What Are You Reading?

mcgovern · 12-04-2011 10:11AM

Fnordius wrote: »

I like Iain Banks, and just finished Transition. Now I am finishing Makers by Corey Doctorow.

I'm reading Makers on my iPhone, it's interesting but not really my favoured type of sci-fi.

old hippy · 12-04-2011 12:14PM

"Brasyl" - Ian McDonald.

It's quantum malarkey in 3 different time periods.

ixoy · 12-04-2011 12:29PM

"The Chosen" by Ricardo Pinto, the first book in the "Stone Dance of the Chameleon" trilogy. I've heard good things about the world building in this and so far it's interesting.

Zapp Brannigan · 12-04-2011 06:00PM

Finished the Space Wolf Omnibus last night, just as I expected fairly trashy and clichéd but I still kind of enjoted it. (I've actually ordered the first two G&F omnibuses) and I'm not reading The Well of Ascension.

mcgovern · 15-04-2011 09:02AM

Finished Orbus which was quite enjoyable, now starting a Clash of Kings

Zapp Brannigan · 16-04-2011 02:27AM

Okay my package from The Book Depository arrived so I've put The Well of Ascension on hold and am now reading the first Gotrek & Felix omnibus.

Forgive me, it's contrived, clichéd, not incredibly written but I really enjoy it!

Black Sheep · 16-04-2011 09:23AM

Taking a break from my ASOIAF re-read (which I'm thoroughly enjoying).

Polished off 'The Sky People' by S.M Stirling during the week. Stirling is a frustrating author for me, because while he can come up with a cracking premise he usually falls down badly on execution.

If anyone has read his 'Emberverse' novels, it appears that they are limping along without much in the way of a plot on the horizon. It's set in Oregon, following an apocalypse which has thrown society back to pre-industrial times. One of the protagonists comes from a clan of survivors who have modelled themselves on a pseudo-celtic / highlander model. Stirling emphasises this by having them talk in bad 'oirish' accents and wear kilts. Characters are prone to talking like this: "Ah, and suren't tisn't it a grand day, mo chuisle, to be sure." (Seriously, I'm barely exaggerating).

In 'The Sky People', which is a SF pastiche / homage to Edgar Rice Burroughs 'Jon Carter of Mars', two of the main characters are from the U.S. One is from Louisiana, and we know this because Stirling insists on having him insert a French word periodically, so he'll trot out lots of "mais" and "weh" in otherwise normal dialogue. The other is a woman from Harlem. We know this because she says "shee-it" a lot, and the guy from Louisiana calls her "ma negresse". I felt like grabbing Stirling and shaking him after a few pages of that.

IMO his strongest work is far in his back catalogue - the 'Draka' novels, which feel like the 80s SF dystopian horror that they are.

Anyway next up is Asher's 'Shadow of the Scorpion'.

Trojan · 16-04-2011 02:35PM

I liked the Emberverse novels (is that the right name for them) but they were cringe-worthy at times.

BlaasForRafa · 17-04-2011 02:29PM

Trojan wrote: »

I liked the Emberverse novels (is that the right name for them) but they were cringe-worthy at times.

I've got one of Stirlings books "The Peshawar Lancers" in the "to be read" pile, must get around to it sometime. I'm thinking of starting the 1632 series by Eric Flint, anyone read anything from that series?

Currently I'm just starting "Spellwright" by Blake Charlton, its too early to make a judgment but the magic system being used in it is pretty innovative.

Black Sheep · 17-04-2011 02:48PM

'1632' and its immediate sequel '1633' are very good alternate history books.... Probably the strongest of the series.

Flint turned it into an expanded universe and has co-authored a number of books with various collaborators. At this point it has gotten a little unwieldly and a couple of books co-authored with a historian (Virginia DeMarce?) felt a little like dry intellectual exercises rather than well-told stories ... but I'd certainly recommend '1632' itself.

pH · 17-04-2011 03:46PM

Just finished The Merchants' War (Charles Stross), The Merchant Princes IV.

Enjoyed it more than book III, the series is based around a great idea, but the story itself is poor, too little focus and no likeable characters (for me).

I'll read the last 2, but I'd still be slow to recommend them.

JD1763 · 18-04-2011 03:05PM

Finding it hard to get back into the clan corporate series again, the revolution business has been sitting on my shelf for weeks now. Which is a pity as Stross' laundry series is a very easy read.

The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi was enjoyable.

Also Tchaikovskys Shadows of the Apt, finished the Sea Watch about a week ago - again enjoyable read but I am slightly worried that the story may be getting too spread out with too many concurrent characters and lines at this point. Its at the stage where characters are disappearing for entire books. Book 8 is due out in October.

Have the Endymion omnibus to get stuck into next and the Malazan series is running in the background too.

18-04-2011 06:43PM

JD1763 wrote: »

...The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi was enjoyable.

Have the Endymion omnibus to get stuck into next and the Malazan series is running in the background too.

It took me a while to get into The Windup Girl but when it got going it was quite good.

Loving the Endymion omnibus so far. In fact I didn't get a seat on the luas this evening and lost out on valuable reading time so I'm going to polish off a few chapters now!

Bits_n_Bobs · 19-04-2011 09:05AM

About to make a start on The Windup Girl, has been sitting in the to be read pile for a few weeks now, good to hear the positive reviews here.

