So what is your August majesty reading?

[GOLLUM]

And that makes me 4,000 posts!

I think I can just see you as a speck on the horizon..... Hands over keys to side-door allowing temporary access to 5th and 6th level bar areas....

 

[Ursa major]

OI!

There's no need to use the side-door, AE. Denizens of the 6th level are friendly types and welcome their guests, with one well-known exception (who has his own methods of entry), through the front door.

* Seals side door. *


I haven't read any of Asher's books. I would like to, but I want to know which is the best starting point. (I would go with a list based on the date of publication, but do not know this author well enough to know if this is the correct approach.)

 

[Vertigo]

I haven't read any of Asher's books. I would like to, but I want to know which is the best starting point. (I would go with a list based on the date of publication, but do not know this author well enough to know if this is the correct approach.)

I started with Gridlinked - the first of the Cormac books and, I think, the first published of his full length novels. I had no problem with this but have now decided to read all his Polity novels (Cormac, Polity and Spatterjay) in their story chronological order. Neal Asher kindly published a timeline for this here: http://www.sffchronicles.co.uk/forum/525773-wheres-the-best-place-to-start.html

As to the published order if you want to read each series separately then there is this:

Agent Cormac
1. Gridlinked (2001)
2. The Line of Polity (2003)
3. Brass Man (2005)
4. Polity Agent (2006)
5. The Line War (2008)

Spatterjay
1. The Skinner (2002)
2. The Voyage of the Sable Keech (2006)
3. Orbus (2009)

Polity
1. Prador Moon (2006)
2. Hilldiggers (2007)
3. Shadow of the Scorpion (2008)
4. The Technician (2010)
The Gabble: And Other Stories (2008)

There is also one non Polity novel - Cowl (2004) as well as some short story collections.

Note that whilst the publication dates of the Cormac and Spatterjay books does follow the chronology, this is not the case with the general Polity Novels where Hilldiggers is actually last in the timeline. That said I believe they are all much more standalone than the others.

It took me a while to decide on my reading order which is why I have so much info to hand . Half way through Prador Moon now and it certainly hasn't caused any problems having started with Gridlinked, so I guess you takes your choice...

 

[soulsinging]

Just finished Brave New World and I'm gutted...I wasn't that impressed with Huxley's style. Much prefer 1984. YES I know they are different animals...but still.

I felt the exact same way about Brave New World. I think it's vision of the future is likely a whole lot more accurate, but as a novel it was really underwhelming.

 

[Connavar]

Im reading A White Arrest by Ken Bruen, a police book that is more about different characters,humour,dialogues.

 

[Talysia]

I'm now moving on to Ursula Le Guin's The Other Wind.

 

[sci-fi girl]

I'm reading "Stone of farewell" by Tad Williams.

 

[AE35Unit]

OI!

There's no need to use the side-door, AE. Denizens of the 6th level are friendly types and welcome their guests, with one well-known exception (who has his own methods of entry), through the front door.

* Seals side door. *

Good to know! What's a Bears favourite tipple anyway?

I haven't read any of Asher's books. I would like to, but I want to know which is the best starting point. (I would go with a list based on the date of publication, but do not know this author well enough to know if this is the correct approach.)

You could just start with the one I read, Prador Moon. Its standalone (or certainly reads that way) is reasonably short and fast paced n techy!

 

[Moontravler]

Congrats, AE, from a lowly poster in the mere 1200's.

Just started Under Heaven by Guy Gavriel Kay last night. Was too damn tired to read, got three pages in, and whammo! Woke up later with my glasses askew and the book in my lap. Not a comment on the book, rather on my physical condition at the time.

I'd like to hear your feedback when finished (or at least halfway, if you're going to take anywhere as long as myself with this one), Clansman.

I'm coming close to halfway into the book, but I was off to a slow start, been nibbling at it, since there just seemed to be too much poeticism and different threads to pick up at the beginning, but then that was my problem with Song for Arbonne as well.

I'm finally at a point now where I hopefully have become acquainted with most of the main characters, and the story is starting to make more sense.

As usual, Kay manages to portray the flavour of a culture very nicely, - I do think he has managed to reasonably pin down the Chinese Tang dynasty as much as a modern-day Westerner writing for a modern audience could be expected to. ..but I'm not far enough in to give a proper verdict yet.

..as they say, "It ain't over until the fat lady sings.."

Other books on my reading tray at the moment: The Improbable Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Only read 3 stories yet, but been fun so far.

