Links to Stave Off….

It’s been a mix of a ‘blah’ kind of week and extremely hectic with lots of work to do. And I’m not finding near enough time to watch curling. Anyway, here are a few links.

As the picture shows, I got mail from Patrick Rothfuss – how cool is that? I won prize in for donating to his Heifer International Worldbuilder’s charity fundraiser, which raised nearly $200,000. I got a signed copy of The Way of Shadows by Brent Weeks (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound, my review) – free signed books are always cool, but I wish it were a book I didn’t already have. Not that I’m complaining.

SyFy is Time Magazine’s third worst corporate name change.

The Republic of Thieves by Scott Lynch (Book Depository, Powell’s Books, Indiebound) won’t be published in the US until Spring 2011 at the earliest – hopefully there’s still a chance of 2010 release for the UK.

A snarky interview with authors Blake Charlton and Gail Carriger.

I was mind-melded again at SFF Signal – this time about SFF TV shows that should be remade. I have no qualification for this at all, so I attempt humor.

Mark Charan Newton has an idea, a crazy idea. It’s an opportunity for writers to plagiarize remix his fiction. Personally, I’m holding out for Pride of Newton and Zombies – clearly a best-seller.

Author Sam Sykes interviews some bloggers (supposedly I’m in line – last I believe). An aside – what would you do if you found out that this guy lives in the same area as you?

And last, since I am a geologist and landslides are cool…

On Reviewing…Take 1,764 and Counting

So, after a Twitter exchange between me, Mark Charan Newton, Neil, Aidan, and Gav, Mark has written something up on what he as an author would like to see out of review blogs and ultimately names three that he thinks best meet what he’s looking for. As with all articles of that get introspective on review blogging, bloggers have come out in force to add their two cents (and their defense). Response posts are starting to pop up – it seems that all of us must have some clever response (if this were a movie, insert awkward pause where I turn and look at the camera).

In general, I’m in agreement with what Mark says – he makes good points and gives advice that review bloggers should take to heart. However, his author perspective does come through, which does miss the point on review blogs are. I think very few review bloggers are blogging for authors – they are generally blogging for themselves and fans like them. Mark’s points are still valid and helpful, but should be taken into context.

So, I’ve taken his seven points and given my response to them.

1) There are bloggers who use the right tools, and those who are tools. If you’re expecting page-turning romances, don’t read Gene Wolfe and complain that his books are not page-turning romances. They’re not designed to be, they never intend to be. Likewise, don’t approach an entertaining romp expecting philosophical ramblings if it isn’t meant to be one. I wouldn’t say ‘I don’t like beer on account that it’s not whiskey,’ would I? This is not a valid complaint to make – it’s stating the bloody obvious, wrapping it up as your main concern. Judge a book on what it is, and don’t project your hefty genre preferences upon it.

Hmm…it is a good point, but I think that Mark is missing the reason that many (well at least me anyway) bloggers get into this in the first place – we are fans. I can’t speak for all bloggers, just me – as a fan this makes the reviews I write a bit different from someone who is a ‘professional’ reviewer. I’m not objective, nor do attempt to be. First, I think objectivity is a myth – an undesirable myth at that. I’m opinionated – that’s why I do this. I want to present these opinions and all my biases right out in front. I don’t have the pedigree to even attempt critical objectivity, so I don’t try. Heck, I don’t want objectivity, I want a well thought out and presented opinion, with all its inherent strengths and weaknesses.

To get back to Mark’s point – if I as a reviewer I read what is an excellent philosophical and stylistic force of fantasy literature and I am bored to death by it, then I’m going to write a negative review that complains about how bored I was. Likewise if I read a crazy romp that’s nonstop action and seems like little more than a bad video game turned into a novel, then I’ll complain about that too. I’m going to write about my reaction to the book, not reproduce how the writer wanted me to react to the book.

I’m not surprised that Mark’s take is what it is – after all, he’s a writer and has certain reactions that he wants impart on an ideal reader. He has layer upon layer of meaning wrapped up into his text and he hopes the reader sees this. I’m not an ideal reader, I simply am what I am. Maybe I’ll get it, maybe I won’t. Heck, maybe I’ll see something incredibly clever that he never actually intended but is there none the less. But the reaction is mine, and I will report it as it is.

