Ben Aaronovitch

[Pickled1]

Hi, everyone.
I have heard that some of the books by Ben Aaronovitch are humerous, in the vein of Sir T.
Is anyone able to confirm or deny this please?
Obviously, I am trying to keep the Funny Fantasy writin'/readin' concep' going here, since there appears to be very little around since the sad year of 2015.
Cheers,
P

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

Hi, everyone.
I have heard that some of the books by Ben Aaronovitch are humerous, in the vein of Sir T.
Is anyone able to confirm or deny this please?
Obviously, I am trying to keep the Funny Fantasy writin'/readin' concep' going here, since there appears to be very little around since the sad year of 2015.
Cheers,
P

There is Tom Holt if you have not read any of his books.

 

[Molokov]

Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series is, indeed, comical - but they are urban magical fantasy (think: Dresden Files by Jim Butcher, but probably lighter in tone) and not quite the same as a Discworld book at all.

Aaronovitch is a big fan of Pratchett (and there's a few references sprinkled here and there throughout his books), but don't expect the style to be the same.

I do highly recommend the series, however - there are novels, novellas, short stories, and comics, and they are all very good. I'd give the first book (Rivers of London, or called Midnight Riot in the US for some weird reason) and if you like it, you can keep going on the series. If you don't like it, then maybe try Tom Holt as Dug suggests.

(Personally, I've read maybe 4 or 5 Tom Holts and they were all duds for me - I'm guessing I never found the good ones)

 

[phalarope]

What Molokov said. He runs neck-and-neck along with Neil Gaiman for my second favorite author.

(Haven't tried Tom Holt - heads off to look at interwebz)

 

[Quatermass]

I'm more familiar with Ben Aaronovitch's Doctor Who work, and that isn't that comedic, most of the time. That being said, Earth Aid, an unproduced script co-written by Aaronovitch and later adapted for a Big Finish audio play, had a fairly comedic bent and ending. Also, while discussing The Also People, a Doctor Who novel in the 'New Adventures' series that basically did a version of the Culture from Iain Banks' novels, he had this to say...

I'd like to remind everyone that while talent borrows and genius steals, New Adventure writers get it off the back of a lorry, no questions asked.

 

[=Tamar]

Ben Aaronavitch's Rivers of London series starts off okay, only slightly noirish. There were cute elements that I liked and it was okay for me for a few books in, but it seemed to me that it was going darker and meaner, and I didn't like the trend. If it got better later, that would be nice but it's too late for me.

I am very much in favor of fluff, but ideally fluff-with-substance, like Discworld.

Tom Holt writes fluff. Fun, but entirely fluff.
Again, I'm sorry to say that I liked some of his early work but then he got into what I see as a rut, this time too light for my taste. My mother loved them; she said she liked them because they were so silly she didn't have to take them seriously.
I do still like _Who's Afraid of Beowulf_, _Flying Dutch_, and _Expecting Someone Taller_.
HOWEVER, Wikipedia tells me that Holt also writes under a couple of pseudonyms.
As K.J.Parker he writes non-magical, fantasy Alternate Universes.
I have not happened to find any of them, so I can't say what they are like. They may be to your taste.

 

[Pickled1]

Thank you so much to everyone above this reply, who have spent so much time writing exceptional critiques for me to judge re: a suitable Sir Terry 'follow-up'. I have indeed read some of Holt's work, like Asprin's (which was ok at the time, but since he was writing at the same time as Pratchett, it was hard to really judge them properly?) but I never found them as a: can't-put-down-until-I've finished-this-chapter. Obviously I'm a fan of Butcher, so I'll give the London, Aaronovitch a whirl, thank you. Maybe I'll stick with my own writing too, since it's quite definitely 'fluffy', but with substance, and in the Comic/Funny Fantasy genre, which I love the most - at least my stuff is still making me laugh, which is why I'm doing it - but how can one be truly original, when Sir Terry had all the best ideas? Answer: it's very, very difficult, haha. Has anyone tried creating an original world, with unique, funny and original characters that don't cross over into the Discworld? It ain't easy - but: "I Ate'nt Dead" yet, so I'm giving it my best shot shot! Gaiman is a true God and deffo should be spelt with a Capital G too - in both words. Cheers, R

 

[Ghost]

the one suggestion I have is maybe to buy an anthology of short humorous fantasy stories to taste a wider selection of writers and what they have to offer in their writing style
Peter Haining has edited a trilogy of books that is worth a look at
also Mike Ashley has done the same and they are budget-friendly

 

[Pickled1]

Great idea. Will do that. I’ll get the router warmed up . Cheers, R

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

Peter Haining, Mike Ashley tetrology I have them and I enjoyed them. Artwork by Josh Kirby. Plus I have a few more in my collection if you want to know of them UK and USA authors.

 

[Pickled1]

Thank you. I’ll be searching for these later today. If you wouldn’t mind sending me the list/titles I’d appreciate it

 

[phalarope]

Ooooh, just got a notice for the cover reveal for the next ROL novel, out on April 7. Available for pre-order from the A-shop or Waterstones. Sprang for a signed copy from Waterstones. International shipping was 2/3 the cost of the book.

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

Same happens to me when I occasionally order from Subterranean Press or other USA dealers, that's one of the reasons I like the dealers room at the WorldCons I save a fortune on postage.

 

[Pickled1]

I did the same recently with the Ronnie James Dio biography. It would have been reasonable without the cost of the postage. Still, if one wants a book badly enough ……….

 

[phalarope]

I think I have memories of you using my return address at Worldcon in 2015, Dug.

 

[Who's Wee Dug]

Oh yes for the mini Discworld event in Spokane, how time flies. I was hoping to come back from last year's Worldcon in D.C. with another load of books until Virgin Atlantic cancelled my flight and totally screwed up my chance of attending, and I'm not going back to Chicago for this year's Wcon so 2025 in Seattle is the next USA one if they win the bid.