I strongly feel Consider Phlebas shouldn't be the first Culture book anyone reads
It almost turned me completely off the series
Duly noted. Since I've already started, I'll probably continue with this one, but I'll definitely pick up the next and won't hold Phlebas as an exemplar of the series.
On the other hand I think it makes a great prologue to the "main sequence" of culture books. It puts some of the more annoying things about the culture in context and provides at least an attempt of a sceptical outsider view. I greatly recommend following it with Look to Windward.
Golden Hill, by Francis Spufford. Christ, this is good. Utter mastery of the 18th century setting, gloriously witty and original writing, a joy to read. Highly recommended.
I just got to the part where Horza got onto the Culture shuttle to escape the Eaters of Filth, and damnit, if Horza tries to kill the shuttle AI, I just ... I ... can't even. (The voice the actor uses for the shuttle mind is just too innocent and precious.)
He's totally gonna kill the shuttle's mind, isn't he? I'll never forgive him if he does.
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
I bought a Kindle a while back but it never stuck, and I've gone back to paper books
Kobo is tempting tho, even tho I'd probably just bounce off of it too. But apparently the Kobo fixes the biggest problem I had with my Kindle - I hated how blueish and harsh the light of the screen was. Apparently Kobos have adjustable color temp and you can make the screen warm?
And apparently Kobos have better kerning/typography than Kindles too?
I bought a Kindle a while back but it never stuck, and I've gone back to paper books
Kobo is tempting tho, even tho I'd probably just bounce off of it too. But apparently the Kobo fixes the biggest problem I had with my Kindle - I hated how blueish and harsh the light of the screen was. Apparently Kobos have adjustable color temp and you can make the screen warm?
And apparently Kobos have better kerning/typography than Kindles too?
Must resist temptation
are you talking about regular kindle or the paperwhite?
It's worth remembering what Horza's problem with the Culture is...
Yeah, I kinda felt like the shuttle was there to essentially reinforce that point. Still, I kinda sympathized with Horza until that scene.
Anyway, with this discussion about reading order, is there some kind of guide/recommended reading order for the Culture books ala the Discworld one? Or are they all basically standalone novels?
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
Anyway, with this discussion about reading order, is there some kind of guide/recommended reading order for the Culture books ala the Discworld one? Or are they all basically standalone novels?
There's a chronological order and later books sometimes namedrops previous events, but they're all completely standalone.
It's worth remembering what Horza's problem with the Culture is...
Yeah, I kinda felt like the shuttle was there to essentially reinforce that point. Still, I kinda sympathized with Horza until that scene.
Anyway, with this discussion about reading order, is there some kind of guide/recommended reading order for the Culture books ala the Discworld one? Or are they all basically standalone novels?
they're moslt ystandalone
but Use of Weapons and Player of Games are probably two of the best so going chronologically through those makes sense
I bought a Kindle a while back but it never stuck, and I've gone back to paper books
Kobo is tempting tho, even tho I'd probably just bounce off of it too. But apparently the Kobo fixes the biggest problem I had with my Kindle - I hated how blueish and harsh the light of the screen was. Apparently Kobos have adjustable color temp and you can make the screen warm?
And apparently Kobos have better kerning/typography than Kindles too?
Must resist temptation
are you talking about regular kindle or the paperwhite?
I'm talking about the front light on their models with built-in light. (I have a Voyage, which I think has roughly the same light as a Paperwhite.) I prefer to look at warm-colored screens at night. I have Night Shift mode enabled on my MacBook and iPhone, which makes the screen warm at night. So an e-reader where you could make the screen warm would be appealing to me:
It's worth remembering what Horza's problem with the Culture is...
Yeah, I kinda felt like the shuttle was there to essentially reinforce that point. Still, I kinda sympathized with Horza until that scene.
Anyway, with this discussion about reading order, is there some kind of guide/recommended reading order for the Culture books ala the Discworld one? Or are they all basically standalone novels?
