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

Chris’s comments from the Beyond Reality group.

I'm not sure if I liked this book, but I definitely admire it. An unusual plot and character, I found it hard to read. Yet I'm glad I stayed to the end, and I think the book will stay with me for quite a while.

Just a quick note that City of Stairs is available for $1.99 from Amazon and iBooks. Since it's an upcoming read, get it while it's on sale!

I would never have picked this up on my own, so THANKS to the group for putting it on the list. Well drawn, compelling characters that make you question the definition of humanity. It's very intense, I had to pause from time to time. A highly original take on what could have been just another dreary post apocalyptic tale.

Oh, yes, I'm going to miss Trull. I liked this book even more than most. The character that will stay with me, though,, is Beak. Such a simple soul.

What a great thread!

Another theme that stands out for me is that people resist change even when change would be an improvement. Over and over we hear that the Malazans run their empire in a fair and equitable manner without undue restrictions -- yet people fight to maintain their oppressive current regimes.

This was a reread for me, and I enjoyed the book even more the second time. I agree, Logan Ninefingers is a great character, one of many here. Bayaz, Glokta, and Captain Jezal are all interesting and complex and play off each other well. A satisfying story, in the main. If I have a complaint, it's that this first volume doesn't reach a conclusion on its own -- it's clearly one part of a larger story, but you need to keep reading for the payoff.

I liked this one quite a bit. The author created a believable alien planet and species and gave us an engaging and unique story. Beminding is indeed an interesting twist: "we mind people all the time - making assumptions, creating illusory roles for them -- and it alters their reality". I like the idea, too, of a civilization without sight that doesn't need to be "saved" from that lack. Overall, an interesting read.

I'm also ready to go. The longer we wait, the more details I seem to forget of this immense and complicated tale. But waiting another week isn't that big a deal, either, if the group prefers.

I enjoyed this re-read every bit as much as the first time. The author has a deep affection for and encyclopedic knowledge of 80s music, film, and gaming that creates a rich world for Wade and his quest. The IOI villains are rather two dimensional, but they create the urgency and excitement that drives to the climactic ending. I really enjoyed this unique book.

We don't have to go too far from today's technology to get to an OASIS like virtual experience. Many of the characters, even bystanders, seemed to prefer the virtual world to the extent of withdrawing from reality. Do you think you could become that addicted to a virtual reality?

Just finished this one, couldn't put it down. I agree, great plot, and unusual and interesting characters. It almost seemed like a retelling of a traditional fairy tale, yet was completely original and new. I think that my favorite aspect was the way Agnieska had to find her own individual organic approach to the magic. I admire strong women characters.

It did feel "young adult" to me, but I found this to be an enjoyable read. Others have commented on the similarities to Steelheart, and I completely agree. This is certainly not the only book to focus on Extraordinary people, but I liked the focus on the moral aspects of power; "there are no good men in this game".

I thought that Three Parts Dead was both original and enjoyable. The contractual magic system was an unusual twist, and I loved the idea of gargoyles. I liked this enough that I read the next two books in the Craft series as well. While Three Parts Dead is my favorite of the first three, I'm happy to see fantasy based on non-European cultures. This was a good read.

Ken wrote: "Finished Scalzi's The Ghost Brigades. Not bad, light reading.

Just watched the season 4 finale of B5. Put me into the mind of an older book. So I am reading A Canticle For Leibowitz"

I'm doing a re-watch of B5, too! I'm midway thru season 5, but I've stopped for a while. Honesty, I think I'm reluctant to continue because then it will be, well, finished. And I don't want it to end..

Canticle for Leibowitz is one of my all-time favorites. I have an old paperback copy that I stole, yes STOLE from my high school many years ago. I promise that I am generally scrupulously honest about returning books, but I just couldn't bear to part with this one.

I loved Seeker! I hope you enjoy it.

Those sound effects! I think there was a whole page of whiff, yea-ahh, ughhhh, wheeeee, ploppp, etc. made me nuts, too!

I'm not sorry I read this, but I'm not interested enough to continue (particularly when its part of such a long series!). The magical system was interesting, but I agree that the protagonist was somewhat wooden. I try to remember that this is a fairly old book, so perhaps we just have higher expectations now. I don't think this was a bad book, just not one of my favorites.

Very thought provoking! It reminded me of Children of a Lesser God, a stage play I saw many years ago. The narrator seemed very natural, and gave me a glimpse of what it might be like to live from that perspective, with a focus on both abilities and disabilities. At first I enjoyed the story, but didn't really see the SF aspect -- that took a while to express itself. And I remain unconvinced about the boss' motivation for wanting his employees to get the treatment. But on the whole I really enjoyed this one.

After finishing Memories of Ice I immediately turned to this book and read through to the end. If you're like me, though, you get email updates of the discussions, and I don't want to give anything away. I am in awe of the intricate plotting that Erikson must have done before even beginning the first book, and can only imagine how the series will move on from here. Please finish this book quickly so we can talk! ;-)

I've read quite a few Discworld books, mostly out of order. I liked this one quite a bit (I'm a sucker for time travel stories!), but I think this might be a challenging introduction to the series. Much of the fun from this story is seeing familiar characters as their earlier selves; but, for this work, you have to be familiar with the characters first. I find the Discworld stories almost perfect as audio books. They're the right length, they do unpredictable things that keep me interested and alert while I'm driving, and they make me laugh.

I agree, Shel, that Shevek was engaging, both wise and yet naïve. His motives remained pure even when the surrounding societies could not live up to his expectations of them. I can definitely admire LeGuin's thoughtful exploration of an anarchist society, too. But I have to say that I find the story a bit dated.