The Twelve Colonies and the Duke of Astibar

[fajrdrako]

Today I revisited favourite things. In the morning, it was a book: I was rereading Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay. It was the first of his books that I read - in fact, I heard some of it first when he did a reading at Ad Astra shortly before (or after) it was published. It remains one of my favourite books, but I haven't read it in a long time.

Just long enough to forget details, and rediscover them delightfully.

A lot of the day was spent with fairly mundane things - it was a beautiful day, and I went for a walk to buy groceries at a distant grocery store, and to buy comics at the Silver Snail. The comics I got were:

1. Iron Man #3 by Warren Ellis
2. Nightwing #3 by Devin Grayson
3. Gotham Central #30 by Greg Rucka
(Yay! One of my very favourites!)
4. Conan and the Jewels of Gwahlur #1 because it has P. Craig Russell art. I always love his work.

This evening, I watched 3/4 of the pilot of the new Battlestar Galactica with maaboroshi, josanpq, laitosto and meri_oddities. It held our attention as much this time around as before - sometimes being able to anticipate what's coming up makes the suspense even worse. It was particularly interesting to see Helo with Galactica's Boomer, or to watch again the explosion on Caprica when Number Six seemed to have protected Baltar from the blast. When Helo gave his seat on the rescue ship to Baltar I wanted to scream at him, "No! Don't do it!"

Comments

[teot.livejournal.com]

Mmm, Tigana. Loved that book.

Did you ever get around to reading his Fionavar Tapestry books? I wanted to check them out, but I read a bad review on Amazon and never bothered.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Are you just a super fast reader or do you have a lot of spare time? Just asking, cause sometimes I'm overwhelmed by what you cover!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, I read the Fionavar Tapestries. It's the only work by Guy Kay that I didn't like. It had its moments, but I was glad I hadn't read that first: I don't think I would then have read his other books.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I am a fast reader, though slower than I used to be. I always have a backlog of books, and I don't get enough sleep because I try to read to much, and there's never enough time. So. Why do you ask? (g)

[teot.livejournal.com]

Okay, good to know. My initial instinct was right then.

[teaphile.livejournal.com]

I enjoyed Fionavar. They're not as lyrical as his other books, and the stories are somewhat familiar if you know mythology, but they are interesting, dark novels. I tend to give writers a little slack on their earlier work.

I also like how Fionavar is the mythical world referred to in the other books; whether they call it Finavir or Finar, it's still a common thread.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Because I am jealous, and I was hoping you'd tell me you had no life other than books, but I already knew that wasn't true because you are employed and see people and write, etc etc (i.e. life!). So I was fishing for something else to make myself feel better, lolol.

Jealous! :) I don't get any sleep because I write. I suppose if I had to choose, I prefer it that writing keep me up rather than reading, because I need to write. Still... you make me want to read EVERYTHING and then I realize, hey, not as fast a reader as I was in my English major days (which I think is officially slow, compared to 'fast readers').

*slinks away*

[teaphile.livejournal.com]

Tigana will always be the first fantasy novel I recommend to people. It surprises me every time I read it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yes, isn't it amazing? So many twists and turns, all beautifully set up. I just got to the part where we learn who Alessan's father was. There is something about the whole theme - not the "peninsula caught betweeen warring sorcerers" which in other hands would be trite enough, but the whole notion of a nation lost to human memory, and the clues and feelings that can bring it back.

I adore your icon almost as much as I adore Zoe. Whatta woman!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's life. The stress of wanting to - and trying to - so everything, see everyone, go everywhere, and read all the books there are. Guess what? It isn't possible. If I were sane, I'd stop trying, and just go laze around a tropical island somewhere. (Maybe when my Oceanic flight goes down....)

No, I don't read as fast as I used to. And do you know what's really depressing? I can't read at all any more without glasses. And good light. Sometimes the print in comic books is difficult even with my glasses. Eeek!

