The Science Fiction and Fantasy Thread: Read the OP, Bridge of Birds, and Murderbot

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Neurosis: Jun 10, 2003; Fallen Rib

Milky Moor posted:

I liked the Rifters stuff in a lot of ways but it's not as good as Blingsight was. Still generally great, however. This reminds me that I never finished the third book.

The Rifters series is not plotted very neatly. Book 1 had a good idea that mostly resolved itself but book 2 had plot threads that meandered and book 3 was a mess. He hadn't done a series before, so it's not surprising. They're still books with interesting ideas and the prose is decent so I still recommend them to everyone that likes Blindsight, just don't expect the same quality throughout.

# ? Jul 19, 2014 08:34

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# ? May 14, 2024 16:21

Milkfred E. Moore: Aug 27, 2006; 'It's easier to imagine the end of the world than the end of capitalism.'

Yeah, I really thought the first book was the best. I really liked that scene near the end where the AI's goals are figured out and how much of a 'oh gently caress' moment it is.

# ? Jul 19, 2014 08:43

RoboCicero: Oct 22, 2009; "I'm sick and tired of reading these posts!"

Azathoth posted:

I just finished all three Ambergris books by Jeff Vandermeer, and I enjoyed them unlike anything I've read in quite some time. In searching for something new to read in the same vein (not quite ready to tackle the Southern Reach books yet), I ran across this bundle:

StoryBundle's Weird Fiction Bundle

I've heard very good things about Jagannath, but that's about it. Has anyone read any of these?

I haven't read all of them but this would be worth the price of admission for The Third Bear itself. Predecessor is one of the creepiest short stories I've read in a while, loaded with unsettling imagery that doesn't feel overdone.

I liked It Came From The North and am working my way through Jagannath but both have been decent. None of the stories have really stuck with me, but that's not a terrible thing.

Kosher Guide To Imaginary Animals feels a little bit like an in-joke between friends. I didn't particularly care for it, and the witty banter wasn't super memorable to someone whose first introduction to the "book persona" of Jeff and Ann Vandermeer.

Haven't really read the rest, but Michael Cisco comes very highly recommended.

# ? Jul 21, 2014 00:30

Phanatic: Mar 13, 2007; Please don't forget that I am an extremely racist idiot who also has terrible opinions about the Culture series.

Has Alastair Reynolds done anything worth reading recently? I really enjoyed the Revelation Space books and thought Pushing Ice was pretty good, but since then it seemed like he was just on a downwards slide and I gave up even looking for anything he did since Terminal World, which was excruciatingly dull and about the worst thing that could be produced by looting Vinge. But apparently he's had three books come out since then.

# ? Jul 21, 2014 17:07

less laughter: May 7, 2012; Accelerock & Roll

Phanatic posted:

Has Alastair Reynolds done anything worth reading recently? I really enjoyed the Revelation Space books and thought Pushing Ice was pretty good, but since then it seemed like he was just on a downwards slide and I gave up even looking for anything he did since Terminal World, which was excruciatingly dull and about the worst thing that could be produced by looting Vinge. But apparently he's had three books come out since then.

Troika is pretty cool. Especially the (big spoiler) future human who appears at the end, whose species I wouldn't mind reading a whole book about.

# ? Jul 21, 2014 17:13

Xandu: Feb 19, 2006; It's hard to be humble when you're as great as I am.

I liked Blue Remembered Earth, haven't read the sequel though.

# ? Jul 21, 2014 17:15

Fart of Presto: Feb 9, 2001; Clapping Larry

If you haven't already checked it out, go read House of Suns and if you enjoyed that universe, the short story Thousandth Night as a good side story with the same protagonists, but set earlier in the timeline.

House of Suns is probably my favourite Reynolds book, and I really enjoyed all of the RS universe books.

# ? Jul 21, 2014 19:30

fookolt: Mar 13, 2012; Where there is power
There is resistance

House of Suns is really good. He's a master of body horror that feels incredibly clinical but still terrifying.

# ? Jul 21, 2014 19:37

Tiny Timbs: Sep 6, 2008

Germline is the heaviest military sci-fi book I've read since The Forever War holy poo poo is it dark

# ? Jul 22, 2014 02:23

thetechnoloser: Feb 11, 2003; Say hello to post-apocalyptic fun!; Grimey Drawer

I powered through the entire trilogy in a long weekend, and trust me-- it gets even more grimdark and awesome. I love it, but I'm also a military nerd too.

