Bozimus Posted August 23, 2004 Author Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I had COMPLETELY forgotten you are in Shreveport!!! My aunt lives there' date=' and one cousin... Haven't been there for a bout 10 years, myself.[/quote'] Surrounded by Bush loving, Rush quoting rednecks! I...am...in....Hell! (I give good Shatner!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted August 23, 2004 Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Damn, Even I would go ballistic if too many people quoted that FATuous one at me. I Surrounded by Bush loving, Rush quoting rednecks! I...am...in....Hell! (I give good Shatner!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sociotard Posted August 23, 2004 Report Share Posted August 23, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I read Glory Season by David Brin. Very scifi. The idea is of a people who revamped their method of reproduction, after hiding on a secret planet and going pastoral as soon as their genetic mods were done. 1. If a woman has sex in the winter, she will produce a clone of herself. These clones develope their own estate and, because the original was very good at a given task, the reproductions are all pretty good at it, so they carve out a niche for themselves (a house of bankers, a house of potters, etc) In this way, they maintain stability (none of that "there was one great *blank* a thousand years ago, and none have reached her talent). Oh, and it does have to be heterosexual sex. 2. If a woman has sex in the summer, she produces a child the same way normal humans do. This is the only way men get born. They get sent to become sailors, one of the few 'acceptable' places of male employment. Females get an education, and are sent out into the world to see if the can carve out a new niche for themselves. In this way, they retain the ability to adapt to change. (a society of only clones would become stagnant and unable to greet change) 3. Women only get 'in the mood' in the winter. 4. Men only get 'in the mood' in the summer. 5. Women, specifically women from powerful estates, run the place. I really liked it, and it helped that it was written by a guy. I know it's wrong, but if I'd read a book like this written by a woman, I'd probably be offended. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightray Posted August 25, 2004 Report Share Posted August 25, 2004 Just finished Ringworld's Children, by Larry Niven. It was much shorter than the previous Ringworld books. It takes up essentially after the action in Ringworld Throne, despite a time gap between the two books. It's a good, solid Niven book. There were a few points Niven obviously threw in to respond to fan comments (which he references in the Forward). And his obligatory new sci-fi technology/explanation -- specifically, about hyperdrive -- was rather bizzare. But overall enjoyable. (Also, he did a good job in being able to type/write this, since he almost broke his arm patting himself on the back in his Forward about how l33t Ringworld is.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bozimus Posted September 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted September 10, 2004 Agents of Light and Darkness by Simon R. Green I just finished "Agents of Light and Darkness" by Simon R. Green. Book 2 (#3) if you count "Drinking Midnight Wine" (which is set in the same universe, but with a different protagonist) that follows John Taylor through the Nightside, a small part of London that remains perpetually at 3:00 AM. Urban Fantasy is the genre. Book 1 was "Something from the Nightside". A fun little book. I think I reviewed it earlier in this thread. AoLaD was a quick, fun read with lots of action. A little on the light side, but fun. A little predictable, but enjoyable. EvilLuke likes the imagery and the unique characters. I agree and give it an "8" of 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death tribble Posted September 17, 2004 Report Share Posted September 17, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Finally got around to getting and reading Polgara the Sorceress by David and Leigh Eddings. I loved the Belgariad and Belgareth. The Mallorean is ok. This follows Polgara's life and what shaped it. There are some nice digs into various of the other characters in the sequence mostly Belgareth but there are others aimed at Silk etc. Required reading if you have read the Belgariad and Belgareth but cannot be read as a stand alone really. Loved it 9 out of 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BoneDaddy Posted September 17, 2004 Report Share Posted September 17, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Killing Time, by Caleb Carr. Some interesting insights trapped in a truly boring tale with a lousy out at the end. If I'd paid more than a dollar for it I'd be angry. I loved The Alienist, and as such this is a terrible disappointment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blue Posted September 17, 2004 Report Share Posted September 17, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Dangit. I need to read something that doesn't involve dice and miniatures. I recently picked up the the latest William Gibson. Now I just need to get out of work and far from my home computer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death tribble Posted October 8, 2004 Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished Fool's Errand by Robin Hobb, the first in a new trilogy following on the adventures of FitzChivalry Farseer from the Assassin trilogy. If you have not read the previous trilogy it lays a lot of the background for this so this is not a stand alone. I did like it because I had read the previous set. 8 out of 10. