Ron's comments (member since Apr 01, 2009)

Ron's comments from the Beyond Reality group.

There's still time to vote for the February choices, though, Bill, and there's lots to choose from. And nice to have you aboard.

Yeah, of the three elements of the omnibus edition I liked this the best; maybe it's just the most Miles-y of the three. Nice twists and turns, Miles ever the opportunist, and I guess it's lucky he likes tall girls.

Nope, it's Teckla all right. Maybe I'll save it until I find some better entry point. I hadn't really paid attention to the chronology, I just saw this and thought I might give it a whirl.

I found a new Neal Asher book "Shadow of the Scorpion" yesterday, and today was in a second-hand store and found Peter Hamilton's "Mindstar Rising" and one of Brust's Vlad novels, starts with a "T", thought I might give it a try.

There are lessons there: If you're going to cheat an eight-year-old at cards you should a) do it well enough not to get caught, and b) do it well enough not to get double-skunked anyway.

I absolutely agree that the format here is more suitable. I only mentioned the voting thing because someone mentioned not too long ago that he might like to be able to refresh his memory as to his own previous votes. I also respect voters' desire for privacy, and am quite content either way.

Well, I'm just getting started, and it seems to me the premise is patently ridiculous: using reproductive tech to maintain a planet without women. And is the name "Athos" a sly shot at the Three Musketeers?

There is an advantage to Yahoo's polling system, in that it can be set to accommodate multiple votes by one person, and it does keep track of who voted for what. But switching back and forth is very cumbersome.

My old guy also gave me a love of jazz and swing, and detective fiction, particularly historical mystery. And irony.

Finished "The Devil's Eye" by Jack McDevitt. Flaws, loose ends, but still a decent timekiller.
Started rereading "The Stars My Destination" by Alfred Bester. I had completely forgotten this story, really a retelling of "The Count of Monte Cristo". This is great science fiction.
Next: the rest of "Nation", and "Ethan of Athos".

Does smoking count?

This is a hallmark of Watts' novels. "Starfish" features a crew of very damaged people working a deeply submerged research station at a deep-sea geothermal vent. It is their 'problems' that make them ideal for the close quarters and terrible depth, but it also makes for fairly brittle relations among the crew... "Maelstrom" continues that story. "Behemoth" is hard to get hold of due to some odd decisions by the publisher, which I believe Watts regrets but was unable to prevent.
In "Blindsight" I really like how, even though the crew detest the vampire, they trust him more than they do the AI, the real commander of the expedition.

I started 'Nation' by Terry Pratchett; it seems pretty good. I'm not yet really clear on whether it's one of his Young Adult novels yet.

i also accidentally started reading Jack McDevitt's new paperback, "Devil's Eye". McDevitt tells a good enough story that one can ignore the glaring logical flaws.

Yes, Unaha-Closp felt well-realized to me too, maybe because Banks is good at portraying exasperation.

And yeah, wouldn't you love to see Zaphod Beeblebrox at the Damage table? Or maybe Miles Vorkosigan?

I borrowed this from Wikipedia:

The Culture novels comprise (in publishing and mostly chronological order):

Consider Phlebas (1987)

The first Culture novel. Its protagonist is working for the religious Idiran Empire against the Culture. A rich, although basically linear story about rescuing one of the artificial sentiences of the Culture, it takes place against the backdrop of the galaxy-spanning Idiran War.

The Player of Games (1988)

A brilliant though bored games player from the Culture is entrapped and blackmailed to work as a Special Circumstances agent in the brutal stellar Empire of Azad. Their system of society and government is entirely based on an elaborate strategy game.

Use of Weapons (1990)

A non-linear story about a Culture mercenary called Zakalwe. Chapters describing his adventures for Special Circumstances are intercut with stories from his past, where the reader slowly discovers why this man is so troubled.

The State of the Art (1991)

A collection of short stories (some Culture, some not) and a Culture novella. The (eponymous) novella deals with a Culture mission to Earth in the 1970s.

Excession (1996)

Culture Minds discover an Outside Context Problem: something so strange it could shake the foundations of their civilisation.

Inversions (1998)

Seemingly a Special Circumstances mission seen from the other side – on a planet whose development is roughly equivalent to 13th Century Europe. This novel is not labelled as "A Culture Novel", but is widely regarded as being set in the same milieu.

Look to Windward (2000)

Sequel of sorts to Consider Phlebas. The Culture has interfered in the development of the Chel with disastrous consequences. Now, in the light of a star that was destroyed 800 years previously during the Idiran War, plans for revenge are being hatched.

Matter (2008)

Djan Seriy Anaplian, a Special Circumstances agent, returns to her war-torn feudal world. The Culture has to decide whether or not to involve itself in this world's problems.

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I gather that Banks' new novel, "Transitions", is not a Culture story.

Stefan wrote: "I'll be curious to see your opinion of the Elizabeth Bear novel, Ron. I'm putting the finishing touches on my review of that one for FanLit.

As for me, I just received [book:The Silver Skull|64..."

I will let you know as soon as I'm through it, Stefan; at the moment I'm about three-quarters through "Ink and Steel" and very much wishing "Hell and Earth" was in mmpb so I could continue the story (Bear says it's one huge novel chopped in two by the publisher) without interruption.

Yesterday I picked up Bear's "All the Wind-racked Stars" and the Terry Pratchett novel "Nation". Both go right to the top of the heap.

I wasn't all that taken with the episodes of "Stephen Fry in America" that i saw on the tube; I hope the book is better. However, one of the funniest clips I've seen on Utube is from "Last Chance to See" (from the Douglas Adams book--see how I work in a science-fiction angle): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9T1vfsHYi...
Hope the link comes through alright. Warning: somewhat racy content, not for the kidlets. PG-13 or so, I imagine.

Yes, very much the same vibe-- maybe names like Bare Naked Ladies, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Chikita Violenta, Dear and the Headlights, Thunderbirds are Now!, Rainer Maria, Johnny Vomit and the Dry Heaves, VHS or Beta, I Love You But Ive Chosen Darkness-- that sort of thing?

Chiming in with the above, thanks Janny, and I'm glad you'll be sticking around here. This has been a fun month.

edit: just adding, I was having a beer with my next-door neighbor tonight, and he told me he had just finished reading volume 8 of 'Wars of Light and Shadow', which I take to be 'Stormed Fortress', and he says it's the best so far. So there.