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

[Orlion]

Whelp, finished The Neverending Story. Twas Fantastic....a..... a lot more meaningful than the movie, it had an actual (well, maybe several) messages to it.

I think I need to find this. I liked the movie -- stop throwing tomatoes at me! -- but it might partly have been because the kids loved it.

I don't think I've ever seen the movie, but I have only heard positive things about it. These comments are definitely making me curious regarding the book itself.

Think about it like this: the differences between the book and movie are like the differences between The Wind in the Willows and Disney's The Adventures of Mr. Toad. Both movies are entertaining, but they also use so little of the source material that once you read the books themselves you will feel betrayed by just how much got left out of the movie.

...but then, I have to admit my curiosity has been raised regarding the series Beautiful Creatures is based on as well.

You make me sick

I have no idea what you are talking about

[Avatar]

I never heard of them until you started posting about them a few days ago. I'll check B&N next time I'm there.

Ayup! I've read the first two (waiting for the brother to buy the others ). The ones I read were good.

Well, I did a lot of reading this weekend.

Finished Of Fire And Night, Metal Swarm and The Ashes of Worlds, books 5, 6 & 7. Probably about 2,000 odd pages.

And I enjoyed them. Look, he's maybe not the greatest writer, but the stories themselves are good, and it's a wonderful universe with some great characters.

If you like big epic sci-fi with a cast of thousands, some powerful cosmic entities and strange alien races, you should be good.

Anyway, I had to finish them this weekend, because I have to re-read Towers of Midnight, so I can finally read the last book of the Wheel of Time. A Memory of Light.

So that's what I'm reading now...Towers of Midnight.

--A

[Iolanthe]

Not. Read very late into the night (morning) to finish Interesting Times (Terry P) last night. Next one is The Last Continent. Must get this later in the week so that I will have something to read at night when I go to London on Thursday through to Saturday.

[aliantha]

Finished Queen of Wands, even though it made me crazy. Quetzalcoatl's Jaguar Warriors, indeed.

Now on to Shadow Chaser by Alexey Pehov, another book from the WFC goodie bag which, it turns out, is the second book in a series. Hoping I can figure out what's going on...

[Menolly]

Now on to Shadow Chaser by Alexey Pehov, another book from the WFC goodie bag which, it turns out, is the second book in a series. Hoping I can figure out what's going on...

This is my concern regarding some of the KWBC nominations; it looks as though some of them are later in series I have not been reading...

[I'm Murrin]

Hmm, I didn't think any of them were, but if someone knows better let me know and I'll reconsider. I know that Life of Pi and Who Fears Death are stand alone, and A Shadow in Summer is book 1 of a series. Hopefully if any are from mid-series they were nominated because they can comfortably stand alone.


In other news, I will be starting Redshirts today.

[Fist and Faith]

I finished Octavia Butler's Wild Seed. It was very good, and I'll go on in the series when I can find them for less than $10 each.

I ordered that Hidden Empires book that starts the series Av's been talking about. Also Obsidian and Blood, by Aliette de Bodard. Not yet sure what I'll read for a couple days before those come in. Magic of Recluce? Stormcaller? The Compleat Enchanter? (It's spelled Compleat on the book.) One of several Warhammer 40K books I have?

[aliantha]

I think you should read Redshirts, Fist. It's hilarious.

[I'm Murrin]

I've not quite hit "hilarious", but seven chapters in I'm enjoying it a lot, so I agree with aliantha. Very clever and somewhat meta-fictional premise.

[Orlion]

Ah, meta-fiction... a proud US tradition! (And before any one tells me to take it to the Tank, I'm referring to the likes of Edgar Alan Poe and H P Lovecraft... and ignoring the true master of meta-fiction: Jose Luis Borges! But I'll make up for it by referencing John Crowley )

[I'm Murrin]

In this case, it's quite an interesting exploration of the narrative tropes of Sci fi TV shows like Star Trek, both following and subverting those same tropes within the work.

Spoiler

And at this point I'm pretty convinced that the book's own rules require at least one of the five core characters to die before the end.

Edit: Ha!

Spoiler

It just occured to me I should be taking what I said above about it following the tropes quite seriously. Apply the things they observe about the "main cast" to the main character of this book...

[Avatar]

I ordered that Hidden Empires book that starts the series Av's been talking about.

I hope you enjoy it.

Me, I'm reading A Memory of Light, the last Wheel of Time book. I started this series 18 years ago. That's a little frightening.

--A

[aliantha]

Edit: Ha!

Spoiler

It just occured to me I should be taking what I said above about it following the tropes quite seriously. Apply the things they observe about the "main cast" to the main character of this book...

I ain't sayin' nothin'.

[I'm Murrin]

I just finished Redshirts the novel. Still have the three codas to go. The novel was excellent, though.

[aliantha]

The codas were interesting. I'll save the rest for the book discussion.

[Avatar]

Well, after 18 years, I've finished The Wheel of Time.

So now I'm reading Forge of Darkness.

--A

[I'm Murrin]

I don't know if I'll ever finish it.


Right now I'm taking a break from novels and reading Saga, a comic by Brian K Vaughan and Fiona Staples. Tomorrow I'll start my 3rd novel this week.

[Avatar]

Where did you get to so far? It's pretty much worth it in the end.

--A

[Orlion]

My main issue is that it's been sooo long, I pretty much have to re-read the entire series from the start. *sigh* Someday, but it isn't going to happen soon, because March is William Faulkner Month!

[I'm Murrin]

Where did you get to so far? It's pretty much worth it in the end.

--A

I've read all of the Robert Jordan books. I just don't feel any particular desire to go back to it.