What else are you reading - July 2020

[Silvana]

Finished with The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water. I was bored and I refuse to call this wuxia.

Almost finished with An Informal History of the Hugos which read like a Goodreads threads since Walton included several comments from her articles in Tor.com and many, many titles were mentioned. There were some short essays on winning books but I skipped most of them so as not to get spoiled.

Starting Mexican Gothic which would be my first Silvia Moreno-Garcia novel.

[John (Taloni)]

Finished up Children of Dune. I didn't hate it as much as last time, but there are a number of bizarro elements I found offputting.

I'm doing this as part of giving the six Frank Herbert books a chance, since so many people love them. This meant rereading Dune, which I loved, and the next two, which I found forgettable at best decades ago, before moving on.

(view spoiler)[There are so many new devices introduced that I felt like an attorney on a court show saying "move to strike, introduces facts not in evidence. In Dune we had Paul's awareness become unstuck in time, evaluating future possibilities. We also had the Reverend Mother's memories passed along in a ritual. And nothing besides that.

Now in Children of Dune, we have memories shared down the bloodline. And not just memories, the personalities can take over a body. Er...okay. And apparently the Fremen have always known about this, and would regularly kill a person possessed in this fashion. Apparently spice unleashes the memories and they can stay after a spice orgy, so of course the Fremen continue taking spice in large doses.

And what else? Well, this convenient plot device is used to bring back the Baron Harkonnen. Bleah! No! I'm quite uncomfortable with Alia being turned into a villain. Toddler-Alia killing the Baron in Dune was one of the best parts.

Paul's alive, now the Prophet. I didn't remember this part. It's actually the best part of the book, a commentary on Jesus and the religion he spawned. Herbert strongly implies that our own Jesus went to the desert, and the story of his resurrection and ascension to heaven could fit that. As religious commentary I found the idea interesting, if not the execution.

And Leto? He becomes a superhero by putting sand trout on his body. This was never mentioned before, nor is any reason given why Leto can do it and not everyone else. If you could have near immortality just for giving up reproduction, pretty much every Fremen would do it after they're done having children.

Alia's a forum just by herself. We've assumed from the first book that the Harkonnen family is overweight due to genetics. Since Alia gains weight after the Baron assumes influence over her, the implication is that it is a moral failing. I'm not good for the fat bashing, but this is a interesting concept from 100 Years of Solitude, where some of the characters were "morally fat" despite eating little.

Alia's end is more than a little silly. Jessica muses at the end that she feels Alia could have been saved. Readers think the same! At best I found it modestly ironic that Alia is called on to end Baron Harkonnen's evil a second time.

So in the end Children of Dune is a forum for ideas shoved into a skeleton plot with little justification. Some of the ideas are interesting. It's not nearly well enough done to compare to Dune. (hide spoiler)]

[Jennifer]

I have read Artificial Condition (amazing and hysterical) and am almost done with Our Children's Children. It was ...amazing to read about people gathering in Lafayette Square, and about a President who first instinct is to help and to seek reasonable solutions.

[Tamahome]

"Politics is a very complicated and a most practical business.... You can't ever afford to get emotional.... Oh, it's all right to appear to be emotional. Sometimes that has a certain appeal for the electorate. But before you can afford to get emotional you must have everything all figured out ahead of time. You may be emotional for effect, but never because you feel that way."

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

Jennifer wrote: "It was ...amazing to read about...a President who first instinct is to help and to seek reasonable solutions."

If only it weren't Science-Fiction.

[Rick]

John (Taloni) wrote: "Finished up Children of Dune. I didn't hate it as much as last time, but there are a number of bizarro elements I found offputting.

I'm doing this as part of giving the six Frank Herbert books a c..."

(view spoiler)[
"And Leto? He becomes a superhero by putting sand trout on his body. This was never mentioned before, nor is any reason given why Leto can do it and not everyone else. If you could have near immortality just for giving up reproduction, pretty much every Fremen would do it after they're done having children."

