‘The Invention of Morel’ (1940) by Adolfo Bioy Casares is usually classed as ‘literary fiction’ (whatever that means), but for me it’s an exemplary piece of fantastika.
Finished Jade Legacy by Fonda Lee last night, completing her Green Bone trilogy. The series is excellent, bringing gangster epic storytelling to a 20th century-inspired world where martial arts film feats are a reality.
There's a lot to like about it, but maybe my favorite part is the seemingly effortless way the books adopt the POV of wildly different people with different perspectives, making all these characters feel real and worthy of empathy.
For all the wonderful writers contributing to this shared-world anthology, it really reads like so many extra yards of the Jerry Cornelius novels. The best writing is by Hilary Bailey, who turned a lovely sentence.
New on my blog is the second half of my top 10 imaginary worlds. I get a bit deeper this time (or go on a bit more!), as these are ones that have shaped me as a writer.
Full disclosure: I know Alex Cochran. But that’s not why I was so knocked out by this book. ‘The Pollutant Speaks’ is a beautifully written exploration of themes I’m already obsessive about: social justice, the philosophy of language, aliens, big spaceships…
Happy #PrideMonth 🏳️🌈
Spotlight on the troubled genius that was Jeffrey Catherine Jones (1944-2011). Some treasures of mine along with an excellent biography and more artwork at the link.