Chris’s Comments (group member since Feb 25, 2011)

Chris’s comments from the Beyond Reality group.

Have you finished reading The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, book 1 in the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy? What did you think?

Spoilers OK here (for book 1 only).

Please check in here and let us know if you’re reading or planning to read The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin, book 1 in the Remembrance of Earth's Past trilogy.

NO spoilers in this topic thread, please!

I'll suggest a couple. For SF, We Are Satellites. For Fantasy, The Witness for the Dead.

Hi everyone,
Believe it or not, it's time to open nominations for our September 2021 Books of the Month. While September seems almost impossibly far away, what would you like to read as we begin to move into fall?

Each group member may make 1 science fiction and/or 1 fantasy nomination in this thread. If you would like to make a nomination, please reply to this post with the title and author of the book(s) you would like to put forward for the group’s consideration. A couple of suggestions to keep in mind:

1. Telling us a little about the book and why you think it would be a good group read can help get other members interested in reading (and voting for) your nomination. If possible, please use a link to the book and author in your nomination post. Click on “add book/author" for an easy way to do that.

2. To see if your nomination has already been read by the group, you can check:

a. the group's bookshelf for Previous Books of the Month

and/or

b. these threads:
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2018 - Present
Master list of Previous Books of the Month (Apr-Dec 2017)
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2012 - 2017
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2006 - 2011

Books the group has read in the past 2 years are not eligible for current consideration. Being chosen as a past BotM prior to that time is not an automatic disqualification, but be aware that it may hinder your nomination’s chances at the polls.

General guidelines:
• Feel free to re-nominate a book that didn’t win in the polls in previous months!
• For questions regarding specifics such as book formats, books in series, self-nomination and various rules for nominations, please see the group FAQ.
• Seconding isn't necessary in this group.
• Friendly discussion & debate is strongly encouraged, but let's please keep things civil.

Poll schedule:
• Nominations will remain open through Tuesday June 16.
• The first (preliminary) round of polls will open Wednesday June 17 and will run through Wednesday June 23.
• The final run-off polls go up Thursday June 24 and will be open through Wednesday June 30.

Thanks!
Chris, Moderator

NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
SCIENCE FICTION:
We Are Satellites
Day Zero
Inversions
Dune

FANTASY:
Neverwhere
The Witness for the Dead
Nothing But Blackened Teeth
The Dragon's Path
The Golden Compass

Ofelia is such a wonderful character! Old and achy and a bit grumpy, low in social status, she has enough gumption to stay behind in the abandoned colony. Despite her lack of formal training, or even perhaps because of it, she finds ways to communicate with an alien civilization (the indigenes) and find a new purpose in life.

Moon has created an entirely believable alien civilization, defined by curiosity, quick intelligence, and loose social organization.

The other human characters are more caricatures, with predictable responses to Ofelia’s accomplishments and to the indigenous society. And there was never a satisfactory explanation for the original colony’s blindness to the indigenous presence. But Ofelia shines throughout this thoroughly enjoyable story.

Final polls are up for our August BOTMs, and will be open through Monday May 31. We had second place ties in both categories, so you'll have three choices for each. Let's vote!

Science Fiction: Final SF Poll

Fantasy: Final Fantasy Poll

Chris, Moderator
Beyond Reality

I’m thinking of the moment when Aaor said he’d take the two humans at the top of the mountain. He hadn’t met them, he just wanted two humans. Granted, his personal situation was dire. But when he controlled them thru his scent, and then they later became his mates, that felt uncomfortably coercive to me.

Well, I am disturbed.

Butler has absolutely succeeded in creating an alien society, something novel and new. The primary purpose of this civilization seems to propagate itself, changing and growing to spread throughout the galaxy. It doesn’t seem to have any larger goals, any literature or art, but it does seem concerned with providing a healthy subsistence and personal relationships.

In this book, the civilization has grown in an unintended fashion. And these human construct ooloi are so driven to form a mating relationship bond that they are willing to coerce humans into that bond. Does anyone else feel we’ve entered a sort of Stockholm syndrome near the end? The humans are apparently willing, but only after being healed and subjected to the pheromones of the ooloi. Are we supposed to find this a genuine good thing? I find it a bit creepy....

Preliminary polls are up for our August BOTMs, and will be open through Sunday May 23. We've got a fabulous, long list of choices in both categories. It'll be hard to choose just one. But .... let's vote!

Science Fiction: Preliminary SF Poll

Fantasy: Preliminary Fantasy Poll

Chris, Moderator
Beyond Reality

Christopher wrote: "For August for the fantasy category, I would like to nominate A Thousand Ships by Natalie Haynes. I have been fascinated by Greek mythology since the sixth grade and..."

Hi Christopher,

The group read The Collapsing Empire in September 2017, but that's long enough ago that we can propose it again. It's on the list!

Nachiket wrote: "For SF- The Power by Naomi Alderman. The novel begins when girls and women around the world suddenly gain the power to shock and injure/kill others with only a touch..."

I'm sorry, Nachiket. The group read The Power in October 2020, too recently to be proposed again as a book of the month. You might want to read it yourself, and revisit those discussion threads!

