I'm about 60% through Ancestral Night. I like the setting a lot because it reminds me of a more resource limited Culture and the plot's good so far, but the first person narrative method is really grating for me since the main character is awash in constant, unceasing second guessing and side tangents.
I know that's the thought process for a lot of people but it's not much fun to read.
I ended up skimming the last 100 or so pages because I could not even with it anymore. With the hard work of an editor, it could be an entertaining book with some what I would generously call questionable ideas that I would still recommend, but as it is, it's a rambling, repetitive mess with incoherent themes.
I gave up on it. There's a fascinating setting there but I absolutely can't handle such meandering narration.
I started Children of Time and it is excellent so far.
Enjoying Claw of the Conciliator but I am going to need to reread cause this shit is dense
Picked up the 2nd collected volume and am going to keep plugging along
I just finished that too.
It's a very odd thing
I can't decide if the grotesque descriptions of Joletta were a product of the time or one of the little hints that it's a very different world and the people are not really people at all
Homogeneous distribution of your varieties of amuse-gueule
Finished Interzone #260. As ever, a mix of good and ho-hum. John Shirley's story about someone hunting those judged superfluous to society's needs to a quota as a sort of nudge tactic towards reducing the population was probably the best story (hurray, the targets got away because someone who wasted their life in a VR simulation sacrificed themselves out of self-disgust instead), but not exactly an optimistic vision of tomorrow. Lands of Never, a book of SF and fantasy short stories from the 80's is next. I couldn't resist the Unicorn imprint cover when I saw it in the second hand bookshop. Something about those black-bordered editions is irresistible.
I've read the whole shebang at least four times and I think I've picked up the majority of stuff now.
The comparisons to Joyce aren’t unwarranted, although the text is very enjoyable at a surface level read. I do a little bit of rereading since Wolf via Severin is a master of understatement around some of the more jarring or subtle passages, but I’ve pretty much decided this read through needs to just be getting the shape of what happens.
I'm sure I mentioned it before but there's a fifth book, which wasn't originally planned as part of the story, but which I would now consider to be mandatory reading. It sheds light on several mysteries.
Lands of Never was a bit below par considering some of the writers involved. The Ballard and Angela Carter stories were the best, but others were just an exercise in high fantasy prose with not much point. One story felt (and was, in some respects) like a prologue to an actual story, and deeply wearying in its high fantasy style.
Ian McDonald’s Brasyl next, which I didn’t realise I had. It has the most garish cover I’ve seen for a while.
BrodyThe WatchThe First ShoreRegistered Userregular
Finished Furies of Calderon. It was a decent book, and an interesting contrast from the Dresden Files series.
Like Dresden Files, its never too deep, which makes its fairly easy reading (which is nice when I've got a bunch of shit going on), but it also feels meaty enough that I didn't get bored/distracted with other stuff reading it. The "magic" system is definitely interesting, leaving me with a number of questions, but not in a way that made it feel like a fiat answer.
"I will write your name in the ruin of them. I will paint you across history in the color of their blood."
Codex Alera is, for the most part, the same book six times over.
I just gave up on the Malazan Book of the Dead series. I read the first 3 books as they came out, and wanted to finish the series so I started over a few months ago. But, it's just such a stark and depressing series, that I can't make myself push through for the last book and a half.
I picked up Drew Hayes latest NPCs book as a pallet cleanser, then am starting on Ian Banks culture series.
+2
BrodyThe WatchThe First ShoreRegistered Userregular
Trying to make a list of books I've heard about/sounded interesting that I haven't read yet, because I always forget, or put it on hold, then it comes up while I'm already reading/busy with something else, and its already a pretty long list, with some pretty long books, but I feel like I need more. At this point my shortest lists are "Assorted fiction" (Weird fiction, horror), and the empty "Non-fiction" section. Does anyone have any good weird fiction, or science based non-fiction books? Or maybe a good math book thats readable rather than a text book (Dark Sun was really interesting, Six Frigates is probably my favorite piece of non-fiction).
"I will write your name in the ruin of them. I will paint you across history in the color of their blood."
jeff vandermeer's books, specifically stuff to do with ambergis (city of saints & madmen) and the southern reach trilogy, and borne
china meiville's books (bas lag setting is weird fiction I think, some of his other stuff isn't really imo but is even better like embassytown)
felix gilman's books (I really liked thunderer, I less liked his half-made world series but it's not shabby)
0
BrodyThe WatchThe First ShoreRegistered Userregular
I've read the first two of the Southern Reach Trilogy (just haven't done the third because my library doesn't have the audio book), but I'll try the other two.
