What are you Reading? (August 2023)
I've put together a collage of some books from last months What are you Reading? post. It's mostly random, but the more discussion something gets the more it stands out to me. Going forward I'm going to make a new post every month to talk about what people are reading.
Here is last months post. What are you Reading? (July 2023)
At any rate, what are you currently reading or plan to read in August?
Currently reading 11-22-63. Pretty bloody grim and depressing in places, but good enough to hold my attention.
Finished Locked In by John Scalzi not long prior. Great thought experiment considering it was written long before covid too.
Read Locked In recently and really enjoyed it! Would recommend it to anyone looking for their next adventure. Police procedural meets sci fi and a very satisfying read.
I got about half way through 11-22-63 some years back. I think King is just too much bloat for me much of the time or I need to be in a different frame of mind to read him. I've always said I'd revisit it, but I haven't.
Read 11-22-63 recently while on a king kick. Love his ideas and was disappointed in the Hulu show, so I went to the source. Illustrates how difficult it would be as a present day man in the sixties. Modern, tolerant ideals clash with the racism, bigotry, ignorance of that era. With some time travel stuff every now and then to remind you this isn’t just a book about the sixties. Still a believable fantasy and compelling read . “The past is obdurate”
Ooohh I loved 11-22-63. Had to go and read IT as soon as I finished, so I could get some of the references.
I'm 6 books into expanse series, and I've kind of lost steam with it. Might need a break. Read bobiverse in full just before it. First children of time book was good but didn't know if I wanted to read book 2.
Also loved project hail Mary and the dark Forest/three body trilogy.
Any other suggestions?
I have Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy on my shelf waiting for me to finish The Expanse series. Maybe that?
Also, book 7 of The Expanse becomes a lot easier because you stop having the TV show to compare to. And let me tell you, you think you know what Duarte is doing on Laconia, but my friend you don't. The prologue of book 7 has one of those "I'm sorry, WHAT" moments that really launches you into the next story arc
Yes yes yes red mars is amazing. At first I was like oh great another 600 page scifi novel, but Holy shit is that some classic hard scifi that draws you in. The literal world building and charecter development is fantastic.
Thatars trilogy took me by surprise. At first it felt slow and dry, but I kept on. It definitely is a unique perspective on colonization and I really enjoyed it in the end.
I'm currently half way through the third book of the Children of Time trilogy. I LOVED book one. I think having just read "Other Minds" (Peter Godfrey-Smith, great non fiction about the mental processes of [the animal starring in the second book]) a while back made me appreciate the second book even more than I would have otherwise.
The Messengers by Lindsay Joelle is a short story only available on audible (free for members). It kind of reminded me of Children of Time and I really liked it.
Different style, but I liked all the books you listed and also loved Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut- time/space travel as envisioned in the 1950s.
Book 7 was a bit of a drag for me, more so than book 6. Books 8 and 9 are really fast paced and good. It's all proto molecule stuff. I remember not caring about the free navy and just wanting to get on with the larger series plot during 6 and 7. You may have to trudge through those to get to the good stuff though.
Good to know. Also I mis spoke, I'm mid book 7 and kinda bored at present
Well, if you like space opera try Honor Harrington. The first book is called "On Basilisk Station"
Try the revelation space series, they are a little slow at times but I really enjoyed them
Im halfway through The color of magic by Terry Pratchett, I've read a few other discworld books but I thought it was time to start the first book an try to read them all in the "right" order.
Listening to Making Money, read it a few years ago. Pretty good though I'm not a huge fan of the voice actor doing the reading. it's tolerable though. Pratchett is what got me into sci-fi and fantasy, he'll always be one of my favorites and always holds up when I go back to something of his.
I read a lot of other Rincewind stories first, and I have to admit that getting the story from "The Color of Magic" explains a lot.
The later books, surprisingly, don't spoil the main gag, at least in my vague recollection.
It's probably the weakest of the Discworld books (at least from what I read of them). You can tell that he's still developing the world and it's much more just a fantasy spoof as opposed to the social satire masquerading as fantasy spoof that those books then more and more turn into.
Just finished Leviathan Wakes today. Can't wait for my Amazon delivery of Caliban's War.
