[Abyss]

 Mentalist, on 11 March 2016 - 01:00 PM, said:

...Oscillating b/w reading some non-fiction book, or giving Adrian Tchaikovsky's new musketpunk (is that a word? It is now!) book a try.

MUSKETPUNK!!!!!!!

[Andorion]

 Abyss, on 11 March 2016 - 03:17 PM, said:

 Mentalist, on 11 March 2016 - 01:00 PM, said:

...Oscillating b/w reading some non-fiction book, or giving Adrian Tchaikovsky's new musketpunk (is that a word? It is now!) book a try.

MUSKETPUNK!!!!!!!

I believe the "correct" term is flintlock fantasy

[Abyss]

"You know a roadtrip has gone to shit when the skinless undead mummy cat has more confirmed kills than anyone else."

Thurman's Cal n Nik Leandros series is REALLY growing on me.

[QuickTidal]

 Abyss, on 11 March 2016 - 05:46 PM, said:

"You know a roadtrip has gone to shit when the skinless undead mummy cat has more confirmed kills than anyone else."

Thurman's Cal n Nik Leandros series is REALLY growing on me.

Cripes Abyss, I don't need ANOTHER UrbFant series to get involved with...but lines like that make me tempted.

[Mentalist]

 Andorion, on 11 March 2016 - 05:04 PM, said:

 Abyss, on 11 March 2016 - 03:17 PM, said:

 Mentalist, on 11 March 2016 - 01:00 PM, said:

...Oscillating b/w reading some non-fiction book, or giving Adrian Tchaikovsky's new musketpunk (is that a word? It is now!) book a try.

MUSKETPUNK!!!!!!!

I believe the "correct" term is flintlock fantasy

Too elaborate. Every Era must have a -punk shorthand.
Everything that tries to emulate the French Revolution, and/or massive battles of soldiers armed with muskets shall henceforth be known as musketpunk.

[QuickTidal]

Pet Peeve of mine actually: The -punk ending is and SHOULD ONLY be used for Cyberpunk. None of the other terms that have been created fit with the words' actual etymology.

Cyberpunk was a genre that fitted the high tech of the future (hacking, megacorps ect.) with the dystopian bleakness and dirtyness of the streets (sociopolitical change, caste systems). Cyber=high tech punk=dystopia

So under that description even Steampunk doesn't fit because there is no -punk to that genre. A more apt descriptor would be Victorian Steam Tech...

It's just become a catchall addendum to words these days for people too lazy to actual describe a new sub-genre. It drives me batty.

EDIT: As my wife would sing "Every party needs a pooper and that's why you invited me "the party pooper""

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 11 March 2016 - 06:52 PM

[Salt-Man Z]

 Mentalist, on 11 March 2016 - 06:33 PM, said:

Everything that tries to emulate the French Revolution, and/or massive battles of soldiers armed with muskets shall henceforth be known as musketpunk.

I like the ridiculousness of "powderpunk".

[Abyss]

 QuickTidal, on 11 March 2016 - 06:45 PM, said:

Pet Peeve of mine actually: The -punk ending is and SHOULD ONLY be used for Cyberpunk. None of the other terms that have been created fit with the words' actual etymology.

Cyberpunk was a genre that fitted the high tech of the future (hacking, megacorps ect.) with the dystopian bleakness and dirtyness of the streets (sociopolitical change, caste systems). Cyber=high tech punk=dystopia

So under that description even Steampunk doesn't fit because there is no -punk to that genre. A more apt descriptor would be Victorian Steam Tech...

It's just become a catchall addendum to words these days for people too lazy to actual describe a new sub-genre. It drives me batty.

EDIT: As my wife would sing "Every party needs a pooper and that's why you invited me "the party pooper""

POOPERPUNK!!!!!!!

[Abyss]

 QuickTidal, on 11 March 2016 - 06:04 PM, said:

 Abyss, on 11 March 2016 - 05:46 PM, said:

"You know a roadtrip has gone to shit when the skinless undead mummy cat has more confirmed kills than anyone else."

Thurman's Cal n Nik Leandros series is REALLY growing on me.

Cripes Abyss, I don't need ANOTHER UrbFant series to get involved with...but lines like that make me tempted.

I know, I know, but I'm binging the series in earbook and that line had me laughing out loud to myself in a public area... too good not to share.

The first book has some fairly problematic problems, but most of them are gone by bk 2, by bk 3 its actually gone from `decent` to `fun` and by bk 5 dammit I`m really enjoying this.

It`s popcorn urbfant, and can't touch Dresden or some of the other faves, but the characters were what carried me through some of the more irritating bits of bk 1 and they genuinely grow on the reader.

Thurman is also good at skipping a lot of the usual urbfant tropes... she has a bunch of fairly original `races` and some at least not frequently used ones, her werewolves and vamps are not nearly as annoying as most writers', and generally her supernatural is based more in freaky shit we don't understand as opposed to actual magic.

By the time the homicidal skinless undead mummy cat enters the story, its pretty hard not to enjoy it.

