What fantasy/science fiction book are you reading RIGHT NOW?

[ussusimiel]

Every time I look for The Stormcaller, I find The Stormcaller. I have the first one, because it looked interesting enough for $.50 at the used bookstore. Maybe I'll read it in the next year or so.

Now that I think of it the one I read by Tom Lloyd reminded me a bit of Erikson. Not as good, of course, but I think you might like it, Fist.

u.

[Fist and Faith]

Don't be throwing more stuff on my pile!!

[ussusimiel]

Don't be throwing more stuff on my pile!!

Those in glass houses

u.

[Avatar]

OSC Shadow Puppets.

--A

[Frostheart Grueburn]

I may have to begin reading something else during my lunch breaks than Erikson/Esslemont.

Monday:

Spoiler

"--Then a great torrent of blood and fluids came gushing down from the man's waist, down over his legs, splattering amid falling wet glistening coils and viscera. The man almost split in half. Yusek screamed, jumping backwards. --"

Tuesday:

Spoiler

"-- The shadows of alien blossoms streamed down upon a mass of human carcasses. Many still wore their helmets. Their feet remained in boots. The meat of calf and thigh was gone, as were the viscera from empty gutted chests and abdomens. Ribcages gaped like open mouths hanging with desiccated strips of flesh and meat. Antsy had seen similar remains after battles where scavengers had picked over the dead, taking the choice bits and leaving the rest. --"

I have quite a vivid imagination and it's not necessarily fun to eat your steak with that plastered across your mental canvas. These books are captivating, but fail in the appetizing department.

[Iolanthe]

Good God! I know what I won't be reading!

[Avatar]

You're missing out Iolanthe. They're incredible, if you like big complicated epics.

I'm reading Shadow of the Giant, last of the Shadow series.

--A

[Frostheart Grueburn]

Yeah, they're much better written than the everyday epic fantasy from Jordan to random hacks clinging to the orphan farmboy theme, have some truly intriguing world-building and believable, flawed characters (I already have several favorites: Whiskeyjack/Tattersail/Karsa/Icarium/Kruppe...), not the mention the SRD-esque broodybits. However, the violence gets on my nerves; splattergore has the proper scare-effect when strewn here or there in moderation, but after a while it gets old. At least the first Karsa book wasn't as intestinesome as Memories of Ice. Then again, George RR Martin's works suffer from the exact same problem.

[Holsety]

I'm not reading one atm, but "Red Mars" is within the radius of my right arm. I know because I picked it up and looked at the cover.

[Shaun das Schaf]

Red Mars (and the other colour Marses) are about two metres from me. Maybe if I had longer arms I'd be able to touch them, but regardless, I didn't feel confident in committing to a trilogy right now so I've gone for Flowers For Algernon.

Actually, that committing to a trilogy thing is a bit misleading since it seems a bad habit of mine to read the first book in a series, then come back 1-2 years later and wonder who the bloody hell all these people are. (Did it with The Book of the New Sun, the Hyperion Cantos, the Riddlemaster series, the Malazan books - though, Fist aside, I reckon I'm in good company with that one - and countless others.)

Its a variation in book-food thing I think.

Whoops, wandered off-topic. Bed time me thinks. Nearly 2 am.

[Iolanthe]

You're missing out Iolanthe. They're incredible, if you like big complicated epics.

--A

No Av, Sci Fi is not my genre - apart from the Gap series which I surprisingly enjoyed. I have too many Terry Pratchets to get through!

[Frostheart Grueburn]

You're missing out Iolanthe. They're incredible, if you like big complicated epics.

--A

No Av, Sci Fi is not my genre - apart from the Gap series which I surprisingly enjoyed. I have too many Terry Pratchets to get through!

Malazan is high fantasy. A world with its own magic system, several intelligent non-human races, and gods interacting closely with the different characters. Akin to a complex mythology or a role-playing game brought alive.

[Shaun das Schaf]

I second Av's thoughts Iolanthe. And they're not sci-fi, they're... um.. epic fantasy?

I'll wait for one of the big Watch guns to come and correct that if it's the wrong genre description, but definitely not sf.

Not wanting to interfere with your Pratchett run, just recommending them for a later date!

ETA: Big Gun Frosty beat me to it, and with a far superior description. Iolanthe, consider this officially peer group pressure

[Iolanthe]

Peer group pressure? Oh it's many years since I've bowed to that. You're all too young, my dears. I'll bear your comments in mind.

ETA: (you see I'm learning the abbreviations ) I do like to read while I'm eating, and once in a while I run out of weekly local paper before the next one comes along.

[Frostheart Grueburn]

ETA: Big Gun Frosty beat me to it, and with a far superior description. Iolanthe, consider this officially peer group pressure

My Frostsona might loom over regular humans, at least in theory, but it's difficult to prove with 2D icons bearing restricted height/width properties. Not a big gun (sword?) however; compare your post count to mine.

[I'm Murrin]

They're a mix of epic fantasy, sword and sorcery, and military fantasy a la Glen Cook.

Frostheart - Erikson does go a bit overboard on the violence at times. He also (without spoiling anything) has a couple of rather problematic portrayals of rape victims in the series (in the manner of, this person was raped therefore she is permanently damaged).

Hell, I'm just going to go ahead and give a massive trigger warning for a scene in book 10.

[aliantha]

I agree that Erickson goes overboard on the violence -- which is one reason why I tend to skim the battle scenes. Also, Murrin, you're right about his view of rape victims. OTOH, it's not like Malazan is full to bursting with psychiatrists and other counselor types.

Oh yeah -- I'm reading the Wool omnibus. It's good.

[Fist and Faith]

Do I need to get involved here? *stern look*

[Avatar]

Can't say the violence in them bothered me. But anyway, yes, fantasy not sci-fi. (And you read the Gap didn't you? See? Sci-fi can be good. Now go read Dune. )

I'm reading Timothy Zahn's The Last Command, final Heir To The Empire Book. Had book 1&2 for years, finally stumbled across this one and bought it.

--A

[Iolanthe]

Hmm, we'll see. Got rather a lot of reading material on my plate at the moment. As well as the large Norman Conquest book (which is fantastic and very readable) I've got Froissart, Holinshead and Mallory on my kindle to read on the bus, and I must get the Edward III book. Then there's all those Pratchetts - I've only read two so far. This will probably take me at least 6 months! And sometime there will be TLD (hopefully)!