October 2021 Reading Discussion

Status
Not open for further replies.
I enjoyed Fevre Dream, by GRRM very much. This is a book that can certainly be enjoyed by readers, like me, who usually don't go for horror/vampire/paranormal literature. It's certainly a cut above and the premise is appealing. It's a real page turner too, and well-written. Added bonus: it stands alone as a novel, not the first in a series. Hurrah.

I've now started a re-read of The Caves of Steel by Isaac Asimov. I suspect this may turn into a larger re-read of the robot novels, and then perhaps some others by the Good Doctor.
 
I re-read Simak's Highway of Eternity and was more comfortable with the arrangement of the chapters than before. Now, as Christmas advertising seems to be starting, have almost finished Pratchett's Hogfather. I do like his throwaway apercus.
 
Finished Walking to Aldebaren, which was okay. It amazes me how dense Tchaikovsk’s stories are and how little his writing wastes. The story reminded me of something that Edmund Cooper would write.

Now on to Firewalkers, also by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
 
Rodders said:
Finished Walking to Aldebaren, which was okay. It amazes me how dense Tchaikovsk’s stories are and how little his writing wastes. The story reminded me of something that Edmund Cooper would write.

Now on to Firewalkers, also by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
Click to expand...
That's very true! His shorter books pack an awful lot into a small number of pages. Other examples are the two Expert Systems books and, indeed, Firewalkers.

Walking to Aldebran is a strange, rather clever bit of writing I thought. I had this feeling of familiarity for quite a while before it became obvious what it was. But I do think it was one of his weaker works.
 
Rodders said:
Finished Walking to Aldebaren, which was okay. It amazes me how dense Tchaikovsk’s stories are and how little his writing wastes. The story reminded me of something that Edmund Cooper would write.

Now on to Firewalkers, also by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
Click to expand...
first you walked to aldebaran and now you're walking on fire? are you trying to recover the lost phisic form of the pandemic or just masochist? ;)
 
Parson said:
Beneath a Gibbouis Moon by James Allen
Click to expand...
You'll get through that one in an evening or two -it's a very easy to read, I normally take ages to finish a book and figured it'd be October's story but it was very quick (not a criticism, the story just seemed to roll along quickly).
 
The Caves of Steel was a terrific re-read. I had forgotten enough of it to enjoy the plotting considerably. It's more of a whodunnit than I recalled, and also a way for Asimov to explore the problems of overpopulation, and how technology can be either helpful or a hindrance to humanity's progress, depending on how it's employed and the direction it takes.

I'm moving straight on to The Naked Sun, in which Elijah visits Solaria for the first time.
 
Theodore Sturgeon “Visions and Venturers” (1978)

A collection of eight stories first published between 1942 and 1965, all worth reading: Sturgeon rarely disappoints.

One story left me uneasy: “The Hag Seleen” (co-written with James H. Beard, 1942) recounts a memorable encounter with a challenging old woman deep in swamp country. What left me very uneasy was the way the close relationship between the main character and his young daughter involved keeping secrets from their wife/mother even when they'd been involved in the most scary adventures. On the face of it this is all innocent, but I found it concerning. I don't know whether Sturgeon was aware of this aspect or not.
 
Last edited:
Betok_Haney said:
Just finished The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin - it was...interesting. I want to finish the series, but need to take a break from astrophysics for a while :)

I am currently reading Skyward by Brandon Sanderson, and Dragonflight by Anne McCaffrey (no, I have never read the series).
Click to expand...

I really enjoyed The Three Body Problem. I haven't read the sequel yet but I certainly will. I know I need to be quite switched on to get the most out of this kind of hard sci-fi but it really was a satisfying read.

I didn't finish Dragonflight. It seemed like something which would be a lot of fun for me as I enjoy pulp fiction and science fantasy, but I think it lost me somewhere. I still have it on the shelf though so when the feeling takes me I'll give it another go.

