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Invalid Validation posted:I read The Tide Child Trilogy recently. I enjoyed it quite a bit. The setting is different. The characters are very flawed, it can drag at times, but it has a lot of heart. I'm reading the third one now and really feel like it's dragging pretty badly, I think if I could level one criticism at the books in general it's that Barker isn't great at writing interesting scenes when the ship is just at sea being chased by enemies or whatever. What I'm sure is intended to be tense and suspenseful just comes across as tedious and repetitive. I'll probably still finish the third book, I'm maybe only a quarter of the way through, so I'm hoping it picks up a little bit. I will say that the books do sort of unfairly suffer (as a lot of nautical books do, I'm sure) for the fact that I've been reading the Aubrey-Maturin novels in between the Tide Child books as they've been coming out. O'Brien is so good at making ship life feel interesting even when there's literally nothing happening, and Barker just doesn't have that touch.
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Feb 1, 2022 17:17
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Definitely but when it gets going it really goes. The set pieces are real fun. The world is out to beat the living poo poo out of the characters and it routinely does.
Invalid Validation fucked around with this message at 17:21 on Feb 1, 2022 |
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Feb 1, 2022 17:18
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Congratulations on the /r/Fantasy Stabby Best Artwork Nomination Baru Cormorant. (for the third piece here, with the tea)
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Feb 1, 2022 17:57
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The awards are here if anyone wants to get involved. I only lightly skim the sub and it does skew fairly strongly towards its own tastes, but I find it worth following and occasionally subjecting to my posting.
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Feb 1, 2022 17:59
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I read The Water Knife and liked it so much that I ripped through Bacigalupi's whole bibliography. Any other recommendations for near-future post-eco-collapse bio/cyber/ecopunk books?
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Feb 1, 2022 21:01
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Invalid Validation posted:I read The Tide Child Trilogy recently. I enjoyed it quite a bit. The setting is different. The characters are very flawed, it can drag at times, but it has a lot of heart.
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Feb 1, 2022 21:19
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zoux posted:I read The Water Knife and liked it so much that I ripped through Bacigalupi's whole bibliography. Any other recommendations for near-future post-eco-collapse bio/cyber/ecopunk books? First thing that comes to mind for me is John Brunner -- Stand on Zanzibar, The Sheep Look Up, The Jagged Orbit, and The Shockwave Rider.
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Feb 1, 2022 21:28
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I love Stand on Zanzibar but I've never read the last chapter because the final pages in the first copy I found had been eaten by rats and that honestly felt thematically appropriate enough to let stand
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Feb 1, 2022 21:59
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zoux posted:I read The Water Knife and liked it so much that I ripped through Bacigalupi's whole bibliography. Any other recommendations for near-future post-eco-collapse bio/cyber/ecopunk books? Bruce Sterling's Heavy Weather and Distraction might fit the bill.
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Feb 1, 2022 22:07
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branedotorg posted:Have you read the assassin books by RJ Barker? Similar style and heart although dark and a bit sad. Good to hear it’s kinda the same I’ll probably give that one a go some day. Think I’m gonna dive into the black company first. I think I read the first book when I was young and I wanna run through it. Supposed to be pretty good right?
