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

Post by **wayfriend** » Tue Feb 26, 2019 2:42 pm

deer of the dawn wrote:I really wanted to find a new epic saga to keep me engaged for several thousand pages, but the search continues...

Look for The Fall of the First World trilogy, by David C Smith. It has a rare but delightful appreciation for what is goodness in men which seems up your alley. It's been re-released on Kindle for like $3 per.

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Tue Feb 26, 2019 5:25 pm

I have started The Art of Starving by Sam J Miller.

Post by **deer of the dawn** » Wed Feb 27, 2019 5:32 am

wayfriend wrote:
deer of the dawn wrote:I really wanted to find a new epic saga to keep me engaged for several thousand pages, but the search continues...
Look for The Fall of the First World trilogy, by David C Smith. It has a rare but delightful appreciation for what is goodness in men which seems up your alley. It's been re-released on Kindle for like $3 per.

"Goodness in men"? Men are evil!! Eeeeeeevvviillll!!

But thanks, I'll check it out!

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Feb 27, 2019 5:52 am

And ignore mine and Fist's posts...

--A

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Wed Feb 27, 2019 10:19 am

Hmph!

Post by **deer of the dawn** » Wed Feb 27, 2019 2:10 pm

Fist and Faith wrote:Seriously. Have you never seen our posts, dawn???

Okay, will check out Malazan as well.

Btw I downloaded a sample chapter of Black Leopard, Red Whatever (it's been a heckuva day, see my post in "What do you feel today?" in Gen Dis) because it's an African fantasy and I was way pumped about that. But the sample chapters I read make Game of Thrones seem tame in the rape and icky sex category, so I won't be finishing that either. Thank God for Amazon's sample chapters.

UPDATE. The sample for The West is Dying included the list of characters and a longish introduction that includes words like Manichean, and then just a few pages of the actual content of the book. Roll my eyes.

Post by **Avatar** » Thu Feb 28, 2019 5:10 am

Haha, if you want epic you don't get much more epic than the Malazan books.

Finished King Rat and didn't have anything new left, so started Pratchett's The Last Continent. Always dangerous in that I'll probably end up reading a bunch more now, but since I don't have anything else, they do make a pleasant interlude.

Maybe I'll play some of those games I have yet to finish. Or install.

--A

Post by **deer of the dawn** » Thu Feb 28, 2019 3:50 pm

Downloaded some samples, read them, decided to go with Gardens of the Moon (Malazan book 1). Although I also realized I need to go back and read all the Earthsea books again, it's been too long!

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Thu Feb 28, 2019 4:26 pm

Decisions, decisions!

Well, depends on what you're after at the moment. You originally posted that you are looking for a massive read. That's Malazan. And, more than massive, it is of the highest quality throughout! None of this, "The first three books are great, but then it gets boring/repetitive/whatever." The nearly 10K page of the 10 books of The Malazan Book of the Fallen are one, gigantic... I don't even know what to call it. Orgasm?

I read it all in a headlong rush. If I was able to stay awake that long, or could read as fast as Av, I would have read it all in one sitting.

And the several books by the co-creator are at least good, and some are great.

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Mar 01, 2019 5:44 am

I thought book 5 and 7 were a bit weak...

(And personally, I prefer to start with "Night of Knives," although I guess in future I will be starting with "Dancer's Lament.")

Enjoy Deer...worth it if you want epic and detailed world-building, and a cast of thousands.

--A

Post by **Fist and Faith** » Fri Mar 01, 2019 11:19 am

For me, 5 was just a jarring change. That feeling was gone by the end of the book, and 7 didn't suffer from it at all. But 5 also introduces important characters, and has the beloved Tehol and Bugg.

Post by **I'm Murrin** » Sun Mar 03, 2019 1:20 am

Finished The Art of Starving. It's really very good. About a gay teenager with an eating disorder who believes his hunger gives him superpowers. One of those stories where the speculative element is left fairly ambiguous. It was gentler, kinder than I expected, but painful too.

Post by **Avatar** » Mon Mar 04, 2019 5:43 am

Avatar wrote:I thought book 5 and 7 were a bit weak...

Apart from Tehol and Bugg.

Anyway, went from The Last Continent to Interesting Times, now on The Last Hero.

--A

Post by **StevieG** » Mon Mar 04, 2019 5:58 am

Finally finished The Broken God by Zindell

Phew, philosophical sci-fi at its best. I wonder if Zar has read Zindell - I think he might like it...

Having a small break to re-read Seventh Decimate in preparation for the release of The War Within, and then on to The Wild.

Post by **Avatar** » Wed Mar 06, 2019 5:46 am

Yeah, I found it a little too philosophical at times.

Anyway, Pratchett, Monstrous Regiment. Not my favourite, but it has Vimes in it...

--A

Post by **StevieG** » Wed Mar 06, 2019 11:27 pm

Yeah I found it too philosophical too

At times. I'm interested in reading further though.

Post by **balon!** » Thu Mar 07, 2019 12:08 am

Just finished the Expanse series for the first time. Love the time jump, I hate it when series dwindle...

Avatar wrote:Maybe I'll play some of those games I have yet to finish. Or install.

SAME! haha

Post by **Avatar** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 6:17 am

The Fifth Elephant - Pratchett...you can't read just one. Or two or three etc.

--A

Post by **Hiro** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 1:19 pm

Just finished rereading Krabat, by Preussler.

Post by **Zarathustra** » Fri Mar 08, 2019 7:47 pm

StevieG wrote:Finally finished The Broken God by Zindell Phew, philosophical sci-fi at its best. I wonder if Zar has read Zindell - I think he might like it...

Having a small break to re-read Seventh Decimate in preparation for the release of The War Within, and then on to The Wild.

Ha, I just popped into this forum for the first time in months and saw this by chance. I've read Neverness and thought it was overall ok, and brilliant in many spots. If he gets better, maybe I should press on. I'm not sure it's possible to be "too philosophical," as Av says, but I'm curious to see where others draw this line.

I've never read Pratchett. I know I should. So help me out, where should I start?

Kevin's Watch

Kevin's Watch

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