Pleeeeiiii! Okay, I haven't actually read any Sean Stewart books, but he was the head writer of the A.I. web game, so technically I know what a great writer he is. Also, he knows my name. Well, he's probably forgotten it by now, but he addressed me by name in the post-endgame chat, and it surprised the hell out of me. Apparently, people take note of people named "Polter-Cow."
That is so. freaking. cool.
I adore his writing. Have since Passion Play came out. At his best, he's simply amazing.
I also think in fifty years it will be clearer what in Chabon and Stevenson are about our time instead of the past they ostensibly cover (I say this as an article of faith; I haven't read either).
You should read K&C. If I were putting together a class, I'd assign that and Comic Book Nation for the same week.
But I'll say: Margaret Atwood (I'd opt for Cat's Eye but I haven't read Surfacng)
I tend to put Surfacing in because of the way it deals with gender and identity. In some respects, I feel it is the most "Canadian" of her novels, which is to say, I recognize within its pages a lot of the various tensions and resentments towards los Estados Unidos that I see in my family.
Amazon keeps recommending Siddhartha to me. Which I think is a fair call (I've read it before), but I believe they have reached it by a misleading route (it's based on a book I bought someone else).
Amazon's recommendations for me are almost always wonky because of gift-buying. You'd think they could factor things like "purchased off someone else's wish list" or "shipped to an entirely different name and address" into their algorithm. Not that I really care, because I don't go to their site expecting to get ideas for what to read next, but as a former Marketing major, I'm puzzled that they don't think it worth their while to refine the system.
The only Amazon recs that ever make sense to me are the ones for things I already own. The others all tend to be recommendations for bestsellers. ("Customers who purchased Farscape, Season 4, Volume 5 also purchased The Da Vinci Code.")
PLEI -- I insent to your profile addy last night.
I value worldbuilding far more than character. I'm sure that's related to the fact that I read mostly sci-fi, but if I don't believe in the book's universe, I'm not going to be reading anything else by that author.
I totally understand this with sci-fi and fantasy -- I'm sure if I read much in those genres, worldbuilding would be key also. Well, like Harry Potter. I *so* totally believe in Platform 9 3/4, for instance.
I can't believe there's no one in here to squee with me over the antique KSM. 1893 people!!! I should try to scan it so y'all can see it.
Setting/worldbuilding comes a very close second to character for me. I like to feel like the characters are grounded in a particular time and place, and that if I were somehow magically transported to Narnia or Anne Shirley's P.E.I. or Terre D'Ange or one of Jack Aubrey's commands, I'd know them almost like I know Seattle and Philadelphia.
That is so. freaking. cool.
It was my turn to ask a question, and he said, "Sunil, dude!" And I, flustered, replied, "Sean, dude!" (Sean (K), if you see this, this is what amused me about my compliment to you in GWW) I don't even remember what my question was anymore; I suppose I could look it up. But you should really check out cloudmakers.org; I think they have a lot of The Beast archived. I think you'll love Laia's meditations (I'm pretty sure that's part of what he wrote as lead writer). And also, there was one day where we had to call a guard at the Statue of Liberty and convince him to save one of the characters, and it turned out Sean Stewart had played the part of the guard.
I should read it.
I keep meaning to.
I also need to get his new book, which is small press, and therefore I shall have to actually order online or something.
Kavalier and Klay
Toni Morrison's Paradise
Maybe IJ although it has a massive WTF? quotient chez moi(what's on the Entertainment, so I could go on with my life? Feel free to e-mail me.)
Seconding Plei's Atwood emotions.
