Trebuchet Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... The problem is I don't care for the damned spin-offs. But I'll agree that Weber's battle scenes have gotten repetative. I mean although the hardware changes a bit the tactics stay exactly the same: swamp the enemy with missiles. Fire 500,000 missiles; 150,000 are ECM/ECCM; 100,000 are spoofed and lose lock-on; 80,000 are destroyed by counter missiles; 60,000 more get taken out by point defense; leaving 110,000 missiles to ravage the heart of the enemy wall-of-battle. Usually 5 to 10 ships. After which Weber adds: :nonp: No Frickin' Schitt, Dick Tracy! All he's been doing in the last couple is staggering the fleet arrivals and upping the missile total. Despite being a longtime fan of the series, I found Weber's last Honor Harrington book dull - especially the battles. I also didn't care for the whole "We'll just solve Honor's little personal problem with a bit of bigamy." Coward's way out; and it destroyed the deep sense of morality and personal integrity Weber had built up through all the previous novels. I doubt I'll buy another Honor Harrington novel; I think he's lost his way with his most popular protagonist. Fortunately, The Shadow of Saganami still has some of the old magic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proditor Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and I'm still digesting it. It's pretty damned brilliant. It's a story within a story about a movie, within a book. Sort of. I'm not sure I can convey what the book is ABOUT per se, as on some levels, that's blindingly obvious, but on others, I'm still working out my thoughts. Here's a nice summation/review. http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2002/11/11-14-02tdc/11-14-02darts-15.asp Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski I finished this book a couple of weeks ago and I'm still digesting it. It's pretty damned brilliant. It's a story within a story about a movie, within a book. Sort of. I'm not sure I can convey what the book is ABOUT per se, as on some levels, that's blindingly obvious, but on others, I'm still working out my thoughts. Here's a nice summation/review. http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2002/11/11-14-02tdc/11-14-02darts-15.asp One doesn't merely read House of Leaves, one experiences it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proditor Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... One doesn't merely read House of Leaves' date=' one experiences it.[/quote'] Agreed. The whole thing was almost horrifically compelling. I also highly recommend spending the extra schekels to get the remastered edition in full-color. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
L. Marcus Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... . . . How could one read a book without experiencing it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... . . . How could one read a book without experiencing it? Have you seen House of Leaves? Seriously. Reading the book is a visual experience all to itself. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Agreed. The whole thing was almost horrifically compelling. I also highly recommend spending the extra schekels to get the remastered edition in full-color. Hmm... I'm not sure if I have the color edition or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
proditor Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Hmm... I'm not sure if I have the color edition or not. It looks like this: http://www.trashotron.com/agony/reviews/2006/danielewski-house_of_leaves.htm But now it also comes in soft-back format, which is how I got it. It's a little less than half the price of the hard cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... It looks like this: http://www.trashotron.com/agony/reviews/2006/danielewski-house_of_leaves.htm But now it also comes in soft-back format, which is how I got it. It's a little less than half the price of the hard cover. That's my copy and it's in softback. For what it's worth, 4chan's paranormal board loves this book. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted June 5, 2008 Report Share Posted June 5, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I don't know if you guys have been watching out but the Spider and Eddie Drood are back at Barnes and Noble with new books. City of Doom and Daemons are Forever. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AliceTheOwl Posted June 6, 2008 Report Share Posted June 6, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Have you seen House of Leaves? Seriously. Reading the book is a visual experience all to itself. Not just visual, for some of us. During that scene where he's describing having something just beyond edge of sight, and you're torn between looking up to confirm and remaining ignorant . . . I found myself unable to tear my eyes away from the page, for fear that, as soon as I looked over the book, whatever Johnny feared would be right there, lurking in my room. I so rarely get nightmares about things that are fresh on my mind. But I dreamt I was Zampanò about a week after I finished the book. It did not help that I'd been listening to Poe's Haunted before I even knew the book existed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bozimus Posted June 8, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 8, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished "Destroyer", book 1 of the 3rd Foreigner series by C.J. Cherryh. I surprised myself when I re-visited this series after the 2nd Foreigner series failed to live up to my expectations. I am glad I gave it a second chance, since I enjoyed reading "Destroyer". It is a mystery as to why I have enjoyed (for the most part) the Foreigner series. These books are short on action (which I crave like a crack addict) and long on soap opera (which I usually detest in the extreme). Maybe her writing style makes these books more palatable? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sundog Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... CJ Cherryh has a rather eclectic writing style that I quite enjoy. She has a tendency to make palatable things that would be long stretches of boredom in a lesser author. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bozimus Posted June 9, 2008 Author Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... CJ Cherryh has a rather eclectic writing style that I quite enjoy. She has a tendency to make palatable things that would be long stretches of boredom in a lesser author. Good point. The first Cherryh books I actually finished were the Chanur books. They were fun space opera, even though they contained more angst than desired. I tried to read "Downbelow Station" (because it won the Hugo) on several occasions, yet I never made a significant dent. I admit to not giving it a fair shot. There are three Cherryh series I have an interest in...The Faded Sun books, The Alliance-Union books, and the Fortress books. A friend, whose opinion on books coincides somewhat with mine, has recommended the Fortress books. Next time I need a new fantasy series, I might start there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I liked the Faded Sun series, as well as the Morgaine trilogy (plus one). I also enjoyed the Chanur series a great deal, especially the fifth book, which has a fair amount of humor in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Markdoc Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I liked the Faded Sun series' date=' as well as the Morgaine trilogy [/quote'] I also enjoyed the Morgaine Trilogy, though at times, I fell like her sub should have used his safeword and just said "OK, not this time" Good atmosphere and interesting stories, though: I haven't really liked anything else by her as much. cheers, Mark Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Diamond Spear Posted June 9, 2008 Report Share Posted June 9, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Despite being a longtime fan of the series, I found Weber's last Honor Harrington book dull - especially the battles. I also didn't care for the whole "We'll just solve Honor's little personal problem with a bit of bigamy." Coward's way out; and it destroyed the deep sense of morality and personal integrity Weber had built up through all the previous novels. I doubt I'll buy another Honor Harrington novel; I think he's lost his way with his most popular protagonist. Fortunately, The Shadow of Saganami still has some of the old magic. I haven’t read At all Costs yet since the one before that took me two tries to finish and I found myself urgently wishing he would wrap things up soon, like in one or two more books. With the spin-offs firmly established he doesn’t have to abandon the universe completely but it’s time for the war to be over and Honor to either enjoy the fruits of her labors or (perhaps more fittingly) go down swinging. I’m about three-quarters of the way through Off Armageddon Reef and while I am enjoying the book I think Weber needs to fid some new ideas since we once again have: a small but wealthy kingdom whose primary strengths are its navy and it’s merchant ships (thank you Honor Harrington series for contributing that) a world where progress is kept in check by a manufactured religion to keep it safe from the alien bad guys (thank you Heirs of Empire series for sharing that) and an alien race bent on the destruction of all mankind and indeed all intelligent life everywhere ((thank you Heirs of Empire series for sharing that). His writing is good enough to keep me interested but dear god the man needs some fresh ideas and some plots that aren’t recycled from his earlier works. Don’t get me wrong I’m a Weber fan but he needs to quit writing the same story different ways in different settings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mwiggins Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I know some of you hate them, but I just finished reading a couple Xanth novels. Heaven cent, man from mundainia and question quest. By Piers Anthony. I like them because I think they are funny, and are a easy read. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted June 16, 2008 Report Share Posted June 16, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... I'm currently reading The Hellboy Companion. I must for fans of the series. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
csyphrett Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Dungeon Master for Dummies by Baker and Slavisnak- General advice, adventures for 3.5, and other things to help the aspiring GM out. I thought it was okay and I don't even play D&D. Doc Savage 2 in 1 Cold Death and the South Pole Terror. Doc Savage and the Fighting Five battle a mastermind that can cause explosions with a strange blue light, then journey to the South Pole to stop a greedy explorer from unleashing the force of cosmic rays. CES Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... Just finished rereading David Edding's The Belgariad (all 3 books) and the first book of The Malleorn (2 more to go). Possibly the finest fantasy series of all time (after The Lord of the Rings, of course). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... A story so good, they use the same plot and the same characters in every series they write. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... [snip] a small but wealthy kingdom whose primary strengths are its navy and it’s merchant ships (thank you Honor Harrington series for contributing that) [snip]I always thought that idea was contributed by the British Empire. You're giving Weber too much credit. I haven't read Off Armageddon Reef yet, but a friend really liked it. OTOH, he really enjoyed At All Costs too. I suppose I'll read it eventually, but I'm not in any hurry. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trebuchet Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... A story so good' date=' they use the same plot and the same characters in every series they write.[/quote']That was deliberate; not lack of imagination. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Susano Posted June 21, 2008 Report Share Posted June 21, 2008 Re: What Fantasy/Sci-Fi book have you just finished? Please rate it... War Against the Chtorr books 1,2, and most of 3 (still in progress). I have 4 next in line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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