# ? Jul 22, 2014 02:37

Present: Oct 28, 2011; by Shine

I'm looking for a recommendation for a scifi book in the vein of Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep. I've read A Deepness in the Sky and just got a mobi of The Children of the Sky, so that's next.

I've been thinking about what it is I liked about A Fire Upon the Deep and I really dug the parts about Blight and how the galaxy was handling it, and wished the author spent more time with all that stuff instead of focusing on the Tines so much. That sense of impending doom was great. Is there anything out there that's similar?

E: It was the same in the Deepness book now that I think about it. The more interesting parts were the bits about what's happening in space as opposed to the alien world.

Present fucked around with this message at 05:57 on Jul 22, 2014

# ? Jul 22, 2014 05:45

Hedrigall: Mar 27, 2008; by vyelkin

Present posted:

I'm looking for a recommendation for a scifi book in the vein of Vernor Vinge's A Fire Upon the Deep. I've read A Deepness in the Sky and just got a mobi of The Children of the Sky, so that's next.

I've been thinking about what it is I liked about A Fire Upon the Deep and I really dug the parts about Blight and how the galaxy was handling it, and wished the author spent more time with all that stuff instead of focusing on the Tines so much. That sense of impending doom was great. Is there anything out there that's similar?

E: It was the same in the Deepness book now that I think about it. The more interesting parts were the bits about what's happening in space as opposed to the alien world.

Give Seeds of Earth by Michael Cobley a shot. It's the first in a trilogy called Humanity's Fire.

The basic gist is that humans left a dying Earth on three seedships, which ended up in three different situations. One landed on an alien world where humans learnt to live peacefully alongside an alien race (who are a bit like the Na'vi in Avatar). Another was intercepted by a huge, totalitarian alien empire who pretty much enslaved that group of humans. You find out what happened to the third ship much later, but the first book follows humans from the first two groups.

There's planet-side stuff with the first bunch of humans (and some alien characters) as they repel a big invasion of their new world. Then there's some space-set stuff which is a big chase with starships and space ports and all the good stuff. This part reminded me a lot of Ravna's quest in A Fire Upon the Deep so I think you'll enjoy it. The storylines intersect by the end of the first book. The aliens are pretty cool, and it's a really fun series which feels like a mashup of Mass Effect (machines vs organics is a big plotline), Avatar and Star Wars.

edit: If you liked the space stuff in AFUtD much more than the Tines, you're not going to like Children of the Sky at all.

# ? Jul 22, 2014 06:30

mallamp: Nov 25, 2009

Xandu posted:

I liked Blue Remembered Earth, haven't read the sequel though.

Blue Remembered Earth is my favorite Reynolds, but sadly the sequel wasn't that great.. Hopefully it's not because of that infamous contract.

# ? Jul 22, 2014 07:09

bloops: Dec 31, 2010; Thanks Ape Pussy!

GENDERWEIRD GREEDO posted:

Germline is the heaviest military sci-fi book I've read since The Forever War holy poo poo is it dark

Told yall. Book was heavy as hell.

# ? Jul 22, 2014 15:24

Cardiovorax: Jun 5, 2011; I mean, if you're a successful actress and you go out of the house in a skirt and without underwear, knowing that paparazzi are just waiting for opportunities like this and that it has happened many times before, then there's really nobody you can blame for it but yourself.

What's Germline about? People keep recommending it and I'm kind of interested, but I'm really not into the "ARE TROOPS HOOAH" milporn type of thing.

# ? Jul 22, 2014 16:05

Fried Chicken: Jan 9, 2011; Don't fry me, I'm no chicken!

Cardiovorax posted:

What's Germline about? People keep recommending it and I'm kind of interested, but I'm really not into the "ARE TROOPS HOOAH" milporn type of thing.

Imagine if Hunter S Thompson was covering the war in Afghanistan, and the war was run like Dick Cheney's wet dream.

It is most certainly not cheerleading war.

# ? Jul 22, 2014 16:41

savinhill: Mar 28, 2010

Fried Chicken posted:

Imagine if Hunter S Thompson was covering the war in Afghanistan, and the war was run like Dick Cheney's wet dream.

That's a real good description of the first book. The third book is like a cross between Apocalypse Now and Blade Runner. The second book is awesome too, I just can't think of something cool to compare it to right now.

