What are you Reading (September 2023)
What are you Reading (September 2023)
Aside from Project Hail Mary which I assume every /c/sciencefiction subscriber is going to read what have you been reading or plan to read?
Here is last months post. What are you Reading? (August 2023)
I'm finally getting into both discworld and culture. I've read a number of other discworld books before, two of the night watch, mort, I think another I don't recall right now. Now I'm reading The Colour or Magic. It's enjoyable but I'm finding I'm going a little slower on it than the others.
I also have the second culture book, Player of Games, ready to go when I finish the discworld book. I really liked how bonkers Consider Phlebas was (felt like a constant stream of chaos for the crew).
The first two Discworld books are VERY different from the rest of the series. There is definitely stuff to enjoy there, but Pratchett had not yet found his voice. I'm in my second read through of the series, and it is interesting to see the concepts mature over time. Granny Weatherwax in Equal Rites is almost a different character than Granny Weatherwax in Maskerade.
I've never read any Pratchett, and I just picked up Small Gods on a friend's recommendation. I'm really enjoying it!
It's one of my favourites and is the one I've reread the most.
I haven't read that one yet. I'll have to check it out soon!
My first was Jingo. Picked it up at Value Village to read the first few sentences and could not put it down. Now I've been through the series several times and will surely start over again soon.
I just finished re-reading the entire Expanse series and fell back on an old friend, Harry Dresden. Going to put that Weir book on my list though. I really enjoyed The Martian so I’d like to explore more of his work.
Highly recommend listening to the Project Hail Mary audiobook rather than reading it. It adds an extra dimension to the story that you miss out on otherwise.
If you like Dresden I would recommend the Alex Verus series by Benedict Jacka.
I have 60 pages left of The Wheel of Time series, and what a ride it's been. Just incredible!
Already looking for a series to fill the massive impending void. Was thinking of maybe Mazalan or Law Trilogy. Any advice or other suggestions, anyone?
Oh man, what a ride indeed. That series really is epic! And just in time for Season 2 of WoT to drop on Amazon!
If you liked that series, and in particular the last 2-3 books, then I'd recommend working your way through Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere, and the Stormlight Archive series in particular. Not classic sci-fi (although I'd argue it still fits on some levels), but an excellent fit after reading Robert Jordan.
Snowcrash: pleasantly surprised by the quality of the world building, which I love.
It’s amazing how many things he’s predicted (or noticed and predicted would become mainstream) over the years.
Bitcoin, metaverse, the importance of cryptography in modern IT, monetized streaming video, …
Seriously though. They fucking called it, unironically, the metaverse. That's a coined ass phrase. Distopian from the beginning. Weird choice on Meta's part haha.
I've been blasting through Broken Earth series by N. K. Jemisin, already on The Stone Sky. So good and captivating. Also reading 'The Yiddish Policeman's Union' by Michael Chabon
I did Project Hail Mary two books back, so I won't revisit that for a while. I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook though; I honestly can't see how it could hold up in text form, it feels like it was made to be an audiobook.
I'm currently on the Bobiverse books (#1) by Dennis E Taylor.
I almost wish I'd never read bobiverse so I could experience it again for the first time.
Started reading Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. I really like the style of writing, so much detail into the main character's mind.
It is also impressive just how relevant the topics are today, for a book written back in 1993 (climate change, wealth disparity, etc.). It's really fascinating (scary?) to see what the author thought the U.S. would look like in 2024 and onwards.
I have this one checked out from the library but haven't started it yet!
The Parable series by her get more word-of-mouth, but the series that really stayed with me was her Xenogenesis series. Like the Parable books, it has the Survival as Hero archetype going on, but in this case it's about a species of aliens who saves the last remnants of humans after they destroy themselves and earth, and follows a woman who is seen a "collaborating" with them.
Semi-related, I loved that that spot on Mars where one of the rovers landed was named after her. I wasn't expecting that. I just wish she hadn't died so prematurely and was alive to see it.
