What Are You Reading?

pljudge321

ixoy wrote: »

Currently reading "The Gathering Storm" by Brendan Sanderson (working off notes from Robert Jordan). As it's the 1,345th instalment in the "Wheel of Time" series, it's good to see that it finally seems to be ramping up to an end. There's a bit of pace so far that I hope keeps up.

Next one is out November 2nd. I can't imagine what its like being someone who started the series in 1989 and is still hanging in there.

ixoy

Trojan wrote: »

Just finished "The Folding Knife" by KJ Parker. Story of a Machiavellian type ruling a Roman style city. Well written but very fast paced, maybe a bit too fast. I really enjoyed it right up to the end but she did a Gemmell on it and crammed the ending into 40 pages instead of 200.

How does it compare to the Engineer trilogy? That too featured a Machiavellian type in Vaatzes.
Also curious: What technical angle features here? The Scavenger trilogy had forging, the Engineer trilogy had ... engineering, the Fencer trilogy had... fencing.

I've got Parker's "The Company" on my reading pile, so hopefully it's good.

pljudge321 wrote: »

Next one is out November 2nd. I can't imagine what its like being someone who started the series in 1989 and is still hanging in there.

I started at Book 5 and then filled in Books 1-4. So I reckon that's me going since about 1994 (it was a PB version). Damn that's a long time!

I've been reading Feist longer, since before the publication of "The King's Buccaneer", probably not long after "A Darkness at Sethanon" came out. Reckon about 1990 or so! Damn... that's real long. 23 novels later and I'm still going.

Trojan

ixoy wrote: »

How does it compare to the Engineer trilogy? That too featured a Machiavellian type in Vaatzes.
Also curious: What technical angle features here? The Scavenger trilogy had forging, the Engineer trilogy had ... engineering, the Fencer trilogy had... fencing.

Business/macro-economics, but it wasn't as detailed as the Engineer trilogy (which is the only other KJP I've read).

It was much faster paced than Engineer, and the protagonist is not quite as manipulative as Vaatzes (which would be difficult to achieve in any event!).

If you're stuck for something to read, definitely worth a look, but there's much better quality reading out there. I'd equate it to some of Robin Hobb's latest stuff.

mcgovern

mcgovern wrote: »

Finished that yesterday, good read
Now onto Line War by Neal Asher.

Finished that at the weekend, and then Prador Moon, also by Asher, both very enjoyable, though the main moment of Prador Moon is mentioned in several of the other Polity books, so the suprise is kinda ruined by that.
Next up is A Second Chance at Eden by Hamilton.

matrim

Currently reading Trudi Canavan, Age of the Five Trilogy.

bonkey

Just started re-reading the first two books of Peter Hamilton's Void trilogy.

IIRC, book 3 is out this summer sometime

NotInventedHere

Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny from the science fiction masterworks series It's based on buddist and hindu mythology and it's brilliant.

Macca3000

matrim wrote: »

Currently reading Trudi Canavan, Age of the Five Trilogy.

It's not bad. Nowhere near as good as her Black Magician trilogy.
Wrapped up Age of the Five too fast. Could have easily got another book out of it. Didn't explore the Wilds nearly enough as she should.

Still enjoyable though.

ixoy

Currently reading "Shadow Gate" by Kate Elliott, the 2nd in her Crossroads trilogy. Liking it so far and it helps that it's not too long since I read the first book (six months ago). I like her style and she's got engaging (if slightly depressed!) characters.

Also reading Greg Egan's "Luminous" - a collection of short stories. Interesting so far. Egan's got some mind for high ideas on him - one story manages to credibly mix mitochondrial DNA with quantum theory. Now that's hardcore sci-fi.

JellyBeana

Just finished Game of Thrones by R.R. Martin and moved straight on to book two. It's the most well-written story I've ever come across, can't wait to get through the other books.

sxt

NotInventedHere wrote: »

Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny from the science fiction masterworks series It's based on buddist and hindu mythology and it's brilliant.

I will be currently reading that book in about two weeks time

GisforGrenade

JellyBeana wrote: »

Just finished Game of Thrones by R.R. Martin and moved straight on to book two. It's the most well-written story I've ever come across, can't wait to get through the other books.

I really wish I could be starting that series for the first time, I have been waiting 6 years for the fifth book but it will be worth it, he is a phenomenal talent.

AnCapaillMor

Just finished a feast for crows, don't think i'll last the till he finish the series. #

BTW whens the next one out, amazon has it down from september but can't find it anywehere else.

GisforGrenade

The Waterstone's website has it down for a September release as well.

ixoy

GisforGrenade wrote: »

The Waterstone's website has it down for a September release as well.

