Pre-Blog Classic SF – Part 1 

With the recent posting of my Dune review and plans for reading the rest of the series plus plans for reading the Foundation series by Isaac Asimov, I’ve been asked a few times about why I don’t read more Classic SF. The easy answer to that is that I have – LOTS – but nearly all of that happened pre-Blog. I started reading SF heavily back in the 70’s and 80’s and read a LOT of Classic SF around that time. I thought it might interest some of you at least to see what I’ve read (pre-Blog) in the area before moving onto the more ‘classical’ classics later. So, here’s part 1 of the SF list in chronological order of reading. [Note: I won’t be mentioning books like 1984 or anything by H G Wells as these will be covered in my classical classic post]. 

Triplanetary by E E Doc Smith 

Dune by Frank Herbert 

I, Robot by Isaac Asimov 

City by Clifford Simak 

Childhoods End by Arthur C Clarke 

Rendezvous with Rama by Arthur C Clarke 

Foundation by Isaac Asimov 

2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C Clarke 

Ringworld by Larry Niven 

A Martian Odyssey by Stanley G Weinbaum 

The Man in the High Castle by Philip K Dick 

The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham 

Non-Stop by Brian Aldiss 

The Forever War by Joe Haldeman 

Hothouse by Brian Aldiss 

Starship Troopers by Robert Heinlein 

Mission of Gravity by Hal Clement 

Bring the Jubilee by Ward Moore 

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham 

The Dispossessed by Ursula K LeGuin 

I was actually quite ‘hard’ on what I considered a classic here – if I was in any doubt I erred on the side of caution and said ‘No’. No doubt, if you asked me again the list might be slightly different. I should complete the pre-Blog list next time. It’s not exactly an exhaustive list as there’s a short gap between the end of my paper(!) records and the Blog starting but it’s close enough. More next time. 

Just Finished Reading: The Physics of Wall Street – A Brief History of Predicting the Unpredictable by James Owen Weatherall (FP: 2013) [243pp] 

For as long as there has been gambling (a VERY long time) there have been those who tried to ‘play’ the system in such a way that they could ensure winning much more often than losing. For most of that history such actors have operated by using their instincts, magical thinking and, where possible, cheating or some sort of manipulation. As you might expect the vast majority of these schemes fall at the first turn of a card or very shortly afterwards. That all changed with the advent of mathematics and the development of probability theory. Once games of ‘chance’ and skill, such as Blackjack (21) and Roulette, became capable of being modelled mathematically it became possible to predict outcomes with a fair degree of accuracy – and certainly more accurately that the average player was capable of. But even with maths, theory and the odd (early) computer behind them these theorists found that making a LOT of money needed a LOT of initial investment, something which most of them and most of their university departments either didn’t have or were loath to loan either with a high probability of a low return. But when modelling card games started to fall out of favour the mathematicians and physicists saw a much more lucrative and much more challenging prospect – the Stock Market. 

Of course, modelling the Stock Market was never going to be easy. Indeed, many scoffed at the very idea of attempting to predict the unpredictable but, ever up for an impossible challenge, some mathematicians tried and, more radically, put their own money where their mouths were. Early models (and it needs to be kept in mind that these were models and not reality) of early Stock Markets – notably in France – where neither particularly accurate nor particularly responsive to sudden changes. But they didn’t need to be – at least generally. Even with the advent of the telegraph the amount of stock being traded was small and the speed of the trades almost glacial compared to today. Even so the early crude models had a long way to go and they only really began to take off with the advent of computers post-WW2. As computers got faster the capability of the Stock Market models improved in step – but so did the size and complexity of the Market itself. Still, many thought the task was simply impossible. There was no predictable market to model, they were wasting everyone's time and, more importantly, money. It was time to put up or shut up and that’s exactly what one team of physicists did by creating a Hedge Fund based on their theories. What happened next astounded everyone and changed financial management forever. Not only did the Hedge Fund consistently make money but it consistently outperformed other Hedge Funds made up of supposed market experts. The Quants had arrived.  

