What Are You Reading?

08-12-2019 11:12pm

Thanks for the recommendation of Gone World, whoever that was. Great read. Didnt massively like the ending but i get it.
I wasn't expecting to enjoy it - even got a free sample first to try out but yep

Salvation books were great as well. Very Hamilton though he's toned down the stereotypes something massive. Can't wait to find out what happens next. Annoying typos in it though

Enjoying the scifi kick. I got another expanse novella to look forward to. Also got a free smple of a neal asher polity novel. Not sure about that one yet.
Open to recommendations. Just not anything by Banks

nhur · 09-12-2019 9:51pm

bluewolf wrote: »

Enjoying the scifi kick. I got another expanse novella to look forward to. Also got a free smple of a neal asher polity novel. Not sure about that one yet.
Open to recommendations. Just not anything by Banks

I hear you on Banks! Ditched him for Vernor Vinge (Fire Upon the Deep etc.) - good concepts and stories.
Reading Tchaikovsky's Children of Time atm - about halfway. Like it a lot. However, am keen to get back to Fantasy after many months of sci-fi

for my money - and based on what I've read to date... best sci-fi is by Alistair Reynolds... and best fantasy is by Steven Erikson

Mickeroo · 09-12-2019 10:52pm

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

I've started The Last Wish. It's a collection of short stories that seem to be the first installment of the Witcher series. Thinking of playing the games so I thought I'd give these a go as they seem fairly short.

The short story books and season of storms are pretty enjoyable and more similar in spirit to the games. The main saga is pretty poor though, gets better towards the end but the first three books are a slog (blood of elves, time of contempt & baptism of fire).

I find he's great at writing characters but not a great storyteller.

Mr Meanor · 09-12-2019 10:56pm

bluewolf wrote: »

Open to recommendations. Just not anything by Banks

Alistair Reynolds, 'Galactic North', 'Elysium Fire'
Orson Scott Card 'Wyrms'
and for something a bit different 'Windup Girl' by Paolo Bacigalupi

09-12-2019 11:03pm

Thanks. I hated windup girl but will look at the others!

Mr Meanor · 10-12-2019 12:06am

bluewolf wrote: »

Thanks. I hated windup girl but will look at the others!

Yes Windup Girl is a bit of a Marmite selection.
Also want to add for anybody interested.
Stephen Baxters 'Flood' series
and for fantasy-scifi Charles Stross 'Laundry Files' series

Thargor · 10-12-2019 10:29am

The Flood series is spectacular.

shrapnel222 · 10-12-2019 11:06am

bluewolf wrote: »

Thanks. I hated windup girl but will look at the others!

yeah it was crap. Premise was great, but turned out to be rubbish

Dades · 10-12-2019 1:38pm

alchemist33 wrote: »

Halfway through The Gone World by Tom Sweterlitsch, and it's probably the best SF I've read in five years.

Started this last night. If I don't like it you owe me a fiver! :P

pixelburp · 10-12-2019 1:53pm

bluewolf wrote: »

Thanks. I hated windup girl but will look at the others!

I've only read The Water Knife, and TBH thought it really poor; the world building was fascinating & quite unique (US States effectively at war with each other over dwindling water supplies, the East coast lost to climate change), but the execution & prose was lazy and kinda hackneyed. Maybe it was intentional but it often read like bad Noir thriller writing, the main mob boss' particularly awful.

Sleepy · 10-12-2019 4:42pm

Finally starting into The Burning White.

Trojan · 12-12-2019 2:16pm

Finally finished the 5 book web fiction series A Practical Guide to Evil. Really interesting stuff, and enough volume there to keep me busy for 3-4 months (normally I read 1-2 books a week). A word of advice for anyone reading web fiction because these aren't available in ebook reader format: get the Pocket App and use the save feature to download the next 5-10 chapters so you can read offline. That allowed me to read while flying, bad coverage, etc.

