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Tommu posted:Does anyone have any recommendations for zombie/post apocalyptic? If you can handle unnecessary grift, the TRPG Red Markets is written with folks who like reading setting in mind. The world is my favorite zombie apocalypse, where the tropes we all know and love are mixed heavily with a critique of American capitalism and millennial despair. The back half of the book of course is all game stuff, but no less fun for how the mechanics blend poverty, desperation, and hope.
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Feb 11, 2020 18:47
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Borachon posted:Becky Chambers's new novella To Be Taught, If Fortunate is outstanding (as is basically everything she's written) in this vein. Her mother is a practicing scientist, she clearly influenced her daughter and also consulted closely on the content of the book, and it was a joy to read. Came here to post this. I'm no scientist, so I don't know if it stands up to being a stuck a lab somewhere in SSF, but its 100% Becky Chambers, right down to the poly protagonists and saccharine hope.
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Feb 11, 2020 18:49
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FuturePastNow posted:Has there ever been a sex scene in sci fi that wasn't awkward and superfluous? Asking for a friend. 90s Cringe Rock posted:The Gods Themselves? Agent to the Stars has one very similar to this one.
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Feb 11, 2020 18:49
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Thank you all
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Feb 11, 2020 20:06
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Tommu posted:Does anyone have any recommendations for zombie/post apocalyptic? Johnathan Maberry. Dead of Night series - It basically starts with Patient Zero of apocalypse and just spirals out of control. It's pretty drat bleak. I haven't read the latest, but I over-all enjoy the series. There are cross-overs with the Joe Ledger series (although events are after that series as things stand) Rot and Ruin series - Basically a generation after Dead of Night. I think it's considered YA, but it's still pretty dark and violent and it gave me one of my favorite villains: St. John of the Knife. Maberry also riles up the "too much virtue signaling!" and "why can't you leave these non-political? Too much SJW" crowd, so it's a plus for me.
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Feb 11, 2020 20:21
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Tommu posted:Does anyone have any recommendations for zombie/post apocalyptic? ToxicFrog posted:World War Z: An Oral History of the Zombie War is old enough and well-known enough that you've probably already read it, but I'll list it here for completeness. To expand on this, get the audiobook version, and indeed, get the expanded audiobook version. It's put together like an in-universe documentary, with a unique voice actor for every character. It's awesome and well worth a listen even if you've read the book already. The expanded version is unabridged and twice as long as the original release and is, in my opinion, the definitive version of the book.
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Feb 11, 2020 21:20
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jng2058 posted:To expand on this, get the audiobook version, and indeed, get the expanded audiobook version. It's put together like an in-universe documentary, with a unique voice actor for every character. It's awesome and well worth a listen even if you've read the book already. The expanded version is unabridged and twice as long as the original release and is, in my opinion, the definitive version of the book. Was the expanded version ever turned back into a book? I hate audiobooks but would like to read it.
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Feb 11, 2020 21:34
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Gnoman posted:It wasn't time dilation. It was just that the cheela's hyper-compressed brains worked way faster than human brains did, and they had movement speeds to match, which made a day for us a lifetime for them. That's right, I had completely misremembered it. Their body chemistry was based on the strong nuclear force rather than the weak electric one or something. And, of course, time dilation would actually make thing run slower on the surface of a neutron star (about 1% slower). So D'oh. Fumblemouse fucked around with this message at 22:22 on Feb 11, 2020 |
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Feb 11, 2020 22:18
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Proteus Jones posted:Maberry also riles up the "too much virtue signaling!" and "why can't you leave these non-political? Too much SJW" crowd, so it's a plus for me.
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Feb 11, 2020 22:34
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While looking for zombie fiction I found Roadtrip Z by Lilith Saintcrow. Anyone in here read it? It's about a band of survivors on a roadtrip through zombie territory.
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Feb 11, 2020 22:46
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ToxicFrog posted:Was the expanded version ever turned back into a book? I hate audiobooks but would like to read it. 
