[Andorion]

Finished the Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu. Very good read. I really want to read the rest of the trilogy now.

[Baco Xtath]

Andorion, on 12 March 2017 - 01:06 AM, said:

Finished the Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu. Very good read. I really want to read the rest of the trilogy now.

I just re-listened to Death's End (last book) this past week. I absolutely love this series.

[Andorion]

Baco Xtath, on 12 March 2017 - 01:48 AM, said:

Andorion, on 12 March 2017 - 01:06 AM, said:

Finished the Three Body Problem by Cixin Liu. Very good read. I really want to read the rest of the trilogy now.

I just re-listened to Death's End (last book) this past week. I absolutely love this series.

I seriously was not expecting the book to be that good.

[Abyss]

polishgenius, on 01 March 2017 - 07:37 PM, said:

Chance, on 01 March 2017 - 10:57 AM, said:

polishgenius, on 28 February 2017 - 06:39 PM, said:

I've now started Kings of the Wyld by Nicholas Eames, a debut heroic fantasy that reads rather like a cross between Unforgiven and The Blues Brothers, in a fantasy setting. Lot of fun and also rather affecting so far. A little concerned that it's going to be a series of episodic moments with no real plot build but we'll see how it goes. I'm definitely in till the end, anyway.

It might not be the best book I've read recently but it is damn entertaining kind of a parody on the fantasy genre, old heroes and especially the D&D rollplaying idea of dungeon delving. It is a very meta kind of book and I've got serious ideas about running a short series of RPG sessions based on a similar premise.

Yeah, so now I've finished it and I agree. I wouldn't quite call it a parody- definitely a send-up to a point but it's also got a sincere dedication to what it's doing and too much legitimate affection for its characters (who are awesome, all of them) for me to call it outright parody. Absolutely is taking the piss a lot of the time though.

It's not going to blow anyone's mind with its originality but as just a full-on bolt of pure fun it succeeds admirably. I'm definitely looking forward to the next one, especially as the author apparently deliberately closed off certain avenues in terms of taking the easy route of writing it in the epilogue.

This just became my next earbook.

[Whisperzzzzzzz]

Just finished Chasm City. Compared to Reynolds' other works that I've read, this felt...unfulfilling. And some of the major reveals felt too overwrought, too serendipitous. While I enjoyed the set-building of the Mulch and the Canopy, and the culture that has evolved within it, Mirabel's story ended up being predictable. And the denouement was unsatisfying too.

All in all, not his best work (out of the ones I've read), but still a lot of fun set in a great universe.

This post has been edited by Whisperzzzzzzz: 12 March 2017 - 08:22 PM

[QuickTidal]

…after a cool prologue, the first whole chapter was…interminably boring. A bunch of archbishops interplaying and arguing about succession and the speed of semaphore communication. Ugh. I hope they aren’t all like that.

[Abyss]

Briar King, on 13 March 2017 - 01:49 AM, said:

How goes Safehold 1 QT?

QuickTidal, on 13 March 2017 - 12:37 PM, said:

…after a cool prologue, the first whole chapter was…interminably boring. A bunch of archbishops interplaying and arguing about succession and the speed of semaphore communication. Ugh. I hope they aren't all like that.

Weber 101 - skim anything you find boring that doesn't involve people actively using weapons in some way. It will not be important later.

[QuickTidal]

Abyss, on 13 March 2017 - 02:10 PM, said:

Briar King, on 13 March 2017 - 01:49 AM, said:

How goes Safehold 1 QT?

QuickTidal, on 13 March 2017 - 12:37 PM, said:

…after a cool prologue, the first whole chapter was…interminably boring. A bunch of archbishops interplaying and arguing about succession and the speed of semaphore communication. Ugh. I hope they aren't all like that.

Weber 101 - skim anything you find boring that doesn't involve people actively using weapons in some way. It will not be important later.

Noted. Thanks! I had assumed this was one of the "infodumps" that BK and Ando keep mentioning.

[Andorion]

QuickTidal, on 13 March 2017 - 02:29 PM, said:

Abyss, on 13 March 2017 - 02:10 PM, said:

Briar King, on 13 March 2017 - 01:49 AM, said:

How goes Safehold 1 QT?

QuickTidal, on 13 March 2017 - 12:37 PM, said:

…after a cool prologue, the first whole chapter was…interminably boring. A bunch of archbishops interplaying and arguing about succession and the speed of semaphore communication. Ugh. I hope they aren't all like that.

Weber 101 - skim anything you find boring that doesn't involve people actively using weapons in some way. It will not be important later.

Noted. Thanks! I had assumed this was one of the "infodumps" that BK and Ando keep mentioning.

