[polishgenius]

Graablick, on 02 July 2014 - 06:34 PM, said:

Has anyone read The barrow by Mark Smylie? Came across it on amazon

I quite after about 100 pages, I think. The plot seemed interesting enough at the base, but the writing of it was nowhere near strong enough to overcome the distinctly skeevy lopsidedness to the sexuality presented in the book.

I believe QT also gave it a try and didn't finish, though he got further than me.

[Ukjent]

Thanks, I'll just give it a wide pass. Poorly written sex isn't the reasons i buy books.

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 02 July 2014 - 09:17 PM, said:

Graablick, on 02 July 2014 - 06:34 PM, said:

Has anyone read The barrow by Mark Smylie? Came across it on amazon

I quite after about 100 pages, I think. The plot seemed interesting enough at the base, but the writing of it was nowhere near strong enough to overcome the distinctly skeevy lopsidedness to the sexuality presented in the book.

I believe QT also gave it a try and didn't finish, though he got further than me.

Yeah, I gave it the old college try, but many things are wrong with it.

[QuickTidal]

Baco Xtath, on 02 July 2014 - 08:35 PM, said:

1/3 through Tower Lord. Real good so far. This series could turn out to be a top fiver.

Agreed. This could easily sneak up on Sanderson or his ilk in my TOPs list and unseat them. TOWER LORD is serving to UP the things I enjoyed most from BLOOD SONG, and then add a whole bunch more interesting things to the mix as well.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 03 July 2014 - 12:27 AM

[firvulag]

Grimjust Bearegular, on 01 July 2014 - 08:31 AM, said:

Just finished The Blade Itself and wow, here's an author who's even worse at writing female characters than Tolkien was. Good job! Didn't care at all for the main characters, they're two-dimensional and whiney, thought the prose was choppy and unrefined, didn't get excited until 400 pages in and then it sort of just dabbled off. Not gonna pick up the second book anytime soon.


Also just finished Leviathan Wakes, which was EPIC. I <3 Miller. Can't wait for the TV-show. Some of the twists and turns were a bit predictable, and the moral issues and themes were way too obvious, but other than that it was an excellent read. Gonna buy book two immediately!

See, I felt the exact opposite. I loved the Blade Itself series, especially the introduction of the Bloodynine. I seem to be in the minority in not being impressed with Leviathan Wakes series at all, the only character I really liked was the Martian marine. Everything else just felt meh to me.

Last night I finally finished The Broken Empire series, another set of books I was very disappointed with. Today I'm going to start Starfarers by Poul Anderson.

This post has been edited by firvulag: 03 July 2014 - 06:38 AM

[Grimjust Bearegular]

QuickTidal, on 03 July 2014 - 12:27 AM, said:

Baco Xtath, on 02 July 2014 - 08:35 PM, said:

1/3 through Tower Lord. Real good so far. This series could turn out to be a top fiver.

Agreed. This could easily sneak up on Sanderson or his ilk in my TOPs list and unseat them. TOWER LORD is serving to UP the things I enjoyed most from BLOOD SONG, and then add a whole bunch more interesting things to the mix as well.

I'll add that to my list after I've read Weeks. Need to read it for work, anyway


Firvulag: Haha, well there you go. My collegues love Abercrombie, and I'm just like Why?

[D'iversify]

Finished Consider Phlebas. Overall an enjoyable romp, though perhaps a bit overlong (a bit of padding on Vavatch).

[amphibian]

D, on 03 July 2014 - 11:07 AM, said:

Finished Consider Phlebas. Overall an enjoyable romp, though perhaps a bit overlong (a bit of padding on Vavatch).

Iain Banks is a world treasure. I hope you enjoy the rest of his books.

His most controversial and famous (The Wasp Factory) is actually kind of skippable. I'm interspersing his non-Culture books every so often in my To Read Pile.

I'm working on three book right now: the Maharbharata - which is actually kind of creepy and hilarious in an even more over the top way than Greek myths, Eleanor Catton's The Luminaries, a re-read of Worm, which has been mentioned several times in this thread and other places.

I'm 3/4s of the way through the Maharbharata, although the English copy I have leaves out the Bhavagad Gita, so I'll have to loop back after I'm done with the main saga to get that in. I'm about 10% into The Luminaries and 15% of the way through Worm.

[Tiste Simeon]

amphibian, on 03 July 2014 - 02:12 PM, said:

D, on 03 July 2014 - 11:07 AM, said:

Finished Consider Phlebas. Overall an enjoyable romp, though perhaps a bit overlong (a bit of padding on Vavatch).

Iain Banks is a world treasure. I hope you enjoy the rest of his books.

