Wherein We Elect Our Favourite Novels of 1986

surprised ledge hasn't read the second part of the neuromancer trilogy (although it's not great, never liked the moved away from the space rastas, and the second trilogy is much better)

I wasn't exactly ignorant but only vaguely aware that neuromancer was a trilogy - was never hugely taken by the original, for a - 'the' - cyberpunk novel i thought there was too much conventional action and not enough cyber.

I listened to Neuromancer as an audio book, read by Gibson himself, and found it confusing but the background roots reggae was welcome.

Re: Banks, both those novels were in my lists before I had to whittle them down to 50, and in both cases they got cut because wikipedia didn't give much indication of how well regarded they are.

I think Gibson's a little embarrassed by the space rastas nowadays, I quite like them I must admit

The Sportswriter is an odd book. [SPOILERS I GUESS] The last few chapters, where the narrator meets a younger woman and embarks on an affair with her, is painted as some sort of triumph for him but just comes as super-bleak and spiritually empty given what's come before. Kind of like, 'life sucks but hey I met this new girl so it's all good now'.

If I thought Ford intended it to be read as such (in an unreliable narrator way) I'd be impressed but I think it's unintentional.

I think Bascombe would consider it a triumph of sorts, albeit he's adrift enough not to know what he wants. I don't think the governing intelligence of the book would judge it a win though - especially given what comes in the next two books.

Re: Banks, both those novels were in my lists before I had to whittle them down to 50, and in both cases they got cut because wikipedia didn't give much indication of how well regarded they are.

― Daniel_Rf

I know you're doing your best on your own, no insult to your list-making intended. I'm not sure which of his sci-fi books as Iain M. Banks should be included, if any, but I'd say of his non-SF works you should probably at least include The Crow Road in '92. I might not vote for it but I'd guess at it being #2 to The Wasp Factory in terms of Banks notability.

Also I probably did know he was dead but I'd forgotten that fact and just got all sad.

How well The Wasp Factory is regarded is an interesting question as my copy included several damningly bad reviews accusing Banks of everything from moral degeneracy to being a shock-value huckster, actually printed at the front of the book.

O shit, yeah, I remember that! I was impressed by the chutzpah of putting them in.

Also I probably did know he was dead but I'd forgotten that fact and just got all sad.

I remember Alan Moore in an interview saying that his main reaction to the death of Thatcher was that Banks, who had been diagnosed by then, had managed to outlive her and that there was some joy to be wrung from that.

I'm not sure which of his sci-fi books as Iain M. Banks should be included, if any

First three or four Culture books are definitely the best imo. Haven't read (the non-Culture) Feersum Endjinn though, which I know a lot of people rep for.

I've not read Banks in about 20 years. Curious to know how it'd hold up. From memory, I'd certainly rep for Feersum Endjinn. Consider Phlebas, too.

Can you include The Medusa Frequency by Russell Hoban in the list for 1987, please?

The first four culture novels (can't lose excession) & feersum enjinn & against a dark background definitely all top tier banks.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Will do, Lily!

Voting for It, for me easily the peak of the king project - bleak and disturbing and sordid, its greatness I think inseparable from its most ill-judged elements (ie yes that scene, but also the general misogyny & homophobia, the bloat, the 2d characterisation); maybe you have to encounter it at the age of the young protagonists, as I did

Starting to get some Vintage Contemporaries on the list. Interesting how some big hitters are missing from these lists (Ellis, McInerney, Bobbie Ann Mason, etc.).

The Sportswriter, and the Frank Bascombe novels, are my least favorite Ford, though maybe I should try again. Barthelme’s Paradise is a fun, hard-earned wisp.

i'm sure i've read and enjoyed books by worse people, but ford is such a legendary asshole that i've never been tempted to try.

(also the sportswriter at least *sounds* like more updike/roth 'aging writer rages that no one wants to fuck him anymore' crap)

Voting for It, for me easily the peak of the king project - bleak and disturbing and sordid, its greatness I think inseparable from its most ill-judged elements (ie yes that scene, but also the general misogyny & homophobia, the bloat, the 2d characterisation); maybe you have to encounter it at the age of the young protagonists, as I did

I could have written this exact post but it would have been about The Stand

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

did not see that coming but then again there's not a book here that wouldn't have felt like a surprise win

what? this had the most obvious winner out of all these polls afaict

Poor Maryse Condé. I would have voted for you, had I seen the poll in time.

Not more obvious than Ulysses tbf, map.

Wherein We Elect Our Favourite Novels of 1987

I didn't see It coming either, but I have no idea which Stephen King novels are considered his best.

Would've voted for "Innocence" if it had been on the list. Human Voices/At Freddies/Innocence/Beginning of Spring is PF's imperial phase for me.

Wasn’t Innocence on there for another year already?