This was an interesting story, well told. It seemed obvious to me that Stock Market prices cannot possibly be random and that the ebb and flow of the Market cannot, therefore, be completely unpredictable. If that was the case there would be no way to regularly make money on the market as every deal would be a crap shoot. As at least some people obviously make a great deal of money from market trading, and do so consistently, there are rules governing the system that can be discovered, followed and exploited. Likewise, the better your model is of actual behaviour then the better and more consistent your results will be even when markets become volatile. What was more interesting from my PoV is that modelling the Stock Market is, essentially, modelling aggregate human behaviour. This mean that, at least theoretically and at least crudely, human behaviour – in the aggregate can be modelled mathematically if you have the right algorithms to do so. With my long-standing interest in Asmovian Psycho-History it raised the possibility that these early predictive tools for Stock Market trades could be the foundational (pun intended!) building blocks of such a theory. Definitely a recommended read for anyone interested in the Stock Market, mathematics or the possibility of prediction human behaviour. More to come on this and associated subjects.  

Just WOW! "For Evil to Prosper it is Enough that Good People Do Nothing"

Just Finished re-Reading: Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert (FP: 1969) [221pp] 

[WARNING: If you haven’t read the first book, still haven’t seen the movie (and want to) or don’t want the plot ruined for the second movie the following WILL contain spoilers!] 

A little over 20 years after the events on Arrakis and the defeat of the Emperor Shaddam IV, the new Emperor Paul Atredies known as Muad’dib still struggles with his terrible legacy. Throughout the known Universe the forces of Jihad released by Paul have already been responsible for 60 billion dead and the war goes on. Equally appalled and frightened by his fragmentary visions of the future Paul tries to reduce the carnage as much as he can, but he knows that more and more death follows his every action – or inaction. Slowly, too slowly, he begins to realise that the path of least resistance, of least death, might not be the best path. Meanwhile, although his many enemies have been defeated, they have not been vanquished. Arrayed against him are the most powerful organisations in the universe – The Spacing Guild who are, seemingly, invisible to the Emperors prescient sight, The Bene Gesserit who are desperate to get their genetic manipulation of bloodlines back on track, and the Tleilaxu, a guild of assassins and manipulators of flesh itself. A core element of their plan is to offer Paul something he cannot possibly refuse – a perfect copy of his closest friend and teacher: Duncan Idaho. Even Paul cannot see the consequences of accepting the ‘gift’ but he does so anyway – setting into motion a cascade of events that will change everything. 

I first read this around 40 years ago and not long after the first book, Dune, blew my mind as a teenager. As with re-reading anything that had such a profound impact on your youthful self it was a strange read with ‘echoes’ and memories of my first read interspersed with memories of the Sci-Fi Channel adaptation which they smushed together with the next book Children of Dune. I can see why they did that – Messiah is largely people talking in rooms, either plotting against Paul or musing on the deeper meanings of things seen and unseen. Most of the ‘action’ takes place on Arrakis with only a few mentions of other worlds. The notable addition to the Dune universe is that of the Tleilaxu ‘face dancers’ who can imitate almost anyone to get close enough to kill them. They’re an interesting group who also meddle in biological engineering and especially cloning. I think an important part of this volume is the doubt eating away at Paul and his struggle, not only with the huge power he now has, but with the fact that he knows he’s not the ‘god’ figure most people see him as. People think he knows everything because he has prescient ‘sight’. What they don’t realise is just how complicated this is and how stifling it is seeing the consequences of your actions play out in myriad possible futures – knowing that as soon as you act some of those possibilities wink out of existence leaving fewer (and sometimes worse) choices ahead. But what I found the most interesting is that Paul isn’t what people think he is – and that includes the Guilds in opposition to him – and even more interesting is that HE isn’t what he thinks he is (or has been led to believe he is). One of the many reasons why this series has gained the acclaim it has is, in my opinion, the fact that you can read it on multiple levels. On the surface its essentially Game of Thrones in the far future. But it’s actually MUCH more than that. There is just so much going on here – not just about power and its abuses but about technology, fate/destiny, free will. You can read a section, a paragraph, a sentence and go down the rabbit hole of implications built on assumptions built on deeper implications. Much more Dune to come. Obviously recommended.     

