woodwardiocom

Changeling by Roger Zelazny

A reasonably entertaining story in the magic-versus-technology vein. The infant son of an evil sorceror is taken away to a world like our own (to prevent him from growing up like dad), and a mechanically-gifted child is brought back for balance. Unfortunately, the technophilic kid proves to be much more of a threat . . . I liked the esthetics of the magic system, and the assorted fantastic critters were engaging (particularly the dragon and the minotaur). Mildly recommended.

Kalpa Imperial by Angélica Gorodischer, translated by Ursula K. Le Guin

A series of short stories about "the greatest empire that never was". I think

bluegargantua recommended this book, but I don't recall for certain. Most of the tales revolve around life in the royal family of an empire that spans centuries, full of political alliances, betrayal, and quiet poisonings. The background is intentionally murky; the empire is never named, and the overall tech level could be Imperial Rome, or Medieval England, or Napoleonic France, but there's also a casual reference to airplanes . . . This means the stories come across as, well, timeless. I particularly liked "Concerning the Unchecked Growth of Cities", which is about the birth, growth, and constant change of one particular city as the empire ebbs and flows around it. The movers and shakers of history pass in and out of the city's story with no more than a few paragraphs each, as the city endures. Recommended, particularly if you're looking for something different in the quasi-fantasy vein.