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

Chris’s comments from the Beyond Reality group.

Argh! Wrong group! So sorry......

This was a welcome re-read, with the third book in the actual trilogy supposedly due out soon. This is such a richly imagined world with deep and complex characters. Yet there really isn’t a lot that resolves in this first book. We see how Kvothe overcame adversity to excel as a musician and arcanist. His interpersonal skills are not as developed. But we are left with so many questions... who is Bast? Why is he called Kingkiller? Who are the mysterious killers with the blue flame? I guess I’ll need to move on to the next book....

I absolutely loved the description of the archive cataloguing system wars. As a n archivist myself, this is truer than you know...

Definitely thought-provoking. I understand the oppressed women taking revenge on their oppressors. But it went too far, too fast. There are decent men in the world, and decent women. I don't think they're decent simply because of the threat of violence and force. I don't think everyone thinks in terms of manipulation of others; sometimes we really do just want to get along.

That said, I think the book also pointed out the smaller, everyday ways that a weaker group (women, or minorities, or just anyone different) has to put up with inappropriate jokes or comments at their expense. Inequalities are NOT just from big, obvious, even illegal oppression, but in the constant small injustices that grind against us every day.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg, when asked how many women is "enough" on the Supreme Court, famously answered: nine. "For most of the country's history, there were nine and they were all men. Nobody thought that was strange." Like her comment, this book turns the question of power around to make us really think about how gender and power affect every part of our interactions.

There's a nip of fall in the air. What are you reading in October 2020?

I have to agree, Kathy. My favorites were The Last Colony and The End of All Things; the world was already established, so Scalzi could spend more time on personal stories and on more intricate political intrigue.

My least favorite was Zoe's Tale (too repetitive).

I thought this was a good end to the series, and I was happy to see some of my favorite characters returning. The book is told episodically, similar to the fifth book, but in novellas rather than short stories. I think that helped the story cohesion.

My idea about the Consu being the mysterious opposing force was wrong, but I thought the real enemy was even more insidious. I was never a fan of the CDF; I've always been disturbed by their rush to battle and their propensity to keep secrets from the people of Earth. But despite all of their fine words, Equilibrium was personally power hungry and prone to chaos. I'm glad we ended with a more truly balanced solution; it seems a good place to end the story.

I would like to nominate To Sleep in a Sea of Stars by Christopher Paolini. Paolini is known for his fantasy Inheritance cycle (Eragon, Eldest & Brisingr) but this one is science fiction. It's long, but it sounds really interesting!

I am reading Harrow the Ninth, sequel to Gideon the Ninth. I enjoyed Gideon, particularly her character, although the book was somewhat difficult to follow. But I'm a third of the way through Harrow, and I am just lost and uninterested. I may plow on for a time, but it's work ....

I agree with Kathi that GGK is a good storyteller. He is also a meticulous researcher, and brings in-depth knowledge of bygone civilizations to enrich his world building. I enjoyed the detailed descriptions of people and places, and imagined myself in a world where city-states argue not only politically but through conquest.

I like it, but didn't love the book. The characters are very interesting, but I didn't feel close to any of them, and I missed that engagement. But it's a very entertaining read!

I have visited Siena, although not during its famous Palio horse race. And it's true that the fastest HORSE wins, not just the first RIDER to cross the finish line. For a short video describing the race (the inspiration for the race in the book, watch here: https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=...

I think this novel deserved to win its Hugo. The world building is terrific, giving us the highly erudite and urbane Teixcalaanli Empire in contrast with the more practically minded Lsel Station. I am sometimes impatient with stories that hold back key information from the protagonist but, in this case, the damaged implant provides a believable excuse. The nuanced politics and loyalties make this book entertaining from start to finish.

I read this in a different book group a few months ago, and we had a long discussion about whether we would want an implant. Clearly there are benefits to be had from the knowledge and experiences of a previous host. But there seem to be some risks, too, if the implant becomes too dominant.

My Teixcalaanli name is Nine Codex. What's yours? Here are the rules: https://www.torforgeblog.com/2020/02/....

Once again, the readers have spoken (or, at least some of the readers -- where are the rest of you???)! Final polls are up for our November BOTMs, and will be open through Monday August 31. As usual, you've narrowed it down to some wonderful choices. Let's vote!

Science Fiction: Final SF Poll

Fantasy: Final Fantasy Poll

Chris, Moderator
Beyond Reality

Preliminary polls are up for our November BOTMs, and will be open through Monday August 24. As usual, you've submitted some wonderful choices. Let's vote!

Science Fiction: Preliminary SF Poll

Fantasy: Preliminary Fantasy Poll

Chris, Moderator
Beyond Reality

What a refreshing read after our two long BOTMs. It was also nice to get back to advancing the story line of the Old Mans War universe, after a harmless but miss-able Zoe's Tale.

I liked the related-short-story format. It gave us glimpses of the various factions without getting bogged down in a single POV, although we did have the comfort of some recurring characters.