Overall I'd give it a 4/5. There are quite a few typos - the author's priority is clearly writing good stories, not perfect spelling - and several fairly repetive battle scenes. But overall the imagination, the story/magic system, a clearly intelligent author who spent a lot of effort on planning. Thoroughly enjoyable.

If you like fantasy, I recommend you try the first book and see if you're interested.

Edser · 12-12-2019 10:15pm

Dades wrote: »

Finished Cold Fusion.

A fun read very much in the Michael Crichton vein.

I like the sound of this, who's the author?

Ed

Dades · 13-12-2019 11:56am

Edser wrote: »

I like the sound of this, who's the author?

Ed

David Koepp. It's his debut novel. It ain't gonna win the booker price but it reads like an early Michael Crichton.

David Koepp is a celebrated American screenwriter who's written more than two dozen feature films. He's written with success in a wide variety of genres, including the first two "Jurassic Park" films, "Death Becomes Her," "Carlito's Way," "The Paper," "Mission: Impossible," "Spider-Man," "Panic Room," "War of the Worlds," "Angels and Demons," and "Inferno."

Some of the films he's both written and directed are "Stir of Echoes," "Secret Window," "Ghost Town," and "Premium Rush." "Cold Storage" is his first novel.

ixoy · 16-12-2019 1:04am

Some books I finished recently:

"Brothers in Arms" by Louis McMaster-Bujold, another entry in her Vorkosigan saga. Focusing on Miles again, this one was a lot of fun and introduced an interesting new character who I'm looking forward to seeing more of. A series that never fails to please.

"The Stars are Legion" by Kameron Hurley. A bit frustrating this one. On one hand, I loved the world she built - a living decaying planet-ship full of interesting bio-tech (which she's adept at working with). But the plot around it was a bit weak and, at times, pointlessly confusing. She's a good writer but I just find the stories being told aren't what they could be.

"Unsouled" by Will Wight, the first book in his Cradle series. It's a "wuxia" genre book, so it's a sort of Chinese take on swords and sorcery, replete with versions of myths that are more Oriental in flavour than Occidental. It's not fantastically written but it's got a good pace. I've a feeling that there's going to be a bit of a "power up" take on this hero's journey as it progresses with increasing "bigger" enemies to fight. A fun read.

"Bloody Rose" by Nicholas Eames, the second book in his Band trilogy. Taking place a few years on from the first, it features mostly new characters with some "guest stars" from the first. It's heavier than the first and probably better written, but it's not quite as much fun. For me it took to about the 40$ mark to get going, which is the point I began enjoying it a lot more. The back third features some great action scenes too. It'd just be better if there was a little more humour in the next and maybe characters with a bit less of an emo streak.

Trojan · 16-12-2019 10:28pm

Just finished The Traitor Baru Cormorant. Excellent world building, characters and plot. I think I really liked it, but also that I need some time to think about that. I was going to start The Burning White well, start by re-reading The Broken Eye and The Blood Mirror, so that I have TBW teed up nicely for Christmas - BUT I think I need some fast-paced space opera or military sci-fi to cleanse the palate after Traitor...

Thargor · 17-12-2019 12:26am

Reading the Left Hand of God series, I think it was recommended here ages ago, a child escapes from a psychotic monastery cult that kidnaps kids and trains them for war. Enjoying it so far, nothing life-changing but its easy reading.

17-12-2019 12:32am

"magic for liars" was a great read. Fantasy whodunit

Currently max gladstone book called empress of forever - excellent and highly recommend so far

Nody · 17-12-2019 8:33pm

Thargor wrote: »

Reading the Left Hand of God series, I think it was recommended here ages ago, a child escapes from a psychotic monastery cult that kidnaps kids and trains them for war. Enjoying it so far, nothing life-changing but its easy reading.

