Comments for The Blog Of A Bookowl http://mrhoot.co.uk An Adventure in Reading Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:14:31 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 Comment on M. John Harrison, Viriconium by admin http://mrhoot.co.uk/2010/07/m-john-harrison-viriconium/comment-page-1/#comment-74 admin Tue, 20 Jul 2010 21:14:31 +0000 http://mrhoot.co.uk/?p=116#comment-74 Hi Jeff, Thanks for your comment :) City of Saints and Madmen was the first book I read in what I think you called the "New Weird" school - it really introduced me to Mieville etc and I'd actually like to re-read it now that I'm more familiar with other books in the same broad genre. I agree with what you say about all writers being influenced by other writers (how could they not be?). I mention City of Saints and Madmen alongside Viriconium because they have similarities in my mind...mainly the very first story in Viriconium reminded me of City...I should point out that it's been years since I read City so my memory's more an impression than anything specific (that's why I want to re-read it). As you say, when books are made up of lots of stories they're even harder to assign influence/categorisation to. That's why this was a difficult review to write - I just tried to capture what stood out for me. Hi Jeff,

Thanks for your comment :) City of Saints and Madmen was the first book I read in what I think you called the “New Weird” school – it really introduced me to Mieville etc and I’d actually like to re-read it now that I’m more familiar with other books in the same broad genre.

I agree with what you say about all writers being influenced by other writers (how could they not be?). I mention City of Saints and Madmen alongside Viriconium because they have similarities in my mind…mainly the very first story in Viriconium reminded me of City…I should point out that it’s been years since I read City so my memory’s more an impression than anything specific (that’s why I want to re-read it).

As you say, when books are made up of lots of stories they’re even harder to assign influence/categorisation to. That’s why this was a difficult review to write – I just tried to capture what stood out for me.

]]> Comment on M. John Harrison, Viriconium by Jeff VanderMeer http://mrhoot.co.uk/2010/07/m-john-harrison-viriconium/comment-page-1/#comment-67 Jeff VanderMeer Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:09:31 +0000 http://mrhoot.co.uk/?p=116#comment-67 Erm, that second Decadents should be Gormenghast--but there it's very specific. The fight scene between Flay and the cook (I might be confusing the characters) in Peake's book made me want to try something similar on a smaller scale, so it influenced the blocking and sentence structure when Dradin and the dwarf fight. JV Erm, that second Decadents should be Gormenghast–but there it’s very specific. The fight scene between Flay and the cook (I might be confusing the characters) in Peake’s book made me want to try something similar on a smaller scale, so it influenced the blocking and sentence structure when Dradin and the dwarf fight.

JV

]]> Comment on M. John Harrison, Viriconium by Jeff VanderMeer http://mrhoot.co.uk/2010/07/m-john-harrison-viriconium/comment-page-1/#comment-66 Jeff VanderMeer Sun, 18 Jul 2010 21:07:24 +0000 http://mrhoot.co.uk/?p=116#comment-66 I think it's a mistake to say "this book is influenced by that book" when the two books are composed of multiple stories. I had written "Dradin, In Love" and "The Early History of Ambergris" before reading the Viriconium cycle. I wrote "Martin Lake" afterwards. I'd say "Martin Lake" displays influence of this kind, but it's also influenced by a lot of other things, including periods of Byzantine history, McEwan's early fiction, Nabokov, and the lives of various painters. "Dradin" is influenced by the Decadents and the Decadents and my own life overseas. The Decadents also influenced Harrison, so it's more a case of liking the same source material. There's very little of Harrison influence in the Appendix or in Shriek. This isn't to disavow influence but to assign it properly. Also, all writers are influenced by the works of other writers, and in some cases offer up what they consider correctives. Cheers, JeffV I think it’s a mistake to say “this book is influenced by that book” when the two books are composed of multiple stories. I had written “Dradin, In Love” and “The Early History of Ambergris” before reading the Viriconium cycle. I wrote “Martin Lake” afterwards. I’d say “Martin Lake” displays influence of this kind, but it’s also influenced by a lot of other things, including periods of Byzantine history, McEwan’s early fiction, Nabokov, and the lives of various painters. “Dradin” is influenced by the Decadents and the Decadents and my own life overseas. The Decadents also influenced Harrison, so it’s more a case of liking the same source material. There’s very little of Harrison influence in the Appendix or in Shriek. This isn’t to disavow influence but to assign it properly. Also, all writers are influenced by the works of other writers, and in some cases offer up what they consider correctives.

Cheers,

JeffV

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