Just finished Lucifer's Hammer by Larry Niven. I have a review here
( http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/21846... ), but it was a 9/10 for me. Characters who were like real people, flawed but occasionally heroic; detailed descriptions that helped the reader see and understand a disaster that would be indescribable and unfathomable.

I just finished Haze, L.E. Modesitt Jr.'s latest SF novel --- it's excellent and highly recommended both to fans and people who aren't familiar with the author yet. I posted a review on the book's page.

Next up: I'll probably get started on next month's fantasy BotM, The Steel Remains by Richard K. Morgan.

Jim wrote: "I read The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod Eighth Grade Bites over the weekend, a YA novel. It was pretty good. I'm looking forward to the next one. Surprisingly good, actually."

My son gave me that book to read. I've been meaning to start it--glad to hear a good review.

I couldn't find any of the BOM's during my last trip to the bookstore but I did pick up Replay by Ken Grimwood & I am enjoying it so far.

Stefan wrote: "I just finished Haze, L.E. Modesitt Jr.'s latest SF novel --- it's excellent and highly recommended both to fans and people who aren't familiar with the author yet. ..."

I want to get it, but I'm going to wait for the paperback. I think I have all of his books to date. One of my favorite authors. Thanks for letting me know that it measured up.

I'm not reading anything genre at the moment. But I just read Santa Olivia which was very good.

Just finished Bridge of Birds A Novel of an Ancient China That Never Was and I loved it.

Today I started The Essential Ellison A 50 Year Retrospective.

Just finished The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Robert A. Heinlein - http://tinyurl.com/lk7lr2

Next up - Curse of the Mistwraith by Janny Wurts.

I finished "The City & the City" and it is positively brilliant. Also just read "Scardown" by Elizabeth Bear, the second Jenny Casey novel, and started on the third, "Worldwired". These are fast moving and great fun, the characters are complex and real and I love her use of Canada as a major power (maybe it should be in 'Fantasy' after all).
edit--I just want to add that I have this group to thank for turning me on to E. Bear. I had read her novel "Undertow" and it was competent if ordinary SF, and I was quite willing to give her a miss thenceforth. The enthusiasm that "Hammered" aroused here turned me around. Thanks, all.

Scar night. Very good.

Just finished Little Brother. Wow! Read the whole thing in the last 24 hours. I highly recommend it (and hey, you can get it for free in e-form from the author's website, so no risk in giving it a try). Scary how plausible most of it is...

C12vt wrote: "Just finished Little Brother. Wow! Read the whole thing in the last 24 hours. I highly recommend it (and hey, you can get it for free in e-form from the author's website, so no risk in giving it a ..."

Thanks for the tip! This is a really good example of how free e-books benefit authors. I've never been drawn to Cory Doctorow but I'm looking for books to read on my phone, so I'm downloading this to try it out. If I like it, I'll be reading more books of his and he'll have gained a loyal customer.

C12vt wrote: "Just finished Little Brother. Wow! Read the whole thing in the last 24 hours. I highly recommend it (and hey, you can get it for free in e-form from the author's website, so no risk in giving it a ..."

Little Brother is a must read. It might give you an idea how much big brother is watching you NOW.

After some deep thought I am reading Kushiel's Scion by Jacqueline Carey. So far so good. Like putting on a favorite shirt.

I just finished A Grey Moon over China by Thomas A. Day, which I really enjoyed despite some minor flaws. It's definitely a book that deserves a wider audience than it's had so far. I posted a short review on the book's page.

Next up: Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson.

I just started Cyteen by CJ Cherryh--and so far so good. I'm just barely into it, but it reminds me in some ways of the Robinson's Mars trilogy with a huge complex social/political/science structure as a backdrop for the story. I love it so far!

Bjtriton,

I've read both Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh and the "Mars Trilogy" i.e. Red Mars-Green Mars-Blue Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson.

Both of these trilogies (Cyteen was originally published as a trilogy, but later combined, unabridged, as a single work) are excellent works. And both trilogies have a huge complex social/political/science structure as a backdrop for the story as you say.