The narrator is pretty good too.

I can't deny it has a few flaws, most of which trace back to some of the storytelling problems with the first book, but overall it`s fun.

[Macros]

 QuickTidal, on 11 March 2016 - 06:45 PM, said:

Pet Peeve of mine actually: The -punk ending is and SHOULD ONLY be used for Cyberpunk. None of the other terms that have been created fit with the words' actual etymology.

Cyberpunk was a genre that fitted the high tech of the future (hacking, megacorps ect.) with the dystopian bleakness and dirtyness of the streets (sociopolitical change, caste systems). Cyber=high tech punk=dystopia

So under that description even Steampunk doesn't fit because there is no -punk to that genre. A more apt descriptor would be Victorian Steam Tech...

It's just become a catchall addendum to words these days for people too lazy to actual describe a new sub-genre. It drives me batty.

EDIT: As my wife would sing "Every party needs a pooper and that's why you invited me "the party pooper""

I have a similar peeve with the media adding "gate" onto words for every petty little scandal that comes along, disregarding the fact that Watergate wasn't a scandal about water, or someone called water. Watergate was the full name of the bloody office complex that was broken into.

Grah.

I also dislike names like Grimdark and other crap. Its like the over genrefication of metal and other stuff.

Get off my lawn

[Maark Abbott]

 Macros, on 11 March 2016 - 07:54 PM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 11 March 2016 - 06:45 PM, said:

Pet Peeve of mine actually: The -punk ending is and SHOULD ONLY be used for Cyberpunk. None of the other terms that have been created fit with the words' actual etymology.

Cyberpunk was a genre that fitted the high tech of the future (hacking, megacorps ect.) with the dystopian bleakness and dirtyness of the streets (sociopolitical change, caste systems). Cyber=high tech punk=dystopia

So under that description even Steampunk doesn't fit because there is no -punk to that genre. A more apt descriptor would be Victorian Steam Tech...

It's just become a catchall addendum to words these days for people too lazy to actual describe a new sub-genre. It drives me batty.

EDIT: As my wife would sing "Every party needs a pooper and that's why you invited me "the party pooper""

I have a similar peeve with the media adding "gate" onto words for every petty little scandal that comes along, disregarding the fact that Watergate wasn't a scandal about water, or someone called water. Watergate was the full name of the bloody office complex that was broken into.

Grah.

I also dislike names like Grimdark and other crap. Its like the over genrefication of metal and other stuff.

Get off my lawn

You're just not kvlt enough for true blackened folk troll satanic keyboardcore.

[Puck]

 Abyss, on 11 March 2016 - 07:53 PM, said:

 QuickTidal, on 11 March 2016 - 06:04 PM, said:

 Abyss, on 11 March 2016 - 05:46 PM, said:

"You know a roadtrip has gone to shit when the skinless undead mummy cat has more confirmed kills than anyone else."

Thurman's Cal n Nik Leandros series is REALLY growing on me.

Cripes Abyss, I don't need ANOTHER UrbFant series to get involved with...but lines like that make me tempted.

I know, I know, but I'm binging the series in earbook and that line had me laughing out loud to myself in a public area... too good not to share.

The first book has some fairly problematic problems, but most of them are gone by bk 2, by bk 3 its actually gone from `decent` to `fun` and by bk 5 dammit I`m really enjoying this.

It`s popcorn urbfant, and can't touch Dresden or some of the other faves, but the characters were what carried me through some of the more irritating bits of bk 1 and they genuinely grow on the reader.

Thurman is also good at skipping a lot of the usual urbfant tropes... she has a bunch of fairly original `races` and some at least not frequently used ones, her werewolves and vamps are not nearly as annoying as most writers', and generally her supernatural is based more in freaky shit we don't understand as opposed to actual magic.

By the time the homicidal skinless undead mummy cat enters the story, its pretty hard not to enjoy it.

The narrator is pretty good too.

I can't deny it has a few flaws, most of which trace back to some of the storytelling problems with the first book, but overall it`s fun.

Agree with Abyss. I've been talking about this series here for quite a while now, because it's really just pure popcorny fun, the kind you just have to take and run with, and hope the humor is up your alley. It runs mostly on the freaky over-the-top stuff, humor and good characters. Nothing too deep, though personally I like how the character development is handled. It does have it's flaws, the question is whether one finds them acceptable enough. It grows on you or it doesn't.

That aside: undead mummy cat. That's all.

Incidentally, I'm currently reading Downfall, book nine, I think. Thurman really should dial back the repetition of what's happened before, but otherwise.. I love the newest PoV addition

[Mentalist]

found myself at a loss what to pick as my in-between book until it's time to re-read FoD prior to FoL.

My choices were "Guns of the Dawn, Tchaikovsky's new musketpunk standalone or Ken Liu's "Grace of Kings", which has received mixed reception here.

I tried 2 chapters of each (roughly 30-40 pgs)

Tchaikovsky starts with a noble woman drafted as soldier, slogging through a swamp, killing her first enemy, and then seeing a friend die. Then a flashback about how it all started (hearing about the war, recruitments, etc). There's mention of combat magic, but nothing awesome is shown.