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BlackSword Posted October 18, 2004 Report Share Posted October 18, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... The Savage Tales of Soloman Kane by Robert E Howard. Del Ray is busy publishing collected works of Howard. The first book was a collection of Conan stories. This follows up with the entire collection of Soloman Kane stories, which is really too bad. By the time I finished the book I was upset that this was it, and that two of the stories are incomplete. Soloman Kane is a Puritan swordsman wandering the world (mainly Europe and Africa) righting wrongs and punishing evil. His amazing prowess and uncanny ability to live through fights that would kill a normal man he attributes to God giving him strength to rid the world of evil. In his journeys though he begins to see amazing things and supernatural horrors. The stories are set in Europe and Africa, though there are hints that in Kanes past he spent time in the Americas and learned woodsman skills from the Indians. Also included in the stories we begin to learn of Soloman Kane's past. The stories are based in the middle of his life. He has already had a long career and from time to time we meet with people familiar with his past, or an event will spark a memory. The stories are definitaly pulp. Kane is a perfect warrior, no one can match him when the crosses blades, and he is an excellent shot with his black powder pistols. He speaks a dialect of the river people, which apparently everyone in Africa can speak. He finds lost cities and civilizations long forgotten. He singly walks through the jungles of Africa and is never effected by fear. The book is a good read if you have enjoyed previous works from Howard or like the genre of pulp and African adventures. The character seems an odd choice, but quickly Kane's uniqueness grows on you and by the end of the book I was greatly impressed by Kane and thinking of using the character concept in a campaign. The book ends with a short bio of Robert E Howards life. I give the book a 9 of 10. edit: I should add that the book does have some of the racists attitudes of the time period. For the most part it is subtle. Frex the africans only have small villages, the great hidden kingdoms were fashioned by some ancient race. Kane realizes this and makes comments to the effect that the crude African tribesmen could never make such large cities. On the other hand, Kane is captured one because he becomes outraged at the abuse heaped upon a slave and attacks the slavers. He has great sympathy for the Africans, but he still carries a bit of superiority over them. Del Ray has plans for several more books of Conan stories. I have enjoyed the collections and look forward to reading more of Howard's works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death tribble Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Ashes of Victory by David Weber. 5 out of 5. Honor Harrington is one of the best series of starship combat I have ever read. But there is also the political side of things as well. Weber makes you care about the people who are carrying out the fighting and remarkably has also made people care about the opposition, the People's Republic of Haven. There is a lovely bit close to the end of the book. Those who have read it will understand when I say 'Oops'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMcL63 Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... The Game Players of Titan, by my literary hero Philip K Dick. This was the last of a bunch of Dick books I picked up in a lucky find at a local 2nd hand bookshop recently, and it is just great. The more I reread Dick's work- which I first became a fan of in my late teens, the more I get out of it, as I discover a psychological depth rare in genre fiction of any kind, and which puts Dick's work on the plane of great literature. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markdoc Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished reading the collected Fahrd and the Grey Mouser series (re-released in two volumes by the Fantasy Masterworks series). Oy. Read the last two novels and several of the short stories immediately prior end to end last night and overdosed a bit on Nehwon. Still, most of it is is much better than I remembered (at least as far as light fantasy goes). The final book is worse: if you like the characters don't read it - I'll summarise. Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser get fat and petulant. There are some extended B and D scenes. They retire from adventuring, meet some of their children and the Mouser starts a shipping business. The end. Trust me - it's better this way. Still worth 2 quid for the whole series, though And as an aside - has anyone else noticed that the plot of Swords and Ice Magic is almost exactly the same as Neil Gaiman's American Gods? Hmmmm. Also just finished the Second book of Robert Holdstock's Merlin Codex. *Not* light fantasy. The guy writes strange very well. If you loved the Mythago wood series you'll like this. If you hated it, you won't like this. Very different story, but some of the same feel. But for me any book that mixes up Arthur, Merlin, Jason and the argonauts, Medea, the celtic invasion of Greece, the Kalevala and a simultaneous war between Celtic warriors and the Kingdom of the Dead has got a fair amount going for it. Lots of literary references - part of the fun is playing "pick the legend". cheers, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death tribble Posted October 25, 2004 Report Share Posted October 25, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett. This is a second book on war and its effects and much better than his previous effort, Jingo. And if you know someone called Knox then you'll get a gag in the title. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ternaugh Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished Going Postal, by Terry Pratchett. Very good read that combines themes involving downsizing, accounting scandals, and really express delivery, thanks to "Bloody Stupid" Johnson's mail sorter. Nice cameos by some of the regular gang. And for those of you who are up to it, there's a "pop quiz" on terrypratchettbooks.com about the book. 10 winners get a packet of genuine Ankh-Morpork stamps. Currently rereading Guards! Guards!, which, by million to one odds, is also written by Pratchett. JoeG Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... To "Markdoc" Havfe you tried reading any of Robin Wayne Bailey's (I think that's his name) "Fafhrd/Gray Mouser"stories that were written after Leiber's death ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rhys Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Laughing Corpse by Laurell K. Hamilton and Split Heirs by Esther Freisner and Lawrence Watt-Evans. Now I have to go out and read the rest of the Anita Blake series. Hamilton is very good and highly recommended, as long as you don't mind LOTS of blood and really not very nice people. The other is an amusing little trifle and I mean that in the best sense. It wasn't