series is extraordinary and it's a tragedy that it was cut short. If it were to continue, I have no doubt that this could've been Butler's magnum-opus in an already unbelievable bibliography.
Science fiction often aims to speak broadly about mankind, either where we come from or where we're going. Usually this leads to novels that feel impersonal. Not the case with Butler. In all her works, that I've read so far, she's always displayed the nuanced tapestry of human emotion. She understands that rarely is something absolute. If we hate someone we don't just hate them. We can pity, envy and even love them all at the same time. Though at times it's hard not to feel as though our narrator isn't a sheltered 18 year old girl speaking but Butler herself in all her wisdom. On one hand she often speaks broadly of the world with a deep philosophy on life, adding another layer to this already interesting character, on the other it's slightly jarring having someone speak so deeply about the world who has yet to fully experience it.
Butler expertly manages to maintain both intrugue and tension throughout the first half of the novel but drops the ball in the second half where stakes should be at there highest. We meet character after character with little to no fanfare or fireworks and each hurdle is overcome without much difficulty or sacrifice. Similar to Kindred this book doesn't really have a climax, more the story just reaches its natural conclusion and simply ends.
Informative but can belabor its point at times which, when trying to communicate ideas, i guess isn’t the worst thing. I would recommend this to people who have either lost someone to suicide or those who have never understood why people commit suicide. This is not for those who already have that understanding unless you seek some sort of validation.
Desire, Denial, Destruction
Reading this book is like admiring a smashed stained glass window. A great gay novel.
Baldwin presents us with an impartial portrait of an expatriate in France grappling with his future and his identity. You learn early on how this story ends, allowing doom to permeate throughout the novel. There is some nuance presented through our narrator's eyes in how he speaks and views his fellow community members that really drive home how relevant this story still is. The poignant ending, while simple, left me with an eerie feeling that I couldn't shake long after I had finished it. In conclusion, please just read this and stop reading "A Little Life"
Every kid has that first book or series that they read on their own. When they no longer needed somebody to read to them and could pick something out for themselves. For me it was Goosebumps. I still have that well loved paperback of "Vampire Breath" in my closet. You really knew what you were getting with those. Short, punchy, often gross and hilarious. David Sodegren's paperbacks are a lot like Goosebumps for adults. A brisk 200 pages, gratuitous kills, with a plot and characters just deep enough to sink your teeth into. At worst they're entertaining and at best they'll be remembered in the genre for years to come.
Although compared to The Haar, I would say this is one of his weaker entries. The novel spends quite a bit of downtime with the characters, giving them a lot of time for their interpersonal drama to the point where it can feel like we're just spinning our wheels in the first half. This is broken up by chapters of Sodegren's typical gratuitous kills where he briefly becomes an Italian gore film director. The problem here is the kills are few and far between and serve little purpose other than to build tension for a climax that's over almost as soon as it arrives. Although I think this short format is usually to Sodegren's benefit, this one could've used a little more runway to really stick that landing.
Children of Húrin is a tale compiled and told to us from some of Tolkien's extended writings. In this book Tolkien strives to emulate some of the myths that inspired much of his work. Here we predominantly follow Túrin, a figure from the First Age, who due to things outside of his control is cursed by the luciferian Morgthoth to suffer unto his death. Those familiar with Sigurd or Kulervo will quickly see the resemblance in the overall choices and trajectory this story takes. Túrin spends most of his time trying to avoid his doom, even taking the name Turambar or "Master of Doom" in a futile attempt to reclaim or take ownership of his fate. The more he tries to resist or avoid his fate the worse things get for him and those around him. Although if Túrin had believed his whole life that he was doomed from the start then his actions make a bit more sense. Often when we're told something as children whether good or bad it often follows us into adulthood, in this case turning this curse into a self fulfilling prophecy. This also goes to show how much our outlook can determine our fate. He starts off as an Aragorn like figure, with noble bearing and wisdom, taking solace within an elven kingdom and yet thru his actions and his untempered passions his life takes a very drastic turn. Although this tale mostly serves to fulfill Tolkien's love for European myth I think it slots in thematically with the rest of his Middle-Earth writings. Darkness prevails only when goodness is absent and it is up to each individual to kindle that within themselves if we wish to have a brighter tomorrow.