One of my favourite pieces of music ever........

...and now sitting on the bottom of the Black Sea.

Just Finished Reading: The Regency Revolution – Jane Austen, Napoleon, Lord Byron and The Making of The Modern World by Robert Morrison (FP: 2019) [289pp] 

Despite being a determined fan of the works of Jane Austen I often wondered at the (generally speaking) noticeable lack of servants, tradespeople and especially the poor in both her novels and, especially, in her many on-screen adaptations. Likewise, the oft referenced ‘timelessness’ of these often-brilliant portrayals of Regency society relies on the lack of actual, sometimes inconvenient, historical references. With those observations in mind, it should hardly come as much of a surprise that Austen’s image – especially through the more modern lens of contemporary TV and movie adaptations – has little in common with the reality of Regency England. No doubt this is greatly responsible for the romanticisation of the period and the (very) misplaced desire of those who would choose to live there (a temporary visit might be ‘interesting’ as long as you’ve had the required vaccines for visiting a ‘3rd world country’ that’s in the process of societal collapse).    

So, what exactly did Austen get ‘wrong’ about the period she lived in and gave us to chuckle over? In as few words as possible – everything. The Regency (1811-1820) happened because of the ‘madness of King George III’ and his incapacitation to continue as monarch. In his place, the future King George IV, was installed as Regent until either the King recovered or didn’t. When George III died in 1820 his son, the Regent, became King and the Regency Period ended. During those brief but eventful 10 years England went through quite a lot – both good and bad. Firstly, the Regent himself was (very much!) a man who just wanted to have fun, including lots of food, drink and especially women. Even in the rather uber-liberal age through which he cruised, the Regent was a constant scandal which resulted in him being the constant butt of jokes and salacious cartoons. Interestingly, many fights – and victories – over the freedom of the Press revolved around attacks on the Regent, so we have at least that to thank for him.  

The other regular theme throughout the period – ignoring for the moment both the Napoleonic Wars and the War of 1812 – was the social and political upheaval in England, Scotland and (as was often the case) Ireland. The Irish unrest can, largely, be laid at the feet of famine and systemic neglect by absentee landlords. Scotland was at the same time in the throes of the consequences of highland clearances and the resulting diaspora into England and across the Empire, plus to America (often joined by their Irish compatriots). The English unrest was the result of poverty, political oppression (to suppress the growing movements to increase the franchise) and, of course, increasing industrialisation – this was the time of the Luddites. To say that the whole country was convulsed by political and social upheavals would be understating the fact. 

Covering a LOT of ground, the author concentrated on crime and punishment (very interesting), the theatre (rather long and not very interesting from my PoV), sex (again unnecessarily too long), Empire and war (definitely more my subject) and the changes happening with the increasing use of steam technology and its greater knock-on effects (ditto). Overall, it was an interesting (and often very interesting) read. The author did irritate me slightly with ‘woke-ish’ comments – especially in regard to attitudes to sexuality – which I really don’t think have a place in historical analysis. Whilst criticism of actions or decisions by historical figures in certainly valid it’s inappropriate to judge people in the early 19th century by attitudes and beliefs of those in the early 21st. We know only too well that the past is a foreign country and that they do things differently there. No doubt 100 years hence (if the species survives that long) we will be, equally inappropriately, heavily criticised by our descendants for similar moral failings. Definitely worth a read – especially if all of your previous knowledge of the period came from Miss Austen – but be prepared to be shocked and dismayed by the acts of far too many who should have known better. 

