Karsa Orlong Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Thanks! Suggestions from other are welcome too. The guy in Waterstones recommended Douglas Adams, William Gibson and Neal Stephenson. For myself I've been looking into John Scalzi, Chris Beckett and Robert Jackson Bennett. I also really like the sound of Peter Clines' latest, The Fold. I've been looking at The Fold, too. Going to wait until it comes down in price for Kindle, though. I'd avoid Neal Stephenson like the plague, if I were you - his stuff's quite hard work. I've got Beckett's Dark Eden but I really couldn't get into it - just didn't like the writing style. Scalzi's Old Man's War is decent in a seen-it-all-before kind of way, but I reckon you'd be far better off reading Joe Haldeman's The Forever War - it's a far, far better book, imo. I've not read any Gibson yet, or Bennett. Adams did nothing for me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 I've been looking at The Fold, too. Going to wait until it comes down in price for Kindle, though. I'd avoid Neal Stephenson like the plague, if I were you - his stuff's quite hard work. I've got Beckett's Dark Eden but I really couldn't get into it - just didn't like the writing style. Scalzi's Old Man's War is decent in a seen-it-all-before kind of way, but I reckon you'd be far better off reading Joe Haldeman's The Forever War - it's a far, far better book, imo. I've not read any Gibson yet, or Bennett. Adams did nothing for me Yeah, I was a bit dubious about Adams, though mainly because I really dislike the Hitchhiker films. I actually really liked the sample of Dark Eden that I read on Amazon, though I can totally see why you didn't. I've had my eye on Scalzi for a while now. Old Man's War and Lock In are both on my wishlist, and apparently Redshirts is supposed to be awesome too (but I imagine that, since it's pretty much a send-up of Star Trek, most of it will go right over my head. ). The Forever War is now on my wishlist, thanks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 28, 2015 Share Posted August 28, 2015 Yeah, Redshirts will probably mean as much to you as Willful Child. Utter tosh Of course (you know what I'm going to say now ) you could just forget all those and read A Fire Upon the Deep, A Deepness in the Sky, or Firefall. They're better individually than all of those others put together Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 I already told you I'll read Firefall!!! At some point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 28, 2015 Author Share Posted August 28, 2015 Ooh, I forgot: I read a short story called The Lottery by Shirley Jackson and enjoyed it. Anyone else read any stuff by her? I believe she mostly writes horror (I know, I know, my horizons are broadening dangerously ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 I already told you I'll read Firefall!!! At some point. I won't hold my breath Actually, if it's 'gentle' SF you're looking for then the obvious one is the Vorkosigan Saga. Very easy reading. David Weber's Honor Harrington books might suit, too - the first one didn't do a lot for me, but a lot of people love them. Peter F Hamilton seems to be regarded as 'hard' SF but he's not at all, really. The Night's Dawn Trilogy is one of the best I've read Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 I hope you enjoy your new books !! I would have to agree with Steve on the Night's Dawn Trilogy, it's brilliant. As for recommendations, I'll post a list of science-fiction books I enjoyed that are hopefully not too heavy on science, for you. I'm unsure if you've maybe already read any of these but okay. In no particular order: Elizabeth Moon - The Speed of Dark Daniel Keyes - Flowers for Algernon Ken Grimwood - Replay Tad Williams - Otherland series (they are also sort of fantasy-ish which is why I think you might like them) Philip K. Dick - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick - A Scanner Darkly Arthur C. Clarke - The Other Side of the Sky (short story collection, some technology featured) H. G. Wells - The War of the Worlds I also liked some books by Joe Hamilton and The Forever War is said to be his best book, but I haven't actually read that one. I do recommend the author though I've heard not all of his books are as good as one another. This is all I can think of for now, but if I think of anything else, I'll be sure to post it in your thread . Other authors I've read include Peter F. Hamilton and Iain M. Banks, but the latter will probably be too complicated for someone just starting out with science-fiction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 29, 2015 Share Posted August 29, 2015 I don't think Iain M. Banks is complicated Ken Grimwood - Replay Oi, that's my one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 I don't think Iain M. Banks is complicated I don't know, I find the ones I've read so far, not that easy to read or to understand. I can't quite explain why exactly , but that's how I feel. Oi, that's my one! Sorry . But I couldn't post the list and not mention that one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 I won't hold my breath Actually, if it's 'gentle' SF you're looking for then the obvious one is the Vorkosigan Saga. Very easy reading. David Weber's Honor Harrington books might suit, too - the first one didn't do a lot for me, but a lot of people love them. Peter F Hamilton seems to be regarded as 'hard' SF but he's not at all, really. The Night's Dawn Trilogy is one of the best I've read Thanks Steve. The Reality Dysfunction is now on my wishlist. Re Vorkosigan (Volkswagen ): should I start with Falling Free or The Warrior's Apprentice? As for