ase

In September, I finished one book. One. On the other hand, it was good stuff.

So Long Been Dreaming: Postcolonial Science Fiction & Fantasy (Nalo Hopkinson, ed, and Uppinder Mehan, ed): If ever there was an anthology I should not have been allowed to read, "So Long Been Dreaming" is probably it. I don't care how cool the main title is, the "postcolonial" part of subtitle means I probably can't appreciate it on its own terms. But since when has that stopped me? So there was less with the contemplation of how "...the simple binaries of native/alien, technologist/pastoralist, colonizer/colonized are all brought into question by writers who make use of both thematic and linguistic strategies that subtly subvert received language and plots", and more of me asking:

Are the ideas compelling?
Do the plots interest me?
Is the spelling and grammer readable?
Have the spelling and grammar been mangled for good reasons that support the idea or plot?

( Actual words about words. Condensed: I liked it. )

I also reread fragments of many things:

Tam Lin (Pamela Dean), which used to give me bad dreams. This semester, I'm taking enough credits that I don't feel like a slacker compared to the characters. Also, the book includes physics hate, which is a great comfort. Beauty in tidepools, yes; beauty in physics, not so much yet.

Much Bujold, particularly "The Mountains of Mourning" and "Cordelia's Honor". And wow. This is why I love LMB's works. You could have had a happy man, but no, you had to fall for the breathtaking beauty of pain. At least I won't just tilt at windmills for you. I'll send in sappers to mine the twirling suckers, and blast them into the sky. I am my lady's dog. You're off your meds!

I miss Bothari. You may now cart me off to the madhouse.

Bujold's been doing "nice" books lately - everyone gets their just desserts, though they may take some suffering and requited-but-unconsummated romance to achieve. I miss people dying for stupid reasons, like their clone-brother's stunts getting out of hand.

I think I also perused some other books, but time has wiped my rereads from my memory.

Next month: the Future Washington anthology for certain. I've only got a novella and one short story left.