Latest SF/Fantasy Acquisitions

A place for anything *not* Donaldson.

Moderator: I'm Murrin

Post Reply
User avatar
Loredoctor
Lord
Posts: 18609
Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2002 11:35 pm
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Contact:
Contact Loredoctor

Post by Loredoctor »

CovenantJr wrote:Incidentally, Loremaster, did you totally abandon The Samsarin? I was thinking about it the other day.
I finished the second part of the novel in 2006 - the book was at 300 pages at that point. Despite my enthusiam for the first part, the second left we questioning whether I had failed. I read through it and there was something lacking to it. Further, once again I had overly complicated things by introducing too many ideas.

However, I have sent a copy of the manuscript (just part one) to thefirst. I hope she likes it, and if so, I may return to it.

What did you think of it, Cov?
Waddley wrote:your Highness Sir Dr. Loredoctor, PhD, Esq, the Magnificent, First of his name, Second Cousin of Dragons, White-Gold-Plate Wielder!
Top
User avatar
stonemaybe
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 4836
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:37 am
Location: Wallowing in the Zider Zee

Post by stonemaybe »

If anyone's living in the uk and has a 'Bookends' in their High Street, there's some good bargains to be had....

RoTE pb £1.50
Mordant's Need (both in one volume) £3
Anansi Boys (Gaiman) hb £2.50
Various Richard Morgan £1.50
Various Terry Goodkind £1.50
that anarchist sf writer £1.50 each
Lies of Locke Lamora £1.50

Nothing I wanted that I didn't already have though :(
Aglithophile and conniptionist and spectacular moonbow beholder 16Jul11

(:/>
Top
User avatar
I'm Murrin
Are you?
Posts: 15840
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2003 1:09 pm
Location: North East, UK
Contact:
Contact I'm Murrin

Post by I'm Murrin »

I've learned over the last few years that Waterstone's stock tends to vary from store to store more than other chain stores usually do. In Newcastle, for example, the Waterstone's has a pretty good SFF section, with a larger number of imported or small press titles in stock on a regular basis. The Waterstone's in the MetroCentre, on the other hand, has a pretty decent comics/graphic novels selection. That's the one I was at today.

I purchased:

The Arrival, by Shaun Tan.
A true graphic novel, in that it is entirely wordless. Beautiful artwork, and the book itself is very well put together--a good example of book as artifact.

Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse vol. 1, Birds, Bees, Blood & Beer, by Ben Templesmith.
A strange one, about a sentient worm occupying a well-dressed corpse, with a mechanical sidekick who looks like half of ZZ-Top.

Both of those I picked up because of mentions on Jeff VanderMeer's blog, among other places--the same goes for my previous graphic novel purchase, Alice in Sunderland.
Top
User avatar
Skyweir
Lord of Light
Posts: 25467
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2002 6:27 am
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 18 times

Post by Skyweir »

dukehenry wrote:
Lord Mhoram wrote:How can you not be impressed by A Game of Thrones?
Honestly, the characters weren't interesting for me. Well, not all of them - but most just didn't have the substance that I was hoping for. The general storyline just didn't hold my interest...this was the first book in a long time that I actually put down about half way through and debated whether or not I should finish it.

After deciding that I am not going to read any of the others, I did read the backs to the remaining books to get a general idea of where the story was going, and I will be honest - I didn't see the worth it spending $15 a pop to keep going. The time investment just wasn't there.

I don't know if it was the 5+ POV method used, the characters themselves, or just the plot itself. Or, perhaps all of the super-positive reviews the book received tainted my impression of it...perhaps I expected more than was reasonable.
its a shame cos they do get better .. (personally loved them all and am eagerly awaiting the next) .. i recently recommended GRR Martin to a work colleague and he struggled with a game of thrones too .. but truly they do get better. i think the first book of almost every series is a bit slow .. a lot of contextualising and scene setting

the characters do become rich and vibrant ..

its like the same colleague i recommended Martin to told me to get into Steve Erikson .. he loves it .. but .. eek .. i found the first book a tad torturous!

