[Fist Gamet]

Tell you what, SM, they want to put your comments on the blurb on the back of the book. You sold me. Next purchase, The Quantum Thief.

[Fist Gamet]

Should mention that I am a short way into the second half of Shadow and Betrayal by Abraham. He seems to have eased off a bit on the 'poses', which, admittedly, became less annoying in time. Sticking with it for now because I do love the concept of the poets and andat. Not really anywhere near enough action of tension for my liking and I can't imagine we are going to encounted any significant large scale battles or fights but we shall see how it goes.

[Morgoth]

My long standing habit of forum-stalking SM have led to the purchase of Infinite Jest. We'll see how it goes.

[Bauchelain the Evil]

Finished Good Omens by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett. An amusing and thoroughly enjoyable book.

[Abyss]

STORMY DAYS AND KNIGHTS anthology, which includes a brilliant glorious brilliant Marcone story by Jim Butcher for those on the dresdencrack, and is otherwise about what you're expect from an urban fantasy antho, which is to say a lot of crap with a few semi-gems...

I may check out 'Ilona Andrews' other books. 'Her' (she being a pen name for a wife/husband writing team) short story was good.

Rachel Caine's 'Even a Rabbit Will Bite' was a near perfect example of how to tell a one-and-done urban fantasy story.

I have nothing good to say about any of the other short stories in the book.

[Salt-Man Z]

Started Night of Knives for the second time, following along with the Tor.com reread. Hopefully I'll like it better this time through. I'm almost guaranteed to, I think. The Prologue is fantastic, and I couldn't help but flip to the end and read the final page again; I've always found the last few paragraphs to be incredibly moving.

[stone monkey]

Well, I've finished The Quantum Thief now. My verdict? Awesome, although not quite as awesome as I thought it might turn out to be when I was half way through it, but that's usually the case with me; to be fair, books rarely turn out to be The Book I Wanted Them To Be and I usually only realise that they're The Book I Wanted Them To Be some time after I've finished them and thought about it for a bit. But still pretty awesome in its own unique way.

The writing reminds me a little of Dan Simmons' Hyperion; Rajaniemi is nowhere near as flashy a stylistic technician as Simmons, but the approach he takes in throwing all sorts of unfamiliar, and unexplained, terms and concepts at the reader and letting them coalesce into a meaningful whole within their minds is very similar. It also looks like my subconscious is a fair bit smarter than my conscious

Spoiler

as, in the end, that offhand remark about prisons turned out to be far more apposite, and much less allegorical, than I thought it would be at the time I wrote it. "Oubliette" was such an obvious clue, on reflection

I guess my subconscious really pays attention to these things...

The end of the book leaves the setting open for more stories to be told; we still have no idea about the debt Mieli owes (although we do know what she's prepared to do to pay it off) or how Jean Le Flambeur ended up in the Dilemma Prison or what the Sobornost are up to (their Great Common Task, sounds very ominous). And I'm more than eager to see more of this rich and strange post-Singularity setting. I'd definitely recommend it heartily but, as I said, I don't think it's for everyone.

@ Morgoth - Should I looking at getting some sort of forum restraining order? That said, iirc you told me at the BBQ that you loved House of Leaves, so I think you'll love Infinite Jest even more.

This post has been edited by stone monkey: 12 October 2010 - 08:09 PM

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 12 October 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

DARK DAYS AND STORMY KNIGHTS anthology, which includes a brilliant glorious brilliant Marcone story by Jim Butcher for those on the dresdencrack, and is otherwise about what you're expect from an urban fantasy antho, which is to say a lot of crap with a few semi-gems...

I may check out 'Ilona Andrews' other books. 'Her' (she being a pen name for a wife/husband writing team) short story was good.

I saw the Ilona Andrews books in the store and gave the cover a pass for looking too much like crappy urban fantasy. Perhaps I'll look into their stuff now...

[Use Of Weapons]

Finished Surface Detail last night -- wow, that last line is a killer, isn't it? Makes me want to read all those scenes again!

Now into Elantris which I picked up while in London (along with Transition by Banks). Lots of info-dumping at the beginning, but it's easing into the story now and there are some good set-ups. I think I may have been spoiled by jumping into Sanderson after he matured (the first of his I read was Warbreaker).

[Jade-Green Pig-Hog Swine-Beast]

jitsukerr, on 13 October 2010 - 10:42 AM, said:

Finished Surface Detail last night -- wow, that last line is a killer, isn't it? Makes me want to read all those scenes again!

Rating? Perhaps compared to the other books?

[QuickTidal]

jitsukerr, on 13 October 2010 - 10:42 AM, said:

Finished Surface Detail last night -- wow, that last line is a killer, isn't it? Makes me want to read all those scenes again!