Thanks for the suggestion, I'll add that to my list was well!
- Zoe Punches the Future in the Dick and If This Book Exists, You're in the Wrong Universe by Jason Pargin
- The Murderbot Diaries by Martha Wells
I read the first 4 Murderbot Diaries a long time ago and the other day I learned there are at least 4 more. 🤖☠️
They're great fun.
I was disappointed with Martha Wells' most recent book though. I won't spoil it, but it came down to me never emotionally connecting to the main character, and too much worldbuilding having been done for one book...a lot of build-up that goes nowhere.
I haven't read her non-Murderbot books, so at some point I imagine I'll be curious enough to go back and see if Murderbot was just something that hit a zeitgeist, the right topic at the right time, or if Witch King simply a weaker offering even compared to the pre-Murderbot stuff she's done.
I binged as much Murderbot as I could about two years ago. Super fun reads. Plus I think the loosely connected novella format is interesting and makes them all that much bingier.
I did the same recently and agree 100%. They're just such charming stories. Sometimes I want my hard scifi but others I want a good story that gives me the thrill of not being able to put a book down.
Just finished “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress”. A little long and rambling in places, but enjoyable and full of interesting ideas. Would make a good series/mini series. Has tinges of Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy at times.
There’s a good audiobook version available narrated by Lloyd James/Sean Pratt.
I read this book decades ago when I was a teenager, and it had a huge impact (no pun intended) on me. It’s one of the first novels I can remember that made me sob when it was over. I need to read it again.
This led me to Stranger in a Strange Land which was just wild and gave me a view into relationships that I wasn’t expecting.
I haven’t read The Moon is a harsh Mistress yet, but Stranger in a strange Land is amazing.
I'm pretty far behind the ball, but I'm finally reading revalation space and it rocks!
Just finished Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel.
It's good, but I found it to be unmoving. I can see that whatever is written is well written but it didn't made me feel anything. I didn't find it funny, emotional, surprising, annoying. At no point I was tempted to stop reading it nor I was anxious to continue. For me it's a really solid 7/10. Maybe I'm in the minority on that and maybe it's because it's not the kind of book that I would usually read.
On what's next I have been wanting to read the Three Body Problem but I'm curious about the translation. I've read books in english that were originally written in my native spanish and there's definitely a certain feel to them. It will be the first book originally in Chinese that I read, so I wonder about the translation, and if it would be better to get an English translation or a Spanish translation.
The translator of Three Body Problem Ken Liu is a native Chinese speaker with exceptional English language skills. I don't believe there are any issues with the translation work itself, but there are some oddities of intentionally reworked plots in the English release due to the book "Ball Lightning" not having been released for the English market yet so the references would not have made sense. I find this to be a poor decision, but you can always read Ball Lightning and about what that subplot was intended to be afterward. The Spanish version would likely have the same issue.
Thanks, you give me something to check out with that thing about the changes to the plot.
I found The Sea of Tranquility a bit dry but whimsical nonetheless.
In a genre overburdened by books with two dimensional characters and core dumps of exposition, it was an interesting puzzle but it also isn’t making me want to reread it either. 7.5 or 8.
I recently finished Alastair Reynolds' House of Suns, which I enjoyed. It's actually the first of his books I've read. I'm looking forward to reading more of his books.
Currently I'm reading Neuromancer for the first time.
I would love to read neuromancer again for the first time, excellent book.
In the middle of Absolution Gap. I really enjoyed his one off books (pushing ice, century rain, terminal world and his colaboration with Baxter on Medusa Chronicles) however i finished the "last" book of the Revelation Space series and was very, very underwhelmed.
Right now I'm reading Leviathan Wakes and I cannot put it down. It's such a good book!
At work I'm listening to The Digital Plague and it's pretty darn good. Book 2 of the Avery Cates series which is in the dark, gritty cyberpunk genre with a good amount of dark humor.
Both are really good books!
