|
Piranesi by Susanna Clarke - $4.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0865TSTWM/
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2023 16:36
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 4, 2024 04:39 |
|
|
Brendan Rodgers posted:He said: "You know, I keep thinking about setting up a store with stuff like. I should probably get off my butt and do it." Well it's obvious what he needs to do.  Offer some awesome prints off redbubble or something and if it's not an arm and a leg I'll buy a big one.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2023 19:24
|
|
|
StrixNebulosa posted:The first book isn’t bad, but it’s very different to the rest of the series ala Discworld. Come back to it later. Do come back to it, there are some amazing set piece action scenes just crying out for a visionary director with a talent for explosions to blow a massive budget on.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2023 19:37
|
|
|
I feel like people tend to recommend the best Culture books first which is fine but means it’s just downhill from there. Also note that three in the middle of the ten books aren’t available on Kindle US store so publication order is not the easy choice it usually is.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2023 19:46
|
|
|
Re Culture. It would be interesting to come back to the first one because then you have a better understanding of just what it is the main character is in opposition to (regardless of whether you agree with him or not). I did read it first though and then very much wanted to find out more about the Culture, so it works either way I guess. I lured a friend into reading the Culture books by starting them with Matter since much of the beginning reads like a more classical fantasy novel and he was well and truly hooked by the time it started changing.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2023 20:26
|
|
|
MarksMan posted:I also listened to "All Tomorrows" for the first time on that trip and that was good as well in an existential dread kind of way. I liked the insane time scales of the story. Since you mention the timescale, how about House of Suns by Alister Reynolds? It does deep time better than most while still telling an actual human scale story and not JUST being about big sci Fi ideas like you get from someone like Greg Bear. Alt option Marooned in Realtime by Vinge which has some existential horror that still gives me the heebies.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2023 22:02
|
|
|
I’m getting really into qntm. I’m not usually big on web fic stuff but this guy (gender neutral) hits hard. So cleanly written despite the heady ideas! So…crispy. Like fresh graph paper.
|
|
#
?
Sep 24, 2023 22:12
|
|
|
General Battuta posted:I’m getting really into qntm. I’m not usually big on web fic stuff but this guy (gender neutral) hits hard. So cleanly written despite the heady ideas! So…crispy. Like fresh graph paper. The qntm book I read, I really liked it right up until it turned up into angels recapitulating the bible at the end or something, it was a while ago so it's fuzzy now. Can't remember which one that was. What qntm stuff would you recommend?
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 00:29
|
|
|
THERE IS NO ANTIMEMETICS DIVISION is I think the clear place to start.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 00:40
|
|
|
Kesper North posted:The qntm book I read, I really liked it right up until it turned up into angels recapitulating the bible at the end or something, it was a while ago so it's fuzzy now. Can't remember which one that was. The recent short story compilation'VALUABLE HUMANS IN TRANSIT' is not all hits but is worthy of picking up, though most of the stories inside can be read online: https://qntm.org/vhitaos Also the SCP-themed 'THERE IS NO ANTIMEMETICS DIVISION' isa good read, does a lot with a background I thought was well-mined beforehand. The short story LENA is still one of my favourite bits of writing about mind uploading (as read, though subtext about capitalism and low-wage workers), once again free to read online: https://qntm.org/mmacevedo
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 00:44
|
|
|
Agreed that There is No Antimemetics Division is the starting point, or Valuable Humans in Transit if you want less horror and more short fiction. I was greatly impressed by Fine Structure as well, which has more Big Ideas Sci-Fi crammed into one book than I've seen in the combined output of the genre over the last several years.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 02:30
|
|
|
