Kevin's Watch

Currently reading Mike Shel - “aching god� after looking for something with similar atmosphere as elden ring pretty good so far. Fairly easy read and short chapters.

Iain M Banks Look To Windward, but the 120+ hours I've put into my new X4 playthrough is sorta interfering.

--A

Alistair Reynolds' Inhibitor Phase.

Katherine Kerr - Daggerspell

500 hours into my X4 play-through, so I've barely progressed at all in Look To Windward.

Meh.

--A

I reread Gideon the Ninth and am halfway my reread of Harrow the Ninth, trying to make sense of it... again!

Edit:...aha, I made sense of it, again I guess! Marvellous book, although it can be a bit frustrating at times when you've no idea WTF is going on (just like the characters ).

[spoiler]I love it when Gideon has finally resurfaced and is doing her hilarious foulmouthing. It's such a great contrast with the relative seriousness of the rest of the book and had me laughing out loud multiple times.[/spoiler]

Started on Daggerspell by Katherine Kerr, and finally started on Gardens of the moon by Steven Erikson.

*looks up suddenly*

Hm?? GotM? Yes, do that!

Ah, enjoy it. I think I'm closing in on another re-read myself.

--A

I'm struggling a little with GOTM. I kinda enjoyed the start but at this point ( chapter 10 ) I just don't feel anything for any of the characters. Pretty close to dropping it but will probably hang in there a little.

Many people have trouble with the first book. For various reasons. I didn't, but I certainly agree that every aspect improves after the first book. I know that doesn't help you get through the first book. You do, probably be happy you did. Being a very slow reader, I have put down several books that were not doing anything for me, even though the World At Large says they are great books. So I understand.

Please persevere with Gardens of the Moon, it will be worth it as you go on to the others. So many endearing characters - particularly Fiddler, who I see as the equivalent of Sam Vimes!

inkinen wrote:I'm struggling a little with GOTM. I kinda enjoyed the start but at this point ( chapter 10 ) I just don't feel anything for any of the characters. Pretty close to dropping it but will probably hang in there a little.

Now me, I always recommend first timers start with Night of Knives.

GotM made so much more sense after I read that.

(I too struggled terribly the first time I read GotM...like put it down a couple of times terribly.) (But Deadhouse Gates redeemed all. )

--A

Anathem by Neal Stephenson.

This is a monster of a book, not just in size but also in ambition. The premise is an alternative world, very similar to our own, but where, following an apocalyptic event long, long in the past, the positions of science and religion in the world have become reversed. As such, the scientists (or theors as they are known) are secluded away in monastery like communes, practicing their activities as devouts, but in entirely theoretical fashion as, due to their earlier destructive capacity, they are forbidden any kind of praxis or access to tech except in the most basic form.

The secular society (ie that outside the monasteries if you like) are almost entirely religious in their beliefs and thinking's, but have access to the technologies of the past and, due to infrequent periods where they are allowed to mix briefly with the 'avout' (ie the theorists within the communes) able to develop upon the theories developed therein.

The sudden appearance of what appears to be a powered entity in orbit around the planet (clearly not of worldly origin) throws the above described long-standing status quo into confusion and the results, as experienced by a young.....novice, I suppose you'd call him - but remember, he's not religious, he's a student theoretician - are what the story describes.

Well, sort of.

Because the whole is absolutely saturated with philosophical discussion about how this world see's the difference between say, materialism and idealism, about multiverse theories and the nature of reality, to the point where the story becomes almost incidental. But not quite. Because the story is good and in its slow burn way, rips along (get your head around that!). It's a really, really good book. Perhaps not for everyone - but I've had no problem with it, and the long philosophical discussion parts have been no chore in the slightest.

I've given you a pretty fair warning of what you are in for here - think sort of name of the rose minus the detective element, with deep math and physics and philosophy thrown in and a sci-fi sort of twist to the medieval feel of the background...... and you sort of have it.

It's intellectual and demanding reading - but it holds your interest big time and is never a grind. I am pages away from the end and have only just discovered that it has a glossary to help with the copious amounts of new words you will have to absorb. I'm proud to say that I have managed to get the book under my belt without having had recourse to it, and I've not, from glancing through it at this late stage, gone wrong in my understandings.

If any of this piques your interest, then you are in for a treat. If not, I've saved you a lot of time and brain ache.

Eh, I must say, it is not among my favourite Neal Stephenson books.

--A

I finished it Av and the ending was a bit weak, but all in all it gave me a pretty enjoyable week (or so) of reading.

I watched a YouTube review where the guy complained about the thinness of the characters and I'd agree, yes this is fair criticism. The story arc itself is also perhaps less than could be hoped for, but for me these failings are compensated for by the background premise and the ranging discussions between the protagonists.

As with all things in life, you pays your money and you takes your choice.

A Sword of Red Ice - J.V. Jones.

This is the third book of a series that Peter recommended. So far I am finding it very enjoyable.

Glad you are enjoying it SoulBiter!

You will have one more book to go to complete the work that Jones has done to date. She has had some pretty serious issues, of what nature I cannot say, but they have stopped her writing career in its tracks. Alas, the final book has not yet landed, but word has it that she is writing again after a five year hiatus, so there is hope that the series will be written to conclusion.

I'll let you know if and when anything appears, but in the meantime, there is an earlier series she wrote, not quite as good I'd say, but still well worth a read (and at least it is a finished work. There is a small amount of crossover between the two works - in particular with two characters making appearances in both series.

Anyway thanks for letting me know that you are enjoying them. Always a risky business recommending books!

peter wrote:I finished it Av and the ending was a bit weak, but all in all it gave me a pretty enjoyable week (or so) of reading.

I watched a YouTube review where the guy complained about the thinness of the characters and I'd agree, yes this is fair criticism. The story arc itself is also perhaps less than could be hoped for, but for me these failings are compensated for by the background premise and the ranging discussions between the protagonists.

As with all things in life, you pays your money and you takes your choice.

If you haven't read it yet, I recommend Snow Crash by the same author. Diamond Age is pretty good too.

Me, I'm about to re-read Written In My Own Heart's Blood, in preparation for the latest Diana Gabaldon book which I recently picked up.

--A

There is something about Neal Stephenson that I like, but just can't seem to quite get. Anathem was the third book by him I've read, but the first I've finished.

I read one that was essentially about a mmorpg that was taken hostage by some hacker-cum-terrorists. It was good, but about half way through I simply got bored. And half way in a Neal Stephenson book is still a shit-load of reading ahead of you.