Gave these a go after getting a bit bored of the series and wow, I wish I read them before spoiling the story beats for myself by watching it
Still, once you get past where amazon are leaving the series it gets even better - screw Cas Anvar
Finished the last book and immidately read Memories Legion, which I heartily recommend too, fills in some interesting gaps and interactions that were only lightly touched on throughout the series
I loved the series, but i think the books make the main characters much more relatable while the series makes the secondary characters really shine. I've been reading all the books, but have thrown other things in between like LoTR, The Foundation, and Hornblower which has made me excited to start the next Expanse book.
My favorite series, enjoy your read
I wish I could forget and reread entire series without knowing how it’s going to unfold.
Great books, Leviathan wakes was an intense and exciting book you are really in for a treat with the rest of the series.
I'm about half way through The Fall of Hyperion. It's great
Just finished Hyperion so I guess that will be soon for me. Might read something else in between first though
The Bobiverse books were great. Can't wait for more. I've been reading Expeditionary Force which is where the Skippy's come from. Also Rythm of War by Brandon Sanderson.
4th book was a huge let down. Dragged on and on about really nothing.
Fuck, Rhythm of War is awesome. I might have to go back and read the whole Stormlight series with my kids.
Wool by hugh howey
Wife and I watched silo and enjoyed it so I thought I'd read the books.
You can buy the books DRM free off his website https://hughhowey.com/books/wool/
Make sure you get all 3. Wool shift and dust.
How did you like the show? I read the books when the came out and just remember snippets of them. I sure enjoyed them, though.
We liked it pretty well... A lot of the internet didn't like the accents.. but meh what ever. Over all it was enjoyable and I look forward to the next season.
The book is a smidge different but the changes they made are for the benefits of the viewing audience.
"Between the Stars" by Kirk Maxwell.
Got it for a few bucks on Amazon.
https://www.amazon.ca/Between-Stars-Kirk-Maxwell/dp/B0BQ99KRVB
Thanks I'll check it out!
Can I read drm free books on a Kindle?
I'm currently in the middle of Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds. I'm only about 15% of the way through so I don't have a great picture of what is going on or what it is about yet. It seems like the main premise is about an archeologist who has been working on an excavation of an ancient species on a distant planet for an extremely long period of time that likely has far reaching implications about the universe. I've definitely never read anything similar to this in the past.
The other book I plan on reading (listening to) is The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers of which I know basically nothing about. I tend to listen to a book whenever I can't read such as when I'm driving or bathing and then read at times that I can like before sleeping. I find it is a good system to get through 2 books at once.
I really enjoyed reading TLWtaSAP.
It was incredibly refreshing in that it was almost just slice-of-life at times; so much time was dedicated to just getting to know the characters in not necessarily extreme scenarios.
Revelation Space, the only book within which I saw the word “triumvirate” used outside of the “Our jimmies are eternal. None can rustle the Triumvirate.” meme.
If you want to get a wider feel more quickly of the Revelation Space worldbuilding, try Galactic North which is a short story collection featuring many varied shippets featuring characters from the main series.
To an ordinary person not interested in sci-fi world building, I would be more inclined to recommend Reynolds's Pushing Ice or Century Rain which are self-contained.
House of Suns is also fantastic. It's my favorite one-book sci-fi anything ever.
Galactic north really got me deep, after finishing the main trilogy. Id recommend reading it after for the full effect
Just finished the first three books for Red Rising. Really loved it. Not sure if I want to start the next part of the series. I just want the main character to be happy. Can't take more of his torture.
Lol I feel this comment in my bones. I’m trying to emotionally prepare myself to read Lightbringer.
Working my way through Dark Age... I don't think this dude is ever allowed to catch a break
I like how this mentality is still a thing years later. I read the first three as they came out, thought "what a great trilogy!", and then "Oh no..." when I saw it was going to continue. Even if it's great, I'm of your opinion, I just want the main characters to be happy already! I still haven't read the sequel trilogy to this day, lol.
Neuromancer, count zero, blade runner (do androids dream…), burning chrome. Lots of cyberpunk stuff lately
Add Snow Crash to that list. One of my favorites
I'm only 30-50 pages from finishing but life keeps getting in the way. So close...!
I really need to read Neuromancer at some point. It seems like one of those classics that every science fiction fan should have already read.
I recall reading and enjoying Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep along with Man in the High Castle and A Scanner Darkly a while ago... I should attempt a re-read.
