or, Books I Have Read (recently).

I found out that I'd missed the memo on Julian May's new works, to the point where they're about to release the third in a new trilogy (series) when I didn't even have the first two.

So, I decided to re-read all of May's other books, starting with the Milieu Series (4 books) and its prequel/sequel the Saga of the Exiles (4 books - though I've lost the final one and had to re-order it). I then read her Ramparts Worlds trilogy.

Actually, I couldn't read all of them since, as I recall, I only ever bought the first of the Trillium books, the collaboration with Andre Norton and Marion Zimmer Bradley and never really liked it enough to get any of the sequels, by May or otherwise.

Long before I got through all those, the new series arrived, but I waited until I'd finished them before starting the new “Moon” books, which, unlike her earlier works, are pure fantasy (so far. And you'd be hard pressed to tell the others weren't from some of the moronic covers they gave the Exiles books in the US) and revolve around a small island split into four kingdoms. The plot revolves around the plans of the ruler of the southernmost kingdom (the titular Ironcrown of the second book) to unite the kingdoms under his almost benevolent rule, and the degrees to which he'll go to do this. Magic is available to some on the island, either naturally or, for more power, by entering into painful deals with the non-human Beaconfolk. Whilst they're not on a par with the Exiles/Mileu books, it's an interesting spin on old ideas.

The other book I've read recently is an interesting one. Like probably most players of The Secret of Monkey Island, I accepted Ron Gilbert's statement that Disney's Pirates of the Carribbean ride was the inspiration. However, on one post on Ron's blog he complained that Dinsey's Pirates of the Carribbean 2: Dead Man's Chest was a ripoff of his work, which confused the hell out of me. Until, perusing the comments led to a way earlier post from before I'd seen the light, wherein Ron describes the impetus of Monkey Island as being Tim Powers' On Stranger Tides. As luck would have it, there's been a 2006 reprint of the book, which was out of print on 2004. Whilst not a comedy, you can see where the ideas for voodoo pirates and an undead pirate captain came from. If you've got the time, and like a rollocking good adventure, check it out.