The Sword and Laser discussion

Mlybrand wrote: "Bruce wrote: "Mlybrand wrote: "I am reading Little Fuzzy and it is great!!"

I enjoyed this H. Beam Piper classic as well. Look for
Fuzzy Sapiens and Fuzzy Bones
"

Also Fuzzies and Other People and Golden Dream: A Fuzzy Odyssey The last is from the Fuzzy perspective of the same story - a Must Read.

The history is a little complicated. Check Wikipedia. There is also the upcoming Fuzzy Nation - a reboot by Scalzi.

After hearing all the buzz about Wise Man's Fear for months I picked up Name of the Wind on Kindle and just started reading it. Only 60 odd pages in and I'm hooked.

Once I've got finished that and Shadow and Claw I think I'm gonna pick up from the second book of ASOIAF and hopefully catch up in time for Dance with Dragons.

Just got my new audible credit and am downloading Name of the Wind as we speak. So, that will be next book I listen to on my runs right after I finish Last Days of the Incas.

Ya know, I listen to the NY Times book review podcast pretty regularly, and hearing this week, as they had to pause, and mention that a (gulp) Fantasy novel was atop the hardcover fiction list, I think I'm gonna hafta break down and read me some Rothfuss.

The other thing that's been bothering me since I signed on here was how little attention was being given to my current favorite Fantasy author, Michael J. Sullivan. But I think the recent news about him kind of highlights the fact that I evidently stumbled across a pretty fringe, unknown talent. I found him last year when I was trying to find something new for my Kindle. Reading his blog this past year, I now see him as a prime example of the reality of the publishing world, a self published author who was earning a living without a Publisher, and until recently, I gather without even an agent. I've been re-reading the first 5 books of the Riyria Revelations, and lo and behold! Guess who got himself a major publishing deal. The Sucky thing about it though, is that now that he and his books have been picked up by Orbit, they have decided to delay the last book (Percepliquis) until this Fall. Actually , they're repackaging the whole series as a trilogy. (But . . . I LIKED his self-illustrated covers!) I 'm glad an author I like is being picked up by the Bigs, but dammit, I wad planning on reading the finale this month. It's all an Emerald conspiracy I tell you!

The Way of Shadowsand loving it. Just ordered the next two off of Amazon.

Jay wrote: "The other thing that's been bothering me since I signed on here was how little attention was being given to my current favorite Fantasy author, Michael J. Sullivan...."

Isn't Tom Hanks character in Road To Perdition named Michael Sullivan? Say no more, this guy is definitely on my to-read list.

Just finished The Passage, by the way an excellent book, reminding in some parts of Stephen King's Cell. Now off to Shades of Grey and then after that probably Palimpsest or whatever is chosen for the book club if that happens first.

I actually wanted to start with The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake because I really liked what I read about the story, but it doesn't seem to be available for the Kindle and I was in bed and needed a book fast.

Phil wrote: "The Way of Shadowsand loving it. Just ordered the next two off of Amazon."
I read that series and enjoyed it.

Michael wrote: Don't spoil it for me. I only own the first 8 and that's all I've ever read, I need to order a stack of them from Amazon now so that they arrive by the time I catch up."

Yeah I was like that with the NJO series too. Read it on my school break for Christmas last year. Made about 10 stops to 3 different 1/2 price books stores within 3 weeks. Had to keep it straight which ones I had already bought and which ones I still needed. I ran out at one point and had to buy 2 of them brand new from a borders around here.

They are good books and great for when you need just a fun read. I just started the next series of S.W. books while I am in spring semester. The Legacy of the Force starts with Betrayal and so far its pretty good. Only 8 books though, thanks god.

I am about half way through Ender in Exile which is the last of the books in the Enderverse for me to read. I just got my Audible credit for the month and I don't know where to go next. Suggestions?

I've just started Chasm City by Alastair Reynolds after finishing Excession by Iain M Banks.

Chad wrote: "I am about half way through Ender in Exile which is the last of the books in the Enderverse for me to read. I just got my Audible credit for the month and I don't know where to go next. Suggestions? ..."

The Name of the Wind, the most official unofficial Sword & Laser book selection.

Just finished Quicksilver and began King of the Vagabonds.

So far this month I've read It Cant Happen Here (my review), Doomsday Book, Magician: Master, The Man in the High Castle (my review) and Dragon's Egg (my review).

