The Sword and Laser discussion

[from Discord] @acedtect: "Ok folks. As we discovered on this week’s show, we never read Lauren Beukes. So explain to me why this is a horrible idea"

At least you can zip through The Shining Girls in about 7 hours (98k words) and then watch the tv show with the actress from The Handmaid's Tale...

Apple Tv show trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GiNCI... That Spanish [Brazillian] guy is a good actor too. The tv show is a bit more timey wimey and less historical.

The one book I read by her had terrific writing but one of the worst magic systems I’ve ever encountered, to the point where the entire book didn’t make any sense whatsoever. After that experience I looked at her other books and that seems to be a pattern for her,

So I personally would sit this one out. No sense in adding to my aggravation.

I read The Shining Girls a few years ago and I enjoyed it, I think from the group perspective it falls into a slightly awkward “is it science fiction? Is it urban fantasy?” hole between genres.

Got it from the library. Should finish it in a week. We have never read anything by M.R. Carey despite having 2 solid series. That a huge slot missing on the bookshelf in my humble opinion.

Ruth wrote: "I read The Shining Girls a few years ago and I enjoyed it, I think from the group perspective it falls into a slightly awkward “is it science fiction? Is it urban fantasy?” hole between genres."

Black hole fantasy? (these subgenres are getting out of hand - said no one)

Timey wimey killy willy nilly?

Jenny has reviewed a lot of the Beukes books on Goodreads, by the way. It's a treasure to still have her reviews. https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...

Is this really the selection for next month?

Most of the GR reviewers I pay attention to rated it three stars. Since I usually rate a little lower than they do, I think this one is going to be a hard pass for me.

One guy on GR who rates EVERYTHING 5 stars rated Shining Girls 4 stars. That's not a good sign...

this has been one I've wanted to read for a while! I'm looking forward to it!

RJ - Slayer of Trolls wrote: "Is this really the selection for next month?

Most of the GR reviewers I pay attention to rated it three stars. Since I usually rate a little lower than they do, I think this one is going to be a ..."

As of now it is not, or at least Tom has not made it known on Discord if it is. Her most recent book Bridge is what was brought up in some of the discussion around the recording of the podcast. But I don't believe he had made a firm decision yet. But barring some finding that Lauren is an actual time traveling murderer, I think it will probably be one of her books.

A book for next month hasn't been chosen. A discussion is under way on discord and here. I suggested Beukes' latest book Bridge during the podcast.

It rhymes with fridge.

So...her...middle name is "Midge?"

That's true. Often authors have at least a middle initial.

Tamahome also suggested Joanna Russ' The Female Man with "lol" and actually I can't tell if it was a flippant suggestion or not. But anyway, I like it! Written in 1970 so not quite "classic" era but definitely indicative of the new wave SF of that day.

I suggested there, and will suggest here, that we could read The Female Man as an also-read since Beukes' work tends to be short. Shining Girls sounds interesting, or Bridges, either one. And anyone feeling the lack of a classic can join in this particular book from an older day.

The Female Man would be an interesting choice. It's a little postmoderny like Delany. Nonlinear like Ninth House or The Shining Girls (or every Netflix tv series), and unlike the linear Kings of the Wyld. Very short (5-6 hours). The pov changes without saying who it is.

Tamahome wrote: "...the tv show with the actress from The Handmaid's Tale...
"
She was also in a significant role in Madmen.

With Jon Hamm. Who is in Good Omens.

Which was written by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman.

Why is that important? Because Penguin Random House has described the book Apocalypse Now Now by Charlie Human as being "Lauren Beukes meets Neil Gaiman."

I conclude from all of that we should really be reading "Apocalypse Now Now" by Charlie Human to close the circle lest disaster strike. In this world or the next one over.

I’m sold. It's ineffable.

The Shining Girls and Apocalypse Now Now are both about serial killers. Hard pass.

Can we do something less murdery of women?

The Shining Girls is ok though, because a woman wrote it.

Trike wrote: "The Shining Girls and Apocalypse Now Now are both about serial killers. Hard pass.

Can we do something less murdery of women?"

Agree.

Of the three I've read by Lauren Beukes, my favorite was Zoo City.

Tom on discord:

"I'm going to have to decide for sure pretty soon. Sounds like Bridge or Shining Girls. Any last minute please for which I should choose?"

Me here. Same thing Tamahome said.

pick the Apple + show book as I already started.

Trike wrote: "Can we do something less murdery of women?"

Having just read Apocalypse Now Now I can say it is not a serial killer book. For some reason the publisher decided to go with that tagline, I assume to hide the true plotline. (view spoiler)[The protagonist's girlfriend goes missing and he is accused of being a serial killer. It turns out he is a "chosen one" and it is all a setup to manipulate him into certain actions. (hide spoiler)]

Having said that, I wouldn't say it was a particularly good book. The protagonist is immediately and irrevocably unlikable. He has a character arc that shows a lot of development by the end but it is pretty hard to believe the drivers and the extent of the transformation*. It reads like a graphic novel in word form with combatting super-powers, wholesale violence and bystander death. Sort of like "The Boys." Oh, and lots of supernatural porn.

* (view spoiler)[As it is written in first person you could try to argue that he wasn't the sociopath he himself thinks he is at the beginning of the book. "Unreliable narrator" as an explanation is a stretch though. He literally went from textbook sociopath to self-sacrificing hero in 450 pages. (hide spoiler)]