[Abyss]

Andorion, on 31 January 2017 - 04:08 PM, said:

Abyss, on 31 January 2017 - 04:04 PM, said:

I really really need to get back to Reynolds. I have his first six or more books in the TRP, but after enjoying the hell out of REVELATION SPACE, CHASM CITY just lost me.
Likely need a REV reread before moving on to ARK tho'. That book was dense.

You could go straight to Ark without reading City. I did, and it was fine.

REVSPACE reread, not CITY.

Didn't think much of CITY. Cool setting, lame story.

[Andorion]

Abyss, on 31 January 2017 - 04:29 PM, said:

Andorion, on 31 January 2017 - 04:08 PM, said:

Abyss, on 31 January 2017 - 04:04 PM, said:

I really really need to get back to Reynolds. I have his first six or more books in the TRP, but after enjoying the hell out of REVELATION SPACE, CHASM CITY just lost me.
Likely need a REV reread before moving on to ARK tho'. That book was dense.

You could go straight to Ark without reading City. I did, and it was fine.

REVSPACE reread, not CITY.

Didn't think much of CITY. Cool setting, lame story.

City is a very different book. It has different themes and styles. Its chiefly important because it shows the origin of the plague.

I think you will like Ark, it was my favourite of the Rev Space series. Absolution Gap divides people. Be absolutely sure to read Galactic North after Gap though.

The best Rev Space book IMO is the standalone - Prefect.

And the best Reynolds book is House of Suns.

[QuickTidal]

Andorion, on 31 January 2017 - 04:33 PM, said:

City is a very different book. It has different themes and styles. Its chiefly important because it shows the origin of the plague.

I also didn't care much for CITY. It was alright but overall I was bored.

Andorion, on 31 January 2017 - 04:33 PM, said:

I think you will like Ark, it was my favourite of the Rev Space series. Absolution Gap divides people. Be absolutely sure to read Galactic North after Gap though.

I've still not read GAP as I was daunted by the divisiveness of it. Still in my ToRead pile.

Andorion, on 31 January 2017 - 04:33 PM, said:

The best Rev Space book IMO is the standalone - Prefect.

And the best Reynolds book is House of Suns.

I need to read both these books, as I still haven't.

[Abyss]

Anyone done Reynolds in earbook?
Any good?

[Macros]

Catch 22 is fascinating in its make up. About 80/90 pages into it and it's brilliantly bizarre.

[Andorion]

Halfway into Fugitive Prince, book 4 of Janny Wurts' Wars of Light and Shadow. Lots of stuff happening. Really like it so far.

[amphibian]

Andorion, on 31 January 2017 - 04:33 PM, said:

And the best Reynolds book is House of Suns.

I think it's Redemption Ark, followed by Chasm City.

But the real answer is The Algebraist, which came from an entirely different mind altogether.

[Andorion]

amphibian, on 31 January 2017 - 05:21 PM, said:

Andorion, on 31 January 2017 - 04:33 PM, said:

And the best Reynolds book is House of Suns.

I think it's Redemption Ark, followed by Chasm City.

But the real answer is The Algebraist, which came from an entirely different mind altogether.

Banks is great. But I think the real fun of reading those two side by side is the contrasting vision - Reynolds dark dystopian stuff of Rev Space or the huge cosmic mysteries, vs Banks' crazy anything-goes-but-mostly-great future

[QuickTidal]

Let's settle this.

Banks' sentient Ships are clearly the winner in the vehicles category....but I give everything else to Reynolds, whose work I simply connect with at a different level.

[Salt-Man Z]

I read RS -> Ark -> Gap first, which were amazing. The only part of Gap that's much of a letdown is the very end; everything up to that point is well worth it. I didn't read Chasm City until years later, and it was enjoyable; it didn't always grab me, but the horror vibe threaded throughout the whole thing was quite tasty.

Can't believe I still haven't read The Prefect. I need to get on that.

This post has been edited by Salt-Man Z: 31 January 2017 - 06:09 PM

[Andorion]

QuickTidal, on 31 January 2017 - 05:42 PM, said:

Let's settle this.

Banks' sentient Ships are clearly the winner in the vehicles category....but I give everything else to Reynolds, whose work I simply connect with at a different level.

The Culture ships and AI are the best of their kind, bar none.

Reynolds does dark horror SF and epic SF very well. And strangely enough is very relateable.

[polishgenius]

I really loved Chasm City. Might be my favourite Reynolds, in part because it doesn't suffer the ending problem that a lot of his books do but in general I liked the whole thing.