Also, I do know what I like so I do read a certain kind of books. But I also like to take the occasional chance and challenge myself. Sometimes I’m rewarded by this with a book that I enjoy immensely. Sometimes I’m bored to tears. But I’m not going to stop taking those chances simply because I may get a Gene Wolfe when I’m looking for a Scott Lynch (or vice versa).

So, I guess I’m a beer-lover who respects his whiskey, but just may think that Macallan 12-year scotch just isn’t any good. At the same time, I may think that Hefeweizen beer sucks balls.

2) Slow and steady. An offshoot of the previous paragraph: slow books aren’t bad books. Get over it. And fast books can be intellectual too. Don’t make the pace mistake.

Please, please add the caveat. Sure, slow books aren’t necessarily bad books. But they can be. Also, some people simply don’t like slow books – and their opinion on the matter isn’t any less valid just because someone thinks the opposite. Opinions vary. Yes, I understand the point that Mark is making, but it is incomplete and awfully unfair to the plethora of valid opinions out there.

3) Prose & style. I’ve mentioned this before, but it needs flagging again. When people read a novel, and say that the ‘writing improved’ or the ’second half was better written’, there’s a good chance they mean that they themselves had become used to the different style in which the book was written. The prose doesn’t necessarily change – the reader’s interaction probably does. And words are just there, on the paper, so if you think they’re bad, explain why.

I’m not surprised that the author is quick to blame the reader on this point. Yes, readers often don’t realize that they can learn to appreciate something they are unfamiliar with, but sometimes books simply begin badly. As always, there’s a spectrum and the ‘truth’ rarely falls at one extreme or the other, but somewhere in the middle.

On the last bit, I agree – opinions should be backed up. This doesn’t necessarily mean a 2000-word review full of quotes and detailed analysis. But even a short explanation is much better than none.

4) The synopsis should remain on the back of the book. Please, don’t just describe the back of the book – that’s cleverly constructed marketing blurb, which has a secondary aim of making reviewers say what publishers want, and pushing all the right buttons. By all means give the blurb, but don’t make it the whole of your review. It’s lazy, and you’re then merely giving a reach-around to publishers. I certainly won’t link to it. Have your own opinion, write about what you got from the book.

I have no issues on this one – Mark is dead on.

5) Reviewers who are also writers (of the unpublished variety). It’s hard to tell, with some bloggers, just who is a struggling writer and who isn’t. It isn’t bad at all if you are, so you might as well be open about it. One of the things I got used to very quickly as an editor was not to approach a book with my own writing style in mind. So don’t read a book and criticize it by thinking, ‘If I wrote this, I would have done x, y, z differently’; or ‘The style isn’t like my own, so I don’t like the book.’ You’re not doing anyone any favors, least of all the writer, and it’s a tough realization to make. You write, you think you could do better, of course. But be careful if this mindset takes over.

I can’t really comment on this one – I have no aspirations to be a writer.

6) You can’t love every novel. Loving everything diminishes the power of what you say. There is no way of possibly knowing what is good or bad if you recommend everything. Do not feel pressured to do so by publishers – remember, by reviewing, you’re doing them a favor. And if as a writer I come across your review of my book, I’m not likely to think a lot of it if you’ve loved every single book out there. We’re egoists! We want to feel special.

This is potentially in conflict with suggestion No. 1. But, I agree – negative opinions are important and valid and should be shared as loudly as positive (but don’t be an ass about it). Of course, as I mentioned in my response to No. 1, many bloggers are fans and they tend to read and review books that they are pretty certain they are going to like (not many people set out to read a book they think they won’t like). This will generally skew a blogger’s reviews toward the positive, and there is nothing wrong with that.

7) Edit thyself. One thing that reviews don’t always receive on blogs is a thorough unbiased edit. So, once you type, put it down, revisit, rework, and spell-check. You’ll get a lot more respect if your review isn’t riddled with obvious errors.

Absolutely! The few times I have had an independent edit of a review I’ve written (such as this one) it is eye-opening and ultimately makes the review stronger. My general rule is to write out a complete draft and let it sit at least a day before coming back to it with a clean mind. Admittedly, I break this rule almost as often as I follow it – but better editing and such can only make reviews better.

