Susano Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I have very good memories of A Night In The Lonesome October from a gamer's POV; would have made a great campaign setting. I started that instead of 'Salem's Lot. It's a lot of fun. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I'm halfway through Judas Unchained by Peter F Hamilton. It's really good - but I'm really, really hoping it doesn't end up the same way the Night's Dawn Trilogy ended. I'm testing its plot for a friend who was even more disappointed by Night's Dawn than I was. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
st barbara Posted November 15, 2005 Report Share Posted November 15, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I've just finished "Sometime, Never", a book containing three novelettes by three different authors ; William Golding John Wyndham and Mervyn Peake. While the Golding and Wyndham stories are good I found the Peake story "Boy In Darkness" a bit of a hard slog ! I have subsequently started "Black Vulmea's Vengeance", a collection of three pirate yarns by Robert E Howard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Archon Posted November 15, 2005 Report Share Posted November 15, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I'm halfway through Judas Unchained by Peter F Hamilton. It's really good - but I'm really, really hoping it doesn't end up the same way the Night's Dawn Trilogy ended. I'm testing its plot for a friend who was even more disappointed by Night's Dawn than I was. Yeah, I was happy with Night's Dawn until he pulled the biggest Deus ex Machina since the DS9 magic minefield and Prophets slaughtering Jem Hadar. Let me know if he does that again. Archon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted November 15, 2005 Report Share Posted November 15, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Finished A Night In The Lonesome October. It's a fun read. I also decided to toss my Great Book Of Amber onto the "for sale" pile, as I doubt I'll be re-reading it much, if at all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted November 15, 2005 Report Share Posted November 15, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Finished A Night In The Lonesome October. It's a fun read. I also decided to toss my Great Book Of Amber onto the "for sale" pile' date=' as I doubt I'll be re-reading it much, if at all.[/quote'] Shame that. Tho the Merlin books do lack the strength of the originall series, I find myself revisiting the whole series every few years or so. When I started up an Abmer Diceless campaign I went through the books with a fine toothed comb, sifting mintutae and genre "feel"... I must have reread the first 5 books about 8 times in a row back to back. and the last 5 about 3 times... not as much fun, but a lot more "crunchy bits" in the second series... Corwin was an adventurer... Merlin an engineer. Different strokes, as they say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted November 15, 2005 Report Share Posted November 15, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I must have reread the first 5 books about 8 times in a row back to back. and the last 5 about 3 times... not as much fun' date=' but a lot more "crunchy bits" in the second series...[/quote'] While I find the first five enjoyable, the last five are so... tiresome that I could never do what you describe here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... While I find the first five enjoyable' date=' the last five are so... tiresome that I could never do what you describe here.[/quote'] I just veiwed the project from the same POV as reading source materials for writing a paper. School related skills do come in handy every once in a blue moon.... I actually gained some appreciation for the subtleties of the second series that way, but it was tedious. Allowed for a very true to the source set up to the game... at least until the plyers got involved. I eventually gave up on my co-GM posisiton and threw myself into my character, who was a total and complete bastard, in the Julian/Eric mold... because no one else in the campaign had any inclination towards the backstabbing, manipulation, and plotting that is central to Amberite politics. my hint to everyone... don't bother trying to run a game in an established fictional setting unless EVERY single player is a fan of that setting, or unless you don't mind radical deviation from the tone and theme of said setting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archermoo Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished re-reading Phoenix Guard, 500 Years After, and the Viscount of Adrilankha books, working on the Vlad books. Because a) they are very cool books, and I'm refreshing things for the Dragaeran adventure I'm trying to put together for Dundracon. And hey, not only is Steve a great writer, he's also a pretty good drummer, guitar player, and singer! AmadanNaBriona 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archermoo Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... While I find the first five enjoyable' date=' the last five are so... tiresome that I could never do what you describe here.[/quote'] I had a hard time reading the second series when it first came out, but upon re-reading it several years ago I found that I actually enjoyed it a great deal. Very different styles, but both good series. IM(NS)HO... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished re-reading Phoenix Guard, 500 Years After, and the Viscount of Adrilankha books, working on the Vlad books. Because a) they are very cool books, and I'm refreshing things for the Dragaeran adventure I'm trying to put together for Dundracon. And hey, not only is Steve a great writer, he's also a pretty good drummer, guitar player, and singer! Ya know, I got all geared up to do a FH Dragaeria campaign back in college, but it ended up falling though. I think its a great setting, with a lot of play value. You really should start a thread in the FH forum discussing it... I'd love to compare notes. And I totally agree about Steve. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I had a hard time reading the second series when it first came out' date=' but upon re-reading it several years ago I found that I actually enjoyed it a great deal.[/quote'] This is the reverse of me. I ate 'em right up when they first came out, and found them tedious and slow this time. However... the second serious does feature Grimjack in a cameo, so I can't complain too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archermoo Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Ya know, I got all geared up to do a FH Dragaeria campaign back in college, but it ended up falling though. I think its a great setting, with a lot of play value. You really should start a thread in the FH forum discussing it... I'd love to compare notes. And I totally agree about Steve. Well, of course one of the best reasons that it has a lot of play value is that it started out as an RPG campaign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Well' date=' of course one of the best reasons that it has a lot of play value is that it started out as an RPG campaign. [/quote'] d'oh. You know... I think I even knew that at one point, but had forgotten it. There are a fair number of settings that started out as games from a couple different groups, aren't there... Wildcards, The Riftwar saga... hmmmm... what else... