What Are You Reading?

Thargor

shrapnel222 wrote: »

thanks for that. will give book 2 a go.

I had noticed your previous comments re supernova, and had no intention of going there!!:)

I posted exactly like you after I read book 1 saying I didn't get the hype but by the end of book 2 it had become one of the great sci-fi series for me, I remember nearly every bit of it and still think of it a lot the way I do with Dune/Culture/Nights Dawn. The Three Body Reddit is great, some of the fanmade illustrations are amazing, massive spoilers though so definitely dont look until you've finished reading.

ixoy

Thargor wrote: »

Anyone got any recs for global pandemic sci fi like The Stand? Emphasis on the science part not the supernatural.

Saw this reddit thread that might be of interest to you :

https://www.reddit.com/r/printSF/comments/feqh8z/corona_virus_inspired_reading/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share

Fian

Finished "the Hot zone" based off recommendations on this thread. Not Sci-fi / Fantasy.

Have been googling pandemic books and somehow ended up putting "lucifer's hammer" on my kindle, though that is about an asteroid/comet impact rather than a pandemic. I am not sure if I have read it before, I think I might. Will probably start this evening and if I have read it swap to something else.

I enjoyed the moties series from the same authors (niven & purnelle) so if I have not read it i will probably give it a whirl.

Actually probably worth giving that series a recommendation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mote_in_God%27s_Eye

I was sure there was a sequel but can't see it on wikipedia.

Edit: The "sequel" I was thinking of was footfall, which is not actually a sequel. On the other hand it seems there is a sequel called "the gripping hand" which I have never read.

Thargor

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gripping_Hand

Oh wow there is a sequel to Mote in God's Eye, I was going to say you were thinking of A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky. Im reading that next, it's one of my all time favs, the Moties are an amazing species.

Jayd0g

Fian wrote: »

Finished "the Hot zone" based off recommendations on this thread. Not Sci-fi / Fantasy.

Have been googling pandemic books and somehow ended up putting "lucifer's hammer" on my kindle, though that is about an asteroid/comet impact rather than a pandemic. I am not sure if I have read it before, I think I might. Will probably start this evening and if I have read it swap to something else.

I enjoyed the moties series from the same authors (niven & purnelle) so if I have not read it i will probably give it a whirl.

Actually probably worth giving that series a recommendation:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mote_in_God%27s_Eye

I was sure there was a sequel but can't see it on wikipedia.

Edit: The "sequel" I was thinking of was footfall, which is not actually a sequel. On the other hand it seems there is a sequel called "the gripping hand" which I have never read.

Reading the Wikipedia page for that universe this morning and it's a really interesting setting.

How does the execution follow up? Are the stories and characters as good as the setting?

Fian

Jayd0g wrote: »

Reading the Wikipedia page for that universe this morning and it's a really interesting setting.

How does the execution follow up? Are the stories and characters as good as the setting?

The mote in god's eye was excellent. So was footfall and the ringworld books.

Imo anyway.

@ thargor - A fire upon the deep and deepness in the sky also amongst my all time favorites.

Jayd0g

Fian wrote: »

The mote in god's eye was excellent. So was footfall and the ringworld books.

Imo anyway.

@ thargor - A fire upon the deep and deepness in the sky also amongst my all time favorites.

Thanks!

I'll add the Mote book to the list and give it a try!

cdgalwegian

Me too. Sounds intriguing.

Trojan

Thargor wrote: »

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gripping_Hand

Oh wow there is a sequel to Mote in God's Eye, I was going to say you were thinking of A Fire Upon the Deep and A Deepness in the Sky. Im reading that next, it's one of my all time favs, the Moties are an amazing species.

Jayd0g wrote: »

Reading the Wikipedia page for that universe this morning and it's a really interesting setting.

How does the execution follow up? Are the stories and characters as good as the setting?

