Karsa Orlong

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mp8-jITevuw

There have been a fair few words that I've had to look up. Doesn't mean they're complicated, just means I didn't know them. I can't have looked them up the first time I read it - but then I was never in the habit of carrying the paperback and a dictionary around with me, so I must've just guessed at the meanings and winged it

BD has another one of those 50 books, 50 offers, 25 hours things starting tomorrow (4th March) at 9am. More here.

First review I've seen for Half A King, courtesy of the ever-dependable Wertzone

Completely understandable I've made a start on re-reading Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds. Boy, am I glad the Kindle's got a built-in dictionary

I think I'm in the minority in not liking it much, Tim, so you may well enjoy it But, yeah, Legend kicks its arse in every way

Harsh!

Me too! But I've come to the conclusion now that life's too short to keep forcing myself to finish books I'm not enjoying Pretty much agree with you about Retribution Falls - I didn't get into the characters as much as I thought I would. I'll probably still go back and read some more at some point in the future, though

Cricket. At least I think it's cricket - England are playing, so I'm not sure if it counts anymore Been watching the cycling track World Championships, too

Shame you didn't enjoy Dune so much, bobbly Well done for sticking with it, though

# 15 The Dispossessed by Ursula Le Guin 1974 - Gollancz paperback - 318 pages From Amazon: The Principle of Simultaneity is a scientific breakthrough which will revolutionize interstellar civilization by making possible instantaneous communication. It is the life work of Shevek, a brilliant physicist from the arid anarchist world of Anarres. But Shevek's work is being stifled by jealous colleagues, so he travels to Anarres's sister-planet Urras, hoping to find more liberty and tolerance there. But he soon finds himself being used as a pawn in a deadly political game. Thoughts: Kind of difficult to know what to say about this one. I remember someone saying, somewhere, that the best science fiction holds up a mirror to our own world. This is a book that definitely does that. Shevek, the young physicist who is the main protagonist, is a descendant of anarchists called Odonians who were effectively exiled from the planet Urras to its arid 'moon', Anarres. Anarres has no government, no laws, no money. Its people work together for the common good. They have no possessions - to make profit is considered abhorrent. When Shevek decides - feeling that he is being controlled by those around him - to travel to Urras to visit the scientists there with whom he has been communicating, he is called a traitor. Urras, by contrast, is very much a capitalist society, full of inequality, where the rich get richer and ignore those in poverty. It's very much an allegory, and obvious in its message(s). Le Guin's writing is very good in many ways, and has a flow that propels the story forward. There are actually two stories going on, and they weave together quite satisfactorily. Unfortunately, it is very heavy on the philosophy, which I found quite tedious at times. It essentially lays all its cards on the table very early on, and then restates or demonstrates those cards repeatedly for the remainder of its course. At times, it's like attending a lecture. At several points Shevek talks about ideas with his uni mates and it comes over very much like a class discussion. Also, Le Guin's style in this book is almost completely tell don't show, which is a style that I don't really like all that much. It means that the characters are rather flat and uninteresting. Shevek, unfortunately, is as dull a character as I've come across in a long time. I found I couldn't engage with his story because it was impossible to warm to him. He's a completely unsympathetic character placed in a situation that is so obviously meant to evoke issues in our own world. It all felt a little preachy to me. Ultimately, I guess what I'm trying to say is that some might say the best science fiction holds a mirror up to our own world, but I'd rather have a good story with good characters than a book like this. It's not awful at all, but it wasn't particularly my cup of tea. 6/10

Sleepy Hollow season finale - had almost given up on it, but these last two eps pulled it around, I think. Arrow 2x11 - still enjoying this muchly 8 out of 10 Cats Does Countdown

Plenty to keep you going, then Which of the stand-alones do you have? I want to re-read Legend and The King Beyond the Gate so I can finally read Quest for Lost Heroes, as I only recently got that one. No idea when I'll around to it though

Over the Ocean - In This Darkness

I've ordered War Birds by R M Meluch (that's a used copy coming from the States), and The Faded Sun trilogy by C J Cherryh. After those, there are a bunch I've stuck on my Amazon wishlist that I will either buy or manage to forget about, the main ones being Jack Campbell's 'Lost Fleet' series, which was top of my list but, being a series, is one I should probably hold off on until I've finished some of the other series I have on the go (this restraint will probably last less than a week ). And I'm very tempted by this, just because it sounds like pure Star Wars-type fun. I also picked up a Kindle freebie called Agents of Change which sounds a bit cheesy - but it was free Haven't downloaded it yet, though, cos it worries me Oh and the one I've already read but have now decided I must read again, cos it was 25+ years ago that I read it, is The Legacy of Heorot by Larry Niven, Jerry Pournelle and Steven Barnes, which I remember being brilliant, and pretty scary. That's the one I ordered from Abe Books. There is a Kindle edition, but there's a bunch of maps and diagrams in it, which'll be next to useless on Kindle, so I wanted a paperback copy (again ).

