Monday 3 March 2014

Beginnings


Just a quick introductory blog to start with. In an effort to balance my creative input and output levels I've decided to start writing reviews on the many books I read. I'm mainly a sci-fi / fantasy reader with a definite leaning towards the peculiar and weird. Some current favourites are China MiƩville, Neil Gaiman, Steven Erikson, George R. R. Martin and Catherynne M. Valente. I feel these authors collectively represent the breadth, depth and diversity that can be found in these genres. Genres which are too often perceived as an endless collection of space operas, mystical journeys and heroes quests plagued with wizards, elves, dragons, ETs and robots. Not that I don't enjoy these elements, it's just there is so much more to be enjoyed and explored in the numerous worlds of science fiction and fantasy that not everyone is aware of.

The title of the blog comes from one of my favourite sci-fi fantasy epics: Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. The full quote being "Go then. There are other worlds than these." Which I think sums up why I read the books that I do. It's these other worlds and how they reflect upon our own that interest me. And the stranger and more alien the better. I know that not everyone enjoys this stuff but this blog is for those that do.

Reviews will essentially take the format of random thoughts and feelings squished somehow into words, bludgeoned into sentences and then wrangled into something resembling a coherent order that hopefully results in something moderately readable. I'm sure I will improve over time. 

Obviously my ratings, thoughts and observations are indisputable and should be considered the universal final word on the book in question as I am, quite obviously, the greatest book reviewer in the world. Ok, maybe I'm not quite there. Yet....

Seriously though these reviews are just my own humble feelings and opinions. My hope is that these reviews will shine a light on some of the more obscure corners of the sci-fi and fantasy genres and hopefully inspire you as a reader to seek some out for yourself.

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