• (ReacTor) Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    From James Nicoll@21:1/5 to All on Tue Jul 9 14:12:50 2024
    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in-canada/

    --
    My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
    My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
    My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
    My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

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  • From Scott Lurndal@21:1/5 to James Nicoll on Tue Jul 9 14:21:55 2024
    [email protected] (James Nicoll) writes:
    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in-canada/

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_(disambiguation)

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  • From Christian Weisgerber@21:1/5 to James Nicoll on Tue Jul 9 15:36:39 2024
    On 2024-07-09, James Nicoll <[email protected]> wrote:

    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)
    London, England! A stage for so many adventures! https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in-canada/

    Nice touch there, using the cover of the German translation of
    _SS-GB_. :-)

    --
    Christian "naddy" Weisgerber [email protected]

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  • From Ted Nolan @21:1/5 to [email protected] on Tue Jul 9 21:59:04 2024
    In article <v6k6sc$1h69u$[email protected]>,
    William Hyde <[email protected]> wrote:
    James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in-canada/

    London, Ontario, is inhabited by people so diabolically clever that they
    can handle an election with ranked ballots.

    Fortunately, the Ford government interceded to forbid more of these,
    saving the rest of us from having to come up with a second choice, an >exercise beneath our limited mental abilities.

    Which also saved us from having a conservative mayor in Toronto. With
    ranked ballots Bailao could certainly have won as several other
    conservative candidates split the vote, while the left was more united.

    I do hope Mayor Chow sent a thank-you note.

    William Hyde

    The Werewolf of London (Ontario) is an ongoing character in the online superhero comic "Spinnerette". He used to be able to change at will,
    but kind of forget how and is now stuck in half-form. (Which he doesn't
    really mind, especially since his girlfriend is a three-headed dog woman).

    I believe "Green Gable" is another Canadian member of the team: All the
    powers of "Anne Of Green Gable", though the mantle is currently
    held by a guy (who does rock the costume..)
    --
    columbiaclosings.com
    What's not in Columbia anymore..

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  • From Scott Dorsey@21:1/5 to James Nicoll on Wed Jul 10 00:29:49 2024
    In article <v6jgh2$8d4$[email protected]>,
    James Nicoll <[email protected]> wrote:
    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in-canada/

    In spite of all of these my favorite story set in London is Arthur
    C. Clarke's _The Forgotten Enemy_. Probably the most depressing story
    I have ever read though.
    --scott
    --
    "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

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  • From Chris Buckley@21:1/5 to James Nicoll on Wed Jul 10 01:02:00 2024
    On 2024-07-09, James Nicoll <[email protected]> wrote:
    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in-canada/

    A fairly recent very good book is _The Left-Handed Booksellers of London_
    by Garth Nix. His Abhorsen/Sabriel series is a Favorite; this wasn't quite
    that good. The sequel _The Sinister Booksellers of Bath_ was more disappointing; perhaps the worldbuilding around London was better than
    the worldbuilding around Bath?

    Chris

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  • From John Savard@21:1/5 to James Nicoll on Tue Jul 9 20:40:31 2024
    On 9 Jul 2024 14:12:50 -0000, [email protected] (James Nicoll) wrote:

    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in-canada/

    Well, I was rewarded for following that link. I never realized that
    two of the Fathers of Confederation were named John Hamilton Grey.

    John Savard

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  • From Default User@21:1/5 to James Nicoll on Wed Jul 10 05:56:17 2024
    James Nicoll wrote:

    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!

    Genevieve Cogman's Invisible Library series has a myriad of alternate
    Earths, with varying degrees of technology and magic. One frequent
    settings is a Victorian London with steampunk and magic.


    Brian

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  • From Jerry Brown@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Fri Jul 12 07:46:00 2024
    On Thu, 11 Jul 2024 23:28:54 -0500, Lynn McGuire
    <[email protected]> wrote:

    On 7/9/2024 9:12 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in-canada/

    Zero for five of course.

    There are many SF/F novels set in London. "The Time Machine", etc.

    The Time Traveller's house was in Richmond Surrey, which didn't become
    a London borough until 1965 - maybe it still will be in 802,701. The
    Palace of Green Porcelain was in Banstead which still is in Surrey -
    but might not be in 802,701.

    --
    Jerry Brown

    A cat may look at a king
    (but probably won't bother)

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  • From Titus G@21:1/5 to Cryptoengineer on Sat Jul 13 15:15:03 2024
    On 13/07/24 13:08, Cryptoengineer wrote:
    On 7/9/2024 10:12 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    London, England!  A stage for so many adventures!

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in-canada/


    I'd have added:

    'After London' by Richard Jefferies. 1885. Post apocalyptic.
    'Un Lun Dun' by China Mieville, 2007.
    'Neverwhere' by Neil Gaiman, 1996

    pt


    The brilliant Neverwhere was the one I first thought of before Mieville.
    I haven't read Un Lun Dun but The Kraken, which is the only Mieville not enjoyed by me, was set in London as well as was most of Tim Powers' The
    Anubis Gates.

