What I've Been Reading: Late Summer/Early Fall Edition

The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman

Lev Grossman concludes his Magicians trilogy (preceded by The Magicians and The Magician King) with this highly satisfying novel.  Series protagonist Quentin Coldwater is down and out and is looking for a new purpose with a mysterious heist mission, while his friends in the faraway land of Fillory find themselves locked in another dilemma of cataclysmic proportions.  True to its roots as a mix of Harry Potter, The Chronicles of Narnia, Girls and Scott Pilgrim, The Magician’s Land reads like a novel about how young creators need to leave the proverbial sandboxes of past creators and make their own.  With a possible show on Syfy in the works, now’s a great time to get acquainted with the world Grossman’s created.

History of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Ten Songs by Greil Marcus

Although it got a little pretentious at times and there are traces of snobbery against modern music, the latest from Greil Marcus is a unique take on the countless books written about the history of rock.  It isn’t about the 10 definitive rock songs, but rather 10 songs whose stories serve as microcosm for larger trends in the musical community.  Some are well known classics like “In the Still of the Nite” and “Money (That’s What I Want)”, others are more obscure.  For readers who don’t want to read another piece about “Like a Rolling Stone” or any other picked apart classic, this is a worthwhile alternative history to one of the greatest cultural movements of the 20^th century.

Ex Machina written by Brian K. Vaughan, Artwork by many more

Another one from acclaimed writer Brian K. Vaughan (Y: The Last Man), this one can be summed up as The West Wing with superheroes (I know I’m not the first person to say that).  The series, which ran from 2004 through 2010, follows Mitchell Hundred as he governs a post-9/11 New York City.  Before he was mayor, Hundred gained the ability to speak to machines and used that ability to become a vigilante crime fighter and a hero on 9/11.  Like The West Wing at its best, the politics in Ex Machina are treated smartly.  A variety of hot button issues are discussed throughout the run and there’s never a sense of straw manning whatever side Vaughan disagrees with.  The reveal of why Hundred got his powers comes a little too late and rushes what could’ve been a satisfying payoff (I suspect it may have something to do with the publisher closing), but the run is still a refreshing spin on the superhero genre.

The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

For those of us eagerly awaiting the return of Game of Thrones (the show, the next book or both), The Name of the Wind will help pass the time very well.  The first in Rothfuss’ Kingkiller Chronicle, The Name of the Wind focuses on a legendary wizard who has gone into hiding named Kvothe (like “Quothe”).  Upon being discovered by a scribe known as Chronicler, Kvothe allows Chronicler to transcribe his autobiography.  The first book largely focuses on Kvothe’s life from young circus performer to struggling orphan to student at the most prestigious University in the world.  Rothfuss has a great talent at world building, with Kvothe’s Walter White-esque logic of thinking everything out helping us understand how the cultures, the history and the magic system work.  Throughout the book there are hints at trouble down the road, which creates some great ominous foreshadowing.  Like Game of Thrones, this saga is also incomplete, but is another great step for those who’ve been to Westeros and want to see more from the fantasy genre.