Also I feel like I haven't been visiting other blogs so much this week but things have been CRAAAAZY busy at work, which always seems to be what happens whenever I start Monday thinking "Hey, this week looks like it will be really light." I need to stop doing that. The problem is I have less down time than usual to pop on to blogs while I'm in the office, and then by the time I get home* the last thing I want to do is have to read and understand something and then form a coherent thought in response. Instead I've spent a lot of my time playing Dots.The music when you complete a box is very satisfying.
While on the train home today I read a Cracked article all about sci-fi books that you're probably missing out on. Now obviously, I read a lot of Cracked. And link to a lot of their stuff here. I should probably get paid or get a t-shirt or something for all this free advertising I'm sending their way. This article especially won me over in the intro when Brockway pointed out how few book related posts they do
"Perhaps there's good reason for the lack of book-themed content. Perhaps you, as casual Internet readers, don't care about books. Perhaps you, as casual Internet readers who don't care about books, should go fuck yourselves."Already, we're starting this off on a good foot. And I mean this sincerely. I was still a little worried about what books would be listed or if they'd be anything I'd be interested in. I mean, Cracked tries, but they're primary audience is guys and not necessarily the most sophisticated ones. Who's to say any of the books they'd recommend would be an interest to me at all? Guess what? They win and I now have 5 sci-fi books I want to check out.
There's a Murakami on the list AND 2 out of the five books feature a female protagonist. My heart soars a little bit when I see that because, honestly, how many female protagonists are there in sci-fi? Probably more than I assume but given all the crap going on with sci-fi and female authors** right now, I think not enough is a safe answer.
The list isn't perfect. No list of "books you should check out" ever will be. I wish there could have been some Butler on there, although she wouldn't have necessarily fit on this list since they were looking for less well-known books from well-known authors and Butler isn't well known enough. Yet. Though she really should be and I was happy to see someone recommended her in the comments.
Go check out the list, enjoy the Duck Tales reference, and add at least one of these books to your TBR pile because at least one of them has to strike your fancy.
Updated to include the names of the books on the list, even though it's only 5 of them and you should go read the article so you hear the reasoning behind why read these. But anyway
5. Idoru by William Gibson
4. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
3. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
2. The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
1. Kalki by Gore Vidal
*When the trains aren't busy derailing and messing up the whole "getting home" part of my day
Updated to include the names of the books on the list, even though it's only 5 of them and you should go read the article so you hear the reasoning behind why read these. But anyway
5. Idoru by William Gibson
4. The Man in the High Castle by Philip K. Dick
3. Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami
2. The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson
1. Kalki by Gore Vidal
*When the trains aren't busy derailing and messing up the whole "getting home" part of my day
**I am linking to one post on Chuck Wendig's Terrible Minds blog, written by guest writer Karina Cooper, gives a good overview of all the crap going on, as well as lots of links out to other pieces you should probably read. Just try to read them all at once or your bound to want to stab lots and lots of things.
