So what is your August majesty reading?

[The Judge]

Philip Pullman - His Dark Materials trilogy, which I found in a Colchester charity shop yesterday. Is it any good?

I'm sure I've said this somewhere, so apologies to all those to whom it seems repetitive. I loved Northern Lights, liked The Subtle Knife and hated The Amber Spyglass. But it's still very well worth reading.

 

[Clansman]

Just in the final chapters of Erikson's House of Chains ( A Tale from the Malazan Book of the Fallen). "Convergence", or "denouement" would be the words of the day, and it is a shame that I have to go to work, 'cause I'd like to finish it NOW!

Then, it is on to Under Heaven, by Guy Gavriel Kay. I have been looking forward to that one for quite some time.

 

[GOLLUM]

Just in the final chapters of Erikson's House of Chains ( A Tale from the Malazan Book of the Fallen). "Convergence", or "denouement" would be the words of the day, and it is a shame that I have to go to work, 'cause I'd like to finish it NOW!

You are in for a treat then once you hit Midnight Tides....quite a few more revelations and expect to be spun around again before being passed through the shaker....

 

[mosaix]

The War Of The Worlds by H. G. Wells

Bows down in admiration of such a classic.

 

[soulsinging]

Still reading 'Best Served Cold' by Joe Abercrombie. I had a friend in town the last 2 weeks and work has been a little wild, so I've done less reading than I'd like. It's good so far, and a smooth read, but lacks the epic grandeur of First Law.

 

[Clansman]

You are in for a treat then once you hit Midnight Tides....quite a few more revelations and expect to be spun around again before being passed through the shaker....

Picked up Midnight Tides today, and I plan on grabbing Esselmont's Night of Knives soon. Erikson's and Esselmont's world just keep getting deeper and more interesting with each page. With me being a GRR Martin and Janny Wurts fan, Erikson completes my trilogy of authors of big, massive, complex and grown-up epic fantasy series.

Ah, so much good reading, so little time...

 

[Rodders]

Metro 2033. I've been meaning to read this for a while and i must pick up the game some time.

 

[Allegra]

Yep. It's one of the best series I've ever read in or out of the Genre....

I second GOLLUM. The film adaptation of the first book is pretty thin though.

 

[elvet]

Just in the final chapters of Erikson's House of Chains ( A Tale from the Malazan Book of the Fallen). "Convergence", or "denouement" would be the words of the day, and it is a shame that I have to go to work, 'cause I'd like to finish it NOW!

Then, it is on to Under Heaven, by Guy Gavriel Kay. I have been looking forward to that one for quite some time.

Some great reading coming up, Clansman. I read the Erikson and Esselmont books last year, finished the last one and reread them again. I'm saving another read through for when the last book (Crippled God) comes out. I have Dust of Dreams and Korbal and Broach waiting as well.
Under Heaven was very good, an intimate and detailed look at life in ancient China. I was recently at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and was pleasently surprised to reconize some of the artifacts in the Chinese displays.
I've been saving the Wurt's books as my last big epic. I may get into them this winter - always a good time in central Ontario to snuggle down with an awaited series .
As for my current reading, I started Orca by Steven Brust last night. It's the last book in the omnibuses I have, so I'm going to have to buy the rest of the available books in the series.

 

[GOLLUM]

I second GOLLUM. The film adaptation of the first book is pretty thin though.

I agree with you on that point.

@Clansman Like you I too am a big fan of Martin, Wurts and Erikson. However do not forget to check out Abercrombie, Lynch, Kearney, Ricardo Pinto, Keyes, Williams, Elliott, Glenn Cook and several others who whilst not as "complex" in terms of plot are still very worthwhile reads.

 

[Taltos]

Reading Scalzi The Android's Dream - really interesting and funny book about sabotage, interplanetary diplomacy and sheep... I really should pick up Scalzis Agent to the Stars and The God Engines - to complete my collection.
Also about 1/3 through Pride & Predjustice & Zombies - but put it aside for a while. After reading premise (don't know if this is the correct word for this) and descriptions on the book cover - I was expecting a bit more humoristic and fun book than it has turend out to be - so a bit dissapointed so far.
Last month was mostly about reading short story collections (largely by local authors) as well as Neal Ashers Hilldiggers and Tad Williams City of Golden Shadows.

 

[Nikitta]

Reading Scalzi The Android's Dream - really interesting and funny book about sabotage, interplanetary diplomacy and sheep... I really should pick up Scalzis Agent to the Stars and The God Engines - to complete my collection.