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... d'oh. You know... I think I even knew that at one point, but had forgotten it. There are a fair number of settings that started out as games from a couple different groups, aren't there... Wildcards, The Riftwar saga... hmmmm... what else... If you want to get technical about it: Record of Lodoss War. This is an anime taken from a novel based on a D&D campaign run by a guy who'd adapted his setting from some D&D books he'd either bought in Japan or brought back from the US. I also understand that The Deed of Paksenarrion is taken from a D&D campaign. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archermoo Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... d'oh. You know... I think I even knew that at one point, but had forgotten it. There are a fair number of settings that started out as games from a couple different groups, aren't there... Wildcards, The Riftwar saga... hmmmm... what else... Heh. Can't think of any others, but then again I didn't know about Wildcards or Riftwar either. I don't generally pay a whole lot of attention to things like that, so I often miss them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I knew Wildcards, having read the books recently. I think- is it Villains and Vigilantes RPG they based it on? I hadn't realised Riftwar was based on an RPG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I knew Wildcards, having read the books recently. I think- is it Villains and Vigilantes RPG they based it on? I hadn't realised Riftwar was based on an RPG. Chaosiums Superworld, actually. and Midkema Press even released several gaming suppliments, a few of which detailed locations that later showed up in the Riftwar saga. I'm not totally sure, but I think the original Midkema campaign was a contemporary of Arduin. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archermoo Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Chaosiums Superworld, actually. and Midkema Press even released several gaming suppliments, a few of which detailed locations that later showed up in the Riftwar saga. I'm not totally sure, but I think the original Midkema campaign was a contemporary of Arduin. Mmmm...Superworld. That's right up there with Harn as an extra tastey system. Used to own a copy of it, and might still have it somewhere. Probably packed next to my copy of the King of the Mountain boardgame... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guzalot Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I'm halfway through Judas Unchained by Peter F Hamilton. It's really good - but I'm really, really hoping it doesn't end up the same way the Night's Dawn Trilogy ended. I'm testing its plot for a friend who was even more disappointed by Night's Dawn than I was. I can't wait to get my hands on this book. It's releasing here in the US later this month and is on my "must read" list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AmadanNaBriona Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Mmmm...Superworld. That's right up there with Harn as an extra tastey system. Used to own a copy of it' date=' and might still have it somewhere. Probably packed next to my copy of the King of the Mountain boardgame... [/quote'] Ya know... by the time the real superwrold came out I was already a dedicated Champions GM and kinda ignored it. Shame too, because the version that came in Worlds of Wonder was what actually STARTED me on superhero games. I had dabbled with Champs as a player before that, but at the time I was a dedicated Runequester, so WoW got bought just out of brand loyalty and curiosity. I eventually got tired of the limits of the BRP Superworld and picked up my own champions boxed set. Funny how I could afford a lot more gaming stuff when i was 12 than I can now that I'm 36.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I can't wait to get my hands on this book. It's releasing here in the US later this month and is on my "must read" list. It's a "must read" if you read the first one (which has, I must say, inadequate warning that it is only the first part of two books). However, you should wait until I'm sure that it is "Deus Ex"-free. I'm currently on page 723 of 949 in the trade paperback, and it's looking good for the main characters to actually solve their own problems. Or fail, of course Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archermoo Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Ya know... by the time the real superwrold came out I was already a dedicated Champions GM and kinda ignored it. Shame too, because the version that came in Worlds of Wonder was what actually STARTED me on superhero games. I had dabbled with Champs as a player before that, but at the time I was a dedicated Runequester, so WoW got bought just out of brand loyalty and curiosity. I eventually got tired of the limits of the BRP Superworld and picked up my own champions boxed set. Funny how I could afford a lot more gaming stuff when i was 12 than I can now that I'm 36.... Heh. The WoW version is the only one I ever had. Loved RQ too, but didn't really play it much. For fantasy I mostly just kept grafting the different peices of what would become Rolemaster onto D&D as they came out. Once Character Law came out, that was pretty much what I used until HERO 5E. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guzalot Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... It's a "must read" if you read the first one (which has' date=' I must say, inadequate warning that it is only the first part of two books).[/quote'] Yes I read it and I was disappointed that it was a part 1 of 2 with no indication on the cover. If you scroll up far enough in this thread I posted a review of Pandoras Star which gripes about that very thing. However' date=' you should wait until I'm sure that it is "Deus Ex"-free. I'm currently on page 723 of 949 in the trade paperback, and it's looking good for the main characters to actually solve their own problems. Or fail, of course [/quote'] I'll read it anyway. Despite his shortcomings, Hamilton tells a great story and developes his characters. I'm in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
death tribble Posted November 16, 2005 Report Share Posted November 16, 2005 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished The Stars my Destination by Alfred Bester. Different. And having read it I see why it is influential as claimed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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