I am reading Leviathan Falls now. The entire series is great. I haven't wanted to put any of them down.
I'm 75% finished with the book myself!
I'm nearing the second go through of Leviathan Wakes, knowing where the series ends, it's great to revisit it.
Love Leviathan Wakes!
Just finished Leviathan Wakes. At first I looked at the length of the book and thought no way am I going to get through it. But then it caught on and I really enjoyed the ride. Although I did feel a bit tired after I finished it.
Been reading Rendezvous With Rama, incredible so far!
It's so good. I know it's not everyone's cup of tea but I love how the story is told based on observations rather than exposition through dialogues. I don't always need to relate to characters and their lives, sometime I just want to know about the weird gravity or atmosphere and stuff. For the longest time people said it could not be made into a movie, but Denis Villeneuve stepped up to the plate and I cannot wait to see what he does with it.
Just finished reading NK Jemisin's We Became a City and it's sequel and they were so good I immediately started the Fifth Season by her as well. Highly recommended!
Three fifth season is really good! I felt the second book was a little “less”, but it sets up the third book really well.
So many people reading such impressive books and here I am reading Skullduggery Pleasant - a series about a skeleton detective who throws fireballs. It's not high art, but it's fun!
There is a fair bit of quality that can go into making a GOOD purely fun thing, and even when it's pure schlock there's no shame in that. Some times you want a steak, sometimes you want a burger. Both can be good or bad in their own ways, and neither is better than the other.
I am reading Revenger by Alastair Reynolds. Still pretty early, but seems fun.
Looks like a good read to get me in the mood for the Starfield game that is coming out soon.
I’m listening to the expanse series while I work on my basement. I’ve already read the entire series, but it’s so good I’m happy to listen again. On cibola burn now!
I also read Semiosis by sue Burke recently, it was a fun pulpy series (two books total I think)
Have you tried the new Expanse videogame by Telltale? I played the first episode but haven't gotten further into it. Not having read the books, I feel like I'm probably missing out on a lot.
Not yet, but it’s definitely on my list. You should read em!
Aside from Project Hail Mary I am reading a couple other things. One of them for another book club I am in. I am listening to The Employees by Olga Ravn which I swear feels like being subjected to 2 hours of Rorschach tests asking you how some sequence of words makes you feel. I don't think I enjoy it very much as there is no fictional science or details about anything going on. The other is Diaspora by Greg Egan which I am enjoying greatly as it is nothing but technical details. Hopefully I don't end up being in the middle of too many books to actually finish any of them in a timely manner.
Re-reading a bunch of Discworld. Really need to read Project Hail Mary, only heard good things about it
Yup! You should read Project Hail Mary.
Yeah, Project Hail Mary is excellent!
I absolutely loved The Martian, but I had a hard time getting through Hail Mary. It was a great concept, and engaging science fiction, except most of the characters, including the main one, are completely insufferable. No conversation is believable or even interesting. Just juvenile stuff. Almost put it down 3/4 of the way through because I felt like I couldn't take it any longer. I'm glad that I made it through, but it was really tough, and I'm not gonna read it ever again.
Not trying to discourage you from reading it, just hoping to lower your expectations a bit so that you're pleasantly surprised when it's not the trash fire I'm making it out to be. I hope you enjoy it more than I did!
Hyperion is so good, I remember reading (cantos) it with rather high expectations and it consistently exceeded them. Not perfect, but very nice, especially world building.
Exclusively Terry Pratchett. I've been reading (again for the most part) all the discworld books and finaly hit the ones i never read.
I don't even know you but I am stoked for you! I discovered Discworld a few years back as an adult and have been through the series several times since. It's my go-to when I need a diversion and don't have a new book or series that I'm excited for. The series is just amazing.
I really want to read Children of Time, but I am forcing myself to finish reading the Dune series I just bought lol.
