It's March -- what are you reading?

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Bick said:
How does it compare with Prador Moon, which is the only Asher I've read. I enjoyed it, while recognising it was popcorn.
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It's been awhile since I've read it, so that's a necessary disclaimer. Gridlinked is a much larger book and, relative to Prador Moon, more melancholy, sort of, and slower overall - more internally contemplative. Fans of character might prefer it in that it has a focus on Cormac. Fans of tight plot and action might prefer Prador Moon. But this isn't to disagree with Ryan that Gridlinked is action-packed - just not relatively to Prador Moon's weapons-grade concentrated explosives. And I think Asher gives a surface popcorn feel but he's never just that so I'm not sure how to reply there. (Though, of course, I don't think popcorn is a bad thing - I think we're using it in the same sense.) However, whatever Prador Moon is, it's probably fair to say Gridlinked is less popcorn. It also starts out the five book "Dragon" series which, I think, is sort of Asher's magnum opus at this point though other subseries definitely have fans, too. Prador Moon fits into the Polity universe but is otherwise pretty stand-alone. That also allows Prador Moon to hit much harder with no strings attached - all the Dragon books have to blunt a little of their effect by leading into and/or coming out of another novel. (Though another important disclaimer is that, if I recall correctly, Gridlinked does wrap up most of its own threads and it's not like the first part of one novel with the end missing. It's just that there's definitely a sense of sequels coming for the larger story that you'll probably want to read.)

Basically, I like them both but, one-on-one, I enjoyed Prador Moon more but, five-on-one, the subseries which Gridlinked starts is more important and more substantial overall.

Not sure how clear I'm being, but I hope that helps. :)
 
J-Sun said:
It's been awhile since I've read it... ...Not sure how clear I'm being, but I hope that helps. :)
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It helps heaps, many thanks for your views. My feeling is that ought to like Asher and read more but I'm not pulled toward the books somehow. If Gridlinked is actually a little less popcorny and a little deeper with regards story-arc and so on, perhaps I'll try it sometime. I feel Asher is kinda Britain's answer to Scalzi. In much the same way, I've read one book by Scalzi, I really liked it and have not read any since. Weird. Both authors write catchy immediate books that entertain, but perhaps they don't engage me the same way my favourite authors do. That said, I did just acquire The Ghost Brigades, so I guess I did go back to Scalzi eventually, and I always hope to get sucked in.
 
Finally getting around to the second volume of Patterson's biography of Heinlein -- Robert A. Heinlein in Dialogue with His Century: The Man Who Learned Better: 1948-1988. Only a couple of chapters in at this point, but am finding it as interesting as the first volume. Have reached the complicated history of the third of his juvenile novels (Red Planet had anything but an easy birth) and the filming of Destination Moon (ditto). Must admit, though, that reading these really makes me wish I had the resources to afford the Virginia edition of Heinlein's works.....
 
@Bick I actually just finished Scalzi's The Last Colony. It was really good but not as good as the previous two. Having just been introduced to Scalzi in November (I think) I've read five of his books already and really like his work.

Since I'm on vacation from work for a couple days I'm going to get right back into the next book. Half The World by Abercrombie. Should be a good one.
 
Empire State by Adam Christopher.

Meh. I'm 104 pages in, so I'll finish it but so far, so underwhelming.
 
Finished Maddaddam by Margaret Atwood. It's the final book in her apocalyptic science fiction trilogy. Overall, this was a very interesting read. I'm not sure I found it believable all the time, but I enjoyed it.
 
Clifford Beal said:
Currently reading Michael Moorcock's long awaited opener of his new Whitefriars trilogy, The Whispering Swarm. Only 50 or so pages in but enjoying it tremendously despite the fact that it's autobiography and fantasy fiction combined!
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Really curious about this one. I've read mixed reviews, but as a life-long Moorcock fan I doubt I'll be able to resist.
 
Currently reading Roma Mater by Poul and Karen Anderson. It's the first in the long out of print King of Ys series, recently re-released in ebook format. I really enjoyed the series back when it was first published in the 80s, but I had my doubts it would live up to my memories. Turns out I had no reason for concern. I'm enjoying it even more now than my first read. I know much more about Roman history and late antiquity than I did back then, so I have a better appreciation for the context of the books. Top-notch stuff if you like historical fantasy.
 
Juliana said:
I've just discovered these... On the second at the moment. :)
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Wasn't that taken by the first book to be honest, but someone bought me book 4 for Christmas so I now I have to read the others and I'm actually enjoying them more as I get through them (just started book 4)...
 
Reading Robert Fabbri's Rome's Lost Son and very much enjoying it. :)

Also started Douglas Hulick's Sworn in Steel - stumbled a lot at the beginning, not least for the lack of immediacy and the constant recounting of names and events from the first book. However, seems to have become smoother at about page 30, so finally picking up, I hope.
 
Wheel of Time Book 2. Will reread as far as book 6 or 7 then jump to the final 4. Robert Jordan was a very good writer. Particularly at creating long drawn out descriptions, making the reader feel engaged with the scene and its setting. People complain his combat was just phrases and no real description but i actually love that. I see the cat stalks courtyard, etc etc. It allows the reader to visualize the violence.
 
Finished up Patricia Briggs' Dead Heat and Devon Monks' Infinity Bell. Both solid reads. It was good to find the story line to Dead Heat involve horses as the author is a horse person herself.
 
@Brian Turner Sworn in Steel really does pick up after the first bit. It took a while to get going but by the end I enjoyed it.
 
barrett1987 said:
Robert Jordan was a very good writer.
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Opinions vary. An alternative view is that he was a dreadful writer. There used to be a collected review of all the WoT books on a blog that tore strips off them all in a very funny way, but unfortunately I can't find it. I think J-Sun pointed it out once.
 
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