I don't know much about the writing process, but listening to Tad when he's being interviewed (see this one) gives me a clue of how much effort goes into it - not that I've ever thought that writing something longer than a Thank You letter is easy. Knowing that Tad's Memory, Sorrow and Thorn is one of my favourite stories alongside Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, I should have realised that a writer doesn't change the way then engage readers, especially not one who writes epic tales. I read mostly fantasy, haven't ever found the need to re-read much sci-fi other than the classic stories such as War of the Worlds, Day of the Triffids and some Asimov. I don't honestly know why I haven't read it before, but think it could be more to do with the sci-fi label attached to the story by those who like to classify into genres. Is anybody else reading, or has recently read, any part of Otherland? What are your thoughts? How does Tad Williams manage to write such consistently good and gripping tales! There is some other evil entity that instils pure terror when he touches minds with the characters I'm following, and there in the background seems to be some sort of cavalry that just might ride in over the horizon at some point to save the day.
TAD WILLIAMS OTHERLAND MARS PLUS
I'm intensely worried for young Orlando and Fredericks, more so than for Renie's brother because I know them so well.ĭread is still there plus some big gun financial whizzes who're funding some stuff in both the real and virtual worlds. I've lived through their traumas and crises and have learned an awful lot about Martine and her back story. I've seen all my characters lurch from one VR environment to another, seen them meet up and then get split up again. I'm reading on Kindle, which tells me I'm currently 78% of my way through River of Blue Fire - and what a journey this book is. In true Tad fashion, City of Golden Shadow was a book I just didn't want to put down until I turned the last page, and having done that I and just had to pick up the next one. In the background there was the ghastly Dread and the strange situation with the God Osiris.Ĭomplicated is the simplest way to describe the story, but not at all muddled, it's intriguing and there are little snippets that give me hints about what might happen and let me try to draw threads together in my mind.
I was intrigued by !Xabbu, disconcerted by what was happening to Paul Jonas in the trenches. I almost instantly felt some affinity with Renie and worried for young Stephen. (I read The War of the Flowers after Christmas - excellent/surprising/fun/gripping in equal measure.)Ĭity of Golden Shadow had me hooked from the outset, so much so that I felt I was involved with the story rather than a passive reader.
TAD WILLIAMS OTHERLAND MARS SERIES
I started reading the Otherland series in January because, well, it's probably not the smartest of moves to start a sub about an author and to only have read one of their series of books.