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They made a novelization of The Final Sacrifice? What a great day for Canada, although it’s a bit late.
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Jan 20, 2021 17:28
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The Stars Are Legion is bonkers. Organic worldships, tons of body horror, and a very imaginative amnesiac hero's journey. I enjoyed it. Definitely worth it for <$1, if you're okay with some Cronenberg-level squickiness.
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Jan 20, 2021 18:21
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Was just going to post that. I loved the stars are legion and I'd love a sequel even more.
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Jan 20, 2021 18:45
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Hubbardologist posted:The Stars Are Legion is bonkers. Organic worldships, tons of body horror, and a very imaginative amnesiac hero's journey. I enjoyed it. Definitely worth it for <$1, if you're okay with some Cronenberg-level squickiness. I think it's only that cheap for UK/commonwealth customers (or at least the website linked in the tweet said that), it's on sale on amazon but still $8, unless I'm missing something. At $8 would you still recommend it?
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Jan 20, 2021 19:37
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Velius posted:They made a novelization of The Final Sacrifice? What a great day for Canada, although it’s a bit late.
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Jan 20, 2021 23:05
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Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice - $3.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004AM5R20/ Dark Matter by Blake Crouch - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0180T0IUY/ Uprooted by Naomi Novik - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KUQIU7O/
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Jan 20, 2021 23:24
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pradmer posted:Dark Matter by Blake Crouch - $2.99 This is an easy-read airport mystery (you know the kind of writing style I mean) but is a super fun, engaging and creative sci-fi thriller that I highly recommend going into without knowing anything about it.
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Jan 21, 2021 00:25
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It was a good read, although the ending was a bit weird.
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Jan 21, 2021 00:35
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Pervis posted:I think it's only that cheap for UK/commonwealth customers (or at least the website linked in the tweet said that), it's on sale on amazon but still $8, unless I'm missing something. At $8 would you still recommend it? If you're jonesing for something like that immediately, $8 is definitely worth it. It's not a short novella or anything. I am pretty sure I got it for cheaper during some Kindle sale though ($3 iirc).
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Jan 21, 2021 04:15
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freebooter posted:This is an easy-read airport mystery (you know the kind of writing style I mean) but is a super fun, engaging and creative sci-fi thriller that I highly recommend going into without knowing anything about it. Also if anyone likes this (Dark Matter) I would recommend his latest novel, Recursion.
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Jan 21, 2021 04:40
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anilEhilated posted:This seems kinda interesting, anyone read it? It’s all right! It’s an interesting/surreal world he lays out. I ended up dropping off sometime during the second book, but it’s worth trying for $3 I think to see if it clicks.
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Jan 21, 2021 05:22
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https://twitter.com/Marceline2174/status/1352097388861640705?s=19 General Battuta got some fuckin great fanart going here (and I'll also state that she did this in one day) Also, catching up on the thread, have we decided that y'all numbnuts can stop posting spoilers for the Locked Tomb? Jesus, y'all. Riot Carol Danvers fucked around with this message at 05:26 on Jan 21, 2021 |
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Jan 21, 2021 05:22
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That's gorgeous!
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Jan 21, 2021 05:27
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Of all the times to have Twitter turboblocked this is the first I regret
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Jan 21, 2021 05:32
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General Battuta posted:Of all the times to have Twitter turboblocked this is the first I regret I'll pass this comment along to her if you're cool with that because it's hilarious and I bet she'd appreciate it (and yeah I tried to find you on there, had a feeling you either delete or didn't have the twitbox).
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Jan 21, 2021 05:38
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freebooter posted:Started The Ministry for the Future and it's already shaping up as classically frustrating KSR - the brutal opening chapter about the lethal Indian heatwave is one of the best things he's ever written, yet 40 pages later I'm reading truncated minutes from a meeting which screams "I can't be being bothered writing this dialogue." It's funny you say that because I loved having such a variety of stories/perspectives/styles in one book (and I think it's ultimately the best way to properly tell a story about global climate change). I actually got the book for a whole mess of friends this past Christmas. space marine todd fucked around with this message at 06:25 on Jan 21, 2021 |
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Jan 21, 2021 06:20
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General Battuta posted:Of all the times to have Twitter turboblocked this is the first I regret
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Jan 21, 2021 19:46
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Cicero posted:It's up on r/fantasy too: https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/l20up1/show_care_baru_cormoranttain_hu_by_marceline2174 Posted by the general Himself.
