The Sword and Laser discussion
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What Else Are You Reading?
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What Else Are You Reading - December 2016
Geoff wrote: "I'm reading A Song for Arbonne by Guy Gavriel Kay right now."Excellent choice.
Finished up all the Culture books I hadn't read, and re-read most of the rest.
Reading Against a Dark Background. Because why stop?
Since having my brain turned to mush by House of Leaves, I decided to try out some light, fun middle grade fantasy and started The School for Good and Evil last night. So far, it's fun and quirky, and actually quite grim in a few sections. It definitely reminds me of Harry Potter a bit.
Now that I've finished The Rook (it was a quick (and enjoyable) read), next book in line is A Betrayal in Winter. I have that and The Broken Kingdoms on loan from the library; they make a good pair of fantasy novels quite a few steps off the medieval European world-path.I also have a small stack of comics to read: Transformers: Last Stand of the Wreckers HC, The Harlem Hellfighters and Indeh: A Story of the Apache Wars. Two of those fit closer together than the third.
I finished A Gathering of Shadows, the cliffhanger is annoying, but interested to see where it goes. I'm glad the conclusion is out in February.I also read Shusaku Endo's Silence--definitely a lot of food for thought. Should be interesting to see how Scorsese brings it to film.
Gonna start the Hyperion Cantos now!
Reading Fool's Quest by Robin Hobb. It is wonderful!
Finished up Redshirts. Great read overall, funny and incisive. It didn't quite hold up to its great beginning, but then, that would have been hard. The final part was a bit too self-referential, but good enough.The references were great and I'm sure I missed some. Naming the Doctor "Hartnell" just about made my nerd heart quiver with joy.
Now on to Agent to the Stars. I'm perhaps 20 pages in and laughing hysterically. Scalzi's got a hell of a sense of humor.
John (Taloni) wrote: "Finished up Redshirts. Great read overall, funny and incisive. It didn't quite hold up to its great beginning, but then, that would have been hard. The final part was a bit too self..."Which Scalzi book would you recommend reading first? Redshirts or Agent to the Stars?
I'm just starting Agent to the Stars so don't know if it will hold its quality. Redshirts was solid all the way through, holding a high level even through some ups and downs, so I'd say that.It's hard to go wrong with Scalzi. Android's Dream was pretty funny as well. Old Man's War is uneven but entertaining.
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I keep telling myself that one of these years I will read Old Man's War. Maybe this year.
If you ever get the chance to go to one of his book signings take it. He's a real funny guy in person too:)
I'm halfway through the Old Man's War series, so I will try and finish that up next year. I've read Lock In and many of his short stories. So, maybe I will have to do Agent to the Stars, Fuzzy Nation, and then Redshirts next. (and fit in The Android's Dream somewhere in there.... too many books, too little time....)
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Brendan wrote: "I keep telling myself that one of these years I will read Old Man's War. Maybe this year."The Old Man's War books are a tribute / partial parody of Starship Troopers and The Forever War. The first one is low on elegant sentence construction and high on fun plot. Scalzi's writing skill improves over time but the first book is still the best. Well, so far. Soon to read books 5 and 6. Book 4 was a writer's tribute to writing rather than a fun book.
Parts of it are laughable. There's an extended sequence about how a soldier discovers an "innovative" firing technique that is essentially the double-tap taught in basic handgun skills classes. It doesn't destroy the book, but it's clear that Scalzi is not writing from experience.
Finishing my reading challenge with "The Unattractive Vampire" and "Johannes Cabal and the Fear Institute."New to the forum, but has S&L discussed Johannes Cabal yet? It's one of my favorite series in quite a while.
I did finish Agent to the Stars. It ended up fairly weak. Not a bad book, but it didn't live up to the promise of the great beginning. It's pretty good for a starter book, but Scalzi has done better since.(view spoiler)
As for the Hollywood aspect, it was fun but not deep. Looking at the timeline it seems that this was written when Scalzi worked at AOL, that is, on the periphery of the industry but not deep inside it. Similarly I worked in the entertainment biz but on the finance side, well away from the creatives. Had a short stint at a smallish agency 30ish years back as a temp. The agent stuff fits my surface-level understanding of that side of the biz, but doesn't go any deeper. There's no special insight there. It's just for fluff. Fun, but only on the surface level.
