December 2022 Reading Thread

[hitmouse]

Arthur C. Clarke "The City and the Stars"
The City of Diaspar has existed for a thousand million years, its central computer ensuring a stable and harmonious society. Individuals remember many lives, their memories being stored between lives by the computer before they emerge once more in adult bodies in the Hall of Creation. Alvin, however is a unique - he has had no past lives. Perhaps the computer has created him deliberately.
There's a wonderful simplicity about old SF.

Wonderful book. I first read this as a teenager and it made a big impression.

 

[dask]

Starting this now:

 

[Dave Vicks]

Currently Ross Macdonald mystery.1962

 

[Guttersnipe]

Reading a few Alfred Hitchcock anthologies.

 

[Danny McG]

Jo's The Wildest Hunt. I just bought it for Nook over the weekend

I'm currently doing a re-read of her Inish Carraig

 

[Dave Vicks]

Up next audio THE HARDY BOYS 1934.

 

[Al Dubs Creates]

I'm finishing re-reading Brandon Sanderson's Wax and Wayne books 1-3 so I can dive into the newly released 4th book.

 

[Rodders]

I finished Judge Dredd: Kingdom of the Blind. Another enjoyable romp in Mega City One.

Now on to Judge Dredd: The Final Cut (Book 6 in the series.)

 

[HareBrain]

The Father Christmas Letters, JRR Tolkien.

Recently bought this second-hand in the large format hardback (dated 1976).

If there's a book that better suits the term "delightful", I'd be very surprised.

 

[Hugh]

The Father Christmas Letters, JRR Tolkien.

Recently bought this second-hand in the large format hardback (dated 1976).

If there's a book that better suits the term "delightful", I'd be very surprised.

It conjures up for me the feeling of being four or five years old and listening intently to Tolkien as he reads the newly arrived letter aloud.

 

[Dave Vicks]

Currently HORROR stories 2017,Anthology.
Ross Macdonald mystery 1962.

 

[Parson]

Kinda lost track of this thread. I've been reading a mediocre SF series (now on book 3) entitled The Last Hunter by J. N. Chaney and Terry Mixon. The story follows a historical exhibition of the great war ships of a past war which is forced into action by an unexpected invasion of the former enemy. Of course, there is one man who is able to mold together a crew of gamers, cadets, and academics to escape with the ship and are now planning on attacking the invaders. It's pretty run-of-the-mill stuff. But what surprises me about this is the amount of buzz there seems to be with this series. When I look at the number of ratings 3000 for the first book and still well over a 1000 for book 4 I expected something pretty special, which it is not. (Weak 4 stars)

What has really rung the bell for me is The Final Equinox by Andrew Mayne, This is a mystery whose center point is that a billionaire claims to have received a communication from an alien source and Theo Cray, a computational biologist with a gift for solving mass murder cases is asked to see if he can confirm that such a signal has been received. Mayne must be at east somewhat a SF aficionado he has a couple of nods to SF like mentioning the possibility of a robot in a murder case as a "Murderbot" and the "Three laws of robotics." (Strong 4 stars)

I've also enjoyed Odin by David Archer and Blake Banner. This is a very solid spy novel. It clearly owes a debt to the James Bond series, but in my opinion has a lot more range and grit than those. (Solid 4 stars)

 

[Danny McG]

I've spent the day reading Triple Cross, the latest in the detective Alex Cross series by James Patterson.
It was an ok(ish) serial killer hunt story but I spoiled it for myself.

After the prologue, in the opening chapter, a minor character was there assisting the person who gradually became the main suspect.

I spake thusly to myself
"Keep an eye on that one sirrah, I think it's our bunny, but the book title implies a betrayal and frame up"

Many chapters later this character was seized by the cops and I was disappointed by my prediction spoiling the story.

 

[Bick]

I finished Crucible of Time, by Jeffery Carver - brief review of the two Out of Time books can be found on my website here. In short - good and inventive, and very different to the usual space opera.

Now starting Lord of Light, by Zelazny. I want to read more Zelazny. I'll see how I get on, but I have a vague plan to focus a little on his work through 2023. I've noted the extent George R.R. Martin references Zelazny and considers him a mentor and influence when he was starting out. I've generally found GRRM's recommendations and preferences often match my own (and of course his own 70's short SF was so good, I have a lot of sympathy for his SF opinions).

 

[Dave Vicks]

Currently A Fire Upon The Deep by Verner Vinge.

 

[Victoria Silverwolf]

I am about to start Eye in the Sky (1957) by Philip K. Dick.

 

[Randy M.]

Starting an old mystery, The Plague Court Murders by John Dickson Carr.

Finished Three for the Chair by Rex Stout, three novelettes (or, as I like to call them, long short stories) featuring Nero Wolfe and his assistant, Archie Goodwin. As I wrote for GoodReads, nothing earth-shattering, although the cause of death in "A Window for Death" is novel, but these stories have the usual enjoyable give and take, love/hate relationship between Nero and Archie. It interests me that Stout does such a good job of distinguishing their voices that Goodwin doesn't have to sound stupid for Wolfe to appear as a genius.

 

[Dave Vicks]

Up next audio Horror Anthology. 16 stories.

 

[KS1951]

Intergalactic Medicine Show, powerful story in April and July 2008 issues, "The Frankenstein Diaries".

The Frankenstein Diaries by Matthew S. Rotundo - Intergalactic Medicine Show

The Frankenstein Diaries by Matthew S. Rotundo - Intergalactic Medicine Show

 

[Teresa Edgerton]

Started Sword Bearer, the new sword dancer book from Jennifer Roberson. It's been a long time since the last one came out so that I thought there might not be any more, so it was a nice surprise earlier this month to hear that this one was about to be published.