Karsa Orlong Posted September 3, 2015 Author Share Posted September 3, 2015 Oooh, Linwood Barclay! As you may remember, I thought NLA was really great. I'm now going to have to reserve a copy of TYE, sounds good I figured they were both worth a gamble at that price. There were five or six of his books in the Kindle Daily Deal yesterday, but those were the two that sounded most intriguing to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 I was very happy, until one of my fellow jurors pointed out it wasn't real money Oi!! If that's the case, it needs to be established before one goes in to play! Seriously And you were in the right place to tell them you'd sue them. Surely they have a good surveillance system in that place! I figured they were both worth a gamble at that price. There were five or six of his books in the Kindle Daily Deal yesterday, but those were the two that sounded most intriguing to me Yep, better start with the ones you like the sound of the most. And a bargain, really Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted September 3, 2015 Author Share Posted September 3, 2015 Oi!! If that's the case, it needs to be established before one goes in to play! Seriously And you were in the right place to tell them you'd sue them. Surely they have a good surveillance system in that place! If I'd been involved they'd only have cancelled the trial Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frankie Posted September 3, 2015 Share Posted September 3, 2015 Too true! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted September 5, 2015 Author Share Posted September 5, 2015 Best video ever "That's a guy??" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted September 5, 2015 Share Posted September 5, 2015 Unfortunately my second-hand purchases were as expensive as new paperbacks, mainly because they're difficult to get hold of in the UK. Oh well! I think most of my books come as used ones from the US now, `cos they`re out of print and unavailable here. I`ve had fun things as book marks - a Long Island train ticket, classical concert ticket for a hall in LA .. .. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted September 6, 2015 Author Share Posted September 6, 2015 The Yellow Admiral (Aubrey/Maturin Book #18) by Patrick O'Brian 1996 - Harper ebook - 307 pages Good grief - the blurb for this book on Amazon and goodreads both give away the entire story of this book, right up to the very last page Assuming it's come from the publishers, what one Earth were they thinking? Anyway, yes this picks up a short while after the events of The Commodore. Jack is back in England and is slowly being buried by litigation due to him having liberated some slave ships which were actually protected by foreign law. The fortune he made in prize money is steadily being whittled away, leading to him moving to his ancestral home at Woolcombe House because he can no longer afford to live at Ashgrove. Not only that, but his reputation among the powers-that-be at the Admiralty is in steady decline due to his frequent mouthing-off in Parliament. When Stephen, who has recently returned to England, is asked to speak to Jack about his behaviour, Jack immediately begins to fear that he will be 'yellowed', either passed over for promotion when he is due or, worse still, given promotion but without a command - a so-called 'yellow admiral'. All that said, nothing happens in this book. Nothing at all. There's a bit of a to-do over some land near Woolcombe House, a bit of marital discord, some goings-on near Brest, but nothing compared to previous novels. It has the feel of a transitional book, as Napolean's downfall grows near and the war draws to an end. And yet the pages still fly by, the warmth of the characters welcomes one with open arms, the narrative flows without so much as a misstep, and - by the end - I was still left wanting more. It is increasingly clear to me, now, that O'Brian is the best storyteller I have ever read. He made it all seem so easy, although I'm sure it wasn't. He made it feel like you are there, in that time, in those places, with those people. It is as though the words flowed from his imagination to his fingertips to the page to the reader's imagination without the slightest pause. It is truly a wonder to me, a rare gem, to be treasured. 'I do hope Diana don't savage Heneage on the way back,' said Jack. 'You might not think it, but he is a very sensitive cove, and he feels harsh words extremely. I remember when his father called him a vile concupiscent waste-thrift wh-ore-monger he brooded over it a whole evening.' . . . well, you would, wouldn't you? Preserved Killick walked in with a look of surly triumph on his disagreeable shrewish face and said, jerking his head in Stephen's direction, 'Which I only wanted to ask his honour where this little green parcel was to go. In the dispensary? Down the head?' 