Reading List - Mid Jan '07

Filed by: Darren on January 15, 2007 at 21:37
Filed In: Books

I've just finished Joe Abercrombie's Before They Are Hanged - which was wonderful by the way, more on that later - and so it's decision-time again.

I've already decided on Joe Hill's Heart-Shaped Box as my next read - I love his short fiction and I'm just too intrigued to see what he can do when he's got the larger canvas of a novel to play with to put it off for too long - but after that I'll be open to suggestions again.

So, here are my next twelve most likely 'to-be-read' items. Please feel free to shout out if you've read something on the list and would like to add your vote of confidence: no plot spoilers, please, but do feel free to suggest other authors and / or titles it reminded you of, that sort of thing.

Evil For Evil by K.J. Parker [Amazon] (most likely candidate at the moment)
The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction ed. by George Mann [Amazon]
The Summoner by Gail Martin [Amazon]
The Somnambulist by Jonathan Barnes [Amazon]
The Court of the Air by Stephen Hunt [Amazon]
Nocturnes (short fiction collection) by John Connolly [Amazon]
Unbecoming: And Other Tales of Horror by Mike O'Driscoll [Amazon]
Coalescent by Stephen Baxter [Amazon]
Stamping Butterflies by Jon Courtenay Grimwood [Amazon]
The Memory of Whiteness by Kim Stanley Robinson [Amazon]
Indigo by Graham Joyce [Amazon]
No Dominion by Charlie Huston [Amazon]

Of course, the final decision will rest on my mood at the point of finishing Heart-Shaped Box... but please feel free leave whatever comments you feel are appropriate...

Filed on: January 15, 2007
Filed under: Books
Tagged with: Joe-Abercrombie | Joe-Hill | reading-list |

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7 Responses to 'Reading List - Mid Jan '07'

Ed on January 17th, 2007 6:35 pm

Based in his previous output I'm guessing the Joe Hill is of a horror bent. Probably best to avoid the Connolly as a follow-up then. The Grimwood is just downright weird, bit like M John Harrison's Light; I finished it wondering was I missing something.
I vote for Solaris, so you can tell me if it's any good, but I know you're going for the Parker anyway. It's probably off the shelf with a bookmark at page 1 already.
Ariel on January 17th, 2007 6:50 pm

Heh. True, Hill's horror through and through. I might be tempted to lean towards the Solaris, just as an antidote to all the darkness... and it's pretty darn dark so far...
John Berlyne on January 18th, 2007 10:21 pm

I though Heart-Shaped Box was brilliant - a book that is genuinely creepy right from the off. It's the best candidate in a long time to reinvigorate the novel length horror market.

And The Somnambulist is fun and wonderfully grotesque. Definitely the kind of steampunkish fantasy that is long overdue for revival.

Just my tuppence worth!

... I'll be starting in on The Court of the Air soon!
Ariel on January 19th, 2007 7:00 am

Hi John - I'm about halfway through HSB now and thoroughly enjoying it. Haven't read this sort of old-school, genuinely disturbing horror for a while and it's nice to find something that's so - as you say - wonderfully creepy.
Ariel on January 25th, 2007 8:37 am

Right then. I've finished Heart-Shaped Box and, following Ed's suggestion, have started in on The Solaris Book of New Science Fiction. I'll let you know how I get on...
Brian Edwards on April 5th, 2007 9:24 pm

I don't know if you have seen the video preview for Court Of The Air. A flash movie - only a few minutes but really gives a taste of what is to come.
Court Of The Air Flash Movie
Ariel on April 6th, 2007 7:39 am

Hi Brian - No, I hadn't seen that one... I don't remember reading about it in the press release that Harcol sent round, but then I might not have read it quite as closely as I should have...

And hey, very good it is, too. Who did the animation?