The Sword and Laser discussion

Always glad to start this thread...

Unfortunately I don't have much to say about that. I'm pretty much stuck with A Dance with Dragons, but after finishing Fuzzy Nation, I am now about halfway through the audiobook of Little Fuzzy. It was a bit of an adjustment after Fuzzy Nation. The general setting and tone of the original is a lot different as is the narrator (I think I liked Wil Wheaton better), but it's interesting to compare the two stories.

I had started World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War in hopes to finish before A Dance with Dragons was released. I thought I could read it side by side, but I ADWD is keeping me busy, so I will continue it where I left it off when I'm done with ADWD (hopefully today or tomorrow, I'm at 83% and the last 5 to 8 percent are usually appendix.)

I'm in the middle of Leviathan Wakes, which I'm really digging, and then I'll follow it with the Abraham fantasy that is packaged with the e-book version of Leviathan.

And then a re-read of AFFC and ADWD in anticipation of my Dinner of Ice and Fire.

About a quarter way through The Passage. Excellent writing and very Stephen King-esque.

Just finished Fuzzy Nation. I'm almost done with The Golden Compass. Then I'm going to work on American Gods so I'm ready for whenever the series gets off the ground and on HBO. Then most likely back to The Subtle Knife. And eventually back to Westeros and A Storm of Swords.

I'm listening to the Dresden File's Grave Peril on audible whenever I'm too busy to sit and read.

Just finished Ghost Story the new Dresden Files book and it was great. Have to hit the book shelves for some rereads until I figure out what to read next.

Working on A Clash of Kingsand finally back to Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions and listening toAmerican Gods on Audible.

I'm about halfway through American Gods and am still on and off with Machine of Death: A Collection of Stories about People Who Know How They Will Die. I just ordered House of Leaves on Amazon and am very excited for it. I'm not sure if that will be my next read because it will probably take some effort to read, but I'm definitely looking forward to it.

Currently reading Anansi Boys, since it's been sitting in my Kindle queue forever. After that, I don't really have a plan. There are 23 books in the aforementioned queue, so I'll either go on a whim or go with the tried and true: give the Kindle to my boyfriend and tell him to pick one at random. Or, I may just keep picking away at the oldest in the queue, which would make the next one The Gone-Away World.

Just finishing up Ghost Story and I am now starting The Dark Is Rising. I am re-reading because I loved it as a child and now my son is getting old enough to read. I want to read it with him. I am also looking at Monster Hunter Alpha as another book I want to finish by the end of the month because is a fun series and there is nice closure in each book, with some of the bad guys being blown up into little pieces.

Just finished Trudi Canavan's The Magician's Apprentice. It was ok I suppose. Interesting enough for me to read her next trilogy starting with The Ambassador's Mission.

What I really want is The Cold Commands. I'll probably re-read The Steel Remains first.

Just finished The Strange Affair of Spring Heeled Jack by Mark Hodder. That has to be one of the best and most inventive books I've read in a very long time. If you like steampunk, you've GOT to check it out.

Tonight, I'm starting Pulp Heroes - Khan Dynasty by Wayne Reinagel. I met him last week at Pulpfest in Columbus, OH and I asked him to explain his books to me. So he did. Now I want to read it. Since his second book is actually a prequel to the first, I am starting with that. Can't wait!

I'm reading Ready Player One thanks to an advance copy from another S&L member. Assuming I finish it before the official release (my goal), I'll resume reading Rule 34 later this month.

Late to the party but I am finally reading The Windup Girl. I am really enjoying it. Just finished Greg Rucka's Patriot Acts, too, which was not as good as the other Atticus Kodiak books but still highly entertaining. Will go back to a Song of Ice and Fire after a few more books--will be on A Feast for Crows.

I am currently rereading the Song of Ice and Fire, as it has been a very long time since I read them. I just finished listening to a set of books by Daniel Suarez, "Daemon" (book1) and "Freedom" (book2). Very interesting books. The book starts out with a wealthy game designer dead by cancer, a week later he kills someone.

Just now finished listening to Fuzzy Nation so I guess I'll listen to Little Fuzzy, too.

Still trying to work through A Dance with Dragons in between...well, work.

I finished listening to Wizard and Glass (Book #4 of the Dark Tower) last night, but the rest of them aren't in Overdrive. I went to spend an Audible credit on book #5 but all the reviews said the reader was bad and not to waste my time. (Tom? Any advice? Was it that bad?).

So instead, I downloaded the mighty-tome of Ulysses, read by John Lee, for a 30 hour listening extravaganza. Considering I only listen on my commute and on extended kitchen projects, and my commute is 3 miles, I might have something to report a year from now. Haha.

