Day: December 5, 2007

My brain runneth over from the number of spy thriller and victoriana works I’ve read over the past few months, and so I’m looking for some fantasy to act as a palate-cleanser.

Any recommendations for good recent fantasy novels?

My idea of good: George Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series, ‘s Gentleman Bastard series, China Mieville’s Bas-Lag novels.

Fire away….

Penguin has launched the new website for the forthcoming James Bond novel, Devil May Care, by Sebastian Faulks.

The site features a countdown, and a look at the book cover. (See here for a close-up look.)

Cool, and I’m certainly looking forward to it, but I have to admit I have a problem with the attribution: “Sebastian Faulks writing as Ian Fleming” — WTF??? I mean, it’s not like they haven’t touted the fact that Faulks was doing this one…and Ian Fleming was REAL, not a franchise name. It comes off like Faulks telling readers “this is only a pastiche…it’s not a serious novel, like the ones I usually write….”

The whole thing strikes me as a bit disrespectful and off-putting, especially since it’s being done for Ian Fleming’s Centenary. I mean, why not just “Ian Fleming’s James Bond in…. DEVIL MAY CARE, by Sebastian Faulks”?

A quick special music post for friends celebrating Hanukkah, which started last night at sundown….

There’s a saying that every Jewish holiday can be summed up as: “They tried to kill us. We survived. Let’s eat.”

Well, somebody (a few members of Rockapella, it turns out) has recorded a song on that very theme:

Jewmongous – “They Tried To Kill Us, We Survived, Let’s Eat.”