(no subject)
Feb. 4th, 2013 17:11Sunday February 3, 2013 At Minneapolis Central Library, turned in a book I'd found on the street Saturday evening.
***Read: The Urban Fantasy Anthology; edited by Peter S. Beagle and Joe R. Lansdale. Introduction by Beagle.
The stories are divided into three sections: Mythic Fiction, with an introduction by Charles de Lint. Paranormal Romance, intro by Paula Guran. Noir Fantasy, intro by Lansdale.
Mythic Fiction: I liked Emma Bull's "A Bird That Whistles," though it didn't have the same impact as when I first read it. My preferred music genre is traditional folk; that was a plus for me. Emma Bull thinks any music, including trad folk, is improved by mixing it with rock; that was a minus for me.
The other four stories were good, but not to my taste.
Paranormal Romance: Eight stories, including one which I consider anti-romance (Kelley Armstrong, "A Haunted House of Her Own.") Liked: Patricia Briggs, "Seeing Eye" and Norman Partridge, "She's My Witch." Disliked: Suzy McKee Charnas, "Boobs."
Noir Fantasy: Didn't like any of them. Not too surprising; horror doesn't interest me, though some horror fiction has other elements I like.
Lansdale's section introduction contains a large, annoying inaccuracy. Horror was a commercial category long before Stephen King, let alone before King began writing. (Also: Margaret Thatcher did not establish the UK Conservative Party.)
***Shopped at the Lake Street Aldi. Aldi supermarkets are a wonderful example of American enterprise -- except for having been founded in Germany.
***Read: The Urban Fantasy Anthology; edited by Peter S. Beagle and Joe R. Lansdale. Introduction by Beagle.
The stories are divided into three sections: Mythic Fiction, with an introduction by Charles de Lint. Paranormal Romance, intro by Paula Guran. Noir Fantasy, intro by Lansdale.
Mythic Fiction: I liked Emma Bull's "A Bird That Whistles," though it didn't have the same impact as when I first read it. My preferred music genre is traditional folk; that was a plus for me. Emma Bull thinks any music, including trad folk, is improved by mixing it with rock; that was a minus for me.
The other four stories were good, but not to my taste.
Paranormal Romance: Eight stories, including one which I consider anti-romance (Kelley Armstrong, "A Haunted House of Her Own.") Liked: Patricia Briggs, "Seeing Eye" and Norman Partridge, "She's My Witch." Disliked: Suzy McKee Charnas, "Boobs."
Noir Fantasy: Didn't like any of them. Not too surprising; horror doesn't interest me, though some horror fiction has other elements I like.
Lansdale's section introduction contains a large, annoying inaccuracy. Horror was a commercial category long before Stephen King, let alone before King began writing. (Also: Margaret Thatcher did not establish the UK Conservative Party.)
***Shopped at the Lake Street Aldi. Aldi supermarkets are a wonderful example of American enterprise -- except for having been founded in Germany.