June 2020 Reading Thread

[Foxbat]

Just started Frank Herbert’s Hellstrom’s Hive. It’s a novel I’ve read before a few years ago but I think it’s good enough to merit a return to it.

 

[The Big Peat]

Well well well well well WELL well.

I Googled (persevering despite multiple failures to type "Moorcock" correctly) and the first result I clicked on was this.

Moorcock's essay on conservativism in fantasy

I just came across this essay - it is somewhat old, but has been revised fairly recently, as it includes references to newer authors as well as old. Maybe people here are already familiar with it, but I would like to hear people's opinions on it, whether you've read it before or this is the...

bestfantasybooks.com

Which turned out to be by a thinly disguised alias of our own @The Big Peat.

Peat, you've been leading people astray! Desist!

And what else would I do for entertainment?

In any case - I stand by it, with the added addendum that what is considered grimdark is so hopelessly confused that the title is only a few short steps up from Father of Flurbleglub in terms of usefulness. I can see how someone could have a definition where they wouldn't get the elements they'd expect from Moorcock - hence the arguably - but I do see something there in the amorality, the action-driven narratives, the subversiveness.

I'd also point out that as the Warhammer Universe is the originator of the term grimdark, and Moorcock is almost definitely the single biggest influence on the game in terms of authors, he is almost definitely in the family tree somewhere, and that Father of X doesn't always mean they're the evolved thing themselves. Tolkien's probably the undisputed father of epic fantasy, but someone who read Wheel of Time and Sanderson and Malazan and what not would might well feel disappointed in LotR if they're expecting it to be like them.

 

[Hugh]

In any case - I stand by it, with the added addendum that what is considered grimdark is so hopelessly confused that the title is only a few short steps up from Father of Flurbleglub in terms of usefulness.

Furbleglub? any recommended authors?

 

[williamjm]

“Battle Royale” by Koushun Takami
Far better written and far more believeable than "The Hunger Games."

This reminds me of a joke I heard around about the time the Hunger Games film was released:

"What do they call The Hunger Games in France?"
"Battle Royale, with cheese."

I've not read Battle Royale but comparing the film adaptations I think it's definitely superior to the Hunger Games film (although I liked them both).

 

[The Big Peat]

Re-read Mercedes Lackey's Storm Warning. Nice quick read that, most importantly, focuses on people seeking healing and putting ancient enmities aside.

I would however add that, being on an electronic copy, I spent a solid five seconds or so trying to go to the next page when I hit the end, because it so felt like there should be extra pages. Which is probably not great.

 

[Parson]

Well, I've been putting off my review of Network Effect by Martha Wells. The reason for the delay is that I'm not sure what to say. First, I think it's highly relevant that I liked the first 4 Murderbot novellas a LOT! In fact, I did something I almost never do and spent nearly $15 on an ebook. In the end I’m not sure it was worth it. I still very much liked Murderbot’s voice. It (I still think of it as a she.) is coming into her own as an individual and as a friend, and that’s what this book is mainly about. It is perhaps a bit too much about that, as it sometimes seems to drag a bit. But the situations it finds itself in are interesting and dangerous. I would say that it is in more danger in this novel than probably anywhere in the previous novellas. I give the book a solid 4 stars, but that is less than the 5 stars I give the novellas, which I believe to be S.F. books which will still be widely read 20 years from now. If the next book were a Kindle Unlimited book I would put name up for the next one, But right now, I’m not ready to preorder the next installment for $13 which isn’t due until early 2021. By then I just might be intrigued again.

I have also finished An Equal Justice and An Unequal Defense by Chad Zunker. There are the first 2 in a series of the David Adams series. David Adams is a lawyer with top notch credentials, but who has decided to defend the homeless in Austin Texas. These are short novels app. 250 pages, and read easily in a night. They are excellent tales and worth reading for that alone. But Zunker is without peer when it comes to writing about homeless people as fully realized characters. He has spent 15 years of his life working with them to house them and has a heart for these people which comes through clearly. Highly recommended!

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

During my week away from the computer I completed Straight Outta Tombstone (2017) edited by David Boop, an anthology of Weird West stories. I am about to start Mission: Tomorrow (2015) edited by Bryan Thomas Schmidt, an anthology of solar system exploration stories set in a post-NASA near future.

 

[dask]

How was the Weird West anthology.Sounds cool.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

How was the Weird West anthology.Sounds cool.

Heavy on violent action. Lots of monsters fighting cowboys and such. There were several stories from series created by the authors (the Dresden Files, etc.) Overall, it was light entertainment.

 

[Vertigo]

Well, I've been putting off my review of Network Effect by Martha Wells. The reason for the delay is that I'm not sure what to say. First, I think it's highly relevant that I liked the first 4 Murderbot novellas a LOT! In fact, I did something I almost never do and spent nearly $15 on an ebook. In the end I’m not sure it was worth it. I still very much liked Murderbot’s voice. It (I still think of it as a she.) is coming into her own as an individual and as a friend, and that’s what this book is mainly about. It is perhaps a bit too much about that, as it sometimes seems to drag a bit. But the situations it finds itself in are interesting and dangerous. I would say that it is in more danger in this novel than probably anywhere in the previous novellas. I give the book a solid 4 stars, but that is less than the 5 stars I give the novellas, which I believe to be S.F. books which will still be widely read 20 years from now. If the next book were a Kindle Unlimited book I would put name up for the next one, But right now, I’m not ready to preorder the next installment for $13 which isn’t due until early 2021. By then I just might be intrigued again.

