Throwing inkpots out of boredom

[shelver506.livejournal.com]

I'll warn you all in advance that I've come here to whine in a very Gen-like fashion.

As a book blogger, reviewer, and bookstore associate, I get to read all sorts of marvelous books, some of them well before they're released. Most of them are exciting and inventive. They have fun plots, relatable characters, breathtaking world-building (though most of them not all at once), and so on. I read them and get so excited, but find myself coming back to the same problem again and again once I'm finished.

I've gotten too good at guessing.

I'm not as smart as many other readers. I can't often tell you WHY something will turn out the way it does, but I've gotten uncommonly good at taking a stab at what a Big Twist will turn out to be and sticking to it despite the most well-intentioned red herrings. While it's gratifying to be right, I miss being surprised.

From what I can recall, only two authors consistently manage to pull meaty twists over on me: Dame Agatha Christie and our MWT. I've tried for years to stay a step ahead of their characters. I fail miserably every single blasted time, and I love it! I can never ever ever guess the bad guy before Poirot or Ms. Marple and I can never ever ever pin down Gen before he wishes to be pinned.

However, Dame Christie is dead, and MWT isn't due to give us another finished story for another couple years, so I'm stuck with whining until another Gen classic comes out.

Do you guys feel me? Do you know what I'm talking about? Or do you have a secret reserve of super-twisty authors that you've been hiding from me?

Comments

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Ow, I know what you mean. I'm pretty good at guessing the twist, and my sister's even better. She knew who the killer was in The Mouse Trap only halfway through! I mean, who does that?

Here's a couple of books that, like Mrs. Turner, have managed to give me a pretty good run around. I'll threw in a few TV series as well, since you're bored enough to throw ink pots. :)

Links go to Goodreads.

Tanith Lee's Claidi Journals (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/293395.Wolf_Tower) - Wolf Tower, Wolf Star, Wolf Queen, and Wolf Wing. It's doesn't seem like it's terribly plotty at first, but trust me, it is. Also, manages to present an amazing political redux on The Prophecy trope. Also check out her Unicorn series (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/377291.Black_Unicorn).

Ally Carter's Heist Society (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6574102-heist-society) is a great heist drama focused on a European crime family.

If you're into manga/graphic novels, Kanari Yozaburo's Kindaichi Case Files (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1099494.The_Kindaichi_Case_Files_Vol_1) read like a modern Agatha Christie novel with pictures. :)

Peter Abraham's Echo Falls Mysteries (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/82860.Down_the_Rabbit_Hole) are wonderful. You might be able to figure these out, but they're great reads.

Now, I know Nancy Springer's Enola Holmes (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/606928.The_Case_of_the_Missing_Marquess) will throw you off its scent. Definitely give that one a try.

Warning: Jessica Gruner's Emily the Strange (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5355769-the-lost-days) will be the weirdest book you've ever read, but I can guarantee that Emily will surprise you at every turn.

-

And if you're looking for something to watch, check out Veronica Mars (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNuqjuDWngI) (noir mystery), White Collar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c5iVTy-GuJ0) (heist/crime drama), Leverage (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=koysCsr0o7U) (heist/thief drama/comedy), the modern day Sherlock (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRyG8QYV45M) (mystery), and Doctor Who (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uRjNhLSHlM) -- the episodes written by Moffat always surprise me (sci-fi).

All links go to trailers on Youtube and are either PG or PG-13.

Enjoy!

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Seconding the Claidi Journals. Her world-building is kind of limitless, so it was impossible for me to guess what would happen next.

"Also, manages to present an amazing political redux on The Prophecy trope."
I'm not sure what you mean by that, but I'm curious?

[ninedaysaqueen.livejournal.com]

Tanith Lee has such a wonderful imagination. You have to love her for it.

Opps, looks like I've been reading too much TV tropes! I actually meant the Chosen One trope, as in the you-must-save-the-world-because-destiny-says-so trope. It did turn out that Claidi was a sort of Chosen One, but she certainly wasn't destined to take over the Wolf Tower. That was all a ruse to coax her into the Tower's power. It's a unique aversion to the trope, and a reason Tanith Lee is one of my favorite authors. I really liked that Claidi was allowed to forge her own destiny.

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

ah! I get it now. :)

[shelver506.livejournal.com]

LOVE Heist Society, though it didn't surprise me twist-wise. I'll have to revisit Lee's books. I remember being very confused by them. Am marking the others as well. Thanks!

