Tuesday, October 03, 2023

TIME'S One Hundred Best Mysteries and Thrillers

https://time.com/collection/best-mystery-thriller-books/?utm_source=roundup&utm_campaign=20230202&itm_source=taboola.&itm_version:control

Posted by at

8 comments:

Todd Mason said...

A whole lot of No on this list (including both omissions and inclusions), but I suspect Megan was pulling for most of the better choices, at least. And are you surprised that QUEENPIN was the choice they made among her books?

2:15 PM
pattinase (abbott) said...

Yes. Although it was a book that turned the typical noir setup around. So, I guess no. Plus it was the one that won an Edgar. Surprised there was no Elmore Leonard.

7:14 PM
Todd Mason said...

Oh, there are both surprises and more non-surprises (of the all but inarguable and very, very arguable sort) abounding here, as with most such lists (and I doubt anyone will remonstrate with me too fiercely if I suggest that MA's co-jurors are not all on the same footing with her in terms of talent nor knowledge of the literature at hand, even beyond the vague citation of TIME staffers among the deciders).

11:55 PM
Todd Mason said...

QUEENPIN didn't seem to be the most obvious choice, but I had forgotten it was the Edgar novel of its year, so at least some credit to the rest of the crew there.

11:58 PM
Todd Mason said...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/the-science-fiction-novels-everyone-should-read-at-least-once/ss-AA1fwUO9 is a dumber version for sf and some science-fantasy and more straight-ahead fantasy, in part because of the drooling over some of Heinlein's worst work, in part for calling itself a list of novels when several are short-fiction collections and the like, and for the perhaps not-lesser sin of giving multiple entries to individual writers who are important, but don't squeeze everyone else off the table (particularly, again, the Heinlein worship). I'd say the argument can and probably was made for nearly all the TIME list; not even close for some of these. Courtesy John Boston.

12:18 AM
Todd Mason said...

Similarly recent...the attempts at making quasi-definitive canons always tends to slap back at one, or any group, where they expect to be taken as anything approaching The Last Word. Or even the Provisional Last Word for the Hour.

But my easily-pushed buttons are perhaps even more responsive to the lightest touch at the moment, due to a whole lot of petty annoyances piling up.

12:37 AM
pattinase (abbott) said...

As are mine, Todd. Off to get blood work.

7:54 AM
Todd Mason said...

Hope my grousing didn't add too much (or any) to yours! And good luck with the results.

8:12 PM

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)