Reading.
photo credit: Incognita Nom de Plume
2010 Reading List:
February
Look Who’s Morphing by Tom Cho–Tom Cho constructs a worthy exploration of identity wrapped up in an almost manic series of short stories that each feature the metamorphosis of the narrator into fantastical pop culture heroes. The style is matter-of-fact in the face of all the fantasy that is occurring, which leads the reader more directly into the underlying questions of identity quicker than if it were written in a more whimsical style. The reader can get a little distracted by looking out for the next pop culture reference, but that’s really only a first-read-through issue. It’s a quick read, more to do with the ease and eagerness you’ll find yourself reading it than brevity, and it’s a good thing it is as I’ll likely be returning to this one to uncover more comments on identity within its pages. A great debut.
January:
Journals:
The Reader produced by the Emerging Writer’s Festival–A brilliant little resource full of tales of advice and stories that illustrate where you can go with your writing should you heed it. There are valuable lessons to be learned about the industry itself that ‘emerging writers’ (a term whose origin and definition is discussed within) can lap up with ease. Highly recommended, and can be bought here.
The Sleepers Almanac No. 5 produced by Sleepers Publishing–I’d never bought a Sleepers Almanac before now, but if this is the quality of Australian short stories that is the norm in their productions, I may have to change that. This is top quality stuff, with stories that will leave you laughing, commiserating, scratching your head, and enjoying every word. From the moment it opens with the heart-breaking ‘Cameraman’ by Peta Murray it is evident that this is the cream of the crop. I particularly enjoyed the sparkle of an illegal marriage in ‘Elvis, Husbands, And other Men In Costumes: A Memoir’ by Liza Monroy, the everyday surreal tale of ‘The Day of the Hen’ by Tony Birch, the confused tension of ‘Attack of the Tiny Miracles’ by Max Barry, an amazing exploration of a relationship in ‘We Must Catch Up’ by Virginia Peters, the list goes on, but honestly I was wowed by just about every story I read. Highly, highly recommended.
Books:
Things We Didn’t See Coming by Steven Amsterdam–This collection of short stories by Melbourne writer Amsterdam is grouped around post-apocalyptic settings. But rather than focussing on the logistics of a post-apocalyptic society, Amsterdam relates the lives of his protagonists with only the occasional, necessary nod to the broken world in which they live in. This is human drama taken to a bold new place, as far away from the popular household minutiae fiction that we’ve come to expect from today’s literary cabal as can be. And yet, Amsterdam still manages some beautiful turns of phrase throughout. The plots can be somewhat relegated to the background in favour of bringing characterisation to the fore, but they serve their purpose and do just as much to illustrate the bleak march as anything else. And hey, it’s not science fiction, so genre-haters can still read this without feeling guilty. I recommend picking this up for an east-west plane trip.
The Lack Brothers by Malcolm McKay–A very Gaiman-esque tale (think American Gods set in Britain and with Angels interfering with the fates of men rather than deities). It is crude at times, but perfectly within its rights to be so. The characters are brilliantly realistic and the plot tight. It holds the dubious honour for being the only book to have ever made me walk into a sign. Great holiday reading.
Shade of Grey by Jasper Fforde–This was a very brave departure for Fforde, whose Nursery Crimes and Next Tuesday series are so beloved by his fans that you’d expect him to continue expanding their universes, much like Pratchett did with the Discworld. Instead, he’s made a diversion into a fascinatingly imagined world where the spectrum of colour (yes, that’s colour with a ‘u’, thank God. If an American had written this I dare say I’d have thumped it down in anger before the second page) that a person is able to see dictates their place in society. It’s a very ambitious concept, full of opportunities for concept loopholes. Fforde not only carries it off, but he does so with his customary wit and twisting plots that will have you guessing until the very end. While this book is less revelatory than a lot of his others, there is a reason: the series will be expanded into two sequels that will continue the tale of Eddie Russet and Jane Grey. Think Rupert Thomson’s Divided Kingdom crossed with Pratchett’s Discworld, by way of Orwell’s 1984. If that combination appeals to you then I’d suggest picking up Shades of Grey as soon as you can.
Graphic Novels/Comics:
Logicomix by Christos H. Papadimitriou, Apostolos Doxiadis, Alecos Papadatos, and Annie Di Donna–An intriguing graphic novel about the life and times of Bertrand Russell. I had bought it expecting something of a tutorial in the language of logic, but found myself engrossed in the personal life and questions raised by the historical characters and the constantly meta-conversing authors themselves. It may not be for everyone, but I enjoyed it.