I read up to book 2 or 3 (can't recall); sadly it goes downhill from a very interesting story to well, meh

Trojan · 18-12-2019 12:42am

Request: looking for space opera or mil sf recommendations - something fairly light and easy reading.

shootermacg · 18-12-2019 12:47am

Trojan wrote: »

Request: looking for space opera or mil sf recommendations - something fairly light and easy reading.

Don't know how easy you want it but the Red Rising series is page turning stuff. Nothing original, but it really moves along.

Igotadose · 18-12-2019 8:49am

Just finished the short story collection: "Epic, Legends of Fantasy" edited by John Joseph Adams. Pretty much legendary authors - Ursula K. Le Guin, Moorcock, Martin, newcomers like Rothfuss, with some unexpectedly great writing by those you don't think of as Epic fantasy writers, specifically Carrie Vaughn. Great light read with a lot of really well-written stories.

Nody · 18-12-2019 4:22pm

Trojan wrote: »

Request: looking for space opera or mil sf recommendations - something fairly light and easy reading.

Jean Johnson's - Theirs not to reason why (5 books, don't let her previous works fool you it's a real page turner), Asimov - Foundation, John Scalizi - Old man's war or Jack Campbell - The Lost Fleet (5 x2 books).

18-12-2019 10:30pm

Trojan wrote: »

Request: looking for space opera or mil sf recommendations - something fairly light and easy reading.

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

i tore through the 3 books
the empress of forever is a great read as well i'm still 75% through and it's space opera

Trojan · 19-12-2019 12:14am

shootermacg wrote: »

Don't know how easy you want it but the Red Rising series is page turning stuff. Nothing original, but it really moves along.

Thanks, I've read this... right up to but not including the last book - thanks for the reminder

Nody wrote: »

Jean Johnson's - Theirs not to reason why (5 books, don't let her previous works fool you it's a real page turner), Asimov - Foundation, John Scalizi - Old man's war or Jack Campbell - The Lost Fleet (5 x2 books).

Thanks, Nody, good suggestions all. Unfortunately I've read them all too

bluewolf wrote: »

The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
i tore through the 3 books

I loved this, I read the second book too, I didn't know the 3rd was out, so that's on the list now.

bluewolf wrote: »

the empress of forever is a great read as well i'm still 75% through and it's space opera

Excellent, I'll check this out.

Thanks folks, much appreciated!

Fian · 19-12-2019 1:44pm

Finished the traitor baru cormorant yesterday, which I read based on recommendations in this thread. Thanks for those recommendations because I really enjoyed it.

Will probably read "a little hatred" next.

smacl · 19-12-2019 2:30pm

Trojan wrote: »

I loved this, I read the second book too, I didn't know the 3rd was out, so that's on the list now.

I found the third a bit weak but love her new novella, To be taught if fortunate. I came to Scalzi on recommendation of having enjoyed Joe Haldeman's The forever war, which while old at this point is a great read. Another oldie that I really enjoyed from a recommendation here was Alfred Bester's The stars my destination.

Currently on the last book in the Jacob's Ladder trilogy which is also a great sci-fi romp with a strong fantasy feel to it.

Paddy Samurai · 23-12-2019 3:02pm

About 70% through and loving it.This is a real page turner.
The review below described this as a "This dark, imaginative tale will appeal to fans of gritty, no-holds-barred urban fantasy and horror."
The no holds barred part is very apt.

https://www.publishersweekly.com/978-0-7653-9012-7

nhur · 24-12-2019 2:19am

CalamariFritti wrote: »

Just finished The Reality Dysfunction trilogy. Absolutely epic space opera. Its huge but its worth every word of it. Still under its spell so maybe a little overenthusiastic but feels right now like one of the best if not the best I ever read.

Might have to give this another go based on all the positive replies... I found it a little like someone had tried to mash a bunch of different genres together without making it work... A lá Indiana Jones 4....

ixoy · 02-01-2020 12:50am

Read ''Wrath of Empire' by Brian McClellan, the second book in his 'Gods of Blood and Powder' trilogy. Really enjoyed this - he's got a great handle on pacing and revolving around three characters meant you were never left waiting too long to return to the plots. Mad Ben Sykes is probably the standout character in this but the spy Michel's plot line nicely balanced Syke's more violent storyline with a separate intrigue one. Looking forward to reading the third installments.