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I might actually have been kinder to Fionavar if I had read it first and hadn't had the elevated expectations I got after reading Tigana, The Lions of Al-Rassan, and so on.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

You might like it more than I did. I might like it more if I read it again, without expecting it to be as good as Tigana.

[teot.livejournal.com]

Huh. Then I think I'll give it a chance -- but only if I see it in the library, rather than buying. Thanks!

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

For shame!

I think I may fall in love with you if we ever met, lol. A woman after my own, ambitious heart! :-P God speed, even if we kill ourselves trying.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

That sounds like a good plan. I wonder what Kay's next book will be about?

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

And we may just do that, but it would be in a fine Lymondesque fashion!

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Random, verging upon flaming you: do you know French? lol. *hides*

[teot.livejournal.com]

Not sure. He does seem to be moving towards a more historical rather than fantasy type of book. And he takes years to come out with more. *sigh*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Bien sur, une belle langue.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I think he puts a lot of research, time and effort into his books. I wonder if my love of Tigana might be at least partly because it has less "real" history and more fantasy. I think his use of magic (even in The Last Light of the Sun) is way better than most fantasy writers I have read - more clever, more original, more tension-inducing.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

*jealous* again. Am attempting to find the proper translation for a phrase (I remember some, but my grammar is shot to hell).

"Is this what Maria meant by being great?"

I just can't figure it out. Any ideas? Do I need to pay you? *giggle*

[teaphile.livejournal.com]

You're the first person to comment on my icon, so you get to hear the story. It's from a guerilla media poster campaign for the movie. There are about three posters you can download, print out, and post in public. I love guerilla media, even though it always takes me two tries to spell it.

I think the thing I love best about Tigana is the fact that the rest of the world is pretty much blind to the existence of magic. Usually in fantasy everyone knows about magic; here it's just a secret advantage a few people in power have.

I did read Fionavar after Tigana. It was actually the second I read of his, maybe even before A Song for Arbonne came out, so I was still pretty receptive. Anyway, I do enjoy rereading it when I need something easy.

[teot.livejournal.com]

Totally. His magic seems more real, and intrinsic to the world he creates. And I suppose a long wait is standard for good fantasy. Think how long George R R Martin is taking to come out with his next book. If only they wrote faster! *grin*

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

"Is this what Maria meant by being great?"

Hmm, a challenge. I could ask my friends who really speak French well - that's always my default. Or I could try. Hmm... "Est-ce que c'est ca que Maria veut dire quand elle parlait des grands?" Not quite the same, and probably mangled... let me think about it a little more.

Pay me in moral support with my writing!

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

Thanks darling, now we something else to stress over! ;)

I think you're close. I figured the est-ce que part, and some of the descriptions, but all the in betweens, *sigh and swoon*. :)

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

A guerilla media campaign - well, I can't think of a better subject! So where do I go to download the posters?

Good point about the secrecy of magic in Tigana. I love it that old Sandre was a magician all those years and no one knew.

[monsieureden.livejournal.com]

"Thanks darling, now we something else to stress over! ;)"

Including my inability to type! 'now we HAVE something else to stress over.'

LJ needs to have an 'edit comment' option, for we poor perfectionists.

[teaphile.livejournal.com]

Firefly posters (http://the11thhour.home.att.net/). There are a lot more now than when I first found the page, but sadly, still no Simon.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

LJ needs to have an 'edit comment' option

So true! Many's the time I've wanted to call back a comment half a second after I've posted it.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

I suppose a long wait is standard for good fantasy.

Or perhaps for a really good book of any type? Seems to me that my favourite authors always take a long time between books, and that the results show in the quality.

Though I wish we could do something to make George R.R. Martin to get the next one done and published now.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I will rush over to look.

[fajrdrako.livejournal.com]

Oh, they are wonderful! I particularly like the Kaylee one - "Did you ever fly on a Firefly? Wanna?" and the River one: "I can kill you with my brain." Not to mention Jayne's "putting the "me" in "mercenary".