recommendations, I'll post a list of science-fiction books I enjoyed that are hopefully not too heavy on science, for you. I'm unsure if you've maybe already read any of these but okay. In no particular order: Elizabeth Moon - The Speed of Dark Daniel Keyes - Flowers for Algernon Ken Grimwood - Replay Tad Williams - Otherland series (they are also sort of fantasy-ish which is why I think you might like them) Philip K. Dick - Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? Philip K. Dick - A Scanner Darkly Arthur C. Clarke - The Other Side of the Sky (short story collection, some technology featured) H. G. Wells - The War of the Worlds I also liked some books by Joe Hamilton and The Forever War is said to be his best book, but I haven't actually read that one. I do recommend the author though I've heard not all of his books are as good as one another. Thank you Gaia! Otherland certainly looks right up my street. I already have Elizabeth Moon's Trading in Danger on my wishlist but will check out The Speed of Dark too - I remember you and Steve were discussing it a couple of weeks ago. I don't think Iain M. Banks is complicated Well, now I have to read him, just to resolve this dispute! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 (edited) Thanks Steve. The Reality Dysfunction is now on my wishlist. Re Vorkosigan (Volkswagen ): should I start with Falling Free or The Warrior's Apprentice? Out of those two, The Warrior's Apprentice, definitely. It's the first book Miles appears in. Falling Free is set earliest by the series' internal chronologically, but it's a side story and is designed to be read later in the series (according to LMB herself). It's next up for me to read, having bravely read A Civil Campaign last week FF doesn't involve any of the main characters, afaik. Well, now I have to read him, just to resolve this dispute! No no no, you have to read him because he was good! Which reminds me, I bought Excession before I went on holiday. Must read it soon ETA: Oh, btw, I think you mentioned Richard Morgan at some point. Altered Carbon and Broken Angels are well worth a look. They're stand alone stories, just feature the same main character Edited August 30, 2015 by Karsa Orlong Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More reading time required Posted August 30, 2015 Share Posted August 30, 2015 (edited) Thank you Gaia! Otherland certainly looks right up my street. Otherland is properly awesome! In fact all of Tad Williams's books are. I'm a bit behind with his latest trilogy though, can't remember what it's called. Edited August 30, 2015 by More reading time required Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 (edited) Out of those two, The Warrior's Apprentice, definitely. It's the first book Miles appears in. Falling Free is set earliest by the series' internal chronologically, but it's a side story and is designed to be read later in the series (according to LMB herself). It's next up for me to read, having bravely read A Civil Campaign last week FF doesn't involve any of the main characters, afaik. Are they re-releasing all her books? According to Amazon TWA 30th Anniversary edition is available for pre-order and is released next year - I might hold out for that one. The cover is still very cheesy though. ETA: Oh, btw, I think you mentioned Richard Morgan at some point. Altered Carbon and Broken Angels are well worth a look. They're stand alone stories, just feature the same main character I remember reading your reviews of both, and wondering if maybe they were a bit too hardcore for a novice like me (in terms of the concepts rather than the pornography, though I remember you saying there was quite a lot of that too ). Wouldn't want my little fantasy-saturated brain to overheat. Otherland is properly awesome! In fact all of Tad Williams's books are. I'm a bit behind with his latest trilogy though, can't remember what it's called. Ooh, do you mean the Bobby Dollar books? I have the first one, The Dirty Streets of Heaven, on my wishlist. Thanks for the recommendation! Edited August 30, 2015 by Signor Finzione Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 Review: 'Abaddon's Gate' by James S.A. Corey For generations, the solar system -- Mars, the Moon, the Asteroid Belt -- was humanity's great frontier. Until now. The alien artifact working through its program under the clouds of Venus has appeared in Uranus's orbit, where it has built a massive gate that leads to a starless dark.Jim Holden and the crew of the Rocinante are part of a vast flotilla of scientific and military ships going out to examine the artifact. But behind the scenes, a complex plot is unfolding, with the destruction of Holden at its core. As the emissaries of the human race try to find whether the gate is an opportunity or a threat, the greatest danger is the one they brought with them. I’m starting to feel like a stuck record when it comes to The Expanse. Having just finished the third instalment, Abaddon’s Gate, I can do little but repeat what I’ve said about the other books in the series: I described both Leviathan Wakes and Caliban’s War as fun, fast-paced and accessible SF adventures, and that’s exactly what Abaddon’s Gate is as well. The mysterious protomolecule has been busy since we last saw it at the end of Caliban’s War. After spending a year lurking beneath the gas clouds of Venus it has now emerged in full force and established an eerie manifestation near Uranus referred to by scientists only as ‘the Ring’. Anyone stupid enough to enter the Ring either disappears or is killed instantly. In a fragile alliance the three major forces of the solar system – Earth, Mars and the Outer