Sammath Naur
Mythopoeic Society of Hawaii

Suggestions for 2009

Charlie Wilson's War by George Crile for Moolelo

Comments: How a party loving congressman from east Texas decided to help the Afghans defeat the invading Soviet forces in the 1980s and resulted in the collapse of the Soviet Union and the rise of militant Islam. Shows how the CIA, Congress and US government works and does not work. Movie staring Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts and Philp Seymour Hoffman.

The Line Between by Peter S. Beagle for Sammath

Comments: Wonderful collection of short stories by one of our favorite writers. Includes short stories related to The Last Unicorn and Innkeeper's Song

SFsite- review

Lavinia by Ursula K. Leguin

Comments: Ursula LeGuin's latest novel is based on a character from Virgil's epic poem The Aeneid. Lavinia is ordered by the gods to marry the Trojan hero, Aeneas. Virgil mentions her briefly, but LeGuin brings her to life.

I have not read this book, but have heard some excerpts read by the author. Sounds wonderful.

Ursula's Website

Wizards by encore for Sammath

Comments: 30 years ago when we weren't so focused on standard books we did topic meetings. In July 1979 we all got together and brought favorite books, passages, songs and art on Wizards and we shared our thoughts about these and wizards. Thought it might be fun to do that again.

Recently Dead Authors by multiple for both

Comments: Some of these I've read and some I haven't. I suggest them because these dudes recently died and people have been looking back and appreciating some of their work. We could to.
1) David Foster Wallace: young, wrote less than the others, but probably the most acclaimed. People kept calling him unique and a genius...I don't know but I'm interested in finding out why. His magnum opus is "Infinite Jest," but I probably wouldn't recommend it. Apparently it is long and challenging. More accessiblity is his short stories and essays - the two most raved about being: "Brief Interviews with Hideous Men" and "Oblivion."
2) Tony Hillerman: mystery writer who focused on the world of the Navajo. His book "Dance Hall of the Dead" made him famous and two of his many Navajo mystery novels that caught my eye were "The Blessing Man," the first, and "Coyote Waits" the one many have tapped as his best.
3) William S. Burrough - long time Mr. Non-conformist. Would suggest going back to the novel that made him famous, "Naked Lunch."
4) George Carlin: His writing blew people away almost as much as his performances. For laughing and thinking I would recommend "Napalm and Silly Putty."
5+ (will submit more after I get back from class)

Other authors who've died this year

• Micheal Critchen
• Arthur C. Clarke
• Thomas M. Disch (Brave Little Toaster)

Death with Interruptions by Jose' Saramago for Sammath

The New Yorker, 27 October 08
Comments: Death declares a truce with humanity in a small country. It quickly generates a set of sharp theological and metaphysical questions about the desirability of utopia, the possibility of Heaven, and the true foundation of religion. I have not read it yet.

A Lion Among Men by Gregory Maguire for Sammath

Comments: I haven't read the book, but enjoyed the other 2. Let's see if the author is able to remove the aspects of the others that offended some (myself included). Available at Amazon & there are many copies in the state library system.

Review

A Confederacy of Dunces (20 year encore) by Toole for Moolelo

Comments: Twenty years ago in Mo'olelo Hoaloha we read a couple of super books - A Confederacy of Dunces by Toole (July 1989) and The Great Gatsby by Fitzgerald (Oct 1989). If we're looking for some good reading these definitely deserve an encore (and the discussions were interesting).

Taliesin by Stephen Lawhead.

Time to revisit Arthurian times? This is book one in the Pendragon Cycle. Actaully pre-Arthurina times with the life of Merlin's father & Atlantis