!!!March Reminder: KEN SCHOLES WILL BE HERE!!! [ Edited ]

[paulgoatallen]

Lamentation 

Yeah, I know – I've already told you all about Ken Scholes visiting us throughout the month of March but I wanted to make sure you knew the significance of this writer – and his debut novel Lamentation.

I stated a few months ago that Lamentation is going to completely redefine the science fiction and fantasy genres – it's one of those rare "transformative" books that will not only compel readers to look at all future SF/fantasy releases in a different light but also force them to ask themselves: "What is the difference between SF and fantasy? Can a novel be both simultaneously?" 

At the risk of overstating the obvious, it's an unarguable classic read, on par thematically with Walter M. Miller, Jr.'s A Canticle for Leibowitz.   

In a few years, Ken Scholes – and his Psalms of Isaac saga – is going to be the stuff of literary legend so this, in my mind, is a once in a lifetime opportunity to talk to a genre superstar in the making. 

If you only read one "genre fiction" novel this year, make it Lamentation by Ken Scholes. Trust me on this one...

Paul 

Message Edited by paulgoatallen on 02-25-2009 06:26 PM

[Jon_B]

Well I'm glad you've talked the book up so much, I finally got around to starting it this morning on the train and I'm already hooked!  

[Nadine]

Paul wrote:

At the risk of overstating the obvious, it's an unarguable classic read, on par thematically with Walter M. Miller, Jr.'s A Canticle for Leibowitz. 

-------------------------------------

I too am seeing a lot of thematic material in common between the two books. However, the preservation and destruction of knowledge I associate more with the destruction of the great library of Alexander by a mob of Christian fanatics and much of what we knew about our own Western, pre-christian knowledge. It was only through the efforts of Moslem scholars that any of this was preserved and "rediscovered" in the West during the crusades. Since I haven't managed to finish either book yet (I plan on doing a lot of reading this weekend) I don't know how they relate. But I agree with you. A discussion of this book and  Canticle could be well worthwhile.

Even though I am new to the genre, and haven't quite figured out the difference between fantasy and SF,  I can already see your point that it is creating a composite genre which I find very intriguing.  This could be a time "long ago" or the future. But it is well grounded in our own world. There are no fantasy people, time is real, and the moon is our moon. There is a curious mix of magic, tribal primitivism, and technology (hey, they even have indoor plumbing with hot showers!). The technology is both primitive and advanced. But both the magic and technology seem almost one and the same and could be possible in the real world.

I consider my comments above as a "first look" since I haven't finished the book yet, so I don't think I could spoil it for anyone -- more possibly I could mislead them.

Well worth the read and fast moving. I highly recommend it.

Oops, I for got an information link: Destruction of the the Great Library at Alexandria and the murder of the librarian, Hypatia.

Message Edited by Nadine on 02-27-2009 12:26 PM

[Clippership14]

I'm so excited: I just received the e-mail notification from my library that Lamentation has been purchased and is waiting for me to pick it up. I love it when SF & F are mixed so I have high hopes and expectations for this one. Between Paul's hype and Scholes' agent, Jennifer Jackson promoting the book on her blog, I'm really ready to dive in. I need a book to get excited about, and I'm hoping this will be it.

[Virginia_H]

That's exciting!  I just picked that one up.  So far so good!

[paulgoatallen]

I'm telling you: Lamentation will be an instant genre classic. I'll be posting the March Feature thread in a few moments so we can continue this conversation there!

Paul