Grr

[ladyofastolat]

Grr! I wrote a post this morning, but didn't finish it. Since LJ now saves drafts, I was able to finish it at work, but couldn't post it, since I often can't update from work. I'm home briefly now, before going to a meeting in Cowes, and went to post it from the saved draft. I did indeed post it... then noticed it had posted the incomplete saved draft from this morning, not the draft of the completed version. I deleted it... and now it's lost the draft, too, so I'll have to start again from scratch.

Or not bother. Summary was: musings about book sequels, with mentions of Robin Hobb, and Tehanu. Talk about "The King of Attolia", that I read yesterday. A review of "The Thief" by Megan Whalen Turner (the book that "The King of Attolia" is the second sequel to.) Key message: Great book! Not so great sequel. Great second sequel. Read it!

There. A two page post summarised in three lines. Off to my meeting now.

Comments

[skordh.livejournal.com]

"The left hand of darkness" is one of Le Guin's science fiction books, shares the same background as "Rocannon's World" and "The Disposessed" among others though they are all perfectly self-contained and there is no one you need to read first. In my view they share a lot of the magic, powerful writing etc... of the Earthsea books although of course with an SF spin (rather minimal - her love of fantasy comes through!)

The reason I recommend it to you is about slashiness I'm afraid - sorry if I'm making assumptions - though it's also one of my very favourite books! It's the story of a man from an interstellar alliance who is sent alone and unarmed as an emissary to an isolated and rather backward planet called Gethen. His job is to try and persuade the nations of Gethen to join the alliance. The people of Gethen are human just like most people roundabout due to colonisation millions of years ago. Except that, unlike all the other humans, they are androgynous and that runs through all their culture including their love stories, their taboos, legends, and so on. The story is about the emissary's adventures and his developing understanding of / relationship with the Gethenians and with one in particular. I guess the slashiness comes more than anything from terminology because, except for a few days a month when they become male or female at random, the Gethenians are neuter so Le Guin refers to them throughout as 'he' 'lord' 'king' and so on as she (or the narrator) thinks male terms are more suitable, less loaded.

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

That sounds interesting. The library has it (wow! A sf/fantasy novel that I want to read is actually in stock in IOW Libraries!!!) I'll reserve it after I come back from America.

As for the slashiness... I ordered two books from Amazon the other week that I knew hardly anything about except that they were fantasy, with pretty male leads, and the blurbs led me to except slashiness, so I certainly can't say you're wrong on your assumption. (Androgynous sounds... odd, though.)

[jane-somebody.livejournal.com]

...so what books were they? And, (when you've read them) do they live up to expectation?

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

One was "Swordspoint" (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553585495/qid=1142184881/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/203-9924649-4535963) by Ellen Kushner. I've already read it. I read it in one sitting, so it must have done something right, but it's not lingered too much in my mind afterwards. I think I'd have liked it a lot more had it been one of a series, in which I could really have got to know the characters, and not just a one-off.

The other is "Luck in the shadows" (http://www.amazon.co.uk/exec/obidos/ASIN/0553575422/qid=1142184954/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_xs_ap_i1_xgl/203-9924649-4535963) by Lynn Flewelling, but I've not read it yet. It's almost definitely going to be one of my aeroplane reads on Friday.

[jane-somebody.livejournal.com]

Ah, nothing new for me here then - 'Swordspoint' I read from the library years ago and loved, then reacquired a few years ago when it was reissued. There is a sequel of sorts, which I have but haven't read yet; it isn't the same characters, sadly. Thinking about it, 'Swordspoint' was one of the first things I mentally 'wrote' fanfic for (before even knowing there was such a thing) - lots of potential for h/c!

'Luck in the Shadows' and its sequels were more recent acquisitions, following a rec that they were slashy! One of the first books I've got sight unseen, as it were (more usually I'll buy something if I've already read and liked it, or something else by the same author, or possibly on the personal recommendation of someone who knows my taste). Unfortunately Lynn Flewelling has come out publically against fanfic of her work.

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

I checked for a sequel to Swordspoint after I finished reading it, and was excited to see there was one... and instantly very disappointed to see that it was about different characters. I doubt I'll read it. I give my hearts to characters, not to worlds.

So, any other fantasy novels you can recommend that have slashy relationships in them?

[jane-somebody.livejournal.com]

I'm very fond of Mercedes Lackey's 'Last Herald Mage' trilogy (Magic's Pawn, Magic's Promise, Magic's Price). Lackey has recently started churning out books with a view to quantity rather than quality, and some people don't think any of her stuff is much good, but these are early books and I think they stand up well. And they certainly fit the pretty hero, angst, h/c bill.

I also like, though these may be harder to find, Diane Duane's 'Door Into' series, starting with 'The Door Into Fire'. There are three of them, and she's been planning to write the fourth for over a decade I think, but they stand alone well enough, especially the first one.

Let's see. The above are overtly slashy, or well, gay really. But there's plenty of stuff that's slashy in the sense of slashable. Hmmn, for pretty heroes, angsting and h/c Judith Tarr is pretty good, as is pretty much anything by Nancy Springer, especially 'The Silver Sun'. Doubtless I'll think of other things later, but I'd better stop for now. And you could borrow any of these from me if you like ;-)

[ladyofastolat.livejournal.com]

I read the Last Herald Mage series. I found it lying around in the living room at some Buttsfrag or other, read the blurb, looked at the cover... and ordered it from Amazon as soon as I got home. I have never read a book that reads more like fanfic. Pretty men galore. Slash. Angst and injury left, right, and centre. I didn't think they were very good... but I loved them anyway.

I've not read the Diane Duane series, but will look out for it. I'll also put the others that you recommend on my "to read" list. Once I've read their Amazon write-ups, checked which (if any) the library stocks, I might well ask if I can borrow a few of them at Wightfrag.