Setting/worldbuilding comes a very close second to character for me. I like to feel like the characters are grounded in a particular time and place, and that if I were somehow magically transported to Narnia or Anne Shirley's P.E.I. or Terre D'Ange or one of Jack Aubrey's commands, I'd know them almost like I know Seattle and Philadelphia.

That is so. freaking. cool.

It was my turn to ask a question, and he said, "Sunil, dude!" And I, flustered, replied, "Sean, dude!" (Sean (K), if you see this, this is what amused me about my compliment to you in GWW) I don't even remember what my question was anymore; I suppose I could look it up. But you should really check out cloudmakers.org; I think they have a lot of The Beast archived. I think you'll love Laia's meditations (I'm pretty sure that's part of what he wrote as lead writer). And also, there was one day where we had to call a guard at the Statue of Liberty and convince him to save one of the characters, and it turned out Sean Stewart had played the part of the guard.

I should read it.

I keep meaning to.

I also need to get his new book, which is small press, and therefore I shall have to actually order online or something.

Kavalier and Klay Toni Morrison's Paradise Maybe IJ although it has a massive WTF? quotient chez moi(what's on the Entertainment, so I could go on with my life? Feel free to e-mail me.) Seconding Plei's Atwood emotions.

George Saunders.

My nominations for canon-worthy evwen in the future- Alice Walker- The Temple of My Familiar or The Color Purple
John Irving- The Hotel New Hampshire The World According to Garp or The Widow for One Year. I also think Irving would make a good addition to "canon" because of the various similarities that run through his work and then a sort of break from them in his last three books.

John Irving- The Hotel New Hampshire The World According to Garp or The Widow for One Year.

I've only read A Prayer for Owen Meany. It took me some time to get used to his rather Dickensian writing style, but I loved how all the little digressions you thought were irrelevant ended up being important by the end.

A Prayer for Owen Meany is my least favorite-- not that I didn't like it. The ASSCAPS drove me a bit buggy though.

I can see how yuo find his writing dense, although strangely I don't have a problem-- I just zip right through. Dickens I find myself skipping scads and scads and still really getting the story. Perhaps this is because he wrote most things as serials-- so no revision? (If this is correct).

PC-- as long as you don't find brother-sister incestuous love unbearably squicky, I would definately suggest giving Hotel New Hampshire a try-- I find it has lovely things to say about the art of really living through the tragedies of life. Plus-- a bear on a motorcycle and German Prostitutes!

PS-- my keyboard is really dying and i am having an swful time with capital I's (must press the caps lock key, and not shift-- and commas whof which I either get none or 500! So please excuse the excreble typing.

PC-- as long as you don't find brother-sister incestuous love unbearably squicky

Did you miss the part where I love Faulkner and Quentin Compson is my homeboy?

Plus-- a bear on a motorcycle

I keep hearing about Irving's thing with bears, and there were no bears in Meany. I felt gypped.

Did you miss the part where I love Faulkner and Quentin Compson is my homeboy?

I'm hoping you don't pattern your life too closely on his....