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)
I'm finally getting into both discworld and culture. I've read a number of other discworld books before, two of the night watch, mort, I think another I don't recall right now. Now I'm reading The Colour or Magic. It's enjoyable but I'm finding I'm going a little slower on it than the others.
I also have the second culture book, Player of Games, ready to go when I finish the discworld book. I really liked how bonkers Consider Phlebas was (felt like a constant stream of chaos for the crew).
The first two Discworld books are VERY different from the rest of the series. There is definitely stuff to enjoy there, but Pratchett had not yet found his voice. I'm in my second read through of the series, and it is interesting to see the concepts mature over time. Granny Weatherwax in Equal Rites is almost a different character than Granny Weatherwax in Maskerade.
I’m reading Lords and Ladies now. I couldn’t get into them years ago but after reading the Tiffany aching series I’m much more attached to the witches and really enjoying going through. Especially with the recently rerecorded audiobooks which are so very good.
I've never read any Pratchett, and I just picked up Small Gods on a friend's recommendation. I'm really enjoying it!
It's one of my favourites and is the one I've reread the most.
I just finished re-reading the entire Expanse series and fell back on an old friend, Harry Dresden. Going to put that Weir book on my list though. I really enjoyed The Martian so I’d like to explore more of his work.
Highly recommend listening to the Project Hail Mary audiobook rather than reading it. It adds an extra dimension to the story that you miss out on otherwise.
I have 60 pages left of The Wheel of Time series, and what a ride it's been. Just incredible!
Already looking for a series to fill the massive impending void. Was thinking of maybe Mazalan or Law Trilogy. Any advice or other suggestions, anyone?
Oh man, what a ride indeed. That series really is epic! And just in time for Season 2 of WoT to drop on Amazon!
If you liked that series, and in particular the last 2-3 books, then I'd recommend working your way through Brandon Sanderson's Cosmere, and the Stormlight Archive series in particular. Not classic sci-fi (although I'd argue it still fits on some levels), but an excellent fit after reading Robert Jordan.
Snowcrash: pleasantly surprised by the quality of the world building, which I love.
I've been blasting through Broken Earth series by N. K. Jemisin, already on The Stone Sky. So good and captivating. Also reading 'The Yiddish Policeman's Union' by Michael Chabon
I read the first 4 Murderbot Diaries a long time ago and the other day I learned there are at least 4 more. 🤖☠️
I adore the Murderbot Diaries. It's weird how something so violent can be so, I dunno, calming.
I binged as much Murderbot as I could about two years ago. Super fun reads. Plus I think the loosely connected novella format is interesting and makes them all that much bingier.
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.
I did Project Hail Mary two books back, so I won't revisit that for a while. I HIGHLY recommend the audiobook though; I honestly can't see how it could hold up in text form, it feels like it was made to be an audiobook.
I'm currently on the Bobiverse books (#1) by Dennis E Taylor.
Just finished Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel.
It's good, but I found it to be unmoving. I can see that whatever is written is well written but it didn't made me feel anything. I didn't find it funny, emotional, surprising, annoying. At no point I was tempted to stop reading it nor I was anxious to continue. For me it's a really solid 7/10. Maybe I'm in the minority on that and maybe it's because it's not the kind of book that I would usually read.
On what's next I have been wanting to read the Three Body Problem but I'm curious about the translation. I've read books in english that were originally written in my native spanish and there's definitely a certain feel to them. It will be the first book originally in Chinese that I read, so I wonder about the translation, and if it would be better to get an English translation or a Spanish translation.
The translator of Three Body Problem Ken Liu is a native Chinese speaker with exceptional English language skills. I don't believe there are any issues with the translation work itself, but there are some oddities of intentionally reworked plots in the English release due to the book "Ball Lightning" not having been released for the English market yet so the references would not have made sense. I find this to be a poor decision, but you can always read Ball Lightning and about what that subplot was intended to be afterward. The Spanish version would likely have the same issue.
