I’ve accidentally gotten addicted to reading vampire books. It’s no mere seasonal thing like I thought before. Maybe it’s because I’ve been watching Buffy for the first time ever? But really, these things are awesome! They’re like…the perfect smut for a sci-fi chick! And who doesn’t like that? I had previously thought there were only two choices for dirty books: literature like Henry Miller and Charles Bukowski or Harlequin bodice-ripping romance novels. Yet there’s this whole world out there!
I was looking forward to Bloodsucking Fiends since I’ve enjoyed the two previous Christopher Moore books I’ve read. It was nice to have a female vampire protagonist, Jody, for a change. And since she wasn’t centuries old it was a brand new perspective on the idea of becoming undead. There was a bit of a mystery and a bit of a love story and yet it was mostly just plain hilarious and absurd. Jody’s boyfriend, Tommy, and his friends/co-workers added a really fun and exuberant element. There’s a sequel, You Suck, which I fully intend to read, this time not just because I’m working my way through Moore’s oeuvre. Mr. b accidentally read the sequel first so I know that it will feature the boyfriend and I look forward to his perspective on becoming a vamp.
Twilight had been recommended to me a few times and I knew that it was big with The Kids. I read a review of Stephenie Meyer’s latest book and it sounded good so I figured I’d like this one. What an understatement. I completely and utterly fell in love with the protagonist, Bella, and her vampire boyfriend, Edward. There were some major changes to “standard” vampire mythology but they all fit within the confines of the world that was created. And as a romance, it was completely chaste, yet extremely passionate. I can fully understand why it has so caught on with the middle school crowd and I’m really excited that they’re making a movie. I am thrilled that there are two more books already published and at least one more in progress.
There were a lot of differences between Sunshine and the other two books. Robin McKinley created a dense and fully believable world, but it was a modern alternate universe. Whereas in the previous two vampires were secret and unknown to the outside populace, New Arcadia was still recovering from the last war with Others, vampires being the darkest of those. The technology and setting was modern, but with alt labels and names for things we have in our own world. And there’re demons and monsters and sorcerers. The complete realization of the way that magic functions within that universe reminded me a lot of the Dresden Files. There was the same dank realism, the same hard boiled edge. Though Sunshine herself is going through a voyage of self-discovery, so it also reminded me of War for the Oaks. Events and circumstances thrust her deep into the unknown, and by the end, I wanted more. In general this was a much more adult story and I simply adored it. I’m not aware of a sequel, and maybe it wouldn’t be possible to write one without diminishing some of the elements that made this book so enchanting, but I’d read it anyway.
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6 comments:
Yay! You read Sunshine! And liked it! It's such a great little world she's got going on, isn't it? (It may be that she just builds on established mythology really well, but whatever she did, I liked it.)
I have not heard anything about a sequel, but Robin McKinley is like that. She won't write a sequel until/unless she has a really great followup. It may be years later, it may be never. But Sunshine itself is one of those perpetual rereads for me.
Have you read Dirty Job by Christopher Moore - totally my fav of his so far!
I absolutely loved it, ana. What a great recommendation. You've read other stuff of hers I take it?
I haven't read "Dirty Job" yet, no. Mr. b has "Lamb" checked out of the library right now so that'll be next for me.
I loves me some Christopher Moore!
I love her style of writing. Anything she writes goes right through you. My faves, besides Sunshine, are The Hero and the Crown and The Blue Sword (both kinda young adult books) and Beauty/Rose Daughter (two separate books, both a retelling of the Beauty and the Beast story. I don't remember which I preferred.).
The only book of hers that I would not read again was Deerskin, and that's not because it wasn't well written. Rather a little too well written. The subject matter is pretty dark (incest and rape) and it's a disturbing book.
Jeez, after looking those up, I've GOT to read The Blue Sword again!
Note to self: read rest of Robin McKinley!
What Moore have you read Jon? He's such a perfect heir to Tom Robbins!
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