Dune is a really interesting story and universe, but I had such a hard time actually reading the books. I can't keep up with the amount of personal introspection it contains. I would have needed like an abridged version that focused more on getting the story moving.
I love the hyper specialization in the Dune universe (especially the face dancers), but there is waaaaay too much whining and navel gazing.
I guess that's what the movie is lol, I'm excited for part 2 coming out this year.
I just finished Scalzi's Interdependency trilogy and absolutely loved it
Love Scalzi but wish he could vary his voice more. I find I have to spread out reading his books as the snark will all blur after a while.
I really need to read the Expanse series! I loved the show, and I've heard the books are significantly better.
If you're gonna check out Gibson's Neuromancer, maybe check out Neal Stephenson's Snow Crash. Both are foundational cyberpunk.
Edit: Also, Project Hail Mary is one of my favorite novels. Can't gush enough about that one. Reminded me a lot of Greg Bear's Eon.
I wouldn't say that the Expanse books are "significantly better" than the show - they're both fantastic, and both have bits where they're better than the others (for example, the books have more characters and storylines, plus the arc of the last three books, while the show is amazingly well adapted and in many ways is a second revision of the overall story).
I'm still holding out hope for seasons 7-9 happening at some point in ~5 years. Assuming it's adapted at the same level as the prior seasons, seeing the final trilogy on screen will be epic!
I just picked up reading again recently, so I have compiled a huge list of books to read. I watched the expanse, so probably want to get through my list before I think about reading the book series. Maybe the others seasons will be renewed by then.
I enjoyed Neuromancer much better than Snowcrash, I have to say. I’m particularly blown away by how much it still holds up! It could have been written yesterday. While I felt Snowcrash aged more, mostly for the style.
Children of time, every time
Finally getting around to reading Neuromancer. While I find some of the dialogue a little confusing I’m really enjoying its themes and the plot has me hooked. I can see why this book was so influential; it’s a little uncanny how many things Gibson predicted in this work.
Currently reading The Last Colony by John Scalzi.
I'm just copy pasting from above because I liked this book and am trying to bait a conversation lol. It was a fun one.
I just finished! I liked it a lot to, although I give it a solid B. Humor was great, there were some really nifty concepts, I just don’t think it was a slam dunk. I think the author will do some really great stuff in the future though. It’s a perfect vacation read: Plot is pretty linear for the most part, it’s not terribly long, and it keeps a solid pace.
I’m going to compare it to a not so great book, but because of the elements about that book I liked: “NeXt” by Chriton. I’m in the biochemistry field, and “NeXt” is really interesting as a capture of where the public (and a lot of professionals) thought the field was going. The human genome project was well underway, everything seemed possible. “Lumpsucker” shoots into the future a bit (“Next” is 100% contemporary), but really captures a ton over the last 5 years that simmers in public consciousness the way Next did. It’s not like the topics both discuss don’t get plenty of headlines, but they both do a cool job capturing a general “vibe” around the topics as opposed to just facts. I found it really cathartic to read, actually.
So all in all, to anyone else, I’d give it a strong recommend. It wont go down as an all time classic but the author put together something beyond competent, and really added some spice here and there capturing something special.
I'm halfway through and despite the story evolving quite slowly I really enjoy reading it.
Ready Player Two. About a quarter through it and so far I have little hope it'll get any better than it's reputation, even though I'm a massive VR nerd.
How's ready player one? I'm curious, but I wonder if it's a good book or not.
Ready Player One is a very good beach book, and especially so if you're a child of the 80s. Fun read, nothing groundbreaking, tons and tons of trivia and nostalgia.
It's bad, but in a kinda fun way? I've read it once, and then I listened to the audio book version read by Will Wheaton. I can recommend the audio book as a kinda dumb, fun thing to listen to while doing house work.
I dunno. Guilty pleasure, I guess?
Ready player one is fun, but kinda trope filled. Ready player two was a DNF for me.
The second book was rough. I really had to make myself finish it.
