Sci-Fi Group Book Club discussion
What sci-fi book(s) are you reading currently?
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I'd added Ancillary Justice to my TBR shelf a couple of years ago but still haven't got a copy. How is it so far?
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Is the main character a kind of female version of Clint Eastwood's character in The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly? I haven't seen/read Left Hand of Darkness yet.
That's an interesting comparison. Roland Deschain from Stephen King's The Dark Tower series is actually partly based on Clint Eastwood's character from that movie. Have you read The Dark Tower, and are the two characters similar? (I haven't read Ancillary Justice.)
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Damon wrote: "Do you recommend it?"Here is my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And yes I do.
I am reading Isaac Asimov's Foundation Book 1. I'm halfway through it and really enjoying it.
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Looks interesting so I added it to my TBR shelf. :)
Hi, just joined this group, nice to meet you all!I've just finished listening to The Three-Body Problem. It won this year's Hugo award. I love it when I can learn about stuff while reading something entertaining, and this book delivers, not only with science but history. I learnt more about China's cultural revolution, and how awful it was. I liked how several mysteries were developed and eventually resolved. Lots of science is featured, virtual reality games, particle physics, astronomy, nano-tech.
@Jennifer I read Dawn last month. Fascinating idea of Aliens who save some humans after war, but is the price for our survival too high. I did like the main character and how resilient and strong she was. Also, the theme of a bunch of strangers being thrown together and having to rely on each other is always an interesting concept.
Hi everyone...I joined a bit ago, but haven't had much time to participate, yet. Works been a little nutty. Aside from planning to read the two books for this group, Cat's Cradle and The Left Hand of Darkness, I'm still patiently (impatiently) waiting on my copy of Time and Again to come in from the library.
I'm focused on finishing up the Runaways series for a yearly challenge from another group.
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Although I'd finished Doctor Who: Heroes and Monsters Collection a couple of weeks ago (3.5 stars), I haven't read anything genre-related since. Not sure whether to read some sci-fi, heroic fantasy or YA next.
I've already read Cat's Cradle years ago, great book, but I still own it and will probably reread at least parts of it to be able to discuss it properly. I'll read Left Hand of Darkness, although currently I'm reading Children of Dune. It's an oldie, but I've put off reading the sequels for too long. And Dune Messiah, which I just finished, was a decent follow up.
The original Dune trilogy is one of my favorites. I haven't read past God Emperor of Dune, though. It took me a long time to pick up any of the sequels. Dune itself felt like such a perfect book to me, I didn't want anything to mar that experience.
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I'm really enjoying Cat's Cradle so far...is there a topic setup for discussion on the monthly group reads?
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Yes! :) It's currently located here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
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Thanks Pascal! Actually, it was Damon that set it up. We may be re-organising the topics a bit soon so that it will be easier to find group discussions and other topics.
Pascal wrote: "As Tom suggested The Three-Body Problem won the 2015 Hugo award for best novel, the first time a Chinese writer has taken that prize (according to The Guardian UK)"
It's interesting to learn that this is China's first Hugo award winner. Hopefully, that will encourage more Chinese science-fiction writers to publish internationally.
Greg wrote: "Lynda wrote: "I'm really enjoying Cat's Cradle so far...is there a topic setup for discussion on the monthly group reads?"Yes! :) It's currently located here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show..."
Excellent, I'm heading over there now.
Interested to see Leviathan Wakes coming up in January. I bought that book on audible a couple years ago, but haven't ever had a device with a large enough capacity to download it. I may have to get a memory card and try again.
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That's a book I'd like to read too but I don't have a copy as yet.
The Deep Sea Diver's Syndrome by Serge Brussola is off to a promising start. Brussola is a very popular and insanely prolific (200 novels and counting) French author. As far as I can tell, this is the first English translation of his work.
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The Martian was an excellent book, well researched, entertaining and very believable.I finished The 3-Body Problem, which was fascinating in many ways, a lot of really clever theoretical scientific imagery. Does require some suspension of disbelief, but the path to explaining these impossibilities, while ultimately unsuccessful, is at least extremely interesting.
