Quote:
Originally Posted by wolf
Zendegi - Greg Egan
More future history than science fiction, but interesting.
|
I adore Greg Egan's work. I remember the first of his that I ever read. It was called Quarantine I think (or Quarantined). The book cover was awful. Looked like one of the worst pulp sci-fi hack jobs. God alone knows why I picke dit up, there was just something about it that caught me. It was awesome. Really truly awesome. Mindblowing stuff.
I've since read several of his stories and haven't yet found one that didn't stretch my mind a little :p
He's also done some really great non-fiction essays on issues that matter to him (like Australia's approach to asylum control for instance).
Wolf, have you ever read any Jeff Noon? If not check his stuff out. He's a British author and his work sits somewhere between sci-fi and magical realism (according to a website I just looked at he is the 'celebrated pioneer of urban fantasy'). Very much a child of the Gibson era, but with a touch of Clockwork Orange. All his early stuff is set in Manchester, though it's very much an imagined Manchester. Despite the way its warped into something different, as a Manc, I totally recognise it.
First one's called
Vurt and won the 1994 Arthur C Clark award.
Don't know if it's available on Kindle though.
It was available as an audiobook on cassette (!). I have a copy, but it's a bit fucked on the sound I think...
It's on my list of top ten favourite books of all time. That said, it has its critics, and as Noon's debut novel it isn't as polished as his later work.
Pollen, the followup to
Vurt is in some ways a better book. It's beautiful and lyrical and has a depth and texture to it that I can still feel when I think of it.
Both those early books are special to me, because that was the initial discovery. Since then he's written some really important stuff, that pushes the envelope and plays with the very idea of literature and words. And numbers too...
Nymphomation for instance.
I could go on all night, so I better stop now.
This page is a brilliant write up of his works, in order. Shows the progression of concepts and styles.
http://www.themodernword.com/scripto...oon_works.html