Jon

Another hit by the King himself

Revisado: 02-17-23

Stephen King is sometimes maligned for his inundation of the American fiction market with his work, but I have to say, the man knows his business. Fairy Tale is pure King with a fun fantasy bent. A boy and his dog, loss, a child’s vow, redemption, the ecstasy of gold, the mysterious old house on the hill, what if you discovered a portal to another world? Placing myself in his shoes, I have to say that I sympathize pretty strongly with Charlie Reade, our 17 year old protagonist. Smacking of Heavy Metal Magazine, Dungeons and Dragons, and Piers Anthony (Xanth does get a shoutout), Fairy Tale runs long, but never feels like filler. The pacing keeps you engaged and the plot lines all tie up rather nicely. Even some of the more outlandish suspensions of disbelief have some impish winks to wave them away and weave them into the rich tapestry of a good old fashioned story. If you like Joseph Campbell’s cosmogonic cycle, but think it needs a bit of a brush-up, Fairy Tale might just shine for you. Thanks for another fun one, Uncle Stevie.

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An excellent revival

Revisado: 01-04-23

I’ve been a Pratchett fan for over a decade now, and Mort has been one of my favorites since those early days, discovering the Disc and its denizens. Nigel Planer and Stephen Briggs will always be my first memories of the voice of Discworld, but Sian Clifford and Peter Serafinowicz do an excellent job presenting a new performance. I would be remiss if I also did not credit the fantastic Bill Nighy as the driest of dry deliveries for the footnotes. Definitely a worthy addition to any fantasy fan’s listening library.

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Blue, she is like a woman...

Revisado: 05-21-15

Chris Moore's novel d'Art is a great romp through late-19th century Paris. As always, the book is rife with deft skewering of the past via 20/20 hindsight and hilariously ribald humor of the sort we've come to expect from our favorite Author Guy. Henri and Lucien are a great odd couple, and carry a surprising level of pathos in their respective histories. Cameos from some of the greatest names in French art will make any history buff double check their sources, and Moore's attentive research (look up his reading guide for Sacre Bleu) make his fictional Paris feel achingly close to the real thing. An exceptionally fun summer read.

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The illusionist entertains you twice...

Revisado: 01-05-15

...once with the trick, and twice with the trickery.

Sir Pterry enlists the aid of folklorist Jacqueline Simpson to explore the Roundworld references and inspirations from "when things were otherwise" drawn into the Discworld series.

Why must there be three witches?
How did the fifth elephant collide with the Disc?
What is a Pictsie?

A great spin on the Science of Discworld series. While I partly wish that it had the same interleaved narrative/explanation structure, it's more the co-narrator Stephen Briggs that I wish would have carried over. Michael Fenton Stevens is a fine narrator, but feels more highbrow than is appropriate for Sir Pterry's folksy exposé.

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