Monthly Archives: March 2016

Reading Well: Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay

Set in a magically-infused vision of 8th century China, Guy Gavriel Kay‘s Under Heaven (2010) straddles the line between historical fiction and fantasy. The fantastic elements are treated lightly, and the history is very compelling. The setting is the real hero of the … Continue reading

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Reading Well: The Peripheral by William Gibson

With The Peripheral (2014), William Gibson has returned to his wheelhouse: an incisive and disturbing vision of the near-future with engaging protagonists and sharp, snappy writing. Whether it is the hero of the book, Flynne (reprising a steampunk role originated by Y.T. … Continue reading

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Reading Well: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James

You will know if you will enjoy A Brief History of Seven Killings (2014) by the end of the second chapter. The first is told by a ghost, observing those involved in his own demise; the second is in a deep … Continue reading

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Reading Well: Daughters of the North by Sarah Hall

Daughters of the North (2007, originally published as The Carhullan Army) by Sarah Hall sits in the very thin area of overlap between literary and post-apocalyptic fiction. As such, it is a significantly higher level of craft than most of the latter … Continue reading

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Reading Well: Some Sing, Some Cry by Ntozake Shange & Ifa Bayeza

Some Sing, Some Cry (2010) is a novel by Ntozake Shange and her sister (and playwright) Ifa Bayeza that belongs to a long tradition of explorations of the African-American experience through the eyes of a single family (in this case, the Mayfields). They are a … Continue reading

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