Everyone recommends Neuromancer, but when I tried it a while back... I got stuck in the first third and give up. I vaguely recall it had a lot of world building, which I'm not a huge fan of (at least at the time).
I just started reading Neuromancer last week after finishing Asimov’s Foundation trilogy.
Currently reading The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi.
I love the Old Man's War series.
Just finished book 1 of Old Man’s War and am 1/3 through Ghost Brigades now. I am enjoying the series and happy that it’s got some long legs with the number of books available.
That whole series was so much fun!
Currently listening to The Dark Tower 7 and about to start The Fall of Hyperion. I’m new to The Hyperion Cantos, but the first book hooked me so I’m looking forward to diving back into it.
I'm a big fan of both series.
Just started Ancillary Justice by Anne Leckie and seems great so far. I have no idea what is going on with how people are gendered in the various languages but I'm looking forward to puzzling it out.
I loved all the ancillary books. IMO not knowing anyone’s gender for sure was part of the fun. It does rely on the reader to work at making connections tho. I can see why some folks don’t like that aspect, but I personally like some challenge.
The best way to describe those books is "subtle."
I loved them, and translation state feels like the start of a new series in the same universe. The worst part is how often Anaander Mianaai is written and how that many 'a's just fail to compute in my head.
I stopped in the middle of the first one. It was too much work to keep track of what was happening. Maybe I’ll try again.
I've finished them now, and I can safely say that it's only really the first half of the first book or so where things are confusing. It does get quite good as well, so it might be worth your time.
Children of Memory by Adrian Tchaikovsky. It's been a while since I read anything of his and I'm loving it.
Maybe my favorite of the series so far, and definitely the best ending of the three. That book goes places, some super heady hard sci fi.
I was re-reading The Moon is a Harsh Mistress by Heinlein, which I read about 15 years ago and really enjoyed (even bought it for a friend as a gift). On the second read through... I found it much less entertaining (though the connection between the computer and the current LLM/AI hype is interesting), got about half-way through and basically stopped. I probably won't finish it, which is kind of sad. Oh well, tastes change I guess.
Is that the one with all the complicated relationships? I found it a little too detailed on that point, but otherwise a good read. I wouldn’t read it again though. I read Rendezvous With Rama around the same time and liked that a lot more.
It is about a revolution on the moon, and it had some complicated relationships (a very different society where there "clans" and basically open marriages), but I don't it was that bad. My current issue is that I can kind of see through libertarian ethos that permeates the book and at some points it's basically Heinlein pontificating instead of moving the story along... which my younger self enjoyed. Now? not so much.
"Roadside Picnic" is incredible. The Sttugatskys were prolific Soviet SF writers, and well worth a look; "The Doomed City" is another banger.
This is one that stuck with me LONG after I finished reading it
I'm on the second book of Hugh Howey 's Silo Trilogy. Loved the show, loving the books even more
I'm about a third of the way through the first book. It has been really hard for me to take time to focus long enough to read, so it's my first real book in a long time. I've missed it.
OMG I loved the books. The show is making me want to go through them again but I have a stack of books I bought last year and still haven't read. I'll probably read Silo again though it is so freaking good.
Just about to start Memories of Ice, book 3 of the Malazan Book of the Fallen.
Oooooo baby! I firmly maintain the malazan books are one of the best series but take 3 books for the full shape of things to begin to be revealed. For me, memories of ice and book 4 were the two that drew me into the series. Enjoy!
It's my second read through so I know how good it is 😁 I did find that I'd forgotten a lot of interesting stuff in the first two books though. Can't wait to see what treasures I'd forgotten in this one.
Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers.
Such amazing, lovely sci-fi that touches on so many topics.
Last one is based in a really nice intergalactic truck stop. Or like an airport hotel maybe.
And I didn't realise it until my second read-through, but it's basically all about cross-species accessibility/accomodations.
Really beautiful stuff.
The three body problem series is absolutely the best sci fi book series I have ever read. Can’t recommend more. Just finished the last one the other day, and the third book is mind blowing. It was written by a Chinese author so it feels foreign to me as an American, and a lot of cultural differences are very apparent but the translation was masterfully done by the authors son so it stays very true to the original source.
Currently on book 4 of the Horus Heresy. I read a lot of sci-fi and somehow missed out on the 40k universe so I'm trying to make up for it.
