Here are a few things that I have been meaning to post about for ages, but always forget to include until after I hit "PUBLISH POST", by which time I can't be arsed to go in and add it.
So without further ado, I would suggest that you go and read/look at the following:
China Mieville - A top author, writes some really kooky and interesting fantasy, gives a great kick to the tired genre in my opinion. Probably his most notable work is on the New Crobuzon setting, which is set in his fantastical world of Bas Lag.
The first book in the set is called Perdido Street Station, and is a deep, involved read. He crafts his texts with a detail and intricacy that is seldom seen these days, armed as he is with an expansive knowledge of social and political elements of the world (his PhD was on such matters). A really worthwhile book to read if you are a fan of the fantasy genre, but are jaded by the same old rinse-repeat of generic hack and slash fanstasy. He happens to be anti-Tolkien and -CS Lewis, so if you dislike those, you may well enjoy this. Personally, I like them all.
But I digress. He has a few other books published set in New Crobuzon (The Scar and The Iron Council), as well as others called Looking For Jake (a collection of short stories), UnLunDun, King Rat, and the coming-this-year-I-can't-wait Kraken. Highly recommended.
Frank Beddor - ALSO on the recommended reading list is The Looking Glass Wars, Beddor's first novel, which plays with the original story of Alice in Wonderland. It is written well, and in an such a style as to be very easy to read. The simple language belies the often quite violent aspects of the book, such as the mad queen's killing of the Cat, and the Hatter's blademastery.
It is a very engaging tale that plays with commonly known aspects of the tale, and vividly brings the characters into new life. Beddor is concerned with the application of multiple media forms, and as such not only writes the novels (a trilogy - The Looking Glass Wars, and Seeing Redd are the first two books respectively), but also has plans to make a film based on the books, and also has a graphic novel series Hatter M. which is a closer look at the adventures of Hatter Madigan as he looks for Princess Alyss in the real world (drawn by Ben Templesmith, woohoo!).
Overall, you find yourself being drawn into a world that is very full of colour, vibrance and danger in such an unassuming way that you hardly even realise you are reading. Well done. Can't wait for the final book in the series and also the continuance of Hatter M's adventures. *Click on the link up top to go to the website*
Seeya! Blake.
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