First thoughts, last requests

[stephbg]

I've not felt quite up to the task of committing to print my unfettered opinion of Traci Harding's book The Dragon Queens, nor is today that day. However, I will throw in one little gem.


She had the unmitigated gall and utter effrontery to refer to one of her allegedly dashing time-hopping paper-thin "heroes" as a time lord. That was definitely the occasion for a book launch. Right across the room.

More to follow. Angels, demons, passing references to grey aliens abducting and microchipping humans. Other aliens. More aliens.

In happy contrast I'm only a couple of chapters in to Elizabeth Moon's Sheepfarmer's Daughter, and it is just tremendous. Not a great deal has happened per se, but the characters and world are developing in interesting ways, and the prose simply resonates. I'm interested, I care. I feel the mud, I hear the shouts, I'm lost in the confusion of a novice's first battle. It's great.

See, it's not all ranting.

BTW When one's local council writes you a letter to say they'll be beginning road works outside your front door on a particular date, do not be surprised if you find yourself a week past that date with no signs of action.

Oh yes, and when The Curtain Person says they'll call you "in four to five weeks" to arrange installation, do not be surprised if six weeks go by without a whisper. I'm overdue to give them a rousing hello, but I'm afraid I will only be hearing someone say "What order? We haven't started that one." *mutter*

OK, it is mostly ranting.

Much woohooing at work today. Somehow I've written an inventory/stockpile control system. Go figure. It's so satisfying when the little numbers come out right.

Life has been a little on hold of late until Tomorrow is over. Yes, the much anticipated Presentation is on tomorrow evening. Finally. No-one from work is going, which in a way is a bit of a relief. Strangers make an easier audience. At least they did back in The Day when I used to attempt to amuse batches of people at the same time. On this occasion I'm merely providing an excuse for the membership to network and drink free beer.

After that's behind me I can relax, look forward to visiting my podiatrist on Wednesday (always an adventure), and trundle off to femmeconne on the weekend. This will unfortunately leave Husband to deal with Cally's antibiotic dosage on his own, but by then she'll have had a solid week of treatment. We've given her three doses so far, 25 to go.

Comments

[talmor.livejournal.com]

That's book one in 'The Deed of Paksenarrion', isn't it? The rest of the books in the series are excellent too. There's a prequel or two (set long before, with Gird as the main character, as an ordinary human) and a sequel or two as well, I think. I've got all of them, if you want to read more and can't track them down.

[stephbg.livejournal.com]

I did have some trouble tracking The Deed of P down - I eventually went looking in Tim's White Dwarf books and found the omnibus. I felt like a traitor - I'm Customer #1 in Fantastic Planet's database. EM's books never seem to turn up in second hand shops :-)

It took me a while to get around to starting this series but Lois McMaster Bujold taught me that a good space opera author can write enjoyable fantasy even for a princess+farmboy/prince+warrior+warlock+dwarf+elf-phobe like me. Quality will tell.

[talmor.livejournal.com]

Oh, I went the other way. I bought 'Deed of Paksenarion' somewhere in Perth, and then made a point of ordering some of her space opera from the US (the Harris Serrano books) - and eventually buying everything she's written. This was back in the days (early 90s?) when finding fantasy on the shelves in Perth was easy, but good SF was practically nonexistent in mainstream bookstores. Oh, and also when there were online bookstores that didn't charge more than the cost of a paperback in postage for each book...