While I was in Ashland, Oregon, over the weekend, The Chronicle ran my latest science fiction review column. It covers new books by Jasper Fforde, Ray Bradbury and Christopher Barzak.I was pleased to finally admit my unenthusiasm for Fforde's work. I'm not quite sure why he so violently rubs me the wrong way.
I liked half of Bradbury's collection of novellas and can strongly recommend Barzak's debut. The market seems saturated with "I see dead people" fantasies, but "One for Sorrow" is worth your attention.
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3 comments:
If it is any consolation, I have the same problem with Terry Pratchett. I've not tried Fforde because he seems to appeal to very much the same audience.
I am, however, very much looking forward to getting my hands on the Barzak.
See, I happen to like Pratchett's novels. They're jokey, but they are also extremely well constructed, with characters I can actually care about.
Yeah, it is weird, isn't it. I may well find that I like Fforde if I were to try him. I might even like some of Pratchett's newer work. In the end it comes down to the "too many books" thing. I have no shortage of reading material (even if I never buy another book in my life).
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