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Yesterday I randomly picked up "There is no Antimemitics Division" by qntm. It's an SCP novel about the group tasked with handling phenomena that erase memories of themselves. It's pretty good, easily worth the $3.
Harold Fjord fucked around with this message at 13:43 on Mar 15, 2021 |
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Mar 15, 2021 13:41
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I didn't know he'd published it. His antimemetics stuff is good, as someone who's only read a bit of SCP over the years.
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Mar 15, 2021 13:49
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The antimemetics stuff is legitimately well done I think.
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Mar 15, 2021 15:05
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So I'm nearly done with the first volume of The Two of Swords. Read most of it in one day, so classic Parker. It really is a greatest hits of the kinds of things he's interested in, most of them having to do with music, the military, and saying "Quite" and "So that's all right then." There's a scene which is very similar to a part of Sixteen Way to Defend a Walled City where a the military is making their way back to what they believe is safety, but everybody seems to have vanished. No farmers in fields, entire towns deserted. It's great for suspense, though I do feel he's used this trick before. The switching POVs which bring us from a lowly farmboy to the emperor of one half of the Empire in ascending order is a nice trick. Really effective for showing the scale of the conflict and the different ways it affects everyone. And the way it switches before we get a chance to find out what happens to a certain character and his wife really layers on the suspense. I will be a bit disgusted if the wife ends up dead though, because Parker has not had the greatest track record of writing women. We do get one woman as a POV character though, and she's probably the best of the bunch. Apparently she also becomes the sole POV for the last third of the narrative. So that's all right then. He's great with economy of storytelling. If Parker was writing A Song of Ice and Fire the drat thing would have concluded in 3 books and still covered the same events. I've tried to figure out how he decides what to describe, and figured that he only depicts a scene as far as it reveals power dynamic or is irritating to the characters. In a desert? It's hot, there are 3 clouds of sand on the horizon that indicate the enemy. Done. Got a palace scene? It's really bright when a character enters which makes them have to hesitate to figure out if the emperor has already sat down. It's just enough, but I feel like if Parker was a novice submitting this to a writing group he'd be called out constantly for not establishing his setting enough. Finally there are a few times where he needs to break away to do some world building info dumps. In the sections that work he makes them into mini-stories that are entertaining enough on their own to suffer through. Like the explanation of how a mysterious order was founded has its origins in a castle that was a mess of never-ending construction and expanding scope. That's a funny enough idea to sustain an info dump. There's a couple other instances that aren't so successful, where I skimmed.
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Mar 15, 2021 15:21
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ulmont posted:It's better than this recommendation. Read it, but don't expect Low Town to change your life. Second. It's fun and gritty. The main character gets his rear end kicked a lot and is a growly murder man but it's an enjoyable ride.
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Mar 15, 2021 15:26
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ulmont posted:It's better than this recommendation. I mean, i took the time out of my life to say it was fun on a dead comedy forum. 
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Mar 15, 2021 16:09
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Harold Fjord posted:Yesterday I randomly picked up "There is no Antimemitics Division" by qntm. It's an SCP novel about the group tasked with handling phenomena that erase memories of themselves. It's pretty good, easily worth the $3. Yes the antimemetics stuff is very good, even if you're generally sick of the SCP schtick. I'm glad he can make money off it.\ As a teaser of the tone there's this part about a containment chamber that you can't enter or leave without taking a huge dose of amnestics and having ALL evidence of what's inside it wiped from your mind and physical state. We finally get to see a character go inside, and it's just full of...Notes. Notes which say: "This is an inverse containment chamber. The phenomenon under 'containment' occupies every part of the world NOT inside this chamber. The moment you leave, you will be infected again. The only work that can be done against it happens inside this chamber. And you can't carry that work back outside or it will all be for nothing. It's loving great. General Battuta fucked around with this message at 19:52 on Mar 15, 2021 |
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Mar 15, 2021 19:49
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What other detective or mystery fantasy/sci-fi novels would people recommend? Books/series I have that fit into what I’m looking for Discworld Night Watch books City of Stairs Dresden Files 7 1/2 deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle theblackw0lf fucked around with this message at 20:33 on Mar 15, 2021 |
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Mar 15, 2021 20:10
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Red Dust by Yoss
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Mar 15, 2021 20:16
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General Battuta posted:Yes the antimemetics stuff is very good, even if you're generally sick of the SCP schtick. I'm glad he can make money off it. Is it something you need familiarity with SCP to enjoy? Antimemetics Division sounds like my jam, but all I've read of SCP is a little of the wiki when someone linked an entry now and then.
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Mar 15, 2021 20:24
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I recently finished playing Hollow Knight and really want to read a novelization of that story. Which I know doesn't exist so I'm looking for the next best thing. Something where the world/universe/whatever feels alien and is focused on the immediate surroundings/area. Where the story follows a single character who has a purpose/goal but the story is about revealing more to the reader as opposed to the character from the book growing and learning. Anyone able to recommend something like that?
