Re: (tor dot com) Four Books About Living Gods Working in Mysterious Ways

[a425couple]

On 3/9/23 13:04, Lynn McGuire wrote:
> On 3/8/2023 9:15 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
>> Four Books About Living Gods Working in Mysterious Ways
>>
>> What it says on the tin, with the added twist that I read this more
>> or less one after the other, without setting out to read books about
>> interventionist gods.
>>
>> https://www.tor.com/2023/03/08/four-books-about-living-gods-working-in-mysterious-ways/
>
> Wait, where is the fifth book ?
>
> So, the fifth book could be "The God Engines" by John Scalzi.  Or, "Dies
> The Fire" by S. M. Stirling.  Or, "Spanish Mission (Hope Blackwell)" by
> K.B. Spangler (if Coyote is a God).
>
>    https://www.amazon.com/God-Engines-John-Scalzi/dp/1596062991/
> and
>    https://www.amazon.com/Dies-Fire-S-M-Stirling/dp/0451460413/
> and
>    https://www.amazon.com/Spanish-Mission-Hope-Blackwell-2/dp/0998431753/
> Lynn
>

Or, I'd suggest another that fits the specs.

"Between the Rivers" by Harry Turtledove.

https://www.amazon.com/Between-Rivers-Harry-Turtledove/dp/0812545206

one review that greatly liked it:
LucMee
5.0 out of 5 stars A perennial favorite.
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 15, 2018
Verified Purchase
This is without doubt one of Turtledove's finest works. Year after year,
re-read after reread...this book delivers fantastic insights as to man's
separation from the gods. Just how dangerous and cunning a creature man
is. And just how foolish the gods were to assume that they could control
such a creature. How I wish that the author would write a sequel!
3 people found this helpful

another
A significant departure for Turtledove, but not one he hasn't taken
before. Here we deal with Mesopotamian city states who each have their
own god - a god who takes a very active part in his cities affairs. I
don't want to give any spoilers, but if you like Turtledove and you like
fantasy fiction, you'll love this book. I read it 20-ish years ago and
am buying it again. That good.
3 people found this helpful

another (perhaps a bit of incest to help a fellow author?!)
S. M Stirling
5.0 out of 5 stars Turtledove does it again!
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 8, 1998
Verified Purchase
Harry Turtledove's work has certain characteristic strengths -- solid
characterization, realistic motivations, good description, and
fast-paced action. BETWEEN THE RIVERS adds a witty, intriguing look at
the Bronze Age... in a world much like ancient Sumeria, but one where
the gods are very real. Turtledove's extrapolations from this idea are
solid, down-to-earth and a mixture of the hilarious and the horrific.
For as one character says, to be a god you don't have to be very smart
-- just very _strong_. His hero's adventures in a world where humans are
still -- literally -- as insects beneath the feet of a very solidly
realized pantheon are a treat for any reader of SF, fantasy or
historical fiction. Highly recommended!
7 people found this helpful
Helpful

a valid sentence
The whole story is original and well thought it. The type of "speech"
the characters use can be confusing sometimes, but it does add to the
value and setting of the narrative. Highly recommended.

Personally, I found the use of very strange names and words very
discomforting.

here is the wiki:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Between_the_Rivers

"Plot introduction
In the novel, the cities and regions are each ruled by their own gods.
In the city of Gibil, however; the god Engibil has gotten lazy and does
not monitor his city. As such the inhabitants have developed technology
such as writing and smelting, and have started to lose respect for
Engibil and his power. The other gods have gotten angry at Gibil for
reasons they keep to themselves, and have started to refuse to trade
with Gibil. It becomes the task of the main character, Sharur, a
merchant, to travel the land and find out why the gods are angry and try
to solve the problem."

and here is the goodreads
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/101600

349 readers rated it at a 3.60 average

Here is one that had thoughts similar to mine:

Gregory Mele
SUCH A DISAPPOINTMENT
So Turtledove is a good writer, who excels at parallel/alternate
history. This is a world based on ancient Sumeria (check), has actual
gods controlling their city-states, more or less as Mesopotamians
imagined them (check), a magic system based on the historical data
(check), and a charming use of ancestor spirits, disease as demonic
infection, etc.

And then it all goes to hell.
Turtledove makes a terrible decision to try and mimic the speech
patterns of Sumerian/Babylonian lit, such as the Epic of Gilgamesh. The
end result is stilted, dull and means that your 400 page novel is at
least 50 pages shorter, just filled with repetition like this:

[Ted Nolan <tednolan>]

In article <21KOL.127772$eRZ7....@fx06.iad>,

a425couple <a425c...@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>Or, I'd suggest another that fits the specs.
>
>"Between the Rivers" by Harry Turtledove.
>
>https://www.amazon.com/Between-Rivers-Harry-Turtledove/dp/0812545206
>
>one review that greatly liked it:
>LucMee
>5.0 out of 5 stars A perennial favorite.
>Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 15, 2018
>Verified Purchase
>This is without doubt one of Turtledove's finest works. Year after year,
>re-read after reread...this book delivers fantastic insights as to man's
>separation from the gods. Just how dangerous and cunning a creature man
>is. And just how foolish the gods were to assume that they could control
>such a creature. How I wish that the author would write a sequel!
>3 people found this helpful
>

As I recall it, this was Turtledove's second take (the frist being in
a series of shorts in "Analog") on _The Origin of Consciousness in the
Breakdown of the Bicameral Mind_. This time, however, the gods providing
the voices were real.
--
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