Nicholas J > Recent Status Updates

Really a delight so far. Just finished the chapter about Fitz meeting his should-have-been stepmother Patience. Her weirdness and sorrow and awkwardness are very affecting, and she’s very much counter to the wicked stepmother trope as she desperately tries to create a bond with Fitz.

Very good so far. Fitz is the bastard child of a prince who abdicated in shame. Fitz is brought to court where he is treated neither as nobility nor quite as a servant. But King Shrewd decides to have him trained to be an assassin under the tutelage of the mysterious Chade.

Writing is evocative without being long-winded or gimmicky.

But I worry that I’ve read this before and gave it up. We’ll see!

And, At The Last, Just To Be Done With Silence -
A dialogue between two near-to-death medieval fellows as they are being punished for violating sanctuary and hauling the corpse of their victim to local churches, at each of which they are scourged. Quick and grim and creepy.

American Light - An Appreciation
A meticulously footnoted Beat poem by a fictional poet who Moore inserts into the movement’s history, along with a bit of a mystery/tragedy revealed in the footnotes. Something of a slog as it feels more like research than fiction or poetry.

What We Can Know About Thunderman -
A sprawling and scathing dissection of the comics industry, barely hidden with pseudonyms. Catharsis for Moore, and a great read.

Illuminations - a forlorn middle-aged man revisits the seaside holiday town where his parents took him each year growing up. A melancholy tale with a creepy ending twist!

The Improbably Complex High-Energy State - a downright wacky imagining of the initial femtosecond of existence, as experienced by a theoretical Boltzmann brain

Cold Reading - A great little ghost story, told in real-time narration by a charlatan psychic who is contacted for a reading by a man who recently lost his skeptic twin brother.

Location, Location, Location — a real estate agent shows Jesus into his new home as Judgement Day unfolds around them.

Not Even Legend - a short, mind-bending story about a creature who experiences time backwards

Hypothetical Lizard - an eerie and beautiful story set in an exclusive brothel that caters to sorcerers, about a transgender courtesan who returns to visit her spurned lover, as witnessed by a half-masked whore with an induced brain impairment. Absolutely enchanting.

“The Rogue Prince, or, A King’s Brother” by George RR Martin - a convoluted chronicle that later formed the basis for HBO’s House of the Dragon. An interesting read if you like histories, but not much of a story.

“The Lightning Tree” by Patrick Rothfuss - a day in the life of Bast as he does some mischief and solves some problems in the village

“Now Showing” by Connie Willis - girl goes to massive cineplex to see a movie, but is prevented by unlikely circumstances and a grand conspiracy. Fun story by a hugely celebrated writer.

“How the Marquis Got His Coat Back” by Neil Gaiman - tidy adventure in London Below. Charming and clever of course.

“The Curious Affair of the Dead Wives” by Lisa Tuttle - the case of a woman perhaps dead or perhaps alive is taken up by a budding investigator and her Holmes-like partner in Victorian London. Great story thoughtfully written, with keen observations about women’s status that continue to resonate today. ****

“The Caravan to Nowhere” by Phyllis Eisenstein - a wandering minstrel joins a caravan journey across a desert. Beautifully written compelling story. *****

“Diamonds from Tequila” by Walter Jon Williams - Intrigue involving a movie star shooting on location in Mexico and synthetic drug production. Zippy writing and clever plotting.

“A Cargo of Ivories” by Garth Nix - a short escapade about Sir Hereward, a knight, and Mister Fitz, a sorcerer-puppet. Fun banter, vivid writing, and fast pacing. Must seek out more! ****

“Ill Seen in Tyre” by Steven Saylor - amusing yarn about a youth and his tutor seeking out a magic tome

“A Better Way to Die” by Paul Cornell - a British agent in a Victorian England that is starting to use parallel realities. Weird and fascinating, with just enough exposition woven into the narrative to keep the reader afloat while still preserving some mystery to it all. Might be worth looking into more books about the protagonist, Hamilton.

“The Meaning of Love” by Daniel Abraham - fantasy story about a rogue helping a romantic fugitive prince, set in an extremely gritty city. A touch heavy on the cynicism, but pretty good.

“Heavy Metal” by Cherie Priest - odd story about a very polite, huge rogue exorcist and a haunted pond in an old mining town. Lovely prose.

“Bad Brass” by Bradley Denton - fun story about high school kids stealing band instruments. Entertaining but not particularly special

A Year and a Day in Old Theradane, by Scott Lynch - set in a very high fantasy city, a convoluted and unlikely heist orchestrated by some sassy rogues. Very fun!

Roaring Twenties by Carrie Vaughn - fun story about witches and creatures and gangsters and Feds in a speakeasy one night. Love the setting, and good writing.

“Provenance” by David W. Ball - merely ok story about a shady deal hinging on a painting looted in WW2

Tawny Petticoats by Michael Swanwick - fun caper set in a bizarre 19th C America featuring con-artists Darger and Surplus. Might be worth reading more!