[Gabriele]

Andorion, on 26 August 2019 - 02:04 AM, said:

Aptorian, on 25 August 2019 - 06:46 PM, said:

Read Benjanun Sriduangkaew's "And Shall Machines Surrender". It's a bad book.

It's an interesting premise. In a future city, on a Dyson sphere, a bunch of avatars for AI start commiting suicide. Two former mercenaries, turned would be enemies, have to work together to find the cause. Think Richard Morgan with no style or humor.

It's written in the most unambitious, most generic way possible. Filled with anachronistic and familiar tropes. That's disappointing but okay if there was more action. But there's not, because it's a very short book.

Instead there's a ridiculous amount of uncomfortable lesbian BDSM and virtual body mutilation. It's some of the least comfortable awkward erotic writing I've ever encountered, between two utterly unlikable psychopaths who're written like they're meant to be relatable.

The main protagonist, the doctor, is a former torturer, and uses this knowledge to hurt and pleasure people in a disturbing way. All of it presented like this is empowering and fine. There's something completely off about that. There's no reflection or guilt related to the doctor's former life, meaning there's no redemption in the eye of the reader.

The side kick is equally shitty. A former spy, who sold out friends and lovers for power, who shows no qualms about this history. An unappologetic traitor.

I looked up the author and apparently she? or he? Is a popular writer but apparently also a controversial Internet troll. It's weird to read that she's known for posting bigoted and homophobic content because And Shall Machines Surrender reads like Sci-fi for LGBTQ+ people. Maybe it's an awkward appology book?

Thanks for reading this first Apt as it was on my list for this year and now I won't bother.

As far as I understand the author was in a huge controversy a few years back where they threatened and spread hate speech about many other authors.

Yes, she bullied a number of authors and when someone stood up to her, she got all whiny and woe us poor females and minorities are so hated, waaaah. Until some of her bullying came out of the depths of the internet to bite her in the behind. Looks like she should have used her time to write a good book instead of all those online shenagians.

[Salt-Man Z]

I'm reading my first non-comic book since the end of February, and it's Claire North's 84K for the book club here. It's compulsively readable, and its dystopian future is scarily plausible, but a quarter of the way in I still have no idea what the plot is.

[Aptorian]

I think the plot of 84k is 1984 - fight the system with a pinch of John Grisham.

Where I stopped last week it had the setup of a revenge plot but how do you fight hyper merit based capitalism when you're lower caste?

Anyway I just finished Joseph Heller's Catch 22. It's a phenomenal book. It's always good to get a bit of distance between yourself and a book before making such statements but this is easily one of the best books I've ever read.

It's incredibly well written in an effortless sort of way. It's clever, witty and full of layers. It's the kind of book that makes you astounded by the way the author juggles dozens of characters and events, jumping back and forth in time, telling you half a story, looping back and connecting three others, creating new understanding. Constantly revealing new details, making every new chapter a reward.

I said this when I started reading the book but this is like MASH. The same kind of setting, satirizing war, the absurd daily life on the brink of life and death, making you fall in love with the characters, then snatching them away. Able to make you laugh or cry in a matter of pages.

It's a damn good book.

[Salt-Man Z]

Aptorian, on 26 August 2019 - 06:06 PM, said:

I think the plot of 84k is 1984 - fight the system with a pinch of John Grisham.

Where I stopped last week it had the setup of a revenge plot but how do you fight hyper merit based capitalism when you're lower caste?

Right. I shouldn't have said I had no idea; but nothing's really been made explicit yet.

[Dadding]

Finished the last book in Gormenghast, TITUS ALONE last week. I think I really liked it. I say 'I think' because I'm still not quite sure. It was unique and weird but also kind of awesome.

Now I'm giving WOT#5 FIRES OF HEAVEN another try because I must be a masochist and it was the only audiobook on my phone. Because I've already given up on the series once I'm finding it a little bit easier to stop rolling my eyes at the bad parts.

[End of Disc One]

BfuckinK, on 26 August 2019 - 08:16 PM, said:

Ken Liu has finally finished Dandelion Dynasty 3! Turned in 2 large binders to his people. Now I fear they will milk and split that shit. It’s going to be a beast if whole.

My most anticipated book. Hope it releases as one.

[Abyss]

BfuckinK, on 27 August 2019 - 12:09 AM, said:

End of Disc One, on 26 August 2019 - 11:59 PM, said:

BfuckinK, on 26 August 2019 - 08:16 PM, said:

Ken Liu has finally finished Dandelion Dynasty 3! Turned in 2 large binders to his people. Now I fear they will milk and split that shit. It’s going to be a beast if whole.

My most anticipated book. Hope it releases as one.

No shit. Greed is a bitch though. You saw the picture of those two binders?

Linky?

[amphibian]

Gabriele, on 26 August 2019 - 03:42 PM, said:

Andorion, on 26 August 2019 - 02:04 AM, said:

Aptorian, on 25 August 2019 - 06:46 PM, said:

Read Benjanun Sriduangkaew's "And Shall Machines Surrender". It's a bad book.