I've been cleasing my palate after 3 clarkes and 6 the expanse (plus shorts). Just finished Um Defeito de Cor, by Ana M. Golçalves, a semi-mult generation saga about a slave in Brazil. Very, very good, but I don't know if it has any translation. This has 1k pages, so I'm reading Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke, just to read something thin. It's... good. Strange.
I have Flash Foward, Expanse #7-9, Culture #1 and Red Mars on the queue =)
Midnight Tides. I definitely finished it once, but it's all hazy.
I will finish the Malazan series this time, and I super hope Tehol/Bugg stick around.
I enjoyed Malazan Book of the Fallen so much, but at a certain point I gave up on trying to figure out which confusing plot elements were due to me forgetting an earlier reference and which were intended to be a mystery and tried to enjoy the story for what was in front of me. Re-reading the series cleared up a lot of my questions but not all of them by any means. It's an enormous story! I think I might hit this series up again after the book I'm reading now.
I'm going through Reaper's Gale. MT is up there in quality for me!
It's a shame the malazan sub didn't move to lemmy, it's the only sub I really miss from there.
Getting rid of Twitter and Reddit has been productive. I read the Expanse (and the novella collection) as well as Project Hail Mary, and the first book of the Three Body Problem.
Nice, hopefully Lemmy doesn't take too much of your time. At least you will only get exactly what you search for.
I went to pick up neuromancer, but someone kidnapped me and put a bomb in my head, and now I have to rob a bank
I started Wool because I was digging the show Silo, but honestly found it pretty flat. The characters and story telling are super dry, and the show does a much better job of it imo, which is rare.
project Hail Mary was fantastic. I just finished "The Postman" by David Brin and "Dark Angel" by John Sandford. I really enjoyed "Powersat" and its sequals by David Brin too.
Edit: i also recently read "Radicalized" by Cory Doctorow because it contained the novella "unauthorized Bread"
I just finished Radicalized too! Just started Walkaway by the same author, might be enjoying it even more. Doctorow and Kim Stanley Robinson are probably my favorite authors this year, I can't stop reading them.
I'm finishing The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson then moving on to Incandescence by Greg Egan.
I just read neuromancer again. As you can tell from my handle, I love the book
Just bought this book, it's next on my list.
It is a product of its time, so keep that in context.
The audio book is hysterical. The voices just crack me up.
I’m curious what you’ll think of The Mountain In The Sea
I tried dungeon crawler carl because I saw it recommended so much. This has been the most fun series I've read in a long time. I'm up to book 6 which just came out. I'm listening to the audiobooks and the narrator is excellent. I originally thought there had to be multiple narrators, but nope. The premise sounds silly, and it is, but the execution is excellent and is great fun.
Same here! Just started the 4th audio book. The narrator and production quality is outstanding.
In terms of sci-fi, I've got The War of the Worlds on list.
Cyberpunk! I read Let Slip the Beasts by Suzanne Berget yesterday. I recommend it. Not too long either.
Today I'm gonna find another cyberpunk book to read. Maybe Nexus by Ramez Naam that someone else recommended me.
Currently reading Nemesis Games, part of The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey
Just finished that one. I'm loving this series so much.
Just finished "The Gone World" by Tom Sweterlitsch.
A mix of SciFi, detective and coslic horror. Pretty good, I really liked the ending.
Hyperion is so good, I'm rereading it right now. Second time through the series.
Gateway by Frederick pohl. Always.
Such a classic!
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson, will probably pick up Ghost from the Grand Banks by Clarke soon.
I'm reading Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin on recommendation by a colleague, Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett in my second run through of the Discworld series, and Death Troopers by Joe Schreiber, since I never got around to that one when I was DEEP into Star Wars books.
Back when I had free time I was reading through the Dune series, currently about halfway into God Emporer of Dune.
Just finished Lightbringer by Pierce Brown. Red Rising series is a must!