The City & The City is one of my favorite novels, and really sold me on the idea of weird fiction.
I'll add Thunderer to the list.
"I will write your name in the ruin of them. I will paint you across history in the color of their blood."
pyromaniac221this just might bean interestin YTRegistered Userregular
I read Wilder Girls by Rory Power recently. The easiest comparison is to VanderMeer, not only because his blurb is on the cover. It takes place on an island off the coast of Maine where a girl’s school has been locked under quarantine for a few years following the breakout of a mysterious virus that mutates every living creature. On the first page, the narrator mentions offhand how one of her eyes is “dead, gone dark in a flare-up. Lid fused shut, something growing underneath,” and then promptly moves on because it’s such a common thing that it barely warrants further comment.
The book is full of gruesome body horror and a sense of fitful anxiety, as the girls spend most of the time in the schoolhouse which they’ve converted to a sort of bunker for protection against mutated wildlife. Food comes in sporadically from military shipments and never in enough quantity, and the mystery of what’s going on in the outside world forms a lot of the plot. It’s not a long book and I think some of the plotting is a bit thin, like it might have worked better as a short story or with more development given to the central mystery / conspiracy, but the book shines for its prose and its rendering of relationships between kids isolated in truly dire circumstances.
No idea if it’s intended to be a one-off or the start of a series (I think a sequel would have to be a radically different book), but it was more than enough to hook me for whatever it is she writes next.
Finished reading Neverwhere this past week. I really loved it and it really felt like quite a breath of fresh air as far as Fantasy goes. The characters, the dialogue. It's frikken Neil Gaiman.
I am seriously debating grabbing the BBC radio series just because of the cast involved.
Started reading No Time to Spare from Ursula K. Le Guin. It's not fiction, but the writing is top notch in that.
Trying to make a list of books I've heard about/sounded interesting that I haven't read yet, because I always forget, or put it on hold, then it comes up while I'm already reading/busy with something else, and its already a pretty long list, with some pretty long books, but I feel like I need more. At this point my shortest lists are "Assorted fiction" (Weird fiction, horror), and the empty "Non-fiction" section. Does anyone have any good weird fiction, or science based non-fiction books? Or maybe a good math book thats readable rather than a text book (Dark Sun was really interesting, Six Frigates is probably my favorite piece of non-fiction).
@Brody
Weird fiction:
Vladimir Sorokin: Ice trilogy; Day of the Oprichnik
Mikhail Bulgakov: The Master and Margarita; Heart of a Dog
Vladimir Nabokov: Pale Fire
Nikolai Gogol: (assorted short stories but for weird esp The Nose and The Overcoat)
Boris and Arkady Strugatsky: Roadside Picnic
I managed to get out a small reading slump and read through three books this month. The Secrets of Drearhall Grange School, Nevermoor and The School for Good and Evil.
I read the first two books in the Culture series a few months back, and while I didn't think they were bad, they didn't grab me like I had expected with the amount of praise the series gets. I figured I'd stick with it, see if the series got better. Due to the limitations of the library system I've skipped to Look to Windward, and holy shit, it gets so much better. I've been enjoying the moment to moment writing and dialogue a lot more, and the Cool Sci-fi Thing each chapter has has had some real bangers. Last chapter's airsphere and this chapter's lava rafting are real standouts.
+1
BrodyThe WatchThe First ShoreRegistered Userregular
I don't know that I necessarily care for Academ's Fury, as a whole novel, but man can Butcher write some truly gripping stories. It took every ounce of my will to set this down and get back to work after lunch, and I still find myself reaching for my phone to start reading again the moment I think about it again.
"I will write your name in the ruin of them. I will paint you across history in the color of their blood."
I liked the first one enough, the second one has taken longer for me to get through. Also I mentally ages up everyone about 10 years because lol "I'm 14 with a limp and the most dangerous person in the criminal underworld."
I'm about 60% through Ancestral Night. I like the setting a lot because it reminds me of a more resource limited Culture and the plot's good so far, but the first person narrative method is really grating for me since the main character is awash in constant, unceasing second guessing and side tangents.
I know that's the thought process for a lot of people but it's not much fun to read.
Weirdly I usually hate first person narrative but didn't mind it in Ancestral Night. I found the book fairly enjoyable but in the end kind of boring.
Got my husband to read Semiosis. I relistened to it and I still think its a great book. I just really enjoy it. I didn't really feel it needed a sequel so I'm a bit worried about the second one but still will be excited to read it.
