Crooked Letter

Lots going on round the blogosphere to catch up on.

First, Sean Williams is interviewed by author Tobias S. Buckell in the latest edition of Clarkesworld Magazine. They discuss his Books of the Cataclysm, which begin with The Crooked Letter,as well as his science fiction, his upcoming novella Cenotaxis,his thoughts on writing for the Star Wars universe, and much, much more. Here’s a taste:

“I spent a very long time working on the religious background to the Books of the Cataclysm. Really, it started when my father chose to become a priest during my early high school years. I witnessed the study he undertook from the sidelines, and became fascinated with the idea of faded myths—stories (such as Noah’s Ark) that one culture appropriates from another and adopts as their own. Once it occurred to me that all religion can be viewed as a bunch of great stories that people take entirely too seriously, it was just a short hop sideways to the atheist I remain today—one who denies the existence of both deities and the afterlife but is endlessly fascinated with other people’s fascination with the same.”

Then SciFiChick comes in with not one, but three, Pyr reviews.

Keeping It Real, Justina Robson: “Deftly fusing science fiction and fantasy, it’s hard to categorize this novel. The magic is vividly portrayed, and the idea of such different and accessible dimensions makes for a truly unique setting. The character of Lila, would make a more interesting Bionic Woman, than the current tv show version. No cardboard cutout characters here.”

The Prodigal Troll, Charles Coleman Finlay: “This is a humorous and moving tale in the vein of such classics as The Jungle Book and Tarzan. With characterization as the strength of this novel, Finlay has created a fantastic world for this tragic circumstance. Seeing the human world from Maggot’s troll mindset, invokes times of humor as well as drama in a realistic way. Well, as realistic as a world where trolls and magic are the norm. I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel. “

Paragaea, Chris Roberson: “Paragaea is a wonderful story with the feel of a fantasy, but the heart of a science fiction novel. Though it isn’t necessary to read Set the Seas on Fire, I found it helpful to already have a background on the character of Hero. I found myself loving Paragaea , the story and world, even more. With more swash-buckling action and stronger characters, Roberson is a truly gifted storyteller.”

Then Fantasy & Sci-Fi Lovin’ Book Reviews chimes in with two Pyr reviews:

Bright of the Sky, Kay Kenyon: “I found the world that Kenyon created to be rather fascinating, not so much because of the strong Asian influence, but in the way that she designed her various aliens. No species are useless; they all seem to have a purpose that makes sense. I particularly enjoyed her descriptions of these different species–their bodies, minds, uses, hobbies, etc… All in all, the novel is good. It would be suited for someone that looks for a different flavor of adventure story–a sort of more subtle adventure that doesn’t attempt to be too grand until the end, fulfilling what I would call a sense of wonder over a sense of pure action. It’ll be interesting to see where the story goes in the next book.”

The Crown Rose, Fiona Avery: “I enjoyed The Crown Rose a great deal. It was engaging, well-written, and quite obviously well-researched. I will say though that anyone with a strong (for lack of a better word) fundamentalist Christian view might find the ending of the book a trifle upsetting. I believe that the key to appreciating this book is an acknowledgment that, though much of the story is based in fact, it is in essence a work of fiction, and should be read as such. If you can manage that, this is definitely a book for you.”