A book from the Ether: Drood, by Dan Simmons

Well, hello again, Buzzards.  Here is one for the reading list: Drood, by Dan Simmons. Arguments of poor writing levied against many in the speculative fiction arena do not hold when it comes to this author.  Here, Simmons creates a dark and mysterious reality around Charles Dickens' unfinished work, The Mystery of Edwin Drood. 

The story is told through the eyes of Wilkie Collins, another Victorian author and friend of Dickens.  Together, the two explore the sewers beneath London in search of the otherworldly Drood, a man supposedly responsible for hundreds of murders.  Simmons, a genre-crossing author who is equally comfortable writing science-fiction, mystery and horror, revels in research.  Like his other Victorian-era novel, The Terror, he creates a vivid picture of the place, time and people without losing sight of what really matters, the story.  Now, Buzzards, I know what you will say: "That is a damn big book."  And, my feathered followers, you are correct, it is.  But, it will never feel like it as you are compelled to stay up late with the lights on.  This may stand as one of my favorite Simmons books, who is also one of my favorite authors.  Check it out and enjoy!