February Reading Roundup
Feb. 29th, 2020 10:36 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ermingardenI was lucky enough to find a lot of very good books to read this past month, and I thought I would share my opinions of them here:
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Exhalation is a collection of science fiction short stories, all of which are worth reading and some of which are truly superb. The titular story “Exhalation” is quite simply the best short story I have ever read. Among the other stories, “Omphalos” and “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate” are also particular gems. Chiang’s prose is unfailingly elegant and his perspectives are often unusual and thought-provoking.
Knowledge of Angels by Jill Paton Walsh
My Rating: ★★★★★
Knowledge of Angels is a profoundly disturbing book, and I mean that in the best possible sense. The novel is set on a remote island in the late medieval Mediterranean, and its central issues have to deal with belief, disbelief, and organized religion; a key precipitating event for the plot is the arrival of a shipwrecked atheist. The plot revolves around the attempt to answer a single question: Is the knowledge of God innate? Walsh’s prose is delightful without succumbing to excess, and the narrative is both haunting and piercingly beautiful.
Note that while Walsh has no didactic agenda here, and this is definitely not what one would term a “religious novel”, familiarity with the Christian New Testament adds another layer of understanding to certain key scenes. Readers should also be aware that the book deals with very heavy topics, including torture and sexual assault, though there are no graphic scenes of either.
Something That May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel Lavery
My Rating: ★★★★★
To fit STMSaDY definitively into any literary genre is beyond my capabilities. The best classification I can give comes from Lavery himself: This book is memoir-adjacent. By turns an account of Lavery’s transition, a reinterpretation of classic literature, and a discussion of subjects ranging from the Rapture to William Shatner, STMSaDY is held together at all times by Lavery’s clever and intimate prose. Like many people, I am inclined to interpret my own experiences through the lens of literature; in my case, as a classics student, this is both by inclination and by training. The same tendency is the major organizing principle of STMSaDY: Lavery’s comments on works of literature and film, as in his rewriting of Thomas Malory’s account of Arthur’s death in Le Morte d’Arthur, often seem the most intimate and revealing sections of the whole book.
If you plan to buy this book or borrow it from a library, be aware that it is published under the name “Daniel Mallory Ortberg” and is for some reason listed on Amazon under “Mallory Ortberg”, Lavery’s previous name.
On a side note, Lavery is also the advice columnist at Slate, “Dear Prudence”; his columns can be found at slate.com/human-interest/dear-prudence, and most of them are accessible without a SlatePlus subscription.
Star Wars: Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Claudia Gray’s Master and Apprentice was recommended to me byindependence1776, a recommendation for which I am profoundly grateful! This ranks among the best Star Wars novels I have ever read, rivaled only by Karen Miller’s Wild Space and Roger MacBride Allen’s Showdown at Centerpoint. Gray’s exploration of Jedi philosophy is counterbalanced by a gripping and ultimately surprising adventure plotline. The interpersonal interactions, especially between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, are delicately and convincingly written; even as the reader knows that the relationship between master and apprentice will weather this storm, the emotional tension remains compelling. The original characters she introduces almost immediately command the interest and sympathy of the reader. Among Star Wars novels, Master and Apprentice is an instant classic.
Star Wars: Republic Commando: Triple Zero by Karen Traviss
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆
I found Triple Zero to be an enjoyable book but not a particularly artful one. The plot is oddly bifurcated: One major plotline is a military intelligence case-fic investigating acts of terrorism, while the other is a romantic entanglement that would be at home in a soap opera. Traviss populates Triple Zero with a cast of flawed but largely sympathetic characters, and her character portrayals are the book’s greatest strength. Traviss also develops the Mandalorian culture and language (Mando’a) throughout the Republic Commando series, and the language especially fascinates me. She works Mando’a terminology into the narrative in such a way that the reader emerges from the novel with a not-insignificant vocabulary and grammatical understanding without having made any particular effort to pick up those words and concepts.
Jedi fans beware: Discussions of Jedi philosophical principles in Triple Zero, particularly the ideal of nonattachment, are significantly more negative in tone and much less nuanced than those in, say, Karen Miller’s Wild Space and Clone Wars Gambit (though this does not necessarily represent the author’s personal views). [Edit: I have just been told that this definitely represents the author's personal views.] In general, I would suggest reading Karen Miller for Jedi and Karen Traviss for clone troopers.