'Jesus, M...' Stephen checked himself and went on, 'It had flown out of my head entirely, with the anxieties of the journey and the tumult of the waves. It is a Troy pound of Jackson's best mocha. He sells it by the Troy weight as a precious substance, which indeed it is. Good Killick, honest Killick, pray grind it as fast as human power allows and make up a noble great pot.' Killick had never been called honest before and he was not at all sure how he liked it now. He sidled out, with suspicious glances back into the cabin. Oh I do love Killick One of my fellow jurors was a huge fan of the film, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World, although he's never read the books, and apparently he and his friend often have drinking games whilst watching it, one element of which includes having a drink every time Killick complains about something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted September 7, 2015 Share Posted September 7, 2015 Awwww, how stupid the blurb on Amazon gave the whole book away . I'm glad you enjoyed the book though ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted September 9, 2015 Author Share Posted September 9, 2015 (edited) Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch Book #1) by Ann Leckie 2013 - Orbit ebook - 393 pages On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest. Breq is both more than she seems and less than she was. Years ago, she was the Justice of Toren - a colossal starship and an artificial intelligence controlling thousands of soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy. An act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with only one fragile human body. But that might just be enough to take revenge against those who destroyed her. This multi-award winning science fiction novel was Ann Leckie's debut. She had cut her teeth writing well-received short stories, but this is an altogether more ambitious effort. Readers of Iain M. Banks will likely see similarities in this tried and trusted formula of weirdly named space ships, rogue artificial intelligences, and dual storylines - one past, one present - that gradually converge (think Use of Weapons but not half as clever) - whilst those of Neal Asher will likely laugh at its overbearing staidness and unwillingness to push the envelope just that little bit further. So the big question is whether or not Leckie managed to put an original spin on this largely unoriginal idea. And, overall, I'd say she's managed it - just about. Told in the first person, we spend most of the novel viewing events through the eyes of Breq, a character out for revenge. The spin is, Breq isn't a person, not really. She's a fragment - an Ancillary - of an artificial intelligence that encompassed and ran the Imperial Justice ship known as Justice of Toren, a human body upon whom this AI has been thrust, along with thousands of others, into Roman-like military 'decades'. In one storyline - the 'present' - she is on her own, on an ice planet, searching for something that will facilitate her mission of revenge. In the other - 20 years beforehand - she is a complete AI, running the ship, running thousands of Ancillaries, both on the ship and the planet below. They give her eyes everywhere, and she is in control. The converging storylines not only move the 'present' onwards but also bring the 'past' into line, filling in the gaps until the reader knows exactly how and why she had ended up where she is. It's a much-used trick, and it means that the reader is missing certain vital information at the start which only getrs filled in later on, but Leckie carries it off well enough that I felt it pulled me through the story, rather than me having to force myself through it. Stylistically it's generally well-written. The main quirk is that Breq is unable to clarify gender, meaning that everyone is referred to as 'she'. It's an interesting narrative conceit but I did wonder just how an AI as advanced as this could possibly not make that distinction. In essence it becomes an examination of identity, expanded by another character and an intriguing twist. Also, there are some very clever scenes where Justice of Toren is seeing through multiple characters' eyes and getting involved in multiple situations all at the same time: The tech medic went swiftly to work, and suddenly I was on the table (I was walking behind Lieutenant Awn, I was taking up the mending Two Esk had set down on its way to the holds, I was laying myself down on my small, close bunks, I was wiping a counter in the decade room) and I could see and hear but I had no control of the new body and its terror raised the heart rates of all One Esks' segments. The new segment's mouth opened and it screamed and in the background it heard laughter. I flailed, the binding came loose and I rolled off the table, fell a meter and a half to the floor with a painful thud. Don't don't don't, I thought at the body, but it wasn't listening. It was sick, it was terrified, it was dying. It pushed itself up and crawled, dizzy, where it didn't care so long as it got away. My overriding feeling towards the book was that she could've done a lot more with it, taken the ideas to greater extremes. Also, the dialogue sometimes felt a little clunky and contained words like 'gotten' which really kicked me out of the mood, and 'obligated', which I hate (you're not 'obligated', you're obliged). Ultimately I thought it veered more closely to C J Cherryh's intense character focus, and particularly in its in-depth examination of alien cultures. It was an easier read than Cherryh, it has to be said, and the finale manages to inject a little excitement. Having said that, I thought on a couple of