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Hedrigall posted:I'm a third into Shards of Honor and enjoying it enough, though. Once I'm finished this would you recommend I finish the whole omnibus (also contains Aftermaths and Barrayar), or go onto Warrior's Apprentice and then come back later? Read the omnibii in the order they have been given.
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Nov 11, 2015 05:28
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oTHi posted:This book was weirdly different in theme and style to almost all his other works, Scifi and Fantasy. I still enjoyed it, but it read like it was ghostwritten. I've only read a few of his books, all from the Recluce series. Loved The Magic Engineer, but found the rest merely okay. I liked Solar Express a lot when it was focusing on the alien artifact and exploration thereof, but neither protagonist felt compelling and the international tension plot ceased to be interesting once it devolved to "China bad! Grrrr!"
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Nov 11, 2015 05:34
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I want some more 'solar system' sci fi, something much like The Expanse. Any suggestions? I'd like something with a 'busy' solar system, lots of colonies. Military sci fi would be preferable. I'm reading the 'USMC in Space' books but they are written for
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Nov 11, 2015 05:38
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The Quiet War and Gardens of the Sun.
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Nov 11, 2015 06:04
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Prolonged Priapism posted:The Quiet War and Gardens of the Sun. Thank you, The Quiet War looks like what I want! Glad it's got a series.
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Nov 11, 2015 06:07
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Chairman Capone posted:Missile Gap is the one that comes to mind... I don't think it's all that Lovecraftian, but I loved the concept and setting.
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Nov 11, 2015 06:16
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Drifter posted:Read the omnibii in the order they have been given. Omnibuses. It's not actually a Latin noun of the second declension and even if it was it'd have to be "omnibius" to get that plural.
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Nov 11, 2015 06:24
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Groke posted:Omnibuses. It's not actually a Latin noun of the second declension and even if it was it'd have to be "omnibius" to get that plural. Octopus/Omnibus  Omnibodes. I'll hear none of your shenanigans. Baloogan posted:I want some more 'solar system' sci fi, something much like The Expanse. Any suggestions? I'd like something with a 'busy' solar system, lots of colonies. Military sci fi would be preferable. I'm reading the 'USMC in Space' books but they are written for Metaplanetary I really enjoyed it. And its sequel.
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Nov 11, 2015 06:44
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Hedrigall posted:I'm a third into Shards of Honor and enjoying it enough, though. Once I'm finished this would you recommend I finish the whole omnibus (also contains Aftermaths and Barrayar), or go onto Warrior's Apprentice and then come back later? Barrayar Barrayar Barrayar. Shards of Honor is an okay book that is required to understand an absolutely excellent book.
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Nov 11, 2015 08:24
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Baloogan posted:I want some more 'solar system' sci fi, something much like The Expanse. Any suggestions? I'd like something with a 'busy' solar system, lots of colonies. Military sci fi would be preferable. I'm reading the 'USMC in Space' books but they are written for The Red Rising series. The first book is less how you're describing, but the second book is very much this. Added advantage of being incredibly good.
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Nov 11, 2015 16:11
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Shakugan posted:The Red Rising series. The first book is less how you're describing, but the second book is very much this. Added advantage of being incredibly good. Yeah, seconding this; I just finished the third book. They're excellent.
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Nov 11, 2015 20:27
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Kesper North posted:Yeah, seconding this; I just finished the third book. They're excellent. Where did you get a copy of the third book...
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Nov 11, 2015 20:40
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rafikki posted:Where did you get a copy of the third book... I thought you meant Linda Nagata's 'The Red' milSF trilogy, the concluding book of which came out last week.
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Nov 11, 2015 21:39
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Kesper North posted:I thought you meant Linda Nagata's 'The Red' milSF trilogy, the concluding book of which came out last week. No, they're talking about the vvv - thanks Drifter fucked around with this message at 01:35 on Nov 12, 2015 |
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Nov 11, 2015 22:01
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Drifter posted:the Red Mars trilogy, 
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Nov 12, 2015 01:24
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Baloogan posted:I want some more 'solar system' sci fi, something much like The Expanse. Any suggestions? I'd like something with a 'busy' solar system, lots of colonies. Military sci fi would be preferable. I'm reading the 'USMC in Space' books but they are written for Although it's absolutely YA, and is also pretty old by now, I have fond memories of reading Isaac Asimov's Lucky Starr series as a kid. It's set in the solar system, but a big plot throughout the series is the military tension between the solar system government and the breakaway human colony around Sirius.