The infodumps are usually bigger. Weber conveys information through very long conversations and huge internal monologues. It can be boring.

Full disclosure: military, technological and geopolitical stuff are an extremely favourite topic of mine, so Weber bores me less than others.

[QuickTidal]

Andorion, on 13 March 2017 - 02:46 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 13 March 2017 - 02:29 PM, said:

Abyss, on 13 March 2017 - 02:10 PM, said:

Briar King, on 13 March 2017 - 01:49 AM, said:

How goes Safehold 1 QT?

QuickTidal, on 13 March 2017 - 12:37 PM, said:

…after a cool prologue, the first whole chapter was…interminably boring. A bunch of archbishops interplaying and arguing about succession and the speed of semaphore communication. Ugh. I hope they aren't all like that.

Weber 101 - skim anything you find boring that doesn't involve people actively using weapons in some way. It will not be important later.

Noted. Thanks! I had assumed this was one of the "infodumps" that BK and Ando keep mentioning.

The infodumps are usually bigger. Weber conveys information through very long conversations and huge internal monologues. It can be boring.

Full disclosure: military, technological and geopolitical stuff are an extremely favourite topic of mine, so Weber bores me less than others.

I'm cool with all those things too...but when like 6 bishops (who all have earth names spelled differently [Adamson is Adymsyn, Wilson is Wylsyn ect.) are talking about flag communication...I begin to snore. As long as the books aren't all about these jacked up bishops, I'll be fine.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 13 March 2017 - 02:59 PM, said:

Andorion, on 13 March 2017 - 02:46 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 13 March 2017 - 02:29 PM, said:

Abyss, on 13 March 2017 - 02:10 PM, said:

Briar King, on 13 March 2017 - 01:49 AM, said:

How goes Safehold 1 QT?

QuickTidal, on 13 March 2017 - 12:37 PM, said:

…after a cool prologue, the first whole chapter was…interminably boring. A bunch of archbishops interplaying and arguing about succession and the speed of semaphore communication. Ugh. I hope they aren't all like that.

Weber 101 - skim anything you find boring that doesn't involve people actively using weapons in some way. It will not be important later.

Noted. Thanks! I had assumed this was one of the "infodumps" that BK and Ando keep mentioning.

The infodumps are usually bigger. Weber conveys information through very long conversations and huge internal monologues. It can be boring.

Full disclosure: military, technological and geopolitical stuff are an extremely favourite topic of mine, so Weber bores me less than others.

I'm cool with all those things too...but when like 6 bishops (who all have earth names spelled differently [Adamson is Adymsyn, Wilson is Wylsyn ect.) are talking about flag communication...I begin to snore. As long as the books aren't all about these jacked up bishops, I'll be fine.

This is a common Weberism, tho it sounds like he is in particularly good form in this series.
I liked this habit of his because you could learn some neat stuff about military history and history generally, but whenever he gets too far in i assume, and have not yet been proven wrong, that it will make no significant difference to my enjoyment of the book.

Any time characters start discussing the best way to establish, control, or expand a civilisation, and the impact X tech development will have on it, you can safely skim. If they are discussing how to annihilate another civilisation, the opposite applies.

[Andorion]

Abyss, on 13 March 2017 - 03:08 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 13 March 2017 - 02:59 PM, said:

Andorion, on 13 March 2017 - 02:46 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 13 March 2017 - 02:29 PM, said:

Abyss, on 13 March 2017 - 02:10 PM, said:

Briar King, on 13 March 2017 - 01:49 AM, said:

How goes Safehold 1 QT?

QuickTidal, on 13 March 2017 - 12:37 PM, said:

…after a cool prologue, the first whole chapter was…interminably boring. A bunch of archbishops interplaying and arguing about succession and the speed of semaphore communication. Ugh. I hope they aren't all like that.

Weber 101 - skim anything you find boring that doesn't involve people actively using weapons in some way. It will not be important later.

Noted. Thanks! I had assumed this was one of the "infodumps" that BK and Ando keep mentioning.

The infodumps are usually bigger. Weber conveys information through very long conversations and huge internal monologues. It can be boring.

Full disclosure: military, technological and geopolitical stuff are an extremely favourite topic of mine, so Weber bores me less than others.

I'm cool with all those things too...but when like 6 bishops (who all have earth names spelled differently [Adamson is Adymsyn, Wilson is Wylsyn ect.) are talking about flag communication...I begin to snore. As long as the books aren't all about these jacked up bishops, I'll be fine.

This is a common Weberism, tho it sounds like he is in particularly good form in this series.
I liked this habit of his because you could learn some neat stuff about military history and history generally, but whenever he gets too far in i assume, and have not yet been proven wrong, that it will make no significant difference to my enjoyment of the book.

