[Abyss]

firvulag, on 21 April 2014 - 07:27 PM, said:

Uh, I hated the ending of Faith by John Love. Set up was cool, bunch of psychos get trained to use Earth's most advanced warship to take on an alien threat. But I just couldn't get over the fact that the captain was a convicted rapist and the 2nd officer was a multiple murderer. At least Thomas Covenant felt guilt over what he did!...

The ending was certainly a love it or hate it thing. Worked for me.As for the characters, if you think they felt no regret, I think you may have missed some of the byplay, specifically between the two you mentioned.

Serenity, on 22 April 2014 - 01:31 PM, said:

...
Today I've made a start on R M Meluch's War Birds.

Would like to know what you think of that. I enjoyed her MERRIMACK series, would be curious re her earlier stuff.

Puck, on 22 April 2014 - 05:50 PM, said:

Finished Heroes Die yesterday. Count me as sold on Stover and Caine in particular.

Now, what next?...

Next? Next you read fucking BLADE OF TYSHALLE, which you're going to love and hate and want to throw into a fire while you can't put it down.
As for moi, settled on Tidhar's THE GREAT GAME, but got distracted by BPRD, HELLBOY and HAWKEYE.

[D'iversify]

3-4 chapters left of Ursula le Guin's The Dispossessed. Very good stuff, should try and get my hands on The Left Hand of Darkness.

[Serenity]

Abyss, on 23 April 2014 - 04:13 AM, said:

Serenity, on 22 April 2014 - 01:31 PM, said:

...
Today I've made a start on R M Meluch's War Birds.

Would like to know what you think of that. I enjoyed her MERRIMACK series, would be curious re her earlier stuff.

I thought it was decidedly iffy at the start but after about 50 pages it shifted gears and I've been enjoying it since then. Should finish it today or tomorrow, so will let you know.

[QuickTidal]

Serenity, on 23 April 2014 - 08:52 AM, said:

Abyss, on 23 April 2014 - 04:13 AM, said:

Serenity, on 22 April 2014 - 01:31 PM, said:

...
Today I've made a start on R M Meluch's War Birds.

Would like to know what you think of that. I enjoyed her MERRIMACK series, would be curious re her earlier stuff.

I thought it was decidedly iffy at the start but after about 50 pages it shifted gears and I've been enjoying it since then. Should finish it today or tomorrow, so will let you know.

When I initally read the above post my brain saw..."I thought it was decidedly fly at the start..."

And I thought we'd delved into the 90's acccidentally.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 23 April 2014 - 10:50 AM

[Serenity]

QuickTidal, on 23 April 2014 - 10:50 AM, said:

Serenity, on 23 April 2014 - 08:52 AM, said:

Abyss, on 23 April 2014 - 04:13 AM, said:

Serenity, on 22 April 2014 - 01:31 PM, said:

...
Today I've made a start on R M Meluch's War Birds.

Would like to know what you think of that. I enjoyed her MERRIMACK series, would be curious re her earlier stuff.

I thought it was decidedly iffy at the start but after about 50 pages it shifted gears and I've been enjoying it since then. Should finish it today or tomorrow, so will let you know.

When I initally read the above post my brain saw..."I thought it was decidedly fly at the start..."

And I thought we'd delved into the 90's acccidentally.

I'd say that was entirely possible, if it weren't for the fact that I'm stuck in the 70s.

[worry]

Every attack on the adjective "fly" is an attack on my character, QT. Check yourself before you wreck yourself.

[Tiste Simeon]

Come on people, stay groovy...

[Stalker]

Just read 5 of 6 of Nathan Lowell's Solar Clipper novels and am on the last one now. It's not the kind of sci-fi I usually go for in that there is no violence, interstellar war, or aliens but it's very well written and engaging. It's basically about one guy working up the ranks of a freight company and trading among the stars while presenting a realistic view of life aboard the ship. Surprisingly good and I'm impressed. The author has to have some kind of naval background. Apparently this started as a podcast and is available free online too.


After that, I've got Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London or Chris Wooding's Retribution Falls. Not sure which yet, depends on what I'm feeling I guess.

[QuickTidal]

Finished re-read of NoK (enjoyed!), and decided to say fuck-it and plow right into a RotCG re-read.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 24 April 2014 - 10:36 AM

[Aptorian]

Stalker, on 24 April 2014 - 03:10 AM, said:

After that, I've got Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London or Chris Wooding's Retribution Falls. Not sure which yet, depends on what I'm feeling I guess.

Rivers of London is great.

Retribution Falls is shit.

The choice is simple.

[Imperial Historian]

If anything I'd say the opposite. Of the two series aronovitch maintains or falls slightly in quality as it goes on, but Chris wooding gets better and better.

[Aptorian]

Have you read the 4th Rivers of London book? The third was bad but the 4th was awesome. Dat ending.

