Susano Posted November 1, 2006 Report Share Posted November 1, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I just finished War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches, which is a series of short stories concerning the 1898 invasion of Earth from Mars (as seen in The War of the Worlds) in different locations around the world and from the point of view of different famous people. Over all it's a fun read. The stories vary in quality, with some being written far more seriously then others, while some are written as narratives by the person in question, leading to over-blown prose (the Jules Verne story for example). However, some of the stories are very, very good, and provide for an interesting take on the nature of the invasion and its after effects. I liked it for the most part and am going to hold on to my copy. A more in depth review is here: http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/anderson.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ThothAmon Posted November 2, 2006 Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished Red Lightning by John Varley. It's a sequel to Red Thunder but is very different from its predecessor. Standout elements are the aftermath of a massive hurricane (spookily foreshadowing the events of Katrina) and the importance of environmental and local knowledge when undertaking an invasion / occupation of another planet (spookily foreshadowing current events in Afghanistan / Iraq). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mentor Posted November 2, 2006 Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson. The rise of Newton and Liebniz during the 17th Century against the background of the reigns of Charles II' date=' James II and William III. Very interesting indeed.[/quote'] One of my favorite series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted November 2, 2006 Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished reading Syrup by Maxx Barry. His first novel, it's a hilarious take on the world of marketing and big business, and can be considered a lead-in of sorts for his follow up: Jennifer Government. Although not an SF or F novel, Syrup makes for fun reading and could be useful to anyone running a cyberpunk dystopia. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted November 2, 2006 Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I just finished War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches' date=' which is a series of short stories concerning the 1898 invasion of Earth from Mars (as seen in [i']The War of the Worlds[/i]) in different locations around the world and from the point of view of different famous people. Over all it's a fun read. The stories vary in quality, with some being written far more seriously then others, while some are written as narratives by the person in question, leading to over-blown prose (the Jules Verne story for example). However, some of the stories are very, very good, and provide for an interesting take on the nature of the invasion and its after effects. I liked it for the most part and am going to hold on to my copy. A more in depth review is here: http://www.sfsite.com/~silverag/anderson.html I absolutely adored that book. Particularly the piece set in China - the only time I've ever seen the real tragedy of the Dowager Empress expressed in a western novel or writing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted November 2, 2006 Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I absolutely adored that book. Particularly the piece set in China - the only time I've ever seen the real tragedy of the Dowager Empress expressed in a western novel or writing. Yes. I found the pieces about China and India interesting in how the Martian invasion changes things for the better in those countries. It makes for an interesting alternate history setting for some sort of Pulp & Steampunk game. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted November 2, 2006 Report Share Posted November 2, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I just finished Thud! by Terry Pratchett. It was entertaining but nothing special. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Since it finally came out in paperback, I am finally reading Anansi Boys. It's a lot of fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rage Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I read The Dragon and the George. It's about two people accidentally sent to an England where dragons and magic exist, and the guy ends up in a dragon's body. He has to defeat the Dark Powers to get his girlfriend back, and needs allies to do it. I thought it was handled pretty realistically, and it was a neat story. I liked it. ^ v ^ Gordon R Dickson! I loved those books. Especially one of the sequels, Dragon on the Border, it's still in my favorite fantasy books section of my bookcase, even though, you know, I haven't actually read it in a year or three. -- I just finished Wintersmith; it's the latest Tiffany Aching book by Terry Prattchet. All in all, a very entertaining read, and it's cool to see how he is slowly raising the reading age and contextuality with the rest of the Disk World. What a canny way to force kids onto the Disk. in other news; Dzur, by Steven Brust still hasn't been released in my country, soon i'll give up and order online or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rage Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Gate of Ivory, Gate of Horn by Robert Holdstock, the latest in the Ryhope Wood series. This is the kind of book that people who like this kind of book will like, if you know what I mean. Me, I loved it, especially the way it fills in the background of the Christopher Huxley character, so that you get to see him before he was a total bastiche. cheers, Mark I couldn't agree more. You know; I ended up quoting from Mythago Wood's in a religious paper I took a year or two ago, it's got some really interesting stuff, and not just of the Joycian monomyth variety Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markdoc Posted November 3, 2006 Report Share Posted November 3, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I couldn't agree more. You know; I ended up quoting from Mythago Wood's in a religious paper I took a year or two ago, it's got some really interesting stuff, and not just of the Joycian monomyth variety Yeah - I have often thought that the setting would make a *great* setting for gaming as well. Basically there's room for anthing the GM wants, you can reuse classic myths, you can use time travel and there is the possibility for players to *realise* what myth they are in and attempt to warp it their own way. There's a lot of inbuilt depth Nothing much to write about new