Kevin's Watch

Spiral Jacobs wrote

Ha, I remember reading that back when I was in college...a million years ago.

Mortice Root wrote:

Just getting into The Crystal Cave - the first book in Mary Stewart's Arthurian saga. Very good so far.

Yeah, I read these once before - maybe 10 years ago. I enjoyed them, but didn't think they were fantastic. I'm enjoying them much more this time around though. They apparently get better as I age....

Now I'm about 1/3 through The Hollow Hills.

Just finished Goodkind's Confessor. I know, I know, but it's been really slow at work, and I hate to leave any series unfinished, even if I did skip a couple of the last ones. Aside from being beat over the head with his Randian ideology (liberals are evil. I get it), it wasn't bad. Well, it was, but... let me say that if he wrote for platform RPGs (like Final Fantasy or lesser imitations) he would probably be rightfully acclaimed. It's good crap. That said, the plot falls of a cliff about 3/4 of the way through. Either Jordan's death hit him hard or his publisher got very strict. The fact that so many plot lines got so easily resolved (almost dissolved) speaks a bit about the contrived nature of most of it, I guess.

Stonemaybe wrote:*shrug* I think I remember enjoying GotM more than the rest. Maybe I was wowed by the world.

I think this is probably the case with me too--the world building is phenomenal. I do wonder whether his mate gets a cut of the profits of the books. I used to hang out with RPGers who did the whole world creation thing (obsessed they were) but there were always bitter fights when ever one or the other suggested they would do something (like try writing a story and get it published) based on the world and characters they'd created.

Ryzel wrote: IMO the biggest problem with the series is that is has such a wide scope that it is impossible to follow all of it closely without using a lot more effort than I have put into it. This is especially noticeable in some of the later books (Reapers Gale), fortunately by that time you can usually manage to keep most of the major players straight in your head.

That's the feeling I'm getting. And I also wonder whether this series will do it for me on the level I like books to: with so many characters it's hard to really get into the heart and mind of specific characters. And that's the type of book I particularly like (that's why I like SRD's books). Then again, maybe when I get to book 8 I'll think differently; and I'm not saying I'm not enjoying it because I am. It's great reading so far!

Just started The Lies of Lache Lamora by Scott Lynch.

I'm just getting into The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson. It's kind of weird, and not what I expected. I was thinking it was going to be cyber-punk, but instead it's neo-Victorian sci-fi (maybe more steam-punkish), which I'm not sure that I'm into.

Just finished Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman's Bones of the Dragon. . .

A seven-figure advance for the series, and a 200,000$ national campaign to promote this book???

A MAJOR disappointment, to say the least. Could well be the most disappointing fantasy title of 2009.

Check out the blog for the full review. . .

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

I'm on my third re-read of Lord Foul's Bane, which will probably result in a third re-read of the First Chrons.

In my case it would not have been a case of probably, I think. I have always ended up re-reading the whole trilogy whenever I read a substantial part of one of the books.

Farm Ur-Ted wrote:I'm just getting into The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson. It's kind of weird, and not what I expected. I was thinking it was going to be cyber-punk, but instead it's neo-Victorian sci-fi (maybe more steam-punkish), which I'm not sure that I'm into.

Interesting. I just reread that novel a couple weeks ago. It's entertaining, and the world is flushed out nicely. It approaches but does not match the goodness of Snow Crash. On the other hand, you can see the roots of the Baroque Cycle in this work.

wayfriend wrote:

Farm Ur-Ted wrote:I'm just getting into The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson. It's kind of weird, and not what I expected. I was thinking it was going to be cyber-punk, but instead it's neo-Victorian sci-fi (maybe more steam-punkish), which I'm not sure that I'm into.

Interesting. I just reread that novel a couple weeks ago. It's entertaining, and the world is flushed out nicely. It approaches but does not match the goodness of Snow Crash. On the other hand, you can see the roots of the Baroque Cycle in this work.

That's sort of what I was thinking; I haven't read the Baroque Cycle (or Cryptonomicon), but I can see how it leads into historical sci-fi. I like The Diamond Age, but it's just not as exciting as Snow Crash, and it lacks the humor that woven throughout Snow Crash. (Edit: Now that I think of it, there are some subtle jokes, like about KFC, but it's still not as funny as Snow Crash.)

Farm Ur-Ted wrote:That's sort of what I was thinking; I haven't read the Baroque Cycle (or Cryptonomicon), but I can see how it leads into historical sci-fi. I like The Diamond Age, but it's just not as exciting as Snow Crash, and it lacks the humor that woven throughout Snow Crash.

If you like Stephenson's sense of humor, you will really enjoy Cryptonomicon (which isn't really part of the Baroque cycle, and is IMO one of the best damned books ever written by anyone anywhen). But I would also highly recommend Interface, which he penned as Stephen Bury.

Since I've been on vacation, I've finished "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman and "To Say Nothing of the Dog" by Connie Willis. Am now trying to get into "Angel Station" by Walter Jon Williams. "A Feast for Crows" is awaiting me (yes, I finally broke down and bought it -- maybe now that I have, Martin will FINALLY get off his arse and finish the next book ) -- so I'll either read "Angel Station" in a hurry or set it aside in a hurry for Martin.

I thought "Good Omens" was great, btw -- the big meetup toward the end was one of the funniest scenes I've read in a long time. I'll have to find some of his other books now. I've read "American Gods" and "Anansi Boys" but I don't think I've read any of his other stuff.

I've finished "The Lies of Lache Lamora" by Scott Lynch, and I enjoyed it so much I'm going straight into "Red Seas Under Red Skies".

aliantha wrote:Since I've been on vacation, I've finished "Good Omens" by Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman

...oooh! oooh! That's one of my all time favorite books! I even used to have a black and white cat named Crowley!

^ I've just got to the airbase scene at the end. I'm enjoying it, but it's not grabbing me.

I am annoyed with myself that I bought my niece Un Lun Dun for Christmas, had it sitting in my living room for 3 weeks and didn't read it!

Just finished reading C. S. Friedman's upcoming Wings of Wrath, the sequel to Feast of Souls. Man, what a ride!

Hands down, one of the fantasy books to read in 2009!

Check out the blog for the full review.

Patrick
www.fantasyhotlist.blogspot.com

Re-reading The Sirens of Titan. Poor Unk

Stonemaybe wrote:^ I've just got to the airbase scene at the end. I'm enjoying it, but it's not grabbing me.

The airbase scene made me laugh out loud. For, like, minutes. And Sea, you have *such* good taste!

SJ -- Vonnegut rules!

I'm about a third of the way into A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin. I'm really enjoying it so far. It's reminding me of the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan.

I'll definitely be buying the next three books.

And I was going to try jordan soon!

Started 'Jennifer Government' by Max Barry on Tuesday, he's the guy that started the Nationstates game that a few of us play (details over on Gravin Threndor). I'm undecided as yet. it's got me gripped, but I suspect the plot will let it down. It's main strength is the clever setting, which is a future where the big corporations run everything - it's just-not-far-fetched-enough to make it a bit scary! Does that make sense? I mean, you can almost see the world turning out like it does in the book. And it's NOT a pretty future!