2011 is coming to a close and as part of the wind down we recently discussed the authors that we have not yet read, but would like to if all the stars were to align correctly in 2012. In the comments section of that post, Jeff suggested that we look at the other side of that coin.
Who are the authors that you would like to revisit in 2012? It may be that there are books by said author(s) that you have not read, or perhaps you long for the familiar embrace of one of their works that you have visited before.
There is a particular excitement about reading new (to you) work by an author you’ve connected with. And there is a comfort that comes from revisiting cherished books that can only be truly understood by those who have experienced it for themselves.
What follows is my far-from-exhaustive list.
1. Orson Scott Card
I have read and treasured both Ender’s Game and Speaker for the Dead, as well as the short Christmas story, A War of Gifts. I purchased Xenocide and Children of the Mind earlier this year with the hopes of getting to them before long. While I have heard that the sequels diminish in quality, the first two books were so outstanding and I am invested in the characters at this point and thus I would really like to not only read them but also go back and read Bean’s story. A small but peaceable kerfluffle has been taking place over the last 24 hours over on the Classic Science Fiction Book Club site over Card and his works. Though I had already added him to my list prior to this, the ensuing conversation is sparking my interest in visiting Xenocide soon.
2. Henry Fielding
I read the bawdy adventures of Tom Jones over 20 years ago as I sat at my part time job at a mall arcade and I remember it as one of the funniest novels I have ever read. It was also the first novel I read that utilized the chapter summarizing device before each chapter: “In which we learn….”. I have often thought about reading this again and have also contemplated picking up a Fielding biography as I am interested in the guy who wrote such a humorous, naughty and intricately plotted chunkster back in the late 1700s.
3. Ian Fleming
I read the first five Bond books in fairly short order starting not long after the release of Casino Royale, starring Daniel Craig. Finding out that the books weren’t the gadget-filled, tongue-in-cheek, ham-fisted farces that some of the film adaptations were was a real eye-opener. I became a fan very quickly and long to get back to the world of 007.
4. P.G. Wodehouse
I recently listed the master of light-hearted English comedy as one of my favorite non-SFF authors in a question over on the Classic Science Fiction Book Club site and it reminded me that I have not read any of his books for at least two years. I have been slowly collecting the Overlook Press editions and I know there is another set of Mulliner short stories that I don’t have. I have read aloud all the Mulliner short stories I do own to my wife and every time I do so I find myself having to pause to giggle before I can continue reading. It has been far longer since I have wrapped my arms around my favorite Wodehouse novel, Something Fresh, a sweet, bumbling romance filled with a cast of odd-balls.
5. Alastair Reynolds
In late 2009 I experienced my first story by Reynolds, the page-turning space opera Chasm City. I have thought about the novel often over the past two years and I desire to not only read some of the many novels of his that inhabit my shelves that I haven’t touched yet, but also want to experience again the adventures of Tanner Mirabel.
6. Cordwainer Smith
It is far past the time to return to the short story collection that started it all for me, Space Lords. It might be misleading of me to call Smith (non-pen-name, Paul Linebarger) the Haruki Murakami of his day, but when I think about describing Smith’s work it has that same intangible, hard to define spark of rare creativity that Murakami is able to infuse into his stories. I have read one other Smith collection that is nearly its equal and last year bought NESFA’s nice hardbound copy of the entirety of Linebarger’s all too brief science fictional career, The Rediscovery of Man.
7. Patrick O’Brian
Back in the spring of 2009, after yet another pleasant viewing of the Russell Crowe/Paul Bettany film version of Master and Commander I decided it was high time I gave author Patrick O’Brian a try and I read the novel of the same name, the first in the long Aubrey-Maturin series. It was a novel full of nautical minutiae and wind-in-your-face adventure and I loved it. The second novel has set on my shelves neglected for a good deal too much time. I may try to revisit the sea come summer.
8. Edgar Rice Burroughs
Earlier this week SF Signal posted the second part of their Mind Meld asking various people in the SFF community about favorite works consumed in 2011. The final part of this post is by author John C. Wright and it is a loving and passionate recommendation for the John Carter of Mars books. I urge you to go read it. He explains much better than I the joy of these books. I have read the first three, but it has been at least 4 years or more since I have checked in on John Carter, Dejah Thoris, and the rest of the inhabitants of Mars. I have been neglectful.
