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The Reality Dysfunction
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[BOTM] - April READER PICK - The Reality Dysfunction
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I will get started as soon as I can!
Jackson wrote: "I will get started as soon as I can!"I read this book a l-o-n-g time ago. Time to dig through the spider closet box of books I couldn't bear to donate and re-read it :-) You'll be in good company, Jackson.
Read this one a couple of years ago as well. Enjoy everyone!
My library doesn't have it and it's only on sale on Kindle for $9.99 (eep!). Wondering if I should badger the librarian for an ILL after already requesting Nova and Dante's Equation for my Yahoo! Science Fiction book club. Is it worth it? I like The Engines of God and Blue Remembered Earth
$9.99 for a legacy SF ebook? Oof! Methinks the publisher sees a cash-cow. If you're going to cough up that kind of money, suggest you buy the mass market edition paperback on Amazon for $6.80 or pester your librarian. If I'm going to spend $10 bucks for a book, I'd at least like something paper to put on my bookshelf afterwards or to share with friends.Link: http://www.amazon.com/The-Reality-Dys...
Anna wrote: "$9.99 for a legacy SF ebook? Oof! Methinks the publisher sees a cash-cow. If you're going to cough up that kind of money, suggest you buy the mass market edition paperback on Amazon for $6.80 or..."If you get all three books in the Trilogy, the American paperback covers, not the U.K. covers, they take up a pretty impressive width on your bookshelf and look pretty sweet. I have gotten many questions about those books just from cover, color, and size alone.
Besides that, it is definitely worth $10. When you see the work put into the book, yeah, it's worth it!
John wrote: "it is definitely worth $10. When you see the work put into the book, yeah, it's worth it! ..."Oh ... I'm not questioning the quality of the work. I've read other of Peter Hamilton's stuff and it's great. It's the publisher charging $9.99 for a legacy ebook. That is an artificially high price for a book which long ago earned back its advance and costs them absolutely nothing to re-release in digital format (and of which the author usually only receives a tiny percentage). It shouldn't cost more than $6.99 for a legacy first-in-series eBook from a 'branded' author. I recommend people invest in the paperback for that price!
Anna wrote: "John wrote: "it is definitely worth $10. When you see the work put into the book, yeah, it's worth it! ..."Oh ... I'm not questioning the quality of the work. I've read other of Peter Hamilton's..."
OH!! Completely agree with you on that one! Actually just got a credit back from Barnes and Nobles 3 days ago from a lawsuit that was filed by some people like 3 years ago for that exact thing. If you just bought a Nook Book between a certain period you got a credit. I am sure I got a larger credit than most! lol
But completely agree. Digital overhead is essentially $0.00.
Okay. Did it. Bit the bullet. Just ordered the paperback off Amazon to add to my collection :-)[*main carrying beam of house groans under weight of bookshelf*]
Grrrr, I had planned to check it out of our library system, but find it has disappeared, probably into their book sale. I think I have a 50% discount on my first purchase from Kobo (yeah, I had a Sony ereader, now out of business, and they bumped us all over to Kobo). I'll try to keep up!
Lynne wrote: "Grrrr, I had planned to check it out of our library system, but find it has disappeared, probably into their book sale. I think I have a 50% discount on my first purchase from Kobo (yeah, I had a ..."I know how you feel! I went to scoop up the $6.80 sale mass market paperback and it had jumped in price to $18.00, which for a paperback with that many pages print-on-demand is not unreasonable, but OUCH! I generally won't buy an ebook unless it's $3.99 or less. If it costs more than that, I start scoping up print and, if too costly, the used paperback market. In this case, it's one I wanted to add to my collection anyways, but still ... OUCH! Shoulda grabbed it quicker when I posted the link :-(
Kobo is pretty reader-friendly (a lot of their indie stuff is DRM-free so you should have no problem with your Sony once you download their conversion app), but their platform is clunky as hell to find new books if you don't already know what you want to read. Most people end up searching for what they want to read HERE and then look it up by ISBN or name on Kobo.
the first in a fantastic trilogy of books. Some really cool technology and the characters are sleek and sexy. When you discover what the Reality dysfunction is, it is a truly terrifying concept. Hamilton has an epic imagination and I've enjoyed everyone one of his book. This is one of those beasts of a book. Hopefully like me, you'll become lost in this trilogy. The only downside is that there are a lot of characters to keep track of. Also it is a bit slow on the settlers planet near the start. But 90% of it is awesome and more than makes up for it.
FYI- I found it in my library's digital books section and was able to downloaded it to my Kindle.
