Latest 7 titles
Leviathan by Scott WesterfeldI loved loved LOVED this book. The Great War reconfigured in grand steampunk strokes by the inestimable Scott Westerfeld. His Clankers and Darwinists are reminiscent of Bruce Sterlings Shapers and Mechanists, but where Sterling used technologies to change the body, Westerfeld does so to change the landscape. The dual narratives of Alek Ferdinand and Deryn Sharp are compelling and fast-paced and exciting as hell; I chugged this novel in 100-page chunks, and loved every minute of the adventure. I absolutely cannot wait for the next book in the series.
Boneshaker by Cherie PriestCherie Priest's best book to date (this is really saying something), and hella fun. A deceptively simple premise, but Priest does much to subvert reader expectations, while at the same time providing a rollicking adventure. And though zombies have been done to death, their genesis is logically justified, and they are truly damn scary here. Awesome squared.
A Case of Exploding Mangoes by Mohammed HanifA stunning evocation of the political landscape of Pakistan in 1988, and an entirely plausible scenario for why then-president General Zia and his highest-level aides died in a fiery plane crash. Narrated with exquisite style by army officer Ali Shigri, the novel is simultaneously a whydunnit, a love story, a political thriller, and a travelogue to Pakistan's most brutal military monuments. Utterly engaging and unputdownable.
Collected Stories by Lewis ShinerAn important and expansive collection from a vastly underrated writer. Shiner's fiction, interstitial (before the term was even coined) and exploratory, is stripped of any pretension, reveling in counterfactual numinosity. His characters exist in unfair worlds, trapped by circumstance yet always searching for Truth. Favorites include "Perfidia," "Primes," "Love in Vain" and "The Death of Che Guevara."
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N.K. JemisinAn incredible secondary-world fantasy that combines living mythology with practical magic in completely unexpected ways. Yeine Darr has been chosen as one of the heirs of the Arameri empire, and must navigate the perils of court intrigue and the machinations of enslaved gods. Wildly original and gorgeously written, full of danger, sensuality, and wonder. An unbelievable debut by a truly talented author. Highly recommended.
The Book Thief by Markus ZusakAn incredible account of the first years of WWII told from the perspective of 9-year-old Liesel, a young girl abandoned to a foster family in the midst of the Nazi crackdowns on Jews and communists in Munich. Narrated by Death, we are given a unique insight into the survival of Germany's own citizens under the reign of Hitler, and the incredible courage of those willing to hide Jews in the heart of the Reich. Emotionally powerful and heart-wrenchingly told.
The City & the City by China MievilleA masterpiece, and the standout of Mieville's already extraordinary literary oeuvre. A noird police procedural unlike any other, built on the highly original premise of overlapping societal borders, and the ontological bureaucracy created to maintain those boundaries. Set grosstopically in the interstices between Eastern Europe and the Middle East, the cities of Beszel and Ul Qoma become a wide-ranging crime scene for Inspector Tyador Borlu, who must solve a murder mystery whilst treading the silken social conventions that keep the two cities apart. Highly recommended.