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

Chris’s comments from the Beyond Reality group.

The Daevabad Trilogy was just nominated for a Hugo!

Well, that was certainly grim. If you weren't already worried about the climate crisis, you will be after you read this book.

Once again, KSR writes a meticulously researched and plausibly imagined book. There are a couple of interesting characters, but they are absent for long stretches; to me, this makes the book drag.

It seems that with human innovation, eco-terrorism, and economics we might be able to save the world after all. I thought the summaries of accomplishments near conclusion were encouraging, but it was very realistic to also point out that there were still plenty of problems to be solved.

I'll also give a shout out to Zurich, Switzerland. I've never been there, but I felt like I got an intimate connection to the city through the concrete descriptions of the geography and the life and character of its citizens.

I don't always fully enjoy KSR stories, but the big concepts in his books always make me think.

Kathi wrote: "T.D. wrote: "Chris wrote: "T.D. wrote: "EmbraceStorm Front"

Hi T.D.,

To clarify, are you suggesting Embrace and Storm Front? If so, these ..."

T.D.,

I've added your nomination for Storm Front, but I'm afraid that I can't accept Embrace. You're welcome to nominate another SF book, though!

T.D. wrote: "EmbraceStorm Front"

Hi T.D.,

To clarify, are you suggesting Embrace and Storm Front? If so, these are both Fantasy by our definition, and you can only nominate one in that category. Or are these not the books you had in mind?

Nominations for June 2021

Hi everyone,
It's time to open nominations for our July 2021 Books of the Month. What would you like to read by the pool on those 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 Saturday April 17.
• The first (preliminary) round of polls will open Sunday April 18 and will run through Friday April 23.
• The final run-off polls go up Saturday April 24 and will be open through Friday April 30.

Thanks!
Chris, Moderator

NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
SCIENCE FICTION:
The Quiet War
A Just Determination
Inversions
Dune
And Chaos Died
The Birth of the People's Republic of Antarctica
The Long Earth

FANTASY:
Storm Front
Three Hearts and Three Lions
Voice of Our Shadow
Fire & Blood
The Stone Knife
Into the Green
Unquenchable Fire
The End of Mr. Y

I first read this when it came out a couple of years ago, and continued with the remainder of the series (the third book came out recently). I read it again this month to refresh my memory, and it holds up well. I really enjoy the world building; it's refreshing to have a fantasy set in the Middle East, with magical locations interlaced with our "real" world. Politics, conflicting loyalties, and mysteries abound -- quite a meaty story. We see many different points of view, and it's hard to know whose story to trust.

If I have any complaint, it's that the story doesn't come to a conclusion at the end of this book. This book is terrific at establishing the world, but it leaves a lot unanswered. You just have to keep reading!

Final polls are up for our June BOTMs, and will be open through Wednesday March 31. Let's vote!

Science Fiction: Final SF Poll

Fantasy: Final Fantasy Poll

Chris, Moderator
Beyond Reality

Preliminary polls are up for our June BOTMs, and will be open through Wednesday March 24. Let's vote!

Science Fiction: Preliminary SF Poll

Fantasy: Preliminary Fantasy Poll

Chris, Moderator
Beyond Reality

I wasn't sure what to expect with this. And now that I'm finished, I'm still not quite sure. It certainly didn't go in any direction I'd anticipated.

There's no one to like, really. The aliens appear to be helpful (after all, they are saving humanity and restoring Earth), but creepy. And I don't find any human specimens that really seem worth saving, to be honest. They are, almost without exception, either brutish or vapid.

Lilith is more interesting, even if I don't find her particularly likeable. It may be because she is treated as a child by the aliens, not trusted with the full truth or explanations. Since she is not treated as a partner, her actions are uninformed and have unintended consequences.

I didn't particularly love this book, but I am interested to see where the story goes next.

I'll throw in a couple from my to-be-read list.

While the group read This Alien Shore in 2010, that was before my time. The second book set in the same universe has just come out .... I'd like to read the original first! I nominate this for SF.

For Fantasy, The Unfinished Land by Greg Bear looks pretty good.

Nominations for June 2021

Hi everyone,
It's time to open nominations for our June 2021 Books of the Month. What would you like to read at the start of summer?

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 Wednesday March 17.
• The first (preliminary) round of polls will open Thursday March 18 and will run through Wednesday March 24.
• The final run-off polls go up Thursday March 25 and will be open through Wednesday March 31.

