Space Opera Fans discussion
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What are you READING right now?
Just started the second book of the Spectras Arise Trilogy https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... and the second book of the Worldbreaker series https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... . Yeah, finish one book and on to two more.
MadProfessah, I absolutely LOVED The Three Body Problem. I've been waiting with baited breath to start The Dark Forest for months. Life has been stressful and I wanted to wait until I could devote some quality time to reading before starting TDF. I like to savour the really intricate reads :). Have you read the whole series?
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I'm reading a sci-fi that isn't space opera. It's the final book in the series: Everfree. The first book was excellent, but I think common opinion is that plot isn't tight enough further in.
I'm reading The Alliance for the 2nd time, as it's out on paperback now.
Also reading
Judas Unchained Trying to get into it.
Yes I've read the entire Cixin Liu series. THE DARK FORESST is great but DEATH'S END will wreck you!!
After hearing about Iain M. Banks for so long I finally am reading ....
. I don't quite know how I vagued out and started #3 when I had not read the previous two. I even have #1 on the shelf.Anyhow, going to finish this one before reading the first I think.
Reading Outriders by Jay Posey. He's interesting. You can see a definite positive progression in his writing from his first published novel, across all of them to this. A great writer.
Deborah, have read all IMB novels and enjoyed them all. They are different book to book, but there is of course a common thread. The first book, Consider Phlebas, is a stunner and sets the scene for the Culture as a whole. In fact, it has everything, including the kitchen sink thrown in for good measure. Excellent. It's not a spoiler, so I will say that once you realise the main character is a shapeshifter then you are on your way.Enjoy.
I'm reading my first big space focused book this week, Cage of Zeus.
There's just so much going on through only like the first 20 pages. We got colonies on Mars and Jupiter, human experiments, bioethics concerns, terrorists, gender fluidity, a Big Brother style program to watch over childhood development / family life. It's a lot to take in.
Tim wrote: "Deborah, have read all IMB novels and enjoyed them all. They are different book to book, but there is of course a common thread. The first book, Consider Phlebas, is a stunner and sets the scene fo..."Thanks Tim, I do kind of wish I had started with the first one.It is possible that someone recommended I start with #3 though. I will definitely go back to Consider Phlebas next though.
Deborah wrote: "Tim wrote: "Deborah, have read all IMB novels and enjoyed them all. They are different book to book, but there is of course a common thread. The first book, Consider Phlebas, is a stunner and sets ..."I started on matter which i loved then read phlebas , i think although phlebas was a great story and is named after a line from one of my favourite poems you can see his writing get better after this e.g. he is not as reliant on ' as though' as a simile, there were other things that i noticed in phlebas but cant remember without a re read.
Agree with Tim that you should not worry about order, i have recently been told that look to windward is about the idiran(?) war, just remembered now and it has gone to the top of my list once the black company series is done :)
Terrence, I just added Cage of Zeus to my TBR. It sounds right up my alley. Thanks for mentioning it :)
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Cody wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Tim wrote: "Deborah, have read all IMB novels and enjoyed them all. They are different book to book, but there is of course a common thread. The first book, Consider Phlebas, is a s..."Good to hear, a series that is open to being read out of order is a wonderful thing. Really enjoying Use of Weapons btw and almost finished it now.
Monika wrote: "Terrence, I just added Cage of Zeus to my TBR. It sounds right up my alley. Thanks for mentioning it :)"Awesome. Yeah, it's really packed. I'll definitely be renting it again if I don't finish it by the end of the month.
I've got two other Japanese authored scifi I only read the opening chapter of, Galactic Heroes and Mardock Scramble.
Galactic Heroes is also packed, though info dumpy about politics and the history of humans populating the universe (some of the stuff about the move to dictatorship and isolationism because of distrust in the government's Oligarchical rule and political infighting reminds me of our current political atmosphere). I think it becomes more personal military / political space opera after the open.
