h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

We were talking earlier about Arthur C Clarke's
2001 Space Odyssey and its sequels and I can now
happily report to having just finished and thoroughly
enjoyed 2061 Odyssey Two. It moved along briskly
and using a basic scientific knowledge of geology,
chemistry and astral-physics managed to become (as
HGWells always suggested a good book should) a sound
basis for an imaginary situation in which a good writer
could expose the human condition and the workings of
the human mind (IE: celebrate the human character).


~jwf~

PS: It is also continually fascinating to observe how
while writing it in 1986 he foresaw so many subsequent
developments - and particularly poignant this past couple
of weeks considering the number of major news stories
coming out of South Africa.

I'm reading "Apollo's Angels, A history of ballet", by J Homans (2010). 600 pages from the local 2nd hand shop. Not sure why I chose it, but it has turned out much better than I had expected, providing a history of Ballet from around the 16th century onwards including France, Italy, Austria, Germany and Russia cutting back to antiquity where appropriate. I like the way the author has woven the history into the history of Europe, and it's the history of Europe through the prism of ballet, that I am finding the most interesting aspect of the book.

Just finished reading 'The Curious Case of the Clockwork Man' by Mark Hodder. It was the second book (didn't realise until I was half way through) and I can't help feeling I've missed something.

It was, well, alright, I suppose. I'm not champing at the bit to get either of the other two.

'One of our Thursdays is Missing' arrived the other day, so that's me next one...

...unless Eustace arrive tomorrow...

just possibly...

Just started People Who Walk in Darkness by Stuart M. Kaminsky. I believe it's one of a series of police procedurals set in modern Russia. From the depiction of endemic corruption I'm guessing the author doesn't currently live in Russia.

oh that sounds great. Having relatively recently read another in the Arkady Renko series (Martin Cruz Smith - the series started with Gorky Park in the 80s) I am looking for more Russian stuff. I love it.

There's a series? I read Gorky Park about the time it became a film, and I remember enjoying it (and being gobsmacked because there was a bit I had completely forgotten about, which took me totally by surprise). I didn't know there were more.

Mol

they are totally brilliant, the 2nd one is Polar Star - he ends up working on a fish factory ship as his punishment for what happened in Gorky Park. I think there are 4 or 5.

The clever thing is they seem to move seemlessly between the Moscow of the 80s and the Moscow of round about now, without him really aging overmuch or it being weird. IYSWIM.

And then there is Tim Rob Smith, his books set in the era of Stalin are grippingly fantastic.

Another in the series is Red Square. Renko keeps encountering the question 'Where is Red Square?' It's in Moscow - or is it? I'm not saying any more. Read the book and find out.

currently reading another YA Urban Fantasy. I can't explain why I love them so much.

Currently reading David Berlinski "A Tour of the Calculus - the philosophy of mathematics", 1996. It is one of the worst books I have ever read. Purple prose doesn't do it justice, it's a tour around Berlinski own conceit as an author and teacher. It should never have been published and I will bin it afterwards (rather than give it to a second hand store).

Sho - C'mon you've got to tell us the author and title. You can't just say it's a young adult fantasy.

I vaguely recall the film Gorky Park. Something to do with ice skating? Hmm, perhaps I should look for this Cruz Smith bloke in the library.

Gorky Park was a thriller, murder mystery set in the Soviet Union of... hmmm, it was Brezhnev's time I think.

the Young Adult Urban Fantasy that has me totally hooked is Sanctum (Guards of the Shadowlands) by Sarah Fine.

I need brain candy and I can't read too many Daisy Dalrymple Mysteries without coming over all House of Elliot / Jeeves & Wooster.

I've been reading the Soul Screamers by Rachel Vincent (?) (more YA Urban Fantasy) but I have to wait for #7 to be published. Sanctum is rather like those. And yes, I'm about 35 years too old for them...

Wikipedia agrees with me: "Three young people are seen ice skating in Gorky Park."

I've been reading Waverley for at least a month and I'm still only half-way through. I can best describe the experience as the literary equivalent of wading through treacle. The only reason I keep going is that I don't like to start a book and not finish it. Even alternating with other books doesn't alleviate the tedium. I have to assume the Victorians (or whoever his readers were) enjoyed the story for its novelty value. It's certainly not well written by modern standards.

the ice skating is peripheral - they are ice-skating and they find a body.

I thought the ice-skater *became* the body ...

Ah, right, that's what I've been doing with Waverley then. Alternating it with other books. Over a period of 10 years.

Mol

I'm reading Rose Tremain's 'Merivel - A Man of his Time', though I don't know if it's as good as her earlier 'Restoration', where we meet Robert Merivel for the first time.

But I've also started Jonne Harris's 'Breakfast for M. Le Cure', which seems to be a kind of sequel to 'Chocolat'.

it's about 20 years since I last read Gorky Park. You're right, there were 3 skaters and one was killed? or 2. I'll have to read it again (followed by all the others what a torture)

I might give those a burl, too. I read Gorky Park years ago, and I remember enjoying it, but not much else about it.