Author Archives: roryinkchild

Philip K. Dick’s A Scanner Darkly wears the guise of sci-fi noir, kicking off with a troubled lawman trying to do the right thing in a force from the future. But the plot (like the protagonist himself) quickly disintegrates into something entirely different. You expect laser battles and apocalyptic destruction, but the story is farContinue reading “A Scanner Darkly”

American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis is a long, ennui-filled rant on the desolation of yuppie life, spiced with occasional pieces of torture porn. It is also a truly magnificent book: well-written, intense, and darkly funny. The plot is a roller coaster without direction or good seat belts, and the writer has a wondrous disregardContinue reading “American Psycho”

V by Thomas Pynchon is a series of interconnected short stories linked by one or more of three characters: the self-loathing Ben Profane, the obsessive Herbert Stencil, and the ever-changing V. Pynchon flips through a variety of plots, tones, and styles over the course of this work. His writing is at turns funny, horrific, meditative,Continue reading “V”

When I first ordered Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor, I was worried that it would a disappointing–or worse–irritating read. The writing seemed stiff, I didn’t know the author, and the plot threatened to turn into yet another girl-goes-on-a-magical-journey-to-save-her-people epic. However, what I found instead was a lyrical story that is by turns funny, instructive,Continue reading “Who Fears Death”

Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem resembles a parody of a traditional noir novel. The hard-bitten private “detectives” are damaged children who have grown up into criminals, the mysterious dame is Zen Buddhist, the looming hoodlums are reassigned (and hysterically incompetent) doormen. Our hero, Lionel Essrog (aka “The Human Freakshow”) is a grim figure on aContinue reading “Motherless Brooklyn”

My name is Aurora McKee, and I am proudly addicted to books. I can read very quickly, allowing me to finish a three-hundred page novel in a day. This blog will consistent primarily of reviews for books that I’ve read and found particularly interesting. I honestly don’t know if anyone will ever read this, butContinue reading “Who am I?”

“I am a fountain of blood in the form of a girl.” —John Ajvide Lindqvist (because it’s a cool ***ing line, not because I’m depressed or anything. If I was depressed, you’d know it.) My name is Aurora, although I also like the name Rory, and I am hooked on books the way other peopleContinue reading “Hey, bibliophiles!”

This is an example post, originally published as part of Blogging University. Enroll in one of our ten programs, and start your blog right. You’re going to publish a post today. Don’t worry about how your blog looks. Don’t worry if you haven’t given it a name yet, or you’re feeling overwhelmed. Just click theContinue reading “Introduce Yourself (Example Post)”