I put together a quick list for a facebook post of stuff I’ve finished recently. My reading has been gangbusters for a long while now. Happily. Though I’ve sorta lost track of what’s on netflix and such. Have also grown odd buckets of curiosity around book collecting – actually I seem to have spent so much time looking for nice books to buy that I’ve lost track of whisky and suddenly realised I was running out :-) Another thing I’ve noticed is that as my reading has increased I am rediscovering the joy of the short story and there’s a few collections below.

Here’s a list of a bunch of things I’ve finished in recent months:

• The Absolute Sandman Volume 2 by Neil Gaiman – I’m doing a full read/reread through at the moment, dipping in and out. So so good and the stories hold up. I have recently purchased the Absolute Overture Volume which has new stories from Gaiman. Then I realised I had the hardcover edition of it as well. However the new one matches the rest of my Absolute editions and I may have to donate the other edition to charity or friends
• The Magic of Recluce by LE Modesitt Jr – I have been seeing this author on the shelves in increasing quantities for many years. He writes a lot of fantasy, usually trilogies and series and I’ve tended to avoid him. I figured I needed to give him a go. This is book 1 of a bigger series and I didn’t mind it, though a little dull at times. Happy to have read it but don’t need to read more.
• Speculative Horizons edited by Patrick St-Denis – this is a short story collection published by Subterranean Press and I bought it because it included a story by an author I loved long ago, CS Friedman and her ColdFire Trilogy. I was curious about other stuff she’d done and this didn’t disappoint. It also included a Modesitt story set in Recluce that I liked and led me reading a full novel. A nice little collection.
• Subterranean Press Tales of Dark Fantasy 3, Edited by William Schafer – I haven’t read dark fantasy in a long time and one of my favourites had been the aforementioned ColdFire trilogy. This came nicely bound in a slipcase full of fabulous tales, most of which I enjoyed. I think I need to seek out the previous 2 volumes.
• The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by NK Jemison – never read Jemison’s works before though she’s been picking up awards all over the place. This is book 1 of a trilogy I’m getting via Subterranean Press (they published the previous trilogy which sold out and is now way expensive on the secondary market) and I loved it. A fresh voice doing different things.
• First King of Shannara by Terry Brooks – I’ve been getting these nice slipcased editions from Grim Oak and by book 3 I was starting to think I was over it and the writing was dull for the current me. First King reminded me of everything I loved about Shannara, well written, engaging with a solid story. Glad I continued.
• Daughter of the Empire by Janny Wurts & Raymond Feist – I’m also getting the full Riftwar saga via Grim Oak though I feel the writing is stronger and still sucks me in. I tend to feel that the Janny Wurts contributions are the strongest parts and to my regret I’ve read nothing else by her. This might be the year to rectify that omission.
• A Case of Conscience by James Blish – Centipede Press have recently republished a lovely edition of this old classic that won the 1959 Hugo award. It’s still so good. Part 1 is the original novella and Part 2 is a new novella that bookends it nicely.