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Powell's Staff:
Five Book Friday: In Memoriam
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Every year, the booksellers at Powell’s submit their Top Fives: their five favorite books that were released in 2023. It’s a list that, when put together, shows just how varied and interesting the book tastes of Powell’s booksellers are. I highly recommend digging into the recommendations — we would never lead you astray — but today...
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Brontez Purnell:
Powell’s Q&A: Brontez Purnell, author of ‘Ten Bridges I’ve Burnt’
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Rachael P.:
Starter Pack: Where to Begin with Ursula K. Le Guin
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Customer Comments
M_Emrys has commented on (9) products
Ubik
by
Philip K Dick
M_Emrys
, June 13, 2009
Life turns upside-down for Joe Chip and 11 of his coworkers when they escape the aftermath of a bomb blast with the corpse of their employer. Various temporal and paranormal phenomena begin manifesting themselves, the cause of which is a mystery - and their lives may depend on solving that mystery. Ubik is rather confusing, but in this case, to say that is actually to pay it a compliment. It's one of Dick's best novels, a highly enjoyable tale of distorted reality and bizarre metaphysics, by the end of which, Dick clears up the confusion and brings the story to a satisfying conclusion - until, that is, he throws another curveball in the final chapter.
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Elric the Stealer of Souls Chronicles of the Last Emperor of Melnibone Volume I
by
Moorcock, Michael
M_Emrys
, May 30, 2009
Elric, the brooding, self-loathing albino anti-hero who must rely on drugs and a vampiric sword for strength, has earned his status as the most well-loved of Moorcock's characters. Stealer of Souls is the first - and thus far, best - installment in an authoritative series of Elric reprints and related material. The seminal Elric stories, reprinted in the first half of this book, are enjoyable if disjointed, and a must have for any fan of Moorcock; however, Stormbringer, reprinted in the second half, is the most essential part of the Elric saga. Stormbringer is an epic sword-and-sorcery classic.
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Philip K Dick Reader
by
Philip K Dick
M_Emrys
, May 30, 2009
Dick is a master of paranoia and of creating cleverly bizarre situations. His short stories tend to be better than his novels, and for the uninitiated, this is an excellent starting point.
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Majestrum Henghis Hapthorn 01
by
Matthew Hughes
M_Emrys
, May 04, 2009
The first full-length Henghis Hapthorn novel, following the events of The Gist Hunter and Other Stories, finds the discriminator (as private investigators are known in the Archonate universe) faced with the unpleasant reality that reality is not what he always thought it to be: logical. The influence of the laws of science and logic is slowly but inexorably waning in favor of the ascending power of sympathetic association (magic). Meanwhile, the Archon has hired Hapthorn to investigate the theft of fragments of an old statue and the related murder of a man from whose body every muscle has been mysteriously removed without leaving a wound. Matthew Hughes is, as far as I'm concerned, the greatest author of fantasy and science fiction, and this is a fine example of his work. As many critics have pointed out, his novels are derivative of Jack Vance's Dying Earth series; this is not, as some would have it, a strike against him. Matthew Hughes may be similarly loquacious and ironic - which is definitely a good thing - but he is unique in his own right, and the compelling plot of Majestrum is utterly unlike anything that transpired in Dying Earth. Majestrum does refer back to Fools Errant, Fool Me Twice, and The Gist Hunter and Other Stories - all of which are also recommended, especially Fools Errant - but while it is advisable to read them first, it is not necessary.
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Tales of the Dying Earth
by
Jack Vance
M_Emrys
, May 03, 2009
Jack Vance is a technically talented author whose writings are characterized by verbosity and wit. Indeed, if the stories were as good as the writing itself, The Dying Earth would be a classic. Instead, it is a random assortment of short stories that suffer from a lack of interesting plots and characters. Fortunately, Eyes of the Overworld and Cugel's Saga (volumes 2 and 3 of this Dying Earth omnibus), are a major improvement. Cugel, the anti-hero of the aforementioned, is a memorable character whose entertaining exploits make this collection worth reading. His quest for petty revenge may not seem like a great premise, but the episodes leading up to said revenge are highly enjoyable and paint a well-realized picture of the dying earth on which these stories are set. Together with the less easily recommendable The Dying Earth and Rhialto the Marvellous, they are an excellent introduction to an author who quite deservedly earned the title of Grand Master from Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.
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The Princess Bride
by
William Goldman
M_Emrys
, April 20, 2009
A "classic tale of true love and high adventure," presented as an abridgement of a work of historical fiction. Prepare to be confused as to the distinction between fact and fiction; the introduction and asides draw on just enough reality to be almost believable. Cynical and humorous at the same time, The Princess Bride is very cleverly written - particularly the annotated criticism of Morgenstern (the fictitious author who allegedly wrote the original version of The Princess Bride). If you haven't read it, you don't know what you're missing.
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Foundation (Foundation #1)
by
Isaac Asimov
M_Emrys
, April 20, 2009
The beginning of what is undoubtedly Asimov's greatest creation. Using a mathematical system of his own devising that allows sociological trends to be treated statistically, Hari Seldon predicts the fall of the Galactic Empire, and sets in motion a plan to erect a second and greater empire after millennium of turmoil. This novel (actually more of a series of short stories) chronicles the first couple hundred years of that millennium. Subtler by far than most science fiction, Foundation is a thoroughly original and clever work of art.
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& Then There Were None
by
Agatha Christie
M_Emrys
, April 20, 2009
An unusal book, in that it is a murder mystery novel that, having once been read, loses nothing on subsequent reads. If anything, subsequent reads actually serve to give a deeper appreciation for the sheer genius of it. Easily the best in its genre.
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Fools Errant
by
Matthew Hughes
M_Emrys
, April 20, 2009
One upperclass twit's misadventures in a world populated almost entirely by monomaniacs. Crazy, fast-paced, and hilarious. I love Hughes's writing style, which should be immediately familiar to fans of Jack Vance: equal parts verbosity and dry humor, the one serving exceedingly well to amplify the other. Fools Errant is a highly recommended debut from a highly recommended author.
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