Thank you all for the book recommendations.

1. I have beef with The Maze Runner, recommended here, because I think all these YA books that are about “specialness” (I include Twilight and Harry Potter in this group) are evil (maybe even including the Ember semi-series and even Ilium and the other Dan Simmons, etc.). (N.B. Except for The Magicians, which was AWESOME.) So when I read this on the Maze Runner Amazon page—”Thomas might be more important than he could ever guess. If only he could unlock the dark secrets buried within his mind.”—it triggers that concern. But then what else is the plot of every book really? “Someone is special.” But it’s not true. Ever. NO ONE IS SPECIAL.

2. I have never read Roadside Picnic and I really should, you are correct, emailer!

3. I am (not) the only person in the world who couldn’t really do Cloud Atlas. I should try again! Ditto Cryptonomicon! Which I really owe it to myself to restart.

4. I have read pretty much all of the Joe Haldeman books, even though most of them leave me a little cold. The Accidental Time Machine was alternately hilarious and annoying and fascinating and I was unhappy with the ending but you know, God bless.

5. Anathem rocked MY WORLD.

6. Last night I bought Hunger Games based on this rec and also from reading about it on io9 ages ago and then promptly forgetting!

7. My phobia of technothrillers may have to be set aside for Daemon. And really how bad can my phobia be, I once was so bored that I read AIRFRAME. It was monstrously stupid, and yet I FINISHED IT.

8. Stops, blinks, goes and buys all of these books recommended. Candas Jane Dorsey must be exactly up my road. Likewise Justina Robson. Yays!