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Feb 1, 2022 22:13
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Kesper North posted:I love Stand on Zanzibar but I've never read the last chapter because the final pages in the first copy I found had been eaten by rats and that honestly felt thematically appropriate enough to let stand It seems to be a malthusian novel which takes place in 2010. I remember trying Sheep Look Up and not being able to get into it, I'm looking for more modern stuff. Kalman posted:Bruce Sterling's Heavy Weather and Distraction might fit the bill. I'll take a look, though I recall Sterling is a little too hard scifi for my small brain
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Feb 1, 2022 22:19
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New monthly deals start today. Ancillary Justice (Imperial Radch #1) by Ann Leckie - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BAXFDLM/ The Wizard Hunters (Fall of Ile-Rien #1) by Martha Wells - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FCKI9Q/ The Emperors Soul (Elantris #2) by Brandon Sanderson - $1.00 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00A1XOPE8/ Count Zero (Sprawl #2) by William Gibson - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000PDYVZM/ Dead Lies Dreaming (Laundry Files #10) by Charles Stross - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082RTKGFL/ Traitor's Blade (Greatcoats #1) by Sebastien de Castell - $0.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07TV2K5NC/ The Rampart trilogy by MR Carey The Book of Koli (#1) - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W54MPDZ/ The Trials of Koli (#2) - $3.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B084215SR3/ The Fall of Koli (#3) - $4.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CDXTLGB/ Quicksilver (Baroque Cycle #1) by Neal Stephenson - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FC1PJI/ I Am Legend by Richard Matheson - $0.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07XB49BG4/ Invisible Planets by Ken Liu - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01E3PFTXK/ Countdown City (Last Policeman #2) by Ben H Winters - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B6OV90E/ Far Sector by NK Jemisin - $0.99 each https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YXDF93H/ Graphic novel series. 1-7 are all on sale.
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Feb 2, 2022 00:09
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i wouldnt normally recommend a sanderson book cause almost all of them are like you already know whether you'll like it before i say anything. but the emperor's soul is actually pretty good and stands well on its own
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Feb 2, 2022 00:42
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https://mobile.twitter.com/straycarnivore/status/1488514051999248384
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Feb 2, 2022 00:56
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ShutteredIn posted:The Gray Bastards by Jonathan French. I ended up utterly captivated by this book and finished the whole trilogy in a little over two days. If the phrase "Motorcycle Gangs of Middle Earth" tickles you, or you just really liked the show Sons of Anarchy (especially the constant drama subplots), and want to read a purely tolkienesque fantasy interpretation, this series is for you. Live in the saddle. DIE ON THE HOG!
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Feb 2, 2022 08:19
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i misread that as "the gay bastards" and was quite disappointed to see i had missed a letter!!!
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Feb 2, 2022 12:35
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we're talking about books not your dad
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Feb 2, 2022 14:14
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I think I really need to give the Black Company books another try. Last time was the early 2000s before I could really looks this kind of stuff up, but I was really confused as to which books went with what. I had a couple omnibuses I think? But it felt like there was a bunch of different series' that kind of connected and I just remember liking it but also feeling kind of lost. If I wanted to give it another shot what would be the reading order?
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Feb 2, 2022 14:54
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A Proper Uppercut posted:I think I really need to give the Black Company books another try. Last time was the early 2000s before I could really looks this kind of stuff up, but I was really confused as to which books went with what. I had a couple omnibuses I think? But it felt like there was a bunch of different series' that kind of connected and I just remember liking it but also feeling kind of lost. If I wanted to give it another shot what would be the reading order? Publication order. I put The Silver Spike after The White Rose, and Port of Shadows after Soldiers Live, but they're mostly stand-alone.
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Feb 2, 2022 15:37
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I'd honestly put Port of Shadows away and never touch it again.
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Feb 2, 2022 16:48
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anilEhilated posted:I'd honestly put Port of Shadows away and never touch it again. I'm a big Black Company fan but I've never read Port of Shadows and probably never will. I can't think of a single instance of a writer returning to a character or setting or series after 10+ years away from it and actually producing something worth reading, or that adds anything to the existing body of work. I'm sure there's an exception or two that prove the rule though.
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Feb 2, 2022 18:31
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The Cyberiad by Stanislaw Lem - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CKDFE9W/
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Feb 2, 2022 23:50
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MockingQuantum posted:I'm a big Black Company fan but I've never read Port of Shadows and probably never will. I can't think of a single instance of a writer returning to a character or setting or series after 10+ years away from it and actually producing something worth reading, or that adds anything to the existing body of work. I'm sure there's an exception or two that prove the rule though. There are, but Port of Shadows is definitely not one. Paladin's Legacy, the much later sequel series to The Deed of Paksenarrion, is absolutely worth reading, though.
