What Are You Reading?

lordgoat

pixelburp wrote: »

About a 1/3 into Ancillary Justice, off the back of general praise across 'de web.

Honestly it's a tough one to like: it's a very dry, flavourless read with pretty uninteresting prose that never manages any kind of flourish. The story so far jumps back & forth between time periods way too frequently, and the use of female pronoun for all characters is at best a pointless affectation and worst a hinderance to actually absorbing the narrative.

machalla wrote: »

I cannot fathom how its gained such praise as a book.

The ending actually turned out worse than the rest of a fairly plodding book from what I can recall.

Tough crowd. I didn't enjoy book 1 until towards the end and I had figured out how the story was going, but easily the most original sci-fi plot/concept that's been done in a while. Lots of loose ends left but I enjoyed it.

lordgoat

Went back and listened to Book 1 of memory Sorry and Thorn - Tad Williams. There is so much I dislike about this book, but the story is very enjoyable.

pixelburp

lordgoat wrote: »

Tough crowd. I didn't enjoy book 1 until towards the end and I had figured out how the story was going, but easily the most original sci-fi plot/concept that's been done in a while. Lots of loose ends left but I enjoyed it.

The concept's original, I'm not claiming otherwise and it's the main reason I picked up the book in the first place, praise notwithstanding, but the execution is drab and a bit limp. The prose is pretty lifeless and lacking any kind of charisma or spark that might set it apart or give the universe a sense of wonder or intrigue. It all feels very sullen.

For comparison, I recently finished Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald, and despite its more constrained, almost familiar setting of our own moon, had a vibrancy and energy in the writing that made its own hostile world feel alive and 'real'.

Greyfox

Just finished the final empire - Mistborn book 1, absolutely blown away! what a cool magic system, best book I've read in years...buying book 2 and 3 tomorrow!

mcgovern

pixelburp wrote: »

The concept's original, I'm not claiming otherwise and it's the main reason I picked up the book in the first place, praise notwithstanding, but the execution is drab and a bit limp. The prose is pretty lifeless and lacking any kind of charisma or spark that might set it apart or give the universe a sense of wonder or intrigue. It all feels very sullen.

Don't worry you aren't the only one, I wasn't a fan of it either.
Heir to the Empire was probably not as good as when I read it in my teens, but it was still enjoyable.
I've now started Senlin Ascends by Josiah Bancroft, to see what all the fuss is about.
He writes very well, so it has potential, but nothing has really happened yet.

shootermacg

Greyfox wrote: »

Just finished the final empire - Mistborn book 1, absolutely blown away! what a cool magic system, best book I've read in years...buying book 2 and 3 tomorrow!

If that floats your boat...go nuts.
I found book one to be OK and then it goes down hill exponentially.

machalla

pixelburp wrote: »

The concept's original, I'm not claiming otherwise and it's the main reason I picked up the book in the first place, praise notwithstanding, but the execution is drab and a bit limp. The prose is pretty lifeless and lacking any kind of charisma or spark that might set it apart or give the universe a sense of wonder or intrigue. It all feels very sullen.

For comparison, I recently finished Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald, and despite its more constrained, almost familiar setting of our own moon, had a vibrancy and energy in the writing that made its own hostile world feel alive and 'real'.

Regarding Luna : New Moon, that is an excellent summation. I am very much looking forward to the next installment. Even months after finishing the book the story is still vivid in my memory and you wonder where it will lead to next.

Its another book that has supposedly been picked up for a TV series, in this case before it was even released.

Trojan

Finished Lev Grossman's "The Magicians". Really did not like this one - whiny and depressing, unlikable characters, and rushes over plot points. Not for me at all.

Fian

(Re) reading Reaper's gale now, Finished the bonehunters last week and then read "the Robber Bride" by Margaret Atwood as a change of pace/break before getting stuck back into Malazan books. I am really enjoying them but still i think i will be relieved when i finish the series. They are demanding books.

