Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy discussion

New month, time for a new thread. So what are you reading?

I've been planning a big move for later this month and that's got me a bit distracted - finding it hard to settle on anything, but I started Legend by David Gemmell yesterday and I think I'll manage to finish this one.

Otherwise I'm binge-watching Lost while I'm throwing out lots of junk.

Middle Passage, The Stars, Like Dust and Roadside Picnic. Also, for work, A Director Prepares: Seven Essays on Art and Theatre.

Oh and my binge watch show is The Wire. :-)

Finally getting around to The Expanse series. Currently on book 2, and really enjoying it. Also continuing on with The Iron Druid books. Good summer reading the whole way around.

After Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell I'll probably read books 2 & 3 of Wayward pines, The Ghost Brigades and maybe Joyland.


Bobby wrote: "Oh and my binge watch show is The Wire. :-)"

I don't have enough superlatives for this show, but I'm guessing it must be a tough one to binge-watch without risking a depression :)

I'm about half way through Parasite by Mira Grant. So far an easy read on an interesting subject.

Garyjn wrote: "I'm about half way through Parasite by Mira Grant. So far an easy read on an interesting subject."

BTW, We had a discussion of Parasite last year; if you'd like to add some comments there, be happy to resume that conversation.

G33z3r wrote: "Garyjn wrote: "I'm about half way through Parasite by Mira Grant. So far an easy read on an interesting subject."

BTW, We had a discussion of Parasite last year; if you'd like to add some comments..."

Thanks, I will check that out when I'm finished, which shouldn't be too long. It's a page turner.

Finishing up a non fantasy/scifi right now--The Voyage of the Narwhal. Once that's done, I'm going to give "Deepwoods" by Honor Raconteur a try. And I eagerly await the release of Abercrombie's "Half a War" at the end of the month. Already pre-ordered that. Oh, I'm also going to read "Princess of Mars" again for the discussion.

The recently published So Far Gone, Book One of The Jaxon Grey Chronicles...easy and fun read. Very creative and imaginative.

Jonathon wrote: "The recently published So Far Gone, Book One of The Jaxon Grey Chronicles...easy and fun read. Very creative and imaginative."

... and coincidentally written by a "J. Wright", and given a 5-star review by "Jonathon Wright"...

I'm going to dip into some of my Ace Doubles...back in the day Ace had these neat paper-backs, on the front was a book, filp it over to the back (or the other front) and there was another book cover...2 books between one set of covers...they were all short and sweet, read one in an afternoon...

Well, read the final "episode" of Scalzi's Old Man's War 4-part serial, The End of All Things. I thought the opening episode, The Life of the Mind, started very strong with a new character in an interesting new situation. The second part wasn't quite as good, and the final two segments boiled down to lot of politicians and ambassadors talking with each other and plotting; and I thought the ending far too neat and tidy.

Since we've been talking superheroes, I finally got around to reading the Wearing the Cape book I bought last year (it took some jiggery-pokery in Caliber to fix some malformed metadata in the e-book so I could read it.) It was readable enough, and it did have an approach to time travel/changing timelines that I don't think I'd seen before.

I also read one of its sequels, Big Easy Nights, which was more urban fantasy than superhero and I thought was disappointing.

And now I'm trying out Carrie Vaughn's superhero novel, After the Golden Age, which is actually about a non-superhero who has rich & famous superhero parents.

Currently reading through the next Apocalypse Cow book, World War Moo by Michael Logan. So far there have been a few serious twists I was not expecting, but it still holds its humor. Looking forward to how it turns out.

Just finish Dragon in Exile by Sharon Lee and Steve Miller. Very happy to find out what has been happening with the main clan and the tree while the more recent books have focused on other things.

Spooky1947 wrote: "I'm going to dip into some of my Ace Doubles...back in the day Ace had these neat paper-backs, on the front was a book, filp it over to the back (or the other front) and there was another book cover..."

Those Ace Doubles eventually picked up imitators, most notably Tor's Binary Star series. It was an interesting way to publish novella in the era of physical books. Also odd to turn a page, finish one story, and see the next page was upside down!

They're a challenge to my sheving system of alphabetical by author. Does A Meeting With Medusa / Green Mars get filed under Clarke or Robinson? Does Nightflyers / True Names get filed under Martin or Vinge? :)

Reading Hugh Howey's Wool - a lot of build up so far. A bit more excited for "The Prince of Nothing" waiting in the wings, Steven Erikson gave it some glowing praise.

G33, buy two copies man!!!

LOL

ok G33, a real answer...I have a special shelf for the Doubles, as well as a shelf (or two) for the "Best Of" books

:D

Right now I am reading The Well of Ascension by Brandon Sanderson. It's the second book of the Mistborn trilogy. Loving it!

A little over a third of the way through Nemesis Games. After that, I have a few options of where to go next, but I think I'm most likely going to go with The Man in the High Castle and follow it up with Summer Knight. Also, I have been binge (re)watching Fringe. It was really such a great show that I wish more people had realized this fact.

Michael wrote: "A little over a third of the way through Nemesis Games...."

I loved that book. The Expanse is a great space opera.

