Moore is regularly a bright, funny, poignant writer who fine tunes his books the way a great chef would a recipe, removing all excess ingredients and giving us just enough of each of the primary flavors that our senses are delighted and intrigued. This time, it he took whatever was in his fridge that wasn’t quite rotten but not still fresh, poured it into a casserole dish, set the oven to 450, and prayed. Then when it didn’t come out right, he slathered it in cheese, added some 150 proof rum, and lit the top on fire. And as such, I will politely decline the offer of seconds, thank you.
My Thoughts on Nick’s Villains Never Die
The first thing you should know about Villains Never Die is it’s going to be familiar. The second thing you should know about Villains Never Die is it’s going to be completely foreign.
That might seem like an oxymoron, but it isn’t. If the superhero story is a classic Mustang, Nick DeWolf brought it into his shop, tore out all of the old junk that engineers have improved in the last half century, replaced it with new technology, gave it a real good wash and wax, and then sent it out to the showroom floor.
The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons
I acknowledge it’s unfair of me to review Dan Simmons’ entire Hyperion Cantos together because it’s a long, complex journey with highs and lows in terms of both narrative drama and writing quality. In many ways, it’s less a four-book series, and more a duology of duologies. Unfortunately, the first two books are far superior than the latter two, which mainly serve to button up the universe. If these books interest you at all, I might recommend reading only the first two; however, the Endymion books might compel you, and you might find yourself beginning to resent them and questioning whether it was worth beginning the series in the first place.
Continue reading “The Hyperion Cantos by Dan Simmons”Books (Part 2)
More of my favorite books that didn’t make the top 5, but were pretty damn close:
A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS
Dave Eggers’ autobiographical account of how he lost both parents within a matter of weeks, then had to raise his kid brother while barely out of childhood himself. It’s funny, brutally honest, and written in a hip, smart way that makes you want to read it slowly so you can absorb every word. It’s like being at a party where someone is telling hilarious stories and you don’t want to leave.
Books (Part 1)
So, as a writer, people often ask me which authors I enjoy reading or ask for book recommendations, as if being a writer gives me some special insight into the talent behind stringing together sequences of words in order to form sentences. I suppose the belief is that I must have a knack for seeing things that the average reader doesn’t see, that if I like a particular author, then said author must really be something special. Well, let me set the record straight:
It’s all true. I do have a special insight into the written word, and I do see things the average reader can’t see. So keep that in mind as I recommend some books and authors that perhaps get overlooked or are not part of the mainstream literary establishment.
I’ll start with a list of my five favorite books: