A few months ago, I remember reading a MetaFilter thread where somebody was asking for recommendations of a good, modern sci-fi-ish book to recommend to his wife, who doesn’t actually like sci-fi. One title that popped up a lot was Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. (Here’s the thread.) I spotted it in the bookstore not long after and picked it up, but I didn’t get around starting it til last week. I didn’t really know anything about it other than it was supposed to be one of those “postmodern” novels where the timeline is a bit of a puzzle and the bits are all intersecting. Needless to say, I was pretty surprised to find myself reading some sort of Hornblower tale of the South Pacific, with a bunch of 19th century Englishmen learning about Maori history. “This is science fiction?” And then suddenly… it changed completely.

I don’t want to ruin it for you though, so I’m going to keep the plot discussion minimal. But don’t worry; it’s not a nerdy genre piece with aliens or spaceships. Most of it isn’t what you’d classify as “sci-fi” at all. So don’t let that put you off. But if you think you might read it AT ALL, don’t do any googling on it or read the Wikipedia. The structure is a lot more fun to discover on your own and I’m glad I came to it without any expectations. Suffice it to say that the “gimmick” tested my patience at first, and you may well find the first half of the book a little frustrating. (It’s not confusing though; these isn’t a hoity-toity story where the language is impenetrable.) By the time we got to Korea, I was completely hooked. (Sonmi’s tale was my favorite by far.) And then suddenly it all starts to make sense and you reach the top of the mountain, and you’ve got it worked out and you’re sure you know where the second half is going to go – because you’ve already seen where it’s going to go – but you plunge in all the same and you’re both racing to find out what happens and dreading each link in the chain that brings you nearer to the end… and then suddenly you’re right where you expected to be, but you’re still amazed that he managed to pull it off. So if you’re looking for something a little different, something that is both an entertaining read and a work of stunning inventiveness, I really recommend Cloud Atlas. Now I just have to convince the Snook that getting a comet tattooed on my shoulder is a good idea…

Books I’ve Finished Recently:

– March by Geraldine Brooks. This one came highly recommended – both by Mary-Helen and the folks at Kinokuniya – but I have to say I’m a little conflicted about it. On one hand I think it’s a great story, well-told and engaging, and the author’s conceit of filling in the missing “grown-up” parts of Little Women is cleverly executed. (Almost too cleverly; I found myself ticking off each expected plot point as it occurred: the parents’ courtship, the Marches’ lost fortune, Marmee’s temper, Aunt March’s feud, etc.) Brooks is unflinching in her portrayal of the Civil War and the moral conflicts faced by those abolitionists who took up arms. Yeah, I wept when I read the message on the silk scarf, and I was surprised at how the happy ending of LW was changed into something completely different here. But for all its good points… it’s fan fiction. Really good fanfic, but fanfic nonetheless. I kept thinking back to the horrible The Wind Done Gone and the salacious Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife (especially with all the unexpected sex). *shudder* Are they really giving out Pulitzer Prizes for exceptional achievements in fan fiction now? Because the Harry Potter slashfic geeks will be ALL OVER THIS.

– Comet in Moominland by Tove Jansson. Yeah, Snookums has already read this one to me as a bedtime story, but I fall asleep and I miss parts. It was nice to go back and fill in the gaps. Man, I just can’t get enough of Sniff! He’s definitely my favorite character (followed closely by the Hemulen). “Five horrible experiences. It’s beginning to be monotonous!” I like how Sniff is always screaming and running after shiny things.

– Batman: Hush by Jeph Loeb. I absolutely love the look of this book. This is what comic books should look like. That said, the story was a bit hard for me to get my head around. I can tell from the way it’s structured that many of the cameos, in-jokes, and references were gifts for the hardcore fans (who no doubt loved them), but with my limited knowledge of Batman canon most of them went right over my head. (For example, I’d never heard of Clayface before so his appearance was really confusing for a while.) But man, the look of it! Great hulking heroes and ass-kicking voluptuous babes… It was worth it just for the visuals. (And for Supes getting his butt kicked. That’s always a bonus.)

– Ultimate Spider-Man (Volume 1) by Brian Michael Bendis. Meh. I didn’t love this one so much. The vivid cartoony style just doesn’t appeal to me a lot. Is this the way Spidey has always looked? So gangly and Disneyfied? I know it’s just the origin story, but right now it reads like Spider-Man meets Saved by the Bell. Maybe I just prefer darker stories…

– Y: The Last Man (Volume 1) by Brian K. Vaughan. Like this one! A mystery plague wipes out every male on the planet except for one guy and his pet monkey. And oh yeah, his Mom’s a Congresswoman and this girlfriend’s somewhere in Australia. The artwork is okay – not visually arresting like Hush, but not too distracting to the narrative like Ultimate Spider-Man. (It took me a little while to work out that 355 is actually female.) The writing is awesome, really well done. (I like it when comic book characters swear.) I was wary that the concept would get boring and cheesy, but I got sucked into the story really quickly. And the violence! Those crazy Amazons, cuttin’ their own boobs off. I can’t wait to see where they go with this…

Awhile back I joined the Kinokuniya loyalty club, and today I found an e-mail in my Inbox with a couple 20% off coupons. That’s as good an excuse as any to go book shopping! I’ve been wanting to read March by Geraldine Brooks ever since Mary-Helen recommended it so I picked up a copy (one of their last!) as well as a new copy of Little Women. I’ve read LW several times before (and I’m sure it’s sitting in my Mom’s basement somewhere) but I figured I ought to read it again before I tackle March. I also put in an order for Jeffrey Steingarten‘s The Man Who Ate Everything (since it’s always out of stock). Then I moseyed on over to the comics section – I love the looks on the geek guys’ faces – where I was excited to see that Batman: The Dark Knight Returns was finally available. I’ve always liked Batman, and I’m trying to hit some of the big high points in the comics canon. (Did I mention I read The Watchmen? That’s a whole ‘nother post, really…) So that’s three new books to add to the pile on my bedside table. I’m currently about halfway through Peter Carey’s The True History of the Kelly Gang, and so far I’m really enjoying it. (Ned Kelly was sorta the Australian equivalent of Jesse James.) Yay! The only thing that makes chilly winter nights bearable is a warm husband, a thick duvet, and a stack of new books…