... different stokes for different folks eh?
ImageImageImageImage
keep smiling 😊 :D 😊

'Smoke me a kipper .. I'll be back for breakfast!'
Image

EZBoard SURVIVOR
Top
User avatar
aliantha
blueberries on steroids
Posts: 17865
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2002 7:50 pm
Location: NOT opening up a restaurant in Santa Fe

Post by aliantha »

Sky, if you've been reading Erikson, you will instantly be Lucimay's new best friend.... ;)

Picked up a couple of books by Sheri S. Tepper at the used bookstore a few weeks ago: "The Gate Into Women's Country" and "Shadow's End". I finished "The Gate Into..." and am currently about 3/4 of the way through "Shadow's End". I hadn't read any of her stuff before. She's pretty good. A *very* feminist viewpoint, tho....
Image
Image

EZ Board Survivor

"Dreaming isn't good for you unless you do the things it tells you to." -- Three Dog Night (via the GI)

https://www.hearth-myth.com/
Top
User avatar
Skyweir
Lord of Light
Posts: 25467
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2002 6:27 am
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 18 times

Post by Skyweir »

niice :D
.. a new best friend!!!

hope your right ali .. cos I wasnt a fan of the first book but from all accounts I need to read it again ..

the Gate Into and Shadows End .. both fantasy works?
ImageImageImageImage
keep smiling 😊 :D 😊

'Smoke me a kipper .. I'll be back for breakfast!'
Image

EZBoard SURVIVOR
Top
User avatar
Loredoctor
Lord
Posts: 18609
Joined: Sun Jul 14, 2002 11:35 pm
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Contact:
Contact Loredoctor

Post by Loredoctor »

Welcome back, Skyweir!!
Waddley wrote:your Highness Sir Dr. Loredoctor, PhD, Esq, the Magnificent, First of his name, Second Cousin of Dragons, White-Gold-Plate Wielder!
Top
User avatar
aliantha
blueberries on steroids
Posts: 17865
Joined: Tue Mar 05, 2002 7:50 pm
Location: NOT opening up a restaurant in Santa Fe

Post by aliantha »

Skyweir wrote:niice :D
.. a new best friend!!!

hope your right ali .. cos I wasnt a fan of the first book but from all accounts I need to read it again ..

the Gate Into and Shadows End .. both fantasy works?
Sci-fi, actually. "The Gate Into" is set in a post-apocalyptic earth society. "Shadow's End" (which I finished last night) is set on several different worlds and has an environmental message as well as the feminist-ish stuff.

I haven't read much sci-fi lately; thought it was time to branch out a little bit. :)

edit: Oh, I guess it's "The Gate TO Women's Country", not "...INTO Women's Country."
Image
Image

EZ Board Survivor

"Dreaming isn't good for you unless you do the things it tells you to." -- Three Dog Night (via the GI)

https://www.hearth-myth.com/
Top
User avatar
Skyweir
Lord of Light
Posts: 25467
Joined: Sat Mar 16, 2002 6:27 am
Location: Australia
Has thanked: 2 times
Been thanked: 18 times

Post by Skyweir »

whoa .. they sound ((M)))
ImageImageImageImage
keep smiling 😊 :D 😊

'Smoke me a kipper .. I'll be back for breakfast!'
Image

EZBoard SURVIVOR
Top
User avatar
duke
Giantfriend
Posts: 355
Joined: Thu Mar 18, 2004 11:07 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia

Post by duke »

I picked up Insomnia by Stephen King today, second hand for $8-
Top
User avatar
stonemaybe
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 4836
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:37 am
Location: Wallowing in the Zider Zee

Post by stonemaybe »

Northstar by someone called Pacifici landed yesterday!
Aglithophile and conniptionist and spectacular moonbow beholder 16Jul11

(:/>
Top
User avatar
danlo
Lord
Posts: 20838
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2002 8:29 pm
Location: Albuquerque NM
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:
Contact danlo

Post by danlo »

