Recent reading

[luzula]

The Hundred Days by Patrick O'Brian
By now, this feels kind of like reading fan-fiction, in that it gives me more of the characters and language that I love. But I don't know if I can forgive O'Brian for the, uh, obvious upsetting thing that happens in this book. Why? Why would you do that? : ((

ETA: Spoilers in comments.

Tsunami by L. Timmel Duchamp (#3 in the Marq'ssan Cycle)
This series continues very page-turney and tense, and I'm interested to see what happens in book 4. There's not much I can say about it here without spoilers, but the theme of examining structures of authority, gender relations and sexual relations continues. Along with tense spy action.

Comments

[feroxargentea]

Oh, you've overtaken mandc_read. They're still discussing chapters 1 and 2, if you wanted to jump in.

I've never forgiven POB for the Upsetting Thing, nor for the casual anecdotal way he tells us of it. The perils of being a complex female character not perfectly adapted/adaptable to the hero's needs.

[luzula]

I was completely unspoiled and was pretty shocked, because I didn't expect it at all. ARRRRRGH. Why have I not seen discussion of this? Is it because everyone is very restrained about spoilers, or because they're going "la la la, this is not actually canon".

The perils of being a complex female character not perfectly adapted/adaptable to the hero's needs.

What, is there some future reason she "needs" to be dead for the story's purpose?

[feroxargentea]

Is it because everyone is very restrained about spoilers, or because they're going "la la la, this is not actually canon".

Bit of both, I think. Of all spoilers, this is the one people are most careful with. (Some arsehole did actually mention it before I'd read that far, and he got soundly told off by the rest of the group.) And fanworks tend to be set earlier in the saga, for lots of of reasons. I don't think I've ever included it in a fic.

What, is there some future reason she "needs" to be dead for the story's purpose?

O'Brian seemed to think so...

[riverlight]

I can't remember particularly what book that is, but: YEAH, if I remember what you're referring to correctly, so agreed! And if I recall it was just a quick little sentence, too, when he dropped that bombshell, and I almost missed it.

[luzula]

I thought at first that it would turn out not to be true. I mean, I was completely unspoiled for this and thought surely I'd have seen discussion of it in fandom. But no, apparently everyone is very restrained about spoilers, or else they're going "la la la, this is not actually canon".