The Sword and Laser discussion
What does everyone want to read in May?
My picks, in no order:Wool
Man in the High Castle
Canticle for Leibowitz
Pandora's star
How about:
Ransom Old Peter's Russian Tales
Kipling Puck of Pook's Hill
Wright Islandia
Merritt The Moon Pool
I know the 1st and last are both available on Project Gutenberg. I'd bet the Kipling is there too. Islandia is probably too recent and might be a bit tricky for some folks to find. Still I think it's a facinating read and worth the effort.
Ransom Old Peter's Russian Tales
Kipling Puck of Pook's Hill
Wright Islandia
Merritt The Moon Pool
I know the 1st and last are both available on Project Gutenberg. I'd bet the Kipling is there too. Islandia is probably too recent and might be a bit tricky for some folks to find. Still I think it's a facinating read and worth the effort.
Wool and Alif are both here unread. I would love either one
Im just trying to read between the lines from Tom remarking that he is reading this thread for ideas, and I m going to go out on a limb and guess he is leaning towards Wool, which would be fantastic. However, in light of the recent devastating news regarding Banks and his terminal cancer, I think itd be kindof nice to read something by him. I read Consider Phlebas and greatly enjoyed it. I hear all the Culture novels are pretty standalone though. Just my 2 cents. Btw, Wool is great too.
I love Consider Phlebas but it's not the easiest intro to Banks work. If we want to do something by Banks (and I agree it would be a nice gesture), I'd lean to The Player of Games.
Midnight at the Well of Souls because I will push this book forever. Chalker is a great sci-fi/fantasy writer. I thank him for getting me into the genre.I will serious suggest this series every laser month till the end of time.
Tassie Dave wrote: "While Hugh Howey is not the first self published author to hit it big he may well be the first sci fi one to do so. "Well, there is this fellow called John Scalzi who has hit it fairly big.
Humm...A Fire Upon the Deep would be a very good pick.
Or, something by Jack McDevitt. His Alex Benedict books are pretty awesome.
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Not a problem Clyde, but it was Rik's post not mine you are quoting.
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Since my copy is coming today I'll be reading it in May either way. lol.
I'd read Alif the Unseen twice!
Tassi Dave @ 62So sorry about that. (Bad hand! Wrong click!)
Wool.. did not impress. But then I don't really like post-apocalyptic stories or 'they're all living in confined space and something is going on' stories and, of course, that's on me. I'd prefer to read something a) by a newer author and b) that's not following current trends (zombies, steampunk, dystopias, etc).
Seems like Tom is between Wool, Alif the Unseen and maybe The Man in the High Castle.
Alif sounds like a great pick. I've read The Man in the high Castle and it's got plenty to discuss. I don't know why I'm not interested in Wool, but I'll read it if it's picked. I do heartily support the idea of doing a Iain M. Banks after hearing the sad news.
Dara wrote: "Seems like Tom is between Wool, Alif the Unseen and maybe The Man in the High Castle."how do you know?
I agree with Kristina's hypothesis from the last podcast stating he's been keeping the eagle eyes on this thread, and the ones Kristina mentioned are the most popular suggestions gaining popularity. This was before Bank's unfortunate announcement, so I m still hoping to push that ball of momentum towards a Culture novel. Whos with me! Hurrah!!
The only Bank's SF novel I haven't read is his latest, The Hydrogen Sonata, but I am happy to read any.
@Kristina: Just me guessing by what Tom said on the podcast and what has been most mentioned in this thread. I could be completely wrong.
I am reading Wool at the moment; so, I won't be reading it in May no matter what. ;-)I could go for a Culture book. I have already read books 1 through 7. Number 8 (Matter) is setting on my shelf looking at me right now.
Paul Cornell's new book hits US stands this month. We could read that as an alt pick if Tom thinks it isn't laser enough. Cause it really isn't.
I think it would be a good moment to choose any of the SF novels by Iain M Banks, either Culture-related or not.
Miguel wrote: "I think it would be a good moment to choose any of the SF novels by Iain M Banks, either Culture-related or not."I agree. Well overdue and given current circumstances one of his books would be a good choice.