9. Lucy Maud Montgomery
Back near the end of the 1980’s the girl who would later marry my brother-in-law introduced Mary and I to Anne of Green Gables via the Walt Disney Wonderworks film adaptation. Within minutes I was smitten with both Anne (as portrayed by Megan Follows) and Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem, The Lady of Shalott. At the time the second film, Anne of Avonlea, was not yet out on video tape (here is a Wiki link for the young folk who know not of what I speak) but Beth, I believe, had it taped from television. We were warned that the tape wasn’t long enough and it cut off the ending. We figured we could handle it. We were wrong. The tape ended as Anne and Gilbert stood facing each other on a bridge, the culminating moment of several hours of film detailing Anne’s many adventures. It was agonizing. I quickly went to the library and snagged the book so we could read what happened. I then went back and read the entire series and it is one that I have returned to, choosing various novels depending on my mood, over the years. I long to read the series all over again. Montgomery’s Anne is the kindred spirit that many of us found in Mori, Jo Walton’s heroine in Among Others. She is a passionate reader and dreamer. She taught me that there was such a thing as a “kindred spirit”. I miss my Anne-girl.
10. Neil Gaiman
This may be a bit of a stretch to list Gaiman as an author to “return” to since I rarely leave him, but I specifically list him because I want to return to Richard Mayhew, the lady Door, and the menagerie of characters in my favorite Gaiman novel, Neverwhere. I used to read this nearly every year, and now several years have passed since I got lost underground with Richard and I miss the comfort and warm-embrace of this book. I am hosting a group read of it during next year’s Once Upon a Time Challenge and I look forward to discussing it with those who have read it before and those who may discover it for the first time.
I will stop with ten. If I don’t, this train may get to rolling and never slow down. How about you? We would all enjoy hearing about your authors/books that you would like to return to. If you have the time it would be wonderful to know why, but if all you want to do or have time for is to put a list in the comments, that would be most welcome.
As a parting note, the title of this post is the often misquoted line from Mae West. It is not “why don’t you come up and see me sometime”, or “come up and see me sometime” as I, and according to the internet several others, always thought it was. As long-cherished authors and books call out to me during the coming year, I hope I have time to take them up on that offer.
Of these ten authors, I’ve only read Gaiman and Card, and only Ender’s Game from the latter. You make me really want to pick up some of these others, especially Montgomery, as she is responsible for my daughter’s name. Fleming also sounds intriguing, since I had no idea the books were so different from the films.
Good stuff, Carl. Thanks!
I became clued in when the media was talking so much about how Casino Royale was the most faithful Bond adaptation yet. When I saw how dark and gritty it was I decided to give the book a try and it was actually much more of the kind of spy action I had hoped for. Not that I don’t like a good spy farce, but I’m not fond of the amalgam of the two, which many of the Bond films seemed like to me. Also, each time I read a book I would go read the film synopsis and have a WTF? moment because the screenwriters went way off course from the books, at least with some of the ones I’ve read thus far.
Love this idea of listing authors you’d love to revisit next year!
I definitely plan on reading the new Orson Scott Card book when it comes out next month! I *do* like Xenocide and Children of the Mind. I honestly don’t think I could leave the story where it is in Speaker of the Dead. But there’s really no getting better than the first two books. Those are the best of the best.
I saw there was a new one coming out. Even more reason to try to get caught up since I’m way behind.
i’m with logan, most of the listed authors would be new-to-me experiences, and I’ve jotted their names down–so thanks! I’ve been thinking of reading Camus and Kafka and Italo Calvino, and Borges and Kate Chopin. I would like to get an Ursula LeGuin read as well as Molly Gloss (maybe re-read her) and also Craig Lesley.
this is a great question. a great post. I want to be more deliberate, as in the adding a few new authors in the coming year (especially those I’ve been intending to try) I am going to take some time to write that list.
I’ve heard a lot of really good things about Calvino. There is one of his books that sounds particularly interesting to me, and I’m blanking on the name right now.
