The Sword and Laser discussion
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What Else Are You Reading?
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What Else Are You Reading - January 2019
Joseph wrote: "Matt wrote: "Read a few things this weekend. Powered through The City of Brass which was excellent!
Also finished Relic by Preston and Child.
Question on Relic, would..."
Thank you Joseph! That makes more sense. I didn't think about the "science" behind it actually, because you are right it was pretty bad and loose.
Matt wrote: "Also finished Relic by Preston and Child.
Question on Relic, would you consider this a Sword book? Technically not fantasy in the generic sense of the word since it is more police procedural, but it has fantastical elements with a strange beast stalking a museum. I'm debating shelving it towards my Sword goal...."
I think it’s Fantasy. It was so preposterous that it broke my willing suspension of disbelief.
This is also one of the all-time stupidest books I’ve ever read. I remember when it came out in the mid-90s reading aloud from it at poolside, resulting in howls of laughter from my girlfriend.
Trike wrote: "This is also one of the all-time stupidest books I’ve ever read. I remember when it came out in the mid-90s reading aloud from it at poolside, resulting in howls of laughter from my girlfriend. "I love these Pendergast books because they are so stupid. There are a few that are actually pretty good, and a few that are so poorly written I hate read them. Most of them are silly fun reads that are enjoyable because of their improbability.
Adelaide wrote: "I love these Pendergast books because they are so stupid. There are a few that are actually pretty good, and a few that are so poorly written I hate read them. Most of them are silly fun reads that are enjoyable because of their improbability. .."My favorite was probably Reliquary, just because I loved all of the running around in the NY subway system.
I think I'm about 3-4 books behind, so it's getting time to binge until I'm caught up.
And here's my review for Fever Dream, which I'm kind of proud of.
Jessica wrote: "Oh, and I'm reading Into the Wild at my son's request."I've been reading through the whole Warriors series with my 12 yo daughter - they're fun, just a bit repetitive & pacing can be really slow at times ... we're on about the 10th book, so it's been feeling a bit formulaic.
Finished Weirdbook 31, read Beneath the Sugar Sky, and will be starting Alliance Rising: The Hinder Stars I pretty much as soon as it appears on my Kindle, which I hope will be in another 90 minutes or so.
Just finished the charming Witchmark, started Spinning Silver, working on a reread of The Grace of Kings for another club here, with Parable of the Sower waiting on my nightstand.
re: Relic - I really liked that book! Granted, I was probably a preteen when I read it, so I can't say I wouldn't find it "stupid" if I revisited it now.
Started Long Way Down yesterday. The book is written in verse and I inherently hear the words in my head like it's being read at a poetry slam. It's so good and will finish this very quickly. Haven't started yet but received FKA USA yesterday after winning it in a goodreads giveaway (woot). It's the debut novel of Reed King set to release in June and is a dystopian about a ruined America. Self described as "violent, dark and hilarious." Really intrigued to read this as there are zero written reviews currently and I know absolutely nothing about the author. Going in as cold as can be.
Edit: according to the publisher, Reed King is the pseudonym of a New York Times best selling author and TV writer. Also apparently Warner Bros bought the film rights in November.
Finished Flashman. I'm starting a program of getting to know better the history of spy and espionage fiction, so I've started James Fenimore Cooper's The Spy -- also, incidentally, one of the first (if not the first) occurrences in fiction of the word "cocktail" in reference to a mixed drink, which is only of interest to booze nerds like me, I reckon. Parallel to that, I'm reading Zelda Fitzgerald's Save Me The Waltz and, before bedtime, Weird Science Fiction Tales: 101 Weird Scifi Stories.
During the break I also read Causes of Separation, the second book in the "Aristillus" duology. Really just one long book like what Peter Hamilton does. This one continues the story of the "breakaway" moon colony located beneath the Aristillus crater on the Moon.The first book won the Prometheus award for Libertarian SF, and this one continues the Libertarian theme. The colony is "breakaway" largely because Earth has gotten jealous of the colony's economic success and wants a piece. This is most notably expressed in the US government's desire for the gold they have mined. (Between Lunar gold and endless tunnels, I kept wondering if the Selenites were going to show up, perhaps with a captive Cavor in tow.)