Was okay with Ancestral Night as posted above. I enjoyed A Memory Called Empire but it may have been way too dense to be an audiobook. I might need to relisten to that one. I found it very good but sometimes I felt like it had Tea Ceremonies In Space Syndrome but with literature themes instead. I very much enjoyed the cyberpunk elements but I felt like the book didn't have a bunch of momentum. Felt like a cross between Baru and Ancillary. Will still read the sequel though.
Right now I'm listening to The Outside by Ada Hoffman. Not sure if I can recommend it or not yet but I kind of like it so far. I didn't think I would enjoy cybernetic angels and god AIs with a mix of Lovecraftian horror but it is good and the characters are enjoyable. Will report back when done.
Next is Children of Time sequel which again kind of worried that it has a sequel so I hope it is good.
I read the first two books in the Culture series a few months back, and while I didn't think they were bad, they didn't grab me like I had expected with the amount of praise the series gets. I figured I'd stick with it, see if the series got better. Due to the limitations of the library system I've skipped to Look to Windward, and holy shit, it gets so much better. I've been enjoying the moment to moment writing and dialogue a lot more, and the Cool Sci-fi Thing each chapter has has had some real bangers. Last chapter's airsphere and this chapter's lava rafting are real standouts.
I always recommend people read Look to Windward and/or Player of Games first. Consider Phlebas I don't recall really liking (and I never revisited it when I read the rest of the series; I read it second, after Matter, and was unconvinced by either at the time, but loved Matter when I decided to read every Culture book and reread it later.)
Got my husband to read Semiosis. I relistened to it and I still think its a great book. I just really enjoy it. I didn't really feel it needed a sequel so I'm a bit worried about the second one but still will be excited to read it.
Was okay with Ancestral Night as posted above. I enjoyed A Memory Called Empire but it may have been way too dense to be an audiobook. I might need to relisten to that one. I found it very good but sometimes I felt like it had Tea Ceremonies In Space Syndrome but with literature themes instead. I very much enjoyed the cyberpunk elements but I felt like the book didn't have a bunch of momentum. Felt like a cross between Baru and Ancillary. Will still read the sequel though.
Right now I'm listening to The Outside by Ada Hoffman. Not sure if I can recommend it or not yet but I kind of like it so far. I didn't think I would enjoy cybernetic angels and god AIs with a mix of Lovecraftian horror but it is good and the characters are enjoyable. Will report back when done.
Next is Children of Time sequel which again kind of worried that it has a sequel so I hope it is good.
Tell me more about Tea Ceremonies in Space with literature themes???
Honestly it's part of what I really loved about Memory, but I've heard from several people now that the audio book is overbearing so I have to recommend reading it analog tbh
About to start _This Is How You Lose the Time War_ next I think, I'm in a book slump (too many projects rn ugh) and I've been holding off on this one for that purpose
BrodyThe WatchThe First ShoreRegistered Userregular
Man, so I had finished Academ's Fury, and all in all I enjoyed it, especially as Jim gave me just enough info to make sure I was pretty much guaranteed to read the next book so I could get real answers, and he's now run two different story lines into "shits about to happen" and cut away on both of them, and just. No damnit, tell me what happens!
"I will write your name in the ruin of them. I will paint you across history in the color of their blood."
I'm late to the weird fiction/horror party here but Skullcrack City by Jeremy Johnson is pretty good. Or, for 'weird but less lumpable into 'mondern fantasy/horror'', Johnson's other novella In the River is pretty good (I didn't enjoy it as much as Skullcrack but it's definitely odd). He has several collections of weird short fiction as well I've not read due to my general aversion to short fiction.
I read the first two books in the Culture series a few months back, and while I didn't think they were bad, they didn't grab me like I had expected with the amount of praise the series gets. I figured I'd stick with it, see if the series got better. Due to the limitations of the library system I've skipped to Look to Windward, and holy shit, it gets so much better. I've been enjoying the moment to moment writing and dialogue a lot more, and the Cool Sci-fi Thing each chapter has has had some real bangers. Last chapter's airsphere and this chapter's lava rafting are real standouts.
I always recommend people read Look to Windward and/or Player of Games first. Consider Phlebas I don't recall really liking (and I never revisited it when I read the rest of the series; I read it second, after Matter, and was unconvinced by either at the time, but loved Matter when I decided to read every Culture book and reread it later.)
Got my husband to read Semiosis. I relistened to it and I still think its a great book. I just really enjoy it. I didn't really feel it needed a sequel so I'm a bit worried about the second one but still will be excited to read it.
Was okay with Ancestral Night as posted above. I enjoyed A Memory Called Empire but it may have been way too dense to be an audiobook. I might need to relisten to that one. I found it very good but sometimes I felt like it had Tea Ceremonies In Space Syndrome but with literature themes instead. I very much enjoyed the cyberpunk elements but I felt like the book didn't have a bunch of momentum. Felt like a cross between Baru and Ancillary. Will still read the sequel though.