Currently reading Codex Alera 5 and loving every minute of it
I'm about to start Leviathan Falls (final novel in The Expanse). Every bit of it has been phenomenal, and I can't imagine the last book will be any different.
I'm 75% finished with the book myself!
Right now I’m reading the entire Dark Space series. All 6 books in collection available on Amazon kindle. I don’t recall if they have physical copies for purchase or not, but it is an attention grabbing series with a great storyline. This is not hardcore sci-if with a bunch of science and mathematics probablilities
Strange Highways by Dean Koontz, not exactly typical sci-fi but there are stories in the collection about time travel, aliens that take over human hosts like Body Snatchers, and genetically engineered super-intelligent rats that want to kill humanity. Koontz began his early career as a sci-fi writer and didn't find much success, until he steered into the horror genre later. It shines through fairly often in some of his stories, when the aliens or science experiment monsters show up.
I'm working my way through "Way of Kings" right now. I haven't had much time for reading lately, so it's going slow, but the book is fantastic.
Way of Kings was amazing, but Words of Radiance is even better. I wish I had more free time because I'd love to read these all again.
Love the Stormlight Archive! The audiobooks are great and a new one is coming later next year.
The Mistborn series is also fantastic. The first trilogy is fantasy, but the Wax and Wayne series shows developing tech throughout, giving the books a fantasy steampunk feel.
I also just listened to Alcatraz vs the Evil Librarians and it was silly fun, looking forward to the rest if the series.
Love me some Brandon Sanderson!
Just picked up "version zero" by David Yoon
I just finished Quantum Radio by A.G. Riddle. Now working on Wool.
The wool omnibus? If so those were really good
I didn't realize it's a collection of short stories, but yeah, on Casting Off right now.
I haven't read much science fiction these past few weeks...I mainly am doing a re-read of Night Watch by Sergi Lukyanenko, which is an urban fantasy set in Russia.
When the Ukraine war started, I was vastly disappointed that the author of this series supports Russia against Ukraine, so I didn't do a re-read for several years due to that.
But recently, I'm curious about his viewpoint of the world--so on the reread I've been looking closer, and I'm starting to understand his stances were there in his work all along, even accounting for the translation from Russian into English.
His series is about Light Others vs. Dark Others, and how they've come together to make a truce, and there's a lot of rather cynical acceptance of corruption and good deeds doing harm so it's better sometimes to do nothing which stands out to me now that I'm older and can digest the themes of the book better.
Craft-wise, he's a very good author, there are things that come through that go beyond language (the way characters talk to one another, the way scenes and plots are set up) so as a writer myself I'm taking note of the tricks I might snatch and use myself. But I've been very thoughtful about culture and ethics and morals and how everyone likes to think they're on the right side of things.
Just finished House of leaves, great book but really uncomventional
I've got that sitting on my shelf! Have been only able to do audiobooks for a few weeks and know that's one you want to read read. Glad to see another endorsement.
Highly recommend, I think audio books get a bit of grief, but it's a really convenient way to engage with text you may not have before.
House of Leaves has several concurrent narratives tracking through it and it's a novel that benefits from a physical edition because you can tease the threads in the order you like.
Reading Venemous Lumpsucker because it was in the news recently as winning an award. It's very funny, a satire on Corporate Business and climate change. It actually reminds me of when I read Stark by Ben Elton as a young teen in many ways - it's more inventive but there's a similar vibe (the world is helpless in the hands of corporate greed because corporate people just don't know what else to do).
2/3 of the way through and it's definitely easy to read and funny
I just finished! I liked it a lot to, although I give it a solid B. Humor was great, there were some really nifty concepts, I just don't think it was a slam dunk. I think the author will do some really great stuff in the future though. It's a perfect vacation read: Plot is pretty linear for the most part, it's not terribly long, and it keeps a solid pace.
