This Old Neon Forum

I finally finished the second book I've read for the year. "Servant of Earth" by Sarah Hawley. I am NOT on track to get to 24 books this year, but I'll keep plugging away. Have been busy with work and with other stuff. Other thoughts here.

I'm still chipping away at a space opera and my German post-WWI book.

https://www.wheredreamsescape.com/post/servant-of-earth

1. Anthem by Ayn Rand
2. Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley

Just finished book number 3 for the year. The stunning "The Road Back" - a sequel to the thoroughly fantastic novel, "All Quiet on the Western Front." Wow. Very touching though it didn't shake me quite as much as the first book did so many years ago.

Thoughts here https://www.wheredreamsescape.com/post/the-road-back

I'm reading a bunch of stuff right now. Imma start "Ben Hur" as my next Kindle book. I also am reading Don Quixote, a space opera, a science fiction abduction book from 1969. Good times good times.

Am not counting my own book among my reads this year but it would be 5 if I did!

1. Anthem by Ayn Rand
2. Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley
3. The Road Back by Erich Maria Remarque

Knocked out "The Empty People" - a strange sci-fi novel from the late 1960's with a what-in-the-world-is-really-happening vibe throughout. It was fun if a bit confusing.

https://www.wheredreamsescape.com/post/the-empty-people

1. Anthem by Ayn Rand
2. Servant of Earth by Sarah Hawley
3. The Road Back by Erich Maria Remarque
4. The Empty People by K.M. O'Donnell

A little break from Murderbot, a read my first China Miéville book and it was quite interesting, formally. I understand that his other books are in different genres, but the noir style of this one and the pacing (slow at first, the rapidly accelerating through its climax, like any good mystery should) were engaging. And the conclusion was satisfying. I wasn't sure how that was going to be possible with such a strange and frustrating setup, but he made it happen.

There's a lot of thematic cultural analysis and nuance to unpack in this one, which I won't do here. It would take at least several pages of an essay... maybe on the blog.


01. 2025-01-02 Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World (2023), Naomi Klein (Canadian), 348pp
02. 2025-01-10 Keywords: The New Language of Capitalism (2018), John Patrick Leary (American), 206pp
03. 2025-01-21 The Bone Clocks (2014), David Mitchell (English), 609pp
04. 2025-01-31 Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present (2017), Robyn Maynard (Canadian), 236pp
05. 2025-02-09 Network Effect: A Murderbot Novel (2020), Martha Wells (American), 350pp
06. 2025-03-02 The City & The City (2009), China Miéville (English), 312pp

2023 in summary // 2024 in summary