Mary Doria Sparrow

[jack]

I have started reading JESUITS IN SPACE (having exhausted all the Anita Blake vampirefluff ripoffs I wanted[1]). I somehow formed the preconception that there would be a spacefairing civilisation through which a spaceshipful of jesuits would tumble and politic, a bit like firefly, however the introduction has me jumping up and down and going "JESUITS! IN SPACE! AND ALIENS! AND RANDOM CATHOLIC GUILT! WHAT'S WITH THE SINGING". -- But very unfortunately I haven't any time to read any more -- somehow I can't pick the book up for a moment, I need a little run up to get into it and have NO TIME OF DOOM. Update when I'm next not washing up :)

Dune is not as good as I remember it, but is very good. I'm not quite sure what genre of science fiction it is the grandsire of, I guess "That with a rich but sketchy back-story and universe, a weighty plot, and characters of ultimate kick-assness". Like the Deathstalker books but not stupid :)

[1] Anyone want to recommend[2] a book like Anita Blake, but good and/or with dragons?
[2] Before I am bullied further, Temeraire ("Hornblower with dragons" -- the cover art says so on the tin) is on my (physical) readnow pile too. Charles Stross' Atrocity Archives (sample quote: slash capital R slash documents slash world underscore domination) has jumped onto the toacquire pile, but I will wait until a few fewer people are trying to borrow it at once :)