Across the Wall by Garth Nix

[meganbmoore]

This is a collection of short stories and a couple of novellas by Garth Nix. I got it mostly for the titular Old Kingdom story about Nick Sayre, a supporting character in the trilogy. The story “Nicholas Sayre and the Creature in the Case” is fun, relating Nick’s accidental pulp adventure as he tries to return to the Old Kingdom. I enjoyed it, but only really got excited in the last bit, when my favorite character in the series showed up. My character prejudices, I shall display them.

The other major story is “Down to the Scum Quarter,” a “choose your own adventure” style of novella. There were entertaining bits, but they made me realize how much I hate “choose your own adventure” books. Like, I’m obsessed with making sure I read every single option, and so it ends up more of a chore than an entertainment. And yet, I’m positive I read dozens of them as a teen. Also, they may be the cause of my “Die die die!” reaction to present tense narration.

The rest of the stories are a mixed bag, and all over the place as far as theme and setting go. I’m particularly fond of the story about two brothers who get trapped underground during a bombing, and the “let me snarkily meta about my genre” piece that all sff writers are allowed to have one of. But then others just kind of baffle me.

Mostly, I’m left wondering if Nix will ever again write something I enjoy as much as the Old Kingdom trilogy.

Comments

[starlady]

:-(

I admit that I prefer Lirael to Nick, partly because I identify with Lirael unspeakably, but I really liked "The Creature in the Case." Actually I ordered it from the UK when it was a World Book Day book, years before it came out here in the story collection.

I liked the other stories, too. The ones that stayed with me are the ones about the gunslinger girl (oh that story, it was awesome) and the one about the guy who decides he owns the island in the star-ocean.

I've liked everything I've read by Nix except Shade's Children (and I've read everything but The Ragwitch, and I can't wait for the next two Old Kingdom books. I don't think the first one comes out until 2011, though, and the one following Abhorsen until 2012 or 2013. In the meantime I will have the final Key to the Kingdom to keep me happy. I hope. I'm still kind of mad at Nix for the ending to Saturday--I literally finished it and said, "Where's the rest of my book, damn it!?"

[meganbmoore]

Oh, Lirael is by far my favorite of the characters.

The island one was very funny, and I wanted the gunslinger one to be longer.

[starlady]

The other thing I forgot to say was that I think "Creature" did a good job rehabilitating Nick, as it were. In the books he's basically a two-note character.