Now into Elantris which I picked up while in London (along with Transition by Banks). Lots of info-dumping at the beginning, but it's easing into the story now and there are some good set-ups. I think I may have been spoiled by jumping into Sanderson after he matured (the first of his I read was Warbreaker).

ELANTRIS sneaks up on you. It builds slowly, but get's really good! By the end you will love it.

[Use Of Weapons]

Green Pig, on 13 October 2010 - 10:44 AM, said:

jitsukerr, on 13 October 2010 - 10:42 AM, said:

Finished Surface Detail last night -- wow, that last line is a killer, isn't it? Makes me want to read all those scenes again!

Rating? Perhaps compared to the other books?

Comfortably mid-table, not up to the heights of Excession or Use of Weapons, but (IMO at least) superior to Inversions, Look to Windward, and even (though it's been some time since I read it) Consider Phlebas. Much better than Matter and The Algebraist. On a par with Against A Dark Background, though lacking the humour of the latter.

[Jade-Green Pig-Hog Swine-Beast]

jitsukerr, on 13 October 2010 - 11:23 AM, said:

Green Pig, on 13 October 2010 - 10:44 AM, said:

jitsukerr, on 13 October 2010 - 10:42 AM, said:

Finished Surface Detail last night -- wow, that last line is a killer, isn't it? Makes me want to read all those scenes again!

Rating? Perhaps compared to the other books?

Comfortably mid-table, not up to the heights of Excession or Use of Weapons, but (IMO at least) superior to Inversions, Look to Windward, and even (though it's been some time since I read it) Consider Phlebas. Much better than Matter and The Algebraist. On a par with Against A Dark Background, though lacking the humour of the latter.

Thanks! It's sitting right next to me but I don't know when I'll have a chance to read it - I've got a ton of other stuff to get through first as I've planned my reading schedule right up until about February (finish TtH, then DoD, Towers of Midnight, Stonewielder and TCG) and unfortunately, as a stand alone book, I haven't managed to fit Surface Detail into that schedule yet.

EDIT: You should read Consider Phlebas again - I feel it's up there with Excession and Use of Weapons (which I should read again because that's an awesome one, as is Player of Games actually).

This post has been edited by Green Pig: 13 October 2010 - 11:34 AM

[MTS]

I'm up to White Night in the Dresden Files, but somehow skipped reading Blood Rites. No idea how that happened. Rectifying the situation immediately. As much as I'm enjoying The Passage, I needz my Dresdencrack, I do.

[spiral]

The passage wasn't bad but it could have been better. I enjoyed it over all and think the next part will be constructed a little better. Currently reading Under the Dome, never read much Stephen King but am enjoying this one.

[T77]

Just finished City of Golden Shadow by Tad Williams and I really enjoyed it. This was the first book I've read of his and I think he's a very talented writer. Next up The Dragonbone Chair, I want to try a different series of his before continuing with Otherland..

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 12 October 2010 - 10:31 PM, said:

Abyss, on 12 October 2010 - 05:40 PM, said:

...I may check out 'Ilona Andrews' other books. 'Her' (she being a pen name for a wife/husband writing team) short story was good.

I saw the Ilona Andrews books in the store and gave the cover a pass for looking too much like crappy urban fantasy. Perhaps I'll look into their stuff now...

Warning: she/he has two series running, one of which seems to be vampire/werewolf pr0n and i know nothing about, the other, which the short was part of, is set in a 'post shift world', where magic waves knock out technology at random. Neat setting, decently written action and fun characters... tho i looked at their website and was a bit put off. May library one or watch for a second hand book.


Now reading Chaykin and Mignola's Fafhrd And The Gray Mouser GN and it is SOOOOOO good. Leiber's stories have never been so pretty to look at and Mignola totally nails the visual of Lanhkmar and the characters.

[Mentalist]

I finally finished "Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell" last night. probbaly the longest it ever took me to read a book--about 4 months (I started in late June). Sily work.

this book took a while to get going, and I do mean a while. once i've made my way through about a quarter things picked. up. there wren't really all that many plot twists, and a lot of the stuff in the end could be predicted sometime befroe it was written. it was still a fun read.

next, whenever I habve scraps of time, i'll be reading "Canticle" by Ken Scholes.

[Ulrik]

Nadir we

Youth born

Blood letters

Axe wielders

Victors still 




Aaah, those Gemmell rereads are simply great!

[Abyss]

Heh... i'm slowly building to a serious Gemmel Drenai book chronological reread.

Meanwhile, back to the RCG re-read i interrupted a while ago...