[Macros]

Finished up Prey if the Gods last night

Interesting, for me it was far stronger in the early and mid, I felt almost let down by the convergence of events at the end. Still a solid book

[Abyss]

Just Finished the latest Murderbot Diary: FUGITIVE TELEMETRY.

It's great, possibly the bestest yet. Wells is really hitting a new level w this series. Tight, fast read. Characters so on point it's beautiful, Murderbot's POV at once more scathing and more human/confused than ever..
As usual, low action but such a treat when it hits. And Murderbot investigating a murder is just fun.

If you've started this series and like it, there is more goodness for you here. If you have not started this series the fuck is wrong with you?

Tor just announced Wells has contracted for three more Murderbots and iirc a fantasy trilo. YAY!



...on to Golgotha 4 GHOST DANCE JUDGMENT.

[Abyss]

Macros, on 05 May 2021 - 08:17 AM, said:

Finished up Prey if the Gods last night

Interesting, for me it was far stronger in the early and mid, I felt almost let down by the convergence of events at the end. Still a solid book

I could almost agree with you re the end except that if she had gone for the more obvious ending...

Spoiler

the good guys all team up and beat the bad guy, as opposed to what we got, most of the cast taken out or staying away, a few key characters left to throw down and suffer for it

...i think i would have felt let down by how trite that would have been given everything that led there.

But glad you tried it and liked.

[polishgenius]

I think I was the first person here to read Murderbot and then never read any more.


Not sure why.



Wells is the goods though. I'm mad that her 'fall of Illie-Ren' trilogy isn't available in epub form since the first two, more standalone, books in that broader series are superb. I'm glad to see her get her flowers with the success of Murderbot coz she was chronically underdiscussed before.

[Imperial Historian]

polishgenius, on 06 May 2021 - 06:23 AM, said:

I think I was the first person here to read Murderbot and then never read any more.


Not sure why.



Wells is the goods though. I'm mad that her 'fall of Illie-Ren' trilogy isn't available in epub form since the first two, more standalone, books in that broader series are superb. I'm glad to see her get her flowers with the success of Murderbot coz she was chronically underdiscussed before.

I also read murderbot, enjoyed it but never felt like picking up the rest of the series.

[Maark Abbott]

More Greg Licanius moments:

Arcane David. ARCANE DAVID. Can't unsee it now can I.

[Aptorian]

Abyss, on 06 May 2021 - 06:04 AM, said:

Just Finished the latest Murderbot Diary: FUGITIVE TELEMETRY.

It's great, possibly the bestest yet. Wells is really hitting a new level w this series. Tight, fast read. Characters so on point it's beautiful, Murderbot's POV at once more scathing and more human/confused than ever..
As usual, low action but such a treat when it hits. And Murderbot investigating a murder is just fun.

If you've started this series and like it, there is more goodness for you here. If you have not started this series the fuck is wrong with you?

Tor just announced Wells has contracted for three more Murderbots and iirc a fantasy trilo. YAY!

I disagree that it's the best yet. Like I've mentioned with the other books I don't think there's a lot of progress or depth to the stories about Murderbot past the initial setup. After the first few stories, the series settles into a formula of Murderbot discovers a probem, Murderbot solves problem and time goes on.

The stories feel episodic and there's little variation on the theme. It's like MacGyver. Only instead of MacGyver getting out of situation with a stick of gum and a paperclip, Murderbot kicks all the ass and then goes back to watching space soap opera.

The stories are good but I don't think they're particularly ambitious. What makes the books good are Murderbot and people interacting with it, not the actual plot or narrative.

[Abyss]

Aptorian, on 06 May 2021 - 08:07 AM, said:

I disagree that it's the best yet.

Interesting because generally the only people who think that are communists who are cold and dead inside.

Quote

Like I've mentioned with the other books I don't think there's a lot of progress or depth to the stories about Murderbot past the initial setup. After the first few stories, the series settles into a formula of Murderbot discovers a probem, Murderbot solves problem and time goes on.

I would agree with that for some of the books but definitely not all.

Murderbot made a few important changes this book...

Spoiler

separated from Dr Mensa; took an an actual job, played nicely with others to get it done, and agreed that it would do it again; made a mistake, acknowledged it to humans

Quote

The stories feel episodic and there's little variation on the theme. It's like MacGyver. Only instead of MacGyver getting out of situation with a stick of gum and a paperclip, Murderbot kicks all the ass and then goes back to watching space soap opera.

Disagree. A couple of them are like that, but here

Spoiler

it specifically did NOT fuck off to watch media and went to a concert with 'friends' instead, and not just to protect Dr Mensa.