MarksMan posted:So I'm assuming other people in here have heard Harlan Ellison read his, "I Have No Mouth and I Must Scream"? I was driving between Buffalo, WY and Casper, WY (aka the middle of nowhere) and decided to listen to his reading; I have read the book before. Probably the most unhinged poo poo I've ever heard, but it brought that story to life so much, just how deeply psychotic it would be in that situation. The Freeze-Frame Revolution is great; Peter Watts does existential dread/crisis well. Edit: Anyone got some cozy/fun fantasy book recommendations? I tend to have more sci-fi and want something a bit more from that genre. I've already read the Baru series, most of Baslag, City of Stairs trilogy, and the Goblin Emperor to name a few that I enjoyed. Wanting something sword and sorcery (a la DnD or Divinity Original Sin) where I can chill and read during my lunch break. Edit 2: Gonna say that the thread's recommendation for House of Suns is on point. I already liked Reynolds' work and the new setting is really refreshing. Also having the main character get eaten and then poo poo out by a interstellar baby giant BadOptics fucked around with this message at 03:29 on Sep 25, 2023 |
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 03:18
|
|
|
Anyone read Dark Water Daughter? I'm a bit in, and finding it tough, but I wonder if it's just me kind of hating pirate stories these days rather than anything about its quality.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 03:33
|
|
|
GrandpaPants posted:I'm sure that book is terrible, but I want to know more about that sword. No the book rules and what you learn about the sword will blow your socks off. it's so loving absurd and it rules so hard
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 03:54
|
|
|
NmareBfly posted:Since you mention the timescale, how about House of Suns by Alister Reynolds? It does deep time better than most while still telling an actual human scale story and not JUST being about big sci Fi ideas like you get from someone like Greg Bear. I absolutely loved House of Suns. Big idea and/or deep time sci-fi is my favorite.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 04:12
|
|
|
Just finished Hard to be a God and I absolutely loved it. How are the brothers' other books? I have Roadside Picnic on my list already but looks like there's a lot here
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 05:52
|
|
|
Kestral posted:Agreed that There is No Antimemetics Division is the starting point, or Valuable Humans in Transit if you want less horror and more short fiction. I was greatly impressed by Fine Structure as well, which has more Big Ideas Sci-Fi crammed into one book than I've seen in the combined output of the genre over the last several years. Fine Structure is the book that looks like a haphazard collection of unrelated short stories, until it suddenly isn't. Loved it a lot.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 08:49
|
|
|
Dragonfired (Orconomics #3) is out, hope it's good. Also, I started reading Behold Humanity, and I kept finding stuff that made me think "this could have really used a couple more rounds of editing" and "what the gently caress is happening" before realizing that apparently it's taken out of Reddit posts made over time by one dude? Anyway, put it on hold for now to read Dragonfired.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 11:22
|
|
|
orange sky posted:Also, I started reading Behold Humanity, and I kept finding stuff that made me think "this could have really used a couple more rounds of editing" and "what the gently caress is happening" before realizing that apparently it's taken out of Reddit posts made over time by one dude? I’m surprised there aren’t more books like this, to be honest.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 12:50
|
|
|
Chairman Capone posted:I’m surprised there aren’t more books like this, to be honest. Wasn’t there a series of Reddit posts about US marines transported back to ancient Rome that was picked up? Can’t recall if it was a book or as a concept for a tv show or something.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 12:56
|
|
|
There's also The Phenomenon by R.K. Katic, about some kind of invasion that kills everyone exposed to the outdoors. It was a long time ago that I read part of it, around 2013. I believe it all started with one reply to r/writingprompts. Anyway, right now I'm reading Damnation Alley by Roger Zelazny, a pretty fun potboiler about making a death-drive across post-apocalyptic America. FPyat fucked around with this message at 13:51 on Sep 25, 2023 |
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 13:10
|
|
|
NmareBfly posted:Since you mention the timescale, how about House of Suns by Alister Reynolds? It does deep time better than most while still telling an actual human scale story and not JUST being about big sci Fi ideas like you get from someone like Greg Bear. BadOptics posted:The Freeze-Frame Revolution is great; Peter Watts does existential dread/crisis well. D-Pad posted:I absolutely loved House of Suns. Big idea and/or deep time sci-fi is my favorite. House of Suns is apparently included as part of my Audible membership and the reviews sound good, so that's definitely getting added to the list. Freeze-Frame Revolution also sounds interesting and is also included as part of my Audible membership so [insert Napoleon Dynamite "Yes" here] On a side note, does anyone else feel like something gets "lost" sometimes in audiobooks versus reading the actual book? I feel like the characters and story sometimes become more "alive" when reading a book versus listening to it. For example, I feel like "Dune" wouldn't have hit the same if I had first heard it versus read it. I'm not sure if it's just having that visual component and the syntax of the writing or what. Unfortunately, I rarely have time to sit down and read nowadays, so audiobooks can at least fill in shower times, drive times, etc. even if it may take a couple months sometimes to get through one that way. MarksMan fucked around with this message at 14:20 on Sep 25, 2023 |
