Summer Reading

[Karen Newcombe <kln@staralliance.com>]

Summer reading lists . . . hmm, let's see.

Lately I've been on a sci fi kick for the first time in many years.  This
was occasioned by someone giving me a copy of Nicola Griffith's book "Slow
River" which was good enough that I ran out and got her first book
"Ammonite".  Of the two I found Ammonite to be a better read and more
thoughtful, but she is definitely worth checking into.  She is also an
articulate essayist, as I found on the web.  She has some funny and
insightful comments about writing, science fiction, the role of the writer
if you're interested in that sort of thing.  

If you don't think science fiction can be serious writing, remember that in
the U.S. science fiction came from a background of pulp magazines, but in
Europe it came from a tradition of literature - Orwell, Wells, etc.  There
are still writers in both camps.  For those seeking the more intellectual
approach, I highly recommend Samuel R. Delaney whose work is brilliant --
his subjects are power, language, meaning, transmission of ideas, identity.
 The Neveryon trilogy was recently reprinted in a fancy edition by one of
the big university presses.

Cormac McCarthy, whew!  One of THE brilliant writers in English.  Someone
gave me one of his early books to read back in 1983 or so, and I was bowled
over.  Some of his work is difficult from a squeamishness standpoint --
Suttree and Blood Meridien can be very hard on the psyche. As to his
inability to end stories, I am suspicious of his tendency to just trail off
like that . . . what is he up to?  He's obviously doing it deliberately.

For nonfiction lovers I think "Breaking the Maya Code" is part Indiana
Jones and part Journal of the Archaeological Society -- the story of how
the Maya glyphs were finally deciphered, and how one scholar
single-handedly blocked their translation for his entire life.  Politics,
intrigue, treks through the jungle, mysterious languages!  Hot stuff! I
think it's by Michael Coe or someone in his circle of Mayanologists.

That's more than enough for now.  Enjoy!  

Karen  kln@staralliance.com