The revolution is displayed in all its gory glory. Travis Corcoran is a Libertarian, but he knows its limitations. He shows the failures of a lack of leadership during the revolt and its consequences on the people living there.
Several current social trends come in for a lampooning and are extended ad absurdum. I felt this led to a missed opportunity. In the most extreme example, military squads are required to bring handicapped soldiers into battle along with the able bodied. Yet in space, those handicapped people may well be better at zero G or low G fighting. A soldier well equipped for battle in regular gravity may find himself overreacting physically in low G where a soft touch would work better.
Given the pedigree, I came to this set of books thinking it might be along the lines of L. Neil Smith's Libertarian classic, The Probability Broach. But where Smith's book is slick, this one is more dedicated to the nitty gritty. There's a lot of detail, and humans, uplifted dogs and an AI cogitate on historical forms of government in the context of their reaction to the current situation. It can get dense. You may find yourself reaching for Wikipedia on more than one occasion.
I definitely enjoyed the read. The author wears his ideology on his sleeve and it permeates the book. Good action sequences, nice use of nonhuman characters, and a fairly realistic moon colony. The ending is both out of left field and obvious from the clues, if only you had an idea what they meant as Corcoran salts them throughout the book.
Yesterday I finished The Forgotten Beasts of Eld. I quite enjoyed it. It was lyrical and well-written, and I was caught up with the heroine and the story. I'm happy I finally got to this book.
There is a group of science faculty at my institution who wanted to read a science fiction novel together, and picked Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson. I got invited as someone who is known to read books. :)I started it yesterday. The only other KSR I've ever read is the THIRD California Triptych book, Pacific Edge (not to be confused with Pacific Rim.)
And now I want to see KSR write a novel about giant robots battling kaiju.
Joseph wrote: "And now I want to see KSR write a novel about giant robots battling kaiju."Well yeah, I have to say that Pacific Edge is considerably LESS exciting than what I went into it expecting because of my mixup. I mean, it's basically a utopia where people play baseball a lot.
Joseph wrote: "And now I want to see KSR write a novel about giant robots battling kaiju."“Janeen finished the weld on the Titan XR’s ankle, thinking about how Bob had flirted with her at lunch. Truth was, Janeen was more interested in Bob’s wife, Kimiko, who, she knew, was involved with the son of Bob’s boss, Roberto. Roberto was a dark-eyed sailor who had been radicalized by the zealots who believed the gigantic kaiju were sent by ancient gods to effect political change in the world. The failure of both socialism and democracy was inevitable when the towering monsters attacked everywhere all at once. No systems could stand against that, but Janeen put her faith in science and circuits. She patted the red-striped foot of the skyscraper-tall robot. Only the supertech of the visionary engineer Vasily von Sternberg, a Russian-German Jew who had grown up on Antarctica could save them all. In the distance a kaiju mating call could be heard.”
Trike wrote: "Joseph wrote: "And now I want to see KSR write a novel about giant robots battling kaiju."“Janeen finished the weld on the Titan XR’s ankle, thinking about how Bob had flirted with her at lunch. ..."
I think you’re on to something.
Trike wrote: "Joseph wrote: "And now I want to see KSR write a novel about giant robots battling kaiju."“Janeen finished the weld on the Titan XR’s ankle, thinking about how Bob had flirted with her at lunch. ..."
*wild applause*
Finished with Fire & Blood. I loved it but think it is only enjoyable for die hard ASOIAF fans who enjoyed the fake history narrative style in previous publications.Also finished with The Black Tides of Heaven. While I appreciated the gender diversity aspect, I could not connect to the characters.
Now starting Ancillary Justice. My first Ann Leckie, Provenance, was just meh, I have low expectation for this one.