Scramble is more personal, opening with a pump casino owner and his treatment of a young harlot while zooming through the skies in a flying limo.
They all seem worth trying at some point, Galactic Heroes being the only one that extends beyond the one book (it's got 3 released, and 3 on the way I think; that has audio books).
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. I think I still have a paperback of
which is included in Legions. Aliens conquer Earth but then get driven batty by humans, and it gets even worse when the humans are allowed to emigrate to other planets. Funny.
I just started reading
Master of Formalities -- it sounded kinda quirky and I like things like that. Not far enough in to make a decision yet.
I also started The Forge of God by Greg Bear a few days ago. I like having a few books on the go at the same time. There's always an ebook that I read while I'm helping the kids fall asleep, a dense or complex book that I save for the quiet times when I can really pay attention to it, and an easier read (often a smaller book) that goes with me everywhere :)
I have been getting on with an ongoing personal goal to re-read all the Earl Dumerest books by E C Tubb. Old, dated, sexist and antiquated as they are I still love 'em and I have been reading them as I can get my hands on them, which is to say, very slowly.At the moment, just finished Lallia https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and working on Web of Sand
It is amazing how good this series is, given how many flaws and faults it has I still thoroughly enjoy reading them! I guess it is just so bad it is good.
Have started my first by Elizabeth Moon, Sporting Chance I meant to read a couple of chapters after dinner and instead tore myself away from page 107 almost at midnight. The next day at work was not fun but it was worth it!
Have been reading through the expanse series and am currently reading Abaddon's Gate. I can't put these books down!
Currently slogging through The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. Will probably abandon it. Having trouble understanding all the acclaim, because this is a tedious, tedious book.
Abby wrote: "Currently slogging through The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. Will probably abandon it. Having trouble understanding all the acclaim, because this is a tedious, tedious book."Well, it's pretty slow to get going, and the setup is pretty labored and contrived.
That said, the last third of the book really packs a wallop.
Abby wrote: "Currently slogging through The Doomsday Book by Connie Willis. Will probably abandon it. Having trouble understanding all the acclaim, because this is a tedious, tedious book."I got part of the way through the book and had the same feeling. Then I switched to the audio book which was even worse. As a native Brit I found the language painfully phony to listen to. Probably would not have noticed if I had continued reading but the audio just highlighted the problems. A bit like how the audio of John Scalzi books highlights the repetitive "he said, she said" sentence structure, that's not so obvious in a reading.
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I have finished On Basilisk Station. The end was very exciting if brutal. could have lived with the treecat and the info-dumps.Now I have started Lock In I like it already.
Thomas, I just finished Abbadon's Gate recently. Such a great read. I'm finishing some other books, then I'll be all over the next Expanse book. I can't wait! Abbadon's Gate really expanded some possibilities and I need to know where the story goes. Also the TV series should have its second season released by now. They're still in the first book, but it's really enjoyable and reasonably faithful to the book
I just finished Dark Matter by Blake Crouch. A standalone novel that begs you to suspend your beliefs in reality. The plot involves time travel, romance and vengence.
Although this meets most of the requirements for a Space Opera (many planets, space travel, intrigue, romance, a space war in the past), The Twelve Systems is very intricate and has erotic bits that put it on the outer boundaries.But you should read it anyway.
Monika wrote: "Thomas, I just finished Abbadon's Gate recently. Such a great read. I'm finishing some other books, then I'll be all over the next Expanse book. I can't wait! Abbadon's Gate really expanded some po..."I'm currently reading Abbadon as well! the tv show is now on book 2 as of a few weeks ago.
AndrewP - So glad I'm not the only one who noticed the Scalzi "he said" issue. Poor Wil Wheaton! I also got hung up on Butcher "he blinked." Audio books really do out an author with repetition problems.
I just finished several Amazon Prime library books including
and
. I took a break from sci-fi briefly.I read
recently and am starting on book 2
.
