The Alchemy of Stone – Ekaterina Sedia
I have high hopes for this, Sedia’s second novel. Her first ‘The Secret History of Moscow’, drew comparison with Neverwhere, which is just about my least favourite of Neil Gaiman’s works but I won’t let that get in the way of a promising namecheck.
Work in Progress
The idea is for The Jub Jub Bird to become a site dedicated to the search for that mythical beast, Literary Fantasy: quality literature of a speculative nature. The emphasis is on the word quality because there’s so much dross out there, under the sci-fi / fantasy tag heading. This blog will attempt to direct readers towards the good-stuff and perhaps play some small part in bringing about a wider acceptance of speculative works by the mainstream.
I’ve kept a watching brief on sci-fi and fantasy since the days of my youth, when I was in to Tolkein, Iain M Banks, Pratchett, Weis & Hickman and Gaiman amongst others. Twenty years later there are serious gaps in my knowledge of the genre and its stars. I intend to educate myself and, by recording my thoughts along the way, stimulate debate and introduce others to the best that writing-between-the-worlds has to offer.
Please let me know your thoughts. As I’m a learner, any helpful advice or recommendations, gratefully received.
‘And when quarrels arose – as one frequently finds
Quarrels will, spite of every endeavour –
The song of the JubJub recurred to their minds,
And cemented their friendship for ever!’
Danielhall33@hotmail.co.uk
Review Pending
The Scar - China Mieville
Now Reading
The Dispossessed - Ursula Le Guin
Coming Up
Gawain and the Green Knight - Simon Armitage
Best Reads 2010
The Children's Book by A.S. ByattMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Rich and multi-faceted period piece by one of the best. See my full review at....https://thejubjubbird.wordpress.com/2010/...
In the Night Garden by Catherynne M. ValenteMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
A treasure trove of fairy tales, told the way stories used to be....
The Jub Jub Bird 