Science Fiction Aficionados discussion

Aloha wrote: "11/22/63 is more of King's style, which is narrative, full of details, anecdotes, emotion and sentimentality. If you prefer the crispness of hard SciFi, you may not like it. But w..."

My use of "style" to describe my problem with The Talisman may have been to broad a term. What I found difficult was the way he would drift between perceptions. I could never tell when he had changed scenes.

But alas, that was a long time ago.

While it is true that I do like me some hard Scifi... I also like the more mellow flavors from time to time (if they are well written).

Then you won't have a problem with 11/22/63. While this is about a man finding himself in an alternate reality, it stayed to his perception. If you have a problem with differing perceptions, then I wouldn't recommend books by Haruki Murakami, who uses that technique almost predominantly. His latest, 1Q84, is no different. Reading a Marukami is like eating sushi. It may take getting used to, but addictive once you've developed a taste for his work.

Yea I kind of got that impression about Murakami from some of the reviews I read. It's good to branch out ever now and then, we may find a treasure.

If you like Japanese authors and don't mind reading the occassional fantasy, try "The Twelve Kingdoms" series by Fuyumi Ono.

Finished Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix and now continuing on with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.

I almost started 11/22/63 but I kept to my word of finishing up the Harry Potter series.

I've started The Devil's Eye. McDevitt's new book came out this month and I'm a little behind.

I'm reading Ready Player One by Ernest Cline. It's a total nerd-gasm for anyone who grew up in the 80's or has a fondness for that time. I'm totally loving it!

I grew up in the '50s and liked it pretty well...

I just finished Neuromancer and I'm continuing on with 11/22/63.

I'm half way though A Wild Sheep Chase by Haruki Murakami.

I'm reading Wuthering Heights.

I'm reading Vasily Grossman's Life and Fate, The Age of Innocence, and will be starting Dune Messiah soon.

Life and Fate is really good, but it's taking me forever.

I finished War in Heaven last night. Basically the same as its predecessor Veteran so if you liked it you'll probably like this one too. Now its a toss up between Seed or The Kingdom of Gods on what to read next.

Reading Good Omens.

Currently reading:

I'm reading Earth Abides by George R. Stewart. Written in 1949 and won the first International Fantasy award. It is considered a classic post apocalypse novel and is as relevant now as when written. So far a fascinating story.

Finished Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince and then started Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Finished both Seed and The Kingdom of Gods. Seed was good if you liked The Windup Girl (to which it keeps getting compared in every review I've seen). Kingdom of Gods wrapped up the Inheritance Trilogy well enough.

Starting Daylight on Iron Mountain and still working on the audiobook of The Battle of Corrin.

Currently reading and enjoying: Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton. It is immensely complex and full of so many characters.

Finished Daylight on Iron Mountain and started Zone One.

12/12 Update: Already finished Zone One. Really quick read. Starting 7th Sigma.

Jon wrote: "Jack wrote: "Currently reading and enjoying: Pandora's Star by Peter F. Hamilton. It is immensely complex and full of so many characters."

Just finished Manhattan in Reverse and by Peter F. Hami..."

Thanks for pointing that out. I like Hamilton a lot but didn't want to invest time in unrelated short stories, but if they build on his existing works that might be worth checking out.

Jon wrote: "Well worth it.. Almost every story could have been turned in a full sized novel. Can't wait for The Great North Road."

Has a release date or any plot details been released? All I've really seen is the title and that it'll be released in 2012 sometime.

I finished the Harry Potter series on Saturday and then yesterday I started 11/22/63.

Reading Dance Dance Dance then 11/23/62.

Finished up The Battle of Corrin, 7th Sigma and Marrow. Now I'm working on The Warded Man. Really good so far.

Plowing quickly through A Clash of Kings, about midway through A Canticle for Leibowitz, and just starting A Mote in God's Eye.

I'm currently reading Dead as a Doornail, The Bleeding Season, and The Devil in the White City: Murder, Magic, and Madness at the Fair that Changed America.

I'm working on The Knife of Never Letting Go and How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe

I'm reading The Rise of Endymion because I loved Endymion so much.

I'm about halfway through Anathem. Not read a bad Stephenson book yet, but this has not gripped me like Reamde which I read about two months ago. Not giving up yet, I've got this far, I will finish!!!