Would you like to make a different SF nomination?

I'm anxious to read Hail Mary, so I won't nominate SF this month. But after watching the streaming series, I'd like to read Shadow and Bone. It doesn't look like the group has read anything by Leigh Bardugo, and this seems to be the right place to start.

Shel wrote: "I'll propose The Psychology of Time Travel by Kate Mascarenhas for SF - I've been hearing about it, and it's on sale for Kindle today!

For fantasy, how about [boo..."

Hi Shel,

The group read Red Sister in October of 2017. But that's more than two years ago, so I'll put it on the list!

MadProfessah wrote: "Just finished ALL THE DEVILS ARE HERE by Louise Penny so I can start A DESOLATION CALED PEACE!!"

I think Louise Penny's Gamache mysteries are wonderful. The characters are so well drawn, as is the small town. I feel I'd know Three Pines if I saw it!

Gamache is both wise and very human. The small moments, like Ruth and her pet duck, somehow lighten the mood without detracting from the skillfully plotted story. She's a master.

Nominations for June 2021

Hi everyone,
Believe it or not, it's time to open nominations for our August 2021 Books of the Month. What would you like to read by the pool on last hot summer days?

Each group member may make 1 science fiction and/or 1 fantasy nomination in this thread. If you would like to make a nomination, please reply to this post with the title and author of the book(s) you would like to put forward for the group’s consideration. A couple of suggestions to keep in mind:

1. Telling us a little about the book and why you think it would be a good group read can help get other members interested in reading (and voting for) your nomination. If possible, please use a link to the book and author in your nomination post. Click on “add book/author" for an easy way to do that.

2. To see if your nomination has already been read by the group, you can check:

a. the group's bookshelf for Previous Books of the Month

and/or

b. these threads:
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2018 - Present
Master list of Previous Books of the Month (Apr-Dec 2017)
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2012 - 2017
Master list of Previous Books of the Month 2006 - 2011

Books the group has read in the past 2 years are not eligible for current consideration. Being chosen as a past BotM prior to that time is not an automatic disqualification, but be aware that it may hinder your nomination’s chances at the polls.

General guidelines:
• Feel free to re-nominate a book that didn’t win in the polls in previous months!
• For questions regarding specifics such as book formats, books in series, self-nomination and various rules for nominations, please see the group FAQ.
• Seconding isn't necessary in this group.
• Friendly discussion & debate is strongly encouraged, but let's please keep things civil.

Poll schedule:
• Nominations will remain open through Sunday May 16.
• The first (preliminary) round of polls will open Monday May 17 and will run through Sunday May 23.
• The final run-off polls go up Monday May 24 and will be open through Monday May 31.

Thanks!
Chris, Moderator

NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
SCIENCE FICTION:
Inversions
The Psychology of Time Travel
Project Hail Mary
Eon
The January Dancer
The Collapsing Empire
Flowers for Algernon
Provenance

FANTASY:
Red Sister
Neverwhere
Arrows of the Queen
Shadow and Bone
Frozen Dreams
A Thousand Ships
Escape from Baghdad!
Brown Girl in the Ring

I really enjoyed this book. This is a richly detailed world with nuanced politics, but it doesn't overwhelm the reader with an "explanation bomb". There is a lot going on just between the clans in the city of Tova. But add to that tension between the clans and the Maw, between the Obregi and the Tovans, between the Teek and everyone else (particularly men?). So much left to explore in the next books!

My favorite details: the Mesoamerican flavor of the culture and , of course, the giant crows and the giant water striders!

Final polls are up for our July BOTMs, and will be open through Friday April 30. Let's vote!

Science Fiction: Preliminary SF Poll

Fantasy: Preliminary Fantasy Poll

Chris, Moderator
Beyond Reality

I enjoyed this much more than the first book. I think this is because it focused on the main problem I had with the first book, wondering why the humans couldn't be allowed to have their own, unchanged future society. I find that I sympathize more with our aliens; after all, they had no obligation to interfere at all, to "save" any part of Earth's people. The fact that they have done so only on their terms should come as no surprise.

I admit that I am still troubled by the feral nature of most humans in this story. Civilization is merely a thin veneer in this world. There is such a hunger for "the way things used to be"; very few individuals seem to accept that the world they knew was destroyed, and that things have changed. I sympathize with their mourning for the past, but I don't have much patience for willfully ignoring the new situation.

I am encouraged in that this book seems to propose a possible solution, if still a difficult one. Looking forward to book 3 ....

Preliminary polls are up for our July BOTMs, and will be open through Friday April 23. We've got a fabulous, long list of choices in both categories. It'll be hard to choose just one. But .... let's vote!

Science Fiction: Preliminary SF Poll

Fantasy: Preliminary Fantasy Poll

Chris, Moderator
Beyond Reality

Eva wrote: "I'd like to nominate

by Anna Stephens - reading Black Sun made me realize how much I'd like to read more books set in a world inspired by the p..."

I'm sorry, Eva, but Luna: Moon Rising appears to be the third volume of the series. We haven't read the prior volumes, so I can't accept this one. Would you like to nominate something else instead?