I finished Legend by David Gemmell which I loved and was moved enough to actually write a review.

Now I'm taking a break from genre with Cold Comfort Farm.

Finished Parasite. Didn't consider it a great book, but it was an easy read and entertaining enough, and it is summer, so I picked up Symbiont today. Besides, my favorite character was in a bit of a pickle at the end and I'm curious to see if she makes the cut to book#2.

Finally getting around to reading Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch

I'm about half way through...
The Fold by Peter Clines
I've been flipping back and forth between the audiobook and the e-book. The government is sponsoring a group of scientists researching teleportation, and one of the Washington supervisors asks an old college chum to go out and check up on the laboratory, because the scientists are being secretive. It has a sort of Michael Crichton vibe to the story, but with wittier dialogue. I find myself intrigued.

G33z3r wrote: "Spooky1947 wrote: "I'm going to dip into some of my Ace Doubles...back in the day Ace had these neat paper-backs, on the front was a book, filp it over to the back (or the other front) and there wa..."

My husband said they were a good length to read on the train, but if people saw you, they would think you were reading upside down.

Last First Snow by Max Gladstone
...Showed up on my Kindle this morning. (I love pre-orders. it's the same principle as Santa Claus. You ask for things, and Amazon gives them to you :) Must drop everything and read it now.

Oh, also, my binge watch is clearing Season 5 of Game of Thrones off the DVR.

I've been reading a lot of comics over the past few days. I'm currently working my way through the Steven Universe comics which are available for free online.

Book wise, I just started listening to Armada on Audible. This is my first Audible so I'm pretty psyched. I'm already pulled into the book and Wil Wheaton does a great job narrating. I think I'll be going through this one quickly.

My ebook is The 100 Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared which is such a cool book. The author does a great job at changing perspective. I was reading it a bunch last week and got distracted over the weekend, so I want to get back into it.

Jenny wrote: "Book wise, I just started listening to Armada on Audible. This is my first Audible so I'm pretty psyched. I'm already pulled into the book and Wil Wheaton does a great job narrating...."

Ah, yes, it's a big Tuesday for new books. I read the paperback of Ready Player One, but heard good things about the Wheaton narration of it, so maybe I'll try the audiobook of Armada.

I've started Liu Cixin's The Three-Body Problem. Only read a couple of pages, but so far so good.

I force myself to read a professional development book before allowing myself to drop back into fun ones. This month it is Science, Strategy, and War by Fran's PB Osinga. It is a little tough but interesting. Then I will read a book put out by a friend of mine - a little Science Fiction for the soul! My next un-fun book is on... Accounting.... I wonder if I can just skip that one.... If anyone can suggest a good hard science (not opera) military story I would appreciate it.

I came across an old Timothy Zahn paperback in the local second hand shop Conquerors' Pride. Nostalgia for the way we devoured his Star Wars novels twenty years ago made me give it a try. My reaction was mixed but some aspects of it were interesting enough. It's also set me on a sci-fi reading kick and I've got a few cheap/free ones saved up on the Kindle. The quality varies wildly but a number have interesting ideas. Next up is Operation Chimera

Finally got around to reading 2013 Aurealis Award winning SF novel

Lexicon by Max Barry

Fun-enough contemporary fantasy in which language provides almost magically persuasive powers.

The Gemini Effect by Chuck Grossart.

I'm reading the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. It's a 6 books series. The first one is called Furies of Calderon. I'm on the 3rd book now called
Cursor's Fury.

Nellastarr wrote: "I'm reading the Codex Alera series by Jim Butcher. It's a 6 books series. The first one is called Furies of Calderon. I'm on the 3rd book now called
Cursor's Fury."

One of my favorite series ever. There's not a bad book in the bunch.

I just finished The Ravens Shadow by Anthony Ryan. Don't know yet who is going to be the next victim in the shelf. Thinking may The Thousand Names by Django Wexler or The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch.

When it comes to science fiction right now I am reading The Collected Stories of Arthur C. Clarke and I am also reading Star Wars Dark Apprentice.

I just finished The First Fifteen Lives of Harry August That was a fun read! I highly recommend it. And now I'm on to Half a War. Good month for reading!

Well, finished reading Red Seas Under Red Skies. Not as much fun as The Lies of Locke Lamora, but enjoyable enough.

A couple of years ago, Carl Engle-Laird wrote on Tor.com that sooner or later every epic fantasy author sends his characters out to sea. That story will include seasickness, a huge storm, pirates, sea monsters, and a mutiny. Red Seas ticks every box except the sea monster. :)

And now I've started the recently released Armada, which so far isn't as much fun as Ready Player One. Going with the audiobook this time.

The Daylight Warand Blood Song Both are great reads. I read Lies and Red Skies last year, also great and looking forward very much to the next Scott Lynch book.

At the moment I am reading Divergent and plan to read the series. It was the film that prompted me to read the books. I have watched both Divergent and Insurgent and still to watch and read Allegiant and Four. :)

Right now I'm reading Moon Over Soho by Ben Aaronovitch. I've been meaning to read this series for a while and after reading the first was glad I finally picked it up. Interested to see where the story will go.