# Tim Powers - Fans, come in and help me... **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 16, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674 "2006-10-16T19:53:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/1 "2006-10-16T19:53:49Z")
Am I being whooshed or what with this guy? I was in the new books rack at my library the other day, saw **“Three Days to Never”** and said “hmm”. I’m about halfway through it now, and ok, I KNOW it’s a blend of reality and sci-fi and I shouldn’t take the “sci” part of that all too seriously. I’m looking at the book jacket, Googled a bit to see some fan sites, which are what I expected, but I’m kind of wondering why I never heard of this guy before? Has my head been up my ass? Honestly, I’m alternating between wondering if I missed something 5 pages back and deciding this is the most imaginative book I’ve ever read. Well, ok read “lately”. I’m enjoying the book when it’s nor losing me, but feeling a little guilty that I am. I’m confused, is this guy the Asimov of our time, or just another crank? ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Ecks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bcef8e/32.png) [@Johnny\_Ecks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Ecks)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/2 "2006-10-16T20:20:54Z")
He’s great. Brilliant. Words do not suffice. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/3 "2006-10-16T20:29:34Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny Ecks] He’s great. Brilliant. Words do not suffice. [/QUOTE] No kidding? I really am enjoying the hell out of this book, but it’s a guilty enjoyment. Hard to explain. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/4 "2006-10-16T20:34:58Z")
Tim Powers is easily one of the best contemporary fantasy authors out there. For my money, his best books are _The Anubis Gates_ and _Last Call_. The first is about time travel, Victorian London, and werewolves. The second is about the supernatural properties of draw poker. If you like spies, you should check out _Declare_, which features real-life English traitor and Soviet spy Kim Philby as its main villain. What’s particularly interesting about it is that despite the overt presence of the supernatural in the story, the biographical setails of Philby’s life are completely accurate, including the details (such as his pet fox, or “lucky” jacket) which are integral to the supernatural elements of the story. Heavily re-contextualized, of course, but still accurate. If you decide that you like _Three Minutes to Never_, _Expiration Date_ explores many of the same themes of turn-of-the-century spiritualism and old Hollywood lore in more detail. Plus, one of the major characters is the ghost of Thomas Edison. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/5 "2006-10-16T20:46:09Z")
::Off to the library website to reserve one or two more:: Looks like my fall reading list just got filled in. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/6 "2006-10-16T20:54:27Z")
Yeah, I agree with **Miller** regarding Powers’s best books. Although The Stress of Her Regard (Shelley and Keats and vampires and such), On Stranger Tides (Blackbeard and zombies), and Dinner at Deviant’s Palace (post-apocalyptic guitar-playing) are also wonderful. ---
**Author:** ![Isosleepy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/isosleepy/32/479_2.png) [@Isosleepy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Isosleepy)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/7 "2006-10-16T21:10:23Z")
“Declare” and “Last Call” are his best works, but an earlier work “The Drawing of the Dark” is about beer! how great is that! Seriously, the guy is a great writer, unique and entertaining. So far none of his works have disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/8 "2006-10-16T21:18:51Z")
[QUOTE=Isosleepy] “Declare” and “Last Call” are his best works, but an earlier work “The Drawing of the Dark” is about beer! how great is that! [/QUOTE] I loved the concept for that novel, but the execution didn’t quite pay off. It just sort of peters out in the end, instead of leading to a satisfying climax. ---
**Author:** ![Gadarene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47c2d/32.png) [@Gadarene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gadarene)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/9 "2006-10-16T21:23:36Z")
It was one of his first ones, wasn’t it? The Drawing of the Dark, that is? (Truth be told, I found Three Days to Never disappointingly slight.) ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/10 "2006-10-16T22:55:07Z")
Tim Powers rocks! Although not related to me except in the sense that ALL great writers are kindred, he is probably one of the best fantasy writers ever to pick up a keyboard. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 16, 2006, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/11 "2006-10-16T23:06:11Z")