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Mar 15, 2021 20:32
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Kestral posted:Is it something you need familiarity with SCP to enjoy? Antimemetics Division sounds like my jam, but all I've read of SCP is a little of the wiki when someone linked an entry now and then. Not particularly. It has a little bit of jargon but its a pretty bog standard thing if you know anything about SCP at all
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Mar 15, 2021 20:51
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nessin posted:I recently finished playing Hollow Knight and really want to read a novelization of that story. Which I know doesn't exist so I'm looking for the next best thing. Something where the world/universe/whatever feels alien and is focused on the immediate surroundings/area. Where the story follows a single character who has a purpose/goal but the story is about revealing more to the reader as opposed to the character from the book growing and learning. Anyone able to recommend something like that? The Book of the New Sun?
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Mar 15, 2021 20:56
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theblackw0lf posted:What other detective or mystery fantasy/sci-fi novels would people recommend? Randall Garrett's Lord Darcy stories.
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Mar 15, 2021 20:56
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theblackw0lf posted:What other detective or mystery fantasy/sci-fi novels would people recommend? Admittedly, I dropped off like 4 books in, but Rivers of London sounds like that.
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Mar 15, 2021 21:08
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Paul Cornell's London Falling and its sequels fit with these as well.
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Mar 15, 2021 21:12
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theblackw0lf posted:What other detective or mystery fantasy/sci-fi novels would people recommend? The City & The City by China Mieville. I wish I could recommend Irontown Blues by John Varley because its prequel, The Golden Globe, is one of my favourite scifi books ever, but unfortunately it sucks.
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Mar 15, 2021 21:15
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freebooter posted:The City & The City by China Mieville. Mieville's Kraken is also a pretty good supernatural mystery.
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Mar 15, 2021 21:18
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Really, most of UF that isn't paranormal romance does fit. Rivers of London would be another good tip. Anyhow, for straight-up fantasy there's always the Garrett PI series by Glen Cook and the recently discussed Low Town by Daniel Polansky. anilEhilated fucked around with this message at 16:56 on Mar 16, 2021 |
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Mar 15, 2021 21:20
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nessin posted:I recently finished playing Hollow Knight and really want to read a novelization of that story. Which I know doesn't exist so I'm looking for the next best thing. Something where the world/universe/whatever feels alien and is focused on the immediate surroundings/area. Where the story follows a single character who has a purpose/goal but the story is about revealing more to the reader as opposed to the character from the book growing and learning. Anyone able to recommend something like that? I know I recommend her a lot but this is what CJ Cherryh does and she does it really well. The first book of hers I read was Finity's End, knowing nothing about it, and it was amazing. There's some of that in Ursula K Le Guin's 'Always Coming Home' too, though that might not be quite what you mean. Worth a look though. It's a far-future America where society has shifted and the main viewpoint character never explains anything because why would she?
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Mar 15, 2021 21:28
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theblackw0lf posted:What other detective or mystery fantasy/sci-fi novels would people recommend? Seconding the Lord Darcy and Rivers of London recs. Paul Cornell's Shadow Police series is ... okay, but not great, IMO. If you really like Cornell and Aaronovitch, Mike Carey's Felix Castor series might also work for you. Maybe Alfred Bester's The Demolished Man, although that's about a murderer trying to escape detection. You might also enjoy George Alec Effinger's Marid Audran series (When Gravity Fails et al.)
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Mar 15, 2021 22:05
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Bridge of Birds and the other Li Kao books by Barry Hughart are pretty much fantasy-mystery stories, especially the second two.
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Mar 15, 2021 22:20
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theblackw0lf posted:What other detective or mystery fantasy/sci-fi novels would people recommend? Absolutely Felix Castor.
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Mar 15, 2021 22:25
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The Girl with All the Gifts by MR Carey - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CO7FLFG/ The Book of Koli (Rampart #1) by MR Carey - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W54MPDZ/ American Gods by Neil Gaiman - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004YW4L5K/ Anansi Boys by Neil Gaiman - $3.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FCKENQ/ The Dragon's Path (The Dagger and the Coin #1) by Daniel Abraham - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0047Y16LC/
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Mar 15, 2021 22:28
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anilEhilated posted:Anyhow, for straight-up fantasy there's always the Garrett PI series by Glen Cook. I love Garrett, but if you go down this road treat it like Dune: start at the beginning and quit when you don’t like a book because it won’t get better.
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Mar 15, 2021 22:35
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theblackw0lf posted:What other detective or mystery fantasy/sci-fi novels would people recommend? Lois McMaster Bujold's World of Five God Series is essentially a fantasy mystery series especially the Penric and Desdemona stories.
