Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy discussion
What We've Been Reading
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What are you reading in April 2016?
Between lots of traveling and a power outage due to ice storms I got a ton of reading done recently.All the Birds in the Sky, which I liked more than Michelle did.
Finished Butler's Patternmaster series, and Butler is always great.
Three Parts Dead, pretty good but it didn't give me the need to continue with the series, though I wouldn't rule picking it back up at some point.
The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, which I can't say enough good things about. Amazing story.
A Darker Shade of Magic, which I didn't like at all.
Currently reading the last book in the Kefahuchi Tract trilogy, Empty Space. Harrison is one of my very favourite authors, it's sad that he doesn't get anywhere near the recognition he deserves.
Michele wrote: "This trilogy, I'm on book 3 - The Darwin Elevator, The Exodus Towers and The Plague Forge. These are very action based SF popcorn. Not the best writing, but fun and fast reads...."
The final volume of this series really ticked me off. First, the author is writing about a space elevator and clearly has done zero research. Crap science really annoys me. Let me know when you've finished, and I'll rant about the ending, too.... :)
The final volume of this series really ticked me off. First, the author is writing about a space elevator and clearly has done zero research. Crap science really annoys me. Let me know when you've finished, and I'll rant about the ending, too.... :)
I finished Margaret Atwood's The Heart Goes Last. It was quite surprising in that it's satirical funny. In the aftermath of the financial crisis, an evicted couple living in their car join an experimental utopian community.Throw in some sexbots & Elvis impersonators. Atwood is usually so serious.
G33z3r wrote: "Michele wrote: "This trilogy, I'm on book 3 - The Darwin Elevator, The Exodus Towers and The Plague Forge. These are very action based SF popcorn. Not the best writing, but fun and fast reads...."..."
Lol, yeah, the "science" was very hand-wavy, but I don't care about that very much - especially the SUBS made no sense to me, how they managed to survive that long. The ending was stupid and very deus ex machina, though I was glad (view spoiler)
The whole idea behind the Builders and why they did what they did made no sense at all. It was all very cool as set pieces in an action movie, but at the end I just couldn't get a grasp on the physical descriptions of the inside of the Key ship, and it seemed a very Scooby Doo wrap up.
I still can't believe (view spoiler) Maybe that's a sequel trilogy.
Anyhoo, it was fun enough spun sugar up to the end.
Michele wrote: "The whole idea behind the Builders and why they did what they did made no sense at all...."
Yeah, that's my rant. The explanation of all the weird alien artifacts and obstacles is, "aliens be crazy".
Michele wrote: "Just started The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter"
Ah, now there's a book I liked. (come to think of it, I have the sequel (Unseemly Science) already purchased on my Kindle; I need to go read it.)
Yeah, that's my rant. The explanation of all the weird alien artifacts and obstacles is, "aliens be crazy".
Michele wrote: "Just started The Bullet-Catcher's Daughter"
Ah, now there's a book I liked. (come to think of it, I have the sequel (Unseemly Science) already purchased on my Kindle; I need to go read it.)
I'm reading The Last Hour of Gann. There's one character that is an anthro lizard alien in an unknown planet. That got my attention.
and I'm also reading The Robots of Dawn by Isaac Asimov.
Anna wrote: "I'm reading The Martian but want to read smth cyberpunk genre! Welcome for your recommendations)"
Cyberpunk was born in the 1980's and flourished for a couple of decades. I don't think it died out so much as became true.
When the early stories such as Vinge's True Names (1981) & Gibson's Neuromancer (1984) & Sterling's Islands in the Net (1988), Shirow's Ghost in the Shell (1989) & even Stephenson's Snow Crash (1992) were written, there was no World Wide Web, and the Internet was known mostly to students and people in the computer business, and personal computers were more a hobbyist & word processor thing.
Now that a global information, communications and control network is a commonplace, mainstream reality and the majority have a personal computer, tablet or smart phone, things that used to be considered "cyberpunk" are almost standard parts of any near-future science fiction story.
I recommend all the above mentioned works, by the way. :)
Of more recent "cyberpunk" (by which now I mean near-future science fiction whose major plot component involves hacking global networks), I might suggest Stross's Halting State & Rule 34. But cyberpunk elements are such a part of so many other stories, it's almost hard to sort them out these days.
Cyberpunk was born in the 1980's and flourished for a couple of decades. I don't think it died out so much as became true.
