What Are You Reading?

shazzerman

Dan_Solo wrote: »

I'm not going to claim I'm that well read myself, but I wonder from this thread how many people have dipped into the SF+F classics? Most of the discussion is about fairly recent stuff. I like to alternate between new and old. Maybe everybody's read the classics already so only the new comes up here.

I much prefer the classics to the more recent stuff. Give me lots of Dick (heh!), Niven, Asimov, Heinlein, Simak, Canticle for Leibowitz, Childhood's End, etc. Wish I could erase my memory and read some of those for the first time again - seriously mind-blowing.

Sleepy

Sleepy wrote: »

The second book is out but apparently it's more a "set in the same world" than a direct sequel... Not sure I can be bothered reading it unless this one ends very well. There are some nice ideas, the format is great but the writing itself is rather cliché laiden and with only about 50 pages to go, I can't see how she plans to finish the book with any level of explanation...

I'll update when I'm finished it but as it stands, I couldn't say I hate it but I wouldn't be recommending it either.

Finished it last night. The final chapter is utterly jarring as it switches to a standard 3rd person narrative. It's an OK holiday read with some minorly creepy bits. If you've a copy lying around it's probably worth reading but I wouldn't recommend paying for it.

keane2097

Anyone read "Daemon" by Daniel Suarez? Thoughts?

Dades

shazzerman wrote: »

I much prefer the classics to the more recent stuff. Give me lots of Dick (heh!), Niven, Asimov, Heinlein, Simak, Canticle for Leibowitz, Childhood's End, etc. Wish I could erase my memory and read some of those for the first time again - seriously mind-blowing.

Likewise.

Ringworld, The Forever War, Childhoods End, The Stars My Destination... all on my favourite ever SF list. Anything Arthur C Clarke at all.

Of contemporary stuff, The Martian is first to mind of books that for me would go straight into the new series of Masterworks.

TwoShedsJackson

Just finished 'Tigana' by Guy Gavriel Kay. Excellent stuff, have to thank posters in this thread for getting me interested in his work.

Now started 'The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August'

Thargor

Dades wrote: »

Likewise.

Ringworld, The Forever War, Childhoods End, The Stars My Destination... all on my favourite ever SF list. Anything Arthur C Clarke at all.

Of contemporary stuff, The Martian is first to mind of books that for me would go straight into the new series of Masterworks.

How could the Martian be listed as a masterwork when it seems to have been written by a 14 year old? :pac:

keane2097

Don't get the hate for The Martian.

Dades

keane2097 wrote: »

Don't get the hate for The Martian.

Didn't realise there was much! How many haters actually finished the book. It really took off partway through, imo.

Timberrrrrrrr

Recently read Dune

Enjoyed that so downloaded the rest of the series

Read house Atreides and am now on The Butlerian Jihad

Only problem i have really is there doesn't seem to be a particular order to read the books in and don't want to read one and it spoil others for me. Have Googled which order to read them in but as usual every answer seems to be different

Trojan

keane2097 wrote: »

Anyone read "Daemon" by Daniel Suarez? Thoughts?

I liked it, particularly since I'm a tech geek and it's highly accurate and plausible - no building a GUI in Visual Basic to track IP addresses here.

The main thing he's kinda missing out on a bit is the massive rise of awareness of NSA post-Snowden.

keane2097 wrote: »

Don't get the hate for The Martian.

It's pretty good, and should be recommended reading for entry level science students at 2nd or 3rd level, but it's also fairly simplistic from a plot perspective, so I can understand if there's not much love from those who like it a bit more twisty.

Thargor

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

Recently read Dune

Enjoyed that so downloaded the rest of the series

Read house Atreides and am now on The Butlerian Jihad

Only problem i have really is there doesn't seem to be a particular order to read the books in and don't want to read one and it spoil others for me. Have Googled which order to read them in but as usual every answer seems to be different

Eh? They're in pretty clear chronological order aren't they? You have The Machine Crusade then The Battle of Corinn next for definite anyway.

Timberrrrrrrr

Thargor wrote: »

Eh? They're in pretty clear chronological order aren't they? You have The Machine Crusade then The Battle of Corinn next for definite anyway.

Yeah but others say jump forward and back to "follow the story" but had planned to read those next and then see where i go from there

shazzerman

To be honest, I very rarely read contemporary sf; but I made an exception for Ancillary Justice, and was very glad I did - it is excellent.

SpaceSasqwatch

yeah ancillary justice is good original sf.Keep meaning to get the second book.

Have the new alaistair reynolds book on my kindle to read first

Raging_Ninja

I thought Ancillary Justice was kind of meh to be honest. I reckon Banks did the android extension of a sentient spaceship thing much better in his Culture books.

