Karsa Orlong Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Nothing wrong with a bit of Clarke really, he was a very clever man I just thought his writing was a bit old fashioned. I'd agree with that, actually. He was great on the ideas and the science, but not so hot on the characters and - for me - it's the characters that make or break a book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) That's one thing I love about them, you could almost read them as non-fiction, the man was a genius. Are there any new epic sci-fi series that are still being written, I.e. The sci-fi equivalent of A Song of Ice and Fire? Edited May 30, 2012 by Timstar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Are there any new epic sci-fi series that are still being written, I.e. The sci-fi equivalent of A Song of Ice and Fire? Interesting question! Does that mean you want a series of books that is showing no signs of completion, so you will be left hanging for years without knowing how it will end?? Or do you want a recent series that is actually complete? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) lol, completion isn't really an issue for me to be honest, I am patient with tonnes of fantasy/sci-fi to read. If you can suggest a few of each I will check them out. Edited June 25, 2012 by Timstar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 It's still an interesting question, because I wouldn't class those I have read as series in the usual sense. Some of them are sequences of books set in the same universe, some with the same character(s), some not. Others are interlinked trilogies and such. So not continuous stories, like GRRM. The recent ones I have read (all of, or part of): Peter F. Hamilton: Misspent Youth, Commonwealth Saga and Void Trilogy - all set in the same universe but at different points in time Dan Simmons: Hyperion Cantos Iain M. Banks: Culture novels, all set in the same universe Alastair Reynolds: Revelation Space series, all set in the same universe Neal Asher: Polity novels, all set in the same universe with recurring characters Chris Wooding: Ketty Jay series Others I want to read: John Scalzi: Old Man's War series (really want to read this!) Richard Morgan: Takeshi Kovacs books Jack Campbell: Lost Fleet series Stephen Baxter: Xeelee Sequence Neal Stephenson: Baroque Cycle Considering: Kevin J Anderson: Saga of Seven Suns David Weber: Honor Harrington series Someone else might be able to recommend a series more similar to Ice & Fire Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 ok thanks. The ones you've read I have seen before and added them to my wishlist (Probably from you). I will look up the others. It is interesting how the two different genres give rise to different types of series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 VF, I'm glad you backtracked a little on Arthur C Clarke, because I was getting ready to let you have it. I love Clarke. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 VF, I'm glad you backtracked a little on Arthur C Clarke, because I was getting ready to let you have it. I love Clarke. He invented the Geostationary satellite you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 I did know! I think he was brilliant. can you recommend any SF series Vodkafan? (see above) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 can you recommend any SF series Vodkafan? (see above) That isn't by Jack Vance I'm only messin' wit ya, VF! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kylie Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 He invented the Geostationary satellite you know. Yep, and I know that NASA have named a lot of things after him, which I think is lovely. I can't believe I haven't mentioned this before, but have any of you seen a TV series called Prophets of Science Fiction? It's airing here at the moment, but it could very well be a repeat. Each week it discusses the life of a different sci-fi author and his/her influence on the genre. Sorry, VF, but they haven't done Jack Vance. They've done a lot of the classic authors: Arthur C Clarke, Isaac Asimov, Robert Heinlein, Ursula Le Guin (missed that one ), Philip K Dick and others that I've forgotten. They interview some current sci-fi authors, including David Brin and Kim Stanley Robinson, and they interviewed Ridley Scott for the Philip K Dick episode. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 Phrophets Of Science Fiction sounds really interesting. Haven't seen it but the name does ring a bell, it probably has aired here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 That does sounds pretty good! I couldn't find it on Lovefilm though. If you can't think of any series VF then I guess Karsa is a bigger Sci-fi fan then you! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 (edited) Oi, troublemaker I really don't think I am Maybe I've read more of the recent stuff, that's all, if anything Edited May 30, 2012 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vodkafan Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 I think that's it. Most of the recent stuff is written in series format but the old stuff was mostly stand alone books. Also Karsa has read far more fantasy than I have, that's for sure, I was always more straight SciFi. I also had what amounted to a 20 year break in reading ! I am an old git. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted May 30, 2012 Author Share Posted May 30, 2012 ok thanks VF, will be checking the newer ones out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 (edited) The Alloy of Law by Brandon Sanderson Synopsis Out in the Roughs, Waxillium Ladrian has spent twenty years trying to bring peace and order to a rough, frontier land. Called home to the city of Elendel by the death of his uncle and forced to inherit his family's estate and business, Waxillium finds trading his six-shooters for cost ledgers to be harder than he'd expected. A spate of kidnappings and disappearance soon tempt him back to a life of law-enforcement, but Wax needs to face his own guilt before he can face down an old enemy. Review 300 years have passed since the end of the Mistborn trilogy and the events and characters have passed into legend. With the book being only half the size of any one of the previous trilogy, I was unsure what to expect with this additional novel to the Mistborn series. I was pleasantly surprised, it is not a deep drama as seen with the previous books, there are no emperors or heroes, armies or sieges. What it is, is a fun western style, buddy-cop, detective story... with magic. The plot is not complicated nor the characters complex, there are no shades of grey here. The protagonists, Waxillium and Wayne, have a great chemistry and a meaningful friendship is portrayed. I likened them to Sherlock and Watson from the latest films, different skills that come in handy at the right times with great back-and-forth dialogue. This was all skilfully crafted into the Mistborn universe that is developed further yet true to its origins. Very enjoyable with a great ending, the length really helps to move the book at a suitable pace, any longer would have slowed it down too much. There isn't much to not like about this book, it doesn't try to be any more than it is. I suppose I would have preferred a more in-depth sequel but Sanderson has promised these are still on their way, so that can't really be held against it. Overall 8/10 Edited May 31, 2012 by Timstar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 Here's another series for you, Tim: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Leviathan-Wakes-Book-One-Expanse/dp/1841499897/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1338492243&sr=8-1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 Thanks that does look awesome! Have you read the first one? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
page turner Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 great review of the Alloy of law, it's definitely been bumped up my tbr list as a sooner rather than later. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 1, 2012 Share Posted June 1, 2012 Thanks that does look awesome! Have you read the first one? Not yet, no. I read a sample of it last night, looks good. The second book is out next week, so I'll give it a go soon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted June 1, 2012 Author Share Posted June 1, 2012 great review of the Alloy of law, it's definitely been bumped up my tbr list as a sooner rather than later. Thanks, it is a good read! Not yet, no. I read a sample of it last night, looks good. The second book is out next week, so I'll give it a go soon. Cool can't wait to hear your thoughts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 I am Legend by Richard Matheson Synopsis "The last man on Earth is not alone." This chilling tagline is all the synopsis you need. Review After reading the great reviews about this and being told time and again that it is nothing like the film, I was pleased to see that they are accurate. This is a tremendous book! a perfect blend of psychological horror and sci-fi and even after nearly 60 years it does not feel aged at all. It throws you completely into the mind and life of Robert Neville and provides genuine scares and delightful twists. I found it very refreshing reading an old fashioned vampire novel, unlike the vampires depicted today that are near invincible, Matheson takes it back to their roots of garlic and cross-fearing. They still provide a very real threat and this is excellently portrayed through Neville's fear of them and being out after dark. I also appreciated the science that Matheson goes into to explain the vampires existence and weaknesses. It is all too easy to in sci-fi to leave out explanations of the supernatural, the science explored here grounds the novel in reality. So much is explored in the relative short novel, Neville's coping of his day-to-day monotony and isolation, the loss of his friends and family, a brief glimpse at the beginning of the plague and the chaos that followed and much more. A fantastic classic of the genre. Overall 10/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted June 2, 2012 Share Posted June 2, 2012 Yay, so glad you enjoyed it, Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted June 2, 2012 Author Share Posted June 2, 2012 I started reading Arthur C. Clarke's short stories collection. It is a massive book, at just under 1000 pages, small print and no page space wasted, it is one for the long haul. Contains literally hundreds of stories that vary between 31 and 18,000 words. I obviously won't review every story in there but might give special mention to any that deserve it. I have also started Gates of Fire by Steven Pressfield which has been on my TBR list for years and bumped up because of Steve's review and 10/10 rating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.