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It is, the first of a second trilogy set 'ten years later', also multiple viewpoint instead of being all Darrow All The Time.
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Jan 20, 2018 15:54
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occamsnailfile posted:I tried to read HoL and bounced off it at least twice. That's because it's an unreadable pile of poo poo. The people who profess to like it are huffing their own farts and trying to show off how clever they are.
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Jan 20, 2018 16:07
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Jedit posted:That's because it's an unreadable pile of poo poo. The people who profess to like it are huffing their own farts and trying to show off how clever they are. Or it's actually a good book, and you just don't like it and are being a dick about it?
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Jan 20, 2018 16:16
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"Actually it's good" when someone says something is bad is just as dickish.
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Jan 20, 2018 18:02
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No it isn’t
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Jan 20, 2018 18:18
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Jedit posted:That's because it's an unreadable pile of poo poo. The people who profess to like it are huffing their own farts and trying to show off how clever they are. a foolish pianist posted:Or it's actually a good book, and you just don't like it and are being a dick about it? less laughter posted:"Actually it's good" when someone says something is bad is just as dickish. Let's just head this off before it gets worse -- The way I generally look at this sort of discussion is: Hieronymous Alloy posted:. . .. https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3610540 "actually it's good" and "actually it's bad" are both, by themselves, empty of content and therefore badposts because they're just bare statements of opinion and therefore useless Saying "it's bad because it's [reason]", for example "it's bad because it's [unreadable]" is approximately the bare minimum standard for actual discussion of actual books, because it has an opinion AND, this is crucial, a justification for that opinion "huffing their own farts" and "you're being a dick" or other flaming are empty-content badposts by themslves because they're posts about other posters, not about books, so nobody cares, unless there is a book discussion somewhere inside the dickwaving In short try to post about books not people, and when you post about books, show your work don't just state your blank opinion. thanks
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Jan 20, 2018 18:22
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A couple of the hyped/talked-about sci-fi releases from last year are currently marked down to $1.99. Not sure if it's a permanent reduction, this month only, or just a few days. Starfire: A Red Peace (The Starfire Trilogy) by Spencer Ellsworth.  All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells 
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Jan 20, 2018 18:56
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Fart of Presto posted:All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries) by Martha Wells This is pretty good. edit: Oh poo poo there is a sequel in May. https://www.amazon.com/Artificial-Condition-Murderbot-Martha-Wells-ebook/dp/B075DGHHQL withak fucked around with this message at 19:39 on Jan 20, 2018 |
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Jan 20, 2018 19:36
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HoL is a decent spooky story that's embarrassed to admit it's genre and tries to hide it in a matryoshka doll of St. Elsewhere ending twists and nonstandard formatting. Lacks confidence in itself, covers itself in pretense, and somehow feels less than the sum of its parts.
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Jan 20, 2018 20:08
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Xarbala posted:HoL is a decent spooky story that's embarrassed to admit it's genre and tries to hide it in a matryoshka doll of St. Elsewhere ending twists and nonstandard formatting. Is there any excuse for nonstandard formatting other than a lack of confidence? Or basically, what licenses a book to do something novel? Because I and lots of other people really enjoyed the formatting choices and the various layers of story. It might have been a decent novel if it were just a straightforward description of the Navidson Record events, but we certainly wouldn't still be talking about it now.
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Jan 20, 2018 20:16
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I didn't like it, and I'm pissed that it was my first overnight prime order I had ever placed because people told me I'd love it so much  Also, Murderbot is awesome.
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Jan 20, 2018 23:25
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It's only in the last two or three years that I've gotten back into reading a lot of SF/F, but in that time I've not read a lot of short stories. What are some must reads or your favourite short story authors that I should make a priority to check out?
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Jan 20, 2018 23:34
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withak posted:This is pretty good. And another in August! https://www.amazon.com/Rogue-Protocol-Murderbot-Martha-Wells-ebook/dp/B0756JSWGL/
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Jan 20, 2018 23:44
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Proteus Jones posted:And another in August! Noice
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Jan 20, 2018 23:49
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Captain_Person posted:It's only in the last two or three years that I've gotten back into reading a lot of SF/F, but in that time I've not read a lot of short stories. What are some must reads or your favourite short story authors that I should make a priority to check out? Ted Chiang
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Jan 21, 2018 00:04
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andrew smash posted:Ted Chiang Came here to post this. Also Kij Johnson has a wonderful short story collection called At the Mouth of the River of Bees
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Jan 21, 2018 00:16
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withak posted:This is pretty good. AIUI Wells has three (short) sequels in the works, after which it will be a complete series, and they're all expected to be out by the end of 2018.
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Jan 21, 2018 00:19
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I'm about a third of the way through A Canticle for Leibowitz and its not really grabbing me. Should I try to keep going?
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Jan 21, 2018 00:55
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Captain_Person posted:It's only in the last two or three years that I've gotten back into reading a lot of SF/F, but in that time I've not read a lot of short stories. What are some must reads or your favourite short story authors that I should make a priority to check out? Robert Reed, especially his Great Ship stuff
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Jan 21, 2018 01:17
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DeadFatDuckFat posted:I'm about a third of the way through A Canticle for Leibowitz and its not really grabbing me. Should I try to keep going? Yes, the plot changes dramatically about that far in. If you get to 2/3 and still don't care then drop it, I guess.
