Charles Nicholl: The Reckoning

Backwards: Elizabeth Bear: Ink and Steel, Hell and Earth

As an inaugural post, I thought I'd use the latest example of what I mean by citation browsing, as manifested at my latest reference desk shift. I work the reference desk at a large university library on Monday and Wednesday mornings and Sunday evenings -- particularly at the beginning of the semester, not the busiest times in the world. So, I distract myself from unutterable boredom by browsing the catalog to see what we have available. I recently read Ink and Steel and Hell and Earth by Elizabeth Bear, a beautiful fantasy duology set in Elizabethan England (and Elizabethan Faerie), starring Christopher Marlowe in the lead role. I remembered her saying, either in her blog or in the notes to the books, that she liked Charles Nicholl's histories, so I decided to see if we had any.

Lo and behold!, a copy of The Reckoning: The Murder of Christopher Marlowe. Just what I wanted to help me sort out what in the novel was history and what was plot device. I haven't had a chance to read it yet, but I'll update this post with a book review when I do, plus any citations I find while reading Nicholl that I decide I just have to read next...

Forwards: I'll let you know when I get to it!