Right now I'm listening to The Outside by Ada Hoffman. Not sure if I can recommend it or not yet but I kind of like it so far. I didn't think I would enjoy cybernetic angels and god AIs with a mix of Lovecraftian horror but it is good and the characters are enjoyable. Will report back when done.
Next is Children of Time sequel which again kind of worried that it has a sequel so I hope it is good.
Tell me more about Tea Ceremonies in Space with literature themes???
I know you love Tea Ceremonies In Space ala Ancillary or Ninefox. A Memory Called Empire has a very heavy emphasis on literature and culture and history as a narrative. I am still not sure it delivered in any way a forward moving story but in the end it was an interesting story at the very least. The Empire in the book is very xenophilic and gobbles up other planets or cultures. Everyone grows up reading poems and learning the Empire language and its a big deal or whatever. I enjoyed the cyberpunk elements more because I thought it was neat the way they did it. The names of people were cool also.
Without starting a dedicated thread, this is definitely the best place to put this:
Finally managed to get Allansia into my Fighting Fantasy collection. Again. I've basically had to rebuild my collection from the ground up, for reasons, and thankfully managed to get the bulk of it done before prices for the old editions went mad these last couple of years; but Allansia - the third and final part of the AFF series, and which had one tiny print run in 1994, and was never reprinted or republished - has proven elusive. And it's a lovely condition copy, too.
Now I'm mainly just missing four of the last five of the original series (of 59) - all four of which are insanely expensive if they can be tracked down these days, and none of which are even supposed to be all that good! - so I've largely written off ever having them unless I stumble upon an epic charity shop haul.
I regret getting rid of my 1 to 42 collection of FF books. Original copies of the early ones, too, before the green jackets. I kept nothing except the four Sorcery! books.
Also Ian McDonald's Brasyl was pretty good. Quantum shenanigans and a very well drawn triptych of Brazilian settings (past, near future and present- well, 2006).
I regret getting rid of my 1 to 42 collection of FF books. Original copies of the early ones, too, before the green jackets. I kept nothing except the four Sorcery! books.
Bah.
Most of those can still be had for sane money (even pre-greenspine editions of the first seven), although the latter few (40+) can creep into double figures. (Job lots are still common too.) It's mostly the ones from 47 onwards where they really start to climb; and 55-59 are the truly buttock-clenching territory, because they had the same tiny one-off print runs as Allansia when the original series was dying. A pristine copy of Magehunter (number 57) just sold for £411 on eBay, and that's not a typo.
Posts
I gave up on it. There's a fascinating setting there but I absolutely can't handle such meandering narration.
I started Children of Time and it is excellent so far.
https://www.amazon.com/Six-Crows-Leigh-Bardugo-ebook/dp/B00UG9LC4I
Blizzard: Pailryder#1101
GoG: https://www.gog.com/u/pailryder
Picked up the 2nd collected volume and am going to keep plugging along
Wolfe can be literary Osmium, it's true, but so worth it.
In many ways I'm glad I lack Severian's memetic gifts. I find new shit in stuff like Book of the New Sun every time I return to it.
~ Buckaroo Banzai
I just finished that too.
It's a very odd thing
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
The comparisons to Joyce aren’t unwarranted, although the text is very enjoyable at a surface level read. I do a little bit of rereading since Wolf via Severin is a master of understatement around some of the more jarring or subtle passages, but I’ve pretty much decided this read through needs to just be getting the shape of what happens.
Sevarian is a master of lying via omission
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Ian McDonald’s Brasyl next, which I didn’t realise I had. It has the most garish cover I’ve seen for a while.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Like Dresden Files, its never too deep, which makes its fairly easy reading (which is nice when I've got a bunch of shit going on), but it also feels meaty enough that I didn't get bored/distracted with other stuff reading it. The "magic" system is definitely interesting, leaving me with a number of questions, but not in a way that made it feel like a fiat answer.
The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
Steam: Korvalain
The final book is a bit of a step down, but a decent enough ending.
I just gave up on the Malazan Book of the Dead series. I read the first 3 books as they came out, and wanted to finish the series so I started over a few months ago. But, it's just such a stark and depressing series, that I can't make myself push through for the last book and a half.
I picked up Drew Hayes latest NPCs book as a pallet cleanser, then am starting on Ian Banks culture series.