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Feb 3, 2022 00:23
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I am pretty sure this was on my wishlist because of this thread: Master Assassins: The Fire Sacraments, Book One by Robert V.S. Redick - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B072HYX7CL/
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Feb 3, 2022 01:18
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Finished Galaxy's Edge by Jason Anspach & Nick Cole on rec by a fellow lover of milsci. What a loving trashfire. The book itself is two separate stories, the first is a bunch of not-marines in not-Afghanistan getting betrayed by the shifty Buttloads of "them god drat liberal politicians appointing folks in the military that aren't REAL SOLDIERS" and "GODDAMN do they just not make things like used to" vibes. I can literally smell the loving 90s era milktoast nostalga these authors are huffing by the truckload. The second book is some inane Star Wars wannabe poo poo that I won't waste your time on explaining, except to mention that it's almost 1:1 on character casts from the the OG star wars book, right down to the hairy dude who shouts but everyone can understand, the polite servbot, a guy who dressed as "a typical smuggler", and a loving princess. Some generic tough guy protagonist dies at the end to some backstory plot I was skipping through just to make it end. Not even so bad it's good, just racist, reactionary, and boring. 0/5, will shout at my friend.
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Feb 3, 2022 02:02
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I've read every black company book and don't recall any of them to be completely dreadful
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Feb 3, 2022 02:09
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tokenbrownguy posted:Finished Galaxy's Edge by Jason Anspach & Nick Cole on rec by a fellow lover of milsci. What a loving trashfire. Laffo that looks like some of those trucker audio novels. Spent a few seconds googling the authors and one of them is screaming about being cancelled and the Radical Left so thanks for the warning
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Feb 3, 2022 02:24
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pradmer posted:The Cyberiad by Stanislaw Lem - $2.99 Do not loving sleep on this, I'm not sure it's Lem's best work overall but it is my favourite and it is hilarious. "Robot fairy tales" is probably the best three-word description I can give. Also lots of wordplay that, somehow, comes through really well in the English translation. Aggravatingly, the Kobo version is also on sale...for $19. FuzzySlippers posted:I've read every black company book and don't recall any of them to be completely dreadful Note that Port of Shadows is the new one that came out a few years ago, not part of the original series. MockingQuantum posted:I'm a big Black Company fan but I've never read Port of Shadows and probably never will. I can't think of a single instance of a writer returning to a character or setting or series after 10+ years away from it and actually producing something worth reading, or that adds anything to the existing body of work. I'm sure there's an exception or two that prove the rule though. Hmm. Diane Duane went back to the Young Wizards setting to update the older books with the "new millenium editions" and those are generally an improvement on the originals, but she's also been writing continuously in that setting since the first book came out. We'll see how The Door into Starlight turns out, since that is a case of returning to an earlier setting after a very long hiatus. C.S. Friedman served up a completely unnecessary and outright disappointing sequel to In Conquest Born with The Wilding, but on the other hand Dominon was pretty good. Haven't read This Virtual Night yet. Melissa Scott returned to the Astreiant setting after a more-than-a-decade gap following the death of her wife and co-author and reportedly those are pretty good, although they're still on my to-read list. I also still haven't read Cherryh's Alliance Rising but I must confess to being a bit grumpy about it, because she finally returns to the A-U setting to write a book on one of the bits I'm least interested in (the formation of the Merchanter's Alliance) rather than the bits I am deeply invested in (like a sequel to Cyteen that actually addresses any of the big questions raised by the first book about the long-term viability of Union society, or another book set in the Compact, or a book looking at Human/Compact relations from the human side -- or from the alien side but in human-controlled space, or even more one-offs set in the far future of A-U space like Serpent's Reach or Cuckoo's Egg. Human-on-human conflict is literally the part of that setting I am least interested in! ToxicFrog fucked around with this message at 02:40 on Feb 3, 2022 |
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Feb 3, 2022 02:36
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Hey, they picked up the Riftwar for the next fantasy series to televise. https://deadline.com/2022/02/the-riftwar-cycle-fantasy-books-television-writers-hannah-friedman-jacob-pinion-nick-bernardone-1234923198/
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Feb 3, 2022 04:05
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tokenbrownguy posted:Finished Galaxy's Edge by Jason Anspach & Nick Cole on rec by a fellow lover of milsci. What a loving trashfire. The book itself is two separate stories, the first is a bunch of not-marines in not-Afghanistan getting betrayed by the shifty i read the third one too - it think it's worse again and the setting skips back to a 'seal squad' type thing, then the one after seems to be star wars again. i've read some derivative trash in my time and sure is that
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Feb 3, 2022 04:07
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anilEhilated posted:I'd honestly put Port of Shadows away and never touch it again. Seriously don’t bother reading this. I regret it.