SF/F books - I've mostly been reading history books the last few months. cheers, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SKJAM! Posted November 4, 2006 Report Share Posted November 4, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester. A tale of revenge (rather obviously inspired by the Count of Monte Christo) set against the background of a Twenty-Fifth Century in which humans have learned to teleport. The ability to "jaunte" has drastically changed the culture, but not human nature. The main character, Gully Foyle, is pretty openly a monster, consumed by his single-minded drive for vengeance. It's a very good book, but not quite as good as The Demolished Man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted November 6, 2006 Report Share Posted November 6, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Company by Maxx Barry. A semi-frightening, darkly-humerous look at big business and how it can affect and manipulate employee's lives. When coupled with Syrup and Jennifer Government you have a trio sourcebooks for how to run cyberpunk multi-national megacorporations. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted November 22, 2006 Report Share Posted November 22, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished Criss Cross by Paul Wilson. If you have a cult that needs to be crippled, there's only one guy to call, Repairman Jack. He can fix anybody. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished Infernal by Paul Wilson. Repairman Jack's brother has found a thing in the ocean that erases anyone that touches it. Still reading Iron Council, not really enjoying it. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FeralWhippet Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Spin State, Chris Moriarty "Hard boiled" detective story + "hard scifi" It was fairly highly acclaimed, but it didn't do much for me. Much better in this vein are the Takeshi Kovacs novels, "Altered Carbon" and (maybe) "Broken Angels". The author was pretty full of himself over how "hard science" it was, but the science did not make that much of an appearance. Its one of those that makes out like it is running up to a big ending, but just peters out at the end. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nolgroth Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Wolf Brother by Michelle Paver While written for a juvenile audience, I actually really liked this book. I recommend it if you are at all interested in running a Stone Age game. It is a relatively light read and has lots of cool little bits about it. Looking forward to Spirit Walker, which is the next book in the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Brother Odd by Dean Koontz: Odd Thomas is back at a monastery where things are about to be a little odder for the hero as he faces a threat from mad science. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan D. Hurricanes Posted November 30, 2006 Report Share Posted November 30, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Brother Odd by Dean Koontz: Odd Thomas is back at a monastery where things are about to be a little odder for the hero as he faces a threat from mad science. CES Yes, but how is it? We've got a ton of requests for this thing at the library lately. Koontz is hit or miss for me, but I think I want to read this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Yes' date=' but how is it? We've got a ton of requests for this thing at the library lately. Koontz is hit or miss for me, but I think I want to read this one.[/quote'] I sat down and read it at the B&N in one sitting. I thought it was pretty good. Koontz's first person books are very light, very fast. The heroes seem simple on the surface, and that helps move the book along. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Since it finally came out in paperback' date=' I am finally reading [i']Anansi Boys[/i]. It's a lot of fun! I liked it, but it wasn't a top ten hit for me. I just read "Drinking midnight wine" By Simon R. Green. If you like the Nightside books... Maybe not QUITE as good, but still very good. 1635 "The Cannon Law" Better than I expected, really, and I like the series a lot. Maybe not as much fun as the BEST parts, but very interesting. I'm blanking on the other couple books I read recently, I'll think about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gewing Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I sat down and read it at the B&N in one sitting. I thought it was pretty good. Koontz's first person books are very light, very fast. The heroes seem simple on the surface, and that helps move the book along. CES ONe of my Favorite Koontz books, probably THE favorite, was "The Face" The ending was fabulous. The three books in one "Servants of Twilight" and two others have the distinction of being among the VERY few books that had me thinking about the implications of the stories for days afterwards. I still haven't decided quite what I think actually was going on in part of "Servants of Twilight" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I've read a lot of Koontz's books. My favorites have been the Odd books, Moonlight Bay books, Life Expectancy, Tick Tock, and Dragon's Tears. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Logan D. Hurricanes Posted December 1, 2006 Report Share Posted December 1, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Since it finally came out in paperback' date=' I am finally reading [i']Anansi Boys[/i]. It's a lot of fun! I listened to Anansi Boys on CD during a long cross country drive. There were moments I really liked, but overall it was just ok. The narrator was fantastic, though, he really added quite a bit to the story. I was going to stop listening early on thinking that it was one of those recycled plots I hate, but I decided to stick with it and got some nice entertainment out of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted December 2, 2006 Report Share Posted December 2, 2006 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Hell's Gate by David Weber. Fantasy rather than sci-fi - two cultures are bot exploring a vast network of "gates", each leading to an alternate earth. One has magic, one has roughly 19th century technology and psionics. Neither has encountered humans other than themselves. Tragically, the first contact goes very badly indeed... Weber is using all of the stuff he's learned inthe past, particularly in the Honor Harrington series. Both cultures seem very real, and very authentic - they have their own fracture points, failings and problems, and you get heroic, sympathetic, pathetic and villainous characters on both sides. I really want to see where he goes with this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.