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 14:17
|
|
|
Chairman Capone posted:I’m surprised there aren’t more books like this, to be honest. It's called "kindle unlimited"
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 14:28
|
|
|
Groke posted:Fine Structure is the book that looks like a haphazard collection of unrelated short stories, until it suddenly isn't. Loved it a lot. Yeah it's cool and very weird.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 15:21
|
|
|
MarksMan posted:Freeze-Frame Revolution also sounds interesting and is also included as part of my Audible membership so [insert Napoleon Dynamite "Yes" here] I wonder how the hidden message plays out in an audio-book format.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 17:50
|
|
|
A Succession of Bad Days was... good. I think I'm now a qualified engineer. Get me a sliderule i'm gonna make a canal.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 17:58
|
|
|
Finished up Starter Villain by scalzi. Decent read. Not fantastic, but the protag is actually not firmly up his own rear end with smugness. Not entirely anyway. Better than the last couple of books he's put out.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 18:54
|
|
|
tokenbrownguy posted:A Succession of Bad Days was... good. I think I'm now a qualified engineer. Get me a sliderule i'm gonna make a canal. You've now made it to the point where you'll probably finish the series. Safely You Deliver is real good too, the last two aren't quite as good as the first three, IMO, but are still interesting and a lot of poo poo goes down in them. I do find it amusing that Eugenia in book 4 was written in part to try and explain more things about the Commonweal. Glad you're enjoying
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 19:02
|
|
|
yeah, I think the lack of knowledge on the Commonweal adds heavily to the mystique. watching the Captain shake his head at how big creeks are and then you find out they're genetically engineered war-people who are culturally your cousins from Minnesota. good poo poo
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 19:17
|
|
|
mllaneza posted:Do come back to it, there are some amazing set piece action scenes just crying out for a visionary director with a talent for explosions to blow a massive budget on. I read Consider Phlebas a few months ago, the first and only Culture novel I've read so far. There are a couple of grotesque scenes in there that I could have lived without (I really did not care for the sequence involving the cannibalism cult), but I agree about the action set-pieces, there were several excellent ones. I liked the book and intend to continue on to the other novels soon, but I can appreciate why some people find the first book a bit off-putting.
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 20:03
|
|
|
I, Robot by Isaac Asimov - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000FC1PW0/ The Long Earth (#1) by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B006O41HTO/ Old Man's War (#1) by John Scalzi - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000SEIK2S/ Thin Air by Richard K Morgan - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0738K33YC/ Steel Beach (Eight Worlds #2) by John Varley - $4.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00AFX4EFY/ Sunshine by Robin McKinley - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OGWASCI/ The Rook (Rook Files #1) by Daniel O'Malley - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004QX07EG/ The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser Volume One: Swords and Deviltry, Swords Against Death, and Swords in the Mist by Fritz Leiber - $3.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0741VJC4D/ The Adventures of Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser Volume Two: Swords Against Wizardry, The Swords of Lankhmar, and Swords and Ice Magic by Fritz Leiber - $3.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07L8WP9LR/ The Luminous Dead by Caitlin Starling - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07BJZT8GJ/ The Complete Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino - $2.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E9FYU7G/ Tales of Majipoor by Robert K Silverberg - $4.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C5WZ27W/ The Simulacra by Philip K Dick - $1.99 https://www.amazon.com/dp/B005LVQZKW/
|
|
#
?