Pete wrote: "the first in a fantastic trilogy of books. Some really cool technology and the characters are sleek and sexy..."I'm still waiting for my book to come from Amazon, Pete! I've been checking my mailbox each afternoon like a little kid awaiting Christmas. And ... I'm a hardcore epic fantasy / space opera / historical romance fan, which means I won't touch a book that's less than 600 pages :-) so I'm used to massive casts of characters. Ooh! Goodie! Can't wait.
[*peeks in mailbox ... AGAIN*]
Ward wrote: "FYI- I found it in my library's digital books section and was able to downloaded it to my Kindle."I coughed up for the paperback from Amazon, Ward. Now I just have to wait for it to come!
Anna wrote: "Pete wrote: "the first in a fantastic trilogy of books. Some really cool technology and the characters are sleek and sexy..."I'm still waiting for my book to come from Amazon, Pete! I've been ch..."
Well Hamilton's wrote plenty of big books and they just get better and better. The confederation stuff is brilliant.
Pete wrote: "Well Hamilton's wrote plenty of big books and they just get better and better. The confederation stuff is brilliant..."I've read some of his later stuff, all sporadically here and there as the library would rotate a book in, and then out again to the other libraries in the network. I enjoyed it enough that he's got 'name brand recognition' with me :-) Still waiting for the mailman to come with my paperback from Amazon with my group read! [*peeks in mailbox again*]
I didn't like this book I just couldn't find what I was looking for in this book, found it hard to get into and was very slow probably not enough action for me. I need guns cannons masses of ships converging on each other guys on ground with guns you get the picture. but to be sure its a big fat book, please let me know if the books later do get better I might pick it back up again.
Dale wrote: "I need guns cannons masses of ships converging on each other guys on ground with guns..."Ahhh ... a hardcore military sci-fi guy, eh? Yeah ... I've got a weakness for lots of action, myself. What books do YOU like? I send out nominations for the following month around the 20th of each month, so be sure to nominate some goodies :-)
Perhaps you might open a thread under our brand-new 'Military Space Opera' folder about what makes for the best space weapons or high-blood-pounding action? I've been encouraging people to discuss these things [*since if we try to discuss them anyplace else, people start looking at us a little funny, slowly edge away, and call the nice young men in those clean white suits to take us away*]
How about Empire of Man series. Webb/Ringostarts off in space and they get stranded on the wrong side of a barbarian planet and have to walk to the space port, dragging the useless princeling with them. As the Bronze Battelion gets trapped in a war of attrition as numbers dropped bit by bit by jungle and failing equipment, they get caught up in polictics and strategy and fighting armed barbarians. 4 books in all.
Wendy wrote: "How about Empire of Man series. Webb/Ringostarts off in space and they get stranded on the wrong side of a barbarian planet and have to walk to the space port, dragging the useless princeling wi..."
I've read some of the March Upcountry series by the pair, but not the Empire of Man series. Have to add it to my 'to read' list.
Same series.. march upcountry is book 1(or 2)
well my kindle should be here in a couple of hours so iam looking for some books to put on. lost fleet/empire of man.
Dale wrote: "well my kindle should be here in a couple of hours so iam looking for some books to put on. lost fleet/empire of man."Urf ... I seem to recall you misplaced your other one? :-P Be sure to check out our 'We Found Free Ebooks' thread. Whenever people find a freebie that sounds intriguing, they post it. And we also post some of the 'legacy' sci-fi books that are out-of-copyright. :-)
iam still w8ting on my kindle god know where it is
Dale wrote: "iam still w8ting on my kindle god know where it is"What? You mean the little Amazon drone didn't helicopter in with your new Kindle?
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/amazon-un...
[*know that feeling of book withdrawal when you're someplace where you WOULD normally read ... and can't ... you keep feeling for it and it ain't there...*]
I've started working on it!
Glad I have this book already sitting on my Bookshelf waiting for me to get around to reading it, I hopefully can get a big chunk of it done in the next few days.
Steven wrote: "Glad I have this book already sitting on my Bookshelf waiting for me to get around to reading it, I hopefully can get a big chunk of it done in the next few days."Do it!!!
[*other SOF members start chanting CHUG CHUG CHUG...*]
:-)
Okay, I'm on page 50, I've had a lot of school and stuff slowing me down. So far each chapter has been a different and unrelated(yet) scenario. Not surprising for Hamilton. I really enjoyed the description of the Ly-Cilph aliens. Very bizarre and creative. The third chapter was also very fascinating, explaining the nature of the Voidhawks and Edenist society, introducing some characters. The first chapter was fairly standard seeming compared to the following ones, so I enjoyed that contrast.
I am really struggling with this one. He is imaginative to a point where i seem to lose interest. I will read a bit further to see if it can suck me in but at this stage i need way too much concentration to even finish one page. Very good writer but too experimental for me.
It is massive in scope ... The story spans characters, planets, concepts (wild genetic engineering, bio-mech enhancements, aliens / spirits, future tech etc). It may seem hard to grasp and keep track of, but is well worth the time and effort to endure such an epic story.
