|
Finally got around to finishing the second half of Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun. Definitely up there as one of my favorite sci-fi/fantasy series. Do the other series he's written with this setting hold up compared to Book of the New Sun? Otherwise, I think I'm gonna go back to rereading Lord of the Rings for the first time since high school.
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 17:50
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 14:33 |
|
|
StrixNebulosa posted:Oh fascinating, I thought those were the best parts of the book and could have happily jettisoned the other POVs. I liked the concepts in 3bp and the unusual cultural povs but I have a hard time recommending it as a Good Book. On the other hand, I adore the spider guy books. I think of Greg Egan’s Permutation City along the same lines as 3bp: I didn’t love the book but I feel like my brain changed for the better having read it. I’d put thread favorite Blindsight up there, too.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 17:55
|
|
|
A friend who also enjoyed the 3BP books recommended Peter F Hamilton to me, but I haven't read any yet so I don't know if that's a good recommendation
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 18:09
|
|
|
Tarnop posted:A friend who also enjoyed the 3BP books recommended Peter F Hamilton to me, but I haven't read any yet so I don't know if that's a good recommendation personally I'd say it's not a good recommendation, Hamilton's writing ranges from mediocre to terrible, he occasionally hits on a good idea but IMO it's not worth the slog through crud to get to them. I've only read the first 3BP book but even then I can kind of see where the rec is coming from, though.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 18:25
|
|
|
Mustang posted:Finally got around to finishing the second half of Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun. Definitely up there as one of my favorite sci-fi/fantasy series. Long Sun is slightly lesser in quality but is doing different things generally. Short Sun is Wolfe's Magnum Opus.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 18:34
|
|
|
Tarnop posted:A friend who also enjoyed the 3BP books recommended Peter F Hamilton to me, but I haven't read any yet so I don't know if that's a good recommendation I enjoyed 3BP. I loath Peter F Hamilton. I'd recommend the expanse books over Hamilton 10 out of 10 times
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 18:37
|
|
|
For the sake of my friend I will read a few chapters, but I won't get my hopes up
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 18:43
|
|
|
frogbs posted:Ugh, sorry guys, wasn’t quite awake this morning. This guy's from the mirror universe
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 19:14
|
|
|
tbf I think a lot of the stuff with Portia and Fabian has moments that are a bit tongue in cheek and a bit twee, though I think it's intentional and meant to be a juxtaposition against the elements of the spider characters that are much, much less human. But I could understand why someone would get a little tired of the voice of those sections, for lack of a better descriptor. I kind of felt that way about the octopus portions of the second book though for different reasons, I liked all the concepts and science of those sections, but I did find some of them a bit tiresome to actually read, especially because in that book I think the other plotline(s) were pretty compelling.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 19:27
|
|
|
Tarnop posted:For the sake of my friend I will read a few chapters, but I won't get my hopes up Specifically, if you're going to read one of his books, either Pandora's Star for a series or Dragonfall for a standalone. There's no thread consensus on his overall quality as a writer, but that those are his best seems pretty uncontroversial. If you don't like his style and feel like dropping him, the only thing I'd say is find the specific chapter about Morning Light Mountain in Pandora's Star and read that, and then proceed with writing him off. Personally, I'm still a fan despite some pedestrian flaws as an author. That said, his recent books have been worse than his earliest books, and I don't think he'll be pulling up before he dies. Slyphic fucked around with this message at 19:37 on Mar 28, 2024 |
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 19:31
|
|
|
StumblyWumbly posted:To each their own, but I remember 3BP having a compelling and odd mystery, but horribly, laughably flat characters and it replaced thoughtfulness with cynicism (more so in the later books). Children of Time is not perfect but it is the far side of the world from that. I agree that 3rd had basically zero characterization but all the big idea stuff made up for it for me. Even the human characters in Children of Time didn’t land for me, it all felt just as flat as 3bp, if not more so! Edit: I’m also realizing that I might just hate spiders so much in real life that it’s ruined the books for me. frogbs fucked around with this message at 19:49 on Mar 28, 2024 |
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 19:47
|
|
|
I am drumming my feet against the floor in a way that would, in human terms, express frustration! But yeah, if you can't countenance that particular creature, CoT is not the book for you. Tchaikovsky's Dogs of War and Bear Head might be better suited if you want to read his thoughts on smart animals, though they aren't as much into the big sci-fi ideas as Children.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 19:57
|
|
|
frogbs posted:Edit: I’m also realizing that I might just hate spiders so much in real life that it’s ruined the books for me. Called it
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 20:04
|
|
|
Comedy recommend: Deepness In the Sky, Vernor Vinge. it also features spiders for half the PoVs I said this in the 3BP thread in tviv, maintain that it's a good set but curious of others here have others: NmareBfly posted:Stephen Baxter? The Manifold trilogy in particular, in which each book pokes a different solution to Fermi. Or the Xeelee sequence, which has an even grander arc. Alistair Reynolds has some good stuff, House Of Suns I thought was super good and is standalone. Pushing ice.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 20:12
|
|
|
Mustang posted:Finally got around to finishing the second half of Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun. Definitely up there as one of my favorite sci-fi/fantasy series. I'm not in the goon mainstream with this view, but i think Wolfe drops off a cliff not long after BOTNS. i would definitely read soldier of mist, soldier of arete and the fifth head of cerberus though. A lot of people do love the books of the long sun and short sun though, so give those a go if you like.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 20:19
|
|
|
The Revelation Space series is similar in scope and style to 3BP. Reynolds' characterization is also not very good (though it has been improving) and it's heavy on infodumps but not as sexist, from what I remember.