It is fun to discover the authors that people like enough to want to read more and those that a person hasn’t read but would like to. Just one more thing that shows the diversity of our tastes and of our reading experiences. Fun! 🙂
well I am thinking of rereads and reading Dragonflight/ Dragonquest and the White Dragon sometime this year… I’ve also thought of revisiting Drood. But I really should read another Simmons book instead of rereading Drood (but I so enjoyed it) ..I have The Terror by him I should read, if his writing is anything like Drood I know I will like it. I wouldn’t mind rereading Eddings Belgarath and Polgara either.. *sigh* but..but.. none of these will lower my TBR mountain! lol lol..
It certainly seems right of you to reread some of McCaffrey’s books considering how big a fan you are and because of her recent passing.
You seem to make it through chunksters in good time, so I bet you could read The Terror AND re-read Drood this next year. Why choose just one or the other? LOL!
ummm maybe because when I list my Whole Year of Reading I’d like it to be more than 2 books? lol lol… I barely made 1 book a week for the year this year and my eyes aren’t getting any better . But I do intend to also try and get back to Jonathan Strange this year. I think I set it down because there was more descriptions then there was story lol but I will give it another go.
As of yet I haven’t made 1 book a week this year, so I’m thinking that sounds pretty good! I came this close to listing Clarke as one of mine too, specifically Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell.
Firstly, you missed the quote. Mae West says “Why don’t you come up and see me sometime?”
As to your list:
– I believe the best Orson Scott Card novel is SONGMASTER, by far.
– TOM JONES is the only Fielding I’ve read, and thought the full length film was better mostly for the scenery.
– I’ve read all of the Bond books, most of them twice.
– I tried one Smith, struggled with it, probably won’t go back.
– Same with Patrick O’Brian.
– Burroughs – I’ve read about a third of the Tarzan books, all of the Pelucidar, most of the Mars and Venus series, and a biography of him.
– I’ve read the first 5 of the Anne of Green Gables books, like each a little less than the one before in the series. The PBS series was exceptionally good as well.
– As you say, you rarely leave Gaiman, so I’m not sure why you listed him, and yes, I read what you said about that.
As for myself: There are a couple of Heinlein books I haven’t re-read yet, I’m two books behind on Laurie King’s Russell and Holmes series, I have a long way to go in the Mike Shayne and Shell Scott series, I want to re-read the frist couple of the Honor Harrington books by David Weber. I might re-read one of the Burroughs Mars series. I want to re-read some of Agatha Christie’s Poirot novels and stories, and I’m slowly making my way through a re-reading of the Nero Wolf books by Rex Stout. Also, there are three novels by Charles Sheffield I want to re-read, this time in order.
Actually no, I got it right. According to this site:
http://www.filmsite.org/moments0.html
the version you quote is the misquote. You can actually scroll down and listen to three different versions of the clip that has it as I put it in the title.
As for the rest:
I believe I’ve seen that film version of Tom Jones, but its been a long time ago. When I recall it I think more about parts I remember reading.
Patrick O’Brian strikes me as an author where you really have to be in the right mood/frame of mind to read him because otherwise all the nautical detail would be overwhelming, rather than an engaging part of the story.
Smith definitely strikes me as an author who is not for everyone. I’ve been pretty blown away by the majority of his stories, but occasionally have come across one that was too out there for me.
House of Dreams is my favorite of the Anne books, but I also really like Rainbow Valley, which is pretty much all about her children. I’ve probably re-read that one the most of all.
I’ve only read part of the first Tarzan book and am not sure why I quit. I need to try those again. I have a bunch of Burroughs paperbacks with Frazetta covers that aren’t John Carter or Tarzan but have only read one of them. No shortage of Burroughs books in my house!
Now Richard, if you read the post AND read what I wrote about Gaiman, then you should understand perfectly why I listed him. It was about authors OR books you want to return to and in this case I want to return to Neverwhere. 🙂
Good list of stuff to revisit. Mary and I have listened to several of the Poirot stories on audio. On a recent trip to Mary’s parents we started listening to a collection of short stories featuring a mysterious character called Mr. Harley Quinn. I like them a lot. My wife is really enjoying the Laurie King stories. I think I’ve mentioned before that pre-marriage she was Mary Russell, which makes reading them fun for her.
the Mary Russell series is really a great read. (just sayin’)
That’s right, I had forgotten that you were also enjoying these. I have a friend at work who likes them too.