Also read 'Made Things', the 4th 2019 release for Adrian Tchaikovsky. This novella is written in a sort of fairy tale style, following the story of a young magician who can work with animated puppets against a city ruled harshly by magicians. There's also a nice little shorty story on the Tor.com website that accompanies this and well worth checking out if you're reading 'Made Things'.

cdgalwegian · 02-01-2020 12:49pm

Gave up on Stephen Baxter's hard sci-fi debut novel Raft, about a quarter way through. It's highly imaginative in terms of sci-fi (where some of it sounds quite silly, but I suppose scientifcally possible), but the narrative just fell flat for me; it was a bit boring in terms of caring for the protagonist.
It's the first novel in the Xeelee Sequence. Anybody read other Baxter books in the sequence (or other sereis) ? If they are as imaginative as this, but engender more investment, I'd definitely read more.

mcgovern · 02-01-2020 1:08pm

I finished The Grand Dark, it was quite good, definetely different and I'd read more in that world if there was any. It's a mix of biopunk and fantasy set in a post WW1 Germany basically.
After that I read The Rig by Roger Levy which is a sci-fi novel set after we've abandoned Earth but everything is crap basically. People don't live long and all they have to look forward to really is a chance at re-life. The story is about how this re-life type process came about and isn't what you'd expect.
I listened to The Reborn King by Michael R. Miller. It's fairly standard fantasy with the exception that Dragons are now humandoid but stronger etc but less plentiful. Humans, Dragons and Faeries are in a battle with Demons.
Read Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames. It was quiet fun and certainly written differently than most fantasy, in a world where heros/dragonslayers etc form bands, somewhat similar to music bands. The main character is a past it 'hero' who was never really that special to begin with. I can't help but think I'd have enjoyed it more if I got the rock music references.
Now listening to Grey Sister by Mark Lawrence. It's more of the same, a bit confusing at the start and with some of the rare time jumps (which I think would be easier to follow on print/ebook).
And lastly, reading Dark Age by Pierce Brown. More of the same again, high octane action but this time seems there will be some repurcussions for the good guys.

smacl · 03-01-2020 11:19am

ixoy wrote: »

Also read 'Made Things', the 4th 2019 release for Adrian Tchaikovsky. This novella is written in a sort of fairy tale style, following the story of a young magician who can work with animated puppets against a city ruled harshly by magicians. There's also a nice little shorty story on the Tor.com website that accompanies this and well worth checking out if you're reading 'Made Things'.

Cool, just started Mad Things last night.

Dades · 03-01-2020 2:56pm

cdgalwegian wrote: »

It's the first novel in the Xeelee Sequence. Anybody read other Baxter books in the sequence (or other sereis) ? If they are as imaginative as this, but engender more investment, I'd definitely read more.

Never read the Xeelee books, but I really enjoyed the "Time Odyssey" books (written with Arthur C Clarke) and the Flood/Ark books.

Pretty sure I've read others of his, but those are the two series that I remember best.

cdgalwegian · 03-01-2020 4:14pm

Just picked up a copy from the library of Neal Asher's Prador Moon, first of the internally chronologically ordered 'Polity Universe'. Previously tried Gridlocked by him, and loved it.
300 pages into Neal Stephenson's Fall, or Dodge in Hell. The blurb says its about a virtual reality afterlife, but it's only now after 300 pages (of 883) getting in to the eponymous protagonist waking up in this 'afterlfe'. The setup leading up to this gave the familial, legal and technical problems associated with this virtual afterlife, but was well written; keeping the attention, and throwing in some good ideas, though it doesn't really pick up the pace til page 200.

