Kushiel's Dart was sooo fucking good. I recommend to anyone with a strong pain tolerance. ;)

I was in England for their national science fiction convention, which was held this year in Blackpool. Can't recommend Blackpool as a holiday destination, but the convention was a lot of fun. Their special Guest of Honor was Philip Pullman, so I spent a lot of time listening to him talk on panels, be interviewed, and like that. A charming and intelligent gentleman. Apparently the film rights have been purchased to produce the series as three films.

No-one disputes Mr Pullman's ability to either write prose or tell a whopping good story, but I have issues with the way he ended His Dark Materials (no spoilers from me). To my mind he violated my idea of story ethics in order to produce the ending he wanted, using rules he'd invented that had no other purpose than to bring this ending about. With that exception I think these novels are some of the most brilliant stuff I've ever read, though I recommend them with that caveat.

You know I was thinking of the book that was released right after the Red Magician. Only I couldn't think of title of the Red Magician. I loved it so bought this other book which my vague recollection says it dealt with Paris in the 1920s as well as modern times. Mind you it has been a few years and I could easily have confused it with some other work.

Rethinking my Carroll readings, I have to put Outside the Dog Museum up there with Land of Laughs.