On a final note: It does amuse me greatly when I hear people profess to wish that they could have lived during the Regency. It should be remembered that women in particular, even those of high birth, had vanishing little power, little education and could not control their own finances. On marriage whatever they did own (including themselves!) became the legal property of their husbands. Divorce was almost unknown in England and had to be obtained (when it could and usually by the husband) by an Act of Parliament... and don’t get me started on the dangerous activity of childbirth. In an era before the Germ Theory of disease, with zero access to anesthesia or anti-biotics you could literally die from a bad tooth or a papercut – no matter your personal wealth! This was an age where they fought duels of ‘honour’, were sudden poverty on the death or disability of the bread-winner could result in the starvation of families and where children were executed for stealing apples. The Regency was most certainly not an Austenesque romantic fantasy – as you will find out between these pages! Be warned.    

Horses and bolted doors come to mind....

Just Finished Reading: Ghosts of War by George Mann (FP: 2011) [348pp] 

New York, 1927. It started with the birds falling from the sky – dead before they hit the ground. Then the disappearance's, random, sudden, unexplained. The police responded in the only way they could, with warnings in the newspapers and over the radio, with talk of a curfew and with increased airship patrols. Still the abductions occurred without apparent rhyme or reason. The Ghost watched from above and caught only glimpses of strange looking brass creatures seemingly searching for something. He wanted to discuss them with his police contact but Inspector Donovan had other priorities. The commissioner himself had tasked him with an important matter of national security. A British spy had obtained information vital to the nation's defence and needed to be tracked down and stopped immediately. All other tasks must be dropped. The spy was Donovan’s top priority. If the spy managed to leave New York it could mean another World War. But both the Ghost and his friend the Inspector knew that such a request didn’t feel right. Tracking down spies wasn’t something the NYPD did, that was a task for the Secret Service. Plus, why was an isolationist politician putting so much pressure on Commissioner Montague which he then applied to Donovan? Maybe they both needed to find the spy (if he even existed) and talk to him before handing him over to the authorities – unless the long-predicted war with the British Empire broke out first! 

This was the second book in the Ghost series (two more to go) and as much as I enjoyed the first book – with a few minor caveats – I enjoyed this one more. As I’d hoped after reading the first book, the author expanded his world a little and we discovered a bit more about the Ghost’s background and experiences during the Great War and his early encounter with a tentacled creature in No Man’s Land. We also discovered a bit more about the British Empire and it’s less than amicable relationship with the growing power of the United States. The Ghost also had a new love life, or actually a reintroduced love life, in the shape of Ginny who turned out to be a capable asset who could handily cope with a shoot-out or an encounter with an alien beast from another dimension (always useful in a girlfriend I think!). Although I was a little disappointed by the baddie in the previous book, I had no problems at all with this one (or actually with this cabal plus the ubiquitous mad-scientist). Each baddie was suitably bad, with few if any redeeming qualities and even fewer moral scruples. We were obviously supposed to cheer when they came to bad ends and, in true pulp style, we did when they did! The inevitable final ‘boss fight’ was handled very well, especially when it looked like the author had painted the Ghost into a corner but got him (and the rest of the world) out of it without use of any ‘magical’ device or anything like that. Things were solved by ingenuity and the application of sufficient – or more than sufficient! - force. Overall, this was a solid work of SF, alt-history, horror tinged, steampunk and I really enjoyed it. I’ll definitely be reading the other two books later in the year – probably when the nights start drawing in again – as I’m still intrigued with the world the author created and where he’s going to take us next. Definitely recommended for steampunk and HP Lovecraft fans.     

Two Whole Years, Really? 

It was, I freely admit, a strange time to retire. Only 3 weeks after the WHO announced that COVID-19 was now a pandemic I left The Company (no, NOT the CIA!) after 32 years. Things, of course, had already started getting weird. Any time someone coughed or sneezed EVERYONE in the office (or on my bus home) stared at them and people – including me – were washing their hands almost obsessively at every opportunity. Management had supplied anti-bacterial wipes for each set of desks (as we were already ‘hot-desking’ then) so we could wipe down our workstation when we left for the day. It was, honestly, quite surreal at times. We all remember the lack of toilet paper in the stores but I had already stocked up on that in advance plus I still had my post-Brexit stock that I was backfilling so I wasn’t worried about that aspect of things. The empty shelves of pasta was a bit annoying and I couldn’t help but wonder at the constant lack of hand sanitiser, anti-bacterial soap (helping with a virus how exactly) as well as ANYTHING else even vaguely associated with hygiene.  