I'm actually going through this myself as well! Currently, I'm just starting book 2. Seeing the "before", noticing how mindsets were often the complete opposites, then watching the very beginnings of the shift towards the 40K universe everyone is familiar with—it's all fascinating.
I was planning to do the first 3 before taking a break to give some other things a shot. It's fantastic, but I don't think I'm ready to wholly dedicate myself to the 50+ books in the series just yet.
Currently reading Blindsight, I'm honestly surprised how many people get interested when I tell them I'm reading about space vampires.
Needed it to take a break from all the new to me ideas in three body problem. Learned lots about chinese history. Wasnt ready for the second one.
Blindsight feels like all the scifi trope bundled together.
Currently on book 3 of the Bobiverse. Most fun, zany scifi I've read in a while.
Edit: Seveneves was fun too, currently also reading Termination Shock. We really need those "earth suits" I think ...
The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage
It's a surprisingly engaging read, even though the events occurred in the 80s. Computer security was non-existent.
I just finished The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz. Its so fucking good, amazing worldbuilding, story and message. It really explores all the potential interesting ways that you can envision different future worlds in ways that other SciFi often doesnt. I've never read anything like this before.
If you haven’t also checked out her “Autonomous” definitely check it out. She has such a fresh perspective.
@wisdomchicken Currently reading! Only about one third in, but I really appreciate it so far.
I’m finally starting House of Leaves with a book club from work. I have no idea what to expect other than weirdness, and I am very excited!
The amount of existential terror that book engendered was off the charts for me. I still have vaguely, yet inexplicably, terrifying dreams of rooms and hallways magically appearing in my closet
Wow, that's a title I haven't heard in years. That book was a rollercoaster for my buds and me back 20 years or so ago. I'd love to read it again, but it's certainly something.
I'm stuck in the third trisolaris book. Can't get into it really.
Definitely the slowest of the three IMO, but the back third of the book really gives a great conclusion to the story at large. Definitely worth finishing once!
I'm on the "The Dark Forest" right now. Slow going but worth it.
Yeah that was the one where I ditched the series. First two were pretty cool though IMO
Just started player of games and I'm really enjoying it! My first Iain Banks book, but definitely not my last.
I started reading The Culture books this year, already on book 7, amazing series!
I'm on Matter and I'm loving it! Player of Games and Use of Weapons are my favorites in the series so far but I've loved each of them for their own reasons (with the exception of the short story collection State of the Art, it was fine but the rest of the series is on a different level!)
You might want to go for Consider Phlebas next. Technically you don't have to read them in order as they are self contained stories but there are some overarching aspects that do develop across the books.
That said, Surface Detail was definately my favourite of the series
On vacation and just powered through The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi, Children of Memory - the latest in the Children of Time series - by Adrian Tchaikovsky and Terraformers by Annalee Newitz. All excellent
Most of my favorite books are by Asimov, Bradbury and Heinlein; but "Kaiju Preservation Society" is one of the rare books for me that rocketed into my all time favorites.
Gardens of the Moon by Steven Erikson. Great book, beautiful vocabulary
In July, I finished The Lords of Uncreation (and therefore the Final Architect trilogy) by Adrian Tchaikovsky, read the newest Lee and Miller Liaden novel Salvage Right when it arrived, then zoomed through Wool, the first of the Silo books.
Currently, I’m reading a Star Trek novel Agents of Influence by Dayton Ward. It’s a sequel to the excellent Vanguard and Seeker series set in Star Trek’s 23rd century. Not sure what’s next.
Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett. It's my first time reading his work and I am absolutely loving his sense of humor.
They're all quite good. I'm glad you didn't get bogged down in reading order discussions.
I discovered Pratchett as a teenager, instantly fell in love. His novels definitely influenced me as a person later in life, and I'm happy for it.
We are Bob is a great series, doesn't got something that fine in a time.
Finishing off Abbadons Gate. Managed to get back into it after many months long break.
About halfway through Lords of Uncreation, the third book in the Final Architecture trilogy by Adrian Tchaikovsky.
They are to space opera what his children series is to hard science fiction. It has imaginative aliens that resist monoculture stereotypes and ominous, seemingly implacable foes. The technology never descends to Star Wars' (for better or worse), but standard tropes like FTL and gravitic control are all fundamental assumptions. However, once those assumptions are made, everything that follows is consistent and reasonable to the setting.