Exhalation by Ted Chiang
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Exhalation is a collection of science fiction short stories, all of which are worth reading and some of which are truly superb. The titular story “Exhalation” is quite simply the best short story I have ever read. Among the other stories, “Omphalos” and “The Merchant and the Alchemist’s Gate” are also particular gems. Chiang’s prose is unfailingly elegant and his perspectives are often unusual and thought-provoking.
Knowledge of Angels by Jill Paton Walsh
My Rating: ★★★★★
Knowledge of Angels is a profoundly disturbing book, and I mean that in the best possible sense. The novel is set on a remote island in the late medieval Mediterranean, and its central issues have to deal with belief, disbelief, and organized religion; a key precipitating event for the plot is the arrival of a shipwrecked atheist. The plot revolves around the attempt to answer a single question: Is the knowledge of God innate? Walsh’s prose is delightful without succumbing to excess, and the narrative is both haunting and piercingly beautiful.
Note that while Walsh has no didactic agenda here, and this is definitely not what one would term a “religious novel”, familiarity with the Christian New Testament adds another layer of understanding to certain key scenes. Readers should also be aware that the book deals with very heavy topics, including torture and sexual assault, though there are no graphic scenes of either.
Something That May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel Lavery
My Rating: ★★★★★
To fit STMSaDY definitively into any literary genre is beyond my capabilities. The best classification I can give comes from Lavery himself: This book is memoir-adjacent. By turns an account of Lavery’s transition, a reinterpretation of classic literature, and a discussion of subjects ranging from the Rapture to William Shatner, STMSaDY is held together at all times by Lavery’s clever and intimate prose. Like many people, I am inclined to interpret my own experiences through the lens of literature; in my case, as a classics student, this is both by inclination and by training. The same tendency is the major organizing principle of STMSaDY: Lavery’s comments on works of literature and film, as in his rewriting of Thomas Malory’s account of Arthur’s death in Le Morte d’Arthur, often seem the most intimate and revealing sections of the whole book.
If you plan to buy this book or borrow it from a library, be aware that it is published under the name “Daniel Mallory Ortberg” and is for some reason listed on Amazon under “Mallory Ortberg”, Lavery’s previous name.
On a side note, Lavery is also the advice columnist at Slate, “Dear Prudence”; his columns can be found at slate.com/human-interest/dear-prudence, and most of them are accessible without a SlatePlus subscription.
Star Wars: Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray
My Rating: ★★★★☆
Claudia Gray’s Master and Apprentice was recommended to me by
independence1776, a recommendation for which I am profoundly grateful! This ranks among the best Star Wars novels I have ever read, rivaled only by Karen Miller’s Wild Space and Roger MacBride Allen’s Showdown at Centerpoint. Gray’s exploration of Jedi philosophy is counterbalanced by a gripping and ultimately surprising adventure plotline. The interpersonal interactions, especially between Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan, are delicately and convincingly written; even as the reader knows that the relationship between master and apprentice will weather this storm, the emotional tension remains compelling. The original characters she introduces almost immediately command the interest and sympathy of the reader. Among Star Wars novels, Master and Apprentice is an instant classic. Star Wars: Republic Commando: Triple Zero by Karen Traviss
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆
I found Triple Zero to be an enjoyable book but not a particularly artful one. The plot is oddly bifurcated: One major plotline is a military intelligence case-fic investigating acts of terrorism, while the other is a romantic entanglement that would be at home in a soap opera. Traviss populates Triple Zero with a cast of flawed but largely sympathetic characters, and her character portrayals are the book’s greatest strength. Traviss also develops the Mandalorian culture and language (Mando’a) throughout the Republic Commando series, and the language especially fascinates me. She works Mando’a terminology into the narrative in such a way that the reader emerges from the novel with a not-insignificant vocabulary and grammatical understanding without having made any particular effort to pick up those words and concepts.