Riona wrote: "I'm working on The Knife of Never Letting Go and How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe"

How's How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe? I own it but haven't read it yet.

I'm reading Planet of the Damned. This books proves that I'm not really interested in big muscled action hero scifi, but I'm still enjoying it. There doesn't seem to be much basis for the romance other than "oh, you're a woman and I'm a man on a mission together, let's fall in love." I didn't expect a whole lot other than an enjoyable story from this pulp novel, though.

I'm reading Ashes of Victory and am listening to The Tiger's Wife. Also starting Seabiscuit: An American Legend. I usually keep a couple of books going at the same time.

Jenny wrote: "How's How to Live Safely in a Science Fictional Universe? I own it but haven't read it yet."

I'm about halfway through and really liking it so far. It's both mindbendy and beautifully written. Not as humorous as I thought it would be going in - there are definitely funny parts, but there are also lots of heartbreaking sad moments too, mostly about his relationship with his parents. Really, really good... hopefully the quality will last til the end!

I FINALLY finished Spin, which was excellent!
Now I am reading The Mote in God's Eye for this group, Stonewielder and Soulless for others, and trying to finish Ringworld in between!
Next up I have been really thinking about finally getting to Mistborn: The Final Empire, Rama II and Little, Big

I loved Spin. Still have to read the third installment.

Reading Bag of Bones along with Valley of the Horses.

I'm reading Number 9 of Galaxy Unknown by Thomas DePrima, Return to Dakistee. This has been a fun series that's kept me entertained. Not great, but recommendable. Entertaining with strong female characters (and male) that are treated on an equal plane with the male characters... seems Sci-fi is the only genre that does that consistently. (I worry about my daughters's role models sometimes).

First read of the year is Hunting the Shadows by Tanith Lee. Volume two of her selected stories, a mix of fantasy, SF and horror.

Just started Bred for War by Michael Stackpole. This is a book from the Battletech series of novels, of which I'm a big fan :-)

Started A Feast for Crows a couple days ago and I'm about 1/4 through it. Not looking forward to the wait once I've finished all the books written in this unfinished series.

It's an excellent series. Haven't read A Dance With Dragons yet but hope to soon. The story is told from so many points of view it's not a bad idea to read one after the other. Nice user name by the way.

Finished The Warded Man, The Great Bazaar and Other Stories, The Dark Fields and Oryx and Crake. On to The Year of the Flood next.

Special thanks to the group for reading Oryx and Crake a few months ago. I joined after that and just happened to see the book listed. Marked it down as a "if I get around to it I might pick it up" and now I'm glad I did.

Just finished Eifelheim and I'm still on a high from that.

About to start Hyperion

Starting to read two great ones right now, A Fire Upon the Deep and Armor.

Just finished Red Planet by Robert Heinlein. (I've been MIA so didn't realise that December was about Stranger In a Strange Land, or I'd have selected that!) Am now reading 'Teleport This'. Can't decide how I feel about it at the moment.

I've been meaning to read Red Planet for years, it's one of the few that I don't have by Heinlein.

I'm currently readng You Shall Never Know Security by J. R. Hamantaschen and I'm being blown away. These stories are very dark and intelligent. They are also full of raw emotion.

There's other books I want to read at the same time, but I can't stop reading this one. Review to come.

Reading Cemetery World by Clifford Simak. The premise for the book is fine, the execution could have been better. He strikes me as being similar to Alfred Bester in that both wrote a few outstanding novels and both won a hugo, but each of them also wrote books that were clunkers.

I'm currently reading Room and Mansfield Park. Later today I'll start listening to Definitely Dead on audio. I can't get enough of the Southern Vampire Stories series- they're just plain fun. I have several books I want to read this month and hopefully I can get to most of them.

Just finished The Passage by Justin Cronin on audio! It is long AND excellent.
Also finished Mockingjay; The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins by Suzanne Collins. It is not bad but I liked the trilogy less as I got deeper into it mainly because
Katniss had to take everything the wrong way. As my daughter pointed out, this is a 17 year old's job. And this is a YA novel so I can't say I shouldn't have seen it coming.
Next up, Swaplandia! Swamplandia! by Karen Russell