Aside from Project Hail Mary which I assume every /c/sciencefiction subscriber is going to read what have you been reading or plan to read?
Here is last months post. What are you Reading? (August 2023)
Started reading Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler. I really like the style of writing, so much detail into the main character’s mind.
It is also impressive just how relevant the topics are today, for a book written back in 1993 (climate change, wealth disparity, etc.). It’s really fascinating (scary?) to see what the author thought the U.S. would look like in 2024 and onwards.
The Parable series by her get more word-of-mouth, but the series that really stayed with me was her Xenogenesis series. Like the Parable books, it has the Survival as Hero archetype going on, but in this case it’s about a species of aliens who saves the last remnants of humans after they destroy themselves and earth, and follows a woman who is seen a “collaborating” with them.
Semi-related, I loved that that spot on Mars where one of the rovers landed was named after her. I wasn’t expecting that. I just wish she hadn’t died so prematurely and was alive to see it.
Thanks for the suggestion, I’ll add that to my list was well!
I have this one checked out from the library but haven’t started it yet!
I listened to And Then She Vanished by Nick Jones and found it entertaining enough to start the second book in the series right after. It’s not really scifi, I mean, time travel could easily be tagged fantasy as well. I don’t know if I’ll finish the series though. It’s missing something that I can’t quite put my finger on. Somewhat shallow and the secondary characters are paper thin. Fine reading to pass the time (or spend 12 hours on a train…) but nothing I’ll be thinking about once I’m done. I’ve been struggling to get through the first few chapters of Perdido Street Station for a while, I may give it another go this weekend.
I really need to read the Expanse series! I loved the show, and I’ve heard the books are significantly better.
If you’re gonna check out Gibson’s Neuromancer, maybe check out Neal Stephenson’s Snow Crash. Both are foundational cyberpunk.
Edit: Also, Project Hail Mary is one of my favorite novels. Can’t gush enough about that one. Reminded me a lot of Greg Bear’s Eon.
I wouldn’t say that the Expanse books are “significantly better” than the show - they’re both fantastic, and both have bits where they’re better than the others (for example, the books have more characters and storylines, plus the arc of the last three books, while the show is amazingly well adapted and in many ways is a second revision of the overall story).
I’m still holding out hope for seasons 7-9 happening at some point in ~5 years. Assuming it’s adapted at the same level as the prior seasons, seeing the final trilogy on screen will be epic!
I just picked up reading again recently, so I have compiled a huge list of books to read. I watched the expanse, so probably want to get through my list before I think about reading the book series. Maybe the others seasons will be renewed by then.
I enjoyed Neuromancer much better than Snowcrash, I have to say. I’m particularly blown away by how much it still holds up! It could have been written yesterday. While I felt Snowcrash aged more, mostly for the style.
Yeah, some elements of Snow Crash have definitely not aged well. The pervy sex scenes with the underaged girl have definitely outlived their welcome. Stephenson has certainly come a long way as a writer since he wrote this.
The orgy in The Diamond Age isn’t much better.
Stephenson got a pass on a lot of his weird stuff.
I just finished Scalzi’s Interdependency trilogy and absolutely loved it
Love Scalzi but wish he could vary his voice more. I find I have to spread out reading his books as the snark will all blur after a while.
I’ve been trying to get through A Memory Called Empire for like 2 years now. I keep hearing how good it is l, but I’m maybe halfway through and I feel like the story has been slow going, and the poetry thing is weird too. It is very well written though. Maybe someone has something encouraging to say about it
I really want to read Children of Time, but I am forcing myself to finish reading the Dune series I just bought lol.
Dune is a really interesting story and universe, but I had such a hard time actually reading the books. I can’t keep up with the amount of personal introspection it contains. I would have needed like an abridged version that focused more on getting the story moving.
I love the hyper specialization in the Dune universe (especially the face dancers), but there is waaaaay too much whining and navel gazing.
I guess that’s what the movie is lol, I’m excited for part 2 coming out this year.
So many people reading such impressive books and here I am reading Skullduggery Pleasant - a series about a skeleton detective who throws fireballs. It’s not high art, but it’s fun!
There is a fair bit of quality that can go into making a GOOD purely fun thing, and even when it’s pure schlock there’s no shame in that. Some times you want a steak, sometimes you want a burger. Both can be good or bad in their own ways, and neither is better than the other.
Currently reading Nemesis Games, part of The Expanse series by James S. A. Corey
Just finished that one. I’m loving this series so much.
Right now I’m reading Leviathan Wakes and I cannot put it down. It’s such a good book!
At work I’m listening to The Digital Plague and it’s pretty darn good. Book 2 of the Avery Cates series which is in the dark, gritty cyberpunk genre with a good amount of dark humor.
Both are really good books!
I am reading Leviathan Falls now. The entire series is great. I haven’t wanted to put any of them down.
I’m 75% finished with the book myself!
Just finished Leviathan Wakes. At first I looked at the length of the book and thought no way am I going to get through it. But then it caught on and I really enjoyed the ride. Although I did feel a bit tired after I finished it.
I thought the same when I got it. I ordered it online and when it arrived I was kinda surprised… But I’ve gotten through a little bit more than 3/4 of it in about a week so I guess I like it lol!
Yeah, very addictive. And you can guess why, with all those chapters ending on a cliffhanger.
I’m nearing the second go through of Leviathan Wakes, knowing where the series ends, it’s great to revisit it.
I’m working my way through Glynn Stewart’s "Duchy of Terra’ series, and Edgar Rice Burroughs “John Carter of Mars”.
Both are a little bit on the light and adventure-y side, which is my speed right now.
Next up is revisiting Nathan Lowell’s “Tales from the Golden Age of the Solar Clipper”, which is kind of my happy place.
Just finished “The Gone World” by Tom Sweterlitsch.
A mix of SciFi, detective and coslic horror. Pretty good, I really liked the ending.
I tried dungeon crawler carl because I saw it recommended so much. This has been the most fun series I’ve read in a long time. I’m up to book 6 which just came out. I’m listening to the audiobooks and the narrator is excellent. I originally thought there had to be multiple narrators, but nope. The premise sounds silly, and it is, but the execution is excellent and is great fun.
Same here! Just started the 4th audio book. The narrator and production quality is outstanding.
Hyperion is so good, I’m rereading it right now. Second time through the series.
Just finished Lightbringer by Pierce Brown. Red Rising series is a must!
Currently reading Codex Alera 5 and loving every minute of it
Yesterday, finished Stephen Markley’s The Deluge, a great read and a tremendous effort - highly recommend it.
The Deluge is a speculative fiction novel that focuses on the sociopolitical, economic, and ecological development of a series of catastrophic personal and global events stretching from the late 2010s with the narrative concluding around the late 2030s.
It’s a longer novel, around 800 pages, if you prefer something more compact Markley’s previous novel Ohio is terrific as well.
