I’ve read a lot of fantastic, lengthy novels in the last 365 days. 2013 was an exceptional year for readers and while I have not begun working on my ‘best of’, books make great gifts no matter who is on your holiday shopping list. You might have noticed my tastes run the gamut of speculative fiction (this is the new black, right?). I dig the YA, the epics, the niche, etc. The places where anything can happen. Places beyond reality, that could have been or might have been. Places that define the best in humanity: imagination and sharing it with others.
Here are a several books I’ve read over the last little while that I HIGHLY recommend.
The Shambling Guide To New York City
By Mur Lafferty
A down-and-out writer is hired by a monster-run publishing company to write a tour guide to the monster underbelly of New York City. Her research leads to attacks by incubuses, zombies, golems and a secret villain who wants to turn the city on its head and unleash the brewing war between human and monster.
The Shambling Guide To New York City is a lovely dive into Lafferty’s world of monsters, or as they call themselves, coterie.
Though the pace is fast and the tension is kept high with one inventive surprise or crazy crisis after another, the style is breezy and funny. And the characters, human and not, are wonderful. This book is pure, unadulterated fun. Ordinary protagonist thrust into a extraordinary world is always fertile ground. I’ll mos def pick up the sequel which looks like it will be set in New Orleans, a city with a lot of paranormal possibilities.
Champion
By Marie Lu
What to say, what to say about Marie Lu and the final chapter to the Legend series. I can think of one word. Captivating. This novel and its predecessors really stand out as a well written, dynamic, engaging, roller coaster of dystopian novels. Both June & Day along with the supporting characters oozed personality and strength while being utterly realistic with their insecurities, and fears. While I may have had a hard time starting up the first novel of this trilogy, it was clear to me after the first few chapters that this series would be hard to put down. One thing I highly respect in this series is that there is a consequence for every action. No consequence is glossed over and everything fits into the story. Theres enough action, suspense, twists and turns to keep anyone coming back for more.
Lexicon
By Max Barry
Talk about a world class ‘What If’ scenario: what if a school existed which taught the skills of language to be used in such a way as to actually influence virtually everything in life? The REAL power comes in knowing how to form the rather random sounds together in such a way as to control the thoughts of others. This is what is taught to a very select few. The storyline essentially is a straight-forward sci-fi adventure tale-but not just ANY tale. Either the plot connects with you (as it did with me) or it won’t. What would YOU do if you understood that sound placement could bring down entire civilizations? It’s a staggering thought, and one I am grateful remains in the realm of sci-fi, but one which is utterly compelling to me. How much did I enjoy Lexicon? Let me end by saying this: I had never read Max Barry before, but after this I plan to search out ALL his previous works.
S
By J.J. Abrams & Doug Dorst
Perhaps Ship of Theseus is not a novel for the ages; probably it isn’t. Perhaps you will not find the various characters all that engaging or nuanced; whatever. S is a multi-sensory pleasure. From the moment I broke the seal, I found S utterly captivating, at a time when I really need to be captivated.
It is not actually a book, but a sculpture; a physical piece of art that is far beyond a particular arrangement of alpha-numeric characters. It is content and form wrapped into a multifaceted whole unlike anything I have seen. I am not all the way through this book, if this is a book that can ever really be completed, but am finding this one of the most creative works in years.
S is so much more than a book. It’s an experience. I continue to obsess over every detail, every clue, and every word contained in these pages. But, what’s funny about S, is that I wouldn’t recommend this book to most of my friends and family. Simply put, I just don’t think many people will “get it.” I don’t know how many people have the tolerance for ambiguity in the same way I do. I don’t know if other people will appreciate the complexity, the depth, or the details like I do.
Doomed
By Chuck Palahniuk
Is it possible to base an entire novel on potty humor? Not many serious writers would have the audacity to try, and few of those would pull it off as capably as Chuck Palahniuk. Doomed, the sequel to Damned, is a send-up of religion, Hollywood parenting, and hypocrisy in all its guises. Humor of this nature is difficult to sustain, so it’s fortunate that Doomed isn’t overly long. Sometimes Palahniuk’s satire is too over-the-top to be effective; other times it is spot on. Most of the time, Doomed is amusing. On occasion, it is outrageously funny. As darkly satirical, snarky, conspiracy-minded and voice-true as its predecessor novel, it is an excellent follow-up that engagingly expands on its source work. I found myself semi-regularly cringing and laughing out loud at this zing-laden and otherwise dead-on sequel.
You would enjoy this book most if you had already read Damned but as the relevant parts of the first story are subtly retold, it isn’t necessary for you to understand the plot. As with all of Palahniuk’s writing, there is always something one can walk away with or appreciate within the pages. It’s impossible to deny that the man is, at least, inventive, creative, and extremely original.
-Dagobot
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