Just finished “The Moon Is A Harsh Mistress”. A little long and rambling in places, but enjoyable and full of interesting ideas. Would make a good series/mini series. Has tinges of Hitchhikers Guide To The Galaxy at times.
There’s a good audiobook version available narrated by Lloyd James/Sean Pratt.
I'm pretty far behind the ball, but I'm finally reading revalation space and it rocks!
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!
Just finished reading NK Jemisin's We Became a City and it's sequel and they were so good I immediately started the Fifth Season by her as well. Highly recommended!
I’m listening to the expanse series while I work on my basement. I’ve already read the entire series, but it’s so good I’m happy to listen again. On cibola burn now!
I also read Semiosis by sue Burke recently, it was a fun pulpy series (two books total I think)
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!
I recently finished Alastair Reynolds' House of Suns, which I enjoyed. It's actually the first of his books I've read. I'm looking forward to reading more of his books.
Currently I'm reading Neuromancer for the first time.
Children of time, every time
Hyperion is so good, I remember reading (cantos) it with rather high expectations and it consistently exceeded them. Not perfect, but very nice, especially world building.
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.
Ready Player Two. About a quarter through it and so far I have little hope it'll get any better than it's reputation, even though I'm a massive VR nerd.
I've been cleasing my palate after 3 clarkes and 6 the expanse (plus shorts). Just finished Um Defeito de Cor, by Ana M. Golçalves, a semi-mult generation saga about a slave in Brazil. Very, very good, but I don't know if it has any translation. This has 1k pages, so I'm reading Piranesi, by Susanna Clarke, just to read something thin. It's... good. Strange.
I have Flash Foward, Expanse #7-9, Culture #1 and Red Mars on the queue =)
Re-reading a bunch of Discworld. Really need to read Project Hail Mary, only heard good things about it
Aside from Project Hail Mary I am reading a couple other things. One of them for another book club I am in. I am listening to The Employees by Olga Ravn which I swear feels like being subjected to 2 hours of Rorschach tests asking you how some sequence of words makes you feel. I don't think I enjoy it very much as there is no fictional science or details about anything going on. The other is Diaspora by Greg Egan which I am enjoying greatly as it is nothing but technical details. Hopefully I don't end up being in the middle of too many books to actually finish any of them in a timely manner.
I am reading Revenger by Alastair Reynolds. Still pretty early, but seems fun.
Midnight Tides. I definitely finished it once, but it's all hazy.
I will finish the Malazan series this time, and I super hope Tehol/Bugg stick around.
Finally getting around to reading Neuromancer. While I find some of the dialogue a little confusing I’m really enjoying its themes and the plot has me hooked. I can see why this book was so influential; it’s a little uncanny how many things Gibson predicted in this work.
I just finished Scalzi's Interdependency trilogy and absolutely loved it
I really want to read Children of Time, but I am forcing myself to finish reading the Dune series I just bought lol.
Exclusively Terry Pratchett. I've been reading (again for the most part) all the discworld books and finaly hit the ones i never read.
Currently reading The Last Colony by John Scalzi.
I just read neuromancer again. As you can tell from my handle, I love the book
project Hail Mary was fantastic. I just finished "The Postman" by David Brin and "Dark Angel" by John Sandford. I really enjoyed "Powersat" and its sequals by David Brin too.
Edit: i also recently read "Radicalized" by Cory Doctorow because it contained the novella "unauthorized Bread"
In terms of sci-fi, I've got The War of the Worlds on list.
I started Wool because I was digging the show Silo, but honestly found it pretty flat. The characters and story telling are super dry, and the show does a much better job of it imo, which is rare.
Getting rid of Twitter and Reddit has been productive. I read the Expanse (and the novella collection) as well as Project Hail Mary, and the first book of the Three Body Problem.
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December book club canceled. Short stories instead!
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