Much as I like Reynolds, though, I put Banks on a different level.

[worry]

Macros, on 31 January 2017 - 05:15 PM, said:

Catch 22 is fascinating in its make up. About 80/90 pages into it and it's brilliantly bizarre.

Heck yeah! Catch 22 isn't the fastest or most gripping read out there -- it does a lot of (deliberate) meandering in terms of plot -- but the writing is always so smart and in service of the overall point. I don't think I've ever seen Erikson mention Catch 22 as an influence (or otherwise) but there are some pretty close similarities on occasion, esp. within the Bonehunters. Pores is cut like right out of it.

[acesn8s]

Not digging the Last Ship. I'm not in the mood for Military Survival fiction. I'm going to set it aside.

So, I have the following all clamoring at the top of my queue. Any suggestions?

Cornwell - The Flame Bearer (Saxon Tales 10)
Erikson - the Fall of Light (Kharkanas 2)
Marshall - A Blade of Black Steel (Crimson Empire 2)
Bakker - The Judging Eye (Aspect-Emperor 1)
de Castell - Saint's Blood (Greatcoats 3)
Esslemont - Dancer Lament
Butcher - The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass

[End of Disc One]

Since most of those are sequels and you're probably familiar with Butcher, I'd say just whatever you're in the mood for.

[Abyss]

If you're feeling deep.... Erikson - the Fall of Light (Kharkanas 2)


If you're feeling a little more like some fun stabby sorcery Malazan goodness, .... Esslemont - Dancer Lament

If you're ready to commit to the rest of the series to date (worth it).... Bakker - The Judging Eye (Aspect-Emperor 1)


Just want a fun read.... Butcher - The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass


Screw you Abyss i want the books you don't know anything about raaaah.... Marshall - A Blade of Black Steel (Crimson Empire 2) or de Castell - Saint's Blood (Greatcoats 3).

[Andorion]

acesn8s, on 31 January 2017 - 08:57 PM, said:

Not digging the Last Ship. I'm not in the mood for Military Survival fiction. I'm going to set it aside.

So, I have the following all clamoring at the top of my queue. Any suggestions?

Cornwell - The Flame Bearer (Saxon Tales 10)
Erikson - the Fall of Light (Kharkanas 2)
Marshall - A Blade of Black Steel (Crimson Empire 2)
Bakker - The Judging Eye (Aspect-Emperor 1)
de Castell - Saint's Blood (Greatcoats 3)
Esslemont - Dancer Lament
Butcher - The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass

Abyss, on 31 January 2017 - 09:10 PM, said:

If you're feeling deep.... Erikson - the Fall of Light (Kharkanas 2)


If you're feeling a little more like some fun stabby sorcery Malazan goodness, .... Esslemont - Dancer Lament

If you're ready to commit to the rest of the series to date (worth it).... Bakker - The Judging Eye (Aspect-Emperor 1)

Just want a fun read.... Butcher - The Cinder Spires: The Aeronaut's Windlass

Screw you Abyss i want the books you don't know anything about raaaah.... Marshall - A Blade of Black Steel (Crimson Empire 2) or de Castell - Saint's Blood (Greatcoats 3).

FoL is slow, deep, but ultimately awesome.

DL is the best thing ICE has written and one of my best reads of 2016. Satisfaction is guaranteed.

Butcher is fun

Bakker - IDK - how did you like Prince of Nothing? If like me you loved it, jump straight in.

[Chance]

Abyss, on 31 January 2017 - 04:52 PM, said:

Anyone done Reynolds in earbook?
Any good?

His Poseidon's Children books are pretty damn good in that format.

I wouldn't recommend it for Revelation Space series...but then I would never recommend it in any form for the atrocity that is Redemption Ark.

[Andorion]

Chance, on 01 February 2017 - 05:24 AM, said:

Abyss, on 31 January 2017 - 04:52 PM, said:

Anyone done Reynolds in earbook?
Any good?

His Poseidon's Children books are pretty damn good in that format.

I wouldn't recommend it for Revelation Space series...but then I would never recommend it in any form for the atrocity that is Redemption Ark.

Chiming in to say that the Poseidon books are somewhat different from stock Reynolds - the darkness is dialled down a notch, the theme is different, but the books are an exercise in expanding scale and scope. I really enjoyed reading them.

[acesn8s]

Thanks for the feedback, Fall of Light it is. I'm overdue.