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Feb 11, 2020 23:47
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anilEhilated posted:Really? I've read some summaries after he was mentioned in the UF thread and it sounded like the standard right-wing wankery to me - heroic US marines gunning down evil Arabs who want to unleash zombie viruses and so on. In the first book, the extremist group are manipulated into being the patsies for the Seif al Din prion attack. The real villain is far more banal and motivated personal gain instead of any ideology. It's a bit more complicated but that's it at its core As the series progresses a shadowy cabal begins to emerge that has been pulling strings through the books. It also mixes in a lot of Strange Science and a few ideological foes (but more Nazi Science/Facism than "Islam evil! Rawr!"). Mostly it's a shadow war that's gone on for generations (or perhaps centuries by some perspectives). Don't get me wrong, there's still a bunch of violent extra-judicial poo poo going on, but it's more presented as doing bad things to prevent even worse things and there are consequences. The main character is treated like an unstable time bomb at times even by his closest friends. Joe Ledger himself swings from sympathetic bad-rear end hero to crazed anti-hero like a pendulum made up of PTSD and impulse control issues. Proteus Jones fucked around with this message at 00:12 on Feb 12, 2020 |
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Feb 12, 2020 00:09
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Oh, that actually sounds pretty fun. Into my backlog it goes, thanks.
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Feb 12, 2020 00:18
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I'm frequently many pages behind, including now, but here's a list of my recent reads, almost exclusively suggested from this thread or its predecessor. If any of these make you want to recommend something to me, please do. The Compleat Traveller in Black by John Brunner. Tons of fun. Wish fulfillment Jesus. The first short was a little weird, but settled into its stride and I was definitely sad to finish it. One notable thing about it was that pretty much every page had a new word for me and the writing was weirdly archaic, even for stories that were written in the 60s and 70s (?). I wonder how much of that was an intentional stylistic decision. The Cradle Series by Will Wight. Addictive power-up fantasy. I don't think there's anything even close to redemptive here, but its so much loving fun I can't stop. I tore through all seven of these short books in a couple weeks. Ithanalin's Restoration by Lawrence Watt-Evans. Kinda cutesy, overall meh. I won't be reading any more Ethshar novels. Empress of Forever by Max Gladstone. I love Max Gladstone's other work, and I loved this. I recommended it to my brother and he also liked it. I would be in favor of Max writing more sci-fi. Exhalation by Ted Chiang. I love Chiang's writing. I had already read Exhalation and it was still good. The Merchant and the Alchemist's Gate was even better. Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Lieber. Put this down after about 50 pages. I just don't care. Things I'm working on or about to start working on The Fifth Sacred Thing by Starhawk. I don't care about any of these characters, and it's not particularly interesting. Two of my friends recommended it so I'm going to finish it and put the experience behind me. The second Baru Cormorant book by General Butt. First was great, second should be good too. Vita Nostra by the Dyachenkos. It might be a little like The Nevernight Series by Jay Kristoff, which I liked a great deal. It might not be, but someone here recommended it, so I'll give it a try.
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Feb 12, 2020 01:56
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Tommu posted:Does anyone have any recommendations for zombie/post apocalyptic? I know self promotion of a self-published book is terribly gauche, but the first book in my End Times series will be free on Amazon this Thursday and Friday. It's set in Australia, a day-by-day journal following a survivor from the beginning of the outbreak. It's well reviewed, I dunno, check it out! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01N4JX2M1 Also, fellow SA poster Jase Kovacs has just finished his Ebb Tide trilogy which is a zombie apocalypse story set at sea in the South Pacific, so all three books in the trilogy are now on sale for 99 cents for... I think the rest of Tuesday? https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MRZA23Y
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Feb 12, 2020 01:59
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Tommu posted:Does anyone have any recommendations for zombie/post apocalyptic? Ebola Dog posted:If you haven't read The Road by Cormac McCarthy, then you should! gvibes fucked around with this message at 18:19 on Feb 12, 2020 |
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Feb 12, 2020 05:47
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Tommu posted:Does anyone have any recommendations for zombie/post apocalyptic? If you haven't read The Road by Cormac McCarthy, then you should!
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Feb 12, 2020 12:30
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ToxicFrog posted:The Girl With All The Gifts was fantastic. I think I got the recommendation from this very thread. It has a sequel now (The Boy on the Bridge) but I haven't read it, and Gifts works fine on its own. The Boy on the Bridge is a prequel, not a sequel. It's an odd duck; it resolves a question asked in the original book, so whichever book you read first, you're spoiling yourself on the other.