This leads into the Falkenberg/Mercenary/The Prince books which are some good old school mil-sf. Quite enjoyable if you like that kind of thing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoDominium#Series

Jayd0g

Trojan wrote: »

This leads into the Falkenberg/Mercenary/The Prince books which are some good old school mil-sf. Quite enjoyable if you like that kind of thing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CoDominium#Series

Why yes, I do like that kind of thing!

Manach

For societal collapse, there is Footfall by Niven and Pournelle.
For virus infection, there is Dark tides rising series by John Ringo
For eventual recovery, The Postman or A canticle for Leibowitz.

Igotadose

Manach wrote: »

For societal collapse, there is Footfall by Niven and Pournelle.
For virus infection, there is Dark tides rising series by John Ringo
For eventual recovery, The Postman or A canticle for Leibowitz.

Riddley Walker for another recovery novel.

Thargor

I found A Canticle for Leibowitz to be really boring and pointless, Footfall though is brilliant and one of the books that got me hooked on sci-fi as a kid.

I'm currently reading Seveneves, I've owned it for ages but never got around to reading it, 200 pages in and its absolutely brilliant.

Fian

Thargor wrote: »

I'm currently reading Seveneves, I've owned it for ages but never got around to reading it, 200 pages in and its absolutely brilliant.

I sense imminent disappointment in your future.

Thargor

Yeah I'd heard that, probably why I owned it for so long without reading it.

Paddy Samurai

Thargor wrote: »

Anyone got any recs for global pandemic sci fi like The Stand? Emphasis on the science part not the supernatural.

Currently reading Wanderers by Chuck Wendig .About 40 % through and enjoying it .CDC are involved and it includes background on sars and mers.
Not sure if its heading towards pandemic but its a good read .

What if the only way to save humanity was to lose almost everyone?
This was kind of inevitable: Wendig (Vultures, 2019, etc.) wrestles with a magnum opus that grapples with culture, science, faith, and our collective anxiety while delivering an epic equal to Steven King’s The Stand (1978).

Review link: https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/chuck-wendig/wanderers-wendig/

Nody

Finished the last Dresden book, The Wolf's call by Anthony Ryan; the first book in the second Bloodsong trilogy. I love him as an author even if his speed tends to be neck breaking action from start to finish. Started three body problem (audio) and The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan (seems like a very interesting and unique world).

cdgalwegian

Nody wrote: »

Finished the last Dresden book, The Wolf's call by Anthony Ryan; the first book in the second Bloodsong trilogy. I love him as an author even if his speed tends to be neck breaking action from start to finish. Started three body problem (audio) and The Gutter Prayer by Gareth Hanrahan (seems like a very interesting and unique world).

Started 3 Body Problem (book) as well; previous posters have said 1st book isn't great, but that 2 and 3 are very good. 120 pages in and it's not that great. Really hope 2 and 3 are worth it!

Thargor

Seveneves was a bit of a masterpiece tbh, really enjoyed it. Word of advice, dont read the blurb, just dive in, the blurb kind of spoils things. God I love hard sci-fi that covers long time periods.

Manach

Nody wrote: »

Finished the last Dresden book.

Funny you should say that. There are two more due this year, June and Sept.

ixoy

cdgalwegian wrote: »

Started 3 Body Problem (book) as well; previous posters have said 1st book isn't great, but that 2 and 3 are very good. 120 pages in and it's not that great. Really hope 2 and 3 are worth it!

For me, I don't think Book 2 or 3 will change your mind if you don't care for Book 1. I liked elements of the series but other bits, such as the characters largely, I didn't care for. I didn't find it the masterpiece that some did.

Thargor wrote: »

Seveneves was a bit of a masterpiece tbh, really enjoyed it. Word of advice, dont read the blurb, just dive in, the blurb kind of spoils things. God I love hard sci-fi that covers long time periods.

It was a bit of a return to form for Neal Stephenson. A lot of his more recent works have lacked that epic scale. What did you think of the final part of the book? Lots of differing opinions on it.

Thargor

ixoy wrote: »

It was a bit of a return to form for Neal Stephenson. A lot of his more recent works have lacked that epic scale. What did you think of the final part of the book? Lots of differing opinions on it.

