Oh, dear fucking god.

Yes, folks. The government really can and does track your prescription drug use.

Motherfucking lovely.

Books Read: 2007

Man, it's been a while since I've updated this list. I probably left something out, and I know I got the order wrong on some of these (deliberately, to the extent that I read at least one book between each of the Shan novels). I also have this fear that I left something out. Here's hoping that's wrong.

26-30. Cirque du Freak #3-6: Tunnels of Blood, Vampire Mountain, Trials of Death, and The Vampire Prince, all by Darren Shan. As YA series goes, this one's keeping my interest, largely because of the genuinely interesting take on vampires and their mythos. Shan's also very much from the school of writing that believes in doing bad things to nice characters. I have a strong suspicion I know where the prophecy-based plotline is headed, but I'm still enjoying the journey. Recommended for YA and vampire fans.

31: Missile Gap, by Charles Stross. A fun little novella, from the Robert Charles Wilson subgenre*. Sometime late in 1962, the entire population of the planet was somehow transported across the universe and repopulated on a dense and insanely large disc with odd gravitational laws. With the Cold War still very active, the reactions to the situation some fifteen years later form the basis of the plot. Damned fine writing from Stross. Recommended.

32. Keeping it Real, by Justina Robson. I think I set myself up to be disappointed here. When I heard the description, I had hopes for something approaching Bordertown levels of quality and originality, but in the end, it's much more traditional contemporary elf/rock music fantasy. Which isn't to say that it's bad, but it doesn't break much new ground or offer characters as interesting as in, say, Mappa Mundi. Approach it with lower expectations (Meredith Gentry, say), and it'll probably come across as much more enjoyable). Mildly recommended, but I'd have fewer regrets if I'd bought it used or nabbed it from our library.

33. Hart & Boot & Other Stories, by Tim Pratt. I'd read one of Pratt's novels, but I'd never encountered his short stories before**. I feel much shame over this. He's not just good. He's fucking incredible. One of the blurbs compares him to Gaiman. I think that's pretty damned accurate, qualitatively, although they've got very different voices. The title story is a blast, but Romanticore and the Hugo-nominated Impossible Dreams are probably my favorites. Or maybe "Living With the Gorgon." Really, everything in this collection is damned good. Highly recommended.

34. Of Tales and Enigmas, by Minsoo Kang. This collection, alas, didn't please me as much. It's not that the stories were bad; there's not a genuine stinker in the bunch. It's just that none of them really sparked for me. Kang's got a wonderful writing style, and he's experimenting with some fascinating themes. The works themselves just left me a little cold. I'll still be keeping an eye out for more of his stories though, as I suspect I'll find quite a few that I enjoy. Mildly recommended, but if you're not already a fan of Kang's work, you're probably best doing what I did and nabbing it from your local library.

35. The Man Who Melted, by Jack Dann. Inspiration for the classic game! The book isn't nearly as funny, but it's still good. Damned good. It's enough of a classic that I probably don't need to (or want to) overhype it. Just read it. Recommended.

*"Hey, a big and incomprehensible event fucked the world up. Let's find an explanation."

**Actually, I just realized this statement is wrong, considering the fact that I reviewed an anthology containing one of his stories. Oops.