March's Marvellous Missals, Mammoth Manuals and Miniscule Monographs

[Allegra]

Well, I'm not struggling with all the modern SF writers, Iain M Banks is my currently favourite. But honestly I haven't read many SF writers old or new, so thanks for the recommendations Conn, I'll check out the two you mentioned.

 

[Connavar]

Well, I'm not struggling with all the modern SF writers, Iain M Banks is my currently favourite. But honestly I haven't read many SF writers old or new, so thanks for the recommendations Conn, I'll check out the two you mentioned.

Richard Morgan is my current fav, he gave me hope that i will enjoy other modern SF. I did struck out with Banks,Reynolds etc

Its about scouting the right author that synopsis,kind of stories fit your taste. I'm not a fan of Space Opera at all so i cant force myself on authors of that subgenre new or classic ones.

 

[Taltos]

Finished Behold the Man in 2 days - a bit strange but sttrong story IMO.
Now just don't know what I want to read - started 3 different books (Asprin Wings of Omen, Reynolds Pushing Ice and Green Spy Who Haunted Me) and trying to finish fourth (Hamilton Judas Unchained) - lets see what develops.

 

[Talysia]

Next up in my Feist reread is A Darkness at Sethanon. I'd forgotten how much I enjoyed this series the last time I read it - it's a nice change of pace.

 

[Hypnos164]

Finished Old Tin Sorrows by Glen Cook (cover to cover on Sunday) - the best of the Garrett files yet - three books establish him as a rough "noir" detective, then drop him into a country house mystery closer to Agatha Christie than Raymond Chandler ... genius and very entertaining.

Just started Full Tide of Night by J R Dunn with some trepidation as his Days of Cain was a pretty harrowing read

 

[j d worthington]

Well, after an exceptionally busy couple of weeks I managed to finally finish Robert H. Waugh's The Monster in the Mirror: Searching for H. P. Lovecraft. When I noted earlier that it was a challenging book even from the beginning, I didn't know how challenging this one would turn out to be! This is a fine example of why I enjoy reading literary criticism -- at its best, it is one of the most exhilarating, fascinating, and intellectually exciting fields going, and in such cases never fails to expand my own horizons tremendously. Such is definitely the case here... perhaps especially with the last essay in the book, which looks at Lovecraft through a lens more than tinged by Christian apologetics.... It is also not infrequently simply a beautifully written book, with passages which are the literary equivalent of a gourmet's dream....

 

[AE35Unit]

On the 19th,to mark the 2nd Anniversary of Arthur C. Clarke's death, I'm going to begin a Clarke reading marathon! Not sure where I'll start yet!
Still can't believe he's no longer with us!

 

[AE35Unit]

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).

Sorry mate I missed your post there! No I've not read that book-its on my wishlist. I do have his Iceworld on my shelf tho.

 

[gully_foyle]

Finished Behold the Man in 2 days - a bit strange but sttrong story IMO.

A great book IMO.

 

[j d worthington]

I've never found it to be as strong a book as Breakfast in the Ruins -- certainly not literarily -- but I seem to be in the minority on that. Still, it is a good book, and raises some very interesting questions....

 

[Jayaprakash Satyamurthy]

My own favourite contemporary SF writers are Adam Roberts and Ted Chiang; they both seem to be trying to do interesting things with the genre rather than simply use it as an engine that spews out gnarly adventure tales. Roberts' Polystom is a good intro, especially for someone who likes Vance (not that it is actually like Vance in style or content) or perhaps The Snow for the Wyndham fan (see previous parenthesis).

 

[GOLLUM]

I've been meaning to check out Adam Roberts for a while now, so thank you for the additional insights....

What is his best novel? Salt, Stone, Polystorm etc. or would I be better to start with his shorter fiction (collections)?

 

[Connavar]

My own favourite contemporary SF writers are Adam Roberts and Ted Chiang; they both seem to be trying to do interesting things with the genre rather than simply use it as an engine that spews out gnarly adventure tales. Roberts' Polystom is a good intro, especially for someone who likes Vance (not that it is actually like Vance in style or content) or perhaps The Snow for the Wyndham fan (see previous parenthesis).

Adam Roberts i found out about in the library because i confused him with Keith Roberts of Pavane fame.

I was looking at his list of books in fantasticfiction. A varied list, some weird science fantasy sounding books,alternate history and space opera,far future,high tech SF.

What kind of SF is Polyston ? The synopsis says nothing but how he was shortlist for ACC award almost.

 

[Ursa major]

if this is anything to go by, fantastical might be an oppropriate adjective:

In a feat of extraordinary world building he [Adams] creates a universe where a breathable atmosphere extends out between the planets, where aristocrats cruise interstellar space in biplanes and skywhals make mysterious distant orbits.

It goes on to say:

Then, with bravura plotting he undermines our own notions of reality and leaves the reader unsure which universe to believe.

So it may be less fantastical than first suggested.

From Polyston by Adam Roberts
​

 

[Rodders]

Kevin J. Anderson's Ashes of Worlds. (Book 7 in the Saga of the Seven Suns series.) I know it's not likely to be too great, but i have read the other 6 and it'll annoy me if i don't get to the end.

 

[j d worthington]

Currently reading George Gissing's The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft....

 

[Lobolover]

@ J.D. : And how long have you had that in the "to read" pile ? Kinda curious .

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Chalice by Robin McKinley. A YA novel that I had been eyeing for a while, recently released in paperback.

 

[ktabic]

Just finished reading Brasyl by Ian McDonald. Is really did bring Brazil to life and had many great ideas, but it never quite worked for me. I think it's partially because I never quite cared enough about the main characters.

 

[Diggler]

I'm reading Thomas Disch 102 H-Bombs. Just a collection of short stories by the author.