occasions that it was finally ramping up the thrills only for it to chicken out and fall away again. Overall, I thought it was solid but unspectacular. Worthy of all the awards? I'll have to read more of the nominees to have a better idea. Finally, thanks to Laura and her excellent review for prompting me to finally read this book, which has been sitting on my Kindle for ages Edited September 9, 2015 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted September 9, 2015 Share Posted September 9, 2015 I'm glad you enjoyed it, Steve. Great review! Totally agree with the 'solid, but unspectacular' verdict ('bog-standard' ), and I guess you would have found it much less spectacular than I did given that you're much more widely read in this genre. What sort of things d'you reckon she could have done to 'push the envelope' a bit further? And do you think you'll read the sequels? I'm curious as to how the whole thing will pan out, especially with Seivarden's character, but probably won't pick up the second book for a while now. Unless you read it sooner, of course. Also, were you really disappointed when Breq killed Lieutenant Awn? My jaw actually dropped - I was convinced she wouldn't do it. But then I loved that she turned on Mianaai immediately afterwards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 I'm glad you enjoyed it, Steve. Great review! Thanks Laura What sort of things d'you reckon she could have done to 'push the envelope' a bit further? And do you think you'll read the sequels? I'm curious as to how the whole thing will pan out, especially with Seivarden's character, but probably won't pick up the second book for a while now. Unless you read it sooner, of course. I would've liked to see her take those multi-viewpoint scenes into some action. I got the feeling she chickened out in that regard, because every time there was some action she found a way of separating the Ancillaries, either by having something block the link between them, or later on having Bruq be the only one left, so the action scenes always involved individual segments/fragments and not the whole. I think she could have done a lot more with that, and with the multiple Mianaais. I'll probably read the sequels, yeah. Although The Quantum Thief is calling to me at the moment, and that's the start of another trilogy, so I don't know when I'll do it. I'm having real trouble deciding what to read next. At the moment I have Patrick O'Brian constantly nagging away at me - every time I look at another book I have the need to finish his series at the back of my mind, even though I want it to last as long as possible, so I think I'm going to do that now and get it out of my head Also, were you really disappointed when Breq killed Lieutenant Awn? My jaw actually dropped - I was convinced she wouldn't do it. But then I loved that she turned on Mianaai immediately afterwards. No! I loved that because it surprised me. It let me know I wasn't on safe ground Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted September 10, 2015 Author Share Posted September 10, 2015 Looking at the other novels Ancillary Justice beat in last year's Hugo nominees, I've had Charlie Stross's Neptune's Brood on my radar for a while, so I'll definitely give that a go at some point, and Mira Grant's Parasite. Not so many I'm interested in on the Nebula and Clarke lists, though. Charles Gannon's Fire with Fire is free on Kindle, so I'll give that one a try. The one I really fancy is Nicola Griffiths' Hild, but it's currently £13.99 on Kindle Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted September 10, 2015 Share Posted September 10, 2015 I would've liked to see her take those multi-viewpoint scenes into some action. I got the feeling she chickened out in that regard, because every time there was some action she found a way of separating the Ancillaries, either by having something block the link between them, or later on having Bruq be the only one left, so the action scenes always involved individual segments/fragments and not the whole. I think she could have done a lot more with that, and with the multiple Mianaais. Yeah, the multiple viewpoint thing would have been awesome. With the Mianaai thing, I was initially really confused as to what was going on, mainly because the character kept referring to the other versions of herself as "me". I also found myself wondering: wouldn't it be easier to keep control of the Radch if all Mianaai's bodies weren't identical? Looking at the other novels Ancillary Justice beat in last year's Hugo nominees, I've had Charlie Stross's Neptune's Brood on my radar for a while, so I'll definitely give that a go at some point, and Mira Grant's Parasite. Not so many I'm interested in on the Nebula and Clarke lists, though. Charles Gannon's Fire with Fire is free on Kindle, so I'll give that one a try. The one I really fancy is Nicola Griffiths' Hild, but it's currently £13.99 on Kindle Whaaa?! £13.99? Was it handwritten by monks and then uploaded a page at a time?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted September 11, 2015 Share Posted September 11, 2015 There's a Chase app?! Wow, I wonder if I can get that over here...