His most controversial and famous (The Wasp Factory) is actually kind of skippable. I'm interspersing his non-Culture books every so often in my To Read Pile.

I've not read much of his non-culture stuff. I read the Wasp Factory a number of years back. I remember being a bit shocked at the time but possibly wouldn't be nowadays. Against a Dark Background is brilliant, as is Transitions (though they are both non-Culture Sci-Fi so I was going to enjoy them anyway.) Transitions, if done well, could be a freaking ace film.
Aside from that I have read "Raw Spirit" his guide to Scotland and Whisky, which was pretty good fun, and I read The Quarry which was bleak and quite nasty in a way that was possibly enhanced by the fact that it is about a guy dying and it was released not long after he died... Am happy to try some of his other stuff though as he is definitely one of my favourite authors.

[Ukjent]

Done with The black company and over to Shadows Linger, I'm a bit sorry that I only know one person that have read about the Black Company, they are after all fantastic.

[polishgenius]

To reply to the earlier Abercrombie discussion that I missed.

QuickTidal, on 02 July 2014 - 05:12 PM, said:

Except Monza is a reprehensible human being so bent on revenge that she can't see straight. It's THE LIMEY in fantasy-book form and she's Terrence Stamp. She doesn't constitute a hero so much as a very-very anti-hero who's exceedingly hard to cheer for.

None of that makes her a bad character, though. In fact I'd suggest it makes her rather a good one. I had a lot of problems with Best Served Cold, but Monza wasn't one of them.


@ Grimjust: in fairness to Abercrombie, he gets much better at writing female characters as he goes along (whether one agrees on Monza or not). He's been known to join in discussions criticising him on this sort of subject (on the aSoIaF boards) with a 'yeah, I got this wrong' stance, and he's definitely a writer growing into his craft during First Law.

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 03 July 2014 - 05:00 PM, said:

To reply to the earlier Abercrombie discussion that I missed.

QuickTidal, on 02 July 2014 - 05:12 PM, said:

Except Monza is a reprehensible human being so bent on revenge that she can't see straight. It's THE LIMEY in fantasy-book form and she's Terrence Stamp. She doesn't constitute a hero so much as a very-very anti-hero who's exceedingly hard to cheer for.

None of that makes her a bad character, though. In fact I'd suggest it makes her rather a good one. I had a lot of problems with Best Served Cold, but Monza wasn't one of them.

This is true, but I think Grim was talking about his inability to write female characters (which is fairly true depending on the book) and I think Monza's anti-hero-ness goes against the grain of seeking that. A revenge-bent character already has a point of existing and a drive to seek out goals. There is no room in there for growth within that person beyond that drive for hatred of enemies. We don't get to see her build to anything as an individual. Monza who begins the story is the same Monza who ends it, neither of whom is memorable beyond "I'm coldly angry...REVEEEEENGE!"

In that vein, I'd like to see a female Abercrombie character who has some growth internally. My two cents.

[polishgenius]

QuickTidal, on 03 July 2014 - 06:02 PM, said:

There is no room in there for growth within that person beyond that drive for hatred of enemies.

Well there is- the fact that Monza doesn't really do so says something about her as a character in itself. I don't really know what her being an anti-hero has much to do with her being a female character, to be honest.

Also, I think any lack of real growth is more to do with Abercrombie's general cynicism than anything to do with his ability to write women.

Spoiler

Personal development is not a growth industry in Adua, especially in the first four books. Almost anyone who shows any ends up having it pissed on by the end.

Quote

In that vein, I'd like to see a female Abercrombie character who has some growth internally. My two cents.

I reckon Shy from Red Country and Finree from The Heroes both qualify without question. Finree in particular I loved as a character. I do agree that his writing of women isn't the strongest in the trilogy, but I'm really impressed with the way he improved that in the standalones.

[D'iversify]

amphibian, on 03 July 2014 - 02:12 PM, said:

D, on 03 July 2014 - 11:07 AM, said:

Finished Consider Phlebas. Overall an enjoyable romp, though perhaps a bit overlong (a bit of padding on Vavatch).

Iain Banks is a world treasure. I hope you enjoy the rest of his books.

His most controversial and famous (The Wasp Factory) is actually kind of skippable. I'm interspersing his non-Culture books every so often in my To Read Pile.

Yeah, Wasp Factory was the only book of his I'd read previously. Thought it very good actually. Have The Bridge at home and plan to read more of the Culture stuff (was also intrigued by Transitions and recall reading a very funny extract from Against a Dark Background). As I said, very much enjoyed Consider Phlebas but thought it paled a bit in comparison to the last couple of science fiction books I'd read (admittedly, that was Hyperion and Book of the New Sun, so heavy competition).

