My Random Rants

Here are some of the things I really enjoyed in 2011. This is no particular order of course. I am following Kurt Vonnegut's advice who said "I urge you to please notice when you are happy, and exclaim or murmur or think at some point, 'If this isn't nice, I don't know what is.'" This post has been lying around in my drafts for a while now(since 2012 actually) but it looked presentable all of a sudden so here it is with a few cuts. Insurgentes and Grace for drowning - These are two albums by Steven Wilson that I really enjoyed. Both of them are magnificent albums both of them with brilliant soundscapes. His solo work is turning out to ve really good so far. The live shows seem to be even better than Porcupine Tree. Just listen to this . Embassytown   - This is the novel of the year for me. I was hooked and read this in a single sitting. I dipped into it quite often for a few tidbits throughout as well. Hyperion - This science fiction and fantasy s

Richard Morgan, the author of the fantastic mind bending Altered Carbon makes his foray into Fantasy(albeit with strange AIs, multiple realities and what not) with this series and its turning out to be a good ride so far. Morgan takes the conventions of fantasy and gives them a crash course in reality so to speak. The story is told through three characters Ringil, Archeth and Egar. All three of them are war veterans, heroes of the war against alien forces. They should be treated like Gods but each of them has a quirk so extreme that violates social norms so thoroughly that this never really pans out. The characters are really well written and realized and Morgan establishes them in a short period of time so much so that you are rooting for the dysfunctional protagonists by the end of it all. Morgans shatters all notions of romanticized fantasy(Actually this is nothing new after the song of ice and fire and The blade itself) but the language is offensive to say the least.