The Robber Bride is not Sci-fi/Fantasy, unlike many of her other (excellent) books.

lordgoat

pixelburp wrote: »

The concept's original, I'm not claiming otherwise and it's the main reason I picked up the book in the first place, praise notwithstanding, but the execution is drab and a bit limp. The prose is pretty lifeless and lacking any kind of charisma or spark that might set it apart or give the universe a sense of wonder or intrigue. It all feels very sullen.

For comparison, I recently finished Luna: New Moon by Ian McDonald, and despite its more constrained, almost familiar setting of our own moon, had a vibrancy and energy in the writing that made its own hostile world feel alive and 'real'.

I liked the writing style, there were things i didn't like, deus ex ending, some continuity gaps but over all it's a good story so I let them slide.

I'll give Luna a go once I get through/give up on MST.

Trojan wrote: »

Finished Lev Grossman's "The Magicians". Really did not like this one - whiny and depressing, unlikable characters, and rushes over plot points. Not for me at all.

Sounds like the TV show nailed it.

Raging_Ninja

pixelburp wrote: »

About a 1/3 into Ancillary Justice, off the back of general praise across 'de web.

Honestly it's a tough one to like: it's a very dry, flavourless read with pretty uninteresting prose that never manages any kind of flourish. The story so far jumps back & forth between time periods way too frequently, and the use of female pronoun for all characters is at best a pointless affectation and worst a hinderance to actually absorbing the narrative.

I feel pretty much the same way as you regarding the first book. But after a couple of years I decided to give the other books in the series a chance and they are actually pretty goddamned good.

Thargor

Ill read anything as long as its sci-fi but even I had to give up on Ancillary Justice, not going near its sequels either. I enjoyed reading the synopses though

Trojan

Anyone read Warbreaker by Sanderson? Any good?

kirk buttercup

I'm very conflicted by this book really liked the idea behind it but was a bit disappointed and found it a bit dull in the end . I'm still not sure if I liked it or not. (Could possibly make a good movie... maybe)

ixoy

53% into "Foxglove Summer" by Ben Aaronvitch, the 5th PC Grant book. Took this light read on after the very heavy Aspect-Emperor volume. It's highly enjoyable as usual and it's good to see him go for a rural setting for a change. Maybe not quite as strong as the previous ones in terms of building up the fae culture this time but it's a nice light tonic.

wyrn

ixoy wrote: »

53% into "Foxglove Summer" by Ben Aaronvitch, the 5th PC Grant book. Took this light read on after the very heavy Aspect-Emperor volume. It's highly enjoyable as usual and it's good to see him go for a rural setting for a change. Maybe not quite as strong as the previous ones in terms of building up the fae culture this time but it's a nice light tonic.

I quite like this series. I think the main character's humour really makes it.

pixelburp

wyrn wrote: »

I quite like this series. I think the main character's humour really makes it.

Definitely: while I'd love to see the Peter Grant books adapted for TV, a lot of the style and narration would be lost, and that definitely makes the books.

Enjoyed Foxglove Summer myself when I read it, though after the dramatic climax of the fourth book, it all felt suspiciously like a holding pattern tease. Anyone looking for developments would be left a bit disappointed.

ixoy

wyrn wrote: »

I quite like this series. I think the main character's humour really makes it.

Yep, he's very likeable. It also helps that his narration is filled with nerdy references. Anyone who drops in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" is good by me. And as pixelburp said, while in many ways these books would suit TV (and would be very budget friendly), it'd be a tough trick to not lose the humour.

david75

ixoy wrote: »

Yep, he's very likeable. It also helps that his narration is filled with nerdy references. Anyone who drops in "Avatar: The Last Airbender" is good by me. And as pixelburp said, while in many ways these books would suit TV (and would be very budget friendly), it'd be a tough trick to not lose the humour.

Definitely would love to see these made for tv

smacl

A bit more than halfway through N.K. Jamesin's The Fifth Season, and really enjoying it. A bit slower to get into than the inheritance series, and very different, but no worse for that. She's rapidly becoming one of my favourite sci-fi authors.

