Sci-fi and Heroic Fantasy discussion

Welcome to a new month. I have started Knights, Witches, and Murder: A Fantasy Thriller

Time to pull out some Halloween themed books. This year I've had to bump out some of the ones I planned so I can finish the Dune/Ender series in the three months we have left but I'm still starting with some vampires in The Strain by Guillermo del Toro

I got two books in that series from the neighbourhood book exchange but had to borrow the first one from the library :) I have a feeling it's going to be a lot like The Passage based on the blurb but we'll see. At least they are kind of SF-ish based vampires.

Is anyone reading A Night in the Lonesome October a chapter a day this year?

Kelsey wrote: "I have been reading the latest released Star Wars books like Padawan, the Princess and the Scoundrel, and Shadow of the Sith. I've also been rereading the Eragon books and I'm almost done with Elde..."

I'm getting close to finishing the Ender/Shadow series, got 3 more left (Ender in Exile, Shadow in Flight, The Last Shadow).

Lord of Beasts by Kit Sun Cheah

Jim wrote: "Is anyone reading A Night in the Lonesome October a chapter a day this year?"

I did last year, which still feels recent.

I am starting The Parasite and The Witchfinder's Sister and Battle Royal. Almost done with Bad Singer: The Surprising Science of Tone Deafness and How We Hear Music.

Jim wrote: "Is anyone reading A Night in the Lonesome October a chapter a day this year?"

I've been thinking I need to read more Zelazny, so f there's a buddy read I'll join.

Dividing my time with The Curious Charms of Arthur Pepper, The Spook's Apprentice and The Shadow of the Gods.

Bryan wrote: "Jim wrote: "Is anyone reading A Night in the Lonesome October a chapter a day this year?"

I've been thinking I need to read more Zelazny, so f there's a buddy read I'll join."

It's a seemingly simple, fun story, but there are depths to it. Zelazny was a master of allusions & he pulled out all stops in this book. There are references to historical figures, old movies, & much more. Even the original cover art of the HB edition tells a story. It was painted by Andy Warhol's nephew & it's fun trying to figure out who each character is as the story progresses.

If you do decide to read it, you might check out one of the groups that read it a day at a time or just plow through it for fun. There are about half a dozen group reads that I know of. The Zelazny group is one, but not the most recent.

I finished Artifact Space. This was a very satisfying read, in fact it is the best sci-fi book I read this year, and I will be looking forward to the second book in the series when it is released.
I will now be starting Dawn by Octavia E. Butler.

Bryan wrote: "Jim wrote: "Is anyone reading A Night in the Lonesome October a chapter a day this year?"

I've been thinking I need to read more Zelazny, so f there's a buddy read I'll join."

If you do find someone, you're free to start up a discussion thread here in the buddy section - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group...

Or even if you don't find anyone we don't mind if people revive the old group discussion threads (that's true for everyone and every book) - https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... - but be careful, don't jump ahead in the discussion you'll get spoilers!

Kel wrote: "Cool! How are you liking them? "

I absolutely love the Ender books, the Shadow books were still good but maybe the topics being covered weren't as interesting to me so I didn't get the same emotional bang that I got from the Ender ones.

Pierre wrote: "I finished Artifact Space. This was a very satisfying read, in fact it is the best sci-fi book I read this year, and I will be looking forward to the second book in the series when ..."

I really loved Artifact Space as well! Can't wait for the next book!

Completed:
text:

Audible:

==========================================
Authors:
Michael Connelly, Donna Everhart, Alice Feeney, Simon Jimenez, Stephen King
Narrators:
Len Cariou

11-22-63 by Stephen King. Nearly half way through it. It’s been an enjoyable read thus far.

Finished reading The Strain. Turns out it's not so much like The Passage by Justin Cronin, its more a 'Salem's Lot by Stephen King, which worked for me. The bloodworm aspect is particularly disgusting though!

Next up is something not very Halloween-ey but I won't make it through the series if I don't keep reading - The Winds of Dune by Brian Herbert

Spear of the Night by Kit Sun Cheah

I finished reading Dawn and did not really enjoy it. I started Ender's Game; this will be a re-read. The first time I read it was many years ago, probably not long after its initial publishing. I liked it, but do not remember many details about it. I intend to read the complete Ender suite this time.

