SciFi and Fantasy Book Club discussion

The Fireman by Joe Hill.

The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins

Julia wrote: "Michele, not just a nod, Octavia's Brood: Science Fiction Stories from Social Justice Movements is a tribute to Octavia E. Butler, a commemoration of her work, by oth..."

Ah, I see. Want to read it even more now!

I'm reading lots of Kameron Hurley's short stories now from Patreon and recently finished The Heart is Eaten Last - a great addition (or even introduction?) to her Bel Dame Apocrypha trilogy. Too bad not all BDA stories are available in Patreon (or Kindle) *grumble

Leaving The Gunslinger for a while. Not in the mood. Somehow when reading this I pictured Preacher's Saint of Killers a lot.

Almost finished with Lock In. Started off a bit slow but now I'm really enjoying the mystery it developed into.

I just finished Life Debt and found it to be a vast improvement over Aftermath - Full Review

Here is my review for Titus Alone.

I'm listening to Arcadia by Iain Pears. I believe it was short-listed for the Arthur C. Clarke Award. It's absolutely wonderful and I'm dreamily lost in it :)

Just started Judas Unchained by Peter F. Hamilton. part two of the Commonwealth story. 1000 pages :)

Sarah Anne wrote: "I'm listening to Arcadia by Iain Pears. I believe it was short-listed for the Arthur C. Clarke Award. It's absolutely wonderful and I'm dreamily lost in it :)"

Just read that last month -- loved it!

Currently working on a kind of weird 1970s SF novel, The Mind Benders. The plot turns on sensory deprivation experiments at a lab in England. It started out strong, then got kind of odd with some peculiar POV shifts and confusing prose. But sensory deprivation experiments fascinate me (e.g. Altered States, The Far Side of Evil), so I'm sticking with it in hopes it will pick up again.

My review of Chosen by Benedict Jacka . This is a great series.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finally finished Seveneves! Not an easy read by any measure, but I loved it. Really excellent sci and story (stories?).

Also finished Spin on audio. It felt almost like a lighter telling of a similar story to Seveneves. Much easier to read and follow the narrative.

I enjoyed both immensely, but my preference overall was for Seveneves.

Nice job, Valerie! I didn't make it through that one.

Valerie wrote: "I finally finished Seveneves! Not an easy read by any measure, but I loved it. Really excellent sci and story (stories?). ..."

I tracked down a signed copy when it first came out and immediately read the first chapter. I really enjoyed it and have looked forward to reading it ever since. I haven't had the chance yet, possibly because I found Neal Stephenson rather challenging when I read Cryptonomicon. Ah well. Someday, I promise.

I'm reading The Complete Cosmicomics https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6... but the hardcover edition published by Houghten Mifflen Harcourt. I see many similarities between Calvino and Stanislaw Lem.

Tom wrote: "Valerie wrote: "I finally finished Seveneves! Not an easy read by any measure, but I loved it. Really excellent sci and story (stories?). ..."

I tracked down a signed copy when it ..."

It was certainly a challenging read, but I thought it was worth it.

My biggest problem was that I tried that horrid audio. I may try to reread it at some point.

Sarah Anne wrote: "My biggest problem was that I tried that horrid audio. I may try to reread it at some point."

I firmly believe that audio is not the best delivery method for books that require a lot of thought. Stephenson's books tend to be pretty heavy, in more ways than one.

FYI: I'm not knocking audiobooks. I listen to them all the time.

Andrew you're in for a treat! Judas Unchained is great!

I just finished Adrian Tchaikovsky's CHILDREN OF TIME (which was EXCELLENT!) and an finally starting UPROOTED before I read the third and final book in Muchael Sullivan's Riryia Revelations.

Tom, I totally agree with you. I like to use them for fun stuff. The biggest problem with Seveneves was that it was one long monologue. Any time I have someone talking at me for a long time I'm going to space out. It's a guarantee.

Sarah Anne wrote: "Any time I have someone talking at me for a long time I'm going to space out. It's a guarantee. "

My undiagnosed case of ADHD knows exactly what you are saying.

:)

I liked the audiobook of Seveneves. At least until they swapped narrators in part 3. I guess my new job is to disagree with Sarah Anne. :-P

Maybe its just on Neal Stephenson books though.

Re-reading Last Train from Earth. Read it when it first came out and felt the need to enter that world again. One of my favs (after Heinlein's stuff, of course).

