The Sword and Laser discussion

We're approaching the home stretch of 2019. What books are you trying to fit in before the end of the year?

Finally started A Closed and Common Orbit. Loved book 1 and have heard the series continues with the same vibes. Seems like it so far.

Also started The Solace of Open Spaces and this book feels like Slouching Toward Bethlehem but about country folk in Wyoming. Highly recommend.

Just finished After the Flood, which is basically “The Road meets Waterworld” and is less plausible than either of them. I don’t know if this was intended to be a realistic post-apocalypse story, but it fails on every front. Why do people dislike science so much?

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

I am reading All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka. I've had it on my list for a long time. And I will be reading some graphic novels to finish my part of the graphic novel challenge.

I’m back at The Time of Contempt by Andrzej Sapkowski. I likely won’t be reading much other than the Witcher for a while here, as I want to try to finish the series before the Netflix series starts in December.

I finished:


The Bloody Crown of Conan by Robert E. Howard
Rating: 4 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...


A Quest for Simbilis by Michael Shea
Rating: 3 stars
Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

And I started reading:


Bloody Rose by Nicholas Eames


A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess

Well The Snow Queen looks like a slow read for me, so 24 days before I met fellow S&Lers & it looks like I will need all 24. Audio The Sea Queen a Historical fiction about the First King of Norway. And the final Time Travel novel by Mark Lawrence Dispel Illusion.

Ditching Jaran after 60 pages and moved on to one of the most anticipated sequels this year: Interference and also starting my reread of The Mirror Empire.

Finished Consider Phlebas. I’ve been slowly reading it while flying. It was OK. But I think I’ve heard this is not Iain M. Banks best entry in the series, so I may try another.

I liked some of the world building, but not all. The universe as a whole seemed cool. It seemed to get bogged down in it in the middle when describing several new places in realitivley quick succession. Same thing for character development, some was decent, but some wasn’t. There is even a part where several new characters are introduced, with back story, and then nothing comes of them. We barley here from them again in the same scene, let alone the rest of the story.

The climatic ending seemed like a combination of an action movie script, and a role playing dungeon crawl. It was once again OK, but very much relied on action movie tropes, and using cut aways to build pace and tension.

My understanding is this is early in the authors career, and that is probably where most of these weak spots come from, although a stronger editor might have been able to help him out of some of it. If he continued to improve, I could see enjoying some of his other work. Did he?

Stephen wrote: "Well The Snow Queen looks like a slow read for me, so 24 days before I met fellow S&Lers & it looks like I will need all 24. Audio The Sea Queen a Historical fiction a..."

Yeah I agree, it's a bit slow and so far, very predictable. Lot's more to read though so it may just be the beginning.

John (Nevets) wrote: "Finished Consider Phlebas. I’ve been slowly reading it while flying. It was OK. But I think I’ve heard this is not Iain M. Banks best entry in the series, so I may t..."

Try The Player of Games, it's so much better and also a bit shorter so not a great investment in time.

Reading/listening Mockingbird by Walter Tevis on Hoopla-digital.

Finished Seven Blades in Black and decided to move right into The Gallows Black, a prequel novella about Sal the Cacophony.

@John (Nevets) - I'll second Player of Games. Phlebas is divisive - some love it, some dislike it. I'm more in the latter camp but a) I love the rest of the series and b) Phlebas is nothing like the rest of the series.

Now, if you read Player and don't like it then it might not be the series for you.

Thirding Player of Games. But I neither loved nor hated the Culture books. I found Consider Phlebas bleah, but the rest were solid 3s. I read them as I had holes in my TBR. They are at least complex, good space stories. The Orbitals are a neat derivation of Ringworld, and the godlike benevolent AIs also interesting.

I quite liked Consider Phlebas but after about 100 pages of The Player of Games I gave up on the Culture series altogether. The descriptions of these fictional games was just interminable and I couldn’t take it any longer. It was one of the most boring things I’d ever read.

Still slowly progressing on Ruin. It has been a great book so far, just need more time to read! I started listening to Will Wight's Cradle Series. About halfway through Unsouled and am really enjoying it!

Finished up Children of Ruin. It was okay. Thing is, after reading Children of Time I was hoping this one would be great.

Having told the story of an unexpected forced evolution / uplift of spiders in the first book, Tchaikovsky moves on to the closest thing: sea spiders. Well, Octopuses. Or Octopi or Octopodes, as the determination of the plural comes in for some linguistic mockery.

This book has several instances of lazy writing. One of them requires a ship to be in reboot mode, something you'd almost never do, when a one-time signal comes in. Another has a major scientific breakthrough happening just because. And that one isn't even needed for the story to conclude, just to set up the epilogue. It's like there's a whole book missing.