The Diggers were stupid tbh, no way anyone is surviving in any mine for 5k years and if they did he should have showed more of how they did it. The Pingers were more plausible. Leaving out what the actual Agent that started it was was criminal imo but at the end of the day the first 90% of the book was pure brilliance (could have done with a bit more detail of what life was like after they made it to The Cleft) but anyway another author wouldn't have even given us the view from 5000 years in the future anyway so overall I loved it.

cdgalwegian

ixoy wrote: »

For me, I don't think Book 2 or 3 will change your mind if you don't care for Book 1. I liked elements of the series but other bits, such as the characters largely, I didn't care for. I didn't find it the masterpiece that some did.

Thanks. The writing- maybe it's the translation- is a bit childish, tbh. It kinda reminds me of Neal Stephenson's Anathema in it's conceit with a different plot so far, but it's very slow.
I've just got 'Neverness' by David Zindell as recommended by Mr Meanor, so I'll dive into that.

ixoy

cdgalwegian wrote: »

I've just got 'Neverness' by David Zindell as recommended by Mr Meanor, so I'll dive into that.

Loved that book and the subsequent trilogy. My current username is inspired by 'Dune' but one of my previous email addresses was a reference to Danlo wiSoli Ringess from 'Neverness'.

Igotadose

Just finished "Fall; or, Dodge in Hell", by Neal Stephenson. A sequel to "Reamde", which was an action-adventure novel with some interesting characters.

This one takes place about 20 years after the events of Reamde and deals with the death of the main character Dodge, whose consciousness ends up digitized and active in a virtual world. It also has brought back descendants of characters from "Cryptonomicon," which I thought was a nice touch.

Overall I though the book well written but draggy, took a while to get through, and the events, most of which take place in a virtual world, kind of slow. Still, when you have a lot of time on your hands to read, it's an o.k. read.

Xofpod

The Sirens of Titan, Kurt Vonnegut

ixoy

Recently finished:

'Horus Rising' by Dan Abnett, the first book in his 'Horus Heresy' trilogy. It's my first Warhammer 40k novel and, after an initial bumpy start, I got into it. It takes a while for the plot and characterisation to start up (I'm not a huge fan of just having impressive military gun fights) but when it does it kept me intrigued.

'Shadow Captain' by Alastair Renolds, the second book in his Revenger trilogy. It's YA sci-fi but a series I've found very enjoyable with Reynold's clear touch of world building that includes ancient civilisations. It suffers a little from middle-book syndrome where the pacing slows but there's some good scenes and characters in it so I'll happily finish the series.

'The City and Stars' by Arthur C. Clarke. It's not often I read classic science fiction and there were some excellent ideas in this. I did find the novel did far too much though of characters explaining things in large info dumps - possibly just Clarke's style. The ending also felt rushed. Perhaps it's more modern authors, writing longer series, can expand more easily but it left me with a slight feeling of dissatisfaction. Impressive though given its age.

'Revenant Gun' by Yoon Ha Lee, the third book in his 'The Machineries of Empire' trilogy. Very satisfying wrap up to an imaginative series that features magic math calendars. Some good plot twists, humour and action pieces. Am definitely interested in his upcoming fantasy series.

Thargor

Arthur C. Clarke must have been absolutely mindblowing if you were reading them as he released them back in the day. Rama series still well worth a read, still nothing else like it really.

cdgalwegian

Thargor wrote: »

Arthur C. Clarke must have been absolutely mindblowing if you were reading them as he released them back in the day. Rama series still well worth a read, still nothing else like it really.

I always think the same about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; in print at the start of the 19th C ! (pretty good sci-fi/fantasy book even now).

Thargor

cdgalwegian wrote: »

I always think the same about Mary Shelley's Frankenstein; in print at the start of the 19th C ! (pretty good sci-fi/fantasy book even now).

Yeah I love looking up classic films/books on Wikipedia, theres always a "Reception" section in the article that tells you how something was received at the time, the scandalous ones can be pretty funny, its always interesting.