King of Assassins by R.J. Barker. The final in a fantastic trilogy. The audiobooks read by Joe Jameson have been amazing as well. Children of the Nameless by Brandon Sanderson. Really have enjoyed this despite never having played Magic.
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
Finished Long Way Down and loved it. Highly recommend. Started A Christmas Carol. A little late but it's so short so not much commitment also my decorations are still up so it still feels festive :)
Finished Alliance Rising: The Hinder Stars I, which was a great return to Union/Alliance, and am continuing onward with Heavy Time.
I just finished reading Senlin Ascends, which was wonderful. Maybe the group could consider reading it someday!My Review
I just finished Spinning Silver, and I can't recommend it enough. My first 5 star rating of 2019. Super compelling, fast-paced, wonderful characters. Next up, The Monster Baru Cormorant.
Going to make my way through Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan Saga in the recommended chronological order. I had read Falling Free a few years ago. I just finished Shards of Honor this past weekend and almost done with Barrayar. If I continue through, I can knock out my pledged laser reads pretty quickly.
Silvana wrote: "Finished with Fire & Blood. I loved it but think it is only enjoyable for die hard ASOIAF fans who enjoyed the fake history narrative style in previous publications.Also finished ..."
I agree with you on Provenance, also my first Ann Leckie. Have Ancillary Justice but haven't yet read it. Would be interested to know what you think of it when you finish it.
Just finished listening to Ninefox Gambit. I found this book a struggle. I don't know if it has to do with the author or the narrator on Audible.Last night, I finished reading Six Wakes on the Kindle. It kinda helped fill the Dark Matter shaped void in my heart (darn you, Syfy!).
Our library is having their grand re-opening this weekend following an extensive renovation. I look forward to seeing it and know I'll probably checking out a book or 12. Now is probably a good time to get started on my graphic novel challenge.
I finished Artemis by Andy Weir. I am reading All Systems Red by Martha Wells and Bleak Harbor by Bryan Gruley. I plan to read Origin by Dan Brown next.
I finished How Long 'til Black Future Month?. I really enjoyed it. My review.Now reading All the Birds in the Sky.
Finished A Christmas Carol and loved it. I was surprised how much of the Muppet version is word for word from the book. Also the book really doesn't have much variation story wise and is very short. One thing I was a little bummed about was the ending. It just felt truncated or rushed to some degree. Glad I squeezed this one in though. Jumped aboard the hype train from the show and downloaded Bird Box. Haven't read a true thriller and in the early going this doesn't disappoint. Starts out tense, gripping and and fast-paced. Great change of pace from everything else in my currently reading. Also apparently Malerman lives in my city so that's neat. I'll have to keep an eye out for events.
Erik wrote: "Finished A Christmas Carol and loved it. I was surprised how much of the Muppet version is word for word from the book. Also the book really doesn't have much variation story wise and i..."And the parts that aren't verbatim are cheekily so, like "The Marleys were dead to begin with....." Heh.
Yeah the book was exactly what I was hoping it would be. Same cheery/quirky tone and all. I also didn't intentionally go into it looking to compare and contrast the book with the muppet movie but I was just really surprised how much of the dialogue was used verbatim and couldn't help picturing Gonzo and Michael Caine.
Finished Abhorsen. I love the Old Kingdom by Garth Nix! About half way through Wrath of Empire and loving it. Currently listening to Altar of Influence: The Orsarian War.
Listened to The Stranger by Harlan Coben and Void Moon by Michael Connelly in the last week. Not Sci Fi / Fantasy but I tend to listen to both mystery / thriller and sci fi / fantasy. Currently listening to Ex-Purgatory by Peter Clines. Should finish it in the next day or two and will then listen to Ex-Isle by Clines to wrap up the series.
After that I think its time to dive back into Malazan with Midnight Tides. I always take a break after any Malazan books as I find them enjoyable but exhausting. Which is why in the in betweens I cleanse my mind with easy to listen and follow books by authors like Coben and Connelly.
