Anders Monsen

Lost worlds and ports of call

Author: Anders Monsen (Page 45 of 83)

Books read

April 4, 2010 /

I finished Paul McAuley’s latest novel, Gardens of the Sun, his sequel to The Quiet War. I actually liked most of this novel better than the first. McAuley seemed more comfortable with his characters and the events of the story, although several main characters from the first book either died or underwent radical change. Excellent hard sf novel on a grand scale, so for the most part the characters played their parts and drifted off, exit stage left.

Gardens of the Sun

Gardens of the Sun


I also read Sarah Hoyt’s novel, Darkship Thieves, a book that focused very much on the characters, especially the female protagonist. This character tended to be unsympathetic almost until the end, while her male co-star sulked a great deal throughout the novel. The book was far from unfavorable, and I am planning a longer review in Prometheus, but I have not processed all my thoughts about this book yet.
Darkship Thieves

Darkship Thieves

Angela Carter

April 2, 2010 /

What a master of style and images. Just finished her novel, Nights at the Circus, about a half woman, half swan trapeze artist at the turn of the 19th into the 20th century, and the journalist who follows her across Europe and Siberia. Bawdy, breathtaking, funny, bizarre, and brilliant. I had read several of Carter’s short stories in her collection Burning Your Boats, but this was her first novel I tackled. I think I need to add her to the list of authors worth searching for at the local used book store.

Surrealist fiction

March 19, 2010 /

I just finished re-reading Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass, two stories I vaguely remember having read many decades ago. Since then my perceptions of the two stories have been clouded by movies, popular culture, and dim memory. I both stories very surreal, almost bizarre, with characters spouting nonsense and misdirection. Yet digging deeper there are some very interesting metaphysical notions, as well other critical insight into the workings of morals and language. I have not seen the new Tim Burton movie yet, but as for the stories, I think they are ones that are strange and curious, though I am not tempted to return there.

Tracey Thorn in the clouds

March 19, 2010 /

I first hear Tracey Thorn’s voice in early 1984, when I picked up Everything but the Girl’s debut record, Eden, which I still have. I bought pretty much everything I could find by Thorn and EbtG, until the late ’90s when they turned to dance music I failed to follow. Then just a few days ago I heard a song of hers on Pandora that I did not recognize. I turned to Wikipedia, or course, and discovered she had recorded a new record in 2007, and in May 2010 is coming out with another. Supposedly the link below will embed a Soundcloud audio player to hear the song, which is just superb. Check out her music at www.traceythorn.com. Her new single is sparse, her voice nonpareil, and the music just as good as it gets.

Tracey Thorn / ‘Oh, The Divorces!’ by buzzinfly

New way to fund music

November 4, 2009 /

Stripmall Architecture, a new project from former members of Halou, launched a funding effort online to pay for the CD release of their new EP. I like their music, and find this method a far more personal way to participate in releasing good music than throwing $20 to Sony or EMI for the latest pop sounds or Beatles re-flog. You can check progress and listen to samples over at http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/stripmall/fund-the-new-stripmall-architecture-release

« Older posts Newer posts »
amonsen - AT - gmail - DOT - com

© 2025 Anders Monsen

Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑

css.php