I am currently having another attempt to read Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. See if I can get to half way this time!
I thought it was disappointing and overrated - and one of those books that isn't half as impressive if you've ever read any decent science fiction (which of course most mainstream critics and people who give out awards haven't). He's generally got away with quite a bit has David Mitchell - his earlier books, written whilst he was still in Japan, are so 'influenced' by Haruki Murakami that Murakami should sue him. He got away with it, I think because Murakami wasn't so well known then outside Japan as he is now. Since he's stopped trying to be Murakami he's been very windy and pretentious but lacking in genuine spark IMHO.
Oh dear! Well, I'm still reading it, but I didn't get much reading done on holiday <geek> primarily because the only reading I did was about the LHC in New Scientist</geek>
I don't see where the science fiction comes in though...
maybe I haven't got to that bit yet.
I do love Murakami, but I'm waiting for his latest novel to appear in prole-back. And the same goes for Iain M Banks. I'm hoping it's better than his last non SF effort which I thought was a a bit pants really.
As for Yann Martel - Pi was ok for a bit of light hollyday reading.
I agree about GG Marquez though - I enjoyed 100 yrs of solitude up until about halfway through and then I just got really pissed off with all the characters and wanted to give them all a big slap round the chops. Oh well, that's what you get based on buying books based on Wikipedia calling them 'magic realism'.....
About the only authors I'm enjoying on a consistent basis at the moment are Murakami and Alistair Reynolds....so that'll be the kiss of death now then.
As for Christopher Brookmyre, I did read a few of his earlier novels and they're ok for a bit of light hearted nonsense but I object paying money for a book I can finish in a couple of hours these days.....