I'd just finished with Stephen King's Desperation a few days ago. I'm not sure what to make of the whole God thing... -not sure whether King is serious or poking fun. I did enjoy it a bit more than his usual horror offerings, but I'm starting to realise (no, I knew it already, but...*shrug*) that I simply don't like King's visceral brand of horror. I did like the bits of introspection, though. I was thinking of trying King's Lisey's Story sometime; I so want to try and understand the popular obsession with the man.

 

[Vertigo]

Well just finished Prador Moon from Neal Asher and whilst I throughly enjoyed Gridlinked I thought this was even better, with more depth to it. I loved some of his ideas like a piezoelectric component in hull armour that converts hits from the enemey into usable energy. Literally "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger" - Brilliant. Looking forward to working my through the rest of Neal Asher's material.

Ursa: having finished Prador Moon now, which as I stated above is chronologically the first (set some 130 odd years before Gridlinked), I would now say that Gridlinked (being his frst written) does, I think, introduce and explain some of the technology a bit better. Also having now read Prador Moon I don't think there were any spoilers in Gridlinked - I think it only once or twice refered to earlier events in passing.

Now switching genres for a while to read Assassin's Quest from Robin Hobb. I am approaching this with a little trepdiation as I am so far a touch disappointed by this trilogy. Seems a little formulaic to me and even ignoring Fitz the rest of the characters are all pretty depressing in their own ways. Still we shall see how it goes.

 

[Mouse]

Robin Hobb is awesome. ^

I just started The Queen's Necklace by Teresa Edgerton last night. Read the prologue so far.

 

[Ursa major]

You could just start with the one I read, Prador Moon. Its standalone (or certainly reads that way) is reasonably short and fast paced n techy!

Thanks, AE.

Ursa: having finished Prador Moon now, which as I stated above is chronologically the first (set some 130 odd years before Gridlinked), I would now say that Gridlinked (being his frst written) does, I think, introduce and explain some of the technology a bit better. Also having now read Prador Moon I don't think there were any spoilers in Gridlinked - I think it only once or twice refered to earlier events in passing.

That's exactly the info I was looking for. Thanks.



Looks like I'll be starting with Prador Moon, when I can get hold of a copy.

 

[J-WO]

Have postponed my epic short-storiad and have started on The Centauri Device by M. John Harrison.

Definitely daddy to the new space opera, if the first eighty pages are anything to go by.

 

[murphy]

I was on the second book (Spellsong War) of Modesitt's Spellsong cycle and lost interest. I got tired of reading all the time about how Anna complains that she has to eat like a horse to maintain her magic powers. Of course, she is still too thin. Grrr! Anyhow, moved on to a book I've been waiting for - Cast in Chaos by Michelle Sagara. It's nice to be among familiar characters again.

The Spellsong War was my least favorite of all Modesitt's series I gave up on it also part way through.

Now reading Chris Wooding's The Braided Path. It's the omnibus edition of the Weavers of Saramyr trilogy. I'm finding it kind of a slog and hoping the book does improve.

 

[Lord Soth]

The Spellsong War was my least favorite of all Modesitt's series I gave up on it also part way through.

Now reading Chris Wooding's The Braided Path. It's the omnibus edition of the Weavers of Saramyr trilogy. I'm finding it kind of a slog and hoping the book does improve.

Read the same a few months ago, although I finished it it I didn't think it was anything special... in fact that between book 2 / 3 i left it and read something else.

Hopefully it will be more to your taste than mine!

 

[Connavar]

20,000 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. Finally decided it was time to try Verne and his classic work.

So far its a very fun story and a book that has barely dated. Compared to Wells that i thought was almost horribly dated early in his writing.

 

[murphy]

Read the same a few months ago, although I finished it it I didn't think it was anything special... in fact that between book 2 / 3 i left it and read something else.

Hopefully it will be more to your taste than mine!

I've heard that Wooding's Retribution Falls is much better. A kind of cross between Firefly and The Lies of Locke Lamorra. That's in my TBR pile and maybe up next. If I like it, I'll buy the next book in the series.

 

[The Judge]

Just finished Robin Hobb's The Dragon Keeper. Not overwhelmed with enthusiasm, I have to confess.

 

[AE35Unit]

20,000 Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Jules Verne. Finally decided it was time to try Verne and his classic work.

So far its a very fun story and a book that has barely dated. Compared to Wells that i thought was almost horribly dated early in his writing.

I read that last year and tho not a lot happens and its not very SF'nal I enjoyed the journey. Much better tho is his Journey to the Centre of the Earth which I've only read as a Purnell's illustrated children's edition-I suspect it may be well abridged!

 

[Vertigo]

I have both of them in my TBR list. So much to read and so little time to read it