Agent to the Stars is quite funny and quite different from his other fiction. I'm going to order The God Engines soon too and also Metatropolis where he contributes with a short story.

 

[Clansman]

@Clansman Like you I too am a big fan of Martin, Wurts and Erikson. However do not forget to check out Abercrombie, Lynch, Kearney, Ricardo Pinto, Keyes, Williams, Elliott, Glenn Cook and several others who whilst not as "complex" in terms of plot are still very worthwhile reads.

Love Kearney (best battle scenes ever), Tad Williams is one of my all-time faves, Keyes I struggled with but recognized its quality, and Lynch and Abercrombie are in the TBR pile as I write this. I'm getting to the rest, slowly but surely.

For now, I am quite captivated by Erikson and Esselmont.

 

[Clansman]

Some great reading coming up, Clansman. I read the Erikson and Esselmont books last year, finished the last one and reread them again. I'm saving another read through for when the last book (Crippled God) comes out. I have Dust of Dreams and Korbal and Broach waiting as well.
Under Heaven was very good, an intimate and detailed look at life in ancient China. I was recently at the Royal Ontario Museum in Toronto and was pleasently surprised to reconize some of the artifacts in the Chinese displays.
I've been saving the Wurt's books as my last big epic. I may get into them this winter - always a good time in central Ontario to snuggle down with an awaited series .
As for my current reading, I started Orca by Steven Brust last night. It's the last book in the omnibuses I have, so I'm going to have to buy the rest of the available books in the series.

Wurts' new one, Initiate's Trial, is in final proofing stages now, due for release, I hope, before Christmas. That's nine big, fat and complex epic books to read. Start sooner and you could join the huge series discussion in the Beyond Reality Group on Goodreads. I hear you about snuggling down for a good read, in my case in Eastern Ontario (cold and snowy, just like central, though you likely get way more snow off Lake Huron).

 

[GOLLUM]

Love Kearney (best battle scenes ever), Tad Williams is one of my all-time faves, Keyes I struggled with but recognized its quality, and Lynch and Abercrombie are in the TBR pile as I write this. I'm getting to the rest, slowly but surely.

For now, I am quite captivated by Erikson and Esselmont.

Don't forget Kate Eliott's superb 7 book series Crown of Stars, Ricardo Pinto's socially complex and challenging trilogy (currently in the process of reading myself) and of course Glen Cook and his wonderful Black Company series that had such a major influence upon Erikson's and to an extent Keanrey's writing.

 

[Esioul]

I tried some of Kate Elliot's stuff but couldn't get into it somehow.

Now I'm reading Non Stop by Brian Aldiss, quite liking it.

 

[Vertigo]

I found Kate Elliot's Crown of Stars a little difficult to get into at first, but once I got going it was worth the effort.

 

[AE35Unit]

Well last night I finished Tau Zero, and it has to be said it is one of the best reads of this year! There are a few technical bits that make one scratch ones head (the square of I-v2/c2 where v=velocity and c=speed of light) but other than that,fabulous Mr Anderson!

Now I'm continuing with my 2010 a Reading Odyssey by re_reading 2001 A Space Odyssey. I will read up to the point where *SPOILER* Frank Poole disappears then I'll jump to 3001 the Final Odyssey which takes up Poole's story a thousand years later *SPOILER*.

 

[Ursa major]

I finished reading Count Zero by William Gibson today. It's the sequel to the author's seminal Neuromancer.

First paragraph: They set a slamhound on Turner's trail in New Delhi, slotted it to his pheromones and the colour of his hair. It caught up with him on a street called Chandni Chauk and came scrambling for his rented BMW through a forest of bare brown legs and pedicab tyres. Its core was a kilogramme of recrystallized hexogene and flaked TNT.

I found this a very easy and enjoyable read. The narative is devided between three POVs (two of which eventually meet), their chapters - some quite short - alternating. My subconscious was given the impression that the three POVs cycle, but on checking, there's no particular pattern.

The three POVs coudn't be different: a cynical mercenary; a rather naive young hacker; a young woman whose running of an art gallery has been undermined by a venal boyfriend. For the most part, the three threads are kept well apart, but through this shortish book, the reader is allowed to guess at the connections between them.

I must look for the third in what became a trilogy, Mona Lisa Overdrive.

 

[J-WO]

I'm trekking around shortstoryville at present, taking in-

*The last four issues of Interzone
*Interzone, the 1st anthology (From 1984, great Ballard story therein)
*Doctor Brodie's report, By Jorge Luis Borges
*Collected Ghost stories, MR James

Busy, busy!