I stand corrected on the quote. My apologies.
I don’t know, Richard. I think I need a video of you singing show tunes to sweeten the deal. 😉
I really should read some more Fleming–like you, I read Casino Royale after seeing the film, but I stopped there for some reason.
I have a couple authors I’d like to return to next year: Tolkien (I’d like to reread The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings before the movie comes on next year as well as finally read The Silmarillion) and Montgomery’s Anne books–if I don’t start them yet this year!
I imagine for the same reason I haven’t read all of them already. There is just too much stuff to read!!!
You don’t want to get me started on talking about The Silmarillion. This will become a post in and of itself. Ha!
I love this post though I’ve only read two authors on it: Lucy Maud Montgomery and Neil Gaiman. Gaiman is an author whose works you want to re-read every year. Next year I want to reread books by John Steinbeck, Toni Morrison, Neil Gaiman, and Angela Carter.
I couldn’t agree more about Gaiman. 🙂 I meant to read some more Angela Carter this year and didn’t get around to it. I would actually like to reread some of the Steinbeck books I read for school (The Red Pony in elementary school and Of Mice and Men in high school).
I would love to read some Fleming. Burroughs and Cordwainer Smith are getting pretty close to the top of my “read next” stack, and I’m always happy to make time for more Neil Gaiman.
I’d like to read and reread some more Tim Powers, Stephen Lawhead, Robin Hobb, and get back to some more Isaac Asimov too. I could read every minute of every day and not have enough time to read everything I want to read.
Wow, I haven’t read any Stephen Lawhead since way back when his Pendragon Cycle first came out. I really got into those books at the time. Have yet to read Hobb or Powers. I’m with you on Asimov, and thankfully we are getting back to him in a few weeks.
oh gawd, I have Lawheads Hood trilogy that I’ve never started!
I’ve been strolling through a bit of Dickens this year – Tale of Two Cities and currently A Christmas Carol, incidentally probably the most timely and relevant book I’ve read all year.
Next year I’m planning to revisit my friend, Bill (Shakespeare, that it). I’m thinking of reading Pickwick Papers and Oliver Twist next year – the first I’ve never read and the second not since junior high.
Books continue to be big fun.
A Tale of Two Cities is my favorite Dickens book. Read it for the first time as a senior in high school and I just loved it.
Books do continue to be big fun, I agree.
Planning on reading lots this year, as I have finally managed to arrange a dream-trip to New York – for a girl who has never been in a plane for more than 2 hours its quite a trip!
Anyway, one reason for going is seeing the place where so many of my favourite authors lived/set their books – so its time to re-read some of them! Have already started on Block’s Matt Scudder series and have digged out some old, worn Fitzgerald’s. Time and Again is getting re-read and the sequel found for the first time. Jonathon Lethem is a favourite and I haven’t read Chronic City yet.
There’s also William Gibson, Art Speigelman, Siri Hustveldt . . .
And when I get back may start on Cordwainer Smith – forgotten how much I loved his stories!
Wonderful! Congratulations Jane! I’m so excited for you. I have a good friend who lives there and I’ve had several wonderful trips there. Its been too long since I’ve been back, but whenever I do manage to go again I am going to want to hit some used bookstores!
There is a part or a stone or something there where Poe supposedly wrote The Raven, and I’d love to sit and read that in that spot.
I read Time and Again (isn’t it Wonderful?!?!?) a few years after my friend moved there and after my second visit, I believe. It meant so much more after having been there.
If you haven’t read Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, which is set in NYC, I would recommend that one as well. Very good book. I am excited about the movie although I can’t imagine they will include both storylines as I don’t think it would work well on film. Guess I’ll see soon.
Glad to find another Cordwainer Smith lover.
Have a ball on your trip!!!
First off that’s an awesome photo.
Here is my top ten list of authors I’d like to revisit in 2012.
1. Neil Gaiman – American Gods. I purchased a copy of his 10th anniversary edition during the fall of Borders that I have been so wanting to read. I want to reread Neverwhere as well but not until I can find a copy of the extended edition.
