My Favourite Authors - From Bujold to Pratchett

Lois McMaster Bujold is a very good science fiction and fantasy author. She has written the popular, intelligent and often humourous sci-fi Vorkosigan series [based around Miles Vorkosigan and his dramatic immediate family, the politics and scientific ethics of his home planet - cut off from the wider galaxy during its formative years and now a significant military and strategic element in Galactic politics.

Barrayar can kindly be described as 'backward' - with a vicious anti-mutant prejudice and a rigid military government structure, and it's struggling to adjust to the flood of new technologies and ideas.

Miles is a hyperactive, over intelligent - and physically stunted and distorted - only child of one of the most powerful men on the planet and the series follows his adventures in the Political arena, and out into space as he forms his own mercenary company.

Some of the reasons I love these books are how well Bujold handles, and explains, themes such as prejudice, technology and sexism; the realism of her politics and the fact that she writes more than one highly intelligent and very unique characters actually interacting with each other on a regular basis. And more than one very well thought out, and completely unique society - from Barrayar - to the Matriarchal, labryinthine Cetagandans, with their genetic breeding programs and convulated politics dominating half the known Galaxy - to the ultra liberal Betans (who at one point, took the idea of gender-equality to the point of hermaphrodism. It didn't stick, but it brought us the wonderful Bel Thorne).
Also, humour - which is always a good thing, when used well.

She has also written some very strong fantasy books - the Curse of Chalion and its accompanying novels being generally acclaimed. She's currently writing the Sharing Knife series - also good, if somewhat more easy going and slower paced than her other books. On the other hand, I go into them expecting a Miles-bouncing-everywhere book and it takes a while to adjust.

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Most people know GRRM for his Epic Fantasy-historical-warring kingdoms-politics-and-prophecy Saga A Song Of Ice and Fire.

Firstly, let me state that this is a brilliant series - it. is. EPIC, the politics are internecine and yet believable and trackable, the characters are... incredibly unique, even the switching viewpoints and internal voices are consistent. This is A Wheel of Time done properly.

Also, Tyrion Lannister (not Lancaster, however reminiscient of Richard III the story gets XD) is a clever, crazy little hunchback.... not hunchback, sorry, mixing fictions again, dwarf strongly dominated by his father and family who reminded me increasingly of Miles Vorkosigan. This bugged me all the way through the first book and made me laugh all the way through the second (...and then I suddenly became mature. Honest).

Also, very, very much worth picking up are his short stories - recently brought out for me to seize upon in a ravenous howling of delight - Dreamsongs. In this book (or books, if you buy the parts separately) is a collection of short stories - most of which have won awards - in practically every fantastical genre, from Horror to Science Fiction, Historical to Erotic, Urban to traditional Fantasy... Go. Read them. Buy them. Give them to your friends. There is something in there that EVERYONE will love.

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One of the most well known and prolific authors around, this British writer is best known for his (30 books plus) Discworld series (well... sort of series. There's a kind of 'do it yourself' order ).

He writes in a pun-filled, flow of thought style* - no chapters being a main trademark, until recently - as well as continual little themes that popped up throughout certain books (frogs... nougat... Death... YES? I wasn't talking to you. OH. FINE THEN, I'LL JUST GO OVER HERE AND WAIT SHALL I? Wait for...wha- nevermind. SUIT YOURSELF)

He lampshades, satirizes and lampoons almost every established cliche and accepted fantasy or social aspect under the sun - and rephrases the most serious and philosophical matters into obvious, and even highly amusing, phrases.

For new readers, I would definitely recommend trying his Bromeliad series (the little Nomes, who live under the floorboards in a Store - sorry, THE Store - that was clearly created for them by Arnold Bros.), the Maurice and His Amazing Educated Rodents or his Tiffany Aching series. These are... written for childrens to young adults, which means he's tried to stay on track and taken the sex jokes out (Yes, Mrs Rosy Palm, we ARE looking at you). They are Good Books - and introduce you to his writing style. Most people who end up picking up the Colour of Magic (his first - and arguably worst written - Discworld novel) don't really enjoy it...