Any time characters start discussing the best way to establish, control, or expand a civilisation, and the impact X tech development will have on it, you can safely skim. If they are discussing how to annihilate another civilisation, the opposite applies.

Hey Abyss which Weber books have you read? You know him pretty well

[Abyss]

Andorion, on 13 March 2017 - 03:22 PM, said:

...

Hey Abyss which Weber books have you read? You know him pretty well

If you look at http://www.davidweber.net/books almost everything that isn't Safehold or Honorverse.


He released a pile of his books back when Baen did the free library thing and i went on huge Weber / mil sf binge.
Also, his 'disciples' - White, Ringo, a few others - tend to write in a very similar style.

[LadyMTL]

I finished His Bloody Project by G. Macrae Burnet yesterday and I liked it, just not as much as I thought I would. It wasn't as suspenseful as I'd hoped and by the end I was sort of like "oh, ok...that's it, I guess?" Still, it was a quick read and was very well-written, so no regrets.

Now I'm reading Jade Chang's The Wangs vs the World. Once that's done I'm debating re-reading the Kharkanas books (I've read Forge of Darkness three times but Fall of Light once. I wasn't thrilled with FoL the first time around but I think it's time I give it another chance) or continue with the last 2 books in my TRP: Bacigalupi's The Water Knife and SE's Willful Child.

Decisions, decisions.

[Andorion]

Abyss, on 13 March 2017 - 04:32 PM, said:

Andorion, on 13 March 2017 - 03:22 PM, said:

...

Hey Abyss which Weber books have you read? You know him pretty well

If you look at http://www.davidweber.net/books almost everything that isn't Safehold or Honorverse.


He released a pile of his books back when Baen did the free library thing and i went on huge Weber / mil sf binge.
Also, his 'disciples' - White, Ringo, a few others - tend to write in a very similar style.

Woah...

My reading is sort of the opposite - Honorverse and Safehold exclusively, also the Stars at War books he did with Steve White

BTW how are those 1633 books? Also how is Dahak?

[Abyss]

Andorion, on 13 March 2017 - 04:38 PM, said:

Abyss, on 13 March 2017 - 04:32 PM, said:

Andorion, on 13 March 2017 - 03:22 PM, said:

...

Hey Abyss which Weber books have you read? You know him pretty well

If you look at http://www.davidweber.net/books almost everything that isn't Safehold or Honorverse.


He released a pile of his books back when Baen did the free library thing and i went on huge Weber / mil sf binge.
Also, his 'disciples' - White, Ringo, a few others - tend to write in a very similar style.

Woah...

My reading is sort of the opposite - Honorverse and Safehold exclusively, also the Stars at War books he did with Steve White

BTW how are those 1633 books? Also how is Dahak?

DAHAK is fun. 'Classic' Weber, you recognize the characters within about the first two pages they show up in, military is right, civilians don't get it, etc etc. ....a bit heavier on the espionage as opposed to mass engagements but in a good way. EMPIRE FROM THE ASHES is the omnibus version of the trilo btw.

The 1633 stuff is heavily political/theoretical ... a lot of 'what is our ethical obligation here / what kind of society are we going to build / blah blah blah' ... 20th century American town moved to medieval Europe, proceeds to teach silly middle ages Europeans the errors of their ways. With guns. I like some of Eric Flint's (another disciple) other work but bailed early in the first novel and never went back, also because S M Stirling covers similar ground in his NANTUCKET series.

[QuickTidal]

Briar King, on 13 March 2017 - 06:11 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 13 March 2017 - 12:37 PM, said:

…after a cool prologue, the first whole chapter was…interminably boring. A bunch of archbishops interplaying and arguing about succession and the speed of semaphore communication. Ugh. I hope they aren’t all like that.

Ah yes I believe that's the one while only being 8 pgs or so long the bishops basically give us a geography lesson about Safehold. Just wait till you get to a 19 pager describeing how to make this or that piece of tech or a 19 pager of how they will find a way fund this or that.

It can bog down big time but when the story moves it's damned fun reading.

Yeah it hasn't detracted me from the series, as I REALLY enjoyed the entire prologue.

[QuickTidal]

Ignore the above comment...I've been detracted now....

SAFE HOLD #1. Well, it took just over 100 pages…to get fully annoyed. The faux-names still piss me off to high heaven, and they take me out of the story nearly every time. It’s SOOOOOO irritating. The story is alright, but nothing special…and in 100 pages absolutely nothing kickass or awesome has occurred. In fact I’ve had to struggle to get this far through at least 3 of the info dump sections. How this guy is quite decent at the space stuff (that was in the prologue at least), and terribad at the medieval fantasy stuff is beyond me.

