Re: Hugo Shortlist 2008

Here, Rich Horton <rrhorton@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> On Fri, 21 Mar 2008 13:58:08 -0700, David T. Bilek
> <davidbilek@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> 
> >Speaking mostly about his first book, _The Lies of Locke Lamora_, I
> >think he successfully combines a kind of sly humor like WJW's
> >Maijstral books with a much more realistic sense of the harsh, often
> >brutal reality of being a criminal.  A witty, charming criminal with
> >panache, sure, but panache doesn't stop crossbow bolts or protect your
> >friends when people come looking for you.
> >
> >I thought LLL was clever, exciting, and that Lynch is almost as good a
> >writer as he thinks he is.  And as Andrew Plotkin said, he clearly
> >thinks he's a pretty damn good writer.
> >
> >The only people I wouldn't suggest it to are those looking for Gene
> >Wolfe or M. John Harrison or that sort of prose driven literary style
> >of novel.
>
> Except I have only read the second novel, and while it's not bad
> exactly ... it's not all that great either. 

I thought Lynch's second novel was pretty great. Had some unfortunate
pacing, but there was only one page when I thought "Lynch has
disappointed me." (No, not the first page.)

(By entertaining but shallow coincidence, I'm right now in the middle
of Gene Wolfe's _Pirate Freedom_. Which is also pretty darn great.)

--Z

-- 
"And Aholibamah bare Jeush, and Jaalam, and Korah: these were the
borogoves..."
*
If the Bush administration hasn't ****pped you to Syria for interrogation,
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