Thanks!
Chris, Moderator

NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
SCIENCE FICTION:
2001: A Space Odyssey
Faller
Remnant Population
Engine Summer
This Alien Shore

FANTASY:
The Priory of the Orange Tree
A City Dreaming
Sister Mine
Three Hearts and Three Lions
The Violent Century
The Unfinished Land

Fools in space! What a wonderful idea. Of course, morale must be a priority when "trapped" in a small space like a ship for a long time. And then, to learn the Fools Guild origin story ..... this book took turns I didn't expect. I enjoyed the whole ride, couldn't put it down.

As an aside, I appreciated that a starship captain and engineer could also be a person of faith. We don't often see standard Earth religions portrayed as a normal part of future life; too often they are vilified, mostly they are ignored. This was a nice change.

I haven't read Sarah Zettel before, but I'll be sure to look for more books by this author.

Can we just pause a moment to appreciate the word "cerulean"? Ahhhh.....

I loved this fable-like story of finding a place to belong. The characters were unique and detailed, gentle and compelling and fierce in their own ways. There was no overarching villain, but a plethora of petty individuals too small-minded to think beyond their conception of ordinary and acceptable. A very realistic approach to a very magical tale.

Final polls are up for our May BOTMs, and will be open through Sunday February 28. Let's vote!

Science Fiction: Final SF Poll

Fantasy: Final Fantasy Poll

Chris, Moderator
Beyond Reality

Preliminary polls are up for our May BOTMs, and will be open through Monday February 22. Sorry for the delayed poll, I had a bit of a power issue. But now it's up to you to use your power to choose. Let's vote!

Science Fiction: Preliminary SF Poll

Fantasy: Preliminary Fantasy Poll

Chris, Moderator
Beyond Reality

Nominations for May 2021

Hi everyone,
It's time to open nominations for our May 2021 Books of the Month. What would you like to read this spring?

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 February 16.
• The first (preliminary) round of polls will open Wednesday February 17 and will run through Monday February 22.
• The final run-off polls go up Tuesday February 23 and will be open through Sunday February 28.

Thanks!
Chris, Moderator

NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
SCIENCE FICTION:
The Space Between Worlds
Will Save the Galaxy for Food
The Fountains of Paradise
2001: A Space Odyssey
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy

FANTASY:
Arrows of the Queen
The End of Mr. Y
Three Hearts and Three Lions
How to Stop Time
Black Sun
The Priory of the Orange Tree

I read this for another group last year, and I found it frustrating. The world was so confusing! I persevered and, by the end, I liked it all right (but not enough to want to read again).

Random, I think you've got it right that understanding the environment was not important. It was only when I realized that I would never get into the world that I could like the story even a little bit. The difference between this book and Piranesi, for me, is that Piranesi's world was unexplained yet felt compelling to me; it clearly operated by its own rules, even if the book didn't choose to explain them fully. With this book I just couldn't care much about it.

I did admire the craft of writing such a disjointed story, particularly when shared between two authors.

Many years ago, I started reading the Midnight Louie mysteries by Carole Nelson Douglas. It's a series based in Las Vegas with a colorful cast of characters including Midnight Louie himself, a black cat with an attitude. The first books are Catnap and Pussyfoot, but then the titles take a standard style with alphabetic elements like Cat on a Blue Monday and Cat in a Crimson Haze. The books are somewhat unusual in that the action of one book follows the previous book only by a few days, or a couple of weeks at most. While each book is its own mystery, there are longer arcs that cross multiple books.

Although I read half a dozen as they came out, I gave up when I realized that the series would have 28 books, saying that I would read the whole thing in order some day.

Now the series is finally complete! I've been picking up used copies as I came across them, and finally have the complete series in hand. Four down, twenty four to go.... Since I'll be doing my book club reading as well, this is likely to take some time.

What a disturbing and yet compelling book. It's certainly not a comfortable read. It incorporates elements of actual history, which makes all the violence (on both sides) even more problematic. This isn't a video game world, exactly, where we blithely kill all the evil Nazis (or aliens or whatever).

I think the best idea of the book is that hate turns ordinary people into something less than human. The Klansmen are seen more as dupes than as evil fiends, but they can evolve into Ku Klux beasts through hate. Both are tools, though, wielded by more sinister actors. But violence on one side begets more violence on the other, creating a never ending violent cycle. The only way to break the cycle is to break the hate.

A good choice for Black History Month.

Just found out that Dawn, the first book in the Octavia Butler series in our final poll, is on sale today for $1.99 (Kindle and iBooks). Whether that series wins or not, it's probably a good read for a good price!