Here’s What I’m Reading
Eon by Greg Bear | Science Fiction
I read this book as a kid and was curious how it held up over the years as a story and if the science was still relevant. Bear is considered a “hard science fiction” writer, and to achieve accuracy in his writing, he often teamed up with real scientists. What’s interesting is that the science has held up, which either means he worked with some remarkable scientists who were able to accurately forecast physics 40 years into the future or we haven’t achieved that much in physics after four decades.
Clocking in at over 400 pages, it’s a page-turner. That is, if you like a lot of detail and world-building in your books. Bear writes in the post-J.R.R. Tolkien era, so minutiae is part of the deal when reading this book.
If you love physics as part of what’s essentially a mystery novel, along with 1980s quirkiness, this book is for you.
The Getaway by Jim Thompson | Murder Mystery
This author and book were introduced to me through Anthony Jeselnik’s book club. Best known for his dark comedy, it turns out that Jeselnik is also a book aficionado.
This is a very fast read (an evening or two). It features great characters, all with major flaws. Then there’s the deus ex machina near the end of the book. When you come across this writing technique, it almost always means the book (or movie) is a disaster. Not in this case. The adventure that “Ma” takes the main characters on is remarkable in a seriously dark way.
If you love a noir novel with interesting characters and a plot twist that no one can see coming, this is the book for you.
Early Stone Houses of Kentucky by Carolyn Murray-Wooley | How To
My wife and I love stone houses, fences; pretty much anything made of this long-lasting material. This book was a Christmas gift from her. More at the end of the month.
Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Philip K. Dick | Science Fiction
A tiny part of this relatively short book was used as the basis for the movie Blade Runner.
Lock In: A Novel of the Near Future by John Scalzi | Science Fiction
Jill Billingsley (model, artist, writer) recommended this book. She has a hilariously dark, sarcastic sense of humor, so I’m interested to see where this book goes.