Jedi fans beware: Discussions of Jedi philosophical principles in Triple Zero, particularly the ideal of nonattachment, are significantly more negative in tone and much less nuanced than those in, say, Karen Miller’s Wild Space and Clone Wars Gambit (though this does not necessarily represent the author’s personal views). [Edit: I have just been told that this definitely represents the author's personal views.] In general, I would suggest reading Karen Miller for Jedi and Karen Traviss for clone troopers.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-01 12:49 pm (UTC)I'm glad you loved Master and Apprentice!
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-01 02:35 pm (UTC)I did absolutely love Master and Apprentice!
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-01 05:41 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-01 06:52 pm (UTC)So as far as Star Wars novels go, I'll shortly be back to my regularly scheduled programming of Jedi and more Jedi! (Also Thrawn, but that's secondary.)
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-01 07:21 pm (UTC)I don't think I even made it through the first Dresden Files. But I bounce off a lot of urban fantasy. I theoretically like the genre, but finding one that suits my tastes is diffcult.
Jedi and Thrawn! :D
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-04 02:02 am (UTC)Sorry - I figure you probably don't want to talk about Karen Traviss! I suppose I just wanted to express further disappointment to another Jedi fan.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-04 03:03 am (UTC)I thought Traviss' depiction of Altis as somehow "pro-attachment" really misrepresents the concept of attachment in Jedi philosophy (at least as I, and I think most people, read it).
I will actually need an explanation of that! Because it seems that Tumblr SW fandom largely thinks "attachment means caring about anything or anyone and thus it's forbidden" and my view of it is "don't be greedy, possessive, selfish, or put your desires above everything and everyone."
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-04 05:58 am (UTC)I have always taken non-attachment to mean that you should not care about anything so much that you are unwilling to lose it regardless of the circumstances. That could be another person, your status, your honor, your life - you should be willing to sacrifice anything you have or love should the situation demand it. Thus you can love someone, even marry someone, without it being attachment. But if you are willing to let a hundred die to save one because of how you feel about that one - that is attachment.
In a pre-Disney context, where it is clear that the Jedi have not always held celibacy and avoidance of romantic relationships as an ideal (e.g., Nomi Sunrider), I interpreted that ideal arising as a way of preempting situations in which attachment might form more easily. I think this view of attachment is relatively common among fans involved with post-OT legends, since people have to square the Jedi ideal of non-attachment with the high number of married Jedi!
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-04 01:29 pm (UTC)Our views on attachment more or less align.
Well, Lucas himself said the Jedi aren't celibate! So I've never seen celibacy as a requirement. It's how relationships are treated by those within the relationship that may or may not be a problem. But marriage is a step too far, I think, at least with the Prequels and Disney canon. Legends canon I'm 100% fine with marriage… because you will pry Luke/Mara out of my cold, dead hands. And Corran/Mirax. And Nejaa Halcyon.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-04 06:16 pm (UTC)Oh I am 100% with you on Luke/Mara...and as the original topic of this thread keeps coming up, I can't believe they got Karen Traviss to write Sacrifice. I mean, couldn't they get Zahn to kill off the character he created? Or if he didn't want to, how about literally anyone else?
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-05 01:57 am (UTC)I don't know! I quit reading NJO after Vector Prime, so all I know about Mara in NJO is that she died in what's widely considered to be a not-great manner.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-05 05:50 am (UTC)The FotJ series is otherwise very good - I will absolutely never get over the scene in which Luke, when an enemy tells him "I will be the one to kill the great Luke Skywalker!", responds with "Everyone needs to have a dream" (or something along those lines). It doesn't take itself too seriously, which I think was part of the problem with NJO - they decided it had to be gritty and realistic all of a sudden, but it's Star Wars, for Pete's sake!
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-05 12:48 pm (UTC)Still can't get over the fact that the plot twist of the Fate of the Jedi series ended up being closely related to the TCW Mortis episodes, though...that was a bit of a questionable choice in my opinion.
This is where I confess that all the osmosis knowledge I gained in the years before I watch TCW made Mortis utterly creepy to me, so when I watched TCW last year, I skipped those episodes.
Luke! <3
It doesn't take itself too seriously, which I think was part of the problem with NJO - they decided it had to be gritty and realistic all of a sudden, but it's Star Wars, for Pete's sake!
Yes! Gritty and realistic is not what I expect or want from Star Wars.
(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-05 05:48 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-02 10:03 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2020-03-03 08:58 pm (UTC)