Sunday, November 28, 2010

Gary Corby

Gary Corby is a first time novelist, former systems programmer at Microsoft, and lives in Australia with his wife and two daughters.

His new book is The Pericles Commission.

Recently I asked him what he was reading. His reply:
I usually have several books going at once.

The Naked Olympics by Tony Perrottet. It's a short and fascinating account of the ancient Olympics, as it really happened. Really it's a series of anecdotes. This counts as book research, because the third book in my series is set at the Olympics of 460BC. It's so nice when work can be such fun.

Get Out Or Die by my friend Jane Finnis, is an historical mystery set in Roman Britain. It's written in a straightforward, relaxing style. Jane knows her British Roman history, and she uses it expertly in her stories. Her description of how ancient publicans ran a mansio -- a roadside inn -- is vivid. I don't know how Jane would feel about this, but you could almost classify Get Out Or Die as an ancient historical cozy, which to my mind is a good thing.

New Scientist I read every issue. This way I can pretend I still have some scientific background (I began life as a mathematician). If I ever write SF, I'm all set to go.

A Drink Before The War by Dennis Lehane. I sheepishly admitted while on book tour that I'd never read any Lehane. What was this Mystic River that everyone keeps raving about? I immediately had thrust into my hands the first of the series. Noir is not typically my thing, but this one has me absorbed.
Visit Gary Corby's blog.

The Page 69 Test: The Pericles Commission.

--Marshal Zeringue