Yearly Targets (2016) - Totals and Specifics

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Wilshire

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« Reply #135 on: December 15, 2016, 07:42:14 pm »
I was behind until work decided id be traveling 80% Q4 lol. I don't feel bad :D
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Wilshire

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« Reply #136 on: December 22, 2016, 06:30:44 pm »
The Magicians by Lev Grossman (18)
This was an incredible book. Really got sucked into the world and cared a lot about the characters. Probably best described as a cross between Harry Potter and Narnia, except the characters are in college and the world is far more Real and this book is far superior to those two.

Blindsight by Peter Watts (19)
Holy hell, what a journey this one was. Definitely worth the read for those who like scifi, and/or anyone interesting in neurology and consciousness. Amazing book.
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MSJ

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« Reply #137 on: December 23, 2016, 03:08:49 am »
Just finished The Tower Lord by Anthony Ryan. Great book. Redeagl felt I might it the same a the first of the Trilogy, but I loved it. I highly recommend Ryan for anyone looking for a epic fantasy, full of magic, poltical intrigue and the fight that lies in mankind. And the ending, has me wanting to jump right into the next one.
“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,

MSJ

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« Reply #138 on: December 24, 2016, 12:12:10 pm »
I have finally relented and started Dune last night. Sorta like TDTCB, where very early you're presented with a lot of names, places and words you've no idea what that mean. Going with the flow, just landed on the planet that produces Spice (excuse my ignorance of not remebering name of said planet.). So far, it's really easy reading and just getting to learn the moving parts. I think I'm gonna like it.
“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 #139 on: December 24, 2016, 04:44:12 pm »
Nice. Great to hear MSJ. Herbert is one of the old names, but Dune has lost nothing with age. You'll enjoy it ;) .
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MSJ

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« Reply #140 on: December 24, 2016, 07:52:39 pm »
Nice. Great to hear MSJ. Herbert is one of the old names, but Dune has lost nothing with age. You'll enjoy it ;) .

Wilshire, that's funny. Because it being an older fantasy, I though certain elements (what, I don't know) would be missing. So far, it reads like any other fantasy. I like his writing so far also.
“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,

Alia

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« Reply #141 on: December 25, 2016, 10:38:54 am »
If you add Sanderson's Arcanum Unbounded and Legion to my list, it seems I've read 13 books this year. Might go up to 14 if I manage to finish yet another Polish novel I am currently reading. Not bad, for my limited free time.
The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom - William Blake

Wilshire

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« Reply #142 on: December 27, 2016, 02:39:39 pm »
Dude, its scifi, not fantasy. Wayyy different. ;)
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MSJ

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« Reply #143 on: December 27, 2016, 04:41:31 pm »
Dude, its scifi, not fantasy. Wayyy different. ;)

Lol. Yea, it all feels the same to me. I guess when you have talk about leaping from planet to planet, it becomes Sci-fi.
“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,

Alia

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« Reply #144 on: December 27, 2016, 07:33:31 pm »
Dude, its scifi, not fantasy. Wayyy different. ;)

Lol. Yea, it all feels the same to me. I guess when you have talk about leaping from planet to planet, it becomes Sci-fi.

Remember, any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic. And when you throw powerful religion into the mix, it becomes even more complicated. But yes, by the virtue of happening in the future (very well defined, with timelines, etc.), it's sci-fi.

BTW, blurring the lines between sci-fi and fantasy is a good way to keep your audience guessing and deliver a twist that turns the story on its head. A good example is Morgan's Land Fit for Heroes.
The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom - William Blake

SilentRoamer

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« Reply #145 on: December 31, 2016, 12:12:50 pm »
Dude, its scifi, not fantasy. Wayyy different. ;)

I would argue it's a little mix of both. Dune is pretty much the poster child for a Space Opera or Space Fantasy which I think has become a fairly well developed sub genre.

I would agree that Dune is mostly SF though - it deals a lot with climatology etc. but that pseudo religious mythical feel gives it a real fantasy feeling IMO.

So glad you guys got me to read Dune!

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« Reply #146 on: December 31, 2016, 12:19:22 pm »
Hey all,

I will collate all of the totals in the next few days although they are fairly up to date. Once the totals are finished I will close the thread and start a new one for next year as I found this to be a great way to keep track of my books and try to keep my reading going (even if I dropped off towards the end of the year.)

So I finished Richard Matheson: I Am Legend a few days ago. Really enjoyed this as a book and now looking back on the film (recent Will Smith version which I had already seen) I think they really missed a trick with the ending. The book ending is superior in almost everyway and is pretty much crucial in the point of the story; I Am Legend. I never understood the title of the film until I read the book. Weak Hollywood ending.

That brings my total to 17/20 which means I have 3 more to read next year Grrrr!

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« Reply #147 on: December 31, 2016, 02:43:40 pm »
Dude, its scifi, not fantasy. Wayyy different. ;)

I would argue it's a little mix of both. Dune is pretty much the poster child for a Space Opera or Space Fantasy which I think has become a fairly well developed sub genre.

I would agree that Dune is mostly SF though - it deals a lot with climatology etc. but that pseudo religious mythical feel gives it a real fantasy feeling IMO.

So glad you guys got me to read Dune!

Dune is the first Sci-fi I've ever read, I believe, unless TSA turns out to be part Sci-fi (as I've come to understand the definition. In the future, advance technology, and stuff scientists totally get off on, amirite?). Its really good, I'm well over half way through. I find I can't put it down at night. But, it reads no different than any Fantasy I've ever read. So, the distinction is small in Dune at least. Maybe, there is other sci-fi out there that totally gets off on the Terra-forming a planet. Goes into every little subtle detail, I dunno. But, Sci-fi/Fantasy is connected for a reason, it's all still fiction of the highest order.
“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,

Alia

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« Reply #148 on: December 31, 2016, 04:08:51 pm »
Maybe, there is other sci-fi out there that totally gets off on the Terra-forming a planet. Goes into every little subtle detail, I dunno.

Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars trilogy probably fits the description.
The road of excess leads to the palace of wisdom - William Blake

Wilshire

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« Reply #149 on: December 31, 2016, 06:53:40 pm »
I agree, the distinctions are sometimes small, but imo they are still unique genres. Plenty of cross over though depending on how you look at it.

Dune is a great place to start with Scifi :), as it is pretty much where it began
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