My Missing Weekend

Actually, that title is a misnomer. My weekend wasn't missing, I was. I know -- I missed my pre-pub post (and had a great title, too -- it'll go up next Sat) and the new release post.

So what was I doing? Reading and playing Dead Space 2, and seeing some movies and otherwise taking some time off from the computer.

Anywho. I have a way back when review for you today. I mentioned I'd been away for work recently and packed books for the trip -- as usual, too many to possibly get to. I found that I only actually made it through a book and a half from my TBR stack, Cold Granite and part of Dan Simmons's Summer of Night. Took me a few days beyond my return to finish, but I have to say that Summer of Night was fantastic!

Now, some of you are already Simmons fans. He's a jack of all trades writing everything from science fiction and horror to mystery and literary with every genre twist there is so far. I've got an entire collection going in my TBR stack. I've read The Terror (British Fantasy Award nom, 2008), Song of Kali (World Fantasy Award winner, 1986), and now Summer of Night (British Fantasy Award winner 1992) and loved them all. Next weekend, in spite of my growing review list, I think I may tackle Summer's sequel, A Winter Haunting. It would be appropriate to save it for mid summer, but there's no way I can wait that long!

In Summer of Night, the ominous Old Central School is on its last leg. After this school term is finished, it will be closed for good. But when a student goes missing on the last day of school, a group of friends decides that they will unravel the mystery. The boy's sister insists that he never left the school. What's worse, she's convinced that some of the grownups in town know more than they're saying. For Duane, Dale, Mike, Jim, Kevin, and Laurence, their little adventure will turn terrifying in ways they could never have imagined!

It's so good! I mean, I'd heard how good it was and I expected it to be great based on my experience with Simmons so far, but it still blew me away.

I can't even find a cover image that matches my old copy, but it looks like there's a nice reprint trade copy coming out in July (nice! I'll have to replace my beat up Carrion Comfort in the same purchase!). I think I like the old cover treatment (on both) better, but they're falling apart.