Books for September, 2002

The Snow Queen by Joan Vinge. First time I've read this one. Interesting to read another novel-length take on a different Andersen tale. It took so long for me to finish, an unaccustomed experience for me.

[unnamed non-fiction book] by [author who wishes to remain anonymous]. This book has to be kept secret at the request of the author. This was interesting, one of the few times I've been asked to vett a non-fiction work. Instead of paying attention to stuff like the logical progression of the plot, you have to look at the logical progression of the argument. Interesting change of pace. It's a bit rough in the final chapters, and he wanted more examples, but I'm sure it will shape up well in the final stages--this author is quite experienced. I was pleased that I was able to think of several good examples for him, which I hope he will find useful.

Tea with the Black Dragon by R.A. Macavoy. This was a re-read. I gulped this down in less than a day. I don't remember quite why I picked it up . . . oh, now I remember. It had an example that I wanted to give to the author of the previous book. And I decided to re-read it as I like her style. I know I've read the sequel, too, although I don't have a copy of that, and the name escapes me.

River Rats by Caroline Stevermer. First time read. I dunno why I haven't gotten around to this book until now. I've read other books of her that I've enjoyed quite well. I picked it up because I was scanning the shelves, in a hurry to grab something before dashing to work, and it was there, and I'd always meant to read it. Also because I'm interested in other SF/Fantasy writers' treatment of fiction set here in Minnesota.

That's it for the month. Very short list this month, but then I've been distracted by HP Education Fanon stuff and ahem, starting my own next novel. So I haven't been exactly loafing.

Cheers,
Peg

Aha!

I think a major plot point fell into place today. It happened, once again, while I was in the bathtub. (Yes, it's true . . . the back brain really does work better when water is being poured over the head).

I think Solveig is an architect. I think her firm is making a pitch to do the Ice Palace design, and Solveig thinks she has it in the bag . . . but at the last minute, her boss brings in this new guy named Jack, who has a much better design than she does. And to make things worse, he's really arrogant. Their firm wins the bid, and now Solveig and Jack have to work together, finalizing the design of the Ice Palace. But despite his arrogance, she's truthful enough that she has to admit that he does have a really cool design. But why does he want to do x? (Some strange design feature of the Ice Palace). She doesn't know, and he won't explain.

As the months go by, he alternately intrigues her and infuriates her. Then there are little things that seem strange. Like she is looking at one of the pictures of the castle built in 1889, and there's a guy hoisting a block of ice, and he looks exactly like Jack. Is he Jack's grandfather or great-grandfather or something? Jack gets weird when she shows him the picture, and she has a hunch he's not telling the truth about something.

And then she finds out, by accident perhaps, that Jack's social security number is no good. A little discrete sleuthing convinces her that Jack is a fiction . . .legally, he doesn't exist. And meanwhile, he's continuing to work on the palace with her, and what's he up to, anyway? If she blows the whistle on him, it could mean trouble, scandal, and the firm could lose the contract. So what should she do?

And then he finds out that she knows.

Intrigued yet?

One thing that I like about this is that it is a good set up for heart of stone/heart of flesh. Now, I'm going to be overgeneralizing horribly here, but I would peg Solveig as a Myers-Briggs ISTJ (Introvert, Sensing, Thinking, Judgmental) which would be right in character for an architect.

It occurs to me that I hear an echo from another story: Miracle on 34th Street, believe it or not, esp.. if I give Solveig a child. Remember Susan telling Fred that she is bringing up her daughter so that she doesn't believe in nonsense like waiting for Prince Charming, and he sees right through her, he knows that she's talking about her divorce.

I have to be careful about this. I don't want Solveig and Jack standing in the completed ice palace and he's telling her, "Clap your hands and just believe and you'll see the ice fairies." No, I want the truth there at the end, what ever it is, to be more true, and tougher somehow, than that.

This take on Solveig also reminds me very much of the character Ellie Arroway in Carl Sagan's novel Contact. That was a very intriguing and I think, sympathetic characterization of a woman who was probably an ISTJ. I want to be careful not to fall into the trap of writing/preaching that a woman isn't really a true woman or fulfilled or whatever rot you like unless she really gets in touch with her feelings. Sagan made Ellie change and grow, and really discover something that was bedrock truth, without falling into that trap.

Hmm . . .

Damn, I like this. I'm enjoying this!

Now . . . anybody know an architect I can talk with????

Cheers,
Peg