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Feb 12, 2020 12:43
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Jedit posted:The Boy on the Bridge is a prequel, not a sequel. It's an odd duck; it resolves a question asked in the original book, so whichever book you read first, you're spoiling yourself on the other. When in doubt, always read in publication order.
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Feb 12, 2020 16:41
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Happiness Commando posted:Vita Nostra by the Dyachenkos. It might be a little like The Nevernight Series by Jay Kristoff, which I liked a great deal. It might not be, but someone here recommended it, so I'll give it a try. I read this last year. I found it to be very interesting and very readable, but I the end left me with some questions. Now I don't quite remember what they were, but I anxiously await a review
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Feb 12, 2020 17:23
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Someone recommended Feed and I want to say that this book is terrible like, legitimately one of the worst books I’ve ever read. The main character is basically just a walking 90’s matrix kid trope down to having a diseases that means she HAS to always wear sunglasses 100% of the time. And despite this disease being common and well known, she has to constantly tell government security offices about how special and cool she is when they try to talk down at her, delivering not all that clever bon mots and cheesy arrogant backtalk every time she interacts with people whose literal job it is to know and understand the various levels and security risks of the virus. And that’s just one dumbshit thing the author put in. I forgave the constant 90’s pop culture references (despite it being set like 40 years in the future) because whatever gently caress coming up with new stuff, but every character was an over the top caricature. It was fanfic level writing at best, and I hated every minute of the book. Do not waste your time with Feed.
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Feb 12, 2020 17:48
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Just taking this moment to say that Seanan McGuire (aka Mira Grant) was a surprisingly prejudiced, manipulative, and verbally abusive guest of honor at a local sci-fi/fantasy con where I used to work. I rarely feel the need to point out this sort of thing, but she was shockingly entitled and very mean to fans and staff alike for no identifiable reason.
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Feb 12, 2020 17:57
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MockingQuantum posted:Just taking this moment to say that Seanan McGuire (aka Mira Grant) was a surprisingly prejudiced, manipulative, and verbally abusive guest of honor at a local sci-fi/fantasy con where I used to work. I rarely feel the need to point out this sort of thing, but she was shockingly entitled and very mean to fans and staff alike for no identifiable reason. I'm a little sympathetic because the kinds of fans that go to conventions deserve it with how loving creepy they are to literally any woman they encounter.
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Feb 12, 2020 17:59
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MockingQuantum posted:Just taking this moment to say that Seanan McGuire (aka Mira Grant) was a surprisingly prejudiced, manipulative, and verbally abusive guest of honor at a local sci-fi/fantasy con where I used to work. I rarely feel the need to point out this sort of thing, but she was shockingly entitled and very mean to fans and staff alike for no identifiable reason. I've heard she's also been a twat on twitter, stirring up drama and such, and not apologizing. I want to like her because I generally enjoy her writing and I feel bad for her financial situation, but uh.... if you rely on patreon money and good will, don't be an rear end in a top hat?
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Feb 12, 2020 18:00
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biracial bear for uncut posted:I'm a little sympathetic because the kinds of fans that go to conventions deserve it with how loving creepy they are to literally any woman they encounter. Oh I'm absolutely with you there, but she was incredibly mean to her guest liaison too, who is one of the sweetest, most accommodating, and most capable people I know, and she said working with McGuire was the worst she's been treated by anyone in years of doing it. She actually requested mid-convention to have someone else be assigned to McGuire which is unheard of. Basically all the interactions I saw with her made it clear that to Seanan, if you weren't a writer of equal or greater prestige to her, you weren't worth her time, if you weren't a writer period you were nobody, if you were a fan you were dirt, and if you were a convention volunteer you were her servant and less than dirt. It was shocking.