Then, with only a few weeks to go before I finally walked out the door I got ill. This was, of course, before Covid tests became easily available. It ‘felt’ like a cold but late March wasn’t that common a time to have one. Not completely unusual, but not that common so I phoned in sick and told work that I was self-isolating. Now, to be honest I’m not one of those ‘troopers’ (or as I like to call them: inconsiderate idiots) who come into work ill and give whatever disease they’ve picked up from their kids to the rest of the office. The only time I’d be in work sneezing regularly was during the hay fever season. If I had a cold, even a reasonably mild one, I’d stay off for a few days and kill it where it sleeps. Of course, not exactly knowing WHAT I had this time I wasn’t going to take the risk. My ‘cold’ or whatever it was turned out not to be that debilitating – just annoying in its timing more than anything else. With everything else going on, and with me being the only person that knew certain things and had certain skills my plan was to spend the last 2-3 weeks at work writing briefing papers for my successor when they got one. Fortunately, our team had been ‘mobile’ for a while. This meant that when we arrived in the office in the morning, we took whatever desk was available (if there was one!). What it in effect meant was that the early birds had the pick of the desks (and normally sat in the same desk every day until senior management told them off for doing so – which made no sense to anyone) and latecomers like me played desk ping-pong. On any given day I had no idea where I would be sitting or who I would be sitting with. Mostly it was with my team, nearly always it was on the same floor but very occasionally I’d be sitting on my own in another team's area and in a different building. It was interesting both to discover how territorial I was and how adaptable I could be. After a few months I actually ‘liked’ not knowing where I was sitting that day – plus it made me harder to physically find and bother, especially when reading in my lunch break. But, the point of all that was that I was mobile with a work laptop and iPhone. So, being at home, even being ill at home, didn’t mean I had to stop working.  

As my last day approached my leaving meal was cancelled (very soon after that, restaurants stopped taking bookings) as well as my leaving drinks – all those people in confined spaces breathing on each other [presumably with the occasional hug] wigged people out too much. I had some leave to take so I actually ‘left’ about a week before my official date of 8th April (cunningly one day after my 60th birthday) and I transitioned from full-time work to retirement at home just as the first lockdowns shut almost everything down. We all know how weird the first 6 months of Covid was and it was easy to imagine myself as someone looking forward to an active retirement only to find themselves in the middle of an apocalypse. Seeing how people sprang away from strangers was like living through the first 30 minutes of an end of the world movie to be honest and, again to be honest, totally fascinated me. Like many people no doubt, I had grown up on end of the world narratives from the 1960’s onwards and I found it really interesting to see how the whole thing played out in ‘real life’.  

Overall, it was interesting (to say the least!) to enter the post-retirement arena during a global pandemic. It has meant that some of my plans had to be put on hold for a year or more. It did also mean that I have had lots of time to read – as was a major part of my plan – and at least I didn’t have to spend time and resources fighting off zombies or worrying about asteroid impacts. Isolation during an ongoing viral outbreak probably affected my mental health in some ways – mostly low-level anxiety I suspect – but generally I think I coped with it pretty well. It was frustrating that I couldn’t go places and do things but Amazon still delivered and the lights (and the Internet!) stayed on, so the impact on me, personally, wasn’t too bad. Two years later things are almost back to ‘normal’ or some sort of new normal. Most people aren’t wearing masks anymore and people don’t seem to mind crowds as much as they did at the beginning. Events are back on and people tend to stand a LOT closer than they did 24 months ago – it's actually quite strange in a way. Of course, Covid is still around and people are still catching it (and dying from it) but with vaccinations, the new anti-virials and LOTS of experience in the NHS the odds of getting it, getting really ill or dying from it are vastly lower that when the whole thing started. With luck and a fair wind, the NEXT two years should be a lot less interesting – although with the Ukraine war likely to go on for at least another 6 months impacting on oil and wheat production (to say nothing of the global fertiliser trade!) and all of the other shit happening in the global background who knows? I guess we’ll see when we get there.   

