SF/F Books: Chapter Two - What Are You Reading?

[S. Gomez]

I picked up The Complete Chronicles of Conan at the library today. I read a couple of the stories a while back, now I'm going on and reading the rest. I have a taste for escapist adventure fantasy at the moment, and I've been trying to find what pulp or pulp-inspired material I can get my hands on; there are a couple of trade paperbacks with some stories of The Spider in the library and one of them also got picked up today along with Conan.

Speaking of the pulps, I know this may not fall under the category of "reading", but I found a podcast that has old episodes of The Shadow radio show. So I've been listening to them the only way you should--in bed with the lights out. They're really cool!

 

[Steve Roby]

Speaking of the pulps, I know this may not fall under the category of "reading", but I found a podcast that has old episodes of The Shadow radio show. So I've been listening to them the only way you should--in bed with the lights out. They're really cool!

Yeah, I've listened to a bunch of those, too, and read a few of the Maxwell Grant novels. I even have a couple of old Shadow pulps, though the covers were missing. I have a couple of the new pulp-size paperback reprints, but my comic shop can't seem to get them in regularly.

I've also tracked down mp3s of the old radio show Suspense; they adapted several short stories by one of my favourite noir writers, Cornell Woolrich.

To get more on topic: there's a fair amount of good stuff by Robert E. Howard in print right now, so don't limit yourself to Conan (though it is probably the best stuff he did).

 

[DanTheGrey]

Just finishing up "Fearful Symmetry" and finding it somehow lacking. Just find some of the DS9 re-launch novels are lacking something. I love DS9, but for whatever reason the books, while having some great moments, just don't feel like they're cohesive. The last one I read that I didn't get that from was one of the Mission: Gamma novels.

 

[Steve Roby]

Just finishing up "Fearful Symmetry" and finding it somehow lacking. Just find some of the DS9 re-launch novels are lacking something. I love DS9, but for whatever reason the books, while having some great moments, just don't feel like they're cohesive. The last one I read that I didn't get that from was one of the Mission: Gamma novels.

Really? Maybe we mean different things by cohesive, but imho the DS9 relaunch books are the most cohesive line of Star Trek books we've had yet. I think the line has suffered in the last couple of years from events beyond anyone's control (writers and editors becoming parents and suddenly having a lot less time, a writer being apparently unable to deliver a usable book and having to be replaced way after the last minute), which is unfortunate given that there are several storylines that haven't had the chance to advance as they otherwise might have by now... but with two new novels coming, that should change.

And to think all I meant to say was that this could be a good discussion for the TrekLit forum...

 

[Stevil2001]

Just started Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor. Ah, Stover...

 

[Maestro]

I'm a third of the way through Little Brother by Corey Doctorow. Strikes me as a collision of Neuromancer and 1984.

 

[Steve Roby]

Just started Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor. Ah, Stover...

Haven't read any Stover, is he better or worse than the average SW novelist?

Meanwhile, finished Joshi's book on the Cthulhu Mythos, and I'm less disappointed than I thought I might be. True, there's a lot more to be said, but his comments on recent mythos writers are more evenhanded than I expected, and overall the book is well worth reading for anyone interested in Lovecraft and the mythos who hasn't read all the articles debating Derleth's interpretation and related matters that have appeared in obscure publications over the years. There's still room for a broader look at the state of the mythos today, not to mention the subject of Lovecraft himself as a character in literature, but this is a solid read.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I'm a third of the way through Little Brother by Corey Doctorow. Strikes me as a collision of Neuromancer and 1984.

I just bought that, haven't got round to starting it yet though.

 

[DanTheGrey]

Just finishing up "Fearful Symmetry" and finding it somehow lacking. Just find some of the DS9 re-launch novels are lacking something. I love DS9, but for whatever reason the books, while having some great moments, just don't feel like they're cohesive. The last one I read that I didn't get that from was one of the Mission: Gamma novels.

Really? Maybe we mean different things by cohesive, but imho the DS9 relaunch books are the most cohesive line of Star Trek books we've had yet. I think the line has suffered in the last couple of years from events beyond anyone's control (writers and editors becoming parents and suddenly having a lot less time, a writer being apparently unable to deliver a usable book and having to be replaced way after the last minute), which is unfortunate given that there are several storylines that haven't had the chance to advance as they otherwise might have by now... but with two new novels coming, that should change.

And to think all I meant to say was that this could be a good discussion for the TrekLit forum...

