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

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Thu Feb 20, 2014 12:05 am

I finished Vicious yesterday. Very good, an interesting take on the genre: Two college friends work out how to give themselves superpowers - oh, and they both just happen to be complete sociopaths.

Post by **sindatur** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 4:35 am

Finished "DragonDrums".

I loved Piemur's Arc. All the burdens that happened before his adventure, and then finding himself and all he gained from his adventure, was just pretty awesome and Heartwarming (Heartwarming stories are important at the moment, especially sharing stories my mom loves)

Now, I'm back to Chapter 3 of "The White Dragon", and then I do the first short-story "The Smallest Dragonboy". I'm really anxious to see Jaxom's story play out

Oh, and Nerilka's Story, when can it be read? I have the Audio of "Moreta", which I'll follow up with "Dragon'sDawn". " Nerilka" needs to be physically read with a Book, the others will be my listening material in my vehicle, so there will be overlap. So, when is it safe to start "Nerilka's Story", and which is it bad to finish before or after? I may only have time to read a few pages at a time of "Nerilka's Story"

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 5:20 am

sindatur wrote:...then I do the first short-story "The Smallest Dragonboy".

IIRC, that was my first introduction to Pern.

Or it might have been "All The Weyrs..."

--A

Post by **Savor Dam** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 5:45 am

Sind, I will direct Menolly back here to give you her recommendations.

Her attentions are fragmented of late, a distinct difference from her days of absolute omnipresence and internet addiction...but mentoring Pern readers is ever close to her heart.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 6:12 am

sindatur wrote:Finished "DragonDrums".

I loved Piemur's Arc. All the burdens that happened before his adventure, and then finding himself and all he gained from his adventure, was just pretty awesome and Heartwarming (Heartwarming stories are important at the moment, especially sharing stories my mom loves)

Just wait! You'll see more of Piemur in The White Dragon. Eventually...

Chronologically, Nerilka's Story runs concurrent to Moreta, but definitely finish Moreta first. Dragonsdawn is the very first story chronologically. The rest of the books tend to jump between different passes; but I would really recommend you read them in published order from here on out as best as you can. However, being the first story chronologically, Dragonsdawn does not depend on Nerilka's Story to be told, so you can probably listen to Dragonsdawn while reading Nerilka's Story without a problem.

The new-to-me short story, The Impression, takes place before The White Dragon, but it is recommended to be read after Dragonsdawn. It is in The Dragonlovers Guide to Pern, so I don't know if you'll find that on audiobook.

Post by **SoulBiter** » Fri Feb 21, 2014 7:41 pm

SoulBiter wrote:The Caves of Steel - Complete
The Naked Sun - Complete
The Robots of Dawn - Started, about halfway through
Robots and Empire

Should be able to get back on the Ender series soon. However now that Im reading Asimov again, Im now thinking I might take a trip down memory lane and read the Foundation series.

I finished the Asimov books and have started on the Game of Thrones series. I finished book one and just started book two. I read them some time ago but its been long enough that I'm enjoying them as if it were a first time through.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 5:55 am

Menolly wrote:However, being the first story chronologically, Dragonsdawn...

I was thinking today that I need to qualify that statement. I think there's a short story about the original E&E team expedition, titled something along the lines of The P.E.R.N. Survey, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

Post by **Vraith** » Sat Feb 22, 2014 8:44 pm

Menolly wrote:
Menolly wrote:However, being the first story chronologically, Dragonsdawn...
I was thinking today that I need to qualify that statement. I think there's a short story about the original E&E team expedition, titled something along the lines of The P.E.R.N. Survey, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

You are correct. I don't recall exactly what each letter stands for in pern, but it is an acronym that means, roughly: No fucking oil, metals, gems, or other valuable shit, but you can grow stuff and people can live here...send the Amish and nature poets, they'll love it.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 1:58 am

Finished Dragonsdawn and am wading through The Dragonlover's Guide to Pern. First time I'm reading the DGtP, and am finding it pretty dry. Although I enjoyed the very short story, The Impression, and some of the facts about the Harper Hall were of note for me.