Just Finished Reading: Hiking With Nietzsche – Becoming Who You Are by John Kaag (FP: 2018) [229pp] 

Unlike the author of this rather strange but intriguing sideways look at the ever-controversial German philosopher, I don’t believe I ever studied Nietzsche at an undergraduate level. My BA (1983-86) was in Social Ethics and although it had at least one Philosophy unit I don’t think we ever actually studied any of his works. Naturally I knew about him, I mean who doesn’t, but I only actually, formally, studied part of his work much later. I can see why.  

This is as far from a ‘straight’ look at Nietzsche and his work as you could probably get. The book consists of several interweaving strands that, together, make a both interesting and compelling narrative. Of course, Nietzsche and his works are at the core of things, how could they not be. The author gives insights into Nietzsche’s life, his relationship with his father (mirrored to an extend by the authors relationship with his father) and his troubled/complex relationship with women. The potted biography formed the skeleton of the text to which the author attached discussions of Nietzsche’s works – the philosopher’s location and relationship status being directly related to his philosophical output (in a way I found very interesting and often overlooked). Interwoven with this were the experiences of the author himself both hiking in the Swiss Alps during his undergraduate period – and deciding there NOT to commit suicide! - and a follow up visit with his 2nd wife and their child now as a university professor. 

I learnt a lot here – not just about the man himself (Nietzsche that is!) but also about the underlying philosophical and psychological foundations of his thoughts. Naturally merely reading this thin volume won’t mean you’ll understand everything that Nietzsche was getting at – that's a lifetime quest I think – but it’ll give you paths to follow and an idea of whether you’re ready to follow the easier grades or are ready to try your hand on the slopes with the mountain goats. Nietzsche, as you might guess, is not the most accessible and easy to understand modern philosopher. His work takes work to get the most out of. But, I think, the effort can be worth it. 

I studied Nietzsche for one unit of my Philosophy Master's degree (2008-10) and I remember, just before the course started, the Head of the Department popped in for a chat. She said that she always worried about teaching Nietzsche, especially to undergraduates, because his ideas were so radical, so powerful, and especially so to youth (most of the students in that class were under 25 – I was 50). I can agree. I compared his work – or at least the one we studied (The Genealogy of Morality) - to breathing pure oxygen. It certainly felt like that some weeks. The unit we studied blew me away and I decided that I’d do my Dissertation on an aspect of Nietzsche's ideas and really enjoyed producing the resultant piece of work. It wasn’t easy (being Nietzsche based!) but it was definitely mind expanding. 

Overall, this volume provided some interesting insights into the mind and works of one of the most misunderstood and misrepresented European philosophers of modern times. If you’ve ever wondered what all of the fuss was about but didn’t know where to start (or were too afraid to ask!) this is a pretty good place to begin your journey into the foothills before trying anything requiring pitons. Recommended. More Philosophy to come.         

Happy Birthday to Me! 62 Today!

Just Finished Reading: The Vanishing Futurist by Charlotte Hobson (FP: 2016) [293pp] 

Moscow, 1918. She knew that her parents would never approve which, she was honest with herself, was one of the driving forces behind her decision. She could have taken up the role of governess anywhere but Gerty Freely wanted something more exotic. So, when a posting to a family in Russia was advertised, she jumped at it. On her arrival in 1914 the initial culture shock was, indeed, quite shocking. But after coming to terms with the odd family dynamic and, slowly, learning the language she starting settling in. With the advent of war she was strongly advised to return to England, but the activities of German U-boats persuaded her to stay. Even as Revolution began to seem a real possibility, she could hardly abandon the family she had grown to love in their hour of most desperate need. What she never expected was how closely she found herself identifying with the revolutionaries who, right in front of her eyes, were building a new world and shaping themselves into people fit to occupy it. Even as conditions worsened day by day and the country fell into a brutal Civil War she still wanted to be a part of the commune set up by the charismatic scientist Nikita Slavkin – the now famous Vanishing Futurist. But Gerty is one of the few people who knows exactly what happened to him in those dark and turbulent days and, looking back from the 1960’s, begins to tell her daughter the story of her Revolution. 

