What are you reading now?

[bachophile]

I’m finishing up nemesis games (expanse #5)

Taking me forever because I reading other things concurrently.

One question, I haven’t quite figured out how the titles of the books have anything to do with the plot lines.

[George K]

@bachophile said in What are you reading now?:

I haven’t quite figured out how the titles of the books have anything to do with the plot lines.

Well,

https://scifi.stackexchange.com/questions/216897/what-do-the-novel-titles-of-the-expanse-series-refer-to

1. Leviathan Wakes

The Leviathan is a sea monster in Judaism, most well known from its appearance in the Book of Job.

The title refers to the waking of the long-dormant protomolecule from Phoebe, moon of Saturn.

2. Caliban's War

Caliban is a half human, half monster character from Shakespeare's play The Tempest.

The title refers to the project which created hybrid human-protomolecule soldiers and the war fought with and over them.

3. Abaddon's Gate

Abaddon is a Hebrew name for the abyss or pit of destruction, as well as an angel personifying the same.

The title refers, I think, to the characters passing through the protomolecule's gate and the rapid forced braking they experience and the destruction that follows.

4. Cibola Burn

The Zuni-Cibola Complex is an archeological site in New Mexico. It was believed by the Spanish to be one of the Seven Cities of Gold.

The title refers to Ilus, a planet settled by both Belter refugees and a mining company from Earth, who both wanted to mine the planet for its valuable lithium. It may also refer to the ancient buildings they find on the planet.

5. Nemesis Games

Nemesis is a Greek goddess who enacts retribution against the arrogant.

The title refers to Marco Inaros and his Belter "Free Navy" who attack the Earth.

6. Babylon's Ashes

Babylon was the capital city of the Babylonian Empire. In Jewish and Christian symbolism it stood for the corrupt world, evil, and eventually the Roman Empire.

The title probably refers to the continuing recovery efforts of Earth after Marco's attack, although most book readers would be more likely to sympathise with the Earth's survivors. The title may also be a clue of the Laconian Empire's overtaking of Earth in the next book.

7. Persepolis Rising

Persepolis was the capital of the Persian Empire.

The title refers to the reemergence of the hidden Laconian Empire which, just as the Persian Empire had conquered the Babylonian Empire, then conquered the "Babylon" of Earth, Mars, and all the other inhabited systems.

8. Tiamat's Wrath

Tiamat is the Babylonian goddess of the sea and chaos.

The title refers the unknown alien race which had previously defeated the protomolecule's "Ring Builders" race and is now attacking Humanity (or arguably defending itself), by a variety of means including scrambling the physical parts of humans, causing system-wide consciousness breaks, and destroying everything in the Slow Zone.

[bachophile]

Well that was obvious

[Horace]

Finished this one last night. No new insights for me contained there, but the culture is in desperate need of this book. Unfortunately the woke are not educable in any idea that might go against the social grain, so they are hopeless emotional robots in any case.

I appreciated that Mr McWhorter identified the push for four year college educations for all as the second most important populist cultural idea that needs to be broken. I've identified that same idea as our culture's second dumbest. Great minds and all that.

[Doctor Phibes]

There's a massive knob living across the street, but this book hasn't helped at all.

[George K]

@doctor-phibes I thought the author was Hugh Jardon.

My bad.

[George K]

As I said, I decided to binge through the last 3 books of the Expanse series.

Finished "Leviathan Falls" this afternoon. What a great ride it's been. The ending of the story is satisfying and complete, while still leaving the door open for more stories. All of the characters have an appropriate ending, especially the "Last Man Standing."

Just loved the scope and scale of the story.

THere's no doubt that, if you just wanted to tell "The Story," much could have been omitted, and rather than taking 9 books, 3-4 would have been sufficient. Get rid of the "Prax" stories, for example. Though enjoyable, they really don't move the story forward other than expanding on the horrors of Strickland's research.

It could have been leaner if all you wanted to do is tell the story. But, they were building a universe, and it worked. Very satisfied.

[taiwan_girl]

I am almost finished with the following book:

I wasn't really familiar with this story. Quite interesting. About a unknown young Malaysian guy who was able to get the Malaysian government to set up a soveriegn fund which he controlled and ultimately stole most of the money (hundreds and hundreds of millions of USD). I did do a search and it appears that he is hiding out in China (probably Macau).

@jon-nyc Have you heard of this case? It seems like it was quite easy for it to happen. Greed on the part of the investment banks, private bankers etc.

@Axtremus The book gives a pretty bad picture of corruption and politics in Malaysia. I dont know much about government affairs in Malaysia and was wondering if you feel corruption is pretty common there?

[George K]

I read this a long time ago.

I thought it might be nice to revisit.

[Mik]

That's the story he supposedly sold to the movies that bought his house.

[Larry]

[Aqua Letifer]

@George-K : listened to this just last night, all in one go. My wife and I listened to it in the car on the way up to see my in-laws. The book ended just as we pulled into the driveway.

(By the way, this is the second Scalzi book we've done this with. We started Redshirts on the way up to New Hampshire. Listened to it all in one go, got done right when we pulled into the parking lot.)

Anyway, this series rocks. Please have Quinto play Tony in the TV series. This SO NEEDS TO HAPPEN.

[George K]

Wasn't it great?

[Aqua Letifer]

@george-k said in What are you reading now?:

Wasn't it great?

Freaking awesome. I can't wait for the TV series.

I'm glad Mason returned.

[George K]

Finished "Bosch #1" this morning. Great cop story with a worthy twist at the end. None of that was in the TV series.

So...I started #2 this afternoon.

This is really popcorn, but it's good popcorn.

[George K]

@george-k said in What are you reading now?:

So...I started #2 this afternoon.

What a fun read. Great twist at the end (as in #1).

Just dipped my toe in to #3 this afternoon. It introduces Honey Chandler.

I can see this being a MAJOR binge...

[George K]

@george-k said in What are you reading now?:

Just dipped my toe in to #3 this afternoon

Very binge-able. Just finished #3, and I'll dive into #4 tomorrow. Then, it'll be time for a break.

Lots of fun.

[George K]

Yeah #4 was quite the page turner. Lots of false leads, dead ends, intra-departmental intrigue...

Should I do #5 or take a break...

Harry...."C'mere. George!"

[George K]

[bachophile]

@george-k is that the posthumous one? I’m waiting for a relaxed vacation to read that. The last le carre ever. Maybe this summer