cahn | My "themes"

Look, before I start recommending any more books to people, let's talk about my hot buttons so you know when I'm recommending something that might not press your hot buttons.

Redemption. This is possible The Hugest thing for me. I'll read just about anything if there's a good redemption story. Now, you have to do it right-- if it's done clumsily (e.g., you must never ever actually USE the word redemption (unless, of course, you are Cordelia, who can somehow get away with that sort of thing), or have some dumb slogan like "Evil will turn in upon itself," because I will just laugh in your face) it will turn me off more than anything else-- and sometimes I'll see a redemption story where other people don't. To me, American Beauty, which in general I didn't like all that much, became at the end palatable because it became a story of redemption of the main character. This is what Cordwainer Smith and Bujold (two of my Favorite Authors Ever) are all about, and why I love Curse of Chalion-- which works as a redemption story both on the personal level and on the world/universe level-- to little bits and pieces. It's why Memory is my favorite Vorkosigan novel-- because the entire book is about screwing up, and redeeming yourself, and what it takes to do so.

Hard choices. This is a sister to redemption, because it's making the hard choice when everything in you wants to make the other one that does redeem you. (

mistful, guess which fic of yours is my favorite. Shouldn't be too hard. You will probably be able to guess my second favorite, too.) Extra points if both the choices are bad, like in Brust's Vlad novels. (That book-- Teckla, I think?-- is not fun to read, which is why I can't remember exactly which one it is, but it did give Vlad a depth that he didn't have before that.) Things like everyone going to face Sauron at the climax of LOTR, knowing they don't have a chance, count too.

Trust and betrayal; honor and dishonor. Again, you've got to do this right. A paper character who betrays another paper character for some flimsy motive? This will make me laugh rather than move me. (A good example of doing this badly is David Weber, who has Harrington say such howlers as, "But... we have to do it for the honor of the queen!" without actually, you know, grounding the world well enough that we understand what that means, or why it is important.) Rowling did it right in PoA. McKillip did it right in the Riddlemaster books. Honor, and honor betrayed, is a huge theme running through Bujold's books, and she does it really well.

Friendship/partnership. Especially synergistic partnership. I am a sucker when two or more people can work together like one entity. This is why I fell devastatingly in love with Firefly. Strong relationships in general will suck me in like nothing else. Vlad/Morrolan/Aliera is, despite all odds, such a partnership, which Brust only makes work because he is so danged good.

Growing up. In particular, seeing truths about the world you didn't see before. To Kill a Mockingbird is one of my favorites this way. The Chosen is pretty awesome too. Perilous Gard, as I've said before, almost deserves a special mention because its character absorbs some truths without even realizing she's doing so. Merry (one of my favorites!) in LOTR. Darcy and Elizabeth in Pride and Prejudice.

Knowing stuff about history I don't. Your characters may be paper-thin, your writing may be a little suspect, but if you've got a firmer grasp on history than I do I will read you and even enjoy it. (The firmer grasp of history will at least guarantee that you have good grammar-- I don't see how you could read all that history without picking up competent writing-- and a Plot, because history has the best plots.) Guy Gavriel Kay, who in general I have a hard time stomaching, won me with his Byzantium (sorry, Sarantium) novels. Kate Elliott, who has 2D characters and nonsensical relationships, kept me enthralled for 6 1/2 really thick books of medieval politics. (I skipped the half of the book where they go back in time for No Reason.) Patricia Kenneally, who writes rather floofily and New-Age-ily, and whom normally I would completely avoid, still manages to get me to read because she actually knows more about Celtic mythology/lit than I do. (And believe me, that is actually pretty difficult.) Part of my obsession with LOTR is that Tolkien knew, well, basically everything about medieval literature and history.

What makes you tick?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm not sure what my hot button issues are, I'll generally read anything good, regardless of theme or genre. That said, there are a couple of things that I'm always fascinated by.