Miguel wrote: "I think it would be a good moment to choose any of the SF novels by Iain M Banks, either Culture-related or not."
I am sure my vote would not matter at this point, but I agree with the choice.
I am sure my vote would not matter at this point, but I agree with the choice.
Anything shiny would be good.
Jim wrote: "Paul Cornell's new book hits US stands this month. We could read that as an alt pick if Tom thinks it isn't laser enough. Cause it really isn't."I read it when it came out here in December and it's excellent. It is more of a Sword pick though.
I agree with the calls for an Iain M Banks novel to be picked. I read his articles in a monthly magazine, but have never got around to picking up any of his books, and it would seem like the right time to do so.
As a stand alone non culture iain m banks - "against a dark background" is a great read and alleviates the need for the culture backstory.
My vote goes to an Iain M. Banks stand along book, especially ones written by Iain Banks as he has all stand along rather than a culture book.
Since we are due for a Laser book next, why not one of the Hugo finalists?
I'll be good with anything Tom picks, but I'm definitely behind us reading Banks. My understanding is that all his Culture novels are in the same universe, but no return characters. So picking up Use of Weapons or The Player of Games wouldn't be in the middle of a character arc.
So I guess "Vader's Little Princess" is out of the running.
I vote for Excession for a Culture Novel because it is the only one of his works out in mass paperback.
I'm still pushing for Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton.I'm a little wary of Iain M. Banks. Concerned that his titles may be a little too heavily politically charged. For those of you who have read him, is this the case? The Wikipedia article on him seems to indicate he became renown for being controversial.
Buzz wrote: "I'm still pushing for Peter Hamilton's Great North Road.I'm a little wary of Iain M. Banks. Concerned that his titles may be a little too heavily politically charged. For those of you who have ..."
Does Wikipedia literally say that? I mean, I wouldn't use Wikipedia as a guide to decide what book to read next, but it would really amaze me if it said that literally. Iain M Banks has become renown for the outstanding quality of his works, not for his ideology or for being controversial. Too many controversial authors out there to stand out just for that. And about every author has an ideology, too.
If you're afraid to read a book because of its political message, you probably wouldn't be able to read some of the greatest, like Robert Heinlein or Ursula K Le Guin. And it would be a pity if S&L discarded an author based on that criteria.
Miguel wrote: "If you're afraid to read a book because of its political message, you probably wouldn't be able to read some of the greatest, like Robert Heinlein or Ursula K Le Guin. And it would be a pity if S&L discarded an author based on that criteria. "Or even H. P. Lovecraft. As a person, he was crap (racist, womanizer etc etc).
Orson Scott Card is (or was I'm not even sure of his existential status)an angry homophobe. That will never affect my appreciation for Ender's Game. I had never heard this "controversy" over Bank's alleged ideologies, but it's not something I would particularly care about, unless he was bashing it down my throat with his books- something I have never heard anyone utter in the tons of reviews I've read.
I may try to real Wool and Alif since I have almost 2 months. Hopefully Tom will pick one of those
So it sounds like I'm alone on this, which probably means it's a doomed request. But I'm very curious about Kim Stanley Robinson's 2312, but intimidated by a long journey into SciFi on my own. It seems to only gain momentum among critics and awards groups and seems like great fuel for message board chatter.On the other hand, one thread made Tamahome seem pretty cool on it.
Clyde wrote: "Tassie Dave wrote: "While Hugh Howey is not the first self published author to hit it big he may well be the first sci fi one to do so. "Well, there is this fellow called John Scalzi who has hit ..."
Well sort of with Scalzi but not in the way I meant. He got attention from a book publisher by publishing on his website and that publisher then put out Old Man's War which then hit it big.
Howey on the other hand hit it big completely on his own and he only attracted publishers after his book was a bestseller.
Miguel wrote: "If you're afraid to read a book because of its political message, you probably wouldn't be able to read some of the greatest, like Robert Heinlein or Ursula K Le Guin. And it would be a pity if S&L discarded an author based on that criteria."I'm not "afraid" to read anything, Miguel. However, I don't come to Goodreads to discuss politics or morality. So if it is a book that is specifically designed to create controversy by being politically charged or aimed to attack a specific world view, then it's not what I want to read and discuss here (Ben Bova's attack on people of faith in many of his novels is an example). I have plenty of opportunity in the news, the water cooler, and life in general to deal with those issues.
