Science Fiction Aficionados discussion
Books
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What are you currently reading?
Clyde wrote: "deleted user wrote: "The Mote in God´s Eye... this has been a huge disappointment. I am glad that it is almost over. Any thoughts on this "classic" work from the 70´s?"Well, we cannot all like th..."
My dad considered both this and Lucifer's Hammer required reading for me.
deleted user wrote: "...It´s still important to read where the genre came from. Most of the elements of modern Sci-Fi are just copies and reworkings of things that have already been done. New stuff is mostly just a reimagining for a modern audience, not really anything new. Truly original works are very few and far between these days."I agree a little background reading is good but I don't want to torture myself.
Authors who try too hard to be original often fail on characterization and storytelling. I prefer a well written plot and protagonist I can care for.
Just finished listening to A Carrion Death
by Michael Stanleyhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Kirsten wrote: "Clyde wrote: "deleted user wrote: "The Mote in God´s Eye... this has been a huge disappointment. I am glad that it is almost over. Any thoughts on this "classic" work from the 70´s?"Well, we cann..."
Did you enjoy The Mote in God's Eye? It's one of my all-time favourites!
Although I read Footfall a couple of year's ago, and was hugely dissapointed! :-(
by Daniel Snyder is a great start to a brand new science fiction series of short stories. You are introduced to Commander Daniel Stone, a futuristic warrior who is assisted by nannite technology to ensure he is virtually indestructible and has lightening reflexes. He is armed with a medieval weapon that has been adapted with new technology for the 25th century. Together they defend vulnerable worlds against the terrorists of the Universe. He is adored by two beautiful alien females and is the most honorable man in the Universe. Chances are when you have read the book you will want to be Commander Daniel Stone.I have actually just finished reading this and I am looking forward to the next in the series which I am told will be available in a couple of weeks from now.
American Fantastic Tales: Terror and the Uncanny from the 1940's Until Now. It is an easier read than the first volume (more contemporary) so I am going to try to read it straight through without any breaks.
I'm currently reading The Hermetic Millennia by John C. Wright. It's the second book in a trilogy, the first of which is Count to a Trillion. The first book kept my interest up enough so I wanted to get the second. I think it is now getting even more interesting. Parts are difficult to read, other parts a little silly, but overall I'm enjoying it. I wonder if anyone else in this group has read this. I'm sure I will read the last book of the trilogy when I finish this one.
Larry wrote: "I'm currently reading The Hermetic Millennia by John C. Wright. It's the second book in a trilogy, the first of which is Count to a Trillion. The first book kept my interest up enough so I wanted..."I have the first book but haven't read it yet. Was surprised to find that there are already three. I have only seen the first in stores.
Scott wrote: "Larry wrote: "I'm currently reading The Hermetic Millennia by John C. Wright. It's the second book in a trilogy, the first of which is Count to a Trillion. The first book kept my interest up enou..."Yes, they are out! A Goodreads friend of them has read all three, and according to him, each book gets better. So I'm looking forward to reading them.]
Good to know...perhaps I will start it soon!
Just finished reading Murder, She Barked
by Krista Davis today.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished And Did Murder Him
by Peter Turnbull yesterday.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished reading Rendezvous with Rama
by Arthur C. Clarkehttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm in the middle of great new science fiction find, The Three-Body Problem
by Liu Cixin. It's nominated for both the Hugo and Nebula Awards and is by the #1 science fiction author in China.
Last week I finished The Name of the Wind. It was a great book. I will be reading the next one soon.Now I am reading Predator One.
The Day Before the Revolution - a short story which is a kind of prologue to The Dispossessed which I'm currently re-reading. Here's my review.
Finished reading When Gravity Fails
by George Alec Effinger yesterday.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I finished reading The Year We Left Home
by Jean Thompson yesterday.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished reading Gun, With Occasional Music
by Jonathan Lethemhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Finished reading the second book in the Marid Audran trilogy today. Very sad to think I'll only have one more book in the Budayeen, sad indeed.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished listening to Her Royal Spyness
by Rhys Bowen. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished reading Brown Girl Dreaming
by Jacqueline Woodsonhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Just finished reading (unfortunately) Gone Girl
by Gillian Flynnhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I just finished reading Euphoria
by Lily King which was inspired by actual events in the life of Margaret Mead.https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Deathbird Stories, a story collection from Harlan Ellison. I highly recommend it - my review is here.
I am on book 2 of the John Carter/Barsoom series by Edgar Rice Burroughs.
About a third of the way through
. Good so far.
I read Predator One and Cycle of the Werewolf. I timed it pretty good so that this morning I could start Finders Keepers.
Just finished reading When Christ and His Saints Slept
by Sharon Kay Penmanhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I'm halfway through with Nemesis Games by James S.A. Corey, the fifth novel in the ongoing Expanse series. It's great, just as the earlier four novels in this series were.
I finished reading/listening to True Detective
by Max Allan Collins which I got through the Kindle Unlimited program. Now, I can finally get back to Marid Audran in the Budayeen!https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I am enjoying Zoe's Tale
. This book basically retells the same story as the previous book but from Zoe's perspective. It should feel overly familiar and slightly stale but Scalzi creates such great characters that I am loving it.
Mod
Just finished reading The Cuckoo's Calling
by Robert Galbraithhttps://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Have nearly finished 'Proxima' by Stephen Baxter - this is a return to form after some dubious digressions.
Science Fiction Aficionados
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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Well, we cannot all like the same things. I think The Mote in God's Eye is one of the best SF novels I have ever read and perhaps the best ever first contact novel.
It is important to realize that the characters Niven and Pournelle were writing about did not come from a culture like that of the USA. I think Charlemagne's empire during the Middle Ages is analogous in some respects.