Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Mary Robinette Kowal

Mary Robinette Kowal's first novel Shades of Milk and Honey was a loving tribute to the works of Jane Austen in a world where magic is an everyday occurrence. This magic comes in the form of glamour, which allows talented users to form practically any illusion they can imagine. The sequel to Shades, Glamour in Glass, follows the lives of main characters Jane and David Vincent, with a much deeper vein of drama and intrigue.

Recently I asked the author about what she was reading.  Kowal's reply:
I just finished reading The Mad Scientist's Daughter by Cassandra Rose Clarke and absolutely loved it. It's a science fiction novel that is about a young girl who is raised with an android for a tutor. What I find remarkable about the book is that the story stays intimate and never veers into The Fate of the World. In many ways, it feels more like mainstream women's fiction than classic SF. At the same time, it uses the SF lens to explore real issues of self and personhood in ways that I don't think would be possible without the science-fictional concepts in it.

By focusing so tightly on one person and her journey, it gave a real sense of the wider world. Plus, I thought the language was hypnotic, which is always welcome. It just pulled me through the book.
Visit Mary Robinette Kowal's website, Facebook page, and Twitter perch.

My Book, The Movie: Glamour in Glass.

--Marshal Zeringue