tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390876285955310032.post5518092376189980577..comments2024-03-26T14:48:15.857-07:00Comments on Rocket Stack Rank: The Ballad of Black Tom, by Victor LaValleGreg Hullenderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16720604327299886491noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390876285955310032.post-88594284880055664682018-10-09T06:26:35.271-07:002018-10-09T06:26:35.271-07:00Free download Oct 9-12, 2018 from Tor.com eBook Cl...Free download Oct 9-12, 2018 from <a href="https://ebookclub.tor.com/" rel="nofollow">Tor.com eBook Club</a>.EFWonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13802595693863129468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390876285955310032.post-17227841641948902122017-03-10T18:34:41.097-08:002017-03-10T18:34:41.097-08:00I agree with RSR's ★★★★ rating. I loved the fi...I agree with RSR's ★★★★ rating. I loved the first half of the story from Tommy's POV. The second half from Malone's POV wasn't as good, maybe because he wasn't as well developed a character, and perhaps the plot was constrained by the original Lovecraft story it reimagines.<br /><br />I found the ending a bit confusing, though that seems to be a characteristic of Lovecraft's stories based on skimming a number of reviews on Goodreads. The <a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/2016/02/17/the-big-idea-victor-lavalle/" rel="nofollow">author's post</a> on Scalzi's blog helped some. I haven't read any Lovecraft -- and might not given the racism -- but after reading the latest Wild Cards novel <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26114100-high-stakes" rel="nofollow">High Stakes</a> and this story, I'm now interested in modern takes of Lovecraft's dark realms.EFWonghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13802595693863129468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390876285955310032.post-87495845122014566712016-11-13T19:36:44.615-08:002016-11-13T19:36:44.615-08:00I think this story is a 4 to 5 rating.
Awesome op...I think this story is a 4 to 5 rating.<br /><br />Awesome opening lines. <br /><br />You can get a free sample audio here from TOR - http://www.tor.com/2016/02/16/audio-excerpts-the-ballad-of-black-tom-victor-lavalle-kevin-free/<br /><br />Or a free sample read here -http://www.tor.com/2016/01/19/excerpts-the-ballad-of-black-tom-victor-lavalle/<br /><br />I had a read and listen, and just had to get the whole story. Pretty creepy in the first third and gory in the last third. Real horror. Really well done.<br /><br />I do agree that the narrative shift does really throw you out of the story. I took a break at that point.<br /><br />Junehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08645772819461388524noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1390876285955310032.post-39154179772671997982016-08-03T11:11:46.565-07:002016-08-03T11:11:46.565-07:00Repurposing Lovecraft's metaphor of the cthulh...Repurposing Lovecraft's metaphor of the cthulhu mythos in order to criticise Lovecraft's own racism is a brilliant stroke. The issue I have with the story is that the narrative shift really throws me. It's probably necessary to see Tommy from the outside after he starts his descent, but I wish the story had stuck with him longer. Overall very good though.Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14035397577227908678noreply@blogger.com