[QuickTidal]

polishgenius, on 03 July 2014 - 06:37 PM, said:

Well there is- the fact that Monza doesn't really do so says something about her as a character in itself. I don't really know what her being an anti-hero has much to do with her being a female character, to be honest.

Anti-hero coupled with revenge is kind of "easy". She doesn't have to be a strong woman...because revenge does that for her without the need for anything internal. Kind of like she "fridges" herself (to use the comic analogy)...if that makes sense? Just how I saw her. Though she isn't killed as a catalyst for events, she's screwed over to the point where it catalyses her actions.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 03 July 2014 - 11:23 PM

[Abyss]

I Am Brian Blessed Not Brent Weeks, on 02 July 2014 - 05:23 PM, said:

Abyss, on 01 July 2014 - 09:45 PM, said:

THE RHESUS CHART by Stross.
CASE NIGHTMARE GREEN MUTHAFUCKAHHHSSSSS...

It's out?

TO THE BOOKSTORE!

Kindle dl. Dunno about dead tree. Strong start. Very psyched.

polishgenius, on 03 July 2014 - 05:00 PM, said:

To reply to the earlier Abercrombie discussion that I missed.

QuickTidal, on 02 July 2014 - 05:12 PM, said:

Except Monza is a reprehensible human being so bent on revenge that she can't see straight. It's THE LIMEY in fantasy-book form and she's Terrence Stamp. She doesn't constitute a hero so much as a very-very anti-hero who's exceedingly hard to cheer for.

None of that makes her a bad character, though. In fact I'd suggest it makes her rather a good one. I had a lot of problems with Best Served Cold, but Monza wasn't one of them.


@ Grimjust: in fairness to Abercrombie, he gets much better at writing female characters as he goes along (whether one agrees on Monza or not). He's been known to join in discussions criticising him on this sort of subject (on the aSoIaF boards) with a 'yeah, I got this wrong' stance, and he's definitely a writer growing into his craft during First Law.

I enjoyed Monza, and her narrow minded focus on revenge was part of the reason for that. No life lessons here, she's all about making the people who hurt her pay hard.

polishgenius, on 03 July 2014 - 06:37 PM, said:

...
I reckon Shy from Red Country and Finree from The Heroes both qualify without question. Finree in particular I loved as a character. I do agree that his writing of women isn't the strongest in the trilogy, but I'm really impressed with the way he improved that in the standalones.

Seconded on all points.

[Andorion]

Anybody here read history? Reading Peter Wilson's Europe's Tragedy: A history of the Thirty Years War.

BTW does anybody know anything about an author named Hannu Rajanaemi?

[amphibian]

Hannu Rajaniemi is absolutely recommended if you like cyberpunk/sci fi.

If you're at all familiar with computers, the internet, cryptography and so on, he blends that into a con man action movie fairly well. The second book is where he really gets creative and spices up the writing.

As for history, yes, I read quite a bit of it. However, I've taken a bit of a breather for a while because I was getting depressed reading about how awful people are and still are towards each other in the modern world. I tend to stay away from European history since it's not where I live and in general, the histories of the colonized countries in Asia, Africa and the Americas also tend to bleed over much more and show a much darker/tragic perspective than the histories of Europe bleed into the colonies.

[Pig Iron]

amphibian, on 04 July 2014 - 04:54 AM, said:

Hannu Rajaniemi is absolutely recommended if you like cyberpunk/sci fi.

If you're at all familiar with computers, the internet, cryptography and so on, he blends that into a con man action movie fairly well. The second book is where he really gets creative and spices up the writing.

As for history, yes, I read quite a bit of it. However, I've taken a bit of a breather for a while because I was getting depressed reading about how awful people are and still are towards each other in the modern world. I tend to stay away from European history since it's not where I live and in general, the histories of the colonized countries in Asia, Africa and the Americas also tend to bleed over much more and show a much darker/tragic perspective than the histories of Europe bleed into the colonies.

"The Causal Angel" (Quantum Thief 3) is out on July 17. Seems to be the final part. Good summer.

[D'iversify]

Andorion, on 04 July 2014 - 04:28 AM, said:

Anybody here read history? Reading Peter Wilson's Europe's Tragedy: A history of the Thirty Years War.

I read quite a bit of history of science as part of my academic interests (recently finished Leviathan and the Air-Pump by Shapin and Schaffer). Also have an interest in colonial/post-colonial history and classical/medieval history. Would really recommend Montaillou (minihistory of one of the last Cathar villages in 14th century Pyreneean France) if you've not come across it already.