I'm also reading The Heart Is a Lonely Hunter and Sea Change, the earliest book of published poems by Adebe D.A., in preparation to write my first "real" review ever, eeeek.

I finished Ghost Story by Jim Butcher and Shadowborn by Alison Sinclair. Ghost Story was excellent the only downside is if some is new to Dresden book they really need to read the other books before reading it.

Shadowborn was good until the end where it seemed the author rushed the conclusion. It felt like the book was 90% done and then there was a rush to end the series instead of having it go one for another book.

I just started reading Dead Iron Age of Steam which seems like a wild west steampunk. I have not read much steampunk before so it should be interesting.

Just finished The Astounding, the Amazing, and the Unknown: A Novel - might be of interest to the group. Fictionalized account of a group of sci-fi authors during WWII - Heinlein, Asimov, Hubbard etc. - and their adventures trying to track down and recreate some of Tesla's tech. Pretty fun.

Working on some non-fiction otherwise, but Just realized that I never read Cory Doctorow's Makers, so I've got that coming up too...

I just finished Soullessthat I found on a list of steampunk novels on wikipedia. Am now reading Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children.

Reading Miéville's The City & The City.

I just finished reading The Psychopath Test: A Journey Through the Madness Industry and I think it's the first time I've ever been happy I failed a test. It was an entertaining read except the parts about the pharmaceutical companies which were kind of depressing.

I picked up Fahrenheit 451, The Dervish House and A Canticle for Leibowitz to read while I'm waiting for The Hero of Ages from the library.

I finished The City & The City, along with another book, People of the Spark, having read and finished the first book, The City of Ember on Wednesday.

I just started reread the third Soldier Son book, Renegade's Magic, hope I finally finish the book this time.

I've just had some travel and a family reunion so I read the last bits of of a few things I'd been saving as general anesthesia for cramped plane seats. These reunions happen every other year and often right after some Potter book or another had come out so there would be a bunch of copies of the same book, folks in all different places, and you could get seriously smacked down for any hint of a spoiler. The GRRM book was represented this year but it lacks the multi-generational appeal.

So completed --

> Un Lun Dun - because of comments here from folks that liked early Mieville more than later
> Diaspora - also as a result of comments here. This would make an interesting hard science pick. It's close to an old school, near-Olaf Stapleton, only as much character as absolutely needed added in, studied exploration of big ideas.
> Consider Phlebas - coz Jenny asked if this was typical of the Culture series and I couldn't really remember much of the book and, no, Jenny, it isn't. It's like he's dipping his toe into some of his ideas about the Culture but doesn't trust it to carry the novel.

In progress:
Storm Front - it will be a while before I get to Ghost Stories.
The Dervish House - I'm liking this but keep getting distracted by things like Storm Front.

Again, thanks all for the interesting discussion and great suggestion.

Al wrote: "> Consider Phlebas - coz Jenny asked if this was typical of the Culture series and I couldn't really remember much of the book and, no, Jenny, it isn't. It's like he's dipping his toe into some of his ideas about the Culture but doesn't trust it to carry the novel.."

Thanks Al... I really need to try the next one, I think.

What did you think of Un Lun Dun?

Jenny: Un Lun Dun?

Liked it. Imaginative in texture, of course, but that's not necessarily what I'm looking for. (Mostly in SF I want mind blowing possible futures.) I thought the shift from 'called by destiny' to 'creating destiny as we go along' was well done both as theme and plot device.

PS, how about if all the folks talking about Gravity's Rainbow add it to our What Else We're Reading - Sept list and start a discussion thread in S&L.

(Since it's now officially SF it appears? Who of thunk it.)

I'm overdue to read it again. We'd have to confront the issue of what in the book could possibly be considered a spoiler in order to figure out how to label threads. Banana breakfast, gotcha!

I started reading Hard Spell which I picked up during the last Amazon Kindle book sale. So far its pretty good and I like the concept.

Nick wrote: Then I'm going to work on American Gods so I'm ready for whenever the series gets off..."

I just started reading that myself, thought I would give it a try after hearing about the HBO series and about Gaiman himself, so far not a bad story, little odd though

Al wrote: "PS, how about if all the folks talking about Gravity's Rainbow add it to our What Else We're Reading - Sept list and start a discussion thread in S&L."

I'd be up for it; I never managed to finish that book. Kind of like Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell. I swear I will get through the book. I figured a week at the beach would do it, but not with three young sons and various cousins around. I did build quite a few sand castles though, and we did The Breakers (which has an excellent children's audio tour).

I really wouldn't classify it as sword and laser material, as much as I enjoyed it, and as much as I'd like to read it with all of you.

I finished Hard Spell which good, not Dresden level but good solid urban fantasy told from a cops perspective.

