Nerds through the ages have traditionally spent a lot of time classifying things. It’s a sign of nerd development, like when I became old enough to recognized that the large undifferentiated mass of ‘monster movies’ I loved as a kid more properly fell into discrete categories of horror, science fiction and fantasy films. These perimeters are often inherently fuzzy, leading to often heated debate over proper definitions (a primary Nerd Activity), in hope of besting the logic of a fellow nerd (the paramount Nerd Pleasure).
However, as Nerdish pursuits have become more mainstream (although Norms enjoy the artifacts of Nerddom while rejecting the importance we attach to them, a source of great bitterness among our kind), we have now entered a happy era of genre bending where the old strictures are collapsing. Want to have robots and werewolves in your novel, or robot werewolves? Why not? Go for it.
I read a fair amount of fantasy, and a lot of mysteries. So I like the big trend in supernatural investigators these, although the field is in danger of being swamped the weird sex-obsessed books of Laurell K. Hamilton and her legions of wannabes. There are series that avoid that peril and remain fun reads (the Harry Dresden books, or Simon Green’s various series), but the writing can be a bit more awkward than I’d like. Mike Carey’s Felix Castor books are pretty good, though.
A rare police procedural (as opposed to private or citizen investigators) supernatural series are the Liz Williams books featuring Inspector Chen. Set in a China in a world where various heavens and hells exist as actual realms with the ability to cross over into our own, bringing with them commensurate political and criminal problems, these books are pleasingly literate while providing the supernatural goods. Although I don’t really read many police procedurals (although, perhaps not coincidentally, I do read the Inspector Chen Cao—no relation—novels, a traditional, non-fantasy series which explores life and police work in communist China), I find this series very satisfying.
I just read Shadow Pavilion, the fourth book in the series, and things are progressing very nicely. Williams’ worldbuilding is at the point where supporting characters are getting more breathing room, and that’s always a good stage. I don’t want to get into plot stuff (I mean, if you are interested by the description above, why would you want to know such details before you read the books?), but Chen, his wife, Chen’s demonic police partner and an increasing large supporting cast are alone more than enough to recommend the book. Then add in a believable and exotic milieu (both the fantasy elements and the Chinese aspect), exciting plots, dollops of very dry humor, likeable characters and more. Really good stuff.
Now I just have to wait a year for the fifth book to come out. If you haven’t started in yet, though, and this sounds up your alley, the first book in the series is Snake Agent.
Anyone else reading anything good?
