It is a very pretty part of the world.
Top-to-bottom: view of downtown from Bernal Heights; school mural in the Mission District; view from a cable car; flowers in the Marin headlands; houses, I don’t remember where; the Golden Gate, of course; curved escalators in Nordstroms; and sunset over the Pacific coast. Many more here. It was a good trip: caught up with some old friends, made some new ones, and, of course, bought some books:
Again, top to bottom: Bitter Angels by CL Anderson, Shambling Towards Hiroshima by James Morrow, The Dazzle of Day by Molly Gloss, Couch by Benjamin Parzybok, Black & White by Lewis Shiner, Flesh and Fire by Laura Anne Gilman (a much-appreciated gift from Terry), and The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (because my paperback copy is somewhat beaten up). I now have several books on the Nebula list that I haven’t read, and a couple from the Dick list, and who knows, I may even get around to reading them soonish. First, though, as I mentioned, a post about Stephen Baxter, and something I need to write for Strange Horizons, and The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. At least, that’s the plan.
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Oh I didn’t realise Black & White had a pb edition. It’s a very interesting and enjoyable novel. It has a hint of the fantastic, it’s nominally a crime novel, but what it’s really about is the thing Shiner usually writes about: Men and their relationships, father-son, and male-female. I’m a big fan, in part because he knows how to tell a story as well as explore his themes, unlike certain mainstream literary darlings who think they are doing the same thing but are really just indulging themselves. Martin Amis for instance.
I remembered you mentioning it positively a while back, and since I’ve never read Shiner, and it was there, buying it seemed like the thing to do.
Now the real question: Did you see the jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium? :D
Niall: Shiner has almost everything he’s ever published online at his website. http://www.fictionliberationfront.net/index.htm
Subterranean have also just published a Collected Stories that is very interesting.
Rachel: oh yes. Although for my money the shoals in the Outer Bay tank may have been even more hypnotic. :-)
Kev: I knew about the Collected Stories (have a review to look at for SH), not about all the online stuff. Thanks!
I have read everything in the standard edition of shiner’s Collected Stories but am awaiting my copy of the limited edition with bonus chapbook before I write about it. Interested to see the SH review though.
I can also see Molly Gloss’s The Dazzle of Day in that pile!
Whoops, yes! All down to your post, that one.
Dude, you were here? I would totally have bought you a beer.
Oooh, and thanks for the link to Jo’s review: I just finished reading that novel last week. How convenient.
I thought you were further south! Dammit. Sorry.
It’s a big state: you can be forgiven. I live about five miles south of Nick Mamatas.