I’ve put it down for now.

I may come back to it in the future…but for now it was just annoying me. And I’ll be up front and say so far that the names are my main gripe. The idea that in 800 years Adamson would somehow become Ahdamsyn…and not only that but ALL names globally would inexplicably evolve in the same way…is a linguistic nightmare, and a fallacy I can’t get around. I also don’t want to have to sit there each time sounding these shitty names out to figure out what it SHOULD be in our dialect as it just yanks me out of the story…never mind trying to sort out WHY a language would evolve in such an idiotic and backwards way. Language DROPS unneeded aspects as time goes on, it does not add fucking Y’s to them or silent bloody H’s. Either make up new fantasy names, or leave the old earth names how they were. This society is meant to have been born from the get-go as hyper-literate (to utilize the stamping of the religious doctrine into their culture so heavily)…and as such there would be absolutely ZERO reason for names to take such drastic changes over time with everyone being literate. I’ll even use an earth example. Alfred, King of Wessex…was king over 1000 years ago…that name has not changed. Last names with son’s in them, like Johnson or Adamson…hearken back even further to the norse practice of your child’s surname being your name + “son”…or in places like Iceland “dottir” (daughter)…and those names have come through time unchanged…in a civilization that wasn’t hyper literate.

Sidebar: If Nimue is meant to have trouble understanding the evolved dialects of English language (also, why just English when there were so many Asians on the Command Crew?)...one must assume that the book itself is "translated" when those people speak those dialects not recognized as earth English are spoken...so why are the names not given their old earth surrogates? They all seemingly have one. So that makes no sense either. I think Weber just wanted to have fantasy names, and went the lazy route.

Grumble grumble. I’m annoyed. LOL

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 14 March 2017 - 12:16 PM

[Andorion]

QuickTidal, on 14 March 2017 - 12:10 PM, said:

Ignore the above comment...I've been detracted now....

SAFE HOLD #1. Well, it took just over 100 pages…to get fully annoyed. The faux-names still piss me off to high heaven, and they take me out of the story nearly every time. It’s SOOOOOO irritating. The story is alright, but nothing special…and in 100 pages absolutely nothing kickass or awesome has occurred. In fact I’ve had to struggle to get this far through at least 3 of the info dump sections. How this guy is quite decent at the space stuff (that was in the prologue at least), and terribad at the medieval fantasy stuff is beyond me.

I’ve put it down for now.

I may come back to it in the future…but for now it was just annoying me. And I’ll be up front and say so far that the names are my main gripe. The idea that in 800 years Adamson would somehow become Ahdamsyn…and not only that but ALL names globally would inexplicably evolve in the same way…is a linguistic nightmare, and a fallacy I can’t get around. I also don’t want to have to sit there each time sounding these shitty names out to figure out what it SHOULD be in our dialect as it just yanks me out of the story…never mind trying to sort out WHY a language would evolve in such an idiotic and backwards way. Language DROPS unneeded aspects as time goes on, it does not add fucking Y’s to them or silent bloody H’s. Either make up new fantasy names, or leave the old earth names how they were. This society is meant to have been born from the get-go as hyper-literate (to utilize the stamping of the religious doctrine into their culture so heavily)…and as such there would be absolutely ZERO reason for names to take such drastic changes over time with everyone being literate. I’ll even use an earth example. Alfred, King of Wessex…was king over 1000 years ago…that name has not changed. Last names with son’s in them, like Johnson or Adamson…hearken back even further to the norse practice of your child’s surname being your name + “son”…or in places like Iceland “dottir” (daughter)…and those names have come through time unchanged…in a civilization that wasn’t hyper literate.

Sidebar: If Nimue is meant to have trouble understanding the evolved dialects of English language (also, why just English when there were so many Asians on the Command Crew?)...one must assume that the book itself is "translated" when those people speak those dialects not recognized as earth English are spoken...so why are the names not given their old earth surrogates? They all seemingly have one. So that makes no sense either. I think Weber just wanted to have fantasy names, and went the lazy route.

Grumble grumble. I’m annoyed. LOL

The names irritated me too. Which is why I mostly ignored them. I basically mentally tagged the important characters and stopped trying to decipher Webster's linguistic curiousities.

[Andorion]

Finally managed to get a decent listen to MR Carey's the Girl with all the Gifts. Its a really well written book and I am really enjoying it, which is surprising as I usually hate zombies.

Also audio books on the return commute are great, when I am tired and the eyes are stinging from an allergy attack.