Which one should I read next?

[Isabel (kittiwake)]

I have 9 books on my to-read-sfbrp bookshelf, and I can't decide which one to read first, although I am leaning towards a re-read of Steel Beach about which I remember almost nothing except that I absolutely loved it. So which of the others do you think I should read next? Are there any must-reads that should go straight to the top of my list?


There are five that I have never read (the first two were picked up after listening to Luke's reviews, and the other three were already on Mount TBR):
The Age of Eternity
When Gravity Fails
House of Suns
Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom
Accelerando

There are also three that I have read before:
The Day of the Triffids
Stories of Your Life and Others
Steel Beach

[Kristen]

When Gravity Fails is a favorite of mine so I'd recommend it to you especially if you haven't read it yet.


sidenote: Luke's review of Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom was enough to steer me away from it even though I have a free eBook version of it.

[Emanuel]

House of Suns. It's really, really good!

[George]

I vote for 'House of Suns' as well. I mostly enjoy Alastair Reynolds' stories. And I would also down-vote Accelerando.

[Emanuel]

I tried to read Accelerando but it felt so dated. I just couldn't finish the book. And I really loved Singularity Sky and Halting state so it's nothing personal...

[Isabel (kittiwake)]

Thanks for your advice everyone!

Two votes for House of Suns so I think I'll read that next, as I already know I like Alastair Reynolds.

And two against Accelerando. Oh well, at least that and Down & Out in the Magic Kingdom were free downloads. I did like Halting State, and I have a couple of Charles Stross's Merchant Princes fantasy books waiting to be read, so I hope they'll be better too.

Has anyone read Someone Comes to Town, Someone Leaves Town by Cory Doctorow? I already have that one too, so I'm hoping it's better as it was written later.

[Isabel (kittiwake)]

Isabel wrote: "Two votes for House of Suns so I think I'll read that next, as I already know I like Alastair Reynolds."

And after listening to the SFBRP reviews of other Reynolds novels, I'll now be paying attention to every little thing that happens or is mentioned in passing, to see how it fits in.

[Rachel]

Hey Isabel,
I know you've already picked a horse, but for the next time I'd recommend The Ophiuchi Hotline (assuming you haven't read it already) instead of re-reading Steel Beach. Also by Varley. Steel Beach is good but I thought The Ophiuchi Hotline was better! And they are both set in the same general world.

[Isabel (kittiwake)]

Thanks Rachel. I started on House of Suns yesterday, but John Varley is on my list for early April. I have read The Ophiuchi Hotline more recently than Steel Beach but it's definitely another one that i would ilke to re-read sometime soon. Perhaps I should just designate April as John Varley month and re-read everything of his that I own, plus The Golden Globe which I haven't read before."

[Tyler]

House of Suns was such a great read.

[Mouldy Squid]

House of Suns is one of Reynolds' best stand alone novels. If you are looking for more of Reynolds but don't want to tackle his Revelation Space series (which can be read as stand alones as well, but best as a series), try Pushing Ice. I would say that Pushing Ice is a close second for his best novel yet.

Accelerando while having it's flaws, is not a terrible novel. Really, it is a set of collected stories reworked into novel form. It's a bit disjointed, but the individual parts of it are actually quite brilliant. It is not as good as most of Stross' work (The Laundry series is an absolute blast) but it is not awful by any stretch. It is worth reading, but only when you have exhausted the truly excellent Reynolds.

[Rachel]

Hmm, so much love for House of Suns I think I may have to check it out too!

Interesting idea Isabel, a whole Varley month? I haven't read The Golden Globe either but I see it's his only other novel set in the Steel Beach/Ophiuchi universe so maybe I'll have to check that out as well. I got a little burned by Varley after reading Rolling Thunder (his latest I think) which was horrible. And part of Red Thunder (which Luke tore into on the podcast.) Honestly I have to say Varley has written some of the very best and some of the very worst science fiction I have ever read!

[Isabel (kittiwake)]

I've not got round to re-reading "Steel Beach" yet, as I remembered that I get bored if I read too many books by the same author too close together, so reading 6 in a row would be a bad idea. I've read the first 3 Eight Worlds book so far, with one more to go before I get to "Steel Beach", so I should get round to it in late June or early July.

I'm now over half-way through "Down and Out in the Magic Kingdom" and so far I agree with Luke. I want to know more about Whuffie and I couldn't care less if Debra takes over the whole of Disneyworld.

[Emanuel]

I concur. "House of Suns" is about as awesome a scifi read as they get.

[Paul]

It's been said already "House of Suns"! I'm reading it for the second time. Not only is it a great story, it also ticks the great characters box and the writing is one of the most beautiful I've come across in sic-fi.