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May 31
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Mark
gave  to:
Peace And War: Forever Peace, Forever Free, & Forever War. (Paperback)
by
Joe Haldeman
bookshelves:
sci-fi
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my rating:
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read in May, 2009
Mark said:
"Picked this up because I heard there was a movie due.
The first of the three books - Forever War - is the meat of the story and is by far the best of the three, putting the issues of fighting a relativistic war front and centre, and the effe...more
Picked this up because I heard there was a movie due.
The first of the three books - Forever War - is the meat of the story and is by far the best of the three, putting the issues of fighting a relativistic war front and centre, and the effect this has on the soldiers involved. Obviously it has dated a little in places (or alternatively has become a 'classic') but it still reads well and hasn't aged badly at all being comparatively well written (not like re-reading Asimov for example).
The second book, starts well, looking to shape up into a Vinge type epic. However, I really feel it was let down with what seemed to be a tacked on ending which was a different book from the one promised in the first half, and rapidly descended into the fantastical to wrap up with a clichéd ending.
The final book doesn't follow from the others, but is a companion story which reads much more easily as a modern tale of nano-tech and brain interfacing. An enjoyable story in its own right, only weakly linked to Forever War.(less)
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Mark
gave  to:
The Battle of Corrin (Legends of Dune)
by
Brian Herbert
bookshelves:
sci-fi
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my rating:
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read in May, 2009
Mark said:
"Pretty awful. You can't help get exasperated at the numerous plot holes (why don't they just smash an asteroid into Corrin?) and the frankly dated approach to interstellar warfare (not even in the same ballpark as Hamilton).
I don't know why...more
Pretty awful. You can't help get exasperated at the numerous plot holes (why don't they just smash an asteroid into Corrin?) and the frankly dated approach to interstellar warfare (not even in the same ballpark as Hamilton).
I don't know why I'm still reading these books - I just can't stop myself wanting to know the backstory to Dune which was such a big book for me as a child.(less)
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Mark
gave  to:
Prador Moon (Novel of the Polity)
by
Neal Asher
bookshelves:
sci-fi
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my rating:
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read in April, 2009
Mark said:
"Excellent little book providing backstory around the start of the Prador war. Short, fast paced and tightly written, its a great read for those immersed in Asher's universe.
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March 27
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Mark
gave  to:
Matter (Paperback)
by
Iain M. Banks
bookshelves:
sci-fi
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my rating:
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read in March, 2009
Mark said:
"It's great to have another Culture novel from Banks after so long, however I didn't really feel this was up to his usual form. The book is quite weighty and certainly took a while to get going before hitting it's stride in the last fifth culminating ...more
It's great to have another Culture novel from Banks after so long, however I didn't really feel this was up to his usual form. The book is quite weighty and certainly took a while to get going before hitting it's stride in the last fifth culminating in a rather abrupt, and what felt like curtailed, ending.
My trudge through the first half was probably effected by me dipping in and out over a few weeks before getting some dedicated time for the second half - never a good way to read a Banks, which usually benefit from a straight through reading. I also feel somewhat cheated when I buy a SF novel which has a significant plotline set in a primative culture -I want space opera! Both of these probably colured my reactions to this novel.
On the positive side it's great to see that Banks still has the creativity to push out genuinely new ideas like the shellworlds of this novel. It would be too easy to just repeat past Culture tropes, but Banks keeps on throwing innovative ideas into his novels which keeps that excitement at exploring more of the Culture universe alive. Overall a must read for a Banks fan, but if you're a newcomer, start with some if his earlier works. (less)
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January 03
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Mark
gave  to:
The Intruders (Hardcover)
by
Michael Marshall Smith
bookshelves:
fiction
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my rating:
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read in January, 2009
Mark said:
"Everything Marshall writes is a pleasure to read, and this thriller doesn't disappoint. As usual his writing moves at a pace, with short chapters dense with fascinating characters and vivid locations which jump out of the page. As is his tendency, wh...more
Everything Marshall writes is a pleasure to read, and this thriller doesn't disappoint. As usual his writing moves at a pace, with short chapters dense with fascinating characters and vivid locations which jump out of the page. As is his tendency, what seems simple at first develops into a backdrop of conspiracy with a tinge of fantasy/sci-fi underpinning it all.