Pieter wrote: "I am really struggling with this one. He is imaginative to a point where i seem to lose interest. I will read a bit further to see if it can suck me in but at this stage i need way too much concent..."There's a lot of worldbuilding which goes on the first 50 pages or so, Pieter. Once you get past that point and 'set' the world in your mind, it goes easier, but if you aren't used to reading the 'epic' scale space operas, they can make you brain hurt :-) I remember trying to read Robert Silverberg's Marjipoor series. It won a Hugo award and all my friends were reading it, but every time I started reading all the elaborate descriptions of species and alien-ness and different worlds, it felt like somebody stabbed me between the eyeballs with a knitting needle! It sits there on my shelf, taunting me, waiting for me to go and finish it, but while I've read other series by Mr. Silverberg, that one I just never was able to get past too much alien-ness front-loaded in the front of the first book of the series. So ... you're not alone in that feeling of not being able to 'get into' a world.
The book is thick, but as Anna said, once you get the setting down in your mind, it is MUCH easier to read. I mean, when he puts character lists in the back of his book so that you can keep them all straight, you know there is going to be alot going on. But it IS worth it. All three of them. I felt the same way about 50 pages into it, and trying not to throw spoilers out there, once you get past a certain point, things rapidly start to fall into place, and the action picks up considerably.
I would absolutely encourage you to keep going!
YIPPEEE!!! Got my interlibrary loan copy of TRD today. (Boy is it thick!)
Kirsten wrote: "YIPPEEE!!! Got my interlibrary loan copy of TRD today. (Boy is it thick!)"I know ... and to think my fantasy-fan friends whine about the size of Game of Thrones? Hah! I think we should have to register Reality Function as a deadly weapon :-) If a burglar sneaks into my study ... whammo!
Luckily, my copy is a paperback. (Why isn't it available on Kindle??)
Anna wrote: "Pieter wrote: "I am really struggling with this one. He is imaginative to a point where i seem to lose interest. I will read a bit further to see if it can suck me in but at this stage i need way t..."Thanks for the encouragement, the story has started to pick up and i am reading a BOOK again and not a science paper. Lets see what happens further.
Anna wrote: "Pete wrote: "Well Hamilton's wrote plenty of big books and they just get better and better. The confederation stuff is brilliant..."I've read some of his later stuff, all sporadically here and th..."
Fallen Dragon is an amazing book by PH. Not too long and a stand alone book, which is good if you don't want to commit to a series. I felt real empathy for the characters.
Pieter wrote: "Anna wrote: "Pieter wrote: "I am really struggling with this one. He is imaginative to a point where i seem to lose interest. I will read a bit further to see if it can suck me in but at this stage..."It is worth it. It really picks up in the latter half of the book. I struggled with the bits with the colony on Lalonde, is it? But it kicks in big time later.
[sigh] My reach has exceeded my grasp this month. I was slowed down a bit by starting over at the chronology/timeline, instead of Chapter 1. (I find timelines no less wearisome than info dumps; just different.) But, the characters are likeably imperfect (if a bit simple), and the plot? Whew, no idea so far, great, how mysterious! Also, I read the posts in digest form, and am usually about a week behind, so apologies if this has been said by others.
Lynne wrote: "[sigh] My reach has exceeded my grasp this month. I was slowed down a bit by starting over at the chronology/timeline, instead of Chapter 1. (I find timelines no less wearisome than info dumps; j..."We just did a game night 'worldbuilding' exercise and it took 3 hours to describe our hypothetical matrilineal, hive-based alien galactic empire. Getting past the worldbuilding in some space opera books can be daunting, though usually it pays off once the world has been built and the action takes off. Kinda like learning to play the piano? That's why space opera (and epic fantasy) fans prefer their books to come in big, long series :-)
That's definitely what Hamilton's series it. When I read all three, although struggling to figure out where I was during the first hundred pages or so, it was an absolute thrill once I got into the story, and 1,100 pages or so per book wasn't long ENOUGH once you really sink your teeth in. Hopefully some of the readers this month got far enough to get this thrill!
Space Opera Fans
Books mentioned in this topic
Nova (other topics)Dante's Equation: A Novel (other topics)
The Engines of God (other topics)
Blue Remembered Earth (other topics)
The Reality Dysfunction is our READER PICK for the month of April. Why not drop your impressions, feelings, links to your reviews, and other thoughts into the discussion thread below.
Also ... I will be instituting a tagging system in our Group Reads Bookshelf ... so if you could also weigh in on whether you consider this to be 'classic' space opera, 'military' space opera, 'romantic' space opera, or some other sub-sub-genre it will help quantify the genre we love for posterity.
Be epic!
MOD-Anna