Latest SF/Fantasy Acquisitions

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By strange coincidence, I just found Consider Phlebas in a 2nd-hand bookstore. Also picked up something called The Hammer and the Cross, a 9th Century alternate history by Harry Harrison of all people. When I picked it up, I though it was Harry Turtledove. Only noticed otherwise afterward.

--A

[Loredoctor]

Book One of the Horus Heresy - Horus Rising, Dan Abnett.
Revelation Space, Alastair Reynolds.

[Farm Ur-Ted]

I bought RotE, FR and Snowcrash last weekend during the 50% off booksonboard sale. I'm psyched to finally get to read FR, but I'm going to re-read RotE first.

[AjK]

I bought RotE, FR and Snowcrash last weekend during the 50% off booksonboard sale. I'm psyched to finally get to read FR, but I'm going to re-read RotE first.

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson (if that is the one you mean) is one of my favorites! The cyborg dog is awesome. A word to the wise: Don't look up Snow Crash on Wikipedia prior to reading the book. Way too many critical spoilers. RotE and FR should come first, though!

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Just picked up American Gods, Xenocide and some random Star Wars book. Have to finish my reread of Memories of Ice and House of Chains first. (Those Erikson books are even better the 2nd time round.)

--A

[Fist and Faith]

I thought so too! (And you saw my link to MT online, right?)

[Avatar]

Uh...not sure.

(Oh wait...now I've seen it. Thanks.)

--A

[Menolly]

Fist, is it the entire book?
My experience with google books is that they cut massive amounts out in sections...

[Avatar]

IIRC, you just get a random preview of a few pages. Now, anybody with enough time might be able to reassemble the sections, if they use the whole book for it in the first place. Which they probably don't.

--A

[Fist and Faith]

Looks complete to me.

[Avatar]

It says that pages are omitted...damn it...I don't have 10 hours to sit in front of this and read it...what have you done to me Fist...must make plan...Ah...no, pages 96-543 are not part of the preview. Nor pages 550-952

--A

[Fist and Faith]

I just took a closer look. No, it's not complete. But it's waaaaaaaaay more complete than what you just said. Still, a missing page every few/several pages isn't anything I'd want.

So I know you're not done with HoC yet, but you think it's still gonna be your favorite of the first four? MoI is still at the top of the eight for me, with DG running a veeeeery close second.

[Avatar]

I dunno...MoI definitely went up in my estimation this time round. Whether it beat DHG or not, I'm not yet sure.

--A

[Farm Ur-Ted]

Dunno about MoI, but some of the "limited preview" books on google appear to have pretty much the whole darn thing there, but you're only allowed to look at a limited # of pages at a time. I was checking out a Katherine Kurtz book last night, and it let me flip through the first 50 pages before it told me I couldn't see any more (and I think the entire book was up there. Edit: it's not complete). I'm not sure if it can stop you from just closing the browser (and maybe emptying the cache or cookies) and then re-opening and starting your reading at the newest page. Kind of a cheesy thing to do, but it might work.

Here's what google says:

Many of the books you can preview on Google Book Search are still in copyright, and are displayed with the permission of publishers and authors. You can browse these "limited preview" titles just as you would in a bookstore, but you won't be able to see more pages than the copyright holder has made available.

When you've accessed the maximum number of pages allowed for a book, any remaining pages will be omitted from your preview. You can order full copies of any book using the "Buy this book" links to the right of the preview page.

[Fist and Faith]

Well, for sure, DG is as good as any book, Erikson or otherwise. But I put MoI up there, too. The horrors of the Pannion Domin; The Grey Swords in general, and Itkovian in particular; Korlat & Whiskeyjack; Rake & Whiskeyjack; Quick Ben's genius and, power...

And, of course, Tool. His "interactions" with the Seguleh. His relationship with Toc. All that's revealed about him.

Then there's Kallor, Silverfox, Paran, Kruppe, Mhybe, a couple animals and a couple gods, the Barghast, and several other important characters...

All all all all tied together into one story. Staggering.

[Farm Ur-Ted]

I just picked up Damnation Alley and This Immortal (Zelazny) at a used book store. DA has some really sweet photos of a shirtless Jan Michael Vincent in it.

[Mysteweave]

Before my current re-read of the 2nd Chronicles, I picked up Wizard's First Rule by Terry Goodkind. I was looking for a new fantasy fix.

Unfortunately, after struggling through the first seven chapters, it did absolutely nothing for me.

[Lord Mhoram]

I just picked up Damnation Alley and This Immortal (Zelazny) at a used book store. DA has some really sweet photos of a shirtless Jan Michael Vincent in it.

Both good novels. This Immortal is actually a great novel, I'd wager.

[Ryzel]

Zelazny has done some great stuff in his time, although I do not think that "This Immortal" is the best of his stuff. I actually have not read Damnation Alley, but it is one of those that I really should read.

[Ryzel]

This weekend I visited my local bookstory, intending to pick up my comics and see if something new had arrived.


And it had!

Apparently Subterranean Press has re-released the chronicles of Master Li and Number Ten Ox in a beautiful hardcover omnibus edition for only $38.

If you are, as I am, already a fan of these three books, here is a chance to get them in a deluxe edition.

www.subterraneanpress.com/Merchant2/mer ... t_Count=16