When the early stories such as Vinge's True Names (1981) & Gibson's Neuromancer (1984) & Sterling's Islands in the Net (1988), Shirow's Ghost in the Shell (1989) & even Stephenson's Snow Crash (1992) were written, there was no World Wide Web, and the Internet was known mostly to students and people in the computer business, and personal computers were more a hobbyist & word processor thing.
Now that a global information, communications and control network is a commonplace, mainstream reality and the majority have a personal computer, tablet or smart phone, things that used to be considered "cyberpunk" are almost standard parts of any near-future science fiction story.
I recommend all the above mentioned works, by the way. :)
Of more recent "cyberpunk" (by which now I mean near-future science fiction whose major plot component involves hacking global networks), I might suggest Stross's Halting State & Rule 34. But cyberpunk elements are such a part of so many other stories, it's almost hard to sort them out these days.
G33z3r wrote: "Anna wrote: "I'm reading The Martian but want to read smth cyberpunk genre! Welcome for your recommendations)"Cyberpunk was born in the 1980's and flourished for a couple of decad..."
Thank you very much for your recommendations! I want to read them all. I recently learned that there is such a genre, in principle. It was interesting to know that it has his readers. I read one book only and I like it, but before that I like novels)
I have quite a nice list for this month,but with grandkids off school for a fortnight and some repair work being done on the house, reading time seems a bit in short supply. Oh well,this is the listDusty's April TBR
Susan Cooper - Silver on the Tree ✔
C J Cherryh - Faded Sun : Kesrith ✔
Joan D Vinge - Ths Snow Queen
Arthur C Clarke - The Sands of Mars
Arthur C Clarke - Islands in the Sky ✔
Andre Norton - The Stars are Ours!
Mary Norton - The Borrowers Afloat ✔
I am uncertain whether I will get Blish's Cities in Flight in time for the discussion,and I have ordered the latest paperback C J Cherryh, Tracker. All books will be put aside when that arrives! lol
I just finished the nostalgic reread of The Borrowers Afloat and couldnt resist going straight on to the next book, The Borrowers Aloft Delightful stuff.
I also finished,and was slightly disappointed by, the final book of the Dark is Rising series.It seemed very episodic,some parts didnt seem particularly important to the plot,and at the end the kids were all memory wiped,which seemed to negate all the personal hardships etc they had struggled through,and now with no reward whatsover. Not pleased with that at all! :0)
Now I intend to read C J Cherryh's rather dark,dense and difficult Kesrith,and Joan D Vinge's The Snow Queen .....if the grandkids will let me! lol
Read the rightfully classic The Forever War; I enjoyed it, but I think I've read so much influenced by it (plus a fair amount of military nonfiction & memoir) that my mind wasn't blown the way it might have been if I'd read it an earlier point.Enjoyed The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps -- I hope Wilson writes more in this world.
Reading some nonfiction now; not sure what's up next on the fiction front -- might keep it military w/Old Man's War or go w/Uprooted for something (probably?) a little bit lighter.
Currently I'm reading Otherness by David Brin who is one of my favorite sci-fi authors. (Sorry there's no title link--I couldn't find it.) It's a collection of short stories and essays. So far they have been excellent.
I've just posted my review of Jacob Prytherch's The Binary Man and it's not my preferred flavour of sci-fi, but still a decent read:
http://thecultofme.blogspot.co.uk/201...
I'm working on Shadow Puppets by Orson Scott Card. I hope to finish it by the end of the month so I can start on Ready Player One by Ernest Cline.Also I'm reading A Storm of Swords by George R R Martin. I won't finish until probably next month then I'll move on to American Gods by Neil Gaiman.
I have taken it upon myself to re-read the fantasy novels of my youth. I am starting by re-reading the Dragonlance Chronicles and DragonLance: Legends Trilogy. After that, a few The Sword of Shannara, and Wizard's First Rule books. At some point, I need to work in Marko Kloos's 4th installment of his Frontlines series as it will be out on the 19th.
I've started rereading Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry. In the middle of book 1, The Summer Tree.
Really enjoyed UprootedNow reading Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond series (historical fiction, but one of the reasons I picked it up recently is b/c of the mentions I've seen it get as a inspiration for epic fantasy)
Hillary wrote: "Really enjoyed Uprooted..."
I really liked it to. Very entertaining, hard to put down. It's deservedly picked up a Nebula Award nominationthis year, too.
I really liked it to. Very entertaining, hard to put down. It's deservedly picked up a Nebula Award nominationthis year, too.