Planets Alliance – embark on a research mission to try and determine what the protomolecule is really up to. But when hostilities break out once more between the allied forces the research mission becomes a race against time: figure out what the protomolecule wants, or be trapped inside the Ring forever. The physical scale of the story in Abaddon’s Gate is larger than ever before, both in terms of the space travelled and the settings. Much of the book is set on a colossal starship known as the Behemoth – formerly the Nauvoo, a generation ship built to sustain human life for hundreds of years with the aim of colonising the far side of the solar system. However, there’s also plenty of the dizzying vacuum and stifling tunnel-crawling we’ve become accustomed to throughout the first two books, which is once again effectively used to create scenes of both claustrophobic desperation and pulse-pounding excitement. On the whole I felt that Abaddon’s Gate suffered slightly in comparison to book two, Caliban’s War, though this is largely due to the absence of my two favourite characters from that book. Once again the only recurring POV character here is Jim Holden – who is thankfully just as likeable as ever, as are the trusty crew members of his ship the Rocinante. Although the other three main characters are also very engaging and sympathetic (albeit to vastly different extents) I just didn’t quite connect with any of them as much as I did with the characters from the first two books, although I have to admit that the way the relationship between Anna and Melba played out was fantastic. That said, Abaddon’s Gate captured my interest totally from beginning to end. It’s a fast, fun, exciting, slightly OTT space adventure and once again I look forward to devouring the next book in the series, Cibola Burn. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 30, 2015 Author Share Posted August 30, 2015 Review: 'Rivers of London' by Ben Aaronovitch My name is Peter Grant. Until January I was just another probationary constable in that mighty army for justice known to all right-thinking people as the Metropolitan Police Service, and to everyone else as the Filth. My only concerns in life were how to avoid a transfer to the Case Progression Unit - We do paperwork so real coppers don't have to - and finding a way to climb into the panties of the outrageously perky WPC Leslie May. Then one night, in pursuance of a murder inquiry, I tried to take a witness statement from a man who was dead, but disturbingly voluble, and that brought me to the attention of Chief Inspector Nightingale, the last wizard in England. And that, as they say, is where the story begins.Now I'm a Detective Constable and a trainee wizard, the first apprentice in fifty years, and my world has become somewhat more complicated. I'm dealing with nests of vampires in Purley, negotiating a truce between the warring god and goddess of the Thames, and digging up graves in Covent Garden - and that's just routine. There's something festering at the heart of the city I love, a malicious, vengeful spirit that takes ordinary Londoners and twists them into grotesque mannequins to act out its drama of violence and despair.The spirit of riot and rebellion has awakened in the city, and it's falling to me to bring order out of chaos - or die trying. Which, I don't mind telling you, would involve a hell of a lot of paperwork. As a born-and-bred northerner I’ll admit I had doubts about how much I’d enjoy a book centred entirely around the life and culture of London . . . but against all my natural instincts I found myself completely charmed by Rivers of London. Actually, perhaps ‘charmed’ isn’t quite the right word; rather, being whisked along on this peculiar journey down unfamiliar streets has left me blinking and befuddled – in a good way. Rivers of London is refreshing in that it never pretends to be anything other than it is: a shamelessly daft, irreverent and slightly ridiculous story told through a funny and engaging first person narrator. Peter Grant is a regular dogsbody in the London Met until, in the face of all probability, he’s informed that “yer a wizard, ‘arry!” and roped into joining the hidden arm of the police dealing with cases of supernatural lawbreaking. Grant’s first case as a real copper is to find out who – or what – is snatching bodies and forcing innocent people to do unspeakable things. One of the first things that stands out about the book is that Aaronovitch doesn’t shy away from violence and swearing: both are fairly prolific, yet fitting with the characters and circumstances, and the swearing never feels gratuitous despite being used largely for humorous effect. The plot of Rivers of London is enjoyably bizarre and for the most part very entertaining. There are moments of disjointedness where it feels as though the story may be losing its thread, but it always picks up again and for the most part skips along smoothly. The novel’s irreverent tone and down-to-earth characters go a long way towards combating stereotypes, as does the author’s self-awareness of the clichés he is drawing on (cue sarcastic comments and humorous Harry Potter references). To his credit, though, Aaronovitch mostly steers clear of clichés and tends instead to go for the unexpected. Ghosts? Yep, they’re real, only they’re a lot chattier and, well, cockney-er than you’ve ever seen them before. The goddess of the river Thames? She’s a Nigerian woman with a huge family and a fondness for custard creams. And the villain? Well, I won’t say anything about them, except that I never saw that coming. The way the protagonist just goes along with it all, resigning himself to his fate with a sigh, actually makes the magical aspects feel normal and totally credible: every time something new happens, be it a nest of vampires or a time-travelling ghost, instead of rolling their eyes the reader just shrugs and thinks, ‘oh, okay, cool.’ Rivers of London is a lot of fun. I can already tell the books in this series are going to be the sort of fast, fun reads that I can turn to whenever I need rescuing from a reading slump, or as a reprieve after reading something tome-ish. I get the impression that Rivers of London has barely scratched the surface of Aaronovitch’s crazy world, and I’m really, really excited to get my hands on book two, Moon Over Soho. 4/5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bobblybear Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Nice reviews. I'm one of the few that just couldn't get on with Rivers of London. It was too "out there" for me and I didn't finish it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 Nice reviews. I'm one of the few that just couldn't get on with Rivers of London. It was too "out there" for me and I didn't finish it. I can totally imagine it not being to everyone's taste. It's quite trippy in places, and I kept thinking to myself, "what the hell am I reading?!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
More reading time required Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Nice reviews. I'm one of the few that just couldn't get on with Rivers of London. It was too "out there" for me and I didn't finish it. Same here! I did finish it though (as me abandoning books partway through is extremely rare - I'm too stubborn ), but it felt like a bit of a chore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Thank you Gaia! Otherland certainly looks right up my street. I already have Elizabeth Moon's Trading in Danger on my wishlist but will check out The Speed of Dark too - I remember you and Steve were discussing it a couple of weeks ago. I hope you enjoy all the books you're putting on your wishlist ! No no no, you have to read him because he was good! Which reminds me, I bought Excession before I went on holiday. Must read it soon That is true, his books are good . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Are they re-releasing all her books? According to Amazon TWA 30th Anniversary edition is available for pre-order and is released next year - I might hold out for that one. The cover is still very cheesy though. Why on Earth would you go and pay £9.56 for TWA when you can get it plus The Vor Game plus The Mountains of Mourning in the omnibus edition for £6.50?? That'd be a bit silly I remember reading your reviews of both, and wondering if maybe they were a bit too hardcore for a novice like me (in terms of the concepts rather than the pornography, though I remember you saying there was quite a lot of that too ). Wouldn't want my little fantasy-saturated brain to overheat. Nah, you'd be fine. The first two are great, especially Broken Angels. They're a hell of a lot less 'hardcore' than Blindsight and Echopraxia, but you're going to read those. Aren't you? Another one you could look at is Neal Asher Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Same here! I did finish it though (as me abandoning books partway through is extremely rare - I'm too stubborn ), but it felt like a bit of a chore. Heh, I read it about three years ago and enjoyed it but didn't read any more of them, then late last year I decided to get back to the series but decided to read RoL again because I couldn't remember much of it, re-read it, bought the second book, then couldn't be bothered with it Much prefer the Dresden Files for that sort of story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted August 31, 2015 Author Share Posted August 31, 2015 Why on Earth would you go and pay £9.56 for TWA when you can get it plus The Vor Game plus The Mountains of Mourning in the omnibus edition for £6.50?? That'd be a bit silly Ohhhhh I didn't see that one. Omnibuses confuse me. Any specific books by Neal Asher worth starting with? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Karsa Orlong Posted August 31, 2015 Share Posted August 31, 2015 Ohhhhh I didn't see that one. Omnibuses confuse me. S'okay, I've only mentioned it about a billion times Any specific books by Neal Asher worth starting with? There are a few. I started with The Skinner, which is the first in his 'Spatterjay' trilogy, and got hooked. Then there's Prador Moon, which is a standalone story which sets up his Polity Universe. Shadow of the Scorpion is pretty good - it's a prequel to his 'Agent Cormac' series (which I'm planning on starting soon). And then there's Cowl, which is completely standalone and a completely bonkers time travel story Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Athena Posted September 1, 2015 Share Posted September 1, 2015 There are a few. I started with The Skinner, which is the first in his 'Spatterjay' trilogy, and got hooked. Then there's Prador Moon, which is a standalone story which sets up his Polity Universe. Shadow of the Scorpion is pretty good - it's a prequel to his 'Agent Cormac' series (which I'm planning on starting soon). And then there's Cowl, which is completely standalone and a completely bonkers time travel story Good to know there are a few points to start with . I have some books by Asher on my TBR but I haven't read any yet , one day though . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Signor Finzione Posted September 1, 2015 Author Share Posted September 1, 2015 Oh, golly, The Skinner sounds awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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