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Feb 24, 2014 6:19 am

Fatal Revenant, definitely my least favourite of the Last Chrons so far.

--A

Post by **Orlion** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 4:46 am

Finished The Thousandfold Thought by R Scott Bakker, and now I need to take a break and read some short stories.

Green Magic by Jack Vance-Fantastic.
As Above, So below- John M Ford... it was all right, but often times in science fiction and fantasy short stories, the author thinks an idea is all that is necessary. That's what happened in this case: here's a dialogue about an idea between a dragon and a duke/king/whatever...not nearly as engaging as a story with a similar theme, The Queen of Air and Darkness by Poul Anderson.

YouTube · Post by **Menolly** » Tue Feb 25, 2014 5:54 am

Finished TDGtP. I would recommend it not be read until the end of all the others. The short story I read it for, The Impression, could be read after The White Dragon without a problem, but the rest is too full of spoilers from the books that I have yet to reread.

Anyway, I'm taking a Pern break and beginning Gabaldon's Voyager. After that I'll start a reread of the Mercy Thompson series, since the new story, Night Broken is due out in March, and I'm numero uno on the holds list at the library.

Post by **Sorus** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 1:28 am

I am in the middle of White Space, by Ilsa J. Bick. YA fantasy/horror - reminds me a little of Neil Gaiman (Coraline or Mirrormask).

I actually had to put it down for a while because one of the passages reminded me of a recurring nightmare I've had. Horror doesn't usually do that to me.

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 2:23 am

Sorus wrote:I actually had to put it down for a while because one of the passages reminded me of a recurring nightmare I've had. Horror doesn't usually do that to me.

Wow! That's pretty cool! Obviously, not to you, personally. But it's astonishing that an author managed to do that to another person. How many people have recurring nightmares, and how many of those who do have had their nightmare thrown back at them like that?

Post by **Sorus** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 3:34 am

It's a little vague, but there's a scene where the protagonist is in the middle of a busy city, and suddenly all the people vanish and everything goes monochrome, and all the buildings become false fronts with blanked out windows. The real nightmare part is when the streets start closing in and none of the fake doors will open, and that wasn't in the book. (Though what happened in the book might have been worse.)

I attribute it to being stressed out and claustrophobic, but I was able to see it so clearly because I'd been there, and it creeped me out.

Post by **duke** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 4:05 am

Finished White Gold Wielder. A few times reading about the Sunbane has reminded me of the crazy weather we've had recently, the floods in England, the droughts and fires and heat we've had here in Australia this summer, and the bitter cold that you Americans have seen. SRD didn't create a "winter sun" for the Sunbane, in hindsight. I guess there was enough winter and snow in The Power that Preserves already. (I don't think any of that is a spoiler...)

Anyways, onwards to Runes of the Earth.

Post by **StevieG** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 9:49 am

I'm right with you duke! I'm about 150 pages into Runes. Interestingly I have found the reread of Runes completely gripping (I remember enjoying it the first time) - it's tense and exciting.

Also interestingly, Av, I found Fatal Revenant to be the best of the last Chrons (I have read up to and including AATE). I'm looking forward to my impressions the second time around.

Post by **sindatur** » Wed Feb 26, 2014 2:10 pm

Yea, Runes was slow going for me the first time through, and the first part of Fatal Revenant, but, quite enjoyed them the second time.

AATE and TLD, I enjoyed the first time through (And AATE even more the second time, TLD I haven't done a second time yet)

Post by **Avatar** » Thu Feb 27, 2014 5:58 am

I actually really enjoyed Runes this time round (my 4th I think), despite Linden being annoying, it has some great moments.

And to my pleasant surprise, this time round on FR really improved after about half-way, after you-know-who is revealed.

Anyway, I'm reading Against All Things Ending now. And on the one hand, I wanna rush through it to TLD. On the other, I'm sorta scared too...

--A

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Mar 10, 2014 5:32 am

Well, read The Last Dark this weekend.

Reading Pratchett's Blink of the Screen now.

--A

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