I think it's too late, the damage is done Thanks, me too! I've been searching the internet for a couple of weeks now. Every list of recommendations I find mostly contain ones I've already read, but I think I've uncovered some potential gems. And I must get on with the rest of Alastair Reynolds' books, too, but they really are quite daunting (although I always enjoy them once I get started).

Sorry to hear that, Tim - what an absolute pain. But, as the others have said, I hope that means something even better is in store for you Well that was a surprise But yeah, a great book to read if you need a pick-me-up. I think you've summed it up perfectly, especially with regard to his characters. He gave them real heart, and a moral compass, and made them really memorable. He was just a great storyteller, all show don't tell, and there's attention to detail yet with such economy. He was one of a kind. So glad you enjoyed it. Funnily enough, I was thinking of re-reading it soon, myself, as I read the two prequels last year.

Thanks Tim. I think Broken Angels is actually a pretty straight ahead action/adventure sf novel, certainly less complicated than the first book, so if I've made it sound daunting then I've given the wrong impression. TBR list is still growing Mainly thanks to someone on here, who shall remain nameless (Sari ), who made a passing comment which has got me wanting/craving space opera, and most of the ones I want seem to be out of print/unavailable over here, meaning I'm trying to source used copies (including one I've read previously and now really want to re-read but handily got rid of somewhere along the line - not the first time that's happened and it probably won't be the last!). I used Abe Books for the first time today. I'll post details when they start to turn up

# 14 Broken Angels by Richard Morgan 2003 - Gollancz ebook - 480 pages From Amazon: Fifty years after the events of ALTERED CARBON, Takeshi Kovacs is serving as a mercenary in the Procterate-sponsored war to put down Joshuah Kemp's revolution on the planet Sanction IV. He is offered the chance to join a covert team chasing a prize whose value is limitless -- and whose dangers are endless. Here is a novel that takes mankind to the brink. Thoughts: Hmm, the blurb says it takes place 50 years after Altered Carbon, but it's 30 years later. It's one of the weird things that you have to adjust to with this standalone sequel: it may be 30 years later, but Takeshi Kovacs (the only character to carry over from the first book - just as well, as it's written in first person!) is now a black man in a younger 'sleeve' than that which he was in last time around. It's quite odd, when you've got used to picturing a character a certain way, to have that rug pulled from under you straight away, and is one of the most compelling aspects of this future Morgan has created. Do you need to have read the first novel to enjoy this one? Actually, I think he does a commendable job of making this one stand completely on its own. Yes, there are a handful of oblique references to what happened in the first novel, but they are so fleeting as to have absolutely no influence on the course of this book. But, crucially, the one thing you do miss out on is a detailed explanation of re-sleeving, needlecasts, cortical stacks and other such tech, and I'd imagine that could leave one a bit bemused without the knowledge of it all from the previous story. But this story is a cracker, and so completely different from the first book. I was pretty much expecting more of the same, but this is another kettle of fish altogether. Kovacs is injured whilst involved in a war against a rebellion on the planet Sanction IV. When he's recovering he's approached by a man named Jan Schneider who, it turns out, shouldn't be in a Protectorate hospital at all, but has sneaked in there to recruit Kovacs on a crazy journey into the war zone where a bunch of archaeologists have discovered a Martian artefact. Martians were basically the key to mankind expanding out into the galaxy, because they left behind technology and maps that allowed us to get there without having to develop these things for ourselves. As a result, man has only been to planets where the Martians were first, and are continually finding new ruins and remains from the previous incumbents, long since gone. And this particular artefact turns out to be a gate, the other side of which opens somewhere else in the Sanction IV system, and beyond it is something . . . well, that would be spoiling. What follows starts out like something of a heist movie, with a touch of The Dirty Dozen thrown in (assuming, of course, that The Dirty Dozen had been about a hundred times more violent and a kazillion times darker), and then morphs into something like Stargate meets Event Horizon. And, for the most part, it's bloody brilliant. The set up and main plot, I found very exciting. When I say I was expecting more of the same, I was kind of worried that I might not enjoy it as much as the first book. But, happily, I enjoyed it just as much, if not a bit more. For the most part . . . I get the feeling, really, that Morgan is going to be the kind of author to whom I will always attach caveats So here they are. The first half of the book is quite slow - not slow in a bad way, for me, but if you're expecting a barnstorming opening, it ain't here. Also, the story did seem to fizzle out and overstay its welcome by 50 or so pages - the ending is strangely downbeat. I don't normally mind downbeat, but this one felt kind of strange that way, after everything that had preceded it. And yes, the violence is there in spades and, yes, there are two graphic and completely gratuitous sex scenes. These things didn't particularly bother me, but they will bother some. Oh, and there's one real annoyance: he develops this habit with the dialogue in this book where characters will start. To say. Something. And then. A full-stop will. Appear from nowhere. For. No reason. And he keeps doing it, all the way through. Really. Annoying It's like listening to William Shatner read the book in a Captain Kirk style The upshot of all this is that I liked Broken Angels more than Altered Carbon, but I'm going to give it the same score, because it's marginal, and it's a very different kind of story, so it's difficult to compare them side by side. Put all that away, though, and the vast majority of what goes on within is thrilling and, at times, of a dazzling nature. The characters are great (although I did miss Ortega from Altered Carbon). The central mystery is has got a sort of wide-eyed-wonder factor to it that I loved. The fun Morgan has with the re-sleeving idea is, once again, brilliant. And the action . . . wow, it is . . . just wow. Gruesome, yeah, but real edge-of-seat, I-can't-believe-I-just-read-that kind of stuff. I think Richard Morgan must be a very angry man 8/10