Basically, first impression is "a character driven, emotional story"

"Grace of Kings" has a map, a list of dramatis personae and gods, and an assassin on a kite trying to firebomb the Emperor and then escaping from airships. Then there's a perspective shift to a boy whose heroic family was killed but he survived, and he's marked from birth to have gods' attention and do great things. Oh, and at 14 years old he's already 7 feet tall.

At this time, I've read two emotionally wrenching books back to back (The last in the Hussite trilo, and then "10 years later". And I got the darkness of FoD coming up next. I'm ready for an overly-serious world, lighter cliche plotting interlude.

Gonna stick with "Grace of Kings". It wins the first impression test.

This post has been edited by Mentalist: 13 March 2016 - 06:20 AM

[amphibian]

Grace of Kings is an unusual book. It's written kinda like the Iliad with really flat characters and not a whole lot of subtle political stuff, but it works for what it is. The back and forth and the sprawling of the war is fun to read, plus the love stories.

I ended up thinking I probably won't read more Liu, but understanding why it's got great reviews.

I still don't understand why GGK gets good reviews for his Chinese alt history works when better stuff like this is available.

This post has been edited by amphibian: 13 March 2016 - 04:16 AM

[Andorion]

Finished The Goblin Emperor. Fun light read.

Thinking of picking up SM Stirling - Peshawar lancers, or Raj Whitehall. Not really sure though

Or maybe Alastair Reynolds now that his Poseidon series is finally done

[Abyss]

Having finished DANCERS LAMENT and not at all tempted to resume REPUBLIC OF THEIVES, I was craving something different... so maybe just a bit influenced by the fun road trip story I'm earbooking in Thurman's ROADKILL, over at io9 I spotted a link to this...
http://torforgeblog....=22270-n9595941
...read the blurb and e-bought it on the spot.Belcher has been on my radar for a while based on neat concepts and good recos here, but hadn't gotten around to pulling him out of the TRPFH... The blurb for BROTHERHOOD OF THE WHEEL tho... Urban fantasy based on truckers and others who try to protect the highways... That seemed to fit what. Was looking for.
Also, why read one of the hundreds of books in the TRP when I can just buy something shiny and new, amirite?
It seems to be a collection of short stories. Just powered thru the first one... It started good, held my attention, and ended creepy. Belcher does a really nice job of setting up the wider world of some sick shit going on on America's highways and a modern group of sort of Crusaders trying to protect travellers there. The hints are pretty brilliant actually. I'm in, this should be a fun read.

[Macros]

About 20% into assail.
No real feelings on it yet

[Baco Xtath]

 Abyss, on 14 March 2016 - 03:41 AM, said:

Having finished DANCERS LAMENT and not at all tempted to resume REPUBLIC OF THEIVES, I was craving something different... so maybe just a bit influenced by the fun road trip story I'm earbooking in Thurman's ROADKILL, over at io9 I spotted a link to this...
http://torforgeblog....=22270-n9595941
...read the blurb and e-bought it on the spot.Belcher has been on my radar for a while based on neat concepts and good recos here, but hadn't gotten around to pulling him out of the TRPFH... The blurb for BROTHERHOOD OF THE WHEEL tho... Urban fantasy based on truckers and others who try to protect the highways... That seemed to fit what. Was looking for.
Also, why read one of the hundreds of books in the TRP when I can just buy something shiny and new, amirite?
It seems to be a collection of short stories. Just powered thru the first one... It started good, held my attention, and ended creepy. Belcher does a really nice job of setting up the wider world of some sick shit going on on America's highways and a modern group of sort of Crusaders trying to protect travellers there. The hints are pretty brilliant actually. I'm in, this should be a fun read.

Listened to Brotherhood of the Wheel over the weekend. Fuck'n awesome book. It's not a collection of shorts, though. There were 4 maybe 5 POVs. I didn't care for the narrator though. One of the characters is described as having a southern/Irish accent and the reader completely fucked it up - not sure how it would sound myself, really. But his reading of it was just either/or, not a mix. Didn't matter, book was awesome.

[acesn8s]

 Abyss, on 14 March 2016 - 03:41 AM, said:

...over at io9 I spotted a link to this...
http://torforgeblog....=22270-n9595941
...read the blurb and e-bought it on the spot.Belcher has been on my radar for a while based on neat concepts and good recos here, but hadn't gotten around to pulling him out of the TRPFH... The blurb for BROTHERHOOD OF THE WHEEL tho... Urban fantasy based on truckers and others who try to protect the highways... That seemed to fit what. Was looking for.

I'm interested in see how the rest of the book hold up. It sounds pretty cool.

[Maark Abbott]

 Briar King, on 14 March 2016 - 04:14 AM, said:

I don't blame you not wanting to pick up RoT again. Horrible book.

What are the issues with it? I ask because I really enjoyed TLOLL and had considered continuing the series.