Liar's Retreat

books

  • Solid Motivations

    “I am not ungrateful,” the pale man said, “but life has been difficult.” I stole a glance at the others, but no one spoke. The pale man squirmed slightly in his seat. “The tunnels are dark and cold. Not only… Continue reading

  • The History of the Ancient World

    Susan Wise Bauer A brief overview of the world, beginning around 7000BC and ending, as the title says, with the fall of Rome and the end of Antiquity. Though this is the first work of Susan’s that I’ve read, Bauer… Continue reading

  • The Lord of the Rings

    JRR Tolkien I have little to say about this masterpiece of literature that hasn’t already been said by countless others. I could ramble about the intricacies of the worldbuilding for days (I have before and will again), I could expound… Continue reading

  • Neuromancer

    William Gibson When I began Neuromancer, I did not enjoy it. I’ve never been a big science fiction guy, and cyberpunk in particular has never drawn my interest. To me, Gibson’s style of “cutting out the clunk” left his work… Continue reading

  • No Way Out

    The black moss is soft under my hands, leaving no imprint after I remove them. I know this even without seeing it; I can’t see anything down here in the dark. There are sometimes sputtering torches at the junctions that… Continue reading

  • The Mouth of the King

    “I woke in the late fall. It was lonely at first, down in the dark of the undercroft, but slowly I came to realize that that’s where I was. It was peaceful; a good time for reflection upon all I… Continue reading