Highly recommended, I just wish he'd go back and apply his talent to some more pure sci-fi as Michael Marshall Smith.(less)
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December 28, 2008
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Mark
gave to:
Bios (Paperback)
by
Robert Charles Wilson
bookshelves:
sci-fi
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my rating:
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read in December, 2008
Mark said:
"I really liked this. Humanity on its first world beyond Earth, battling against a hostile environment. It has echos of Cherryth's 40 thousand in Gehenna in its vivid depiction of an alien biosphere, alongside the complexity realised in Aldiss' Hothou...more
I really liked this. Humanity on its first world beyond Earth, battling against a hostile environment. It has echos of Cherryth's 40 thousand in Gehenna in its vivid depiction of an alien biosphere, alongside the complexity realised in Aldiss' Hothouse.
A short book, but well constructed with a refreshing conclusion - well worth a couple of evenings.(less)
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Mark
gave to:
The Butlerian Jihad: Legends of Dune (Paperback)
by
Brian Herbert
bookshelves:
sci-fi
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my rating:
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read in December, 2008
Mark said:
"As other reviews have stated, this is not the most well written of books, and some of the plot holes are pretty hard to ignore. In particular the behaviours of the machine overlords and the idea that humans, reduced to slave status, would have any im...more
As other reviews have stated, this is not the most well written of books, and some of the plot holes are pretty hard to ignore. In particular the behaviours of the machine overlords and the idea that humans, reduced to slave status, would have any impact is a stretch. This kind of scenario has been done much better elsewhere.
However, this is the world of Dune and for those who loved Dune as kids, as I did, you'll find it easy to forget the difficulties with the novel and just enjoy the exploration of the Dune back-story and the origins of the complex society that Herbert described. For that alone it is well worth a read of any Dune fan, and I for one will happily work my way through the whole series.(less)
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December 10, 2008
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Mark
gave to:
Halting State (Paperback)
by
Charles Stross
bookshelves:
sci-fi
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my rating:
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read in December, 2008
Mark said:
"Really nice near future novel from Stross. Explores how virtual worlds will develop and in particular blur with the real world to provide augmented reality.
The layered plot is also well formed with convincing characterisation and a fast pac...more
Really nice near future novel from Stross. Explores how virtual worlds will develop and in particular blur with the real world to provide augmented reality.
The layered plot is also well formed with convincing characterisation and a fast pace that keeps you reading. A good solid light read, that unfortunately will probably date quite quickly.(less)
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December 01, 2008
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Mark
gave to:
Speed of Dark (Paperback)
by
Elizabeth Moon
bookshelves:
sci-fi
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my rating:
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read in December, 2008
Mark said:
"A fascinating insight into the world of an autistic, written from a first person point of view. With a near future backdrop (although this has little impact on the story), Moon wonderfully describes the life of an autistic man grappling with his desi...more
A fascinating insight into the world of an autistic, written from a first person point of view. With a near future backdrop (although this has little impact on the story), Moon wonderfully describes the life of an autistic man grappling with his desire to be normal.(less)
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Mark
gave to:
Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (Collins Business Essentials)
by
Robert B. Cialdini
bookshelves:
business
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my rating:
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read in November, 2008
Mark said:
"Required reading for all marketing professionals. The book details the most common approaches to influencing the decisions of others, backed up by the authors time spent infiltrating direct marketing companies and the like. Offers handy hints on how ...more
Required reading for all marketing professionals. The book details the most common approaches to influencing the decisions of others, backed up by the authors time spent infiltrating direct marketing companies and the like. Offers handy hints on how to spot when you're being manipulated and how to handle it.
A very enjoyable read, should leave you much more aware of how you're being played next time you're in the market for a used car.(less)
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