A lot of people I know are re-reading old books. About two hours ago, I caught a vlog from an old friend, about how he’s re-reading some old Terry Brooks, because there’s nothing new that he finds attractive.
he probably read too much fantasy way back when, he said, and today’s offer is only urban fantasy or paranormal romance, and he does not care about that.

And I thought… really?

And do not get me wrong – I am pretty sure much of what’s being translated in my country right now is drivel, but the idea that “there’s nothing new” still makes me cringe.
There is good stuff out there – like, in cartloads.
And of course, as my poor mom used to say, “if you never read it before, it’s new”, and I’m all for reading what we missed in the past, and enjoying it.
But re-reading because there is nothing new?
Sorry, no.

We must resist the pull of the past, because I think that’s a sure sign we are getting old and losing our curiosity and our spirit of adventure. Maybe it’s because as we age, we do not feel like wasting time anymore, and we are scared at the idea of sacrificing a week for a bad book – a week nobody will ever give us back.
But being alive means looking for new things.

So I thought I’d point out a few titles I found very interesting recently.
Just for the sake of discussion.

• Linda Nagata – Stories of the Puzzle Lands.
  Two novels in a single volume, that put a nice spin on a lot of classic tropes, and might take you by surprise, but in a very pleasant way.
• Gareth Hanrahan – The Gutter Prayer.
  First in a series, good if you want to find the thrill of those old D&D games, and you like intrigue and urban settings.
• P.W. Lewis – Kung Fu Fighting Vampire Mermaids.
  You know you are going to read this one just because of the title. And the cover art. But it’s fun, and weird and… weird.
• Rob J. Hayes – Never Die.
  One of the best books I read this year. Oriental sword & sorcery, great characters, great story.
• Marjorie Liu & Sana Takeda – Monstress.
  This is a comic book, but it’s absolutely amazing.

So there you have it – fantasy is alive and well, and says Hi! to us all.