Two books I liked

[rivkat]

John Birmingham, Without Warning: Just before the planned US invasion of Iraq in 2003, an unexplained phenomenon wipes out most of North America, leaving only tiny chunks of the USA, Canada, Cuba, and Mexico behind. As with Birmingham’s first trilogy, there’s exciting military action and a willingness to shake things up enough to blow your mind. I loved what I read, but at the same time I wanted to read the other book that could have been written with this premise: the one that wasn’t focused on the remaining Americans (approx. 5 million in the corners and overseas) and how they reacted. Yes, I was interested in them, because their worlds changed in incredible, horrifying ways, but I would also have loved to have seen scenes in Israel, China, Russia, etc. instead of just having American characters react to news from those places. Excellent speculative adventure fiction, but do not read if you can’t handle Americacentrism without an America.

Richard Morgan, The Steel Remains: Morgan has written several books of excellent noirish sf critiquing capitalism. For some reason, he decided that Sarah Monette wasn’t writing fast enough, so he wrote this multi-POV fantasy novel whose most compelling protagonist is a swordsman who gets all the guys. I believe the phrase “*dolphin noises*” accurately expresses my reaction. Um. Palace intrigue, the rise of slavery due to economic and social stresses, creepy alien races with inexplicable agendas, et awesome cetera.

Comments

[brownbetty]

*adds The Steel Remains to her queue.*

[margueritem.livejournal.com]

! The Steel Remains is available at a bookstore nearby! *puts it on her to-buy list*

[mecurtin.livejournal.com]

So I went waltzing over to the public library to place a hold on "The Steel Remains", and the only book in their collection by "Richard Morgan" is this one (http://www.amazon.com/Zoo-Poo-Richard-Lyon-Morgan/dp/0099456524/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231643175&sr=8-1).

Drat.

[rivkat.livejournal.com]

I do not think that is the same Richard Morgan!

[mareen.livejournal.com]

If you liked the premise of "Without Warning" you should maybe check out Darwinia (http://www.amazon.com/Darwinia-Novel-Different-Twentieth-Century/dp/0765319055/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1231658035&sr=8-1). Instead of the US, all of Europe disappears over night in the year 1912. The first part of the book is mostly a "Heart of Darkness" story with some info on the political ramification tossed in, the second part is something different I wouldn't want to spoil. A lot of people didn't like the second part, but I loved it all. It's one of my favorite books.

[rivkat.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recommendation!