What SF/F Book Are you Reading? .. Redux

Discussion in 'Science Fiction & Fantasy' started by Klaus, Aug 31, 2011.

  1. lurok

    lurok Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I love Dune series but yet to tackle any of the prequels.
     
  2. Lowdarzz

    Lowdarzz Captain Captain

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    I just finished Childhood's End by Arthur C. Clarke and have started The Gods Themselves by Isaac Asimov.
     
  3. JoeZhang

    JoeZhang Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Just approach them as a separate thing - they are like a Star Wars version of Dune.
     
  4. Starbreaker

    Starbreaker Fleet Admiral Admiral

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    I'm interested to hear your opinion when you're finished. Seems like only Purists read the prequels now to talk about how bad they are.
     
  5. lurok

    lurok Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Me too. Genuinely. The few non-FH Dune books read seem ok as far as filling in narrative gaps but lack his...subtlety?
     
  6. Klaus

    Klaus Vice Admiral Admiral

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    I read the prequels as they came out, didn't hate them like some did... but it's been a long time since I read the originals. They have a different feel to be sure, but I thought they were decent stories.
    I haven't read the post-Dune ones yet.
     
  7. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

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    I've enjoyed them because I like the Dune Universe. They are nowhere near as good as the Original Trilogy. As JoeZhang said, they're like the Star Wars version of Dune.

    Sisterhood was interesting because its about a battle for dominance between two factions of the Empire, the Butlerians ( as in Jihad) who are anti-technology especially, in the form of computers and the antecedents to the CHOAM and the Spacing Guild, who are pro-technology. There also a plotline about the Sisterhood and the creation of Reverend Mothers and a schism in there ranks because of the Butlarians, Another plotline follows the Atreides/Harkonnen fued, but it's not very interesting.
     
  8. trekkiedane

    trekkiedane Admiral Admiral

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    I finally pulled myself a bit together and am now reading Clifford D. Simaks City and Eight Worlds of Cyril M. Kornbluth.

    Both are collections of eight short stories so I read one story in one and then one
    in another and then back again...

    All part of my plan to get to the roots of SciFi :p
     
  9. Klaus

    Klaus Vice Admiral Admiral

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    Reread City for the first time in years last year... what a great book. :D
     
  10. trekkiedane

    trekkiedane Admiral Admiral

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    ^I haven't remembered anything from it so far... I might never have read it before!
    (I do recognize The Little Black Bag from the Kornbluth book though).
     
  11. Kai "the spy"

    Kai "the spy" Admiral Admiral

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    Finished the first "Heliosphere 2265" paperback, have started with Dan Simmons' "Hyperion", first time read.
     
  12. acappellasaurus

    acappellasaurus Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

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    My active read is Robert J. Sawyer's "Triggers" right now. Breaking that up with the first of the David Mack "Cold Equations" TNG trio. Coming up soon is John Scalzi's "Redshirts"
     
  13. Felidae

    Felidae Lieutenant Junior Grade Red Shirt

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    Currently reading 2001: a space odyssey. About halfway there. Been on my list for ages.

    What a good way to put it though, that is my active read, and otherwise I am also reading Wizard and Glass by Stephen King and Hit List by Laurell Hamilton. Those two are less interesting atm so 2001 is my real read, am in the middle of both other books as well.
     
  14. RAMA

    RAMA Admiral Admiral

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    I just got Niven and Lerner's Fate of Worlds and Betrayer of worlds, that's on the list after the first three Culture novels...yow. Not sure how much time I'll have to squeeze all these in.

    RAMA
     
  15. Klaus

    Klaus Vice Admiral Admiral

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    ^^I really liked the Niven/Lerner books, interested in what you think.
     
  16. Kegg

    Kegg Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    That's very good. It and the sequel 2010: Odyssey Two are well worth reading (although 2010: Odyssey Two is a weird hybrid, it incorporates elements from Clarke's novel but where-ever the movie contradicts his book it takes the movie as canon).

    I'd skip the subsequent books though as if memory serves they got really depedent on repeating chunks of the earlier novels and 3001 in particulwar was just.. eh.
     
  17. SalvorHardin

    SalvorHardin Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I'm about 80% through Greg Bear's Hull Zero Three.
    And have just started reading the first few pages of Great North Road by Peter F. Hamilton.
     
  18. stj

    stj Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Hydrogen Sonata, Bowl of Heaven and Jablokov's Brain Thief.
     
  19. Spider

    Spider Dirty Old Man Premium Member

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    I'm reading a series of pulp novels published in the 60s by John Rackham. The Beasts of Kohl, Time to Live, The Double Invaders, Alien Sea. I've got some more of his novels, all out of print, on order from abe.com, which is a great place to find old out of print stuff. He also wrote some Man From U.N.C.L.E books back in the 60s, and I'm thinking I might order them as well.

    He's a good writer, but you have to be able to appreciate the old pulp scifi style from back then.
     
  20. Ensign_Redshirt

    Ensign_Redshirt Commodore Commodore

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    Just finished I Am Legend