A friend recently discovered an author she likes (J.M. Coetzee, for inquiring minds) and immediately embarked on the adventure of reading everything she can find by him. I envied her. My life of late has been all screenplay, all the time, and that has had some unexpected consequences, not the least of which is that I read much less new-to-me fiction than I did. That’s partly because all the learning about screenwriting is enough “new” for me right now; and because I spend more of my leisure time (hah, such as it is) watching films (more with the learning); and because most of my new-reading bandwidth is taken up with YA as I continue to make notes and build the framework for the YA novel that’s coming up on my project list.
And because I’m so damned tired a lot of the time that all I want is serious comfort. Comfort food (my mom’s tuna casserole, Nicola’s Portuguese soup, the kick-ass marrow-bone vegetable beef soup that I make that we call shtoup because it’s thick like stew but it’s not stew, no matter what Nicola says). And comfort reading. I’ve been revisiting a lot of old favorites lately — Travis McGee, Bone Dance, and I’ve got my eye on a bunch of Stephen King novellas.
But I’ve been reluctant to engage with writers whose work I don’t already know. And then along came Old Man’s War by John Scalzi. I’ve been reading Scalzi’s blog for a while, but not his fiction. And I really enjoyed this book.
I loved Heinlein from the first book of his I read (Time Enough For Love, if I recall correctly), and I love that Scalzi has captured the best spirit of RAH without rehashing him — this isn’t Heinlein-lite, it’s post-Heinlein, with a good story, interesting characters, cool ideas and accessible science. And as much to say about war — what it is, what it isn’t, how it changes those who wage it — as The Forever War or Ender’s Game. I love the voices, the relationships, the details of moving from one life into another… all the stuff I like, wrapped up in a story that has particular resonance for me right now.
And so now I too have found a new writer to read. Very exciting. Thanks, John, I liked your book.
And I would love to hear what new-to-you writers others have found — there’s nothing like sharing the wealth!
I felt the same way when I read Old Man’s War.
Another writer I was very happy to have found recently (within the last year and a half or so) is Australian fantasy writer Glenda Larke. The first book is The Aware, although you have to take care not to be put off by the hideous cover. I never used to read fantasy at all, but one of my book groups chose this, and it had amazing stuff: great world-building, fantastic characters, strong women. I was blown away. The book stands alone quite well, but there are two sequels: Gilfeather and The Tainted. And then it ends — none of this 10-books-and-no-end-in-sight stuff…..
Haven’t yet read ‘Old Man’s War’, but it’s on my list.
I am currently onto ‘Hllabaloo in the Guava Orchard’ by Kiran Desai. I didn’t expect to like this short book but now I find it gentle and funny and a zany fable of what happens to us when we cling to tightly to our traditions. If you read it as a novel you’ll be frustrated but if you read it as a bedtime story, it is wonderful. ‘Once upon a time there was a postman who decided to live in a guava tree…’
You have a nice, friendly site here!
I loved OMW a lot too, and I’m now in the process of getting the rights for a Romanian translation of all of John’s novels. And John (whom I had the chance to meet last November at the Utopiales in france) is a great and extremely funny guy himself.
I am delighted at how many things I discover you (and Nicola, for that matter) and I both like, although we’re thousands of kilometers apart. 🙂
Amy and Jan, thank you both for the recommendations. I’ll look them up.
Horia, it’s great to hear that a writer whose work I like is a nice person too. It doesn’t always work out that way… funny how I am always more surprised when I just don’t take to someone whose work I like. I know better than to confuse the artist and the art — or maybe I don’t (grin). When someone’s work has the power to touch me, I guess I just expect them personally to carry the same charge.
And yes, it’s fabulous to discover such connections with people who are so far away… all those differences in culture, language, experience, perspective, and still we can connect in so many ways. I bless the internet for the great gift of closing gaps between people…