Watched the first episode of True Detective. Didn't think I was going to like it at first, but pretty much hooked by the end. Slowly making my way through the first season of Breaking Bad.

Oh I don't disagree, just saying I could see why it happened. Generally enjoyed the Beeb's coverage, but disappointed that they didn't show more of the ice hockey. To show the first period of the bronze medal game and then relegate the rest of it to internet-only (which I couldn't get to run properly) was particularly annoying (congrats to Finland!). The final was a bit one-sided but I'm happy Canada won. Nice of Sidney Crosby to turn up for the final again Sad that it's all finished now. Well done to all the medallists, especially Lizzy (English!). Shall miss my daily dose of people falling over at high speed

It was pretty harsh but, same as with the previous DQs, I could see why it happened, not for the collision on the last bend, but because of the way she stopped the other girl from overtaking on the straight leading up to the final bend. I thought the commentators should've picked up on that at the time

Bargain! I haven't even finished the first one Don't think I'll be getting that one, I just don't spend enough time on games these days

# 13 Second Foundation by Isaac Asimov 1953 - Harper Voyager paperback - 240 pages From Amazon: Thoughts: The final book of the original 'Foundation Trilogy', Second Foundation contains two more stories. I don't want to say too much about it for fear of spoilers. I thought the first story was very good, tying up a lot of ideas from the previous book and continuing the trend of Foundation & Empire with its scope and more intriguing characters. The second story verges on being the best of the lot. Its main character is a 14 year-old girl who becomes central to an interstellar war brought about by her father's instigation of a rebellion. It's a lot of fun whilst still progressing the ideas of the previous tales. In fact, the continuity from story to story - even if they are set decades, if not centuries, apart - is fantastic and I think the trilogy hangs together really well as a result, even though you don't have a single character to hang onto from one story to the next. For once, I think reading them immediately one after the other has been a benefit. There are a huge number of twists in the final few chapters, almost too many, in fact. They keep coming and coming, and pretty soon I didn't know what to believe, but all does become clear in the end. I think this was testament to the clarity with which Asimov conveyed his ideas, meaning that he kept leading me up the wrong path, then pull me back and lead me up another, but I was still never confused. That said, in the end I just wanted him to get on with it and solve the central mystery, so I think the final story kind of overstayed its welcome. That's all I'm going to say. I thoroughly enjoyed this trilogy and, whilst I doubt I'll read the other 'Foundation' books, I will definitely look to the Robot stories at some point in the future. 8/10

Ouch, couple of nasty crashes in the women's ski cross - could hear the poor German girl screaming the moment she went over