Little Pixie Posted October 9, 2013 Share Posted October 9, 2013 That's what I thought, but I had to ask for them Thanks, though. Maybe I won't bar you Funny you should mention George Sanders - nice unintentional link to John Wyndham, as he starred in the 1960 version of 'Village of the Damned' (The Midwich Cuckoos) Totally unrelated, I saw there's this rather nice hardback boxed set of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings coming out in a couple of weeks. Quite tempting, even though I already own the books Nice books. Hee at the Wyndham/Sanders link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 13, 2013 Author Share Posted October 13, 2013 Bought a couple of Kindle books the other day: Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence and Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch I'm never going to get my TBR list down to 50 at this rate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 Bought a couple of Kindle books the other day: Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence and Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch EXCELLENT Looking forward to hearing your thoughts! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 I'm never going to get my TBR list down to 50 at this rate I know the feeling..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
poppyshake Posted October 13, 2013 Share Posted October 13, 2013 I wish I could get anywhere near 50 (the full extent of it only became known to me when I took pics of all my shelves the other day .. 229 books unread in the house .. well 228 because we can't count Carter Beats the Devil as I'm definitely NOT reading it ) And yet today I bought two more books .. I wish I had more self control The house is almost at capacity though so maybe when there's nowhere left to put books .. I might at least start getting picky Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 I suppose I should be pleased it's as low as it is, really, but it would be nice to get it into the 40s, as I've been stuck in the 50s for months now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 It's difficult, isn't it, getting the TBR down.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 Book #59: A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge From Amazon: After thousands of years searching, humans stand on the verge of first contact with an alien race. Two human groups: the Qeng Ho, a culture of free traders, and the Emergents, a ruthless society based on the technological enslavement of minds.The group that opens trade with the aliens will reap unimaginable riches. But first, both groups must wait at the aliens' very doorstep for their strange star to relight and for their planet to reawaken, as it does every two hundred and fifty years....Then, following terrible treachery, the Qeng Ho must fight for their freedom and for the lives of the unsuspecting innocents on the planet below, while the aliens themselves play a role unsuspected by the Qeng Ho and Emergents alike.More than just a great science fiction adventure, A Deepness in the Sky is a universal drama of courage, self-discovery, and the redemptive power of love. A Deepness in the Sky is a 1999 Nebula Award Nominee for Best Novel and the winner of the 2000 Hugo Award for Best Novel. Thoughts: A Deepness in the Sky is the multi-award-winning prequel-of-sorts to Vinge's earlier novel A Fire Upon the Deep. However, although it is set in the same universe and features one character who appeared in A Fire Upon the Deep, the connections end there (the events in this novel take place some 30,000 years before AFUtD) and the book can be read as a completely standalone novel, without any knowledge of the other book - and AFUtD can be read without any knowledge of this one, too. The story starts with a manhunt and then jumps forward 160 years as the Qeng Ho, a group of galactic traders, arrive at a mysterious sun called the OnOff star, which blazes to life for 35 years and then goes dark for two and a half centuries. It has been repeating this cycle since the Qeng Ho first observed it, thousands of years ago, but only recently have they detected radio transmissions from within the system. These radio transmissions also attract the attention of another human civilisation, the Emergents, who arrive almost simultaneously. Various things happen, and both human fleets find themselves marooned in the OnOff system, like flies trapped in amber, waiting for the sun to reignite and bring the civilisation on the planet below out of hibernation, and then wait even longer for them to achieve a technological level that the humans can exploit, repair their ships and regain interstellar flight so that they can return home with their bounty. This all happens right at the start, and it is from this point that Vinge's story really takes off. It is a tale of treachery, manipulation and murder. At its heart, I suppose it's a fairly straightforward tale, but Vinge's brilliance is in layering the tale with twists, misdirections and revelations and, whereas a lot of authors of hard SF are all about the ideas and forget the characters, he once again creates a memorable bunch of humans and aliens to populate the story and drive it forward. The central themes of slavery and mind-control possess a very human heart, and spiral outwards to examine capitalism, totalitarianism, democracy, and more. Although the bad guys are obvious and beg to be disapproved of, the characters develop organically and believably. This is especially true, I found, of the Spiders. As with A Fire Upon the Deep's marvellous Tines and Skroderiders, he has once again created a truly memorable alien race but - unlike in the earlier novel - the Spiders are notable because they reflect the development of our own world, not because of their complete otherworldliness. The family at the centre of the story make for a group of wonderful, loveable characters whose trials and tribulations sucked me in completely. Sherkaner Underhill, in particular, is a joy, a genius bursting with ideas and humour and charm. At 775 pages, A Deepness in the Sky is a big, complex novel that spans many years. I found it dark and yet somehow uplifting. Perhaps it lacks the galaxy-spanning scope and the sense of fun that infuses its predecessor but there is still a sense of awe about it, and an intense focus that meant I never once wanted to rush to finish it but, instead, to take my time and absorb it. In fact, I'm sad it's over, and it's left me once again wanting to read everything this brilliant author has written. 