Overall i would recommend this to fans of mythology or those who want to explore some of Tolkien's extended writings on Middle-Earth but found the Silmarillion unappealing. The plot is fragmented giving it a loose or flimsy feeling which left me wishing Tolkien could've finished this great tale himself.
Sadly this book has become more relevant than ever and it's not for the initial reasons you might think.
Most people talk about the book burning in this novel when in reality it's simply a by product of the sedation by overstimulation present within this society.
People, whether they're aware of it or not, all feel this deep unhappiness because they feel as if they're lives are pointless and lack meaning.
Thomas Ligotti, in his book The Conspiracy Against The Human Race, pointed out that the frequently prescribed antidote for this horror of our pointless existence is engaging in some mental gymnastics to simply not think about or to divert ourselves from this fact. This also aligns with a section in Dr. Victor Frankl's book Mans Search For Meaning. Within, Frankl states that once we are aware of this void of meaning some will look for outward stimulation in an attempt to fill or otherwise distract from it, instead of looking within and engaging in introspection, something which Faber alludes to.
How many times have we had a problem that we didn't want to think about? Then we whip out our pocket computer and begin scrolling on our preferred feed. We've all done this at some point and if I could take anything away from re-reading this classic, it would that we all need to un-plug a bit more. Sit with our thoughts, engage in some critical thinking and maybe even talk to someone we normally don't. Maybe then we would see the world for the millions of diverse human lives and ideas that make it up.
A fantasy movie by Guy Ritchie but it doesn't suck.
I'm not a fan of the modern fantasy style but reading The Blacktongue Thief almost made me reconsider. Almost. At its best this novel feels similar to fantasy books of the 80's and 90's. The plots were straightforward yet filled with strange ideas at every turn leaving you unsure about where the tale would finally land. At its worst it just feels like every middle of the road fantasy novel that's come out of the last 10 years. Quick pacing and simple conflicts. That said, the wit Buehlman strategically displayed in Between Two Fires is now given plenty of room here with our lead and acolyte of mischief, Kinch, who really feels tailored to Buehlman's strengths. A sharp blacktongued rogue with a romantic's heart. I'm not sure if I'll continue the series. The ending was just satisfying enough to leave me with some doubt, despite ending abruptly. Ideally I'd like the next books to take bigger risks, have more interpersonal conflicts and be even weirder. In the modern fantasy landscape, this is a diamond in the rough.
Lastly, rest in peace Luther. I'm sure you were one cool cat.
Cenobite glory hole
This book is about holes. In these 200~ish pages nothing is explained merely passively witnessed. Each character has no control over the greater trajectory of their lives, pointlessly seeking fulfillment from the Funhole. A void staring into a void.
The story is dressed in the alternative art scene, naturally raising questions about art and how we interact with it without purposefully giving an answer on the subject. This is most clearly shown in the Funhole itself. Each observer having some different interpretation of its meaning, origin or purpose.
Although the book is mostly centered around our relationship with art i found myself thinking more about the relationship between the sometimes lovers, Nakota and Nicholas. They both play second fiddle to the Funhole yet their connection struck me as the kind two people form, regardless if they even love each other, who have spent so much time together that they simply won't move on. It feeds back into this feeling of the story taking place in some secluded purgatory where each character is and will be in the same moment of their lives regardless of how much time passes. This is simply the best kind of Horror, the kind that leaves you pondering on its musings long after you've set it down.
