Kevin's Watch

Fist and Faith wrote:I read several chapters of the first Ea book, and put it down. It was exactly the same story as the Requiem books.

Same.

We haven't waxed rhapsodic about Neverness in a while. We're overdue.

Oh I would so love to read them again! As well as a few other series. I wish I had more time, or read faster. But Neverness is about as good as it gets, folks!

Sorus wrote:

Vraith wrote:

Ann Leckie's Radch books [ancillary justice, sword, and mercy].

Just reread those. Highly recommend. Also noticed she has a new book out, which I haven't read yet but it's near the top of my list. Though it's apparently not related to the trilogy. Last I'd heard, she was going to write more set in the same universe, but with different characters.

^ I take that back. The new book is set in the same universe, more or less after the events of the third book of the last trilogy, but in a fairly distant part of the universe.

Making a comparison with, Asimov, Bradbury, and Clarke to modern sci-fi makes me think of A.A.Attanasio's Solis novel. I was impressed by the attention to detail that doesn't exist in the older style of sci-fi that I've read. The broad landscapes and colourful descriptive language of Solis seemed to me that the imagination was allowed to do less work.

I'm sure this has a lot to do with the differances in media culture. Authors now can write more easily with computers instead of typewriters. And with visual arts like HDTV, CGI, and iMAX cinema, our capacity for visual communication has dramatically changed. Far removed from the radioactive hubcap ufo's of yesteryear.

Growing up with books like Journey to the Centre of the Earth, and The Time Machine, still reminds me that good storytelling will always come first.

Does Alan Lightman count?

If so..

Einstein's Dreams
Good Benito
the Diagnosis
Reunion
Ghost

Are all excellent. I'm behind by three books with his literary books.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Lightman