Just bought Brokedown Palace by Steven Burst, and read the prolouge, man it looks so cool! I'll be hard pressed to discipline self to finish A New Earth and My Sister's Keeper with this bad boy lying around. :biggrin:
fall far and well Pilots!
Top
User avatar
Farm Ur-Ted
<i>Haruchai</i>
Posts: 674
Joined: Thu Mar 30, 2006 1:40 am
Location: Colorado

Post by Farm Ur-Ted »

Just bought A Game of Thrones/A Clash of Kings from mobipocket for 8 bucks. One of these days, I'm going to read the first 4 books of ASoIaF again (could be next year, could be 5 years from now, but it will happen), and I couldn't pass that deal up. I want to do the re-read with e-books to make it easier to keep track of everything. And recently, I noticed that ereader wasn't carrying AGoT anymore, so I panicked. Every once in a while, books get pulled from e-sales for some bizarre reason. Mobi only offers them together, but at the price for one, so it's a pretty sweet deal.
Roach trotted over to sniff at the gleaming phlegm, then licked it up.

The Bonehunters by Steven Erikson
Top
User avatar
Avatar
Immanentizing The Eschaton
Posts: 61791
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2004 9:17 am
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Has thanked: 15 times
Been thanked: 22 times

Post by Avatar »

Wow, this has been an awesome week for books for me. First, I used a year-old book voucher to finally get the new Terry Pratchett, Making Money, and the last David Gemmel book, Troy: Fall of Kings, on Tuesday.

Today, with only about 100 pages of Troy left, a parcel arrives for me, courtesy of Fist & Faith, (to whom I cannot express my thanks adequately), with Gates of Fire, and the next 3 Malazan books.

Watchers...what an awesome bunch of people. My thanks to all of you. *bows deeply*

--A
Top
User avatar
I'm Murrin
Are you?
Posts: 15840
Joined: Tue Apr 08, 2003 1:09 pm
Location: North East, UK
Contact:
Contact I'm Murrin

Post by I'm Murrin »

Not SF/F, but I picked up Scott Bakker's Neuropath today.
Top
User avatar
Menolly
A Lowly Harper
Posts: 24089
Joined: Thu May 19, 2005 12:29 am
Location: Harper Hall, Fort Hold, Northern Continent, Pern...
Has thanked: 1 time
Been thanked: 8 times
Contact:
Contact Menolly

Post by Menolly »

Ooo, the description of that one intrigued me when it was discussed earlier, Murrin. I look forward to your review of it.
Image
Top
User avatar
Brinn
S.P.O.W
Posts: 3137
Joined: Mon Jul 01, 2002 2:07 pm
Location: Worcester, MA

Post by Brinn »

Yes Murrin. Very interested in your take on that one. Keep us updated!
War is an ugly thing, but not the ugliest of things. The decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. The person who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing which is more important than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature and has no chance of being free unless made and kept so by the exertions of better men than himself. John Stuart Mill
Top
User avatar
stonemaybe
The Gap Into Spam
Posts: 4836
Joined: Mon Feb 20, 2006 9:37 am
Location: Wallowing in the Zider Zee

Post by stonemaybe »

Picked up Toll The Hound today. Just as I suspected, Waterstones had it cheap - £9 off :D
Aglithophile and conniptionist and spectacular moonbow beholder 16Jul11

(:/>
Top
User avatar
danlo
Lord
Posts: 20838
Joined: Wed Mar 06, 2002 8:29 pm
Location: Albuquerque NM
Been thanked: 1 time
Contact:
Contact danlo

Post by danlo »

Just bought Bank's Use of Weapons with the B&N gift card my Dad sent me for my b-day. 8)
fall far and well Pilots!
Top
User avatar
Avatar
Immanentizing The Eschaton
Posts: 61791
Joined: Mon Aug 02, 2004 9:17 am
Location: Johannesburg, South Africa
Has thanked: 15 times
Been thanked: 22 times

Post by Avatar »

One of my top 3...er...4 Banks books. :D

--A
Top
Post Reply

Return to “General Fantasy/Sci-Fi Discussion”