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 22:37
|
|
|
Tarnop posted:A friend who also enjoyed the 3BP books recommended Peter F Hamilton to me, but I haven't read any yet so I don't know if that's a good recommendation I haven't read 3BP yet, but Peter F. Hamilton sounds similar in that he has interesting ideas and then his execution is terrible and his characters are garbage. I remember back in college I read that six book arc I now forget the name. The series was filled with interesting ideas for sci-fi stuff, but the human and character side was just garbage. Like, even in college I was thinking "wow, this is mediocre". There was also a lot of sexual violence. Like, a lot. edit: also a lot of his protagonist characters come off as huge entitled assholes and I can't tell if this is intentional or not. Ithle01 fucked around with this message at 22:56 on Mar 28, 2024 |
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 22:53
|
|
|
Hard sci Fi very very frequently has caricatures not characters, it's kinda baked into the genre expectations for me. I think it's partially just because of the scope of a lot of the stories? If you call yourself hard Sci Fi, it's probably because you're going to be looking at deep time and a vast cold universe where individual actual people barely have a role except maybe to observe. Part of why I think I liked House of Suns so much; it managed to have both. Oh and as a counterpoint to Children of Time specifically, Aurora by Kim Stanley Robinson. If what you want is a generational colony ship. E: v- 
NmareBfly fucked around with this message at 00:23 on Mar 29, 2024 |
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 23:06
|
|
|
StumblyWumbly posted:3BP... horribly, laughably flat characters 
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 23:32
|
|
|
lol
|
|
#
?
Mar 28, 2024 23:56
|
|
|
The characters were so flat you could roll them up
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 00:01
|
|
|
I'm nearing the last quarter of the last book of Liveship Traders. Pretty good series, although I honestly think Tide Child is the better character driven pirate-y fantasy series, as good as Hobb is. Audiobooks are the only way I survive my high hour job, so I need to have something good on deck ready to go. I'd like a fantasy(not urban right now please, something lower tech). I'd prefer that it's got good characters that will make me feel emotions and concern and stuff like that. And I'd like it to take itself seriously, no characters making dumb quips in the middle of danger or whatever like a Marvel movie, that kind of stuff really gets on my nerves! Anything popular like ASOIAF and WoT, etc just assume I've already read. Thanks! Some of my favorite series/authors: Tidechild by RJ Barker Robin Hobb Abercrombie Ash and Sand by Richard Nell Tide Lords by Jennifer Fallon(I bounced off her older work)
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 01:14
|
|
|
Slyphic posted:Specifically, if you're going to read one of his books, either Pandora's Star for a series or Dragonfall for a standalone. There's no thread consensus on his overall quality as a writer, but that those are his best seems pretty uncontroversial. If you don't like his style and feel like dropping him, the only thing I'd say is find the specific chapter about Morning Light Mountain in Pandora's Star and read that, and then proceed with writing him off. Thanks for the recommendation. The Reality Dysfunction was the one my friend suggested, I don't know how that compares. It's an older book at least
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 01:40
|
|
|
Oh, y'all are talking about Hamilton. His books are pretty fun to read, although there's some weird sex stuff in some of them. That last series he wrote, Salvation Sequence I think? was actually just plain good imo, especially the audiobook. The Reality Dysfunction does have a really off the wall villain, I don't want to spoil but it's honestly kind of dumb. Otherwise it was alright. The series that starts with Pandora's Star is better, and as previously stated, Salvation was really good, but it's it's own separate world. Drunk Driver Dad fucked around with this message at 02:21 on Mar 29, 2024 |
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 01:44
|
|
|
Drunk Driver Dad posted:I'm nearing the last quarter of the last book of Liveship Traders. Pretty good series, although I honestly think Tide Child is the better character driven pirate-y fantasy series, as good as Hobb is. They came up a couple pages ago -- Patricia McKillip's Riddlemaster books might suit you. And since I haven't recommended it in a while: The Book of the Dun Cow.
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 01:52
|
|
|
Sweet, I'll read Pandora's Star at some point then and feign ignorance when my friend says I read the wrong one
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 01:55
|
|
|
Drunk Driver Dad posted:I'm nearing the last quarter of the last book of Liveship Traders. Pretty good series, although I honestly think Tide Child is the better character driven pirate-y fantasy series, as good as Hobb is. Bujold's Challion series!