Finished reading Winds of Dune which takes place between the 2nd and 3rd books of the original, and I got the same impression I got with Paul of Dune - these are just filler, they don't really add any interesting information to the worldbuilding and what they do add feels like something these authors wanted to squeeze so that their prequel books continue to tie into the series, while the originals make no mention of all those Ixian characters, and other subplots the prequels introduced. For example we know there's a Jihad going on in books 2-3, we don't actually need to go to each an every world to see how the people were slaughtered. I was fine leaving that vague or to my imagination.

Still not very much in the Halloween theme, but I missed out on Ender last month so have to catch up now - Ender in Exile by Orson Scott Card

Well, finished yet another Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Another strong edition with particularly good stories from Mathew Hughes (stand alone from the same world as Baldemar/Raffalon) - Rachel Pollack (an origin story for a recurring character in her Jack Shade shamanic detective stories) - L X Beckett (a most disturbing dystopian piece about where the quest for social media likes might eventually take us) - Corey Flintoff (the Arabian Nights meets the modern world in an unexpected way) and Ashley Blooms (a curious and delicate Americana folk tale).

And now for The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction for September/October 2018.

I'm nothing if not consistent these days... :-)

Robin wrote: "Well, finished yet another Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. Another strong edition with particularly good stories from Mathew Hughes (stand alone from the same world as Baldemar/Raffalon) -..."

You'll be caught up in no time :)

Hope not... These are supposed to keep me going until next year, when hopefully book buying resumes all being well. ☺

Finished a trilogy of graphic novels called TER (first one L'Étranger). Discovered of the graphic novels I've read recently for some reason I really like this one. It wasn't as dark as most and had lots of twists and turns. The downside it had a dangling ending. Maybe he intends to continue it with a sequel trilogy that he hasn't started yet.

Started on a 1984: The Graphic Novel by Fido Nesti

been focusing on spooky books this month! (but nothing too creepy because I scare easily tbh.)

so far I've read: Small Spaces, The Night Gardener, Tunnel of Bones, Coraline, & The Screaming Staircase.

currently reading Jackaby.

favorites so far have been Tunnel of Bones, The Night Gardener, & Coraline.

myla wrote: "been focusing on spooky books this month! (but nothing too creepy because I scare easily tbh.)

so far I've read: Small Spaces, The Night Gardener, [book:Tunnel of ..."

I was lucky enough to win a copy of the Night Gardener from Goodreads a few years back and it was very good indeed. I'm also someone who doesn't like being scared silly, so this level of creepy was just perfect.

Though I've read of lot of Gaiman, I still need to get to Coraline!

Andrea wrote: "myla wrote: "been focusing on spooky books this month! (but nothing too creepy because I scare easily tbh.)

so far I've read: Small Spaces, The Night Gardener, [bo..."

I've seen the movie Coraline, and I have to say I liked the book better—but it could just have to do with the animation. It's an odd little book for sure; what really won me over was the MC and the concise writing style.

the illustrations, though. . . some of those were CREEPY. XD

I finished the Three Body Problem Trilogy with the final book Death's End and have begun the Green Bone Saga Trilogy starting with Jade City. I also flew through Cloud Cuckoo Land at the beach, which I really can not recommend highly enough!

I have finished Knights, Witches, and Murder. Its a well-written mystery, and the protagonist makes for an unusual detective, but its an enjoyable story, although a bit slow-paced at the beginning. It will fill the Detective slot in my Bingo.

Listened to A Master of Djinn, which was pretty good.

I finished Ender's Game. As mentioned earlier, this was a second reading, and I am very glad I did it, because it soon became obvious to me that I remembered very little about the book, except the final annihilation of the buggers by Ender. I enjoyed that second reading very much, and I have now started the next book, Speaker for the Dead

I have started reading Fifty Degrees South: The battle at the end of the world novella. It starts as a Napoleonic Era naval adventure, but with alien spacecraft. It will fill either the Indie Author or Free Book slot in my Bingo.

myla wrote: "been focusing on spooky books this month! (but nothing too creepy because I scare easily tbh.)

so far I've read: Small Spaces, The Night Gardener, [book:Tunnel of ..."
Perhaps you are in the Middle Grade Madness group I am in! At any rate, MG Horror is also about my level! I've read and enjoyed several of the books you listed. I loved the whole Screaming Staircase series!

The movie Coraline introduced plot holes that weren't in the book. I'm not sure I'm a Gaiman fan. I'll have to try a few more.

I love The Screaming Staircase and its sequels. I've been creeped out by MG horror more often than adult horror, maybe because blood and gore isn't scary to me.

Gaiman is -- uneven, in my experience.