written to do anything but provide a pleasant evening or two laughing out loud every couple of pages and pretty much delivers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lightray Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 Seeing this thread on top reminded me: Just finished Fall of Hyperion, Endymion, and Rise of Endymion all by Dan Simmons. They're sequels to Hyperion. Not written in the same style as Hyperion - which uses a "Canterbury Tales" frame of travelers telling their tales, but enjoyable nonetheless. I probably would have preferred reading about Moneta/Rachel instead of Aenea. Simmons obviously did some research for these books (e.g., on Frank Lloyd Wright), but not quite enough research -- he has Raul canoeing through the Gateway Arch. Which is built on top of a ridge. So if it is still standing thousands of years into the future, and the Mississippi River runs through it -- that means that ALL of the surrounding lands have risen, except the ridge. Goofy. Also just finished The Scar by China Mieville (I was traveling all last week). It's set in the same world as Perdido Street Station. I liked this one better, mainly because the races weren't as goofy as the Khephri. The story was interesting, and actually featured ideas on Possibility that directly contradict the Crisis Theory that was in the last book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
caris Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Incubus Dreams annoyingly mixed. Not up to the quality of the first nine, not as bad as book 10. Still had enough good stuff to make it worth my time, but the books are really too much sex for my tastes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentor Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Ashes of Victory by David Weber. 5 out of 5. Honor Harrington is one of the best series of starship combat I have ever read. But there is also the political side of things as well. Weber makes you care about the people who are carrying out the fighting and remarkably has also made people care about the opposition' date=' the People's Republic of Haven. There is a lovely bit close to the end of the book. Those who have read it will understand when I say 'Oops'.[/quote'] Hands down the best Space Opera currently running. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TechnoViking Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... The Flash: Stop Motion by Mark Schultz ISBN: 0743417135 http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0743417135/qid=1098827640/sr=2-3/ref=pd_ka_b_2_3/002-4472549-3415242 The third in the line of recent Justice League novels. I really the liked the first 3/4 of this book. Character development was well done, you really got to know Wally and the problems the "Fastest Man Alive" has to deal with. The last part of the book was seemed rushed (pun), but was ok. I would give it a 7 out of 10 total. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnOSpencer Posted October 26, 2004 Report Share Posted October 26, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I just finished (re)reading Aaron Alliston's Xwing series(Wraith Squadron, Iron Fist and Solo Command). There were pretty good, not as good as Stackpoles Xwing books, but good. I'd probably give them a 7/10. John Spencer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahduval Posted October 28, 2004 Report Share Posted October 28, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished Space War Blues by Richard A. Lupoff. (Although I did skip some of the latter chapters. Annoying things include: * too many storylines * using a futuristic version of a southern accent for what seems like entire chapters. * storylines startup, and some seem to vanish with out ending them (although because I skipped some, maybe I missed them) Interesting concepts: * Australian aboriginies are the only people that have radiation protection and therefore can sail outside the ships without bulky spacesuits. * Futuristic zombies. I rate this book 3 out of 10, mostly as I don't like the older fashion sci-fi. Currently I am rereading, A College of Magics by Caroline Stevermer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Samuraiko Posted October 28, 2004 Report Share Posted October 28, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... The complete VAMPIRE FILES by P.N. Elrod. Still my favorite vampire author to date. That means up until now, not to take out in a romantic sense, btw. Although Pat is a very nice lady, well, it's not my thing. Cheers, Michelle aka Samuraiko Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted October 28, 2004 Report Share Posted October 28, 2004 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Let's see... I recently re-read my Gibson collection. This is in two sets: Burning Chrome Neuromancer Count Zero Mona Lisa Overdrive And: Virtual Light Idoru All Tomorrow's Parties I noticed a distinct writing style, which gets a little old over time. Basically, he likes to do multiple threads, each following a character, bring them together, and then resolve the plot with and epilogue. I know it sounds a little simple, but it does get odd if you read them oen after another. At no time does he follow just one character around. However, he can give you a picture of a dismal alternate future better than most anyone. Okay, what else? Across the Stars -- David Drake. Set in the Hammer's Slammers 'verse, it is Drake's pastiche of The Oddessy. IMO? Terrible. Really not much of a story or a novel. Glad it was a library grab and not a purchase, I'd ahve been annoyed. The Dark Tower -- Stephen King. While the series was good, I felt a bit let down by this. Almost as if he rushed the last few to end them (and, IIRC, his career). The tone and style of the first novel is gone, and some of the content of this and Song of Susannah felt intrusive to the flow. But it is a pretty respectable epic, no doubt about that. Stardust -- Neil Gamien. I've read most everything he's done and have liked it all but "American Gods." This near-modern fairy tale is excellent. Hellsing Volume 4 -- Arucard and the Hellsing people go up against the 1000 Nazi Vampires of the 4th Reich. Also, the intro of Huntress Rip Van Winkle. What's not to like? I know I've read some more... but I can't recall at this moment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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