Uh... no. Remember Leto's fate for doing this.
(hide spoiler)]

[Geoff]

I just finished A Song for a New Day. I _think_ it was good, but man was it a tough read. Very prescient (more on the social distancing phenomenon than the pandemic, but still).

Next up is The Relentless Moon.

[Stephen]

starting The Collapsing Empire as the third book in the series has come out.

[Rick]

Finished my read of the Vlad Taltos books with Vallista and Tiassa.

It's been an interesting contrast with Peace Talks, the latest Dresden Files book. Brust is writing at a higher level than Butcher and mixing things up in ways that keep the series really interesting. Some of that is the decision each made in how to structure their series (Butcher's is chronological, Brust's skips back and forth in time), but Butcher's writing has also become formulaic.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I'm reading Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes and I feel like it's trying to scratch the Becky Chambers itch but isn't quite doing it, partly because the main character is a bit frustrating. I like the character who shows his emotions through the scents he gives off.

[Martin]

I’m a big time travel fan. The Man Who Folded Himself is a classic that is hard to live up to, so I was very happy to come across Man in the Empty Suit, which had great reviews.

Alas, probably going to lem it...no fun at all.

[Silvana]

Finished with Mexican Gothic. Very immersive and Shirley Jackson fans will love it.

Starting The Sol Majestic, supposedly a culinary space opera.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I finished another collection of stories by original Twilight Zone writer Charles Beaumont:


Yonder by Charles Beaumont
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

As a result of finishing this collection, I have also read all the stories in these two Beaumont collections as was able to rate and review them as well - both are out of print but well worth picking up if you should happen to find them second-hand:


The Magic Man and Other Science-Fantasy Stories by Charles Beaumont
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


The Edge by Charles Beaumont
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I'm starting the final Beaumont collection, published posthumously and consisting of several unpublished stories:


A Touch of the Creature by Charles Beaumont

[Silvana]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I'm reading Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes and I feel like it's trying to scratch the Becky Chambers itch but isn't quite doing it, partly because the main char..."

Is it like a slice of life thing? I watched one of her panels recently in Comic Con.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Silvana wrote: "Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I'm reading Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes and I feel like it's trying to scratch the Becky Chambers itch but isn't quite doing it,..."

Well it's a space crew of misfits and they are being forced into picking up deliveries that are dangerous... I dunno, it lacks some oomph somehow.

[Silvana]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I'm reading Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes and I feel like it's trying to scratch the Becky Chambers itch but isn't..."

thanks, Jenny. I guess it'll stay in my maybe shelf for now.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Silvana wrote: "Finished with Mexican Gothic. Very immersive and Shirley Jackson fans will love it.

Starting The Sol Majestic, supposedly a culinary space opera."

Both of these sound good to me. I was going to say I hadn't heard of a culinary space opera but then I guess maybe The Restaurant at the End of the Universe counts.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Silvana wrote: "Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Silvana wrote: "Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "I'm reading Chilling Effect by Valerie Valdes and I feel like it's trying to scratch the ..."

Well, one never knows if it's just quarantine brain.

[Trike]

Martin wrote: "I’m a big time travel fan. The Man Who Folded Himself is a classic that is hard to live up to, so I was very happy to come across Man in the Empty Suit, which had grea..."

I highly recommend Ted Chiang’s recent collection, Exhalation: Stories. There are a couple brilliant time travel stories therein.

Recursion by Blake Crouch is quite good, too.

[RJ - Slayer of Trolls]

I finished:


Death's Master by Tanith Lee
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

and I started reading:


The Tombs of Atuan by Ursula K. Le Guin

Whew! I think that's it for me in July...

[Joseph]

Finished massive historical novel Byzantium and moved on to something more bite-sized: Robert M. Price's sword & sorcery anthology The Mighty Warriors.

[Misti]

I finally finished Dune over the weekend. Looking forward to the movie (if it ever gets released).

I'm reading Binti now.

