February's Febrile Focus For Finding Fulfilling Fiction

[Lord Captain Woden]

I felt pretty much the same about Babel-17 (I actually preferred the associated novella Empire Star). Also, sorry to say that I go against the grain on the Forever War. Everyone seems to love this book which I thought was no more than a rather shabby SF retelling of the Vietnam War. But I'm very much the exception on that one.

Really? I finished it about an hour ago and thought it was fantastic, can't think of one bad thing about it.

Onto I Am Legend next, it's rather slim so I'll probably finish it sometime tommorow.

 

[Vertigo]

You found Moon is a Harsh Mistress an easy read, and I found it a struggle, like certain words had been edited out.

Yeah if you look at my review I make mention of that fact in it; the dropping of articles mainly. I did think of you when I was reading it as I recall you being unhappy with that! However I found I got used to it pretty quickly, but then I enjoyed Banks' Feersum Endjinn, which is a lot harder to read and took much longer to get into the rythm of it!

Really? I finished it about an hour ago and thought it was fantastic, can't think of one bad thing about it.

Onto I Am Legend next, it's rather slim so I'll probably finish it sometime tommorow.

Yeah, as I said, I'm a bit of an exception to most people on my feelings about the Forever War. There was obviously something about it that just didn't work for me. I've read a couple more of his books and found them pretty 'meh' as well. Probably just something about his writing style that doesn't work for me. Bear in mind that, whilst I didn't actually dislike it, I was also pretty ambivalent about Bester's The Stars My Destination, which everyone else always raves about. Horses for courses I guess.

Incidentally I was quite surprised by how much I liked I Am Legend; not my normal style of book at all, but something about it caught and held my attention throughout. Looks like you are working your way through the SF Masterworks!

 

[Lord Captain Woden]

Incidentally I was quite surprised by how much I liked I Am Legend; not my normal style of book at all, but something about it caught and held my attention throughout. Looks like you are working your way through the SF Masterworks!

Thats the plan, although I don't necessarily plan on reading them in order. I'm thinking of getting the first 25 (I've already got 11 of them) and reading them in whatever order I fancy and then doing the same for the next 25 and so on. Also while I'm doing this I'll be picking up various other bits and pieces from well known authors that (as far as I know) aren't in the Masterworks such as Asimov or Heinlein.

 

[monsterchic]

Pushing the Limit-Katie McGarry

This is the best book I've read in months, possibly years. It's riveting, compelling, and all the other qualities I want in a book. 10 out of 5 stars.

 

[randomfromamber]

Finished A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge. Found it very hard going at first, wow, am I glad I hung in there. Amazing book.

 

[AE35Unit]

Finished A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge. Found it very hard going at first, wow, am I glad I hung in there. Amazing book.

I so want to read that!

 

[Vertigo]

Finished A Fire Upon the Deep, by Vernor Vinge. Found it very hard going at first, wow, am I glad I hung in there. Amazing book.

I see Neal Asher has given it 5 stars and since he's one of my current favourite authors I have added to my wish list 'pile.'

 

[Lord Captain Woden]

Finished I Am Legend, didn't take long. I ended up enjoying it more than I thought and although its small I don't think it was overly fast paced. Definitely one that I'll be re reading in the future.

Next is Cities In Flight. I've heard mixed reviews for this so I've decided to take it one novel at a time, so if I don't like the first one I'll just leave the others to read at a later date.

 

[AE35Unit]

Next is Cities In Flight. I've heard mixed reviews for this so I've decided to take it one novel at a time, so if I don't like the first one I'll just leave the others to read at a later date.

I have these in a large blue omnibus with rounded corners. Bit of a doorstop!

 

[Vertigo]

Finished I Am Legend, didn't take long. I ended up enjoying it more than I thought and although its small I don't think it was overly fast paced. Definitely one that I'll be re reading in the future.

Next is Cities In Flight. I've heard mixed reviews for this so I've decided to take it one novel at a time, so if I don't like the first one I'll just leave the others to read at a later date.

Cities in flight is quite fun (I loved the fact that he has talking computers and slide rules coexistent) however be aware that it is really a collection of stories brought together into several 'novels.'

 

[AE35Unit]

Doesnt Cities in Flight feature the Spindizzys and the Ansible? (Or is it the Dirac?) Always been curious about those spindizzys...

 

[Southern Geologist]

I just finished The Long Tomorrow. I didn't particularly like it, but that wasn't the author's fault. The book was well-written and I normally appreciate dystopias, but the religious hell the author painted made for a world that I really, really hated. I'm now starting on The Martian Chronicles.

 

[AE35Unit]

I just finished The Long Tomorrow. I didn't particularly like it, but that wasn't the author's fault. The book was well-written and I normally appreciate dystopias, .

Is that the Baxter/Pratchett collab?

 

[Vertigo]

Spindizzy and Dirac was the discoverer I think (Ansible is Asher) based on the idea that both magnetism and gravity are phenomena of rotation.

 

[AE35Unit]

Spindizzy and Dirac was the discoverer I think (Ansible is Asher) based on the idea that both magnetism and gravity are phenomena of rotation.

Ansible was around well before Asher! David Langford uses it for the name of his newsletter.

 

[The Judge]

Isn't ansible a Le Guin coining? I'm sure I recall it from The Dispossessed as a communication device/technology.

Anyhow, I've finished Kraken, and I've now started Margaret Atwood's In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination. Very interesting, and full of witty asides.

 

[AE35Unit]

Isn't ansible a Le Guin coining? I'm sure I recall it from The Dispossessed as a communication device/technology.

Anyhow, I've finished Kraken, and I've now started Margaret Atwood's In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination. Very interesting, and full of witty asides.

What did you think of Kraken?

 

[Southern Geologist]

Is that the Baxter/Pratchett collab?

No, it's by Leigh Brackett.

 

[AE35Unit]

No, it's by Leigh Brackett.

Ah right
Similar title I think.

 

[j d worthington]

Next is Cities In Flight. I've heard mixed reviews for this so I've decided to take it one novel at a time, so if I don't like the first one I'll just leave the others to read at a later date.

One word of warning: Unless memory fails me, the first of this set is the weakest (as far as holding reader interest), yet it lays the groundwork for things later. After that point, they improve.