Thargor · 03-01-2020 10:50pm

Is anyone reading The Burning White? I was getting a bit nervous reading the recaps because I wasn't remembering any of that and now Im 250 pages in and its still not kicking in for me, its really not as good as I remember the series being tbh. Ill just plough through it but didn't want to start the decade off on a bum note.

Xofpod · 06-01-2020 11:43am

Gone old school - Lord of Light, Roger Zelazny. Absolutely loving it.

pixelburp · 06-01-2020 12:30pm

"To Be Taught, If Fortunate", a novella from Becky Chambers; after being disappointment of her third Wayfarer book, which I found dawdling and kinda boring, this was a lot more enjoyable. The shortened format meant everything had a snappier pace, but still retained Chambers' style, that mix of an inherent, empathic humanity tinged with the bittersweet.

smacl · 07-01-2020 2:29pm

pixelburp wrote: »

"To Be Taught, If Fortunate", a novella from Becky Chambers; after being disappointment of her third Wayfarer book, which I found dawdling and kinda boring, this was a lot more enjoyable. The shortened format meant everything had a snappier pace, but still retained Chambers' style, that mix of an inherent, empathic humanity tinged with the bittersweet.

Enjoyed it myself, definitely a return to form.

pixelburp · 07-01-2020 4:31pm

"The Calculating Stars", by Mary Robinette Kowal.

Alternate history novel set in the 1950s where a Meteor wipes out the eastern seaboard of the US, with a NASA-a-like founded to fast-track colonisation. Lead character was a "computer", one of the women who in real life (at NASA) were responsible for manually calculating the various physics and maths used in launches. Think "Hidden Figures", with an environmental race against time.

Not quite sure how I felt about the book; the science & maths felt solid and fascinating throughout, as this version of the world tried to figure out manned spaceflight in rapid time. The structure itself felt way too baggy and dithering in places, my attention flagging in the back half which almost never happens. The couple of sex scenes were also hilariously cringe inducing, but that was just me; lots of rocketry innuendo that just made me :rolleyes:

Oh, and of course as is the case now, this is a Part 1; which I didn't realise, and wasn't anywhere on my printed copy. So I was happily reading expecting some kind of ending, but nope ...

Igotadose · 07-01-2020 6:44pm

Just finished "The Night Dahlia" and "Nightwise" by R. S. Belcher. I'm done with Belcher now. These two weren't as annoying as his 'road templars' novels, most of which annoyed me because the secret magic language, sometimes used by bad guys, sometimes by good guys, was Irish. But, the writing is really trite and plots are predictable. The Nightwise ones seem short and go fast.

Started and dropped "The Everything Box" by Richard Kadrey. Seriously, Pratchett did this stuff better in "Good Omens." Not funny despite so many attempts to be funny.

Back to Jim Butcher's Codex Alera with "First Lord's Fury" now, which is the finale of the series. These are better than Harry Dresden novels is about all I can say for them, light reads without a lot of thinking involved at least. "Plot twists" that aren't all that surprising.

Thargor · 07-01-2020 10:36pm

pixelburp wrote: »

"The Calculating Stars", by Mary Robinette Kowal.

Alternate history novel set in the 1950s where a Meteor wipes out the eastern seaboard of the US, with a NASA-a-like founded to fast-track colonisation. Lead character was a "computer", one of the women who in real life (at NASA) were responsible for manually calculating the various physics and maths used in launches. Think "Hidden Figures", with an environmental race against time.

Not quite sure how I felt about the book; the science & maths felt solid and fascinating throughout, as this version of the world tried to figure out manned spaceflight in rapid time. The structure itself felt way too baggy and dithering in places, my attention flagging in the back half which almost never happens. The couple of sex scenes were also hilariously cringe inducing, but that was just me; lots of rocketry innuendo that just made me :rolleyes:

Oh, and of course as is the case now, this is a Part 1; which I didn't realise, and wasn't anywhere on my printed copy. So I was happily reading expecting some kind of ending, but nope ...