2. George RR Martin – A Dance with Dragons. Some of you may gasp that I haven’t read it yet even though I bought it the day it came out. At that time we were just starting the Way of Kings group read so it just didn’t work out and then I decieded to finish another chunckster by Patrick Rothfuss. I told Carl after reading TWO huge chunsters I didn’t want to feel like reading ADWD was a chore so I hatched a plan. I don’t have cable to I have yet to see the HBO Game of Thrones tv series. It comes out March 6th, 2012 on DVD. I intend to buy it and after watching it I told Carl I know I will be dying to read some Ice and Fire stories so I’m saving ADWD to read to feed that need I know I will have. So there is a method to my madness.
3. John Scalzi – Redshirts. I’m looking forward to it’s release on June 5th, 2012. Scalzi is fun science fiction.
4. Robert Heinlein – I have so many more to read from the Grandmaster which makes me feel very lucky. I believe my next trip with him will be on the Rocket Ship Galileo OR The Moon is a Harsh Mistress ( or hopefully both 🙂 )
5. Issac Asmiov – I will be joining the group read on Foundation in January. Looking forward to it.
6. Brandon Sanderson – A Well of Ascension – I read Mistborn a few years ago and liked it a lot then I read A Way of Kings this past year and LOVED it. No new WOK book in 2012 means I have a chance to return to Vin’s tale which I’m excited about.
7. Ian Fleming – The Casino Royale movie also sparked my interest in checking out the original Bond stories and they are great. I’ve read the first two and need to get back to book three. If you love the new movies with Daniel Craig then I can’t recommend these books enough.
8. Hal Foster – I read the first volume of Prince Valiant stories last year and own the next two volumes. I need to get back to this cartoon masterpiece.
9. David Weber – I’m just about done reading my first Weber novel, On Basilisk Station, and I already know I want to return to his Honorverse. In fact I already picked up my next Weber book to read in 2012. A Young Adult book he wrote recently called A Beautiful Friendship. It stars a young Stephanie Harrington and has a great cover. I’m in.
10. Star Trek books – I have a long love affair with Star Trek fiction and I didn’t read any in 2011. Why you ask? Numerous layoffs have killed the quality and vision of the Star Trek book line. I do have several books in the ST Vanguard series I already have that I need to get to and I’m going to read atleast one of those in 2012 to get my Star Trek fix until the next movie comes out hopefully in 2013.
I’m wishing I had bought a copy of that hardback of AG when Borders was going out of business.
I think your GRRM plan sounds like a good one, and it will be in perfect time for Once Upon a Time.
I am SOOOO looking forward to Scalz’s Redshirts in June.
I’d like to find more of the Full Cast Audio versions of Heinlein this year. I am still disappointed that their version of Red Planet was driving me nuts. I just hated the readers right at the beginning. It wasn’t all the same group that did the two you own.
I’ll be revisiting Sanderson this next year as well as I want to start reading the Mistborn series.
I almost put Vanguard on my list. I do want to get going on those again too.
I might need to take the month of January off. 😉
Hi
Just read Neverwhere which is my first Gaiman novel and am now totally hooked, bought American Gods this week which I will start soon but reading Jim Butcher now and want to read Prince of Thorns next so maybe American Gods can be my first book of the New Year. I’ll definitely check out your Neverwhere comments next year.
I think I’d like to read another Dickens next year, I’ve only read a few of his – maybe I’ll check out A Tale of Two Cities if you recommend that one.
Great post and love that picture.
Lynn 😀
Yay Lynn!!!! Oh I do so love Neverwhere. I was a kid who did a lot of daydreaming and one of my most frequent daydreams was that I would discover an underground world, and when I read Neverwhere the first time it felt like Neil had tapped into my psyche. I’ve said before that if I had been a writer, Neverwhere would have been the type of book I would want to have written.
Make sure you put Stardust on your list, it is a lovely fairy tale.
Hope you enjoy A Tale of Two Cities if you try it. I know it made a big impression on me when I read it.
I wish that there were more NG stories from London Below – it’s so readable.
Lynn ;D
Me too. He’s said in the past that he planned to return and write about the Seven Sisters, but he’s never done so. I’d like to see where things go with Richard and Door in the future.
Earlier this year I revisited Anne of Green Gables, as well as the show, requesting it from Netflix. Both the show and the book are just lovely.