It's an interesting premise. In a future city, on a Dyson sphere, a bunch of avatars for AI start commiting suicide. Two former mercenaries, turned would be enemies, have to work together to find the cause. Think Richard Morgan with no style or humor.

It's written in the most unambitious, most generic way possible. Filled with anachronistic and familiar tropes. That's disappointing but okay if there was more action. But there's not, because it's a very short book.

Instead there's a ridiculous amount of uncomfortable lesbian BDSM and virtual body mutilation. It's some of the least comfortable awkward erotic writing I've ever encountered, between two utterly unlikable psychopaths who're written like they're meant to be relatable.

The main protagonist, the doctor, is a former torturer, and uses this knowledge to hurt and pleasure people in a disturbing way. All of it presented like this is empowering and fine. There's something completely off about that. There's no reflection or guilt related to the doctor's former life, meaning there's no redemption in the eye of the reader.

The side kick is equally shitty. A former spy, who sold out friends and lovers for power, who shows no qualms about this history. An unappologetic traitor.

I looked up the author and apparently she? or he? Is a popular writer but apparently also a controversial Internet troll. It's weird to read that she's known for posting bigoted and homophobic content because And Shall Machines Surrender reads like Sci-fi for LGBTQ+ people. Maybe it's an awkward appology book?

Thanks for reading this first Apt as it was on my list for this year and now I won't bother.

As far as I understand the author was in a huge controversy a few years back where they threatened and spread hate speech about many other authors.

Yes, she bullied a number of authors and when someone stood up to her, she got all whiny and woe us poor females and minorities are so hated, waaaah. Until some of her bullying came out of the depths of the internet to bite her in the behind. Looks like she should have used her time to write a good book instead of all those online shenagians.

She did some very specific bullying I'm terms of who she picked to go after - mostly big stars and women of color just starting out. The first group because it drew attention to her and the second group because it somewhat poisoned the well that all of her potential competitors were trying to feed from.

There's consistently rumors she's not Thai at all too. I don't know if they're credible, but her whole thing is really, really fucking weird outside the extreme toxicity which she mostly gave up after being found out. She's not really apologized much or acted in a way that made whole the harm she did when she was spewing hate regularly.

I will never give her money. Her old persona was that awful.

[Mentalist]

BfuckinK, on 26 August 2019 - 08:16 PM, said:

Ken Liu has finally finished Dandelion Dynasty 3! Turned in 2 large binders to his people. Now I fear they will milk and split that shit. It’s going to be a beast if whole.

Nice! "Wall of Storms' is one of the books sitting on my shelf, waiting for book 3 to come out to complete the trilo.

Also, 90 pages into "Blindsight", and it's pretty fascinating.

[Traveller]

Abyss, on 19 August 2019 - 02:38 PM, said:

Pierce Brown's DARK AGE.
About 2-3 chapters/1 hour to go.... no bull, this book is the Memories of Ice of this series. Or possibly the Deadhouse Gates, depends on how it ends. I'll let you know.
'Epic' doesn't even begin to describe it.
I am all kinds of blown away.
The action, the character arcs, the twists, the sheer level of successive 'i did NOT see that coming' hammerblows to the reader's emotions.

Wow.
Don't even get me started on the earbook cast of narrators, these people are insanely talented at what they do.

Just downloaded Red Rising based on this. Only 1.99 on kindle too!

I just finished Limited Wish. Good solid Mark Lawrence sequel; maybe lacking the charm and ruthlessness of the Thorns and Sisters series, but entertaining none the less.

[End of Disc One]

Traveller, on 27 August 2019 - 12:15 PM, said:

Abyss, on 19 August 2019 - 02:38 PM, said:

Pierce Brown's DARK AGE.
About 2-3 chapters/1 hour to go.... no bull, this book is the Memories of Ice of this series. Or possibly the Deadhouse Gates, depends on how it ends. I'll let you know.
'Epic' doesn't even begin to describe it.
I am all kinds of blown away.
The action, the character arcs, the twists, the sheer level of successive 'i did NOT see that coming' hammerblows to the reader's emotions.

Wow.
Don't even get me started on the earbook cast of narrators, these people are insanely talented at what they do.

Just downloaded Red Rising based on this. Only 1.99 on kindle too!

Be warned--some people struggle with the "slow" beginning and the general YA-ness of the first book, but with book 2 onward it gets truly epic. It's definitely one of my favorite current series.

[champ]

Traveller, on 27 August 2019 - 12:15 PM, said:

Abyss, on 19 August 2019 - 02:38 PM, said:

Pierce Brown's DARK AGE.
About 2-3 chapters/1 hour to go.... no bull, this book is the Memories of Ice of this series. Or possibly the Deadhouse Gates, depends on how it ends. I'll let you know.
'Epic' doesn't even begin to describe it.
I am all kinds of blown away.
The action, the character arcs, the twists, the sheer level of successive 'i did NOT see that coming' hammerblows to the reader's emotions.