The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
Steam: Korvalain
jeff vandermeer's books, specifically stuff to do with ambergis (city of saints & madmen) and the southern reach trilogy, and borne
china meiville's books (bas lag setting is weird fiction I think, some of his other stuff isn't really imo but is even better like embassytown)
felix gilman's books (I really liked thunderer, I less liked his half-made world series but it's not shabby)
The City & The City is one of my favorite novels, and really sold me on the idea of weird fiction.
I'll add Thunderer to the list.
The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
Steam: Korvalain
The book is full of gruesome body horror and a sense of fitful anxiety, as the girls spend most of the time in the schoolhouse which they’ve converted to a sort of bunker for protection against mutated wildlife. Food comes in sporadically from military shipments and never in enough quantity, and the mystery of what’s going on in the outside world forms a lot of the plot. It’s not a long book and I think some of the plotting is a bit thin, like it might have worked better as a short story or with more development given to the central mystery / conspiracy, but the book shines for its prose and its rendering of relationships between kids isolated in truly dire circumstances.
No idea if it’s intended to be a one-off or the start of a series (I think a sequel would have to be a radically different book), but it was more than enough to hook me for whatever it is she writes next.
I am seriously debating grabbing the BBC radio series just because of the cast involved.
Started reading No Time to Spare from Ursula K. Le Guin. It's not fiction, but the writing is top notch in that.
@Brody
Weird fiction:
Vladimir Sorokin: Ice trilogy; Day of the Oprichnik
Mikhail Bulgakov: The Master and Margarita; Heart of a Dog
Vladimir Nabokov: Pale Fire
Nikolai Gogol: (assorted short stories but for weird esp The Nose and The Overcoat)
Boris and Arkady Strugatsky: Roadside Picnic
The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
Steam: Korvalain
I liked the first one enough, the second one has taken longer for me to get through. Also I mentally ages up everyone about 10 years because lol "I'm 14 with a limp and the most dangerous person in the criminal underworld."
Yes and I’m not sure it fits into a genre.
Closest thing I can think of would be some of Stephen King’s work
-Indiana Solo, runner of blades
Was okay with Ancestral Night as posted above. I enjoyed A Memory Called Empire but it may have been way too dense to be an audiobook. I might need to relisten to that one. I found it very good but sometimes I felt like it had Tea Ceremonies In Space Syndrome but with literature themes instead. I very much enjoyed the cyberpunk elements but I felt like the book didn't have a bunch of momentum. Felt like a cross between Baru and Ancillary. Will still read the sequel though.
Right now I'm listening to The Outside by Ada Hoffman. Not sure if I can recommend it or not yet but I kind of like it so far. I didn't think I would enjoy cybernetic angels and god AIs with a mix of Lovecraftian horror but it is good and the characters are enjoyable. Will report back when done.
Next is Children of Time sequel which again kind of worried that it has a sequel so I hope it is good.
I'd call it modern fantasy.
I always recommend people read Look to Windward and/or Player of Games first. Consider Phlebas I don't recall really liking (and I never revisited it when I read the rest of the series; I read it second, after Matter, and was unconvinced by either at the time, but loved Matter when I decided to read every Culture book and reread it later.)
Tell me more about Tea Ceremonies in Space with literature themes???
About to start _This Is How You Lose the Time War_ next I think, I'm in a book slump (too many projects rn ugh) and I've been holding off on this one for that purpose
Uncanny Magazine!
The Mad Writers Union
The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
Steam: Korvalain
Finally managed to get Allansia into my Fighting Fantasy collection. Again. I've basically had to rebuild my collection from the ground up, for reasons, and thankfully managed to get the bulk of it done before prices for the old editions went mad these last couple of years; but Allansia - the third and final part of the AFF series, and which had one tiny print run in 1994, and was never reprinted or republished - has proven elusive. And it's a lovely condition copy, too.
Now I'm mainly just missing four of the last five of the original series (of 59) - all four of which are insanely expensive if they can be tracked down these days, and none of which are even supposed to be all that good! - so I've largely written off ever having them unless I stumble upon an epic charity shop haul.
Steam | XBL
The Monster Baru Cormorant - Seth Dickinson
Steam: Korvalain
Bah.
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Choose Your Own Chat 1 Choose Your Own Chat 2 Choose Your Own Chat 3
Most of those can still be had for sane money (even pre-greenspine editions of the first seven), although the latter few (40+) can creep into double figures. (Job lots are still common too.) It's mostly the ones from 47 onwards where they really start to climb; and 55-59 are the truly buttock-clenching territory, because they had the same tiny one-off print runs as Allansia when the original series was dying. A pristine copy of Magehunter (number 57) just sold for £411 on eBay, and that's not a typo.
Steam | XBL
It was an odd collection of little scenes. More so than the others.
I'm not sure what I think.