(Also, with the exception of Veronica Mars, I watch and LOVE all of the TV shows you mentioned.)

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

I hear ya. I found that a lot of books (especially books aimed at children/teens) lost their mystique once I became familiar with the most common *coughoverused* plot structures. Movies, likewise. I love going to the movies, but family and friends have been known to groan when, within the first ten minutes or so, I cross my arms, sigh, and announce, "Well, it's obvious where this is going." I'm not trying to be superior, or anything. I like to be intrigued and dazzled and surprised in return for my 10 bucks, that's all. My personal fav (sarcasm) is the 8-point story arch. SO CONTRIVED. Whereas I'm still a little in awe of stories like, say, Inception, which breaks so many 'rules' and is kind of awesome as a result. Of course it has to do with the amount of reading one does... there's only so many kinds of stories, after all, and after you've been exposed to so many, you start to see the patterns. Good writers still find ways to tell the story in new, interesting ways. Great writers seem oblivious to the fact that rules exist at all and manage to be awesome anyway. (yay!) And I think some of it has to do with the way a lot of publishers do business. Instead of seeking talent and originality, they've settled for basically pre-outlining the books they want to publish... i.e. books that will sell fast and furiously... i.e. books that rip-off other popular books... i.e. substandard material. "Hey writer who wants to be published... here's what we want." *goes on to basically describe Twilight or Hunger Games or Harry Potter* That's my own (humble) opinion, anyway, as someone who's just interested in the publishing industry in an amateur sense. (It's always easy to think how one might do it better.)

As for twisty, tricksy authors you might be interested in... have you read the Lord Peter Wimsey books by Dorothy L. Sayers? Great mysteries (I've only guessed one or two) with great characters!

[charismitaine.livejournal.com]

I was going to suggest Dorothy Sayers too! I adore her.

I'm pretty good at guessing twists when it comes to tropes and story archetypes, but I don't usually mind--I enjoy formulaic things, as long as there's good writing and engaging characters. I'm very much a character oriented reader, and if there are people I care about with interesting voices, I can be really forgiving when it comes to weak/predictable plots. So I'm not the best source for original plot twist recommendations! it makes it tricky when I recommend books to my very plot oriented friend (MWT is one of the few authors that we both love whole-heartedly).

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

When you say "twisty, tricksy" authors, are you talking about ones that break the normal story arc formula, or just books that offer a big twist at the end? I'm interpreting your post as more of a commentary on formulaic story arcs than just big twists, and shelver506's post on just the "big twist" question. Do you think there's a big difference? I don't see mwt breaking much ground in the story arc department (which isn't necessarily a bad thing), but as we all know, she does the Big Twist thing pretty well. On the other hand, someone like Diana Wynne Jones is definitely oblivious to the rules of storytelling and formulaic story arcs, but there's never really a mystery or a huge Twist at the end.

So what exactly are we after? Books with surprising ending, or just surprising storytelling?

[shelver506.livejournal.com]

... Both? Though I guess I'm complaining more about big twists falling flat. I have a lot of books that are fairly inventive (and very enjoyable) where I can still guess that One Big Thing that the author is clearly trying so hard to set up but still conceal. I miss reading books where I reach the end and know everything I just read has to be completely reinterpreted based on the Big Twist information.

I think the nearest I've come to that in the past few years has been Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein.

[lizzyazula.livejournal.com]

This might sound a little weird, but if Jane Austen wasn't torn apart by media and popularity, EMMA would have been a good one. But most people these days know the plots of those books before they've even read them, so I suppose that doesn't work anymore. But if you've never read, seen, or know anything about Emma, then I recommend it. Totally benefits from rereading (the whole reinterpreting thing you speak of), although whether or not you'll be able to predict the twists on the first try, I can't say.

Other than that, I'd go with the good old Diana Wynne Jones, who is mentioned on almost every community post, lol. She's the most inventive and surprising writer out there, and her endings might not have a Big Twist, but at the very least they'll make you scratch your head and go "ummmm....wait, what?"

[shelver506.livejournal.com]

All you Sounisians keep talking about Sayers. I suppose I better read more than just two of her books at some point. ;-)

[freenarnian.livejournal.com]

Yes, you had better. ;) Which two have you read? There's a lot of variance, book to book, in the amount of character development.

[(Anonymous)]

I found that a lot of books (especially books aimed at children/teens) lost their mystique once I became familiar with the most common *coughoverused* plot structures.