Ignore it - the date's a load of nonsense. He has a section on his site where he'll announce when he's finished principal writing. He hasn't done that yet. Even when that's done it needs to go through the full editing process before it can even look at being published.
Don't hold your breath for it any time soon!

Dades

ixoy wrote: »

Don't hold your breath for it any time soon!

As long as George doesn't hold his breath we'll be grand.

Johnny Storm

Just finished "The WindUp Girl" by Paolo Bacigalupi (if that is in fact his real name). Its a good "yarn" but not much sci-fi.
Also "Hylozoic" by Rudy Rucker - I love Rucker's stuff and this is a good example.
Now reading "Cowl" by Neal Asher - welcome change from the Polity and pretty entertaining so far.

ixoy

Johnny Storm wrote: »

Just finished "The WindUp Girl" by Paolo Bacigalupi (if that is in fact his real name). Its a good "yarn" but not much sci-fi.

That won the most awards of any sci-fi/fantasy book last year IIRC. Is it merited? I did wonder if it won a lot purely on its eco themes and because it was set in India (I believe) rather than on the merits of a strong story/characterisation. What do you think?

Johnny Storm

ixoy wrote: »

That won the most awards of any sci-fi/fantasy book last year IIRC. Is it merited? I did wonder if it won a lot purely on its eco themes and because it was set in India (I believe) rather than on the merits of a strong story/characterisation. What do you think?

It actually does have a good stong story and characterisation I would say, although the basic theme seems to be that everyone will stab you in the back. Just IMHO its pretty good but not great.

mcgovern

mcgovern wrote: »

Finished that at the weekend, and then Prador Moon, also by Asher, both very enjoyable, though the main moment of Prador Moon is mentioned in several of the other Polity books, so the suprise is kinda ruined by that.
Next up is A Second Chance at Eden by Hamilton.

Enjoyed Second Chance at Eden, now reading Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

mcgovern

mcgovern wrote: »

Enjoyed Second Chance at Eden, now reading Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

Finished that, very good, great sense of unease or something the whole way through.

Now onto the Mammoth Book of Mind Blowing Science Fiction.

Trojan

Needed a scifi fix after a lot of fantasy recently, just picked up Elizabeth Moon's Serrano Legacy.

ixoy

Currently reading "Once Upon a Time in the North" by Philip Pullman. Given how short it is I won't be reading it for long.

growler

Pattern Recognition , William Gibson, although he seems to be becoming less sci-fi and more fi as time goes on

Dades

ixoy wrote: »

Currently reading "Once Upon a Time in the North" by Philip Pullman. Given how short it is I won't be reading it for long.

Let us know how it goes for you.

Currently reading "The Passge" by Justin Cronin. Really enjoying it - my only problem is I'm wrecked this weather and can't get past more than 10/15 pages a night!

BlaasForRafa

Currently reading "Wrath of the Lemming Men" by Toby Frost, his third book. If you can imagine the british empire having continued out to have colonised outer space and in this book are being attacked by the Yull empire whose inhabitants look like 7 foot tall Lemmings that are complete and utter psychopaths.

The book dosen't take itself completely seriously and there is plenty of self-deprecating humour towards the britsh and their foibles.

CiDeRmAn

I read Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds, simply brilliant, this man can do no wrong, a new self contained world, not part of the revelation space universe, but must have at least one more part to it, brilliant.
Also read Stealing Light and Nova War, parts one and two of The Shoal Sequence by Gary Gibson, a lighter SF trilogy, easier to digest than, say, Culture books, the sweet you can eat between meals and all that!
Currently reading Yellow Blue Tibia, a very bizarre SF read from the most twisted genius of them all, Adam Roberts.
Next to read? I don't know, must see what the library has in stock, otherwise I must find the new John Birmingham book, Without Warning and it's follow up After America, his Axis Of Time trilogy was outstanding.

Shryke

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

I read Terminal World by Alastair Reynolds, simply brilliant...

Finished this a week or two back. A very good read. I like how many pitfalls he dodged plot wise! I had utter faith I'd enjoy the read and of course I did.

Reading Time Out of Joint by P. K. Dick.

ixoy

Right now reading "The Judging Eye", Book 1 in the Aspect Emperor series by R. Scott Bakker (a sequel series to "Prince of Nothing"). Enjoying it quite a bit so far.

Dades wrote: »

Let us know how it goes for you.

Short but sweet! It's beautifully presented, in terms of illustrations and the little fold out board game. Shame there's not more there. Who knows when we'll get the Dust book!

Dunder Mifflin

Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear. Found it a bit of a struggle to get stuck into but I'm about halfway through and enjoying it. Will probably pick up the sequel too.