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 01:56
|
|
|
Tarnop posted:Thanks for the recommendation. The Reality Dysfunction was the one my friend suggested, I don't know how that compares. It's an older book at least NOOOOOO
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 02:19
|
|
|
Peter F. Hamilton is very much an Ideas Guy in that he has a lot of really great ideas and then proceeds to completely squander any of their potential (or worse!) over thousands of pages.
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 02:25
|
|
|
Well, barring any sudden application of peer pressure there's like 200 books on my list before I get to Hamilton so I'm good for a while
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 02:36
|
|
|
Drunk Driver Dad posted:Some of my favorite series/authors: My friend have you read thread favorite The Traitor Baru Cormorant? Also rec: Curse of Chalion by Lois McMaster Bujold The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez Sabriel by Garth Nix The Tainted Cup by Robert Jackson Bennett She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 02:48
|
|
|
tiniestacorn posted:My friend have you read thread favorite The Traitor Baru Cormorant? I actually bounced off Traitor for some reason, not sure why. I have read a decent bit of Lois McMaster Bujold's stuff. I also remember starting Fifth Season a while back on audio, and quitting, but I want to say it was because I got distracted, I don't remember not liking it(I do remember being a bit confused though!). I had actually thought about picking that one back up, or Twelve Kings In Sharakhai(another one I quit because I got distracted by something else). Out of those, and the others you and everyone else suggested, would you guys say is going to emotionally devastate me the most? Those are the good ones! Speaking of emotional devastation, I also really liked Long Price Quartet! e: Oh yeah, the longer the book/series the better, once I get invested in a world and characters, I like to hang around in it for a while! Drunk Driver Dad fucked around with this message at 03:11 on Mar 29, 2024 |
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 03:08
|
|
|
fez_machine posted:Bujold's Challion series! These are really good, just about peak SF&F.
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 03:08
|
|
|
pseudorandom name posted:Peter F. Hamilton is very much an Ideas Guy in that he has a lot of really great ideas and then proceeds to completely squander any of their potential (or worse!) over thousands of pages. Reality Dysfunction + sequels has loads of cool ideas, and loads more ideas that are so stupid they wrap around to also being cool, and then drags it out for way longer than it needs to and concludes with a long, wet fart. As a teenager I picked up the first book on vacation and was really into it, and by the end I was like "I want a personal apology from this author, what the gently caress did I just read".
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 03:10
|
|
|
After I emerge from the void that is the Cosmere, I need help deciding where to go next on my TBR. I can choose all of Red Rising, Dune, or Sword of Kaigen. Please help me.
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 03:15
|
|
|
Red Rising was really loving good imo. The first book started off a bit eh, because it feels a little YA-y and like a Hunger Games ripoff or something(although it did even that pretty good by the end), but the poo poo hits the fan and it opens up into more space opera type stuff after book 1 and it's so good. Lots of emotional devastation to be had in that series. Highly recommend the audiobook narrated by Tim Gerard Reynolds!
Drunk Driver Dad fucked around with this message at 03:23 on Mar 29, 2024 |
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 03:19
|
|
|
Drunk Driver Dad posted:e: Oh yeah, the longer the book/series the better, once I get invested in a world and characters, I like to hang around in it for a while! If length is a prime motivator, and you can stand pulp beyond the usual levels. Go to the webserial thread, nearly every major one has an audible adaptation and the most notable The Wandering Inn is famous for having topped 10,000,000 words
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 03:48
|
|
|
tiniestacorn posted:My friend have you read thread favorite The Traitor Baru Cormorant? My hold for “The Tainted Cup” came up recently at the library and I’ve really been enjoying it. I’d read the Foundryside series but hadn’t heard of this one. Thank you for the rec! Edit: lol you posted this today. I assumed the recommendation had come from this thread so I just searched and didn’t see the date. Whatever, enjoyable book. Awkward Davies fucked around with this message at 06:14 on Mar 29, 2024 |
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 04:48
|
|
|
frogbs posted:I read the Three Body Problem trilogy and really liked it. I looked up recommendations for similar series, and saw that Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky was a pretty common recommendation, so I gave it a try.... Ok, so i've queued up samples of a few books folks recommended here, along with others I found randomly searching around. Will report back if any stick:
PLEASE let me know if any of the above contain spiders.
|
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 05:44
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 27, 2024 14:33 |
|
|
Drunk Driver Dad posted:I'm nearing the last quarter of the last book of Liveship Traders. Pretty good series, although I honestly think Tide Child is the better character driven pirate-y fantasy series, as good as Hobb is. The Piranesi audiobook is amazing. Also Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Also Goblin Emperor and the couple spinoffs in the same world. The Last Policeman isn't exactly fantasy, but it's excellent and may wreck you emotionally. I will also second the Fifth Season audiobooks rec, I liked them a lot. And kind of low fantasy adjacent alt history, the Aubrey-Maturin series is incredible. And there's 20 books to listen to! A Proper Uppercut fucked around with this message at 06:04 on Mar 29, 2024 |
|
#
?
Mar 29, 2024 06:00
|
|