I too have Patrick O’Brian on my list to revisit. I absolutely love the movie Master and Commander. It introduced me to O’Brian, which is strange that I hadn’t heard of him before considering I’d enjoyed the Horatio Hornblower A&E series as well as the C.S. Forester books (another author/books I’d like to revisit). Funny thing, I read one of the later Aubrey/Maturin books and have Master and Commander sitting on my shelf looking upon me with disappointment for waiting so long to read. I will, I promise!
I just recently finished a reread of Captain Blood by Rafael Sabatini, so any kind of nautical fiction has been on my mind lately. And I highly recommend Captain Blood. It’s so much fun!
Other authors to revisit: Gaiman for sure. I want to read Neverwhere and Stardust. And more Discworld by Terry Pratchett. Oh, almost forgot about George R.R. Martin (another commented mentioned him) and I still have the last 2 of the Song of Ice and Fire series to finish. Ha, and Neal Stephenson. Reamde has been calling my name and I have Anathem sitting on the shelf. I enjoyed Snow Crash so I’m up for more Stephenson.
As for books to revisit, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, A Tale of Two Cities and Good Omens.
Whew. I’ll stop now 🙂
Ha, forgot about The Forever War by Joe Haldeman, another book I’ve been wanting to go back to it for a third reading. There’s also his new one coming, Earthbound, which I’d like to read. And of course The Hobbit, which I’d like to read before the movie next year.
That’s it, I swear. I think…
Keep ’em coming, Sarah! 🙂
I want to reread The Hobbit as well, but I decided I wanted to wait until after the films come out because I don’t want to find myself comparing the two, its been so long that I’ll be able to enjoy the films for what they are before revisiting to book to see what has changed.
I have yet to read Stephenson. He’s one of those authors who suffers, for me, from chunkster syndrome. I see his massive books and I move on down the shelf. I’ve heard many good things though.
Captain Blood does sound good. I really like the Hornblower A&E series and they make me want to give the books a try.
Stephenson is a tough one. Twice I tried to get through Quicksilver and only managed to get half way through both times. A friend recommended Snow Crash and it was shorter and much easier to get through as well as a good read. It has kept me from giving up on Stephenson.
The Hornblower books are a good read and the A&E series really stayed true to the spirit of the books. But it’s been over 10 years since I last read any so that’s why they’re due for a re-read from me.
I’ve heard Snow Crash recommended as well, and its smaller size (by comparison) certainly makes that a more attractive option. 🙂
Hmm, i’ve not read Neverwhere. I’m wondering if i should get the Annotated Sandman. I’ve got the graphic novels and it seems silly to buy them again, and i know i will feel kinda dumb when i see how many things i missed or didn’t know about. But, i’m a sucker for background and being able to understand all the allusions in the series sounds intoxicating.
I listened to the Patrick O’brian series. wonderful!
If you’ve got the graphic novels I would suggest picking up Hy Bender’s excellent The Sandman Companion and reading it in conjunction with each book. It makes for a really fun experience.
And you should consider doing the group read of Neverwhere with us in March/April. Would be fun to have you along.
I hadn’t thought about trying O’Brian on audio. Is the reader really good?
well, i listened to them from the library and had several different readers. I believe I liked John Lee the best. Simon Vance is a good narrator as well but i didn’t like the voices of Aubrey and Maturin as much.
I’ve listened to some book with Simon Vance reading in the past and I did enjoy his voice.
I just finished reading the HUNGER GAMES trilogy. With the movie coming out in March 2012, I predict the books will become even more popular.
In the on-deck circle is COUNT TO A TRILLION by John C. Wright. I read his enthusiastic praise of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ Mars novels. Way back when, I read them. Time to reread.
Jack Vance is still my favorite science fiction writer. Subterranean Press published Vance’s mysteries in an excellent omnibus edition: DANGEROUS WAYS. Highly recommended!
The movie looks interesting. For the first time I’m actually interested in reading the books. I tend to shy away from a lot of the YA books that become quick massive phenomenons, probably wrongly so.
I’m really interested in Count to a Trillion. Please let me know when your review is up.
I hadn’t seen that Vance book, I’ll check it out. I’ve been most impressed with the Vance that I have read. Really good stuff.