Look To Windward is loosely but explicitly a sequel to Consider Phlebas, but only because it references events from the Idiran-Culture War. Other than that you can read them in any order that you like. That said, I think Player of Games is a good one to follow Consider Phlebas with, as it actually has a protagonist who's a vaguely normal Culture citizen (as much as that statement applies to the Culture).
It's worth remembering what Horza's problem with the Culture is...
Yeah, I kinda felt like the shuttle was there to essentially reinforce that point. Still, I kinda sympathized with Horza until that scene.
Anyway, with this discussion about reading order, is there some kind of guide/recommended reading order for the Culture books ala the Discworld one? Or are they all basically standalone novels?
Look To Windward is loosely but explicitly a sequel to Consider Phlebas, but only because it references events from the Idiran-Culture War. Other than that you can read them in any order that you like. That said, I think Player of Games is a good one to follow Consider Phlebas with, as it actually has a protagonist who's a vaguely normal Culture citizen (as much as that statement applies to the Culture).
Inversions also works better if you have read some Culture novels before.
Someone here recommended Jen Williams’s ‘Copper Cat’ fantasy series years ago, and they were great.
She has a new series, which is *also* great - the second book is out soon, and the first book, The Ninth Rain is currently free on UK KIndle. If you have access to it at that price, it's an outright steal.
It's worth remembering what Horza's problem with the Culture is...
Yeah, I kinda felt like the shuttle was there to essentially reinforce that point. Still, I kinda sympathized with Horza until that scene.
Anyway, with this discussion about reading order, is there some kind of guide/recommended reading order for the Culture books ala the Discworld one? Or are they all basically standalone novels?
they're moslt ystandalone
but Use of Weapons and Player of Games are probably two of the best so going chronologically through those makes sense
Surface Detail is pretty good too. I'd suggest Player of Games as the next book to read. It's as straightforward as Culture books get and I think it does a better compare and contrast with the Culture than Consider Phlebas.
Shut up, Mr. Burton! You were not brought upon this world to get it!
During Consider Phlebas the Culture is not even the Culture yet, they are still forming what they would become later on (though it's quite clear what they are and which direction they will develop).
About to start The Silk Roads, by Peter Frankopan, which claims to be a new history of the world.
I will repeat again my recommendation for Golden Hill. My favourite bits were when the narrative stopped while the author says they will explain something in detail, like the game of piquet, attempts to do so, stumbles, gets it wrong, and then says oh well never mind: onward!
Halfway through Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, which was $2.60 on the Kobo store, and enjoying it immensely. Feels like something that might be considered a scifi classic in a couple of decades.
Halfway through Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, which was $2.60 on the Kobo store, and enjoying it immensely. Feels like something that might be considered a scifi classic in a couple of decades.
Me too except I bought mine for 1 dollar neener neener
I also had a dream about a tarantula last night and it's totally this book's fault
+3
Options
Mojo_JojoWe are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourseRegistered Userregular
Halfway through Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, which was $2.60 on the Kobo store, and enjoying it immensely. Feels like something that might be considered a scifi classic in a couple of decades.
Yes. I specifically really enjoyed:
I don't think I've actually read that
It turns out I'm think of. Deepness on the sky by Verner Vinge, where I specifically really enjoyed:
how it really annoyed me that the spiders drove spider cars and had spider picnics and voted in spider elections at their spider polling stations (much like it does with the gas aliens in The Algebraist) and then you suddenly realised that those chapters are reports funneled through the human computer things making them the most unreliable of narrators and reality is nothing like what has been described. It's just like people projecting narratives onto when their cat shits in their bed
Mojo_Jojo on
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
Halfway through Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, which was $2.60 on the Kobo store, and enjoying it immensely. Feels like something that might be considered a scifi classic in a couple of decades.
Me too except I bought mine for 1 dollar neener neener
I also had a dream about a tarantula last night and it's totally this book's fault
This talk of arachnids is making me think of A Deepness In The Sky by Vernor Vinge
0
Options
Mojo_JojoWe are only now beginning to understand the full power and ramifications of sexual intercourseRegistered Userregular
Halfway through Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, which was $2.60 on the Kobo store, and enjoying it immensely. Feels like something that might be considered a scifi classic in a couple of decades.