I started Neuromancer and so far so good. The story feels a little disjointed at times but still interesting. It is one of the "classics of science fiction " that I have had on my to read list for months.

Getting into Ring by Stephen Baxter. Very cosmic. They're planning a 1000 year trip to save humanity's far future. Plus there's this chick that flies in the middle of the sun looking for problems.

By some miracle I managed to catch up to T&V in A Dance with Dragons and finished that this week. I also listened to Fuzzy Nation and Little Fuzzy.

Then I took a break from reading in general but listened to On Borrowed Time, which is a mystery/thriller type book. I treat that style of book as a "beach book" or "candy" book. They're short, straight-forward books that are entertaining (or can be devoured quickly), perfect for summer.

While waiting to see what S&L reads next, I'm giving the audio full cast 10th anniversary recording of American Gods a go. It's longer than I thought it was, but since I never read it when S&L did years ago, and with the HBO series....

Currently reading Shadow Puppets, and listening to Patriot Games. I am enjoying both.

Currently reading Snowdrops, one of the books long listed for the Booker award. Just finished The Book of Lies and The God of Small Things, and still reading (and studying, really) Ulysses.

Reading Turn Coat now, aiming to finish this weekend and get to Changes so I can catch up with all other Dresden fans on the latest one, Ghost Story.

Finished Carrie and am now on Salem's Lot. So far I liked the pace and feel of Carrie more but enjoying Salem's Lot anyway. Listening to The Great Hunt in a long term plan to listen to the whole Wheel of Time series before the final book comes out.

Started reading 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot. In short, it's a self-help book with a difference. Namely that they provides sources, references and studies for every single claim they make. It's interesting how many popular tips they've managed to debunk already by the first chapter.

Hello all,
Just finished A Dance with Dragons, Ghost Story, the Monster hunter Inc. series by Larry Correia and working on the new Thrall: Twilight of the Aspects. Should be done this week. Now to find my next set to read =)

Michael wrote: "Finished Carrie and am now on Salem's Lot. So far I liked the pace and feel of Carrie more but enjoying Salem's Lot anyway. Listening to The Great Hunt in a ..."

Ive listened to them all and while it was a bit odd to have both a male and female narrating.. it was a pretty good job. I enjoyed them.

A Fire Upon the Deep. My first time with Vernor Vinge. I'm enjoying the book and the ideas discussed in it.

I just picked up Embedded. And working on a classic The Alchemist

Just came off of a long 15 hour train trip (each way) and got a lot of reading done.

Pulp Heroes - Khan Dynasty is an excellent novel featuring some of our favorite pulp characters of the past. Long book too.

The Power Within: An iHero Omnibus is a compilation of short stories in an superhero universe. I found these guys at a fiction convention in KY a few weeks ago and I love their stuff. They've got something that is really exciting me about superheroes again.

Santiago: A Myth of the Far Future is one of those books I've always wanted to read (along with everything else Mike Resnick has done) and I've finally gotten around to doing it. As with everything else he's ever written, the book is excellent fantasy. His version of an old-west tale.

And finally, once I got home, I decided I wanted to re-read From Hell. Anyone who has ever said graphic novels aren't literature needs to read this book. It is also the only book I think I've ever read where I find the notes in the back as interesting to read (and in some cases, more interesting) as the book itself.

I just finished reading Brass Man which was good. I started reading Reflex since I enjoyed Jumper (the movie is nothing like the book).

I am about half way through Midshipman's Hope - and I am really enjoying it. Horatio Hornblower in space!

A side project I've been working on is reading all the Doctor Who books in my collection, in order of the show. This is about 264 books. I started this summer and still have not gotten done with Season 1. Keep in mind this is not only the televised stories, but all the books from the two Virgin series and few others. On my Goodreads profile, I have tag for Doctor Who. Granted due to the sheer number, I don't know if I will finish it, but we shall see.

I am reading The Highwayman, try to read it two years ago, maybe I will finally finish the book this time.

So far in August I have finished A Dance with Dragons and Mission of Honor. Currently reading American Gods, The Clone Empire, and Mistborn: The Final Empire.

Just finished Ready Player One which was a fun romp back into the 1980s as seen from people in what I'm calling a WMORG (world multiplayer) in the bleak future where the game is better than RL.

The geek factor is high, but if you saw lots of 1980 teenage movies or played video games, it's a good read.

It has the required elements of story telling, protagonist, high and lower level goals, an antagonist and lots of internal conflict. Not everything is fun and games...

Louis wrote: "Just finished Ready Player One which was a fun romp back into the 1980s as seen from people in what I'm calling a WMORG (world multiplayer) in the bleak future where the game is bett..."
I'm trying to wait to download it (I want to listen to the wil wheaton read version!) until I've finished my current audiobook but I'm tempted, so tempted.