SFF Hot from Printers: New Releases discussion

I have this on hold from the library and could get it any time within the next two weeks. My interest was piqued by Amanda's exuberant review here: https://bookishbrews.com/2021/05/04/f...

I have the audiobook and could join any time.

I may join in like a week - I plan to finish monthly reads in 2 groups first

The library has it available and I have some things to read, but if you all have a good feeling about it, just post when you are starting and I will try.

I’m in the same boat, I’ve got a lot on my tbr this and next month (overzealous amount of library holds).

I have one short book to read on or about the 20th, and then I am good to go.

When do we start here?

Gabi wrote: "When do we start here?"

I plan to get to it in four days, but if most of others start earlier, I'll shift my schedule.

I officially have this in my Kindle, but I need to finish We Are Satellites first. Feel free to begin without me and I'll catch up.

I started the book. I'm lukewarm about the beginning, where the protagonist plays some kind of VR shooter. I have experience of playing MMO, most importantly Ultima and then Eve Online and the latter is often called space fights with spreadsheets, because it is less about manual dexterity and more about thinking ahead. So, I'm not fond of shooters, but I'll see how the story goes

I continue with the story and so far I'm irritated with the whole monopolized water concept. I understand that it is 'evil corp' critique, common for modern SF. However, the protagonist drinks coffee, which is a mild diuretic, so you lose water with it. Ok, it is minor point, if one takes that modern person in say the US drinks less than 10% of personal water consumption. More importantly, at one point they go thru snow but no one takes it to use. Yes, corps prosecute alt water source finders, but with a snow, it either should hit 99% of population or let it me.

Moreover, there is a great loophole of non-water liquids that can be used for its water like fruits and veggies, which a group can feed with own waste

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

Also some of my spoilery thoughts
(view spoiler)[
1. a person, whose relatives were killed and who is a war victim, playing a hyper-realistic shooter sounds strange. Here in Ukraine, which is in proxy war with Russia since 2014 there are veterans with PTSD and people are asked not to use petards during New Year for this causes severe distress. How much more distress is life like shooter?
2. monopolizing water is nigh impossible, for there are too many ways to get a little if you are not in the desert
3. superpowered soldiers are too munchkin and fantasy, esp. with swords for it is cool (hide spoiler)]

Just started and have to concur with Oleksandr's first comment: the ego shooter start is extremely boring.

Sorry it didn’t work well for you, Oleksandr. I now have one friend with a rave review and one with a low review. :-P Very curious to see how it will be for me. I read the first two pages and I have no thoughts so far.

Kristenelle wrote: "Sorry it didn’t work well for you, Oleksandr. I now have one friend with a rave review and one with a low review. :-P Very curious to see how it will be for me. "

I guess this book just wasn't for me - I saw it compared to Ready Player One, which I'm yet to read. As I said, I played MMOs but not shooters and the main joy of MMOs is players, new virtual connections and ability to do almost anything, say I usually try to produce and sell stuff or just give away. That whole society is missing. The real world economics part was also a miss

The author uses one of my pet peeves in writing: making the characters even dumber than the reader, so that things can be explained in exhausting length until even the most unattentive reader gets it. If this wasn't on audio, where I can do something else aside I would dnf now. (this way, though, I'm hoping for it to get better once the story settled in)

... and DNF (52%). This just doesn't interest me on any level, sorry.

Gabi wrote: "... and DNF (52%). This just doesn't interest me on any level, sorry."

if you need a synopsis for the rest of the story (view spoiler)[Mel post videos from HQ, goes popular, evil corp tries to intimidate her, cuts off water supply for the whole town, posts deep fake video with Mel; people start a protest, evil corp kidnaps and tortures Mel, 22 saves her, they kidnap lab's director, who tells the truth for video, the second evil corp attack the place from which video was broadcasted, 22 saves Mel and dies from wounds. She returns and tells her story to reporters. (hide spoiler)]

Hey, I have not been around and have been reading totally other stuff. Like Dean Koontz. I might be able to read this tomorrow, but I have so many books due the first that I don't really want to . . . I would rather start some of them and see if I am really going to read them all.

Gabi, how did you end up liking it?

I'm about 20%? I'm enjoying it well enough. I think they may be worried about the snow not being safe to drink since they are also worried about air quality. And yeah, I'm not sure how the coffee and soda works, although I've heard that drinking coffee still nets you fluids despite being a diuretic. But since water is needed to make coffee and soda....why are they cheaper than water? Or if they aren't cheaper, why would you buy them instead of water?

I finished! I have mixed feelings overall. The writing was kind of clunky and the pacing was inconsistent. Sometimes I was really sucked in and had to keep reading! But a lot of the time I was kind of bored. But I really really love that this is a story that gets into the nitty gritty of resisting extremely powerful entities. I want to read more stories about this.

Kristenelle wrote: "But I really really love that this is a story that gets into the nitty gritty of resisting extremely powerful entities. "

Have you read Little Brother? It is exactly in line and is written quite realistically

I have not! I’ll look it up. Thanks!