Me too except I bought mine for 1 dollar neener neener
I also had a dream about a tarantula last night and it's totally this book's fault
This talk of arachnids is making me think of A Deepness In The Sky by Vernor Vinge
Yeah me too. To the point where I assumed that was what it was.
I shall also go and add this other book to my ereader despite feeling like I may have already read it
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
Finished The Left Hand Of Darkness; I did enjoy it a lot, as expected. What an odd structure; it all holds together but it's a rather patchwork book with quite different sections*, albeit all pervaded by the same overall feel and themes.
In my mind it's about a Contact--Special Circumstances agent, because, well. Even though of course it comes from before those books.
I enjoyed the large statements about the role of gender in society and wonder how people tend to parse that today and at the time of its printing.
*not knowing anything about the book going in, except that it's considered very good, I kept changing my mind as to what the plot was going to be about; it pivots many times, and some of the transitions between plot points are abrupt and dreamlike
Halfway through Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, which was $2.60 on the Kobo store, and enjoying it immensely. Feels like something that might be considered a scifi classic in a couple of decades.
Me too except I bought mine for 1 dollar neener neener
I also had a dream about a tarantula last night and it's totally this book's fault
This talk of arachnids is making me think of A Deepness In The Sky by Vernor Vinge
Yeah I read that last year so I'm amused to read another book with sentient spiders in it
Halfway through Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky, which was $2.60 on the Kobo store, and enjoying it immensely. Feels like something that might be considered a scifi classic in a couple of decades.
Me too except I bought mine for 1 dollar neener neener
I also had a dream about a tarantula last night and it's totally this book's fault
This talk of arachnids is making me think of A Deepness In The Sky by Vernor Vinge
Yeah I read that last year so I'm amused to read another book with sentient spiders in it
It kind of reminds me of some other Vernor Vinge stuff I can't remember the name of, but where travelling into the deep future was a recurring concept.
I'm about a quarter through Children of Time, I also picked it up when it was about a dollar. It's been decent so far but hasn't really gripped me to the point of reading outside bedtime or staying up way too late reading after going to bed. I'm at the point where
the ants just overran seven trees and there is a mutiny of some kind going on in the ark ship
I'm about a quarter through Children of Time, I also picked it up when it was about a dollar. It's been decent so far but hasn't really gripped me to the point of reading outside bedtime or staying up way too late reading after going to bed. I'm at the point where
the ants just overran seven trees and there is a mutiny of some kind going on in the ark ship
I liked it, but it is kind of a slow burn in places. Its not a page turner as much as say an Expanse novel is. Anyway, when you guys get done with it, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the ending.
The trouble with having an open mind, of course, is that people will insist on coming along and trying to put things in it. ~ Terry Pratchett
I preordered Broken Sky but totally forgot about it. Finished it in two nights. I would not be surprised if it wins her a third Hugo.
Just an amazing and heartbreaking book.
0
Options
SummaryJudgmentGrab the hottest iron you can find, stride in the Tower’s front doorRegistered Userregular
I'm about two-thirds of the way through Use of Weapons and it's great. I started with Player of Games, and then read Transition, not realizing it wasn't a Culture novel.
Hugh Howey's Shift was boring, unfortunately.
Some days Blue wonders why anyone ever bothered making numbers so small; other days she supposes even infinity needs to start somewhere.
I'm about two-thirds of the way through Use of Weapons and it's great. I started with Player of Games, and then read Transition, not realizing it wasn't a Culture novel.
Hugh Howey's Shift was boring, unfortunately.
Use of Weapons is incredible, and rewards multiple reads.
I'm about two-thirds of the way through Use of Weapons and it's great. I started with Player of Games, and then read Transition, not realizing it wasn't a Culture novel.
Posts
I half wonder if Banks wrote it and realized he'd picked the less interesting side of that story.
Of course, when looking around for his comments on it, I came across this quote:
“I had nightmares I thought were really horrible until I woke up and remembered what reality was at the moment.”
― Iain M. Banks, Consider Phlebas
Ouch.
