John M. Ford died in 2006 of a heart attack. He was 49 years old. Aspects, with a brilliant Introduction by Ford’s friend Neil Gaiman, consists of a 480 page novel that Ford’s death left unfinished.
John M. Ford won the 1983 World Fantasy Award for his novel The Dragon Waiting. Ford also won the Philip K. Dick Award in 1993 for Growing Up Weightless.
Aspects is being marketed as a fantasy novel, but it is much more than that. The main character, Varic, Coron of the Corvaric Coast, opens the novel with a duel. The politics of this world Ford invents is complicated with many factions including sorcerers.
As you might expect, there’s plenty of action, conspiracies, and skullduggery. I have other John M. Ford books and now I’d like to drop everything and read them. Have you read unfinished books? GRADE: B+
Coronavirus? Is that a typo or is that really the character’s title?
The two unfinished novels that I wish had been finished are Fitzgerald’s THE LAST TYCOON and Mann’s THE CONFESSIONS OF FELIX KRULL. I enjoyed them both and reaching their abrupt stopping points (although I knew they were coming) made me feel melancholy. Although Fitzgerald and Mann both left notes indicating how their stories would play out, it’s not the same as reading the rest of the books in their words.
Deb, yes, that’s WORDPRESS’s demonic spellchecker at work…again! I’m with you on THE LAST TYCOON and THE CONFESSIONS OF FELIX KRULL. I totally agree with you on the melancholy from reaching the end of an unfinished book…even though you know how the author’s intended conclusion.
Like MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD? Nah. (An aside – the three morons playing on Jeopardy did NOT know the author of DROOD. Unbelievable.) I’m sure I have read something unfinished. THE LAST TYCOON was one. But there might have been others that escape my brain this morning. I’ve seen Ford’s books but haven’t read one.
Yeah—not one contestant knowing who wrote EDWIN DROOD was really baffling. John was yelling at the tv about how much money the contestants were leaving on the board (on some clues, nobody buzzed in at all). It does seem that the last couple of weeks have featured some rather weak games.
Deb, 2022 has featured a number of multi-game winners. But right now, the field of contestants has gone fallow.
I know. I told Jackie that question after question seemed to have no takers. At one point the “champion” had about $1800! Where is James Holzhauer when we need him? (Although he did have one James moment late when he went all in for $9000 on a Daily Double, and won.)
Jeff, that massive DAILY DOUBLE was Risky Business…but it worked out!
I was simply startled on last night’s episode that the contestants could cough up E. M. Forster and more obscure writers with no problem, but choked on DROOD. Perhaps they were mostly adaptation-watchers.
A different set of contestants whiffed on DUNE some months or at least weeks ago…
Jeff, yes, I was shocked when all three contestants on JEOPARDY didn’t know the author of THE MYSTERY OF EDWIN DROOD. Diane and I were shouting the answer at the TV but they didn’t hear us!
They didn’t know who wrote Dune either.
Steve, you’re right! Frank Herbert…forgotten!
Not sure I would start a book that was unfinished or one that was finished by someone else. I don’t mind an ambiguous ending but only when it’s intended. Can’t bring myself to watch SANDITION either.
Patti, we have DVRed SANDITION Season Two…but haven’t gotten around to watching it. We liked the first season.
The only unfinished books that I have read (or, at least, can recall) are THE MYSTERY OF EDMUND DROOD and P. G. Wodehouse’s SUNSET AT BLANDINGS, both by masters of the English language.
Jerry, those are two great books by two great writers. I’d be hard pressed to pick a favorite between them!
George, I love Edwin Drood and went through a phase when I read all the books, critical or otherwise, on it. Even now, I can’t resist a book that is somehow connected to it despite being disappointment with a majority of books read in that phase. The Last Tycoon didn’t impress me much though seeing it mentioned has suddenly made me keen to read Scott Fitzgerald. John M. Ford is absolutely new to me.
Neeru, Beth Fedyn is a big F. Scott Fitzgerald fan, too. I love his short stories. Sadly, his health failed and his career cratered. John M. Ford seems to be a “writers writer.”