Chris’s
Comments
(group member since Feb 25, 2011)
Chris’s
comments
from the Beyond Reality group.
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I'm having a lot of difficulty concentrating this month, so I've been browsing some online collections instead. Here are links to two exhibitions from the University of Otago, showcasing some of the early days of science fiction. https://www.otago.ac.nz/library/exhib...
https://www.otago.ac.nz/library/exhib...
Alas, I just couldn't warm up to this one. I liked it at first, but all the abrupt jumping around took more concentration than I was willing to give. The dates were just too much for me to remember. Instead of dating each section, it would have just been easier if they were labelled "Now", "Four Years Ago", "Ten Years Ago", etc.
And I'm very confused about why the meteorite that landed in Hyde Park was specifically dated 2012? That's already in our past, so clearly we're not meant to believe this is our world or timeline. Maybe that date becomes important in one of the later books, I suppose.
I'll admit, with so much science fiction seemingly coming to life on the evening news, my powers of concentration are not what they usually are. I thought this wasn't a bad read, but I can't care enough about the people or the world to continue with the series.
I really enjoyed this book. Choo managed to weave together elements of local culture into a completely new and believable fantasy world. The ghost bride concept is an interesting one, though I had certainly not thought of it literally. I thought the depiction of the ghost world interesting, filled with servants and belongings that retained the character of their paper originals, even rustling like paper.
There were multiple plots to follow, from corruption to murders to romance. Er Lang himself was memorable and unusual and romantic in a Mr Darcy sort of way.
I definitely enjoyed this one!
For Science Fiction, I nominate The Vanished Birds. Lots of technological detail and corporate greed, but also a personal story about a lonely woman and a rescued child.For Fantasy, I nominate Highfire. This is the first adult book (yes, there is a lot of adult language) by the author of Artemis Fowl. It features a dragon living in Cajun country …. 'nuf said.
I'm not really a fan of short stories. Just when I get into them, they end and then it's on to something completely different. It makes for a more disjointed and less immersive reading experience for me. But, every once and a while, I do dabble in short story collections. And I liked this one more than most. Some of my favorites in this collection were the stories that dealt with food (Cuisine des Memoires). I also liked the Storyteller's Replacement. And I did really appreciate the refreshing diversity of characters.
I loved this story. Kowal took great pains to get the science right, from calculating the effect of the meteorite on earth ecosystems to the details of training and suiting up for a space voyage. Elma, our main character was, I think, a reasonable representation of her era. I recently visited the national WASP museum (in Sweetwater, Texas). I was struck by the competence and bravery of the women fliers, but also how they were forced into "acting womanly" to satisfy journalists and legislators. Unfortunately, as Kowal points out, the inclusion of women of color in the WASPs was a step too far.
I thought Elma was brave and smart. Her debilitating anxiety really annoyed me but, after all, public speaking IS the number one cause of anxiety. She didn't exactly embrace her public role as the "Lady Astronaut", but she did see it as one more hurdle to be crossed in order to fly in space.
Really enjoyed this one!
Welcome to March, the month that can't decide whether it's spring or winter. No matter the weather where you live, it's always time to read and comment on a good book!Books of the Month - For March, you selected:
-- March 2020 Science Fiction: The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
-- March 2020 Fantasy: How Long 'til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
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 2020 Science Fiction: Rosewater by Tade Thompson
-- April 2020 Fantasy: The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
-- May 2020 Science Fiction: Six Wakes by Mur Lafferty
-- May 2020 Fantasy: The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
Series news - Can you believe it? We're currently in the final book of the final trilogy (Fitz and the Fool) of our Realm of the Elderlings (by Robin Hobb) series read. Our discussion of Assassin's Fate officially ends on March 15, but it is never too late to chime in on our discussion threads! If you would like to get involved, visit our Realm of the Elderlings discussion folder.
The votes are in, and our next series read is the Old Man's War series by John Scalzi. More information will be announced by our series moderator.
Lastly - Don't forget to drop by the What are you reading in March 2020? thread to share your picks, pans, and progress for the month!
Happy Reading!
Chris, for the mods
Mar 01, 2020 04:55AM
Post here if you are reading or planning to read How Long 'til Black Future Month?. No spoilers, please!
Mar 01, 2020 04:51AM
Shel wrote: "I finished Assassin's Fate the other day and holy cow, what a perfect ending to an amazing series. I strongly encourage anyone who's been on the fence about reading such a monster s..."I absolutely loved Starless Sea. Morgenstern is so creative, you never know what you'll find on the next page.
When my daughter was young, I found the most heartbreaking news stories to be those of young children who were abducted and told "your parents don't want you any more". I assured my daughter constantly that she was loved, and that anyone who told her otherwise was lying. No, I wasn't overly paranoid or anything like that, but it devastated me to think that a child could imagine that they weren't loved.Bee struggles with this constantly. She is not convinced that her father truly loves her and will rescue her. Wonderfully, she finds the strength within herself to resist and become the person she was meant to be, although it changes her and brings her own cruel streak to the surface.
The ending of the book is perfectly fitting for Fitz. He also struggles with believing that people truly love him. At the end, he is surrounded by loved ones who share their memories of how he touched their lives. I finished reading this book at 2 am, not being able to put it down, and sobbing quietly all the while.
This last book is simply masterful, tying together characters and plots from every arc. I cannot imagine a better end for the series, and one that will stay with me a long while.
Like the others who commented, I feel that the Russian setting was beautifully drawn. You could really understand village life, the tension in belief between the chertyi and the church, the menace of winter and the dark forest. Vasya is a wonderful protagonist, brave yet vulnerable, and her relationships with her brothers and father are strong and complex. Anna is certainly not a nice stepmother, but she's not evil; she's dealing with her own demons. The Bear from the title is clear. The nightingale, however, is Solovey, the wonderful horse (rather than Morozko, the Bear's brother). Or should we identify the nightingale with Vasya herself?
I found this very confusing at the start, even more so than most Culture novels. The Affront are absolutely horrible! But I guess that's the reaction we're supposed to have. I really didn't find any of the humans sympathetic or even very interesting. They were all just self-indulgent and unpleasant with each other. But the ship interactions ( I LOVE the ship names) are the just wonderful. I hadn't thought of the ships as having factions, or secret pasts …. The reactions of the different species to the Excession, too, were very telling. How we react to the incomprehensible and unknown shows our most primitive selves at their best or worst. Overall, I'll give this a thumbs-up.
Welcome to February! There's still a nip in the air, so February is the perfect time to cozy up with a good book.Books of the Month - For February, you selected:
--February 2020 Science Fiction: Excession by Iain M. Banks
--February 2020 Fantasy: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
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:
-- March 2020 Science Fiction: The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal
-- March 2020 Fantasy: How Long 'til Black Future Month? by N.K. Jemisin
-- April 2020 Science Fiction: Rosewater by Tade Thompson
-- April 2020 Fantasy: The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo
Series news - Can you believe it? We're currently in the final trilogy (Fitz and the Fool) of our Realm of the Elderlings (by Robin Hobb) series read, and about to start on the very final book. We are currently reading Fool's Quest and will begin discussion of Assassin's Fate on February 15. It is never too late to chime in on our discussion threads! If you would like to get involved, visit our Realm of the Elderlings discussion folder.
Lastly - Don't forget to drop by the What are you reading in February 2020? thread to share your picks, pans, and progress for the month!
Happy Reading!
Chris, for the mods
Feb 01, 2020 08:18AM