Also, if you remember, I asked readers of Banks' novels if they thought his titles were too politically charged. It's better to hear it from them than just a Wikipedia or Amazon article.
That being said, when I went back and re-read the Wikipedia article and the author's description of himself on his Amazon.com author page, it appears that the controversy surrounding his books was due to the graphic description of violence and not about politics or morality. So... I'm up for reading a Banks novel as part of this forum if that is the case.
Guillermo has a great point about Orson Scott Card being very publicly politically controversial, yet it not being reflected in his science fiction. :-)
Just curious. Tom *almost* revealed a possible May pick on the last podcast, but V. stopped him saying folks might be mad if they bought it and that didn't end up the final choice. If Tom *had* given his pick, but said it MIGHT be the May pick (and let's pretend it was Alif or Wool) and then some of you bought it, but then he ended up picking, say, an Iain Banks, would you be chapped?
I liked the first episode from Wool, so I wouldn't be averse to picking up the Omnibus. Plus--knitting references in scifi are fairly rare. Loved Redshirts but agree it's too soon after just doing Old Man's War.
The spousal unit is probably going to be reading Ender's Game soon, so that would also be convenient for me personally.
Philip K. Dick intimidates me, but I'm game to give it a go.
Guillermo has a great point about Orson Scott Card being very publicly politically controversial, yet it not being reflected in his science fiction. :-) Well, some people might differ on that appreciation, myself included. ;P
I still think Ender's Game is one of the best novels (SF or not) I've ever read, though, so as you can see I'm not afraid to read politically charged literature (from my point of view, that is) either. I can tell you that, if we choose Consider Phlebas or The Player of Games (to mention 2 of his books that I've read), Mr. Banks ideology will probably not ruin your reading experience.
And sorry for the "If you're afraid" part of my previous message. It wasn't really addressed to you, but rather a general way of speaking.
Buzz wrote: "Miguel wrote: "If you're afraid to read a book because of its political message, you probably wouldn't be able to read some of the greatest, like Robert Heinlein or Ursula K Le Guin. And it would b..."People would agrue the three Ender sequels are fill with his views.
Left Hand of Darkness is one of the best of the old classics and really confronted me with what Science Fiction could do when it wanted to think about things really differently rather than just taking the present and placing it in a future with different technology or different worlds. In a way it is one of those books that forces juvenile readers of Science Fiction to grow up and think about real literature. Go for it.
The Wool Omnibus (1-5) is awesome... but he also came out with 6, 7, and 8 since the omnibus was released. ;-)
I'd like to see Wool Omnibus as a club pick, either as a stand-alone or as an alternate when the regular BotM is a classic like the current pick, which many folks have already read. The publishing paradigm is shifting, if not changing outright, and it would be nice to see this acknowledged by a group as large and influential as S&L.
Miguel wrote: And sorry for the "If you're afraid" part of my previous message. It wasn't really addressed to you, but rather a general way of speaking."Roger that, and thanks. I've run across very few authors that were too heavy-handed, so I don't know what I was getting all pissy about. :-). I think my concern was misplaced anyway with Banks.
Also, from what I can tell, few S&L threads are politically-charged, so again, my concerns are unnecessary.
The Sword and Laser
Books mentioned in this topic
Wool Omnibus (other topics)Ghost Planet (other topics)
Feersum Endjinn (other topics)
Kindred (other topics)
The Divine Invasion (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Hugh Howey (other topics)Iain M. Banks (other topics)
Octavia E. Butler (other topics)
Philip K. Dick (other topics)
Peter F. Hamilton (other topics)
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LOVED Scalzi's Redshirts: laughed out loud multiple times. It would be a great choice, but may not get selected because we just read Old Man's War a couple months ago.
I'm still lobbying for Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton. I wouldn't mind Alistair Reynolds, though. I've only read Revelation Space and I enjoyed it.