I am currently reading Ares Express by Ian McDonald. I have read his work before; he wrote Cyberabad Days, a collection of short stories set in India in the year 2047. He has a very distinct writing style, which I do enjoy. I had some problems with Cyberabad Days but not enough to put me off from reading this book. I'll admit I bought it mainly because it has an absolutely gorgeous trade paperback cover.

I am only on page 23 or around there, so I'm still getting a feel for the book. The first chapter was a bit strange and off-putting in the style but as I learned from reading Clockwork Heart, sticking with a story can be very rewarding. The next chapter is written in a more normal style, to my eternal relief. Right now it's all very surreal and I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. I had pretty much the same reaction with Cyberabad Days, too.

Ares Express is actually a sequel to a book written in the 80s, titled Desolation Road. Yeah I know, I should have bought that one first. I decided not to because I don't often feel a real urge to read a specific book, but Ares is one of those. Any half decent writer will make a sequel accessible to new readers anyways, and Ian McDonald is not a decent writer, he's a great one. So I don't expect to be too lost, though parts of the first book will undoubtedly be spoiled. It's not the first time I've read books out of order and probably won't be the last.

~DragonHeart~