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  • From Dimensional Traveler@21:1/5 to James Nicoll on Fri Jul 12 21:33:21 2024
    On 7/9/2024 7:12 AM, James Nicoll wrote:
    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in-canada/

    I don't think anyone has yet mentioned the 'Laundry Files' series by
    Charles Stross.

    --
    I've done good in this world. Now I'm tired and just want to be a cranky
    dirty old man.

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  • From Charles Packer@21:1/5 to Scott Dorsey on Sun Jul 14 07:27:33 2024
    On 10 Jul 2024 00:29:49 -0000, Scott Dorsey wrote:

    In article <v6jgh2$8d4$[email protected]>,
    James Nicoll <[email protected]> wrote:
    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in- canada/

    In spite of all of these my favorite story set in London is Arthur C. Clarke's _The Forgotten Enemy_. Probably the most depressing story I
    have ever read though.
    --scott

    Could this story explain why its author relocated to Sri Lanka?

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  • From James Nicoll@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Sun Jul 14 13:01:15 2024
    In article <pan$aa804$4725fbfa$ccaa801b$[email protected]>,
    Charles Packer <[email protected]> wrote:
    On 10 Jul 2024 00:29:49 -0000, Scott Dorsey wrote:

    In article <v6jgh2$8d4$[email protected]>,
    James Nicoll <[email protected]> wrote:
    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in- >canada/

    In spite of all of these my favorite story set in London is Arthur C.
    Clarke's _The Forgotten Enemy_. Probably the most depressing story I
    have ever read though.
    --scott

    Could this story explain why its author relocated to Sri Lanka?

    More a desire not to be jailed for being gay, was my impression.
    Ceylon didn't prosecute gay men in the 1950s but the UK very
    definitely did.
    --
    My reviews can be found at http://jamesdavisnicoll.com/
    My tor pieces at https://www.tor.com/author/james-davis-nicoll/
    My Dreamwidth at https://james-davis-nicoll.dreamwidth.org/
    My patreon is at https://www.patreon.com/jamesdnicoll

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    * Origin: fsxNet Usenet Gateway (21:1/5)
  • From Scott Dorsey@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Mon Jul 15 20:27:25 2024
    Charles Packer <[email protected]> wrote:
    On 10 Jul 2024 00:29:49 -0000, Scott Dorsey wrote:
    In article <v6jgh2$8d4$[email protected]>,
    James Nicoll <[email protected]> wrote:
    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)

    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!

    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in- >canada/

    In spite of all of these my favorite story set in London is Arthur C.
    Clarke's _The Forgotten Enemy_. Probably the most depressing story I
    have ever read though.

    Could this story explain why its author relocated to Sri Lanka?

    Probably not. Nothing was heard on the radio from tropical lands, so
    odds are good that Sri Lanka was uninhabitable in the story too.
    --scott
    --
    "C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."

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  • From Bobbie Sellers@21:1/5 to Christian Weisgerber on Tue Aug 6 18:33:34 2024
    On 7/9/24 08:36, Christian Weisgerber wrote:
    On 2024-07-09, James Nicoll <[email protected]> wrote:

    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)
    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!
    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in-canada/

    Nice touch there, using the cover of the German translation of
    _SS-GB_. :-)


    Well they are very cunning those publishers.

    I have read SS-GB and seen a PBS show that resembles it.
    But I prefer the Laundry Files novels by Charles Stross and
    if they are too down in attitude then the Rivers of London
    (and some otehr places) by Ben Aaronovitch. Of course
    while originating in London the main characters get to
    travel all over Blighty.

    bliss
    --
    b l i s s - S F 4 e v e r at D S L E x t r e m e dot com

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  • From The Horny Goat@21:1/5 to [email protected] on Thu Aug 8 11:08:00 2024
    On Tue, 6 Aug 2024 18:33:34 -0700, Bobbie Sellers <[email protected]> wrote:

    On 7/9/24 08:36, Christian Weisgerber wrote:
    On 2024-07-09, James Nicoll <[email protected]> wrote:

    Five SFF Novels Set in London (But Not the One in Canada)
    London, England! A stage for so many adventures!
    https://reactormag.com/five-sff-novels-set-in-london-but-not-the-one-in-canada/

    Nice touch there, using the cover of the German translation of
    _SS-GB_. :-)


    Well they are very cunning those publishers.

    I have read SS-GB and seen a PBS show that resembles it.
    But I prefer the Laundry Files novels by Charles Stross and
    if they are too down in attitude then the Rivers of London
    (and some otehr places) by Ben Aaronovitch. Of course
    while originating in London the main characters get to
    travel all over Blighty.

    bliss

    Good catch on SS-GB though I never really considered alternate history
    an SF sub-genre (and I've read over 100 AH novels and I do not
    exaggerate - I'm a 25 year veteran of alt.history.what-if and soc.history.what-if and prefer a well written AH novel to most SF)

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