Reading Alliances and found myself still hearing Lars Mikkelsen's voice everytime Thrawn speaks. Dammit I miss Rebels.Robyn wrote: "I agree with you on Provenance, also my first Ann Leckie. Have Ancillary Justice but haven't yet read it. Would be interested to know what you think of it when you finish it. ."
Hi Robyn, I finished Ancillary Justice. In short, I found it overly convoluted at times (similar with Provenance) even during dialogues but the main character is much more endearing and I liked the AI/ship concept in it so I will continue to the next ones.
Just finishedAltar of Influence: The Orsarian War. It was just ok. Started listening to The Faceless Ones.
I finished reading the graphic novel version of the The Graveyard Book, Volume 1 last night. I read the book version several years ago. There was so much I'd forgotten. Re-reading in graphic novel form was fun.Went to our local library's grand re-opening this morning (it looks great) and checked out The Aeronaut's Windlass.
I finally got around to reading Children of Time, which I quite liked. It suffers a bit by comparison to the brilliant classic Dragon's Egg by Robert L. Forward, but Tchaikovsky carves out a slightly new space of his own and tells a very satisfying story.My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Misti wrote: "Went to our local library's grand re-opening this morning (it looks great)"Are there photos online of the renovation?
Are there photos online of the renovation?"There aren't any photos on their Facebook page or website yet. I didn't take any while I was there (Sorry!). Hopefully they'll add some soon.
I finished Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson and really enjoyed the discussion we had of it at work. It's nice when an author who usually writes books in series writes a solid standalone. My review is here.
Finished with Alliances - I have lots of complaints, but it's still good compared with other new canon books I read.Starting Gods, Monsters, and the Lucky Peach.
I finished All the Birds in the Sky and I did not like it. Which is disappointing because I like Charlie Jane Anders. My review.So should I tag this as fantasy or sci-fi for the reading challenge? I lean fantasy.
It's both, Dara. G E N R E B E N D I N G.
David wrote: "It's both, Dara. G E N R E B E N D I N G."I did that last year for The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O.. I'll do it again!
There's another millennial satirical post-apocalyptic zombie-light novel making the rounds outside of science fiction, and I always count those as laser reads. It's called Severance by Ling Ma and is a case of the sum being better than its parts.My review is here.
Dara wrote: "I finished All the Birds in the Sky and I did not like it. Which is disappointing because I like Charlie Jane Anders. My review.So should I tag this as fantasy or..."
I also went with Fantasy. I also did not like it.
Finished Slouching Towards Bethlehem and loved every bit of it. Such a beautifully written collection of American screenshots. My only concern is that this was one of my first essay collections and I set the bar too high for everything else (also read Nobody Cares and am a few essays into Consider the Lobster and Other Essays). Almost finished with Song of Solomon. I knew basically nothing about this book beyond the author and it is such a unique, odd story that really weaves together as it goes. Glad I picked this one.
Still need to start NG but am confident (kind of) that I will finish it before the end of January and not start behind on the S&L picks.
Trike wrote: "I also went with Fantasy. I also did not like it."+5 for similar tastes to me.
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The Sword and Laser
Books mentioned in this topic
Fahrenheit 451 (other topics)Fahrenheit 451 (other topics)
The Traitor Baru Cormorant (other topics)
The Magicians (other topics)
Ninefox Gambit (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Stuart Turton (other topics)Charlie Jane Anders (other topics)
Charlie Jane Anders (other topics)
Martha Wells (other topics)
Bryan Gruley (other topics)
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Powered through The City of Brass which was excellent!
Also finished Relic by Preston and Child.
Question on Relic, would you consider..."
If I was going to shelf Relic for a challenge, I'd probably lean more towards Laser, actually -- there's a (very bad) "scientific" rationalization for the monster; it's kind of a step or two removed from, say, Jurassic Park or something similar, as opposed to, say, 'Salem's Lot where there are actual supernatural vampires.