John (Taloni) wrote: "The Old Man's War books are a tribute / partial parody of Starship Troopers and The Forever War. The first one is low on elegant sentence construction and high on fun plot. Scalzi's writing skill improves over time but the first book is still the best. Well, so far. Soon to read books 5 and 6. Book 4 was a writer's tribute to writing rather than a fun book."Scalzi claims never to have read The Forever War, before writing Old Man's War. It's in, ironically, the introduction he wrote to The Forever War.
Nemesis Games. Since I am still waiting for Babylon's Ashes, might as well reread it.
Hi, just finished Revenger by Alastair Reynolds. A surprisingly quick read (which is not as surprising as finding out that it is essentially YA). Now reading Stiletto, have Babylon's Ashes from the library and The Vorrh waiting in line (have to get through one last PhD thesis by the end of the week).
Darren wrote: "Scalzi claims never to have read The Forever War, before writing Old Man's War."Really? Seems like Haldeman's influence is all over that property. I wouldn't have believed it, but that seems pretty definitive.
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I also finally finished reading The Golem and the Jinni, which I enjoyed, even if it took me over a month to read (My Review).
Picking up The Night Eternal again, I took a break and read The Human Division instead.Anyone here have any recommendations for authors who have a similar writing style to Scalzi?
Viola wrote: "Anyone here have any recommendations for authors who have a similar writing style to Scalzi? "I would recommend the Sten series by Alan Cole and Chris Bunch. The first one is called, appropriately, Sten. I think there might be omnibus editions out.
Definitely Niven's Known Space. Scalzi is directly riffing on some of Niven's ideas. Solidly in that vein I would recommend Protector, followed by Ringworld. After that, the first installment of the series The Man-Kzin Wars, especially the Dean Ing story.
Some, but not all, of Jack L. Chalker's stuff. The four books that comprise the Four Lords of the Diamond. Maybe Dancers in the Afterglow, but it's more cynical than Scalzi.
Picked up the most recent Spectrum installment Spectrum 23: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art for a personal Sinterklaas Dag present. I bought it for myself instead of asking for it Xmas mostly because I had a bunch of B&N coupons that combined for 37% off. Gorgeous art on sale!
Finished Abaddon's Gate. Found Stiletto, the sequel to the Rook, at the library and decided to read it. Not enjoying it quite as much as the Rook, but it is pretty good.
I finished Hyperion, and I'm a bit disappointed. The various tales from each of the character were neat (some more than others), but I do feel pretty cheated that it's really only the first half of a story--it's not finished at all. I'll still try The Fall of Hyperion, but I usually quit series if the first book can't even tell a complete story...
John (Taloni) wrote: "Darren wrote: "Scalzi claims never to have read The Forever War, before writing Old Man's War."Really? Seems like Haldeman's influence is all over that property. I wouldn't have believed it, but ..."
Dug out the quote:
"...it's a measure of the significance of The Forever War in science fiction literature that readers and reviewers simply assumed (a) that I had read it of course, and (b) that my own novel of military science fiction was riffing off of yours to some greater or lesser extent. "
I read the introduction having read Old Man's War up to Zoe's Tale (which I loved), but never Haldeman. Then I read the book, and was like "but... but..." because it is hard to believe there wasn't some serious hommage going on.
David wrote: "I finished Hyperion, and I'm a bit disappointed. The various tales from each of the character were neat (some more than others), but I do feel pretty cheated that it's really only the ..."The Hyperion cantos really should be 2 books instead of 4. Hyperion and Fall of Hyperion together make one story and Endymion and Rise of Enymion make another story. From what I've read/heard, Dan Simmons intentionally wrote them that way.
I always thought that Hyperion ended the way it did as a tribute to Canterbury Tales.
Yeah, I just skimmed through a bunch of the Hyperion discussion back when this book group read it in 2012. Glad to see I wasn't alone in my dislike for the abrupt ending.I *had* come up with the idea that it was a Canterbury Tales reference to end like that, but further research revealed (like Shad just did above!) that it Hyperion & its sequel were originally one book split by the publisher. It's still really unfortunate and can leave a bad taste in one's mouth. (I've been wary of Angry Robot Books ever since they put out Guy Adams' The World House which is NOT a finished book.)
Trike wrote: "Viola wrote: "Anyone here have any recommendations for authors who have a similar writing style to Scalzi? "I would recommend the Sten series by Alan Cole and Chris Bunch. The first one is called..."
Trike, would reading Ringworld first before Protector destroy the flow?