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Mar 15, 2021 22:49
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Thanks for the recommendations so far everyone!fez_machine posted:Lois McMaster Bujold's World of Five God Series is essentially a fantasy mystery series especially the Penric and Desdemona stories. I’m guessing I should start with Curse of Chalion?
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Mar 15, 2021 22:59
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theblackw0lf posted:Thanks for the recommendations so far everyone! A lot of the mysteries centre on how the world works and reading in publishing order unfolds that element elegantly. It even starts off immediately with it's own mini-mystery.
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Mar 15, 2021 23:21
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What are good novellas/short stories that came out in the last year? I'm doing my Hugo noms and I realized that while I have my top five novels squared away, I haven't really gone through any shorter stuff. Anybody have recommendations or favorites for stuff that came out in the last year?
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Mar 16, 2021 00:15
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ulmont posted:I love Garrett, but if you go down this road treat it like Dune: start at the beginning and quit when you don’t like a book because it won’t get better. There's a really sharp drop at Red Iron Nights but it does pick up, and I think the series finishes on a strong note. The Lord Darcy stories are very good. The Chalion series through the Penric novellas are first rate, they'd establish her as a grandmaster even if the Vorkosigan saga hadn't happened. Since it did, she has two Hugos for Best Series instead of just one. Bujold is obviously having fun writing them; the Penrics are self-published ebooks, but people come around and throw money at her for the print rights. There's very little of the usual business hassle with agents, contracts, and publishers, she just writes what she wants to write. They're also a marvel of worldbuilding, especially the religious aspect. You could start with the Penric series, but the novels are too drat good to skip for long.
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Mar 16, 2021 00:40
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theblackw0lf posted:What other detective or mystery fantasy/sci-fi novels would people recommend? "Point of Hopes" and sequels by Melissa Scott and Lisa Barnett.
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Mar 16, 2021 00:54
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anilEhilated posted:Anyhow, for straight-up fantasy there's always the Garrett PI series by Glen Cook I re-read the first one of these last year sometime and good gravy was there a lot of misogyny and violence against women that I had completely forgotten about.
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Mar 16, 2021 01:01
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mllaneza posted:There's a really sharp drop at Red Iron Nights but it does pick up, and I think the series finishes on a strong note. I also quite like the scale. It is nice to have the stakes be personal, not world, or nation, and barely even city-scale. Cool to have a competent and powerful protagonist do competent and powerful things that don't require the Galaxy at Risk.
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Mar 16, 2021 01:52
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Almost forgot, the third book of the Lady Astronaut series is a locked room murder. I liked the first two books, but I really liked #3. First book: https://smile.amazon.com/Calculating-Stars-Lady-Astronaut-Novel-ebook/dp/B0756JH5R1/ The Relentless Moon is the mystery.
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Mar 16, 2021 03:25
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theblackw0lf posted:What other detective or mystery fantasy/sci-fi novels would people recommend? Last Policeman trilogy.
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Mar 16, 2021 03:27
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Teddybear posted:What are good novellas/short stories that came out in the last year? I'm doing my Hugo noms and I realized that while I have my top five novels squared away, I haven't really gone through any shorter stuff. Anybody have recommendations or favorites for stuff that came out in the last year? Empress of Salt and Fortune (I haven't read the second, but it's literally sitting on the entry table waiting it's turn) Ring Shout Half-God of Rain Ghost of Sherwood and Heirs of Locksley were both real fun, but I'm not sure if they're Hugo Nom good. Finna Silver in the Wood and Drowned country maybe. Um, I reviewed maybe a dozen towards the end of last year. Like October. Shouldn't be too hard to find, I don't post here too much.
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Mar 16, 2021 03:34
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Nebula shortlist just dropped.  Pretty solid list for novels, though I feel like everyone else liked The City We Became a lot more than I did. Piranesi is going to get my top vote, no doubt. I enjoyed Midnight Bargain quite a lot, though I'm not sure I'd have picked it as one of my top 5 novels of the year.
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Mar 16, 2021 03:43
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mllaneza posted:There's a really sharp drop at Red Iron Nights but it does pick up, and I think the series finishes on a strong note. I’d agree that it picks up and ends better than the last Black Company book, but I did not like the last Garrett book and there is a long dire slog in the middle that I can’t recommend powering through unless you were just buying each new one at the time.
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Mar 16, 2021 03:56
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Poor CL Polk (nonbinary afaik) is going to have shrug off a whole lot of "all women best novel slate" posts.
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Mar 16, 2021 04:05
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General Battuta posted:Poor CL Polk (nonbinary afaik) is going to have shrug off a whole lot of "all women best novel slate" posts. Yeah, that's going to be unpleasant for them.
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Mar 16, 2021 04:11
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