Also, Murderbot's paperclips are way cooler.

Quote

The stories are good but I don't think they're particularly ambitious.


What makes the books good are Murderbot and people interacting with it, not the actual plot or narrative.

I'd argue that Murderbot's evolution, becoming, not more human, but more a thing that is capable of interacting with humans, is a huge part of the books and is not static.
Ambitious... fair enough, it's fairly light sf, but short novels that do feel complete but don't feel rushed are an art. Yes that was a play on words.

(also i would argue you should go back ta Russia)

[Aptorian]

I'm guessing this is from back when we had a no or less swearing ruleset in some parts of the the forum. The Elder Mods were cruel but very polite.

[JPK]

I've now started Ack-Ack Macaque. Damn you Abyss.

[Maark Abbott]

Arcane David is here and he be ballin'

[EmperorMagus]

Read a Long Way to a Small Angry Planet. I liked the slice of life aspect but the overall story/world did not impress me and I feel little desire to go back and read the rest of the series.

Also tried to read the Ninefox Gambit and while the world building is mildly interesting, I can't say I'm that engaged with the story or concerned with the characters about 50% in so I don't think I will continue reading.

Now looking for something else to read to fill my time until I have to be an adult and start actually working

[worry]

Finally finished The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Interesting premise, but something about it didn't click with me. Congrats to those for whom it did!

[Tiste Simeon]

worry, on 08 May 2021 - 03:59 AM, said:

Finally finished The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue. Interesting premise, but something about it didn't click with me. Congrats to those for whom it did!

It's ok to be wrong...

Any idea what, more specifically, didn't click?

[worry]

Hard to pinpoint why it didn't work for me big picture, and I wouldn't wanna nitpick the little things in something you and others already expressed such enthusiasm for. I can say it made me think about its premise even when I wasn't reading it, but at the same time I was rarely strongly invested in these specific characters going through it, for whatever reason. Just a different strokes thing on this one, I think. Maybe next time!

[Maark Abbott]

Finished Licc Anus 1.

Remember the scene in Pulp Fiction where Marcellus is crossing the road and sees Butch? Yeah, that. Very much that.

Next is Ian Irvine.

[Abyss]

worry, on 08 May 2021 - 06:43 AM, said:

Hard to pinpoint why i am so wrong on the inside and out that it didn't work for me big wrong picture, and I wouldn't wanna wrongpick the little things in something you and others already expressed such enthusiasm for and i am wrong and afraid in my wrongousity. I can wrongsay it made me think wrongly about its premise even when I wasn't reading it, which was wrong, but at the same wrong time I was rarely strongly invested in these specific characters going through it, for whatever wrong reason of wrongness. Just a different wrongstrokes in the big bowl of wrongsauce thing on this one, I wrongthink. Maybe next time i will be less wrong than the seething mass of wrongness that currently occupies what little space in my head is not filled with wrong!

Your opinion, you're totally entitled to it.

[worry]

If being wrong is wrong, I don't wanna be right.

[amphibian]

I read a bunch of VE Schwab books and more and more I found that she's a mood/style writer. If I dig or you dig the mood, the somewhat flat characters and the story holes get overlooked (which is true for most writers). If not, it falls apart pretty fast.

Obviously it's working on a macro scale, due to her continued success. But I just couldn't continue on with the book after This Savage Song. The concepts felt undercooked and the incredibly contrived drama with Mark Lawrence just killed the authorial good will I had.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Maark Abbott, on 10 May 2021 - 11:47 AM, said:

Finished Licc Anus 1.

Remember the scene in Pulp Fiction where Marcellus is crossing the road and sees Butch? Yeah, that. Very much that.

Next is Ian Irvine.

1 was enjoyable but I liked 2 and 3 much better---definitely more interesting. Reminded me of an MIT philosophy/math mooc:

Spoiler

https://www.edx.org/...ox-and-infinity

As someone mentioned before it becomes a very different series....

Finished book 2 of Chronicles of the Unhewn Throne. Had lower expectations for this one and (partly as a consequence) enjoyed it more. Plot makes it a bit of a page turner (or whatever the audiobook equivalent is), though characters who are supposed to be smart and savvy conveniently fail to notice certain obvious things. And a few plot points could have had more justification or build up. World building is more extensive than in book 1. I like that it's a polytheistic world. Also, more high fantasy in this one. First book had almost no humor, this has a little bit. Writing is occasionally poetic, but only rarely. Decent character development. Set up for book 3 is interesting.