Really? I agree with you about the teen books, but I find that I tend to see more freshness in children's books. Or maybe, unlike you, I just haven't read enough. =P I don't know, I just feel like children's books are more imaginative. It's as if they're not afraid to be weird and corny. Or maybe I'm just a sucker for corny stuff, hehe.

I also agree with you about the publishing industry. I think most of the books that actually get shelved in noticeable spots at the bookstore are those that imitate the bestsellers, which already implies that they're not all that original.

~Leng *who is too lazy to log in after being kicked out of LJ*

[bobbinj.livejournal.com]

Oh, I completely understand! That's actually what made me fall in love with MWT's series, it surprised me, to the point that even when the twist was revealed at the end of The Thief I still didn't get it. I get bored with the lack of surprises in most books too unless they have characters that I can fall in love with (like Howl and Sophie from DWJ or Anne from L.M. Montgomery) I just don't stay interested. Another book that surprised me was Zusak's The Book Thief and (guilty pleasure that makes me feel like I'm cheating on books) Natsuki Takaya's Fruits Basket series (yes, it is a manga, but it made me laugh out loud and cry, it's like reading a sitcom). I also turn to classics, I recently read Abbott's Flatland, Well's The Island of Dr. Monreau, and Stevenson's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in a Victorian literature class and they were good, I was already a Stevenson fan but the other two surprised me.

Hope you find something good soon!

[shelver506.livejournal.com]

See, though I ADORE The Book Thief with every fibre of my being, it never surprised me, because Death always tells you what happens before it happens.

Also, with classics, generally everything has been spoiled for me before I ever pick it up.

[bobbinj.livejournal.com]

Even with Death telling me what would happen I still didn't see it coming at the end (I don't want to give anything away). And with classics while we may know the story we don't know how the story plays out. I was in awe of Stevenson's ability to keep me in suspense with Jekyll and Hyde even though I knew the big twist.

[thefish30.livejournal.com]

Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series is a fabulous roller coaster ride. Gen reminds me VERY much of Miles Vorkosigan.

Also 3rding Peter Wimsey

[shelver506.livejournal.com]

I'm going to have to copy and paste that, because there's no way I'll remember the spelling. Thanks!

[charismitaine.livejournal.com]

I've read four of Bujold's Vorkosigan books in as many days--they're like book crack. Sweet military science fiction crack.

[queenofattolia.livejournal.com]

Try Diana Wynne Jones' Fire and Hemlock, Hexwood and Deep Secret if you haven't already. They all redefine "twisty" for me (and of course DWJ is one of MWT's biggest idols).

Also love Sherwood Smith's Crown Duel and Robin McKinley's Sunshine for similar reasons (ie, both sort of subvert their genres), but you may not agree.

ETA: I really loved Neil Gaiman's American Gods (and its coda short story "Monarch of the Glen") and I thought I'd hate it (mainly because I thought he'd stolen the general premise from DWJ). Enthralling and beautifully written.

[shelver506.livejournal.com]

Noted. Thanks!

[shelver506.livejournal.com]

Never heard of him. (Her?) Thanks!

[mairelon.livejournal.com]

Have you read The Tattooed Potato and Other Clues by Ellen Raskin? Ellen Raskin is better known for The Westing Game but The Tattooed Potato is just as good/twisty as The Westing Game.

And if you like Agatha Christie, I recommend The Icarus Hunt by Timothy Zahn. It's a murder mystery on board a spaceship. There's either a murderous stowaway aboard the ship or else one of the main characters is a killer.

[tapinger.livejournal.com]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned Gene Wolfe; most of his books are puzzles, not always with a particular twist at the end but almost always with an unreliable narrator for one reason or another. Latro in the Mist has amnesia, so you the reader have to remember what's going on from day to day -- since he doesn't know what's significant; Severian has a perfect memory, but is unreliable; etc. You might try The Fifth Head of Cerberus (short story) or the pirate book or The Sorcerer's House before committing to the longer stories (New Sun, Long Sun, Short Sun are each really one story in 3 or 4 books; Short Sun comes the closest to making the books stand apart).

[filkferengi]

Have you tried _Among Others_ by Jo Walton? Ursula LeGuin likes it, too:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2013/mar/30/among-others-jo-walton-review

[(Anonymous)]

I just finished The Princess Curse, by Merrie Haskell, which wasn't quite what I was expecting, but in a good way. It's a retelling of "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," but from the POV of a servant in the castle, rather than one of the princesses or a suitor. I thought it was twisty, but maybe I'm just easy to fool. :)

--Handmaiden