February 2020 Reading Thread

[Extollager]

As I've said here before, Simak (or his editors) often gave his stories noncommittal or even dull titles. Not always, of course. But I wonder if the prevalence of such titles could reduce the attractiveness of Simak for prospective new readers.

Here are examples:

A Rediscovery of Clifford D. Simak - A Reading Challenge

As much enjoyment as Simak's writing has been giving me since I started seeking it out in 2008, I'm thinking that one thing that dulled my interest for so long was the titles of quite a few of his short stories. See if you can imagine a time when you weren't a dedicated Simak fan, and suppose...

www.sffchronicles.com

 

[Abernovo]

I finished Becky Chambers' novella To Be Taught, If Fortunate.

Absolutely brilliant, Not part of her Wayfarers series, this is a standalone hymn to space exploration, and science. It's quite slow-moving, but full of her usual depth of characterisation, and world building. It's both very modern, and harks back to the science fiction optimism of the Apollo years, cut through with a dark turn reminiscent of Bradbury.

Taking a short break from sff for a touch of romance, so some Missouri Vaun is up next. From a century and a half into the future, back to the 1930s.

 

[dask]

Putting everything on hold and reading this:

just 'cause I have to. (Not my copy by the way. Mine's a lot rougher but readable.)

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

I'm reading A Perfect Spy, by John le Carre. One of my favourites.

 

[the_philmarillion]

Currently juggling between reading The Bitter Twins, Book 2 of The Winnowing Flame trilogy by Jen Williams, and The Moon Rogue, Book 1 of The Arc of the Sky by LMR Clarke

 

[Parson]

Just finished Pretty Girls Dancing by Kylie Brant --- a solid mystery which had me guessing until the big reveal. My leading guess was wrong and the perpetrator was logical when you looked back. I'm torn about what to read next. I have two queued up on my Kindle Fire Fate of Devotion by K. F. Breene the sequel (maybe #2 in a series) to Fate of Perfection which takes place in the weirdest of dystopian futures. A future where, although much has gone as badly as possible, there is a realistic hope. Or maybe my choice will be a thriller The Last Sister by Kendra Elliot one of my favorite authors in this genre.

 

[Randy M.]

You seem to have a predilection for writers whose first name starts with K, Parson.

Still plugging away at Tiger in the Smoke by Margery Allingham. More time to read or more energy when I have the time and I think I'd have finished this by now. Good mystery so far all the same.

Randy M.

 

[Av Demeisen]

An undamaged US hardcover of William Gibson's Agency has finally been delivered (only took 3 returns ). I'm putting my reread of Virtual Light on hold until I'm finished with Agency. Virtual Light is still very enjoyable. Beautifully written, but it's not like there is anything resembling a complicated plot to lose track of.

 

[Hugh]

Jack Williamson's autobiography "Wonder's Child. My Life in Science Fiction"
I really enjoyed this - I find it very interesting reading about the lives of the early SF pioneers. His very early years were spent in a primitive hut in Apache country in a remote area of Northern Mexico accessible only by packmule. Age 3 he was back over the border due to Pancho Villa and the Mexican Revolution. Later, age 7 when his father's farm in Texas got into difficulties, the family travelled by covered wagon alongside their cattle and horses to homestead in New Mexico. A very different world. Unable to mix much socially, particularly with women, he was inspired by Hugo Gernsback's "Amazing", to the extent that he began writing stories. Despite making a living through his stories, he remained isolated and these personal difficulties took him to two separate years of psychoanalysis. It's all very interesting. Very good also on the helpful nature of his relationship with John Campbell at Astounding (He gives dianetics short shrift). As with many biographies, the later chapters are less interesting for me, though I find his further studies and teaching/lecturing impressive.

 

[Hugh]

A curious note to the Jack Williamson autobiography.

My copy is a discard from the Iowa State University Library. When I started reading it, I found this inside...

 

[Paul_C]

I finished Dead Astronauts.

I would love to agree with some of the reviews of it, which describe it in glowing terms, but either I'm not sufficiently erudite to understand it, or it's rubbish.

I really enjoyed the Southern Reach books as I enjoyed the Kefahuchi Tract books, finishing them without everything being explained or all loose ends tied up, but this felt like that approach taken to the extreme, so the book ended with me just happy not to have to read it any more (if I'd picked it up for 99p on my Kindle I would probably have given up on it, but I bought it as a hardback, so ploughed on in the hope it would ultimately prove satisfying, but sadly not).

Not to worry, there are hundreds on my TBR list, so maybe the next book will be a joy.

 

[Av Demeisen]

Really liking Agency, though I'm not far into it yet. It feels a lot like a continuation of The Peripheral with Lowbeer, Netherton and Ash all making early appearances. We are also given a small update on what's happening in Flynne's stub.

 

[Danny McG]

Really liking Agency, though I'm not far into it yet. It feels a lot like a continuation of The Peripheral with Lowbeer, Netherton and Ash all making early appearances. We are also given a small update on what's happening in Flynne's stub.

I enjoyed it to maybe just past halfway. Then my eyes started to glaze over with techno babble. I think it got a tad too padded out from then onwards.

I still finished it, but IMO it could have been edited a bit sharper at the back end....I wonder if the editing team got changed at some point?

 

[Vince W]

I enjoyed it to maybe just past halfway. Then my eyes started to glaze over with techno babble. I think it got a tad too padded out from then onwards.

I still finished it, but IMO it could have been edited a bit sharper at the back end....I wonder if the editing team got changed at some point?

The ending felt a bit sudden to me. Almost like Gibson stopped there because he realised if he went further he'd spoil the conclusion in the next book. At least I hope there's a next book.

 

[Av Demeisen]

I still finished it, but IMO it could have been edited a bit sharper at the back end....I wonder if the editing team got changed at some point?

It did actually. See the afterword. His editor, with him since Neuromancer, retired somewhere during the writing.

 

[Av Demeisen]

The ending felt a bit sudden to me. Almost like Gibson stopped there because he realised if he went further he'd spoil the conclusion in the next book. At least I hope there's a next book.

This could become his best trilogy.

 

[Vince W]

I'm not sure anything he writes will top the Sprawl trilogy for me. It will probably be his best selling trilogy.

 

[Av Demeisen]

I still love Neuromancer, but I had forgotten about the different direction of the sequels, e.g. the 'voodoo' stuff. That didn't appeal to me rereading the others some years ago.

 

[Paul_C]

I've started something much more entertaining (so far) Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.

Lesbian necromancers in space, apparently.

 

[Danny McG]

I've started something much more entertaining (so far) Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir.

Lesbian necromancers in space, apparently.

Cheers Paul. Good find.
I'd never heard of it, but it's downloaded now and in my TBR file .