Bits_n_Bobs

smacl wrote: »

A bit more than halfway through N.K. Jamesin's The Fifth Season, and really enjoying it. A bit slower to get into than the inheritance series, and very different, but no worse for that. She's rapidly becoming one of my favourite sci-fi authors.

Have to agree - she is an awesome author

machalla

I'm hopping between the witcher books and the 5th Frontlines book from Marko Kloos (Fields of Fire - Frontlines Book 5).

This is one of the best military sci-fi series of recent years. They read well and tell a competent story with a narrow focus on characters. I've recommended them before on here.

The Witcher books are slow going but interesting, not very traditional fantasy at all. Which is no bad thing. I'm still only on the 2nd book of short stories so far. Its all character development and world building.

smacl

Finished The Fifth Season and loved it, just starting into The Obelisk Gate. Kind of pleased that I failed to figure out stuff I should have figured out earlier in the book with regards to the main characters, and delighted that there was so much going on. Any other author and I'd think the second book would have a hard time keeping up with the standard set by the first, but after the Inheritance books, I reckon she'll work the magic again.

shrapnel222

Trojan wrote: »

Anyone read Warbreaker by Sanderson? Any good?

one of the worse books i've ever read. just awful.i'll never read Sanderson again either.

saneman

machalla wrote: »

I'm hopping between the witcher books and the 5th Frontlines book from Marko Kloos (Fields of Fire - Frontlines Book 5).

This is one of the best military sci-fi series of recent years. They read well and tell a competent story with a narrow focus on characters. I've recommended them before on here.

After the Expanse series I was struggling to find an author that ticked similar boxes so thanks for putting Marko Kloos on my radar. After the first book I was hooked and I've thoroughly enjoyed the series so far. Will be checking out Fields of Fire asap.

machalla

saneman wrote: »

After the Expanse series I was struggling to find an author that ticked similar boxes so thanks for putting Marko Kloos on my radar. After the first book I was hooked and I've thoroughly enjoyed the series so far. Will be checking out Fields of Fire asap.

A book that might be worth a look is Black Man by Richard Morgan.

Its typically bleak being from that author but he does write books that you could imagine seeing on screen. Which is part of what appealed to me about The Expanse.

I found this one from him compelling also Market Forces. Its sort of Mad Max in a suit as a corporate road-warrior.

Plus his Takeshi Kovacs series is well worth a read.

Hmm, I just realised that I've recommended all of Richard K Morgans books. I may be a fan it turns out so perhaps my recommendationsmight be tinged by that...

I'm glad you liked Frontlines, its been a quality series for me so far. The fifth book is slowly building at the moment but it could be an epic final 50% by the look of it.

saneman

machalla wrote: »

...
Hmm, I just realised that I've recommended all of Richard K Morgans books. I may be a fan it turns out so perhaps my recommendations might be tinged by that...

Well I'd agree with you there, Black Man got me back into reading sci-fi and I've enjoyed most of Morgan's books although his first foray into fantasy with The Steel Remains didn't click with me. I'll be interested to see how the Altered Carbon tv series pans out.

The Nexus series from Ramez Naam was a good read too if you can get past the "survivability" of the main character. An interesting take on the future of human augmentation from an author who has an excellent understanding of the subject matter as it stands now. His not-too-distant world could almost be a precursor to that of Takeshi Kovacs.

ixoy

31% into "The Tyrant's Law" book three of five in Daniel Abraham's "The Dagger and the Coin" series.
It's an easy enough read - there's four main characters, time equally divided between them and each of them, my favourite being Geder. There's a little sense of a lack of a final goal for the series, or even the book, but that could yet come together.

coffee_cake

Trojan wrote: »

Anyone read Warbreaker by Sanderson? Any good?

I love Sanderson and almost everything he writes, and I liked it well enough, but maybe not top of the list
Elantris was good

Trojan

machalla wrote: »

... Richard Morgan.

Plus his Takeshi Kovacs series is well worth a read.

I just started this recently, enjoyed Altered Carbon, just onto the second one. His stuff reminds me of Charles Stross (Glasshouse and Iron Sunrise Stross, not the Laundry Stross).