YOU MUST TELL ME ... What else are you reading?

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TheCulminatingApe

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« Reply #315 on: March 30, 2018, 07:38:09 pm »
Reading The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, and The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry.  Re-reading The Conversion of Europe by Richard Fletcher (a superb book).
Sez who?
Seswatha, that's who.

Wilshire

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« Reply #316 on: April 03, 2018, 12:43:03 pm »
The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F Hamilton

Wow. This is a great book so far. Strong scifi/space-opera with (probably) overly technical explanations of this and that super tech (which I appreciate), well imagined futuristic space-faring civilization (humans mostly, but some great aliens too), clever technological developments, great pacing with interspersed action and informational sections. Really just great world building and story telling.

The biggest problem with this book is that it feels like there is erotica spliced into it. I mean there's a lot of sex scenes that are highly detailed, and they pop up what seems like every 50ish pages. For a book that's 900+pages ... it starts to add up. Its not as if I skip over it - its done well - its just to a point where I might call it gratuitous.

I know Hamilton has a fair number of books (wiki says 10) and I look forward to getting around to them some day.
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TLEILAXU

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« Reply #317 on: April 03, 2018, 02:17:30 pm »
The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F Hamilton

Wow. This is a great book so far. Strong scifi/space-opera with (probably) overly technical explanations of this and that super tech (which I appreciate), well imagined futuristic space-faring civilization (humans mostly, but some great aliens too), clever technological developments, great pacing with interspersed action and informational sections. Really just great world building and story telling.

The biggest problem with this book is that it feels like there is erotica spliced into it. I mean there's a lot of sex scenes that are highly detailed, and they pop up what seems like every 50ish pages. For a book that's 900+pages ... it starts to add up. Its not as if I skip over it - its done well - its just to a point where I might call it gratuitous.

I know Hamilton has a fair number of books (wiki says 10) and I look forward to getting around to them some day.
Are they better than Bakker's sex scenes?

Wilshire

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« Reply #318 on: April 03, 2018, 02:40:47 pm »
Less rape-y and more sexy (most of the time), if that's your question.
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mrganondorf

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« Reply #319 on: April 03, 2018, 06:00:13 pm »
The Reality Dysfunction by Peter F Hamilton

Wow. This is a great book so far. Strong scifi/space-opera with (probably) overly technical explanations of this and that super tech (which I appreciate), well imagined futuristic space-faring civilization (humans mostly, but some great aliens too), clever technological developments, great pacing with interspersed action and informational sections. Really just great world building and story telling.

The biggest problem with this book is that it feels like there is erotica spliced into it. I mean there's a lot of sex scenes that are highly detailed, and they pop up what seems like every 50ish pages. For a book that's 900+pages ... it starts to add up. Its not as if I skip over it - its done well - its just to a point where I might call it gratuitous.

I know Hamilton has a fair number of books (wiki says 10) and I look forward to getting around to them some day.

Nice! I think I got the audiobook of that on sale--glad it's good. 

I'm reading The Black Prism by Brent Weeks and re-listening to The Forever War

Wilshire

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« Reply #320 on: April 04, 2018, 04:48:55 pm »
I read forever war last year. Definitely an interesting book.
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TLEILAXU

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« Reply #321 on: June 18, 2018, 07:23:24 pm »
Just finished Hotshot, one of Peter Watts short stories set in the Sunflower Cycle universe.
Fucking amazing, somewhat of a twist near the ending too http://rifters.com/real/shorts/PeterWatts_Hotshot.pdf

Dora Vee

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« Reply #322 on: June 23, 2018, 03:59:54 am »
Finished Deadhouse Gates(Duiker is my lord and savior) and am now on Memories of Ice(6%).

The latter has quite the strong start and it's pretty clear early on just who the primary antagonist is going to be.
Faith is the truth of passion. Since no passion is more true than another, faith is the truth of nothing.   
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Wilshire

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« Reply #323 on: June 25, 2018, 02:50:40 pm »
The first three books, for me, where probably the best when considered together.

There were other great books in the series, but those three stick out. The rest of the series becomes very meandering and a lot of story lines don't feel like they go anywhere. GOTM, DG, and MOI have tighert story arcs and there isn't quite so much going on, which to me makes it easier to focus on what's important.

Last few scenes in DG with the chain of dogs & Coltain... Amazing.
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MSJ

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« Reply #324 on: June 25, 2018, 10:15:37 pm »
Quote from:  Wilshire
The first three books, for me, where probably the best when considered together.

There were other great books in the series, but those three stick out. The rest of the series becomes very meandering and a lot of story lines don't feel like they go anywhere. GOTM, DG, and MOI have tighert story arcs and there isn't quite so much going on, which to me makes it easier to focus on what's important.

Last few scenes in DG with the chain of dogs & Coltain... Amazing

Agreed, especially on the bold. MoI was one of my favorite, also. Then as ive said countless times, Toll the Hounds is jam packed with good stuff, so you have that to look forward to.
“No. I am your end. Before your eyes I will put your seed to the knife. I will quarter your carcass and feed it to the dogs. Your bones I will grind to dust and cast to the winds. I will strike down those who speak your name or the name of your fathers, until ‘Yursalka’ becomes as meaningless as infant babble. I will blot you out, hunt down your every trace! The track of your life has come to me,

mrganondorf

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« Reply #325 on: July 13, 2018, 01:21:23 pm »
Ajokli fans may enjoy It Devours.  I strongly suggest getting the audiobook--the reader is off the charts.  This is scifi/action/dark comedy with philosophical shavings.  Think X-Files knocks up Douglas Adams and baby turns out to be a fan of the Twilight Zone and Sartre.

MSJ

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« Reply #326 on: July 16, 2018, 08:13:11 pm »
I decided to pick up The Poppy War after seeing someone had read it in the other thread. Two chapters in and I'm enjoying it so far.
“No. I am your end. Before your eyes I will put your seed to the knife. I will quarter your carcass and feed it to the dogs. Your bones I will grind to dust and cast to the winds. I will strike down those who speak your name or the name of your fathers, until ‘Yursalka’ becomes as meaningless as infant babble. I will blot you out, hunt down your every trace! The track of your life has come to me,

Wilshire

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« Reply #327 on: July 24, 2018, 11:44:02 am »
I think the series is promising. Some interesting concepts that don't get fully fleshed out until the first book starts wraping up.

Kuang did an AMA a few months back, and glibly said that "they" call her "grimdark's darkest daughter". Its not TSA dark imo, but there's definitely some heavy subjects brought up.
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MSJ

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« Reply #328 on: July 24, 2018, 03:45:52 pm »
Almost finished last night, didn't want to put down. Nowhere as dark as a lot of stuff I've read in the genre....

But, it's good and has a lot of cool concepts and directions the series can go in. At least looking at it from the perspective of having no finished it yet, but I think I see where it's going.
“No. I am your end. Before your eyes I will put your seed to the knife. I will quarter your carcass and feed it to the dogs. Your bones I will grind to dust and cast to the winds. I will strike down those who speak your name or the name of your fathers, until ‘Yursalka’ becomes as meaningless as infant babble. I will blot you out, hunt down your every trace! The track of your life has come to me,

Wilshire

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« Reply #329 on: July 24, 2018, 05:41:18 pm »
Yeah the first half is all world building and setup, the next quarter stuff starts happening and the fantasy aspects start to come into play, this is also where it starts to get darker. Last quarter its something of a bloodbath and you really see what's going on.

There's definitely a lot of places the series could go, and I hope the writer continues down the path. I think this is her first publication, so hopefully the writing gets better as the story progresses beyond the first book.
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