I'm currently listening to Ringworld, which so far has been very fun. The narration is done well, and the story is starting out to be a good classic adventure.
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Not quite sure if you are talking about Ringworld,the artificially created series of habitats circling a sun,or Riverworld,Philip Jose Farmer's intriguing world where all dead humans are resurrected along a never ending river. Doesnt matter,both are awesome mindboggling settings for great adventures! lol.Its years since I read Ringworld,but it was excellent. It garnered a lot of interest among scientists who spent an awful lot of time nit- picking at the science behind it. I havent a clue about that sort of thing,but the whole setting of this artificially created gigantic series of habitats,the equivalent of 3 million Earths strung in a circle orbiting a sun was really awesome. I've always enjoyed Big Dumb Objects stories,and they dont come much bigger than this!
At the moment I am just beginning C J Cherryh's Kesrith first in her Faded Sun series.I know it is likely to be a rather slow read,the book is densely written,and needs full concentration so I will read it slowlyJust for fun I have a few Arthur C Clarkes lined up for April,though I am not sure how many of them I will find time for
Sands of Mars
Imperial Earth
Islands in the Sky
But all bets are off if the latest in C J Cherryh's Foreigner series arrives in the post.I have been a major fan of this series right from the start back in the mid 90s and those yearly waits are agonising!
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The closest I've read in terms of Big Dumb Objects is The Flood which has a ring world but on a much smaller scale than Niven's. Also, I started reading Titan in the 1990s - which also involves a ring world - but lost interest in it at the time. I might enjoy it better a second time round.
I finished The 3-Body Problem, which was fascinating in many ways, a lot of really clever theoretical scientif..."I found reading a sci-fi book from a different cultural viewpoint than the standard first world western one really refreshing. And I learned a bit about the Chinese cultural revolution along the way.
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I found reading a sci-fi book from a different cultural viewpoint than the standar..."
I can see how that would add to the interest in reading The 3-Body Problem - must push that book up my TBR stack!
Reading two books at the moment. Almost finished China Mieville's Embassytown, which I have to admit to being a little disappointed with: wonderful world building and an interesting take on language, but at the expense of an engaging plot and protagonist (I mean, I was 80% in on the novel before the main character actually DID anything).I'm also reading Her Smoke Rose Up Forever - a collection of James Tiptree Jr's short stories. Thoroughly absorbing, and loving her writing style.
Planning to join in with the Chapterhouse: Dune group read once I've finished Embassytown , but it has been many moons since I've read the first Dune and I've not read any of the others. Anyone know if Chapterhouse works as a stand-alone, or would it be best to catch up with the others before attempting?
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Disappointing to hear that about Embassytown but I'm interested in that collection of Tiptree's. I haven't read anything by her before but had often heard the name (didn't know till now it was a pseudonym though).
I am starting Arthur C Clarke's The Sands of Mars and also will continue on with the second book in C J Cherryh's Faded Sun trlogy, Shon'jir
i have started Red Mars by Kim Robinson and i have read sth like 30 or 40 pages. i know it is too early to judge but it seems to me that it is more of a political tale that hard science finction. am i right? should i continue?
Nima wrote: "i have started Red Mars by Kim Robinson and i have read sth like 30 or 40 pages. i know it is too early to judge but it seems to me that it is more of a political tale that hard science finction. a..."I gave up in the middle of Green Mars....I enjoyed Red Mars.
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JOIN by Steve Toutonghi...so far I'm still in love.
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Looks good so I've added it to my ever-expanding TBR list!
Sci-Fi Group Book Club
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To start off, this morning I read Biomega, Vol. 1, the first tome in a sci-fi/horror manga series set on earth in the far future when humanity is threatened by a space-borne disease that turns most people into zombies. Not bad overall. More realistic art than is common for Japanese manga and an interesting story. The levels of violence and gore remind me however of the Judge Dredd comics.
This evening, I also read the first five stories of Doctor Who: Heroes and Monsters Collection which were good, varying between more serious and more humorous tales set in the Dr Who universe.