Peggy wrote: "Well, I supposed to be reading The Windup Girl, but my copy seems to have vanished into the Great Unread. I swear I have one, and I know that the minute I replace it, it WILL turn up."

I finally got a spare copy of Heinlein's Starship Trooper 'cause I kept losing it to people who "borrowed" it and never returned it. Now, no one borrows it and I've got 2 on the shelf. Afraid to give away one for fear the other one will then "disappear".

Finished The Mind Benders; very peculiar. Now halfway through More Than This and am absolutely engrossed. Very different from anything else I've read,

I am absolutely between books right now. Actually, I started a couple here and there, but didn't get too far with them. So I'm picking something brand new.
It's exciting, isn't it. Picking out a new book. :)

Melissa wrote: "I am absolutely between books right now.."

How is that even possible?

LOL I know, right? I was brought to this low by a series of distracting events!

I am trying to read all the unread books on my book shelf this year i have read i think ten books maybe more. Right now i am reading a book i won here on goodreads.com called the Ninth City Burning, so far i am likeing it. Its a book set in a futuristic world, it is a sci-fi book. Its like Red Rising but on Earth and there are different characters point of view kind of like the writing style of Game of Thrones.

's pet peeve... when someone uses a phrase (to the effect of) " there are so many other greater or better books in a review or comment, Then they don't mention even one.

Rob wrote: "I liked the audiobook of Seveneves. At least until they swapped narrators in part 3. I guess my new job is to disagree with Sarah Anne. :-P ."

That's just rude. Actually, Valerie and Hank often disagree with me, too ;)

Red Rover, Red Rover, please send Rob on over!

Don wrote: "'s pet peeve... when someone uses a phrase (to the effect of) " there are so many other greater or better books in a review or comment, Then they don't mention even one."

Guilty.

Don wrote: "'s pet peeve... when someone uses a phrase (to the effect of) " there are so many other greater or better books in a review or comment, Then they don't mention even one."

My pet peeve is when they do mention a book; the book is A Game of Thrones/Harry Potter/LoTR, and the book is quite distinct from those books so the comparison makes no sense.

Aaron wrote: "My pet peeve is when they do mention a book; the book is A Game of Thrones/Harry Potter/LoTR, and the book is quite distinct from those books so the comparison makes no sense.
..."

I get so disgusted by this! Just let the book stand on it's description.

Valerie wrote: "Red Rover, Red Rover, please send Rob on over!"

I'm getting lonely over here!

Sarah Anne wrote: "Valerie wrote: "Red Rover, Red Rover, please send Rob on over!"

I'm getting lonely over here!"

But our opposition provides diversity in taste to our group. I may not agree with you much, but I look forward to hearing your take on it. It makes me consider things from a different perspective.

:)

That's the best, isn't it?

I finished Midnight Riot by Ben Aaronovitch. My review is here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I've been reading techno-thrillers, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and currently Clear and Present Danger. Hmm, about audio books, I haven't listened to any, maybe one of these days. Of the Clancy books, I don't think they would make good audio reads (lots of technical) - although Patriot Games has scenes with (view spoiler)[ Prince Charles (hide spoiler)] and that could be interesting!

I'm just excited to play red Rover!

M.L. wrote: "I've been reading techno-thrillers, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and currently Clear and Present Danger. Hmm, about audio books, I haven't li..."

Oh, here I was thinking about how much I enjoyed those books and you had to go and say audio. I had visions of Rainbow Six and Without Remorse being about 50 hours each. I don't know how long they are but I'd rather have the print!

Those really are good books, though.

Rob wrote: "I'm just excited to play red Rover!"

This is my hard work as a mod, uniting everyone but me ;)

Aww.

You can join us for duck duck goose!

Rob wrote: "Aww.

You can join us for duck duck goose!"

Woo hoo!

Sarah Anne wrote: "M.L. wrote: "I've been reading techno-thrillers, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, and currently Clear and Present Danger. Hmm, about audio books,..."

Oh, sorry about that! I don't think I could have listened to Seveneves on audio either, but reading yes, that was great!

Shannon wrote: "I am trying to read all the unread books on my book shelf this year..."

All of them in one year?? Wowzer...

Sarah Anne wrote: "...you had to go and say audio. I had visions of Rainbow Six and Without Remorse being about 50 hours each."

Robert Jordan's The Wheel of Time: eleventy billion hours and counting...