I don't think we know the whole story yet, though. We have the Conclave, the Colonial Defense Force, human colonies and Earth-bound humans. But there seems to be another antagonist in the mix, causing strife between the various factions. Wild speculation: maybe it's the Consu, who see combat as sort of ascendance?? At any rate, we have one more book to find out!

Looks like Netflix now has a series based on the book The Ghost Bride. Here's a link: https://www.netflix.com/title/80241234

I think this book is a beautifully constructed. Like a Russian doll, each layer opens to reveal something new, while still including echoes of the surrounding layers. But this storytelling style took some getting used to. I remember, the first time I read this, that when the first story broke off mid-sentence, I thought I had a defective copy. I did find the second half of each story easier to read than the first. I find it an excellent example of literary fiction, and I enjoyed this re-read.

But I don't really think of this as a science fiction read. Only two of the six stories could be considered SF. I was surprised when it was proposed as a group read, but it does indeed meet our group's criteria. And there was a panel at this year's Worldcon discussing David Mitchell's works, including Cloud Atlas, so perhaps I am alone in this assessment.

I also re-watched the movie, and read Mitchell's thoughts on the translation from book to movie. In detail and storytelling there are significant differences, yet the major themes manage to remain intact.

So, overall I'd say it's a great read for the right reader, but perhaps not the most typical choice for our group.

I'm going to toss two recommendations into the ring that I picked up at Worldcon this year: The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep and The Oppenheimer Alternative. Both look like a lot of fun!

I thought the world was unique and creative. I admit, substituting Jersey City at the last moment seemed a bit of a cheat .... except maybe it's not. The cities seem to be "born" when they achieve a sort of soul, a spirit of the city that makes it like no other. London and Paris have it, Prague and Dublin have it, Rio has it (sorry, I've never been to Sao Paolo). New Orleans has it, and New York clearly has it. Since Staten Island doesn't seem to share the same spirit as the rest of New York, I can make sense of Jersey City supplying the final piece.

Looking forward to the next books, and to learn something more about the mysterious and as somewhat unexplained Woman in White.

Nominations for November 2020

Hi everyone,
It's time to open nominations for our November 2020 Books of the Month. What would you like to read as our days shorten and our nights get chillier?

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 Monday August 17.
• The first (preliminary) round of polls will open Tuesday July 18 and will run through Monday August 24.
• The final run-off polls go up Tuesday August 25 and will be open through Monday August 31.

Thanks!
Chris, Moderator

NOMINATIONS SO FAR:
SCIENCE FICTION:
The Long Earth
Noumenon
The January Dancer
The Oppenheimer Alternative
Blood Music

FANTASY:
Freedom and Necessity
The Book of M
The Fellowship of the Ring
The Unlikely Escape of Uriah Heep
Dreamer's Pool

Gideon came up in a Worldcon panel of New Zealand writers this week. While necromancers don't particularly seem to have anything to do with New Zealand, several of them agreed that the language and the humor had a very NZ sensibility.

In case you're interested, here's a list of the Hugo winners that were announced yesterday. One of our September picks won for best novel!

2020 Hugo, Lodestar and Astounding Award Winners Announced

This year's 2020 Hugo, Lodestar and Astounding Awards winners are:

Best Novel
A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine (Tor; Tor UK)

Best Novella
This Is How You Lose the Time War, by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone (Saga Press; Jo Fletcher Books)

Best Novelette
Emergency Skin, by N.K. Jemisin (Forward Collection (Amazon))

Best Short Story
As the Last I May Know, by S.L. Huang (Tor.com, 23 October 2019)

Best Series
The Expanse, by James S. A. Corey (Orbit US; Orbit UK)

Best Related Work
“2019 John W. Campbell Award Acceptance Speech”, by Jeannette Ng

Best Graphic Story or Comic
LaGuardia, written by Nnedi Okorafor, art by Tana Ford, colours by James Devlin (Berger Books; Dark Horse)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Long Form
Good Omens, written by Neil Gaiman, directed by Douglas Mackinnon (Amazon Studios/BBC Studios/Narrativia/The Blank Corporation)

Best Dramatic Presentation, Short Form
The Good Place: "The Answer", written by Daniel Schofield, directed by Valeria Migliassi Collins (Fremulon/3 Arts Entertainment/Universal Television)

Best Editor, Short Form
Ellen Datlow

Best Editor, Long Form
Navah Wolfe

Best Professional Artist
John Picacio

Best Semiprozine
Uncanny Magazine, editors-in-chief Lynne M. Thomas and Michael Damian Thomas, nonfiction/managing editor Michi Trota, managing editor Chimedum Ohaegbu, podcast producers Erika Ensign and Steven Schapansky

Best Fanzine
The Book Smugglers, editors Ana Grilo and Thea James

Best Fancast
Our Opinions Are Correct, presented by Annalee Newitz and Charlie Jane Anders

Best Fan Writer
Bogi Takács

Best Fan Artist
Elise Matthesen

Lodestar Award for Best Young Adult Book (not a Hugo)
Catfishing on CatNet, by Naomi Kritzer (Tor Teen)

Astounding Award for Best New Writer, sponsored by Dell Magazines (not a Hugo)
R.F. Kuang (2nd year of eligibility)