I'm going to compare it to a not so great book, but because of the elements about that book I liked: "NeXt" by Chriton. I'm in the biochemistry field, and "NeXt" is really interesting as a capture of where the public (and a lot of professionals) thought the field was going. The human genome project was well underway, everything seemed possible. "Lumpsucker" shoots into the future a bit ("Next" is 100% contemporary), but really captures a ton over the last 5 years that simmers in public consciousness the way Next did. It's not like the topics both discuss don't get plenty of headlines, but they both do a cool job capturing a general "vibe" around the topics as opposed to just facts. I found it really cathartic to read, actually.
So all in all, to anyone else, I'd give it a strong recommend. It wont go down as an all time classic but the author put together something beyond competent, and really added some spice here and there capturing something special.
Children of Time. I heard about it from Quinn's reviews and have been wanting to read it ever since.
I was a huge SF fan when i was younger, but gradually the habit to read books disappeared from my radar. But i decided to pick it up again and bought two books to start with: I am almost halfway through the Three body problem from Cixin Liu, but frankly; so far, i don't get the appeal. The way the author writes is quite cold or distancing - if that is a word - and i find it hard to feel for any of the characters. So, i also just started reading Children of time, from Adrian Tchaikovski.
Yeah I couldn't get through the three body problem.
Bobiverse audiobooks are the gold standard for contemporary sci-fi IMO.
Just started Bob Legion. LOVE it so far. If you like bob and haven't done Project Hail Marry there's some common DNA. Also the audiobook voice actor is the same.
I just finished The Dark Forest and I've got to say: I was not enjoying myself until halfway through. TBP was a slog and the first half of TDF was more of the same. But the second half of TDF? It was alllll worth it for me. I couldn't put it down and I'm super excited to start book three.
Ymmv but I've got no regrets sticking with it.
Working through ‘Ten Low’ by Stark Holburn now. My partner is through the sequel already and recommended.
I just finished the Three Body Problem trilogy, which I loved. Now I'm trying to figure out what I want to read next.
Been listening to The Wise Man's Fear (Kingkiller Chronicles bk 2) by Patrick Rothfuss, and reading The Colour of Magic (Discworld) by Sir Terry Pratchett.
I picked up The Colour of Magic after getting burnt out on the horror elements in last book of the Dark Forest series. I wanted something bright and colorful and fun. I looooooved it! I'm on book 15 now. If you're into audio books, the ones that are coming out now on Audible are incredible. Normally I hate when there is more than one narrator because it sounds like a bunch of people talking over walkie talkies, but with less chemistry. This isn't like that at all. It genuinely adds to the story (though it might take away from some of the puns, not seeing the written words).
I am currently reading A House With Good Bones by T. Kingfisher. I love her other work so I am excited to read this and the first few chapters read easily for me which is nice.
On a more SciFi note I just finished Artifact Space by Miles Cameron and it was decent. The protagonist is kinda annoying with the "I'm an idiot" thing but is pretty much good at everything they do. The author also goes into a lot of details on stuff that doesn't feel important to the story so it kinda felt like a slog to get through some of the earlier parts.
Slogging through Norman Spinrad's Bug Jack Barron
Usually I love Spinrad, but this is just so dated: The idea that a TV talk show host with a massive audience is holding the rich and powerful accountable, as opposed to pandering to them...
I just finished up The Ballad of Songsbirds and Snakes. Back when I read The Hunger Games trilogy, I flew through it and really loved it. This was a nice successor/prequel. Collins really knows how to keep a story moving and she did a nice job laying groundwork for decisions made at the end. Maybe a little too obvious, but consistent anyway.
This weekend, I'm hoping to get through a Jack Reacher book I started on Kindle one night when I couldn't sleep. And then it's on to Caliban's War as I continue The Expanse saga.
I'm working my way through Glynn Stewart's "Duchy of Terra' series, and Edgar Rice Burroughs "John Carter of Mars".
Both are a little bit on the light and adventure-y side, which is my speed right now.
Next up is revisiting Nathan Lowell's "Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper", which is kind of my happy place.