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Feb 12, 2020 18:06
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biracial bear for uncut posted:I'm a little sympathetic because the kinds of fans that go to conventions deserve it with how loving creepy they are to literally any woman they encounter. Uh...even those who look like her? I mean I've seen the pictures of your average convention goer and bumped into more marginal specimens in the SF aisle at bookstores, but I still find this hard to imagine. Unless they're just creepy to every living thing, which I suppose is possible. (USER WAS BANNED FOR THIS POST)
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Feb 12, 2020 18:58
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Apparatchik Magnet posted:Uh...even those who look like her? I mean I've seen the pictures of your average convention goer and bumped into more marginal specimens in the SF aisle at bookstores, but I still find this hard to imagine. Unless they're just creepy to every living thing, which I suppose is possible. Tell us more about how hot you need to be to get harassed and stalked
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Feb 12, 2020 19:04
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Also, fuuuuuuuuuck youuuuuuuuuuuu
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Feb 12, 2020 19:05
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General Battuta posted:Tell us more about how hot you need to be to get harassed and stalked I don't know, I have a hard time getting inside the minds of the mentally ill who do this sort of thing both online and off, I should probably consult someone who can empathize with them.
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Feb 12, 2020 19:09
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Apparatchik Magnet posted:I should probably consult someone who can empathize 
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Feb 12, 2020 19:11
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Did your experience with this sort of fan harassment change after you put all that weight on? Positively or negatively? (USER WAS PUT ON PROBATION FOR THIS POST)
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Feb 12, 2020 19:12
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I'm going to suggest you put them on ignore for your own well-being. Apparatchik Magnet posted:Did your experience with this sort of fan harassment change after you put all that weight on? Positively or negatively? Any particular reason from your past that you enjoy being cruel, or just the sort of usual boredom and low-grade psychopathy generally exhibited by teenagers?
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Feb 12, 2020 19:14
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Why, I’ll be!
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Feb 12, 2020 19:17
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FuturePastNow posted:Has there ever been a sex scene in sci fi that wasn't awkward and superfluous? Asking for a friend. Mary Robinette Kowal has written a few. It turns out taking an erotic writing class pays dividends, even when the scenes aren't remotely explicit.
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Feb 12, 2020 19:17
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Apparatchik Magnet, get the hell out of this thread. Preferably forever but that's for the SA mods and admins to decide. /r/IncelTears/ needs your hot takes, not us. Recently finished a 1997 book (non-fiction) called "Bots: the origin of new species" by Andrew Leonard. After reading "Bots" I have a better feel for William Gibson's understanding-ness of computer systems and Artificial Intelligences.
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Feb 12, 2020 19:19
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General Battuta posted:Also, fuuuuuuuuuck youuuuuuuuuuuu
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Feb 12, 2020 19:21
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MockingQuantum posted:Oh I'm absolutely with you there, but she was incredibly mean to her guest liaison too, who is one of the sweetest, most accommodating, and most capable people I know, and she said working with McGuire was the worst she's been treated by anyone in years of doing it. She actually requested mid-convention to have someone else be assigned to McGuire which is unheard of. Basically all the interactions I saw with her made it clear that to Seanan, if you weren't a writer of equal or greater prestige to her, you weren't worth her time, if you weren't a writer period you were nobody, if you were a fan you were dirt, and if you were a convention volunteer you were her servant and less than dirt. It was shocking. I'm pretty surprised to learn that (though I'm not going to deny what other people have seen) because I followed Seanan McGuire for a while and the impression I got was that she would have a lot of respect for "the little guy" since she talks all the time about building her way up from nothing as an impoverished fanfiction writer. FYGM syndrome, I guess. I was entertained by the Feed books, loved Indexing, and thought Parasitology was a load of junk. But she had some short stories in Lightspeed that were pretty good too. Speaking of Lightspeed, I'm working my way through Lightspeed: Year One which collects (surprise) everything from their first year. The stories are great. Love this magazine so much.
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Feb 12, 2020 19:31
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All this Mira Grant stuff is disappointing because I just finished Into the Drowning Deep at this thread's suggestion and really enjoyed it. Also using the ignore function for the first time in almost 16 years on this dumb comedy forum.
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Feb 12, 2020 19:48
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It's also frustrating because I enjoy McGuire's Rosemary and Rue series, which is one of the very few UF series that focuses on the fae as a topic and does them justice. If you want other UF fae you have Lilith Saintcrow's Gallow trilogy (I want to read this 'cause I love her work), some in the Mercy Thompson series, LKH's Merry Gentry series (so much sex oh my god) and that's pretty much it? UF prefers vampires and werewolves, which is a bummer if you want some sidhe action.
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Feb 12, 2020 19:53
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The mail's here! ToxicFrog? This is your fault: 
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Feb 12, 2020 20:05
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