A lot is made of independent brains in Octopus arms, known as the Reach, so much so that they do things the central brain, the Crown, doesn't know about. It got so frequent that I wondered if someone would quip "A Mollusk's Reach should exceed its Crown, or what's an ocean for?"

The story opens with a joint Human / Portiid (spider) expedition to fairly nearby star. It proceeds from there to a lengthy treatise on the difficulties of cross species communication, to the point where even the reader doesn't know what's going on. I found that less than compelling. There's an alien race that is supposed to be incomprehensible, but instead provides a horror tinge to this SF book. I know that's the "in" thing to do now but I don't like it. One major implication of that alien race is left unaddressed by the end of the book.

And then the epilogue, which is so different from the book that preceded it that I wanted to chime in as if I were in any one of today's ubiquitous courts shows and say "Objection: assumes plot points not in evidence." There's a lot introduced for the first time in the epilogue, including yet another uplifted race, this time of Corvids (crows.) Not sure why Tchaikovsky didn't include them elsewhere. Maybe it would have been a...murder... to do so.

The book was pleasant enough reading, but feels incomplete both within major sections and of the work overall. Perhaps there will be a third. Not sure that's possible after the epilogue, but I'd read it. If only to see if Tchaikovsky will finally close the loop!

Finished listening to Exhalation: Stories which is a brilliant set of stories slightly let down by one duff narrator (she has a robotic tone when doing alternate characters which really bugged me).

The stories are all fascinating explorations of physical principle which happily for a change were done accurately in amusing stories. From time travel to young earth creationism all of these stories are brilliant. It takes brilliance to write an engaging and accurate story based on the 2nd law of thermodynamics that can also be used as a teaching aide.

Must read.

John (Taloni) wrote: "Finished up Children of Ruin. It was okay. Thing is, after reading Children of Time I was hoping this one would be great.

Having told the story of an unexpected for..."

I dunno, after I bought into “talking spiders” anything else was fair game. The names the octopuses gave their ships were cool, so I’m good: That Part Of Wonder That Is Mine, The Requisitioner of Small Things, Looking at a Thing from the Outside.

Trike wrote: "I dunno, after I bought into “talking spiders” ..."

This is clearly story telling that is informed by Doctor Who (with a dash of Banks). Adrian Tchaikovsky clearly grew up on the show. I love the way that all the conflicts are cultural and a relate to an inability to communicate. You win by learning to communicate...

I love the fact that scientists and thinkers are the most important people in his world..

I love the way he plays around with political systems..

I think the epilogue perfectly encapsulates the themes that Tchaikovsky is working through in the book.

Iain wrote: "You win by learning to communicate... "

Well, that and (view spoiler)[using a gengineered virus to rewrite the DNA of your opponents so that they like you. (hide spoiler)]😂

I’ve been reading locus, Hugo and Nebula winners

Started Bran Mak Morn: The Last King by Robert E. Howard.

I finished listening to The Elementals by Michael McDowell and found it to be fairly middling. I just couldn’t get into the characters and it didn’t feel very spooky to me. Next up I’m listening to The Lost World by Michael Crichton and so far so good. I also started Tiamat's Wrath by James S.A. Corey and I’m already getting the feeling this is going to be a good one.

Just about to start the new book from Frances Hardinge, Deeplight. So far my impression is that the cover is very pretty.

Finished Too Like the Lightning. Hated it. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Trike wrote: "Finished Too Like the Lightning. Hated it."

As a charter member of Ye Olde Pharte club, this is the first thing I thought of.

Every once in a while I’ll break out “Homey don’t play that.” And it is usually met with bewildered expressions.

What a great show.

So I finished off last month's and this month's picks: Seven Blades in Black (text), The Snow Queen (audio). I liked them both enough to give them 4 stars afterward for the enjoyment factor. Not sure if I'll read any follow-ups/sequels. I'm not sure I want to know....

I've preempted my listen to Mirror Gate (which I got from Audible on a sale and is fair but I'm not loving) with the 4th Lady Sherlock book from the library (The Art of Theft). I'm about a third of the way through Lady Sherlock, and I'm not really feeling it, other than I almost always enjoy Kate Reading's narration so I'll probably finish it up without any problem.... Perhaps the hijinx will begin to ensue and it'll be more fun... So far it's been a pretty boring setup.

I'm still making my way through my heavy, physical copy of The Witchwood Crown. (At least it's a soft cover, but still very heavy.) I keep interrupting it to finish library books that come off hold. Maybe this weekend since it's finally going to be cold-ish in Boston I'll just curl up and make some progress (pending any surprise! library books).

John (Taloni) wrote: "Trike wrote: "Finished Too Like the Lightning. Hated it."

As a charter member of Ye Olde Pharte club, this is the first thing I thought of.
"

Honestly, that’s what I heard when I wrote that.