I have also finished An Equal Justice and An Unequal Defense by Chad Zunker. There are the first 2 in a series of the David Adams series. David Adams is a lawyer with top notch credentials, but who has decided to defend the homeless in Austin Texas. These are short novels app. 250 pages, and read easily in a night. They are excellent tales and worth reading for that alone. But Zunker is without peer when it comes to writing about homeless people as fully realized characters. He has spent 15 years of his life working with them to house them and has a heart for these people which comes through clearly. Highly recommended!

Sadly I wasn't that impressed with the first book, certainly not enough to continue paying what Martha Wells or her publishers seem to think is a fair price, and the price of the full novel is no improvement. I'm afraid there's no way I'm going to pay the £6 - £7 she's asking for the novellas (more than I'll normally pay for a Hamilton 1000 pager) nor will I pay £10 for a 350 page book. I simply feel she is taking the p*** with those prices. I can't think of any other SF author charging so much for so little.

Sorry, this one winds me up a little

 

[Parson]

Sadly I wasn't that impressed with the first book, certainly not enough to continue paying what Martha Wells or her publishers seem to think is a fair price, and the price of the full novel is no improvement. I'm afraid there's no way I'm going to pay the £6 - £7 she's asking for the novellas (more than I'll normally pay for a Hamilton 1000 pager) nor will I pay £10 for a 350 page book. I simply feel she is taking the p*** with those prices. I can't think of any other SF author charging so much for so little.

Sorry, this one winds me up a little

I understand and agree. But I wonder if it's more her publisher? But then if it's not, I guess anyone can charge whatever they want and realize that they might sell less books with the hope of making more money.

I suppose the bright side is that if she can sell tens of thousands of books at this price, there is likely a greater market for S.F. books that some imagine there to be.

I tried to find out how many "books" were sold, but couldn't. I did find this jaw dropper. Tor was giving away the 4 novellas for free earlier this month.

Download All 4 Murderbot Books For Free (Before Network Effect Arrives!)

 

[Vertigo]

I understand and agree. But I wonder if it's more her publisher? But then if it's not, I guess anyone can charge whatever they want and realize that they might sell less books with the hope of making more money.

I suppose the bright side is that if she can sell tens of thousands of books at this price, there is likely a greater market for S.F. books that some imagine there to be.

I tried to find out how many "books" were sold, but couldn't. I did find this jaw dropper. Tor was giving away the 4 novellas for free earlier this month.

Download All 4 Murderbot Books For Free (Before Network Effect Arrives!)

Yes, it could, of course, be the publisher but I'd have considered that to be atypical of Tor. Regardless, I'm afraid I'm not paying that price. But I'm not exactly running out of things to read so that's okay too!

 

[Vertigo]

I understand and agree. But I wonder if it's more her publisher? But then if it's not, I guess anyone can charge whatever they want and realize that they might sell less books with the hope of making more money.

I suppose the bright side is that if she can sell tens of thousands of books at this price, there is likely a greater market for S.F. books that some imagine there to be.

I tried to find out how many "books" were sold, but couldn't. I did find this jaw dropper. Tor was giving away the 4 novellas for free earlier this month.

Download All 4 Murderbot Books For Free (Before Network Effect Arrives!)

Incidentally, for transparency, I do wonder if, had I seen that offer before it expired, I would have downloaded them anyway despite not being that happy with the first one. Hmmm???

 

[williamjm]

I understand and agree. But I wonder if it's more her publisher?

I'd be a bit surprised if any author has much of a say in how much their books are sold for (unless they're self-publishing, obviously).

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

I have never heard of a publishing house that allows an author to have any input at all into the price of their books, and I would be very surprised indeed to hear that any major publisher did so.

 

[Danny McG]

Rob Hart - The warehouse.

A bit tricky to categorise so far, I think I need to read a few more chapters and get my head around what's going on.
Weird

This is set in a mega (Amazon style) warehouse of the future.
Very dystopian and grim in it's employee treatment, with a multi billionaire owner who's really good at dealing with the media.
Good story so far

 

[Brian G Turner]

Finished a few works of fiction over the past couple of days:

The Dark Forest by Cixin Lui - the sequel to the Three Body Problem started interestingly enough, but around two-thirds of the way through I felt that the story became badly contrived and when the end came it felt very rushed. Enjoyable enough, but easily over-shadowed by the first book in the series I think.

Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach - a book recommended to me more than 30 years ago, but I found little illumination in it today. It's only a short-story and the content seemed superficial and confused, and nowhere near as engaging as other contemporary authors such as Timothy Leary and Carlos Castaneda.

The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway - a 100-page story about a Cuban fishermen who sets out to catch a big fish. In between him talking to himself there are detailed descriptions of him pulling on his lines, having backache, and feeling hungry. It's effect on modern literature is lost to me - perhaps some see in it an epic of man conquering nature, but all I found was a disturbing story about pride driving the mindless destruction of wildlife.

 

[Elckerlyc]

Started The Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold. So far, so good. After a slow start it grabbed me. I kept reading until I noticed it was 3am.
I don't think I have read anything from her before. Don't ask me why, because I would have to confess that I don't know. Anyway, if this is her usual writing style, than I can add some more books to my TBR.

 

[tobl]

Finished a few works of fiction over the past couple of days:

The Dark Forest by Cixin Lui - the sequel to the Three Body Problem started interestingly enough, but around two-thirds of the way through I felt that the story became badly contrived and when the end came it felt very rushed. Enjoyable enough, but easily over-shadowed by the first book in the series I think.

Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach - a book recommended to me more than 30 years ago, but I found little illumination in it today. It's only a short-story and the content seemed superficial and confused, and nowhere near as engaging as other contemporary authors such as Timothy Leary and Carlos Castaneda.

it's called a methafor. lolo try reading with a open mind

 

[Brian G Turner]

try reading with a open mind

Try reading Chronicles of Empire 1: Gathering, then get back to me on that.