Cordelia's Pick-Scalzi's Collapsing Empire

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

It's September, so it's time for our pick from Cordelia, and it's one I have been very curious about, so I am glad I finally have the chance to read The Collapsing Empire

[Allan]

50 pages in. I'll read anything by Scalzi, he's become one of my favorite authors in the last year. It can be the most serious story, but I'll laugh out loud at his dialogue or a reference he makes. "Rue smiled, thinly. Everyone on End, apparently, smiled that way." after he wrote of a couple other people in the doing that. Bastard had me looking back through the book to find the others.

[Cordelia]

Thanks Maggie for setting this up. I'm quite glad that this one won the poll. I probably wouldn't have read it otherwise - even though it was a Hugo nominee for 2018, and it won the locus award for best novel, again in 2018.. Just did not sound like the type of SF that I normally read.

But, I finished it a few days ago. And I have to say that I really enjoyed it. It is the first book of a new series by Scalzi. Was a bit slow and intense at first, but I can see that he was just setting up the scene and the characters for the rest of the series. So, if you you are finding it just a wee bit tedious, keep going. It is worth it. I cant wait for the next book to come out.

[Cordelia]

Allan wrote: "50 pages in. I'll read anything by Scalzi, he's become one of my favorite authors in the last year. It can be the most serious story, but I'll laugh out loud at his dialogue or a reference he makes..."

"End" was a bit like that, wasn't it. Life was all a bit "thin"

[Esther]

This was my favourite book of 2017 and I am now reading a sample of the sequel to tide me over until publication on 16th October.

I love Scalzi's easy writing style and snark. He makes me smile just with a turn of phrase.

[Allan]

Just finished it, only took me about two days. But I had a lazy day, all I did was read and paint. Really enjoyed it, it feels very much old school series sci-fi.

[Phil]

Just starting this after some heavy duty Fantasy reads (Gwynne's the faithful and the fallen, Ryan's Blood Song, Abercrombie's book of law). Love me some Scalzi!

[Phil]

Great read! It is amazing what Scalzi does with the word fuck!

[Allan]

Well, fuck, fuck" is the most versatile fucking word in the entire fucking English language!

[Jesus]

Funny thing, while looking for it in amazon, after Scalzi's book, there is another one called The Corroding Empire, with a cover very similar, and the autor Johan Kalzi, Too Similar, Weird.

Anyway, now got the book, Will start reading this weekend

[Jesus]

Just finished

Liked te mix of space merchant guilds with royal conspiracies.

Ah so cruel big cliffhanger at the end, and now to wait for next book to come out.

[Kirsten]

I really liked this when I read it. It was quite a rollicking space adventure and the names of the ships made me laugh.

Even the villains were lots of fun.

[Gary]

I liked this book. The world building is great, the characters are interesting, and the callbacks to other series is fun.
The second book of the series is The Consuming Fire which will be released on 10-16-18.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*]

LOVED this book and I've pre-ordered book 2.

Jesus wrote: "Funny thing, while looking for it in amazon, after Scalzi's book, there is another one called The Corroding Empire, with a cover very similar, and the autor Johan Kalzi, Too Similar, Weird.

Anyway..."


I just checked that out. Sooooo....noticed the editor is Vox Day (otherwise known as VD, hehe). VD hates Scalzi with the fire of someone who has been publicly dumped. It's probably trying to ride on his coattails, tweak his nose or something ex-spouse stalker-ish like that.

[Esther]

MrsJoseph wrote: "LOVED this book and I've pre-ordered book 2.."

Yep. Me, too.

[Kirsten]

I can't wait either!!!

[Kirsten]

Just requested my copy from the library.

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

MrsJoseph wrote: "LOVED this book and I've pre-ordered book 2.

Jesus wrote: "Funny thing, while looking for it in amazon, after Scalzi's book, there is another one called The Corroding Empire, with a cover very sim..."

Oh man, Vox Day is such an annoying twit! yeah he is just being a jerk there.

A few years ago, a group of authors that never won Hugos decided that the Hugos were just a mean spirited arm of left wing partisans or some such total nonsense. They drummed up some support via social media and got people to nominate their 'slate' of books to try and 'infiltrate' it. They called them selves the Sad Puppies or some other silly nonsense.
Some authors spoke out about their doings, bringing it to everyone's attention. Scalzi was one of those authors. So now they like to poke him.

[MrsJoseph *grouchy*]

Maggie wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "LOVED this book and I've pre-ordered book 2.

Jesus wrote: "Funny thing, while looking for it in amazon, after Scalzi's book, there is another one called The Corroding Empire, wit..."

Yep. That plus he sells like hotcakes and they...do not.

[C. John]

Maggie wrote: "MrsJoseph wrote: "LOVED this book and I've pre-ordered book 2.

Jesus wrote: "Funny thing, while looking for it in amazon, after Scalzi's book, there is another one called The Corroding Empire, wit..."

Ah politics, don't you just love it.

[Maggie, space cruisin' for a bruisin']

Allan wrote: "Well, fuck, fuck" is the most versatile fucking word in the entire fucking English language!"

I thought this was so great, how he got so much pleasant mileage out of swearing!

[Celtic]

Great to see Banksian ship names (the 'Tell Me Another One'; 'Yes Sir, That's My Baby';
'No Sir, I Don't Mean Maybe'; 'I Think We're Alone Now'; and 'If You Want To Sing Out, Sing Out'). I enjoyed this but it was too short really - a good sign in some ways but I'd rather read the whole story at once. Like others, I enjoyed the 'fuck' riffing - nice too to see cockwomble get an outing.