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Nov 12, 2015 01:56
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Baloogan posted:I want some more 'solar system' sci fi, something much like The Expanse. Any suggestions? I'd like something with a 'busy' solar system, lots of colonies. Military sci fi would be preferable. I'm reading the 'USMC in Space' books but they are written for
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Nov 14, 2015 05:02
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Miss-Bomarc posted:There's "The Quantum Thief" by Hannu Rajaniemi. It's not straight-up mil-SF, but one of the characters is a soldier. It gets pretty heavy into quantum weirdness, nanotech hooha, and pocket-universe tomfoolery, but I really liked the series and recommend it to people. It may be worth pointing out the SA thread for the series is entitled "Hannu Rajaniemi is smarter than you" and you really do feel stupid how he throws you headlong into the world without much exposition.
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Nov 14, 2015 05:26
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I'll never understand that complaint. You don't need to read an ADD&D booklet before the story gets going.
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Nov 14, 2015 05:41
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Baloogan posted:I want some more 'solar system' sci fi, something much like The Expanse. Any suggestions? I'd like something with a 'busy' solar system, lots of colonies. Military sci fi would be preferable. I'm reading the 'USMC in Space' books but they are written for http://www.amazon.com/Cassini-Division-Fall-Revolution-Series/dp/1857237307
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Nov 14, 2015 05:50
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Hughlander posted:It may be worth pointing out the SA thread for the series is entitled "Hannu Rajaniemi is smarter than you" and you really do feel stupid how he throws you headlong into the world without much exposition. If it's anything like how Gibson throws you in that sounds amazing
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Nov 14, 2015 14:52
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The Quantum Thief is really easy to understand if you just accept that everything does what you see it doing. You learn all the supertech pretty fast that way. Except the ending, I'm not quite sure I got that. Might have to reread!
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Nov 14, 2015 15:06
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Drifter posted:I'll never understand that complaint. Well, I read the first two a few years ago and finally got around to the third this week. I'm just going to put it down until I have time to read all three back to back, because there's too much that I don't remember and the author doesn't give any help, so I'm just missing out and skimming over the meaning too much. Kinda similar to (though not nearly as bad!) trying to go back and read the 9th and 10th Malazan books after having read the rest like 5 years ago.
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Nov 14, 2015 15:07
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Drifter posted:I'll never understand that complaint. For me it's not a complaint and was why I thought the first book was amazing. But also why I haven't started the second yet since I feel that there is a higher amount of "buy in" than most of the trash I read.
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Nov 14, 2015 15:09
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Drifter posted:I'll never understand that complaint. Introductions need to capture the interest of the reader quickly, but there is a fine line between the wonder of discovery and outright confusion. There are some really popular authors that I personally feel are atrocious at this kind of thing, so where that lines goes seems to be very subjective. I've not read Quantum Thief, but for instance I hate the way Revelation Space just throws you in there, I tolerate when A Fire Upon the Deep does it, but I prefer the exposition and slow introduction of elements in Dune.
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Nov 14, 2015 15:25
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In case no one reads the front page here, the most recent Photoshop Phriday has a pretty good parody of a 1980s space opera rpg sourcebook. The cat aliens are clearly spoofing the Kzinti: http://www.somethingawful.com/photoshop-phriday/void-racers-cyoa/
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Nov 14, 2015 18:29
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Biomute posted:Introductions need to capture the interest of the reader quickly, but there is a fine line between the wonder of discovery and outright confusion. There are some really popular authors that I personally feel are atrocious at this kind of thing, so where that lines goes seems to be very subjective. I've not read Quantum Thief, but for instance I hate the way Revelation Space just throws you in there, I tolerate when A Fire Upon the Deep does it, but I prefer the exposition and slow introduction of elements in Dune. Hate to say this but The Quantum Thief may not be for you. It's the first series I've read where I started experiencing this, so it seems my tolerance for this is very high and TQT still stressed it. I never thought of Revelation Space or A Fire Upon the Deep in that way.
