Audience participation

[lightreads]

Okay, you guys were so great last time, let’s try this again. Any opinions on where one ought to start with these guys? Cautionary tales?

• Iain M. Banks’s Culture series: I understand they’re mostly standalones and that the first book by pub order is not great, so where do I start?
• Charles de Lint: *gestures helplessly* that is a pile of books.
• Andre Norton: ditto
• Gene Wolfe

Also, if anyone can rec a relatively sane biography of Anne Boleyn, I’d be most grateful. For values of “relatively sane” meaning with at least a pretense at considering evidence before speculating.

Comments

[ecaterin]

Well, I can give you some filtering for the de Lint - his short stories are really the way to go. It's like he can't handle the structure of a novel length story. So start with the short stories & then see if you have any interest in one of his novels :P I'm not saturated with his work, so I can't suggest specific books, but I'm sure someone will be along :P

Have you read The Other Boleyn Girl by Philippa Gregory? It's an Anne Boleyn bio told from the side of her sister (who was paired off with Henry before Anne was). Its accuracy is disputed, but it's the kind of sordid read that you don't want to be caught reading...but can't put down :D I liked it enough to read it a second time :)