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Feb 3, 2022 04:39
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ToxicFrog posted:Note that Port of Shadows is the new one that came out a few years ago, not part of the original series. lol in my head Soldiers Live is still one of the 'new Black Company books that some people don't like' and it came out 22 years ago. I'm old. I didn't know there was an even newer one. It sounds like a confusing book.
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Feb 3, 2022 05:54
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Eason the Fifth posted:Hey, they picked up the Riftwar for the next fantasy series to televise. if I could snap my fingers and switch forks of time I'd use it see what happens if the GOT money went into a Pliocene Exile series. it'd be probably be a disaster but I'd eat it up anyway.
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Feb 3, 2022 07:33
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tokenbrownguy posted:a guy who dressed as "a typical smuggler" lol you know, dressed like a smuggler wearing the clothes that smugglers do the standard smuggler outfit smuggler chic
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Feb 3, 2022 07:59
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John Lee posted:lol You have to wear the proper attire. How else would people know at first glance that you're a smuggler? People see you on the streets with you smuggler 'fit and smuggler 'do and you give everyone your business card and in case they ever need something or someone smuggled. Social outreach is really important in the business. Alternatively, it's just a t-shirt saying "I am NOT a smuggler" plus your phone number. cant cook creole bream fucked around with this message at 08:18 on Feb 3, 2022 |
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Feb 3, 2022 08:15
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Poopelyse posted:i think the goon-written Order of the Magi by Christopher Scott fits with what your asking. it's a fun fantasy read. Just got this and so far it’s great; the senior mages read like the author took all the right lessons from Pratchett’s unseen university - echoes and similarities but not outright copying.
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Feb 3, 2022 08:23
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Eason the Fifth posted:Hey, they picked up the Riftwar for the next fantasy series to televise. They won't have the SFX budget to do this justice. All the coolest scenes I can remember from these books are like, a wizard hurling meteors at 50 dragons or something.
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Feb 3, 2022 08:45
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MockingQuantum posted:I can't think of a single instance of a writer returning to a character or setting or series after 10+ years away from it and actually producing something worth reading, or that adds anything to the existing body of work. I'm sure there's an exception or two that prove the rule though. LeGuin would be a gold star exception. Came back to Earthsea after nearly twenty years with an attitude of thoughtful self-critique and reframed the whole thing with the later books, for the better. In general though I’d agree.
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Feb 3, 2022 08:47
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MockingQuantum posted:I'm a big Black Company fan but I've never read Port of Shadows and probably never will. I can't think of a single instance of a writer returning to a character or setting or series after 10+ years away from it and actually producing something worth reading, or that adds anything to the existing body of work. I'm sure there's an exception or two that prove the rule though. Wish me luck, then; I'm about to start reading the concluding volume of the Weirdstone of Brisingamen trilogy.
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Feb 3, 2022 10:31
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I'm pretty sure galaxy's edge is derivative on purpose but maybe I'm wrong because there's like 25 short novellas and they've been rearranged a few times. I liked it better when it was less not-jedi and more vivid descriptions of Tax Day being a literal invasion fleet where the feds come and loot it off of your planet, because there was a bunch of goofy poo poo like that and it was funny.
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Feb 3, 2022 10:36
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