Last night I finally started reading The Wise Man's Fear. As soon as I finish that long-awaited novel, I'll start Stormed Fortress and round out the month (maybe) with Deadhouse Gates.

Micah wrote: "Made about 10 stops to 3 different 1/2 price books stores within 3 weeks. Had to keep it straight which ones I had already bought and which ones I still needed. I ran out at one point and had to buy 2 of them brand new from a borders around here. "

Yeah with the bunch of crazy taxes/rules/arbitrariness I'd have to pay $25 per book if I buy them new locally, $14 per book if I buy them from a 2nd hand store within camping distance or $7 each if I buy them from Amazon. Even paying the $30 shipping on 5 books makes it far more cost effective to strangle the local market :(

Michael wrote:Yeah with the bunch of crazy taxes/rules/arbitrariness I'd have to pay $25 per book if I buy them new locally, $14 per book if I buy them from a 2nd hand store within camping distance or $7 each if I buy them from Amazon. Even paying the $30 shipping on 5 books makes it far more cost effective to strangle the local market :( "

WOW! Where do you live? Because that sucks. I used to live in California and I thought their tax laws were B.S. I was paying $3.50-$4.00 per book for a used copy here in Texas. plus sales tax of course but its minor, somewhere between %8-10.

Hell that price is just about ludicrous. I could probably pack the whole series up and ship it out to you for cheaper than what it costs you to get them shipped from Amazon. not to mention the $7 price to begin with. HA HA HA.

The Library just came forth with Jasper Fforde's One of Our Thursdays Is Missing. That should keep me going for the rest of the month.

I'm in the middle of reading the 2010 Nebula Award winners. I really enjoyed the Connie Willis (Blackout/ All Clear), despite what some said about the historical errors... really she has loopholes for that about the English putting misleading information in the newspapers intentionally, etc., and some gung-ho time-traveling historians that altered minor events. It worked for me.

But right now I'm in the middle of Who Fears Death by Nnedi Okorafor, a post-apocalyptic novel set in Africa, and it has magic and ethnic cleansing and feels so original. I am really enjoying it.

I'm reading Shadow & Claw very very slowly taking pains to break it up into 5-15 page chunks. Also, The Years of Rice and Salt. I want to thank aldenoneil for that: after seeing a few mentions his recommendations got me to start reading it. I'm very much liking the book!

I am still plowing through the audiobook of Pandora's Star. I'm breaking it up with a listen of The Name of the Wind. I read it in print a couple of years ago, but wanted to re-read before starting The Wise Man's Fear. I thought it was great in print, but the audiobook is even better. (I'm still thinking that Pandora's Star would be better in print.)

In text, I'm still reading Off Armageddon Reef on my Nook. My paper book is Shades of Grey. I was lucky enough to stumble on that one at the library.

Shades of Grey sounds interesting, let me know how it turns out Sandi :)

I just finished reading The Kingdom of Ohio by Matthew Flaming, on my wife's recommendation. A nifty book set mostly in New York in 1910, featuring time travel, alternate histories and appearances by J. P. Morgan, Thomas Edison and Nikolai Tesla. I liked how it brought that time and place to life.

I have just finished William Gibson's trilogy, and I am starting The Blade Itself.

Brian wrote: "Equal Rites, at least at the moment. Not sure what I'll be reading later in the month, though. Daemon, perhaps?"


Daemon and Freedom (TM) are must reads!

Microsoft guru Mark Russinovich has his first novel out, a hacking/disaster story similar to Daemon: Zero Day. My local stores haven't been good about stocking it.

I don't usually read a lot of Fantasy, but Lois McMaster Bujold writes some SF, The Vorkosigan Series, which I adore, so I tried her Curse of Chalion trilogy. Very well written and loving it. Also, the audiobook version (I'm somewhat addicted to audiobooks) is excellent.

I just finished World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War (which I thought was amazing) and now I'm just starting to read Childhood's End.

I'm still waiting on The Black Prism from the library but at this rate it looks like I won't get it until next month. My online library account shows the book as being 'In Processing'; I'm starting to think 'In Processing' means there's a librarian reading it first.

Ala wrote: "Shades of Grey sounds interesting, let me know how it turns out Sandi :)"

I finished it today. It ended better than it started. Fforde had some good ideas, but it took him a long time to get around to it. I'll probably give the book 4 stars because it really sucked me in during the last half and left me wanting more, but it took a lot of patience to get to that point. It suffers from one of the problems that the Thursday next series does--it's too self-consciously clever.