But I found them very different. Largely because the world views of the two authors are very different. Kim Stanley Robinson is justifiably recognised as a visionary; while C.J. Cherryh is unjustifiably overlooked by many. I guess this is because her future vision is so cynical and decadent (although not an unlikely projection from where we are today).

I hope you enjoy "Cyteen" as much as I did. C.J. Cherryh deserves more attention from "serious" readers than she gets.

Have you read any of her other books from the Merchant/Union worlds?

Cyteen is one of my favorite books of all time. I couldn't even get into Red Mars. I found it way too verbose, way too heavy, way too much stuff surrounding the story. Should I give it another try?

The first half of Red Mars is really slow; but the second half really takes off. The rest of the trilogy is one of science fictions best.

I just finished Richard Matheson's The Shrinking Man and posted a short review here.

Now I need to see the film again.

Mosca,
I have not read anyother Cherryh books... I'm looking forward to more. I am really enjoying this one, although its a very slow read for me. I hoped to start reading the Bujold series at the same time for the group, but this Cyteen is going to need my full attention at the moment. If I had read other books from her Union world, would this set-up come a little easier to me? As it is, Cyteen starts with a huge info-dump of world building that I am struggling to keep straight. I do like cynical world views though, and this book is promising to be fabulous. Its great to discover a new & fabulous author!

Kelly, I absolutely think you should give Red Mars another try, but its clearly a polorizing book. Many from this group didn't like it and tossed it. Its not an easy book, its very heavy & wordy--not a quick action read. But I enjoyed it a lot and think its an amazing work.

Bjtriton,

Cyteen was the first book by C.J. Cherryh that I read. So, at least for me, the world building worked. Another excellent Merchanter/Union book of hers is Downbelow Station.

She seems to "info dump" a bit in most of these books so that a new commer will, hopefully, not be left scratching their head. I found that after a bit of background, Cyteen picked up and was easy to follow.

The Bujold series is easier, and enjoyable; but the future world is not so philosophically interesting. IMHO

For lighter Cherryh fare, I loved her Chanur series as well. Cyteen is brilliant, but one of her denser books, not an easy read at all, quite dark and also very screwed up characters to say the least!

Just started Valor's Trial by Tanya Huff. This is great military SF with a strong female main character; a nice counterpoint to the first Vorkosigan saga novel the group is discussing in the "Series" section.

I finished Starship Troopers last night - http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/340... - and I'm starting To Kill A Mockingbird for something completely different this morning.

I finished Felix Gilman's Thunderer, which I thought was a very good fantasy with some fascinating setting in an ever-changing city of a thousand Gods.

I'm now reading Joe Abercrombie's Best Served Cold, which I've been looking forward to since I really enjoyed his First Law trilogy.

William wrote: "I finished Felix Gilman's Thunderer, which I thought was a very good fantasy..."

I picked up a copy of Thunderer a few weeks ago but I haven't had much time for reading lately. Good to hear you enjoyed it.

I just started God Stalk by P.C. Hodgell.

Having read "Cordelia's Honour" I have picked up the two other books I have by the author and am current reading "Paladin of Souls" having finished the first in the series on Saturday.
Prior to reading Cordelia's Honour they were the only books I had by the author and am enjoying rereading them.

Jon wrote: "I just started God Stalk by P.C. Hodgell."

That's on my shelf to read... I'll be interested in your reaction/review.

Mosca wrote: "The first half of Red Mars is really slow; but the second half really takes off. The rest of the trilogy is one of science fictions best."

Okay, I'll give it another go. I have a free e-book of it from the publisher so it's not like I have any excuse. :)

Jon wrote: I finished Starship Troopers last night - http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/340... - and I'm starting To Kill A Mockingbird for something completely different this morning.

I'll check out your review. I loved it but I was very young. If you haven't read Mockingbird, you're in for a treat. It's wonderful and I'm not the type of person who automatically thinks classics are wonderful. I'm kind of pathetic that way, really.

For everyone about Cyteen: It was my first Cherryh book, too, so I don't know if reading something else first would be easier. I suspect not because most of the Merchanter books are space opera that take place among the traders whereas this is grounded in politics and psychological horror on-planet. I don't recall them having that much in common at all. I definitely agree it's much denser and weightier than anything else of hers I've read, even the Foreigner series.