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Nov 14, 2015 23:55
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The only thing you really need to get what's going on in Quantum Thief is a background in pop-culture cyberpunk and a Discover Magazine-level understanding of quantum physics.
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Nov 15, 2015 05:20
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Does Children Of The Sky actually deal with the whole Zones Of Thought concept (which is a great concept)? Because A Deepness In The Sky mostly ignored it. If it doesn't, then I'm pretty surprised Vinge created this really compelling idea, but then didn't really play with it except for the first book it's in.
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Nov 15, 2015 11:08
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Khizan posted:Falling Free is absolutely nothing at all like the rest of the Vorkosigan books; it's set in the same universe but that's the only connection. Vorkosigan check-in: Holy gently caress at Cordelia's idea of 'shopping'  I'm glad I went in chronological order, because the stuff with Bothari and the two Elenas in The Warrior's Apprentice would have had almost no context without the previous two books. Halfway through The Vor Games, bring on Admiral Naismith again 
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Nov 15, 2015 21:01
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Cordelia owns, it's a true fact. You just wait. I think my absolute favorite Cordelia moment - which Bujold already laid the groundwork for - will pan out in ... oh, A Civil Campaign, I think?
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Nov 16, 2015 06:31
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Psion posted:Cordelia owns, it's a true fact. You just wait. I think my absolute favorite Cordelia moment - which Bujold already laid the groundwork for - will pan out in ... oh, A Civil Campaign, I think? The couch conversation?
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Nov 16, 2015 06:49
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Longbaugh01 posted:Does Children Of The Sky actually deal with the whole Zones Of Thought concept (which is a great concept)? Because A Deepness In The Sky mostly ignored it. If it doesn't, then I'm pretty surprised Vinge created this really compelling idea, but then didn't really play with it except for the first book it's in. Very indirectly, and mostly as a Chekov's gun.
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Nov 16, 2015 07:26
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Has anyone read Julie Czerneda's Survival? I'm about halfway through and while it's well written and the characterization is pretty strong, nothing's really... happened.
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Nov 16, 2015 17:35
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Khizan posted:that moment Yes, that's the one. So good.
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Nov 16, 2015 19:01
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Psion posted:Yes, that's the one. So good. Just tell me that Cavilo shows up again. She and Miles have the best (worst?) love/hate/obsession thing going on.  e: So is the thing with Miles always going to be that a) he has no confidence in himself so he has to play at being 'Admiral Naismith' and then b) he constantly stumbles into poo poo up to his neck and has to bullshit and improvise his way out of it, because if so this is going to be magical 
WarLocke fucked around with this message at 20:36 on Nov 16, 2015 |
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Nov 16, 2015 20:34
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No. Sometimes he's too confident in himself and stumbles into poo poo up to his neck and has to bullshit and improvise his way out of it. It's still magical, though.
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Nov 16, 2015 20:38
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WarLocke posted:e: So is the thing with Miles always going to be that a) he has no confidence in himself so he has to play at being 'Admiral Naismith' and then b) he constantly stumbles into poo poo up to his neck and has to bullshit and improvise his way out of it, because if so this is going to be magical Did you read The Mountains of Mourning before moving on to The Vor Game?
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Nov 16, 2015 21:22
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TheHoodedClaw posted:Did you read The Mountains of Mourning before moving on to The Vor Game? drat, I screwed up the order already? I think I have that one in an omnibus that was labeled as being later in the series, or something. I'd have to check when I get home. 
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Nov 16, 2015 21:25
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I still maintain the only "significant" (which should be in air quotes) order screwup involves pre/post-Memory books so don't worry too much about it. Go back and fill in if you missed something, it's cool. Omnibuses are good for this, they tend to be in nice logical blocks. Psion fucked around with this message at 21:39 on Nov 16, 2015 |
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Nov 16, 2015 21:32
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