Yeah I have this and a couple of others on the pile but any whiff of any woke feminism nonsense makes me nervous.

Im reading the Supernova Era by Liu Cixin at the minute. Im finding it hard going tbh, love the idea but in practice its childish irrational gibberish from what Ive read so far but I was so wrong about the Three Body Problem that Ill plough on.

pixelburp · 07-01-2020 11:50pm

Thargor wrote: »

Yeah I have this and a couple of others on the pile but any whiff of any woke feminism nonsense makes me nervous.

Im reading the Supernova Era by Liu Cixin at the minute. Im finding it hard going tbh, love the idea but in practice its childish irrational gibberish from what Ive read so far but I was so wrong about the Three Body Problem that Ill plough on.

It's not particularly woke, it IS set in 1950s America after all, so you can drop a meteor in your book but assuming it's still meant to be "our" world, there was systemic sexism in areas like NASA *shrug* let's not start labelling everything that paints the world as it was as "woke". 1950s Ireland wasn't any better, probably worse.

The book laid some things on a bit thick - particularly when the lead discovers racism exists - but its flaws are not because of agendas, more that it needed tighter editing and less cringy pillow talk. Ultimately it's a pretty positive toned book, championing both science and the idea that humanity can weather any crisis.

Fian · 08-01-2020 3:59pm

Finished "A little hatred", think it is probably better than previous books which is high praise.

Not honestly sure what is next, probably the burning white which I have on ecalibre but which I seem to have forgotten to transfer to my kindle.

either that or I might try some Becky chambers after seeing mentions of her in this thread recently. Alot of my reading choices arise from mentions on this thread tbh.

Buford T. Justice XIX · 10-01-2020 9:52pm

I finished The Dragon Republic by R.F. Kuang yesterday. I enjoyed the book but Rin getting angry had a real reminder of Nynaeve from The Wheel of Time and her braid tugging.

If you read as far as her next episode of getting angry, it paces the book nicely into readable but not annoying chapters.

Not too sure what's up next

super_furry · 10-01-2020 9:56pm

Decided to take another run at Wheel of Time after giving it up probably 15 years ago.

The first three books I always thought we're good and it dipped and then plummeted after that but now I'm not so sure even the first three stand up. Finished Eye of the World and it was fine but now I'm remembering just how awful Jordan was at writing women.

10-01-2020 9:59pm

i started it on book 6 and have always thought it was brilliant. re-read it til the cover fell off.

he wasnt great at women but then also they've been in an unbalanced position of power where men literally did wreck the world so i suppose there is that as well

i've always liked kate elliott's attempts at that though, where women are 'superior' but still realistic and never caricatures

marieholmfan · 10-01-2020 10:02pm

bluewolf wrote: »

i started it on book 6 and have always thought it was brilliant. re-read it til the cover fell off.

he wasnt great at women but then also they've been in an unbalanced position of power where men literally did wreck the world so i suppose there is that as well

i've always liked kate elliott's attempts at that though, where women are 'superior' but still realistic and never caricatures

Ancestral Night by Elizabeth Bear

Banger !

10-01-2020 10:09pm

bluewolf wrote: »

i started it on book 6 and have always thought it was brilliant. re-read it til the cover fell off.

he wasnt great at women but then also they've been in an unbalanced position of power where men literally did wreck the world so i suppose there is that as well

i've always liked kate elliott's attempts at that though, where women are 'superior' but still realistic and never caricatures

arah here, its brilliant UNTIL book 6! drops off due to a complete sidelining of main plots for a good four or five books, then gets up pace again.

will say- rereading them is a very different experience (mainly because you can skip aes sedai politics tbh, but also no three-year waits between books) and they are a monumental achievement of world-building

keane2097 · 11-01-2020 12:48pm

They're **** before book 6 as well but incredibly **** the longer they go on.

What Are You Reading?

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