(Nope. ) We have our own version of The Chase starting on Monday afternoon...and the Governess is going to be one of the chasers!! So exciting. I'm so used to the English version that I probably won't enjoy an Aussie version as much, but I'll keep watching as long as the Governess is on it. (And maybe I'll be able to answer more questions if they're not so UK-centric!) Hey, here's a random question for you, Steve: If a local theatre was putting on a show consisting of around four adaptations of Twilight Zone episodes, would you be interested in seeing it? And if you were interested, would you want to see episodes that you weren't too familiar with, or would you prefer to see classic episodes that you already know? I'm asking because I had a genius idea last night...I'd love to see if my local theatre group would be interested in doing a TZ show (ahem, with me as director), and you're the person I know who most likes the Twilight Zone. We have an 'older' audience, so there might be interest because they might remember watching the show when they were younger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted September 11, 2015 Author Share Posted September 11, 2015 Yeah, the multiple viewpoint thing would have been awesome. With the Mianaai thing, I was initially really confused as to what was going on, mainly because the character kept referring to the other versions of herself as "me". I also found myself wondering: wouldn't it be easier to keep control of the Radch if all Mianaai's bodies weren't identical? Yeah, that was one of those ideas that was there just as a plot device and an alternate view on the identity angle, I reckon. It didn't make a lot of sense, although I did quite like the idea of some of the Mianaais being at war with each other and other part of him/her/it not knowing. It could be that she does more with that idea in the sequels, I suppose Whaaa?! £13.99? Was it handwritten by monks and then uploaded a page at a time?? For £13.99 I should jolly well hope they come and hold the book and turn the pages for me, too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted September 11, 2015 Author Share Posted September 11, 2015 There's a Chase app?! Wow, I wonder if I can get that over here...(Nope. ) We have our own version of The Chase starting on Monday afternoon...and the Governess is going to be one of the chasers!! So exciting. I'm so used to the English version that I probably won't enjoy an Aussie version as much, but I'll keep watching as long as the Governess is on it. (And maybe I'll be able to answer more questions if they're not so UK-centric!) That's interesting, as there's a new chaser on the series over here, so there's five of them now. Maybe it's because Beastie boy is doing the US version and now the Governess is doing the Aussie version, so they won't be appearing on the UK version so much Hey, here's a random question for you, Steve: If a local theatre was putting on a show consisting of around four adaptations of Twilight Zone episodes, would you be interested in seeing it? And if you were interested, would you want to see episodes that you weren't too familiar with, or would you prefer to see classic episodes that you already know? I'm asking because I had a genius idea last night...I'd love to see if my local theatre group would be interested in doing a TZ show (ahem, with me as director), and you're the person I know who most likes the Twilight Zone. We have an 'older' audience, so there might be interest because they might remember watching the show when they were younger. Yeah, I'd go and see it! I think, if you adapted four episodes, then there's room to do a couple of the classics and a couple of lesser known ones - that would probably work for fans and those new to it. The big question, though: would you get someone to do an impersonation of Rod Serling for the voice overs at the start and end of each story, would you be able to use a recording (copyright issues?), or would you leave it out altogether? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted September 12, 2015 Share Posted September 12, 2015 Charles Gannon's Fire with Fire is free on Kindle, so I'll give that one a try. Thanks for the heads up - have downloaded that freebie - looks good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted September 13, 2015 Author Share Posted September 13, 2015 Thanks for the heads up - have downloaded that freebie - looks good. I remember seeing it on the shelf in Forbidden Planet a few months ago and nearly bought it then, so I'm glad I waited Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 Yeah, I'd go and see it! I think, if you adapted four episodes, then there's room to do a couple of the classics and a couple of lesser known ones - that would probably work for fans and those new to it. The big question, though: would you get someone to do an impersonation of Rod Serling for the voice overs at the start and end of each story, would you be able to use a recording (copyright issues?), or would you leave it out altogether? Thanks for your input! Great idea to do a mix of known and lesser-known episodes. I think the intro should be in the show as well (but just for the first 'episode'). I'd probably just get one of the guys at the theatre group to do the intro. We have some great 'voices' there, including my ex. Considering I've only watched half a dozen or so episodes so far, it looks like I need to do some homework! Tough job... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More reading time required Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 Thanks for the heads up - have downloaded that freebie - looks good. Whilst it's free, I thought I might as well take a punt on it too! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More reading time required Posted September 13, 2015 Share Posted September 13, 2015 (edited) Stupid double post! Edited September 13, 2015 by More reading time required Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted September 14, 2015 Author Share Posted September 14, 2015 The Hundred Days (Aubrey/Maturin Book #19) by Patrick O'Brian 1998 - Harper ebook - 315 pages Following the extraordinary success of The Yellow Admiral. this latest Aubrey-Maturin novel brings alive the sights and sounds of North Africa as well as the great naval battles in the days immediately following Napoleon's escape from Elba. Aubrey and Maturin are in the thick of the plots and counterplots to prevent his regaining power. Coloured by conspiracies in the Adriatic. in the Berber and Arab lands of the southern shores of the Mediterranean, by night actions. fierce pursuits. slave-trading... Rather than write a review this time I thought I'd interview someone who's read the book. Hello Steve, thank you for taking the time to talk to us about The Hundred Days. Yeah, yeah, whatever The Hundred Days is the 19th book in the series. Would you say this marks Patrick O'Brian as one of your favourite authors? Do you think I'd still be reading them if he wasn't? Bloody stupid question! Ahem. Erm, so tell me how this book fits in with the rest of the series. The title pretty much gives the game away, doofus. Napoleon has escaped from Elba and is Emperor again. Jack is made Commodore and given command of a squadron to patrol the Adriatic where Napoleon's Muslim allies have been tasked with delaying the Russian and Austrian forces which are heading west to join forces with Wellington and the Prussians. Napoleon believes in divide and conquer. Jack's orders are to locate and either capture or destroy any vessels being built for the Emperor in the numerous shipyards around the eastern Mediterranean. Additionally to this, there is a major espionage plot for Stephen to get involved with in North Africa, involving mercenaries and huge amounts of gold. Sounds exciting. It is. I sense a 'but'. Was there something about it that you didn't like? Unusually, yes - a couple of things. This is quite spoilery, unfortunately. For a start, between the end of the previous book (The Yellow Admiral) and the start of this one, O'Brian killed off a major character. I didn't like that it happened off-screen, so to speak. It also didn't make a lot of sense in terms of the timeline: this book picks up soon after the end of the last one, so there doesn't seem to have been time in between for all that he says to have happened. It doesn't seem to have as big an effect on a particular character as it should, either. Stiff upper lip, perhaps, but it didn't feel right. On top of that, later in the book he kills another main character, and does it in a single sentence without any warning. Realistic, perhaps, but there is no appropriate send-off for either of these characters. I guess it was never O'Brian's way, but he's given other, lesser characters burials at sea, so why not this latter one? You know I can't read those spoilers because I don't want to spoil the book for myself, right? Don't worry, I'm sure Laura will tell you all about it So, overall, you didn't like this book? I didn't say that. Apart from those two things it is tremendously enjoyable, as usual. I wouldn't say it was one of the best in the series, but even a lesser O'Brian is better than most other books I've read this year. And now just one novel left in the series? One and a bit, you ignoramus [sings] And now, the end is near . . . [/sings] Erm . . . I'll tell you what, though, this would have been a great place for the series to end naturally because . . . No more spoilers, please! Well if you knew your history you would know what I was going to say, dumb-ass Oi, learn some manners you vile concupiscent waste-thrift wh-ore-monger! Do you even know what that means? Err, no, not really - I just copied it from your review of the previous book. Dumb-ass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 Funniest review I've read in a long time ! Very creative . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 LOVE this review Steve!! Shame about the you-know-whats, but at least the rest of the book was up to scratch. Why would it have been a natural conclusion to the series? Has every single one been set during the Napoleonic wars? And you said there's one and a half books left . . . I've forgotten, is that because one of them is unfinished, or is it a short story? And yeah, of course I read the spoilers and will be happy to share them with everyone! Anyone? No? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted September 14, 2015 Share Posted September 14, 2015 Hmm, I have Master and Commander in my vast TBR. After your review, I may even read it this century. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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