I don't know any of the backstories about the politics or personal lives. I know that all the pieces should fit, but I think if it was a car, the ride is stiffer and bumpier than it needs to be and the steering is a bit heavy. All the ingredients are there to be fantastic, but something just doesn't feel right

 

[Stevil2001]

Just started Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor. Ah, Stover...

Haven't read any Stover, is he better or worse than the average SW novelist?

Definitely better. His Traitor was one of the better New Jedi Order novels, Shatterpoint was the best Clone Wars novel, and his novelization of Revenge of the Sith almost made the film tolerable. Shadows of Mindor is shaping up to continue that fine tradition.

 

[Maestro]

I'm a third of the way through Little Brother by Corey Doctorow. Strikes me as a collision of Neuromancer and 1984.

I just bought that, haven't got round to starting it yet though.

I'm struggling a bit with the tech descriptions ... I tend to get frustrated with a book when it pauses, infodumps, and continues. Although not as bad as the Honor Harrington books, where you sit through a fifteen page discourse on how sublight travel works, this book does pause for an infodump and I get stuck.

 

[Skywalker]

Just started Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor. Ah, Stover...

Haven't read any Stover, is he better or worse than the average SW novelist?

Definitely better. His Traitor was one of the better New Jedi Order novels, Shatterpoint was the best Clone Wars novel, and his novelization of Revenge of the Sith almost made the film tolerable. Shadows of Mindor is shaping up to continue that fine tradition.

I just finished Shadows of Mindor, myself. Excellent read, I think you'll enjoy it.

I still need to read Shatterpoint and ROTS. The only other Stover novel I've read is Traitor.

 

[Stevil2001]

^ I'm definitely liking it so far. Stover just nails all the OT characters, down to Lando and Artoo.

The RotS novel I have mixed feelings toward-- not even Stover can surpass that source material-- but you're doing yourself a massive disfavor if you don't read Shatterpoint. Easily in the top five Star Wars novels and certainly the best prequel-era one.

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I'm a third of the way through Little Brother by Corey Doctorow. Strikes me as a collision of Neuromancer and 1984.

I just bought that, haven't got round to starting it yet though.

I'm struggling a bit with the tech descriptions ... I tend to get frustrated with a book when it pauses, infodumps, and continues. Although not as bad as the Honor Harrington books, where you sit through a fifteen page discourse on how sublight travel works, this book does pause for an infodump and I get stuck.

I'll probably find that annoying, too.

 

[Mistral]

Just finished Cauldron by McDevitt, the last(so far) of the Priss Hutchins stories. It was ok, but I found the resolution of the "clouds" somewhat weak. Re-reading Watchmen next....

 

[Bob The Skutter]

I finished The Unnatural Inquirer last night, and started Just Another Judgement Day. I've enjoyed The Nightside series, but it seems to get a bit repetitive at times.
Now that I'm nearly finished with it I'll probably be looking for another ongoing series to pick up.

 

[Out Of My Vulcan Mind]

Neuromancer by William Gibson. Great book, vividly realized, but not much rooting interest. For most of the book it wasn't clear whether it would be a good or bad thing if the main characters succeeded in their objective, and the only characters I came to care about were Molly and Maelcum.

 

[DanTheGrey]

About to start Greater Than the Sum before going into the Destiny trilogy.

 

[Mistral]

I finished The Unnatural Inquirer last night, and started Just Another Judgement Day. I've enjoyed The Nightside series, but it seems to get a bit repetitive at times.
Now that I'm nearly finished with it I'll probably be looking for another ongoing series to pick up.

Sadly, most series get repetitive as they go on. I cite Xanth as a primary example of, "the author should have quit while he was ahead" syndrome. The authors of a series tend to keep beating the horse for the money of loyal fans-yet they rarely deliver the decent product those fans are coughing up hard-earned cash for...

One series that reads well is Stirling's Island In the Sea of Time books.

Another is the 1632 universe created by Eric Flint. That one benefits from numerous, enthusiastic writers participating in a shared world.

 

[Stevil2001]

Sadly, most series get repetitive as they go on. I cite Xanth as a primary example of, "the author should have quit while he was ahead" syndrome. The authors of a series tend to keep beating the horse for the money of loyal fans-yet they rarely deliver the decent product those fans are coughing up hard-earned cash for...

I don't know when Piers Anthony was ahead, but Xanth should have been the first six books at most. And The Apprentice Adept should have been zero. God, that man pumps out some dreck these days.