[Imperial Historian]

I haven't read book 4, I wasn't a big fan of book 2, but book 3 dropped aronovitch way down my reading list. May check out 4 if the consensus is it improves a lot?

[Abyss]

Apt Hoc, on 24 April 2014 - 02:24 PM, said:

Have you read the 4th Rivers of London book? The third was bad but the 4th was awesome. Dat ending.

Imperial Historian, on 24 April 2014 - 03:15 PM, said:

I haven't read book 4, I wasn't a big fan of book 2, but book 3 dropped aronovitch way down my reading list. May check out 4 if the consensus is it improves a lot?

I agree with Apt....



( )



...4 totally redeemed the series for me after 3's disappointment.

[Serenity]

Serenity, on 23 April 2014 - 08:52 AM, said:

Abyss, on 23 April 2014 - 04:13 AM, said:

Serenity, on 22 April 2014 - 01:31 PM, said:

...
Today I've made a start on R M Meluch's War Birds.

Would like to know what you think of that. I enjoyed her MERRIMACK series, would be curious re her earlier stuff.

I thought it was decidedly iffy at the start but after about 50 pages it shifted gears and I've been enjoying it since then. Should finish it today or tomorrow, so will let you know.

Finished War Birds. I thought it was a reasonably solid effort after the dodgy beginning. Some decent worldbuilding and a fantastic narrative style that reminded me a little (a little) of Glen Cook. Perhaps a few too many conveniences in the plot towards the end. Overall, I enjoyed it.

[polishgenius]

So, having said I would, I read the second book in Gary Gibson's Shoal trilogy, Nova War. Fans of big, bombastic space opera are highly recommended to give this a try. While things rattle off a bit too quickly, meaning there's not as much weight as there should be to both events in general and certain character moments (it reads rather like Peter F Hamilton on fast-forward), the world-building has imagination and verve, the action is action-y, and it has the big, big bonus point of one character in particular that I absolutely loved reading about.

Currently reading Lagoon, the latest by Nnedi Okorafor. I'm only a little way into it, but having read her first full novel, Who Fears Death - a remarkable though sometimes difficult piece of work which has only grown on me in the about-a-year since I read it- and greatly enjoying this one so far, I have no trouble saying that this author is likely going to go very high in my favourites list.

[Morgoth]

Salt-Man Z, on 21 April 2014 - 03:26 PM, said:

Graablick, on 19 April 2014 - 10:30 PM, said:

If the Gap series is as mentally exhaustingas the stories about Covernat I'll better read them in the summer.

More, actually. Still one of the best sci-fi series I've ever read, though.

I genuinely hated the two first books of the Gap series. So you are objectively wrong, Salty.

[Stormcat]

Starting Neverwhere by Gaiman and the audio book Happy Hour in Hell by Tad Williams.

[Salt-Man Z]

Morgoth, on 25 April 2014 - 08:23 AM, said:

Salt-Man Z, on 21 April 2014 - 03:26 PM, said:

Graablick, on 19 April 2014 - 10:30 PM, said:

If the Gap series is as mentally exhaustingas the stories about Covernat I'll better read them in the summer.

More, actually. Still one of the best sci-fi series I've ever read, though.

I genuinely hated the two first books of the Gap series. So you are objectively wrong, Salty.

Oh? It's not more exhausting than Covenant? Or is it not one of the best sci-fi series that I've read? Please enlighten me as to which of those statements is "objectively wrong". (And then we can poll the forums, and I'll bet I win.)

(But I don't rank either of the first two books highly, either. The series--all five books--as a whole, though? Love it.)

[Baco Xtath]

Salt-Man Z, on 25 April 2014 - 01:10 PM, said:

Morgoth, on 25 April 2014 - 08:23 AM, said:

Salt-Man Z, on 21 April 2014 - 03:26 PM, said:

Graablick, on 19 April 2014 - 10:30 PM, said:

If the Gap series is as mentally exhaustingas the stories about Covernat I'll better read them in the summer.

More, actually. Still one of the best sci-fi series I've ever read, though.

I genuinely hated the two first books of the Gap series. So you are objectively wrong, Salty.

Oh? It's not more exhausting than Covenant? Or is it not one of the best sci-fi series that I've read? Please enlighten me as to which of those statements is "objectively wrong". (And then we can poll the forums, and I'll bet I win.)

(But I don't rank either of the first two books highly, either. The series--all five books--as a whole, though? Love it.)

I listened to all five Gap books a year ago. It is truly mentally exhausting. Also, having read almost all the heavy hitters in sci-fi, I rank it near the very top. Talk about putting the opera in space opera; the emotional smack down these deliver is near unmatched by anything else I've read.

Finishing the Prefect and about 3 hrs into Saturn's Children. Both excellent. Next up, Ancillary Justice. The narrator doesn't sound very promising but I'll give it a shot anyway.