Working my way through Return of the Crimson Guard by Ian Esselmont. Going to take a break from Malazan after this and dig into shorter stuff I've been meaning to get to.
The black fleet trilogy. Normally "space opera" isn't my preferred genre but these books are pretty great.
I'm about half way through Quantum Radio by AG Riddle. It's pretty good so far. Alternate history / multiverse with good characters and action. Makes me think somewhat of Man in the High Castle meets Sliders.
I'm re-reading the First Law series, actually listening to Steven Pacey read it to me. I recently finished Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse. I want to read A Memory Called Empire next.
@CuriousLibrarian @Izzy Love A Memory Called Empire.
The Fifth Head of Cerebus and Nightside of the Long Sun. Gotta get that Wolfe out.
I've been trying to get through A Memory Called Empire for like 2 years now. I keep hearing how good it is l, but I'm maybe halfway through and I feel like the story has been slow going, and the poetry thing is weird too. It is very well written though. Maybe someone has something encouraging to say about it
I listened to And Then She Vanished by Nick Jones and found it entertaining enough to start the second book in the series right after. It's not really scifi, I mean, time travel could easily be tagged fantasy as well. I don't know if I'll finish the series though. It's missing something that I can't quite put my finger on. Somewhat shallow and the secondary characters are paper thin. Fine reading to pass the time (or spend 12 hours on a train...) but nothing I'll be thinking about once I'm done. I've been struggling to get through the first few chapters of Perdido Street Station for a while, I may give it another go this weekend.
Yesterday, finished Stephen Markley's The Deluge, a great read and a tremendous effort - highly recommend it.
The Deluge is a speculative fiction novel that focuses on the sociopolitical, economic, and ecological development of a series of catastrophic personal and global events stretching from the late 2010s with the narrative concluding around the late 2030s.
It's a longer novel, around 800 pages, if you prefer something more compact Markley's previous novel Ohio is terrific as well.
Brin's Uplift War series.
Everything by Martha Wells. I'm into fantasy more than sci-fi, but Murderbot Diaries got me started. Loved Witch King, and I'm now reading through the Ile-Rien series. I'd say her more recent work is her best but I'm enjoying the older stuff a lot.
I’ve been on a reread of the eragon series, which I haven’t read since they came out. So like 20ish years from book one
Book 5 is coming out in a few months.
Loved these books when I was younger. Still very much love it.
August I read American Prometheus, Pageboy, and the Ministry for the Future. All were worth reading for one reason or another. Ministry was particularly relevant with ongoing climate change.
I started Someone Else's Shoes which is good so far. After that I have added some ideas from this thread to my queue. I kinda just pick something that sounds interesting and give it a shot, with only a few books each year that are actually planned.
I am currently on Book 11 of the Expeditionary Force Series by Craig Alanson. I have really enjoyed it. It's a fun space adventure series. Light reading, interesting characters, very funny at times. Sometimes suspenseful but and very few bad things happen to the good guys. I don't know about the rest of you, but I already have too many bad/sad/dramatic things from my real life. This series is a great scifi escape!
100%.
I finished all of them and they are great entertainment.
Some SciFi is deep, thought provoking, and requires reflection.
And some is just fun to read. This is definitely the later, but it does a great job of it.
The Bobiverse books are of similar content, although the base premises is a bit more thought provoking.
I'm halfway through Gaiman's American Gods and then I'm going to complete my journey though The Culture with The Hydrogen Sonata.
Last month I picked up a grab bag at a used bookstore store in my old home town. I plan to grab one at random until I get through them all. So I don't know what I'm reading this month but I know it's something from this bag.
I've finished "Dance if the Hag" and "Pennterra" so far. Just started "northern stars" today.
I'm on the third book in the Wayfarer Series by Becky Chambers. It's excellent 👌
We Hear Voices by Evie Green- Sucks the book came out in 2020 at the heart of covid but so far it is a damn fine story interesting to see how it goes.
Now starting Oryx and Crake.