A very lukewarm climax from an author who is know for his bombastic climaxes. Much like the previous book, Rhthym of War, it can feel like we're just biding our time until we get within swinging distance of the finale. Which for a thirteen-hundred page book is insane. I couldn't stop thinking about how Lord of the Rings, with only a thousand pages, gets so much done. When I had initially read the first three books in this series I believed this would be Sanderson's magnum-opus, one that could be compared to Lord of The Rings or Wheel of Time, but now I'm not so sure.
The series had always done a stellar job of keeping the reader immersed in its unique but harsh feudal setting, with dialogue and cultural differences. But again, this has become less prevalent as the series has continued. We start off with a caste system, gender roles and slavery to conversations about therapy. To clarify, I'm not against this progression but when a culture is being reformed their should be character friction.
Speaking of character friction, there is almost none in this or the previous book. We have learned that some main characters have killed the loved ones of other different characters and yet we have never seen this discussed by the characters, opting instead to just keep them separated in some cases. To over simplify, world building such as different factions of religious groups, nations or alliances are their to create friction and force character choices. Some of which Sanderson actually undercuts here.
I love Stormlight and it will always have a special place in my heart but that is also why I feel such a deep disappointment from Wind & Truth. Also because I feel Sanderson could've done better. I sincerely hope he reduces his output, if anything to give himself and his team a break, but also to hopefully focus on the quality of his entries and be less concerned with setting up future projects. The Journey was enjoyable but not the Destination.
Moorcock's Elric of Melniboné. Probably one of the most genre defining authors but certainly the least well known. Its a fact that Tolkien's shadow looms large over Fantasy literature even today with so many authors and stories standing upon the foundations he's set. That's partially why I enjoy older fantasy novels. Tolkien's legacy hadn't been fully cemented at the time and so we have authors that aren't afraid to try new and weird ideas. Thus Elric is born. The anti Conan, he's a moody introspective sorcerer prince of a morally neutral people. Although I enjoyed my time with this book, I wouldnt recommend this or any other of Moorcock's older writings to newbies of the genre. The novel is quite short and MM plays fast and loose with his ideas, each more strange and unusual than the last but never fully explored. It's almost as if he's bursting with ideas and trying to get them all out so he can move on with the next one. This novel feels like his ambitions outweigh the page count and i would say that about most of his novels. By today's standard I would give this 3 stars but alas this genre fiction book is almost 50 years old but has probably influenced your favorite fantasy author at some point.
Cabal is yet another novel, later turned film, by the underrated Clive Barker. This book has a lot of different themes and aspects that at times compete with each other within the limited page count. This is by no means among Barkers best work but I do think it's one of his most interesting. Its Barkers take on a chosen one narrative with Boone almost playing this Moses type character and going on a hero's journey of sorts. Its still Barker so nothing is conventional. A popular reading is that the book is an allegory for queerness and it's no stretch to imagine especially considering the time of the novels release. The monstrous, orphic Nightbreed are bastioned beneath a cemetery, away from mortal men who fear and persecute them. This is exemplified by the police brutality against the breed but also by Decker. Decker is a monster in his own right yet instead of joining the Nightbreed he works to exterminate them. Maintaining the queer allegory you could say Decker represents the anger and self hatred often associated with repressed homosexuality. Anger which he can only express when he dons his mask, "Buttonface". This is in opposition to Boone who has also repressed his true self. He's turned into a Nightbreed via oral transmission when he's assaulted by Peloquin. Its only then through his relationship with Lori that he's able to finally accept himself and consumate their love does he become proactive in the story. The books is at its best when Boone, Lori and Decker are playing off each other. Unfortunately this is few and far between. The book is short and its not always efficient with its page count, leading to some parts dragging and some moving quite fast. Barker's prose here is also nowhere near what he displayed in Hellbound Heart. All that said, this is undeniably one of my favorite novels and films. It resonated with me before i even knew exactly why. I would only recommend this to the die hard Barker fans or those who would resonate with its themes.