10/10 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 Plan update: Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel - finished 13/06/13 Emperor: The Gates of Rome by Conn Iggulden - finished 24/07/13 Prophecy by S. J. Parris - finished 18/06/13 The Mauritius Command by Patrick O'Brian - finished 14/07/13 The Black Dahlia by James Ellroy - finished 27/06/13 The Odyssey by Homer - finished 24/08/13 Something by David Gemmell, to be decided (probably either Hero in the Shadows or The First Chronicles of Druss the Legend) - finished 26/07/13 A Deepness in the Sky by Vernor Vinge - finished 13/10/13 The Technician by Neal Asher - finished 04/07/13 Pompeii by Robert Harris - finished 06/09/13 The Silver Spike by Glen Cook - finished 22/06/13 The one no-one saw coming: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee - finished 16/08/13 Well that plan took me a while to complete, but it's finally done. Might come up with a shorter one now to try and get the TBR down to 50 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timstar Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Congrats on finishing the plan! I'm so close to mine. Great review as well, do you have any more of his books on your TBR list? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Nice review! I have both books on my shelf as an omnibus, I should read them sometime. The size of the book (as with more books I have) puts me off a bit, both its heavyness and its thickness (it's not so easy to hold) (and also its length). Lately though I'm trying to read more "awkward"-to-hold books. Congrats on finishing the plan ! I look forward to see what your next plan'll be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Well done on finishing your plan! Time to make another one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 Congrats on finishing the plan! I'm so close to mine. Great review as well, do you have any more of his books on your TBR list? No, not yet, but I've got my eyes on three or four more which might end up on there pretty soon Nice review! I have both books on my shelf as an omnibus, I should read them sometime. The size of the book (as with more books I have) puts me off a bit, both its heavyness and its thickness (it's not so easy to hold) (and also its length). Lately though I'm trying to read more "awkward"-to-hold books. Congrats on finishing the plan ! I look forward to see what your next plan'll be. I saw the omnibus back when I wanted to re-buy A Fire Upon the Deep (having cleverly got rid of my original paperback) and you're right, it's HUGE, which is why I didn't buy it. I bought them as individual paperbacks instead. They recently arrived on Kindle, too, for £2.99 each Well done on finishing your plan! Time to make another one. Thanks! Working on it . . . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 (edited) A new plan of sorts: Emperor of Thorns by Mark Lawrence - started 14/10/13 Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch Desolation Island by Patrick O'Brian The Lords of the North by Bernard Cornwell Imperium by Robert Harris The Legend of Deathwalker by David Gemmell The Lamp of the Wicked by Phil Rickman Caliban's War by James S.A. Corey May have to add more to this to get TBR below 50 - especially if I order these Vernor Vinge books ETA: I've just noticed that all of those books are parts of trilogies/series I have on the go Edited October 14, 2013 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Janet Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I saw this... and thought of you! I haven't read it all though. I started to, but my eyes glazed over... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 That looks like an interesting article Janet - but, like you, my eyes glazed over a bit after reading the word 'science' more than twice. Steve, your new list looks interesting. It's funny that you'll probably end up with even more books on your TBR after reading some of them (like the new Lynch after you've finished 'Red Seas'). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devi Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 That was a very interesting read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 I saw this... and thought of you! I haven't read it all though. I started to, but my eyes glazed over... Whether they get the science right or not, if Sandra Bullock's in it it's bound to be rubbish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 (edited) That's an interesting article ! Steve, that's a nice new plan, I hope you enjoy the books! I recognise some authors, though I don't own any of the books from your list (some are on my wishlist, though). EDIT: I quite like Sandra Bullock in a few romantic comedies that she's in, that I've seen, such as Two Weeks Notice. Edited October 14, 2013 by Athena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 Steve, your new list looks interesting. It's funny that you'll probably end up with even more books on your TBR after reading some of them (like the new Lynch after you've finished 'Red Seas'). Yes, that did occur to me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Nice books. Hee at the Wyndham/Sanders link. And even more spooky, I just finished a book called The Wyndham Case, and didn`t see the connection till I came in this thread again..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 I know the feeling..... I wish I did. MY TBR`s over 700 ; I can`t remember when I last had a TBR of around 50. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted October 14, 2013 Author Share Posted October 14, 2013 I wish I did. MY TBR`s over 700 ; I can`t remember when I last had a TBR of around 50. 1985? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 Congrats on the last plan, good luck with the new one. Must.Get.Own.Plan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Little Pixie Posted October 14, 2013 Share Posted October 14, 2013 1985? Hmm, but seriously - maybe the early 90`s ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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