I think I have had enough of Tim Powers after reading The Anubis Gates.
It began brilliantly and until we ended up in the 17th century, I still
thought it would continue in a similar way but there was far too much nonsensical physical and magical violence that was gratuitous and
fortuitous being unnecessary for plot nor character attributes.

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On 4/07/24 11:33, William Hyde wrote:

Titus G wrote:

I think I have had enough of Tim Powers after reading The Anubis Gates.
It began brilliantly and until we ended up in the 17th century, I still
thought it would continue in a similar way but there was far too much
nonsensical physical and magical violence that was gratuitous and
fortuitous being unnecessary for plot nor character attributes.

I can never get enough of Powers ("Earthquake Weather", excepted) though
his more recent work seems a bit toned down, or perhaps that's just me.

For me the best of his novels over the past decade or so are "Hide me
among the graves" and "Medusa's Web".

Powers definitely did have an early tendency to mangle his protagonists.

William Hyde

I had been puzzled and fascinated by Last Call enough to get Expiration
Date, (older than a decade), but have never opened it.

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William Hyde <wthyde1953@gmail.com> wrote:

Titus G wrote:

On 4/07/24 11:33, William Hyde wrote:

Titus G wrote:

I think I have had enough of Tim Powers after reading The Anubis Gates. >>>> It began brilliantly and until we ended up in the 17th century, I still >>>> thought it would continue in a similar way but there was far too much
nonsensical physical and magical violence that was gratuitous and
fortuitous being unnecessary for plot nor character attributes.

I can never get enough of Powers ("Earthquake Weather", excepted) though >>> his more recent work seems a bit toned down, or perhaps that's just me.

For me the best of his novels over the past decade or so are "Hide me
among the graves" and "Medusa's Web".

Powers definitely did have an early tendency to mangle his protagonists. >>>

William Hyde

I had been puzzled and fascinated by Last Call enough to get Expiration
Date, (older than a decade), but have never opened it.

For what it is worth I found Expiration date to be an easier read than
Last Call, and just as good. Or almost. Why I didn't like the third
book I just don't know.

William Hyde

I like all of Powers, but maybe it's hard avoiding "nonsensical physical and magical violence". I like _Dinner at Deviant's Palace_, which ISTR others
find weaker - a post-apocalpytic LA where our hero is riding into town
on his horse-drawn Chevy (but it's just the body on a wooden wagon with
bead curtains instead of doors ;)).

Cheers, David Duffy.

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On 2 Jul 2024 at 06:55:06 BST, "Titus G" <noone@nowhere.com> wrote:

I think I have had enough of Tim Powers after reading The Anubis Gates.
It began brilliantly and until we ended up in the 17th century, I still thought it would continue in a similar way but there was far too much nonsensical physical and magical violence that was gratuitous and
fortuitous being unnecessary for plot nor character attributes.

The Stress Of Her Regard does at least get the messiest piece of
violence out of the way in the opening pages...

Cheers - Jaimie
--
People who think they know everything really annoy those of us who know we don't
-- Bjarne Stroustrup

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On 9/07/24 10:47, William Hyde wrote:

Tony Nance wrote:

On 7/3/24 7:33 PM, William Hyde wrote:

Titus G wrote:

I think I have had enough of Tim Powers after reading The Anubis Gates. >>>> It began brilliantly and until we ended up in the 17th century, I still >>>> thought it would continue in a similar way but there was far too much
nonsensical physical and magical violence that was gratuitous and
fortuitous being unnecessary for plot nor character attributes.

I can never get enough of Powers ("Earthquake Weather", excepted)
though his more recent work seems a bit toned down, or perhaps that's
just me.

I agree. More specifically, I would describe the first two Vickery &
Castine books that way, and -- mostly independent of the description
-- I'm not sure if I'll read the third.

I enjoyed the third a little more. I will buy a fourth, but then I feel
that Powers at his worst is still pretty good.

William Hyde

Given all the positive comments, I will try Expiration Date, thank you.

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