Of course, blogger generally are amateurs who are doing this a hobby rather than a vocation. Time is limited – if you work, have a family and a social life, fitting in reading alone can be a challenge, not to mention the time to write the reviews. So, if an ‘and’ remains an ‘an’, I’m willing to cut some slack, however annoying it can be.

Mark Charan Newton adds to the SFF Literary Pub Crawl

Mark Charan Newton has been kind enough to add to the SFF Literary Pub Crawl - Nottingham now has two entries.

An easy one! The Alley Cafe - www.alleycafe.co.uk - in Nottingham. I'm a vegetarian; this place serves vegetarian food, locally sourced, freshly prepared, and stunning. Not only that, but the bar is funky, and has a good mix of people and ages. It's tiny though, and you end up sitting close to other people, which really shakes us Brits out of our preference for personal space. So, good food, good people, decent DJ at the weekend - what more can you want? (Don't say meat.)

Mark Charan Newton Answers Questions Five

Mark Charan Newton has worked with the SFF imprint, Solaris, where he coined the name of the imprint after a woman approached him in a bar and wrote it on his arm, claiming Solaris to be her name. Nights of Villjamur is his first novel for a major publisher and is getting lots of attention (US, UK, Canada, IndieBound, my review). It was just released in the UK and Del Rey will be publishing it in the US soon and is the first book in the Legends of the Red Sun series of four planned books. In the very least, he’s an up and coming author to keep an eye on.

Thanks to Mark for taking the time to answer Questions Five (and in retrospect, I so should have asked him to finish the story about Solaris).


The inclusion of ‘Charan’ in your professional name – a simple distinction from all the other Mark Newtons of the world, or more?

MCN: There are too many other Mark Newtons, some leading a far better lifestyle than me. One, I believe, is a photographer, another a roots acoustic singer. They're both more well-known than me, the bastards, so if I can't beat them in popularity, I should have a bigger name at least. Then again, I wanted to detract from the fact that no one can pronounce Villjamur - I'll throw them a curve ball and let my middle name confuse instead. (For those of you who are interested, it's Indian - and I'm half Indian). People mostly mispronounce it as Sharon, which conveniently is my Friday night name, where I can be seen in high-heels and lipstick as I sashay across a stage... Have I said too much? Next question, please!

If Nights of Villjamur were a fortune cookie, what would its fortune be?

MCN: It would have a Woody Allen quote: "I don't want to achieve immortality through my work... I want to achieve it through not dying."

How would you interpret this fortune if it were your own?

MCN: There's irony there - I became morose at the fact of my dying - which is reflected in the novel to some extent. I often see writing as a way of continuing to linger around the planet once I'm gone - I mean, there would be books out there, still communicating my thoughts with people. I can cheat Death! So, I would interpret this fortunate as 'Yeah, right. Nice try.'

Nights of Villjamur already has a playlist, but what would its soundtrack be?

MCN: I'd let Death Cab For Cutie have free reign over this one. Or Radiohead. Or City and Colour... What about something more movie-like, by Hans Zimmer? The Dark Knight soundtrack was awesome. Look, I'm clearly never going to be able to settle on anything for this. Tell you what, you get someone to buy the film rights, and I'll let them decide as I recline in the luxury of some Greek Villa.

Why should Nights of Villjamur be the next thing that everyone reads?

MCN: Two words: Dying Earth. I mean, come on - how cool is that?

Failing that, because it's an epic fantasy with elements of SF, crime, horror. Failing that, because of its ability to cause a delightful, free-publicity shit-storm online. Failing that, because someone needs to take the fight to Joe Abercrombie, right? You can't let him have all the fun. See how he broods in Black and White? Exactly, I'm the right man for the job, buy it.

Review: Nights of Villjamur by Mark Charan Newton

Every year, a few new releases receive what is simply an insane amount of buzz in the on-line SFF blogging community of which I am a part. Nights of Villjamur is the big-press debut for Mark Charan Newton and a strong contender for what may be the most buzz this year (US, UK, Canada, IndieBound). The blogs and other review sites are ablaze with seemingly overwhelmingly positive reaction. This is both deserved and troubling with Nights of Villjamur being a strong debut in the world of epic fantasy, but ultimately not the outstanding work the blogger buzz proclaims.