In the Shadow of Lightning by Brian McClellan. This the first book in The Glass Immortals series. I picked it up as I really enjoyed his Powder Mage books. This is enjoyable, but not on the same level as his other work.

I've listened to a few of Gaiman's books. The stories are OK - interesting, but none have wowed me except American Gods which I also liked a lot on screen. He's narrated all I've listened to & that's part of the problem. His voice is pleasant, but the volume isn't equalized well so I can't hear parts. If I crank up the volume to where I can hear his whispers, his sudden shouts hurt.

I really liked the Powder Mage, so I'm disappointed to read that the Glass Immortals isn't as good.

My DH and I listened to Gaiman's The Graveyard Book and absolutely loved it. But I haven't read or listened to any others. We recently listened to The Ice Lion, which he gave 4 stars and me 3. I also read Cursed book 2 in the Alex Verus series.

Georgann wrote: "myla wrote: "been focusing on spooky books this month! (but nothing too creepy because I scare easily tbh.)

so far I've read: Small Spaces, The Night Gardener, [bo..."

i actually just started The Whispering Skull & am enjoying it so far!

Mary wrote: "Gaiman is -- uneven, in my experience."

That's a good way to describe it.

I've still only read the first Powder Mage. McClellan is a local writer, so I have my books signed.

How nice, Audrey!

I have finished Fifty Degrees South: The battle at the end of the world novella. I really enjoyed - alien spaceships during a Napoleonic War naval adventure - although the ending left a few too many unresolved questions. I have picked up the Deleted Scenes which will hopefully provide some resolution.

It also fills the Indie Author slot in my Bingo.

I have started Out Of Time, the first book in the Atticus Wolfe series. This is a Cold War era spy novel, except the protagonist is a 21st century spy thrown back in time.

Finished Ender in Exile. I didn't have to use an entire kleenex box like I did for the other Ender books, but I got teary eyed from time to time. Card definitely knows how to play on the reader's emotions. But way too much "your life only has value if you have children" preaching, it got a little annoying after being beaten over the head with the message in the Shadow books :) It wasn't part of the other Ender books (after all he never does end up having his own children, though maybe depends on how you define a "child")

Today I'll almost finished with the Valérian et Laureline l'Intégrale, volume 1 graphic novel series. Amazing how that one spanned over 40 years, and yet the art style was entirely consistent. I'll just have one more ".5" book to wrap up which I already borrowed from the library.

Which means I'll be putting my focus on the Olympus Mons series - first book Anomalie un - I jumped on that one since the covers were so amazing. I'm 4 books in and it's got a surprising amount of complexity happening as we unravel what the "anomaly" under the ocean really is.

Oh, and to replace Ender in Exile, I'm finally getting back to some Halloween themed stuff, with vampires in The Fall, second book of The Strain series.

I have finished Out Of Time, which I really enjoyed.

I've been reading all horror and otherwise "dark" reads so far this month. My last two were some 70s horror classics, The Other and The Exorcist

The Other by Thomas Tryon... I'm not sure I understand all the raving reviews. It was decent but didnt inspire much of a reaction from me. There were some great prose moments for sure and the author is quite skilled on that front, plus there is a well-written grandchild/grandparent relationship, but there was also very little atmosphere or tension in this book at all. Especially when I went in expecting something creepy...there was no creepiness to be found. I don't think I've ever felt less creeped out or so indifferent to the concept of a murderous child lol

The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty definitely got a much stronger reaction. As much as I couldn't stand the opening chapters for the horrific prose and nonsensical similes/metaphors (thankfully he cooled it after a while), the rest of the book was both creepy as well as surprisingly thought-provoking. Definitely not a book for everyone though...I'd somehow forgotten it's reputation for very disturbing sexually explicit scenes involving the girl who's possessed and so it was even more jarring. Definitely a very uncomfortable read at times. That said, a part of me gets why it was done, in a sense, to convey the full horror and revulsion of the possession. Father Karras was definitely my favourite character, I really enjoyed his PoVs. Least favourite definitely the detective, Kindemann. I know he was purposefully trying to throw people off but geez Louise was this guy annoying lol Anyway, surprisingly ended up really enjoying it despite the explicit/very disturbing side and the prose.

Understanding Comics: The Invisible Art and Making Comics: Storytelling Secrets of Comics, Manga and Graphic Novels by Scott McCloud

What Moves the Dead just became available on Libby, so I’m excited to check that out just in time for Halloween.

I'm reading Dauntless by Jack Campbell. A little over 100 pages in, and I like it.