Sep 25, 2023 22:55
|
|
|
Blotto_Otter posted:I read Consider Phlebas a few months ago, the first and only Culture novel I've read so far. There are a couple of grotesque scenes in there that I could have lived without (I really did not care for the sequence involving the cannibalism cult), but I agree about the action set-pieces, there were several excellent ones. I liked the book and intend to continue on to the other novels soon, but I can appreciate why some people find the first book a bit off-putting. Yeah, I read several Culture books before getting around to Consider Phlebas because a lot of people said it was the weakest entry in the series, but it ended up being a pretty good.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 00:54
|
|
|
MarksMan posted:On a side note, does anyone else feel like something gets "lost" sometimes in audiobooks versus reading the actual book? I feel like the characters and story sometimes become more "alive" when reading a book versus listening to it. For example, I feel like "Dune" wouldn't have hit the same if I had first heard it versus read it. I'm not sure if it's just having that visual component and the syntax of the writing or what. Unfortunately, I rarely have time to sit down and read nowadays, so audiobooks can at least fill in shower times, drive times, etc. even if it may take a couple months sometimes to get through one that way. I find I remember audiobooks way less well than books I read. I think when I get distracted while reading even briefly, I go back, but when I get briefly distracted while listening, I just keep listening.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 01:28
|
|
|
Finished up 1500 Light Years by Ian Kennedy and I haven't been this disappointed in a book in a long time. The base plot is there's a mission to a distant star (guess how far away?) and basically this quote:“My name is Mark Jattic. I am a reporter. I went on this pioneering expedition to document humanity’s first faster than light travel to another solar system. We jumped 1500 light years to this star system. We expected to find nothing but rocks. We found …*static*… Our oxygen will run out soon. The supplies were damaged …*static*… We cannot survive here. The world is hostile. It’s not like home. We’re dying out here. I know you won’t see this message until you find us; what’s left of us. 1500 light years is too far to send a signal. The onboard computer has gone crazy. We’ve gone …*static*… To those who will find this recording on our beacon …*static*… Protect Earth. Protect home. Please, listen to me. The …*static*… is death. This is Mark Jattic, reporter with the Maia expedition ship, signing off, for what may be the last time.” Sounds cool right? Like it'll be some weird lovecraftian spooky poo poo, especially given the book cover. Turns out, nope. Spoiler for those who wanna know what happens basically the ship crash lands on a planet and the AI that they have controlling the ship kinda malfunctions and sabotages the rescue effort for ~reasons~ and the doc gives them all astro-meth and they go crazy from alien spores and drugs. That's it. I had really high hopes for this book but god drat did it start good and then go to poo poo quick.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 06:18
|
|
|
I finished Shards of Honor and then read If Found, Return to Hell, which was unexpectedly touching. I really liked it. Ended up liking Shards also, probably going to read Barrayar next.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 06:40
|
|
|
Awkward Davies posted:Ended up liking Shards also, probably going to read Barrayar next. The jump in quality from her first novel to Barrayar is amazing. She got 3 novels and a novella in to polish her craft and landed Hugos for The Vor Game in 1990 and Barrayar in 1991; and a Nebula for Falling free in 1988. The Vor Game comes later chronologically, and it's a big reason why I recommend chronological order over publication order for the series. The main character in The Vor Game[1990] (and Warrior's Apprentice [1986]) was born in Barrayar [1991]. I don't think there's a better example of someone just smashing onto the scene and racking up awards early in their career than Bujold. She had three novels sold before the first one hit the stores, and the fourth clocked a Nebula award. Probably the best example of a fanfic writer going pro, but far from the only one.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 07:13
|
|
|
Awkward Davies posted:I finished Shards of Honor and then read If Found, Return to Hell, which was unexpectedly touching. I really liked it. Shards and Barrayar really should be read as a unit, and (as has already been mentioned) her writing skills improved quite markedly in between. Barrayar has some of my favourite bits in all of fiction ("Shopping", if you know, you know.)
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 09:53
|
|
|
Actually Shards/Barrayar should be read as a unit either before any of the Miles books, or at some freely-chosen point before A Civil Campaign. Other than that, publication order can't go wrong.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 09:56
|
|
|
 quote:“Saving the Best for Last”’ by Daniel R Horne. Another great one that is right up there with the best pieces of fantasy art from the 80’s (or ever). This originally graced the cover of Dragon Magazine, issue 126 in 1987, before being featured in TSR’s Monstrous Compendium two years later. Horne said the scene on his cover painting “”takes place on a frozen tundra. The sun is setting, the hoar frost is glittering like thousands of pieces of broken glass.”” A ranger in the service of the High King has just been attacked by the undead remains of one of her old opponents — a frost giant who has waited a long time for this moment of revenge. Having lost her sword and used up her normal arrows, the ranger has a single elven arrow left — from which comes the painting’s name.
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 14:51
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 4, 2024 04:39 |
|
|
So did the Elvin arrow work?
|
|
#
?
Sep 26, 2023 15:00
|
|