Similarly, whenever I take the med Dexilant I hear Wayne and Garth in my head: “Dexilant! Party time!”

Sheila Jean wrote: "Maybe this weekend since it's finally going to be cold-ish in Boston I'll just curl up and make some progress"

It’s supposed to snow up here, so put some soup on and settle in.

I finally finished last month's pick, Seven Blades in Black - thoughts on that will go in another thread.

Then I finished Early Riser - a book I desperately wanted to like, but found a bit lacking. Or actually, I thought it was over-encumbered with unnecessary plot and would have preferred if some of it were lacking! Maybe it's just me, but it's a complaint I find myself making about a lot of books lately.

The world-building is clever and amusing and the use of language is fantastic, as you would expect from a Fforde novel, but that wasn't enough to save it from being a bit of a slog to get through.

Next up are The Secret Commonwealth and (in audio) Children of Ruin. Hopefully these will be a bit more compelling.

Finished with Interference which is good but not as excellent as Semiosis.

Tomorrow I plan to start The Menace from Farside - more Luna, yay!

Iain wrote: "Finished listening to Exhalation: Stories which is a brilliant set of stories slightly let down by one duff narrator (she has a robotic tone when doing alternate characters which re..."

Sounds awesome. I am becoming more excited to read this next month!

As well as re-reading Northern Lights to keep up with the His Dark Materials TV show, I've also read a couple of John Wyndham books.
The Chrysalids a post apocalyptic novel which would probably count as YA these days.
The Midwich Cuckoos, Alien Invasion via implantation
Both were good reads. I'll be campaigning for a John Wyndham Laser pick at some point

TRP wrote: "I'll be campaigning for a John Wyndham Laser pick at some point"

The Day of the Triffids would be the best choice for a S&L read.

I haven't read it in nearly 40 years. I loved it as a teen.

I enjoyed the hell out of Chocky, but that one is a bit cerebral.

Finished Bran Mak Morn: The Last King and started The Starless Sea and I'll be darned if Erin Morgenstern hasn't done it again.

Tassie Dave wrote: "TRP wrote: "I'll be campaigning for a John Wyndham Laser pick at some point"

The Day of the Triffids would be the best choice for a S&L read.

I haven't read it in nearly 40 years."

Should be a no-brainer, Veronica and Tom are both fond of friendly creatures...

Finished The Haunting of Hill House. I absolutely love Shirley Jackson's prose. I think I may have read this one in too many short sittings spaced out though because I feel like I didn't pick up on some things. Still it was great (though I think I appreciated We Have Always Lived in the Castle a bit more.

Currently working through The Troop and Can We All Be Feminists?: New Writing from Brit Bennett, Nicole Dennis-Benn, and 15 Others on Intersectionality, Identity, and the Way Forward for Feminism on audiobook.

Mark wrote: "Tassie Dave wrote: "TRP wrote: "I'll be campaigning for a John Wyndham Laser pick at some point"

The Day of the Triffids would be the best choice for a S&L read.

I haven't read it i..."

I do have penchant for The Midwich Cuckoos for sheer creepiness

Yeah, I’d pick Midwich over Triffids any day of the week.

Trike wrote: "Yeah, I’d pick Midwich over Triffids any day of the week."

Cuckoos works too.

Finished Gods of Jade and Shadow which was a very cutesy romp through 1920s Mexico and Midnight's Children which was a snot-filled refugee march through 1950s-70s India and Pakistan. If the brevity of the first book and the wit of the second book had the ability to combine their powers, I would have lived forever in that world. Alas.

Unpopular opinion, but I thought Swords and Deviltry really suffers in the modern era. But I see now why the tragic past with a dead family became The Gold Standard of d&d campaigns for decades afterwards, with inspiration like this!

The Broken Crown and The Republic of Thieves are my current reads. Lynch is as fun as ever. West is...confusing so far. But I remain hopeful!

After this I've got A Dirty Job, The Library at Mount Char, Remnant Population and The Raven and the Reindeer and that will hopefully be about the end of the year!

Trike wrote: "Yeah, I’d pick Midwich over Triffids any day of the week."

I also feel it has tropes that are less problematic for a modern audience (that said I haven't read these books in 20 years....)

I was looking for something fun and light. Found this one and the cover reminded me of Sharknado.

Iain wrote: "I do have penchant for The Midwich Cuckoos for sheer creepiness"

Another good choice.

I think I was in high school when I read that. So not that long ago ;-)

Currently reading Recursion by Blake Crouch and then the plan is to read A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine. Both of them are I think nominees for the Science Fiction/Fantasy Goodreads choice awards.

Tassie Dave wrote: "Iain wrote: "I do have penchant for The Midwich Cuckoos for sheer creepiness"

Another good choice.

I think I was in high school when I read that. So not that long ago ;-)"

Ten years before it was published?