April's Amazing Adventures and Articles

[Vertigo]

Decided to read Charles Stross Accelerando next. Had it knocking around for ages but never got around to reading it!

 

[HareBrain]

Started Redick's River of Shadows, and despite the author's obvious attempts to help, I'm really struggling to relate what's going on to the previous two books, because I can't remember them that well! Since this is third in a series and there's one left, I think I'm going to have to put this one aside until the last one is out and then read all four, because otherwise the same thing will happen next time. Annoying, especially since I'm not sure the first two justify a reread on their literary merit. How do other people get round this when books in a series come out more than a year apart?

 

[Vertigo]

I often read just the last few chapters of the previous book. That can be enough to remind me of everything that was going on. Depends a little on just how complex things are. I was going to do that with Justina Robson's Quantum Gravity books but I read the first three out of the library and they don't have them any longer , also they do get a bit complex in places so now I have bought second had copies of them all and will give them a full re-read. (no sooner had I done that, and they finally all come out on ebook ).

 

[Diggler]

I'm onto Boneshaker by Cherie Priest. So far it's quite dull. Hopefully it'll transform into the "rollicking, steampunk airship, zombie adventure" it claims on the front cover!

 

[Connavar]

Just finished The Quiet War by Paul McAuley, my first book from him. I enjoyed it but wasn't bowled over. I thought it was well researched as hard SF - his descriptions of the colonies on the moons of Juptier and Saturn were thoroughly thought out. Maybe a little too thoroughly though, I found some of the detail a too much. Also there were a few deus ex machina moments too that irritated me. Finally the ending was very week and inconclusive. I know there is a sequel but it wasn't really billed as a series.

However it was good enough that I shall probably try more of him, in particular I liked his well thought out and scientifically feasible future.

I thought Quit War was a collection a stories ? I read a story from that world/series in 20 Year special of Year's Best SF and was impressed. Was wondering if i should read novels,other stories of the same universe.

 

[Vertigo]

I don't think so Connavar, I just did a google on "quiet war sf" and all it turned up was this 2008 novel by Paul McAuley. However I think you might enjoy it. It is not about battles but the "quiet" or "cold" war leading up to outright war. So the main emphases of the book are the technology of living on the moons of Jupiter and Saturn which was extremely well thought out and the politics between those living on said moons and those remaining on Earth.

From those perspectives the book was excellent. However, although I enjoyed it, I never felt total totally engaged by the story or the characters.