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Jan 21, 2021 19:59
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Lol, gently caress
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Jan 21, 2021 20:08
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space marine todd posted:It's funny you say that because I loved having such a variety of stories/perspectives/styles in one book (and I think it's ultimately the best way to properly tell a story about global climate change). I actually got the book for a whole mess of friends this past Christmas. Oh I'm enjoying it and also love the little asides too. But there are just certain quirks KSR has that make me roll my eyes. The only other thing that's stuck out to me so far was his chapter about how India's major parties went by the wayside after the heatwave and it just miraculously went fully automated luxury gay space communism; real vibes of him knowing more about India's current political complexities than the average Joe, but probably not anywhere near enough to start doing futurism about it. (But hey, what can you do, you're writing a futurist book about the whole world and you can't know about everywhere.)
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Jan 21, 2021 23:42
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pradmer posted:
I read this and the sequel yesterday after seeing it recommended here. Loved both. Can anyone suggest other books or authors that are similar?
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Jan 22, 2021 05:14
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Hungry Squirrel posted:I read this and the sequel yesterday after seeing it recommended here. Loved both. Can anyone suggest other books or authors that are similar? I think the Tensorate novellas by JY Yang are pretty similar thematically. (They go by Neon Yang now so you'll see their stuff published under both names.) Oh, also The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho.
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Jan 22, 2021 06:14
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Does anybody remember a book with a magic system that had practitioners learning foreign languages as a kind of “magical circuit breaker” in their minds? Like it could be Klingon or French or Old Estruscan, but the one step remove from being their native language kept the magical energies from blasting their minds apart? I need to know if I’m imagining this or if it’s real so I can use it in something if I made it up.
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Jan 22, 2021 07:26
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finally got time to read Baru 3 I think the one thing that dissatisfied me a bit about the series is that the eponymous gimmick of the Masquerade is not used enough, imho if the imperial republic's gonna have a distinctive feature where everyone wears masques socially, and moreover if the books' principle machinery consists of various layers of deception and self-deception, why not throw in a bunch more hyperspecific symbolism about people's masque choices, masque fashions, and what they mean? Felt like wasted aesthetic. Could also have used more formal dance reception scenes. Further nitpick, I thought it was a little bit lame when pistols and cannons showed up since "they've figured out gunpowder but not guns" seemed like a cool distinctive worldbuilding detail from the first book, gave ample excuse to keep working with interesting "road not traveled" technologies like the hwacha. also baru's parents are the best and I'm glad they were ultimately not murdered by Tain Shiar or the Navy
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Jan 22, 2021 07:39
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navyjack posted:Does anybody remember a book with a magic system that had practitioners learning foreign languages as a kind of “magical circuit breaker” in their minds? Like it could be Klingon or French or Old Estruscan, but the one step remove from being their native language kept the magical energies from blasting their minds apart? I need to know if I’m imagining this or if it’s real so I can use it in something if I made it up. I'm pretty sure you're thinking of The Dresden Files, if I'm not mistaken.
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Jan 22, 2021 07:52
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PupsOfWar posted:finally got time to read Baru 3 I agree with the mask point, I hope that the next book keeps Baru in Falcrest for at least bit so we can have those dance receptions. The gunpowder thing is interesting - I had a similar reaction at first but I think it ultimately adds to the speculative history aspects of the books. After all in Baru's world gunpowder weaponry seems to be seen as a technological dead end - incendiaries are better than cannon for destroying ships, chemical weapons can fulfil the anti-fortification role, both major powers seem to prefer small professional units of infantry for whom the repeating crossbow is a perfectly lethal weapon, especially since nobody is wearing plate armour. Presumably if the Oriati had access to My hardback copy of Tyrant arrived yesterday well over a year since I pre-ordered it and long after I'd given up and assumed it would be Kindle-only in the UK. Can't wait to re-read and see what I missed the first time around. The hint near the end about Stargazer has been bothering me for ages.
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Jan 22, 2021 09:51
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FewtureMD posted:I'm pretty sure you're thinking of The Dresden Files, if I'm not mistaken. Kinda? The whole thing about language in DF was so you don't accidentally cast spells when you are just casually speaking with someone. Like muscle memory except with magic, so if you only used english and complained to someone about having money to burn, and then lit said someone on fire by accidentally causing a fire spell, it'd be a bad thing. I think there was a similar setup in the Iron Druid series, where they had to compartmentalize their minds in different languages in order to use more elementals or something to that effect. I can't think of one offhand where it's a case of "You gotta learn a diff language or your brain is gonna melt, homie".
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Jan 22, 2021 11:09
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Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:
In Fool Moon I think Harry casts a spell nonverbally and is hit with some sort of migraine immediately if I'm remembering correctly.
