Can the award-winning science fiction novels of the past actually still be worth reading several decades later? Do they have messages, technology, and characters that are pertinent in modern society? Have I just been reading rehashed versions of past award-winners? There's only one way to find out...
read and review the Hugo, Nebula, and Locus award-winning novels.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Book #2 has arrived!

I got an exciting e-mail from the Erie Public Library this morning, which said that my inter-library-loan copy of They'd Rather Be Right has arrived. Woohoo! I plan to start reading it tonight on my weekly dinner/book/movie-filled evening away from my home and family.

Before I jump into book #2, I thought I'd complete the list of non-award-winning books I've been reading while I waited for it to arrive. Over the past few days, I've read the following titles:

Kitty Goes to Washington by Carrie Vaughn--2nd book in the Kitty Norville werewolf series, and an enjoyable read. This one has a Red Scare/witch hunt theme that is pulled off well, and continues some unfinished plot lines from the first book in the series. There's nothing particularly original about Vaughn's treatment of the genre, but her plotting and characterization is good enough that I'll continue to read her books. Rating: 4/5

The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi--the sequel to Old Man's War, which I loved, has only a few characters in common with the first book but continues the overall story line very well. I wasn't quite as "wowed" by this one as the first, but Scalzi's writing is still darn good. Scalzi names many of his characters after renowned scientists and sci-fi authors, and it's like a particularly challenging easter egg hunt to find and follow the references; come to think of it, it's almost identical to a mental process he describes in this book as "unpacking". Well-layered, well-written, well-paced, and worth reading. I can't wait to see where he takes the story in the 3rd installment. Rating: 4/5

With any luck, the next post will get back onto the main topic of this blog--the award-winning books and authors that made the genre of science fiction what it is. If you've read anything amazing that you think I'd enjoy reading while waiting for other books on my list, let me know!

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