Re: Smoking. Was: Clarke Award Finalists 2001

On 20/06/25 09:27, William Hyde wrote:

Titus G wrote:

On 18/06/25 12:05, William Hyde wrote:

Titus G wrote:

On 17/06/25 07:00, Michael F. Stemper wrote:
snip

but all that I can remember about them is: more smoking than in Doc
Smith.
>

>
I was surprised at characters spending more time smoking cigarettes
than
sticking to the plot in some recent reads.
Meet the Tiger. Leslie Charteris.
The Ministry of Time. Kaliane Bradley.
Hardwired. Walter Jon Williams.
The worst was non SF, Vengeance by Benjamin Black.

>
In many of his works, the moments the characters spend smoking make the
difference between their drinking themselves to death immediately, and a
somewhat postponed death.
>
William Hyde

>
Vengeance was the fifth of his Quirke series. Copyright 2012. As well as
constant cigarette references, specific English brand names were used.

 
 
Just in case I did not previously recommend Banville's "Snow", let me do
so now.  It is a mystery, but not involving Quirke.

Thank you. I wasn't going to look at any more Banville novels, just
Black and I think there are only seven Quirke novels so only two to go.

I am currently reading Mick Herron's Slough House series

How I envy you!

I read the first four over a year ago and wasn't aware until recently
that he had written so many so I have been having a real treat!

  If you like the series don't skip the novellas, now

bound into one volume.  There's little overlap with the Slough house
crowd, but the stories are worthwhile in themselves, and do connect with
the later novels.

Yes. I have strictly stayed to publication order. The shorter stories
are gems in themselves and a fascinating background to the following
longer story.

 
in which the

serious drinkers outperform the smokers with the exception of the main
character who excels at both but that aspect is a necessary part of the
background and sometimes humourous. In Vengeance, it seemed unnecessary.
I have only read the Quirke novels. I tried The Book of Evidence but it
was too literary for me.

 
That I have not seen.  His only non-mystery I have read was to some
degree mystery-adjacent, as it was based on the life of Anthony Blunt.

It is the first in his Frames trilogy which may have won a literary award.