Nody

Timberrrrrrrr wrote: »

Recently read Dune

Enjoyed that so downloaded the rest of the series

Read house Atreides and am now on The Butlerian Jihad

Only problem i have really is there doesn't seem to be a particular order to read the books in and don't want to read one and it spoil others for me. Have Googled which order to read them in but as usual every answer seems to be different

You're making the mistake of reading the original Dune series and the weak and poor follow up books... Read the original series only and forget you heard about the others :P

ixoy

31% into "Tower Lord" by Anthony Ryan, the follow up to "Blood Song". Enjoying this quite a lot - I knew to expect it to be different than the first and was prepared. I probably preferred the whole Order plot from the first book but this is a good evolution.

Thargor

Anybody ever read this series?




They're seriously brilliant, like Hornblower but with dragons, set in the dragoncorp wing of the British navy during the Napoleonic War, I couldn't put them down anyway.

Dades

Nody wrote: »

You're making the mistake of reading the original Dune series and the weak and poor follow up books... Read the original series only and forget you heard about the others :P

I loved Dune so much, I was afraid to read any of the sequels. I prefer to remember it for what it was, and not sully its memory with sub-par follow ups.

Felt the same with Ender's Game, in fact.

Dan_Solo

Dades wrote: »

I loved Dune so much, I was afraid to read any of the sequels. I prefer to remember it for what it was, and not sully its memory with sub-par follow ups.

Felt the same with Ender's Game, in fact.

I'd be with you on Dune. I thought Ender's Game was fairly tripe from the off TBH. Had no interest in even one more page of it. The only thing imaginably worse than the main story was the side story in the same novel with all the kids on internet campaigns.

ixoy

Dades wrote: »

I loved Dune so much, I was afraid to read any of the sequels. I prefer to remember it for what it was, and not sully its memory with sub-par follow ups.

As a fan of the series (as my user name indicates!), I enjoyed the two trilogies Herbert wrote. Shame he never got to finish the series.

As to the prequels his son wrote with Anderson, and the sequels he Christopher Tolkein-ed from a few notes... Well let's just if any of ye ever say you like them I'll ban you for ever! From the Internet!

Trojan

Actually, I... ummm... nevermind.

butterbun

Finished Dune a while back, really enjoyed it. First time I've read a sci-fi book! I wanted to get the sequels, but from what I read on the internet they were pretty divisive.

Can any fans of the series recommend which of the sequels are worth a read?

Taltos

Been a while since I read Anthony Ryan. Might dust off some of those books again. Right now back to my old faithful of the Dresden series, I know I know but for some reason I find them quite relaxing.

Been a good while since I've found anything wow. I think the ending of the wheel of time series was such a let down after more than a decade of reading and rereading that I am just too cautious now of more disappointment.

Nody

ixoy wrote: »

As to the prequels his son wrote with Anderson, and the sequels he Christopher Tolkein-ed from a few notes... Well let's just if any of ye ever say you like them I'll ban you for ever! From the Internet!

The only once I found sort of acceptable were the house X once (as in they were not completely and utter tripe and added a bit of background story); I then made the mistake to read the two books that were suppose to "finish" the story his father had started and I ended up wanting to hold a ritual of banishment while pouring bleach in my eyes to banish those lines forever (if you ever wonder if it's possible to outdo the Matrix fiasco of a story line you got it right there in spades)...

Anyway; currently about 150 pages into The Long Earth by Pratchett & Baxter; story is still being set up but it appears to have potential.

kirk buttercup

Raging_Ninja wrote: »

I thought Ancillary Justice was kind of meh to be honest. I reckon Banks did the android extension of a sentient spaceship thing much better in his Culture books.

Was thinking about reading this on my holidays? or any other recommendations for a holiday read?

SpaceSasqwatch

kirk buttercup wrote: »

Was thinking about reading this on my holidays? or any other recommendations for a holiday read?

chasm city by alaistair reynolds

BlaasForRafa

Nody wrote: »

Anyway; currently about 150 pages into The Long Earth by Pratchett & Baxter; story is still being set up but it appears to have potential.

I read the Long Earth a few months ago and enjoyed it. It reminded me of classic style sci-fi like Clarke/Asimov etc but in a good way.

Zapp Brannigan

Finished The Dark Tower at last. Took me 3 attempts and I'm not sure if it was worth it.

On to my first ever sci-fi novel "Old Mans War".

Thargor

Your name is Zapp Brannigan and you've never read one sci-fi novel?

Do yourself a favour and read The Culture series by Ian M Banks. Then some Peter F Hamilton stuff.