The Jamur Empire faces a threat it cannot fight, but only endure. A pending ice age that will cover the land, destabilize the empire and threaten the survival of its people. Long anticipated, the ice age is now arriving at time when the emperor suffers from paranoid insanity and an outlawed religion has taken over the ruling Council with one Chancellor’s ambitions threatening. The story itself follows a few individuals – an inspector and his assistant as they investigate a string of murders, a prostitute with possible ties to the murders, a womanizing young man instructing the emperor’s daughter in dance and swordplay, an ambitious Chancellor, an immortal cultist and his rival, and the commander of the elite Night Guard. The focus is the great and ancient city of Villjamur, home to hundreds of thousands of people, other sentient creatures, and magical relics of antiquity.

Nights of Villjamur is cerebral fantasy. This isn’t a story of great magic (though there is some), this isn’t a story of battles (though there are a few), this isn’t a traditional epic adventure (though it could be argued) – it is the story a few individuals living in tumultuous times and their key roles in how events unfold. The story of develops at a metered pace, without the action that prevails in traditional fantasy writing. Newton concentrates on a few characters and creates a framework to work within. In this respect, Nights of Villjamur reads like an extended prologue at times, with much of the book devoted to setting up setting up the dominos, with the inevitable push creating the chain reaction of domino falling into domino not occurring until near the end. With the falling only just begun, Nights of Villjamur is the clear beginning of The Legends of the Red Sun series, with four planned books, and Newton’s hints of a greater mulitverse with endless potential for more.

Newton’s character driven narrative is both the greatest strength and greatest weakness of Nights of Villjamur. Characters created feel real, with actual flaws rather than a forced ‘grayness’ of character. Inspector Jeryd, being a non-human rumel, often reveals keen observations of humanity while the marital troubles of his personal life interfere with his investigation of murders within the ruling Council. Commander Brynd commands the military forces of the Jamur Empire, and specifically the elite Night Guard. With undeniable competence and a position of power and importance, Brynd remains an outsider due in part to his being an albino, but in even greater part due to the secrets of his private life – his homosexuality which could result in a death sentence if discovered. These two characters drive the narrative and the interest of the reader – it’s through their eyes that city and peoples of Villjamur and lands of the Empire come alive.

With the success of Jeryd and Brynd, it’s unfortunate that the other supporting characters whose points of view the reader follows don’t work. The greatest offender is the clichéd Randur, a womanizing thief and expert swordsman from an exotic conquered land who weasels his way into the imperial palace. The greater offense is not the cliché but the unconvincing motivation that drives him – the need to save his dying mother through the magical intervention of a cultist and his ancient technology. Newton obviously has important plans for Randur’s future in the books, but failed to find a way to properly introduce him and his motivations. Regrettably other inconsistencies and unconvincing motivations interfered with my enjoyment and the credibility of the story.

Nights of Villjamur falls squarely into the dying-earth subgenre, one that I’m sadly under-read in. The Jamur Empire is threatened by a coming ice-age, one that has long been known about, but unsurprisingly not well prepared for. The Jamur Empire itself is the lesser evolution of a long history of more advanced civilizations while the world’s red sun slowly fades overhead. In our world where global warming is an unaddressed reality, I was anxious to see what Newton would do with his world of impending doom from climate change – albeit an ice age rather than global warming. As someone who follows Newton’s blog, I was expecting something more – I was expecting more parallels and at least something of a condemnation of our world’s lack of action. The result felt like a missed opportunity where the impending ice age is little more than background information and a convenient way for people to walk across frozen water ways…unless I’m missing an allegory of an army of cross-dimensional, deadly bug-man creatures and global climate change.

Nights of Villjamur is a story of a fading empire, impending war, political intrigue, a coming ice age, a magical quest, wrapped in the inevitability of life and death. It’s a story told from the point of view of characters that live their lives as best they can in hard times. The writing, while intelligent, suffers at times from the inability to live up to its aspirations and remain consistent. Mark Charan Newton is a new voice to the world of fantasy literature and in spite of the unevenness of Nights of Villjamur, The Legends of the Red Sun series shows a potential that I intend to follow-up on. 7/10