# ? Jul 22, 2014 18:00

bloops: Dec 31, 2010; Thanks Ape Pussy!

Germline is like reading a Shimazu post but more coherent. Slightly more coherent.

# ? Jul 22, 2014 18:54

InMyHighCastle: Mar 10, 2014

Currently working my way through Fearsome Journeys: The new Solaris Book of Fantasy, an absolute gem of an anthology (Scott Lynch's Effigy Engine has been the star of the show so far) Does anybody have any fantasy anthologies they would recommend?

# ? Jul 22, 2014 20:06

Cardiovorax: Jun 5, 2011; I mean, if you're a successful actress and you go out of the house in a skirt and without underwear, knowing that paparazzi are just waiting for opportunities like this and that it has happened many times before, then there's really nobody you can blame for it but yourself.

Fried Chicken posted:

Imagine if Hunter S Thompson was covering the war in Afghanistan, and the war was run like Dick Cheney's wet dream.

It is most certainly not cheerleading war.

savinhill posted:

That's a real good description of the first book. The third book is like a cross between Apocalypse Now and Blade Runner. The second book is awesome too, I just can't think of something cool to compare it to right now.

Thanks. Sounds interesting, but probably a bit darker than what I'm currently interested in. I'll keep it in mind for later.

# ? Jul 22, 2014 20:10

Stupid_Sexy_Flander: Mar 14, 2007; Is a man not entitled to the haw of his maw?; Grimey Drawer

Germline is the one with the clone women soldiers?

I'm trying to remember if I am thinking of one book or two books and got them meshed in my head. One had a guy who was... hijacking? (for lack of a better term) the intel/brain feeds from a clone soldier, and the other had all the clone soldiers as women.

# ? Jul 22, 2014 23:08

Tiny Timbs: Sep 6, 2008

holocaust bloopers posted:

Germline is like reading a Shimazu post but more coherent. Slightly more coherent.

Great now I'm just going to think of shim posts for the rest of the book

Which, really, fits pretty well

# ? Jul 23, 2014 01:26

Fried Chicken: Jan 9, 2011; Don't fry me, I'm no chicken!

Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:

Germline is the one with the clone women soldiers?

I'm trying to remember if I am thinking of one book or two books and got them meshed in my head. One had a guy who was... hijacking? (for lack of a better term) the intel/brain feeds from a clone soldier, and the other had all the clone soldiers as women.

Germline has the women clones, I think you are thinking of The Ghost Brigades for the other

Germline is dark. Like, afterwards, go watch Zero Dark Thirty or True Detective to cheer yourself up levels of dark

# ? Jul 23, 2014 01:28

savinhill: Mar 28, 2010

Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:

Germline is the one with the clone women soldiers?

I'm trying to remember if I am thinking of one book or two books and got them meshed in my head. One had a guy who was... hijacking? (for lack of a better term) the intel/brain feeds from a clone soldier, and the other had all the clone soldiers as women.

I think you are getting two different books meshed together in your memory. Germline does have the clone women soldiers but I don't remember any brain/intel hijacking type stuff happening. The main character of Germline was a messed up journalist if that helps distinguish it in your memory.

edit: beaten

# ? Jul 23, 2014 01:52

Slo-Tek: Jun 8, 2001; WINDOWS 98 BEAT HIS FRIEND WITH A SHOVEL

Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:

Germline is the one with the clone women soldiers?

I'm trying to remember if I am thinking of one book or two books and got them meshed in my head. One had a guy who was... hijacking? (for lack of a better term) the intel/brain feeds from a clone soldier, and the other had all the clone soldiers as women.

You may also be getting some Ancillary Justice mixed up in there. That has lots of gender ambiguity and ship/brain/zombie weirdness.

# ? Jul 23, 2014 02:00

Stupid_Sexy_Flander: Mar 14, 2007; Is a man not entitled to the haw of his maw?; Grimey Drawer

Ah, yea I was getting 2 mixed up. Germline has the girl soldiers, and Embedded (by Dan Abnett) has the reporter brainjacking the soldier thing.

I've read part of both of them, and apparently got em a lil mixed up. Time to add em to the ever growing list o books I need to finish up!

# ? Jul 23, 2014 02:06

Vulpes: Nov 13, 2002; Well, shit.

I appreciated Germline as a 'gonzo future war' story, but one book of that was enough for me. I understand the sequels are from different perspectives, but how similar is the overall tone?

