Sigh, etc

[labellementeuse]

kia ora everyone! there has been a little bit of radio silence from me for awhile and there probably will be fore another while, because first uni buried me in work, then work buried me in work, and somewhere in there my laptop died. (I am hopeful that it's just the power cord - the adaptor, I think - and that's all I'll need to replace. I am nearly 100% confident that it's not a hard-drive thing.) However, in a weird way it was good timing, inasmuch as there can be good timing for that sort of thing - I've been really needing to turn over a new leaf in my semi-professional life mostly revolving around getting up in the mornings in time to actually get to school & watching little enough tee vee on the internets that I can actually get my work done. So: more radio silence. (I can't afford to fix it right now anyway.)

I've read about twenty books in the last three weeks, so there are some distinct pluses. How about that Miles Vorkosigan, huh? I've been meaning to get around to him for awhile and now I am in a major way. Also, Octavia Butler's Fledgling: Amazing amazing amazing. Read it now.

In conclusion: I'm not around much, although I am reading the flist and checking the emails. However, I won't be commenting or posting much & the only shows I'm keeping up with are Doctor Who (most recent episode: ohhhhhh ♥ but why didn't anyone warn me it was a two-parter) and Bones (because my flatmate watches it. We disagree about absolutely EVERYTHING about the show except for that we both love it, so that's... interesting.)

Finally: is anyone going to Regina Spektor this weekend? I'm going but no-one else I know is. :-/ I don't wanna be Nigel No-Mates!

Comments

[labellementeuse.livejournal.com]

I think they're quite terrific! And space opera is just what I'm in the mood for.

Fledgling is really really good. I have just gotten into Butler this year - I LOVED Kindred and Fledgling, but I have to admit that Clay's Ark didn't really grab me. Can you recommend me some others of her stuff?

[wanderlight.livejournal.com]

Clay's Ark is some of her earlier writing -- I personally loved it because it was like a zombie action-adventure, but it's definitely not for everyone. I'd recommend the Xenogenesis trilogy (Dawn, Adulthood Rites, Imago; omnibus version published as Lilith's Brood) if you like aliens/First Contact, or the Parable duology (Parable of the Sower, Parable of the Talents) if you prefer apocalypse/societal collapse in a time closer to our own. Both books have excellent characterisation and weighty themes. As does the novel Wild Seed; it's in the same quartet as Clay's Ark, but an example of her much more mature, fleshed-out writing. It's very rich and poetic, with amazing characterisation.