Finished Rofhfuss's second one, A Wise Mans Fear. Not a fan of massively long fantasy series (Wheel of Time for example), and I fear that this is going to turn into something like that. Anyone know if he is just going to leave it as a trilogy or what?? Anyways - I think he could definitely have chopped 300 pages off the book and nothing would of been lost.

On a slightly off topic note - did anyone watch A Game of Thrones (adaptation of RR Martins series) last night?

ixoy · 19-04-2011 09:38AM

Bits_n_Bobs wrote: »

Finished Rofhfuss's second one, A Wise Mans Fear. Not a fan of massively long fantasy series (Wheel of Time for example), and I fear that this is going to turn into something like that. Anyone know if he is just going to leave it as a trilogy or what??

Pretty sure it's only a trilogy - have never heard anything to state otherwise. The whole idea is that the tale is being told over three nights - hence "Day One", "Day Two" etc.

On a slightly off topic note - did anyone watch A Game of Thrones (adaptation of RR Martins series) last night?

The "Game of Thrones" thread just beside this one on this forum indicates"Yes"

Bits_n_Bobs · 19-04-2011 09:47AM

ixoy wrote: »

The "Game of Thrones" thread just beside this one on this forum indicates"Yes"

I have what I consider to be a charming and endearing trait, of missing the blindingly obvious

fenris · 19-04-2011 11:50AM

Just finished Wise Mans Fear - liked it and am looking forward to the next one.
Currently reading the Heroes by Abercrombie - not a patch on the earlier books and starting to get a bit too transparent.
I am in a bit of a quandary as to what next,

Hellhole - Anderson
Surface detail - Banks
Voyage of Sable Keetch = Asher
GOT - Due a re-read, but I would have to reread the whole series

22-04-2011 12:58PM

I am reading Rothfuss, the name of the wind, and I am quite impressed so far. I love his style, and it is very descriptive without being flowery. Thumbs up!

I am curious about "the windup girl" now, I think I will put that on the list...

ixoy · 22-04-2011 02:09PM

My turn to read Neal Asher's "Orbus". Nearly a third of the way through and enjoying it. Usual good mix of action and aliens.

24-04-2011 03:17PM

I found this when tidying - haven't read it in ages. Going to re-read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Pearls_of_Wisdom

meditraitor · 25-04-2011 10:35AM

Cry of the Newborn by James Barclay....... I wouldnt recommend it, tried to get into it but it just goes on and on and on.

Maybe the last few books I read (erickson,rothfuss and ICE) have ruined mediocre fantasy for me although I picked up Brett's Painted Man a few weeks ago and enjoyed it.

25-04-2011 03:06PM

Reading Magician by Raymond E. Feist and loving it. Have read many of the stand alone talesin the Rift war series but decided to read it from the start all the way through. Really enjoying it and it's one of those books which I'm desperate to get to the end of, I want to know what happens Pug and characters that I'm sorely tempted to look ahead but could never ruin a novel I'm enjoying so much.

ixoy · 26-04-2011 06:41PM

Reading "The Final Empire" by Brandon Sanderson. It's decent so far, not outstanding. My biggest gripe right now is that the heroes, such as they are, seem to be too powerful from the outset lessening the sense of threat they have to overcome.

pH · 26-04-2011 06:53PM

Finished Books V and VI of "The Merchant Princes" by Stross. Overall, very disappointing, the idea and book I are great, but the overall story is poor, the characters badly written and unlike-able, and the plot is spread too thin.

Just started The Name of the Wind by Rothfuss, enjoying it, but maybe I had too high expectations for it ...

Black Sheep · 27-04-2011 04:00PM

Finishing off 'Shadow of the scorpion' by Asher - quality stuff. A very managable almost bitesize Polity novel, a bit like his 'Prador Moon'.

Ploughing ahead into my ASOIAF re-read, quarter of the way into volume 2.

Anyone read James Lovegrove's 'Age of Ra' / 'Age of Odin' / 'Age of Zeus'? They look interesting, but equally appear amazingly similar too - are they a series or the same story told with three different ancient pantheons or something?

sxt · 27-04-2011 07:33PM

I am legend , By Richard Mathenson- A thrilling little book thus far, can see why it is highly regarded and why it must have inspired those later Zombie movies! 3E in Hmv as well

InReality · 27-04-2011 09:15PM

Hellhole - Anderson is pretty crap.

heros by abercrombie was not as good as his earlier stuff imo.

patrick rufoss stuff is very good ,
and so is the left hand of god , next one in that series is on kindle on friday , yeah !

TwoShedsJackson · 28-04-2011 10:07PM

Just finished Demi-Monde: Winter by Rod Rees. Ridiculous but definitely entertaining, Rees had his big idea and decided to push it as far as he could, and then keep pushing

Dan_Solo · 28-04-2011 10:35PM

Whizzing through No Blade of Grass by John Christopher (Samuel Youd). Not bad for 1956, only losing it's contemporary feel with the constant mentioning of "the recent war" (i.e. WWII).
The protagonists' moral compasses are all over the shop, which I quite like.:cool:

Dan_Solo · 28-04-2011 10:41PM

Black Sheep wrote: »

Anyone read James Lovegrove's 'Age of Ra'

Synopsis sounds a bit SG1, doesn't it...

What Are You Reading?

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