Wow.
Don't even get me started on the earbook cast of narrators, these people are insanely talented at what they do.

Just downloaded Red Rising based on this. Only 1.99 on kindle too!

I just finished Limited Wish. Good solid Mark Lawrence sequel; maybe lacking the charm and ruthlessness of the Thorns and Sisters series, but entertaining none the less.

Funny, I bought the book based on the same comment, finished it in two days, bought the next one and just finished that last night, starting the third later on, truly awesome books.

[Gabriele]

Mentalist, on 27 August 2019 - 05:18 AM, said:

BfuckinK, on 26 August 2019 - 08:16 PM, said:

Ken Liu has finally finished Dandelion Dynasty 3! Turned in 2 large binders to his people. Now I fear they will milk and split that shit. It’s going to be a beast if whole.

Nice! "Wall of Storms' is one of the books sitting on my shelf, waiting for book 3 to come out to complete the trilo.

Hm, should I keep an eye out for those books? I've heard the name Ken Liu frequently, of course, but since I can't browse most English books in a German store (except for some big names like GRRM, Rothfuss, Sanderson and the Harry Potter books - not even an Erikson in sight, shame on them) I'm not sure if I'd like them.

[Puck]

BfuckinK, on 27 August 2019 - 01:03 AM, said:

https://kenliu.name/blog/

I think I can ease your mind here. Manuscripts are usually printed on thicker paper than books and in a different font size and (sometimes much) bigger spacing between the lines, making them look up to twice as thick as the end result. This is probably one thick book, but still one book.

Also, and I've been told this by someone in the publishing business a bunch of years ago, sometimes books are split not due to greed but due to binding restraints. You don't want your book to disintegrate while you're in the process of reading it. Mind you, things may have changed.

This post has been edited by Puck: 27 August 2019 - 08:15 PM

[Aptorian]

I can attest to size being a book killer at the library. We will far more often find loose pages in the brick size books compared to shorter ones.

Big hardbacks also tend to rip at the seems in the top and bottom because the weight hangs on the cover.

[worry]

Finished Red Sister. Pretty good! A totally different pace than his other books, and I wasn't expecting a Wizarding School outta ML, but it worked.

[Abyss]

Traveller, on 27 August 2019 - 12:15 PM, said:

Abyss, on 19 August 2019 - 02:38 PM, said:

Pierce Brown's DARK AGE.
About 2-3 chapters/1 hour to go.... no bull, this book is the Memories of Ice of this series. Or possibly the Deadhouse Gates, depends on how it ends. I'll let you know.
'Epic' doesn't even begin to describe it.
I am all kinds of blown away.
The action, the character arcs, the twists, the sheer level of successive 'i did NOT see that coming' hammerblows to the reader's emotions.

Wow.
Don't even get me started on the earbook cast of narrators, these people are insanely talented at what they do.

Just downloaded Red Rising based on this. Only 1.99 on kindle too!
....

I hope you enjoy.

End of Disc One, on 27 August 2019 - 01:38 PM, said:

Be warned--some people struggle with the "slow" beginning and the general YA-ness of the first book, but with book 2 onward it gets truly epic. It's definitely one of my favorite current series.

Accurate warning, but utterly worth the effort to read through. By halfway thru book 1 there is very little YAness at work here and gone by book 2.

[worry]

Cuz the first book is basically a reskinned, Rated R riff on The Hunger Games. After that it becomes mostly its own thing though, marrying dystopia to high octane space opera. I'd still consider it YA, but meaning like 16 and up, not middle school.

[Morgoth]

Mentalist, on 22 August 2019 - 01:12 AM, said:

Finished Asher's "Infinity Engine". Insane space opera fuelled by two insane AIs manipulating the crap out of the galaxy is good fun.

Working down my list of purchased books yet to be read, the next one will be "Crooked Little Vein", And then I'll try to read Blindsight.

Red Rising, and Golden Son even more so, is all the testosterone that exists in the world crammed into a few hundred pages. It's pretty great, though also kind of exhausting.

This post has been edited by Morgoth: 30 August 2019 - 10:20 AM

[Aptorian]

I've been reading a history book about the Faroe Islands, Called "Færøerne: En moderne nation fødes". (A modern nation is born). The Faroe islands (located north of Scotland, vest of Norway) is the smallest Danish protectorate and like Greenland and Iceland, we've had a historically, politically difficult relationship with them.

The book is set in the 1840-1860s where Denmark got it's constitution and we slowly developed a functioning democracy. Up until this point the Faroe islands had been the most backwater of backwater places in the Danish Kingdom. A bunch of medieval peasants and fishermen struggling against their environment on a bunch of rocky islands.

It centers around the work of trying to develop a self-sufficient government in a place that is mostly illiterate and resistant to change. It's just pages after pages of Danish government officials trying to create some semblance of political structure while the Faroe clergy and nationalists resist them at every turn.

It's tedious and utterly fascinating because you're reading about the transformation of a undeveloped country, week by week, month by month, through letters, newspaper articles and legal disbutes.