# ? Jul 23, 2014 04:11

Street Soldier: Oct 28, 2005; An egotistical being like myself can't be allowed to live...

Who wrote the Germline you guys are all talking about? Goodreads gives me like a hundred results.

# ? Jul 23, 2014 08:12

Piell: Sep 3, 2006; Grey Worm's Ken doll-like groin throbbed with the anticipatory pleasure that only a slightly warm and moist piece of lemoncake could offer; Young Orc

T. C. McCarthy

# ? Jul 23, 2014 09:30

Spug: Dec 10, 2006; Then turn not pale, beloved snail, but come and join the dance.

mallamp posted:

Blue Remembered Earth is my favorite Reynolds, but sadly the sequel wasn't that great.. Hopefully it's not because of that infamous contract.

What contract

# ? Jul 23, 2014 18:54

Kesper North: Nov 3, 2011; EMERGENCY POWER TO PARTY

Spug posted:

What contract

The one that was, like, literally a million dollars for ten books.

# ? Jul 23, 2014 19:54

Fart of Presto: Feb 9, 2001; Clapping Larry

eriktown posted:

The one that was, like, literally a million dollars for ten books.

A bit more. It was a million pounds so it was closer to $1.7 mill for 10 books.
http://www.theguardian.com/books/2009/jun/23/alastair-reynolds-1m-contract-science-fiction

# ? Jul 23, 2014 20:31

Hedrigall: Mar 27, 2008; by vyelkin

He could buy time by doing a couple more short story/novella collections.

There's a ton of uncollected stuff.

# ? Jul 23, 2014 22:59

Fart of Presto: Feb 9, 2001; Clapping Larry

Hedrigall posted:

He could buy time by doing a couple more short story/novella collections.

There's a ton of uncollected stuff.

At least the three novellas you listed, Thousandth Night, The Six Directions of Space and Troika, are now all available on Amazon as individual titles.
It always annoys me that I have to buy a full short story collection, where over half the stories are of no interest to me, either due to theme or author, just to be able to read one from one of my favourite authors.

# ? Jul 23, 2014 23:44

regularizer: Mar 5, 2012

If some British goon could buy Kill Baxter for me that would be great, thanks. A month is too long to wait for a book that's already out to be released in another country.

# ? Jul 24, 2014 01:35

fritz: Jul 26, 2003

regularizer posted:

If some British goon could buy Kill Baxter for me that would be great, thanks. A month is too long to wait for a book that's already out to be released in another country.

Just order off of amazon.co.uk?

# ? Jul 24, 2014 01:37

Hedrigall: Mar 27, 2008; by vyelkin

Fart of Presto posted:

At least the three novellas you listed, Thousandth Night, The Six Directions of Space and Troika, are now all available on Amazon as individual titles.

Not for Australia at least

fritz posted:

Just order off of amazon.co.uk?

Or better yet, bookdepository.co.uk which will ship anywhere for free.

# ? Jul 24, 2014 01:46

Fart of Presto: Feb 9, 2001; Clapping Larry

Todays Science Fiction & Fantasy Daily Deal on Amazon is The Shockwave Rider by John Brunner for $1.99 (Kindle)

I've always heard it's one of the original cyberpunk stories, before even Gibson came along, but having never read it and never seen it this cheap before, I know what my next summer reading book is

# ? Jul 24, 2014 11:18

Jedit: Dec 10, 2011; Proudly supporting vanilla legends 1994-2014

Fart of Presto posted:

Todays Science Fiction & Fantasy Daily Deal on Amazon is The Shockwave Rider by John Brunner for $1.99 (Kindle)

I've always heard it's one of the original cyberpunk stories, before even Gibson came along, but having never read it and never seen it this cheap before, I know what my next summer reading book is

It is, I've been curious about it for years, and I can't buy it cheap now because of Nazizon regional lockout. :argh:

# ? Jul 24, 2014 11:58

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# ? May 14, 2024 16:21

Fried Chicken: Jan 9, 2011; Don't fry me, I'm no chicken!

Because I love you, have the Echopraxia excerpt.

http://www.tor.com/stories/2014/07/echopraxia-excerpt-peter-watts

And remember the Colonel come out on the 29th

# ? Jul 24, 2014 17:34

The Something Awful Forums > The Finer Arts > The Book Barn > The Science Fiction and Fantasy Thread: Read the OP, Bridge of Birds, and Murderbot

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