March's Marvellous Missals, Mammoth Manuals and Miniscule Monographs

[Montero]

Liz William's Darklands arrived yesterday. About to start that. Heard interesting things about her here on SFF.

 

[AE35Unit]

Oh dear, what is wrong with me? I'm on page 90 of Alastair Reynolds's The Prefect and am bored stiff! What is it with modern SF and the endless politicing-its just not exciting, not my idea of fun!
I think I'll stick to classic SF from the 70s and earlier, you know, slim paperbacks rather than hefty doorstops!

 

[Ursa major]

I don't think there's anything wrong with you, or much wrong with that book. You're simply somewhat incompatible.


If everyone liked the same books, a handful of authors would look down on Messrs Gates and Buffett and wonder how anyone could possibly live on such meagre funds.

 

[Talysia]

Finished my reread of Feist's Magician, and I'm now moving on to Silverthorn.

 

[AE35Unit]

I don't think there's anything wrong with you, or much wrong with that book. You're simply somewhat incompatible.


If everyone liked the same books, a handful of authors would look down on Messrs Gates and Buffett and wonder how anyone could possibly live on such meagre funds.

The thing is I can't help feeling stupid,and annoyed,every time this happens with a book,especially one by a highly respected author! I should read his Diamond Dogs, Turqouise Days which are considerably shorter. I just find a 400+page book daunting!

 

[Quokka]

Last and First Men by Olaf Stapledon.

Gregory Benford's recommendation to just skip the first four chapters seems a bit harsh but I am getting into it more the further it moves ahead and am now starting to really enjoy the novelty of reading a future history book.

 

[manephelien]

Robin Hobb: Dragon Haven. Had to read it almost straight through, unputdownable.

 

[dask]

Oh dear, what is wrong with me? I'm on page 90 of Alastair Reynolds's The Prefect and am bored stiff! What is it with modern SF and the endless politicing-its just not exciting, not my idea of fun!
I think I'll stick to classic SF from the 70s and earlier, you know, slim paperbacks rather than hefty doorstops!

I'm having a similar experience with Neal Stephenson's ANATHEM. Finally, a third of the way through this 981 page monster, things are beginning to happen. As big as it is, however, it doesn't seem padded; everything that's happeded is totally justified by what has already occurred. It just PLODS along. Not a bad read but I can't read it exclusively; I need to break it up with a couple of non-fiction books: DANSE MACABRE by Stephen King and SCIENCE FICTION IN THE 20th CENTURY (I think that's the correct title; the book's in the car and I don't want to go out and look) by Edward James (or is it James Edwards?). Both are good and I wouldn't hesitate recommending either of them. But in general, I'm more drawn to sf from the 70s back. (And if you ever get the chance to sample stuff from what is called the "gaslight era", go for it.)

 

[AE35Unit]

Now making my way through The Canopy of Time, a collection of stories by Brian Aldiss

 

[CyBeR]

It's finally done and gone with.
*does a little happy dance of joy*
Finally got through all of the first 'Twilight' book. To hell with you foul creation, I'm not touching another piece of you even to save my life.

In happier news, started reading 'Nighflyers' by George R.R. Martin. Quite interesting I must say...though I'm just at the beginning.

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I'm going through a stage where I crave comfort reading, so I've been revisiting several books by Georgette Heyer. Faro's Daughter, These Old Shades, The Convenient Marriage.

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

I myself prefer SF from the golden age through to the 70s. The median length of an SF novel has trebled since then, but not necessarily to good effect, although some classic SF writers like the late great Poul Anderson turned out some massive doorstops with nary a dull page towards the end of their careers. Speaking of whom, I'm currently reading Baen's collection of Poul Anderson's Time Patrol stories named, oddly enough, The Time Patrol. Some fascinating historical speculation, vivid evocation of disparate times and places and tightly plotted tales, but I am getting a little tired of the romance business that crops up in almost every story, with the delightful lass and the protective protagonist.

 

[Nesacat]

I'm in the same phase as Teresa. Given all the upheavals I've been comfort-reading for the most part.

It's been mostly collections of short stories (Italo Calvino, Harlan Ellison, Ray Bradbury and Lovecraft) and some novels (If On A Winter's Night A Traveller - Calvino; Jane Eyre - Bronte)

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

Ages since I've re-read any Bradbury; I should see about rectifying that. BTW, Nesa, it may interest you to know (or you may already know) that Jane Eyre is apparently one of China Mieville's favourite books - he says he is endlessly fascinated by it.

 

[gully_foyle]

Oh dear, what is wrong with me? I'm on page 90 of Alastair Reynolds's The Prefect and am bored stiff! What is it with modern SF and the endless politicing-its just not exciting, not my idea of fun!
I think I'll stick to classic SF from the 70s and earlier, you know, slim paperbacks rather than hefty doorstops!

I hear you brother. Have you read Mission of Gravity by Hal Clements yet? A classic of the classics and a worthy balm to sooth your furrowed brow. I don't mind the complexities and intrigues and politickings of modern SF quite so much, but I have to intersperse it with my SF from simpler times (when anything was possible and we were all about to be wiped off the earth).

 

[Nesacat]

Yes I did know. Came as quite a surprise too. Yes, I too find it endlessly fascinating as you'd know from the many editions I have of it. I love the way Bradbury uses the language. From his pen the words flow like a river. It's almost hypnotic reading. I read the ones I love best over and over again. Old friends. Comfort reading at its best.

 

[Diggler]

Finally finished Voices in the Dark by Edmund Cooper. This was very deceptively branded as a not only a novel but also SF. Not only was it a collection of short stories, it was also predominantly common fiction. Out of the 20 or so shorts, there was only 3 three SF stories. A few of the stories were ho hum but overall I really enjoyed the book.

The highlight's of the book were Six Eggs for Mafekin and 1994.

Six Eggs for Mafekin was the story of a small boy who spies an old man stealing eggs from his chicken coop. The boy confronts the old man and they become friends. This was a very sweet little story that really touched me.

1994 was all about comercialism. By law, you have to have the latest and greatest of everything. Government employees called Breakers come into your home and assess your belongings. If they are deemed as outdated he destroys them and gives you a cheque to buy new and improved items.

I'm now reading an Aurealis magazine from 2000. Sewercide by Michael Pryor is the clear winner so far. Plumbers being the "True Guardians" that stop Hell from breaking free and splurging onto earth, funny stuff.

 

[Allegra]

Oh dear, what is wrong with me? I'm on page 90 of Alastair Reynolds's The Prefect and am bored stiff!

I admit I also couldn't finish the book. The ideas and the story are promising but the writing and characters are quite flat. Same as a film, if I can't care much about the characters I can't care much about the whole thing.

Right now I am reading Iain Banks Inversions, I have to say it's the first Banks' book that I found a bit hard to get into, mainly because all that king, palace stuff, very different from his other Culture books I've read. But, still early to say.

 

[Connavar]

I admit I also couldn't finish the book. The ideas and the story are promising but the writing and characters are quite flat.

Have you read Richard Morgan,Liz Willaims ?

If you are struggling with a modern SF writer no reason to force yourself no matter how he is loved by fellow chrons members.

There are others where he came from.

 

[Ursa major]

I agree with Conn: there are a lot of good modern writers out there.

(And as argued elsewhere, there's plenty of good writing from those of earlier times as well.)