Started listening to an audio version of Dhalgren. Waaaaaaay weird so far. Gonna stick with it but yikes, it's a long book to be this abstract already ~ Also reading Orion. Had forgotten how great Bova is at moving the plot along.
Hillary wrote: "Really enjoyed UprootedNow reading Dorothy Dunnett's Lymond series (historical fiction, but one of the reasons I picked it up recently is b/c of the mentions I've se..."
Hilary: I enjoyed Uprooted, too. But the reason I had to reply to your post was because you mentioned the Lymond series. Please, please, don't be put off by the bad writing in Game of Kings. Queens Play is better written. The Disorderly Knights is better, still. Pawn in Frankincense may be the second-best book I've ever read. The Ringed Castle, well-written but not overwhelming. But Checkmate is simply astounding. No wonder they knighted Dunnett for that.
And yes, there are prophecies and other legitimate fantasy elements. But it is the characters, their agony and bravery, and the Shakespearean beauty of Dunnett's use of language in the later books that makes the series my all-time favorite. Literally awesome.
But the early books are like reading early C.J. Cherryh: a bit confusing and stilted. DO NOT give up on either author.
Kivrin wrote: "I've started rereading Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry. In the middle of book 1, The Summer Tree."I'm not a big fantasy person, and I usually prefer female writers, but IMO that is one of the best fantasy series. After Lois Bujold's first two Chalion books. :)
Glad to hear the Lymond series stays strong, Claudia. I'm only a few pages into Queen's Play.I quite enjoyed Game of Kings -- I generally don't mind large helpings of angst. Dunnett wrote in her forward to the paperback edition that she did some "manicuring" to her first novel; I wonder how extensive it was. Curious to see when the prophecy elements get pulled in.
Claudia wrote: "Kivrin wrote: "I've started rereading Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry. In the middle of book 1, The Summer Tree."I'm not a big fantasy person, and I usually prefer female writer..."
Have you read Tigana? One of the best fantasy books ever!
Kivrin wrote: "Claudia wrote: "Kivrin wrote: "I've started rereading Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry. In the middle of book 1, The Summer Tree."I'm not a big fantasy person, and I usually pref..."
Yes, I read Tigana when it came out in the U.S. ages ago (I read all GGK's stuff until the most recent Byzantium novels left me cold). I don't really remember Tigana, so it must not have made much of an impression on me then. From that era, I more remember the Paksennarian (sp?) series.
Maybe I should look at Tigana again!
Claudia wrote: "I don't really remember Tigana, so it must not have made much of an impression on me then. ....
Maybe I should look at Tigana again! .."
I may well be in a minority, but I was really disappointed in Tigana. It begins with a really interesting premise: evil wizard/warlord conquered Tigana, and to add insult to injury, cast a spell so no one even remembers Tigana ever existed — except it's old Royal bloodline. Seemed like an intriguing start, but then it's 350 pages of waiting for something else interesting to happen. I'm afraid I was bored.
On the other hand, a lot of people seem to like it.
Maybe I should look at Tigana again! .."
I may well be in a minority, but I was really disappointed in Tigana. It begins with a really interesting premise: evil wizard/warlord conquered Tigana, and to add insult to injury, cast a spell so no one even remembers Tigana ever existed — except it's old Royal bloodline. Seemed like an intriguing start, but then it's 350 pages of waiting for something else interesting to happen. I'm afraid I was bored.
On the other hand, a lot of people seem to like it.
Tigana is definitely in my top three Kay novels, along with A Song for Arbonne and (my #1) The Lions of Al-Rassan. I've read all of those at least twice, but it's been awhile in each case. I'm looking forward to this year's new release, Children of Earth and Sky.
G33z3r wrote: "Claudia wrote: "I don't really remember Tigana, so it must not have made much of an impression on me then. ....Maybe I should look at Tigana again! .."
I may well be in a minority, but I was real..."
If I can't remember Tigana, I must have been in your camp for that one.
A Song for Arbonne was my favorite among Kay. I found Kushiel's Dart similar in ambience. Perhaps because both riffed on the troubador period in Aquitaine.
I was only supposed to read Mary Norton's The Borrowers Afield for a challenge,but I enjoyed this reread so much I ended up reading The Borrowers Afloat,The Borrowers Aloft, and The Borrowers Avenged one after the other! These classic tales of the little 6 inch high people who live off the leavings of humans are 60 years old,but standing up well,great for kids but with much to engage adults too.I am now halfway through Arthur C Clarke's juvenile book, Islands in the Sky an old fashioned tale of a boy who wins a space quiz and goes for a few weeks to a working space station orbiting the earth.Its from the Winston Press series of juveniles and good fun. We cant get back to that lovely sense of innocent awe and excitement that young generation felt about space then in the decade before the wondrous sixties,but I am finding the series great fun,and very informative about basic space stuff! lol.