I recently found out about Hoopla AND that my public library allows for 7 downloads a month through it. So I have started Zodiac by Romina Russell, which appears to be a YA high-fantasy science fiction astrology series. It was a pick from the Eclectic Readers podcast, and I felt like I would try reading a book they were discussing before trying their podcast.
Shad wrote: "David wrote: "I finished Hyperion, and I'm a bit disappointed. The various tales from each of the character were neat (some more than others), but I do feel pretty cheated that it's re..."I read Hyperion and followed it up with Fall of Hyperion to get the full story. Have no desire to continue with the other two books.
David wrote: "I finished Hyperion, and I'm a bit disappointed. The various tales from each of the character were neat (some more than others), but I do feel pretty cheated that it's really only the ..."Same here. I didn't like the writing, which was a problem, but the fact it went on and on and never reached its destination was the final straw. I do not understand why that book is held in such esteem.
Silvana wrote: "Trike, would reading Ringworld first before Protector destroy the flow? "Not at all. Ringworld was actually written first and that's how I read them, but chronologically Protector takes places centuries earlier. Read that way it's a prequel.
^Yep. If anything, read the collection "Tales of Known Space" first so you have some understanding of the universe, including Outsiders, Puppeteers, and Kzinti.Also, for my money Protector is about the best book ever, so I highly recommend it. The opening sequence alone is worth the price of the book.
Little help? I can't remember who Harry Wilson was in the Old Man's War book (first one.) He's a major character in book 5. I thought I would remember, but I don't. My friends Google and Wikipedia shrugged their shoulders.
John (Taloni) wrote: "Little help? I can't remember who Harry Wilson was in the Old Man's War book (first one.) He's a major character in book 5. I thought I would remember, but I don't. My friends Google and Wikipedia ..."From what I remember, he was one of the recruits along with John Perry. I think he might have been a doctor in a previous life? He was in the little cohort that John Perry was in, I think.
Finished River of Stars (stunningly and unsurprisingly good) and started Catalyst - A Rogue One Novel by James Luceno because: Star Wars!
%.John (Taloni) wrote: "Little help? I can't remember who Harry Wilson was in the Old Man's War book (first one.) He's a major character in book 5. I thought I would remember, but I don't. My friends Google and Wikipedia ..."He went up the space elevator with John Perry in the first book. I think he makes an appearance in the second book and he was a teacher back on Earth. Also, this information appears in the latter half of book 5.
^Thanks peeps! I had forgotten about the appearance in Ghost Brigades. I recall now.
Rick wrote: "Wilson is also in this short story on tor.com."That story is included in the full version of The Human Division!
My order for The New Weird by Ann Vandermeer and Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree Jr just came in the mail, so it looks like I'll be reading anthologies for the holidays.Recently finished The Rook, which was bad, The Weaver by Emmi Itäranta, which I absolutely loved, and The Stars My Destination.
Currently reading Laurie Penny's novella Everything Belongs to the Future.
My favorite of the "Old Man War" serials is from The End of All Things and is part 3 "Can Long Endure". I just think it is a nice capstone to the story interwoven throughout about Heather Lee's unit. It seems better written then the rest, and has a more complex message then the others. And could pretty much stand alone as a great short story. Personally I thought it was good enough to be in award consideration for short story (I think it was short enough, or the next level up if not), but that was the year Scalzi said he didn't want to be nominated for anything.
Brendan wrote: "My order for The New Weird by Ann Vandermeer and Her Smoke Rose Up Forever by James Tiptree Jr just came in the mail, so it looks like I'll be reading anthologies for the..."I have The New Weird on my shelf and have read the Tiptree twice, so so good.
John (Taloni) wrote: "^Yep. If anything, read the collection "Tales of Known Space" first so you have some understanding of the universe, including Outsiders, Puppeteers, and Kzinti.Also, for my money Protector is abo..."
Trike wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Trike, would reading Ringworld first before Protector destroy the flow? "
Not at all. Ringworld was actually written first and that's how I read them, but chronologically Protector..."
got it, thanks guys!
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The Sword and Laser
Books mentioned in this topic
Against a Dark Background (other topics)Lords of the North (other topics)
The Rook (other topics)
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (other topics)
Against a Dark Background (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Sinclair Lewis (other topics)L. Sprague de Camp (other topics)
Claudia Gray (other topics)
James Luceno (other topics)
Guy Gavriel Kay (other topics)
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Starting The Rook.