Yes, Rowling's "Ink Black Heart" is pretty bad, an attempt at epistolary novel via text messages, not a successful experiment. However, the earlier books in the series were quite good, with excellent plotting and character development. The Brit TV series is also quite good.
I hesitated to comment here because I think writers should largely stay away from places where people are talking about their work unless it's like, a friend on social media or they're tagged. But I can't decide whether social media or blog etiquette applies to substack, and you know I'm a subscriber, so I'll just say I'm really glad you enjoyed Now It's Dark so much. As a writer yourself, you'll know that in the end the whole reason to write is in the hopes there are other people out there who will really connect with our writing that deeply. (Also, I have that familiar panic I always do when someone likes something I've written--that I'm sure to disappoint them any day now! That's probably not a bad terror for a writer to have even if it is a nerve-wracking way to live.)
Here's my take on Asimov: Asimov's early novels aren't really novels, but short stories or novellas linked thematically or otherwise together. I think The Gods Themselves is brilliant, but it's the most uncharacteristic or least Asimovy of his books. You might just want to try reading the short story Nightfall, which is, I think, great while also feeling very much like an Asimov work; and also short, so there's no commitment.
I hope you don't mind, but I'm stealing your idea.
That's a lot of fiction! How do you pick what to read? Looking back at my Kindle and library I managed to only read non-fiction this year, having finished re-reading every single Terry Pratchett book last year...
Worth a watch, if only for Holliday Grainger: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strike_(TV_series)
Yes, Rowling's "Ink Black Heart" is pretty bad, an attempt at epistolary novel via text messages, not a successful experiment. However, the earlier books in the series were quite good, with excellent plotting and character development. The Brit TV series is also quite good.
I hesitated to comment here because I think writers should largely stay away from places where people are talking about their work unless it's like, a friend on social media or they're tagged. But I can't decide whether social media or blog etiquette applies to substack, and you know I'm a subscriber, so I'll just say I'm really glad you enjoyed Now It's Dark so much. As a writer yourself, you'll know that in the end the whole reason to write is in the hopes there are other people out there who will really connect with our writing that deeply. (Also, I have that familiar panic I always do when someone likes something I've written--that I'm sure to disappoint them any day now! That's probably not a bad terror for a writer to have even if it is a nerve-wracking way to live.)
Here's my take on Asimov: Asimov's early novels aren't really novels, but short stories or novellas linked thematically or otherwise together. I think The Gods Themselves is brilliant, but it's the most uncharacteristic or least Asimovy of his books. You might just want to try reading the short story Nightfall, which is, I think, great while also feeling very much like an Asimov work; and also short, so there's no commitment.
I hope you don't mind, but I'm stealing your idea.
I love that you quit books you aren’t enjoying. I need to do that more. Especially with books that are just meh.
Very fun read! My takeaway is that I should give up on more books.
That's a lot of fiction! How do you pick what to read? Looking back at my Kindle and library I managed to only read non-fiction this year, having finished re-reading every single Terry Pratchett book last year...