The cast is diverse, interesting and entertaining and the pacing is nothing short of breakneck.
I recently read the Final Architecture trilogy and it might be one of my all time favorites now. I would highly recommend it for anyone who is a fan of space opera.
I felt comfortable recommending anything by Adrian Tchaikovsky, but I'm pleased to hear it isn't just me that's enjoyed these books!
I just finished reading "Fair Play", which is a book on the division of unpaid/unseen labor in households. Next up we have "Thriving with Adult ADHD", "The ADHD Effect on Marriage", and "Organizing Solutions for People With ADHD".
Can you guess the current issue in the Porcupine House? 😅
The laundry files, a series by Charles Stross. He's brilliant and so precise with the details that even if it's science fiction it feels SO real.
I'm a huge fan of the Laundry Files books. Just finished Season of Skulls, the 3rd book in The New Management trilogy. It's a little less bleak than the first two books of the trilogy and very funny.
I'm now reading War Bodies by Neal Asher.
Listening to Becky Chambers' novellas right now. Finished "To be taught if fortunate" and "A Psalm for the wild-built", gonna do "A Prayer for the Crown-shy" soon.
Also started the Murderbot diaries by Marth Wells and finished the first book so far.
Love Chamber's works so much. Its such a warm bath of comfort.
About halfway through Children or Ruin, the follow up to Children of Time. Really enjoy the series so far. Very impressed with the creativity.
Also read Project Hail Mary while on vacation a few weeks ago. I’m not sure Weir can ever match The Martian, but PHM was very enjoyable.
Yeah I really love the Children Of series. I just realised that part 3 is finally out, so now I know what I'll be reading next!
Considering a re-read of Iain Banks suite about The Culture. There are some real unique and out there concepts explored in those books that aren't touch by many other sci-fi series.
I was looking for someone in this thread reading the culture series. I'm currently reading Consider Phlebas because the main themes and world building sounded like something I would like but I'm really struggling. I'm about 20% in (it's an eBook) and I'm having trouble being focused reading it. I don't know why but I just don't care for Horza and I'm always wondering when it starts going deeper into The Culture. What do you think? Does it get better?
Oh, if what you want is deep stuff about The Culture, Phlebas is hardly it. It is usually recommended because it has the most traditional “Hero on a mission” plot structure and is also the first one ever published. It gets more exciting after the island cult section. But truly Horza is not a very charismatic protagonist, and the reader spends most of the time away from The Culture. I usually recommend to read The Player of Games first, it starts deep into The Culture and quickly breaks your head with the crazy stuff that happens when the plot gets going, and it actually has a relatable protagonist. If you want the most The Culture experience, Excession is perhaps the most esoteric one. There are basically no humanoid characters in that one. Surface Detail has the most relatable characters and plot, without neglecting hard sci-fi concepts.
Not exactly a science fiction book, but just finished Mother Night by Vonnegut, incredible book.
Back to science fiction: I just started A Deepness In The Sky by Vernon Vinge, book 2 of his Zones Of Thought trilogy. I liked the first book a lot so looking forward to this.
Mother night hit me like a truck. I was in a rough place when I read it, but it's the only book that's ever made me break down crying at the end. Ironically it might be the only Vonnegut that can't be described as scifi though
I'm on book 13 of wheel of time and am planning to do a re-read of the extinction cycle again after I finished wheel of time, I just love those books
Currently rereading City of Golden Shadow, the first book of the Otherland series by Tad Williams.
You're in for a treat.
I am thankful his father finally noticed the dedications. No telling how many volumes he would have done, otherwise.
I waffle on wishing Otherland would get a TV series, and being pretty sure any TV series done would end up kind of awful.
There's definitely a ton of potential for a series and I've definitely thought about it myself.
The challenge would be finding the balance between too much detail and making it boring, and not enough detail and making it confusing.
I should reread that. I once had and read the first 2 volumes, but never finished the series. It is time.
I’ve been on an Ursula le guin kick. Finished Left Side of Darkness, started Earthsea series (just book one) and am finishing up Dispossessed (since it’s due back to inter library loan soon). But sure what’s next. I have the expanse books on hand, but the semesters about to start and things get busy.