I am now ready for Joan D Vinge's Snow Queen,but eagerly awaiting my order of C J Cherryh's Tracker.When that arrives,all other books will be tossed aside and I will be incommunicado till I'm finished. Her books are so immersive it can be disorientating to surface to mundane reality :0)
You are in for a treat with Vinge's Snow Queen. But which volume in the unending Foreigner series is Tracker? I loved the first six books of that series, but find the unending politics in books seven through what? Fifteen? not my cup of tea. So I may have skipped one or two.
In general, however, IMO Cherryh is the very best at creating psychologically diverse aliens, to which I aspire.
Claudia wrote: "I found Kushiel's Dart similar in ambience...."
I really loved the original Kushiel trilogy. Carey re-creates something that's almost but not quite entirely unlike Renaissance Europe, delightfully distorted into her own fantasy world. :)
I really loved the original Kushiel trilogy. Carey re-creates something that's almost but not quite entirely unlike Renaissance Europe, delightfully distorted into her own fantasy world. :)
Classic SF Fan wrote: "I am now ready for Joan D Vinge's Snow Queen..."
We had a discussion of The Snow Queen last year.
We had a discussion of The Snow Queen last year.
G33z3r wrote: "Claudia wrote: "I found Kushiel's Dart similar in ambience...."I really loved the original Kushiel trilogy. Carey re-creates something that's almost but not quite entirely unlike Re..."
True, the religion in Kushiel was troubador times, but the current story was Renaissance.
Harking back to Dame Dorothy Dunnett, she has a post-Lymond series set in Renaissance times, House of Niccolo, which is more linguistically accessible than the Lymond series. But also, IMO, less magic and less magical.
Samir wrote: "Finished The Republic of Thieves couple a days ago. Now starting with Ready Player One :)"Really enjoyed Republic of Thieves :)
Currently reading A Demon in the Desert. Gunslinging orcs; what more do I need to say?
I'm currently using a random dice-roll method to choose which of all the books stockpiled on my Kindle to read next, so I have no idea what I'll read after this.
Edit: Wait, I know what I'm going to read next. Liberty, #5 of the Flash Gold Chronicles by Lindsay Buroker, just came out. I've been waiting anxiously for that :-D Fantasy-steampunk set in the Yukon gold rush.
I finished The Rising, 2nd book in Ian Tregillis's "Alchemy Wars" steampunk/alternate history/fantasy trilogy. The Dutch are destroying the French monarchy in exile in the New World using armies of mechanical men (sort of a cross between robots and golems.) The Mechanicals secretly long to be free of the geas that bind them to human service. Action-oriented mix of spies, soldiers and revolutionaries sticks a finger in the eye of slave master Asimov.
Also read a couple of the side stories in Melissa Olsen's "Old World" urban fantasy series. She's been writing two separate series in different cities, among the usual UF mix of vampires, werewolf & witches. In Malediction she finally has her two protagonists (Scarlett and Lex) meet. The story worked pretty well. ("And people say I'm a monster.") OTOH, Sell-By Date was a perfunctory, lackluster prequel to Lex's the storyline.
Just starting The Last Policeman, which I have both e-book and audiobook for. It's going to be our Group Contemporary SF Novel discussion next week.
Also just starting Rat Queens, Vol. 3, sword and sorcery graphic novel with a good deal of humor.
Also read a couple of the side stories in Melissa Olsen's "Old World" urban fantasy series. She's been writing two separate series in different cities, among the usual UF mix of vampires, werewolf & witches. In Malediction she finally has her two protagonists (Scarlett and Lex) meet. The story worked pretty well. ("And people say I'm a monster.") OTOH, Sell-By Date was a perfunctory, lackluster prequel to Lex's the storyline.
Just starting The Last Policeman, which I have both e-book and audiobook for. It's going to be our Group Contemporary SF Novel discussion next week.
Also just starting Rat Queens, Vol. 3, sword and sorcery graphic novel with a good deal of humor.
Kyra wrote: "Fantasy-steampunk set in the Yukon gold rush. ..."
FYI, Elizabeth Bear's Karen Memory has that same gaslight fantasy/steampunk during the gold Rush setting (though it's set in Seattle, the gateway to the Yukon.)