Like you, redemption is a big theme for me. I'm fascinated by the question of redemption, both the ways in which someone can redeem themselves as well as the mirror of redemption which is the question of whether or not there are crimes which simply cannot be forgiven, no matter what a person does. So yeah. I feel like there are a ton of good books with this theme that I'm somehow failing to think of. It's definitely one of the reasons I liked Arbonne and Tigana. _Perdido Street Station_ sort of occupies the latter space, and is a brilliant, if incredibly dark book if you haven't read it.

Incidentally, from what you've posted have you read any of Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels? They're historical fiction set during the Napoleonic War, brilliantly researched history, an amazing friendship between the two main characters and lots of other fun stuff. Plus, although it's very naval, there's a whole lot of interesting stuff that takes place off the ship. I'd definitely recommend the series, though if you do read the series start with Post Captain (the second book) don't read the first book (Master and Commander) because it's not very good.

Yeah, Tigana is the other GGK I actually like (although I have markedly less sympathy for the king than I think I'm really supposed to have). I've been told to read Arbonne... I should get myself in gear and actually do it, especially since we own it. I don't always do well with horribly depressing books (I think I have to be in the right mood, because Stand on Zanzibar certainly was a big hit with me), but I shall hie myself to Perdido Street Station, which is also around here someplace.

Hmm, I have never even thought about reading Patrick O'Brian. That does sound like I would really like it...

I should note that Perdido Street Station is really depressing and dark, so you really do need to be up for it.

Speaking of GGK, how do you feel about Lions of Al-Rassan? That's probably my favorite, I think it's Emily's too.

Of course GGK would be higher up on my author list if his endings were better, not quite Neal Stephenson is WTFness but still.

Speaking of Growing Up and Hard Choices, it occurs to me that you might also like some of Sean Stewart's work. _Mockingbird_ and _Perfect Circle_ are the ones still in print, and I definitely recommend the former. (Perfect Circle is also good but not my favorite). I think given what you've said that a lot of his books would resonate.

Lions of Al-Rassan is another that my husband quite likes and that I've never actually read. If both you and Emily like it, I shall definitely have to put it on my list :)

I agree about GGK's endings (and Stephenson's as well).

Hmm... I don't think I have even heard of Sean Stewart!

Re: History. S. M. Stirling's Island in the Sea of Time series (Island in the Sea of Time, Against the Tide of Years, On the Oceans of Eternity) "where the island of Nantucket and the U.S. Coast Guard training ship Eagle are thrown back in time to 1250 BC." Alternate history, but as far as I know - not knowing much about history - the framework on which it hangs is solid. These have to be read in order. :)

Second that.

Or the other side of Nantucket trilogy.

Or The Peshawar Lancers. Which also has the distinction of most original way to get the hero laid that's central to plot.

DV

Or The Peshawar Lancers. Which also has the distinction of most original way to get the hero laid that's central to plot.

Cool. Is this also Stirling?

Yes. It's a standalone alt-history that has a big meteor screwing things up and basically KO-ing Europe. So the British monarchy relocates to India.

DV

Hmm, okay. I feel like I've read something by Stirling, and liked it, but I cannot now remember what :)

He is prolific, so that's not surprising. :)

The trick with the Nantucket books is that very little is known by ANYONE about most of the societies that Stirling makes 'main characters,' so he has lots of room to make up almost anything he wants. :->

I love Teckla for showing exactly what happens when two members of a relationship have an alignment conflict, in DnD terms: Vlad was chaotic neutral, and Cawti was firmly chaotic-good (or neutral good, perhaps). In the next several books, Vlad laboriously works through an alignment change of his own. :->

Hee. This is especially funny to me because I was just reading "DM of the Rings" (online comic, have you seen?) and it was totally bringing back my old D&D days, especially the campaign where we were all lawful or chaotic evil (which ended in complete and utter disaster, unsurprisingly).

I think in some ways I liked chaotic-neutral Vlad better, but Orca has got to be my favorite Vlad book, if only because of the total plottiness and end payoffs.

My "themes"

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject