Author Archives: Keith West

The “Reading Only X Writers for a Year” Challenge…

…or Just When You Thought the Stooopid Couldn’t Burn Any Worse Than it Already Does.

I wasn’t going to post anything after today’s Trigger Warning.  I’ve got three reviews to write, plus a ton of reading to get caught up on, not to mention the second set of exams that I haven’t started grading.  So what did I do tonight?

finger-shaking-scoldI got sidetracked by a number of things, with the highlight being the latest fisking (read it, it’s brilliant) by Larry Correia of K. Tempest Bradford’s challenge to only read approved writers for a year.  Approved being defined as what she thinks you should read, of course.

Or rather in this case, what she thinks you shouldn’t.  That would be books by straight, white, cisgendered males.  Finger lady there doesn’t think you should read books by authors who fall into this demographic.  Because badthink or something.  You’ll notice that the book she’s holding up is by Neil Gaiman, while the T-shirt she’s wearing is Dr. Who, some episodes of which were written by Neil Gaiman.  (What is it with these people and Gaiman lately, anyway?)

Bite my ass, lady.  Who are you to tell me what to read or not read?  I’ll read what I damn well like and make no apologies to anyone.  Certainly not to the likes of you.

Here’s my challenge.  It’s twofold.  First, I’m challenging myself to read interesting, exciting, entertaining books by writers who gender, race, religion, etc., I don’t give a rat’s red ass about.  Second, I’m going to challenge myself not to read any books by outspoken SJWs who want to indoctrinate me in goodthink more than they want to entertain me.  That would include authors like…what was her name again?…the finger lady up there.

And don’t raise your scolding finger to me, Bradford.  I might raise my middle ones in response.

Trigger Warnings

Neil GaimanI’ve been buried under exams that should have already been need to be graded, so things have been a little quiet.  I might post a report about ConDFW in the next day or so if I can clear some stuff off my desk.  But I saw something I couldn’t pass by.

Neil Gaiman has a new short story collection out entitled Trigger Warning.  Now the term comes academic feminist theory.  It basically means that what follows could trigger some post traumatic reaction.  That’s not quite the context that Gaiman is using the word, which he apparently talks about in his introduction.

This has drawn the ire of at least one of the SJW thought police.  This particular individual published a post the other day in which she took Gaiman to task for using the term in a way in which she did not approve.  You see, Gaiman is an important figure, and he has the ability to alter the conversation.  This is a bad thing because he’s altering it a way in which this self-righteous self appointed arbiter of word usage doesn’t approve. Continue reading

A Kickstarter for Courtney Schafer’s Latest Novel

30b7b2ebb3f41a8a5e73dc9fc5d502bc_originalI really liked Courtney Schafer’s first novel, The Whitefire Crossing.  I’ve not read her second, The Tainted City, yet although I have it in the TBR pile (need to do something about that).  Those first two volumes of the Shattered Sigil Trilogy were published by Night Shade.  Now Ms. Schafer is preparing to conclude the trilogy with the final volume, The Labyrinth of Flame.  To publish the book, she’s running a Kickstarter.  Courtney Schafer writes adventure fantasy that’s fun and fast-paced with characters you care about.  I’ve pledged this one.  I think it’s the kind of fantasy most of the regular readers of this blog would enjoy.

Two Posts at Black Gate That Might Interest You

I’ve had a couple of posts at Black Gate recently that might be of interest to some of you.

What Rough BeastFirst, I’ve reviewed the weird western What Rough Beast, but James A. Moore and Charles R. Rutledge.  This chapbook has both a solid story as well as some superb production values.  And some monsters with a surprisingly understandable motivation.

The other post is the latest in my series covering the Ballantine Adult Fantasy series.  The topic in this one is James Branch Cabell’s Figures of Earth.

Check them out if they’re something you might be interested in.

Traveling The Broken Road

The Broken RoadThe Broken Road
T. Frohock
ebook only, $2.99  Kindle Nook

I’d heard good things about this author, and I’ve got a copy of her first novel Miserere, on my ereader. So when I this short novel came out recently (or at least I became aware of it), I bought. I’ve been reading it on my phone in spare moments over the last couple of weeks. (This is not necessarily a practice I recommend, the few weeks thing that is.)

The Broken Road starts out with a fairly standard dark fantasy set-up. Lebhet is undergoing hard times. There’s evidence of a dangerous cult beginning to gain popularity with the common people. Monsters from the world of Heled are coming over, bent on death and destruction.

The nobility, however, are safe in their castle at the top of the hill enjoying their luxuries. The nobility, known as the Chanteuse, are different, you see. They have magical abilities.

Travys and Josue’ are twin sons of the queen. Travys is mute, which is a real handicap in this society, since it is through their voices that the Lahbet work their magic through song. Continue reading

All Good Covenants Must Come to an End

Covenants EndCovenant’s End
Ari Marmell
Pyr
Hardcover, 250 p., $17.99
ebook $11.99

Ari Marmell begins the Author’s Afterward to Covenant’s End with these words: “Some of you hate me right now.”

He’s a perceptive man.

Although I have to say he wrapped up this series the only way he could.

This book is another example of why Pyr has made my list of publishers to read each year.  I wasn’t able to work in everything they provided review copies of last year.  I’m going to try to do better this year.  They publish some cool stuff.

Covenant’s End is the fourth and final adventure of Widdershins.  In this one she returns home to Davillon.  The city is under siege from within.  Widdershin’s old enemy Lissette has come back and taken over the Finder’s Guild.  She is intent on taking over, and she’s recruited some very powerful and evil allies to help her. Continue reading