FYI, Elizabeth Bear's Karen Memory has that same gaslight fantasy/steampunk during the gold Rush setting (though it's set in Seattle, the gateway to the Yukon.)
G33z3r wrote: "FYI, Elizabeth Bear's Karen Memory has that same gaslight fantasy/steampunk during the gold Rush setting (though it'..."Thanks for the tip, I'll take a look at it.
I am currently reading a book that is not science fiction, but of possible interest to some of you: Rise of the Rocket Girls: The Women Who Propelled Us, from Missiles to the Moon to Mars This is a fascinating look at the young women who worked at JPL as computers during the '40s and '50s.
Currently reading "The war of the Dwarves" by Markus Heitz and "The wise mans fear" by Patrick Rothfuss. Once I finish with Rothfuss I will be reading the "Lunar chronicles" and hopefully starting "wheel of time" before the month ends.
Just 15% into Three Wells of the Sea and it is pulling me under. I enjoy two-world books.The Emperor's Railroad was well enjoyed.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Started C J Cherryh's Kesrith found the first few chapters very hard going as we are learning about a complicated society and Cherryh insists on using many words from the Mri language and I had to repeatedly go back to work out what or who was involved..Once my befuddled brain sorted all that out I began to enjoy it. However all books have to be put aside because I finally got my copy of Cherryh's Tracker and Patricia Briggs's latest Mercy Thompson outing,Fire Touched and no one will see or hear from me till I visit with the werewolves and return from the space station with its tangled relationships of the various races and factions.
Had visitors all day yesterday,spent today making sunday lunch,and now all is]cleared away,and no visitors. I'm off for some seriously delightful reading,for several hours if I'm lucky. Bye-bye!
Hello everyone!I read Collective Mind book and wondered one question. According to the book every person can sell creativity from their brain
and ask for that everything they want.. money, house and so on.
But the rest of their life spend like "a vegetable". And it's becoming a popular trend!
Many people live a wealthy life.
So I wonder what will be your choose? Money or creative?
Anna wrote: "Hello everyone!I read Collective Mind book and wondered one question. According to the book every person can sell creativity from their brain
and ask for that everything they want...."
That's a rough question, as I'll admit to being very attached to money and the things you can get with it. Still, I wonder if I would even be able to enjoy my wealth without some kind of creativity. So, much as it pains me to say it, I think I might have to stay poor.
I just finished reading the Malazan Book of the Fallen with The Crippled God. It was epic, and I ended up giving it five stars. I laughed. I cried. I definitely don't regret reading the series, despite the length, but I am glad to have my reading schedule freed up again.
I started reading Battle Royale this morning. My husband was a big fan, so I figured I should appease him. ;)
Finished The Darkest Road. The Fionavar Tapestry has to be near the top of my favorite fantasy list. Cried through half the book and felt really happy at the end.Also read Beacon 23: The Complete Novel. Thanks to whoever here mentioned it. A good fast read that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Enjoying Marissa Meyer's The Lunar Chronicles - have read Cinder and Scarlet - looking forward to reading Cress. Also read the first four book of the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and Lynessa's Curse (part of the Medieval Mars boxed set).
Finally getting around to reading I, Robot because its been almost impossible to find a version without Will Smith on the cover.
Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy
Books mentioned in this topic
Zeroes (other topics)The Paper Magician (other topics)
Uprooted (other topics)
Usagi Yojimbo Saga, Vol. 1 (other topics)
Prince of Wolves (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Koushun Takami (other topics)Larry Niven (other topics)
Dorothy Dunnett (other topics)
Dorothy Dunnett (other topics)
David Brin (other topics)
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Last month I read...
All the Birds in the Sky - I was not a huge fan, but it was clever and fun in parts and interesting in others and the writing itself is well done.
Vampire Kisses - YA, fun little urban fantasy, nothing like I was expecting
Booked To Die, The Bookman's Wake, The Bookman's Promise - regular mysteries. If you are interested in books as collectibles or just good mysteries, check them out.
Garden Spells and First Frost. I don't know how to class these - a bit of romance, a bit of family saga, a bit of magic. Very nice stories.
Chase the Dark, another YA urban fantasy, this one was more predictable but I liked the choices for the supernatural.
And now I'm reading...
This trilogy, I'm on book 3 - The Darwin Elevator, The Exodus Towers and The Plague Forge. These are very action based SF popcorn. Not the best writing, but fun and fast reads.