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

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

Down With People: Oct 31, 2012; The child delights in violence.

fatherboxx posted:

I've read Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson some time ago, loved it, and have wanted to get further into his work since, but I was scared by the constant references to his libertarian (and even randian) views on the Internet. Don't really want to take on a brick novel only to discover a sci-fi version of Sword of Truth - what are his less insufferable books in that regard?

Anathem is a great book in this regard. If you're unfamiliar with it, it's about a world where secular monks called the avout study science in seclusion from the outside world, sometimes for millenia at a time. It's daunting on the outset, but it's an exciting book that actually made me want to go study some algebra. I didn't really pick up on a political agenda, aside from 'science good!'.

# ¿ Jun 19, 2013 10:23

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# ¿ May 11, 2024 17:12

Down With People: Oct 31, 2012; The child delights in violence.

General Battuta posted:

On an unrelated note, barring perhaps the shared theme of SF/F being a cesspool, I don't know if anyone here pays attention to or cares about the tiny incestuous horrible world of SFFWA politics, but it's been pretty hilarious of late.

Do tell. I love it when nerds have slapfights. :munch:

# ¿ Jul 9, 2013 06:50

Down With People: Oct 31, 2012; The child delights in violence.

The Gunslinger posted:

What's the best starting point with Mieville? I've never read anything of his before, just heard praise about Bas-Lag. Should I start there or is his standalone work a better place to begin?

I agree with Muike, and I'd also add that my first Mieville was Kraken and that poo poo was amazing. Don't be afraid to just pick up Perdido Street Station and go crazy, though.

# ¿ Jul 13, 2013 07:32

Down With People: Oct 31, 2012; The child delights in violence.

I actually walked into the Bas-Lag Cycle expecting this huge Marxist tract and I was pleasantly surprised. New Crobuzon is a terrible place, but it feels like an actual city instead of this elaborate diorama that lampoons capitalism.

# ¿ Jul 15, 2013 02:37

Down With People: Oct 31, 2012; The child delights in violence.

Slo-Tek posted:

I imagine him as a slightly grizzlier Bunk Moreland from the Wire.

It makes me irrationally angry whenever I see fanart of Isaac and he's white.

# ¿ Aug 18, 2013 00:17

Down With People: Oct 31, 2012; The child delights in violence.

Kraxxukalf posted:

Hahah, I guess that answers my question, not gonna bother with it then. Thanks for the input!

Any alternate recommendations for such books? If not, I'll just start up the first Malazan book I've had lying around for ages.

You should go read Joe Abercrombie's First Law trilogy if you haven't already, starting with The Blade Itself.

# ¿ Sep 27, 2013 13:54

Down With People: Oct 31, 2012; The child delights in violence.

systran posted:

Since the trilogy was so highly recommended, I kept trusting that the author couldn't possibly be dropping the ball as badly as it felt like, and I kept reading. Maybe one-third or halfway through the third book I realized that he indeed did not really know where he was going and was going leave a lot of stuff unresolved and half-baked. There were some unnatural character arcs, characters that never really developed, characters that were loving PAPER-THIN cartoons, and some very questionable plot structures.

I liked the trilogy a lot but this is all true. :negative:

# ¿ Sep 28, 2013 00:42

Down With People: Oct 31, 2012; The child delights in violence.

Read The Three Stigmata Of Palmer Eldritch by Phillip K. Dick.

It might amaze you or it might piss you off, but it'll definitely something you.

# ¿ Nov 21, 2013 12:22

Down With People: Oct 31, 2012; The child delights in violence.

Doorknob Slobber posted:

I've started the black company and is the first book considered not very good? Should I have started elsewhere? The writing seems pretty bleh, even if I do kind of like the story so far.

The writing's like that through the whole series. If you don't like it now it's probably not gonna warm up on you. If you're interested in the story though, it's probably worth soldiering through the first trilogy.

# ¿ Feb 12, 2018 06:29

Down With People: Oct 31, 2012; The child delights in violence.

Chairchucker posted:

who cares

It's funny

# ¿ Feb 13, 2018 12:16

Down With People: Oct 31, 2012; The child delights in violence.

Barry

# ¿ Feb 13, 2018 23:24

Down With People: Oct 31, 2012; The child delights in violence.

Ccs posted:

I'm confused as to how Abercrombie reads like a video game.

There's an absolutely garbage scene in like the second book where logen becomes the bloody-nine to fight a bunch of shanka and like legit a boss shanka comes out who's strong and wearing armour and poo poo. It's literally a boss fight. It's terrible. There's definitely other scenes like that but that's the first one to come to mind.

# ¿ Mar 12, 2018 03:06

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# ¿ May 11, 2024 17:12

Down With People: Oct 31, 2012; The child delights in violence.

Unseen Academicals was bad and Snuff was worse. Both read like embarrassing early drafts that had been put to publish way too soon.

# ¿ Mar 24, 2018 04:00

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