Kevin's Watch

Recently finished The Stochastic Man by Robert Silverberg. It's a standalone dystopian novel set on Earth at the end of an alternative twentieth century. It has some good ideas and is very well written (almost literary (Where is luci, BTW?)).

Now nearing the end of Xenocide by Orson Scott Card. It's the 3rd book in the Ender series and it's quite good. This is my second time reading it but the last time I hadn't read Speaker for the Dead (the 2nd book) and it didn't work that well for me, so I'd recommend reading that before going on to Xenocide (though it's probably not necessary to have read Ender's Game (the 1st book)).

I know that Fist doesn't like these books and I think I understand why; the emphasis on philosophy and ethics/morality in the books tends to be a bit simplistic and thus annoying, but if you can get over that the stories are good and the characters likeable.

u.

Hmm... I won't go back and see what I said about them. Maybe I was more harsh than I now feel. I don't dislike them. I just didn't think they were as amazing as I'd read they were, and didn't go beyond Speaker. EG is in a few Top 10 Sci-fi lists I looked up, which is why I read it. It was fun enough, if not Top 10 material. Speaker was more interesting.

Fist and Faith wrote:Hmm... I won't go back and see what I said about them. Maybe I was more harsh than I now feel. I don't dislike them. I just didn't think they were as amazing as I'd read they were, and didn't go beyond Speaker. EG is in a few Top 10 Sci-fi lists I looked up, which is why I read it. It was fun enough, if not Top 10 material. Speaker was more interesting.

Good to hear from you Fist, haven't traded posts with you in a while

I agree with you about Ender's Game not being top 10 material. It lacks the subtlety and complexity for that. Still its straightforward story, good pacing and well described action sequences have an appeal of their own. (I'd wouldn't mind seeing it made into a film.)

u.

I like Ender. And Speaker. I don't really like the end of Xenocide though.

--A

The Sable City by M. Edward McNally. It's an indie novel -- first in a series called "The Norothian Cycle". The story's good so far. Wish he wouldn't keep saying that chain mail links have been sown to something, tho. Makes me think this culture has found a way to propagate 'em....

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrel. What the hell. Were talking about it in the other thread, and I've only read it once. Thought it deserved another chance, now that I have a different expectation of it.

--A

The Left Hand of Darkness

Murrin wrote:The Left Hand of Darkness

Oooh, I haven't read that in decades...I liked it quite a lot back then.

About to finish Hamilton "dreaming void." Some cool stuff...but I'm not sure I like bringing back so many char.'s from "Pandora/Judas" duet.

Just started The Hero and the Crown by Robin McKinley-a friend just lent it to me, surprised I missed this one back in the 80s. So far VERY engaging, I really like the way she uses language...

Robin McKinley's good.

Finished The Sable City and I recommend it. Turns out the next two books in the series are already out, so I may have to spend more money at Amazon -- too bad, huh?

Dust of Dreams. (Did I mention we need a "What Malazan book are you reading right now?" thread?) First time. Who the hell are all these people? Seriously. I didn't want to reread eight books, but it seems like that was absolutely necessary. This is by far his densest and most impenetrable book.

Yeah, it's a bit crazy. Heh. And some makes a lot more sense after reading TCG. The Snake, for example, had me going, "What the hell is going on???" After TCG, it's one of my favorite things in the whole series.

Just finished AATE. Phew! Took me 8 months

The less said about it the better, but I'm glad I finished it 'cos now I'll be able to read the Last Dark and take a proper look at the threads on the AATE forum.

Avatar wrote:I like Ender. And Speaker. I don't really like the end of Xenocide though.

I agree with you, seemed like a bit of a reboot!

u.

Just finished a re-read of Darwin's Children by Greg Bear. This is the sequel to Darwin's Radio. I really like these books. I would recommend reading them in sequence, but I'd have to say that I find Darwin's Children an exceptional science-fiction book in how it handles the spiritual. Normally sci-fi shys away from the spiritual but this one delves deeply into it and has some passages that I find powerful and touching.

u.

Got less than a hundred pages to go with The White Rose. Very good trilogy, thus far. Will have to get the other books in the series. What's great about this one is how everything is being tied together from the previous books... even the silly things (i.e. flying whales) are given a place in the grand scheme of things... a good place, too!

Done with The White Rose. Thoroughly enjoyed it, will have to pick up the other Black Company books some time.

But for now, it's on to Mistborn: The Final Empire by Brandon Sanderson.

ussusimiel wrote:I agree with you, seemed like a bit of a reboot!

It was the Deus Ex that killed me.

--A

Just re-read Stonewielder , busy on Orb Sceptre Throne.

--A

Avatar wrote:Just re-read Stonewielder , busy on Orb Sceptre Throne.

--A

Good man. Even spelled 'sceptre' right.

Orlion wrote:

Avatar wrote:Just re-read Stonewielder , busy on Orb Sceptre Throne.

--A

Good man. Even spelled 'sceptre' right.

So what happened to that "What are you reading in Malazan?" thread, anyhow?

OST should hit my Nook tomorrow.