Barron wrote: "Reading Catholic for a Reason: Scripture and the Mystery of the Family of God and getting ready to read Pico's Crush and Time Heist The third one is an..."I read Zero Flux, Flux Rising, and Minder Rising. I liked the science fiction mystery approach and her characters were interesting. I hope to read the rest of the books in that series.
Betsy wrote: "Just finished Méridien, the third book in the Silver Ships series. A little bit unbelievable, but I enjoyed it. Space battles and aliens and politics and new technology. Here is my ..."I read the first book and found it immensely enticing and enjoyable. I hope to read the rest of the series this spring. I checked out your reviews thus far and they make me anxious to get started on book 2.
Deborah wrote: "Have started my first by Elizabeth Moon, Sporting Chance I meant to read a couple of chapters after dinner and instead tore myself away from page 107 almost at midnight..."I really like the Serrano series and her Vatta series.They are both fun. In case you had missed it, Hunting Party is the first book in the Serrano series.
Jonathan wrote: "Just finished 
. Those books are a riot to read.Does anyone know of sci-fi series like those Kevin Hearne books or The Dresden Files? A series that doesn't take itself too..."
for an indie author where it is fun and easy and able to laugh at itself, you might like Joseph Lallo's Big Sigma series.
.Book 1 is free on Amazon at the moment.
I read it two years ago and concluded my review with the following, which seems in line with what you are looking for:
To me this is what fun science fiction is about - characters that interest me enough to want to read the next story, a few laughs, a few serious thoughts, fun tech without too much detail, good guys win, he gets the girl, description of cool ships and different planets. It is not serious sci fi like Dune or detailed battles like Honor Harrington, but if you want light reading and escape this book is a good choice for youth or adult.
Lizzie wrote: "I just finished several Amazon Prime library books including and . I took a break from sci-fi briefly.I read [bookcover..."
How was "A Criminal Defense?" I chose that book from Kindle First this month but haven't had a chance to start it yet.
Betsy wrote: "Lizzie wrote: "(I wish I knew how to insert the books by link or cover. If anyone want to provide me with directions?)"Just above the box in which you type your comment there is a small grey text..."
Thank you. I was wondering about that myself.
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I'm reading G.S Jennsen's 'Starshine' and loving every paragraph!
Currently reading The Mayflower Project (Rereading actually, but I haven't read the series since it came out in the early 2000s).
Alicia wrote: How was "A Criminal Defense?""I gave it 4 stars for its twists and turns. It wasn't exactly realistic from my point of view, but it was interesting plot lines and characters.
Carolyn wrote: "I'm reading G.S Jennsen's 'Starshine' and loving every paragraph!"I just started that one too. It was in the prime library. Also reading Helix Episode 1
, and Rim War
, which books I had offered to review. I think I maxed out my prime borrow for the moment, purchased some others that I had promised myself, and have loaded up my Kindle paperwhite, along with magazines on my Fire tablet. Have a trip this month which will leave me with evenings to read in. Then in May I have a long trip planned to visit family. Three sisters and my mother - easier to read a book and avoid discussions on politics and religion, so that we will all still like each other when we go our separate ways. lol.
- not surprisingly it turns out I enjoy Scalzi's stories even when they are not set in space.
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by Lois McMaster Bujold. It's been enough years that I'd forgotten almost all the details. I assume that this one has already been reader pick before, or I'd nominate it..... yup, back in 2015.
I'm still reading The Dark Forest, and The Forge of God. I've been a bit busy and distracted in the last few weeks. I just started Blue Mars to finish off the trilogy after finishing Crux by Ramez Naam. I'm looking forward to the nice weather and reading on park benches while the kids run and play :)
Just started reading
Trading in Danger by Elizabeth Moon, although I am nearing the end of another book and set this aside until I finish that book.
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Space Opera Fans
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Yeah, you left it just as the good bits started :0) There was a lot of blah, blah before that.