On the other hand I think it makes a great prologue to the "main sequence" of culture books. It puts some of the more annoying things about the culture in context and provides at least an attempt of a sceptical outsider view. I greatly recommend following it with Look to Windward.
Use of Weapons and Player of Games are probably my favourites.
I made a game, it has penguins in it. It's pay what you like on Gumroad.
Currently Ebaying Nothing at all but I might do in the future.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
He's totally gonna kill the shuttle's mind, isn't he?
In bath reading is the light.
Kobo is tempting tho, even tho I'd probably just bounce off of it too. But apparently the Kobo fixes the biggest problem I had with my Kindle - I hated how blueish and harsh the light of the screen was. Apparently Kobos have adjustable color temp and you can make the screen warm?
And apparently Kobos have better kerning/typography than Kindles too?
Must resist temptation
are you talking about regular kindle or the paperwhite?
Blizzard: Pailryder#1101
GoG: https://www.gog.com/u/pailryder
Yeah, I kinda felt like the shuttle was there to essentially reinforce that point. Still, I kinda sympathized with Horza until that scene.
Anyway, with this discussion about reading order, is there some kind of guide/recommended reading order for the Culture books ala the Discworld one? Or are they all basically standalone novels?
There's a chronological order and later books sometimes namedrops previous events, but they're all completely standalone.
they're moslt ystandalone
but Use of Weapons and Player of Games are probably two of the best so going chronologically through those makes sense
Look To Windward is loosely but explicitly a sequel to Consider Phlebas, but only because it references events from the Idiran-Culture War. Other than that you can read them in any order that you like. That said, I think Player of Games is a good one to follow Consider Phlebas with, as it actually has a protagonist who's a vaguely normal Culture citizen (as much as that statement applies to the Culture).
Inversions also works better if you have read some Culture novels before.
She has a new series, which is *also* great - the second book is out soon, and the first book, The Ninth Rain is currently free on UK KIndle. If you have access to it at that price, it's an outright steal.
Goodreads
SF&F Reviews blog
Surface Detail is pretty good too. I'd suggest Player of Games as the next book to read. It's as straightforward as Culture books get and I think it does a better compare and contrast with the Culture than Consider Phlebas.
I will repeat again my recommendation for Golden Hill. My favourite bits were when the narrative stopped while the author says they will explain something in detail, like the game of piquet, attempts to do so, stumbles, gets it wrong, and then says oh well never mind: onward!
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Me too except I bought mine for 1 dollar neener neener
I also had a dream about a tarantula last night and it's totally this book's fault
Yes. I specifically really enjoyed:
I don't think I've actually read that
It turns out I'm think of. Deepness on the sky by Verner Vinge, where I specifically really enjoyed:
This talk of arachnids is making me think of A Deepness In The Sky by Vernor Vinge
Yeah me too. To the point where I assumed that was what it was.
I shall also go and add this other book to my ereader despite feeling like I may have already read it
In my mind it's about a Contact--Special Circumstances agent, because, well. Even though of course it comes from before those books.
I enjoyed the large statements about the role of gender in society and wonder how people tend to parse that today and at the time of its printing.
*not knowing anything about the book going in, except that it's considered very good, I kept changing my mind as to what the plot was going to be about; it pivots many times, and some of the transitions between plot points are abrupt and dreamlike
Yeah I read that last year so I'm amused to read another book with sentient spiders in it
It kind of reminds me of some other Vernor Vinge stuff I can't remember the name of, but where travelling into the deep future was a recurring concept.
I liked it, but it is kind of a slow burn in places. Its not a page turner as much as say an Expanse novel is. Anyway, when you guys get done with it, I'd like to hear your thoughts on the ending.
Just an amazing and heartbreaking book.
Hugh Howey's Shift was boring, unfortunately.
Use of Weapons is incredible, and rewards multiple reads.
Goodreads
SF&F Reviews blog
This is definitely one I'll have to digest for a while.
I went and watched the trailer for the movie and it seems totally different than I imagined.
plz report on what you thought when you're done
Finished it yesterday, liked it a lot. Pondering possibly giving it a 5/5 rating.