This was yet another one of those books I picked up because of the cover – which I loved. Plus, it was out of my general reading ‘comfort zone’. I was not disappointed. Told almost exclusively from Gerty’s point of view (a very interesting and well-formed character) this was a microcosm of Russia’s descent from Monarchy to revolution to chaos during World War 1. From what I’ve read elsewhere, and in particular the works of Helen Rappaport, the author really knows what she’s talking about here. The descent from moderate gentility to at first a rather idealistic but naïve commune to the harsh reality of Communist rule (and misrule) under the Bolsheviks was quite something to behold. The fervour of those involved was very believable. The wanted, indeed needed, to believe that their actions and the hardships they were living through must be for something greater than themselves. Even when forced to eat animal feed – it was that or starve – and burn outbuildings and even interior doors and furniture to keep from freezing in the winter they still believed that their course was the correct one and jumped on any dissent with both feet. I think that was the most interesting aspect of the whole very well written novel – getting into the mindset of people who were literally starving whilst defending the very situation that was causing their starvation. If you’ve ever wondered how people can live through revolutionary times and come out the other end still being true believers then this book might give you some insights. Although not as amazing as I thought it would be at the beginning this was still a very worthwhile read and I can see what it was nominated for an award on publication. Recommended. 

Awards 

Walter Scott Prize Best Historical Novel (nominee)

Love Alanis...

The Best 21st Century Novels (I’ve read) in the 21st Century (so far). 

Inspired (yet again) by Marianne over at Let’s Read and her post about future 21st century classics I thought I’d try to list my top 21st century novels I’ve reviewed here from 2006-2021, so the last 15 years. I’m afraid that I’ve no idea what I read before 2006 (or at least not enough to make a reliable list!) so I’m going to have to restrict myself to posted Blog reviews. So, here’s the list – in review date order rather than any kind of ranking. 

Pattern Recognition by William Gibson (2002) 

Surveillance by Jonathan Rabin (2006) 

Far North by Marcel Theroux (2009) 

The Painted Man by Peter V Brett (2008) 

A Madness of Angels by Kate Griffin (2009) 

Surface Detail by Iain M Banks (2010) 

The Invention of Everything Else by Samantha Hunt (2008) 

Guernica by Dave Boling (2008) 

Sunshine by Robin McKinley (2003) 

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi (2009) 

Accelerando by Charles Stross (2005) 

Echo City by Tim Lebbon (2010) 

Company of Liars by Karen Maitland (2008) 

Already Dead by Charlie Huston (2005) 

If Nobody Speaks of Remarkable Things by Jon McGregor (2002) 

Zero History by William Gibson (2010) 

The Flame Throwers by Rachel Kushner (2013) 

The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker (2012) 

The Good German by Joseph Kanon (2001) 

Pure by Andrew Miller (2011) 

The Good Father by Noah Hawley (2012) 

Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan (2001) 

The Last by Hanna Jameson (2019) 

The Outlander by Gil Adamson (2007) 

Station Eleven by Emily St John Mandel (2014) 

The Secrets of Drearcliff Grange School by Kim Newman (2015) 

The Death of the Fronsac by Neal Ascherson (2017) 

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (2004) 

Dominion by C J Sansom (2012) 

All Involved by Ryan Gattis (2015) 

Not a bad haul if I say so myself – 30 books over 15 years. It was really good going back and almost rediscovering some of the best books I’ve ever read. A few others just missed the list because I hesitated long enough for them not to make the grade. But I’m very pleased with that list. 

Looks like my ideal bookshop.......

With the passing of Mad March we arrive at my favourite part of the year - Spring and that means it's Book Month here @ SaLT because it's April and it's my birth month and that's pretty much the only excuse I need. So be prepared for a few more book related posts than 'normal'. Enjoy!