So What Are you Reading?: Generations

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Having finished The Antares Maelstrom, I'm now reading Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale.

Lately, I had observed that certain politicians (Mitch McConnell comes to mind) are the sort of people "who could read The Handmaid's Tale cover-to-cover, without ever realizing that it's dystopian," and so I figured I ought to read the damn thing myself. (I do, after all, have a probably-annoying habit of alluding to movies I've never seen, e.g., Fight Club, and the whole Alien franchise.)

Dystopian fiction is not normally my thing, and so, while I'd read enough about The Handmaid's Tale (and its various dramatic adaptations) to know what it's about, I'd never actually read it, nor seen any of the adaptations.

 

[Kertrats47]

Just posted a review of Star Trek: The Next Generation #50: Dyson Sphere by Charles Pellegrino & George Zebrowski. I enjoyed a number of aspects of this one, but there were (allegedly) some weird editorial shenanigans that affected the narrative, and if that's true, it explains the disjointedness of the plot somewhat.

 

[John Clark]

Thrawn: Treason by Timothy Zahn.

 

[Reanok]

Star Trek Tos The Antares Maelstrom by Greg Cox

 

[Lonemagpie]

NIGHT OF THE HUMANS by David Llewellyn

Another 11th Doctor and Amy book – I’d actually started Joe Abercrombie’s The Blade Itself, but that disappeared part way through (it’s now reappeared), and I needed one that fit in a pocket for travel and waiting rooms… So, yeah this was better than The Forgotten Army in every way. Better plot, spaghetti western references, better support characters, the Doctor and Amy more in character, and generally good fun in a Western-crossed-with-Mad-Max sort of way. Just more up my street, I guess. So that was a pleasant surprise, and better than I expected after the blurb.

 

[Damian]

I'm about a 3rd of the way through "The Enterprise War" with "The Antares Maelstrom" on deck next for my lunch reading. And winding down my summer reading I'm currently close to halfway through "Perry's Planet" (and older Bantam era novel). An interesting book so far about a colony that may want to join the Federation and has a hologram of the colony founder as their leader with an interesting referendum style government. We'll see how that goes.

This is a book I've heard almost nothing about. I've heard bad things about other Bantam books like the Phoenix novels, and the few good books like "The Galactic Whirlpool" of the era. But this is a book I've never seen mentioned in either column. An almost forgotten book.

 

[Christopher]

I'm currently close to halfway through "Perry's Planet" (and older Bantam era novel). An interesting book so far about a colony that may want to join the Federation and has a hologram of the colony founder as their leader with an interesting referendum style government. We'll see how that goes.

This is a book I've heard almost nothing about. I've heard bad things about other Bantam books like the Phoenix novels, and the few good books like "The Galactic Whirlpool" of the era. But this is a book I've never seen mentioned in either column. An almost forgotten book.

Probably because it's a pretty forgettable book. I remember not liking it much, but I'm having a hard time recalling any specifics about it.

 

[Damian]

Probably because it's a pretty forgettable book. I remember not liking it much, but I'm having a hard time recalling any specifics about it.

Yeah, it's certainly possible it's just a mediocre book. Not good enough to be remembered, but I guess not bad enough to be remembered like the Phoenix novels (or what I hear about Death's Angel--in a way I'm almost looking forward to reading that because I've heard it is so bad--in a bizarre sort of way)

So far it brings up some interesting ideas. The leader being a hologram of the original leader for instance---while holograms are pretty common nowadays in Trek fiction, that wasn't really the case back in 1980 when the book was released. And other than the leader the colony seems to be what I would described as a 'true' democratic society, relying on referendums to make decisions important to the colony at large.

Now, of course, the book can go off the rails in the latter half. I've seen some Bantam books start with some promise and then fall apart by the conclusion. Even the "Price of the Phoenix" brought up some interesting ideas initially, only to come unglued as the story goes on.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

It's the least memorable of four lackluster variations on a seriously overused theme (the other three being The Starless World, World Without End, and the ever-popular Devil World.).

 

[ConRefit79]

The Expanse : Abaddon's Gate. Book 3 of the Expanse series.

 

[Kertrats47]

Just posted my review of Titan: Sword of Damocles by Geoffrey Thorne. I think I enjoyed this one a little more than most did.

I recently finished TNG: Before Dishonor by Peter David for an upcoming Literary Treks, and I'm currently reading The Iron Codex by David Mack.

 

[Reanok]

I'm reading the Julius Ceasar play by William Shakespeare

 

[John Clark]

The Cruel Stars by John Birmingham. So far, it's not grabbing me as much as some of his previous stuff but we'll see.

 

[Thrawn]

The Cruel Stars by John Birmingham. So far, it's not grabbing me as much as some of his previous stuff but we'll see.

I really want that to be good... Post again when you're finished, if you have the time? I'm very curious.

 

[John Clark]

I really want that to be good... Post again when you're finished, if you have the time? I'm very curious.

Will do. I'm about half way through at the moment

 

[Kertrats47]

Just posted my review of John Jackson Miller's Star Trek: Discovery: The Enterprise War on my YouTube channel. Definitely enjoyed this one! The Discovery novels are five for five, in my opinion.

 

[hbquikcomjamesl]

Now about a 70% through The Handmaid's Tale. It appears that the chapter breakdown was revised sometime after the original publication, splitting it into a lot more chapters, as the chapter numbers in the Barnes & Noble exclusive edition TPB do not match the chapter numbers given in the online CliffsNotes. (Not that I actually need to refer to the CliffsNotes, the way I did when I read The Canterbury Tales in the original Middle English.)

Seems like there's an awful lot of smoking, and an awful lot of hypocrisy, in the book. And Serena Joy (Commander Fred's Wife) seems to have gotten a very large serving of "be careful what you wish for, you may get it."

 

[John Clark]

I really want that to be good... Post again when you're finished, if you have the time? I'm very curious.

Ok, done.

I did get more into it and I thought it was good (though I still prefer Axis, I did end up enjoying this more than the Stalin and Dave series).

It's advertised as for fans of The Expanse and BSG, but I'd add in that their are elements not unlike Altered Carbon and the like. There a lot of chapters, but that's reserved for switching through sets of characters.

It's funny in parts and looks to be aiming for a sequel. I know some people will dislike one or more of the characters but I think it's worth a read. I will be getting the follow up (presuming there is one)

Next up, Strike Eagle by Doug Beason.

 

[Thrawn]

Hm. Sounds good but not move-to-the-top-of-your-to-read-list-right-now-great?

 

[John Clark]

Hm. Sounds good but not move-to-the-top-of-your-to-read-list-right-now-great?

Not for me I'm afraid, but like I say, still worth a read.