Sanderson is also another author I need to revisit, I only read the first of the Mistborn books and was left with mixed feelings, which again surprised me... but then I guess it can be down to your state of mind whether you get on with a book sometimes, especially if it's a book you're reading only for entertainment.
Foxbat said:
Somebody mentioned Vernor Vinge’s A Fire Upon The Deep a couple of months ago. I’ve never read any Vinge so I bought a copy of this novel and that’s what I’m currently reading.
Click to expand...

This has been on my to-read list to for a while. It seems like my kind of thing.
Provincial said:
I have just finished re-reading Piranesi by Suzanna Clarke. This is the first time in decades that I have re-read a book within a couple of days of having finished my first read-through. It wasn’t because of the mysterious elements of the story however; Mrs. Clarke wasn’t writing a whodunnit with lots of confusing clues. It was because I wanted to go back to the extraordinary universe she had created and live in it again. My husband bought me a beautiful hardback copy when it first came out, knowing how I loved her first novel, and I think that in some ways the contents of the book are as lovely as (if not lovelier than) it’s outside - once you get the dustcover off it, that is!
Click to expand...

I'm planning on reading this soon, should be getting down to the library this week so if it's available I'll pick it up. May look to see if I can reserve it, in fact. Still waiting for Hamnet to become available.
Dan Jones said:
Finished The Subtle Knife. It feels a much bigger book than its 330-page length implies. That sounds like a criticism, but it's not. I simply marvel at how much theme and depth Pullman stuffs into a book of such modest length. It's a marvellous novel.
Click to expand...

I thought The Subtle Knife was the most gripping of the three - could not put it down. Not sure it is the best overall, though I won't say any more for fear of posting spoilers, however subtle, as I found it to be a wonderful experience reading without any prior knowledge, but the plot of that second book pulled me in and didn't let go. Pullman is a fine author, the references to Milton helped with my slowly building appreciation for poetry and wonderful language. Not so sure the first entry in The Book of Dust lived up to the calibre of His Dark Materials though I will still read the second one at some point.


Had quite a few posts I'd been meaning to reply to there, had to catch up!

I finished Tender is the Night by Fitzgerald, which I found both difficult and captivating. There were times when I was totally carried away with its beauty and directness, but there were a great many references that meant nothing to me and a little bit of dialogue in French, which I don't read, but I like a rich novel more and more now, so ultimately a rewarding and insightful experience.

I'm reading The Devil in a Forest by Gene Wolfe currently, so far reminding me a little of the more interesting pulp fantasy by Michael Moorcock. Also about a quarter into The Science of Meditation by Daniel Goleman and Richard J. Davidson. The findings are interesting but I wish the book wasn't so padded with autobiographical anecdotes, I just want the science! For the first time I'm considering just finding a summary compiled by a reviewer and reading that. Has anyone ever done this? I know I'll miss a lot of the nuances if I take that route, but I have so little in the way of attention span lately, I feel like I need to ration my focus for what is either more condensed and/or enriching, or books I can read at night simply for pleasure.
 
This is the second time I've had a go at reading this Inspector Rebus book (Let it Bleed by Ian Rankin) and for the second time I'm bored rigid! At first I thought it was the genre I wasn't enjoying, but I love EdMcbain's books!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Thread starter Similar threads Forum Replies Date
Mark_Harbinger Wondrous Stories Comics (October, 2021) Promotions 0
Ursa major POLL -- 300 Word Writing Challenge -- No 43 (October 2021) -- THE JUDGE WINS! Writing Challenges 0
Ursa major POLL -- October 2021 75-word Writing Challenge -- BETOK_HANEY WINS! Writing Challenges 0
Ursa major DISCUSSION THREAD -- October 2021 -- 300 Word Writing Challenge #43 Writing Challenges 301
Victoria Silverwolf DISCUSSION THREAD -- October 2021 -- 75 Word Writing Challenge Writing Challenges 184

Similar threads


Back
Top