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Jan 21, 2018 01:30
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Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:Also, Murderbot is awesome. I was pleasantly surprised.
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Jan 21, 2018 02:13
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Fart of Presto posted:A couple of the hyped/talked-about sci-fi releases from last year are currently marked down to $1.99. Looks like almost everything Tor.com publishes (except for brand new stuff) is $.99 or $1.99 on Kindle right now. ShutteredIn fucked around with this message at 02:38 on Jan 21, 2018 |
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Jan 21, 2018 02:35
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Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:
That name made me think I was getting self published recommendations from Amazon
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Jan 21, 2018 03:03
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Mister Kingdom posted:I was pleasantly surprised. Martha Wells is always worth reading.
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Jan 21, 2018 04:03
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Stupid_Sexy_Flander posted:I didn't like it, and I'm pissed that it was my first overnight prime order I had ever placed because people told me I'd love it so much I was hoping murderbot would be less thrillery than it was but I'd totally read thirteen thousand pages of xenoecological survey teams doing surveys so perhaps I am not entirely the target audience
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Jan 21, 2018 05:11
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GreyjoyBastard posted:I was hoping murderbot would be less thrillery than it was but I'd totally read thirteen thousand pages of xenoecological survey teams doing surveys so perhaps I am not entirely the target audience have you read neal asher's spatterjay stuff? ecosystem porn is in there (though they are also thrillers)
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Jan 21, 2018 07:36
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Patrat posted:So has anyone else finished Iron Gold yet? liked it, it's getting denser and denser though. i like the scope, it's not what i expected from the spartan-hunger-games-in-space beginning.
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Jan 21, 2018 11:32
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ShutteredIn posted:Looks like almost everything Tor.com publishes (except for brand new stuff) is $.99 or $1.99 on Kindle right now.
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Jan 21, 2018 21:07
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GreyjoyBastard posted:I'd totally read thirteen thousand pages of xenoecological survey teams doing surveys  Especially if it were written by C.J. Cherryh. She wrote one story about alien xenoarchaeologists investigating the ruins of Earth, at least.
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Jan 21, 2018 21:52
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Neurosis posted:have you read neal asher's spatterjay stuff? ecosystem porn is in there (though they are also thrillers) neal asher's hit and miss for me but i did like The Skinner so maybe I should try the rest of that bit
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Jan 22, 2018 00:21
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GreyjoyBastard posted:neal asher's hit and miss for me but i did like The Skinner so maybe I should try the rest of that bit Mostly misses for me, I read several of the Polity series, and then stopped a book in the middle when a new book from a favorite author came out. I can't remember where I was in the series and don't really care.
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Jan 22, 2018 01:12
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holocaust bloopers posted:How is Too Like The Lightening? I'm 3/4 through this thing and I hate it with a fiery passion. Is it a Nabokov thing? Am I supposed to find the narrator and insufferable creep who should have been executed to spare us all his smug little asides to the read?
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Jan 22, 2018 03:40
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DACK FAYDEN posted:You can't make this post and not recommend stuff I’d also appreciate some recommendations
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Jan 22, 2018 05:57
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there wolf posted:I'm 3/4 through this thing and I hate it with a fiery passion. Is it a Nabokov thing? Am I supposed to find the narrator and insufferable creep who should have been executed to spare us all his smug little asides to the read?
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Jan 22, 2018 15:10
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It was a gift and I'm kind of obligated to finish. I was just hoping someone would give a hint to something that shows the character to be something other than the most banal of sociopaths.
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Jan 22, 2018 15:19
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there wolf posted:It was a gift and I'm kind of obligated to finish. I was just hoping someone would give a hint to something that shows the character to be something other than the most banal of sociopaths. Spoilers ahead: he’s a revolutionary more than a sociopath I guess but the reason for the narrative and mycroft’s internal conflict is that he has personally met god .... twice
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Jan 22, 2018 17:08
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andrew smash posted:Spoilers ahead: he’s a revolutionary more than a sociopath I guess but the reason for the narrative and mycroft’s internal conflict is that he has personally met god .... twice some of this stuff isn't really made clear until the second book though, if I'm remembering correctly, it is hinted at
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Jan 22, 2018 18:19
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andrew smash posted:Spoilers ahead: he’s a revolutionary more than a sociopath I guess but the reason for the narrative and mycroft’s internal conflict is that he has personally met god .... twice Very, very long sigh. Thanks for the spoiler. I'll finish this one, but I don't think I'll keep going through the sequel.
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Jan 22, 2018 22:05
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It reads like bad nanowrimo to me.
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Jan 22, 2018 22:08
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there wolf posted:Very, very long sigh. Thanks for the spoiler. I'll finish this one, but I don't think I'll keep going through the sequel. There’s more: Bridger’s toy soldiers are actually Greek hoplites from the Iliad (sorta) and their leader (the Major? I forget what he’s called) is Achilles
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Jan 22, 2018 22:14
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