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Jan 22, 2021 15:12
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DurianGray posted:I think the Tensorate novellas by JY Yang are pretty similar thematically. (They go by Neon Yang now so you'll see their stuff published under both names.) The Tensorate series is on sale in the Kindle version right now. I just bought all four. Thank you!
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Jan 22, 2021 15:41
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pradmer posted:Dark Matter by Blake Crouch - $2.99 freebooter posted:This is an easy-read airport mystery (you know the kind of writing style I mean) but is a super fun, engaging and creative sci-fi thriller that I highly recommend going into without knowing anything about it. Respectfully disagree, it felt like the most hackish novel I've read in at least 2 years. It's like "what if michael crichton were stupider" or "what if dan brown thought he wrote sci-fi"
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Jan 22, 2021 16:37
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PupsOfWar posted:finally got time to read Baru 3 Most of the viewpoints in the book are outsiders, who may not have the cultural knowledge to understand the mask subtext.
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Jan 22, 2021 16:54
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The Ballerina Baru Cormorant
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Jan 22, 2021 17:04
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Gato posted:The gunpowder thing is interesting - I had a similar reaction at first but I think it ultimately adds to the speculative history aspects of the books. After all in Baru's world gunpowder weaponry seems to be seen as a technological dead end - incendiaries are better than cannon for destroying ships, chemical weapons can fulfil the anti-fortification role, both major powers seem to prefer small professional units of infantry for whom the repeating crossbow is a perfectly lethal weapon, especially since nobody is wearing plate armour. Presumably if the Oriati had access to Yeah, in Baru's world (as in ours, really) cannon are finicky and ineffective against ships, and since Falcrest has such good incendiaries they just stick to those. Pistols, same. So the Oriati developing cannon is sort of an asymmetric response; they can't beat the incendiaries and rockets but they can at least fight from outside their range.
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Jan 22, 2021 17:44
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navyjack posted:Does anybody remember a book with a magic system that had practitioners learning foreign languages as a kind of “magical circuit breaker” in their minds? Like it could be Klingon or French or Old Estruscan, but the one step remove from being their native language kept the magical energies from blasting their minds apart? I need to know if I’m imagining this or if it’s real so I can use it in something if I made it up. In addition to the Dresden Files, magic in The Prince of Nothing series has to be spoken in a foreign language learned for the purposes of magic so that connotation/denotation issues don't cause issues. Not a circuit breaker, though.
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Jan 22, 2021 17:54
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navyjack posted:Does anybody remember a book with a magic system that had practitioners learning foreign languages as a kind of “magical circuit breaker” in their minds? Like it could be Klingon or French or Old Estruscan, but the one step remove from being their native language kept the magical energies from blasting their minds apart? I need to know if I’m imagining this or if it’s real so I can use it in something if I made it up. You are thinking of the Mairelon the Magician books by Patricia C. Wrede.
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Jan 22, 2021 18:06
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Rand Brittain posted:You are thinking of the Mairelon the Magician books by Patricia C. Wrede. Never read these, any good? Thanks for all the responses, I think I might have been thinking of Iron Druid, I’ll have to (ugh) go back and read one and see if I can find out what the deal is. I think the big discussion was when he made the bartender his apprentice or whatever so I’ll have to figure what book that is.
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Jan 22, 2021 19:12
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I just read the first third of Doomsday Book by Connie Willis and I think I'm done with it. I just cannot deal with how monumentally stupid each and every character is, how little planning and safeguarding went into their time travel plans, the fact that almost everyone is a broad British stereotype straight out of a Monty Python sketch, and most of all, the trope of "I have something very important to tell you!!" [immediately faints] [revives] "the important thing... it was..." [faints again] [repeat for 100 pages].
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Jan 22, 2021 19:56
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showbiz_liz posted:I just read the first third of Doomsday Book by Connie Willis and I think I'm done with it. I just cannot deal with how monumentally stupid each and every character is, how little planning and safeguarding went into their time travel plans, the fact that almost everyone is a broad British stereotype straight out of a Monty Python sketch, and most of all, the trope of "I have something very important to tell you!!" [immediately faints] [revives] "the important thing... it was..." [faints again] [repeat for 100 pages]. Why not try blackout / allclear instead 
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Jan 22, 2021 20:14
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navyjack posted:Never read these, any good? They are pretty good, actually.
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Jan 22, 2021 21:06
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Can anyone recommend any nautical/piratical fantasy or sci-fi? I’ve read the Aubery-Maturin and Bone Ships series, and of the two I preferred the latter. Also, a minimum of sexual assault would be great.
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Jan 22, 2021 23:14
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