April 2022 Reading Thread

[Bick]

I found mitch rapp about the same time i found Scott harvatt...

Were they in the same alley, hiding behind some boxes?

 

[Hugh]

Poul Anderson "Tau Zero" (1970)
Hard SF involving a spaceship powered by a 'Bussard Ramjet' (apparently something hypothesised by a physicist called Bussard, and also used in novels by Larry Niven and Vernor Vinge) that is taking some fifty scientists and crew on a five year journey to colonise a planet. Something goes wrong and they lose the ability to decelerate which means they are doomed to travel the star-ways for ever.... or does it?
I got a little lost in the physics of it all, and at times tired of the crew/passengers, but it all came together quite well in the end.
I'm always amazed at Poul Anderson's ability to write well in a variety of genres while maintaining such a prolific output.

 

[tobl]

Were they in the same alley, hiding behind some boxes?

probably in some gun range having a cold one after

 

[Ian Fortytwo]

Currently reading Spring Cannot Be Cancelled. David Hockney in Normandy, by Martin Gayford.

 

[alexvss]

Keeping up with my plan of reading one fiction and one non-fiction book at the same time, I'm now reading Metal Made Flesh, after I saw a post by @Mon0Zer0. It's beautifully illustrated and it has good cyberpunk elements, but it's hard to read online. I guess it was made to be read in print.
As for the non-fiction, I'm reading On Crimes and Punishments by Cesare Beccaria. Everything feels very obvious today, more than two centuries after the treatsie's release, but I think it's important to know the origins of our laws today.

 

[Mon0Zer0]

Keeping up with my plan of reading one fiction and one non-fiction book at the same time, I'm now reading Metal Made Flesh, after I saw a post by @Mon0Zer0. It's beautifully illustrated and it has good cyberpunk elements, but it's hard to read online. I guess it was made to be read in print.

In all honesty, the first book was written ten years ago when I didn't really have a clue what I was doing. I'm planning a re-edited version to fix some of the rookie mistakes next year to coincide with the release of the final book. This will be fully kindle compatible. At the moment it's basically a pdf version of the print edition. I'll happily send you an e-copy when it's finished!

 

[worldofmutes]

@The Judge how do you like Chakraborty?

I’m reading Jack Kerouac’s On The Road for now. I was really enjoying/vibing Michael Flynn’s Lodestar. I’ll share my thoughts about it later. For the moment I want to read something my dad likes, and my best friend Joe who recommended Kerouac. So that’s what I’m reading.

 

[KGeo777]

Rasputin the Mad Monk-final line:

"Now Zargo thankfully let his knees give way. It was over. He gave himself up to death. In his last moments he had only one fear; that somewhere beyond, somewhere in hell, Rasputin was waiting for him."

 

[Dave Vicks]

I reccomend Palimpeset ( sp?) by Gore Vidal it's his memoir.

 

[Danny McG]

Back to mil sci-fi again
Battle orders by Toby Neighbors, I'd never heard of this writer but he seems quite prolific, if this proves ok I'll try a few more of his books.

Toby Neighbors

Author Toby Neighbors's list of books and series in order, with the latest releases, covers, descriptions and availability.

www.fantasticfiction.com

 

[bretbernhoft]

I was introduced to a book titled "Apophis: Into the Folds of Darkness" by Raj Anand; which is billed as a spiritual SF story. I am interested in that kind of literature, so this narrative has been a nice surprise.

 

[Brian G Turner]

Finally finished reading The Living Countryside magazine a few weeks back - 178 issues, 20-22 pages each.

Not read any novels for a while - hard to concentrate on reading them - but started Toby Frost's Up The Throne the other night and it's an enjoyable read and very polished work so far. I do like the way he drips background information into the story without explaining any of it.

 

[Pyan]

Just received my pre-ordered copy of the latest novel in Ben Aaronovitch's Rivers of London series: Amongst Our Weapons.

 

[AE35Unit]

Poul Anderson "Tau Zero" (1970)
Hard SF involving a spaceship powered by a 'Bussard Ramjet' (apparently something hypothesised by a physicist called Bussard, and also used in novels by Larry Niven and Vernor Vinge) that is taking some fifty scientists and crew on a five year journey to colonise a planet. Something goes wrong and they lose the ability to decelerate which means they are doomed to travel the star-ways for ever.... or does it?
I got a little lost in the physics of it all, and at times tired of the crew/passengers, but it all came together quite well in the end.
I'm always amazed at Poul Anderson's ability to write well in a variety of genres while maintaining such a prolific output.

Good book!

 

[Danny McG]

Oops

 

[The Judge]

@The Judge how do you like Chakraborty?

I've put it to one side at the moment.

 

[Toby Frost]

Not read any novels for a while - hard to concentrate on reading them - but started Toby Frost's Up The Throne the other night and it's an enjoyable read and very polished work so far. I do like the way he drips background information into the story without explaining any of it.

Thanks Brian, glad to hear you're enjoying it!

I'm currently reading To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee. I've never read it before. It's good so far, and I'm surprised by how amusing it is. I was expecting quite a heavy novel.

 

[The Big Peat]

I've put it to one side at the moment.

I'd been going to ask how you liked it as well - any particular reason it's not grabbing?


Anyhoo, last night I finished a reread of Tolkien's The Two Towers - although truthfully I think this is the most I've concentrated on the second part of it - and reading Dunsany's The King of Elfland's Daughter. Both enjoyable, but I do need something a bit more sprightly now.

 

[The Judge]

I'd been going to ask how you liked it as well - any particular reason it's not grabbing?

I'm finding it a bit American teenage-y in style, language and romance and I can't sympathise/empathise with and/or care about any of the characters. And as very often happens when I'm not fully committed to a story, I started jumping ahead, reading odd bits of chapters further on, and so far there's been nothing that's caught my eye and attention making me think I really need to know what's happened in between.

 

[Dan Jones]

I'm trying to plough through The City of Brass by SA Chakraborty and The Mountains of Madness by HP Lovecraft, and not succeeding very well with either.

What are you reading this month?

The City Of Brass is a new one on me, but At The Mountains Of Madness, IMO, is Lovercraft's magnum opus. The writing is very florid (I would've thought you would enjoy his style, M'Lady) and almost over-rich, but it's the story where many of his themes come together. It's worth persevering with, IMO.

I wrote up some thoughts on ATMOM on my blog, if you're interested. @Phyrebrat and I would like to have the novella featured on Chronscast at some point also, as there's quite a lot to it (plus Lovecraft is a fascinating creature more generally).