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Chris’s
Comments
(group member since Feb 25, 2011)
Chris’s
comments
from the Beyond Reality group.
Showing 261-280 of 934
Apr 06, 2023 05:41AM
Kathi wrote: "Nachiket wrote: "Regarding discussions, we could maybe discuss cafes, what people like about cafes and any cafes they love, how would you go about opening a cafe if you wanted to, or does anyone on..."No worries, I started a new topic for this. Great idea!
What do you like about cafes? Do you have any favorites? How would you go about opening a cafe if you wanted to, and what would make it special? Does anyone here actually own their own cafe?
There's something very warm and cozy about this story -- just like a warm latte. Very much in the vein of the late Terry Pratchett, this story pokes good-natured fun at coffee culture. And cats. All with an ogre and a succubus, a hob, and a few other good friends. Honestly, what's not to like?Now I'm craving a fresh cup of coffee and a succulent cinnamon roll....
April is here, and we've got a new month of books to read and discuss!Books of the Month - For April, you selected:
—April 2023 Science Fiction: Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky
—April 2023 Fantasy: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
There are a couple of starter topics up for each book, but please feel free to start more.
We also have our schedule set for the next couple of months:
--May 2023 Science Fiction: Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks
--May 2023 Fantasy: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
--June 2023 Science Fiction: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
--June 2023 Fantasy: Spear by Nicola Griffith
Series news - Our next series read will be the MaddAdam trilogy by Margaret Atwood. More information to come!
Lastly - Don't forget to check out the Question of the Week (a new one posts each Sunday) and drop by the "What are you reading in April 2023?” topic to share your picks, pans, and progress for the month. All genres welcome in this topic!
Chris, for the mods
Mar 31, 2023 01:07PM
Post here if you are reading or planning to read Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky. No spoilers, please!
Mar 31, 2023 11:47AM
Post here if you are reading or planning to read Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree. No spoilers, please!
When I started this, I was somewhat put off by the casual racism of Captain van Toch, and I told myself that it was just a product of its time (1930s). But the more it went on, the more I saw the (very) dark humor and satirical take on commercialism, colonialism, and exploitation of "lesser" beings. Even when humanity is clearly threatened, nations and individuals continue to advance their own interests rather than coming together to confront an existential threat. Makes me think a bit, considering the new climate report just issued this week .....
Brilliant satire!
The fantastical element is fairly light in this story, but the world is richly imagined. The characters wove a narrative, together and apart, that made for a compelling tapestry of politics and intrigue that was still intensely personal. Great stuff!
I'll nominate two of the new Nebula nominees that I haven't read yet. For fantasy, Spear by Nicola Griffith
For SF, The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler
This series has certainly aged well. It has an amazingly diverse set of characters, and they deal with real-world problems in real ways. Well, I suppose that dragons aren't real-world problems .... but aggression, and intolerance, and belief, and cultural conflict certainly are. Coupled with the lovely writing style, these stories are timeless.
Kathi wrote: "Chris wrote: "why was his reaction to her so utterly extreme and out of character ..."He certainly did have an extreme reaction. Her foreignness was certainly a part of it; she looked like a red chimney in her modest outfit and couldn't speak his language. Even more, though, I think he felt trapped into the decision. He had avoided all commitments to this point, and those were probably more culturally suitable. He certainly had no problems dealing with Tenar or Tehanu, but he didn't seem to have much patience for women playing more traditional roles. I think he wanted a partner, although he may not have realized that that what was he was looking for.
I agree, Shel, this is definitely a more contemplative book than the others, but just as beautifully told. I appreciated that our characters have been allowed to mature, both in age and in wisdom. I also appreciated that Paln, Kargad, and Roke each had an incomplete view of the founding of Earthsea; it took them reconciling their views to finally come to a peace with the dragons.Some lovely moments:
* Irian and Tehanu as powerful, lovely, mysterious dragons
* Alder mending the pot
* The clear love between Ged and Tenar
* Lebannen finally seeing the princess as a person
Can you believe it's March already? It seems like 2023 just started. We've got a new month of books to read and discuss!Books of the Month - For March, you selected:
—March 2023 Science Fiction: War with the Newts by Karel Čapek
—March 2023 Fantasy: Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay
There are a couple of starter topics up for each book, but please feel free to start more.
We also have our schedule set for the next couple of months:
—April 2023 Science Fiction: Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky
—April 2023 Fantasy: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
--May 2023 Science Fiction: Surface Detail by Iain M. Banks
--May 2023 Fantasy: Strange the Dreamer by Laini Taylor
Series news - The group is reading The EarthSea Cycle by Ursula K. Le Guin and we are currently discussing the sixth book, The Other Wind. Feel free to join in!
Lastly - Don't forget to check out the Question of the Week (a new one posts each Sunday) and drop by the "What are you reading in March 2023?” topic to share your picks, pans, and progress for the month. All genres welcome in this topic!
Chris, for the mods
Mar 01, 2023 01:40PM
Post here if you are reading or planning to read Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay. No spoilers, please!
Post here if you are reading or planning to read War with the Newts by Karel Čapek. No spoilers, please!
I was always taken with the daemons in Pullman's His Dark Materials world. I think mine would be a Great blue heron.