Powers is great (he’s also a great speaker – funny enough to have had a career in standup). I’d rate his best as: 1. Last Call 2. The Anubis Gates 3. The Stress of Her Regard (NB – the more you know about the Romantic Poets\*, the more amazing this book will seem) 4. On Stranger Tides 5. Dinner at Deviant’s Palace Powers is a master plotter, and ties all sorts of historical figures into the narrative. \*Byron, Keats, Shelley. ---
**Author:** ![blondebear](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blondebear/32/1022_2.png) [@blondebear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blondebear)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 3:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/12 "2006-10-17T03:42:50Z")
When you get your fill of Powers, check out his friend, James P. Blaylock. JPB has written some delightful books. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/13 "2006-10-17T04:00:33Z")
[QUOTE=Gadarene] It was one of his first ones, wasn’t it? The Drawing of the Dark, that is? [/quote] Third or so, I think. > [@](#): > > (Truth be told, I found Three Days to Never disappointingly slight.) I thought it was alright. I thought it needed to be fleshed out a little more, but it had some really strong characters, and I liked the ideas behind it. ---
**Author:** ![Yookeroo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/yookeroo/32/323_2.png) [@Yookeroo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yookeroo)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/14 "2006-10-17T05:14:19Z")
A new Tim Powers book? Off to Amazon! _Last Call_ kicks all sorts of ass. Brilliant stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Hunter\_Hawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/50afbb/32.png) [@Hunter\_Hawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hunter_Hawk)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/15 "2006-10-17T06:41:31Z")
[QUOTE=Miller] Third or so, I think. [/QUOTE] Yeah, it’s his third. You can safely skip his first two books. (He’s asked people _not_ to read his first one.) In addition to checking out Blaylock, you might also want to check out K. W. Jeter, another friend of Powers’. Their writing isn’t at all similar, but the three of them were the ones who came up with the concept of steampunk, and Jeter is arguably the guy who came up with cyberpunk (in the book _Dr. Adder_). In addition to his novels, Powers also has a number of chapbooks and collections of short stories, as well as a cookbook that he did in collaboration with Blaylock. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 12:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/16 "2006-10-17T12:18:57Z")
I first discovered Powers through this board, and that alone makes my subscription to this place worthwhile. He’s one of those authors that you can just choose a book at random–any you pick will most likely be a damn good read. ---
**Author:** ![Evil\_Captor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/f17d59/32.png) [@Evil\_Captor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evil_Captor)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/17 "2006-10-17T12:37:35Z")
Mrs Captor woke me up one recent Saturday morning yelling, “Get UP!! We’ve overslept the new Powers book by a MONTH!!!” ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 3:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/18 "2006-10-17T15:03:09Z")
Another resounding vote for Tim Powers. Both his “historical” fantasies & the more contemporary ones are excellent. No, I don’t know why he isn’t more famous… ---
**Author:** ![ChordedZither](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9c0ed/32.png) [@ChordedZither](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ChordedZither)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/19 "2006-10-17T17:24:09Z")
Thank you, **Mr Bus Guy** , for starting this thread! Tim Powers is one of a very short list of authors that are automatic purchases for me. And, like several of the other responders, I was unaware he had a new book out. He’s not particularly prolific, and his books don’t get hyped very much, so it’s easy to miss a new release. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 17, 2006, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/tim-powers-fans-come-in-and-help-me/376674/20 "2006-10-17T17:47:18Z")
[QUOTE=ChordedZither] Thank you, **Mr Bus Guy** , for starting this thread! Tim Powers is one of a very short list of authors that are automatic purchases for me. And, like several of the other responders, I was unaware he had a new book out. He’s not particularly prolific, and his books don’t get hyped very much, so it’s easy to miss a new release. [/QUOTE] Yeah, hey my pleasure. I’m closing in on the last third of the one I’m reading, and it’s become one of those books that I can’t wait to get home and read.