Feed by Mira Grant (2010)
This book was awesome. It’s a zombie story, but with a twist — it’s been twenty years since the zombies rose, and humanity has managed to get back to … well, more or less normal in adapting to the ongoing zombie threat. Playing as a metaphor for worries about terrorism, this works brilliantly, as we see how society has slowly warped itself over the prospects of death and not-so-pretty resurrection. It’s also a tale about how blogging and crowd-sourced media could play out. It’s also a ripping tale of political suspense, of relationships, of fear and loathing and love and obsession and … none of that does it justice.
Though some of the plot points get a bit crowded out by the end, calling this one a “taut thriller” would be an understatement. It’s not a horror novel, except for slow, low horror that sits inside all of us. Nor is it a crunchy technical tale, though the technical and social details Grant paints of 2040 are lovingly crafted and believable.
This is ostensibly the first of a series. I’ve rarely read such that didn’t scream for a sequel, but this story works perfectly well stand-alone novel. A really fun, really readable, really engrossing book. Very highly recommended.
The Jennifer Morgue by Charles Stross (2006)
A sequel to The Atrocity Archives, this is the further adventures of Bob Howard, hacker and computer mathemagician within the UK’s “Laundry,” the covert (but oh-so-bureaucratic) supernatural security agency. One part Dilbert, one part Bond, one part Lovecraft, this novel is both mordantly witty, generally thrilling, often hysterically funny, world-building clever, and occasionally touching — not to mention just a lot of well-written fun.
(Eld)richly recommended, to the extent that I’m tempted that the next volume in the series (The Fuller Memorandum) is now out in hardcover …
Blameless by Gail Carriger (2010)
The third in Carriger’s “Alexia Tarabotti (Parasol Protectorate)” series, this is an improvement on the (still-fine) previous volume. The books are set in Victorian Europe, vaguely steampunky and definitely supernatural, with vampires and werewolves as known parts of the world and society, as are extraordinary inventors, sinister holy warriors, and many discussions of manners, etiquette, hospitality, foreign customs, and the inconveniences of certain female conditions (of questioned parentage).
It’s a quick read, silly but well thought out, quite entertaining, and generally charming. I’m definitely looking forward to the next volume. Genteely recommended.
I love the name of the villain in The Jennifer Morgue – one of Stross’ IT industry in-jokes.
The whole book is full of hinted-at puns, inside jokes and sudden clever insight that had me donig the whole laugh-out-loud thing.
I started the Parasol series in the middle (by mistake) and was never able to warm to it.
I agree completely re: Feed. GREAT book!
I’ve loved Stross’ interdimensional mafia family books, so I’ll give this series a try, too!
That’s unfortunate, Arty, as the 2nd of the 3-to-date was, I thought, the weakest (plus, coming in mid-series would be worse). If you’ve given it a mental rest, trying the first might be worthwhile.
The Trading House series (or whatever it’s called) is a lot of fun. It’s the current “Dave Reads to Margie” book, which means we’re making very intermittent progress on it.
Really glad you liked Feed. New one should be out soon.
I’m ambivalent over the sequel, too be honest. The first was so neatly, nicely packaged, it almost feels like the sequel will only interfere with that.
I am giving her other October Daye series a stab, to see what that’s like.