[elizabeth • paper ghosts]

I finished up The Empire of Gold over the weekend, and I cried. A lot. I'm actually really sad that this is the last book set in this world, as I thought Chakraborty's writing just got stronger and stronger with each book. I can't wait to read her next series.

I read Mexican Gothic in two sittings, and it was super entertaining, easy to read, and definitely spooky. I seem to always have a slight disconnect with Moreno-Garcia's writing for some reason, so I was happy that I enjoyed this one more than previous works I've read by them.

Finally diving in on Black Leopard, Red Wolf this afternoon. I doubt I'll finish it before the month is over - I'm happy that August's pick is on the shorter side.

[Trike]

Finished Network Effect. Murderrrboooottt! And! (view spoiler)[Murderbot 2.0! (hide spoiler)] And! (view spoiler)[Three! As in newly emancipated SecUnit 3. (hide spoiler)]

Bring on Fugitive Telemetry!

[Trike]

Currently listening to Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks. It has a full cast recording, which is terrific. So far Judy Greer is the main narrator and she’s crushing it. Nathan Fillion (probably most famous as James F. Ryan in Saving Private Ryan) is likewise great. He managed to get Kai Ryssdal to play himself, too.

[Tamahome]

Nathan Fillion, the captain from Firefly?

[Trike]

Tamahome wrote: "Nathan Fillion, the captain from Firefly?"

The Costner flick? I don’t think so.

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

Yeah "Saving Private Ryan" wouldn't have been my first go-to for his famous "known-by" role. I'd forgotten he was even in it.

'Firefly' for sure, then 'Castle', then maybe "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog"

[Trike]

My jokes are not being appreciated this day. 😐

[Ruth]

Tassie Dave wrote: "Yeah "Saving Private Ryan" wouldn't have been my first go-to for his famous "known-by" role. I'd forgotten he was even in it.

'Firefly' for sure, then 'Castle', then maybe "Dr. Horrible's Sing-Alo..."

Wait, Nathan Fillion was in Saving Private Ryan??

[Trike]

Ruth wrote: "Wait, Nathan Fillion was in Saving Private Ryan??"

https://youtu.be/SRZIdnkNVCY

[Ruth]

Trike wrote: "Ruth wrote: "Wait, Nathan Fillion was in Saving Private Ryan??"

https://youtu.be/SRZIdnkNVCY"

Wait, was that Ted Danson??
Is everyone in that movie?!

[John (Nevets)]

Trike I got it, but I might have paired it with “Two guys, a girl, and a pizza place” as another more obscure reference two solidify the joke.
Also emojis are your friend. ;-)

[Mark]

Finding Serenity: Nathan Fillion’s best roles to date
https://filmdaily.co/obsessions/natha...

[Seth]

Trike wrote: "He managed to get Kai Ryssdal to play himself, too."

The marketplace morning report (or On Being on Sunday) is the backdrop to my infant's first crying jag each morning (unless you count 2AM as the morning). I think him in an audiobook would trigger some unpleasant stress reaction.

[Misti]

Trike wrote: "My jokes are not being appreciated this day. 😐"

I thought it was funny.

Sounds like an interesting book. I'll have to check it out.

[Tamahome]

Text isn't funny without emojis. 🤡🤡

[Tassie Dave, S&L Historian]

I realised you were joking once you mention KC, but our posts had crossed over by then ;-)

[Joseph]

Just started Zen Cho's The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water.

[Aaron]

Trike wrote: "Currently listening to Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks. It has a full cast recording, which is terrific. So far Judy Greer is the mai..."

I second this review, but why no love for the other public radio host? Terry Gross is a national treasure!

[Trike]

Aaron wrote: "Trike wrote: "Currently listening to Devolution: A Firsthand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre by Max Brooks. It has a full cast recording, which is terrific. So far Judy Gr..."

I didn’t know she was in it when I posted. Her part is at the end. I’m a huge fan of hers.

I did mention her in my review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...