Ken Macleod

[Casspar]

any Macleod fans out there? I really like his work, especially the "Cosmonaut Keep" Series. If we ever do go to the stars I feel it may be something like he postulates, travelling in an instant but arriving many years later in real time. Why's it Scotsmen write such good SF, maybe the constant bad weather stops them going out much.

 

[Rodders]

I've only read one book of his (The Cassini Division) and i enjoyed it very much. I keep meaning to get some more of his stuff, but for some reason i never get round to it.

Would there be anything that you'd recommend in particular?

 

[Casspar]

yes, the Cosmonaut Keep series ( three books ) British SF at its very best!

 

[Rodders]

What were the others in the series? I should pick them up.

 

[iansales]

The first book was Cosmonaut Keep, then Dark Light, and the last one was Engine City.

 

[J-WO]

Learning the World is very good as well. My personal favourite, at least. Its got Edwardian-style alien fruitbat people--what's not to like? I keep crossing my fingers for a trilogy but I don't think it'll happen...

 

[Ursa major]

I too really liked Learning the World and found its ending rather good.

(While I've liked just about all of the books by this author that I've read, their endings have been a bit variable in terms of (my) satisfaction. )

 

[Rodders]

I find it's pretty rare to get a genuinely good ending.

 

[J-WO]

I find it's pretty rare to get a genuinely good ending.

With Ken's stuff, or generally speaking?

 

[Rodders]

No, generally. I think that most endings are pretty lame and that includes moves too.

 

[Vertigo]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh you've done it again damn you, all of you Chroners! That's another author I had not come across and having browsed around his stuff (by the way the series appears to be called Engines of Light) my TBR list has just gotten bigger... AGAIN. I say again Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

 

[J-WO]

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaargh you've done it again damn you, all of you Chroners! That's another author I had not come across and having browsed around his stuff (by the way the series appears to be called Engines of Light) my TBR list has just gotten bigger... AGAIN. I say again Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaargh!

Our mission is to break your shelves.

Rodders- I see what you mean; even the end of Hamlet's a bit daft.

Drawing things to a close is a particular problem for the epic SF/F novelist. I've often thought writing SF/F epics is like driving a steam train or a ten ton truck--slow to build up speed, then you're rocketing along and, finally, you hit the breaks and its sometime later before the vehicle has actually ground to a halt. The writer couldn't stop on a dime even if they wanted to--there's simply too much explain and complete.

Ken Macleod finishes it right in Learning, but fails (to my tastes) in The Night Sessions. I haven't read the last of the Engines trilogy, so I can't say, but he's certainly got a lot of room there to let the breaks kick in.

 

[j d worthington]

Moving to General Books, where it more properly belongs....

 

[Ursa major]

Thanks, JD (although I hadn't actually noticed where it was ).

 

[bluespider100]

well as anyone from above my comment would agree, that Learning the World was a great read, although that's the only book I've read under that author, would anyone recommend any books from KM? aside from the ones already mentioned?

 

[Hypnos164]

I really enjoyed The Execution Channel - but it is more of a near future thriller than his usual work.

I also liked his novel of "left over" post-singularity humans - Newton's Wake

I've had Learning the World on my TBR pile for ages and never quite gotten round to it ... clearly i'm missing out - time to move it up the list.

 

[bluespider100]

I really enjoyed The Execution Channel - but it is more of a near future thriller than his usual work.

I also liked his novel of "left over" post-singularity humans - Newton's Wake

I've had Learning the World on my TBR pile for ages and never quite gotten round to it ... clearly i'm missing out - time to move it up the list.

Hey, that Newton's Wake: A Space Opera looks very interesting I'll add that up to my list...

OFF-TOPIC: I begin to think that finding and joining this forum is both a Blessing and a curse... for it allows me to discover other great authors and their great works, and a curse for it breaks my wallet and fills up my book shelf.. haha

 

[Hypnos164]

OFF-TOPIC: I begin to think that finding and joining this forum is both a Blessing and a curse... for it allows me to discover other great authors and their great works, and a curse for it breaks my wallet and fills up my book shelf.. haha

Indeed I've read dozens of authors who I may never of encountered - and even started reading a whole new genre since joining

Its all a question of balancing the time spent reading the forums, and hence growing the TBR pile, and reading the actual books.

 

[J-WO]

Its all a question of balancing the time spent reading the forums, and hence growing the TBR pile, and reading the actual books.

And somewhere between those two we have to squeeze in the rest of our lives!

 

[bluespider100]

Indeed I've read dozens of authors who I may never of encountered - and even started reading a whole new genre since joining

Its all a question of balancing the time spent reading the forums, and hence growing the TBR pile, and reading the actual books.

Actually, If I write something down on my TBR list, I actually go find the book according to its importance (based upon if they are interesting).

And somewhere between those two we have to squeeze in the rest of our lives!

hahah! true that! I couldn't agree more! with so many books to read, I'm now thinking if maybe 1 lifetime isn't enough.