His darker works - such as Thud, Nightwatch - are definitely among my favourites (revolution, murder and politics galore). For Neil Gaiman fans... there is of course: Good Omens. This books was cowritten by Pratchett and Gaiman and is probably one of the most quoted and widest read. It's good.

And the point of this IS of course to indoctrinate more mindless adicts into his army.

Go forth. And beware the pattering of little feet.


*Also is probably singlehandedly responsible for the common usage of little footnotes to add humourous and completely irrelevant text**
**This... being relevant text, of course***
**this isn't, though****
****I CAN'T STOP*****
*****THE ASTERISKS ARE GETTING LONGER THAN THE FOOTNOTE!!!!!^
^There. Knew I'd get the exclamation marks in somewhere. No Terry Pratchett reference is complete with out an abuse of exclamation marks - because it is self evident that all Teryy Pratchett referencers are touched, stirred and baked with insanity (...little insanity raisins in the toasted figgins of our brains)

*icon author unknown.

Nicola Griffith is a fantastic science fiction and detective story writer. Most of her stories centre around very strong feminist characters (this is a plus - she pulls it all off without rubbing your nose in).
I'm annoyed because she's not very commonly found here, I only own Ammonite - actually, that is partly because I lean towards the sci-fi when buying books I haven't read, and a lot of her books aren't. Which means I haven't dared buy them from online places, Good Books or second hand (online) as I can't check them first. She isn't found in any actual bookshops, that I've seen. I plan to buy more, now.

Always is quite late in a series, and is running a dual timeline (flashbacks every other chapter) between the past - character running a self defence class for women, leading up to some drama, which is really interesting and includes a lot of real information (the best way to... injure, think, act. Characterisation, attitudes and how people can manipulate you... as well as ways to pop someone's eyeball, the old 'everything is a weapon' drill). The other timeline is sort-of a detective story, the character is both very intelligent, paranoid, and tough. Some kind of current or ex- police/detective (is late in series, as mentioned, so I don't quite know the backstory).

A stand alone science fiction book is 'Slow River' which is futuristic, about a decaying society, has interesting realistic characters, dysfunctional families, and jumps about a lot - a real pain to start with but fascinating by the end, with the various timelines in the girl's life unfolding in parallel, and others - think Sheri S. Tepper-style/quality/philosophical level.

Ammonite is very, very good - and very interesting... Sci-fi - woman going to study a planet that has been cut off for centuries; a virus killed off all the men (and some women) so many non-tech different cultures have sprung up; the women can self-induce diploid conceptions; the 'Company' has a base of soldiers/security but will probably kill them off (as it's cheaper) if the vaccine they're testing doesn't protect against the virus. It reminded me a bit of 'Brother's Price' by Wen Spencer - it's all women, they *assume* it's going to be a woman, and sometimes it isn't even mentioned that it is a woman, so you don't realize until later; and the interactions are fascinating. In a way, those stories are a lot simpler, because they don't have to include or adjust for or explain gender interactions - it's one less variable, unfortunately a significant one.

I first discovered Nicola Griffith via the Bending the Landscape: Science Fiction anthology. She coedited this book with Stephen Pagel.
I thought it would just be another rag-tag collection of Sci-Fi but it is REALLY REALLY good. This is one of those must-reads. It has a few let downs - especially near the beginning - where they belabour the 'gay' issue at the expense of much story. But the rest of it? Amazing. One of those multi-genre award winning masterpieces that one hopes for with every Anthology and rarely gets.
I would rate this book up there with George RR Martin's Dreamsongs. It is mostly science fiction - time travel, robots, alternate realities, virtual worlds, space ships and the future - although it wavers over past the semi-illusionary edge of Fantasy, on occasion.
The Bending the Landscape:Fantasy Anthology is good, but not as mindblowing; and I have not read the 'Horror' anthology.

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