Thanks for the review, Sandi.

Hrm. Maybe i'll just backburner it then, along with the Thursday Next series. I'll get to it eventually.

Started the audio version of Oryx and Crake today, really enjoying it so far.

I'm reading I Shall Wear Midnight (Tiffany Aching, #4) and Vanished. Debating downloading Blink.

I've just gone through the audiobooks of Peter F Hamilton's Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained in the space of about 3 weeks. Listening at double speed helped and I found them really compelling.

I do seem to have developed a nervous twitch every time I hear the words "enzyme bonded concrete" though.

TRP wrote: "I've just gone through the audiobooks of Peter F Hamilton's Pandora's Star and Judas Unchained in the space of about 3 weeks. Listening at double speed helped and I found them really compelling."

I tried speeding it up and I understood even less. I'm having a real problem with the narrator.

I've started Mating by Norman Rush and am halfway through Decoded by Jay-Z, neither of which fit in our category really. I need to hunt down the rest of the Book of the New Sun!

Reading Sammy Hagar's book. It's almost like scifi. :)

I am Currently reading: Dark Alchemy.
Try it, its fantacy by: Garth Nix, Eoin Colfer, Neil Galman. Really good.

Bobbi wrote: Debating downloading Blink."

I thought Outliers was a better book; completely different subject though.

Right now The Paradise War by Stephen Lawhead, The Rook by Stephen James, and I'm re-reading The Hobbit,.

Sandi wrote:
I think I would probably be enjoying Pandora's Star better in print. The story is too complex for audio and the narrator is way too monotone.

Funny, I'm listening to Pandora's Star as well. I usually like John Lee's narration. But in this one I don't think my problem with it is his being monotone. Rather, he goes way too fast from one part to another. One second Ozzy, the very next Paula. It's confusing.
Love the story though.

Reading-wise I am reading Wise Man's Fear and continuing on with the E.E Knight Vampire Earth series.

Read The Crippled God, The Heroes, and Dragonfly Falling. Thinking I might pick up Storm Frontand try to finish it off before the end of the month.

I finished The Name of the Wind and loved it but I can't rush out and buy The Wise Man's Fear because I gave up buying books for lent (stupid).

So I've started The Steel Remains, which I was a little hesitant about because Richard K. Morgan has gotten some comparisons to Joe Abercrombie who I'm not wild about. But I'm really enjoying it.

Morgan and Abercrombie have completely different vibes to me. I don't see them alike at all.

Kate wrote: "I finished The Name of the Wind and loved it but I can't rush out and buy The Wise Man's Fear because I gave up buying books for lent (stupid)...."


Your local library should have a copy of The Wise Man's Fear. You pay the taxes, enjoy the book! :o)

After not being too impressed with the film I'm now reading 2001: A Space Odyssey on the recommendation of some friends. I've never read anything by Arthur C. Clarke before, he was always on of those authors that I meant to look up but fell by the wayside for me. Considering the quality of the book I think I should have done so much sooner.

After I finish it up I'm planning on going on a binge read of his other works.

Philip wrote: "Your local library should have a copy of The Wise Man's Fear. You pay the taxes, enjoy the book! :o)"

Oh I've reserved it alright. But you never know, lent could be over by the time I'm at the top of the list.

I just finished Pandora's Star and enjoyed it very much - On to Judas Unchained.

Cheers Jim.

Been wrote: "After not being too impressed with the film I'm now reading 2001: A Space Odyssey on the recommendation of some friends. I've never read anything by Arthur C. Clarke bef..."

Yeah 2001 the book made the movie make more sense and made it (for me at least) a much more enjoyable experience. The other 3 books in the series are good too and binging Clarke is a good idea :) Have fun

I just finished Earth Strike: Star Carrier: Book One and now I am about 3/4th of the way through A Discovery of Witches which is excellent.

Currently I'm reading The Fall, the second book in The Strain series.

I intended to Kindle up the Song of Ice and Fire books once they were re-packaged by Random House. Then they jacked up the price and I bought The Eye of the World instead. Already read the first ten books or whatever, but it's been ages and I wondered if I'd still like it in a world of George Martin and Joe Abercrombie and China Mieville. I think I do, but only because I know it gets complicated.

Also, waiting for a book to read alongside the group now that I'm listening regularly.

Totoro25 wrote: "Currently I'm reading The Fall, the second book in The Strain series."

I listened to the audiobook recently, really liked it.